A/N- Thanks for the support, guys! As a reward for your patience, I give you a new chapter! LOL. I will try to reply to signed reviews where possible using the new system. Which I rather like. Thankyou FF.N!
Callisto's cries echoed throughout the Snape family home, causing one dark-haired young man to open his eyes blearily. He glanced around his room, and moved to put on his glasses, but found he could not shift. Panic surged through his veins, before he remembered the previous night's events, and his current location. Blushing sheepishly at himself, he looked down to discover the cause of his restraint. Severus' arm lay thrown across his midsection and both their legs were intertwined.
Harry sighed happily, before nudging the still sleeping older man. He must have really been exhausted, the Gryffindor decided in a rather smug fashion, to have not been the first to wake up to their daughter's wails. Which, while he was on the topic, were growing to be quite irritating.
Slowly, onyx eyes opened, and Harry grinned. "You're awake." He stated cheerfully. "Good. Callie's crying."
The older man groaned and shut his eyes. "I believe that I have been the first to attend to her needs for weeks on end now. That being the case, it is your turn to see to her."
"Fine." The Gryffindor responded, clearly unimpressed with his lover's logic. He pushed the arm from his torso, none too gently, and untangled his legs, before swinging them over the side of the bed and pushing himself to his feet…taking the sheets with him.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" Severus immediately protested, grasping at the escaping bed linen.
Harry tilted his head and widened his eyes in a gesture of mock innocence, "I can't exactly go flouncing down the corridor naked, can I?"
Snape scowled. "Yes you bloody well can. There's no-one to see you."
"I don't care about being seen, Sev." The younger man replied nonchalantly. "It's just that it's surprisingly chilly out at the moment."
"Indeed. Which is why I would like it very much if you returned my covers immediately."
Harry sniggered, his eyes sweeping greedily over the naked form of his lover, resting for a moment on the half-hardened flesh of his morning erection. He felt his own prick twitch in growing arousal at the sight, though layers of sheets hid it from view, and his grin widened. "Sorry, Sev." He told the older wizard cheekily, while he casually made his way to the door, "I'd love to stay and-" he licked his lips pointedly, whilst eyeing the effect that he had on his partner, "-chat…But, Callie's crying." And with those parting words, and ignoring the sounds of his clearly unimpressed Potions Master, he turned and made his way down the hall.
So far, life with Severus Snape was perfect.
-?-
"SEVERUS!" Harry's voice rebounded off the walls of the manor, causing the Potions Master to look up from his newspaper and sigh.
He brandished his wand, and with a precise flick of the wrist, reinstated the volume enhancing charm, before he replied calmly; "Yes, Mr Potter?"
"Get up here!" Came the frustrated demand. "NOW!"
With another sigh, Severus set his newspaper aside and pushed himself up from the couch.
It had been three weeks since Harry's graduation. Three short, lust filled weeks spent exploring each others' bodies, endeavouring to memorise every freckle -every teeny, tiny blemish- that marked their equally lean forms. Of course, they had also spent the time in simple conversation, getting reacquainted with each others' personalities and backgrounds; an activity which had been just as enjoyable as their wild, passionate sexual escapades, although somewhat less taxing on a physical scale, Severus mused as he groaned at a pulled muscle.
"Well?" The older wizard asked, striding into his bedroom. He glanced around, and found no sign of his younger lover. "You called?" He furrowed his brow as Harry's voice came from the general direction of the bathroom.
"In here."
With his frown deepening, Severus walked into the en suite, and froze at the image in front of him. The Gryffindor knelt before the toilet, his hair hanging in sweaty strands over his forehead, and his skin was tinged a sickly pale yellow. He looked up at his older partner, and the older man noticed the dark circles that rimmed blood-shot green eyes.
Immediately Severus was by Harry's side, rubbing small reassuring circles on the small of his back while he heaved the non-existent remains of his breakfast into the white porcelain bowl. "You're ill." He observed, rather lamely.
Spitting a few times, the younger wizard rolled his eyes. "No shit, Love." He retorted, before sitting back against his lover's chest, completely exhausted from his most recent bouts of vomiting.
"How long have you been feeling sick?" Severus asked in concern, deliberately ignoring Harry's comment. He placed his hand gently on the teenager's forehead, searching for a fever. Harry's skin felt clammy, and was coated in a fine sheen of cold sweat.
The younger man shrugged. "I haven't." He replied. "I was playing with Callie, and suddenly felt the need to empty my stomach." He glanced at his watch and moaned. "And have been here, throwing up, for a good half-hour."
"What?" The older wizard asked in disbelief. "That long, and you only bother to call for me now?"
Again, The Boy Who Lived shrugged. "There wasn't any reason to call you before…I mean, what could you have done?" He held up a hand to prevent Severus from interrupting with the obvious response. "Well, that was what I felt until I remembered a few minutes ago that you are a Potions Master, one of the most skilled in the country in fact, and probably have an anti-nausea draught downstairs somewhere."
Shaking his head in vague amusement at his lover's sometimes slow grip on reality, Snape smiled fondly. "Indeed. I will retrieve it for you, however, it helps to know what is causing the illness before I administer it."
"That's just it." Harry responded, feeling frustrated. "I don't know what's causing this. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm praying to the porcelain gods. I haven't felt this way since before…" He trailed off, his facial expression becoming one that signified him to be positively mortified. "Oh…Fuck, Sev."
Well, that was not promising, Snape mused. He tilted his head towards his lover in concern. "Since before when?" He prompted.
Harry diverted his gaze, feeling utterly helpless and stupid. "The last time I was like this…it was morning sickness."
His words hung in the air for what felt like forever.
Severus finally managed to clear his throat. "Ah…" Well, it wasn't what he'd been expecting to hear. Then again, he didn't know what he'd been expecting. Poisoning, perhaps? Some fatal ailment? A slow-working hex? However, this seemed more plausible. And, considering their activities every night for the last few weeks, it was entirely possible.
Internally the older wizard cursed their combined stupidity. Considering the event that had practically brought them together –that was; the birth of their daughter- they had both come into this relationship with the knowledge that Harry's magical physiology was different to the majority of male homosexual wizards, and was most likely induced by the large amount of magic that his mother had woven into his veins as an infant for protection.
That decisively maternal feminine energy had sat dormant in the young man for his entire childhood, and had more than likely caused the metamorphosis of his magical powers and physiology to enable him to bear children. It was a condition that a surprising number of wizards maintained, due to the overprotective urges that their mothers had when deciding to place protective charms over their newborn sons, however, as the majority of these wizards grew up to be heterosexual, it remained undetected unless discovered through specific medical testing.
Coming back to reality from his internal rambling, Severus simply couldn't believe that, in the three weeks that they'd sexually spent together, they'd forgotten that extremely important detail about Harry's magical physiology –his ability to conceive.
Merlin, how irresponsible could they be?
"Sev?" Harry's quiet, uncertain tone shook him from his stupor and he looked down at the younger man.
"Love?"
Tearful green eyes, filled with fear and insecurity gazed back at him. "There's a Potion…I found it last time…when I couldn't work out what was wrong with me…I found it in an old book in the library, Restricted Section, naturally…"
A small smile graced the older man's lips, "Naturally." He agreed softly, waiting for Harry to continue.
"It…I can't remember what it's called…Something Mas…I'm no good with Latin. But, it worked, essentially, like a muggle pregnancy test…for men…sort of. I…I'd like to make that again, given our circumstances."
"Ah…Graviditas Mas." The Potions Master replied, "Of course. Although, I should like to brew it myself, rather than allow you near volatile ingredients…Just in case." He paused a beat, and then, upon recollection of what his lover had just told him, asked, "You mean to tell me that you actually brewed it yourself last time?" Harry nodded and he scowled. "From what I can recall of the potion, some of the preparation of the ingredients is rather…hazardous for the development of an unborn child, what with the fumes of-"
"-But she turned out fine." The younger man snapped, his eyes flashing defensively. "Besides -and we've been through this Merlin only knows how many times- what else could I have done? Come to you or Pomfrey and requested a pregnancy test, effectively endangering myself and my child and Draco more than we already were?"
Severus winced at the bite in Harry's tone, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Love. I didn't think-"
"No, Sev, I'm sorry. I shouldn't snap. I'm just…" He threw his hands into the air, "What if, y'know? I mean, how stupid could we have been?"
Helping his partner to stand, the older wizard shushed him. "Nothing has been confirmed yet, Harry. For, as far as we know, you might just be suffering from a bout of food poisoning, or something just as trivial. After all, it is highly unusual –though, not unheard of- for symptoms such as these to be showing themselves so soon. And as to our stupidity…We'll discuss that later."
The Gryffindor sniffed and nodded, before moving to brush his teeth and wash his face.
Yes, they'd have a fair amount to discuss later, he was sure.
-?-
Harry sighed sadly to himself, still feeling somewhat queasy. He missed Severus' presence terribly, having spent the majority of the day alone, or with only an infant –or was that an infant and the possibility of another?- as his only company.
After their small talk in the bathroom, Severus had immediately set about searching through his myriad of books for the potion's recipe, and then barricaded himself in his labs to create it, leaving his young, worried partner, alone to ponder everything that had transpired between them that morning.
Callisto's cries were a welcome distraction from his thoughts. Getting up from his seat in the room that had been converted into her nursery, Harry made his way to her crib, and leant over the side, observing her. She quietened when her dad's face appeared in front of her, and kicked her chubby legs aimlessly, extending her arms, having already learnt that the gesture would get her picked up.
The Gryffindor couldn't help but grin. She'd grown so much, he mused, recalling the time just after her birth when Snape –in this very same room- had forced him to hold her extremely tiny frame for the first time. She was over 6 months old now, and Harry was baffled at how fast the time had flown by. His baby girl was growing much more independent each day, it appeared, as he reached to help her to stand, leaving his hands under her armpits for support. Her tiny fingers grabbed at the railings of the cot, and he slowly removed his own hands from her body. She wobbled a little, but stood firm, grinning up at him cheekily.
It was in that precise moment that Harry saw Draco in his child. The way her blue-grey eyes glittered in mischief and (if he wasn't to be mistaken) self-confidence, and that tiny dimple that adorned her right cheek proved that she was every bit her Slytherin biological father. Sensing her dad's lack of attention, Callisto stomped her plump little feet and cried out adamantly, only to find herself lose balance and land squarely on her nappy-clad buttocks. Her eyes widened in shock, before her tiny, cherubic face contorted into a scowl to rival Snape himself.
Harry had watched on in amusement, however quickly pulled her up into his arms when he realised that she was preparing to commence bawling her little lungs out. "Had a bit of a fall, did we?" He cooed at her, tickling her rounded baby tummy. He grinned as she giggled at the sensation. "Yes we did." He told her, his tickling picking up in pace. "Yes we did."
"What did we do?" Severus' drawling voice came from the doorway, and Harry spun around in a fluid movement to face him, causing their daughter to squeal in delight.
The Gryffindor, forgetting for a moment the reason for the vial in his lover's hand, smiled widely. "Someone was standing up by herself and thought she was going to be a little smart-arse and stomp her feet for attention." He replied with a chuckle, easily closing the distance between the other man and himself. He bounced the gurgling baby up and down, and informed her to tell her daddy what happened next.
"What happened?" The Slytherin played along, acting completely rapt with the story, and bending so that his dark eyes gazed lovingly into the light pair of his daughter's.
Harry continued to gently jiggle the little girl, revelling in the joyful giggles that the movement caused. "She fell promptly onto her little padded bottom." He informed his lover light-heartedly. "And then looked for all the world as if she was going to hex someone for it."
"I see…" Severus replied, still eyeing the baby in his lover's arms. She had started to squirm now, overjoyed at seeing her other father. She extended her hands towards him, making whimpered pleas for him to take her into his own embrace. "Like father, like daughter, I suppose." He teased, locking eyes with the Gryffindor for the first time since before he had disappeared to prepare the potion.
Suddenly, the reality of the situation seemed to settle upon the couple once more, and Harry looked towards the vial that his lover carried. The older wizard sighed and placed the potion on top of the dresser to his side, before reaching out and taking the baby from the younger man's arms. "I trust you know what to do." He spoke uncharacteristically softly, as he positioned Callisto into the crook of his right arm with expertise. With his left hand, he reached out and cupped Harry's face, "Whatever the result, we'll work everything out."
The younger wizard nodded, and reached for the vial, before making his way to the en suite of his and Severus' room.
-?-
The Boy Who Lived glared at the cerulean blue liquid sitting on the counter. He hadn't yet added the drop of his blood; the remaining variable which would give him the answer that he both desperately sought, and yet feared whole-heartedly. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the sterilised pin, which rested beside the vial, and pricked his index finger, before watching the dark red liquid drop into the potion. Bracing himself –though he wasn't quite sure for what- he observed as the liquid absorbed the blood, then gradually turned clear.
It took him a moment before he realised that he had his answer.
-?-
Severus Snape paced up and down the length of his bedroom, his eyes flicking to the en suite door every few steps he took. Harry had been in the bathroom for a good fifteen minutes by this stage, and the potion was supposed to have worked within three. The Potions Master was gradually becoming more and more anxious with each step he took. Then a thought struck him; perhaps his lover had slipped and knocked his head on something, and was slowly dying on the usually pristine white tiles.
Suddenly very aware that he had scared himself into complete paranoia, the Head of Slytherin could stand the waiting no longer. He marched over to the door and unlocked it with a wave of his wand. Sweeping the door open, his eyes immediately focussed on the sobbing mass in the corner that was his Harry.
"Oh, Love…" He murmured sadly, making his way to the teenager and kneeling by his side.
The Gryffindor looked up, and tried to gain control of his emotions. As he locked eyes with Severus, the older man couldn't help noting that Harry's eyes were supernaturally bright from the onslaught of tears. With a strangled wail, the younger wizard threw his arms around his lover's neck, and lost control of himself once more.
Snape rubbed his ex-student's back and muttered soothing platitudes, not really taking note of what he was saying. After all, he knew it was his voice alone that could tame the crying man, and not the phrases which he formed.
Just like his daughter, Harry's cries soon became sobs, which eventually became soft hiccoughs. He sniffled and pulled away from his lover sheepishly, "Sorry, Sev…" He managed to croak out, forcing himself to swallow another fit of tears. "I…I…" He gestured to the empty vial on the counter.
Apparently, he'd disposed of the result.
"Shh," Severus muttered, his anxiety still gnawing away at his insides, "What was the outcome?" He finally asked, watching the emotions play out on the Boy Who Lived's face. "Are you-"
"-It was negative." Harry spoke over his lover, with a vigorous shake of the head. "No."
A frown creased Snape's forehead. But that was what they had been hoping for, was it not? Or was he simply a cold-hearted bastard? "Negative?" He echoed, as if he hadn't quite heard his lover properly. "You're not pregnant?"
Apparently not, he deduced, as Harry shook his head and turned into a giant mass of tears and blubbering once more. With a sigh, he held the younger wizard to his chest and rocked him as one would a child, again attempting to sooth him with his voice.
A few more minutes passed before the younger wizard pulled away from his partner. "I'm sorry," he began, his voice rough from continuous sobbing, "I…I just…"
Sensing another fit coming on, Severus placed a finger to Harry's lips, tenderly telling him to stop talking. He stood and extended his hand as a silent gesture that they would continue this discussion elsewhere. After all, the harsh whiteness of the bathroom was becoming unnerving. It was far too sterile a place for the forthcoming conversation.
Trembling, the Gryffindor took his lover's hand and allowed the man to help him to his feet, before following him out into the adjoining bedroom. Their bedroom. His head was spinning, overflowing with thoughts and emotions. He could barely register the fact that Severus was speaking to him.
"…and this has definitely proven that there is a lot we need to think about…that we need to discuss." The older wizard finished softly, and sat down on the bed, patting the space beside him. With a sigh, Harry joined his lover and found himself being pulled into the Slytherin's embrace.
"I cannot believe," Severus eventually began again, "That at 37 years of age, and having lectured countless teenagers on the consequences of unprotected sexual intercourse, I've still managed to put us both through a pregnancy scare of sorts."
Harry shook his head with a small smile. After all, he'd never witnessed Snape give a Sexual Education lecture, and the thought was highly amusing. "You're forgetting that it takes two to tango, so to speak. It's not just your fault that…this happened." The Head of Slytherin nodded mutely, whilst Harry ran a hand through his unruly black hair.
"And about…in there…" The younger wizard continued, gesturing towards the en suite, and diverting his eyes in some sort of display of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me…I mean…I think that…" He hesitated, "I think I'd gotten used to the idea, you know? And prepared myself for it…only to find out that I was probably only suffering from light food poisoning or something like you suggested earlier…and then I just…well, you saw me…"
Snape smiled, though his gesture was almost invisible, and reached forward to gently remove a lock of hair from obscuring Harry's vision, "I wont lie, Harry. Another child, while it would never be unwelcome-"
"You'd prefer that he'd be planned for." The Gryffindor nodded, finishing his lover's sentence for him.
Severus arched an eyebrow, "And how, pray tell, do you know that our next would be male?"
Shrugging, Harry looked into his partner's dark eyes. " 'Dunno. Just feels right, I guess."
"Indeed."
A brief span of silence spread between the couple, before Harry spoke once more. "So…how are we going to prevent this-" He gestured towards the bathroom, obviously referring to the pregnancy scare itself, "-from happening again? Ever?" At Snape's questioning look, he felt himself blush. "I mean, charms are sketchy at best, 'cos most of the time we'd probably forget to cast them…and it's not exactly like I could go on the Muggle Pill…because, you know, I'm not a girl, so the hormone balances aren't the same…"
Severus shook his head, "Obviously, Love. Use your head, would you?"
Harry scowled, and thought for a minute. Considering the fact that his 'condition' was magical rather than anatomical, the answer had to lie in a magical solution –the most effective of which were always potions, as they relied on a science that was less volatile than spell casting, and the effects were always stronger and longer lasting. And, considering who his lover was, a potion was most definitely the logical choice.
Seeing the answer dawning on Harry's face, Severus spoke. "The problem now lies in which would be the best for your particular magical physiology. A standard contraceptive potion will not work, as they are designed using the same logic as the Muggle Pill, only take into consideration the female body's magical flow as well, and are thus for women only…"
"But," The Gryffindor interrupted, feeling somewhat proud of himself for the large number of books he'd read when he'd first discovered his pregnancy, "Couldn't you edit the formula slightly? To accommodate for a surge of testosterone, and other distinctively masculine hormones, which must somehow induce the feminine magical energy to kick in during sex and…" He threw his hands into the air, exasperated that he couldn't find an apt phrase to conclude his question, "You know, do its business?"
Impressed with his young lover's thought process, Snape allowed a true smile to appear on his lips, if only for a moment. "While the theory works, the practise would be less stable, and I wouldn't want to put you on a purely experimental potion, as we'd have no idea whether it would work to our intentions, nor would we know what kind of side-effects would derive from it."
Harry nodded, and frowned in thought. "Well…obviously there has to be something that will work, right?"
"As I said a moment ago, it's not a matter of whether there is a solution, as there have been numerous potions brewed over history that inhibit male conception, it is rather a matter of which one is applicable for your scenario." Severus paused, seemingly to observe his partner for a moment, "I believe…there is one particular potion that young male wizards such as yourself use purely for precaution…and it is inexpensive to brew as the ingredients are rather common…"
The Gryffindor arched an eyebrow, "However?" He prompted.
The older wizard smirked. His lover knew him almost too well. "However," He continued, "When taking this potion, you must be weary of the ingredients of the foods and drinks which you consume, as there have been particular…reactants, if you will, in certain cases which have meddled with the effects of the potion…"
"Meddled?" Harry repeated. "How?"
"Well," Snape responded, now in full lecture mode, "In some scenarios…the foods ingested have been known to modify the potion completely. That is to say that the potion no longer acts as a contraceptive potion, but rather becomes an incredibly potent fertility potion. So potent, in fact, that many a mediwizard or mediwitch has advised their most sterile patients to attempt the combination in order to conceive. And, 99 times out of a hundred, the attempts have proven successful."
"Oh." The younger man blinked, "That's…well, good for them, I suppose…" He thought for a moment, "Exactly which foods set that reaction off?"
The older wizard furrowed his brow in concentration. "I can't tell you off the top of my head…However, once I consult my books, I will let you know…"
Harry chuckled. "Well, that would probably be best…I mean, as long as you want to make perfectly sure that I'm not gonna be popping out little Snapelets, at any rate."
With a small smile, Snape nodded. "Indeed." He replied, before rising to his feet and stretching his long legs. "It's getting late." He told his lover, "And I doubt that either of us has eaten properly since breakfast…"
"Point taken." The Gryffindor rose to join his older partner, "And I think that Callie needs a bit more attention. I mean, I did spend most of the day in her room, but I was somewhat preoccupied. And she hasn't seen you at all-"
Severus silenced his lover's ramblings with a kiss. "I know, Love. Let's fetch our daughter and go to dinner, shall we?"
With a grin, Harry nodded and followed the potions master down the hall.
-?-
"What about a lawyer?"
Severus looked up from his newspaper and sighed. "I really don't think that profession would suit you."
Harry scowled light-heartedly, "Why not? I can be conniving, deal with the lowest of lows and twist truths…the Hat did want to put me into Slytherin, remember?"
The older wizard rolled his eyes. Harry had been going through listings of muggle occupations for the past few weeks, as they had resolved the contraception issue (and the matter of which ingredients Harry could safely ingest), which left the Gryffindor to ponder his future once more. And, considering the fact that he still hadn't decided which path he was going to take, this was the issue that they discussed almost every afternoon whilst their daughter napped.
"And yet, Mr Potter, I seem to recall you being the model Gryffindor for 7 years. You'd find the career is not to your personality, is all I am saying. You're not emotionally hardened enough."
With a 'hmmph' of indignity, the younger wizard returned his attention to the list that sat in front of him. The jobs were in no particular order, and many had little question marks or comments scrawled next to them in bright red ink.
'Teacher'? He read, before crossing it out. No.
'Fireman'? Err…No.
'Accountant'? No chance in the ninth level of hell! He was hopeless with numbers, and the thought of being stuck at a desk all day appealed to him even less.
He read the next one, and fought not to laugh out loud. Who on earth had compiled this thing? With a smirk, he decided to have some fun with his lover. "Oh here's one," He began in his most earnest tone of voice, making sure to get the older wizard's attention. "I could be a Male Stripper."
Severus looked positively stricken for a moment, before schooling his expression back into its impassive state. However, the damage had been done. Harry had seen the look on his lover's face, and was rolling around on the carpet, laughing hard and clutching at his aching sides.
Snape glared in the younger wizard's direction. "You'd never make it." He stated dryly, "You're much too scrawny."
Harry immediately sobered, and sat back up, feigning mock-offence. "Hey!" He exclaimed in his most scandalised tone, "That was cruel."
"I am cruel, Potter." Severus responded, though his eyes sparkled with mirth, "It's what you love about me."
The Gryffindor sniffed, choosing to ignore his lover. "Besides, I happen to know that I have a very nice body, thank you very much, and it is anything but scrawny."
Severus pretended to consider this. "Hmm….yes…you're right." He told his young partner, "It's more on the 'malnourished' side, now that you mention it…"
With a cry of false outrage, Harry leapt onto the older man's lap, knocking him down onto the couch, and pinned legs down with the weight of his body. "Oh, you're going to regret that, Professor Snape." He promised with a grin, before leaning down to capture his lover's lips in a greedy kiss.
"Yes," The older wizard replied dryly, once the Gryffindor's lips had moved away from his own, and were trailing along his collarbone, "I can see that my punishment is going to be positively horrendous."
Harry merely nodded, and wiggled his hips, creating friction between his body and the one beneath him, and effectively eliciting a groan from the older wizard. Slowly he undid the buttons of his lover's shirt, and then took pleasure in traversing over the pale skin with his tongue. He felt hands removing him of his own shirt, although continued on his quest down Severus' torso. Upon reaching the waistline of the older wizard's trousers, he grinned and began to move back up the lithe body of his partner, pausing to lick at the erect nipples that awaited him.
Snape moaned. "Merlin, Harry…"
"Hmm," the younger man in question smiled around the nub currently in his mouth, "yes, Love?"
"I-"
The potions master was cut short by the howling of their daughter. He cursed as Harry suddenly moved away from him, and from their mind numbing activities. "Leave her." He said, reaching for the other man. "She's going to have to learn that she can't always have her way."
Harry chuckled, "And you can?"
"Yes." Severus replied matter-of-factly.
The almost animalistic screams continued. Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, Sev. But I can't exactly get in the mood with her wailing like this."
With a sigh of resignation, Snape nodded. His own arousal was fading fast as well. "Go tend to her, then."
Harry started. "You're not coming?"
Severus arched an eyebrow, "I'd rephrase that question, Mr Potter."
It took the younger wizard a moment to realise what his lover had said. He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Severus, you know what I meant."
With another sigh, the older man rose to his feet, "If I must…" He replied, though he knew that once they had dealt with whatever issues their baby girl had, and had placed her back down to complete the rest of her afternoon nap, they would move into their bedroom and continue their earlier activities.
Nearing the door to the nursery, the cries increased in volume, and Severus swept in first, though Harry was directly behind him. "Alright, young lady, what's your problem this time?" He muttered, his voice soothing the infant, though only a little.
She continued to howl at him, and he moved to pick her up, discovering the problem almost immediately. She needed to be changed, as her soiled nappy had -once again- soaked through her sleeping suit. He turned to his young lover, who shook his head with a grin.
"Not a chance." Harry informed him, realising the question that was on the man's lips before he got a chance to speak. "Consider it your proper punishment for earlier."
The older wizard scowled as he moved towards the change table, and placed the still-bawling baby down gently. "Then at least replace her bedclothes." He demanded, hands deftly unbuttoning his squirming daughter's sleeping suit.
With a sigh, Harry removed the soiled sheet from the cot –whilst mentally thanking the muggle that designed mattress protectors- and replaced it with another from the cupboard. His task complete, he turned to observe his lover.
Severus struggled to remove the clothes from his daughter as she continued to thrash her arms and legs about, and winced as her screams increased in volume once he'd removed her nappy. Scrunching his nose in what Harry secretly thought was the most adorable fashion, he set about cleaning the baby up and finally managed to get a new disposable on her.
Once clean and dry, Callisto began to calm down enough to allow him to dress her in a new sleeping suit, and he smiled lightly in satisfaction when his job was done. Lifting the baby into his arms once more, Severus supported her head against his shoulder, and breathed in the fresh baby-powder smell she exuded, whilst pacing to and fro in front of her cot, bouncing lightly every now and then.
Harry smiled to himself as he watched his daughter drift off to sleep in his lover's arms, and couldn't help but feel content with the way his life had turned out.
Now, if only he could decide which occupation he would take…
-?-
"Harry," Severus' voice brought him out of his light slumber.
He opened his eyes wearily, "Mmm?" He asked, wondering whether this would take much time. He pondered on the notion of telling his lover to sod off, considering it was due to their afternoon's activities that his energy levels were so depleted. However, one look at the other wizard's face made him change his mind. "Yes, Sev?" He asked, as politely as was possible for him after his decidedly rude awakening.
The Potions Master of Hogwarts frowned down at him, clearly unimpressed with something, "We've received a firecall." He stated simply, curling his upper lip in distaste, "Your mutt wishes to speak with you."
"Oh!" The Gryffindor's drowsiness cleared immediately and he practically leapt out of the bed. Sirius was contacting him. Perhaps that meant that he'd finally come around and accepted his family? Harry hoped as much. The withdrawal from the only living link he had to his parents had begun to gnaw away at his insides, making him feel as if there was a huge hole in his life.
Quickly slipping back into his slacks and shirt, Harry raced out of the bedroom, managing a quick 'Thankyou' to his lover, and hurtled down the stairs and into the living room.
"Harry!" The head in the flames called out to him as he neared.
The teenager dropped to his knees by the hearth. "Sirius." He croaked out, his mouth suddenly dry. There was so much he wanted to say. That he needed to say. And yet, he felt as if he couldn't speak.
His Godfather's face contorted in a myriad of emotions. "Harry, I…" He hesitated, and sighed. "This would probably be more appropriate in person…"
"Then floo in."
With a small smile and a nod, the head in the flames retreated. Harry pulled himself to his feet and took a step backwards in preparation for Sirius' entrance. Within another moment, the flames changed colour, and the Marauder stepped out of the fireplace, dusting himself off as best he possibly could. He soon switched his attention to the young man standing in front of him, and -without a word- enveloped his Godson in a warm embrace.
Harry stiffened at the initial contact, but soon relaxed into the hug. "Oh, Siri, I'm sorry." He murmured, still not letting go of the older man.
Sirius scowled. "Sorry?" He repeated incredulously, pulling away. "If anything, I should be apologising-"
"No." The teenager cut him off. "We both should. We're both stubborn prats. We both said horrible things. We both-"
With a chuckle, Sirius interrupted. "I get the picture." He said, with a sheepish grin. The look soon faded, however, and the older Gryffindor was sober once more. "However, I came to apologise…and to congratulate you on your Graduation. I was so proud to see you on that stage…and, when Dumbledore spoke about your contribution to the war, I couldn't help but think of how proud James would have been, too…"
"What?" Harry asked, taking a step away. "What are you trying to pull here? You weren't there. I looked for you. How can you come here and-"
"I was there." His Godfather insisted. "I know we weren't on speaking terms, but Harry! I wouldn't have missed your initiation into the adult world for anything." His expression turned into one of sadness and deep-rooted hurt. "I can't believe you thought I'd ignore it."
Harry's gaze narrowed dangerously, "What else was I supposed to think, Sirius?" He hissed, "You'd told me you wouldn't accept Sev. You'd all but declared that you wouldn't accept my -no- our daughter. That you refused to acknowledge me until I came around. And then you expect me to throw that aside for one day? And -while I think of it- if you were there, why didn't you make yourself known? Why didn't I see you?"
Deciding that his Godson had every right to be upset with him, Sirius ducked his head. "Once the presentation was over I wanted nothing else than to walk straight up to you and tell you how proud I was, no, am of you…but Albus told me that you weren't ready yet. He told me that you and Sniv-" he cut himself short, and amended his slip, "Severus needed time with each other before I could speak to you…and then Molly pulled me aside, talking non-stop about you and Ron and Hermione, and the next thing I knew you and Snape were escaping through the doors…"
The younger man's face fell, "But…I didn't see you…"
"Harry, the Hall was packed…one mop of hair looks exactly like another in a large crowd…" Noting the resignation on the young Gryffindor's face, he sighed and pulled him in for a familial hug. "I love you, Harry. You're a son to me. You know that." The boy merely nodded against him, and he continued, "Which is why I reacted the way I did to your news, I suppose."
Harry pulled away, and looked into Sirius' eyes. "But?"
"But," The animagus responded with a small smile, "I've had a lot of time to think about it all logically…and without Remus that's hard for me to do…" At this, Harry looked away, a chill going down his spine at the mention of his lost mentor. Sirius, however, kept talking. "But, I realised that if he were still alive, he'd point out what a selfish git I've been…and that I can't live without knowing you or my new grand-goddaughter…" He grinned wickedly, "But I can live without the Greasy Git if you're having second thoughts…"
At his Godfather's teasing, Harry smiled and shook his head. "He's a permanent fixture, Siri. I don't think anyone's going to change that."
"Ah," the Marauder mock-frowned. "Bugger."
The recent Graduate rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Live with it."
"Fine." Came the reply, complimented by a long-suffering sigh. "Right." Sirius exclaimed after another moment, punctuating the exclamation with a clap of his hands, "When am I going to meet my grand-goddaughter then?"
-?-
Severus paced the length of the nursery, rocking his crying daughter in his arms. On any other day he'd take her down the stairs and for a nice walk around the manor to calm her. However he refused to attempt that on this particular evening, as he didn't wish to intrude on his lover's long-overdue meeting with his dogfather…er…godfather.
"I do wish you'd stop this nonsense, Callisto." He declared, in a vain last-ditch attempt to quieten the baby. He was frustrated, and her screams were not helping his stress-induced headache. "Screeching your lungs out isn't going to get you anything other than some extremely irritable parents."
She continued to wail. Apparently logic did not work with infants. Snape sighed in resignation and shifted her position, so that she was upright and against his shoulder. He bounced her a couple of times and rubbed soothing circles on her back. And still to no avail.
The potions master glowered into nothingness. "I realise that you want your other father," he stated, as if she could understand him. "However, while that infernal mutt of his remains downstairs, I am staying in here."
More screaming met his announcement and he fought the urge to growl in irritation. The sound of footsteps and voices coming down the hall, however, caused him to groan. "Bloody hell," He murmured to himself, "Is nothing in my own home sacred?"
Of course, he knew that once Harry and Black's reconciliation took place, the latter would definitely want to meet his Godson's daughter. And Snape just knew his baby girl would have the mutt around her little finger in no time, meaning that he would never be able to rid his life of the animagus.
He shuddered to think of a future of Christmases and Birthdays spent as 'a family unit' –which he knew Harry would wish for. And he'd give in to his lover's wish, simply because he adored the young Gryffindor and their daughter…although he'd give up a fight before handing over the deed to the rest of his life. He was still a Snape, after all.
The door opening pulled him from his thoughts, and he whirled around to face Harry and his Godfather, schooling his features into their impassive resolve. Within moments, he had taken graceful strides to greet them where they stood, and removed his still-crying daughter from her comfortable position against his chest.
His expression softened as he looked at her, "Your father's here now," He murmured to her in a reassuring tone, "So you can stop the dramatics." With one last kiss upon her forehead, he passed her to his lover, and moved to step out of the room. A hand on his arm prevented him from leaving.
"Oh no," Harry spoke in a tone that declared he was not one to be messed with, "You're not going anywhere until you and Sirius work out your issues."
With a mental sigh, Severus turned back to face the pair of Gryffindors. He met his lover's eyes, "I hardly think-"
"Sev." Green eyes flashed dangerously, "I mean it. You two have to learn to get along. If not for my sake, for Callie's." He held his daughter back out, as if to punctuate his statement.
The potions master narrowed his gaze, but accepted the squirming, yet somewhat calmer baby back into his arms. "Emotional blackmail is below you, Potter." He stated dryly.
Harry shrugged, clearly not caring in the least.
Sirius coughed, suddenly uncomfortable. Snape's eyes immediately drilled into his own. "Black." The Slytherin nodded in acknowledgement, only to find himself being nudged by his young lover. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry," He added curtly, "Sirius."
Deciding it would be unfair for Harry if he leapt at the opportunity to taunt Snape, Sirius nodded in return. "Severus," He replied evenly, his eyes straying to the infant supported against the taller man's chest. She had finally calmed down, apparently content now that both her parents were in the same room again. "Might I?"
Harry watched as his lover fought with his instinct to sneer and tell Sirius that he could bugger himself backwards before laying a hand on his daughter. Finally the Slytherin let out a breath of air and nodded, "Gently though, Black." He said as he cautiously placed Callisto into the awaiting arms of his lover's Godfather.
Sirius smiled as he observed his grand-goddaughter closely. She had Harry's nose and hair, however had Malfoy eyes and cheekbones. Her warm little baby body was chubby like most healthy infants her age, and dear Merlin did she have a strong grip! Silently attempting to retrieve the lock of hair from her tiny hand, he grinned. "She's gorgeous." He stated, looking up into onyx eyes once more. "I bet you're both really proud."
Harry beamed back at him, and even Snape managed a genuine smile. "Yes," the latter admitted quietly, his tone lacking its familiar bite. "We are."
"She talking yet?" The animagus asked, his attention once again firmly on the baby.
He heard his Godson sigh, slightly defeated. "Not yet. Any day now, we reckon. It's not totally unheard of at this age…Hermione's parents reckon she said her first words at five and a half months!"
Snape couldn't help himself. He snorted. "And never learnt when to shut it after that."
Sirius didn't bother to hide his smirk as Harry shot his lover a glare. "That wasn't funny, Sev." He said, folding his arms over his chest.
"I didn't intend for you to find it humorous." Severus replied, his tone dry. "I was merely stating fact."
Before Harry could find a suitable comeback, Callisto let out a squeal of glee, and the two men turned to find their daughter with both her fists full of Sirius' hair, while the animagus held her in position, a look of pain on his face, unaware of how to disentangle her.
"A little help would be nice," Sirius informed his Godson and his lover, when it became apparent that they weren't going to move to assist him.
Severus rolled his eyes –which sparkled with amusement- and took a step towards his fellow Hogwarts graduate, his arms extended towards his daughter. "Okay, Love," He began, placing his hands beneath her armpits, "I know it's fun to torture him, but let Black go…."
"Oh, Thankyou, Snape." Sirius drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "I'm touched to know that you care."
Harry rolled his eyes at the reversion to surnames, and leant back against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He was rather enjoying the display of civility between his partner and godfather, and was rather afraid that if he were to interrupt it would ruin the moment. Severus, meanwhile, was still coaxing his daughter into releasing the animagus' hair.
"Okay, Black…" the Potions Master was saying, "You're going to need to make sure that you're holding her properly, as I fear we're going to have to revert to Slytherin tactics."
Sirius grinned, and looked to his Godson. "Are you hearing him? He's brainwashing her into the snake-pit."
"Yeah yeah," Harry waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal.
Rolling his eyes in amusement, the animagus turned back to Snape. "Slytherin tactics, you say?"
"Yes." Severus replied simply, before smirking at his daughter's cloth-clad back. "She's rather ticklish, you see."
Sirius chuckled and instantly regretted it, as Callisto squealed with glee at the rich sound, and pulled excitedly at the locks of hair in her hands. "Right," her grand-godfather winced, "Tickle away."
Snape attacked with relish, grinning wickedly as his daughter responded instantly to his long, skilled fingers against her chubby little frame. Sirius laughed as she squirmed in his grasp, pulling sharply at his hair every so often. After another minute, her grip began to loosen, and Severus slipped his fingers between her own, removing them from Sirius' hair altogether. The baby giggled in delight, and leant her body towards her adoptive father, clearly begging for him to pick her up. He complied happily, and was soon balancing her on his side.
"We now have proof that Slytherin tactics are definitely effective." Severus teased lightly and, without thinking, he shot a true smile in Sirius' direction, immediately shocking his old rival, and himself upon reflection.
Even Harry appeared stunned at the effort his lover was unconsciously making. "Alright…" He managed, watching as Severus and Sirius eyed each other uneasily, not really knowing how to act towards one another anymore. "Well, I'm sure Callie's not impressed with being cooped up inside all day, so lets move this out to the gardens, yes?" He looked at his Godfather, as he made his way towards the door. "Are you staying for dinner?"
Sirius looked towards Snape, wondering whether he should dare to test the truce's boundaries. Ever the Gryffindor, (and simply due to the fact that old habits always died hard) he swiftly told himself that it didn't matter what the old bat thought, and agreed.
After all, he had a lot of catching up to do.
Graviditas Mas – though I've never done Latin, my trusty English-Latin Dictionary assures me that this is supposed to be somewhat translatable to 'Male Pregnancy'…Of course, I'm more than likely wrong in the order of the words. It could very well be Mas Graviditas, but, ah well, u get the point anyway, right? LOL. Thanks for hopefully not caring about it.