Transition

Disclaimer Not for me, (sigh) but it's fun to play with them, isn't it?

A big thanks to my lovely beta, Charmed_Nay.

Poppy held her wand over Hermione's abdomen. "Oh, dear! I told her this would probably happen," she mumbled to herself. "Still thriving then...slightly. Damn."

Severus' eyebrows rose quickly. He'd never heard the Mediwitch use profanity before. He looked to Potter to see if he'd heard the same exclamation. Boy Wonder simply shrugged uncomfortably and looked on. Not caring if he had to endure her wrath, he asked, "What's going on with the child? Will Hermione be all right?" Poppy had been examining her for nearly five minutes without any news for them.

Annoyed eyes glared at Severus briefly. "You two will have to leave. She is my patient, and I must ask that you give us some privacy. I have some delicate exams that I need to do."

"Of course," Potter said.

"I most certainly will not leave my wife," Severus stated firmly, smirking at her look of surprise. Either she truly didn't know that they'd been wed, or she hadn't believed it. "Well?"

"Of course, as her husband, you will be allowed to stay. I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but you will have to leave." She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture towards the brat. Severus watched as her eyes fell to Hermione's wedding ring, as if checking for truth behind his statement.

"I'll be right outside," Potter said threateningly.

Severus simply sneered at him and turned back to his wife. "Poppy, you said it was still thriving but only slightly. You were referring to my child, am I correct?"

"Yes, one of them. I'm afraid, Severus, that her body is in the midst of expelling the other one. I'm sorry for your loss, but there may still be a chance to save the one that still lives. Stand back," she commanded. He moved aside as she moved to physically examine Hermione.

There were two of them. No wonder she'd looked so pale. He glanced down at her form on the table. One arm hung limply off the side of the bed whilst the other curled over her chest. Her hair fanned about wildly, dampened about her sleeping face. "Hermione, can you hear me?" he asked suddenly, taking her limp hand in his. "Poppy is looking after you."

No reaction occurred, but he hoped that she could hear him. He released her hand quickly. He was probably the last person that she would want to see or hear. She likely believed Potter's version of events, believed that he'd bedded another woman on their wedding night. She might hold him responsible for her fall. If he hadn't slung her away from him as he went for the smirking berk, she might have maintained her balance. This might not be occurring. "Fucking stairs that move!" he barked, knowing full well that the moving staircase had nothing to do with his wife's fall and the death of their child, one of them.

"Severus, look at me," Poppy said firmly. "I told her just before that this pregnancy would likely terminate on its own. She knew she'd probably lose one or both."

"Why? What is wrong with our children?"

"It's the Muggle pills that she took. Work well, they do, but sometimes a little too well. Seems that she still ovulated, at least two eggs were fertilized, but those pills do several things." She shook her head and did a Cleaning Charm on Hermione. "One of the ways it stops unwanted pregnancies is to thin the lining of the uterus, making it nearly impossible for the fertilized egg to attach itself to the uterine wall. When I first examined her, I noticed that something wasn't right. It seemed like a single at the time, but this morning, I caught it straightaway. There were two. However, both were precariously implanted, one more so than the other."

"Precariously implanted?"

"Have you not been listening, Severus? The medicine from the pills was still in her system. You must have had some very determined semen to fertilize two eggs," she said bluntly, causing both to blush slightly. "When she fell, it only brought on the inevitable if you ask me. For now," she looked back down to Hermione's body, "I have to be sure that her body expels all...er...excess debris from the womb. Something isn't right." She stopped talking and working frantically with her wand for a couple of minutes.

So, she hadn't truly missed a dose. She'd done nothing wrong. It was his fault just as much as it was hers. He felt like an arse for accusing her in anger, but how was he to know? For all he knew, it was a plan to trap him. Watching the Mediwitch's brow crease with worry didn't help Severus' countenance. "Speak, woman," he growled. A sudden movement from Hermione had him leaning over to see if she'd awakened. "Can you hear me?"

"Sev..." She licked her lips and opened her eyes slightly. "Head hurts. Foggy here."

"You've a concussion, Hermione," Poppy said. "Don't move."

"Listen to Poppy, Hermione. You were knocked unconscious when you fell down that flight of stairs. She's tended to that, but there are other things at risk now."

"Babies?" He nodded. "Severus, don't let them leave me."

Her eyes fluttered closed. "Hermione?"

"She's gone out again," Poppy said. She moved away, came back with a purple looking liquid, extracted some into a needle, and pumped it into his wife quickly. "That will keep her out. No pain for a while at least." She eyed Severus oddly. "I have to ask your decision on something. This will likely be difficult for you."

He could feel sweat lining his brow. Hermione is going to die. Something is wrong. No. I won't allow it. "What is it?"

"She is still bleeding. It appears that I would have to go in to magically dilate her slightly and vanish any excess tissues out. The problem with this, I'm afraid, is that the other child will likely be lost as well. I don't want infection to set in because her body hadn't the chance to abort everything before I stopped her bleeding." Her face was grim. "You can save Hermione and lose the child, try to save the child and have only a slim chance of it surviving anyway, or you can possibly lose both."

Severus sat abruptly. "Hermione will be lost if I do not do this?"

"It is likely, depending upon her body's will to fight, depending on her will." She sat down for a moment and looked him in the eyes. "Has she much to fight for, Severus?"

He swallowed guiltily. "I'm afraid not. I've not reacted well to this, and I think that she believes the worst of me right now, thanks to Potter."

"Then, I'm sorry. I recommend that you allow me to proceed. It isn't likely that the other will survive anyway. They were both in jeopardy from the beginning. The moment she gets any weaker or stressed in any way, I would say she'll lose this one as well."

"You heard what she asked of me. I cannot condone this."

"Right then," she said solemnly, "but know that you may well be signing her death parchment. Tricky business, this."

"I was reading just last week about a new potion that is being tested. Have you looked at the latest edition of Healing Potions? A Healing Witch has been researching ways to stop miscarriages and safely cleaning the womb with a potion! I remember it because I was perusing the section for new information on the prevention of pregnancy for my own research. The potion preserves the living tissue through magical binding whilst forcing the body to absorb the dead tissue. I would be willing to try this. It may be a way to keep them both."

"It's not fully tested! I can't allow that," she said.

"You cannot allow it? I am her husband, and as such, I will not allow you to badger me into making any decisions that concern killing my child, my wife, or both. I have to try this," he said determinedly. I will protect them.

A memory washed over him suddenly.

"Mum? Why are you sick?" he asked quietly.

"I will," he said firmly.

It was a pity that when his mother had finally faded away, allowing her grief to dictate her fate, his father was all that he had. The man twisted him and made him do unbelievable things. Only when he was away from him did he remember what his mother had made him promise long before. He'd finally escaped the man's shadow. He'd never thought that he'd have a family to protect. His father had told him years before that the line of Snape should be allowed to die out rather than procure a line of weaklings. He'd claimed that his mother's side had tainted the Snape side, the bastard. Severus shook his head to clear his thoughts. Poppy's lips had been moving, but he hadn't heard. "What were you saying?"

"I asked what you would decide if you had the sole decision without thinking of what Hermione wanted. Maybe her words are keeping you from a clear decision. I really need to-"

"My child will live. He is a Snape," he said proudly. "My wife will live. Do what you have to do to keep them at peace for now. I will go fetch a dose of the potion for her."

To her credit, the Mediwitch nodded agreement and went about trying to help Hermione. Severus strode forward and opened the Infirmary door. "Follow me, Potter," he demanded. The boy looked into the open doorway behind him. "I'll fill you in on the way."

"What is it? How is Mione?"

"She has lost one child. The other's fate is slowly headed in the same direction. Poppy wants to do a procedure to ensure Hermione's recovery, but it would terminate the other child for certain. If this isn't done, then Hermione may be lost to me," he stated forthright.

Potter ran his hands through his hair. "Let Poppy do what she's got to do. What the fuck? Are you hoping that she'll not recover? Think that'll relieve you of two problems at once, do you?"

Severus pulled his wand and had it indented in Potter's throat before the boy could blink. "If you ever say such a thing again," he said dangerously, "I will kill you. I want to save them both. It's Hermione's wish. I owe it to her to try." He removed his wand and levelly met the other's gaze. "I need your Invisibility Cloak. I have read of a potion in Healing Potions that is being researched. It may be of some help to her. I doubt they will give it to me, as it hasn't been deemed a success. It's worth a try. If I can get her a dose of that and some extra, I can brew more and administer it to her until she delivers if need be."

"I'll be right back," the younger wizard said, sprinting away to his chambers.

Severus wondered if it had been prudent to tell the brat everything, but he was sure that Hermione would eventually get around to it. Would Hermione now insist on leaving him, believing that he had betrayed her? He was stunned to realize that he didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to live with him. He wouldn't even mind the child much if he could have her. She belonged to him. He would never allow her or the child to leave his home. He had to protect him. He had to be sure they were cared for and respected, as his mum would have wanted.

Potter sprinted back to him. "Where are we going?"

"We?"

"Yes, we," the brat replied. "This is as much my fault as it is yours. I can create a diversion while you sneak in to get whatever it is you need, being a celebrity and all that."

"Very well. We are going to Greater Hangleton to the Healing Research Centre. Cast a finder on me and follow my Apparition trail," he instructed, moving as quickly as possible to the Apparition point just past the main gates of Hogwarts. Once they'd both Apparated there, Severus took the cloak. "I'm not sure how long I will need, but I do know where the laboratory is located. I also know where they store potions. My time will be used avoiding people, breaking wards, and getting the correct potion." He slid the cloak on and made his way to the front entrance.

Potter walked in first, and after standing there for only a few moments, a squeal was heard as a young witch ran to greet the boy. "Harry Potter! What are you doing here?"

"I have decided to donate some money in the name of a friend to a worthy establishment. I suppose you wouldn't be able to gather some of your mates here to explain some things they are researching so that I may decide which direction to go in." He flashed her a brilliant smile that made Severus' stomach churn. He had to admit the boy knew how to put on the charm when needed. "I just feel the need to give something back to the community that's always giving to me."

"What friend would you like to donate in memory of? Is it a fallen war hero?"

"No, she's still alive. She lost a child through miscarriage, however, and I would like to help fund some research in her lost baby's honor. If only there would have been some way to stop it, the child might yet be alive."

"Oh, Mister Potter! You've come to the right place. Healer Margaret Richardson has been working on something. Come down to the lab with me," the witch said brightly, pulling his hand.

"Sorry, I prefer to meet on equal footing. I'd be out of place in a laboratory. Perhaps you've got a conference room that we can use?"

"Right this way," she said.

Severus smirked as the boy was led away by the giddy wench. He'd had a good plan to get most of the workers away from the laboratory, but if they noticed that something was missing, they may find it odd that Potter had shown up to inquire on it. He shrugged. Let them arrest the Boy Wonder. It was as much as he deserved. In stealth mode, he made his way to the laboratory quickly. He unsheathed his wand to dismantle the light wards when he felt them drop away. Backing against the wall, he waited to see what had caused it. A moment later, the door opened. A group of excited people exited.

"Harry Potter is here! I can't believe it!"

"Maybe he'll stay for lunch."

"I wonder if his eyes are as green as I've heard."

Slipping in through the closing door, Severus made his way through the lab. Only a few people had remained, most busy with their potions. It was easy to find the section he needed. He unwarded the lightly guarded potions and noted that there were many phials. He took three from the front, read over a notepad that was conveniently left open near the storage shelves, and slipped back out the door after unwarding it. He sneered in contempt. "How could they leave something so precious unprotected?" he whispered to himself. Quickly, he made his way back to where he'd last seen Potter. It was easy to find out which room they'd taken him to. A line of workers and visitors alike were lining the corridor.

Chuckling lightly, he hurried to exit the building. Well, the brat wanted to help, so here is his chance. I have to get back to my Hermione. As quickly as he could, he made his way back to his office, pulled out the magazine, and read over the article once more. Healer Richardson states that the testing all went well, but they'd only tested on animals. It seemed that they would purposely bring on a miscarriage, give the animal a shot of the potion, and the termination would halt through the magical binding and fixing of all problems, leaving the pregnancy in tact and reaching full term. Through a question and answer section, he was able to figure out the size of dose that Hermione would need due to her height and approximate weight. She would need two full droppers each day for the next week.

The potion fought infection, preserved and bound the living fetus to the uterine walls, and the body absorbed any excess tissue or clotting. "I hope I am doing the right thing," he said aloud. He firmly believed that the potion would be of help to her. It would save her and possibly save their child. As quickly as he could, he went to the Infirmary. Albus and Minerva were talking to Poppy. Both looked to him with worried expressions as he entered. He simply nodded, made his way to his wife's side, and pulled her up slightly. One dropper and then the next were easily emptied into her mouth. She barely seemed to notice.

Poppy motioned for him to join her and the others once he laid his wife's head back onto the pillow. "Has she come round again?"

The Mediwitch shook her head. "I performed what needed to be done. The bleeding has stopped. I can only hope that you've made a wise decision," she said sternly. "I've read over the article, and I am not comfortable with untested potions. If it's so great, why haven't they tested on humans?"

"Funding," he said simply. "I do trust Healer Richardson to know what she's doing. She has had many breakthroughs in the past." He looked to Minerva and Albus. "I trust you know everything."

Minerva nodded. The age lines on her face seemed to have deepened in her worry. "Severus, I'm afraid that I don't agree with your decision. Hermione's life should not be risked."

"She requested that I not let her children die. I have failed her where one is concerned. I will not allow the other to meet the same fate." He looked back to where her still form was lying. "It's what she would want."

Albus cleared his throat. "I agree. She would want to at least try."

"Now we wait," Poppy said sadly, shaking her head. "The medicine that I gave her should be wearing off shortly. That means she'll likely wake up. I'll go ready some more in the event that she is still in pain. Nasty hit on her head, that was."

Severus looked to the headmaster. "Albus, I must request that we be given leave to go to my home without finishing our duties here. I will see to it that my wife's things are brought down to my chambers, pack what we need for the holiday, and lock down our rooms. We will simply come back sooner, and I will help her finish what needs to be done in the library to prepare for the students."

"That is acceptable, Severus. I think you should take this time to care for your family, get to know your wife." The old man's eyes seemed a little saddened. "I'm afraid that we all think this is what's best for you, marrying Hermione, I mean. It's unfortunate that it had to occur this way."

"Yes, yes," the dark man said, waving away his friend's words. "I know how you all feel. I think you should have thought about how I felt." He rubbed his temples slightly. "No matter. It's done. I'm going to go see to our things. Minerva?"

"I'll stay in case she awakens, but I'll not tell her the bad news." She smiled slightly. "Wouldn't you like to be here for her?"

"No," he said crisply. "I'm sure I'm not on her list of favorites at the moment. I shan't be long," he said, quickly moving towards her chambers where he summoned a couple of house-elves. He instructed them to bring certain things down to his chambers and to place them all in the spare room. There would be time later to integrate their belongings. He summoned everything that he thought she may need whilst away for the holiday.

Down in his chambers, he sealed his classroom, packed all ingredients that would spoil, and secured his office and personal stores. In his chambers, he oversaw the elves that carted in Hermione's things, packed his own needed items, and decided to sit down for a quick drink to clear his mind. If he'd forgotten anything, he could always come back by and retrieve it. The first question that popped into his mind wondered what he'd do next. You should never have gotten involved with the likes of her. He smirked. His father's old teachings and beliefs had poisoned him, hadn't they?

He could always hear the opinion that his father would give if he'd still be alive. "I'll not listen to you anymore, sir," he mumbled to himself, startling an elf that was nearby. He smirked at the creature for a moment. I've, once again, broken one of the last promises that I made to my mother long ago. Never again will my past or my father be able to control me. I am my own man and my mother's son. As if resolving an internal battle after years of war, he felt his conscious seem to lighten. He knew at that moment that it was time to start living for himself. The bad thing was that he didn't know how to do that.

He would not truly grieve the child that was lost. Was this wrong? Yes, it was likely. How could one miss something that he didn't know was there? It was a pity, but according to Poppy, they were even lucky that the other seemed to be trying to hold on. What decision would he have made had it been entirely up to him? Severus knew the answer. He would have told Poppy to do what needed to be done just to be sure that his wife would be safe. There would have been time later to have another child.

"Would I have wanted to give her that chance?" he asked softly. He knew instantly that he would have. It was likely that experiencing the complete loss would have devastated her. For some reason, it was important that she be happy, or at least, that she be content. The child could give her things that he never could: open affection, words, and pride. He needed this child to survive as much as she did. There would have been no reason to stay married if the remaining child would have aborted as well. That was still a possibility, no matter what potion Hermione was taking. If she worsened, he would insist that Poppy do her duty, but until then, he owed it to Hermione to try. He owed it to his child.

What sort of father would he be? Would he be as he'd told Hermione? Out of the picture mostly, simply giving lectures on the few things he felt necessary for a Snape to know? No, why would he want that? He'd enjoyed talking with his mother when she lived. Was there no reason that he couldn't enjoy his progeny's company in the same manner? Males always seemed to take on the role of head of family first, provider second, husband third, and father last. It was how he was raised. His father's education had been on prejudices, dark spells, projecting superiority, never appearing weak, and hiding emotions. These were things that he could not and would not pass on to his child. Taking the last sip, he set the tumbler aside and stood. "I'm sorry that you died, child," he said, doubting it could hear, but feeling better all the same. "Perhaps my mother and sister have seen you safely home."

With that, he vanished all of their belongs to their home, and he made his way out of the dungeons. Before he could get back to his wife, he met up with Potter again. "Finished signing parchments, have you?"

"Very funny, Snape," the boy said sardonically. "Listen, I don't like that you and Mione are together, and I hate that she allowed you to blackmail her into marriage."

"But?" Severus goaded, raising an eyebrow.

"But, I think that you did a good thing today by trying to save the baby. I've just been to see her, and Poppy says she'll be fine so long as she isn't stressed and stays mostly in bed until her second trimester, whatever that is." The boy sighed. "I've not told Hermione yet, but I plan to tell her the truth. After Ron Apparated me here and left, I went back to that flat you walked out of. I paid that woman to tell me what happened. I was hoping to have something to collect into a Pensieve that would get her out of your marriage."

"And, you found that I had not comitted adultry," Severus stated blandly, feeling the anger rise within him. "Yet, you came here to pick a fight with me in front of her. You wanted her to believe that I had been unfaithful after she and I had already established that I hadn't nor would I do so in the future."

"That's right. Thought it would be fun to see you in a spot. You shouldn't have been there in the first place. She did have a right to know that much. You didn't tell her that though," the brat pointed out.

"Before I left, I did tell her of my intentions. When I got back, I told her that I had not gone through with it. She needn't know any of the details," he said, brushing past the boy. He walked a few feet, stopped, and made his way back to him. "I think, Potter, that you'd better tread very carefully in the future. I'm not sure that my wife will be very forgiving once she knows your part in this. I know that I, for certain, am not. Your cloak can be found in her old chambers. You know the password, I believe."

"You know, Snape," Potter called out, "it's still not too late for her to leave your arse. I think it's you that should tread carefully."

Severus turned on his heel and glided back to the brat. "I've lost one child today, Potter. Part of the reason that Hermione is in the state that she's in right now is because of our scuffle. Do you realize that if you hadn't try to waylay us on the stairway that we'd not be as we are? Hmmm?" He knew that the miscarriage was likely inevitable, but he didn't mind making the boy feel a bit guilty.

"I'll be watching you, Snape," he said, backing away slowly. "You'll mess up somewhere along the way, and I'll be there to cheer her on when she leaves your arse. If you hurt her, you'll have me to deal with."

"Oh, heavens no!" Severus said in mock terror. "The great Harry Potter has threatened me. I'd better be on my best behavior. Good day, Potter. I don't want to keep you from your groupies any longer." This time he didn't turn around to answer the boy's taunting. Before he entered the Infirmary, a sinking feeling overtook him. What if she was awake? How would he explain what had happened? How would she feel about losing one child, possibly losing another, and taking an untested potion? He shrugged his fears away. Perhaps if she were worried about those things, she might forget what Potter had said just before she'd fallen. He'd have to tell her later, of course, but he wanted some peace for now.

A quick check with Minerva told him that she'd not awakened. He thanked her and Albus for supporting them, and he made his way to Poppy's office. "I want to transport her home. How much longer will you be here?"

"I leave in three days. Would you like for me to Floo in each day?"

He nodded. "I'll open the Floo from your grate in here to my sitting room. I would very much like for you to have a look at her. For now, I need to get back to make another batch of the potion. I have enough to give her tomorrow and the next day, but I'll need more for the rest of the week."

"Don't worry, Severus. I'll come by." She smiled kindly. "Hermione has less than five weeks until she reaches her second trimester. I would ask that she stays abed, have no duties, no stress, and she takes her vitamins. It's the best bet to keeping this little one alive. Once she reaches that, then we'll talk and examine her some more to see what the next steps will be."

"Thank you," he said sincerely and made his way back to Albus. "I am going to Portkey us home. I think we'll need some time alone. You can both Floo to check on her of course." He pointed his wand at a small cup. "Portus." He went to his wife to cradle her, activated the Portkey, and after counting down, the Infirmary vanished. The sensations of being jerked just behind the navel unnerved him slightly, as did the swirling colors and sounds surrounding them.

"Dilly?" The elf appeared immediately. "Is my wife's bed ready?"

"It is, sir. It is."

"Very well," he said, striding towards her chambers. He placed her upon the bed and pulled up a chair to sit next to her. He decided to talk to her, hoping it would jar her awake. He wanted to get the inevitable out of the way. "We're home, Hermione. I see the elves have made an effort to fill your room with the belongings that I sent here earlier." He saw her fingers twitch slightly and heard a soft moan. He knew that the medicine was wearing off. Now comes the hard part. He quickly poured a fresh glass of water from her vase and also dampened a cloth. He kept the water nearby in case she wanted a drink, but he wiped her brow and face with the cloth. Her eyes opened slightly. "Welcome back."

"Where?"

"We are home," he said. "Does your head still hurt?"

"Some."

"Does anything else hurt?"

"Babies?"

Severus sucked in a deep breath, placed the cloth on the nightstand, and sat next to her. "Do you remember anything before you fell?" Her brow furrowed as she thought. She nodded slightly. "You had gone to see Poppy, and she told you that you were expecting twins. Both were precariously implanted. She didn't think that one or both would survive. Do you remember that?"

A tear slid down her cheek. "They're gone?"

He took her hand in his. "I am about to tell you something that will be most difficult to hear." Hermione's hand tightened around his. "One child was lost. The other is still as it was, but Poppy isn't optimistic about the outcome."

"One still lives? Oh, thank God! I didn't want to be alone."

"Yes," he said, quirking his lips upward at the sight of her relieved smile. "You were bleeding, however, and she needed to stop it. She recommended that she do a procedure to be sure all excess tissue was removed. Doing this would have terminated the other pregnancy as well. I did not give her permission to do this, but I requested that she please stop your bleeding to the best of her ability. She warned me that by doing so, you might suffer from an infection, causing you to lose the child anyway and possibly your own life."

She closed her eyes. "I feel all right."

He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, causing her to open her eyes. "I have given you a new potion that is being developed. It's been proven to work on animals, but it hasn't been approved for use on humans just yet. I trust the Healer that developed it, the properties and ingredients make sense to me, and I have taken some to give to you." Her eyes widened. "It was worth a try. It is supposed to stop infection, force your body to absorb any excess tissue into the system, and more completely bind living tissue to your uterine wall." He looked away and whispered softly. "It's the only way that I knew to save you both. I didn't think that you would want to condemn the child to death without giving it a fair chance. I want you both to live."

"You chose right," she said weakly. "Water."

Taking the glass from the stand, he brought it to her lips, watching as she sipped gingerly. When she was finished, she closed her eyes. He placed the glass back on the stand. "Hermione?" She only smiled faintly. A few minutes later, he began talking. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I swear to you that I was not unfaithful last night. My intentions weren't pure, but I decided on my own to not go through with it. Why? I realized that any other woman would be unsatisfactory. You are all I want now."

There was no reply, so he knew that she was sleeping. However, he felt all the better having voiced what had been on his mind for hours. "Potter told me that he knew that I hadn't done anything. After he waylaid me and Apparated away, he went back to the flat I had come out of. He paid the witch to answer questions for him. She admitted that nothing happened. He simply wanted to tear us apart this morning and hurt me." He sighed and laid his head on the bed next to her. "I'm not sure if you'll remember exactly what he said to us, but I thought that you'd likely prefer your own room. I'm also afraid that I might have caused your fall by shrugging you off of me like I did when I tried to get to the Boy Wonder. I know it will be hard to have your trust in me again, but I shall try to earn it. I simply hope that you don't forgive Potter too easily. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn't goaded me...ah, that's not fair, I suppose. I welcomed it, to be honest. I wanted a chance to inflict some of the shame that he'd inflicted on me."

"We've many things to discuss when you are awake and able. I don't know how I am going to be able to tell you this, but long ago I promised a woman that was very dear to me to always protect what's mine. It's unfortunate that I didn't remember that sooner. Most of this could have been avoided," he said darkly. "You are mine, you know." He leant over and kissed her brow. "I shall check on you later." He paused near the doorway. "You will never be alone, Hermione."

Hermione was very much awake as her husband talked to her, but she'd been too weak to respond or even open her eyes. When her eyes were opened, things appeared a bit foggy. Part of her was angry, part of her was disappointed, and part of her pitied her husband.

First of all, what fucking right did Harry have to say such things to fight with Severus? He'd purposely sabotaged Severus in her eyes. Well, that's not completely true. When Severus told her that he'd not been unfaithful, and he further went on to vow that he never would be, she'd believed him. When Harry made his accusation, she simply wanted Severus to reassure her that what she believed was the truth. There had been something desperate in his eyes when he'd looked up, holding his hand out to hers. It was as if his soul was pleading with hers to believe him. Before she'd had a chance to tell Harry to stop and that he must have misunderstood something, he'd gone too far and provoked Severus.

The truth about her fall was that she had lost balance when Severus moved away from her grasp. She finally balanced herself, but she hadn't minded where her feet were. One wrong step back had sent her spiraling down the stairway. Her husband sounded uncharacteristically guilt ridden already. She would not add more to his burden by admitting the reason she fell. She mostly saw this as Harry's fault. If he hadn't chosen that moment to appear and to lie to them, then her babies would be fine. No life would have been lost. Yes, Poppy had said that she would likely have terminated at least one of them anyway, but she'd planned to make arrangements with her husband to do what needed to be done to save her unborn children. It would be a long time before she could talk to Harry without being ugly. As soon as she was better, she would write to him and tell him that she didn't appreciate his part in things.

Secondly, who was this woman that Severus had made a promise to? A woman that was very dear to me. Had he been in love before and lost her? Was that why he was so bitter and hated to even speak the word love? She would like to know about this woman and exactly why he'd promised her something about protecting what was his. She couldn't help to be slightly jealous. How had some woman accomplished something that she, the future mother of his child, couldn't? She gasped. Did he have an old lover and child out of wedlock? From what he'd told her at first, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd refused to marry someone. In fact, the more she thought of it, she would be very surprised if he truly had been in love. He hadn't said love. He'd said that she was dear to him. An aunt? A friend? His mother? A sister? Maybe she would find a way to approach the subject again.

Thirdly, the man that had been holding her hand, talking to her in soothing tones, wiping her brow, and projecting warm feelings to her had been a completely different man. What had changed? Did losing his child scare him? Did he realize that he cared more than he let on? Did he believe himself to love her? No, that last bit was unlikely. He wasn't in love with her, but she could see where a protectiveness would surge forth after death paid their family a call. Did he pity her? Was he simply being nice until she was well? She had no idea what orders Poppy had given or what the side effects of this miracle potion would be. His words came washing over her. You're all I want. She knew he'd meant those words. He didn't know that she was awake. He thought that he was talking to himself. There was no reason to lie to himself.

Sleep was coming. She could feel its claws reaching for her awareness. Would her baby survive? What would it have been like to have two babies at once? She couldn't imagine Fred without George. Tears made their way to her closed eyelids and forced themselves out of the corners. Whatever reason for this, she would only hope that it was for the best. When she'd been told that she carried two babies, she nearly fainted. One had been hard enough to explain to Severus, but she feared telling him about the second and the impending bed rest. Belatedly, she realized that he wouldn't have taken the news all that badly. He seemed to be grieving in his own way.

~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus wanted to crawl in next to his sleeping wife, but he knew better than to do that. She wouldn't want him near. All too soon, she would wake up and demand answers to Potter's accusations. He was weary of fighting. He simply wanted to coexist peacefully. There was no need for animosity, not now. He knew that he'd been treating her badly. It was the only way he knew how to live.

No matter what she told him or how much she ended up blaming him for their child's death, he would be sure to try to keep her calm, and he would curb his harsh words. He wanted her to live. He wanted the child within her to live as well. There was nothing they could do to bring back the one they'd lost, but he could see that this one survived. He would see that his wife smiled again and held her firstborn.

"How can I right so many wrongs?" he asked softly. Her sleeping form looked so at peace that he pulled up a chair and propped up his feet. I'll never be weak, Hermione, not even for you. "What is weak anyway?" he mused quietly. An image of Arthur Weasley doing all that his wife demanded came to mind. At the last meeting they'd all had together, he was stating his opinion about something in the final battle. The obstinate woman had glared at him whilst clearing her throat warningly. The pecked man had quickly changed his views. That was weak.

Would Hermione expect this of him? Perhaps not. She seemed to like him as he was. If she would ever ask him to change, he would not. I already have. He nodded in silent agreement. Things had changed, hadn't they? Was he comfortable with the person that he was without feeling less of a man? Hell, yes. There was nothing weak about him. What's wrong with a man hoping to save his child's life and the life of his wife? What's wrong with a man wanting to protect what was his? If he had to pretend to be nice to see that those things came to pass, so be it. For now anyway.

He looked at her lush lips and wished to see them smile. She would have a lot to deal with the next day once her head truly cleared. He would be there for her only if she requested it. Whatever it took to keep her quiet and at rest, he would do. "There is only a few weeks left until she can move about more freely. How hard can this be?" Severus decided to make his way back to his laboratory to check on the brewing potion. He'd already alerted her parents to what had occurred so far. He'd assured them that with any change, they'd be the first to know. He was anxious to have their reply. For some reason, he wanted them to think well of him, to be glad she chose him over Potter. Harry Bloody Potter, the little bastard. He would get his.

Southern's Notes: A special thanks to GinnyW for reading through my medical type stuff. I was uncertain as to what sounded right or not. She was able to steer me in the right direction.

I'm thinking that wasn't cool of Harry, and I do think he is partly responsible. However, according to Poppy, it was likely that it would have happened anyway. Who's to say that this didn't actually save the other baby in the long run?

Severus is trying to think better of his wife and child, but he was so greatly influenced by his father that he's been a bit warped. How does one act in a situation not prepared for and not wanted? I'm glad his mum made him make that promise. In my mind, he wants to do what's right by Hermione, and he will start being nicer, but he still thinks it's an act. I wonder if the act will become habit?