She Deserves Better.

Severus sat on a chair next to the unconscious Alexis. He gently picked her hand and pressed it against his lips. She looked so small and fragile on the bed. He stroked her hair. "I'm here, love. I'm here." he whispered as Alexis moaned his name, as if she knew he was there. 

She had always been there, it took him long enough to realise that. He saw how her eyes brightened and lit up whenever she saw him. Her heart had always been for him and he knew he was for her now, always. And Severus had to tell her that, once she was awake, to chase away all her insecurities. 

He made a vow to himself to protect her as he felt an overflowing range of emotions in him. 
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Severus opened his eyes when he felt movement. He had fallen asleep. He sat up and saw Alexis opening her eyes. She blinked as she looked at him, like a child seeing something for the first time. 

"How are you?" Severus asked softly as he stroked her hair. She was awake but still looked a little pale. 

Alexis managed a small smile and licked her dry lips. "Thirsty. Water please." she managed to say and painfully swallowed her thirst as Severus poured her a goblet of cold water. Alexis quickly gulped the water, sloshing some on herself.

"Did you sleep here?" she asked as she passes the goblet to Severus. 

"I did, I stayed by your side." Severus said and her eyes seemed to lit up. She smiled as placed her hand on his cheek. "You have a class to go to. Go wash up and have breakfast." she told him. Severus was about to protest but she placed a finger on his lips. "Go. I'm just going to stay here. I'll see you after class." she gave him another smile. 

Severus returned her smile and kissed her forehead. "Don't go running off." he said in a mock serious voice and Alexis giggled. 

Her plan to go back to sleep after she had cleaned up a little was put on hold when she saw a blonde haired boy walking towards her, a little nervous. 

"Hello. Professor." Draco gave her a small smile. "Are you feeling any better?"

Alexis looked at him, a little surprised. "Hello Draco. And yes. I'm feeling much better, thank you for asking." 

The teacher and student got engaged in a conversation and Draco had even brought for her, her favourite chocolate frogs.

"Thank you Draco!" Alexis seemed a little more cheerful. "That is so thoughtful and sweet of you." 

"Mother and Father send their well wishes." he added and Alexis smiled

Draco quickly excused himself when Harry arrived with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins.

"We came here as soon as we heard." Fred said. "Thank Merlin you're alive!" he said and George elbowes him, making Alexis laugh. 

"What was he doing here?" Harry asked as he made his way next to Alexis.

"He came to visit me of course." Alexis said, amused as the rest had surprised look.

"Anyway, what happened? Hagrid told us he found you at the forbidden forest. And Professor Snape woke the boys up in the middle of the night saying you were missing." Hermione asked. 

The smile on Alexis faded away as she recalled Severus's and Dumbledore's conversation. She looked at Harry who was puzzled. She bit her lips.

"Professor?" Ron said and Alexis quickly forced a smile. "It was just a little accident." she said quickly as she changed the topic to Fred and George's shop. 

As Fred was telling them one of their funny stories, Alexis felt an uneasiness in her stomach and she felt neauseous. The next thing she knew, there was a surge in her throat and she got on her feet and ran to the sink in the bathroom, and vomited.

Hermione and Ginny followed her. "Are you alright?" Ginny asked as she pushed Alexis's hair away from her face as Hermione rubbed her back. She rinsed her mouth and nodded. 

When she went back, Harry was back with Madam Pomfrey who helped Alexis back. She gave her a goblet which was filled with water mixed with what Alexis recognised as a soothing potion. Colour went back to her cheeks as she drank it.

"Did you eat something wrong?" George asked. 

Alexis shook her head weakly. "Not that I know of."

Hermione and Ginny were exchanging looks. "Does it happen frequently? The nausea." 

Alexis said nothing but her eyes widened as she looked at the two girls. She nodded as she looked at Pomfrey. Pomfrey, without a word, left and came back with another goblet filled with a clear liquid and a small cup filled with green coloured liquid.

Alexis swallowed a small cup of green coloured liquid and took the goblet from Pomfrey and spitted it in. Alexis took her wand from the table and pointed it  at the goblet. The boys looked confused while the girls, anxious. 

Soon, the clear liquid turned blue and Alexis gasped. She looked at everyone. Pomfrey, Ginny and Hermione were smiling widely while the boys still looked confused.

"It's a miracle! I mean it survived the venom!"  Pomfrey said as she made the rest step  outside as she pulled the curtain around her to check on Alexis. 

"What? What survived?" Ron asked. 

"Not one of you know?" Ginny asked and all four boys shook their head.

"She's pregnant! Alexis is pregnant!" Hermione said. 

"She's pregnant?" Harry repeated, a little shock. 

"She can't be pregnant! I mean. If she's pregnant, she and Snape must have..." he shuddered. 

Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked the back of Ron's head. "She is Snape's wife after all, you dunderhead. Honestly, Ronald. I pity your future wife." Ron scowled and everyone smirked. "Anyway, we've got to go, we're going to be late for class." They shouted to Alexis that they were leaving. Alexis shouted back her thanks, which got a disapprove look from Pomfrey.

"You've got to look after yourself and the baby. You're hardly a young lady." Pomfrey said as she used an old muggle like equipment they had bought from St Mungos. "It's a strong one. You're lucky the venom didn't get to it in time." she said as she ran her wand over Alexis's tummy, the equipment showing black and white fuzzy images of her womb. 

Alexis said nothing, she was too busy looking at the images of the child developing in her. 

After a while, Pomfrey pulled her night dress down. "You'll have to see me often, even though you're capable to check it on your own." she said, smiling. 

"Thank you, Pomfrey." she managed to say. She could hardly believe it. She was having a child. She was going to be a mother. 

Pomfrey ordered her to rest and Alexis  laid on her bed. She could not wait to tell Severus. 

But first, she thought as she yawned and closed her eyes, she was going to take a nap.