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Chapter 14

"Have you got much ready for the arrival Hermione?" Poppy asked as she finished checking Hermione over.

"Nothing yet, there isn't even a crib for him to sleep in." Hermione sighed. The baby was due on the 1st October and it was now the start of her seventh month, Hermione had a sickening feeling that Severus didn't have a clue on how to look after a new born.

Things had been different from that fatal night. Hermione was back in her own room and Severus had cut down on his drinking. They spoke to each other politely and only spent the evenings together where they would sit in the living room and read. They never spoke to each other unless something had to be said or asked. It was a world totally different from the one she known, where she could openly mock him and have him laugh with her. It was hard to go by each day like this, never touching him, never laughing with him. But it was better than having nothing at all.

"Well you better get cracking to it! Don't want you to go into labour before your due just because you all worked up about a few bits and bobs!" Poppy warned.

"Salt?" Severus asked as he waved the shaker lightly towards Hermione. It was half way through July, and as the summer's heat turned the castle to what Hermione considered as an oven, the damp walls of the dungeons became a blessing. Walking was now nearly impossible without Hermione feeling out of breath and her ankles swelling to the size of a balloon's. Severus still hadn't created a space for the child and Hermione still hadn't asked him about his plans for the child.

Yes, she knew the child was to help save Albus but what happened to the child afterwards? Did he survive? Is that why Severus didn't seem to care about buying baby clothes? These questions played on her mind most days, the only thing that stopped her from asking them was fear. She didn't want to know the answers just incase it wasn't the ones she wanted. "No thanks."

They resumed their meal in silence; just the clinking of cutlery on china could be heard. Hermione felt depressed, if this child was to face a certain death, would she not be offering him on a silver platter? Everyone died sooner or later there was no denying that, but where was the moral in bring a baby to this world just so it could die? Some would argue the meaning of life was to die but what if the meaning was to live?

Hermione felt her stomach flip and knew she could not eat any more without bring it back up later. Making her excuses she claimed tiredness and went to her room. If Severus knew that her child would die then he truly was a monster.

Tears fell from her eyes as she stroked the frozen arm of her old Headmaster, her other hand on the swell of her stomach. Hermione loved Albus and owed him so much, but the world had moved on. Albus was missed and his life was recorded in many books. Did the world truly need him to come back? He was old and frail, at a push there might forty years left in him, but he had lived over 120 already. Didn't her child deserve to live more? She knew when he was born he wouldn't be her child but while he was still in her womb he was every bit apart of her, and she needed to protected him. "Die before he is born Albus, then I won't have to do it."

Her voice was a quite whisper that drifted through the air for only one to hear, yet it was two pairs of ears that picked it up, the ones of an old frozen man and those of a troubled man.

Severus had been watching her through the weeks; she had started to withdraw into herself with each passing day. When he had heard what Hermione had said to Albus, Severus had begun to worry. What was she hiding from him?

Severus paced the living room, she was visiting Poppy for her check-up, and she was now in her eightieth month, in less than 2 months his son would be born. If she was to be in a good physical and mental health when he was born, Severus needed to bring Hermione out of her thoughts and back to reality.

Sighing, he sat himself on the couch. He felt nervous. He was going to question her when she got back and he wasn't looking forward to it.

It was some 20 minutes later when Hermione finally walked through the door. She was huffing and smiling at him as she waddled over to the couch to sit. "Poppy says everything is fine. My blood pressure was a bit high but nothing to be overly concerned about but I have to rest for the rest of the week, not that I do much anyway."

"Hermione…" Severus started "is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

"No, why?" Hermione asked as she rearranged herself on the couch so she could rest her feet.

He didn't know how to word it. He couldn't just turn around a just say that she's be acting like a psychopath for the last couple of weeks. He never was good with words. Clearing his throat he hoped his voice didn't give him away. "I've noticed that you…erm…that is to say that you've not been acting like…yourself."

"Have I? Must be hormones." Hermione answered quickly. Her rushed tone made Severus sure that she was hiding something.

"It isn't your hormones, Hermione. I want to know what is causing your current state, and unlike yourself I will ask before using different methods to get the answers but I will get them." His words were harsh but his tone was still calm.

"I did ask-"

"I'm just worried for you." As soon as the words left his mouth he saw her face drop, it would seem he had hit a nerve. If he could keep on pushing her buttons she would break down and tell him everything. "I don't want you to harm yourself."

"Harm myself? You're the one who- it doesn't matter, I'm tired, and I'm going to lie down for abit." Hermione huffed struggling to her feet.

"No, you are not going anywhere until you tell me. What have I done?" He had caught hold of her wrist and held it in a tight grip. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"There's nothing to say. Now let me go." Hermione muttered pulling her arm back but he still held on.

"Tell me, it's not good for you to hold this in, it's not good for the baby."

"For the baby?" She laughed. "You're just going to kill him anyway!"

"What?" Severus froze. She thought he would kill the baby? Was this why she was so depressed. "I'm not going to kill him! Why would you think that?"

"You haven't got anything ready for when he is born and Albus needs a life-force to live, I just thought…"

Severus chuckled and pulled Hermione to him in a hug. It was the most he had touched her for ages but his heart had cried out for the contacted and he had been caught up in the moment. All this time she had thought that the baby would die. All she needed to do was ask. Even in her dunce moment she was still beautiful to him.

The feel of her stomach squashed against him pulled him back to reality and he quickly let go of her. The room felt very small and he needed to get away from her before he became undone again. "I...erm…"

"So you're not going to kill him?" Hermione was staring at the floor and her voice was small and hopefully.

"Of course not!" Severus answered.

"So how will he live? Where will he live?" Hermione looked up to him and Severus saw the tears that had spilled from her eyes.

"Come with me." Severus led her from the room and into his own room. The air fell heavy as he watch her eyes settle on the bed. Now was not the time to start remising and he pulled her attention back as he motioned to another door.

"That's new. Isn't it?" Hermione asked, and Severus saw her checks were flushed.

"Yes. Open it." Severus let her pass him and watched as she pulled the door open. A smile formed on his lips and he heard her let out a small gasp.

"It's a nursery!" Hermione cried moving into the room.

"I did it myself." Severus replied as she took in the blue scheme of the room. He felt his heart ache as he watch her pregnant form wonder around the room stroking the oak of the furniture. It was when her eyes became sad as she reached the crib did he think his heart would break.

What he would give to spend the rest of his life woman. If it meant selling his soul he would do it in a heartbeat.

"What's this?" Hermione asked reaching for a bear that rested on the mattress. She pulled the brown bear to her chest and hugged it before inspecting the jumper it was wearing. "Alex?"

"Its for the baby." Severus replied softly. "His name is going to be Alexander."

"Alexander Snape. It is a good name." Hermione sighed. "When did you do all this?"

"When you was pregnant the first time. The door was concealed until now."

"Its beautiful. Why Alexander?"

"It stands for Defender of mankind, warrior. It is what I hope him to become." Severus answered.

"How are they going to be linked together?" Hermione placed the bear back into the crib and moved to sit in the rocking chair.

"Through old magic. Their hearts will be set to beat at the same time. Half of the baby's aura will be shared with Albus, as half of Albus' will be shared with the baby. Letting them to live of each others force." Severus said. Of course that is what he had calculated to happen. It had only been done successfully once before, and that was by the creator of the spell, Merlin himself. If it failed, the baby would still live but his magic would be destroyed, as for Albus, he would die. "They will also share their magic. It would make Alexander a very strong wizard."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked.

"Only if Alexander grows up to be the next lord Voldemort. It would be a very grave thing indeed." Severus stated. It was one of the bad points about performing the spell and the reason behind the baby's name. "Come lets go back into the sitting room. Its getting late and I could do with a drink."

"One with alcohol?" Hermione quirked.

"I was thinking hot chocolate." Severus chucked.

"Its good to be like this again." Hermione said as she left the room.

"Like what?"

"Like Friends."

"Indeed it is." Severus answered, knowing that once the baby was born Hermione would never want to know him again, let alone be his friend.

Just incase you want to know, Alexander won the vote with 83! Thanks for all the reviews!