OooOooOooOo Thursday morning: Day 15 oOooOooOooO

Harry was late for breakfast the next morning, the first morning after The Incident. He felt the capitalization was warranted, after all it wasn’t every night you were snogged senseless by the most sinister professor (and ex-Death Eater) to ever live to torment students. But then again, Snape wasn’t completely evil; one only had to see the gentle way he held Imogene to realize that. Those long, dexterous fingers patting her back or trying (to no avail) to smooth the unfortunate Potter hair out of her face. It was a dangerous line of thought which quickly descended down the slippery slope to what those long, dexterous fingers felt like against his bare skin, grasping and manipulating his hard member. Not for the first time since puberty had hit, Harry murmured a silent thanks that the Hogwarts school robes were dark and loose enough to hide his insistent erection.

He frowned grimly as he shouldered his way into the Great Hall, Peanut was strapped into a cotton sling that hugged his chest; the little beastie was fast asleep now - after listening to Seamus’ unreserved rendition of U2’s “Beautiful Day” filtering into the dormitory from the showers.

Of course she would fall asleep once it was morning and he had classes to go to, Harry thought bitterly. He wondered how she could be so contrary, but one look in those eyes was a stark reminder that she had his genes. She may have started as a plastic doll, but damned if she wasn’t a Potter, too.

“You look rough, mate,” Ron pointed out needlessly as Harry slide onto the bench opposite him. He himself looked bright eyed and bushy tailed, an equally awake Ronville on his knee, the little boy’s eyes were crossed, staring in at his snubbed nose.

Harry shot him a Look and flipped him off inelegantly, reaching for several slices of toast with his other hand.

Ron peeled a banana and broke it in half, handing it to Ronville, who gummed it sloppily. “Get no sleep, Har? I almost had a heart attack when Snape showed up out of nowhere last night. What did he do to you after we left?”

Harry tried not to choke on his mouthful of breakfast, looking down at Imogene’s sleeping visage to hide his expression. Full-colour, surround-sound images of exactly what Snape had done to him last night swam in his mind. He hoped the heated blush he could feel spreading up his throat to his cheeks was not that obvious.

“Blimey, that bad?” Ron groaned in commiseration, reading only what he wanted to from Harry’s reaction. Ronville, finished with his banana, was chewing away at the peel with great relish.

Harry felt Imogene stirring against his chest as he answered, “It wasn’t too bad.”

“The git has it in for you, Harry.”

Harry grunted noncommittally around his glass of pumpkin juice. He wondered briefly about how much trouble Snape would be in if anyone found out how much Severus had it in for him. Hermione might know, it must be written somewhere in one of those musty books she loved so much, Hogwarts: A History, or perhaps the lesser known, 305 Things a Professor is Absolutely, Unquestionably Forbidden to Do – Chapter 3 Shag a Student. It was a fanciful thought; he knew he would never be able to tell anyone what was going on between Snape and him.

If anything at all was going to between them, Harry thought darkly. After all Snape had dismissed him rather coldly right after… Harry frowned again and, sensing his tension, Imogene fretted in her sleep a small whimper escaping her heart-shaped lips. Harry stroked her back through the soft material of the sack and was decidedly quiet for the remainder of the meal.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

It wasn’t until the late evening when Harry was able to find free time to track down the professor alone.

He slipped into the Potions classroom after dinner to find Snape proceeding over the detention of several first year Gryffindor. The three sooty-looking detainees (Harry wondered idly what they had blow up to warrant Snape’s wrath) looked up when Harry walked in with something akin to awe. It was an effect he had on many of the under years who know him only as the Boy-Who-Lived-Still. He shifted the baby on his hip and gave them the briefest of smiles. It was a show of solidarity – after all, he had been in their places too many times to count.

“To what do we owe this distinct displeasure, Mr. Potter?”

Hearing the rumbling, dark tones, Imogene squirmed and reached out for Snape.

She pulled so hard she almost twisted out of Harry’s grip. Her squirming left her dangling upside-down half over a students’ abandoned caldron. With Quidditch fast reflexes, Harry grabbed her under the arms and hauled her back to his side.

Fingers itching to snatch her up, Severus glared from his position at the front desk, “Do watch what you are doing, Potter.”

“Mama.” Imogene called plaintively.

“Mister Potter?” Severus prompted forebodingly. The three detainees watched intently.

Urrr…plausible explanation…plausible explanation…“Ah, you wanted me to come by to discuss that potion…thing.” Harry stated loudly, and then added as an after thought, “Sir.”

“Mama!” Imogene added more eloquently.

Severus gave him a look of barely contained disgust. “Of course, Mr. Potter. Right on time - Mr. Petty and Misses Grant and Small have now finished their detention.”

The three young students looked at each other in bewilderment, and then the black haired boy – Mr. Petty, Harry supposed – blurted out, “But you said two hours, Sir. It’s only been…”

His orange haired companion elbowed him hard in the stomach, scooping up her belonging to make a hasty escape. “Shut-up, Ollie,” she hissed under her breath. All three students then headed quickly towards the door. The orange haired girl (with the strong sense of self-preservation) was the only one brave enough to meet eyes with Harry on the way out, smiling impishly, “Ta, Harry.”

There was a lengthy silence after the trio left. Finally Severus pushed out from behind the desk and swept purposely forward. “A potion thing, Potter? You could not fabricate anything more suitable to explain your appearance in the dungeons at this hour?”

“MAMA!” Imogene’s face contorted, starting to turn red. Harry shifted her toward Snape and, conveniently, away from his ears.

Severus folded his arms across his chest, arching a black brow.

“MAAMAA!”

“I’ll think of something more inspired next time,” Harry groaned with only a touch of apology, “Just take her will you?”

“MAAMAA!”

“Professor.” Severus corrected, speaking to the baby this time.

“MAA! MAA!”

“P. Pro. Professor.” Severus stressed.

“Stop arguing with a baby and just hold her, will you?” Harry groused.

“If Imogene wishes to be held, she will cess her tantrum.” The black eyes fixed on the baby, “That is no way to get what you want.”

“She’s just a baby she’s not going to –”

But of course she did. Whether to please Snape or just to make Harry look like a fool, he wasn’t certain. She quit squawking, huffed long and hard, and then silently reached out for the taller man, fists opening and closing, grasping.

Harry glared. “You’re too clever by half.”

Snape reached out and took her, his elegant fingers brushing against Harry’s arm. “So what brings you here, Potter? I assure you, you are doing so dismally in my potions class; there is no thing I can help you with that will help improve your abysmal grade.”

Harry took a step closer; he had to look up to see Snape’s eyes. Fuck, why couldn’t he just grow 4 more inches so the older man didn’t make him feel so small? “I brought you something to read.”

Severus looked pointedly around the room at the overflowing book shelves. “I see…”

Harry rolled his eyes and rifled through his satchel to pull out his finished essay for CoMC. He presented it to the professor, grinning cheekily, “I actually took the idea from you, Sir. It’s the essay I had to do for Hagrid.” He held out the scroll and Severus took it from him, unrolling it with one hand to take a look.

“101 reasons never to have a baby.” Severus read aloud. He took a moment to skim the expansive list. “I see numbers 42 through 69 all pertain to some aspect of changing nappies.”

Harry nodded, eyes still bright with laughter.

“One would think that the boy who did away with the Dark Lord could handle number 84 with his eyes closed.” Severus continued darkly.

Some of Harry’s mirth drained out. It was then he realized how much he had been looking forward to gaining Severus’ approval with the list - he had not been anticipating this scorn. He took a step back.

“And,” Severus continued, “I’ve never even seen her do number 11.”

Another step back. “Well, she does spit up quite a bit.”

Severus’ brows creased, “Not in any manor that could even vaguely be described as projectile.”

“So there are only 100 reasons.” Harry groused, “All I really need is one good one anyway.”

Severus looked up sharply, the scroll snapping closed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’ve made my decision.”

“You never plan on having a baby?”

“Of course not.” Harry jutted his chin towards his scroll, “And I got 101 – 100,” he corrected, “ good reasons why not to.”

“Good?” Severus scoffed.

Harry’s eyes narrowed and Imogene, perhaps sensing the tension, fussed, grabbing a handful of Snape’s hair. “Mamamamamamamamamama.”

Severus had more important things on his mind, and didn’t bother correcting the baby; he simply freed his hair and then used his free hand to brandish the scroll about. “Surely this is a joke.”

Harry looked momentarily taken aback by the intensity behind Severus’ question. “Come on, you never had babies and I’m willing to bet Galleons to Sickles that you’ve never regretted that.”

This had been quite true. Before last week.

Before thoughts of little, green-eyed babies had somehow begun to occupy every free moment in his day.

“This isn’t about me, Potter. You will have babies.”

Harry gritted his teeth, grabbing the essay back. “I will not.”

“You will.”

Imogene then started fussing in truth, her whimpers quickly turning to full fledged crying. Severus frowned, bouncing her lightly. Not content with just this attention, Imogene clung to his neck and wailed at the top of her tiny lungs. Harry shook his head, ears ringing; he searched through his bag to fish out a bright yellow pacifier. He raised his voice to be heard above the screaming, “Why in the world would I want one of these?”

He popped the end of the pacifier in her mouth and she fretted for a moment then started suckling; her hold on Snape’s neck slowly easing.

“Lily stepped in front of an Unforgivable for you,” Severus pointed out pretentiously, “so obviously there must be something to the parent/child phenomenon.”

Harry took Imogene back from Snape and held her up so they were eye to eye, her face still bright red from her screaming. “You better hope the next Dark Lord doesn’t come to curse you, because you’d be on your own.”

Severus snorted, “Well, she is just a toy. You would love your real child enough to sacrifice yourself. After all, you sacrificed yourself for a great deal less in the past.”

“Nah,” Harry rested the baby against his shoulder, “Can’t imagine me loving one of these wretched, deafening things.”

“Nonsense,” Severus caught Harry’s upper arm in a tight hold, pulling him around. Harry flinched at the whip-flick cutting sting of his voice. “You will have a baby. You will love it. And, you bloody well will toss yourself in front a curse for it in a customary fit of reckless, foolish Gryffindor-ness!”

Harry’s mouth hung open, Severus’ fingers burning through his shirt and embedding their imprint into his flesh.

There stared at each other for a point, both breathing heavily.

Abruptly, Snape let go and stalked back to his desk, his robes billowing regally behind him. “Get out, Mr. Potter, it’s late.”

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Later that night, Harry lay in his bed trying to sleep, his fingers traced his bare triceps where the pain from Severus’ touch remained even hours later. He heard a soft whimper from the bassinette and rolled over to peer inside. Imogene was awake, and for once she had awoken and not started to scream bloody murder right away. He reached in to wipe the sleep from her eyes; she tried to bat his fingers away with her tiny fists and mewled plaintively, “Maa…Maa…”

Harry shook his head ruefully and whispered, “No Mama, Peanut. I’m afraid you’ll just have to settle for me.”

Imogene have him a slightly disdainful look, as if to say, ‘surely you jest, just you?’.

Harry snorted softly, reaching in and picking her up from the bassinet. “Sorry to disappoint. But, I’ll let you sleep in the bed. That controlling, overgrown bat you call Mama would never allow that sort of coddling.”

Harry pulled the sheets over them both, lying on his side with the baby settled on the bed against his warm chest. He started humming the tune to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’. It didn’t take that long to get Imogene contented and drifting off to sleep under his watchful gaze. When her soft breathing evened off, Harry gently stroked his thumb over the bridge of her nose; he murmured softly, “I didn’t entirely mean what I said before, Peanut. If a new Dark Lord did crop up, I’d track him down, go charging into certain doom and shove his own wand so far down his throat that Lumos cooks his balls before he even looked at you funny.” He leaned over, kissing the tip of her disproportioned nose, “How’s that for reckless, foolish Gryffindor-ness?”

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Severus was having a similarly hard time quelling his restlessness that night. He was trying to work out why he reacted so adversely to Harry’s perfectly reasonable decision not to have children. And if not perfectly reasonable, at least perfectly not any his business.

Perhaps he reacted badly because of his memories of being a small child. A child with oily black hair and a large nose and sad black eyes, with parents who not only would have refused to step in front of curse for him, but who would have, if the need arose, used him as a shield against one. Yes, it was just his memories of being an ugly, unloved baby that made him so incensed that Harry would claim not to love his baby.

It didn’t help that (in his mind) the baby Harry didn’t love had oily black hair and a large pointed nose and sad green eyes.

Severus felt a roaring headache come on with the realization that he wasn’t thinking of Harry one day having a baby, but instead he was thinking of the young man one day having his baby.

Severus groaned, giving up on sleep and climbing out of bed. He patted across the carpet and sat down at his desk, lighting the lamp. He wet the tip of his quill with black ink before smoothing out a new scroll of paper and starting on a new list, 75 ways to forget about green-eyed imps. He could only think of two and half. Needless to say he got no sleep that night.

OooOooOooOo Friday: Day 16 oOooOooOooO

Throughout the day on Friday Harry avoided looking at Snape, being near Snape, or even thinking about Snape. His cause wasn’t helped by the fact his arm tingled hotly all day – a constant reminder of Snape’s irritation with him.

At dinner, he finally broke down and glanced up at the head table. Severus’ position at McGonagall’s right hand was vacant. The professor hadn’t come up for dinner. Harry forced himself to sit on the Gryffindor bench and eat half the portion of Sheppard’s pie which had appeared on his plate. The food didn’t sit well at all. Before dinner ended he made his excuses and left the Great Hall.

He walked to the dungeonsand found the portrait to Snape’s office hung open a few feet.

Harry stopped cold in the corridor, uncertain of the reception he would get.

Cowardice did not sit very well with the Gryffindor golden boy. And he truly felt horrible even as he did it. Even as he set Imogene down on her wobbly legs and gave her a great push to send her toddling in the right direction.

Perhaps, however, the push was a little too great because she promptly fell face-forward onto the floor, illuminated brightly in the light from the portrait which hung open to the hallway. Dammit.

She immediately looked back at him accusingly, quite surprised to find herself on the floor.

Snape looked up just in time to see Imogene pitching herself forward and up on her hands and knees in the doorway to his office. She took one look behind her, into the shadows (out of view from his position at his desk) and then she looked over at him and started to bawl. Her bright white tights, as well as her hands, were sooty from the floor.

“You might as well come in, Potter. Pick her off the filthy floor as you do.”

Looking slightly shameful, Harry stepped into the light; he scooped up the baby and entered the room. The portrait drifted closed behind him.

He noticed at once that the private doors (another entrance into Snape’s chambers) were open at the back of the office.

Severus noticed where Harry’s eyes were drawn. “Go on. I’m almost finished with this drivel.” Severus flapped a few papers – first year essays by the look of all the red ink on them.

Surprised by the composed welcome, Harry stood in front of the door and blinked over at Severus. “I have to admit I was expecting a lot more hostility, since last time I was down here you almost took my head off.”

Severus didn’t even glance up from his desk. “Give me a moment; I assure you, I can muster up with something suitably cutting.”

Harry didn’t wait around.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

After an hour of waiting, Harry realized that Snape’s idea of ‘almost’ and his were quite different. Bored after half an hour, he had raided one of the book shelves that lined the walls and curled up on the couch to read.

Another half an hour passed before he sensed Severus’ eyes on him. He didn’t see or hear the ex-spy enter the room, but when he felt the eyes on him he looked up and found Severus several feet in front of him.

Black eyes raked his form and then the book he was reading.

“Manterack’s Guide to Dark & Deadly Arts.” Severus read off the cover, “Not a bad choice.”

Harry moved to put it aside. Severus shook his head, striding over and taking the baby from him. Harry gave up Imogene easily. “Far be it for me to interrupt the only voluntary reading I’ve ever seen you do. You best had best be careful before you accidentally learn something.”

“Are you angry with me?” Harry winced the moment the words left his mouth. God, he was officially pathetic. Well, in for a Knut, in a Galleon… “I mean Wednesday we were getting along” – we were frotting in a bathroom – “then yesterday, well, you were decidedly displeased.”

“I –” Severus closed his mouth for a moment before starting again. “It was a long day.”

From Severus, it was practically an apology. Not practically, Harry thought, that was an apology.

“Did you get dinner earlier?”

“Some.” Harry replied. “But Immy could probably eat some more.”

Severus nodded curtly before calling a house elf and ordering some dinner for himself and Imogene. The small elf didn’t even blink at the sight of Harry in his chambers. “Does Master Harry Potter require anything?”

Harry stood, walking over to Snape’s side. “No, thank you.”

The house elf popped out of sight with a little nod.

Severus went to turn around and found himself toe to toe with Harry.

Harry looked up at him questioningly. “What are we doing?”

Severus also had a few questions of his own to ask, but instead of voicing them he tried the more direct route. He heard Harry’s soft inhalation as he breached the younger man’s mind. The green eyes dilated infinitesimally.

“You’re making it absurdly easy for me to read your thoughts.” Severus spoke in a low rumble

“I know. Are you getting to the part where I’m mentally listing all the things I want you to do to me?”

There was a moment’s pause before Severus lifted an eyebrow. “My, my, Potter, I do believe number four is potentially illegal in all of Britain.”

Harry let his tongue lick beguilingly over his bottom lip, “I know. I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

“Finish your book, little incubus.” Severus ordered, taking a step back.

“I didn’t come down here to read.”

“Your thoughts make that blatant enough. Nontheless, it would be good for you to learn some patience.”

Harry stared up at him, rebellion lighting his expressive gaze.

Severus’ legendary self-restraint cracked minutely. He shifted the baby deftly to his hip and just as agilely plucked one of the thoughts swarming over the surface of Harry’s mind.

Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me. Severus snorted at the raw inelegance that exemplified all of Harry’s thoughts. Inelegant, but honest, Severus allowed as he watched Harry rock forward on the balls of his feet.

One kiss could hardly damage the barrier he wanted to carefully maintain between the young Gryffindor and himself, Severus rationalized. He reached forward tipping Harry’s chin up with a single finger.

Emerald eyes looked up at with complete faith.

Still holding the baby in one arm, Severus attempted to kiss the expression off Harry’s face. Making it a little brutal, a little possessive.

When he broke the kiss, Severus was perturbed to find that trusting expression still in place, though slightly glazed with lust.

Severus was disgusted to find he was the first of look away, switching his stare to the baby in his arm. He could only have those eyes on him for so long. Bizarrely, in his life there had only been three people who looked at him with that trust, and they had all done it with the exact same eyes. Lily’s eyes, Harry’s eyes, and now Imogene’s eyes.

What defect did those green eyes share that made them so blind to how ugly he was – inside and out?

Harry licked the string of saliva off his lower lip, swaying forward for another kiss.

“Go read your book, Mr. Potter.”

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Severus’ sharp glare sent him back onto the sofa and reaching for the book, fumbling it and then flushing because he was fumbling.

Harry didn’t utter a word until he had read every page in the book; in fact it was after the sunset before Harry finally finished, stretching and looking up for the first time in two hours.

Imogene was sitting on the sofa beside Snape, she had a big potions text open in front of her – a book she couldn’t possibly read, despite the fact she was wearing –

“Why is the baby wearing glasses?” Harry asked incredulous.

Imogene looked over when she heard his voice, the tiny round glasses perched on her nose.

Silently, Severus looked at Harry and then at the baby.

“Why is the baby wearing glasses?” Harry repeated.

“I have reason to believe her eye sight is as abysmal as yours.” Severus finally replied.

“What are you talking about?”

“Imogene’s food is getting cold.” Severus interrupted, swiftly changing the subject. “The elves dropped it off a while ago.”

Later, Harry finished spooning the last bit of mashed potatoes and peas into Imogene’s mouth. She looked over at him, a little bit of potato on her chin. She was doing her creepy staring thing, her eyes looking especially huge behind the thick, pop-bottle glasses.

“Those make you look ridiculous.” Harry pointed out spitefully.

Imogene made a tiny snorting sound.

“I suppose they do help make your unfortunate nose look smaller.” Harry allowed.

Imogene gave him a look of distain which clearly said, As if I care about mundane things like that, I know I look adorable.

Harry reached over with a washcloth, wiping her chin and mouth. “You have an ego the size of a Hippogriff. How is that possible? You’ve only been alive for a few days.”

“Mama.” Imogene babbled softly to herself.

“I should have known he would behind it.” As he spoke, Harry reached across and picked the baby up, pulling her into his lap.

Imogene blinked up at him through the tiny, absurd glasses. “N’mama.”

“That’s right, Peanut, not mama.”

“Mama!”

“No, not mama.”

“I believe that was directed at me, Potter.” Severus remarked, he had been washing up the dishes from dinner, and was now standing close behind Harry’s chair, a dish towel over one shoulder. As Harry watched, Severus lifted Imogene up in his arms, draping her over the dishcloth to burp her. He started to talk to Harry about the problem he was having trying to introduce elixirs to his third year curriculum. Harry didn’t listen that closely, but he did watch and pretend to pay attention. He watched Snape’s lips. He watched Snape’s hands. Merlin helped him, he even stole glances at the bulge in Snape’s trousers. The view afforded by the fact the man had shed his robes.

He managed to draw his eyes away long enough to help Severus bath, change, and then dress Imogene in a raven black onsie with the now familiar snake trim (Harry hadn’t asked where it had come from).

Severus put on the wizarding wireless, adjusting the knobs until soft classical music drifted through the room. Harry settled the baby into her make-shift cradle, removing those ridiculous glasses.

While Imogene fussed tearfully, grabbing the side of the cradle and pulling herself up, Severus set up a game of chess. Harry directed his wand to the fireplace, increasing the intensity of the flames. He would never get used to how drafty the dungeons were. Once that task was complete and room began to warm, he turned his attention to distracting Severus from the chess board.

It didn’t take much more than lowering his lashes and inching up his shirt to reveal a slip of flat stomach and jutting hip bones. Soon, he found himself being kissed senseless, straddling Snape’s hips with the older man’s hands fisted in his hair, tugging hard.

Later, the chess set abandoned, the little figures standing at attention, untouched on the table. Imogene was asleep across the room and the fire was starting to die down.

The two men were sprawled on the bed, their clothes were rumpled, but more importantly, still on their bodies. Harry rolled onto his back, panting and glowing with sweat. “Wow.”

Severus snorted. “‘Wow’, indeed, Mr. Potter.”

Severus’ fingers continued to lightly stroke Harry’s stomach. Harry wondered idly if Severus even realized he was doing it.

Imogene fussed in sleep.

Harry groaned softly.

“Stay put, I’ll check on her.”

Severus slid over him, standing and straightening his clothes, before walking over to the baby. Moments later Harry heard the barely audible hum of Severus singing to the baby. He pressed into the pillows, smelling the scent of Snape and smoke.

He wondered if this was being in a real family was like.

“Se…Snape?”

Severus turned towards him, one hand was Imogene’s back, rubbing soft circles.

“Just kiss me? A little longer?”

“Just kissing?” Severus asked, brushing Imogene’s hair back.

Harry nodded.

“Just a little longer?” Severus asked, walking back towards the bed.

Harry nodded again.

Severus obliged.

OooOooOooOo Saturday: Day 17 oOooOooOooO

When Harry woke in the morning he was startled to find himself still in Severus’ quarters.

“This is beginning to become a habit.”

Harry blinked over to find Severus already up, dressed, and making tea. “Yeah, sorry, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry.”

“If you were unwelcome, you would not be here. And in your slumbering form you are pleasantly quiet. You don’t snore by the way, though you do drool.”

Harry wiped the back of his hand over his mouth, “I do not.”

“You do. That one does, too.” Severus answered, jutting his chin towards the cradle. Sure enough, Peanut had rolled onto her stomach, her knees pulled up under herself with her bum in the air and her cheek in a puddle of her own drool. She was still fast asleep despite the fact it was…shit…

“What time is it?” Harry gasped; standing and stumbling around for his shoes and robes.

“A quarter past seven.”

“Fuck!” Harry’s stumbling became more frantic, shoving his feet into his shoes and yanking the laces.

“Quidditch practice?” Severus asked knowingly.

Harry nodded. He threw on his robes and looked hopefully towards the cradle. “Ahh…”

“She can stay here.” Severus acquiesced with only token reluctance.

Much to Severus’ shock and horror, Harry kissed him hastily on the cheek as he snuck out of his chambers through the door to his office.

The shock and horror came from the realization that he didn’t mind the familiarity the young man was taking.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

After Severus prepared breakfast for himself and the baby, he went to work on marking a stack of sixth year quizzes, letting Imogene play with a set of colourful blocks on the floor.

She grew tired of the blocks quickly (Severus felt this was due to her intelligence, which he felt must be exceptionally high for her age) and started crawling around the room. When Imogene had first started spending time in the dungeons, Severus had spent the better part of a day baby-proofing his private chambers. This allowed him a small (very small) piece of mind that she wasn’t going to stumble on some sort of poison or cursed artefact when she explored even the dustiest corners of the room. And try to explore ever dusty corner she did.

At one point near noon, she found a long forgotten painting he had resting on the floor against the wall, half-hidden behind the wardrobe. It was an old oil painting, a nightscape with a softly bubbling river and a few toads, crickets, ducks, and a snake. As Imogene grabbed the painting frame to pull herself up onto her wobbling legs, the snake slithered over to get a better look. Severus watched, alert, from his desk to make sure it didn’t scare the baby.

It hissed softly, and much to Severus’ shock, Imogene flicked her tiny pink tongue out and then hissed back.

Severus watched them converse with rapt attention for several minutes. The snake curled into the bottom corner of the painting and Imogene pressed so close her nose was almost touching it. Hissing back and forth.

Amazing! Severus had not considered that the baby may have inherited Harry’s perhaps most unique magical talent, let alone be exhibiting it at such a young age. He was still watching her with abject wonder when Harry clumped into the room, carrying his bookbag and Quidditch gear. He was still wearing the uniform pants, but had slipped out of the shirt and short robe in favour of a plain black tee shirt. His hair – predictably – was a mess.

“Hello, Professor…”

“Shhh!”

Harry walked forward, dumping his kit on the table before whispering loudly, “Why? What’s going on?”

“It’s the baby. Merlin, she’s speaking parseltongue!”

Harry padded forward, standing over Imogene and cocking his head to the side, watching and listening for a moment. He started smiling, and then hissed something at them both. The soft stream of parseltongue made both the snake and the baby look over at him. The snake hissed something in return, and then slithered off. Imogene reached up for Harry, letting go of the paining frame and tumbling back on her bottom. She started shrieking as if seriously injured and Harry rolled his eyes before striding over to pick her up.

He held her up in his arms and string of Sssssssss slid off the tip of his tongue. Imogene arched up, grabbing for his hair. Her green eyes sparkled as she hissed back.

Severus circled around the table coming up behind them. “It’s quite remarkable, isn’t it?”

Harry murmured an agreement.

“She’s quite something.” Severus continued. The older man was standing so close to them, Harry could feel the heat of him against his back.

“Well, she is something…Not a parselmouth though.”

Severus looked up sharply, “I heard her –”

Harry snorted softly, reaching up to detangle Imogene’s drooly fists from his hair. He walked over and rifled through his school bag to find a brightly coloured baby book. He shifted Imogene into one arm and opened the book with his other hand, holding it up to her. “Sheep, Immy, sheep.”

Imogene’s wide eyes took in the colourful picture, “Baaaaa!”

“Good, baby.”

He turned the page to puppy.

“Meeeee-oow.”

“Okay, that one was a little bit off.” Harry snarked before turned and pointing towards the painting and the snake which was now curled up on stone by the stream. “What about a snake, Immy?”

Imogene smiled almost smugly with an ‘easy, I know that, you fool’ look. “Ssssss!”

Harry turned and arched an eyebrow at Severus, idly flipping the picture book without taking his eyes off the older man - turning to a page with a huge black and white cow on it.

Imogene smacked the book with her hands and “Moooo”-ed.

Harry smirked, “Merlin! She can speak bovine-tongue.”

Severus glared, his eyes icing over.

Harry expected it. Severus couldn’t, and wouldn’t, stand to be teased. Harry was well aware that poking at Severus’ mistake was probably risky. But Harry decided, as he chuckled darkly and watched Severus turn on his heel and stalk back across the room, patches on his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, it was worth it.

However, he would now have to think of a way to make amends, before Severus left the dungeon rooms.

“Professor!”

Snape ignored him and kept walking.

“Snape…” Come on Harry, think of a something…

Imogene though of something of him.

She didn’t take kindly to Snape walking off, especially when she was showing off. “P…Pr…Pro…Papa. My papa!”

Severus stopped in his tracks and looked over sharply. Harry did, too.

“My papa.” Imogene squeaked again, seeing it had gained her both men’s undivided attention. “My papa.”

“She’s become rather attached to you.” Harry hedged after a moment of silence.

“Oh, she has, has she?” Severus’ heated stare went right through him.

Harry nodded, wetting his lips.

“No.”

“No what?” Harry asked confused.

“It doesn’t take a skilled Legilimens to tell what you’re thinking. And your teenage libido is not going to get in the way of the extra training lessons I am obliged to give you every Saturday. You are not going to end up dead one day because I neglected to teach you the counter curse to an evisceration spell.”

Harry winced. “Wonderful mental image.”

Severus transfigured the cradle into a play pen and lifted Imogene into it before casting four and half strong shielding charms over it.

Then a knock came at the door. Severus glared at Harry, as if the interruption was his fault, and then pulled open the door. A rather chubby second year Slytherin stood in the doorway looking worried and out of breath. “It’s Katie and Maria Fernanda, Sir…urr… Professor. Sir Professor Snape. They’re fighting in the girls’ dorm and we can’t get them apart. And there’s a fire from a lightening hex…” Severus continued to stare the girl down. “Ah, see Mafer was dating Kevin Kennedy, he’s a sixth year Ravenclaw, and he went out with Katie too, and then Daniel said that Kevin said that Mafer said –”

“Enough. I have no desire to hear the sorted details.” Snape snapped at the girl, and then he barely glanced back at Harry. “Mister Potter, I will return shortly to continue our lessons.”

With that he was gone, portrait door shutting after him.

Harry sighed.

From the play pen Imogene copied him, sighing loudly.

Harry eyed the bed, wondering what Snape would do to him if he were naked in it when the older man returned. Snape had been correct in gauging the line of his thoughts. They hadn’t been on Dark Arts.

“Wan Mama.” I want mama.

Harry adjusted himself in his tight Quidditch britches and grumbled, “You’re not the only one.”

Deciding surprising Snape in the bed would be a dangerous idea; Harry circled the man’s desk, idly looking over the papers. “What to do while I wait…” He let his fingers walk over the papers. One short scroll had been shoved under some wolfbane essays. The title peeked out in Snape’s sharp, cursive writing. Confused, Harry thought it looked like a copy of his 101 reasons never to have a baby list. Upon closer inspection Harry noticed a few glaring differences. The list read 102 reasons to have a baby.

Heart hammering in his chest, Harry pulled the list free of the pile.

102. There are many things you can teach a baby.

101. Financially stable.

100. Baby smiles at you.

99. Something to keep you on your toes now that L.V. is gone.

On and on it went.

72. Changing nappies is not overly difficult.

67. You don’t require a great deal of sleep anyway.

Harry swallowed softly, reading Snape’s forty-fifth reason: 45. You cannot be a worse father than your own was.

39. The kidnapping rate is at an all-time low, good time to have a baby.

24. Act of making babies can be quite…pleasurable.

23. Tiny toes. Harry read that one five times, not believing that Snape would have written it.

17. Baby can be claimed as a dependent on your tax return.

11. Teaching her to read.

10. Teaching her Potions.

3. Saying "Because I said so". And having that be the last word.

2. Do not have to give it back after two weeks. (You grow inexplicably attached to them.)

1a. Raising a little Slytherin.

1b. Not raising a little Gryffindor.

He read the whole thing, 102 to one.

Harry glanced over at Imogene. She was staring through the bars of the play pen at him.

Two weeks. Only one day left. You grow inexplicably attached to them.

“Fuck.”

Imogene looked decidedly solemn as she looked back at him and repeated, “Fuck.”

Next up, bye-bye to Immy (probably).

Not so much bye-bye to Harry, whom Snape has also been growing quite attached to.

What do ya think? What should the last chapter have? More Immy? More smut? More fighting?