FIC: A Much-Needed Kneading (G)
Title: A Much-Needed Kneading
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: Five
Pairings: Luna/Rolf, Severus/Hermione, Click to View [Spoiler]Crookshanks/original Kneazle.
Author: iulia_linnea
Rating: G
Click to View [Warning(s)]For the implied passing of Crookshanks.
Note(s): I was given the following prompts to get me over my writer's block: Severus/Hermione, fluffy angst, and a side of Luna. Mystery Prompter, I hope this pleases you.
Summary: Things do not always happen for a Reason.
Luna didn't always understand why things turned out as they did, but she had come to decide that things did not always happen for a Reason. There were tears in her eyes as she awoke, shaking, to see the concern in Rolf's, and as she looked into them, she saw with a beautiful and reassuring clarity the future they would share, together, together with their children.
"Hermione's going to have that, too. Hermione and Severus and their family!"
Rolf followed Luna into the kitchen. "What's happening? What did you see? What are you doing?"
"I need a potion, a special draught. It's in the back of my mind, still forming. I remember from our travels, that tribe, er, village, the elder, he gave it to the pregnant women, to help them."
"Luna, I-"
"Everything is going to be fine, Rolf. It will be. I won't have it any other way!"
"Luna, my love, come here." Rolf took his wife into his arms. "It will be, I know it will. I believe you, Luna."
Luna wiped her eyes. "You do?"
"Absolutely, babe. . . . Now, how can I help you help our friends to their happily ever after?"
~*~
"I don't understand why you have brought me here, Miss Lovegood."
Severus surveyed the Shrieking Shack. It was a cold, snowy morning, and the only howl to be heard was that of wind whipping through the holes in the abandoned, ramshackle house before them.
"You wanted to know what to get her, and this is it: a purpose."
"Hermione has no desire to 'do it herself'," replied Severus, shuddering a bit at the thought of doing up the Shack. "Especially not to this place. How uncharacteristically thoughtless of you to bring me here given my history."
"You're not being very smart right now." Luna walked towards the house. "I expect it's because you're worried about Hermione, which is to be expected, but pay closer attention, Severus."
Glaring after his occasional assistant brewer, Severus sighed. "I didn't give you permission to-"
"Hurry up, Severus!"
Curious in spite of his annoyance, Severus followed Miss Lovegood, Luna. "Why?" he demanded, but the closer he got to the door, the more he heard of the reason.
The Shack was mewing.
"I know, I know," Luna was saying, as he entered.
In her lap, several complaining kittens tumbled over one another.
"No biting," Luna told them. She pulled a parcel out of her pocket and enlarged it.
Severus watched her open her basket, saw the tiny porcelain plates fill with food, and almost smiled as the kittens tried to bat the dishes down as they settled on the floor to feed them.
"Their mother is very weak. She was ill her entire pregnancy, so I've been feeding her kittens."
"Her Kneazle kittens," remarked Severus. "A kneading of Kneazles."
"They do that," agreed Luna, "when they aren't eating or playing or sleeping. I thought Hermione might like to choose two to take home with you."
"Two?" asked Severus, thinking that Crookshanks had been enough Kneazle for anyone.
Luna looked at him and smiled gently. "It's all right. I know you miss him, too."
"I do not."
"You do so, and so does Hermione. You both could use familiars, and Kneazles do better in pairs or clowders. I'm taking Mama home when she's up to it-she's quite safe here, you know, I put up charms and come every day-and Rolf wants us to take a kitten, as well."
"There are five kittens."
"True," agreed Luna. "You might consider three kittens under the circumstances."
Severus frowned. "What circumstances?"
Luna bit her lip. "If you took three, Rolf and I could take two kittens and Mama."
"Luna, what 'circumstances'?" pressed Severus.
"Think about my proposal, Severus, and let me know soon. I've got to settle where these babies will ultimately live soon."
With that, Severus found himself back outside of the Shack-and then he woke up.
~*~
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
"Hermione, do you want a kitten?"
"Wha-at?" she asked, though a yawn.
Severus rose in the darkness. "I . . . I need to take a walk."
"Severus, where are you-"
Slam!
~*~
Severus did not go to the apothecary that he ran with the help of Luna Lovegood-when she wasn't gallivanting about the world with her husband-and Patience Hopkirk, a local witch with extraordinary powers of organisation and charm. Instead, he walked to the Shrieking Shack. It was, as ever, barely holding itself together, and that is exactly what Severus felt as he stared at it. His dream . . . .
Is she really pregnant? Is that what Luna meant?
Lovegood was a right pain in his arse and always had been, well, ever since she'd grown up into a witch in need of a laboratory to test her specimins and produce the potions she and her husband required on their travels. True, she brought him several ingredients he might not otherwise have had access to and yes, she was handy to have around when doing his own brewing, but she had no filter and an annoying habit of heedlessly making near-prophetic pronouncements. If she weren't one of his wife's dearest friends, he might have got shot of her.
But she is one of Hermione's dearest friends.
A mewing rose on the wind, and it would have startled Severus had he not expected it.
"Is that meowing?" asked Hermione, whom Severus was in no way surprised to find standing next to him. "Severus! That's meowing!"
"Here we go," he muttered, following her.
~*~
"How did you know they were here?"
There were only three, thank Merlin, three kittens and one very tired, post-birth mother Kneazle. "Lovegood."
"She told you?" asked Hermione, her eyes wet with unshed tears as she cradled a tiny bundle of orange fuzz.
"Oh, shit."
"What?" Hermione asked. "Oh. Oh, I see. Oh!"
"He was so sick," said Severus, "but I believe these are Crookshanks' kittens."
In his dream, it had felt as though months had passed since Hermione's Kneazle had died, but in fact, it hadn't been particularly long at all.
"He did," Hermione said, stopping to wipe her nose and sniff, "he did have a habit of stalking off."
"Yes, 'stalking'." Severus moved to brush his hand through Hermione's hair and then knelt down beside her. "And now we know where to."
"I'm going to bring them home with us," said Hermione.
"I know."
"You don't mind?"
"You know the answer to that," said Severus.
"Good!"
Severus snorted. "So that will be four babies, then?"
"There are only three ba-oh. How did you know?"
"Well, I know now."
"Severus?"
"I had a dream. Luna told me about the kittens and, inadvertently, indicated that you were pregnant."
"She did, did she." It wasn't a question. "What else did-"
"Hermione, don't get jealous of dream Luna. She was only looking out for you."
"That sounds ridiculous, Severus."
"Be that as it ma-"
"Mrr?"
"Oh, yes, Mama Kneazle," Hermione said. "We can go now."
Severus Transfigured an old broken jug into a basket and pillow as he said, "Now who is being ridiculous?"
"She's very smart. All Kneazles are."
"I'm not dreaming, am I?" Severus abruptly asked.
Hermione smiled. "No, Severus. I'm really pregnant. We're going to have a baby!"
Mama Kneazle proceeded to place her kittens into the basket underneath the snogging Severus and Hermione and had them well settled by the time her people stopped.
"Mrrewww?"
"Oh, all right, yes. You do need food. We'll get you home," Hermione told Mama.
"Hickory, Dickory, and Dock seem to be eating well enough."
"Oh, Severus. No! Terrible names."
"Mrreowrrr."
"Oh, Mama, truly?" Hermione asked.
"She doesn't actually understa-"
Mama turned a hard eye towards Severus and he fell, momentarily, silent. "I stand corrected, Mrs. Shanks."
Hermione giggled.
"Courtesy title," replied Severus, helping Hermione to her feet.
"You're very silly," she told him.
"I will deny it," he retorted.
"Mrrifff?"
"That's true," Severus told Mama. "Dinner is very late."
"Silly, I stand by my words."
"Yes, of course you do, my wife."
~*~
"How did you know about Crookshanks' kittens?"
"Good morning to you, too!" called Luna, speeding towards the back room.
"Are you running away from me, woman?"
"No, Severus! I just have a cauldron to stir!"
Severus found Luna doing just that. "Hello, Rolf."
"Mr. Snape."
"You can call him-"
"But he won't," Severus said, as Rolf also spoke.
"But I won't."
"Why not?"
Together, Severus and Rolf answered, "That's private."
Luna laughed, but not at them. It was a joyful sound, almost intimate for being so publicly done. In many ways, she was like her mother. Severus had known of Xandria Yaxley more than known her and hadn't known her at all once she'd married Xenophilius Lovegood, but what he'd known of her, he'd liked.
His reverie was broken by Luna's gaze, which he felt resting heavily upon him. "I miss her, too. I suppose she was kind to you?"
"Your mother was kind to everyone."
"I'm glad. She was always kind to me. Now then," Luna continued, indicating her cauldron, "this is a batch of 'Constitutional Increase', as I call it. It's for Hermione."
"Why?" Severus asked.
"Because I think she'll need help during her pregnancy."
Luna's eyes were kind but firm. Severus remembered his dream.
"The mother cat was ill during her pregnancy in my dream."
"Hermione should have a half teacup of this draught every three weeks."
"How do you know that? Why do you-"
"I left Healer training without becoming a Healer, Severus, but my training was complete, and I've been Hermione's friend a long time. Hermione should have a half teacup of this draught every three weeks."
"Why aren't you going to tell her that?"
"Because we're going to Romania," Rolf said, wrapping enchanted cords around a case of phials. "We leave in a few days and won't be back until Christmas, right before Hermione's due."
"I don't know that Hermione will like your telling people about her pregancy before I even knew about it!"
"Settle, Severus," Luna said, beginning to decant her potion. "Strong feelings around a pregnant person aren't wise. That cauldron," she said, pointing to the one bubbling next to the one she was emptying, "is for you. It's a strong Calming draught that won't make you sleepy."
Severus wanted to say something sharp but found he could not. Instead, he told Luna, "Thank you for thinking of us-but if you think Hermione will take some random potion, you're quite mistaken."
"My notes." Luna Summoned a sheaf of papers with a jerk of her head. "And also a letter to her, though of course, I'll be going 'round to say goodbye."
All of a sudden, Severus knew that he would miss Luna and Rolf, who had become his friends, too. He would miss them as sure as he'd miss Crookshanks, cantankerous, foot-getting-under Kneazle that he'd been. It was . . . odd, odd to know that he had people and pets in his life.
"Odd," he murmured, without intending to.
"Yes, of course," Luna told him. "That's the best way to be. Get used to it."
~*~
"And have you?" asked Hermione, sometime later after he'd told her of his conversation with their friends.
"Got used to it? Oddity?"
"No, Severus. Happiness. Have you got used to happiness?"
They were curled up together under a soft blanket, listening to the various peepings and mewings of the night. Mama and Hickory and Dickory and Doc were settled into a huge basket at the foot of the bed. A fire crackled low in the hearth. His belly was full, his life was about to become fuller by virtue of his acceptance of friendship into his life, and not least because he was about to become a father.
"A father."
"Yes, you're about to become one."
Hermione's tone was hesitant.
"I'm not at all afraid of fatherhood, Hermione. I had sufficient schooling as to how not to go on. I cannot wait to parent a child with you, to love a child with you."
"Oh, Severus!"
He never thought he'd speak so, but there it was. Luna was right. Life was odd.
Breaking their embrace, he told Hermione, "No, I'm not used to the oddity, but I never want to get used to it. I never want to take it for granted, Hermione. It, you, our life-I never thought I could be happy, let alone as happy as I am. I mean it. I'm happy, and that's . . . that's more than odd, Hermione. It's fucking bizarre and so much more than I deserve."
"Don't say that."
"But it's true, and that's all right. The odd truth of it is that somehow, I've ended up in my own sodding Happily Ever After, oddness notwithstanding, and I couldn't be more grateful for it." Severus took a deep breath, held it, exhaled, and then let the second breath out slowly. "And if you ever tell anyone I said as much, I shall-"
"Deny it?" interrupted Hermione, appearing flushed with happiness.
"-be incredibly annoyed with you but affirm it curtly," Severus finished.
Hermione laughed.
"Mrrrrerrr!"
"Yes, I know. We should be sleeping, too," Hermione told Mama.
Severus feigned a pout. "Truly?"
"Well, a pregnant witch does need her rest," Hermione told him.
"Yes, but you're only just pregnant. Shouldn't we make sure . . . ?"
~*~
Rolf was about to take Luna's hand and the first of many Portkeys when she stiffened and smiled.
"What is it, love?"
"Just life-affirmation afoot. Everything's so much better than fine."
"Truer words, my dear. Are you ready?"
"Oh, Rolf," Luna said, beaming at him, "I've always been up for anything!"