Author's Note: Where has the time gone? I can hardly believe that it's been two weeks since my last update! Oh, wow! When did ff.net get a "quick edit" feature? Now I don't have to reupload my chapters when I need to correct mistakes! Yeah!!!
Baby Boy Snape finally has a name. Keep reading to find out!
Hugs to all of my readers for your infinite patience. More hugs and many thanks to all who have reviewed!
All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome if you'd like to leave a review!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, etc. is the property of JK Rowling. I am not using them for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
Hermione leaned her head back against Severus' shoulder, a slight smile playing on her lips as her hands reached to carress the head of her newborn son.
"Another boy..." she sighed.
Severus let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, as he tightened his arms around his wife and leaned in to kiss her brow. With a shaking hand, he reached out to touch child.
"Ha!" he exclaimed in delight as the child began to cry.
The moment was interrupted as Poppy finished tending to Hermione, and removed the child from his position on Hermione's chest. As she tended to the child, Severus tenderly stroked Hermione's hair, brushing a few damp locks away from her face.
"How are you feeling?" he asked in concern, as Hermione closed her eyes and moaned.
"There are no words, Severus," she replied. Turning to face him, she tilted her head for a kiss. The tender moment was interrupted by their son's cries. They both looked up at Poppy, who was smiling as she swaddled the child in warm blankets and approached the bed.
"Perfectly healthy," she proclaimed as she placed the child in Hermione's arms. "I must say, Hermione, I have never tended to an easier delivery."
Hermione grinned as she placed the child to her breast, letting out a content sigh as he latched on and began to suckle, "I admit, I am relieved to have been so fortunate."
"I will give the three of you some time alone for now," Poppy smiled, "Would you like for me to fetch your mother?"
"Yes, thank you Madame Pomfrey," Hermione glanced up at Poppy for a moment as she replied, before turning her attention back to her son.
"Albus as well, if you don't mind," Severus added, never taking his eyes off of his wife and child.
Enraptured by the infant at Hermione's breast, both of them were oblivious to Poppy's reply as she excused herself from the room, promising to return momentarily.
"He looks like you," they said to each other at the same time. Laughing, they realized that this time, their child had inherited features from both parents. His shock of hair, dark as Severus', was not silky as Samuel's had been at birth. Rather, it had a texture that Hermione was sure would curl as it grew in. His eyes, open wide in wonder as he suckled, were dark sapphire blue as Samuel's were at birth, likely to darken to the near black of his father's eyes, but were set wide like his mother's eyes.
"Lucky boy... he has inherited your nose, not mine," Severus smiled as he reached out and gently touched his son's small button nose.
"I like your nose," Hermione giggled, as Severus looked at her and scoffed.
After a few more moments of inspecting the child's hands (he had Severus' long fingers) and feet, Hermione placed the child, content and sleeping, in Severus' arms.
"Are you disappointed?" Hermione asked quietly.
Severus looked at her in confusion. "Disappointed? You have graced me with yet another perfect son. A better gift I could not imagine, nor want. Whyever would I be disappointed?"
"I had thought that you were hoping for a girl," Hermione replied quietly.
"So did I," Severus admitted, "One of each, I thought, would make the perfect family. But now you have given me another son," he looked down at the infant in his arms, "and as I hold him in my arms, I can not imagine having it any other way."
"Besides," he continued, "Now, Samuel has a brother. Brothers are... special." A flash of melancholy shadowed his eyes as he continued, "As a child, I always wished for a brother."
"You did?" Hermione asked, a sad smile playing on her face as she imagined the lonely childhood her husband must have had. Hermione had never wanted for love and affection, her parents provided it in abundance, yet she knew the loneliness of being an only child. Yet, she could never imagine dealing with it in an abusive home as Severus had.
As if he were reading her mind, Severus replied, "When I was very young, I had thought that having a sibling would have eased my pain and loneliness. But as I grew older, I realized how selfish it was for me to wish for a sibling, who would have been subjected to the same abuse, just for the sake of my having a companion."
A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek, as Severus continued, "Our sons will never know loneliness. They will never want for love."
Hermione looked into his glistening eyes, "Our sons will know the comfort of their father's hands, never pain."
"My pain was more emotional, rather than physical," Severus rasped, "My sons will never cower in the corner while their mother suffers their father's wrath, wondering when he will turn on them."
Severus inhaled deeply, and chuckled as he let out a shuddering breath, "Who knew that children would turn me into a pile of mush?"
Hermione smiled, relieved that he had found a moment of levity in the conversation, "Your secret is safe with me," she said as she reached up and brushed a single tear from his cheek.
Severus quickly reached to dry his eyes with his sleeve as he heard the door opening, looking down to his son once again as Poppy re-entered the room.
"Your mother will be in shortly," she smiled, "She is just now putting Samuel to bed, and wants to go find Remus, which gives us plenty of time to get you cleaned up before visitors arrive."
"A bath would be wonderful," Hermione sighed.
"Would you mind the baby while I assist Hermione to the bath?" Severus asked.
"It would be my pleasure," Poppy smiled brilliantly as she extended her arms to receive the child.
As Hermione began to ease herself out of the bed, Severus stood and scooped her up into his arms.
"Severus! I assure you that childbirth has not rendered me unable to walk!"
"Humor me, Hermione," he grinned, "I have a lot to make up for."
Hermione sighed in resignation as she allowed Severus to carry her to the bathroom. As he set her on her feet and turned to close the door behind them, he wobbled unsteadily.
"I should never have allowed you to carry me," she bit her lip and frowned, "You are still recovering, yourself."
"Do not fret over me, Hermione," Severus admonished as he embraced her, hiding a slight grimace of pain as his head began throbbing mildly. Recognizing the signs of an oncoming headache, he quickly drew her bath water. Adding a healing potion to her water, he assisted her into the tub before disrobing himself. "I will leave you to soak while I shower," he said quietly as he padded over to the shower stall, "Do not get out of the bath until I am back to assist you."
"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied dryly.
"Ten points for your cheek, Miss Granger!" Severus feigned a sneer.
"Mrs. Snape!" Hermione huffed playfully, "Need I remind you?"
"As if I could ever forget!" Severus smiled as he closed the shower door behind him, reveling in the feel of the warm water that soon began to wash over him, as he fought to keep his headache at bay. He was determined not to let anything ruin this glorious day.
Hermione slowly lowered herself into the luxurious foam of bubbles, sinking in until the water was up to her chin, and soaking away the blood and sweat of childbirth. Closing her eyes, she nearly fell asleep as she listened to the water pounding in the shower behind her. Losing all sense of time, she was startled when Severus approached a while later. Robed in only a fleece dressing gown, he knelt beside her and began to wash her back.
"Mmmmm..." Hermione moaned contently, "That feels good."
"Would you like your hair washed as well?" He asked softly.
"If you don't mind freshening the water for me, first" she replied, accepting his offer. Her hair was tangled and matted, and still damp with sweat, and she wouldn't feel completely refreshed without a thorough shampooing.
As the water drained, Severus helped Hermione to reposition herself so that she could lean her head under the fresh water that was now streaming from the tap. As he began to work the shampoo into her hair, Hermione reveled in the feel of his fingers working her scalp.
"Ahhhh..." she moaned.
Chuckling, Severus massaged her scalp harder, "Ooohhh... Severus..." Hermione sighed.
Leaning in, he whispered silkily into her ear, "I anticipate the day that I can make you moan and say my name under... different circumstances."
Closing her eyes, Hermione tilted her head back and rinsed her hair under the running water. When she finished, she opened her eyes and sighed regretfully, "I have spent so much time aching for you, Severus. And now, it will be even longer before we can..."
Severus reached his arm out to her as she rose to her feet, assisting her out of the bathtub before stepping behind her and wrapping a large towel around her. Embracing her from behind, he nipped at her ear and nuzzled her neck as he promised, "It will be worth the wait."
With a sigh, Hermione turned to face him, kissing him tenderly, "Yes... it will be," she smiled.
When Hermione and Severus emerged from the bathroom a short while later, they found that Elizabeth and Remus had arrived. Elizabeth was holding her newborn grandson in her arms, gazing at him lovingly with tears in her eyes, as Remus stood beside her with his arm around her waist. They both looked up and smiled brightly at the proud parents as Severus assisted Hermione back into bed. Poppy, who had freshened the bed with clean linens while they were bathing, was waiting nearby to administer healing potions to Hermione. Severus lovingly tucked a blanket around his wife as she quickly drank the contents of the goblet that Poppy handed to her.
Between the potions that Severus had added to the bath water and those that Poppy administered to her, Hermione felt near immediate relief from the strain of childbirth.
After she was made comfortable, Remus approached the bed, leaning in to embrace Hermione and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Congratulations, Hermione," he said softly. Standing upright once again, he turned to shake Severus' hand, "And you, as well, Severus!"
Severus couldn't supress a grin as he accepted Remus' hand, grasping it tightly in his own and shaking it firmly.
"Mum?" Hermione smiled in amusement. Her mother had not spoken since she had arrived, totally enraptured with the child in her arms, and looked as though she was not about to let him go.
Looking up, Elizabeth smiled softly at her daughter. "He's beautiful, Hermione!"
"Are you going to share?" Remus asked in amusement as he stepped closer to Elizabeth, who laughed as she reluctantly placed the child in Remus' arms, "Sorry," she whispered. After placing a gentle kiss on the child's brow, she finally turned and approached her daughter's bedside. Hermione held her arms out and embraced her mother tearfully. A moment later, Elizabeth turned to face Severus, and drew him into her arms, embracing him lovingly.
After a few moments of silence, Elizabeth dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and asked, "What is his name?"
Prior to recent events, Hermione and Severus had pored over baby name books that she had purchased months earlier. While they had easily chosen a girl's name, they had never come to agreement on a boy's name. Hermione had insisted on letting Severus name the child, since she alone had chosen the name for their firstborn, yet she held the right to veto if she didn't like the name of his choosing. Still, their son had arrived and they had not settled on a name.
Severus now had a name in mind, but had not yet suggested it to Hermione, for want of an appropriate middle name as well.
Hermione shrugged and looked at Severus, who shrugged in return. They were all laughing at the silent exchange when Albus entered the room, his eyes twinkling brighter than they had in many weeks.
"It is good to walk into a room filled with smiling faces and laughter," he smiled. "A welcome change, if I may say so," he continued as he approached Severus. Placing his hand firmly on Severus' shoulder, he said, "Congratulations, son."
At this, Severus had a fit of inspiration. "We were just discussing the fact that we have yet to choose a name for our son," he explained to the Headmaster.
"Indeed," Albus smiled as Remus placed the child in his arms.
Stepping up to Hermione's bedside, Severus reached for her hand. "What do you think of 'Nathaniel'?" He asked her.
Smiling, Hermione whispered, "Nathaniel..." she paused for a moment, trying to remember if the name had a special meaning," Oh... 'Gift of God'. It's perfect."
"Nathaniel Albus Snape," Severus smiled as he met the Headmaster's eyes, which were now twinkling even brighter as they glistened with tears.