Title: White Flag
Chapter Title: Duty
Disclaimer: Everything you recognized belongs to the brilliant J.K. Rowling
Summery: She won't wave a white flag in his face. She won't surrender to how she should logically feel. She's in love and always will be in love with him. HGSS
Rated: M for some choice words and situations
Author's Note: I know two updates in two days has spoiled you but please remember that I go to school full time and I have two hour practices on Mondays and Thursdays. So bear with me. There might be a short until the next chapter. But it's not over yet. Enjoy.
"Ow!" She screams for the hundredth time as she slams her head back against the pillows. Sweat drips from her face and falls onto her clinging nightgown and stringy hair. Her contraction subsides and she opens her eyes to gaze about the room. She can see Ron's wife Karleigh, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley…Molly, and the Mediwitch Madame Sitzman. Unable to find her mother she glances about with a petrified expression. Seeing the look upon her patient's face Madame Sitzman spoke.
"Do not stress Mrs. Snape. Your mother stepped out to ask about the whereabouts of Professor Snape." Mrs. Snape. Nobody had dared to call her that in a long time but it is her name, even if some people fail to recognize it. Another contraction rips through her body and she screams in response. Her mother comes rushing through the double doors and instead of running to her daughter she rushes over to where Molly stands in the corner of the room. Hermione watches them with great interest and they glance in her direction as they talk.
"Ginny, what is going on?" She asks her friend.
"I have no clue, Hermione." She says sincerely and wipes away the sweat on Hermione's brow with a rag. Unsatisfied with her response, Hermione turns away and looks at her mother.
"Mom what is going on? Is…is he coming?" Her mother gives her a small smile before telling Hermione the news she was dreading.
"Hermione honey, we can't find him. Harry and Ron are out looking for him." She says as gently as she can but Hermione still gets angered.
"That's asshole. I knew he would do this to me. If he doesn't want anything to do with me, fine! But he will not turn his back on his daughter. She…Agh!" Another contraction stops her from speaking and she tries to breath through it.
"Mrs. Snape…I need to see how far along you are." Madame Sitzman says quietly and everyone springs into action to pull Hermione's legs apart. Her head drops backwards and her heavy breathing slows down. "Ten centimeters. It's time to push, Mrs. Snape. Ready? Go." She clasps her mother's hand and Ginny starts to count for her.
"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten."
"Good Mrs. Snape. Now relax." The Mediwitch says as soon as Ginny stops counting.
"And again."
"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten."
"Make it stop Mommy. It hurts too much." She begs of her mother after the contraction she was 'riding out' subsides. She wants this to stop right now. If she had known this ten months ago when she had told Severus she had wanted to try for a baby, she would not be where she is right now.
"One more time Mrs. Snape." She grits her teeth together and pushes with all her might. And suddenly she can feel something slide between her legs and she tries to lift herself up to see. There in the Mediwitch's arms is a squirming blob of pink, grey, and red. Nothing like what a baby is expected to look like but already she loves it. Whatever it is.
The Mediwitch deposits the ball on to Hermione's belly and attempts to wipe some of the gunk off with a clean towel. Tears start to flow from her eyes when the ball of gunk gives a loud, resilient cry. The women around her scream and coo over the ball exclaiming how beautiful she is. To be completely sure Hermione checks the bottom half before she announces the baby's name to the Mediwitch so she can drawl up the official documents.
"Her name is Violet Renee Snape."
"No daughter of mine will be named Violet." She knows that voice. She can recognize it anywhere and her head snaps up to find the owner of the voice. There he stands in front of her and her daughter. She would later realize the exact way she 'greeted' him, her legs spread and pulled apart exposing everything to him. Her eyes lock with him and she gives him a look of utter dissatisfaction. He in turn gives her a look of complete disdain. Wither it is for how she greeted him or of her decision on their daughter's name she is not sure but right now she feels more hatred and love than she ever though possible.
Here he stands with the nerve to criticize her decision after walking out on her. But he did come even if he missed most of the birth. But the criticism outranks his 'good dead' and she chooses to reprimand him.
"Her name is Violet!" She spits out and unconsciously pulls her baby closer to her. The five women stand among them do not say a word. They know better and instead choose to back away from the bed in order to give them their space. But Severus Snape does not move and instead chooses to remain where he is even if he cannot see his daughter.
"Madame," he cries to the Mediwitch, "her name is Eileen Catherine Snape." The Mediwitch looks about in a state of confusion. Unsure of who to believe she doesn't write down any name. "Madame, shouldn't you be writing?" He asks her harshly.
"Her name is Violet." The baby whimpers in response and Hermione tightens her clasp on the innocent baby. She watches Severus' chest rise and fall with anger.
"Eileen."
"Violet." Neither of them is going to give up and allow the other to name their child. Eileen or Violet? This is something their baby is going to have to live with for the rest of her life.
"I kind of like Violet Eileen Snape." Mrs. Granger suggest from her spot besides Hermione. They both look at her and then to one another. Without saying a word to each another, they both look at Madame Sitzman and give their silent consent. The Mediwitch scribbles it down quickly and the parchment dissolves in her hands. Now her name is forever Violet Eileen Snape.
Severus turns on his heels and starts to leave the room. But Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley's protests cause him to pause and they step in front of him.
"We are not letting you walk out of my daughter's life again, Severus." His mother-in-law spits out. "You are a father and you will be one to my granddaughter. And you will be a husband to my daughter."
"I have done my duty Madame. I came for my daughter's birth and I helped to name her. There is nothing more me for to do." And with that he departs back to his dungeon home.
His duty was fulfilled and there is no more need for him, right?