The students were back at Hogwarts. Many had to repeat the year that they missed during the war. They needed to get their NEWTS and OWLS and no amount of anti-Voldemort heroics could win them free qualifications. Many of the students were disgruntled to have to come back to the year (or school) that they thought that they had left behind but they all secretly felt comforted to be there, especially with Dumbledore back and twinkling all the over the place leaving the sticky scent of sugared lemon in his wake.
Snape was also, even more secretly, comforted to back. To have something so stable and recognisable in his life, after all the turmoil of the past year made his advancing pregnancy seem less confusing.
Poppy had insisted on seeing him as soon as he arrived. She had read all about his pregnancy in The Daily Prophet, but it didn't seem quite real until she saw the seven month pregnant Snape walk through the door. How on earth did the man still manage to glide?
He still growled and snorted and sneered, but all these expressions seemed to be softer now. More habit than genuine antipathy. He didn't argue with her at all when she asked him to get up on one of the beds so that she could examine him. He watched her intently as she performed various charms to check on the health of both baby and mother. Good Lord, dare she actually say that out loud?
"Do you know what will happen when it is time for the baby to be born?"
Severus sighed, "I have absolutely no idea Poppy. This was not the usual outcome of the ritual that I performed and I am afraid it didn't occur to me to ask at the time. There's no precedent for this."
Poppy chuckled, "Well that's not strictly true. There have been plenty of male pregnancies over the years."
She was amused to see Snape's eyebrows rise in surprise, did he think he was the first?
"They aren't often advertised, which you will probably sympathise with. They are usually deliberate though, so the outcome is known before the pregnancy begins. There are several charms and potions designed to allow male pregnancy. I would have thought that you would be familiar with the potions..."
"I have heard of some, their effectiveness is not something that I have personally researched though. It was not something that I considered relevant. Teaching the children how to do this would be foolish to say the least. Although inflicting morning sickness and back cramps onto the Dark Lord might have been interesting, perhaps you should have suggested it."
Poppy wondered if she was getting a glimpse of hitherto smothered Snape humour. She hoped so; he was going to need it over the next few weeks.
"Well," she continued, "most of these charms and potions incorporate a "final stage" during which the body changes to allow a normal birth. Assuming that this will go the same way, it should occur a few days before you go into labour."
Poppy braced herself for the indignant onslaught of Snape trying to deny that he would suddenly develop a vagina. She kept waiting but the Professor just waited calmly for her to continue. Well, she thought, miracles will never cease.
"The baby is perfectly healthy and I am pleased to see that you are looking after yourself. I had half expected to find you depressed and half starved." She may have imagined it but she thought she heard him laugh. She looked up to find him smiling, something she didn't remember ever seeing before. Alarming as it was initially, it made him look uncommonly handsome.
"Poppy, I am concerned about the student's reactions to me but I am not stupid. I agreed to this but ever since Dumbledore popped back into being, this has not been about the agreement. This is my child, fathered by a man that I..." he hesitated; she sensed a decision was being made, "that I love. We want this child, we love this child and I will not do anything to damage that." He looked amused by her evident surprise.
Poppy was flabbergasted, "Um, well, I can tell you the gender if you like?"
"No way!"
Professor Lupin strode into the room, straight up his partner and plonked himself down on the bed, immediately taking up the other man's hand in his.
"We want to be surprised, so don't tell us. Is the baby okay?"
"Your baby is perfectly healthy Professor" replied Poppy, regaining her professional manner as quickly as possible after such surprising reactions, "You are obviously looking after them well."
"Absolutely, nothing but the best for my family. That's why we came back Poppy, I knew no-one could take better care of them than you." He beamed at the mediwitch and chuckled as she blushed crimson.
"However," she added and both men's smiles faded, "I want Severus to take it easy for the rest of his pregnancy..."
"But the term is about to start..."
"Yes and I am not telling you that you can't teach. What I am telling you is not to do anything that you don't need to do. Look after yourself, eat well and regularly, rest whenever you have a chance to and ask for help when you need it. If you don't do these things then I will tell Albus to put you on leave and you will have the embarrassment of someone else taking your class. Have I made myself clear?"
"As crystal" responded Snape, with the first real edge that she had heard in his voice since he walked in.
"Good, then you are free to go then. I'll see you again in two weeks unless you need me sooner."
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They had all heard the rumours and read the newspapers. They had all had a giggle at the idea of a pregnant Professor Snape. They had all been a little thunderstruck by the idea of Snape as a hero and since he had brought Dumbledore back to life, they didn't have any choice but to forgive him for killing him in the first place.
Harry was kind of glad to not be the lone focus of heroic attention for once, but had to admit being vaguely surprised that it was Snape that had been handed the crown. At least, he thought, he hadn't had to end up pregnant to fulfil "his" destiny.
The fact that Remus was the father was the most confusing element of the whole thing. Had Snape tricked him into it or had he offered to father the child because he knew that it would bring Dumbledore back. God, couldn't he have gone to a sperm bank? Harry chuckled at the thought of Snape sticking a turkey baster full of cum up his arse but he took the thought too far and almost gagged on the gross out.
Ron finished his chess game, from the stormy look on the younger Gryffindor's face he must have won again. When would they learn to stop challenging him? Ron heard the chuckle and joined him by the fire.
"When did Potions become so damn funny?" he asked, checking the cover of Harry's book.
Harry smirked, "I was thinking about Snape, imagining him struggling with a turkey baster..."
"Ew," Ron cringed, "well, that's a ruddy sight more acceptable than free werewolf love." He sighed. "What do you think Lupin sees in him?"
Harry shrugged, "I guess he did it for Dumbledore."
"You are so mean." Hermione interrupted, "Maybe they really love each other." Both men landed her with incredulous looks.
"This is Snape we are talking about."