Stroking the hair from the face of the feverish girl on the bed before him, he frowned. They were alone in the private room in the back of the infirmary and he was free to openly show his concern. When Albus had entered his classroom to inform him – as the girl's 'guardian' – that she had collapsed during her potions class, he swore his heart had stopped.

Professor Slughorn had called for Pomfrey and they had taken the girl to the infirmary. The blue spots on the back of the girl's hands were one of the tell-tale signs of Dragon Pox. Similar to the Muggle Chicken Pox, Dragon Pox generally afflicted people when they were children. It was easily treated with a simple potion, except in those few who were allergic to one of the potion's components – just as Samantha apparently was.

Unknowingly – and there was no way for any of them to know that Samantha was allergic to dandelion root – Pomfrey had given her the standard potion and Samantha had had an immediate allergic reaction. Now, two hours after her collapse, Samantha had yet to wake.

Pomfrey had spent hours researching an alternative which she assured him was almost finished brewing now.

Severus removed the damp cloth from his daughter's forehead, wrung it out over the basin on the bedside table, and rewet it. He carefully folded it and placed it back on her forehead.

"Please wake up, Samantha," he said quietly, his voice echoing in the silence. "Your mother will be here after dinner. She wanted to stay here with you, but I insisted that she go eat in the Great Hall. Harry Potter said that he will visit you later tonight." He scowled, doing his best to keep the bitterness from his voice. Two months into the school year, and those two were still together. "Madam Pomfrey wanted me to go to dinner too, but I refused to leave you all alone." He glanced at her hand where the blue spots were turning green. They would cycle through the shades of the rainbow, finally reaching bright red at which point the fever would spike. That was the most dangerous period, though those treated with the potion never reached that stage. He could only hope Pomfrey's altered potion would be finished before then.

He stroked his daughter's hair. "I remember when your mother got Dragon Pox in our sixth year. She had all these purple spots, and they had all congregated on her face. At least you're lucky that yours are mostly hidden," he told her, trying to keep his tone light through his worry. "Anyway, your mother – after having taken her potion – thought she would be clever and change her spots to a light red so they would be less noticeable. Madam Pomfrey saw her now-red spots and panicked, thinking your mother had picked up some fast-moving strain." He stopped and chuckled, remembering Katrina trying to explain what she'd done while Pomfrey shoved a triple dose of the vile potion down her throat.

"Katrina," he began, hearing the door click open behind him. Knowing it was one of three people, he continued speaking, "spent a week cooped up in the infirmary."

"After which she spent a week with Filch in detention for wasting three extra doses of my Dragon Pox serum," Pomfrey added with a laugh, moving to his side.

"She never told me that part," he responded, watching as the matron gestured that he should get Samantha upright.

"I'm not surprised," Pomfrey said, carefully pouring a potion into Samantha's mouth and massaging her throat so she would swallow. "I'm sure she didn't want to tell you that she spent a week cleaning the empty classrooms in the dungeons." They carefully arranged Samantha back on her pillows. "Samantha should wake up in an hour or so. If the spots don't begin to disappear in half an hour, come get me, Severus."

He silently nodded and the woman left. He took the seat next to the bed, lifting one of his daughter's hands and holding it between both of his. He suddenly realized that this was one of the things he had missed by not being in his daughter's life. He wondered how many times Katrina had sat by their daughter's bedside while the girl was ill.

The door snicked open behind him and he turned his head to watch Katrina enter.

"Hello, Severus," she said, moving to his side and glancing down at her daughter. Katrina stroked the girl's hair much as he'd done earlier, her other hand moving to his shoulder where she squeezed it.

He placed a hand upon hers where it was a warm, welcome weight on his shoulder. "Did you eat, Kat?" he asked, glancing up at her.

She smiled slightly down at him, "Yes, and I'm glad I did. Your sons were hungry."

He took out his wand and changed his chair into a loveseat so he could pull her down beside him. She curled into his side, her eyes on their daughter.

"Her spots are beginning to fade a bit, I think. I assume Poppy found a substitute for the dandelion root?" she asked softly.

"Yes, she was able to use the English Daisy." His hand drifted to Katrina's abdomen where the bump that was their sons was becoming pronounced. She was almost five months pregnant now.

"Oh!" Katrina said, jumping slightly.

He immediately became concerned, "Are you alright?"

"One of your sons kicked me!" she responded, taking his hand and moving it to where she'd felt the fluttery movement.

He held his breath, focusing on his fingers even as he watched his daughter for any sign that she was waking. It took a little while, but soon enough he felt a small movement below his hand. He didn't have words to express the awe he suddenly felt. He kissed the side of Katrina's neck in silent wonder.

"Are you ready to discuss names yet?" Katrina asked him, her own voice reflecting awe.

"Did you have anything in mind?" he asked her, his attention again turning to their daughter.

"Well…" she began in a tone that said she had indeed thought about it. "I was thinking of Alexander and Zachary."

"Hmm…" He contemplated the sound of both of them. "Perhaps Alexander Brian Snape?"

She quirked a smile at him, "Brian?"

"I'm not going to name him for my father, and Dumbledore was the closest thing I had to that…"

"I think it's perfect," she responded quietly, twisting to kiss him briefly. "I know that perhaps you don't have the best memories of my father…" He considered that an understatement as it was her father who had gotten him into Voldemort's court. He said nothing, though, and allowed her to continue. "But I do, and I was thinking perhaps it could be Zachary William Snape…?"

He didn't respond for a long minute. He considered how it sounded and decided he liked it.

Another voice broke through his thoughts and all consideration of baby names flew from his mind.

"Mum? Dad?"

He and Katrina both shot off the loveseat and were on either side of the bed in a heartbeat. Katrina grabbed one of Samantha's hands and squeezed it, "You gave us quite a scare, sweetheart."

Samantha frowned, "What happened?"

"You got Dragon Pox and while it's usually easily treated, you were allergic to one of the components of the potion. You had a bad allergic reaction, but you should be fine now," Severus answered, moving a hand to her forehead to check if she still had a fever. Thankfully, she felt normal.

"What was I allergic to?"

"Dandelion root," he responded. "Madam Pomfrey had to brew up another potion with a substitute." He didn't say that Pomfrey had been forced to brew it because he himself was too shaken to do so. "Rest now. Your fever is gone, but I suspect that Madam Pomfrey will wish to keep you here overnight."

Samantha's eyes slowly fluttered closed and her breathing returned to the cadence of sleep.

Sighing heavily, he glanced up and met the twinkling eyes of his wife. "Welcome to parenthood, Sev."

That brought his mind back to their previous conversation. He rounded the bed and pulled his wife into his arms. "Alexander Brian and Zachary William it is." He sealed his pronouncement with a kiss, deciding that they needed to find Poppy and then their bed as quickly as they could…