Fic title: Once Upon A Blue Moon
Penname: DBZVegeta
Summary: Written for the TSS Contest # 5 – Other Challenges #10: Harry wakes up after a pub crawl with "B (Surprise)" and is sore, there, yes there. The problem is did they use protection?
Rating: PG-13
# of Chapters: Epilogue
Word Count: 1,417
Category: Romance / Angst / Mystery
Disclaimer: 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
Epilogue
Six Months Later
"If you ever think that you are going to touch me again Severus Potter-Snape, you have another thing coming," screamed a heavily pregnant, currently in his twenty-third hour of labor, Harry James Potter-Snape.
Severus winced as Harry's grip on his hand crushed down as another onslaught of contractions rippled across his stomach. He watched in fascination as the skin seemed to swell and contract in upon its self.
'Why they had decided to go through natural childbirth was beyond him,' he thought as another scream rent the air and more curses followed closely behind it. He cringed as some of the descriptions of what Harry wanted to do to him at that moment floated through the air.
He turned to Poppy, his eyes pleading with her, after this many hours of torture he would do anything for it to stop. She chuckled softly and reached out to pat his other free hand.
"It should be soon, Severus. Your husband is transitioning into the final stage and it is about time for him to push," she said, looking down at the nearly exhausted man writhing in the bed. "Why don't you sit behind him and help him with his pushing?"
He pried his hand from Harry's strong grip and slipped in behind him on the bed. He pulled his exhausted love up against his chest, bringing his arms up around him to rest his hands on Harry's contracting stomach, trying to block out Harry's pained moans.
"Shhh, love," he whispered against Harry's sweat-dampened hair, as he rubbed his hands soothingly over his stomach.
"I can't do this anymore, Sev," Harry moaned, rolling his head side to side weakly against Severus' chest. "I just want this over with."
"We're almost there, love," Severus said gently, his hand stopping in mid-stroke as another powerful contraction rippled across Harry's stomach. He was interrupted as Poppy bustled back over and flipped up the sheet that had been covering the lower part of Harry's body. He watched nervously as she bent down and examined his husband closely, however the smile that she had on her face when she rose alleviated his concerns.
"Well now, Harry, it looks like your little one is finally ready to make their appearance. It's time to get you into position and bring this little one into the world," she said briskly as she waved her wand over the end of the bed, transforming it into a shortened bed, with stirrups on either side. Severus watched, a little alarmed, as the witch propped his husband's legs up into the contraptions and pulled a stool up to sit a the base.
"What are you doing? You didn't do this before?" he asked, pulling Harry closer to him. Poppy just smiled at him as she leaned around Harry's leg to speak with him.
"I need to be able to see what is going on and also be ready to catch your child as they make their appearance. Please don't worry, everything will be fine. Now…Harry, I need you to push at the beginning of the next contraction, when it ends stop pushing. Severus, I need you to help him by supporting him during each contraction."
Severus wrapped his arms around Harry's torso, cuddling him closer as he watched the beginnings of another contraction ripple across Harry's distended stomach. He cringed as a wrenching scream filled the air as Harry leaned forward, hands grasping at the backs of his knees and pushed hard. When the contraction faded, Harry fell back against his chest, panting heavily. Severus smoothed a hand over Harry's sweat-covered brow gently.
"Soon love, we will be holding our little one," Severus whispered into Harry's ear, smiling gently as his love turned tear-filled eyes up to him.
"Will it really be over soon?" Harry panted, his eyes pleading for this torture to be over and he had thought that the Cruciatus curse was bad, this was worse.
"Yes love, it will soon be over, you know that," Severus chuckled as Harry grimaced as another contraction swelled and he pushed once again hard before falling back.
"Just because you had a short easy labor, Severus, doesn't give you the right to be smug about it," Harry growled and with a yelp leaned forward again and bared down hard with all his might.
"Harry, that's it…keep pushing their almost here," Poppy's voice rang out and Harry bore down, panting and nearly screaming as he felt that he was being torn into two as their child made its way into the world calling out lustily from the sudden shock of cold air replacing its once warm home.
Harry fell back panting, his eyes closed struggling through the wave of relief that flooded his body. He felt the wet squirming warmth as it was placed on his chest, and opened his eyes to look down at the wet, dark head.
"You have a wonderful daughter, Harry," Poppy said, as she gently wiped the baby dry and swaddled her quickly into a blanket before placing her back into Harry's arms.
"Isn't she beautiful, Severus?" Harry said softly, one fingertip tracing down the small, soft cheek. A tiny mouth moved to suckle at his finger instinctively as tiny eyes open and looked up at them. Her eyes were nearly the exact shade as Harry's, a deep emerald green, so rare for a newborn to have such brilliant colored eyes so early in life.
"Looks just like her daddy," Severus said, keep his arm tight about Harry and their newest precious arrival. A flurry of movement and a slam of a door roused him from his introspection.
"It's about time you had that child, Harry," came Hermione Weasley's voice as she crossed the room, leading the group. The bundle in her arms squirmed and let out a hoarse cry. "Severus, you have to take him, I just can't get him to settle down any longer."
Severus slid out from behind Harry and their daughter, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as Hermione gratefully deposited the squalling bundle into his arms. Once the transfer was made, instant silence swept through the room.
"Just like his father, right Severus," chuckled Harry from the bed, grinning up at his husband, "Cranky and bad-tempered."
"Arian is not bad-tempered, he just knows what he wants," Severus sniffed, as he leaned back and brought his son up to his shoulder, patting him gently on the back. Laughter from their assembled friends and family rang out at Severus sniffed irritably.
"Harry," Angelica said, as she moved around to the other side of the bed and peered down into the buddle in his arms, "have you two decided what to name her?"
"Maisie," Harry said softly, "It means child of light in Scottish; because of her, I have Severus, Arian and her to light up my life."
"It's beautiful," Angelica sniffled, and Harry reached over to pat her hand.
"Okay, you sorry lot," rang out the amused voice of Poppy Pomfrey as she bustled back into the ward from her office, a sheath of papers in her hand, "out, you can visit later."
The group grumbled good-naturedly, but all said goodbye and trooped from the room. Poppy smoothed the covers back on the bed and looked down fondly at her two favorite boys.
"Now, why don't you get a bit of rest, both of you? I'll have a double crib brought up in a moment," she said, smiling at the pleased, but tired faces.
"Thank you, Poppy," Severus said, "but first Arian needs his lunch and then we can rest for a bit."
"Well then, I'll leave you to it," she said and turned to return to her office. Silence reigned over the infirmary, with the exception of the soft cooing coming from Arian as he snuggled into Severus' chest, sucking contentedly from his nipple.
Harry looked sleepily over at Severus, as he reclined next to him with their son in his arms. Their daughter yawned widely, before closing her tiny eyes and drifting off to sleep. Harry wasn't sure how he had come to be so lucky and if it hadn't been for two sneaky house-elves they would have never gotten together and he as sure wouldn't have this wonderful family.
The thought brought a soft smile to his face as he snuggled in closer to Severus and fell peacefully asleep, secure in the knowledge that he finally was loved and had the family that he had always wanted.
The End