Meddling With Potions

Practice Almost Makes Perfect

A/N: Guys, guys! I have written yet another chapter!

Disclaimer: I only own Aurora and any other OCs. Remember, I will occasionally use quotes from both the books and/or the movies; I do not own direct quotes or phrases. The chapter images (ArchiveOfOurOwn, Quotes, and Wattpad) do not belong to me. I have either found them through Google or through Pinterest. I take absolutely NO credit.

~ oOo ~

Severus did nothing else other than stare at his wife. All he did was just...stare. Had the man heard her correctly? Did Aurora just say that she was pregnant? Holding a hand to his chin, Severus again merely stared. Wide-eyed and with a blank expression. What else was he supposed to react? He, the Potions Master of Hogwarts, was left utterly speechless. To the man, it seemed moments like this only seemed to happen when he was around Aurora.

"Severus...?"

Tilting his head up, the wizard noticed how Aurora had leaned forward, placing her hand on his knee. Itching to take her hand in his, Severus retracted his fingers just before they could touch. At the last moment, Severus made the decision to stand, that he had to move around. But when he stood, Severus instantly noticed the dejected look on his wife's face.

Thinking back over the past year, the man remembered what it would be like to be a father. But not just a father, but one to his and Aurora's children. It wasn't the thought of him now potentially being a father, but it was the sudden moment that Aurora just admitted she was pregnant. Taking a step toward the dresser, Severus reached forward and grasped a photo of him and his wife. It was taken the day of their wedding, being the first photograph taken just after they had been declared husband and wife.

"You're pregnant."

A statement, not a question.

Severus was no longer questioning the situation. Was this something he expected to hear this afternoon? No, absolutely not. But he was ready to take action. Severus Snape was ready to take care of the family he wanted with Aurora.

He could envision it now.

Aurora would be sitting in the nursery, humming to herself as she organized the tiny baby clothing in the nearby dresser. Her baby bumpy would be visible beneath the sundress she wore. Though she wasn't far along, the witch still rubbed her small belly lovingly. All the while Severus would watch from the doorway, in denial that this was his life. He was married to a beautiful woman who was in the process of growing his child inside her delicate body. Standing there, the wizard couldn't wait to hold the tiny bundle in his arms. He couldn't wait for the late-night feeds, teaching the child potions, and even waiting for his child to receive their letter from Hogwarts.

That's the notion that scared him was that he wanted this. He wanted to take care of a pregnant Aurora; he wanted to be there at the birth of his child; he wanted to become a better father than the one who raised him. Severus was ready to take that step, he was ready and willing and -

"No, I'm not pregnant."

Photo nearly slipping through his fingers, Severus gently placed it back atop the dresser. Slowly turning around he was surprised to see Aurora standing mere feet behind him. She was twiddling her hands together nervously. Face having fallen, Severus asked, slightly stuttering, "What...what are you talking about?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"N-No, no I heard that part, but why did you...?"

"Because your last question to me before I answered was about earlier before I visited Poppy. You had asked me what I thought could be wrong with me." She took a few steps forward. "At that moment, the first thought that came to my mind was that I was pregnant."