Forever and Always Yours, SS [Book 3]

Chapter 96

Severus and Amilia spent Easter Holiday with Kylie and Marcus. Kylie's sons loved spending time playing with Jordan. Scott would read to her on the floor, pointing out all the colors and shapes on the pages. She would babble and grab the pages, pulling them to her mouth. Severus and Kylie had patched things up between them just a little more than before.

Kylie was proud and surprised to see Severus step up in his role as a father. She had confided in Amilia that she doubted he would stick around given his history of leaving around the time of something important occurring. This angered Amilia; she was happy her best friend was being honest with her; however, it was still something that could have just as easily stayed unknown to her.

Finally, when they returned to the castle on the morning of the last day of the Easter Holidays, they took a relaxing breath and settled into their quarters.

"She told you something that bothered you, did she not?" Severus asked.d

"I know you were listening. You always are."

Severus grinned sheepishly, "That is besides the point."

Amilia looked at him over her shoulder as she dressed Jordan in new clothes, "Is it?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I would rather not." Amilia lifted Jordan off the bed and smothered her little face in kisses. "I never doubted you."

Severus nodded. It made him happy to know his wife did not doubt him. He expected her friends, too; though most of them had come around, Aaron was still very abrasive whenever he was around. "I am glad I got to have one holiday without being interrupted or summoned."

"As am I." Amilia smiled at him as she set Jordan on the floor. "Put up the barrier on the fireplace please."

Severus pulled out his wand and flicked it at the fireplace; a shimmer appeared and flashed before his eyes, confirming that the spell had taken hold. "When do you think she will walk?"

"I do not know."

Severus pressed his lips thin, "Didn't all of the doctors says she should be walking by now?"

"The doctors also said that some babies to not learn how to walk until they are almost a year and half old. She is fine. So stop your worrying."

Easy for you to say. Severus scowled. Jordan babbled and slammed her hand down on his boot. "She was early and you had complications. How do we know that did not cause her any problems?"

"She was only a couple weeks early, she is fine!" Amilia said, slightly annoyed. "She will be walking in her own time. Do not rush it."

Severus grunted and wiggled his foot at Jordan, who laughed and beat the toe of his boot with her little fists.

Later that night, Severus was lying in bed next to Amilia, who was reading, when their forearms began to burn. Amilia hissed and slammed her book shut, hiding her face in the comforter. "I will see you in the morning." her muffled voice said.

"Try to sleep." Severus got out of bed and dressed before walking to his office to use the Floo.

He emerged from his fireplace at Spinner's End. The sitting room was dark, the curtains had been drawn, and he could detect the smell of old milk. He scowled; Pettigrew had a nasty habit of leaving milk in the bottom of his bowls or never finishing his cups and leaving them everywhere. Severus hated coming back here, now more than ever. This was his childhood home, and now that he had a child, he had hoped to raise her here, to change the memories that permeated the walls, but he could not do that because of the rat being ordered to spy on him.