I need you. |severus snape|

37: Lacrimae

The entire day went awfully slowly, Ingrid received the owl that Horace said he'd send her. But that didn't matter much.

She was going to be a mother.

This was a bittersweet feeling, she was certainly old enough and stable enough to support it. And she'd always wanted children, but now.

Now was too soon.

Who was she kidding, she was thirty one. Soon to be thirty two..at least by the time the baby was born.

She had no idea how to care for a baby, but she'd heard her mother speak of it fairly often. And had quite a few baby cousins she had fair experience with.

But that could all be figured out in time, what couldn't..was the fact that Severus didn't know yet.

She needed to tell him, but how? Should she be frank with it-how on earth would she tell him?

Soon enough her stomach would be obvious, and she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret anymore.

All of these thoughts where intruding her head, so much so that she didn't even realize she was writing them down on the parchment she was marking.

Oh dear, looks like Leslie isn't getting her essay back..

She set it on fire with her wand, watching it slowly burn. Feeling her heart burn along with it.

She checked her watch, it was 4:20..after hours. She could slip down and tell him, better soon than never.

She had no idea how he would react however, and was very frightened to find out. Ingrid had always been the nervous type, tending to over think things.

But this was a baby. A valid reason to overthink something...this was a being growing inside of her. Something her and Severus had created, together.

She stood up and prepared to go down to the dungeons, feeling her heart pounding against her chest as she did so.

Better soon than never...better soon than never...better soon than-

She could no longer console herself, she was standing directly in front of his office door...and she had no other option than to knock on it, and get it out.

She knocked three times, as she usually did. She heard rustling come from the inside, two latches opened and the door creaked ajar for a bit.

"Ingrid."
He said, before opening the door completely.

She nodded slightly and stared awkwardly down at the floor.

"Are you-going to come inside?"
He asked, Ingrid nodded..before brushing slowly past him and into the room.

Ingrid heard him close the door, walking slowly up behind her. He snaked his hands around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder, she sighed. Wondering why he was being so suddenly affectionate.

"Well? Common cold? Curse? Virus?"
He asked, Ingrid felt her heart ache.

She couldn't tell him. How on earth could she tell him...she can't bare this...

I can't do this

Ingrid felt tears flood in her eyes, lifting his arms off of her waist. She walked away from him and towards his desk, placing her hands on it to stabilize herself.

"Is...something the matter?"
He asked, concern in his usual coy tone.

"I guess you could say that."
She responded, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.