Something Wicked This Way Comes

First off, I'd like to congratulate Kenya's mother on her upcoming wedding. May your years together be sweet and blissful-- full of happiness and joy!

Secondly, I'd like to tell therandomcat666 that the reports seem to have been false. The Order of the Phoenix checked it out, but they saw no signs of Voldemort or his followers. In fact, they can't seem to find them anywhere...It's almost as if they've disappeared off of the face of the Earth. Normally, that would be a good thing, but in extraordinary cases such as these...You can never be too careful...I've got a bad feeling about this...

Thirdly, Snape came back. Yes, I am referring to him as Snape now. Why? Because I'm not sure the man that came back to me is my Severus. He...doesn't seem it. I get confused when I look at him. A lot of people say it's because I missed him, so it's right to have mixed emotions about him finally being back with me, but I don't think that's it...My mind feels muddled up and a little sluggish...like I had a terrible nightmare on top of staying up all night studying for an exam. This morning, I made eggs and ham breakfast for the two of us as I used to do, tried to pretend that everything was all right. I had to remake it because he said that he wanted croissants and tea. Severus never used to have that combination in the morning. He just had whatever I had and it was always eggs and ham.

He also terrorized my sister, something he had also never done before. And when I defended her he tried to terrorize me, much to my chagrin. If this is the real disposition of Severus Snape, I do not like it one little bit. I know that he might be stressed out due to recent events--especially last night--but he usually kept his rage to himself. The only time I've ever remembered him taking it out on anyone would have been his students at Hogwarts. But he had been living with me and he hadn't raised his voice or a hand to me before. We just co-existed peaceably with a few good spats in between.

But then, he came back later, asking for my forgiveness...asking me in a way that I just had to forgive him.

It's truly bizarre.

People I know, whom I've asked, would say that that was how love typically was. Well, excuse me if I say that Severus and I had never been typical. There had been no confessions (not any real ones, at any rate), no dates, no romance...nothing of the sort really. Just a sudden realization that something had happened between us...

Oh, my. And to think...this all started out yesterday...

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"I have a bad feeling about this."

This is the first thing I say to Narcissa Black Malfoy when she floos in to my part of Canada for the first time. Luckily for her, we decided to have the ceremony at the nice chalet up on Mount Royal--the very same Mount Royal that we have Dumbledore’s (and various other wizards and just recently, Dooku's) Memorial on, so she didn't have to be around too many prying Muggle eyes. Though I went to great lengths to have the entire place reserved just for the group coming in to name William's godparents, I myself am still a mess...due to the fact that I just returned from my terrible 'Snape hunting spree' that had come the day after he told me he left me.

Needless to say that Narcissa didn't like the fact that I looked like a drowned rat in my very soaked and dirtied black coat instead of as the pristine young woman that I was supposed to be in the green dress robes she had insisted that she buy for me for the occasion. That and that she thinks I'm being silly. Draco gave his mother a hug as I began to walk towards the rooms usually reserved for the bride when the chalet was reserved for weddings. I forgot what it was called.

Leaving Draco outside, she helped me get dressed. I had always wondered what the girl's dress robes would be like. Would they be robes with flares? Or would they be dresses? In this case, I think it looks like a very ornate ball gown with a nice long cloak on the outside. Still, I found myself still feeling uneasy about today. Maybe it was just because I missed Severus terribly...or the fact that the corset that she insisted that I wear with the robes to give me a figure was crushing my ribs. Now I know how Elizabeth Swann feels. Ouch.

Still, it wasn't as if I had to randomly run off to fight a war right in the middle of the ceremony, right? I managed to regulate my breathing without seeming too obvious.

"Why the green?" I asked, looking at myself through the floor length mirror in the room.

"It's a Slytherin colour. And it looks better on you than red does." she said in distaste. I kind of have to agree with her. Though red could be considered a national colour, I do look pretty spiffy in green velvet and white lace. The fact that I have a figure now kind of adds to my current state of vanity. Finished with dressing me, she asks me to spin around for her. Satisfied with how the fabric draped and suited me, she gave a satisfied nod. "Now, lets do something with your dreadful hair." After about two hours of trying to tease my chin length hair into ringlets or plain curls, she gives up and just ties some of my hair back with a satin ribbon.

"I like it like this anyways." I said.

"If you like being simple,” she said with a pout. "We could always make your hair grow out with magic." She was about to pull out her wand, but I quickly shook my head no. As much as I would love long hair (and I really would) my family and friends would freak out if it suddenly flowed all the way down to the small of my back just so Narcissa could have her way with it. "Spoil sport."

I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering at the image before me. I've never been beautiful or even remotely pretty (despite what some people would tell me). And I had always hated being called 'cute'. But I can safely say that I clean up pretty good--well, Narcissa can clean me up pretty good. I bet if I had tried putting on the make-up she carefully applied to my face I would have looked like a circus clown. And the robes? I probably wouldn't have fit if she hadn't made me wear the corset...Or I would stretch the material round the waist area. That would not have been a pretty sight.

Then my thoughts strayed to Severus. Would he have approved of all this? What would he think if I had told him that the babe that he had held in his arms so carefully had been his son? How would he react? Would his resolve to leave be stronger? Or would it have weakened? Should I have shouted at him? Screamed? Ranted?

Did he miss me?

I was suddenly hit with that same terrible realization from days ago and I felt like I wanted to cry again. I know I should have told him. Really should have, but you know what? I'm a coward. And all that cowards do is run from their problems. Heh. Good thing I was the fourth fastest runner in my class...

"Oh, Narcissa...What if he never comes back?" I asked worriedly, going over to the door.

Narcissa raises a brow at me. "Severus? Oh, he comes and goes...Does what he pleases..." She walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "But he is a good man. And I think you know that better than anyone. I stayed put when he first ran. You went after him when he disappeared again." She squeezed my shoulder and left the room to join her son, talking to him about his life as of late. I watched them through the crack in the door, gripping the wood in my hands.

As I am about to leave, I hear a crack and sudden wailing. Turning around I find Dobby with William, who was flailing about unhappily. Quickly, I go over to the two and pick up the boy and begin to try to shush him, my thoughts of Severus gone for the moment.

"Dobby is sorry, madam, but Dobby is wanting to wait until former mistress finally left before presenting madam with the young master,” the house elf said about to start punishing himself. I had told him to bring him straight to me from the Weasley's (I had dropped William off there before running off to find his father) at least an hour before the ceremony started and he had run late because Narcissa and I were wrestling with my hair. I pulled the chair away with a free hand before he could hurt himself.

"That's okay, Dobby." I said, grimacing just a bit. I pulled a muscle in my leg. Boy had that chair been heavy! "It's fine. Can you tell Mrs Weasley thank you for taking care of my son. And thank you, too, Dobby!"

"Oh, Dobby is more than happy to help when he can." he said.

"Oh! And tell Harry that I wish him well, too. And don't forget to thank Professor McGonagall!" I had sent invitations to quite a few people and some of them had been from the Order of the Phoenix. Most of them declined because they were too busy or harboured too much of a hatred for Snape--although they did promise never to tell anyone else about little William's lineage. As for why I am thanking Professor McGonagall...well...she promised me twenty-five of the over a hundred house elf population to help with the preparations for the after-ceremony feast.

The house elf nodded his head and disappeared with a crack. Williams cooed quietly and tried to turn to see where the elf had gone off. Curious little thing! I smiled and kissed his chubby cheek, going out to see if anyone had arrived yet. Out front I met up with the guests of honour--Kenya Starflight and Darth Vader, William's future godparents. I talked to both of them for quite a bit, letting both take their turns with the infant. The boy did quite well in either person's arms, though they were virtual strangers to him. But he did have his few mishaps. Sorry about your cape, Lord Vader! I'm sure some soap will get that spit out! And sorry about him trying to pull your hair out, Kenya! I'm sure William will grow to love you both in time! He really is lovable, I swear! After their arrival, the rest came in droves.

It seemed like my invite on Kenya's blog brought in quite a few people from the Terran Resistance war effort. People I didn't expect to come were now there and coming to meet William and I at the entrance, giving their congratulations...and gifts! Since I never had a baby shower for my son (as I wasn't pregnant with him) they decided that it was better late than never...although I had to wonder at some of the gifts I got...Fett, I really appreciate the gift...I really do...But what am I going to do with a blaster rifle? General Grievous! Thanks for the...er...battle droid...I'm sure we'll have a great use for it...Even IF it almost killed me when we tried to operate it. Doctor...I give the air from my lungs in return for yours! V...oohh...that bouquet of roses was sweet! Megatron! You didn't have to go out of your way to get William a mobile! Elladan! Elrohir! Le hanon! The tunics you brought him are adorable! And Han...Leia...shouldn't you be saving these booties for--ahem!

The guests kept flowing in and so did the subsequent gifts that came with them. We had to get a table out to put most of the gifts on because I couldn't juggle them and my son at the same time anymore. And then Maul and Trisha came.

They gave me the last thing I expected to get...or for anyone to give me for that matter.

It was Dooku's lightsaber. Maul had picked it up after the battle on Mustafar as a sort of memento of a great man, but after he found out about how considerably close Dooku and I had been (we were more like tutor and errant third grade kid, rather than master and apprentice...or friends, really...), he decided that I should have it.

"Grievous has four. Another one for you shouldn't hurt,” he said as I accept it. He and I both know that I'll never use it, just out of respect...and for the fact that I could barely use two without hurting myself (having five years of sword fighting experience is one thing, lightsabers are a whole other ballgame).

"Thank you, Darth Maul. Its means a lot to me." I said. He nodded and went inside with Trisha, an arm wrapped around her waist. I stared at them for a while, feeling just a bit jealous as they took a seat with the elf lords and the Malfoys. Wanting to keep the precious gift close, I stuck it into the belt of my dress robes.

More people came and sat. More gifts were given and placed on the gift table until it was around seven, when the ceremony was supposed to begin. Giving the open field before us a look, I turn to go inside with William when a familiar voice stops me.

"Am I late?"

I didn't know whether I should be relieved, angry, indignant or joyous. As I turned to look at Severus (who else would have a voice that almost purred when he talked?), I settled on feeling a little...confused?

He looked like Severus. He moved like Severus...He talked like Severus...

...How come he didn't feel like it? Now I'm not one to say that I am Force sensitive, or that I'm terribly magical or extremely psychic...But! That bad feeling I had earlier was suddenly beginning to surface in the pit of my stomach...

"You'll catch flies if you don't shut your mouth."

.... Or I could just be paranoid. I was being silly. Maybe the second sudden loss of Severus had gotten me paranoid and gave me abandonment issues. Maybe I was afraid that the Severus that was walking towards me was going to rush off into the night again just as he had a few days ago...I was really scared of losing him. And if he was going to disappear on me at midnight...I wanted a piece of him left behind at least, so I could find him!

"Severus..." I said, moving forward as well.

He smiled--rather uncharacteristically. "Dearest..."

--Don't go to him! --

I stopped, blinking...that was odd...and that was really out of character for him. Even if we were friends...even if he was fond of me--hell, even if he loved me he would never call me 'dearest'...even if he meant it in sarcasm...which, at the moment, he wasn't. He reached me and wrapped his arms around me, leaning down so that our noses touched. I thought that my heart was going to burst at the moment, having never been that close to him before. He liked his space and I liked mine. And we had been fine with that. But this...this...

"I missed you..."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You've only been gone since Friday..."

"And I counted every hour...every minute and second when I was away..."

Aw, hell. Even in normal circumstances...I would have found that weird. Nobody really talks like that! I don't talk like that and I'm as corny as hell! I make puns every other minute--bad ones, mind you! I pushed myself away and he let me go, though I thought I saw a flash of something in his eyes. Was that anger?

Whatever I had seen, there was now a mask of indifference on Severus' face and his eyes displayed a cool and calm look--something more of the Severus I knew. I felt a little bit more relaxed at this. Finally, I thought, some normalcy! He finally took notice of the baby in my arms, picking up one of his chubby hands, but not saying anything to him. But my paranoia wouldn't leave me and Severus was making it quite hard for me to know what to think. I still didn't know whether I should kill him or kiss him, as I had promised to do on Kenya's blog. I suddenly felt the sting of tears in my eyes as I thought about both of his hasty departures.

"So, this is my son..." he said. I sniffled and looked at him quizzically. I never told him about William...and why was he so calm about it? I thought he would have thrown a fit about not knowing he had one...or at least be in denial about it. Where were the fireworks? Where was the rage?

Where's my Severus? I thought to myself.

He looked straight into my eyes and I felt as if I were being read like a book. Shaking my head of the strange feeling, he smiled softly. "I read it on Miss Starflight's blog. You wrote quite a bit about it. It's a shame you haven't found Anna yet, I would have...cherished having a daughter as well as a son..." he told me. He lifted a hand and gently pushed a lock of hair away from my face. It was a tenderness I never remembered him having...a softer side I thought he never possessed. Maybe my assessment of him had been wrong? It would have been so easy to think so...to think he was just a big softy inside...

Too bad I knew he was too sharp to be so.

--Get away from him! --

I shied away from his touch and gave him a shaky smile. Perhaps we could have a conversation later, I thought to myself. At the moment, we had to be inside the hall. I told him this and he nodded, following me inside. A few people gave us looks--some of them approving, while others...not so. Quite a few were looking at the man murderously and it was because they were angry on my account. 'Friends don't let friends get hurt by jerks' mentality and all that. Hopefully, no one was going to kill him for getting me upset...that would have gotten me more upset! Severus took a seat at the guests of honour table where Kenya, Lord Vader, William and I were sitting.

The ceremony had been great though. I had practiced the speech given to me by Narcissa, who said that it was the sort of thing usually said at rites such as these. I talked about the hardships of life, the inevitability of death; of happiness and sadness; sickness and health; triumph and defeat...love and hate. I had been nervous and wanted to throw up a few times, standing there for all to see. I'm sure I messed up a few lines, but if anyone noticed they didn't snicker behind their hands for anything--and I was grateful. I would have run off the stage in a crying fit if that had happened. Dear lord, I hate public speaking.

"...and so, do you Kenya Starflight and Lord Vader, hereby take your duties to heart as if he were your own child...to care for and love till death do you part?" I asked. The both of them gave each other looks, taking a moment to really think about it before answering me.

"I do." they said, almost simultaneously. I smiled.

"Than let it be known that Kenya Starflight and Darth Vader are now legal guardians and god parents to William Albus Snape." I announced to the applause of everyone. I let the two of them go back to their seats and pick up William so we could take our own seats as I notice something. The plates on the tables were quite empty and the baskets full of bread and butter were nearly gone. I wanted to slap myself for almost forgetting. "Oh! Right, then! Thank you all for attending and before we begin the banquet that the house elves of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry worked so hard on, I would like to say a few last words." I grinned as a few people in the crowd began to suspect what was coming, as I made the quote almost word for word. "And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" I said, giggling as the plates were suddenly piled up with food.

It was smooth partying afterwards and nothing could get me down then. I flitted from table to table, talking to this and that person, making small talk with groups of people at a time with William in my arms, so I didn't really have to be around Severus much (who was starting to give me the creeps because he kept looking at me wherever I went the way a panther stalks prey).

I talked to V for quite some time about the best kind of explosives as well as the best kind of roses of which to use as a signature (he'll always go for his default and my favourite will always be the primrose, thank you very much). The Fetts (Jango showed up late, but he was welcomed nonetheless) showed me how to handle the rifle, 'just in case of emergencies' they said. Jango hogged William for quite a bit of the night and so did Boba. I honestly thought that he would have gotten jealous of William for hogging his father, but Boba held him almost as much as his father did. But since they opted to 'baby-sit for free', I got some time to do a little dancing when the tables had been cleared after dinner. I had the honour of dancing with Erik--the Phantom of the Opera--for a slow dance and a fast one with Axel. I was also stolen away by a few people I didn't recognize for a few other fast ones. And I asked of one from Vader rather shyly--I think my face was beet red when I asked, too.

Finally, after sitting out most of the night and saying and doing nothing, Severus finally came out to take me from Vader for the next dance, which was a slow one. I can safely say that that one dance...had been pretty awkward. Severus had never been much to dance--even when I used to try and coax him into it.

Yet here he was, spinning me as if he had danced his whole life.... as if he knew me so personally!

--Keily! --

I shook my head, feeling it throb a little. I stopped in the middle of the dance, forcing Severus to stop as well. There it was again! And this time, I had truly felt it. Strong and resonating. That bad feeling was coming back amidst the celebrating and rejoicing. I suddenly wanted to get out...to leave with my son without a word. I moved to go and find William--get to Jango or Boba or whoever had him. And then he grabbed my arm, almost with an iron grip. I tried to pull my arm away, but he wouldn't relent. And that was it. I wasn't going to play the weeping flower anymore. I was finally going to give him a piece of my mind!

I looked up and froze. There was anger in his eyes...pure anger and it sent a chill down my spin--gave me a feeling I was almost becoming used to. Fear. For the first time since I met him...Severus was instilling fear into me. And I couldn't look away, even if I tried. At the corner of my eye I could see Jango coming forward with Boba behind him, holding William who had fallen asleep. Severus' grip tightened and he began to pull me close and I snapped out of it. I struggled against him.

"Let go!" I cried. "You're hurting me!" I shouted, as I wondered what was happening at the same time. What was going on? And was this really Severus? Why was he acting like this? I wanted to know!

--Keily! --

"Keily." he whispered coolly, trying to lock eyes with me. Instinctively, I made sure we never made eye contact as I tried to get away from him--as if his very touch was burning my skin. Finally, I was free of him and I managed to get to Boba so I could take William. I was just about to let the man change arms with me so I could bolt--I heard a scream from the main hall doors. All heads turned in the direction of the scream to see a figure we all had thought dead almost a week before. It was more of a rotting corpse if anything else...A pus spewing organ pile sin against God, really, but...

I wanted to throw up. Who in their right mind would use human alchemy to resurrect the Emperor? What had they used in exchange for...this...this...atrocity?

I suddenly remembered the talk people used to have at the sci-fi club about how a clone came to claim the unborn Anakin Solo as his...as the Dark Side's. I remembered how I used to shiver at the thought of how close it had been to Leia...

"Did you think...th...at...you...c...ould...be rid...of...meeeee-eee--eee?" it said as it trudged through the rather shocked crowd.

...how terrible it had been for them all to think that they would lose Anakin to the darkness...

"...Dark...ne....ss is eter...nal..."

...how much he looked like his uncle...his grandfather almost...

"...it i...s e....ver p....re...sent...as the l....ight...is...brilliant..."

.....how he died in the end...so young...

"...I wi...ll...come ba...ck...for...you...all....traitor...ous....sc...."

In a calmness I never had before--with a quick hand that I thought I never possessed--Dooku's lightsaber was in my hand, lit and then--

WHOOSH!

I sighed at the decapitated...thing at my feet. It was twitching still and I'm sure it could bring itself back together just as any of the Homunculi present surely can. We had to find a way to dispose of the thing quickly before it came back stronger than ever. I left it in the capable hands of Gluttony who could eat just about anything--and I do mean anything.

"Well...that killed the moment." I stated as William began to wail. I stared at the ignited lightsaber in my hand. So much for not using it. Then again, if Dooku had been alive and named William's godfather like I had wanted to...he would have probably done the same thing.

"Tragedy seems to follow you everywhere, doesn't it, Keily?" Draco said, a might insensitively, breaking the silence that followed my own statement.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Shut-up."

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The party hadn't picked up after I sliced the homunculus Palaptine's head off. Many had been sickened by its first appearance--never mind when I did what I did. I had retreated to the room I used to dress up in, trying to soothe William and my frayed nerves. First Severus acting weird and then that? Outside my door, Maul and Trisha had taken up being my temporary guards, while the Fetts, Vader and quite a few others were scouring the grounds around the chalet for traces of where the homunculus might have come from. Who knew what could happen. Most of the invitees went home. The devoted, close and beloved stayed behind.

I laid myself on the day bed once William fell asleep again in the stroller that one of the guests got for him. I felt drained of energy...physically and mentally. I was glad for the safety my friends were giving for us, because I was quite sure that I wouldn't be able to defend myself or William in the state I was in. I still had Dooku's lightsaber with me, tucked into my belt in case I needed it again. I was about to close my eyes and drift off to slumber land with my son when Snape more or less barged in, despite protests (and threats) from Trisha and Maul. Too tired to deal with any drama (let alone get up properly) I let him go on with whatever he wanted to say.

He went down on bended knee next to me on the couch, taking one of my hands in his. He looked so pathetic then and I vaguely and sleepily wondered what he wanted. "I'm sorry." he said, his words barely registering in my mind as he looked me in the eye. I felt a lot more sleepier then, my eyelids getting twice as heavy. "I'm sorry that I hurt you...that...that disgusting filth had come in at all...and that I did nothing. Forgive me, Keily." I sort of noted that he said my name as 'Kay-lee', which was the correct way of saying my name...which was odd because he always pronounced it differently...so that it always made me think of him. 'Kah-eh-lee' was how he always said it. It was almost like a cross of my name and 'Kelly' and I always found it endearing more than annoying. A random thing to wonder about, but I was very tired at the time...almost drifting to sleep...

And he looked so sorry--something I rarely ever see in him. I didn't struggle with him as he pulled me close, eyes still locked on each other's.

--Keily! Look away! Get away!--

There it was again. I wonder what's truly going on, but then...I don't feel so bad anymore. Maybe it was just paranoia after all? Being like this around Severus...It's almost like that night again when I fell asleep by his side. I reached up with my arms and wrapped them around his neck. After this I slept for quite a while...