Forever Yours

Chapter 14: Wakanda

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick, Justin, Kyle, Carlos, Mike, Nurse Canter, Headmaster Jeremy Mickels, Hunfrith, Olwen, Huffie, Sorsek, Bilik, Fossum, Lars, Sven, David Suttington, Darius Prescott, Gerard's, Grace, Zielinski & Wakanda) are entirely my own.

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Morning didn't seem to come fast enough for Severus. After Christoph and Elisa left, and Septimus was finally persuaded to go back to bed, Severus pulled Katherine's body flush against his own. Not once, during rest of the night, did Severus release his hand from hers, that still rest on her chest. He didn't sleep. He never even closed his eyes once; they were solely fixed on his wife's sleeping form.

His eyes watched her face carefully, for any signs of distress or pain. Then his gazes dropped to their intertwined hands; Katherine's chest was rising and falling softly in her slumber. And finally, his sights dropped to her growing belly. Shifting carefully, he exchanged his right hand on Katherine's chest, with his left, then let his right slide down to her stomach.

The silky fabric of her nightgown stretched tightly across Katherine's belly. Her small waist was seemed to be growing little by little each day. It amazed Severus to no end at the difference between Katherine and other pregnant witches that he had seen in his lifetime. He remember how Narcissa was when she had been pregnant with Draco; the constant whining and nagging had just about drove him up the wall within minutes of being around her. But Katherine was so different; never once did she complain and she was constantly waving him off when he would ask if she should be doing certain things or if she needed help.

But he figured it was due to the fact that she had been on her own when she had been pregnant with Septimus. She was not use to being waited on or pampered; she was still just as independent with him there as she was without him. Severus realized that is what he loved about her, and deep down he knew there was something wrong with her.

And in the morning, he and Christoph would begin their search for what that was.

As the sun rose steadily over the eastern horizon, Katherine began to stir under Severus' arms. She arched her back and stretched her legs as much as she could under her confinement, then turned slightly in his arms so she could face him.

"Morning," Severus said hoarsely, his voice sounding as tired as he felt.

"Morning," Katherine said with a frown, eyeing his face closely. "Are you alright Sev? You look like you haven't slept at all."

"I am fine," he said. "Are you alright?"

"Besides being hungry and in dire need of the loo," Katherine smirked. "I'm fine. Why?"

"No dreams...nightmares, last night?" he asked, as he watched her frown deepen.

"No, not that I can recall," she said. "Why? Was I talking in my sleep?"

"No...no," Severus sighed, as Katherine wriggled out of his arms, so she could sit up. "Just forget I said anything."

"Okay," Katherine said, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm going to use the loo, then start breakfast." Severus watched as Katherine gingerly rose from the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Once she was out of sight, he rose and dressed quickly; Christoph would be arriving right after breakfast, and he wanted to catch Septimus before he left for his run.

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"Septimus," Severus said, as he caught the boy just in time, before Katherine was out of the loo. "After breakfast, Elisa is coming to get your mother and take her into town. I don't want you breathing a word about what happened last night to her."