Forever Yours

Chapter 9: This is Who You Are

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs (Katherine, Septimus, Helena, Christoph, Elisa, Henry, Nick, Justin, Kyle, Carlos, Mike, Nurse Canter, Headmaster Mickels, Hunfrith, Olwen, Huffie, Sorsek, Bilik, Fossum, Lars and Sven) are entirely my own.

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Severus stood transfixed, as he watched Katherine lead the young wizard towards the lake. His dark eyes absorbed everything they could about the boy. The black shoulder length hair...the dark eyes...the lanky stature...the nose. Oh Merlin the nose. Just like his, except, for some odd reason it looked more at home on the boy's face.

The boy's walk and the way he held himself was Katherine's movements though. The movement of a seeker; graceful and agile. He was as tall as his mother, if not a hair more, even with her heels on.

One look at the boy and there was no denying it. He was a product of the both of them. The boy was as much as himself as he was Katherine.

"Dad." The boy's voice startled him, back to reality. Katherine and Septimus stood at the opposite end of the pier, were the land met the lake. His son's voice was much like his own at that age, but it was a tad lighter all around.

Severus slowly began walking towards the pair, his eyes never leaving the boy's. He stopped within arm's length; thoughts running wild through his mind. He never thought of being a father, but here was the living proof, standing right in front of him. His son.

"Welcome home Septimus," Severus said, as he mentally shook all his other thoughts away. The younger wizard blinked his dark eyes, as though Severus' words had startled the boy himself.

"Likewise," Septimus said, extending his hand for Severus to shake. "Welcome home sir." Severus glanced down at the offered hand, then back up to the boy's face. He smirked inwardly, for he was glad to see that the boy had manners.

Slowly, Severus raised his own hand and took a hold of his son's. He noted the strength of Septimus' grip, and for a moment something inside of Severus pulled him closer to the younger wizard. Through the one touch, he could feel it.

It was the same protective feeling he had for Katherine. He knew, just like with Katherine, he would protect his son from anything that tried to harm him. Severus noted the amount of emotion that Septimus' eyes held. They seemed to be mixed with anxiety, awe and above all fear. Severus wondered if the boy was afraid of being disapproved of, as though he did not meet his father's standards. But Severus knew from what Katherine had told him, they boy would be above and beyond any expectation.

It was then that the hand shake didn't feel like enough. Gently, he gripped the boy's hand and slowly pulled his son into a one armed hug, which the boy quickly returned. Severus glanced to the boy's right, and saw Katherine giving the two a relieved smile, while tears built up in her eyes once again.

"You've done well Katherine," Severus told her through their connection.

"Thank you Sev," Katherine replied, as she continued to smile at pair. "Septimus."

"Yeah mom," Septimus said, as the wizards pulled away from each other.

"Let's go and sit down," Katherine said, leading father and son towards the bench at the end of the pier. "There are some things I...we wish to discuss with you."

"Alright," Septimus said, as he plopped down onto one side of the bench, leaving the middle open for his mother and father to join him. "Are we going to discuss your research trip."

"About that Sept," Katherine sighed, as she sat down in the center, followed by Severus on her left. "There was no research trip."

"What?" Septimus frowned, looking even more like his father. "Then where were you?"

"The UK," Katherine sighed heavily. "Scotland to be more precise."

"Scotland?" Septimus' frown became more pronounced. "I don't understand."

"For the past two years Septimus, I've been in Scotland," Katherine continued. "But I was not researching for the hospital."

"You weren't?"

"We assume Septimus that you have heard of the latest news from the UK," Severus said, as he placed a reassuring hand on Katherine's knee.

"You mean the battle at the wizarding school...Hogwarts right?"

"Yes, Hogwarts," Severus continued. "Then we are to assume that you heard the names of Severus Snape and Katherine Dumbledore this week, right?"

"Yes sir," Septimus nodded. "They were killed during the fight. Their names were announced at the memorial service on Monday night at school. I believe they were the Headmaster and Deputy of the school."

"Well, your half right," Katherine said, watching the young man's eyes carefully. "What if we told you that they were not killed, in fact, they're sitting with you right now."

"What?"

"Our real names are Katherine Dumbledore," Katherine said pointing at herself. "And Severus Snape.

"You're birthright name is Septimus Severus Snape," Katherine continued, as the boy's eyes widened and glanced back and forth between his mother and father. "Your father and I were spies for my uncle Albus Dumbledore."

"Spies?"

"I think it would be best if we show him the pensieve Katherine," Severus said. Slowly, Severus rose, gesturing his son and wife to follow him to the edge of the pier. He waved his wand over the water's glassy surface, and watched as Septimus' eye widened at the sight before him.

Slowly, a large stone basin rose up out of the water; within the bowl, silvery strands whirled in twisted patterns.

"What is it?" Septimus asked, kneeling down to get closer to the bowl.

"That is a Pensieve," Severus explained. "It allows you to put memories into it, to view them. Come." Severus gestured for Septimus to step down off the pier and into the basin. The young wizard cautiously rose and stuck his foot out. As soon as he lowered it to the basin's surface, the boy disappeared before his parents eyes.

"Shall we?" Severus said, motioning for Katherine to go first. Before long the pier was standing empty once again.

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Memories from both Katherine and Severus whirled before them. Childhood memories, their years at Hogwarts, the change in their lives as they took the Dark Mark. Katherine watched the memories with her son, but Severus' eyes remained locked on the young man; watching the boy's expression change with each of the memories.

But it was when they arrived at the scene where Katherine returned to England nearly fifteen years later, Severus noticed the boy's brow furrow. He could see the hurt and betrayal in his son's black eyes, and realized that the boy did not fully understand why Katherine hid the truth from him; from the both of them.

As the memories ended, the three were pulled out and tossed back onto the pier. Katherine and Severus remained silence for a moment, observed their son, who had his back to them. Septimus' posture was stiff and rigid, and his hands were clenched at his sides.

"Septimus?" Katherine finally asked, stepping towards the boy. Septimus spun around quickly to face them. His dark eyes had darken even further with anger.

"HOW COULD YOU!" Septimus shouted. "HOW COULD YOU LIE TO ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!"

"Septimus," Katherine said in a calm voice. "Please, listen to me..."

"NO!" Septimus shouted once more. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE LIED TO ME ABOUT...ABOUT EVERYTHING!"

"Septimus please," Katherine pleaded, as tears began to flow from her ice blue eyes.

"I HATE YOU!" Septimus continued his rant. "GO TO HELL! BOTH OF YOU!" And with those finally words the boy stormed off towards the house, leaving his mother and father alone on the deck; the first in tears, and the latter steaming with anger that he hadn't felt since he left the UK.