March 10, 1999
In the time that Harry got to spend with his friends, he finished his homework and got started on some self-studying for the classes he was no longer actually attending while he waited for Severus's message to come through that Ginerva had been served the order of protection and restraint with witnesses and now gone so that Harry could return. Such occurred around 9:00 pm, and Harry bid his friends goodbye as he gathered his things and made his way to the headmaster's tower.
The teenager walked into the office as Severus was at his desk signing a small stack of parchments. The man looked up right away and gave Harry a calm smile.
"I could have stayed with the others if you were still working," Harry mentioned.
"I already finished my required work for the day, Harry. This was just to pass the time until you arrived, I knew it might take you a bit even in the empty halls. I know you stop when you get winded, and take sips from your water bottle." Severus chuckled. "And now I've got a headstart on work for tomorrow."
The man finished one of his stacks and sent them where they needed to be with a wave of his wand. "How was your time in Phoenix House with friends?" the headmaster inquired as he stood up from his chair and aimed his wand at the door to lock it for the night. He'd know if he was needed through the night. Someone coming into contact with the entrance to the tower would send an alert into his quarters.
"It was alright. We mostly talked and did assignments due for tomorrow. I finished mine and did some reading for my self-study stuff." Harry replied as he walked beside Severus into the man's personal quarters. Well, Harry had moved in with the man so Severus called it their quarters.
"You could probably take some of those NEWT exams early, Harry. For the subjects you do really well in. It would take the strain off you to do everything in June when there's a chance you could go earlier or later than your expected due date." Severus suggested.
"You think so?" the teen wondered as they got into the main space and Severus helped ease Harry down onto the couch.
"Don't see why not. You know the material, take Defense Against the Dark Arts as an example. Not only is it your strongest subject, but you know well above what is taught and you were able to teach common and advanced spells to students of all ages as only a fifth year student." Severus reminded.
"Yeah, I see your point. But I'm not sure how confident I am in other subjects besides that one. And how does that even work before June? Is that allowed, taking exams ahead of others?" Harry questioned.
Severus brought over some tea for himself and decaffeinated tea for Harry, then handed it off as he sat down. "It's just as allowed as it is for you to take the Potions NEWT after you give birth. You're due for June 4th, that's actually before the two weeks of NEWT testing anyway. But we know you may go early, or late. And if late, Draco has already said that if it went past a two weeks, barring any distress that would force him to do an emergency cesarean,"
The man paused to sip from his cup, then continued again, "Then he'd just induce you. I do not believe it would be refused by the education department for you to take exams early if you feel you have confidence in taking them to lighten the course work you have. Between me as headmaster, and for one year, your defense teacher, plus my recommendation as headmaster and McGonagall who was your head of house for six years and has records of your skill and grades for that class…We could motion for you to take that NEWT early. Same with any others you feel certain you know enough of without needing the remaining three months of studying for."
Harry stirred his tea while looking into the cup and giving the suggestion some real thought. "And remember that the NEWT is just a test to show you received the required base knowledge of the subject at the advanced level for sixth and seventh years." Severus added after a moment. "It's just a limit that the education board set for what you should know by the time you leave school."
"No different than me as a Potions Master. Yes, I graduated Hogwarts in 1978 and Potions was my best subject. But…Just because I graduated didn't mean I was a Potions Master. I had to take other steps to become what I am now." he stated.
"Like Hogwarts being primary school and then becoming a master in your field is akin to university or…Interning?" Harry looked at the man now.
"Yes, exactly." Severus nodded to him.
"I'll give it some thought. If I could get some exams out of the way early, would take the strain off of having to study for them." Harry took a sip of his tea. "So how did the meeting go about the order against Ginny?"
"About the way you'd expect." Severus responded gently. "Confusion, at first, then shock and on command tears, anger before having no choice but to agree or be arrested."
"Let me guess…Ginny's crocodile tears and Molly's anger?"
"Precisely." Severus nodded. "I expected Robarbs to be the one to silence Molly, but I was surprised to witness her get shut down by her youngest son. When Molly went on and on believing someone obviously made a fake report to drive a wedge between you and Ginny cause you were betrothed and getting married in the Fall, Ron stepped in and straight told her to shut up."
"Regrettably, I can't say I'm surprised that he did. How was Arthur?" Harry wondered.
"Not surprised at all and personally, I believe his response was acceptance, relief, and also disappointment. But not towards you, just that Molly and Ginny have pushed this fantasy so far that you had no choice but to legally protect yourself. The relief was that you would be safe, I think, and that hopefully this course of action will make them understand that it has to stop." the man explained.
"You believe different?" Harry pushed.
"You and I both know it. Molly and Ginny don't believe it's fantasy because they're relying on the contract to force you to marry her and abide by everything written with fidelity and producing as many children as it takes to get a son, who would be named heir." Severus scoffed.
"But they don't know it's void, so I suppose with this order in place I should inform the goblins to send word it's not going to happen." the teenager sighed.
"I would continue to hold off. Ginerva might be magically ordered to stay away from you, and she was explained the consequences if she tried to step within the set limit and keep pushing to close the distance, but even at a distance of eight feet, Harry…She could attempt to throw a spell at you that could hurt you and the baby." Severus warned.
"For now, Molly and Ginerva are just going to attempt to show you that the girl has changed, has given up and is moving on with a false understanding that you two will not happen." he stated. "The idea is to give you an illusion into forgiving and trusting her, try to be friends again."
"But in reality…" Harry trailed off.
"They're hoping the moment you try to give friendship, Ginerva's new relationship will suddenly fall apart leaving her hurt and upset so you'll try to comfort her and she'll slowly move in and you'll fall back in love with her." Severus said.
"And there's a backup of that not working and there's still the contract?" Harry mumbled out.
"Yes. While Minerva and Arthur spoke, Molly comforted Ginerva and even though they believe they weren't heard…The office is under my control and anything official with staff, students, parents, and ministry-involved settings, or all in one like this was, I have an object that records everything happening and charmed for enhanced hearing." Severus enlightened. "That was their whispered conversation."
"There was talk of also pulling old laws so our child now, given it will not be born from marriage, can't be named heir. There are ways to argue that, it depends on who agrees with them to pass the vote." the man added. "I know it doesn't matter because this marriage/bonding will never happen so no one can argue anything on the child's inheritance. Typically, as long as the child is accepted by the father who is lord, there's no disagreements on heirship."
"But…I know Ginny and Molly won't give this up and I already reported to you and my friends that I got word of her saying she'd kill our baby…" Harry reminded. "And in this situation…That law doesn't apply. Not just because our child would be accepted by me and I'm obviously not marrying her…But the Potter family charter doesn't discriminate based on how the child came to be."
"Really?" Snape questioned.
"I checked with the bank after I found out I was pregnant before I stopped going to healer appointments. I know you said to the office and back, but when I learned…I had to make sure everything would be legal if I named our child Potter Heir. Black does demand birth from marriage, but only that the pair marries before the child is born." Harry explained.
"Plus that legal heir law only applies to the sacred twenty-eight families. They'd only be able to pull it for the Black family and this child would be named Potter heir. But…If any of this had happened, I'd have gotten magically and surgically sterilized." the teen shrugged.
"You'd ensure you couldn't have kids if you had been forced to marry her?" Severus questioned.
"As soon as I knew about the contract, it was the first thing to cross my mind. But the goblins assured me that it wouldn't happen since Dumbledore made the contract after Sirius died…When he was certain that Sirius would not get free from his felon status and obviously, being dead, couldn't stop him. The only one who approves that contract is me." Harry promised. "But yes…If I had no say, I'd have made sure I couldn't have any kids."
"Then the only way she'd get pregnant is from one of her side pieces and I'd demand a paternity test as I'd know I couldn't have kids. I'd rather have the Potter line die with me and give everything in my vault to charity before I sire a child with that woman." the teenager stated firmly.
"I hope you tell her that, when it's safe to…I'd love to capture the memory of that whole scene." Severus grinned.
"I shall do my best. But if not, I'll let you see it in my memory." Harry chuckled. "Now…How is our child gonna be safe after it's born…I don't want them trying anything. You know they'd swoon and try to hold the child…I don't trust them."
"Yes, that was mentioned again during this whispered conversation. But Harry…She can't do anything to you cause you're never alone. You are either with me or friends all day, and even in the bathroom too. And you have not one, but two rings to protect you from attempts at being poisoned." Severus assured.
"So anything under the radar will fail. Her only option at attempting to hurt the baby before it's born is by attacking you from the eight-foot distance. And if she does that, her only way to do it is in a crowded space where there would be plenty of witnesses." the headmaster stated.
"My best defense is ensuring I'm guarded in public spaces. And because there's an order of protection, if she attacks me, she ends up locked in place and the aurors come?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Severus nodded. "And…Once the baby is born, you can extend the order of protection and restraint to him or her."
"And you." Harry remarked.
"Harry, I will be-,"
"Don't argue with me, Severus." the teenager said firmly. "I don't care how skilled you are defending yourself, if you get hit from behind or caught off guard, you can be hurt or killed. We already know the risk of people finding out you're the baby's father. I feel we should be prepared that Ginny and Molly are not the only hate we'll receive on the matter, also not to forget that I'm sure someone will get uppity and move to have you arrested."
"We already agreed that we're going to be co-parenting our child, so you will not be taking the risk of being fine or safe and then something happens and I get left as a single parent. Once the truth is out, Ginny and even Molly, will not let it go." Harry paused. "Especially after that day in your office…Remember?" he paused.
"When I told her that me and the baby's father were in contact, going to co-parent, that I didn't regret that night together and maybe it becomes more later on…She will only see that when it comes out you're the baby's father. And therefore she and Molly will attempt to keep us apart, either by attacking you or trying to hurt the baby to kill what they'll assume is the only link for us possibly being together."
"So after the baby is born, as we said, the truth will likely come out…And when it does, not only will the baby be protected by that order…So will you. Do not fight me on it, Severus…" Harry warned. "I almost lost you once, I'm never going to risk it again unless you go by old age! Am I clear?"
Severus was a little taken aback by Harry's fierce declaration. That Harry wanted Severus to be protected by that order because Harry would not risk losing him. It made Severus think back to what Poppy said a few days ago about knowing Severus cared for Harry, and knowing that in whatever way it was, Harry cared for Severus too.
There had been a lot of admissions between them of their care for one another, along with putting the past hate to rest…Moving on towards the future together for the sake of their child. But when it came out Severus was the father…Ginny would assume she lost Harry to Severus because all that would come back, what Harry said to Ginny that day in Severus's office about maybe more happening as they raised their child.
And like Draco mentioned, Ginny knew Harry seemed to have a thing for the half-blood Prince, who was in fact revealed to be Severus before the end of sixth year. She'd link it all together and come up with some crazy theory that Harry and Severus had been a thing, in secret, for years. Her mind would warp everything and she would become unhinged at knowing she lost Harry to Snape and that the contract was void so it couldn't force Harry to marry her either.
Severus could not deny that with everything since he learned he was the father of Harry's child, there had been a lot of slight admissions to hint to there being something mutual between them but neither of them were approaching the matter directly. And this was because things were already pretty high stress, which Poppy and Draco strongly advised against to make sure Harry didn't go into preterm labor again.
For now, Severus did want to stress Harry by telling him not to worry about a protection order for him. It was clear he was scared, admitting he wouldn't risk losing Severus again. "Alright, Harry…" he finally agreed. "I won't fight or argue with you about this. If it puts you at ease that I am safe, I will do it."
"Thank you." the teenager relaxed, finishing his tea off and setting it aside on the couch-side table.
"The thought of losing me scares you this much?" Severus asked after a few moments of silence.
"We've always been in each other's lives, Severus, because of your friendship with my mother, and that prophecy. It started when you came to the cottage the night Voldemort attacked. You held my mother's body, you hid out until Sirius came. You swore a vow to protect me to my parents, and Dumbledore. You kept that promise all through my time at Hogwarts. You were horrified when you learned from Albus that I would have to die to defeat the Dark Lord…"
"But you did what needed to be done and passed me that information…And you almost died for something that wasn't even true…You weren't the wand's master, I was. And I know that no one knew the truth until recently anyway. But when in that boathouse…I saw how you moved, you knew I was there…And you purposely moved in front of the place I was so Voldemort wouldn't see through that wall. You could have fought back, escaped…But you didn't. You just…Stayed there…To protect me."
"I swore to protect you until I took my last breath, Harry…If I had left, he would have seen you and there would have been no chance to reveal the fact you were a horcrux…" Severus replied.
"Even so…You protected me and believing you died for me after I learned the truth that you weren't actually the wand's master hurt even more. To know you spent so many years protecting me from Voldemort, put yourself at risk every meeting you attended to spy for the Order…And then actually refused to save yourself for me…" Harry trailed off.
"Then I found you still alive during the body recovery after the battle…Barely clinging to life, might I add." he said. "I was so relieved, happy…I had wanted to be able to thank you for everything you did to help us win the war. But I was scared that too much time might have passed to save you. And it was touch and go for weeks to combat the venom, and also get you blood while trying to heal your neck…"
"I can't tell you how grateful I was the day I came to visit and Poppy told me you were finally out of the woods and she could safely say you would live. The only concern after that was wondering when you'd wake up and if your memory would be affected. Something about traumatic things, near death experiences affecting the memory…" Harry revealed.
"I…Was told you visited every day, as long as you could until Poppy made you leave. Or you would go back and forth throughout the day…" Severus mentioned.
"It's true. I needed you to live…So I could thank you for everything. I needed you to live because the war was over and you were finally free of Voldemort and Dumbledore, could live your own life peacefully…Do whatever you wanted. I'm not sure I could have handled your death, especially knowing you were killed protecting me actively when you could have escaped and that Voldemort killing you over the wand was useless cause you weren't the wand's master…"
"I told you I was ready to die knowing you would get the message about how to end the war. At the time, I died knowing I did my job and fulfilled my promise. I protected you until I took what I thought was my last breath…" Severus said. "But by some miracle, I lived because of you. You saved me. You, Weasley, and Granger were the only ones to know where I was…And because of that…I apparently did not die right away and survived long enough to be found by you."
"And now here we are by some coincidental thing or another, expecting a child…" Harry chuckled.
"It will certainly be a story to tell our child or grandchildren when asked how a student and the headmaster ended up having a child after a war ended." Severus agreed.
"Never mind a story for the kids or grandkids, imagine that story being read by the public. It's so out there in things to happen, but it's also so expected because it's me and all the random, near impossible things happen to me. See chapter one, October 31, 1981…Lived through a killing curse because of mother's love at fifteen months old in Harry Potter's auto-biography or list of the most shocking instances of things that only happen once…" the teenager rolled his eyes.
Severus laughed. "That first thing on the list wouldn't even count, Harry…" the man paused. "You technically survived the killing curse twice."
"Oh, you know what…Fuck you." the eighteen-year-old huffed.
"You already did that, and it landed you pregnant," the glare Harry shot at him was one that could be easily used for the example of the saying if looks could kill. And the silence with his arms folded over one another was Severus's translation of Harry giving him a chance to change his answer.
"Aw, come on now…We can put it on a side list of the most shocking and should be impossible things that happen more than once." Severus suggested. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. You're right that you did not fuck me and it landed you pregnant." a pause. "I fucked you and I got you pregnant, but not intentional. Well, not the getting pregnant part."
Harry didn't budge. "How about when our child asks for a sibling, I let you fuck me and I end up pregnant? Well…Maybe. I'm not sure if it would actually work. I know it takes powerful partners to get pregnant without potions, but there's research to support that some males just can't carry even with the aid of potions…" the man considered for a moment.
"But I'd be willing to try if you wanted to. Admittedly, I've only bottomed once and it was when I allowed it for the sake of experiencing it." Severus shrugged. "I am not against doing it, I just prefer topping. But I would bottom if we agreed to have another child, and you wanted to try and get me pregnant." he added.
The tiniest twitch of Harry's lips told Severus that Harry was slightly amused by the idea of topping Severus and getting him pregnant. If it worked. But obviously while Severus made the offer, there was also the mention of if they agreed to have another child. They weren't dating, and this child was from an accident of not knowing who the other person was, or that even if not that factor, they didn't know the other person was a wizard.
More precautions would have been in place if at least that was known. There was always the chance that Severus and Harry just co-parented this one child. Severus certainly didn't want to make Harry believe that the boy couldn't find love with someone else, settle down and get married. It would have to be someone who was alright with Harry co-parenting with Severus for their child, and mind boundaries.
Such as not trying to claim themselves a third parent or treat all kids fairly if Harry and this other person had more kids between them. But none of that mattered right now, Harry was single and only focused on getting through this pregnancy, finishing school, learning to be a parent, and also figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life for a career. That was it.
"Will you forgive me if we both change into our night clothes, I get the fire going, and call one of the kitchen elves to bring a bowl of your favorite ice cream?" Severus tried.
"Maybe."
"What if I also throw in a massage? Neck, shoulders, arms, back, legs, ankles and feet?" the older man offered.
Finally, Harry's posture changed to relaxed before the teen leaned over and pecked the man's cheek with a smile. "Definitely."
Severus smiled back, promising to do the offered things. The two got up and went to change into their night clothes. Severus called for the cold treat, then got the fire going. They sat on the couch, cuddling and chatting while Harry enjoyed his ice cream. After that, Severus had Harry turn so his back was to Severus and the man began to massage Harry's shoulders and neck while they continued to talk and relax. There were no complaints on how their night was being spent and just like all other instances where they sat and spoke…Truths were revealed that seemed to just keep bringing them closer together and deepening the feelings they had for the other, but neither bringing it up to tell the other person yet.