‘What kind of parent lets his son run rampant having sexual relations with innocent younger girls?' Mrs. Weasley's latest attack on his parenting played through his mind. The kind that has only known his son for five months, he thought to himself quietly.

He was very tempted to write a letter back asking what kind of mother didn't know her daughter was having sex, and to ask what kind of mother lets her daughter get pregnant, but resisted upon Dumbledore's urgings to stay calm. He had gone straight to the Headmaster upon Harry's revelation that Ginny was pregnant. This was not something he could handle alone, and wanted counsel on. Not to mention the fact that there was a 16-year-old student with child, who needed attending to. Ms. Weasley had not been happy to be sent to the infirmary for a ‘check up' but Harry had somehow convinced her that it was for the best, and not to be mad at his father. And McGonagall... oh how she was hard to deal with now that his son... now that Harry Potter had gotten a girl pregnant.

"This has never happened with him before! But you're his father for five months and all of the sudden he's done this! What have you been teaching him Severus?"

Severus grit his teeth remembering her words too. This from a woman with no children of her own at all! How was it that nobody saw the good that had been done in Harry's life since he had become his father? But one bad thing happens, and it was all his fault as the parent!

Trying to remain calm and failing, Severus rose and kicked his desk hard enough that it made his foot ache. Truth be told he had no real control over Harry at all now that he was 17, and it was the fault of the two parties involved, not his. Harry seemed more than willing to accept the blame and the responsibility, and still the fingers pointed were at his father.

There was a knock on his office door and Severus stopped pacing long enough to know by the shuffle of anxious feet outside that it was Harry.

"Come in."

Harry opened the door and stood there, hands wringing each other after he closed the door again.

Severus pointed at the newest letter in his collection. "Do you know that they are insisting that you be expelled? They've also told me that you're to have nothing more to do with Ginny and the baby."

"What? They can't do that! She's my wife!"

Severus snorted and shook his head. "Not yet, and don't you dare think that you have any rights to her. She is a 16-year-old girl whose parents are considering pulling out of school and home schooling for her last year."

"Won't Dumbledore let her stay for her last year?"

"Unfortunately it's not up to him." Severus calmed a little and rubbed his temple which had been throbbing for two days.

"She turns 17 in three months... right after school gets out. They can't legally make her do anything at that point. She wants to stay with me over the summer and go to school in the fall."

"Does she? Or is that what you want?"

"I asked her... I told her I would go with whatever she wanted to do, and that if she wanted she could stay with me, and we'd get married as soon as she wanted us to."

"I don't think you realize what you've gotten yourself into Harry. A baby is not something you can just put away when you're tired, or when you're done playing with it. It demands 100 percent of your attention and time. Who will take care of the baby after it's born? Will she drop out of school to do it?"

Harry bit his lip. He hadn't thought of that yet. The baby was due in February... not the end of Ginny's seventh year.

"I'll work in Hogsmead, or wherever I can until he's born, and then I'll stay home and take care of him until Ginny has graduated."

"And what of your plans for Quidditch or to become an auror? Will you put those on hold to take care of the baby? Or will you make her put her career plans on hold?"

Suddenly angry Harry shouted, "Well what do you want me to do!? We're not giving him up for adoption!"

Severus sighed. "I expect you to think about things before you do them. I expect you to look at all the consequences, and at all the responsibilities."

"Yeah, well it's too late for that now." Harry turned and left the office in a hurry, leaving the door open, and Severus rubbed his temple again. He needed coffee. He had been awake for far too long, and lack of caffeine and sleep was likely causing his headache.

He peered at the letter again and then made his way for the door, thinking that even though it was after dinner that the house elves might make him some coffee.

When he neared the Entrance hall, he heard agitated shouting and wondered which students were fighting now. But a look at his watch told him that most students should be in since it was after nine now, and stopped to listen a little closer before he exited the dungeon stairwell.

"How dare you do this! You have ruined her future!"

"It's that father of his. A bad influence to begin with... that's what Ron said over Christmas wasn't it?"

"You had no right! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Severus stepped out into the light now to see Molly and Arthur Weasley, just freshly arrived from the Burrow standing there in the Entrance Hall yelling at Harry, whom they had run into. Harry stood with a hurt look in his eyes staring down at his shoes.

"I believe he is," Severus said calmly from the entrance to the Dungeons.

Molly and Arthur looked up from their tirade and a new scowl replaced the old one.

"This is your fault!" Arthur said, pointing at Severus.

"Really? Because I believed it to be the fault of the two parties involved, not the parents. By your standards I could argue that the blame partially falls on you for not properly educating your daughter, or for allowing her to engage in such risky activities."

"How dare you!?" Molly started towards him but Arthur grabbed her before she could get very far.

"That was out of line Snape." Arthur's tone was low.

"Really? I wouldn't have known seeing as how that is what you and your wife have been implying to me through your letters... that it is somehow my fault that Harry, a son whom I have known for five months, who is a teenage boy barely controlled by any professor in this school, has gotten your daughter pregnant, who is also a teenager, barely controlled by any adult."

Molly scowled and Harry continued to stand still, looking at his shoes.

"Instead of seeing what Harry is willing to do for your daughter, and the love that he has for her to do such things, you stand there and scowl at him, and put him down for being a teenage boy. Did you not know that your own son has engaged in similar risky activities? What if it had been him in Harry's place, and other parents yelling at him?

"You were once his only family, and now you stand there making him feel like a piece of filth, instead of a young man who has made a mistake."

Molly and Arthur looked over at Harry, who was trying not to let his emotions get the better of him as he stood there holding back his tears.

"Do not ever shout at my child, or put him down again, in any way, by mail or otherwise, or you will be dealing with me directly, and unpleasantly. Am I understood?" He said it in such a deadly voice that even Mr. Weasley flinched.

"Come on dear. We have to find Ginny and see to her." He lead Molly past Harry with his quiet statement to his wife and up the stairs.

When they were out of site, Severus made his way over to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. Harry fell into his father and hugged him tightly.

"How could they hate me so much?"

"I do not believe that they hate you. They are angry at the situation for similar reasons that I already explained to you. If she were my daughter I cannot say that I would not feel the same way."

"I'm an awful person."

"What I said to them also applies to you. If you treat yourself in such a way, you will be dealing with me. Understood?"

Harry nodded and pulled back, wiping a single tear from his eye. "I better go find Ginny and say goodbye. I bet they'll pull her out of school now and I won't see her until she turns 17."

Severus nodded. "Go. I believe the Headmaster is doing what he can to stop such a thing from happening, but it is best to plan for the worst in any case."

Harry walked off and up the stairs dejectedly, and Severus shook his head, and then he himself moved off to find the Headmaster.