A/N- WOW! More fantastic responses! I don't deserve readers like you...I really don't. But still...I'd love it if you all kept reviewing! It makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside...LOL. Aaaaanyway...I hope you all had fantastic Christmases/Chanukas/Whatevers and BRILLIANT New Years Eves! I know I did... For those of you also reading Afterglow, the next chapter WILL be out within the next few days...I've just had issues putting it together...but, in the mean time, enjoy the third chapter of Escapology!

Best wishes to everyone for the year ahead!

Fighting the urge to tell the older man that there was nothing to talk about, Harry nodded mutely. He glanced at the bed, where a house-elf was stripping the sheets. "I'm sorry about that." He muttered, gesturing in the direction of the elf and its task.

"The bed linens are the last of my concerns." Severus replied, waiting a beat. "She's going to need a name, and her father-"

Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head, "I can't-"

"Bloody hell, Potter." The older man snapped, before conceding a little. "Yes, this is going to be a hard time for you, harder than I could possibly imagine, but you need to face it. She is not something that you can avoid until you are comfortable with whatever it is that is bothering you." He sighed pointedly, "What happened to that Gryffindor courage and nobility?"

Green eyes drilled holes into obsidian. "The Slytherin ability to cower during times of trouble and stress has taken over."

"Quite."

Another moment of tense silence fell between them, before Harry chose to speak up. "You've worked it out by now, then." Severus raised his eyebrows in confusion. The younger man smiled, mildly amazed. "Now that's surprising. The great, intelligent Severus Snape not putting all the pieces of the puzzle together."

Not allowing the younger man's pointed jibes to distract him from the importance of the situation at hand, Snape shook his head. "Sadly, I am obviously not as intelligent as you believe, and there are quite a few details that I would like to know…"

"Like who in the world knocked up the Boy Who Lived?" Harry responded scathingly. "Just look at her, Severus. Look at her and tell me that it's not obvious. Tell me that, despite some baby-fat and rosy skin, you can't see the beginnings of fine cheekbones. Of pale blue, practically grey eyes."

Severus bit his lip, having just received his answer.

"Malfoy." He supplied quietly, but loud enough for Harry to break down in front of him.

The younger man grimaced as the tears fell from his eyes and the sobs wracked his body. Severus closed his eyes, trying to determine how to move forward from there. He wasn't exactly the type to reach out and drag Potter into his embrace in a bid to comfort him. However, this wasn't a typical scenario either.

"Harry," He spoke with a tenderness that seemed foreign coming from his lips, "Did Draco….he didn't force himself on you, did he?"

The Gryffindor's emerald eyes widened in horror, and he shook his head vehemently. "No…." He snuffled, "He and I…..what we had…..it was a mutual thing. Just sex. No emotional attachment…." At that he broke down again.

"He didn't know, did he?" At the young man's silence, Severus grew a little frustrated. After all, it was common knowledge that he was not a patient man. Especially in matters of importance. "Harry?"

The other looked up at him slowly, "No…..not until the final battle," He cleared his throat, trying to force the sobs away so he could explain, "Or, at least, just before it…."

-?-?-

"Potter," The Slytherin prince snarled, although his tone didn't hold the animosity of previous years, "How bloody long do you want to take in there?" He tapped on the door to the prefects' bathroom, where Harry had been privately relieving himself.

The problem with the particular concealment charm he used was that it had to be removed every time he went to the bathroom and replaced whenever he was done. And, at 7 and a half months pregnant, he fought with the pressure on his bladder on a constant basis.

"I'll be out in a minute." The Gryffindor snapped by way of reply, "Give me a chance to take one last leak before I go out there and face my death, would you?"

The comment had been laced in humour, although it fell uneasily between them.

Draco, on the other side of the door, hadn't been able to take the other's slow, methodical mannerisms any longer and that last comment had been his snapping point. "For Merlin's sake, Potter," He complained, unlocking the door and swinging it open, much to Harry's horror, "You're going to survi…" He trailed off in complete shock.

There stood Harry Potter, pulling his trousers up at an alarming rate, looking like he'd swallowed a melon.

"Draco…" He'd tried, watching as the blonde's scowl deepened, only to be interrupted.

"Is it mine?"

"Of course."

"How long?"

Harry winced. "Somewhere between 7 and 8 months…."

"How long have you known and kept it from me?" The icy tone of the Slytherin was heartbreaking.

"I-" Harry started.

"HOW LONG?"

The dark haired teenager swallowed back a sob, forcing himself not to cry. "Five months or so." He murmured, avoiding the hateful glare he was receiving.

"And you were planning on telling me when?"

The green eyes looked up at that. Directly into the twin storm clouds of his ex-lover. (That was, of course, if one could call him a 'lover'. Love had never really been on the agenda between them.) "After it was all over."

"Bullshit."

"Draco-"

"Potter," The youngest Malfoy cut him off scornfully, "Don't lie to me." He tilted his head to the side, "Any more than you already have, at least." His grey eyes narrowed. "You were only just saying how you were going out to die today… I doubt that informing me of my impending fatherhood was in your plans at all." A short span of silence fell between them, before Draco continued, "And you were planning on fighting? How stupid do you have to be? Not only will it endanger your life, but-"

Harry finally snapped, after having placed the concealment charm on once more. "What other choice do I have?"

-?-?-

"It got worse from there…" Harry added, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. He looked directly at Severus, "You would have seen everything after that. The battle…" He felt his throat constricting again, "At the end…Draco…When he leapt in the way…" Harry stopped. He couldn't do it. It was too hard. Too soon. To be mentally reliving it all…He shook the new load of tears away.

Suddenly everything about that day was making more sense to the potions master. Potter was right; it was obvious. He should have worked it out. At the end, when Draco had been struck by the curse meant for Harry, it hadn't been misfired. Draco had sacrificed himself. Not for the cause, but for his child.

It was rather poetic, really.

"It was his choice." Severus eventually replied.

Harry snorted. "It was also his choice to fuck me, but that didn't turn out the way we had planned either."

At the young man's use of profanity, Snape scowled but said nothing. "Nothing ever goes to plan, Potter. And, what you're going to have to come to terms with, rather quickly actually, is that with the bad comes the good. Your daughter, despite her vocal nature, is that goodness."

"Spare me the crap, Severus." Harry hissed, "I screwed up, figuratively and literally. With your favourite student. That baby is living, breathing proof for it." Tossing his hands into the air, he gestured wildly, as if trying to physically grasp the point of his rant before it could escape him. "There was nothing romantic between Malfoy and I. We were friends at best and each other's sexual punching bag at worst. I never had crazy ideas of the two of us living happily ever after with our child." He snorted as if to emphasise exactly what he thought of the notion. "I want to love her, in a way I already do. But can't look at her, because every time I do, I'll be reminded of him and the fact that he took the easy way out."

Severus tried his hardest not to slap some sense into the younger man, and instead opted for calm reprimanding. "Is that truly your impression? Can you honestly stand here and describe his concern and anger at not being informed, couple it with the sacrifice of his life to save yours and your child's, and honestly tell me that it was an 'easy way out'?" Arms folded over his chest, the older man glared. "I will not tolerate your selfish wallowing while an innocent child -your daughter- lies in the other room without access to her father."

"I can't-"

A patented scowl stopped Harry from continuing his protests. "You can and you will."

As if on cue, the baby started to cry, her wails cutting into their conversation like a knife. Severus folded his arms and leant backwards. "Are you going to tend to her?"

The younger man looked like a dear stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car. "I don't know how." He admitted. "I wasn't supposed to survive….SHE wasn't supposed to survive…."

Despite his resolve to remain calm, collected and somewhat understanding, Severus snarled. "That's too bad, Potter. You're going to have to actually deal with the consequences of your actions this time. Dumbledore isn't around to get you out of trouble. That is, of course, the way you seem to be viewing your daughter, am I correct?" He took a menacing step towards the younger man, "Trouble?" And another, until he was glowering over him. "A burden?"

Harry winced and swallowed. Considering the fact that he had always wanted a family of his own, and had been deprived of both parents at a young age, he slowly shook his head. "No…" He replied softly, avoiding the older man's glare. "I…I'm not sure I can give her the life she deserves." He looked up painfully. "She's already lost one parent. I don't have any examples to go by…and if I look at her, and get attached…" He trailed off sadly.

"Then your reasoning about Malfoy-"

A sigh, "Part of why I can't…" Harry stopped himself and tried to explain properly. He didn't love Draco. Never had and never would. He had other reasons for not wanting to see him in their child. In HIS daughter. And, for some strange reason, felt compelled to clarify that with the potions master. "When I look at her, I'll see him. And be reminded of what she is missing…." He looked away again, "What I'll never be able to give her."

To Harry's amazement, he watched as Snape softened and nodded in understanding. There was a moment where they regarded each other silently, their eyes and body language saying more than words could ever describe. Then, slowly but surely, Severus reached out for the younger man's shoulders and directed him towards the next room, where his daughter lay screaming.

Once confronted with the frantic, pink, wailing creature, Harry moved backwards uncertainly. Snape, however, pushed him forward again, keeping an eye on the way that he moved to pick her up and hold her. He offered instructions whenever they were required, but Harry was only half paying attention.

While the man once known to him as 'greasy git' blathered on about supporting her head and back, Harry stared intently into pale blue eyes. She was already calming slightly, looking up at him with an air of curiosity. "Hi…" Harry whispered at her, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks again. A hand fell onto his shoulder and he tore his gaze away to look at Severus.

"She's going to require a name." The elder said, stoic as ever.

Harry nodded, the barest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Callisto." He said quietly, "Callisto Orinda Potter."

Severus nodded in approval. Callisto was almost predictable, yet was a wise choice. In Greek mythology, Callisto was a nymph, however its origin in Latin translated to 'the beautiful little one'. Orinda, however, was a Teutonic name, its meaning; 'fire serpent' or 'dragon'. Judging by her parentage, both names were going to suit the girl to perfection. Not that the potions master would ever openly admit it. He still had a reputation to maintain, after all.

"Right," He cleared his throat, determined not to allow the sentimentality get to him. He and Potter still had quite a few issues left to address. He inwardly groaned at the realisation. Why him? "I believe that after you have changed, fed and done whatever else is necessary for the child, there is much more that we have to discuss."

Harry nodded, his eyes glued on the baby girl again. "I know…."

Internally cringing at what he was about to do, Severus moved closer to the father and daughter, tenderly brushing a finger over the baby's face. "She is quite fetching..."

Green eyes looked up in unmasked astonishment, the potions master gave him a wry smirk, "Don't look so surprised, boy."

Harry's smile faded. That was another problem. He was still a boy. Too young to be a parent. Especially a single parent. Panic began to set in again and he looked back at Severus with wild eyes. "I…I'm sorry…" He stammered, quickly closing the space between them, and handing over his daughter. "I… can't…I have to go."

Before the elder could protest, Harry had already turned tail and raced out of the room.

Snape frowned after him, the same question echoing in his head, becoming some twisted form of mantra.

"Why me?" He asked himself, looking back down at the whimpering girl in his arms, "Why me?"

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