Disclaimer: JKR's world and people, except for a couple of OCs and tendency to stray into AU.

Barbara sat on her bed. She had managed to get her nightgown on but was too tired to remember what came next. She sat and watched her tummy, as the baby kicked and pushed into a new position and then decided to try a different position after that.

"You're not sleeping yet." Her husband was leaning in the doorway.

"Is everything buttoned up, downstairs?"

"Well enough that I sent everyone, including the elves, to bed. Itsy will probably get back up and putter around some more. She was horrified by the stain Fletcher left on the carpet by the fireplace. I told her it could wait, but there's only so much I can do with her... " He came in and sat next to her, putting his arm around her.

"You were right again." She looked up at him ruefully.

"How gratifying. What about, this time?"

"I never would have made it through the party if you hadn't made me rest so much today. As it was, I think I was nodding off by the end. Did Amos Diggory really come over and put his arms around Harry Potter?"

Severus nodded. "Indeed, he did. I think he was well lit by the time he arrived. His wife took him home by floo, so I'm sure he made it home all right."

"Amos has always been so sober around the Ministry..."

"Christmas is hard for people who have suffered great losses. Cedric had such promise..." Severus put his other arm around his wife. "Last Christmas was the first one I wanted to celebrate since childhood, myself."

She rested her head under his chin. Whatever did you and all those order people talk about in your office?"

"Not much. Talking over what we've been doing this fall, that sort of thing." He looked at her carefull, but she was on a different train of thought, now. She was trying to concentrate on something.

She finally remembered. "I know we like a quieter life, but I'm glad we had this party. I realize you don't like to be around such large crowds and I surrounded you with people tonight. Ministry friends, everyone from the school, the order... Poor dear! You held up admirably, even turning that awkward moment under the mistletoe into a toast to our guests."

"I didn't find it awkward. We weren't quite as obvious as Molly and Arthur, either. He pulled her under every bit of mistletoe we had, and even conjured up some of his own. Did you see them over by your office? It was quite instructive. I thought Percy was going to be sick." Barbara giggled.

"But you and I? Under the mistletoe? It wasn't awkward at all." He squeezed her tighter. "It reminded me of our wedding. Once again I was standing next to the most lovely lady in the room. It would have been wrong not to kiss you." He watched her blush and tilted her face up to look into her eyes. "A very tired lady by the looks of it. Why aren't you well asleep, yet?"

"I cannot remember if I've brushed my teeth."

"Very tired indeed." He kissed her. "Hm...toothpaste. It appears you have brushed your teeth, so in you go." He pulled down the covers for her and propped her pillows up, getting her situated and giving her one last kiss before lowering the lights.

She said it quietly, "I love you, Severus Snape." It was almost a sigh of contentment.

By the time he had prepared for bed and slid beside her, she was already asleep. He adjusted the bedclothes and found a comfortable position near her so that he could feel the baby moving in the night.

"Merry Christmas."

"Hmm... Merry Hmm..."

Something was tickling her ear. "Barbara..."

"Are the kids up?"

"Any minute."

She opened her eyes. He was handing her a Christmas rose. "So fragile and lovely. Wherever did you find it?"

"There's a sheltered place between the hedge and the house. I've been watching them come up all week."

Barbara sat up. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

They each handed the other a small box. Barbara's held the key to a door. "Severus? What does this open?"

"I doubt you'll use it much, but it works the door right there." As he pointed, she saw a door appear in the wall, connecting to the next room.

Barbara got up and put on her dressing gown. Opening the door, she found the nursery, completely done up for the new baby. Along with a crib, changing table, and dresser, there was a daybed and a rocking chair near a window that looked out toward the school. The linens were all done in shades of blue and green. The walls were painted in blue and green as well, with a border of bears walking in between. Severus followed in his dressing gown, stealing up behind her and sliding his arms as far as they would go around her middle.

"We'll be in trouble if this little one is a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff," she laughed.

"I plan to train them all young," He responded. I thought you might want the bed if the late night feedings are burdensome..."

"You may well be right," said Barbara. "We will have to see how it goes, of course. It's nice to have everything so well prepared. Thank you, Severus." She slid her arms up around her husband's neck, kissing him until some forceful thumping pushed them apart. "I guess you had better open your box."

He found a key, as well, although not a key to a door. He looked at her curiously.

"Go look in your office." She said.

He helped her down the stairs. Going into his office, he found an enormous antique desk of highly polished mahogany. When he slid the key into the lock, he found that he could open the drawers, but he also found indications that there may be some extra compartments.

"This is exactly what I wanted. How did you find it? We looked everywhere last summer."

"I had some shopkeepers looking for me. This was part of an estate sale in London. In one of those drawers is a list of the secret compartments the dealer could find, but he wasn't sure he had them all."

"Aha. Something to entertain myself with during those weeks after the baby comes and our lessons are on hiatus."

She put her arms around him. "The baby hasn't come, yet."

"No, but I hear some footsteps on the stairs."

The next few hours involved the tearing of wrapping paper and shouts and shrieking, mingled with pleas from Bitsy for everyone to eat. By the time everyone was done, paper was all over the sitting room, gifts were everywhere, and Itsy was running franticly around, trying to clean everything up.

After a good lunch, the kids were bundled up and sent outside, each wearing scarf and mittens knit in house colors by Barbara. She would have joined them, but Severus made her stay inside.

"I'm not an invalid, you know."

"No, you're just delightfully absorbed in the process of motherhood. Please admit that you're not as steady on your feet, and you get tired and cold so easily these days." She gave him a look. "I'm sorry, dear lady, but your death glare doesn't work on me today. Come sit down."

He brought her into his office and set her on an easy chair in front of French doors that looked out into the back garden where the kids were making snowmen. He puttered around with his desk for a few minutes but then came over to where she was sitting. The easy chair became a love seat and Barbara was soon within her husband's arms, watching Howard as he helped Carissa put the head on a tall snowman.

"I thought last Christmas was the happiest one of my life," said Severus, "but this one is even better. I'd never truly enjoyed the season before in my life."

Barbara looked at him, then, concern in her face. "Not even when you were younger?"

"No, my parents always argued so much. There were a few times I was invited over to the Evans', but that was pretty awkward. Of course after that...Christmas as a Death Eater is not a Merry time whatsoever. Pretty gruesome, actually."

"I'm so sorry." She held her hand against the side of his face. "I wish I could make it up to you."

"Ah, my charming professor of joy, you do make it up to me. This is what we were fighting for. You, me, those children out there, this baby." He kissed her. "Think of what we've given those kids. What have their last few Christmases been like?"

"They've stayed at the school, for the most part."

"That last year...I should have found a way to give them all a proper Christmas, but if I had..."

"You might not have lived long enough to be next to that willow tree on the morning after the battle. None of this would be here, and Barbara Merrill would be a tired, frustrated Ministry employee rather than the blissfully happy Barbara Snape she is now. I'm glad that you were able to keep them all alive. And yourself." She reached up to kiss him. They sat quietly for a while, their hands interlaced with each other and clasped over her belly.

"Severus..."

"Hmmm?" He was tasting her neck, just under her ear.

"Do you think there is a point to those snowmen? Because there are five of them and I could swear the one is pregnant."

The rest of the holidays were wonderful. The children played outside together every day and spent an hour or two studying together as well. The evenings were filled with games, listening to the wireless, and enjoying time in each others company, just as the summer before. After the kids went to their rooms, Barbara and Severus would read together, discuss their classes, research, or plans for the new baby and then enjoy what intimate moments were possible with the difficulties presented by that same growing baby.

On New Year's Eve, before dinner, each member of the family lit candles for family members no longer with them. Alice, Howard, and Carissa, of course, lit candles for their parents. Severus and Barbara lit candles for their parents, as well, and then for others they had lost over the years, friends and professors and students.

As the clock in the hall tolled in the New Year, Barbara and Severus opened their front door to greet it.

"A whole new year to live and love through," she mused.

"As long as it's like this past year, I will enjoy it fully."

"I'm sure we will have our struggles, but as long as we're together I will find joy in it."

Eventually the holidays ended and it was the night before they would go back to the school. Barbara kept shifting her position. Severus thought that if she rolled over one more time, he would have to use a body bind.

"Can't you get comfortable?"

"No. This will sound terrible, but there are times when I wish I could take the baby out for a few minutes, just to feel normal again. Instead I'm left flopping around like a beached fish."

"You're not worried about tomorrow, are you?"

No answer.

"Barbara." He ran his hand along her arm. "Draco will not hurt you. He writes that he's eager to work with us. He's spoken to several of his younger friends who have been your students and has developed quite a respect for your work."

"Really?"

"Yes. And I'm eager for him to get here, too."

"How so?"

"Because as soon as he's here, we can concentrate on our little prince or princess and perhaps you will be able to stop distressing over everything you want done before the birth. Or at least you will have one less thing to worry about. You are going to fly to pieces if you don't relax more."

"I think I need some remedial work, professor."

"Well, my dear student, perhaps we need to schedule a detention..."

A/N: I've often thought that the last month or so of pregnancy was invented to make us eager for labor.

Thank you, reviewers!