Notes:: Okay, so I said I wasn't ignoring Harry's reaction to Sev being hurt….well….I changed my mind. I couldn't figure out how to make it work right, and well, he really wasn't hurt that bad, so….::shrug:: Don't worry though, there WILL be a nice little sev and harry hospital scene in the near future (not this chapt), as undoubtedly Voldemort will summon him again sometime soon. ::grin:: But don't worry, I think you'll like this chapter anyway. It's unusual at the very least.

Sorry I took so long, and now at last….FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!!!

A Father's Sin

By Severitus

Chapter 29---Breaking Ground

            "Stop!" the voice rang after him down the hall, but Sirius ignored it. He was too angry to pay it any mind, to let the desperation in his godson's voice distract him from his goal. There was no question in his mind that Snape had done something to Harry, altered his mind somehow to make him believe that he was his...father. Sirius wasn't about to stand for it. If Snape wouldn't confess to doing it, well, he had every mind to make him. As he flew wildly around a corner, dimly aware of the footsteps pounding after him, a low growl began to rise in his throat. Snape had probably been planning it for years...sitting down in his dungeons and plotting a way to seek his final revenge upon James. After all, what better way to get revenge on him, than to steal away that which was most precious, and wipe out his living memory? The bastard would pay....

            The final stairway down into the dungeons Sirius nearly took in two giant leaps, ignoring the slight pain in his paws upon each impact with the ground. His claws rattled wildly against the stone as he barreled down the dark passage, his eyes focused on the Potions classroom door. There was light shining from beneath it....the Potions Master himself was present. Increasing his speed, Sirius tensed his muscles and headed straight toward the door, his head lowered with determination. He sailed closer, the walls flashing by as he neared the door, and once he was just far enough away; he leapt, hind paws thrusting against the cold stone and his forepaws stretching up through the air.

            The door slammed into the ground with a resounding crash, echoing through the dungeon hallways even as a low growl rose to accompany it. Dust and splinters were still settling to the floor in the room when a dark figure suddenly stood up from the chair behind his desk, his expression twisted in shock and fury.

            "What the hell....?!" he yelled, but stopped and fell silent when he sighted the large black dog standing atop the fallen door, looking very much like the Grim he'd once been rumored to be. "Black?!" he added, confusion joining the other emotions contorting his features. The rumbling growl grew louder, and the dog sprang away from the door, crossing the room in long, determined leaps. With a muttered curse Severus snatched his wand from it's place at his belt, but he hadn't the time to raise it. The dog plowed into his chest, sending them both crashing to the ground and sliding roughly across the age-worn floor.

            For the briefest of moments Severus lay stunned, blinking at the sharp pain flaring in the back of his skull, and the renewed ache coursing through each of his muscles. But it lasted only a moment, and he was soon glaring at the pair of fang-filled jaws hovering inches from his face, teeth glistening dangerously in the dim light. Severus snarled right back, and gave his body a sudden twist, struggling to throw the massive canine off his chest. He partially succeeded, sending the dog off-balance enough for a second shove to send the beast sprawling to the floor. Severus didn't waste a moment in diving to the side, quickly claiming his fallen wand. When he rose to his feet, wand held tightly in a white-knuckled fist, Black was just rising from the ground, having shed his canine form.

            "You're early, Black." Severus growled darkly, his eyes narrowed in no small amount of loathing at the scraggly man returning his glare.

            "What the hell did you do to him?!" Sirius roared, his own wand now held in a shaking grasp. Severus couldn't resist smiling smugly at that.

            "Having trouble with the truth, are you?" he said smoothly, lips still curled slightly. The scowl on Sirius' face deepened further, his cheek muscles twitching as he clenched his teeth. He took in a slow, hissing breath and took a step forward, wand still held at his side.

            "I don't know what you get out of...feeding him these lies, but I'm not--" he began in a low, threatening voice, but Severus cut him off.

            "Get out of my office," Severus said slowly, the light barely reflecting within his now cold, black eyes. Sirius looked vaguely startled, but he made no move toward the door, instead taking yet another step towards his enemy.

            "Not until you agree to undo whatever...whatever curse you've got him under," he growled, and Severus' cold glare transformed into one of annoyance.

            "The only spell you'll find on him is one put there by Dumbledore himself. I have neither lied nor cast any 'curses' on him." he barked, resisting the powerful urge to raise his wand and attack. Sirius looked like his was waging a similar war with his self control.

            "Liar. Is this some scheme of yours to get back at James? Rape his wife, steal his son...." Sirius began, mistaking the slight twitch in Severus' expression as proof that the accusation was true.

            "MY son, Black," Severus purred dangerously, his piercing black gaze locked on Sirius' own wild eyes. The words were, as the saying goes, the straw that broke the camel's back. With an angry snarl, Sirius raised his wand, with Severus not wasting a second to match the motion.

            "Sirius! Stop!" a voice rang from the doorway, and out of the corner of his eye Severus spotted Harry, frozen just inside the door of the classroom and struggling to catch his breath.

            "Stay out of this, Harry..." Sirius warned, his wand frozen in motion though his eyes hadn't once left its target.

            "Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, suddenly brandishing his own wand. Immediately both Sirius' and Severus' wands flew from their grasps, flying through the air to land in Harry's outstretched hand. Clutching them tightly, he took a step or two back toward the door, as if afraid that they'd try to retrieve them by force.

            "Harry, please give me back my wand...." Sirius said sternly, finally turned away from Severus. Severus, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile lightly, even if he had lost the chance to give Black a good cursing.

            "No. I'm keeping these until you both calm down," Harry said firmly, clutching them tighter as if to emphasize that fact. Sirius turned to face him fully, one hand placed on his hip in slight annoyance. He was about to ask a second time when he caught a second glance of Severus, and the small, almost proud smile crossing his face. It was then that he realized that Severus had not asked for his own wand back; in fact, he didn't really seem put out about it at all. What's going on with him? He wondered, narrowing his eyes at the man. The Snape he remembered would have been screaming his head off, demanding his wand to be returned at once.  For a moment, the classroom was silent. Sirius stared at Severus, Severus stared at Harry, and Harry stared at them both, his expression firm and determined.

            "Sirius!" a new voice suddenly called, and the all turned to the door as Remus Lupin burst through the entrance, his eyes wide and slightly panicked.

            "Remus?" Sirius asked in surprise, watching as his friend glanced from one person to the other, struggling to catch his breath.

            "Dumbledore told me you were here..." he panted, throwing a quick look at Harry, who returned it with a solemn, pained gaze. Clearly things hadn't been progressing well.

            "Moony, surely you don't believe that Harry is...is his son...." Sirius burst out suddenly, thrusting an accusing finger at Severus. The victim of said finger only raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, leveling an annoyed gaze at the man.

            "It's true, Padfoot...I helped with the spells myself," Remus said, his face filled with concern as Sirius' eyes widened with disbelief. Sirius was gaping at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Surely Remus didn't actually believe it, he'd always been the most level-headed one, Sirius thought, the most 'sensible' of the marauders. He wasn't one to be taken in by half-truths and lies, unless...no, it couldn't really be true, could it?

            Sirius felt his muscles go suddenly limp, his arms hanging limply at his sides. "It's true?" he asked, his eyes wide and staring at Remus. His voice was weak, barely above a whisper. Surprisingly, it was Severus that answered.

            "Harry is my son, Black." he said, though his own voice was softer than normal as well. The glare had disappeared from his face as well, now replaced by a stern expression. Sirius raised his gaze to watch him for a moment, then turned his still wide eyes back to Harry and Remus, who were watching the exchange with tense expressions. It all clicked in Sirius' mind with those last words, feeling very much like a blast of cold water. He sagged limply against a nearby desk, his eyes sliding out of focus. Remus was at his side in an instant, rushing forward to keep him from falling to the floor. Harry crossed the room after him, still clutching the wands tightly in one hand.

            "Are you okay?" Harry asked Severus as he stopped in front of him, though his eyes lingered on Sirius for a moment. Severus nodded slowly, moving to lean back against a desk as well.

            "I am fine, merely reminded of my last visit to the Dark Lord." he replied, grimacing slightly at the slight pain that had returned to his muscles. When he looked up to meet Harry's gaze, the boy didn't look the least bit convinced. He gave him a slight smile and rested his hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye, "I'm fine, trust me." he assured him, and Harry finally nodded. After a moment he gave a small smile in return and turned away, heading over to stand by Remus.

            Sirius was still leaning against the desk, his gaze focused on the floor. Remus looked up when Harry approached, casting him a sympathetic look. "Sirius...." Harry began, though he wasn't exactly sure what to say. Sirius blinked, but he didn't look up immediately. He blinked a second time, and his eyes seemed to slide into focus, their color slowly brightening. When he looked up, his face was mostly blank, save for the unmistakable hint of pain swirling in his eyes. He gave an attempt at a small smile at the look of concern in his godson's eyes, which were still as brilliantly green as always. "Are you...gonna be okay?" Harry asked then, and Sirius gave a small nod, much in the same manner as Severus had not a moment before.

            "I'll be okay, I just need to...think for a bit," he replied, and Harry nodded, reaching up to brush back some of the hair that had fallen into his face at the movement. "I...I think I'll go for a walk." Sirius said, finally finding the strength to stand up from the desk. Harry and Remus took a step back and watched him walk slowly toward the door, his head bowed slightly. Silently, Severus walked forward to stand beside them, his own unreadable gaze fixed on the open doorway. Some of the pain had returned to Harry's eyes once again, and Remus raised a hand and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

            "Don't worry, he'll come around. He just needs a little time to...adjust," Remus assured, and Harry nodded haltingly.

            "Thanks, Remus," he muttered, though his gaze was still cast downward.

            "I'll see you two later, I want to make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble." Remus said, and took off quickly out the doorway, probably hoping that Sirius had remembered to transform at some point. Harry sighed as he stared at the open doorway, and then blinked as he remembered something.

            "Sorry about that...." he said guiltily, holding the two sanctioned wands out to the man at his side. His father only smiled briefly and plucked the long, holly wand from his hand, slipping it securely back into his belt.

            "No need to apologize, though I do believe that is the second time you've cast that spell on me...." he said, and Harry pushed back his hair nervously, well remembering the first time.

            "Yeah...I remember," Harry said, pocketing his own wand and Sirius', his gaze returning briefly to the doorway. "If it hadn't been for me that night, Sirius would have had his name cleared by now...." he continued, his eyes now turned to the floor. If he hadn't been so intent on doing the 'right' thing, Sirius would be free, and the Dark Lord would still be powerless....

            "You don't know that, Harry." Severus said, and Harry fixed him with a curious glance, "That idiot Fudge would have found some way to keep him in prison. Don't waste your time worrying about what could have been." Severus continued, and Harry gave a reluctant nod.

            "I'll try," Harry replied, though his gaze remained firmly on the floor. Severus sighed and watched him for a moment, black eyes shining brightly with concern. As much as he hated to admit it, Black was a part of Harry's life. If he couldn't accept the truth about his godson, he wasn't sure if the boy could handle it. Harry hid it well, but Severus could tell that he'd just about reached his limit, Sirius' rejection would probably prove too much for him. Severus sighed and wrapped one arm around his son's shoulders, surprising himself at how easily the motion came.

            "It'll be fine, Harry. Black will pull himself together," he said, and Harry smiled at him appreciatively.

            "I hope so." he muttered, and Severus noticed that he didn't seem too optimistic. With a heavy sigh and an inward groan, he reluctantly decided to do something that he hoped would lighten Harry's mood.

            "I will try and talk to him if you want me to." he said, successfully keeping the distaste from bleeding into his voice. His statement had the desired effect. Harry snapped his head up in an instant, his eyes wide with surprise.

            "You would?!" he asked, his mouth curving into a wide, grateful smile. Severus couldn't help but smile in return.

            "Of course," he replied, and reached up to ruffle his son's hair briefly. Harry laughed and pushed the hair back out of his face, glancing up at him with his eyes shining brightly. Severus laid his arm across Harry's shoulders once again, and was only faintly surprised when the boy leaned against him, still smiling. What did surprise him was the fact that he himself was still smiling as well.

            "You know, I'm not nervous anymore." Harry said suddenly, his soft voice carrying perfectly in the silent room.

            "Neither am I, though I still am getting used to this." Severus admitted. It was still strange, even if it wasn't necessarily as awkward as it had been at first. They hadn't talked a lot since Harry had started classes again, but ever since he'd had that vision....things had been different. It was as if some barrier had been broken, a line crossed over into some new, unexplored area. Strangely, it had been much harder the next day to bear down on his students. They were usually the victims of all his pent up anger and frustration, built up after years of spying and fighting against his own guilt. But now...it was if it was all slowly draining away, the darkness that hovered over his past slowly being lightened by the presence of his son.

            "Me too," Harry replied suddenly, his eyes glazed slightly with thought. Severus watched him with a hint of pride then, his eyes fixed on the head of dark hair laid against his shoulder. Harry had been different since then as well, towards him at least. Before he'd always been blatantly nervous, hardly ever meeting him directly in the eyes. Now, however, he always smiled slightly when he saw him, and seemed infinitely more comfortable around him. Everything seemed much more...natural.

            "Would you care to join me for some tea?" Severus asked suddenly, hoping to keep them both distracted from recent events for a while.

            "Sure, that sounds good." Harry said, and wrapped his arm around his father's waist as they crossed toward the exit. They headed out the door looking very much like any father and son should; and not a soul could have guessed that they'd ever been anything but.

---------End 29----------

Notes:: I know, I know, nobody ended up in the hospital wing. ::shrug:: oh well. I'll torture them all later, so I figured I'd let them off easy…this time. MWAHAHAHA!

Next chapter::: Angst returns to the fic, as Sirius tries to come to terms. Also, the black Lion will finally make an appearance in either the next chapter or in 31. ::pauses:: Did I just say 31? ::looks at page:: Holy Merlin….I've just realized something…this fanfic is over 100 pages longer than anything else I've ever written! AHHHHH!!! O.O   Before this, the longest thing I wrote was an original fic called 'Daemon' that ended up at 76pgs…maybe I'll post that someday, currently being revised though…okay, I'm rambling….TaTa now….AHHHH!!