Scarcely had the knock sounded than the door was flung open and a cheerful little voice called out, "Dwaco!"

"Harry!" Draco responded, mimicking the enthusiastic greeting and grinning from ear to ear.

"You come to play?" Harry asked hopefully as the older boy entered the room.

"Not here, I didn't," Draco answered. "I came to get you to. . .go play in the fresh snow!" he announced, swinging the toddler up into the air in an arc.

Squealing with laughter at the thrill of the swing, Harry yelled in delight, "Snow?!!"

"Yep, snow." Setting Harry back down on the floor, Draco urged, "Go get your cloak. Hurry! I'll square it with Uncle Sev."

Snape leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe of the dining room. "Oh you will?"

Draco grinned toward his godfather. "Sure."

Harry ran over, bouncing like an excited puppy around Snape's legs. "Me and Dwaco go play in snow, 'Nape!!"

"And you really think I'm going to let the two of you go off after the snowfall we had last night? I'd probably get word that one if not both of you were buried in a drift somewhere," the Potions Master commented dryly.

"Aw, come on, Uncle Sev. I'll take care of the little annoyance," Draco promised.

Harry never thought to glare at the name. He had learned that Draco often called him things that to most would be considered mean, but he could tell by the older boy's voice that it was said with a teasing fondness. Green eyes looked up at Snape as Harry thought of something. "You come too!"

"Me?" Snape looked down at the eager little face.

Nodding vigorously, Harry replied, "Uh huh. You can play in snow too, 'Nape. Please?"

The look and the pleading tone would have melted any snowman and Snape sighed. "I have things to do here."

"They can wait till tonight when it's too dark to play, Uncle Sev." Draco joined forces with Harry in the wheedling. "Come play with us."

"Play with you??" Disregarding Harry's nod of agreement to the words for the moment, Snape looked at Draco. "Are you five or fifteen?"

"Please?" It had been a while since he'd stooped to giving his godfather the puppy-dog eyes, but Draco Malfoy was still a pro at the look.

"I can see I will get no peace at all until the two of you have seen the snow. Alright. Get ready," Snape gave in.

"Yay!!!" Harry tore off to his room, heedless of Snape's call not to run inside.

A short time later, the little boy was bouncing at the door, cloak having been refastened more securely by Draco. "Come ON, 'Nape!!" Honestly, what always took adults so long, Harry wondered.

"Get a move on, Uncle Sev. We're ready," Draco added with a smirk at Harry, making the little boy giggle.

Snape strode into the room, long black cloak fastened around him and black gloves on his hands. The only bit of color to the black that pervaded everything was the Potions Master's dark green scarf. "Neither of you are going anywhere just yet," he decreed. "Not until you are appropriately attired. Scarf and mittens, Harry. Come here." Sitting down, Snape motioned Harry over.

With a put upon sigh, Harry walked over and Snape wound the green and silver scarf around the child's neck before taking each small hand and adding the warm dark green mittens. Quirking an eye at Draco as he worked, the professor commented, "I take it you aren't planning to make snowballs, Draco."

"Of course I'm going to make some. Bet I can tag you with one," the blond teen returned cockily.

"You won't be making any if you aren't dressed correctly," Snape gave him a pointed look.

"Wh. . ." Draco began and then it dawned on him as Harry clapped his little mittened hands together at the thought of throwing snowballs. "Aw, Uncle Sev. . ."

"Get the gloves out of your pocket and on your hands, Draco. If you intend to play," Snape directed.

With a sigh, Draco did as he was told and reached for the door handle. "NOW can we go??"

Snape raised an eyebrow as he and Harry walked over. "Mind your manners, little boy," he warned lightly, tugging Draco's cap down more firmly.

"You have been around a little kid way too long," Draco muttered at the action. Then opening the door and heading out at a fast walk, he called, "Come on, Harry. Let's go before all the snow is gone!"

There was no danger of that of course, considering Hogwarts had had a good five inches the night before with much more predicted in the days to come. Still it was the first snow of the season and Snape smiled to himself as he watched the two excited boys hurry through the hallways at a pace just short of a run.

As soon as they were out of the main doors, Draco pulled Harry aside and hustled him to the side. Making a snowball for first Harry and then himself, the blond boy motioned for Harry to stay quiet and then peered cautiously around the wall.

The snowball found its mark on Draco's shoulder and he yelped out, "Hey!!"

"Did you honestly think I would fall for that?" Snape commented dryly.

"Well, it could have been Harry you know," the teen protested, brushing off the snow and looking down at the giggling child beside him.

Snape gave a light snort. "Not even you would use him for a decoy, Draco."

Draco huffed. "Fine. You got first attack. But we'll still win!" Scooping up a handful of snow, the young wizard hurled it at the Potions Master and soon the fight was on in earnest.

Ducking and dodging and hiding the trio filled the air with flying snowballs, not to mentions shouts, giggles, and a deep laughter that was rarely heard. Draco was a veteran of snowball fights with his godfather and while Harry was too excited to pick up on the finer points of strategy that Draco tried to teach him, the toddler was having a grand time with two of his favorite people.

For his part Severus was grateful that no one else was around to witness his indulgence in such foolishness, but there was no denying the smile on his face as Harry tried to pack a snowball hard like Draco had showed him and ended up smacking it too hard, bursting the snowball and sending snow scattering. Nor could the Potions Master disguise the outright laugh when one of his own snowballs stuck Draco on the neck and the boy performed an amusing dance as the coldness slid down his collar.

Harry's cheeks and nose were red as cherries but the green eyes sparkled with happiness as the little boy threw a handful of snow as hard as he could toward a charging Snape. When it didn't stop the man, Harry squealed and ran to hide behind a tree only to find himself scooped up and held upside down over the ground.

"'Nape!!" he yelled through his laughter.

"Yes?" Snape questioned as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Down!" Harry ordered.

"Alright." The Potions Master lowered Harry headfirst toward a drift.

Part of the little boy didn't mind the threat but part remembered how cold the snow had been when it sprayed on his cheek from a snowball earlier. Hastily rethinking things, Harry called out, "No, 'Nape! Not there!"

Snape paused and looked down at the child. "No? Make up your mind, please. Do you not want down?"

The dark head shook so emphatically that Harry's cap fell off. With a smile Snape righted the toddler, retrieved the hat and replaced it, and commented, "Then you had best think twice before attacking me again, hadn't you?"

Harry nodded, promptly scooped up another small snowball, looked at Snape and stated, "One, two," and flung it at the Potions Master before darting away.

Draco hooted with laughter from the branches of a tree he had climbed to give him a better vantage point for the fight. "That's thinking. . .or at least counting, twice. . .Uncle Sev!"

Snape shook his head and mock glared at both boys. "It is time for us to go inside anyway."

"You're just saying that because you're losing," Draco retorted.

An eyebrow was raised as Snape responded, "I say that because I for one would enjoy a cup of tea about now to help warm up." He walked toward Harry and held out his hand to the little boy expectantly. "And I am not losing," he added.

"Yeah, whatever," Draco snorted, earning himself another look.

"We have snack?" Harry inquired as he slipped his small hand into Snape's larger one.

Nodding, Snape started back to the castle with the two boys.

ooooooooooooooo

Snape looked at the scene he had never thought to see in his sitting room. On the couch sat Draco and Harry. Both were warm and dry now after their playtime in the snow and had already enjoyed a snack of hot chocolate and fresh cookies. Now the toddler was curled up close to the blond teen, little legs tucked under him and Draco had one arm draped carelessly around the younger boy's shoulders.

"We need a sled to have even more fun in the snow," Draco informed Harry. "Maybe Father Christmas will bring you one."

"Who's that?" Harry asked puzzled by the unfamiliar name.

"You don't know who Father Christmas is?" Draco blinked. Even though he was much to old to believe the childish tale, it had been a fun part of his childhood. When Harry shook his head, the teen rolled his eyes. "Uncle Sev has been neglecting your education again."

"Tell, Dwaco!" the little boy commanded, nestling his head against Draco's chest, ready for a story.

Grinning down at the boy that he never would have in a million years dreamed he'd be holding, Draco shrugged slightly. "Well, there's not much to tell really. See, Father Christmas is an old man with a long white beard that goes around on Christmas Eve and leaves presents for good children."

Harry thought about that description for a moment and then looked up as something registered. "Old? With Beard? Dum'dore??"

Snape couldn't help the snort that erupted at that innocent comment. Though in actuality the brat wasn't far wrong the way the old man catered to Harry, spoiling the boy beyond belief.

"Well," Draco snickered, "no, the Headmaster isn't Father Christmas. But he looks a little the same. Father Christmas is taller though. And he wears green robes and carries a long stick and a sack of presents."

"Why does he need a 'tick?" Harry wondered.

"He uses it to spank naughty little boys with," Snape supplied.

The green eyes grew huge as Harry looked at Snape in horror and then back at Draco as if to confirm this terrible thing.

Draco nodded solemnly. "It's true. If you're good, you get presents. If you're naughty then you only get a spanking."

"I good!!" Harry declared vehemently.

"Yeah, you are pretty good. I think Father Christmas might leave you some little something," Draco agreed.

"Will it be something I like?" the little boy questioned.

"Well you have to write to him and ask him for things and then he will pick some to leave you," the older boy explained.

Harry thought about that and then nodded and sat up. "'Kay! You help write, Dwaco?"

Draco laughed. "Sure. Come on." Leading the way over to the dining area, the Slytherin took out parchment and a quill and settled himself at the table to write.

Bouncing over, Harry stood beside Draco and started naming things that he desired. "I want a sled like you said and a broom like yours, Dwaco, and candy, and more picture books and more coloring books and more colors and. . ."

"Slow down," Draco laughed. "I can only write so fast. And it's got to be neat. See, Father Christmas is picky about neat writing. Kinda like Uncle Sev." Here the boy looked over at the Potions Master with a smirk.

Snape quirked an eyebrow. "Indeed. And not only is he picky about penmanship, he also doesn't like little boys that are greedy."

"Oh." Harry bit his lip and thought for a minute. "Tell Father Kismas to bring presents for 'Nape and Aunt Min and Dum'dore and 'Mione and you, Dwaco." The toddler figured that was sharing and would make this present delivering person still think of him as a good boy.

Shaking his head at the sneaky little idea, Snape was about to pick up a book to read and allow Draco and Harry to continue to work on the list and make plans when he heard the blond teen's response.

"Well, Father Christmas might bring me and Grang. . .I mean Hermione. . . a present, but not the adults." Draco found it was still hard to call the girl by her first name even though he tried to remember when around Harry. The toddler adored both his babysitter friends and regarded them as equal for the most part.

A puzzled look was turned toward Draco as Harry asked, "Not 'Nape? Why, Dwaco? 'Nape good."

Draco fought back a comment on that one but cleared his throat and explained, "Because Father Christmas is only for kids. If he had to deliver presents to all the kids AND all the adults, he'd never get done. So the adults give each other presents and," here Draco leaned closer to Harry to confide, "we have to get them presents too. Well at least the ones we care about the most."

Harry nodded. "I get 'Nape a present!" he declared. "And Aunt Min and Dum'dore too." He paused to think over his list of most special adults. "And Poppy."

Nodding, Draco agreed, "That sounds like a good list. You'll need to go shopping and find surprises for them all."

"Yes yes, shopping!" Harry was ready to go at that moment. Sliding from the chair, he ran over to launch himself on Snape. "'Nape, we go shopping?!"

Groaning to himself and giving Draco a dark look only to be met with an innocent grin that made the Potions Master roll his eyes, he looked down at Harry and answered the little boy. "No, Harry, we are not going shopping today."

Harry sighed and pressed, "Soon?"

"In a few days," Snape promised.

Accepting that, Harry nodded and climbed into the man's lap, his mind now full of thoughts of presents, for himself and others as well.

oooooooooooooo

"How long will it take to make?" McGonagall questioned.

"I should have it ready by Sunday," Snape replied as he regarded the older witch and wizard currently in his office.

"So Harry will be a toddler for only a few more days," Dumbledore remarked. "A shame really. I was enjoying the little one."

Snape snorted. "Only because you didn't have to deal with him constantly," he retorted.

McGonagall shook her head at the comment. "How old will be, Severus? Do you plan to age him all at once?"

"No," the Potions Master explained. "After all that Potter has been through it still needs to be a gradual change. Jumping from a three year old to a fifteen year old would be a bit much. His body has recovered from the previous aging process enough to allow for smaller increments in growth. He will be around five years old after this first potion. Then if all goes well every few weeks he will be able to age a couple of more years. Perhaps by the time we have him back to say eleven or twelve he will be able to go straight to fifteen from there, but it will really depend on how he is doing physically at the time."

"Then it is more a matter of taking things one potion at a time," Minerva summed things up and Snape nodded. The witch smiled. "So you will still have your hands full of an energetic little boy."

"Mores the pity," Snape agreed dryly. "Though any age has to be better than three."

The sharp eyed head of Gryffindor didn't miss the slight twitch of Severus lips at the thought of Harry and she glanced at the Headmaster. It seemed that their snarky young one had succumbed to a child's charms whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Dumbledore nodded sagely. "We will be in the infirmary Sunday then. I think it is a good idea to wait until after the students have gone for the holidays. But do not forget that you will need presents for a slightly older child now, Severus." He smiled as he reminded Snape of the upcoming Christmas holiday.

"Yes, I am well aware of the fact the brat expects presents thanks to everyone from yourself to Draco filling his head with Christmas nonsense." The dark haired wizard shook his head.

"Diagon Alley has a wide assortment of things," Dumbledore commented, calmly popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

Snape nearly ground his teeth in frustration. "Yes," he commented curtly. "I will see what I can do." The Potions Master recalled his promise to Harry to take the child shopping. Might as well kill two birds with one stone he thought to himself. And along the line of killing. . .

"Was that all you needed, Headmaster?" Snape inquired. "I have some work to do."

"I believe that was all I had planned to discuss," Albus answered with a smile. "Minerva, did you have anything else?"

McGonagall fought back a smile at the expression on the younger wizard's face and taking pity on Severus, shook her head. "No, that is enough for now," she declared, rising from her chair.

"More than enough," Snape muttered, but he too rose and saw his guests out. Once he was alone he was strongly tempted to put a locking charm on the door. Returning to his desk, he set to work on grading papers. If he was going to be traipsing all over the country in the next few days there were things he had to do first!