Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were.
A/N: Thanks to Sunglow for beta reading, and to everyone who has waited patiently for updates. Updates may be sporadic, as I'm writing a Percy/Hermione fic (Shock! Horror! I hear you cry! How could you Moonglow?!) and that keeps getting in the way. Not that I'm begging, but if you want to check it out (and review), it's called Secret Love (PG-13 so far, but may up the rating if asked nicely). But back to Sev and Hermione…..
Sev and the Family SnapeChapter 3 – Expecting the Unexpected
Severus and Hermione emerged briefly from their honeymoon to wish everyone a Happy New Year. The others hadn't expected this, and surmised that this was Hermione's influence on the former surly Potions Master. They were wrong. Severus had had to cajole and coerce his new wife into joining the staff that had remained over the Christmas holidays. Personally, Hermione thought that it was his way to keep the others off-balance. He did have quite a mean streak to him that she wouldn't change for the world.
"Should you be drinking that?"
"One glass of alcohol will not hurt me, Severus." Hermione put her other hand protectively around her goblet as he eyed it disapprovingly.
"Are you sure?"
"Shall I ask Poppy?"
"You have to make an appointment with her anyway, it might be a good idea."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. If he were like this now, two months into her pregnancy, what would he be like at the end?
"Come on then, let's go and ask her."
"You want to tell everyone now?"
"Why not? They'll know soon enough."
"But we've only been married a week, and you're two months gone already."
"So they'll find out that it's not just your books that are 'Moste Potente' around here." She smirked, and slid a hand casually over his backside.
"You're trying to embarrass me, aren't you, my love?"
"Yes. Am I succeeding?"
"No. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. Let's go and find her. She's over there with Albus."
"Oh, let's tell the whole school then, shall we?" he said sarcastically, knowing full well that Albus probably knew already.
They made their way over to Poppy and Albus, Severus keeping a possessive arm around her waist. Albus twinkled at them over his glasses as he watched them coming towards him.
"Happy New Year, Severus, Hermione." He bent down and kissed her cheek.
"Happy New Year, Albus. Excuse me, but can I have a word with Poppy?"
"Certainly, my dear. Everything all right?"
"Everything's wonderful, Albus, thank you." She drew Poppy away to a corner of the hall and Severus kept a surreptitious eye on her, much to the delight of the headmaster.
Heads turned as Poppy let out a very undignified squeal and proceeded to hug Hermione, much to her dismay. She certainly hadn't anticipated Poppy's reaction to her news.
"Anything you'd like to tell me, Severus?" Albus asked.
"I'll give you one guess, and that's being very generous."
"Will you need larger quarters?"
"Eventually, I think."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"May I ask when the baby is due?"
"You'll have to ask us when Hermione has been to see Poppy, but I can guess at around July."
"Ah." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even more.
"Don't look at me like that, old man."
"I didn't say a word."
"You didn't need to." He jerked forward as he was slapped on his back suddenly.
"Sev, how's the honeymoon going?"
"Perfect, until you appeared, Black." Severus waved his hand to clean the spill down his robe.
"Oh, Severus, congratulations." Poppy had rushed up and hugged him. He could see Hermione trying not to laugh over the mediwitch's head. Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.
"You tell him, Hermione." Severus sighed resignedly.
"We're having a baby, Sirius." Hermione smiled.
"You old dog, you." Sirius turned back to Severus.
"No, that's you, Black."
"Didn't waste much time, did you?" he said slyly.
"Didn't waste time doing what?" Remus joined the conversation.
"Hermione's pregnant."
"Really? That's..unexpected."
"Oh? How so?" Severus straightened his spine, bristling with indignation.
"Be careful what you say, Remus, pregnancy hormones can be very unpredictable." Hermione warned.
"But you've only been married a week.."
"Gods, Remus, you can be slow sometimes!" Sirius nudged him and twitched comical eyebrows at him.
"Oohh, I seee." Finally Remus caught on.
"I think we'll let you gossip in peace." Severus gathered Hermione towards him and they made their way back to the Astonomy tower to see the New Year in from their bed.
~~~
"Ready, Hermione?" Poppy had her lay back on a bed and arranged the curtains so the three of them were hidden from view. Severus sat next to her and held her hand.
"Shall I blindfold you and give you earplugs?" he smiled at his wife.
"I gather from that you don't want to know?" Poppy smiled.
"I do, she doesn't."
"No problem. I'll just cast a shield for you, Hermione." She did just that and then waved her wand over Hermione's abdomen.
"Oh, my."
"What?" Severus was concerned.
"Is there any history of twins in either family?"
"Twins?"
"Yes, twins."
"I have twin brothers."
"Congratulations, then. They're both healthy, normal foetuses. Do you want to know the sex, Severus?"
"I think we'd better tell Hermione. This does change things somewhat."
"I'll drop the shield and disappear for a bit. Call me when you need me." Poppy squeezed his shoulder and moved away after dropping the shield.
Hermione looked apprehensively at her husband as she saw Poppy leave.
"What's the matter? Is the baby OK?"
"Babies." He grinned at her, watching as it sank in.
"Babies? As in two?"
"I'm so pleased that you can still count." He teased.
"Where's Poppy?"
"Just outside. She wanted to know if I wanted to know the sex. I said I'd ask you."
"I think we need to know, now. I'd planned for one, but not for two."
"I'll call her back."
He called to Poppy and they watched as Poppy cast a complicated charm.
"Congratulations, both of you. They are both boys. Identical."
"Twin boys." Hermione was stunned, and then smiled at Severus. Two boys, the image of him, and she hugged him delightedly.
"You may want to ask Albus to set extra wards around the dungeons, Severus." Poppy warned.
"Why?" Hermione asked and looked at Severus who had understood the significance of her words.
"Twins, conceived on Halloween, if I'm not mistaken?" Albus appeared from out of nowhere it seemed. "And with very powerful parents."
"Yes." Severus held her close to his side.
"You'd better make sure anything breakable is shielded then."
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Hermione demanded.
"Hermione, dear. A child conceived at Samhain is very powerful. Identical twins conceived on that day are very rare. You and Severus are powerful in your own right, so your children will probably be early developers."
"I see. Anything else I should know?"
"No, just be thankful that Voldemort is gone." Albus said.
"Headmaster!" Poppy looked outraged. "You shouldn't say things like that!"
"Why not? It's the truth." Severus pointed out. "He would have stopped at nothing to possess them. And he would have destroyed anyone who stood in his way."
"But he's gone, so we don't have to worry about that." Albus smiled benevolently down at them, and left them. Poppy fussed a bit more over Hermione, giving her instructions on diet and exercise, and then allowed them to leave, scheduling monthly appointments until she reached six months gestation.
~~~
"So, this changes everything." Hermione was lying on their bed in their quarters in the dungeons, her head on his shoulder.
"How so?"
"Two of everything."
"Just as well you're good at Transfiguration then."
"I'm going to be huge. I'll get stretch marks."
"I'll make you a potion for them."
"You can do that?"
"I am a Potions Master."
"Ever thought of going into business? You could make a fortune."
"No thank you. I have enough to do with just teaching."
"You really enjoy it, don't you? Even when you're being a bastard about it."
"I refuse to answer that on the fact that I may incriminate myself."
"I thought you'd say that. You'll make a wonderful father."
"You think so?"
"Yes. But leave the discipline to me, will you?"
"Afraid I'll be too harsh?"
"No, too soft."
"I'll show you soft.." he rolled her under him and she laughed softly.
"No, that's hard."
"I'll show you hard then…" and he kissed her.
~~~
A lone owl winged its way across the moors and tapped softly at a tall window of a seemingly ruined castle. It opened and the owl fluttered in, settling on a perch in a huge library. A tall, dark man untied the letter and fed the owl a treat, allowing it to fly away out of the window.
"Who's it from, Saxen?" a man identical to him said from a chair by the fire.
"Looks like Devereux's writing." He turned it over and broke the seal, catching the paper that fell out. He turned it over and gasped.
"What is it?" the other man stood up.
"Severus."
"What?"
"Here." Saxen handed a picture over to Sage and opened the letter from Devereux Duval, an old friend.
Dear Saxen
My daughter has recently become betrothed to a Draco Malfoy, an ex-student of your brothers. They were at his recent wedding, and I wasn't sure if you knew. I realise that if you didn't, this may come as a shock, but perhaps it is time for bridges to be built.
Devereux.
"He's married? When?" Sage stared at the picture of his younger brother.
"Recently, according to Duval." Saxen stood next to Sage and looked as well. It had been twenty years since they'd last seen him and both had regrets. Very little was reported about Severus after the war ended, most of it concentrated on Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, although they both now knew that he had been a spy, not a traitor.
"She looks very young. I wonder who she is?" Saxen mused.
"Whom who is?" A dark voice said from the doorway. They looked up and saw their father standing there.
"Severus' wife."
The older man steadied himself against the door.
"Severus?" he whispered.
"Here." Saxen moved towards him and helped him to a chair. When he was settled, Sage handed him the letter and picture.
"Shall I fetch Mother?" Saxen asked.
"No, not yet." He was staring at the picture of his youngest son, remembering the last time he'd seen him, and the angry words that had been said. That had been so long ago, and now this. How many times over the past twenty years had Camille wanted to reach out to him but been prevented by his unwillingness to swallow his pride? He looked again at Duval's letter. Perhaps it was time he laid the first stone on that bridge.
"I think it's time we contacted Albus Dumbledore." He looked at his sons, who nodded. Sage went to the desk and picked up a quill and some parchment, bringing them back to his father.
"Shall I get Mother?"
"That would be wise. I'm sure she will want to read Duval's note." He bent his head over the parchment and started writing.
Sage left the library and went in search of his mother, finding her in the drawing room, carefully stitching something. Sage noticed it was a handkerchief with his father's initials on SS; not that it mattered, they all had the same initials.
"Mother, Father would like you to come to the library."
"Is there anything wrong?"
"No. But he has some news for you."
"Good or bad?"
"Good, I think." He offered a hand to help her up and she stood, a tall graceful woman with upswept black hair, liberally streaked with grey. They walked together to the library.
"Simeon?"
"Camille. Come and sit by me." Simeon raised his head as his wife said his name. He wondered how she would take the news. Taking one of her hands in his, he handed her the parchment and picture, and watched as her face paled. Her hand trembled in his and he squeezed it reassuringly.
"Married? My Severus?"
"I was just writing to Albus."
"Who is she?"
"I don't know."
"He looks happy."
"He does, doesn't he?"
"She's beautiful. And young."
"They look good together."
"Does this mean I can contact my son finally, Simeon?"
"Shall we see whether any advances we make will be welcome?"
"Very well. Send the letter, and we'll see."
~~~
The lights were dim in the round tower that was Albus Dumbledore's office. Fawkes was dozing on his perch, but jerked awake moments before there was a tap on the window. The window swung open by itself and a barn owl flew in, landing on the back of a large winged chair. A thin, papery hand released the letter and opened it.
"Well, well, Simeon. I wondered when I would hear from you."
TBC