He hadn't expected her to want him to stay , be he consented nonetheless.
With the pregnancy hormones and stress of the day, her emotions were running wild and the last thing he wanted was to add to her stress.
"Of course I will stay , if you wish it ?"
She nodded gratefully , and laid back on the bed with a wince before pulling the sheets back for him.
"Would you prefer me to summon a chair ? I can stay in the room without staying in the bed. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable"
Shaking her head, she gave him the wand from the bedside table as she spoke.
"No thank you , I'd l-like you to stay here if that's ok?"
"Of course , though I have to admit I'm surprised" He said with a raised eyebrow.
Looking down and not meeting his gaze , she spoke softly.
"You make me feel safe Severus"
His expression softened at that.
Of course she'd want to feel safe after everything she's been through.
"Very well" He summoned some clothes from his dresser.
"I will be back in a moment" and he went to change in the bathroom.
Returning in clean sweat pants and a shirt , he climbed into the bed where she gestured.
To his surprise she moved a little closer to him. He wasn't holding her , but their legs were touching.
Despite the situation , a part of him wondered at how right it felt to have her here.
She couldn't sleep straight away , no surprise really.
He couldn't sleep either, his mind constantly on the girl in his bed and the baby in her belly.
A thought occurred to him , and he almost dismissed it , when like it was fated she turned on her side to face him.
"Severus?"
"Yes ?"
Her eyes teared up and her voice choked when she answered.
"What if there's something wrong with the baby?"
"What do you mean Hermione, why would there be something wrong ?"
It was like the floodgates had opened as she tearfully spoke to him.
"Because I've been such a bad mother"
"Don't be daft"
"No! I have ! I've not been to see a healer and I'm not taking any potions , I'm not eating what I should be, The baby's never even... and I apparated here Severus , You know you're not supposed to apparate pregnant but I just panicked and I..."
Her small body was wracked with sobs and he pulled her closer to him.
"Nothing will be wrong Hermione , nothing at all"
His voice was certain and held no trace of doubt as he assured her, though secretly he only hoped he was right.
"And what if there is ? " She mumbled into his chest , as he was now holding her.
"Then we shall deal with whatever comes... will you love it all the same?"
"Of course!" Her responce was instant , and so was his. "Then it changes nothing, I shall be here for both of you as I said before, for as long as you both need me"
She smiled and threw her arms tighter around him , pressing her head into his chest. He held her and rubbed her back.
" I am serious about one thing though Hermione , the father" He spat the word "Will not be a part of their life , in any form. I would sooner raise this child myself than allow that piece of scum anywhere near you or the child again. "
Her shocked gaze was the first thing he noted , when he suddenly realised how that could have sounded to her.
"Forgive me, I have no right to.."
"You have every right"
His words died off as he looked at her.
"Severus in this one night, you've done more for me and the baby than he's done the entire time I've been pregnant. You took me in out of the blue , you've given me and the baby a safe place to stay indefinitely , you healed me and tomorrow you are making potions for me and taking me to see an obstetrician... in the past few hours you've taken so many steps for our wellbeing , when the father is the one who put us in these dire straits. Of course you're well within your rights to tell me to stay away , and I have no intention of ever going near him again, not after...not after..."
Her voice broke and she cupped her belly gently.
"I never thought he'd...he's hurt me before but not ... I never thought he'd risk hurting the baby , not like that"
Pulling her close , It seemed now would be as good a time as any to bring up his idea.
"Hermione, I would like to try something...for the baby"
Wiping her eyes , her amber gaze met his as she spoke softly to him.
"What do you mean?"
" I would like to gift the baby some of my magic, my strength...I have excess energy that I shall not need tonight and by morning I shall be recovered anyway"
Her eyes were wide as she took in his words.
"Severus...that's...that's"
Trying not to look crestfallen, of course she doesn't want your magic violating her, he quickly added.
"It's alright Hermione, I can understand if you would not want my magic on your person, I can understand if it would make you uncomfortable"
"No Severus, I meant that's such a wonderful thing to offer, but it's so...intimate, are you sure you want to share your magic, your strength , with me and with a baby that's not yours? You've already done so much for us"
"I would not have offered if I was not serious"
She bit her lip and looked back to him.
"Thank You Severus , I can't tell you what it means to me"
"You'll allow me then ?"
"Yes, I will accept this wonderful gift you're offering my child Severus, thank you, you really are a hero aren't you?"
Trying not to blush at her look , he gestured for her to move back slightly.
She complied and he spoke softly.
"I will need to...that is I need skin contact for this to work , and to be the closer to the baby the better"
Nodding she lifted her shirt enough to expose her belly, and he shuffled lower so that he was facing her belly.
In all his healing of her he hadn't actually touched her belly.
"You should feel warmth , maybe a bit of pins and needles , but not too much as the energy will be focused on going mostly to the baby directly"
"With your permission?" At her nod he gently placed his hands palm down on her belly and focused on sharing his strength with the little life there.
As he was focusing all his energy on the life beneath his palm , he concentrated on sharing whatever energy and magic he could spare to give to the small life growing there.
He gave everything he could , thankful that he had strong blood wards around his home , knowing he would not need to expel any more energy to keep them safe before sleeping tonight.
"Severus...You're giving to much..."
He shook his head and continued sharing his strength with her and the baby.
Severus was a natural legillimens , he'd been born with the ability and as this was the first time he'd been so close to a pregnant woman , he was surprised to sense the vague tendrils of consciousness , seemingly reaching out to him curiously beneath his palm.
With a gasp he realised that he was feeling the baby's emotions, and though he knew that the child was not anywhere near developed enough to understand yet He silently and unbeknown to Hermione, pushed forward his emotions and intent along with his strength to the baby.
I am a friend, Please accept my gift ,I will not hurt you , I will never allow you or your mother to be hurt again I swear it , your mother loves you and I will protect you both I promise , you will only know your mothers love , you will not grow as I did, the man that sired you will never be allowed to hurt you, you will only ever be surrounded by love, you will not go without anything, on my magic "...I swear it."
He spoke the last words out loud, realising he was reaching the last of his reserves he'd made to pull back only to gasp in fear as Hermione grabbed his wrists and let out a scream.
"OH MY GOD SEVERUS DON'T MOVE"
He couldn't have moved if he wanted to , between Hermione's vice grip on his hands and his own paralysing fear he was stuck.
God her stomach was rolling , was her body or the baby rejecting his dirty magic ? God was she going to lose the baby because of him ?
He felt sick until he felt Hermione's hands moving his and her choked voice tearfully exclaimed
"Severus, do you feel that ?"
"Yes...I...what did I do..."
Still panicking he was about to grab her and take her to Mungos when he felt it again and she sobbed out a laugh... what, why was she laughing, was she hysterical.
"They've never... I always thought there was something wrong because they never did it before..."
Just as he was about to question her sanity he felt the motion again and again.
Then the consciousness connected with him once more , only stronger this time...figuratively speaking if they had been shaking hands before , this was a hug.
He felt warmth and affection flow through the bond as he felt the movement again , bigger and more frequent under his hand.
"Severus...the baby's kicking...for the first time ever, I think they like you and wanted to thank you"
AN: Hey guys, if you're liking this story please leave me a review :)
