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I'll Be Home For Christmas	By : Jilliane Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 16658 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 19
As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed. Special thanks to Tambrathegreat for all the great reviews, and to SickPuppy for her patience. Hassan, I'm not sure if you meant that I'd made Harry into the "ultimate preggo man" was a compliment or not, and no, not all pregnant women are as bad as this, every pregnancy is different, but I do speak with some experience here. LOL! Anyway, you seem as if you're enjoying the story, so thank you, and I do believe, as far as I know anyway, you're my first and only male reader! Yay!!

As for the names....well, it was like this. I originally wrote the story as a oneshot Christmas gift for SickPuppy, and she whinged until I said I'd continue it. So, as the story was more or less for her to begin with, and cause she's such a dear friend, she got the honour of naming one of the babies. LOL....therefore, if you don't like the names, you can only blame it half on me! I would like to know what you think of them however, so reviews are of course welcome!

Enjoy!

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"Is..it...it's...wh-what I think it is?," Harry stammered, gulping audibly.

Before Severus could do more than nod, the wet sound of liquid splashing to the tiled floor drew both their eyes downward.

"No! I...I didn't..." Harry sputtered in horror, looking up from his damp feet to Severus' face. Tears formed in Harry's eyes as his face flushed in what Severus knew was embarassment.

"No, no don't worry, Harry," Severus managed to croak, "it's the babies. Your water breaking. The am-amniotic fluid." He quickly capped the rising panic his stammer betrayed, and tried to hide the tremor in his hand as he spelled the mess away.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god!!" Harry moaned breathlessly, "it's really happening, isn't it? Sev?! I'm gonna have to .....oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!!"

"Don't panic," Severus said firmly, as much to himself as Harry, "do you have feel any pain yet?"

"Pain?!" Harry squeaked shrilly, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "No...no pain...but.......oh god, oh fuck!" He was panting harshly as he eyed Severus wildly.

"Harry, please calm down before you hyperventilate yourself," Severus said and guided Harry to the toilet seat, putting the lid down and making him sit. "Breathe slowly and deeply, and I will go alert Poppy."

"Yes," Harry nodded his head enthusiastically, "Poppy....now."

Severus peeled Harry's fingers off his arm and made himself walk out to the fireplace, calmly take a pinch of floo powder, and once again call for Poppy.

The instant her head appeared she frowned and said, "What's the matter, Severus?"

"Harry's body has changed," Severus said tightly, "his water has broken. He has no pain as of yet..."

"Good," Poppy interrupted him, "get him up here immediately. And don't use magic on him! I'll be waiting."

Severus returned to the bathroom, finding Harry hunched over, his face screwed up in consternation, breathing huffily, and felt his own panic threaten to burst through. He quelled it fiercely, fell to his knees beside his husband and clasped one of his hands, rubbing his free hand over Harry's lower back. "Is it the first one?' he asked, the calm of his voice belying the panic inside.

"Y-yes," Harry gasped, "not...not too bad." .

Severus held his hand until it passed and Harry slumped against him in relief. Severus stroked the hair off Harry's forehead and told him, "Poppy says we must go to the infirmary now. She'll be waiting."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Okay."

Severus helped Harry into their bedroom, spelled himself dressed and was about to do the same to Harry when he recalled Poppy telling him not to use magic on him. After a moment's consideration, he decided there really was no point in dressing Harry, and settled for wrapping a robe over his nightshirt. He accioed one of their dining table chairs and helped Harry to sit on it, then charmed the chair to float along beside him. At Harry's grateful look he said, "You would not be able to manage the staircases as it is, and what if you should have another contraction?"

Harry nodded his appreciation, and with a small smile to his husband, they set off.

**********************************

Poppy was pacing nervously in front of the infirmary doors as they approached, muttering to herself, but her frowning expression changed to all business as soon as she caught sight of them.

"It's about time," she huffed as they followed her in, "I was ready to come looking for you. Put him over here," she said, leading them to the bed she had ready.

She and Severus helped Harry into the bed and she bustled about preparing whilst quickly going over the birthing process again.

As she spoke, Harry grew ever more pale and wide-eyed with each word, and began to huff, "Oh god , oh god, oh god" again in a panicked voice. "I...I....don't think.....I don't think I can do this!"

"You can and you will," Poppy said informed him firmly, "you must remain calm. I will coach you through it and Severus will be right here as well."

Severus nodded, trying to appear reassuring, and not reveal the panic he felt growing inside. He held a mortified Harry's hand and murmured encouragingly through the subsequent internal examinations, as well as each contraction, but grew increasingly alarmed as the labour progressed and Harry's pains became harder and more frequent.

For the first time ever, as the hours passed and he watched Harry gasp and groan though each steadily increasing pain, Severus felt completely useless. He pleaded with Poppy to be allowed to give Harry as pain reducing potion, but she said no, it wouldn't be good for the babies at this late stage, and Harry tiredly agreed with her.

For all Severus' panic and worry, Harry seemed to grow calmer and calmer despite the pain, which only fed Severus' mounting anxiety. After a particularly vicous and intense pain that forced tears from Harry's emerald eyes, Severus was beside himself and fell to his knees beside his husband's cot heedless of Poppy's presence, grasping his hand and repeating, "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry!"

"No," Harry panted, his face flushed and tear streaked, " don't be. I don't mind. We get our family.

Severus bowed his head and kissed Harry's hand, pressing his lips to his fingers, his heart full of all he felt for his beautiful young man. He felt their rings under his lips and reflected on what Harry had said to him on their wedding night. He was right. The ring made all the difference.

"I...love you,...too," Harry panted as another vicious pain wracked his body, and he crushed Severus' fingers in his.

"Alright, Harry," Poppy said, "you may begin to push now," and Severus resolvrip on himself.

"Oh good!" Harry groaned in relief and began bearing down.

Nothing that Severus had ever felt before compared to the feelings and emotions that flowed through him at seeing his tiny little daughters emerge into the world. He was overcome and could only stare down at their tiny little faces as Poppy tended to Harry.

Afterwards, when they were all settled and Poppy had left them alone, he lay alongside Harry as they each held one of their daughters, both of them rapt at the perfect little beings they'd created.

"Our babies are the most beautiful babies ever," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"Agreed," Severus murmured.

Harry looked at him and asked, "Still worried about being a father?"

"Terrified," Severus replied, "but I am also...quite relieved. That they, and you, have come through their birth splendidly."

"Can't believe how this happened," Harry said, "and even harder to believe, there was something you didn't know."

Severus cocked a brow at that and said, "I did not think I would ever be a father."

"Now that you are......?" Harry asked a note of worry in his voice.

"Yes, Harry," Severus said, leaning over to kiss him, "I am very happy."

********************************

The next morning, after another embarassing examination, Harry asked Poppy again, "Things are going to....come back, right? I mean....I'm not going to..."

"You should have your bits back anytime within the next 24 to 48 hours," Poppy assured him yet again, "after your body is finished expelling most of the remnants of the birth. The blood and tissue."

"I have to wear this......this......til then?" Harry groaned, gesturing at his crotch and the heavy pad between his legs. How do women do this?! he thought to himself.

"Yes," Poppy said shortly, as if reading his thoughts, "other than that, you're fine and healing well. The babies are fine and healthy as well. I'll give you a feeding and nappy changing lesson and then you may return to your quarters after you rest a bit more."

"Feeding..." harry said, "I...erm...I'm not going to grow breasts am I?"

"Don't be silly," Poppy said dismissively, "of course you're not going to grow breasts! You're a wizard..."

"Well I grew the other, didn't I?!" Harry yelped, his face flushing.

Poppy gave them both a somewhat annoyed look before she informed them, "It was necessary for you to grow a vagina in order to give birth. Safer than magical means such as surgery. Breasts, nursing, isn't neessary to feed and nourish your children, there are formulas that can do the job, therefore, you will not grow breasts." She smiled somewhat evilly and added, "Unless of course, you want to nurse. There's a spell that will give you breasts, and a potion that will enable you to produce milk."

"Erm...no thanks," Harry said hastily, "I like being a man."

"I'll give you instructions for the formula, Severus," she said, "and you'll have to choose names for your daughters so that the proper certificates appear in the Ministry."

Poppy then produced bottles of formula and both her and Harry watched in surprise as Severus picked up one bundle and corked the bottle in the tiny mouth as if he were an expert.

Noting their looks of surprise he told Poppy with a small smile, "There is no need for feeding and nappy changing lessons. Nor bathing lessons, nor holding or any other sort of lesson, Poppy. I will teach Harry what he needs to know."

"But.....how do you know?" Harry blurted in astonishment, "you...you were too afraid to even hold Hugo!"

"I told you I wanted to be a good father to my children," Severus murmured looking at the small face of his daughter, "and I will be."

********************************

They looked down at their daughters bundled in their cots, and their daughters looked back.

Both tiny girls had masses of black hair but that was where their resemblance ended. One had the unruly hair that stuck up at odd angles, along with the big, bright emerald eyes of her younger father. The other had the smooth soft hair and intense black eyes of her older father.

Their green eyed daughter was waving her tiny fists and kicking her feet, a mischievious look in her eyes already, Severus thought, while her sister lay quietly, gazing up at him with her deep black eyes.

'Oh, poor baby," Harry cooed, picking up their green eyed daughter, "you've got my awful hair, don't you?"

"No less for you," Severus said picking up his black eyed daughter, "I'm quite sure you will grow to hate me for your nose." She regarded him silently, as if she were considering his words.

"How about Ginny and Jenny for names?" Harry said.

"How about No," Severus said decisively.

"Lily and Rose?" Harry suggested, then backtracked hastily at the look Severus shot him. "Right...no Lily's.........what was your mum's name then?"

"Eileen," Severus said shortly, with a look that told Harry there would be no more discussion of that.

"Molly and Maggie?" Harry mused.

"Why must they be named for anybody?" Severus asked irritably, "and why must they "match"?"

"Well they don't have to," Harry said reasonably, "is there something you have in mind?"

"I prefer a name that is traditional rather than not. A name with dignity and meaning," Severus said and raised a brow again at Harry's snicker.

"Your daddy doesn't take himself too seriously, does he?" Harry said affectionately to the daughter in his arms, then laughed outloud at Severus' glare.

"I am hardly "Daddy"," he said, affronted, and Harry laughed harder.

"Fine," he said, "you don't have to be "Daddy". Personally, I can't wait."

Severus didn't reply.

"Well...how about you name one and I'll name the other?" Harry suggested, "but...you know,...within reason."

"Within reason?" Severus snorted, "which means I can veto any abhorrant nickname you'll undoubtedly come up with?"

"Just as I can any grim and unlovely name you're likely to come up with," Harry retorted, "keep in mind they're little girls, won't you?"

Again Severus didn't reply, instead studying the serious little face of his daughter.

Harry sat down with a grimace and aggrievedly told the green eyed bundle in his arms, "Your Daddy...erm...Father won't let me name you Jenny.....is that what you want them to call you, Sev? Father?"

"I am their father," Severus replied, still studying his own bundle.

"Yeah, but....well..it's kind of....harsh, don't you think?" Harry said, "I mean..."

"I am hardly the "Daddy" type, Harry," Severus said, "I think even our own progeny would agree. Not to mention the confusion that will result if we are both "Daddy"."

"Victoire calls Bill "Papa"." Harry mused, "how about that? Could you live with that?"

Severus turned to look at Harry. "This is very important to you?" he asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Harry told him, "it is." He looked down at his daughter and said, "You might think this is stupid, but...you told me before...that you always hated your father...and...that's what you called him, you always say "my father"....and "your father" when you're talking about mine.." Harry sighed, "...with so much....contempt..and you know...I don't want our kids to associate you with..."

"Harry," Severus said, somewhat appalled, "I...I never knew you thought..."

"No, look," Harry said quickly, "I don't blame you for feeling that way. I mean, I understand why you do, towards both of them. I do! Only...I don't want it to be that way with our kids."

"No, of course not," Severus said, "I am sorry to have spoiled that word for you."

"No..come on, Sev," Harry groaned, "just...can you live with "Papa"?"

"Yes, Harry," Severus said, "I can live with "Papa". I am rather looking forward to it. And...please understand why I would rather you don't name our daughter Ginny or Jenny. As stupid as that may sound to you."

"It's not stupid," Harry said, "If Lily weren't also my mother's name I wouldn't have suggested naming one of our daughters after your former......right. No Ginny...or Jenny....or Molly. I think you're right. They should have their own names."

"I should like to name her Katherine," Severus said, "Katherine Helena. Katherine means "pure". Helena in Greek means "torchlight". In Latin it means "moon". Therefore, her name means "pure light"."

"That's beautiful, Sev," Harry said.

'You agree then?" Severus asked.

"Yeah, I agree," Harry replied, "it's really beautiful."

"Girly enough for you?" Severus snickered.

"Well...yeah," Harry said, "we can always call her "Katie" or "Kitty"."

"We most certainly can not!" Severus said, his horrified expression making Harry laugh again.

"We have to choose a name for you, Little One," Harry told the bundle in his arms. "Your sister is Katherine. Nice, but a bit...plain. We should choose something a little fancier for you. Make up for the hair that's going to be the bane of your life, believe me. Sorry about that, by the way. I got it from your granddad. To your Papa's eternal regret, I'm sure." He could feel Severus' scowl, and smiled. "So...what shall we call you?"

The baby only blinked her green eyes at him and yawned delicately.

"Let's see," Harry said thoughtfully, and Severus couldn't help a momentary cringe waiting for whatever sickeningly sweet name Harry was going to spew forth.

Harry looked at his daughter intently, and screwed his face up in thought. There weren't any girl names he was particularly fond of, and nobody he could recall from his childhood that had a name that stood out or he remembered. Only Petunia, and that made him shudder. He thought about the girls he'd gone to school with, but couldn't recall a name from there that stood out either.

He frowned and thought harder, but was coming up blank, and then it hit him. Two names he'd heard somewhere in his childhood, maybe from telly, he thought, that he'd always liked the sound of.

"Annabella Julie" he announced to his daughter, "your name is Annabella....Julie."

When no sound issued from Severus, Harry looked up to find him with a deep frown creasing his face. "I like them," he began defensively, "I like the sound of them. You got to pick..."

"Annabella means "lovable" or "easy to love" in Old French," Severus said, "Julie...." he paused to smile, "means "soft haired" in both Latin and French."

"Soft haired?" Harry thought, looking at his daughter's already unruly mop with despair. "Maybe it'll help?" he said hopefully.

Severus laughed, taking a seat next to Harry on his bed and said, "Perhaps."

"Alright," Harry said as they held their daughters together. "Katherine Helena and Annabella Julie, I'm your Daddy, and this is your Papa, and we both love you both more than anything."

**************************************

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I'll Be Home For Christmas