Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers: dwntwndanbrwn, addicted-to-fiction, shdwcat2 and aniamifan1988.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to continue from here. I hadn't considered it, so it could take me awhile to get some more chapters written.

Someone asked what the Latin quotes mean, so I'll go ahead and give the translations to you even though they're in the story.
Ave Caesar! Moritori Te Salutamus! Hail Caesar! We Who Are About To Die Salute You!
Amor Omnia Vincit: Love Conquers All
Fiat Justitia (Et Ruat Caelum): Let There Be Justice, Even if Heaven Should Fall.
Amat Victoria Curam: Fortune Favors Those Who Take Pains.

In later chapters (if I continue) I might just use one quote instead of two. We'll see.

Now, on with the story...

(Hermione's Point of View)

The night he returned was quite momentous. After two months of pure solitude I was finally once again with my lover, my companion, my better half. Severus was dirty, tired and smelt rather bad. We didn't say one word to each other for the duration of our journey to the hospital wing. He was absolutely enthralled with my pregnant belly. It was exceptionally adorable to watch him sneaking glances at my stomach and absently caressing it with the hand he had placed around my waist.

Dinner was just ending as we walked past the Great Hall. If I wasn't so overwhelmed by Severus's return, I probably would have laughed at their faces. People had been placing bets on who the father of my child was. Most of them were either on Harry, Ron or Neville. I always found that amusing, considering the fact that Harry was dating Ginny at the time I conceived and Ron and Neville had recently confessed their homosexual feelings for each other. Then there was the Romeo and Juliette one that entailed Draco Malfoy being the father of my child. My favorite theory though was that I had gotten all four of them drunk out of desperation and wasn't even sure myself who the father was.

Madame Pomfrey gave Severus a full check up, much to his dismay. She deemed him healthy, albeit a little malnourished. I held his hand throughout the examination. The past two months had been earth-shattering for me and I was still trying to fully grasp the fact that he had returned to me.

The walk back to our rooms was as uneventful as the trip to the hospital wing. There were a few people lingering in the hallways who stared at us outright. It wasn't everyday that the Head Girl and former potions professor walked down the hallway together, arms wrapped around each other and barely contained joy emanating from their eyes and the corners of their mouths.

In my mind I had fantasized about his return. We would shut the door behind us and begin to passionately ravage each other's mouths with our tongues. Eventually our passion would build to a zenith and we would fall into bed and have the most amazing sex possible. My fantasy was quite the opposite. As soon as we entered we sat on the sofa in front of the unlit fireplace (which I remedied, seeing as he had no wand). He began firing question after question at me. Most of them dealt with the baby. After a thirty minute question and answer session, we were both exhausted from the stress of the day. It was nearly ten o'clock and I hadn't slept well the night before. Sleeping seemed to be a bit of a chore lately with a full term baby pushing on my bladder.

It was an amazing feeling to be sharing my bed once again with my amazing husband. Nunc teneo quid amor est. Now I know what love is. I know I already loved Severus with all of my heart, but I felt as if my love had been increased tenfold. I suppose absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.

I snuggled up as close as I could get to him. He pulled my body flesh up against his, with his arm draped across my swollen belly. I was sure that it would be the best sleep I would have since he left. Oh how wrong I was.

(Severus's Point of View)

I suppose it was around three o'clock in the morning. I had been spooning against my formerly estranged wife, when I felt something wet pool around my legs. Hermione turned over onto her back and looked up into my eyes, with a look akin to terror. Her water had broken.

The next few hours were surreal to me. I had not been home for more than nine hours when my wife went into labor. I rushed her to the hospital wing as fast as I could. Of course, fast took about twenty-five minutes, taking into consideration the fact that she was dilating very quickly and having especially painful contractions.

Poppy was not at all surprised to see Hermione. She had been expecting her to give birth within the next few days. I had an extremely hard time watching her suffer through so much pain. Being her usually stubborn self, Hermione refused to take any pain relieving potions. She read somewhere that they have a slight affect on the baby. All I could do was hold her hand while she sweated, screamed and cried out in pain. I believe she may very well have broken my hand.

Hermione Jane Snape gave birth to our tiny daughter at 6:14 A.M on February 21, 1997. Only days before I disappeared, we decided on the name Chloe Anastasia Snape. She has quite an abundance of curly black hair and piercing blue eyes. I had a moment of sheer horror when I saw her eyes. The certainly weren't mine or Hermione's. Poppy, however, quickly reminded us that when all children are born, they have blue eyes.

After Chloe was fed and had fallen asleep, I sat next to Hermione's bed and held her hand once again. I was so lost in thought that I was not even aware of the silent tears rolling down my cheeks until Hermione brushed them away with a shaky and tired hand. She asked me why I was crying. I replied that everything was too good for me. I didn't deserve her or our child. I had committed so many evil deeds in the past, that nothing could atone for them.

Hermione chuckled and pushed my chin up so that she was looking me squarely in the eyes. Probae esti in segetem sunt deteriorem datae fruges, tamen ipsae suaptae enitent, she said. We were both rather fluent in Latin, so I immediately recognized the phrase. Let it never be said that Severus Snape does not know Classical muggle literature or history. Somehow, the quote seemed to fit so well with my current situation, though I was not wont to agree with her. A good seed, planted even in poor soil, will bear rich fruit by its own nature. She would tell that I was less than convinced. Severus, she told me, do you think I would have given myself to you if you had been an evil person? It was true. Hermione had come to me pure and innocent, but not naïve. She allowed me to take her virginity, kept my child and married me out of pure love, not simply to secure a father for the baby.

Damn her for always being right.

Nunc teneo quid amor est: Now I know what love is.

Probae esti in segetem sunt deteriorem datae fruges, tamen ipsae suaptae enitent: A good seed, planted even in poor soil, will bear rich fruit by its own nature.

So you know the drill. Please review. As a first time writer, I need all of the comments and criticism that I can get.