"No, no, no, NO!"

"Yes."

"NOOOO!!!" the child wailed and ran as fast as his short little legs would carry him. Of course he soon found himself scooped up and his legs churning wildly in the air, as he tried vainly to push away the restraining arm.

"Stop it this minute, young man!" a sharp voice barked.

"No, no, not wanna, 'Nape!"

Snape forced himself to take a deep breath. 'No' was the child's favored word this week and the frazzled Potions Master would be only too glad when the toddler found another one. If he allowed the brat to live that long.

"I do not care what you want. You will."

This time the word wasn't voiced but the dark head shook stubbornly in a mute negation of the man's words. Three year old Harry Potter was determined that he was NOT going to take a nap! He was a big boy. Lots of people had said so, just not Snape. But the child was holding firm to the idea that he WAS none the less and big boys didn't need naps.

Carrying his small armful over to the bed, Snape sat down and laid Harry on the soft covers. Immediately the child rolled off the other side and tried to escape.

"Oh I think not, Mr. Potter." Snape moved quickly and apprehended the little boy once more.

By now Harry was tired and frustrated and he did something that normally he wouldn't have dared try. The small baby teeth sank into Snape's arm seconds after Harry yelled, "NOOOO!!!!"

Barely holding back a curse, Snape involuntarily released the little rascal and Harry quickly crawled under the bed to hide.

The professor was furious. How dare the boy bite him! He called, "Harry, get out here right now!"

It should have come as no great surprise to hear the small, "No," from under the bed.

Tempting as it was to simply use his wand to get the brat out and then put a body bind on him to force him to nap, Snape's tactics had changed over the last few weeks. He never would have thought it of himself, but he seemed unable to use methods that would truly frighten the blasted child. Now he found himself kneeling on the floor beside the bed and speaking with a calmness that he had not known he possessed.

"Harry, you are being very naughty. Now come out."

A pair of green eyes peered back at him and in the dimness, Snape could swear he saw the little bottom lip tremble. "No, 'Nape." But this time the little voice was quiet and full of hesitance.

Ah ha, Snape thought to himself. "Yes, Harry. Come on now."

"No naughty, 'Nape." This time there was decidedly tears in the child's voice, but he moved closer to the man and the edge of the bed.

"I'm afraid so. Very naughty. But we will fix it." Severus could scarcely believe those words had come out of his mouth.

Sniffling, Harry crawled out from his perfect hiding spot, the tears plain to be seen now. Looking at Snape for all of a second, he threw his little arms around the man and began to cry harder.

With a sigh, Snape sat down on the bed again, only this time he held the toddler in his lap and wrapped one arm around the little body. In a quiet but firm voice, Snape questioned. "What happens to naughty little boys, Harry?"

Harry looked up at the man who had been taking care of him and shook his head in denial. He knew the answer but didn't want to say it. Instead he burrowed against the Potion Master's chest and pleaded, "No, 'Nape, pwease no 'pank. I sorry. No be naughty 'gain. Pwomise."

"You yelled at me and told me no. And you bit me, Harry. That was very VERY naughty. You do not tell me no and you especially do not bite."

The little boy was sobbing before Snape even flipped him over his knee. Pulling down the little pants, the man landed six spanks to the small bare bottom, with only enough force to give it a tingling sting and turn it a bright pink. Then he replaced Harry's pants and lifted the crying child back in his arms. As the little arms fastened about his neck, Snape brushed a hand through Harry's dark hair. "Alright now, it's over. Sshh."

"I's s. . .sorry. . . I's sorry. . . " the sobbing child babbled over and over.

"I know. And you won't do the naughty things again," Snape soothed.

Harry shook his head vigorously and sniffled against Severus' robe. He liked the feel of the robe against his cheek and was comforted by the man's closeness. But his bottom hurt. Reaching back to rub at the sting, he looked up at Snape and contemplated fussing about it. Then he remembered that he HAD been naughty and bit the man who had been taking care of him and reading to him and tucking him in at night. With a tearful sigh, Harry came to the sad conclusion that he had deserved the spanking. But he sure didn't like it!

Snuggling close to Snape, one small hand returned from rubbing his bottom to clutch at the man's robe, while the thumb of the other little hand found its way to his mouth. "I sorry," Harry apologized again. And then as his tired little eyes closed in the much fought over but much needed nap, he murmured, "Wuv my 'Nape."

Snape sat quietly, holding the now sleeping child for long minutes. When at last he laid Harry down on the bed and covered him with the blanket there was another soft whisper that the one wakeful occupant of the room would have denied fiercely. "Love you too little wizardling."

oooooooooo

"Not want it, 'Nape," Harry protested as he shoved the offending food aside.

"You need to eat a few spoonfuls. You have had peas before," Snape reasoned.

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "Uccky!!"

"They are not 'uccky.' Now behave yourself and eat your dinner like a big boy."

For once the ploy didn't seem to work. Harry crossed his arms and glared at Snape. He had learned better than yelling no to his guardian, but the look said it as plain as words.

"Very well," Snape stated. "If you do not eat the peas, there will be no gingerbread."

That got the little boy's attention. The delightful aroma had been wafting through the dining room since the house elves had brought dinner and dessert. To be denied such a treat made Harry angry. "Want 'sert," he declared petulantly.

"Dessert is for good boys who eat their dinner properly," Snape commented as he finished the last few bites of his own meal.

Harry's bottom lip quivered. "I good, 'Nape," he said hopefully.

Snape quirked an eyebrow and pointed to the small serving of disputed peas.

"They ARE uccky," the toddler reaffirmed, but this time he picked up his spoon.

Holding back a smile, Snape watched the faces that Harry was making as he scooped up a spoonful. Then the child stopped and looked over at him.

"One?" he questioned hopefully.

"At least four," was the reply.

"Too many!" Harry protested. "Two." Then looking at Snape with a pitiful look that would melt stone he added, "Pwease?"

The little imp was not only trying to bargain with him, he was attempting to con him! Snape knew that look well, though before it had been mostly on a little boy with platinum hair. He was going to have to have a word with his godson. "Three, Harry," the Potions Master stated firmly. "No more whining about it. One spoonful for each year of your age."

Sighing, Harry cut his losses. The look that Draco had helped him perfect always worked on Hermione and Minerva. Clearly he would have to talk to Draco more about this problem with Snape. "'Kay, free," the little boy agreed with an air of resignment.

oooooooooo

Harry scowled. "Why?" he questioned petulantly.

"Because I said so," Snape responded. "Madam Pomfrey is expecting us."

"But Dwaco come to play!" Harry argued.

"I will leave him a note and if he does come while we are in the infirmary then he will come back."

"I not want to go see Poppy. Want to play!" the little boy sulked.

Tired of arguing, Snape simply scooped Harry up and walked toward the door.

"'Nape!"

"Do not whine, little boy," the Potions Master responded to the little wail. Then ignoring the pouting child he carried, Severus made his way toward the hospital wing.

"You're late," Madam Pomfrey stated as they entered and Snape carried Harry over to a bed and set him down.

Snape looked at the medi-witch. "Take it up with your patient," he said dryly.

"I wanna play with Dwaco!" Harry informed the woman with less than his usual pleasant disposition.

Poppy looked at the little boy and then at Snape and then back at Harry. "Well this shouldn't take long, Harry. Tell me what you are planning to play with Draco." As she distracted the child, the well practiced witch was already running diagnostic scans with her wand.

Harry thought about that for several minutes. "We can draw and build and maybe go walking." He glanced over at Snape at the last bit.

"We will see," Snape answered the mute question.

With a little smile at the words that were so often another form of yes, the dark head nodded. Harry obeyed all of Madame Pomfrey's instructions as she did a few more tests. The little boy giggled as he poked on his tummy and stuck his tongue way out when told to say ahh.

Snape watched and shook his head at the antics. When the medi-witch was done, she helped Harry down and set him to rolling bandages for her. They had found the child liked helping out and it gave him something to do while the adults talked.

Once in the protective bubble of the silencing charm, the Potions Master regarded Poppy. "Well?"

"He is doing exceptionally well, Severus. I think he will be ready for the first aging potion before the Christmas break."

The dark haired man nodded. "And not a moment too soon," he commented. "After the week we have had. . ."

Poppy laughed. "Terrible two's a bit late?" she guessed.

"It has been awful," Severus stated. However looking over at the little boy they were discussing, the man felt a slight smile form. "But we have made it."

"Yes, you have," the witch agreed, not missing the look and smiling to herself.

Snape removed the charm and headed over to gather Harry. "Are you ready to go and see if we have a visitor yet?"

"Yes!!" Harry quickly placed the half rolled bandage on the table and ran to give Madam Pomfrey a quick hug, his earlier petulance now forgotten. "See you soon, Poppy. We have to go!" With a look at Snape, he darted to the doors and waited impatiently for the Potions Master.

oooooooooo

Later as Harry lay in his bed, green eyes blinking sleepily up at Snape as the man tucked him in, he thought about the afternoon and smiled. He and Draco had teamed up to wheedle Snape into letting them go outside for a little while and allow Harry to fly with Draco on his broom. The boy had squealed and whooped with delight as Draco had expertly guided his broom over the Quidditch pitch. Snape had watched and yelled up at them when he thought Draco was going too high. Or too fast. Or being too dangerous. Harry had thought there were too to many too's, and apparently Draco had agreed with him because the older boy had swooped low over the Potions Master, making him duck down as Draco laughingly called that he was an old mother hen. Of course once they were back on the ground again, Snape had given Draco a swat and told him if he EVER did anything like that again his and Harry's flying days were over.

Still, even with Snape's rules, flying had been the best part of Harry's day although it had left him tired out. He so wanted a broom of his own one day and it was with that thought in mind that he voiced, "I wanna be big like Dwaco."

"You will be one day," Snape stated, making sure the blanket was pulled all the way over the child to ward off the chill now that the winter nights were very much making their presence known.

"When?" Harry questioned with a yawn.

"Soon," the Potions Master responded. "But for now you need to rest if you plan to grow."

Harry nodded and curled up. "Night night, 'Nape."

"Good night, Harry." Snape brushed the hair from Harry's forehead as the little boy closed his eyes, sliding into slumber already.

Going to the door, Snape paused and looked back at the little form. You will be bigger sooner than you think, Severus mused to himself as he recalled the conversation with Poppy. For a brief moment there was a light of wistfulness in the dark eyes and then it was gone as the wizard turned and left the room.