The Head of the Fertility Clinic

Disclaimer: I'm not making any money off this, so please don't sue. ;-)

A/N: A big thanks to my wonderful betas, queenp and Southern_Witch_69. You ladies are the greatest. Seriously, I mean it. :-D

Chapter Five: The Head of the Fertility Clinic

Hermione didn't sleep at all on Friday night. All she could think of was the appointment the next morning at St. Mungo's. She was nervous to begin with about the requirements of the contract, but the procedure was now worrying her as well. She spent most of the night tossing and turning, worrying over the appointment and what life would be like afterwards. What would it be like to be pregnant, to feel a life growing within her body? Up until signing the contract with Professor Snape, she had never really considered this, but now, the idea was all consuming. Inevitably, these thoughts would lead to thinking about giving up the baby after carrying it for nine months, so she ruthlessly tamped down on those thoughts. I will get him to change his mind about that, she thought as she punched her pillow. Then, with a great sigh, she finally let sleep overtake her.

Hermione groaned as she reached over to shut off the alarm clock next to her bed. She hadn't slept for very long, and she was not looking forward the events of the day. With a heavy sigh, she pushed a disgruntled Crookshanks out of her way and threw the covers off.

As she was getting dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror, and her hand idly rubbed her stomach. What would it be like to have a baby in there? She had to admit that a part of her was intrigued by the idea of being pregnant. She knew there would be unpleasant things like morning sickness, but it would also be interesting to watch all the changes that her body would go through. While she had been researching Professor Snape to develop The Plan, she had also researched pregnancy. She wanted to know everything that would be going on with her body while she was pregnant. Some of the articles had proven somewhat difficult to read, as they dealt with how the baby developed after birth and the bond formed between mother and child. The knot in her stomach gave an uncomfortable twist at this thought. She worried her lip, staring blankly into the mirror.

"A lot on your mind, dearie? Bloke trouble perhaps? Maybe if you did something with that rat's nest, they wouldn't be giving you such trouble," the mirror said in a snotty tone.

"Oh, shut it, you!" Hermione huffed. Lately, the mirror had been giving her daily advice on fashion, hair, make-up, and her love life...or lack thereof, as the mirror reminded her. Ignoring the nuisance of a mirror, she continued to get dressed for the day.

Once she was washed and dressed, she headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. She was very glad she didn't run into Professor Snape on the way. A slight scowl crossed her face as she thought of him. She had completed every one of his required experiments earlier than he asked her to. After those tasks were complete, she would clean and set up the classroom for the next day's lessons. She had even completed her reading assignments a day early. His responses to all of her hard work had either been a curt nod or a snide remark, such as, "Still the over-achiever, I see." That comment had galled her the most. Here she was, literally signing her firstborn over to this arrogant, smug git, and he still couldn't even be bothered to be civil to her! Honestly, she chided herself. This is Professor Snape we're talking about. What did you expect? A pat on the back? she thought with a snort.

As she took her seat in the Great Hall between Professor Snape and Madam Hooch, she determinedly avoided meeting Professor Snape's eyes. She was incredibly nervous about their appointment this morning and not in the mood to deal with his attitude just yet.

"Good morning, Hermione. How's old Sev treating you? Not working you too hard, eh?" Madam Hooch asked. Hermione snorted into her tea, and Professor Snape huffed.

"Madam Hooch, I have asked you repeatedly, not to call me..."

"Oh, lighten up, there, Sevvie, I'm only trying to rile you up, is all." She leaned in closer to Hermione and whispered in a voice still loud enough for Professor Snape to hear. "It's best not to wind him up before he's finished his morning coffee. Remember that, dear." She then winked at Hermione as Professor Snape glared daggers at both witches.

In spite of her nervousness, Hermione couldn't help chuckling a little at Madam Hooch's antics. However, when she saw the scowl Professor Snape was giving her, she quit laughing and rolled her eyes at him.

"Miss Granger, I believe we have somewhere to be. Instead of dawdling in conversation with this meddlesome woman," he paused here to give Madam Hooch an icy look, which she openly laughed at, "perhaps your time would be better spent finishing your breakfast quickly."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione replied in a saccharine-sweet voice. "I know we have somewhere to be. I will be ready to leave shortly."

"Glad to hear it," Professor Snape answered tersely. Then, he pushed his plate away and rose from his seat. "We will be Flooing from the headmaster's office. Meet me in the Entrance Hall at 8:45."

Hermione nodded and watched him leave. When Hermione looked back at the table, she saw the questioning looks of both Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, was looking at Hermione sadly and throwing nervous glances at Headmaster Dumbledore, who gently shook his head at her in response. For a moment, Hermione wondered if Professor Dumbledore knew of the talk she and Professor McGonagall had had.

"Where are you and Professor Snape off to today?" Madam Hooch asked, bringing Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Oh, we're... er, well," Hermione stumbled, trying to quickly think of a decent reason for their leaving the castle on a Saturday morning.

"I believe that Professor Snape and Miss Granger need some supplies for the Potions store cupboard that can only be purchased in London. Isn't that correct, Miss Granger?" the headmaster offered, giving Hermione a knowing look.

Hermione looked at him gratefully and replied, "Yes, Headmaster, that's correct. We should be back this afternoon, however."

"Good, good," the headmaster said. With a twinkle in his eyes he added, "I hope you have a pleasant time, but considering the company you will be keeping, I wouldn't count on that." Hermione tried not to laugh, but she joined in the chuckles of the other professors. "Ah, and I do believe your travelling companion is growing impatient."

Hermione glanced at the entrance to the Great Hall, and sure enough, Professor Snape was standing there with his arms crossed, glaring pointedly at her from across the way. She could practically see his foot tapping in impatience. Oh, honestly," she thought, shaking her head.

"Come, Miss Granger. I'll escort you to my office. We wouldn't want to keep Professor Snape waiting too long. He tends to get rather impatient," the headmaster offered as he rose from his seat in the middle of the table. She rose from her chair as well, following the headmaster out of the Great Hall. As she walked between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, several students were eyeing her curiously, but she ignored them.

"Try to hurry, Miss Granger," Professor Snape drawled.

As Hermione followed along with both men to the headmaster's office, her stomach gave another uncomfortable lurch, and she suddenly wished she had skipped breakfast.

As soon as they arrived in the lobby of St. Mungo's, Hermione was still trying to calm her nerves. Of course, it wasn't exactly helping that Professor Snape had shot off down the corridor, refusing to wait for her to step out of the Floo. She practically had to run to keep up with his long, quick strides.

Suddenly, he stopped and gave her an annoyed look. "Are you going to dawdle all day, Miss Granger?"

Forgetting her vow to be nice to Professor Snape momentarily, Hermione huffed and glared at him. "I am trying to keep up with you, sir. You're walking too fast."

"Incorrect, Miss Granger, you are walking too slowly." With that, he headed down the corridor at an even faster rate. Hermione glared at the back of his head, and a low growl left her lips. The Plan be damned. She was going to bloody kill the git if he didn't start being civil.

As she hurriedly dashed around a corner so she wouldn't lose sight of Professor Snape, Hermione suddenly felt something crash into her, and she fell gracelessly to the floor.

"Watch where you're going!" two female voices yelled.

"Hermione?"

"Ginny?"

For a moment, the two friends sat on the floor in the middle of the St. Mungo's corridor, staring blankly at each other. Then, Ginny started laughing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hermione. I didn't see you. You came around that corner quite fast," Ginny stated as she stood and offered Hermione her hand in assistance.

Hermione smiled, took her hand, and pushed herself off of the floor. "Ginny, what are you... oh, that's right, you work here," Hermione said dumbly.

"Of course I work here, silly," Ginny said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"

"Well..." Hermione began.

"Miss Granger, will you hurry? We are going to be late!" Professor Snape said, coming back from around the corner. When he noticed Ginny, he looked at her with disinterest on his face. "Miss Weasley, how... unexpected to run into you here."

Ginny looked at him quizzically. "Why is it so unexpected? We know that Hermione is going to be a surrogate for you, and I work here."

"Oh, really? How... fascinating," Professor Snape began, giving an icy stare to Hermione. "I'm surprised Miss Granger didn't mention that to me. One would think it might be rather important."

"I'm sorry, Professor. It must have slipped my mind," Hermione said, trying to sound pleasant. She didn't want Ginny to think Professor Snape was treating her horribly. The younger girl would tell Ron and Harry, who would come barrelling into Hogwarts and hex Professor Snape within an inch of his life. She knew Professor Snape was a powerful wizard, but considering the fact that they were almost fully-trained Aurors, she didn't want to take any chances.

"Very well. We are almost late for our appointment. We need to hurry," Professor Snape responded acidly.

"I'll talk to you later, Ginny, all right? I'll write soon, I promise."

"O-o-okay. Good luck with... everything," Ginny said, nervously worrying her bottom lip.

Hermione gave her the most reassuring look she could muster and followed Professor Snape down the corridor.

"Why did you not inform me that Miss Weasley is a Trainee Healer here?" Professor Snape questioned angrily.

Hermione looked at him, clearly mystified. "Why does it matter?"

Suddenly, he stopped outside a large door and turned to her. "Why does it matter?" Professor Snape asked through gritted teeth. "Did it not occur to you in that allegedly brilliant mind of yours that Miss Weasley working here may prove a problem?" At Hermione's bewildered look, he sighed exasperatedly and continued his rant. "As a member of the staff here, she can access the files kept on patients. She most likely speaks with Healers and Trainee Healers from around the hospital. She could, with little effort, find out that we are not using a donated egg for the conception."

"Oh," was all Hermione could say. She hadn't really thought about that, but he was still making too big of an issue out of it. Pulling herself together, she responded. "First of all, Ginny works on the other side of the hospital and doesn't come down this way very often. In fact, when I asked her about the procedure, she only knew enough about it to assure me it was considered relatively simple. Secondly, as far as her having access to files, for Pete's sake, she's a Trainee Healer, not the head of the bloody hospital or something. I doubt she would ever come across my file."

"That may all be true, Miss Granger, but if, at any time, she becomes suspicious, she may be tempted to snoop about. That is, after all, what you and your compatriots were infamous for during your time at Hogwarts."

With a deadly glare at the man standing in front of her, Hermione began, "Now, listen here, Professor, if we are going to do this, then..."

The clearing of a throat in a nearby doorway interrupted Hermione's tirade. The young woman looked toward the sound to see a dumpy woman who looked to be in her eighties standing there. The woman wore pale blue robes, a white lab coat, and had horn-rimmed glasses hanging from a chain around her neck. The woman's white hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she held a clipboard in her hands, which she looked at before addressing the bickering couple. "Are you Professor Severus Snape and..." She looked at the clipboard once more to verify the name. "Miss Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, we are," Professor Snape answered for them both. "Healer Steward, I presume?"

"Yes, but please, Professor, call me Maureen," the Healer said in an overly-saccharine voice. "Now, please, follow me into my office. We have a few things to take care of before we can begin the procedure." With that, she turned on her heel and walked through the doorway she had previously been standing in.

Hermione followed Professor Snape into the office. He sat in one of the wooden chairs in front of the desk whilst Hermione took the other. Hermione glanced around the office, taking in its posh, yet simple décor. Elegant carpet covered the floor, and a rather expensive-looking vase, filled with fresh flowers, sat atop a shining oak table. This woman has expensive taste.

"Now, before we begin," the stern-looking Healer began, "there are a few forms for you to fill out, Miss Granger." She walked around the desk to stand in front of Hermione and handed her a thick roll of parchment. Worrying her bottom lip, Hermione accepted the parchment and reached for a quill on the desk.

She answered question after question regarding her family's medical history. There were some quite personal questions on there as well, which she purposely left blank. Some things were no one else's business after all. When she was finally finished, she returned the quill and handed the long roll of parchment back to Healer Steward.

After looking at the form for a minute, Healer Steward looked up, eyeing Hermione with a look reminiscent of Narcissa Malfoy. "Your parents are Muggles?" she asked in a tone that left no doubt she found the thought repugnant.

"Yes, they are," Hermione responded defensively. "Is there a problem with that, Healer Steward?"

"Oh, of course not, dear girl," she said in a tone that didn't convince Hermione she meant it. "I just assumed with Professor Snape's... prestigious background that he would have chosen someone of the same... calibre."

"And what precisely is wrong with my calibre, Healer Steward? Surely you aren't suggesting that a Muggle-born isn't suited to carry a child for a pureblood, are you?" Hermione said, her ire rising at the sheer gall of the witch in front of her.

The look on the Healer's face turned positively contemptuous as she surveyed Hermione's look of astonished outrage. "I did not say a Muggle-born witch is not suited to carry a child for a pureblood. I was merely stating my surprise at Professor Snape's choice of surrogate. However, if you must know, we do find that mixing Muggle genetics into the magical conception procedure hinders getting the desired result."

Hermione's eyes narrowed while she struggled to keep her voice steady. "Are you somehow implying that Muggle genetics are inferior to purebloods?"

"Now, you listen here, you..."

"Healer Steward," Professor Snape suddenly proclaimed loudly. "Perhaps you could get on with reviewing the form. I have things to attend to this afternoon, and I would prefer not to spend my entire afternoon here."

"Yes, of course, Professor," Healer Steward said sweetly. "I know you are a busy man, and I would hate to delay you."

Professor Snape nodded. Oh, sure, be nice to him, you cow, Hermione thought angrily.

"Yes, I am a busy man, and I do not appreciate your questioning my choice of a surrogate. I chose Miss Granger after having interviewed almost a dozen of the witches you suggested, many of whom were purebloods, and none of which suited my needs. I have also thoroughly researched this process myself, and I believe you are greatly exaggerating the importance blood status plays on the effectiveness of the procedure."

"I apologise, Professor, I in no way meant to..."

"That is enough, Healer Steward. I would be very grateful if we could desist with the dawdling and get back to the matter at hand."

"Of course, Professor Snape," Healer Steward said, nervousness showing in her voice.

The room suddenly fell uncomfortably silent. Healer Steward returned to her perusal of the parchment. Suddenly, she stopped reading and looked up at Hermione. "Miss Granger, you neglected to answer several questions." She began to hand Hermione the parchment back but stopped abruptly. Her gaze held sinister glee as she said, "Perhaps it would just be easier if I fill them in for you." She paused to clear her throat. "Have you ever been sexually active? If so, for how long and with how many partners? And are you currently in a sexual relationship with someone?" When she finished, she looked expectantly at Hermione.

Hermione's cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and if she didn't know better, Hermione would have sworn Professor Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I do not believe the details of my sex life are pertinent, Healer Steward."

"Of course they are. It is information we must have before performing the procedure. We need to know how your body will respond to the procedure. Virgins' bodies tend to..."

"Fine!" Hermione bit out. "No, I am not a virgin. That's all I'm telling you. Is that enough to tell you how my body will react, Healer Steward? How many partners I have been with, how long I have been sexually active, and whether or not I'm currently involved with someone are not important." Hermione couldn't believe the audacity of this woman, asking her these questions right in front of Professor Snape. There was no way she was telling this witch, especially in front of Professor Snape, about losing her virginity to Cormac McLaggan her sixth year...the biggest mistake she'd ever made...or about the two times with Ron when they tried dating seventh year.

Healer Steward gave an exasperated sigh. "I suppose that will do, but it would be easier if I knew how many sexual part..."

"Absolutely not! That is not relevant to this procedure! I've told you as much as I'm going to," Hermione declared firmly, cutting her off.

"Very well," the aggravated Healer bit out. "We will move on then. Miss Granger, do you see this door, right next to my desk? Not the one you came in, but the other?" asked the Healer as if speaking to a small child.

"Yes, I am quite capable of seeing a door, especially when it's right in front of me." Hermione had grown very tired of the condescending treatment by the Healer, and her patience had worn very thin.

"Good. Through that door is the examination room. We will be making the first attempt at conception today. Just go in and put on the hospital gown that has been placed on the examination table. Do not wear anything under the gown. Once you are changed, wait. The Trainee Healer and I will be in shortly to begin the procedure."

"All right," Hermione said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Wait, what did you mean by first attempt?"

"Well, as I am sure Professor Snape explained to you," the Healer said in a syrupy voice, "the procedure rarely works on the first attempt. A majority of the time, two or three attempts are necessary before conception occurs."

"I see," Hermione said, swallowing nervously. She had been warned this was a possibility, but she hadn't realised that a majority needed multiple attempts. She wasn't sure she wanted to return to this hospital and put up with this annoying Healer two or three more times. "Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?"

Ignoring Hermione, the Healer directed her response to Professor Snape. "There is a blood test I can perform. It would tell me whether or not you and Miss Granger are genetically compatible enough to ensure an easy conception. If you are not, conception is still possible but may prove more difficult."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked, angered at being ignored. "One would think that using magic would increase the chances of conception greatly."

The Healer sighed in annoyance as she turned to face Hermione. "I apologise, Miss Granger. I had forgotten that there are things you would not be aware of having been raised in a Muggle household." Hermione gritted her teeth, clenching her jaw at the derisiveness in the Healer's voice as she made Muggle sound like a dirty word.

"What should that matter?" Hermione ground out through gritted teeth.

"Well, had you been brought up in a proper wizarding home, you would know that there are certain aspects of life which are far too natural for magic to interfere effectively. Childbearing is one such aspect. While we have found ways to successfully enable those unable to naturally conceive to do so, the process has its limits. Sexual intercourse is a more effective means of conceiving in some cases."

Hermione and Severus both shifted uncomfortably in their seats at these last words. Surprisingly, the same exact thought went through both of their heads. There's no way in hell I will consider that!

Suddenly, Healer Steward stood up and moved towards Hermione. When the Healer brandished her wand, Hermione's eyes grew wide and looked to Professor Snape, who was watching with an amused expression. Giving Hermione an annoyed look, the Healer sighed. "Miss Granger, did I not just tell you I needed to perform a blood test on you?" Before Hermione could even respond, the Healer swished and flicked her wand over Hermione first and then over Professor Snape, who looked completely nonplussed by this. Hermione threw him an annoyed look, which he completely ignored as the Healer returned to her desk.

"The preliminary tests show that you fit into the category we call a basic match. That means that if you successfully produce a child, the likelihood of it being a Squib is very low. However..."

"Pardon me," Professor Snape suddenly spoke up. "What precisely do you mean by if?"

The Healer smiled sweetly at Professor Snape and continued. "What I mean, Professor, is that you and Miss Granger are not a full match. That means achieving conception through magical means may prove difficult. If we are not successful after three attempts, I will strongly advise you to consider attempting conception through intercourse." At the horrified expression on both of their faces, Healer Steward hurriedly added, "However, Professor, we have yet to even make one attempt, so we really would be getting ahead of ourselves to discuss that option at this time." Turning to Hermione, she added, "Miss Granger, please go into the examination room. The Trainee Healer and I will give you a few moments to change before we enter."

Hermione nodded and swallowed nervously. She shakily rose to her feet and silently exited the office through the door to the examination room. There she found a plain white hospital gown set atop a small examination table. As she looked around the room, she was astonished at how similar it looked to a Muggle gynaecologist's office. Of course, there were several magical objects lying around, but all the white and metal reminded her of the office her mother had forced her to visit every year since her thirteenth birthday.

Feeling immensely uncomfortable, Hermione slowly undressed and put on the unflattering hospital gown. When she had securely fastened it in the back, she carefully laid her folded clothes on a table next to the examination table. She hoisted herself onto the table and waited with growing impatience. With each passing minute her anxiety increased. Every second seemed like a minute. She fidgeted nervously, worrying her lip and looking around the room.

After what seemed like hours but was actually only a few minutes, Healer Steward entered the room flanked by a pretty blonde witch in lime-green robes with a badge that read:

KATHERINE

TRAINEE HEALER

Katherine flashed Hermione a reassuring smile, and the Healers turned away to collect the necessary instruments from a drawer.

The Trainee Healer walked over to Hermione and smiled pleasantly while running her wand over her. "She's already ovulating, Healer Steward. Do you think we need to give her the potion as well to increase the chances of conception?"

"No, this time we won't. Since she is already ovulating, we will try without the aid of the potion," Healer Steward responded distractedly.

Without warning, Healer Steward came up to Hermione and grabbed both of her legs, spreading them as far apart as they would go and attaching them to the stirrups at the edge of the table. Hermione let out an indignant squawk at this, but Healer Steward indifferently ignored her. "Katherine, hand me the UEI syringe," she barked at the young blonde woman.

Hermione's eyes grew as large as saucers upon seeing the large metal object that would be inserted into her vagina. What in the world is a UEI syringe? Hermione wondered idly.

Seeing her look of confusion and fear, Trainee Katherine walked over and laid a soothing hand on Hermione's shoulder. Katherine bent down and whispered in her patient's ear, "Don't worry, dear, you'll be fine. It's not painful, just uncomfortable. UEI stands for Uterine Embryonic Injection. That's what this procedure is called. It'll be over in just a few minutes."

Hermione smiled tentatively at the kind witch, but she gasped loudly when the cold metal object was suddenly thrust inside her most sensitive area. She instinctively tried to squirm away as Healer Steward manoeuvred the device inside her. The Healer abruptly stopped the action, casting an annoyed look at Hermione. Putting a firm hand roughly on Hermione's thigh to hold her still, she ground out, "Stop squirming. This will go much faster if you stay still." Then muttering to herself, Healer Maureen Steward began the procedure again. "It's never this difficult with a pureblood."

Hermione gave the annoying witch her most scathing look, but she obediently stayed still. While squinting her eyes tightly and fighting back tears, Hermione endured as Healer Steward and Trainee Katherine completed the procedure. As a few tears managed to escape, she felt the comforting hand of Katherine on her shoulder again.

"It's all right," the Trainee whispered soothingly. "It's almost over. We have reached the last part of the procedure. You've gone through the toughest part already. We had to harvest an egg. Then, we magically inseminated it with the professor's sperm. Now, we've just got to attempt to implant it in your uterus. We're almost there. You're doing great." Hermione forced herself to open her eyes and give Katherine a small smile.

When the procedure finally ended, Hermione put her clothes back on, and without making a sound, she followed Healer Steward back into her office to where Professor Snape sat, waiting for her return. Hermione desperately wanted to return to the comfort and security of her private room at the castle. She had never felt so violated and disgusting in her entire life. It currently took every ounce of her energy and her focus to not burst into tears. She refused to give Healer Steward or Professor Snape the satisfaction. Neither of them would ever see her cry.

Vaguely, through her mental haze, she realised someone was speaking to her. When a warm hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, she jumped. Was it Katherine again?

"Miss Granger? I asked if you are you ready to leave."

Hermione looked up, confused by the voice. It was Professor Snape speaking to her. He looked the same, but his hand was gentle and comforting. For a split second, Hermione thought she saw a hint of concern cross his usually indifferent face.

"Y-y-yes, I'm ready to leave, Professor," Hermione responded in a barely audible whisper. Hermione continued to stand in the middle of the office, barely aware of her surroundings. In the distance, she could hear several voices speaking, one quite loudly, sounding angry or upset.

Hermione barely remembered Flooing back to Hogwarts or the walk to the dungeons from the headmaster's office. She just knew she did not want to go back to that awful place again...ever. When she finally became aware of her surroundings again, she realised she was standing alone in her bedroom. How had she gotten in there? Not having the energy to even consider that, she fell onto her bed, clothes and all, and into a deep sleep.

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

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose; his eyes firmly shut. This was not going as planned. He and Hermione had been to Healer Steward's office for three UEI procedures, as they were called, and they had recently learned that, once again, she was not pregnant. He had written a letter to inform Healer Steward of this and had received her reply today. She strongly advised him to begin considering alternative options because it was becoming apparent that the UEI procedure was not helping in their situation.

He and Hermione had just discussed their options, and it had not gone as he had thought it would. She had told him she did not want to go back to St. Mungo's for another one of the procedures. When he had told her of their only other option, she had visibly blanched, meekly stating, "All right." At that, he had spluttered the tea he had been drinking all over his best robes. Of course, he understood why she was so readily agreeable to the idea, and it had nothing to do with a desire to have sex with him.

When she'd walked out of the examination room after their first visit, he had honestly been concerned for her. She'd looked as if she'd just seen a pack of Dementors and a Boggart all at once. He wasn't willing to let her out of the contract, of course, but he hadn't meant to completely traumatise the girl either. Part of the reason he had chosen her was due to the fact that he felt she was strong enough to handle what was asked of her. However, when she walked out of the exam room, he wondered whether he might have been mistaken.

She hadn't heard a word as he'd tried to ask if she was prepared to leave. Having decided that this wasn't time for his usual acidic nature, he had gently laid a hand on her shoulder in order to get through to her and pull her out of the stupor she was in. When she'd answered, her voice had sounded monotonic. He had practically yelled at the Healer and Trainee, demanding to know why Hermione was acting so strangely. They told him there was nothing to worry about and that she just needed to lie down for a bit. He had taken her back to the castle immediately, glaring at anyone who tried to speak to her on the way back to the dungeons, including Minerva and the headmaster.

That had been nearly two months before, and the two following visits had been the same. In fact, for the second visit, he'd told her of their pending appointment in the middle of the week. She had visibly paled and not spoken for two whole days. The last time, he had decided to wait until the morning of the appointment to tell her, as she had previously become rather depressed once she'd known they were returning to the fertility clinic.

Now, here they were. Three attempts hadn't worked, and now, it was looking more and more likely that they would have to try things the old fashioned way, as Hermione had once called it, in order to achieve success. Two months had seen many changes. At first, the idea of bedding the annoying witch had been completely abhorrent. He still didn't like the idea, but he had to admit she had proven less annoying than he had originally believed.

Of course, she still prattled on endlessly when it came to the experiments they were working on, anything she found interesting in the reading he assigned to her, or any articles she had recently read. However, they had actually managed to have several interesting debates over such things as the uses of dragon's blood in potions and its effect when mixed with certain ingredients. She had chosen this topic as the focus of her research project for her apprenticeship, and he grudgingly admitted that her research had been convincing, well thought, and even interesting thus far.

He had also discovered that she made a decent lab partner. She always anticipated what ingredient he would need next and had it ready for him. Another added benefit to having Hermione as his apprentice was that she understood when the crucial point of a potion was. This understanding led to her silence during that time, allowing him to concentrate.

How did I actually come to enjoy her company? No, enjoy was too strong a word perhaps. Tolerate was a better choice. Still, it perplexed him. Thinking back, though, he could pinpoint the day that things had started to change between them. It had been on her birthday. Nearly three weeks after she'd first arrived.

Severus was sitting on his bed grading some fourth year essays when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Who could that be? he wondered. Irritated, he got up to see who could possibly be annoying him now.

"What is it, Miss Granger?" the professor spit out, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I just thought you should know, Professor, that I'll be leaving for a while. I shouldn't be too late, but, out of courtesy, I thought I'd let you know that..."

"Where, precisely, do you think you're going, Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked at him, surprised. "It's my birthday, and some of the staff are having a birthday dinner for me at the Three Broomsticks."

"Why, Miss Granger, didn't you inform me of this before tonight? I do not appreciate your making such plans without consulting me. You are my apprentice, and you agreed to obey me."

"I didn't ask, sir, because I didn't think that I required your permission to go to a simple dinner with some of the staff."

"Did it not occur to you in that allegedly ingenious mind of yours, Miss Granger, that you may, in fact, be carrying my child right now? Do you honestly think I would allow my child to be exposed to the smoke and riffraff at that hideous pub? Absolutely not. You will not be going, and that is final."

"I can understand that, sir, but I still don't see how harmful it could possibly be for me to spend an hour there eating dinner. Madam Pomfrey is one of the people attending, and you said she now knows about our... arrangement now. If there were anything to worry about, she would not have allowed Madam Hooch to organise the dinner in the first place."

"You are not going, Miss Granger, and that is final. I will not discuss this any further. Good night." When he went to shut the door, a hand reached out and kept the door from shutting. "What do you think you are doing, you..."

"Listen, Professor. We are going to be spending a lot of time together over the next several months. I refuse to spend that time miserable and away from my friends. I will not allow you to keep me here in the dungeons the entire time. It is my birthday, and if I wish to spend some time having dinner with people I consider to be friends, I will."

Severus glared at the defiant witch standing in front of him. He couldn't believe the audacity of the little chit! How dare she speak to him like that? She had agreed to obey him during this time. It hadn't even been a month, and, already, she was trying to disobey his wishes. "Why you insolent, impudent, little chit! By signing the contract, you agreed to obey me in all things. We discussed this, if you remember, when we met to discuss the terms of your apprenticeship. I told you then that I would not tolerate insubordination of any kind whilst you are my apprentice and the surrogate for my child. I will not...Miss Granger, what is wrong?"

Hermione had suddenly gone quite pale during his tirade, and her posture had gone rigid. With tears welling in her eyes, she brought one hand to her mouth whilst placing the other on her stomach and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Oh, shite. It didn't work. I'm not pregnant." With that, she flew through the door leading to her chambers, slamming it shut behind her.

Breaking away from his thoughts, Severus leant back in his chair. He had been at a complete loss when Hermione had gone tearing into her room right then. He had never been good at dealing with women and their emotions. His father had always taught that emotion made a person weak. However, he had suddenly remembered her offering of Firewhisky on his first day of classes and just how much that had relaxed him; so he had decided to return the favour. The memory returned, causing his lips to quirk up slightly.

Severus sighed as he balanced two glasses and the bottle in his hand whilst knocking on Hermione's bedroom door. "Miss Granger, open the door. I think there are a few things we need to discuss."

The muffled sobs abated instantly, and silence reigned for a moment before he heard the swish of robes moving across the room. "Come in, Professor," Hermione quietly answered as she opened the door. When she sat down on the bed, he silently poured two glasses of firewhisky, handing one to her. She looked up at him in shock, as if she had been expecting a lecture instead of a drink.

"Here, Miss Granger, drink this. I believe it will calm you enough to talk."

Hermione offered her thanks before taking the glass. He watched her sniff the contents, and then look up in shock. He merely sighed. "You did just say you are confident that you aren't pregnant, correct?" Hermione nodded. "Then there is no harm in it. Drink."

Hermione downed the firewhisky quickly and nearly choked. "Yuck! How do people drink this shite?"

Professor Snape gave an amused snort and sat down next to her. "Why were you so upset when you realised you weren't pregnant?" he asked point blankly.

Hermione bit her lip and stared at the floor. "Because that means I have to go back for another one of those awful procedures," she responded quietly.

Severus sighed heavily. After her reaction the first time, he had been afraid that might be part of it. "It couldn't be all that bad, Miss Granger."

Hermione's expression suddenly turned angry. "How would you know? YOU were just sitting in the office waiting. I was the one in there with... with the..." Her voice trailed off as she looked back down at the floor.

Severus silently refilled her glass and waited to see if she would continue. Whilst it was true that he couldn't understand what it had felt like, he wasn't about to let her out of their agreement. It would be best to just let her get it all out. He watched as she gratefully downed the contents of a second glass of firewhisky. When she grimaced again, he couldn't stop the small chuckle from escaping him.

"I suppose firewhisky is an acquired taste," she said with a hint of embarrassment.

"Indeed it is, Miss Granger."

Silence filled the room for a good five minutes before she suddenly turned to him with an utterly serious expression on her face. "You know, we could try this the old fashioned way." Severus nearly dropped his glass at her sudden declaration. He looked at her in horror. It was obvious, he thought, that he had given her too much firewhisky. It was beginning to addle her brain. Surely she would not make such a ridiculous proposal whilst sober. Seeing his horrified expression, Hermione sighed. "It was just a thought. Never mind."

Silence once again filled the room. Then, as if she couldn't help herself, Hermione blurted, "Would you consider calling me Hermione and allowing me to call you Severus?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to lash out at her for asking such a question. She was his apprentice, for Circe's sake! However, when he looked down and saw the tear stains on her pillow, he couldn't bring himself to upset her further. "I suppose it would be prudent. We are, after all, going to be spending a lot of time together over the next several months. I see no reason we couldn't use each other's first names whilst in private." The smile Hermione gave him made his shoulders relax. He had never understood women and never really expected to, but perhaps they weren't so difficult to please after all.

"Thank you... Severus, for the drink and... everything," Hermione said nervously, his name sounding foreign on her tongue.

"You're welcome... Hermione," Severus nodded and said, her name sounding just as strange.

After another few minutes of silence, Severus looked around the room, trying to find a way to fill the silence. A small pile of presents caught his eye. "What are those?" he asked lamely, and then mentally kicked himself for asking such a foolish question when she had already told him it was her birthday.

"Those are the presents from my family and friends," she calmly answered.

"What is that large thing in the corner?"

"That's something called a cat condo. It's a sort of playhouse for Crookshanks. It's from Harry and Ron."

Severus snorted, and his face contorted in distaste at the mention of her two friends. Hermione sighed. "You know, Severus," she began, still adjusting to using his first name, "they really are wonderful men when you get to know them."

Severus snorted again. "Men? Hardly. As far as them being wonderful, well, I'll take your word for it," Severus said and finished another glass of firewhisky.

Hermione sighed again and shook her head. She muttered, "Some things will never change." Hermione, obviously trying to steer the conversation away from volatile territory, changed the subject. "Did you read that article in Ars Alchemia about dragon's blood? They had some interesting theories about its affect on the Amortentia potion."

"Yes, but they neglected to include the fact that whilst dragon's blood may act as a stabiliser in most cases, in something as powerful as the Amortentia potion, it could prove exceptionally volatile and the effects just as disastrous."

"Yes, but wouldn't the fact that moonstone is used in the potion counteract the more volatile effects of using dragon's blood?"

That night they had stayed up talking until well past midnight. They had discussed every article in Ars Alchemia and had a rather spirited debate on the use of crushed versus powdered Ashwinder eggs in the Wolfsbane potion. When he'd gone to bed that night, he remembered thinking that he had never had such a lively debate with anyone before.

Severus rose from his favourite chair and began pacing around the room. Since that day, they had been much more relaxed around each other, especially in private. He couldn't deny that he worried for, and about, her. She was having such a difficult time conceiving, and he wasn't sure she could handle more UEI procedures. Perhaps trying things the natural way wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't as though Hermione was horrible to look at, and it had been some time since he'd had a good shag...or any shag at all to be honest. Not that he expected sex under such circumstances to be a mind-blowing experience, but it just might be better than tolerable.

Severus growled in irritation. It was an impossible situation. Deciding he wouldn't be making this decision right then, he headed to his chambers and, more specifically, to bed with his dilemma weighing heavily on his mind.

---

Author's Notes: I know. I'm evil. I make no apologies for that. Hey, at least I've given you a nice, long chapter, eh? I know it was a lot later than I promised, but I honestly hadn't planned on things progressing this far in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, though. This is by far my favorite chapter. I finally feel the story is getting somewhere, and I'm thrilled about that. I also hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of a softer Severus. He's never going to be fluffy, but I thought I'd had enough of nasty!Severus. Oh, and I'm SO glad they are using first names! All that "Miss Granger" and "Professor Snape" stuff was driving me nuts! ;-) Oh, and I've just been dying to introduce you all to Maureen. I've had her in my mind since I was first bitten by this plot bunny. What did you all think of her? ;-)

Some clarification:

Amortentia potion: According to the HP Lexicon, the Amortentia potion is the most powerful love potion out there. I have no idea if Moonstone is used in it, but in my world, it is.

Uterine Embryonic Injection (Uterine=uterus, Embryonic=embryo or a fertilized egg): Yes, this was completely made up. However, the lovely Miss GinnyW, who is an OB-GYN nurse, told me this was a good name for it. If it passes Gin's test, it works for me.

There. That wasn't too long, was it? Now, I'm feeling rather ravenous, and I don't have anything in my cupboards. How about some reviews to sustain me? ;-)

Southern's Notes: I'm not liking this Maureen wench. I'm hoping for a "normal" conception. Muahahaha!

Candace's Notes: LOL, Sun! You want lemons next? Hmmm...we'll have to see. ;-)