Unexpected Thanks
"Professor Snape!"
He winced, looking down at his brown robes and scoffing in irritation. Changing the color had done nothing to stop people from recognizing him, so he tapped them with his wand, turning them back to their customary black shade.
There. Instantly, he felt more at ease. Which was just what he needed to deal
"What do you want?" He turned, looking at the source of the voice with his best Death Glare.
"Hello, sir," said a very tall and rather burly young wizard, who was holding a small bundle in his arms.
"Do I know you?" Severus asked, sneering as best he could. Maybe laying on the unpleasantness would make this irritating interloper go away.
"You seem surprised," the man said, smiling genially. "I don't expect you'll remember me after so many years. The name's Longbottom. Neville Longbottom."
Severus had to force himself not to do a double-take. He clamped his mouth shut so that it wouldn't hang open with shock.
"Ah, yes," he said, his voice shaking only slightly as he finally dared to respond. "Mr. Longbottom. Still blowing up caldrons, I assume?"
"Not anymore," Neville replied, grinning sheepishly. "Actually, I'm Professor Longbottom, now. I work as the Herbology professor. Minerva told me that you'd returned from the States last week, so I had hoped to catch you before you start on your next journey."
At this, Severus could not stop his mouth from dropping open slightly in surprise.
"Don't worry, I leave the blowing up part of the equation to the Exploding Vines" Neville joked. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you, sir."
"Thank...me...?" Severus repeated numbly.
"Yeah," Neville replied with a soft chuckle, "thanks to you, I developed the backbone to fight for myself and for my friends. And I learned how to control my anxiety and panic. It may have been a bit of a trial by fire, but it still worked and I'm grateful to you."
"Hmph," Severus snorted, "It isn't as though you made it easy on me, you know. I practically had to scrape you off of the floor at the end of each class, and considering that Dumbledore had placed Potter's safety on my head and you sat only two seats away, your explosive abilities were rather...trying."
"I can see that we both had our problems with my former self, then," Neville replied with a shrug. His body language was relaxed and until the bundle in his arms began to squirm, Severus found himself actually impressed at the change that had come over the wizard before him.
"Ah, that reminds me. I wanted to thank you for one more thing," Neville replied, holding up the bundle to reveal an infant with wide, blue eyes and impossibly chubby cheeks. "Meet Hilde. She's my first."
"Your...daughter..." Severus stared, recovering quickly. "I wish to extend my congratulations, Professor Longbottom. May you and your wife enjoy every blessing of your bundle of joy."
"To be fair, you had your hand to play, albeit indirectly. I never would have asked Hannah to marry me if not for the confidence you helped me develop," Neville replied.
"Ah," Severus said, for he could not think of anything else to say.
"That's why I wanted to ask you if you'd do me a favor," Neville said, continuing on as though he didn't realize just how still the Potions master had become at his words. "I was hoping you'd do me the honor of being Hilde's godfather. I'd thought of asking Harry but he's got plenty of godchildren already, so I thought I'd ask you."
Severus stared. He gaped in shock. His eyebrows hit his hairline and he took a step back almost as though he'd been struck.
"You...you..." he stammered, pointing at Neville, and then the baby and then himself.
"Would you do me the honor?" Neville asked, his face hopeful. Hilde blew bubbles and giggled adorably in her father's arms. She reached out a tiny little hand and grasped his finger for a moment before finally letting it go to shove her fist in her mouth.
"I...um...I...fine," Severus finally muttered, his shoulders drooping.
"You will?!" Neville's eyes opened with excitement and he clasped Snape's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Oh, this is amazing news! Thank you, Professor! Thank you!"
"I would greatly appreciate it if you did not shake me so," Severus replied, a bit of bitterness in his voice. "I am growing into an old man, as you can see, and I can only endure so much excitement in a span of ten minutes. In fact, I cannot really ensure I'll be able to do much as a godfather, but seeing as you've twisted my arm and Potter is the only other choice you mentioned, I suppose I shall accept. Now, I must get to the shops before they close, so if you'll excuse me, I must go."
"The ceremony will be sometime next week. I'll send you an owl to let you know the details," Neville replied, still beaming.
Severus raised a hand in farewell and quickly began to rush towards Borgin and Burke's for the book he'd asked Minerva to reserve for him. He heard a woman's voice calling out Neville's name and the sound of a happy baby being returned to her mother. It was very difficult not to turn around to look at it, but he managed, if only barely.
But later, when he was unwrapping his book in his study, Severus thought back to the look of easy confidence in Neville's eyes and the happy look on his daughter's face, and he decided that maybe, just maybe, being a godfather to Longbottom's offspring wouldn't be bad at all.
After all, if she was anything like her father, she'd be accidentally blowing things up in no time.