Snape Revealed Shorts, Story ONE:

Lost and Found

Part 2: What's in a name...

AN: JK Rowling created most of these characters and the universe from which they hail…

Okay, we all knew this was coming. Even before I got pregnant I thought about writing a Snape and baby story. This takes place about 2 yrs after Severus arrives at Hogwarts to teach. He's had roughly 22 months to mourn for Lily and his involvement in her demise and has been having a very rough go of it. Some other tragic things have occurred as well since Lily's death that he's also trying to cope with.

(I'll be perfectly honest with you; I've forgotten a lot of what I wrote in part II and what I did write in part III. I'm confused if I wrote things, or meant to, and don't have the time to go back to research. If I make a blatant mistake that goes against canon or against my own canon and someone calls me out on it, I'd really appreciate it, and I'll go back and correct it.)

This is not beta'd…

The door to the Potion's Lab was thrown open violently by Severus as he entered so quickly the back of his billowing robes smacked a few students in the head as he passed.

"Ouch!" Damon Belby spoke as he was slapped by Severus's robes, which almost had a mind of their own.

"Three points from Slytherin Mr. Belby!" Severus erupted as he made his way to his desk.

"What for?"

"For having a low pain tolerance."

"You're kidding!"

"Three more points for thinking me a comedian!"

The class was silent. Even the Gryffindors looked afraid. Severus took a deep breath and stared blankly at the back wall before speaking.

"I believe today is the deadline for you to complete your potion."

Severus then sat down to pen a letter to Lucius telling him about the stupid baby he was charged with caring for when he saw an arm go up. He knew the arm belonged to Polonius Ohlms. He'd not made eye contact with Polonius yet that semester and wasn't about to start then. Staring down at his still blank parchment, Severus spoke.

"Yes Mr. Ohlms."

"You may have forgotten but I completed my potion last…"

"I've not forgotten. Use this time to study quietly," Severus said in a slightly softer tone. It was the first time that entire school year that Polonius had spoken to Severus in a civil tone. He was surprised Polonius even signed up for N.E.W.T level Potions again with him. Severus took another deep breath and began to pen his letter.

His wish for the day to linger on was unfulfilled. Instead, in the blink of an eye, it was nearing dusk and he was heading to the Headmaster's office to collect the offspring. He hoped Dumbledore had found the baby's mother. Severus knocked and heard a baby crying in the office, the mother was probably not found.

"Ah Severus. He's a feisty little fella!"

"How wonderful Dumbledore. Any news on the mother's whereabouts?" Severus asked taking a seat across from Dumbledore's desk.

"None. All we know is what you told us, and that he's a cabbage-patch kid."

"So we know nothing whatsoever then I take it?"

"In a sense. We know he's cute."

"I'd never take charge over an ugly baby so this is a plus."

"I'm glad you still have a bit of a sense of humor Severus."

"Sure you are," Severus uttered sarcastically. Severus sighed as loudly as he could and began to tap his feet on the cold, stone floors.

"Anxious to get this little bundle of joy back to your quarters then?"

"Anxious, yes, but not about taking a bundle of anything near my quarters."

The other Heads of House and Poppy Pomfrey joined Severus and Dumbledore in the darkening office, but none of them spoke. Instead, they smiled and ogled the baby, except for McGonigall who made a face as if she smelled something really bad. And, she was.

"Oh dear, has his nappy not been changed today?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Everyone stared at Severus.

"What? I've been in class all day!"

"Headmaster?"

"Uh, no Poppy. I cast a pleasant scent charm to mask the smell, but it must be wearing off."

"Why didn't you change him?" Severus quipped.

"For starters, I haven't the foggiest idea how to and nor do the elves, also I have no clean nappies to do the job with."

"Wonderful. You mean I have to teach all of you and a bunch of inept elves how to change a nappy now?"

"More than likely Severus," Dumbledore spoke with a slight grin.

"And he'll probably have nappy-rash as well for me to deal with?"

"I know how you enjoy a challenge."

"Dumbledore, it's a simple cleaning and disinfecting charm you cast on the soiled nappy, then you just put it back on," Severus lectured.

"Oh, really?" Flitwick asked.

"That's how I do it," Sprout added, but made no move to actually demonstrate her talents. "Go on Severus, show them how it's done."

"For Merlin's sakes, you just take it off," Severus said in a harsh tone while unfastening the magical clip quickly and lowering the nappy to expose the dirty baby, who instantly peed all over him. After everyone laughed Severus cast a cleansing charm on his robes and then on the baby. "And that more than often happens," Severus added, noticing a terrible rash on the poor baby's back side. Severus knew he had several salves in his quarters that would work, so he continued on by removing the nappy entirely from the baby and casting cleansing charms on it, only it was so soiled, it would not clean. "I feared this."

"What? Getting peed on?" Flitwick asked with a smile.

"Other than that, I feared the nappy was so filthy, charms wouldn't work. We'll have to clean it the Muggle way."

"How do we do that?" Sprout asked.

"In a wash basin with soap and water," Severus replied and then rolled his eyes. "He'll need to wear something in the meantime. Anyone have a handkerchief?"

"I like my monogrammed hanky," Dumbledore stated. Despite this, he handed it to Severus.

"Now watch and learn, it's really quite simple," Severus spoke as he coiled the nappy around the baby to fashion it properly. "Of course this isn't a real nappy so it will leak, I'll need to have the elves hurry and clean the other one and…" Severus was interrupted by the baby's screams. "He's still not eaten?"

"Oh he sucked on some apple slices like you suggested but Hagrid couldn't go into a Muggle shop to get the bottles and food," Dumbledore said. "But we'll need that fake Muggle food you were talking about."

"Fine," Severus said, rolling his eyes. He knew Dumbledore was playing dumb on purpose to give Severus all of the responsibility of that baby. "Well one of you will have to watch him so I can get some food."

"I'll bathe him and transfigure some clothes for him," Poppy said, as she scooped the crying baby up into her arms. Severus Floo'd to his quarters. He tossed his robes off and donned his Muggle jeans and dug around his wardrobe searching for his long sleeved black shirt. In doing so, he caught a glimpse of his naked arm, and the scars over his faded Death Eater tattoo that were clearly visible. He instantly saw a flash of Lily's face, which made him cringe. Then, he heard the Dark Lord's voice speak his name in a whisper. Dumbledore told him time and time again that the Dark Lord was not dead. Severus wanted him to be dead, but he knew deep down that Dumbledore was right and that he was alive and out there somewhere.

Severus closed his eyes and fought the urge to shed a tear. He took a deep breath and put the shirt on. He grabbed his pouch containing his Muggle money and floo'd to Dumbledore's office again, only to find it empty. He used Dumbledore's floo to reach Diagon Alley and from there he Apparated to the small marketplace near his home on Spinner's End. He made his way to the dirty, old market and tried to find the fake infant food when a woman began to stare at him.

He looked over at her and then down at his shoes, wondering why she was staring. Was his wand out? He got anxious and walked over to the next aisle, where he found baby bottles, but the Muggle woman followed him. She wasn't bad looking, despite her pink punk-rock hair and black mini-skirt, a fashion trend Severus didn't totally despise. He grabbed four bottles and then turned to find boxes of formula on the shelves. He grabbed two large ones and turned to head to the check out when she spoke to him.

"You don't work at the factory," she stated bluntly.

"Um, no, I don't," Severus spoke in a soft voice, keeping his head down so she'd not see his black Goblin eyes.

"Every bloke in this town works at that factory."

"Not this bloke," Severus muttered and then walked at a quickened pace to the front of the shop.

"How old is your baby?" she asked. Why was she so nosey?

"He's my nephew and he's nine months old," Severus said, handing the bottles and formula to the clerk.

"If you don't work at the factory, where do you work?"

"Miss, I have to leave now," Severus said, keeping his head down and rushing out of the shop. Were the women in his home town so desperate for men that they were seeking him out now? Severus looked back to find she wasn't following him. He Apparated back to Diagon Alley and then returned to Hogwarts. He put his robes back on just in time for Poppy to bring the baby to him via his floo.

"Here Severus, poor thing is starving," she stated, handing the screaming baby to him.

"Hold on, I have to read the directions," Severus said as Dumbledore floo'd in as well.

"The elves cleaned the nappy the Muggle way, and I transfigured ten more just like it and cast some pretty strong anti-leakage charms on them."

"Thank you," Severus replied, staring at the directions and wondering how much to give the infant. The baby's cries were growing louder and louder and were driving Severus to the brink of insanity. He took the baby from Poppy and tore open the box of formula. He filled one of the bottles to the top and added the amount of powder recommended and then shoved it in the baby's mouth. The child was instantly silent; the only sounds heard were of him sucking down the Muggle formula so quickly one would think he'd never eaten before. He even sighed a few times and tried to hold the bottle for himself.

All three adults sat down at the same time while Severus cradled the baby in his arms. He'd never seen any creature eat so quickly before in his life. He even felt sorry for him. A few minutes later, the other Heads of House floo'd into Severus's quarters to find him feeding the child a half-empty bottle and enjoying the silence.

"Make sure to burp him Severus," Poppy stated.

"Would you like to take him?"

"No, Severus, I prefer you care for the child, being a trained Healer and all," Dumbledore interrupted. Poppy looked moderately offended but said nothing else. "We need to give this child a name until we discover his real one."

"I've always loved Rupert!" Sprout exclaimed as Severus's jaw dropped.

"What the hell kind of name is Rupert?" Severus asked in a harsh tone.

"What? My uncle is Rupert!"

"This baby is not a Rupert…no baby born this century is a Rupert! Rupert is a horrible name."

"I have to agree with Severus on this one; Rupert isn't exactly a catchy name these days. No, I always liked Bartholomew."

"I dare say my dear Filius that Bartholomew is worse than Rupert," Dumbledore said to Severus's surprise. "No, I like the classics….Mortimer, Mordecai, Eustace…"

"As in that wimpy Muggle Prince?" Severus asked as Dumbledore just shrugged his shoulders.

"I like the way it sounds!"

"Albus really, the poor boy needs a simpler name, something strong…William… Phillip, David, Jay, Jon, Conan…"

"Conan Minerva? Really? How's that simple?" Severus asked as the baby finished his bottle.

"What do you like Severus?" Poppy asked. Severus was at a loss. All he knew was he hated Conan, Rupert and Mortimer. Severus looked down on his end table to find a Potion's book he'd been reading. He glanced at the author's first name and just blurted it out.

"Rhys."

"Reese? As in Reese's Pieces? I adore those Muggle treats!" Dumbledore smiled.

"No, Rhys as in R.H.Y.S. As in the author of this book. It's a Welsh name."

"Rhys lacks the spirit of Rupert," Sprout shrugged, clearly turned off by the name.

"He looks like a Bartholomew to me still," Flitwick added.

"Rhys, Rhys….he's Rhys," Severus said in a very disgusted tone. He sat the baby up on his lap and Rhys let out a huge belch. "Good boy."

"Severus, do you need to still Transfigure a cradle?" Poppy asked.

Severus stared at the chair in the corner of his sitting room and aimed his wand, within a second it was a black cradle. He Transfigured a pillow from his sofa into a mattress for it. A moment later Severus's floo flashed green and a parchment shot out of it at record speed. Everyone jumped for a second as the parchment landed right next to Severus. A green mist slowly flowed from the parchment and formed the shape of a snake that slithered into the shape of an "L".

"What is that?" Sprout asked.

"That…is Lucius Malfoy," McGonagall said in disgust.

"I liked him better in his human form, he does not make a very appealing parchment," Sprout muttered sarcastically. McGonagall glared at Sprout for a moment and then rolled her eyes.

"Does he have something against owls?" Flitwick asked.

"No, he just discovered this way works better with his overall…style," Severus replied.

"Aw…Rhys is asleep," Sprout said in a gentle tone. Severus glanced down to find Rhys sitting up in his lap, with his head tilted to the side making the sound of soft snores. "We should leave."

Everyone but Severus rose and headed towards his floo. McGonagall turned and gave him a look of assurance before exiting his quarters. Once everyone was gone, he took a deep breath and leaned back further into his sofa. Rhys was very warm in his arms, and Severus made sure to move slowly as not to wake him. Severus sat for a moment and closed his eyes. He could hear Rhys's rhythmic breathing as he held him near his chest. Why would someone abandon a baby in a cabbage-patch at Hagrid's hut?

Rhys was a cute baby, and he looked well fed and cared for. What could he have done to make his parents want to abandon him? Did his parents die, and perhaps a relative left him there? Maybe he was the Dark Lord reborn. With that thought, Severus slowly opened the letter from Lucius.

Sev,

I did some research. The recorded births for November, December and January list over twenty baby boys born to magical parents in the UK. I even know over half of them, which leaves only eight. Of those eight, I've heard of five of them, none of whom would abandon their child. Since you say he's not a Mudblood…

"I never used that word you moron," Severus spoke to the parchment as if it could hear him.

…that leaves only three other families. The remaining three families are magical no ones who I'll have to do some more research on. I'll have my assistants look into this matter for you next week, until then, it seems you're stuck with the orphan.

Sincerely,

Lucius A. Malfoy

"How did he gather more information than Dumbledore? Did Dumbledore even look?" Severus asked himself as Rhys opened his greenish eyes and began to cry for a second. "Shhhh," Severus said softly and began to rock the infant in his arms. Within a minute, the baby was asleep again. Dumbledore was right about one thing, caring for Rhys that weekend would keep his mind off his other troubles.