A/N: I wanted to post this chapter because it's been so long since I posted. I honestly don't know if anyone is still even following this story, but... I don't know. I went over my previous chapters, and realized how horrible they were, and I plan to remodel/reformat/recheck a chapter for every new chapter I post. ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG!

Chapter 24

From the moment she woke up she didn't know what to say, or how to act for that matter. Knowing he wanted her consoled some part of her, but the other parts believed that that was a lie. For the past week she had been confined to her bed. She had thrown a fit to get out of the infirmary earlier than expected, then regretted that decision when she realized she would have to sleep in a bed with Severus. On top of it all was embarrassment she was ashamed of herself. She had hurt her husband. Regardless of why, it was wrong. She trashed his classroom, and ruined most of his potions ingredients. All of his vials, and specialty cauldrons were trashed. He spent ninety nine percent of his time in there probably restoring everything.

The first two days he tried to talk to her and she was to embarrassed by what she did so she didn't say anything. The second day he had apparently tried again, but this time Hermione had her back to the door and she was sleeping. Minerva came in later that night to ask her why she hadn't talked, and she had no idea what Minerva was talking about. The first two nights she also shrugged off his hands when he tried to assume the positions they had grown accustomed to before. Now he slept with his back to her. She missed his arms, his voice, him. She had been stubborn at first, and then she missed out.

She was sitting in her bed reading and yawned, sinking back into the bed she realized that she was either going to have to end the silence, or the relationship. Then she slept.

She heard noises, of her father, then then Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, then her children. The last she heard they were all missing. She felt that aching feeling around her heart, which meant she either had to get up, or have nightmares. She sat up, groaning as her back protested. When she opened her eyes someone placed a small kiss on her cheek. Ginny. Hermione greeted her with a sleepy half smile.

"Close your eyes. We have a surprise for you." Hermione wondered what Harry and Ginny could have gotten her, contemplated for a moment, then obliged. "Do you promise to keep them closed until someone says otherwise, no matter what?" Hermione nodded again. Then she smelt vanilla, and someone kissed her on the cheek, then another person kissed her forehead this continued, but with each kiss, which was in a different area, there was a new person. Except, the last person who came to her it smelled most definitely male. Of the ones who had kissed her before three she could pinpoint as males, but not by their smells. When he whispered she realized it was Severus.

"I've wanted to do this so badly it aches." with that he placed his hand on her belly, and following their fathers command, one of them kicked. Hermione giggled. Then he took her bottom lip in his mouth. He was begging for entry, and she let him have it. Soon their tongues were gliding into each others. He pulled back, and said breathlessly, "That too. Open your eyes."

She opened her eyes, and first saw her mother. She flushed with embarrassment. When she saw the next group she smiled, something the Cheshire cat would have been envious of. Her father, her children, Ginny's child, and the Weasley's were there. She lunged at her father, and tackled him into a hug. Hermione's eyes started filling with tears when she saw that Mrs. Weasley was holding one of her children, and Severus the other. Mrs. Weasley was holding the boy and Severus the girl, this time they were both dressed in blue outfits.

Severus handed her the child he was holding then gently guided her shoulder to the doorway. He led her into the hallway, then into a room she didn't remember being there. The room was obviously a nursery, and filled with the various things in pink and blue. There was a crib that stretched all along the back wall it had four obvious dividers in it. They rotated in color, pink, blue, pink, blue. Her father came up to the other side of her and with him he brought her her son. She kissed and placed her daughter in the pink section to the far left, then repeated this with the boy in the blue section.

She was looking at the world with tear filled eyes and she blinked to clear her vision. Soon everyone left the room, leaving her alone with Severus. She was still looking at their children when he started to speak, "They're beautiful aren't they?"

"Yes, they are." she spoke, and proudly noticed her voice didn't crack despite the tears.

"I need to know, before we pretend everything is okay, do you have any regrets?"

Her emotions were about to turn on her, but she'd be damned if she let them get the best of her. "I have a lot of regrets, but none that I didn't learn from, and none that I would change. You?" That one word spoke measure for her confidence, and her heart. She waited with baited breath while he prepared to give her her answer.

"I have a lot of regrets also, some that I would change some that I wouldn't, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't change them, because it would change this outcome. With this insight into your decision, you do realize we have to do a major task now?"

A frown quickly replaced the budding smile on her face. "What do we have to do?"

"We must name our children." He stated with a smirk. Her smile came back full fledge and she looked at him. He came up behind her encircling her with his arms with his hands coming to rest on top of her stomach. He laid his chin on the top of her head, and willed everything to go back to being perfect.

She thought for a moment, then had an epiphany. "How about fire and water? Two elements that couldn't ordinarily coexist but within the right circumstances... Pyralis, and Naiya. In greek Pyralis means born of fire, and Naiya means water nymph. I was reading it in one of your books..." She finally trailed off to give him a chance to speak.

"I like that but what will the other twins names be? Ciro means ancient wind and its for a male, I believe your name means earth. That leaves one female name short."

"We can think on the other twins' names later, right now, I'm hungry. Although I do like Ciro."

"Pyralis and Naiya. I think it is time we introduce the twins names to our visitors."

"I believe your right."

With that Severus picked up his son, and handed to his wife. Then picked up his daughter, and they brought them both out to introduce them to the family.

A/N: any suggestions on the name for the last child, it's a girl, and the name has to be greek

Also has to have meaning. Please R&R with your answer. Possibles names will also be taken for the boy, but I need it to mean air.