He had not been expecting that message. He had most definitely not been expecting the offer. They had had a … pleasant day this past Saturday. After a couple hours at the museum they'd gone back to her home. They'd watched some TV and sat on her back porch and talked while her son napped. About nothing. Just conversational chatter. She hadn't prodded him with a million questions. They hadn't talked about the war or Hogwarts once. Other than her mentions of her friends, which he didn't begrudge her as they were clearly still a presence in her life.

The next thing he knew, it had been closing in on midnight and they'd not only eaten pizza, but had made popcorn on her stovetop and watched a movie. They'd watched a second one after her son was put to bed.

She'd shown him where he could apparate from in her backyard, and he'd gone home feeling surprisingly … mellow for the first time in years. If not his entire life. Mellow and Severus did not go hand in hand. And it had nothing to do with the wine he'd imbibed in with her either.

He was pretty sure he found her more than fetching now, but hadn't thought too hard about that yet. If he thought too hard on it, he'd come up with ways he messed up Saturday. Or reasons she could never be interested in him in return.

He'd just assumed it was a one off. A nice day by both of them, but that she'd realize this was her former potions professor and move along.

Move along to or from what, he couldn't say because - again - he'd chosen not to dwell on it, assuming he wouldn't hear from her again.

He hadn't expected her to actually use the phone number he'd given her, which was why he'd given her one of his business cards. He did write his home office phone number on the back of it, so hoped she didn't think that he was trying to brush her off. He mentioned that Draco did not check that answering machine at the house since he used it for business purposes. Severus didn't use the home office phone much anymore either. It was left over from when he first started. Now, he kept it just in case. In the event he didn't want to go into his office one day. Or an instance where one of his contacts had information for him he couldn't wait until the next day to hear. (Like a regular at a bar came in that hadn't made an appearance for days.)

So, here he was at her backdoor once again, in the morning this time. It was painted Gryffindor red, and he scoffed softly at that. He had not noticed that last weekend. Was her front door the same colour and he'd missed it? He couldn't recall. The colour of her doors had not been on his mind.

He knocked, feeling the slight brush of magic wash over him. Good wards. He was apparently allowed to be here because he felt no resistance, and he wondered when she'd made that so.

She opened the door, obviously dressed for an autumn excursion at the zoo. Though from the weather forecast he saw earlier, it looked like it would get to seventy degrees today. She'd picked an excellent day to spend at a zoo.

Evidently, she was not the only one to have this idea as the zoo was rather crowded, but it was large enough and it seemed that people didn't have to follow the exact same path or travel in the same direction. He should have guessed it would be crowded when she called to confirm yesterday just after he'd seen the evening news broadcast's weather forecast.

Currently, they were in a cave-like underwater observation area for the seals when Cade started crying. He had, until that moment, been well behaved and rather in awe of everything. It wasn't a full blown tantrum, but the tears seemed real. Hermione had mentioned it was his first time at any zoo so he was rather enthralled by it all. So Severus was surprised at the change in the boy's demeanor.

Severus hadn't bothered to admit that he had never been to a zoo before either. He wasn't certain she'd think … less of him for any number of things he'd never seen or done before.

"What is wrong," he said softly, realizing he sounded … more critical and impatient than he intended. Hermione glanced at him a bit sharply but didn't look upset. That was a relief. Was there anyone who wouldn't react to a child's tantrum, though? Surely, that couldn't be held against him.

"He can't see anything," she murmured.

Severus glanced around, the cave-like area was rather full of people. There didn't seem to be a clear spot coming open soon either to where Cade could walk up to the glass and see any better. No one was going out of their way to move for him. He could understand the children, they didn't know better. The parents though weren't either.

He leaned toward her then. "Can I help?"

"No hexing," she whispered with a soft laugh. There he went finding her fetching again when the smile from the laugh made her eyes light up.

"As tempting as that is, I assure you that wasn't what I was offering. May I take him? I am a bit taller than you, perhaps I can offer a better vantage point for him."

"Oh, no, it's okay, Severus. Really. He'll get over it."

Well, he would. Severus was sure she was right. Why should he have to if he had a solution available to him?

"Nonsense. I'm offering. He wants to see the seals. I admit I can understand that desire, they are rather sleek and regal looking."

She nibbled on that lower lip, glancing from Cade to Severus and then to the other patrons. She was probably looking to see if anyone seemed close to departing the cave-like structure.

"You're sure?"

"Positive," he said.

They made the exchange. Well, she made the exchange, guiding his arm on how to hold Cade as he could honestly say he couldn't recall holding a child this small. Perhap Draco, but if he had it was obviously over eighteen years ago. It was not like walking or riding a bicycle and easy to pick up and do again as if it was something learned by rote.

It took them both a moment to adjust. Master Cade no doubt was not accustomed to being held by someone other than his mother. Had she dated in the past three years? Had other men met her son? He didn't get that impression, but he could certainly be mistaken. It wasn't as if he'd asked or she'd brought it up. He did know he didn't like the idea, though.

Eventually, Cade settled against his shoulder, the top of his head brushing against his neck and jaw as he shifted to see the seals. Severus found it rather humbling that the boy trusted him enough to let him hold him. A quick flick of his wrist and the people in front of him moved a bit, just enough so that Severus could step a little closer. No hexes were involved.

"Seal!"

"Yes."

"Seal!" This second utterance was practically squealed in Severus' ear.

"Sorry," Hermione said from beside him.

He had to say the sheer look of delight on the boy's face was something he'd never been witness to before. The antique model car display they'd seen last week the boy had been thrilled by, but this look was something different. Pure joy at watching the seals in front of them swim, slither, and sluice through the water. From their underwater vantage point they could still see them break the surface of the water and splash before they coasted back in front of their window vantage point observing their underground home.

He felt something wash through him he never experienced before. Not truly.

Joy.

He was sure his heart thudded in his chest as with that joy a realization came to him.

He liked it.

He liked the feeling.

He liked being responsible for putting that look on this boy's face no matter how small a role he played.

Another realization hit him that while he had memories of his father building model cars, helping his father build Bond's Sunbeam Alpine. This boy had nothing. None of that. No father whatsoever.

He'd cursed his father several times over his forty-one years, never having stopped to think that even though there were few good memories they were there nonetheless. An example of what to do. He could look at the bad memories and know that alcohol and bordering on poverty contributed greatly to them.

Before alcohol and being poor were mixed in, though, his father had not been terrible.

This boy hadn't even had that.

He swallowed hard, glancing at Hermione who seemed oblivious to his thoughts. Why would she know about them? People did this sort of thing every day. People who weren't Severus Snape anyway.

Did he want the chance to be that to this boy?

He was getting ahead of himself, but two outings like this in a week was something.

Wasn't it?

He'd gone to the Art Institute last week assuming it was a date. Due to his lack of experience with dating he assumed he'd mucked it up somehow. Nothing had gone wrong or poorly. He'd just assumed he couldn't be so lucky as to think she believed nothing had gone wrong or poorly either.

He'd spent far too many hours on Sunday wondering if he should have opened her door for her when they left the museum or they got to her car. He paid for the pizza despite her protests that she'd pay since she extended the offer. Should he have attempted to kiss her good night? He hadn't even kissed her hand. Was that wrong? He didn't want to push or make her think that because he'd known her when he expected … Well, anything.

Surely she had dates to compare it to and see how pathetic he was when it came to such things most would consider rather basic.

To get his mind off of it, he'd gone out and worked four hours on a Sunday. He'd managed to get video footage of a claimant sanding his deck thanks to a Notice-Me-Not so it had been a successful surveillance. The auto insurance company who'd hired him before settling with the man would be thrilled.

Eventually, Cade's look of joy dwindled a bit. He was still very obviously entranced by the seals, but the look of wonder was a little less now so they left the cave-like structure at Hermione's prompting so others could see the seals, too. He set Cade down once they got out.

"What do you say, Cade?" Hermione said, taking her son's hand. The smile he granted her was contagious. And so sincere.

He looked up at Severus and gave him an even bigger smile. "Thank you," he said. No sarcasm. He meant it. True his mother had to prompt him, but that wasn't abnormal in children of three in his experience.

"You are most welcome, Master Cade. It's good to know my height is useful."

The rest of the zoo excursion passed by rather uneventfully. The three of them all seemed to enjoy themselves, but eventually it was time to leave. Cade was obviously tiring out.

They stopped at a nearby park to let Cade run around some on their way home. (A sign he either wasn't as tired as Severus thought before leaving the zoo or was getting a second wind.) A stop for ice cream followed that on their way to her house. They'd obviously been to the neighbourhood ice cream parlour before as Cade knew exactly what he wanted: chocolate ice cream in a cup, Mummy would not let him get a cone because it was too messy. Severus imagined there was a story to go with this rule. The clerk assisting them recognized them. She'd seemed surprised to see them with someone.

"He will sleep well tonight," she said once they returned to her home.

"I expect so," he agreed. It was an enjoyable, but long day.

"Did you still want to stay for dinner?"

"It's almost seven o'clock."

He hadn't realized how late it had gotten until he saw the clock on her video cassette recorder a few minutes ago. He wasn't sure he'd ever spent close to twelve hours with someone socially before.

"Yes, but I offered you dinner."

He'd like to stay, of course, but he didn't want to impose on her time further or make her think he believed that she owed him dinner. He didn't accompany her to the zoo for that.

"I don't want you to go through any trouble."

"Well, we both have to eat something so it's no trouble. How about spaghetti and jarred sauce? I have bread to go with it and makings for salad as well as wine."

That wouldn't take overlong he knew, boiling the water was the most time consuming task with jarred sauce. "That seems reasonable."

"I feel bad. We didn't really get lunch or anything." Cade had gotten a hot dog, but he and Hermione had passed on the overly priced zoo food.

"Nonsense, pasta and jarred sauce is a worthwhile sacrifice for such a day."

She was quiet for a moment, regarding him. Evidently, trying to decide if he was being sarcastic or not.

"I'm glad you think so."

She must have determined that he was sincere.

"Does Master Cade like spaghetti?"

"He does, of course. And will likely need a bath when he's done because no matter how I've worked with him on using his fork he still sticks his hand in the sauce."

Severus smirked a bit at that. He could picture it quite vividly, and that picture ended with the child being covered hair, face, and hands in tomato sauce.

"Can I help?"

"Pour us a glass of wine? And you could slice the loaf of bread?"

"I know a thing or two about slicing, yes."

"I thought that might be a familiar task for you."

"Indeed."

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com