"Hermione, I don't give a fuck about some damn peanut butter but I do want to know why it's making my lioness cry?"
Choking out a laugh she cupped his hand with hers.
"But that's the point Severus… this is about the peanut butter, you're right I don't like peanut butter"
Confusion laced his tone. "Then why-"
"Severus, I'm pregnant"
oOo
His mouth worked up and down for a moment or two, though no words escaped, before he sat down heavily beside her.
"You're sure?" He asked her quietly and her answer was barely a whisper.
"Positive. I cast the charm" came her muffled answer, her voice thick with emotion.
"This...complicates things" was his response.
Her incredulous snort was his answer to that statement.
"So much for the summer wedding you wanted, this changes things"
"Of course" she answered miserably, pain choked her voice and tears tracked her cheeks. She felt like her whole world was falling down around her.
He wasn't even looking at her, but staring at the wall with a frown as though in deep concentration.
"And Gringotts will have to be informed of the changes" She just nodded, she'd expected as much.
"Perhaps we should even consider hiring some movers, get this over and done with as quickly as possible"
She couldn't hold back her tears then, at the thought of being without him. Of him not being there beside her every night. And Rose? Rose loved him, how would she explain to Rose that she'd ruined this for them?
"Don't cry love" He said softly and rubbed her back gently. "In the long run, It will be better to do this quickly and get it over and done with, you'll see"
But she couldn't see it. And it made her cry harder. The thought of a life without him in it, made her sobs wrack her body until she found herself turning to throw up in the toilet.
Shushing her gently, he pulled her hair out the way and rested his cool hand on the back of her fevered neck.
"I'm sorry, I ruined everything, I'm so stupid, I'm sorry" She sobbed into his shoulder, desperately clinging to him as though she could keep him by her side through the sheer force of her grief.
"I don't ever want to let you go" was hiccoughing out of her and he shushed her and held her close with a chuckle.
"Nothing is ruined, just...different. Usually I wouldn't object to you holding on to me, but given the circumstances and all that needs to be done over the next week.."
Next week? So little time. More tears broke free.
"I'm going to miss you, I don't know how I will survive without you, I love you Severus, so so much"
"I know you will Witch, and I you, but we've been apart before, and we have survived"
"But how will I cope knowing I'm never going to see you again?"
He held her out at arms length then, looked at her as though she'd just told him the earth was flat.
"Witch, what are you talking about?"
Did he have to be so cruel to make her spell it out?
"Whenever we've been apart before Severus, we knew we were going to see each other again. How am I going to come home to a life that doesn't have you in it ?"
He looked at her strangely once more, almost hurt. "Why...where am I going?"
"You're not going anywhere, I am!"
"You are? Where? And why?" The confusion on his face seemed alien, and it made her almost angry.
"Of course I am, you said so yourself! and because I'm pregnant Severus, Obviously... I...I don't know where I'll go"
"Witch are you unhinged? I said nothing of the sort!"
She was shaking her head, lost to hormones and grief. "But Severus, I'm pregnant" She whispered tearfully, and he nodded and pressed a hand against her head as though checking for fever.
"Yes Hermione, we've gathered that." He gave her a look that made her think the implied you dunderhead was being tacked on silently to the end "Hence the change of plans. The wedding will have to be sooner, likely in the winter so the child isn't born out of wedlock, and the Goblin's will have to be made aware of the changes to inheritance, it will need to be equally divided between Rose and her sibling and we need to get out of Spinners end and into the cottage before you are too far along into your confinement, how far along are you?"
He thought the baby was his. Oh god this is so so much worse.
"Severus, I'm almost 6 months… I'm sorry...I didn't even realise, I'm barely even showing and I thought I'd just got a bit fat because I've been eating more and working less but…"
"You look beautiful Hermione at any size so cease that line of thinking at once , so that puts your due date around January? It looks like we may have to have a Christmas wedding after all"
He didn't get it , oh Goddess, Oh Merlin help her.
"Severus I am 6 months pregnant"
"Yes Hermione we've established that...are you sure you're feeling alright?"
He reached for her forehead again and she slapped his hand away. Angry, Upset and Embarrassed.
"Severus, listen to me! I am 6 months pregnant, and we have only been together for about 5 and a half months!"
She waited for the galleon to drop, but it didn't as he continued to look at her as though she'd grown another head. "Your point being…?"
"Severus this baby isn't yours!" It came out a lot louder that she planned, loud enough he actually jumped a bit and she covered her mouth as she choked on a sob.
He was silent for a moment, before he spoke once more.
"Of course it's our baby"
"Severus -" The words fell from her lips as a sob, she just couldn't do this right now. But he hushed her and pulled her into his lap, and to her surprise, kissed her gently.
"Severus" she began again but he silenced her with a finger on her lips.
"Across that hall there are two sleeping children. MY children, both of them. Neither of them carry my DNA, and I shall be thankful for that and that I haven't burdened either of them with my unfortunate looks" He nudged her chin with his nose and she kissed it as she always did, when he tried to make disparaging remarks about his own appearance.
"I know I didn't put the child in your belly Hermione, and I know I never will. But it matters little who put them there, what matters is that they are a part of you and I shall be the one there when it counts. I love Rose, and I love Scorpius but don't you see what you've given me witch?"
She shook her head, too overcome to put her thoughts into words.
"I am already Rose's daddy, and I will love Scorpius as my own, but Hermione...you've given me so much more. I will get to watch and feel this child as they grow in your belly, I will be there when you bring them into this world and I will hear their cries as they greet it, I'll cut their cord and change their nappies, and give their bottles and hold them as they cry, I will teach Rose how to be a big sister…Don't you see, you've given me fatherhood Hermione, something I thought I'd never have."
She broke down then, sobbing in his arms as she wrapped herself around him like a devil's snare and he placed kisses in her hair and held her close to him.
When she was finally able to breathe normally and she relaxed into his arms, exhausted and fatigued, she spoke her fears quietly. "And what if she or he has red hair and freckles?"
"You have freckles witch, and so does Rose. They're adorable on both of you… as for red hair, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"
She chuckled and kissed him gently "People might ask questions, say things" She whispered and he shrugged. "Let them ask them to my wand, people can think what they want and it bothers me little, if they say anything disparaging to my face they will learn very quickly not to upset my family"
Holding his face in her hands she kissed him, with all the passion she could muster in her exhausted state. "I love you so much Severus Snape"
He smiled gently as he always did when she said those words to him, but they both jumped at the feeling of something rippling between them.
"Oh My God" Hermoine gasped as one hand covered her mouth and the other went down to her stomach.
Severus's eyes were wide, and his mouth open in shock "Was that!?"
"Yes!" Hermione gasped, and this time the tears were for an altogether different and more happier reason. "A kick , the first one!"
It happened again and Hermione suddenly squealed in shock as she found herself abruptly lifted bridal style and in 3 long strides out of the bathroom deposited on the bed.
Severus practically leapt on the bed beside her and he looked so young and boyish in his excitement that she almost wept, at least now she could blame it on the hormones.
"Can I ?" He'd asked, the hope and excitement clear in his voice and she'd nodded with a watery smile.
Laying on her back she pulled up hershirt to show the barely there bulge and he rested his hand reverently over it , laying on his side, face level with her belly. When another ripple was finally felt against his hand he smiled and pressed a kiss to the soft skin of her belly.
"Hello little one, My name is Severus and I'm going to be your Daddy"
And Hermione wept.