Disclaimer:
All things not Gabriel or Allosia belong to JKR.
Further allusions to Snape and sick wards in here - I've written a lot of back story mentally on him, and that's where this comes from - both the breathing problems I refer to here and there, and also stuff about his mom that I haven't gone into any detail on yet- will be in the prequels, as will more info on that allusion a few chapters back to the purity of lack there of, of the Snape bloodline.
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As Snape rose from filing his latest secret missive to Allosia, he heard as knock at his office door and Dumbledore entered, a sleeping Gabriel in his arms.
"I thought you might want him back," Dumbeldore said good-naturedly, setting the boy down in a chair without waking him.
"Thank you for watching him," Snape said, feeling uncomfortable.
"It's no trouble at all. How's Allosia?"
Snape ran a hand through his lank hair. "She'll be alright."
"And you?" Dumbeldore asked.
Snape shrugged. "That really depends on how she feels about being a virtual prisoner here, don't you think?" he said as sharply as he could through his exhaustion.
"I don't really think it's as bad as all that, Severus."
"No?" he said, whispering his anger because of his sleeping son. "There's a reason she hadn't been beyond Hogsmeade since the wedding, and I only let her go and do this because she had me half convinced that my real concern was that she would leave me and then Lucius goes and happens!"
"Perhaps next time, you should travel with her then," Dumbledore said, trying to hide his slight amusement at Snape not seeing the obvious solution.
"And what if I get called away?" he asked, holding up his marked arm.
"Then have her apparate with the baby to Hogsmeade."
Snape sighed. It was almost a good solution, but still screamed opportunities for accidents and worse to happen. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's all rather moot at the moment, anyway," he said by way of not having to acknowledge Dumbledore's correctness.
"Did you fight already?"
Snape raised his head and looked at the headmaster. He suspected the man had known already, and was just waiting for him to tell his dreadful version of the whole thing. "More or less. I screamed at her, she told me to get out, effectively."
"I can't imagine your temper would be very easy for her to deal with right now. Do you even know what happened to her yet."
"Malfoy et al beat the shit out of her for a day, what's there to know."
"The details Severus, the details," Dumbledore said in a sad whisper, "may inform why her usual perseverance in dealing with your tempers might very well be lacking. I suggest you consider it, before you raise the issue with her again."
"Poppy will have her for at least a day anyway," he said, brushing the wisdom aside. He was embarrassed. He should have known better.
"And that is no reason not to visit her."
"Albus you know - "
"Sick wards make you uncomfortable? They do us all, you're at least equipped to deal with them."
Snape nodded, feeling a bit vanquished. He looked at his son. "I should get him up to bed." In passing he thought the child was a blessing, if only as a way to get out of conversations he didn't want to deal with.
Dumbeldore nodded. "Of course, of course, if you need anything, let me know."
And turned to leave, Snape following behind with the boy in his arms.
All things not Gabriel or Allosia belong to JKR.
Further allusions to Snape and sick wards in here - I've written a lot of back story mentally on him, and that's where this comes from - both the breathing problems I refer to here and there, and also stuff about his mom that I haven't gone into any detail on yet- will be in the prequels, as will more info on that allusion a few chapters back to the purity of lack there of, of the Snape bloodline.
---------------
As Snape rose from filing his latest secret missive to Allosia, he heard as knock at his office door and Dumbledore entered, a sleeping Gabriel in his arms.
"I thought you might want him back," Dumbeldore said good-naturedly, setting the boy down in a chair without waking him.
"Thank you for watching him," Snape said, feeling uncomfortable.
"It's no trouble at all. How's Allosia?"
Snape ran a hand through his lank hair. "She'll be alright."
"And you?" Dumbeldore asked.
Snape shrugged. "That really depends on how she feels about being a virtual prisoner here, don't you think?" he said as sharply as he could through his exhaustion.
"I don't really think it's as bad as all that, Severus."
"No?" he said, whispering his anger because of his sleeping son. "There's a reason she hadn't been beyond Hogsmeade since the wedding, and I only let her go and do this because she had me half convinced that my real concern was that she would leave me and then Lucius goes and happens!"
"Perhaps next time, you should travel with her then," Dumbledore said, trying to hide his slight amusement at Snape not seeing the obvious solution.
"And what if I get called away?" he asked, holding up his marked arm.
"Then have her apparate with the baby to Hogsmeade."
Snape sighed. It was almost a good solution, but still screamed opportunities for accidents and worse to happen. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's all rather moot at the moment, anyway," he said by way of not having to acknowledge Dumbledore's correctness.
"Did you fight already?"
Snape raised his head and looked at the headmaster. He suspected the man had known already, and was just waiting for him to tell his dreadful version of the whole thing. "More or less. I screamed at her, she told me to get out, effectively."
"I can't imagine your temper would be very easy for her to deal with right now. Do you even know what happened to her yet."
"Malfoy et al beat the shit out of her for a day, what's there to know."
"The details Severus, the details," Dumbledore said in a sad whisper, "may inform why her usual perseverance in dealing with your tempers might very well be lacking. I suggest you consider it, before you raise the issue with her again."
"Poppy will have her for at least a day anyway," he said, brushing the wisdom aside. He was embarrassed. He should have known better.
"And that is no reason not to visit her."
"Albus you know - "
"Sick wards make you uncomfortable? They do us all, you're at least equipped to deal with them."
Snape nodded, feeling a bit vanquished. He looked at his son. "I should get him up to bed." In passing he thought the child was a blessing, if only as a way to get out of conversations he didn't want to deal with.
Dumbeldore nodded. "Of course, of course, if you need anything, let me know."
And turned to leave, Snape following behind with the boy in his arms.