/blah/ means emphasis

Part – Two

Minerva was talking too quickly for Severus' brain to process; he was still in slight shock.

"…So you see, it's the best thing I can come up with and I knew you would be able to help. Severus, I just need you to say yes." Minerva took a deep breath and held it whilst she looked at Severus with a pained pleading expression.

Severus of course had no idea why she needed him to say yes or why. He contemplated asking her to explain again but knew he still wouldn't understand as she talked too fast for human ears to catch everything. In the end he decided it was best to just humour her and get back to his shopping.

"Of course Minerva, anything you like."

Minerva let out her breath slowly as she realised Severus didn't put up a fuss to her plans, and indeed didn't question any part of it, but she wasn't going to let his absentmindedness get in the way. She took his answer at face value.

"Excellent, I'll expect you at my house three PM tomorrow. Don not be late Severus, I'm counting on you." Without waiting for an answer she apparated away to continue her vigil of Harry Potter and the abuse he was getting at the hands of /those/ relatives!

At precisely three o'clock, Severus knocked on the door of the rather large cottage in the Scottish Highlands, almost instantly the door opened and he entered.

Instantly he was on the alert, he didn't think a woman of Minerva's age could bear children and he saw no sign of it at all last term. Just what was going on here?

The baby was whimpering quietly, covering his eyes with his hands and softly asking for his mama and dada. The bruises on his upper arms proved too much for Severus as he matched right up to the child and started to examine the rest of the tiny body.

"Severus, I assure you that was the first thing I did upon his arrival. The only marks he has from /those muggles/ are the bruises on his upper arm. They held him down whilst he was having a nightmare, the poor dear has a nappy rash also. It lucky you agreed to this otherwise I don't know what I would have done. Thank you Severus." Her words were heartfelt and sincere and Severus felt his stomach drop.

"Explain to me again Minerva how this is going to work?" He tried to sound as if he knew what was happening, but really he knew nothing of the sort.

"As I explained yesterday, I have all the papers here, you just need to sign on the dotted line as it were and you can take Harry with you. No one will even suspect you have him, after all, Lilly, James and yourself never got on together."

Minerva showed Severus the adoption papers. They looked authentic and they felt authentic. The ministry seal of approval faded in and out as the magic surged with his touch. All that was needed was his signature and he could take the Potter baby with him. How did he get himself out of this mess?

"Minerva, have you forgotten the small issue of a certain /tattoo/ I have? Surely the significance of such a thing has not escaped your notice. Hmm?"

Severus wore a very smug look on his face, the mark for once could be used to his advantage, really, what was she thinking in asking /him/ to raise a child!

"Severus, you really need to read things before you start to ask such silly questions. Please continue to read and sign, we don't have much time left." Minerva pierced him with a glare worthy of himself and he truly felt chastised. He looked back at the papers and began to read.

"I got a muggle girl pregnant? Minerva! This is really absurd! As if I would even stoop so low as to go near a muggle, let alone fornicate with one!"

Minerva suppressed her chuckle. "Honestly Severus, you didn't think you were going to be adopting Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived now did you?"

The growl erupted before he could stop it, really it did.

At the end of the document, was a place for the signature of the /girl/ and a place for his name as the /father/. He signed under protest, but the look he was given by Minerva would stop even Peeves. The second his quill lifted from the paper then it disappeared into thin air, to a ministry office and filed under S for Snape.

Severus Snape left the cottage of Minerva McGonagall carry his /son/ Alexander Snape.