IV

This is based on the Surrogate Mother Challenge on WIKTT. For full description of this challenge, please see the author's notes at the end of the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I do not own any of the characters or things in Ms. Rowling's wonderful universe, although I would really love it if she would send me a Time Turner!

Special thanks to my beta Southern_Witch_69, and to my wonderful muse, Meredith! Also to Charmed_Nay who really helped out with the grammar on this chapter! ;-)

Severus Snape received an Owl during the evening meal confirming Miss Granger's pregnancy. Following the letter, some of what was occurring began to finally register with him. He had spent months searching for the right woman to hire as a surrogate mother. Now, after all of the interviews, all of the plotting, all of the planning...it all came down to Miss Hermione Granger. He knew from the moment he saw her in that interview room that she was the appropriate choice for this endeavor.

He had known that the time had been nearing when she would be arriving at the castle. It had been a hellacious week. The week had been filled with the latest batch of unlearnt dunderheads and the Weasley-Twin wannabe miscreants. He had already had the pleasure of two exploding cauldrons...courtesy of the young Neville prodigy, a Miss Schmidt...followed by the unwelcome advances of Professor Trelawney, not to mention the countless detentions that he had been forced to oversee. He allowed himself a small smirk. He had not actually been forced exactly. He'd given out the detentions to hopefully teach these degenerates about proper and acceptable behavior. He did enjoy, however, the bringing about of unabated fear and dread that gave him his very satisfying reputation.

After reading the letter, he finally decided that it was time to inform the headmaster of his soon-to-be houseguest and the reason for it.

He had been undecided as to what information to give the old man even though he himself had been the one to insist on that damned secrecy clause. With his choice of a surrogate, things had changed. What had he truly hoped to gain from that? Well, initially, he had planned to hire a woman, have her secreted away somewhere, deliver the child, and then have the child delivered to him. The secrecy clause was to ensure that this woman did not attempt to re-enter his life or his child's life at a later date. This clause guaranteed him sole rights to the child. The witch would never be allowed to speak of it or her role in its creation. No doting witch turning up at birthday parties and holidays suited him fine. He wanted the witch completely out of his child's life and definitely out of his own.

However, when he'd seen the state of Miss Granger, he had felt something for her. Something unidentifiable. Pity? Maybe. After all she had done for the Order of the Phoenix, she had nothing to show for it. In fact, she was nearly unemployable. Yes, it was pity, he decided. This pity led him to enact a clause stating that she would need to come and live with him at Hogwarts. He'd realized immediately that with the small change, people would know the identity of the carrier, but it wasn't like he could secret her away to the dungeons and expect her to stay put. No, he knew enough of the Golden Trio's antics to know that she would definitely not remain there obediently. He'd told himself that he wanted her to stay with him so that he could ensure that she would take care of herself and conversely his child throughout the pregnancy. She was likely to become all noble or something equally Gryffindorish and attempt to break the contract if left her to her own devices . That was the one thing he was most worried about. He knew that he would have to play her very carefully, and he'd need to be sure that he played to her other traits of honor, such as showing her the importance of upholding the contract...to the letter.

With all that in mind and still desiring to maintain the secrecy of the actual biological mother, Severus had decided that it was much easier to say that the child was the result of a donor egg and that Miss Granger was only the carrier. Of course, people would still speculate, but if she denied that the child was hers, no one would refute the honorable Gryffindor.

With those thoughts clear in his mind, he proceeded to the Gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office.

"Harry James Potter", Snape hissed. Oh how he hated the new headmaster's choice of passwords. Unlike Dumbledore, who had used a vast variety of sweets as his passwords, the new headmaster rotated the passwords with the names of students who had received the exceptionally high mark of Outstanding on their O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. Potter, unfortunately, had been one of those students that had impressed the old man when he had tested the boy on his Defense Against the Dark Arts exam during Potter's fifth year.

The mocking of the Gargoyle pulled Snape out of his reverie. "Yeah, don't choke on your words there, Professor," it chuckled whilst taking Snape up to the headmaster's office.

He knocked on the large brass knocker in the shape of an eagle several times when he finally heard, "Enter!" from the other side of the door.

He entered the headmaster's office, the blue and gold carpeting was a sharp contrast to the maroons that had draped the floor and windows from the previous owner. Yes, definitely no subtlety to the man's previous House affiliations, thought Snape with a scowl.

"Oh, Professor Snape," said the very old wizard seated behind the dark mahogany desk. "It is so wonderful of you to drop in! You know, I'm thinking of using you for the next password," announced Headmaster Tofty in amused tones.

"No, sir. That will not be necessary," replied Severus curtly as he gracefully sat himself in the plush armchair facing the Headmaster's desk.

"Oh, but, Professor," exclaimed the headmaster. "You had exemplary scores! You deserve that honor you know. Yes, yes, I remember quite clearly," he continued with a smile. "You received 12 O.W.L.s in your fifth year with some of the highest scores since Albus Dumbledore himself."

This man sounds so pathetically gleeful, thought Severus. He let out an involuntary shudder. True, Albus had been a doddering and meddlesome old fool, but at least he had intelligence and sense to make rational decisions. This Headmaster was just plain...something! Severus didn't know what he was exactly. Tofty was daft. True, the man had been a very intelligent wizard in his time, and he had been an outstanding professor and had done well working on the Wizarding Examinations Board. However, Tofty was well past his prime now, and it seemed that old age had finally caught up with the man. Severus had long since suspected that Tofty had been shuffled off to Hogwarts following the war to ensure that the Ministry of Magic and the School Governors would be able to push through whatever new rules that they deemed necessary. Luckily for all of them, the deputy headmaster was not quite so simple minded and being not nearly as old as the current headmaster; Professor Flitwick had a strong mind about him.

Severus snapped his head back to the conversation when he heard Professor Tofty say, "...Hermione Jane Granger..."

"What?" he cried, nearly forgetting himself.

The headmaster gave his young teacher a small smile. "I said that since you insist, then perhaps I will use Hermione Jane Granger for the next password, you know her scores..."

Severus cut him off, standing to his feet, "No!"

"Pardon Me?" inquired the aged wizard.

Calming himself immediately, whilst inwardly chastising himself for losing his temper so quickly with the old man, Snape resumed his seat. "I'm sorry, sir. I did not mean to react so negatively to your suggestion." Snape paused and eyed the headmaster carefully. "Please reconsider that decision until I have said what I have come up here to tell you."

No, having Hermione's name as the password to the headmaster's office would not do. All too soon, the young woman would be once again wandering the halls of Hogwarts, and Snape was certain she would be the hot topic of conversation and idle gossip. At that rate, the door to the headmaster's office would constantly be opening to anyone who happened to utter her name in the hallway. Severus did allow himself a small inward smirk at this thought.

Severus took a deep breath and looked up at the painting of Albus Dumbledore which was positioned directly over the desk of the current Headmaster. Albus gave Severus a small smile and attentively leant forward in his frame.

"Do go on, Professor Snape. You seem to be full of opinions of my new passwords this evening," prompted Headmaster Tofty.

"You see, sir. I have made an arrangement with Miss Granger. She will be coming to stay here through the end of the school year," said Severus very calmly.

"Really?" inquired Professor Tofty. "Well, she can't work here, you know. The Ministry has been very adamant on that point, my dear boy."

"Yes, sir, I am very aware of the Ministry's influence on Miss Granger's life," spat out Snape with a clear tone of disdain. "However, Miss Granger will not be working here." Severus held up a hand to stop the old wizard from interrupting him with another useless statement. "Nor will she be training under an apprenticeship, Headmaster. I am very aware of how the Ministry views her and her war crimes." He barely uttered the last two words. It disgusted him to the core of the Ministry's intrusion into the young witch's life.

Professor Tofty was paying rapt attention to the Potions master and was clearly waiting for Severus to continue. Severus was finally prompted when he heard Professor Tofty prod him, "Yes, Professor, then why is she moving here for the school year?"

"I have contracted her to bear me a child," replied Severus simply whilst turning his gaze to focus on the fire roaring next to him. He couldn't quite bring himself to look at the current headmaster and was also very much avoiding the glare he knew he was receiving from Headmaster Dumbledore.

"So, then you are marrying the girl?" asked Professor Tofty.

"No."

"Oh, so you were both careless then?" asked the headmaster in a bemused voice. "Well, that happens. I must say that when I was young-"

Snape did not allow the headmaster to finish his reminiscing. "NO!" he shouted bringing his gaze back to the old man in front of him. "I hired her through a fertility clinic. They placed an already formed embryo in her womb, and now she is pregnant with my heir," said Snape as cruelly as he dared, ensuring that he left no room for misinterpretation. "I merely wished to inform you of the circumstances of her arrival and to divulge the truth to you before rumors begin flying about the castle like a pack of Weasley's Whiz-Bangs!"

The old wizard flinched slightly when Severus shouted, but he inwardly mused at how different life was versus life nearly 200 years ago when he had been born.

Severus glanced briefly up at Dumbledore with a gleam of fire in his eyes, daring his old mentor to say something negative about this situation. No words came, only a slightly bewildered look and a brief twinkle in his eyes. Damn, did that artist have to capture that accursed twinkle! thought Snape with disgust. Do not forget the bloody bowl of sherbet lemons sitting on the table next to the portrait version of Albus! Snape reminded himself.

He turned his attentions back to the current headmaster. "Miss Granger will be arriving at the castle tomorrow, and she will be staying in my quarters. I have already commissioned a house-elf to prepare rooms for her."

Professor Tofty nodded. "And, what do you expect to tell the students, Professor?"

Severus looked at the man thoughtfully. "I expect the students to mind their own business, Headmaster." Then he added, "as well as the nosey staff!"

"Oh surely you don't think you can stave off rumors that way, dear boy?" interjected the voice of Professor Dumbledore.

Snape looked up at him and saw that his old friend now had a small smile playing on his lips. "That will merely pique their curiosity. Don't you agree, Severus?" prodded Dumbledore.

"Yes, you are right, as usual," replied Severus with a definite air of contempt. "I intend to inform the students the truth, Albus. She is being paid, it is not her child, the girl never had to bed me, and once the child is born, she will be gone." Severus waved his hand carelessly.

"Hmmm," was Dumbledore's only reply.

Headmaster Tofty finally spoke, "Well, certainly not the way we did things in my day...but to each his own, I suppose." The daffy old man had a humoring smile playing on his lips.

"Yes," replied Snape as he stood to leave. "Good evening, Headmaster." Severus strode to the door, and as he left, he could have sworn he heard the headmaster say, "Well, Dumbledore, since that young man shot down all of my other passwords, perhaps we'll use your name next. How about I just use your initials as a code?"

Snape rolled his eyes as he exited the room and strolled down to the dungeons to prepare the accommodations for Miss Granger.

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Severus watched as she slowly walked towards him from across the grounds. It was an early September morning, and the dew was glistening on the grass and the brush. He could see the nervousness in her face and by her timid stride. He had been waiting for her; however, he had never heard confirmation from Miss Granger that she would abide by his wishes and arrive at Hogwarts today. Neither of them had discussed a meeting time either. However, here she was, exactly when he had expected, looking much like a first year fresh off the Hogwarts Express.

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Hermione was approaching the castle with increasing trepidation. She wondered briefly how he had known when to expect her. She had not Owled him regarding her plans of traveling this morning. She briefly wondered if he had been informed yet of the status of her pregnancy. She arrived at the front steps, and he merely gave her a curt nod and led her into the school.

It felt almost like walking into a dream. It had been nearly four years since she had set foot in Hogwarts' entryway. It had been her home for so long, and now she felt like a stranger here. Her eyes went up to the high ceilings of the entryway, and she was only brought back to the present by the stern voice of the Potions master. "Miss Granger, as useless as your time may be, I assure you that I have other things to attend to today," he snapped.

She quickly drew her attention back to him and began to follow him down to the steps that led to the dungeons. Professor Snape stopped, however, and nodded to her trunks. "Leave those here; the house-elves will ensure that they are brought down to your room."

Hermione nodded, raised her wand, and muttered, "Finite Incantatem". The trunks gracefully dropped to the floor, and she proceeded to the dungeon corridors that she had trudged through during her seven years of attending Potions class. They came to a portrait that Hermione knew to be Merwyn the Malicious and stopped. She could not discern the words that Professor Snape uttered to the portrait, but the man within the canvas nodded his head and gave Hermione a sly grin as he allowed the portrait to open, revealing a small corridor.

"You will use this entrance at all times," came the voice of Professor Snape as he led her into the corridor.

Hermione nodded. She knew better than to ask for the ruddy password now. She followed him through the short passageway to a door which he opened and led the way to his quarters.

She found herself in a large sitting room. She looked around the room; it was not quite what she had pictured when she had prepared herself for living in the pit of despair. The carpet was deep blue with flecks of green and gold. Two green leather armchairs sat in front of the fire with a small sofa, also in deep emerald green with deep mahogany wood for the frame. Off to the left was a small dining table with two chairs. Hermione was definitely getting the feeling of intimacy and she was quite uncomfortable at the thought of spending her many free hours in these rooms with this man.

She quickly distracted herself from this thought by looking at what else was in front of her. The drapes were drawn, so she could not see what was beyond the windows, although she assumed that they looked into the underground lake. She wasn't sure that was a sight she really wanted to see. Hermione was not fond of the creatures that roamed the lake, and the thought of the eye of the giant squid peering in at her caused her to shiver. She continued looking at the walls along side the mantel. Bookshelves occupied the walls not encased by windows. Hermione found herself instantly drawn to them. Tomes from a large genre of magic and classical literature adorned the shelves, and she was itching to pick one up.

"Ahem," she heard from behind her.

"Sorry, sir."

He simply waved off the apology and began to walk to the far side of the room where there were two doors. "This door is to my bedchambers," he said simply. Then he turned to her, dark eyes glaring. "Stay out!"

She nodded.

"This is to your bedchambers. If you find something unsatisfactory, inform the house-elves; they will accommodate your wishes. There is a private bath off of your rooms. This door," he said pointing to the final door in the room that Hermione had not noticed along the same wall as the one they had entered, "leads to my office. Again, stay out!"

"Yes, sir."

He watched her carefully before he spoke again. "I have spoken with Headmaster Tofty, and he is aware that you will be staying here for the duration of the school year."

Hermione couldn't stop herself from asking a question. "What did you tell him?"

He leant in close to her, his voice cold and dangerous. "I told him, Miss Granger, that I had hired you as a surrogate for my heir. Nothing more. You will not say anything else either. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, meeting his piercing gaze with her own glare of steadfast determination. She knew full well what he expected of her. She only wanted to make sure that the headmaster had been informed of her condition before rumors and innuendo began flying about.

He stepped back again and regarded her resolve. Well, he thought, at least I won't be living with a cowering fool for the next several months.

"Have you eaten yet today, Miss Granger?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't have time."

"You will eat now," he said simply as he walked to the mantel and rang a small bell, which brought a house-elf to the room with a Crack!.

God, he's like hot and cold, isn't he? She went to her door and peered inside. The room was larger than the flat she had just left. A bed, similar to what she had slept in while in Gryffindor Tower, was the centerpiece of her room. It was swathed in deep maroon and emerald greens. Beautiful! Along the far wall was a large armoire with a St. Louis XIV writing desk in the corner. What caught her attention the most was that, once again, one wall appeared to be draped in bookshelves and books. Obviously he knew what would keep her entertained. Probably wants to keep me busy so that I won't annoy him with small talk, she mused.

The gruff clearing of his throat brought her attentions back to the man that was still standing by the fireplace. "Sit down and eat, Miss Granger," he said gesturing to the table that was now laden with a wide variety of fruits, breads, and cheeses.

"Thank you, sir," she said as she walked to the table. "It looks delicious."

"Hmmm," was his only reply.

She sat down and began to eat. She had not been able to calm her nerves enough the night before to tolerate much food, and it was already late morning now. She didn't notice Snape until he appeared next to her at the table and emptied a small vial in her pumpkin juice. She eyed him warily.

He was instantly annoyed at her questioning look. "Oh, think, woman! Do you really think that I would try to poison you?" he spat.

Her eyes became wide at his sudden outburst, and something akin to fear began swimming behind them. "Umm, no, sir."

He quickly calmed. "I apologize," he mumbled. Apologies were not something that Severus Snape did on a regular basis, but he figured if he had to share his space with this woman, he would have to do his best to maintain some degree of civility. Quiet evenings were the only times that he could drop his guard; her being fearful of him would definitely not give him the peace that he was accustomed to. "It is the vitamin potion, Miss Granger. Just drink it," he demanded quietly as he sat in the chair opposite her whilst pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

She continued to watch him closely while nodding and bringing the goblet to her lips. That vitamin potion is still foul, she thought. Only now she was forced to drink an entire goblet of foul tasting pumpkin juice to finish off the potion.

She ate and drank in silence as she sustained her gaze on the man before her. She was uncertain of what to make of him. It had been his demand that caused her to move out of her flat, quit her jobs...such that they were...to live here with him. It was his idea, but he acted as if she was nothing more than an intrusion. Well, what did he expect? And, what does he expect a child will be? She found herself wondering, not for the first time, if this man could really handle such an intrusion in his life.

"When you are finished, Miss Granger, go in and become acquainted with your quarters. After that, you will take a nap."

"What?" Who did he think he was by telling her to take a nap?

"You heard what I said, Miss Granger!" he yelled. His voice became low as he leaned across the table towards her. "Your health, Miss Granger, is my sole concern, thus the reason you are living here. It has already been a busy day for you. You will take a nap."

Her brown eyes flashed at him. She wasn't a five year old child! Although she was, in fact, tired from her trip and certainly could use the rest. She just did not like the idea of being ordered to do so. She took a deep sigh and conceded. "Yes, sir."

"Afterwards, Miss Granger, you are free to walk the grounds. Just be wary, there are still students that are children of former Death Eaters within this castle." He stood from his chair. "There will be a chair for you in the Great Hall at the evening meal. I expect you to be there. Ring the house-elves for anything else." With that, he headed towards the door leading to his office. "The password to the room is 'Potter Stinks'. You will not change it!" He opened his door and slammed it as he exited.

Of all the nerve! Potter Stinks! Whatever happened to not speaking ill of the dead? She found herself so upset at the gall of the man that she was now being forced to share a living space with that she found that she could no longer stomach the food. She rose and strode to her room, ensuring that she slammed the door equally as hard as he had.

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He left his quarters for the solitude of his office. This was going to be the only place that he was going to be able to find peace this year. He was certain. It's your own fault, Severus! You insisted that she live with you, chided his inner voice. Yes, yes, his own fault, he knew. Hopefully the books he had provided her with in her room would be enough to placate her and keep her out of his hair.

A/N: Sorry that took so long, but there wasn't an evil cliffie and real-life really took a toll. Next I have to finish up a chapter for my other fic and then I'll get back to this one. Hopefully, it won't be any longer than a week. Also, you'll notice that I lost the single POV per chapter. I knew I would eventually and I wanted to show Hermione seeing her new living conditions from her perspective...and I saw no point in breaking up the chapter. ;-)

Merwyn the Malicious: Appears on chocolate frog card #15. From medieval times, he is known for creating many of the unpleasant jinxes and hexes. Very appropriate for Snape, without being too cliché and using Salazar Slytherin. ;-) This information is from the HP Lexicon.

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