Severus was pacing his room. It was late. Very late. Normally he would be sound asleep by now but not tonight. Tonight he was too agitated to sleep. He should have put Harry to sleep earlier. He knew that, but instead he wanted to squeeze every last second of his son’s childhood for all it was worth. There was no telling what would happen now. Nine weeks ago he didn’t know what he wanted. Yes, it was true that he didn’t hate the boy, he never truly did. He tried very hard to, but he hadn’t managed to truly hate him through all those years. But nine weeks ago he was not all that sure he wanted to be Harry Potter’s father.

Now he wanted that; he wanted to never stop hearing Harry call him dad or daddy. He wanted Harry to always love him. But tonight. Some time tonight the potion would wear off and in his sleep Harry would go back to being seventeen. He’d be back to having had his greasy-git Potions Master belittle him for six years of his life. He would remember he hated him. Yes, Harry had been the one to extend the peace hand when he offered Severus shelter, but Severus didn’t fool himself. Harry wouldn’t want him as a father. And he would be mighty pissed about being lied to.

“Yes, I would,” came a voice from the door, Severus turned sharply and stood face to face with his eighteen-year-old son’s emerald eyes. He didn’t look angry. “How did you manage to be such a successful spy talking to yourself like that?” Harry asked.

“Harry.”

“I may have regained my memories but I also kept those of the last nine weeks. I remember when you explained to me that you didn’t know you were my father until Remus told you after we defeated the bad wizard,” Harry chuckled at his last words. “I don’t like being lied to but I understand that you were still a little er…shocked.”

“I…Harry…”

“Never thought the day would come when you were speechless dad,” Harry smirked.

“I am not speechless, you just have to understand- dad?

“Yes,” Harry said suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I mean if you don’t want- I’m sorry.”

Severus closed the distance and shook his head.

“Only if you don’t,” he said hoarsely.

“I want to,” Harry said, his eyes bright. “Dad.”

Severus pulled him into a hug and Harry returned it fiercely.

“I love you son,” Severus said into Harry’s hair.

“Love you dad.”

After some time they pulled apart smiling contently, and Harry said, “Oh, and dad. Chuck away those plans you made regarding Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.”

Severus pulled his most innocent face and said evenly, “I don’t know what you are talking about Harry.”

“The ones that are in your top drawer under the latest issue of Potions Today.”

“Haven’t got a clue.”

“The ones that detail how you are going to make them suffer for each year I lived there. I found it when I was looking for parchment to color on last week. Forget them.”

“What if I only put them under the charm that prevents them from tasting food?”

“No.”

“Fine, I’ll let that one go and will only hex them to relive every punishment they ever gave you.”

“Nope.”

“Just the one that makes everything Petunia cleans ten times more dirty than before she cleaned?”

“No.”

“What about-“

“Forget all the hexes and curses you had planed.”

“So I can-“

“The potions too.”

“But-“

“Just forget them dad. I will. I don’t need them. I have you,” Harry said simply and Severus smiled. He flung his arm around Harry’s shoulder and, ushering him downstairs, Severus said:

“Never tell the wolf this but what do you say to some hot chocolate?”

“I say; it sounds perfect. Speaking of the wolf dad I’ve been thinking, what if we infuse the Wolfsbane with…”

“And then they went and left me Grandpa. Both of them. They are over there. How is that fair?”

“You’ll join Jamie and Sevvie at Hogwarts in two years,” Severus told his granddaughter, the apple of his eyes. The little miniature of her grandmother, who was sitting on his lap. “And when you get there, you’ll show them off with your brilliance Lily.” He smiled at her.

Harry often said Severus spoiled Lily and his other two grandsons rotten and made them everything he had accused Harry of being. Severus said he was just paying Harry back for making Albus Sevvie’s middle name and putting someone named James Sirius Snape-Potter in the world. He should have known better.

Harry had added the Snape to his name right before graduating Hogwarts, which he did attend after a glaring and yelling match with his father.

The fireplace turned green and Remus’ head appeared in it, “Are you two coming or not? Harry and Ginny are already here and the food won’t keep. Teddy is brooding and you know how he is when he is sad, happy, nervous , calm or whatever. Just eats everything in front of him.”

“We’re coming Uncle Moony,” Lily said and she hoped up and pulled Severus with her. They threw Floo powder on the fire and disappeared in a flare of green. As the fire extinguished the room was lit only by the light of the full moon.