Fathers and Sons

Fathers and Sons

*

Faintings, Faint Things

*

Minerva McGonagall was hurrying along the corridor. Albus had announced a staff meeting that evening, and had stubbornly refused to tell the reason. She was dying of curiousity - her Animagus form was a cat, after all - and on top of that, she hadn't seen Severus for at least a week. She highly doubted she could contact him - if he was, like she suspected, with Remus, he wouldn't bother to even read any owl not coming from Dumbledore himself. It was nice that the two had at last made peace and more, of course, but it was also a bit disturbing. Before, Severus had spent his summers at the school, just like most of the other teachers. This summer, however, he'd only visited Hogwarts a couple of days at most, then again been on his way.

Minerva was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice somebody coming towards her before she'd collided with him, falling to the floor. She raised her eyes at the other person, ready to snap angrily or apologize, depending wholly on whether the person looked amused or apologetical.

As she saw whom she'd collided with, her breath caught on her throat.

The boy looked familiar, in a way. Disturbingly familiar. He had long, golden curls, piercing black eyes, and a slight smile on his thin lips. The most distinguishing feature, however, was his nose.

A bit too large, and obviously hooked nose.

"My goodness," Professor McGonagall breathed, her eyes wide as plates. "You - you are -"

"May I introduce you," said a dry voice from further down the corridor, "this is my son, Michael Severin Snape."

As Professor McGonagall heard this, she didn't say anything. Instead, she fainted.

"Oh, goodness," sighed Severus, rolling his eyes. "Enervate," he then mumbled, pointing his wand at her.

Remus, Michael, and Severus all watched with a varying interest as the woman slowly came to. As she saw them all crouched over her, she was very near fainting again. Being the firm and strong-minded woman she was, however, she just shook her head and got up to her feet. "I should have guessed," she muttered, looking from Remus to Michael, then to Severus, and again at Michael. "With the way you always behave around each other... But - a son? How old exactly are you, young man?" she asked, now addressing her words the boy.

"I turn sixteen today, Ma'am," replied Michael politely.

"Today?" echoed the woman, confused. "But - only Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom have their birthday today! I swear there's nobody else in the Hogwarts books on this date. And why haven't you come to Hogwarts before, anyway?" Her eyes widened in shock as she stammered, "You - you aren't -"

"He's not a Squib, Minerva, of that I can assure you," Remus said with his most pleasant smile. "And he has indeed attended to Hogwarts even before. Surely you have heard of Adoption Charms?"

Like previously stated, Minerva McGonagall had always been a firm and strong-minded person. As the first shock had already proven, however, even she had her limits. Therefore, this new realization was again too much for her to bear.

And again, she fainted.

"This is becoming a habit," murmured Severus as they waited for the spell having effect again. "Honestly, you'd think she's never been surprised before!"

"Well, I'm sure I and the other Marauders saw to that on our school times," said Remus dryly. Then he smiled again at the Transfiguration Professor, who was again gaining back her consciousness. "Ah, Minerva," he said, "are you sure you don't want to sit for the rest of our news?"

"Don't you get cheeky at me, Remus Lupin," she said with a deep frown. "You may not be a student anymore, but I can still very well make you regret your words!"

"Far be it from me to be cheeky," chuckled the werewolf, then turned again serious. "So, this is our son Michael, previously known as Harry Potter," he said, nodding towards his son. "Although I doubt he'll come out the same way Harry did."

"My - oh, yes. Well, nice to meet you, Michael," she said, offering her hand to the boy.

Michael took the offered hand, shaking it firmly. "Pleasant to meet you, too, Ma'am," he said, a tiny smirk curling his lips.

"Truly you are both of theirs," huffed the woman, but her eyes deceived her, showing her amusement. "I cannot decide whether it's a good or a bad thing."

"Is this how it's going to do this, then?" asked Severus dryly from his husband. "Whenever we meet a part of the faculty, Michael shocks them, I Enervate them, and then you talk sweetly?"

"I think it'll be easiest if we just go to the staff room and introduce him. That way, you can then Enervate them all at the same time," Remus suggested, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He had been, after all, a Marauder. And once a Marauder, always a Marauder.

"In fact, Albus has announced a staff meeting this afternoon," told the witch. "I didn't know the reason for that before, but I think it's now more than obvious." At that, she gave a pointed glance at the teenager.

"It's probably the best if we don't go there until everyone's already present, so they can all be shocked at the same moment," commented Severus, raising an elegant eyebrow. "Could you please inform Albus for us about our presence, Minerva?"

"A sure thing, Severus," she replied, and then nodded, something resembling a smile on her face.

And then, she was again on her way, as silently as a cat.

*

Pomona Sprout hurried through the corridors - she was late, as usual - wondering silently in her mind what the staff meeting could be about. Just as she was getting to the corridor leading to the Headmaster's office, where the meeting was to be held, she saw somebody familiar in the end of a nearby side corridor. The man was his back to her, but she'd recognized that pose and golden hair anywhere. She didn't know why Remus didn't have his hair on the usual ponytail, letting it fall on free waves down his back instead, but she figured that it didn't matter.

"Remus!" she exclaimed, taking to walk towards the man. "What are you doing here?"

Just then, the person he'd thought to be Remus turned around. Beetle-black eyes stared right through her from a pale, thin face adorned with an over-sized, hooked nose and elegant black eyebrows.

"You - eep." And that was all Pomona said before fainting.