Harry held Ginny as they both waved their boys goodbye…sort of. James, now at the stage where anything even remotely involving his parents was humiliating and utterly "uncool,” had dashed off as quickly as he could, ducking under their arms and scurrying up the steps and onto the train. Al had taken a little bit more cajoling, but in the end, after a few more tears, he boarded the train, and sat in a compartment in the back so he could see his parents waving back at him. Harry and Ginny would have been a bit more worried had another little boy not caught Al’s attention shortly after the train started. However, despite the fact that neither of their boys could see them, they continued waving until the last hints of steam had dissipated into the air, evaporating and gone.

"Well, are we just going to stand here, or are we going home?” Lily pouted and Harry chuckled, pulling his self together and wiping away the stray tears underneath his eyes.

"Yes, Lily. I guess we’d better go home.” Lily beamed and Ginny had pulled herself together too, so gripping his daughter tightly, he apparated them both home, meeting Ginny at the front door. Lily leapt from her father’s arms—high into the air and towards the brick steps—and Harry nearly had a heart attack until he saw that Lily simply fluttered to the ground with grace Harry didn’t even manage on a broom in his Quidditch days.

"Godric, Lily! Be more careful! I thought you had her, Harry!” Ginny snapped, grabbing her arm (but not too roughly). Harry told himself that it was just the emotions from the station, that it had nothing at all to do with him.

"I thought I had her! She just jumped! It wasn’t my fault!” Harry defended himself, regretting saying anything the moment he opened his mouth. He had really hoped that the sentimentality from the station would…well…he didn’t know, but he had hoped that maybe things would be easier.

It was becoming increasingly apparent that he was wrong.

"Well, you should have held her better, or tried to stop her, not just stand there stupid and watch our daughter bust her head open!”

Dead wrong.

"Or maybe you could have caught her! Or stopped her, or something since I’m too incompetent to handle anything!”

"Don’t give me any of your ‘I can’t do anything right’ crap, I’m tire—" Suddenly Ginny stopped in the middle of what she was saying and an odd look crossed her face.

"What—" Harry tried to say something, but Ginny shushed him and looked as if she were straining to hear something.

"Do you hear that?” Ginny asked.

Harry didn’t hear anything. "Hear what?”

"I don’t know, but it almost sounds like…crying?”

"Like someone’s in pain?” Harry went on alert and looked around, pulling his wand out.

"No, not like that…more like…a baby?” Ginny looked unsure.

"I hear it too!” Lily cried excitedly, happy that her parents had stopped fighting.

"You do, do you?” Harry smiled amusedly."Ginny, grab Lily and stand back, and be prepared just in case. I’m going in.” Harry said; face stern and going into Auror mode.

"Be careful.” Ginny said, worried, but she did as he told her to. They had learned from Tonks and Remus that while bravery is important, a child having a parent to care for them properly was even more so—and while Ginny loved Harry (most days), they both knew that he wouldn’t have a clue as to what to do should Ginny die. Ginny shuddered at the thought. The man could barely dress himself and match his own socks!

Harry carefully tested the door out, casting a few spells to make sure it wasn’t cursed and opened it, slowly, creaking and painstakingly slowly—inch by inch—until it was finally opened all the way. By now, Harry could definitely hear a crying noise, and just like Ginny said, it was a baby. A very unhappy baby. But why? Lily had been their last—unless if Ginny had a very big secret…but no, that couldn’t be…there’d be no way for her to hide something like that from him! Right? At least if she were to carry it all the way to term…but that still left too many unanswered questions.

"Hullo?” Harry called out, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, flicking on the light switch (some things were just easier with muggle technology than magic; lighting being one of them).

"Who’s here?” Harry tried again, unsure of what to make of the situation, so he ventured further into the house, looking everywhere until he found the noise to be loudest just outside of Al’s room. Harry listened at the door—knocked briskly—but there was no answer.

"Whoever you are, I’m coming in! You’d better have a solid explanation for whatever it is you’re doing in here!” Harry said firmly; angry and curious at the same time. Who on earth thought they had the right to break into someone’s house and play around in his son’s room? Only one way to find out.

Harry swung open the door and gaped at the sight before him.

"What the!?”

HIHIHIHIH

"And you’re certain there wasn’t a note or anything?” Ginny asked for the millionth time.

"Yes, Gin! I’m as sure as I was the other twelve times you asked!” Harry snapped.

"Well, there’s no need to get snappy.” Ginny spat and turned away from him.

Harry rolled his eyes and gave up. It wasn’t worth the argument.

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter?” A mediwitch came out to the waiting room and called them.

"Here!” Harry and Ginny said at the same time, gathering their stuff (well, Ginny’s stuff) and preparing to get up.

The witch nodded. &"Come with me. It seems that there’s some sort of…issue with the test results.” Harry frowned. Now what? Couldn’t he have a normal life now? He gave up being an auror! Why couldn’t anything ever be easy?

They walked the long way from the waiting room to the prenatal/pediatrics wing (the Arthur Jacobi Wing) and were placed in a white room. A patient room.

"May I ask—" Harry tried to ask, but was cut off.

"The Healer will be here in a moment with some explanations. I can’t say anything. St. Mungo’s policy.” The mediwitch smiled sadly and walked away, leaving Ginny and Harry feeling very awkward.

Before too long, there was a knock on the door and a very friendly looking man walked in, a few vials precariously placed in his arms. &"Hello! I’m Healer Punnett and I just need a few samples of your blood really quick, Mr. Potter, so that we can clear something up, if you don’t mind.” The man smiled, but Harry panicked. What was going on?

"May I ask why?” Ginny asked, looking suspicious and glaring at Harry. What was her problem?

"Just something odd showed up and we need to make sure that the test was accurate. Nothing to worry about. Stuff like this—false alarms—happen all the time.” The man smiled. Ginny seemed to glower even more. Harry wasn’t sure what Ginny’s problem was—it wasn’t like she was the one whose blood was being drawn!

"Gin, it’s okay. It isn’t a big deal.” Harry smiled falsely, hoping to avoid a big stink.

"Yeah, that’s a good lad. So, just put your arm here and I promise it won’t take any longer than a second.” The man gestured to the table and Harry obliged, wincing briefly as the needle entered his arm and exited seemingly at the same time. At least the man was honest—Harry wasn’t even sure if it took even one second at all.

"Thank you! And I’ll be back shortly!” The man waved and left the room.

Harry felt the weight of Ginny’s glare bearing a hole in his shoulder.

"So who is it?” Ginny snarled. Harry jumped and swirled around to face her.

"What?” Harry asked, completely oblivious to whatever Ginny was thinking.

"I asked you ‘Who it it?’ Don’t play dumb with me!” Ginny was beyond furious. The only time he had seen her this angry was when he almost splinched Al and James in an attempt to apparate with them both at the same time—and that had been deserved! Now though, Harry couldn’t think of what could possibly have brought this rage.

"Who is what? I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Harry questioned calmly, pleading to anyone who’d listen that they wouldn’t get into a screaming match at St. Mungo’s.

"STOP IT! What do you think’s going on, you idiot? A strange baby magically shows up in our home with absolutely no bloody warning, and now they’re running paternity tests on you! I wasn’t born YESTERDAY!” Ginny screamed. Harry decided he was an atheist in that moment.

Then, the meaning of her words sank in.

"YOU THINK I’D DO WHAT!?” Harry yelled and stood up, glaring at Ginny. "You think I’d CHEAT on you after how effing HARD I’ve TRIED to cooperate with you!? You think I’d do that to you!? TO OUR KIDS!?” Harry gestured in the air with his hands wildly. &"I don’t understand, Ginny! I thought you knew me! I thought—"

"I’m pregnant!” Ginny burst out suddenly and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide in horror.

Silence. Very awkward silence.

Harry looked at her for a moment before the words sank in, and his face went from red with anger to bright with excitement. &"You are!? Ginny, this is brilliant!” And then, Harry took in her guilty face and suddenly, things began clicking in ways he wished they wouldn’t. &"Why…Godric…no…” Harry’s face fell and the burst of joy he previously felt vanished. Things made sense now. The "practices,” the "meetings” that stretched on for days…

They were quiet for a long time, tears streaming down Ginny’s face and Harry was numb. Numb. Shocked. Silent.

Blank.

"Who.” Harry finally broke the silence, but was too catatonic to manage an actual question, so it came out as a statement.

"I…I’m sorry Harry!” Ginny hiccupped.

"Tell me Ginny. Who is it?” Harry stared at the floor, unable to look at her, still unable to believe it was real. &"Who is it that you felt was worth abandoning me, destroying our lives, my life, our children’s lives?”

His wife cheated on him.

"Who is it that you betrayed me for?” Harry snarled, eyes cold as they looked hard into Ginny’s.

"I…I don’t know how it happened, Harry! I mean, we were so careful and—"

"Because that makes me feel so much better! Now tell me who you screwed me over for!” Harry’s eyes flashed and glared at Ginny.

Ginny bit her lip for a moment before releasing it to mumble something.

"I can’t hear you. Speak up.” Harry said cruelly.

"I SAID SEAMUS FINNEGAN!” Ginny yelled and the door suddenly opened.

"Well, the results are—excuse me!” The Healer cried as Ginny pushed past him and ran out. "Oh, dear me. Did I come at the wrong moment?”

Harry slumped forward in his chair and placed his face in his hands, staring at the floor.

"No, you’re fine.” Harry looked up. &"Can you tell me the results?”

"Oh yes! Well, actually, I think it best if you read them for yourself. I just don’t think I could explain it properly and well…this is a delicate situation…” The man handed Harry the paperwork. Harry snorted. ‘Delicate situation’ didn’t cover the half of it.

Harry looked at the papers he had been handed and his jaw dropped to the floor.

"What? This can’t be right!” Harry said and started turning the paper around, trying to find the answer to the puzzle he wasn’t getting, because surely the answer his mind came up with was wrong.

"Unfortunately…or fortunately, depending on how you see it, that child is none other than Severus Snape, and somehow, through very complicated circumstances I’m sure, your father.”

"No! You’re wrong! My father was James Potter! I was named after him, and I named my son after him! He has to be my father!” Harry wasn’t sure if he could take two dropped bombs in one day.

"And that is why we needed your blood samples, to run them against the baby’s and well…bizarre and unprecedented as it is, somehow that child is your father.”

"But Snape was dead?” Harry asked, unsure of what was going on.

"Not as dead as we thought, apparently. I’m sorry, Mr. Potter, but we don’t have the abilities nor the fundings to solve this for you. I think you’ll want an investigator of some sort. Now, there’s some paper work for you to fill out here and also at the Ministry, since I’m assuming you’ll want to care for him…”

When Harry got home, he was beyond exhausted. When he opened the door, using magic because he was holding a very fussy Snape in his arms the day’s events all came rushing back.

Half the house was gone. Apparently, Ginny had come by and taken all of her stuff.

Harry was glad. He didn’t feel like seeing her again today—or, quite frankly ever—so soon after signing all the craploads of paperwork needed to become "Guardian” over his…fa…Snape. He had yet to concede to his paternal relations yet, and he wasn’t sure if he ever would.

It didn’t help that baby Snape kept drooling and spewing something Harry didn’t want to think about all over his shoulder. Suddenly, baby Snape started bawling and shaking his fists (his favorite spots were Harry’s nose, chin, and the side of his head); both actions were of course accompanied by a foul odor.

"Eurrgh! I guess you need a changing, eh?” Harry asked the baby, who merely punched Harry in the mouth. "Still an arse.” Harry muttered and took Snape to the bathroom, transfigured the vanity into a changing table, and grabbed one of the nappies he picked up in Diagon Alley. Thankfully, these were weekly nappies and self-cleaned/freshened themselves up until the infant grew out of them. For some reason, freshening spells, cleaning, and growth spells didn’t mix together.

Harry unfolded the nappy—it was revolting, and Harry swore that none of his children’s nappies ever smelled quite so atrocious—and vanished it to wherever those poor mice in McGonagall’s class went. I wonder why vanishing a human isn’t considered and Unforgivable…Harry thought to himself as he liberally splattered baby powder on baby Snape’s backside and front. I’ll have to ask Hermione someday. Harry folded the nappy up and patted it down, lifting Snape up and turning him around to make sure everything was nice and sealed.

"Aaaall better!” Harry smiled and gently tickled the baby’s armpits for a bit, amused by the glares and reluctant giggling.

Harry stared. "I guess I’m going to have to call you something other than ‘Snape’ or ‘baby.’ It just doesn’t feel right…but it still feels disrespectful to use your actual name, plus, that’s Al’s middle name…so that’d be confusing…how about I call you Sev? Or…said in the paperwork your middle name is Tobias—I know you and your father didn’t get along, but what if I called you Toby?” Harry asked the baby who looked at Harry as if he were the biggest moron he’d ever met in all 10 his months of life. "Oh, forgive me. I forgot I was talking to the world’s biggest prat. Heh,” Harry had a world thought, "Soon, you won’t be the greasy bat of the dungeons—instead, you’ll be the poopy brat of the carpets!” Harry laughed.

Baby Snape was not amused.

"Fine. So, here are your choices: Toby or Sev. Left hand Toby, right is Sev. Pick one.” Harry said and held out his hands, feeling stupid when the baby simply stared at him, eyes reading, ”You idiot.” But finally, after a moment, baby Snape leaned over towards the right hand and projectile vomited all over it.

"I really hope that means Sev, because after that, I don’t care if you hate it. You, Mr.” Harry shook his finger at Sev "are stuck with it!” Harry growled and began washing up, Sev giggling and clapping his hands all the while.

Git.