The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 60

The one holding her relaxed a little and leaned in to lick her cheek. The other one remarked about her belly and placed his hand on her without asking. Lindsay went along as though she found his behavior delightful. Niketas was restless, perhaps feeling his mother's agitation, and he was kicking hard and moving more than he ever had. The one touching her belly remarked to the other who released his hold enough to also place his hand on her belly. Lindsay placed her hands on theirs in an attempt to appear more cooperative. They continued to converse with each other in German and in French with Lindsay.

While this unpleasant altercation was occurring, Lindsay focused on something happy, the way Remus had taught her, until a wisp of silver burst forth from her wand, which went unnoticed by the men. Lindsay's patronus was on its way to rouse her nearest neighbor by growling viciously like a wolf and hopefully draw him down to check on his precious cows. Lindsay hoped she could stall the Germans until her ill-tempered neighbor arrived.

Niketas kicked hard, hard enough to make Lindsay draw a sharp breath. The man in front of her held his hand on her belly and grinned as he felt the baby's distressed kicking. He laughed and said something to his friend. Lindsay claimed her back hurt and asked to sit down. The man behind her took off his coat and laid it on the ground in the long shadow of a tall wintergreen tree. She thanked him for his chivalry, and he even had the good manners to help her sit and offered himself as a backrest for her. His hands roamed a little, but he didn't touch anything inappropriate.

The other man sat next to her still holding the cowbell, which he moved back and forth letting it ring out in a muted clang. He ran his free hand up and down Lindsay's leg. She wondered if the men, though obnoxious and disruptive, were interested enough in her baby's welfare to be satisfied with just female company and nothing more. Lindsay was too forgiving. The one sitting behind her put his hands on her belly again and spoke to his friend, who smiled viciously; looking very much like the venomous animal he was.

Lindsay wasn't sure exactly what the German had said, but she did recognize that it was a question. From the words she did understand, she put together the general meaning of his question to be: "Can we make it come out?" Lindsay felt nauseated. If someone didn't appear soon, she'd be forced to throw these two reprobates over the crag. The only thing that stopped her was a fear of committing murder and the risk of damaging her soul. Surely she wouldn't risk splitting her soul if she killed them in self-defense?

She considered immobilizing them as Severus had taught her, but because of their proximity she'd risk one of them grabbing her wand. She'd also risk giving away her identity as a witch. The locals were very tolerant of a strange Muggle in their midst, but they may not be so accepting of a wand-wielding witch. In her current condition, running away was not an option. Lindsay was practically immobilized with fear for her baby's safety. Thinking of Severus reprimanding her for her indecision gave her courage.

The man behind Lindsay began lifting her shirt and the one next to her clanged his cowbell again. The sound that followed was so ferocious it startled all of them. Lindsay thought it was a shout, but the man that uttered it was so incensed that whatever he'd said sounded like the howl of a wild beast. His cows were mooing and their bells were clanging as they shared their master's agitation.

The two Germans rose to meet Hagrid's twin head-on. Lindsay rose with a dancer's agility and slipped deeper into the shadows. She turned to see Hagrid's twin bashing the Germans' heads together and shouting threats at them for trying to hurt his cows. Lindsay turned and made her way up the path to her cottage. She was almost home when she was forced to stop due to a terrible pain in her lower back. She gently patted her belly hoping to stop the baby's frantic movement. "Settle down, Niketas. We're almost home."