Harry was barely aware of Ron trying to draw him out of his funk after they sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He was miserable and angry at himself for wallowing, but he couldn’t seem to help it. It hadn’t been Snape who had upset him this time – Snape had actually been quite decent about asking Harry an obvious question – but rather the memory of the last person who had told him the answer to the question he had been asked.

The memory brought back a sick wistfulness to his tongue and a sharp pain to his mind. How he wished he could forget it all and just move on, but this was the one thing he seemed completely unable to do... 

Shadow was lying on the bed reflected in the mirror, repeatedly chucking a ball up in the air and catching it again. Harry was pretty certain that the ball had belonged to Dudley, but he wasn’t about to complain. Not about that, at any rate... 

“Shadow,” he groaned for what felt like the eighteenth time, “please concentrate!”

Shadow turned his head to the side and gave Harry a lazy grin as he twirled the ball between his fingers. ‘Why should I? After all, I’m not the one who has to remember all these facts. I just have to sit back and relax while you get humiliated in class for having a brain like a sieve...’ he teased.

Harry glared. “Brothers are supposed to help each other – even brothers who are invisible to everyone else!”

‘All right, all right, fine!’ Still grinning, Shadow sat upright and chucked the ball at his side of the mirror. ‘Ask away, I’m listening.’

Harry winced as the mirror wobbled dangerously. “Please try not to break that again. It’s bad enough that I’ve got Snape asking me how I managed to break it from the last time!”

Shadow laughed as he stood and wandered over to the mirror. ‘I’ll be good now, I promise. What are you stuck on?’

“This!” Harry shook the potions book violently. “I don’t understand. Why bother creating all these different antidotes when a Bezoar would work just as well?”

‘A Bezoar only works on most poisons. It would be pretty useless if you gave the poisoned person a Bezoar, it didn’t work, and then you had no idea how to create an antidote from scratch.’

“I suppose.” Harry sighed heavily and stared at the book with a miserable expression.

‘What’s wrong, Harry?’

“I still don’t get why it wouldn’t work... And I bet I’ll be the one Snape asks about this.”

‘All right, let’s see if I can explain this... umm, you know what an enzyme is, don’t you?’

Harry nodded, praying that Shadow would, as usual, have the answer. “Something that breaks down food into something smaller?”

‘Precisely!’ Shadow grinned and leaned forward with the same intense expression he always got when trying to teach Harry something. ‘All you have to remember is that there’s pretty much an enzyme for everything; and the enzyme for a Bezoar – for some archaic and unexplainable reason – is found inside of a crocodile. Add that to a poison, the magic of the potion enhances the enzyme’s ability and that’s what makes a Bezoar useless. Ta da!’ Shadow held his arms wide and smiled happily. ‘Understand now?’

“Yes... yes, actually.” Harry smiled back. “Thanks, Shadow, you’re the best!”

“Potter! Lunch!” Harry and Shadow jumped at the sudden shout.

Shadow was the first to recover and snickered a little. ‘Sounds like brewing hasn’t been going as planned!’

“Do you think that Vanishing his cauldron had a bad effect on it?” Harry’s innocent question started them both laughing.

‘We should try that again sometime – if only to see his face!’ Shadow chuckled.

“Yeah, let’s. Only, we’d better go down now before he comes to find me.”

‘Can’t have that, can we?’ Shadow’s mock sincerity almost caught Harry out, but at the last minute, he noticed the smirk playing around his counterpart’s lips.

“Shadow, you twit! Be serious!”  

Laughing, Shadow dived for the side of the mirror frame. ‘Have to catch me first!’

“Harry? Harry!”

Harry jerked at the sound of his name as awareness returned and glanced up at Hermione, who was staring down at him worriedly. He winced as he realised that he’d been staring blankly at the table for the past five minutes. His anger at himself increased as he understood that, yet again, he’d become maudlin.

For God’s sake, Harry, he’s dead! Get over it!

That thought made him flinch and he hastily turned back to face his friends.

“Sorry about that, I was just... thinking.”

Hermione smiled. “That’s OK, Harry. Look; Snape kept me behind after class and asked about you.”

Harry felt his eyebrows rising. After what I did, he still cares? “He did?”

“Yes, he asked me if you’d been eating.” Hermione was practically beaming now. “And when I said you had, he asked me to give you this despite that...”

Harry glanced down at the potions phial in Hermione’s hand, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the kind gesture. “Oh. Umm, thanks.” He took it from her and downed it immediately, barely noticing the flavour. Maybe he doesn’t hate me again after all...

Ron looked a little pale. “Blimey, mate... that could have been anything, and, and you just drank it!”

Harry felt himself beginning to grin at Ron’s shock. “It’s just a nutritive potion, Ron. He’s been forcing these down me all summer. Something about me being too thin.” He pocketed the potions phial and turned towards his lunch, feeling hungry for the first time since he’d returned to Hogwarts.

Ron jabbed him in the ribs. “I’ll say. I suppose the greasy git does know what he’s doing...” Ron made a face at the admission and Harry laughed, successfully pushing away all the bad thoughts that had been plaguing him and began to enjoy simply being back at Hogwarts.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along! He’s really not as bad as we used to think.” Even if he does overreact sometimes... Harry added silently. I suppose he was just worried about me. It’s not like he hasn’t done something he didn’t mean before because of that. A shadow fell over Harry and he glanced up, his eyes travelling to McGonagall’s disapproving face.

“Mr Snape,” her mouth twisted slightly as she said his last name and Harry’s stomach twisted with it, wondering what on Earth he had managed to do this time. “You should already know that snakes are not permitted as pets at Hogwarts. Besides, don’t you already have an owl?”

Harry glanced down at Salem, who had climbed out of his pocket and curled around his wrist to see what was going on. Harry thought fast. “Oh, umm, well... he’s not really mine. He’s my dad’s and he asked me to look after Salem for him...” He paused, hoping that she was buying it, but pretty sure that it was already a lost cause.

Salem glared up at her and hissed in anger; for once the sound translated just as everyone else must hear. Harry gulped and gently stroked Salem’s head, hoping to calm his pet before he did something unforgivable.

“Mr Snape, you truly do not expect me to believe...”

“You should, Professor McGonagall.”

Harry jumped and spun around in place to find his father standing behind him, nearly falling off the bench in surprise. Snape surreptitiously touched Harry’s shoulder without taking his eyes off McGonagall.

“Especially seeing as it is the complete truth.” Snape held his hand out for Salem and Harry quickly pushed the angry little snake into his father’s hand. Salem tried to snap at McGonagall a couple of times, but Snape refused to let him go. “I think you will find that there are no restrictions to the animals a professor can keep. Good day.” With a sharp nod to McGonagall and the gaping Gryffindors behind her, and another brief squeeze of Harry’s shoulder, he swept off down the Hall, the small, green serpent twined around one wrist.

McGonagall muttered something about talking to the Headmaster under her breath and strode off as well. Harry sighed in relief and turned back to his meal, his spirits lifting as he realised Snape had stood up for him. It must have all just been a misunderstanding.... He looked up to tell this to Ron and Hermione, and got the shock of his life as he realised the whole of Gryffindor table was glaring at him. Apprehensively, almost wishing he didn’t have to, he turned and surveyed the rest of the Hall. There were only a very few people not glaring or staring and Harry had to turn away as he felt chills start to run up his spine.

He sighed quietly and hunched over his food. Well, I knew they would work it out sooner or later...

oooOOOooo

Severus was startled by a knock on his office door that evening. Half-hoping that it would be Harry, he put down his quill next to the newest pile of parchment, laced his fingers together and barked, “Enter!

“Ah, Miss Adie,” he murmured as the door swung open to reveal the person standing there. “Do come in.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and shifted all the parchment to one side. The tall, normally confident young woman timidly stepped forward and sank into the offered chair.

When it became apparent that she was not going to say anything straight away, Severus conjured two cups of tea and floated one over to her, wondering if it would take just one meeting or several to get the truth of her presence in his office out of her.

She glanced at the cup and looked up in surprise, her eyes narrowing slightly as she contemplated him. “But... sir, this is just the way I like it.”

Severus raised an eyebrow and took a sip from his own cup, prompting her to do the same. “That is simply because I pay attention to my surroundings, which I know I have told you do countless times before in class.”

A small smirk came about her lips as she took another mouthful. “Really, sir? I can’t have been listening.”

Severus snorted and gestured towards her. “Of that I am most certainly aware. You had something that you wished to tell me.”

“Yes, sir.” She set her teacup down and started twirling a strand of her short, black hair around a finger. Severus waited. “You see...” She trailed off and stared at a glass jar somewhere above her Professor’s head. “It’s, well... I feel stupid telling you this, sir, but this summer my mother took ill. My father hasn’t been... coping well, and I know that if he doesn’t go back to work soon, I won’t be able to continue at Hogwarts.”

She sighed and dropped her hand, continuing in a remarkably even tone, “Mother says I should be grateful because he might have been one of the d-dead at the Ministry had he kept going to work. But how can I be grateful when it’s going to ruin my education? I... I don’t want to hate my father, but if he continues like this, I will have very little choice.”

She fell silent and met Severus’ gaze without flinching.

He leant forward in his chair, careful not to break eye contact, and softened his gaze. “Miss Adie, I daresay you are aware that Hogwarts has funds for students with, ah, less fortunate situations.”

She frowned. “My father is perfectly capable of work, though... and I have no wish to be seen as a charity case.”

Severus nodded to concede her point. “Then consider yourself very lucky that the current Headmaster of Hogwarts is Albus Dumbledore; he counts it as a personal affront if any student is forced to leave for any other reasons other than expulsion or because they want to. He has been known to even pay out of his own pocket to keep students here, but in no way should you think of this as charity. He thinks of it as his personal duty to make sure every student under his care receives a full education. Rest assured, short of the Dark Lord taking it upon himself to storm and destroy the castle, I will personally make sure that you are able to take all of your NEWTs.”

The girl still looked a little dubious, but if there was one thing a Slytherin understood, it was the obligation of duty. “Really?”

“My word as a Slytherin, Miss Adie.”

She sighed and flopped back in her chair. “Good. Because I...”

Her words were cut off by another knock at the door. Severus frowned. Who...? “One moment, Miss Adie. Enter.”

The door inched open to reveal Harry and a tightness Severus didn’t know he’d had in his chest loosened.

“I... um. I can come back at a better time if you’re busy now?”

How he’d managed to turn his last sentence into such a plaintive question Severus could not fathom. “Come in, Mr Snape,” he said firmly and stood up, noticing Adie jump a little at the name from the corner of his eye.

“Come with me.”

Nervously, Harry followed Severus to the back of his office, fidgeting with the cuffs of his robes as he went. Severus sighed. I thought I’d weaned him out of that habit. No matter...

He pressed his palm against a stone wall and allowed Hogwarts to read his magical signature, grabbing Harry’s hand and pressing it down next to his to add the boy to the wards a he did so. The wall gave a soft groan as a three foot wide gap of shelving and stone melted away to reveal the entrance to Severus’ private rooms.

He gave Harry a soft push. “Wait in there and touch nothing.”

The opening closed just as Harry turned to give Severus a truly worried look. Severus snorted – it wasn’t like he would be able to do anything to lay aside Harry’s fears until he’d got rid of the Slytherin girl – and turned back to his inquisitive student. “I am afraid we shall have to cut our meeting short. However, my door is always open to you and I do hope that your concerns have been laid to rest in the mean time.”

She gave a brief nod, but was still mostly preoccupied with trying to stare over his shoulder.

Severus tsked in disapproval, feeling the results of a full day of classes begin to settle on his shoulders. “Yes, Miss Adie?”

She at least had the grace to flush and avert her eyes briefly before trying to satisfy her curiosity. “Does this mean that the rumours are actually true, sir? Is he really your son?”

“Yes. The former Potter is now officially a Snape and I have the dubious honour of having a son in Gryffindor.” They smirked at each other for a moment before Severus’ eyes darkened. “That said, I would like you to make it perfectly clear to the other Slytherins that he is my child in every sense and that I will not reaction kindly if any of them choose to antagonise him. Is that understood?”

Adie nodded quickly. “Yes, Professor. Perfectly.” She quickly set down her teacup and left, pausing only to shoot a slightly incredulous look at her Professor. Severus glowered, making her back away and shut the door without further comment; he could only hope that his fearsome reputation and respect among the Slytherins would be enough to prevent the title ‘bastard’ from being added to Harry’s name. One thing was for certain: there would be hell to pay if it was.

As the door clicked shut, immediately locking against anyone not added to the wards, Severus turned and hurriedly made his way to the not-so-secret entrance to his quarters. Now, finally, he’d be able to talk to Harry about whatever had happened in the day’s class... maybe even rescind the punishment to something more acceptable.

Severus winced as he remembered; at the time he had been so relieved that he hadn’t struck out physically, he hadn’t stopped to consider the ramifications of his actions until much later. Taking away flying, Harry’s one true pleasure, from a grieving boy was not the brightest thing he could have done. Ah, I’ve only been a father for three days and already I’ve made a mess of it. How did I manage to convince myself that I was capable of doing this?

Just inside the doorway of the sitting room, he found Harry where he had left him, hands jammed defiantly underneath his armpits. He didn’t seem to have heard Severus enter, but it became apparent a moment later what he was doing.

Severus sighed again and shook his head in exasperated amusement as he walked over to stand beside Harry. The boy’s shoulders hunched even further, and, in defiance, he used his magic to flip yet another page of the book lying on the table in front of him.

“You know, Mr Snape, it would be more prudent to ignore the book that got you into trouble in the first place.”

Harry huffed slightly and glared accusingly up from under his lashes.

To his chagrin, Severus found himself lowering his eyes, as guilt tried to claw its way up his throat. Despite having started to care for Potter way before this whole Shadow business had come to light, Severus was feeling extremely unsettled by their sudden, revealed relationship; he had never been one to try to become particularly close to anyone and now, impossibly, he had a son.

Part of him was still expecting this to be part of some huge prank that Potter had set up to hurt him, and so naturally he had tried to push away the closeness at the first opportunity, regardless of how much time they had spent building their relationship that summer without the knowledge. The past few weeks at the Manor, he had still been able to pretend that it was all part of an elaborate fantasy, but now they were back at Hogwarts, back in cold, harsh reality, where the familiarity they had worked so hard to achieve could be shattered in an instant.

It was always the same; Severus would let his temper get the better of him and feel complacent about the decision for a while afterwards, and then, a few days later, sick guilt would come crawling in. It had been what had happened with joining the Death Eaters, and it had been what had happened now with Harry, but no longer. Severus would be a good father to Harry even if it killed him, starting now.

“My apologies at my earlier inconsiderate behaviour, Mr Potter. It was... ill-played of me to punish you for your rash actions while ignoring my own.”

Harry huffed again and scowled at the floor. “You haven’t called me Harry once since we came back. Not once,” he muttered, not seeming to take any notice of the previous statement.

Severus steeled himself, reached out and gently touched his hands to his son’s shoulders, turning the boy towards him. Harry tried to shrug them off, but Severus wouldn’t let go. “Harry, I punished you in anger once before, which was something I promised never to do again. I apologise.”

Harry succeeded in shrugging him off and backed away slightly. “It’s just, well, do you even want me as your son anymore? ‘Cos I’ll understand if you don’t...”

“Harry.” Severus touched Harry’s chin and brought the green eyes up to meet his own, swallowing down his painful reluctance of revealing anything about his true feelings and motivations. It was his duty now to get this right, besides, he would never forgive himself if Harry turned away from him. “Never say that, Harry. I want you as my son, but I have never had a child of my own to look after before now. I have always put my temper first, which while that is fine with dealing with all the other students, it simply will not work in a situation like ours.”

Harry still looked uncertain, so Severus beckoned him towards the rest of his living quarters. “Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Severus led the way while Harry followed him listlessly. It was only when Severus opened the door on the far side of the lounge did the boy seem to be holding back curiosity.

“Go on, have a look.”

Harry stepped forward, peeped in and gasped. “But- but, this is...”

“Your room, yes.” Severus shifted, already uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.

The boy stared up at him, confused. “Does this mean I’m welcome here, then?”

“You are always welcome wherever I am, Harry. I have a nasty temper but that does not mean I have not come to... care for you.” Severus was cut off when Harry suddenly turned and grabbed him around the middle. Severus stared down in amazement, not entirely certain why he was suddenly being hugged after all the previous animosity. “Harry, what...?”

“I’m sorry,” a voice mumbled from his chest. “I really am. About what I said earlier and pretending not to care that I took the book out in public. I, I just was really angry you were treating me like a child, and then that made you angrier and I really shouldn’t have taken the book without your permission and I’m sorry...”

“Harry,” Severus sighed, awkwardly placing his hand on the back of his son’s head and effectively cutting off the flow of words. “Apology accepted. However, I am sure we know that we both overreacted to the situation. From now on, I would like you to tell me if you do not think I have my temper in check when I give out a punishment. Would that be acceptable?” He felt a nod. “Very well. Then I think we should reconsider your current one in a few moments, but there is something I would like to ask you first.”

He tried to get the boy to look at him, but Harry just burrowed deeper into his robes, so he eventually gave up and started speaking slowly and clearly, “I think there is something else bothering you, correct? Otherwise I know your reaction would have been less volatile, no matter how bad your reprimand might have been. After all, no student has ever had the courage to call me ‘a sick bastard’ to my face before.”

Harry stiffened again and tried to pull away, but this time, Severus wouldn’t let him. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean...”

Severus dropped his hand to Harry’s back and awkwardly rubbed the shoulder-blades a little. “Harry, I know you didn’t, but you did not answer my question. What is the matter?”

Another tense moment passed before Harry blew out a breath and slumped against Severus. “I miss Shadow,” he whispered, his voice hitching a little. “I mean really,” another hitch, “really miss him.”

Severus couldn’t help himself after that, and pulled Harry into a tight hold as the boy shivered against him. All he could hope now was that this meant he hadn’t lost as much of Harry’s trust as he had first thought.