Author's Note: My apologies again... I hate having such a long delay between chapters... but there's a lot going on in life right now.
One major drawback to the time between updates is that I'm constantly rethinking things that I've already written. I was happy with this chapter when I originally wrote it, but having reread it I keep thinking that it could be better. Anyway... time to stop procrastinating. Here it is! And I hope not to be long in getting the next chapter posted, as I know everyone is anticipating the arrival of Baby Snape!
Thank you for reading! All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to submit a review!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters and settings from the series are copyright JK Rowling. They are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
**********
After Hermione dimmed the lights and left the room with Samuel, Severus spent several minutes thrashing about in bed before the headache potion began to take effect. The potion didn't completely relieve him of the pain, but it lessened the intensity so that he finally managed to drift off into a deep sleep.
The relief that should have come with sleep was disrupted by the return of the memories that had been lurking in the back of his mind... details that had, until now, remained fuzzy since he had first regained consciousness the previous evening, returned with shocking clarity.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
"Severus Snape..." a voice hissed in the darkness, moments after Severus apparated to the Malfoy Estate.
"Who's there?" Severus reached for his wand as he surveyed the expanse of land around him. Unfortunately, his reflexes, dulled by the lack of sleep and firewhiskey, were not fast enough to prevent what happened next.
"Expeliarmus!" the same voice yelled, knocking Severus off his feet as his wand flew from his fingertips.
As his head collided with the hard ground beneath him, his vision blurred and the world around him began to spin out of focus. Fighting to remain conscious, he heard the voice again.
"Pity," the figure, shrouded in black, drawled as it nudged Severus' nearly unconscious form with the toe of a boot, "what that mudblood has reduced you to." Leaning over, the attacker retrieved a photo that had slipped out of Severus' breast pocket.
Laughing sinisterly, the figure leaned over Severus and hissed into his ear, tucking the picture back into Severus' cloak, "You'll won't want to lose this, Severus. Soon, it will be all that you have left of your precious family."
After a final swift blow to the head, Severus succumbed to the darkness.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Hermione became alarmed as she witnessed Severus thrashing about again that evening before suddenly bolting upright in bed He was prespiring profusely, his breathing deep and ragged as he leaned over the edge of the bed and retched.
After hurrying to retrieve a cool washcloth from the bathroom, she returned to kneel beside him on the bed, stroking his back and mopping his brow as he fought to control his breathing, obviously trying to hold back the bile that was threatening to rise from the back of his throat.
As he finally laid back onto the pillows, Hermione eased herself off of the bed, intent on calling for Madame Pomfrey. As her feet hit the floor, Severus reached out and grasped her wrist.
"Where is Samuel?" he whispered, his eyes darting frantically around the room.
"He's with Mum," Hermione replied in a soothing voice as she reached to brush his lank hair from his face.
"Bring him home," he tried to keep his voice steady, though he couldn't hide the urgency of his request.
Hermione, frightened by the wild look in his eyes, tried to remain calm as she attempted to soothe him, "Mum offered to keep him for the night so you can rest in peace."
"Hermione," he tightened his grasp on her wrist, "You must bring him home!" he commanded in a sharp voice.
Hermione couldn't supress the tremble in her voice as she asked in concern, "Severus? What is the matter?"
"I need to know that he is safe!"
"Why wouldn't he be safe with Mum? As long as they are in the castle..."
"Hermione!" Severus snapped, immediately regretting his tone as he watched his wife flinch as she backed away from him.
"Severus, you are frightening me..."
"I am sorry, love," he held his hand out to her, imploring with his eyes for her to come closer. As Hermione reached out and tentatively placed her hand in his, he pulled her into his arms, shaking as he once again made his request, "Hermione... I need him here. For my own peace of mind. Please," he finished with a ragged breath, stroking her hair as he kissed her temple.
Nodding her assent, Hermione pulled away, smiling tremulously before turning away and rushing out of their quarters.
As she stepped foot into the corridor, she encountered Poppy, who was on her way to check up on Severus.
"Madame Pomfrey! I am so relieved to see you!" she exclaimed, her eyes glistening with tears as she tried to stop trembling.
"What is wrong, Hermione?" Poppy asked in concern, "Is it Severus?"
Hermione let out a ragged breath as she nodded, not speaking as she opened the door and ushered Poppy inside, "I'm going to find my mother and Samuel... I will return as soon as I possibly can."
Pulling the door closed behind her, she smirked as she heard Poppy tutting, "You stubborn, foolish man... for once in your life, can't you just follow my advice?"
*****
By the time Hermione located her mother, who had just left the Great Hall and was returning to her own suite after dinner with Samuel in tow, she had managed to compose herself and hoped that she was successful in masking her fear as she explained that Severus wanted Samuel home for the night.
But Elizabeth Granger knew her daughter all too well. She didn't push for an explanation, but simply reached out to embrace her daughter as she reminded her gently, "Hermione... I'm here if you need anything."
"Thank you, Mum," Hermione sniffed before taking Samuel by the hand, leading him home for the night.
By the time she returned, Poppy had finished examining Severus, and he seemed to have fallen asleep once again. Hermione settled Samuel onto the sofa, handing him a picture book to keep him occupied as Poppy crossed the room to join them. They each settled down into the chairs flanking the fire and began to talk in hushed voices.
"I'm worried about that persistant headache of his, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione whispered quietly.
Poppy sighed, shaking her head as she replied, "Though his injuries have healed, it is not uncommon for somebody who has suffered a head trauma, such as Severus has, to experience headaches. I must admit, his headaches seem to be a bit more severe than I expected. Hopefully, in time, they will become less intense or cease all together... but there is no guarantee of that."
"In the meantime, we should consider administering a stronger headache potion. I don't have any, and Severus is in no shape to brew, so I will ask Mister Malfoy for his assistance."
"I can do it," Hermione offered eagerly.
"Hermione," Poppy huffed, "Not in your condition! You should know better than that."
Hermione fidgeted nervously in her seat, "Of course, I should know better... I just want to do something useful."
"Just being here with him is 'useful', Hermione... more than you know." Poppy smiled gently as she reached over to pat Hermione's hand, "I never would have allowed him to leave the infirmary so soon if I didn't know how important it is to his peace of mind to be near you, and I know that I can trust you to take care of him."
"I should go speak with Draco about brewing that potion as soon as possible," she said as she rose to leave, "If you need anything, you know where to find me."
Hermione saw Poppy to the door, and reached out to embrace her as she left, "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.
Closing the door gently behind Poppy, Hermione turned to see Severus staring at her.
"I thought she'd never leave," he groaned.
"You sneak! You were awake the whole time!" Hermione huffed, as she crossed the room to assist Samuel off of the sofa, before leading him to the bed, reaching down to give him a boost so that he could be near his father.
"I had hoped that she would cease poking at me, if she thought me to be asleep," Severus smirked as he embraced Samuel with on arm and motioned for her to join them on the bed with the other, "And I want nothing more than to be alone with my family right now."
Hermione furrowed her brow as she lay her head on his shoulder, "I want that too, Severus... but why such urgency? Is something wrong?"
Severus remained silent for a few moments, stroking Samuel's hair as he tightened his arm around Hermione's shoulder, pulling her closer and kissing her brow as she leaned into his shoulder. Quietly, he muttered, "I remembered..."
Eyes wide, Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder as she asked, "Remembered what?"
"What happened to me... the other night," he answered, his voice raspy with emotion. "And now, I fear that you are in more danger than I had anticipated."
"Who..."
Before she could finish asking her question, Severus snapped, "I don't know!"
"But I thought you remembered?" Hermione replied, sounding a bit bewildered.
"I remember what happened to me... but I do not know the identity of my attacker," he paused for a moment, "I never saw thier face."
"Will you tell me... what happened?"
"I was attacked," he answered testily.
"Obviously," Hermione retorted in an annoyed voice. "Elaborate."
"I would rather not," Severus replied harshly. When he realized the tone that he was speaking in, he reached out to Hermione once again and turned her head to meet her eyes, his voice softening as he implored, "Forgive me, Hermione. I do not wish to argue with you, but I also do not wish to relive that nightmare again. Please, let it suffice to say that... it was not pleasant, and I fear for your safety now more than ever."
Never one to give up so easily, Hermione prepared to demand more answers, but upon seeing the look in his eyes - a mix of fear and exhaustion - she forced herself to back off. For now.
Burrowing her head into the comfortable nook under his shoulder, she lay contently beside him as they spent the rest of the evening in silence, each comforting the other with their mere presence.
*****
In the late evening hours, Hermione moved a sleeping Samuel to the nursery and hurriedly bathed before returning to Severus' side. He had stripped down to his boxers, and was nearly asleep by the time that she changed into her own nightclothes and crawled back into bed beside him. Reaching out to him, she cupped his face in the palm of her hand as her thumb gently traced the sharp line of his jaw, watching as his features began to relax under her touch. When she sensed that he was sleeping, she began to pull her hand away, only to have him reach out to bring it back to his face, turning his head to kiss her palm.
"You fooled me again," Hermione chuckled softly as she began to stroke his cheek with her thumb. "You feign sleep very well, Severus."
"I do not wish to sleep, Hermione," he spoke gently as his eyes bore intensely into hers, "I want to lay awake and hold you all night."
"You can hold me while you sleep," she replied tenderly.
"I do not wish to sleep," he repeated, "If I close my eyes, I will miss you."
Smiling, Hermione pressed herself as close to her husband, as he reached out to rest his hand on the swell of her stomach. His worry lines softened once again, and he allowed himself to smile when he felt the child moving within her womb, and his other hand moved to the hem of her gown, pushing it upwards to expose her abdomen. He pulled her even closer, "I want to keep you close to me... I want to feel the life within you as I hold you. I don't want to miss another moment with you, like this."
Hermione soon fell asleep in his arms, as Severus laid awake all night caressing their unborn child.
*****
Before dawn, Hermione awoke to the realization that she was once again experiencing contractions. Near daybreak, she realized that, though they were still painless, they had definitely become more regular, and she began to time them as she remained in bed.
Severus, having not slept that night, could tell that she had become restless when she awoke that morning, and when she kept raising her head to check the clock, he became suspiscious.
"Hermione, love..." he leaned closer to stroke her hair, "Are you feeling alright."
"Never better," Hermione replied with a nervous smile as she turned to look at him, "but I do think that we may have a new addition to the family sometime today."
"I'll get Poppy!" Severus whispered excitedly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his robe.
"Not yet, Severus," Hermione laughed as she placed her hand on his arm to calm him, "I'm not quite sure if this is the real thing yet."
"What do you mean you're not sure?" Severus exclaimed. "It's not as if you haven't done this before!"
Laughing again, Hermione pulled him back to her side, "I've been having these contractions for days, Severus. Only, this time they're coming regularly."
"Then why won't you allow me to fetch Poppy?" he asked in confusion.
"I'm in no pain, Severus... and they're not yet close enough together to bother Poppy. I'm to get her when they're five minutes apart."
"How far apart are they?" he quirked an eyebrow as he asked.
"Varying from ten to fifteen," Hermione replied, "And you don't need to worry... Madame Pomfrey is only a floo call away if we need her."
Laying back down beside his wife, Severus frowned as he pulled her into his embrace, spooning her backside to him.
"No need to worry, Severus," Hermione tried to assure him.
"There is plenty need to worry, love! The last time..."
"This isn't like the last time, Severus."
Kissing the crown of her head, Severus sighed, "I don't know how you can remain so calm, my dear."
Chuckling, Hermione replied, "You'll wish I was this calm in a few hours time."
Over the next two hours, they lay there timing her contractions. Twelve minutes... ten minutes... seven minutes... finally, five minutes. They waited for another contraction to be sure that they were coming at regular five minute intervals, but none came. Half an hour after the last contraction, Hermione turned to Severus and frowned, "It looks as though somebody has changed their mind."
One major drawback to the time between updates is that I'm constantly rethinking things that I've already written. I was happy with this chapter when I originally wrote it, but having reread it I keep thinking that it could be better. Anyway... time to stop procrastinating. Here it is! And I hope not to be long in getting the next chapter posted, as I know everyone is anticipating the arrival of Baby Snape!
Thank you for reading! All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to submit a review!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters and settings from the series are copyright JK Rowling. They are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
**********
After Hermione dimmed the lights and left the room with Samuel, Severus spent several minutes thrashing about in bed before the headache potion began to take effect. The potion didn't completely relieve him of the pain, but it lessened the intensity so that he finally managed to drift off into a deep sleep.
The relief that should have come with sleep was disrupted by the return of the memories that had been lurking in the back of his mind... details that had, until now, remained fuzzy since he had first regained consciousness the previous evening, returned with shocking clarity.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
"Severus Snape..." a voice hissed in the darkness, moments after Severus apparated to the Malfoy Estate.
"Who's there?" Severus reached for his wand as he surveyed the expanse of land around him. Unfortunately, his reflexes, dulled by the lack of sleep and firewhiskey, were not fast enough to prevent what happened next.
"Expeliarmus!" the same voice yelled, knocking Severus off his feet as his wand flew from his fingertips.
As his head collided with the hard ground beneath him, his vision blurred and the world around him began to spin out of focus. Fighting to remain conscious, he heard the voice again.
"Pity," the figure, shrouded in black, drawled as it nudged Severus' nearly unconscious form with the toe of a boot, "what that mudblood has reduced you to." Leaning over, the attacker retrieved a photo that had slipped out of Severus' breast pocket.
Laughing sinisterly, the figure leaned over Severus and hissed into his ear, tucking the picture back into Severus' cloak, "You'll won't want to lose this, Severus. Soon, it will be all that you have left of your precious family."
After a final swift blow to the head, Severus succumbed to the darkness.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Hermione became alarmed as she witnessed Severus thrashing about again that evening before suddenly bolting upright in bed He was prespiring profusely, his breathing deep and ragged as he leaned over the edge of the bed and retched.
After hurrying to retrieve a cool washcloth from the bathroom, she returned to kneel beside him on the bed, stroking his back and mopping his brow as he fought to control his breathing, obviously trying to hold back the bile that was threatening to rise from the back of his throat.
As he finally laid back onto the pillows, Hermione eased herself off of the bed, intent on calling for Madame Pomfrey. As her feet hit the floor, Severus reached out and grasped her wrist.
"Where is Samuel?" he whispered, his eyes darting frantically around the room.
"He's with Mum," Hermione replied in a soothing voice as she reached to brush his lank hair from his face.
"Bring him home," he tried to keep his voice steady, though he couldn't hide the urgency of his request.
Hermione, frightened by the wild look in his eyes, tried to remain calm as she attempted to soothe him, "Mum offered to keep him for the night so you can rest in peace."
"Hermione," he tightened his grasp on her wrist, "You must bring him home!" he commanded in a sharp voice.
Hermione couldn't supress the tremble in her voice as she asked in concern, "Severus? What is the matter?"
"I need to know that he is safe!"
"Why wouldn't he be safe with Mum? As long as they are in the castle..."
"Hermione!" Severus snapped, immediately regretting his tone as he watched his wife flinch as she backed away from him.
"Severus, you are frightening me..."
"I am sorry, love," he held his hand out to her, imploring with his eyes for her to come closer. As Hermione reached out and tentatively placed her hand in his, he pulled her into his arms, shaking as he once again made his request, "Hermione... I need him here. For my own peace of mind. Please," he finished with a ragged breath, stroking her hair as he kissed her temple.
Nodding her assent, Hermione pulled away, smiling tremulously before turning away and rushing out of their quarters.
As she stepped foot into the corridor, she encountered Poppy, who was on her way to check up on Severus.
"Madame Pomfrey! I am so relieved to see you!" she exclaimed, her eyes glistening with tears as she tried to stop trembling.
"What is wrong, Hermione?" Poppy asked in concern, "Is it Severus?"
Hermione let out a ragged breath as she nodded, not speaking as she opened the door and ushered Poppy inside, "I'm going to find my mother and Samuel... I will return as soon as I possibly can."
Pulling the door closed behind her, she smirked as she heard Poppy tutting, "You stubborn, foolish man... for once in your life, can't you just follow my advice?"
*****
By the time Hermione located her mother, who had just left the Great Hall and was returning to her own suite after dinner with Samuel in tow, she had managed to compose herself and hoped that she was successful in masking her fear as she explained that Severus wanted Samuel home for the night.
But Elizabeth Granger knew her daughter all too well. She didn't push for an explanation, but simply reached out to embrace her daughter as she reminded her gently, "Hermione... I'm here if you need anything."
"Thank you, Mum," Hermione sniffed before taking Samuel by the hand, leading him home for the night.
By the time she returned, Poppy had finished examining Severus, and he seemed to have fallen asleep once again. Hermione settled Samuel onto the sofa, handing him a picture book to keep him occupied as Poppy crossed the room to join them. They each settled down into the chairs flanking the fire and began to talk in hushed voices.
"I'm worried about that persistant headache of his, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione whispered quietly.
Poppy sighed, shaking her head as she replied, "Though his injuries have healed, it is not uncommon for somebody who has suffered a head trauma, such as Severus has, to experience headaches. I must admit, his headaches seem to be a bit more severe than I expected. Hopefully, in time, they will become less intense or cease all together... but there is no guarantee of that."
"In the meantime, we should consider administering a stronger headache potion. I don't have any, and Severus is in no shape to brew, so I will ask Mister Malfoy for his assistance."
"I can do it," Hermione offered eagerly.
"Hermione," Poppy huffed, "Not in your condition! You should know better than that."
Hermione fidgeted nervously in her seat, "Of course, I should know better... I just want to do something useful."
"Just being here with him is 'useful', Hermione... more than you know." Poppy smiled gently as she reached over to pat Hermione's hand, "I never would have allowed him to leave the infirmary so soon if I didn't know how important it is to his peace of mind to be near you, and I know that I can trust you to take care of him."
"I should go speak with Draco about brewing that potion as soon as possible," she said as she rose to leave, "If you need anything, you know where to find me."
Hermione saw Poppy to the door, and reached out to embrace her as she left, "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.
Closing the door gently behind Poppy, Hermione turned to see Severus staring at her.
"I thought she'd never leave," he groaned.
"You sneak! You were awake the whole time!" Hermione huffed, as she crossed the room to assist Samuel off of the sofa, before leading him to the bed, reaching down to give him a boost so that he could be near his father.
"I had hoped that she would cease poking at me, if she thought me to be asleep," Severus smirked as he embraced Samuel with on arm and motioned for her to join them on the bed with the other, "And I want nothing more than to be alone with my family right now."
Hermione furrowed her brow as she lay her head on his shoulder, "I want that too, Severus... but why such urgency? Is something wrong?"
Severus remained silent for a few moments, stroking Samuel's hair as he tightened his arm around Hermione's shoulder, pulling her closer and kissing her brow as she leaned into his shoulder. Quietly, he muttered, "I remembered..."
Eyes wide, Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder as she asked, "Remembered what?"
"What happened to me... the other night," he answered, his voice raspy with emotion. "And now, I fear that you are in more danger than I had anticipated."
"Who..."
Before she could finish asking her question, Severus snapped, "I don't know!"
"But I thought you remembered?" Hermione replied, sounding a bit bewildered.
"I remember what happened to me... but I do not know the identity of my attacker," he paused for a moment, "I never saw thier face."
"Will you tell me... what happened?"
"I was attacked," he answered testily.
"Obviously," Hermione retorted in an annoyed voice. "Elaborate."
"I would rather not," Severus replied harshly. When he realized the tone that he was speaking in, he reached out to Hermione once again and turned her head to meet her eyes, his voice softening as he implored, "Forgive me, Hermione. I do not wish to argue with you, but I also do not wish to relive that nightmare again. Please, let it suffice to say that... it was not pleasant, and I fear for your safety now more than ever."
Never one to give up so easily, Hermione prepared to demand more answers, but upon seeing the look in his eyes - a mix of fear and exhaustion - she forced herself to back off. For now.
Burrowing her head into the comfortable nook under his shoulder, she lay contently beside him as they spent the rest of the evening in silence, each comforting the other with their mere presence.
*****
In the late evening hours, Hermione moved a sleeping Samuel to the nursery and hurriedly bathed before returning to Severus' side. He had stripped down to his boxers, and was nearly asleep by the time that she changed into her own nightclothes and crawled back into bed beside him. Reaching out to him, she cupped his face in the palm of her hand as her thumb gently traced the sharp line of his jaw, watching as his features began to relax under her touch. When she sensed that he was sleeping, she began to pull her hand away, only to have him reach out to bring it back to his face, turning his head to kiss her palm.
"You fooled me again," Hermione chuckled softly as she began to stroke his cheek with her thumb. "You feign sleep very well, Severus."
"I do not wish to sleep, Hermione," he spoke gently as his eyes bore intensely into hers, "I want to lay awake and hold you all night."
"You can hold me while you sleep," she replied tenderly.
"I do not wish to sleep," he repeated, "If I close my eyes, I will miss you."
Smiling, Hermione pressed herself as close to her husband, as he reached out to rest his hand on the swell of her stomach. His worry lines softened once again, and he allowed himself to smile when he felt the child moving within her womb, and his other hand moved to the hem of her gown, pushing it upwards to expose her abdomen. He pulled her even closer, "I want to keep you close to me... I want to feel the life within you as I hold you. I don't want to miss another moment with you, like this."
Hermione soon fell asleep in his arms, as Severus laid awake all night caressing their unborn child.
*****
Before dawn, Hermione awoke to the realization that she was once again experiencing contractions. Near daybreak, she realized that, though they were still painless, they had definitely become more regular, and she began to time them as she remained in bed.
Severus, having not slept that night, could tell that she had become restless when she awoke that morning, and when she kept raising her head to check the clock, he became suspiscious.
"Hermione, love..." he leaned closer to stroke her hair, "Are you feeling alright."
"Never better," Hermione replied with a nervous smile as she turned to look at him, "but I do think that we may have a new addition to the family sometime today."
"I'll get Poppy!" Severus whispered excitedly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his robe.
"Not yet, Severus," Hermione laughed as she placed her hand on his arm to calm him, "I'm not quite sure if this is the real thing yet."
"What do you mean you're not sure?" Severus exclaimed. "It's not as if you haven't done this before!"
Laughing again, Hermione pulled him back to her side, "I've been having these contractions for days, Severus. Only, this time they're coming regularly."
"Then why won't you allow me to fetch Poppy?" he asked in confusion.
"I'm in no pain, Severus... and they're not yet close enough together to bother Poppy. I'm to get her when they're five minutes apart."
"How far apart are they?" he quirked an eyebrow as he asked.
"Varying from ten to fifteen," Hermione replied, "And you don't need to worry... Madame Pomfrey is only a floo call away if we need her."
Laying back down beside his wife, Severus frowned as he pulled her into his embrace, spooning her backside to him.
"No need to worry, Severus," Hermione tried to assure him.
"There is plenty need to worry, love! The last time..."
"This isn't like the last time, Severus."
Kissing the crown of her head, Severus sighed, "I don't know how you can remain so calm, my dear."
Chuckling, Hermione replied, "You'll wish I was this calm in a few hours time."
Over the next two hours, they lay there timing her contractions. Twelve minutes... ten minutes... seven minutes... finally, five minutes. They waited for another contraction to be sure that they were coming at regular five minute intervals, but none came. Half an hour after the last contraction, Hermione turned to Severus and frowned, "It looks as though somebody has changed their mind."