Severus found himself once again walking with Potter and, oh by Merlin, their child.

What is the world coming to?

This time, however, they did not have an audience of shell shocked students, as most students at this time were in classes or studying. After finishing their treats, the three were making their way to the headmaster's office. Harry had opted to actually walk instead of being carried by the Slytherin, and Potter was doing an okay job at keeping him occupied.

It certainly didn't make Severus's heart warm when he saw Potter grab the child and sweep him up before gently placing it back down and doing it all over again several seconds later. Certainly not.

Once the three of them reached the entrance to the headmaster's office, the gargoyle immediately jumped to the side and revealed the entrance, to the surprise of the two students and to the awe of the small child clutching his papa's leg. Severus glanced over to the Gryffindor, hesitating to move forward, but once Potter met his eyes he broke eye contact and strode forward.

The three entered, Severus nearly tripping when Harry ran between his legs, asking to be carried.

Sitting at his desk, the headmaster smiled gently at all of them and gestured wordlessly towards the chairs in front of him. Standing behind him were the deputy headmaster in all her glory and an auror, which Severus noticed piqued the Gryffindor's interests.

Severus took the seat furthest into the office, picking Harry up and placing him on his lap, the child wriggling until his papa wrapped his arms around him. James sat down in the remaining chair, then when everyone was settled, started speaking. "So, why were we called here, headmaster?"

Albus continued smiling gently, opting to pick up the jar of sweets on his desk rather than answer the question. He held it out to the students. "Would any of you like a sweet? Harry?"

The child immediately nodded his head, but Severus's expression soured. "No, Harry, you just had a treacle tart," he said, his paternal instincts taking over again. He was too focused on the whining child to see James looking at his antics and smiling what would definitely be an unfamiliar expression on his face to the Slytherin.

They straightened when they heard the auror clear his throat in a clear attempt to get them on track. Severus sat up straight. "So, professor?"

Albus kept the smile on his face, but his expression became more serious as he started getting into the matter at hand. "Yes. We have gotten an update from the aurors on the time travel situation. It seems that they do not have any idea what caused the portal that sent the young lad through time."

"What this means is that we do not have a clue on how to send young Harry back."

At Severus's more alert look, Albus continued with his conclusion. "It seems that the boy will be staying with us for longer than we expected."

"What does that mean?" Severus inquired harshly, becoming irritated at the old man's drawn out rhetoric. "How long will he be with us?" he posed, his tone becoming softer as he asked the question.

Albus paused, knowing that the answer would not be satisfying to the teen. At his hesitation, Minerva stepped in. "We cannot be sure, Mr. Snape. It could be several years in the extreme scenario, but we are certain that with the lack of information for the case, he will most likely be with us for at least a couple of months or so."

Severus looked alarmed at this fact, with everyone else sharing his serious expression. Except for two individuals.

Harry, of course, was one of them, because he either couldn't understand what was being said around him or didn't care to pay attention. The second was a certain bespeckled Gryffindor.

James was confused looking around him at the others, but seeing the same expression on all of them he had no choice but to speak up.

"Um, I understand that this is an issue, but I already didn't believe that Harry would be able to quickly go home. Is there a particular reason you called us in here to tell us that? Or was this it?"

Minerva was the one to hesitate here, as all the adults in the room knew why this was truly concerning. However, Albus spoke before she could decide to inform the students of the predicament.

"It's merely that, since the boy will be here longer, letters should be sent out informing your parents of this situation."

Three different responses came out simultaneously at this, with James's thrilled "Really!?" and Harry's incomprehensible squeal clashing with Severus's panicked "No!" Once coming down from his excited high, James registered the differing reaction from the other and looked over at the Slytherin, eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the other, with Severus hunching his shoulders and looking down, affrighted. James wisely decided not to say anything.

"Papa?" Harry asked, looking up at the raven's face, reaching up with his hand and gently touching his cheek. His papa gently raised his hand and started stroking the boy's back, but his expression did not change at all. Harry did not like that expression on his papa's face.

"Mr. Snape? Do you want to explain your outburst?" the deputy headmistress questioned.

Severus stalled his response, not responding to the professor, before raising his head and looking straight into the headmaster's eyes. "Headmaster Dumbledore, please do not tell my parents," he uttered, holding the professor's gaze in a silent challenge. After a tense moment, the headmaster relented, blinking and sitting back, a smile growing on his face once more.

"Very well, Mr. Snape. Mr. Potter? I assume you have no issue with us informing your parents?"

"Uh, I mean…" James started, before looking over at Severus, asking a silent question. It took a little bit for Severus to realize that Potter was addressing him, but once he did, they held eye contact for just a moment more before the raven broke their eye contact and slightly shrugged his shoulders.

James held his gaze for a few more seconds before looking back to address his professors. "Yes. I mean no! I don't have any issues with you telling my parents. Please tell them."

"Excellent. Well, students, that is all that was to be discussed in this session. I understand that the news may be trying, but I believe the two of you can handle this responsibility." Albus's eyes twinkled as he regarded the students.

Severus stood up, making his way to leave, but stopped just shy of the entrance when he heard the Gryffindor speak. He seized up, but his panic lessened when he realized that the seeker's words weren't directed towards him.

"Hey, uh professor?" James inquired. When he had his professor's attention, he hesitated, deliberating upon whether to go through with his sentiments, but ultimately he opted to go through with what he had set out to do.

"Just a while ago, uh... in potions, Siri meddled with Sev- Snape's potion, and it nearly severely hurt him and Evans, and distressed Harry. If it wasn't for the tot, the two would have absolutely had to go to the nurse's office, or even St. Mungo's. I knew he was up to something, though I didn't know what, and I didn't do anything. That was a bad thing to do, and I want us to be given the consequences."

Albus raised an eyebrow, with Minerva fuming behind him. "My goodness, Mr. Potter! Mr. Black could have done so much harm!"

Albus settled the room with a harsh stare at the Gryffindor. "From what I had observed over the past six years, I would not have ever imagined you giving your partner up, Mr. Potter," he uttered calmly in a low tone.

James didn't say anything, merely bowing his head. With that, the headmaster leaned back to rest in his chair, the serious glare gone. "Very well. Mr. Black will be getting three months of detention with Mr. Filch for his punishment…" James, winced inwardly, knowing that the detentions with the Hogwarts caretaker were the worst kind, but he knew the other kind of deserved it. Doesn't mean he can't cringe on his behalf.

"As for you, Mr. Potter…" James steeled himself, ready for any punishment. "From what I have been told, you did not actually participate in this sabotage, instead aiming to prevent it? I'm not certain of the full details, I'll have to speak to professor Slughorn and the sixth years present to truly reach a verdict, but for right now you won't be punished for this."

"What!" James exclaimed, affronted. "But I knew he was going to do something and didn't confront him! I only stepped up when it was too late."

Albus smiled gently, with a knowing glance in his eye. "Well maybe," he paused, his eye gently flickering over to the entrance of his office. "Your punishment will be being a main caregiver for a certain child that will be on campus grounds for a while."

James paused, still shell shocked, but straightened soon enough. Before making his way to the door he turned back to the headmaster. "Spending time with him isn't a punishment, sir."

James made his way to exit after that declaration, but stopped short when he saw Snape standing in the entrance, back towards him, not having left yet.

"Sever-," James tried, but the raven darted out the entrance, and the seeker swiftly found himself alone. Disappointed at the blatant refusal, James found himself thinking over the conversation that was just had. He strolled out of the office, a new idea in his head that he for sure needed to implement.

The other teen meanwhile was making his way swiftly towards his room, not paying attention to any people around him. He was too in his head to focus on anything else.

Why had Potter turned Black in? What was that? Just like Dumbledore said, it was practically inconceivable for Potter to do that. Why was everything changing around him?

It was too much for Severus, who really needed to spend some time away from people (excluding Harry of course). Once he reached his abode he mumbled the password under his breath and entered when the door swung open. Once there he placed Harry down with his toys and took a seat on his bed for some very cathartic lack of activity. Although this was interrupted by Harry who asked his papa to play with him.

Severus refuses to admit that playing dolls with Harry was just as cathartic as what he was doing before.

He wasn't aware of how long he spent playing with Harry, but he was eventually shaken out of his stupor when he heard a knock on the door. This immediately made Severus freeze up, on alert, as Lily already knew his password and he really wasn't in the mood to speak with the Gryffindor seeker. He needed to let the weird, confused feelings he had disappear, and being around the Gryffindor really didn't help the situation.

"Hello? Snape?" The words came through the door, and Severus was shocked to hear that familiar voice.

"Reg- I mean, Black?" Severus questioned, fixing his mistake. He wasn't the closest to the younger Slytherin, but he always referred to him as Regulus in his head to distinguish him from his brother. "Uh, you can open the door," he uttered, directed to the portrait.

The door swung open to reveal the nervous, awkward Slytherin, and Severus immediately noticed something in the boy's arms that he didn't even realize he had forgotten.

"Um, here's your bag," the younger boy said nervously. "It has your homework from potions in it too. Professor Slughorn told me to give it to you."

"Oh, thank you Black." Severus had stood at this point and had strolled towards the door entrance, taking the bag. "Is that all?"

Severus could see the boy biting his lip and looking down nervously, twisting his hands. "That's not all, is it?" Regulus hesitated, but before he could answer, Severus heard some motions from behind him.

Turning, he could see Harry on the opposite side of the bed to them, peering over the edge at the newcomer with his hands clutching the top of the bed. At his papa's attention, he squeaked before ducking his head under the edge, but ended up walking past the bed and approaching the Slytherin duo. He clutched his papa's right leg, and looking up at the slightly alarmed younger student, he blurted out, "Uncle Reggy?"

This exclamation made Severus's eyes widen as he turned towards his child, and it certainly did not help the younger Slytherin's alarm.

"You know Regulus, Harry?" Severus exclaimed in surprise. At Harry's nod, Severus began to wonder. What did it mean that Harry recognized Regulus?

Sadly, as always, his bright wonder was interrupted by a Gryffindor. And this time, it wasn't one of the good ones. Or even one he could handle tolerating.

"Hey, Snivellus!" Severus heard, feeling dread creep up in him, and lo and behold at the entrance to his room approached the Gryffindor Black. Now the pair was in front of him.

"Hey Regulus," Sirius addressed coolly. He wasn't a fan of what his brother was doing, but he was his brother and they didn't have any immediate bad blood. Regulus for his part looked like a deer in headlights, eyes wide, clearly uncomfortable. For some reason, he didn't attempt to leave though.

Severus took a step backwards in preemptive self defense. He would have taken more, but Harry was still gripping his leg and Severus had no clue how the kid was so strong.

Sirius raised his hands in a show of surrender. "Hey, hey! I'm not here to prank you, though that would be very fun."

Severus's disturbed expression didn't change. It was clear that he didn't believe the Gryffindor.

Realizing that, Sirius was irritated but decided to cut his losses. "Look man, I'm not even going to try to begin to understand what is happening. It seems like Harry is actually Prongs's child, which means he's spending time with him. I don't know why that means he has to spend time with you, but it's fine I guess."

Through this articulation, Severus had calmed down from his alarmed state. He was still wary, but now his arms were crossed and he was glaring at the older Black. "Alright, is that all you came to say, Black? Or do you plan to force me to bear your presence even more?" Severus remarked scornfully.

Sirius took his hand off the edge of the door frame where he had been leaning and started slightly pacing from side to side. He was clearly hesitating, hand in his hair, looking down and biting his lip. I guess they really are brothers.

Severus was slightly startled when the Gryffindor stopped pacing, looking up at the ceiling. After a moment he took a deep breath in and exhaled, and he lowered his head to match Severus's line of sight.

"Sss.. uh, Sssnnna- Look, I'm not going to stop calling you Snivellus! Anyway, Snivellus, I'm sorry."

Out of all the things Severus was expecting, that wasn't it. And while he was able to control his mouth before blurting something out, he wasn't able to school his expression, which showed intense befuddlement.

"I'm… sorry. About potions. I knew that the potion was dangerous in that situation and yet I still sabotaged it. I nearly hurt Evans and, you, and I terrified Harry."

Despite this confession, Severus was still skeptical. "Did Potter force you into doing this?"

"No!" Sirius started, defensive at first but then relenting. "Evans did corner me and nearly take my head off for endangering you, and Moony called me stupid. But I did feel bad after the potions thing, it just took them yelling at me for me to actually get off my arse and apologize."

Severus accepted the first claims, as he could fully believe Lily and even Lupin would do those things. But something was still on his mind.

"What about Potter?" Severus asked suspiciously.

Sirius got a peculiar expression on his face after the question. "Prongs? No, I haven't seen him since Potions. He was with you and the tot, wasn't he?"

Severus held his gaze a little longer, willing Black to say that Potter did something, before breaking eye contact. "Yeah, we were together until a little while ago. I don't know where he is now." Severus picked Harry up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. He assumed the conversation with the Gryffindor was over, and honestly he forgot that Regulus was there, as the boy had moved so he wasn't in the entrance anymore.

The conversation wasn't over, at least according to Sirius. "So, what's your response?"

Severus really didn't want to hear the Gryffindor Black's voice currently. But he knew that the impatient Gryffindor wouldn't leave without an answer. And frankly Severus had no desire to soften this for the other.

"If I say I forgive you, can we pretend this never happened and go back to not talking to each other?"

"Works for me, I'd rather not have to see your ugly mug in my life again." Sirius was going to follow that with a scathing comment about how it was great that Harry looked like James instead of Snape, but ended up holding his tongue in a surprising act of self control. Having had the last word, Sirius left, though he did brightly address Harry and his brother before leaving.

It was the farewell from the Gryffindor that made Severus remember that the younger Slytherin was still there.

"Oh! Uh, sorry Black. What were you going to say before all the interruptions?"

Regulus clearly looked uncomfortable being there, which confused Severus, but he didn't make any attempts to speak. Severus watched as the younger Black's eyes darted towards the child playing with his tie in his lap.

Severus instantly knew something was up.

"Harry, why don't you go play with your dolls. Papa has something to talk to… Uncle Reggy about." Harry beamed up to his papa and nodded, eager to listen to his papa and make him happy, and slipped off the bed, flopping onto the ground and running to the other side of the room.

Severus immediately stood up and walked towards Regulus. "What is it?"

Regulus hesitated, almost looking a bit scared, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a folded up card, thrusting it out to Severus, who curiously took it.

"Bella gave this to Cissa, who told me to give it to you. It's from the Dark Lord."

Severus's eyes widened, but he made an effort to not show any other reactions in front of the younger Slytherin. It seemed like the younger realized it though, and there was understanding in his eyes.

"It- It's an invitation to one of his meetings. You need it to get into the meeting."

There was only silence between the two for a moment, until it was broken by Severus, speaking as if he was far away from the present situation. "Okay, thank you, Regulus."

Regulus waited a moment in case Severus was going to do anything else, but quickly shuffled away once he determined that wasn't the case. The portrait closed the door, startling Severus. He went and stood next to his desk.

The Dark Lord. Back when Lily had stopped speaking to him and he had been bullied even more than before, he had felt more alone than ever. Despite being at the bottom of the social ladder in Slytherin for being a half-blood and for spending time with Lily, there were some that tried recruiting Severus for the new cause of the Dark Lord. To pledge to the Dark Lord and eventually become a Death Eater. At the time, he had expressed an interest because he had felt that there was nowhere else to go. That no one else would accept him.

The following school year, when Lily forgave him, this opportunity had completely slipped his mind. But now it's in his hand, which Severus held over the trash bin next to his desk.

Why would he want to join that group? He had Lily now, and Harry. There was no reason for him to go. And Lily had verbalized real concerns with the group, like how he would undoubtedly have to hurt muggles and muggleborns if he was a Death Eater. He didn't want to lose her again.

And yet, there were still doubts prickling the back on his mind. And despite all the rationales against it in his head, Severus for some reason could not loosen his grip on the card. Giving in, he abandoned his plan and rashly placed the card underneath his box of quills on his desk.

He got distracted when Harry declared that he needed to use the bathroom, but as he carted the child off, he found his thoughts drifting to the card hidden on his desk, but shook his head to dismiss any thoughts of it.

That was a problem for another day.