Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the wonderful J.K. Rowling owns it all and I'm also not making any money off of this…zip, zero, and zilch.
He was making his nightly rounds when he overheard a conversation coming from the hospital wing. One voice, of course, was that of Madam Pompfrey's, the old mediwitch. The other, was a voice he was quite familiar with, Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor know-it-all prefect. He could not believe his ears, she was pregnant.
"Did you hear me, honey? You're expecting."
"How far along?" Hermione forced out.
"About 2 ½, 3 weeks. Who did this to you?" The old witch asked, pity in her voice.
Hermione was silent.
"Hermione, please tell me, at least, that it is someone you know."
She nodded.
"Will you tell me who?"
Hermione shook her head, starting to look really sick.
"Was it a student?"
Hermione shook her head again.
"Oh my! Please don't tell me it was a member of the staff!" Madam Pompfrey shrieked.
Outside the infirmary, Severus's heart almost burst out of his chest, but nothing really dawned on him yet. Hermione shook her head again.
"You're not going to tell me now, are you?"
"No, probably not."
"Hmmm, just as I thought. Look, I'm here if you need to talk to me, and I promise I won't tell anyone. I do expect to see you in a few weeks for a check-up. It's probably just Mr. Weasley or Mr. Potter, right?"
"Probably."
"Well, that's a relief to know. At least it wasn't a person like Mr. Malfoy." Snape could tell that she was trying to lighten the situation, but she really wasn't doing to good of a job.
"Mmmm, he wouldn't sink that low," Hermione said quietly.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. You can spend the night here if you want, it's almost past curfew."
"Alright, I suppose so," the shocked witch replied softly.
A grin popped up on the old mediwitch's face that was big enough to stick your head in.
"The bathroom is down the wing to the right; you'll probably need it in the morning."
Hermione glared daggers at her.
"I'm just letting you know, because I don't have any morning sickness potions. After all, I never thought a student would need one here at Hogwarts. And if they did, they'd would never tell me. But, none-the-less, I will have Professor Snape make you some and have your identity remain a secret. Well, at least you'll have graduated before you really start to show."
Hermione had a look of disgust on her face, "Three more months to go," she said, barely audible, referring to how much longer she had until graduation.
"Well yes…"
"And NEWTs just around the corner."
"You'll do fine! You are the smartest witch of your age!"
"I was the smartest witch my age."
"Oh please, one mistake doesn't ruin your life! Hey, it could make it better," she said, while placing a hand on Hermione's knee.
"I'm pregnant! Are you blind?! No, maybe you're deaf! You just told me that I'm going to have a baby!" The old witch brought her hand back faster than the speed of light, due to an icy glare that would make Professor Snape shiver. "I was always told that I would have a bright future ahead of me. I'm not old enough for this; I'm not ready enough for this! Now look at me; in nine months, I'm going to have a baby to take care of!"
"Hermione!" The old witch exclaimed, shocked at the young witch's outburst.
A few moments were spent in silence, when the older witch spoke, "You know, you still have options."
"I know, but I can't do any of those to a human being; my human being."
"You need some sleep," she spoke up, after several minutes. Madam Pompfrey walked over to her office and Hermione heard the clank of bottles.
"Here," she said, "Take this. It's a dreamless sleep potion."
Hermione took it and downed it in one gulp.
He watched as she handed her the empty bottle and plopped down on the pillows. Poppy walked to her office and returned with a light-blue vial in her hand. The only potions with this color were potions that were used to find out the gender of the baby (way too early for that) and then...Oh no! That sneaky old bat was going to try and find out the baby's parents! Oh shit! He didn't want Hermione to be embarrassed, seeing as she wasn't yet sleeping. The witch must finally be going senile, because even he could tell that the young witch was faking sleep, and she had yet to notice.
As Madam Pompfrey neared the young witch's bed, he new he had to do something to stop her. Then, as she uncorked the bottle, Severus made an unnoticeable entrance.
"Good evening, Poppy," Severus said in a smooth voice.
"Good evening, Severus. What are you doing up so late?"
"Oh, I was just making my nightly rounds when I heard my name coming from down the hall. What's going on here?"
"Umm, nothing out of the ordinary," she said, trying to re-cork the bottle behind her back. "Ms. Granger was just having a restless sleep, so I was going to give her the dreamless sleep draft."
"Oh, really now," he said, folding his arms over his chest.
Shit, I hope he didn't hear the whole conversation.
"Yes, now please go before you wake Ms. Granger."
"I thought she hasn't had the potion yet?"
"Yes, well, she must've fallen asleep while I went to retrieve the potion."
"Mmmm. Well then, give her the potion."
She was fumbling with something behind her back, when Severus jumped behind her and snatched the bottle.
"Really, Poppy. I had no idea that the Dreamless Sleep drought had this shade of blue; it's usually a dark, midnight blue."
He uncorked the bottle and wafted the smell.
"And really, Poppy. I had no idea that the potion smelt like baby powder."
A look of sheer terror came across the old witch's face and Severus smirked, because he knew that the old bat knew what was coming next.
"Are you sure Poppy, because I could swear this is a Paternity Potion."
No…
"Are you sure? I must've grabbed the wrong vial by mistake."
"Hmm. You only have one, because I've only ever made you one. I mean, giving this to Ms. Granger, when she's still awake. How could you?"
Shit! How did he know?
At this, Madam Pompfrey was glaring butcher knives at him.
"Oh please, Poppy. I am the school's Potions Master! I can surely tell one potion from another!" Snape said, while turning to Hermione, still with her eyes closed shut. "And as for you, Ms. Granger, you need some sleep, because if you're late for my class tomorrow, you will be scrubbing cauldrons after dinner."
After Severus was done speaking, he turned to leave when he heard a strained voice, "Don't go, I need to talk to you, sir. Madam Pompfrey, would you please be so kind to leave? I need to ask the Potions Master, if he could do me a favor."
"Oh dear, I'll ask him for you," witch said, trying to make up for getting caught, but all she received was another nasty glare from Hermione.
"Alright then," she said and stalked off to her office.
"Severus, sit down," Hermione ordered.
He pulled up a chair next to Hermione.
"Hold on, I don't trust her. Muffliato!"
"Did Mr. Potter teach you that one?" Snape asked, disgusted.
"No, you did," Hermione replied with fury.
"Alright, Ms. Granger, don't bite my head off," he said, earning yet another Snape-worthy glare from the young witch.
"We can't continue on, you and me, and you know it," she said, while putting a hand on her stomach. "I'd really want to, but I can't, not like this." She said, putting her head down.
"Who's is it?"
"I'm not sure."
"Oh please, Hermione! I know damn well that you don't go around the God-forsaken castle sleeping with everybody; I know you know who's it is."
"And if you use legilimens on me, I'll hex you into next year, and I'll tell McGonagall it's yours, even if it might not be."
This statement hit the old Potions Master like a ton of bricks.
"What do you mean, 'even if it might not be'?" Severus seethed.
"Don't be stupid, Severus! If you're seriously asking that question, then get out."
"How do I know who you go around the castle sleeping with? I'm not an owl! If it is mine, then I have the right to know! I should have just let that old hag give you the potion!"
"Then you'd be out of a job right now!" Hermione said, tears now trickling down her rosy cheeks.
"Just get out, now!"
She looked up into his eyes; scared brown eyes meeting hurt black orbs, when a low, silky voice came into her mind, "I'll always love you, and I'll never forget this."
"You BASTARD!" Hermione yelled, throwing the vase of flowers next to bed at his head, but it missed and hit the window above the door.
"I just wanted to let you know, now, good night, Ms. Granger," he said with his sadden, piercing black eyes meeting hers again.
Hermione flung herself of her pillow and cried herself to sleep."
That was the last time they really ever spoke, it was eleven years ago.