His father answered for him as the man's heavy boots thudded up the porch stairs. He had a laughing Harry slung over his shoulder in a fireman's grip.

"His mother is in there." Aurora looked confused, so Tobias elaborated. "Eileen can be a scary woman. Even to her son."

"Especially to her son," Severus added.

Tobias chuckled. "Open the door, boy. The rest of us want inside."

Severus glared mildly at all of them for good measure before opening the door slowly. Taking a step inside, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. His childhood home hadn't changed. He still felt comfortable in it. Warm and cozy. The decorations had changed slightly, and there were a few new pieces of furniture. He smiled seeing his dad's favorite recliner still in the living room, it probably looked shabbier than ever, but had been skillfully covered with a quilt to hide the wear and tear. A part of Severus wanted to go to the kitchen, grab a snack, and curl up on the couch in front of the telly. Another part thought that would make him too easy of a target for his mother.

"You have a beautiful home," Aurora said cordially.

Tobias lowered Harry to the floor. "It ain't much, but it's enough."

"Where's Mum?" Severus asked, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

"Now, you're concerned about me, Severus? I'm touched." The sarcasm in the voice sounded remarkably like the Potions Master's.

Turning around towards the staircase, Severus saw his mother for the first time in years. He took a deep breath.

Eileen Prince-Snape stood regally, tall and slender, with silver streaked black hair pulled back and clipped securely. Her arms were crossed loosely over her chest, and she had no need to glare at her son. Her blank expression said everything Severus needed to know. She was angry, furious even. Had he been a few years younger, Severus would have already been in tears, begging for forgiveness.

But he wasn't a child anymore. He was an adult. Capable of making his own decisions and didn't need to defend those decisions to his mother.

Severus cleared his throat. "Mum, I-"

"Don't," Eileen interrupted him without raising her voice. Severus felt sure he imagined disappointment and hurt she conveyed in the single word. He couldn't be responsible for that. A glance into her eyes did not reassure him. Severus felt as though he'd been slapped. "I have no desire to speak with you right now. Be silent."

Severus's mouth snapped shut.

Eileen glided towards Harry who took a small step back, but his grandfather's hand on his back stopped him from moving too far. Glancing up, his grandfather smiled and winked at him before his gaze returned to his grandmother. Eileen studied him closely for a moment.

The silence seemed to last forever. Harry risked another glance up at his grandfather. Tobias appeared to be on the verge of laughter. Looking back at his grandmother, he decided to risk speaking to her. "Hello."

Harry watched as she tried not to smile at him. After a moment, she gave into temptation and smiled. She winked at him as though they shared a secret, and Harry felt a smile spread across his face as well. She leaned close to him and whispered in his ear.

"There are cookies and milk in the kitchen that require some sampling. Why don't you go have as many as you like, and let me know if they're any good."

Harry looked at his parents hesitantly. Severus was standing rigidly still, staring at the spot his mother had been standing a moment before. Aurora was between him, Severus, and his grandmother confused and a little concerned. She gave him a small smile when their eyes met briefly, but they quickly moved away from him. His grandfather was grinning down at him and gave him a small nudge towards the kitchen. Looking at his father, he moved towards him before going into the kitchen. He could always eavesdrop on them if he wanted to, and cookies did sound good.

Eileen waited until the kitchen door closed before pulling out her wand, and casting a spell to prevent Harry from hearing them.

Severus closed his eyes as his mother finished the spell. This wasn't going to end well for him. But at least Harry wouldn't witness the bloodshed. He had barely finished the thought when a hand smacked him on the back of head. Hard.

"I have a grandson?"

Severus opened his eyes, and turned to face his mother. "Yes, but-"

"How old is he?"

"Twelve, and-."

"Twelve. Twelve years, and you never mentioned him. Never bothered to tell your own mother that you and Lily had a child together!."

Severus didn't say anything it's not like she'd let him finish a sentence anyway.

"I suppose, I should be grateful that your wife is so obviously pregnant now, or I might not know this one existed at all. Would I?"

Severus didn't think there was a safe answer to this question, so he remained silent.

"Well? Would I?"

Snape wondered if it was wrong to hate one's mother sometimes. "I planned on-"

"You planned, Severus? I highly doubt that. Because planning requires you to think with something other than your penis."

"It's really not his fault, Eileen," Aurora said, stepping towards her mother-in-law. She always had defended Severus fiercely.

Eileen turned towards Aurora, and Severus briefly considered throwing his body in front of her to shield her from his mother. But that may have been a little extreme. She was pregnant after all, and his mother would not harm a woman carrying her grandchild.

"Not his fault?" Eileen's tone dropped to a dangerous level. "Not his fault? Did you get pregnant without his help? Without his consent? Or was he a willing participant? I'm sure he was a willing participant with Lily. Weren't you, Severus?"

Severus closed his eyes. Only his mother would ask that.

"Well?"

And only Mother would expect an answer. "Yes."

"So, tell me," Eileen continued. "How was it not his fault?"

"I...I just meant that he didn't know about Harry."

"He didn't know!" Furious, Eileen spun around to her son and whacked him upside the head again. "You has sex with her and ran off? She was your best friend, and you treated her like trash! I taught you better than that!"

"Mother! Stop it!" Severus had been content to let his mother rant, but she had crossed a line. "I would never have done that to Lily! I didn't do that to her! She lied to me! She told me he was James Potter's child. She told me she had cheated on me with him!"

"And you didn't think of asking for a paternity test when the boy popped out a few months later?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you are."

He snorted. More angry at her than anything now.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, Mother." Angrily, he stomped into the kitchen to find Harry.

Aurora watched him go before turning to Eileen and extending her hand. "I'm Aurora, your daughter-in-law."

Eileen glared at her for a moment not bothering to take her hand before turning around and going into the kitchen to see her grandson.

Aurora stood there, her arm still half extended.

Tobias came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "That went better than I expected it to!" he said cheerfully before following his wife into the kitchen. Leaving Aurora standing there looking as confused as she felt.