I don't own Harry Potter, I just like to entertain myself a bit with its wonderful characters. I am not a native English speaker, so I am sorry for any mistakes in the translation as this is a story originally in Spanish.

Special thanks to NinjaDevil2000 and Number1Penguin for betaing this chapter, thanks for your wonderful work.

THE POTIONS LEARNER.

Today, for the first time since Aidan had arrived at her home a month ago, Hermione was able to wake up in her husband's arms. The night before, they had let Aidan fall asleep in their room, but once asleep, they were able to manage moving him to his own room. Winning a battle like this that they had been fighting for weeks, felt so good. It felt even better to have woken up alone and in each other's arms. And, to make it even sweeter, just a couple days ago they had received Aidan's complete adoption papers, officially making them a family.

Aidan was still a quiet boy; he cried very little and the small moans he let out often reminded Severus of a mewling cat. He was growing incredibly fast, though still small for his age. Having spent the first year completely devoid of affection, he tended to hardly ever leave his parents' sides, very suspicious of strangers. Hermione used to joke that it was a trait he'd learned from Severus to which Severus snorted, merely commenting that his son had good judgement in not allowing himself to be passed around like a sack of potatoes.

His language development was delayed by the obvious lack of stimulation in his previous home. The Muggle doctor who was part of the procedures for adoption assured that he only needed to be told stories and songs constantly, and he even came to recommend that he watch television. Severus was horrified as he fervently refused to let any of his children be raised by that device which he referred to as the "brainwasher,"so he took the job of encouraging his son to speak more than monosyllables as a priority in his agenda.

Hermione certainly found it very sweet, watching her husband spend hours talking to the boy and reading him stories. They had also begun to refer to themselves in the third person around Aidan. At first, it was strange and a bit ridiculous. However, countless books Hermione and Severus had both read recommended it as a good stimulator, so the two parents thought it was worth a try. And now, it was common to hear each other say things like, "Aidan, eat a little bit for Mum," or "Aidan, do not throw food at Daddy."

Summer vacations were about to end and Hermione was well aware that she would soon need to report to her office before term started. She would need to organize class schedules, her classroom, and put together a new curriculum, all of which she should've done by now. She hadn't been away from her son for near this long before, so she was stressed, worried, and saddened by the realization. Once classes started, she knew she wouldn't be seeing him for long hours of the day. She wondered if her heart might break.

Now, turning over in bed to face her husband, Hermione began to lay delicate kisses along her husband's frame, from his neck to his shoulder when the long scar from Nagini still rested. Hermione hated that scar, for it reminded her of what had almost happened to her husband, but it also made her proud, because it showed her what her husband had gone through and how he had prevailed. Severus was very reserved about that particular mark, and so, like the Dark Mark, it remained hidden at nearly all times, only ever exposed when the man was in loose nightshirts or undressed.

"Why the pleasant awakening?" he murmured sleepily, brushing her lips with his. "Not that I am complaining, of course."

"I have to go to Hogwarts," she replied, rubbing her nose against his jaw. "There are quite a few things I need to get situated before the students arrive."

"You're saying that you want me to be alone with the brat all day," Severus said, now more awake.

"You know I don't like it when you call him that," Hermione replied with a frown. She rested her chin against his chest. "It wouldn't be all day, of course. I'll try to come back after lunch."

"So I'll have to go through the mealtimes, which triggers bath time, on my own?" he argued, arms still around her.

"He doesn't always throw food around; only when he doesn't like it," she replied back, feigning anger. "And it will be good practice for when classes start back up, as you'll be spending most of the days alone with him. Unless, of course, if you would prefer otherwise, and you perhaps preferred someone else to take care of him while –"

"My son will not be raised by a babysitter," Severus cut in indignantly. "I'll take care of him; some arrangements will have to be made in the lab, but I can take care of him during the day. Today, though, I have some errands to run in Diagon Alley. I wasn't prepared to take care of him today."

"Well, I can't take him with me," Hermione began. "He's too small to apparate and I'd prefer not to travel by the Floo with him yet either. It's not exactly a pleasant experience, even more if you do not understand its purpose" she continued, speaking into the hollow of his neck. "I also don't think Hogwarts is a very safe place for toddlers."

"Yes, who knows. He could bump into a Troll or a three-headed dog," Severus commented sarcastically.

"Don't say that," Hermione chastised gently. "My baby won't get anywhere near creatures like that," she hissed.

"Not for another ten years at least," he replied mockingly, but still slightly relieved that he would be able to protect his son twenty-four hours a day for at least a few years to come while still having him under his roof. The horrors he and his wife had gone through were too terrible to forget, even more so when you had a child you were constantly scared for.

"Severus," Hermione began. "You're changing the subject, and for the record, I am the deputy headmistress; I'll make sure nothing like what I went through, no creatures like that are anywhere close to the school."

"I know, love," Severus replied, kissing her reassuringly. "You know that I consider you perfectly capable. I'll take Aidan with me today; maybe it's a good time for him to be properly introduced to the world of potions."

"You know," Hermione said, lowering her voice. "He probably won't wake up for another couple hours or so," she muttered suggestively into his ear.

Severus let out a little growl as he pulled his wife closer to his body.

…

A couple hours later, Severus awoke again to a rather strange sensation. He didn't consider himself particularly delicate, but when you are brought out of sleep by the feeling of having all the hair from your chest ripped away, it can at least be considered disconcerting. He opened his perplexed eyes to find himself face to face with his son who was currently enjoying torturing him, the bright eyes filled with mischief.

"Enough, little rascal," he said bluntly after a particularly painful tug by his son. Severus reached up and gently removed his son's hands from his chest, the boy laughing at his father's words. "Good morning to you, little man. I suppose your presence here in your parents' bed suggests that your mother has gone," he continued, sitting up and kissing his son's head affectionately. "Today, you and I are going to go out for a little bit; I am sure there will be an uproar, as there are many gossiping people around the Magical world. I'm sure many people will find it extremely strange to see "the dungeon bat" with a baby, someone might even have a heart attack," he said, expressing his amusement at the idea with a small chuckle. He stood up, the boy in his arms. "But now, before the commotion, how about we eat some breakfast, okay? And maybe this morning, you keep the mess to a minimum," he remarked with a smile, all the whole knowing that the request was in vain.

….

Severus was walking through Diagon Alley. It had been an extremely hilarious moment when he passed through the Leaky Cauldron wearing his usual mask for social situations and with his suit now reserved for moments like this: black, nothing out of the ordinary except the little boy with long messy curls. that he had in his arms expertly ... he would have sworn that time around him stopped as he walked quickly but proudly at the same time as the eyes of everyone present were undoubtedly bewildered. Luckily, no one was foolish enough to approach.

He had to go to the apothecary first, to choose his Potion ingredients. Some sent assistants to pick up the ingredients, but Severus preferred to pick them out personally. Once he was finished there, Severus intended to head towards Gringotts, thinking about the appointment he had put off so many times. Now, however, since he had a son, he figured it was finally time to go and write a will, which would appoint Aidan as heir to nearly everything, and arrange the corresponding documents.

Now, standing in the middle of the apothecary, Severus knew that it was only a matter of time before he ran into someone brave enough to seek conversation about the boy on his hip. This was the main reason his contact with the magical world had been quite limited over the last weeks, consisting of only quick transactions. Society had labeled him as either "The Hero," or "The Traitor," and it was quite biased and quite annoying. he did not want to expose Aidan to any part of that facet of his life even though he knew that a conversation about his past was necessary, he wouldn't have to think about it in a few more years. Aidan's movements brought Severus out of his thoughts. The boy was wriggling in his arms, wanting to be set down so he could walk around. However, Severus figured an apothecary filled with dozens of glass jars wasn't the safest place for a young child to walk around.

"Let's stop that for now, alright, Aidan?" he asked the little boy quietly, not wanting to attract too much attention. "Now, if you stay on your best behavior, I'll let you explore a little of the next store, alright?"

Aidan, who understood much more than his parents knew, stopped squirming and smiled at his father, pointing a finger at a jar full of eyes that floated in a viscous liquid. Severus was pleased to see that the boy wasn't at all intimidated by the things around him, things other people may have been unnerved by. Severus proceeded to walk around the shop, pointing out things and naming them to his son. He was pleased to see a constant small smile on the boy's face.

The visit to the apothecary passed quietly enough, as the shop had been nearly empty except for the wizened old, nearly blind clerk. Now, Severus proceeded down the lane to Gringotts. He wasn't sure how Aidan might react to the goblins but he hoped he wouldn't be scared, hopefully maybe just unnerved if anything. He didn't want to deal with an anguished child the rest of the trip if he was indeed scared by the goblins. In addition, he also hoped that the goblins would be tolerant of toddlers. He decided to enter slowly, giving his son time to take in everything around him. Severus was pleased to see that Aidan seemed quite unphased as he and his father walked towards one of the desks.

"Master Snape," the goblin greeted with a nod, looking doubtfully at the boy in his client's arms. "Do you need to make a withdrawal from your account?"

"Klaus," Severus responded politely as he lowered his son to the ground and took his hand to avoid any escape. "Actually, I've come here on different business. You see, I need to rewrite my will and other succession documents," he said, gesturing to Aidan. "I have come here to name my son here my legal heir. I hope this can be accomplished rather quickly.")

The goblin's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he easily regained his serious countenance.

("You understand that I will have to ask you some security questions," Severus continued as Klaus moved away from the desk.

"Of course, sir," Klaus replied. "Come, I will take you to one of our private rooms."

…..

He finished all the legal procedures, which proclaimed a new heir to the Snape family. Now, done with Gringotts, Severus once again took his son in his arms, not wanting to lose him in the crowd of Diagon Alley. And, not wanting to tempt his luck by running into anyone who would want to talk to him, Severus quickly left through the Muggle entrance, after transfiguring his clothes into a more appropriate dress. So now, in Muggle London, Severus walked a bit more relaxed than he had in Diagon Alley, and decided to take Aidan to a toy store, knowing that no one would recognize him here.

"Excellent behavior at the bank, Aidan," Severus said, congratulating his son but placing him the floor and stroking his hair. "It seems to me that a prize is in order."

The boy wasted no time in running to the nearest bookshelf to inspect everything within his line of sight. He may have been too young to know precisely what he was doing, but he knew that he could run a bit freer once out of his father's restrictive grasp.

After a moment of simply observing the happy child, Severus realized that he was becoming soft, and was pleasantly surprised that he didn't care.

….

"Very good, young man," Severus said, back at home now as both father and son sat on the couch. "Now, it's time for you and I to have a little man-to-man talk, Aidan Severus," he said, sitting in front of the boy. He frowned slightly, causing his son to laugh before trying to imitate his father's expression. It was rather difficult for him, however, and Severus found himself laughing at the adorable attempt.

At last, he composed himself and said, "There is no need for you to frown at me, young man. Now, firstly, your mother insisted that you take my name and, between you and me, it's best not to contradict her, so you will take my name. So you will be Severus too," he continued, as if having the unilateral conversation with his son was the most natural thing in the world.

"Now, let's talk about some serious issues. Number one: no more throwing food around while you eat. It is very rude; although I admit that seeing that piece of carrot on Potter's face was quite epic, but most of the time it is unacceptable. You make a mess, and then that means bath time as well as cleaning food off the walls. And if you continue foregoing basic hygiene measures, how do you think I'll convince your mother to let me take you to the lab to handle difficult ingredients?" Severus spoke, using larger words. He was convinced that, though it might take his son longer to learn, it would equip him with a larger vocabulary that he would take great pride in in future.

"Which brings us to the second point, my little apprentice," Severus continued. "It is necessary that you start talking more. And I am convinced that with the proper practice, you will soon be able to recite the main ingredients of most potions within four years. Obviously, for this you will need to begin talking more. You know I was a teacher in that castle for a while, a castle full of hollow heads, which is now where Mummy works. Now, though the incessant babble of voices was annoying to me then, I know that the babble from your lips will be quite welcome and exciting. So please, my littler Slytherin, hurry and speak to Daddy," he whispered finally to the little boy, who had been listening to his father's speech with rapt attention, his bright brown eyes fixed on his father.

Aidan moved a little on the couch, cutting the space between his father and him until he was right next to him, then extended his arms in a deliberate sign that he wanted to be put on his lap. Severus ignored him raising an eyebrow.

"What do you want, little manipulator? Those puppy eyes do not work with me; here we use words to express what we want." The child was not at all intimidated and continued to hold his arms up, opening and closing his small hands incessantly. "Aidan, come on, little dwarf, just a few words for Daddy?" Severus murmured. The boy in question, however, was growing annoyed and restless. Severus wondered if he was perhaps pushing him to hard.

"Alright, but understand that this will not be a regular occurrence. You will not spend your whole life using those puppy eyes to get what you –" but Severus couldn't finish the sentence.

"Up, Daddy."

The man was shocked for just a second before the euphoria took hold of him and he swung his son around in his arms, causing the boy to happily giggle.

"Of course, just as bossy as your mother,"Severus said as he hugged him tightly against his chest.

"My intelligent little man, not just a word but a phrase! Mummy will be so jealous," the normally stoic man murmured into his son's hair. He couldn't help but have tears of pride and happiness drip into those sand-colored curls. "I love you, my son."

And for the first time, Severus experienced that incredible feeling of unconditional love that comes when a son says your name. He was a complete man.

….

Do you want to read a preview of the next chapter? Let me know in a review and I'll send it to you.

I would like to know your opinions about the chapter as they help me to better shape my way of writing.

I hope my characters are not too out of character. What was your favorite part of the chapter? What would you like to see soon?

PS: Any grammar mistakes were made unintentionally so I apologize in advance. I have dyslexia and I am still learning English.