This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter 3 – The bird is getting fat!

Hermione sat in the basement of the library surrounded by the dusty tomes. She loved her days in the grubby, dimly lit basement surrounded by the older, rarer books. The only problem was, in the last month or so whenever she was down here, she would float off into a deep reverie. At first her memories had come drifting back through dreams and senses of déjà vu, but now she could almost satisfactorily recall them during her waking hours.

She knew what she was remembering; it was the night her 'Lumpy' was conceived. She also knew that it was Severus Snape who was the father. She had seen his face, but there was something else she was missing. She knew that there was something she was still forgetting, she was almost there, but it was just out of her reach.

Her mind slipped off again; they were in the dungeon, she was moving to get to the store cupboard when she tripped and fell straight into the arms of her potions master; her love. She looked up, a flush upon her cheeks in embarrassment at her clumsiness and arousal. Snape's hands had skimmed the sides of her breasts as he helped to upright her. She had looked up at him; he had inhaled as she assumed he saw the look of pure wanton across her face. Suddenly his lips were on hers, assaulting them with his own. His tongue running out across them, begging her to let him enter. She obliged and allowed his tongue to mesh with hers. She had whimpered and moved her hands over his chest to his shoulders before they sunk into his hair. She wanted him. She had begged him a number of times… then things were still in pieces; dark robes opening, a shoulder with a scar so close to the neck, a sharp pain, and the feel of cold against her skin. Her body feeling tired, wanting to sleep and yet, alive and aching but not with pain. Deep piercing dark eyes, fired with passion and love…

She shook her head; she just couldn't grasp that section properly. Her next clear memory was her being lead up to the Headmaster's office, she was trembling, sore, aching and confused. She was being told that Severus was in danger; she was confused as to why that was such a big concern, he was always in danger at the Revels. She began sobbing as she was settled into a gigantic chair, at first she couldn't speak; she was shocked to her core. Her love could be in danger and yet all she wanted was to forget her first time. She shook her head to clear it.

'Headmaster, I need to forget what happened tonight. I need to forget what has lead to all this.' Her voice sounded strange to her own ear. 'If he comes back or not, I do not want to remember what happened there…'

'It is your decision, child, I would not attempt to talk you out of it, but I certainly won't encourage it.' The headmaster took her hand and crouched before her.

'Do you… do you think it's awful of me?'

'Of course not,' he said kindly, 'but I do feel you should talk about it with Severus first.' She nodded mutely. Suddenly the door to the office burst open and in stumbled her love. She couldn't look at him at first as the Headmaster led him to her, her heart was pounding and her breath was becoming ragged, she wanted to run, to bolt. But then he had taken her chin and turned her gaze to him and all she wanted was to be in his arms. His eyes had held such pain and sorrow and she felt so guilty at being disgusted with him, it wasn't his fault after all.

Hermione was completely confused by everything she could fully remember about that night. She kept saying something about Lucius and his voice and not really being there, but if she hadn't been there then where had she been? And what had she meant when she said 'you thought I wanted it'? Of course I bloody wanted to make love to him! I had told him for months that I did. Gosh how I wish I could owl him and really ask what the hell was going on.

She knew it had been her idea for the Memory Charm. However, it didn't solve the mystery that was at hand. Why had I asked for it? What was so bad about us sleeping together? She imagined that she had rather enjoyed herself, and could definitely remember him enjoying it. Although, there had been a flash of panic in his face before her memory shifted to her being led up to the Head's office.

She sighed and lifted another heavy book, giving it a dust, perhaps there were some things just best left alone. She could imagine some very nice false memories that would fit perfectly with the images she did remember.

The following morning Hermione waddled into the kitchen. I'm getting fatter by the minute, she thought as she stuffed another scone in her mouth. She was nearly eight months pregnant and she was becoming extremely uncomfortable with the extra weight she was carrying. Her back ached, the baby prodded and kicked her throughout the night causing her to lose sleep, her head throbbed and her breasts ached painfully.

'Oh, Lumpy,' she stroked her stomach and winced as the baby kicked again, 'you're just as bad tempered as your father.' She tapped her stomach to warn the baby she wasn't in the mood.

'Mornin'' came a sleepy voice from the doorway. 'Lumpy acting up again?'

Hermione smiled at the brunette, her hair everywhere first thing in the morning, reminding her of herself just a few months ago. Now Hermione sported a much-tamed cropped cut, which she found so much easier to handle now she was pregnant. She couldn't cope with doing it everyday, sitting in front of the mirror just made her ache even more.

'Good Morning Monika,' she chirped, 'sleep well?' Her reply was a grunt as the young woman shuffled to the kettle to switch it on. Hermione's laugh filled the kitchen. 'So how was your date?'

'He was an idiot,' Monika flopped into the chair next to the Gryffindor and pinched the second half of her scone. 'He talked 'bout his friggin' car all night 'n' then had the audacity to complain when I wouldn't go back to his!' her Liverpuddlian accent thick first thing in the morning. She bit into the scone. 'Saw Mike though,' she watched the younger girl's face with interest. Nothing passed over it. 'He asked 'bout you, yer know?'

'I am eight months pregnant! What the hell is up with him?'

'Oh come on, don't tell me yer ain't the slightest bit interested?'

'No, I mean, he is cute- ow!' she grabbed her stomach, 'traitor,' she hissed under her breath. Monika laughed.

'Oh he is in a right mood today.' The kettle finished boiling and she poured herself a cup of tea. 'Right I'm going to go up and get sorted, Matt's picking me up at eleven thirty.'

Hermione shook her head silently as she watched her fellow brunette slouch out of the kitchen, cuppa in hand, and a wistful smile on her lips. She loved Monika dearly, she had taken Hermione in when she had arrived here, been supportive of her situation when she had discovered that she was pregnant and had never once judged her. She helped Hermione at work as well as around the house and promised to continue to do so once the baby was born. Monika was an amazing person, but Hermione was very worried about her. The Muggle girl had come from a broken home, her parents divorced young and her mother had become an alcoholic. She was passed from foster home to foster home until she was sixteen, where she found herself a job and a place of her own. Monika had never looked back. However, she did crave love and dreamt of a large perfect family, and her cravings led her into the arms of a large number of men and relationships.

Monika had squealed with more excitement than Hermione had when she heard Hermione was expecting. Yeah well, that wasn't hard really was it? Hermione thought glumly, you were too worried wondering who the father was.

The first test Hermione had done when she had skipped a period had been more from logical deduction. She was a week late and she wanted to rule everything out before she went to the doctors, she was sure it was just the mental and emotional stress that had but a pause to her menstrual flow. When she raised the pregnancy wand she almost fell off the toilet. Three days later she was again on the toilet looking open mouthed at the wand she held. Trudging to the doctors for confirmation a few days later had felt like the longest trip of her life, until she had walked home with a note of confirmation in her hand. She had had to ask the doctor to write it down, she hadn't believed it, the doctor had sat there for a while trying to get her attention after telling her the news;

'I gather that this isn't a planned pregnancy then.' He had flatly stated. She shook her head silently as she took the paper from him with her results clearly showing. 'Miss Troy, you know that there are other solutions to this problem…' he had trailed off looking at her. Her face had suddenly snapped to attention and it held a horrified expression. How could he even think about that? She shuddered and held her stomach as she thought again about his encouraging voice at the suggestion of abortion. She had nearly thrown up there and then. It was needless to say that she had quickly sought a second doctor. She wouldn't have a murdering bastard as the first person her child would see when brought into this world.

Lumpy gave another nudge to show her he was still alive and kicking – literally. She smiled and soothed him with her hand. When she had finally realised who his father was, she had been relieved another ten fold that she had kept the child. She wanted still to be a part of Severus, and she still loved him dearly – what better way to show that than with a child? Lumpy instantly stopped kicking when her thoughts turned to her lost love. She smiled. Lumpy was always happiest when she thought about Severus Snape.

Running a hand over the stomach she silently reassured her unborn babe, when this awful war is over, we will be able to put this life behind us. I will take you to your father, I promise, and he will be part of your life. Lumpy gave a very gentle, almost a tickling, prod and gently settled again, obviously content – for now.

'You know that if Monika catches you doing that she'll go spare,' sung Clarisse. Hermione grunted as she continued to lift the old, almost gigantic books, and swung them around to start her short trip to the other side of the basement. 'For goodness sake Lucy, will you use the trolley? It will be quicker and less painful for us all!' Huffing the bonnie blonde marched over and grabbed the stack that Hermione was carrying. 'Give 'em here. Gosh, Lucy, if you're not careful-' the books scattered everywhere as the girls fought over them. Clarisse bent down sharply, Hermione did the same, forgetting for a split second that she was heavily pregnant, the moment the sharp pain in her side shot through her she quickly remembered and bolted upright. Inhaling deeply to still the throb she placed her hands on her hips, easing her back, which suddenly felt that Lumpy was kicking around as if her spine was a football.

'Lucy!' squealed Clarisse, a loud bang thumbed through the echoing basement as she dropped the books again. 'Your waters!' Hermione looked down; her dungarees were soaked through from her crotch, a puddle forming around her feet. She looked green as a wave of tight cramps hit her, twisting her spine in agony before they travelled through her to her stomach. She clutched tightly at the blue fabric she wore as the wave ran through her. 'Sit.' Clarisse brought her down onto a chair she had dragged behind the labour stricken girl. 'Breathe in, two, three and out, two, three and in, two, three, out two, three. Keep doing that, remember to count, I'm going to get someone to call an ambulance.' Hermione kept breathing as Clarisse advised her, she grimaced again as another wave of pain hit her a few minutes later. Clarisse appeared just as it finished, flagged by Monika and Dave, their boss, he ran straight to her side lifting her up out of her chair.

'It's all right, come on,' he cooed gently. Hermione silently obliged, more from shock than anything. Dave wasn't normally the most caring type, and hadn't really said that much at all to her the entire seven or so months she had worked here. 'We just need to get you up and walking,' he continued, helping to support her weight as another wave hit her and then coercing her into taking another couple of steps. 'Walking will help to keep the edge off the pains.' He kept her walking, all the time encouraging conversation between the four of them until the ambulance arrived, where Monika accompanied her to the hospital.

By the time Hermione arrived at the Liverpool Women's Hospital she was screaming and desperate to push; the sweat from her restraint was beading on her brow. Oh how I wish Madam Promfrey was here, or at least I was in St. Mungo's with lovely anti-contraction potions and soothing balms. She moaned again as the feeling to push travelled through her.

She was wheeled into a delivery room just a few minutes after being looked over by a midwife, 'she's fully dilated, when did her waters break?' the midwife had asked Monika who suggested roughly between half an hour and an hour ago. The midwife told her not to be stupid this was at least double if not triple where she should be even in a 'good' labour. If Hermione had been able to think about anything other than the gigantic head that was trying to squeeze through her almost virginal entrance she would have laughed and made a hidden comment about witches and magic.

Suddenly she could take no more and pushed. The midwife had barely been ready, after a couple more pushes; the cries of a fresh pair of lungs filled the room before a swaddled bundle was placed proudly on an exhausted chest.

'Miss Troy, I'd like you to meet your son, say hello to mamma little one.' The midwife whispered to a gooey baby that had stopped crying and had begun looking around bewildered. Hermione wrapped her arms around the boy and cuddled her close.

'Hello Lumpy,' she smiled tiredly, 'so you're the one who kept kicking me.' She almost swore she saw a scowl that said well you're the one who wouldn't do what I wanted. Already she knew that he would be just like his father. She smiled sweetly at him and his face softened as she said 'like father, like son.'

Dear Mr Weasley,

I think that you need to congratulate me; I am now the proud mother of a bouncing baby boy – literally! His name is Samuel Severus Snape or Sam for short, I named him after his father and late grandfather. He is just over a month old now and is doing very well, he weighed a healthy six pounds eight ounces – although it felt a lot more – and has his father's dark eyes, but my hair. He is simply gorgeous; see for yourself, the picture enclosed is of Sam and I.

I just wanted to thank you for your kindness in removing the charm; it has helped me to accept Sam as my own child and helps me to connect him to his father. It also means that I have something to tell him about his dad when he's older. He already loves hearing about his father – that's when he literally starts to bounce his crib. I have to be careful about leaving him with my friends due to his already apparent magical ability.

I know that one day he will have to attend Hogwarts in order to ensure that his magical capabilities are honed, and at that day I pray that the war is over so that he may freely use his family name. I dream of the day when I can return to the wizarding world and rejoice with you all. I can't wait to see Ron and Harry and let them know that I have a son, that they're 'uncles.' Ron will throw a fit when he finds out that Sam's father is Severus, I laugh so much at that image.

I just wanted you to know that I am fine and being well looked after. Sam has so many people here who love him, he will want for nothing.

I love you all, take care,

Hermione

X

Arthur folded the letter he had collected from the Muggle Post Office that morning. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time there, the electronic voice that called out number positions and the penikles with chains on them.

He liked the sound of the letter, Hermione had a healthy, happy and clearly magical child – and so does Severus, he mused. He knew that she couldn't tell Severus about the child; Severus would drag her kicking and screaming back to the castle. He also knew that if anyone else saw this letter they would do the same, or the Death Eaters would use the child against them both, to draw them out and hinder the Order. Even Dumbledore wouldn't be allowed to know of the child's existence, he would have the entire Order out to protect her and the little one and they were already overstretched protecting Harry and Ron as the two made their way close to the final battle.

Harry especially had been deeply involved in the preparations. On the odd occasion when Draco felt his emotions were running too high to hide from Voldemort or if it were a particularly important meeting that needed full concentration on what was happening, Harry would take his place, wearing a glamour and hiding his mind completely. Draco, although becoming more and more competent at Occlumency, was not at the level that would be acceptable for those meetings. He would become very sulky at the Order Headquarters' when there on the nights that Harry took his place; he had even heard a rumour from Professor McGonagall that once he had blasted the Charms classroom apart in frustration as he awaited news of the return of the boy-who-lived.

No, now was not the time for the newest member of the prestigious Snape family to become part of the Wizarding world.

A/N: As always, thanks to my Beta - and thanks for the reviews (if you do flame - and seriously I don't mind in the slightest - at least sign in, doing in Anon is just cowardly.)

I have noticed something of late with certain LJ's and e-mail lists - If you want to use snippets of a story, please ask the Author's permission. It is their work after all, even if you don't like it, they have worked long and hard on it. Its only manners and as it doesn't cost anything to use manners everyone should use them - if you don't you're just ignorant! I would rarely decline snippets of my story being placed anywhere, as long as I have access to see what you're doing with it... And remember, if an author doesn't want their work snipped and posted somewhere then you're stealing their work. They also have the right to withdraw said permission.