Vater

Severus Snape paced in his room. He didn't like to admit it, and would have killed anyone who even suggested it, but he was worried about Harry Potter. My son, said a little voice in his head. He frowned and shook his head. His mind flew back to the letter he had received from the long-dead Lily Potter, giving him the shock of his life. He had thought it to be a joke, but after every possible authentication spells, he had to accept that the words on it were true...Harry is your son Severus, he is such a sweet, loving child, even at this early age...he will grow up to be a great wizard some day. Please be there for him if you can...and please do not vent your spleen on him...he is innocent of whatever James and his friends did to you...and if you can't put that aside, at least stay away from my son. Don't even attempt to separate him from his Godfather - you wouldn't be able to anyway, for this is timed to reach when Harry's comes of age...she had written...the words came back to haunt him ever since he'd read that letter...

Wormtail had gone out, and he had made sure that the rat wasn't lingering around somewhere. He snorted in disgust as he remembered how that Granger girl had beaten the rat without breaking into a sweat and had even Obliviated him. Clever girl, he thought, clever and brave...she came to me for the cure even though she's terrified of me...so that she could save Potter...

Not Potter...he is your son...

He resumed his pacing, wondering if she'd managed to get phoenix tears and bezoar on time...phoenix tears was extremely difficult to procure, and unfortunately he didn't have any with him, or he could have given some to her...he sighed deeply. If only Fawkes were around...if only Dumbledore was alive...

It's your fault he's dead. You killed him to save your own sorry skin.

He dropped on to the chair and put his head down on the desk. Vaguely, he wondered if he should use a potion for his headache. No, I've had worse headaches than this...thanks to Saint Potter and his cronies...

Thinking of Harry caused him even more pain. The boy was his son, and he'd never known until a few days back...he felt a sudden desire to laugh. The Hero of the Wizarding World was a bastard of a Death Eater! The Chosen One was the result of a pregnancy caused by a botched curse intended to cause the opposite effect!

It is not his fault how he was conceived. Nor is it fair that you have been punishing him for the deeds of dead man who was not even his father.

Snape closed his eyes and shuddered. A sudden sound made him look up.

An owl was flying towards him. Potter's owl. He noticed the faint tinge of a selective Disillusionment spell on her. Granger's idea, no doubt. Potter and Weasley were unlikely to think of such things. The owl dropped a note in his hands and flew off. The note was charmed as well; it was to open only to him. Clever girl.

He opened the letter and his eyes automatically flicked to the end, where it was signed 'Hermione Granger'. He felt a sense of disappointment but he waved it away furiously and began to read.

Dear Professor Snape,

Thank you for the recipe; we managed to make it and give it to Harry. He is sleeping now. He's a little tired, but otherwise he has recovered completely. We are very grateful to you for your help, and to show our gratitude, I'm sending a few drops of phoenix tears which I saved.

Please accept it with our heartfelt thanks.

Yours truly,

Hermione Granger.

Snape started in disbelief, and then gingerly pulled out the little vial from the envelope. He regarded it intently and realized that it was indeed phoenix tears that the girl had sent him. He wondered how she'd managed to get hold of the rare ingredient...and so soon. He knew how far from Grimmauld Place his house was, and given the time of the owl's flight, she had to have written this within half an hour of visiting him...could they have found another phoenix?

The wards flared red, informing him of the arrival of Wormtail. He quickly burnt the letter and resumed reading his book. He barely noticed that his headache had disappeared completely, and so had his worry. Potter...Harry...was safe.