Sir, If I May Speak To You? (Severus)

Cedric was more nervous than he'd been in his life. He was waiting just outside the Headmaster's office. He was there to tell him about something extremely important. Cedric was there to reveal that he was going to be a father, and that he needed career and parenting advice. Not that he would accept it if he was told to make Cho have an abortion. For one, he'd already had that discussion with his father, and for another, he just wouldn't hear of it! He loved his baby already, and it hadn't been born yet. In fact, Cho had just begun to show.

The Hufflepuff didn't know what he was going to say to the Headmaster. He'd only told his father, but that hadn't gone well. Cedric had walked out on Amos DIggory when he'd suggested that his son have the baby 'taken care of'. The memory made him shudder. He didn't want to think about that. It would only serve to make his nerves worse.

He paced a little, just wanting to get this meeting started so that he could know what he was going to be doing with the remainder of the time Cho carried the baby. He didn't want to leave and risk missing the Headmaster. He didn't know when he would have another chance to do this. It was his N.E.W.T. year, and he had a ton of homework every night. He lived for the time when he could be with his fiancee between classes and at meals. And of course the weekends when they could leave the school and head back to their room over the Leaky Cauldron. That was another thing they needed to remedy. Cho and the baby needed permanant housing, and Cedric made the decision to look for a flat this weekend. He looked up as he heard footsteps and saw who he was waiting for.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but I was wondering if I might speak to you?"

Severus had had a pretty eventful day, one that he looked forward to ending. Not because it had been horrible, oh no, that wasn't it. But because it was Wednesday and on Wednesday his little Rennie came up to his office for tea. He had missed those days when she had found out that Miles was her ACTUAL brother and now it seemed that his daughter was starting to forgive him again. Which was good because he had been slowly losing his mind without her there to keep him sane. His daughter was his lifeline, they had been together through so much. And with her he was able to show the world some good. His little girl was a light in a darkened room, she illuminated his life and every situation she came across.

Continuing to his office he froze when he saw that Mr. Diggory had been waiting for him. He looked at the boy, and could instantly see that he was nervous. Severus had to admit, upon acquiring a Gryffindor son he had become much more tolerable of children in general.

"In my office," he said rather briskly. "But it can't be too long of a chat, Diggory. I have prior engagements that require my attention."

He moved to the large gargoyle that blocked the path to his office and said the password under his breath. He did not want any wanderers to happen to hear it. Gently taking the boy by the shoulder her led him upstairs and pulled the wooden door open to his personal quarters.

"Sit," he instructed, moving to his desk. "Now, I trust that this is a rather important conversation we will be having?"

Cedric's nerves increased. He didn't know how he was going to say this. He needed to tell one of the school officials, and the Headmaster was of course the first one that came to mind. He would be the one that would decide what would happen to Cedric and Cho over the next few months, and Ced knew that he would be able to offer some career advice.

He sat down as ordered and let out a shuddering breath with a nod. This was important. He would try to keep the discussion short, but if it couldn't be, he would be more than apologetic.

"Sir, I don't mean to inturrupt you if you are busy, but I thought it best to come to you with this information." He let out another shaky breath and went on. "My girlfriend, actually she's my fiancée, and I are expecting a child. We're going to be parents by the end of the school year, and I was wondering if there is any advice you could give me about whether my chosen career would still be available to me, or if I should go into something else that would involve my N.E.W.T.'s, and whether you would know of anywhere that we would be able to find housing?" He looked at his hands for a second, then back up at his Headmaster.

"We're currently living in a room above the Leaky Cauldron when we're not at school, and it's no place for Cho to be while she's pregnant. She needs a more stable home, and in order to achieve that, I need to find a job."

Severus wanted to fall over, he literally just wanted to fall out of his chair and lose consciousness! This boy, at the age of seventeen, had impregnated his girlfriend and had apparently proposed to her in hopes of helping her raise it! And clearly it had been Ms. Chang, Severus had never seen the two of them separated once in his life as a teacher. He was shocked! A student had actually come to him with a problem such as this. He supposed that he would be the person to talk to about teen pregnancy, Aurora had gotten pregnant at a young age as well and he helped her care for her son...who later turned out to be his son. And he had Serenity at a fairly young age as well.

"I..." he broke off for a moment. "Mr. Diggory...I am sad to say that there is not much I can do for you. However, I am proud, and slightly surprised that you have chosen to tell me this."

And embarrassed, because Severus knew that if it had been Serenity to get pregnant at seventeen he would have murdered the boy responsible. But he could see that the boy and girl's parents had a fall out and if they were not willing to live at home, Severus was not going to stand by and watch them suffer. Dumbledore had done too much of that with Potter, and himself to let his students go through it as well.

"I am sorry but I cannot employ you both at the school," he said with firm shake of his head. "But if you are interested I can talk to Minister Dumbledore and get you an internship with him...he would pay you a stable salary of his choice and it would be enough for you and Ms. Chang to get your own place, as well as provide for your child."

He knew that wasn't all that would have to happen. The young girl would need to be taken care of, and watched over at the school by her teachers. He could not believe how STUPID these children had been! Having a baby, when they were still babies themselves!

"Now," he said in an eerily calm voice. "Since we have the both of you squared away...I just have one question...were you BOTH so STUPID that you could not WAIT for bloody SEX?!"

Cedric cringed. This was what he'd been expecting to hear. The question of why he and Cho hadn't waited to sleep together. He didn't regret his physical relationship with his fiancée. Not one bit. Nor did he resent his child. His heart swelled every time that he thought of his coming baby. He was happy that a child was coming. Whether everyone else thought so or not, didn't matter to him.

He lifted his chin proudly and met the Headmaster's eye. He knew that he and Cho were young, possibly too young to be having a child, but he was going to do whatever he had to do to take care of his family. He intended to marry Cho as soon as they had housing. He just hoped that would happen before the baby came. He wanted to give this little one his name.

"Sir, whatever happened between myself and Cho, it is personal. We are young, I understand that. But I want this child with all my heart. Whether it is born now, two years from now, or ten years in the future, this child will be loved." He stood up.

"I am sorry to have bothered you, I just thought that you should know about what has happened, and that Cho and I will still be finishing our eduations. I'll just be going now." He tunred and headed out the door.