A/N: Well, here it is, guys! Thank you all so much for sticking with me throughout this story:) It really means the world that I got to share my first foray into fanfiction with you all!

December twenty-fifth, two-thousand-three

"Severus, wake up! Severus, love, come on, it's Christmas!" Hermione said as she pulled her husband's arm. He only grunted and pulled his arm back, tucking it under his chest so that she couldn't continue tugging on it. Hermione only sighed and threw the covers off of him, trailing her fingers down his naked back.

"Please, Severus? Will you please get out of bed?"

This approach was slightly more successful, resulting in Severus turning over and cracking an eye open before it closed again.

"Witch, it will still be Christmas in a couple of hours. Why do I need to get up now?"

"Well, I'm not just going to tell you now! That will ruin the surprise!"

Both eyes opened at this and an eyebrow rose- the only signs of his interest in what she was talking about. With a sigh, he sat up against the headboard, only for Hermione to wrap her arms around him before pulling away and taking his hand, doing all she could to drag him out of bed.

"Hold on, witch! I need the loo first. Go entertain yourself; I'll be out soon enough."

With a peck on the cheek, Hermione acquiesced, leaving her husband to his morning ablutions. When he came into the sitting room, his wife was waiting for him with a cup of tea held out for him. As he flopped onto the couch, she curled against his side, and they took a moment to wake up- not that Hermione needed it. When his tea was finished, Severus summoned one of his gifts to Hermione from the tree and handed it to her, and she did the same. They opened them slowly, wondering what they'd surprise each other with this year.

Hermione found a woven gold chain with little green stones that matched her engagement ring, and she nearly squealed when she saw it. Holding her wrist out, she silently asked her husband to help her put it on. He did so, kissing her hand when he finished.

Severus was gifted with a new pair of dragonhide boots. Even though Hermione was the Potions professor now and he still taught Defense, he liked the familiarity of the boots he'd been wearing for twenty years. His pair had started wearing out about two weeks ago, and they couldn't be fixed with magic- the dragonhide didn't react well with magic.

They continued opening their gifts for each other until they'd reached the end of the pile. Severus started pulling Hermione against him, but she pulled away, turning to face him.

"I've got one more gift for you, Severus."

An eyebrow rose, and Hermione got up from the couch.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

Knowing that he had to do what she asked if he wanted to know what she was going on about, Severus did as she said. He felt her take his hand and bring it to her lips before pressing his palm against her abdomen.

"I'm pregnant, Severus."

His eyes flew open and his free hand joined the first on his wife's stomach.

"Really? How far along are you? When did you find out?"

Hermione smiled down at him before ticking the answers to his questions off on her fingers.

"Yes; about three weeks; and I went to see Poppy yesterday."

If possible, Hermione would have melted at the look on her husband's face. In all their years together, she had never seen so much joy in those eyes of his. He was practically glowing with excitement, and his eyes shone with wonder.

"I'm going to be a father," he breathed out. Severus then pulled her closer to him and kissed her abdomen gently.

"Are you glad you got out of bed yet?" Hermione asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"You have no idea," he murmured before lifting her up and twirling her around the room. She laughed and, once she was back on the ground, stood on her toes to kiss the wonderful man in front of her- the man she knew she could never live without.

April eighth, two-thousand-four

"Are you ready, Severus?"

"Of course, Minerva. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It isn't every day one discovers the gender of his first child, you know. And you have to wait all day until classes end. Trust me, it'll be killing both of you by lunchtime."

"I can't argue with you there, much to my dismay. Hermione hates that we've had to switch classes, but there are a lot of potions of her syllabus that she just shouldn't be around. To be fair, Defense probably isn't much better, but I can't get her to sit still. I don't think she'll go on maternity leave until she's in labor!"

Minerva chuckled. "That does sound like our Hermione, doesn't it? Unbelievably stubborn and determined- kind of like a tall, dark Slytherin I know."

"Funny," he sneered, though there was no malice in it. "But in all seriousness, Minerva, it's only breakfast and I'm not sure I'll last the day."

"You'll be fine, dear," his colleague said as she patted his shoulder. "It'll be hard, but it does give you a nice excuse to be even more unpleasant than usual."

"There is that," he replied with a smirk.

"Where is your wife, anyway?"

"She was in bed when I left this morning. Her heartburn's been terrible, and the potions aren't helping at all. Hermione said she'd be late to breakfast, but I didn't think she'd be this late. Maybe I should go check on her…"

"No need, love," his wife said as she slid into the chair next to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I would have been here sooner, but I can't seem to go very long without needing the loo."

Minerva laughed and reached across Severus to pat Hermione's shoulder as she'd done for Severus only moments ago. "Don't worry, girl. It's only natural."

"I know, it's just a bit of an inconvenience. It's worth it, though," the younger witch murmured as she placed a hand on her growing abdomen. Severus covered it with his own and was rewarded with a smile form his wife. Just as Hermione began to eat, the owl post arrived, and Severus groaned as he saw Errol approaching their table. He crashed into the Head Table, spilling food and juice on all of the professors. Hermione gasped and clutched her stomach, causing Severus to ignore the mess and focus on his wife.

"Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, and he was surprised to see her beaming at him. He was even more surprised when she grabbed his hand and put it where hers had just been on her abdomen. Severus didn't know what she was doing and was about to ask when he felt something move beneath his fingers. His eyes widened as he looked at Hermione.

"Was that what I think it was?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what you think it was, but I'll just go out on a limb here and say that yes, it was."

She pressed her hand next to his so they could both feel their baby kick. Neither were aware that the entire student body was watching them. They didn't notice that the entire faculty was beaming at them. The two didn't even pay attention to the fact that they were no longer covered in breakfast.

Eventually, they pulled themselves back to the present and looked at everyone, Hermione with pink cheeks and Severus with a glare, although it was softer than it would have normally been. The pair rose simultaneously and exited the Great Hall, ready to embark on their long day of classes. Severus handed her a shrunken plate of food that he'd taken with him from the Hall, knowing that she hadn't eaten nearly enough. She thanked him with a kiss and they went their separate ways.

The day was even longer than Severus had worried it would be, and it wasn't much better for Hermione, but classes eventually came to an end. Severus met his wife outside his classroom and escorted her to the infirmary, where they found Poppy waiting for them.

The mediwitch ushered Hermione over to a bed and Severus helped her get comfortable as Hermione took his hand. She smiled excitedly up at him as Poppy pulled the younger witch's shirt up and pointed her wand at Hermione's growing abdomen. She murmured a spell that Hermione couldn't quite make out and their baby's heartbeat reverberated through the room. Hermione's hold on Severus' hand tightened as they waited for the next spell- the reason they were there.

"Are you ready?"

Severus and Hermione nodded quickly, both wanting to know the gender of their child.

Poppy cast another spell and moved her wand in a complicated-looking motion, and they all waited for the indication of what their baby was.

A blue light rose from Hermione's navel.

"Congratulations! You're having a little boy!" Poppy said as she hugged the younger witch and put a hand on Severus' shoulder. "I couldn't be happier for the two of you."

September eighth, two-thousand-four

Hermione paced the classroom, knowing that she wasn't really supposed to be there. She was technically on her maternity leave- she was due any day now, and Severus insisted that she stay in their quarters and let Albus take her classes, but she wouldn't have that. She was happiest when she was teaching, so Severus relented, albeit very reluctantly. Her students- Severus' students, really- were researching the effects of a Patronus on dementors, and she reached behind her to try and help her back, which had been aching all day, but she just couldn't rest. She had been full of energy all day, and just couldn't sit still. Hermione began to walk up and down the aisles when a gush of fluid came from between her legs, followed by another sharp pain. Clearly, that hadn't just been back pain- she'd been in labor for who-knew-how-long without even knowing it. Hermione cried out as the contraction tore through her. She gripped the edge of a student's desk and tried to regain control of her breathing, and shot the boy a grateful grimace that was meant as a smile when he gave his seat to her. Reaching down into her robes, Hemione pulled out the little glass heart that others saw as a silver pendant and thought of Severus, her thoughts intensifying as another contraction hit her.

Hermione, what is it?

It's time, Severus!

Okay, okay, I'm coming. Are you in class?

Yes… Oh, Merlin, that hurt.

I know, love, I can tell. I'm almost there.

Severus, hurry! Owowowow-

The connection broke as Severus was approaching the door of the Defense classroom, and he threw the door open. About half of the students in the room jumped as he came in, heading straight for his wife. Both of her hands were clutching the desk in front of her- the reason of the disconnection.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to carry his wife down the flight of stairs to the infirmary, and seriously doubting that she could walk that far, Severus dismissed the class and led her into their quarters, flooing to the Hospital Wing and laying Hermione down as soon as he could. He hated to see her in so much pain, and hoped that laying down to rest would help.

It was a long day of pain for Hermione that lasted well into the night, but Hermione was eventually fully dilated and ready to push. Hermione held his hand with an iron grip as she cried out, and he wondered if she'd break any of his fingers. He figured she probably would and resigned himself to the fact.

When Poppy announced that she could see the head, Hermione's grip only tightened as she kept pushing. Severus could see how determined she was, even in as much pain as she was in.

At just after four a.m., September ninth, Tristan Alexander Snape entered the world. After cutting the cord and vanishing the placenta, Poppy cleaned their son, checked his vitals, pronounced him healthy, mended Severus' three broken fingers, and handed Hermione their little boy.

"Severus, he's perfect," Hermione breathed.

He could only agree as he looked at the newborn resting against his wife's chest. Hermione ran her fingers through his dark hair and kissed the top of his head before turning to face her husband.

"Do you want to hold him, Severus?"

He nodded, only vaguely aware at the moment that he didn't know how to hold an infant, but Hermione guided their son into his arms and he stared at the child in wonder. Tristan's hair was the same shade of black as his own, his nose appeared to match Hermione's, and he really was perfect. Severus looked up at Hermione, only to see her beaming with tears trickling down her cheeks. Kissing both his son and his wife, Severus passed Tristan back to Hermione and wiped the tears from her face with gentle fingers.

His wife moved over on the bed and he enlarged it before climbing in and wrapping his arms protectively around his family. Hermione curled up against him and fell asleep, and Severus took his son and settled in for the rest of the night.

November seventeenth, two-thousand-nine

"Tristan, love, please don't run!" Hermione called after her five-year-old son. Severus was right behind her, carrying their daughter in his arms as she slept.

Lena Mae Snape was born June sixth, three years after her brother, and was a very rambunctious two-year-old. However, she would often exert too much energy throughout the day and wear herself out, and often fell asleep during dinner. The family of four usually ate in their quarters, but a meeting with Poppy had left them deciding to dine in the Great Hall.

Hermione and Severus caught up to Tristan easily, and Hermione ran her fingers through his black curls. She murmured the password to their rooms and let them all in, taking Tristan's hand and leading him to the bath. Severus took little Lena to bed, carefully changing her into her nightgown and tucking her in without waking her. He kissed the top of her head and brushed her straight brown hair back from her face before leaving the room to join Hermione and Tristan.

When he walked into the bathroom, his wife was holding her hand under a bubble and making it change colors, leaving Tristan laughing as he told her what color to make it next. Severus pulled out his wand, pointed it at the bubbles, and made each one a different color as they floated over the boy.

Hermione turned and faced her husband with a warm smile as he knelt behind her and wrapped his hands over her abdomen.

"We can handle a third, can't we, Severus?"

He chuckled. "I certainly hope so, love. We don't have much choice in the matter."

She sighed as she leaned back against him and they watched their son play in the different-colored bubbles for a while longer before Hermione pulled him out of the bath and dried him off. Severus took him to change into his pajamas while Hermione cleaned up the bathroom before following.

After Tristan was tucked in, Severus and Hermione curled up on the couch, each with a book in hand.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think it's a coincidence?"

"What's a coincidence?"

"That we found out today. November seventeenth. Emmie's day, of all days in the entire year, we learn that we'll bring another life into the world."

Severus thought about it. "Perhaps. I'm not usually one to believe in coincidences, but I suppose it's possible."

Hermione was quiet for a long moment. "She would have loved them, you know. Tristan and Lena, I mean. You too, I think. She was one of those people who loved everybody. Always so happy about everything." She took a deep breath and collected herself. "Thank you for covering my morning classes, by the way."

Severus kissed the top of her head and pulled her into his lap. "It was no trouble. I know it's something you need to do. I don't mind helping you do it, love."

She sighed and leaned against his chest as he cradled her.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

September first, two-thousand-twenty-one

"Emily Sage, come here, please," Severus drawled, causing his youngest daughter to walk over to him immediately.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I need you to do something for me. Do you think you can do it?"

The girl nodded, and her wavy black hair moved as she did so. Severus looked into the brown eyes that looked so much like her mother's and smiled.

"Good. Look over there," he said, pointing to Hermione. "Your mother and I love all three of you very much. You know that, don't you?"

Again, the girl nodded.

"Well, you'll understand this better when you are a parent, but it is very difficult to watch your children grow up. One day, you're holding your little girl in your arms and reading her a bedtime story, the next, she's boarding the Hogwarts Express. Do you understand what I'm asking of you?"

She looked thoughtful. "I think so."

Severus nodded. "Go ahead, then. Let's see it."

Emily stepped up to her father and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you, Dad."

He smiled and looked down at her. "That's not quite what I meant, but I love you, too. Now, go pester your mother."

His youngest grinned and bounded over to his wife, nearly knocking Hermione down with the strength of her hug. Severus nodded to Tristan, who was walking with Albus Potter. The two were approaching him, so he let his signature scowl grace his face.

"Tristan, are you or are you not a Prefect?"

"I am."

"Then why, may I ask, are you not on the train?"

"Because I needed to tell my parents goodbye and that I'll see them at dinner."

"Well, Mister Snape, I do believe your parents would appreciate the gesture, but wouldn't want to keep you from your responsibilities," Hermione spoke up from behind her husband.

The boy only smiled at his mother, his black eyes sparkling. She pulled him in for a hug, asked him to look out for his sisters, and let him go. Hermione couldn't believe that her little boy would be coming of age in eight days' time. Where had the time gone?

Lena and Lily came up to them next, the fourteen-year-old hugging her father and kissing his cheek before turning to do the same to her mother. Like Emily, Lena's eyes matched her mother's, but her hair was brown and as straight as her father's.

As Severus and Hermione watched their three children board the train, they both reflected on memories with each of their children. Neither were sure how the time had passed them by so quickly, but there they were.

When the train pulled away, the pair apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts, going towards the Great Hall to wait for the students to arrive.

"So, what House will Emily be in?"

"Hermione, you know that as Head of House, I'm required to say that she'll be in Slytherin."

"Oh, no you aren't. I'm Head of Gryffindor and I don't think she'd stand a chance."

"Alright, you caught me. Which House do you think she'll be sorted into, then?"

"Slytherin."

"Really? I was thinking Ravenclaw…"

"We already have one of those, dear."

"And a lovely one she is."

"Very true, love. We have a Gryffindor, as well, so it's only fitting that Emily will be a Slytherin."

"That's not how the sorting works."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not right."

Severus laughed. "Merlin forbid you admit you may be wrong about something."

Hermione stuck her nose in the air. "Of course not. Hermione Snape is never wrong."

"Oh, how foolish of me. So, you were right when you plucked one of Millicent Bulstrode's hairs from her cloak your second year? That wasn't actually a cat hair?"

"I said Hermione Snape, love, not Hermione Granger."

Pulling his wife in for a kiss, Severus chuckled and decided to let her think she'd won. For now, at least- he'd bring this conversation back up soon enough.

The afternoon passed by slowly, but it was soon time for the Sorting. Tristan, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table, looked up and smiled at his parents. Lena wasn't paying them the least bit of attention- her nose was stuck in a book.

"She really is our daughter, isn't she?"

Severus only smirked in response.

The first years trailed into the Great Hall, and Emily caught her mother's eye and waved before smiling at her father.

The Sorting went by as it always did, and Hermione and Severus watched every student with rapt attention, paying even more attention to two.

"Potter, Lily!"

The girl was on the stool for a second before the hat called out, "Gryffindor!"

"Surprise, surprise," Severus snarked.

Minerva continued through the list, and Severus and Hermione sat and waited for one name.

"Snape, Emily!"

Hermione and Severus waited with baited breath to see who, if either of them, would be right about their daughter's sorting.

"Slytherin!"

With a triumphant smile, Hermione raised her goblet in Emily's direction before doing the same to Severus, who smirked again.

"I may have lost to you, but I gained the knowledge that at least one of my new Slytherins isn't a dunderhead."

Hermione laughed and kissed his cheek. "This is true, love. At least three students in this school are competent, right?"

"Exactly."

Finite Incatatem

A/N II: Thank you all again, and I hope you liked it! If you would like, we don't have to part wats just yet- feel free to check out my other story, Natural Disaster (Shameless self-promotion? What's that?). If not, then I'm sure I'll see you some other time! Bye, guys!