Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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While Severus and Lily greatly looked forward to their graduation, a reprieve from school came with the arrival of the castle's winter recess.
Since the couple had little money, they married in a simple ceremony with Lily's parents and Severus's mother as the only guests present.
Petunia had declined to attend.
Their meager budget afforded no honeymoon, but did allow them to rent a one bedroom flat in Hogsmeade.
During those cold winter nights, Lily couldn't help but smile as Severus cuddled her in his arms on their secondhand sofa and gently kissed her plump lips.
The white snow flurries that fell outside the window and the sensation of Severus's warm hand pressed against her rounded abdomen made Lily sigh into their kiss.
It was a simple life, but it was a life with Severus, her mate.
Lily had become profoundly and unmistakably happy.
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Once the school year resumed, the months seemed to roll by at an alarming speed.
Mr. and Mrs. Snape were among the first of Hogwarts' couples to ever marry and move out of the castle prior to graduation while still attending daily classes.
As Lily's pregnancy progressed, the demands of her academic life grew burdensome once her belly swelled and her aches increased.
Severus gladly looked for opportunities to help his expectant wife.
Two weeks before graduation, Lily laid in the bathtub of their apartment's lavatory and sighed as she leaned back into the welcoming warmth that surrounded her.
Severus thoughtfully poured salt into the water to replicate the composition of the ocean.
He tried not to be rude with his gaze, but his dark eyes couldn't help but dance over his beautiful mate's heavy breasts and full womb.
Severus liked it more than he wanted to admit, watching his beloved Lily waddle through the castle as she carried his child.
Her changing figure had drawn jealous sneers from James, the Marauders, and other boys whose hearts were not attached to her but remained envious of the couple's good fortune.
For once, Severus had felt proud of himself.
He had earned the love of the woman he would die for, he had married her, and-
"Oh……." Lily gasped as she placed a hand on the side of her belly and drew a deep breath.
"Lily?" Severus frowned, "What's the matter?...Are you having pain?"
"No." She huffed as she blew out a breath, "Little one's just moving a bit. Would you like to feel?"
Severus frowned as Lily grabbed his hand and guided it to the right side of her abdomen.
She pressed his hand to her skin and smiled as a torrent of motion landed against his palm and fingers.
Severus frowned down at the swell with a look of deep concentration on his face, though his reverent gratitude was clearly visible.
He loved touching Lily and connecting with the growing life their love had created.
Regardless, during the last few months as her moods had become unpredictable, he had taken great precautions not to annoy her.
"It's alright, Sev." Lily chuckled as he glanced up at her face reassuringly, "I've told you before, you can touch me whenever you want, you don't have to have an invitation each time."
"I don't want to hurt you, my love…….or upset you." Severus purred as he leaned in and stole a kiss.
"You're not going to do either of those things." Lily smiled wryly as Severus pulled away, "I love you, Sev. I want your hands on me…..Even when I'm cross and don't sound like it!"
A few moments later, Severus stayed quiet as he guided Lily out of the tub and lovingly dried her with a towel.
He kept one hand on her back and one hand on her womb as he led her out of the bathroom.
"Shall I run another tub of saltwater?" Severus asked as he helped his wife lower herself onto the bed.
"No, thanks, Sev." Lily yawned as she rubbed her eyes, "Actually, I'd like to take advantage of this Saturday afternoon and nap, I think. I'm exhausted, but I can't imagine why."
"Probably because you're carrying a life." Severus murmured as he assisted Lily in laying back against the pillows while she yawned again.
"Pregnancy doesn't exhaust sirens." She answered as she snuggled onto her side.
Severus thoughtfully pulled one of the bed's soft blankets over her to keep her warm as he quipped, "To my understanding, sirens aren't often with child……."
"You're right." Lily smiled without opening her eyes.
Severus watched her quietly until her breathing became steady and deep.
Once he knew she was most likely asleep, he turned and began to deftly glide out of the room, but her voice stopped him as she called out, "...Sev?"
"...Yes, my love?" He asked as he turned and frowned at his bride.
"Won't you lay with me awhile?" Lily asked quietly.
Severus had intended to go and work on a few of his assignments for his new apprenticeship with Slughorn, but he could hardly refuse his lover's request.
He carefully crawled onto the bed and joined his expectant wife under the covers as he turned on his side and let Lily cuddle against him.
As she sighed and closed her eyes to rest, he nuzzled into her sweetly-scented, crimson hair while he spread his elegant hand possessively over the swell that held their little one.
Severus harbored the same anxious nervousness all expectant fathers experienced, although excitement filled his heart.
He couldn't wait to meet the child his and Lily's love had produced.
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Graduation came and went.
Officially hired as Slughorn's apprentice, Severus's salary was meager but adequate enough to meet the needs of his small family.
He could care for himself, Lily, and prepare for their baby as they moved out of their apartment into a small cottage along a remote patch of shoreline nestled far away from the closest village.
Lily freely went for swims in the blue sea while Severus earned a living wage.
Their little one decided to join them on the last day of July.
Severus had summoned the magical midwife as soon as Lily had endured her first contraction early that morning, though his bride's struggle extended until after sunset.
Close to midnight, Lily fell back against the pillows of their bed while an infant's angry wails filled the room as the midwife worked to swaddle the babe.
"You were incredible, my love." Severus purred as he kept Lily's hand clutched in his while he gazed into her tired eyes and pressed a kiss to her damp knuckles.
"I couldn't have done it without you, Sev." Lily huffed as she tried to steady her breathing, "I love you……"
Severus frowned as he quickly reached over and used a damp rag to blot the last of the perspiration from his darling flower's face and chest.
He had loyally stayed next to his wife through each moment of her labour, guiding, coaching, supporting, loving……..
Severus had gained much more respect for mothers that day after he had watched what his darling flower had suffered through to bring their baby into the world.
"Here you are, Mrs. Snape!" The midwife beamed as she placed a squirming bundle on Lily's chest, "You have a beautiful little girl!"
Severus and Lily gazed down at the angry, scowling baby in her grasp with looks of shocked awe on their faces.
Lily laughed as she touched their newborn's tiny hand, but Severus's mouth fell open.
As he gazed into his daughter's bright, green eyes, his heart doubled in size.
"Isn't she beautiful, Severus?" Lily asked with a contented sigh.
The baby cooed as she held her father's gaze.
From that moment on, Severus Snape loved two women, not one.
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"Is Daddy coming home soon, Mummy?" The dark-haired little girl asked as she wrapped herself around Lily's legs.
"He should be here any moment, Harriet." Lily smiled as she chopped a tomato on the kitchen counter, working to prepare dinner for her family, "Mummy's almost done, alright? Then we can read a story while we wait for Daddy."
"I hope Daddy comes home soon." Little Harriet pouted as she looked at the mermaid doll she held in her arms.
Lily smiled down at her young daughter while she continued her task, but Harriet's curiosity was too much to contain.
Her small feet pounded across the floor as she raced over to the low window on the front of the cottage and peered through the glass.
"Mummy, look! Mummy, look!" Harriet screeched excitedly as she pointed out the window.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Lily asked as she laid the knife down and hurried over.
"Daddy's home! Daddy!...He's home!" Harriet chorused as she jumped up and down gleefully.
Lily laughed as she moved over and opened the cottage's front door.
Outside, Severus's black robes billowed behind him as he walked through the swaying froths of seagrass.
As he approached the small cottage he shared with his wife and daughter, a squeal instantly captured his attention.
"DADDY!" Harriet shrieked as she rushed up to Severus and threw her arms around what she could reach of him in a tight hug.
"Have you behaved for Mummy today?" Severus asked in his low drawl as he reached down and scooped Harriet into his arms.
His black eyes softened as he looked over and watched his beloved approach.
"She's been wonderful, sweetheart, but she's missed you all day again." Lily chided with a sweet smile, "...I have too."
"Not as much as I missed both of you." Severus purred as he kissed his wife once she leaned towards him.
Together, the Snape family went inside and spent the rest of the pleasant evening in one another's company.
As Harriet slept in her room that night with a smile on her face, Severus cast a Silencing Charm around his and Lily's bedchamber before he released his wife from the cruel confines of her robes.
Lily held onto the bedposts while Severus kissed and licked his way down her curves.
In the five years since Voldemort's death and Harriet's birth, Severus and Lily's passion for one another burned stronger than ever.