Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.
AN: Again I have never been pregnant so obviously I have never had a baby so ergo I have no idea what going through labor is like. So I had to use my imagination and stories that friends told me. So if I got anything wrong, please forgive me I did the best I could.
Chapter 51 You Are Mine
You are mine, You are mine, You are mine, The light of my life And whenever you need somebody My baby boy My baby boy, sweet baby boy
My one in a million
My pride and joy
My one in a million
My one in a million
You know I'll always be there for you
Just call on me
Whenever you need to
What ever you decide to do
You know I'm going to be there for you
I said
Vanessa Amorosi "You Are Mine"
It was July 30th and Alexis was a week overdue. She had tried all of the old hedge witches' tales about inducing labor: long walks, castor oil, a long ride in the carriage over a bumpy road and nothing had worked. Poppy had cut them off when the babies' due date passed saying that it was too risky for them to indulge in sex, so that option was out.
Currently she was in their quarters cleaning the nursery the house elves had created next to their bedroom. It was already sparkling clean, but Alexis needed something to do. She had been experiencing a sharp pain across her back all morning and nothing would ease it. So she was trying to keep her mind off of it by making sure the nursery was ready for whenever the boys decided to arrive.
Snape came in to find her stacking diapers. She was stretching trying to reach a high shelf; a flick of his wand had the diapers floating down to her, "Poppy told you not to overdo it," he scolded, "Why didn't you just use your wand?"
"I wasn't thinking," she admitted with a wry grin.
"Obviously. Now put those down and come sit with me. We have to decide on who to ask to be the boys' godparents," Snape demanded.
Alexis sighed and slowly made her way to the couch. Snape helped her lower herself and then sat down beside her. Soon she was reclined across his lap with a large pillow to support her back and her feet propped up on the far arm.
"We've agreed to ask Amber to be their godmother. Now we have to agree on a godfather," Snape reminded her.
"I've already told you who I want," Alexis pouted.
"I refuse to ask a werewolf to be my sons' godfather," Snape stated flatly.
"Do we have to ask the same people to be godparents for both boys?" Alexis looked up at him.
"No not really, but we are having enough trouble deciding on one godfather, how on earth do you expect us to decide on two?" Snape said impatiently.
"Is the only reason you don't want Remus is because he is a werewolf, or because of the delicate position it would put you in with the Malfoy's and other pureblood families if they were to find out you asked him instead of one of them?"
"Both," Snape replied.
"Then a compromise," Alexis suggested, "Amber and Remus for Nathair and Draco and Ginny Weasley for Aleser?"
"Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy? Is this another one of your premonitions?" Snape asked suspiciously.
"No, more like wishful thinking," Alexis confessed with a grin, "I'm a hopeless romantic, but I think a good woman can be the making of a 'bad' man. As long as he is not too bad," she amended.
"I could tell everyone that is what you asked me for as your birth gift," Snape was calculating all the benefits and negatives to her proposal.
"Birth gift, what is a birth gift?" Alexis asked.
"With the birth of your first born, the mother is allowed to ask for one thing from the father. And if it is within his power he is supposed to do it," Snape explained, "It is rumored that is how the Lucille Huneycutt finally got the divorce she wanted," he smirked.
"You mean after she gave birth to her first child she asked her husband and the father of her child for a divorce?" Alexis was appalled.
"Well, he was definitely her husband, but there is doubt about whether or not he actually fathered the child," Snape replied.
"What are some more unusual birth gifts?" Alexis asked relaxing back against him,
"There was the request for a threesome with the husbands' best friend," Snape said.
"What?"
"Yes. And then there was the witch who requested that her husband not ask her for sex for a whole year. One of my favorites was the one where the witch asked for her own house next door to the family manor. That way she had a haven of peace and quiet. One witch wanted the boon of never having to speak to her mother-in-law again."
Alexis was grinning like a loon.
"The most unusual ones are the rumors that we have from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A witch had been scorned by a wizard. His family didn't feel that her family was pure enough to join with theirs. The story goes that five generations back her ancestor had married a witch from a Muggle family. But anyway, the witch managed to catch the eye of an older, very powerful wizard and he married her. When she gave him a child her birth gift was asking for the head of the wizard who spurned her on a silver platter. It seems she had been reading a Muggle book at the time and that was in there," Snape said.
"You are making that last one up," Alexis accused.
"Maybe," he smirked, "Back to the discussion at hand; if we ask minors to be godparents we have to get their guardians' approval. The only objections Lucius and Narcissa might have are that we are not asking them. The Weasleys, I'm afraid you might be disappointed. They have no reason to be fond of me and they don't know you," Snape told her, "but we can only ask. If they decline, as is their privilege, what do you want to do?"
"Have Amber be the godmother for both boys?"
"She might be the only one not offended by being second choice," Snape conceded.
"Now that we have that settled. Tell me some more stories," Alexis shifted so she was turned more toward him.
Snape smirked as he complied until she drifted off to sleep. He levitated her into the bed and tucked her in before returning to the potions he had been working on.
After her long nap, Alexis found it hard to go sleep that night. The sharp pains in her back were worse and she was feeling heavy and bloated as if she had a bad case of gas. About two a.m. she finally gave up and with some difficulty managed to get out of bed.
"Alexis are you okay?" Snape asked sleepily.
"I'm fine, just can't sleep. I'm going to get a drink of water and go to the bathroom. Go back to sleep," she told him as she waddled to the bathroom.
She took a long drink of cold water and headed to the bathroom. Before she could get to the toilet there was a gush of water from between her legs, 'Oh crap, well it was bound to happen eventually. I'm just surprised I haven't peed on myself before this." She started to throw a towel on the floor when a sharp pain across her stomach caused her to double up giving her a closer look at the mess on the floor. Her eyes widened, it wasn't pee.
When she got her breath back she yelled, "SEVERUS!"
There was a loud thump and a scramble coming from the bedroom and then Snape appeared in the doorway. There was a red mark on his forehead that he was rubbing, "What is it?" He then noticed the water on the floor, "Don't worry, I'll clean it up. I'm surprised this has happened before. When I was carrying the babies, I almost wet myself three times."
Just then another contraction hit her and she doubled up with a groan.
"Alexis is it time?" he asked coolly.
At her nod he looked at his wrist to start timing the contraction only to remember his watch was on the dresser in the bedroom, "Be right back."
Alexis looked up at him in disbelief as he left her.
He was back as the contraction passed, "How long did that one last?"
"How the hell am I supposed to know? Do you see a clock in here?" Alexis hissed out as she tried to push past him.
"Let's get you to the hospital," Snape grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the fireplace.
"Gee you think? Star, come here please," Alexis called. When the dragon lizard landed on her arm, "I need you to go to Amber and tell her it is time. Can you do that?" The little lizard nodded her head and flew out of the room.
"What are you waiting for? Help me to the hearth," she snarled at Snape, "Did you get my bag?"
Snape hurried into the bedroom and came back with a small overnight case holding the things Poppy had told them they would need, "I have it here."
"Do you think you could get me a dry nightgown and possibly a robe?" Alexis asked sarcastically before doubling up again. It was happening fast.
Snape called from the bedroom, "Alexis I don't see your robe."
Alexis hissed out, "Helpless man, it's in the bathroom," the rest of what she might have added was lost in another contraction.
Alexis saw Snape hurry into the bathroom and then she heard oomph and a thump. When Severus came out, his back and his pajama bottoms were soaked, "I slipped," he explained at her look.
He helped her take off her soaked nightgown and put on a clean one and then wrapped her in her robe. He began pulling her to the fireplace again. She gave him a look before asking, "Are you going dressed like that?"
"Accio robe," he cast and then pulled it on before throwing a pinch of floo powder into the flames he had conjured, "hospital."
When they arrived, Alexis proceeded to throw up all over Severus from the spinning of the floo; Snape quickly cleaned himself as he hollered for Poppy. She came from her rooms at the rear of the infirmary, dressed in her wrapper with her hair up in a nightcap.
"How far apart are the contractions?" she asked professionally.
"We don't know? Dummy here couldn't remember to time them," Alexis said caustically.
Poppy looked at her closely, "You're gonna' be one of those I see."
Just then Amber and Remus burst into the room clothes hastily thrown on, "We got here as soon as possible. How far apart are the contractions?" Amber asked before Poppy could stop her.
Alexis growled at everyone as she doubled up again grabbing Snape and Poppy's arm in a white knuckled grip.
"Let's get you in the bed and see how far along you are," Poppy began to lead her to a bed while Amber ran to scrub up.
Remus was standing near the door looking lost until Alexis glared at him, "What are you waiting for, get over here and help me into the bed so Poppy can get ready?"
Remus ran over and took Poppy's place so she could go get scrubbed up and collect what she was going to need.
Before they made it to the bed Alexis had another contraction even harder than the last one, "Are either of you two idiots timing this thing," she gritted out from between clenched teeth, "or do I have to do that too as well as give birth?"
Poppy called out, "We have a timer set up for you Alexis. No need to worry."
"At least someone around here knows what to do," she glared from one man to the other.
They made it to the bed and the lowered Alexis to it and began to try to help her lift her legs and she began to slap their hands away, "I can do this myself."
Amber walked up, "Remus why don't you take Severus to the teachers lounge while Poppy and I take care of Alexis."
Snape looked as if he were going to object until Alexis told him, "Go before I say something I really don't mean. I'll have Star come and get you in time for the actual birth, but there is no reason for you to be here to hear the abuse," she grinned up at him, "Give me a kiss before you go."
He pushed the sweaty hair off of her forehead and leaned down and gave her a long kiss, before pulling away with a hiss and dabbing at the blood on his lip, "You bit me."
"Sorry," she managed to groan out as she waited through another contraction.
"Go on you two so we can do our job," Amber pushed the two men toward the door.
Remus took his arm and urged him out and down to the staff room, where they found most of the staff waiting. Dumbledore handed Snape a whiskey while Minerva pushed him into a chair. Snape looked around, "Was there a staff meeting I wasn't aware of?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "No Severus, Poppy told us that Alexis has gone into labor so we are all here to wait with you."
Snape hissed as the whiskey hit the cut on his lip.
"What happened to your lip?" Rolanda asked.
Remus grinned as he answered for him, "Alexis bit him."
"That will teach you to get within biting distance of a woman delivering a baby," Rolanda teased.
Amber lifted her nightgown and took one look and gasped, "This isn't going to take long at all. These two are anxious to see their mum."
Alexis looked up at her with a wild look in her eye, "Give me morphine," she gritted out.
"What?" Amber was totally confused not familiar with the Muggle medication.
Alexis grabbed her by the scrubs she had changed into and pulled her to within an inch of her face and growled, "Give me something for the bloody pain!"
Amber disengaged Alexis' fingers from her smock and pulled out her wand. Casting the pain blocking spell she wiped the sweat from Alexis' face, "Good thing I love you," she gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.
Alexis sighed with relief as the pain became a memory, "Sorry, it was a little intense there for a moment."
"I just expect you to be as understanding when it is my turn," Amber told her with a grin.
Alexis looked at her in surprise, "You and Remus? A baby?"
Amber smiled as she nodded, "Around February."
Alexis reached up for the other witch and pulled her into a tight hug, "I'm so happy for you. What did Remus say when you told him?"
"I haven't told him yet," Amber confessed, "I just did the test yesterday. Alexis I don't want him to feel trapped. He is so proud and he hasn't been able to find a job. There is a faction in the ministry tying to push through a new law that would make it even harder for him to get a job."
"You make a good living as a healer? Why not let him stay home with the kids while you work?" at Amber's shocked look, "It is the twentieth century after all."
"Not in the wizarding world," Amber replied as she moved to check Alexis' progress, "We are going to have a baby soon. Do you want me to send for Severus?"
"Now that you have banished the shrew, it is probably safe," Alexis smirked and called Star to her, "Go get Severus, Star."
The little dragon lizard flitted away.
Moments later Snape came hurrying into the room. Poppy took him and scrubbed him up and gave him a healer's robe to wear.
"Get behind Alexis and help her sit up," Amber instructed him as she pulled the sheet up over Alexis' knees.
Snape settled in behind Alexis and helped support her.
"Alexis, get ready to push. I know you can't feel anything but I need you to give a good push," Amber was carefully timing the contractions, "Now! Alexis push. Severus help her, that's a girl, give it another push almost there. Here comes the head, another good push. Here is the first one," Amber cleaned his mouth and nose and then placed the newborn on Alexis' stomach, "His brother is impatient to get here. Give me another good push Alexis," Snape was staring at the tiny, baby covered in blood, and mucus that was mewling on Alexis' stomach, still attached by an umbilical cord, "Alexis another push the head is almost out. Come on you can do it. Here he is!" Amber cleared his mouth and nose and placed him beside his brother, "Severus do you want to cut the umbilical cords?"
Snape looked from the babies to Amber and gave a swift nod. Gently getting up he went around to where Amber was standing. "It is a simple severing charm that is slightly modified," she demonstrated the wand movement and then gave him the words.
Snape's wand was steady as he performed the charm on each baby in turn. Amber kissed his cheek before handing one of the babies to Poppy and taking the other. Snape started to protest, "Severus we have to clean them up and weigh and measure them. Poppy will bring them back in a minute," she assured him.
Placing the baby on the cot Poppy had prepared for him, Amber returned to help Alexis deliver the afterbirth. A couple of cleaning and healing charms and Alexis was looking and feeling much better. Amber handed her a postpartum potion that combined a strengthening potion, healing potion and a lactating potion to help her milk come in.
"You need to take this potion for a week and then you will be back to normal, physically that is," Amber teased.
Poppy came over, "This is your first born," and she placed the baby in Alexis' arms.
"Hello Nathair Wulfric Snape, I am so happy to finally see you," she whispered to the babe. She looked up at Snape with shining eyes, "Meet your son Severus."
Snape settled beside her again and enfolded them in his arms.
Poppy brought over the other baby and helped Alexis hold both infants, "Hello Aleser Richard Snape, meet your daddy," she crooned to this baby.
They were both making rooting motions against her breasts. Amber came over and helped her adjust her gown and showed her how to help the babies latch on to her nipples.
Alexis' eyes lit up in wonder at the feelings. She could feel her uterus contract in response to the nursing. Snape reached a tentative finger out and stroked the cheek of the baby closest to him.
After the babies had fed, Amber came over, "There are a bunch of people waiting to meet your sons."
Alexis grinned sleepily, "Severus why don't you take your sons to meet their family, I'm sure Nathair's godmother would be happy to help you."
Amber looked around to see who had came in the room, "Amber, you will be Nat's godmother?"
Amber felt tears well up and she nodded her assent.
Snape took Nathair and Amber took Aleser, well wrapped in blankets to the staff room. When they entered the room, all conversation ceased, Snape announced, "I would like you to meet the newest additions to the Hogwarts' family. This is Nathair Wulfric Snape," Dumbledore beamed in pleasure, "and this is Aleser Richard Snape."
They were quickly surrounded as everyone tried to get a look at the new arrivals. Snape noticed Remus hanging back. Deciding now was as good a time as any, he excused himself and took Nat over to Remus, "Lupin, I would like you to meet my son."
Remus stepped closer and smiled down at the tiny infant, "Thank Merlin he has his mother's nose," he teased.
"Would you like to hold your godson?" Snape gritted out.
Remus looked up at him startled, "Did you just?"
"Yes. Do not make me regret it by making a big fuss," Snape ordered.
Remus held out his arms and Snape awkwardly transferred the precious bundle.
Amber came up, "It will get easier with practice."
Snape noticed she didn't have Al and began to look around the room, "Relax Severus, Granddaddy Dumbledore is holding him."
Snape looked over to where Dumbledore was sitting surrounded by most of the ladies of the castle.
Way too soon for the people in the staff room, Amber declared, "It is time for these boys to return to their mum. You can all visit them tomorrow."
Amber and Snape returned to the infirmary to find Alexis fast asleep. Pulling the bassinette close to the bed she was in, Amber tucked both babies inside.
Snape looked at his family and began to settle into a chair to watch over them, "Nope, can't have that Severus," she told him laughing at his rebellious look. Waving her wand she enlarged the bed Amber was in so that two could fit comfortably, "You are going to need all the sleep you can get."
Snape settled in beside his wife and Amber covered them both with a light blanket, "I'll be over there if you need me," she indicated a bed at the far end of the room.
Snape nodded in acknowledgement and he too was soon asleep.
AN: The end….of this part of the story. Coming soon "Through the Fire" where we continue Alexis and Snape's story and Amber and Remus' story. Hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I did.