Disclaimer: As much as I wish to be a literary genuis and multi-millionaire like JKR, I sadly am not and I own none of this intellectual property, except Evan. But you can borrow him if you want...
This fic is SLASH and will get fairly graphic at points, if you don't like it or aren't of age, don't read it.
A/N: This chapter has been giving me some trouble. I couldn't quite end it, so it is my longest one yet! The next will have some more action...no worries. Reviews are much appreciated, my loyal followers!
Breakfast the morning after the opening feast was chaos, yet again. When Harry and Severus walked into the Great Hall with their son on Severus' hip, the entire room went silent making it obvious what the buzz around the hall was about. Harry grimaced and it was clear that he had a short fuse in anticipation of the day.
"Honestly, didn't they get enough mindless gaping in last night? Do they think I am going to take you across the head table in the middle of breakfast?"
"As pleasant as that sounds, they're teenagers, Harry. I know that your adolescence was unusual, but most teenagers are fueled by gossip. It will pass." Severus said calmly. "Let's eat a nice breakfast and take Evan for a walk around the lake. Alright?"
Sitting next to each other at the staff table, Harry took Evan from his father and gave him a kiss to settle his own raging thoughts. "Yeah, let's just spend our last day without classes with our little guy and I will attempt to forget about the gossip mongers that apparently attend this school."
Harry tucked Evan into his high chair with his toys and noticed Severus scowling at something out of the corner of his eye.
"What did you just do, Sev?"
Severus attempted a look of confusion at his lover. "Honestly, Harry, what are you talking about?"
"You just banished something. Don't try to tell me that you didn't. What was it?"
"You don't need to worry about it, love." Severus was silently begging the younger man to forget about what he thought he had seen.
"Hand it over or you are going to be sleeping in the dungeons tonight, Severus."
With a sneer, the Potions Master reached across the Headmaster's empty seat and grabbed a hold of the Daily Prophet in front of Minerva. "Please remember that the baby is next to you..."
Harry took the thicker than usual Sunday Prophet and flipped it to the front page. Blazing across the front of the paper was his worst nightmare.
The Chosen One and Ex-Death Eater Return to Hogwarts with Bastard Son
By Rita Skeeter
Sources inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry report that the Boy-Who-Lived-Yet-Again, Harry Potter, age 19, has returned to Hogwarts as a professor of Defense against the Dark Arts. Potter, a wizard with a sorted romantic past, attended the Annual Opening Feast in the company of Severus Snape, former Death Eater and reinstated Potions Master at Hogwarts, who is now revealed to be Potter's lover. Snape was young Harry's professor at Hogwarts for seven years and it is unknown how or when their romantic relationship began. All in attendance were most surprised by the introduction of their infant son by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Sources claim that Evan Potter-Snape is no more than six months old and an adorable combination of Potter's boyish good looks and Snape's aristocratic features. The pair have been clearly attempting to keep their little mistake out of the public eye. The two professors and former Order of the Phoenix members are not married according to Ministry records, yet it is understood that they are allowed to live together in the castle. Does Dumbledore sanction Snape's affair with the wizarding world's young heartbreaker? Did their relationship begin while Potter was still a student? Was one of the men pregnant during the Final Battle? More information will be reported as it becomes available. No word yet on how Ginny Weasley or Oliver Wood are taking the news.
Severus looked at the father of his child, normally calm and playful and saw the anger and power rising to the surface. "WHO DOES THAT BITCH THINK SHE IS?"
Leaning in closely to Harry, Severus put his hands on his arm and dragged him closer. Knowing that Harry needed to be centered before his magic took off in the direction of his thoughts; the Potions Master leaned in to Harry and placed a solid kiss on his temple. "Listen to me love, you need to pull back. The students and the baby are here right now. You can't lose it."
"She called our son…she called him…"
"I know, baby, but she has called us both worse than that and we expected nothing better from the likes of her." Severus could feel Harry tensing again. "Pick up Evan. He will help us get through the meal. If we let people think that gossip matters to us, then we are letting that woman win."
Severus continued to calm Harry with his hands and whisper to him, mindless of the blank, dumbfounded stares that were looking up at them from the student tables. Severus Snape never showed his emotions in public, other than anger and annoyance, but the students were witnessing an intimate interchange between their least favorite professor and the boy who sat amongst them only two years before.
Albus Dumbledore barged through the heavy double doors of the great hall with a foreboding look that made even Snape take notice. Instead of twinkling blue eyes and a mischievous, knowing smile, the students saw a fury in their Headmaster that was usually only bestowed upon dark lords. Dumbledore looked to his staff table at the opposite end of the great hall and saw his Potions professor speaking closely with a visibly distraught boy-who-lived. Without question, Dumbledore raised his hands angrily. Every copy of the Daily Prophet rose towards the ceiling and burst into flames at the sound of a loud, booming voice proclaiming incendio.
Breathing a sigh of relief to know that he had support from his boss and mentor, Harry smirked at the Headmaster and slunk himself further into Severus' warm body. The two were nearly sharing a seat and their son looked thrilled to have his fathers so close together.
The Headmaster walked to the head table, picked up Evan from Harry's embrace, and sat down between Severus and Minerva. Evan was a social baby and was used to often being passed around from one red-headed relative to another, so he quickly adjusted to having a new person to entertain him.
"Good morning, my boys. How's my grandson this fine morning?"
Severus was trying to hold back his own laughter at the sight before him. The elderly wizard was turning his long, gray beard into a rainbow of colors to entertain the infant. Evan was giggling wildly as Grandpa Albus' beard changed from neon green to hot pink to electric blue.
"Evan seems to be doing much better than the rest of us. He is fed, changed, and ready for a little playtime before he heads back off to sleep. His daddy on the other hand might have to be sedated from charging the Prophet offices in search of Skeeter."
Looking toward Harry who was still fighting to maintain control, Albus shook his head. "That woman has really gone too far this time. I think her words this morning were simply punishment for you not giving her an exclusive with news of Evan's birth. I did not think that even she would try to vilify the names of two war heroes who have found happiness. I have already sent my rather scathing reply to the Editor in Chief of the Prophet himself."
"Thanks Albus. You did not have to get sucked in to this. I agree that it is likely that Skeeter's words were so vile due to her lack of information more than anything. The Quibbler article should also come out this morning. That is bound to be more level headed."
Before Dumbledore could even reply, the owl post descended upon the great hall. Harry scowled menacingly as countless owls carrying tell-tale red envelopes flew toward him and Severus. Without even removing his wand from its sheath, Harry raised a hand and silently destroyed every red howler message that came toward them.
The aged headmaster chuckled at Harry's powerful attempt at silencing his critics. "You do realize, my boy, that you will have students coming up to you for the rest of the year trying to get you to do the same thing to the howlers sent by their mothers? I am sure that there will be a line in your office following term grades."
Harry was inundated by mail that piled in front of his breakfast. He opened several envelopes to find good wishes from friends and former classmates.
"Sev, Seamus and Dean want to meet the baby, and I also heard from one of my many jilted lovers, Oliver Wood. Maybe we could have a party or something to introduce people we actually like to Evan. I can imagine that it is more than just our critics who are getting a surprise in the Prophet this morning."
"Actually, that is not a bad idea. I sent Draco an owl earlier this week explaining about Evan's birth, but I believe he is in Italy visiting Mr. Zambini. Hopefully, he will hear about it from my letter and not from the lovely article in the Prophet this morning."
"Oh, look a gift from Cho Chang. I wonder if this is an "I'm sorry I made you gay" present." Harry laughed as he held up an adorable mini Falmouth Falcons jersey. "That was very sweet of her."
"See Potter, nothing to worry about. The people you care about aren't going to listen to what Skeeter of all people has to say."
Harry scowled at the mention of her name. "If she comes near us, you are going to have to hold me back. She is quickly jumping into the top 5 list of people I most hate in the world. Riddle, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Pettigrew narrowly edge her down the list, but just barely."
"Honestly Harry, if she comes near us, I will not even attempt to stop you. I wish that she would remember how powerful you are. You might be just a pretty face to the tabloids, but you are also undoubtedly the most powerful wizard alive. Skeeter might need to be reminded of that."
Dumbledore, whose beard and eyebrows were now Halloween orange, leaned over to his companions. "My boys, I have no doubt that Ms. Skeeter will get what is coming to her. Karma has a way of taking care of that. I expect that she is receiving many more howlers than came through to you today, Harry. Regardless of the antiquated notions of proper family values that some people retain, most witches and wizards realize what we owe the both of you after Tom's defeat."
For the first time that morning, Minerva, dressed in her tartan robes and now holding Evan in her lap, spoke up. "Miss Lovegood's article in the Quibbler is quite nice, boys. I think that it might negate Skeeter's harsh tongue."
Harry pawed through his pile of mail until he recognized the familiar purple type of the Quibbler. Though smaller in size than the Prophet, it was increasing in popularity since the war, despite the occasional odd content. The paper's relationship with the Savior himself had only helped it to earn legitimacy in the eyes of the wizarding community. The young professor beamed at the sight of the first photograph of himself, Severus, and Evan, all smiling and looking like that had a secret that no one else knew.
War Heroes Welcome Son
By Luna Lovegood
Harry Potter, our beloved young hero who saved the wizarding world from Voldemort's throes, is proud to announce the birth of his first son, Evan Ronald Potter-Snape. Baby Evan was born on April 8th to Harry, who gave birth to him, and his partner, Severus Snape. Evan is named in honor of Lily Evans Potter, Harry's mother who sacrificed herself for him as a child, as well as Ronald Weasley, Harry's best friend who died during the Final Battle last summer. Fellow Order of the Phoenix members Hermione Granger and George Weasley, owner of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, were named as Evan's godparents.
Both Harry and Severus are thrilled to be first-time parents to young Evan, and hope to raise him and any other children they welcome quietly away from the public eye. Harry will begin his first year as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he will live with his partner and child.
Professor Snape has been the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts for nearly twenty years. He is well-known for his work as a spy against Voldemort during the last two wars and received the Order of Merlin, First Class, after the Final Battle at Hogwarts on July 31st of last year.
The relationship between Professors Potter and Snape and the birth of their child has been kept quiet in an effort to protect all involved from rogue death eaters who have yet to be captured by the Ministry. In a candid interview, the new fathers shared with me that their romantic relationship began shortly before the final battle. Professor Snape had been a professor and comrade-in-arms to Harry for years, but the two grew closer following Harry's graduation as the war progressed. Both men admitted to being amazed by Professor Potter's pregnancy so early in their relationship, which confirmed their strong love and commitment to each other (see page 7 for an article on soul mates and unaided male pregnancy). Harry did not realize he was pregnant until after the Final Battle and medical experts were astounded by the ability of the child to survive Potter's role in ending the war.
Though they currently do not have plans to marry, they each expressed to me an undying commitment to one another and their growing family. Severus Snape, who can only be described as detached and unsociable by his former students and colleagues, looked positively enamored with his partner and son on my recent visit to their quarters at Hogwarts. The Potions Master shared: "There is nothing that I wouldn't do for Harry and our son. They are my life."
This match may be a surprise to many in the wizarding world, but not to those who are close to the two. Albus Dumbledore, who looks upon Severus and Harry as sons and Evan as his grandson, shared with me his pride that the couple was able to find love together. The respected Headmaster expressed that "love is a rare gift, and I have never seen two more deserving souls." I must admit that I can only agree with Professor Dumbledore. Upon seeing both men together with their young son, pictured above, it is clear that they are a family filled with love and looking toward a promising future together.
Harry couldn't help but feel elated by the kind words, despite his burning anger with the article from the Prophet. Luna always managed to surprise him, and her piece in the Quibbler was the best invasion of privacy that he could imagine.
As Severus' eyes reached the end of the article, he grunted in acknowledgement. "Actually, that is better than I imagined. Let's hope that Miss Lovegood's article quells some of the interest in our lives. I would hate to hex the next person I see staring at us."
"Ugh, Sev. Honestly, I hate every second of this. Are you sure that we can't relocate? Maybe to America or some distant Siberian tundra? There is bound to be less interest in our love life there, right?"
"I think that vapid young witches would follow behind you panting regardless of where you tried to hide, love. We might as well wait it out. You are bound to get old and wrinkly sooner or later."
"Haha, old man. You will love me even when I am elderly and decrepit, as you will always remain twenty years older than me. Forever the cradle robber."
"Cradle robber? Hardly. For your information, I am only nineteen years older than you and besides, you aren't your typical teenager, love."
"I'm not your typical anything, Sev."
"Very true." The older man conceded. "Do you think we have been here long enough to escape?"
Harry raised himself from his barely touched breakfast. "I honestly don't care at this point. This morning has done nothing but give me a headache and make me reconsider not living my life as a recluse."
Harry picked up his son from Minerva's lap, receiving a warm and understanding look from her. "We will see you lot at lunch, where I can only anticipate another round of the students thinking that we are caged animals for their amusement."
"Mr. Potter, I know it is hard to see it now, but this too will pass. Adolescents are fickle and your rather dramatic return to Hogwarts will be off their minds in no time. Trust an old woman, who has been part of considerable bits of gossip herself, everything will be fine. Just take care of my little lion here, and don't let all of these nitwits bother you."
Nodding thoughtfully in appreciation, Harry snuggled Evan into him and tried to exit the great hall. With each new set of eyes that stared at him and his family, Harry could feel his anger and magic rising. Severus walked beside him and gave his infamous death glare, but it wasn't enough to keep several hundred teenage eyes from following them to the door.
When they finally made it to the corridor, Severus stopped him from progressing up the staircase. Without a question, he lifted his hand and muttered "Accio Harry Potter's Firebolt."
With an apologetic look into his lover's eyes, Harry nodded gratefully at the man who understood what he needed.
As the broom landed gracefully at Harry's feet, Severus took Evan from his arms and walked in the direction of their quarters. "Just fly, love. It will calm you down. Your magic is all over the place and you are just going to get more upset if you head home and climb the walls. Take as long as you need."
When Harry got outside and lifted off from the ground, he knew that his son's father was right. The boy-who-lived needed to feel the wind and put his very public life into the back of his mind. As the late summer sun warmed his skin and the breeze tangled in his messy black hair, Harry felt his tension headache subside and breathed deeply for the first time that day.
***
Much to the surprise of Severus Snape, he walked into Harry's living room to find one Hermione Granger lounged upon the sofa reading a tome on Ancient Egyptian Arithmancy.
Clearing his throat, Severus startled the beautiful, brilliant witch. "Some light reading for this lovely Sunday morning, Miss Granger?"
Shooting up from her recline and stashing the text away in her bag, Hermione Granger looked surprised to see the stoic Potions Master cuddling her godson so lovingly.
"Sir, sorry to interrupt your morning. When I saw the Prophet, I just jumped into the floo. I can only imagine the state that Harry was in this morning. I hope that he hasn't been sent to Azkaban already for some nefarious act upon Skeeter or another such scum."
Severus smirked slightly at the thought. "Amazingly, I kept Harry out of Azkaban for the time being. I can't guarantee anything the next time he sees that woman though. I thought that he was going to take the roof off the great hall when he saw that headline."
"I was having breakfast with the Weasley's this morning and I don't think I have ever heard so many curse words at the Burrow before. Molly sent a howler to the Prophet this morning that I am sure will live in infamy."
"I would think that all of Britain's reporters would know better than to cross Molly Weasley or her children. Skeeter deserves what she gets, which if I know the proprietor of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes at all, will be some very uncomfortable and untraceable physical problems that require her to spend many days in the loo."
"I may have heard a rumor from George about a mysterious box of chocolates that is being sent from a very secret admirer of that little bug. Serves her right."
Hermione was still fuming over the article that insulted not only her best friend, who had given up his entire youth for the wizarding world, but her sweet, defenseless godson.
"So, Professor, how does it feel to be back at Hogwarts again?"
"Miss Granger, as I understand it that you are my son's godmother and his father's closest friend, I think that calling me Severus would be more than appropriate."
"Of course, Severus, and please call me Hermione. Miss Granger makes me feel like I have forgotten my homework or something."
"I highly doubt that you ever had such an occurrence, Hermione. Tea?"
"Please." Hermione took her adorable raven-haired godson from the older man's arms. "If Harry isn't tracking down rogue reporters, where is he this morning?"
"I sent him to fly. I didn't think keeping him in an enclosed space was the best plan. I'm hoping that a couple of hours on his broom will calm his nerves a bit."
Taking her tea from the outstretched hand and sitting herself next to her former professor on the sofa, Hermione thought about the strange situation she was now in. Her least favorite professor in school, who did nothing but call her an insufferable know-it-all and torment her best friends during seven years of school, was having a cup of tea with her while she cradled his son. Her godson. Bizarre.
Without looking up from his tea, Severus Snape firmly and thoughtfully said "Thank you."
Hermione was nearly blown over by two words she had never heard from the head of Slytherin's mouth. "For what, sir?"
"For taking care of my family when I wasn't there. For making sure that Harry took care of himself and our son. For doing what should have been my job over the last year." Severus' voice caught in his throat. "If you ever need anything, I am in your debt, Hermione."
Startled by his honestly, Hermione felt unexpected tears threatening to fall. "All you have to do is make them happy, Severus. I love Harry more than anything else in the world, and I want nothing more than for him to be safe, happy, and loved. As much as I tried to take care of him over the last year, I am just his best friend. I patched him up on the surface, but I knew that he was still broken inside. He needs you." The far too intelligent witch kissed her godson's forehead. "They both do."
Severus took a breath and looked at his son and his godmother. "I am not one to discuss my feelings like some 5th year Hufflepuff." Severus let his mask drop slightly, and stared directly into her eyes. "But, I love Harry and Evan more than I ever thought possible. I will do everything in my power to make sure that they are happy and never doubt my dedication to them."
With watery eyes, Hermione smiled knowingly at her former professor's willingness to open up to her and was surprised as he continued.
"I don't think that Harry or I are ready for any more life changes right now exactly, but I intend on making him my husband. I already feel like we are a family, and I want you to know that I intend to be a good husband and father. You are Harry's family and I hope that someday we will see each other as the same. I know it is hard to look past my years of being…"
"A bastard?"
The Potions Master let out a throaty laugh. "That is an accurate term, I believe. Despite my being a total bastard to you, and your own rather annoying, revered intellect, I am willing to try and be open to a friendship of sorts. Harry and Evan love you, so I assume that you can't be as irritating as you were in Potions class all of the time."
Hermione couldn't help but giggle at Severus' attempt at reconciliation. "I think that we can somehow get beyond our former differences, sir. For the sake of the child, at least." Hermione joked with her best friend's clearly uneasy boyfriend. Haha…Professor Snape is Harry's boyfriend.
The two were able to maintain a stimulating and rather amusing conversation about the many rare Potions ingredients that Severus had obtained during his travels over the last year and barely heard the door open upon Harry's return.
"'Mione!" The sweaty former seeker exclaimed from the door. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey Harry, I just wanted to check on you after that bitch Skeeter's attempt at journalism. Severus and I got to talking and your little man zonked out on me. It's been a very eventful morning already."
"Severus, huh? I hope that you are not sharing all my secrets, 'Mione. I need to keep some mystery alive."
She smiled at him in a knowing manner. "Oh yes, Harry. You are so dark, brooding, and mysterious. I am sure that Severus here, the former spy, doesn't know what to do with you."
"Hey, I will have you know that not everyone thinks of me as their dorky little brother."
"I wouldn't quite categorize you as dorky, Harry. I mean, now that you have gotten rid of the glasses and you got a halfway decent haircut, some would even consider you quite handsome."
"Some? 'Mione, I will have you know that the readers of Witch Weekly find me to be extremely sexy and mysterious."
"Yes, well they also found Lockhart to be a dreamboat. Please do not allow them to inflate your confidence."
Severus watched the two best friends volley teasing comments back and forth good-naturedly. Their love for each other could be heard in their voices and gleamed in their eyes. They went on in a similar fashion for nearly ten minutes, until the brunette witch excused herself and returned to the Burrow.
"What did you two talk about, Sev?"
"Nothing that would interest you, I am sure. Our mutual intellectual pursuits. Nothing at all really…"
Harry gave him a knowing look and leaned in to press his lips to Severus'. That can be your little secret, love.
"Join me in the shower?"
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