SquidgeWorld Archive

It Takes More Than Potions
by Zelgadis Greywood
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-Chapter One-

"He's so cute!" Ginny squealed, sitting beside Harry and her brother.

"Who is?" Harry asked, as Ron piled potatoes on his plate.

"Snape." Ginny was still squealing.

Ron placed a forkful of mashed potatoes in his lap and stared at his sister.

"Snape?! Are you mad? That greasy git?!"

"This must be a joke," Harry suggested. "Right, Ginny? I mean, Snape's many things, but *cute* just isn't one of them."

Snape obviously heard this, as he was glaring at Harry as if he wished he could dock points from Gryffindor in the Great Hall.

"Hmph," Ginny said, apparently affronted by their less-than-complimentary remarkes. "Obviously you've never seen him as a bunny."

Snape did such a marvelous impression of a rabbit in muggle headlamps, that there was no way he'd ever convince anyone that his animagus form wasn't an adorable bunny-rabbit.

Ginny grinned at him, made a face like a bunny,and went back to eating.

Snape glowered at her, and left the room. He spent the rest of the day docking points from a couple dozen students who had made it a point to hop, bunny style, into his classroom. And was so tired of being humiliated by the time the Gryffindors and Slytherins walked in that when Draco stepped up to him, he hammed up a death scene which caused the mollified Slytherin to rush from the room in tears. It wasn't until he heard the door slam and looked to see who was left that he'd realized just who his victim had been.

"Get to work," he said, brushing dust from his robes and going to find Draco.

Draco was in the hall, trying to brush the tears from his eyes.

"How did you know, sir?" he asked.

"Draco?" Snape put his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"I'm pregnant," Draco told him. "About two months."

Snape frowned. Draco had been on holiday, at home, two months earlier. He led Draco into his office and closed the door. "Who's the father?"

"Doesn't matter," Draco shrugged. "I'm scheduled for an abortion next week. Father's picking me up on Friday."

"Do you want an abortion?" Snape asked, seriously.

"I don't know," Draco admitted, drying his eyes.

Snape realized there was more than one possible father. "Draco, tell me who the father is."

"Well, if it's Harry's then I want to keep it," Draco replied. "He'll be strong and good. I'd be proud to raise a son like that. Wouldn't you?"

Snape nodded, but wasn't about to be deterred. "Draco, I get the impression that Mr. Potter isn't the only possible father."

Draco found a jar on the shelves behind Snape rather interesting.

Snape found himself wanting to vomit as a thought entered his mind. He prayed he was wrong. But he had to asked.

"Is it Lucius?"

Draco stood up and went to examine another jar. "Is this a centaur's...?"

"Draco," Snape would not be deterred. "did you father make you have sex with him?"

Draco set the brain down on the shelf and examined still another jar.

"Draco!"

Draco dropped the jar as he turned to face Snape.

"Reparo!" The jar flew back together and returned itself to the shelf.

"Draco," Snape said. "This is very serious. Did Lucius rape you?"

Draco sank into his chair, the betrayed look in his eyes saying all the things his lips could not.

"I see." Snape pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and began to write. He folded the letter, handed it to a nearby owl. "Bring this to Professor Dumbledore." He said. "Draco, listen. Whatever happens, I'm going to be here for you." He put a hand on Draco's shoulder and drew the boy's head up so that he was looking directly into Draco's eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, Draco."

-Chapter Two-

"Severus," Professor Dumbledore told the Potions Master. "You do realize how serious these accusations you are making are?"

"I do," Snape replied. "But I have no reason to doubt my suspicions."

"I see," Dumbledore sat back and popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "Unfortunately, it takes more than the word of a single teacher. We need more evidence."

Snape stood up. "I know just where to get it."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. As Snape got to the door, he cleared his throat.

Snape turned.

"Bring me back some biscuits?"

Snape scowled and swept off to the kitchen.

*****

"Dobby, a word. Now."

Dobby dropped the tray he'd been carrying and rushed to stand at Snape's feet.

"Yes, Professor Snape?"

"Dobby, when you were with the Malfoys, did Lucius ever treat Draco in any way which you believed a father should not treat his son?"

"Oh, all the time, sir." Dobby told him.

"Dobby," Winky exclaimed. "You should not be talking about your Masters that way! Bad Dobby!"

"Bad Lucius is not Dobby's master! He was a disgusting dark wizard who bedded his son more often than his wife. Dobby told his Mistress, but she called Dobby a liar and Dobby had to shut his ears in the door."

"SHUT UP" Snape hollered at both of them as he wiped the vomit from his lips. "Dobby, is there any proof of this?"

"There are... papers, sir." Dobby bowed. "At St. Mungo's."

"What sort of papers? Snape asked.

"Permission form signed by Lucius Malfoy for ... surgery, sir."

Snape frowned. "Surgery? Do you mean an abortion?"

Dobby nodded, sadly. He was too heart sick to say anything more.

Snape stood up. "Get me a tray of biscuits," he ordered. "For Dumbledore."

Armed with new information, and fresh biscuits, Snape returned to Dumbledore's office.

-Chapter Three-

The mediwitch walked into the waiting room. "Draco Malfoy," she said, consulting her clipboard. "Please, come with me."

Draco and Lucius stood up.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sorry," the nurse told him, "But you'll have to wait out here."

"I've never waited before," Lucius argued.

"I've been told that I am to ask you to wait here today," the mediwitch informed him. "Please cooperate with me or I will have to ask you to leave."

"Fine, we're leaving," Lucius started to pull Draco away.

"I'm afraid I can't let you take him with you."

"Excuse me?" Lucius glared at her.

"Mr. Malfoy," the mediwitch told him. "Let me be perfectly frank with you. An hour ago I received an owl post which accusing you of sexually abusing your son. Shortly afterward, I received a visit from an auror. After reviewing your son's files here and comparing them with statements from his classmates, it was determined that there is just cause to remove Draco from your custody."

"I never did anything to my son," Lucius exclaimed. "I demand you give him back."

"There will be a trial in two months." the mediwitch told him. "If you are innocent, then you will get him back."

Lucius turned and stormed out of the room.

The mediwitch led Draco into her office. "Draco," she said. "I'm very sorry. I should have noticed sooner."

"My operation..." Draco began.

"Draco, I reviewed your charts," the mediwitch told him. "they indicated that you not only had a previous abortion here, but that you were subsequently brought in three other times with significant bleeding following botched home abortions. I'm afraid the frequent procedures, not to mention the fact that they were so poorly done, has made you too fragile to have another. You'll have to carry this child to term."

The floor seemed to spin up at Draco in slow motion. It was all too much for him. He was alone now, with no family to speak of, carrying a child that might have been sired upon him by his own father.

"Draco," Snape said, aiding the mediwitch in catching the young Slytherin and helping him back into his chair. "You're going to be all right."

"Professor Snape is going to look after you," the mediwitch told him. "You'll be staying at Hogwarts. I've sent a copy of your records to Madam Pomfrey."

"Let it be Harry's," Draco whispered as he let himself drift off to sleep in the safety of the Potion Master's arms. "Please, Merlin, let it be Harry's."

-Chapter Four-

Snape waited until Draco was sound asleep. Then, he carefully stood up, letting the pregnant student's head rest gently upon the pillow.

The boy clearly needed looking after. And while Snape was less than fond of the Potter boy, he had to admit that he was good to Draco. Harry Potter would make a good husband for Draco. He hoped that others would see this. The pair would have to be encouraged.

He returned to Hogwarts and sat up mulling over what he was going to do until he fell asleep at the kitchen table with a half-drunk cup of tea sitting nearby.

-Chapter Five-

The alchemist opened a pair of carefully marked vials and placed two droplets of blood upon a silver mirror.

"Now, little one," he said, taking a third vial and placing its contents on the mirror, "let us see who made you. Paternis magnetis."

The droplet of Draco's blood repelled the one taken from Lucius so violently, Dumbledore realized that not only was Lucius not the father of Draco's child. He wasn't Draco's father either.

Curiosity got the better of him and he spent the better part of the afternoon in pursuit of the skittish Slytherin's true identity.

*****

"I hope this is actually important, sir." Snape said, irritably. "I have a class in ten minutes with Neville Longbottom in it and I must put up protection wards."

"More curious than important," Dumbledore told the Potions Master. "Did you know that Draco isn't a Malfoy? At first I figured he was the result of an affair Narcissa enjoyed, but his blood rejected hers as well. I asked around and learned that the Malfoys had learned that they would have no child."

"Who are his parents, then?"

Dumbledore polished his glasses, casually, as he replied:

"Frank and Alice Longbottom."

-Chapter Six-

"I must remind myself," Snape muttered as he swept down the corridor to the dungeon, "That Draco isn't a klutz like his brother. Okay, so there were all the times he'd fallen for those tricks Potter and his friends are playing on him. And... bloody hell! Why didn't I realize?"

He stormed into the Potions classroom. "Longbottom, I'll see you after class.

"Y- yes, sir." Neville replied, proceeding to knock over his cauldron.

"Brilliant move, genius." Draco remarked, knocking over his own.

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Well that was bloody obvious." He grumbled, darkly.

end part 6