Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Please be kind, this is my first fanfiction! I'm sorry for any grammar/spelling/punctuation mistakes. It's very late at night, and I've just finished this.
It was an exciting time in the Wizarding World: Harry Potter was about to have another son. The birth of his first son had caused a buzz amongst wizards, but when the news came out that Harry was to have another son, witches and wizard alike were lively with the news, telling everyone they knew that the famous Chosen One and his beautiful wife were going to be the parents of two sons.
The couple in question was sitting on a bench in the local park, watching their son James play on the swings and enjoying a few moments of relaxation before their baby arrived. Ginny was nine months pregnant and already overdue.
"When do you think-" Harry began, drifting off as he watched the autumn leaved be shifted by the wind. It reminded him of the leaves of the trees outside King's Cross station, which reminded him of the fact that in a few years' time James would be going to Hogwarts.
"Tomorrow," said Ginny thoughtfully, interrupting Harry's brooding. She turned to him and smiled serenely. "I think it'll be tomorrow."
It was a gift for Harry to see his wife so very stress-free when the past eight months had been a whirlwind of excitement and tension. He rubbed her belly which had swollen to the size of a basketball and kissed her check softly. He hoped it was tomorrow, too.
Before Harry could say anything, James came running in his and Ginny's direction, a look of utter excitement on his face. Harry held his arms open for James and was not surprised when James leapt into his arms and nearly fell over backwards in excitement. But Harry's grip was strong, and he held onto his precious son.
"Mummy! Daddy! Look what I catch!" James proudly held up an exhausted looking newt. It was clear that James had chased the poor creature to fatigue, which was quite a feat for a three-year-old.
Though Harry was pleasantly surprised, Ginny appeared not to be. Her face grew pale and she stood up, startling Harry and James.
"Ginny, what's going on?" Harry asked as he stood, securing James with one arm and reaching for his wand with the other.
Ginny seemed unable to speak at first, but mere seconds had passed before her hand started making its very well-known journey to her abdomen. And at this ghost of a gesture Harry knew exactly what was going on before her hand even touched her swollen belly.
The baby was coming.
Change POV: Minerva was working hard at her desk, writing a letter to a parent about a student who had a nasty encounter with the Whomping Willow when she heard heavy footsteps outside her door followed by a sharp knock at the door.
"Professor!" Filch's wheezy voice was hardly audible through the thick wood.
"Come in, Mister Filch, and if it's about Peeves again-"
"The Potters have another son! His name showed up in the book just now!" he said quickly. Even Filch, who never liked the Potter boy, was excited about the birth of his son.
"Did you hear a name?" Minerva asked as she rose from her chair and hurried around her desk, eager to see the Potter boy's name in the book for herself.
"No, but knowing these students it's probably all around the school by now."
Minerva paused for a moment, contemplating this, but soon started again for the stairs. She had to know what his name was. Down three corridors, past the Great Hall, through the courtyard, across the Viaduct, Minerva could see a large group of students collected on the steps, the enthusiasm in the air almost tangible.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" She said sternly, trying to make her way through the doors to the book.
The students parted, but did not cease speaking. She heard two names, Albus, and Severus. Could it be? The Potter boy named his son after Professor Snape?
At last she made it into the building and through the huge crowd, all fighting to see the name. There, on a page that read '2016 First Years', was the name Albus Severus Potter clearly printed.
So it was true, Minerva thought as she slowly made her way back to her tower. The Potter boy named his son after her mother's lover.
Minerva opened the door to her office on the first floor and turned to Severus's sleeping portrait.
"Severus," she said quietly.
He stirred immediately, and responded once he noticed who had called to him.
"Minerva?"
"The Potter boy has another son."
Severus's portrait snorted.
"Fantastic."
"They've named him Albus Severus."
At the mention of his name, Severus froze. After a few seconds the new news sunk in. The Potter boy named his son after me? Snape knew he had to make sure that this wasn't some sort of joke- but why would Minerva joke about this sort of thing? Of course, it must be true, but why?
"Is there any way I could see their son, Minerva?"
"Well, yes, but it'll be risky. Recently in the Department of Mysteries there has been some experimentation on attempts to reach a person's soul after death. I could try to use the new spell, it was published just yesterday in Transfiguration Today. You would be able to walk and talk, and be connected to yourself in the afterlife, but you would have the body of a ghost. I don't know how long it lasts, and I wouldn't suggest touching any people while on earth, but I would be willing to try. At the worst we wouldn't be able to reach your soul, and nothing would happen, but that isn't much worse than what we have now, is it?"
Snape only nodded once.
Minerva pulled out her wand and summoned the copy of Transfiguration Today. She flipped to the page where the information on the spell was located. The spell was animorum corporum. It didn't seem too difficult to cast, unlike the theory and research that had gone into its development.
"Animorum corporum!" Minverva said loudly and clearly.
The effect was immediate: blue smoke erupted from the tip of her wand and began to form a body. Soon Severus Snape stood before her, looking as sullen and sour as ever.
"I shall be back soon," Snape whispered, raising his wand and turning on the spot.
Minerva turned to Albus, who had been quietly watching and listening.
Their eyes met, and Albus smiled, shamelessly wiping a tear from his eye.
Change Pov: "Mr. Potter?" a frightened nurse opened the door slightly and peeked in, not wanting to disturb the family. Harry was sitting on the side of his wife's bed, watching his son sleep in his mother's arms. James was curled in a chair, fast asleep.
"Yes?" Harry replied, curious as to why the nurse had such an expression. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"You have a visitor."
"Who is it?"
"Professor Snape, sir."
Harry was shocked. How could Snape be here? He died, Harry thought painfully, and I saw it. His eyes met Ginny's, who nodded her head slightly before Harry turned to the nurse.
"Let him in," Harry said, the curiosity trampling his shock and fear.
What Harry saw next nearly cause him to scream. Professor Snape was in the room, but it was not him, it was a very solid-looking ghost.
Change POV: "Potter," Snape said, his voice hardly above a whisper, looking around the room and taking in his surroundings. "I have heard you named your son Albus Severus."
It was not a question, but Snape could see it register as a question by the look of defiance in the Potter boy's face. But it was not truly defiance. It was something else. Determination, Snape thought. He noticed the Weasley girl watching him, daring him to say anything nasty in her presence. As if a woman who had spent hours pushing a child from inside her could fight him. He wasn't even there, truly. Only a part of him.
As if to change Snape's demeanor, Harry reached for the small blue bundle in his redheaded wife's arms. The boy seemed to be stirring. Snape hoped it would not wake, he did not like the cries of small infants.
Harry walked to Snape with his son in his arms, and held the boy out for him to see. At first Snape merely took in the appearance of the child. Though he would have Weasley traits, he might not physically, for the small infant had wisps of jet-black hair on its head. He would certainly look very much like his grandfather.
As a sneer began to form on Snape's lips, and a quip in his mind, the small child stirred and sleepily opened its eyes.
His eyes were bright green, shaped like almonds.
"Her eyes?" Snape sputtered in shock.
"Exactly her eyes," Harry whispered, looking at his beautiful son.
That part of Snape, the one on earth, stirred, and he felt emotions he had not felt in years.
So that's why. Her eyes, exactly hers. Snape felt tears forming in his eyes. This was the Potter boy's way of thanking him.
Once again green eyes met black, and Snape felt himself being pulled. It was time, his hour was up. But he could not leave like this. After the years of bitterness, the time spent, the days that turned into nights, that turned into weeks and months and eventually years, it was his time to speak.
"Potter….." Snape began, but changed course.
"Harry."
But before Snape could continue, Harry interrupted, a stubbornness in his voice that of only Lily's.
"Thank you, Professor."
Snape knew he had only seconds, so it was now or never. But it was as if his tongue had suddenly gained a thousand pounds.
"You're just like your mother, Harry," Snape said before he felt himself truly leaving the earth once more. This time was not nearly as painful.
What Snape had said was completely and honestly true.
From his stubbornness to those green eyes, he was always Lily, and he knew now that he did it all for that part of her in him. Always.
A/N: Thank you for reading! :)
If I get very positive results on this, I might write a sequel that will include Albus Severus at Hogwarts.
