Severus looked up from the work he'd been grading, sitting at his desk in the largest Potions classroom. He suppressed the glare that fought to get out at the sight of Dolores Umbridge. This was his one free period in the day, and he wanted to get as much grading done as possible so he didn't have to do it after dinner tonight.

"Was there something you wanted?" He asked, intentionally letting his dislike of the woman show through. After Harry had been rescued and healed, he had stepped up to the plate with a number of other staff to speak against the use of the blood quill. She had quashed their complaints with a roll of parchment signed by the Minister of Magic, condoning any action she thought necessary to ‘whip' Hogwarts back into shape.

"Only a question Severus." She walked closer to his desk, hands clasped in front of her. "Your son made a most interesting claim in my classroom today... he said that someone was in his room in your quarters last night helping him with homework."

Studying her eyes, Severus was dismayed to find that her mind was well guarded, and he could get nothing from her. He knew for a fact that Kenai had been out most of the evening, and had then spent the night in the Slytherin dorms.

"He was," he said carefully, wondering if he would be caught in a lie, and cursing inwardly that Kenai had once again placed him in this position. It happened every so often that his son assumed that he would stick up for him in order to get him out of trouble. It was only lucky that most people didn't know how to occlude their minds to Severus' invasion for information. Today was not a lucky day.

"And perhaps, I was only curious, but perhaps you could tell me who he was with?"

"The boy is free to bring whomever he pleases into his room in my quarters, provided it is not a female student. I was busy overseeing detention and was not paying attention to his guest last night."

"Ah yes," she said in a sickeningly sweet way that made Severus stiffen as if he had been caught in a lie.

"Young Mr. Malfoy did say something about that. He was scrubbing dishes in your kitchen for fighting with Ravenclaws, was he not?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. Draco was involved in this too? How many others were in on the lie without letting him in on it? The only thing that was for sure was that her voice was too hopeful, and that he never assigned students to do the dishes, and Draco would know that. He also knew that Draco had dated several Ravenclaw girls and occasionally befriended some of the Ravenclaws, and wouldn't fight with them.

"They were scrubbing the bathroom floor, and he was caught fighting with Gryffindors."

Her face fell, but she stood straighter then and said, "Very well. Thank you." She turned to leave, but at the door turned again and said, "Oh, and I thought you would like to know that your son has been lying about your family. He claimed in class today that it was Harry Potter in your quarters and that, oh, but it is ever so silly, but that Harry Potter was your son!"

Suddenly tense again, because he was fairly positive that Kenai would not claim this, uncertainty flooded him and he worked furiously to force calm words out of his mouth. "Harry Severus Potter was once Harry Severus Snape. He is as much my son as Kenai Snape is, and is allowed in the family quarters any time he pleases."

Dropping her false sweetness finally, Umbridge glared at him and said, "We shall see," and marched out of the classroom.

Severus fell back into his chair and looked at his watch. He had ten minutes until third years would flood his classroom, and he was anything but ready for them with nerves suddenly frayed as they were. I need a strong cup of tea, he thought to himself, but never moved to make himself one.

* * *

To incredulous looks from every set of eyes in the Great Hall, including all of the staff, Kenai Snape hurried over to Gryffindor table, and sat down. Harry eyed him warily, and Kenai turned red as he tried to ignore all of the eyes on him.

"Here," he said hurriedly, shoving a piece of parchment into Harry's hand. Harry unfolded it as he took a sip of pumpkin juice and nearly spit it out in laughter. There on the parchment in Kenai's untidy scrawl was a step by step plan on how to get Umbridge to swallow the peeing candy.

"I've modified it some," Kenai said under his breath, looking around for the first time to note that Ron and Hermione weren't there and Ginny was down the table talking to her fourth year friends. "It's a delayed reaction now... I dipped the candy in a sugar coating that won't melt off for at least twenty minutes."

Harry shook his head. "We are so going to be in trouble for this," he said.

"Well it doesn't matter, does it? I'm already in trouble for lying. My dad was... dad was mad that I didn't let him in on our lie about you being in my room. But I bloody well couldn't, could I? Not when she marched right down there after we had class with her!"

"But we got away with it, didn't we? He must have found out somehow."

"He's an occlumens, so I reckon that's how he knew what to say. He was so mad I didn't really get much detail from him, just a warning and told that he was going to suspend me from Quidditch if I ever did that to him again."

Harry frowned. "He's a what?"

"An occlumens... you know, he can sometimes read minds if he looks right into your eyes. He said something about knowing where you were in the mountains because he saw images of berries and animals?"

Realization suddenly dawned on Harry about his ability to look into people's eyes and hear what they were thinking. "Can you read minds as well?" Harry asked suddenly.

Kenai shook his head. "He tried to teach me, but all I can do is occlude... I can block my thoughts so others can't read them." Not noticing Harry's thoughtful look, Kenai looked around the Great Hall to see if he was still being stared at, which he was, and started fidgeting with his hands.

"I have to go. I think Pansy is having a fit over at the table because I'm over here."

Harry came out of his thoughts and looked up as Kenai stood up. "Tonight then?"

"Yeah. Down the hall from her office," he whispered, and hurried off.

Ginny came and sat down next to Harry in the seat Kenai had vacated.

"What was that about then? Are you two friendly now?"

"Sort of," Harry said. "He is my brother."

* * *

"Watch it Harry! I'll tell dad you're being mean to me!"

"No! It's mine! You can't have it!"

"Forget it! She made it for me!"

"She did not! It's mine! Why would she like you? I'm the eldest!"

They tugged back and forth on the small pink muffin with pink chocolate chips and sparkly glitter on top, being careful not to ruin it.

"Ahem." Both boys turned to see Umbridge standing there with her hands behind her back. "Is there a problem here gentlemen?"

Immediately Harry and Kenai burst out angrily pointing fingers at each other.

"She made it for me to eat not him!"

"No she didn't! It's mine! She likes me!"

"Liar!"

"You're the liar!"

"Ahem." Umbridge cleared her throat again and held out her hand, palm up. "I see."

Both boys stopped and looked at her. "Professor?" Harry ventured.

"Give the muffin to me."

"But-"

"No but's Mr. Snape. It is obvious to me that it is causing an issue, and in order for you to learn a lesson, you will give it to me, and neither of you shall have it."

"She only just gave it to us a few minutes ago though," Harry said, trying to sound whiny.

Umbridge raised her brows, and Kenai handed the muffin over to her. She surveyed it before unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth, swallowing it whole. Both boys allowed their mouths to drop open.

"It was very tasty, and now you will both go down to dinner, and will cease this arguing at once. I say, what would your father say if he knew you were arguing? Surely it is not worth a detention?"

Harry and Kenai shook their heads vehemently and said in earnest, "No maam," and hurried off, continuing to shove each other and mutter under their breaths as if they were still arguing about whose fault it was that she had eaten it.

When they were finally down a few floors and nearly to the Entrance Hall, they burst out laughing and could go no further.

"I can't believe she at the whole thing! She didn't even chew it!"

"Well now I hope she comes down to dinner."

Kenai wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and said, "Well she should. The Minister is paying a visit tonight, isn't he?" Kenai then pulled the makes you pee candy wrapper from his pocket and burned it with the tip of his wand, so that all the evidence was gone.

"Come on, before she finds us here having a fit."

Before they went into the Great Hall, Harry held out a hand to stop Kenai, and said, "Don't look at me at all once we go in, or they'll know it's us. Especially after you sat next to me today."

Kenai grinned and nodded and then said, "Just so you know then, I poured a thirsty potion into the muffin, and poured some double potion over the candy as part of the coating."

"You didn't."

"Try not to laugh too hard." He left Harry at the entrance then and went in alone to sit at Slytherin table. A moment later Harry entered and went to sit next to Ron and Hermione, Ginny at his side.

"Keep an eye on Umbridge," he said quietly to Ron, who raised his brows, but didn't say anything.

Not a moment after Harry had seated himself, Professor Umbridge strode into the Great Hall with some urgency and sat down at her seat at the staff table, taking a large drink of whatever was in her goblet. She didn't finish until it was empty. Over the next ten minutes she proceeded to drink heavily from her goblet as she spoke to the Minister of Magic at her left, and laughed her high, girlish laugh at whatever he had said.

"Something's wrong," Ron said then, poking Harry so that he would look up at the staff table. Indeed, her face had turned very red and she looked down at her lap. The Minister looked down at her lap then too and then at the floor as the other staff seemed to realize that something was wrong now too.

Umbridge waved her wand but seemed dismayed and then stood up suddenly, grabbing the attention of the rest of the Great Hall. When students saw the water and the wetness of her pants, they began to laugh, and she ran screaming from the hall, trailing water all the way, the Minister of Magic trailing after her, and slipping a few times in her wake. The entire hall was laughing, but Harry and Kenai were not, because they were trying to hold it in.

From the staff table, obsidian black eyes raked over the tables and were dismayed to find two raven haired boys with their heads bowed, not laughing, looking rather guilty. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore noticed as well.

"I shall handle mine, and you take care of yours," Minerva said to Severus, standing up quickly, but his words cut her off.

"I shall handle both of mine," he said warily, and stood up.

Kenai looked up as a shadow loomed over him, but had little time to register his father's features as he was grabbed by the back of his robes then and dragged towards Gryffindor table where Harry was placed in a similar predicament. Together the brothers were dragged from the Great Hall, to claps and cheers from the other students, who now knew who had gotten revenge for their pain and suffering. The Snape brothers would go down in infamy.

* * *

Harry chanced a glance over to Kenai to see how he acted around their father in private quarters. Harry had been in detention many times, but that was before he was being acknowledged as the man's son. Being in trouble and being hated, Harry was used to, but he'd never really been in trouble with someone who might want him. He was at a loss for what to do.

Kenai seemed to look contrite as their father paced back and forth in the Snape living room, but also looked as if he was ready to stand his ground and defend himself.

"What were you thinking?" Severus suddenly demanded, coming to an abrupt halt and facing the two boys. Harry wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak or not. Usually at the Dursleys uncle Vernon liked to ask questions and then answer them himself, and if Harry spoke it was a whack on the legs with a cane or something worse.

"She's evil dad!" Kenai said in a pleading sort of way. "You saw what she did to Harry's hand, and to Draco's and to-" Severus held up his hand to forestall his son.

"You did not answer my question."

"My thinking was that she's evil and needed a taste of her own medicine! Besides, how did you know it was us?"

He placed his hands on his hips and said, "It was fairly obvious to myself when every other student in the hall was laughing heartily at the expense of someone's dignity, but my two sons were refusing to laugh or look at each other. I was not the only one to figure out who was responsible." He went on talking but Harry was no longer listening. His father had just said, ‘my two sons' and when Harry looked around the room to be sure there was not a third boy standing there, he knew that he was counted too, for once.

"And furthermore, I have spoken to you before about the thin ice the Headmaster and every staff member are on with the Ministry so long as that insufferable woman is on staff. Did you not think that perhaps there would be repercussions from your actions not on yourself but the Headmaster?"

"It's not even our fault really," Kenai defended. "It's not like we gave it to her. She demanded we give her the muffin with the pee candy in it. We tried to stop her."

"Regardless, it was your intention that she take it. Was it not?"

Kenai mumbled something and Severus said, "I did not understand your mumbling. Speak clearly to me."

"Yes sir. We set it up so she would take it."

Severus narrowed his eyes at his son then, trying to discern how contrite his son was, and then turned to Harry, who had been standing with his head bowed, quiet as a mouse until that point.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Harry chanced a look up, glad that his father no longer seemed to be a rage, but still very tense with the awareness that he was still upset. Nothing good ever came from an adult getting upset.

"Nothing good sir," he said very quietly, eyes darting back down to his shoes. Just then, before Severus was aware of what had happened fully, he moved forward and raised his arm to his head to massage his throbbing temple and begin his pace again, and Harry fairly fell backwards, throwing one arm up in front of his face. He tripped back over the coffee table, and sprawled out on the floor, turning red and looking frightened to say the least.

Kenai moved to help Harry up, but Harry flinched back again from the floor, and Severus held out a hand to forestall his second son from moving any closer.

"Kenai, go to your dormitory. You are grounded until further notice. When you are not in class, at meals, or at Quidditch Practice, you are to be in the Slytherin common room, am I understood?"

"Yes but-"

"Go," Severus said with finality in his tone, sounding exhausted. "You may well lose a hundred house points by the time Umbridge gets done with you, and this is the only way I can assure her that you have been properly punished."

"Yes sir." Kenai grumbled, and with a last glance to his brother on the floor, he left his father's quarters, looking unhappy.

Once he was gone, there was silence for a short while as Harry thought about what his punishment would be if Kenai had been sent away so he couldn't watch, and was startled when a hand touched the toe of his shoe.

Harry flinched back violently and stared wide eyed at his father, breathing heavily.

Removing his hand slowly, Severus asked in a less harsh tone than he had used a few minutes ago, "What did you think I was going to do... when you fell backwards a minute ago."

Breathing still uneven, Harry searched in his father's eyes for anything, but found nothing there. He didn't know if this was a question he was supposed to answer or not, for as hard as he tried to see his father before him, he could only remember uncle Vernon and his fist. Instead of speaking, he lifted a shaky finger to point at the eye that uncle Vernon had punched two months ago the day that Harry had gotten on the train to come back to school.

Mind working to figure out what his son meant, Severus recalled giving him detention for fighting on his first night back, and remembered the black eye.

"You believed I would hit you?"

Harry bit his lip and turned his head away. It was obvious from his father's tone now that this was not what he had intended.

"May I have my punishment now so that I can go back to my room sir?" he asked quietly. The timidness in his son's voice unsettled Severus.

Knees becoming uncomfortable from kneeling before his son, Severus asked, "What do you believe your punishment should be?" Loathe as he was to admit it, he knew very little about his firstborn child, except that he nearly always did as he was told, and rarely ever complained if at all. How was he to know what would be an effective punishment?

Now Harry felt put on the spot. Aunt Petunia had asked this once of Harry and when he answered with a punishment too light, she had laughed and given him triple the whackings with the cane. Harry looked around and didn't see a cane, but did see a fire poker, and shuddered to think what that would feel like against his legs. Hands still shaking with uncertainty, without looking up, Harry said quietly, "Please don't make me say sir." He was afraid to even ask for the same punishment as Kenai, because surely he would be laughed at. ‘What makes you think you deserve as easy as he got?' he could hear his father's voice playing in his mind.

With a sigh, and aching knees, Severus stood up and rubbed his temple for a moment, turning from Harry. He heard Harry stand up and knew he was waiting patiently for his punishment behind him. Instead of telling him he was grounded however, Severus said, "I did not expect that I should be looking after two sons, not one. I do not even know what type of punishment you would learn from, though I do know that you've had quite enough punishment this year... in the last five years, as it is."

"S, sir?"

"You may go, and if anyone asks, you received the same punishment as Kenai. Expect Umbridge to take points from you, but if she tries to give you lines, you are to come straight to me. Understood?" He turned and Harry nodded, fidgeting with his hands now. Harry hurried to the front door, and left without turning back. Severus sank into an armchair and put his head in his hands, wondering at the turn his life had taken in the last few weeks. Two sons, not one. It pained him now to know that it had not always been this way, and it was because of him.

* * *

Dear dad, I don't want to be afraid of you. I don't know how to stop. - Harry.