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Over the next two weeks, the letters flew back and forth between Father Raven and Mother Hen.

Severus enjoyed the exchange and he was genuinely glad to receive his mysterious pen pal's parcel each morning with his mail.

It brought a smile to Harriet's face to read father raven's letters as well, but his correspondence with mother hen became the highlight of Severus's days.

While he continued to perform his job duties as headmaster, he found himself pleasantly distracted.

Something good, genuinely good, had finally happened to Severus Snape and every day, he dared to believe it a little more. Reaching out to the mother of his unborn child had been the best decision of his life since he had introduced himself to Lily Evans all those years ago, or at least, that's what Severus felt.

Whenever he had a free moment, he was wracked with curiosity.

Hogwarts' shrewd and cunning headmaster enjoyed knowing things.

Mysteries bothered him.

Who was Mother Hen, anyway?

Severus knew she was a witch, obviously, but beyond that, he had no idea and very few clues.

What did she look like?

How old was she?

Did he know her?

Did she know him?

If not from his lengthy career at Hogwarts, after the events of the war, most people in the wizarding world had at least heard the name "Severus Snape", that was why he had declined to reveal his true identity in his letters.

Perhaps the mother of his son or daughter would be repulsed if she learned Father Raven's real name.

That was a fear that Severus didn't pause often to linger on.

—-

Why had he dared to hope?

Why had he believed that for once, some joy may be his to claim?

Severus didn't understand why he had allowed himself to think that he may have a chance at achieving happiness.

One morning, about three weeks into his letter exchange with mother hen, he waited and waited on her response that never came.

Severus was devastated when the mail arrived and there was no letter from his…..from his…

The words used in his exchange with the unknown woman had begun to borderline on flirtatious and he had started to imagine wild fantasies that they would meet and they would talk and then he wouldn't be so alone anymore.

Severus's signature scowl manifested itself on his pale face as he looked through the letters that had arrived for the day and processed the fact that yes, Mother Hen had failed to reply to him.

It was foolish to expect anything else.

Fantasies were just that, fantasies, silly, worthless fantasies, and nothing more.

Hogwarts' headmaster was in a dangerously foul mood for the entire day. Severus was no stranger to accepting rejection, but that didn't mean that he enjoyed it more than anyone else.

Sulking and brooding, he paced back and forth in his office while he signed document after document and mused over what firm restrictions he might impose on the castle's students.

Severus didn't eat all day and his angered pacing continued well into the night.

Even once it was black outside his office windows, he kept gliding across the stone floor with an enraged frown.

He kept getting reports about too many disruptions during classes.

Children.

What was wrong with children?

Had they all been raised by wolves?

Did they lack the decency to show their professors the most basic form of respect and at least listen to them when they spoke?!

Did-

Severus was startled out of his contemplative reverie by a loud crash against his window.

He furrowed his brow incredulously and peered over in the direction of the noise.

His suspicions were aroused when he saw a flustering flurry of grey feathers flapping outside the glass plane.

With his dark eyes narrowed to slits, Severus walked over, unlatched the large window, and watched as a familiar, grey owl swooped inside the room.

The bird dropped a single letter on Severus's desk and left in a swirling hurry as quickly as it had arrived.

Severus quickly closed the window back and gazed over at the sealed piece of parchment.

Did he dare to believe it?

Was he bold enough to hope again?

Severus set his jaw and strode over to his desk.

He took the letter into his hands, tore it open without looking at the envelope, and skimmed through the lines of the disguised handwriting that he had become so very fond of seeing:

Father Raven,

I apologize for the lateness of my letter today. I've been quite unwell. The healers assure me everything is fine with fledgling and me, but that doesn't stop the sickness from coming at intervals. I've only left my bed for the first time today an hour ago. Hope the owl doesn't disturb you. I didn't want you to think you were forgotten.

Mother Hen

Severus closed his eyes and silently exhaled.

I didn't want you to think you were forgotten…..

Severus had felt forgotten his whole life and here, out of nowhere, was this witch, a stranger, who levied such undue kindness on him.

It upset Severus greatly that his darling Mother Hen was suffering.

He immediately sought a way to repay her for her sweet words that dripped off the paper and into his heart like a healing salve.

If his fantasies had been true, Severus would have pampered his lover with flowers and held her close, but fantasies were just that, fantasies.

Severus dropped the letter on his desk and went to his personal chambers. Once he was there, he hastily pulled out his cauldron and several ingredients.

Mother Hen didn't have to be his wife or his lover for him to repay her kindness.

Severus referenced an old book he had in his possession and he laid it open on the table in front of him while he worked.

The title along the open spine proudly read, Potions for the Expectant Witch.

It took Severus some time that night, but his efforts paid off well. He smirked to himself when he bottled a vial of emerald green liquid and attached it with his next letter to Mother Hen, which he sent with that same grey owl moments before dawn.

Doubt clouded Severus's face as he turned his back on the day that threatened to break.

He thoroughly hoped that Mother Hen enjoyed Father Raven's gift.

Mother Hen,

It pains me to hear of your troubles. Please look after yourself and fledgling, do not fret over me. Enclosed is a vial which contains a mixture that I have concocted myself. Take a drop every morning and it should ease your suffering.

Father Raven

Harriet looked at the letter she had just received, then at the vial in her hand.

She took her wand, placed the tip against the vial, and used a simple spell to check for toxins.

It wasn't that Harriet was paranoid, but she had never met Father Raven and she had been through too much in her life to trust blindly.

When the vial's contents came back clean and pure, Harriet removed her wand and followed the instructions that the letter contained.

Very carefully, Harriet tilted her head and allowed a single drop of the green mixture to land on her tongue.

Harriet could already feel the gnawing waves of her morning nausea beginning in the pit of her stomach.

Since the discovery of her pregnancy, she had been placed on light duty at the Auror department. Her job entailed little more than shuffling paperwork around, but still, she had suffered from sudden, unpredictable bouts of morning sickness that caused her to be tardy or absent when they struck.

She was very fortunate that her boss at the Auror department was understanding about her issues.

Harriet's superior had become a father himself two years prior and he knew well the struggles that came with carrying a child.

She was amazed when that churning deep in her stomach ceased.

She sat down on the sofa in her small cottage and enjoyed the fact that her nausea had settled moments after she ingested the potion.

A bright smile lit up her face as she readied herself to go to work for the day.

Normally, when she was stricken with one of her

fits of illness, they lasted days on end, but because of Father Raven's thoughtful generosity…...was it possible they may end completely?

As part of her daily routine, Harriet sat down and penned her reply to the unknown sire of the child she carried.

Father Raven,

I cannot express my gratitude for your kind gift. It works exactly as you promised and I am quite pleased! Please don't feel pressured to accept, but I was wondering if you'd like to cease this formal communication and sit down together for a chat? We'll reveal ourselves to each other eventually when you come to meet fledgling after he or she hatches. If you're interested, I'll send you my address. I work short days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Can you come for dinner?

Mother Hen

Severus's black eyes widened when he read over Mother Hen's response that morning.

His pulse quickened in his chest as he contemplated exactly what she had asked.

She had enjoyed her gift.

She wanted to meet him.

She wanted him to come to her home and dine with her.

Severus imagined an evening of quiet domesticity with this lovely, mysterious witch who was carrying his baby.

He didn't care if she was beautiful or not, he didn't care what her Hogwarts house was, or what she thought about the war or which side she had stood on during it…...

Mother Hen had reached out and Father Raven was all too eager to accept her invitation.

Mother hen,

Dinner would be lovely. Please send me your address and the time that is most convenient for you.

Father Raven

Severus sighed as he sent his short reply off with the owl a few moments later.

Coupled with ecstatic excitement, he couldn't help but be gripped by paralyzing anxiety.

Severus had never even been on a date before and now he was going to meet the woman who was trying to steal what heart he had left with her compassion and her words.

Severus used to dream of bliss with the woman he loved, but she had died, and left him alone amongst shattered visions of what could have been between them.

Severus used to dream of ending a decades long conflict, but it's conclusion wasn't nearly as satisfying as he hoped it would be.

Lily and the war, those things had passed away.

They would remain with Severus forever, nothing would change that, but he had Mother Hen and Fledgling to think about as well.

Severus's new dream was to turn his silly, worthless fantasy into a serious, worthwhile reality.