Chapter 6

They began to settle into a more workable routine for them both. Snape took the curfew hall duty on nights before her cycle. He simply could not fathom her sudden and unprovoked irrationality once a month. It was just much easier to avoid unnecessary conflict. He would simply patrol until he thought it was likely she was fast asleep. They had already solved the up or down toilet seat in her favour. He had, after all, found Crookshanks playing in the water. Mortified to think that he kissed Hermione who kissed or was kissed by this animal…he put not only the seat down, but also the lid down and said no more.

They had solved the temperature fight in his favour. He liked it cold, especially to sleep; and she would simply burrow more closely to her husband's warmth. They had discovered the joys of foreplay and making love in front of the fire, so long as they did not fall asleep there. When they did, both awakened the next morning in a foul mood. Hermione because she'd been too cold the night before; and Severus because his joints no longer could stand the floor for that many hours, no matter how many blankets were thrown down beforehand.

Hermione's first year of apprenticeship was nearly over when she became pregnant with their first child. It was such a smooth pregnancy, that they did not discover it until she was four months along and clothes stopped fitting properly. Even so, Severus found himself hovering over her even more protectively than at any time previously. This sparked more than one verbal duel. The "old" Professor Snape reemerged on his classes. Snape had decided to forego making love with his wife while she was pregnant. He worried that it might hurt his child. Nothing, he vowed, would ever hurt his child! That served only to annoy Hermione as well as all of Snape's potions classes. Snape also provoked more than one fight with his wife by being overprotective in the extreme. Hermione finally threw him out of the bedroom and onto the couch. The next day was absolute hell for his classes.

Minerva motioned for Hermione to come sit with her when Snape was late for the noon meal, "Hermione, dear, are you and Severus fighting?"

"What makes you think that, Minerva?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Severus has taken a total of fifty points from Gryffindor this morning alone," she began. "It hasn't been that bad since you, Harry, and an assortment of Weasleys were here as students." Her smile was genuine but also held a touch of concern.

"His hovering finally got to me, and I put him on the couch," Hermione confessed.

McGonagall nodded knowingly, "Yes, dear, I understand. He wants everything to go well for you and the baby."

"You know he did not really want children, at least I don't think so anyway. Then we got pregnant," Hermione sighed.

"Nonsense, dear. Severus wants what will please you," Minerva consoled. "He loves you more than you can imagine."

"But, Minerva! He acts as if I'll break!" Hermione uttered in disgust.

"He's a man, dear. They all act that way," Minerva commented in a matter-of-fact tone. "When the child gets here, you can bet he will be even more overprotective of his son or daughter. If you have a daughter, woe betide the suitors," she laughed.

All Hermione could do was roll her eyes, shake her head, and mutter something about men…

When Snape returned from Hogsmeade that evening with what he hoped would be a suitable peace offering for Hermione, he found her asleep curled up in his favourite chair. He wrapped her in his cloak and kissed her forehead softly. He put the wrapped crystal kneazle on his desk and began to grade yesterday's papers from his sixth years. Hermione awoke to the sounds of Snape's scratching across said papers. She smiled at her husband.

"Good nap?" he wondered.

With a long stretch and a scratch for her expanding belly, she strolled over to where he was and put her arms around him, "Wonderful! I was dreaming of you. More specifically," she began to unbutton his coat and shirt from behind him, "tearing your clothes off and making passionate love to you."

"Mmm. Sounds wickedly delicious," he smirked. "But I don't want to hurt our child."

"I checked with Poppy this afternoon. She assures me that it won't," Hermione handed him a parchment on things to do and not to do when pregnant. "I miss you," she nibbled on his ear and ran her hands down the inside of his shirt feeling him shiver with anticipation.

Swiftly he spun around on her, lifted her off her feet, and carried her off to their chamber. They both missed breakfast the next morning, having overslept. Snape conjured himself a pot of tea before his first class arrived. They feared the potions master's ill temper that had exploded on the class the day before, even his own Slytherins. He was still a scowling, heavy-handed taskmaster and perfectionist, but his anger had abated. After about a month of marriage, Snape had finally figured out how to maintain his absolute control over the class and his off-duty hours in balance. The pregnancy had put that completely out of balance, but they now had a way to solve that problem, too. Both Severus and Hermione Snape were logical creatures, and problems were meant to be solved not to be evil ongoing things with lives of their own. Snape would continue to inspire fear amongst the student populace. Minerva gave Hermione a little nod of thanks at lunch.