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Chapter Text

Severus definitely hadn't been thinking clearly when it all happened.

But what could he say? He couldn't think clearly when his lips were being attacked in such a furious way by James Potter, his sworn enemy. The last person in the world Severus would lift a finger in aid of.

But the way his hands move all over his body in a curious, exploratory way made him tingle and shiver, it felt so strange. Every single sensation was new.

And then there was the bastard with his perfect smile, adjusting the glasses that had slid down his nose making him look fucking sexy. If the Muggle God existed, he was sure he was an unfair fucker for making that despicable being so fucking sexy.

"Enjoying the view, Snivellus?" James asked him jokingly, and Snape just let out a snort, but of course he was obviously enjoying the view.

Perhaps it was the amount of butterbeer in their systems, or perhaps it was simply the fire whiskey that James had drawn, taking advantage of his skills with an 'Accio', that had been the trigger for that arrest to get out of hand. 

Surely Minerva had thought that if she left the two of them alone in a classroom late at night, they could make peace of their mutual hatred, but Snape definitely didn't want to even lift a finger to shake hands with that idiot, or wands, he still doesn't care much for stupid wizarding customs.

James smiled and was the one in charge of carrying the situation, he had started a while ago already, taking off his shirt with an excuse of how hot it was, soon he was on top of Severus, cornering him and kissing him hard.

His tongue flicked expertly, how many times has he been through that already? Severus wondered, but that was not his concern, instead, he was just trying to keep up with a lot of effort.

It wasn't his first time kissing, the first time was in a game with one of his Slytherin friends, two years older than him, Lucius Malfoy, but nothing else had happened beyond that. And not in the following times either, because even if he is a bit withdrawn, he is not indifferent to everything that usually happens at the heights of the astronomy tower.

He wrapped his arms around James' neck, because if you can't stand up to your enemy, at times it's better to join in, he could hear Bellatrix's laughter in the back of his mind, in that unhinged way and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut to forget about it.

A snap, then he realized that they had separated from the kiss and were both struggling for breath, that James's eyes were glittering and roaming over him as if he were a prey of meat, and James a cunning hunter who had caught him.

And in a strange way it was.

Nor did he know how, but from one moment to the next all the alcohol in his veins had disappeared and he was more conscious of moaning with each thrust of the Potter, in the intimate position that was the two of them facing each other, their chests colliding and Severus clinging tightly to the Potter heir's back.

"You're a slut for this, Snivellus - aren't you ashamed of yourself?" James whispered in Severus's ear, gently biting his earlobe.

Even if he knew the other boy could barely respond, too lost to only manage to babble words with no apparent meaning. James was rough and gruff, he fucked him like a doll and touched him however he wanted.

Severus' pale skin was adorned with red marks from James' hands, his fingers on his hips, his arms that had wrapped tightly around his waist and hickeys all over his body.

"I want you to say it, say you're mine, come on, Snivellus" Severus only nodded slightly, trying to make Potter understand, but the other boy didn't get the message, or didn't want to get it. "Come on, say it, I want to hear you."

The lunges slowed, changed to hard, forceful thrusts that attacked his prostate with abandon and made him feel heaven, so vulnerable in the arms of this pure-blooded idiot.

His eyes threatened to well up with tears, but they were entirely from the pleasure Potter was giving him, damn, even for this sort of thing he was amazing.

"Oh by merlin, Yes! I am, Potter I-" Severus tried to answer him, but James suddenly silenced him with a kiss.

It was like a battle between their mouths, could feel the cigarette taste in the Gryffindor's mouth, also the alcohol, but also feel how he wanted it so badly, how James sucked his tongue relentlessly and wouldn't let him make a move because was already taking over his mouth again, as if he wanted to tell him silently that his mouth was his too.

Severus arched his back and felt it deeper, he gasped lost in the sensations, James lifted him from the chair where they were both sitting and slammed him against the wall with feigned gentleness.

"Your legs on my shoulders, Snivellus" He demanded, and the other promptly heeded him.

How could he refuse in this situation?

"Fucking perfect..." James sighed and began to lunge hard, quickly returning to back and forth that was driving them both crazy. "Say my name, come on, the name of the one fucking you, taking your virginity."

Severus quickly denied, he understood every word and he couldn't, where would be the little pride he still had? He couldn't indulge Potter. But then the boy bit his shoulder, and hit that perfect angle, as if he knew his body perfectly and it wasn't the first time.

"Say my name, you know you want to."

May Salazar forgive him.

"Shit! James! No... Don't stop, oh for Salazar's sake" Severus let himself go, how little willpower he had.

And he felt his bottom tingle, knew he was close to cumming already, and he squeezed James tightly against his body, not caring about the superhuman effort he was making, he just wanted to hold him close.

It was then that his orgasm hit him hard, he heard a "James" in the distance but he thought it was his own voice, he couldn't even recognize himself anymore. A few thrusts later James also cum inside Severus.

They both stood there, analyzing the situation, what they had just done, and it seemed that all the lights of knowledge had been returned to James, because he looked fearfully at Severus, quickly retreated inside, arranged his clothes spellbound so that there was not a speck of dirt from what had happened, and then ran for the door.

Leaving him stranded and feeling like what he was: a fool.

A fool who had slept with the Gryffindor idiot.

Chapter Text

It was common knowledge, that a day at Hogwarts could not be normal if the marauders crossed those complicit glances, and that it was better for both the 4 houses of the school, and the students' own emotional stability to remain cautious. But let's talk about something more focused, it all started that Monday morning.

James Potter was weird, really weird. Actually, he had been weird for a few months now, like, for example, he was focusing more on classes. He's always been a good student, as far as grades go, but his behavior and that of his best friend really wreak havoc, to the point where his own head of house feels herself getting a little older with every second they both spend at Hogwarts.

Gryffindors by nature are curious, flamboyant and brave, or that's the image everyone has of the four boys walking down the corridors like a catwalk. But there are always disgruntled looks, and the most recognizable was that of a black-haired boy, who with his mop of hair covered much of his face and usually had a grimace on his face.

Severus Snape.

Perhaps if this was something that hadn't been happening for the past few months, everyone present would be shocked to see the group of friends walk past the Slytherin without giving him a second glance, but did they really not give him a second glance? Perhaps it was best for the others to think so.

Everything was getting better to the young Slytherin's relief, but despite all that, he should never trust, trusting a Gryffindor could easily be his straight pass to the grave, because he is a snake, and lions hate snakes, although he doesn't really know how true that fact is, but he has no Muggle biology teachers who can answer his doubt.

Barty and Regulus approached almost running when they saw him walking straight for the library, both of them getting in his way.

"Severus, I mean what I say!" Regulus scolded him, too frustrated.

"I know what I have, I don't need to go see any wizards, or Madam Pomfrey, I'm fine" he rolled his eyes, clutching his worn black suitcase tighter, right against his belly.

And the action did not go unnoticed by Barty.

Barty may be a disastrous boy, he may even be a disappointment to his father, and he may not want to excel much in classes, unlike Severus with Potions and Regulus with DCAO, but he is really smart.

And it all happened in a quick second, he got the answer to the unknown that had been haunting him for months together with his friend about Severus' condition, he understood it and his eyes opened like never before, because come on, surprising the son of the director of the Department of Magical Security was really difficult, he had seen too many things.

"Oh for Salazar's sake!" Barty exclaimed in surprise, he brought his hands to his mouth almost aghast. "I think... Blessed Salazar, Severus! Congratulations, I think?"

And the red-haired man almost fainted, Regulus just looked from side to side, his gaze wandering between Barty and Severus for them to explain what they had to celebrate, he wasn't really liking not being included in the gossip.

"There's nothing to celebrate, dammit!" complained Severus.

"Well, sorry! It's the first time it's happened to me, I mean, not to me, it's the first time I've had a friend in this condition, by Merlin's beard, Severus, why didn't you ever tell us?"

"It's none of either of your business," Severus turned around, starting to walk back to the library, but an arm stopped him.

Regulus' pale skin was there, gripping his arm above the black robe tightly.

"You're not leaving, Sev. We need to talk, I don't know what Barty found out, but it doesn't sound good to me."

"He's incredibly good, quote unquote," Barty explained with a smirk.

Severus quickly glared at him, but Barty held it, he wasn't afraid of his friend, they were long past this stage.

The three Slytherins walked quickly to the dungeon, their common room was empty, most likely because it was still early enough for students to be around.

The warm green lights greeted them quickly, Regulus made a space for himself on the couch and then Barty seconded him, Severus looked at his hands as he paced nervously in front of the fireplace, he didn't know how he should explain to them.

"What are you two keeping?" Regulus asked, already tired of the wait.

"If you won't say it, I will, buddy," Barty told him, pretending to be disinterested in the situation.

"How I loathe you, Bartemius," sighed Severus, then sat down right on the sofa opposite.

The boy pulled his hair, a little frustrated, because he supposed that if those two weren't so nosy, he would take the secret to the grave. Or not so much, but he had definitely decided to end that year without having to involve anyone other than Lucius and Narcissa, who had been in the loop for a while now.

"Sev... please," Regulus asked this time more meekly. He tried to give Severus a smile, even.

"I'm pregnant," he pointed out. Straight to the point. "I don't know how it happened, actually, I've never read that a man could..."

"Not everyone can" Barty hushed him, watching as Regulus stood silently, processing the information. "Only wizards can do it, if I remember correctly, it's a product of a genetic alteration caused by magic."

"Who's the father?" Regulus asked softly.

And Severus tensed.

That was what I was afraid of. What would he tell them? That he had a night of passion with a some Gryffindor idiot? That it was James Potter, specifically.

No, he could not tell them that, he would surely be crucified alive by his friends.

"I don't remember."

"You're a terrible liar," Evan Rosier appeared, grinning broadly.

Of course, the idiot squad wasn't complete without him.

"Don't look at me like that, we both know who the father is, but don't worry, I won't force you to say anything" the blond continued to tease, sitting down right next to Severus and bringing his arm around his shoulders in a friendly hug. "Actually, he's too much of an idiot boy, it's better for Severus not to remember him."

"And how do you know who that is?" Regulus looked at him suspiciously.

"Oh," Evan actually didn't seem surprised, indeed, he was expecting that question. "You could say I gave Severus a hand when it happened."

"If I'd known you'd be this annoying, I'd have thrown an Obliviate at you."

"This is no time to argue," Regulus hushed them, he rose from his seat and knelt down so that he was at a considerable height with the seated Severus. "Sev, if you need help with anything, you know I'm here for you okay? But I don't think you can hide this child in your belly."

"Sure I can."

"No, you don't," Evan shot back, earning a zap.

"Look, Sev, Evan's right. I think if you've kept him this long, because I think you started acting strange in November, it's because you want to have him, or am I wrong?" Severus shook his head softly, and Regulus allowed himself to continue. "Then, in order for you to arrive safely at the end of the school year, I insist that you go for a check-up with Madam Pomfrey, we'll ask her to keep it a secret, no one must know besides us."

"Not even the father" Barty added. Regulus gave him a dirty look. "What? That irresponsible git doesn't need to know."

"Vocabulary, Bartemius," Regulus scolded him.

As the evening grew later, there were four young Slytherin boys skipping dinner to visit Madam Pomfrey urgently, after the three boys had convinced Snape to go to the infirmary, but halfway there complications began.

That day was destined to end badly.

The spectacle began in the Great Dining Room, as different hands came out from somewhere and traveled around the room starting to play with the food, food went from one table to the other, and quickly reached the boys, groups of people covered in food, some of them mixed with disgusting looking mixtures.

Evan pressed Severus against himself, knowing that the smell of the food could probably make him sensitive and suddenly vomit.

"Severus, calm down, here," the boy handed him a handkerchief and motioned to place it on his nose.

Regulus and Barty took it upon themselves to cast neutralizing spells, which the only one who knew them before was Regulus, taught by Narcissa when she told him she was pregnant. Meanwhile they kept running to avoid the oncoming stampede, cursing the marauders in their minds.

A serious James Potter watched them from behind, invisibility cloak on him, something in his chest felt upset when he saw Severus so close to Evan, or how the blond took him by the hand. Maybe that bad taste in his mouth would never go away.

His best friend rushed to observe the scene and guffawed.

"Oops, Prongs, looks like you've already been beaten to Snivellus."

"Shut up, Severus is not a prize."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Smitten" Sirius continued to sneer, but they both quickly ran off when they heard Minerva's voice behind them.

. . .

Slughorn is surely the most unhinged professor at Hogwarts, because he believes in that nonsense that the houses should be united with each other, and he also longs to dispel that senseless hatred that those two specific Hogwarts houses have.

And then he was changing his Seventh graders, claiming that since it was their last year, it was their last chance to socialize.

Severus saw that smile, the way he pronounced his name and then that man's. "Severus Snape with James Potter."

His whole world came crashing down, and in the distance he saw Evan, who was holding up his thumb trying to give him strength, then the sight turned into an attempt at mimicry, with an Evan waving his wand pretending to conjure something, then running it across his neck as if it were something sharp that could take his life. That did make him laugh, and then he came to the stall with a grin for that idiot Rosier.

"Snape..." greeted James, but only earned a scathing look.

That probably, if Severus were unstable at magic without a wand, he'd be dead by now from an unforgivable curse. But, of course, Severus is the best at what he does.

The mere thought brought a smile to his face, but he quickly wiped it away.

That was his opportunity, to talk about what happened a few months ago and...

"I don't want to wear my voice out on you, Potter. I'm going to pretend you don't exist, so you don't need to pretend to be polite, besides, no sabotaging my potions, I suppose, because if I fail, you fail too" Severus cut off any train of thought in James.

"Snape, I think we have to..."

"Don't talk to me."

Severus paid full attention to what the professor in front of him was talking about, writing things down in his potions book, then testing the materials to see what would be a correct amount, taking measurements, and James just watched with his mouth half-open.

Had he always been so smart?

"Actually, I think we should add..." tried to speak James.

"I'm not interested, Potter."

Lily was less dry, James thinks.

With a grimace, he finally heeds him, he has a faint intuition that if he continues to insist today, Severus will only hate him more. In the distance, he sees Sirius flirting shamelessly with the Ravenclaw at his table, and then they cross glances.

It's so strange how Sirius makes strange gestures with his head, how he lifts his chin and then wrinkles his nose, and James knows perfectly well what he's asking him how it's going.

James merely let Sirius read his lips. "Worse than ever."

Sirius smiles and leans over, pulling something out of his pocket, are those galleons? 5 galleons? IS HE GIVING THEM TO REMUS?

"Wow, I feel betrayed," he mutters, more to himself.

Chapter Text

Severus shifts uncomfortably in his seat, it's really strange, how Potter's gaze stares at him, almost without missing a single movement despite the distance between the house tables. Every now and then he also finds himself throwing him a look full of confusion, which increases even more when he sees that James doesn't even deign to look away and smirks.

How dare he smile?

"Stop throwing peek-a-boo's with Potter, partner," Evan whispers to him, in a playful tone of voice.

"I'm not throwing peek-a-boo with Potter, Rosier."

"Yeah, of course you're not" he replies incredulously, he glances at Potter again and sees how he's looked away and is now talking something to Remus next to him. "I don't know what you saw in that idiot."

"Don't start" Severus cuts him off, knowing that if they keep whispering to each other, looking at the Gryffindor table, the others will become suspicious.

"I'm not starting, then" Evan held up his hands in defeat, he had just finished his oatmeal. "Speaking of which, aren't you hungry?"

"I'm literally eating."

"Not that hunger! I mean, my mother told me she had a lot of cravings while pregnant, and it said so in the article in The Prophet that Barty stole."

That seemed to get the attention of Regulus, who was sitting right in front of them, but had been ignoring them because he was reading a Dark Arts book for his class.

"Mm, I don't think so, not at this time."

"A hippogriff told me they happen in the first semester usually" Regulus chipped in. "If they happen, don't hold back, you know we have money."

"Speak for yourselves, I'm not touching a peso from that old man" Barty complained next to Regulus, almost exaggerating and leaning his body on his friend's shoulder. "I'll offer my body first rather than ask father for more money."

"Did they fight again?" Severus questioned, setting aside his hot chocolate.

"Same old thing, he sent me a howler, but I burned it in the fire in the fireplace" Barty shrugged, pulling a bit of bread from between his teeth.

"Isn't it dangerous to do that?"

"No, it's just that the letter is starting to ring on its own, but it's nothing a silencing spell can't ignore."

"I'm sure it can't, what kind of spell are you using?" Severus looked at him blankly.

"A bit of everything, always be cautious, Sev. Didn't you use a silencing spell on your sweetheart?" He winked teasingly at him, then saw the blush on Severus' cheeks. "Don't tell me that...!"

"I don't know if he did!"

"No, he didn't," Evan said, adding to Severus' embarrassment.

The pale boy just stood up, no longer able to bear the embarrassment it brought him to imagine that what happened that day was overheard by Evan. He certainly didn't pick up anything, because it's a Saturday and there were no classes, so he just walked to the exit quickly, and Regulus ran off after him after having scolded his two friends for being reckless.

James watched the entire journey, scowling. While he knows that he alone has earned the contempt of the black-eyed Slytherin as black as night, he still can't help but get irritated when he sees his best friend's brother around.

He's even thought about it at times. Does Regulus like Severus? That leaves a bad taste in his mouth, and he didn't know it before, but now he knows it all too well.

His journey in discovering his feelings was really extensive, it all started in Sixth year, at Christmas, when his parents sent him an owl telling him and Sirius that they had decided to go on a trip that vacation and asked them to stay at Hogwarts.

They didn't take it badly, not at all, actually, they were very happy because Remus was also spending Christmas at Hogwarts so he wouldn't be a burden to his parents because of his little hairy problem, and Peter actually just said "Are you guys staying? Great" and stayed too, so the Gryffindor quartet was very happy to spend Christmas together.

They asked Euphemia for her recipe for that sweet and sour turkey he makes every year and her cookies with decorations based on important wizards, bought all the necessary materials in Hogsmeade and decided to wish for a kitchen in room of requirement.

Sirius was in charge of moving all the food, of the four of them he was the one who was best at levitation spells, so he took it upon himself to levitate everything into the room, so he wouldn't have to carry anything.

Remus asked for the room of requirement, he imagined his home kitchen and a bit of other stuff, but there was everything he needed to cook without house elves around.

Peter made sure that no one saw them move, in his animagus form he was in charge of scaring one or another person, and that cost him that Mrs. Norris ran around him for a while, until James took it in his hands and put it in his pocket.

James? James was in charge of asking his mother for the prescriptions, when he finally received them that night of the 24th, the myopic boy started to run with his friend in his pocket to the room of requirement, and noticed something important.

There was Severus, walking crestfallen as always, his black hair covering his whole face, but he could recognize him, James had always been able to swear that Severus' black hair was special, if he hadn't heard from his mother that Severus' mother, Eileen Prince was a pureblood, he would still have sworn that this boy was more pureblood than even himself.

But that wasn't all, what mattered to him was that as he ran with the invisibility cloak over him, through a gap he could see Severus sighing. Why was he sighing?

For a moment he thought, maybe Lily?

And he shook his head quickly They're not even friends anymore!

He wanted to smile, but found himself worrying about what had Severus distressed, anyway, he couldn't keep wasting time, even Peter bit his arm for taking so long, he quickly ran back to the living room.

Everything would have been fine if he hadn't kept thinking about Severus, all night.

The smell of the food was exquisite, and James was sitting on a pouffe on the floor, under the light of the false moon created by the room and the light of a Bulb? According to Remus.

"Hey, Prongs. what's got you so pensive?" Asked his best friend, Sirius sat on a pouffe next to him, a butterbeer in his hand.

"It's nothing, Pads, don't worry" he gave him his best smile, but his friend was still looking at him with those questioning eyes, which said a 'I know you're lying, talk now'.

"When we were on our way in he kept looking at something, I don't know what, but he took a long time looking at that, and then it got all weird" Peter shrugged, entering the room simulation as well, looking at Remus in the open space on one of the walls.

"Traitor!" James accused him, pointing his finger at him.

"That's not very pureblood of you" argued Sirius, amused at the whole situation.

"Don't fuck with that, Pads!" James scolded him, and Sirius burst out laughing uncontrollably. "What are you laughing at!"

"You're digressing, brother!" Sirius told him in amusement, and leaned further back on the puff to stare at him. "What happened, is it someone you like?"

"W-what?" his cheeks took on a deep red color, James blinked in bewilderment. "No!"

"Gotcha!" Sirius jumped up, grinning, and ran to Remus' side. "Moony, Prongs likes someone!"

"I think I heard that," laughs Remus softly. "Did you happen to run into Lily, Jamie?"

"Wasn't Lily with Mary and Marlene?" Peter asked, frowning trying to remember. "Yes, I swear I heard them saying they'd be together this vacation."

"We must toast!" Sirius raised his nearly finished butterbeer, and extended it towards Peter's soda, Remus watched him oddly for a while, but followed suit with another butterbeer. "I'm toasting because toasting is accurate! Not for how much she loved you, but for how foolish she made you!"

"Oh, fuck off" James rolled his eyes, as Remus' soft laughter could be heard in the background.

"Here's to my brother, and the girl who didn't want him!" The group of friends burst into uncontrolled laughter, while Sirius felt like the epitome of intelligence. "Finally, James Fleamont Potter is done with Lily Evans, it's official!"

"Marlene is going to die when I tell her" Remus commented smiling, taking a long drink of his beer.

"Sometimes I wonder why you're my friends" James complained, but he actually had a sideways grin.

What would they say if James told them he liked Severus Snape?

Wait, stop. That was the thought that ruined everything.

All his defenses were brutally beaten down by a simple name, and now all his problems had a first and last name, even physical, all his problems were Severus Snape.

Remus continued to cook in an entertaining chat with Sirius and Peter, while James returned to the puff on the floor and reflected, thinking about how he'd probably been an idiot for a long 5 years, and only now realized that. He dryly swallowed saliva, and promised himself to change for the better.

Of course it is!

The only problem would be convincing Sirius to change for the better, but he knew his non-biological brother, he knew Sirius would just make a fuss maybe fainting and take him to Madam Pomfrey, but then he would accept it.

And now, when he had the chance to get close to Severus thanks to Sirius' horrible idea to take them both to detention, he completely blew it. I mean, he's not a hormonal teenager, he thinks, but what's with having sex on the first date? It doesn't even count as the first date!

He doesn't even know what was in all that alcohol he spelled, but it had only become a bigger problem, because even though they no longer bothered Severus, he had started avoiding it like the plague since that day.

While James was thinking about how to apologize and explain everything, Severus just ran away from him every time!

He ignored every provocation from Sirius, didn't even turn his eyes to them, and so not even a new detention could get them in the same space to socialize.

"How do I get close?" sighed James, under the intense gaze of a curious Marlene.

"What brings you so thoughtful, Jamie?" the girl questioned, leaning a little beside him in her seat, as if she might know just what was going around in his head.

"Love trouble, dwarf. Don't bother him," Sirius scoffed, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders.

"I have no idea who brings you ill will now, but, you put Lily through years of trying, what's to stop you from trying to win this new person's heart?" The blonde tilted her head slightly.

"It avoids me like I have Dragon Pox" sighed James.

"That's never been a deterrent to you! You're literally the Annual Award, and you spent every year being a pain in the ass, James!"

And Marlene made it all look so easy.

"She's right mate" Sirius told him, sipping his tea. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen you think anything is impossible for you, is there really anything impossible for James Potter?"

James shot an irritated look at his friend, and Padfoot just laughed loudly, turning his gaze back to Remus who was getting up from his spot.

"Think about it, you're a self-centered ass, I don't think there's anything impossible for you."

Chapter Text

Evan Rosier is too much of a gossip for his own good, though it's not because he wants to be. He's simply always around at exactly the right time to satisfy his gossip desires.

To others, excluding his friends, he just seems like a quiet person, not very offensive despite his last name and the power of his family could make you shake your legs if you disrespected them, considering this, everyone thinks he would actually keep quiet.

It has happened not just once but several times, where he is simply taking a nap in some empty classroom at Hogwarts and suddenly he hears two girls walk in, but one of them says "don't worry, it's Rosier and he's asleep" and they let their guard down.

In a way, they are absolutely right, Evan is not interested in other people's problems, except if he can use them to benefit himself, clearly using them against others or simply to threaten them is usually a totally safe practice.

Only, in this case, he doesn't really want to use that secret to his advantage.

It's not like he has ears long enough to hear at more than four meters or he's a werewolf, he's just a curious man.

But Potter can very well go fuck himself.

Evan settles a little better between the trunk of the tree he's in, because yes, he's up in a tree taking a nap. And he was awakened by the group of the four idiots, which made him roll his eyes, ready to cast a hex on them.

But, then...

"This is so complicated, he won't even speak to me for a second, how am I supposed to earn points with Severus before the year is over?" Potter was frustrated.

Evan didn't miss a word despite all the tiredness he was feeling.

Earn points?

"I don't know why you keep trying, I think Sirius' brother has a better chance of graduating being Severus' mate than you do" Remus shrugged, looking incredulously at his friend.

And yes, he's absolutely right, Evan thought.

Even when they were in fourth year he himself believed that Regulus liked Severus, fortunately for the whole group of friends, his assumption was incorrect.

How would he get down from here, though?

. . .

"Nothing Evan shows up?" Regulus asked, walking into the hall where Severus was standing.

"This is the last time I intend to teach him anything about potions" sighed the half-breed, leaning back on the table, tired enough.

"I don't even know why you're still struggling, he probably fell asleep over there, as usual" The pureblood chuckled a little, and grabbed the potions book Severus had prepared for the lesson. "I'm really interested to know if in your condition you are fit to even do potions, what did Madam Pomfrey say about this?"

"What do you think, Black?" Severus sounded sarcastic, and he was sure that if his eyes weren't closed he would have rolled them.

"That no, and I think I'm right" Severus didn't answer. "We should talk this over with Slughorn, if you're embarrassed to tell him the baby doesn't have a father, we can tell him it's me and that it was a slip of the tongue, you know Hogwarts gives different rooms for pregnant people in the castle..."

"No need, I can handle it."

"You can't handle it!" Regulus was very temperamental, but he quickly shut his mouth, scolding himself for his lack of temper. "Look, Sev. I don't trust your mates at all."

"Evan is my mate too."

"But there's also Mulciber and the other one."

"And Avery, you can say his name, you're not going to be cursed for doing so" he joked a little at the thought of his tiredness. "They were friends of mine and Evan's before you and Barty came along too, Reg."

He heard a growl, almost resembling a purr, and Severus just smiled a little, thinking that Regulus would look perfect if his patronus was a cat, preferably a black one, as well as his last name and the color of his hair.

"You're deflecting the issue, the important thing here is that you do things you shouldn't do while pregnant, and besides that, the dorm can be very dangerous. How about the Gryffindor idiots feel like playing a prank like that one time with the itching powder?"

"It wouldn't be that serious."

"For the baby yes! Come on, Sev. Let's talk to Slughorn at least..."

Regulus couldn't finish speaking, for the door to the classroom burst open, revealing two boys laughing uproariously and high-fiving each other in a sign of their recent success.

"So you deign to appear, Evan," Severus spoke, too lazily. He had opened his eyes in fright, but had not moved from his position wearily.

"I fell asleep up a tree."

"God Lord, I could have bet on that..." Regulus muttered listlessly.

"How rude of you, buddy," Evan snorted, but then turned to Barty. "He saved me."

"You owe me your life for that."

"What stupid thing did they do now?" Severus even yawned, the pregnancy making him feel more exhausted than usual.

"A little Aguamenti and I got the nasty lions off his back."

Regulus massaged his temples, seriously, sometimes he didn't understand why he was friends with Barty and Evan, with Severus yes, but definitely not with them. When he met Severus in first year, he knew that unfortunately Evan and he were a combo of two, much to his misfortune.

Honestly, he doesn't understand why.

"For the love of Salazar, are you out of your minds are you?!" Regulus burst out, impatient. "No, don't answer, I don't care about the answer" he corrected himself when he saw Evan open his mouth. "Severus is pregnant, in the first few months of pregnancy which makes it more likely that he'll lose it AND you guys get the idea of bothering the Gryffindors!!!!? Tell me they're not who I think they are!"

"It's obvious they're your brother's little friends" Severus continued to yawn, downplaying it, at least Regulus' anger wasn't getting to him anymore.

"It could have been worse! I accidentally fell asleep and when I woke up they were talking right under the tree, I needed to escape, besides, Sevy was going to teach me something~"

"Call me that again and I'll make you drink a torturous death potion."

"I love it when you get tough, baby."

Evan winked flirtatiously.

Regulus became desperate and continued to scold them.

And Barty took it upon himself to get something out of his suitcase, so he wasn't paying attention to the nagging at all.

Severus didn't pay much attention to him, usually his friend was in his own world, but then, something nice smelling rolled up in napkins was handed to him from Barty. Regulus fell silent.

"When I got to the Great Dining Hall for dinner none of them were there, but Dorcas told me that Evan and Regulus had already eaten, except for you, and I got scared because you must eat for two, so I saved you some food" Barty scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed enough because all the attention was directed at him, and turned his head to the side, too proudly.

Severus surprised but with an all-too-subtle smile accepted the stack of napkins.

"Watch and learn, Reg."

"Oh, please!" Regulus complained. Seriously his friends would end up giving him gray hair too young.

"Come here and stop arguing, boy" Evan hugged Regulus by the shoulders. "I heard them talking about something before we arrived, and the one being scolded was Severus."

"I insist he tell Slughorn he's pregnant, it's not potions conditions and even Madam Pomfrey told Severus, but he's stubborn as a mule and..."

"That's too humiliating a comparison" laughed Barty.

"That's not the point! What I'm getting at is, Sev should take certain care, and I don't have a good feeling about Avery and Mulciber, and now you guys provoked the Gryffindors, anything can happen in that dorm!"

"But the two of them were our friends before" Evan raised an eyebrow.

"I told him the same thing, it didn't work," Severus clarified to him, Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Even heir Black knows how to be impolite, that's surprising" Barty joked.

"I can't stand them" Regulus pulled hard away from Evan.

"Actually, I think that makes a lot of sense," supported Barty afterwards. "However, what will we do if Slughorn asks about the other parent?"

"I volunteered."

"Your mother is capable that if she finds out, she's coming to Hogwarts to force Severus not to have the baby, I don't think you're the best choice, no offense" Barty continued speaking. "And I'm not much of a choice either, my father certainly won't stand idly by, even if my mother would jump up and down with happiness."

"I'm a good choice," Evan responded. "I've been friends with Sev since freshman year, we share a dorm, it's more believable that something happened. Besides, my parents certainly don't care enough about me for them to hit the roof like Walburga or Bartemius."

Despite that, Evan was already creating a plan in his head.

He heard enough to convince himself that James Potter is a hopeless idiot, but he seems in love with Severus, so it will be his duty to put it to the test, to stretch his limits of patience over and over again to find out how far he can go for Severus, and thus find out if he deserves Sev.

Because so far, he doesn't deserve it.

"I refuse to let them think I had... that with you."

"Not a bad plan" Regulus mutters, Barty nods his head.

And everyone knows that if Barty thinks it's a good plan, there's no going back - he's the smartest of the bunch, even though it's impossible to believe.

So, in less than a week, Slughorn, Dumbledore, Minerva, Sprout and even Flitwick knew about Severus' news, and the now father of his son, Evan, all the teachers who mattered because they could keep him out of harm's way by being leaders of the various Hogwarts houses and the headmaster.

However, the whole matter was dealt with as subtly as possible, at the request of the two boys, and the teachers listened to them.

And James Potter saw the opportunity of a lifetime vanish when Severus stopped participating in potions classes. Everything he had been planning went straight down the tubes like a bad, nasty potion.

To Regulus' happiness, Minerva had actively intervened to prevent Severus from dealing with things that could get out of control, and considering, it's a school of magic, it was really hard for everything to be resolved in an effective way.

There were protests, from Severus, also from the professor who planned to start training him to take the position of potions master in the future, but Dumbledore gave the last word.

"Young Severus needs to be kept out of danger."

Although it had not been in the plans of the young men for the matter to go that far, because they are not going to fool themselves, all Hogwarts students and even former students know of Dumbledore's favoritism for those of his house, and how little he does when there are problems for students of other houses.

It was something Lucius always stressed when he was studying at Hogwarts and helped Evan and Severus with whatever they needed, Dumbledore only cared about Gryffindors. But it was a relief for Regulus to see that he has a heart when it comes to a baby on board.

Chapter Text

"You've got too much time on your hands now, makes me want to get pregnant too" Barty joked, sitting down next to his friend at breakfast. "What are you doing up at this hour anyway?"

"I'm not excluded from all classes, I have Transformations first thing," Severus shrugged, and sipped his cherry syrup and soda.

His head was spinning, his throat was spinning, the fluids in his stomach seemed to return and there was a sick feeling in his throat.

The first to notice was Barty, who slowly ate a treacle tart every morning without fear of sugar sickness. He analysed Severus' expressions and leaned in close to his friend, placing his hand on the other's back.

"Are you all right, Sev? Is something wrong?"

The retching started, even though Severus tried to hide it. And then he remembered he was in that vomiting stage. "Hey, mate, come on, get up."

Evan was too asleep to notice anything, and Regulus hadn't arrived with them yet because he was talking to Pandora at the Ravenclaw table. So, he had to do this alone.

Severus' legs didn't seem to be responding very well, but he tried to hide it so that the others wouldn't notice the predicament the two Slytherins were in, James' myopic gaze staring at them in the distance.

And he wondered what was going on with Severus?

James nudged Sirius, then pointed to the two figures of Severus and Barty walking out of the Great Hall, shortly after which Regulus had also gotten up and carried an almost sleeping Evan.

"Well, it's the job of the best duo to find out what's going on over there," Sirius spoke, adjusting the collar of his robe with a grin.

"No, none of that. We have Herbology," Lupin scolded them, but his friends were already getting up.

"Make a good excuse for us, Moony!" shouted James, and earned an angry look from Mcgonagall as she saw him shouting in the Great Hall.

Before he could scold him, the two Gryffindors were already running off and pulling their invisibility cloaks over themselves to get after the quartet of friends.

The toilets were too far away, and Severus was doing his best not to expel everything he had eaten, Barty was in charge of pronouncing a number of spells he found in a book focused on these situations, all so that an accident wouldn't happen that could embarrass his friend.

It would all be so much more useful if he could just turn up at the toilets, damn it.

In the blink of an eye, with now the help of his friends, they made it to the bathroom, Evan was in charge as the adoptive father of taking care of Severus' hair and rubbing his back while he threw up his breakfast.

"I told them this might happen soon! They never listen to me!" Barty was angry, but his anger was definitely directed at his other two friends, not at the helpless Severus who nearly dropped dead.

"Mate, you look like you've been crucified repeatedly," Evan grimaced, now carrying Severus to the sinks in his arms. "Have some water, alright? Wash your mouth out like this, then Reg will cast a cleansing spell on you."

It was uncomfortable to watch, James Potter felt that at any moment he would throw the cloak aside and cast a hex on Evan Rosier himself, but he had to be coherent, he's the guy who is helping Severus.

But it is too close.

"I told you you shouldn't eat that!" Barty was still insisting, now attacking the half-breed.

"I have to treat myself once in a while!"

"You'll end up giving back everything you eat and they won't eat properly!"

After grimacing, the short-sighted man felt a nudge. Sirius was nonetheless reproaching him in the darkness of the cloak, and then pulled them both out of the bathroom so that they could talk quietly. Anything they said in their former position would be overheard by the others present.

"We had to keep listening, Padfoot!" scolded James.

"Just Sni... Snape! He had an upset, don't worry, Prongs!" his friend was grinning big, still trying to correct himself from calling his best friend's crush the offensive name he used to. "Just like Peter, Remus and I would if you needed to vomit and not make a fool of yourself in front of the entire Great Hall."

They were both walking to their next class, but James's head was buzzing with ideas. Something about the atmosphere wasn't just one of unease, Barty scolding his friends, saying that "he'd said it was going to happen soon.

Maybe those cheeky snakes tried to harm Severus?

He clenched his fist tightly.

"Prongs, calm down, you look like you're going to kill someone" Sirius rolled his eyes.

He remembered the way Rosier gently carried Severus' body, and he didn't know whether he was red with rage or disgust.

Severus's friendships are so strange, if it's not Regulus in love with him, it's Evan... he can't even trust Barty in this economy.

"What if Sev is sick?" asked James out of nowhere on his way to class, Sirius looked at him blankly. "According to Crouch, he can't just eat anything."

"Sirius shrugged, James didn't debate it. It made all the sense in the world in his head.

The two of them finally entered the classroom, knowing beforehand that they had several pranks scheduled for the day, officially back in the ring as Hogwarts' most important people.

. . .

If you have to be honest, maybe the prank against the Ravenclaws was a bit much, but in their defence it was so much fun! Setting off fireworks just when everyone was studying and distracting them, as well as throwing spiked powders.

But one thing that would have changed would definitely have been being run around by Filch. How could he even be that fast? It would have to be impossible!

But as Remus said, magic should be 'scientifically' (or something like that) impossible, anything is possible.

But he hated that statement. And even if he had a good physique for being a quidditch player, this was really another level, Hogwarts is too big.

"James Fleamont Potter! Stop this instant!"

"Oh come on, Professor, Sirius was the one with the idea, I swear!" he guffawed, and kept running. Sadly, he couldn't listen to the teacher. And he ended up outside after crossing into a secret passage of the castle.

It connected directly with the Black Lake, now he could not be found very easily, or so he hoped at least. James walked slowly through the grass until he reached his target, for he may be near-sighted but the glasses allowed him an improved view, and he could make out the owner of his sighs from afar.

Ugh, that sounded so cheesy.

But Severus looked so calm, it was surprising.

His heart began to pound wildly just as he approached, and Severus' hair moved slowly. He was so focused, James knew that if he got close the most likely thing he could cause would be to have a frightened Severus.

What would Remus say at this point?

Bullshit, he doesn't care, Remus doesn't know about love.

No risk, no gain.

"Hey, Snape!" James greeted, grinning, his hands behind his back.

And his heart felt a pang when the boy looked back at him and seemed frightened, quickly clutching his book to his chest, not caring at all that he had lost the page he was on.

"Are you all right?" Severus rushed out.

"No, wait! Don't run!" he calls, and then Filch notices, it's time to start running again.

Just wait, Sev!

I will manage to strike up a conversation with you.

Nothing could discourage James Potter at this rate, he really would find out what his crush was up to and steal his heart, killing two hippogriffs with the same avada.

Chapter Text

The uncertainty of what was happening to Severus wouldn't leave his mind. Everything revolved around the problem, as if he could do something to make it better. But despite it all, Severus remained the same as always, with his cold temper and defiant attitude.

His friends entered the common room. Remus tried to reassure him, suggesting that it might just be a cold, while Peter suggested they could give him a book to make him feel better.

"He wouldn't even accept anything from me," James sighed.

"That makes sense," Remus mentioned, earning a glare from his friend.

"Moony, you're not helping."

"I didn't plan to," he shrugged.

Sirius sat beside him on the common room couch, chewing on a cherry-flavored sweet, feeling lucky to have gotten a normal flavor in a magical sweet. Lucky, until he decided to speak up.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Brood, I suppose."

"Remind me never to ask you for love advice."

"How rude of you, Moony!" James complained, almost pouting.

His friend just laughed, completely unrepentant, even if it meant enduring a few punches from James. Sirius shifted away slowly after being hit by one of James's punches.

"If you're going to complain that much, then do something, Prongs. It's getting pretty pathetic that you're into Sn- Ouch! Okay, okay, I'll stop," Sirius whined, his hands covering his head. "Don't hit the merchandise!"

"What merchandise, you idiot!" James quickly cast a spell to move Sirius's hands away from his face, but he was even more annoyed by the seductive smirk that greeted him.

"My face, dear friend. Half of Hogwarts is dying for it—Ow! That's enough!" Sirius whimpered as he was hit by a rather muggle-like attack. "Don't hit the merchandise!"

"In what universe is that merchandise?" James muttered, a little flustered.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Severus was lying on his bed, trying to ignore his housemates' comments about his weight gain. He knew it was a consequence of being four months pregnant, but he didn't want anyone to notice.

He had talked to Nurse Pomfrey, who had given him a potion to hide his pregnancy and make it seem like moderate weight gain. However, it seemed like his body—or his baby—was conspiring against him.

"You look sexy," Evan chimed in, winking at him.

"Evan, shut up," Regulus rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to make a potion that could help with that? You're strictly prohibited from trying to make it yourself."

"I'm better at potions than you," Severus rolled his eyes. Regulus's excessive concern could be stressful at times, but he knew it was only for his well-being.

"It doesn't matter! You shouldn't strain yourself, and don't forget what Madam Pomfrey said," Regulus sighed tiredly, his gentle eyes pleading for Severus to listen.

How could Severus refuse...?

No, actually, he's Severus; of course, he'll refuse.

"Pay more attention to your classes, Black," he complained, shifting slightly to ignore them.

"Why do you have to be so—" Regulus stopped himself. He wasn't going to finish that sentence.

Stressing out would only make Severus's condition worse. Calm down, Regulus. He took a deep breath and got up from his bed as well. "Fine! You don't want my help? Fine, I'm stepping off."

"Regulus..." Evan called after him, but Regulus was already leaving the room. Evan ran his tired hands over his face. "I'll be back," he told Severus, who still hadn't turned around.

When the room was silent again, Severus turned around. On the other bed, which belonged to Evan, was Barty. Despite that, Severus allowed himself to relax, because Barty knew when to speak and when not to. It was amusing how he was the most disruptive Slytherin, yet the only one who could bring him peace at that moment.

"It stresses me out more when he treats me like I'm useless," Severus began, his gaze lost in the ceiling.

"He's just concerned about you, a bit too much," Barty replied without looking at him either, but shifting his gaze from the scrolls he was reading.

"I know... But, ugh," Severus covered himself completely with the blanket, hearing Barty's chuckle at his action. "Not a word of this to anyone, Crouch."

"How terrifying you look, Sev. For a moment, I thought you were a Dementor," he joked with a smile. Severus could hear the creak of the other bed, and then a weight on his own. "Let's talk about something other than your pregnancy and Regulus. I feel like the child of a divorce. Just like your baby."

"He's not a child of divorce," he grumbled.

"He's the child of a clever Slytherin and a Gryffindor idiot. Almost the same thing."

Genuine laughter escaped Severus, and Barty knew he had fulfilled his mission. He hated seeing his friends fight, so being not-so-great at comforting, he preferred to bring smiles to their faces. His arms encircled the bundle that was Severus beneath the blanket, playfully hugging him.

"Look on the bright side, you'll be able to get rid of him in shared custody."

"Not in my dreams will I tell that idiot that I'm expecting his child," he replied as he emerged from under the blanket slowly.

"It could be interesting," Barty shrugged. "What will you do if he looks too much like James? And what if he ends up needing glasses? That'll be a family disaster."

Severus rolled his eyes with a smile. "What family, idiot?"

"How can you ask that?! Your brat will be the legitimate heir of the Crouch fortune..."

"With the Prince fortune, he has everything he needs."

"And the Potter fortune, that makes sense."

"Enough!" Severus threw a pillow at Barty's face with force.

"I'm being attacked by a Muggle! Someone do something! Help!" Barty cried out, being assaulted in a rather Muggle way. Severus repeatedly hit him with the pillow, nearly smothering him. "What will your baby say, Sev?"

"He won't say anything! He hasn't even been born yet!"

"His favorite uncle's demise will traumatize him from the womb—Ouch! Whether you like it or not, I'll be his favorite uncle!"

...

Even with just his robe, James noticed Severus's slightly thicker thighs, his slightly rounder face, and he couldn't help but be moved. His attempts at communication still weren't effective, yet now he found solace in just watching Severus from a distance, his silhouette as perfect as only Severus could be. Despite the distance, the aura surrounding Severus

lately was terribly enchanting, and James couldn't stop his heart from melting a little more in his presence.

He was a true Gryffindor; he should be brave and approach Severus. But even if he did, he had a feeling Severus would try to hit him hard in the face the moment he opened his mouth.

Then there was Rosier.

How he wished he could cast a lethal curse to keep Rosier away from Severus, even if he truly wasn't capable of doing it. He leaned too close to Severus, touched him too much, and ugh; James wished he were in Rosier's place.

One of these days, Severus would be the death of him.

So, when he woke up one morning at his usual Quidditch training time, 6 a.m., it was a surprise to find himself in the hallways at that hour when half of Hogwarts was still in their fifth dream, confirmed by the fact that Pads was still snoring as he left the room. He came across Severus.

Should he go to his team's practice or follow Severus?

The answer was as clear as day. He quickly took out his wand to send a signal to Sirius, one of those they used when the other was in trouble. The vibrations would signal that this was a "Sev spotted" case, and he wouldn't have to go to Quidditch practice. After that, Sirius, being the vice-captain, would have to get up and go.

He took his invisibility cloak out of his bag and quickly put it on, just as Severus started turning around, so there was no time to waste. He started tiptoeing behind Severus, feeling a bit guilty for following him, but... This was an opportunity like no other!

They walked and walked through the hallways of Hogwarts, and the boy with glasses couldn't help but think that if he knew where Severus was heading, he could just take a shortcut from the many he knew. He didn't even have the Marauder's Map with him, so everything was more complicated, and his only option was to follow closely.

Severus looked back several times, but clearly, he couldn't see anything. His dark gaze searched for something, and for a moment, James felt like he had been caught when Severus's eyes landed on him, but that was impossible.

As they walked, James realized they were leaving the castle grounds. Finally, when they reached the Quidditch pitch grounds, he suddenly felt dizzy. Why would Severus come here? Whom did he come to see? Gryffindor had reserved the field for training that day; James himself had done it, so it couldn't be Slytherin's team.

Was Severus here to see some Gryffindor? His heart tightened.

Until Severus turned around hesitantly.

It was just Sev, with his worn black robe and his black hair almost covering his face, his beautiful face. He didn't have anything in his hands, so the idea of him trying to deliver something was impossible. James watched as Severus clenched his fists, wanting to ask him what was going on.

"No. No, Severus," he whispered to himself, a bit too loudly, and James could hear it. That just made his mind short-circuit, as Peter would say.

He watched him grimace and then clutch his stomach. Was he still sick?

James had a great idea. He quickly ran far, far enough away so that his arrival didn't look like he'd been chasing Severus all this time, stowed his cloak in his briefcase and quickly....

"Severus!" He called out to him. The boy turned after giving a jump. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I..."

"Get lost, Potter," Severus shoved his hands into his pockets.

Severus looked at him unamused. "Potter."

James felt himself smile forcibly. Of course. Severus was reaching for his wand because he was afraid James might do something to him. "Just dropping by to say hello since I saw you. Gryffindor reserved the field for training today," he said with a smile, a tone of warning in his voice. As if Severus didn't already know that.

"I already knew that," Severus rolled his eyes, then did that funny spin on his heels along with his robe and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Sev!" he called him again, but this time, he didn't turn.

He inhaled deeply and then exhaled forcefully. Being a Quidditch player should serve some purpose. James Potter ran, grabbed the bottomless spell-enchanted briefcase, inserted his hand, and searched for his beloved broom. When he found it, he pulled it out slowly, mounted it, and swiftly followed Severus's old footsteps. His broom was fast, one of the best of his generation, so it wasn't very difficult.

He leaned forward slightly on his broom as if Slytherin were a Snitch he needed to catch. Apparently, the sound of the wind made Severus realize his presence.

"Hey, Sev!" He greeted awkwardly, stopping his broom just a few seconds before crashing into a wall.

Severus looked at him without amusement. "Potter."

"You! Me! Wait, I need to catch my breath," James dismounted his broom and tried to regulate his breathing. Somehow, that sight brought unpleasant memories to Severus. "We're not done talking."

"Us? And can you tell me what conversation we were having?"

"Don't use sarcasm," James pouted, but he erased it in an instant. "There are things I want to tell you, for a while now," he began speaking, hoping not to mess it up now. It was his moment. Now or never see Severus again after graduation. "Can you meet me at the Astronomy Tower tonight? It's the only thing I'm asking of you..." from the expression on the other boy's face, James knew he was about to be ruthlessly rejected, so he added: "If you don't want to, that's fine. Yes, you're not obliged to go. Oh, Merlin, I don't even know why I asked, forget it. This didn't happen, I..."

"Shut your mouth," Severus scolded him, and James promptly obeyed. "I can't promise I'll be able to come, but I'll try. I'm curious about what you're going to tell me."

If Severus hadn't turned away again, he would have seen how all the stars in the universe settled in James's eyes and looked at him as if he were the sun. A silly smile rested on his lips, and when he knew Severus was no longer around, he let out a shout of victory.

"Alright, James!" he told himself happily.

Actually, Severus had seen everything before he truly left.

Chapter Text

The Astronomy Tower was chilling at night, or so it seemed to Severus. Though well-known to the general population at Hogwarts as the most suitable place for... other types of activities at night. It was tricky to dodge the prefects patrolling that night, but it was a complete success.

Certainly, the biggest problem wasn't them, not Filch and his weird cat or anything else that might appear to cause trouble. The real and biggest problem was his friends.

Needless to say, the idiots he shared a house with. Because Severus was genuinely angry with them.

Barty was already drooling at that hour, so that was one less problem on the list. However, there he was Regulus, sitting right next to the windows with all the marine relief light from the lake. And not to mention Evan, standing by the fireplace, clearly making his exaggerated and dramatic entrance.

"Where are you going?" Regulus asked, staring at him.

"Weren't you getting off?" Severus returned the question, raising an eyebrow. Genuinely interested, because his stress from a few hours ago hadn't dissipated at all.

He used to be really bad at these things, reconciliations, not feeling pathetically attacked by others' reactions. It didn't even matter that they shared a house; the worst part was that it vaguely reminded him of Lily. Initially, his thought process led him to believe it was just a self-defense reaction, which would make perfect sense.

After all he had been through because of his father? It would be damn strange if Severus were a normal kid. But curiously, when others in his house looked down on him as if they could step on him with the soles of their shoes and crush him like a mere muggle cigarette with no further use... that's when Severus understood everything.

Because it didn't hurt him; it didn't even make a single hair on his body move or make his heart race and his mouth dilate with the need to release an even more offensive comment as a protective layer. No. He simply watched from afar and ignored them.

When Lily laughed at that joke, after seeing him humiliated to the core, he felt the need; his mouth opened unexpectedly, and he uttered the most humiliating comment he could make. It had no justification, but neither did she.

However, Severus tried to mend the friendship and apologized, but the doors of the redhead's heart had been firmly closed in his face. But it wasn't even the first time something like this had happened to him; he also remembered how he felt when Lucius kept his distance at his graduation party. At that time, Severus also opened his mouth, and they didn't speak for what was probably the longest four months of Severus's life.

So, Severus's hypothesis concluded that this was a normal reaction for him when situations arose with those who mattered to him. In his head, he cursed himself for actually liking as a friend the Sirius Black's younger brother.

But Regulus was different. Ironically, he was a complete Slytherin, probably the definition and stereotype of Slytherin; a guy who only cared about his own and would only put his wand to the fire for his people.

He saw perfectly how Regulus's posture became rigid and then filled with emotions.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," was Regulus's response after pondering his answer to Severus's question. He really thought about it, even inhaling and exhaling, trying to control every thought.

"But you have to tell me," Evan stepped forward. "Where are you going, Severus?"

Behind his black hair falling awkwardly on his face, Severus looked directly at Evan. He reconsidered the idea of leaving Potter hanging, but deep down, for himself and for his child, he really wanted to know what that bastard had to say.

Even if he ended up with a string of dribble and incoherent nonsense, he wanted to hear it to make a final judgment.

"I need some fresh air," ah, he had always been so bad at lying.

Evan analyzed him.

"At this hour? Do you need air?"

Severus shrugged and resumed his path; he really wasn't so interested that those two tried to hold him back, as if they didn't know Severus and knew that despite all odds, he would try to achieve what he wanted.

He rarely gave up.

"Severus, I'm serious right now!" Regulus raised his voice, but not enough to shout. The Black heir would never shout.

"I'm not invalid, you know?" Severus scoffed.

He didn't even look back where the boys were; he was almost certain they were following him at this point. His heart pounded in his chest for some reason.

Please, Severus knows well what he's doing. Maybe he's been a bit irresponsible with this pregnancy, but he wasn't prepared to be a father, probably never would be. He hadn't even sent a letter to his mother telling her about the situation.

Deep down on his mind, he wanted it all to end, and his life could return to its normal course.

Why do those two interfere so much? Before, they weren't even that attached to him; Evan was like a piece of gum stuck to his shoes, but the other two had never been so attached to him. Now, did they feel the need to help poor Severus?

The beats of his heart intensified, he could almost feel his heart wanting to escape his chest, and with it, his hands began to shake uncomfortably, like when the professor asks him to explain his potion while under the gaze and scrutiny of everyone in the class.

"It's always the same with you!" Regulus complained, exploding again. "Why can't we even talk to you now? Are you really aware of the stupid things you do? I thought you were smarter than that."

Every word was like a stab with a wooden stake in his heart. Severus bit his lip forcefully but didn't say anything.

"Reg..." Evan spoke in a low voice, but Severus could still hear him.

"No! He needs to understand! He's not invalid or anything, right? Then he can face what someone is telling him."

He repeated to himself that Regulus was talking out of anger, but it didn't make it any less painful. It didn't prevent the metallic taste from smoothly running over his tongue and settling there as a reminder and a warning.

"Shut up, Black," Severus spoke again. He didn't see it, but he felt how Regulus stopped his assault abruptly. "What gives you the right to speak as if you know me perfectly?" Severus turned around, facing both of them. "Know your place, you're annoying."

Regulus gasped incredulously. Evan looked at him terrified.

Severus fled, hoping at least not to see either of them for the rest of his time.

And now he was there, waiting for James Potter in the Astronomy Tower. Should he regret it and turn around? Go back the way he came, but probably they would be there. And Severus still wasn't capable of facing the consequences of his loose tongue.

Instead, the view from the tower was clearly beautiful. The night sky, the stars, and the moon. He felt bathed in the moonlight, and for a moment, he felt calm in his consciousness. Then, he heard hurried steps, recognized them anywhere.

"Severus!" James Potter greeted (or shouted). But the spirits that were already on the ground probably fell to the core of the earth.

He squinted his eyes; suddenly, his whole body felt as tired as if he had run a marathon, and he had a slight pressure in his throat. He looked wearily at James Potter.

"Speak now, I don't have all night."

Not a greeting, not a "Hello, how are you?" But he knew well that Potter didn't care. That man was like a giant puppy wagging his tail from side to side no matter how badly Severus treated him.

James seemed confused, probably didn't know what to say, and Severus felt he was completely wasting his time. A pitched battle had started in the common room for this?

Of course. Very typical of you, Severus Snape.

With some difficulty, he stood up; Potter looked a bit scared.

"If you're not going to say anything, I'm leaving, Potter."

"No! Don't go, it's just that... ah, it's very hard to explain."

Although he said he didn't have all night, in reality, he didn't have all night to endure Potter. Not without remembering that he had a part of him growing inside, and that if it turned out to be a carbon copy of that idiot, only then would Severus Snape resign from life completely.

James walked toward him with heavy steps until they were face to face. He grabbed his shirt, probably a pajama, between his hands and sighed as if the room were the hottest on earth, searching for some air and opening his mouth several times to explain.

"You look like a fish opening your mouth so many times, speak."

"Can you please stop? I'm trying to do something here," Potter complained, really frustrated.

"I don't see that you're doing anything; at this rate, I'm going to fall asleep, and I'll never listen to you again about meeting up. You're just..."

"That's enough. Seriously, shut up for a moment."

At what point had Potter gotten so close?

Severus was about to take a step back, but the other grabbed him by the shoulders, keeping him in place with the damn strength he had as a Quidditch player.

"Enough? Huh?" Severus blinked several times, almost thinking he was in a dream and not there. "Are you kidding me, idiot?"

James Potter made a sound that Severus couldn't identify, but it was a reaction in conjunction with a hug. A hug.

"Be quiet while the others organize their thoughts, Sev."

Everything inside him churned after hearing the nickname; he didn't know why he wasn't fighting against the hug, maybe he was too tired because of the baby.

"I know you probably think I'm an idiot for what happened that time when... ah, you know, that happened..."

"You're an idiot, with or without that," Severus interrupted, as if it were obvious. And then he found himself being silenced by Potter.

"Shhh," Severus bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing him right there, and he also gripped his wand hidden in his wrist. "I haven't been able to forget it. I think I never could, and I regret leaving like that. I didn't know how to act, and it wasn't really my intention to end up like that."

Severus pulled away abruptly.

"And can you tell me what the hell was your intention?"

"I..." the Gryffindor bit his tongue, a bit nervous. But then he inhaled and decided to continue. "Could it have been Sirius's idea to get to know you better, ease my conscience, and start a truce with you?"

Severus's jaw could have dropped to the floor because of how absurd the situation was. He didn't know that James wasn't being completely honest, but even so, everything seemed so surreal.

"I think I heard you wrong," said Severus. "An idea from Sirius for a truce with me, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes..."

"That's it, I'm out."

Severus walked quickly to leave; James clung to his legs. What kind of stupid situation was this? Wasn't this beneath even an idiot like him?

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You're saying a lot of bad words now," James blinked several times with a smile that stumbled a bit.

Why the hell is he smiling? Severus just wants to cast some curse on him to end all of this, but if something happens, everyone would know it was the two of them, and he refuses to have another unfortunate detention with that weird creature.

Chapter Text

The distance between Severus and Regulus wasn't a hot topic at Hogwarts, but it was among certain Slytherin youths and that annoying group of Gryffindors. They passed each other by, completely ignoring one another.

It wasn't new, but people started talking; maybe Regulus finally saw how irritating Snape was, just like Lily did. Even though Barty and Evan occasionally spoke to Severus, it was uncomfortable.

How much time had passed? Severus felt like years had gone by, but it was probably only the second week. He felt worse with each passing day, unable to explain it, but the way his health was deteriorating felt worse than when he endured his father's abuse.

And there he was, in Madam Pomfrey's care.

"Do you realize you can't go on like this?" Pomfrey asked, sighing as she watched the boy twist in bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

How much harm could a pregnancy do to the carrier who had run out of friends? It's stupid; the baby is just feeding off him, and that's the only reason for his decline.

The only thing that always comes through the door each time Severus is unwell is that damned boy with the perfect smile.

"Hey, Sev! I brought you some food since you weren't at dinner," the boy quickly shoved half his body into a trunk. When he regained his balance, there was a small piece of treacle tart in his hand. "You said you were craving this last week... They had it at dinner today!"

Severus just stared at him silently.

Had he finally plummeted to the pinnacle of his own misery?

Potter smiled sheepishly; it was chilling how he could genuinely make such a daring and innocent expression.

"I don't want any today," Severus turned away, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's snort.

"I brought more, don't worry."

Did he mention it's impossible to shake off Potter?

As the idiot prattled on about his life, as if it were something Severus would be interested in in another life, he observed his body.

Though he wasn't eating well, he could see his body swelling, or maybe he had simply gained weight, but he didn't want to admit it. How does he look?

Does Potter find it disgusting? Well, Potter's opinion actually didn't matter to him at all, so it slid right off. When Severus was finally alone, he stared at the ceiling of the infirmary for a long time.

It felt like years.

Left alone with his thoughts, one thing remained: Severus Snape had never felt so alone. Just in that moment, he wondered if he should make amends with Regulus. Did it even make sense to consider it?

His hand clenched into a fist and he struck the mattress he lay upon, though not with much force. Deep down, there was that knot of pain, knowing his other two friends were being unbelievably civil to him. Civil.

C.I.V.I.L.

They were just a fake friendship. Yes.

. . .

The library didn't usually have many students around this time of year; the only time they truly flocked here was when exams loomed close. So it was a good place for Severus to hide from all things magical. The book he was reading was slightly larger than his head, so he had to read it directly on the table.

It was a somewhat comical scene, with his hair dramatically falling into the book, and every now and then Severus would sit back and stare into space. Or so were the thoughts of James Potter.

Two words: It was accidental.

Seriously, he was just looking for a book that Moony needed but was too busy preparing for the full moon, so James suggested going instead.

And even though he had the book in his hands, he hadn't left the library yet.

James Potter had pondered several times with his friends what he should do next, because no conversation was safe from becoming the Marauders' gossip fodder. His friends knew perfectly well that James had confessed his feelings to the Slytherin and had been brutally rejected, but they also knew about the promise.

Remus said something like:

"And how do you plan to redeem yourself?"

"I don't know."

That was the teasing. Sirius laughed at him as if he had just told the best joke of his life, and Remus looked at him as if he weren't human, just a candy with the worst taste imaginable.

James, lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, just sighed. "I don't know what to do. I made such a mess when I was in love with Lily, now I can't just go back in time and fix it because time-turners are forbidden."

"I told you to stop bothering him," Remus shrugged, adjusting his glasses to read better. "It's like that thing Muggles always say... that superstition, karma or something."

"Karma," Sirius remembered, clutching his stomach after laughing so hard. "Prongs, I'd help you, but I think there's no one more complicated than Snape."

"What if you try to be... I don't know...?" Remus paused, and James listened intently. "A good person. It won't hurt to try."

"I am a good person, Moony!"

"Oh, believe me, he doesn't know or believe that."

The conversation went something like that, and James spent the whole night thinking about how he could become someone worthy of Severus. He couldn't fix his past mistakes anymore! But he could change everything from now on.

So, the plan had a few stages he needed to complete.

First stage: Approach Severus slowly (in true James Potter style).

There's no fun in completely changing your personality to fit the person you like, so James had to add a bit of his own style.

Thus, the first step he took was towards Severus's table and sat right in front of him, dramatically slamming the book on the table to announce his presence. The first attempt failed; Severus only glanced up, saw him, and proceeded to ignore him.

"Good morning, Severus. What brings you to the library today?" he asked with a smile, speaking softly so Pince wouldn't hear.

"Good day, Potter." Raw and dry. A tough nut to crack.

His pride was being bombarded, but he had to press on. The first stage wasn't complete yet! There would be a few more encounters needed, but he was determined to succeed.

Now both were silent, but James noticed how Severus repeatedly moved his leg, whether out of discomfort or something else. He had to do something to prevent this atmosphere from swallowing them both.

What couldn't the best student of Minnie do?

He began searching in his robe and found a wrapper from some candy he had eaten long ago. He could really do this. Carefully, he whispered a spell over the wrapper while waving his wand, all while being ignored by Severus.

The wrapper vanished, and a rose appeared. Who doesn't like roses, right?

With pride swelling in his chest, the Gryffindor began to maneuver the rose until it rested atop Severus's book. The Slytherin glanced up again, and for a moment, their eyes met. There was a mix of surprise and suspicion in Severus's expression, but also a hint of annoyance.

"What's this, Potter?" Severus asked, his tone sharper and colder than before.

"A rose, for you," James replied, trying to keep his tone casual and friendly. "Thought you might need a little reminder that not every day is bad."

Yeah, that sounded great. Sirius would applaud if he were here.

Severus frowned and eyed the rose skeptically. After a brief silence, he decided to pick it up between his fingers, examining it as if it were an enchanted object, which it was.

"I don't need your gifts," he finally said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Or your attempts at... whatever you're doing."

"I know," James admitted, forcing a smile. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."

Severus set the rose back on the table and returned his focus to his book, not dignifying James with a response. James sat there, uncomfortable but determined not to give up. He watched as Severus's hair dramatically fell over the pages, once again hiding his face.

He wondered why his heart was beating so fast. This guy was rejecting him with all he had, but James couldn't give up. Remus's words echoed in his mind. Severus Snape didn't know he was a good person.

Or at least, James considered himself a good person. Euphemia and Fleamont had raised him with all the love in the world, hoping that when he grew up, he would also spread that love.

Isn't it ironic? His heart beats for the one person James Potter has never shown love to. A blow to his ego.

But he couldn't stop looking at Severus, wondering what he would look like with his hair pulled back, the way Padfoot tied it up whenever he annoyed him and wouldn't let him see fully. The mere thought of being able to see more of Severus's face, those black eyes that made him feel completely defenseless because of their depth of gaze...

Someday.

Part of making amends with Severus was also knowing when to leave. Remus would surely explode in anger (his annoyance with society increases exponentially as the full moon approaches), but James had to understand. James Potter was just a man in love.

"Have a good day, Sev," James bid farewell, offering his best smile before he left.

Severus's puzzled look would be worth millions, according to James.

. . .

Arriving a bit late to the Slytherin dungeons wasn't Severus's biggest problem. In reality, his biggest problem had nearsightedness and a hero complex. But being a bit late to the dungeons gave him the biggest surprise of his life.

After speaking the password, Severus entered. Everything was quiet, as usual. Contrary to popular belief, Slytherins weren't constantly casting curses or hexing everyone's lineage.

"Sevie!" greeted the blonde girl.

And she hugged him, not tightly, but affectionately.

"Narcissa? What are you doing here?" Severus asked, his brow furrowed as he awkwardly returned the hug.

"I came to see you, of course," replied Narcissa, releasing him and watching with a faint smile. "Why else would I be here?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "It's not usual for you to visit me, especially here in the dungeons."

Narcissa chuckled softly and gave him a warm look. "Actually, Lucius and I have been worried about you. Your letters have sounded a bit... bleak lately. We thought it was time to visit and make sure you're alright."

Severus sat down in one of the nearby chairs, feeling a slight knot in his stomach. "I didn't know my letters were being interpreted that way. I've just been... busy, that's all."

Narcissa sat beside him, placing a hand on his arm. "We all have tough times, Sev. And it's natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes, especially with the pregnancy. But we want you to know you're not alone."

Severus looked down, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. "Thank you, Narcissa. I appreciate your concern. But I really am fine."

"Severus," Narcissa said gently, "I know you like to keep your problems to yourself, but there are people who care about you. Lucius and I want you to know we're here for whatever you need."

Though Severus didn't respond, Narcissa didn't press further. Oh, she knows that boy like the back of her hand.

"If you're going to be Draco's godfather, you should trust us a little more," Lucius complained, arriving at the sofas where they were seated.

"Draco's godfather?"

"Have you forgotten already? We sent you a letter and you accepted. You're in this for life."

Severus blinked, trying to recall the letter in question. Had he really received a letter mentioning that?

"Oh, yes, the letter..." he murmured, scratching his head. "It's not that I forgot, I just haven't quite processed it."

"Liar," Lucius rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Well, here I am, in person, to remind you," he said with a mocking smile. "Draco will be thrilled to have you as godfather, and we trust you fully with this responsibility."

Severus felt a surge of emotions, a mix of pride and apprehension. The idea of being Draco's godfather was both an honor and a burden. "I appreciate the trust, Lucius. I'll do my best."

But something he couldn't shake off was feeling part of this. It was like a bucket of water to think that he really had felt so suffocated in everything, that he had forgotten that out there in the magical world were two people for him.

He really wasn't alone.

"And how will you name your baby?" Narcissa asked with a smile, leaning towards Severus to keep the secret from becoming tomorrow's subject.

"That's a good question," he answered sincerely. "I haven't thought much about it yet. I suppose I still have time to decide."

Narcissa nodded understandingly. "Of course, Sev. It's an important decision. I'm sure you'll find the perfect name when the time comes."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"Are you kidding, Severus?" Evan Rosier asked.

His arms were crossed, the door was stuck, and Barty beside him looked equally confused. Regulus hadn’t shown up yet, but Evan had been tailing Severus since he entered the common room, and Barty followed, equally bewildered.

Severus paid them no attention. His ego and feelings were still hurt, so he didn’t have to. He owed them nothing.

“Snape!” Evan kept calling out, his gaze sharp as daggers. “Did you seriously come back this quickly to Evans?”

Ah, Rosier was as loud as Black.

What was the problem with him deciding to do things for himself? They had left him; they had no right to confront him like this.

The headache spread through his body. Would these pains harm the baby?

“Lower your voice,” he snapped harshly.

“Severus, I don’t understand you,” Evan continued, running a hand over his face. “Okay, we may have gone too far trying to look after you, fine. But now you’re accepting Evans too? What’s next? Should we tell Hogwarts that Potter’s the father?”

“…”

The room fell silent. Rosier hadn’t been shouting, just venting his frustrations without making eye contact with Severus. But he fell quiet after his last question.

Only Barty’s soft laugh broke the tension.

“Why are you both stopping? I already knew.”

Both wizards turned to the younger boy, and Barty just shrugged. “Potter’s been chasing Sev like a regretful bird for a while now. Anyone could put two and two together.”

The dark-haired Slytherin didn’t feel more at ease with that explanation. Did others know something too?

Did Potter know something?

A warm hand landed on his shoulder.

“Don’t overthink it, it’ll hurt the baby. Potter’s too much of an idiot to notice, trust me.”

Sometimes Severus wanted to kick Barty for saying things so cheerfully and relaxed. Sometimes he envied him for having it all so easily, even though they both had issues with their parents.

And sometimes, only sometimes, Severus liked him as a good friend.

“That’s not the point. The point here is: why are you talking to Evans again?” Rosier insisted.

“It’s none of your business.”

“It is my business, Snape!”

The tension was palpable, their stares clashing intensely.

“If you want friends, you’ve got us, you’ve got Narcissa and Lucius. So why? She sided with those idiots who—!”

Silence again. Severus responded quietly.

“She apologized.”

The expressions on the two boys’ faces were priceless, ones Severus had never seen before.

“If that’s the case, then go walk out that door and forgive Potter,” Evan retorted.

“It’s not the same.”

“While Potter was pulling his dumb pranks, she was sitting at the Gryffindor table laughing with her friends. She left you begging for her forgiveness for days while you waited by the common room door.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“No! I don’t understand!” Barty pulled Evan into a hug from behind, trying to calm him down—they hadn’t cast any silencing charms.

“She was my first friend. The first girl my age I ever met. She extended a hand when everything in my life was horrible…”

“And she withdrew it,” Evan cut him off. “She withdrew it to go along with the ones who made your life hell. And do you know who was there when it became hell again?” He paused, staring directly at Severus. “Lucius and I. We were the ones who threw you a lifeline to climb out and never fall again.”

“I…”

“I know. I know you’re no longer that defenseless boy, and now you’re even carrying Potter’s child. But why did you punish us with so much anger for wanting what’s best for you, yet you forgave her so easily?”

Even Barty tensed up a bit.

“Think carefully about your priorities, Severus Snape.”

Evan left the room. Barty lingered.

“What? Are you going to lecture me too?”

But the other boy just shook his head gently. “Have you eaten? Too much stress without food could hurt the baby.”

That night, Severus stayed up writing a letter to Lucius.

By breakfast, Severus arrived late. The Great Hall was large as usual, but not all the Slytherins were there, or they had already finished eating. As Severus walked past the nearly empty house table, his companions' seats were just as they always were.

The spot next to Barty was still open. He had tortured himself over it all night.

He walked over decisively and sat down. The three boys fell silent until Barty broke the ice.

“Sev, you woke up late,” he teased with a sly smile.

“I stayed up late because of someone,” Severus played along, trying to hide a smile.

A soft whistle was heard, followed by Evan’s voice.

“I’ll have to make an offering to Merlin for this,” he mocked.

Regulus didn’t say a word, but for the first time in weeks, he ate his food without pushing it around his plate with no appetite.

Severus thought it was pointless to lose what he had. Even if it meant swallowing his pride. Lucius’ response to his letter came quicker than expected, and it was almost a scolding. Severus gave some treats to the owl and left.

This time in the library, Severus wasn’t alone. So James watched him from a distance. Even though his heart longed to approach, regardless of Severus’ friends, he knew it would only make Severus angry.

“At least pretend you’re doing something,” Remus rolled his eyes, slightly frustrated.

The only reason Remus was even there was because James needed an accomplice to watch Severus without looking like a stalker.

“What if I miss a single detail?” James shook his head.

Remus figured his friend was probably losing his mind a little, because he didn’t understand any of his actions. Why not just try being polite and get along with the friends of the boy he liked?

Maybe it was just the Potter phenomenon.

A small rat slowly approached, recognized as Peter. Though he handed over the letter in his mouth, he didn’t transform.

“Letter for Potter,” Remus announced, still looking at his book as he extended the letter to James.

Dear and hated Prongs,

Did you forget you told the team there was practice today?!

Sincerely,

Sirius Black.

Oh, that was a problem.

“Was there practice today?”

“I don’t know, Captain,” Remus rolled his eyes again. “You’ve been going on about practice for weeks. Run, Prongs.”

James had no memory of this at all, and Remus knew it. So he allowed himself a laugh as he watched him run off.

From where he sat, he saw Severus glance up as James ran by. That would make him incredibly happy.

At first, Remus hadn’t believed it was a real crush, just a wild whim of the Potter heir. But now, Remus was more than convinced it was real. In all his seven years at Hogwarts, James had never forgotten a Quidditch practice, and it was even worse now that he was captain.

It was soon to be his last match as a student, so it struck Remus as even stranger. The match had to be perfect, and neither James nor Sirius had stopped talking about it for days.

Maybe he should approach Severus, because if it meant James would stop being a pain about Quidditch, it’d be worth it.

“Do you think he’s already asked him out?” Peter asked suddenly, back in his human form.

“I doubt it. So far, he’s managed to get close without being hexed.”

Besides, Remus had heard that Severus had been studying intensely. While James’ biggest problem was the match, Severus’ was the N.E.W.T.s, same as him.

Remus turned the page after lightly licking the tip of his thumb. How much of a problem is this?

Nothing would turn out right if they got involved in someone else’s business, so James would have to figure it out himself.

With wet hair, freshly showered after Quidditch practice, James returned to the library. Remus had told him Severus was still there, and he had confirmed it with the map. His uniform was a little disheveled, and his robe hung loosely from his shoulders. He had fixed himself up to look sexy—according to Padfoot.

As he wandered through the library, he found the same spot where he'd been earlier with Remus. From there, he had a perfect view of Severus without being noticed. Smiling to himself, James walked toward the boy. Maybe a little scare? That would surely break the ice until Severus finally fell head over heels for him.

Severus was bent over a book, his posture rigid, completely absorbed. James felt a pull in his chest as he quietly approached, thinking about doing something silly like ruffling his robes or whispering something to make him jump.

James' heart was racing faster than he'd like to admit. Still, a mischievous grin appeared on his face as he leaned in to whisper in Severus’ ear, “Studying to become the next Potions Prince, or were you just waiting for me?”

But just as he was about to speak, something stopped him. Severus wasn’t reacting as he usually did—no glare, no tensing up. Instead, he was clutching his stomach tightly, his breathing irregular. It sent a jolt of fear through James.

“Sev, are you feeling alright?” James asked softly, keeping his voice low to avoid getting caught by Madam Pince.

The pain in Severus’ eyes when he finally lifted his head wiped any trace of a joke from James' mind. Severus curled up even more, letting out a low groan that made James' heart twist painfully.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again, more seriously this time. Without waiting for a response, he pulled out his wand, glancing around to make sure Madam Pince wasn’t watching them.

Severus barely lifted his head, his eyes shining with pain but filled with pride, silently telling James to leave and not see him like this. James felt a sharp pang of sympathy.

“I’m taking you to the infirmary,” he whispered, as if sharing a secret, worried Severus might refuse out of sheer stubbornness. Without giving him a chance to protest, James used an inverted levicorpus charm, modified so it would gently lift Severus’ weakened body.

With the charm in place, James quickly led him out of the library, his mind clouded with worry.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall,” James whispered, knowing his words of comfort probably meant nothing to Severus, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying them.

When they arrived at the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey came out immediately, seeing Severus’ condition. James carefully deactivated the charm, helping Severus down onto one of the beds.

“I found him like this in the library,” he said, his tone more subdued and anxious than he intended, his eyes never leaving Severus.

He didn’t expect any thanks, but still, the faint, pained look in Severus’ eyes disarmed him completely. Madam Pomfrey performed the necessary checks, giving Severus a potion to ease the pain.

James wasn’t ready for the bombshell that dropped next.

After a while, Madam Pomfrey sighed, but she didn’t seem worried. In fact, her expression was almost... maternal. “Ah, nothing serious, Mr. Potter. Just the baby kicking,” she said calmly, but James felt the entire world come to a standstill in that moment.

“The... what?” James stammered, his eyes wide. He looked at Severus, who now seemed even more uncomfortable and pale, if that were possible.

Madam Pomfrey pressed her lips together tightly, casting a guilty glance at Severus, but the boy didn’t meet her gaze. He just wanted to disappear—this was his personal hell.

The woman took a step back and said she would leave them to talk, casting a sympathetic look at Severus, who had already told her the truth about the baby’s father.

Was this the week of shocking revelations? This baby couldn’t have worse timing.

Chapter Text

The day began with an owl pecking at his plate. It dropped a letter that looked heavy but was simply long, written with a new kind of magical ink. Severus gave the bird some food to make it leave.

Under the expectant gazes of his friends, he opened the letter before him. His eyes skimmed over the words; Narcissa’s writing was, as always, perfect, formal, and polite. But as his gaze slipped to the bottom of the letter, his poor toast froze halfway to his mouth. If he’d been sipping his strong black tea, he would have spat it out.

“What happened?” Regulus asked, trying to peer at his cousin’s letter.

“Draco was born.”

Severus wondered what he should think about that. Instinctively, his hand drifted to his abdomen. The time gap between Narcissa and himself wasn’t far apart. A chill ran down his spine.

He wanted to throw up, though he wasn’t sure if it was nerves or the fact that Barty was eating disgustingly greasy bacon mixed with something only Merlin could identify. Perhaps it was the looming panic of the approaching N.E.W.T.s—or the arrival of this child.

“Potter’s been staring at you throughout breakfast.”

Evan’s comment sent another shiver through his body. Their last conversation hadn’t ended well. His head began to ache, and his heart pounded like he’d just played a Quidditch match. He vaguely recalled Potter arguing with him, staring with those doe-like, lost eyes.

Just as he was doing now.

“There’s nothing to talk about with Potter,” Severus concluded. “I need to congratulate Narcissa, let her know I’ll visit during the holidays to meet Draco.”

With that, Severus stood from his seat. None of his friends contradicted him, though Barty sighed in boredom over the whole situation.

He walked away with quick, firm steps, but Potter followed.

“Severus, we need to talk.”

He ignored him.

“Severus, please.”

Potter grabbed at his robe, clutching it tightly, with no intention of letting go.

“Madam Pomfrey was wrong; she—”

“I know what she said was true.” James was frustrated. He finally stopped Severus by grabbing his wrist. “I knew you were sick. I knew something about this was odd. Severus, if it’s mine—”

The Slytherin glanced around, alarmed. If anyone overheard Potter’s stupidity, it would be his end. He dragged them both into an empty corridor, thankful for Hogwarts’ habit of creating hidden spaces at convenient moments.

“What if you shut up and stopped embarrassing yourself, Potter?” Severus snapped, his firm tone cutting off the Gryffindor’s verbal tirade. “It doesn’t take a genius to understand that if there’s a bloody child growing inside me, it’s because of your stupidity.”

He knew well that creating this child had been a joint effort, but Severus believed wholeheartedly that no insult to Potter’s tiny brain should ever go to waste. He would take every opportunity.

“And before you start again, I don’t want anything from you, Potter. If I’m having this child, it’s because I want to. I don’t need anything from you, and it would be better if you stayed away.”

James’s mouth opened and closed a few times, his glasses sliding down his nose as disbelief washed over him. He cleared his throat quickly and exploded.

“Are you insane?!” James shouted. Severus frowned. “Severus, you’ve completely lost your mind.”

Had Severus truly lost it, or was it Potter?

“You’re pregnant, and you weren’t going to tell me. You weren’t going to tell me! That child is legitimately the Potter heir, and you weren’t going to say anything!”

Severus Snape, who had recently fought with his friends and lost his childhood best friend due to his inability to control his emotions, didn’t hold back.

“Oh, Merlin. Excuse me, Mr. Potter! You left me behind like it was all a mistake!” he yelled back. “The Potter heir will be the child you have with Evans. I don’t care.”

“So what? You plan on me never meeting my child?”

“You’re stupid and chaotic. You don’t think about anything, and an unacknowledged child with Snivellus will probably be the least of your problems.”

Severus had plenty more he wanted to say, because what if Potter woke up one day and decided he didn’t want a child? What if he realized he didn’t feel anything for Severus anymore and turned their child against him? What if he took the child away?

What if everything he’d said in his apology had been a lie?

He stepped back.

“It’s my child too, Severus, and I really wouldn’t mind having—”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

“Don’t say something you’ll regret later.”

“Wow.”

Remus only said that, nothing more, despite James floating all his belongings in frustration. Sirius continued drying his hair with a towel, utterly silent.

Was everything really that bad? Padfoot not even muttering a snide comment—that was truly concerning.

“Why is love so difficult?”

“Because you did everything wrong, Prongs,” Remus answered, leaning to grab one of the floating chocolate bars. “Who the hell starts by knocking up their partner?”

“Yeah, that’s insane,” Sirius agreed.

“Thanks, you’re a lot of help.”

Sirius laughed and walked over to James, slinging an arm over his shoulders.

“Relax, mate. You’re going to turn Hogwarts into a floating school.” He patted James’s back. “And secondly, let me remind you we’re talking about Snape, not just anyone.”

“And he has every right not to want to introduce you to his kid.”

“Our kid,” James corrected, to which Remus only rolled his eyes.

“As I was saying, focus on the N.E.W.T.s for now. Maybe if Severus sees you being serious about something for the first time since you set foot in Hogwarts, he’ll start thinking better of you.”

James, as always, only heard what he wanted.

“How do I make him fall for me so we can be a happy family after Hogwarts?”

“Dibs on being the dog,” Sirius said, flopping onto James’s bed and yawning.

“Let’s make a plan to woo Severus.”

“Good night,” Remus said, turning off his lamp and rolling over to sleep.

Peter, who hadn’t commented until now, just chuckled.

“Prongs, just be yourself.”

James fell heavily onto Sirius, staring at the ceiling with a defeated expression. His mind replayed the image of Severus—furious, his dark hair falling like a curtain and his eyes full of rage and something else, something James couldn’t quite figure out.

“This isn’t happening,” he murmured, covering his face with his hands.

“It is happening,” Sirius said, still half-laughing. “And honestly, it’s a bit funny.”

“It’s not!” James protested, uncovering his face to glare at his friend. “I have to do something. I can’t just leave it like this. It’s my child too!”

“Your child? Did Snape approve that motion at the council of enraged Slytherins?” Sirius quipped, making Peter snicker.

“Shut up, Pads,” James growled.

Remus sighed loudly, ensuring everyone heard it. “Prongs, think with your head, not your heart. All you’re going to do is make Snape hate you more if you rush into this.”

“What if I invite him to my last Quidditch match, dedicate it to him, and kiss him?”

“The match is against Slytherin, mate,” Sirius reminded him.

“For Merlin’s sake, James,” Remus said, slamming his book shut, “if Snape doesn’t murder you before the N.E.W.T.s are over, I’ll consider it a magical miracle.”

James grinned, ignoring the comment. He already had a plan in mind.

“This is going to be epic—the romance of the year, my friends,” he declared with a mix of confidence and desperation.

Sirius shifted on the bed, laughing softly. “Well, at least it’ll be entertaining.”

When had anything ever been easy for James Potter?

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Hogwarts, Severus Snape, still catching his breath, silently vowed that no idiot Gryffindor would ruin what was left of his life.

Chapter Text

"Have you thought about throwing a magical feast?" Barty asked while searching for one of the potion ingredients Severus needed.

On a Saturday in Hogsmeade, they had decided to go out and buy what Severus would need for the practical part of his E.X.T.A.S.I.S exams. The four of them were further from the others, so Barty allowed himself to speak without filters, even though Severus rolled his eyes.

"A what?"

"A magical feast. Didn't your mother throw you a magical feast?" Barty kept insisting, but Severus's confusion was evident.

Evan stepped forward.

"It's a celebration that wizards do, Sev. It’s to welcome a new member to the family," he started to explain. He helped Severus carry the basket of herbs he had. "They throw a feast, and everyone plays a 'divination' game about the baby’s future."

"I'll have to ask my mum if she did that," Severus murmured. Deep down, he knew she hadn't.

Eileen Prince, his mother who ran off with her Muggle love and was shunned by her family, would have never done such a ceremony. His father would have gone mad if she had.

"Have you talked to your mum?" Regulus asked. He tried to be careful, not sounding like he was reproaching him.

Their relationship was still a bit tense, but Regulus was making an effort to stay emotionally close to him at Hogwarts.

"No, I haven't talked to her yet."

The last letter Severus received from his mother was around the time of the first-term exams, around December.

He wonder if she’s okay?

They hadn’t had a fight. Maybe when he returns to Hogwarts, he should finally decide to write to her.

The atmosphere grew a little heavy. None of them had a good relationship with their parents, so they didn’t know how to comfort Severus about the absence of his mother at this stage.

"I found the newt eyes!" Barty shouted, grabbing the attention of his friends. "I think we’re done."

"Yeah, we should pay."

Regulus took all the materials and headed straight to pay, even though Severus complained that he could pay for his own things, but Regulus ignored him completely. Outside the shop, while waiting, they all gazed at the moon.

"Sev," Barty called.

"Yeah?"

"I’ll take care of your magical feast."

Sometimes, Barty smiled so much that his eyes disappeared, and you could see his perfect teeth. Those times were rare, but at that moment, Barty was smiling like that.

"What are you talking about, idiot? I don’t need that."

"Your kid would appreciate it," Evan chimed in with a knowing smile. "We should throw him the best magical feast the wizarding world has ever seen."

"And that way, it won’t matter that he’s Potter’s son, because he’ll be welcomed into the family."

Severus looked away. Evan laughed heartily.

The only one who didn’t understand the sudden silence was Barty. Then, when Regulus came out of the store and asked why Severus was crying, he understood everything perfectly.

"Are we going to organize the magical feast?" Regulus asked, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Maybe during the holidays. It’s still two months before the baby is born."

"As soon as exams are over, we can sneak away to do it," Evan suggested. "The sooner, the better."

Severus lowered his head, pretending to adjust his coat, when in reality, he was trying to hide his face. It was stupid to get excited over something so insignificant. But the idea of his child being accepted, celebrated...

"Do whatever you want, you’re not going to listen to me anyway."

In the end, he was smiling a little the whole way, at all the nonsense these guys were saying.

. . .

In the library with the rest of the Marauders, James woke up from his nap on the Defense Against the Dark Arts book. Though the scene he saw—Sirius looking at his Magical Creatures book with boredom, Remus eating a chocolate bar, and Peter absorbed in his homework—was incredibly cozy, he was about to ruin that peace.

"Guys, I dreamed something."

Sirius quickly lifted his head, as if he’d been begging for a distraction and it had arrived unexpectedly, courtesy of Merlin.

"I thought it was normal to dream when you sleep," murmured Remus. Oh, Remus. He looked up and knew those hopeful eyes from Prongs would bring the topic of Severus back up.

"Listen to me, Moony." James silenced him with a wave of his hand, focusing his attention on his friends and starting to explain his new plan. "What if I transform the sky over Hogwarts?"

Sirius looked at his soul brother as if he were a crazy lunatic. Then he looked at Remus, seeking confirmation that they had indeed heard the same thing.

"Prongs... Brother... What the hell do you mean by that?" He really hoped he’d heard wrong.

"I’m going to cast a mass charm over the lake so that when it reflects in the water, it’ll look like the stars are forming something special."

"‘Something special’?" Remus repeated, arching an eyebrow.

"A message for Severus. Something like... You’re brilliant, even when you don’t see it. Or, I don’t know, something poetic. You’re the poet, Remus, help me out here!"

Sirius burst out laughing, so loudly that Madam Pince would probably kill him. "What if Minnie sees that? Or Dumbledore. Isn’t that like, I don’t know, a magical crime?"

James shrugged, somewhat excited. "Magical crime? Nah, it’s magical art. Besides, I’m not hurting anyone. I was a disaster when I tried to win Lily over, I think this is the most romantic thing I’ve thought of."

"Better than kissing him in the middle of your Quidditch match, yeah," Remus contributed, giving him some credit.

"Aren’t you going to stop him, Moony?" Sirius complained, visibly confused.

"Why should I? It’s a really sweet gesture."

Sirius turned to the person on the other side of the table.

"Wormtail, tell me you’re not in favor of this too."

The other boy really just stared at him for a long time, but then shrugged. "It was only a matter of time before you thought of something like that..."

James slammed the book shut, getting up from his chair. "Guys, it was a pleasure studying with you, but I have to plan the event of the year."

"You didn’t even study, you fell asleep," Remus rolled his eyes but waved James off to go already.

As James ran back to the Gryffindor common room, Severus looked at the piece of parchment that only had a small sentence written on it.

How should I greet my mum?

He hadn’t used up all the ink, because if he ruined this parchment, he wouldn’t have any more to use. So he considered what to say.

Every time he tried to write a new sentence, he stopped before he could put it down. It tortured him how he hadn’t told his mother about his pregnancy, and he didn’t even know if she was okay.

A rather macabre idea popped into his head, and though he tried to shake it off, he couldn’t.

"Mum, are you still alive?"

It was obvious his mother was still alive, she just hadn’t contacted him... for other reasons. He stood up from his chair and paced the room, the letter in hand, clutching it to his chest as if the letter could give him some kind of answer.

No, he couldn’t write that. He couldn’t write something that sounded so... desperate.

"Dammit..." he murmured, frustrated with himself.

He sighed deeply and sat back down, letting the silence take over the room. His mind, though chaotic, began to calm down a bit. He didn’t have to make it perfect. He just had to try. He just had to break the ice, even if it was with something as simple as a greeting.

With a heavy breath, he looked at the blank page again, determined not to let the quill stop this time. He gripped it more firmly, and with a sigh, wrote the first words that came to mind, not overthinking them.

"Mum, I’ve been thinking about you. This might sound silly, but I’ve decided to write to you. I don’t know why, I just feel like I should."

The quill continued its course, not stopping. The words began to flow, almost as if they were beyond his control, a mix of emotions he hadn’t let out before.

"It’s been many months, and I’ve been wondering what’s become of you. I hope you’re doing well. I hope everything’s okay."

He stopped for a moment, looking at what he’d written. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. A small step.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and set the quill aside. He knew the process wasn’t over, but he had managed to put into words what he had feared expressing for so long. Maybe it wasn’t perfect. But it was real.

"Mum, I have so much to tell you. I can’t wait to see you."

Chapter Text

The majority of the Marauders' ideas always started the same way: James sitting on the floor watching the fire in the hearth, Remus and Peter sharing a sofa, and Sirius sprawled out across an entire couch.

"We need to do something big to say goodbye to Hogwarts."

James broke the silence that had enveloped them. It was late at night, and most of the students were already in their dormitories—everyone except them. Nights were the perfect time to concoct plans for absurd pranks or just to talk more intimately among themselves.

This was one of those nights dedicated to planning pranks.

"Since when do you have time for pranks, Prongs? I thought you were too busy whispering sweet nothings to the walls about Severus," Sirius teased, though he shifted slightly to better listen to his friend.

James ignored him entirely, though the tips of his ears turned red. He perched on the armrest of the sofa where Remus sat and waved his hands as though delivering a divine revelation.

"This is our last year. We can’t leave Hogwarts without doing something historic. We need..." He paused, searching for the right word. "We need glory."

"Let me remind you that Sirius almost burned down the common room last time... and I still have nightmares about McGonagall," Peter said, shuddering as he spoke. Remus chuckled at the memory.

"For Godric's sake! It was an accident," Sirius protested.

Remus dropped his book onto his lap with a tired sigh, though the small smile on his lips betrayed that he was enjoying this more than he cared to admit.

"And what do you have in mind, Prongs? Because between N.E.W.T.s and everything we’ve already done, I doubt we have the energy for something big." James turned to him, pointing as if he had asked the perfect question.

"That’s exactly why we need this, Moony. We haven’t pulled off a decent prank in months, and I feel like we’re failing our legacy."

"Oh, because our reputation clearly needs more chaos." Remus rolled his eyes, but James knew he was hooked. He always was, no matter how much he pretended to be the sensible one.

Sirius leaned forward, his eyes shining with the familiar spark of excitement that always appeared when James mentioned a wild plan. "I’m in. But if we’re doing this, it has to be so iconic that first-years will still talk about us when they’re old and gray."

Peter nodded vigorously in agreement, fully aware that wizards lived long lives. Their legacy would last so long that when McGonagall saw their surnames on the next incoming class list, she’d be flooded with memories.

James paused dramatically, letting silence fill the room before declaring, "We’re going to transform Hogwarts."

"I give up." Sirius lay back down, flipping through a Muggle magazine and ignoring his best friend.

"Have a little faith, Pads," James sighed, standing up. He felt he explained himself better on his feet. "We’re going to enchant the hallways, the staircases, the Great Hall. Every corner of the castle. We’re going to fill it with… stories. Moments. We’ll project everything we are onto Hogwarts."

James extended his hands as he spoke, miming the walls, the sounds, and the magic. "Not a disaster, but our legacy."

"Stories?" Peter frowned, clearly trying to follow.

"Like an enchanted mural," James explained, his eyes glowing with excitement. "Remember what we did in first year when we enchanted the portraits to let us pass without a password? Or when Sirius made the suits of armor fly in the Great Hall?"

Sirius snickered proudly. "That was epic."

"Exactly." James nodded vigorously. "We’ll take all that and more. We want every corridor to tell our story. For anyone walking through the castle to feel what it means to be a Marauder."

"What about Filch?" Remus asked, since he hadn’t heard any mention of how to deal with the one person most likely to ruin their plan.

"And what if McGonagall expels us before exams? Oh, sweet Morgana..."

"That’s the trick, Moony," James replied, leaning toward him with a grin. "You’re the brains behind the enchantments. Sirius and I will be the distraction. And Peter..."

"Let me guess," Peter interrupted. "I’m the bait again."

"No, no, no," James shook his head quickly, though his guilty expression said otherwise. "Not this time. We need you to connect the dots. You’re good with details, Wormtail. You’ll make sure all the enchantments sync up."

"The same as being bait, then."

Sirius laughed, tossing a cushion at Peter. "Shut it, Wormtail. You love being involved."

Remus closed his eyes, exhaling with resignation before opening them again. "Fine. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. But, James, you’d better have more than just... painting the castle."

James beamed, clearly pleased to have won them over. "Oh, Moony, I promise this will be legendary."

Sirius leaned forward, his mischievous spark growing brighter. "And what stories are we showing? Because I’ve got plenty of ideas. Most involve McGonagall turned into a giant cat, but I’m willing to negotiate."

James rolled his eyes. "It’ll be balanced, Padfoot. The fun, the thrilling, the epic... but also what it means to be a Marauder. The mischief and the full moons. The pranks and the adventures. Everything."

A brief but meaningful silence followed as the four of them processed the magnitude of what James was proposing.

"Alright," Remus finally said with a small smile. "But if anyone mentions my name in that mural, I’ll make sure McGonagall sees your signature, James."

James laughed, fist-bumping Remus. "Deal."

Sirius jumped to his feet, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Alright, lads. If we’re doing this, we need a master plan. And, of course, lots of tea."

Peter nodded, though he still looked a bit worried. "And if Filch catches us?"

"He won’t," James said confidently. "We’re the Marauders. If we can’t pull this off, no one can."

With James Potter at the helm, the four Marauders were back in action. Remus pulled out a piece of parchment to jot down key points of the plan, while Sirius tossed out ideas to improve and expand it.

The entire night was nostalgic. James watched his friends with a smile. It would all be over in such a short time...

But still, he smiled happily, because when he left Hogwarts, life would truly begin.

. . .

Once again in the infirmary, Severus was there for Madam Pomfrey's weekly check-up. The woman smiled warmly at him, as if she weren’t the same person who had revealed his pregnancy to Potter. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to hate her.

The air in the infirmary was filled with the gentle scent of healing herbs and freshly brewed potions. Severus found it both perfect and comforting.

“Severus, make yourself comfortable on the cot,” she said, gesturing lightly toward the corner where the weekly check-ups were conducted.

Severus complied in silence, sitting down with his robes arranged meticulously to avoid looking untidy. As Pomfrey waved her wand in smooth, practiced motions, a golden glow enveloped his abdomen. The magic traced invisible lines, creating a delicate shimmer on the surface, as if mapping out the life within.

“Everything is in order,” she said after a moment. Her voice was professional, though she couldn’t hide a hint of satisfaction. “The baby is growing well, although…”

“Although…?”

“You’ve lost weight,” Pomfrey informed him, her tone firm enough to make him frown immediately. “This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned it, but at this stage of pregnancy, it’s not negotiable. You need to eat more.”

“I’m eating enough,” he replied. It was a lie that might have convinced anyone but her.

“Severus,” Pomfrey crossed her arms, her gaze stern yet brimming with patience, which he loathed. “You cannot keep this up. If you can’t manage proper meals, I’ll start sending you fortified pregnancy potions. You need nutrients, especially iron and protein. And I don’t care how many times you go to the dungeons—you will stop to eat first.”

Severus let out a quiet, tense sigh but didn’t argue further. It was easier to nod than to prolong the conversation.

“And I want you to rest more,” she continued, lowering her arms but not her tone of warning. “You can’t keep up this exhausting schedule and expect your body not to protest. I’m not saying you need to stop brewing entirely, but take breaks. If you don’t, I’ll speak to the Headmaster myself.”

The comment made him press his lips together, his gaze shifting toward the window. He couldn’t tell her he’d been barred from Potions class and was brewing his own potions in secret to maintain his skills.

Pomfrey, sensing she’d said enough, let silence fill the space for a few moments before adding, in a softer tone:

“Severus… do you finally want to know the baby’s gender?”

For a moment, his gaze returned to her, sharp and inquisitive. It was impossible to read his thoughts. Severus shivered slightly. If he thought about it, it wouldn’t be bad to finally know; from what he’d heard from others, it was an important detail for the magical celebration. But… he wanted to love the baby regardless of gender.

He remembered overhearing arguments at home, his father yelling at his mother that things would have been better if Severus had been a girl because at least then, he would listen. In contrast, his mother would hold him close afterward in his room, whispering that she loved him just as he was.

“No,” he finally said. “It’s not relevant.”

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “As you wish.”

“Anything else?” he asked, clearly wanting to end the check-up.

“Yes.” Her tone regained its earlier firmness. “Don’t ignore any symptoms—dizziness, discomfort, anything. Let me know immediately. I don’t want you stumbling in here half-fainted because you couldn’t step away from a cauldron.”

Madam Pomfrey was so much like Regulus that, if she were a new acquaintance, he might seriously believe they were related. He heard her bid him farewell with a smile, offering a few new potions to conceal his growing belly. He returned her farewell and left the infirmary with his head down.

It had been so long since he’d walked like that—probably not since meeting Lucius, who had taken him under his wing but hadn’t been able to shield him from the Marauders.

“Sev!” Lily greeted him when she spotted him in the corridor.

Severus’s dark eyes seemed to hold stars that made them shine, for he’d never imagined being greeted like that by his childhood friend again. Sometimes he forgot they were on better terms now.

“Hello, Lily,” he replied.

Lily’s friends didn’t greet him back, but Severus didn’t complain; he knew them well. McKinnon had been the one who’d witnessed him pleading in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait more than once. How awkward.

“How are you? Is everything alright with Potter?” she asked, smiling. Her friends behind her frowned.

For his own sake, he should avoid this conversation.

“Everything’s fine, Lily. I’ve got some work to finish,” Severus excused himself and hurried off. He cursed himself internally because the day they reconciled, he had felt great.

Further down the corridor, Regulus was waiting for him.

“Escaping Evans?” the boy asked, with a slightly mocking smile that he’d likely picked up from Evan.

“I’m really busy.”

“Care to join me in asking the house-elves for food? The Bloody Baron told me you need to eat.” But it wasn’t a request. Regulus linked his arm with Severus’s and gently steered him toward the kitchens.

. . .

The door to the classroom where Severus often hid creaked open slowly, the sound alerting the Slytherin. Instinctively, he raised his wand, ready to attack—but the first thing he saw was that messy mop of Potter’s hair. He hesitated, unsure whether to lower his wand or aim it more fiercely.

“Potter.”

“Severus,” the Gryffindor greeted with infuriating ease. He strolled into the room as if he were welcome, plopping into one of the chairs while watching Severus work on his potions.

Standing before a softly bubbling cauldron, Severus questioned what his life had become. He probably looked ridiculous—a protective cap on his head because Barty had insisted he should start taking care of his DNA for the baby, and a magical mask gifted by Regulus to prevent inhaling fumes.

Even with the mild discomfort, Severus didn’t let it show, allowing the circus of concerns to carry on as usual. But now, Potter was there, watching him.

“Can you leave?”

“I could,” Potter said with a lopsided grin, “but I don’t want to.”

He shrugged, his grin so broad it hid his eyes completely, and leaned back in his chair. Severus rolled his eyes, attempting to return to his work, but the itch of being watched burned at the back of his neck. He felt impossibly uncomfortable.

How he hated Potter’s stupid, smug face.

“Do you want to fly with me for a bit?” the bespectacled Gryffindor asked after a moment.

“No.”

But Potter acted as though he hadn’t heard a word.

“I thought I’d invite you for a quick flight before curfew. The Quidditch pitch is open, and since I’m the captain, I can use it whenever I want.”

Severus raised an incredulous eyebrow but didn’t bother to look at him. “Why would you assume I’d be interested in such a thing?”

“Because no one can tell me flying isn’t fun,” James replied with an easy grin. “And because I thought you might enjoy it. But if you’d rather stay here in the shadows…”

Severus clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. “I don’t have a broom, Potter. And I have no intention of dangling in midair on one of those ancient school relics.”

James didn’t seem the least bit discouraged. In fact, his grin only grew wider. “Well, that’s not a problem.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room. Severus genuinely thought he wouldn’t return.

A few minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Severus barely had time to return to his notes and jot down the finer details of his potion when James reappeared, this time holding two brooms.

“Problem solved,” James announced triumphantly. “I’ve got a new Nimbus, but I figured you’d feel more comfortable flying with this one. I’ll use the other.”

Severus stared at him, his expression caught between disbelief and annoyance. “Why are you doing this?”

James offered him the broom without hesitation. “Because I want to get to know you.”

For a moment, Severus didn’t know what to say. There was something so genuine in James’s tone that it was almost uncomfortable.

“Get lost.”

James’s ridiculous smile didn’t waver. His determination seemed unshakable.

“It’ll be important for Harry that we get along.”

“Harry? Who’s Harry?”

“Oh! That’s the name I’ve picked for the baby in my head!”

Why was James Potter so impossibly radiant? Severus felt a sharp ache behind his eyes.

“You don’t even know if it’s a boy.”

“Doesn’t matter,” James said with a carefree shrug. “But I do know it’d be better if he had two parents who got along.”

James kept pushing, his smile unwavering, holding out the Nimbus as if sheer persistence would prevent Severus from saying no. Though he huffed, grumbled, and muttered insults, Severus finally snatched the broom with a dramatic roll of his eyes.

“If this is another one of your pranks, Potter, you’ll regret it.”

“I promise, it’s not a prank,” James said with that dazzling smile, leading the way as they walked together toward the Quidditch pitch.

Chapter Text

Severus Snape hadn’t flown on a broomstick since his first year. Back then, he had crashed straight to the ground during his flying lesson, forcing the teacher to halt the entire class just so she could take him to the infirmary—Severus hadn’t been able to walk on his own.

That day, Madam Pomfrey had discovered the dark marks painting Severus’s body, and she had grown worried about the boy. In her mind, if she could heal all the pain the child carried, then her job was worth it.

After weeks of being confined in the infirmary, with Evan running back and forth or telling him everything he had learned in class, Severus was finally discharged.

But it was still uncomfortable. Even though there was no longer pain, no open wounds or bruises to be careful with, it was uncomfortable. Severus realized that, throughout his life, he had held onto that pain like a grounding wire, gripping it tightly and keeping it in place so that he wouldn’t dare dream beyond what a half-blood like him was allowed.

So it was fine. After the holidays, everything returned to normal, and he clung to that pain as everything unfolded before his eyes—taunts, laughter, pointed fingers. He was not allowed to expect more.

Severus Snape did not have a good opinion of flying on a broomstick, yet for some reason, this pregnancy had completely thrown him out of his comfort zone, and now he was on a broom—not even his own—trying to stay in the air.

The one to blame for all of it didn’t seem the least bit affected. James smiled gracefully, moving effortlessly from side to side, circling Severus, soaring up and down, while the air filled with laughter and carefree shouts.

He tilted his head, genuinely interested. He was less than two meters above the ground, while Potter—probably at his least hyperactive—was about five meters up.

“Come on, Sev!” James called from above, waving his hand in invitation.

Should he go up?

If he did and something happened to the baby… No. That was far too risky. He even lowered himself a little more as fear coursed through his entire body.

“No way. Will you take responsibility if I lose the baby?” Though the response was filled with reproach, it came out more like a grumble—one that only made James smile.

Wow. That boy smiles all the time.

Severus shook his head lightly and tried to push those thoughts away—he wasn’t supposed to care about anything related to James.

Sometimes, when Severus passed by Lily’s house, the Evans would invite him in for a snack. They had a television. It was all the rage at the moment, but Severus thought James was exactly like the people inside that machine.

James moved closer, trying to match Severus’s position. Awkwardly, but successfully, he lifted himself on his broom.

“Look! I can stand on the broom.”

It seemed like that was a greater achievement than winning any match.

Severus watched as James repeated the same demonstration over and over, showing off his skill on the broom. He didn’t even realize when the corners of his lips slowly tilted upward.

Despite the pleasant atmosphere James was creating, Severus still felt a bit uncomfortable and terrified. Was this really safe for his baby? Even if the potions prevented a noticeable belly and he could still balance decently… Severus began to descend, trying to calm his heart.

“Uh? What’s wrong?” James quickly asked, lowering himself to Severus’s level.

“I can’t do this, Potter.”

“James. Call me James,” the Gryffindor insisted. Severus merely rolled his eyes, refusing to humor him.

“Why can’t you fly with me?”

“Since it’s no longer a secret, I hope your information-retaining-challenged brain remembers that I’m pregnant. This could be dangerous.”

James only sighed, moving away from his broom completely. He knew that was true, but part of him had thought that since Severus didn’t have the usual body of a pregnant person, it would be easier to handle.

Even though he himself wanted to share a broom with Severus, holding him against his chest, it was obvious that their relationship wasn’t one where that could happen.

Like a golden Snidget, an idea suddenly planted itself in James’s mind. He extended his hand toward Severus, waiting for the other boy to understand and take it. Surprisingly, though huffing and rolling his eyes, Severus actually did.

“Let’s walk.”

Severus let out a quiet, soundless laugh. Both began moving in silence, and James’s heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

“What do you want to do once you leave Hogwarts?”

“Never see you again,” Severus muttered.

“Something that could actually happen?”

Ugh, arrogant brat. Severus shrugged. It was cold. Were the boys worried about him? If they had even noticed his absence. He didn’t have the energy or patience for another fight with his friends.

“I don’t know? It’d be nice to live with my mother, here in the wizarding world.”

That desire seemed even more distant than never seeing Potter again, for some reason.

“Are you close to your mother?” James asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

“No.” Severus turned his face away, his hair covering most of it. But I love her so much, he wanted to say.

The situation only revived his greatest frustration and worry at the moment. His mother’s absence was killing him.

“I’m closer to my father than to my mother,” Potter began to speak, even though Severus hadn’t asked. “Mom is closer to Sirius. She loves making cauldron cookies with him and listening to radio dramas.”

“Radio dramas?”

“Yes! Mom has a magical radio; she loves tuning in to The Spell Club. Last holiday, she and Sirius spent the whole night on the couch listening to a romance story—I think it was called Love in the Cauldron…”

A sound as soft as falling snow made James stop. He quickly turned to look at a curious Severus.

“Love in the Cauldron? That sounds a bit like cannibalism.”

“I said the same thing! But it was a love story between a pureblood and a Muggle-born.” James shook his head in exasperation as he spoke.

“Aren’t you a little jealous that your mother has… so many hobbies with Sirius?”

“Why would I be? I love that Mom sees him as another son.” To Severus, James’s question seemed completely genuine. “I have my own time with Mom too! She was the best Quidditch player of her year, so she taught me how to fly. I got my first broom when I was five.”

“That’s sweet of her.”

What did Severus share with his mother?

“She’s also really good at Transfiguration. When I was little and she read me books, she would transform the book into one of the story’s characters.”

Something in Severus’s chest tightened. Yes, his mother used to read to him too. Eileen never transformed the book into a character, but she always told the stories with such vivid detail that his eyes would sparkle with interest. And she would give him a kiss on the forehead every time she finished a book.

“So, you’re close to your mother.”

“No, Sev. I’m closer to my dad, pay attention,” James scolded lightly. “I know I suck at Potions, but my dad is a genius. He’s taught me so many things I only know in theory but never dare to practice. He used to take me to magical museums, and he told me he fell in love with my mom the first time he saw her playing Quidditch.”

“They have a beautiful story.”

Do my parents have a beautiful story too?

“That’s why, Sev… I really want to make peace with you.”

That caught him off guard, like almost everything Potter said.

“I want that baby to grow up in an environment like mine. We don’t need to be together or love each other, but… I want them to have both of us.”

He smiled, a little forced. He wasn’t entirely wrong. Severus would have given anything for his own life to have been different. Maybe not having his father hurt his mother, or having a father who was loving. Or perhaps his mother raising him alone.

Ever since he learned that half of his DNA was pureblood, he wondered what his life would have been like if his mother had never stayed with his father and had bent her pride just a little. Would his mother’s family have wanted him?

Maybe not. Or maybe they would have.

Like a seed in fertile soil, Severus wanted his child to grow well. But the weight of James’s words followed him to the depths of his soul.

"It's not that easy."

"It isn't," James agreed. "But we should try. Severus, please don’t run away from me once we leave Hogwarts."

. . .

"That idiot is really trying." Regulus sighed and let himself fall onto Evan’s bed.

The extendable ears had allowed them to overhear the conversation. They really shouldn’t have violated Severus’s privacy, but the three boys simply couldn’t help themselves.

"It’s the bare minimum." Barty shrugged. "If they’re going to have a mini Sev, I really think the right thing to do is to make sure there’s a good environment."

"We’re talking about Potter, Barty." Evan cut in, but that didn’t stop him.

"I mean, I know all three of us want to protect Severus. But if he’s really making choices like meeting with Potter this late at night, then he must have his reasons. Evan, you won’t be able to take care of him forever. Regulus, you and I still have another year before we finally leave Hogwarts."

"I can take care of him forever."

"No." He was shut down again. Barty ran a hand through his hair and finally said what he’d been holding in for so long. "None of us had a good family. None of us really know how to love someone because we were never loved that way. Guys, it’s ridiculous to think we can do this alone. What if that baby grows up thinking there’s something wrong with him, just because we didn’t know how to react properly to a situation?"

"And your answer is throwing Severus to the lions? That’s absurd."

"Regulus. I know Potter isn’t the best match, but I also know Severus won’t make it easy for him. Potter better get on his knees and cry for forgiveness before Severus even considers it, but…"

Someone let out a heavy sigh. Evan shook his hair a little too violently before wrapping an arm around Regulus’s shoulders.

"It’s worse when you realize Barty’s right," the blond grumbled.

Barty grinned wide at that—finally, one of them had given in. "Regulus…"

"No."

"Please?"

"I refuse."

Evan quickly wrapped one of his legs around Regulus’s waist, pulling him into a torturous hug. "Get off me, Rosier."

"Reggiee~!"

Regulus’s legs flailed on instinct, trying to land a hit on Evan, but the older boy dodged every single attempt. "Reggie, trust Sev."

"He’s too young…"

"He’s older than you."

"But I’m not pregnant!"

"Which only proves my point, since you haven’t done anything dirty yet." Regulus successfully landed a slap on Evan’s cheek after that shameless wink.

The sound of the door slamming open startled all three of them. Severus stood there, arms crossed over his chest, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at them.

"If you’re going to spy, at least do it properly next time. I’m going to sleep."

"Severus! Don’t be mad at me, it was Evan’s idea!" Barty quickly scrambled to Severus’s bed, lowering his head like a scolded puppy.

"Yeah, yeah. Both of you, get out. I want to rest."

. . .

Despite the pregnancy, Severus still had to take the exams for every subject he had enrolled in that year, even if he hadn’t been able to complete all his classes successfully.  

Right in front of him, the cauldron bubbled with thick, heavy sounds.  

Without his wand and with only the steel spoon he had been provided, Severus stirred the potion with extreme care. Slughorn’s eyes followed his every move meticulously, even though there were plenty of other students in the room. Was this what favoritism felt like? The same favoritism Dumbledore showed toward Gryffindors?  

His other hand wasn’t free either; it was carefully covering his nose to prevent any toxic fumes from the other potions from reaching him. The room was filled with an overwhelming mix of scents—the acidic sweetness of an elixir and the sour stench of an overcooked Herbovitalizer.  

He glanced at his own work: the Wolfsbane Potion.  

Before the pregnancy, Severus had been deeply interested in this type of potion. It was mesmerizing and incredible. Slughorn had challenged him to brew it in under an hour.  

With precise movements, he added aconite, separating the roots from the leaves in one swift motion, never stopping to check his book. He knew that even a fraction of a gram too much would turn the potion into a lethal poison. Then, with a steady hand, he poured the juice of two mandrake leaves, watching as the mixture shifted from a violet-blue to a deep green—the exact color it needed to be at this stage.  

Severus tried to focus, but in the distance, a Ravenclaw student yelped as their potion erupted, spilling dangerously. Two tables behind him, someone had poured their aconite too quickly, and their potion was now crackling violently.  

A smirk of satisfaction crossed Severus’s face. Even after months away from this place, his skills remained unmatched.  

Not too far away, Lily was carefully adding ingredients to her cauldron, stirring just as she should. She would likely pass the exam too.  

A scent of earth filled the air, but Severus ignored it—that was exactly what was supposed to happen. The potion hissed softly as he continued adding ingredients. Everything was fine. Everything was going perfectly.  

Snape controlled his breathing and adjusted the heat to medium. This was where most people failed. Carefully, he took seven sopophorous beans and began extracting their juice, adding it one by one, pausing between each to allow proper absorption. When the seventh was fully integrated, he lowered the heat and reached for the occamy egg. Unlike other ingredients, this one required delicacy. He crushed it gently, turning it into a fine powder before sprinkling it over the potion.  

Finally, he flicked his wand over the cauldron and stirred six times counterclockwise. One last wave of his wand, and the potion was complete.  

There it was, right in front of him—the perfect Wolfsbane Potion. The silvery liquid he was most proud of in his entire life. He raised his hand, but it wasn’t necessary; Slughorn was already beside him, beaming as if he had just witnessed a masterpiece.  

"Excellent work, young Snape."  

As he left the classroom, Severus felt as if his world had shifted into something better. Slughorn’s smile practically confirmed an E on his exam. He clutched his wand against his chest.  

"Severus!" Regulus called out. When he turned, there were his friends, grinning widely.  

"Did you do it?" Evan asked with a smile.  

"I'm Severus Snape." He shrugged.  

Without his friends noticing, as they all walked toward the Great Hall for dinner, Snape gently ran a hand over his stomach.  

For him, it was his way of telling this baby—Harry or whatever—that they would be just fine.  

I should write to my mother again. She’ll be happy to know I passed my exams, Severus thought with a small smirk.

Chapter Text

Night had yet to fully settle over Hogwarts, but the four friends stood at the Astronomy Tower, watching the landscape unfold before them. The sky was painted in a soft shade of blue. One they would never see quite the same way again once they left Hogwarts behind.

James took a deep breath, his chest filling with an inexplicable mix of emotions. But if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he would never regret the years spent at Hogwarts with his friends. Well... except for everything that involved Severus.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on mistakes. As he gazed at the hesitant sky, the sun slipping away like his own unspoken feelings, James turned to look at his friends.

"Tomorrow, we won’t be students anymore," was all Remus said.

"Why the long face? Today, we still are," James pushed his own nostalgia aside and gave his friends a warm smile.

"When do we start the plan?" Sirius asked, throwing an arm around James’ shoulders. "I’m ready, Captain."

James cast a soft spell over the group, something they had learned from one of their many pranks. From that moment on, each of their steps would be silent enough to let them sneak around unnoticed.

Peter was the first to move, disappearing into the darkness almost instantly after shifting into his Animagus form. Sirius followed, bringing two fingers to his forehead.

"See you in a bit!" His wink was enough to warn them that the prank might be bigger than expected.

Then, Sirius transformed as well, gaining speed, leaving only Remus and James behind.

"Did you tell Severus?" Remus asked as they walked casually toward the exit.

"It’ll be a surprise."

James continued on alone after that. Though the castle wasn’t entirely empty, most students were likely gathered in the Great Hall. They had spent days planning this, and James’ final role was to be the enchanter.

Beyond his undeniable charm—something James was quite proud of—his task required casting the most complex spells to project their memories throughout the castle. His mind was, in fact, stronger than Lupin’s, he didn’t tremble or hesitate as much. This task was made for him.

Near the portrait of the Fat Lady, James left behind one of his most cherished Gryffindor memories. Pressing his wand to the stone wall, he visualized it once more: the first Quidditch match Gryffindor had ever won with him on the team. The memory of the victory, the celebration, the exhilaration lighting up every face. Even though it had happened in their early years, it might serve as motivation for the new generation.

"Memorilum Spectaculum," James whispered once the entire scene was clear in his mind. It was the first time he had said the spell aloud.

The way it left his lips and traveled to the wall sent a shiver through him. It felt like losing a memory, but within seconds, it materialized before the stone like a ghost, floating in the air.

But just one memory wasn’t enough. He filled the entire seventh-floor corridor with his recollections. In one corner, a scene of Sirius sneaking into the Slytherin common room appeared. Since it was from James’ perspective, he conveniently spared himself the embarrassment of his own disguise. But that ridiculous blonde wig Sirius had worn, biting his lip in concentration, still haunted James' nightmares.

In another corner, there they were in the first-floor bathroom, third-year Remus, trying his hardest to cast a group Disillusionment Charm, only for all three of them to end up with rabbit ears for a whole week.

James felt satisfied after a while, turned around, and continued on with a smile.

On the third floor, he left behind memories of Peter knocking over half the Restricted Section in their fourth year when Sirius startled him with a bug. Another of Sirius physically wrestling a cursed book that tried to bite him.

Just for fun, James added an extra spell. Now, every time someone shouted "Marauders," the Grand Staircase would move faster and shift directions.

The fourth-floor hallway held more personal memories. Nights when Sirius and Remus ran side by side in their animal forms, though no one would realize that the large wolf was Remus. In the distance, the echoes of wolf and dog howls rang through the castle.

With each step James took, the weight in his chest grew heavier. Even as he tried to ignore it, a lump formed in his throat, making it impossible to speak, so he resorted to casting spells nonverbally.

He ran as fast as his legs allowed him, and by the time he reached the entrance to the Great Hall, the others were already there.

"The portraits are already talking," Sirius said, his smirk brimming with pride. "And we are now the official song repertoire of the suits of armor. I added my own personal touch."

Small signatures reading Padfoot was here were etched into every corner of Hogwarts. Fireworks spells filled the air, but the others didn’t need to know that yet.

Remus rolled his eyes but gave his own report. "The hallways are projecting a nostalgic sky. And all the magical barriers are in place."

Suddenly, four figures surrounded them. As if they had cast a Patronus Charm, the animals moved around them, and James beamed at Peter, because this meant they had all successfully done their part.

"I still need to enchant this place, guys."

James adjusted his glasses and stepped forward, his stag following him. A crowd had gathered in the Great Hall, but that had never stopped James Potter from making a name for himself.

Sparks of anticipation crackled from his wand, electricity buzzing at his fingertips. Under his Invisibility Cloak, he was unseen, and so the only thing people noticed was his stag walking forward. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. This was their final prank on Hogwarts.

After this, he would no longer be the Gryffindor boy. He would be James Potter.

"Memorilum Spectaculum."

With the force and speed of his movement, the Invisibility Cloak slipped, revealing his face. The spell successfully surged toward the enchanted ceiling, where it merged with the charm Remus cast at the same time. James turned to his friend, who was smiling at him.

Everything around them transformed. The ghosts of their memories hovered in the air, and the ceiling above them displayed the most breathtaking night sky they had ever seen, not the dull one they had grown accustomed to. Sirius soared through the air on his broomstick, casting firework spells.

Peter’s enchanted animals darted through the hall. The suits of armor marched inside, chanting their names like a mantra. The walls that had witnessed seven years of their lives were now filled with images; laughter, mischief, camaraderie. And, most importantly, their story.

McGonagall shot up, alarmed, but Dumbledore held her back with a smile.

Ancient voices echoed, and suddenly, each of the four walls displayed a different moment. It was that day... the Marauders’ first day at Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat’s voice boomed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

That was the moment James Potter’s life had changed forever. He turned to his friends, caring about nothing else, and even though Remus was covering his face in embarrassment, they were all smiling.

"To my office! Immediately!" McGonagall’s voice cut through the air, shattering the moment.

Chapter Text

EIGHTH MONTH

Maybe he would never get used to calling that place “home,” and maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t home at all; because home had been the place where he’d grown up with wounds and crying. His home had always been stained with blood and tears, deep and open wounds that never fully healed in his soul.

That’s why, every time Severus took a step through that house, something felt wrong. It felt as if someone had cast a spell on his feet so that both were left ones, as if a curse distorted the whole perspective of his new life just to throw him to the ground and present Azkaban as his true home.

But everything was real. Or at least, he begged it was.

He walked softly through the house, which, despite being a home, was a place where only Severus Snape lived at the moment. That was how he wanted it. People could insult him, criticize him, say whatever they wanted... but that was how Severus wanted it.

And unfortunately, his neighbors were the Potter family, who spent more time in this house than in their own. To make it worse, Severus felt the house was warmer when they were around.

Euphemia was so kind, always smiling warmly and offering her hand whenever she saw Severus in distress. Fleamont wasn’t as eloquent as his wife, but he had the elegance of a pureblood (and that sent chills down Severus’s spine).

“Severus!” Euphemia called him, far too comfortable using his first name and even shortening it sometimes, as if they were some kind of royal family. “Darling, I tried to recreate something I saw in a Muggle magazine.”

The woman handed him a divine garment. From the outside to the inside, it was made of such expensive fabric that he even swallowed hard just thinking about it. It was probably nothing to the Potters.

It was a perfect nursing garment, for when the time came. It had two zippers on each side of the chest and overall, it was beautiful. He felt so embarrassed.

“You didn’t have to do this, ma’am.” Severus didn’t look her in the eyes as he spoke. He didn’t lower his head either, but the embarrassment was painted on his face like watercolors reddening his cheeks.

And he had talked about it with that idiot James. About how all these details from Mrs. Potter overwhelmed him and made him feel slightly suffocated. It seemed like the mama’s boy would never figure out how to confront his mother.

Honestly, Severus didn’t know how to face the woman either.

“Of course I had to!” she scolded him, frowning slightly and pinching Severus’s cheek, deepening his blush. “It’s thanks to you that I’ll be a grandmother! I have to be a good one!”

Is it clear now why he can’t confront her?

Severus took a few steps back, smiling almost forcibly. He wanted to come up with an excuse to leave, but didn’t know if it would work.

Luckily, Harry was always keenly aware of his every need—ironically. A chill ran through his body in an instant, doubling him over sharply. The woman panicked and quickly tried to approach him.

Severus cursed under his breath at the baby inside him. That damned future Potter. He grabbed the couch and tried to inhale and exhale. Every wave of air he breathed in scraped through his body like stones grinding deep inside, and every exhale was worse.

Everything became so hard, his legs lost mobility and trembled. He couldn’t even stand properly anymore; he could collapse any second, and Euphemia didn’t exactly have the strength to catch him.

“Jamie! Jamie!” she shouted, calling for her son. “Where is that boy? Oh God.”

“I’m fine,” Severus muttered, but the woman didn’t believe him.

And it wasn’t the first time he’d survived this sort of episode with her. Probably because a mother already knew more about these things than he did—being a first-timer in every sense.

“Severus, are you okay?!”

The worst sound to Severus was still James’s voice. But the boy quickly supported him and called the house-elves to take over helping Severus.

A bunch of fans appeared, blocking his vision and providing the air he lacked. The gentle hands of a female elf massaged his pelvis to relieve the pressure, and others ran to the kitchen to prepare something delicious.

Severus felt completely overwhelmed.

Several minutes passed before he was finally stabilized. The elves all left once they’d completed their tasks, leaving a tray at the far end near Severus’s bed, and Euphemia said goodbye while murmuring something about calling her or keeping her updated. Severus didn’t try to make sense of it.

Only James was left there.

“You’re really unwell,” he murmured, touching Severus’s cheek with his wand. “How do you expect to attend your friends’ celebration if you’re like this?”

“I’m fine.”

“No. You’re not. You have constant contractions and pain,” James scolded him. Gently, he set the wand aside and replaced it with his hand. “I want you to enjoy your magi-feast. What if we ask them to postpone it until after the birth?”

“No… Barty is excited.”

Even as sweat burned on his forehead, Severus shook his head. Being stable didn’t mean being completely well.

But, for some reason, the fact that there was a celebration for his own child felt so warm, it lit a fire in his chest and kept him going. Maybe that child would be well received in the wizarding world.

Besides, Barty had taken care of sending an invitation to his mother, after a long explanation that it had to be done secretly and his father couldn’t find out. According to his friend, his owl was the best in the wizarding world at sneaking around and had successfully delivered the letter.

So, it was a chance to see his mother again. He had already spoken with Potter; she could live in the same house and also watch her grandchild grow up.

Once all the pain was gone, Severus distanced himself from James. He completely ignored the worried face and turned away. The sun had vanished; it would be dinner soon.

“You should go have dinner with your parents now, James.”

His expression changed drastically, lips pressed tightly together, and Severus recognized that face. He cursed the thought. But that face was the ‘I forgot to tell you something’ one he’d recently learned to identify, because it seemed James always forgot to tell him something.

“No,” Severus said firmly. He wasn’t going to argue about it again.

“Yes... I’m sorry!”

A few hours later, dinner appeared on the table in his new house. Euphemia helped the house-elves move back and forth with the dishes and watched carefully to see which smells made Severus grimace, so she could ask the elves to remove them.

And the two of them sat side by side. So awkward.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, son!” said a smiling Euphemia.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Severus forced a smile again and stepped hard on James’s foot. He might have laughed at the way he gasped and nearly choked on his food, but his anger was greater.

They ate in silence, while Euphemia shared stories about James as a child. Anecdotes involving the “adorable” Sirius Black (her words only) and other mischiefs. All that until Fleamont set his utensils down and wiped his mouth with a napkin; elegantly, of course.

Suddenly, the woman went quiet. She played with her food for a moment and then sighed; it seemed they both had stubborn people in their lives. And that wasn’t a compliment.

Fleamont’s voice filled the dining room.

“And what plans do you two have for the future?” he asked. It wasn’t a casual question; it sounded like something he’d been thinking about for a while.

The man wasn’t really intimidating, considering he was the father of a fool like James Potter and had also been a Gryffindor in his Hogwarts days. But the seriousness in his tone hit Severus hard.

“Dad!” James scolded him. Now, that expression was different from the one James usually wore.

He looked torn between anger and embarrassment.

Severus’s gaze discreetly dropped to James’s hand, clenched tightly around the fabric of his pants. He thought that if they were a real couple, then maybe he could have reached out to comfort him.

But Severus would never do that. And he didn’t need James shutting his father up like that either, because even though he currently had a small problem growing inside him, that wouldn’t stop him from moving forward.

At the end of the day, he was Severus Snape. The Half-Blood Prince.

“You should elaborate more on your comments, Mr. Potter,” was Severus’s reply, as he held his gaze.

If he heard gasps around him, he didn’t care much.

A man like Fleamont Potter wasn’t very frightening. He could even swear it was his wife who was the real iron hand of the house. Fleamont had never raised his voice at home, and James’s behavior made that more than obvious.

And unfortunately for the man, Severus had seen worse before in his own house. In his home.

“Love won’t feed them, and James can’t keep living off my money until the day he dies. You’re young, but you need to learn about life after Hogwarts.”

He wanted to open his mouth and deny there was even a shred of love here, but he stayed silent. In truth, he remembered James’s embarrassing love confession, and though he wanted to humiliate him in front of his parents so he’d die on the spot and never rise again, Severus knew exactly what his priorities were.

“I’m Professor Slughorn’s best student, and he’s willing to train me after Harry is born so I can become the next professor. I don’t know about your son, but I have control over everything in my life —except the baby,” Severus responded. He looked away from his plate and pulled a candy out of his pocket, one James had gotten for his cravings.

Fleamont raised an eyebrow, suddenly looking interested.

“Slughorn, huh?” he murmured, more to himself than to the others. “He’s known for his talent.”

“Dad,” James insisted, his tone no longer scolding but pleading.

Severus said nothing. He simply set the candy down gently on his napkin. He was sick of the Potters, their dinners, their veiled questions, and their fake warmth that made him feel more exposed than if someone had ripped his robes off in front of all of Hogwarts. He was exhausted.

And then, he felt it.

A pressure —not painful, but deep, definitive— ran through him from his lower back to his abdomen. For a second, he thought it was just another contraction, one like the others. But the next second, something burst inside him, like a bubble popping in the center of his chest and sliding straight downward.

The sound was barely audible, like a wet click. But the hot liquid running down his legs, soaking the floor and his robe, was impossible to ignore.

“Oh no,” Severus murmured, so quietly that even he didn’t seem to believe what he’d just said.

Silence fell over the table. Euphemia dropped her fork with a soft cling that rang out like an alarm spell. James turned sharply toward him, and Severus looked down.

His legs were soaked. A puddle was forming beneath his chair.

“No…” Severus repeated, now with more urgency. “No, no, no.”

“Severus?” Euphemia’s voice no longer had even a trace of lighthearted sympathy. Now it was full-on maternal instinct, at maximum alert.

James stood up so fast he knocked over his chair. Fleamont blinked twice before letting out a sigh of resignation and guilt.

“His water…” James said awkwardly. “He broke his water, Mum.”

“Don’t move, Sev!” Euphemia shouted, whipping the napkin from her lap and already running toward Severus with her wand drawn.

“I told you, you weren’t well!” James reached him immediately, kneeling in front of him as if that would somehow change anything.

“He’s not supposed to come yet!” Severus snapped, his face red with fury, embarrassment, and fear all at once. “He shouldn’t!”

But his body didn’t seem to agree. Another cramp, stronger this time, stabbed through him like an invisible dagger. This time, he gasped, bracing himself hard against the table. His fingers searched for the edge of the tablecloth as if that could anchor him to reality.

“I’m not ready,” he said quietly, not looking at anyone in the room.

“No one ever is, sweetheart,” Euphemia replied from behind, conjuring a floating towel and casting a spell on the floor to prevent Severus from slipping. “James, get the Portkey ready! Fleamont, alert St. Mungo’s!”

“I don’t want to go to St. Mungo’s with you people!” Severus cried, his voice twisted by sheer terror.

James cupped his face with both hands, forcing him to look up. “We’re going to take you somewhere safe,” he said with a voice so calm it hardly sounded like him. “Severus, just listen to me for once. Please. For Harry.”

And even though Severus wanted to curse him, hit him, tell him to leave, to die, that he was the worst accidental father in the universe… he simply closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

Another cramp. Another jolt. His body had already made the decision for him.

Harry was coming. He hoped it would be a boy so he wouldn’t have to think of another name.

“The Portkey’s ready!” Fleamont called from the living room. “A crystal pitcher, straight to the delivery room. It’s not fancy, but it works.”

“Let’s go,” James murmured, sliding an arm around Severus’s waist.

“I hate you,” Severus said without opening his eyes. “Get your hands off me.”

“Whatever,” James whispered, helping him to his feet. “You’ll hate me even more when this is over.”

And in a blink, Severus Snape vanished from the dining room alongside the Potters, with trembling legs, a heart in chaos, and the child of that idiot Gryffindor about to enter the world... too early.

. . .

Severus woke slowly. He blinked several times, and it felt like his head was about to explode. He looked around the room, and for a moment, fear ran through his body; memories of his own house, a white and terrifying room. But the fear faded quickly, replaced by something new settling in his chest.

It was a void. His appearance charms were no longer in place, and something felt even stranger. His hands rushed down to his belly. Just for a second, he wanted to scream in fear, until the memories came crashing back all at once.

The voices in the distance still sounded far away, almost as if he were still asleep or drugged under anesthesia, which might’ve been the case. He felt like he was floating, until the physical weight became heavier. The dryness in his throat screamed for a drop of anything, even willing to draw water from a flower just to drink. The twisting pain in his abdomen and the numbness in his lower body.

He remembered the exhaustion, his own screams and tears. He was certain, he would never go through something like that again.

Finally, when he found his voice again, he spoke.

“How is...?” He left the question hanging in the air, but the nurses understood what he meant.

“He’s fine. The other father will bring him in soon. We’ll let him know he can come in,” said one of the nurses, heading for the door.

“Your boyfriend nearly passed out when he saw you faint,” teased the nurse who remained, fondly. “He kept asking if you’d woken up yet.”

He wanted to roll his eyes, but he wouldn’t allow himself to make another effort for James Potter for the rest of his life.

And then the door flew open. He saw James enter in a rush, followed by his own friends and Harry’s grandparents. Why were they all here? Didn’t St. Mungo’s understand the concept of privacy? He huffed bitterly at the thought of how rude people in the magical world could be.

He ignored every word spoken to him, even his friends’, because his eyes had landed on the bundle of blankets held in James’s arms.

Instinctively, he extended his arms toward James. He trusted the other boy would understand without needing any words, and James did. He carefully handed the baby over until he was resting in Severus’s thin arms.

When he saw him, he wanted to cry.

Harry was born with a head full of soft brown hair, light eyes like his father’s, and only his skin tone —paler than James’s—.

“I gave him my name as his middle name... it’s a tradition in the wizarding world,” James murmured guiltily. “I hope you don’t mind.”

And of course, he was named Harry James Potter.

Severus wanted to cry at life’s cruel ironies. Everyone was watching him closely, and even if he wanted to keep up the image of a tough guy, he failed. A single, delicate tear slid down his cheek and landed on Harry’s tiny forehead.

“Oh. Sorry,” Severus said, without much remorse.

He moved his hand slowly to wipe it off, but it was caught just as quickly, by the tiny hand of the new being in his arms. And he brought it to his mouth.

“Are you stupid?” Severus asked him.

And as expected, the baby said nothing. Nor did Severus pull away. Because, to his dismay, that little being had defeated him with a single gesture.