Severus thought about heading back to Hogwarts, but he knew the press would be hounding Dumbledore and every other witch or wizard there about the attacks. He couldn't think straight for the first time in a long time and so went to the only place he knew -- home.

Severus made it past the road leading up to his house, his mind blank, still in shock over the night's events. He opened the door slowly and walked through the dark house. "Where is Lucy?" he thought, but just then the house elf appeared.

"Can Lucy get sir anything?"

Severus shook his head no. Laying his son carefully on the couch, he looked down at him and his heart lurched in his stomach. Lucy gasped as she saw that the small bundle was a child. A child had not been seen in this house since Severus himself was born.

Severus realized that Harry hadn't made any noise at all since he had picked him up in the house.

"Is it dead?" Lucy said, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Dead?" The question lingered only for a minute in Severus' mind before the panic set in. Taking Harry in his arms, he started yelling, "Harry! Wake up Harry!"

The sound of the wails coming from the child were music to his ears, and Severus pulled the toddler to him, wrapping him protectively against his chest.

"Would sir like me to fix something to eat?"

"Eat, what did a child of this age eat?" Severus wondered. Not really knowing, he asked for some soft foods. In minutes the table was laden down with potatoes and vegetables that could be mashed up easily and given to a child.

Severus sat with Harry on his lap after finding that Harry sitting in the chair alone was not an option. The child gleefully ate some of the food offered to him on the fork and flung the rest on Severus, and his robes. The rest of the meal consisted of Severus trying to pick bits of lima beans out of his hair, and trying to get Harry to eat more.

Finally giving up, Severus decided that they both needed a bath. Carrying Harry to the tub, Severus soon learned that a toddler was quite a slippery little rascal. As he soaped up the rag and washed Harry's arms and legs, Harry placed a big mound of bubbles on his head. The giggles coming from Harry and Lucy had Severus scowling.

"Be still, Harry, so I can get finished."

That was an impossible task as Harry squirmed and splashed Severus and, by the time the bath was done, Severus was soaking wet himself. He took Harry from the tub, but balked at Lucy taking him into the other room. He was not ready to let the child out of his sight just yet. This suited Harry just fine as he watched Severus in the tub, gurgling incoherent words the whole time.

Coming from the bath were two very clean people. Severus sat Harry on the bed, put on his pajamas, and then turned back to Harry, who was still wrapped in the towel. He realized that Harry had no clothes with him and the ones left in the house were gone. Going over to his dresser, Severus pulled out one of his black shirts. Shrinking it down, he placed it over Harry's head. It still hung to the child's knees, but it would do for the night.

"Would sir like for me to make the child a bed?"

"No," was the quick reply. "Lucy, this is my son, Harry. I must tell you now that you are to protect him as you would I."

Lucy nodded her head, "Lucy is a good house elf. She will care for Harry like she did Master Snape when he was small."

Severus was relieved that Lucy had not questioned him further. His heart still ached from losing Lily, and he had no idea how to be a father. "What will I do?" he thought as he lay down on the bed, tucking Harry under the covers. As he peered down at the toddler, he noticed how small he seemed in the queen-sized bed.

"I do not know how to be a father, Harry, but together we will teach each other. You just remind me when I am doing it wrong." Harry reached up and grabbed his nose and then rolled over and fell asleep.

Severus could not fall asleep, his mind always going back to Lily staring up, her eyes that used to light his soul so dead, so lifeless. It plagued him when he closed his eyes, and even when he was awake. Severus wished he had known two years ago that he had produced a child that night, for he would have prepared to become a father; now the task had been thrown on him.

His mind went from one thought to another -- the special moments he and Lily shared, from the midnight secret meetings by the Forbidden Forest to the afternoon teas in Hogsmeade. Severus had been able to be himself around Lily, not the scowling, sneering bastard everyone saw him portray.

He was jolted from his memories when Harry began to whimper beside him. Severus knew the child was going to be traumatized by what he had seen that night. He had seen his mother, and the only father he knew killed before his eyes. Severus did the only thing he knew to do; he pulled Harry to him.

"Shhh, it will be all right, Harry. Daddy is here now." Severus knew Harry did not think of him as his father, but to Severus it did not matter. One day Harry would come to know him this way and, until then, he would be there for him. When Harry rolled over and clung to Severus, he at that moment stole his heart. Severus closed his eyes again, but this time when he opened them all he could see was the tousle of black hair, lying on his chest.