Hermione cried when they got back to Spinners end, and she cried for the rest of the day. In fact, Severus couldn't think back to a time during the day when she hadn't cried. She cried because she was hot, cold, hungry, angry, the most little inconvenience set her into a sobbing mess. One minute she could be screaming at him and the next she was crawling into his lap and with the closeness she was trying to obtain he was sure she was trying to crawl into his skin and wear it as a suit.
He was confused and he was trying his hardest to be a decent human being towards her but it was hard when she would push him away and then demand him to come back. It was trying, so very, very trying.
She had cried when he asked her what she wanted for lunch and she had broken into heavy sobs when he asked her what her issue was. She had almost hit him in the head with a shoe when he asked her if there was anything he could do and it wasn't through lack of trying on her part, it was her aim that had sent the shoe a few centimeters off the trajectory, just missing him.
He couldn't understand the complete attitude change the girl was displaying and he was concerned. He was unsure if it was the anger and uncertainty that she started the day off.
This was the exact reason he kept his distance from not only students but also humans of the female variety. There were happy one minute and volatile the next.
So after a week had passed and Hermione was still screaming at him one second and trying to jump his bones the next, he grew even more concerned, not about her wanting to fuck him several times a day, he was all for that, but the sudden onset of the crying and anger was a little worrying and he suggested to her that perhaps they go see a healer because she clearly had some form of undiagnosed, deep-lying issue that was coming to the surface.
And she had agreed to go then and there, because to be quite honest she was sick of feeling like this, like her emotions were clouding her judgment and pressing down hard on her chest. Like she had no control over how she felt, the way her mouth went rogue and screamed at him when she really didn't want to.
-o-o-o-o-
Hermione nervously nibbled her bottom lip as her legs swung casually over the edge of the bed at St Mungo's. She was sitting on a bed, alone. She loved Severus with every fiber of her being but some things, she just wanted to do alone. He had, of course, protested for a few moments but realize it was easier to leave her be than argue the point.
The young, blonde haired healer walked in beaming at her, a clipboard in hand. He was tall, hair was spiked up haphazardly and Hermione recognized him from Hogwarts a few years ago, he was sure he was a Huffle Puff.
"What brings the amazing Hermione Granger here this morning?" He asked with feigned interest, glaring at the girl expectantly.
"Well for starters, I am just Hermione Granger. My name is not preceded with great, or amazing or any variations thereof." She sniffed indignantly at him.
He chose to ignore her.
"And, if you must know I am here because I cannot control my mood of late. I want to bite Severus's head off one minute and then I can't get enough of him the next." Heat crept into her cheeks as she explained her unique and off situation.
"Severus? As in Severus Snape, Severus?" The healer looked at her as if she had just grown a second head and he was concerned it may tear his throat out.
"Well I don't know any other Severus's," She snapped, irate. What the hell did this have to do with her mood swings?
"The snarky, bitter, twisted, angry Potions Master from Hogwarts that harbors so much animosity within him and antagonizes people just to get a rise from them?"
"Look, he isn't perfect and he is probably all those things you said but this is about me and not him." If she were standing, she would have stomped her foot to show her displeasure.
"Yes, right, so uncontrolled mood swings bring you here?"
"Obviously. Unless I stuttered." She bit.
"You are Severus are perfect for one another, you have a sharp tongue as he does."
"I learned from the best." She smiled with false enthusiasm, which almost came out as a sneer.
"Are you pregnant?" The healer asked as Hermione's eyes grew wide, her heart skipped a beat and her palms became sweaty. He mouth opened agape and didn't move as she tried to think if this was possible.
"I…I don't know. I don't think so," she stuttered, emotion void in her tone.
"It would explain a lot. Lay down."
She was in too much of a stupor to even think, to retort back, she did as she was told, shutting her eyes tightly as worry gnawed at her internally. What if she was? How would he take it? He would hate her; surely he didn't want kids, not yet anyway.
She didn't want to open her eyes, she didn't want to see what was happening, if she pretended this wasn't happening, she might open her eyes back at home and coming here would have been nothing but a dream.
"Hermione? You can sit up now," the healer tried to rouse her after what seemed an eternity, her eyes still shut tight, she opened them slowly, blinking rapidly as the lights assaulted her retinas.
"Do you want the news?"
"Is it good or bad?" She asked sadly, almost like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Depends what light you look at the news in, I guess." He shrugged. "The good news is, I know why you are having terrible mood swings."
"And why is that?" She asked in a strained, dreaded whisper.
"Congratulations, you are going to be a mother. The mood swings are just your hormones rampaging around your body as it changes. The first trimester is always the worst and then they will die down after a while."
She nodded solemnly as tears pricked her eyes, chest heaving with every jagged breath that tried to force itself out of her chest. She wasn't registering her surroundings or what was happening because she jumped almost off the bed when she felt a hand gently placed on her shoulder.
"Hermione?" Severus waved a hand in front of her eyes and clicking, trying to pull her from her reverie.
"Oh, Severus, you gave me such a fright." She held a hand over her heart as it threatened to beat out of her chest with fear of being startled.
"Sorry about that. The healer told me you were finished so I came in to get you, you were off with the pixies just staring at the wall. What was the verdict?" He asked gently as she looked to him with tears welling in her eyes.
"I…" Her throat went dry and her breath got stuck in her throat, her mouth tried to form the words but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
He dropped a hand to her chin and tilted her head to look at him, he tried to capture her gaze with his own but she averted hers to the floor.
"Hermione, what is it, are you sick?" Worry ebbed its way into his voice and his heart dropped.
"I'm not sick. I'm… I'm pregnant she," she managed to gasp out, her throat as dry as the Sahara.
She watched as his face fell and the little color that he usually had in his face drained to white.
Well, Fuck.
"I'm sorry," She sobbed, dropping her head to look at the floor. "It's all my fault, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" He asked, perplexed.
"Ruining your life. Giving you a child you probably don't want."
His shoulders shook as he laughed, wrapping his arms around the girl to comfort her, she pressed her head hard into his chest whilst he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"You haven't ruined my life, little witch. Don't you ever think you have ruined my life. You have made my life worth living. You don't think I want children?" He questioned in wonder.
"You seem to dislike them so much."
"I dislike other people's children, Hermione. You don't think having children with you was on the cards? I am marrying you, I love you, children kind of go hand in hand with that." He ran a splayed hand shakily through his ink black hair.
She sniffed sadly. "So you aren't angry?"
"Why would I be angry over something like that? I love you more than you would ever know, witch. This is the greatest gift anyone has ever give me." He tenderly kissed the top of her head.
Him. A father. Not something he had ever imagined in his life but something he wanted never the less and thanks to his little witch his entire life was about to change.
A/N: Slowly getting to the end of the story. A few more chapters I think (I am sure I said that about five chapters ago lol)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
-Aliasmel1