The Shameless Bad Ficlet
Part III

Damn, he looked good.

So maybe that wasn't something most people would think about Severus "That greasy git!" Snape. There he was, looking perfectly austere in his usual black robes

(god, he's sexy in black),

very prim, proper and all buttoned up

(mmmm, bet it would be fun to undo all those buttons)

and miracle of miracles, it seemed that he'd taken a comb and shampoo to his normally greasy hair. It looked soft and shiny for once and Harry really wanted to run his hands through it, never mind if he was going to get expelled and lose ten thousand House points for the sheer insanity of that impulse. But of course, he had his hands full with Arthur and Harry was thankful that he'd finally learned how to keep his facial expressions schooled to careful blankness, not to mention mastering Occlumency to conceal his rather...."interesting" thoughts.

So he managed to keep himself from staring like a moonstruck idiot at the Man He Was Hopelessly In Love With.

"Dear Merlin, Potter, please tell me that you have not decided to spawn already and raise a new generation of Potters to make my life miserable," Snape remarked. "I might just submit my resignation to the Headmaster yet."

"Oi!" Harry spluttered, slipping easily into the routine that they had developed after they'd managed to put behind the animosity between them. It was fairly simple - Snape always got the first snark in, Harry got flustered, tried his damnedest to snark back ("try" was the operative word here) and they'd take it from there. The Headmaster considered them both a "great source of entertainment." Hermione and Ginny considered them both a "classic case of serious UST" and when a clueless Ron and Harry asked the girls what they meant, the aforementioned ladies had a grand time seeing the boys turn interesting shades of red and purple.

Unresolved Sexual Tension indeed.

"Well, with those eyes," Snape said, looking carefully at a rather wide-eyed Arthur. "And he does look very much like you, doesn't he?"

With THAT nose? Are you joking? was what Harry really wanted to say. Arthur looked more like...

More like....

Wait a bloody minute!

Arthur made a soft "meep!" sound as Snape drew closer and the Potions Master's dark eyes softened and so did his voice. Despite his fearsome reputation with the students, Snape didn't go around scaring small children. In fact, the little ones who were brought to Hogwarts for refuge quite liked the "grouchy professor" who helped "Mam Pomfey" give them their medicines and potions.

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, the edge leaving his voice for a bit. "Or have your manners left you entirely?"

"I'm Arthur," answered the little boy, who gave him a brief, if shy smile and then proceeded to bury his face in Harry's neck.

"And he's one of the Headmaster's grandchildren," Harry said then, finally finding his wits. "He asked me to keep an eye on the little one for a bit."

"Dear me, let us hope the Headmaster doesn't regret entrusting you with the responsibility."

"We were about to go over to the Gryffindor Common Room and keep ourselves out of trouble," Harry shot back. "Does that satisfy, sir?"

"Five points from Gryffindor for impertinence." Snape smirked.

There were days when Harry couldn't decide whether he wanted to hex or snog the man. Hexing seemed like a very good idea right now.

"Oh for god's sake, are you still getting off on that points game?" Harry told him, exasperated. "I thought we gave that up ages ago."

"We still happen to be in school, Mr. Potter. And I am still your teacher."

"Only for about 90 more days though," Harry countered.

"Counting them off, are you?" Snape drawled silkily.

"Every blessed minute." And not for the reasons you're thinking either. Oh, Merlin, I did NOT just think that. All right, so snogging seemed to be gaining the upper hand here – damn that honey-dark voice that went straight to certain places in his body that he'd really rather not think about as of the moment.

"Believe me, I'm looking forward to the blessed day myself. If only to get a little peace and quiet in my remaining years."

"You're not exactly ready for the Elderly Wizards' Home yet, Professor," Harry said wryly. Definitely not that old… not with that arse on him. Who knew he had that under all those robes?

"Flattery will not get you those house points back," Snape smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Like I was actually expecting it?"

Arthur whispered urgently, "Papa doesn't live in the Elderly Wizards' Home. He lives with us in our house!"

Harry nearly dropped Arthur then and there. "Papa?!" he said incredulously.

Snape stepped forward in concern, "Potter, are you all right?"

Arthur had the grace to look sheepish. "Ooops?"

"He absolutely can NOT be your father!" Harry said heatedly. I will not blush. I will NOT BLOODY blush!

"Other father," Arthur corrected. "He's Papa and you're Daddy." And then, the child added with a very Snape-like arch to his eyebrow, "Besides, you married him!"

"What in blazes is going on around here?!" Snape demanded.

Harry was actually wishing for Voldemort to come back. For Lucius Malfoy to escape from Azkaban, even. Anything to get him out of this.

He waited.

No such luck.

"I was telling him about my Papa," Arthur said calmly. "I think I just surprised him, is all."

My son the Slytherin, Harry thought dazedly.

"Who happens to be married to Mr. Potter?" Snape inquired with the same eyebrow arch. Good grief, how could he miss THAT? Harry thought, looking from the child to the older version standing right in front of him.

And, oh yeah: "I'm not married!" Harry protested.

"I was joking," Arthur said in turn.

"Yes, he was joking. So, if you'd excuse me, Professor, I really must go. I have to put him down for a nap." Harry was babbling and he didn't care. He HAD to get out of there.

"Yes, I get cranky if I don't have a nap," Arthur put in helpfully.

"Yes, yes, he's right...very cranky. Not a good thing for a little chap like him. So off we go, bye, Professor, see you later, love."

And Harry walked, no, RAN as fast as he could in the general direction of Gryffindor Tower. If he'd bothered to look back, he might have had the pleasure of seeing a completely flabbergasted Severus Snape.

"Love?!" Snape said incredulously.

And then, Severus Snape, for some reason, blushed.

-tbc-