Precarious (Severus Snape x Reader)

Chapter 27: Contemplation

"But how do I know when I'm ready?"

-

This day was perhaps the most memorable of your life. You lounged on your couch, snuggled against Severus, pondering the future and tracing small circles on your belly with your fingertips. It was both fascinating and terrifying that another life was developing within you. A brand new human, a little witch or wizard to call your own. You wondered if it would turn out to be a boy or a girl, and you imagined dressing your son in tiny black robes, matching his father, and your daughter like you, with long, wavy hair and a blue Ravenclaw sweater. What features would they take from you? From Severus? Would they have his pigmentation, with dark hair and eyes and porcelain skin? Would they receive the shape of your nose or your lips? The contemplation was endless, and was only interrupted by Severus marking the page of his book and pressing his lips to your temple in a long, sweet kiss.

"It's time for supper, darling," he said.

Eating didn't really sound overly appealing considering the state of your stomach. You feared that if you so much as caught the scent of sustenance, you might vomit.

"I'm not hungry, to be honest," you replied, shrugging slightly and tucking a strand of inky silk behind Severus' left ear.

"You need to eat, though. At least something small."

Of course, you knew he'd push it. He was right, after all. You hadn't eaten hardly a crumb in the last day, and you both knew how much you required the extra calories.
Despite the miserable churning of your nausea, you reluctantly agreed to accompany him to the Great Hall. There was a slim possibility that at least one morsel of food would spark your interest.

"Fine," you grumbled.

As you walked to the Hall, hand in hand with Severus, you contemplated more about your pregnancy and the coming months. It felt like thinking was all you could do lately.

"There's something I was considering," you started.

He turned his head in inquisition, a dark eyebrow elevated.

"Yes?" he asked, squeezing your hand gently, reassuringly.

"When should we become public? It'll be obvious soon, and I'm not sure how I'll approach others when they wonder how or when or with whom I became pregnant."

He glanced at the ceiling, taking his lip between his teeth for a moment. You hoped that he would give you an easy answer, but to what, you weren't sure. It made you very nervous for your relationship to become known to the castle, as you feared judgement and the questioning of others. As if being involved with a staff member wasn't intimidating enough, you also had to handle the fact that it would be obvious he had planted his seed within you. That was the scariest and most embarrassing part.

They'll know we had sex, you thought irrationally.

Who cares? Everyone has sex.

Not the students!

Shut up, they probably do.

But you're an adult, a role model!

Adults are allowed to have sex.

Oh, fuck off!

"I'll be ready whenever you are," he said a bit shakily, derailing your haphazard train of thought.

"But how do I know when I'm ready?"

He hummed under his breath.

"Only you can tell, darling."