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The Best Kept Secrets	By : danniperson Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 13518 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I did not create the Harry Potter stories or universe and I do not make any money from this

Chapter List
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THE BEST KEPT SECRETS

Chapter One: The Man Who Lies to the World

It was no secret that Ginny Potter favored her daughter over her sons. No one faulted her. Not her best friend, Luna Lovegood, who liked to comment on how alike the two female Potters were in both their looks and personality, that it was natural for them to get along better. Not Molly Weasley, the doting grandmother, who understood what a gift it was for a woman to have a daughter as she herself had waited so long for hers. Certainly not her younger son, Albus Severus Potter, who knew the truth of the matter was that Lily was Ginny's only child.

That wasn’t common knowledge. In fact, Albus liked to think he was the only person, aside from his parents, that saw the truth. All of them, Harry, Snape, and Ginny had to know, though Albus doubted any of them knew that he was aware of it. How did one broach a subject such as this anyway?

It all started on the second night the Potter children were all home for the Christmas holidays five months ago. His dad had already owled that he was going to be at work late, letting them have dinner and to go to bed without him. Albus had stayed up late reading a book in the small library on the second floor. Aunt Hermione insisted they put the built-in library to good use, even supplying them with many books for it. It would be great, she said, to encourage their children to seek knowledge and could, at least, help with any schoolwork and projects they had during summer. It could even be useful for Harry and Ginny, as they were bound to need to consult one of the thick volumes for something one day when Hermione wasn't around to give them all of the answers. Everyone had made good use of the library at some point or another, though Albus was its own frequent visitor. Unlike the rest of his family, Albus really enjoyed reading. Lily was getting into it a little more these days but, for the most part, the family was made up of more active beings than intellectual ones.

The tome opened in front of him was True War. It was all about the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Included in it were real stories of battles, the perspective of both sides of the war, a list of every person who died during them, and a small section containing the aftermath of the war. He had been inspired to read it while using the textbook Wartime Weapons: the Potions and Spells Used in the First and Second Wizarding Wars to help James write his end of the term Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. The textbook had been written by Severus Snape and Harry Potter. His father claimed to the public that he had found the portions written by Snape among the man's belongings and decided to honor him by completing the work then publishing it. It was an instant hit. Considering everyone believed Snape to be dead, his father was given a lot of credit, though Harry always made sure to correct them, swearing up and down that the majority of the book was due to Snape's years of research and note-taking. In the back of the book, there were recommended reading pages that listed other articles and books related to the wars, including the one Albus's nose was now buried in. Hermione Weasley had been the one to do all of the interviews, collecting information, and compiling all of the information in the book.

Albus couldn't get enough of it.

It wasn't that his parents refused to talk about the war. Everyone acknowledged that it was better for the next generation to be well aware of what had happened. It was important in knowing why the world was the way it was, why their parents were the way they were, why their godfather Snape was pretending to be dead, how to avoid the world falling into disarray, how to spot the warning signs in Dark wizards, among other things. The only issue was that the children knew the war was hard for their parents to talk about, even after all of these years. The last time the Potter family had talked about the war; Ginny had fallen into depression while Snape and Harry began having nightmares, flashbacks, and fought each other to the point of drawing wands where Ginny would step in to keep them apart. Ginny's depression was bad but was nothing compared to the darkness that seemed to overcome Harry and Snape whenever bad memories were brought into focus.

Then Victory Day, May 2nd, was always a bittersweet day of mourning and celebration in remembrance of the end of the war. It had meant a day of fireworks provided by Uncle George, a family gathering, a big meal provided by Grandma Weasley in their younger days. Now that they were older, it was hard to get into the spirit of things when it was so clear that the adults in the house weren't feeling the same things they were. Albus could see through the fake smiles now, noticing that his father always drank heavily on that day, that Ginny always seemed just a tad bit clingy with her family and always on edge. Now that they were old enough to really want to know more about the war, none of them was willing to subject their family to that sort of breakdown.

The book was like a godsend. Albus cherished everything written, reading over those comments by familiar names a million times. He was just reading about Snape's ‘death’ from his father's point of view when he heard the noises coming down the hallway. Knowing his father was home, Albus checked his watch, alarmed to see that it was past three in the morning. Considering it was the holidays, and they were all at a decent age, they didn't have a strict bedtime though it was encouraged that they didn't live at night and sleep all day. He jumped to his feet to rush to the door to greet his father but stopped when his hand was on the knob.

"Unhand me, Potter."

"Stop being so stubborn, Severus. You need help."

"I can help myself, you infernal child."

"I am not a child, you dunce. I'm forty years old."

"And I'm almost sixty one, Potter. I have learned by now how to care for myself."

"It wouldn't hurt to let someone take care of you for a change."

Albus was intrigued. Due to the fact that he was pretending to be dead, Snape had never once come to their home. They always visited Snape in his home in Muggle London. Before the children had begun attending Hogwarts, they had visited Snape at least once a week, sometimes once every other week during busy times. Now, they only saw him during holidays. They had all been a bit excited when Ginny announced at dinner that they would be visiting Snape the following day. He was no easy man to get along with, most people said, but as the Potter children had all grown up being exposed to the man, they found his abrasive personality quite charming. The fact that Snape was here would probably have been exciting, had it not been so strange.

Concerned, Albus turned the doorknob carefully, hoping not to make any noise as he pushed it open. It was then that he was met with the sight that explained the few seconds of silence that had fallen before he even went to open the door. Green eyes grew impossibly wide as he just stared at the two men who were paused in the middle of the hallway kissing. Their bodies were pressed close together with Harry's hands holding onto Snape's arms while Snape's hands gently caressed Harry's face, lips moving tenderly against each other. It was a moment more intimate than the countless times the curious Potter children had walked in on Harry and Ginny having sex. It was full of more love and passion than anything Albus had witnessed between the married Potters. It was a moment so fragile that the men hardly dared move and Albus barely let himself breathe for fear of disrupting them.

His mind raced as he watched them relax into each other. Faces expressed complete bliss, a needy whimper escaping Harry's throat against his will then a quiet groan following not long after. Albus swallowed hard as he watched Snape's hands slide down from his father's face, over his shoulders, moving to surround his father and hold him closer. Following his lead, Harry's arms moved to wrap around the taller man's neck, pressing them more firmly against each other. There was an intensity, and desperation, about them that Albus had never seen in anyone before. There was no need beyond what they were doing, as though the simple act of kissing was more than enough, that they wouldn't dare ask for more than that. Wasn't sex always on men's minds? All Albus knew were anxious teenagers, sometimes even adults, ripping at each other's clothes, wanting more, more, more. Harry and Snape, though, treasured this secret kiss. Albus could feel it.

It took him a few minutes to remember that this whole thing was very, very wrong. Harry was married to his mother, Ginny. Snape was his godfather! His parents loved each other very much. Didn't they? His gut twisted and he swallowed hard. Should he close the door then pretend he had never seen anything or should he interrupt and say something? Instead, he stood, frozen, just staring at them.

"We…Oh Merlin, Severus…We can't do this," Harry mumbled, pulling back slightly.

Snape stiffened, scowled, and shoved Harry away from him. "Of course not. It isn't as though you have ever been unfaithful to Miss Weasley."

"Mrs. Potter now, which you know," Harry snapped. "And that was…it's been a while. Doesn't make it okay since we…before."

"Take me home, Mr. Potter," Snape commanded coolly.

"It's Harry," he sighed impatiently.

"You're only Harry when I'm balls deep in your arse, boy," Snape sneered.

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously as he reached forward to tightly grab onto Snape's arm. "Don't turn into a bloody git on me now."

"I am who I've always been, Potter," Snape snarled.

"Don't act so hurt over this. I'm married to Ginny. I can't keep just…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You should have never brought me here."

"Where else was I supposed to take you?" Harry hissed. "You'll be safe here."

"As you apprehended my attackers, Potter, I’m more than positive I'll be more than fine in the comfort of my own home," Snape said. "If you're so concerned about your wife, then leave me be."

"I love you, you bastard," Harry hissed.

"And what exactly does your love mean?" Snape snapped.

Furiously, Harry reared his arm back but Snape caught his fist right before the punch landed, though the force of it caused them both to stumble slightly until Harry fell back against the wall with Snape following to pin him there. Albus couldn't see much for a few minutes, though he knew they were kissing again, fervently now. He saw the way his father's hands grasped Snape's arms, noticing the writhing of their bodies. It made him uncomfortable but, as he shifted behind the door, prepared to turn away, Snape lowered his head to Harry's neck, sucking violently. Harry was caught between moaning then hissing at him to stop and how he "better not leave a mark, you wanker!"

But Snape had left a mark. By the time Snape let him go, Albus could see the large purplish red mark on the side of his neck. Then they exchanged a few more heated, whispered words that Albus couldn't fully hear. After that, Harry stormed off and returned with an old slipper telling Snape that it would activate in three minutes. Albus watched his father storm off to his bedroom and slam the door. He remained in the doorway a few more minutes as Snape glared down at their doorway, clutching the slipper in his hand. There was a great deal of rage in his expression, but Albus could have sworn that just beyond that there was longing, pain, and terror that made him ache just to see. After three minutes, the Portkey and Snape were gone, leaving Albus to sit in the library until sunrise, mind reeling over everything he had seen.

The visit with Snape the next day had been strange. Albus had never noticed the sexual tension between the two until then. He barely spoke to anyone at all, only observing. When it was time to go back to Hogwarts, Albus found himself thinking of the event a great deal. The theory that he could possibly be Snape's child came during a dream one night. The thought plagued him until he caved and began to do research. He spent a lot of time in the library, looking through books on male pregnancy, and the possibility of hiding a pregnancy, looking through old newspapers, anything he could get his hands on that would even hint at the truth.

Ginny Potter appeared to be pregnant in the pictures, Albus saw, but the photos that accompanied the pregnancy announcement, both Harry and Ginny seemed to be sporting a little extra weight that seemed to mysteriously disappear right after. No one else seemed to pick up on that fact. Harry always conveniently fell ill around the time, though most people put it off as Harry being romantic, wanting to keep a desk job throughout Ginny's pregnancies so that he would be available whenever she needed him. All of the births took place in the Potter residence instead of at St. Mungo's and no known mediwizards were present, though there was always speculation as to who had aided in the birthing process. Harry always took a short leave from work in the days before then the weeks following the birth. Supposedly, to support his wife in the last leg of things but Albus had other ideas. Wasn't it possible that Harry had been pregnant at the time and hiding it?

Looking at Lily, there was no denying she was Ginny's daughter. James was another matter. His eyes were black. The family liked to say that maybe he had gotten them from somewhere in the Potter or Prewett family genes, a recessive trait that came around to the oldest Potter child. Looking at pictures, though, Albus could see how James could be Snape's child. He was tall and lanky, like Snape was. They had the same eyes, chin, and ears. It wasn't obvious enough for anyone to guess right off the bat. James looked like a Potter, certainly, with more features that could resemble Snape than Ginny.

Then there was he, himself. Everyone had told him he looked just like his father and grandfather. It was hard to find anything that could be related to Ginny or Snape though, in the end, Albus decided that he had Snape's ears just like James as well as the man's long, dexterous fingers. By the end of the school year, there was no doubt in Albus's mind that he and James were the sons of Harry Potter and Severus Snape.

He wasn't sure what to think when they got home. Albus spent more time than usual keeping to himself those first two days. On the third day, when it was time to go and visit Snape, Albus wasn't sure how he felt about the whole thing. The day started with Ginny bringing home a new dress for Lily to wear, spending the time painting her nails, doing her hair, and various other mother-daughter bonding activities. It was one more thing that Albus calculated in his head. Ginny always had been closer to Lily. She treated them all like her children but Lily was special. There was more love in her eyes for Lily, more pride. Always more gifts, more one on one time, more letters, more everything. Not enough to be obvious but, to someone who was looking, it was there. Sometimes, when Ginny brought home things for Lily, Albus and James would get upset then Ginny would remind them that Lily was the youngest and they always got many gifts when they were younger. Albus didn't feel any resentment now. How could he fault her for paying more care to the only child she had raised that was her own blood?

"Hey, Mum! What did you get me?" James asked as he hopped off the last step of the staircase.

"Don't even start this again," Ginny said impatiently. "I bought you new dress robes last year that you never even wore for a Yule Ball you didn’t attend."

"See? I never even got good use out of it," James grinned, kissing his mother on the cheek.

Step mother. Adoptive mother. Surrogate mother. Whatever she was. Mother couldn't be so wrong on its own, could it? She had raised them, hadn't she?

"Go brush your hair," Ginny laughed.

"You'll brush Lily's but you won't brush mine?" James pouted.

"Act like a grown up, won't you? You'll be seventeen in less than a month," Ginny said, elbowing him.

"C'mon. If I'm not old enough to go to the Wanton Kingdom concert, I can't be old enough to act like a grown up, now can I?" James asked innocently.

"Jamie," Ginny said warningly.

James raised his hands in surrender and backed away. "Sorry, Mum. Hey, Al! Still being an arse?"

"James! Do not use that language," Ginny scolded.

"I'm not an arse," Albus replied.

"Albus Severus, don't you dare!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What's going on in here?" Harry's voice demanded tiredly as he walked downstairs.

"Jamie and Al are using bad words," Lily giggled.

"And not listening to their mother," Ginny muttered.

Harry frowned. "Boys…"

"Sorry, Dad! We were just messing around," James said, throwing his arm around Albus's shoulder. "Right, Al?"

Harry shot them a hard look, warning them to behave. "Are we ready?"

"Almost," Ginny said. "Is Snape sure he's alright with having company?"

"Isn't he always?" James grinned.

"Did something happen?" Albus asked with a frown.

Harry looked troubled. "He's better now. Only he had an accident a few weeks ago. He's just now fully recovered."

"Damn," James muttered, earning him a glare from Harry and a pop against the side of the head from Ginny. "Sorry. What happened?"

Rubbing his head, Harry sighed heavily. "Well, Neville was bringing Severus some of the new plants he had been growing all year, taking them down to the lab while he was working on a new potion. He spent so much time muttering about Neville's incompetence and how he had never been good at Potions that I don't know exactly how it happened but he accidentally dropped one of the plants into the potion, causing it to blow up. Neville didn't sustain many injuries, because Severus shoved him out of the way, but we had to take care of him for a while."

"I don't understand why he doesn't use Polyjuice, glamours or something then go to St. Mungo's," James muttered.

"He was probably too weak to keep up glamours. It would use a lot of concentrated magic to hold up the amount he would need to go undetected as himself. The Polyjuice would only work if he had some on hand and, even then, depending on the amount of time he would need to stay in St. Mungo's…" Albus explained.

"Alright, enough smarty-pants talk," James laughed. "Can't have been very safe, though."

"We did what we could. Mr. Malfoy helped a little bit when we let him know," Harry shrugged. "He seems fine now, though. We had drinks last night and he was up to his usual snarky self."

Albus noticed the long look Ginny gave his dad. Suspicion, jealousy, and irritation were all present in her bright brown eyes. When she realized Albus had noticed, she flushed and looked away, causing him to quickly turn his head. Damn it. He didn't need anyone to realize how closely he was watching them, he was already acting strangely enough to them.

"You doing alright, Al?" Harry asked concerned.

Exhibit A, Albus thought to himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…worried about Snape and all."

The older wizard didn't look as though he fully believed his son. Albus half expected his father to point out that he had been acting odd since coming home or saying they would have a talk later. Eventually, Harry just nodded, letting Albus relax somewhat.

It took an hour longer than expected to be ready to go to Snape's house. The time everyone else was ready, someone decided they weren't quite done yet. Then they had to return home twice to get something they had forgotten. Finally, they were able to use a Portkey to arrive at their destination inside of the Leaky Cauldron where Harry had a car parked outside. It was always a hassle getting there, considering it was not connected to the floo network as well as Snape being paranoid about the Department of Magical Transportation easily tracking the comings and goings of the Potters to Snape's house. He said it was dangerous enough to use the magic he did in his house. So they always used a Portkey to get to the Leaky Cauldron, especially since Lily didn't take too well to Apparating, then drove the car to Snape's house.

It was a modest place; one story, very old, the yard always neat, though, on the whole, looking as though it was abandoned. Lily squealed happily when they parked behind Snape's car and was the first to jump out then run to the front door, banging loudly. Harry sighed heavily, smiling in amusement as he watched her. "I bet he's still lecturing her by the time we get in there," James piped up from the backseat as he opened his door. "What say ya, Al?"

"I bet he'll just be finishing," Albus played along.

It was the same every time. Lily would run up with too much enthusiasm, causing Snape to scold her for being too loud and causing too much ruckus, how, despite her parentage, she should at least pretend to act like a lady. As they watched, James and Albus would bet on the state of the lecture the time they arrived. It wasn't always the same. Sometimes James won, sometimes Albus won, and, though their parents highly discouraged actual gambling, they did always have something to give, be it actual money, an owed favor, candy, or any number of small things.

"I bet he's got her in his lap, reading her a fairytale," Harry joked as he followed his family out of the car.

"I bet he's teaching her how to waltz," Ginny laughed.

"There's no need to be creepy," James shuddered.

To their surprise, they didn't hear any fussing as they approached the house. The door was still open so Harry led the way inside. Looks of alarm spread across the Potters' faces when they heard Lily's whimpering. Harry ran towards the living room, the others on his tail. Snape sat in his usual arm chair, looking grim as he hastily buttoned up a white shirt. Lily sat on the couch, tears streaming down her face, hiccupping as she struggled to stop crying. Albus was confused for a minute until he got a good look at the bare skin of Snape's chest. The man was normally covered up to right under his chin so they had only caught a glimpse of his scars a few times. Then, normally, that was only the scar where his Dark Mark was and the one on his neck from the snake bite that almost killed him.

All along the left side of his neck and across the front were the twisted, harsh white lines of the snake bite. That wasn't all. The flesh of his left side all the way to near the middle of his stomach looked burned, twisted, and almost as though the flesh had been melted. It was enough to upset Albus's stomach. There was very tender, pink flesh just below his right collarbone that looked fresh and must have been from the most recent accident. Aside from those bigger ones, there were still several smaller scars decorating his upper body. James and Albus stood side by side, staring as Snape did his best to cover them up, though his hands were shaking more than normal and the left was heavily bandaged. If this was completely better, then Albus hated to see what it had looked like after it first happened. Ginny rushed to the couch beside Lily to pull her daughter into her arms while Harry slowly walked over to Snape, kneeling down before him and shoving his hands aside, carefully buttoning up the shirt himself despite Snape's glowering.

The move was so intimate that Albus could barely stand to look at it. He was still confused about his thoughts and feelings concerning the night he caught them kissing but, to act this way in front of his mother! Maybe the actions themselves couldn't be deemed romantic or sexual, but there was something about the way they were when they were so close, the way they looked at each other, their conversation became private with their whispers, every delicate caress spoke volumes of their adoration and sent enough heat through the room for everyone to feel the sexual tension. Maybe not everyone. Albus hadn't noticed before that night but it was all he could think about now. To him, just this felt as though they were full out having sex in front of them!

He wasn't the only one to notice. He saw the way Ginny glanced at them, visibly becoming incredibly uncomfortable as she tried to calm Lily down. Lily continued sniffling, wiping the tears from her eyes and catching her breath. James muttered sarcastically under his breath about how Roxanne thought her latest Quidditch injury was bad.

"I don't need you, Potter," Snape muttered, shifting and straightening himself once Harry was done. Both men seemed reluctant as Harry stood up and stepped back.

Albus noted how the man said he didn't need him, as opposed to needing his help. He wanted to say something, to call them out on their deceit, draw attention to their little secrets. Instead, he bit the inside of his mouth to keep from talking. This wasn't exactly a normal, everyday situation.

At school, it had been easier to look at this with a more logical mind. Being here with his family was what brought the onslaught of emotion. Ginny, who hadn't even given birth to him or James, had stood by Harry though he was pregnant with someone else's child. Said man, while a godfather they all adored, had never been a father to them. Why not? They were his children. Didn't they matter? And how could Harry cheat on a wife so loyal, so good to him and his children? Did Snape know about them? He must, surely. Or had Harry kept this secret from him, too?

He knew. Albus had a gut feeling that he knew.

"They do remember how to sit, do they not?" Snape asked, eying the boys critically.

Albus raised an eyebrow. "Do you get off on being a git or what?"

He hadn't even known the words had actually slipped out of his mouth as opposed to being words he only daydreamed of spitting out venomously. Everyone stared at him in shock. It wasn't like Albus to be this way. If anyone had any sarcastic or mean remarks, it was normally James or Lily. Albus was the quiet one, the patient one, the kind one. Even he had his days, though.

"Albus Severus, what is going on with you lately?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Apologize!" Harry demanded.

"That's quite alright," Snape said, studying Albus closely with those cold black eyes. "I have dealt with disrespectful dimwits a great deal in my life. I still suffer your presence more often than I care to, Potter."

Harry's green eyes narrowed at Snape, who didn't even bother looking at him. The two of them getting into it was nothing new to this family. James just rolled his eyes then walked across the room to sit on the other side of Lily, nudging her to scoot over and make more room for him. Albus stared at Snape, who stared back at him while Harry glowered at the older wizard.

"I guess you have a point, Al," Harry muttered, stepping away slowly to sit on the chair closer to the couch than to Snape.

"Harry!" Ginny hissed.

"Dad, Al, Snape…Play nice, now," James laughed.

No one said anything. Ginny would later comment under her breath that it was at least an improvement. Out of pure stubbornness, Snape and Harry refused to make amends, letting the room remain in awkward silence for several long minutes. Only when it became unbearable did James start up another half hearted attempt at conversation about the American sport of Quodpot and how he and cousins Fred, Roxanne, Dominique, and Hugo all tried playing it at Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's house the day before.

"Why didn't you let me know? I wanted to play!" Lily exclaimed.

"James, we've talked about this," sighed Ginny. "It's not very safe."

"Quidditch isn't very safe either, yet we all play that. Except for Al, of course," James said matter-of-factly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Albus asked.

"Nothing," James shrugged. "Only the truth. You're not athletic like the rest of us."

Ginny looked pointedly away as Harry shot Snape a meaningful look and said, "No, he's not." Snape held his gaze and gave a slow nod. Albus was the only one who seemed to notice. James and Lily had to be slow not to see it, didn't they? Had things always been like this? Albus wracked his brain, looking through old memories, wondering if there was anything there that he should have picked up on but hadn't. Nothing was really coming to mind, though.

"There is nothing wrong with being intellectually inclined," Snape said smugly. "Some people in this world actually prefer someone with more than half a brain in their head."

"You can't survive with only half a brain, can you?" James asked.

"You obviously do," Lily giggled.

James proceeded to chase Lily around the living room until they came close to knocking over one of Snape's bookcases, earning them a good scolding from the man before they settled back down. Ginny, James, and Lily all began a very lively discussion about Quidditch with input from Harry and Snape only once in a while. Harry seemed content to watch them mess around with a smile, pausing only to share long looks with Snape or to cast concerned glances Albus's way. The boy in question leaned back against the wall where he had the best access to watch everyone. If there had been any doubts in his theory before, they were all but gone now.

What was more disturbing than anything was the charged sexual chemistry still apparent between the two men. Maybe it was the fact that Albus was now certain they had been lovers at one point that made it all so clear but he could just feel it. There was something alive between them that seemed to heat up every time their eyes met. They looked at each other as though no one else existed. The yearning that was so clear in their eyes was enough to make Albus's heart skip a beat, making his breath catch in his throat. Weren't they a little too old for this? He felt uncomfortable midway through the whole meeting, around the fifth time they exchanged that look.

He wanted to scream at them. Tell them to stop. Beg them to have some decency. They would have thought it a bit insane, though, he was sure.

Albus must have asked himself a thousand times that day how he had never seen it before. He also couldn't help but wonder how Ginny could stand this. This was all new to him and he didn't know whether to scream or cry. She was a stronger woman than this, to stay with a man who cheated on her, who obviously wanted to be elsewhere.

It was frustrating because the whole situation made no sense. Why were his parents together? Why weren't Harry and Snape together? Why live a lie this way? Even if Snape wanted to let everyone believe he was dead, was that a reason for Harry to marry some girl he obviously didn't love?

It was infuriating because he had been lied to. His parents, all of them, had lied to them all. They were still keeping this secret. Not only that but the fact that his own flesh and blood father, Snape, wasn't an active parent at all. Why not? Were they not worth it? Weren't kids supposed to be everything to their parents? More important than their own selfish needs and desires?

It was painful because these people he had trusted and loved lied to him. Because his own father, apparently, didn't want him at all. Because his entire life had been a lie and he didn't know what to think or do.

When Ginny announced it was time for them to leave, Albus had to blink tears from his eyes, swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat. Ginny looked ready to ask of his well-being again but Albus quickly shook his head. She didn't say anything, only nodded and rounded up James and Lily, who were arm wrestling while Harry stood to shake Snape's hand then bid him goodbye.

"You coming, Al?" Harry asked as he followed Ginny, James, and Lily to the door. Albus hadn't moved an inch.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Albus said quietly.

Harry gave him an odd look then sent a questioning gaze to Snape who only nodded. The man seemed reluctant to leave his youngest son but, eventually. made himself move. Albus and Snape remained in their positions until they heard the front door close. He stared at the wall ahead of him, well aware of the moment black eyes began to bore into him.

"You've been moodier than a teenage girl all day," Snape commented smoothly.

"Bugger off," Albus mumbled, kicking at the floor. Several more minutes of silence passed between them before he straightened out his brain enough to speak again. He cleared his throat, then reluctantly glanced to Snape. His father. "I don't get how…some parents can just…act like they don't even have kids."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "One of your friends, I presume?"

Albus shrugged.

When he looked away again, Snape was still looking at him. He could almost hear the wheels turning in the older wizard's head. "My own parents were of questionable parenting standards. In my many years as the Head of Slytherin House, I saw a great deal of students with mummy and daddy issues. Though I can say I, myself, don’t understand the reasons for this treatment, despite my own disdain for the numerous dunderheads that walked into my classroom. I do believe that…if I had children of my own…regardless of how reckless, moronic, or unbearable they were, I would…care for them."

The man seemed so uncomfortable admitting such a thing. Albus wasn't even sure why he was saying the things he was. For a moment, he was angry that Snape would say such a thing when he damn well knew that Albus was his son and that he had hardly been father of the year. As he looked back at the man, though, he was confused. Something in the look in those eyes gave him pause. Snape knew. But Snape also had the idea that Albus knew. Were his words supposed to be reassuring?

"Loathe as I am to give my parents the benefit of the doubt, they were truly the most reprehensible, pathetic excuses for parents I had the misfortune of encountering. But, perhaps, we, as their offspring, are not fully capable of understanding where they might be coming from with their actions," Snape said quietly, looking as though this pained him to admit.

"Do you think they cared for you?" he asked.

"Not for one moment," Snape growled.

"But, despite the fact that you openly despise children, you say you would love your own children?" Albus asked hesitantly.

"Yes. I can say with certainty that any children of mine would hold a very special place in my heart," Snape said quietly.

"The existence of which has always been questionable," Albus offered up as teasingly as he could muster. His tone didn't easily reach any sort of believability, though it at least achieved enough for Snape to understand how he meant the comment.

This was his chance to say something. Snape had to suspect that he knew the truth. Why else would he open up this way? Emotional confessions were hardly his strong suit. Even with this he struggled to remain detached, while being…what? Open enough to convince Albus that he cared? Snape's motives were unclear but there was no mistaking that glint in his eyes. Say something! His mind willed him, but Albus could say nothing on the subject.

"Well, I'll stop bothering you now," Albus said finally.

Snape nodded. "You are welcome here whenever you deem it necessary."

"Thanks. I guess," Albus said. "Erm. Hope you're feeling better?"

"It has been two and a half weeks. It should cause concern if I hadn't noticed any progress in my healing by now," Snape remarked.

"Still hurts then?"

"It is nothing I cannot handle," Snape said. "Off you go. Before they send in a search party."

"Right," Albus said, quickly looking to the door. He was surprised they hadn't honked at him. They hadn't left, had they? He had been in here much longer than he had intended. "Bye."

The discussion with Snape had dissipated some of his anger though he had a feeling it wasn't quite dead yet. In all actuality, he was more confused than ever as he left Snape's house then headed out to the car where Harry and Ginny were fussing at James and Lily to calm down. This situation was too big, too complicated for him to work out on his own. Before too long, he was going to have to talk to someone about it.

Author’s Note: Not to say they don't exist, but I haven't read any stories where any of Harry's children are actually Snape's so I was sort of inspired. I hope everyone enjoys this!

Chapter has been corrected by my amazingly wonderful beta Dani who is awesome, if I haven’t told you already! J Thanks so much!

The chapter title comes from a quote from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. "The man who lies to the world, is the world's slave from then on."

You can like me on FB for updates about TBKS, my other stories, and any upcoming projects I plan to work on. As well as other musings about snarry and the world of fanfiction.
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The Best Kept Secrets