I need you. |severus snape|

35: A realization

Ingrid woke up with moonlight shining in her light blue eyes. Feeling a hand wrapped around her own, she opened them completely.

She was in the hospital wing, it was quiet...and in the middle of the night. Madame Pomfrey was no where to be seen, and Severus stood tall above her cot. Clutching her left hand.

Ingrid blinked a few times, adjusting to the new environment. Her eyes fixating on Severus, who was looking out of the window with concern laced in every feature.

"Hello."
She mumbled, he lowered his eyebrows. Before looking down at her sleepy form.

"It is late, and you are ill. Go back to sleep."
He said, sternly.

Ingrid lowered her eyebrows, placing her right hand on top of her left.

"Oh really? I feel fine.."
She insisted, before stopping to yawn.

"No you don't. You fainted in front of my classroom, giving me a heart attack while doing so."
He insisted, looking back out of the window.

"Oh-well. What are you doing here then-?"
She asked, curiously looking him up and down.

He kept his usual formal posture, dark lines where under his eyes. As if he hadn't been sleeping..

This man holds much emotion inside.

He looked back down at her.

"I was thinking...that's all."
He replied, looking dangerously off to the side.

"I know you better than that, tell me why you are stressed."
She said, he looked down at her.

"Ingrid. I need you to go back to sleep, you have work tomorrow and I'm unsure Headmaster will be able to find a replacement for the day." 
He instructed, Ingrid shook her head.

"I doubt I can just "go back to sleep", especially when you look exhausted yourself."
She insisted, Severus sighed and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you go to sleep, I will. I'll even wear my night shirt and everything, alright?"
He smirked, Ingrid laughed at the thought of that terrible nightshirt. Severus didn't really bother with sleeping clothes, but it was funny to watch him try.

"Deal."
She smiled, shaking his hand.

He chuckled for a brief moment, before going right back to his formal unemotional stance, as if he had remembered something...preventing him happiness.

She shook her head and reached up, turning his face back in her direction.

He then leant down and placed a small kiss on her lips, wishing her a goodnight.

Before walking away completely...leaving Ingrid alone.

She sat in silence for a few brief moments, before placing a hand on her aching stomach. She wasn't hungry, it just hurt...why did it hurt?

She had felt a new type of warmth recently, something that wasn't based on the man she dearly loved...something based on herself.

She began to give herself a run-by-run of what it could possibly be.

Virus? No, it's been going on for too long.
A curse....no, Severus would recognize a curse.
This is obnoxious-why can't I just be healthy again.

Ingrid wondered if it had something to do with her recent nightmares, yet shrugged it off. Deciding it was only a figment of her imagination...Amanda was gone.

Ingrid considered all of the possible options, ruling out every single one of them while doing so. She sighed and pulled the covers to over her shoulder, she flipped over and prepared to go to sleep.

Running through her symptoms one last time in her head.

Morning Sickness.
Headaches.
Nightmares...
Fainting-

Then it hit her, hard. She sat up abruptly, eyebrows lowered to a dangerous level. She felt confused, and alone...

She could be-pregnant...

No way Ingrid, you haven't even-oh right...you have.

She quickly felt tears in her eyes, how one earth could this happen. How on earth could they have forgotten to cast that charm-they never-

I'm not ready for children-
I never will be ready for children!

She felt lost and scared, especially imagining the reactions of those dear to her...Minerva would probably be disgusted, Dumbledore would dismiss her..and Severus-

He would leave her.

Ingrid decided it would be best not to worry about it, not until morning..and when she could get a realistic approach from Poppy.

She was probably overthinking it-yes...overthinking. That's an explanation, she probably is fine. Absolutely fine.

Ingrid lowered herself back under the covers, closing her eyes and allowing herself to go to sleep. Completely unaware of how...

Tomorrow may go.