I am very very very sorry for not updating in so long. Real world problems
consisting of my brother being diagnosed with a brain tumor and my school
work has taken up my time. Just a note, this chapter hasn't been beta-ed
yet, but I figured I'd post it now anyways. If you see anything wrong,
just tell me in your review (you know you're going to leave one). Thanks
for all your comments. I'll try to update in a week or so.
Disclaimer: Flattered, really.
Ch. 3- Explosive News
Hermione buttoned up her robes with hands that only shook a little, and waited impatiently for Madam Pomphrey to return. "Is everything all right?" she asked anxiously when the medi-witch came back.
"Don't worry, dear. Everything is fine," Madam Pomphrey reassured her. She sat on a stool across from Hermione. "According to the tests that I ran, you are almost three months along. That puts the time of conception between the second and third weeks of August."
Hermione frowned and thought back-that overlapped her trip to Italy and her visit to the Burrow. And, now that she thought about it, her nightmares had started sometime around there too. She felt a chill run down her back. *It couldn't have happened at the Burrow, could it?*
The medi-witch continued, "The baby appears to be perfectly healthy, though you have some tissue scarring from . . . when it happened." Her eyes were sympathetic. "Severus has already explained what to avoid? Good. And the morning sickness should go away in about a month or so."
Hermione groaned. "Another month?"
Madam Pomphrey nodded. "If You have any questions, any at all, come to me. I'm always here."
"Thank you, Madam," Hermione murmured. She ducked around the privacy curtains and ran out the door, colliding with Severus, who was on his way in.
"Sorry, little witch." He held her until he was sure she wasn't going to fall. "I just wanted to know how your visit went." He said it casually enough, but the three and a half weeks of near constant exposure to him clued her off to his worry.
"Everything's fine," she assured him, and went on to tell him about the time frame of conception. She did not mention the scarring.
"So you still have no idea who it could have been?" he asked.
"None." They were walking down the hallway, heads bent towards each other. To anyone on the outside, it looked like they were arguing over a potion. The school was still recovering from the news of her apprenticeship to Severus. Slytherins kept looking at her oddly, while Hufflepuffs stared with a mixture of awe and fear. Ravenclaws admired her and loathed her in turns, and the Gryffindors . . . well, the Gryffindors, with the notable exceptions of Harry and Ginny (Ron was talking to her again, even if everything wasn't perfect between them yet) thought she was stark raving nutters.
A year ago, she might have agreed with them. Now, though, she wouldn't trade it for the world. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable routine: Hermione would help Severus with a potion until he thought she shouldn't be around a particular fume, then she would grade lower level papers in his office and watch him complete the potion. Some days, they didn't even do that. Instead, they would talk about potions or books, or even other students. To their surprise and pleasure, they found that each could make the other laugh, so the evenings were quite pleasant.
She was falling in love with him. No, not true. She was in love with him. But she could never let him know it; he would probably run screaming in the other direction. That, or hex her into oblivion. Come to think of it, the hexes were probably more his style.
They finished the rest of the walk to his lab in a comfortable silence. Severus waved his wand and said a few words to disarm the wards. He didn't even bother to lower his voice so that she couldn't hear anymore. It warmed her to know that he trusted her with his passwords.
They entered his office and continued on into the lab. She shrugged out of her outer school robes--they tended to get in the way when she was trying to concentrate–and caught Severus eyeing her stomach as she did so. She had thought before that he'd looked at it, but now she had caught him red-handed, or open-eyed, as the case may be.
He flushed slightly when he realized that she'd caught him staring, but didn't say anything. "I'm not really showing yet," she said, "but there is a small difference. Here, feel." She grabbed his hand before he could protest and placed it on her bare stomach. She'd lifted her shirt so that he could feel easier. When he would have drawn back, she pressed his hand down more firmly. "Feel," she insisted.
Severus did; Her skin was warm and her stomach was firm, just slightly rounded with the beginning of her pregnancy. He stroked the curve gently once. "There's really a new life in there, isn't there?" he asked softly, wonder in his eyes.
"Yes, you silly man." She had the temerity to giggle.
Nothing could break the moment for him, however. He looked down into her eyes and told her, "You really should get some pictures taken each month to show your progress. Then, when the child is old enough, you can show him or her."
She smiled at him. "That's a great idea."
As he reluctantly reclaimed his hand, he said, "You'll have to tell at least Potter and Weasley soon, they're going to start noticing something." He didn't want anyone else to know, he just wanted it to be between the two of them, a secret to savor, but it wasn't fair to Hermione.
Hermione grimaced. "I know. I think Harry already suspects something, he's been studying me ever since that incident with Ron. Ron, though, he wouldn't notice until I'm as big as a house unless I spell it out for him."
"Typical Gryffindor," Severus said under his breath.
"Hey!" she exclaimed in mock outrage, and then sighed. "Can I wait until tomorrow?"
"Of course, it is your choice."
"Will you be with me when I do it?" she asked in a small voice.
He looked startled. "I suppose," he replied. "I'll tell you what, little witch," he said with a sigh as he came to stand in front of her. "Bring your two friends down to my quarters tomorrow evening and I'll be around. Does that sound all right?"
"You'll do that for me?"
"Yes, Hermione. What are friends for? Because I believe we are friends."
"We are. Thank you, Severus," she said, and threw her arms around him. He awkwardly returned the embrace, barely controlling his sudden physical reaction to having her pressed against him.
Inwardly, he berated himself for what he felt. *She's one of my students, for Merlin's sake, nearly 20 years my junior!* But he couldn't help rejoicing at the same time. It had been a long time since any woman had caught his attention physically, let alone emotionally and intellectually like Hermione had somehow managed to do.
Hermione pulled back looking embarrassed, and started to apologize. Severus cut her off with a wave of his hand and motioned for her to sit down on a stool. He took a seat across from her. "I finally found the recipe to the potion that should restore your memories," he told her. "How ever, some of the ingredients, though easily obtained, are unusual and I will have to test it before using it on you. And there is always the possibility that it will not work."
The hope that had suffused her face when he had first started speaking decreased but did not disappear entirely. "I understand. At least there is a chance."
"There's always a chance," Severus said, surprising her with the unusually optimistic statement. "Let's get to work now, I have the feeling we won't get much done tomorrow."
**************************************************************************** **
Hermione spent most of the next day, which happened to be a Saturday, locked in her room. She paced back and forth and worried about her friends reactions when they found out about her current 'condition.'
Finally dinner rolled around and she accompanied the boys so that she could drag them off afterwards. She kept glancing up at the Head Table where Severus had put in a rare weekend appearance. She knew that he did it to give her moral support, distant though it had to be.
After Harry and Ron had shoved a plate of thirds down their throats, Hermione was ready to scream. "Are you done with supper?" she asked, her voice full of exasperation and apparently some anxiety, judging by the look Harry sent her way.
"Yes," the two said in tandem.
"Well, come on then, I need to tell you something." She grabbed their wrists and started pulling them when they did not move fast enough to suit her.
"But Hermione, what about dessert?" Ron whined.
"Mr. Weasley, shouldn't your friend take precedence over sugary confections?" Severus had followed her out of the Great Hall.
To forestall what would surely be a great loss of house points, Hermione intervened before Ron could reply. "Ron, if you're still speaking to me later, I'll personally fetch you dessert from the kitchens."
A moment of silence ensued. "Umm, Hermione, why are we in the dungeons?" Harry asked softly.
"Because Severus here," she shot him an apologetic look for using his first name in the presence of others. "Has kindly lent me a space to tell the both of you something very important."
"What?" Ron asked immediately.
"Mr. Weasley, I believe she said important and implied private."
Ron opened his mouth to reply but didn't speak this time because Harry elbowed him in the ribs. A moment later they halted in front of a statue of a wizard that looked eerily like the character Jafaar out of Disney's Aladdin. Severus suddenly whirled and looked the two boys in the eyes. "If you ever tell anyone what my quarters look like or where they are, Gryffindor will be in the negative long after you've graduated and you'll be scrubbing cauldrons without magic until then. And don't even think about trying to get in again- the password will be changed upon your departure."
The duo's jaws dropped as Severus turned just as quickly as before. He took down the wards and barked out the password. Hermione shoved them through the space the statue had made.
Suddenly everything seemed to be too much. Her stomach roiled in protest to her current stress level and she blanched to the color of cold porridge. Severus, now attuned to her 'episodes,' as he called them, leapt forward. With a speedy wave of his wand he conjured a bucket, and caught her about the waist. He gently lowered her to her knees and pulled her hair back as she vomited.
When he was sure she was done, he banished the bucket and its contents and pulled out a handkerchief. She wiped her mouth as he led her over to an armchair next to the fire. Severus proceeded to his kitchen, which was out of sight of the living room. He emerged a moment later carrying a vial and a glass of water. Both he handed to Hermione, who downed the vial of stomach calming solution with a grimace and sipped the water.
"You both sit down," he snapped at the pair. Then, more gently, he said, "Hermione, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." A second later, his head popped around the corner. "Be sure to tell them I had nothing to do with your situation, I'm simply trying to remedy it."
She nodded and turned back to her friends with a sigh. When she didn't start immediately, Harry prodded her with a question. "Well, Hermione, what's wrong? I know something's been up since the start of term."
"You're right, Harry." She rubbed her neck nervously. "Oh, hell, I might as well just tell you. I'm pregnant."
The reaction from Rn's quarter was immediate. "YOU'RE WHAT?!! WHO, HOW??!!!"
"Ron, let her explain." When Ron didn't respond, Harry forcibly pulled him back onto the sofa and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Go on," he said calmly.
"I don't remember how, not really. Only that . . . I wasn't willing."
Harry looked upset but had his hands full dealing with Ron. "When did it happen?" he asked, trying to avoid Ron's teeth meeting his hand.
"Sometime overlapping my trip to Italy," she hesitated but went on a little quieter, "And my visit to the Burrow."
At these words Ron managed to throw Harry off of him and the couch entirely. He landed with a thud no one heard when Ron completely exploded. "ARE YOU SAYING ONE OF MY FAMILY DID THIS TO YOU?! HOW DARE YOU! WE'VE TAKEN . . ."
"No, I'm not, Ron," she sobbed. "Please stop, Ron, I'm not, I'm not." She curled into a miserable ball, murmuring those words over and over.
When Ron did not stop after a second, Severus came in to see why he was that earsplitting racket. He took one look at the tableau in front of him: Potter on the floor, looking like the wind had been knocked out of him, Ron red-faced and screaming, and Hermione crying her heart out in the chair he now thought of as hers.
"WEASLEY!! GET OUT! Neither she nor the baby needs this! Stay away from her until you gain a modicum of control over yourself, and preferably can offer a heartfelt apology." Severus grabbed the red-head by the collar and slung him out the door.
He walked back towards Hermione and noticed that Potter was still on the floor. Wondering if he was going to regret it, Severus extended his hand. A split-second passed and Harry accepted it, and Severus pulled him up. When the boy winced, he asked, "What is wrong, Mr. Potter?" but not with the usual sarcasm-laced voice.
"Think he bruised my ribs, sir," Harry replied before turning his gaze to Hermione.
"Go to Poppy, Potter," Severus said, not unkindly, and went over to Hermione. He placed a hand on her shoulder and softly asked, "Little witch?"
At the gentle touch and the kind term of endearment, she broke down even further and in a replay of his office flung her arms about his neck.
He was prepared this time, though he was still thrown back into a sitting position. He tucked her head under his chin, where it fit perfectly, and pulled her close. "Shhh, sweet one, calm down, little witch. Everything will be fine, my brave lioness, don't worry about him. He doesn't know what he says," *never thought I'd be semi-defending him* "Come on, luv, this isn't good for the baby, you can't let yourself get like this."
He was so involved in comforting Hermione that Severus did not notice that Harry hadn't left yet or that he'd called her 'luv.' The Boy-Who- Lived stood back and took in a scene that he could never have imagined. Somehow, though, it looked right. It was the first time he had ever seen an expression other than hate on the older man's face. It was obvious to him, at least, that the two were in love. It was just as obvious, however, that they didn't realize the other reciprocated the feelings.
He quietly entered the kitchen and set the kettle on. He rifled through the cabinets and took out two teacups. Right before the kettle whistled he took it off the heat and poured cups. Looking around some more, he found the tea bags and let them soak. He waited and then carefully carried them to the living room.
Hermione was only hiccupping sporadically now and Severus noticed Harry, and actually seemed to flush a little. Harry made no comment, simply set the tea cups on the table. Severus struggled to stand, keeping Hermione in his arms, and sat the two of them on the couch, her body tucked close against him. Harry handed Severus a cup, and when Hermione's head emerged from Severus's chest, she shakily accepted the other.
"What are you still doing here, Potter?" Severus meant for the question to come out cutting, but instead he just sounded tired and slightly annoyed.
"I know you told me to leave, Professor, but I was worried about Hermione," he answered, honestly and without hesitation.
Severus stared at him for a moment, trying to tell if that was all of it. Still considering, he raised up his cup and took a sip of tea. He allowed his surprise to show. "This is good tea, Potter."
"Thank you, sir. I learned how to make it at the Dursleys', they had to have it just so," Harry didn't know why he made the remark, but though he saw a fleeting flash of empathy in the man's eyes. He remembered, then, the Penseive from his fifth year and what he had seen within. He felt as though he suddenly understood, at least partly, the man before him. Snape's childhood had been like Harry's was, except worse.
The silence stretched, and Harry decided to break it before it grew too uncomfortable. "I also have a couple of questions."
"What do you want to know, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Well I was wondering . . . umm . . . what Professor Snape means when he said 'I'm just trying to remedy' the situation? You're not getting rid of the baby, are you?" Harry questioned worriedly.
"No, he's helping me to get my memory back."
"Thought so." Harry said, relief apparent in his voice. "I was pretty sure you'd keep the baby, I just wanted to hear it from you."
"Did you know, Mr. Potter, about the child?" Severus questioned, prompted by some vague look on the young man's face.
"The thought had crossed my mind," Harry admitted. "I've been watching her, and it seemed to be a possibility, considering her eating habits and she's been sick a lot."
"I'm still here, you know," Hermione piped up, still subdued but feeling better.
"Sorry, 'Mione." Harry looked chagrined.
She accepted his apology with a flick of her fingers because a yawn suddenly overtook her. "You need to get some sleep, we're starting the potion tomorrow,"Severus said. He turned to Harry. "I needn't remind you that this stays private?"
"I wouldn't tell anyone, Professor, but the way Ron was when you threw him out I bet most of the school knows now, and all of it will know by tomorrow, knowing the gossip mill as I do."
What color Hermione had been regaining receded with those words. She shrank back into Severus with a look of horror on her face. "They would have found out sooner or later," Severus told her.
She nodded despondently, her eyes glazed. "Don't worry, Hermione," Harry said fervently. "You'll have me, and Professor Snape, and Ginny and Neville on your side. Not to mention the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall."
She interrupted him there. "'Fraid McGonagall is out of that list. She hasn't said hardly a word to me since this came to light."
"She doesn't want you to have the baby?" Harry was slack jawed with disbelief.
"Well, probably that, but she was . . . upset when she wasn't the first person I came to about it, and about what I told her afterward."
Surprised, Severus noticed that Harry had the tact not to pursue that line of questioning. Severus jumped back into the conversation. "Tomorrow is time enough to discuss the rest of this. Potter, you still need to go to the Hospital Wing, and Hermione, you need to rest."
A fearful look came across Hermione's face. "Do I have to go out there now?"
"No, little lioness. Tonight, I'll spare you that. We'll Floo to your quarters, and then I'll Floo Mr. Potter to the Infirmary."
She went slack in relief, and gladly let Severus take control. He guided her to the fireplace and into her room. He peeled back the covers to of her bed and lay her down. She fell asleep just as Severus was leaving, but before unconsciousness claimed her, she said, "Thank God for you, Severus. I don't know what I'd do without you."
**************************************************************************** **
Disclaimer: Flattered, really.
Ch. 3- Explosive News
Hermione buttoned up her robes with hands that only shook a little, and waited impatiently for Madam Pomphrey to return. "Is everything all right?" she asked anxiously when the medi-witch came back.
"Don't worry, dear. Everything is fine," Madam Pomphrey reassured her. She sat on a stool across from Hermione. "According to the tests that I ran, you are almost three months along. That puts the time of conception between the second and third weeks of August."
Hermione frowned and thought back-that overlapped her trip to Italy and her visit to the Burrow. And, now that she thought about it, her nightmares had started sometime around there too. She felt a chill run down her back. *It couldn't have happened at the Burrow, could it?*
The medi-witch continued, "The baby appears to be perfectly healthy, though you have some tissue scarring from . . . when it happened." Her eyes were sympathetic. "Severus has already explained what to avoid? Good. And the morning sickness should go away in about a month or so."
Hermione groaned. "Another month?"
Madam Pomphrey nodded. "If You have any questions, any at all, come to me. I'm always here."
"Thank you, Madam," Hermione murmured. She ducked around the privacy curtains and ran out the door, colliding with Severus, who was on his way in.
"Sorry, little witch." He held her until he was sure she wasn't going to fall. "I just wanted to know how your visit went." He said it casually enough, but the three and a half weeks of near constant exposure to him clued her off to his worry.
"Everything's fine," she assured him, and went on to tell him about the time frame of conception. She did not mention the scarring.
"So you still have no idea who it could have been?" he asked.
"None." They were walking down the hallway, heads bent towards each other. To anyone on the outside, it looked like they were arguing over a potion. The school was still recovering from the news of her apprenticeship to Severus. Slytherins kept looking at her oddly, while Hufflepuffs stared with a mixture of awe and fear. Ravenclaws admired her and loathed her in turns, and the Gryffindors . . . well, the Gryffindors, with the notable exceptions of Harry and Ginny (Ron was talking to her again, even if everything wasn't perfect between them yet) thought she was stark raving nutters.
A year ago, she might have agreed with them. Now, though, she wouldn't trade it for the world. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable routine: Hermione would help Severus with a potion until he thought she shouldn't be around a particular fume, then she would grade lower level papers in his office and watch him complete the potion. Some days, they didn't even do that. Instead, they would talk about potions or books, or even other students. To their surprise and pleasure, they found that each could make the other laugh, so the evenings were quite pleasant.
She was falling in love with him. No, not true. She was in love with him. But she could never let him know it; he would probably run screaming in the other direction. That, or hex her into oblivion. Come to think of it, the hexes were probably more his style.
They finished the rest of the walk to his lab in a comfortable silence. Severus waved his wand and said a few words to disarm the wards. He didn't even bother to lower his voice so that she couldn't hear anymore. It warmed her to know that he trusted her with his passwords.
They entered his office and continued on into the lab. She shrugged out of her outer school robes--they tended to get in the way when she was trying to concentrate–and caught Severus eyeing her stomach as she did so. She had thought before that he'd looked at it, but now she had caught him red-handed, or open-eyed, as the case may be.
He flushed slightly when he realized that she'd caught him staring, but didn't say anything. "I'm not really showing yet," she said, "but there is a small difference. Here, feel." She grabbed his hand before he could protest and placed it on her bare stomach. She'd lifted her shirt so that he could feel easier. When he would have drawn back, she pressed his hand down more firmly. "Feel," she insisted.
Severus did; Her skin was warm and her stomach was firm, just slightly rounded with the beginning of her pregnancy. He stroked the curve gently once. "There's really a new life in there, isn't there?" he asked softly, wonder in his eyes.
"Yes, you silly man." She had the temerity to giggle.
Nothing could break the moment for him, however. He looked down into her eyes and told her, "You really should get some pictures taken each month to show your progress. Then, when the child is old enough, you can show him or her."
She smiled at him. "That's a great idea."
As he reluctantly reclaimed his hand, he said, "You'll have to tell at least Potter and Weasley soon, they're going to start noticing something." He didn't want anyone else to know, he just wanted it to be between the two of them, a secret to savor, but it wasn't fair to Hermione.
Hermione grimaced. "I know. I think Harry already suspects something, he's been studying me ever since that incident with Ron. Ron, though, he wouldn't notice until I'm as big as a house unless I spell it out for him."
"Typical Gryffindor," Severus said under his breath.
"Hey!" she exclaimed in mock outrage, and then sighed. "Can I wait until tomorrow?"
"Of course, it is your choice."
"Will you be with me when I do it?" she asked in a small voice.
He looked startled. "I suppose," he replied. "I'll tell you what, little witch," he said with a sigh as he came to stand in front of her. "Bring your two friends down to my quarters tomorrow evening and I'll be around. Does that sound all right?"
"You'll do that for me?"
"Yes, Hermione. What are friends for? Because I believe we are friends."
"We are. Thank you, Severus," she said, and threw her arms around him. He awkwardly returned the embrace, barely controlling his sudden physical reaction to having her pressed against him.
Inwardly, he berated himself for what he felt. *She's one of my students, for Merlin's sake, nearly 20 years my junior!* But he couldn't help rejoicing at the same time. It had been a long time since any woman had caught his attention physically, let alone emotionally and intellectually like Hermione had somehow managed to do.
Hermione pulled back looking embarrassed, and started to apologize. Severus cut her off with a wave of his hand and motioned for her to sit down on a stool. He took a seat across from her. "I finally found the recipe to the potion that should restore your memories," he told her. "How ever, some of the ingredients, though easily obtained, are unusual and I will have to test it before using it on you. And there is always the possibility that it will not work."
The hope that had suffused her face when he had first started speaking decreased but did not disappear entirely. "I understand. At least there is a chance."
"There's always a chance," Severus said, surprising her with the unusually optimistic statement. "Let's get to work now, I have the feeling we won't get much done tomorrow."
**************************************************************************** **
Hermione spent most of the next day, which happened to be a Saturday, locked in her room. She paced back and forth and worried about her friends reactions when they found out about her current 'condition.'
Finally dinner rolled around and she accompanied the boys so that she could drag them off afterwards. She kept glancing up at the Head Table where Severus had put in a rare weekend appearance. She knew that he did it to give her moral support, distant though it had to be.
After Harry and Ron had shoved a plate of thirds down their throats, Hermione was ready to scream. "Are you done with supper?" she asked, her voice full of exasperation and apparently some anxiety, judging by the look Harry sent her way.
"Yes," the two said in tandem.
"Well, come on then, I need to tell you something." She grabbed their wrists and started pulling them when they did not move fast enough to suit her.
"But Hermione, what about dessert?" Ron whined.
"Mr. Weasley, shouldn't your friend take precedence over sugary confections?" Severus had followed her out of the Great Hall.
To forestall what would surely be a great loss of house points, Hermione intervened before Ron could reply. "Ron, if you're still speaking to me later, I'll personally fetch you dessert from the kitchens."
A moment of silence ensued. "Umm, Hermione, why are we in the dungeons?" Harry asked softly.
"Because Severus here," she shot him an apologetic look for using his first name in the presence of others. "Has kindly lent me a space to tell the both of you something very important."
"What?" Ron asked immediately.
"Mr. Weasley, I believe she said important and implied private."
Ron opened his mouth to reply but didn't speak this time because Harry elbowed him in the ribs. A moment later they halted in front of a statue of a wizard that looked eerily like the character Jafaar out of Disney's Aladdin. Severus suddenly whirled and looked the two boys in the eyes. "If you ever tell anyone what my quarters look like or where they are, Gryffindor will be in the negative long after you've graduated and you'll be scrubbing cauldrons without magic until then. And don't even think about trying to get in again- the password will be changed upon your departure."
The duo's jaws dropped as Severus turned just as quickly as before. He took down the wards and barked out the password. Hermione shoved them through the space the statue had made.
Suddenly everything seemed to be too much. Her stomach roiled in protest to her current stress level and she blanched to the color of cold porridge. Severus, now attuned to her 'episodes,' as he called them, leapt forward. With a speedy wave of his wand he conjured a bucket, and caught her about the waist. He gently lowered her to her knees and pulled her hair back as she vomited.
When he was sure she was done, he banished the bucket and its contents and pulled out a handkerchief. She wiped her mouth as he led her over to an armchair next to the fire. Severus proceeded to his kitchen, which was out of sight of the living room. He emerged a moment later carrying a vial and a glass of water. Both he handed to Hermione, who downed the vial of stomach calming solution with a grimace and sipped the water.
"You both sit down," he snapped at the pair. Then, more gently, he said, "Hermione, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." A second later, his head popped around the corner. "Be sure to tell them I had nothing to do with your situation, I'm simply trying to remedy it."
She nodded and turned back to her friends with a sigh. When she didn't start immediately, Harry prodded her with a question. "Well, Hermione, what's wrong? I know something's been up since the start of term."
"You're right, Harry." She rubbed her neck nervously. "Oh, hell, I might as well just tell you. I'm pregnant."
The reaction from Rn's quarter was immediate. "YOU'RE WHAT?!! WHO, HOW??!!!"
"Ron, let her explain." When Ron didn't respond, Harry forcibly pulled him back onto the sofa and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Go on," he said calmly.
"I don't remember how, not really. Only that . . . I wasn't willing."
Harry looked upset but had his hands full dealing with Ron. "When did it happen?" he asked, trying to avoid Ron's teeth meeting his hand.
"Sometime overlapping my trip to Italy," she hesitated but went on a little quieter, "And my visit to the Burrow."
At these words Ron managed to throw Harry off of him and the couch entirely. He landed with a thud no one heard when Ron completely exploded. "ARE YOU SAYING ONE OF MY FAMILY DID THIS TO YOU?! HOW DARE YOU! WE'VE TAKEN . . ."
"No, I'm not, Ron," she sobbed. "Please stop, Ron, I'm not, I'm not." She curled into a miserable ball, murmuring those words over and over.
When Ron did not stop after a second, Severus came in to see why he was that earsplitting racket. He took one look at the tableau in front of him: Potter on the floor, looking like the wind had been knocked out of him, Ron red-faced and screaming, and Hermione crying her heart out in the chair he now thought of as hers.
"WEASLEY!! GET OUT! Neither she nor the baby needs this! Stay away from her until you gain a modicum of control over yourself, and preferably can offer a heartfelt apology." Severus grabbed the red-head by the collar and slung him out the door.
He walked back towards Hermione and noticed that Potter was still on the floor. Wondering if he was going to regret it, Severus extended his hand. A split-second passed and Harry accepted it, and Severus pulled him up. When the boy winced, he asked, "What is wrong, Mr. Potter?" but not with the usual sarcasm-laced voice.
"Think he bruised my ribs, sir," Harry replied before turning his gaze to Hermione.
"Go to Poppy, Potter," Severus said, not unkindly, and went over to Hermione. He placed a hand on her shoulder and softly asked, "Little witch?"
At the gentle touch and the kind term of endearment, she broke down even further and in a replay of his office flung her arms about his neck.
He was prepared this time, though he was still thrown back into a sitting position. He tucked her head under his chin, where it fit perfectly, and pulled her close. "Shhh, sweet one, calm down, little witch. Everything will be fine, my brave lioness, don't worry about him. He doesn't know what he says," *never thought I'd be semi-defending him* "Come on, luv, this isn't good for the baby, you can't let yourself get like this."
He was so involved in comforting Hermione that Severus did not notice that Harry hadn't left yet or that he'd called her 'luv.' The Boy-Who- Lived stood back and took in a scene that he could never have imagined. Somehow, though, it looked right. It was the first time he had ever seen an expression other than hate on the older man's face. It was obvious to him, at least, that the two were in love. It was just as obvious, however, that they didn't realize the other reciprocated the feelings.
He quietly entered the kitchen and set the kettle on. He rifled through the cabinets and took out two teacups. Right before the kettle whistled he took it off the heat and poured cups. Looking around some more, he found the tea bags and let them soak. He waited and then carefully carried them to the living room.
Hermione was only hiccupping sporadically now and Severus noticed Harry, and actually seemed to flush a little. Harry made no comment, simply set the tea cups on the table. Severus struggled to stand, keeping Hermione in his arms, and sat the two of them on the couch, her body tucked close against him. Harry handed Severus a cup, and when Hermione's head emerged from Severus's chest, she shakily accepted the other.
"What are you still doing here, Potter?" Severus meant for the question to come out cutting, but instead he just sounded tired and slightly annoyed.
"I know you told me to leave, Professor, but I was worried about Hermione," he answered, honestly and without hesitation.
Severus stared at him for a moment, trying to tell if that was all of it. Still considering, he raised up his cup and took a sip of tea. He allowed his surprise to show. "This is good tea, Potter."
"Thank you, sir. I learned how to make it at the Dursleys', they had to have it just so," Harry didn't know why he made the remark, but though he saw a fleeting flash of empathy in the man's eyes. He remembered, then, the Penseive from his fifth year and what he had seen within. He felt as though he suddenly understood, at least partly, the man before him. Snape's childhood had been like Harry's was, except worse.
The silence stretched, and Harry decided to break it before it grew too uncomfortable. "I also have a couple of questions."
"What do you want to know, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Well I was wondering . . . umm . . . what Professor Snape means when he said 'I'm just trying to remedy' the situation? You're not getting rid of the baby, are you?" Harry questioned worriedly.
"No, he's helping me to get my memory back."
"Thought so." Harry said, relief apparent in his voice. "I was pretty sure you'd keep the baby, I just wanted to hear it from you."
"Did you know, Mr. Potter, about the child?" Severus questioned, prompted by some vague look on the young man's face.
"The thought had crossed my mind," Harry admitted. "I've been watching her, and it seemed to be a possibility, considering her eating habits and she's been sick a lot."
"I'm still here, you know," Hermione piped up, still subdued but feeling better.
"Sorry, 'Mione." Harry looked chagrined.
She accepted his apology with a flick of her fingers because a yawn suddenly overtook her. "You need to get some sleep, we're starting the potion tomorrow,"Severus said. He turned to Harry. "I needn't remind you that this stays private?"
"I wouldn't tell anyone, Professor, but the way Ron was when you threw him out I bet most of the school knows now, and all of it will know by tomorrow, knowing the gossip mill as I do."
What color Hermione had been regaining receded with those words. She shrank back into Severus with a look of horror on her face. "They would have found out sooner or later," Severus told her.
She nodded despondently, her eyes glazed. "Don't worry, Hermione," Harry said fervently. "You'll have me, and Professor Snape, and Ginny and Neville on your side. Not to mention the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall."
She interrupted him there. "'Fraid McGonagall is out of that list. She hasn't said hardly a word to me since this came to light."
"She doesn't want you to have the baby?" Harry was slack jawed with disbelief.
"Well, probably that, but she was . . . upset when she wasn't the first person I came to about it, and about what I told her afterward."
Surprised, Severus noticed that Harry had the tact not to pursue that line of questioning. Severus jumped back into the conversation. "Tomorrow is time enough to discuss the rest of this. Potter, you still need to go to the Hospital Wing, and Hermione, you need to rest."
A fearful look came across Hermione's face. "Do I have to go out there now?"
"No, little lioness. Tonight, I'll spare you that. We'll Floo to your quarters, and then I'll Floo Mr. Potter to the Infirmary."
She went slack in relief, and gladly let Severus take control. He guided her to the fireplace and into her room. He peeled back the covers to of her bed and lay her down. She fell asleep just as Severus was leaving, but before unconsciousness claimed her, she said, "Thank God for you, Severus. I don't know what I'd do without you."
**************************************************************************** **