Sharing by BertaS
It all belongs to JKR.
PART I
The Total Sharing
She staggered up the steps toward the large oak doors. As she reached them they opened. Her mind did not register that she had not touched them. Then the man was there and all she felt as she sank into oblivion was relief that she was, "Thank God."
Many students were startled to see Professor Snape with a woman in his arms, especially an obviously muggle woman who was wearing a fluffy green sweater and black jeans. Even if she was unconscious and he was carrying her toward the hospital wing snarling for someone to find Dumbledore it was quite an unusual sight.
Waking was like coming up from the depths of the ocean. There were voices so the terror of the forest must be over or she had completely lost it. She opened her eyes carefully.
"Ah, you have decided to join us." said the old man.
He required a long look. He was wearing long dark blue robes with flecks of silver. Except for the fact that he was quite tall and she could see his nose and bright blue eyes she would have thought he was a relative of cousin it, with all the white hair and the beard past his waist.
"Do you know where you are?" He asked kindly.
Her answer was to shake her head and look somewhat frightened. She caught sight of the other man who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. This man was tall with black hair and eyes, a prominent nose and a mouth that seemed to be set in a permanent sneer. She thought he would look better if he wasn't dressed in all black.
"I think I should know you."
"Severus found you at our door," said the old man.
"Oh!" she blinked, "To answer your question, no." She hesitated then said more to herself than to anyone else "I'm not sure of anything. Maybe this is all a dream."
"I assure you, young lady, you are awake. My name is Albus Dumbledore, I am Headmaster here at Hogwarts. And this is our Potions Master, Severus Snape."
"Hogwarts? Potions?" looking from one man to the other blinking back tears she said "I'm sorry. I'm very confused."
"Not to worry, you've had quite a bump to the head. It's understandable that you would not be your self.
"We need to establish who she is and how she got through the wards." interrupted Snape.
"Yes, yes of course, my boy, but our guest needs to rest now."
That was all she heard for quite a while. Waking the second time was easier. The woman felt very refreshed but was still some what confused by her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be a hospital ward. A woman who she assumed was a nurse brought her a breakfast tray and inquired as to her name. This question was very upsetting because the young woman could not answer, nor could she figure how she had gotten there. Madam Pomfrey, as the nurse said she was called, said she would inform Dumbledore that she was awake.
While eating and waiting she reviewed everything she could remember about herself. A Scan of her hands revealed no rings so she did not think she was married. She was pretty sure she was an American, but the accents around her were British, this led her to believe that she was in England on vacation, and she thought she was probably with a tour group but had no idea what they were to see or where they were to stay. Even who she was, was a mystery.
Dumbledore came in with Snape on his heels. This brought a smile to the woman's face. After a lengthy discussion Dumbledore came to the conclusion that she had come through the wards guarding the castle from muggle intrusion because of the bump to the head and a latent magical ability. After conferring with Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore decided that Severus, who did not appear to be happy about this assignment, should show the woman around the school.
Having seen much of the castle, and grounds, and managing to tease Severus that if she was interpreting the stares and looks of utter astonishment correctly she was completely destroying his reputation as a hard ass.
From an upper story the woman pointed out the window and asked, "What are they doing?"
Snape stepped closer to look out the window over her shoulder to see where she was pointing and answered, "Quidditch Practice."
"Quidditch?"
"A game played with balls by wizards on brooms. Looks like Ravenclaw."
"This all feels so odd" she turned to face Snape who was standing very close "But very right at the same time. I just wish I could remember."
Looking into her eyes he whispered, "Maybe I can help."
As she dropped her eyes he snapped, "Look at me."
She stared into his eyes, heard him whisper something that sounded like "Legimens" and began to feel the assault of many images that at first she did not understand but for some reason gave him her total trust. By the time it was over they were clinging to each other for support. Severus Snape had never dreamed she would open herself in complete surrender and had been unprepared for the results. "The Total Sharing" had been triggered. Not only did he now have her memories, all of them, but also she had his.
The thought that he should totally obliviate her or possibly kill her because she knew too much for either his or her safety flickered through his mind before he opened his eyes. As soon as he looked into her face, though, he dismissed the idea.
Her head was tilted back and she was wearing a very mystified look.
"Wow!" she breathed and a smile spread over her face, "That was almost a better than sex." she opened her eyes in time to catch the look of shock on Severus' face change to a leer as he bent his head forward and whispered against her lips "Not quite."
PART II
The Letter
Seth had seen owls before, but not like the one that was sitting on the porch railing as he came up the drive to the small house where he and his mother lived, in what he thought of as no-where, Indiana. This had to be the biggest owl in the world. What was even stranger about this owl than its size was that it was drinking from the cup that Mom was holding. He had the feeling that Mom and the owl where waiting for him. As he stopped on the porch steps Mom said quietly, so as to not startle her guest, "Your letter is attached to his leg, and he won't let me take it." Mom smiled "he's been waiting for you."
Seth could not believe that he was untying a letter, well scroll really, from the birds' leg. Then the owl, his thirst evidently satisfied opened its huge wings and flew to the east.
Opening the scroll Seth read
You have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The letter went on with instructions to get on a train in London, England on September 1st, and a list of unlikely requirements for each student to bring along.
"Mom, I know I'm different. But…"
Looking over his shoulder to read, Mom smiled and said, "We need to talk."
This talk was long over due as far as Seth was concerned but it did explained a great many things that his best friend, Sally, kept saying where weird about him. For instance there was the time a bout a year ago, when Sally fell out of the tree house but didn't get hurt and said that something caught her an slowly lowered her to the ground. And then about a week ago she had pointed out that Seth never actually touched any door that he went through, they just opened and closed like the ones at the supermarket.
Mom had cautioned him not to tell anyone about the letter. He understood that most people would think he was nuts if he mentioned it. But Sally was different and she deserved an explanation of all the weirdness. She was also good for advice, not that he could not make up his own mind, but talking it out would help. He thought she might be interested to know that he was wrong about why Mom was so reluctant to discuss his Father. They had come to the conclusion some time ago that Seth's dad was dead, but Mom had told him if he went to school in England he would be meeting his father who was a wizard and taught potions at Hogwarts.
Sally had told him that he would be nuts not to at least try this school, if for no other reason than to have the chance to meet this man that was supposedly his father.
When Seth told Mom that he was willing to give this school a try, all she had said was that she would make arrangements for the flight and to have his father collect them at the airport.
PART III
Meetings - The Boy
The letter informing him of the boy's acceptance to Hogwarts was almost, but not quite, as startling as the one that had informed him that he was a father. After all he had only shared one night with the boy's mother, and then she had returned to America.
The man felt ridiculous standing among so many muggles holding a small sign with the boys name on it. Not to mention how embarrassing it had been to ask how one goes about collection someone at a muggle airport. This was, according to Granger, how it was done and he noticed others with similar signs, so she evidently knew what she was talking about. He thought he was going to have to find some one else, and go through the embarrassment a second time, before she finally realized he was serious and needed help.
The man gasp as the boy exited the gate. It was like looking at a photograph of himself as an eleven year old, long stringy hair, nose too big for the delicate face and thin as a rail.
There was no longer any doubt in the mind of Severus Snape. This was his son.
Meetings - The Mother
She followed discretely behind her son searching the crowd. When she saw Severus he only had eyes for the boy who was striding purposely forward. She had to smile at the identical looks of awe and suspicion on the two faces as father and son appraised each other. Seth turned toward her causing Severus to again take note of his surroundings.
"Hello, Severus." She said with the smile still on her face.
"I didn't think you were coming." Then gesturing to the crowd he hissed, "You know how this makes me feel."
"Yes, I know, did you arrange transport?"
Seth thought there was more going on here than he understood. He did not like not knowing things, but could tell that any questions he could come up with would not be answered satisfactorily, at least not yet.
They collected their bags and proceeded to the parking area. The man waiting in the car appeared startled but said nothing other than to introduce himself as, "Mundungus (call me Dung) Fletcher."
Mom whispered she needed to talk with Severus and would Seth please ride in the front. This suited Seth fine, as he would see more from there than stuck between two adults in the back. This was before Dung started slipping through spaces that he wouldn't have attempted on a bicycle let alone in a car.
After some time he ventured a look at his mom and father, since mom has said they where going to be talking and he hadn't heard so much as a peep out of her. Dung noticed him looking and said quietly that Snape had thrown up a silencing charm as soon as they had gotten in. Dung looked like he had questions but was afraid to ask. Seth realized he was scowling, something Mom and Sally had told him was frightening, and with effort forced his face into a more pleasant expression.
"I'm here to attend school. What can you tell me about … um … Mr. Snape?"
Dung shook his head causing the car to swerve all over the road. "You'll be needen' to call 'im Professor then. But I won't be discuss'n 'im even if there is a silencing charm between us.
Seth forgot about the scary driving and studied the man who was responsible for his birth. What he saw was a tall man with stringy, somewhat oily, black hair that hung past his shoulders and into his face, the nose was long and thin and his eyes were hard and black.
Seth was starting to feel concern for his mother stuck in the back seat with this man that was so hard to analyze. Then he noticed that Mom was smiling and fingering the brown tweed jacket that the man was wearing over black pants and a turtleneck. Mom was also sitting quite close touching the whole length of their bodies.
Seth found himself smiling at the thought that Mom was happy they were here. And he knew that no matter what happened everything was going to be all right.
The Back Seat
As the car started Severus flicked his wand at the back of the front seat. She felt the charm surround them and knew that even if they chose to shout, those in the front of the car would not hear them. This was a relief as she could tell Severus was upset. She thought that was because he was not prepared for her return.
"Aren't you afraid the ministry will catch you doing that in front of a Muggle?" she teased, trying to ease the tension.
"It is perfectly legal for a wizard to perform spells in front of his wife." Severus said in a tight voice.
"Wife…Oh, Severus what have you done."
She wasn't shrill. He realized that it was shock that had caused the first word to come out quite loud and the rest almost a whisper.
"Actually, all I have done, is have the paperwork drawn up. All you have to do is sign." He was trying to bring to mind the information on muggle marriages that he knew she possessed and had shared.
"What are you talking about? What kind of paperwork?" She was thinking quickly about all she knew of wizarding weddings.
"Among wizards marriage is more of a contract, to provide an heir, which you have already fulfilled." he said slowly his gaze flicked briefly to Seth before returning his attention to her face.
"I have provided for you the best I could working through Gringotts with very limited information." his tightly controlled, quiet voice told her that he did not think the money had been enough.
When it had started she had been concerned, her bank had assured her that the deposits were from a well-respected British bank and they would at her request attempt to ascertain the identity of the depositor. She had told them not to bother. The location of the bank told her all she needed to know. She had instructed the bank to put most of the money into a trust for Seth.
"I will understand if you do not wish to…" he broke off horrified as she started to laugh.
"I accept." she whispered still smiling as she leaned into him her face up-turned. Her fingers still playing with the lapel of his jacket and thinking how good he looked in brown.
A/N Thanks to any one who reviews.