The Potions Master's Baby

Chapter Eleven: The Belle of the Ball







Near the end of every school year a ball was held in honor of the seventh year students who would be moving on. Severus never attended them, he hadn’t even attended his own when he left Hogwarts, but he would be attending this year. Hermione insisted upon it. She was assigned to chaperone and she didn’t want to go without an escort. He had tried to refuse but then she mentioned something about Richie escorting her and that was all it took to have him stepping through her door in a brand new set of dress robes.







He felt a bit idiotic, he didn’t really hold with all the nonsense that came with such formal events. However, her happiness meant something to him. The time he spent with her was important to him. Impending fatherhood and the affections of a loving witch were changing him. Maybe it wasn’t apparent to others, but he felt the difference strongly, a little more each day.





He now had her password and she his so that they could come and go at will in each others quarters. When he stepped through the portrait he heard the soft sound of muffled sobbing.





It took him a moment to find her as her rooms were configured differently. But finally he stepped through the door of her bedchamber. He saw her immediately standing across the room with her back to him. All of her riotous curls were pinned atop her head, tendrils escaping artfully to graze her neck and shoulders. Scarlet satin covered her curves. From behind he could make out that it was empire waisted with capped sleeves, but that was it. Long silver gloves covered her hands and arms up to her elbows as they hung at her sides as she cried with her head bent.







“Hermione, what’s wrong?” He asked, approaching slowly with a knot of worry fisted in his stomach.





Her head lifted and she glanced back over her shoulder, hastily swiping the tears that were dampening her cheeks. She sniffed, her eyes sad and her lips trembling.





“Nothing.” Her voice broke.







“People don’t cry over nothing.” He said, his brow furrowed.







“I can’t go to the ball.” She said, the tears flowing anew.





“Why not?” He asked, beginning to wonder if he had forced himself into the uncomfortable dress robes for naught. She gave a muffled sob and turned towards him, her bottom lip trembling more as she faced him.





“Because I look like I swallowed a pumpkin!” She cried. Severus took a deep breath; it felt as though he had been mule kicked. The gown she was wearing hugged her full breasts lovingly then draped from beneath them. The silky fabric clung to the small, firm mound of her belly. It was the first time he had seen her dressed in something that so obviously showed her pregnancy.





“No, you look beautiful.” He said quietly, taking in every detail.





“I’m fat and I can’t do anything right! Everyone is going to be able to tell that I am pregnant and I can’t get my stockings on!” She was crying and semi-shouting at the same time. Severus had read enough to know it was her hormones talking. He wasn’t a soft man; at least he had never been before her. He didn’t quite know where to go or what to do to fix the problem, to make her happy again. So he moved slowly, carefully.





“You aren’t fat, you are pregnant and it is lovely. Who cares if everyone knows? I don’t.” He said, coming closer to her. “As for your…hosiery…is there a reason you can not don them?”





“I’ve snagged three already.” She said, holding up the mangled stockings. “I don’t know what is wrong with me.”







“Nothing is wrong with you. Sit down.” He took her hand and led her to the side of the bed. He knelt in front of her and took the stockings from her hand. He cast a quick repairing spell and looked up at her with a slight blush on his cheeks. “I’m not sure how to do this.” He said.





Hermione smiled, touched by his sweetness. She tugged the skirt of her floor length gown up to her knees and extended one leg.







“Same as socks, only higher and far more delicate.” She said. Severus nodded and gathered one of the stockings in his hand, bunching it in his fingers and then sliding it over her foot and up her leg until the elasticized lace gripped her flesh at mid-thigh. He swallowed hard and repeated the actions on the other leg.







“There now, crisis averted.” He said, helping her back to her feet and holding her steady as she slid her feet into matching satin slippers.





“Severus, if I go out there in this gown…” Her hand was resting on the little bump of her stomach.







“It is inevitable.” He said, his hand resting over hers. “I’m not ashamed.”







“It’s moving.” She said softly. “Can you feel it?” She slid her hand from beneath his and pressed it tight against her. Just the tiniest bit of a vibration registered against his palm and he felt his chest tighten.





“I feel it.” He said. It was almost as if a tangible bond were wrapping around them, binding them together firmly with that single shared experience.





“You surprise me, Severus. You are not even close to being the man I believed you to be. You are so much more.” She laid her hand against his cheek and lifted her lips to his briefly.







“If you start that then we shall be late.” He warned though it didn’t stop him from kissing her back.





“Are you certain that it is time for us to come out?” She asked, somewhat wishing that he would say no and that they could keep their secret for just a bit longer, that they could keep this little bit of something special as their own and not share it.







“I am certain.” He answered. For a while in the beginning he dreaded the moment when others would know, when it would become public knowledge that he and Hermione were having a child together. But as the pregnancy, and the relationship progressed it no longer mattered to him. He stood there in front of her now, his hand resting over her belly and he felt no sense of dread, only pride. He feared to even consider that he was feeling happiness. It wasn’t something that had ever lasted long in his life and he was hesitant to curse himself thusly.





“Alright.” She smiled and took a deep, shuddering breath. She reached behind her for her wand lying on the dressing table and tucked it into her glove so that it rested along her forearm. “Shall we?”





Severus offered her his arm and with a slight tilt of his head he led her through her quarters and out the door. The portraits erupted in a roar of whispers as they caught sight of Severus and the pregnant witch. The couple opted to ignore their voyeuristic commentary.





“You look very handsome by the way.” She said. “You bought new robes to accompany me didn’t you?”





“I did. I didn’t have any as I never attend these functions, not even when I was a student.” He answered.







“I am glad you are with me. I don’t know what I would do if I had to face them and their questions alone.” She said. “When I first decided to do this I didn’t think about how emotional I would be about the whole thing, or how it would feel to have people know and ask me questions.”







“I don’t think there will be too many questions as they all know that we have been having a relationship. I would be prepared for a lot of shock however.” He said, his lips twitching in what she had come to think of as his almost smile. She could see by the look on his face that he was actually looking forward it. He longed to see the stunned faces of their colleagues who would believe that he had been defiling the Golden Girl of Hogwarts and impregnated her.







“You are enjoying this aren’t you?” She asked in amusement.







“I will not lie and say that I am not looking forward to rocking the boat. Their reactions to discovering that we were seeing each other were rather enjoyable.” He said. They turned a corner and stepped into the main corridor where students were congregating outside of the main hall. They stood at the top of a stairway and peered down at the crowd.







“Well, I hope you have your waders because it’s time.” She said.







They descended slowly, receiving the reactions they expected as students moved aside. Stunned faces gaped at the expanding tummy of their professor and their imaginations took flight with the knowledge that her boyfriend was none other than their potions master.





No one could quite wrap their minds around their professors being sexual beings. The idea that their evil, brooding potions professor could be shagging someone was almost too much for them to handle, especially when that someone was Hermione Granger. A lot of double takes were had before they finally reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the great hall.





Above them the charmed ceiling twinkled with a starry, cloudless night while a mix of muggle and wizard music played loudly. Severus led her through the crowd to the front of the assembly where the other faculty stood observing the students. It was comical to watch as they all greeted the couple. Once they moved beyond the shock of seeing Severus present and in dress robes they moved on to Hermione. It wasn’t as big a shock to them seeing her on his arm, they had been openly seeing one another for a bit and the staff was now somewhat accustomed to the sight of them together. What was rendering them all mute was the obvious roundness of Hermione’s abdomen.





“You…you’re expecting!” Professor Flitwick exclaimed from his perch atop a stool.







“I am.” Hermione said softly, her cheeks aglow.







“But…you never…I never suspected!” Professor Sprout’s eyes were agog as she looked between Severus and Hermione. “When?”





“I am due on the first of August.” Hermione answered, her hand tightening on Severus’s arm.







“And the wedding?” Trelawney asked, her eyes blinking rapidly from behind her spectacles as she bit into an overly frosted cupcake and getting the bright blue icing on her nose.







“What wedding?” Hermione asked, her brow furrowed.







“Why your wedding of course!” Flitwick piped in. “Surely you are going to wed before the baby is born?”







Hermione and Severus looked at each other for a moment and then back to the group.







“No, we hadn’t planned on it.” She said.







“What? Severus Snape, how could you do something so reprehensible?” Professor Sprout stood with her fists propped on her ample hips glaring at Severus.







“What is it that I have done, Pomona?” He asked calmly.





“You have taken advantage of a young woman and gotten her in the family way and now you refuse to do the right thing by her!” She shrieked.







“It is none of your business.” His voice was low and even.







“Are you the father?” Madame Hooch asked with a wry twist to her lips.







“That is a rather rude question.” Hermione said softly, her cheeks flushing. She didn’t think that Madame Hooch liked her much because of her aversion to flying and lack of interest in Quidditch.





“Yes, I am the child’s father.” Severus said darkly.







“It’s a valid question. No one had even the slightest inkling that anything was going on between you until a month or so ago and she is already halfway through her pregnancy.” Hooch shrugged as though saying what are we supposed to think.





“You had no idea because we didn’t wish for you to. Our relationship is ours and no one else need be concerned about it. We only made the choice to come forward with it because her condition was only going to be concealable for so long, as you can plainly see.” The lies spilled easily from his tongue, a leftover talent from his days in espionage.







“I find it odd that the two of you are involved enough that you are going to have a child together but aren’t going to wed.” Sprout crossed her arms over her enormous bosom.







“Don’t look at him that way! You are all trying to make him out as some villain who seduced me and is trying to get out of doing the right thing!” Hermione’s eyes began to burn as tears began to threaten.





“Isn’t he?” Hooch asked with her lips pursed and one brow lifted.





“No!” Hermione stepped forward but Severus stopped her with an arm around her waist.







“Stop, you don’t have to defend me to them, Hermione.” He pulled her against his side and turned her towards him. “They know nothing about us and are just being nosy and rude. You are going to upset yourself and it isn’t good for the baby.”





Hermione looked over to the line of co-workers who were giving them strange looks and she was furious at the way they were treating Severus. She glared at them all then turned her attention back to the man holding her so lightly.







“I don’t like their opinion of you.” She huffed.







“You won’t change it, sadly. Though watching you try to defend me was absolutely the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you for that.” Severus kissed her cheek lightly and felt her relax against him.







“Fine, I will leave it be. I’m hungry any how.” She sighed, her tummy growling.







“Nothing new there.” He smirked. He turned back to the group and addressed them. “Well, before you completely ruin our evening I am going to take Hermione to the buffet and feed my woman and my child. I would appreciate it if you could find it in yourselves to be happy for us and to change your attitudes before our child is born, I’ll not have your poison affecting them.”







Without saying another word he led Hermione away to the long buffet table set to the side. He watched her fill her plate with healthy selections until they reached the pastry baskets. She put several on her plate and then joined him at a table. They ate in silence then made a few passes around the room. Several students stopped to speak to them and Severus watched in amazement as several students touched her stomach and he wondered what it was that made people think that they had a right to invade a person’s personal space and touch their stomach when they were pregnant.





She didn’t seem to mind though. She smiled at the students as they asked her questions. Is it a boy or a girl? What are you going to name it? Do you have a preference? A few even had the courage to congratulate him to which he responded with a nod of his head.





“She looks beautiful, My Boy.” Albus said as he drifted up alongside Severus.







“Hello, Albus.” Severus said, still watching his witch with the students.







“It appears that the two of you have become quite close.”







“But out, old man.” Severus snapped. Albus merely chuckled, used to the cantankerous wizard.





“She was always meant to be yours you know.” Albus said, smiling when Hermione threw her head back and laughed at something one of the students said.





“What do you mean by that?” Severus asked, his brow furrowing as he turned to stare at the specter.





“From the moment she took breath her soul was tied to yours. I saw it the very first time that I met her. Of course it was completely impossible then, but I thought for certain you would have seen it when she came of age. But you are so stubborn, Severus. I watched for so long thinking you would finally step up and take what was meant to be yours but you never did. It wasn’t until I….”







“Until you what?” Severus asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.







“Oh my, I think I hear the Gray Lady calling for me.” Albus said quickly.







“Albus, you had better not have tampered with those samples.” Severus growled.







“Oh yes, the Gray Lady is definitely calling me, have a good evening, My Boy!” Albus dove straight up and through the ceiling leaving Severus glaring after him.





“Was that Dumbledore?” Hermione asked.







“Yes, and he is still a meddlesome old fool.” He grouched. He felt her hand light to his shoulder and he glanced down at her.







“Would you ask me to dance?” She asked.







“I am not a very good dancer.” He immediately felt bad when he saw the disappointment on her face. “But I think I can manage a slow dance.” A slow, guitar ballad with a raspy voiced singer began to play, the lyrics so perfect for the two of them that he nearly laughed at the irony.





With a smile on her face she pulled him to the edge of the dance floor and lifted her hands to his shoulders, his sliding around her middle as her tummy pressed into his. He blocked out the others in the room and concentrated on the woman in his arms, thinking about what Albus had said. Was she really meant to be his all along? Had he been too stubborn to see it? Would he have continued in his blindness had fate not intervened and brought them together? That’s of course assuming that it was fate that had intervened and not a meddlesome old ghost who couldn’t seem to resist messing about in other peoples lives even after he was dead.





She rested her cheek against his chest and he tightened his arms around her, unconsciously ducking his head and kissing her temple. He felt content when she was in his arms, whole. Suddenly he realized the truth. Albus had been right, she was meant to be his.





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I know I didn’t mention the song in the story, but when I was writing it, the song in my head was Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams, find the lyrics below.







To really love a woman

To understand her - you gotta know it deep inside

Hear every thought - see every dream

N\' give her wings - when she wants to fly

Then when you find yourself lyin\' helpless in her arms

You know you really love a woman



When you love a woman you tell her

that she\'s really wanted

When you love a woman you tell her that she\'s the one

she needs somebody to tell her

that it\'s gonna last forever

So tell me have you ever really

- really really ever loved a woman?



To really love a woman

Let her hold you -

til ya know how she needs to be touched

You\'ve gotta breathe her - really taste her

Til you can feel her in your blood

N\' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes

You know you really love a woman



When you love a woman

you tell her that she\'s really wanted

When you love a woman you tell her that she\'s the one

she needs somebody to tell her

that you\'ll always be together

So tell me have you ever really -

really really ever loved a woman?



You got to give her some faith - hold her tight

A little tenderness - gotta treat her right

She will be there for you, takin\' good care of you

Ya really gotta love your woman...



Then when you find yourself lyin\' helpless in her arms

You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman you tell her

that she\'s really wanted

When you love a woman you tell her that she\'s the one

she needs somebody to tell her

that it\'s gonna last forever

So tell me have you ever really

- really really ever loved a woman?



Just tell me have you ever really,

really, really, ever loved a woman? You got to tell me

Just tell me have you ever really,

really, really, ever loved a woman?