Belonging

Staff Meeting -Madelyn Watson-

- Madelyn Watson-

Tuesday Evening

The day had started nicely. The small nap had been blissful, with Snape's additional hand holding during class she had made it almost to lunch without being in pain. Then it all started to come back again. She tried to find him at lunch but he was busy with some Slytherin related punishment being doled out and she didn't want to wait around the entire lunch, she wanted to stuff her face. She did go stuff her face and she did not have a free moment to find the Head of Slytherin again and thus had to spend the second half of her day moving from uncomfortable to downright painful symptoms.

At the end of Transfiguration McGonagall asked her to stay behind, helpfully thwarting another round of her friend's questions. She kept saying she wasn't allowed to answer yet. She did not know what to say, they had seen her bawling her eyes out in a wedding dress and she had not been forthcoming with them about it. It pained her to not speak to her friends but she wasn't also wasn't sure if she was willing to tell yet. She knew they would have questions for her that she wasn't ready to face answering for herself.

The Deputy Headmistress invited her to attend tonight's staff meeting as the subject at hand was well... her. She informed her that Professor Snape would meet her to escort her up to the staff room. Madelyn was surprised to learn that she would also be added to the ward that kept the students out of that room. She had not considered that she would be welcomed into some of the teacher's spaces as an extension of her spouse. Probably because he didn't feel like her spouse. She touched the ring he had put back on her this morning. She had been hiding the hand from her friends all day.

Madelyn finally clapped eyes on her mate again at dinner. He seemed to be almost starving, like herself. It would have been nice to slip away to try to hold his hand, but there was no time. She needed to get some things done before this staff meeting which would occupy the vast majority of her normal homework's hours and her friends were driving her mad.

"Madelyn! Stop just putting potatoes in your mouth! You have to answer! Why were you in a wedding dress! Why were you with Snape!? Why are you wearing a ring?" Norah was ever type A with a list of very reasonable questions that had not been answered. Apparently her ring hiding was not very well done at all.

"Iffs comblecaded." Madelyn answered, mouth full.

"I seems like the answer is quite simple, you married the fucking dungeon bat but we just need to know... WHY?!" Bethany demanded, her glossy lips mouthing the big demanding words with flair. Only she could interrogate you and look effortlessly pretty while doing it.

Madelyn tried to insert the fork full of potatoes into her mouth as soon as the way was clear but Caroline smashed her hand up into the fork from below, sending the utensil full of mash into Colin Hemsford. Madelyn mouthed 'sorry', but Colin just picked up the jump of potato and put it into his mouth with a thumbs up.

"NO MORE EATING what is wrong with you?! Speak!" Norah was not usually so strung out, but lack of answers was making the group mom go feral.

"I can't answer you until later... There is a staff meeting to decide..." Madelyn knew they would eventually know one way or another, but now was not the time to tell them. Not with so many ears around them.

"A staff meeting?" Liz's question had a calculating tone.

"Yes... and when I get back I can tell you what I'm allowed to tell you." Madelyn whispered.

"Don't think we don't hear the lack of answers regarding that ring." Liz squinted at her.

"I have to wear it..."

"Why?!" Norah's voice was almost cracking.

"Because... I am... married.' Madelyn whispered.

"WHAT!?!" A whispered yell from all sides. Madelyn's hands gestured to be quieter.