Precarious (Severus Snape x Reader)

Chapter 33: Show Me You're There

"It's not the same. But it's worth it."

-

"What? What is it with the baby?" Severus strained, moving his fingertips gently across your belly as if his child could tell him the answer themselves.

"I - I don't know -" you sobbed. "I think I'm bleeding!"

He sighed loudly, a tense, shuddering, startled exhalation.

The classroom door creaked open and your watery gaze rose toward the offending sound. You didn't have a chance to discern which of the students had arrived before Severus ordered them away.

"Out! Class is canceled!" he growled, wandlessly slamming the door in their face and flipping the lock. "I'm taking you to Poppy."

You pressed your sweaty palm against your stomach, whispering unintelligibly to the life inside you.

Please, please, please, you begged. Please, move. Show me you're there.

A moment passed, and it felt like an eternity.

"We need to go, (Y/N)," Severus urged.

Then, a gentle pressure fluttered against the wall of your womb, vibrating against your hand, and another sob wracked free of your chest.

"He's moving," you squeaked.

"Listen to me, (Y/N), I don't want to you walk to the hospital wing. Please, focus your mind there and I'll apparate us. I need you to focus, you can still get splinched during side-along apparition," he replied sternly, his voice quivering. You squeezed your eyes closed firmly and conjured fuzzy images of the infirmary from the depths of your mind. A large, cold hand wrapped around your wrist and you suddenly felt the familiar pull of motion behind your navel. The world was dark for just a moment, and then you found yourself dry heaving on the stone floor in front of Madam Pomfrey.

"Great heavens!" she exclaimed, stopping mid-stride to help Severus gather you to your feet.

"Poppy -" Severus started insistently, but you interrupted him.

"I'm bleeding," you interjected quickly, swallowing the ghost of stomach acid. "I think I am, at least. I just felt this - bad cramping and - and then I felt blood."

You panted lightly with trepidation and allowed Poppy to lead you to the nearest bed.

"Oh, my dear, will you let me assess you? I'm afraid I'll have to check the bleeding down there," she noted apologetically.

"Yes," you agreed, lying back and simultaneously raising your skirt. Glancing up at Severus, you found him standing still as a statue, save for his brow quivering with anxiety. A touch to the back of his hand broke him slightly of his stupor, and he carefully enveloped yours into his palm.

"It's alright, darling," he comforted you, kneeling beside your head, scrutinizing Poppy's every movement.

She had your shirt unbuttoned with a flick of her wand, exposing the curve of your abdomen.

"Do you have any pain currently?" she asked matter-of-factly.

You shook your head, spilling a fresh tear from the corner of your eye.

"No, it happened so fast and then went away, just like that," you explained.

Poppy then pressed her fingers slightly into your belly, eliciting another kick from the babe.

"Oh, that's a good sign!" she smiled. "I'm just feeling your uterus, dear."

"What sign is a good sign? What do you feel?" Severus demanded intensely.