Hi everyone! I realize it has been an egregious amount of time since I last posted – nearly a year and a half – but I am committed to following through on this story. I promise I'll have three or four chapters after this one…not sure how trustworthy I am anymore, but believe me :) Hope you all enjoy this one!

H.P.

"I'm the size of a hippogriff!" Hermione complained, her hand on her back as she shifted around on the sofa, struggling to get comfortable. "I'll be thrilled to just see my feet again, when the baby comes."

"You can see your feet pretty easily when you lay on the couch and demand I rub them, can't you?" Ron asked, annoyed.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "I am pregnant with your child, I'm sorry if my simple requests bother you so much – "

"Guys, take it easy," Harry said, stifling his amusement that his best friends' bickering relationship had remained so constant through the years, even with their impending parenthood. "It's pretty hard to be pregnant, mate. And when you can't sleep at night because your baby is crying, the foot rubs won't seem so bad."

"But you'll also have a baby, and that's pretty neat," Ginny said with a smile, one of her arms wrapped around James, who was sleeping soundly on her shoulder, and the other on her own pregnant belly.

The four of them were sitting on the porch of Harry and Ginny's bungalow, overlooking the mountains. It was the middle of spring, and the area around them teemed with blossoming flowers, meticulously tended by Ginny, who had developed a strange knack for gardening.

"Have you two thought of names yet?" Harry asked, regretfully realizing after he said it that it would likely result in another squabble.

"I have a lot of ideas, but there are just so many beautiful girl's names," Hermione said, wringing her hands. "I've read several books, but nothing totally stood out. And you need a middle name, too, and it's got to be just right…"

"You're overthinking this, Mione," Ron said breezily. He glanced around the yard in front of them, pointing at a bed of roses. "How about…Rose? Rose Jane, for your mum?"

"Rose…Rose Jane…" Hermione repeated, turning the words over in her head. "I…I love it! Rose Jane Weasley. Has a nice ring to it."

"Are you serious?" Ron said, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I'm serious," Hermione said, amused. "I genuinely love the name. I hadn't thought of that combination before, it's beautiful."

"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed. He bent down to Hermione's protruding belly. "You hear that, Rose Jane Weasley? Sometimes books don't have all the answers. But Merlin, I hope you get your mum's brains."

"Blimey, did you both just make that big of a decision…that quickly?" Harry asked incredulously.

"And without arguing about it?" Ginny added, laughing.

"Miracles happen every once in a while," Hermione said, smirking at her husband. "What about you two?"

"Severus Albus," Harry said. "We haven't told Severus yet though, who knows how he'll react. Might not want to make a fuss of using his name, and all…"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be touched," Hermione said earnestly. "What a sweet idea."

"And if he doesn't like it, you can always follow the flower idea, too," Ron said. "Chrysanthemum Potter might be a bit hard to spell, but it's certainly unique."

S.S.

Severus Snape was not an easy mean to please. In fact, even getting him to crack a smile was supremely difficult. To get him to genuinely laugh, was next to impossible.

But Harry and Ginny's son James must have been a miracle-worker, because he had Snape giggling.

Of course, every time it lasted more than a few seconds, Snape immediately reverted his features back to their usual serious expression. And he never let the extent of his affection for the baby show in front of Harry and Ginny, although he suspected they knew. He had to save face somehow.

He had purchased numerous educational toys for the boy, but James didn't seem terribly interested in any of them. Snape had had to resort to making fairy lights with his wand, which amused James to no end. This was fine for now, but Snape planned to get much more intense with the boy's education when he got older. It was his own grandson, after all; he couldn't turn out daft.

As he was waving his wand around, emitting pink and blue and yellow lights, Harry knelt down to scoop up the boy.

"The sight of you making fairy lights is an amusing one, I have to admit," Harry said with a smile.

"Just wait until that boy turns three." Snape responded gruffly. "He'll be mixing potions better than Hogwarts first-years."

Harry laughed. "Ginny's going to feed him, I just wanted to ask you something quickly. I'll be right back." He walked out of the room, tickling his giggling son as he did.

It was always such an odd sensation to see Harry as a father; a mix of immense pride and respect, but also deep sorrow at the people that didn't have the privilege to see it.

Severus sat down on the Potter's plush armchair, feeling himself sink into it. Why did they insist on having all of this plush furniture? He would sit on stone all day, if he had the choice.

Harry came back in, amused by Severus's obvious discomfort.

"Your furniture is too soft," Severus said stiffly. He hoisted himself up and Transfigured the plush armchair into a stone bench, perching himself on that instead. "So what do you wish to discuss?"

Harry began to laugh at the stone bench, so out of his place in the warm, colorful living room, but so well-suited to Severus. "Er, sorry, okay. So." He cleared his throat, wondering why he was suddenly nervous. "As you know, Ginny is having a baby."

"Yes." Severus said, restraining himself from making a sarcastic comment about how Harry did not need to state the obvious.

"And it's a boy." Harry continued, averting eye contact.

"Yes." Severus said again, hesitant at where this conversation was headed.

"And, er…Ginny and I have been talking about names." Harry said. "For, er, the baby."

"Yes, I assumed you didn't mean names for the tea kettle." Severus said.

Harry smiled. "Okay. Well. One name we're considering is…Severus Albus. I just wanted to check with you, to make sure it's okay…"

Severus gulped. He felt tears spring to his eyes. "I'm touched, Harry."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, brilliant. So you're okay with it?"

Severus paused for a moment. "No." he said firmly. "Make it Albus Severus. It would be complicated having two living people named Severus in your family. And paying tribute to Dumbledore is more important."

Harry nodded. "Good idea." He smiled again. "Albus Severus."

"A very regal name." Snape offered with a rare smile.

"I agree."

"Thank you, though, to you and to Ginny for thinking of…me." Severus said gruffly. "I appreciate it."

Harry smiled, leaned over and squeezed Severus's hand. "Let's go get James. Maybe he's calmed down and you can ask him about what you get if you add the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."