The two Gryffindors walked in silence. Others around them were confused, seeing the outspoken redhead with whom they knew she despised, but they shrugged it off and ignored them. They just assumed that Potter's advances were finally taking effect.

Lily, on the other hand, didn't notice the people around her. Instead, her mind was focused on the Gryffindor next to her. He was being too quiet, which was unheard of from Mr. Potter. She kept glancing over at the bespeckled seeker, wanting to break the silence, but couldn't find her voice to do it.

James just looked down, serious. It was clear that, for some reason, his mind wasn't on the beautiful redhead next to him. You know, the one he had been pursuing for the last six years. James gritted his teeth as he walked, half looking forward to and half dreading what was to come. He continued striding forward, brisk in his pace until he felt a delicate hand firmly grasp his forearm.

"We're here," Lily uttered as James glanced at her. Recognition flashed in his eyes when she gestured to the portrait of the heavily made up blond woman on the wall.

Letting go of James, Lily continued to speak. "You're going to have to step back. No offense, but I don't trust you enough to let you know what the password is." In her head, Lily was smirking at the irony, but none of that made its way onto her stern face.

James just raised his hands in surrender and stepped back until his back was against the opposite wall. He crossed his arms and watched as the redhead finally took her suspicious gaze off of him and whispered the password to the painting.

He didn't know what to expect, but he was surprised when he saw that the piece of the wall the painting was on swung open, with the same dimensions of a door. He was slightly jealous. He had to crawl into a hole in the wall.

He saw Lily gesture towards him as she stood in the doorway, waving her hand for him to come. James stood up straight, taking a deep breath in before attempting to stride into the room. But before he could enter, he felt himself being slammed against the wall to the left of the opening, with the wide piece of wall to his left. He had to physically restrain himself from attacking, but his defiance became subdued as he felt a wand poking at his throat, knowing exactly why this was happening.

"Potter," Lily uttered, determination clear in her eyes as she held James against the wall. "If you do anything, anything at all to hurt Sev, I will personally make a slow and torturous affair of your arrogant pride and everything else you hold dear until you are begging and pleading at my feet. Got it?"

Lily waited, anticipating a normal response to this being that she was kinky in the bedroom, that she was a fiery woman, all things that would be ordinary of James Potter.

But, if we're being fair, right now nothing about anything was ordinary.

James looked her in the eye and simply said, "I don't plan to." Lily held her pose a little longer, before finally letting him go, swerving to enter the room. Potter followed, wincing and massaging his throat.

Once he entered, he immediately noticed the pastel green undertones in the room, and he couldn't stop himself from smirking. Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin, huh. The strange thing, as James realized it and his smirk fell off, was that it wasn't a menacing smirk. No, no it wasn't. Rather, it was a fond one.

Towards Severus.

A Slytherin.

What was happening to him?

His eyes wandered the room, before they looked to his left and settled onto the two people on the bed. And what's meant by settle is that he froze, and he could not take his eyes off the people on the bed.

Snape was sitting in an unfolded crisscross formation, hunched over. However, it wasn't the hunched over James was used to seeing in the school, where the Slytherin attempted to make himself smaller so he could blend into the shadows. No, he was hunched over like he was protecting the small child in his lap, who was babbling away in excitement at the redhead who had just appeared in front of him.

James could see Lily pointing towards himself, and he saw the child's face turn towards him. The child gasped adorably before smiling widely, wiggling to get out of his papa's lap. James, however, was not focused on the boy, but rather the man behind him. Severus had looked up, and James had seen the small smile and fond eyes the raven had towards his child. But once they landed on him, he could see the exact moment that Severus first recognized what was in front of his eyes.

James felt a slight pang in his chest as the once expressive eyes turned guarded, the smile disappearing into a scowl so fast, that for a moment James wondered if he had imagined it.

But he knew he hadn't.

"Daddy!" he heard a high pitched voice squeal, before he felt a force attach itself to his legs. Looking down, James almost exclaimed out loud in shock. The child had wrapped his arms around the legs of the seeker, and was looking up, giving a blinding smile full of excitement. James just couldn't help but stare at the child. His mind hadn't caught up with him yet.

"Harry, why don't you show Po- your daddy, your toys? I'm sure he'd love to play with you," Lily prompted. Harry, who had turned to face the redhead, nodded vigorously before tugging on his father's legs, nearly causing the Gryffindor to fall over.

"Daddy, come!" Lost in his element, James simply allowed the child to drag him over to the playpen. He did make sure to grab the boy's hand in his own instead of risking both of their safety with him falling over.

Severus watched the two with barely concealed anxiety before being distracted by Lily tugging him to the opposite side of the room from the child and parent. Lily grabbed his shoulders, facing him head on. "Listen to me Sev. Are you absolutely certain you don't need me to stay? I can just sit to the side. I won't interfere if you don't want me to."

Severus chuckled. "As much as I would love your constant threatening presence looming over Potter, I'm," and here Severus faltered, looking around, trying to find the words for what he wanted to say. For what he was somewhat hesitant to admit.

"I'm doing this for Harry. He's used to having just the two parents, and he'll notice if you're always with us every time I have to be with the imbecile. At some point, I have to get used to just the three of us, right?"

"Are you sure?" Lily questioned again, grip softer as she tried to reason with her friend. "What if he hurts you again?"

"I'm hoping that Gryffindor pride and ethics you all have will prevent Potter from attacking me while in the presence of a child. I most certainly would never attempt it to be just Potter and I together. I'm only tolerating him for Harry."

On the other side of the room sat a bespeckled messy haired Gryffindor, who was currently watching Harry play with his toys. As the boy babbled about his dolls and presented them to the other, who responded with smiles and nods, he was lost in thought, only speaking rarely to the child. He was a little too busy studying the boy in great detail.

James didn't know what he had expected. Earlier, in the great hall, he hadn't gotten a very good look at the boy, only a guess at the child's age. Now that they were sitting so close, he could see so many things that he kept having to remind himself were true of the boy in front of him.

James's eyes moved over the boy, taking in everything. He indeed saw the features from Snape in the child: the extremely dark black hair and piercing black eyes were, shall we say, attributed by all of Hogwarts to belong to the Slytherin located across the room.

However, despite everything Sirius said, and the small doubts (and/or hopes) in James's brain, he could see how the boy's messy hair, even at that age, resembled his to a tee. He could see, when the boy looked over to him, sometimes looking curiously or smiling broadly, the pure resemblance to his own childhood pictures at his parent's estate. And he looked down at the back of his arm, glancing up at the child and seeing how his own skin tone was much closer to the child's than Snape's, with the child only being slightly paler than him. Once again most likely the result of Snape.

Back across the room again, Severus had a mild concern. "Lily, how in Merlin's pants did you know my password? You weren't there when I made it."

Lily just smiled brightly, before side hugging Severus in a show of friendship. "Professor McGonagall approached me in the Great Hall during breakfast. I have to say, I wouldn't have pegged you for such a sap, but I guess children do that to you."

"Lily!" Severus exclaimed, smacking Lily lightly in irritation, but he betrayed himself as his eyes glanced over at the playpen, his sight laying on Harry. Lily smirked as she saw the face of her friend grow soft as he looked upon the child.

The redhead then sighed heavily, resting her hands on her hips. "Alright Sev, I guess I'm leaving now. But!" And here she leaned closer to Severus and started whispering aggressively. "You better inform me at once if Potter does anything, you hear me!?"

Severus smiled in fond exasperation. "Yes I do. Thanks, Lily." The two hugged, holding each other close in comfort for a little bit, before they broke apart. Lily headed for the door, and looked back at Severus as she exited.

They both clearly knew what the reality of this situation was. And they were worried.

Harry's attention turned away from his toys once he heard the slam of the door. When he turned his head in curiosity, his eyes laid on his papa, and he gasped from excitement. He stood up, and started walking towards his papa.

However, when passing his father, he stopped and grabbed his daddy's sleeve, pulling him with all his determination. He wanted all of them to be together after all.

When the Griffyndor felt the slight, but determined tugging on his sleeve, he looked up, ready to entertain the child with a smile prepared on his face. However, when he saw exactly where exactly the boy was heading and his eyes fell on the Slytherin, he felt his smile wobble, falling off his face as his eyes widened in alarm.

He saw how the Slytherin looked up at the incoming toddler, with a gentle gaze that was so… foreign, on the raven's face. But when Snape's eyes moved along his child's arm, and James saw the piercing black eyes lay on him, the gentle eyes widened, a grimace appearing on his face as he moved backward in alarm.

Harry climbed on the bed, letting go of his daddy in order to pull himself up. He bounced on his feet, pushing his head on the bed as an anchor as he pushed himself forward onto the bed. He giggled cutely, biting his bottom lip and grinning as he looked at his papa, tilting his head at his papa's expression. His papa seemed worried, and even though his papa smiled down at him in an attempt to reassure him, the boy wasn't convinced.

Remembering his mission, Harry turned around on the bed, reaching out for the other man in the room. The Gryffindor placed his hand in front of him, allowing Harry to take his hand, the child grinning happily up at him. The child, probably thinking he's being mischievous, bit his lip, gently tugging to get his daddy on the bed.

Severus was terrified. He had promised himself he wouldn't have to get close to Potter! It would be the two of them on opposite sides of the room as they entertained Harry, the child not knowing the wiser. He should have known that Harry would be smarter than that. And now the Slytherin was suffering the consequences.

The two students sat on the bed, being only separated by the single child, which, as can be guessed, was not a lot of space between them. Harry seemed deadfast on having both his supposed parents right next to him, and while Severus desired to keep Harry happy, being this close to the Gryffindor imbecile was making him seize up. Most definitely because the Gryffindor was so moronic that even the dumbest of trolls could perform better at Hogwarts than him. Not because Severus was in fear because of his continuous torment.

Definitely not.

Harry clutched both parents, grinning at both of them, but he didn't actually start communicating with them. Instead, he opted to babble to himself while playing with his stuffed phoenix, which left a very awkward silence above the adorable three year old.

Severus kept his eyes straight in front of him, uneasy as he sat lost in thought. However, he felt himself stiffen up, taking a sharp breath in, eyes widening in trepidation as he saw in his peripheral vision a certain Gryffindor turning his head to face him. Severus immensely hoped that the pillock simply got very suddenly interested in the front door that was located just past Severus. No such luck.

"So, uh Sni- Snape," James started. "How... are... you doing?" He concluded awkwardly, cringing inwardly as he observed the raven glancing at him without changing his distraught sneer and then returning back to staring into space.

"I mean," James attempted again. "How… is… being a parent? Is it difficult?"

Severus just stared at James with barely concealed disgust. Actually, he may not have even been trying to conceal it. "Potter, I know responsibility isn't something any Gryffindor but Lily emulates, but you should be aware that...if, what Harry says is true, then you are also a parent."

"Yeah, but I mean, I was always going to have a kid," James replied, leaning back on his hands as he relaxed into the conversation. "But you, on the other hand, it's quite unbelievable."

Severus didn't look over, keeping his head down to gaze at the boy next to him, but secretly he agreed with the bespeckled man.

James, spurred on by the lack of hostility, continued. Perhaps when he should have stopped. "No one would have thought a Slytherin like you would have done more than use any child, of course. Definitely not actually caring for them. But-"

"Excuse me?!" James heard coming from next to him, and when he turned he found the Slytherin with a scowl deep set on his face, eyes embedded with raw hatred, piercing into his own.

James just looked back at the raven, confused. Why was he glaring at him?

Severus, if possible, grew even angrier when he saw that James was so oblivious to what he had done wrong. Gritting his teeth to prevent from outright hexing the seeker, he turned back to the front, murderous glare on full display, ending the somewhat amiable conversation.

James just sat like a gaping fish, wanting to say something but not being able to. There was now a large wall between the two, and James couldn't bring himself to break through it. He had just turned back to the front at the cold shut down from the Slytherin, when a sharp knock on the door sent the Gryffindor jumping in surprise. Severus turned towards the door, anticipating the explanation from the arrival.

From outside, a poised, yet caring voice called out. "It is Madam Pomfrey, Mr. Snape."

Snape got off the bed and opened the door, letting Madam Pomfrey enter a couple of feet. Before Severus could ask why she was there, the nurse turned promptly towards him. "I think it's time I do an analysis on the young boy. Better sooner than later, don't you agree, Mr. Snape?"

"Yes, Madam. Should we go to the hospital wing, or?" Severus asked, trailing off at the end.

"Yes, that would be the most ideal, but I came here first in the circumstance that the young Mr. Potter decides he does not wish to leave the room."

Severus smirked inwardly at the reminder of the spoiled child, but at a look from the nurse he moved towards Harry, who had noticed him and was holding his arms out to be carried.

"Papa, potty!" Harry proclaimed, pausing what Severus was about to explain to him as he picked the child up and held him in his arms.

"Okay, but after we go, we are going to accompany the nice madam to her office and she is going to check that you are all right, okay, Harry? Nod if you understand."

The boy nodded, slobbering on the fingers in his mouth. Satisfied, Severus headed into the bathroom with the boy, leaving just the stoic nurse next to the door and the Gryffindor on the bed.

There was a moment of silence. That is, until James turned to the nurse with a request of his own. "Madam Pomfrey?"

The woman turned to face the boy, as a silent answer.

"Could-" The boy started, hesitating while somewhat lost in thought. He bit his lip, then steeled his nerves and asked. "Could I accompany you guys? I want to know how he- Harry, is doing."

"Of course," the nurse replied, not phased by the request. "I expected you to come anyway. I also planned on doing paternity tests on you and the boy, along with Mr. Snape and the boy."

"Yeah- that. Yeah." James stammered out, somewhat surprised.

He had forgotten that there was a possibility for Harry not to be his son. But even as that thought crossed his head, he found himself immediately dismissing it. If the last hour was anything to go by…

James sat in silence on the bed, waiting for the other two to arrive. This day had already been full of more surprises than he'd need in a year. Why not discover some more?