The Birth Certificate
"Poppy?! What are you--", Severus said angrily.
Poppy knew he hated being manhandled.
"Did you know?", Poppy asked breathlessly.
"Know what?", He asked.
"Harry's your son.", She answered, shoving the parchment at him.
It listed Lily Rose Potter nee Evans as mother and… Severus Tobias Snape as father. Severus felt cold.
"Impossible.", He exhaled.
"Possible apparently. How, Severus? Please tell me you didn't have an affair with her.", Poppy pleaded.
"We… I didn't… Lily was distraught. It was only one night. They weren't even married yet. I tried to refuse her but she was so upset and she.. wanted me.", Severus said.
That night had been an awful mistake. It made him feel awful just thinking about it. She had hunted him down in a bout of cold feet a week before the wedding, claiming she needed to know what it would be like to be with him.
At first, he'd been insulted. But she'd pleaded with him. To just.. show her he loved her. So he did, in some strange hope she'd change her mind and call off the wedding. But the next morning she'd apologized and left without another word.
He had known it was wrong, that he was taking advantage of a weak moment but he'd never been wanted like that before.
Now he was being told that that regretful night had produced a child. A child who had been given to Petunia to be mistreated… and now had nobody to take care of him.
For a moment, Severus entertained the thought of taking his son, raising him properly and showing him all the world had to offer but it was impossible. Severus had a job to do. Nobody knew when the dark lord would rise again. He needed to keep his son alive. That's all.
"I know you loved her, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you or yelled like that. What are you going to do?", Poppy asked.
"Nothing. There's nothing to do. I cannot claim him as my son. You cannot register that paper with the ministry.", Severus said.
"Severus. The boy needs a parent. I need to register a birth certificate with the ministry. Without that, Harry cannot claim his identity and I cannot treat him. He cannot attend Hogwarts without an identity. Think of his future.", Poppy argued.
"We need to falsify the papers. If the dark lord learns Harry is my son, I cannot continue spying. Harry would die.", Severus said.
"What is more important? Your replaceable duty or your son? If you act as his father, you can protect him better than you could as a spy. Keep him by your side and teach him. We can find someone else to play spy. Harry needs you. Who else could raise him.", Poppy said.
"Anyone! Anyone else! I would be a bad father. He would become like me! Do you really want the saviour to be like me?!", Severus accused.
"Severus! You know that is a lie. You are an excellent man. A grumpy man perhaps but an excellent one nonetheless. You need to take responsibility for your child. He is yours. You are not your father and Harry will not be you. You can be better for him and I know it. You know it. Please, give it a chance. Don't let your mistakes take this away from you and Harry. Whatever you're trying to make up for, the best way to make things up to Lily is to raise the boy with all the love you can give.", Poppy said, pulling Severus into a hug.
Severus was shocked into silence. Poppy was right. Harry was his and he needed to help him.
"Alright", he croaked.
"Let's go tell Harry. I'll send the paperwork in and Dumbledore will have no choice but to let you go. You can do this.", Poppy assured him. Severus nodded, took a deep breath and opened the office door.
"Harry, Madam Pomfrey will heal you and afterwards I will take you home.", Severus explained.
He was entirely unsure how to explain to Harry that he was his son. He knew the usual schpeel about marriage and love makes babies that plenty of parents had given. However, he and Lily hadn't been married and she hadn't loved him.
Perhaps he should explain the way his mother had, telling the truth instead of giving some vague excuse.
Severus wondered whether 8 years old is an appropriate age to learn about sex.
"Why are you taking me home?", Harry asked.
"You need someone to look after you and we've discovered that you and I are related.", Severus answered.
"Are you my Uncle?", Harry asked.
Uncle? Well, Severus was blowing this… as expected.
"No. I'm your father.", He said, hoping Harry wouldn't ask further.
"Why did I live with the Dursleys then?", He asked.
"Because we didn't know that you were my child. The man who married your mother was dead and his parents had died as well. Your Aunt was, to our knowledge, your only living relative.", Severus said.
"If you're my dad, why did mum marry that other guy?", Harry asked.
"... your mother and I… I loved your mother but she didn't love me. So after we… had you… she married your stepfather.", Severus explained haltingly. It was truly a hard thing to explain to a child.
The boy was frowning deeply, no doubt finding flaws with Severus' explanation.
"So she had sex with you even though she didn't love you?", The boy asked, stunning Severus into silence.
"How do you know about that?", Severus asked.
"Know about what?", Harry asked looking genuinely puzzled.
"Sex.", Severus answered.
"Oh. Uncle Vernon watches people have sex on the telly sometimes and Aunt Marge talks about all sorts of yucky things when she comes over. She breeds dogs.", Harry answered casually.
Well, that sounded horrible. And entirely non-educational. Severus vowed to give the child a proper sex talk at a later date.
"Anyways, let Madam Pomfrey look you over. Once she's done we can head home.", Severus said.
By now Poppy had already filled out and sent off Harry's birth certificate to be put in his file. She proceeded with a large array of potions ranging from brown to hot pink. Harry drank them all without complaint.
She then did a health scan and Severus leaned forward to check the results himself. He winced. Harry's leg had been broken at some point and had healed improperly, he had far too much scar tissue for a child his age and Harry had vision damage due to a head injury.
She pulled Severus aside and unnecessarily explained the potions the boy would have to take.
After an small chest with an undetectable extension charm had been filled with Harry's prescribed potions, Severus sighed heavily.
It was time to go home. Back to Spinner's end. Severus had been staying at the castle until he was finished stocking the Hospital wing and he had delivered the last box two days ago.
He dreaded cleaning the drab place up and finding something to entertain the boy. Harry. His son. Severus was a father.
The reality of it all started to hit him as he stared down at the child. He was a father. The single father of Harry Potter. Ugh, did the child really have to have the Potter surname? Not that Severus would ever curse the child with the Snape surname. Perhaps, Evans or Prince.