I disclaim all that you recognize. Applies to all chapters.

Thanks again to Southern-Witch-69.

MONTH ONE

She was packed and ready, her cases waiting at the door. Thinking of nothing else to do, she decided to visit 'her' library one last time. She was thankful it was the weekend and she didn't have to explain any absence from work. She hoped that during the later stages of her pregnancy she'd still be able to continue her work from home.

She was trying to wrap her head around the idea of calling Severus' house 'home'. She'd never seen his house, nor, to her knowledge, had anyone else. Despite her growing nerves about her upcoming pregnancy, she was curious to see where he lived. She couldn't see it being a lavish, overdone affair. She didn't think white peacocks, or such, were his style.

She absentmindedly cast her eyes around the small Black Family library and just hoped that there would be another such personal haven for her there.

A shadow loomed in the doorway, and she turned to see him studying her once more. As she stood and approached him, she could see him tensing. Did he except her to back out? She attempted to ease his apprehension with a semblance of a smile. He, unsurprisingly, did not return it.

With no greeting, he spoke quickly, "I have sent your bags to my home already. We have no reason to delay."

She felt a moment of irritation. Surely he would recognize what a life-changing day this would be for both of them? Would it be too much to ask that he would take that into consideration? She felt like an inconvenience to his day, rather than the woman who would today become pregnant with his child. She resisted the overwhelming urge to snap at him and replied with a curt, "I'm ready."

She wondered how true those words really were. She was given no chance to consider them as she was whisked to the threshold of Grimmauld Place. Once through the door, she barely felt his hand grip her arm before the world disappeared in a blur of images, leaving her no chance to take a final look at the place she wouldn't call 'home' for another nine months.

She landed with a thud on a cobbled stone pathway. The hand wrapped around her upper arm steadied her swaying form before releasing its grip and moving away with its owner's body. She began to follow, rubbing the muscles sore from his tight grasp.

When she looked up, she rapidly took in her surroundings. She was standing in, from what she could guess, a country lane. Severus Snape was currently walking through a gate, charmingly placedwithin the center of a tall hedge. She continued to follow hesitantly, pushing the wooden gate to one side and glancing up at the house she was to live in.

It was the last place she expected Severus to live. So stunned, she ground to a halt just inside the small garden. His house was in the middle of a row of what looked like pre-industrial cottages. She would go so far as to term it 'cute'. The white-washed walls were set off by the neatly thatched roof, a replica of the other roofs she could see peeking up over the hedges that surrounded the property.

By this time Severus had made it to the back door and turned round to cast an impatient look at her lingering inspection.

"No dallying, Hermione. There will be time to poke your nose around later."

She gave in to the compulsion to roll her eyes. He had already turned his back and so didn't catch her exasperated glare, aimed at his retreating back. She ambled towards the back door, taking the time to appreciate the rare herb patch, located in the shade of the hedge. She was itching to see what was growing there, but knew that she would have plenty time ahead to do so.

Stepping inside the cool cottage, Hermione enjoyed the simplicity of the cosy kitchen. It was bright and airy, such a welcome change to the underground kitchen of Grimmauld Place. She could see herself happily spending time in here, enough to maybe finally learn how to cook. There was not much Hermione could not do, but cooking something (other than toast) was a talent she lacked. Between the house-elves of Hogwarts and Kreacher, she had been well catered for in her time as a witch. The only time she had had to cook for herself in the last fifteen years were the months spent searching for the Horcruxes, and those soggy mushrooms hardly counted towards culinary expertise.

Severus was still waiting for her to fully step inside the door. She felt the breeze whip her hair as a wordless flick of his wand caused the door to slamshut behind her, barely missing the back of her head. Today, she thought, was likely to be a very trying day.

Severus was already talking as he led the way into the hallway and motioned to the stairs.

"The Healer arrives in ten minutes. That should give you plenty of enough time to freshen up or whatever it is you need to do. You're in the room to the right."

With that he disappeared in a room off the hallway and left her to find her own way to her room.

Like the rest of the cottage she had seen, her room was cosy and simply furnished. Her luggage laid waiting by the door. She found her hairbrush and began absentmindedly fighting the frizz. Catching her reflection in the small vanity mirror, she paused. She doubted the Healer would care about the state of her hair. With a short snort of derision, she placed the hairbrush on the chest of drawers that held the mirror and stepped closer.

She'd heard the expression 'take a long, hard look in the mirror', but neither a vain nor whimsical girl, she never really had. She studied her face, now devoid of the plumpness of youth, and thought about the changes she might see in this mirror over the next nine months.

Would she become the type of expectant mother who exuded an inner glow, or would she become tired and haggard? She snorted again. That was hardly her first concern, but she guessed it was just a natural feminine thought.

Her head shot to the bedroom door as she heard a knock from downstairs. A light murmur of voices greeted her ears, and she realized now was the time. She should really head downstairs to meet them, but she couldn't make herself go. She just needed a minute longer; she didn't know if she was ready.

She turned back to look in the mirror, seeing the scared face of a young woman about to drastically change three people's lives.

The door burst open, and she met the black eyes of Snape in the mirror. He looked as if he was about to say something, comfort her maybe. Surely he could see the signs of distress in her eyes? He settled for nodding once. She took that as all the acknowledgement she was to receive of her agonizing emotions.

He spoke softly, but commandingly, "Come. She is here."

The process was quick and simple. The Healer had obviously been dealing with Snape for some time and knew how to handle his brusque behaviour. The Healer reminded Hermione slightly of Professor McGonagall, and she instantly felt more comfortable. Hermione guessed Snape must have made his 'contribution' earlier in the week, as he exited the room shortly after the Healer arrived, returning only when the Healer called for him.

He arranged a follow-up appointment for the following week and showed the woman to the door. Hermione waited on the worn settee in the front room, shocked that something so momentous could be over so swiftly. That was it. No going back.

His voice rolled through her ears as he entered the room. "I can show you the rest of the house now, if you wish."

She nodded slowly, still in slight amazement over how quickly her life had changed. She mutely followed him around the small cottage. He didn't speak much either, merely stating the use of each room. It wasn't big, but allowed enough space that they would be able to live comfortably around one another. Off of the sitting room was a potions laboratory. She was requested to use it only if necessary and to write down any ingredients she used in a large leather-bound ledger so that he may keep his stock well managed.

He showed her whereabouts in the kitchens all the utensils lay and then motioned for her to join him in the corner of the kitchen. There, tucked away in the nook, she found a previously unseen door. Severus turned the handle, then stepped back and waited for her to enter.

"I've never used this room. I thought it would do for you, if you needed somewhere to work."

Her lips parted in delight as she looked around the little room. It was tucked between the kitchen and the outer wall, possibly for use as a large pantry or storage room. There were piles and piles of books and odds and ends lying along the walls, but with a bit of work, she could see the possibilities. She turned to thank him for the thoughtful gesture, but he was nowhere to be seen.

With a frown she set off through the kitchen to find him. He was in the front room, fastening a cloak around his neck, a fire crackling within the hearth.

"Are you going already?" she asked sharply. She felt decidedly rejected.

"I need to replenish my ingredients stock. I shall be back before nightfall. I thought the reorganization of your study would occupy you sufficiently." His passed a cursory gaze over her cross face, travelling downwards, coming to rest on her flat stomach where magic would be working on the embryo that would become his child.

She quivered at the intensity with which he was staring at her abdomen. She crossed her arms across her chest, suddenly relieved that he was leaving for a while. Maybe it would give her time to organize her thoughts. The day had gone by in a blur, and she was ready to be alone for a while.

She withdrew from the room as he stepped into the green flames. Standing uncertainly in the hallway, she decided that to unpack would probably be the most constructive thing she could do at that moment in time. The methodical action of unpacking would allow her time to let her thoughts roam.

She decided that the situation didn't feel real. She felt as though it was all an elaborate hoax and she was waiting for the punch-line. She half expected a leprechaun to jump out of the cupboard and tell her that she was in a dream.

As she set to the task of folding and putting away, she wondered whether she still had the same conviction she'd had three days ago, sitting in the library. She realised she still believed in producing an heir for Severus Snape, but found it was him she was finding difficult. It was as though now that he had gotten what he wanted, the passionate, desperate man she had been so compelled to help had left, leaving in place the familiar, but distant, Potions master of old.

If today was to be any inclination of how life over the next nine months was to be, then she could see it being a very lonely existence. All the hopes she had of companionable evenings and intellectual discussions were gradually slipping away, leaving only an empty house and pantry full of boxes. It really wasn't any different to Grimmauld Place.

She sat down abruptly on her bed, a knitted sweater still clutched in her hands. The unidentifiable niggle that had been a part of her decision became clear. She was lonely. She, Hermione Granger, integral part of the Order, Liaison to the International Confederation of Wizards, was lonely. In the hustle and bustle of her life, she had managed to miss that last crucial step to really connect her to someone, anyone.

She was panicking now. She mentally scanned her friends, searching for the last time one of them had 'got' her, understood what made her tick, and related with how she saw the world. They cared, of that she had no doubt. They loved her; that she was sure of too. But she couldn't positively say they understood her.

So what was it she was searching for? A connection? Did she truly expect that to come from Severus Snape? She seemed to have come up with as many questions as she'd had answers. Now was not the time. She wanted to be unpacked before Severus arrived home, and that wasn't going to get done whilst she was seated on the bed.

When Snape arrived home, he found Hermione secreted in the pantry-study, knee deep in books. He guessed that she was organising, but it didn't really look like much had been achieved. He left the doorway unnoticed and retired to his lab to catalogue and properly store his precious ingredients.

Opening the first bag, he was disrupted by the sound of a loud oath, coming from the opposite side of the house. He momentarily thought of ignoring it and continuing with his work, but after another moment's hesitation, he strode out across the hallway towards the corner of the kitchen. Another cursed sentence reached his ears before he got there, and he quickened his paced. The last thing he needed was for her to get hurt on the very first day she had moved in. He could do without her getting hurt, period.

"Oh, you are here!" the impatient cry came as soon as he rounded the doorway.

He blinked in surprise. She was angry, that much was certain, but as to why, he wasn't sure. He had been a gracious host this morning, giving her privacy throughout her appointment and showing her around his home afterwards. He even thought he had gone beyond what was expected of him by supplying this convenient, although cluttered, room for her own personal use. He was at a loss as he surveyed the red-faced young woman in front of him. He didn't bother replying to her exclamation, as he thought it was rather obvious that he was indeed 'here'.

She began climbing over the boxes and piles of books towards him. It wasn't a very dignified advance, and he waited, unmoving in the doorway for her to reach him. Maybe she would explain what had angered her.

She finally reached him, puffing slightly, hastily brushing her errant curls of hair from her face. She fixed him with a beady glare, which narrowed further as he raised one eyebrow in silent question.

"Why, it's good to see you, Severus. Did you get all the ingredients you needed?"

She had crossed her arms across her chest tightly, and her face was still flushed. Although her question seemed harmless enough, the tone in which she had said it put him on alert. He had been right in his assessment that she was angry. However, in all his worldly experience he had never had to deal with a woman using this tactic of insincere friendliness. Was it a trick? Was he supposed to answer the question or deal with her obvious anger first?

Since he didn't fancy dealing with her emotions at that moment, he just settled for answering the question.

"I did. I was just about to catalogue them when I heard you. I thought you might have injured yourself."

He looked her up and down, checking for any obvious injuries. Finding none, he found he had no reason to stay. He began to turn to walk back across the kitchen. He was a little disconcerted that the usually very rational Hermione Granger was showing so much uncharacteristic anger.

As soon as he moved she spoke.

"I'm fine," was all the reply he got. She was still using that tone though. From what he knew of pregnant women, they were supposed to have unusual hormonal reactions to everyday things. Surely it can't have started already? He almost hoped so, as it would allow him to easily catalogue and dismiss her current behaviour. He felt it was probably in his best interest to be as far away from her as possible this evening.

He nodded and swiftly moved away from the small door, but not in time to miss the tiny miserable sigh. He could honestly say he didn't understand any of that recent interaction at all. He kept to his lab for the rest of the evening until he heard her ascending the stairs and quietly close her door.

This was going to be a long nine months.

Hermione hadn't seen much of Severus for the rest of the weekend. He kept himself sequestered in his lab, only venturing out for food midday. She had kept herself busy reorganising her pantry-room until she could see the floor and the piles around the room had purpose. She hadn't gone to seek out her housemate, sensing that he was intentionally keeping out of her way. She realised she may have made him feel slightly uneasy on the first evening she was here, and until she calmed herself down, it probably wasn't wise to rattle him more.

Monday morning came around swiftly, and Hermione lingered in the kitchen, drinking a soothing cup of decaffeinated tea. She wrinkled her nose slightly as she drank. Although it tasted the same as her regular cup, just knowing it didn't included her regular dose of caffeine made it feel just that little bit less fortifying, and she needed every ounce of strength this morning.

She was looking forward to getting back to work and giving her mind something else to concentrate on. She felt like she had to walk on eggshells around the lovely little cottage and didn't appreciate the sensation at all. She had come to realize that she had had unrealistic expectations of the Potions master, in regards to the companionship she yearned for, but at the least, she had expected to feel more welcome in his house.

Over the weekend she had realistically looked at what she had expected to achieve from this endeavour and had found that only one goal, and one goal alone, mattered. She was to give birth to Severus' child, and that was it, full stop, subject closed. She would live with him in this house, accept his help when it was needed and walk away at the end. Once she'd got these facts straight, she'd felt a lot more in control, a lot more herself.

A rustle of cloth was all the indication she had that Severus had entered the room. He moved towards the teapot that was resting on the counter before turning to ask, "May I?"

She nodded and quietly watched him pour a large mugful of the brew.

"You are heading to work today?" he asked.

She nodded once again, stating inanely, "It's Monday."

"And what time shall you return?" he inquired.

"Shortly after six, I believe. I intend to inform my boss of the pregnancy today. There isn't really any reason not to."

She paused, unsure whether to tell him the rest of her plans for the day. After her work finished at five, and she had spoken to her boss, she planned to head to Grimmauld Place to see the boys. They had been on assignment since the last meeting, returning this morning, and didn't even know she had moved out. She needed to tell them today, although how much she told them was still undecided.

She looked up to see him looking slightly agitated and instantly went on guard. Had he read her thoughts?

Severus turned back to the counter and retrieved his mug. He began to walk to the door, but stopped just in front of her chair. He gave her that familiar look, meant to intimidate, and quietly stated in that velvet voice, "Just be sure to remember the contract, the entire contract."

He abruptly straightened and marched out through the door, leaving her slightly rattled in her chair. She still wasn't sure whether he knew she was going to Grimmauld Place or not, not that she was going to let it affect her plans anyway. It took her a moment to gather herself before she made her way to the Floo and the warm familiarity of her office.

She'd spent much of the day preparing for the overload of paperwork that she would be receiving later in the week. Every time that Harry led a "Search and Capture" assignment, Hermione's workload tripled. She was unofficially responsible for correlating all of their reports and officially responsible for sending all necessary information to the various Ministries of Magic of the world. The assignment they had just taken had utilised the largest search team yet, which meant all the more reports.

She tidied up her desk just before five o'clock and went to knock on the door of her Head of Department. She waited for the bellow to come from the other side of the door before entering. It wasn't that her boss intended to be intimidating; he was just large and very loud. He had an incredibly abrupt manner, but managed to co-ordinate the entire department so flawlessly that he was respected by all.

"Move it, Granger. It's almost time to leave, and the wife will send the green curse at me if I'm late for dinner."

Hermione hurried across the floor of the large room, coming to a halt in front of the giant walnut desk.

"Sir, I have something I need to tell you about, to let you know, just in case… so that if you need to do something… but I hope it won't be a problem…," she stuttered at him, not really knowing where to start. She had spent all her time worrying about what to say to Harry and Ron that she hadn't put much thought into how she would approach her boss.

"Spit it out, woman," his deep tones interrupted her rambling.

She took a deep breath and met the giant man's impatient stare.

"I'm pregnant. And I wanted to let you know that I wanted to keep working here for as long as I can. And even when I'm almost due, I could work from home. Will that be okay?" She raised both her eyebrows and waited for the sure-to-be explosive response.

What she didn't expect was him to burst out from behind his desk and catch her in an exuberant hug. His overexcited voice bellowed in her ear, causing her ears to ring.

"Congratulations, young-un! That's wonderful news. You're gonna be a mum. That's wonderful, just wonderful. Tough job, but I think you'll do great! Kids are a joy, most of the time anyway, when they're not crying or yelling, but don't you worry about that yet. Who's the dad then?"

Ah. This was it; the question that everyone was going to be sure to ask, the question that she wasn't allowed to answer entirely truthfully. She'd been thinking about how she was going to approach this. Was it best to flat-out lie or to tell as near to the truth as possible? She couldn't let anyone know that she was the biological mother of Snape's child, but she had realised that she could still keep to the contract by just withholding the information that Severus was the father of the baby she was carrying. No-one had to know that her child and Snape's child was one and the same baby.

She had chosen to avoid the word 'surrogate' to explain her unexpected pregnancy. Surrogacy wasn't readily understood in the wizarding world and therefore not readily accepted. There were so many magical means to increase the ability to give birth, that surrogacy was very rare. With so many contractual restrictions on what she could say already, Hermione didn't welcome the idea of inviting even more unwanted questions. She would just settle for keeping hers and Snape's babies 'separate'.

"It's something the father and I are keeping to ourselves, Roger. We're both very excited about this, but we want to hold on to that bit." She tried to give him a sweet smile, hoping to allay any misgivings he may have about being kept in the dark. Roger Blockstocker was not a man that liked to be amiss of any details.

She watched him fight with his natural compulsion to force it out of her, but luckily seemed to respect her enough to not compel her to do so.

"That's alright, Hermione. Just be taking a care of yourself. See you tomorrow morning."

He guided her out of his office and all the way to the main entrance. He left her at the Floo with a worried look on his face. It may have had something to do with the fact that her face had lost a lot of its colour and she had a rather queasy look on her face. She was off to face her harshest critics. She had made the biggest decision of her life without their input or approval, and the idea of telling them was making her stomach roll.

She Flooed directly into the kitchen; it was the most likely place to find two young men after a rigorous assignment. Predictably, they were sitting at the long table with large plates of food piled up in front of them. She was greeted to a chorus of "Ermieee" through their overstuffed mouths. She had to smile; it was just too warming a picture not to.

She was treated to her usual 'welcome home' hugs, and as the men sat back down to their brimming plates, she dove right in to why she was there.

"I want to speak to you both about something very important," she started. They nodded and looked at her inquisitively, but continued to eat.

"I have temporarily moved out, but I'll be moving back in about nine months."

They stared at her in shock, Ron's mouth open with half-eaten food still inside. Their plates lay forgotten, and they just continued to gape at her.

"Why?" came the query. Harry had begun to move around the table towards her, an upset look on his face. "Is it us?" he asked. Her heart softened. It was so like Harry to think he was the problem in any situation.

"No, no," she reassured, "it's nothing to do with you guys." She took a deep breath and promptly lost all her courage. She looked into their faces and just knew that that was all the change that they'd be able to cope with today. She settled for half a truth, figuring she'd tell them the rest at a later date.

"I'm helping someone with a… project, and it's easier for me to be there for a while. I assure you though, I'll be back."

"Do you want us to help?" was the earnest question from Ron. He really did have a wonderful heart, underneath his boyishness nature.

She smiled wistfully at this. If only they could. But she shook her head gently.

"There's nothing to be done really, it's all simple enough. I'd better be heading back. I'll be round to see you soon." She attempted a playful smile. "You know I couldn't leave you to your own devices for long, you wouldn't cope!" She grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the pot on the mantle and was about to throw it in when Harry called across the room.

"Hold on a minute. You haven't told us where you're staying."

She gritted her teeth and turned to face them both. Harry might have a great respect for Severus Snape, but old habits died hard, and she suspected he wasn't going to take this very well.

"I'm staying with Severus. At Thorny Cottage."

Predictably, Harry's lips thinned, but with credit to his increased maturity, he simply nodded his head and told her to watch her head on the chimney.

When she stepped out of the fireplace, Severus was waiting in the front room. He was lounging on the easy chair positioned directly in front of the hearth, but rose to his feet as she entered the house.

"I trust everything went well." His eyebrow was cocked in enquiry, and his hands were clasped tightly behind his back.

"My boss took the news wonderfully. He's delighted that I'm pregnant and seemed to have no qualms about me continuing to work." She gave a tight smile and hoisted her bag further onto her shoulder, making to walk out of the room, but he stopped her by taking a small step towards the door with her.

"And Potter?"

Her eyes snapped up to his, and she clamped down on her errant tongue before she said something she would later regret. He had peeked into her mind that morning. She felt her blood begin to boil at such an invasion of privacy.

"He knows where I am staying and is absolutely fine with it, thank you very much. I didn't tell him about the baby yet." She glared up at his black eyes, aware that he could be reading her mind even now. 'Well, let him,' she thought. It would only be a string of expletives aimed directly at him.

"Is that all?" she added sarcastically.

Before the smirk could fully form on his face, she turned and walked up to her room, closing the door slightly more forcefully than she needed to.

The rest of the week passed far less eventfully. The Healer arrived on the Saturday for the follow up interview and declared the entire procedure an unmitigated success. Hermione's next appointment was scheduled for two months' time, and the Healer left again without much ado.

Hermione and Severus sat silently in the front room for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts. Hermione's gaze was directed at her own navel, and when she roused herself from her seat, she found Severus' was as well. She froze in the act of getting up and waited for him to come out of his contemplative daze.

"I'm going to have a bath," she informed him.

She eased herself out of the plush armchair and made her way across the ancient wooden floorboards. As she slowly made her way to the hallway and up the stairs, she could feelhis gaze on her back every step of the way.

As she began to run the bath, there was a knock on the bathroom door. She opened the door to find Severus standing on the landing, holding a small purple bottle.

"I made this for you. It should help you relax," he stated as he offered her the bottle.

She reached for the potion, stunned by the unexpected gesture. He'd evidently thought of her comfort at least once in the past month. He scanned her body, right down to her bare feet, before returning to her bewildered face. He frowned to himself, although was seemingly satisfied with whatever it was he had been looking for, and swiftly left her to enjoy her bath.

As she sank into the fragrant bubbles, with notes of her favourite flowers catching her nostrils, she had a feeling that whether he was infuriating her beyond belief, or making a thoughtful gesture, such as this, Severus Snape was definitely going to keep her off balance. She shook her head in exasperation, although a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, the thought was wholly appealing.