Chapter 2

Hermione was at the four-month mark of pregnancy. Her morning sickness was gone and there was a definite bulge in her belly. If anyone were to see her in tighter clothes, they would think she'd been overeating. Nobody would suspect she was pregnant yet. She had been able to hide her morning sickness fairly well. It helped that she wasn't actually going to classes. She was spending each month working with a different professor.

She was enjoying her job as an "apprentice." She'd spent the worst month of morning sickness working with Madame Pomfrey and was quite thankful to have her around. She learned a great deal and was skilled at patching up basic Quidditch injuries, although Madame Pomfrey had been teaching her more advanced healing spells, which she suspected might be needed in the near future.

Now that it was May and the weather had improved, she was out in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout. They were working on a form of Devil's Snare that could be carried and thrown like a Muggle grenade. So far, it was a huge failure, but they had a lot of fun trying it out. Starting in June, she would be working with the Headmistress herself, organizing things for the next year and trying to get the welcome letters sent out to new students. Professor McGonagall refused to have another year without first years. No matter the outcome of the war, the students would be allowed to come.

On her way out to the greenhouses, she thought about their upcoming reveal. She would be showing soon, and even if she weren't, the story would have to be told. If they stood a chance of having anyone believe them, things would have to be made public and Hermione would need to spend some time publicly with Professor Snape. If key people didn't believe their story, it would all be for nothing.

As she walked carefully to avoid mud puddles, she saw Professor Snape heading her way. She stopped when he got closer and it became obvious he wanted to talk to her.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," he greeted.

"Good morning, Professor."

"I thought I might walk you to the greenhouses this morning."

"Really? Why?"

"I think it's appropriate for us to start being seen together, that is if you still want to do this. I also need to talk to you privately if you don't mind."

"Okay. Of course. Did you want to go to your office?"

"No, that will not be necessary. Let's go over by the lake shall we?"

As Hermione walked toward the lake beside Professor Snape, she realized how odd it was. They had never been comfortable around each other; he frightened her on many levels and she knew she annoyed him to no end. It was only this child that she was carrying, and his unbelievable agreement to help, that had brought them to this. They could not be considered friends, but allies in a fight.

"Is everything all right, Professor?" Hermione asked as they settled on a bench. Snape's robes were wrapped tightly around him as he sat with a good foot of space between them. He was clearly uncomfortable being near her in a casual setting.

"I was called to a meeting with the Dark Lord last night. I told him about your pregnancy."

"What? I thought we agreed to wait until. . ." She was cut off by his stern look.

"We could not wait. He was targeting you directly. I had to tell him to invoke the protection over you. Word will be getting out, either through Draco or one of the other Slytherin traitors. I should have told you last night, but I wasn't feeling well."

"What did you tell them, and what did he do?"

Severus glanced out at the lake as he shared the night's events with her.

"Young Malfoy, how easy would it be to get Potter's mudblood alone?" Voldemort hissed at Draco.

"Very well, Severus. As soon as the child is born, the little whore will be brought to me." Voldemort turned then to look around the room. "No harm is to come to the Mudblood. Not in any form. Young Malfoy, this includes you and your propensity to tease. We want Severus to have a healthy child. Let's continue with other plans."

"That was it? He took it pretty well," Hermione said after listening to his story.

"As well as he ever takes things. I'm a tad concerned about his easy acceptance, but we'll deal with that later." Severus looked out over the lake. He was glad that his teaching robes hid the burns covering his body. Voldemort decided he should be cleansed after touching a Mudblood, and several acidic spells had been thrown his way. He was so thankful for Madame Pomfrey. He didn't know how many times she had helped him. He was in a lot of pain and would probably carry scars, but he would heal enough to keep going. He was beginning to despise his double life.

"Are you all right, Professor?" She was concerned after his period of silence.

"I'm fine, but you should start calling me Severus if we are to be thought of as lovers."

The word lover gave Hermione chills as it slipped off his tongue. They weren't lovers of course, but she would have to convince people they were. "Then you should call me Hermione."

"Very well, Hermione." Her name didn't flow easily for him, but he managed to get it out. "The Headmistress requests a meeting with the both of us and Potter in two hours. I'll leave it to you to get the message to him." He stood up and started walking away, forgetting his original plans to walk her to the greenhouses.

"I'll be there, Severus," she called out.

Hermione continued on her path to the greenhouses and worked for an hour on some new seedlings. She had a short period of time between regular classes where she could find Harry and give him the message, so she headed back to the castle. As she walked up the stairs to the third floor, she noticed that she was getting stares and there was a great deal of whispering behind her back. She knew what that meant. Draco had started talking.

As she headed down the corridor, she saw Harry, Ron and Ginny huddled together. She hadn't been seen, so she slipped into an alcove and quickly wrote a note telling Harry about the meeting. She wasn't sure if they had heard the news, but she couldn't arouse any suspicion in Harry's direction. Ginny was pretty observant, and Hermione was worried the most about trying to deceive her. She took a deep breath and headed towards her friends.

"Hi!" she announced.

"Hermione! Um. . . I thought you'd be in the greenhouses. . . Um. . . We were just talking about you," Ron stuttered. Obviously they had heard.

"Hermione, I think we should have a talk," Ginny said, giving her best Molly Weasley glare.

"Sure, I have a few minutes." She quickly slipped the paper into Harry's hand and followed Ginny down the hall and into an empty classroom.

"What's going on, Ginny?"

"I think you should know that Malfoy is spreading awful rumors about you," Ginny said, grabbing Hermione's hands.

"What? Not again. What is it about this time?" Hermione hoped her acting skills were up to par.

"You might want to sit down." Ginny placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders and pushed her down into a chair.

"Ginny, what is going on? You're worrying me."

"You should be worried. There is a rumor going around school, and from what I hear, it came from Malfoy, so I'm sure it isn't true, but it's about you."

"Uh oh," Hermione said. "What is it?"

"People are saying you are pregnant." She looked at Hermione, waiting for a reaction. "Pregnant with Snape's child!"

"Oh, that," Hermione stood and walked over by the teacher's desk. "I was hoping that wouldn't be public, yet."

"Yet? What? You don't mean it's true?" Ginny looked at her friend carefully. There was a flash of sorrow that crossed her face, but it was replaced with resignation. "You are having a baby with Snape?"

"Ginny, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. We were hoping to wait until school was out before it became public."

"I don't believe you. You're just playing a game right? You wouldn't have sex with Snape!"

"It just happened, Ginny. We were working closely together with things for the Order, and well, one thing led to another."

"When did this happen? Are you in love with him?"

"No! I don't love him, we aren't even a couple, it's not like that! We only had sex once. Remember back in January, when we thought we were going to die? I was extremely emotional if you remember. I found myself alone with Severus, told him I didn't want to die a virgin, and well, now I'm not a virgin anymore." She was amazed at how easily the lie came out. It was critical that Ginny believe her. She would spread the story faster than anyone.

"Wow. You are having a baby? That's amazing," Ginny finally smiled.

"I know, it really is," Hermione smiled back. "Do you want to see something?" At Ginny's nod, she took off her outer robes and draped them over the desk. Her shirt was already un-tucked since it was more comfortable that way and she lifted it up to show off her belly.

"Oh my gosh! Look at that. You've got a little bump!" Ginny cooed. "Can I touch?" At Hermione's agreement, she ran her hand over the slightly round belly. "When are you due? What are you going to do? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Well, I'm due in late October. I just found out that I'm having a girl. As for what I'm going to do, I'm not sure. I'm keeping the baby, of course, but I don't know if I'm going to try to get an apartment and set up a home, or stay here at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall has agreed to let me stay and apprentice. I haven't decided what to do."

"You could live at the Burrow, too, I'm sure Mum would let you, and she'd help with the baby. What about Snape? Does he know?"

"Oh, he knows. He's been pretty calm about the whole thing, actually. He's shown no interest in wanting to be a father at all. I don't care; it was just a one time thing. He is treating me a little nicer though."

"Typical," Ginny huffed. "So how did Malfoy find out?"

"I just saw Severus and he said that he was called to a meeting with You-Know-Who last night, and they were targeting me. In order to protect me and the baby, he had to tell everyone that I was pregnant. I'm well protected now, at least until the baby is born. Death Eaters are sworn not to harm the children of their own."

"People are going to start asking questions, you know. The rumors are flying."

"I know, that's all right. It's about time for me to stop hiding. I'm not embarrassed." The two girls talked some more, and then Hermione left to go to her meeting with the Headmistress. Harry was already waiting and a few minutes later, Snape breezed in, his robes billowing behind him.

They discussed the meeting from the night before, and Harry was filled in on the changes to their plans. Hermione kept looking at Harry and could see that he was very troubled by something. She could see that he wanted to say something but he was biting his tongue. She knew she could get it out of him when they were alone. As the meeting was coming to a close, Hermione remembered to tell everyone that she had talked to Ginny.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Ginny cornered me about the rumors, so I told her everything – well the fabricated everything. You can be sure that word will get out. Harry, you are going to have to do a good acting job," she told her friend.

"Why couldn't you have told her that I already knew? We're best friends, it would make sense if I knew," Harry argued.

"Not really, Harry. Ginny's my best female friend, so it would only be natural that I went to her first. Plus, Ron would lose his mind if he thought you knew and he didn't."

"He's going to lose his mind anyway, but you're right. I'll do my best to act surprised, scandalized, and whatever else I need to do," Harry agreed.

"How are you feeling, Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Is everything going as planned with the pregnancy?"

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey says everything looks good."

"Do you need new clothes yet? I can arrange a shopping trip for you, if needed."

"It's getting tight, but I can still fit in my school robes. Look!" Feeling very bold, she shrugged off her outer robes and for the second time that day, exposing her stomach. McGonagall cooed in much the way Ginny had, while Snape turned red and walked out the door, muttering about being late for class. Harry's reaction was one of awe. He didn't say a word, but came up to Hermione and placed his hands on her stomach. He looked in her eyes and she could have sworn she saw a tear. She never noticed when the Headmistress left the room.

"Wow," he finally whispered. "There's a baby in there. It finally seems real."

"Harry, I know this is hard for you. Do you want to back out? It's not too late. I could just disappear, go stay with family in America until after the war. You could still be this baby's father." She searched his eyes and saw the emotions play out. She saw hope and then resolve.

"No. You wouldn't be safe anywhere. This is our only chance, especially since you are being targeted now. I'll love this baby from afar. It will have to be enough." He stepped back and dropped his hands. "I'll have children with Ginny someday, and if not, I'll be a great Uncle Harry to this little girl."

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Don't be. You gave me a great gift that night." He cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. "You need to tell Ron. I'll leave first and I'll be in the common room. We'll go someplace private to talk." He took one more glance at her stomach and headed out the door.

**************************

"What? That slimy, greasy, asshole touched you? I'm going to kill him! How could you let him? Did he rape you?" Ron was ranting at the top of his lungs, and Hermione was very glad that she had cast a Silencing charm. The common room had been empty, except for Ron and Harry, when Hermione arrived. She'd pulled them through the entrance to her private Head Girl's rooms, and proceeded to tell them her story. Harry reacted like Harry would if it had been the truth. He threw out a few pointed jabs and then fell silent, glaring at Hermione as best he could. Predictable Ron had lost his mind. He had been screeching for five minutes now, while Hermione sat on her chair looking as calm as possible.

"Ronald, calm down." She had repeated those words several times already and he hadn't stopped. Finally, she raised her wand, shot a Stinging Hex at him and waited for him to react.

"And you should. . . Hey! What'd you do that for?" he asked as he checked out his smoldering shoulder.

"To get you to shut up. To answer your questions, it just happened, Ron. No more thought went into it. I hadn't been lusting after him, as you so sweetly put it. He didn't rape me; it was only once, and that's it. End of story. I'm having a baby."

"Harry! Say something!" Ron turned to his friend for help.

"I have nothing to say to her." Harry got up then and left the room. He was about to start laughing and he couldn't give himself away. Hermione had been so matter of fact about it.

"Wait till my mum hears about this!" Ron said as he followed Harry out of the room.

Hermione sighed as she sunk further into her chair. She knew these reactions would be coming, but she hated the idea of rehashing everything over and over and over again. She also dreaded the thought that Molly would hear about this. She wasn't her mother, but she was close enough at this point and she wouldn't be happy. She felt worse for Snape though. When Molly got a hold of him, he'd be lucky if he could ever procreate for real.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door. Opening it up, she found Lavender and Parvati looking apprehensive. "Can we talk to you?" Lavender asked.

Hermione let them in and sighed quietly. Here it comes. "Sure, come on in."

"We heard about your little problem," Parvati said quietly.

"Ginny told us it was true, and after seeing Ron burst out of here, I thought it must be. Is it?" Lavender asked. "Did you have sex with Snape?" Parvati started giggling as Lavender asked.

"Yes, it's true. Just once though; we thought we were going to die and I didn't want to die a virgin. He was there and now I'm pregnant," Hermione shrugged, already tired of telling the story.

"How was he? I mean, he's so mysterious. Was he good at it? At sex?" Lavender leaned forward on the bed and looked at Hermione. She hadn't quite prepared herself for answering those questions, and she didn't have any real answers. Her night with Harry had started out pretty awkward, he had no clue what he was doing and poked around quite a bit. She had to tell him where to put his penis, and that had taken some of the romance out of it. They'd had sex three times that night and he had the hang of it by the end, so she decided to focus on that.

"It was very good. It hurt of course, but he was gentle and sweet, really. He knew he was taking my virginity and he took that seriously. It was nice," she answered truthfully, only talking about Harry, and not Snape.

"How big is it? His – you know. Is it big? I don't think Ron's is very big," Lavender said, while Parvati looked shocked.

"You've seen Ron's thing? You told me you were a virgin!" Parvati told her.

"I am, but I've touched him and stuff. He is my boyfriend." Lavender looked back at Hermione. "So is he big?"

"Uh, I don't know," Hermione stammered. "I've got nothing to compare it to. Seemed pretty big to me, I didn't think it would fit," she started laughing then, and all three girls started giggling. The talk continued for a while, and Hermione was surprised to realize that she was actually enjoying it. She'd never been much for the girl talk, spending all her time with the boys, but all of a sudden, a non-virginal, pregnant Hermione was seen as a feminine counterpart. She did feel very feminine for the first time in her life. Her larger breasts and her slightly rounded stomach gave her much needed curves. She thought she might actually have some actual cleavage soon.

When she finally slipped into sleep that night, it was with a clear mind. Everything was going as planned. So far.