Chapter 4
"Where are we going, Sev?"
"You'll see."
"Can I at least go without the blindfold?"
"No! It will ruin the surprise!"
"Alright," I acquiesced. Sev grinned at me as he went on and proceeded to tie the piece of silk over my head. I can feel my husband's excitement radiating off the room without even looking at him. He must've prepared something really special if he's all bouncy like this.
All I know is that he asked me to wear something formal before pushing me inside our room to change. After that, he dragged me into the drawing room and told me that he's gonna put a blindfold on me.
"Hold on." He says as he guides my hands to something round and cold. A pocket watch probably. I almost jumped when I felt the feeling of tugging in my navel before getting whisked off.
"A portkey? Now I'm getting nervous."
"We're almost there."
The familiar sound of a bell chiming assaults my ears as we went inside a door. I know this place. This is our favorite restaurant to dine in. What I can't place is why is doing this. It's neither mine or his' birthday, and our anniversary was a month ago.
Nevertheless, I'm proud that Sev is comfortable enough to initiate something like this. He normally hates being seen with me out in public for the fear of being criticized. We halted after walking and he guides me down to sit on a chair.
"You can remove them now, Harry." Sure enough, we're inside the restaurant.
"Sev, why are we here?" I asked as I removed the last of the piece of silk from my neck.
"To eat dinner, obviously." He says as he bats his eyes at me before taking a sip of his glass of champagne. He's playing coy.
"Well, what's the occasion? I mean, you blindfolded me and were at the private area of the restaurant. Surely there must be something?" Sev giggles at my questions and shrugs them off casually.
"What do you mean Harry? Can't I take my husband to dinner for the sake of spending time with him?" I was about to ask him once again when the waiter came to the table with our usual order.
"Lamb Salad with Fregola, Beef Wellington, Welsh Cawl, and Shepherd's Pie. Anything else, gentlemen?"
"Can you serve the Treacle Tart a bit later than usual?" Sev says as he places the napkin over his lap.
"Will do, sir." the waiter nods and leaves.
We ate our dinner and chatted about our day. Whenever I try to bring in the topic about what happened earlier, Sev stutters and pales before slyly changing our topic. I still think that he's up to something, but I won't comment until then.
It wasn't until both of us were finished when he reaches for my hand below the table.
"Harry."
"Yes, Sev?"
"I have a confession to make.." I can hear my heart beat faster as I processed what he said.
"A confession?" Maybe this is why Sev arranged this dinner but..what can it be?
"I-i..I'm..." He stutters and plays with his fingers.
"It's alright, love. Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll work it out somehow."
"But what if you don't like it? I can't bear it if you hate me for it, Harry..." I immediately panic when I noticed the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
"Shhh..it's okay. You know I won't ever hate you, Sev."
"You promise?"
"I promise," I answered while taking his hand in mine.
Sev then pulled away from my grip before taking out something from his pocket. He took his wand from his holster before casting an enlargement charm on the said item he got.
It was a brown envelope.
He gave the envelope to me with shaking hands before fiddling with his fingers again. I gave him a reassuring look before opening the said envelope. Inside was a document alongside a large negative transparent like image of some sort. The image itself is like a small figure in a slightly enclosed space.
"Sev?" I looked at the picture once more before looking at my husband. I'm confused. I've never seen something like this before. What does this suppose to mean?
I watched as my husband's face contorted from nervousness to shock then to nervousness again. He took a deep breath before taking the photo and pushing the document towards me.
I was about to read the entire document but I made it to the full context. I looked at Sev for affirmation, in which he only nodded his head as his grip on the image became tighter.
"Yes, Harry. I'm with child."
I'm with child.
Sev's pregnant.
I'm gonna be a father!
Bloody hell, I'm actually gonna be a father!
"Harry say something, please."
"Harry?"
"HARRY!" I instantaneously went out of my stupor when I heard Molly scream at me. It's been two hours since Sev was rushed to the emergency room and here I am, sitting at the waiting area. That was until, I was hounded by the Weasley matriarch.
"What did you do Harry?!!"
"I-i..it was a-an accident!"
"How is having your pregnant husband lying on the ground an accident?!! I never thought that you could do such a thing, young man!" Molly scolded me as she frantically paced back and forth, continuing to explain how what happened may cause harm to the baby.
"B-but--"
"Honestly Harry! Severus is a male bearer! He may be equipped to carry a child, but that doesn't mean that he can take such things! Male bearers are far more delicate than women in pregnancy!"
"I didn't---"
"Severus could've lost the baby! I've never seen him so fragile! Oh how I wish---"
"I didn't know that he was pregnant." I finally managed to say.
"You didn't know that he was pregnant?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes lit up with understanding.
"Yes. I only knew about it when he started to bleed." I honestly didn't know that Sev was pregnant, and there we were, fighting over having a divorce.
"Well that must mean---" The Weasley matriarch looked at me with shock and disbelief, her hand covering her mouth as she shook her head.
"You didn't forget to meet with Severus at the restaurant, did you?"
"He did." The door opened, revealing a slightly crying Hermione. She went to Ron who took her in his arms.
"What happened 'mione?"
"It was horrible, Ron! Severus kept on crying even after the healer finished checking up on him! Jamie on the other hand is trying his best to make his mother happy but no to avail. The poor child can't help but to feel sad whenever Severus starts crying again."
"S-sev's alright?"
"Yes. He's already brought to another room for recovery. He doesn't want you to enter though," Hermione gave me an apologetic look.
"Mate, I know that you won't intentionally do this to your husband and child. I've known you since we're eleven and I know that you're not a bad person. I want to hear your side Harry. Make us, make me understand." Ron looked at me with disappointment.
"I didn't mean to forget our anniversary. It's just that my teammates tagged me along to get drinks, then one thing led to another..."
"Until you got drunk and forgot about it."
"You let Severus wait for you for the entire night at the restaurant on your seventh anniversary?!" Molly gasped.
"Yes..." I sighed, defeated. I have no excuse.
"Did anything else happened?" Ron pushed me to answer. I knew he got a feeling that I wasn't telling everything that happened. It's mostly his job to interrogate the suspects and convicts that were convicted.
"I..i..might have.."
"You might've what?"
"I might've slept with somebody back at the pub..."
"You slept with...what?! You slept with somebody else at the bloody pub while your husband waited for you?!"
"I was drunk! I didn't know what I was---"
"That is not an excuse, Harry. You should've declined to go to the pub in the first place. It's your anniversary. Blimey! I can even remember how you used to ditch on me and 'mione just to get home early to Severus back in the day!"
I hung my head, ashamed of what I did. I honestly thought that it was Sev that night. I must've been more inebriated than I thought I was.
"Harry, the reason why Severus was looking forward for your date was because he was planning to tell you he's expecting again." Ron said, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"I..i..i don't know what to do..." I admitted. I screwed up. I never would've thought that we'd come to this point.
"Do you love Severus, Harry?"
"I do. I love them to the point that I can't live without them, Ron. I can't lose Sev and Jamie."
"Well if you really love them, then fight for what you feel."
"What if he doesn't want me back?" My voice cracked as I remembered what Sev told me earlier.
"I-i *sniff* want..a d-divorce..."
"S-sev wants to file for a divorce..."
"Oh, Harry, is that why you two were fighting earlier?" Molly's eyes softened.
"Yes, and I probably deserved it after everything. But I can't just give them up. I j-just can't."
"And what about your job?"
"What about my job?" I don't understand. What does my job as an Auror had to do with this?
"You need to quit your job if you're to pursue Severus again. It all started when you applied as an Auror, right? I've been hearing that you're spending less and less time with your family, and you're not even deterred! I'm getting worried about you, mate."
"But I can't, Ron! There are still death eaters out there! It's my job---" Ron raised his hand and interrupted me,
"No, Harry. It's not your job. We've done our part, we've fought a war. Now it's up to the authorities to finish it. If you want to continue being an Auror, then it's up to you but don't expect Severus to take that nicely. Hell, I'm even planning to resign next week so I can spend more time with 'mione and Rose!"
"But---"
"Harry, stop making excuses! Your husband is on the verge on filing a divorce and all you could think about is your job! Just for once, think of your husband and son! Think of your unborn child! Now make up your mind. Are you willing to leave behind your family just because of your job?!"
"N-no. They mean so much to me, I can't--"
"Then man up and make your marriage work! Talk to him. Don't give up on him. And for Merlin's sake, quit your job! Lady Magic knows your husband needs you right now more than ever."