Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, I am going to be starting another fic dedicated to my friend Jack. Jack is an avid Harry Potter fan and is completing his gender reassignment later this year. The fic will be about a transgender Harry set around his fifth year. I have two ideas for his female name, Hailey or Jamie (after her father). Please let me know which one you'd prefer.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
The Christmas holidays had finally arrived. As none of the students had elected to stay at Hogwarts, surprisingly, the professors were left alone in the castle. The only other person there was Sirius, as he was spending Christmas with his husband. He was now seven months pregnant, and Hermione would be 37 weeks in two days. It was Sunday, December 19. Hermione had eaten dinner in their quarters alone. Severus was stuck in the staff meeting that her replacement had gone to. And it was just after nine. Sirius and Remus were there as well, however Sirius had only gone to be close to his husband. Climbing stairs had been wearing Hermione out more than usual, so she had elected to stay in the dungeons instead.
She had started experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions in the past couple of weeks, but today they had been worse than usual. Hermione sighed as she started brushing out her hair, planning on taking a shower. She winced as a particularly hard kick and strong contraction knocked the breath out of her. She finished with her hair and started to stand. What happened then shocked her. She gasped as she felt the run of warm liquid down her inner thighs.
"Damn," she muttered. "I didn't think I had to pee."
When the flow of the liquid didn't stop, she started to worry. When another contraction hit her, she knew she had to Floo to St. Mungos. They had made the decision that she would give birth there, instead of at Hogwarts, since she had been due at a time when students would be in the Hospital Wing frequently. She cast a forlorn glance at the door, wishing that Severus would walk in the door, but he didn't. She grabbed some Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.
She landed in the waiting room of the hospital, and after talking with a nurse, she was led to a room in the labor section of the hospital.
"I'm Lauren," the nurse said. "What is your name?"
"Hermione," she muttered, gritting her teeth. "Hermione Snape."
"Who is your mediwitch, Mrs. Snape?" Lauren asked her.
"Madam Pomfrey," Hermione answered. "She should be at Hogwarts. My husband as well. They're in a staff meeting."
"I will go fetch her," Lauren said. "Would you like your husband here as well?"
Hermione nodded, grimacing as she felt another contraction run through her abdomen.
"I'll be right back," Lauren said. "If you need anything, the call button is by your right hand."
She disappeared out the door, and headed down the hallway to Floo to Dumbledore's office.
Lauren landed in Dumbledore's office and headed to the staffroom that was nearby. She slowly opened the door and watched as the occupants of the room slowly turned to look at her.
"Ah, Nurse Fisher," Dumbledore said. "What can I do for you?"
"Well sir," she said. "I will have to be taking Poppy and Severus."
She turned to the mediwitch. "Hermione Snape Flooed to the hospital around twenty minutes ago. She is in the mid stages of labor, I would say. She is having frequent contractions and her water has broken."
Severus had gone pale, but the woman dragged him up as she walked towards the door.
"Keep us updated," Minerva said, and Severus nodded.
The trio went back to Hermione's room.
"Let's see how dilated you are dear," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head after she did so. "Only one centimeter. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but this is not going to be a quick labor."
Hermione continued dilating excruciatingly slowly. It wasn't until around 1am on Tuesday morning that Madam Pomfrey gave her the okay.
"You're very lucky," the mediwitch told her. "Any longer and we probably would have removed the child ourselves. On your next contraction, Hermione, I want you to push as if you're using the loo."
Hermione did as she was told, grasping Severus's hand in her own very tightly. It took several more contractions before Madam Pomfrey said,
"The baby is crowning. One more big push!"
Hermione looked up at her husband. "Severus, I can't. It hurts so badly."
Severus leaned down and started murmuring encouraging words, and Hermione was able to find the strength to give one last push, breaking a couple of Severus's fingers in the process. He stifled his scream to avoid alerting her. Then, a new sound filled the room. The sound of a baby's scream. Hermione collapsed into the pillows and smiled weakly.
"It's a girl!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, handing the child who was now clean and wrapped in a pink blanket to Hermione. "Oh Severus, your hand!"
She came over and quickly set his fingers. "Would you prefer to heal them magically or by muggle methods?"
He grimaced at the thought of Skele-Gro. "Muggle is fine."
She taped the damaged fingers together before leaving the couple in peace.
"Sorry about your fingers," Hermione said sheepishly.
"It's quite alright," Severus said. "It's worth it to see our beautiful daughter in your arms."
"Would you like to hold her?" Hermione asked, and Severus nodded, taking the baby from her.
"She's so small," he said, studying her face.
She had his high cheekbones and eye shape, but her mother's lips and nose. She also had some soft black hair. He had a feeling her eyes would be brown, like her mother's, but she had not yet opened them.
Poppy came back in briefly to give them the birth certificate to fill out, and congratulate them, saying she would be staying at the hospital with them until they could return to Hogwarts. Severus wrote a quick note to Albus, telling him to inform the staff and giving them permission to come visit.
He sat down with his daughter's birth certificate.
"Good thing I didn't hurt your dominant hand," Hermione chuckled sleepily as she set Athena down in the cot next to their bed. Severus laughed.
He filled out the information quickly and climbed into the bed next to his already sleeping wife.
At Hogwarts later that morning, during breakfast, Dumbledore addressed the staff. Harry and Ginny, who had come to Hogwarts to hear the announcement, were super excited to hear this.
"Earlier this morning," Dumbledore said. "We had a new family member join our staff. Athena Eileen Snape was born at 3:23 this morning. She weighs 5.4 pounds and is 17 inches long. Severus and Hermione have given their permission to visit them this afternoon."
He chuckled as he watched his colleagues form their visiting plans with excitement.
Author's Note: Visits and more of baby Athena in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed, and please notify me on your name preference for Harry in my next fic.