athenakitty - In a bit of a shock? O.O That's rather an understatement, isn't it? Harry/Sheldon's completely beside himself! And the only reason why it took everyone so long to find about Harry/Sheldon's true father is that in the first version it only took them a week. But finally I decided it would be more realistic to let pass some time until Harry/Sheldon is completely exhausted.

loverofthedarkness - I hope you will like this chapter as well. You see, I try to update as soon as possible.

A/N: 6 pages! Well, 5 and a quarter. Perhaps this is a sort of OOC, I'm not sure about that. I just imagined that scene when Snape finally speaks to Harry in the Hospital Wing.

This was beta'ed by Tabitha78!

Chapter 4 - Once you've gotten used to it...

Snape looked over to the bed where his son was laying.

"Albus, this cannot be true! I mean..." He hesitated. "Well perhaps it would be the best for Harry if we erase his memory and let him live on like he did before he found out."

Dumbledore had ordered Poppy and Hagrid to not tell anybody about Sheldon McGraw being Harry Potter and Harry Potter being Harry Snape.

"I know this is a difficult situation you are in. But we just can't steal his memories. Unless... you don't want him and order me to do it."

Snape hesitated. "Don't want him? I don't want him to get into any greater danger than he already is in! And I have to admit that I felt sorry for him. Harry Potter is already in many problems. Then he is pulled from his little safe world and an old letter from his mother reveals that the great James Potter isn't his father. And then it takes him three weeks to read the rest and realises that his former father's enemy is his father. The poor boy has done nothing to deserve this."

"You do like him?" Dumbledore looked into Severus stern face.

"I... can't deny I do care for him... in some way." Snape looked over to the bed once again. "This afternoon, when he was sitting there and screaming, I could not help myself, but I wanted to pull him into my arms and comfort him. I've never seen someone so young just so desolated! And now I am all of a sudden his father. And it's this one thought that causes him so much pain. Albus, please! If you consider erasing his mind, consider to erase mine as well."

"Severus! What are you talking about?" Minerva McGonagall was standing in the room. Obviously she had overheard at least the last sentence. "Why should Albus erase anyone's memories?" Snape nodded at Dumbledore's questioning look.

"Minerva, please have a seat, we have to tell you the truth as well."

xXxXx

Harry had been awake quite a long time. He had heard at least three people talking just a few steps away from the bed in which he was laying.

Suddenly Harry felt that someone was looking at him. When the feeling had gone he risked to have a look around. Dumbledore, McGonagall and... Snape were sitting there talking. They obviously were talking about what to do with him.

What would they decide to do with him? Snape... Snape was his father. Harry didn't dislike the thought of having a living father and he... well... he felt that he could have gotten along well with Snape. But unfortunately Snape loathed him as much or even more than even the Dursleys did.

Suddenly he realized Snape was looking at him. He stared at the wizard's face quite a long time before turning his face back to the ceiling.

xXxXx

"Will the two of you please excuse me for a while?" Dumbledore and McGonagall nodded and Snape took his chair and settled himself next to Harry's bed.

Dumbledore had assured him that Harry didn't hate him, and that Harry wasn't the brat Snape thought he was, but still his heart was beating hard against his chest.

He cleared his throat. "So, you are awake then?"

"Seems so, huh?" Harry answered, his face still turned towards the ceiling.

"We had a long... well... we talked very long about what should happen to you now."

"Found any proper solution?" Harry was afraid. No, he definitely didn't want to hear about any solution. Snape hated him, Snape wouldn't care about him, and Snape definitely wouldn't want to be his father.

"I... suggested that we should erase your memories of the events." There it was. This was the proof for Harry. Snape didn't want to be Harry's father.

"Well..." Harry cleared his throat. "I have no objection."

"I asked the headmaster to erase my memories as well. He had an objection."

Harry felt tears were dwelling in his eyes. Why did Dumbledore do this to him? Why did he want Harry to remember losing his first and his real father?

"Well..." His throat ached terribly from the effort of fighting the tears back.

"He told me that this... wasn't the right way to show you... I care about you. He told me to try and... talk to you."

Severus saw the tears running down his son's face and looked at him scared.

"What's wrong with you?" He almost jumped out of his chair and stared down at Harry with concern. When Snape ran his hand over Harry's cheek to wipe away some of the tears, the boy suddenly sat up and laid his arms tight around his father's neck.

Severus features softened as he laid his arms around his son's warm body and settled himself on the edge of the bed. Now, at last, he was able to comfort his son.

xXxXx

Dumbledore noticed. "Look, Minerva. I think they crossed some of the gaps separating them for the past years."

"But I wonder how long this is going to work?" She questioned.

xXxXx

Harry woke up when the bright sunlight was already filling the room. It was the first morning in what seemed like ages he begun with a satisfied yawn.

Yes, he definitely felt fine. He had slept as long as he wanted to and no one would keep him from drifting back into sleep once more.

"You are awake?"

"I'm not certain 'bout that!" Harry yawned when Madame Pomfrey came to look after him.

"Alright, what should I call you now? Mr. Potter or Mr. Snape?"

"I think, I'm officially Mr. McGraw, aren't I?"

"Right then. Mr. McGraw, take your potions and rest a little bit." Harry nodded.

He had a little nap until a loud crowd entered the hospital wing. Harry opened his eyes and saw the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"What happened?" asked Poppy.

"Ron seems to have broken his leg." Ginny gave the needed information. Harry took sight of Ginny and also saw Hermione behind the injured team captain.

Everyone was so occupied with the keeper that no one realized that they were being watched by the other boy. However, after a few minutes, Hermione looked over to Harry and he looked away. He heard her steps on the stone floor.

"Hi. Sheldon, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, right. Hermione, I guess." She looked at him with a pleased smile.

"I was just wondering if you were alright?"

"Thank you, I feel fine." He looked at her and she smiled.

"Everyone was wondering after the... outburst yesterday. Well, you were very pale during the last week." Obviously she wanted him to answer.

"Well... there was a lot of work to be done... yesterday just was sort of... you know. That was rather embarrassing, right?"

She nodded.

"What happened to him?" Harry asked and pointed towards Ron.

"Quidditch tryouts. Our team needs a few people. We even have to find a new seeker."

"I know. They all are quite sad that Potter's gone now, aren't they?"

"Well, he had fascinating seeker qualities and he was a very good friend. But he was in danger, too. He... sent a letter that he went into hiding."

Hermione looked at the boy in front of her. There was nothing unusual in his expression.

"Right." They went silent.

Hermione was about to say something when a silky voice spoke to the both of them.

"Oh, Granger. You two already friends?"

Harry would have cursed him if they would have been in any other situation. But Harry saw the little spark in Severus eyes.

"No, we just had a little chat." Hermione looked at the Potions Master and realized the caring look on his face. He took a closer look at the young man in the bed before her. She couldn't help but wonder.... Could it be? "I think I have to go now. It seems like Ron is ready to leave."

"My best wishes for Mr. Weasley, Gryffindor will need a healthy keeper. Hufflepuff is quite often underestimated."

Hermione eyes went big and then smiled.

"Thank you!" she mumbled and almost ran away. No, this was actually nothing she should tell Ron, he would accuse her of playing pranks on him.

"Did I scare her?" Severus asked his son.

Harry smiled at the little joke. "Perhaps?"

"I'm rather a bad dad, aren't I?" Severus took seat on a chair next to the bed. "Scaring your friends away." Harry smiled at his worried expression. He should say something.

"You... perhaps you should try to be a father... and we can talk about the dad-thing later?!" His usually pale cheeks blushed slightly.

He had a father, he really had a father. And this father did care for him.

"Well, I will try!" Severus blushed slightly, too. "How do you feel?"

"I think I feel fine, although I'm confused. I cannot explain my feelings to myself. How can I explain it to someone else?"

Snape cleared his throat. "I think I can explain this. I acted rather cruel. I just thought you hated me, as your father did. In every move I saw your father and his arrogance. So, why shouldn't I hate you in return? I thought you were a spoilt little arrogant brat."

Suddenly Harry's hands became very interesting to Harry. "I'm sorry!"

"Why are you sorry? You never gave me the feeling that you hated me. I just... Well, I do understand your despair."

"No... you don't understand. Over the years it was easier for me to blame you for everything that went wrong. Somehow, I found some way to blame you every time. Well, that was rather stupid. I made your life worse."

Severus looked down at him. Yes, this boy had been the bane of his existence, the boy who wouldn't die. A sudden cough escaped his throat.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded. How had this thought infiltrated his mind? "I just had an odd thought," admitted Snape.

Well, a very odd thought.

"You don't have to worry about me," added Severus.

Harry's face changed.

"But I do worry. You are... well, you are the first father I have actually known. You are my only living relative. I just have to worry!" Harry responded.

"What about your mother's family?" Snape was curious.

"They are... forget it." Harry's eyes filled with both disgust and fear.

One eyebrow rose. "What's wrong with them?"

"Wrong? What's wrong with them? They are wrong!" Harry yelled.

Severus face hardened and he put one some kind of death glare. "Tell me!" He was surprised about the power of his feelings. He never had expected his fatherly feelings developing so soon.

"Oh, they just treated me bad. Nothing compared to some of potion classes I went through in my life." Harry smiled, but his features hardened, too. "Well, the most time."

"Don't tell me that..." No, at first he just didn't want to tell But then he realized he did not owe anything to them. He did not have to protect them.

"Uncle Vernon... sometimes he... well... he has beaten me. Sometimes, when I couldn't fulfil his expectations or because I did fulfil his expectations, he got angry. I survived it, didn't I?"

Severus face was unreadable. Only in his eyes the raging fury could be seen. "They will... they will have to pay!"

Harry shook his head. "Don't. You wouldn't be any better than they are!" Severus just nodded and then his lips curled in a faint smile. "I don't want you to become a murderer because of... them."

"Alright... Sheldon. Or would you prefer Harry?" he asked quiet.

"No... I'm quite unsure about my name. I'm not Harry Potter anymore, but that doesn't automatically make me Sheldon McGraw. At least, I don't feel like I am Sheldon McGraw." Harry paused. "I seem to have to repeat this over and over again."

Severus just nodded. He pitied the boy at least a little bit.

All a sudden Severus caught hold of his left forearm.

"I know, you have to leave. He's rather angry right now, isn't he?"

"That's none of your business!" Severus told the boy with dismay. "Sorry. It just hurts rather badly."

"Aw, I know. Good Luck, then."

Snape rose from his chair. "Would you mind if I came around later?"

"No, definitely not! Could you do me a favour?" Harry looked up at the professor.

"I'm definitely not going to do anything stupid on this meeting in order to get myself killed." Snape replied, trying to guess what he was going to say.

"I'm already bored here. Could you bring me some books?"

"You know that you haven't finished all your homework yet?"

"I do, but I really want to read a little bit."

Snape nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

He vanished with billowing robes, a quite impressive exit to those who only knew him as angry and sneering potions master.

Harry sat around for some time and was very pleased when Madame Pomfrey finally let go of him and he was allowed to leave. He walked over the grounds and took a seat at the beach by the lake. The sun shone bright, but suddenly his vision faded and everything became black.

xXx

Harry opened his eyes and was confused by his surroundings. It was almost pitch-black in the room and Harry could only suspect that he was surrounded by many people, no, actually he just knew it. In front of him someone was kneeling and Harry felt a surge of annoyance when he looked on the foreseen nuisance.

"You promised me an heir! Where is he?" Harry demanded.

"My Lord, I'm sorry to tell you, but I have not made any further progress!"

"That's disappointing. I'm already having my doubts about his existence!"

"My Lord, I'm sure I can find him, but the term has just started. I cannot go on sabbatical right now."

Harry snorted.

"I'm wondering if your work isn't keeping you from fulfilling your duties as my Death Eater!"

"My Lord, I will find him!" Harry felt a strong surge of anger to the promise which had been broken so often before.

"Crucio!" The man doubled over in pain, but made no sound except from some moans. Harry felt disappointment, and the curse was lifted soon.

"Severus! Tell me, what have you found out about the whereabouts of Harry Potter?"

"I tried hard, my Lord, but obviously not hard enough. I do not expect to be treated with mercy, my Lord!"

This is Snape... no!

"Pray tell, why did you fail again? And perhaps you could remind me, why you are still alive, useless?"

Harry felt the anger like it was his own. No, this was not his anger

"Dumbledore keeps the knowledge of Potter's whereabouts secret. No one else knows anything."

"Does Dumbledore suspect anything?"

"No, my Lord! I was and I am able to keep him in the dark."

"That's something, at least. But you disappointed me deeply. Crucio!"

Harry watched the man bending with pain and a wave of pleasure overcame him.

No, no! He is in pain, I need to help him!

The curse was lifted after a few seconds.

"Well, let's go on. I heard about a new student attending Hogwarts at the beginning of the year?"

"There were almost fifty of them, my Lord!"

"Crucio!" The curse lasted longer this time. "You know which one I'm interested in!"

"My Lord. His name is Sheldon Richard McGraw and he went to school in Alaska. No one has any further information on his family or the boy himself." Snape was breathing heavy. That was no surprise, he had been under the Crucatius three times in about seven minutes. Actually, it was a surprise he still was able to keep himself upright.

"CRUCIO!" This time Snape screamed. "You think you kept the old man in the dark? Are you sure? It rather sounds like he is keeping you in the dark, loyal one."

Harry's vision faded and he began to feel the pain in his own head.

xXx

Harry screamed. His scar was burning like it was set on fire. He didn't bother where he was and who was witness to his... outburst. And then, when the pain in his head was on its peak everything was clear to him.

He had to stop screaming, he had to see Dumbledore, he had to rescue his father, even if he was a filthy git. Yet, he was Harry's father.

"At least he stopped screaming!" someone sighed. He didn't care about that.

"Condemn the living! Condemn the living! Condemn the living!" Harry muttered.

"What is he talking about now?"

"I don't know, but it's scary!"

Harry opened his eyes wide and starred at Madame Pomfrey, Luna Lovegood, Ron and Hermione.

"I have to see Dumbledore!"

"Boy, calm down! What happened?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

Harry closed his eyes for a short moment and realised that it probably already was too late. He never had heard of anyone who could stand the Crucatius so long or so often.

"He is dead. He has to be dead by now. He is dead. I'm too late. He is dead!"

"Who is dead, boy?"

"My father. He is dead, I lost him!"

xXxXx

It was far past curfew. Harry was sneaking up to the headmaster's office under his invisible cloak.

"Condemn the living!" he whispered to the gargoyle. It looked a little bit confused around the empty hallway but nevertheless it jumped aside.

"Headmaster? I have to talk to you! It's... it's... it's about... him. I fear... he is dead!"

Dumbledore looked at the boy as if it was normal that a student came into his office and informed him of someone's death.

"Well..." A sudden knock on the door interrupted the headmaster. Harry fled into a corner and pulled the cloak fast around himself.

"Come in."

Snape walked into the room, obviously hurt, but still alive.

"I'm here to give you my report on the meeting tonight."

"Ah, Severus. We were already worried about your well being."

"I'm alive. Everything else will fix itself." Snape sighed.

"Was he disappointed about the lack of an heir?"

"He was disappointed about everything. Put me under the Crucatius quite a few times." Snape pressed his hand against his side, which ached terribly. Actually, his whole body ached. "Afterwards he left me to the 'care' of the others." He moaned.

"You could..."

"NO! I never will introduce him as my heir!"

"Severus, you know the boy's..."

"I will NOT introduce him as my heir! What?" Snape turned around and stared at the corner Dumbledore was looking at. After a moment of confusion he walked over to the corner. He knew what he would find there.

Severus dragged the invisible cloak from Harry and stepped back. The stern look on Harry's face scared him a little bit.

"I know the truth, that's something at least." Harry suddenly ran away.

"I haven't seen this stern and angry expression in a long time." Snape turned around to the headmaster. "You used to look at everyone just like that when you were disappointed."

Severus followed the young man.

Harry just ran until he found himself on the way down to the dungeons. He heard steps and decided to walk on. Perhaps he could hide somewhere down there.

But he went into a trap. There was no one who knew the dungeons better than Snape.

Soon Harry stood in a dead end and heard Snape getting closer. He had no idea what to do now, he was a trapped rabbit.

Snape appeared at the end of the corridor.

"No need to explain yourself, I will get over it, just as I did every time before."

"What are you talking about?" Snape stepped closer and Harry gained all his strength.

"Well, this whole damn mess about being an orphan gets less... painful once you've gotten used to it..."

What do you think? Hope you will review if you liked and even if you don't liked it.

I'm going to post another story soon. Just wanted to mention this...