“Don’t worry, they’ve left,” Morgan could tell exactly what her husband was thinking, which surprised her. Usually she couldn’t read him at all. Perhaps they were getting closer like Poppy had observed.
“Did you want something?” Severus asked as he looked longingly at the book held loosely in his long, tapered fingers. He didn’t much feel like being torn from the quiet sanctuary he was currently enjoying if at all necessary.
“I was just wondering if we could talk…”
“Then by all means start talking,” Severus said in what he felt was a very magnanimous air. He did not often feel the need to give those around him his full attention, most people did not deserve it. However, if it was what his wife wanted he would give in to these small favors that she asked, such as the particularly female need to talk. He could acquiesce to such requests on occasion if it would make the marriage bed warmer.
“Could we talk out in the living room?” Morgan chewed on her lip. A clear sign that she was feeling a little bit nervous. “It might be more… comfortable.” She had brought her arms up to hug herself. She was more worried that if they stayed in here she’d be most likely tumbled into the bed before she could get through what she wanted to say. It didn’t scare her like it used to. She even enjoyed it. But she had some things she wanted to say without interruption.
Severus didn’t look pleased, but he set aside his book and gestured for Morgan to precede him out of the room. His generosity towards his wife had limits, and she was starting to push them. Although he supposed it wouldn’t hurt him to be a little more forgiving in the coming months. From what he had heard pregnant women could be completely irrational and he could expect to meet a few more of his wife’s requests than he normally would.
Morgan had managed to compose herself in the short walk from bedroom to living room and was now sitting on the couch in front of the dancing fire, her hands folded in her lap. She managed not to fidget, although it took a good deal of self control. It took even more self control to wait until her husband was seated at the other end of the couch before she launched into her speech. “I think that we both need to make some compromises if we are going to have any chance of happiness together,” she began, “and it will hopefully keep us from having as many arguments as we have had lately.”
Severus raised an eyebrow, “I hope you realize that compromises are not necessary.” His voice was even and the look on his face carefully guarded so as not to give away what he was thinking. “When you married me you took vows and signed a contract saying that you would obey me and I made a promise to provide for you. Happiness and love were no part of that ceremony. Your obedience, which was, has been questionable at best. Perhaps if you put more effort into complying to my will these compromises you want would not be necessary.”
Twin spots of color inflamed Morgan’s cheeks as she struggled to keep her rage under control. It wasn’t working very well. When Severus reached for her hand she pulled away. He wouldn’t even hear her out!
“However… I am willing to at least listen to what compromises you want, and if they are not too unreasonable I shall consider them,” his tone was one that showed he clearly thought he was granting her a huge favor by even listening to her.
This didn’t pacify Morgan, but she figured this was the best chance she was ever going to get so she might as well go through with it. “I was just thinking that it might be wise if we made a concession for each of our rooms…” she trailed off uncertainly. Her speech had sounded much better when practiced in front of the mirror, who had even offered her some advice. But when confronted by her husband, who looked anything but thrilled by the idea, she had a feeling it wasn’t one of her smarter moves. Her shoulders slumped slightly, “never mind, it was silly really…” she started to rise.
“Sit back down,” Severus commanded in a rather bored tone, “I did say I would at least hear you out so you might as well finished what you started. What sort of… concessions… were you interested in?” He didn’t look at his wife openly, just enough out of the corner of his eye so that he could see how she reacted.
Morgan’s mouth formed a silent “o” of surprise. After the start she hadn’t expected her husband to be at all willing to even listen to her. He didn’t often do so as it was. “Well… I thought that since we each have… habits… that the other one finds annoying we could each pick one for the living room, bathroom, and bedroom to give up…”
Severus very nearly smirked. Was she really so naďve to believe that a few concessions on both their parts would give her the sort of marriage she was looking for? If it was really going to make her happy he might just make her feel as though she had won this round. Of course he would make sure that he kept the upper hand in all negotiations. “Very well… I never want to find another sock laying about this living room.”
“Oh…” Morgan was thrown for a moment. She hadn’t realized that he would pick such a hard habit to break. “I suppose…”
“There will be no supposing, this was your idea, if you want to go through with it you must abide by the rules. They are of your own making after all.”
Morgan fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. She had wanted Severus to take her seriously, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“Well?”
“Well?” Morgan dumbly echoed him. Why was it that he made her so infuriatingly tongue-tied?!
Severus sighed impatiently, “You wanted us each to make a concession, what is your request?”
“Oh…” in all honesty she hadn’t thought that far because she had never thought that the conversation would ever get this far. She glanced around the room, “could you keep your papers off the furniture? It just feels so… impersonal… in here with them all spread about. Like there’s no place for me...”
Severus watched his wife for a long moment. He realized how much it had cost her to say that. He constantly reminded her that these were his rooms and that she was the one invading them. He also realized that she was expecting him to refuse her. “Done, madam.”
Morgan blinked in surprise. So far this had been much less painful that she had thought it would be. “Right then…” and so the negotiations went. Both of them made minor requests of the other, and Severus, miracle of miracles, kept his temper well under control.
“I have one further stipulation if you want me to go through with your set of demands,” Severus made sure he had his wife’s full attention. “I want you to stop trying to do everything yourself,” he cut her with his best potion master’s glare before she could try and interrupt, “that damned mirror told me that it was you who was moving things around in here the other day,” he gestured to the one side table that she had moved from one side of the couch to the other, “and she informed me that you decided to do it manually rather than with magic…”
“Honestly Severus, it was nothing, just a little table…”
“And you are carrying my child. It is imperative that you take care of yourself. You tend to be irrational enough on your own without all these pregnancy hormones kicking in. I do not want you doing anything that could endanger my child.”
“Of course…” Morgan nearly tripped over the words. “Of course…” he was worried about the child, his potential heir, not her. It made sense after all. “Well… I’m feeling a little tired, I think I’m going to lie down…” she tried to hide how much his words had hurt her. She knew they weren’t in love. But she wanted to feel cared for, and as something more than the vessel carrying his child. She wanted to know that he appreciated her.
However, her sleep was restless and not very helpful. She tossed in the bed for awhile, but finally decided that it wasn’t worth it. She finally dragged herself into the bathroom, where she tried to take a relaxing bubble bath, but it didn’t work. She just ended up crying and feeling sorry for herself. She drew her knees up to her chest, hugging herself, as the water grew cold around her, tears streaming down her cheeks. The worst part was, she didn’t know if she was just being horribly emotional and hormonal because of her pregnancy, or if she would feel like this under normal circumstances.
She regretted asking for the compromises. It seemed silly. Now she was going to have to keep her belongings all neatly put away, which was such a hassle, and she doubted she’d get the sort of respect she had been looking for. Severus wasn’t going to change… but he’d expect her to.
“Morgan…” Severus rapped his knuckles against the bathroom door, “are you alright?”
She sniffed, “I’m fine,” she thought that she managed to sound fairly normal. She hoped he couldn’t tell that she’d been crying.
“You have been in there for hours,” his voice had a hard, disapproving edge to it.
Morgan angrily stood up, sloshing water onto the floor as she climbed out of the large tub. She never did anything right! At least as far as her husband was concerned… She just wanted to… she growled in frustration as she wrapped her robe around herself, cinching it tightly closed.
She wrenched the door open before her husband could knock again, she was somewhat amazed that he hadn’t just burst his way in. He did that often enough. “Well, I’m out now,” she said bitterly as she met her husband’s gaze. She hated the way he was looking at her, with that one raised eyebrow…
Severus only shrugged, “I’d like to speak to you when you are quite finished and possibly feeling a bit more congenial,” he drew the words out slowly and deliberately, as though speaking to a small child. Morgan only glared up at him. It wasn’t very effective with her hair sticking out all over the place and her pink robe clinging to her…
“Fine, talk then.”
“In the living room.”
Morgan rolled her eyes, but headed towards the living room, not bothering to get dressed first. She wasn’t planning on this taking long. However she stopped short as she reached the doorway. She stopped so quickly Severus nearly ran into her. “I…” feel incredibly guilty.
One corner of the living room had been completely transformed. There was now a charmed window on the far wall. And even though they were in the dungeons it showed a view from one of the towers, letting in soft light. A window seat was directly under it and two delicate chairs, all with cushions of soft blue and dusky gold. It was decidedly feminine and soft. It was perfect. Her books had even been put on a small shelf nearby. She had asked that he let her into the living room, wanting the papers cleared off the couch… she hadn’t expected that he’d give her an entire seating area all her own. One that he would obviously never use. “Oh Severus… it’s perfect…”
“I expect that you will hold up your end of the bargain,” he said dryly, letting his gaze wander very pointedly to several pairs of shoes and their respective socks strewn about the room.
Morgan blushed a deep rose color. With her robe on she was pink all over. She sank down onto the couch, looking over at her new corner of the room. “I don’t know what to say…”
“You needn’t say anything,” Severus took a seat next to her. “You said that you did not feel at home here, and since you have no other place to go it only seemed fair that I give you a little space of your own.”
“Thank you,” Morgan reached up to pull him down to her level and kissed him. She very rarely initiated anything between them, but felt that she owed it to him. He did try to make her happy… occasionally… so she could also try… occasionally…
Severus cupped her face in one hand, while he used the other one to deftly untie her robe, he wrapped his arm around her waist, his fingers caressing her soft skin.
“Severus…” Morgan pulled away, her voice uncertain… “I’m pregnant…”
He smirked, “I assure you that does not matter in the least, and won’t for several more months.” He recaptured her mouth as he pushed the robe off her shoulders and pulled her into his lap.
“Severus!” she pulled away again, “we’re in the living room…” she struggled to get away from him, but realized too late that he was rather enjoying her squirming naked in his lap. In fact, it was very obvious that he was enjoying it.
He also found her naiveté very amusing. He very nearly laughed at her horror at this happening somewhere other than the bedroom, “I assure you, there are enough wards up that no one will be coming in here. And even if anyone should try to visit, there are numerous silencing charms. You have nothing to be worried about,” he felt the need to reassure her, even though he did find it amusing. She looked so uncertain… He rested one hand on her hip and used the other to tilt her chin up, “you need never question anything I ask you to do. I will never do anything to harm you.”
“It’s just…” Morgan blushed even dark, “embarrassing… being… like this… out here in the open.”
“We are hardly in the open, and you have no cause to be embarrassed.” He knew she hated being naked without the lights off and without being safely beneath the covers of their blankets. “I am the only one who sees you like this and I find you very attractive.” He found himself being far more giving and gentle with her than he had thought he was capable of being.
“Well… maybe I don’t like it…” but her eyes were shining even as she protested. And Severus quickly realized that she was teasing him.
“Than you will have to learn to endure, because I shall have my way. I am head of this household and you would be wise not to disobey me,” he was only half teasing. But he allowed himself the luxury of responding to her without feeling the usual need to protect himself with a carefully placed mask.
“Even if my breasts are too small?” Morgan asked, a cheeky grin falling into place.
“I had a feeling you would throw that back at me eventually,” he gave one of the pert breasts in question an affectionate squeeze and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “if you hadn’t realized you were pregnant I probably would have figured it out before too long. They have blossomed quite nicely of late, I can only hope that they will stay this way,” he took devilish delight in the way her whole body blushed at that comment. And it wasn’t long before he had her beneath him, enjoying every comfort her body offered him. He found that her impish teasing had put him in a far better mood than he had enjoyed in a long time. And he didn’t know why.