Title: A Mother's Secret
Author: ayswen
Rating: PG (currently. subject to change)
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Hermione/Ron
Notes: This is in response to Severitus' "Snape is Harry's father" challenge. Also, contains a male:male relationship. I have a ton of this already written, but I wanted to get a response first. Anyone interested in working for me as a beta would totally rock.
Disclaimer: Original challenge given by Severitus (Definitely read her A Father's Sin- It rocks.) Characters and the world created aren't mine- they belong to JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox.
Summary: When Harry wakes up to find himself looking more like Snape every day, he investigates his past and discovers his mother's secret- but so does everyone else. The Dark lurks on the horizon while upheaval rips Harry's fragile life into pieces.

Prologue: Not Quite Right

Harry wouldn't say he was upset about the changes his body was taking, he might instead say that he was rather distressed about them. Or just scared shitless. It'd been pretty odd when his hair had grown out over night to his shoulders. He hadn't performed any accidental magic of that sort since he was ten. And why had he done it now, so unconsciously? It'd also darkened a bit, which was also rather odd. He'd grown taller also than he thought he would, and instead of staying a small rather scrawny boy as he had been in his childhood his shoulders had started to fill out.

He'd seen pictures of his father, and he didn't have any such feature. He'd been a lanky man, and by no means broad. He'd seen a thousand photos of his mother's family and despite Dudley's godzillan size; he hadn't gotten that from the Evans family. Why then, he had to wonder was he changing so much?

Was this just some horrible growth spurt from puberty or was this some kind of accidental magic- like his hair? He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to start breakfast as he had been instructed to do each morning, upon his arrival home from Hogwarts, when he found Aunt Petunia already at the griddle flipping tiny pancakes into the air. "Good Morning, Aunt Petunia." He tried to be nice, even if he family was horrible to him. He had to stay there after all.

She turned around, probably to yell at him, when she started. "Good Lord! Who are you!?"

Harry stared. "Who am I? I'm Harry."

She stared hard, looking for the child she knew, and I knew that she was feeling exactly the same as I did when I stared at myself in the mirror after my shower. "You've changed so much, so fast. At least you hair is respectable now. You finish these. I have to wake up Duddie-poos."

Harry finished the pancakes, and then set the table before heading out the door. He needed some time away- some time to think, and meditate about what was going on with his body. He was well aware of what his body was supposed to do at this age of course, but this this seemed a little drastic. He thought of writing to his godfather- but the thought of that- he blushed. He could just imagine his uncle's response. He thought of his friends- no that wouldn't do. Dumbledore- Dumbledore might be able to do something, but- how embarrassing. Professor Lupin yes. That sounded like the perfect idea. Harry jogged back to the house. Dudley was already in his room blasting shitty girlpop from his room. Petunia had left a note. She'd gone to the corner market. He was to clean the dishes. He picked at the leftovers, and had an apple before doing the dishes up quickly, and heading upstairs.

He had to pry up the floorboards to get to his ink and parchement but in no time at all he was sitting at a makeshift desk- him laying on his floor, paper against it, with several sheets below to keep from tearing from uneven parts of the floor.

Dear Professor Lupin-

I have a tiny question for you. Uhm, this is kind of embarrassing, but I have to ask anyway. I can't ask the Weasley's, or Sirius. If you don't have time to bother, I'd completely understand. I know you're pretty busy, and it might be the wrong time of the month or something but I hope you can help me.

Recently I've been doing a lot of accidental magic. Like, my hair growing over night, and maybe the changes are magical too, I'm not sure. Thing is, everyone says I look just like James, but I don't! I don't know what's going on! I'm the wrong shape, my hair's darker, now. I feel like the only things that haven't changed are my eyes, and my scar. Is it normal for wizard boys to change this much?

Harry

*

Remus Lupin sat at his desk, his projects set aside, and stared at the letter in his hands. Hedwig sat on a chair by the window waiting for a response. He read the letter twice. He needed to see Harry. Was it really as bad as all that? It was the comment about being the wrong shape that really had Remus confused. What had that meant?

He wrote on the bottom of the letter in his blue ink.

Harry-
I'll be by the house Thursday afternoon. We'll have a look at you.
Remus.

Remus heard the door open and shut downstairs. He walked to the door to greet his lover, home from Hogwarts for the weekend. Bless the summer hols. "Sev?!"

*

Harry got the letter and smiled. He'd see Professor Lupin! He hadn't seen Remus in over a year, and he looked forward to that, and someone would tell him what was going on! It would be several days, but—he could wait. He'd waited a while, a little bit more wouldn't hurt. He fell asleep in bed, smiling. He'd know soon enough.