Okay I am in a mood… and I swear I will get back to A Father's Love soon… I've started chapter 16… and I know where it's going but I had this idea and had to do it.

Summery: What if Harry was a twin, and James survived the attack that fateful Halloween night?

Genre warnings: AU, OOC.

'Italics' indicate Harry's hand speak

"Regular text" indicates speech.. but I know you are all smart enough to figure that out.

Warning: H/D slash… SS/JP Severus is Harry's dad and there are some more odd details.

Disclaimer: I never will and never have owned any of Harry Potter and I am making no money from this story. This Disclaimer goes for this and all following chapters and will not be re-posted.

The Gift of Silence

Chapter One: Silent Babe

Halloween 1981

"Lily! Get Jamie upstairs! Hurry!" a panicked James Potter yelled to his wife.

Lily heard as Voldermort entered the house and the heard him ascending the creaky stairwell. HE entered the nursery and quickly cast the killing curse at Lily and the little girl in her arms. But the curse deflected off of the small child and she wailed as her mother and attacker crumpled to the floor dead.

The Next Day Dawn

Albus Dumbledore was the first wizard on the scene; he found the wailing bundle in her mother's cold grasp.

"Jamie, my dear you're a savior. Now where could your brother and father be?" There was a deep moan from downstairs that Albus was not sure he had heard. Investigating further he found James just waking from a very dark spell. It had turned the twenty year old near lifeless and he was hidden beneath an overturned couch. It was brilliant by casting that spell James life force couldn't be detected. "Well we found Da, but where my dear girl is Harry?"

"Bo!" She shrieked at the mention of her brother's name.

"He's right here." The voice of Severus said from behind Albus. "Harry is my child while Jamie is James' child. And before you ask yes it is possible, I brewed the potion myself and no it's not common, and yes I know Lily is dead."

"Okay how is it that two children of the same egg and pregnancy have two different fathers?"

"There wasn't one egg… we had an adventure quiet a few times… and James fertilized one of the eggs while I fertilized one of the others… like I said highly unlikely but they aren't the only ones I guarantee it."

"So Harry is yours and Jamie is James'?"

"Yes. That's what all the paternity test say." Severus said in the tone that meant he was getting tired of this conversation. Harry reached out to Jamie pulling on Severus's sleeve. "Harry do you want to be with Jamie?" In response the boy pulled more on the sleeve of his captor. "Alright, Harry, hold on a minute. Albus I will take Jamie or you can take both but one of us needs to get James to a hospital soon."

"I'll take James. Here. They are both beautiful children, I trust you to take care of them." Albus said handing over the baby girl.

Severus used a portkey to get back to Snape Manor where he and the two babes would be the sole occupants, until James returned to the world of the conscious. Severus walked up to Harry's room setting the one year olds in the playpen. Jamie had been making all sorts of noise and Harry had been responding with the crude sign language he knew. They were having a great time. Harry got up and walked to the side where he could see Severus through the screen and began making rapid movements… and a couple of tears rolled down his rosy cheeks. Jamie screamed and Severus heard the little lungs exploding with noise. Harry was making the sign for "mother" over and over again. Severus picked him up and began rocking him. Jamie just went lay down to sleep when Severus picked her up and put her next to Harry in the crib. Both babies went to sleep holding onto the other one.

Severus Snape went to bed alone for one of the few times he had to do so since the three adults had become lovers. He cried at the loss of Lily.

A few weeks later

James returned to the home in Cedric's Hollow and managed to claim a few things from his former life. He didn't know who had saved his life all he knew was that when he woke up he saw Albus and he knew that Lily was dead. It was just something he felt. HE didn't want to believe it but Lily was indeed gone from his life. Albus had not let him leave the infirmary until Poppy was absolutely sure he had not been harmed beyond a few cuts and scratches. James had missed Lily's funeral but Sev had visited him without the children and renewed their bond. It was a simple spell and the two men had cried together.

James had returned to Snape manor the night before to a very happy Jamie and Harry. It was not evident that the two children had different fathers. Jamie and Harry both had Lily's emerald green eyes. Both children had dark hair and there skin was a healthy shade of pale. There faces looked a lot alike as one might guess, but what disturbed them the most was Harry had never made a sound. Harry was a mute baby.

In the night when James and Severus lay together they would sometimes mention this but never in detail. The home in Cedric's Hollow was going up for sale. Neither man wanted to see it again.

Three Years Later

Jamie and Harry were running around playing with Remus Lupin a great friend of the family.

"We could send them to a muggle boarding school. With your appointment to Hogwarts and mine to the Ministry it might be better they are somewhere else during the school year." James suggested to Severus.

"We would make time for our children. I don't like the idea of sending them away so young."

"Neither do I but you know how the ministry is getting. And do you really want to look out after two five year olds in a place like Hogwarts? It's either boarding school or trusting a stranger to come into our home and watch over them each day until I get home each night."

"Your right boarding school might be a good choice. I could turn Albus's offer down… it's not like we're hurting for money or anything. Then I could stay with them. And then I would get to see you every night." Severus said thoughtfully.

"You don't really want to do that. You're the youngest Potions Master in the history of potions. How could you give up teaching eager young students when you have that knowledge?" James asked of the twenty-three year old man beside him.

"I don't think I could. I just can't believe the inapt education we got in potions. I mean…"

"Sev, no. I've already heard it and I agree with you." James lay his head down on Sev's shoulder.

"Sorry Ja." Sev said taking his hand. "So I guess boarding school it is. Have any idea which one… I was hoping a normal one even with Harry's condition. I don't want the two children separated. I mean they both already know how to read and write they are very smart children."

"There's one in England that is a normal slash gifted school. They would have to test to get in but I'm sure they could. The test cost money but like you said it's not like we're hurting for funds."

"We should start letting them play with other wizard children. I know the Weasleys have a boy and girl about there age. Then there is Draco Malfoy too…"

"Malfoy? I'm not sure I want the children around Lucius… or Narcissa."

"Ohh you didn't hear then. Narcissa died a few weeks ago. Apparently she was doing some illegal magic stuff… I'm not sure what exactly and she was caught by Lucius and he killed her, on accident of course he was trying to give her an antidote he didn't know what she was really up to."

"You don't seem to broken up about it."

"Evil people deserve to die." Severus said plainly thinking about the scar the Jamie wore. "When should they take the tests?"

"Ohh yeah… umm I think they start in January. There is an oral exam… but that's not until high school. They should be at Hogwarts by then anyway. So Harry won't have to worry about it."

"We will see." Severus said again. "I'm going to talk to Lucius, you talk to Molly and see if we can't get them some friends besides Remus and Sirius. It was a shame about Peter… I don't know why we didn't see it coming."

"We didn't though. We can't change what happened." James said closing his eyes. In a few minutes James Potter was asleep on Sev's arm.

Jamie came in pulling Harry behind her. "We want a snack!" She yelled. Harry shook his head. "Yes we do!" Harry signed 'No' but Jamie said she wanted one. Severus got up and let James lay on the couch putting his legs up on the couch as well. Harry reached up to Severus when he reached down to pick up both children Jamie refused to be picked up.

"I'm a big girl I don't need to be carried." She stated firmly. Sev stood back up with Harry in his arms and began walking in the direction of the kitchen. Jamie did however hold onto the folds of Sev's robes. This brought a smile to Sev's face.

"Where is Uncle Remus?" Sev asked realizing he hadn't seen him since the children showed up in the sitting room.

"He was in the hallway last time I seen him… we are playing hide and seek… He is hiding."

"So you didn't even look for him?"

"We looked forever and ever and we couldn't find him. So we came to get a snack."

"How long did you look for Uncle Remus?"

"For about a minute." Jamie finally replied.

"Well he must be a really good hider then." Severus said to the little girl. "Are you hungry too Harry?" Harry shook his head no but then the young fingers indicated 'drink'. "Do you want juice?" 'yes' "Hmm… Apple?" 'no' "Pupkin?" 'no' "Strawberry?" 'yes please' Harry smiled some when he was promised strawberry juice.

"Strawberry juice is yucky. Can I have pumpkin juice instead?"

"Well what's the question you need to ask?"

"Papa may I please have pumpkin juice instead of strawberry?"

"Yes you may. Do you know what you want for a snack?"

"No."

Severus sighed as the guessing game started. After what seemed to be a million and one answers of no she finally decided on popping corn. Severus made a medium sized batch knowing Remus and James would want some when they found out Jamie had it. "Do you want some popping corn Harry?" 'no please' "Do you remember the sign for thank you?" 'no' Severus showed the boy who was now standing in front of Sev while he was sitting back with his legs folded under him. 'thank you' Harry signed before hugging Sev.

"Papa, do you want to share the popping corn with me?"

"No thank you Jamie."

"Why?"

"I don't like eating popping corn."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like the way it taste."

"But Daddy does."

"Yes honey he does. But I don't. I'm glad you like it."

"I'm done." She proudly exclaimed after eating four pieces.

"Do you want to go find Uncle Remus now?"

Both children nodded and Harry ran ahead of Jamie.

"Hey wait up!" She yelled after him.