Disclaimer: I do not own Severus, Lily or Moldy-Shorts.

Chapter 17

Kicking it

I never felt comfortable when the Dark Lord summoned me, I was down right terrified whenever he asked me to bring Lily along. We had been practicing shielding her mind and she had been making some great progress, still… she was pregnant and the Dark Lord was insane. She could be in his favor one minuet and out the next and if he decided he wanted to test out his favorite unforgivable, I wouldn't be able to stop him or help her. Pregnant woman miscarry under the Cruciatious curse. Their body simply cannot handle the pain. I was probably worried for nothing as he seemed to want to use her pregnancy as some sort of example on how to preserve the future wizarding population. Still…

She grasped my hand as we made our way into through the large, ornate French doors and out into the Malfoy's back garden. He always insisted on meeting us outside, and I never really understood as to why, but I assumed he had a reason. As we approached he turned towards us giving us a small sirkish sort of smile, though it seemed far from genuine. In truth I wondered if the man had actually been happy to see anyone in his life.

"Severus, Lily, thank you for coming. Sit." He said, motioning to a nearby stone bench. We quickly complied with his request.

"So I received a little news… it would seem you have brought it upon yourself to aid Draco in his little mission yet, I do not recall ever telling you what that mission was, or to assist him in it, Severus."

Okay, so he found out about me giving the book to Draco, that wasn't totally unexpected and I was pretty sure I could talk my way out of it.

"I do not know what his task is sir but Draco was not being very…cautious as to his wonderings. Lily found him in the restricted section and of course reported it to me. When she showed me the book he was looking at I found it an unusual read for him so I assumed it pertained to whatever it was he was working on for you. So I gave him the book.

"So you do not know what task have assigned him?"

"No my Lord. Narcissa informed me he was doing something for you and to keep him out of trouble but she did not tell me what it was nor did anyone else."

I could feel the Dark Lord push into my mind. I showed him an image of me reading the letter Narcissa sent me as well as Lily handing me the book but that is all.

"Very well. Thank you for clearing that up for me." Then he turned his gaze to my wife.

"When you saw Draco take the book your first instinct was to tell you husband?"

"Yes, it was." She answered honestly.

"No to go to Dumbledore?"

Lily sighed and shook her head. That had been her second instinct though the Headmaster still did not know what we had done. "I did not want Draco in trouble and I am not a tattletale. What he is doing is between him and you, I don't want to have anything to do with it, that's why I told Severus. I figured he would know what to do."

I was more then a little surprised when I saw The Dark Lords thin lips pull into a smile. He looked, dare I say it, pleased. I know that was probably really hard for Lily to say, she wasn't all that great of a liar plus it made her sound sort of helpless and uninterested, which was far from the actuality of the situation.

"You did the right thing. A perfect model of what a proper wife of a wizard should do in such circumstances."

He then turned his red gaze back to mine and said, "You can keep an eye out for Draco but to not assist him directly without my permission."

"Yes, My Lord."

He allowed us to leave, which we did all too happily and quite hastily. When we were far from Malfoy grounds Lily let out one of the loudest bursts of frustration that I had ever witnessed. She growled in fury before going off on a rant like you wouldn't believe.

"He made it sound like I was a scared little house wife and did the right thing by running off to my strong, powerful, wizard husband for help! What a load. You have no idea how hard it was for me to maintain my composure Sev! No bloody idea! If I didn't know it would have gotten me killed I would have curse his bloody lips shut. Stupid, bigoted psychopath!"

She didn't stop until we arrived home and only because she didn't want to curse in front of the kids.

XXX

As the weeks went on Dobby continued to keep an eye on Draco and report back to me at the end of each day. It would seem he was interested in something in the Room of Requirement, but Dobby was unsure as to what. If the book I gave him has anything to do with it he is spending his time in there attempting to repair something. I did let Dumbledore know that I was watching him, but had told him that while he is certainly hiding something I wasn't sure what which was the truth.

Meanwhile my secret lessons with Neville were going very well. The boy's skills were growing as well as his confidence. Lily had mentioned he would spend a lot of his free time in the Library, usually with Hermione who helps him study. He was talking to Harry and Ron again but it seemed as if he was still keeping them at a distance, most likely afraid of once again putting them in danger.

We had a meeting for the Order just the previous night and it went well enough. Potter and Longbottom were gloating about Neville's sudden improvement, which seemed to please Dumbledore immensely. I honestly didn't care about receiving any credit, the boy has the ability, he just has self-esteem issues, when he pushed past that he can be as mighty of a warrior for the light and his mum was and dad is. I don't know if he will live through this, but if he doesn't he will die knowing he did his best and be proud of what he accomplished.

I think that's all anyone really wants. To know their life was worth something.

XXX

Lily's POV

As I waddled down the isle looking for a specific book on potions for nail fungus a student had requested a sudden sharp pain ran up my back and across my stomach. It hurt but I couldn't figure out where it came from, but then…it happened. My water broke. I was only seven and a half months along. He wasn't due for another month and a half. Trying to steady myself on a book self the pain returned, this time twice as strong. I couldn't stop myself from screaming in agony. I had been though childbirth twice but this, this didn't feel right. Not at all.

"Mrs. Snape." I looked up to see Draco who had an absolutely panicked look on his face.

"Draco…I need help."

Dropping his ruckasack he rushed over to me, bearing my weight as we made our way to the front of the library where my wand was. Once there I could conjure my patronus for help.

"It's going to be okay," He tried to assume me. "I'll get Professor Snape."

I shook my head and under my breath whispered, "too early."

Just as we had reached my desk Severus came rushing into the Library.

"Oh my God." He breathed taking me from Draco.

At first I couldn't figure how he new to find me so quickly. Had another student seen and went to fetch him? I had thought Draco was the only one left. Even Hermione had already left for the night. Then, I remembered. Dobby was following Draco, he must have been in the library when my water broke.

"Sev, it's too early. He's…he's."

"He's going to be fine?" He said though I could see the panic in his eyes. "You both are." He then picked me up cradle style and rushed me towards the hospital wing.

XXX

She had been rushed to St. Mungo's. Madam Pomfrey couldn't stop the labor as her water had already broken. I had been sitting in the Maternity waiting room for over an hour. All they had told me was that there was a complication and that they were doing their most to help Lily and the baby.

I never would have thought something like this would have ever happened. Rosie and Harry has been such easy pregnancies.

"Severus Snape."

My head snapped up at the sound of my name. A healer stood several feet away with a small smile on his face. I found myself taking a breath of relief at his calm and seemingly happy expression.

"Yes," I said standing.

He took a few steps closer and introduced himself as Healer Cray. "First off your wife is doing just fine."

I took an immediate breath of relief. "And so are your sons."

"Thank goodness. I was…" Wait did he just say sons as in more then one? "Did you sat sons?"

"Yes, your wife gave birth, via c-section to two little boys. Ferternal and quite small, but doing well considering there was two of them and being born a month and a half early."

"Twins, we had twins. Wow!" We were not expecting that. We had been to the healers once months once he found out she was pregnant and they had only ever registered one heartbeat.

"I think one or both of your sons were kicking a bit to hard which broke her water. It's very uncommon and usually when it does happen it's closer to term but with two of them in there plus women's magic tends to run a but wild during pregnancy and that may have intensified it a bit though that's only a guess."

"But they're going to me okay?"

"I believe so, but it's still very early they will need to stay with us for a bit but we have then in a incubator controlled with precise spells, so they should be just fine."

I was flooded with relief at his news. It was times like this I was never more thankful for having magic. Had this been a muggle situation there was a much higher chance the babies wouldn't make it.

"Come, I'll show your where you wife and son's are."

Severus followed the healer down the corridor; relieved and happy his wife and baby boys were doing well. All the time, never knowing Hogwarts was under attack.