Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy!
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The nurses at St. Mungo's snapped into action, scooping Lily out of Severus's arms, laying her on a bed, and wheeling her into a room.
Severus had tears pouring down his cheeks while a doctor rushed into the room and the medical staff began to flurry around Lily, running tests, examining, documenting, and recording.
Eventually, the urgency of Lily's situation and the small size of the room she had been placed in forced the doctor to ask Severus to wait outside.
Severus reluctantly obliged…….
…….After three nurses forcefully pried his hand from Lily's and threw him out into the hallway.
Severus went to return to the room but the nurses scowled at him and slammed the door shut.
Instead of interrupting any further, Severus forlornly watched through the window, since the blinds in Lily's room had been left open.
Severus noted the anxious expression on the doctor's face…...
Severus's chest tightened with sobs when he focused on how lifeless Lily looked as she helplessly lay there with her green eyes closed……….
Lily……...
Severus clutched onto the hope that the doctor and nurses could manage to rescue his beautiful flower.
A veil of guilt enveloped Severus.
Had he wasted too many precious seconds by standing in the way?
Severus had never meant to hinder Lily's care, he just wanted to stay with her so she would know that she wasn't alone.
Severus let his guilt and worry swell as he brooded, mentally berating himself……..
Severus was ashamed to admit it, but he was far more concerned about Lily than the child she carried.
The child was a sweet promise…...
But Lily……..
Lily was everything to Severus.
Severus sighed as he thought.
How many opportunities had he had?
How many moments had he thrown away by remaining silent and concealing his heart?
Severus sucked in a breath between his clenched teeth.
The only thing that scared Severus more than losing Lily was losing Lily without her ever knowing how truly and deeply he really loved her……...
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After what felt like an eternity time later, the doctor left the room first and then the nurses filed out behind him, spilling into the hallway.
"You can go in, now." The doctor nodded to Severus. "We've got her stable for the moment, I'm just going to review her test results and then I'll be back."
"What's the matter with her?" Severus demanded, his face gaunt and drawn.
"I'm still working on that. Calm down, I've been in practice longer than you've been alive. The young lady and her little one will be well cared for under my watch." The doctor reassured Severus.
Severus gave the doctor a cutting gaze before he swept past the man and into Lily's room.
Severus felt his heart ache as he looked down at Lily while she slept.
Severus couldn't hold back the soft, sad sound that escaped his lips as he studied how frail and small Lily looked as she laid there in the hospital bed dressed in a paper gown that was far too big, covered by sheets that were far too thin.
Severus reached over and gently took Lily's hand in his.
When would the doctor return?
When would Lily wake?
Severus would have to wait.
It was alright, Severus had plenty of experience with waiting.
Waiting for his father to stop raging at him and his mother, waiting for James Potter to grow tired of harassing him and let him go, waiting for Lily to notice him as more than a friend……..
Years of practice had turned Severus into a man who was usually patient, but that afternoon in St. Mungo's, as he sat waiting on the doctor to come in and Lily to open her eyes……..
…….That was some of the most difficult waiting that Severus Snape had ever done.
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The first thing that Lily heard upon her return to consciousness was the soft, swishing sound of Severus's black robes as he moved slightly in the chair beside her bed.
As Lily slowly woke, she hazily blinked her green eyes open.
Lily was still dazed and confused.
While Lily took a moment to look around the sterile, bright, hospital room, she failed to recognize where she was.
But she did know who spoke to her.
"Lily?"
"...Sev?" Lily asked slowly, turning her head towards the direction of his voice.
Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to focus.
Yes, that was Severus sitting next to her……..
Lily shifted and the uncomfortable gown she had been placed in crunched under the stiff sheets.
That was when Lily realized…….
Crunchy, papery……
A hospital gown.
White sheets…..
Bright lights….
She was in the hospital.
Why was she in the hospital?!
Lily became startled and she moved to sit up hurriedly but Severus held her still, placing a firm but tender hand on her shoulder.
"Where am I?...What happened?!" Lily asked.
"You're in the hospital, at St. Mungo's." Severus replied, looking into Lily's eyes as he spoke in a low, soothing tone. "What do you remember?" Severus asked.
"I…..my head….my head hurt….I was dizzy, I sat down in the chair and was going to send for help, but...now….now, I'm here." Lily frowned, then her eyes widened as fear crept into her mind, "Is the baby alright?!"
"The child will be fine, the doctor assured me." Severus said quickly to calm Lily down. "I found you slumped over and I couldn't wake you, so I brought you here straight away."
"What happened?" Lily asked.
Severus shook his head, "The doctor hasn't given you a diagnosis yet. I was with you, then they threw me out, then they let me back in, and the doctor stated that he was going to study your test results. He did say that you and the….little one….would be alright."
Lily looked into Severus's eyes and the fear in her emerald gaze made him tighten his grip on her hand to reassure her.
Suddenly, it dawned on Severus…...this was his moment.
Surely, there would never be a better time to tell Lily how he felt.
Severus swallowed thickly and then he began, "Lily, I-"
Before Severus could speak his heart, a sharp knock landed on Lily's door and a second later, the doctor burst into the room.
Severus closed his eyes for a moment in defeat.
No!
So close!
"Alright, Lily, is it acceptable if I call you Lily?" The doctor asked his patient in a friendly tone.
"Sure." Lily said.
Lily didn't care what the doctor called her, she just wanted to find out what was wrong with her and her baby.
The doctor glanced at Lily's chart in his hands and then at the monitors that hung all around her, "It looks like we're doing a little better now…...just had a bit of a scare today. Is it safe to say you had a bad headache before you came to see us?"
"...Yes." Lily said hesitantly, thinking back. "Yes, I did."
"Alright….." The doctor said while he noted that down in Lily's chart. "I thought as much…So let's talk about what's going on, shall we?"
Oh, get on with it, man! Severus thought, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Alright." Lily agreed, her voice tight with anxiety.
"There's no immediate danger to you or baby." The doctor explained with a smile, nodding at Lily. "Not for the moment, but this doesn't bode well for your future. A young lady of your age, your weight, and your general health….save a few things, isn't our typical hypertension patient, but….." the doctor shrugged. "Sometimes in pregnancy, these things just happen. And it looked like, when I glanced through your chart, that this is your first child?"
"Yes." Lily nodded.
"-Hypertension?" Severus asked, speaking over Lily he was so anxious to learn the fine details of what had gone wrong.
"High blood pressure." The doctor nodded at Severus, "It's actually a fairly common occurrence in expectant mothers, and it can be managed, it can." Then the doctor turned his eyes back to Lily, "We usually don't see it until later in the game though, and in many women, there's no symptoms at all! So you can both understand why today's episode is a little concerning…...but I'm going to send you all home with some literature on how we can work to avoid any further complications."
"...Further complications?" Severus asked.
"Unfortunately, if it can't be managed, there are a few…...hazards…….it can be pretty serious." The doctor said dismissively, not wanting to scare Lily, "But it looks like you'll be in good hands, though." The doctor smiled at Lily, as he gestured to Severus, "I'm assuming this is your……."
Oh dear.
The doctor asked the question that neither Lily nor Severus knew how to answer in front of each other.
"He's….." Lily started to say.
"I……" Severus began.
Severus and Lily exchanged an anxious, tense glance, their eyes wide in bewilderment.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh……
What should he say?
What should she say?
Lily had been through a lot, so Severus displayed his chivalry, guarding his pride as well so he could avoid hearing the dreaded phrase fall from Lily's lips…...
"I'm her friend." Severus said tersely.
"My best friend." Lily nodded at the doctor with a sad, disappointed smile.
Inside, Severus sighed to himself.
Her best friend……
"Oh." The doctor said, clearly surprised that they weren't a couple, "Well, then, do you have anyone nearby that can come and check in with you every once in awhile?" The doctor asked Lily.
"I live alone." Lily shrugged.
"But I can come by anytime she needs me." Severus cut in.
"-I see." The doctor said, eyeing Severus and Lily suspiciously.
The pair that weren't a pair.
What an odd situation…….
"Very well, I'll sign the discharge papers and you two will be out of here shortly. My nurse is going to come in and go over some pamphlets with you, alright? There's a diet plan and some exercise tips that might help."
"Alright." Lily nodded.
"Alright." Severus replied.
The doctor left and Severus squeezed Lily's hand as he gazed upon her.
Lily looked over at Severus.
The mutual longing in their eyes while they stared at each other was agonizing.
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Later that evening, Severus had Lily comfortably situated on the sofa while he cooked dinner for them both, following the diet guidelines that had been recommended by Lily's doctor.
Severus served the meal and he sat beside Lily while they ate.
"Sev, you didn't have to do this, really, I'm fine." Lily laughed. "The food's very good, though, you did a fine job."
Severus nodded in response to Lily's compliment, "Didn't you mention your apartment lease renews next month?"
"Yes." Lily shrugged. "Why?"
"Lily," Severus began, looking at Lily intently. "Why don't you move out and come stay with me? At least until the….child….arrives. You'd have help if you need it, and it would be an excellent way to save money."
Severus wanted Lily to be with him so badly……
And Severus was also deeply concerned for Lily's health…..
What better way to monitor her than if she lived under the same roof?
Lily seemed shocked. "Um, wow, Sev, I………..I don't suppose that's a terrible idea, actually…... as long as you don't mind me being around."
"Not at all." Severus replied.
Not at all………
"But you…….don't you despise that house?" Lily blinked, referring to Severus's house in Spinner's End, just a short distance away.
"It's not my favorite place, no, but I can push that aside for you…….I mean, to help you." Severus corrected himself, coming dangerously close to revealing his secret unintentionally.
"If you'd rather, we could stay here." Lily shrugged. "I'm sure you and I can charm the outside so we can hide well enough, and you know, there's a bit more room here."
"Alright." Severus nodded in agreement.
Severus would gladly stay at Lily's house instead of his own.
Severus's house in Spinner's End was a dark and gloomy place, full of dark and gloomy memories from dark and gloomy times.
It was not the ideal environment in which to welcome a baby……
"Alright." Lily smiled, setting her plate down on the finding table once she finished.
After dinner, Lily and Severus quietly sat together in the living room for a bit.
Once Lily laid back against the sofa, after the ordeal she had been through that day, it didn't take more than a minute or two for her to fall fast asleep.
"...Alright~." Severus said when he looked over and noticed that Lily had dozed off, laying the throw blanket from the arm of the sofa over her to keep her warm.
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On the first of February, Lily's apartment lease ended.
While Lily was at work, during the afternoon lunch break at Hogwarts, Severus moved Lily's things into the house.
Severus had already gathered and transported his few belongings.
That evening, once everything was arranged and settled, before Lily came home, Severus went shopping in Diagon Alley and came home with something new……..
Just a small something.
Lily arrived later that night, looking exhausted as she apparated into the foyer.
"Hello." Severus greeted, looking up at Lily and standing to go over to the stove and serve her some soup, which he had so thoughtfully prepared.
"Hello." Lily smiled tiredly. "Sev, you didn't have to cook again."
"It was no trouble." Severus said while Lily sat down at the table.
Severus placed the bowl in front of her. "Here, you need to eat."
"I know, I'm starving!" Lily laughed.
Severus sat across from Lily and watched while she ate her soup.
Severus had followed Lily's diet plan to the letter.
Displaying his talents as potions master, using great precision, Severus had carefully selected, prepared, and added each ingredient to the soup.
Lily seemed pleased with the taste and Severus was satisfied with that.
Severus found that caring for Lily was always a satisfying experience…...
After dinner, Lily went to unpack her things in what used to be her parents' bedroom.
Severus had taken Lily's old room.
Severus would prefer no other………
Petunia's room, which she had left empty and abandoned, had been designated to become the nursery.
And it really surprised Lily when she walked past the doorway……..
Lily stopped and backed up to peer into the room.
There, on the windowsill, sat a stuffed, toy dragon.
Lily smiled and walked into the room, stepping over to the window, she picked up the toy dragon and admired it for a moment.
Neither she nor Petunia had ever owned such a toy……..
It had to be new.
But where had it come from?
"Sev!" Lily called.
"Yes?" Severus answered quickly from across the hallway, looking up from placing his books onto a shelf.
Moving swiftly, Severus dropped what he was doing and came racing in towards Lily's voice, fearing that something was wrong again.
"Did you buy this?" Lily asked with a grin, holding the little dragon as she looked up at Severus.
"Yes….." Severus admitted. "I thought it was……"
"-Cute?" Lily giggled.
"-Appropriate." Severus corrected.
Lily looked down at the little toy and her smile remained as she spoke, laying one hand over her midsection, "Well I'm sure that whoever's in here will love it."
Severus's eyes followed the movement and Lily caught him looking as she glanced over at him.
"Would you like to see, Sev?" Lily asked with a smile.
Severus was hypnotized by the soft, luminescent blush that covered Lily's cheeks.
"I-I'm not sure what you mean." Severus replied.
Lily sat the toy dragon back on the windowsill and she took off her jacket, then her scarf, then her cardigan, until she was standing in front of Severus in a thin sweater, which had been her innermost layer.
Lily began to pull her sweater up and Severus felt an welcome tug run from his chest to his groin as he saw the first sliver of her beautifully pale skin……
Up and up and up……
Severus's stare became even more focused when Lily pulled her sweater up high enough to reveal the slight curve that had developed on her lower abdomen.
It was still small and slight, but it was there.
It was there.
Severus took a step towards Lily before he caught himself, then he blanched, looking apologetically at Lily as if he had done something wrong.
"It's alright." Lily said quickly, reaching a hand out towards Severus. "Come on, Sev. You can feel."
Severus came closer and he was surprised when Lily placed her back against his chest, letting his elegant hands cover the tiny bump that held what was theirs……..
It was a silent, intense moment, when Severus's hands touched Lily's skin.
Lily laid her head back against Severus's chest and Severus looked down at her.
It was natural.
Instinctive…...
Lily glanced up at Severus and with his hands still possessively covering the swell that told the world what Severus and Lily could not tell each other, their lips met.
It was difficult to determine whether Lily or Severus initiated the kiss that sent them both staggering back towards Lily's old bedroom……...