Someone to Watch Over Me

Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter 14: And Baby Makes... Six?

"Please Ginny, one more time?" Draco begged her.

"No! We've already done it nine times, Draco! I swear you're like addicted to it or something."

He pulled her up against him, and started kissing her neck.

"That's not going to change my mind," she said, but her voice had gone hoarse.

He finally reached the spot behind her ear that made her toes curl.

"Mmm.. Okay! Once more! But then, we get our picture made with Tigger!"

He shouted with glee then dragged her back to the line for Space Mountain.

"I can't believe you like muggle roller coasters so much."

After getting off the ride for the tenth time that day, Ginny was ready to be sick.

Once the world stopped spinning, they headed for Fantasy Land in search of Tigger.

She had to talk Draco out of riding the Teacups, knowing she'd lose her lunch for sure on those.

Finally, they spotted the bright orange tiger, and got in line with all of the kids waiting for a picture.

When it was their turn, Ginny handed her camera over to the smiling cast member.

Draco was on one side of Tigger with Ginny on the other. She felt him put a paw on her waist, and smiled.

Suddenly Draco pulled away and knocked the tiger to the ground.

All the little kids around shrieked in fear.

One girl cried out, "You killed Tigger!"

"Draco!" Ginny cried, shocked.

"Tigger grabbed my ass!" he yelled, defensively.

It got quieter in Fantasy Land than it had ever been before.

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Hermione pulled her cloak tightly around her as she descended the stairs in Malfoy Manor. Ginny and Draco had been gone three days on their honeymoon. Soon after the wedding, everyone had left the manor. People had to get back to work and school, as it was the middle of September. She'd assumed Professor Snape would be returning to Hogwarts to teach, and she'd be free of him for a while. She was wrong. Professor Snape now apparated every morning to Hogwarts, and returned every afternoon. He always made sure that they had breakfast and dinner together, not allowing Hermione to avoid him.

He'd been researching pregnancy, and always seemed to be bombarding her with nosy, and sometimes very personal questions. After only a few interrogation sessions, Hermione had exploded on him, informing him that if she wanted him to know those details, she'd tell him.

He'd simply grinned at her, and quoted a passage from one of his reference books about how pregnant woman could be extremely emotional and moody. She'd been so frustrated; she'd started crying, and would not allow him to comfort her.

This morning, he'd left after breakfast, like normal. She'd been afraid for a minute that he'd remember today was her check-up and insist he go with her. But he'd simply said goodbye, and left.

The only room in Malfoy Manor that you could apparate into and out of was the parlor, and that was where she was heading.

She was nervous about this appointment. Knowing the sex of her child would make it all more real. But that wasn't all.

She looked down at her rather large stomach. She'd been doing her own research, concerned with how quickly the baby seemed to be growing. According to her research there could only be two reasons for this to happen. One was that she was further along than she thought. This was impossible, as she had been a virgin when she went to Snape's bed, and so immediately dismissed it. The second option was twins.

She remembered how Snape reacted when she'd told him about her pregnancy. How would he react to twins? She felt a pang at keeping her suspicions from him.

That pang disappeared when she entered the parlor and saw him waiting for her.

"You thought I forgot," he smirked at her sour expression.

"I hoped you had," she was being sullen, but she didn't care.

The smile left his face and he looked a little hurt.

"Hermione, if you really don't want me to come with you..."

"No. It's okay. You have a right to be there," she interrupted.

He nodded and offered her his arm.

A few minutes later, they appeared in front of the Women's Center of St. Mungo's Hospital.

Hermione checked in and she and Snape sat down in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs to wait.

Snape broke the awkward silence.

"Hermione, I don't want you to take this wrong, but according to the books I've been reading, you shouldn't be that big yet."

She turned and glared at him, not surprised that he had come to the same conclusion that she had.

He held up his hands.

"I'm not trying to insult you, I'm just trying to prepare you for the possibility that you could be having twins."

She sighed and looked away.

"Yes, I've known that for a little while now."

She thought about it for a minute.

"When you come to me and touch my stomach, are you measuring it?"

He looked at her sheepishly.

"Of course, why else would you touch me?"

She picked up a magazine, and buried her nose in it.

Snape was shocked.

She wanted him to touch her?

Perhaps he'd been going about this the wrong way. It kind of made sense. She hadn't been under the influence of a love potion that night, he had. Could it be that she had wanted him to make love to her?

He sneaked a glance at her.

Did she want him to make love to her again?

Hermione couldn't believe that she'd said that out loud.

It had to be the hormones.

She'd have never admitted it, but she enjoyed it when he'd seek her out after dinner, interrupt what ever she was doing so that he could put his hands on her stomach. Lately, she'd really been craving his touch. All they'd had was that one night together, and she dreamed about it, constantly. Unfortunately this was all just part of being pregnant. Her books had told her that she'd be horny.

"Miss Granger? The mid-wife will see you now," a nurse called out to her.

Hermione stood up, and hesitated. Did she want him to come in with her?

She took a step forward, and then looked back at him.

"Well? Are you coming?"

She turned to hide her smile at his eagerness as he jumped to his feet and followed her.

The nurse led them to a smaller room, and after taking her vitals, instructed her to put on a gown.

Severus dutifully turned to face the wall while she changed, then moved to help her up onto the exam table.

After a few minutes of silence, something on the ceiling caught the Professor's eye.

"Why are their pictures on the ceiling?" he asked, curiously.

Hermione looked up at the beach scene postcards.

"To help the patient relax during the uncomfortable part of the exam."

"Uncomfortable part?"

"You're about to find out."

The door opened, and Lucy, the mid-wife Hermione had been dealing with, stepped into the room with a welcoming smile.

"And how are you feeling today Hermione?" she asked, making notes on a clipboard.

"I'm doing a lot better. The morning sickness is almost completely gone."

"That's great."

"Lucy, this is the baby's father, Professor Snape."

Lucy turned toward the man in the room who was looking at her with a little trepidation.

"Hello, Professor. I'm so glad that you've decided to come with Hermione," Lucy said, shaking his hand.

He just nodded at her, suddenly ready for the whole thing to be over.

Lucy snapped on some gloves, and began casually chatting with Hermione about nothing in particular as she directed the pregnant woman to put her feet in the stirrups, and slide to the end of the table. They continued to chatter away as Lucy lubed up her finger and a few metal instruments, and began poking, prodding, and measuring.

Severus winced every time Hermione gasped. She was looking intently at the ceiling pictures, and trying her best to participate in the conversation.

After what seemed like hours, but was in fact only ten minutes, Lucy finished, and began covering Hermione back up.

"You can relax, Professor. The hard part is over," Lucy teased, cleaning the instruments and washing her hands.

Hermione straightened herself up, and sighed in relief.

"Everything seems to be coming along quite nicely," she commented, removing her wand from her pocket.

"I'm having twins, aren't I?" Hermione asked her, suddenly.

"We'll know in a minute," Lucy said, and cast a spell.

A light burst from Hermione's abdomen, and projected a picture on the blank wall.

Lucy pulled on a pair of glasses and studied the picture for a moment, writing down even more notes on a clipboard.

Finally, she turned toward Snape and Hermione.

"No, Hermione, you are not having twins."

"I'm not?"

"No. Twins would mean you are carrying two babies. You are actually carrying four."

"What?"

"Congratulations. You will soon be the proud parents of quadruplets!"

The only sound in the room was the thud Snape made as he hit the floor.

End Chapter