Severus should have expected the reaction from her, but in his current state it only drove him more mad. He narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to comment on said baby, but she had grabbed him by his coat and thrown him inside, which was just as well. He didn’t know her neighbors, but he didn’t need them knowing his business all the same. Although what did it even matter - when it was printed in the Prophet? He held her gaze for a moment, feeling as if the shaking in his hands had started up throughout his whole body. He didn’t even know what to say - he hadn’t planned to come, after all. He had been overtaken, filled with a million different emotions, rage high among them. But if he were being honest with himself, some of that anger was likely fear in disguise. “Tell me it’s not true.” Severus finally said quietly, nostrils flaring with the effort to keep his voice down. “Tell me it’s not true,” He said again, losing the fight as his voice inched higher. “And that this -” His last word echoed across the floor as he thrust the paper out toward her, crumpled from being balled in his fist. He managed to lower the volume again somewhat before continuing. “Is just Rita Skeeter printing inane drivel as usual.”
He was pissed, that much Ivy could tell. But what could it be? She hadn’t done anything to him, besides the fact that she had a baby that more than likely belonged to him, and didn’t tell him. Could that be what he was angry about? How could he be, when Ivy hadn’t told anybody that she even suspected Severus to be Pansy’s father. Although, anybody with eyes could see that she inherited some of his features. Did he finally figure it out, despite the fact that he’d only ever seen Pansy once in passing?
Realizing Severus had a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands, Ivy let out a heavy sigh. No, Severus hadn’t been the one to put the pieces together, somebody else was, she was sure of it. Ivy took the paper from him, flipping it open to the gossip column, and there it was in plain black and white text, speculation on who Pansy’s father could be. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ivy knew she couldn’t keep it a secret forever, but she wasn’t prepared to have the conversation with him now. “I… Fuck.” Ivy growled, taking a moment to keep calm. It wouldn’t do any good for the two of them to fight, if Pansy woke up, surely things wouldn’t get any better. “I think you should sit down.” She said, knowing her reply would be enough for him to know it was true.
Her sigh did not bode well for him. His heartbeat struck up a beat that the Weird Sisters would be envious of and he swallowed hard, his jaw snapping shut as she finally spoke. That’s all she had to say? Fuck? What did that mean? But he knew what it meant, and as she told him to sit he was silently pleading for the expletives back. Severus refused, clinging to his own spitefulness as it felt like it was the only thing he had left. He had lost control of the situation - he had never had it to begin with - but he still had control over that.
“Say it.” He said quietly, the shake in his voice audible even to his own ears, but he figured it was useless to try to hide it. He couldn’t even if he had wanted to. Severus wouldn’t be able to accept it (if he could at all to begin with, that was) unless she said the words. “Out loud.”
