In the morning Harry was treated to a lie in, followed by a breakfast with pancakes and was then presented with his new papers. They practised his backstory – having been raised in a religious coven – and, after getting him new glasses, Muggle for now - took the boy to look at schools nearby. At first Harry had been inclined to go to the same school Severus and Valerie had attended but then decided on Fairview Primary, which was the school Tobias worked at. They choose not to advertise their relationship and both Valerie and Severus were glad to have an extra pair of eyes to keep on Harry. The child was enrolled without a hitch, the headmistress being very supportive and understanding and was happy to go shopping for school things, new things for once. Valerie watched him in the evening through the open door as he sharpened each pencil, sniffed it once with a smile on his face before sorting it into his new pencil case by colour.
The next few weeks of Harry's holidays flew by for the odd little family. Harry little by little lost his shyness and some of the behaviour ingrained on him by the Dursleys. He came to treasure the evenings when he was watching some cartoons before being read to by Valerie. Harry knew most of the series by sound because he had heard the TV through his cupboard-door but had never seen them. Severus and Valerie had decided to minimise the times the child helped in the kitchen or the garden to make a clean break from his life at the Dursleys. When Harry however told them that he actually liked cooking and gardening Val started to bake with him, Toby asked him for his input when overhauling the garden and Severus took him downstairs to his basement lab. Magic was still a fraught topic with the youngster, as it had been severely punished his whole life. The intuitive magic used in potions seemed like a good start to make Harry see his magic as a gift rather than a disadvantage. And he cut and chopped better than most fourth year pupils. The Potions master took extra care to praise the boy.
He had been in contact with Poppy Pomfrey. The nurse had sent him a list with required potions for the infirmary after Severus had explained that he had to spend more time away from Hogwarts than usual because he had to do extensive renovations on his house lest it crumble, and had to do it mainly the Muggle way due to its position in a hundred percent Muggle area. And as Poppy was known to talk to a lot of people the Headmaster was sure to hear about it. And would therefore not immediately get suspicious when Severus Flooed him with the request not to use the Floo over the summer due to Muggle workers in the house.
Tobias and his son had several talks. One could not call them heart-to-heart talks, as both men were not the type for such, but they enabled them to slowly start again on their relationship. After watching his father with Harry Severus realised that the elder man was really grateful to build an accord with his quasi-grandson, an accord that had not been possible with his son, when he had been that age. And Harry thrived under Toby's care, chattering away like a magpie and making very sensible suggestions for the garden overhaul. With Severus the boy was more reserved than with the other two adults. He listened attentively to the Potions master explaining magical things and magical life and asked quite intelligent questions but never cuddled up to him like he started to do to Valerie.
Severus' and Valerie's love life became more restrained, but in a good way. Even with Silencing charms having another person in the next room made a difference. Their relationship grew more intense. There were moments when Severus allowed himself to really believe that he could have what he always had dreamed about as a child – a partner, a child, a family. Valerie's no-nonsense approach to life helped. When Severus called her his fiancée she knew that he not meant it, she needed no further declarations. The new term at Hogwarts was still far enough away and life was good.
At least until the day Val started to throw up before breakfast.
Severus brewed some chamomile tea and settled Harry in front of the TV with some cereals before going up to the master bedroom. Valerie was staring out of the window, looking anxious and determined at the same time.
Her fiancée put the tea down and drew his wand for some diagnostics.
"There seems to be nothing wrong safe for a slight dehydration. And you're low on folic acids, but that should not cause nausea."
Val patted the bed next to her and took Sev's hand.
"Severus, you will need to run a different kind of diagnostic. I am not ill per se."
Seeing the incomprehension on his face she continued, "Love, we were careful, but not the first few times." Valerie tensed in anticipation of her lover's reaction.
"Oh." For a split second there was incredulity and, yes, joy in his eyes.
Severus was nigh overwhelmed with the implications. He knew he had to tread carefully now.
"Well, we could have timed that more prudently, couldn't we?"
She gave him a sweet, relieved smile. She would have kept the baby, no matter what. To be reassured of his support meant a lot to her. Val knew enough of Severus' position in the wizarding world to know that a baby possibly meant endless complications and dangers for all of them.
"I'm back in a second, I have to look up the relevant charms."
Sipping her tea the young woman let herself dream of a toddler with coal black eyes. Severus had slipped into the bedroom again, the sounds of "Tom and Jerry" and Harry's laughter drifting up from the living room.
"Ready?" Val pressed his left hand as Severus drew a figure eight over her abdomen. A leavy green ring became visible, pulsating in sync with the fetus' heartbeat.
Severus stared at the little ring. He had to clear his throat before speaking again.
"Do we want to know the gender?" Valerie nodded.
He drew another, more complicated figure. The little ring changed to a murky brown.
"Sev, what does this mean? Is the baby all right?"
"Yes, she is. It is brown – the power of mother earth – for a girl and blue – the air – for a boy. No pink, thankfully."
"A girl. We will have a girl! – Harry will have a sister!"
"Yes, we will. And he will become a big brother." They decided to tell Harry soon, otherwise he would worry about Val being ill, being a very perceptive child. He had made great strides in the few weeks of being with them, but still there was the possibility that he would fear that a biological child of Val and Severus would mean second row for him.
After staying in bed for an hour more with tea and crackers Val felt well enough to come downstairs. Harry by then was practising his writing – he really wanted to make a good first impression in this new school, where no Dudley could spoil things for him.
He got it that something was up when his foster parents sat down on the table.
"Finish that sentence, Harry, then we have something to tell to you."
Dread filled the child and he dropped the pencil immediately.
"Do you have cancer, Val, is it that's why you've been sick?" Before Harry could start to cry in earnest Severus drew him on his lap and held him tightly.
"No, Harry, no. Val is perfectly all right. It is good news we have, they're a bit surprising, that's all."
The boy had calmed down enough to listen. Severus started again.
"Harry, what do you know about where babies come from?"
Val had to giggle at the disgusted mien of the boy.
"Enough. You don't have to explain. Babies grow in the Mum's tummy, and the Dad puts them there."
"Well enough. What you probably not know is that sometimes parents plan to have children and sometimes babies surprise their parents."
With a frown Harry digested this. Then he looked up into Severus' face, and then in Valerie's.
"You are having a baby? Right now?"
Val took over.
"Yes, Harry, but not right now. It will have to grow for another seven months before being born. Harry, you are going to be a big brother."
"So you are not bringing me back now you have your own child? Or put me into an orphanage?"
"Of course not, never! Even if we had seven time triplets we would not let you near the Dursleys ever again. You are our first child."
Harry was doing the maths and started to giggle.
"I would have 21 little brothers and sisters! I would have to re-do the shed with Granpa, they won't fit into the house!"
The boy would feel insecure again some time later, but for now the crisis seemed averted. Severus addressed him in a very serious tone, "Harry, ideally Val and I would have waited a few years before having more children, but this little girl decided to surprise us. We wanted to give you time to feel secure, time for you to learn to believe that we never would abandon you."
Harry latched on to the one fact, "So I am getting a little sister?"
"Yes, you will. Sometime around Easter she will be born," Val answered.
"We have to tell Toby and Granny McGowan!"
Val and Sev looked at each other at the mentioning of her rather formidable mother. Sev kissed his lover on the cheek, "It's a good thing we are already betrothed, then."
The third week of August saw a tearful Mrs McGowan, stoic Toby and beaming Harry witnessing the wedding vows of Valerie Siobhann McGowan and Severus Tobias Snape at the magistrate of Cokeworth. Mrs McGowan grumbled a bit about Val keeping her name but the young people remained adamant. A Muggle mother-in-law could not be included in the Statue of Secrecy. It was better anyway for her not to know about Severus' precarious other job and the possible dangers it meant. A wedding breakfast was held at Rosie's Tearoom where Mrs McGowan was suitably distracted from the name-thing by being told that she was to be a grandmother.
Harry started at his new school and he loved it. Toby had found an old bike, had repaired it and painted it bright red. Every morning Val or Sev would cycle with Peter Harrison Parker to Fairview Primary. Toby, standing sentinel at the entrance to prevent too much shoving, was greeted with a conspiratorial wink and the boy happily skipped towards his class-room.
On evening Toby took Severus to look around several building sites of similar houses. The Potions master wanted to store up on convincing memories of renovations work as he planned the unfinished parts to use as excuses to spend more weekends away from Hogwarts than usual. Having already spent most of his days at Hogwarts preparing for the new school-year his last day at home came far too early for Severus. His life with Val and Harry – and even Toby – was as close to perfect as he could imagine it. He explained in great detail what his work at Hogwarts entailed and that the new first years did get quite homesick, which was why a Head of House could not take the first few weekends of the term off, but Harry still cried bitter tears. As owls would be too conspicuous Severus had bought two communication boxes. He had shown Harry and Valerie how to put letters and drawings in there and had bespelled them so that Val and Toby could use the boxes too with an activation phrase. After reading to Harry for half an hour Severus left the sleeping boy to say his good-byes to his wife. He still marvelled at the novelty of having a wife and a family and had to check himself three times a day from giving in to superstition and knock on wood to preserve his good luck.
Val could read him fairly well by now and shushed him, "No, Severus, we've gone over every precaution ten times at least, you have prepared us for every conceivable situation and the whole house is booby-trapped to hide Harry and me in case Dumbledore comes unannounced. Let's enjoy our last minutes for a while, by the time you can come back for a weekend I will be as big as a house."
Even married for only ten days Severus knew what he had to say there, "Nonsense, Val. You will be over your morning sickness, you will glow with happiness, your breasts will be so tender you will go mad with me only looking at them and if you will be showing by then I will only love you more for it."
In the days to come Val would be wondering whether Severus had even realised that he had told his wife that he loved her, but for now she let her tears flow before kissing him for the last time in a few weeks.