TITLE: le Viol de Mariana: chapter 2 - A Christmas Reunion
Hello. . .Is anyone out there? Please, I am resorting to begging that someone will review and give me a new idea? Please!
Author: CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur (ff DOT net)or Minerva Ann McGonagall (aff DOT net)
Disclaimer: Sorry, no smut in this chapter. You will have to read the first chapter, which also tells you where to find the unedited version at (that is IF you are reading this from (ff DOT net)if you are reading from(aff DOT net) then you have no problem finding the unedited version). You MUST be 18 to read the unedited first chapter, otherwise someone's angry parents could come after me. hehehehehe
Author's Note: I so want to apologize for this late update. I think there will only be one possibly two more chapters left of this. PLEASE Read AND Review it. It would mean the absolute world to me. And who knows, I might get some new ideas for this and be able to write the next chapter really quickly. Reviews really do inspire the writer, so PLEASE inspire me.
The song I use in this chapter, Under Your Spell, is from the Buffy episode Once More with Feeling, and I believe was written by Joss Whedon and performed beautifully by Amber Benson on the series. I do not own it, well, actually I do own a copy of it, but it is NOT my song. I also do not own any recognizable characters (the great and powerful OZ oops I meant JKR does), unless you have read my SW story in which case I do own the character of Mariana.
BRIEF history lesson to understand a comment I make in the story. . .
The Goddess Hestia, according to my internet sources (greekmythology DOT com and pantheon DOTorg), was the Greek goddess of the hearth fire, hence presiding over domestic life. She is the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house around which a new born child is carried before it is received into the family. She is the eldest sister of Zeus and the oldest daughter of Rhea and Cronus. She was a virgin-goddess, and when wooed by Poseidon and Apollo, swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virgin. She had no throne, but tended the sacred fire in the hall on the Olympus and every hearth on Earth was her altar. She is the gentlest of all the Olympians. She does not have a distinct personality. She plays no part in myths. Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out. Of all the Olympians, she is the mildest, most upright and most charitable.
By Hestia being this mother type goddess I am going on the assumption that she can sing. You will understand in a little while.
Now on with the show. . .
almost 11 months later…a few days before Christmas. . .
I couldn't believe the speed with which my relationship with Mari had progressed. It had been such a perfect beginning, that I had decided to stay in St. Louis to see where it was going to go. Besides, for the first time in my life I had found someone that I loved more than Quidditch or pranks. My parents are coming over to visit soon. I think that my Mother just wants to make sure that I am eating right. You know how Mothers can be, especially when they are not there to oversee one of their brood.
Mari is very nervous about meeting my parents. I keep telling her she needn't worry. My Mother will love her, and my Father will simply adore her. But I think she is just anxious because we just found out that she is expecting. She doesn't want my parents to think ill of her because we aren't married yet. They won't, and I keep telling her that. I know because, what Mari doesn't know is that my parents are bringing me Grandma Prewitt's engagement ring. My mother is excited beyond belief, and has already been asking when we plan on having kids. I can't wait to see my Mother's face on Christmas when we tell her about the baby.
I hear Mari singing to herself and the baby again in the baby's room. She has taken to doing that a lot. She said that it has been shown that music helps the baby's development. If that is the case, our baby is going to be the smartest baby ever. Not that I mind, she has the most beautiful voice. I think I will move closer, so I can hear what she is singing this time. As I get to that doorway, I realize what she is singing. It is "our" song. I can't help smiling now.
I lived my life in shadows
Never the sun on my face
It didn't seem so sad, though
I figured that was my place
Now I'm bathed in light
Something just isn't right
I'm under your spell
How else could it be
Anyone would notice me
It's magic I can tell
How you set me free
Brought me out so easily
I saw a world enchanted
Spirits and charms in the air
I always took for granted
I was the only one there
But your power shone
Brighter than any I've known
I'm under your spell
Nothing I can do
You just took my soul with you
You worked your charm so well
Finally I knew
Everything I dreamed was true
You make me believe
The moon to that tide
I can feel you inside
I'm under your spell
Surging like the sea
Pulled to you so helplessly
I break with every swell
Lost in ecstasy
Spread beneath my willow tree
You make me complete
You make me complete
You make me complete
"You realize that your voice is as beautiful as the AncientGoddess Hestia's would have been." I smiled at Mari.
"OH! You startled me. But I would hope that as an expectant mother, the Goddess Hestia would impart some of her wisdom onto me." Mari laughed as she walked towards me and pulled me into a hug.
It was at that moment that our child decided to make himself or herself known to us, and Mari grimaced. "Mari, that was quite a kick. Did she hurt you?"
"So you have decided that it is our daughter now is it?" She laughingly asked me. Changing the subject she asked me, "So when do your parents expect to portkey in?"
"I believe they said they would be here at 5:30." I told her.
"Fred! It's 5:25 now! Why didn't you let me know earlier! I wanted to have something ready for supper!" Mari said hurriedly looking at her watch.
"Hush." I said placing my fingers over her lips. "I placed an order with Rigazzi's and The should have it flooed here in about 20 minutes."
"Thank you." Mari whispered as she started to walk out the bedroom door. We all of a sudden heard a noise downstairs.
"Fred? Are you guys here?" I heard my Dad ask. And then a little quieter, "See I told you we should have waited a little longer."
Before my Mother could respond, I yelled down the stairs. "We're here. We are coming down now." I looked at Mari and said, "I guess we don't have to worry about telling my Mother she is going to be a Grandmother." I laughed as I gently caressed her swollen stomach.
We walked slowly down the stairs and into the living room where my parents were. I looked at them and said, "I see you had no problems reaching the correct gate after you portkeyed to the floo station."
My Mother's eyes lit up when she noticed Mari rather unsuccessfully trying to hide behind me. "Is this?"
"Yes, Mother. This is Mariana. The woman I love, and the mother of your soon-to-be grandchild." I answered pulling Mari to the front of me where my Mother reached out and pulled her into a warm hug.
"Wait a second, a baby? I am going to be a grandmother?" Mom asked. At our unsure smiles and after a glimpse of Mari's belly my Mother pulled the both of us into another hug and my Father soon joined us in the hug.
As my Mother dried her tears of joy, she pulled Mari over to the couch and sat them both down. "So when are you due?"
Rather startled by the whole thing, Mari asked, "You are not angry that we are not married before having our baby?"
"No dear, I am not. Because I know my son loves you, and he has never given his heart away to anyone before. He has loved before, but not to the extent that his feelings run for you." Mom said as she brushed a stray hair back out of Mari's eyes. "Now you still haven't answered my question. When are you due?"
"April 23rd. At least that is what my doctor said. I haven't been able to go to a mediwitch yet, to see if that is true. I have been so busy with the store that I have barely had time to go to the muggle doctor." Mari said.
"Well, you will just have to come back with us to England, and you can get checked out by our mediwitch." My Mother said rather matter-of-factly.
About that time dinner finally arrived. And we all filled ourselves on filet mignon and salad. For dessert, Mari had made her Grandmother's recipe of red velvet cake. After dinner, my parents talked us into going back that night with them to spend Christmas with the whole family rather than just here with them only.
Any qualms we had about portkeying in Mari's state were squashed when my Mother told us that she had flooed and portkeyed while she was pregnant with George and I, but then I almost stifled back a laugh when my Father muttered under his breath, "So that is what's wrong with the two of them."
When we landed at our destination, I heard Mari gasp, and when I looked up I realized why she had done so. "Mum, why are we at Hogwarts?"
"This is where Ron and Ginny are, and Professor Dumbledore invited us all to stay here for the Holidays. He felt it might be safer. Besides, Poppy is here, and my Grandchild deserves to have the best mediwitch looking after her." Mum said as we all walked up to the front door of the castle where we were met by none other than Remus and Tonks.
When she realized who was standing there, Mari ran at the two of them and gave them the biggest hug. "I haven't seen the two of you in so long! I missed you guys."
"I see you haven't missed us too much." Tonks said gesturing towards Mari's stomach.
"Well, you seem to have been rather busy yourselves." I said knowingly, glancing at Tonks' own rather swollen abdomen. We all laughed at this and made our way into the castle.
"Albus is awaiting all of us in his office, but he did say for us to stop off and see Poppy first, to make sure that both baby's are adjusting well." Lupin said as we all turned towards the hospital wing except for my parents.
"Where are you guys going?" I asked.
"We are going to get your siblings. We will meet you in Albus office when you are down with Poppy." My Father said as we all went our two separate directions.