The first weeks were as busy as usually, if not even more so. The firsties were terribly homesick and - being Slytherin – too proud to admit it or to accept help. Their Head of House spent nearly every evening in one of the first year dorms with more and more convoluted tales of why he had to keep a close eye on them and why it was indeed the mark of a true Slytherin to have a snake plushie. Minerva McGonagall would have marvelled at how far the rather mediocre Transfigurations student Severus Snape had come. Although his skills narrowed down to Transfiguring handkerchiefs into plushies the cuddly toys were very intricate and one-of-a-kind in their colours, patterns and details. And the Transfiguration usually held the whole seven years or more.
There were two severe cases of abuse in his house that merited Severus' attention as well. A small victory was won when Pomona Sprout announced at the first staff meeting, that she was giving her Hufflepuffs mandatory health checks as well. Severus was getting a lot of pressure from conservative purebloods because of him doing exactly that every September, the families fearing for their privacy. The young Head of House had maintained a stance of being prepared in case a pupil ended in the infirmary concerning allergies and previous injuries, because still the Slytherin students ended up with Madam Pomfrey disproportionally often. In Filius' house Ravenclaw the problem tended to be neglect rather than outright abuse, if the parents were scholars, and more often than in the other houses stress-related eating disorders crept up. Severus had chatted with the part-Goblin two weeks earlier about how he spotted potential eating disorders by a combination of on its own inconspicious slight vitamin deficiencies and stated that he wanted to do check-ups for his students too, in order to be able to know whom to watch closely for this kind of trouble.
Val wrote every day and Harry sent a letter and at least one picture daily as well. Severus often fell asleep with a smile on his face reading his letters but did not have the time to write back as much as he wanted. He remembered Lucius talking about having a picture of his father done from an extracted memory and vowed to look into this. Harry would love to see pictures of life at the castle and Severus could easily put in one picture a day before falling asleep.
Three days after the start of school an emergency staff-meeting was called by Pomona and Filius. Madam Sprout had, due to the check-ups, learned of a pair of siblings in her house who had been severely sexually abused for years without anyone having the slightest suspicion. Professor Flitwick on the other hand had discovered that nearly half of the children in his house had insufficient immunisations. That was a percentage that could possible threaten the running of Hogwarts as a whole if for example a Dragon Pox epidemic would break out.
Severus ruthlessly squashed down any impulse to crow `Told you so!´ and concentrated on feeling glad that the problems had been discovered and were being dealt with. He was rewarded by a visit of Minerva McGonagall, carrying a bottle of fine Scotch with her, in his quarters later after the meeting.
"Severus, I owe you an apology, and I would like to discuss it in depth over a glass of whiskey, if you are so inclined."
The Potions master bade his colleague enter and drew a second chair in front of the fireplace, after clearing it of a stack of books. He produced two glasses und they settled in front of the fire. McGonagall still looked to be shocked.
"I have been wilfully blind for so long, just because I wanted things to be as I liked them to be. The very thing I have been critisizing Albus for quite a while. He does not discern between believing in the good in people and being hopelessly naïve. I have done the same and worse, I have thought less of you and less of Slytherin because of you facing the problems of our children and doing something. I am very sorry and deeply ashamed. You are quite within your rights to never forgive me for being so wilfully blind and stupid, but I ask you to help me. Please tell me what to do. I feel so helpless and inadequate, never having children of my own."
"Minerva, you are too hard on yourself. If I had grown up in a loving pureblooded environment I would never have known for what signs to look out for. Having experienced abuse and poverty myself I knew."
"It starts there! You were done a great injustice by me, by Albus, by nearly all your teachers even then!"
"Well, yes. Albus' and your blindness to the viciousness of the Marauders made my life even more difficult. But I had help. Even if they did not wholly accept a poor half-blood into their circle the other Slytherins helped. They defended me, revenged me, looked out for me. Andromeda and Narcissa made sure I had clothing when my robes crumbled due to the spells Potter and Black placed on them, the elder Slytherins bespelled my books against defacing and thievery. Also Madam Pince and Hagrid always granted me asylum."
"Which should not have been necessary had I been doing my job properly!" Her second shot of whiskey sloshed dangerously in her glass due to her agitation. Severus called Tinker, his personal house-elf.
"Tinker, please bring a plate of the special biscuits and a Slytherin hanky."
Narrowing his eyes on the Transfiguration teacher the elf popped out of existence only to return scarcely a minute later with the requested items. Severus presented his colleague with his special plushie which at least drew a wane smile from the Scotswoman.
"Tomorrow I will get my Gryffindors a check-up." They clinked their glasses together and the Potions master wondered how good his colleague was at Occlumency. Minerva McGonagall would be a formidable ally if or rather when Val's and his ruse about Harry Potter would come to light.
October 12th, 1988
Severus had not expected to miss his family so fiercely. On some evenings he felt an iron fist of longing squeeze his very heart. One Friday morning in mid October he was sitting in the staff room nursing a cup of tea after a particularly harrowing class – three melted cauldrons – Aurora Sinistra sat down next to him.
"Severus, would you happen to know why the Headmaster very unsubtly is making hints in my direction to become more involved in the running of Slytherin house as your second-in-command there?"
Her mien betrayed nothing, but the tense set of her shoulders spoke of her annoyance.
"Yes, I do, Aurora, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with your work in Slytherin. You must know that I really appreciate your support and the work you do with my older female snakes, don't you?"
Having grown up in a Pureblood household Sinistra was an important role-model for a lot of the young women in Slytherin and she taught them what they needed to know to not only survive but carve out a way to find their personal happiness in a backward and very restricted society. During the bi-weekly teas she held for the sixth- and seventh-year girls they learned things a male, Half-blood Head of House who had grown up dirt-poor could never hope to impart.
"Yes, yes, I know that you didn't go tattling, Dumbledore just infuriates me so much sometimes. And I can see that something is different about you."
"I want your word that you do not tell the others yet, and it would be better if the Headmaster would not know as well, but I have met someone. I would like to spend more weekends away from Hogwarts than in the previous years. I told Albus about the building work I am having done in my parent's house and that I will need more time, as it is in a Muggle area and has to be done the Muggle way. This might be at the bottom of his fishing for your view about maybe later taking over the Slytherin Head of House. He is fully convinced that the Dark Lord will return eventually, most likely when Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts, I will have less and less time for the children in my house. What do you think?"
The Astronomy teacher thought on this for a while. Finally she asked, "How much more salary am I to expect?"
"A hundred gallons more than now, or maybe more, as you have more years than I. Now it is about adequate, I think, but if the pressure is raising you will need to spend a lot of time with the pupils."
"If Dumbledore makes it 150 I will take it. That is just about the amount I lack right now if I want to take the kind of holidays I would like to take. Just imagine – the fashion week in Paris, the Aurora Borealis in Spitzbergen!"
"Homesick firsties, self-harming brides-to-be. Personally I think the fashion week is overrated."
"You would think so, yes. I will think about it and confer with my significant other."
"Would you want a trial? This weekend maybe?"
"I'll tell you on Thursday."
October 15th, 1988
Harry let loose a high-pitched squeal of joy when he saw the familiar figure of Sev walking down Spinner's End. It was one of these crisp, glorious Autumn days. Aurora Sinistra had offered a trial weekend as Head of Slytherin and Albus Dumbledore had been suitably impressed with a favourite weather report for Cokeworth to finish the works on the roof.
Severus' young ward had been playing a game of hopscotch with two girls from further down the street but started running as soon as he saw him and jumped into his arms. The Potions master was glad to hide his moist eyes behind his hair and hugged Harry fiercely. He whispered, "I missed you terribly, my son."
"I missed you too, Sev." Harry started to wriggle down, "I have to tell Val, she is in the garden." With that the boy ran off, giving Severus time to compose himself.
Val was waiting at the stoop, a smudge of dirt on her cheek and glowing. He kissed her as if his life depended on it. Later that evening, when Harry finally succumbed to sleep, the couple retired. Val mumbled something about hormones before fairly attacking her husband. Without clothes a slight bump was noticeable. Severus took his time to worship every inch of her body and his attention to her sensitive breasts made Val growl with impatience.
Two hours later the pair finally settled down to sleep. While Val had been very vocal about her appreciation of him during their love-making they had not talked about their relationship per se. For once Severus did not care. He drew his wife – how he loved to think `my wife´- closer and said, "I know we did not start out as other couples, but I want you to know that I do love you for yourself, not only because you are giving me a family, something I never dreamed I would have. Thank you, Valerie." Only slight sniffles were heard for a while.
"I know, you silly man, I know. And I am very happy that you told me. I love you, too. And I will do everything to make us work, as a pair and as a family."
"I married the most sensible woman in Cokeworth, if not the whole North." That earned Severus a slap on his bum, which lead to more wriggling and even less sleep that night.
With a heavy heart did Severus leave again on Sunday evening. He had to be back before dinner at Hogwarts. The day had been spent with Harry and him drawing and gluing together a long strip of paper where the boy could cut off day after day until Christmas, when his dad would return. The whole family had lunch at Val's mum and later had gone for a walk with Toby.
December 20th, 1988
Severus Snape could have danced a jig when the Slytherin form for pupils staying over the Yule holidays remained empty. Three weeks with his family, a family he had not seen in over two months due to an outbreak of the wizarding version of the Noro virus that had him either brewing potions, caring for sick Slytherins as Poppy was hopelessly overrun with the most severe cases and finally catching the virus himself. He still had not regained the weight he had lost in November.
He had wanted to order presents via owl-order, as he had done the previous years for the Malfoys and some of his colleagues but when seeing his list from the year before Severus realised that his shopping would deviate too much from earlier years. Someone could notice. Therefore he made a Polyjuiced detour to Diagon Alley and Harrods before finally walking down the familiar street.
42, Spinner's End had never looked better. Snowflakes cut from paper decorated the living room windows and someone, Toby most likely, with enthusiastic help from Harry, had repaired the plaster around the windows and the cracks in the front steps. The small patch of grass next to the street was barren but clean, framed with a little fence made from woven hazel rods. For the sake of his boy Severus hoped that the local hooligans would leave it alone. He had not written of his imminent arrival, catering to the superstition that something would happen that would keep him at Hogwarts if he did so.
As soon as he opened the door the smell of baked apples reached his nose. The Potions master made his way to the kitchen.
"Hello family, I hope you made one apple extra!"
"Sev! Val said you would come home the day after tomorrow! Do you know, I have to go to sleep five times and then Father Christmas will come! And I have been a good boy, too!" Harry was talking a mile a minute, jumping up and down, Val smiling at her husband. Severus' eyes went to the now clearly visible bulge under her apron. He had to clear his throat before addressing her, "Hello Val, I had hoped to come home a bit earlier but didn't want to get Harry's hope up. How are you?"
She managed to reach over Harry, embracing her husband.
"I am fine, we all are. Welcome home, husband."
That evening, when an over-exited little boy had finally gone to sleep, they were huddled together on the sofa, telling each other of all the things that had happened in the last two months they had not yet written in letters. Val disclosed that she had felt really unwell some weeks ago. Her obstetrician had found nothing wrong with the pregnancy and in the end some small adaptions to her diet had done the trick and she had been glad not to have worried Severus. He told her that he very nearly had lost one pupil to that wizarding version of the Noro virus and had had nightmares about Harry or her getting ill since. They made love slowly and fell asleep in each other´s arms.
December 25th, Spinner's End
"Sev! Sev! Daddy!"
Severus opened his eyes to Harry's excited whisper while Val suppressed a giggle.
He cast a Tempus.
"Harry, it's five past five in the morning!"
"But Santa Claus! Val said he would come to me for sure as I have been such a good boy! But Dudley was nasty and Santa still came for him! What if he misses our house?"
The Potions master did not point out the flaws in the boy's logic. It was his first real Christmas after all.
"All right. I will come down with you for a look but we let Val sleep for a while longer."
"No, no, no! She said she was looking forward to see my face on Christmas morning!"
Severus lifted his blanket, "Half an hour?"
Harry lost no time to burrow into the bed between his parents.
"Merlin, child! Your feet are pure ice!"
Well used to this particular game Harry answered, "You have to warm them up then!"
With a much put-upon sigh Severus put his son's toes between his hands and rubbed them. Thankfully the child managed to stay put for the promised half hour. Val made a big show of waking up, teasing, "I can't remember right now, but I think today is a special day. Harry, do you know what day it is?"
"Christmas, it is Christmas!"
Harry waited at the top of the stairs, too fearful still of disappointment. All three went downstairs. In the living room, atop the boy's drawing table, was a small tree, decorated with sweets, a few ornaments and some candles. Severus had triggered the charm to light them halfway down the stairs. The two chairs that usually flanked the fireplace were full of brightly wrapped presents. Harry froze, his eyes very bright. As he was too heavy by now for Val to carry him she went to the sofa and beckoned him closer. The child huddled at her side, never letting Severus' hand go. When the sniffles stopped the Potions master handed his son a handkerchief and went to retrieve a rectangular box.
"This present is not from Santa Claus. I bought it for our family and it is important that you open it first."
Harry did as told, very carefully, and soon held on his lap a magical camera. With a spell Severus directed it to capture his family and the tree.
"Harry, Val, this is by far the best Christmas for me, merry Christmas."
After some hugs and kisses Val directed Harry to deal out the presents. The child got water colours, a new warm jacket as he had grown like a weed in the past months, socks with warming charms, two magical books and a copy of "Treasure Island" and a box of Lego. Val got a shawl of Acromantula silk with warming and cooling charms and golden earrings with small pendants of opals. The stones were enchanted with safety spells. Severus' biggest present was a wooden box on which Harry had painted a picture of their family.
"Granddad made the box but I helped. It is big enough for my pictures, you can keep them safe in there!"
"Thank you, Harry, it is beautiful and just what I needed."
Some time later the family went to church where they met Toby and Mrs McGowan. They had lunch at Granny McGowan's and Harry got some more presents, practical things mainly. Val settled down for a nap while the others went for a walk, Harry chattering like a magpie the whole way. Severus lagged behind with his father.
"I am very glad that you noticed Harry's plight, and that you told me."
"Me, too, son, me too. I only wish you could have a better childhood. For what it's worth, I am very sorry, Severus."
Returning to Hogwarts was hard for the Potions master. He shuddered to think that after the next holidays he would have to leave Val behind with two children.