25 Dec 1997 - Hogwarts Infirmary
Severus had not forgotten the decorations for Hermione's room in the Hogwarts Infirmary. He knew when she slept and for once he arrived late that evening, near midnight for him, and began his first Christmas decoration ever. Hermione breathed softly as she slept and he strung up fairy lights, boughs of holly and ivy, a wreath on the back of the door. With a last wave of his wand the bell-like tones of a dulcimer fell like a gentle rain from nowhere and everywhere.
"Merry Christmas, Hermione," Severus said softly before Apparating silently in the way he had once done as a spy for Dumbledore.
In her sleep, Hermione smiled… but as always… the light too quickly faded.
26 Dec 1997 - Christmas Within Hermione's Mind
Hermione danced and spun beneath the many twinkling lights she had found that morning in the parlour of her mind. The air was scented with pine, bayberry, spices of the season. She smelled the scent of pumpkin pie and wished Severus were here to celebrate with her.
Laughing, because the monsters and memories of terrible events were far and away, she danced to the lively tune of the holiday. A wizarding Yule Carol that Harry and Ron had found for her back when she was a student.
The memories of wonderful Christmases, and the beauty of the Great Hall of Hogwarts spilled over her and wrapped about her comfortingly.
For Hermione it was but a blink but in the world of the Infirmary the day had passed and Severus arrived for his nightly visit. He was able to feed Hermione a full bowl of her broth this time. Within her parlour the broth was a golden turkey, surrounded by spiced cranberry, mashed potatoes with butter and bacon and sour cream… and for dessert there was the pumpkin pie she had wished for.
With all the strength she had within herself she shouted his name. The shout, though, came out as a breathy whisper. "Severus."
Before the lovely witch faded Severus very lightly kissed Hermione's lips.
"Merry Christmas, my love."
Though he had whispered, Hermione heard it as the comforting thunder of protection. Again she laughed, and danced.
February 1998 - Days Pass, but Hermione Remains Trapped
Hermione was aware. Not always, though, for the Darkness that held her was so much safer. It was a pale face, dark hair, robes of midnight to wrap forever around her. It was his voice that soothed her senses but still she was afraid and so she burrowed deeper into those robes of velvet ink.
The nightmares still came. Not one monster but an army of blood that overwhelmed her. Hermione no longer screamed. She may have forgotten how. It was years… decades? A century perhaps when she last screamed in terror. Now, she only weeps. The tears fall, and sometimes the blessed robes of the Darkness comfort her as she cries.
Deeper. Deeper. And ever deeper Hermione hides.
Hermione sometimes does not recall the pretty little parlour her mind had constructed. It would vanish and with it her memory of it. When her Darkness came to her the parlour would return.
Sometimes she wished that Darkness would let her fall. There is a hole… a void so much deeper and darker than the Darkness. Sometimes that void tempts her with an endless sleep of nothing. No dreams. No nightmares. Never anymore tears.
And, no more Darkness.
The Darkness seemed to know of the void. The voice is his voice and he knows the tears he wiped away as he holds her are not always because of the bad dreams but because the void is so terribly tempting. Hermione is afraid of it, and he has told her in whispers soft and gentle to be afraid of the Nothingness for he would miss her terribly.
This is why sometimes she smiles. Sometimes she touches the Light. For the briefest of moments… Hermione knows…
"Severus…"
There is such a depth of pain, of grief, and to touch the Light invites the horror of the army of blood to come to her. She withdraws to the Darkness. Maybe… someday… she will have the strength to face the army of blood, to conquer the pain, to put away that awful grief.
Not today.
Today the tears fall as he reads of the storm that whips about the legs of Jane Eyre who is lost in the grief of a broken heart. It is safe to weep for Jane. Jane understands. The Darkness understands. He wipes away the tears but keeps reading…
Hermione wants the Happy Ending. She wants the bliss of Mr. Rochester's kiss as Jane forgives him. The Darkness forgives Hermione for she has done a terrible thing… has she not? She just does not… refuses to know… what that was. That is when the void offers to end all of it.
Hermione burrows deeper and deeper into the Darkness as far away from the void as possible… she calls to him.
"Severus," her voice whispers.
Salvation when his lips touch hers.
31 March 1998 - Late Evening
Severus had gone to bed a bit too early by at least an hour at 10 in the evening. He felt tired, though, for he had been cogitating over three arithmancy charts that Remus had left for him that predicted three interesting outcomes that were possible after his modifications to the Wolfsbane Potion. One of the charts showed a very promising lead that could lead to a cure. At the very least it would remove the animal from taking over at the Full Moon.
The Potions Master had expected his mind, within his dreams, to continue upon the path of his study but instead his dreams were vague creations that upset his mind and body. It was almost a relief when a double chime sounded to alert him that he had an important Floo call.
Gratefully the Potions Master pushed himself out of bed, threw on his evening robe and slippers, and quickly left the bedroom, went down the stairs to the living room to see the green flames of the Floo call glowing in his fireplace.
"Professor Snape!" Neville Longbottom, who was living at Hogwarts during his apprenticeship with Professor Sprout sounded worried. "Madame Pomfrey needs you here. Hermione's baby is coming!"
"It is too early, Longbottom!" he growled as his heart raced in worry. Neville did not reply but moved his head out of the green flames so that Severus could step through to the Hogwarts Infirmary.
He was met by Neville and Minerva McGonagall. Minerva stopped the Potions Master from rushing through the closed door to Hermione's room.
"What is going on, Minerva?" demanded Severus. "It is only a few days over seven months. Hermione cannot go into labor now."
Minerva held tightly to the wizard's forearm. "Hermione began having seizures about 45 minutes ago, Severus. Poppy has had to induce labor in order to save both Hermione and her daughter. There is an expert in Obstetric Healing with Poppy."
"I would like to see her," he almost begged.
"No," Minerva said gently. "I know you wish to, Severus, but Poppy and Healer Gaia do not need us to interfere right now." Minerva Transfigured a comfortable chair from one of the visitor chairs and pulled the wizard to sit down as she took a chair beside him. "Is there anyone else you want here?"
"Hermione's only other visitors…" A screech from behind the closed door of Hermione's room raked down Severus' back and he jumped to his feet.
"Dear me," sighed Minerva as she pulled the wizard back into his chair, and then waved her wand at the door. "Poppy forgot to put up the Silencing Charm."
Neville, looking rather green, stared at the door. "Was that Hermione, Headmistress?"
Minerva nodded matter-of-factly as she replied, "Childbirth is never as easy as Healers would lead you to believe, Mr. Longbottom. We have spells and potions to relieve a great deal of stress upon a woman's body, and to keep her child safe, but we have yet to completely escape pain."
Neville started to leave, "I think Professor Sprout needs me… for… er… something." Without a by-your-leave to either witch or wizard, he fairly ran from the Infirmary.
Severus snorted softly, "The cry of Men since the Dawn of Time." He then looked to Minerva. "The Malfoys, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy should be here. They have each visited on a regular basis."
Minerva Summoned a house elf, told the creature to bring those friends to Hogwarts, and then she laid a hand upon one of the younger wizard's tightly curled fists. "Severus, you trust Poppy and she trusts Healer Gaia. Hermione will be fine."
The younger wizard nodded, and then glanced worriedly at the door to Hermione's room.
Severus waited. Patiently waited. After fifteen minutes he got up to pace. Ten minutes later Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and his parents arrived in the Infirmary.
"Professor Snape!" called Harry. "Is the baby here, yet?"
Severus glared darkly at the young man, and bit out, "No she is not here yet, imbecile."
Narcissa leaned towards Harry and spoke softly, "Even in the wizarding world birth takes a few hours, Harry."
"It's only been seven months," sighed Harry unhappily. "Will Hermione be all right? What about the baby?" Draco gripped Harry by the waist and pushed him into a chair. He then walked over to his godfather.
"Uncle Severus, you weren't able to dress. I'm going to send an elf to bring you some clothing," said Draco.
Severus nodded but his eyes were on Hermione's door. Lucius took Draco's place as he Summoned a house elf. "Brother," he whispered. "You do nothing to help Hermione by pacing. Perhaps if you sit…"
"No," snapped Severus. "I am too wound up, Lucius. Why will no one tell me anything? Is Hermione all right? What of our child?"
That last sentence caused everyone who heard it to glance wonderingly at the Potions Master. Lucius gave the younger man a nod, and began to pace with him.
Harry stood up and walked over to the Floo. "I'm going to notify Remus so he knows what is happening."
"Thank you, Harry," nodded Narcissa. Like Minerva, she bore the calmness all women had in regards to childbirth. They were not worried.
Lucius, a decision made, broke from his pacing with Severus and walked over to the door. He knocked sharply three times. There was not an immediate answer but soon the door cracked open an inch. Severus saw this, jumped up, and jogged over beside Lucius.
"Poppy, we are all quite anxious. May we beg a status of Hermione and the baby?" asked Lucius softly.
"A moment. I'll be out." Poppy closed the door in dismissal. Severus slunk back to his chair and his original slump. Lucius followed but stood behind Narcissa.
"I recall every knock upon my door when I was in labor with Draco," she whispered as she took her husband's hand in hers.
"There was no Silencing Charm and I could not bring myself to erect one," Lucius smiled. "I was terrified."
"For Draco?" she smiled slyly.
"And, for my dear wife," he kissed the fingers of Narcissa's hand. "I am so very fortunate to have you both." He knelt on one knee to kiss his wife properly.
"Lucius, did you ever want another child?" asked Narcissa softly.
Gathering his other hand in both of his he bowed his head over her lap. He then raised his head. "Not at the expense of your life, Cissy." He smirked a moment then kissed both of her hands. "I am far too possessive of you… and of Dragon."
Narcissa lifted one hand to caress her husband's hair down below his shoulders. "As I am of you, my love."
Poppy's arrival interrupted the tender moment and Lucius rose to his feet. He did not let go of his wife's hand.
Poppy centred her attention upon the adoptive father who had been waiting. "Hermione began to go into convulsions just after midnight. My Diagnostic Spell did not register this as anything I could identify so I called Healer Gaia for her help. The convulsions were rapid labor contractions."
"I heard Hermione scream, Poppy," Severus said his voice in question.
"I'm sorry for that, Severus. It was the labor. Healer Gaia had to stop the labor and we had hoped it would end there but then the baby's heart stopped beating." Severus sat up in alarm and Poppy reached out to touch his shoulder. "Healer Gaia performed an emergency C-Section. Very rare for us magical folk but it was needed in this case. The Healer worked on the babe while I sealed the injury on Hermione. She is now sleeping naturally."
"The baby?" asked Harry worriedly.
"She is breathing but she is under the sterile environment of a magical womb. Healer Gaia is cleaning things up and then, Severus, only you will be able to come in and visit with your daughter." Poppy turned away and vanished into Hermione's room.
After what felt like too long a time but was only a few minutes, Poppy waved Severus into Hermione's room. The Potions Master walked in, and Hermione's eyes opened long enough for her to murmur, "Severus."
"Fascinating," breathed Healer Gaia, a petite woman whose height just came to Severus' chest. "The witch never acknowledged either of us. I'm certain she has no idea she just gave birth." She then looked up at Severus. "You are the adoptive father of Baby Granger?"
"Severus Snape," he bowed sharply and glowered at Healer Gaia. "Hermione IS aware, Madam." He then glanced at the naked child beneath an opalescent bubble that was the magical womb. He moved over jerkily to look upon his daughter who slept with an infinitesimally tiny thumb in her mouth. He held up his hand to the surface of the magical womb, and stared incredulously at his hand. "She is not even as long as my hand, Poppy. How long will she be in the womb?"
"Two months unless she develops quicker," replied Poppy.
"Miss Granger and Baby Granger will be going to St. Mungo's with me," informed Healer Gaia.
Severus turned sharply. "So soon?"
Poppy spoke before the Healer did. "I don't have the skills or the time to devote to a preemie, Severus. Healer Gaia was just going to take the baby but I suggested that Hermione go now, too. Would you like to go with them?"
"You may take care of the move now, Poppy. I will explain to Minerva, Harry, and Remus what is happening and invite them to visit in a week," said Severus.
Poppy touched the wizard's sleeve lightly. "Have you a name chosen for the baby, Severus?"
He nodded. "Nanelle Eliza Granger Snape."