As Severus looked out at his classroom full of third-year students- today, they were Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors- he sneered at their complete lack of enthusiasm for the project. His eyes narrowed as they came to land on one such young lady sitting in the very last row.

"Now, Miss Phillion," he said, uttering every word with hostility for the Gryffindor, "I would like for you, if your small mind is able to comprehend, to-"

Abruptly, bright green flames shot up in the fireplace that stood at one of the walls in the dungeon. Professor Dumbledore had had it installed in case he ever needed to contact Severus hurriedly in an emergency, and had done the same with the other teachers' classrooms.

The flames danced there, empty, for a moment, before Professor Granger's head appeared, eerily floating and glowing from the green light surrounding her. Severus stared at her for several seconds before he snapped out of it and asked through clenched teeth as the students looked on curiously, "What is it, Professor Granger? I thought that it was made perfectly clear to all members of staff that classroom fireplaces are only to be used in emergency situations."

However, this was when he noticed that her breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps. Severus was then torn between showing concern for Hermione and not becoming weak in front of a classroom full of young students.

"If this is not an emergency, I don't know what is," she replied, her eyes wide.

"I am with a class."

"I can see that, Professor. Nevertheless… Come to the Hospital Wing now."

"Excuse me?"

"It's here."

"I'm sorry, Professor Granger?" he asked roughly, being much too tense to realize immediately what it was that she was speaking of.

Through with subtlety and with frustration boiling inside of her, she cried, "If you don't want to miss the birth of your first born child, Severus Snape, you had better get yourself down to the Hospital Wing this instant!"

His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly as Hermione vanished and his fireplace returned to its usual, dim state. He glanced to his class and stood at the front of the room, unmoving and unsure of what to do. The door to his classroom burst open at that instant, and Remus Lupin stumbled in, apparently out of breath.

"Hermione...having the...baby now," he gasped.

"I am aware, Lupin. She just appeared in my fireplace to inform me of this news," he replied, his face completely void of emotion.

"Oh. Perfect." Remus breathed hard, leaning against the doorframe and trying to catch his breath. When he had, he straightened up a bit and looked at Severus.

"I imagine you'll need someone to cover your classes for the rest of today?"

"Yes," Severus nodded.

As they passed each other, Severus striding towards the door and Remus making his way to the front of the room, the two men's eyes met for just a moment. Somehow, Remus received the message that Severus was sending towards him: Thank you.

As Severus made his way up the stairs towards the Hospital Wing, he was oblivious to everything around him. Three young Ravenclaws were running about and, much to their delight, he did not even bother to deduct House Points from them. He only glared at them heatedly and continued in his long strides, his heart pounding what felt like a thousand times a minute.

As he entered the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey appeared seemingly out of nowhere at his side. "There you are, Severus. Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "She's been asking about you. Come, come now." She began to walk forward and waved him toward her. As he followed, he watched as she pulled back a curtain- one of three that were surrounding the bed on all sides. They entered through it and, at once, Severus caught sight of Hermione lying in the bed, her cheeks flushed and several long wisps of hair falling out of her bun and into her face.

"Severus!" she exclaimed, reaching out for his hand. "I wasn't sure if you would come straight away or not."

"You doubted me?" he asked, glaring at Madam Pomfrey, as if commanding her to leave. She quickly obliged.

A little while after that, Hermione suffered a contraction, wincing and squeezing Severus' arm.

"Gods, Severus, it hurts," Hermione muttered when it had passed. "I mean, I knew that it would, of course, but... Do you have children, Madam Pomfrey?" she asked as the medi-witch entered once again.

"Yes. I have a son."

"How did you get through this?"

"It's nothing yet, Hermione. It will get worse."

Moaning, Hermione leaned her head back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Severus would have reached over to take her hand, but he was waiting until Poppy had gone.

"Well," she said, as though she could read his mind, "I must leave you alone for a little while, now."

After the curtain had flapped shut behind the matron, he moved closer to Hermione, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I can't wait until this is over," Hermione muttered, covering his hand with hers. "Then we will have a baby. Severus, possibly in just a matter of hours, our baby will be here. We will be able to hold our daughter in our arms... And she still doesn't have a name!" she cried suddenly, burying her face in her hands.

Severus suddenly realized that this was true. They had never decided on a name. It had been discussed once or twice, and then, really, never again.

"I want you to choose the name," he said. "You should decide on the first name."

"Why?"

"You are her mother, and you deserve to name our daughter."

Smiling up at him, Hermione thought for several minutes about the name.

Veronica. Loraine. Isabelle. Sarah. Vanessa. Elizabeth. Madeline. Carrie. Harriet. Allison. Charlotte. Rachel. Katharine. Samantha. Natalie…

"Trina!"

Hermione looked up and realized that Madam Pomfrey was speaking to someone else in the Hospital Wing, supposedly addressing a girl named Trina. It was quite beautiful. In fact, it was the first name in nine months that Hermione had heard and begun to seriously consider for their child.

"Trina," she whispered.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Trina is a lovely name," she said, looking at Severus.

He stopped and appeared as though he was considering this for a while. Then, he spoke again, "Very well. Trina. And for a middle name?"

One had been lingering in her mind for quite a while- since they had first discussed the child's name- though she hadn't mentioned it since then. Now, however, she knew that she had to. "What about Eileen?" she said quietly, and his head shot up as he stared at her.

"I have told you my opinion on this matter already," he said instantly, before he could even think about her question.

"I know, Severus, but she was your mother. Instead of trying to forget her death, you might wish to honor it."

"Eileen," he said aloud. "Trina Eileen…" He sighed. "Very well." Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile, and he decided that it was worth it simply for that. "Er, her surname..." he asked.

Hermione was not sure what to say. They were not married yet, and so technically, she supposed that her daughter's name should be Granger. However, if he proposed later, they would need to change it to Snape. And if he didn't propose...? If he thought that this, living together with a child, was enough? Then what?

"What do you want?" she asked.

His mouth opened, closed, and opened again. "It does not matter to me," he lied. Of course, he wanted his daughter's last name to be Snape! His name! Her father's name! But he did not say this. After he had spoken, his mouth snapped shut again.

"Then...Snape. Trina Eileen Snape."

Smiling, Severus kissed her hand, though he was surprised when Hermione's eyes widened in something along the lines of panic as she stared up at him.

"My parents," she said at once. "Through all the commotion, I forgot to call my parents! I need them here, now."

"Would you like for me to call on them?"

"No. I want you here too."

"There is no one else here who is aware of where they are located."

Hesitating, Hermione appeared as if she was considering this for a moment, until she finally answered, "I can Floo them. I did it less than an hour ago, when I notified you that I was in labor."

"No," Severus answered immediately. "I don't want you doing that. You must remain in bed."

"It will take but a few minutes. I will survive it, I promise you. And if it really comes down to it, why can you not Floo them?"

"I hardly know them. We are mere acquaintances. It would be completely unacceptable for me to simply enter their home without warning, especially when considering the fact that they are your mother and father."

Sighing, Hermione replied, "Very well. I will Floo them, then." She moved to uncover herself and, with some difficulty, sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed. Severus, of course, was quick to assist her as she made her way onto the floor, through the curtains, and over to the fireplace.

"Professor Granger!" cried Madam Pomfrey when she caught sight of Hermione. "What in heaven's name are you doing?" The medi-witch then rushed forward, toward the younger woman. "You should be in bed."

"I realize that, but I wish to contact my parents-"

"You'll have to forgive me, but I thought that they were Muggles," said Madam Pomfrey with a puzzled expression.

Hermione immediately stopped and stared at the older woman. "They are," she answered carefully.

The medi-witch then pursed her lips and looked at Hermione disapprovingly for a moment before turning away and leaving them to help an ill student.

At this, Hermione proceeded to the fireplace and threw a bit of Floo powder into the hearth. She poked her head inside and viewed the living room to her parents' home.

"Mum! Dad!" she called out. When there was no immediate answer, she became a bit worried. However, at that moment, she heard scurrying footsteps approaching her, and smiled as her mother came into view looking quite astonished to see her daughter's head floating in the fireplace.

"Hermione, how pleasant to, er, see you," Jane stammered.

"Good afternoon, Mum," her daughter replied. "I am at Hogwarts, and I've just gone into labor. Is it all right if Severus Floos to you and escorts you and Dad back to the school?"

"Do you mean right now?"

"Yes."

"That is just fine. Give me a minute to find your father..."

"All right. I'll see you in a bit, Mum."

"Goodbye, dear," Jane nodded.

Pulling her head out of the fireplace, Hermione looked over at Severus, who was standing just beside her and glaring at the students who dared to sneak a glance at him.

"You see, Severus?" she asked once he had helped her to her feet. "I did not get sucked into an alternate universe simply because I am pregnant while using the Floo Network."

"I am not concerned that you are Flooing while you are pregnant; it is only when you use the Network and you are in labor that worries me at all," he replied as they stepped back through the curtain and he assisted her as she climbed into bed. Then he stepped back and began to make his way back toward the fireplace. However, she stopped him before he could get too far.

"Severus, wait. Could you inform Harry and the Weasleys, as well?"

Sneering, he gave her a short nod, and then he left her for the time being.

He then walked through the infirmary, thinking that he should call upon Potter and the Weasleys first. Quickly, he stuck his head into the fireplace, and, within seconds, he could see them sitting there in the living room. Ginny was with the baby on the sofa, cradling it in her arms, while Fred and George sat beside her and cooed at it lovingly.

Severus cleared his throat to announce his presence, and Ginny smiled up at him. Though, a second later, her expression turned to one of confusion. "Good afternoon, Professor."

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley. Hermione is having the baby now. Please inform the rest of your family and Mr. Potter. Apparate to Hogwarts if you would like to be present."

"Very well. We will try to arrive as quickly as possible," Ginny said, though she had to avert her attention as the baby in her arms began to wail.

In an instant, Severus' head had vanished from inside their fireplace, and he had straightened up and stepped into the hearth. He then threw down a handful of Floo Powder at his feet. Moments later, after whirring past countless fireplaces, he landed in the Grangers' home. Brushing himself off, he stepped into their living room and waited, not feeling comfortable enough to call out. He was thankful, then, when Jane walked by and saw him. Instantly, a kind grin spread over her face.

"Why, Severus, you're here!" she exclaimed. "Oh, just give me a moment while I gather our bags and get Robert."

Within minutes, the three of them were rushing past fireplace after fireplace on their way back to Hogwarts (Severus had taken a bit of Floo Powder with him for this reason before he had left Hogwarts). He tried to keep a hold of Mr. and Mrs. Granger during this, as he feared that they might be a bit dazed after their first experience with the Floo Network. He was correct. While he landed fairly gracefully and calmly stepped out of the hearth, the Grangers staggered out into the Hospital Wing. After they had recovered from their experience, he quickly led them in the direction of Hermione's bed.

The couple entered the curtained room after Severus. After he had leaned down to gently squeeze Hermione's shoulder, he stepped back so that her mother and father could stand beside their daughter.

"Oh, Hermione!" Jane exclaimed happily, and Severus could already see the tears in her eyes.

Hermione sat, smiling up at her mum and dad, her round stomach forming a giant mound underneath the thin blankets.

"Mum, thank you so much for coming," Hermione said as her mother leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Did you think that we would miss this?" her father asked, smiling.

Hermione grinned up at them. "I suppose not."

"Really, this is our first grandchild!" Jane exclaimed, squeezing Hermione's shoulder.

Severus briefly caught Robert's eye, and then averted his gaze back to Jane. "First?" he asked.

Jane turned to him, her smile fading a bit. "Well, yes. You're going to have more, aren't you?"

"I had not planned that far into the future," Severus answered, unsure of what he should say in front of Hermione.

Thankfully, she chose that moment to join the conversation. "Mum," she said quickly, taking a gentle hold of her mother's sleeve and pulling her around to face her, "we aren't even married yet. You're getting ahead of us."

"And why haven't you asked her yet?" Jane asked, turning to Severus, though it was clear that she was only teasing in a fun sort of way.

Severus, however, simply raised an eyebrow. "I have no ring," he replied.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly as she stared at him, and her mouth twisted into a sort of half smile.

"Well, if that's all that's holding you back, then..." Robert said teasingly, beginning to slide his ring off his finger. Chuckling, Jane reached over to swat at her husband playfully, while Severus sent him a small smile.

"How in heaven's name did you get him to do that?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked through the curtain, eyeing Severus and causing him to revert back to his usual scowl. Clicking her tongue, Madam Pomfrey smiled at everyone. "Hermione," she said after a moment, "when it is time for the birth, will you be wanting any medication?"

"I have heard that that can hurt the child," Jane said, looking worried. Of course, she was speaking only of the Muggle way, as she was not aware that there were other techniques that were used in the wizarding world.

"Severus, have I asked you to brew that potion yet?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Not recently."

"Oh. Well, you could brew it now, if you like. Not that you shouldn't be here, of course, but she isn't very far along; I'm sure you would have the time, if you choose to do so. Hermione?"

Appearing uncertain, she looked from Severus to Madam Pomfrey to her parents.

"If you aren't certain, darling, don't do it," Robert said quietly, taking his daughter's hand and pressing his lips to it lightly.

Nodding slowly, Hermione murmured, "Yes. I mean, no. No, I don't want a potion or anything."

Madam Pomfrey looked uneasy. "It will hurt badly-"

"I know that!" Hermione snapped, but immediately looked as if she could take it back. "I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"That's all right, dear. Pregnancy does that to a woman," Madam Pomfrey replied, the corners of her mouth curving upward as she readjusted Hermione's blankets around her.

"Is that all, then?" Hermione asked, not in an unkind way.

"Yes, I believe so. Severus, you know where to find me if you need anything," the older witch said quickly as the curtains swished closed behind her.

"She seems nice," Jane said.

Severus looked up. "She's mad."

"Severus," Hermione said, scolding him, though now, there was no joy in her voice as her face screwed up in pain. When her contraction was over, she was holding her mother's hand.

"Mum, did I cause you a lot of pain?" she asked, looking terrified of the answer.

"Do you mean before or after you were born?" her mother asked, smiling.

"You set yourself up for that one, Hermione," her father chuckled. "Still, to answer your question, yes."

"How would you know?" Jane demanded.

"Believe me, I know. She was cursing at me the entire time."

"I was not! Your father does not have a clue what he is talking about, Hermione."

"Of course I don't," Robert said sarcastically, smiling at his wife.

Severus watched them, amazed. These people were going to be his daughter's family. Her grandparents. Her only set of grandparents. He knew that Trina had better cherish them for as long as she had them; they didn't come much better than this.

OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

Nearly twenty minutes later, Madam Pomfrey poked her head in between the curtains, addressing Hermione, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley have arrived, as well as the rest of their family. Shall I show them in? Not all at once, of course, but..."

"Yes, please," said Hermione. It was only now that she realized that she probably looked like a complete mess, but this was Harry and Ron- the three of them had seen each other at their best and at their worst. She did not have to wait ten seconds before the curtains swished open.

"Hermione, how are you?" Harry asked as he entered, followed closely by Ron and Ginny. Instantly, a huge grin spread over Hermione's face and her eyes lit up as she caught sight of her best friends approaching her. All three of them leaned over to hug her, and Harry and Ginny both kissed her cheek quickly before pulling away, smiling broadly.

"So," Harry said, smirking, "who's the godfather?"

"Severus and I hadn't discussed it."

Harry looked to Severus, sneering. "Not Malfoy. I don't care if he's supposedly halfway decent now or not."

"Draco Malfoy has three children of his own, Mr. Potter. I would not burden him with my own," Severus replied, sneering right back at him.

Harry looked back at Hermione. "Well, you let us know when you've made the decision," he said, winking before he stepped back and placed his arm around Ginny's waist.

Hermione asked Ron, "When are you going to get yourself a girl, Ron? I can't even remember your last girlfriend."

"Actually, um, I have. I mean, I met her last week," Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's real nice."

"That's wonderful, Ron!"

"You never told me anything about this girl, mate," Harry said, punching Ron playfully in his shoulder. "Do we know her?"

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Ron shrugged and took a step toward Hermione, staring at her stomach. "How long have you been in labor, 'Mione?"

"Too long."

"I'm so glad that I had a fairly easy time in labor," said Ginny, squeezing Harry's waist.

"Where is James?" Hermione asked.

"He's at home with Beatrice. You do remember the midwife, don't you? Well, she is with him for now. That's why I can't stay long, Hermione; I'm sorry," Ginny said apologetically.

"That's all right. You can leave whenever you need to. It's not as if it's very exciting here," Hermione replied. "Oh, Mum, Dad, have you met Ginny?"

"Once, I believe," said Robert, reaching forward to shake her hand, along with Ron and Harry. Jane did the same, smiling widely at them.

"How are you, Ronald?" she asked kindly.

Ron grinned at her. "I'm just fine, Mrs. Granger. And you?"

"I am doing quite well. You were always such a polite boy. And you too, Harry."

"Thank you," Harry said.

Jane looked from Harry to Ginny. "What's this I hear about you having a son, now, Harry Potter? And...Ginny, was it?"

"Yes. He's barely a month old now. Gorgeous boy. Green eyes, red hair," Ginny answered, obviously a proud mother. "He'll be handsome, like his father, I'm sure."

Harry leaned down to kiss the top of Ginny's head.

"Did any of the other Weasleys come?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry if we're boring you," Ron said sarcastically.

Smiling, she shook her head and replied, "No, honestly. Are your mum and dad here?"

"They're waiting outside. If you hadn't noticed, this 'room' here is barely big enough for the seven of us," he answered.

"Well, I should get going, anyway. James is probably driving Bee absolutely mad by now," Ginny said, smiling as she bid her goodbyes.

Just after she had departed, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered, both of them giving Hermione big hugs.

"Are you doing all right, dear?" Molly asked.

"Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Don't mention it, Hermione."

"Hello, Mr. Weasley."

"Oh, hello, Hermione. Had much pain yet?"

"So far, it hasn't been too bad," she answered.

"Hello, I'm Arthur Weasley. This is my wife, Molly," Arthur said, holding his hand out to Robert and Jane Granger.

Before long, it was obvious that it was quite crowded in the curtained room, and so Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said their goodbyes for the night, along with Harry and Ron.

"We'd better be going, 'Mione," Harry said, yawning.

"We'll see you in the morning," Ron added. After they had bid their goodbyes to everyone there, they both left the infirmary.

Just as they did this, as if on cue, Remus Lupin approached Hermione's bed, grinning at everyone. He immediately introduced himself to Hermione's parents and said hello to both Severus and Hermione.

"How much longer do you think it will be?" he asked, eyeing her stomach.

"At least several more hours," she replied.

"I just saw Harry and Ron leaving. Did they behave themselves?"

"Yes, they did, actually," she answered, smiling.

Remus nodded. "Has Dumbledore been to see you yet?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head and yawning.

"Well, perhaps tomorrow, then. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, you must be quite proud."

"Yes," said Robert, "we most certainly are."

"And Severus here is so terribly sweet," Jane uttered.

Remus snorted, though he quickly tried to cover it up as a cough. "Sweet. Yes, Severus has always been very sweet."

Severus stood across from Remus, glaring daggers at him, while Lupin simply grinned broadly.

"Well, I should probably be going," Remus said after a bit. "I just wanted to see Hermione. It was nice to have met you, Mr. Granger. Mrs. Granger," he added, shaking their hands. After nodding to Severus and Hermione happily, he too left the Hospital Wing.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! All of you are so awesome!

Special thanks to my beta, SwissMiss1!

Disclaimer- I don't own anything in this story. All of the characters and places and stuff are products of J.K. Rowling's incredible imagination.

Review Please! It is always greatly appreciated! Even if you don't like my story, please tell me what you dislike and I'll try to work on it in the future. Thanks!