So Ginny stayed. By the end of the school year, Madame Pomfrey had told her to stay in bed for most of the day. Ginny was so small, she was worried about her health. She didn't attend graduation and was actually happy when they arrived back at the manor. The connecting room, with a flick of Snape's wand, became a nursery; the beautiful four-poster bed Ginny had slept in was now a small, white crib.

The baby came a few weeks early. She felt the pains and they went to St. Mungo's. Snape had offered to have mediwitches but she didn't want anything to go wrong. There were no spells to make childbirth not painful. Snape brewed her a pain lessening potion but she was slight of frame and the baby was large. Severus paced outside her room for hours. He owled Harry at the burrow because Ginny would have wanted it. He came in the middle of the night, looking tired but uncomplaining. He made no move to speak to his old professor, just sa in the waiting room offering silent support.

"You can go," Snape said. "if you're tired. I'll tell her you came and owl you." The sun was coming up now and Severus was offering Harry an olive branch, not sending him away.

"No," Harry said. "I'll stay." There was silence. "You know her father is here, right?"

"Yes, I know. Incurable ward." Snape muttered.

"He's mostly out of it but I think that he might like to see the baby. Mr. Weasley reacts well to Ginny. He gave her Molly's ring when Ginny came last August, on her birthday." Snape looked up.

"Birthday?" he said, realizing he'd been with her over a year now and hadn't experienced her birthday. She'd known his, somehow, and had given him a first edition potions text.

"August 7th. The day she gave me the burrow. Backwards, eh?" Snape buried his face in his hands.

"She is too good for me." he moaned.

"Yes." Harry agreed, blandly. "But if you make her happy…" he shrugged the rest of the sentence away. Thankfully, the door to Ginny's room opened an the nurse ushered Severus inside while Harry waited. Ginny was pale and exhausted but there was a baby in her arms, attached to her breast.

"Hello," Ginny said. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Snape laughed and leaned over them, peering into the baby's red, wrinkled face.

"What is it?" he asked, afraid to touch either of them.

"A baby, Severus." she said dully and he glared. "A girl." she said. The baby had tufts of dark, red hair on her head and would most likely have brown eyes like both of her parents. "I'd like to call her Ophelia, if that is all right with you." she said and he nodded because he would give her whatever she wanted.

"Potter is out there, if you feel up to one more visitor." he said, feeling generous.

"Sharing my secrets, no doubt." she said. "I owl him."

"I know. Sorry I missed your birthday." he said, sheepishly. She laughed and the baby started and began to cry.

"Why don't you hold her?" Ginny asked. She lifted the bundle up and Snape carefully held his daughter, careful not to hurt her. The baby quieted and went to sleep. Snape was in love all over again.