Lilliana Snape (Book 5)

Part 13

I was right about the gossip spreading but it was a lot faster than even I expected but I think the main reason was the fact that Fred and dad had a showdown in the entrance hall.

There was a lot of shouting and raised wands before I stepped in between them, trying to mediate the situation but, by this time, everyone seemed to have formed a circle around us and was watching intently at the student/teacher showdown.

“Severus put your wand away!” McGonagall had finally arrived…just in time I might add; dad had just shot a spell at Fred, who dodged it and hit a second year, turning him into a frog. With a wave of McGonagall’s wand, he was put right again. “You too Mr Weasley and both of you and Miss Snape will follow me to my office. Now!” She snapped when neither one of them moved. Dad gave McGonagall his best glare before lowering his wand and then Fred, deciding that it was safe, followed suit.

“Sorry” Fred muttered as we made our way up McGonagall’s office “he just kinda attacked me; I don’t even know what I-” he looked at me in horror “did you tell him?” I nod “why didn’t you warn me? I’d have come with you!”

“I had no time!” I told him quietly “Hermione let everything slip at dinner and I wanted him to hear it from me rather than from somebody else.”

“Hermione let it slip?” I nodded again “seriously; so who knows?”

“Most of the people in Gryffindor” I sigh.

“I wondered why I was getting congratulatory slaps on the back” Fred sighed “this isn’t going to end well is it?”

I shrug “what’s happened has happened and” I blushed “I don’t regret anything.”

Professor McGonagall conjured up three extra chairs before sitting behind her desk and looking angrily at dad. “Now, Severus, I would like it if you could explain rationally why you had your wand pointed at a student.”

Dad glared right back at her and replied “I’m afraid, Minerva, that this is a personal matter; I agree that I went about it the wrong way but I would like to be given the chance to try again in a more civilised manner.”

“Severus, you do understand that almost the entire school witnessed the whole thing? I don’t think that this is a personal matter anymore; do you know how many complaints from parents we could get because of your behaviour today?” McGonagall told him fiercely “I suggest that you take note of that temper of yours and keep it under control!” She turned to Fred “Mr Weasley, tell me what happened please.”

Fred shrugged “I have no idea; I was just going to dinner when he grabbed me and started shouting. I only got my wand out because he was pointing his at me.”

“You are welcome to make a formal complaint if you wish” she told him.

“No, like he said…now I know what’s going on; it’s a personal matter.”

McGonagall pursed her lips at the two men before turning to me “and what do you have to say? I assume that this is about you considering I found you between the two of them.”

“I agree with them although” I bit my lip and turned to dad and Fred “everyone’s going to know by now anyway…no thanks to Hermione” I muttered angrily.

I took a deep breath and told McGonagall what was going on when I finished she just sighed and said “teenage pregnancy at Hogwarts is rare but not unheard of; we will do our best to accommodate you before and after but you do understand that this is going to put a severe strain on your education.” I nodded. “just out of interest” she added “was that the reason you needed to go home?”

“I didn’t want to go to Madame Pomfrey” I admitted “so doing it the muggle way was easier.”

“I understand” she sighed and then shook her head “we need to get you checked over to ensure both you and your child are healthy. Are you sure that your decision to go through with the pregnancy is the right one?”

“Yes Professor” I replied quietly.

“Ok, I’ll have the rumours expelled; no one will bother you or Mr Weasley on the matter.”

“Thank you” I sighed

She raised a finger to show that she wasn’t finished yet and looked sternly at Fred and I over the top of her glasses “despite this, I want you both to know just how thoughtless and idiotic you’ve both been and I hope that this serves as a reminder that actions always have consequences and if I or anyone else catches you both in places you ought not to be then your punishment will be severe; is that understood?

I nodded in embarrassment whereas Fred just said “with all due respect, Professor, the damage has already been done; there isn’t much else we can do that can end up with the same result but, don’t worry, this…situation has…separated us for the time being.”

Blushing, I shuffled my feet as I realised that Fred had literally just told our Transfiguration professor and my dad that we’ve not done anything since finding out.  “You may leave.” McGonagall nodded.

We couldn’t get out of the room quicker; both Fred and I bolted for the door and didn’t stop running until we were two floors up. “Well, I suppose it could have gone worse” he announced as he leant against the wall, fighting for breath.

I nod, gasping “yeah; oh dear, now she knows everything.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” He replied darkly “remind me to curse Hermione the next time I see her please.”

“Why do you want to curse Hermione?” Came a dreamy voice from behind us. It was Luna.

“Hi Luna” I sighed “he was just joking, weren’t you Fred?”

“Course” he nodded “joking…because that’s what I do.”

“Oh good” she smiled “are you coming to DA?”

I’d completely forgotten that that was today! “Oh yeah! We were on our way up” I told her.

Everyone stopped and stared at we walked into the room of requirement and then everyone split off either towards Fred or myself. I noticed that the guys were going over to Fred, clapping him on the back and saying stuff like “get in there!” or “Snape’s daughter, you dog!” They were congratulating him…whereas the girls came swarming over to me.

“Lil, I am so sorry; it just slipped it!” Hermione said.

“What did your dad say?” Asked Cho.

“How’re you feeling?” “Is that why you’ve been throwing up?”…

“Can everybody please just back off?” I shouted “seriously! Hermione, it was a pretty big secret that you let slip and yes I am annoyed but no I don’t hate you…just give me some space to calm down. Now can we just get on with it?”

Harry had started with the basics…Expelliarmus and shield charms etc but now we were doing stuff that was a little harder which was actually pretty easy but I didn’t want to say anything. Today was the impediment jinx which slows something down or stops it completely.

Even I had to admit that Harry was a good teacher; he was patient, kind and encouraging…especially to Neville and most especially to Cho Chang who he couldn’t keep his eyes off.

Everyone was very encouraged when it came to the end; Harry let us go in pairs as not to arouse suspicion so Fred and I walked back to Gryffindor tower together and settled in the seats by the fire, ignoring the mutters and stares that followed us as we passed our peers.

“Reckon McGonagall will do as she said?” I asked Fred as I sat down, still aware that I was being stared at.

“She’s pretty good like that” he smiled “no one will bother us in the morning, don’t worry.”

“So what did George say?”

Fred grinned wider “told me that mum’s gonna kill me when she finds out.”

My heart skipped a beat…I’d forgotten about Molly!