"Ah, there you are, Severus," the matron said briskly before walking away. "Well, come along."

"I apologize for my meeting with the headmaster running late, Madam."

"Don't apologize to me, Severus Snape," Madam Pomfrey replied before pointing to a closed door. "Apologize to her. Now, I have some tests to run, but I'll be back shortly. Do you think you can behave for once in your life?" He didn't respond vocally, but he bowed his head slightly. "Well, just don't cause her any more stress than she already has, Severus."

"Is something wrong with baby?" he asked feeling a slight ache in his chest.

"I'm not sure yet, but Aurora is definitely stressed beyond all tolerable limits. Please, Severus."

"I will not upset her, Madam," he replied with fierce determination. He watched the mediwitch slowly turn around and walk back towards her office. He then sighed before opening the door and walking into the private examining room.

As if someone had punched him in the abdomen, he drew in a sharp inhale at the sight in front of him. His dark eyes found the pale curly dark-haired witch lying flat on the examining table. He then felt the corner of his lips curl slightly. He could tell by her posture that she hadn't noticed him yet by how she looked rather relaxed. He could see that glow about her that Albus had spoken of earlier. She did look like she was positively radiating. However, he calmly walked beside her before inclining his head towards her respectfully when her dark eyes caught his.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show at all," she softly said with a hint of anger.

"I was slightly delayed, but I'm here now." His eyes then slowly trailed down her body, which he instantly noticed caused her breathing to hitch slightly. Feeling something close to regret, he quickly apologized. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, Aurora. I only wished to see if there have been any changes yet." He nearly groaned aloud when his words hit him. That had to have been his stupidest excuse ever. Maybe he shouldn't have taken that potion yet. If he was already having difficulty speaking when around her, he shuddered to think what he'd do. Truthfully, he had looked her over because he rarely saw her in this state. Granted, a white robe covered her body, but it hugged her just right.

Get a hold of yourself, Severus. Merlin, you are acting as if you've never been near a woman before, he chastised himself in his mind. Dimly, he was aware that Aurora was saying something, but he couldn't help himself as he stared at her more. Soon he lost himself to his thoughts. Your eyes are rich and full of unfulfilled dark passion. Your lips are delectably tart when you speak to me…or in most cases yell at me. It is those times that you are truly beautiful, Aurora. When your eyes narrow into slits and your magic surrounds me…to complete me in ways that only you know how.

Suddenly, a sharp pain stung his cheek, which caused him to shake himself from his thoughts instantly. His eyes instantly narrowed on Aurora. She was now standing directly in front of him and glaring daggers at him. He grimaced slightly. He guessed he deserved that slap…somewhat.

"Were you listening to a word I just said?" she growled.

"No," he admitted softly staring into her eyes. He couldn't keep the stupid grin from his face, which he instantly noticed shocked the hell out of her. Then again, who could blame him from grinning? She was absolutely beautiful when truly ticked off with him. She always had been.

"No?" she repeated snarling. She then angrily shook her head, which caused her long dark curls to bounce off her shoulders. "What the hell is the matter with you, Severus?"

If his Occlumency barriers were up, Snape would have turned around and left so that he could calm himself down before answering. However, unfortunately, his barriers were practically nonexistent. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push back any of the intense emotions coursing through his blood. That was why he was just as shocked as she was by his behavior. In fact, he probably was more shocked than she was when he took a step towards her before roughly pressing his lips against hers. Numbly, he felt their kiss deepen as his hand trailed over to her flat stomach. It had to be her hormones affecting him. If it was, then they were going to be in serious trouble. However, as the kiss turned gentler and he felt her arms snake around his neck, he noticed that he was somewhat calmer now. He pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against hers so they didn't go any further than just a kiss.

"I love you," he whispered. Where in Merlin's name did that come from? Did I just…I…I just told her, he thought in his head. He then opened his eyes and glanced down at her.

"You love me?" she repeated just as quiet as he had said it.

"Yes." He then chuckled quietly before running a hand through his hair. Did he want to admit everything to her, everything that he felt for her right here and now in the Hospital Wing? His dark eyes then glanced down to her stomach where his hand still rested. He felt warmth flood throughout him as he thought about the little life they had created. Yep, there was no doubt about it now. Her hormones were truly affecting him in such a way that he felt as if he had lost every bit of control on his emotions he ever had. "It's your own fault, Aurora." At the sight of her eyes narrowing, he further explained. "You're just so damn beautiful when you're angry that I just can't control myself around you."

"Severus," she started to say before sniffling slightly. "Where is this coming from?"

"The empty spot in my chest that you are starting to rebuild," he replied before chuckling again. "I…I took a potion, however, so that I could express myself to you openly. It appears to be working in overdrive, though. That and your hormones are affecting me greatly, which is perhaps the reason I brutally attacked you just now."

"Perhaps you're forgetting, Severus, that I didn't tell you to stop," she said with a wide smile. She then rested her hand atop of his on her stomach. "It's scary, isn't it? To know that you created something that's going to be so damn beautiful?" she whispered before laughing softly. "Well, as long as it has my nose, I mean. After all, I'll kill you if it has your beak."

Once again, his lips were against hers, but the kiss was much gentler and fuller of love than before. He moved his hand on her stomach slightly so that his fingers could lace with hers. His other hand gently touched her neck before he deepened their kiss slightly. He smiled against her lips when she snaked her arm around his neck again as if she wanted him to be even closer to her.

"Unless you wish for Aurora to pass out from oxygen deprivation, Severus, I would allow her to breathe every once and a while," an amused voice spoke from behind them.

The two separated from each other instantly. Snape felt a slight flush rise up his face, but he did his best to hide it. He then glanced towards Aurora and saw the guilty grin on her face. Turning his attention to the emerald-robed Gryffindor, he noticed her thin smile.

"Minerva, in case you forgot to read the sign, this is a private area. You cannot just barge in here unannounced," he said with a slight growl. He felt like he was a sixth-year all over again, only this time he wasn't going to stay silent as he received a second lecture of impropriety.

"Perhaps if you weren't busy fondling our colleague, Professor Snape, you would have heard my knock," McGonagall said with a smirk.

"I was not fondling her, Minerva," he snapped. "I was merely kissing her."

"Hmm…it has been some time since I've been kissed like that, Severus." She then waved her hand at him. "It's no matter, though. I'm here to inform you both that Albus has called for a full Order meeting an hour from now."

"Why?"

"If I knew that, Severus, then I wouldn't be going to it." Minerva's eyes sparkled towards Aurora before she embraced the younger witch. "Congratulations, my dear. I wish you and Severus all the best."

"Thanks, Minerva," Aurora replied softly. The two witches then slowly pulled out of their hug. "When you spoke with Pomfrey, she didn't say when she'd be back, did she?"

"She was still running tests when I saw her. I'm sure everything's fine, though. Poppy is just being through." McGonagall then gently rested a hand on the younger witch's arm. "There's absolutely nothing to worry about, Aurora."

Glancing towards him briefly, she sighed. He could see the concern in her eyes for Aurora. He had to admit that the longer Pomfrey stayed away was the longer he dreaded the news. He then glanced back to Aurora and gently slipped his hand into hers. Almost immediately, she squeezed his hand in response as if trying to soak up every last bit of strength from him.

"You're still here, Min?" Madam Pomfrey said with a soft smile.

"Actually, I was just leaving, Poppy," Minerva replied before silently walking away. The door quietly closed behind her.

"Is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, Aurora. However, we are going to have to take some precautions with you, though."

"What type of precautions?" Snape could feel his heart racing in his chest as he waited. This was exactly what his nightmares sometimes consisted of. He'd be with a witch that he truly loved only to have Fate rip her from his life. He could deal with the loss of their child. It would surely be painful, but he could deal with the loss. He knew without a doubt that he could not with the loss of her. He had already lost two women that he loved more than his life itself. He didn't want to add yet another to that dreaded list of the women he loved in his life.

"Well, I'm still running more tests, so I have nothing definitive yet. However, your blood pressure is concerning me slightly, Aurora. As I told Severus earlier, you have a considerable amount of stress that is beyond all normal toleration for any witch."

"So you are recommending that I take some time off then?"

"Yes. You need to have some time to relieve your stress, Aurora." Pomfrey then glanced towards him. "And I'm recommending the same for Severus."

"How long?" he quietly said trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"A week," Pomfrey replied. "I realize it isn't convenient with Harry's birthday coming up—"

"Wait. What?"

"Harry's birthday, Severus, it's on Sunday."

He instantly felt the color drain from his face. How could he forget that? Every person knew when Harry's birthday was. Why had he forgotten Harry's birthday? He groaned softly before hanging his head. He still had four full days left to get the young Gryffindor something so not all was lost yet.

"Yes, well, as I said before—"

"It is fine, Pomfrey. I am sure I'll manage," he said quietly.

"Well, then by all means, Severus," Pomfrey slightly snapped. She then shook her head angrily before glaring at him. "After all, I've only discovered how she became pregnant. Would you like to hear it? Or would you like me to shut up so you can interrupt yet again?" He only held his hand out for her to continue. "Well, according to Aurora, you always casted the contraceptive charm on her before initiating intercourse. And after your encounters, she'd drink the Protection Potion. Is that fairly accurate as how you remember it?" He nodded curtly. "Yes, well, I did several tests on her. As I'm sure you know, hair surprisingly reveals everything a person ingests much like rings on a tree tells its age. Therefore, it was fairly easy to see the dates where she drunk the potion. I also found evidence that backs up your claims about you casting the contraceptive charm on her. There are numerous remnants of your residual magic embedded in her womb."

Snape grimaced slightly. While he was an adult now and knew it was perfectly natural for him to be sexually active, he did not need the same mediwitch who examined him as a child to speak to him so openly. He also did not need a reminder that he had been with Aurora rather frequently during the past month. After all, he knew that the majority of those times were after meetings, so Pomfrey's reminder only reminded him of those meetings. He rarely thought clearly after a meeting so he knew that he couldn't remember their times together.

"However, on the day of your child's conception, there was no casting. I also found no evidence to suggest that she took the Protection Potion."

"We always took precautions, Pomfrey."

"Well, it seems that you didn't June 25, Severus," the matron responded snippily.

He immediately felt Aurora's hand tense as she recognized the date. While it was yet another night he knew he wouldn't remember spending with her, he remembered that morning waking up with her. It didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out that they had slept together.

Sighing, he remembered the events that he truly wouldn't remember firsthand. It was the day after the Dark Lord had murdered Cedric Diggory, and the exact same day Snape had returned to that monster. He had never asked Aurora what had transpired between them to end up in that state. For as soon as he was awake, he fled from her tower to his dungeons without glancing back. He wasn't even sure if she had been awake or not when he left.

Later that same night, they struck up their bargain after he returned from yet another torture session with the Dark Lord that he desperately needed to forget. Her door would always be open for him whenever he needed her. He wasn't a fool, though. He knew precisely what she got out of their bargain. However, he didn't care for some reason or another. Perhaps it was because he had loved her even then, but he couldn't be sure if that were true or not.

"Aurora, I would like to examine you again next month," Pomfrey said softly, regaining his attention. "I'll be drawing some fluid next time so you might experience some discomfort."

"I understand. I'm sure I'll be experiencing discomfort throughout this entire process." Again, Aurora squeezed his hand, drawing more of his silent strength from him. "Um…the only experience I've had with this whole pregnancy thing is when my mum was pregnant with my little sister, and I was twenty years old then. So, I guess what I'm asking is if it's possible to see the baby yet."

"It's possible, but I have to warn you, Aurora. It's still developing yet, so it's going to look a bit like a yellow blob of tissue. However, you are in your fourth week so you could listen to its heartbeat."

"Its heart is already beating?"

"Well, it is alive, Aurora. If you'd like to see it, then you're going to have to lie down again."

Snape immediately felt her pull her hand back from his. His hand felt cold in response, but he didn't voice his discomfort. He watched her quietly lay down on the examining table and sighed. He had to admit that the thought of seeing their child was exhilarating and to hear its heart beat…no words could describe that feeling. When he felt warmth flood his body again as she slid her hand in his, he instantly glanced at her. He couldn't keep the soft smile from his lips. A part of him never wanted to go back to being emotionless again. However, he knew that he couldn't take the potion indefinitely.

"So how is this going to work exactly?"

"The baby's image is going to project above you, and I'll amplify its heartbeat. If you want, I can leave so that you can listen to it for however long you wish. A simple finite will end the spell."

"Thank you, Poppy," Aurora said with a soft smile.

"You're welcome, dear." The mediwitch then silently cast her spell before leaving them alone.

Within seconds, a tiny being that was pale yellow appeared above them. In a way, it looked a bit like a Bowtruckle. They could hear a soft thump-thump resonate around the small sterile room, which made them both laugh softly.

"Which end is its head?" Aurora whispered with bright dark eyes.

"I'd say the end with the dark circle in it," Snape whispered back. He honestly didn't know why he was whispering. It wasn't as if their child's ears had developed yet. He then swallowed back the lump that had risen in the back of his throat. Even at four weeks, their child was beautiful.

"Is that his arm?" she asked pointing at a small stubby appendage.

"I believe so," he replied with a quiet chuckle. "You can't really tell anything, though." He then glanced at Aurora and saw the raw emotions in her glistening eyes. Taking one last glance at his son or daughter, he really didn't care which sex it was as long as it was healthy, he glanced back at Aurora and gently pulled her hand to his chest directly atop of his heart. She slowly turned towards him then with a puzzled look on her pale face. "Marry me," he whispered staring straight into her warm chocolate eyes.

"What?" she whispered with a look of pure astonishment and wonder. "What did you say?"

Drawing in a deep breath, he allowed the threatening grin to spread like wildfire across his face. He leaned towards her so that he could feel her warm breath against his face. He didn't know why he was asking her right then in the Hospital Wing of all places, but it just felt right.

"Aurora Sinistra, will you marry me?"

"Sev—Severus, we haven't even officially dated," she replied with a soft laugh as happy tears silently fell from her ashen face.

"Aurora, there wouldn't be a point to me courting you. I know everything there is to know about you." She slowly raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him on that statement. He'd be more than happy to oblige. "For example, you like to sleep on the right side of a bed because that's where you can see the stars from your own bed up there in the Astronomy Tower. You secretly joined the Order on the exact day you graduated from Hogwarts. You secretly have been obsessing over me since your Sorting ceremony in 1972. In fact, in 1974, you hexed Lily after she asked me for a dance during the Yule Ball. Something happened between you and Black your sixth year, which I'm sure I truly do not ever want to know. You dislike how your mother sets you up with ridiculous and pathetic excuses of pureblooded wizards. You are thoroughly incompetent brewing potions to the point where I'd rather have Longbottom brew me a potion than you. Your hair frizzes instantly when you're angry about something. Towards the end of your first year, you snuck into my dormitory and stole my potions textbook."

He then leaned even closer to her so his lips were nearly touching her own. He knew it'd be sweet torture for her, which somehow made it that more exciting. He then lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper that he knew would send chills down her spine.

"Your number one fantasy concerning me is our wedding. We'd marry underneath the twinkling stars in the Great Hall, which would have large Slytherin banners hanging all over. Albus would officiate in dark green robes. Septima would be your maid of honor in silver robes. Hagrid would be my best man, wearing a forest green jacket and black slacks. Harry and Draco would be in their best attire escorting your sister down the aisle. Filius would then direct the choir to sing a soft melody so that you would join me. You'd wear a long white ruffled dress that tied in back by various thin crisscrossed strips of silver strands of the finest silk. However, your back would still be open. Swept up for the most part, two dark stray curls would accentuate your face by framing it just perfectly. Pinned in your hair off to the side would be a white lily that you'd wear to honor my love for her."

"What…what would you wear?" she stuttered softly.

"Me, I'd wear nothing at all," he said chuckling before she softly laughed. He gently brushed back a stray curl from her face. "My pants would be black, of course, but I'd wear a white shirt. I'd also wear the emerald robes I inherited from my mother, which according to tradition states every single male member of the Prince line has worn it to their own wedding. Underneath my robes on my shirtsleeves, I'd wear Slytherin cufflinks that you gave me years ago." His smile then deepened. "And when Albus would tell us that he had pronounced us husband and wife, I would kiss you just like this." His lips slowly grazed hers in an utterly agonizing way before he finally kissed her properly. He could hear her soft whimpers against his lips as he deepened their gentle kiss. He nearly laughed when he felt her hands tug at his robes. He then pulled back from her and grinned. "I ask you again. Will you marry me, Aurora, so that I may kiss you whenever I want?" She didn't answer him vocally, but she did kiss him, which was more than enough of an answer. And people thought he wasn't a romantic at heart.