A small hand reached toward the array on the table, even though the green eyes could barely peer over the edge. The pretty blue swirly stuff in the bottle just begged to be touched.

"No touching, Potter."

Well there went that idea! Harry frowned up at the man who had just issued the order. Why couldn't he touch? Snape played with the things on the table almost every day. With a little huff, Harry stretched out his hand toward the tempting vial again. Only to jerk it back and squeal in pain as Snape caught the wayward little hand and gave it a couple of firm taps.

"I said no, little boy, and I meant no," Snape scolded as Harry nursed his punished hand. "Potions are NOT for little boys. And don't think the water works will change my mind," he added sternly as he noted the big eyes welling with tears.

"'Nape 'macked me," Harry commented in a pitiful little tone, still rubbing his hand and looking up with a trembling bottom lip.

"Yes, I did," the Potions Master countered, unmoved. "You will obey, Potter. Be glad I even allowed you in here today."

Pouting dramatically, Harry edged closer to Snape and leaned against the man's leg. It didn't occur to the toddler that if he was mad at the man this wasn't the way to show it. He just wanted to be with Snape and the veiled threat made him nervous. It was indeed a rare thing for the Potions Master to allow Harry into the lab. In the week that Harry had been with Snape, the little boy had only been allowed brief visits, scarcely more than a glimpse, into the lab. Usually Snape worked on potions when the child was asleep or being looked after by one of the student babysitters. Today however, Snape had been forced to finish up several potions that would be needed for one of his classes, thus the reason Harry was in the room at all.

As the small body pressed against him, Severus unconsciously reached down with one hand and stroked the dark hair as he looked over the parchment in front of him again. Then after a moment of this, he grimaced, realizing what he was doing. "Come here, Potter. I can't have you underfoot while I work." Taking the child by the hand, Snape walked over to a high stool a few feet from the table and set the little boy on it. "Now stay there. You can see what I'm doing and be out of the way at the same time."

"Okay, me watch," the three year old responded amiably, and set to swinging his little legs while he took in Snape's movements.

"Wonderful, supervised by a brat that can barely dress himself," the man muttered as he returned to his work.

oooooooooo

Peering around the half opened door, Harry easily slipped inside and walked over to what was his goal. Climbing up on the bench, he looked over the selection and frowned. The pretty blue swirly stuff from three days ago was gone. What had Snape done with it? He had really wanted that bottle!

Sighing, the little boy scanned the offerings for today. Mostly it was little pots that smoked or smelled funny and Harry wasn't interested in them. Ah ha! Now that looked interesting! Further down the table was a jar with something reddish orange in it. But how to get to it? He couldn't reach it from where he was on the bench.

Within a moment Harry had climbed onto the table and was picking his way toward the new target. Small fingers closed around the glass container which was pleasantly warm to the touch. When Harry looked at it closer it seemed to be glowing and shimmered a little. Delighted, the boy was about to investigate what would happen if he gave it a little shake when he found himself lifted in the air. With a startled little yelp, he looked around and found Snape's face, and it was his angry face too, close to him.

With a gulp, Harry reacted. He hugged his new prize to his chest. "Mine!"

"I think not, Potter," the cold voice decreed as Snape set the little boy on the floor and proceeded to grasp the jar.

"No!! Mine!! Mine, 'Nape! Share!!" the toddler admonished. Harry remembered being told to share his cookies two days ago when he had wanted all the peanut butter ones and had at first refused to allow Draco, who was visiting at the time, to have one.

"This is not something for sharing, Potter. Now give me the jar or you will be in even more trouble than you currently are," the Potions Master stated.

It didn't seem fair at all to Harry and he was ready to dispute things until Snape threw in the word trouble. Giving the man a searching look, Harry decided that yep, Snape wasn't playing. At all. Slowly, the little hands released their prize.

Snape took the jar and placed it back on the table before escorting Harry out of the lab and closing the door firmly. Steering the child to the couch in the sitting room area, he took a seat and positioned Harry in front of him, looking at the now quivering toddler sternly. "Just what did you think you were doing in there? Without me. And touching my things. Things you have been told NOT to touch."

A single tear trickled down the little cheek as Harry sniffled at the scolding. "I sorry," he offered in a whisper. He didn't want to explain that he had deliberately waited until Snape went into another room and then snuck in the lab.

The dark eyes narrowed a bit. "Were you just pretending to nap on this couch?" Snape questioned. After a long moment the little dark head nodded. Snape frowned. "So you tricked me. That was bad, Potter, and very wrong." At the dismayed little sound and the sobs, Snape knew he had been what Minerva and Poppy termed 'too harsh' again.

Picking the now crying little boy up, Snape settled Harry on one knee and looked at him. "Look at me."

Harry shook his head, not wanting to see how mad the professor was. Then he felt a firm hand lifting his chin and he had no choice but to look up at Snape. But only for less than a minute. "Not wanna be bad!!" he wailed and buried his face against Snape's chest.

Sighing and rubbing a hand over his face, the man forced himself to resort to childish words. "You aren't bad bad, Harry. You are. . .naughty. What you did was something that you knew not to do. Something you had been told several times before not to do. You disobeyed me and broke a rule. And that was very naughty." Snape looked down at the messy haired little boy in his lap and felt another tug at his heart, only this time it was occurring when the brat was awake. What was wrong with him?? He refused to allow himself to start going soft. This child needed some discipline. Potter had ALWAYS needed it.

Firming his resolve, Snape continued. "Because you did a very naughty thing and disobeyed me, Harry, I am going to smack your bottom."

Shocked out of his hiding place in the folds of Snape's robes, startled green eyes looked upward. Snape was going to smack his bottom?? He had never done that before! Harry had had his hands smacked on a couple of occasions and Snape scolded him a lot and made him go to his room or a boring corner to think about things, but this. . .this was something new. And Harry knew instinctively it was not going to be pleasant!

Shaking his head, he begin to beg. "No, 'Nape! Please! I not do 'gain!"

"I hope not, Harry. Because if you do it again then you know what will happen." Without further ado, Snape turned the little boy face down over his lap and delivered three sharp spanks to the seat of Harry's pants. "Little boys do NOT play with potions or disobey."

"Oowwiee!!" Harry sobbed at the sting in the bottom. "I be good, 'Nape! Pwomissee!!"

"Good," Snape commented as he lifted Harry back into his arms and held the child, letting him cry.

And cry Harry did, as much from the shock of it all as from the pain. He wrapped his arms around Snape's neck and cried for several minutes, but the tears turned to sniffles as a hand begin to rub his back. Snuggling even closer, Harry nuzzled under Snape's chin and rested his head there.

"You realize that mop of hair of yours tickles when you do that," Snape commented dryly to the boy, but he made no move to push the child away, instead the hand kept soothingly patting Harry's back.

After several minutes of cuddling, though Snape preferred to think of it as only sitting, the Potions Master disentangled himself. "Now you are going to your room to rest a little while and I am going finish my work in peace," he decreed. He was pleased when Harry gave a nod and carrying the boy to his bedroom, Snape soon had the child laid down for a nap, even if it would be shorter than usual. At this point, any bit of respite was welcome as far as Snape was concerned.

oooooooooo

A knock on the door sounded and then the wooden door swung open and a smiling Dumbledore appeared. "Good afternoon, Severus," he nodded to the Potions Master.

Harry didn't wait for pleasantries and instead streaked across the room with a cry of "Dum'dore!!"

Laughing, the Headmaster caught the toddler in his arms and sat down in the armchair with Harry. "And how are you today, young man?"

"'Nape mean!" Harry wasted no time in pointing out.

Barely stifling another chuckle at the way Snape raised his eyebrow, Dumbledore nodded sagely. "I have heard that before," he commented calmly. "And what makes you say that he is mean?"

"He 'panked me," the little boy stated, sure that Dumbledore would scold Snape now.

"Ah. And what did you do?"

Harry blinked. He hadn't been expecting that question. This wasn't how things were supposed to work. Snape was supposed to be the one in trouble now for being mean. Something must be wrong with his plan. Crossing his little arms, the little boy answered with a hint of defiance, "Nuffin!"

Not a word was said but Harry could feel two sets of eyes on him. He didn't have to look at Snape to know that he was frowning, but when a quick glance at the always smiling Headmaster revealed a stern demeanor, Harry's arms uncrossed and he squirmed. He knew exactly what he had done to warrant the swats but he had held out hope of not having to reveal it.

In a soft little voice, Harry answered. "I touched potions. . .again." Keeping his head down he wondered if Dumbledore would scold him now.

Dumbledore shared a look with Snape and gave the younger wizard an amused smile before directing his attention to the child on his lap once more. "Then I can see why Professor Snape spanked you, Harry. Some potions can be dangerous and he does not want you hurt."

"But he hurted me when he 'macked," the little boy protested and looked indignant when Dumbledore chuckled. "It did hurted!"

"I'm sure it did, Harry. But it will remind you to not bother the potions again, won't it?" At the little nod, the old man continued, "Then a little sting on your bottom was better than you being seriously burned or worse."

Harry frowned slightly, not thinking much of this adult logic but knowing it was best to cut his losses and get on with life since really and truly his bottom wasn't hurting anymore. Looking up at the friendly wizard, he questioned, "Why you come see us, Dum'dore?" Secretly Harry was hoping for some candy or a treat of some kind since the old man usually brought him some type of present.

"I needed to talk to Professor Snape about some school business, Harry. But I brought you something to play with too."

"What? What?" The excited boy began bouncing on the Headmaster knee.

Withdrawing a clear ball from the pocket of his robe, Dumbledore held it out to the child. Harry took it and examined it closely. A bit disappointed since it didn't seem to do anything, he never the less remembered his manners. "Tank you, Dum'dore."

Chuckling, Dumbledore set Harry on his own feet and gave him some instructions. "Sit on the floor and roll it."

Looking a bit puzzled, but willing to give it a try, Harry plopped down and casually gave the ball a push with his right hand toward his left. The small sphere became red. Harry was amazed and decided to try this out again, rolling the ball back to the right. This time it changed to blue. Giggling in delight, the little boy rolled it back and forth, watching as it changed between the two colors depending on its direction.

"You are spoiling him again," a cool voice commented.

Dumbledore looked up, his eyes twinkling. "Someone has to since you are so mean."

Snape snorted. "What business do we need to discuss?" he questioned, getting to the point and changing the subject all at the same time.

The Headmaster gave Harry a quick glance and Snape caught the look, sending the little boy to play with his newest toy in his room.

A scant five minutes had passed when Harry burst from the bedroom again. "'Nape! 'Nape! Look!!" Bouncing the ball against the floor, Harry proclaimed, "Gween!" and indeed the color changing ball did turn green when bounced. Scrambling after the ball, Harry captured it and threw it up into the air, obviously having tried this previously and now wanting to show Snape what he had found out about this seemingly non-special ball.

"Lellow!!" This announcement was followed by a small, "Uh oh," as the ball bounced off the end of the small table near Snape's chair, narrowly missing the tea cup set there.

"Yes, that could have been a big uh oh," Snape commented. "No more throwing the ball until you have someone to play with, like Miss Granger."

"'Mione? 'Mione come?!"

Snape regretted his words immediately. Just what he didn't need, an even more excited Potter. Sighing, he nodded. "Soon."

"Soon! Soon!" Harry chanted. "'Mione come soon!"

"Until she does, go play in your room," the professor directed. "I will call you when she arrives. The Headmaster and I are still talking."

"I get door!" Harry declared, heading toward it even though no one had knocked.

"Potter, she is not here yet. Now go to your room," Snape ordered.

As if fate were against him. . . again. . . a knock sounded and Harry shot Snape a smug look as he reached for the door handle with his free hand, the new ball clasped in the other. "'Mione!' the little boy stated matter-of-factly.

And sure enough Hermione stood in the doorway when Harry managed to get it open. "Hello, Harry," the teen smiled down at the little boy.

"Hi, 'Mione. Ball!" Harry held up his new prize for inspection.

"Yes, I see that ball," the girl nodded. Then spotting not only Snape but Dumbledore, she quickly greeted them. "Hello, Professor, Headmaster. Am I interrupting anything? I know we had said three o'clock, but I might be a little early."

"No, no, nothing to be concerned about, my girl," Dumbledore hastened to assure Hermione. "We were merely conversing about a few things."

More like trying to, Snape thought to himself, but added aloud. "You are right on time, Miss Granger. Now if you will take Potter to play in his room. And close the door."

"Yes, sir," Hermione nodded and held out her hand to her little charge. "Come on, Harry. Let's go play."

"Ball!" the toddler insisted, as he slipped a small hand into his babysitter's.

"Alright, we can play ball," she promised, steering the boy into the other room and closing the door.

oooooooooo

Over half an hour later when Snape went to check on Hermione and Harry, he opened the door to find them still playing with the blasted ball that Albus had brought the brat. With both of them occupied however, a slight hint of a smile played at the corners of the professor's mouth as he watched and listened to Harry gleefully calling out colors depending on how the ball was being use.

"Wed! Gween! Bue! Lellow!"

He really needed to correct those words, Snape thought to himself. He despised baby talk and according to all tests Potter was three years old. It was past time the Potions Master started correcting him more. Instead though he cleared his throat, causing the two on the floor to look around at him.

"'Nape!" Harry clambered to his feet and ran to the man. "Dum'dore gone?"

"Yes, he and I finished talking," Snape answered.

"I hungry," the toddler announced. "Snacktime?"

After a moment's thought, the dark haired man nodded. "Miss Granger, would you like to take Potter to the kitchen to get a snack. I'm afraid I have some things to see to and I don't want to be disturbed."

Hermione gave Snape a curious look since snack was always simply brought to the professor's rooms by one of the house elves. But then the girl nodded. "Of course, Professor."

Harry was thrilled by the prospect of being out of Snape's rooms. Grabbing Hermione's hand, the little boy tugged. "Go, 'Mione! Wanna go!"

Laughing, Hermione allowed herself to be pulled along and together the two left Snape's quarters. Once in the hall way however, Hermione took the lead since Harry had stopped and looked around, realizing that he had no idea which way to go.

oooooooooo

Snape made a few more notes and frowned critically at the simmering potion ingredients. It was only the beginning of a complicated mixture which would require two days to complete. The Potions Master had fallen behind in his work attempting to care for Harry. The talk that afternoon with Albus had brought things back to Snape that the dark haired wizard would sooner forget. But he couldn't. The Dark Lord was still out there. He, Severus Snape, was still a spy for the Order. Thankfully he had not been summoned in nearly a month, but it was only a matter of time, he was certain. Meanwhile there were not only potions to be brewed, but a child to protect. Now more than ever.

oooooooooo

"'Nape!!" The familiar shout sounded and the door to Severus' quarters was flung open by an energetic little boy. Harry didn't spot the object of his summons in the sitting room and immediately tore down the hall, opening the door to the lab.

"Potter. . ." Snape turned from his work with a frown.

""Nape, guess what?? Guess what?? We sawed elfies! Lots and LOTS of elfies!!!" Harry related with an excited bounce. "And they had lots of food. And me and 'Mione both had two kinds of cookies and part of a doughnut and a spoonful of ice cream, but then I couldn't eat any more." The toddler grinned happily and patted his tummy. "It was the bestest snack ever! Can we go tomorrow 'gain? I likes elfies!"

Hermione had come in behind Harry by now and she gave Snape an apologetic shrug. "Sugar high."

"So I see," the Potions Master frowned. "Honestly, Miss Granger, I thought you more sensible than this. Letting him gorge himself with sweets?"

"It was hard to say no, sir," the girl offered excuse.

Snape snorted. "Not with practice." Regarding Harry, he addressed the child, "The word is elves, Potter, not elfies. And you know you are not allowed but two cookies for a snack. Not ice cream and not a doughnut, even part of one."

"The elf. . .elves," Harry caught himself, "said that I could have whatever I wanted."

An eyebrow quirked and Snape answered. "I say otherwise. Since you have already had so many sweets, you can go without dessert tonight."

"No!!!" Harry howled, incensed that Snape was even thinking such a horrible thing. "Not my fault. Bad elves!"

Snape shook his head. "You and Miss Granger knew you should not be eating all those sweets, Potter. It is not the house elves fault."

Harry pouted for a moment and then looked up at Snape with sad questioning eyes as he thought of some other things that had happened when he didn't get dessert. "Go to bed early? No 'tory?"

"No, you may still stay up until your normal bedtime," Snape responded. "Just no dessert since you've already had so many."

"No 'sert," Harry nodded, but pressed the one questioned that hadn't been answered. "'tory?" The last several nights Snape had read to him before tucking him in and Harry didn't want his time of sitting in Snape's lap and looking at the book as the man read aloud to be in any danger.

Looking a bit uncomfortable since he would rather not have it widely known he read to the brat at bedtime, Snape gave Hermione a look and then returned his gaze to the little boy staring up at him. "We will still have a story," he promised.

With a happy grin, Harry hugged Snape around the legs. "'Kay, 'Nape," he agreed. Losing dessert wasn't the greatest thing in the world, but he could deal with it. Now that things were settled, Harry asked hopefully. "You play ball with me and 'Mione?"

"Harry, I have to go soon," Hermione put in before Snape could answer. "Maybe we could just go color while Professor Snape works."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I would appreciate you keeping him occupied a while longer," the Potions Master agreed.

Harry's face fell but he went with Hermione to his room to color. It was only after Hermione had gone for the day that the Potions Master's quarters once again rang with the happy squeals of different colors being called out, though this time a deeper voice corrected each mispronounced hue as a ball was sent rolling or bouncing between a black robed figure and a little boy, both sitting on the floor.