It had taken a long time for Severus to put a ring on your finger. It was hard for him to imagine that someone could ever want to be shackled to him for the rest of their natural life. Nor would he want to be shackled to them for his. But for some reason... he wanted to try, with you.

It had been almost comical, the shock on his face after he had fumbled through his proposal as you were sitting on the sofa in his chambers and you had actually agreed to marry him, without even questioning him at all.

Part of him had hesitated on the day decked in white. What if he turned out to be like his father, an abusive drunk leaving his spouse to suffer? How could he stand it if he did that to the one person who had ever really loved him unconditionally?

But when he'd watched you walk down the aisle, his mind had gone black, all worries erased in favor of the surge of pure, unadulterated love for you. He kept your wedding photo on his desk in his classroom and another of you kissing his cheek in his office. You had looked so beautiful that day and every day since.

Finding out that you were carrying life was terrifying. For the first minute or two, he had genuinely considered asking you to take a potion. Being married was terrifying enough, but a child? Merlin help him. But you'd taken his hand, reassured him.

He would never get used to the way you glowed, now. Flushed rosy cheeks, a healthy figure (of course - Severus would never let his beloved go hungry, even if that meant cooking at three in the morning to satisfy a craving of yours.) He would always hover, making sure that you were all right above all else.

He had, admittedly overdone it on occasion. But if he was going to trust you to carry his child, carry on his bloodline - sort of, he wanted her to take your last name - he was going to make sure no one could ever get to you.

At present he was watching you while he was grading papers. You were moving about, picking things up, like you knew he hated. "Darling. You shouldn't be pushing yourself. You're already at five months." He scolded lowly.