Chapter Seven
The next several weeks passed quickly, Lily still went to sleep in Severus' bed after his bad dreams woke her. If Severus knew, he never said anything and before both of them knew it, it was time for Lily to drink the potion. He gave it to it after breakfast and she took it, a little while later she started to have labor pains. They were slow at first, but they quickly became quicker and closer together. "We should go to Saint Mungos now." Severus said worriedly.
"Its not time yet and I'd rather sit on the couch and have you read to me for a little while." Lily said and Severus stared at her, wondering how she could be so calm, when he wasn't. He started to read the potion manual, but found that he couldn't continue, his mind too distracted by her intermittent pain. "It is alright Sev, I am fine, people have been delivering babies for hundreds of thousands of years."
"Yes, but people also die in childbirth, or their children die." Severus said and Lily sighed.
"I am strong Severus and I am sure our son is strong too. Everything will be fine, you will see. You don't need to worry and when the contractions get closer together we will got to the hospital. I just don't see the point in going now and waiting in a hospital bed for several hours, when I can be here with you." She told him and smiled at him. "I am much more comfortable on this couch, then I could ever be in a hospital bed. I hate hospitals, you know that and I would like to spend as little time as possible in one." She told him and he nodded, continuing to read, though his hands gripped the pages much harder then usual. There was also a pinched look to his face and Lily sat up before he could do anything. "I will be fine Severus, so will Harry." She told him gently and sighed. "But if it would make you feel better, I suppose we can go to the hospital now." She said and groaned as a contraction took her. In the next moment Severus was up and grabbing the two bags they had packed the night before. The next he took some floo powder and shoved some of it into her hand.
She took it and called out the floo address of Saint Mungo's maternity ward. She landed on her feet, but stumbled and was caught by a waiting nurse. Severus followed after her a moment later, with the bags. Lily was taken into a room and Severus stood beside her, forgetting for a moment to set down the bags. A older woman smiled at him, when she came into the room. "First time?" She asked and he nodded, there would likely never be a second. Considering how Lily was his friend and no more then that and the terror he had at the thought of her doing this again. "Everything will be fine lad, you will see. These hands have delivered a hundred babies and no harm has come to any of my charges."
At that moment Lily moaned again. "Severus." She said and Severus stood beside her, offering her his hand. She took it and squeezed it hard when the contractions came. Several hours later, they started to come closer together. Lily's moans became louder and the healer crouched between her legs, studying her progress. It was all Severus could do, not to demand that she stop looking at Lily's privates.
"I see the head, just a few more good pushes and lets see if we can't get the little lad out." The healer said and Lily pushed, a moment later an infants cry filled the air and the nurse cast several cleaning charms and summoned over a diaper. She diapered the baby quickly and handed him to Severus. "Would you like to cut the cord?" She asked and Severus stared down at his infant son. The poor little sod had his nose and his thin lips, a small patch of black hair was on his head. He couldn't tell what color his eyes were yet, as they were closed as he screamed. He rocked the baby gently, staring down at the little boy, a curious warmth filling his chest. This was his son, his Harry, a sign of his love for Lily.
"What does he look like?" Lily asked and Severus hesitated a moment, before cutting the cord and handing the baby over. Lily took him and stared down at him, her curly red hair wild around her. However she had this tender look upon her face and he had never seen her more beautiful.
"I will be going now dear, so you can have some time alone with the baby. I think the little mite will be wanting his first meal soon." She said and Severus blushed. The healer left and Severus was about to fallow.
"Stay with me Sev, I trust you not to look." She said and smiled at him. "Thank you for giving me a son. For saving me and him from You Know Who and being my friend." She said and Severus settled in the chair, taking out the clothes they had packed, he found a small burping cloth and a tiny onsie. He heard Harry suckling noisily and smiled softly. A few minutes later the suckling stopped and he handed Lily the cloth. She took it and burped Harry, before looking to Severus. "Can you change him and watch him for a while Sev? I'm tired."
"Of course." Severus said and took the baby, awed again by how small he was. He changed him carefully and gently. He smiled at the sight of the little boy he held. A moment later the infant's eyes opened and he stared down at vivid green eyes. They were Lily's eyes and he stared at them. He smiled as Lily started to snore loudly and laughed for a moment at the unfamiliar sound. Lily never usually snored, but birthing Harry had clearly exhausted her.
He continued to stare at the little boy for a while longer, he watched as the baby's eyes closed and he let out a little snuffling sound. Apparently his son snored as he did, the sound wasn't annoying as he thought his father's snoring to be and imagined his own, but rather adorable. He stared down at the sleeping infant in his arms, there was a cradle beside the bed, but he found that he didn't want to let the baby go. He continued to stare at the infant, marveling at the new life he held in his arms. "I promise that I will always be there for you Harry, always." He said and smiled down at the little baby in his arms. He felt himself begin to tire, but he didn't want to let go of Harry. His eyes drifted shut and then snapped open, before drifting shut again and staying closed.
When the healer came to check on them, the woman smiled to see the young family and how carefully the sleeping young man held the child in his arms. Still it was better not to hold the child while sleeping and she carefully took the child from him and laid it in the crib. She then left the room, letting the new parents sleep for a while longer.
It was a cry like the wail of a banshee that woke Severus and he looked frantically about him for Harry. He found him in the crib, little arms and legs flailing about. He took the baby into his arms and frowned at the smell coming from the child. It was clear that little Harry needed to be changed and quickly. He took a diaper from the bag and a new onsie, before carefully removing the onsie and diaper. He retched at the contents of the diaper and the smell that came rolling towards his nostrils. He often used a spell to dampen his prodigious sense of smell while brewing and cast it. He sighed in relief as his abused nostrils started to recover and heard Lily laughing heartily.
"And what pray tell is so funny?" Severus demanded and Lily continued to laugh. Severus glared at her and forgot that Harry was uncovered. A spray of something wet showered his cheek and he stared at Harry, getting a stream of urine in his face. "Arggg gah ahe..." Severus said wiping at his face and Lily's laughter redoubled. "Think that's funny do you, then why don't you try to change this hellion?" He demanded.
"He's only a baby." Lily managed before starting to laugh all over again. Severus glared from his crying son, to the baby's laughing mother and realized that his glare didn't affect them in the slightest. Harry being too young and Lily beset by her amusement. Severus quickly finished cleaning and changing the baby.
"That was not amusing."
"Yes it was."
"You can attempt to change the next one then." Severus said and picked up the baby, before handing him to Lily. Harry continued to cry and Severus looked away as Lily fed him.
"Read to us, please Sev?" She asked and Severus sighed, he could never stay annoyed at Lily for long it seemed.
"Very well and you would have me read some childish drival I assume?" Severus said and Lily chuckled.
"I think that Harry is a bit too young to understand anything you read, so read what you like of the books we brought with us. I wonder when they will let us go." Lily said and Severus looked through the books, deciding on a mystery novel Lily had been meaning to read. He started to read and Lily felt chills coming up and down her spine at the sound of his voice. He had a natural voice for narrating a tale and she found herself enjoying the story, while she rocked Harry gently. The baby fell asleep soon and she smiled, staring down at his little face and listening to Severus reading.
He stopped after a while and looked to Lily and Harry. "He's beautiful isn't he?" Lily said and looked down at the baby, her eyes full of love. Severus wished for a moment that she would look at him like that.
"Absolutely, though I wish he didn't have my nose."
"I love his nose, it shows that he is clearly your son."
"With a honker like that, who could miss it?" Severus replied and Lily smiled.
"I told you not to have self deprecating humor." Lily told him. "And I ask you not to malign our son either."
"It was a simple joke Lily."
"I know, but still I don't like you to think such things about yourself." Lily said.
"Very well, I will attempt not to do so." Severus replied.
"That's all I ask Sev, can you get the nurse, I want to go home." Lilly said and Severus felt delighted that she thought of his house as her home.
"I will back soon Lily." He promised and rose, he found a healer and asked her to find someone to release Lily and Harry from the hospital. A moment later the witch that had helped to deliver Harry returned and smiled at the couple and the baby.
"I'm going to do a short exam and if I release you, you will need to take it slow for a few days." The healer said and Lily nodded. The healer checked on both Lily and Harry and smiled. "It seems that it would be alright to release you today. As long you take several restorative and blood replenishing potions from the birth." She said and Lily nodded, the healer summoned several vials to her and watched as Lily drank them. Severus then took Harry and hesitated.
"We came by floo before, but is the floo safe for the baby?" Severus asked and the healer smiled.
"If I had a knut for every time a worried parent asked me that, I would be a much richer woman. It won't harm the lad, as long as your steady on your feet when you floo. I know a few people who aren't."
"I think we will be fine." Severus said and smiled at the baby in his arms. "Though I didn't remember the powder."
"The hospital can provide you with some, for the cost of the powder and a small surcharge." The healer said and Severus nodded.
"Very well add it to our bill." Severus said and the healer summoned a small packet to her.
"Just give back whatever you do not use, you can use the fireplace."
"Wouldn't that cause problems though, if just anyone can floo into this room?" Severus demanded.
"No one can floo into the room, it is an outgoing floo only." The healer replied. "We wouldn't risk our patients in such a way, not with the war going on."
"That's a relief, now if you don't mind, we will be leaving now." Severus said and the healer smiled.
"Of course." She said and looked towards Lily. "Do you need help in getting up?"
"I think I can manage." Lily replied and got up slowly. She wavered on her feet a moment, before steadying herself. She then cast lightening charms on both bags and picked them up. Taking some floo powder, she called out the address under her breath and stepped through the flames. She arrived in Severus' fireplace and stepped aside. Severus arrived a moment after her and smiled stepping from the flames, Harry in his arms. The baby hadn't stirred and Severus had made the trip without jostling him.
"Go and sit down Lily, I will make you something to eat and take care of Harry tonight, so you get some sleep."
"Thank you Severus." Lily said and sat down on the couch. Severus smiled and walked into the other room. He pulled out some food and went about making some soup and sandwiches, careful of the baby cradled in the crook of his arm as he did so.
"I wonder if your meal tastes different, according to what your mother eats." Severus said. "You are a cute little fellow and I can't wait to teach you how to brew. You have my fingers and those will come in handy once you start to learn the noble art of potions. Hopefully you will be as kind and graceful as your mother. I wonder who will you be, once you are grown. It will not matter to me my son, because I will love you no matter what you become." He said and kissed the top of the baby's head. He smiled down at Harry, as he stirred the soup and flipped the sandwiches. He put his and Lilly's on a plate, before calling her over to dish out the soup, not willing to risk serving it with Harry in his arms. She came in and served the soup, together they sat down at the table. Severus frowned a moment, uncertain, before placing the baby down on his lap cradling him between his knees and ate his soup careful not to spill a drop.
After their dinner was finished, Lily went to bed and Severus found that he was tired as well. Still he found that he couldn't leave Harry in his crib, not now, not when he was so new. He smiled at the child cradled in his arm, before realizing that he had forgotten to ask Lily for milk for the baby. He knocked at her door. "Lily may I come in?"
"Yes Severus." Lily replied and Severus opened the door, Lily laid in her bed and propped herself up with pillows.
"I forgot to get milk from you, for Harry. Just fill up the bottles and then you can go back to sleep." He said and summoned five bottles. "I doubt that he will need that much, but he should have it just in case."
"Thank you Severus." Lily said and Severus set the bottles on the bedside table, before leaving the room. Lily called him back, a few minutes later and Severus took the bottles from her. He then left the room and went to his own. He laid Harry down in the center of the bed, changed his diaper and put him into the little sleep suit that Lily had bought for him.
"We will have to get you some black clothing, baby blue doesn't fit my son." He told Harry and smiled at the baby, before changing into his own clothing. He picked him up and settled back the blankets. He then pulled them over him and the baby, letting Harry rest on his chest. He fell asleep listening to the child's snuffling snores.
Lily however did not sleep, despite being tired, she had grown used to having Severus beside her. Yet she couldn't go to him now, not when he was taking care of Harry and might discover that she went to his bed at night. She hadn't been found out yet, because Severus was such a deep sleeper once he didn't have to be guarded. Still she longed to see him and her son, she hesitated a moment, before going into the nursery. She saw the empty cradle and frowned, wondering what had happened to Harry. She walked into Severus' rooms and smiled. Harry was on Severus' chest, a single hand cradling his head as Severus slept.
She walked closer to him and watched them both sleeping. The baby still was pink, as babies often were after birth. He was so small and she smiled as Severus protected him in his sleep, a hand stopping the child from rolling over in his sleep. She wished that she could lie down beside them both, but that would bring about something she wasn't ready for. Instead she just watched them for a time, listening to their snoring. They looked so much like each other in sleep, Lily thought that Severus had most likely looked the same as Harry did in sleep, as a boy. Harry's eyes seemed to be the only thing he had inherited from her.
She watched for a while longer, before casting a monitoring charm and returning to her own room. She fell asleep listening to their breathing, even though they were not in the room with her.
