The next thing that Harry could remember clearly, was someone’s cool hand touching his forehead. He didn’t remember where he was, or what had happened. He struggled to open his eyes and sit up, but was gently and firmly pushed back down. “Easy, now,” someone told him, in a voice that was vaguely familiar. “You’ve not been very well.” And with that, Harry let his eyes close again as he drifted back off to seep. The next time he woke his head was a lot clearer and he didn’t feel so fuzzy anymore. It wasn’t so dark anymore, either. This time he was alone in the room and he pushed himself into a sitting position and stretched to reach the nightstand so that he could get his glasses. Putting his glasses on the room came clearly into view for what seemed to be the first time in a long time, and as he saw his ‘Potter for President’ banner on the wall he remembered that he was staying at Professor Snape’s house for the summer. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was just gone nine o’clock in the morning. He certainly hadn’t been allowed to sleep in yesterday morning, he remembered that much about living with the Snape’s, so why had he been allowed to now? He didn’t really feel steady enough to get up out of bed to investigate this mystery, so he lay back down against his pillows and gazed towards the window, even though the curtains were shut.

He must had dozed back off because the next thing he knew he was waking up again, and Professor Snape was sat on the edge of his bed. ”Sir?” Harry tried to say, but it came out as more of a croak, as his throat was very dry and quite sore.

“You’re awake,” Professor Snape stated the obvious, but who was Harry to call him out on it? “Here, drink this,” and he passed Harry a cup with some clear looking liquid in it. The liquid was just water, but four years worth of experience at school had taught Harry to be wary of Snape, and now he was wondering whether or not he had simply dreamt the last two days at Snape’s house, where Snape had a family and was actually nice, because Snape had simply drugged him when he had found out that he was going to have to play babysitter for the summer holidays! “How are you feeling now?” Snape asked gently. Or maybe not… Snape still seemed to be acting nice enough.

“A bit strange,” Harry managed to answer truthfully, after taking another sip of water. He struggled to sit up properly in bed, and Snape lent over to help him.

“That’s to be expected,” his Potions Professor told him. “You’ve had the same touch of flu that Oliver had, after getting caught in the rain the other night.” Oliver? He was Snape’s youngest son, so it looked like he hadn’t dreamed all of Snape’s family up after all. “You’ve slept most of it off now though, and I’ve given you a fever reducing potion.” Harry just nodded. “You should try and stay awake for a while though, if you’re feeling up to it, otherwise you’ll never sleep tonight.”

“Yes Sir,” Harry acquiesced quietly. He still wasn’t used to Snape sounding so parental. He wasn’t used to Snape sounding parental with his own children, never mind when it was directed towards himself!

Snape patted him on the shoulder and then stood up to leave. Once he got to the door he turned round and looked at Harry once more. “I’ll send Robin up, if you feel like company.”

“Yes please, Sir.” Harry didn’t particularly feel like sitting in his room by himself.

“Very well then, but you need to stay in bed and don’t get too excited or worked up,” his Professor told him sternly, sounding every bit like a school teacher and a father or nine, and Harry had a sudden, fleeting wish that he would act like this at Hogwarts. With that, Snape was gone, and Harry awaited the arrival of Robin, who he sensed was going to become his closest friend out of all of Snape’s children.

Robin arrived not long after, carrying two glasses of pumpkin juice. Harry took his gratefully and idly watched as Robin tugged his desk chair over towards the bed. “Mind if I open the curtains, Harry?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Harry told him, although he had to squint slightly as sunlight flooded the room.

“So, how are you feeling?” Robin asked him, settling down in the desk chair.

“Better than I was,” Harry told him. He then looked down at the bed covers, before admitting, somewhat shyly; “I was starting to think I had been delirious and had imagined Professor Snape having children!”

To his immense relief Robin just laughed. “Yeah, from what we’ve heard from Mama and Papa, Papa acts pretty differently at Hogwarts.”

It was still strange to hear Snape being referred to as Papa… “That’s the understatement of the century!” Harry told Robin. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have thought it possible for Professor Snape to act how he does!”

Robin laughed again, and Harry joined in, although his laughing soon turned into coughing. Robin looked on, slightly worried. “We’d better calm down,” he told Harry, “Papa warned me not to over-excite you as you’re still recovering.”

“Yeah, I got the same warning as well,” Harry told him, dabbing at his eyes with the edge of his sleeve, as they had starting to water when he was coughing.

“Yeah, but it’ll be me who gets in trouble with Papa,” Robin told him, “especially as you’re ill.”

“It wouldn’t stop the Professor Snape I know from having a go at me!” Harry told him with a small smile, but he saw the shocked look on Robin’s face and began to realise that although Snape’s children knew that he behaved differently around other people, the clearly didn’t know how differently. Harry began to wonder how much they knew about their Father’s background at all… especially the death eater part of it. Because he really didn’t want to tell Robin anything which his parent’s didn’t want him knowing, which was a really strange thought, considering that Robin was older than him, and it was his parents, not Harry’s, that they were on about here. “But we’re not at Hogwarts now, so you never know,” Harry added to brush over the awkward situation.

“Yeah,” Robin agreed, also sensing how awkward it was and he looked around Harry’s room to try and find inspiration for a different topic of conversation. “So, what are you running for President for?” he asked, spotting the banner.

“Oh,” Harry said with a laugh. “It’s a banner my friends made for my first Quidditch match.”

“You play Quidditch?” Robin asked eagerly.

“Yeah, I’m Seeker for Gryffindor’s team. Do you play?”

“Usually I play Chaser. What type of broom do you have?” Clearly, like him, Robin could talk on and on about Quidditch, so Harry settled in for an enjoyable morning of talking about his favourite sport. Being ill didn’t seem quite so bad at the moment!