Snape was not in a good mood. He had arrived at Sinistra's quarters and expected her to allow him to enter her rooms so they could talk. However, the witch didn't even answer her door. In a way, he guessed he could understand her behavior. He had acted like a git with her earlier. That didn't mean, though, he liked her ignoring him. They needed to talk about their situation.

Growling after five minutes of failing to hear anything from the witch hiding in her tower, Snape whirled around and angrily stormed back towards his dungeons. If she were going to be this foolish, then he'd make her wait. It was no skin off his back.

Minutes later, when Snape turned the corner in the dungeons, he immediately became firmly rooted in the ground. Potter was muttering wildly to himself something that Snape couldn't quite catch yet. He shook off his anger quickly and walked towards the young man.

"Please, Snape, please don't kill me!" Harry suddenly yelled, which threw Snape. He hadn't thought he looked that murderous. His dark eyes then narrowed on the young Gryffindor. It didn't take a Ravenclaw to notice that the boy was suffering from a panic attack. Snape sighed loudly and grabbed the boy's shoulder before shaking him roughly to wake him out of it.

"Potter," Snape growled. "Control yourself!" This entire night's events were ridiculous. Snape had had enough of everything. He couldn't believe that Sinistra wouldn't answer her door and now he had to deal with Potter freaking out. He wouldn't delude himself into thinking that the panic attack probably wasn't because of his murderous look on his face that the boy probably saw. However, Potter should have known by now that Snape's punishments were either grounding or detention. The way the boy was carrying on so made it appear like Harry expecting a beating from him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Snape sighed grumpily and yanked Harry towards him. His strong arms wrapped around the young man as he embraced the ridiculous child. He felt Harry still instantly, which made him sigh again. The boy no doubt would be embarrassed to know that he was hugging the greasy bat of the dungeons. However, Snape didn't care. If it quieted the boy down, then he'd keep hugging him.

"Hush, Potter," Snape replied in a worn-out voice. "You're fine. I am not angry with you."

"You're not?" Harry whispered.

"For what reason would I be mad, Potter? Because you drew some silly pictures of us fighting the Dark Lord?" responded Snape rhetorically. "Dear Merlin, Potter, I would have thought you'd know me better by now." He then sighed softly. "I care not what you put in that journal of yours. It is private. Now, while I will admit that I read several of the entries, nothing in there is worthy of you to feel the need for me to punish you over. They are just ramblings from an adolescent who craves a family."

Snape then felt Harry try to step back from their embrace. He quickly released the young man and brushed off his dark robes. The young man appeared to be much calmer now.

"You read my journal?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Potter, I read your journal." Snape then glanced towards Salazar, and the Founder only raised an eyebrow before opening the portrait. Snape quietly walked into his rooms and felt relieved slightly that Harry followed with a word. He walked over to the mantle on his fireplace and quietly poured himself a drink. He needed one after tonight. As soon as the whiskey burned down his esophagus, he turned back towards Harry. "I apologize for doing so, but lately you have been rather quiet with me." Snape then summoned the black journal from the table next to his chair. He silently walked over to Harry and handed it to the young man wordlessly.

"How much did you read?"

"A few entries, the last particularly," Snape responded calmly. He then sighed. "You place too much faith in me, Harry. I am usually a grouch or a cold unfeeling person. In other words, emotions do not come naturally to me anymore. Placing your faith in me for you to have that family you so desperately want, well, it is as if you are risking everything on one endeavor. You have a family with the Weasleys and even Black has expressed interest for you to remain with him."

"But I'd have to share in the Weasleys," Harry countered. "I wouldn't have to with you."

"You would still have to share with, as you put it, your baby brother."

"It wouldn't be as bad, though," Harry argued. "And I'd be a big brother to him."

"You'd assume that role?"

"Yeah, of course, like I said in here, I always wanted a family, Snape. A little brother would be cool." Harry then grinned as he sat down on the couch. "Are you thinking about it then? You know, about you and Professor Sinistra?"

"I have," Snape responded. "However, I am still rather unsure if I would wish to continue our relationship. In fact, I just returned from trying to speak with her about it." At the sight of Harry's eyes narrowing, Snape sighed. "I had asked her not to become pregnant as part of our bargain."

"Because you didn't want to be a dad?" asked Harry.

"You must understand that I have seen what occurs with families when certain…wizards wish to harm them. Families become a person's downfall."

"Well, yeah, but it's not like you don't like Professor Sinistra. You two are also awesome at magic. I remember both of your duels."

"Forgive me, but your parents were also rather proficient at dueling, Harry."

"Voldemort's dead, though."

"His followers are still alive, though, Harry."

"I know it's rather personal, but do you love her?"

"I love your mother," Snape responded.

"But do you love Professor Sinistra, though?"

"I admit that there is an attraction there, but—"

"No, Snape, no buts." Harry then drew in a deep breath. "You slept with her."

"I fail to see the point of my discussing it with a fifteen-year-old boy."

"I'm almost sixteen, Snape," Harry retorted. "But all that doesn't matter, though. You slept with her, and I'm guessing that she was the lady you went to in order to forget your meetings. Of all the witches, you chose her, Snape. Why?"

"I suppose it was because she was the best fit. She was a fellow Slytherin, a schoolmate of mine, and I knew of her feelings for me. She also was a rather private individual like me."

"So then you used her," Harry stated.

"I did no such thing," Snape growled. His anger quickly dissipated into confusion when Harry laughed and nodded at him as if he were happy about something. "What is it, Potter?"

"You just got angry with me for saying that, so you care deeply about her, Snape. It isn't just a slight attraction. There's more to it than that." Harry then folded his arms. "Have you given any thought to having children of your own someday?"

"I thought about it when I was friends with Lily, but it wasn't appealing after our parting."

"Okay, then what are your thoughts about Professor Sinistra carrying your child? Are you angry or just disappointed that she didn't listen to you?"

Snape sighed and glanced at Harry. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with the boy. He guessed he could understand it…partly. The boy felt like they could share anything with one another now. He thought on Harry's question.

"I suppose I would say that I am both. I am disappointed with her for not heeding my explicit instructions. However, I am also disappointed and angry with myself for becoming involved with a witch that I knew had feelings for me."

"Then you think she did it on purpose to force you to be with her?"

"No. She would not do such a thing." Snape sighed. He could see what Harry was doing, and the boy unfortunately was doing a very good job at spinning his words just the right way.

"Your child then was a mistake," Harry said.

"No," Snape vehemently replied. He then narrowed his eyes at his word. Why had he said that?

"You're not angry then about her being pregnant?" Harry asked.

"I…I am not," Snape said puzzled. "I am not angry about that." He had thought he was.

"Do you love her?"

"Perhaps," Snape responded quietly.

"And your child?" asked Harry. "Do you love the idea of having a child?"

"The idea is not…unappealing as it first was."

"So…"

"While I do not love the idea that I am to be a father, I am not unhappy about it either."

Silence then settled into the room. Snape glanced towards the fireplace. He felt like he was baring his soul to Harry. He didn't know why he was being so open with him. He knew in his heart that he'd always love Lily. However, if he were honest, he would admit that he did enjoy his nights with Aurora. He frowned at that realization. He still needed to be sure if he was doing the right thing for the both of them. He needed to know the answers to his questions. Harry was doing beautifully with trying to manipulate him, and Snape had to admit the boy was rather convincing. He was worthy of Slytherin.

Snape then thought back to his numerous nights with Aurora. Did he truly enjoy their time together because of his release or was it because of the witch? Their last time together he had went to her because of Harry. Rather a disturbing reason, but he wasn't sure if that was the true reason. He had first used their agreement for times after his meetings in order to forget. Their times soon became more frequent and expanded to nights where he didn't have meetings. In fact, once he went to Aurora every day for a week. Had it been love that drove him into her arms?

Snape then turned and glanced at Harry. He scoffed as his imagination took over. He could see a smiling Harry holding a small infant in his arms. The boy would be happy. In the kitchen, Snape could see Aurora reading from one of her heavy Astronomy tomes. Her dark frizzy hair would be in her face, making her brush it back with a mild look of annoyance. He freely would admit that he did love to watch her work. She always invested so much of herself in her stars, and her face always lit up when she'd find something new about her subject. Snape drew in a deep breath and watched Harry and Aurora fade as he pushed back his imagination. However, another one quickly took over.

"Daddy, can you read me a story?" a high-spirited child's voice echoed around the room. "Please, Daddy, can you read me a story? I promise to be good."

Snape's eyes narrowed on the small child sitting on the couch staring at him. He knew he was imagining the small child since he knew Harry was actually there, but he smiled softly anyway. Maybe he, like Harry, had always wanted a family of his own, too.