Disclaimer: Dance, slave, dance! ::tugs the marrionette strings attatched to Snape's arms:: ::blink:: Oops. I been caught. ::sigh:: I'm just messing around here people.

A/N: ::hums::

Hermione left the bathroom, fully dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and a comfy long-sleeved shirt, to find Severus gone.

Upon further investigation, she found a note, hastily scrawled with big spiky letters on her dresser.

Hermione,

Won't be back until after dinner. Go see Poppy some time this afternoon to find out ::a big large blob of black in crossed out whatever was written:: if the potion worked.

S.S.

A frown formed on Hermione's face as she read the letter. God forbid the man drop his arrogant tone for a moment, not even for the sake of a polite letter. He could of asked her nicely. Thrown in a please or two.

Well at least he called her Hermione for once. What was he supposed to call you? Miss Granger? You are carrying his child after all. she thought.

Hermione supressed a slight shudder. Ewk, this was beyond wrong. Though it wasn't as if she had much of a choice. Death or a baby. For a while, death was looking rather good.

But in the end, she made the logical choice. The -right- choice, she hoped.

Of course it was the right choice. She was needed here. Harry and Ron needed her. Her parents needed her.

With this revelation, she pulled her hair up and threw some school robes on over her clothes and went off to see Harry and Ron.

Harry moved his head, looking around the room, and his eyes fell on Hermione. "Mione!" he said, getting up from his chair. She smiled warmly at him, and gave him a hug before taking the chair across from him.

"Where ya been 'Mione? You've been avoiding us like the bloody bubonic plague!" Ron said, sounding rather hurt.

Hermione gave him a slight smile and said "Firstly, my name's -Her-mione. Say it with me, -Hermione-."

Ron chuckled and gave her a lop-sided grin. "Aww 'Mione, you know you like it."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him but refrained from making a cutting remark. "I take it you missed me?" she said, smiling slightly at the both of them.

"Of course we have! We've nearly killed each other without you around to snap us out of it." Harry said, grinning at her.

"Oh really?" Hermione asked, eyeing them both carefully.

"Er..." Ron started, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

"It's just this whole Snape thing, Hermione." Harry said after a moment.

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, I know, boys. But it's really not as bad as you think."

"Not as bad as we think? 'Mione you told us yourself what was in that letter." Ron said, making insinuations to the third requirement.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip again. It was getting to be somewhat of a bad habit. Should she tell them..?

Harry looked at her oddly. "What is it?"

Might as well. They're going to find out eventually.

"You won't freak out? Or scream or faint or-" Hermione mumbled.

Harry cut her off "We promise." he said simply, throwing a glance at Ron, who nodded slightly.

"How to put this?" She said, partly to herself.

Noticing Harry and Ron's looks of increasing concern she continued "It's not as if I'm going to die guys. Actually, it's preventing me from doing that very thing."

Ron looked at her, obviously confused. But Harry on the other hand, was stuttering inconsistancies which could only mean that he had actually figured out what she was trying to imply.

Hermione decided on a more blunt approach. "Yes, I'm pregnant. At least I'm pretty sure I am."

If she was in a better mood, she might have wished she had a camera to catch the two boys expressions. Ron had turned completely red at first, which then turned to a sickly green as he figured out what Snape and Hermione had actually done to get her pregnant. Harry had stopped stuttering, in fact, he had stopped moving at all. He stared at Hermione disbelievingly, with his jaw hanging somewhere around his feet.

"You knew this was going to happen, guys." she said, squirming a bit in her chair.

"Yeah, but not so soon!" Ron said, and Harry seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You do know it's been almost four weeks since we got-" she broke off, not able to bring herself to say 'married'. "since we got the ministry letter?"

Harry blinked a few times at her, and made to say something, but Hermione beat him to it.

"Could you two possibly put yourselves together? It's not helping any."

Ron flushed a bit and nodded to her. Harry took a deep, calming breath before saying "When?"

"When?" Hermione peered quizzically at Harry. "What do you mean by that?"

Harry turned bright red and Hermione stopped him elaborating by saying "Are you sure you want to know whatever it is?"

Hermione sank back deeper into her chair as Harry reconsidered and shook his head at her.

"I have to go see Madame Pomfrey later this afternoon. I was hoping you two could come with me?" Hermione asked softly, not looking at the boys.

"Er..I'm not too sure that's a good idea 'Mione. Last time I went to one of those I got real sick." Ron said.

Hermione looked up at him. "Got sick?"

"Uh, yeah. I was with my cousin Emily because her husband had to work overtime. I saw one of those shiny metal things that looked like they could kill and I don't remember much after that." Ron said in a haulting manner, as if it embaressed him.

Hermione blinked incrediously at him. "Are you trying to scare me?"

Harry put a comforting hand over Hermione's. "Don't worry, I'll go with you. Though I can't say I won't faint at the sight of strange instruments." he said, throwing a teasing glance at Ron.

Ron glowered at him and Hermione grinned amusedly at the sight of them.

"Thanks Harry, it means alot to me."

Hermione and Harry walked into the medical wing together, their arms linked as if they were going into battle.

"Whats the matter dears?" Madame Pomfrey bustled over, looking over their bodies as if expecting gaping holes and gushing blood.

"Er..might we speak to you privately Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione asked, her voice lowered.

The medi-witch's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she nodded, wondering what on earth what malady those two had acquired. She led them to the back of the wing, pushing each of them on a bed and drawing the curtain around.

"Madame Pomfrey, I'm not sick-" Harry protested as she pushed him back down onto the bed when he tried to get up.

Madame Pomfrey furrowed her brow in Hermione's direction. "The what is it then?"

Hermione glanced at Harry, who gave her a supportive look. She took a deep breath, and said "I need you to do a pregnancy test."

"HERMIONE JANE GRANGER!"

Hermione paled at the stout medi-witch's outburst, and sunk further into her bed.

"And you Mr.Potter! What were you thinking?!"

Harry stared disbelievingly at Madame Pomfrey as he began to understand what she was ranting about.

"No! It's not me! Honest, I swear!" Harry protested.

His pleas fell on deaf ears. "And you! A married woman! Have you no shame!" Madame Pomfrey yelled, not hearing Hermione and Harry's attempts to reason with her.

Harry threw Hermione a scared look and she grabbed her wand. "Silencio!" she chanted, swishing her wand in Madame Pomfrey's direction.

Needless to say, Madame Pomfrey was not pleased. She huffed and crossed her arms, scoffing at the young woman who had dared to put a silencing charm on her.

"I really am sorry Madame, but you weren't listening to us!" Hermione said defensively.

"The baby is not Harry's, if there is a baby. It is my husband's, without a doubt. Do a paternity test if you have to. I asked Harry to come along because my husband had prior engagements that could not be broken." Hermione said rather stiffly.

"If I remove the silencing charm do you promise not to scream at us?" Hermione asked.

The woman nodded curtly, and Hermione removed the charm.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions my dear. You two just looked so cosy together and.." she shrugged. "I'll just go get what I need." she said, as she excused herself.

Harry let out a long sigh. "That was scary. Possibly the scariest thing I've ever heard."

Hermione laughed and said "Yeah, it was. Imagine what kind of hair our baby'd have."

Harry grimaced. "Between your bushy-ness, no offence 'Mione, and the way mine sticks up, I reckon it'd have an afro."

Hermione chuckled. "Yeah that is scary." she agreed.

Madame Pomfrey came back, carrying with her an array of potions. She picked one from the masses and said "Alright now dear, I need a bit of blood." She offered Hermione a needle.

Hermione pricked her finger, and Madame Pomfrey caught the drop of blood in her potion.

She swished it around, as Hermione watched nervously. Harry noticed her look and took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

Madame Pomfrey looked up from her potion to Hermione. "It's positive, Mrs. Snape."

Hermione willed herself not to cry. She really wasn't that upset, after all, she had expected it, but with all the conflicting emotions going on within her the tears automatically welled up in her eyes.

"Would you like to know the sex?" Madame Pomfrey asked, startling Hermione from her thoughts.

"What? Oh..uh.." she stumbled over her words. "I suppose so." she finally said.

"It's a boy." Madame Pomfrey said, unsure if she should present this as good or bad news.

"Oh." was all Hermione said.

Hermione and Harry were finally allowed to leave the infirmary an hour later, after Hermione had doused at least a dozen different potions and promised several times to visit her for a checkup in two weeks.

Hermione frowned, wondering if Severus was back yet. When he did get back, Hermione planned on giving him a piece of her mind, her thoughts trailing back to this morning's rudeness and her trip to the infirmary.

A/N: I love this chapter. ::snicker:: Hermione and Harry having a kid...that is kinda scary, hair-wise that is.