(Okay, so Chapter 19 was short as hell. Sorries! I did that for a reason.. Shhh, don't tell anyone, but this is going to be a super long chapter :D so I hope you enjoy!)
Chapter 20
"He doesn't want me," Hermione sighed and stuffed her mouth with a combination of toast and eggs.
Ginny smirked and took a swig of pumpkin juice, "Does it surprise you at all?" She scooted in a bit so that Hermione could hear her better over the roaring around the hall, "He hates you."
"He has no reason to!" Hermione said through her eggs, eyes wide.
"Yes he does! You can be annoying, 'Mione," Ginny smirked.
"Wha? Me?" Hermione feigned shock before rolling her eyes, "That's no reason to hate someone."
"True," Ginny nodded, pausing for a few moments to gather her thoughts, "Have you considered another subject?"
Hermione slammed her fork down, "I want bloody Potions! It's my life, and my career, so why should I change my mind and aspirations for the likes of Snape?"
"Um, Hermione-"
"And furthermore, I'm tired of everyone being so damned intimidated by him! Yeah, he looks scary but he really isn't! I would know!"
"'Mione-"
"I want to study under him, and if I have to convince Dumbledore to allow it, I bloody well will!"
"Hermione!" Ginny snapped.
"What?"
"Look," she gestured behind Hermione. As the golden haired girl turned, her face paled to a pasty white. There stood Snape, angry and glaring.
"I'll give you the apprenticeship. But if you fuck up, just once, I will send you packing," he turned on his heel, storming out of the Great Hall.
"Bloody hell," Hermione murmured.
"He is rather freakish, isn't he?" Ginny giggled.
BBBB
"What made you change your mind?" Hermione stood in front of Snape's desk with a look of determination etched on her face.
He lifted his head slowly, eyes narrowing as he took in her pregnant, irritating form, "What are you talking about?"
She rolled her eyes, "The apprenticeship. You told me I could have it. What changed your mind?"
Snape whipped off his reading glasses and massaged his temples, "I overheard yourself and Miss Weasley this morning."
She nodded, "Yes, and?"
"You know nothing! Nothing about me!" He boomed, sending shivers down Hermione. Her eyes widened as he spoke, "And I wish to show you just exactly what I am."
He stood and stormed around the desk, his hands now placed on Hermione's shoulders. She froze, "Yes?"
"Lily.. I wanted to know.." He shook his head, "Nevermind."
"No! What?" Hermione turned her head up to him.
He closed his eyes, pain written all over his face, "Did she ever talk about me?"
Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she might say something, then finally nodded her head in a curt motion.
Severus seemed to light up, but only for a brief moment. He patted the Gryffindor's shoulders and swept out of the room.
BBBB
"I am so fucking sick of being pregnant!" Hermione whined, hand resting over her belly. She'd just now reached the beginning of her final month, and one woman couldn't be happier.
"Just see if the baby is cooked enough to go ahead and induce," Remus sat across from her, sipping a cup of tea.
"No! I'm not going to knock off the balance of nature," Hermione shrieked.
Remus winced at the high pitched noise, "Nothing natural about that."
Hermione smirked and glared, "You just want me to pop him out so I won't be bitchy anymore. Guess what? I won't be sleeping properly for four months, so the joke is on you. I'll still be a bitch."
Remus groaned and closed his eyes, "I forgot about that... Waking up at all hours of the night... Damn it."
"Next time, wear a rubber," Hermione snickered as Remus popped her arm playfully.
The next few weeks were hell. Graduation was coming up the following Friday, then Hogwarts shut down for the summer, followed by Hermione delivery. She was due at the end of April, and no one was really sure how she'd do with this delivery. The baby was much bigger than her first, and so Hermione was terrified to say the least.
The morning of graduation, Hermione packed her bags, dressed accordingly, and headed down to the Great Hall. Seventh year students were lined up in a queue according to alphabetical order, leaving Hermione about 3/4 of the way up. She gave a small wave at Remus, grinning widely, and located her parents a few rows back. They smiled warmly up at her.
As Professor McGonagall called names, all Hermione could think about was how sweaty she was. She felt hot in her black dress robes. The Great Hall was clammy.
"Mrs. Hermione Lupin!" McGonagall called.
Hermione didn't hear her.
"Mrs. Hermione Lupin!" She repeated.
"Hermione?"
Hermione collapsed. Thankfully, a Ravenclaw behind her caught her before she hit the ground.
BBBB
"She's sleeping," Remus whispered.
Hermione cracked her eyes open, catching blurry sight of her baby boy in Remus' arms. The tiny bundle was snow white with bright blue hair. She smiled softly before falling asleep yet again.
"What happened?" Harry stood in the doorway, taking his brand new godson with a grin. The baby smacked and stared up at Harry with shocking, blue eyes to match his hair.
"They said that she was dehydrated. She started to go into labor and her body couldn't handle it. They performed a c-section about two hours ago," Remus glanced over at a pale but peaceful Hermione.
"Well he's perfect," Harry kissed the baby's head and handed him back to his father.
A few hours later, Hermione woke to a baby's cry. She slowly opened her eyes, trying and failing to sit herself up, "It hurts," she moaned, clutching at her stomach.
Remus jumped up and pressed the button to her morphine drip before pulling their sleepy son out of his hospital crib. Now the child had cotton candy colored pink fluff on top of his head. Hermione giggled and took him from Remus, looking him over lovingly.
"He's perfect," she kissed the little one's forehead.
"So.. What are we naming him?" Remus took a seat on the edge of Hermione's bed, eyes floating over his son and wife.
Hermione sighed and leaned up to kiss him softly, "I'll let you decide."
Remus blinked, "Wha? No!"
"Night night," Hermione handed the baby back and rolled over, eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep.
Remus cursed to himself and snatched the baby name book out of Hermione's satchel, flipping through it until he reached the boy's names.
An hour later, he was shaking Hermione awake again, "Liam."
"What?"
"Liam. Liam Nicoli Lupin," he slammed the book closed.
"Sounds good, love," and with that she was asleep yet again.
Remus smirked and looked down at little Liam, "This will be a long hospital stay."
BBBB
"Where's my robe?" Hermione called from upstairs. Remus was busy packing Aariya's little bookbag full of crayons and coloring books and preparing Liam with juice and cookies.
"I haven't the foggiest!" Remus called in return, ushering Aariya toward the door.
"Daddy, hims jacket not zippied," Aariya squeaked out, pointing at Liam. Her little brother squealed and bounced in his high chair. At the moment, his hair was a mixture of green and blue, and one eye was green, and one eye was blue.
Remus nodded, "I know that, Aariya. Thank you," he patted her on the rear as he swept by to gather the last of his teaching supplies. "Hermione! We're going to miss the train!"
"I know, I know!" Hermione huffed as she ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She scooped Liam out of his high chair and tossed Aariya her juice box. The four year old giggled and caught it in mid-air, but not with her hands. Accidental magic levitated the juice down until it dropped into her unzipped backpack. Hermione smirked at the little witch and shifted a two-year old Liam onto her right hip.
"Are we ready?" Remus panted, gathering their luggage.
"Yes," Hermione grinned and ushered the little family out toward the car.
The ride to the train station was much longer than Hermione remembered. She assumed that this was due to her eagerness to get back to Hogwarts, this time a teacher, not a student.
The following year, she had completed her apprenticeship, been offered a job as the new Potions teacher, and took on another apprenticeship to follow under Minerva McGonagall. Hermione was well on her way to being great. While she had her successes, Remus wasn't without his own. He'd managed to take over the Care of Magical Creatures course for Hagrid, seeing as the half-giant was getting married and moving to France.
This meant that Aariya and Liam were to make Hogwarts their home. Both parents had their issues with this arrangement. Hermione was concerned that the children might get lost trying to wander the corridors. Remus didn't want them growing up in a completely magical environment. Professor Snape took care of the problem.
Yes, as strange as it would seem, Snape offered to babysit the two children while their parents were working, therefore keeping them safe in Remus and Hermione's quarters, as well as away from magic.
Remus had been shocked by the change of heart, but quickly realized that Severus simply wished to study Liam, therefore learning more about metamorphagi. There was the real Snape: manipulative and selfish.
The couple didn't really care about his motives, as long as their children were well taken care of. Hermione knew that Severus was out for his own gain, but she couldn't help but grin when she thought of him changing a soiled diaper.
"There! Go!" Remus cried as they rushed down the train station towards the Hogwarts Express. After shoving through to platform 9 3/4, the two ushered their children onto the train. Inside, Hermione found smiling faces, including that of Head Girl, Ginny Weasley.
"Ginny! You got Head Girl?" Hermione exclaimed after pushing Aariya into the compartment with Liam not far ahead.
"Yeah! I did!" She beamed, offering Hermione a seat. Remus shoved their baggage overhead and sat across from the two young women.
"I'm so proud of you," Hermione kissed Ginny's cheek and lifted Liam onto her lap.
"He's so big!" Ginny tickled the little boy's belly and grinned when he giggled and wiggled.
"Stot!" He squealed, flailing his arms.
"I remember when he was just born," she smiled warmly and pulled Aariya up into her lap, "And you too, Aariya."
"Hims still little," Aariya pointed at Liam.
"Oh, I know. And you're a big girl," Ginny grinned.
"Yeps, I am," she nodded in a matter-of-fact fashion.
(Please review! Make my day happy :D)