AN: Sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter! It will be at least a few weeks for the next installment, as I will be headed to the UK for spring break. Any locals want to chime in on some good Harry Potter related tourist activities? Side note, sorry to pick on Yorkshire a bit in this, but I've read Nicholas Nickleby and that's always what I think of when I think of dreary boarding schools where you send unwanted children. Here's to you loyal commentator and Yorkshire native Helen101!

Thank you so much for the fantastic naming suggestions, I found it hard to pick just one. In the end I chose one that I thought made it clear that this was a sequel and also hinted to the Professor Snape/George influence on this next installment (thanks, Chrissysmiles). But there were clearly other brilliant ideas that I will probably use for chapter titles. Thanks so much for the help! I especially liked the ones centered around Harry building an emotional bond with Severus and truly becoming his father - which is obviously a major theme of this story. So, alternative title: Fathering Snape. :)

Ginny brought the dinner tray up for the miscreant with some trepidation. Harry hadn't said much about their interaction that afternoon, just that the boy had been punished and was banished to his room for the remainder of the day. Ginny had volunteered to take him some supper, finding herself feeling sorry for the boy.

"Hi Severus," she greeted him, placing the tray on his desk. "I've brought you some supper."

"So you're deciding to feed me then," he grumbled from he curled-up position on his bed. She saw that he had curled up around a book. He had begun to be able to read, but was still painfully slow at it. But she supposed he had little else to do up here, even slow reading was better than complete boredom. "I suppose I should be grateful for your kindness," he spat.

"I believe Harry promised always to feed you," she answered lightly. "Although I do believe being in disgrace means you don't get dessert."

"Disgrace," Severus snorted. "As if I care what you people think of me."

"It's roast beef," she told him, deciding to ignore his cutting comments. That's what she always did with Percy when he was in a grump. "Pumpkin juice too, so you're not exactly on bread and water."

"He spanked me, you know," Severus told her darkly, clearly still angry about his correction.

"I assumed," she answered, suddenly deeply uncomfortable. Who was she to be Severus Snape's confidant?

"He read the list that old bag made one by one and smacked me after each item listed," Severus told her, his voice bitter.

"It was quite a list," she sympathized.

"Thirty one items," Severus groaned. "And if that stupid Hufflepuff would have been a bit more honest about it it would have been even more. I think she couldn't even bring herself to name everything I did to her."

"I don't think Harry meant to be harsh . . ."

"He wasn't," Severus sighed. "He didn't even use a ruler. It was more about my disgrace than anything else. Sometimes I think it would be easier if he would just beat me properly."

"Oh don't say that . . ."

"I can say it if I want to!" he snapped, and then sighed. "And it's true," he answered dejectedly. "So has Mr. Potter found a military school for me yet? A boarding school somewhere where he doesn't have to worry about me anymore? Some dreary place in Yorkshire?"

"I'm afraid we have decided to go with your older self's recommendation for childcare," Ginny told him. "A young woman named Miss Floy Matilda Stradling. She comes tomorrow."

"I'm not sure I trust the old bat for childcare recommendations," Severus grimaced. "He had rather . . . strong ideas of children and behavior."

"That was Harry's thought," Ginny agreed. "That's why we had Broomie. Obviously we know very little about raising a Slytherin and should have listened to his counsel earlier."

"I hated her," Severus said darkly. "What kind of name is Broomie anyway?"

"Why?" Ginny asked. "She seemed so sweet. Harry thought you would like to have someone so kind and able to play with you."

"She kept saying I was a good boy," he answered decidedly. "She's a liar. And what kind of name is Broomie anyway?"

"But you are a good boy, really," Ginny answered. "Don't you believe that?"

Severus snorted at her. "You're too nice to say anything else."

"I'm not too nice!" she objected.

"Then you're just saying that because you're in love with the person who thinks he's my dad."

"He is your dad," Ginny told him.

"As if the perfect savior of the wizarding world wants a son like me," Severus snorted again, this time sounding bitter. "Pull the other one. He feels towards me guilt and obligation."

"You're in a sour mood," she told him, not sure how to correct his thinking. "Perhaps Miss Stradling will be very good for you."

"If she was on Professor Snape's opinion I think I'm going to get the cane from her on the first day."

"Harry won't allow that!" Ginny objected. "I'll make sure of it."

"After I ran off the last nanny?" Severus bitterly told her. "I'll be lucky if he doesn't let her hex me in some horrible way."

"She's young enough that she's a former student of yours," Ginny told him carefully. "She was only a few years ahead of us in school. You taught her Potions and were her head of house."

"Will that help me or hurt me?" he asked, calculating. "I taught you potions as well."

"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "But most of the Slytherins seemed to like you. You usually favored them in class."

"Did you like her in school?" Severus asked.

"I hardly knew her," Ginny replied, not looking at the child. "We were in different houses and different years."

"She must be a subpar witch if she was a Slytherin and has nothing better to do than be a nanny," Severus snarled. "I'm glad to see my education will be overseen by such a person."

"Some Slytherins have had a harder time getting employment after the war," Ginny admitted. "They have more limited options. And some people actually do just like children."

"She won't like me."

"You could try a bit, you know," she told him. "You can try to be a bit better. At least try to be, you know, less harassing."

"I'm sure that's what my new Father wants," Severus grumbled. "It would assure him that he's doing a good job and I won't grow up to be the next Voldemort."

"You do understand that Harry takes being your father very seriously, don't you?" she asked, concerned.

"I do," he answered. "But I've had a father before."

Ginny, feeling at a loss of what to say, instead turned towards his supper. "There's a warming spell on it," she told him. "One of the house elves will come and get the dishes when you're done."

"Why did you bring it?" he asked, suspiciously. "If I am such in disgrace, couldn't a house elf have brought up my supper to me?"

"I wanted to check on you," she answered him honestly. "It's a harsh punishment to be banished to your room for the rest of the night."

"Mr. Potter's Aunt and Uncle locked him away for days, sometimes weeks," Severus answered her. "Surely one afternoon on my own isn't abusive."

"Maybe not," she agreed. "But I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm as alright as ever," he responded, looking away in an irritated manner. "You don't need to check on me like a baby. I can take my medicine."

"I know this situation is still a bit new . . ." she began.

"It's been two months now," Severus replied. "This isn't exactly my first week, is it?"

"But it still might be confusing to you," Ginny persisted. "You aren't used to having involved parents, and I would that would have to be . . ."

"Confusing?" he countered. "Irritating?"

"A big adjustment," she finished. "And we're still figuring out how to do it too, it's an adjustment for all of us."

"If you tire of your adjustment I hear there are nice, dreary schools in Yorkshire," Snape responded, his voice sarcastic.

"Eat your supper," she told him in what she hoped was a maternal tone, figuring that was what her mother would say in this situation. "I think Harry will be up to say goodnight to you."

"I can tuck myself in," he grumbled. "I have mastered the basics of sleeping in a bed."

"Very well, then," she answered. "See you in the morning."

Ginny left then, feeling as unsettled as she usually did in interactions with Harry's new son. Or perhaps her new son too, although that idea caught her as very odd. Could she have a son when she was only eleven years older than him? Or not yet married to his father? Although, she considered, that wasn't that far away.

"How's the wee prankster?" Ron asked as she returned to the main room. "Repentant?"

"Sarcastic," she replied. "To be honest, Harry, I'm not sure if time on his own is actually a good thing for him when he's in trouble. He seems to be, well, stewing in it."

"I wasn't sure what else to do," Harry admitted. "He just doesn't seem to take anything I say very seriously. He seems to have a will of iron that I can't even begin to influence."

"You had some influence with all of the stuff with the if potion," Ginny told him. "I think there's more to be gained by gaining his trust more."

"You're right," Harry sighed. "Any ideas on how to do it?"

"Maybe you could teach him potions?" Hermione suggested. "Maybe something he feels like he has an aptitude for might make him less contrary."

"We could," Harry agreed. "But the letter I got from the Professor did warn me about too much of that."

"He was good in defense too, mate," Ron chimed in. "Maybe start with some of that? None of the offensive spells, mind you, but perhaps some of the blocks? Some basics with the wand?"

"But he can't get a wand until he's eleven," Harry argued, confused.

"Muggle raised," Ron rolled his eyes. "I forget what you don't know, Harry. Most families have some wands hanging around by old family members, and in a wizard family the trace can't tell who's doing the magic really. So most kids have a go before Hogwarts."

"How about the broom?" Ginny suggested. "That doesn't get you into any trouble, and it can't really be used against a nanny."

"The professor didn't like to fly, did he?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe that's the point," Harry nodded. "He's Severus now, let's give him some new pursuits. I'll work with him this weekend, and maybe see about getting a beginner's broom for him."

"Is Miss Stradling coming tomorrow?" Hermione asked. "I need to make sure that I have his lessons up to date for her."

"Tomorrow at nine in the morning," Harry nodded. "Are you still sure you're okay with her coming, Ginny?"

"I didn't like her in school, that's all," Ginny replied. "I told you she dated that Slytherin Beater that I hated? I didn't really know her well."

"Well, if you don't like her now we can always fire her," Harry nodded. "But it's nice that you're giving her a chance."

"The Slytherins do have it harder after the war," Ginny conceded. "It's not like there's any notices saying that Slytherins can't get jobs, but I have heard the rumors. It seems sort of small of us to not let her have a chance."

"There's a big difference between overcoming bigotry and letting someone harmful into our home," Harry told her. "You have good instincts, if something seems off please tell me."

"I will," she promised. "We'll just have to see how it goes."

"I hope Miss Stradling is up for a challenge then."

"Oh, I wanted to mention that Severus is worried that she'll use the cane," Ginny told him. "We should let her know that she can't, just in case he's right."

"I will let her know that any corporal punishment is to be given out only by me," Harry agreed. "I wouldn't think that she would, but you're right we should make that clear. If for no other reason that we really don't know how Professor Snape was able to keep the Slytherin in line as well as he did."

"I believe that with Miss Stradling we might find out," Ron snorted.