A/N: So this morning I got a little distracted from my writing and decided I was going to dig up my old SUPERNINTENDO, which is the most old school and awesomest thing ever. Anyway, so after digging it up with the intention of playing some Super Mario or Donkey Kong Country, getting the wires from the attic, setting it up and screwing around with my TV, I realized that I was missing a very important cord that rendered my gametime useless. Dammit. Anyway, so all the while, this infomercial on this terribly fascinating blender was playing and when I gave up on my supernintendo I started to watch it. I couldn't stop. I think they might have used subliminal advertising, which is illegal, because I just couldn't tear my eyes away from that screen (though I tried). So, after a broken supernintendo, an informercial, and three and a half coats of nail polish later, here's the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing ('cept Kent)… but especially not Harry Potter

Happy Reading!

Chapter Seven – At St. Mungo's

Severus was happy. It was a strange feeling, being happy, because he had not been so truly happy in a long time. Even the students were noticing.

The Professor said nothing when Harry accidentally blew up his cauldron and gave a point to Gryffindor when Hermione correctly answered a question. And, though Harry was not sure if he had heard it correctly, he could have sworn he'd heard his Potions Master tell Ron to "have a nice day". Harry deduced that something must have happened, and he was quite right.

Hermione was very interested in the sudden change of Snape's mood as well, whilst Ron found it quite frightening. Ron noted that Kent was a bit more chipper than one who had gotten the living daylights beaten out of her should be, though this remained debatable because Kent was usually very happy for no reason. She kicked open doors with new enthusiasm and taught even more exciting lessons than usual.

The day that the questions were answered was, in fact, when Hermione found and put the clues together. It was the middle of a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and Kent was on time for once. In fact, she was early.

When the class walked into the classroom in bunches, Kent was sitting on her desk with her combat boots propped up against a desk. She was eating a sandwich with a look of pure contentedness on her face. When Ron sat down in the front desk, he quickly made a sniffing noise and pulled a face.

"What is that?" Ron asked, bewildered.

Even Harry, who had a stuffy nose, could smell the strange scent.

"It smells like –" Hermione began, sniffing the air along with other students, "– like pickles."

"And kippers," Added Ron.

"And peanut butter," said Harry.

Kent laughed from the front of the classroom.

"Sorry guys, that's my breakfast," Kent said, taking another bite form her sandwich. "Peanut butter, kipper, pickle and mustard sandwich. It's really good, you should try it!"

Ron mimed vomiting and Harry felt his eye twitch.

"No thanks, Professor," Harry said. "I'll stick with treacle tart."

Hermione had not mentioned anything since her pickles comment, and looked very pensive. More pensive than usual, and this worried Harry. Kent finished her sandwich, charmed her breath, waited for the bell to ring, let in the stragglers, and began the lesson.

"Well, class, today is that test on Inferi," Kent said. "I would imagine that you've all studied, of course, and are prepared."

The class groaned slightly. Kent laughed.

"Yes, well if you haven't then you're just going to have to wing it," Kent said. "Sorry."

She flicked a finger and the test appeared on every student's desk.

"You have until the end of class," Kent said. "And you may begin now."

The classroom was silent except for the scratching of quills on parchment and the occasional sound of someone grunting or murmuring to themselves. As the class took their test, Kent sat in her desk, flipping through a magazine and marking things off on a paper. Hermione, of course, finished her test first and had it checked over twice before anybody else, and set down her quill. She pulled back her chair, got up, and walked up to Kent's desk. When Kent saw Hermione there, she looked up.

"Right there on the corner. Good, okay, now you can do something quiet until everyone's done."

Hermione, who was wearing a very conclusive expression, nodded and sat back down at her desk. She took out a book and began reading it intently, a defined crease between her eyebrows that often appeared when she was thinking hard.

Later, during one of the sixth-year breaks, Hermione walked over to the table Ron and Harry were sitting at, struggling with their Herbology essays. She plopped down in a chair next to Harry and placed her hands on the table.

"I've figured it out," Hermione announced.

Harry looked up from his essay and Hermione saw that he had a spot of ink on his forehead.

"What have you figured out?"

Ron, without looking up from his essay, retorted, "I think the question you're looking for is 'what hasn't she figured out?'."

Hermione chose to ignore this last statement, though her cheeks burned pink, and continued on.

"I've found out why Snape's so happy," Hermione said.

Both of the boys looked up now – Ron with his chin in his hand and Harry with an alarmed expression.

"Kent is pregnant," Hermione said.

Harry's mouth dropped open and Ron's elbow slid off the table.

"How do you know?" Ron asked, incredulous.

"Because," Hermione said, pulling a book out of her bag, "I was reading this book on pregnancy the other day ("Why were you reading that?" Asked a scandalized Ron,) and it all fits. The happiness, the strange food. And when I brought up my test today, Kent was flipping through a baby magazine."

Harry and Ron exchanged disgusted looks.

"They'd better pray that it doesn't end up looking like Snape," Harry said with a hint of a smirk as Ron guffawed and Hermione merely looked miffed.

Meanwhile, Severus and Miranda sat face-to-face, cross-legged on the bed, looking at different magazines. Well, Miranda was looking at magazines and Severus was pouring over his old potions textbook.

"What do you think about this?" Miranda asked, pointing to a mahogany cradle.

"Mhmm," Severus said without looking up.

Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Severus, you can't hardly know what I'm talking about unless you look at it."

Severus looked up for a fleeting moment before turning back down to his old book, which was an extremely battered, worn copy of Advanced Potion Making. Miranda snatched it away from him and began flipping though the pages.

"Oh, Sevvy's book is more important than his future heir, huh?" Miranda said, then paused to read the words crammed into the corner of a page. "What's this spell do?"

"Which one?"

Miranda turned and pointed to the corner, in which the word Muffliato had been scribbled. Severus laughed.

"That would be a charm that fills the surrounding people's ears with a loud buzzing noise, enabling one to have a private conversation."

Miranda nodded.

"That' pretty neat, where did you find it?"

Severus made a noise in the back of his throat.

"I, er, I made it, actually," He said. "Well, more like discovered it."

Miranda looked up with her brows raised.

"Did you really?" She asked in surprise.

When Severus nodded, she gave him a funny look.

"Wow," Miranda said. "That's pretty amazing. Did you make any others?"

"Many," Severus said. "All in there. I do not recommend, however, that you try any of them. I made them up in school, mostly to get back at those who showed me a certain level of – ah, disrespect."

Miranda surveyed him for a moment with a curious expression. He took this time to pry his book from her hands and begin looking through it again, his chin in his hand. She went back to flipping through magazines for a moment, ignoring the strange yet terrible pain she was feeling in her lower back. She occasionally glanced from her magazine back up at Severus, who was occasionally scribbling in his textbook, and then back down at her magazine.

Miranda looked up again and saw that his face was partially obscured by a curtain of black hair, and she pounced. She leapt, placed her hands on his shoulders, and forced him back.

"What are you doing?" He asked in surprise, holding his textbook held up between them.

"You're such a wet blanket, did you know that?" Miranda said in a falsely snappy voice as she leaned over him, her hair falling into his face. "I could just go on my merry way, but you just have to ask questions."

"So I've been told," Severus replied, and Miranda laughed.

"Not one for surprises, then?" Miranda said, pushing Advanced Potion Making.

"No, not really."

Miranda leaned in a little closer.

"Well then you should have thought of that before," Miranda said, leaning slightly closer.

Severus leaned away as she leaned forward, a look of incredulity on his face.

"Excuse me? You came on to me!"

"Yeah well, it doesn't matter," Miranda said, and leaned in for the kill.

As she leaned in, Severus stuck a hand into his robe pocket and tightly closed his hand around something. She suddenly pulled back, though, and made an inward hissing noise through her teeth. Severus pulled his hand out of his pocket as if he'd been burned, propped himself up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow at the woman, whose features were twisted in pain.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't think it's anything," Miranda replied, rubbing her lower back. "I've just been feeling kind of funny for the last few days; I scheduled an appointment at St. Mungo's for today, and Tonks is taking me there by floo."

"Has it been getting worse?"

"Yes, rapidly. I'm not sure what's going on, exactly, but I thought I'd find out. Today's been particularly brutal, actually," Miranda said hastily.

"Really? And what time is this appointment?" Severus said.

"Twelve noon," Miranda replied, and then her features darkened. "Uh oh."

Both of the adults turned to face the clock on the wall, and Miranda gave a yelp as she saw that it was one minute to twelve. She hopped off the bed, winced in pain, laced up her combat boots and was gone without another word. Severus started after her, but stopped in the doorway. Perhaps, he thought, Miranda would rather have a private meeting with the Healer. He shrugged, walked back into the room, and began to clean.

After a few hours, Severus was pacing back and fourth in Miranda's room. He was starting to get rather nervous, for she had been gone for a while now. He kept telling himself that waiting rooms could keep you for hours, but she'd had an appointment. What if something went wrong?

Severus bent over and picked up a fallen sticky note from the floor (St. Mungo's. Noon on Friday) and had just thrown it out when there was a knock on the door. Severus jumped slightly and quickly walked to the door. He opened it a crack and looked out into the corridor to see something red. He opened the door and saw Ginny Weasley standing there, looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else in the world.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny held up her chin and looked composed.

"Madam Pomfrey sent me, Professor," Ginny said. "She said she needs to talk to you immediately."

"Yes, alright, thank you," Severus said hastily, moving Ginny out of the way so he could stride off towards the Hospital Wing.

He pushed open the towering door to the infirmary and walked in to find that it was quite empty of people. The white hospital beds sat in rows, but they were all empty. Madam Pomfrey stood in the center of the room, the large windows casting a sunny light on her. Severus couldn't help but notice that she was extremely fidgety, and didn't seem too keen on getting much closer to him.

"Did you need me?" Severus asked.

"Yes, Severus," Madam Pomfrey said in her best imitation of a business-like voice.

"And?"

"And I'm afraid I've just received a report from St. Mungo's," Madam Pomfrey said, wringing her hands. "I haven't been told any details but the report said that about a few hours ago Miranda Kent's had a – a miscarriage."

The words struck Severus so hard that he was not quite sure that he had heard her properly. He stuck a finger in his ear, twisted it, and then withdrew it.

"Excuse me?" He said in a drawling, yet scared voice.

"A miscarriage, Severus," Madam Pomfrey said, stepping forward at long last. "I'm sorry."

The words were like ice, chilling his insides and making his mind go utterly blank. His hands shook and Madam Pomfrey led him to the nearest chair. He sat down and stared ahead, the words stabbing at him like a knife or seven.

"Miscarriage?" he repeated dumbly in a quiet, low voice, not wanting to believe it but having to; not wanting to have to face it but facing it all the same.

"Miranda's still at St. Mungo's," Madam Pomfrey said. "She'll be home by tonight; she's, well, she's a little distressed. They've treated her for shock and you can visit her after she finishes taking the medications. Do you want to stay here, Severus? I could fix you up something for –"

"No," Severus stood up abruptly and headed for the door, limbs shaking. "No, I want to – to be alone. I will be back in a few minutes to leave for St. Mungo's."

With that, Severus left, leaving a ringing silence in his wake. He strode on down the corridor, his pace uniform and his head facing straight. His legs carried him towards his room, though he was having no conscious thought at the moment. He walked on, not even stopping to yell at a couple kissing fervently in a nearby classroom, which was a pastime thrill.

He opened his bedroom door with a shaking hand, walked in, and closed the door behind him, the doorknob rattling beneath his unsteady fingers. He tried to walk across the room to his desk, but something inside him snapped at that instant. His knees gave out and he gasped, grabbing onto a wooden bedpost, his nails actually sinking into the wood and leaving scratch-marks down it as he clutched at it in despair. He let go of the bedpost and staggered across the room, falling against the wall and trying to hold himself up against it, for his legs were too shaky to stand on. Severus struggled to regain his composure, but nevertheless found himself sliding to the floor. He gasped again as his throat tightened and he shook uncontrollably. He fell to the floor with an anguished, reckless cry and landed in a heap on the cold ground.

"You need to pull yourself together," he told himself, desperately trying not to let himself shed tears. "She needs you now more than ever. Collect yourself and get up. Go and see her. Comfort her."

Severus took a long, shuddery breath and pulled his legs up and under him with his head on the floor. He tried to regain control of his emotions but all the same felt the earth crashing all around him. After a few minutes he regained enough strength to lift his forehead off of the ground and find the will to stand. He did so, his legs still quivering underneath his body, and managed to stay up long enough to cross the room and sit on his bed with his back against the bedpost. He slumped down and took another deep breath, thinking to himself about what he must do. First, he decided, he would go and visit Miranda and talk to her. Then, depending on her condition, he would have to play it by ear.

Severus heaved himself up on stronger legs and set off for the Hospital Wing.

o-o-o

Severus stepped out of the fireplace and brushed off his robes quickly, feeling slightly nauseated from the ride and from the day's events. He looked up and saw a large sign hanging above the doorway.

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Severus walked forward past a witch who was belching colorful bubbles and an old wizard who had managed to change his fingers to keys. After the woman in front of him, who was holding a Krup that had sprouted two heads, Severus stepped forward. The receptionist took one look at him and turned down to her paper.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a nasal voice.

"I wish to speak to Miranda Kent," Severus said briskly.

"She's on the third floor," the receptionist said after a moment. "The Potion and Plant Poisoning, third floor on the left."

"Thank you."

Severus bowed curtly and commenced for the third floor. Once outside the door, he was greeted by a plump, cheerful-looking healer.

"Can I help you, sir?" She asked.

"Is this Miranda Kent's room?" Severus asked, gesturing to the door.

"It sure is," the Healer replied. "Just a mo', I'll see if she's taking visitors."

The Healer poked her head in the room, spoke in a muffled voice that Severus did not hear, and then pulled her head back out. She closed the door and smiled warmly.

"Right-o, sir," The woman said. "I'll leave you to chat for a few while I hurry over to the first floor – we've got a poor little girl who was bitten by a werewolf this morning. Greyback; have you ever heard of him?"

"I've heard of him," Severus replied darkly.

The Healer gave him and nod and walked away. Severus took a deep breath, reached out for the handle, and slowly opened the door. Sitting in the bed, wearing a hospital gown and looking somber, was Miranda. Severus closed the door and stood with his back to it, unsure of what to do and how to do it. Miranda looked up and watched as he entered, and they stared at each other in an awkward silence before either of them said anything. When she did speak, however, her voice was feeble and scared and her eyes were shining.

"Severus…"

Severus' heart melted at the sound of her scared voice. He hurried forward, his cloak trailing behind him, and sat down. The bed creaked under the weight, but otherwise did nothing. He took Miranda's hands in his own and held them together.

"Are you copasetic?"

Miranda shook her head, two tears spilling from her eyes and winding trails down her cheeks.

"I feel so… numb," Miranda said quietly. "Empty. Alone."

"You're not alone," Severus replied quietly. "You'll have me. I'm not going anywhere."

Miranda gave him a grateful smile and sighed.

"I should have known," She said in a lamenting voice. "I had symptoms. I just –"

"Was there nothing you could do to stop it?" Severus interjected.

She looked up at him.

"No," she said, shaking her head and causing her hair to wave about her face. "Nothing."

"Then did it matter if you should have known or not?" Severus reasoned. "I mean, do you even know the cause?"

Miranda shook her head yet again and appeared thoughtful. She pulled a hand away from Severus and began fiddling with a hole in her blanket, and Severus watched her with sharp eyes.

"It could have been any number of things," Miranda said. "It could have been some sort of genetic thing. It's possible that it happened when I was fighting with Voldemort, though it doesn't seem likely because it hardly happens from a fall or something like that."

"That was more than a fall," Severus said pointedly.

"Healer Margaret seems to think one of those potions could have had something to do with it, too, that's why I'm on the Potion and Plant Poisoning floor, but that doesn't make sense to me…" Miranda started, but her voice faded out. "Well, I should be grateful, Severus, but I can't help it. I feel terrible."

Severus, who thought that Miranda had every right to feel terrible, said nothing. He looked down at his hands, which still had one of Miranda's between them.

"However, I'm not incredibly surprised, seeing as the information that I was given, and it leads me to believe there was something else involved…"

Severus looked up at this, puzzled. Miranda had a glint in her eye he had not yet seen since he found out about the miscarriage.

"Something else involved?" Severus said, bemused.

Miranda took a deep, shuddery breath and spoke.

"Did you know that the heir of Ravenclaw, the holder of the Progenitor Veneficium,was never able to have more than one child, lest they screw up the magical process?"

Severus nodded slowly.

"But you've never had one before, have you?" Severus said, this frightful thought suddenly occurring to him.

Miranda chuckled darkly.

"No," Miranda said. "But this is where it gets interesting. Well, this is all terribly interesting, but this even more so. Healer Margaret told me today after my exam that I was supposed to have, not one baby, but twins."

Severus' mouth fell open and Miranda nodded.

"You do that a lot, you know," Severus said slowly. "You say something and then add extra, important information later. It all makes sense to me now."

A time passed in which neither of them said anything. His eyes fell to her abdominal region.

"So," he said slowly, not knowing what to think. "So there is still a – a chance?"

Miranda nodded and then, without warning, burst into tears. Severus was alarmed into jumping up onto his feet and staring at the sobbing woman, who was trying to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry," She apologized with a chuckle, wiping away a tear with her finger. "It's been a rough day. Hormones, treatments and whatnot."

"That would be an understatement," Severus said pointedly, sitting back down on the bed.

Miranda sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"You should have seen me before the treatment for shock," Miranda said. "It was worse. I mean, I still feel dreadful about the whole ordeal, but I don't think there was anything I could do."

She reached out, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and pulled him into a hug. He somewhat awkwardly hugged her back, debating in his mind.

Right now? Severus asked himself. Well, now's as good of a time as any, and I'm not about to get any more romantic, so…yes.

"Miranda," He said quietly into her ear as she hugged him tightly to the point of suffocation.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause, in which Severus opened his mouth to speak. However, he seemed to have lost his voice. When he got it back, he sighed.

"Never mind," he lied. "I forgot."

o-o-o

A few nights later, a knock echoed through Severus' office. He bid the knocker to enter and Miranda came in, accompanied by Dumbledore. Severus stood up in alarm, but Dumbledore laughed.

"You may sit, Severus, nothing is wrong."

Severus slowly sat down and Miranda took a seat in front of Severus' desk, as did Dumbledore. Severus eyed them warily, but put on a mask of indifference and became rather professional.

"How can I be of service?" Severus said silkily.

"Well, Severus, I've been talking with Albus," Miranda said. "And I've realized that the Death Eater population is probably after your blood."

"Yes, I figured that much," Severus interjected.

Miranda stole a nervous glance at Albus before taking out a parchment and unfolding it. She handed it to Severus, who looked at it with interest. He looked over the ingredients and the procedure, both of which had been handwritten by Miranda herself, and then peered at her over the top of the parchment.

"Is this what I think it is?" Severus asked sharply.

Miranda nodded. Albus spoke for the first time.

"Miss Kent here had the idea of faking your death," Albus said serenely. "I have a feeling that an attack will soon take place at Hogwarts, but I cannot interfere for the sake of young Malfoy. I have increased the protection by tenfold and believe that any attack will be a feeble one. Moreover, if and when said attack occurs, you will undoubtedly be a prime object of the Avada Kadavra. With this potion, in theory, should you get hit by the killing curse, it should provide you protection."

"Where did you get this?" Severus asked, brandishing the parchment.

"Well," Miranda said slowly. "I actually invented the potion."

Severus felt any color that he might have in his face drained out. He trusted Miranda, sure, but he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with her making a potentially dangerous potion. A good potion in theory, but deadly to get wrong. And, not to mention, unapproved and unknown about.

"How long have you been working on this?"

"Since the day after you rescued me," Miranda replied. "I think I've got the kinks worked out, but I know you're really decent at potions and we could work on it together. And I've got a pretty decent plan and I made up a really neat spell."

Severus looked from Albus to Miranda. He sighed.

"Yes, I suppose it's our only chance, isn't it?"

"No," Miranda replied. "It's your only chance."

Severus stood and placed his hands on the table, fingers spread out.

"Then I guess it's a chance I'll have to take."

A/N: I got so sidetracked on this chapter.

Icouldn't bear to just kill offany chance of ababy, which was my original intention, so I tweaked it to go with my plot. I believe that next chapter is the last, so enjoy!