“Hello Daddy,” Harry began, softly.

“Mummy thinks that you can hear us, even though Madam Pomfrey says you’re in a c-c-coma. She said that muggles do it, but I’m not really sure what a coma is - you look like you’re sleeping so I won’t talk too loudly ‘cause I know people get grumpy when you wake ‘em up before they’re ready. Dunno what I should say, though…

Oh yeah, Uncle Alby has been teaching your potions classes for the past two weeks, I think you’ve still got a few cauldrons left, though that Goyle girl in the fifth year melted three in one lesson! It’s been a week now, since we got back from that… that place. Auntie Minerva almost had a heart attack when we just appeared out of thin air in Uncle’s office. Her tea went flying; I think you would have laughed, Daddy. Mummy started crying, and she hugged me so hard I thought I was going to suffocate. I know she’ll be glad when you wake up. I heard her crying last night, and it made me sad. I miss you Daddy.

Uncle Albus says it’s not my fault. When we got back to Hogwarts, after you went to the infirmary, Mummy and Uncle Alby made me talk to them about what happened. Madam Pomfrey fixed up my foot, good as new. B-b-but I told them about the dare game, and that I was running away before- before… you know. I was too scared to tell you, Daddy. I was very bad, taking your unicorn horn. I know stealing is wrong, but they said that you didn’t want me and that you and Mummy would send me away…”

Harry sniffed, and moved a grubby shirtsleeve up to swipe at his eyes. It was certainly easier talking to Daddy like this. Harry hoped that Daddy could hear him, because maybe then he would know how sorry Harry was and take pity on him. Uncle Albus had said that Harry had learned ‘the folly’ of his actions, and had been punished enough.

“I asked Uncle Albus not to take points from them, I thought you would be mad if Slytherin lost points and missed out on the House Cup. Flint and Warrington have been dissecting toad spleens for you… 4 barrels full so far. Auntie Minerva is also making them help out the house elves. Charlie said that he saw them scrubbing the 3rd floor landing with toothbrushes. I thought you might find that funny. Filch thinks Christmas has come early.

Mummy couldn’t come to visit you today. She’s trying to sleep because the baby was kicking her last night and she was up for hours. Auntie Min did that spell that made her not able to move and forced her back into bed. Mummy will be so mad when she can move!

She was scary when I told her and Uncle Albus about wanting to run away. She’s even learned to scowl just like you. You would have been shocked, she transfigured Uncle’s quill into a wooden spoon and started to spank me… hard. It broke, though. She was really sad after, that she’d hit me ‘cause she doesn’t believe in it… Uncle Albus said that he knew ‘I would not do anything as foolish again’ and then his eyes started to do that twinkling thing that annoys you so…”

Harry absentmindedly started to play with the bedspread. He wasn’t used to talking and not having anyone reply. Mummy was sure that it would help Daddy, but Harry was sceptical. There was no way that Daddy would be looking so peaceful and serene if he were listening to Harry’s conversation. He leaned back against the bed and rested his heavy head under Severus’ chin.

“I miss you Daddy. I thought you were d-d-dead. There was all that blood, and your eyes…”

Harry stopped talking abruptly as he choked back a sob. His tears rolled down his cheeks onto the white flesh of Severus’ chest.

“It’s not fair. I just want you to wake up. You can be as mad as you want, and shout and, and…. It’s not fair. Charlie and Bill went camping with their Dad last weekend. And you’ve just been asleep because you’re r-r-recovering. I know you probably wouldn’t like camping, what with it being so muggle… but maybe when you’re all better we could go and hunt for herbs or fungi or something. I wish you could hear me…”

Harry let out a deep sigh and closed his teary eyes.

***

“Just what gave you the impression that I disapproved of camping, young man?” Severus croaked, in a voice that that had obviously been silent for several days.

Harry sat bolt upright, a look of pure and utter surprise pasted on his face.

“Nice to see you too. Couldn’t you look a bit happier, eh boy? I’ve just had to listen to your inane chatter all morning, after all.” The light edge to Severus’ voice countered out the deadly serious look he flashed Harry.

The surprise vanished, replaced with a look of complete wonder and then a fleeting flush of embarrassment as he remembered all the silly things he had been babbling non-stop for the past hour.

Harry flung himself into his father’s arms, collapsing in a boneless heap before Severus pulled him into a tight embrace. The worry and fear Harry had been carrying around ever since his capture disappeared at last.

Harry finally felt like he was home. And it felt good.

***

Severus held on to Harry as if his life depended on it.

The two of them had endured an unimaginable ordeal, and somehow Harry had miraculously saved both their lives. It certainly gave Severus pause.

He breathed in deeply, great gulps of air bringing him back to the land of the living and he began to get his bearings. Severus wondered if it would be insensitive to ask Harry to go fetch some coffee and perhaps a spot of lunch? He had a sudden craving for toad in the hole. Well, the boy had been living with him for the past six years- surely he would be used to Severus’ abruptness by now.

“What did that woman give me, Draught of the Living Dead? Good grief, I feel like a mandrake plucked out of season.”

Severus grunted in irritation at the thought of having his own potions used against him, it always felt slightly treasonous- his lovingly concocted draught shoved down his throat at the first opportunity. Pomfrey was an interfering, old busybody, and he supposed Minerva probably encouraged her and as for Albus- the phrase monkey and organ grinder certainly sprang to mind. It was all most disconcerting. Poisoned by his own hand! The whole situation was rather like something out of a play by that muggle Shakespeare… ‘O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick’, too bloody right, he wasn’t a Potion Master for nothing.

Severus felt sure that his body could have recovered sufficiently without all this fuss; there had been no need to scare Lily and Harry by drugging him up to his eyeballs in the name of ‘healing’. He prodded Harry with a bony finger. The boy giggled nervously and sat up to attention.

“I think you should inform your Mother that I am amenable to a visit, and send a house elf in my direction. I’m going to yell at- erm… I mean reason with Madam Pomfrey until she agrees to discharge me. I’ll see you in our rooms. Oh, yes- lest I not forget- you and I have an appointment in my office before bedtime.”

Harry’s face fell at the unintentional rebuke. Severus ruffled Harry’s hair and gave his cheek a soft tug to show that there was no ire behind his words.

“Off with you, you little scamp. I’m sure somewhere in this school there’s mischief for an imp like you to get involved in,” Severus said with a smirk.

***

Harry went back to the dungeons and relayed his Father’s message. He was skipping away from the kitchens when he heard a door open and someone grabbed his arm, pulling him into a disused classroom. His heart sank as he saw who it was.

“Well, well, well. It’s that little half-blood grass. No Dumbledore here to do your dirty work now, or Mudblood –I mean Mummy- she’s not here either,” Flint grinned maliciously and lifted Harry effortlessly off the ground by his shirt collar.

Harry found himself pinned against a wall. He tried to kick his legs, to knee the older boy in the groin and get him where it hurts. He shut his eyes as he saw Flint raise a fist and aim for his face.

Before Harry had even thought to shout for help, the door was slammed open. A red haired teenager burst into the room, his wand raised for action.

“Fernunculus,” said the boy lazily- pointing his wand at Flint, and grinning as he watched boils erupt in painful red lumps all over the bully’s ugly face.

Harry quickly sidestepped as a quick jelly legs jinx was cast, forcing Flint to quiver on the ground like a crab stuck on its back.

“Alright Harry?”

Harry beamed at his defender, “Charlie! You saved me!”

“Saved is a bit strong, mate. I helped you out of a bit of bother. I’m sure when you’re older you’ll do the same for me.” Charlie smiled easily, placing his hand on Harry’s back to steer him out of the classroom, looking back at Flint who was unable to stand because of the strength of Charlie’s hex.

“Colloportus,” muttered Charlie- sealing up the door to the classroom so that he wouldn’t be found.

“Serves him right, the stupid wan--- erm… the stupid idiot, I mean.” Charlie said, blushing almost as red as his hair, not wanting to expand Harry’s already ‘colourful’ vocabulary.

“Can you teach me how to make his face go all disgusting like that? I’d love to be able to do that. Oh wait, better not. I’m not allowed to use a wand…” Harry reached out for Charlie’s hand and began swinging their arms as they headed off in the direction of Harry’s quarters.

“I think he’s naturally that disgusting looking, Harry. Bill swears that the Flints have a bit of goblin in ‘em. And he’d know, after all, what with doing his summer work experience at Gringotts. Anyway, you little tyke- I know all about you and wands. Rumour has it that you saved yourself and old Snape from those deatheaters, pretty bloody incredible, that is. Don’t think our Ronnie would be able to save his teddy bear, let alone two actual humans… though the whole human thing is debatable with Snape…” Charlie mused.

“Hey!” snapped Harry. “He is, too, human. You said you wouldn’t be mean about Daddy.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry mate. I just forget sometimes, you know how it is. When he’s taking thirty points off me for dropping my quill in the cauldron I don’t really think of him as a ‘family’ man.” Charlie sheepishly acknowledged his mistake.

“Yeah, he is a bit grouchy over stuff like that. One time he made me stand in the corner for an hour when I so much as breathed in the direction of a potion.”

“Well you do have a bit of record for messing around with his potions, don’t you? Don’t think that I’d forgot about the time you ‘accidentally’ put a firecracker in my cauldron? Snape gave me detention for a week, all those lines I had to write- just to save you from a hiding.” Charlie gave Harry a look that spoke volumes about the rum deal he felt had got from that particular stunt of Harry’s.

“Sorry Charlie. I promise not to do anything bad ever again,” Harry said solemnly, staring at the older boy with a purely angelic expression, like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

Charlie let out a bark like laugh and picked up Harry, throwing him over his shoulders into a piggyback.

“A reformed character, yeah? I believe you. Pigs are probably flying, Snape’s probably giving Gryffindor points… Come on then, let’s get you back to the dungeons, like the good boy that you are- bet you got homework or summin’ to be getting on with?” teased Charlie, who was –surprise, surprise- met by sulky silence.

***

Lily was lying down on the bed recently vacated by Severus, who had miraculously managed to half menace – half bribe Poppy into letting him move back to their apartment on the condition that he let her floo in every two hours to give him a quick once over. Lily rested her head on the pillow. It smelt of Severus: musky, like cloves or cardamom, a rich, masculine scent. She closed her eyes, breathing it in and allowing herself to relax in the knowledge that both her men were safe and sound, and that Severus was even back to his fastidious ways.

She had discussed with Severus, at length, her feelings over him flooing off after Bellatrix without consulting her. They had agreed to disagree, but Lily liked to believe that Severus would think of her (albeit, briefly) before stepping so easily into the dark night of danger again.

They had talked about Harry; Lily had embarrassedly admitted that she had done the very thing she always tried to argue Severus out of doing. He had refrained from saying ‘I told you so’ though Lily rather felt he added it silently to the conversation. He had managed to make her laugh at herself, at least, finding the idea of her absolute consternation at snapping the wooden spoon utterly hilarious and reassuring her that Harry was not, as she put it, ‘traumatised’.

Lily was handing the case over to Severus now. She knew there were many things that Harry had not told her, like how he managed to get Severus out of Bellatrix’ grasps, for one. Severus was going to give him a stern talking to about the dangers of ‘recklessly idiotic Gryffindor heroics’, but that was all- no further punishment seeing as he had been through such a tortuous experience, one that they both felt sure would stay with Harry longer than anything else he had lived through. Lily wondered if she should get Remus to come talk with Harry. The man had embarked on a career in wizardry counselling or something in that vein a couple of years ago. Remus had got a lot of ‘hands on’ experience caring for Sirius after James’ death, after all.

Lily’s brain was on overload. She stretched out and burrowed into the blanket. Giving into the sleep that she had been evading for days.

***

Severus was thankful that he was back in his own rooms. He had a tumbler of firewhisky, ‘Brewers International’, and he had even managed to take points from two sneaky Gryffindors he had caught skulking around the dungeons. Pomfrey wasn’t even checking up on him now, seeing as Lily had fallen asleep on one of the beds- immediately focusing all of Poppy’s attention on her and the baby. The witch wasn’t about to leave Lily on her own, her paranoid mind working overtime imagining a whole heap of scenarios where Lily was in dire need of medical attention and she was nowhere to be found. They might as well just move in the damn infirmary, the amount of time they all seemed to spend there.

Severus looked up from his potions journal. It was six thirty, time for Harry and himself to have their little discussion. He stood up and opened the connecting door to the sitting room. Harry was lying face down on the sofa, reading a book for school and listening to the radio. The perfect picture of an dutiful child. Severus beckoned to him, and Harry slid onto his feet and bounded into the other room.

Severus sat back down behind his desk, clearing away his papers and quill. He motioned for Harry to close the door and pointed at the vacant chair. He cleared his throat and decided to approach the subject head on.

“You’re not here to discuss Mr Flint and Mr Warrington, nor your decision to run away. I believe that has been dealt with already.”

Harry nodded his head remorsefully. His big green eyes looking woeful before Severus had even begun to get into ‘telling off’ mode.

“I trust you to have learned you lesson sufficiently. However, there is another matter we need to address.”

Severus paused for effect.

“I recollect giving you specific instruction to use that portkey as soon as you left that cell. I am beyond displeased to find out that you, a seven year old boy, decided to tackle two fully grown wizards RISKING YOUR LIFE in the most utterly FOOLHARDY STUNT I’ve heard of, even from you!” Severus’ voice had reached unchartered decibels, and he was slamming his hand down on the desk at regular intervals to keep Harry on his toes.

“You were told never to touch another persons’ wand, weren’t you?” Harry gulped, and nodded yes.

“Well, that shows that we all make mistakes. Even myself. Yes, you heard correctly, boy. If you had not taken that wand then you do not know if we would have been able to escape. However, that does not give you license to play with a wand at your own choosing- if I catch up to your usual escapades again then you will be one very sorry little boy. Is that clear?” Severus frowned, aiming for the Snape patented scowl number one, trying to make himself look as grave as his words made him sound.

Harry nodded again.

“Excuse me? I did not hear your response.”

“Yes Daddy, it’s clear,” Harry whispered. “What she said… about you being like her? It was all lies, wasn’t it?”

“You heard Bellatrix allude to my past, Harry. It’s best that you put it all from your mind for now. In a few years we can revisit this subject, but Harry you’ll just have to trust me on this. When you’re a big boy it will make sense. You must understand, Harry, I cannot think of anything worse than being like that woman. She is an abomination. You should pity her above all for she is not worth the effort of your hatred.”

“B-b-but she said you left them…” Harry faltered suddenly, looking down at his feet.

“Several years ago I gambled with fate- I was caught between two directions. I was a weak man but I chose to change my ways- to pay my dues- a decision I should have made years before. But it doesn’t matter, Harry. I won my game with fate. The bet is paid off, and I have the richest winnings a man could dream of. For I have you my child, and Mummy, and I won’t ever let anyone take you from us again.”

Severus’ throat caught as he allowed his emotions to run away with him. He moved his chair back from his desk to let Harry climb up and sit on his lap. The boy was really getting a bit too big for this, or maybe it was his knees that just weren’t as strong as they used to be.

Severus smiled as he thought of all the times he sniped at Lily for babying Harry or just downright spoiling him. Here he was patting the bloody boy’s head and letting him snuggle. Snuggle! The idea of Snape snuggling was absolutely preposterous, but Harry… well however insufferable he could be, however many lines he insisted on crossing- well, he was a good boy. He was Severus’ boy.

“Now, this camping idea? How would you feel about a weekend, perhaps? I do need to get some freshly picked Deadly Nightshade fairly soon….” Said Severus steering the conversation nicely back to reality.

***

And all of a sudden a disembodied head appeared in the fire.

“Auntie Minerva!” Harry exclaimed in surprise.

“Severus, come at once! It’s Lily, the baby’s on its way and she’s refusing to push until you arrive!”