The Potions Master's Daughter

A Big Mistake

That night ended with the two spending the night in the Room of Requirement. The next day, the two walked out of the Room of Requirement, hair messy, and clothes wrinkled. Both felt extremely guilty about it, as Lily had just cheated on James.

"I'm sorry, Lily. Really, truly, I am," Severus apologized. Lily nodded.

"I can never tell James about this," she decided. Then, they parted ways, going off to their respectable dormitories, ready to be interrogated by their friends about their whereabouts.

A few days later, Lily woke up in her dorm She had been avoiding Severus at all costs. It was hurting them both, but it was for the best. She had to rush to the lavatory where her dorm mates, Mary Macdonald and Alice Fortescue, were washing up for breakfast. She leaned over the toilet and emptied the contents of her near-empty stomach. Alice rushed over, holding her hair back and rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I've got you, Lily. It's ok. Just let it all out," Alice murmured. Mary brought a wet cloth over and wiped Lily's forehead.

"We need to take her to the hospital wing," Mary insisted. They gently picked her up, bringing a small receptacle with her, just in case.

As they rushed into the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey looked up from organizing her cabinets. Lily never got sick, so she knew something must be wrong. She gestured for the girls to put Lily on a bed before ushering them out. Then, she started on the tests. Lily threw up a few more times, sipping on water occasionally.

After three hours of tests, Madam Pomfrey came back to Lily with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked, already unnerved by the look on the mediwitch's face. Madam Pomfrey was carrying a small stick with two red lines down the middle.

"Lily, dear, you're pregnant!" Lily gasped. Then she thought back to that night with Severus. They hadn't used protection, and she hadn't taken her potion on the expected day. "I'll go get James."

Lily started sobbing. "NO! You can't," she objected.

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "He has a right to know."

"IT'S NOT HIS!" Lily cried, completely oblivious to the disapproving look the mediwitch was giving her. "I need to see Professor McGonagall!" Lily insisted. Madam Pomfrey nodded and went to find the Gryffindor head of house.

A moment later, Minerva McGonagall strode in the room. She stopped short at the sight of the sobbing girl on the hospital bed. Lily never cried except once, when Severus had called her a 'mudblood'. The girl looked up at her mentor and burst into a new stream of tears.

"Lily, what is this? What is wrong?" Minerva asked gently, going to stand by Lily's bed.

Minerva and Lily had grown quite close during Lily's years at Hogwarts. Minerva was always the first Professor Lily came running to if she ever needed help.

"I-I cheated on James!" Lily hiccuped. "Now, I'm pregnant, and he can't know! I can't lose him! I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry, Professor! This is all my fault, and now I'm taking up your time!"

Minerva listened intently to the rambling girl before replying gently. "Lily, there is no reason to be apologizing to me. In fact, I was just going to come in here anyway after hearing Miss Fortescue with Miss Macdonald in the hallway discussing you rather loudly as soon as I came into view. Now, about the baby, what are you planning to do with it?"

Lily sniffled. "I don't know. How am I going to hide it from James that I'm pregnant?"

Minerva laughed lightly. "Concealment and Glamour charms are useful for some things, dear. Just come to me every week so that I may reapply them."

Lily buried her face in her hands. "Oh, I'm so stupid! What am I going to do with the baby?" Then she looked up. "Would you take it for me, Professor? I don't want it to go to an orphanage, thinking it's unloved. I would much rather it go to someone I know. Please, Professor?"

Minerva was shocked. She and her late husband had often talked about starting a family, but had never gotten to it. She wasn't ready now, but she didn't see a way to say no as she looked at the girl's pleading eyes and hopeful expression. She sighed. "Very well. Now, who's child is it if it's not James's?" Lily murmured an inaudible name. Minerva leaned closer. "What was that?"

Lily sighed. "Sev," she muttered. Minerva gasped. Lily put her hands up in defense. "I know. I know. How could I be so stupid? I put him before James, and if someone finds out and tells James, that'll be the end of us. Will you still take the baby?"

Minerva put a hand over her mouth. "Of course, Lily. Does Mr. Snape know about this?"

Lily shook her head. "And I don't intend for him to, at least until she starts Hogwarts. Where will she stay?"

Minerva thought for a moment. "Well, I have an extra room in my quarters. All teachers do, just in case we have a child or our significant other wishes to live here with us during the summers."

Lily agreed, just adding one more thing. "Please keep her hidden from him. I know he is smart enough to figure it out, should he ever return to the school for some reason and see her."

After the two had settled on terms, Minerva cast all the necessary charms around Lily. The last two months of school passed easily, and Lily came back for birth seven months during winter break after graduation. All the students had luckily gone home for Christmas.