-1
Hermione and Severus hid their relationship in front of the rest of the faculty. Even though they got knowing looks from many professors in the past four weeks. Including, surprisingly enough, Professor Trelawney. Exploring each others bodies was harder than expected, because they were both extremely stretched out working, and preparing. These nights they both went down to the dungeons between twelve and two, took a shower, if they had the energy, and went to bed. Hermione's main problem was Dumbledore, he kept calling for her to either to help someone do something, or they sat together, and tried to think of an explanation as to why Gryffindor's head girl was suddenly sleeping with Slytherin's head of house, no pun intended of course. Getting ready for school was hectic and Hermione was a huge help. Setting up classrooms, reviewing each first year, putting them in the speculated house's piles.

Everyday the conversation played in her head that happened the day after they had physical relations as Severus called it.
"Where do you want this to go Severus?"
"I honestly don't know Hermione, it's not like I could see you married to me."
Her heart fell, but she kept it out of her tone. "Then I guess we'll just let it progress without any expectations." or hope, she thought.

The night before poppy had gotten back. Poppy had been away since Severus had been injured. She explained it away in a huff, Poppy's mother had been visited by death eaters, and been harmed. Only slightly, but Poppy said her mother had a flare for the dramatic with a roll of her eyes that couldn't remove the trace of horror.

Today will be no different except for that she had to help Severus, which was fun. She had learned to appreciate his sarcasm. She got out of bed, and just had enough time to make it into the bathroom before the vomit spilled out of her mouth. The splitting head ache that followed was like someone was digging at her brain with an axe. She felt a cool cloth pressed to her forehead, and the back of her neck. She looked at Severus, and he frowned down at her. "You really had better see Poppy. You silly girl you're running yourself ragged offering to help. Go see poppy, now." she got up, and went to say something, but he held up his hand "Don't argue with me. Go, now! I will not have you killing yourself, not in my chambers. It would look dreadful at Hogwarts, and would look even worse with Voldemort. Go." He spoke with force, and she took a couple steps backwards, and turned around, but not before he saw tears in her eyes. She ran from the room, and by the time she walked into the hospital wing she was crying full fledge. Poppy took one look at her and walked over.

"Hermione, I need to do a physical before the school year. This looks like a bad time, but I have to do it."

"That's fine."

Poppy lead Hermione to an exam table, where she laid down. Poppy did the spells while Hermione stopped crying then she heard poppy gasp. "What is it?" Hermione said quizzically.

"My dear, I've performed the spell twice, and it seems you are with child." Poppy said dumbstruck.
Hermione listened to the women speak about prenatal care, and eventually poppy smiled. "Dear, you're not listening to me, are you?"
"I'm sorry my mind was elsewhere, what were you saying?" Hermione said somehow overjoyed, but horrified at the news.
"As anyone would be when told of an unplanned pregnancy, a blessing none the less, but still unplanned. We can discuss things tomorrow, just take these now." She summoned three potions, and Hermione took them quickly. "You can no longer lift anything over twenty-five pounds, and do not go up any ladders and you should be fine."

Her heart disappeared at the sound of his name. She was going to have to tell Severus that she was pregnant. No, she would wait she would wait until she decided what to do, and see how things went between them. "Thank you Poppy, I'll come see you tomorrow." Hermione swiftly said, while gathering her things and walked out the door.

One week later, Severus was pondering everything that had gone on during the day. Hermione was still occasionally battling the porcelain goddess, and now she was avoiding him, he spent much of his time in the lab, and she used to sit with him, watch him prepare the most cautious of potions, and make her presence almost pleasurable. This new behavior must mean she is nervous about breaking it off. Even her magic had changed. It had whip-lashed from water to earth. Earth was a common element to go to for emotional grounding. This must go back to being professional, a lot of people who are bound are not together. They just pull upon each others magics. She will need her own bedchambers, and her own bathroom. He started the necessary incantations and produced a simple all black bedchamber, and a matching bathroom. She can decorate herself. He turned to find Hermione walking into the sitting room.
She made to turn around, but she didn't and she planted her feet firmly on the ground. It looked almost as if she were telling herself she had to stay there. "What are you doing?" she finally said.

"Preparing your bed chambers, Miss Granger. I'm afraid I find it inconveniently inappropriate that we share the same bedchambers." he said without turning around.

Hermione was taken aback at this. She was avoiding him, but she came here to tell him about the baby, not to get pushed further away. So, she fought, any emotion was easily pulled upon these days and anger was fuel to the already burning fire. "I wasn't 'Miss. Granger' a week ago, I wasn't 'Miss Granger' yesterday. What the hell happened that I'm back to 'Miss. Granger'?"

"You were Miss. Granger, yesterday, and a week ago, and eighteen years ago, you still are Miss. Granger." He said, still memorizing the new room.

"I wasn't Miss. Granger when we were bound. I wasn't Miss granger when we 'consummated' the binding. I wasn't Miss Granger when you got me…" She was stepping over to him with every word, not even aware of what she was saying, until the end, and she cut herself off.

"When I got you what, Miss. Granger. The know-it all doesn't even know what she's talking about. Well, this is a refreshing change of pace. Please tell me what I got you?" He said in a sarcastic tongue. When he realized she was holding out something, he decided to accomplish two things. Find out what she was withholding and drive a wedge between them. There was one way to do this right now, and he did it. "Legilimens" he spoke the word, and his mind was thrust against a brick wall.

"You arrogant little unlovable bastard! Lets see how you like it!" She said while storming over to him, and pulling out her wand. "Legilimens!" She dove into his mind breaking the barriers he had put up. All of his barriers. Small clips of memories played themselves: A very young Snape, getting beat by the man he called father. An teenage Snape, begging his mother for food, while he was locked in a room. An older Snape thinking I just need it to be over, when he joined Voldemort. Raping victims and dieing inside a little afterwards. The birth and death of his child. The first time his wife and him had met, the rape, and death of her. The visions abruptly cut off. He flew at her with something resembling light speed. He had all the presence of a raging bull.

"They were not meant for you! Do you like seeing them?!?" Now he was on top of her. Apparently strong emotions ripped her control away, because the next time he performed the mind entering curse he didn't run into the walls he was just in the center of her thoughts. She was crying, but she was still able to have her control. The memories that paraded through him were broken. The emotions hadn't ripped her barriers down, she had done it purposely. She was able to black out parts of her memories, but wasn't able to keep him from reaching them. Her crying in the Hogwarts bathroom, from Snape saying things. Her new element taking her over, and her being petrified. Viktor, throwing her against a wall, her being utterly terrified. That's what he was doing to her, making her utterly terrified of him. Only he wasn't doing it on purpose. Then a thought came, that this wasn't his fault, she had done this to herself, she had delved into his personal thoughts, she deserved this. Severus couldn't help but be horrified at her thought. He had felt the same way throughout the years. That he deserved the way people treated him, because of something he had done. Harry and Ron getting her labeled as a troublemaker. Then her thoughts shifted, and she thought about love. She thought about her cat, Crookshanks, and how many nights he had comforted her. She thought about her family, and warmth spread through her mind. Finally she thought of Professor Snape. A handful of memories of him laughing flashed in front of his eyes. The sarcastic humor that he used to shut everyone out, she saw right through and appreciated every word. Memories of watching his back, while he worked and it was too hot to wear a shirt. Memories of watching his fingers work precisely, delicately, memorizing every movement. Watching him as he slept wishing she could be in the warm curve of his body. Then he was pushed out, not like he had her, no she did it gently, while he had used brute force. If being in her head had taught him anything, it was that she loved him, and was just waiting for him to love her back. Not demanding any of it, but hoping like hell he would in return love her. He could only admit to himself he felt the beginnings of feelings for this young woman, but all the while he knew he was lying if only to himself.

He loved her, but he knew happiness and love had two things in common, they were both great while they were there, but they were also both short lived. "Don't, ever believe you deserve treatment like that!" He said harsh but soft as he climbed off of her. He helped her up, and started to inspect her. He had cut her hand, when he climbed on top of her, pushing her hand into a sharp rock on the floor. There were a couple of cuts on her arm and a sharp gash on her leg. "Stay here." he said as he placed her onto one of the couches in the sitting room. He swiftly walked out of the room. When he got to the hospital wing he got Poppy's attention, and asked her for some salves, and potions.

"It's a little early for injuries in the classroom isn't it?" Poppy said while looking through her stores.
"Miss. Granger and I were working on something, and she got hurt. Poppy I don't believe I have to expl…" Snape was cut of by a flustered Madam Promfrey. "That girl has to realize… I can't help her if she… What would have happened… She's not the only one she has…" She crumbled a vial in her hands accidently, and that brought her back to herself. Snape looking as confused as Neville Longbottom. She handed him two vials, but then thought better of it, took back one and gave him three more. He walked out after he mumbled his thanks.

Walking back to his rooms all he could think of was Poppy's tangent. Trying to decipher what she had been talking about, but having no luck. He would have to ask Hermione about it later. When he got back into the room, he saw she had sprawled out on the couch. As he walked over to her he noticed how pale she was, and how much blood had seeped out of her frail body. He ran over to her, and tried to shake her awake. He forced the potions down her throat and prayed that she wake up. After a minute with no luck he picked up Hermione and ran her to the hospital wing. He could imagine how he looked, black cloak, white shirt now stained with blood, with Hermione's limp form in his arms. But he didn't hesitate as he brought her over to the bed. Poppy ran over to her, and started working. Muttering profanities under her breath, she started to do curing spells. Then she did a spell, that Severus couldn't recognize, and a little orb sprung out of Hermione's lower abdomen. It was about one inch, then it magnified to about eight inches. A small squirming thing. A child. Soon a heartbeat filled the small tented space, and Poppy wrote everything down. Then everything disappeared and he almost asked Poppy to do the spell again. She pulled him over to the corner. "If she wakes up, come and get me. I doubt it's going to be soon, but just in case. Severus, your white as a sheet… You didn't know she was pregnant." She didn't make it a question, but he answered anyway.

"I had no idea. Do you know whom the father is?" He said cautiously.
"She refuses to tell me, I don't even think Dumbledore knows she's pregnant. Usually he keeps an eye out once they are."
"How far along is she?" He said carefully.
"Five, six weeks. Counting like Americans, nine or ten. They'll be fine. I don't know how, losing that much blood should have… But apparently she's strong, they're going to be fine."

He prayed to the gods it would be true. Then he realized it was his baby, his baby he had almost killed. Hermione was carrying his child and love for him, all in that petit form. He conjured a recliner, and all of a sudden feeling queasy he sat down. The next thing he knew he was dreaming.

Waking up in a hospital bed was never comfortable. Especially when you're pregnant and your back kills you. Hermione opened her eyes and sat up, she remembered everything about last night. She had passed out, and apparently taken her to Madam Promfrey. She walked over to the sleeping figure in the black armchair. As she walked she realized nothing hurt. She tapped Severus on the arm, and he awoke with a start.

She gazed down upon him with something akin to fear, and cautiousness. She was in the hospital wing, and she had told Poppy that she told Severus, so she knew Poppy didn't ask him to leave.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said with a voice thick with sleep.
"I knew you wouldn't want to keep it." she said softly.
"And what gave you that impression?" he said with disbelief. Did she actually think… her next words gave him the answer to his question.
"You mean your not going to make me get rid of it?" she said in a voice strewn with hope.
"Once again I ask what gave you that impression?" he said again.
She started crying, and couldn't stop. She was pouring out her tension, and smiling at the same time. He didn't know what else to do, so he put his arm stiffly around her. That made her disolve in giggles.