Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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It was surprising to Harriet how much she initially regretted her rejection of Severus's offer.
After they returned Teddy to his grandmother's care and resumed their positions as headmaster and assistant, the busyness of the semester came roaring back.
Harriet grappled with fatigue and a sense of......remorse.
She watched Severus carefully during that last week in October, using her hormones to see through his hardened exterior by using careful analysis.
He spoke firmly when he commanded students so that they would listen to him, obey the rules, and ultimately, stay safe.
Despite the approved curriculum, in each potions class, Severus continued to teach his own methods, which were far more efficient than those found in the textbooks, and thus, more helpful to his pupils.
Harriet imagined Severus being a strict but loving parent to their child.
She imagined Severus guiding their little one and looking out for them at every available opportunity.
Those thoughts made her heart swell.
There were several days when she longed to go back to the cottage.
She wanted to see Severus interact with Teddy again and watch the careful look on his face while he monitored the little boy.
Harriet was filled with conflicting emotions.
She had already chosen her career path.
Simple domesticity had never been her goal.
Why should that change?
Besides, she couldn't drop out of the Auror program, that wasn't an option.
Harriet's progress in training would not be recorded.
She would have to repeat years of effort and start over from the very beginning.
As Harriet dressed herself for Halloween dinner in the Great Hall on that last weekend in October, she looked in the mirror and marveled that her robes still fit.
Mostly black, with a little red velvet here and there, her flowing garments managed to hide any subtle changes to her figure.
It didn't particularly bother Harriet that she wasn't showing yet, but it did make her blush whenever she caught Severus stealing impatient glances at her flat belly.
Although he said nothing about it, Harriet knew that her alpha was waiting to see the evidence that his child was growing inside her.
While she fastened her robes while she looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror, Severus walked up behind her and held her gaze in the glass.
"I'm nearly ready." Harriet whispered as her fingers kept closing the buttons, working a little harder when they made their way to her full breasts.
In the sensible part of his mind, Severus noticed that his omega had neglected to purchase a new bra that was the correct size for her enlarged curves.
In the more primitive portion of his thoughts, Severus tried not to drool as he watched his mate's swollen glands rebel against her fingers until they were forced into their tight confines while Harriet fastened her robes up to the base of her throat.
Severus said nothing back to Harriet for a moment, but when he laid his hands gently on the sides of her hips, she inclined her head and blinked up at him.
He bent down until his lips connected with Harriet's.
Their kiss that should have been gentle and loving became hungry and demanding as the sensual contact excited them both.
Severus's grip on Harriet's hips became deliciously possessive as she tangled her fingers in his raven black hair.
Their sensual moment came to a premature end when Severus pulled away and looked down into Harriet's emerald eyes.
"........We'll be late." He explained in his low drawl.
"I know." Harriet forlornly sighed as she took her fingers out of Severus's hair and lovingly stroked the dark strands back into place.
"Perhaps after our meal, you'll accompany me on a walk through the greenhouse? Madam Sprout informed the staff this morning that she's displayed a plethora of pumpkin lanterns there. Students have been touring all day." Severus explained.
Harriet would have heard Madam Sprout herself if she hadn't slept through Severus's early meeting.
She had managed to make it to the first class of the day on time, but Severus had left her rest undisturbed and allowed her to wake naturally.
No matter what potion he brewed, he couldn't seem to ease his expectant lover's exhaustion as well as a long night's sleep or a restorative afternoon nap.
"That sounds like fun." Harriet agreed as she smiled up at her mate.
Severus offered her his arm and she eagerly accepted.
The happy couple walked together as Severus led Harriet to dinner.
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There was no shortage of pumpkin lanterns at Hogwarts during Halloween.
Nearly a hundred of the glowing decorations floated above the house tables in the Great Hall that evening.
The selection of dishes for the night's feast included many pumpkin-flavored treats, all of which were greedily gobbled down by everyone present while the staff spoke amongst themselves and the students chatted with one another.
Harriet was engaged in a conversation with Professor McGonagall, who sat on her right, much to Severus's consternation, as he sat on Harriet's left and waited for the two women to finish speaking.
It made him smirk to see the vast amount of food that Harriet consumed during the meal.
Perhaps his little one enjoyed the taste of nutmeg and clove?
Severus glanced down at Harriet's belly and noticed the slight way that her abdomen had expanded after she finished.
Although the silhouette was only a result of her dinner, Severus dreamed of the day that she'd wander through the castle with one hand laid on her swollen womb as a bold announcement to the world that she was his.
Accustomed to brooding and musing, Severus remained wrapped in his own thoughts as dinner ended and the students began to make their way out of the Great Hall and towards their dormitories.
While the staff members stood from the High Table and headed towards their own respective chambers, Harriet interrupted Severus's daydream as she asked, "Shall we go for that walk now?"
Severus looked over at her with his black eyes wide, clearly startled by suddenly being yanked from his reverie and addressed.
She grinned in amusement at the unreadable look on his pale face as he gazed at her and slowly replied, ".............As you wish, Potter."
Severus stood first to chivalrously help Harriet out of her chair before they left the Great Hall.
Harriet held onto her lover's arm while they walked across the castle.
Once the glowing greenhouse came into view, Harriet could already see that it was filled with carved and lighted pumpkin lanterns.
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Their walk didn't last terribly long.
Alone in the greenhouse, with the rest of the school in bed, it only took a few moments of lingering there, in the romantic, flickering light from the many pumpkin lanterns to remind Severus and Harriet of their kiss earlier that had ended far too soon.
When Severus watched Harriet press a hand to her full tummy and sigh through her plump lips, he all but attacked his omega.
Severus had cast a silencing charm, followed by a cloaking spell, after Harriet gasped when his lips found her throat and it became obvious that they wouldn't be able to make it back to the seclusion of their private rooms.
With Harriet clawing at his shoulders, Severus pulled dry, throaty cries of pleasure from his mate's lips while he claimed her against the greenhouse wall.
Harriet's legs were spread obscenely wide around her alpha's slender waist.
Severus had hastily pushed her robes and bra aside so that he could access her darkened nipples without hindrance.
If Severus hadn't employed concealing enchantments, the entire school would have heard Harriet as she finally found her pleasure, holding onto Severus while he growled and spilled himself within her.
Satisfied, the headmaster and his omega were in no rush.
They stayed together, with Harriet's legs still clenched around his waist, while they kissed languidly and lamented the lack of a nest in which they could cuddle.
Severus could see the exhaustion in Harriet's emerald eyes once he finally let himself slip from her.
Thoughtfully, he lifted Harriet into his arms, carried her through the castle, and back to their chambers after he mobilized his cloaking charm with a single murmur.
The happy sigh that Harriet let escape from her lips when he laid her down in her nest made Severus's heart flutter.
As she closed her eyes to sleep, he stared at her for some time before seeking out his own rest.
Severus looked at Harriet in the glow of the moonlight and tried to rein in his fear.
She was real, their relationship was real, the baby was real.
It was all real.......it was all true, as true as the war, as true as Lily's death, as true as the abuse Severus had previously endured for so many wretched years.
He had no trouble believing in the things that had hurt him, so it frustrated Severus when he wondered why he couldn't believe that something genuinely and purely good had finally happened in his life.
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It was warm for an evening in late November when Severus hurriedly completed a few errands in Diagon Alley.
Back at the castle, Harriet was busy grading homework assignments.
She believed that Severus was working with McGonagall on an issue in the Gryfinndor common room.
Severus didn't enjoy lying to his mate, but he couldn't think of another way to accomplish his goals.
He had to check on the status of Harriet's ring.
Two weeks ago, when he had placed his original order, he had been fortunate enough to have his mate take a nap on Saturday afternoon, which had provided him with two free hours.
Since then, Severus had been contacted by the jeweler and asked to verify the final details of the custom piece that he had designed for Harriet, but she hadn't been considerate enough to take anymore Saturday naps.
That particular evening, before Severus visited the jewelry store, he decided to first purchase another gift for his omega, one that was less impressive than an engagement ring, but much-needed.
"It's available in this style as well, sir." The kind shop attendant informed Severus as she held the item out with a smile.
Severus took the object from the shop attendant and frowned as he inspected it with narrowed eyes.
He scrutinizingly looked it over while he ran his tapered fingers across the fabric.
"The material on the inside is far too rough. My mate's nipples are devastatingly delicate now, they won't tolerate something as abrasive as this. Don't you have anything softer?" Severus scowled at the shop attendant.
"Of course, sir, give me one moment." The shop attendant nodded with a kind smile.
Severus waited impatiently while the middle-aged woman hurried away into the back of the shop.
A few minutes later, she returned with a different bra in her hand.
"This one may be more to her liking, sir. It's very soft and supportive! The lining on the cups can also be pulled down when needed. That'll be useful after the baby arrives!" The shop attendant explained to Severus as she held the undergarment out to him.
Severus frowned as he looked at the piece of lingerie.
He gave the bra a thorough examination before he scowled at the shop attendant and nodded, "Very well, this will do..........I'll purchase several."
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Severus stepped out of the women's clothing store and made his way across the street.
The bell chimed as he entered the sleek, new shop that consumed half of a corner in Diagon Alley.
The huge, shining metal sign hung proudly over the door:
Saturn and Venus Jewelers - Eternal Pieces for Eternal Love
"Ah, Mr. Snape!" A cheery salesman in a fine, pinstripe suit chirped when he recognized his recent customer as Severus entered the shop, "Glad to see you finally made it in!"
Diagon Alley's newest and most popular jewelry store was modern, dark, and beautiful.
The dazzling array of curious gemstones and mystifying adornments glittered from their black velvet cases as they hung on walls and floated in the air.
Severus walked up to the shop's counter with a frown, but the salesman kept his smile.
"Is there an issue with my order?" Severus asked as he scowled suspiciously at the salesman.
"Not at all, sir! Not at all! We should have everything harvested, cut, and polished for your scheduled Christmas Eve pick up! I just wanted to verify your final preferences on a few details. There are several new options available that you can certainly add on.....if you so choose, of course!" The salesman nodded.
"Such as?" Severus questioned.
His black robes hung elegantly at his sides while he clutched the box from the women's clothing shop in his hands.
"Well, we can include some opal from Mars or a bit of peridot from the Moon if you'd like? We're confident we'll have a shipment by then." The salesman smiled solicitously.
"No.......that won't be necessary. I only want diamonds used as stones in the ring." Severus replied without hesitation.
"As you wish.......we still have them coming from seven different stars and the center stone will be from a shower on Saturn, as promised. May I ask, sir, why you only want diamonds in your intended's ring?" The salesman inquired with a mirthless smile.
He was clearly disappointed that he would miss out on another chance at the bonus he had been promised if he sold enough opal and peridot add-ons.
"Diamonds are some of the most durable objects in our world. They can withstand adversity and yet, retain their brilliance if you shine them a bit. Opals and peridot are much weaker and much frailer. Forgive me for denying you an extra sale, but the symbolism of this ring is quite important." Severus rumbled in his low drawl.
The salesman nodded again and shrugged before he reassured Severus with a smile, "Very well, then, Mr. Snape. We'll have it ready for you on Christmas Eve!"
Without another word, Severus cast the salesman a suspicious frown before he turned and left the shop.
As Severus apparated away from Diagon Alley, he wore a satisfied smirk on his pale face.