A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.

Chapter 51

My dearest Sev,

I write this letter and cast these spells as a precaution to ensure that you are not kept from what is rightfully yours any longer than you already have been. If you are reading this then it's just as well that I did because that means that James and I have died yet Harry has managed to survive.

It's the day after we went under the Fidelius Charm. James done something without my approval nor my knowledge beforehand and it's giving me one of my feelings. One of my bad feelings. The nature of the charm prevents me from telling you what was done but suffice to say it is not what was planned. I do not believe that I will live to see the end of this war.

I have several things that I need to tell you, thus the purpose of this letter. The first being that you know that I do still love you and it's that love which has kept me from sharing this with you before now.

After the war is over, I have every intention on sharing this information with you. If you are reading this then I never got the chance.

Where to begin ...

I'm sure that you remember the night we made love before I was married. The aftermath of that night brought forth a joyous event.

Our love brought forth a child, a son. Our son.

Harry is your son.

All during my pregnancy I fretted because I knew that there was more of a chance that the baby was yours and not James'. I needed to find a way to hide this from you and from him.

I had to hide it from James because it would devastate him - both to know that I was unfaithful and to find out that the child he was so excited over was not his - but his childhood enemies'.

I had to hide the truth from you to protect you. You play a dangerous role in this war and I did not want to add to your stress. I know that you are a master occlumens and that it would take something extraordinary to break down your shields but I also know that Voldemort is a monster. If he suspected you were hiding something of this magnitude and you didn't offer it up - well I couldn't take the chance that he would kill you.

So I searched for a charm or a potion and found a potion in Sambardia's Ancient Works, his 1893 edition. The text was not easy to get a hold of so my copy and my own notes are some of the things in the package that came with this letter.

The potion would only change Harry's features - no other genes would be affected and it was safe to give after the baby was born. In a normal paternity test, it would also show James as the father. It could even be reversed later if the need arises. I followed the recipe exactly except for the Vipersblade. I could not locate any fresh leaves. The ones I used were about 3 months old. I calculated that if there was any effect to be had because of this, that it would show up around Harry's 14th birthday.

So I brewed the potion and waited. When Harry was born, I only had to glance at him to know that he was your son. He was beautiful Sev. I took a couple of pictures before I gave him the potion.

It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do but it needed to be done.

The other item in the package is a photo album. I made it specifically for you. It has pictures of all of Harry's milestones that you would have wanted to see in person along with a few extras. I deserve to be tortured for eternity for keeping this from you and I deserve to have you hate me with every ounce of your being for depriving you of your own flesh and blood.

I remember the talks that we had many times about children while we were growing up. Put aside your fears, my darling, and become the father that I've always said you could become.

Harry has most likely grown up with Sirius and I'm afraid that he might have installed some of his prejudices against you - or Slytherins' in general so you'll most likely have that working against you. I still encourage you to try. If need be, show Sirius parts of this letter and if he still doesn't believe you, there is a special paternity test in Sambardia's book that will override the potion and show the truth.

Actually, I'm starting to think that I should write a separate letter for you to give to Sirius when the time comes for you to tell Harry that you're his father. If I do, then I will place it in the back of the photo album.

No one knows about this but I believe that Albus and Remus suspect to some degree. Albus because he has seen us together and because he's a wise old coot. I've seen Remus giving me some knowing looks. I think the wolf in him can smell that Harry is not James' son but he's not cornered me about it yet.

Now, I've put a spell on our will. You should have received this letter under one of two conditions. You saw something in Harry that made you question his paternity and perform a paternity test or it is Harry's 14th birthday. (I made a spell specifically for that.)

I wanted to have this delivered to you upon my death but I do not know how long the war will continue. My next thought was Harry's 10th birthday, when he would be old enough to understand and you would have a year together before he started Hogwarts, yet I gave pause because that would mean that you would have to juggle time between teaching (because my gut says that you will still be a teacher) and getting to know your son. My third choice was Harry's 14th birthday. While I really don't anticipate his appearance changing any, I thought it best to warn you before you see him and see something that shocks you.

I also thought you should know that I am also writing a letter to Harry. When he turns 17, he will be granted full access to the Potter vault. He will find the letter then. In it I will explain how you are his biological father and not James, though I am leaving instructions that if he asks for that letter specifically before then, then the goblins are to give it to him.

I beg you to tell him before then, to get to know him as he grows older.

Again, I beg you to be the father that I know you can be to your son - to our son.

I love you very much Sev. I will watch over you and Harry long after I am gone.

Please do not mourn me. Celebrate me and my life and our union together. Remember that I still live on through our son.

I wish you love and happiness for the rest of your life - just as I always have.

I love you my dark knight.

Love,

Lily

Severus was hyperventilating. He had actually gripped the chairs arm so hard that he was sitting in, it splintered.

Lily said Harry belonged to him. Harry was not James' son but his.

"Oh God," he choked out. He put the letter on the table and, exhibiting none of the grace that he normally carried, ran to the bathroom.

There he threw up.

Severus didn't know how long he sat there but eventually he got up and splashed some cold water on his face. He slowly walked back to the library and eyed the letter and package sitting harmlessly on the table. He then let his eyes wander over to the clock.

He blinked in disbelief. It was a little after midnight. He had spent over 5 hours sitting in the bathroom floor yet he couldn't remember single thing that had passed through his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Severus crossed over to the chair again and re-read the letter.

Harry was his son. His and Lily's.

How could he have ever hated Lily's son? How ... how could he have hated his own flesh and blood?

"What a great start," he muttered.

After he was sure that he had his nerves under control, he carefully picked up the package (which opened now) and pulled out a photo album and Sambardia's book.

He set the book to the side for the moment and opened the photo album.

The very first picture showed Harry just born with all of Severus' features. Lily had been right. The baby was beautiful and there was no denying who he belonged to.

There were pictures of Harry crawling, laughing, some of his first steps, and sleeping - each with their own caption and mini-story.

Severus found himself growing angry at being kept from this but not at Lily. He was angry at Voldemort and he was angry at himself. Why had he never questioned her back then? Would she have told him if he had?

Severus turned the page and stared at the next picture then burst out laughing. It was a picture of Harry summoning his bottle from the next room and Lupin happened to be in it's path. The bottle smacked him in the back of the head. Baby Harry was also amused it seemed. The caption made Severus feel proud.

'Harry started summoning things when he was 5 months old. Our son is very strong magically. I get the feeling that I'm going to have my hands full.'

The next picture confused him because Harry wasn't in it at all. It was a picture of Black scowling. He was silver and gold and had very bright neon green hair.

'Another example of how strong our son is. Harry got a hold of James' wand and pointed it at Sirius. It took Sirius three days to figure out a counter.'

Severus continued looking through the album and the last picture nearly broke him. Harry was 15 months old and dressed up in a dog costume. He was trying to make the candy come to him and James dove across the floor to catch it, which made Harry cry until Lily walked into frame, took it from James, and gave it to Harry.

'Halloween. We couldn't go out but we wanted to dress him up anyway. Harry loves the fizzing whizbee's the most.'

That was the last night Lily was alive. The letter and spell already cast, she must have secured each to be sent to Gringott's upon her death.

Severus did not sleep that night. He stayed up remembering Lily and staring at pictures of his son.

His son. Harry Potter was his son.

"Merlin help me," he muttered.

A/N: Ok. I decided to put you all out of your misery ... somewhat. This chapter and the previous chapter used to be all one but a reviewer told me that he/she wanted some cliff hangers, so as I proof read, I found a place to put a cliff hanger. Anyway. That's why this chapter was so short and why the last chapter was so short.

I hope you all liked this chapter. I've read and re-read and even handed it over to my brother (who also reads my writing) to read. He liked it.

The next chapter should be ready to be posted in a day or so. It depends on how much further into typing what I have hand written so far I can get.