Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's probably not mine.

Author's Note: Okay, readers. I am aware that Salazar (the small cobra) seems to keep getting left out of my story, popping up randomly. It was unintentional, I assure you, but I didn't have much use for him. He'll be a bit more useful now, and it might answer some of your questions. Sal is currently with Remus and Sirius, guarding them. It's what allows Remus to travel without Harry going insane with worry, all right? My apologies for my sporadic use of the little snake. As for Silver and Sylrissin, they are still there as well, but Harry really didn't have the time to talk to them. Perhaps, though, he will do so in this story. Thanks for your patience with me, everyone!

Chapter Three: Moonchilde

Brilliant violet orbs roamed the Great Hall on the evening of September 1st. The students were due to arrive in a matter of moments, and all the teachers were seated at the Head Table, with the exception of Hagrid, who was bringing the first years across the lake, and Minerva McGonagall, who was in charge of the Sorting for all the first years and would be leading them into the Great Hall.

Harry was seated next to his husband, who was at the end of the table. Filius Flitwick was next to Harry, and the petite wizard kept trying to engage him in conversation. Unfortunately, Harry was far too nervous to respond to the Charms professor's attempts at conversation, even though Filius tended to be a delightful conversationalist, intelligent and friendly.

His gaze swung to the main doors leading to the Great Hall as the older students, second through seventh years, crowded into the room. Allowing his eyes to roam over the children, he noticed with some wistfulness that neither Ron nor Hermione were in the group, having graduated the previous spring. Ron had gone to work in the Ministry as his father had before him. Hermione was attending a wizarding university to further her education. Only Harry had remained in Hogwarts, although he was planning on going for his Masteries, which would start in February, a month after their child was born.

Unconsciously, Harry's hand moved to rub soothingly at his stomach. He was only a little over four months along, but the male body was not made to carry children, so he often felt a mild pain when his physique was forced to alter itself slightly to allow the fetus to grow. He still didn't know whether the child was a boy or a girl, telling Poppy that he wanted the child's gender to be a surprise. He and Sev had already agreed on names for the child -- Nathaniel Severus Potter-Snape for a boy, and Raven Lily Potter-Snape for a girl.

Snapping himself out of his daze, Harry looked up from the table just as the doors opened once more, allowing the nervous First Years to enter. Keeping his face expressionless, Professor Potter-Snape looked dispassionately over the new students. He had decided that he'd have to start out firm, build up a reputation as someone not to be messed with, before he'd ease up in his classes. Already his eyes were scanning along the tables, picking out the troublemakers from each House, mentally listing them so that he'd know who to watch out for.

The new students shuffled in nervously, and one in particular caught Harry's interest. It was a small boy with hair so pale that it appeared white. He wore the plain black robes of all the students, which would soon bear the symbol of whichever House he ended up in. It was his eyes that caught Harry's attention, though. They had a gleam that was very familiar to Harry -- it was the same glint that shone in his eyes, and in Remus'. This child was a lycanthrope of some sort.

Locking eyes with the small boy, Harry raised one eyebrow and directed thought-speak to the student. Lycanthrope, I know. But what flavor? The child twitched, looking wide-eyed around the room, searching for the voice he had heard, before turning back to Harry, an inquiry visible in his eyes. Yes, child, it's me, the were-Jachyra professor with the violet eyes. I was just wondering what flavor you are. I can't tell right now without using my magic, and I don't imagine you'd appreciate that.

The child licked his lips and continued staring at Harry as the background noise of the sorting faded behind them. A debate was clearly raging in the young boy's mind, and Harry waited patiently for him to make a decision. Finally, the boy appeared to have made up his mind and replied, Wereleopard. Have been for four years now.

Harry nodded minutely in acknowledgment, offering comfort in his next thought. Please, child, if you have anything you need to talk about, or if you wish for company when you shift, please feel free to talk to me, all right? The child nodded, smiling slightly as his name was called.

Nathan Schuyler, the wereleopard, ended up being Sorted into the House of Slytherin, and Harry was pleased. With his husband as Head of Slytherin House and their quarters down in the dungeons, Harry knew that he'd be seeing a great deal of Nathan. He had no doubt that Severus already knew of the young lycanthrope's presence, since he'd probably be asked to, at the very least, brew a monthly potion for the eleven-year-old child.

As the Sorting finished and Dumbledore gave his little Starting Feast lecture, Harry continued to let his eyes drift across the tables, lingering on the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables. He could already see the tension between the two Houses, and knew that he'd have to do something quickly if he wanted to prevent the rivalry between the groups from starting up again. With the friendship between Harry and Draco, the enmity between the two Houses had been greatly subdued, and Harry hoped to eventually banish it altogether, converting it into something closer to friendly competition.

He noticed that Nathan had remained separate from the rest of his House mates, and wondered if he'd have to do something about that as well, until he saw one of the seventh year prefects moving to talk to him. It wasn't long before the two boys became the center of attention, and Harry smiled to himself, keeping his face carefully blank. It appeared that Nathan would do just fine in the snake pit.

Sighing inaudibly, Harry stared down at his food briefly, frowning. To anyone else, it would appear that he was scowling, but in truth, he was just debating whether or not he could eat any of the food without making himself sick afterwards. Feeling a tingling in the back of his mind, Harry opened the mind-link, and Severus spoke to him. You need to eat something, Harry, love. For yourself, and for the child. Please he pleaded. Sighing, Harry nodded almost imperceptibly and spooned some mashed potatoes onto his fork, eating slowly and waiting between bites to make sure he didn't start feeling nauseous.

Relieved after Severus expressed his reluctant satisfaction at Harry's half-emptied plate, Harry excused himself and headed down towards the dungeons, intent on making sure that all his classes were ready for Monday. He was so intent on his final destination that he wasn't aware of the pair of feet following him until a small hand tugged at his sleeve.

Turning slightly, ready to lecture whoever was bothering him, he saw Nathan staring up at him nervously. His face softened visibly as he nodded to the young boy and started walking again, moving at a much slower pace so that Nathan could keep up. "Yes, Mr. Schuyler? Did you have something you wished to discuss?" he asked softly.

Silence stayed between them for a few seconds before Nathan asked softly. "You are Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry shrugged, replying, "Yes, and no. Yes, I am the one known as the Man-Who-Defeated-Voldemort, but I am married now to your potions professor, so my name is Harry Potter-Snape." The small boy nodded, and Harry smiled down at him. "Mind you, while I don't mind you telling other people who I'm married to, don't tell them that I'm really a nice guy in disguise, all right? I have plans for them, and I don't want them to think that they can just ignore me in class and expect no retribution, not even those in Slytherin House, all right?"

Nathan nodded and giggled, apparently catching on quickly to Harry's plan of action.

"I was just wondering...did you mean it about providing me with company when I shift?" Harry nodded. "As a wereleopard, you shift on the nights of the half-moon, correct?" Nathan nodded and Harry grimaced in sympathy. "Twice a month. Ouch."

Nathan shrugged, "It's not that bad. The actual shifting hurts, but we can keep our minds without the use of sedating potions. It's a trade-off of sorts." Harry nodded, looking down at the young boy in admiration. He was strong, Harry could tell, and he'd survive well in the world. He was also surprised to learn that wereleopards could keep their human minds after the transformation. Perhaps there wouldn't be a need for Severus' potions, after all.

"Very well. I will not be able to accompany you myself on the nights of the half-moon until sometime in January, unfortunately, but I am sure that some of the others would be happy to accompany you. Let's see...Sev -- that's Professor Snape to you -- is a Basilisk. I'd offer Remus' and Sirius' company, but they won't be back until December."

"However, if you decide to remain indoors when you shift, then I will gladly keep you company myself, since you keep your mind and I don't have to worry about attack. Is that agreeable to you?" he asked. Nathan nodded and thanked him profusely. Harry just grinned and ruffled the boy's hair, stopping in front of the door and facing the portrait of Salazar Slytherin that opened into the Slytherin common room. He spoke the password, "Amarth," and left Nathan to enter and get himself settled, continuing down the hall towards his own chambers.

Once safely inside, he dropped the glamour and collapsed onto the couch, sighing wearily. He was only four months into the pregnancy -- how was he going to handle the next five? He wasn't looking forward to it at all. He just prayed that he wouldn't have to suffer through mood swings. Harry didn't imagine that his husband would be very tolerant of an over- emotional, hormone-driven Harry Potter-Snape.

He felt the urge for something a bit stronger than pumpkin juice, but resisted, knowing that any type of alcohol might be harmful to the unborn child. Sighing, he decided to straighten his plans for tomorrow and retire early, getting as much sleep as possible before classes started the next day.

An hour later, Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing and giving up for the night. He had a massive headache, and he was starting to feel a bit nauseous. He needed sleep if he was going to avoid being too ill to teach tomorrow.

Standing, Harry stepped forward, intent on crawling into bed and not moving. Unfortunately, his legs didn't agree with him and collapsed beneath him, sending him crashing to the floor. Dizziness assaulted him, and the nausea that had plagued him earlier hit him full force, forcing his back into a violent arch as he vomited up everything he had eaten that day, and continued to heave.

Groaning when the heaving subsided, Harry staggered once more to his feet, stumbling towards the bedroom once more. He made it as far as the door before a new wave of nausea sent him crashing back to the floor, cracking his head against the cold, unforgiving stone. He was unconscious as his body spasmed, rejecting its burden. He wasn't aware of the blood pouring out around him, signaling the end of the unborn child -- his moonchild.

That's how Severus found him upon answering the desperation he felt through the mind-link. Unconscious and surrounded by blood and vomit. Grieving silently for his husband and their unborn child, Severus picked Harry up as gently as possible and carried him somberly up to the hospital wing, sending a House Elf to clean up all traces of the misfortune. Setting Harry on one of the beds and moving back so that the nurse could work on him unhindered, Severus watched silently, praying to anyone who would listen that his husband would get through this, and that they'd get another chance at having a family.