Part 7: Congratulations
It was a somewhat grumpy Potions master that made his towards the
hospital wing later that afternoon. The headmaster had once again
denied him the pleasure of punishing two of the most annoying
Gryffindors; stating that "boys will be boys" and "they thought they
were protecting a baby" and his suspicions about there being nothing
do about the youth potion gone wrong, had been confirmed. There was
an antidote but it had a time limit of 48 hours. After 48 hours it
would not work and one would just to wait until the youth potion
wore off, which could take some time. Snape sighed to himself; he
hoped William would decide to stay at Hogwarts with the baby while
waiting for the potion to wear off. Perhaps they could get
reacquainted.
The sound of delighted giggling derailed that train of thought and
he stopped just inside the entrance and looked around curiously.
Madam Pomfrey was sitting at her desk, reading very intently,
William was sleeping in one of the beds and the baby, the source of
the delighted giggling, was sitting on the floor. He was waving his
tiny hands around trying to catch a feather that was floating in
front of him.
Snape blinked, then took a second to glance at madam Pomfrey who was
still intently reading, before he looked at the baby again. It could
be a charm that made the feather float like that, it was not
uncommon for wizard parents to charm their children's toys; though
there was something about the way that feather moved. It moved like
it was the baby that was controlling the floating. Snape looked at
madam Pomfrey again and met the matron's amused eyes. And then like
she knew what he was thinking, she nodded and Snape could feel his
jaw drop to the floor.
Madam Pomfrey felt like giggling, but managed to hold it in. The
look of utter surprise on Snape's face! She knew she wouldn't be way
off if she guessed that very few, if any at all, had seen the stone-
faced potions master look like that. She almost felt privileged and
wondered how he would react to her other news. Glancing at Xander
she saw that he'd stopped his feather game and was now stretching
his arms towards Snape with an expectant look in his eyes. The
matron predicted large amounts of amusement in the future.
"Do close your mouth Severus, and sit down. Also you might want to
pick up Xander."
The snap of the jaw closing was almost audible. Snape looked at her,
the child and then back at her.
"Yes Severus, pick up the child and sit."
When Snape still hesitated she prompted him. "Now Severus."
She watched amused as he stiffly picked up Xander and sat down in
the chair in front of her desk. Xander himself had a large smile on
his face and seemed utterly delighted by the turn of events. The
little child made himself comfortable in Snape's lap and looked at
madam Pomfrey as if he was waiting for what she was going to say.
And he probably was she thought to herself.
"Now first, did you find a quick solution to Xander's little mishap?
"
Snape shook his head.
"Ah yes, I suspected as much. Well then, he will just have to grow
up as the potion wears off. Am I right?"
Nod.
The fact that Snape, a man that always had something to say, still
hadn't spoken a word, made her halt for a moment. If he reacted this
strongly just to the information he'd already received; how would he
react to everything else she had to say. Perhaps if she were lucky,
she'd be able to see him faint. *That* would be a sight. She almost
giggled again.
"First I wanted to talk about William. As you've surely noticed,
he's sleeping. Even if there are no other outer signs than his
thinness, he's in a poor shape. I believe he hasn't been feeding
properly for a very long time. I did ask him about it, but he
refused to answer and he also refused my offer of blood. I still
forced some in him and put him in a healing sleep. He should be
better once he wakes up, but you should still talk to him about why
he hasn't been feeding and why he would refuse an offer of my blood.
The old William would have jumped at the offer."
Again a nod.
Madam Pomfrey thought about commenting about Snape's speechless
state, but refrained as she felt what she was going to say next, was
more important.
"And then there's little Xander here."
Both looked at the boy in question who had cuddled further into the
potion master's lap and was looking at them curiously.
"I'm sure you think you've figured out part of who he can be, but.."
"But? There aren't all that many options. As far as I know there are
only four wizarding families in Britain whom has the ability to do
wandless magic this young and without training and enormous effort."
Of course he would regain his ability to speak just to interrupt
her. Sending him a glare, which had no effect on him, she continued.
"Yes Severus, that is right. Four families in Britain; Dumbledore,
Malfoy, Snape and LaVelle. And little Xander here does not only
belong to one of them, he belongs to two."
Blink.
"When I was checking him for injuries, I also did a paternity spell.
I must say I was quite shocked to learn who his father is. Honestly
that would have been my last guess."
"Just spit it out woman."
Snape, who by now was very annoyed, almost shouted. The urge to
giggle surfaced again and madam Pomfrey felt deliciously evil.
"Congratulations Severus, you have a beautiful baby boy."
TBC
It was a somewhat grumpy Potions master that made his towards the
hospital wing later that afternoon. The headmaster had once again
denied him the pleasure of punishing two of the most annoying
Gryffindors; stating that "boys will be boys" and "they thought they
were protecting a baby" and his suspicions about there being nothing
do about the youth potion gone wrong, had been confirmed. There was
an antidote but it had a time limit of 48 hours. After 48 hours it
would not work and one would just to wait until the youth potion
wore off, which could take some time. Snape sighed to himself; he
hoped William would decide to stay at Hogwarts with the baby while
waiting for the potion to wear off. Perhaps they could get
reacquainted.
The sound of delighted giggling derailed that train of thought and
he stopped just inside the entrance and looked around curiously.
Madam Pomfrey was sitting at her desk, reading very intently,
William was sleeping in one of the beds and the baby, the source of
the delighted giggling, was sitting on the floor. He was waving his
tiny hands around trying to catch a feather that was floating in
front of him.
Snape blinked, then took a second to glance at madam Pomfrey who was
still intently reading, before he looked at the baby again. It could
be a charm that made the feather float like that, it was not
uncommon for wizard parents to charm their children's toys; though
there was something about the way that feather moved. It moved like
it was the baby that was controlling the floating. Snape looked at
madam Pomfrey again and met the matron's amused eyes. And then like
she knew what he was thinking, she nodded and Snape could feel his
jaw drop to the floor.
Madam Pomfrey felt like giggling, but managed to hold it in. The
look of utter surprise on Snape's face! She knew she wouldn't be way
off if she guessed that very few, if any at all, had seen the stone-
faced potions master look like that. She almost felt privileged and
wondered how he would react to her other news. Glancing at Xander
she saw that he'd stopped his feather game and was now stretching
his arms towards Snape with an expectant look in his eyes. The
matron predicted large amounts of amusement in the future.
"Do close your mouth Severus, and sit down. Also you might want to
pick up Xander."
The snap of the jaw closing was almost audible. Snape looked at her,
the child and then back at her.
"Yes Severus, pick up the child and sit."
When Snape still hesitated she prompted him. "Now Severus."
She watched amused as he stiffly picked up Xander and sat down in
the chair in front of her desk. Xander himself had a large smile on
his face and seemed utterly delighted by the turn of events. The
little child made himself comfortable in Snape's lap and looked at
madam Pomfrey as if he was waiting for what she was going to say.
And he probably was she thought to herself.
"Now first, did you find a quick solution to Xander's little mishap?
"
Snape shook his head.
"Ah yes, I suspected as much. Well then, he will just have to grow
up as the potion wears off. Am I right?"
Nod.
The fact that Snape, a man that always had something to say, still
hadn't spoken a word, made her halt for a moment. If he reacted this
strongly just to the information he'd already received; how would he
react to everything else she had to say. Perhaps if she were lucky,
she'd be able to see him faint. *That* would be a sight. She almost
giggled again.
"First I wanted to talk about William. As you've surely noticed,
he's sleeping. Even if there are no other outer signs than his
thinness, he's in a poor shape. I believe he hasn't been feeding
properly for a very long time. I did ask him about it, but he
refused to answer and he also refused my offer of blood. I still
forced some in him and put him in a healing sleep. He should be
better once he wakes up, but you should still talk to him about why
he hasn't been feeding and why he would refuse an offer of my blood.
The old William would have jumped at the offer."
Again a nod.
Madam Pomfrey thought about commenting about Snape's speechless
state, but refrained as she felt what she was going to say next, was
more important.
"And then there's little Xander here."
Both looked at the boy in question who had cuddled further into the
potion master's lap and was looking at them curiously.
"I'm sure you think you've figured out part of who he can be, but.."
"But? There aren't all that many options. As far as I know there are
only four wizarding families in Britain whom has the ability to do
wandless magic this young and without training and enormous effort."
Of course he would regain his ability to speak just to interrupt
her. Sending him a glare, which had no effect on him, she continued.
"Yes Severus, that is right. Four families in Britain; Dumbledore,
Malfoy, Snape and LaVelle. And little Xander here does not only
belong to one of them, he belongs to two."
Blink.
"When I was checking him for injuries, I also did a paternity spell.
I must say I was quite shocked to learn who his father is. Honestly
that would have been my last guess."
"Just spit it out woman."
Snape, who by now was very annoyed, almost shouted. The urge to
giggle surfaced again and madam Pomfrey felt deliciously evil.
"Congratulations Severus, you have a beautiful baby boy."
TBC