Chapter 18 - Next
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Severus received the comfort of being celebrated as a hero by Lily once he informed her of how well he had aligned things with Voldemort and Dumbledore.
Her gentle kisses melted away the worry that crept through his system like a dreadful warning.
With a safe place for their baby secured, Severus and Lily were finally able to allow themselves a state of tense relaxation as the pregnancy began to progress.
Although she had few symptoms besides her headaches, the couple spent the majority of Severus’s limited time away from his classroom cuddling together on the sofa during those first few weeks and discussing what their future would look like one day, once the obstacles Voldemort presented had been overcome.
As winter melted away and spring arrived, Lily finally saw the physical evidence of her condition early one morning.
Severus blinked as he opened his eyes to find himself alone in bed.
Worried something had gone wrong or that she had crept into the lavatory to suffer some ailment, Severus sat bolt upright in bed.
“Lily?” He gasped as he forced himself wide awake, “Lily! Where are-“
“-I’m right here, Sev!” She chuckled.
His eyes darted across the room to find her standing bare in front of the floor length mirror, the early morning sun gleaming across her elegant shoulder blades while she admired her reflection.
“Is everything alright, my love?” Severus asked as his pale face twisted in concern.
“Yeah, Sev……” Lily breathed before she slowly turned around, “Everything’s absolutely fine.”
Severus drew in a quiet breath as his gaze traveled down her body.
She had one hand pressed to the tiny but still very present swell that had begun to make itself known, just under her navel.
A smile danced across her lips as she watched Severus let out a quiet gasp while she circled that budding sphere lovingly with her hands.
“Come to me, my love.” Severus commanded in a low growl.
His words sent a delightful shiver down Lily’s spine as she gladly obeyed and walked towards him.
Once she stood next to the bed, Severus raised himself up on his knees and lifted his tapered hands.
Lily moved hers out of his way and smiled as she watched him press his palms and fingers over the little bump on her belly, as tenderly as if she had been made of glass and a single touch given too roughly may shatter her into hundreds of pieces.
“Oh, my love……….” Severus began as his fingers rubbed over that definite hardness in awe, “You are…….perfection……in human form.”
“Would you like to hear the heartbeat?” Lily asked.
Severus glanced up at her with fascinated curiosity in his dark eyes as he peered at her through the strands of his raven-black hair, still messy and tangled from his sleep.
The slight nod he gave her sent her giggling as she crawled back into her nest and lay on her side.
As she propped herself up on one elbow, she watched Severus move in close, until his ear pressed against the little swell.
He let out another heavy breath of pleasant surprise once a strong, rapid heartbeat pulsed through his ears while Lily’s gentle fingers raked soothingly through his dark hair.
As Severus pressed his hand against the roundness of his mate’s tummy, he closed his eyes and murmured his gratitude.
He had never imagined that he would have ever known so much happiness.
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That subtle swell quickly grew larger.
Before Severus or Lily noticed, her belly had become so round and full that Severus stood next to her each time she climbed from the bed or sofa to stand, ready to assist in case she felt light-headed or lost her balance.
“I’m fine, Sev.” Lily huffed as she walked up the stairs to their bedroom one evening, with Severus at her side and his hand resting supportively on her lower back, “I can still walk on my own, you know.”
“You let me carry you, my love.” Severus quipped, “A woman in your state doesn’t need to be taking herself by going up the stairs.”
“‘A woman in my state’?” Lily repeated with a laugh, “It’s barely May! This baby won’t come until the end of summer, you heard the….midwife…..yesterday.” She reminded him as she paused to yawn.
Severus eyed her cautiously as they finally made their way into the bedroom.
Lily laughed at his eagerness while he bustled around and cleaned her with a spell before hastily disrobing her and wrapping her in one of her most comfortable nightgowns.
“You’re so well-prepared Severus.” Lily smiled as she closed her eyes as soon as he had placed her into her warm nest, “What would I do…..without…..you?” She asked slowly as that heavy feeling of drowsiness finally ushered her into a dreamless sleep.
Instead of joining her and finding his own hours of restful respite, Severus silently walked over, lit a candle on the nightstand, and sat down in a chair next to the bed to continue his previous night’s reading.
Chapter 4 - The Dangers of Early Labour
His dark eyes narrowed as he scrutinized each word on the page, determined to memorize the Healer’s Manual of Childbirth and Postpartum Care, 1980 Edition.
Each night, Severus spent several hours studying the subject in great detail, determined to understand every part of the process he possibly could.
As the birth approached, Lily seemed to radiate the hopeful joy of all soon-to-be mothers.
Severus, on the other hand, seemed to grow more and more melancholy.
Lily may not have been overly nervous to give birth to their baby, but Severus was beside himself with anxious fear at the mere thought of being responsible for delivering his son or daughter.