Antiquity's Corollary by gonnabefamous
Past Featured StorySummary: At Lily's request, Albus Dumbledore has kept a secret from Severus Snape for 17 years. When Dumbledore learns that this secret plays a vital role in the war, however, it is Snape who is left to deal with the consequences. As Harry's true parentage is revealed, both his and Snape's futures become uncertain. The two must learn to work together in order to survive. PreHBP.
Categories: Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Dumbledore, Ginny, Hermione, Ron
Snape Flavour: Canon Snape
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Family
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 6th summer
Warnings: Alcohol Use, Torture, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 58 Completed: No Word count: 401010 Read: 379391 Published: 28 Jun 2005 Updated: 11 Oct 2015
Subtle Threats by gonnabefamous

Chapter 16

Subtle Threats

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Before Dumbledore could respond, Harry rose from his chair; he had had enough. He didn't want Dumbledore trying to persuade them to make peace, and he was sick of Snape talking so brusquely about him as if he weren't there. What right did either of them have, sitting around and discussing him, and then dragging him into whatever dispute carried over from that? Dumbledore was right; he shouldn't be faced with the decision of which adult to listen to. But did the headmaster realize how hypocritical it was to then turn around and involve him in an argument that he should have no part in, forcing him to choose sides?

"That's fine," Harry said irritably, heading out the door. "I don't want to be here anyways. I'll leave you two," he paused at the door, not turning around, and allowed his voice to carry the irony of the rest of his statement, "to have another conversation about, but not involving, me."

Snape raised his eyebrows, taken aback by how true the words the boy spoke were. Had he not been so furious with the headmaster, he probably would have registered them in a much more offended way; now, he felt almost pleased at Dumbledore's unhappy expression.

"Severus, you will not undermine my authority," Dumbledore said, stepping towards the door. Harry, however, had already set off down the hall, and Severus slammed the door shut before Dumbledore could follow him.

"Ah," Severus said disdainfully, "but I believe in this case, that authority belongs to me, now doesn't it? He is, after all, my son."

"Until you acknowledge that," Dumbledore said stonily, his face maintaining its placid look of calm, but an irrepressible look of fury flying into his eyes, "you have no claim to any authority above mine. Step aside."

"No," Severus said, positioning himself further in front of the door. He knew this was an unwise choice, he knew that Dumbledore could easily remove him from his path, but he didn't care. He was sick and tired of the man interfering with matters of his life that should be left alone; he was sick of having decisions made for him and being manipulated into doing whatever Dumbledore wished. "I will not be forced into the role of the hardhearted father! Why is it that you insist on your continuation of meddling with affairs which don't concern you?"

"As the only adult here who has any concern for the boy," Dumbledore said, the heat rising with every word as he slowly moved towards the younger man, "as the only adult who takes the role of guardian to him, the way he is treated and his well-being is an affair that concerns me. Maybe it should be your choice whether or not he's told, but unless I can trust that you will handle this decision with responsibility, it is my job to interfere. If I cannot be guaranteed that while he remains unknowing you will treat him no worse than you had prior to this discovery—"

"Fine," Severus said, cutting him off. "Then I'll treat him as I always have. But if you still wish to pride yourself on your extensive wisdom, say nothing to him. I, unlike the rest of the Wizarding world, will have no pity for him, and if you think your interference will prompt me to cultivate any sort of relationship, you are sadly mistaken."

"I take it, then, that you really plan not to tell him," Dumbledore said, his voice sounding repressed, as though he were attempting with acute difficulty to conceal his frustration. "Will you really be so ignorant as to think he'll never find out? Is your keeping this from him any different from the way I kept it from you? You admonished me saying, 'it wasn't your choice to make, I had a right to know, he had a right to know' and then you turn around and still deny him that right? You'll storm around this castle, fuming about the arrogance of your late schoolmates of almost twenty years, and yet you are so confident in your—"

"I'm confident?" Severus snarled, a furious scowl twisting his face. "Look at you! You still think you acted for the best- that you are- acting for the best! You can't even bring yourself to recognize the fact that just because you are the oldest person in every room, it doesn't make you the wisest! Clearly, you, of all people, are in no position to rebuke me for holding on to things, as you can't even let go of the reality that you were wrong. Yes, Dumbledore, that's right. You were wrong. Does it pain you to hear that? Because I know you don't hear it very often—"

"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded, his hand positioned threateningly near his robe pockets, which Severus knew contained his wand. "We are not here to talk about my faults. We are here to talk about Harry. Have you thought nothing of the things I said to you? Severus, he needs someone there, and you obviously do too—"

"Obviously?" Severus exclaimed. "What are you—?"

"You've never been the same since Lily," Dumbledore said, sympathy now annoyingly flitting into his calm and powerful tones. "I would have thought this might shed some light on your dark world, I thought you might be pleased to know that she never betrayed you, and that there was someone there for you. Answer me honestly. Do you still view her the same way? Have your thoughts not changed?"

"They have," Severus admitted grudgingly, glaring at the Headmaster.

"Then why not tell the boy? Perhaps it will be difficult, but I cannot understand why anyone would choose to live life alone- I know he wouldn't."

"Oh, come now, Dumbledore," Severus said contemptuously. "I think we both know that would be an unwise choice on my part. The boy hates me, and likewise. He prides himself on being the star Gryffindor, son of James Potter. What would he say if he found out he had me as a father instead?"

Severus said this as though he were disgusted with both the boy and himself, but Dumbledore could still hear some regret hidden behind the malice in his tone. It seemed as though Severus didn't realize his distress over each point until he himself had voiced it.

"No," Severus went on spitefully, "I think we both know it is better that he suffer under the delusion that he's the savior to the world, born to perfect parents. At least I won't need to have anything to do with him. Why make either one of us suffer needlessly?"

Dumbledore considered him for a moment, his fury at the man already ebbing away. "Severus, you've been suffering for so long, I don't doubt you're afraid to live a life without it- I don't wonder you can't imagine living without the pain," He paused. "But I think you underestimate him," He said quietly.

"And I think," Severus said, crossing his arms and intensifying his glare, "That you make too many assumptions." He hated when Dumbledore began analyzing him, as though he needed someone else to remind him of his emotions, just in order to understand himself.

Dumbledore stood silent for a moment, watching him. Severus couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but he wished the man would say something. The distant, anguished look in his eyes was disconcerting; it brought to life the reality of the damage that had been done to their relationship. Dumbledore was gazing at him with the look of a father who had lost a son and knew he couldn't repair what had been so deeply wounded, and Severus quelled under his gaze as the son who could not return, but could not retaliate.

"You really have no intention of building any kind of relationship with him, even if I tell him?" Dumbledore finally asked in extreme despondence.

"None," Severus said firmly. Part of him wondered why they kept coming back to this point; did the headmaster think if he asked the question enough times, the answer would eventually change?

"Then I will find someone who will," Dumbledore said a moment later, his tone set in an air of finality.

"What does that mean?" Severus inquired softly, eyebrow raised in suspicion. What was Dumbledore getting at?

"Remus Lupin will have returned from his order duty last night, and it will be another few weeks before he must transform again," Dumbledore said, maintaining an even tone and looking casually off to the side. He knew it would be too much for the Potions Master to bear, having a former marauder once again fill his rightful position as father figure and confidant to Harry. Even if it didn't spark some paternal flame, it would at least set the groundwork for such. Jealousy and resentment were two sentiments Severus, even as disciplined as he was, could not resist reacting to, and Dumbledore knew this. "I'll send Harry to stay with him for a week, and though Moody already agreed to fill this year's Defense against the Dark Arts position, perhaps Lupin could fill in instead."

As much as Severus disliked having Mad-Eye Moody hovering around the castle, the idea of having Lupin there was far worse. He couldn't decide quite how to react; should he submit to Dumbledore's requests, should he swallow his pride and ask him not to hire Lupin, or should he feign indifference to the notion, in hopes that the headmaster had no real intentions of carrying through with this subtle threat?

No, as quickly as the notion of acceptance came, it left. Severus couldn't stand even the thought of the man, as appallingly tolerant and friendly as he was, drifting about the castle, and causing Severus more aggravation than even an entire class of first years at the start of term with his jovial and disgustingly imperturbable attitude.

"Are you doing this as some part of your elaborate scheme of forcing me into 'bonding' with our oh-so-troubled boy wonder, hmm, Dumbledore?" Severus scoffed derisively, "again, trying to manipulate me into—"

"I'm doing this for Harry," Dumbledore said, so convincingly that it startled Severus, who dropped his contemptuous expression of scorn, slowly replacing it with a look of resentfulness.

Severus looked him over very carefully, and realized just how serious the man was. If he didn't say something- if he didn't at least partially comply, he was going to be doomed to another year of misery. Damn the man, he'd known exactly how to get to Severus. But then, if Dumbledore was going to insist on being as cunning as necessary to get what he wanted, then Severus could just as easily match him. He was, after all, a Slytherin.

"Fine," Severus said compliantly, dropping his arms to his sides in assent. "I make no promises, but if you'll," He paused and raised his eyes to the ceiling, "refrain from hiring that insufferable werewolf," he unclenched his teeth, "then, I will at least consider speaking with the boy about our- situation."

Perfect. Dumbledore could hardly help feeling pleased with himself, and it took all the self-control in the world for him to withhold a heaving sigh of relief at these words. "Do you mean that Severus?" he asked seriously, "Will you really consider it?"

"But I make no promises," Severus said, raising his eyebrows as if to reinforce this statement.

"As long as you will at least contemplate it," Dumbledore said, slightly begrudged by Severus' unwillingness to concede, "That is fine."

There was a short pause, and then Dumbledore started slowly, "You know how important these lessons are for him."

"Yes, I do," Severus said, turning and heading towards his shelves, desperate to occupy himself with something other than Dumbledore's words. "I am, after all, the one who brings you the information that would call attention to this."

"So will you please make some time for a lesson today?" Dumbledore implored him wearily, hoping there wasn't another argument coming.

"Fine, fine," Severus snapped, jerking his head irritably but still maintaining his attention on the items of his shelves. "Send him down."

Dumbledore nodded graciously. "Thank you, Severus."

Severus stared at the floor until Dumbledore had left, and after a moment, he made his way over to his desk and sat down. He allowed his head to sink into his hands; the emotional stress of these past few days had been taxing, and to add to that stress, there was now much pressure on him to speak with Harry about this situation.

He hadn't realized until the moment the words had left his mouth that his promise to Dumbledore now bound him to the contemplation of his decision. He hadn't intended there to be any truth to what he'd told Dumbledore, but now Severus found that with the weight of this issue being placed on him, he couldn't avoid thinking about it. He'd been so upset when Dumbledore had told him that he'd killed his own child, that he had no one because of his violent temper. After he'd learned the truth, he'd even entertained the thought of playing father to Harry, but then he'd realized; even if he could allow himself to open up that part of him which he'd hidden for so many years, even if he could somehow move past his previous conceptions about the boy, there was no guaranteeing Harry would. Considering the way Severus had treated him for so long, it was nearly impossible that the boy would be able to move past every loathsome feeling he'd developed over the years.

Now, Severus found that he was in fact mulling over the very subject he'd misleadingly promised he would. But still, his standpoint remained the same; it seemed easiest to forget about the notion. There could never be anything between the two of them other than a hateful teacher to student relationship; there were too many things standing in the way. Severus could easily ignore the fact that Harry was his son, even if he couldn't forget it, and so for both their sakes, he would. After all, for years, he'd hidden the fact that he still desperately longed to have his wife back; he'd never admitted that to anyone, even himself.

xxx End Chapter xxx

To be continued...


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