Your Baby is the Size of A...

28 Weeks - Your baby is the size of an eggplant

"You're expected to have tea with Poppy and myself this evening in my office," Minerva told him softly as they sat at the head table.

He sipped his tea. "And if I'm not feeling up to it and refuse?"

"We'll bring the tea to you. You've been terribly remiss as of late."

"I wasn't aware that us taking tea together was a requirement of our friendship," Severus quipped.

"It is. As of this exact moment." She gave him a pointed look. "And you had better be in my office this evening after class."

Severus made a noncommittal noise in his throat, sipping his tea to keep from saying anything. As it was, he'd become rather taken with the routine of returning to his rooms the very moment his last class ended, taking a hot bath, and then crawling into bed. Not that he actually slept that much, but it was nice to pretend maybe he would sleep that much.

Minerva pinched the tender underside of his arm playfully. "it's just tea, Severus. Surely you can afford us a few moments of your time."

"Twenty minutes," he negotiated, giving her a sideways look as students began to file out of the Great Hall, lunch having ended.

"An hour."

He managed to make a very put-upon sigh before finishing the rest of his tea and getting to his feet.

"An hour, and not a moment more."

Severus spent every second between then and the end of the day dreading the impending teatime in Minerva's office. If only because on top of being irritably exhausted, Severus found it hard to pull in a deep breath, and his abdomen was more sore than usual as the Braxton Hicks contractions cramped at his insides more periodically.

Not to mention every cell in his body ached dreadfully. And more and more he was regretting agreeing to Minerva's request – or demand, rather. But still, as his final class filed out the door, Severus followed on their heels, heading upward toward Minerva's office. He would sit there for his hour, do his suddenly demanded act of friendship, and then return to his rooms for the evening.

Of course, the small party wasn't what he had expected as he pushed the door open, even as Poppy and Minerva let out a cry of joyous welcome. Streamers hung from surfaces, a buttercream yellow and a sage green – grey balloons softened the sharp corners of the window, Minerva's desk. Emotions bloomed in his chest like stupid roses as Poppy ushered him into the room, her arm wrapped around his shoulders tightly. There was just the three of them, and Severus let himself smile. He charmed his heavy teaching robes open and left them just inside the door.

"Really. This is unexpected."

"Oh, come now, Severus! Of course, we had to throw you a party, my dear," Poppy quipped, hugging him tightly. Her hands touched the hidden swell of Bump softly. "This is the start of your third trimester; homeward stretch – you deserve a party."

Minerva was already pouring tea for them, beaming at him. "Poppy tells me that Bump's the size of an eggplant now." She beckoned them over, situating him on the low sofa and handing him a teacup. Before he could respond, the fireplace belched green fumes and Albus stumbled out into the room, dusting off his shoulders as he grinned at Severus.

"Ah, yes – well my dear boy, don't you look slim and trim in your shirtsleeves," Dumbledore teased him, and Severus heaved a sigh.

"That's Albus's covert way of saying he wants to see Bump, I think," Minerva said with a huff, rolling her eyes as she moved to pour yet another cup of tea.

"I rather gathered that." Rolling his eyes, Severus let the concealment spell whisper away and tried not to flinch at the sight of his shirt stretched almost comically over his swollen abdomen. The buttons strained against the fabric in a way that reminded him it was nearly time for him to magic his clothes bigger once more. There was a collective coo from Minerva and Albus. Thankfully, Poppy had already gotten her cooing in earlier in the week at their visit and simply smiled at him.