I don't own anything, J.K Rowling does.
WARNING: Mature themes brought up so if you are less than 18 and / or easily triggered by mature content DO NOT READ THIS STORY. You have been warned.
Chapter 37
When Hermione woke up the next morning, she saw that Severus had already left their quarters. Her thought was confirmed when she heard his voice at the other side of the door separating his office and his classroom. He was teaching the second years how to brew a draught of living death. Or at least the most important steps of it. There was no way the bunch of dunderheads will be able to remember everything it would maybe take them a year or two to master just that potion.
She went to the kitchenette and began preparing a small breakfast. She found I quite useful for her to have a kitchen down there. It meant that during the weekend, Severus and her could stay in their quarters and eat at the time they wanted. She prepared herself a pot of tea and a few marmalade toasts that she took to the living and ate while finishing reading her book about ancient spells that she had begun the night before.
She saw that there was quite a lot of tea left and she place an Ut calidas at the tea pot and entered his office before placing the pot and a small cup with a teaspoon of sugar on the desk. She looked around and saw that the office was very well kept. She whisked her wand, and the little dust that had been piling on the different furniture disappeared. As she closed the door between their quarters and his office, she heard the school bell ring.
"Hermione, love, good morning" She heard Severus deep voice say as she was about to shut the door behind her.
"Good morning darling. How did you sleep?" She asked standing on her toes and kissing his cheek softly.
"I slept wonderfully well. Actually, I never slept better. But once again, I always sleep well when you are next to me." He replied before kissing her soft lips at his turn. "I have to go. I have 3rd years now and I prepared a little surprise for them." He smiled mischievously at Hermione and she laughed at his antics.
"Professor Severus Tobias Snape. When will you stop scaring every single student?" Hermione asked rhetorically as if she was lecturing him.
"I don't scare every student" Severus began. "Only the dunderheads who can't seem to learn anything" he finished.
"And who told me that at least 99,99% of his students were dunderheads?" Hermione asked as if she was thinking very hard on the question. "Ah, yes. You"
"But I hope I am not scaring you my love." He asked more seriously. "And you are the 0,01% of my students who aren't a dunderhead" he replied before kissing her sweetly.
"Alright. I have prepared you some tea. Just remove the Ut calidas and you should be alright. I hate to leave you but I know I'll see you for lunch. At least, I hope. Go on put some knowledge in their heads my love." Hermione finished by pecking his cheek and leaving the office closing the door behind her.
Severus poured himself a cup of tea and drank it before entering his classroom, his robes billowing behind him.
"Take a role of parchment" he said as he walked towards the front of the classroom. He tapped a chalk with his wand and the chalk began writing on the blackboard.
Every single student groaned in annoyance. They would have thought that married life had soften him a bit but they had found out he could still be this annoying teacher that gave you test on your first lesson of the year with him.
Give the twelve use of dragon blood and tell if it could be used to strengthen a Strengthening Potion
Explain how to brew a Headache potion.
Explain what a bezoar is and where to find it.
When you are finished, you may open your books page 394 and begin researching what a Polyjuice potion is. You will have to hand a 24 inches essay on the subject next lesson.
The students began doing their tests and Severus passed through the rows. He caught two of the students cheating and took their copies magically conjuring up a large T on the both of them and vanishing them to his office.
"Let's be clear. No cheating will be tolerated in my class. Gryffindors, note that fifty points will be taken from both of your classmates for cheating and they will serve detention with Mr. Filch. I have other things to attend than a pair of dunderheads." He said in his ever so slow and deep voice that sounded extremely menacing just at the moment. "You may begin your essays and as you will have more time than your fellow students, you will double the required length."
"But sir, we don't have 48 inches parchment with us." The boy said rummaging through his bag.
"Mr. McNeil, are you able to perform a simple patching charm? Charm which, as I know perfectly well, you learned in first year." Severus said pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"Yes sir, but you told us in first year that there is little foolish wand-waving here" the boy said mimicking him.
"Enough. A further one hundred points will be taken and you've just landed yourself a month worth of detention with me. And I'll make sure you'll beg me next time to have detention with Mr. Filch rather than me. I tolerate cheek far less than cheat. Now everyone back to your tests." He said his voice so calm no other students dared speaking.
The rest of the class went without any trouble. When every student had finished their tests, he tapped the pile of parchment with his wand so that every too similar paper would separate themselves out of the pile and was glad that no other parchment flew out of the pile. He then began grading them.
When the bell rang, he saw every pair of eyes focussed on him and he dismissed the class with a flick of his hand. They all hurried to pack their bags and Severus vanished their half-corrected tests to his office. He still had one class to go and then he would be able to see Hermione once again. Just thinking about her made a small smile creep on his lips.
One hour later, he had taken fifty more points from the Gryffindors and two hundred points from Slytherins. He was reporting the new points he had just took from both houses and saw the new totals appear.
Gryffindor: -100; Slytherin: 145; Hufflepuff: 45; Ravenclaw: 20
He checked that the class was in order for the rest of the day and called the house elf in charge of the cleaning of his class to tell him it would not be necessary for him to clean the classroom as no potions had been brewed.
He went to his office and made sure that the 3rd years test were on the desk before going to the door between his office and private quarters. He suddenly felt himself caught in a tight embrace and it stunned him a little.
"Sev. I missed you so much. Little one kicked the whole time. Couldn't get her to calm down. Still can't actually." She said taking his hand after having kissed him softly and placing it on her belly.
Severus felt his child settle underneath his touch and he began stroking her baby bump slightly. She relaxed in his embrace and he felt her fall a little asleep on his shoulder.
"Come on love, you have class in an hour and I don't want you to be late." He told her as he went to the door leading out of their quarters and into the dungeon's corridor.
They both walked to the Great Hall and split just before reaching it. Severus looked as Hermione entered the Hall and seated herself at the Gryffindor table. He too entered the hall and went to the front table. Thirty minutes later, he saw her rise and leave the Great Hall.
I love her so much he thought. He was extremely shocked when he heard her voice in his head. I love you so much too my wonderful husband. He felt a smile come up to his lips and stopped it just in time so that no one would see he had smiled.
"Severus, McNeil came to me and told me that you had taken one hundred and fifty points today in class. Care to explain?" Minerva McGonagall asked to Severus.
"Minerva Whatever the boy told you. He cheated and used cheek in my class. That landed him with a detention, tonight with Mr. Filch and one month with me plus, the one hundred and fifty points off." Severus explained trying not to get any angrier at the boy's behaviour and at the fact he had ruined his chances to get laid for quite some time.
"I understand. I completely agree with your decision. If you want me to take over if you want to spend a little time with Hermione one or two nights a week. I'll be delighted to take care of it. Mr. McNeil needs to learn that disrespecting and cheating are not something tolerated here at Hogwarts." The older witch told Severus as if she had seen perfectly clearly what he had in mind.
"Thanks Minerva. It will be very kind of you." Severus said to the headmistress.
He too stood up and decided to go back to the dungeon and finish his work before Hermione came back from her morning classes.
Five hours later, a exhausted looking Hermione appeared in the doorway of their shared quarters. He rushed over and took her bag out of her hands, discarding it quickly onto a sofa in the farthest corner of the room.
"Come love. You must be tired. I've prepared a little something for you. How was class?" He asked to her as he removed the Ut calidas he had placed on the dish he had prepared.
"Tiresome. I managed to do everything in Muggle studies in the two hours and I already handed next week's assignment but spell theory is a lot harder than what I thought. It actually requires quite a bit of practice. Though I managed to transfer the spell Wingardium Leviosa in an hour and finished learning about basic methods used in ancient Rome." Hermione explained to Severus who was now dressing the dinner into an elegant plate.
She ate her meal quickly and he went with her to the library. Although she had an assignment for the next week in spell theory, she wanted to have it done so she could fully relax during the weekend. She also checked she had everything Professor Flitwick had asked her to buy for her tutelage in charms.
It was nine p.m. when they decided to go to bed. Severus helped Hermione take her uniform off, thing proving more and more difficult as the days passed and he changed himself before joining her inside the bed.
"Sleep well my love, I love you with all my heart" Severus said as they settled into their sleep.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Hermione was awoken by the feeling of something wet trickling down her legs. Great, I pied myself she first thought. Then, she felt a short but intense pain in her lower stomach. Oh no, it's happening. Oh my god it hurts. She thought as a second longer pain filled her stomach.
She got up carefully, trying not to wake Severus up right now. Her stomach was huge and she now had to use both of her hands to get up. She went to the bathroom, and when she saw that it was in fact her waters that had broken. She went back to the bedroom.
"Severus, my love." Hermione said sitting on the bed next to Severus and stroking his cheek with her hand. Another pain even longer this time made her clasp her hand against her stomach.
"Hermione. Are you all right?" Severus asked immediately awake.
"Yes, don't worry. It's just that little one thinks it is time to come. Don't worry, my contractions are kind of far apart for the moment. I think however we need to call the midwives and the doula." Hermione said as calmly as she could.
"Lie down love. I'll prepare the bed after. For the moment just take it easy. Do you need anything for the moment?" Severus asked as he helped Hermione settle in the midst of cushions and covers.
"I'm fine love. Just Patrons the midwives and be there as soon as possible." She said even more calmly while Severus was pulling the covers over her to protect her body against the November chilly night temperature.
"I will love. Just relax." He began before feeling her body tense up under the force of another contraction. "Breathe in Hermione. Breathe in and breathe out." He continued helping her get through the contraction. "That's it love. You are doing so well."
When he was sure that the contraction had subsided, he left her side and sent a Patronus to the two midwives and the doula. He turned on the kettle and dressed himself a little more properly before returning to see Hermione.
"Come love. I'll help you go downstairs in the loving room and I'll get something into you." He said as he helped her up and gave her a bathrobe for her to put on so she would not get a cold.
"I love you my wonderful husband. I am so impatient for our little one to be there." Hermione told him as she wrapped her hands around him and placed a light kiss on his lips.
"I love you too my wife. I am also impatient to see our little one. For the moment, I don't want you to focus on anything but yourself and our little one. Follow what your body tells you. You're ready to go downstairs?" He asked placing one hand on the small of her back and another one on her belly trying to calm his daughter who was clearly stressed as she didn't stop kicking around.
When they had arrived downstairs, Severus seated Hermione into the sofa and made sure there were enough cushions supporting her back before going into the kitchen and pouring Hermione an herbal tea that the midwives had advised him to use during the birth as it would lessen a tiny bit the pain she could experience during her labor.
A few seconds later, a ring was heard and the three healers and the doula came in. They had met twice before and had discussed about what Hermione wanted for the birth. She had decided she ultimately didn't want to go down the waterbirth path as the cabin would have been too small. The midwives had proposed her to do the birth in their bedrooms.
Severus let the three midwives and the doula and they all headed towards where Hermione was. The doula immediately went to the bedroom and began by opening the tap of the bathtub so Hermione could go into it if at any moment she wanted to. She then changed the sheets on the mattress and placed special covers so that the mattress wouldn't be ruined by the end of the day.
When she got downstairs, the midwife who had checked Hermione told her that the labour was going along nicely but there was still a long road ahead of them. She also told her that the contractions were becoming more and more pronounced but that Hermione was doing nicely in breathing through them.
Hermione was still on the couch, but the cushions had been removed and Severus was now behind her, rubbing her back slightly as she breathed through another contraction.
"You are doing so well my love. Continue just like that. Breathe in, breathe out." He told her before conjuring up a comfortable blanket for the both of them. He didn't her to catch a cold and even though the fireplace was lit, the chilly November air was still filling the room.
When he felt that the contraction had subsided, he massaged her shoulders and back. She laid her back against his chest and nuzzled into his embrace. Both of his hand now resting on her swollen stomach and stroking soft circles to relieve her of the pain.
"Love, do you want to go up to bed." Severus asked. He knew that passed one-point t was going to get difficult for her to move to the bedroom and she will have to stay downstairs. Which admittedly would be difficult for the birth as everything they had prepared for their child was upstairs.
"Yeah. Just let me go through this contraction that's coming and then we'll get upstairs. I am not sure I'll be able to make it all the way up at once but I'll try my best." Hermione said as her body prepared itself to go through the pain of the coming contraction.
"Shh, my love. Everything is going to be all right. Take your time. Follow what your body is telling you and everything will be perfectly alright." He felt her grasp his thigh which were laying alongside his body and her body going tense. "Breathe in. Slowly. And Breathe out. That's it. You're perfect my love. I'm here. Don't worry, take your time" he said and shortly after, he felt her grasp loosen.
"Ok, I'm ready. I just need you to help me up." Hermione said. Immediately the doula approached and helped Hermione to her feet. She tied the bathrobe back and waited for Severus to be at Hermione's side before leaving the couple.
"Thank you, Mrs. Chen. Ok let's go" she said to Severus. She walked up to the stairs and got up them. She laid herself in the bed and Severus came into the bed with her.
"I'm a little tired. I'll just rest my eyes for a minute" Hermione said as she settled once again between Severus' legs.
"Go on love. I'll stay right here" Severus said placing a tiny kiss on her forehead.