On May 26th, Charles Rubeus Hagrid was born, 10 pounds 4 ounces. The birth was simpler than Poppy had feared. Minerva was relieved that no one, especially herself, was called upon to do a Ceasarian section. About six hours after the first labour pains, Hagrid held his son in his arms, and the baby's godfather, uncles, and aunt were allowed in to visit. Charlie Weasley, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and even Bill who was expecting his own daughter soon, came in to congradulate the new parent, and coo over their new 'relative'.
As Hermione took the newborn into her arms, she smiled at it affectionately, and ran a finger along one soft straight lock of black hair. She wondered if that was a trait of a newborn, or if the baby would never have his parent's course, wild, slightly curly hair. "He does look a little like Professor Snape," she observed, letting her finger continue to skim over the soft skin of his cheek. "Not his nose, thankfully, but the shape of his face. It's narrower than yours, Hagrid."
"How big were you, when you were born?" Charlie asked, curiously. "The baby's smaller than I'd've expected from you."
"I was a wee tyke fer meh Mother, she bein' a giantess an' all. I was only 'bout twenty pounds or there'bouts."
"Only," Bill snorted. "Next time Megan complains about her seven pound estimated baby, I'll bring that up."
Poppy shooed the four out after about an hour, insisting the mother and the child both needed to rest. The infant was already asleep in his father's arms, but she took him over to a waiting hospital crib that she had borrowed from St. Mungo's. Minerva, for some reason, had insisted that Poppy stay at the castle and volunteered to pick it up for her. If it hadn't been impossible, Poppy might have wondered if the woman was the child's father the way she got paranoid everytime Poppy tried to leave the school for a few minutes or hours. And Poppy still couldn't explain the Gryffindor's insistance that she be taught about Ceasarian sections.
Putting the thought aside as pointless, the mediwitch pulled the baby blanket up over the newborn's shoulders. Too small for Hagrid's alone, she thought and touched her wand to the baby's head. "Paternis." Over the slumbering figure coalesed two transparent images, one of a beaming Hagrid, one of a scowling Severus Snape. She glanced about the room quickly and finding no students present and Hagrid already asleep, she cast on impulse, "Conceivus."
The two transparent images were no longer clothed. Hagrid lay on his back, his face turned away in shame, and blushing. He did not fight, perhaps prevented from doing so by some spell. Snape thrust into him, his emotionless mask still in place, even for this. Then Hagrid spasmed, and Snape pulled away. The scene disipated, leaving only the beaming or scowling clothed figures.
"Finite incantium," she whispered, feeling ill. Incontravertable proof. Snape had raped her godson's mother/father. When Albus came by not long after, she repeated the spells, and looked at him almost accusingly, "You said it was a potions accident."
Albus sighed. "And so it was. Neither Severus nor Hagrid wished to share a bed with another man. But the potion was incomplete when it was spilt onto Hagrid. Had someone not impregnated him, he would have died five days after the accident. I begin to believe Severus may have performed the obliviate for more than the selfish and logical reasons he listed to me. He may have wished to spare Hagrid this memory," he said, with a small wave to the empty air where, twice now, the scene had played. "It would live up to his luck that the one time he performs an act of mercy Severus gets accused of rape."
Poppy was unconvinced, but nothing he had been shown terribly surprised him, so perhaps, maybe, Snape wasn't as guilty as he appeared. "So he is the father, then, in all senses of the word."
"No," Albus said wearily and sadly, "not the affectionate sense. He refuses to acknowledge the boy, insisting it was Fang's fault not his own."
"Hagrid had no more choice in the matter," she snapped angrily.
The headmaster blinked, "I hadn't thought of that argument." Then his face fell, "I do not think it would change things. Severus is being very stubborn on the matter. He will protect the boy, provide finacial assistance if requested, and treat him civilly, but he will not love him or claim him."
The Headmaster left not long after that, and Poppy fell into a light doze - it was getting to be quite late at night - but she wouldn't leave the wardroom with only Hagrid and his child in it. Something stirred her from sleep sometime later, and she nearly screamed when she saw the dark shape standing over the baby until she recognized Snape. She decided to continue feignining sleep to see what he did.
Her resolve was almost immediately broken as he bent to lift the child, but he did so with such practiced ease that she was stunned back into stillness. He walked in circles around the crib, rocking the child gently. She wondered if she was dreaming. She could hear snatches of whispered words drift back to her, "Lucky with your nose . . . tiny one . . . figures Hagrid would get . . . am sorry . . . you have a . . . Severin . . . when Voldemmort dies . . . can't let anyone know . . . tell anyone, all right? . . . your mum's . . . don't mind me . . . can't have you . . . Good night, Charlie." He laid the baby back in its crib, and left the nursery. Poppy barely dared to breathe, fearing she would wake from this most supernatural dream. Because she knew now she was dreaming. She had seen Severus Snape smile.
She didn't wake up, but she did fall back asleep a few minutes later.
When she awoke, she remembered the dream with a clarity she normally didn't have from dreams, but she passed that off as just another element of its oddity. She found, to her surprise, that the next time she saw Severus Snape that she couldn't draw up the feelings of disgust and anger that she had felt for him since she reached her conclusion about what had happened when Charlie Hagrid was conceived. She didn't think it coincidence that only a few weeks after that, Severus started coming to her again with his injuries. There was something off about his health, but she couldn't really put her finger on it. The after-effects of crutacious well disguised whatever else might be wrong with him. She put it down to almost a year's avoidance of her when he needed medical attention almost biweekly.
------------------------------------Time Passes--------------------------------------
One year after conception. Severus hurries back to his room, leaving the Head Girl, Hermione Granger, in charge of his classroom while the baby's wail in his head calls him home. He knows Albus will question him soon about his frequent absenses. Meanwhile, Charlie Weasley continues substituting for the Care of Magical Creatures class while Hagrid stays in his hut tending to his child's needs.
A few days after that. Severus paces in the Headmaster's office, unable to provide an excuse for his behaviour. Eventually, he simply promises it will not happen again. Later that night, he begs a Snape Family House Elf away from his Mother, for the space of two years, without offering a reason why.
At a staff meeting in February of next term, Charlie Hagrid sits in a swing in the corner of the room. Charlie Weasley has returned to Romania, and Hagrid sits in his normal seat. Severus, also, sits in his normal spot, but he is distracted by the mental crying in his head. In the dungeons, a house elf changes a diaper.
Severin's second birthday. The house elf is gone. The small - compared to eleven year olds - boy sits in his playpen, alone in the apartment, waiting for his father to come home from classes. He utilizes skills practiced and refined since before he was even born to watch his father's class through his father's eyes. Severus is aware of what the child is doing, and makes an effort to explain today's lesson so even his young son can grasp most of it. There are no mistakes in that class.
Charlie's second birthday. The Care of Magical Creature's class is cancelled. All faculty and staff, as well as a fair number of students, are invited to the birthday party. Most of the Weasleys, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger also attend. Severus drops off a present and leaves, with barely a glance at his other son.
Halloween of their fifth year of life. The final battle with Voldemort defeats and destroys the dark lord. Severus is severely injured. After less than a day in the hospital wing, he sneaks out and returns to his rooms. Severin is scared by his father's hurts, but follows all his instructions for making them go away, as he had done several times before. His father promises he won't be hurt like this any more. Severus does not open his door for either Poppy or Albus. Not even the Headmaster can break through the wards on the potion master's room. Wards set with Severin's help.
Severin's seventh birthday. Charlie Hagrid plays with the younger students who don't mind a tag-a-long. He laughs happily as they run and play outside in the warm spring weather. Severin sits in his father's rooms, dividing his attention equally between the novel in front of him and the mental link with his father. He occassionally tries to dig into his father's mind to find out what presents he'll be opening later, but his father always catches him, chiding him gently about patience.
Charlie's ninth birthday. He invites his best friends from among the students, mostly first, second, and third years, to his kid's party. All faculty, staff, Weasleys (including Hermione), and Potters come for the family party. Snape, as usual, drops off his present. Severin watches through the mental link, and, as usual, tells his father to come home now. He feels cheated that his brother can have so many friends, but even more, he feels jealous of his father's affection. Even if he does know, by the proof of their link, that the mild favour his father bestows upon Charlie Hargid is nothing in comparison to the protective, possessive, and unrestricted love and pride his father holds for him. He knows, beyond any doubt, that he is the center of his father's world.
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