Unexpected Places

When someone knocked on Hermione’s door the next morning, she seriously considered hexing them. The little angel she had chosen to care for had become a little demon the moment her eyes closed. She had been up several times in the middle of the night with him.

The night of horror, as she had decided to call it, had started at 11 pm when she had decided to go to bed. He had begun crying so she had fed and changed him then rocked him for about ten minutes until he fell asleep. The moment she had put him in the crib, he had opened his eyes and began screaming at the top of his lungs. She had quickly picked him up and he had stopped. She tried several more times but he woke up and wailed so she had given up. He had ended up in bed with her cuddled close.

She had just fallen asleep it seemed like, when he woke up again, wet and hungry. She had fed him and changed him again, then tried rocking him to sleep. He wouldn’t sleep. He just stared at her with wide blue eyes, making gurgling noises and ignoring her weary entreaties to please, just go to sleep. Finally, she sang to him over and over again and he did fall asleep.

The third time she had been half asleep. She had changed him and fed him again and then had fallen asleep with him on her chest. She didn’t know if he had been asleep or awake but he hadn’t cried and when she woke he was still there, curled up close to her heart.

She was reaching for her wand when the door opened and Harry popped his head in. “Are you alright?” he asked warily as he saw what she was reaching for. She pulled her hand back and shook her head.

“Tired.” She complained. He smiled, walked over to the bed and picked the baby up. He was still sleeping soundly.

“Anyone who says sleep like a baby is a liar unless they mean wake up and cry every few minutes.” She said grumpily. She missed Harry’s amused smile.

“Well, they need a lot of attention. What are your plans for today?” he asked.

She covered her head up with a pillow. “Nothing. I am going to sleep all day and then sleep all night too. How do women do this?” she groaned.

He pulled the pillow away from her head. “Get up and get dressed so we can go to breakfast. Didn’t Snape say you were going to start the potion today? You don’t want to be late otherwise he may not help. Come on!”

He pulled her out of bed and shoved her into the bathroom. She groaned and complained but got dressed. When she came out, Harry had Alex dressed in a blue babygrow and was talking to him in a low voice.

“Don’t give him any more ideas. He knows my weakness already.” She joked and Harry was glad to see she was mostly herself. Harry carried him down the stairs and out the door. She paused for a moment, knowing that after this everyone would know she had a baby. She may not have given birth to him but he was still hers for the time being. She hurried to catch up with Harry as he made his way to the Great Hall.

When they entered the double doors, everyone stopped and looked at them. Harry, Hermione and a small infant, this was cause for gossip. Hermione flushed but kept her head held high. She didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. It’s not like it was her child. Harry gave her a small smile. He was used to the looks and whispers. It came with being known as the Boy Who Lived and The Man Who Defeated the Dark Lord.

Ron was already at the table and Hermione was not surprised to see that he was working on his second helping of everything. For a moment, she looked at him wondering where he put it all. He wasn’t a bit fat. Shaking her head she took Alex from Harry and he sat the baby bag down on the floor. She filled her plate and picked at it, still holding the sleeping child. She ignored the whispers around her.

Finally Lavender Brown leaned towards her. “Oh, Hermione! I didn’t know you had a baby. Who is the father or do you know?” she asked loudly. Hermione fought the temptation to roll her eyes. Lavender had never forgiven her for ‘taking’ Ron away from her.

“Actually, I don’t know the father.” She said, to Ron and Harry’s amusement. Lavender gaped at her. She hadn’t expected that delicious tidbit but before she could turn and spread the gossip, Hermione continued. “He was abandoned and I am trying to find the father so he can be returned to his family.”

Lavender’s face fell. She didn’t have anything to vilify Hermione with now. She turned back to her meal and her friends. Hermione stifled a laugh and turned to Ron and Harry, who were laughing openly.

Suddenly there was a pall at the table. Conversations died and everyone looked behind Hermione. She didn’t have to look to know what had happened.

“Miss Granger, do you know where my workroom is?”

She nodded and turned her head slightly so she could see him from the corner of her eye. “Of course, Professor. Is that where we shall meet?” she asked. She saw him nod.

“After lunch, Miss Granger, I have some errands to run at the moment.” He walked away, his robes billowing around him. She watched him go with a small smile. Despite his surly nature, he did have a sense of the dramatic. She saw the stunned looks of the others at the table and Lavender’s wide eyes and winced.

“A date with the Professor, Hermione? How… nice.” Lavender said venomously. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

“He is going to help me with the potion to find Alex’s father. It is not a date, Lavender.” She pushed her plate away and stood up.

“And if I hear rumors that it was, you had better watch your back. I’m sure you remember the curse I used last time.” She said in a low voice.

Lavender paled. She did remember the curse. Her skin had spotted and her hair had fallen out. It had been right before the Yule ball and no one had asked her. She nodded faintly and decided she should pick her enemies with more care.

Satisfied, Hermione left the Great Hall and decided to take a walk outside. It was already a beautiful day and although she loved to learn, she almost wished she wasn’t going to be stuck in the dungeons all day with Snape. At the thought of Snape, she smiled. Who would have ever imagined he knew how to change a nappy? She wondered where he had learned and although he had warned her, she knew she would end up asking. She just hoped they were far enough along with the potion that he wouldn’t quit.

Alex woke up with a whimper. She knew he was likely hungry so she pulled out a bottle and stuck the teat in his mouth. He began to suck hungrily and she breathed a sigh of relief. She would have been frustrated if he had decided he didn’t want to eat. She made her way to the lakeside and sat on the grass.

“You know, I’m going to miss this place when I graduate. It’s been my home for the last six years. I bet you can’t wait till you come here as a student.”

She continued talking to Alex as he ate. The sun shone down on them and it was extremely warm for a October morning. She lay back in the grass with Alex next to her and was soon asleep. Alex slept as well.

Harry and Ron found her like that, asleep in the grass near the beach of the lake. They moved quietly as not to wake her and sat nearby.

“She should know better than to fall asleep out here, especially this close to the Forbidden Forest. Who knows what could have come out of there and attacked her? She and the baby could have been killed.” Harry said to Ron in a low voice.

Ron nodded. “Yeah, well, I imagine the Professor would have helped her if something had happened. I can’t see why he wouldn’t since he saved her life in the last battle.”

Harry gave Ron a confused look. “Professor?”

“Yeah, Snape is over there. He has been there since we got here. He was there when we walked up.” Ron said motioning towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry turned and sure enough, Professor Snape was casually leaning against a tree at the edge of the Forest. When he saw them looking, he nodded once and disappeared into the Forest.

Harry frowned at the place he had stood and wondered what he had been doing. If it had been anyone else, well almost anyone else, he would have thought they had been watching over Hermione and Alex. Snape wasn’t the kind of person to watch over someone, Harry thought. Not in this type of situation. Snape was a good man to have in a battle and Harry supposed he could make a good guard but why now? And why Hermione? Harry bit his lip and resolved to keep an eye on him. Snape may have helped during the war, but he didn’t trust him at all.

“Mm… what are you doing out here?” Hermione asked sleepily as she woke up. Ron grinned at her.

“Watching you sleep, Sleeping Beauty.” He said and Hermione groaned. Ron had discovered Muggle fairy tales and had been fascinated. Who had known Ron was a romantic at heart. Hermione would have never guessed it from the way he had been when they had dated but since then she had seen some changes. And from some of the gossip she had overheard, a lot of girls had too.

She noticed Harry staring into the Forest and turned to find what he was staring at. She didn’t see anything so she turned back only to find him watching her with a smile.

“You know it’s dangerous to fall asleep out here and with a baby…” he started.

She smirked. “I put up a ward against those with ill intent. No one could enter if they thought to harm me or Alex.” She said. She waved her wand. A circle of light briefly flashed and then faded. Harry rolled his eyes and smiled.

“Know it all! Where did you learn that? It might be useful.” He said.

“You should read the Black Library more often. Not all of them are Dark Arts books… though I have to say most of them are. You should look through them. Ron what are you doing?”

Ron jumped back. He had been trying to get a good look at the baby that she held. He gave her an embarrassed smile.

“Never seen one up close much. Not too many babes around the Burrow.” He explained. Hermione got a wicked smile on her face.

“Here why don’t you hold him?” she said thrusting the baby into his arms. He froze and tried to give him back, careful not to drop or squeeze him but Hermione moved away. Harry did too when Ron turned to him. Ron had no choice but to cradle the child in his arms.

Harry smiled at the sight. He had asked Ron to go with him to the orphanage but Ron hadn’t been confortable around children so he had declined. Harry hoped he would change his mind. Finally after a few minutes, Hermione took Alex and stood.

“I am taking a shower and giving him a bath. Then I am going to study so I will see you two at lunch.” She said before leaving them. Harry watched her go with a smile. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen with Alex in the future but until it was decided, Alex would have a wonderful mother taking care of him.

Hermione did as she said. She showered, dragging Alex’s crib into the bathroom with her so she could hear him if he cried. She also gave him a bath. She hurried through his because he screamed the whole time until she picked him up and held him close to her. Soon it was time for lunch. She wasn’t hungry, though so she skipped it and went down to Professor Snape’s workroom instead.

He was waiting for her. He raised an eyebrow when he saw she had Alex with her but didn’t say anything at first. He let her in and watched as she pulled a tiny crib from her bag and used the engorgio charm. She laid the sleeping baby in the bed and waited to make sure he was going to stay asleep before turning to the Professor with a tired smile.

“You know, Miss Granger, this potion can be explosive at times…” he said. She paled and looked back at the baby.

“Should I ask Harry to take him then… you know until we are finished here…?” she asked hesitantly. She didn’t want to put him in any danger. She was surprised when Snape smiled. She had seen him sneer and had seen what could pass for a smile if you squinted at him. That one only happened when he thought he had you cornered, but this was a genuine smile.

“Miss Granger, I have not melted a cauldron or exploded a potion in over 15 years. I will definitely not be doing that now with this potion. I just thought to warn you.” He said, amused.

She nodded, relieved and somewhat embarrassed that she had insinuated he would. With a few directions, they started. He instructed her and she followed his directions. They worked very well together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N Thank you thank you for all your kind words. I love writing and I am glad you love reading. I will probably update on Sunday or Monday because on the weekends I have my own little Alex to take care of and no time for anything but him. Just so you know the experiences I describe in the beginning are the bane/joy of my life. But only on the weekends, thank Merlin.