Part 5
Exactly two weeks after Hedvig flew away in the middle of a clear winter night, she returned. Harry was having breakfast in the great hall, trying hard not to stare at the man up at the teachers' table.
"Harry, you've got mail!" Ron exclaimed as Hedvig settled on the table with an important hoot.
"No, Ron- you don't say!" Harry said as he untied a small roll of parchment from Hedvig's leg. She looked so proud Harry felt guilty he didn't send more letters. He tucked the parchment down in his left pant pocket and ignored the disappointed look on Ron and Hermione's faces. He didn't know what was in the letter and therefore he didn't dare letting the others discover it with him.
He didn't get a chance to read the letter until the evening. He made an "errand" to his room all though Ron and Hermione knew exactly what he was off to. He sat down on the bed and unfolded the piece of parchment with trembling hands.
Dear Harry
So, what's this new mess you've balled yourself into? You really have a nose on digging up mysteries, but I'll go against my better judgement and trust you with this one if you say you can handle it. You're 18 years old now and probably a better wizard already than what I ever will be. As I see it you HAVE given a promise and under normal circumstances I would tell you to stick with that. So the question you'll have to ask is: Are these normal circumstances? As I don't know what's troubling you I can't advise you exactly about what to do, but I trust your sense of judgement Harry, so should you.
If you choose to confront this person, make sure there IS someone knowing where you are going and why. I know this means betraying some of the trust granted to you, but you have to think of it as your security. If this person of yours is as mighty as you claim, you'll need it.
I hope this was to some help, don't hesitate to send for me if you think you need it. I sense there is more to this than you've told me, but as I said- I trust your judgement.
The weather down here, by the way, is great! I'm working on my suntan all day long!
Sirius.
P.S: I almost forgot.. The question about your essay: There is an ancient curse named the Legravata Simouron- Curse. (very powerful spell, not reversible) What little I know of this spell is that the one casting the spell will become the second parent of the very child he impregnates the victim with. The sex of the parents are of no significance. The caster of the spell is always one of the parents. But there is one exception. If the victim of the spell has a soulbond with another person, the victim can only carry the child of his soul mate. The victim will still get cursed, but the child he/she will be carrying to term will be his/her and his/her soul mate's child.
Harry lay down on his back on the bed, not knowing if this gave him any answer at all regarding the issue of talking to Dumbledore or not. But when it came to the second parent that was another matter all together. The parent was either Voldemort or Snape's soul mate. And Harry couldn't remember seeing Snape with anyone even remotely apparent to be close to the professor. And that had to mean something. Harry decided he would tell Ron this very evening, next day he would himself have a talk with Snape.
*-*
Six months. The days seemed endless, and the nights were filled with nightmares from the past. And how much he'd grown for only the last couple of weeks! Severus was starting to look fat, no matter how much he extended the fabric of his clothes. And he knew this was nothing compared to what was coming. He would look like a balloon by the end of this. Therefore he was careful to eat extra food so everybody would assume his large appetite was the reason for his weight-gain. Now he'd just settled for the evening, and was about to dress in his nightshirt when a sharp knock resounded on the door.
"Who's there? Come back tomorrow, I'm going to bed," Severus yelled. He hated being disturbed in his private quarters, and especially at night.
"It's Harry Potter, Sir. Let me in, we need to talk!" Severus' heart sank down to his stomach. He sensed trouble coming his way.
"Go away Potter, I'm tired!" Severus claimed hoping Harry would leave.
"Let me in, or I'll talk out here! No matter what your excuses are, we're having this conversation!" Harry's voice was calm and determined. Severus opened the door with trembling hands.
"What do you want." Severus tried to look relaxed and uninterested. He sat down in his office chair not bothering to invite Harry to sit.
"I want you to tell Dumbledore about your condition!" Harry's eyes flashed a little. He seemed uneasy with the situation.
"Why should I?" Severus asked, his voice not as silky and careless as it used to be.
"Because if you don't I will!" No! How could he do this to himself?! Severus felt the well-known feeling of despair hit him in the back.
"What if I tell you no good will come from telling the headmaster?" Severus stood up from the chair, making one step towards Harry.
"Is that a threat, Sir?" Harry's eyes suddenly went cold and he backed away a little. Severus pondered for a moment if he should pretend that such was the case, but decided it wouldn't be wise.
"No, Potter- that's not a threat," he answered not able to hide the sadness in his eyes for a moment: "This is a complicated situation, you see. And I strive to keep this secret as long as I possibly can for my own and others' well being." Harry's gaze was searching his every feature. Severus could feel it on him like a laser.
"This 'other'.. It wouldn't happen to be Voldemort, would it?!" Severus could have sworn it was the trumpets of doom he was hearing.
"No," he answered heavily, no longer able to meet the young man's suspicious eyes. He started to back away from Harry now.
"Don't lie, Snape! I know how the Legravata Simouron- Curse works! Either the caster of the spell or the victim's soul mate is the parent. And I haven't seen any soul mates of yours around lately have I?!" Harry answered him calmy, but impatient as he made one step toward the retreating man.
"You've made me promise not to expose your secret, why is that? Why are you so afraid of anyone finding out? Is it because you're doing your old master a little favour? And while I'm telling you this, don't bother doing anything hasty, I've made sure the truth will get out if anything happens to me!"
Maybe it was the hormones raging in his body, maybe it was the building anger and distrust in Harry's eyes. Maybe he'd hit the wall finally and saw no way back. Tears welled up in Severus' eyes and he hadn't cried since he was seven! He sat down again, afraid his feet would betray him if he kept standing.
"If I was so afraid of being discovered bearing my master's child, don't you think I would go into hiding? Of all places do you really think I would be staying here, right under Dumbledore's nose?" Severus' voice was hoarse and he dared not look at Harry.
"Then why did you stay?" Harry wasn't convinced, Severus could hear it in his voice.
"Because I had no choice. Because my soul actually is bonded to someone, making it impossible for me to leave Hogwarts even if I wanted to." Severus buried his face in his hands, trembling and biting his lip.
"So you ARE bonded? Then please tell me what this bonding thing is, I sure as hell haven't figured it out!" The anger in Harry's voice felt like ice in his veins. The infant shifted, probably aware of the strain Severus was under. He looked up, tears now streaming down his face:
"I'm bonded. That means my soul, or my heart if you want it in the cliché way, is attached to another soul. We're destined to be together. And I can't choose to leave my soul mate in this condition even if I wanted to because it's against the stars."
"Then who's your soulmate.." Harry began, but the older man cut him off:
"That's none of your concern, Potter" He swallowed hard, as insanity knocked at the door. If he continued this play much longer he would start actually believing it himself. Harry now had a look on his face showing mixed emotions. Obviously Severus' tears startled him, he probably believed the professor didn't have the ability to cry. Still, the young man didn't seem convinced:
"But why isn't she helping you? If she's destined to be with you, why aren't you two showing it openly if this is such a great thing??" The man in the chair gave a peculiar smile, as he thought about the irony of it all.
"Because my soul mate doesn't know of his fate," he barely whispered, rubbing his forehead.
"HIS fate? So it's a he? But why doesn't he know his own fate when you seem to know everything about it?" Harry asked and took one step closer. Severus sighed.
"Because he was deceived. Our souls bonded when he was only a child. He's been taught not to look at me like that."
*-*
"Are you asking me to believe there's a father to be walking around on campus who have no idea what so ever that you two are meant for each other, who has no idea he is about to be a father??! Do you even know how ludicrous that sounds??" Harry's voice rose to an angry pitch. He was now getting outraged. How dared this man lie to him like this? He was no child! He didn't swallow any explanation, believing all to be true as long as tears were involved!
"Then please, Professor Snape," he added sarcastically: "Why haven't you told him about this?"
"Because.." the professor whispered: "He's been taught to hate and loathe me. And when this gets known he will become the father of a freak child, he will be stamped and he will know his fate and deny it, just as I have been trying to deny it this last six years. How can I steal his last months of freedom from him?"
"Well, how dare YOU decide what's best for him?!" Harry yelled. He was so angry he wanted to hit something:
"Don't you think he should have anything to say in this?! If he got to know now at least he would have some time to prepare for what is to come, have you ever considered that?!" The man in the chair seemed to shrink with every angry word that came out of Harry's mouth. But Harry didn't care. He only thought of the poor smock this man was bonded to. God, think if it was Ron? Or Neville? Maybe that was the reason Snape hated him so much, because he didn't want to be bonded with him?
"I did it to protect him.." Severus was hiding his face in his hands again.
He looked devastated. He even sobbed. But was this real? Maybe he was just faking it all.
"Protect him my ass, the only one you're trying to protect is yourself!"
Harry snarled. Then something peculiar happened. Snape stood up, he looked
Harry straight in the face, his black eyes flashed:
"Then tell me, Potter, how you would react if I came to you the first night you were at Hogwarts and told you that you and I were destined to be together. That we were soul mates. That you would never find any other than me, a twenty-years-older professor. And how would you feel if I consummated our relationship, that night, gave no thought of your young age? Because that's what I was supposed to do, Harry. Would you have known or would you have preferred to live your life without knowing of the greasy potions master that was supposed to be your eternal love?" There was a smile curling on the older man's upper-lip. Harry suddenly felt stupid. He had to admit, put like this he would have been happy never knowing if it had been him. And Severus seemed to read the answer in his face.
"I guess not," he said and turned his back to Harry: "I guess I'll let my soul mate have his last months of freedom and keep out of his way."
"No." Harry had calmed down now: "You're telling him, Severus. If I were him I would want to know. You're right, I wouldn't have wanted to know back then if I got the choice, but I would have now."
"Then:" Snape turned towards him again, very slowly, revealing a face shadowed by great inner pain and struggle: "I have to congrate you Potter, you're going to be a father."
No! This wasn't true! Snape was lying! Harry stared at the man in front of him in disbelief and horror, not knowing if he should scream at the top of his lungs.
"It's not true," he whispered: "You're lying!" But he found no comfort in
Snape's last words:
"I'm afraid not." Harry ran away.
*-*
If Severus would've been granted the choice between life and death in that precise moment his cold body would have hit the floor the same instant the young man ran out the door. The utter disgust and disbelief in his face made Severus' heart crumble to a thousand worthless pieces. What little hope he ever had about one day reuniting with his bonded was now lost. The dark side of Snape had been right all along. There was no way Harry Potter would ever fall in love with a man like him. He staggered to his bed, blinded by his sorrow and fell on it wishing it all was a bad dream he would awake from any minute. As if he ever was lucky.
*-*
Harry was out of his mind with fury, sorrow, disbelief, horror and despair.
He ran down the halls with tears streaming down his face, not aware of where he was running or why. He and Snape, soul mates! Destined to be together, and worse- soon to become parents! It couldn't be true, it couldn't! If he were Snape's soul mate he would have felt something the night they had met, he wouldn't have ended up loathing the miserable old git! It wasn't possible!! He stopped, trying to catch his breath, as the world spun around him. He sat down by some stairs and discovered he was in a part of Hogwarts where he couldn't remember having ever been before. And there on the wall on his left a weird door caught his eye. It was gray, the colour of the stone walls around it so it blended almost perfectly with its surroundings. If it hadn't been for the flakking light of a torch right over it, Harry wouldn't have noticed it at all. Despite his raging feelings a spark of adventure lit in his mind and he walked towards it and tried the doorknob. The door opened with a loud squeak and Harry hurried inside, afraid someone would see him if he hesitated. He entered a small room, lit with ever burning torches.
There was almost nothing inside the room, the walls and the floor were naked besides one item, a mirror. As Harry moved closer he recognised it. It was the very mirror where he'd seen his parents during his first year at Hogwarts! He moved towards the surface, desperately hoping to see them again, but as the surface of the mirror changed it wasn't Harry's parents who appeared.
It was a small child. It was a little girl, barely one year old. She had long black hair, green sparkly eyes, and a big smile. It looked like she was making her very first steps and she looked so concentrated Harry had to laugh. Then the surface changed and two more figures entered the mirror. Harry gasped in disbelief. Before his very eyes he saw a smiling Severus Snape lift the little girl high in the air looking truly happy. And beside him stood none other than Harry himself, he too was grinning so hard his ears were in danger of falling off. Snape handed the girl over to him and he, the mirror-Harry, did the same procedure as mirror-Snape had done before him. Then mirror-Harry sat the little girl down on the floor again and he and the mirror image of Snape stood there watching her with pride in their faces. And as the whole scene didn't seem disturbing enough the mirror-Harry turned towards the mirror-Snape and embraced him like a long lost love before he kissed him!
"NO!" Harry yelled and backed away from the image. What the hell was that?!
This mirror showed everyone's inner most secret desires, their highest wish- and THAT sure as hell wasn't Harry's highest wish!! He hurried out of the room, more confused and distraught than ever. Somewhere in the back of his mind a little voice reminded him he ought to return to the dormitory.
Ron was there, waiting for his return. If Harry wasn't back within twenty minutes he was to go straight to Dumbledore's office to tell about Snape. Oh god, how was he going to tell Ron about this? -Oh, hi Ron, not to worry, Voldemort isn't the happy daddy to be- I am!- Yeah, sure! Harry hurried down the corridor heart burning of unknown sensations. Why couldn't the second father have been Voldemort?!
"Harry! I was starting to get worried about you!" Ron sat by the fire as
Harry entered the common room. He jumped to his feet and ran towards him.
But he stopped when he discovered the look on Harry's face.
"Harry, what's wrong? He didn't hurt you did he?" A look of concern appeared on his face. Harry had told Ron about Snape last night and had spent almost six hours convincing him of the unbelievable. How the hell was Harry going to convince him about this?!
"No, he didn't try anything," Harry said and suddenly remembered he had been crying. He quickly dried his cheeks with the sleeve of his robe.
"But what's wrong, you look really upset! He didn't... kill himself or something?" In a terrifying moment Harry actually wished that that were the exact thing that had happened. Anything but this! But he instantly regretted even thinking this. He didn't want Snape nor this... thing dead. He just wished he had nothing to do with them. He wanted to be one of the spectators in this coming scandal, not one of the main events!
"No. He's alive and kicking," Harry said through gritted teeth as he imagined what his life would be from now on.
"So, is he turning himself in then?" Ron looked like he was about to burst out of curiosity.
"No." Harry answered flatly.
"So, are you?"
"Don't know." Ron gave him a calculating look.
"Harry, there's something you're not telling me!"
"Voldemort isn't the father of the... thing Snape is carrying," Harry said and felt his feet start trembling again.
"Then who is?" Ron said, looking so confused Harry was afraid the eyes would roll out of his head.
"I am." Harry looked him calmly in the eye, not showing the storm of feelings raging inside him. Now Ron looked like he was about to faint.
"Don't kid me on this, Harry!" he said, while he looked at him with unease.
Something in Harry snapped:
"Do you really think I would??!!?!" he screamed: "Do you really think I in my wildest dreams would ever imagine something more horrid?!??" New tears were streaming down his cheeks, but he didn't bother to dry them away.
"Ssshhhsh, you're waking the others," Ron whispered and laid his arm around
Harry's shoulder. "Let me help you to bed OK, you need to get some sleep.
Tomorrow we're gonna figure out what you're gonna do with the situation. This is none of your responsibility, do you hear? None! If that greasy old bat tries to lay as much as a finger on you I'm gonna grind him into mincemeat!" Harry let Ron lead him up the stairs and to bed. He was too tired to think about anything any more, he just wanted to sleep. Hopefully he would wake up in the morning discovering the whole thing had been one really bad dream.
Exactly two weeks after Hedvig flew away in the middle of a clear winter night, she returned. Harry was having breakfast in the great hall, trying hard not to stare at the man up at the teachers' table.
"Harry, you've got mail!" Ron exclaimed as Hedvig settled on the table with an important hoot.
"No, Ron- you don't say!" Harry said as he untied a small roll of parchment from Hedvig's leg. She looked so proud Harry felt guilty he didn't send more letters. He tucked the parchment down in his left pant pocket and ignored the disappointed look on Ron and Hermione's faces. He didn't know what was in the letter and therefore he didn't dare letting the others discover it with him.
He didn't get a chance to read the letter until the evening. He made an "errand" to his room all though Ron and Hermione knew exactly what he was off to. He sat down on the bed and unfolded the piece of parchment with trembling hands.
Dear Harry
So, what's this new mess you've balled yourself into? You really have a nose on digging up mysteries, but I'll go against my better judgement and trust you with this one if you say you can handle it. You're 18 years old now and probably a better wizard already than what I ever will be. As I see it you HAVE given a promise and under normal circumstances I would tell you to stick with that. So the question you'll have to ask is: Are these normal circumstances? As I don't know what's troubling you I can't advise you exactly about what to do, but I trust your sense of judgement Harry, so should you.
If you choose to confront this person, make sure there IS someone knowing where you are going and why. I know this means betraying some of the trust granted to you, but you have to think of it as your security. If this person of yours is as mighty as you claim, you'll need it.
I hope this was to some help, don't hesitate to send for me if you think you need it. I sense there is more to this than you've told me, but as I said- I trust your judgement.
The weather down here, by the way, is great! I'm working on my suntan all day long!
Sirius.
P.S: I almost forgot.. The question about your essay: There is an ancient curse named the Legravata Simouron- Curse. (very powerful spell, not reversible) What little I know of this spell is that the one casting the spell will become the second parent of the very child he impregnates the victim with. The sex of the parents are of no significance. The caster of the spell is always one of the parents. But there is one exception. If the victim of the spell has a soulbond with another person, the victim can only carry the child of his soul mate. The victim will still get cursed, but the child he/she will be carrying to term will be his/her and his/her soul mate's child.
Harry lay down on his back on the bed, not knowing if this gave him any answer at all regarding the issue of talking to Dumbledore or not. But when it came to the second parent that was another matter all together. The parent was either Voldemort or Snape's soul mate. And Harry couldn't remember seeing Snape with anyone even remotely apparent to be close to the professor. And that had to mean something. Harry decided he would tell Ron this very evening, next day he would himself have a talk with Snape.
*-*
Six months. The days seemed endless, and the nights were filled with nightmares from the past. And how much he'd grown for only the last couple of weeks! Severus was starting to look fat, no matter how much he extended the fabric of his clothes. And he knew this was nothing compared to what was coming. He would look like a balloon by the end of this. Therefore he was careful to eat extra food so everybody would assume his large appetite was the reason for his weight-gain. Now he'd just settled for the evening, and was about to dress in his nightshirt when a sharp knock resounded on the door.
"Who's there? Come back tomorrow, I'm going to bed," Severus yelled. He hated being disturbed in his private quarters, and especially at night.
"It's Harry Potter, Sir. Let me in, we need to talk!" Severus' heart sank down to his stomach. He sensed trouble coming his way.
"Go away Potter, I'm tired!" Severus claimed hoping Harry would leave.
"Let me in, or I'll talk out here! No matter what your excuses are, we're having this conversation!" Harry's voice was calm and determined. Severus opened the door with trembling hands.
"What do you want." Severus tried to look relaxed and uninterested. He sat down in his office chair not bothering to invite Harry to sit.
"I want you to tell Dumbledore about your condition!" Harry's eyes flashed a little. He seemed uneasy with the situation.
"Why should I?" Severus asked, his voice not as silky and careless as it used to be.
"Because if you don't I will!" No! How could he do this to himself?! Severus felt the well-known feeling of despair hit him in the back.
"What if I tell you no good will come from telling the headmaster?" Severus stood up from the chair, making one step towards Harry.
"Is that a threat, Sir?" Harry's eyes suddenly went cold and he backed away a little. Severus pondered for a moment if he should pretend that such was the case, but decided it wouldn't be wise.
"No, Potter- that's not a threat," he answered not able to hide the sadness in his eyes for a moment: "This is a complicated situation, you see. And I strive to keep this secret as long as I possibly can for my own and others' well being." Harry's gaze was searching his every feature. Severus could feel it on him like a laser.
"This 'other'.. It wouldn't happen to be Voldemort, would it?!" Severus could have sworn it was the trumpets of doom he was hearing.
"No," he answered heavily, no longer able to meet the young man's suspicious eyes. He started to back away from Harry now.
"Don't lie, Snape! I know how the Legravata Simouron- Curse works! Either the caster of the spell or the victim's soul mate is the parent. And I haven't seen any soul mates of yours around lately have I?!" Harry answered him calmy, but impatient as he made one step toward the retreating man.
"You've made me promise not to expose your secret, why is that? Why are you so afraid of anyone finding out? Is it because you're doing your old master a little favour? And while I'm telling you this, don't bother doing anything hasty, I've made sure the truth will get out if anything happens to me!"
Maybe it was the hormones raging in his body, maybe it was the building anger and distrust in Harry's eyes. Maybe he'd hit the wall finally and saw no way back. Tears welled up in Severus' eyes and he hadn't cried since he was seven! He sat down again, afraid his feet would betray him if he kept standing.
"If I was so afraid of being discovered bearing my master's child, don't you think I would go into hiding? Of all places do you really think I would be staying here, right under Dumbledore's nose?" Severus' voice was hoarse and he dared not look at Harry.
"Then why did you stay?" Harry wasn't convinced, Severus could hear it in his voice.
"Because I had no choice. Because my soul actually is bonded to someone, making it impossible for me to leave Hogwarts even if I wanted to." Severus buried his face in his hands, trembling and biting his lip.
"So you ARE bonded? Then please tell me what this bonding thing is, I sure as hell haven't figured it out!" The anger in Harry's voice felt like ice in his veins. The infant shifted, probably aware of the strain Severus was under. He looked up, tears now streaming down his face:
"I'm bonded. That means my soul, or my heart if you want it in the cliché way, is attached to another soul. We're destined to be together. And I can't choose to leave my soul mate in this condition even if I wanted to because it's against the stars."
"Then who's your soulmate.." Harry began, but the older man cut him off:
"That's none of your concern, Potter" He swallowed hard, as insanity knocked at the door. If he continued this play much longer he would start actually believing it himself. Harry now had a look on his face showing mixed emotions. Obviously Severus' tears startled him, he probably believed the professor didn't have the ability to cry. Still, the young man didn't seem convinced:
"But why isn't she helping you? If she's destined to be with you, why aren't you two showing it openly if this is such a great thing??" The man in the chair gave a peculiar smile, as he thought about the irony of it all.
"Because my soul mate doesn't know of his fate," he barely whispered, rubbing his forehead.
"HIS fate? So it's a he? But why doesn't he know his own fate when you seem to know everything about it?" Harry asked and took one step closer. Severus sighed.
"Because he was deceived. Our souls bonded when he was only a child. He's been taught not to look at me like that."
*-*
"Are you asking me to believe there's a father to be walking around on campus who have no idea what so ever that you two are meant for each other, who has no idea he is about to be a father??! Do you even know how ludicrous that sounds??" Harry's voice rose to an angry pitch. He was now getting outraged. How dared this man lie to him like this? He was no child! He didn't swallow any explanation, believing all to be true as long as tears were involved!
"Then please, Professor Snape," he added sarcastically: "Why haven't you told him about this?"
"Because.." the professor whispered: "He's been taught to hate and loathe me. And when this gets known he will become the father of a freak child, he will be stamped and he will know his fate and deny it, just as I have been trying to deny it this last six years. How can I steal his last months of freedom from him?"
"Well, how dare YOU decide what's best for him?!" Harry yelled. He was so angry he wanted to hit something:
"Don't you think he should have anything to say in this?! If he got to know now at least he would have some time to prepare for what is to come, have you ever considered that?!" The man in the chair seemed to shrink with every angry word that came out of Harry's mouth. But Harry didn't care. He only thought of the poor smock this man was bonded to. God, think if it was Ron? Or Neville? Maybe that was the reason Snape hated him so much, because he didn't want to be bonded with him?
"I did it to protect him.." Severus was hiding his face in his hands again.
He looked devastated. He even sobbed. But was this real? Maybe he was just faking it all.
"Protect him my ass, the only one you're trying to protect is yourself!"
Harry snarled. Then something peculiar happened. Snape stood up, he looked
Harry straight in the face, his black eyes flashed:
"Then tell me, Potter, how you would react if I came to you the first night you were at Hogwarts and told you that you and I were destined to be together. That we were soul mates. That you would never find any other than me, a twenty-years-older professor. And how would you feel if I consummated our relationship, that night, gave no thought of your young age? Because that's what I was supposed to do, Harry. Would you have known or would you have preferred to live your life without knowing of the greasy potions master that was supposed to be your eternal love?" There was a smile curling on the older man's upper-lip. Harry suddenly felt stupid. He had to admit, put like this he would have been happy never knowing if it had been him. And Severus seemed to read the answer in his face.
"I guess not," he said and turned his back to Harry: "I guess I'll let my soul mate have his last months of freedom and keep out of his way."
"No." Harry had calmed down now: "You're telling him, Severus. If I were him I would want to know. You're right, I wouldn't have wanted to know back then if I got the choice, but I would have now."
"Then:" Snape turned towards him again, very slowly, revealing a face shadowed by great inner pain and struggle: "I have to congrate you Potter, you're going to be a father."
No! This wasn't true! Snape was lying! Harry stared at the man in front of him in disbelief and horror, not knowing if he should scream at the top of his lungs.
"It's not true," he whispered: "You're lying!" But he found no comfort in
Snape's last words:
"I'm afraid not." Harry ran away.
*-*
If Severus would've been granted the choice between life and death in that precise moment his cold body would have hit the floor the same instant the young man ran out the door. The utter disgust and disbelief in his face made Severus' heart crumble to a thousand worthless pieces. What little hope he ever had about one day reuniting with his bonded was now lost. The dark side of Snape had been right all along. There was no way Harry Potter would ever fall in love with a man like him. He staggered to his bed, blinded by his sorrow and fell on it wishing it all was a bad dream he would awake from any minute. As if he ever was lucky.
*-*
Harry was out of his mind with fury, sorrow, disbelief, horror and despair.
He ran down the halls with tears streaming down his face, not aware of where he was running or why. He and Snape, soul mates! Destined to be together, and worse- soon to become parents! It couldn't be true, it couldn't! If he were Snape's soul mate he would have felt something the night they had met, he wouldn't have ended up loathing the miserable old git! It wasn't possible!! He stopped, trying to catch his breath, as the world spun around him. He sat down by some stairs and discovered he was in a part of Hogwarts where he couldn't remember having ever been before. And there on the wall on his left a weird door caught his eye. It was gray, the colour of the stone walls around it so it blended almost perfectly with its surroundings. If it hadn't been for the flakking light of a torch right over it, Harry wouldn't have noticed it at all. Despite his raging feelings a spark of adventure lit in his mind and he walked towards it and tried the doorknob. The door opened with a loud squeak and Harry hurried inside, afraid someone would see him if he hesitated. He entered a small room, lit with ever burning torches.
There was almost nothing inside the room, the walls and the floor were naked besides one item, a mirror. As Harry moved closer he recognised it. It was the very mirror where he'd seen his parents during his first year at Hogwarts! He moved towards the surface, desperately hoping to see them again, but as the surface of the mirror changed it wasn't Harry's parents who appeared.
It was a small child. It was a little girl, barely one year old. She had long black hair, green sparkly eyes, and a big smile. It looked like she was making her very first steps and she looked so concentrated Harry had to laugh. Then the surface changed and two more figures entered the mirror. Harry gasped in disbelief. Before his very eyes he saw a smiling Severus Snape lift the little girl high in the air looking truly happy. And beside him stood none other than Harry himself, he too was grinning so hard his ears were in danger of falling off. Snape handed the girl over to him and he, the mirror-Harry, did the same procedure as mirror-Snape had done before him. Then mirror-Harry sat the little girl down on the floor again and he and the mirror image of Snape stood there watching her with pride in their faces. And as the whole scene didn't seem disturbing enough the mirror-Harry turned towards the mirror-Snape and embraced him like a long lost love before he kissed him!
"NO!" Harry yelled and backed away from the image. What the hell was that?!
This mirror showed everyone's inner most secret desires, their highest wish- and THAT sure as hell wasn't Harry's highest wish!! He hurried out of the room, more confused and distraught than ever. Somewhere in the back of his mind a little voice reminded him he ought to return to the dormitory.
Ron was there, waiting for his return. If Harry wasn't back within twenty minutes he was to go straight to Dumbledore's office to tell about Snape. Oh god, how was he going to tell Ron about this? -Oh, hi Ron, not to worry, Voldemort isn't the happy daddy to be- I am!- Yeah, sure! Harry hurried down the corridor heart burning of unknown sensations. Why couldn't the second father have been Voldemort?!
"Harry! I was starting to get worried about you!" Ron sat by the fire as
Harry entered the common room. He jumped to his feet and ran towards him.
But he stopped when he discovered the look on Harry's face.
"Harry, what's wrong? He didn't hurt you did he?" A look of concern appeared on his face. Harry had told Ron about Snape last night and had spent almost six hours convincing him of the unbelievable. How the hell was Harry going to convince him about this?!
"No, he didn't try anything," Harry said and suddenly remembered he had been crying. He quickly dried his cheeks with the sleeve of his robe.
"But what's wrong, you look really upset! He didn't... kill himself or something?" In a terrifying moment Harry actually wished that that were the exact thing that had happened. Anything but this! But he instantly regretted even thinking this. He didn't want Snape nor this... thing dead. He just wished he had nothing to do with them. He wanted to be one of the spectators in this coming scandal, not one of the main events!
"No. He's alive and kicking," Harry said through gritted teeth as he imagined what his life would be from now on.
"So, is he turning himself in then?" Ron looked like he was about to burst out of curiosity.
"No." Harry answered flatly.
"So, are you?"
"Don't know." Ron gave him a calculating look.
"Harry, there's something you're not telling me!"
"Voldemort isn't the father of the... thing Snape is carrying," Harry said and felt his feet start trembling again.
"Then who is?" Ron said, looking so confused Harry was afraid the eyes would roll out of his head.
"I am." Harry looked him calmly in the eye, not showing the storm of feelings raging inside him. Now Ron looked like he was about to faint.
"Don't kid me on this, Harry!" he said, while he looked at him with unease.
Something in Harry snapped:
"Do you really think I would??!!?!" he screamed: "Do you really think I in my wildest dreams would ever imagine something more horrid?!??" New tears were streaming down his cheeks, but he didn't bother to dry them away.
"Ssshhhsh, you're waking the others," Ron whispered and laid his arm around
Harry's shoulder. "Let me help you to bed OK, you need to get some sleep.
Tomorrow we're gonna figure out what you're gonna do with the situation. This is none of your responsibility, do you hear? None! If that greasy old bat tries to lay as much as a finger on you I'm gonna grind him into mincemeat!" Harry let Ron lead him up the stairs and to bed. He was too tired to think about anything any more, he just wanted to sleep. Hopefully he would wake up in the morning discovering the whole thing had been one really bad dream.