A/N: So, I thought I better pump up the action a bit now, but don't worry this is only the beginning. I'm on holiday until April 9, so maybe another chapter by the 10th? Depends, I might be too tired, but we'll see. Thank you for all your reviews, I would reply to them but I can't be bothered ;)

Love and Logic

After dinner Hermione and Ron went upstairs together, into his room. They sat on his bed and he looked at her.

"Hermione, is there something I should know?"

"What makes you think that?"

"It's just you've been so secretive, since, you know… and –"

"Ron! I don't what you think, but what Severus and I have is very special, you don't have to sound like that when it comes up. We're not ashamed, you shouldn't be." She retorted forcefully, suddenly she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, her breath quickening and her heart beat racing. She felt a sharp pain in the small of her back, but within ten seconds it had gone.

"Hermione! Are you OK? What's the matter with you? Do you want me to get someone?" Ron's voice began to get more and more high-pitched,

"No, honestly Ron, I'm fine, just got a bad back, must have been carrying all those boxes in this afternoon."

"Are you sure? Hermione, please tell me, what's going on? You can trust me," he held her hand in his, she wriggled hers a little, but she felt his friendly warmth run through her fingers. She sat down again.

"Oh, Ron, I really can't, I don't know how –"

"It'll be alright, I can help you. But I can't help unless I don't know. You always tell Harry everything, why not me, am I not a good a friend as Harry?"

"Of course not! You and Harry are both my best friends, but sometimes – oh Ron don't look at me like that – just sometimes, you overreact a little. Promise me you won't this time." He nodded and she kissed him gently on the cheek, "I'm pregnant," she whispered, and closed her eyes.

She felt the jolt of the bed springs as Ron jumped up, she heard him pace around the room, obviously trying so hard not to blow his top. She opened her eyes and he was kneeling in front of her, his face beetroot red. "How far gone?" he gasped,

"Seven months," she muttered, putting a hand defensively across her abdomen. He had his head down and was cursing under his breath.

"Why didn't you tell anyone before?" he looked into her eyes with his own fiery ones, "You haven't told anyone in all this time have you? If you'd told us earlier it would have been alright; we could have found somewhere for you to get rid of it, you'd be able to carry on studying as normal, pass your exams, become what you wanted to be. But it's too late now." She pushed him away, disgusted,

"That's why I never told you! If I'd told you, you would have made me have an abortion, you would have targeted me when I was really confused and bent me to your will. You can't understand what it feels like; to love someone so dearly that even when you think you're in the greatest peril in the world you can still trust them. You can never know what it feels like to be carrying a little life inside you, like a candle waiting to be lit, something so small that could become someone greatly important. You will never love until you know what that feels like!" she ran from the room and heaved herself up the next flight of stairs to her room where Snape was sitting at the desk, writing a letter.

As soon as he heard her come in, he folded the letter into a pocket on his robes and briskly turned around. He saw the tears running from her face and rose quickly. He brushed away her tears and held her close to his chest. "Who were you writing to?" she sniffed.

"No-one," he replied briskly and faced away, walking to the other side of the room. Normally she would have found this odd and pursued the matter, but she was so tired. He was entitled to his own business, just as she was.

"I'm going to bed," she muttered, he nodded and walked out of the room, "wait, you don't have to –" but he had gone. She blinked away another fresh harvest of tears and changed into her nightgown, before slipping into bed, and into a restless sleep.

She woke in a hot sweat half-way through the night; she turned her head to see the bed was empty. She shivered and got out; glancing at the clock on the wall to see it was two in the morning. She put on her silk dressing gown that was laid on the end of the bed and softly walked onto the landing. From a room at the end of the landing she saw a faint light under the closed door. Gently she tiptoed closer; she could hear voices; a man and a woman. She listened more closely, it was definitely Snape, but she'd never heard the woman's voice. They were laughing.

"Shh!" Snape giggled, "We'll wake the whole house!" Hermione didn't think she'd ever heard Snape giggle,

"Oh," sighed the woman, "honestly, all you can think about is …"

"…well at least I'm not …"

"Hey!" she must have poked him because Hermione heard Snape whimper a little, "Pathetic, you always were…"

"…come on…"

"…well then, that's settled…"

"…OK, I better go, I'll be missed."

"Oh yes, you've got your new bunny now haven't you, what was her name again? Henrietta?"

"Hermione and she's not my bunny!" but Hermione thought she heard a chuckle in his voice, she ran gently back across the landing and back into bed. She felt his body lie down beside her and she closed her eyes, her mind full of anxiety.

She turned around to face him, but he had his back to her. She put her arms over his back and snuggled up against him, she felt him try to move away, but then he stopped and turned his head towards her. "Go to sleep," he whispered, and kissed her forehead.

"I can't sleep, why aren't you asleep?" she fixed him with a piercing gaze,

"I can't sleep either," he put his arm around her, "come on, there's only a few hours left until morning," his eyes closed. Hermione was annoyed, he was pretending that he'd been there all the time, but she'd heard him in the room with the woman. He could be so arrogant sometimes, she was perfectly capable of working things out; why couldn't they share everything like most couples?

Then it struck her; sharing things was normally sometimes married couples did, although she and Severus were close, they weren't married. Her head throbbed; their child would be born out of marriage, although times had changed, in the wizarding world this was still slightly frowned upon. She'd never thought about it before, it hadn't ever affected her, but now? Would their child have a better start in life if they were married?

She couldn't ask Snape, she couldn't tell him something like that. It would be rude and demanding, she didn't know how he felt about it, for all she knew he could have been married before. He could have been married before! He might have other children, other lives; after all he was so much older than her. Her head was so full of these fears, she couldn't sleep at all.

Suddenly she felt another pain in her back, much sharper than before, it tore down her body like a lightening bolt; she screamed and writhed about in agony. Beside her Snape leapt up and bent down over her, holding her hand, "Hermione! What is it? Is it the baby?"

"It can't be," she gasped as the pain resided, "I'm only seven months gone," as she said it there was a strange sound, like puncture in a bicycle wheel and liquid gushed from her, soaking the bed. Strands of blood came too. She screamed again and grabbed his arm. "Severus! That was my waters, my waters have broken! It's going to come now, but it's too early! It's two months early!" She began to cry, "I need to go to hospital Severus!" she took a deep breath as she felt another flash of pain.

Snape stood there, looking shell-shocked for a moment and then pulled her to fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and shouted, "St. Mungos!" as he threw the powder into the grate. He held her tightly around the waist as they travelled through the network. She screamed again, beginning to lose her strength, the colours around them swirled and the reception came into sight.

A/N: Cliffhanger! How could I resist? So, for your information witchintraing I am using your idea from ages ago, only with a few extra things of my own. It was a very good idea after all. So I hope that's left you guys on tenterhooks, reviews..?