Chapter 35: Making Friends

Severus Snape never in his wildest dreams thought that he would be going to Flourish and Blotts to buy a book called 'Potions for Pregnancy.' But by some odd and wonderful turn of events, there he was.

He never knew how many ailments pregnant women could have until he saw the thick volume of brews to relieve them. Severus sat with the book open in bed; Rose was curled up beside him, trying to sleep.

"Are you experiencing any-"

"Go to sleep, Severus," Rose groaned. For the past hour and a half, he had been questioning her on every pregnancy symptom under the sun. She had already denied fatigue, increased urination, and breast tenderness. "I promise it's only the morning sickens right now, but I'm sure I can look forward to the other fifty things you've asked me about."

On a sunny afternoon in late autumn, Rose sat with Hannah Abbott in the back garden on a quilt they had laid out in the grass. Rose was sipping on a brew that she had promised Severus she would drink daily. Hannah drank a mug of tea.

"That looks disgusting," Hannah told Rose.

"Oh, it is," Rose confirmed, slashing the green liquid around in the glass.

"What is that one for?" Hannah had frequently seen Rose forcing herself to drink various potions on her husband's request.

"Who knows?" Rose smirked.

Hannah had become a frequent visitor to the Snape house, all when Severus was out. When Hannah and Neville married and moved into the flat above the Three Broomsticks, Hannah often saw Rose Snape out for a morning run alone or wandering the village alone. Rose had decreased her work schedule to three shifts a week in order to spend more time at home with Ephraim and Severus. But this meant that she was often alone during the days. Occasionally, she would visit Hogwarts during school hours, but she felt a bit pathetic going so frequently.

Hannah, who had liked Rose even with the little she had talked to her, took pity on her loneliness and coincidently (on purpose) began running at the same time in the mornings. The morning runs became lunches and afternoon teas. It was now common for Rose and Hannah to see each other 3 or 4 times a week. They shared common interest, temperaments and became quick friends.

"Oh," Rose jumped, placing her hand over her stomach.

"What is it?" Hannah asked excitedly. "The baby?"

"Yes," Rose grinned. "It feels like she is doing summersault in there."

Hannah reached out and placed her hand on Rose's belly. "Oops," she grinned at Rose. "Mind if I touch you?"

Rose laughed. "Be my guest. My belly has pretty much been a free for all."

"I feel her!" Hannah exclaimed.

"It is the weirdest, most wonderful feeling in the world," Rose told Hannah.

"What does it feel like?"

"Like I swallowed a handful of Cornish Pixies," Rose described.

Hannah wrinkled her nose. "That sounds bizarre." She slowly withdrew her hand.

"Well you will find out soon enough," Rose teased.

"Not too soon." Hannah narrowed her eyes at her friend. "I'm seriously considering applying to study healing."

"You definitely should," Rose said. "You would be a great healer."

Hannah shrugged. "I think I would have to work on my potion making."

"You could do that," Rose encouraged. "I could help you and Severus could."

"That would be so strange," Hannah confessed, "to asked Professor Snape to help me with potions outside of Hogwarts." Hannah grinned at Rose. "I will take your help though."

"Hannah," Rose began teasingly, "You are out of school. You can refer to my husband by his first name."

"I honestly sometimes forget that you are Professor Snape's wife."

"When you always refer to him as Professor Snape it makes me feel way older than you," Rose mused.

"Technically, he could have been your professor too," Hannah pointed out.

Rose quickly did the math in her head. "barely," she defended.

"It still could have happened," Hannah pushed.

"Well, that is an odd thought," Rose said.

"It's kind of naughty," Hannah joked.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Maybe it can be a new role play game for us," she said ironically.

Hannah gave Rose a sly but hesitant look. "Have you ever done that?"

"Sexual role play?" Rose asked bluntly. "With Severus?" She shook her head, laughing at the absurdity of the idea. She wondered what Severus would even do with himself if she ever asked.

"He doesn't seem the type for that," Hannah said.

Rose gave Hannah a raised brow look. "Is he any type?"

"I have no idea," Hannah confessed. "I mean I can't really imagine Snape being…you know…with anyone."

"Well it happens," Rose pointed out coolly.

"Obviously," Hannah replied, gesturing to Rose's pregnant belly.

Rose laughed.

"What is that like anyway?" Hannah asked.

Rose's face became suddenly serious. Severus would not appreciate her talking about their personal lives with anyone. Rose shrugged.

Back when she had a group of girlfriends, they would always talk about their sex lives in almost excruciating detail. "What is Neville like?" Rose tried to switch directions.

Hannah smirked. "Neville is very eager to please," she told Rose.

"And does he?" Rose pressed with amusement.

"I can't complain," Hannah said pointedly. "But you didn't answer my question." When Rose still didn't offer up a reply, Hannah continued. "He seems like he would be rough with you and intense."

"Rough and intense," Rose repeated under her breath. "Have you put a lot of thought into this, Hannah?" Rose gave her friend a skeptical look.

Hannah blushed. "Not really," she admitted, "but I've wondered about it because the whole thing seems so…" Hannah trailed off, seeing a bit of frustration in her friend's eyes. Hannah had always been so used to everyone talking negatively about Snape. Hannah still could not say that he was a particular favorite of hers, especially because of his past treatment of her husband. However, Hannah really liked Rose and she could see that her tone towards Snape sometimes made Rose uncomfortable.

Yes, Rose knew who she married. She knew that he was not well liked and for many valid reasons, but she could not help but notice that Hannah always tried to leave before Severus got in. Hannah and Rose hardly ever spoke about Severus, but when they did Rose often felt the need to defend his character.

"He is very loving," Rose told Hannah. "Not at all rough." Severus was so severe in the rest of his life, it was like with Rose he allowed himself to just be and she loved that side of him, unguarded and free. "Sometimes he's a little too intense, but in the best sort of way." Rose smiled at Hannah to show her that she wasn't mad. It felt good to have girl time and it was fun to talk about this. Despite what most of the wizarding world thought about her husband, Rose was proud of her sex life with Severus Snape. She felt extremely fortunate that she was the one who got to go to bed with him every night.

"Intense how?" Hannah tried to see how far she could push the line.

Rose let out a heavy breath and looked up towards the sky. "Oh my god, he will kill me," she laughed. "You mustn't ever repeat any of this. Promise?"

"Promise," Hannah agreed.

Rose grinned. "Severus has the type of personality where he wants to excel at everything he does," Rose said in a hushed voice, "including in the bedroom. Which can get a bit intense because he likes to be completely…thorough."

Hannah cringed slightly and then giggled.

"He is truly so loving and gentle, especially now." She placed a hand over her belly, "He treats me like I'm made of tissue paper. He always makes direct eye contact. He doesn't seem to like it if I close my eyes for even a moment. He will bring my face towards his and tell me to look at him." Rose was about to confess to Hannah that she wondered if it scared Severus not to be able to gage her thoughts, but that felt too personal. Rose pressed her lips together.

Hannah grabbed Rose's hand. "I'm never going to tell anyone this," she said firmly.

"I know," Rose said. "Severus is just a very private person."

"Private and mysterious," Hannah agreed. "That is partly why I'm so curious."

"I know how he can be and the show he seems to put on for the rest of the world," Rose began, "but he is so good to me. I feel truly loved with him. After we're through…you know…he holds onto me, sometimes for hours and we just lay there together talking and sometimes not talking, just being with each other silently."

"I know you love him," Hannah said. "I'm sorry if I…well…its hard sometimes to separate past feelings I suppose."

"I think everyone seems to feel that way," Rose said sadly.

"He has certainly changed since being with you," Hannah told Rose. "Not that I see him much, but he certainly seems to be less frightening."

Rose let out a hard laugh. "He still seems to unsettle people at times," she said. "I don't think I can change him that much."

"Maybe so," Hannah teased. She placed her hand over Rose's stomach again. Esme, sensing the attention, began to kick around again. "Is he excited about having a baby?"

"I think so," Rose told Hannah. "I also think he is terrified out of his mind. Not that he will ever admit to it. He likes being a father to Ephraim though. The two of them are very similar. But, a newborn will be a lot different."

"How do you feel about the baby coming?"

"Terrified out of my mind," Rose exclaimed.

Hannah giggled. "I think we should throw you a party for the baby."

"A baby shower," Rose said with a smile. Then her smile wavered. "And invite who?" Rose tried to pose her question as a joke. She didn't say as much but being Mrs. Snape had a bit of a stigma around it. "You could come and Ephraim and Severus and maybe Neville if you could convince him to be in the same room as my husband."

Hannah gave Rose an understanding look. "It is about time that you meet more people."

"I meet people every day, Hannah" Rose pointed out. "Getting them to want to do things with me socially is a different story."

"Well I am throwing you a party," Hannah said stubbornly. "It will be great. We can do all girls. You've met Hermione, Ginny, and Luna before, and I could introduce you to my friend Susan."

"Okay," Rose said somewhat shyly.

The back door opened.

Severus stepped into the garden. "There you are," he said, his eyes finding Rose.

Hannah stood, taking Severus's entrance as her que to leave. Rose gave her friend a meaningful look. Hannah just shrugged, silently telling Rose she would work on it.

"Professor," Hannah greeted shortly.

"Hello Hannah," Severus said in a straight tone.

Hannah held out her hands to help Rose up. Rose eased into a standing position. She was not moving as fast as she did in her first trimester.

Severus moved towards Rose quickly as if ready to catch her, afraid she might fall. Rose slid her gaze over to her husband and shook her head once before giving Hannah a hug.

"We will make plans," Hannah told Rose before walking out the back gate. "I will see you later," she called behind her. "Bye Professor."

Once Hannah left, Severus held Rose at the waist and peered down at her. "Make what plans?" he asked her.

"Hannah wants to throw me a baby showed," Rose explained. "But I think it's just a ploy to get me to make friend."

Severus gave Rose a skeptically look. "And who is she proposing you become friends with?"

"Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and a girl named Susan."

Severus shifted his jaw from side to side once. "I'm glad you are making friends," he sighed. "With all my ex-students," he added.

"Wow," Rose said, her tone dripping with irony, "I totally believe you meant that, Severus."

"They are a bit young," Severus told her.

"You know," Rose pointed out, "I could have been your student."

"But you weren't," Severus said drily.

Rose laughed at the expression on his face. "But I wasn't," she soothed.

Severus smoothed Rose's hair back. "I'm sure I've personally offended every one of those young ladies whom you just mentioned," Severus told Rose in an undertone.

She sighed, but kept her month shut. She had figured.

"I'm not completely oblivious," Severus continued.

"You are probably the farthest thing from oblivious that I have ever saw," Rose said. "What are you referring to?"

"You are a bright, sociable young woman who shouldn't have any problem finding other bright, sociable young women to associate with," Severus said. "Yet you seem to be. I assume your choice of husband is to blame."

Rose dropped her eyes briefly to spare Severus from seeing that it did bother her. She could not hide anything from him, however. "I like Hannah quite a lot," Rose told Severus.

He took in a heavy breath. "I just hope the situation has not made you too unhappy," Severus said with a bitterness in his voice. "Or resentful," he added, shedding light on one of his fears.

"Neither is true," Rose told him. She grabbed his hand and lifted it to her lips. Severus's palm opened and Rose fit her cheek into it.

"You are happy with me?" Severus asked.

"Very," Rose confirmed.

Severus pulled her in from her lower back, her pregnant belly not allow them to get as close as they once did, yet Rose began to feel her blood boil. All that talk with Hannah had its effects and made Rose crave her husband.

"Where's Ephraim?" Rose asked.

"He asked if he could eat in the great hall tonight," Severus told her. "He's been spending more and more time with a group of students in his year."

"Look at Ephraim and me making friends." Rose grinned and slid her hands down Severus's spine and rested them on his backside. "So, what you're telling me is that we are alone," she whispered.

"It would seem so," Severus confirmed.