Hermione smiled softly, waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasely. They had come to the town to surprise Hermione with two beautiful handmade gifts for the babies. She'd been extremely tight-lipped as to the names of the children. Only giving her friends and family the first letter of their names but not telling them what letter went to which. As she didn't want to know the gender of her children she'd foregone having the midwife tell her the genders and had thus chosen two names that would fit either gender.

It was completely opposite of her normally extremely prepared character but considering how well that had gone for her in the past she'd decided to just sit back and let fate decide. It was a sort of cathartic moment for her when she just let the stress of needing to know everything there was, go. She'd never looked back.

Severus had wanted no part in their names. At least, their first names and had subsequently secretly created his own list of middle names to give the children. Hermione had happened across his 'secret' list one day while cleaning his desk but hadn't told him her opinion about what he'd chosen. He hadn't been as creative as she in the name department but she loved them all the same.

Hermione watched Galia lead the couple down the street to stay the night at the inn. Though they could portkey back home they had said they wanted to explore some of the shops and possibly see the inside of the castle, if Hermione had the energy. Their small conversation and quaint little tea and snacks had ended rather abruptly when Hermione had fallen asleep, teacup still in hand. She hadn't realized how much her daily life was exhausting her until that moment. It wasn't as if she was doing too much, at least not in her world.

Just normal housework, paperwork from the office that she'd brought home to keep her busy and reading books Severus would bring from the castle. The walk to the castle wasn't far but it was increasingly more tiring as the days had worn on. As much as she wanted to show them more of the castle than what they'd seen when they'd come for her wedding she just didn't see it happening in the near future. Even still, Mr. and Mrs. Weasely found the town a wonderful place to spend the weekend just relaxing from their children and grandchildren.

Hermione turned her head towards the castle, her eye catching on the green crystal lantern shining softly in the growing darkness. She and Severus had charmed a lantern beside the gate to light up if either of them were inside. It allowed for them to come and go without having to find the other and also let others who may have been looking for them to know where they were. Green for Severus, red for her and white if they were both inside.

oOo

Severus slowly walked down the steps leading down into the catacombs. The voices of those therein were ominously quiet but he could feel them reaching out; as if they too knew what he held in his palm. A hand had slowly taken hold of his heart, not painfully, but oddly comforting. As though it was being cradled in warmth. He didn't know what had possessed him to 'steal' his mother's soul from the hospital. As many times before in his life, it had just felt right. She never got to come home. So, he was going to bring her home.

He turned his head down the hall coming to the same level that Galia had brought her son to. He was sure there was plenty of space on the other levels but it felt only right that she be laid to rest beside another who had lost their life before their time.

The orb from which Galia's son had been kept remained broken upon its pedestal, neither he nor Hermione had had the heart to disturb the area. Even now as he approached it, he gave it a slow and wide birth turning his head to look down the shelves. He counted the spaces between, wanting to make sure that when Galia and he were to pass, there would be plenty of space to lay them both to rest beside their loved ones of this life.

A slow breath left his nose and he pulled the orb closer to his face, turning it in the soft torchlight just beside the hole he had chosen. He would, when the time presented itself, send a request for his mother's body to be brought and entombed properly though he knew it was just a meaningless ritual as her very soul, laid inside his palm.

He didn't know what to expect when he sat the orb down upon the pedestal, in fact, he hadn't really planned on sticking around to find out. There was nothing more his mother could possibly say to him. He was a grown man now. The war was over and his life had found peace. Even his curious mind hung onto no more questions, no more pitiful childish whinging over why he had been left all alone. What was done, was done.

In a moment of reverence, Severus brought the orb up, pressing his thinned lips against the cool glass. A soft smell wafted under his nose, bringing forth a memory that had been long forgotten. His brow furrowed deeply as he felt the images coming to the forefront of his inner thoughts.

"Come here, sweet boy. That's it you can do it..."

Severus could feel himself growing closer to the voice, his vantage that no taller than that of a toddler. He could feel the sun warming his skin as he toddled his way through the tall grass. The sun shining brightly in the memory filling his nose with the soft scent of lavender and sage. Two smells that had followed him throughout his life though he had never known why.

"That's it, a little more..."

The soft, kind voice calling out to his former-self was almost too kind to believe who it belonged to. As the sun broke through the tall grass and his small hands pushed himself through into a clearing. A beautiful young woman knelt before him, no lines to mar her young face, no dark circles depicting restless nights lived in constant fear. It was the vision of his mother only the memory inside the orb could have ever produced.

"There you are, my son. My Severus." Eileen smiled brightly reaching down towards the small boy who let out a soft gentile laugh at being picked up. His small hands gently taking hold of the sharply angled cheeks looking into the infinitely dark eyes. "No matter what happens Severus, Mummy loves you so much..."

The memory spiraled out to the sound of angry voices being called out in the distance. The world spun out as Eileen turned, hiding Severus' face into her chest. The painful emotion welling up inside her pressing through the memory into reality before the entire world went dark and quiet again.

"I love you so much, my son."

Severus pulled the orb from his lips, a small tear falling from his eye unnoticed as he set his mother's soul gently upon her final resting place. He had no idea from where the memory came, hidden, buried away in the darkness that had filled his life. He didn't know when the world he had come to know had come to be his reality. It was a question for another day. Another time. A deep breath cleared his thoughts and an absent wipe from the back of his hand cleared his face. He hadn't realized how much his mother's absence in his life had affected him, until then. The unknown surrounding her disappearance and everything he had had to suffer through alone. His mother had never been outrightly cruel to him, just distant and cautious.

Galia's confession returned to his mind as he turned on his heel to return home. Though they had reconciled in the years that had past, she never did explain fully how exactly she was to blame for his mother's banishment from the family. He had always assumed it had been because his mother had married a muggle, a worthless one at that. Learning that it had been her prediction on his life that had turned his family away had been a rather painful revelation at the time. A fleeting thought lingered in the back of his mind as he took the slope leading up; what would his life have been like if her powers had never been used at all? What if his own child carried the same burden that Galia had been bestowed?

Severus pushed it all deep down inside, he couldn't worry about any of that now, he was destined to be a father. His parents, grandparents were dead. He was the last of the line. There was no one left to place judgment upon him. No one to condemn his child before they could even speak. This was a new world, a new beginning.

oOOo

Hermione groaned softly, shifting from her side to her back. She'd gone to bed early, having left some of her leftovers out for Severus as she hadn't been sure how long he'd be in the library finding her a new book. She could feel his weight and insufferable heat resting beside her. Their cuddling had taken a back seat to the random positions Hermione had to put herself into to find rest. Presently, her most comfortable position had her propped up on a pile of pillows, creating a nest of sorts. While comfortable for her it frequently left Severus fending for space on his side of the bed.

A sharp kick to her bladder spurred her forward and she slowly pushed herself up to make her way to the bathroom, she made a point of covering Severus back up as she made her way to the bathroom, "Shh, yes alright... mummy's moving..." Hermione absently rubbed her stomach, letting out a soft yawn. It was barely past one am according to the small clock on her bedside table. It wasn't uncommon these days to have her getting up and down through the night it was possibly the reason why she was falling asleep during the day.

oOo

Severus found himself inexplicitly alone. His body told him it was still ungodly early but a cold shiver down his spine told him something was wrong. His eyes snapped open in an instant, the room around him was dark but his eyes adjusted quickly. A heavy pressure pressed against his chest, the feeling of knowing something was there, hidden right in the corner of your vision, just out of sight. That hair-raising feeling of a breath wafting over the back of your neck while your ears strain against the ringing silence around you.

Severus pushed himself from the bed as silently as possible, his wand in his hand while his eyes snapped to the open bedroom door across the room. Out of the very corner of his eye, he could make out the space empty in the bed where Hermione should have been causing the tension on his chest to press even harder making his legs feels as though they'd suddenly become weighted. Even his hand that held his wand felt too heavy to lift.

Still, he pressed on towards the door. A small creak sending a shiver straight to his toes and he knew, they were no longer alone. This new presence felt evil and dark. Oppressive and controlling. He could not sense Hermione anywhere near and knew she was not the cause of the sound. As he rounded the corner of the doorway his eyes immediately snapped to the stairs his breath catching in his throat.

A black mass starred up at him midway up the stairs frozen in place as though startled to have been caught during its ascent. Two large white eyes and a large unnaturally wide just as white mouth formed just before a man formed out of the mist. A familiar whiny voice coming from the hole where the black mass's more mouth should have been.

"They're mine... you stole them from me... mine..."

Severus found himself paralyzed by the sight before him. Demon or man he could not discern. The voice was familiar but he could not place it. The creature before him took another slow step and he could feel something warm running down his hip, his mind jumping to Hermione in the next instant.

"She was mine! You stole her from me!" Just as the last syllable passed the creature's lips, it lunged forward taking the shape of a man for only a second before Severus jolted harshly into a new reality.

Severus sat up stock straight in the bed, his eyes wide and his heart racing. He hadn't had a nightmare such as that in a long time. The fear of the unknown coupled with the twisted form of a nameless demon. It's wide white eyes and crescent smile still lingering disembodied in the back of his inner eye. It was only just when his brain was registering the first rays of light slipping through the closed curtains did he notice that his left hand was sitting in something warm and wet.

He turned his head down, his racing heart slowing to the sight of Hermione peacefully resting beside him. Her head turned towards him with one of her arms over her head. She let out the softest if sighs, calming his heart further. It was the next moment when he thought to lift his hand and his brain registered the warm wet feeling went all the way down to his knee. He brought his hand up, confused by the clear odorless liquid before his brain cleared enough for him to realize what had happened.

"Hermione?" His voice was soft but urgent as he pulled back the rest of the blankets, the action causing the woman beside him to groan and reach out blindly.

"Mm?"

"I think your water broke." Severus' heart revved up once more as he started to push himself from the bed to confirm his theory. The dream he'd just experienced holding no weight against the very sudden reality before him. He wasn't ready, he couldn't do this.

Hermione let out another soft sleepy noise of confusion before slowly lifting her head to blink her eyes open. She hadn't felt anything and her midnight trip to the bathroom hadn't yielded any warning. Of course, she'd read numerous books about the process and knew some women didn't feel anything at all when their water broke and that most women didn't even have their water break naturally. Though it was a sign that the baby was on the way, without contractions to follow it was a horrible way to approximate when the baby would be born. Her number one concern now was an infection.

"It's okay...mmm what color is it?" Hermione was still very heavy with sleep unable to process the look of horror in the love of her life's face at the end of the bed.

"Uh... clear?" Severus couldn't understand why he had found himself suddenly struck dumb. He'd faced down the most dangerous wizards in history! Flirted with death for years. Why was bringing new life into the world so much more terrifying?

"It's fine..." Hermione rubbed her eyes with a heavy yawn, she reached over towards the bedside table calling her wand into her hand before casting a drying spell on the sheets. Once finished she pushed herself up onto her elbows and managed to lift her sleepy head to finally blink the man at the end of the bed into focus. She couldn't help but feel a mixture of humor and concern fighting for precedence on her face.

"Severus? Love, are you alright?"

"I...uh..." Severus didn't know what he looked like, between his nightmare and the reality that his children were coming to the world had certainly left him looking like a deer in the headlights. "What do we do?"

Hermione would have laughed if it hadn't been so out of character for the normally acetic man to stumble through his words, "We go to the hospital. We don't have to rush, we just need to get my bag and load the carriage." Hermione kept her voice even but not condescending. She was amazed at her own calmness over the entire situation but she was glad one of them had their head still attached to their shoulders.

"Right...right..." Severus took a slow breath pushing his messed hair out of his face. His dream was starting to become a distant memory now as the real world came colliding into him full force. He turned away from the bed, still wearing nothing but his sleeping pants and turned himself in a full circle while his brain tried to supply him with the information he needed.

Hermione watched him make two full circles in place before she turned her wand towards the closet pulling out the bag she'd prepped nearly a month ago for her stay in the hospital. She offered him a small smile as he turned towards the sound before making his way over to pull it from the floor. He shook out his head again as though to clear it when he finally looked at her fully.

Hermione gave him a kind, loving smile. She'd never would have believed childbirth would have been his one and only weakness. She was sure they were going to laugh about this later but for now, she appeased his over-serious nature with a small nod of her head and started to properly get herself out of bed. She couldn't feel any contractions but she could feel the babies inside her stomach shifting and turning as they prepared themselves to enter the world. It wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling but it wasn't outright painful.

When her feet made it over the edge of the bed Severus had gathered enough of his wits to place the bag on the end bed before turning to find himself something proper to wear. She probably would have laughed outright if he'd gone bolting down the stairs in nothing but his pajamas but she was relieved that at least some of his brain was intact.

"Severus?" Hermione took his arm gently as he dropped his clothes to the edge of the bed having grabbed two shirts instead of a pair of pants, "It'll be alright. I'm not even having contractions yet...we have plenty of time."

Severus let out a slow breath through his nose looking down at her hand on his arm. So many things were starting to come alive inside his waking mind. Too many fears to possibly process and for once in his life, the very first time, he was able to truthfully express in words what his heart was desperately thumping around in his skull, "I'm scared..."

Hermione's eyes widened considerably before she had a mind to stop herself. She'd never in her time with him had ever heard him express something so emotionally raw. Her eyes softened as her hand wrapped tighter around his arm pulling him down onto one knee so that he would be level with her, "Me too." She offered him a smile before leaning forward just enough to rest her forehead against his, "But you know what? I believe in us, we can do this. Together."

Severus felt a wave of calmness rushing down his frame. From where he couldn't ascertain but it was a most welcome visitor. He lost himself in her eyes, deep chocolate with flecked gold, for longer than he wanted to admit before finally closing his own with a small nod. When her lips pressed against the ridge of his cheek the feeling of peace that had started to build inside him came to a climax and he felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Hermione released his arm when she felt his brow relax against her own and slowly leaned back to let him come back to his feet. She had no desire to change her clothes as she was just going to get a gown when they got to the hospital anyway and thus simply took the time to practice her slow and controlled breathing. She let her eyes close but left her ears open, listening to Severus moving about the room gathering this and that as he got dressed.

When she would find the strength to open them again she found herself no longer in their bedroom. The light from the waking dawn spilled inside the cabin window of the small carriage they'd had build by Adrian, the town's carpenter. As it wasn't safe to portkey or apparate with a child on the way they'd had a magical carriage built months ago when they'd first found out. It would also later become the perfect transportation for her parents who had become dreadfully ill after portkeying to the town for the wedding.

Hermione rubbed her eye tiredly shifting her head away from the window. The inside had been transfigured into part bed part bench allowing for Hermione to be laid down if it was necessary when the decision had been discussed Hermione had thought it to be a rather silly addition but now she was grateful. A hand laid inside hers, held firm and warm and she gave it a small squeeze before turning her head to look at Severus. His brow was awfully creased with worry and his eyes heavily circled.

"How long have I slept?"

"We're nearly there now, I tried to wake you but you started mumbling about dancing strawberries."

Hermione giggled softly but couldn't recall such a dream, her body was starting to feel tense now and she could feel the time was approaching, "Who's flying the carriage?"

"Reglan." Galia's voice came from her feet where the woman sat calmly with an all-knowing smile tugging at the corner of her lips, her son was still sleeping against her chest curled up in the monogrammed blanket Hermione and Severus had given him last Christmas.

Hermione shifted her head around her stomach to see them properly before gasping sharply as a contraction caught her by surprise. Her eyes widened and her hand popped all the knuckles in Severus', causing the man to gasp himself. As the wave of pain passed Hermione apologetically released Severus' hand before taking deep practiced breaths.

"That your first one?"

"Yeah...I ah...think so..."

"Good, we're right on time." Galia turned her head towards the sheered window pulling back the curtain to see that they were lowering down into St. Mungo's entrance lot.

Hermione could have kicked her if she didn't feel her world growing dark again. Her head fell back heavily onto the pillow as the world spiraled nauseatingly out of focus again. It felt odd this time, not like falling asleep but like she was stepping outside of her body. Her last thought before the world fell black was that it felt oddly reminiscent of the time when her mind had been split in two.

"Hermione?" Severus felt his heart skip when he felt her mind go completely blank, his heart jumping up into his throat as her eyes rolled closed. He took her hand in his again shaking it softly trying to get her to reflexively take hold as she'd often done in her sleep. When she didn't so much as twitch he felt his own mind swimming.

"What's wrong with her? Galia you tell me right now or I swear-"

"Relax. She is fine, her pain response triggered her previous fugue state. Since there is nothing left there, thanks to you, her conscious mind merely put itself to sleep. It's a bit odd, but it isn't the worst way to give birth."

"Her fugue state?" Severus' brows furrowed, going back all those years ago, "I removed her fugue state."

"You did, but not her body's natural response to pain."

"That makes no sense. She's been in pain before, why now?"

"Have you ever had a contraction? She'll be fine, I promise." Galia shifted Renatus in her lap gently running her fingers through his hair, "I know, everything will be fine."

Severus snarled but couldn't find the energy to actually be angry. A little warning would have been nice, in fact, a lot of warning would have been nice. Now he wished he would have read one of the books Hermione had laid about the house in a subtle attempt to prepare him for what was to come. The carriage coming to a soft landing clipped off the snarky retort that was forming on his tongue. He had other matters to worry about now.

"Should I wake her?"

"You can, she should wake straight up. I'll go call the healer." Galia came to her feet just as the cabin door came open, Reglan standing there with a proud puff to his chest. He took Renatus from Galia's arms to allow her to come down out of the carriage before turning a raised brow towards Severus' furious face.

"Do ya want some help?"

"No." Severus hadn't meant for his words to come out so sharply but his irritation levels combined with his fear and he just couldn't help himself. Another slow breath calmed his hands as he gave her a gentle yet firm shake on her shoulder this time. A soft groan met his ears and his shoulders slumped. "We're here..."

"Did I fall asleep again?"

"Yes..." Severus didn't want to worry her any further.

Hermione mumbled something incoherent before taking the offered hand to help her sit up. She could hear the hustle outside of the carriage as the small team of healers and midwives came to greet them. She gave them a sleepy smile as she let Severus help her to her feet and through the expanded carriage door. When her bare feet touched down on the warm stone, she let out a small shiver before turning to sit down in the wheel-chair that had been brought for her.

"Have you started having contractions?"

"Yes, I think so...just one..."

"Alright, let's get you comfortable alright? Everything will be fine."

oOOo

Hermione felt odd, as though she were suddenly much lighter than she should have been. Her memories felt disjointed and fuzzy as though she'd dreamed it all. She could remember talking to Severus, discussing with the healers about a possible C-section in the case that she was unable to deliver both babies naturally as well as a brief moment where all she could remember was fear filled eyes growing farther away as if she had been taken away from Severus' side. Everything after that was completely black.

"My babies..." Her heavy arms dragged across the blanket resting over her and her breath hitched in her throat when she could no longer feel the rise over her stomach, "Severus?"

Hermione's head swiveled and she pushed her eyes open wide taking in the stark white walls. The rails along the edge of the bed clanked as she used them to pull herself from her back into a partial seated position. The entire room was empty save for her and she wondered if she had some how been caught in another dream. Low voices came from her side and she forced herself to turn, a small pain throbbing through her lower stomach from the action.

As soon as the side door came open she felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu. Severus stood extremely exhausted with a hidden awe clouding his eyes as he held a small bundle wrapped in a soft blue blanket. Her heart leapt as he came to her side very gingerly passing over the sleeping infant to his mother's waiting arms.

Hermione had never known a joy such as the one she felt at that very moment. The tiny little ball of grace was perfect beyond measure and when she brought her hand up to gingerly tuck the blanket under his chin her heart swelled at the soft smile that formed on his face.

Before she could fall even further into her wonderous feeling the door that Severus had come through opened again with the soft whine of her newborn baby girl. Galia held the baby close, wrapped in the soft powder pink blanket that matched her brother's before coming to take the opposite side of the bed.

"She didn't like her bath," Galia smiled more as Hermione adjusted her hold over her son to take her daughter in her arms as well.

As soon as the bundle was pressed gently against her mother's chest she quieted down. Her little lips opening and closing with the tiny hand resting near her cheek. Her hair was dark, darker than her brother's and much more abundant but her face was almost a miniature version of Hermione's own. Neither she nor Severus noticed Galia's silent retreat leaving the new family to bask in the glory of all they'd done.

"Hello, precious..." Hermione could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she turned her head to the man which the life in her arms would have never been possible, "They're perfect..."

"Just like their mother." Severus too couldn't contain the pure joy that had captured his heart and his own single tear escaped his eye as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to Hermione's brow. As he took his seat once more he brought his arm up very lightly running his thumb over each of the twin's cheeks marveling at how large he was comparatively. How could something so small ever grow to be so big? It was truly one of nature's wonders.

Hermione turned her head back down looking between the two of them, her heart telling her what names they were to be given, "Welcome to the world," she turned her head towards her daughter first, as Severus was still lightly running his thumb over the dark tuft of curled hair and knew immediately what her name would be, "Amura Eileen..." She caught Severus' eyes for only a moment before turning her eyes towards her still sleeping son, "Firas Alexandros."