astopperindeath - Black Hole Chaser, kittylefish - Supernova Seeker

Forgiveness

"What are you trying to tell me, Hermione?" Severus snapped impatiently. He was eager to get to the lab...he was experimenting with a new cream for dry skin relief, as Hermione had been complaining about itching on her back. "Just spit it out."

Her eyes first widened in shock, then narrowed with ire. "If you're going to be like that, never mind. Go on to your lab. We can talk later when you have more time." She turned her back to him, concentrating on the bouillabaisse she was planning to make for lunch, but he noticed a slight tremble of her shoulders.

Damn. He didn't know what had got into her these past few weeks. It was nearing their fifth wedding anniversary, and he'd thought they were happy, but lately he'd had cause to worry. Yesterday morning she'd dropped a cup, and when it shattered, she'd burst into tears, notwithstanding the fact it was easily mended. He stifled a sigh. He'd best discover what was going on before it got any worse. He clamped down hard on any trepidation he might feel and approached her back.

"Hermione. What is it?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just tell me." He moved behind her, massaging her upper arms as he kissed the side of her neck. "Nothing you tell me can be as bad as all this uncertainty and wondering." He nuzzled the soft skin behind her ear.

She drew in a deep, shuddering breath...Was she crying? Please not that...then reached up, drew his arms around her, took his hands, and quite deliberately placed them on her stomach.

And said nothing. She seemed to expect him to understand ... Oh ... Oh! As realization dawned, he tried not to stiffen away from her in shock. She, meanwhile, burrowed her head back against his chest. And now he was supposed to say something. Something that sounded ... pleased. Well, he was pleased, wasn't he? Pleased and ... terrified. He, a traitor in the Dark Lord's court who'd dallied with Death Eaters, was terrified at the thought of a tiny, little, helpless baby. He drew in a deep breath and wrapped his arms tightly around Hermione. A baby such as he had once been. He thought of his parents, of his father's anger and his mother's ineffective efforts to protect him.

"Severus? You understand, right? We're going to have a baby." Her voice shook slightly, and he remembered he'd thought she might have been crying. "Are you pleased?"

He'd been silent too long. He couldn't remember ever hearing her sound so timid, not even when she'd been a student. He kissed the top of her head. He couldn't believe he had not ever seriously considered this possibility. He'd just assumed he'd never have children...never have that responsibility. That opportunity to ... ruin someone.

He shook his head and pulled himself together. Just because he might share some homologous chromosomes with his father, that didn't make him the same kind of man. He wasn't his parents, and after all, even with everything...their mistakes and inadequacies, his own missteps and horrible decisions...he hadn't turned out so badly in the end, had he? Surely, even with all his ... challenges, he could manage better than they had. Couldn't he? And...he had Hermione to show him how. Hermione...a baby such as Hermione had once been. A tiny smile curved his lips.

He released her and turned her in his arms, his smile melting the apprehension in her face. "Yes, my love, I'm pleased." He realized it was true.

Eileen Snape wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Whenever she thought of her son, she felt so keenly her own failures. He'd known so much anger and pain at such a tender age, she'd feared for him. Feared for his soul, even. And now ...

She felt another presence and turned. "Headmaster," Eileen said, then, at his raised eyebrow, quickly corrected herself. "Albus."

"Hello, Eileen." He looked down at the scene playing out in the earthly realm and smiled. "I never expected to see such a day."

"Nor I." She sniffled a bit.

"Never?" Albus asked. "Not even when he was very young?"

"When he was very young ..." She pondered. "I'm afraid not." She hesitated before continuing, "It started so soon after he was born, you know. There wasn't very much time ..."

"I've often wondered why you stayed with him. Surely you had other options?" Dumbledore inquired.

"It didn't feel that way. My family had opposed the union. They disowned me when I married 'that Muggle' as they called him." Eileen laughed, but the sound lacked humor. "As it turned out, they were half-right."

"Half?" Dumbledore asked.

Eileen sighed. "I would never have wished Severus unborn. However imperfect a mother I was to him, I loved him with all my heart. I hope he knows that." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she finished.

Dumbledore patted her arm. "I'm sure he does. And look at him now, so happy."

"It's beautiful to see, isn't it?" She smiled.

"It is." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled in the familiar way.

"Do you think ... Do you think he'll be all right?" Eileen forced the words past a lump in her throat.

"I know he will," Dumbledore reassured her. "We've seen how great a love his heart is capable of holding. This child will only make that more true. And...perhaps a little harder to hide from the rest of the world." He chuckled.

Looking down at her son, now truly smiling into the face of the woman he loved, she knew he spoke the truth.

Lily watched Severus holding his daughter, pacing around his bedroom to try to lull her to sleep. She recalled the nights when she had watched James do the same thing with Harry, and she smiled.

She sensed a presence behind her, before feeling her husband's arms wrap around her waist.

"Remember when Harry was that small?" he whispered into her ear.

"Like it was yesterday." She rubbed his arm with her hand, leaning back even further into his embrace.

James grinned. "It's hard to believe the bastard could be the father of such a pretty little thing."

Lily smacked her husband's arms, then spun to face him. "James Potter! After all these years, after being dead all these years, and after being able to see all of the sacrifices Severus has made for our own son, you still can't forgive him for reacting badly to all the stupid stunts you used to pull?"

James smiled. He loved that after all this time, he could still get a rise out of her. Yes, he knew it was probably not in his best interests to annoy his wife too badly...an eternity of her irritation would be uncomfortable at best. His wife stood before him, forehead drawn and fists bunched at her sides. He raised his hands and placed them on her shoulders, looking into her eyes.

"Of course I've forgiven him, Lilypad. He's made choices to protect our son that I'm not sure I could ever have made for someone else's child, let alone the child of someone I disliked no matter how good my reasons for disliking him seemed at the time. Hermione is the only other person down there who has cared for our son as much as Snape, and I know they will be at least as fiercely loyal to their own child as they've been to ours." James pulled his wife into his arms and hugged her, tucking her head under his chin.

Lily sighed. "I just wish ... things could have been different."

"I know, darling." He wrapped his arms around her tighter in comfort before turning her to watch the scene below once again.

Snape continued walking circles around the room, staring down at his little daughter in awe. Lily looked up at James and smiled once again.

"I'm glad he's finally happy."

"Well, he better be happy! At least she didn't get his nose!" James said, bracing for impact.

Lily smacked him again, but playfully this time.

Hermione had not slept well the last few weeks leading up to her due date. She had taken to pacing at night, not just in the hope of inducing labor but also out of cabin fever. She was so uncomfortable she hadn't left their home much recently and had reached the point where she had just wanted it over and done with.

In the wee hours of the morning, she had woken him, clutching her stomach, her face drawn. In a less-than-logical move on his part, he had Floo'd for Molly Weasley instead of a healer, and Hermione had given birth in their home. The labor had been quicker than Severus had expected for her first child, and after five hours, he had welcomed his daughter into the world.

Hermione was fast asleep, but Severus couldn't even dream of sleeping. He had been pacing with their little baby daughter for hours, in part because it lulled her to sleep so quickly and in part because it kept him from falling asleep. He knew it was irrational, but if he slept, this beautiful creature in his arms might not be there when he awoke. So he spent his night cradling her in his arms, taking a few stolen moments to inhale the sweet baby smell from the top of her head. He had never been able to identify that third aroma he always smelled when brewing Amortentia until today, and he was amazed to finally discover the origin of the fragrance.

He heard Hermione begin to stir seconds before the baby awoke crying...almost as if she had some sixth sense already as to the needs of their child. He crossed to the bed and gave her to her mother.

Hermione unbuttoned her pajama top and began nursing their daughter. "How was she, Severus?"

"Absolutely fine. Though, I'm sure any number of my former students would be appalled by the fact that you trusted me not to eat such a small child."

Hermione smirked. "Or use her for potions ingredients." She looked down at their daughter, smiling. "Don't worry, Amanda. Daddy won't be using you for potions today."

Her husband sneered. "Amanda and I had a very nice walk while you were asleep. I'll not have you scaring her before I've even done something to deserve it." He attempted to keep the stern look on his face, but the corner of his mouth began to twitch.

Hermione smiled. "Severus, I was watching you with her for a lot of the time you thought I was asleep." Her husband's face blanched. "If you always look at her the way you did tonight, you're never going to be able to resume that persona you worked so hard on."

Severus leaned down and kissed each of his ladies on the forehead.

"Indeed," he whispered before sitting on the bed next to them, pulling his wife and daughter into an embrace.

AN: This is the last week of this competition. If you enjoyed our story, please review and vote for it in the LJ poll. Team Venus appreciates the support of everyone who has read and reviewed our stories, Deliver Us as well as this sequel. We thank you for sending us through to the finals and giving us the opportunity to write this story.

Prompt words used: Homologous, Bouillabaisse, and Amortentia

Word count: 1899