Changing Destiny

Forty-Nine: Yule-Tide Nostalgia

I chose to wear a classy emerald green halter gown made of plush velvet. I was just barely beginning to show at almost two months, and knew that in another month my belly would look like I was stealing a basketball, or a quaffle ball underneath my clothing. Mini Me went to the ball with Viktor Krum on her arm, Cedric with Harry Potter, and Daphne Greengrass, which raised more than a few eyebrows in the crowd, but I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I remembered that this was 1994, and LGBT lifestyles were still a bit taboo in this timeline.

I sat with the other teachers, and Fleur Delacour had decided to go to the ball with Roger Davies. Draco, of course, decided to go to the ball with Pansy Parkinson, and her mauve gown was just as horrible as I remembered it. Mini Me's blue gown was just as flattering, and I remembered picking out the gown in the dress shop, and my mother's joy in seeing me get dressed up for the ball was one of my happiest memories.

The Champions escorted their dates into the Great Hall, which was just as beautiful and grand as I remembered it being; some things never changed, I supposed. The dancing was delightful to watch for a change, and when the other students began dancing with their dates, that opened the dance floor up for the teachers to dance as well. I got more than a few stares as I walked through the Great Hall, and I found my husband talking with Headmaster Karkaroff in heated, low tones until the tall bald dark wizard inclined his head my way, bowing regally.

I slapped on a polite smile. "Ah, Headmaster. I trust you are enjoying the ball?"

Karkaroff kissed my hand, his black eyes roaming over my curves, which I knew some men did out of habit, and he was one of them. "Da, indeed Madam. You failed to mention, Severus, that you were hiding such beauty."

Severus slid an arm around my waist protectively. "With good reason, Igor, I assure you. We will discuss the matter of the Dark Lord later. Right now, I wish to dance with my wife."

Karkaroff's eyes went wide. "She's...she's aware of," He touched his own arm with the Dark Mark tattooed there, "You know?"

Severus's smile was sardonic. "Obviously. Why should I be one to be secretive with my wife? That is not a good recipe for a lasting marriage, I find."

He was leading me to the dance floor when I realized that pawn in Voldemort's plans or not, the dark wizard needed to know of his own forthcoming death. "May I say something about a certain...disguised deatheater?"

Karkaroff looked on me with alarm and grudging respect then. "Go on, Madam."

I pointed to Moody, who was sitting on the sidelines, and happily sipping his stolen polyjuice potion. "You should know that Barty Crouch over there will ambush you before the year is out and kill you. You weren't aware of it last time, and it was on the Dark Lord's orders to tie up any loose ends." I showed him my old Mud Blood scar on my arm, "I thought that you should know. Even pawns on either side of this coming war should be made aware of plots against them to prepare themselves. Take my information for what you will, sir. But as someone who suffered personally at Bellatrix LeStrange's hands, I make it a point to better arm others against those who would manipulate them. Good night to you, Headmaster."

"You didn't have to tell him all of that," Severus pointed out, just as the music for another waltz began, "But I can see why you would want to try and save as many people in this war as possible."

We began dancing, and I sighed as I moved, following his lead, "Yes. I have no love for the man, but when I read of his death in The Daily Prophet, I took it to be a waste of life. Let him think I'm a Seer all he wants, but I just couldn't try to change certain destinies that I found to be tragic."

Severus kissed me lightly. "I know. It is the Gryffindor in you I suppose."

I laughed, "Oh hush, Mr Cynical Slytherin Prince. Have you not been protecting the children for years because you want to protect them from the evils of this coming war?"

Severus laughed his quiet, sexy laugh. "Alright, you have found me out, witch. No need to advertise it to the masses at large here." He lightly patted the very slight bump of my belly, "How is our little one?"

I blushed at the softness of his tone, "At this stage, I can barely feel that I am pregnant save for some hormone spikes in...ardor, you might say. I want to enjoy this brief grace period of normalcy before my body inflates like a balloon."

"Understood."

The dinner feast was beginning, and I was suddenly hungry. The waltz ended, and some couples remained dancing while I sat with the other supervising adults. The female staff were happy to have me to talk to, besides themselves, and Sybill Trelawney and Madam Pince made an appearance. I ate and watched my younger self dance with her date for a little while before they too sat down to eat dinner. The wine began flowing, but I stuck with ice water for the sake of my child.

Severus and I walked about the grounds afterwards just enjoying being in each other's company before I grew too tired, and he escorted me to his personal chambers so I could rest. I did, and so I did not hear of what happened to disqualify Viktor Krum from being a Tri-Wizard Champion until the following morning at breakfast in Severus's chambers. I was surprised by the outcome, but not entirely shocked by what Draco did to defend Hermione, because if there was anything I learned about Slytherins it was that when it really counted, they defended their loved ones as fiercely as any Gryffindor, because in the end, family and loved ones were the most worthy of their devotion above everything else in this world...