A/N: I know in the canon HP world Albus is the second son. I mixed them up earlier in the story, and decided to keep it. I changed his middle name, as I don't think Snape would be pleased with having a Potter with his name.
I have an idea. I've got a few name ideas for Hermione and Severus' baby, but nothing is really 'wow' with me yet. So I'm opening it up to you. Send me your name ideas, I'll pick my favorite five, throw in a few of my own, and open it up for a vote on my profile. You have a week before I make my choices, so get them in by next Saturday, midnight Illinois time. And, TimeRose, while I LOVE your suggestion let's keep it for a joke, as Snape would never go for it.
Thanks for reading, thanks to everyone who left me a review so far. You're awesome!
She arrived at the birthing center by Floo moments after Snape left and strode to the front desk. For safety reasons St. Mungos had opened up the center away from the main hospital, and it had a much more homely feel than the main hospital.
"Hello, dear," the elderly witch behind the desk smiled as she approached. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said, though the witch nodded knowingly. She was recognized almost everywhere she went. "Harry and Ginny Potter wanted me to come."
"Of course, dear," she said, standing and beckoning Hermione to follow her. They walked down a hallway, passing a medi-witch carrying a young baby into their mother, a station where several Healers were chatting happily, and a woman in labor who was being coached through some breathing exercises by a supportive husband. She tried to picture Snape talking to her soothingly while she trying to breathe through a contraction, and the image just wouldn't conjure itself in her brain.
It was easy to tell which room Ginny's was. They rounded a corner and she could see several redheads standing outside one room.
"Thank you," she said to the elderly witch as she sped up to join the group.
"Hermione," Molly smiled and enveloped her in a hug while wearing an excited smile.
"Hullo, Mrs. Weasley," she replied with a quick glance at the door. "How is she?"
"She's holding up. They kicked us out so she could be examined by Healer Knox. They told us that if you showed up that they wanted you to come in when the Healer is done."
At those words a plump woman wearing light blue robes emerged from the room, beaming. "She's coming along nicely. It shouldn't be long now. I gave her a bit of a pain potion, nothing that would hurt the baby, but enough to take some of the edge off."
"Go in," Molly urged her, looking excited.
Hermione opened the door slowly and walked inside. Ginny was lying on a bed in the middle of the room, wincing as she had a contraction, Harry holding her hand and whispering encouragingly to her. She closed the door behind her and waited for the contraction to pass.
"Thought you might not be coming," Harry smiled at her as Ginny relaxed.
"I was on a date," she replied, walking in and taking the chair he was gesturing at.
"And how is Snape?"
"He's got another reason to hate you right about now."
"What did I do?" he asked in surprise.
"Let's just say you chose a very inopportune time to go into labor," she smirked at Ginny.
"I'll remember that if I ever have another one, which right now is looking very doubtful," Ginny muttered with a groan. "And for the record, you could have finished your activities before you came. It's probably going to be a few more hours."
"I thought I'd put the brakes on the 'activities' before they got too heated."
"Oh, great. Now he's going to be extra-cranky next time we see him," Harry shook his head.
"Now if 'Mione gets to him first," Ginny winced as another contraction started.
Hermione looked away. She knew it would be her in that bed in a few months, but she didn't want to see her future now. She didn't talk until the contraction passed. "Enough about me, how are you feeling, Ginny?"
"Like someone's hitting me in the stomach with the Cruciatus curse every minute or two."
She forced a smile.
"Sorry," she blushed as she realized her mistake. "I forgot you had..."
"Don't worry about it. Is there anything you need from me? I could go get you something to eat, Harry."
"Trust me, Molly's all over that one," Harry smiled.
"I'll leave you to it, then. Call for me if you need anything," she left quickly before Ginny started another contraction. The door didn't close all the way as Molly forced her way in. Arthur, Ron, George, and Angelina were all sitting in a private waiting room across from Ginny's room. Arthur's head was on his chest as he dozed, Angelina was flipping through a magazine, Ron and George were playing chess to pass the time.
"Hi, Hermione," Ron gave her a quick hug as she sat next to him.
"Hullo, Ron. Where's Lavender?"
"Out with her friends," he sounded bitter. "She didn't want to come here. Said it would waste her Saturday night."
"Hey, 'Mione," George said, smiling widely as his queen took Ron's bishop. "How have you been?"
"I've been good. How about you?" she replied. Her sweater was warm, but she was only wearing a tank-top underneath, which fitted nicely on her form but left little doubt about her expanding stomach.
"Guess what?" Angelina smiled mischievously.
"What?"
She responded by thrusting her left hand towards Hermione. On her ring finger was a large, sparkling diamond ring.
"Oh, congratulations, you guys!" Hermione smiled excitedly, taking Angelina's fingers and studying the ring. "It's beautiful," she smiled at the beaming Gryffindor girl.
"I love it. He proposed last night. Tied it to the tail of his broom and challenged me to a game of Quidditch. First to catch the Snitch wins. He caught it without me noticing, then let it fall off his broom. I rushed after thinking I was about to win..."
"And nearly knocked me off my broom in the process," George beamed. "I probably should have used a floating charm, but I was so nervous I didn't think about it."
"You? Nervous? I don't believe it," Hermione chuckled.
"Yeah, well, she's such a cruddy Seeker I thought it would be dark before she noticed the bloody thing," he explained before ducking a playful slap Angelina aimed at him.
"Anyways, I want to know if you'd be one of my bridesmaids?" Angelina asked her. "Since you're practically a Weasley, I want my future 'sister-in-law' standing up with me."
"Oh, I'd love to!" she said excitedly.
"I already found a dress I love," Angelina suddenly went much more feminine than Hermione had ever known her. She shoved an ad at her, pointing to a picture of a pretty blonde witch modeling a corset-topped dress.
"Oh, that's pretty," Hermione muttered. "When were you thinking of getting married?"
"We're not sure yet, but we were thinking around his birthday in April."
"Oh," she felt her face fall.
"Is that a problem?"
"It's, well, I'm not sure I'll be able to wear that dress come early April."
Angela's eyebrow shot quickly upwards.
Figuring that they would find out soon anyways Hermione made sure the coast was clear of Molly, then lifted her sweater off, revealing her bump.
George and Angelina both gaped at her. "Hermione... wha.. how?" George stammered.
"Well, you see a man and a woman both occasionally get the biological urge..." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I know how babies are made. I just didn't expect you to show up..." his eyes suddenly went wide with realization. He stared, open-mouthed at his little brother. "Is it yours?" he hissed.
"No. He's not mine," Ron said, face turning red.
"Too bad. Then you could have ditched Lavender for the smart one," he made a face at Ron's current girlfriend's name.
"Whose is it?" Angelina whispered, shooting a look at Arthur as Hermione put her sweater over her bump, covering it but still keeping her cool.
"It's... er... well..." she looked at Ron for support.
"You might just want to tell him, 'Mione," Ron muttered, placing an arm around her.
"It's Professor Snape's," she said quickly.
"It's whose?" George shouted.
"What's going on?" Arthur woke with a start.
"Sorry, dad," George muttered, forcing his wide eyes off Hermione. "Just got a little over-excited at a good move."
"Oh. Hullo, Hermione," he smiled at her, noting Ron's arm around her. Ron noticed his quick glance and pulled his arm off Hermione as if he had been burned.
"Hullo, Mr. Weasley. Excited?"
"Very," he smiled back. "Though it would have been nice if this was during waking hours."
"They come when they come," she smiled.
"Yes, yes," he stretched before standing. "Is Molly in there?"
"You know Mum," George rolled his eyes. "The medi-witch is going to have to put her in a full body-bind if she doesn't want her to deliver the baby herself. And she might as well because it'll save Harry and Ginny the trouble because you know they're going to have a time of it getting the baby away from her."
"Yes, yes," he said with a chuckle. "I think I'm going to go in there and see if she won't give them a bit of a rest." He crossed the hallway and disappeared into the room.
"Professor Snape?" George hissed in a low voice, picking up their conversation.
"Yes, well, I always found him so irresistible," Hermione replied with a sigh.
"You did?" he looked like he might be sick.
"Well, I did for at least a night," she shrugged.
"That's disgusting, Hermione. I thought you were smarter than that."
"Don't even start her," Ron warned as he casually captured George's queen.
"Is everything okay?" Angelina asked her, genuine concern in her voice.
"I'm fine," Hermione nodded, grateful for the sympathetic voice. "I've worked things out with Severus and the baby is doing well. Everything is okay."
"I'm here if you need anything," she said, giving her arm a supportive squeeze. "You must be exhausted."
"I am a little tired," she replied, yawning at the suggestion.
Angelina transformed one of the chairs into a lounger, then summoned a pillow and blanket from a nearby cabinet. Hermione took them with a quick 'thanks'. As she laid down Angelina turned down the lights in the room until a single light was hanging over the chessboard. It only took a few minutes for sleep to overtake her.
"'Mione? Hermione!" too soon she felt herself being shaken awake.
"Whatsamatter?" she said, sitting up quickly. She blinked a few times to adjust, then saw Ron standing next to her, beaming widely.
"Harry and Ginny have been asking for you," he said.
"Right," she said, standing up and walking across the hall. She opened the door and was immediately wrapped in a pair of tight arms.
"Harry?" she asked, unable to see past the messy black hair.
"'Mione," he pulled back, smiling wider than she had ever seen him before. "Come meet Albus Sirius Potter."
He stood back, and she got a full view of Ginny cuddling a tiny, black-haired boy wrapped in a blue blanket.
"Oh, my goodness, Harry," she whispered, walking over to the bed to get a better look. Up close she saw that the boy greatly resembled his father, down to the quick glimpse of green eyes she managed to catch after a toothless yawn. "He's beautiful."
"Thank you," Ginny and Harry said in unison.
"Want to hold him?" Ginny asked, carefully holding him out to her.
"Of course," she said, cradling the tiny person in her arms. "Hullo, little guy," she cooed. "I'm Auntie Hermione."
"You should listen to her," Ron appeared at her shoulder. "Because she's the one who will teach you how to survive Hogwarts."
"How are you feeling, Ginny?"
"Like if Harry ever looks at me that way again I'm going to hex him in a very sensitive place," she smiled in exhaustion.
She chuckled, rocking Albus slightly. He yawned again, nuzzled up to her, and fell asleep. She held him for a few minutes until Ginny started to look longingly at her offspring.
"Congratulations," she whispered, handing the bundle back to his mother. "I think he made you a present."
Ginny checked the baby and groaned. "You know, 'Mione, This would be great practice..."
"No way. I've got a few months before I'm changing more than I ever wanted to deal with."
"I pushed him out," Ginny held Albus towards Harry. "You get the first dirty diaper."
"Okay," Harry fake pouted while he lovingly took his son and went to go change him.
"You sure look happy," Hermione stood next to him, watching him carefully change his son.
"I don't think I've ever been happier," Harry replied. "Is it weird that I even like changing his diaper?"
"It's part of being a new dad. You'll get sick of it quickly," she smiled. Again she tried to picture Snape standing over their newborn son, changing his diaper lovingly, but it wouldn't come. It hit her how un-fatherly Severus Snape really was.
"I'm back," a voice called behind them. Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw Molly and Arthur, each laden with armloads of food, entering the room. She made a fuss handing out food to Ginny. Behind her back Ron stole a sandwich.
"Are you hungry, Harry, dear?" Molly asked as Harry finished Albus' diaper.
"Very," Harry said, picking Albus up and turning around. Hermione turned next to him.
Molly stopped mid-stride towards Harry, eyes glued on Hermione's stomach. Her jaw dropped and her hand not holding the food flew to her mouth.
It was then Hermione realized that her sweater was sitting on the transfigured lounge back in the waiting room. Her mouth opened to explain, but the room suddenly started spinning.
"Hermione?" Harry's distant voice sounded as she reached out for something to steady herself on, but the room was spinning so fast she couldn't find anything. She tried to call for help, but she felt her knees hitting the ground and the next moment everything went black.