Chapter 16 - Alright
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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“Are you alright, my dear?” The healer asked as she watched the colour drain from Lily’s face.
“I……” Lily struggled as she struggled to process the news, “I…..sorry, I have to go.”
In a dizzying rush, she scrambled off the table and ran out the door, leaving the healer blinking in her wake, confused about what had happened.
“Miss Evans!” The healer called as she stuck her head out into the hallway just in time to see her patient before she turned the corner, “I can suggest a few herbs for the headache! Miss Evans?!”
The healer sighed to herself as Lily failed to even acknowledge her offer.
She shook her head as she walked out and resumed her work.
After all, that hadn’t been the worst reaction the healer had ever witnessed to a pregnancy confirmation.
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Truthfully, Lily had forgotten where she was, being rude had never been her intention.
She hardly noticed anyone or anything around herself as she made her way back to the cottage in a blind stupor.
Frightened of using apparition in her anxious state, she eventually swung open the door to the small dwelling and crept inside.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she collapsed into a chair and put her hands to her face.
What was she going to do?
What was she going to say to Severus?
How was she going to tell him?
Lily’s eyes clouded with tears as she folded her hands over her flat belly while the tragic truth shattered her heart.
It had happened, despite their efforts to stay apart, the Contraceptive Potion, everything…..it had happened.
The only sound in the room was of the quiet, gasping sniff that Lily let out as she cried.
She had managed to conceive the child of the man she loved, her mate, her alpha, but if she and Severus intended to stop Voldemort, her womb would have to be emptied.
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The idea of being faced with an unwanted abortion and extinguishing that little flame Lily had already felt so glad to hold onto crushed her spirits entirely.
When Severus came home that night, he was greeted by neither a smiling mate nor the delicious scent of a ready-to-eat meal waiting for him on the table.
Instead, the cottage was dark and the sound of chest-wracking sobs echoed through the air.
“..........Lily?” He asked as he walked through the pitch black living room, “Lily……..?”
The only light that came into that space was the moon’s subtle glow which trickled into the room through the small windows close to the staircase.
In one of those pale slivers of silver, Severus glimpsed Lily’s familiar, emerald eyes as she happened to glance up at him.
Red battled with green for dominance in her gaze after hours of mournful weeping.
“Lily!” Severus cried in a frightened gasp.
He was instantly on his knees next to her as she sat in her chair.
“Lily, my love! Lily, what’s the matter? What’s happened? Has he been here? Did he threaten you? Did he hurt you?” Severus asked quickly as his black eyes flickered over her in the darkness to check for injuries as best he could.
“No! No, he didn’t come, Sev, that’s not it! I……I…..” Lily cried as her chest heaved for breath.
Severus furrowed his brow as he took her hands in his and nodded slowly, “Calm down, my love, I’m here with you……Tell me…….Relax….” Severus urged as he watched Lily try to calm her violent sobs, “Tell me what’s happened and I will do my best to aid you!”
“Severus…….” Lily frowned as a single tear slipped down her cheek while she squeezed his hands and gazed into his eyes.
“Yes?” He asked urgently.
Lily squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a single, terrible second as if she were in great pain before she opened them with a low groan and whispered, “I……I can’t do what we have to do. I can’t do it! I can’t possibly do it!”
“Lily, tell me what’s going on.” Severus ordered, his low drawl intimidatingly authoritative as his alpha instincts spurred him to protect his lover.
“I’m with child, Severus!” She revealed in a noise somewhere between a scream and a howl, “Its all going to come true! It’s all going to come true unless we…..unless I……”
Severus’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
His mouth dropped open.
“We used Contraceptive Potion and…..everything!” Lily shouted, “I can’t believe this! I can’t believe this has happened!”
As she folded over, Severus moved into position to let her cry on his shoulder while he released her hands and rubbed soothing circles into her back.
“Please say something.” Lily whispered as she turned her face close to his neck, “Say something, Severus……I’m going to have to end our child’s life, won't you please say something?! Anything?!” She asked as another desperate sob bubbled up from her soul.
“I love you, Lily.” Severus whispered as he pulled her into his protective embrace, “No harm will come to our child, I promise you that.”
She instantly looked up.
Expecting anything but that answer, her watery eyes sparkled with hope although her ongoing string of sobs twisted her lips.
“Sev……we….we can’t….” She said as she shook her head.
“We can.” Severus corrected her with a firm nod, “We can……and we shall. You and I, Lily, you and I…..and the child.”
Lily don’t know what to say.
The idea that they could be a happy family, raising their baby in undisturbed peace felt like a far away daydream, but in light of the very real perils that lurked so nearby, Lily let a radiant smile of joyful hope spread across her pink lips.
As Severus looked at her beautiful face, he marveled at how willing he was to meet any danger, overcome any obstacles, battle any villain, just to see that smile on his lover’s flawless lips.
Severus couldn’t resist the urge to kiss his flower.
As she sniffed away the last of her tears, she sighed as Severus swept her into his grasp and lifted her as if she were weightless.
Lily laid her head on his chest and her arms around his neck as he carried her up the stairs and placed her in her nest.
After slipping his shoes and robes off, he joined her there, under the covers.
If Lily had any more tears to shed, Severus kept them at bay with gentle kisses, tender words, and touches of soft, loving reassurance.