The Twincident

Chapter 3: Going to Gringotts

When Harry woke up early the next day Professor Snape was sitting next to him with a pile of clean clothes on his lap. He was reading a potions book but when Harry fidgeted to get more comfortable he looked up and smiled upon seeing Harry awake. Harry smiled back shakily.

"Good morning, Harry. How are you feeling?" Professor Snape said.

"Good morning, sir. I'm okay, thank you. How are you?" Harry said.

"I am good, thank you. Now, if you want to get ready then I will take you to Gringotts. I have a meeting booked with some friends of mine shortly and they will be providing breakfast also. I will be outside, join me when you are ready," Professor Snape said as he stood and placed the clothes at the end of the bed before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him.

Harry took a shaky breath, rubbed at his stomach gently and got out of bed, making his way to the little en-suite bathroom of the private room he was in. He stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes, just looking and thinking, or trying not to think, because if he did then all he could think about was what had happened, and his fear that he wouldn't be able to get a new guardian to help him and his babies.

Because who would want him?

If not for his fame anyway?

He turned to the side and laid his hands against his belly, allowing the baggy, old t-shirt he was wearing to wrap around the tiny bump there. And he looked at it in the mirror. He could barely notice it, but considering how skinny he was, how flat his stomach usually was, there was definitely a difference, at least to him. He didn't know if anyone else would be able to see the difference.

He just hoped he could protect his babies from everything and everyone.

Merlin, he was terrified.

He shook his head and went about getting ready for the day. Praying to Merlin that he could actually get himself a new guardian who would help him and his twins.

He couldn't go back to the Dursleys.

And he needed Umbridge gone before she actually resorted to using the cruciatus curse on him.

He shivered as he left the bathroom and changed into the clothes, which he noticed weren't his own clothes. He knew because they actually fit him. Bump and all. They were comfortable, too, despite being a pair of black jeans and a light grey, t-shirt. There was a jacket, too, just a black cotton one that was very comfortable, and warm, but it was probably the best jacket he had ever worn. He slid on his trainers, which had been cleaned and fixed apparently, and slid out of the room quietly.

Professor Snape was sitting in a chair reading as he waited for Harry, but he stood, putting the book in one of his robe pockets, when Harry exited, smiling kindly at him.

"What time is it, sir?" Harry asked.

"Six. I thought we should leave early so no one knew where and when we were going and we could get everything sorted with minimal fuss. I didn't expect you to be up and ready to leave this early, but it is for the better,"

"I'm an early riser," Harry whispered with a blush.

"Mhm, I get that. Although as the pregnancy progresses be prepared to sleep in, or go to bed earlier, when you can. It is rather exhausting. Even naps are wonderful," the Professor said quietly as he started to lead Harry through the quiet school.

"You've been pregnant, sir?" Harry asked in shock.

"Indeed I have," Professor Snape smiled, though there was a sad tinge to it.

"Wh… Why have you been staying with me if you have a child to look after? I'm not that important… I mean, I appreciate it, don't get me wrong… But I'm not so important that you should have to leave your child for me," Harry asked, perplexed that someone would want to do that for him.

The Professor smiled at him, "You are important, Harry. You are special. And you deserve looking after, too. I don't want to leave you alone when you are grieving, hurting, confused, and in a vulnerable position and people that mean you harm may come for you. In any case, my daughter is staying with one of her godmothers at the moment, although we will probably be seeing her at the Bank seeing as her godmother is one of the people involved in this meeting,"

They had somehow made it outside the castle's gates and the Professor stopped walking, Harry did too, and turned to the teen.

"I'm going to portkey us to the Bank. Is that okay?" the Professor asked gently.

Harry cringed at the thought of the stomach churning travel method, but he nodded nonetheless. Trying to prepare for what was to come and yet knowing there was no use.

The Professor gently, yet firmly, took hold of his arm and removed a portkey from his pocket. He whispered a word and they were off.

Soon they crashed to the floor of the office the meeting was being held in, although it was only a crash landing because Harry collapsed to his knees to vomit as soon as his feet touched the ground. The Professor knelt next to him, rubbing his back gently and whispering soothing words to him.

When Harry was finished the Professor vanished the vomit and helped Harry, who was trembling slightly, to stand, leading him over to the round table in the centre of the room and helping him to sit.

The door burst open and a little, excited shout of, "Mummy," rang through the air. Harry looked to find a little black haired girl, though if you looked closely enough you could see some auburn highlights mixed in there in certain lights, running over to the Professor who picked her up with ease, a larger smile on his face than Harry had ever seen on anyone's face before.

"Hey, baby. Have you been a good girl for Aunty Greyclaw?" the Professor said, holding his daughter close as he sat in the chair next to Harry with her in his lap.

"Yeah," she said, nodding into his chest.

"She's been an angel, like always, Sev," a female goblin said as she climbed into the chair on the other side of the Professor, smiling at the man and the girl in his arms.

Three more goblins sat around the table, although Harry only recognised one of them.

"Hello Griphook, how are you?" Harry said nervously, although it soon turned to confusion when they all looked at him in shock.

"You remember me?" Griphook asked.

"Erm, yeah," Harry said, "You took me to my vault when I was eleven,"

Griphook's lips twitched up at the sides slightly, "Indeed I did. However, most wizards and witches don't tend to care enough to remember our names, especially if we aren't their account managers. Although sometimes even then they don't care enough to call us by our names, they just order us around. It is a shock to find a fifth wizard, in the last few decades, who doesn't work for us, who does in fact remember us, and call us by name,"

"Why though? I mean, you spend your precious time looking after people's money, heirlooms, and whatever else. That is a very important job, and they don't respect you enough to call you by name? That is just ridiculous," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Indeed. Though most wizards seem to lack common sense," Griphook said, "Anyhow, Heir Potter, I would like to introduce you to my colleagues, Healer Greyclaw, Bagrod, and most importantly, King Ragnok," Griphook said.

Harry's mouth opened in shock for all of a few seconds before he managed to, somehow, get ahold of himself, "It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said as calmly as he could manage, "May I ask, however, what you mean by Heir Potter?"

King Ragnok growled and Harry flinched slightly, almost scared that he had done something wrong, though his thoughts were cut off by a little laugh by the girl in the Professor's arms.

"Uncle Ragnok, stop scaring him," the little girl said, grinning at the King of the goblins who stopped growling to grin at her.

"I'm sorry, little one, I didn't mean to scare him. I'm sorry, Heir Potter, but it seems that certain people have been remiss in their duties to you as the last survivor of the Potter family. I am not angry at you, but at those who have failed you," King Ragnok said.

"It's fine, Your Majesty," Harry said nervously.

King Ragnok chuckled, "None of that, Your Majesty, little one. You may call me Ragnok, Heir Potter. I am sensing wonderful things from you, and from your own little ones,"

Harry blushed, "Thank you. You may call me Harry,"

King Ragnok nodded in acceptance.

"Is it breakfast time yet?" the little girl asked, a little pout on her face.

"Of course it is, little one," Ragnok grinned as he tapped the table twice and platters filled with food appeared in the centre of the table, and plates, cutlery, goblets, and jugs of juices, teas, and coffees appeared on the table.

It looked enough to feed a small army, in Harry's opinion. But Harry soon learned that despite their short stature, goblins were rather large eaters. Although he supposed that warriors needed to be full of energy in order to do what they needed to do.

"Harry, I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Evie Lyra Snape. Evie, this is Harry," the Professor said, smiling between his daughter and Harry.

"Hello, Harry," Evie said, a beaming smile on her pale face.

"Hello, Evie. It is a pleasure to meet you," Harry said, smiling at her gently.

"You too," she nodded.

They ate to the sound of Evie's laughter and conversations with her family, especially the Professor. Harry watched in almost awe, with also a tinge of jealousy, as the Professor alternated between feeding himself and feeding his daughter.

Why couldn't he have had something like that when he was younger?

Why couldn't he have been raised by loving parents?

Why?

What did he do to deserve being hurt his whole life?

He placed his hand on his small bump and rubbed it gently, promising to always love his babies as much as he could. And look after them properly. He didn't want them to feel like they did growing up with the Weasleys.

He froze as he came to the realisation that only their mother's DNA and magic was changed. He was their mother now, but Arthur was still their father. Right?

Did that mean that Arthur could take them away from him?

Did that mean his babies would be hurt the way they were again?

Did that mean he wouldn't get to know his babies?

To love them?

To cherish them?

To raise them?

That he would go through this pregnancy just to lose them at the end?

After already losing them because of Ron, if only for a few terrible minutes?

He didn't realise he was panicking until he heard a soft, yet deep voice calling out to him, and all of a sudden it hurt to breathe.

"Harry, child, I need you to breathe for me, okay," the voice said, he realised it was his Professor who was looking at him worriedly, along with the girl in his arms.

The man took his hand gently, the one that wasn't on his belly, and led it to the man's heart, "Breathe with me, okay… In… and out… in… and out… That's it, keep going for me… In… and out… Well done, Harry. That's it. Everything's going to be alright, I promise,"

Harry just shook his head, "I can't lose them, Professor. Not again. I can't,"

"Harry, you aren't going to lose them,"

"No, I am. Arthur's still their dad, right? He can take them from me. He can… And Molly will be outraged. They will be hurt again, the way they were before, but also more because Molly won't be their mother anymore. And I can't… I can't," the older man pulled Harry gently into his arms, and Harry sunk into them, mindful of the little girl there also.

Evie sunk into Harry's side to provide her own form of comfort, too, and Harry chuckled lightly through the tears that seemed to be falling down his cheeks as he snuggled into the warm chest.

"No one is going to take your babies from you, Harry. I promise. I will do whatever necessary to protect you, and them, from everyone who dares to try and separate you, or hurt you, or anything else they dare to try. We'll get you a new home, a new family, and we'll keep everyone away from you, no matter what it takes. You will be safe now, Harry, as safe as I can make you," the Professor said.

"Mummy is the bestest protector," Evie said happily.

"I know," Harry whispered.

"Maybe mummy can 'dopt you? You be my big brother? Mummy wanted to 'dopt twins, but their mummy and daddy wouldn't have let him," she pouted cutely, "But they be my big brothers any-ways. Would you be my brother, too? Even if mummy can't 'dopt you?"

Harry choked on a hopeful sob as the Professor rubbed his back gently and held him close, "I would be honoured, Evie, to be your big brother,"

The little girl grinned, her pale green eyes sparkling in joy as she kissed his cheek wetly, causing him to chuckle.

He didn't know why he felt so comfortable, and cared for, in his Professor's arms. Why did he feel the safest he had ever felt surrounded by goblin warriors, and in the arms of a Professor and his daughter who couldn't be any more than four years old. He felt… loved, maybe. He didn't really know fully how that emotion felt because it had been lost from him for so very long.

But… everything felt like maybe it would be okay, when he was wrapped up in the strong arms of the man who promised to protect him, and his babies, and had already protected the three of them so much in the few years they had known each other.

Maybe.

He was still holding out a little hope.

No matter how difficult it seemed to do that.

He was just so bloody scared.

Hiya, how are you all?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I would have published it earlier, however I was debating for a while if this was the right way to go about things? It was something that just happened, as always does when one is writing, but I kinda like it. It fits, somehow, and will provide some rather awesome, cute moments in the story as Harry and Severus get to truly know each other. What do you think, though? And where do you think the story is going? Where would you like it to go? Would you like Harry to start dating anyone? Who would you like him to date if you do?

Also, if I were to set up a Spotify and make playlists for all of my stories would anyone be interested? They would include songs that remind me of the story in some way, give away little easter eggs for what is to come in the story with some of their lyrics, or songs that just fit. It will be a very eclectic mix of songs because I listen to a variety of music. But I have so many songs that make me think of my stories and I want to share them, if people are interested anyway.

I also have a Facebook group called Maraudering_Paige which you are all welcome to join if you would like to and are able to. It is where we can talk about Harry Potter, fanfics, life, share memes, and more. It is also where I have an update schedule of sorts and will be keeping you up to date on what I am working on, both with original stories, fanfics, and with everything else I do and want to do. So if you are interested in joining then I am more than happy to accept you into the group.

I hope you are all having an amazing day!

Kind regards,

Paige xx