"I would like to invite Harry to come and live with me."

The instant he had spoken those words, Severus wished that he could take them back and just say 'never mind'. He couldn't keep the boy safe for a couple of days - he hadn't been able to protect Harry from Lucius's torture - how could he ever expect the boy to trust him enough for him to agree to stay at the Snape house permanently. Four months had passed by and classes were already in progress. How could he be a fulltime teacher and still give Harry the care that he needed.

"Well, I think it is a splendid idea." Dumbledore announced relaxing back in his chair and folding his hands together over his stomach. "I can have the papers of guardianship drawn up in less than an hour. The healers have already agreed to let Harry leave tomorrow."

Snape opened his mouth to object, and then he closed it again and thought for a second. He would never say something unless on some level he meant it. Maybe the boy could grow to forgive him in some way for the lost months. Severus felt ultimately at fault for the injuries that Harry suffered while under his care. He should have been more careful, he should have been more watchful. For four months he had thought about nothing but his carelessness and the consequences of his actions. Now he felt that maybe - if Harry could forgive him - he just might be able to forgive himself.

"I will need to talk to him before we make any plans." Snape said rising from his seat and setting down his teacup.

"Yes, of course, Severus." The Headmaster nodded. "You can go and see him this afternoon, the healers should be done with their last treatment a little after two o'clock."

Snape folded his arms around himself and tried to quall the nervousness blossoming inside of him. He felt so excited and terrified by the opportunity that he had opened up so unwittingly for both Harry and himself.

The ex-Death Eater knew just how hard second chances could be. He had felt more angst and pain in the past years as a spy for the order than he ever had while under the evil influences of the dark lord. Doing something good for other people could take a hard toll on the man's soul, but in this case he felt more than a little nervous that Harry would not choose to let him take this second chance. It would be hard for them both, but he knew it was what he wanted. He wanted to be the guardian to Harry Potter.

----

Harry sat up slowly in bed, he was alone again the healers having left sometime ago. His back still ached, but it was a dull echoing ache that seemed to stay just below the surface of his tolerance. He could feel the pain's presence, but he could choose to replace it with more immediate thoughts if he chose to. The cutting spells that Lucius Malfoy had used left ragged scars running up and down his bare legs - the healers insisted that he stay in hospital garb until his release - though they were completely healed. He had lost none of the snitch fast reflexes or balance that had meant so much in his years as Quidditch seeker for the Hogwarts Gryffindor team.

A dull and continuous clank of rain on glass reminded him of the gray damp weather outside of the building. He had not been allowed out in the three days since his return to the conscious world, the healers felt it best if he waited until after he had made a "full recovery", whatever that meant.

Harry slid his legs out from under the thick blankets and slowly, ever so slowly, worked his way onto his feet. He was finally standing for the first time in a little over four months. He waited a few moments for his balance to take over and then he just stood there reveling in the height and freedom this simple move gave him. He grinned.

"Should you not be in bed, mister Potter?"

Harry was so surprised by Snape's abrupt entrance that he turned quickly to face the door and ended up falling instead. He cried out when his back hit the hard floor - flashbacks of Lucius tormenting him filled his mind. He shied away from the hands that reached down to help him up. Cowering, he crawled painfully backward until he was against the bed; there he sprawled panting heavily.

Snape kneeled down in front of him, eyes wide with distress at the panic he had caused. The last thing that he had wanted was to hurt Harry further.

"Potter - Harry, it is just me . . .Severus." He spoke softly, his eyes never leaving the boy's striking green ones. "Everything is okay now. I will not hurt you, I promise."

Harry's ragged breathing evened out and he relaxed a little. "Professor Snape?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, it is I." Snape nodded, moving slowly closer to the boy so as not to startle him again. "I am going to help you up now, alright?"

The man waited for an affirming nod before gently sliding his hands under the boy's arms and easily maneuvering him up onto the edge of the bed. Unsure of what to do next, the man patted Harry's back twice - in what he hoped was a conciliatory manner - and then backed off a few feet. He looked around for a chair and when he did not find one, he transfigured one out of an empty box being used to prop the door open. He sat facing the boy, eye to eye.

"I am sorry that I scared you, Harry. I came by to see how you were doing - not send you into a seizure."

Harry smiled a little at the bad attempt at humor, his face still pale from the fright. "It's okay, sir. I was just remembering..." His explanation trailed off.

Snape nodded swiftly. "I understand, you do not have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable."

There was a long and drawn out silence as they stared at each other, each having things that they wanted to say to the other - yet neither being able to take the first plunge into conversation. The verbal stand off stopped suddenly when Harry took a deep breath and announced.

"I hate...I hate..."

Snape steeled himself in anticipation of the rejection he assumed was coming.

"Lucius!" Harry finished with a cry of self-loathing.

Shocked and relieved by this unexpected revelation, Snape leaned forward and took one of Harry's hands in his own.

"He was an evil man, Harry."

Harry tore his hand away angrily. "No! You don't understand - I was going to kill him." He sobbed, tears falling down his cheek. "I could feel the killing curse inside of me. I was going to release it and I was going to kill him. Don't you understand!"

Snape studied the trembling boy before him and a wave of the deepest empathy washed over him. He had never been burdened by the valor and bravery of spirit that seemed to plague the members of Godric Gryffindor's house, but he knew what it meant to end a life. To feel an untamable anger that could only be expressed through murder. He knew what it was to feel regret so deep that it felt like it might kill you. He knew because he had lived through it.

It had been over four months since the day he had found Harry dying on the ground, blood pooling around him; in that time Snape had been able to move on and leave the memories of Lucius behind him, but to Harry's mind only several days had passed. It was still a new and terrifying experience for him that needed to be addressed. Harry's shoulders were shaking as he tried to deal with the intense emotions running through him.

"You have nothing to feel guilty for, Harry." Snape said earnestly. "If you had sent the killing curse and if you had killed him then you might have just cause, but as it is...you have no need to feel guilt over the death of the man who tried to kill you."

"I would have done it, sir. Lucius would have been dead by my hand, just like Voldemort." He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "I am a murderer. My-My parents were kil-killed by a mur-murderer." His sobs increased in intensity.

Snape moved to the boy's side and tried to think of something helpful to say. How could you respond to something like that? He wondered. Reaching out the man placed his hand on the boy's arm.

"I know what it feels like. I know how to help you in a way that few people do...What I am trying to say." He cleared his throat and then continued in a nervous rush. "I want you to come and live with me."

----

Harry stretched painfully as Severus unpacked the last of his trunks. The room looked exactly like it had on his first night at the Snape house. He felt like he was coming home. A satisfied smile curled up the edges of his lips.

"Home sweet home." He murmured the muggle saying.

Snape almost dropped his wand at the unexpected phrase. He would never admit to anyone how happy and satisfied hearing that made him feel. The man looked over at Harry.

"Not quite yet, the adoption papers still have not passed." Severus reminded him.

"But they will, and soon." Harry replied confidentially.

The boy eased himself carefully down onto the bed and thought about what a major step adoption was in his life. Never had he come close to anything so perfect. His Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had never so much as mentioned the word adoption to him. It made the boy sad to think that his only blood relatives had wanted nothing more than to discard him.

"Harry? Are you alright, you have gone very quite." Snape spoke up from the closet where he was storing the suitcases.

"Just thinking about my family, that's all." He shrugged.

Snape closed the closet door and unwrinkled his robe with a few well-placed pats.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

----

"I knew deep down that there was no way they would ever accept me as normal - as a part of their perfect family, but I had hoped. I guess that hope never really died." Harry finished some time later with a long sigh.

Snape had listened as the boy poured out all of the resentment stored up after a lifetime with his ungrateful Aunt and Uncle. If they had still been alive...Severus could think of a few choice curses he would have loved to use on the couple. It was not enough that the boy had been used, abused and abandoned - he had also dealt with the pressure of being the only hope for defeating Voldemort. It amazed the potions master how normal Harry had turned out through all that had been forced on to his young shoulders.

Harry sat in silence then, his thoughts caught up in the past. Snape knew his own childhood was less than sunshine and roses - perhaps he could use his own experiences to help the boy. He smiled sadly. Never in his life had he thought that all of those horrible teenage years would be able to help anyone, but here he was able to understand in a way that few ever could. He just felt grateful that he could help the boy, even in such a small way.

"They may have never loved you as a son, but it was ignorance and greed that motivating them, not your shortcomings."

Harry smiled softly when Severus said exactly what he had yearned to hear for years.

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me." Snape ordered with a frown. "It is the truth and you deserve to know the truth."

"Yes, sir."

"Since you will be staying here from now on, Harry, I think that we should desist with this "sir" business. It is fine for classes, but in your own home..." Snape shrugged. "You can call me Severus, if you want."

Harry's smiled widened in genuine pleasure. His Uncle would have never allowed him to use his first name. Using Snape's first name made him seem closer.

"Okay...Severus." He reveled in the name. It seemed to roll off his tongue perfectly - for an instant he mentally substituted "dad" instead. He felt warmth fill him inside. He had a guardian - one who would actually do just that. Guard him from the harshness of life and reality. He just hoped that - unlike most good things in his life - this would never end.

"Let's go eat dinner." Severus said moving towards the door.

"You go, I'll be down in a few minutes." Harry nodded for the man to go ahead.

"Take it easy on the stairs. You are still healing." The man warned.

"I will."

----

Once he was left alone in the room Harry acciod a new pair of jeans and a warmer shirt - the weather was much colder now that winter had begun - and he wanted to look good for his dad. He smiled as he thought that. He had a dad. Not that Snape would ever refer to himself as such.

He changed quickly and on his way out of the door he caught sight of the magic talking book he had secreted in his room all those months ago - it was still hard for him believe that so much time had passed by. He shook his head and continued out the doorway and slowly made his way down the stairs to where Snape was waiting in the dinning room.

He had a dad. This happy thought kept distracting him throughout the meal. More than once, Snape had to rap the table with his knuckles to get the boy's attention.

"I think you're tired, Harry." The potions master announced after the third time this happened. "Let's get you up to bed. You have been through a lot these past few days."

Harry nodded to himself. Tell me about it, he muttered to himself mentally. First he had learned about the death of Remus Lupin - a fact he had yet to truly digest - and then he learned that over four months of his life were gone in the blink of an eye. To him the amount of time that had passed seemed surreal. He was still traumatized by the whole incident with Lucius. The night before he had been terrified that the Death Eater would come for him and finish the job.

----

Snape watched Harry get settled into bed, take off his glasses and set them aside, then pull the blankets up close to his chest. Then the man reached into a pocket of his long black robe and retrieved a vial of blue liquid.

"Dreamless sleep." He identified it for the shortsighted boy who squinted at it nonetheless.

The boy took the potion and swallowed it in one gulp, he grimaced at the taste. "Is there some cosmic rule that makes it impossible to get a decent tasting potion?" He demanded.

Snape smiled and even chuckled a bit. "Your sampling of potions has been limited to healing potions, which can be quite unpleasant to the senses. They are usually administered very rarely and so the witches and wizards responsible for their creation were not too concerned about getting it to taste good." The man continued. "There are many delicious potions - most of which are used by wizards and witches on a daily bases. To name just a few: weight control potions, tooth whitening potions, immune booster potions, wart removal - the latter just recently returning to popularity."

"Just recently?" Harry asked curiously, his eyes getting heavier as the potion took affect.

"Yes, there was a time when it was 'in style' for witches and wizards alike to be as unsavory in appearance as humanly possible. It was a great source of entertainment for them to walk amongst muggle villages. This resulted; unfortunately, with the current views muggle society has on the occult and magical world. To them we are nothing more than ugly, mutated freaks."

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. He winced at the hurtful memories of his childhood brought on by that hated word. Freak. He had been called that so many times that now it meant nothing more than a personal insult. He turned his head away tiredly. Exhaustion catching up with him he let his eyes slide shut for the last time that night.

Snape waited until the boy's breathing evened out before he put out the lights with a flick of his wand and walked out. Dumbledore had put a monitoring spell in place earlier so he would be alerted if anything magical attacked Harry. The ward system was linked directly to his own private rooms. With one last look over his shoulder, the man drew his black cloak around him against the growing cool of evening and went to his own room.

---

The next morning Harry woke and showered before dressing for the day. It surprised him to find the same summer clothes that he had bought that day four months ago hanging innocently in his closet. A selection of winter clothes that he had never seen before were also present. He chose a green wool sweater with a light t-shirt under it and black jeans. He checked out his appearance in the mirror on the wall and frowned at the weight he had gained while in a coma. It had not been too much, considering his slight frame before, but it was enough for him to notice.

He tugged at the bottom of his shirt one last time and then walked over to the door prepared to go down to breakfast, that was when he heard a rustling coming from the bookshelf on the wall of his room. He looked over and saw the talking book.

His hand slid off the door handle.

---

Snape sat at the table with a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of him. He felt happy for the first time since Harry's kidnapping. He had finally gotten a good night sleep and now he was actually enjoying the food that Honey had set out for him. A plate of scrambled eggs, French toast and bacon strips accompanied by a cup of pulp less orange juice. He swallowed another bite of eggs and smiled contentedly.

Harry had yet to come down, but Snape figured that the boy was just sleeping in. He was not expecting the boy down before lunch. With the large dose of sleeping potion and still recovering back wounds, he figured that the boy would be sleeping another hour. Taking up his cup, Severus took a sip then turned to the next page in the paper.

----

Harry opened up the book to the first chapter and let his green eyes skim over the text. The same male voice read aloud what his eyes were reading.

"Dealing With Self-Doubt: Chapter One

Many young wizards of breeding are brought up to feel entitled to a good life. They do not have to work a single day of their lives and as a result, they do not know what they are truly capable of doing.

In these days we are seeing less and less of this kind of upbringing in our wizard and squib children. Instead, we have muggle-raised youngsters who have had to deal with stigmas and archaic prejudices. This newer generation must fight for the right to learn about their magical heritage and as a result they discover much more about themselves. Self-Doubt starts with an insecurity of ones view on their own accomplishments and values. A feeling of uncertainty bleeds into all aspects of their lives as this doubt grows in them.

While this alone is a problem, it also causes injury to loved ones and family members. A friendship can be ruined when a wizard lets doubt control his actions. Entire lives have been contaminated because of the disease of self-doubt that broadens to include all aspects of the sufferer's lifestyle.

Many of those that they care about the most suffer the hardest for this lack of self-knowledge. Leaving doubt behind is not a simple matter, but it can be achieved if you work hard and strengthen your will."

Harry stopped reading. He felt his earlier happiness fade when he thought about these words. What if he hurt Snape because he could not stop himself from doing something stupid? There were few things that he was truly proud of and they were all tainted with self-doubt. His time with the Dursley’s had left him unsure of even the simplest decisions. He always doubted his own motives - although Gryffindor courage helped him to act even when he doubted the results. The consequence of this had haunted him for a long time. Sirius' death being a single example.

Reading the book brought to light the possibility that he might eventually hurt Snape. That was the very last thing that he ever wanted to do. The man was his life line, his ...dad. He felt a cloud of depression fall over him and with a heavy heart he replaced the book on the shelf and walked to the door. This time he went down to the dinning hall without a smile. He felt heavy for some reason.

Severus was already gone by the time that he sat down at the table. He had barely taken his seat on the chair when a steaming plate of food appeared in front of him on the table. It was scrambled eggs, french toast and bacon strips. He stared down at the food unsure whether he wanted to eat or not. Reading that book had taken away his appetite.

He snapped his fingers and Honey appeared beside him, she bowed low to the floor. Her wide eyes found his and she smiled taking his hand in her own.

"Honey is glad that master Potter be back here. Master Snape has missed master Potter - Honey too has missed you." She said throwing her arms around his leg.

Harry looked down at the house elf, a feeling of warmth returning to him in those earnest eyes. She would not lie to him and that meant that Severus had missed him for months and months and had not forgotten about him. He felt a glow of happiness fill him and he smiled down at the elf.

"I missed you as well." He said it because he felt like he should encourage her, but in truth for him not enough time had passed for him to miss the faithful elf.

"Whatever master Potter needs, Honey will do it." She said in her high-pitched voice.

Harry looked back at his food, his hunger returning full-force. "Never mind."

She let go of his leg and backed away. "Honey always here if you need anything, master Potter." With another bow she popped out of sight and into another part of the vast house.

----

Snape circled his lab, taking down certain bottles of ingredients from the shelves, as he needed them. His wand swirled over a steadily filling chest that he was packing all of the ingredients into. While Dumbledore had promised to take care of his potion classes for the day, he had to be getting back. He wondered how Harry would take the news.

While Harry had been in a coma the school had started another year and now it was mid-way through the year and for seventh years even a few weeks of missed classes could throw off the test result for he N.E.W.T.S. He had to talk to the boy and the other teachers so that they could come up with a class schedule that would help him to catch up without overexerting him physically.

A healer was on standby incase Harry's back wound got worse. Severus knew that he would have to insist on not only dreamless sleep, but also a skin re-growth potion every night. If he did not there would be a chance that the boy's entire back would become covered in angry red scar material. Snape did not want that to happen. With a sigh he stood on tiptoes to get down another bottle from a high shelf. He wanted Harry to be safe and well taken care of while living with him.

"Severus." A hesitant voice called from the doorway.

He turned and saw Harry standing just inside the door. The teenager smiled shyly and he gave a smile in return. Harry walked into the room and looked into the chest curiously. His fingers trailed around the open edge.

"Did you need something?" Snape asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, I - I just wanted to know if you could let me try one of those 'good' potions." He made up, wanting to stay close to his new dad but not feeling confident enough to just say it.

Snape smiled and grabbed a clear bottle off of a shelf, it held a pink liquid. "Here, try this one."

"What does it do?" Harry asked when he took it. Taking out the bottle stopper, he took a deep breath. It smelled of fruit. He grinned at the thought of a good potion and drank it in one gulp.

"It is a temporary sight restoring potion." He answered with a smile. "You might want to take off your glasses." He suggested.

Harry took them off and folded them up. A few seconds passed without there being any change in his sight. He was just wondering if it was a defective batch when suddenly the room shifted and churned around him before settling back into focus.

He looked around himself in awe - this was way better than his out of date prescription glasses that his Aunt had gotten him years ago. Everything was so clear and colorful. He could identify patterns in the grain of the wood used for the chest. He could actually see the weave of Snape's black cloak, before it had always just been a blanket of black, but now it looked classy instead of just ominous. He felt like he had never truly seen anything before. The colors were so brilliant it stole his breath away.

He was so overtaken with the sight of everything that he almost fell over trying to look at the ceiling. Snape reached out gently and moved him to a chair and sat him down. Harry winced at the movement that caused his back to twinge, but he was too caught up in searching every nook and cranny of the lab for the pain to bother him much. Snape noticed, however, and reached into his pocket for a pain relief potion that he had learned to always keep there. Reaching out, he handed it to the teenager.

"Drink this." He said.

Harry was so caught up in looking that he did not even think twice before downing it. He knew that Snape would never give him anything that could hurt him. He trusted the man with his health completely.

Snape watched Harry's exploration of the room with unconcealed amusement. He mentally added another batch of temporary sight restoring potion to his list of things to make that week. If it made Harry this happy, he did not want to make the boy go without for even a single day. Snape loved the contented smile that Harry could not seem to keep off his face. It brought warmth to the man's heart that he had not felt in years.

"I have to continue packing, Harry. If you want, I could use your help collecting ingredients." Snape offered.

Harry stood to his feet; glad to do anything he could for his new dad. "Show me what you need."

They spent the next few minutes retrieving and packing different bottles and containers into the steadily filling chest. With the two of them working together it did not take long before the chore was finished. Then Snape shrunk the chest to a third of its normal size and placed it on the desk. Figuring that this was as good a time as any to bring up the subject of Hogwarts and classes, Snape turned to Harry.

"There is something that I would like to discuss with you. We can move this conversation up to the library if it would be more comfortable for you." He added as an after thought, he knew that the boy's back was still very tender and needed to be taken care of accordingly.

Harry nodded and they went up to the library where Snape took possession of his favorite black chair and Harry claimed a corner of the sofa where he curled up with one leg under him and the other swinging back and forth off the edge of the couch. It was such a contradiction to their first "little talk" several months earlier when neither felt completely comfortable in the other's presence.

"I need to talk to you about seventh year." Snape began. "While it is understandable if you decide not to go through with this last unit of your education at the moment, I would like to hear your thoughts on it."

Harry picked at the knee of his jeans as he formulated a response. He knew that he wanted to finish his magical education - even if he went on to get a muggle one as well, something that he still considered a possibility for his future. For the sake of his parent's, Sirius, Cedric and Lupin, he needed to finish his seventh year. If only for their memories.

"I want to go back as soon as possible." Harry answered. "For my parents."

Snape studied him carefully, his dark eyes boring into Harry's green one's. "I know their memories mean a lot to you, Harry. As they should." He added. "I am going back to Hogwarts tonight and if it is what you want, I have set up quarters there next to mine."

Harry's mouth fell open. "I'm not staying in the tower?" He asked in disbelief.

Unsure of the boy's feelings Snape hurried on. "I am sure that you will be welcomed to re-join your friends in the tower, however I had hoped." He took a steadying breath; it had been so long since he had cared about what someone else. "I had hoped you might want to stay with me once the adoption became final."

The potions master held his breath as he waited for Harry's response. He had no idea what was going on in the boy's mind - would he accept the invitation or not? Snape tried not to let his imagination run wild as he pictured a myriad of responses in his mind. Harry seemed to be taking his time thinking it over; there were obviously some things that he needed to work through.

"What about my friends?" The boy asked finally.

Snape frowned, not understanding what he was asking. "They will be welcomed to visit you during free hours."

"No...I mean, what if my friends don't understand why I'm living with you - what if they don't want to hang out with me because I'm living with a teacher."

"Then they would not be very good friends, I would think."

Harry sighed and rubbed his neck being careful not to aggravate his back. "I haven't seen them in months." He realized aloud. "Hermione and Ron don't even know about my Aunt and Uncle - they probably thought I didn't want anything to do with them and then I disappeared into St. Mungo's for months and months and -." Harry sucked in a ragged breath; he was beginning to panic as he pictured their angry faces. "They're going to absolutely hate me!" He exclaimed in horror.

Snape was out of his seat and kneeling in front of the boy before Harry could blink. The man laid a hand on his arm.

"Everything is going to be okay, just breath, okay, Harry." He instructed gently.

Harry nodded and tried to do just that, but for some reason his chest felt tight and it was hard to get enough air into his lungs. He tried, but the image of his friends walking away from him lingered in his mind making it hard to think of anything else. He gasped for air and latched onto Snape's hand frantically. He could not breath.

He felt strong, firm hands rub soothing circles on his back and Snape's voice whisper promises in his ear. Promises of unbroken friendship. He latched onto these words and let them wash over him. Slowly, ever so slowly, he was able to relax and his breathing returned to normal.

The episode left him drained and tired. He let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward into an embrace as Snape joined him on the couch. The boy leaned against the body of his dad and held on as tightly as his tired muscles let him.

"I don't know why I keep doing that." Harry said softly. "Ever since summer break I have been having these attacks. I've been through so much and never had anything like this. Not even when Voldemort was inside of my mind, taunting me with visions of the prophecy."

Snape squeezed his shoulder lightly. "The human reaction is a hard thing to understand or predict."

"Tell me about it." Harry said.

They sat like that for a few seconds before Harry pulled back. "Remus will - would have." He tripped over the tense. "Wanted me to finish school."

"Alright then. I will be leaving in two hours, I would like to be there in time to inspect my house."

Harry smiled up at his dad. "They must be a handful." He joked. "All those Slytherin in one tower."

Snape returned the smile with one of his own. "Funny, I always thought the same thing about Gryffindors."

----

It did not take Harry long to pack is belongings. Severus insisted that the boy take a brief nap before apparating claiming that the journey would be painful for the still healing tissue on his back. Harry found out just how true that was when they took the abrupt journey to Hogsmead - the closest apparation point near the school.

He could not move without pain radiating up and down his back. He sucked in a painful breath and tried to relax, hoping that would help against the pain. Severus gave him a concerned glance.

"Are you alright, Harry?" The man asked quietly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'll be just fine in a few minutes." He assumed. "Let's get going."

Their luggage had been flooed in some time earlier, but Harry had declined the fiery travel option firmly. The last thing he needed was to burn his back - although Severus had assured him this would not happen, he still had reservation about using the fireplace method. So, they had apparated with Snape hugging him lightly through the trip.

As they walked closer and closer towards the castle, Harry felt anticipation and excitement take the place of his earlier fear of rejection. He could not wait to see his friends again and hug them and talk to them and learn about what they had been up to. All of the time he had been gone they had not entered his mind for more than a few moments at a time, but now he felt like his heart might burst if he did not see them soon.

"Can I go to the Gryffindor tower first?" Harry begged, looking over at Snape.

"If you are wanting to see your friends, you do not have to go all the way up to the tower. They should be in the dinning hall right now. You should probably get something to eat as well." Snape suggested.

When they finally reached the inner courtyard at the entrance of the school, Harry hesitated momentarily as he remembered the dark energy that had greeted him the last time he crossed the stone floor. He shivered a little at the memories it brought back. He saw Voldemort's surprised expression as he fell to the floor of Dumbledore's office. He saw Lucius' face starring at him from inches away as dark powers sang through his body.

A hand appeared on his shoulder. "Harry, are you alright?" Snape asked worry clear in his dark eyes.

"I was...remembering." Harry ducked his head at what he perceived to be a weakness. "Forget it, it was nothing." He brushed a hand at his shoulder.

Snape wanted to say something, but he recognized the fact that the teenager did not want to talk about it so he nodded and lead the way across the courtyard and through the large arched doorway. Straight ahead of them were the doors to the Great Hall and Harry felt like he might throw up. Butterflies and nervous energy left him super-charged with anticipation. As soon as the entered the room his gaze went to the Gryffindor table in search of his two best friends.

When they entered the room the talking stopped as everyone starred at the unlikely couple, then whispering began and the entire room was shooting them strange glances. It did not bother Harry at all, he was used to a lifetime of odd stares and misunderstood gossip. He was just happy to be back - to be home at Hogwarts.

"I am going to go talk to Dumbledore and inform him of your decision." Snape motioned towards the head table. "You go find your friends and we'll meet up later." He hesitated a moment before adding in a low tone. "If you get overwhelmed, don't hesitate to come and get me. I'm here to help you...I want to help you, if you need it."

Harry nodded and they parted ways. Snape going to the head table and Harry practically skipping over to his house table. Maroon and gold colors assailed him and he smiled, he had missed those colors. The first Gryffindors he met were Ginny and Seamus who ran up to him with huge grins spread across their faces.

"Harry! You're back!" They cried simultaneously.

They hugged him fiercely and then each took an arm and they walked to the table together.

"Where are Hermione and Ron?" Harry asked after having been greeted by the rest of the table with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

There was a silence, and then Ginny spoke up - her face going crimson. "Hermione had some overdue ...work to do and Ron is 'helping' her." She raised her eyebrows in a hinting fashion.

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Hermione always finishes her work on time and what could Ron possibly be helping her with."

Ginny rolled her eyes to the ceiling and opened her mouth to respond, but Seamus beat her to it.

"They're out snogging somewhere." He explained with a sly grin.

Harry felt shocked. He had been missing for months without a word to his two best friends and when he finally was able to see them again...they were making out somewhere in the castle? He sat down abruptly.

"Wow." He tried to think of something else to say, but nothing came to him. This was such an unexpected development. "Huh."

"It's been pretty disgusting, if you must know." Ginny said with a sigh. "They are always touching and cooing and calling each other 'darling' and 'cutie-pie' it's revolting." She made a gagging sound.

Harry laughed. The entire situation hit him as extremely funny. "Well, at least Ron is learning something." He joked with a bright smile.

It felt so good to be surrounded by other teenagers his own age and to see his friends again. Ginny had grown into quite the beautiful young woman and if her constant eye flutters in Seamus' direction were any indication, she would likely follow in her older brother's romantic footsteps all too soon. Harry felt truly happy sitting at the table with them. He looked up to the head table, caught Severus' eye and gave a thumbs up. The man seemed to relax visibly at this indication that all was going well.

"Harry, you have got to tell us where you've been all this time - but after I give you the latest Quidditch score - I'm captain this year, you know!" Ginny gushed happily.

Harry sat back and let the young woman go one to explain in detail the last quidditch game. By the end of it, Harry's back was aching from laughing too much, but with so much joy around him he could not be kept down even by the pain. He listened with rapt attention as Seamus told him some of the more entertaining mistakes made in transfiguration that year.

----

"...And then Sharon Lightfoot got her hair caught in the whirlpool she accidentally made when trying to transfigure her rainbow Jell-O into a chair." Harry giggled as he explained to Snape on the way down to their quarters in the dungeons. "And then - and then." He laughed harder as he pictured the last part. "Her hair started to change color and by the end, half of her hair was bright green and the rest of it auburn." He had to stop and lean against the wall as another laughter attack sent shooting pain through his back. He smiled happily over at Snape, who was watching him with a mixture of extreme amusement and concern.

"You should rest and take another vial of pain relief." The man suggested once they had continued on their way.

Harry shook his head, still laughing. "Nah, I really would like to see Hermione and Ron." His face fell a little as he thought about their new romantic relationship. "Why didn't you tell me that they were going out?" He asked.

"I did not know that as a fact, in my class the students tend to be more.... conservative in their interactions - as you should well remember."

"Yeah, you didn't give us much choice there." Harry complained with a mock glare.

"Indeed." Snape responded. "As for your friends, I can summon them if you wish, but not until you have rested. Your body needs to heal."

Harry nodded grudgingly. "Okay, but not for too long, right?"

"An hour should be sufficient."

Harry thought an hour was an inordinately long amount of time for a mid-afternoon nap, but he did not say anything. He wanted nothing more than to see his best friends and tell them everything that had happened to him since the beginning of he summer. It had taken him this long to tell them, and he did not want to put it off any longer. One look at Snape's firm expression told him that no amount of begging would lessen the hour deadline. With a sigh he resigned himself to the wait.

----

"Harry, is that you?" Hermione asked.

The young woman had just walked through the door to his new room. She looked radiant, Harry thought, as he looked her over for the first time in forever. Her long curly hair fell in waves down her back and shimmered with an almost unreal glow - he wondered if she had spelled it - and her body looked fit like she had been working out. He turned his attention to the blushing Ron and wondered if they had been working out together. He shook his head with a smile.

He pushed himself carefully off of the bed and went to greet his two best friends. Ron looked even taller than the last time he had seen him and when he got close enough to hug them, he found himself at eye height with the other teen's shoulder.

"Hey, guys." He hugged them to himself tightly. "I missed you both a lot." He said with feeling.

Already in a vulnerable emotional state, he could not fight off the tears. He felt a little embarrassed to let them fall in front of his friends, but there was nothing that he could do to stop them. Pulling back from the hug, he wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. Both Ron and Hermione exchanged looks of deep concern. They had never seen him cry since Cedrics death at the end of the Tri Wizard Tournament.

"Harry?" Hermione asked softly, reaching forward hesitantly to lightly brush his shoulder. "Do you need me to get McGonagall? Are you alright?" She asked, worry shinning in her eyes.

Harry wiped at his eyes again and sucked in a deep, calming breath. "No, no this is - this is normal...now." He said through the tears. He tried to make them stop; the last thing that he wanted was to ruin this evening. He just wanted to spend time with his friends.

Ron took a step towards the door. "I could go get the Headmaster or Madam Pomfrey if you need? I don't think that this is normal." The red haired boy said with a frown.

At the moment Harry felt so emotionally confused that he really wanted to be alone, but he needed to be with his friends. To know that they were truly okay and to hear how they had become a couple. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply again and then opened them back up. Nothing had changed, tears were still falling and he still did not feel in control.

"I need Severus." He whispered urgently. He knew the man would be able to help him.

Ron and Hermione exchanged another look - this one full of disbelief - then Hermione took Harry by the shoulder.

"Professor Snape is in class right now, Harry." She said softly sounding a little confused by his request. "We're here for you - there's nothing to be ashamed of." Her voice grew quieter and more serious. "The Headmaster told us about your family and about professor Lupin."

Harry could have laughed at the ridiculous wave of depression that came out of nowhere and attacked him at the mention of Remus. He had not truly mourned the death of his father's best friend and now it hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks. He fell to his knees on the hard floor unable to look at his friends.

"Just get Severus." He pleaded in a tired, dead voice.

This day had started with such promise. Mere minutes before he had been happy and contented - now he was a wreck and his friends were there to witness him falling to pieces. He covered his face with his hands. He could hear Ron trying to comfort him, but the words were meaningless. What he needed was Snape. His protector. He could not hear Hermione anymore and hoped that it was because she was flooing the potions classroom.

The boy's breath caught in his throat and he felt the now familiar onset of hyperventilation fall over him. His breath hiccoughed and then he felt his chest get heavier and it became harder to fill his lungs with much needed air.

"Harry, hang in there...Hermione is getting help!" Ron's frantic voice floated from somewhere far away. "Just breath, okay, mate? Breath!"

Harry tried to, but he just could not. "Severus." He choked out desperately, his hand groping for his potions master.

---

Snape stumbled out of the floo his gaze instantly searching out and focusing on his distraught son. He ran over to his side, black robe flapping, and gathered the young man up in his arms.

"Oh, Harry." He said softly. "You are alright. I'm here. You will be okay." He reassured in a silky voice. His hands rubbing light circles on the boy's back.

Harry buried his face in the man's robe and latched on to the material. He was sobbing and fighting for every breath. Snape continued to whisper soothing words in the boy's ear. He glared at his son's friends.

"What happened here?" He growled protectively. "What did you do?"

Ron opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "Uhhh.."

Hermione shot Ron a harsh look. "He started crying after he hugged us and then I mentioned Remus - which I admit was a bad choice, I'm sorry - and then he just started to have a real fit."

Snape glared harder, his eyes squinting at them. "I think you have done enough here, please, leave."

Hermione looked on the verge of arguing when Harry said.

"I'll see you later, guys. I just need to be alone right now."

Severus pointed to Hermione. "I need you to tell the Headmaster that my class was left unsupervised." He instructed harshly.

She nodded and with one last worried look at Harry she grabbed Ron's wrist and the two left Snape's quarters. The man turned back to his adopted son and held him close, comforting him.

----

Harry felt raw inside from all of the mourning he had covered already. It helped to know that he had someone there with him who understood. He knew that Severus had left his potions classroom to come and help him when he needed the man. This confirmed the trust he had placed in Severus when had agreed to the adoption.

"Are you okay now?" Snape asked softly.

The boy was breathing better but tears still fell from his brilliant green eyes.

"I will be, now that you're here." Harry said with a sniffle.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Snape asked after a moment.

"No."

Accepting this abrupt answer, Severus took the boy in his arms and stood. He carried Harry back to the bed and laid him gently above the covers.

"I am not going anywhere, Harry. If you need me, I will be right here and I will not leave until you are ready to talk about Lupin."

Harry sniffled again and kept a strong grip on the man's clothes. "Don't leave." He murmured.

"I will not." Snape promised.

They sat like that for some time before Harry started talking in a monotone voice. The teenager almost did not seem aware that he was speaking aloud.

"She said that Dumbledore told her about my family and." His breath hitched and then evened out. "And Remus. I don't know why things are affecting me this way, but they are and there is nothing that I can do to s-stop it. Thank you, for coming - I needed you here."

Snape held his hand over Harry's that were gripping his robe. "I will always be here for you until I die. You are my single priority now. Nobody in the entire wizard world could possible endure what you have alone...you will not be alone anymore, Harry. I swear it."

Harry felt his tears start afresh, but this time out of happiness. He grinned through the sadness he felt over Remus' death. He did not have to fight anymore . . .he was not just Harry Potter; he was the son of Severus Snape. Four months ago this would have seemed an impossible thing, now he was eternally grateful for Lucius interference. Without those months that interrupted his life, he would not have Severus. How he had ever hated the caring, strong man sitting next to him was a mystery.

After all of the evening's excitement, Harry felt exhaustion pulling him towards sleep. His back ached dully as he let unconsciousness claim him.

"Don't leave...dad." He murmured as his eyes slid shut, his hands relaxing in their grip.

----

Severus looked down at the now sleeping boy. He would have never believed himself capable of raising a teenager, much less the savior of the entire wizard world - and more importantly, his own world - but here he was sitting over the boy who had freed him from the darkest evil in ages. For the thousandth time Severus pulled up the sleeve covering his forearm and looked at the bare, pale skin that had replaced the dark lord's calling device. The dark mark.

He could still remember what the call felt like, the horrendous pain it had brought, but slowly the memory was fading. With Harry to care for now the memories of his dark past had taken a back seat to the more pressing matters that now surrounded him. He had meant everything he had promised the boy. If he had to die in the process, he would make sure that Harry experienced a normal and healthy life or as close as someone with Harry's history could get.

Taking out his wand, he spelled Harry under the covers and then physically tucked him in. He would stay with the boy until he woke up and then they would talk about Lupin, but for now he contented himself with just watching the boy sleep. Watching his son sleep. Severus smiled.

----

Hermione pulled Ron through the portrait of the Gryffindor tower. Neither had spoke since the unexplainable scene down in the dungeons.

"I thought it was kind of strange that they were living together, but I figured it had something to do with the Death Eaters. Dumbledore did say that it was for Harry's own protection." Ron said finally, in growing confusion and anger. "But he wanted SNAPE! Snape..Why would Harry want us to leave when he was obviously hurt by something? Why Snape?" He demanded.

Hermione set them both down on the couch in front of the fireplace - no one else was in the tower - and crossed her legs. A thoughtful look fell over her face. She tapped her chin with an index finger.

"I am not sure, Ronald. We know that Harry has never trusted Snape. Whenever Voldemort chose to attack him, he would assume it was Snape doing the attacking - a large assumption on his part - it makes this all so much stranger." She held up one finger. "First, Harry bursts into tears...something disturbing in and of itself...then secondly." She held up a second finger. "He would let only Snape comfort him. From this we can conclude-."

"He was brainwashed!" Ron interrupted eyes wide with horror. "Snape gave him some potion that made him believe that the slimy git was his friend or something!"

Hermione rolled her eyes with a grin. She loved his inability to grasp concepts. "No, Ronald, we can conclude that either Snape has changed over the summer or Harry was somehow convinced that he was not a threat. You know Harry - that would not be easy. The only way to really know is to wait until Harry is able to talk with us and explain. Until then, I am afraid it must remain a mystery."

Ron nodded, but his mind was still thinking about his own theory. "So, what potions do you think would cause this kind of brainwashing?" He asked seriously.

Hermione groaned and socked him in the arm lovingly. "Come here, you big lug." She said in a seductive, sweet voice. "I'll explain later..."