Chapter 2 -Wriggling brown spiders-
"Oh Mummy, just think - I got lost and-" she stifled a sob. Her small body was still trembling slightly. Severus watched an awkward Hermione picking the little girl up. Obviously, she was just as surprised by that revelation as he was.
"Hush – don't cry," she whispered in a soothing sort of voice he had never heard from her before. "Why are you all alone, anyway?"
"I .. I wanted … to …go down to the dungeons …"
"Really?" Hermione croaked out, even more surprised.
"Yes, Mummy," the little girl nodded eagerly. "I .. I wanted to," another half stifled sob, "- to see Daddy."
"Ohh-erw, you …you… What?!" Hermione gasped and Severus had to suppress a cough himself.
"Yes, I know, he's teaching down there right now, but then Peeves appeared ..." the little girl continued, completely unaware of the shock she had caused them both by that simple remark, "and …I got all scared and … just ran off … but I .."
"Oh - that wasn't nice of Peeves, was it?" Severus heard Hermione whispering, confusion written all over her face. He watched her rocking the little girl comfortingly. From the blank look in her eyes he could tell, she was completely taken aback at this news as well.
The little girl shook her head eagerly. "No, not at all. Mummy?" she asked, snuggling closer to Hermione's chest.
"Yes, D- Dearie?" Severus heard his student stuttering.
"Can we go down to Daddy's lab now?"
"Erww-"
Severus was still busy, sorting that information out, when suddenly his own future self appeared at the scene.
¥
"Hermione –" the future Snape asked worriedly and rushed towards them. "I heard Serpentina crying-" he trailed off, when he saw the little girl beaming at him with bright, beetle-black eyes.
"Daddy," she laughed.
"Hello princess." He smiled gently, then added with a mock frown: "Shouldn't you be at Hagrid's right now?"
"Yes." The little girl nodded proudly. "I've been there – but I tricked him."
"Well, obviously," he muttered, trying his best to hide a smile. He locked his eyes with the ones of an utterly shocked Hermione, who just stared at him.
The bewildered expression on her face seemed to bother him, though.
"Is everything all right? You're looking all pale and scared, Sweetheart," he asked softly, putting a comforting arm around her. "It's the baby, isn't it?" he whispered, while kissing her temple softly. "Are you sick again? You're terribly pale, you know?"
"Oh .. oh – no! No – I'm … q-quite fine Pro – er - probably - er yes, it's because I'm a little er – tired – probably, er - yes that's it …" Hermione stuttered.
"Oh yes - I see …" a second tender brushing of his lips against her temple. "Darling ..." Another kiss. "Of course you are."
With a tender look at the wriggling girl in her arms he told her: "Just pass her to me – Sweetheart, she's far too heavy for you now – you shouldn't carry her around."
"Come here, princess, Mummy needs a little rest now." He lifted the child out of Hermione's arms.
"Why?"
"Because of the little sibling …" he gave Hermione a tender smile.
"Where is – the 'siblthing'?"
"In here." He softly placed one hand at Hermione's stomach.
The little girl leaned forward. "I can't see it -"
"That's right, Tina. It's still far too small to be seen. It needs to grow inside of Mummy's belly first. She needs to help him grow, you know? That's why Mummy is sometimes tired lately. It's nothing to worry about," he added gently, stroking his little daughter's hair back in a tender gesture.
"It's inside there? Really?" she asked suspiciously. "Hagrid says, it would arrive by stork – like the post does by owl," she declared stubbornly.
This idea caused the future Severus to chuckle slightly, while his younger self bit his tongue to suppress that sound. Hermione just blushed.
"No, that's not quite correct, Sweetheart," she heard the future Snape explain, while glancing lovingly at her.
"But Hagrid said -"
"Hagrid has been fibbing. Just wait until it's big enough to make Mummy's belly go all round and starts wriggling, Sweetheart. Then you'll see it's in there. Like you were."
"Me?"
"Yes, Tina. You've been in Mummy's belly as well."
"Did I grow inside there, too?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes, Sweet, you did."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why had I been inside of Mummy's belly?"
"Because - Mummy and Daddy love each other very, very much – and wished for you – and as they are so much in love with each other, they got their wish fulfilled, princess," he declared softly.
"Oh- and why is that little 'siblthing' inside of Mummy now?"
"For the same reason, Sweetheart."
"Did you wish for the 'siblthing', too."
"Yes."
"Oh – and it came in there - because you love Mummy – and she you?"
"Yes, Darling, that's right." He kissed her cheek.
"Daddy --- will you love that little 'siblthing' more than me?"
"No, Tina. Mummy and Daddy will love you just as much as they do now. But they love the little one, too."
"Even now?"
"Yes – " he returned his hand to Hermione's belly. "It's right here, you see? It can hear us talking – maybe not yet, but very soon - and it can feel, when we're stroking Mummy's stomach. Like this." He softly rubbed his palm across Hermione's stomach and down to her belly in one fluid, gentle caress that send shivers up and down her spine.
"It's happy then," he muttered tenderly.
Hermione felt her throat get tight, while a shock-wave of heat ripped through her. Gasping with surprise at the strange sensations of warmth and bliss that welled up inside her at the softness of his touch - his tenderness - she leaned into him – closing her eyes - her head spinning with confusion.
"Mummy is happy then, too," she heard him whispering. Another little kiss was placed at her temple. She felt his warm breath tickling her skin as he whispered into her ear. "Aren't you, Love?" She could feel he was smiling.
"Mmmh-yes-" she breathed softly.
"I love you." Another kiss and a tender caress of her belly that caused her to snuggle her face into the curve of his neck.
"M-m-hm-m --" she whimpered.
The little girl smiled. "Ohh- Can I talk to it, too, Daddy?"
"Yes. Do you want to try?"
Her eyes went all round with awe at that. "Yes -"
"Just go ahead, Sweetheart, you can't do anything wrong. You just have to be careful, will you?"
She nodded earnestly.
With that, the future Snape took the little girl's hand in his, placed both of their hands tenderly at Hermione's stomach and started to stroke it softly. "Like this, Tina."
Hermione swallowed hard at that.
The little girl laughed. "Ohh- Hi, .." she started shyly, then leaned towards her Daddy and whispered into his ear. "What's his name?"
"We don't know yet, princess. It depends on whether it's a boy or a girl."
"Don't you know that, Daddy?"
"No, we don't know yet. What would you like better, Tina - a little brother, or a little sis?"
She narrowed her eyes in concentration and tilted her head aside, "I don't know …" then beamed: "A dog!"
"Oh, my -- Well, maybe, we can see to that, too." The future Snape beamed at Hermione. He started to gently stroke and massage her back in tiny circles.
"Does the 'siblthing' hear every word I say, Daddy?" the little girl interjected thoughtfully.
"Well, maybe not every word, but the most of it, yes," the future Snape nodded.
"Did it hear, I'd like to have a dog better than a 'siblthing'? Is it mad with me now? " she asked worriedly.
"No, Sweetheart, it's not mad at you. It's far too little, to understand what you're telling him, but it'll know its big sister's voice, when it's born. And perhaps it would like to have a dog, too. What do you think?"
She smiled at that. "Mmmm - "
"Just tell him about the dog and how the three of you can play with each other, when it's old enough. Just think, how much fun that will be."
She smiled again. "Did you talk to me, too, when I was in Mummy's belly?"
"Yes, we talked to you a lot, when you were growing in there."
"Really?" She beamed.
"Of course, Treasure. I've kissed you goodnight, ever since we knew you were in there."
"How did you do that?"
"I've kissed Mummy's belly, and at nights - I tucked her in and put my arms around the both of you to make you feel all safe and sheltered."
"Ohhh-"
Hermione swallowed again.
"And when you were big enough, we could feel you wriggling happily, whenever I kissed Mummy. We cuddled in font of the fireplace and placed our hands at her rounded belly to feel you in there. You were wriggling a whole lot, princess. I guess you were training for Quidditch inside there.
She giggled.
"But when Mummy sung you a lullaby, or if we told you a fairy-tale, you calmed down, Sweetheart."
The little girl smiled at that. "When does the little 'siblthing' get out?"
"Not yet. It needs to grow first."
"And when will it start wriggling, Daddy?"
"When it's ready for it, Sweet – but that'll take some time, too. It's far to early still."
"How long is it inside there, anyway?"
"Oh – just a few weeks."
"Oh …"
"How is it? Does my big girl want to help me teach my Potions class again?"
"Oh – yes, Daddy!" She clapped her hands with joy. "That's what I've tricked Hagrid for in the first place!"
"I supposed so," the future Snape chuckled. All the time he had continued to gently caress Hermione's back. Now he gazed into her eyes - lovingly. "Is that all right with you, Dearest?"
Hermione's throat was tight with tenderness all of a sudden, she didn't trust herself to speak. "Yes ..." she croaked out, leaning into his chest to hide her confusion.
The future Snape, who obviously supposed her to do so because of dizziness, put Serpentina down to her feet at that. "Is it all that bad again, Darling?" he asked, reaching up to softly stroke Hermione's cheek.
"N-no, no - it's just .. just …" She swallowed hard and blinked furiously, but it was no use at all. She burst into tears nonetheless. "Oh-I-don't-know-…it's just, … just …"
"Oh, Darling," the future Snape muttered softly, "Hermione – Darling - don't you cry - Love – please don't you cry." He closed both of his arms safely around her. "I love you, Hermione – I love you so much …" he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "I love you." He started to kiss the tears away from her face.
"I –I –I, oh S-se-sev-erus -" she muttered helplessly and before she could sort out a single thought at all, he had clasped her trembling lips with his and kissed her.
Hermione tensed, but after the first shock, she melted into the kiss. His lips were soft and firm at the same time, giving all purchase and comfort to her she needed. It was a soft, consoling kiss, full of love and tenderness. It took away the tightness in her throat and all the tension that had build up inside of her. It felt so right to kiss him like that. It was just what she needed.
When he reluctantly broke the kiss, it left her aching all over with desperate longing for him. But he had already turned towards the little girl again. "Don't you worry, Sweetheart. Mummy's fine," she heard him speak to the little girl, who watched them worriedly.
"Really?" the child asked hesitantly.
"Yes, Dearie. Just look, how she's smiling again," the future Snape assured her.
Only the determination to spare her - soon to be - little girl the worry, stopped Hermione from bursting into tears again. "Yes," she croaked out, "yes, Tina – D-Daddy's right, I … I'm fine."
The future Snape gave her a tender smile at this. "All right then, Tina." He took the little girl's hand, sneaked the other arm around Hermione and started to lead them both away. "We'll first put Mummy into bed and tuck her in."
"So she can rest and help the little-one grow?" the little girl concluded.
"Quite right, Treasure," the future Snape smiled at her. "And afterwards, we'll go and show the second year Hufflepuffs, how to brew Cheering- Potion!"
"May I cut the honey-blossom-roots, Daddy?"
"No, Sweet. Daddy will do that himself – but you can hand out the spiders again."
"The large brown ones?" she asked eagerly.
"The very same, Tina." He smiled. "Will you?"
"Huuii-yes, Daddy," she giggled excitedly. "they tickle so funni-ly, when they wriggle in my hands!"
His lips curled into a slight sneer at that. "Ahh-yes, that's quite appealing."
"Ewwwr— honestly-" Hermione just shuddered.
The future Snape gave her a mock grin, then leaned down and whispered to his daughter: "I guess, we'd better stop talking about that now, princess."
"Doesn't Mummy like spiders?"
"Not too much, no." He grinned. "Do you, Dearest?"
"Huuaah – no! Definitely not!" Hermione shuddered.
"Look out, Mummy – it's a fat brown spider at your robes." Tina giggled and started to move her fingers like wriggling spiders' legs up and down the cloth. "Uuua, it's one with those thick hairy legs …"
Hermione just shuddered with a low moan of surprise that the future Snape mistook for sickness. "That'll be enough, Tina," he recommended quite sternly. "Mummy's already sick – we don't want to make her feel worse, do we?" He stopped walking and pulled Hermione close to his chest. "It's all right, Love."
"Will she throw up again now - like she does in the morning, Daddy?" Tina asked suspiciously.
"Maybe, Tina."
"Will you have to, Darling?" he asked, all concerned.
"N-no, Sev-e-rus, I …I won't. Don't worry," Hermione croaked out with embarrassment, pinching her eyes shut.
A gentle hand caressed her hair. "Just lean into me, Dearest. I'll hold you, don't you worry," the future Snape whispered. "Just close your eyes, I'm here. Just breathe calmly. In-and out - in-and out. Yes, that's fine. It'll make the sickness go away, you'll see. It'll be all better soon."
Hermione was completely shaken to find any version of Snape treating her with such tenderness. When she finally steadied herself, she expected him to let go of her, but he just pulled her a little closer, kissing her temple.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he muttered. "I shouldn't have brought those spiders up – I didn't mean to make things worse for you, my Darling." Another gentle kiss. "I love you."
"Oh Severus … I …"
The little girl giggled again. "Ohh- I guess, Mummy must have been quite an awful case at Potions then."
"No, Tina. Mummy has always been brilliant at Potions. She never spoiled a single one." Bemused at that praise, Hermione raised her eyebrows, but Severus already continued with a tender smile in her direction: "And not just at Potions. She has been top of her year in every class. She's the most gifted witch I've ever seen." His voice was full of love and adoration.
"But if she threw up, because of a few spiders .." Tina started to complain, but the future Snape just laughed silently at that.
"She didn't do so then, princess. Just now, as she's pregnant. We need to be very careful around her these days."
The little girl nodded in earnest. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry, Mummy."
"You needn't be," Hermione told her affectionately. "Mummy is all right, really." She caught another look of love and adoration from the future Snape and smiled back at him.
"Mummy didn't get sick – because you talked about spiders," she cast another smile at his direction, "although Daddy is right – she has never been too fond of them either. So you have probably inherited that likeness from him."
"Most likely, yes," he sneered mockingly. "And you know what, Tina? Daddy has teased Mummy about spiders, too."
Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in surprise and he gave her a sweet, innocent smile.
"She isn't afraid of them and has prepared them along with other potion ingredients without hesitation, but-" his lips curled into a mock smile, "I dare say, she never enjoyed handing them out as much as you do, Tina."
Hermione frowned at him.
"Oh, don't be mad at me, Love. It was so much fun to watch, how you levitated them out of the glass, whenever you thought I wasn't looking," he sniggered.
Hermione couldn't hide her amusement at that. "W-well, you can't say it hadn't been a good idea, could you?" She smiled sweetly.
"It was priceless, Sweetheart." He softly kissed her temple again. "I've always wondered, how you managed to hide that wand of yours in your sleeve and perform the Levitation Charm correctly, nonetheless. Filius Flitwick would have been impressed." The future Snape looked at her, his dark eyes glittering, and Hermione started to feel all wriggly all of a sudden.
"And that encounter, when you dropped that spider on top of the Weasley-boy, when I turned around, before you could grab it out of mid-air-" he continued, still fixing her gaze. "I've found it extremely hard, not to laugh out aloud at that."
"Oh," Hermione gasped, snapping out of her dreamy state of confusion. "So you've done that on purpose, haven't you?"
He chuckled once more. "Of course I have, Darling."
"Were you and Mummy in love, even back then?" Serpentina asked excitedly.
¥
At that, the 'invisible', Severus held his breath.
"Well," he heard his future self explaining carefully, "well, I dare say – yes – probably we were in love even back then, Sweet. Although neither Mummy nor I would have admitted it - at that time."
He smiled gently at his 'supposed' wife. "What do you guess, Love? Were we?"
A/N: Thank you for the nice reviews to the first chapter. It was quite encouraging. I'm glad, you liked the story so far.
And thanks to SilentG, for beta-reading.
*Dreamer * Thank you for the first review to this story.
*Eiez* Thanks. I'm glad you liked 'Chamber of Secrets' and 'A little of your time', too.
*The Duck* Oh-erw, thank you! That imagination, really made me laugh. But it's not necessary, I'll continue.
Serpentina