Chapter 65: Of Fathers And Sons
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
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The Common Room, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Phaeron had not gotten any decent amount of sleep for the past few days. He had seen quite a few of his father's more haunting past memories. His mood had turned sour even among his Slytherin housemates. Draco had been worried about him but resolved himself to giving the young Slytherin space. He recalled just how moody his Godfather would get on occasion and there was nothing for one to do about it except wait it out. Apparently, Phaeron had come across his father's memories of Lily Evans and it made him feel strange as he watched their innocent childhood encounter blossom into an all out friendship. The boy had gotten the sense that his father had been in love with Lily Evans but dared not venture any further into the memories should he be proven right about his assumption. Like most children, Phaeron had not been too keen on the idea that his father might have had feelings for anyone other than his mother.
Of course logically he knew his mother had not even been born during the time of Snape's early encounters with Lily Evans.
Yet, he still felt a bit out of sorts about the ordeal.
He decided the only way to know for sure would be to go to the dour man himself.
The young raven haired Slytherin passed through the day much as usual, silent even in potions class and served his detention without fuss. Once that was compete he made his way toward Dumbledore's office just as he had the day Ursula took him to speak with his father's portrait. Since there had been no dream encounters with the dour wizard, speaking with the former Headmaster's portrait had been the next best course of action.
The young Slytherin had hoped that Dumbledore saw fit to go off on some errand that would give him time to converse with his father. He had not wanted to run into the elder wizard nor did he wish to converse with him even if it meant getting to see his father.
The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
One ridiculous muggle candy password later, and Phaeron made his way into the Headmaster's office. He pushed passed the heavy brown door with a lot more courage than when he first ventured into this place. The other portraits whispered and stared at him but he ignored them. He wanted to see his father.
Snape watched from his portrait as his son made his way into the Headmaster's office. He had heard about the latest incident with the Potter boy and did not approve one bit of his son's display of unruly behavior. He was however pleased when word reached him of how Phaeron accepted his punishment without protest or incident like a true Slytherin.
"Surely there are no other Potters in which you can find yourself in confrontation with?" said Snape eyeing his young son.
Phaeron sighed.
"I have already been punished for my behavior as you well know father." he said.
"Indeed." replied Snape still looking him over. "I cannot say that I am surprised...you have your mother's irritating sense of Gryffindor justice despite being a Slytherin."
"Be that as it may." replied Phaeron. "It appears that I've inherited my Slytherin father's brand of temper."
Snape nodded at this.
"So you have." he said. "Now what brings you here boy?"
Phaeron took a breath and looked his father in the eyes as best he could, obsidian meeting obsidian.
"Who is Lily Evans?" asked the raven haired boy.
The question seemed to catch Snape off guard as his eyes widened briefly.
"For me to answer that question you would need to cast a privacy charm." he replied regaining his composure. "What I have to say is none of anyone else's business."
Phaeron nodded and did as his father instructed. The brief spell made it so that he and his father could have a private conversation without the ears of others listening in or their tentative eyes trying to read their lips. The effect was so the outside would be blinded by bright light to discourage visual prying and heavy buzzing filled the ears of those trying to listen in. Once the spell was in place the other portraits were straining to hear what was being said between father and son only to be met with blatant discomfort.
Snape turned his attention to his son.
"How do you know that name?" he asked. "What has your mother told you?"
Phaeron had been stunned that his mother would know of her.
"I ask you first." replied the raven haired boy.
Snape sighed.
"So you did." replied the former Headmaster. "To answer your question, she was an old childhood friend."
"Was?" asked Phaeron noting the pass tense in his tone.
"Was." confirmed Snape a flicker of sadness behind his obsidian eyes. "Thought the friendship had ended long before her subsequent end."
"Was it because of Potter?" asked Phaeron. "The elder James Potter, I mean...that old prat seemed to be every bit as annoying and pampered as his namesake grandson."
"Indeed he was." replied Snape without so much as a flicker of emotion concerning James Potter Sr.
"Was?" asked Phaeron again noting the tense in which his father spoke of his former bully.
"Was." confirmed Snape yet again. This time there was no sadness behind his eyes. Not even a glimmer of satisfaction just indifference. "Now answer my questions boy...where did you hear that name and what as your mother told you?"
Phaeron met his father's eyes once more and sighed.
"I've seen her in your memories." replied the raven haired boy. "And mother doesn't...er didn't talk much about you or your past...she mostly worked a lot to keep her mind off the loss."
"So you've been in my private rooms." replied Snape letting his annoyance show just a little. "What gives you the right to go snooping around in my things?"
"I wasn't snooping." replied Phaeron. "Your memories were already in my head from when you decided to commandeer my body in the fight with Potter, they were just distorted and blurry images at the time...the door to your quarters whispered to me and I went inside...your memories were calling to me."
Snape seemed to study Phaeron for what seemed like the longest time.
"Stay out of my memories." he said in warning. "They belong to me and me alone, my son or not you have no right to view them."
"It's a little late for that father." replied Phaeron slightly annoyed himself. "I've seen them...and there isn't much about you that I didn't already know if that was what you were afraid of."
Snape fell silent as his son glared at him.
"I know that you killed people in the dark lord's name, and that you were a loyal death eater during the time of your parents' deaths." continued Phaeron. "I know that you were my mother's Potions Professor since was twelve and that Dumbledore was as much of a Gryffindor nonsense spouting nutter prat to you when you were a student as he was to you when you became a professor here."
Snape continued to remain silent.
"I know that if it wasn't for you that pompous jerk Harry Potter would not have anything to brag about in the way of the dark lord's defeat." said Phaeron. "Everybody treats me like I am supposed to be some stupid little child who does not know any better but I know a lot more than you, mother, or even Dumbledore think I do."
"So I've noticed." replied Snape ashamed that his son knew so much about his dark past.
"I am not ashamed of you father." said Phaeron not breaking eye contact with the dour wizard. "And there is nothing that you should be ashamed for either, you have more than repaid your debts to those you've hurt."
"Not quite." replied Snape looking over his son. "You may not be aware of it at this point, and I doubt she will tell you...but I have hurt your mother more than anyone else I have come across in my distant past...it is her that I am indebted to more than you will ever know..."
Phaeron smirked at his father.
"I wouldn't worry too much about that father." he said. "Whatever it was that you did, I'm sure mother has forgiven you by now."
Snape found himself smirking as well.
"That may be true from where you stand but I have old promises to keep." he replied. "Once all this nonsense is over and I am fully restored I can begin making good on those promises."
"I'm sure mother will be looking forward to it father." replied Phaeron.
"I'm sure she will as well." replied Snape.
They seemed to agree on something at last.
"Tread carefully my son." said Snape in warning. "Potter is not to be taken lightly."
"I know father." replied Phaeron. "And I apologize for my anger earlier, I am just tired of your past being thrown up in my face."
"Potter?" asked Snape.
Phaeron nodded.
"Pompous little twit." said Snape annoyed. "No doubt he is getting all his information from that idiot Weasley."
"Weasley?" asked Phaeron unfamiliar with the name.
"Another member of the merry band of misfits your mother called her friends." replied Snape bitterly. "The brat could hardly pay attention during potions class and now all of the sudden he thinks he's a regular fountain of knowledge and advice."
Phaeron arched an eyebrow at this.
"Never mind." said Snape. "Run along not boy, I'm sure your little friends are wondering what has become of you by now."
Phaeron looked at the clock on the nearby wall.
"I'll see you around father." he said.
"Very well." replied Snape dismissively. "Off with you boy, I've got pressing business to attend to."
Phaeron took his leave of his father canceling the spell in the process.
Snape watched as his son disappeared behind the large wooden door from whince he came.
"So much like you isn't he, Severus." said the familiar voice of Albus Dumbledore.
Snape continued to stare at the door.
"He's too much like me." replied the former Headmaster. "And that's what one should be afraid of."
Dumbledore sighed.
"I have been thinking the same thing for quite some time now." he said honestly.
"He has his mother's spirit." said Snape still reflecting. "But if he has my darkness Potter doesn't stand a chance old man...and neither will you."
This time Dumbledore silently agreed.
Both wizards had hoped they had been wrong about their collective observations when it came to Phaeron. It was also clear that the last thing any one of them wanted was for him to find out what Harry Potter had done all those years ago, the night of Voldemort's fall. The possibility of the younger Snape falling into the path of vengeance was quite high. There was also a very high possibility that the young wizard would see fit to murder Harry Potter for all the pain he caused when he took Severus from his family. No matter how much either wizard did not want it to come to that, both men knew Phaeron's discovery of the truth would be inevitable. His subsequent reaction to it remained a constant unstated fear between them.