Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

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Harriet woke the next morning and blinked as a blurry shape hovered in front of her.

She started as she reached over to the nightstand and pulled on her glasses.

"Severus……" Harriet breathed as she found her lover sitting at her bedside, "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

"Only for a moment." He nodded, "I anticipated you'd wake soon after you began to rustle the covers…….Don't worry yourself, Potter, I only wanted to offer you this." Severus said as he handed Harriet a small glass vial with a single dose of yellow potion inside, "...And this." He drawled as he handed her a second, similar vial that contained a bright purple liquid.

"What are these?" Harriet asked as she sat up against the mound of pillows and took both containers from Severus.

"Anti-Nausea Potion." Severus explained as he nodded at the yellow vial, "Formulated to be safe for an expectant mother."

Before he had a chance to go on, Harriet ripped the glass stopper out of the vial and downed the liquid inside.

To Severus, Harriet's eager acceptance of the potion served as proof of her suffering.

The very idea his pup had made her feel ill caused a frown to mar his pale face.

Once Harriet swallowed and sat the empty vial on the nightstand, Severus nodded towards the vial full of the purple liquid, "And that one," He explained, "...Is a special elixir brewed for a woman in your condition. It offers many benefits such as nausea reduction, which can be supplemented by what you just swallowed, a bit of pain relief, increase in milk production, and encouragement of the child's growth."

Harriet looked into Severus's dark eyes for a moment before she uncapped the second glass vial and swallowed its contents as well.

Severus took Harriet's willingness to drink his gifts as a compliment.

At least the mother of his child trusted him enough to accept his assistance.

Harriet sighed as she passed a hand over her face.

"...Potter?" Severus asked.

The concern in his low voice was evident.

As Harriet met his gaze, she saw worry soften his black stare before she smiled wryly and said, "I already feel a bit better……..Thanks. The mornings can still be difficult for me, sometimes."

"Of course." Severus replied.

The couple stared at each other for a moment with silent frowns as they each wondered what they should say next.

Harriet just wanted to pull Severus into her nest and cuddle him.

Besides wanting to be next to him, she decided she certainly wouldn't have minded if he gave some attention to her sensitive bits…..

As Severus stared into Harriet's face, it was all he could do to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her soft lips.

After years spent starving for simple affection, Harriet Potter had become a source of comfort for Severus Snape, physically and emotionally.

Instead of spending the rest of the chilly morning in tense quiet, Harriet broke the silence by courageously asking, "If it's alright, I think I may like to go back to sleep for a bit? Growing a life has turned out to be harder work than I thought."

"Of course." Severus nodded as he deftly rose to his feet and nodded, "Expectant mothers need their rest. I shall stay close while you sleep…..If you need anything……call for me……and I will answer."

"Severus?" Harriet asked as he took a step away from the bed.

"...Yes?" He replied in a whisper that rang with hidden hope.

"Do you think……." Harriet swallowed before she hesitantly finished her inquiry, "Do you think you could lay beside me for a while?"

Severus's expression visibly changed from a mask of anguish to a look of shocked gladness.

"...I suppose that I may." He answered with just enough hesitation to not seem overeager, "My duties can wait until the afternoon since the school itself is at recess."

Harriet smiled softly as she moved over in her nest.

Severus slipped off his shoes and cloak as he prepared to oblige her.

After he had stripped himself down to only his trousers and white undershirt, he crawled under the covers and lay on his back with his left arm outstretched.

Although he and Harriet had yet to discuss the gritty details of their relationship, his heart raced as the beautiful omega curled into the crook of his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

Harriet was hopelessly overpowered, with the decadent smell of the alpha she loved in her face, the warmth of the blankets around her, and the knowledge that Severus's child rested in her belly, she nearly slipped into a coma instead of a nap.

Severus soothingly stroked her exposed upper arm with his skillful fingers as he listened to her steady breathing.

Once he was certain that Harriet had indeed fallen asleep, he boldly snaked a hand down under the covers and let his palm rest against the small swell where his unborn son or daughter lay.

Severus's thin lips twisted into a frown as he wondered how he and Harriet would forge a path ahead.

The only thing that calmed him was the realization of how much he loved his darling and how badly he longed for a loving home with a happy family.

Severus had never before envisioned himself as a father, but with Harriet as his wife, his mate, and his omega, the idea no longer seemed austere.

While Harriet slept, Severus bent his neck to nuzzle into her soft, sweet-smelling, dark hair.

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It humbled Harriet to witness Severus's devotion to her and their growing child.

Severus slept and woke beside her.

On nights when he was either up working or unable to rest due to his racing mind, he sat next to the bed in his favourite chair and glanced up from the book in his hands every few moments to ensure she rested peacefully.

He had been present at each of his darling's midwife appointments.

As Harriet struggled through her first trimester and entered her second with a seemingly unending fatigue, the midwife wrote her a medical excuse to hand into the Auror Department.

Although it was not particularly exciting to spend the day on paperwork, Harriet resigned herself to decreasing her workload until her son or daughter arrived.

The headmaster's chambers sat adjacent to his office, which conveniently allowed Severus to check on his lover every waking hour.

Committed to Harriet and performing his job duties, it was a rarity for Severus to leave the castle, yet early one weekend morning, while his beloved continued her peaceful sleep, Professor Snape did just that.

Fresh snow crunched under his shoes as he walked through the white streets of Hogsmeade until he came to the finest jewelry shop in the wizarding village.

Upon entering the shop, it pleased Severus he found the establishment mostly deserted at the early hour.

He preferred to make his selection without other customers blocking his view of the available jewelry.

"Good morning, sir! Why……Headmaster Snape! To what do I owe the visit?" The clerk on duty exclaimed to his first customer of the day.

"Good day." Severus replied, "Forgive me…..However…..I'm in somewhat of a hurry." Severus replied as his dark eyes darted across the glittering offerings of fine jewelry.

"Of course, sir." The clerk nodded, "Is there anything special you're looking for? That I may help you find?"

Severus narrowed his dark eyes to slits as he concentrated on his task.

A shimmer from inside one of the cases caught his attention as he pointed towards it, "There……I'll take that one."

"This ring, sir?" The clerk asked as he opened the case with a wave of his wand and removed the golden engagement ring, centered by a diamond cleverly carved into the shape of a Golden Snitch, "I'm not certain of your budget, but I must warn you, this isn't our most affordable piece. If you're interested in a ring, we have many beautiful solitaires over there." He said as he pointed to another case.

"The price is of little concern to me." Severus frowned, "If you will….." He said as he nodded towards the register.

The clerk nodded in return before he totaled the purchase and packaged the ring, using the coordinating special box.

As Severus handed over his payment, he didn't mind parting with a small portion of his savings.

He realized that he and Harriet would have few financial worries between his life's mounted earnings and the two fortunes she had inherited, not to mention the salaries they both earned.

Over the years, Severus had spent very little of the money he had made.

Besides, he couldn't imagine a greater purpose for his career's financial rewards than to secure a material declaration of his love for Harriet.

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Later that morning, once Harriet woke, she sat up in her nest and yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

A gentle sigh of relief escaped her lips as she appreciated her liberation from nausea and aches, courtesy of the potions Severus continued to supply.

After she stood and pulled on her morning robe, she fastened the tie over her small belly and frowned as she found a note inside her pocket.

She scowled as she read over the words that had been written on the scrap of parchment:

Find the Snitch.

Harriet blinked before she reread the letter.

Confused, she opened the door and called out, "...Severus?"

"...Yes?" Came his low answer.

"Did you leave this note?" She asked.

Severus coldly replied, "Why are you asking that question instead of focusing on its instructions?"

Harriet scowled in the direction of his voice before she stepped out into the hallway and walked to the main living area.

She found him seated on the sofa with a cup of tea on the coffee table, dressed in his back trousers and his loose, white sleep shirt.

"What shall I request for your breakfast?" Severus asked, "The house elves will bring it straight away."

"Nothing yet." Harriet huffed as she looked around the room, "Sorry, I'm….confused. Do you really mean for me to find a Snitch here?...Now?...What are you playing at?"

Severus cast her an unreadable look before he turned back to the morning's edition of The Daily Prophet and sipped his tea.

Harriet's frustration grew as she conducted an unsuccessful search.

Mercifully, Severus ended her vexation ten minutes later as he slipped his wand from his pocket and murmured a revealing spell.

Books toppled over on a nearby shelf.

After Harriet turned to glance in the direction of the sound, she noticed what looked like a regulation Golden Snitch sitting on the shelf beside the fallen volumes.

She threw Severus an incredulous glance as she walked over and picked up the Snitch.

Severus wasted no time.

He sat his paper down, rose from his seat, and rushed forward to kneel in front of Harriet while he cradled the Snitch with her.

"Harriet Jane Potter." He said very seriously as he stared into her fair face.

Behind her glasses, Harriet's eyes widened as Severus unfastened the locking mechanism on the side of the luxurious, golden box to open a small, sliding compartment and reveal the ring it held.

Harriet's mouth dropped open while he spoke, "You are my lover, my love, and soon to be the mother of my only child. I cannot sleep, eat, or live without thoughts of you. Would you, will you, please…….become my wife? Be my mate in this life and the next?"

The ring inside the Snitch-shaped box was beautiful with a band of pure, glistening gold, and a stunning diamond in the center, artfully fashioned into the shape of a Snitch with its wings spread wide.

"I….." Harriet gasped as she faltered, "Y-Yes!" She cried happily as her emerald gaze moved from the ring to meet her lover's black stare, "I love you, Severus Snape! Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"

Severus plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto Harriet's finger, eager to kiss her first, but she moved faster.

Before he could stand to his feet, Harriet held onto his shoulders and crushed her lips against his.

That happy winter morning was one of the brightest Severus and Harriet had ever known.