"A son?" Lupin asked in utter shock. "Severus has a son?"

"Yes," the Headmistress of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall replied, "A sixteen-year-old boy who has been living in France. He owled me shortly after the end of the war, asking about his father and expressing his wish to come. However, I had asked him to wait a while until his father's trials were over. And since Severus' name has been cleared, I owled the boy, inviting him to Hogwarts."

Lupin felt dizzy suddenly, though he was already seated.

A sixteen-year-old son? How? When?

"Remus, are you listening?" McGonagall's voice cut through his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. You were saying?"

"Since the rest of the staff are busy rebuilding the school and keeping it secure while still preparing for the upcoming semester, I was wondering if you would please accompany Draco Malfoy to the station to fetch Severus' son. He'll be arriving tomorrow morning."

"Why Draco Malfoy?" he asked.

"How else would you recognize the boy? Mr Malfoy, as I understand, is a friend of his," McGonagall replied, "and that boy is as paranoid as Severus ever is. He will not agree to go with a stranger blindly, no matter what proof you present him with. Mr Malfoy's presence will reassure him that you are a friend. And I don't wish to send Mr Malfoy by himself since his life may be targeted by the remnants of the Dark Lord's followers."

Lupin remained silent for a while, trying to digest McGonagall's words. It was true that after it had been revealed that Draco had been secretly helping the Order via Snape, his life had been put in danger of revenge from the former Death Eaters. Thus, he stayed at Hogwarts for the time being until the beginning of the school year. Therefore, Lupin had to protect the blond teen if he went to the station. And he didn't know how Snape's son looked, so it would be easier if someone already acquainted with the boy could fetch him. So, as much as he dreaded meeting the son of his former lover, Lupin knew that he had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, Minerva. I'll go."

"Thank you, Remus."

"What is the boy's name?" he asked.

"Edward Coinin Prince Snape."

+.+ +.+ +.+

Lupin took a deep breath as he stood at Hogwarts Station with Draco Malfoy, waiting for the arrival of Snape's son. He still hadn't recovered from the shock of learning that the Potions Master had a sixteen-year-old son. The mere fact was causing a significant ache inside his heart.

"Coinin!" Lupin snapped free of his thoughts at Draco's voice calling out for someone. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the person approaching them, dragging a mid-sized wheeled suitcase behind him.

Edward Snape was a tall young man with pale skin, sharp features, onyx piercing eyes and similarly coloured, silky, short hair with ocean blue streaks at the tips. Clad in an ensemble of black - trousers, shirt, and blazer alike, underneath a long, ink-coloured robe - he was the spitting image of his father at the same age...except for the nose, Lupin noted. While Snape had a hooked nose, his son's was normal, yet it perfectly fitted his face.

The werewolf tried to ignore how his heart fluttered at sight, like one that once upon a time had taken his breath away.

"How often have I told you not to call me that, Draco?" Edward said coldly in French-accented English as soon as he was near the two. "My name is Edward."

"As is Coinin," Draco said flatly, gaining an awfully familiar glare from the other teen before Edward turned his gaze and narrowed his eyes at Lupin, who was in a semi-trance after hearing the boy's voice that eerily resembled his father's.

"This is Professor Remus John Lupin," Draco introduced, "He's a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward," Lupin greeted the boy with a warm smile and extended hand.

The boy looked at the proffered hand coldly before lifting his gaze to meet Lupin's golden eyes.

"I fear that the feeling is not mutual, Mr Lupin," Edward said with all-too-familiar scorn, "And I would appreciate it if you were to call me Mr Snape," He then turned his attention to the blond teen. "How is Père?"

"Still in a coma," Draco replied, surprised at Edward's unexplained hostility towards Lupin. "Let's go. The carriage is waiting to take us to Hogwarts."

"Why isn't he in a proper hospital?" Edward asked as the three walked.

"It's safer for Severus to remain at Hogwarts, Mr Snape," Lupin replied. "Even if he was cleared of treason, there are people who still viewed him as a traitor and a murderer. Not to mention that former Death Eaters would surely want to avenge Voldemort. But don't worry, Madame Pomfrey, with the help of the best healers in St. Mungo's, is taking diligent care of him."

The dark-haired wizard scowled at the werewolf but didn't comment. Instead, he looked at Draco.

"You should've informed me as soon as this happened, Draco. I'm his son, yet I discovered that my père is in a coma and critical state from a damn newspaper like any other stranger would."

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I, too, was unsure of my position after the final battle. My family and I have gone through lengthy trials to have our name cleared as well," Draco almost snapped in annoyance.

"Of course," Edward said stiffly, "Everybody thinks of saving their hides first, thoughtless of the ones who have kept them alive in the first place."

"Hey!" Draco halted, grabbing Edward's collar, "You are the last one to have any right of passing judgment on me or anyone else for that matter. While you've been safely tucked away in France, I've been in the middle of the crossfire since I was eleven."

"Gentlemen, this is not the place to discuss such matters," Lupin said, trying to cool down the tense atmosphere.

The two teens exchanged glares before looking away and resuming their walk. On their way back to Hogwarts, Lupin stole glances at Edward, wondering about the circumstances surrounding his birth and upbringing.

Who was his mother?

When did Snape meet her and father a child?

Why was his existence hidden from everyone up to now?

And how much did he know about what was happening here?

He also wondered about the cause of the boy's instant hatred toward him.

When the trio reached Hogwarts, they found McGonagall waiting at the school's entrance.

"Welcome, Edward," the old witch said with a warm smile, "It's been a long time. You've grown up into a fine young man."

"Madame," Edward nodded, smiling slightly, "It is good to see you again."

Lupin rose an eyebrow at the sudden change in the boy's attitude. But then again, McGonagall had always imposed an air of deference and respect on whoever dealt with her.

The Headmistress' smile widened as she studied the young man in front of her. The last time she had seen him was when he was only 13. However, in those three years, he seemed to grow into a young adult.

"Please, come in," she said as she led them inside the castle. "Would you like to have something to eat now, or would you like to settle down first?"

"No, Madame. I'd like to see my père," Edward replied.

"Don't you want to put your luggage away and freshen up first?"

"No, Madame," he replied in a resolved manner, "I want to see him."

The witch nodded.

"I'll take Edward's suitcase to the Slytherin Common Room," Draco volunteered. "...if you wish to stay there instead of the guest room."

"Merci," the dark-haired youth whispered, giving his friend a grateful look.

Nodding, the blond took the suitcase and walked in the other direction. While the three headed to the healing wing.

As they neared the infirmary, Edward noticed a man and woman standing at the entrance, wearing brown trench coats.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"Aurors," McGonagall replied, "They are here to protect your father."

"Or pounce on him the moment he wakes up," Edwards whispered under his breath, though his two companions heard it very clearly.

"Good day, Headmistress, Remus," Tonks greeted as she saw McGonagall and Lupin approach the healing wing with an unknown dark-haired boy, "And you are...?"

"He's Severus' son," McGonagall replied before the boy could. "He would like to see his father."

"I didn't know Snape had a son," Tonks said, eyeing the boy suspiciously even as she noticed the resemblance.

"I was born and raised in France," Edward replied in a cold, distant manner. "Do you like to run a paternity test?"

Tonks frowned but said nothing as she and her colleague gave way to the trio.

+.+ +.+ +.+

The healing wing was empty save for one bed near the entrance where Snape lay.

Edward froze in place, eyeing the lifeless body on the bed.

That couldn't be his father!

His father had always been charismatic, commanding, strong, proud, and confident. His aura always spoke of nothing but ultimate authority and sheer power, while the person on the bed was the pure image of weakness and pitifulness. The boy's eyes noted how deathly pale his father's skin was. He inhaled sharply as he saw the bloody bandages wrapped around his father's long neck, thin torso, and the muggle IV that supplied his bony body with much-needed nutrients. The young man noticed his father's chest's weak rise and fall as its owner struggled to cling to life.

"Papa!" Edward's whisper was miserably desperate as tears pooled in his eyes at the sight of his father. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he rushed to the sick man's bed, wanting to hold him, needing to assure himself that the man was still alive.

"Papa!" he called a little louder, leaning heavily on the side of the bed as he held one slender hand tightly between his two smaller ones. "Papa! Please, answer me." —Tears fell involuntary from his eyes as he begged— "It's me, Edward, your son. Please, Papa. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I didn't know anything until now." —He frantically planted soft kisses against the long, slender, motionless fingers— "I still need you, Papa. Please, wake up. Please."

Lupin felt his heart was about to explode at the sad sight.

Edward's cold attitude at the station and during the ride to Hogwarts hadn't prepared the werewolf for such a display of emotions. He hadn't thought the boy could show such grief and sorrow. He was about to go to the anxious boy to offer his comfort when Pomfrey beat him to it.

"Edward," the healer said soothingly as she placed a comforting hand on the youth's shoulder. "You shouldn't do this. Your father is strong and will wake up soon. You should be strong for him."

Edward looked up at the healer with a grief-stricken expression.

"Why hasn't he woken up until now?" he asked.

"I don't know, Edward," Pomfrey replied, "The snake's poison was too powerful. It should've killed him. But he's a strong fellow, don't worry."

"I can't afford to lose him, Madame," the boy said between sobs, "I can't live without him."

"Severus is stronger than you think, Edward," McGonagall said, joining the two near the bed. "He will pull through. I'm sure of it. And I know that he would disapprove of what you're doing to yourself right now."

A stifled laugh escaped Edward's mouth despite himself.

"I suppose so," he said, wiping his tears. "He would batter me for losing control over my emotions."

McGonagall smiled warmly at the young teen, "Now that you've seen your father, I suggest you go to the Slytherin Common room and try to rest."

Edward nodded his head.

"Then, let's go to the Slytherin Common Room so you can freshen up and rest," she said. "Would you like something to eat?"

He shook his head.

"I'd like to sleep in the infirmary with Père, please," he said pleadingly. McGonagall looked at Pomfrey, who nodded her head in agreement.

"After you've eaten and calmed down," said the healer, "Then you can come back and stay with your father."

"Merci, Madame."

With that, Edward straightened up and walked with McGonagall out of the Healing Wing.

+.+ +.+ +.+

When Edward entered the Slytherin dormitory, he saw Draco alone, sitting in front of the unlit fireplace, staring blankly into nothingness.

A flash of guilt hit the dark-haired boy at the sight.

Unlike him, Draco had grown up to be the centre of attention to his family and peers, the heir of a prestigious pure-blooded family whom everyone had high hopes for. It was sad to see the blond youth sitting alone in the dark dorm, dwelling in his misery.

"Hey," Edward said softly as he took a seat in front of him. Draco looked up and nodded in response.

"Have you seen your father?" he asked.

"Oui," Edward sighed deeply, remembering the painful sight of his father.

"I was the one who found him, you know," Draco said in a low voice. "Potter thought that he was dead. But after the battle, I saw him at the Shrieking Shack. He still had a pulse, though it was very weak...almost undetectable..."

"I see," Edward said, looking out into space. "The article has mentioned that it was Harry Potter who—"

"Of course, they will give credit to him," Draco said with a snort before he let out a deep breath. "But the truth, it didn't bother me." —he let out a dry chuckle— "All my life, I wanted to be admired, but after everything that happened, all the death and betray that I've seen before my eyes, such things such as taking credit seemed trivial and petty."

The two sat silent for a while before the dark-haired wizard spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "for what I said at the station."

"It's alright," Draco replied, shaking his head slightly, "I'm sorry too for what I said. I know that if you had been given a choice, you would've chosen to stay by your father's side instead of staying in France."

"Indeed," Edward said bitterly. "and perhaps this wouldn't have happened to Père."

"Edward, what happened to Professor Snape was the result of his choices," Draco said. "He knew of the consequences, and yet he made them, regardless. Besides, what's happened has happened; you have no control over it. Don't dwell too much on the past. Tell me, will you be staying here long? The school will soon start."

"Of course," Edward replied, "I wouldn't leave Père while he's in such a state. I'll ask Madame McGonagall if I can take my seventh year here at Hogwarts. At any rate, I was already planning to come and study as an apprentice for Potions here."

"You want to be Horace Slughorn's apprentice?"

"No, I want to work under Père. I will not study under anyone but him. This was decided before this whole mess happened."

"Even if Professor Snape woke up from his coma, he's not the Potions Professor anymore. You would still be Slughorn's apprentice, provided that the Headmistress agrees to your studying at Hogwarts." Draco pointed out.

"It's still early to talk about my apprenticeship," Edward said. "Right now, my only concern is to take care of my père. Everything else doesn't matter anymore. I don't care even if I must drop school altogether."

Draco simply nodded his reply.

Another period of silence passed between the two before Edward spoke again.

"Draco, I want to know everything that happened."

"Edward—"

"I have the right to know," the raven-haired wizard exclaimed, "Up until now, I have kept track of what was happening through rumours and the newspapers since he never allowed me to come to Britain, and I doubt that anyone other than you will tell me, even if I asked. I know that it's a distasteful subject everyone is trying to avoid, but I have the right to know what père has been through these past years. And I know that you will tell me the complete truth, no matter how harsh it is, without trying to sugar-coat or conceal anything."

Draco studied the other wizard with an unreadable expression for a few moments before sighing in defeat.

"Your father will surely kill me later on," He said softly, gaining a slight smirk from Edward.

+.+ +.+ +.+

When Edward left with McGonagall, Lupin remained alone with the ailing man. Snape's face was scarily pale, yet Lupin stared at him hungrily, wanting to memorize even the tiniest line on his pale face. Unknown to the rest of the world and despite some earlier incidents in their past, Lupin and Snape had become lovers three years after their graduation.

Lupin, who would often come to meet Dumbledore as a link between him and the members of the old Order of the Phoenix, kept bumping into Snape, who was at that time an apprentice under Slughorn. Over time the two grew closer and started secretly dating.

However, their love affair ended after a year when Lupin learned that Snape was a Death Eater. He thought the dark-haired wizard had been using him to spy on the original Order, and the two broke up after a heated fight.

Lupin bit his lower lip in regret. It had never occurred to him that Snape would be working for the Light side then. And when they met again when he had joined the ranks of the Hogwarts staff and after he learned about Snape's role as a member of the new Order of Phoenix, he had still been unable to forgive Snape for being a follower of the Dark Lord while they were dating. However, after the final battle, when all the facts about Snape's role in the war against Voldemort had become known, Lupin knew that he had made a grave mistake and committed an unforgivable injustice toward the only man he had ever loved. He battered himself for not giving the dark-haired wizard a chance to defend or explain himself.

'But it's too late now, isn't it, Severus?' The werewolf thought bitterly. Even if the Potions Master ever forgave – or deigned to forgive him for his past mistake, it was clear that Snape had moved on regarding their relationship.

Edward's age suggested that Snape had fathered him shortly after their breakup. Lupin was damn sure that Snape would never return his feelings of love...ever.

+.+ +.+ +.+

"Edward, are you alright?" Draco asked with concern as he ended his tale.

The boy sitting opposite him was as white as parchment and looked as if he was about to throw up.

Edward shook his head, not able to find the strength to talk. He couldn't believe the amount of pain and sorrow his father had gone through for two decades. The sacrifices he'd had to make. He felt an unspeakable fury rising inside his chest at everyone who had taken advantage of his father and had used him as means for their ends. He felt tremendous anger at himself for leaving his father alone to face such difficulties while he was safe far away, enjoying life. He was disgusted with himself for not trying to learn more about the war that his father had been fighting all by himself, even if he was in another country. He should've been more interested in his father's life and offered him a helping hand.

Draco waited patiently as his friend fought with his inner emotions. He, too, had battled himself many times since receiving the Dark Mark in exchange for his father's life. His ideas, feelings, wit, and instinct for survival had warred against each other every single day as he'd tried to juggle between proving his loyalty to a lord he didn't believe in, keeping his self and family safe and alive, and with doing what he thought to be right.

Edward had been lucky not to have faced such a situation, but now he had to deal with the leftovers of a war he didn't know anything about and had almost taken his father's life.

"I'm going to ensure that no one takes advantage of Père...ever again!" Draco heard the other wizard say in a determined tone as he stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"The infirmary."

+.+ +.+ +.+

When Edward entered the Hospital Wing, he found Lupin sitting next to his father's bed. The boy tensed in alarm but then braced himself, deciding that it was best if he ignored the werewolf's presence. He summoned the bed next to his father's closer until the small side table was sandwiched between the two beds before taking out some shrunken items from his pocket, re-sizing them to normal, and setting them on the table.

Lupin watched silently as the boy settled his things before taking off his robes, blazer, and shoes to climb into the bed.

"Are you going to sleep here?" He asked.

Edward gazed at him coldly before half laying on the bed and opening a book to read.

The werewolf frowned, wondering if he should give the young man a lecture about good manners or if he should simply try once more to start a conversation with him. Deciding on the latter, he spoke again.

"I see that you are reading 'Atalanta Fugiens.' It's one of Severus' favourite books." —Again, the youth simply glared at him over the book before returning to his reading— "I don't think Severus would approve of your disrespectful manners."

"Don't speak about him so informally," Edward snapped.

"I'm glad that you've decided to talk to me finally, Mr Snape," Lupin said, "I've been trying to have a conversation with you, yet for some reason, you don't seem interested."

"Others may already have picked up the hint and stopped trying," Edward sneered.

"You are talking to everyone else; why not me? For some reason, you've shown me only hatred from the moment you saw me."

"That's not true," The youth said, venom dripping from his tone. "I've hated you since I was thirteen. I know who you are, Mr Lupin, and what you've done to Père."

Lupin tensed slightly but did not waver under Edward's glare. So, the boy knew about his history with Snape, but how much did he know?

Judging by the amount of hatred pouring out of the boy's eyes, he would likely say everything. Even so, it didn't concern him anyway. The past was a matter between him and Snape. And it was certainly not an excuse to treat him so rudely.

"I admit that my history with your father is a little bit turbulent—"

"A little bit turbulent?" Edward loudly cut him off, "You and your friends made Père's life miserable for many years, almost killed him once and then you—"

"What's going on in here?!" Pomfrey rushed in after hearing Edward practically yelling, "If you can't keep your voices down, I'll kick you both out!" She warned sternly.

"I'm sorry," Both men said softly in a union.

Edward was flushed from embarrassment. If the healer hadn't cut in by chance, he would've said some things that he would have regretted later.

"Edward," The teen looked up at Lupin, who was standing from his seat. "The relationship between your father and I is too complicated to be put into words, but over the years, we have managed to form something that resembles a friendship...or at least I hope we have. I don't know why, but I wish the two of us could get along as well."

Without waiting for a reply, the werewolf left.

+.+ +.+ +.+

To be continued...