Disclaimer: dont own nout but me socks.
Chapter 11
"Twelve weeks along, and your doing fine Hermione." Poppy smiled lowering her wand from Hermione's stomach. Hermione felt abit sad when the rhythmic sound of the baby's heart beat faded. "Baby's Heartbeat is 160, which is fine, and your blood pressure is abit low which is normal so don't worry about that. How are you feeling? Any symptoms?"
"Just a few, nothing too bad. I feel like gagging when I brush my teeth, I haven't been sick yet though. I'm a bit sore and tender in places and I get heartburn sometimes." Hermione pulled down her top to recover her slight bulging stomach.
"You should try eating protein and carbohydrates together and eat every two hours, which should help with the heartburn. Drink plenty of water Hermione! It's good for you and the baby." Poppy said as she regarded the two people sitting before her. "Have you been taking your potions?"
"Yes she has." Severus spoke up; he had been silent for most of the check-up.
"That's good. You can reduce it to just the one at the start of the second trimester and drinking red raspberry leaf tea will help too; it tones the uterus, improves contractions and decreases constipation."
"Thank you Poppy!" Hermione cried feeling her face redden; she had seen Poppy a few days earlier complaining about feeling constipated. Hermione cast a quick look in Severus way to find that he seemed to be nodding his head in agreement to what Poppy had said. "When should I start wearing maternity robes?"
"When your current robes become too much of a discomfort, wearing them now might help with your sore nipples." Poppy's accent made the end of her last word draw out abit longer than Hermione would have liked. Severus, thankfully, was playing dump and didn't embarrass Hermione any more by casting her knowing looks.
"Thank you Poppy." Hermione answered meekly as she stood with Severus to take their leave. "I'm looking forward to being able to brew potions again, now that the danger time has past."
"You are more than welcome Hermione but remember the danger never passes, just fades. You must be careful and no brewing the potent ones!" Poppy said as she saw them to the door. "You watch over her Severus!"
"That I will Poppy."
Once back in their quarters Hermione was finally able to taking it all in. She was soon to be in her second trimester; this first one had been a very long and tiring rollercoaster. She had scarcely dared to move during the first few weeks, fear of history repeating itself had her apprehensive of most things. It had helped a lot being on more friendly terms with Severus, when she felt low he would reassure her and help bring her up to a happier mood.
Severus had stopped her from teaching the first and second year's classes. It was too risky for her to working so close with many ingredients that are used educe labour or even end the pregnancy. So now she would mark the essays and homework while he took to taking over her lessons.
He encouraged her to eat as much as she wanted to and mixed her potion with pumpkin juice so it was less of a beating for her taste buds. Hermione's frame of mind on Severus was confused to say the least. His attitude towards her while they worked together was one of superiority, he was her teacher ad she the student who he taught and let heal him after the occasional bad reveal. Never was they equal, never was they friends. Yet, she had fallen for him during those long hours of hard work. She had known then that nothing could ever come of them but now that opinion had changed, she could even be pushed to say it was entirely the opposite.
No longer was he her teacher.
He was a man and not just any man, for he was the father of their child.
As a child she had dreamt of marrying and bearing children convinced that only the love of the deepest type could ever induce her into matrimony. It still stands today but it is now the question of whether the object of her deepest love will let her.
"It would seem we have mail." Severus deep voice brought Hermione from her musing and she smiled up at him from her position on the couch. She watched him as he walked to the window and let in the small brown owl. Taking the post from the bird Severus read the name. "It's for you."
"Who's it from?"
"There is no crest or return post on it. Your guess would be as good as mine." Severus replied as he sat next to her and handed her the letter.
Hermione shuffled about on the couch until her back was rest against the arm and her feet resting on Severus lap. It was hard for her to feel comfortable lately. Opening the letter she began reading. It was when she heard a small cough did she look up at Severus.
He was looking pointy at her bare feet.
"I'm entitled to my comfort to whoever's discomfort."
"That wasn't in the contract." Severus replied dryly.
"It was in the small print." Hermione teased going back to her letter.
"Would you not say that you are abusing the privilege?"
"That depends on your feelings towards my naked feet being displayed on your lap. The letters from Ron." Hermione added smiling as she folded the letter back up.
"How wonderful." Severus sneered.
"It is because we've been invited to Harry's and Ginny's engagement party and we're going because I didn't get to speak to them much at the ball." Hermione removed her self from the couch and went to the small writing desk in the far corner of the sitting room, wrote her reply and attached it to the bird.
"We?" Severus asked as she closed the window after the bird and moved back towards the couch.
"Your name is Severus is it not?" Hermione asked as she sat back down, slightly caught of guard when Severus helped her place her feet back on his lap.
"I very much doubt that they have written an invite directly in my name." Severus scoffly replied as he summoned a glass and a bottle of port, mind set on having a drink of the intoxicating kind before it was even midday.
"You are quite right, as always; it is in the name of 'Mione and The Grinch.' Spot on if you ask me." Hermione chuckled as Severus looked on confused.
"You mean that Muggle story about that weird green thing that tried to steal Christmas?" Severus asked rising an eyebrow.
"That is the one." Hermione said laughing softly.
"They give me too much credit, never did Albus let me ban Christmas no matter how hard I tried." Severus said sounding deeply gutted which invoked Hermione to laugh once more. "When is it?"
Hermione regained control and looked at the letter to check the date. Smiling brightly she answered "The 16th April. You have a whole month to prepare for the event."
"A month I will cherish."
"Don't act as if you facing the Dementor kiss. You might enjoy Ginny's party."
"I would sooner call her mother a wit."
"Fantastic Hermione! Everything is Fantastic!" Poppy smiled patting Hermione hands, which had swollen as well as her feet due to the surprisingly sunny weather for April. Her stomach had grown more, it was not hard to mistake that she was pregnant and she had faced a few hard days of having to answer questions from staff and students. "Your in you 16th week, we should be able to tell the sex now. Do you want to know?"
Hermione grimaced at the question, Severus was not with her for this check up for he was still 'mentally preparing' for the party they would be attending in three short hours. She hadn't thought about this part of the pregnancy, the sex of the child wouldn't make a difference and Hermione was still under the contract, surly knowing what sex the child was would not endanger her forming a stronger attachment? Besides, Severus may never know of what is said today. "Yes, I would. Very much in fact."
"This spell is very accurate and easy. Three lines under you belly button will appear on your stomach if it's a Girl, for a boy it would be a circle surrounding the bell button." Poppy smiled and waved her wand in a small flicking movement. Slowly a bold line formed on her stomach. "And here we have it. A boy!"
Hermione felt her face lit up in pleasure, it's a boy. Severus will have a son. Albus will be saved. Realization dawned on her and she felt the pit of her stomach fall.
These people will have the beauty of her child but she will have nothing.
Hermione could not let the contract win.
She was going to be the mother of this child.
Hermione arrived back to her rooms to find the place dimly lit, wondering where Severus was she walked further into the room.
It was then when she noticed the few candles arranged about was the reason behind the soft lighting. The smell of cooking filled her nose as she entered the sitting room fully. And it was there, standing next to the roaring fireplace did she see Severus waiting for her.
"Oh my." Her words were breathless and floated across the room to where Severus smiled when he heard them.
"It's nothing, really, just to mark a page in live." Severus voice hummed as he spoke.
"What page is that?" Hermione smiled.
Severus looked into her eyes a few seconds before he spoke. "The beginning of another life and I don't mean the child's."
Slowly she moved towards him until she was stood not inches away from him and took his hands in hers. "Severus-"
"Shh" Severus purred as he moved a hand to cup her face and lowered his lips towards hers.
Hermione felt her heart flip as his lips came to claim hers. Moving her arms to encircle him. So found her hands had grabbed something soft and square. Opening her eyes fully, Hermione was not happy to see the four walls of her bedroom from her view on the bed. She had dreamt it all. Damn it.
After her check-up with Poppy Hermione had returned to the rooms to find Severus wasn't there. Knowing that the evening would be tiring for her she had went to her room for a nap. She had not slept in this room since Christmas. It felt weird to awake to the four white walls instead of the blue ones of Severus.
Sighing she pulled herself up out of bed and wet in search of a quick snack before getting ready for the night. Opening her door she found Severus sitting on the couch.
"You're awake." He said coldly as she moved further into the room.
"I am," Hermione was taken back at his tone of voice. It had been a long time since he spoke to her like that. Maybe the idea of spending the evening with people he claimed to loath didn't encourage him into a happy mood. Still that was no excuse to take it out on her. "Where were you earlier? When I got back, you weren't here so I thought it would be best if I slept in my own bed then to sleep in yours without your permission." Why was she explaining all this to him? It wasn't as if he asked. "Your bed is a lot more comfortable though."
Hermione was surprised to see his shoulders relax and his voice not so disconnected and cold when he spoke. "My bed is free for you to use at any time. I was in town, had a few things to buy for the summer term. I picked you up a small something as well. It's on the writing desk."
Moving to the desk, Hermione found a large box waiting for her. "Small?"
"Just open it."
Following his instructions, Hermione pulled of the lid and moved the wrapping paper aside. A wide smile appeared on her face as she pulled out a long emerald green maternity dress robe. "It's beautiful."
"I had guess with your stomach growing large with child you would be lacking suitable dress robes." Severus explained. "It's spelled to enlarge with growth."
"I don't know what to say." Hermione chuffed smiling intensely.
"You haven't got time to say anything, we are late as it is, go get dressed."
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed as she placed her hands on her stomach.
"What? What's the matter?" Severus moved quickly so he was at her side, hands rested on her so that he could guide her to the couch.
"Its nothing, I just fel-oh-there! It happened again!" Hermione smiled whispery laughs escaping her. "He's got the hiccups!"
"The hiccups? Does it hurt? Maybe we shouldn't go tonight" Severus asked a frown on his face and concern laced into his words.
"No, not at all! There like little flutters, I've felt them before." Hermione giggled, she felt so excited when her stomach fluttered. Every time she felt them it reminded her on how real their situation was. How she was going to have a child. "Come, I'll go get dressed, we can't miss tonight. It's good to feel him move."
"Indeed." Severus answered deep in thought. Hermione left him on the couch and went to her room to change.
Severus sat and watched as Hermione talked in good nature to her friends. It felt to him that the whole of the Gryffindor population at some point or another, was currently squashed into this hellhole of a house. He would bet his entire fortune that Mrs. Black was turning in her grave at having so much 'filth' in what was her house once upon a time.
"It's amazing what they've done to the old place isn't it?" Remus spoke as he sat in the empty chair next to the Potions Master. He handed him a glass of what Severus hoped was alcohol and carried on speaking. "Of course it is temporary, they plan to move in to Godric's Hollow after the wedding. This place is too ridden with dark magic to bring up a family."
"And yet Black didn't seem too abnormal." Severus sneered as he inspected the glass and to his pleasure he found it was whiskey. It wasn't his chosen drink but it would do until a better substitute come along.
"Well, I- erm, Hermione is looking rather glowing and radiant. Her dress robes are beautiful, did you choose them?" Remus asked nodding in the direction of the Golden trio.
"They are a present from me, yes. Not that it is any of your business." Severus raised an eyebrow as he sipped from his drink.
"Of course it isn't old chap. Cant help but be a bit curious." Remus chuckled.
"Was it not curiosity that killed the cat?" Severus asked. "I'm sure they would not mind if I improved the saying to 'curiosity killed the Wolf'."
"I fear that curiosity might be what end my days on this earth at some point." Remus laughed good hearty at Severus. "I dare say that a certain young Gryffindor Lady will be the means to you ends."
"And what do you mean by that?" Severus coldly said reducing himself to have a larger in take of alcohol, to settle his temperament long enough to hear where this was going.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Remus sighed. "She is carrying your child. I known she is literary just carrying it for you but she is an amazing woman, Severus. Even if you don't see it, we can! There is something deep between you two and if you don't act on it, it will fade to nothing."
"Thank you for enlightening me, I am no longer blind. If there is such a 'thing' between us I hope it fades soon. I'm not after a wife Remus." Severus snorted. His eyes still on Hermione. Remus was right, he could feel it too, something was there pulling him towards Hermione. It wouldn't do though. In the end he will hurt her and she will run away and find a man who deserves her more than he.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love." Remus shook his head in remorse for his pained friend. "Don't hide from it Severus, she would love you."
"Let her hate me for what I am and not love me for something I'm not." Severus replied. They both reflected on what was said before Remus moved away from him and Severus was left to watch Hermione in peace.
so there you have it the next chapter!
Erica: i know i was meant to send this to you first but i was so excited about this chapter i couldnt wait to post it. But it is still dedicated to you!
i want to say a big thank you to all those who reviewed, i know i havent email yet but i will do it soon! until then i need a name for this child! help!