The months dredged by. Chocolate mousse, mayonnaise, and the ever popular pickles were staples in the pantry closet of their rooms. It was the most tiring 9 months of Severus Snape's life. Oh, and it was tiring for his very pregnant wife, Hermione, also.

Severus was always walking into someone back at their estate in London. Whether it be Mrs. Weasley bringing Hermione the best culinary delights a woman with child could eat, or it was his mother-in-law, Mrs. Granger, making sure her only daughter and grandchild were taking care of properly, regardless of Severus's many reassurances that she was. And he was telling her the truth. He doted on his glowing bride. He waited on her hand and foot. At one time, he even stopped class to go to Hogsmeade to fetch her a blanket to replace the one that Crookshanks used to sharpen his claws.

"It has holes in it now, and the dungeons are drafty. That isn't good for the baby," she told him. But of course, anything she wanted, pregnant with his child or not, he would do for her. And she knew this. It made her life the happiest, knowing that Severus thought of her as the one that hung the stars and moon. And he did.

He relished the few days Hermione stayed with her mother to go to an expecting mothers day spa. He took the time to catch up on the grading and restocking of his supplies closet. He went to bed the second night so exhausted, he didn't hear the owl fly in. It pecked on his hand. He turned over in the bed. It pecked on his other hand. He swatted at it in his sleep. It pecked on his nose. That woke him up.

"What the bloody hell?" He sat straight up. Taking the note from the owl, and placing a bit of biscuit in its beak, he shooed it off and read the inscription.

"Hermione. St. Mungo's. Now!"

Severus was halfway through the living quarters when he realized he was in his night clothes. He grabbed his classroom robes and threw them over himself. He reached the door only to find Professor Dumbledore standing there in much the same attire.

"You can use my floo, Severus." There were times when that old bloke and his abnormal way of knowing things seemed to be a blessing.

"Thank you, Headmaster!" Severus called as he ran towards Dumbledore's study. He called the password to the gargoyle well before he reached it. The door opened for him almost hauntingly before he approached. He reached the fireplace.

"St. Mungo's, Labor Ward."

He almost lost his balance when he stepped out of the flames. He was just in such a hurry to be by her side. He turned the corner to the Labor Hall, and saw a familiar red head lingering outside a particular room.

"Severus, I wasn't sure if you would understand my message," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I understood enough," he replied making his way past her into the room.

There she was, in all her beautiful glow on the bed in front of him. He went to her. He bent over and kissed her sweaty brow.

"Thank Merlin, I didn't miss it!" He said as he took her hand.

"I am glad you made it. We were shopping with Mrs. Weasley. Mum had gone to the bathroom, I felt something weird and then Mrs. Weasley shrieked. I looked down and my water had broken. Severus, I scared. We Apparated in the alley and we left Mum behind. We just got excited and forgot. Could you find her?"

"I will go, Hermione, now that Severus is here. He needs to stay here with you," Mrs. Weasley said as she grabbed her bag and cloak and proceeded to place a kiss on her cheek. She then left the room to go in search of the probably frantic grandmother-to-be.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Then by the intense scowl he received followed by a blood curdling scream that escaped her parched lips, he realized that was a stupid question. "I'm sorry, my love."

He was afraid to give her a potion or cast a spell to relinquish her pain in fear of harming the baby. Therefore, he told her he would find the medi-witch, and walked out the door.

Approaching the woman in white, he called out. "Madame, is there anything you can give my wife for pain?"

"Yes, I was on my way there now. However, she completely refused to allow me to administer it. She said she didn't want her wits numbed. I assured her she would experience everything." The medi-witch began to push out the air bubbles in the syringe, and then proceeded back to Hermione's room.

"Just like her to think about her wits in a time like this," he chuckled to himself. Just then he heard another scream, but from the opposite direction.

"SEVERUS! IS SHE ALRIGHT?" It was Mrs. Granger, with Mr. Granger in tow. Mrs. Weasley followed close behind.

"She is fine. The medi-witch is giving her something for the pain now. She should feel quite better in a moment," he said taking his mother-in-law in his arms and holding her. Hermione's father patted Severus on the back and then pried his own wife off the poor man.

They went in to see Hermione who was definitely feeling better.

"The nurse said my contractions are just a few minutes apart so it won't be long now," she said with the biggest smile on her face. Her parents took seats at either side of the bed and each took a hand. They patted, they caressed, and they gave little pecks of kisses on her cheeks.

The nurse came back in to check on her progression. The baby hadn't moved.

"Hermione," she said. "I am going to try to turn the baby. This will hurt for a moment. The baby isn't in the right position to be born." With a nod of understanding from the mother, the medi-witch took out her wand and waved it over Hermione's protruding belly. The wand emitted a dark purple light. The baby moved, but was having trouble. The medi-witch left the room promptly to fetch the healer. Upon their return, they were bombarded with questions.

"What did the purple light mean?"

"Is the baby okay?"

"What is wrong?"

"Mrs. Snape, the baby turned just fine, but he seems to be in distress. We need to move you delivery now, or there might be far worse complications." The healer began to move the bed towards the door when he was grabbed by a tight hand on the shoulder. The healer turned to face the very worried, the very scared, the very poignant look on the father-to-be's face.

"You will make very effort to keep my wife and my son safe. Do you understand?" Severus used his most intimidating glare often reserved for insufferable know-it-alls and celebrity boys-who-live.

"I will do everything in my power, Mr. Snape." And the healer left, taking Hermione through a large door that read "Healers and Medi-staff only beyond this point!" Severus felt kicked in the stomach. He couldn't be with her. He had no idea what was happening. Even Voldemort never instilled this much fear in him.

"Severus," Mrs. Weasley began. "Maybe we should wait outside the ward. There is a lovely room down the hall that always has hot tea and fresh biscuits. Let's go sit and rest." She tugged on his arm and he barely moved along beside her. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed them equally as slow and worried.

When they reached the waiting room, they were greeted with many handshakes from family and friends. Albus and Minerva were across the room. Mr. Weasley was sent to fetch Harry and Ginny, who alerted Ron, who alerted Neville, who then owled the rest of the former student body and staff from Hogwarts. The waiting room was quite full. But Severus didn't want anyone to look at him with sympathy and half assured smiles. He knew something was wrong and he didn't want to be led into thinking there was hope if something terrible should happen. He took a seat in the corner of the room by himself. He placed his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his hands and sobbed gently. He was so afraid.

It had been over an hour when the healer arrived. "Mr. Snape?" The room parted to make a small visible human tunnel that led to Severus still sitting in the same position. He looked up and then ran out the door following the healer.

The reached the end of a lightly lit corridor. The door seemed to brood over him. The healer had given no indication to her condition. Either that or Severus was in too big a hurry to stop and listen. He opened the door.

The first sound he heard was the most beautiful sound to his ears, except for two others in his life; the day Hermione said yes to marry him, and the night she told him he was to be a father. This third sound was a soft whine. The slightest whimper from a tiny soul pierced the room. It was the biggest smile Severus Snape had ever smiled. It was the warmest feeling he ever felt. She was tiniest being he ever held.

"Isn't she beautiful, Severus?" Hermione asked as she placed the baby in his arms.

"She? I thought the healer said it was a boy?" Hermione smiled at him. Why was she smiling?

"Look behind you," she said.

There was the healer standing against a table on the other side of the room with his back to the new father. Severus barely caught a glimpse of a measuring tape and a tiny diaper. He walked over. He looked down. Make that the second largest smile that ever crossed his face. His son laid there in a baby blue blanket, the spitting image of his twin sister.

The rest of the family came to the room.

"This is Mya Jane and Verus Philtrum Snape," the proud parents announced.