The Birth (Snapes POV)

(Severus Snape POV)

The dimly lit room was suffused with an air of anticipation, mingled with a tension that was palpable even in the flickering candlelight. I stood by Narcissa, the wife of Lucius Malfoy, as she labored with determination. Her strength was evident despite the pain etched upon her features. For the past 24 hours, I had been with the couple, waiting for this moment of birth. Normally, families like the Malfoys would have a team of midwives, but the ongoing war had disrupted such norms. The absence of the usual Mudblood midwives, who were now unwilling to aid Death Eaters like the Malfoys, complicated matters. The timing was precarious; with Regulus Black's recent betrayal, Lord Voldemort's demands were stringent, even denying Narcissa's own sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, a return to Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa's condition was concerning; despite her magical prowess, she seemed unusually weakened during this pregnancy. She required more sustenance to support her children and often felt drained. If not for the preliminary scans indicating the twins' health, complications could have been far worse. Her tears of happiness upon learning of the twins were a testament to her relief.

I had brewed potions to alleviate the physical and mental strain on the pregnant woman, and now I stood ready to deliver the first child. My demeanor was a shield, betraying none of the sorrow that gnawed at me. While my best friend anticipated fatherhood with his childhood sweetheart, I faced the harsh reality of my own being pursued by my own Lord, her probably gallivanting out there with the conniving Potter and his band of troublemakers. Fate truly seemed to mock me with such divergent destinies.

The first delivery went without a hitch at the beginning, the peculiarities started from the moment she was out of the womb, When I first locked eyes with her she seemed to be appraising me just as much as I was appraising her, I could instantly tell her body was much stronger than it had any right to be, there were legendary stories of how Godric Gryffindor came out of the womb able to lift a cow, it was not to that insane degree by any means but she had clearly had her body strengthened through magic. The amount of control of magic in the womb was unprecedented, most likely it was just that the potions I had brewed for Narcissa had entered the system and been passed to her children. The second peculiarity came when I looked her in the eyes. I did not use legilimency on the newborn child of my good friend but when you practice to the level I do, you can see surface thoughts of adult wizards, and yet I could read nothing from this child. She was clearly exhibiting some form of natural occlumency. Lucius' stern reminder interrupted my contemplation; I should have expected the baby to cry, but instead, she scrutinized her father before resuming her calm demeanor. At that moment, she bore a striking resemblance to him.

The second delivery was much more prototypical for what I had been used to. The second child, a boy this time, came out healthy, but not magically enhanced. His surface level thoughts were just surface level and within a second and a half it was whining. I had a feeling I should get used to this now as I am quite close to their parents. I placed the baby boy next to his sister for Narcissa to see. She looked them over as only a mother could, a love that I had never seen was given with no qualms to a person right in front of me.

Naming discussions followed, settling on Draco for the boy, a name steeped in Malfoy tradition, and Seras, a homage to Narcissa's Black lineage, for the girl. A moment of quiet reflection passed before Lucius met my gaze and posed an unexpected question: Would I accept the honor of being godfather to his children? His offer took me aback; despite our longstanding friendship, the significance of a minor house like Snape being named godparent to the esteemed Malfoy lineage was not lost on me. Yet, I accepted without hesitation, determined to guide these children to fulfill their potential as the finest wizards of the Malfoy line.