Whose Universe Are We In?

Epilogue

Six months later

The Spring was starting to poke through the ground. The last snowdrops faded to be replaced by meadow flowers and early grasses, and the Winter’s stormy tides were finally calming to those of the vernal period of the year.

Still chilly, Dan cast a warming charm beneath the blanket under which he and Alan lay, on their bench facing west. Dan was worried about Alan. Worried that he was ill. The last few mornings, Alan had felt distinctly green and the thought of brewing in the tiny lab he’d set up in a corner of the living room made him run to the bathroom clutching his stomach.

While they had been here in their little hideaway, they had both blossomed, easing back into their magic, enjoying the odd visit from friends and the sumptuous food that the small cottage constantly provided for the asking. Oh, and sex. Plenty of lusty, delicious sex.

Along the way, they had explored their telepathy and mind-conversations now came to them as easily as breathing. Once they could cast magic again, they revelled in being more or less able to do as they wished magically owing to the impressive wards that surrounded the property. But the only illness either had known during this whole time was about two months previously when Alan had succumbed to a dose of food poisoning after ingesting some shrimps that had tasted fine at the time but had come back to haunt him over the next two days. And now there was this.

Growing quite worried now, the second week of the illness, Dan Floo-called Hogwarts, seeking the medi-witch’s expert opinion. Her green head in the fireplace bit it’s lower lip and said, “Can I come through this Floo? I’d like to examine Alan if I may”. The Floo wasn’t big enough for a person to pass through so Dan reluctantly shook his head, so she passed through a few anti-nausea potions and the instruction to call her again if Alan felt no better in a few days.

A couple of days and a few potions later, Alan declared himself as good as new, so they went swimming even though the water was still freezing and hiked all over the island now the snow had finally melted, apparating back to their cottage at day’s end, neither having any desire to spend their nights in tents as they travelled, back to their warm bed and their cosy fire and the privacy that both loved.

They ate so well as Winter gave up her ice for Spring to thaw that Dan chuckled as he threaded his arms around Alan’s waist, “We’ve both put weight on, love, maybe we’d better get back to civilisation before we become two fat old wizards”. This made Alan purr in the back of his throat as he was held. He let his head drop back until it contacted Dan’s and rubbed gently, an action they both loved. “All very well, love, but what will we do once back in the wizarding world?”

Dan tipped his head and kissed the fall of black hair surrounding his face, nuzzling his lips in until he found warm scalp, {I haven’t a clue love. I suppose that all the huzzahs we endeavoured to miss will still be waiting for us when we get back, I know that at least we have to go and finally accept our Orders of Merlin, then I think we can escape for a bit longer. We can’t teach or anything. We’ll have to have you give your notice to Dumbledore so he can make Slughorn more than the acting-up professor, give the man a real job. Perhaps our destiny does not lie at Hogwarts, lover, but I think that we should return there ere long}. Sighing deeply, Alan reluctantly agreed.

And so it was that after two more days, they had everything packed up, had left the cottage, their small home-from-home empty and prepared to Apparate back to Hogwarts.

They landed in a heap just outside the gates. Dan picked himself up quickly brushing down his robes but Alan stayed on the ground, heaving himself to his hands and knees before turning his head and vomiting into the grass. In an instant Dan was beside him, {Come on, let me get you to Poppy Pomfrey. I’m still not happy about your health after that recent scare}, and so, when Alan felt better, they emerged through Hogwarts gates and, arms wrapped around each other, staggered to the front door.

The door opened as they lurched up the steps, Alan having to rest a moment half-way up, and Minerva McGonagall peeped out, “Well, well, boys, does Albus know you’re coming? He said nothing to us....oh, my, Alan, are you ill?”, she moved down the steps to where the man sat on the stone balustrading, his body bowed slightly forward, an anxious Dan at this side.

She slipped her arm around him from the other side and between herself and Dan they almost lifted the weakened man to the hospital wing. Poppy Pomfrey bustled in and nearly dropped her tray of clean implements in her shock at the sight of the two men. Laying it aside, she rushed over and took Alan from between his helpers and eased him down on one of the infirmary beds, “Lawks! What is the matter, Alan? Have you two been doing too much magic again? You look dreadful”, she fussed as Alan laid back.

He closed his eyes and bore her fussing stoically, “I assure you, madam, that I have not over-extended myself, I seemed to react unfavourably to apparition, that is all”. Dan broke in, “Come on, love, you’ve been feeling dickey for a couple of weeks now. What was all the puking and illness all about then?” Alan glared at his husband darkly, “Merely a reaction to food that I am unused to, that is all, like the shrimp that made me sick”.

She hushed them both and made diagnostic passes over his prone form with her wand, Minerva looking on, then quietly asked questions of the man as she worked. “So, Mr Rickman, how long ago was the first sickness episode?” He sighed heavily, “It was a couple of months ago now and I recovered quickly. I really don’t know what all the fuss is about...”, but was silenced by her next question.

Before she asked it, she sent Minerva and Dan away from the bedside and cast a silencing charm over herself and her patient, “I must ask you, sir, when was the last time you took your contraceptive potion?” Alan’s eyes widened, “Why, only yesterday evening, madam, why do you ask? Dan and I have taken it religiously every night on Miss Granger’s instruction. She makes it for us. Is there something wrong with it? Am I having a reaction to it?”

Dan glanced over and saw the anxious look on the medi-witch’s face as well as the look of astonishment on his husband’s. He tried to ask mind-to-mind but Alan’s was closed to him for now, a skill they had learned in their exile. He wanted so much to rush to Alan’s side but a hand clamped on his shoulder prevented him. He made to shake himself free but Minerva glared into his eyes and very slowly shook her head, “No, Dan, he needs privacy to see his medic, he’ll tell you soon enough what ails him, though I have my suspicions myself”.

Dan tried to get an answer from her but she was used to the beggings and pleadings of young folk and merely pursed her thin lips tighter, “No, Dan, let Alan tell you what ails him. It is not my place to”, and retreated into silence. Dan could only look across at his husband helplessly and watch the play of expressions on his beloved’s face. Something wasn’t right here and Dan’s stomach was heading floorwards with worry.

It was when he saw the medic’s lips move and Alan sink back into the pillows in a swoon that he shook himself free of Minerva’s grip and rushed back to Alan’s bedside, waving a hand and shattering the silence spell, “What’s wrong with him? Am I going to lose him? Is he dying?” Poppy moved away a little and looked at the two men on the bed and Alan seemed to recover from his faint, struggling to sit up. Dan was right there, fluffing pillows so that Alan could sit up at an angle.

The medi-witch smiled then, “I suggest you put your husband out of his misery, Alan. If you need me, I’ll be in my office. Come Minerva, let us take tea together. We need to talk about improving the wards around Hogwarts to protect these two while they are in a delicate state”, and with that, her voice trailed away as she walked down the ward away from them, Minerva following after a last look over her shoulder.

“Delicate state?”, Dan’s frown drew his brows together, “Alan, what’s wrong? Are you dying?” Alan managed a pale smile and reached out for Dan who slid onto the bed beside him, “No, love of my life, I am most definitely not dying. This situation, for a female, might be even deemed normal but not for me. For me, this situation is very rare indeed, thus Poppy’s feeling the need to increase the wards and protections surrounding us”.

Dan’s frown deepened and he shook his head, “Alan, stop talking in fucking riddles, love and just tell me what the fuck’s up with you. I’m frightened that I’m about to lose you after only just committing to live here for the rest of our lives. I can’t do this on my own, Alan, I need you too much, please don’t die on me”.

Alan tightened his hold around his lover, his voice was cracked yet grave as he spoke, “Danny, my Danny, I am ‘not’ dying. Did you not hear a word I said? I. Am. Not. Dying. I’m not actually even ill. As I said, this situation would be entirely normal for a woman but not for me. Listen to what I’m trying to tell you. Dan. I’m far more frightened at this moment of losing you once you know as I know neither of us really wanted this to happen and, in fact, have taken prophylactic measures to prevent it”.

This brought Dan up short and he looked up into Alan’s eyes still confused, {Tell me. Stop keeping this from me. All I can feel from you is fear and it’s scaring me. It sounds like static over our link. You’re frightening me. Whatever this is we’ll get through it. I won’t leave you, I promise. Now just tell me, for fuck’s sake}, this last was uttered as almost a scream of frustration straight into Alan’s mind and the older man winced and turned slightly away.

He took a deep breath and Dan could feel his arms move as Alan’s chest expanded and collapsed inside them, {Alright. I’m pregnant} and there was absolute stillness in the room. Neither moved. Neither spoke. Not a word was uttered mind-to-mind. Alan felt Dan’s weight increase against him and realised that his husband had passed out from shock.

{Dan. DAN], his mind shouted, then he found his voice, “POPPY”, he bellowed and the medi-witch came running, Minerva behind her. Their footsteps seemed to grow more faint as they approached but Alan knew it was because he was sinking into a faint himself. He barely had time to think that this was the exact same position that he had laid on a bed with this man in his arms a whole year ago when blackness took over and he sank beside his mate barely aware of Dan’s arms tightening around him even though he was unconscious. As he passed out he smiled.

Everything was going to be alright. He hoped so anyway. The blackness took him over then and he knew no more.

Standing over them, the two women gazed at the wizards who had saved their world and saw their faint smiles in sleep. Minerva patted Poppy’s arm and said, “Albus is strengthening the wards as we speak. We have a very important job before us, my old friend. I’d better go and see how he is faring. You take care of these boys now, Poppy, they will need all the assistance we can render them. They did this for us and we must repay the debt and keep them safe”, and with that, she turned to walk away, only turning again as she reached the double doors at the end of the ward.

From there she could see her colleague and friend strip the two magically and expand their bed before tucking them both under the covers. She watched as Poppy kissed the two lightly on their brows and moved away from them, whispering something that her aged ears couldn’t catch. As she exited she saw Dan gather up his lover and hold him possessively close and she smiled as she let the doors swing closed behind her.

There was a spring in her step as she walked along the familiar corridors and she bent her steps towards the headmaster’s office, grinning widely as she imagined her old friend’s reaction to the news. “That’ll stop your damned meddling”, she muttered in an undertone as she tapped her wand on the feet of the gargoyle and heard the grate of stone on stone as the portal opened. Yes, she was glad she was the one that was going to see the great Albus Dumbledore truly flummoxed for once and this thought made her grin all the way up the spiral staircase. She was actually laughing by the time she entered his office.

The Absolute End


Well, there you have it and I hope you all enjoyed it. Please, pretty please, leave reviews, concrits, stars etc. There is a second novel in this series that I am still in the middle of writing and it, too, will be posted in due course.

Much love, The Squig. xxxxx