A/N- Again, thank you for all of your fantastic feedback. I hope everyone enjoyed their non-denominational festive season! LOL. Seriously, though, I hope everyone is still safe and well. And, as a reward for your patience, I give to you chapter 4!
The following Friday began like any other Friday. Students forced themselves out of their beds, thankful that the weekend was on the horizon again. Breakfast was eaten and classes attended. Lunch was next, followed by a single class, then, for the seventh years, the spare allotted to Sexual Education.
This particular week had been rather hard on Hermione and, indeed, Snape, as any time shared between them had been awkward and forced. Neither knew quite how to deal with the other. Hermione was, for her part, still rather embarrassed, whilst Severus had been plagued by erotic dreams featuring the Head Girl, which had been triggered, quite obviously, by her admission.
So it was, then, that neither of them looked forward to Friday evening, as it would be awkward and unpleasant for both.
Hermione took a fortifying breath before knocking on the now all-too-familiar door. She was feeling tired and run down, and wasn't quite up to tip-toeing around her -for all intents and purposes- former Potions Professor.
When the standard ''Enter." was called, she opened the door and strode on into the office, flashing Snape a confident -but warm- smile.
"Good afternoon, sir."
Taken a little by surprise, Severus nodded. "Miss Granger."
She sat in her usual seat in front of his desk and sighed. "Professor..." She began, a little uncertainly, "Forgive me for being forward, but, I was hoping that we might, ah, talk about...Well... About my outburst last week."
"I'd prefer we didn't."
In true Gryffindor form, Hermione refused to be put off. "I know your hands are tied with the sort of things you're able to say...but I just want to make everything easier again."
Rolling his eyes, Severus responded, "And how do you propose to do so? I believe everything that can be said has been said."
She swallowed. "Sir...I believe that we were much closer to being friends than I originally thought...and I miss being able to talk to you..."
He averted his gaze, "It's been made quite clear that a friendship between us was inappropriate, if not impossible."
"Severus..." Her voice cracked, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Over the past month or so, I've come to rely on my time with you...on our chats...on your opinions...You have gradually become my best friend, someone I can talk to about things that aren't Quidditch related, someone with whom I value any time spent with, and it has taken a week of practically ignoring each other to make me see it."
"Miss Granger-"
"And I can't take back what I've said, nor can I make you forget it, but I won't stand idly by and watch as another of my friendships falls to pieces."
Severus observed her in silence for a moment. "Are you quite done?" She nodded. He sighed. "The past week has been trying for me, as well. However, I must stress that, though I value your company, I do not want to -how do they put it these days?- 'lead you on'..."
Blushing, she shook her head. "I can assure you that isn't possible. Aside from the obvious issues that stand in the way, I realise that I am most certainly not your 'type' and that my fantasies are just that and nothing more." She paused, allowing him to process that which she'd just said. Leaning forward imploringly, Hermione practically begged him to reconsider. "Severus, though our situations this year have not been fair, you must know that l consider myself lucky to have had a friend like you, and I am extremely sorry for ruining it all."
The Head of Slytherin considered his options. He could snarl and toss the girl from his office, which would undoubtedly be reason enough for the Headmaster to give him the sack, or he could accept her apology and reconstruct their rather odd friendship, which would have the added bonus of irritating Albus to no end.
He sighed resignedly; there really was no choice.
-?-
On the other side of the castle, Harry Potter grimaced in pain. It appeared that he would be the first to 'birth' a child.
-?-
When Hermione and Severus surfaced from their discussion in his office, they both knew instinctively that something was amiss. The halls, usually crawling with students dawdling to dinner, were empty. Even the portraits had vacated their frames.
The strange pair looked at each other wearily.
"What do you think? Remaining Death Eaters tried to avenge their Lord?"
Severus shook his head. "Doubtful. I'd have been alerted...no, punished, actually. By both parties." He was wanted by the Death Eaters for treachery and Albus would be angry if he had 'forgotten' to mention an impending attack. "Whatever has happened is entirely internal." He deduced. "And, as my presence was not called upon, I highly doubt it's serious."
"That's true," the Head Girl concurred. "However, I do dislike being kept out of the loop."
Severus nodded; he, too, liked to know exactly what was happening. Surprises were not his forte.
The two continued on their way to the Hall in amicable silence, each secretly glad that they had sorted things out. When they reached their destination, a roar of conversation assaulted their ears.
"Ah, Severus, Hermione, I was beginning to wonder at your absence." Albus was grinning as he approached them.
"We were discussing potions in Professor Snape's office." Hermione replied nonchalantly. "We've discovered that our opinions on the subject are quite similar." Scanning the packed Hall, her manner swiftly morphed into one of sheer professionalism. "What's happened? Were we not notified for any particular reason, or were we simply forgotten?"
The twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes -which had faded, somewhat, with the knowledge that Snape and Hermione were, unfortunately, getting along- grew vibrant once more. "Ah," he said, "Our seventh year Sexual Education class has reached the next phase for one particular couple, and everyone is feeling the excitement."
"Oh, wow, this is rather early..." the Head Girl mused. "Which couple, sir?"
"Actually, the timing is not unusual for male pregnancies. Mr Potter seemed rather pleased that the 'toll' on his body had come to an end."
"Harry and Greg have their 'baby' already?" Her gaze darted across the room, trying to pinpoint the couple.
"Yes, yes." Albus nodded vigorously, "I believe they've taken up residence in the Head rooms, for the moment, so that they might develop their roster in peace."
Hermione nodded. Though the assessment was conducted in pairs, the couples remained in their dorms during the night, which meant that the 'children' would spend some nights with one 'parent' and the remainder with the other. This arrangement had the added bonus of giving the students a taste of sole parenting; a growing movement in both Wizarding and Muggle societies.
As Harry and Goyle were both involved in extra-curricular activities, and were both in the public eye (in the school, at any rate), it would be much easier for them to discuss an adequate 'custody' roster in private, without the prying eyes and ears of their peers.
The Head Girl politely excused herself from Dumbledore's presence, informed Severus that she would not be late for her detention-come-tutorial, then rushed off to the Heads' chambers.
The scene that greeted her was far from anything she'd been expecting. A shrill wailing assaulted her ear-drums as she entered, and she watched as Harry paced the room, a bundle of blankets in his arms, throwing spiteful comments at his partner. Goyle sat on the couch, hurling insults of his own.
She was so engrossed in the argument that she didn't even notice Draco Malfoy's emergence from the Head Boy's rooms until he stood by her side.
"Finally heard the news, then, eh?"
She jumped, startled by his presence. "Yes..." She nodded, and then tilted her head towards the bickering pair. "Have they been at it for very long?"
The blonde shrugged. "Half an hour or so. Started over Quidditch practice."
She rolled her eyes; some things would never change.
"Ahem." She began, walking over to the pair. "Would someone like to tell me just what is going on here?"
The two looked back at her sheepishly. Neither could really explain the reason for their argument, each knowing just how childish they were being. They shook their heads while the 'infant' cried on.
"Then I suggest you apologise to one another."
Chastised, the two complied, though silently decided to 'make up' properly later on, in private.
"Good." Hermione beamed, her attention now focused on the bundle in her best friend's arms. "Now, let's meet your assignment."
Harry rolled his eyes. "It's no good to think of them that way, 'Mione." He said, pulling back part of the blanket. "Because they are as emotionally receptive as real babies..."
He trailed off with a smirk as she gasped.
Whatever Hermione had been expecting, this wasn't it! She blinked. In Harry's arms sobbed what looked like a real live baby. Even with the aide of magic, the most Hermione had expected was a well-animated, vaguely realistic doll.
The infant in her best friend's grasp was certainly more advanced than that!
She inspected it more closely.
"Amazing..." she breathed.
"I reckon!" the Boy Who Lived grinned. "McGonagall and Flitwick invented the spell. This is, essentially, a real baby. He needs to eat, breathe, sleep and shit...He can get sick and hurt...He'll even grow at the same rate." Harry shrugged. "He'll just turn back into a rag doll when the class is over, unless we accidentally kill him first..."
"He even looks like you!"
Goyle chuckled. "They took a bit of our hair and used it in the spell...bloody ingenious. 'Course, the kid looks more like Potter than me. But that's the luck of the draw. Our real kids -if we were ever to 'ave any- might look completely different. There's no way to tell."
Hermione sat down across from him and Draco beside her.
"Adds a whole new element, doesn't it?" He said, staring at the sniffling newborn.
She swallowed, suddenly feeling giddy. After all, she would soon have to face her own child, she would be staring into a possible outcome of coupling with her former professor and current crush, and she wasn't certain she could handle it.
"Yes," she eventually replied, "It certainly does."
-?-
Severus glanced up from his desk as a shell-shocked Gryffindor entered his office.
"Don't tell me," he drawled, "Potter gave birth to an alien."
When that failed to elicit a smile from the girl, he frowned. "Hermione?"
She shook herself from her thoughts. "Sorry...I was thinking."
"Indeed. About anything in particular or simply because you're an irritating know-it-all?"
She rewarded him with a faint smile. "A little from Column A and a little from Column B."
"Ah." He rose from his seat and gestured for her to join him in his chambers. Tea was summoned, and they sat across from one another in front of the unlit fireplace. "Now," he said, having taken a sip of tea, "Continue. What is on your mind?"
She sighed and toyed with the frayed corner of a cushion. "These babies are practically real."
"Go on."
"It's just that... It makes this entire ordeal that much harder, you know? Especially for me. I'm going to be spending all of my time with a very real baby that looks like us. Not just like me, and not like some animated rag-doll...It will look like us."
Severus sighed. "I see...You fear it may -if nothing else- make you pine for a relationship with me even more."
Blushing, she nodded. "Which is stupid-"
"No," he interrupted gently, "It's human nature. We all have urges, needs and wants, not all of which are entirely appropriate or able to be fulfilled." He considered his recent erotic dreams, and smothered a sigh. How good it would feel to touch her soft, supple skin... He cleared his throat and pushed the thoughts aside. "To have it flaunted in front of you day in and day out is anything but fair, and you cannot help your reactions..."
"I know...but it's not exactly fair for me to then empty it all out on you, either. It's bad for our friendship and it makes things between us rather awkward..." She exhaled and shrugged, offering him a warm smile and a tentative squeeze of his hand. But thank you for letting me get it off my chest."
An odd feeling of loss swept over him as she removed her hand from his, and he brushed it aside, refusing to acknowledge what it might mean. He offered her the ghost of a smile. "You're welcome."
-?-
Saturday saw the 'birth' of more children, namely to male carriers, while Sunday was mostly uneventful. Monday morning welcomed even more infants, and, by Monday night, every seventh year was -for all intents and purposes- officially a 'parent'. Except, of course, Hermione.
When she arrived in the Great Hall on Tuesday morning, all eyes were on her. She ignored the questioning stares and sat down at her now relatively normal position at the Slytherin table across from Harry.
"So..." he started, "You didn't need to get up in the middle of the night at all? Not even to...I don't know...wake Pomfrey and sort of pop out a baby?"
She frowned. "No. But I'm sure I'm not the only one."
"You are, actually." Malfoy informed her. "Everyone else has had 'em and are currently enjoying the fact that we don't have to drag them around classes."
As it was their NEWT year, 'babysitting' was provided in the hospital wing, so that content could be delivered with minimal interruptions.
"Oh..." She responded, touching her stomach tenderly. "I hope nothing's wrong." A 'kick' to her hand quickly stifled her worry.
"Of course there's something wrong," a familiar voice sneered. "It's going to be part Snape, innit?"
Hermione scowled at her former friend, while Draco -of all people- leapt to her (or rather Severus') defence.
"Better than part Weasley, though. Eh, Granger?"
"No," she replied, surprising everyone. "But certainly better than that one."
Harry looked away while Draco chortled. Ron turned red and stormed off.
Pushing herself from her seat, Hermione declared she wasn't hungry. She exited the Hall with the promise that she was fine and that she'd see them in their respective classes.
"Oi, Granger, wait up a bit."
"Draco, really, I'm fine..."
Smirking, he fell into step beside her. "So I can't walk with you?"
"Of course you can walk with me, you twit."
"Good. Then I'll continue to do so."
She sighed in exasperation. "Fine."
A moment of silence passed, then; "You shouldn't let his shit get to you."
"What makes you think it gets to me?"
He laughed. "You're a bleeding Gryffindor. Loyal, brave, and able to be read like a book. It's pretty obvious that he's getting to you...But the wanker doesn't deserve the acknowledgement."
"Thank you," she replied. "Now, what do you want? And don't give me all that rot about wanting to be friends...You're a Slytherin through and through, and you don't pay compliments unless you get something in return."
"Very good, Granger..." he grinned. "It's hard to pull the wool over your eyes."
"There you go again!"
"And what pretty eyes you have..."
"All the better to see you -and thus hex you properly- with."
She found herself backed up against a wall, and fumbled for her wand as he advanced.
Smirking, he held up his hands in surrender. "Easy there, Granger."
"What are you doing, Draco?" She demanded.
"I'm starting to see what Snape sees in you…" He looked her up and down, hungrily. "There's no wonder he can't keep his eyes off you…"
She forced a laugh, all the while wondering whether Severus really did observe her when she wasn't paying attention, and then wondering why. "Malfoy, really, stop being such a git."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm being entirely serious, Granger. You're really quite attractive behind all that ridiculous hair of yours…" He leant forward, his intentions quite clear. She shifted away, quickly.
"What about Padma?"
"What about her?"
"You're her partner! You're completely compatible with one another! You must find her more attractive than me…The hat-"
"That miserable excuse for a fashion accessory failed to take into account any existing relationships she might have outside Hogwarts." He huffed. "She's rather adamant that –though we've progressed into a relatively safe friendship- our relationship is entirely fictional. She's committed to some muggle instead."
"Oh…"
"And as I know you're in a similar boat to myself…" He shrugged. "I thought we might give something a bit of a go…"
She blinked. Was he asking her to be his girlfriend? She almost laughed. Smothering her smirk, she sighed. "Oh, Malfoy…I'm…Well, I'm flattered…But I just don't think that we would really work…"
"Why not? We've been getting along well enough…And I'm not exactly repulsed by the way you look…"
How romantic. She thought sarcastically. "And I don't find you repulsive either, Draco…But I'm interested in someone else…And I'm afraid that being with you wouldn't be fair, as you'd never have my undivided attention…"
"Who could you possibly…" he trailed off, everything –her reaction to his comment about Snape, her insistence that the Hat had made the right choice, and her obvious enjoyment of time spent in Snape's company- clicking into place. "Snape? You're interested in Snape? He's clearly got a thing for you, but I'd never have thought..."
"There's nothing going on between us, though." She clarified, trying to hide her disappointment.
"But you wish there was?"
"I never said that."
"Honestly, Granger…I don't know how many times I have to say it…You're a Gryffindor. You're an open book."
She shrugged, deciding to ignore the comment. "Besides, Professor Snape does not have a 'thing' for me. We might have progressed into mutual respect, but there's nothing more than that. Especially from him."
"Bollocks." He said, leaning against the wall, his shoulder brushing hers. "He watches you at meal-times, when you're oblivious. I've seen the look in his eyes, Hermione. He's lusting after you."
"Don't be absurd."
He shifted, so that they were practically nose to nose. "I'm telling it as I see it."
"I must be blind."
"Or oblivious."
She frowned, but found that she was unable to respond, as he had pressed his lips against hers in a surprisingly chaste kiss.
This was precisely –and irritatingly predictably- when Severus Snape stumbled upon them.
"50 points from Gryffindor," he hissed, causing them to jump apart, "for setting a bad example." He glared, pointedly. "I'd have thought the Head Girl would have had more sense than to grope another student in public."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Sir, I wasn't-"
"Silence, Granger, or I'll make it 100 points."
She bowed her head, trying to quell the panic that bubbled within her. Stupid Malfoy! What was he thinking? Now Severus was angry and…Wait…What gave him the right to be angry? It wasn't as though she was breaking any school rules...and she hadn't instigated it anyway! And there had been no groping! He had no reason to act so callously…unless he was jealous. Which was ridiculous. Wasn't it?
"Professor Snape, it wasn't Hermione's fault…I kissed her. I shouldn't have-"
Severus turned to glower at the Slytherin. "Mr Malfoy, I suggest that you move on to your next class, unless you would like for me to remove house points from Slytherin as well."
Draco appeared to consider his options, before disappearing down the hall and out of sight, leaving Hermione alone with the irate Professor.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned her Gryffindor courage, and announced that she should probably head off to class as well, forgetting that it was her allotted spare with the Head of Slytherin himself.
He, however, had not forgotten.
"And just which class do you have?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.
"I…" She felt as though she'd been slapped as the realisation struck her. "Sexual Education." Then, just to be safe, added, "Sir."
His smirk didn't quite meet his eyes. "Indeed. And have you been summoned for an actual class today?"
She shook her head. "No, sir."
"So, where should you have been headed, instead of exchanging bodily fluids with Mr. Malfoy in the halls?"
She flushed an angry red, and balled her hands into fists by her side. "To your office, sir."
"But you couldn't help yourself, could you?" He taunted. "An illicit romp with Malfoy-"
"For Merlin's sake, Severus, it was a kiss! There was no groping or romping involved!"
"Miss Granger," he growled, making certain that they were not being overheard, "You forget your place."
Her eyes widened. "What?" She asked. "First you want to be friends and you demand that I call you by name and-"
"Silence."
"No! I will not let you bully me into submission!"
"Miss Granger, this is your final warning. If you do not remain silent, I will continue to remove house points until Gryffindor is in the negatives."
She glowered, but said nothing, and followed him to his private chambers, where he warded his door and erected strong silencing charms, preventing any unwanted eavesdroppers from overhearing any of their discussion.
"Now, Miss Granger, would you care to explain-"
"There's nothing to explain!" She spat. "He. Kissed. Me. There was nothing more than that to it."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Draco Malfoy just decided to kiss you? I think not. How long have you been…involved?"
She stared at him, incredulous. "I beg your pardon?"
He met her gaze, his jealousy –Damn it! He was not jealous!- his anger evaporating at the hurt in her expression. "Hermione…You might have warned me about your relationship-"
"Setting aside the fact that there isn't any relationship," she sighed, "why should I have warned you? We're friends, yes, but does that mean everything that we do must be disclosed?"
"I was under the impression that this was what friends did."
Her self-righteous demeanour evaporated. "I'm sorry, Severus. You're right…I've just been a little on edge...Everyone else has moved onto the next stage of this stupid class, Ron was a right git this morning…then Draco decided that he had to kiss me…" She dropped down onto the welcoming couch. "I never thought I'd say this, but bring on the holidays."
"Surely it can't be as bad as that?" He smirked. "Not even petrification has deterred Gryffindor's little know-it-all from her love of school before."
"This is different, though." She sighed. "It's all so complicated. And…ow!" She rubbed the small of her back, knowing exactly what the pain signalled. After all, she'd been expecting it ever since she'd heard that Harry had endured the mock labour.
"You're hurt?"
She shook her head. "Not exactly. Let's just say that things are about to become much more complicated…"
Severus appeared puzzled, for only a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "Ah."
He could feel a head-ache coming on.
-?-
Hermione was allowed to summon the Mediwitch via floo from Severus' chambers. The woman arrived moments later, bringing with her a rag doll and everything she required to perform McGonagall and Flitwick's spell.
"Alright, dear, the worst of it will be over by now…" She said, patting Hermione's hand.
The Head Girl nodded. The pain hadn't been all that bad really, though she knew that this was a severely diluted example of what she would experience were she to ever actually give birth.
Then, with one final 'contraction', she felt the spell wear off, and she sighed in relief.
"Ah, good! Now we can proceed on to the exciting part." Poppy Pomfrey informed her, plucking a hair from her head.
She watched as she requested the same from the Potions Professor, and waited, not entirely patiently, for him to comply.
Once both samples were collected, she twirled them together and placed them on the rag doll, before murmuring a series of charms and spells.
After a moment there was a 'pop', and the doll morphed into a convincingly real infant. One that had a prominent nose and what would clearly become a thick layer of black hair.
Hermione sighed. This would be rather complicated indeed.
-?-
"So, what did you and Snape decide to call her, then?" Harry asked that evening as they sat in the Heads' common room.
Hermione sighed, and observed the –thankfully- sleeping baby. "We didn't. It's completely up to me. He thinks this entire exercise is pointless; for him at the very least." She met her best friend's gaze. "I don't blame him. There are more important things he could be doing than playing house with a student."
"She does look terribly like him, though, doesn't she?"
"I wouldn't say it's terrible…"
Harry smothered a chuckle. "She's got his nose!"
"Yes, well…" She huffed, "It suits her…"
"That still doesn't solve the whole name issue." Goyle said, deciding to finally put in his two knut's worth. He tilted his head to the side, observing her. "Don't suppose you like the name 'Nicole'?"
His partner scrunched up his nose in distaste. "Nicole Snape? Can't say it flows very well…"
"Granger-Snape." Hermione protested, then, considering the entire title, added, "And, no, it doesn't really…"
They continued to ponder, as a group, before Hermione made her decision. "Sophia. Sophia Granger-Snape." She tested the name on her tongue, before shrugging. "It sounds nice enough, and he will probably appreciate its meaning."
"Which is?" Harry enquired.
"Wisdom. It's of Greek origin."
"Uh-huh. And you know this…how?"
She grinned. "My parents considered it for me, actually…I rather like it…"
The Boy Who Lived nodded. "It's nice."
She yawned. "Hmm…Perhaps I should head off to bed." She gently picked up the baby, and made certain that she had everything that she might need during the night, before heading into her room. She knew that she would need her wits about her over the next few days.
-?-
On Wednesday, the seventh years were actually required to assemble in the Hall for their Sexual Education class, in their pairs, with their children. Hermione entered alone, save for 'Sophia', as Severus refused outright to debase himself any more than was entirely necessary.
Needless to say, all eyes were on her. Very few had actually seen the product of a Granger-Snape alliance, and everyone was curious. Did the baby look more like Hermione or Snape? Was it a girl or a boy? Was it indeed half-vampire?
"Oi, Granger!" Goyle gestured to a spare seat next to Harry at the back of the Hall. He knew that she would be relatively popular, in that all eyes would be on her, and also knew that she wasn't exactly looking forward to any of the attention.
She moved to the spare space, grateful for his forethought. "Thanks," she said, dropping her bag of baby supplies with a sigh of relief.
"No problem, Granger."
"Where's Harry?"
He shrugged. "Probably slept late…He had Greg Junior. last night, after all…"
Hermione snorted. Their baby's name was actually Matthew, as neither young man had been able to agree on anything else; though Gregory still referred to him as 'Greg Jr' when Harry was out of earshot. "I hope he gets here soon…"
"He'll be right…"
"And look what we have here…"
Hermione glanced up with a sigh. "Go on, Ron. Say what you will. I don't care."
He faltered. It wasn't quite as satisfying when she failed to react. He leant forward, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Congratulations, Granger, it's a Snape." He sneered. "Hook nosed and greasy haired…I bet you're proud."
She rolled her eyes. "And if I am, Ronald?" She sighed. "I've enough on my plate without having to deal with fighting with you. Why don't you try thinking about how ashamed your mother would be if she knew how immature you're being? Better yet, why don't you go and concentrate on your own assessment? I doubt Hannah enjoys watching you make a fool of yourself…"
He clenched his jaw, and turned on his heel.
Hermione sighed. "Ron, wait…"
He turned back. "What?"
"I…I miss you. Harry and I both do. Why can't we stop acting so foolishly and sit down somewhere to talk? You know…Like we used to?"
For a moment, he appeared to consider the suggestion, before shaking his head. "Why?" He echoed. "I'll tell you why. Because the two of you tricked me, that's why. I thought that the last people to fancy Slytherins would be the two of you…Do you know how humiliating it was to watch you get paired off to them?"
"Ron…Other Gryffindors are with Slytherins…"
"They don't matter. You weren't supposed to be. We hated them. Or, at least, I thought we did…"
"Didn't the war teach you anything?" She countered, sadly. "A person's house shouldn't determine what you think of them. Gregory is not some faceless Slytherin…He's just like you or Harry; a young man with a personality. With wants, and needs and fears…Professor Snape is also human, whether you want to believe it or not." She waited a beat, "Ron…we miss you…but, if you can't accept us for who we are…it's probably best if we go our separate ways here and now."
The other Gryffindor blinked. "I'm sorry, Hermione. Right now…" He glanced in Hannah's direction, and smiled sadly. "We're on different paths."
She attempted to swallow the lump that had lodged itself in her throat, and blinked back tears. "I'm sorry, too, Ron. If you ever change your mind…" She let the sentence hang. There wasn't much chance of him changing his mind now.
He nodded and walked away.
From there the class progressed like any other. McGonagall commended them for their efforts so far, and informed them that they were to begin writing a journal, of sorts, wherein all issues encountered were to be raised, with a brief discussion of how those issues were dealt with.
Every so often, a baby would cry, interrupting the flow of the lesson as 'parents' scrambled to calm their children. Hermione was intrigued by Sophia's demeanour throughout the class. She never grizzled or fussed, instead stared -nearly unblinking- up at the ceiling, which, on this particular day, was dull and littered with rain clouds. Even when Harry and Greg's son howled beside her, she seemed unfazed, if a little irritated.
It was most unusual behaviour for a newborn, and it left Hermione feeling rather unsettled by the close of the lesson.
Perhaps there was something wrong with her 'child'? The little thing might be a snitch short of a Quidditch match, though there was no history of birth defects or mental illness in her family. Severus hadn't mentioned it with regards to his family either, though that wasn't to say that it wasn't possible...
She sighed as she signed her baby over for childcare, ignoring the whispers and glances of her curious peers.
Time would most likely reveal all, and there was no use worrying now. Besides, the entire ordeal was fictional and it did not and would not affect her NEWTs one bit. Just her ego.
-?-
Friday's allocated spare snuck up on Hermione seemingly faster than any other. Of course, it may have felt that way simply because she'd been dreading the new requirements of the course. After all, how was she to describe dealing with Severus' straight-out refusal to participate in anything involving the 'baby', especially as she agreed that it was inconsiderate of the Headmaster to throw such a menial task upon him?
The door was open in anticipation of her arrival. She was grateful, as her hands were full carrying the baby and the bag of baby-care essentials. Her school books and supplies were shrunken and weighing down her pockets.
"Good afternoon, Severus." She said, dropping the baby-bag down beside the desk.
He glanced up from his marking. "Good afternoon."
She frowned as he returned to his work. Well, if that was the way he wanted to be… "I gave her a name."
"Hmm?" He didn't look up.
"I named her." Hermione repeated, boldly sitting on the corner of his desk.
This time the Head of Slytherin did glance back up, clearly unimpressed. "Who?"
She gestured towards the sleeping bundle in her arms. "Our 'baby'."
"Surely you mean your 'baby'?"
Sighing, she shrugged. "Fine. Either way, we're now to refer to her as Sophia Granger-Snape, instead of 'it', 'the baby' or 'my assignment'."
He rolled his eyes. "Sophia Snape?" He considered the name, not missing the irony of the double initial.
"Granger-Snape." Hermione corrected, smugly.
"I assure you, Girl, that were you to actually bear my children, they would take my name and my name alone."
She scowled. "That's archaic!"
He smirked. "That's the Snape way."
"Oh, what rot!" She seethed, "As if you're one to follow the rules laid down by your ancestors!"
Setting aside his quill, he arched an eyebrow. "What are you insinuating?"
"I'm not insinuating a thing." She responded, "I'm stating fact; you've gone against every other antiquated 'rule' of the Snape line so far, so why bother falling back on 'The Snape Way' now?"
Severus smirked. "Perhaps I enjoy riling you up?"
Realising that she was reacting predictably to his comments, she blushed. "You're a sadistic old sod, you are."
He chuckled lightly, and rose from his seat, offering her a hand. "Come, we'll enjoy some tea in my chambers before you say something you'll regret."
She followed him, a wild unwavering grin plastered upon her face.
In his sitting room, she summoned the shrunken makeshift bassinette from her bag of baby essentials and enlarged it, before gently placing Sophia down to nap. Her fears that there was something wrong with the little thing had abated days earlier, when the brat…that was, darling infant… had kept her up all night with her crying. She wasn't very vocal in public, but, in private, the child wasn't averse to testing her lungpower. It was as though she knew exactly when her mother needed to concentrate, study or sleep.
"And how is motherhood treating you?" Severus asked; his voice a welcome reprieve from Hermione's frustrated musings.
She sighed. "It's just as difficult as I'd imagined it would be…Harder still, thanks to the Headmaster and his stupid Hat. I mean, everyone else only loses half the amount of sleep. Me? I get to play 'single mother' for the entire time…I might as well wave goodbye to my NEWT scores now."
Her former professor frowned. "Perhaps there's a stasis charm you might place on the…child every other night, to ensure that you remain equal with your peers?"
"No…There's not. It's cheating, you see." Hermione arched her upper lip in distaste. "The Headmaster believes that I'll achieve top scores on my NEWTS anyway…and that I should enjoy the extra challenge that this exercise provides."
Severus scowled at that. It wasn't fair for the old fool to deny the Head Girl of the extra hours that every other student possessed. Wasn't he always harping on about equity and equality and all that which was connected to the issues? How could he bear to dismiss the star student's needs so easily?
Then a thought struck him. Dumbledore wanted him to take on the complete role of the other partner! Which was absurd! He was a Professor, not some hormone riddled teenager that needed to learn a few valuable life lessons! And therein lay the point. If Severus were to speak about this with the old fool, he would be faced with two options; quit his job or take the faux infant every other night.
Snape sighed. This year was getting worse with every passing moment.
"Damn that manipulative old fool," he seethed, more so for his own benefit than Hermione's.
She nodded. "Quite."
He glanced across at her. "Let's see it, then."
"What?"
"The child," he spoke the word as though it left a vile taste upon his tongue. "Let's see what all the fuss has been about."
Vaguely confused, Hermione picked Sophia up –careful not to wake her- and gave her to him. "Fuss, Severus?"
"The seventh year students have been rather…vocal, I suppose, about her appearance." He responded, before observing the infant in question. He was somewhat surprised by the feel of her; he'd had very little experience with babies in the past, but he knew enough to see that this imitation was realistic, right down to the very last detail. If he hadn't known better, he would have guessed that she was, in fact, real. And, he decided upon closer inspection, the Seventh years were right; she did look very much like him. He voiced his thoughts.
The Head Girl grinned. "If she were real, I would say that she's quite lucky. After all, imagine growing up with my hair."
"Indeed." Snape responded, fighting the urge to touch the tiny alabaster cheeks.
"Of course," Hermione continued on, "I would hope that, as she aged, it would become obvious that she inherited something from me…"
"She could have done with your nose…"
"I don't know…I think that yours suits her."
Severus looked up, mortified. "You can't be serious, woman."
She shrugged. "I rather like your nose."
Realising that they had entered dangerous territory, Severus cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the alarmingly real infant in his arms. "Perhaps," he started, "I might look after her every so often…"
"Severus, no!" She protested. "You've far more important things to do than baby-sit a child that doesn't really exist."
"As do you, Hermione." He frowned. "If the Headmaster refuses to acknowledge your need for study time, I must take matters into my own hands. This year is extremely important for you. Far too important for you to sacrifice all of your time to Sexual Education and its vaguely pathetic requirements."
She shook her head. "But you've got far more work to do than I!"
"I've had to do more work in far more strenuous circumstances," he reminded her.
"But-"
"No, Miss Granger, the argument is over. She will stay with me three nights out of seven. Have I made myself clear?"
She nodded meekly, disagreeing with his decision, but knowing that arguing further would be pointless.
He smirked. "Good."
It wasn't until she left the infant with him after their tutorial that evening that he regretted his choice.
A/N- Was it worth the wait? As per usual, all suggestions and comments are welcome!