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Chapter 4: Snape the Father

What happened in the last chapter: Harry said he didn't want anything to do with the baby as it would remind him constantly of Snape and went back to the camp site. Snape wrote Harry a letter saying he would be at his summer house for two weeks and had called the baby Madison.

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"What's the matter?"

Snape smiled as he looked down into the cot where his baby daughter laid wriggling and crying her eyes out. He knew he shouldn't be comforting her at every beck and call but he just didn't have the heart to leave her whilst she was in so much distress.

He lifted Madison out of her cot and laid her on his shoulder, rubbing her back. He made soft "shhh" noises and walked around his bedroom. He took in the baby smell of her and didn't think he'd ever smelt anything so beautiful.

It was 5am and they had returned to Hogwarts castle the previous evening. Snape had just endured the worst two weeks of his life. He hadn't been able to sleep more than two hours at a time, he was constantly tired and he had the headache from hell due to all the crying. But it had also been the best two weeks of his life. Watching his baby daughter sleeping in her cot looking utterly adorable. Feeding her and having her fall asleep in his arms, it was magical. All of a sudden, nothing mattered to him anymore. He didn't care if he wasn't completely up to date with the latest Potions news, he didn't care if he didn't get his five fruit and veg a day and he couldn't give a monkey whether Slytherin won the house or quidditch cup. All he cared about with his gorgeous little baby girl. Did she feel ok? Was she warm enough? Was she too warm? Was she hungry? Was she happy?

Once Madison had stopped crying, Snape changed her nappy and then sat up in his bed holding her until she fell asleep again at around 05:30.

"What have you done to me?" he asked his sleeping daughter, his face beaming rather uncharacteristically.

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"Cool, we have double potions this afternoon" Ron said happily as he looked over his timetable at breakfast. "I hope Snape never comes back, lessons are so much fun with Dumbledore teaching them."

"You're so insensitive" Hermione said, looking at Ron with narrowed eyes. "He might be mourning for a family member or something terrible may have happen to someone he loves."

"Like I care" Ron replied shrugging his shoulders.

Harry laughed at his friends. He wondered if they would ever stop bickering. Just as he was about to take a bite of his buttered toast, the Great Hall erupted into rushed whispers and gasps. Looking around, Harry's stomach dropped and his blood pressure soared. Walking up to the staff table was Snape, carrying their daughter in his arms.

"Oh my God" Hermione said quietly.

"What is Snape doing with a baby?" Ron asked, tearing his eyes away from Snape to look at his two best friends.

Neither Harry nor Hermione answered him. Harry was transfixed. As Snape took a seat next to Dumbledore his head lifted slightly and he caught Harry's eye. Harry looked away quickly and down at his toast. He suddenly felt extremely nauseous.

"Do you think the baby's his?" Ron asked and Harry heard Hermione say "I don't know."

"I'm going to the loo, I'll catch up with you both in Charms" Harry announced, getting up from his chair and leaving his breakfast untouched. As he left the Entrance Hall, he could feel Snape's eyes burning into him.

"What's the matter with him?" Ron asked Hermione. "He's been a bit quiet and moody lately."

"He's probably got some personal stuff on his mind, I wouldn't worry about it" Hermione replied.

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Harry was dreading his Potions lesson. As he, Ron and Hermione made their way down into the dungeon he had a desire to just run back to the Gryffindor Tower and play sick for a week. But he couldn't delay the inevitable. He had to see Snape some time and the longer he left it the harder it would get.

He took a deep breath as they reached the door and walked in, making his way to the very back of the classroom. As he sat down he was aware of Snape's gaze from up the front, but kept his eyes fixed on the table.

As soon as everyone was seated Snape said "instructions are on the board, you know what to do."

"Sir, who did you knock up?" Malfoy shouted out to Snape as the class all stood up from their seats to begin making their potions. Harry stayed seated.

"Settle down Mr Malfoy, unless you wish to find yourself in detention" Snape replied.

"Yeah, but you've got a kid right?" Malfoy asked.

"If only to quash needless gossiping, yes I have a two week old daughter, no I shall not be divulging the name of her other father and her name is Madison. Any other queries you may have will go unanswered. Now get back to the task at hand."

"You're one to talk" Harry shouted out angrily to Malfoy.

"Mr Potter" Snape said with a warning tone, but Harry took no notice of him.

"You knocked up some poor Ravenclaw bastard and ruined his life" Harry continued.

"I'd watch what you're saying Potter" Malfoy warned, glowering at Harry.

"That's enough" Snape said seething, but Harry didn't stop.

"Were you fucking him when he was underage or did you wait until he was lega-"

Harry stopped yelling as Snape grabbed the neck of his clothes and dragged him to his feet. Malfoy had a face of thunder and was being held back by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Mr Potter, you need to control your emotions, especially in my classroom" Snape said quietly and calmly into Harry's ear. He was standing behind him, still with his hand on Harry's jumper.

Harry swallowed nervously and muttered "sorry" so only Snape could hear him.

"I will not tolerate this behaviour in my classroom" Snape said loudly, for the benefit of the entire classroom. "Detention Mr Potter. Now everyone back to work."

Snape let go of Harry and walked back to his desk, as he turned back towards his students he chanced a glance at Harry who, predictably, had been looking at Snape. As soon as Snape's eyes clocked his, Harry looked away and pretended to read his potions text book.

The rest of the lesson passed without further problems. But as the class began to leave Snape called out "Potter stay behind."

Harry sat back down on his seat and once the last student had left the classroom Snape walked slowly up to hi Harry, sitting himself opposite him.

"Consider your detention dropped" Snape said.

"Thanks" Harry replied, not looking up at Snape.

"But it's a one off. I don't want you losing control again."

"Ok."

"You didn't come to see me or Madison" Snape said.

"So?" Harry snapped, looking up to meet Snape's eyes for the first time.

"So? Do you have an explanation for me? An explanation for your daughter?"

"I don't have to answer to you" Harry said angrily. Who the hell did Snape think he was? "I've been more than clear about my feelings on the matter and I have no intention in changing them."

"Are you saying you want to abandon your child?"

"I'm not abandoning her… she's got you" Harry replied quietly.

"Indeed" Snape said his eyes boring into Harry's. "She's quite the little character. She's inherited my eyes. But she has your smile and your nos-"

"Just shut up" Harry shouted, turning his head away from Snape's gaze.

"Hit a nerve have I Potter?" Snape sneered, folding his arms over his chest. Harry turned back to face him.

"Please… leave me alone" Harry begged, on the verge of tears.

"You don't wish to have anything to do with her then?"

"No. I'm not interested. Not now, not ever."

"Fine. You are excused Mr Potter… for now. You certainly haven't heard the last of this."

"Fuck off, you can't tell me what to do you fucking bastard" Harry retorted, not being able to stop himself.

"You've just earn yourself a detention with me."

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Harry didn't catch up with Ron and Hermione in Gryffindor Tower, no did he join them for dinner. He walked down to the lake in the Hogwarts ground immediately after his talk with Snape and he sat on a big rock, staring into space and wishing he could turn the clocks back nine months. Why had he been so stupid?

When Ron and Hermione had finished their dinner, they found Harry sitting in an arm chair in the Gryffindor common room. They both sat down in arm chairs too.

"Why didn't you come to dinner?" Hermione asked.

"I'm more interested in why you shouted at Malfoy" Ron added.

"I wasn't hungry… and Malfoy just gets on my nerves" Harry replied.

"Are you sure you weren't trying to protect Snape because you love him" Ron teased.

"No" Harry replied defensively. "I don't even fancy him anymore alright?"

"I was only joking" Ron said. Hermione gave him a glare which told him he should keep his mouth shut and not to say anything more. Sighing quietly, Ron got up and went over to talk to Dean, Seamus and Neville instead. Hermione also left Harry to it, choosing to sit at a table and do her homework.

After an hour of Harry sitting in complete silence and staring into the fire, he got up and made his way out of Gryffindor Tower. He hadn't even reached the stairs when Hermione came running after him shouting "Harry, wait." Harry stopped and turned around.

"I've been waiting to get you alone" she said as she caught up with him.

"Why?"

"Why have you deserted your daughter?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Harry asked, stunned.

"You heard me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

Harry was speechless for a few moments. How on earth did Hermione know? He couldn't try and pretend she was barking up the wrong tree now, Hermione was too clever for that.

"How did you know?" Harry asked dejectedly.

"I put two and two together Harry. It wasn't hard. Don't you remember that I'm the only one who knows you had sex with Snape last year?"

"I'm going to be late for my detention… can we talk about this later?"

"Fine" Hermione said, looking deeply disappointed in him.

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"Come in" Snape called out when Harry knocked on his office door. With a pounding heart Harry stepped inside and sat down in front of Snape. He briefly wondered who was looking after Madison, but pushed the thought from his mind.

"I'm not going to make you sit here for the next hour or two, as I wish to be with Madison" Snape said. Harry looked away from him as he motioned Madison and looked at Snape's bookcase instead.

"Do you want me to do my detention with someone else?" Harry asked quietly, still with his eyes on the bookcase.

"No… you can go back to Gryffindor Tower, but first I want to ask you something."

Harry's head snapped back to look at Snape. Was Snape not listening to what he said to him earlier? Why on earth was he bringing it up again? What did he have to do to make him see sense?

"Sir I really don't want to talk about this anymore. For goodness sake, the answer is no. It was no two week ago. It's no today, and it'll be no in two weeks… two years time. I have no interest in being a parent or having a baby. Now will you please just give it a rest or I'll tell Dumbledore you're harassing me."

"Have you quite finished?" Snape asked as Harry stopped ranting.

"Yes" Harry said quietly.

"Good… now the question I was going to ask you was, would you get married to me?"

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Coming up in the next chapter: Harry's answer to Snape's question. He also gets a grilling from Hermione.

Reviews: If you're reading this, please take a few moments to leave me a review. I really do appreciate them and they do help immensely with my motivation. My profile has details of all my story updates.

(This chapter was posted on February 13th)

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