What's In A Name?

What's In A Name?

There were a great many things about his life that Severus Snape would consider unpleasant. Hermione Granger was not one of them. Certainly, the years of her childhood, and specifically the days of that childhood that she spent in his classroom, hadn't been a picnic for either one of them. They had been separated by a gulf of years and many, many preconceived notions of one another.

It was almost amusing for him, once the war was over, to think that that war had been the very thing to push them together. Hermione had come to Hogwarts with a rather sharp intellect, and she grew to brilliance in her years at the castle. She became a dedicated member of the Order and, as a result, Severus ended up spending quite a bit of time with her. They did not form a friendship quickly or easily, but friendship did eventually form. And, from that, something else.

It had come as quite a surprise when one afternoon, once everything they had been working for was neatly taken care of and packaged away and the wizarding world was returning to a normalcy it hadn't known in decades, that Hermione had knocked on the door or Severus' office. She had casually invited him out to lunch and, surprised as he was, he agreed. The afternoon proved to be the beginning of a relationship that neither had expected, but that pleased them both.

The wedding had been beautiful and well-attended. Hermione had been looked absolutely breathtaking and even Severus himself had had to admit that the evening had been a success - especially as the majority of the bride's friends were having difficulty viewing the groom in that particular role. He had, after all, put a good deal of effort into terrorizing them during a good many of their formative years.

While their courtship and wedding ceremony might have had a bit of a "Beauty and the Beast" feel to it, neither Severus not Hermione expected the marriage itself to be a fairy tale. They were not disappointed, as the first months of cohabitation proved to be a bit trying on them both. Neutral ground was eventually found (Hermione would not attempt to straighten Severus' potions stores and Severus would not take it personally that Hermione read at the breakfast table) and they rediscovered a very happy state of togetherness.

And so their lives continued.

Severus continued to teach, scaring the wits out of fools and first year students, and Hermione flooed daily to an Edinburgh office where she spent her days immersed in putting her Arithmancy skills to use.

Shortly after their second anniversary, the Snapes discovered that they were expecting their first child. Hermione was elated. Severus was mildly stunned a first - he had never particularly cared much for his students after all, not even his wife when she had been one, and was concerned that his dislike of blithering idiots might spill into a dislike of his own child. When Severus voiced his concern over the possibility of his son becoming the next Neville Longbottom, Hermione had laughed gently, a sound which had become a balm to sooth all wrongs, and asked him if he actually thought that was possible. Given the genetics involved Severus agreed that that particular outcome was highly unlikely and the idea of fatherhood grew on him as Hermione's belly began to expand.

A corner of their bedroom was cleared for a bassinette and turned into a temporary nursery. Another room had been fitted with a crib and decorated appropriately, but Severus quickly gave into the idea of the child sharing their room to begin with. Hermione wanted to be able to have quick access to the hungry infant and, as that ultimately meant fewer interruptions to his sleep schedule, Severus agreed.

The only thing the couple had not managed to agree on was a name. There were, they decided, entirely too many possibilities. As Hermione grew to the point where it looked as though she attempted to hide a watermelon beneath her robes, the quest for a name became a bit more urgent.

Severus and Hermione came to discussing the topic whenever they were together. It was how they began and ended their days.

"What about Nigel?" Hermione called one morning from the bathroom where she was brushing her teeth.

"No," Severus returned from the bedroom, scowling as he meticulously worked the buttons on his teaching robes. "That name is entirely too close to 'Neville'."

"Lenora," Severus suggested the following evening at dinner.

Hermione only raised her eyebrows.

Hermione returned from a shopping trip in muggle London with a book of baby names. Severus scoffed at her, and was pleased when she did not tease him later that same evening when she discovered him flipping through it's pages.

"Ambelworth."

"No."

"Octavia."

"No."

"Augustus."

"People will call him 'Augie'."

"No."

Weeks passed and still the child had no name. Still, the discussions continued - over breakfast, over dinner, in bed.

It was not uncommon for Hermione to pull out the book of names as soon as Severus turned down the sheets. He would lean against the headboard. She would lean against his shoulder and prop the book open on the mountain of her stomach which, more often than not, Severus stroked absently as they spoke.

"Silvius?"

"No, too close to my own name. Jane."

"No, that IS one of my names. William."

"No, there are enough of those already. Timothy. No, strike that."

Hermione chuckled. "Perhaps we should call it quits for tonight."

Severus placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Perhaps."

Hermione closed the book, grunting slightly as she pushed herself up to place the book on the nightstand beside the bed. Severus readjusted the pillows as she leaned away, picking up his head at her quietly muttered "Ow".

"Hermione?" he asked, seeing that she frowned down at her hand.

"I broke a nail," she replied, showing him the wound. The nail on her ring finger had ripped, leaving a jagged edge painfully close to the skin. Severus nearly winced, knowing how painful a too-short fingernail could become, then captured Hermoine's hand and gently kissed the tip of the offended finger.

"Thank you," Hermione grinned, reclaiming her hand and settling down into their bedding. Severus extinguished the candles on his bedside table, and did the same.

"You don't like Jane?" he asked into the darkness.

"Goodnight, Severus."