Your Baby is the Size of A...

32 Weeks - Your baby is the size of a squash

"Severus," Lupin started up softly from across the living room where he sat in a wing-backed chair grading.

He didn't bother looking up from his own marking. "What."

"I'd like to go with you to see Poppy."

The request was . . . unexpected to say the least. Shocking Severus into motionlessness, causing him to look up sharply at the werewolf. Who was looking back at him with a sincere gaze. He sniffed, nodding once to indicate he'd heard.

"I'll consider it."

The soft look the lycanthrope was giving him was an entreaty to a softer nature – one that Bump was pushing him toward as the pregnancy wore on.

"Please do. I would like very much to be there." A soft hazy feeling pooling at the back of his thoughts as Lupin continued to smile at him gently.

Of course, the request stayed at the fore of Severus's thoughts for the remainder of the night, making him slightly apprehensive. It made it impossible to sleep – combining with the Braxton Hicks contractions that periodically cramped his guts, the inability to draw in a deep breath, and the soft itch of arousal as Lupin pressed closer to him in bed.

If asked, Severus would never admit to thinking about Lupin's request this much.

But as it was, in the morning as he put the kettle on and Lupin returned from his rooms, Severus spoke softly. "I'll be forgoing dinner in the Hall this evening." He poured boiling water over his tea.

"Oh?" Lupin leaned against the counter near him, pushing his own empty cup nearer to Severus. He promptly poured the remaining water over the leaves with a sniff.

"It's easiest to visit Poppy while the students are occupied with a meal, rather than to try and make time throughout the day."

"And might I join you?"

"If you're so inclined," he said much softer than he wanted.

He tried to put it out of his mind while he taught his classes – but it was decidedly more difficult than he would have thought. Severus overthought it and overthought it, looking for any reason – aside from the obvious parental one – as to why Lupin would suddenly want to accompany him on a visit with the mediwitch. But he came up blank. Each possible reason he could almost convince himself of was discarded in the end – leaving him only with Lupin wishing to be there as a parent. Which did terrible things to his guts, stirring them into a nervous flutter and leaving him to retch in the laboratory sink after his final class had adjourned.

Severus made his way upward, heading for the Infirmary.

Lupin loitered outside the doors, hands in his pockets, face softened – waiting for him.

"Hello Severus. How was class?"

"We're not here for small talk, Lupin," Severus grumbled, pushing inside the Infirmary.

"Severus," Poppy exclaimed – as she did every week, as though she surprised to see him as he walked through her door and headed for the backroom. "And Remus," Poppy continued, genuine surprise edging her tone. He merely grunted in her direction, heading for the backroom as he left the two of them to exchange pleasantries. And when she finally joined him in the backroom, ushering Lupin with her, she gave him a mild look. Already he was stripping out of his shirt, his teaching robes laid over the back of a chair. Severus pointedly ignored the way Lupin was watching him and focused on pushing buttons from their holes.

"How are you feeling this week, my dear? Any . . . lingering effects from the fall a couple weeks ago?"

Severus crawled onto the bed, stretching his long body out gingerly as a particularly hard contraction cramped his innards. "No more than usual," he responded, determined to not look at the werewolf, who was standing awkwardly near the door, unsure of where to go.