Disclaimer: everything recognizable from the Potterverse belongs to JK Rowling.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, please forgive any typos and whatnots.

Chapter 5

I love it when you read to me.

Forty years ago…

It was cold in the room where his father had locked him. The wall bare brick, no windows. In one corner of the room on the cold stone floor was a pile of feces and specs of urine. He had not eaten in days. It was dark, and the boy could not see the blood stains on the walls and his clothes from the continuous beatings he has had to endure. But the boy didn't cry and beg to be let out, at age five Severus Snape had accepted his fate and no longer fought the walls that were closing in on him. Instead, he embraced them and, over the years, erected walls around his heart twice as thick and cold as the ones his father had used to torture him with.

But old walls have a way of toppling down, especially when there is a determined sprite stubbornly beating her hard little head against them. When it comes to saving her Daddy's heart, there is nothing this little one won't do.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two more days have passed and still it seems unreal. It probably won't live much longer anyway, Snape thought. No real need to do anything about it. Everyone already believes I've gotten rid of it. And from the expression on some of the faculty's faces ever since, no one was too happy about his supposed abortion. Well, who the hell cares what they think. I sure as hell do not!

What they don't know, won't inconvenience me, Snape thought as he lined up the ingredients up for next class. Miss Granger, now there was a strange one. He could still remember her busting in the door to his office demanding him to rethink his decision…

"You can't do this, Professor." Hermione grabbed the professor's arm. "I know it's your decision, but please reconsider. It's not only your baby, it's mine too."

Professor Snape jerked his arm out of her grasp. "Miss Granger, this abomination of nature is not meant to be born, and frankly you're out of line. This isn't your baby; it's not even a baby in any sense of the word. Now remove yourself from my office before I deduct points from Griffendor!"

"Noo," Hermione had broken down by then and was sobbing, grasping at Professor Snape's robes. Snape was at a lost as to what to do. This only happens with this particular irritating student, he thought.

"Miss Granger," The kind soothing voice of Professor Dumbledore cut threw the tension that was building up in Professor Snape. "Please, let go of Professor Snape and come with me." Gently Professor Dumbledore gathered her up and left.

He couldn't look me in the eye, Professor Snape thought as he walked back to his desk. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Maybe I should tell him…No, there's no need. The child would most certainly die. Men are not equipped with what a baby needs to develop.

Professor Snape seated himself behind his desk as he waited for his class to come streaming in. He began to silently read out loud his newest issue of Potion's Weekly when a childish giggle made him jerk up in his chair.

Storming to the other side of his desk he bellowed, "Come out right this instant before I give you detention on top of the 20 points that will be deducted from your house. This had better not be you, Potter, hiding under your damn invisibility cloak."

Jogging, he began to climb up the stairs that go up to the back of the class stopping at every level to check under each row of desks. "Come out right this instant!!"

The giggling had stopped. Professor Snape prided himself on his ability to tell if there was someone nearby or not. Maybe they snuck out already…. Probably Potter, damned piss ant of a boy.

Grumbling under his breath about Potter and Weasley, Professor Snape stomped back to his desk and checked the time; 29 more minutes until class was to start. Yanking his Potion's Weekly up from where it landed face down on the floor, he warily looked around. After a few minutes he began to read under his breath again.

"Heee hee hee," the little giggling voice started again. Only this time he could see where it was coming from.

"Oh my god!"