Continuous Affair

It's Time

Hermione sat in the darkness of her mothers bedroom folding towels and pillow cases. The room was rather large and had a big window overlooking the lake. The moon was slowly rising above the mountain and casting a large bright reflection on the water.

She sighed as she straightened out the sheets and there was a slight knock at the door.

"Hermione? I know you're in there."

The door opened slowly and Severus cautiously peered around the corner. "Are you going to hex me?"

"What do you want Severus?"

"To apologize? I didn't mean what I said."

"It sure sounded like you did to me."

"Hermione please. You're tired and stressed. I am too. Not as much as you, but I am. I said things I didn't mean. Can we just forget about it?"

"Do you know what I want sev?"

"I don't."

"I want you to listen and not try to fix it. You have this need to fix things. To try and make things better, but I just want you to listen and tell me how much this sucks."

Severus gave her a puzzled look as she stood to try to be eye level with him.

"I'm very pregnant, to state the obvious. I'm miserable and I feel like an elephant, but there's nothing that can be done. I love that you want to make me feel better, but you can't, so listen, tell me it sucks and kiss me on the forehead. Please?"

Severus chuckled and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Why didn't you just say so?" He kissed her on the forehead and leaned down to pick up the pile of folded towels. He placed them in the bathroom before returning to Hermiones side. "Let's go home?"

"Yes please."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was October 12th and the leaves were falling at Hogwarts. It was a crisp fall day with the sun shining brightly throughout the castle. First and second years were outside running through piles of leaves during their breaks while the older children glared at them annoyingly on their way to class.

Hermione sat at her desk at the front of her classroom grading essays while her fifth year class practiced the silencing charm in groups.

"Professor snape?"

"Yes?" Hermione looked up to see a small girl raising her hand.

"I can't reverse it. As much as I enjoy Celeste being quiet, I don't think she's supposed to stay that way."

Hermione laughed and stood slowly. "You're correct Elise. She needs to be able to do the same to you." As she walked to the back of the classroom she paused as a sharp pain emerged in her lower abdomen. She reached for a desk to steady herself.

She shook it off and continued to the back before getting another, this time more painful.

"Professor are you alright?"

"I'm fine I'm fine." Hermione said before letting out a big gasp "on second thought, Elise? Will you go get professor Snape for me?"

"But he has a class. He'll be very angry with me."

Hermione was now buckled over grasping the back of a chair with white knuckles. "Please go! I think he'll understand!"

Elise ran out of the classroom while other students helped Hermione sit down in a chair.

"Do you need anything professor?"

"Shall we get the headmistress?"

"Celeste still can't talk"

"Would you all please calm down?!" Hermione barked. Somebody do the reverse charm on Celeste, and please just be quiet!"

Elise ran down the large staircases towards the dungeons and burst into the potions classroom with a large thud.

"What is the meaning of this?! 10 points from Gryff-"

"Please sir, I think professor snape is having her baby!"

Severus' eyes widened and he took a deep breath. "Class dismissed. Everyone out!"

He followed after Elise up to the Charms classroom where Hermione was leaning against a desk with a pained expression on her face.

"Everyone leave now!"  Severus boomed as he rushed to Hermione's side.

She took a hold of his hand and squeezed it tighter than humanly possible. "Darling?" Severus whispered. "Darling try to get up, we need to get you to Poppy."

"Just give.... ah give me a minute!" Hermione gasped as she pushed her head into his shoulder. "Ow!"

Severus grabbed her under the arms and pulled her into a standing position "come on dear let's go."

He tried to get out of the classroom as soon as possible but Hermione kept stopping and letting out large sobs as she clung onto the arm of his coat. "Severus it hurts!"

"I know Hermione, but we need to get you to Poppy. She'll give you something to help."

"My mother lied! She said the first child always takes a while. This feels too fast!"

Severus wrapped his arm around as much of her waist as he could and tried to help carry her part of the way. 

"Hermione are you alright?" Neville said as he rounded the corner.

"Does she look alright you idiot?!" Severus growled "help me get her to the damn hospital wing."

They walked quickly and made a loud entrance into the hospital wing where poppy was giving potions to a student who was in a quidditch accident.

"Poppy? Help!" Hermione collapsed to the floor as her face was streaked with tears and she was clutching her stomach.

"Hermione dear come on, we need to get you in the back." Poppy said rushing to her side and taking her hand. "You don't want to have this baby on the floor do you?"