The next morning, Estelle woke up and started to panic while she looked around her bed. Severus was not there anymore and she was afraid she had dreamt about everything that happened last night. Her heart started to race, her fears and anxiety making her blood rush and trouble breathing. Her perfect ability to ignore everything these past few months had worked for awhile but she was scared after this possible dream it would be broken and she would actually start to feel things again which terrified her. She tried sitting up but she felt dizzy, her head slightly swaying, both from getting up too fast but also the panic that was rising up inside her.
Suddenly Madam Pomfrey came rushing over at the commotion and found Estelle trying to leave her bed.
"Oh, no you don't Professor Beauregard. You still need to rest." She said sternly, coming over and pushing her back down onto the bed. Estelle tried pushing back but could not muster up the strength. She was back laying down and she frowned, "Severus?" she managed to choke out, her eyes searching Madam Pomfrey's face for signs of her going mental or not.
Madam Pomfrey realized what she was asking but continued to hold her down and used her wand to wrap the blanket around her so she could rest some more, "Yes Professor Snape was here last night. He left this morning for the start of O.W.L's." she told her. She finished tucking her in and ordered her to stay put while she came back later to give her some final potions so she could recover quickly. All without noticing that her normal reply to Estelle's question made her ten times better and relieved. She instantly stopped struggling and relaxed into the bed, all tucked in.
Estelle sulked at the thought of potions later due to her dislike of the taste but she listened to her orders and remained in her bed. It was also due to the pain in her lower back making her stay but no-one had to know that. She stared at the ceiling for awhile, going over and over about what her and Severus talked about that night. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, she was so happy. Although she was a little upset at the thought of missing her first O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's here at Hogwarts but those thoughts were replaced with Severus.
Before she knew it, lunch began. Madam Pomfrey had come back and gave her something to eat and told her to eat everything because later in the afternoon she had to take a few more potions and eating would help the side effects. Estelle listened once again, and had finished when a visitor came to see her. In came Elio, looking a little worried and nervous. He stood at the foot of her bed and didn't say a word. Estelle had almost forgotten the last time they had seen each other was when she had slapped him in front of almost the whole castle.
"How are you, Es?" He quietly asked, an awkward smile on his face. Although he didn't look the least bit happy, in fact he looked pale and worried as if he hadn't been sleeping.
"I'm fine." She tentatively said, staring at him. He fidgeted then sighed.
"Es, I am so sorry I said----" he started but Estelle stopped him when she rose her hand in the air. He became silent at once and watched her, waiting for what she was about to say.
"The one you need to be sorry too is Severus, not me." She said with a firm look on her face. After he nodded and said he would, she smiled again.
"How are the O.W.L's?" She curiosuly asked, a little guilty she was unable to be there to watch over the students as they took the very important examinations. Elio seemed to want to apologize again but shrugged in the end, and conjured up a chair. He sat down by her side and laughed. He already seemed a bit better than when he walked in, making Estelle smile.
"One of the Gryffindor boys tried cheating by using a star chart he got from one of the older kids. Bless him, he thought it was clever but unfortunately moons called ChocoFrogus is not real." He roared with laughter, impressed though at the length of creative the students were going through. He felt relieved and happy his sister was alright, his exhaustion and worries easing away effortlessly.
Estelle laughed with him, feeling the best she had ever felt in a long time, even with a headache and some sore body parts in a hospital wing.
The two talked all of lunch, seeming to catch up from all the times they hadn't spoken during the year. Estelle had missed him very much and missed his company a lot, smiling at him. He seemed to look older now, though extremly happy. This made her tear up a little but she controlled them and laughed along with him and talked.
Elio had to leave then, to supervise over the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws astronomy O.W.L's but he promised to come back later, this time with Neville though. He had been worried as well but was occupied and busy with his own students' O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's.
Estelle was finally feeling happy and herself after so long she felt that nothing could break her mood.
Before diner though, Madam Pomfrey came back with two vials and her wand. Estelle drank the first one, which was bubbly and purple. It tasted like oranges and she was glad it wasn't anything gross. The second one was red and ominous looking but she drank it anyways. It made her whole body feel hot but after a few seconds the sensation disappeared. She noticed her headache was gone and her body felt less sore. Though her stomach felt a little funny.
Madam Pomfrey used her wand to check her vitals and to check if she had missed anything.
Estelle didn't really pay attention at first but panicked when suddenly Madam Pomfrey had froze over her stomach and frowned in confusion. Estelle pushed herself in a better sitting position, her heart pounding and she began to sweat nervously. Was something wrong? Had she missed something and realized something was horrible wrong? Was she dying? Her thoughts were all over the place in an instant, her mind also bringing up the fact that her father passed away from an illness himself and her heart began to drop.
"What? What is it? Is something wrong?" Estelle panicked, staring wildly at Madam Pomfrey. She seemed to regain herself and actually smiled. This worried Estelle more and she sat there frozen in fear.
Madam Pomfrey saw her fearful expression and shook her head, gripping her hand reassuringly. "Nothing's wrong, dear. Matter of fact, it's something wonderful. I heard a heartbeat." She told her. Estelle gave her a puzzled look, not quite understanding what she meant...
"Dear, you're pregnant. Congratulations." Madam Pomfrey smiled happily, not noticing the pure shock and confusion on Estelle's face. She beamed at Estelle and did the final checkups and left her to own business. She left behind the curatin, leaving Estelle alone.
Estelle was frozen. She didn't blink. Or breathe.
....what?
What did Madam Pomfrey just say?
Pregnant?
There was no way she was p-pregnant, was there? Estelle slowly looked down and pushed the blanket off of her body. She stared at her belly, her hand resting on it. She was frozen in that position for nobody knows how long. She managed to break free from it when she heard footsteps drawing nearer. She panicked and tried to look normal but she was stiff and awkward, still in complete shock.
The person who appeared around the curtain was Severus. His robes billowed behind him and he came to a halt in front of her bed and gave her a questionning look. She looked odd.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, worried. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her body, examining her. But from what he could see, nothing was wrong. Was she no longer wanting his company and wished they never spoke last night?
Estelle blinked, trying to speak but no words came out. She tried again but only odd squeaks and noises came out. Severus was utterly confused and worried now, not sure what was happening.
Estelle inhaled and took a minute. She tried breathing in and out but that wasn't helping. She was going to have to rip it off like a band aid, as the No-Maj's say.
She opened her eyes and found Severus confused and concerned face. He was about to ask what was wrong again but Estelle spoke first.
"I'm pregnant."
Severus was sure he heard her wrong and gave her a quizzical look. Estelle said nothing more and instead watched Severus. He stared back, mulling over the words she just said out loud. He blinked a few times, his mouth open in a small 'o.'
"Wha-Wh-What?" He sputtered. His brain was on overdrive and he wobbled while he stood for a second, one of his hands gripping the end of Estelle's bed.
Estelle was beginning to smile, the news already not as quite as a shock than earlier, "I'm pregnant!" she slowly said again, though with a little more emotion. She sat up some more on her bed, now looking from Severus to her belly. How had she not noticed before? Her stomach looked bigger than it had ever looked before. All of the signs were there and she never noticed. The puking. The pumpkin juice. The odd food cravings. The vivid and strange dreams. The crazy mood swings. How had she missed all of the signs?
Estelle was over the moon with the news now, actually letting it sink in. She couldn't stop looking and holding her stomach, her mind reeling. She was basking in the happiness of it all and had almost forgotten about Severus. She shot her head up and nervously looked at him. Would he be as happy as her? Did he want to even have a baby with her? What if he didn't want any of this and would end things again? Her mind was racing with many thoughts and she began to frown, scared to know what Severus was thinking.
Severus had conjured up a chair without Estelle noticing and was now seated, staring at Estelle with wide, shocked eyes. He seemed to be lost in thought though because he did not answer to her calling him a few times. She was worried but he finally seemed to hear her and focused on her again.
"A baby..." he finally managed to choke out in a strangled whisper. The words were odd coming out of his mouth but nonetheless it happened.
Estelle nodded slowly, letting him take his time to understand.
"We're-You and I- are going to have a..." he stammered, putting the pieces together slowly but surely.
"--a baby!" Estelle finished for him, a big smile on her face. Severus had an odd dreamy look on his face and for a second Estelle thought he was going to pass out but he instead suddenly shot up from his chair and walked over in four big steps. He grabbed her head with both of his hands and kissed her like he never done before. Estelle's hands were holding onto his forearms and was melting into the kiss. He parted and began to kiss her cheeks, forehead, nose; everywhere. She was smiling, happy tears welling up in her eyes. As he kissed her face, in between each one, he whispered "I love you, Estelle."
"I love you to the moon and back, Severus." She cried, basking in the happiness of the whole siutation. It seemed like she could cry of happiness forever. It was absolutely crazy to think that only a few days ago she had been miserable and that she was numb to her own feelings. Now though...now she was incredibly happy and thrilled, in love with the human growing inside of her at this moment and the man that was holding her so tightly in fear of separating again. Her life was turned upside down again by the same man she fell in love with and she did not care; it being like a crashing meteor of emotions.