Lily's Charm- Severitus fanfiction

Stop

1996

Dad. Severus froze, his breath catching in his chest at the word and then his thoughts were reeling back to James’ innocent jibe, fifteen years ago.

“Severus, for the love of Merlin, do you have to do that in here?”

Severus raised his black eyebrow at James’ annoyed question. “You have an office, you do realize,” Severus returned. James glowered at him. Severus didn’t even pause as he continued plying quill to parchment, the steady scratch, scratch, making the corners of James’ mouth turn down even further.

Severus knew perfectly well what had James in such a foul temper and he smiled to himself as he enjoyed the memory of James’ anger at the mutt this afternoon. And Black’s confusion and the wonderfully hurt look on his face when James had snapped at him for insulting Severus. Severus stifled the urge to let his smirk touch his lips. James was still directing his glare at Severus every few minutes as it was; no need to anger the Gryffindor any further.

“Sev.” His wife’s musical voice had Severus looking up from his parchment and stilling his quill. James heaved a sigh of relief at the interruption. Lily noticed immediately, as she shifted Harry to her other hip and eyed the two men. “James, you’re not still upset about Sirius, are you?” she asked, concern touching her emerald eyes.

James flushed and turned back to his own parchment. “No,” he lied and Severus made a small noise. James’ eyes flashed back up to the Potions Master and Severus allowed himself a small smirk this time. The expression made James roll his eyes before he turned back to his work.

Lily just shook her head at the two men and turned to her husband. “Harry wants you to read him a story before bedtime…don’t you, Harry?” she asked the little boy. Harry smiled and reached for Severus.

“Daddy,” Harry demanded as he reached out for Severus. Severus stood immediately and took the little boy in his arms, reaching out automatically to smooth down the boy’s ceaselessly messy hair.

“Are you ready for bed, Harry?” Severus asked his little son. Harry shook his head at the suggestion, his lips puckering in a frown.

“Daddy will read you a story,” Lily promised the child and Harry smiled toothily up his father, while Severus gave Lily a slight frown, as he always did when she referred to him that way.

But before he could react appropriately, James cut in, “You really better get used to it, Severus. One of these days, it’ll probably just be Dad,” his tone highly amused at Severus’ chagrin.

Dad? It was a foreign word to Severus, who had called his own father nothing but father... or more often, sir. But it wasn’t as though Tobias had ever done anything to warrant emulation. And, judging by the way Lily was grinning between her husband and son, Severus couldn’t help but feeling that perhaps Dad might suit his son quite nicely.

…One of these days, it’ll probably just be Dad. James of course could have had no idea just how this day would have come and Severus, feeling as though he could no longer breathe, turned slowly, carefully erecting his shields so his face would not betray even a hint of his near-panic as he searched for what to say. And even when Severus was finally facing his son, still words eluded him.

Harry was shifting nervously, his feet fairly dancing as he stood there, waiting for Severus to respond. What was he supposed to say? How could he explain to Harry how much he had missed the word, though back then it had been Daddy?