Chapter 1: Prohibition
Chapter Image by !nkblot at TDA!
APOV
It had been a week since the family fight that resulted when I told my parents I was pregnant, and today was our first visit to St. Mungo’s for the baby. Tyler and I had talked for a long time that night and we decided that adoption was the very best for our child. So here we sat now just Tyler and I awaiting the nurse in the sonogram room.
As if she could read my mind, Nurse Stevens walked through the double doors, eyes scanning over their clipboard. “Well Miss Snape, today we should see the very first picture of the baby. Are you excited?”
I nodded and Tyler nudged me to remind me of our agreement. Lately, I had been changing my mind slowly but surely. Nurse Stevens squeezed some jelly on my stomach and rubbed it in, placing a cool paddle on top of it. The picture on the electronic screen moved as the medal pedal did, and soon the typical grayish blob showed up amongst the black backdrop. The nurse’s eyes smiled, as did her lips as she moved the pedal slower
“This, Miss Snape is your beautiful little baby.” Tyler and I stared at the blob remnant of a naked mole rat. He or she looked perfect. A smile lit up my face and out of the corner of my eye, I saw one on Tyler’s too as his hand grasped mine tighter.
“Now, Miss Snape, do you know when you conceived this child?”
“We’re guessing January 2nd. My last period was in December.”
The nurse nodded and did some quick calculating, writing on her clipboard “Miss Snape, Mr. Truett. You’re baby should be here by Septemeber 25th.”
“Autumn Baby.” Tyler whispered and my smile grew.
“Now, as of right now, your baby seems to be in perfect health. That doesn’t mean he or she will not develop problems later throughout your pregnancy Miss Snape. I am also responsible for telling you the possible things that could go wrong within the next few months. Because you are so young, there is a risk higher than that of average aged mothers for your baby to be born premature or of a lower birth weight. They may grow up to have mental and/or physical defects. Do you know what all of those terms mean?” We nodded. “As the mother, it is a possibility, with you being 16, that you may have serious and hazardous complications during delivery such as altering your pelvic bone or spine, or, to the extreme, death.” Two quick intakes of breath. “I don’t want you to worry though, positive thinking helps. As long as you take care of yourself diligently and never let that falter, we should all be okay.”
I nodded, though Tyler looked still frozen on the word ‘death’.
“By this doctor’s visit, I am assuming you two are keeping the child.”
“No.” Tyler replied strongly, at the exact same time as my “Yes.”
The nurse looked between the two of us. “I’ll give you time to discuss this.”
As soon as the door closed, Tyler exploded. “Die Alix! You could die! It is not too late to abort it, Alix, think about it. Please Baby, please, for me.”
I felt my eyes lick with anger as I pushed him away from me. “No, Tyler. I will not die, we just have to take proper precautions! I want this baby!”
“I thought you
wanted to give it up for adoption.”
I stepped towards him slowly, taking his hands in mine calmly. “Did you feel nothing when you saw our little blob on that screen?”
“Of course I did, Flicka. But there’s school to think about. You’re going into your sixth year next year; I’m going into my seventh. We’ve got exams to study for, lives to prepare. We’ll be graduating soon, me before you. We’ll be separated the better part of a year if I go to University! How will you raise a child by yourself? What happens if I have to go somewhere, or if we break up? At least, let’s stick to the plan we had before. Adoption."
“We’ll cross those bridges when we get to them.” I replied, ignoring his last sentence completely.
Tyler sighed. “No Alix, we won’t. Babies take planning. That’s why only married, stable couples are supposed to have them. You’re so innocent Flicka, you don’t understand.”
“Tyler! I am not giving up this baby. I don’t give a damn what you say. You can stand by me and help me out, or you can leave with your tail between your legs. But I will work this out. I
can do it.
We can do this Tyler.”
Tyler and I walked though the portrait hole, dropping a rattling bag onto the coffee table and calling out for Mum and Daddy. They appeared from the kitchen together, almost solemnly.
“We want to talk to the two of you.” Mum started out, sitting on one couch with Daddy and motioning them to sit on the other. “After the whole pregnancy scare, we’ve decided that you guys are teenagers, and are children and therefore you guys do need boundaries. We think that it’d be reasonable to ask that you guys don’t spend any more than an hour daily with a bedroom door closed and that … Oh, come on, Severus, this one’s gonna kill them.”
Daddy shook his head and continued for her. “We think, well, I think Tyler should take back his promise ring and you guys should date a few other people. Have an open relationship for a little while. All you’ve ever known is each other. How can you be so sure you want to stay with each other for the rest of your lives?”
Both of us mouths sat agape, staring at the man before us. I spoke first.
“You have got to be shitting me!”
“Language!” Mum scolded.
“We’re not doing that.” Tyler answered. “No disrespect, sir.” He added on, shrinking under Daddy’s glare.
“We think you will do that, if you want to stay together, that is.” Daddy replied.
“You better not be saying what I think you’re saying.” I dared.
“I am.”
“We’re keeping the baby!” I outed, thinking maybe they’d let us stay together with this tidbit of information.
“Then you’ve got two things to consider here. You’re not keeping the baby, Alix. Adoption or abortion.”
“Severus!” Mum scolded.
He overpowered her. “Adoption or abortion.”
“You cant do this! You cant come in here after 16 years and expect to be able to run my life! Its not your right! You haven't earned it! Who the hell do you think you are?” Daddy’s face didn’t even flinch at my outbreak, and I could tell the tantrum card wasn’t going to work this time. I bit her lip, thinking. “Can we talk about it first? Alone?” My parents nodded and walked back into the living room. As soon as the door closed Alix jumped off the bed and nearly ran into her closet, dragging her trunk out of it. “Help me pack, Ty.”
“What?”
“Help me pack. Come on, we gotta find someway to get a good majority of our things in this trunk, have it shrunk and be off Hogwarts grounds before my parents come back in.”
“You’re kidding, Lex.”
“Seriously, I’m not. Now are you going to help or am I running away by myself?”
A huge smile lit up Tyler’s face as he got up off the bed and helped me throw my things in the trunk.
Later, Tyler walked out of my room, head held low. I heard him tell Mum and Daddy just what we’d rehearsed. “She still wants to be alone for a little while.”
Daddy knocked on my door a little before 6PM that night. “Alix, are you going to the dinner tonight?”
“No.” I tried to make my voice as small and helpless as I possibly could. A last ditch effort.
I heard him move to Tyler’s door. “Tyler, what about you?”
“No.” Tyler replied with the same tone.
I listened to him sigh, and I could picture him taking Mum’s hand, but Mum dropping it in anger.
As soon as the portrait door slammed, Tyler and I peeked their heads through their bedroom doors. “Did you leave the note?” Tyler asked.
I nodded. “Do you have the trunk?”
“In my pocket.” Tyler replied. “You sure about this Alix?”
“Positive.” I replied. “What? Are you backing out?”
He pulled me into his arms, our noses almost touching as our breath mingled with each others. “Never Alix. If this is what it takes for us to be able to stay together and keep our baby, then so be it.”
With a smile, I kissed him chastely. “Let’s go then.”
We walked hand in hand out the portrait door, through the halls of Hogwarts and out the front door just like any normal couple spending time together outside. We looked around slyly; no one was around besides us. In a mad dash to the gates, we made our way out of them and to the apparition point in less than 30 seconds. With a pop, our feet dropped to the wooden floors of a Muggle hotel.
We’ll do it all, everything, on our own.
We don't need anything, or anyone
If I lay here, If I just lay here,
Would you lie with me and just forget the world? – Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars
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