Author's Notes: Thank you so much to my wonderful beta, Phoenix. Between this chapter and the last, I really wore her out. Thank you so much for your patience, hon.
Thank you also to my reviewers. I love hearing from you all!
I apologize for deleting and reloading this chapter. I realized after I had submitted it that I forgot to edit it per the rules of this site. I apologize to everyone for my oversight. I have corrected the issue and this is now safe for minors to read. Thanks!
Disclaimer: All of Harry Potter belongs to the talented J.K. Rowling. I have just borrowed the characters to play with them. I will return them in one piece and in their original conditions when I am done with them. I am not making a profit from this story. It was written purely for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.
It All Comes Down To Time
Chapter Ten
Hermione frantically searched through the pile of books on the table before her the weekend after she told Severus about the baby. She had systematically gathered dozens of books on charms, looking for a charm that might hide her pregnant belly. She had only a slight swell, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she started showing. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Severus sat, barely visible, on the other side of the pile of books, ignoring Hermione's grumbles of annoyance as time passed. He was working on an essay assigned in Charms. To the casual observer, it would only look like Hermione was obsessed with making a perfect score. Working on the essay was the one thing she managed to get him to do for her as she looked for the spell, since he had flat-out refused to discuss her pregnancy.
After two hours and many useless books, Hermione sat back in frustration. "I can't find anything by myself, Severus," she said irritably as she rubbed her eyes. She got tired so easily now, and it angered her that Severus was ignoring her situation. It wasn't only she who would benefit from hiding her pregnancy.
"Do you need some help?" Lily's voice said to Hermione's left.
"No, no," she said quickly. "Severus was just about to take his turn looking for the charm we were discussing."
Lily cocked her head to one side in suspicion. "What charm are you talking about?" she asked Hermione.
"Um…" Hermione's mind raced with charms before she blurted out, "The various uses of the Cushioning Charm."
"Various uses of the Cushioning Charm?" Lily repeated slowly, looking back and fourth between Severus and Hermione.
Hermione felt her face begin to burn as she took in Lily's amused look. She glanced at Severus, noting the furrow in his brow. He, unlike Lily, did not find the situation in the least bit funny.
"I-I-I didn't mean…" Hermione stammered in embarrassment. "Of course, we were just…"
Lily patted Hermione's arm. "I'll just leave you to it then."
As Lily moved beyond ear-shot, Severus growled, "A Cushioning Charm? That is the best you could come up with?" He rolled up his essay and stood up. "I am going to finish this in my common room," he said, abandoning Hermione with her piles of books.
Hermione rested her head on one of the books as Severus walked away. She felt like crying, but refused to let her emotions get the best of her. There was a reason she was considered the brightest witch of the age. If the situation wouldn't work itself out, she would force it to.
Her diligence was rewarded two hours later. She finally came across an obscure charm used in the kitchen to hide cookie jars from misbehaving children. It was a variation of the Invisibility Charm, called the Veiling Charm. Rather than making something invisible, it simply hid the fact that it was there. What made it perfect for Hermione was that it could be cast on part of an object without hiding the rest. It was an old charm and not one used in the modern wizarding world, but it was a viable spell. She made careful notes and tucked them into her bag, feeling much better than she had all day.
Hermione practiced for the rest of the weekend until she had the spell down and attended her classes with a confidence that had been waning due to not wanting to bring attention to herself. By Wednesday, she learned why the Veiling Charm was a spell not used anymore. It required a lot of attention, if not a lot of effort, to hold the spell. Her attention began lacking again as she struggled to keep hold of the spell. If finally occurred to her on Thursday that no one would be able to see her stomach under the desk, and she was finally able to get some rest during class. She got up a few times forgetting to cast the charm again and was thankful that she was still not really showing. She would have to make more of an effort to remember in the future or risk being caught. She also realized that she would have to be careful about resting her hands on her stomach. She had caught herself doing it more than once. If that wasn't a sure sign of her pregnancy, nothing was.
Remus cornered Hermione in the common room the following weekend. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and Remus hadn't gone because his transformation had occurred only two days prior. Severus hadn't ignored Hermione that week, but he had acted as if nothing had changed. If Hermione tried to bring up the subject of the baby, he left abruptly.
"Hermione," Remus said. "Tell me what's going on. You have been acting strangely again."
"You say that as if I act strangely all the time," she said irritably. Her mood swings made it difficult to deal with her peers, and they were getting worse and worse with each passing day. One moment she might be happy, and in ten seconds flat, she could become stark raving mad.
As she sat glaring at Remus, the baby turned in her stomach. It was such a violent lurching that she was sure Remus would be able to see her clothing shift, and she placed her hand on her stomach, willing the baby to settle down. She could feel the tell-tale bulge easily. It was almost as if her body had put all the discomforts of pregnancy on hold until Madam Pomfrey told her the news. In the three weeks since the discovery, Hermione had gained enough weight to make her clothing very uncomfortable.
"Well," he began teasingly. At her dark look, he stopped. "Um…" he said gulping. "I just want to help you," he finally said. "You've been rubbing your stomach and your back a lot lately. Are you still suffering from the injuries you received the night I found you outside?" He looked pointedly at her hand, which was resting protectively on her stomach.
She removed her hand from her stomach quickly and said, "I don't have any idea what you are on about."
"Look," Remus said in irritation. "I know that you are Hermione Granger, even if you deny it. You said something once about a hair product that's not going to be invented until next year. There is something going on here, I know it."
Panic set in as Hermione worried that Remus would figure things out. Desperate to stop his current train of thought, she glanced furtively around the common room before leaning toward him and saying softly, "I'm pregnant."
"What?" he asked in shock.
"Yes, that was my reaction," she said shortly as she sat back in her seat.
"Have you told—"
"Yes, I have told him," Hermione said, cutting him off. She didn't want to risk anyone hearing.
"How far along—" Remus was cut off again by Hermione.
She leaned forward and whispered, "Will you be quiet? I am twenty-three weeks along, due the mid to end of August. And it's a boy. Now shut up about it. Madam Pomfrey hasn't told Dumbledore since it won't interfere with graduation. I don't want one of the portraits to let him in on the news."
Wisely closing his mouth, Remus said nothing else, and she breathed a sigh of relief to have taken his mind away from Hermione Granger.
Severus was still in shock at the news Hermione had sprung on him. She was pregnant. She was pregnant with his child. Outwardly, he ignored the situation, but inside, he was intrigued. Her thin body was filling out in all the right places. When they were alone, she dropped her newfound spell, and he was able to see the bulge beneath her robes. He longed to reach out and explore it, but he was afraid to. Occasionally, he saw it ripple, as if something was swimming just below the surface and had to remind himself that there was something swimming—his son.
Hermione complained of feeling bloated, but he thought her more beautiful now than she had been when they had first met. He vividly remembered the wild-haired beauty who had ensnared his heart the moment he laid eyes on her. Now, she was so much more. As much as he wanted to talk with her and tell her how enchanting he found her as she filled out with his child, he was afraid to. For years, he had hidden his feelings about everything, and it was a hard habit to break. He was sitting in the library when Hermione walked in and sat down next to him.
"Come to my prenatal appointment with me," she said softly. "I could really use the support."
Wanting to say yes, Severus closed the book and surprised himself by coldly saying, "No. I do not trust anyone to know that I am the father, yet. They will know after we graduate, but not now." He stood up and walked out of the library, hating his cowardice.
Hermione attended her first pre-natal appointment without Severus. He refused to trust even Madam Pomfrey with the knowledge he was the father. She was hurt by his coldness, though she knew she should have expected it. Graduation was so close, why couldn't he allow the mediwitch in? Madam Pomfrey already knew about the baby, after all.
As Hermione lay down gingerly behind a privacy screen, Madam Pomfrey examined her body. "You have started gaining weight, I see," she remarked.
Temper flaring, Hermione snapped without thinking. "Well, let's see how well you handle pregnancy then." Her hand flew over her mouth immediately. "I'm so sorry," she said.
Madam Pomfrey chuckled. "Severe mood swings. You are definitely pregnant. Everything looks fine. The baby is doing well. However, I'm still concerned about your clothing. You need to start wearing the maternity clothing I provided. You could harm yourself or your baby by wearing things that are too tight for you."
Hermione felt her cheeks color. She had forgotten all about the clothing Madam Pomfrey had sent to her. "Of course, Madam Pomfrey. I don't know where my mind was."
Madam Pomfrey smiled as she clucked her tongue. "Yes, that is another sign of pregnancy. Both you and the baby are growing as expected. Things are progressing well. Continue taking your vitamins, and come back in a month."
As she made her way back to the dorm, Sirius rounded the corner, calling out, "Hermione! Just the girl I was looking for!"
He walked towards her, his arms held out before him as if to hug her. Panic welled up as Hermione frantically thought of how to get out of hugging Sirius. He had held her close to him on several occasions. It was highly unlikely that he would miss the additional inches around her middle.
Just as she thought she would have to make an awkward run for it and explain later, Remus appeared from behind her, positioning himself in front of Sirius. "Hermione, there you are. I was wondering where you had gotten to. Are you still going to help me with that Arithmancy homework?" Without waiting for an answer, Remus linked arms with her and began walking. "Sorry, Sirius, but we have a quiz coming up," he said as Sirius fell in step next to them. "I'm in desperate need of the resident Gryffindor genius."
Sirius snorted. "Leave it to the two of you to stay indoors on a nice day like today. I'll catch up to you later, Hermione," he said, giving her a devious wink before departing.
Hermione nodded and sighed when Sirius disappeared from view. "Thank you so much, Remus. I was panicking and didn't know what I was going to do."
"You're welcome, Hermione," he said. "Try to keep me or Severus nearby as much as possible, all right?"
"I'll do my best," Hermione said, placing a small kiss on his cheek, not realizing that Severus had just walked around the corner.
Remus walked away briskly, and Hermione turned around to find herself face to face with an angry Severus.
"So, I decide to trust you even after you broke your word and you kiss Lupin?" he said lowly.
"Severus, get off it," Hermione said wearily. "Remus is my friend. He was only helping me with something, and I was thanking him for it."
Severus' eyes narrowed, and he said, "What was he helping you with?"
Hermione's mind raced. She really didn't want to tell him that Sirius was still trying to be physically affectionate, even though he wasn't chasing her anymore. Sighing, she finally decided to tell him the truth. "Severus, Remus knows."
"Knows what?" he said stiffening.
She glanced around to make sure they were alone before whispering, "He knows about us and about the baby."
"What?" Severus' already pale features became paler. "How did he find out?"
"Well," Hermione began. "It's like this, you see… Um… I told him."
"You told him?" Severus repeated slowly. "Why would you do an idiotic thing like that?"
"Because you are ignoring the situation," she shot. "I needed someone to talk to about it, and he had already noticed me acting strangely—rubbing my stomach and back. Things like that. He was on the right track anyway."
Severus remained silent before pulling Hermione into an alcove just around the corner. "Hermione," he said, pulling her close and kissing her deeply.
Hermione was surprised. She had expected Severus to be angry with her but it seemed to be exactly the opposite. She was just thinking about pulling away, even though his nips on her jaw and ears felt so good, when his hands reached between them to caress her expanding stomach. He rubbed it in a circular motion, feeling it all over as he ravished her mouth with his. There was no way she was going to pull away now. She was desperately hoping that he would suggest trying to sneak to the Room of Requirement when they heard arguing voices approaching.
Severus kissed her one last time as he Disillusioned himself and pushed her gently from the alcove. Hermione exited the alcove dreamily just before James and Lily turned round the corner. She smiled at them in a fog. She was happy, but frustrated. Her pregnancy made her sex drive crazy, and she wanted Severus so badly that it almost hurt.
"Hermione?" Lily began. "Are you okay?"
"Of course she's okay," James cut in. "She's smiling. Honestly, Lily. Can't anyone have a good day without you being suspicious?"
Another quarrel broke out between the two sweethearts as Hermione walked back to the common room with them. She entered and sat down near the fireplace, rubbing her stomach in the same circular pattern that Severus had, imagining his supple hands rubbing circular patterns on other parts of her body. She finally noticed that Sirius had entered the common room and was standing next to James and Lily, who had stopped arguing to stare at her. Hermione sat there, not knowing what she was going to say when Sirius suddenly sat down next to her, pulling her to his side.
"There's my girl. I knew you couldn't live without me," he said pompously, squeezing her slightly. He stared at her in surprise as he felt her belly pressing against his side.
She sat in his arms fearing the coming question, but was saved once again by Remus' good timing. "Hermione," he said. "You know that Madam Pomfrey said you needed to rest after taking the stomach-ache potion. She told you to go to bed early because the medication would cause swelling if you weren't lying down. Now, go. She asked me to see to it that you got the proper rest."
Hermione stood up and said, "Yes, of course, Remus. Thank you." She smiled tightly as she walked by, brushing his hand with hers in thanks. She hadn't been sure what to say. Her normally sharp mind had drawn a blank under the scrutinizing stares of her Housemates.
As she walked up the stairs, she heard Remus say, "Yes, Madam Pomfrey says she has a slight bug. The potion should take care of it overnight."
"Hey, I thought you were going to study for Arithmancy," Sirius said.
"Well, we were until Hermione started dry heaving, prat," Remus replied testily.
Hermione smiled when Sirius protested being called a prat and the sounds of scuffling broke out. Entering her room, Hermione rummaged through the trunk that had been provided for her and pulled out the magical garments. She still couldn't believe that she had forgotten them.
It was with a great deal of relief that Hermione donned one of the new nightgowns. The others were beginning to get tight enough that she was worried her roommates would notice her condition. The Veiling Charm only worked so well. If anyone actually brushed against her, they might feel the gentle swell that was beginning to form.
During the next few weeks, Hermione attacked Severus every time they were alone. The weekend after their stolen kiss, she convinced Severus to walk in the gardens with her.
When they reached the center, she pushed him onto a bench and straddled his lap. She pointed her wand at her stomach and ended the Veiling Charm. "Everyone is down at the lake today," she said thickly.
Severus was distracted from the rest of what she was saying as he felt her stomach pressing into his, a slight kick capturing his attention. He looked at her sharply as her words brought him back to reality.
"I want you--right here, right now."
"Wh-what?" he stuttered in surprise.
Hermione reached down to his trousers and began working the buttons. "I want you. Now."
"Mmm, Severus," she said after they had finished. "I needed that so badly."
Severus looked around, praying that no one had seen them. Hermione scooted off his lap after he finished buttoning his trousers.
She started walking as he forced his lethargic body off the bench. "What were you thinking?" he asked as he fell in step next to her. "Anyone could have seen us."
"I was thinking about you being inside me," Hermione said playfully. "I'm already thinking of having you inside me again. You have no idea what these hormones are doing to me."
Severus stopped when she said she was already thinking of it again. His limp member twitched, but he was so spent that it didn't rise to the occasion. "I have a bloody good idea of what they are doing to you," he muttered.
Hermione reached the edge of the garden when Severus heard voices, realizing in that instant that Hermione had not recast the Veiling Charm. He drew his wand and swiftly muttered the incantation just as she stepped into the path of Lily and Alice. They greeted her enthusiastically, and she glanced over her shoulder to where Severus had stood only a moment ago.
He watched her from the bushes, feeling the drain of the Veiling Charm. How in the world she managed to keep it functioning all day and keep up her studies, he had no idea. He only knew that he couldn't risk dropping it until she was alone again. The way Lily and Alice talked, he had a long day ahead of him.
Hermione's pregnancy was the only thing Severus could think of as time passed. When his mind was not on Hermione or schoolwork, it was centered around the life growing inside her. He was unsure why, but he was adamantly against her knowing of his fascination with the situation. He finally resolved to ask her about the baby.
After another sexual encounter in an empty classroom, Severus finally gathered the courage to ask about the baby while they were studying in the library a week into May. "Hermione, how is he doing?"
"How is who doing?" she asked, flipping the page of her Arithmancy book.
"You know… him," Severus said.
"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Hermione said in annoyance as she looked up from the book.
Growling in frustration, he hissed, "The baby."
"Oh," Hermione said as the realization dawned on her. "Him!" She cast a discreet Muffliato Charm, and, eyes shining with sudden happiness, she said, "Well, the last appointment went very well. He is growing like you wouldn't believe. I'm twenty-seven weeks along, and he weighs five hundred grams!" She was obviously thrilled that Severus had finally asked. He had adamantly refused to talk about it any time she brought it up.
Hermione continued to chat about the baby and how she was feeling as Severus stared at her. His fascination of her and the baby grew with her words, and it terrified him. Her body was undergoing changes, and he was eager to see those changes. He had not yet told Hermione that he loved her in words--only given her the flower on Valentine's Day. Staring at her animated face, he decided that he would never allow any harm to come to her. He was going to ask her to marry him after the Leaving Feast in June.
That night, atop the Astronomy Tower, they managed to sneak into each other's arms. As she moaned in his arms, he strengthened his resolve to make her his wife after they left school. It had been the first time he had seen her completely naked since she started showing. It wasn't anything more than a protruding roundness, but it was beautiful to him. He placed his hands on her stomach and was awed to feel his son kicking his hands.
As he pleasured Hermione, he marveled at the glow emanating from her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had never thought about having a family since his childhood had been so harsh, but seeing Hermione carrying his child made his heart leap for joy.
He took her gently, driving her to a frenzy with slow, rhythmic thrusts. He wanted to show her how much he loved her and their child even if he didn't tell her. She wept in his arms afterwards, whispering to him about what a beautiful experience it had been. His only response was to kiss her deeply and hold her close against him.
The last three weeks of school nearly flew by as the N.E.W.T.s approached. Even the most unconcerned students felt the crunch as they could be found studying. When the testing was finally over, Severus was relieved. This was the end of it. The only good things that had ever come from his days at Hogwarts were his education and Hermione.
Hermione, he thought. I will have you again tonight.
He was waiting for Hermione in the deserted library that night, nervously. Though they had been together after another ambush on Hermione's part only a week and a half ago, he was still worried. What if he didn't satisfy her? After all, her sexual appetite seemed insatiable. He twirled a single, red rose in his hand as he waited. Finally, he saw her walk through the door. She was a vision, and he had never felt so much for anyone in his life.
"Hi," he said, staring at her, unblinkingly.
Hermione stared into Severus' bottomless, black eyes. He looked nervous as he stood, twirling the rose in his hands. "Hi, Severus," she said softly.
He handed the rose to her, saying, "I thought you might like this."
"It's beautiful, Severus, thank you!" Hermione flung her arms around him, knowing this was his way of telling her that he loved her.
He pushed her back just enough to lower his lips to hers. They kissed passionately, his tongue flicking into her parted lips. She ground against him wantonly, not caring if any of their classmates saw them. All she wanted was Severus. The baby kicked Severus through her bulging stomach as she pressed against his body. She was so glad that school was nearly over, wanting to love and be loved by Severus openly. Thoughts of her situation rose in her mind. How was she going to resolve the time travel situation with a baby and a lover to consider? She knew she should have told Severus about the time potion accident long ago. The baby chose that moment to kick, hard.
"Severus, I have to tell you something," she said with a sudden resolve to let him know the truth once and for all. "I know you have been suspecting something strange about me for a while now. I love you too much to keep it from you any longer."
The clearing of a throat startled them as they parted, guiltily. Hermione's heart froze at the sight of an infuriated Dumbledore. "Miss Colonus, come with me immediately," he said coldly, gripping Hermione's arm tightly.
"Is there something wrong, Professor?" Severus asked.
"That is none of your concern, Mister Snape," he said shortly.
"Hermione?" Severus asked in obvious understanding that something bad was going on.
Hermione tore herself from Dumbledore's grasp and threw herself in Severus' arms. "I love you, Severus," she said desperately. "I love you."
Dumbledore pulled her from Severus' arms as Severus stood there in confusion.
When Hermione and Dumbledore reached his office, he let go of her arm, and she was scared when he turned around to face her. His eyes were uncharacteristically cold and fury emanated from them.
"What were you thinking?" he spat in anger. "How could you be so entirely selfish? How many times did I warn you about your interactions with Severus Snape? He is your teacher! He's not some boy for you to play with."
Hermione began sobbing softly and said, "I'm not playing with him! I love him, and he loves me!"
"I completed the return potion last week, Miss Granger. It's time for you to go home. I doubt very much that Severus Snape is going to be forgiving of your actions." He held a small vial out to Hermione.
Backing away, she said, "No, you don't understand. I need to tell Severus the truth. He has to know. He won't understand. Please!"
Sudden concern for her baby flooded her mind as she backed away from the Headmaster. He uncorked the vial and spat, "If not drinking it worked one time, it should work a second."
Before Hermione could utter another word, he threw the contents at her. Falling to her knees and clutching her stomach, Hermione disappeared.
An hour later, Dumbledore heard a knock at his office door. He bid entrance and was not surprised to see Severus Snape entering.
"Sir," he began. "I would like to apologize for my behavior with Hermione. I know you must be disappointed that we were being so disrespectful."
Dumbledore nodded silently. Severus gulped and went on, "I was wondering if you knew what happened to her. I haven't seen her since accompanied you to your office."
"Miss Colonus asked me to give this to you," Dumbledore said, handing the rose that had fallen to the floor when Hermione had dropped to her knees. "She asked me to tell you that she is sorry for leading you on. She left with her family to move back to the United States an hour ago. I'm afraid that she was adamant that you not follow her as she is embarrassed that she allowed her hormones to get the best of her. Go on with your life, Mister Snape."
Severus held the rose limply in his hands as he walked out of the office without uttering another word. Dumbledore watched from the open door as Severus threw the rose to the floor and blasted it into tiny pieces.
He closed the door silently and sat down at the desk. You did the right thing, he thought. It would be worse if he knew the truth.