A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 44: Why don't I?

Spring

Meg was getting bigger quicker now and the baby had started to make its presence really known:

"Severus!" Meg flipped the covers back, sending the book he was reading through the air.

Snape grunted in anger as he tried unsuccessfully to stop his book from falling to the floor.

"You'd better have a good excuse, Megan," he snapped and turned to her.

She was hiking her night-shirt up, the bed covers around her hips.

"Look!" She said and as if the baby heard her, a limb was extended and Meg's stomach distended.

"Good Merlin!" he exclaimed in horror. "What on earth is it doing in there?"

"Quidditch I think," she giggled. "My mum said she thought we'd be footballers the rate we moved around!"

"It's moving?" he said dryly. "What? Moving out via your stomach?"

The limb, which Meg thought might be a foot, was wiggled and sent flying from one side straight to the other.

"Oh my..." Meg gasped at the sensation.

"Does it hurt?"

"No... It can be uncomfortable, but it's exciting as well."

Severus sat up and stared down at where the bump had disappeared.

"Has it stopped moving now?"

"I guess so.... Oh no, here we go again," Meg giggled and rested her hand on the foot that stuck itself out again. The foot was drawn back the moment her hand rested on it.

She lifted her hand off and once more the foot came sticking out.

"May I?" Severus hovered one hand over the strange bump in Meg's stomach.

Meg nodded and watched his face as he gently lowered his hand until the bump nestled in his palm, but instead of pulling back the baby seemed to move and reach out further and then stilled under his hand.

"Oh look! She knows it's her Daddy," Meg cried out.

"Nonsense!" Snape snorted but didn't remove his hand. "It merely can feel the difference in skin temperature. Your hands are always so hot they border on clammy, mine however, are cooler."

"Get on with you! How's she gonna feel that in there," Meg snorted at him.

"The same way you assume it knows who I am," he replied smartly.

"Yes, but she can hear you." Meg nudged him. "Go on, speak to her."

"I beg your pardon," Snape sneered at her, his hand lifting from her stomach sharply.

The baby immediately began to move around rather violently.

"Merlin!" Meg gasped and lifted herself higher on the pillows. "Calm down in there!"

Severus placed his hand back over the moving bump and it stilled once more.

"See," Meg crowed. "She knows it's her Daddy touching her. She knows it's someone special."

"Okay then Miss "I know it all," he sneered. "Your touch should calm it too by that thinking."

"No. She's with me all the time so I think she's used to me, whereas when she hears your voice..."

"And how does she know it's my voice that is her father and not say... Lupin?"

"Well...." Meg shifted under his triumphant gaze. "She'd hear your voice a lot more than Remus' and... well... I guess considering you're the only one I say I love you too she'd kind figure it out... besides..."