That night, there was a terrible calamity about Professor Umbridge, and how she had gotten turned upside down, floating on the ceiling. But the bigger question yet was who had done such a thing to the professor? Filch claimed that he had not been in the vicinity when the crime occurred, nor had any of the ghosts been around when the tragedy struck.

Soon, the Weasley twins stepped forward and announced that they had been the ones that had committed the crime, but for the first time in their young lives, no one blamed them. Instead, the professors, excluding Snape, who stood towards the back with little Harry snoozing in his arms, announced that the Weasley boys could not have done such a thing because the spell was far too advanced for their level of magic. Not to mention that the spell was little known.

But as the students began to whisper and chatter amongst themselves, while Professor McGonagall told the twins that they would not be receiving detentions. The Transfigurations teacher looked her identical pair of miscreants over, wondering why they had desired detentions so much.

“What do you make of it, Severus?” her voice was low as she leaned in towards the Potions Master. “That is your spell that has been used, is it not? Can you get her down?”

“I can,” Snape nodded, but making no move to draw his wand.

Again, Minerva nodded approvingly, showing no more concern for the other woman that was still hanging unconscious up in the air. “And the boys? I think they might be covering up for someone. But I don’t know how to get them to talk,” she huffed in frustration.

His face impassive, Severus bore his steely eyes into his coworker’s. “Allow me,” he said quietly. “Weasleys!” he bellowed over the chatter. Both twins looked up, the smiles vanishing from their faces. “Detention. Now. With me.”

It was a sad thing to watch as the normally smiling, happy faces crumpled into shock and disappointed anger. “But professor-!” they started.

“Now! Weasleys,” Snape snapped. Aware that Harry was still in his arms, Severus cursed himself for the harshness and volume of his words. But as he looked down, he found the baby looking up at him sleepily, a tired smile on his face. Something within the Potions Master jumped. He did not know what it was, but he resolved to think on it better in the morning.

As Snape stalked down into the dungeons, twins in tow, he threw open the door for them, and allowed them to enter first. Once in, Severus slammed to doors shut and proceeded to skulk up towards his desk. The twins were not feeling so well anymore.

Once in the front, the professor, with a sharp turn, faced his victims, his robed swirling around him majestically. He looked at the Gryffindors from down his nose, and gave a slight sneer. “That was very well played,” the complement hurt. “You have successfully fooled the mob.”

“Does this mean-”

“We’re not really-”

“In trouble for this?” the twins asked.

“For this,” Snape raised an ominous eyebrow. “No. But,” he cut in before the Weasleys could let out a sigh of relief, “should you tell anyone the truth of the matter, I will not only deny your claims, I’ll wipe your memories, and then I’ll keep you in detention even after you graduate. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

“Now,” the professor moved to sit at his desk, adjusting Harry accordingly, “you may leave. Tell them I interrogated you. However, take your time while going back to your common room. I have no desire for Professor McGonagall to question you two later because she believes that I was insufficient.” That thought made Severus’s lip curl in disgust. As if he would ever do an interrogation half-heartedly.

“Yes, sir!” the twins exclaimed merrily. They liked keeping secrets from everyone. They liked it so well, that it was what was keeping Snape from just wiping their memories now. It was, of course, against the rules to use magic on students, but Severus thought that he could wait to break that rule until something more important came about.

After waited several more minutes, the twins left, and once he was sure that they were away, Severus let out a sigh. Who knew being a parent could be so exhausting? Having to cater to the little brat’s every whim and then protecting them because they couldn’t do anything for themselves. “You own me big, Potter,” Severus said tiredly seeing that once again, the baby was asleep.

But then another jolt shot through Severus at his words. This child was Harry Potter, the glorious savior of the Wizarding World. Except that he wasn’t. This child was not the son of James Potter. This child was his son.

A sadness enveloped the professor at the thought of having to give the child up once the potion wore off. Why had Dumbledore told him he was the father at all? It would have been so much more simple if Severus had never known his true relationship with the boy. Snape was convinced that he could have kept on hating the Gryffindor after all of this if he had not know the child was his son.

Standing up, Severus stalked off to his chambers. Once there, he changed Harry’s diaper before changing the child for bed. Unwilling to let the child go just yet, even though he had held the heavy little monster most of the day, the father sat down and began to rock the baby in the rocking chair he had made, just to make sure that the boy would sleep well.

After an hour, Snape could no longer think of a practical reason as to why he should still be holding Harry, and gently placed that baby into the crib. Giving the child his teddy bear, which, in his sleep, the baby reached out and took hold of, Severus walked out of his bedroom and into his sitting area. He flopped down upon a couch and stared off into space.

When the time came, he would have to give Harry up. He did not want to give Harry up. The thought surprised him even more than it would everyone else in the school if they had known about this. No, no it was not right for the old lemon drop bastard to do this! It was not fair and it was not right!

“I am Slytherin, after all,” Severus said quietly to himself. And with that, the Potions Master spent the night forming a plan on how to keep the child that was by all rights, his.

********

The next morning, while Snape was in his office before breakfast, Harry sleeping in his crib, there came a soft tapping at his door. Frowning in confusion, he tried to think of who it could be at this hour. The professor waved his wand and opened to door to find the youngest Weasley boy and the Granger girl standing nervously outside the door. Jerking his head in irritation, Snape indicated that they should come in.

Both Gryffindors shaking with fear, giving great satisfaction to the Head of Slytherin that two of the three members of the Golden Trio were shaking in their boots, the friends of Po-… his son?- stepped in.

“What is it?” Snape growled, not wanting them to wake Harry.

“Um, Professor Snape, sir,” Granger was the first to find her voice. “Ron and I, well, we have a question.”

Scowling deeper, the professor made sure to show the two idiots just how displeased he was with his looks. It worked when both Gryffindors flinched. “I had surmised that, Granger,” Snape drawled. “Now what do you want?”

“We were, uh, wondering if…if you knew what happened to Harry,” she blurted out.

The question made Severus’s insides turn to liquid. Dear Merlin, they know! It was such a startling revelation that Snape thought he might become sick. Dumbledore, that old fool, he must have told! “What?” he snapped instead, not wanting to give anything away yet.

“Uh, we-we were just wondering,” Granger hurried. “He’s not been in class for a while, and every time Ron and I go to the hospital wing to see Harry, Madam Pomfrey won’t let us see him, and since you are the Potions Master, you’d be the one making Harry’s medicine, and we were wondering if you’d tell us what it is he has exactly.”

It was said so fast, that it took a moment for Severus to actually get the meaning of the words straight. Folding his hands on top of his desk, the professor sneered down at the children before him. “Couldn’t get anyone else to talk, so you come to me?” he drawled. Both children nodded. “That was a very stupid move on your part,” he sneered again. “Why would I tell you?”

“It’s not like you really care about Harry,” Weasley spoke up. “We thought you’d love to go around telling people Harry’s misfortune.”

Becoming exceedingly angry, Severus was having a hard time keeping his anger in. How dare this delinquents come barging into his room and asking him all of these ridiculous questions and expecting him to be glad of another child’s misfortune! Granted, he might have been with Potter, but things were different now! And these brats needed to be put straight.

“That will be a detention, Mr. Weasley,” Snape hissed. “For talking so disrespectfully to your professor. And to answer you, Miss. Granger, you were not told of Mr. Potter’s condition for a reason. Has that ever occurred to you? You two were not told because the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and myself thought it best that you not know.”

As they listened, the two Gryffindors could not believe that they were getting this lecture from Professor Snape of all teachers! In his own, prickly, nasty way, the man was making a lot of sense surprisingly and Hermione and Ron found themselves thinking that perhaps there was more to Harry’s condition than just being sick. If only Harry’s Head of House, the Headmaster, the Potions Master, and the nurse, knew full details about this, then perhaps things were more serious than they had originally thought.

“Sir, please,” Hermione stepped up, her fear for her friend overriding her fear of the professor. “Can you tell us anything about Harry? Is he alright?”

“Of course he’s alright, you silly girl!” Snape snapped. “He is being well looked after, now, if that is all you want, then kindly leave me alone. I have work to do.”

Trying his hardest to ignore the children, Severus looked back to the essays he had been grading, finding it a lot harder to dismiss the children’s presence more than usual. Why did they all come to him with problems? Hadn’t he always giving the impression that he hated all of them until the end of time and after? So why then did they all come crying to him? He’d have to work harder at keeping them all away. Heaven knew he was good at it with people his own age.

When the two annoying children had gone, Severus looked up and waved the door shut. Although he hated both of those Gryffindors, he could not help but think their concern…well, rightly placed. No one else had commented on Harry’s disappearance, even though it had been days since anyone had last seen Harry Potter around. The professor was just glad he taught such dull children. If he had taught anyone brighter, someone would have made the connection between Harry Potter and the new little boy Evan Snape.

Just then, said child began tossing and turning restlessly. Knowing the boy needed to be consoled, Severus picked up the little boy carefully and began rocking him, as was becoming second nature. “We’re going to need to keep quiet, child,” Severus spoke gently to the baby. “If we do, then perhaps I have a chance at keeping you.”

The little eyes opened and peeked up into the familiar face of his guardian. Realizing that his dada was holding him, Harry just felt safe. There was nothing in the world to be compared to the strong hold of his dada. Here, Harry felt safe, he felt warm, he felt loved.

Once the child was asleep, Severus sighed once he looked at the clock. It was time to go to breakfast. He did not want to go to breakfast. People always stared at him at breakfast, waiting, watching for him to make a mistake. It was as though the children wanted him to fail in his duty as a father, as though they wanted an excuse to crucify him. But he would not give them the chance. He would succeed, even though everyone was against him, even Albus. He would not let them take his son. Not again.

As he stood, the Potions Master was consoled with the fact that he would get to see Dolores this morning and see what lasting damage he had done to her. The thought was cheery, so Severus stood up, Harry in arm, and proceeded to the Great Hall. He wished fervently that his little “prank” would drive the crazed maniac away, but he knew it wouldn’t happen in all reality. Umbridge was Fudge’s “bitch” as they were saying in some places. She would do what the Minister asked of her.

Once in the Great Hall, Snape glided to his place at the Head Table and nodded to the co-workers that were already assembled for breakfast. All the other teachers, Severus noted, looked a little too pleased that morning, with the exception of Umbridge, who wore a disgusting outfit of pink plaid with flowers embroidered here ant there. The Potions Master sneered at the outfit, not quite being able to use last nights little fiasco to cheer him in the face of that atrocity.

“Good morning, Severus,” Minerva said a bit too smugly.

Sending a sideways glare at the woman, Severus proceeded to fill his plate, since Harry wasn’t awake yet, and he found himself very hungry. “Minerva,” he nodded to her.

“Haven’t you noticed something?” she purred.

“What, that Umbridge looks like something Witch and Gloss threw up?” he drawled angrily, just wanting to eat his food in peace.

Chuckling, the Head of Gryffindor shook her head. “While that statement is true, Severus, I was referring to the fact that someone awarded Gryffindor twenty points last evening.”

“So,” he growled, wishing that Minerva wasn’t so competitive for once. The woman really needed to get a life.

“So?” she sounded a little surprised. “That means that Gryffindor is ahead of Slytherin by ten points. We’re winning to House Cup as of now.”

“Then that means I’ll just have to deduct fifty points from your house today to compensate the error,” he growled.

“You wouldn’t dare!” McGonagall hissed, knowing full well that Snape did not have the…more honorable sense of fair play that she did, to put it lightly.

“Oh, I think I would,” he grinned wickedly at her. “I can always come up with an excuse, Minerva, you should know that.”

Although Minerva McGonagall was also known for a temper, Severus could not help by string her along. Really the woman was too competitive and self-righteous. He knew she was constantly angry with him for his treatment of her students, but at the same time, she would never contradict his claims of disrespectful students on the base that may of Snape’s favorite targets were notable to be disrespectful at times, and did not like the Potions Master. So, in that sense, he was safe from Minerva’s wrath, and his Slytherin’s points would not be jeopardized because of the Transfiguration professor’s sense of obligations and upholding of the rules. Minerva really was Headmaster’s pet.

“If you do,” she threatened animatedly, “I’ll deduct one hundred from Slytherin.”

“Would you?” Severus asked, smirking.

Flustered at having been caught and not angering the younger professor, McGonagall huffed and crossed her arms. “Maybe.” She never lied very convincingly, and so Snape chuckled evilly. Yes, it was good to be Slytherin!

“Oh, Severus. My boy!” the gaiety ended when the Headmaster spoke, bringing the Potions Master crashing back into the dark, dismal world.

“Yes, Headmaster?” Snape asked patiently, noticing Umbridge’s glare.

“Since Professor Umbridge has expressed a wish to remain behind after last night’s commotion, it means that you get the delight of going to Hogsmeade this weekend to watch the children!” Albus said delightedly.

“I do not want to go to Hogsmeade, Headmaster,” Snape growled, and he did not truly want to. Not with the baby anyway. There were all kinds of germs and nasty people, and loud noises that might frighten the little one. Besides, it would a lot of work lugging the little creature around everywhere.

Smiling, unscathed by the wicked glare, Dumbledore did not seem to understand any of Snape’s feelings on the subject. “Oh, come, come now Severus! Your name was next on the list, and as such, that means you are required to go in and watch the students.”

“But I have other concerns to look to, concerns that you yourself have prioritized my time with,” he fervently hoped the old fool understood that he was talking about Harry.

As though all argument went in one ear and out the other, Albus seemed oblivious to the potential disasters that could occur if Severus took Harry down to the village. “Nonsense! You need to get out of the castle. And I’m sure little Evan would appreciate the sights just as much as you would!”

It was then that Harry woke up and demanded food. But when the baby began to cry, it startled Professor Flitwick, who accidentally flipped his fork up. The eggs on the other end went flying into the air and landed almost strategically on Severus’s head.

Wanting nothing so much as to scream, the Potions Master sat still, watching as both the students and the other teachers watched him, horror written on their faces. Reaching up with a napkin, Snape removed the offending pieces of breakfast out of his hair and held the napkin out to the half-goblin professor, all the while still holding the screaming baby.

“I believe this is yours,” he ground out, black eyes burning.

So much for not letting the baby make a fool of him.

It was also then that Severus realized Granger was staring at the baby in his arms, a quizzical look about her face.  "Dear Merlin," the professor sighed.