Rating: PG
Words: ~1,000
Warnings: Strong language; mentions of violence; gen with some hints; AR.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended – Standard disclaimer.

Notes: Part of Harry's Two Daddies series, sequel to The Last Will of James and Lily Potter and Vulnerable. Please, bear in mind that this is not a chaptered!fic; just a bunch of ficlets. I hope that does not disappoint any of you.

Severus sat at the kitchen table with Harry in his lap, while Black cooked breakfast. In moments like these, when his mind was free to drift away, Severus was struck speechless by the sheer improbability of his life in the past couple of weeks.

The proof? Sirius Black was cooking breakfast for him. In the kitchen of his house, where they both happened to live. All in while their shared charge played with a stuffed toy they had bought.

To worsen matters, there was something Severus needed to tell them, but there was no easy way to start the subject, and everything was starting to look a bit too much. "Spit it, Snivellus," Black demanded suddenly, not lifting his gaze from the bacon.

"Si'eh'ush!" Harry exclaimed happily, which made Black smirk. Severus glowered darkly in guise of reply at the other man but, far from being bothered, Black finished cooking breakfast and started setting the table for them both, while Severus continued trying to coax Harry into eating his mashed banana.

It was a bad omen the day when Sirius Black and Severus Snape became domestic. They had a routine, for heaven's sake!

Silence stretched for a few moments, during which Severus placed Harry in his baby chair with a rubber toy to chew on, but Black didn't insist on his question.

Maybe he also didn't want to spoil the mockery of haven they were building, and it wasn't that a pitiful thought – their generation had been corrupted to the point where Black and Snape only had each other. It felt as if they were living on stolen time and, soon, the fights and hatred would come forth again; it felt like the prelude of a storm.

It would only take people like Remus Lupin to show up, Severus thought.

After a while, with last fortifying look at Harry, he spoke up, "They found his body."

Black froze. "You sure?"

"Dumbledore himself told me," Severus replied, poking at his scrambled eggs. "He was badly mangled, but it was him alright. He got burned by—something."

"By Harry, you mean."

Severus nodded, but said, "It was Lily's love. She saved us all."

For once, Black didn't reply and just played with Harry silently. Severus resumed eating, waiting for whatever idea Black was obviously cooking. "He's going to be terribly famous." Severus quirked a mocking eyebrow. "You can quit the smugness, Snivellus. You know what I mean. Everyone's going to want a piece of him."

"So?"

"Harry's probably going to need good support to deal with it."

Black was looking everywhere but at Severus, and Severus started to see the point. His stomach flipped at the thought. "Finally, a sound idea. I was afraid of the example you were going to be for Harry." Black's eyes flashed, and Severus hastened to continue, "But, I agree. He must be sheltered from all the improper attention."

They were both avoiding each other's gaze. "Yeah . . . We could move into the Muggle world—or, uh, I could, if you have anything you want to do with—."

"And leave you alone with Harry? I think not. There's a reason Lily appointed me as the boy's guardian as well." It was getting a bit too close to amicable banter, so he added, "She probably didn't trust Potter's choice in friends."

"Well, hers wasn't that better if you're the best she got!" Black snapped, starting Harry, who got very quiet. "Even Mandy would do a better job than you."

Suddenly, Severus wanted very much to punch Black in the nose. "Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you, Black? To be stuck playing house with Mandy. What kind of name is Mandy anyway?"

For some reason, Sirius laughed, and soon Harry was laughing with him. It made Severus want to shy away from that light, that happiness he didn't deserve, especially from a baby orphaned at his hand. "Really, Snape; so we're playing house, are we?" Unbidden, Severus flushed. "Don't worry. I know Mandy would love to molly-coddle Harry, but she's not mum material."

And damn, if that wasn't reassuring. Feeling lighter than he should, Severus grouched, "Whatever, Black, let's just get back to the original topic." The smile didn't disappear from Black's face and it annoyed Severus, but, for the sake of the conversation, he proceeded, "Dumbledore offered me the Potions position at Hogwarts. It's enough to support us."

"If you're suggesting that I become kept—."

"Black!" Severus interrupted, aghast. "Listen to yourself, man. As if I'd keep you."

"Please," Black drawled, "anyone'd keep me."

"Not me." Black snorted disbelievingly. "Anyway, we could move into Hogwarts. Harry would be safe there."

"What about me? Lily and James made me Harry's guardian too. If you think I'm going to let you—."

"Don't have puppies, Black," Severus drawled, smirking smugly at his own joke. "I meant to have you there, too. But don't think you're going to be living off of me." Black harrumphed, but Severus could tell it was a half-hearted protest, though he couldn't even begin to fathom why.

Harry started to get restless in his baby chair, so Black scooped him up and moved him into his baby walker, where he started to play with the magical volcanoes and music boxes. It was not much of a challenge since Harry already knew how to walk, and Severus didn't much care to raise a lazy child, but at least it'd keep him occupied for a few hours.

It hadn't realised he was staring until Black spoke. "What are we going to tell him when he grows up?" He didn't have to explain any further, because Severus got his meaning well.

"I'd say you have nothing to worry about. I'm the one who was with the villains, remember?"

Black rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself, Snape." At Severus's bristling, he elaborated, "I understand the guilt, don't think I don't, but you're no more Death Eater than I am. And, if you ever were, it stopped on your first raid, I'll bet." He was right, but Severus wouldn't tell him that, of course. "You're not a villain."

All it took was those words; words spoken by the man Severus hated the most, and they were the ones that finally settle his mind at ease. If Sirius, who hated Severus and went out of his way to hurt him, told him with absolute certainty that he was, if not a good man, at least not a bad one, what other choice did he have but to believe him?

The clouds in the horizon looked much less threatening then.

Severus was a firm believer in reciprocity and fairness, so it seemed only right to say something back. "You're not entirely despicable yourself, Sirius." Sirius blinked, nodded once, and they agreed silently not to discuss what had just happened.

In that moment, Harry shrieked in delight as his baby walker coughed up a flow of pink smoke and orange confetti that wrote the ABC's in the air.