Chapter 73

A/N: OMG! It is the next to last chapter! I hope after the last chapters, which have been gut-wrenching and emotional, you all will like this chapter which shows the funny side of Severus and Hermione's new life. All my thanks to WriterMerrin, who has kept with me on this fic. You are awesome!

Please, if you haven't reviewed, please, PLEASE review! I really want to read your comments and thoughts about how this fic is ending. Also, I want to hear how y'all liked this chapter!

***

Fall arrived, and Severus went back to teaching at Hogwarts. The summer had been fruitful on many counts. The garden was ready for fall bulbs, the house nearly finished with repairs, just a few minor things left, but the inside was painted and fresh for the new furniture that was arriving within the month, and they spent the last week of August lounging as much as they wanted in the lovely garden they had made together, massaging each other's aching feet and getting used to being finally at rest and content.

The day after Severus' return to Hogwarts, Hermione discovered she was pregnant. Fear that she would lose this baby as she had lost Serena made her decide not to tell a soul until she could be assured all was well. She thought about it as she paced through the house. She couldn't go to Poppy, not at first. Severus would find out somehow. She would be seen by someone just walking through Hogwarts. No, she would have to go to St. Mungo's.

"Well, Mrs. Snape," said Healer Flannery as Hermione sat up from the examining table. "You are indeed expecting. Congratulations!"

Hermione was ecstatic. Her mind whirled with all the accomplishments she and Severus had made over the summer. The house was nearly finished, the lab in the basement ready for Severus' experiments, and she had combined their books in niches along the walls of the sitting room. Soon, the cozy sofa chairs she and Severus had imagined years ago arrived, filling the room, making it the cottage cozy and homey. They finally had what they had dreamt of for fifteen years: a home of warmth and children, summers with lemonade and pumpkin juice, working in their garden, and cocoa for the winter, warming by a cheery fire. Soon, they would have their first Christmas with all the trimmings and a full larder. Hermione was determined to be as fat as a sow if Poppy said she had to be, to make sure this baby was born healthy.

On her way home, Hermione decided to tell Severus about the baby over a special dinner. She had nervously gone around the house, fixing some of the smaller things on the to-do list while dinner cooked in the oven. After placing a warming spell on the finished meal, she went to bathe and make herself especially pretty. She had just emerged from the hallway, zipping up the back of her dress, when she saw Severus coming up the long walk towards the cottage. Hermione felt her insides churning. She was excited and scared all at once. She dashed to remove the warming spell, stow away the dish towel, and station herself by the dining table, smoothing down her dress and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

***

Severus walked in, scowling as usual. He spotted his wife standing by a beautiful table of delicious-smelling food. The grin on Hermione's face made his scowl melt until his face was relaxed. He strode over to her. "That's something I could get used to," he said as he greeted his wife with a kiss.

His hand cupped a breast, and Hermione squeaked. "Your breasts are larger, Hermione, I could see it, and now I can feel it!"

She raised an eyebrow. "So naturally you had to get a feel?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist. 'You're not going to smack a puppy on the nose for chasing his own tail, are you?" he teased her. "I am, after all, your husband. Can I help it if I find you irresistible? Now tell me what this is all about before you burst. I know when you are dying to tell me something."

Hermione giggled and kissed him softly. "Severus," she whispered against his mouth, "I'm pregnant."

He opened his eyes wide, and they traveled down to her stomach. He took his wand and swished it around until all the windows and shades were closed. His face grew serious just as when brewing a difficult potion; she had seen that look many times over the decades. With a swish of his wand, she was stripped naked, and Severus knelt to press his hand and ear against her stomach.

"Severus!" she said as she laughed. "The baby isn't there. The baby is here." She placed his hand just above her pubic hair. "Are you happy?" she asked when he raised his face to gaze at her, yet remaining silent.

He stood up and grabbed her face, kissing her desperately. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, telling her he was going to very gently make love to her.

"Severus, the food!" she screeched as Severus laid her down on their bed.

"Sod the food," he growled as he began to strip off his clothes. "I will not miss this chance. My wife has told me she's having my child. Nothing could be more important."

Severus made love to her with a tenderness she had never experienced before. She softly moaned, and he came undone, shuddering as whispers of love poured out of his mouth. "This feels so good," he gasped as he held her in his arms, listening as her tiny cries intermingled with his own rasping pants while he thrust gently inside of her.

***

Savion Snape was born on May thirtieth, 1999. He was a healthy seven pounds even and twenty-one inches long. He had black hair and dark blue eyes that Hermione swore would turn black like his father's.

All of Severus and Hermione's friends came to see the new baby. Harry and Ginny were the first to arrive. Ginny asked the new parents, "Why Savion?"

Hermione looked at her husband, and he answered as he tickled his son's chin with one long, white finger, "Savion means 'new house.' Savion is our fresh start, our change. He will bring us all our dreams and change everything that was once sad into happiness."

"That's a lot to place on a child, Severus," warned Remus.

Severus never took his eyes off his son. "Savion is not, nor will he be, required to do anything except live and be our son. Just his presence in our lives will make our happiness complete."

***

"Of course, Severus, you would have to test that theory," shouted an exhausted Hermione as Savion was squalling through his fourth straight night in a row after they came home from the infirmary at Hogwarts.

"Hermione," Severus said as he made them coffee, "babies cry, Poppy warned us, as did Molly." He yawned and continued, "Hermione, put him down and have some coffee. Although, I don't see how a vibrating chair can do anything but infuriate him further," he announced when she placed Savion in the bouncy seat that Ginny and Harry had given them.

"I'm putting on music," he announced.

"Severus, what if it's because my milk hasn't come in yet? He has to be hungry!" she fretted.

"Hermione," he said impatiently, "just turn on that bloody contraption. He's practically suctioned himself onto your breasts every hour on the hour. If anyone is starved around here it's me. My own son had taken over my own personal playground!"

Hermione laughed. "Well, my breasts were not created solely for your enjoyment."

He grumbled under his breath, but Hermione didn't understand what he was saying. Suddenly, the room was full of the slow, melodious tones of their love song. Whether it was the music or the vibrating seat, neither Severus or Hermione cared; Savion was quiet and looking around calmly.

Severus and Hermione both sighed in relief. Then Severus gently took his wife into his arms and slowly danced with her to their song. As it ended, a snap of Severus' fingers made it replay.

Hermione looked up at her friend and husband. "I remember as if it were yesterday, the night you first kissed me to this song."

"All I remember was being absolutely terrified you wouldn't like it and tell me we'd only ever be friends!" he said as he shuddered in horror at the thought.

"Never," said Hermione firmly.

***

When Hermione's milk came in, it was as if her breasts were hard as rocks and had expanded to a size that, frankly, mortified her.

"This cannot be decent," she muttered as she put on her new nursing bra and tee shirt. "I look like a Vegas stripper!" she complained to herself.

When Severus came home from work that day, he stopped and his mouth gaped open like a hormonal teenager instead of the thirty-nine-year-old he really was.

"Merlin's left nut, Hermione, what the hell happened?" he said, sounding very much like Ronald Weasley.

Hermione huffed in irritation. "They are breasts, Severus. You've been on speaking terms with them for quite a while now!" she snapped as she went to pick up Savion.

"Just hold it," he said dramatically. "Come over here. You used to have breasts, but these," he said with appreciation in his eyes, "are melons."

Hermione huffed. "Severus, if I don't feed him soon, he'll start howling in frustration."

Severus scowled at her. "It's never been a problem for you to let me howl in frustration," he reasoned.

"You are frustrated solely based upon your libido's need. Our son howls because I am where he eats."

Nevertheless, because she knew her husband was just basically a perpetual thirteen-year-old underneath his cold, hard, exterior, she lifted up her shirt and released the material over the cups to let him see as she rolled her eyes. "Can you be less obvious?" she chided him as he massaged and rubbed them eagerly with his hands.

"This is amazing," he said, mesmerized. "They are hard, so firm."

"It's because I am up to my eyeballs in milk. I need to feed him."

At that moment, Savion began to whimper, and Hermione said, "Enough, I'm starting to let down. There's going to be milk everywhere if I don't get to him," she said as she fastened her cups together.

She had meant that as a deterrent. However, Severus took off his traveling cloak and sat down next to his wife as she offered the nipple to his son, staring in blatant fascination.

"You're dripping!" he said in alarm.

"It's okay," replied Hermione soothingly as she watched her son latch onto her. She breathed in and sighed. "Oh, that's better."

Hermione focused on her husband as he watched his son eat in fascination. "How much does he eat?"

"My milk came in this morning. Right now I have absolutely no idea. I just let him eat for ten or fifteen minutes on one side, and then I switch and let him eat from the other for about the same," she explained.

She watched as Severus jumped up in alarm, making Savion startle, "Milk is dripping out of his mouth! Isn't he going to choke?" he said anxiously.

"No, Severus," she said calmly. "He's fine. If he were choking, he would be making choking noises. He's just a bit greedy. Like someone else I know..." she said as her voice trailed off.

"Humph," retorted Severus as he crossed his arms.

"Severus," Hermione said sweetly, "sit down. Please don't tell me you're jealous."

He remained silent as he watched Hermione switch sides. He let out a groan at the sight of her exposed breasts. "It's not fair. I'm going without sleep, without attentions to which I have become accustomed. Now I see my son taking over what's always been mine!"

Hermione looked upon him with pity. "Now, Severus, you're just going to have to learn to share and take turns," she said to him as if he were a three-year-old.

She received a glare and stifled a laugh.

***

After Savion had been fed and put in bed for the evening, or really, for the next two hours, Hermione came to bed and watched her husband as he was engrossed in a book. He glanced her way, and his face froze in shock.

Hermione was naked. She still was a bit round from the pregnancy, but Severus couldn't have cared less. All she wore was her underwear because she was still bleeding from the birth. She took his book from him and straddled one leg.

"I don't think I could straddle you fully," she said apologetically.

"I couldn't care less," he replied absent-mindedly. Hermione giggled. His black eyes were fixated on her huge breasts.

"Poppy said breast-feeding burns off the baby weight and tightens the tummy," she whispered. "I told you about sharing, and Savion is full...but so am I. Do you want to help me?"

Severus licked his lips and watched as droplets of milk began to drip from her nipples. He slowly fastened his mouth on one and drank.

Hermione shivered with pleasure as her husband drank from her. She was so happy he wasn't disgusted by it.

He released one after a while, and she asked shyly, "How does it taste?"

"Sweet and delicious. It must be all the fruit you eat," he replied as he switched to the other. It had already been dripping on him, and he swiped his tongue slowly underneath the breast and slid it up to the underside of her nipple, catching a fresh droplet of milk.

Hermione gave out a gasp of delight and satisfaction, to which Severus then drank from her hungrily. She took his hand and placed his middle finger against her clit. "Please just touch me there. I need to come," she panted.

Severus slowly brought her to orgasm, to which she cried out loudly and begged him to suck harder.

After she came down from her release, Severus released her nipple and stared at her curiously. "Is it like that when you feed Savion?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, feeling a bit light-headed. "I mean, I do feel good, but it is a different feeling...a bonding, a satisfaction that I am nourishing my son. It's just so unusual. I do feel good when I breastfeed, and I do get a little wet, but when you were doing it, it was so much more...so erotic. I felt so needy. You don't think badly of me, do you?'

"No," he replied. "Do you think badly of me? After all, I enjoyed drinking from you thoroughly."

"No, I think it can be our secret pleasure, especially since we can't have intercourse."

"Yes," he said in a suspicious tone. "I have done enough suckling for one night. I think now it's your turn, Hermione."

He uncovered himself, and she gasped at his raging erection. "I have been neglected for weeks now. If I can't have you, I think the least you can do is give me some sort of pleasure."

"Gladly," Hermione said as she lay on her back. "Look, I can't move a whole lot still without hurting. So why don't I lie on my back and then you can straddle me, and basically, you'd be fucking my mouth."

It was furiously fast and rough. She grazed his cock with her teeth, lightly, and he grabbed two fistfuls of her hair and jerked his hips, shooting his essence into her mouth.

Hermione swallowed, which she rarely did, and the gesture was not lost on her husband.

"Do you think you can do that, let's say, a couple times a week?" he gasped.

"Just ask, Severus, things can't be so exhausting that I can't give my husband a blow job. Even if I'm tired, it doesn't take a lot of energy to let you mouth fuck me," she said lustfully.

"You keep talking like that, I'm going to get hard again," he warned.

"Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?" she asked, looking at him wantonly.

He kissed her and lightly grazed the sides of her breasts. "You are so lovely, my sweet girl," he whispered.

They held each other and quickly slept until Savion woke them up, eager to eat.

***

Four years passed, and Severus and Hermione had two more children. Their second son was named Xavier. When asked by friends, the Snapes announced it meant "new house." Then, when their third child was born, the same question was asked again. Severus told them her name was Hortense, meaning "garden." Hermione smiled at her husband, remembering the lazy summer days back at Spinner's End when Severus admitted that was when he had started falling in love with her: when they had worked in the garden.

Another four years came and went, and another two children came to finish the Snape brood. It was now a matter of great interest what Severus and Hermione Snape named their children, all of whom were black haired and black eyed. The only two physical attributes from their mother was thick, unruly hair, which Severus was not about to complain about since it wasn't either bushy or lanky. The other was Hermione's small, pert nose their daughters inherited. Alas, each boy had their father's nose, which irked Severus to no end, fearing the future taunts and teasing over their looks. The fourth child born was Antonietta, a sweet and tiny child that always seemed to remind Hermione of her Serena. The meaning was asked again, and Severus said it meant "priceless." The Snapes alone knew the sorrow behind the lost of their first child that would never fully go away. The fifth, and last, child born to Severus and Hermione was Erik, meaning "forever strong." Severus and Hermione kept that tidbit of information to themselves. The love between Severus and Hermione had never died during all those years of separation and pain. At times it had been challenged and questioned, but in spite of everything, it thrived.

***

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