The following day, the students were all joyful and giddy as they talked about their fun at Hogsmeade and everything that they had bought and seen. Professor Snape, as strange as it seemed, was pleased with the day he had had as well. Harry had been the model of the perfect baby. He had enjoyed watching the other mothers that were there with their screaming brats while his brat was quiet and respectful of other people’s ear drums…but he was not a mother…and the sooner Potter turned back into a fifteen brat the better…right?

Sitting to breakfast that Sunday morning, Severus could not help but feel almost giddy. Harry had been a very good baby the following night, only waking him two times, and not for very long either. Not to mention that Umbridge was still looking a might frightened of all the students that sat at the tables before her. Severus would have chuckled if the Headmaster and Minerva hadn’t been right there. They would have known he had something to do with the recent tragities in Umbridge's life.

As he fed the baby, Snape could not help but wonder how much the child would look like him if left un-tampered with. The boy had looked remarkably similar to James thanks to Lily and Albus, so did that mean that they just covered up was noticeably Potter? Did that mean that Harry would look like a clone of Severus instead of James? Thinking about it, Severus wasn’t too sure he liked that idea much.

“Open, little one,” Severus coaxed the baby, who watched him with wide eyes. Obediently, he opened his mouth for his dada like he was supposed to.

“Seems you’re settling into fatherhood nicely,” Filius remarked with a smirk. “Didn’t think you had it in you,” he chuckled.

Not taking his eyes off of his son, Snape sneezed a curse that sent the half-goblin’s drink flying and landing in Dolores’s hair. The witch cried out, startled, and everyone looked at Flitwick in accusation. Smirking, Severus only looked up when he heard a sufficient amount of laughter and chatter.

“I didn’t…I couldn’t…you can’t honestly believe that…It was Severus!” the Charms professor cried in dismay when the Headmaster looked over at him crossly.

“Me?” Severus growled, as though he had never heard of such a ridicules thought. “I was feeding Evan.”

While Ubridge cried and the students laughed, Severus went about the task of feeding Harry quietly as all the professor’s went about arguing and all the students giggled. Staring down into the eyes of his son, the Potions Master decided that he really did not want to give Harry up. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself he did, deep down, he did not. Odd, considering he spent the past four and a half years hating this kid.

“Severus,” Dumbledore broke the father’s musings. “Can you come to my office this afternoon? About noon on the nose?”

He did not have a very good feeling about this, but Snape had no choice but to agree. With that done, he went about taking care of his son with the weight of knowing something was going to happen, for better or worse, that after noon. Unconsciously, he drew his son closer to him.

*****

“That baby’s Harry,” Hermione said flatly.

“The baby’s not Harry,” Ron glared at his friend. Hanging out with just Hermione the past week had started to wear on his nerves.

“It has to be Harry,” she glared right back. Hanging out with just Ron the past week had started to wear on her nerves.

“No, it can’t,” Ron growled. “You honestly think Harry just randomly turned into a baby?”

“Stranger things have happened,” the witch shot back. “Almost anything’s possible with magic.”

“If Harry did turn into a baby,” Ron stared at his friend doubtfully, “then how and why would he do it?”

“I don’t know!” Hermione threw up her arms in exasperation. “But that baby is Harry. I know it.”

Rolling his eyes, Ron glared back at the moody witch. “Even if that baby was Harry, which I’m not saying it is, then why would Dumbledore leave him in Snape’s care?”

Crossing her arms defiantly, having already thought about all of this already, Hermione came back, “Because Professor Snape’s the youngest of the Hogwarts staff.”

“So?” Ron frowned.

“So? You can’t expect elderly witches or wizards to take care of a baby!” she rolled her eyes. “That would be too much for them, even with their magic.”

“But Snape hates Harry!” Ron shouted back. “Why would he agree to take care of him?”

“Because Dumbledore told him to,” Hermione put her hands on her hips.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” the wizard growled. “I bet if that baby really was Harry, Snape’d’ve cut him up and put him in some potions by now.” His face scrunched up in revulsion.

“You know, not everything Professor Snape does has to do with potions,” Hermione stated very mater-of-factly.

“Yeah, he’s an outright git the rest of the time he’s not making potions.”

“He’s a member of the Order of the Phoenix,” Hermione hissed.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Ron crossed his arms. “He could be really spying on Dumbledore just as easily as he could be spying on You-Know-Who.”

“You are so immature!” Hermione screamed before walking away agitatedly.

Ron watched her go frustrated and confused. Why did she just yell and leave like that? She was such a mystery sometimes. What was her problem anyway? There was no reason to get so mad. Couldn’t she have just admitted that he was right and she was wrong? It really wasn’t that hard.

“Witches, eh?”

“Tell me about it,” Ron groaned. But then he paused.

Spinning around, the youngest Weasley boy saw Draco Malfoy standing behind him, also frowning, looking the way Hermione walked. Surprised and alarmed, Ron grabbed Draco by the front of the shirt and slammed his back against the wall in the hall.

“Malfoy, you bloody creep! How much did you hear?” he demanded.

Sneering down at his attacker, Draco merely glared at the redhead before him. “Do be careful of the shirt, Weasley. I don’t think your parents would be able to afford another one if you ruined it.”

“Shut your bloody mouth!” Ron barked, turning bright read.

“My, my, you do have a temper, don’t you?” Draco drawled lazily. “But really, Weasley, get off my shirt. There’s no need to act like savages.

Releasing Draco, reluctantly, Ron pushed the Slytherin away. “Get outta here, Malfoy, before I punch your face in.”

The Slytherin merely raised an eyebrow. “Not even a Mudblood, and you speak so foul. Must rub off from them, I suppose,” he sneered.

“Shut your mouth, Malfoy!” Ron balled his fist up so tight his knuckles whitened. “Don’t you use such foul language with me.”

Smiling a rather nasty looking smile, Draco nodded in acceptance. “Fair enough.” He enjoyed confusing the other boy. It really was far too easy. “But I did not come here to pick a fight or insult your girl-friend.”

“Hermione’s not my girlfriend!” Ron blushed fiercely.

“Sure she isn’t,” Draco frowned at the other boy. Was he really so blind that he could not see how much he liked the filthy Mudblood? “But I came here to discuss a different matter.”

“That being?” Ron crossed his arms over his chest, hoping he looked threatening.

Smiling coolly again, Draco began walking, and Ron found himself following. “What you and Granger were discussing rather loudly just a moment ago.”

“What, about Snape and his kid?” the redhead frowned.

“Yes, exactly that,” the blond nodded.

“So, what about them?”

“Don’t you see anything wrong with the picture of Snape having a family?” the Slytherin stared at his Gryffindor age mate as though he were an idiot.

“What’s so weird about Snape having a kid and wanting to hide it?” Ron scowled back.

Nodding, Draco paused outside of an empty classroom. “Fair enough. I see your point,” he acknowledged. “But I happen to know Snape on a more personal level. He’s my godfather, and my father and Snape have been friends for years.”

“What’s your point, Malfoy,” Ron growled. “I’ve got better things to be doing then just listening to you talk.”

“I don’t like this much either, Weasley, but this issue is too important to let slide,” Draco hissed. “You heard me and Professor Snape talking yesterday, right?”

“How did you-”

“And his explanation was not very convincing,” the blond went on. “It was pretty poorly organized…for Snape, that is.”

“What exactly are you saying?” Ron eyed the Slytherin suspiciously.

“All I’m saying is that I think there is something going on here that Snape, and maybe even Dumbledore’s, not telling us,” Draco frowned again in thought. “I’ve never known Professor Snape to just go out and meet girls, let alone do it while teaching and randomly get married to one. Maybe Granger was on to something...”

“What!” Ron’s eye widened. “Stop! You don’t think that that baby’s really Harry, do you?”

“Under normal circumstances, Weasley, I’d agree with you,” Draco admitted. “But now Potter’s ‘sick’ and Snape suddenly has a son.”

“But that can’t be,” Ron insisted. “Hermione and I saw Harry sitting in the hospital bed the other day.”

“Are you sure it was Potter?” the Slytherin scowled. “Do keep in mind that this is the Wizarding world. You can always change someone’s appearance easily enough.”

Gaping at the blond for another moment, Ron had to lean against the wall for support. “So it’s…it’s…true then?”

Leaning back against the wall a bit more fashionably, Draco crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It seems more than likely true, but there’s always that little hint of uncertainty, isn’t there?”

“Wait…why are you so interested in this?” Ron asked the other boy. “You don’t like Harry and Snape’s a professor, why should you care what they do?”

“I have my reasons,” Draco shrugged once more. “Let me know if you find out anything and I’ll do the same.

“Why are you helping me?” Ron asked, scowling. “What’s in it for you?” he demanded.

Looking quite innocent, Draco stared at the redhead for a moment. “I just want to know what Professor Snape, my godfather’s, up to. He hasn’t talked to me much lately.”

Ron looked over his enemy with a critical eye, but the Slytherin did not flinch. “Alright,” he said at last. “Alright, I see what Hermione and I can come up with.”

“Excellent,” Draco smiled and held out his hand. “For now, a truce.”

“Truce,” Ron agreed. It did not occur to the Gryffindor that the young Malfoy was gathering information for his father to take to the Dark Lord.

*****

Walking into the Headmaster’s office, Severus saw that the old man was not there at the moment. Taking a seat, Harry in his arms, the Potions Master took a moment to scan the room, just to make sure that the old man wasn’t planning anything too off the wall. Dumbledore was pretty good at annoying the hell out of Snape after all.

Realizing that there was nothing too strange, Snape relaxed just a tad, but still kept pretty tense. Who knew what Dumbledore was going to throw at you? The old fool was crazy! Although he knew it was inevitable, he hoped that the conversation was not going to be about Harry. Maybe the Headmaster was just going to tell him that he was being too mean to the students again? Snape could handle that, but he was not sure he could contain his temper if the old man went on talking about not telling Harry the truth. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortably Severus became with the idea. The boy had to live with enough lies, he didn’t need another one…

“Ah, Severus!” Dumbledore stepped into the room wearing a ugly purple robe with blue and red blotches here and there. “Glad you made it,” he smiled as he took his seat. “You brought Harry?”

“I could not very well leave him alone in my chambers, now could I?” the Potions Master snapped back.

“You could have left him sleeping with a house elf,” Albus raises a long eyebrow. “I’m sure Dobby wouldn’t’ve minded watching him.”

“Harry doesn’t like any of them,” Severus growled.

“But if he were sleeping-”

“Harry stays with me!” Snape hissed.

Despite the promise that he had made to himself from the very beginning, just over a week ago, Severus realized that he had gotten attached to Potter…to Harry…his son. And it was then that he understood what the meeting was all about. Albus still wanted Harry to go on living without the knowledge that he had a living parent, and that his parent was Severus Snape. What was he going to do now? He did not want his son to not know who his father was.

Looking down at the baby in his arms, Severus found that the thought of letting the boy go, lying to the child, made him ill. He did not want to let the baby go for his own, selfish reasons. Harry was the last thing of Lily that he had besides some old pictures and a few notes and a ribbon. The thought of letting her son go…it hurt.

“I don’t want to lose him,” Severus said softly.

“Severus,” Albus sighed. “We talked about this. It would be best for Harry to-”

“How do you know?” Snape glared at the older wizard fiercely. “Why do you always know best?”

“Do not start something, Severus,” Albus warned steadily. “It would be a shame to wipe your memory.”

The Potions Master’s lip curled in disgusted outrage. How could Dumbledore really threaten that? “He is my son, Albus,” Severus’s voice dropped into almost a whisper, but it lost none of its venom. “You truly have no right over him.”

“Do not do this, Severus,” the Headmaster’s eyes were cold. “I have no desire to get into a fight with you over something like this.”

“Then you should leave me alone with my son,” Snape spat. “I’ve finally got something, something that’s mine, and now you want to take it away from me?”

Standing up out of his chair, Dumbledore walked around his desk and sat in a chair next to where Severus was sitting. Discreetly, Severus pulled his wand out of his pocket, just in case. “Severus, I know this is hard for you, but do you not recall how I had to make you take Harry?”

“So?” the Slytherin tensed.

“You never wanted to take care of a child, Severus. I think that deep down you still do not. You’re only wanting Harry because you think he belongs to you.”

“That’s not true!” Snape almost stood up in outrage, but stopped himself for the baby’s sake.

“Isn’t it?” the Headmaster challenged. “I don’t think you really want a baby, Severus. Especially on your own. That’s why I sent a sample of the potion that exploded to St. Mungo’s.”

“You what?” Severus was outraged. “I’m the Potions Master here! I was supposed to be the one to look at the potion and come up with a cure.”

“And when would you have had time?” Albus challenged. “You’re looking after a baby, teaching, going to meetings, and grading papers. There’s no way you could handle experimenting with an unknown potion on top of that.”

“I could have tried!” Severus shot back, his pride hurt. “I’m the best there is, Albus, and you know it. No fool at St. Mungo’s is as good as me. What if what they come up with is deadly to ingest? They’re too stupid to do anything right.”

Frowning at the younger wizard, Dumbledore knew he could not really rebuke his Potions Master. Snape was actually the best Potions Master that the Headmaster had ever run across. Albus had yet to run into a witch or wizard with as great a skill in potions as Severus. And even though he would have liked Severus to actually find a way to revert Harry back into his normal fifteen year old self, there was no way the younger man could find the time anymore. Snape already looked worn thin.

“I am sorry, Severus,” Dumbledore apologized, “but you know that you don’t have the time. You can barely keep up with your grading as it is. When St. Mungo’s gets their experiments complete, Harry will be a fifteen years old again, and he will be Harry Potter once more.”

“That’s-!”

“No more fighting, Severus,” the Headmaster scowled. “Now, you had better go finish your grading and get some rest. Classes begin again tomorrow. Hopefully Harry will be able to attend sometime this week.”

Dumbledore stood up and went to look out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. Realizing the old wizard was not going to say anything else, Severus stood up carefully and readjusted his son in his arms. With a boiling temper, the Potions Master left the room. Stalking down the halls, he made the students jump out of his way in fear, even with the baby in his arms. They knew enough about Snape to know that he was still a nasty, cranky professor even with a baby, so they had no desire to see what else he would do.

Going back to his chambers, the wizard carefully laid his precious cargo into the crib before walking into the parlor. He shut the bedroom door and cast a muffling spell over the room before letting out a long, loud scream. He saw nothing but red as he ranted and raved in his anger. He hated Dumbledore, he hated James Potter, and he everyone and everything that kept him from keeping what he did have.

After about half an hour of yelling and flipping over furniture, Severus collapsed to the floor panting and sweating. He was surprised at himself for losing his temper so badly, but at the moment he was too tired to particularly care. He wondered at himself though for losing such control. Usually Occlumancy helped him maintain composure.

Not really caring, about the state of the room, Severus got up and went back into his room. When he opened the door, he saw that Harry was still sleeping. His face void of expression, the Potions Master collapsed on his bed and fell asleep.

He dreamed about teaching Harry how to walk.