She watched him as he crossed the grounds. She knew he would have to pass right by her little nook in order to to get into the castle. She had been watching him for weeks, so she knew his routine.

She saw him approaching and took a deep breath. When he was just passed her she stepped out and called to him.

"Professor, a moment of your time if you please?"

"I wondered who has been watching me. I believed the cloak and dagger to be more of Potters and Weasleys area. What do you want, and be quick about it Miss Granger?" he fairly snarled at her.

"How's this for quick, I'm pregnant. You're the father, any questions?" she said calmly.

"Are you insane? I cannot be the father." he snapped back.

"I assure you my mind is all there. And one can only assume you are the father as I was a virgin when we were together in April and I've been with nobody else, before or after." she answered him, willing him to believe her.

"Why were you with me then, if I may ask?" he said, dreading the answer he knew would come.

She chuckled. "Must you always be so formal? I was with you because I love you. I am so happy to be bearing your son." she answered him frankly, shocking him to the core.

He looked at her with amazement "A... son? A son? I'm going to be a father. I... we are having a son?"

She looked at him and smiled "Would you like to press your hand against my belly? He might press against your hand or kick your hand." She opened up her cloak and showed her ever enlarging belly.

He just looked at her "Perhaps just for a moment." he looked at her uncertainly.

"I'm not going to break Severus, I'm made of sturdier stuff then that." she stepped forward and took his hand in hers and pressed it against her belly. The belly kicked against his hand and he made to move his hand but Hermione wouldn't let him.

"Talk to him Severus, he's been moving about and kicking me since we started speaking. As he always does when he hears his fathers voice, your voice Severus." she pleaded.

"He kicks you Hermione?" he asked her.

"Yes, but it's normal. I've been told to be worried if he didn't kick or suddenly stopped kicking altogether." she answered him stepping forward a bit.

He knelt down before her and placed both hands on her belly and spoke softly but firmly, "Now son, you must be good to your mother. She will have a hard enough time carrying you and then giving birth to you. I want you to know that your mother and I will always love you. I love your mother and she loves me. And we will be a family, just the three of us."

He looked up and saw that Hermione was crying. He looked at her quizzically.

"You love me?" she asked quietly.

He stood up and pulled her to him. "Yes of course I do. I love you, I love you so very much. I never want you to leave, never want for us to be parted for any reason."

She clung to him and cried tears of relief and joy. He held her tight and just breathed in her scent, cinnamon and vanilla.

"Will you marry me Hermione?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Yes," she said, barely above a whisper, "I'll marry you."

He smiled, held out his hand and said, "Then let us go and tell everyone the good news."

She placed her hand in his and they walked inside the castle, towards a new life together.