“It is not my fault that Longbottom is such a complete and utter…”
“I was tactfully going to refrain from mentioning how my House managed to lose upwards of 75 points in one class period,” Minerva snipped, “I thought I ought to remind you that your wife’s birthday is tomorrow.”
“I am well aware of that fact, although I am touched by your lack of faith in my ability to care for my wife.”
Minerva gave him a tight lipped smile, “I practically raised her these last seven years Severus, I don’t want to see her hurt. And although I know you would not do so intentionally…”
“We both know what a miserable bastard I am.”
“Hmpf… well if that isn’t an understatement.”
~~~~~~~~~
Severus felt vaguely guilty as he prepared to leave for the morning. The gift he had ordered for Morgan hadn’t come yet. She would just have to understand that these things happened and he had no control over it. He hoped the rose he had ‘borrowed’ from Professor Sprout’s private greenhouse would be an acceptable peace offering for the time being.
He left the flower on the pillow next to his sleeping wife, and quickly checked to make sure she was still breathing. He still had trouble believing that anyone could sleep that heavily. The entirety of Voldemort’s forces could attack, right in the middle of their bedroom, and she would probably sleep right through it. His hand hovered above her soft curls for a moment before he realized that he had to leave if he was going to make it to his classroom on time for the first class of the day.
Morgan woke up slowly and stretched, keeping well under the covers to avoid the chill of the dungeon air. She wasn’t surprised to find that she was the bed’s only occupant. Severus was often gone before she woke up in the morning. She smiled to herself. She rolled over and came face to face with a mass of green and pink. She reached out and closed her fingers around the stem of the flower and sat up slowly, her breath caught in her throat.
She was amazed that Severus had remembered her birthday at all. She had a feeling he’d been not to gently reminded about it by Dumbledore and McGonagall. But that single flower… She shook her head, trying to clear it, and got up to put the delicate pink flower in a vase. Her eyes flickered over to it every few minutes as she slipped on a dress of soft sage green.
She stood in front of the mirror and began to draw her long hair back into the braid that she normally wore it in, her mind still drifting.
“Don’t do that dear, it’s much prettier when you leave it down,” the mirror advised her.
“You’re awfully pushy for a mirror,” Morgan said, even as she undid the braid.
“Just trying to look out for you dearie, that’s all,” the mirror tried to reassure her.
“I’m sure that’s it,” Morgan said wryly. She sometimes wondered if it was odd that her closest companion of late was a mirror. She tried to brush that thought aside as it wasn’t very comforting.
Usually she found that she had plenty of time on her hands. So far today wasn’t any different. She received a delightful letter from Remus Lupin, one of very few people who knew about her marriage. Other than that the day wasn’t different than any other… except for the rose. She sighed, it looked like the flower was going to be her only company for lunch. But she was getting used to being alone. That was why she almost thought she was hearing things when someone knocked on the door.
“Happy Birthday Morgan,” Minerva said briskly, but she was smiling, Poppy and Flitwick were beaming on either side of her. However the smile faded as she noticed that the room behind Morgan was empty. “Where is your husband?” She had noticed his absence from lunch in the Great Hall and had assumed that he’d come down to be with Morgan.
Morgan shrugged, “I’m not sure. He might be in his office, he’s skipped a few meals the last couple of weeks trying to get some research done.” She noticed the looks of disapproval on her guests’ faces and bit her lip uncertainly. “I’m sorry,” she mentally shook herself, “please, come in.”
Minerva couldn’t help but look around in interest, Severus had never invited any of the staff into his private chambers before. As far as she knew only Albus and Poppy had ever gained entry. She was pleased to note that there were several feminine touches in the midst of the decidedly masculine room. And her smile was back in place as she noted several pairs of socks scattered across the floor, good, Severus needs to be shaken up a bit.
“Filius and I went on a little something for you,” Poppy pressed a small wrapped box into Morgan’s hands.
Morgan blinked in surprise, “you didn’t have to…”
“Nonsense!” Poppy snapped, “we wanted to. Besides, you can use the company the way you’re kept down here…” she snapped her mouth shut. That was an issue she intended to bring up with Severus, not Morgan.
Morgan blushed slightly, she wasn’t used to having so many people fuss over her. Especially Poppy and Minerva who each tried in their own way to mother her. She’d spent half her life without a mother, trying to fill that role for her sister… “Oh…” her eyes grew large as she stripped the paper away and opened the box. Nestled inside was a pair of beautifully etched silver combs. “They’re beautiful, thank you!” With some help from Poppy she quickly tucked them into her hair. She didn’t think she’d ever owned anything so beautiful. The only jewelry she owned was her engagement and wedding rings. She didn’t even have anything that had been her mothers. She was afraid she might cry.
“I got you something as well,” Minerva said brusquely as she pressed a white box, tied with a tartan ribbon at her former student.
Morgan deftly untied the ribbon and started to open the box, but quickly slammed it shut again, her face flaming. “Professor McGonagall!”
Minerva smirked, “its Minerva now Morgan, and I don’t see why you’re upset. Every woman should have…”
“There’s practically nothing to it!”
Minerva crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her former student, “someone,” her eyes moved to Poppy, “informed me that your pajamas were perfectly fine for a student, but rather lacking for a married woman. I thought a bit of lingerie would be completely appropriate.” She paused and added a bit more gently, “a man would have trouble seeing his wife as anything more than a child if she comes to the marriage bed as you have Morgan. If a little bit of lace will help to improve those relations…”
“I understand, thank you.” Morgan said quickly, although her face was still red from embarrassment. Did everyone know how ill-equipped she was to be someone’s wife? She was thankful when everyone left a few minutes later. She was left feeling rather overwhelmed. But she couldn’t resist peeking in the box from Minerva again.
“What am I going to do with this?” she mused aloud as she held up soft pink slip. She could easily see her splayed fingers through the two layers of fabric. And then there was the scrap of lace that was supposed to go under it… she was blushing just looking at it in the box.
“I would suggest putting it on.”
Morgan glared at the mirror, “I can’t!”
“Why ever not?”
Morgan sighed, “I don’t know… I just…”
“Your beautiful dear, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Put those on underneath your dress and see if it doesn’t make you feel a bit more grownup.”
Morgan grumbled, but did as she was told. She wasn’t sure if she felt any different, but she was certainly aware of the fact that even with her dress back on over the lingerie she still felt naked.
“Morgan!” Severus dropped a stack of books on is desk and shrugged off his robes and frock coat, which he laid neatly over the back of his desk chair.
Morgan quickly checked her reflection in the mirror to make sure she wasn’t still blushing before responding to her husband’s call. “Thank you for the rose,” she greeted him with a kiss that lacked her usual shyness.
Severus allowed a small smile to cross his lips. If he had only known earlier that a flower was all it took to make Morgan go from passive recipient to willing initiator… “the House Elves should be sending dinner down soon.” He brought a hand up to Morgan’s hair, “where did these come from?” he asked as his fingers brushed over the twin combs.
“Filius and Poppy, they came to see me with Minerva today.”
“And what did Minerva get you.”
Morgan blushed up to the roots of her hair, “I’ll show you later,” she finally managed to stammer.
Severus only raised his eyebrows at that comment, he had a feeling he’d find out what she was talking about soon enough. “Here,” he pulled a small box out of his pocket and held it out to his wife. He growled in frustration at his wife’s look of confusion, “it’s your birthday present.” When she still looked unsure he found himself frowning at her, “surely you didn’t expect that I’d forgotten?”
Morgan chewed her lip, “you got me the rose…”
“That was merely an apology for not having this earlier,” he held out the box once again.
“Oh…” Morgan realized how hard she’d been chewing her lip when she tasted the salty tang of blood on her tongue. “No one has ever gotten me flowers before, I thought…” she cut herself off.
Severus mentally cursed at himself. He knew what Morgan’s life had been like in her father’s house. He now also wondered if the box she was now holding would be too much. He would find out…
Morgan opened the little velvet covered box and stared down at the twin teardrop shaped diamonds. She’d never even seen anything like them, let alone dreamed that she would own something so beautiful.
“Here,” Severus lifted them out helped Morgan put them on.
Morgan reached up to make sure that the earrings were really there, as if their weight wasn’t proof enough. “Severus… I…” If Severus had been surprised by the kiss he had been greeted with, it was nothing in comparison to the embrace he received now. Morgan ducked her head to wipe away her tears when they finally broke apart. Her heart and mind reeling. Her husband never ceased to surprise her.
It ended up being the most pleasant evening they had spent in each other’s company to date. Miraculously Severus didn’t have single sarcastic comment to make during dinner and when they retired to their bedroom Morgan smiled coyly before asking her husband if he could help with the laces on the back of her dress. She was even excited by the way Severus tensed behind her as her dress fell away and the heaviness of his breath on her neck as he slowly turned her around, hands inching their way up under the sheer slip as he nudged her towards their bed.