“I think I know what’s wrong with me.” Tori sighed. “I’m pregnant.”

“But that’s impossible!” Madam Pomfrey looked astonished.

“I know, but I would still like you to do a test. I’m pretty sure though.” Tori was terrified.

“Maybe it merely looks like a pregnancy because you want it too much.”

At first Tori was hopeful, but realized soon that it could not be the case.

“No, I never longed for a baby; I knew Severus wasn’t able to…oh Poppy, what am I going to do?

“Ssshh, hush hush, no time for panicking just yet. I’ll do the test fist.”

Madam Pomfrey carried out the test and left Tori alone for a while. It seemed to take ages before she returned, when in reality she had only been gone for a few minutes.

When she came back in Tori stiffened, afraid the news would be bad.

“The test was positive. You are approximately one month pregnant.” Tori sighed. “Do you want me to get Severus?”

“NO!” Tori cried out. “No, give me some time first. I’ll call for him later. Can you leave me alone for a while?

“Of course.” Madam Pomfrey left he room, looking very worried. This was a very strange situation. She had given Severus a complete check-up when he got back from the battle at Malfoy Mansion and his condition had been the same, so how was it possible… Well, they had to deal with it themselves, for the moment her primary occupation would be keeping Severus out of the infirmary.

Tori lay quietly on the bed. How long had she suspected that she was pregnant? She had tried to block the thought, knowing it couldn’t be possible, but now she would have to face it. She clenched her fists. How cruel that this should happen when they had just made up! Would he believe that the baby was his? Given the facts, she couldn’t really blame him if he doubted being the father. Maybe he loved her enough to put on an act and tell her he believed her, but there would always be that doubt and she feared it would come between them. Above all that, he didn’t even want children, he had said so himself! Oh no…tears started to run down her cheeks as the implications of her pregnancy became clear to her. In time he might grow to resent her for imposing what he would consider to be an illegitimate child on him.

Tori kept torturing herself with these worst-case scenarios when she heard stumbling outside the infirmary. Something shouted and the door flew open, a mean looking Severus storming in. When he saw her, his expression changed into a caring one, but she knew it would only be a matter of seconds before he would give her that same mean look he had shot at Pomfrey.

“Tori, what’s wrong? Why wouldn’t Poppy let me see you? Is it that bad?” The concern in his eyes was killing her and she couldn’t keep him in the dark any longer. She started crying again when she told him.

“I’m pregnant.”

At first she thought he hadn’t heard her, so she told him again. He kept staring at the same point in front of him, his mouth partly open, his hands gripping the sheets until his knuckles whitened.

She swallowed and prepared for the worst.

Slowly he turned his head and she read confusion in his eyes.

“How…I mean, is it possible? Poppy examined me only recently and she assured me…” He kept holding on to the bed, trying to recover from the shock. The he saw her tears and the fear in her eyes.

“Tori? What’s the matter? Why aren’t you happy?” Then it hit him. “You think I won’t believe it’s mine, don’t you?”

She started sobbing. “How could I blame you?”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the top of her head.

“Oh Tori, of course I don’t question your fidelity. I was your first, that was more than clear, and I know you too well to think that you would sleep around, even if we had broken up.”

She raised her head to look into his eyes and saw that he was not trying to make her feel better, but meant every word.

“Oh Severus…” She wrapped her arms around him and a little smile broke through. He loosened his grip, kissed a tear from her face and caressed her cheek.

“Albus” was all he said and he stood up.

“Wait!” she said and climbed out of bed. He turned around and assisted her, watching out for her.

“I’m fine, you’re right, he might know something and I’m tired of breaking my head over this!”

They left the infirmary and went to see Dumbledore’s office. When they entered, he didn’t look surprised to see them there.

“Ah, Severus, Tori, I take it that congratulations are in order?” They both gasped. Did he always know everything?

“Don’t look so surprised. I heard that Severus took you to the infirmary because you fainted, and now you’re here…it doesn’t take a genius to know what you’ve found out.”

“But how…” Tori started. Then she saw Dumbledore going towards Fawkes, patting him on the head.

“Oh, of course!” she cried out, laughing now.

Snape looked sour. “Would any of you care to enlighten me?”

“Yes! Oh, how stupid of me not to think of that before, I must be an idiot to have missed it.”

“Or in love.” Dumbledore chuckled.

“You were going to explain.” Snape still could not see why those two were so cheerful, although he was glad Tori didn’t cry anymore.

“Well, you remember that potion I brewed to bring you back?”

“How could I forget?” he smirked.

“Then you will also remember Fawkes being there when you woke up.”

“Mmmhmm, yes I do recall seeing him there.” Something was dawning upon him.

“You see, I didn’t think it would help at the time and that’s probably why I forgot about it, but when I was brewing the potion, Fawkes cried and his tears fell into the cauldron.”

Snape’s eyes grew bigger as he realized what Tori was saying.

“You knew about this Albus?”

“Indeed. I wanted to tell you both, but then things seemed to get worse between you and it didn’t look to me like Tori was pregnant, so I left it at that. I must say I’m very happy I was wrong.”

“You’re happy? HAPPY? Man! You scared the living daylights out of me!” Snape yelled. “Have you got any idea what it did to Tori? She thought I wouldn’t believe that the baby was mine!” He was getting fired up now and Tori felt she needed to do something before her fiancé would say something he’d regret later on.

“Severus, it’s all right, I’m fine, Albus only did what he thought was right. We should be grateful.”

He stopped his tirade and put an arm around her.

“You’re right dear, come, let me escort you back to the dungeon. You need to lie down.”

“Err…actually; I have a class to teach in about ten minutes, so that’s where I’m going.”

“Out of the question! You must think about your health and the baby’s. Come, don’t tire yourself.”

Before she could even protest, he had scooped her up into his arms and carried her out. She looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore for help, but he only grinned and waved, his lips forming the words “good luck”.

Somehow she managed to convince Snape to let her teach the afternoon classes. She apologized to Flitwick, but he smiled and said: “I knew you two would work things out!” Nobody knew about her pregnancy except for Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore, so now they all assumed she and Snape had spent the morning together in bed…which was true of course, but she had been forced to drink a light sleeping potion and she didn’t think anyone would believe she had been asleep during the entire morning. It seemed like everyone was talking behind her back and by the end of the day she was so embarrassed she couldn’t look anyone in the eye.