Severus Snape woke up from a dream. His eyes opened up to his dimly lit room. His eyes traveled around his bedchambers. There was the mahogany wardrobe, next to it, the vanity that had been his mothers. He chuckled quietly. "Don't know why I even keep that. I never use it when I'm here." Technically he did use it, but only as a table to pile his things on. Currently there was a medium sized pile of parchment on it. Next to that was a slightly larger pile. They were exams and he had to finish grading them before— his eyes traveled to the calendar. The ninth. It was the seventh. "Ugh. I've got to finish those. If Potter hadn't have showed up, I would have been able to finish at least half of those." He conveniently forgot that his evening would have been taken up brewing the potion for Lupin.
He glared at the candles near the edge of the table and muttered lumen. Dumbledore had been right, the light spell was able to be used on candles and such. On the positive side, once you've used it on the object, it seemed to retain the idea, and all it needed was the trigger word. Munditia come here, he thought. With a small pop his house elf appeared in the center of his room.
"Is master able to sleep all right? 'Tis three in the morning." Munditia looked up at him worriedly.
"Yes, I am fine. I had a nightmare and it woke me up. Then I realized that I had to finished grading the exams. Would you be able to bring me a mug of hot chocolate?"
"Yes master. I'll have it right to you." With another pop, Munditia vanished. Severus crossed the room and sat at the table. (A/N: for future reference I am going to call the vanity a table.) He looked at his reflection. Hair is still greasy. He sighed and picked up the first exam. "Granger's, why don't I just save myself the trouble and give her an Outstanding? Well she might have made a mistake..." He smiled at the prospect of finding a mistake on Granger's exam.
By the time Munditia came up with the hot chocolate, Severus had just finished scrawling an Outstanding on the Granger's exam. "Master, here is your hot chocolate."
"You may go now." Severus reached for the mug and took a sip of the warm drink. He could feel the chocolate making him calm. He couldn't remember much of the dream now, but he could still recall a dark cupboard, a burning along his forehead and a woman screaming. He set the mug back on the tray and smiled a small smile when he noticed what the cup said. He reached for the next exam. Potter's. He toyed with the idea of just giving him a 'T' for Troll. He thought then that he would be fair. After all he had given his word to Minerva that he would grade fairly. After grading Potter's exam he blinked and shook his head. He graded it again. How did he manage to get an 'O'? It then occurred that he did spend a lot of time breathing down Potter's back and if he was grading him like he graded the Slytherins he would be getting an 'O'. He sighed, realizing that he didn't treat the Gryffindors very nicely. He would have to work on that after the Dark Lord's demise.
Putting Potter's exam on top of the growing pile of graded ones, he reached for the next one. Resolving to grade them fairly from now on, he shuddered looking at the next exam. This continued until morning, when Munditia replaced the tray with the now cold hot chocolate, with a tray with breakfast on it. Severus rubbed his eyes and began to eat his breakfast. There were only ten or so exams left. He decided to shower before finishing them and taking them to Dumbledore.
He put the exams into a muggle briefcase and apparated into Hogsmeade. He popped into Zonko's and bought something for Dumbledore as he was going to have a conversation that might not put the elderly wizard in the best mood. Zonko's had added a new section that was a small sign above it: Muggle Sweets. He smiled, remembering how the headmaster like lemon drops. 'Now if the only have them.' They did. Severus paid a Galleon for a pound of lemon drops. He began the walk up to the castle.
He found Dumbledore in the entrance eyeing the banister of the staircase in a most interesting way. Severus cleared his throat. "Hello Albus."
"Hello Severus. You have got your exams graded I presume?"
"Yes. I've brought them."
"You're a day early."
"I know. I wanted to have a conversation with you."
"Okay. Would you like to go up to my office?"
"That would be fine. May I inquire what were you doing when I came here?"
The older wizard laughed. "I was attempting to find the best angle to sit on the banister that would allow you gather the most speed using it as a direct mode of transportation."
"Sir?" Severus asked, a bit befuddled by the wizards phrasing.
"I was trying to find the fastest way to slide down the banister."
Severus chuckled. "I suppose the banisters are just perfect for sliding."
"That they are. You almost never smile or laugh during the year. Why?"
Severus stiffened at the question. "The students bother me. Mainly because I must act as if I only like the Slytherins."
"You find that there are other students in houses other than Slytherin that you like."
"Yes. That will be one thing I will like after Lord Voldemort's demise, is that I will be able to treat students fairly."
"I am glad that you feel that way." They had reached the gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password. (Ton-Tongue Toffee) They proceeded to go up the staircase. Dumbledore gestured to an old looking chair that was covered in red velvet. He poured tea into a cup. At Severus' nod he poured tea into a second cup patterned with what looked like a turtle's shell. Dumbledore sat down at his desk and waited for Severus to begin.
"I suppose that you are wondering why I asked you to make Lupin's potion."
"Yes I was a bit curious about that. I suppose that you are going to tell me why?"
"Yes. When I was in the Marauders Wood I found Harry Potter bathing in the pond in which the weed necessary for the potion is found. He was floating on his back relaxing. When I greeted him he sat up, or tried, as he discovered that it is rather hard to sit up in water. When he got out I saw his back." Severus went quiet, not sure how to tell Dumbledore the next part.
Dumbledore, seeing the Severus was at a loss for words, gave him a few moments to get his thoughts in order. "Please continue Severus."
"His uncle had whipped him with his belt. His back was a partially healed mass of bloody flesh. It was starting to become infected. That wasn't just it. They had abandoned him. He was left with a tent and his school things. He told me that he wasn't alone."
"Who is with him then?"
"He has a snake, and currently Draco Malfoy is residing with him. Fred and George Weasley had come upon him the first night and enchanted his tent."
"He and Draco?"
"Yes, and amazingly they are getting along."
"I wonder what brought that change upon him?" Dumbledore thought aloud, knowing the Severus probably knew why.
"His father brought him to be initiated. He refused the dark mark and his father kicked him out by throwing a portkey at him that took him to the Marauders Woods. He happened upon Harry and Harry hearing his story let Draco stay with him."
"I think that we should bring Harry and Draco here."
"No." Severus said, surprising himself.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. I believe it is because Harry has a job and is quite sufficient at supporting himself. He confided in me that he was thinking of building a home for himself in the woods as he finds it quite a nice place to live. The friendship he is building with Draco is also important. If we brought them to the castle, it would separate them and make any relationship that is forming dissipate."
"Excellent defense Severus. I think that I will pay them a visit soon just to see how they are doing. Is that all that you wanted to tell me?"
"No. When I saw the boy's back it just infuriated me. It was a sort of rage I have never experienced before." Snape looked at Dumbledore with eyes filled with worry.
"Nothing is wrong with you. I will go and get something that will help explain things to you." Dumbledore smiled reassuringly, it was the type of smile that you gave a three year old when you were telling them that there weren't any monster's under their bed. Dumbledore left his office and went to his private chambers. He glanced around the portraits. One of an old woman knitting had stopped knitting and was gazing at him warily. "Yes?"
"Oh. Nothing." The old woman resumed knitting. She was muttering something about how people didn't know how to keep their noses out of other people's business. He smiled, knowing that the old witch was right. A few minutes later Dumbledore came back with an envelope in his hand.
He held out the envelope to Severus. "It's from Lily, I'll leave you the privacy of my office to read it. I'm sorry it took so long to find, over the years I've acquired quite a few letters to be delivered at certain times."
"Oh." Severus replied staring at the letter that was now in his hand. The edges were yellowed, so it must have been in Dumbledore's possession for a while. His mind was reeling at the possibilities of what the letter could contain. The sound of the door closing caught his attention. "Might as well read it now." He opened the letter.
Severus-
I suppose that it's been awhile since you've heard from me. Especially since I am dead. I'm in the land of the living now, as I am writing this, but if I die you will get this eventually. I have instructed Dumbledore to give you this just before my son turns sixteen. There is something about him that you should know. He isn't James' son. He is yours.
Do you recall the week that I spent at your manor just before my wedding? Harry was conceived that last night that I was there. I know that he resembles James closely. What looks like James in him is actually what looks like you. I have put a charm on him that makes him look like James, as a son that resembles you will be a bit of trouble, as you are a Death Eater turned traitor to Voldemort. On his sixteenth birthday the spell will begin to fade. The visible sign of the spell is a faint scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. It also acts as a sign whether or not any curses have put on Harry. If his scar becomes more visible that means someone has cursed him. By the time Harry reaches seventeen he will look like how he was meant to look.
James knows. He is okay with it and he hopes that you and Harry will e okay with each other. He asks that you treat Harry kindly and don't hold is memory against Harry. I hope that I haven't given you too much of a shock.
Lily
Severus just sat there stunned for a few minutes dealing with the idea of him being a father over in his head. The witch who was knitting had stopped knitting again. She stood and hobbled over to the next portrait, nearly tripping over her long dark green robes in the process. "Mr. Nigellus, do you think that he is a bit more pale than usual?"
"Yes, he does appear a bit pale. Do you think that we should call Dumbledore back in?"
"I believe so," replied the witch.
"On three?" The witch nodded, causing more of her gray hair to fall out of her loose bun. Phineas counted to three and on three they called, "Dumbledore!"
"He's coming. Ma'am, may I escort you back to your portrait?"
The witch looked surprised. "Why, yes, of course."
Dumbledore entered his office and glanced over his portraits, he smiled when he saw Phineas escorting Madam (A/N: I couldn't come up with a good name) back to her portrait. When they saw that they had the headmaster's attention, they gestured towards Severus. Severus was looking as if he had been stunned. "The letter carried interesting news?"
Severus shook his head as if to clear it. "You said something? Sorry I was thinking."
"The letter carried interesting news?"
"I suppose. Why don't you read it." Severus looked down to see that he still clutched the letter in his hand.
"Okay. You seem a bit pale, would you like a bit of chocolate?"
"Yes that would be fine." Dumbledore opened up a drawer in his desk and pulled out a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. "It's a muggle candy. I find them quite tasty." He said as an explanation, he then set the candy on his desk and got the letter from Severus. Severus picked up the candy and looked at it skeptically. He shrugged and unwrapped it. To his surprise it actually tasted okay. Dumbledore set the letter down on the desk.
"You're going to have to tell Harry sometime." Dumbledore said matter-of- factly.
"Sometime soon according to the letter."
"Would you like me to do it for you?"
"Would you?"
"I would, but it would be better for you to do it."
"Good point." Severus acknowledged weakly.
"When will you do it?"
Severus just sat there glumly, contemplating how he would tell Harry that his least favorite teacher was actually his father. "I don't know. I'll have to do it soonish. I think maybe the day after tomorrow?"
"That sounds good. Would you like to join me for lunch?"
"I'd rather not. I just want to go home and think."
"That's sounds good. Why don't you go by floo?"
"That sounds good. Oh. I nearly forgot." Severus reached into his robes and pulled out the bag of lemon drops. "Zonko's added a muggle sweet's section."
"Thank you for the lemon drops. I hope you realize that you just saved me a trip to the muggle stores."
"You're welcome." Severus said as he stepped into the fireplace and said "Snape Manor."
He stepped out into the main hall at his home. Munditia was dusting the portrait frames and chatting with his ancestors. He smiled faintly.
"Master." The elf curtsied. "Will you require lunch?"
"No. I believe that I will go up to my rooms and have a nap."
"Is anything wrong master?"
"Yes. You will find out soon enough. Past events have resurfaced with a price that demands paying."
"Oh. Master will get things sorted out then." "I'm please that you have such faith in me. I do so hope that things will be sorted out." Severus left the elf to her dusting and walked up to his rooms. He climbed into his bed with all his clothes on and hugged his pillow and cried.
A/N: It's summer break and I'm up at seven thirty. In the morning. Wow. I finished editing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! Sorry it's been a while, I still have a large pile of library books due soonish. I'll read fast for you guys though.