A little fun with the Snapes.

J.K. Rowling wrote it first, and now she lets us play with it. What a woman!

TycheSong is also quite a woman who betas my stories. I am sure I've given her gray hair.

To my cadre of faithful reviewers: Bless you and thank you! All others are more than welcome to join my review team.


January 17, 2013: What's In A Name?

"Sylvia?"

"No."

"Sharon?"

"No."

"Sebastian?"

"No, you git, we have a daughter!" Hermione slapped the back of his head as she shuffled by, gathering items and packing her bag.

"Just testing. Siobhan?"

"No."

"Stella? Shona? Sonia? Sasha? Shirley? Sheena?"

"No, no, no, no, no, and no."

"Pick something, Hermione, we can't take the child home until we name her," Severus said, exasperatedly as he sat on the hospital bed next to his newborn daughter, his fingers tracing her cheeks as she slept.

"You know, in some states in the U.S., you have up to two years to name your child," Hermione stated.

"We do not live in the U.S. woman; we live in the magical United Kingdom, and our laws state Poppy can't discharge you or the child until it has a name."

"But Severus, I don't want to her name to start with an 'S'."

"All our other children's names start with 'S', why not? Mine starts with an 'S'. The alliteration is the key." He picked up the pink bundle and admired the little girl's beauty as only a father could.

"No, it's not." Hermione stamped her foot. "Besides, all of your names sound so snakish. Severus Snape, Steven Snape, Sarah Snape. So far, you and Steven are Slytherins, and with as devious as Sarah is, she's a certainty for Slytherin as well." She sat on the bed next to her husband.

"You had no problem with this when we named the other children."

"Why can't I have a child that is not quite so snaky? Please Severus? After all, I did just give birth to her." She snuggled her head into his chest.

"Your attempts to coerce me will not work," he sniffed, putting the baby back down on the bed.

"Why not?"

"Because I am immune."

"No you're not."

"I am so."

"If you were immune, then why do we have three children and not the two you insisted would be enough?" She smiled at him with a gleam in her eye.

Severus growled and Hermione giggled.

"What names were you thinking of?" Severus asked.

"Only one actually and honestly, it sort of still is in keeping with the alliteration you like."

"Do tell."

"Marni."

"Marni?"

"Yes. Marni Eileen Snape.

"Hermione, that is not even remotely alliterative. All it does is repeat the 'N' sound. However, it is not objectionable."

"Really?" Hermione squealed.

"Really, and you've made my ear ring," said Severus, rubbing his ear.

"Oh, Severus! Thank you. Poppy, we've decided on a name!"

"Oh good," said the matron as she bustled over, parchment in hand. "I'll just have you two sign the birth certificate and then you can go introduce—"she trailed off, questioningly.

"Marni Eileen Snape," said Hermione, beaming.

Poppy nodded her head in acknowledgement, "—Marni to the staff. But don't stay out too long. You still need to recover Hermione."

'I won't, Poppy," Hermione said as she swathed Marni in blankets and then handed her to Severus.

The three Snapes left the wing together, Marni safely tucked in her father's arms.


When we were awaiting the arrival of Worrywart, Jr., Mr. W and I had many long discussions about names. We had decided on a girl's name rather quickly. The boy's name was a little more difficult.

I wanted to name the child after Mr. Worrywart, but he insisted there was no room on any form for III (Mr. W was already a Jr.). Some of the names Hubby liked were horrible, and we might well have just tattooed 'beat me up' on the child's forehead. We finally agreed that we liked names that began with the letter 'Z'. Along came our son. At the time I needed to fill out the birth certificate, we still didn't have a middle name! Mr. W. came up with his middle name, and we took aptly named child home.

WW Jr. Is now 21 and only about five years ago did I discover why Mr. W. chose a middle name that begins with an 'A'. He said since his first name started with the last letter of the alphabet, he wanted his middle name to start with the first letter. Ta-da!