Damn OCD.

Though in all honesty, his son’s outward anxiety mirrored his own inner unease. It had been several months since the fiasco with the Wodahs. How they survived intact, Tobias was still unsure. The whole process had landed himself, Minerva, and both his boys in the Hospital wing for a week.

Once Severus had discovered that using ‘happy’ memories allowed an individual to shatter the connection between the invaded and the Wodahs he had, using Legilimency, gone into each of their minds and replayed some of their happiest memories. It had been amusing to watch Severus’s reactions to his own birth.

After severing the connections between them and the Wodahs, Severus ‘pushed’ them all out of his mind…and into the Sixth Year Ravenclaw Boys’ Dormitory. More specifically, on top of Mr. Mallard, the sixth year Ravenclaw whose mind Severus had entered in search of his father and brother.

What happened after that was a bit of a blur. Tobias vaguely remembered hearing girlish screams and the sound of running before losing consciousness completely. When he came to, he was in the infirmary.

Minerva was nowhere to be seen.

She had been the only one who had even heard of a Wodahs. Apparently, they were the stuff legends were made of. The only mention of the creature was in a book on ancient wizarding myths and legends. When she had awakened in the hospital wing hours before the others, she had immediately headed for the Umbitches quarters.

No one knew exactly what a Wodahs was, but killing one was fairly easy. You simply destroyed the device used to summon it. Traditionally, that device (which had to be kept in a dark area) was a clearly marked urn. The spell Minerva had used to make Umbridge more…compliant had also caused her to forget a few things.

Without hesitation, McGonagall had thrown the urn to the floor, shattering it into a hundred pieces. She then cursed the pieces to ash.

Tobias intended to never get on her bad side.

After that…adventure, Hogwarts was rather boring -- until March rolled around and Serenity’s due date passed.

Now, it was around ten in the morning on the seventh of April (three weeks after the baby was due) and finally, after putting up with an anxious, nervous wreck of a potions master soon-to-be father, they were in the waiting room of the maternity ward at the muggle hospital and Harry, needing something to do because his nervous chattering was causing Severus’s anxiety to grow, had been sent to find a cuppa. Then again, having been waiting since four that morning it was surprising none of them had truly lost it yet.

Serenity didn’t want Severus in the delivery room with her, but due to the stipulations in the contract that had been drawn up by the solicitor, she had no choice. In an attempt to make her more comfortable, however, Severus agreed to remain in the waiting room until the last possible moment when a nurse would summon him into the room. In Tobias’s opinion, it was more than the bitch deserved. Not that he’d ever tell his son that.

“He still hasn’t sat down?” Harry asked, carefully setting down the three cups of highly-caffeinated-horrid-tasting-hospital-tea on the small table situated between two of the waiting room chairs. The ‘Great Caffeine Search’ had done him some good by allowing him to exercise some of his anxiety off. He really didn’t know why he was so nervous…he wasn’t the one having a baby, but Severus’s constant worry and near panic was sending him into hyper drive.

Before Tobias could reply, the door leading to the delivery rooms opened and a middle aged nursed peeked around the edge.

“Mr. Snape?”

For a moment, Tobias thought his older son would pass out as he stared at the woman, mouth agape.

“Yes,” Severus finally managed to spit out, hurrying over to the door.

“Follow me, please,” the nurse said with an amused, but understanding smile on her lips.

Severus didn’t need to be told twice.

Tobias picked up one of the cups off the table and downed it in three gulps before picking up a second cup and turning his head to face Harry.

“I’m going to be a grandfather,” Tobias said with a proud smile.

Harry grinned back, picking up the last cup from the table. He was going to be an uncle!

SssssssssS

As Severus followed the nurse to Serenity’s room, after washing up and putting on a ridiculous gown and mask, he couldn’t help but wonder how his birth could be one of his fathers ‘happy’ memories. He’d never felt more anxious in his life. Not only that but he was nauseous with worry.

After a small eternity he was finally in the delivery room.

The words Serenity screamed at him the moment she saw him made his mouth tingle in anticipation of an unpleasant soapy encounter.

It didn’t seem the moment, however, to point out that she hadn’t been complaining during the act of conception.

SssssssssS

Half an hour after Severus left, Tobias was seriously considering pacing the waiting room. Before he could act on that desire, however, Severus burst into the room the surgical mask he was wearing hardly covering the huge grin on his face. Then, without even realizing it, the Snape men were standing at the window of the hospital nursery looking at the newest addition to the family. Harry’s face was practically smashed up against the glass looking for all the world like a five year old gapping through the window of a toy store. Standing next to his father, with Severus beaming on Tobias’s other side, Harry’s awestruck expression was fixated on the small, delicate bundle in the nurses arms.

Deidra Samantha Snape was struggling against the young nurse holding her with every ounce of strength she possessed.

“She’s certainly a fighter,” commented Tobias with pride as he watched the nurse attempt to calm his granddaughter.

“For some reason I was expecting a boy,” Harry said as he stared with awe at the red faced bundle with a head full of raven black hair. Tobias and Severus tore their eyes away from the window just long enough to raise an eyebrow at the fifteen year old standing beside his father. “What?” Harry asked defensively.

Both Severus and Tobias neglected to comment, refocusing on the now calm, but awake baby girl.

“Mr. Snape,” said the nurse that had led Severus to the delivery room coming to stand in front of the window.

“Yes,” Severus replied, tearing his eyes away from his brand new baby.

“Ms. Hood would like to speak to you,” the nurse said gently.

In order to keep with the contract, the hospital staff had to be informed of the circumstances of the child’s birth. Meaning, as soon as the child was delivered she was to be removed from Serenity’s presence. Under no circumstances would Serenity be allowed to see the baby.

Severus nodded, the smile gone from his face and with another glace at his baby, he followed the nurse to Serenity’s recovery room.

Once there the nurse left with a sympathetic smile and Severus hovered at the doorway.

“For God’s sake, Severus, come in,” Serenity said with a tired smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which still had dark circles underneath. Severus crossed his arms over his chest while taking two steps into the room, still keeping his distance, and hesitantly met her eyes. He had no desire to be in the same room with the woman that had just given birth to the most beautiful baby in the world. A small pang of regret hit him. This was the mother of his child. A mother that wanted nothing to do with her own baby. Who, eight months ago, was more than ready to have an abortion and destroy the precious bundle down the hall. His precious bundle. His regret quickly evaporated as he searched her eyes for the same emotion, and came up empty

“Right…” Serenity said, drawing out the syllables, though her tone was devoid of emotion, as she tugged on a strand of brown hair. “Well, now that I know where I stand.”

Severus remained silent.

“I want to see her.”

Severus’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but aside from that he showed no outward emotion. A small part of him wanted to show her the baby. The same part that wished she would love her own child. The part that wished his own mother could love him.

“No.”

For a woman asking to see the infant she had spent hours delivering her voice was remarkably steady. “Severus, listen, please…”

“No.” Severus interrupted her. “We have an agreement. You signed away all your parental rights.”

“That was before…I’ve changed.”

Severus let out a shallow chuckle devoid of any humor. His arms were still crossed but his fingers dug into his flesh itching to throw something. He remained silent for a long moment in an attempt to bring his anger under control. He wanted to yell and scream at her. He wanted to tell her that she was an imbecile for choosing a bookstore over her child. He wanted her to know that it would be a cold day in hell before he allowed anyone to hurt his baby girl, including Deidra’s own mother… But he didn’t, because a piece of him couldn’t help but care for her. “People like you don’t change.”

Severus turned and left the room without a second glance not feeling the least bit guilty as he ignored Serenity‘s shouts and angry pleas for him to return.

When he returned to his father and brother, the middle aged nurse was there with them, holding a pink bundle in her arms. Hearing his shoes click on the floor, she turned around with a kind smile accentuating the laugh lines around her mouth.

“Mr. Snape, are you ready to take your little girl home?”

Severus swallowed hard, still shaken from the encounter with Serenity, and took Deidra from the nurse as though she were made of porcelain.

At first, Severus thought it was magic. A…warmth traveled through him centering around his chest, where his daughter was nestled to his frame. Severus knew then without a doubt that he would do absolutely anything for her. His concerns about parenthood didn’t disappear completely, but he realized his dad was right. As he held the delicate mass of flesh and cartilage that had helped create his entire world view seemed to change. He couldn’t say how long he stood there holding his precious Deidra, studying everything about her, but eventually a hand on his shoulder distracted him.

“Mind if I hold my granddaughter now?” Tobias asked quietly, as though he knew what his son was thinking.

A voice in Severus’s head cried for him not to release his baby and he instinctively drew her closer. He didn’t want the warm feeling to go away. Despite the voice however Severus felt his head shaking, then he was carefully handing Deidra to his father. And even though she wasn’t snuggled against him the warm feeling didn’t leave.

“Hello, princess.” Tobias cooed, even as Deidra fussed from being transferred. Unlike Severus’s rather stiff and unaccustomed movements, Tobias held the baby with well practiced ease.

Severus hovered close to the baby barely able to restrain himself from taking her from his father.

Harry stood next to Severus, studying the newest addition to the family with longing. He wanted to hold his little niece, but was hesitant to ask. With the way Severus was hovering around their father, he’d probably flip out at the suggestion. He watched closely as Tobias easily transferred the baby back to Severus, ready to dive after her if either of them dropped her. He released a small sigh when Deidra was, once again, firmly in Severus’s arms. Severus’s eyes met his and his smile widened a bit more.

“Would you like to hold her, Harry?”

Harry’s eyes widened. “I…yes…but…I don’t know…”

Before Harry could assemble his thoughts into a coherent language Severus was standing directly in front of him gently pushing the baby into his arms. Deidra stretched her shoulders out a bit trying to find a comfortable position in her uncle’s arms.

“Ummm…Hi!” was all Harry could think to say, he ignored the chuckles of his father and brother as he awkwardly held the small infant. He could hardly believe his brother was letting him hold her, he certainly hadn’t been expecting Severus to suggest it, but for whatever reason Severus seemed to trust him. A year ago Harry wouldn’t have believed that his potions professor could trust him. Or that he could trust his potions professor. Now he had a father and a brother that loved and cared for him. He wondered if his niece could ever understand how lucky she was.

Harry watched, fascinated as Deidra drifted off to sleep in his arms and promised that he’d do anything to protect her. And do everything possible to make sure she didn’t miss her mom to much. Reluctantly, Harry handed her back to Severus, who cradled her against his chest.

“Hello,” Severus said softly, “Ready to go home?”

The now-sleeping baby responded by breathing, her mouth open in a little circle.

Severus smiled. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes‘.”