Severus watched Harry enter the hallway before walking through the door to the entrance hall and letting out a deep breath. He was happy Harry was ready to see one of his friends, but wasn't sure if his child blurted out his request in his excitement over his Potions grade, or if he was really ready to see Mr. Weasley. Either way, Severus would honor Harry's request, but keep a close watch to make sure Mr. Weasley didn't upset his son. The redhead had a tendency to blurt out whatever was on his mind, and those words could do some damage to his child's fragile mental state. He'd just have to prepare Mr. Weasley and hope for the best. After all, his son didn't need another reason to resent him.

Sliding his wand out of its holster, Severus adjusted the wards on the floo to temporarily allow access to and from Grimmauld Place. He refused to allow anyone unrestricted access to his floo except for Miss Adamson for the sake of security, but also to keep guests from showing up anytime they wished to see Harry unannounced, giving Harry the upper hand in deciding if he was up to seeing anyone.

Severus supposed he should contact his parents concerning the recent discovery as they had a right to know they had a grandson, but he hadn't the energy to deal with them, or the scolding his mother would direct at him. He would have to contact them soon before he filed the papers to make Harry his legal heir. The Potions Master added it to his mental list of the many things he needed to do if only he had some time to do it. Maybe he'd ask Minerva if she were free to sit with Harry tomorrow morning so he could run some of his errands and brew a potion or two.

But before he could even think about tomorrow, Severus had to get through the evening, including a visit he needed to arrange before Harry came to ask what was taking so long. So without further delay, he threw down a pinch of floo powder and called out Grimmauld Place before sticking his head into the green flames.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus greeted a twin, Fred, he deemed by the boy's stirring technique.

"Professor Snape," Fred jumped in surprise and turned around to block Severus' view of the cauldron he was stirring. "Did you need something?"

"I need to speak to your mother if she has a moment, though I suggest you banish that mess before it explodes," Severus raised an eyebrow at the boy, wondering what the twins were trying to accomplish with this latest experiment. By the looks of the sizzling cauldron, it appeared they had added an ingredient or two that didn't balance with the others.

"Right," Fred banished the potion, a sheepish look on his face. "We weren't trying to brew anything dangerous, honest, just a twist on the Shrinking Potion."

"With the aim to alter the potion to allow your products undetected passage into Hogwarts no doubt," Severus deducted.

"How did you... never mind," Fred groaned, stashing the cauldron and ingredients under a cloak in the corner. "Please don't tell Mum about the potion. She'll kill us."

"And yet you were brewing in clear sight of the floo. Surely even you managed to pick up some sense during your years at Hogwarts."

"Mum avoids the floo, so this room is safe for experiments," Fred pulled on the bottom of his shirt. "I'll just go get her." Fred backed out of the room and turned to run the moment he crossed the threshold.

Severus rolled his eyes. He hated to admit it, but the Weasley twins had a lot of untapped potential if only they had concentrated on their studies instead of their silly experiments that had no use in the war. 

"Severus," Molly entered the room with a tired smile on her face. "Would you like to come through?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't leave Harry," he shifted on his knees, adding buying a better rug to his list.

"Do you need someone to sit with him?" Molly took a seat on the sofa in front of the floo.

"Actually, Harry asked if the youngest Mr. Weasley could floo over for a visit?"

"Oh! Of course Ron can visit," Molly jumped up. "Is Harry feeling better then?"

"At the moment, yes. Will you send Mr. Weasley through before it gets late?" Severus asked, wanting the visit to happen before Harry grew tired again.

"I'll go get him and send him through now. When should I expect him back?" Molly smiled.

"Two hours should be sufficient," Severus hoped the visit went well enough to last that long.

"That sounds wonderful, and Severus let me know if you need anything. There isn't much to do around here except clean up the place, so I'm free if you should need anything."

"Thank you," Severus nodded before pulling his head out of the floo and standing up, his knees cracking, to straighten his shirt. He cast a wandless cleansing and sanitizing charm over his clothes, and then stood back to wait for Mr. Weasley to appear.

A few minutes later the redhead stumbled out of the floo. "Hello, sir." He was dressed in a loose red tee shirt and holey jeans with dirt and grass stains on the knees.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasley," Severus waved the teen over to the sink. "Has your mother informed you of the precautions that are needed before you may see Mr. Potter?"

"Yes," the teen shifted from one foot to the other. "I know not to tell anyone about Harry's condition."

"Clearly you weren't listening to your mother, or you would've done something about your clothes before you came," Severus halfway rolled his eyes before stopping himself. This was Harry's friend he was talking to, even if it was an imbecilic Gryffindor.

"My clothes are fine!" Mr. Weasley's face turned as red as his hair. "I didn't know Hogwarts uniform was required during the summer."

"It isn't, and I wasn't talking about your clothes themselves, but the dirt and grass stains on them-"

"Mum took Ginny and I to the Burrow so we could fly, so I got a little dirty. What does that have to do with seeing Harry?" the teen glared, but the glare wouldn't even affect a first year Hufflepuff.

Severus sighed before conjuring a chair. Perhaps he was going about this conversation all-wrong. His goal was to prepare the teen to see his son, not give the teen more fuel to feed Harry's current resentment towards him. "Mr. Weasley, please take a seat. There are things you need to know before you may see Mr. Potter."

"Is he okay?" the Gryffindor blurted out as he plopped down into the chair. "He's not unconscious or anything, is he?"

"No, he's feeling rather well at the moment," Severus walked to stand in front of the lanky teen. "Mr. Potter's immune system, the system that keeps you well by fighting off anything we catch, is compromised because of his treatments. To ensure that Mr. Potter, " Severus inwardly cringed at the continued use of the Potter name in reference to his son, "doesn't get any sicker, precautions are taken."

"Like what?" the youngest Weasley looked at him, really paying attention to the words he said for the first time.

"Grass stains and dirt for one naturally carry millions of microbes that normally doesn't make a person sick, but for someone in your friend's condition, exposure to them could cause him to develop an infection that he'd have a hard time overcoming," the Potions Master explained being careful to keep his tone neutral and not condescending.

"Oh," Weasley looked down at his clothes. "Do I need to floo home and change?"

Severus waved his hand towards the Gryffindor and spelled the boy's clothes clean and sanitized. "Not this time, Mr. Weasley, but be advised for future visits."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry,"

"It is alright Mr. Weasley, but do pay more attention to the things spoken to you. Has your mother explained the Muggle techniques Mr. Potter is receiving to combat his leukemia?" Severus leaned against the wall his arms crossed.

"Somewhat. Mum said Harry's hooked up to a bunch of Muggle machines, and so he has tubes sticking out of him," the teen shivered.

"That is correct. It may appear frightening, but I assure you Mr. Potter is fine. Remember he is the same person he's always been, and that staring at him or the things he's hooked up to may make him feel uncomfortable," he gave the Gryffindor a hard look to make sure the thickheaded teen got the message.

"Right," Mr. Weasley gulped. "Is that all?"

"Do you feel comfortable with seeing Mr. Potter given the information you just received?" Severus hoped the boy would admit if he weren't comfortable now before they entered through the entryway and to his private quarters.

"Yes, sir," Ron nodded.

"Good. You'll need to wash your hands at the sink here," he took three steps towards the sink before stepping on a pedal that turned the sink on and washed his own hands, "before you may enter. I'd also like to advise you not to touch any of Mr. Potter's medical devices or tubes."

Severus watched the Gryffindor nod again before following his lead and washing his hands in the sink. Then, he showed the teen through the entryway into his quarters where Harry was sitting on the sofa with an excited smile reaching his eyes.

"Ron!" Harry waved the teen over to the sofa. "You'll never believe it!"

"Harry..." Mr. Weasley's voice cracked.

The Potions Master watched the redhead slow his pace and look at Harry with wide, frightened eyes. It wasn't the reaction he hoped for, but it wasn't the worst at least. Still, he needed to stay close to ensure Harry handled seeing Weasley well, and that Weasley wasn't his typical rash self. Keeping a close watch on the two boys, Severus stepped into the kitchen and filled a carafe charmed to keep its contents cool with apple juice before setting it onto a tray where he also set two glasses and a plate of chocolate chip biscuits.

Harry rambled excitedly about his Potions grade oblivious to Mr. Weasley's scared expression, and he couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto his face. He'd been waiting for something to excite his son to show him that Harry was in there under all the recent setbacks, and not broken to the point of giving up. Severus needed Harry to keep fighting so he could show his son how to live like he'd promised, to give his child more reasons to smile.

Picking up the tray, he walked into the living room, rounded the sofa, and set the tray down on the coffee table for the two boys with a slight clang to announce his presence. "Is apple juice okay, Mr. Weasley, or would you prefer pumpkin juice?"

"Apple juice is fine," Weasley jumped, his eyes darting from Harry to him.

"Thanks, Professor!" Harry beamed, stopping his rambling to turn towards the tray and holding out his slightly trembling hands to reach for one of the glasses.

Severus grabbed the glass before Harry could spill and bring attention to the trembling that remained in his limbs. He poured each child a glass hiding the slight movement in his hand, a spill proof charm on Harry's glass. "Do you need anything else?"

"No," Harry shook his head.

"Okay," the Potions Master picked up his pile of parchment from the coffee table before walking over to his child and squeezing Harry's shoulder so lightly it could hardly be considered a squeeze. "I'll be in the kitchen should you need me."

The child gave him a slight nod, and Severus retreated to the kitchen island where he situated himself on a stool in clear view of Harry and Weasley. He checked to make sure the two boys were okay again from his vantage point, and then summoned Harry's school files to examine and work out a schedule for his son that would hopefully keep Harry on pace with his year mates and give both of them a sense of normalcy.

*~AIE~*

Harry held out his grade report to show Ron. "Oh, and Professor Snape said he'll let me into his NEWT Potions class, though I won't be going to classes at the beginning of term, so I guess it makes sense,"Harry stopped to take a breath. He couldn't help but talk. He was too happy to sit there quietly, especially now that Ron was there to chat with. "Have I mentioned that Professor Snape will be teaching Defense, too? He and Dumbledore made some sort of deal where Professor Snape only has to teach NEWT classes," Harry paused, waiting for Ron's reaction, but none came. "Ron?"

"Harry?" Ron croaked, his eyes traveling down Harry's body. "Are you okay?"

Wrapping the silver blanket back around him despite not being cold or in pain, Harry looked towards the fireplace. "I'm fine."

"You look terrible."

"I said I'm fine," Harry said, his voice taking on a stern tone. He didn't want to talk about how he was feeling or the hell that was the chemotherapy treatments. He'd had enough of that living it. Couldn't Ron just drop it and stick to their grades, school, or quidditch? "How are the Chudley Cannons doing?"

"The Cannons?" Ron sputtered, looking at him as if he'd grown a third eye.

"Have they won a game yet this season?" Harry hoped that if he peeked Ron's interest in his favorite team that he'd forget about his condition for the moment.

"You'll be able to play, won't you?" Ron snapped his head up to look at him. "Dumbledore can surely undo Umbridge's ban, and we need you to beat Slytherin."

"No, it's not safe," Harry left out that it was hard enough walking across the room never mind flying around looking for a temperamental gold ball. "But Miss Adamson gave me a practice snitch so that I'm ready for when I can play."

"Merlin, mate. Can you even attend classes?"

"Not at first because of my immune system," Harry sighed. Ron apparently hadn't heard a single thing he said. "Professor Snape has it worked it out so I won't fall behind, and I should be able to play quidditch seventh year. Everything's fine."

"There's no way you're fine. Just look at all those tube things sticking out of you, and you look like you haven't eaten in weeks," Ron gestured towards the tubing sticking out of his chest.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, Harry resituated the blanket to block Ron's view of the Hickman's tubing snaking its way out of his henley. "Drop it," Harry whispered, his eyes focused on his blanket-clad knees.

"Just truthfully answer me one question," Ron's voice was pleading, but he refused to look up. "Are you dying?"

"Mr. Weasley!" Severus swooped in and grabbed Ron by his shirt collar. "Visiting hours are up."

"But this isn't St. Mungo's," Ron argued as he was escorted towards the entryway, his body twisting to escape the Professor's grip.

"No, but these are my quarters, and I have every right to dictate the time visitors are allowed," Snape trapped Ron's hands behind his back. "Are you done acting like a toddler in the midst of a tantrum or must I put you in a body bind before I send you back to your parents?"

"Harry, help!" Ron's eyes locked with Harry's, and he saw anger, mistrust, betrayal, and a hint of fear in his friend's blue eyes.

Harry looked away, instead searching out to meet Severus' gaze. A feeling of warmth and security that Harry wasn't sure he welcomed washed over him as his eyes locked with his prof's... no his father's eyes. "Ron, please just go. I'm fine, really," Harry forced a smile on his face. "Just tired."

"Don't forget to sniff your food, mate. You never know what Snape's been sticking in it," Ron yelled as Severus dragged his friend through the entryway.

Sighing, Harry reached for his glass of apple juice and took a drink. The plate of biscuits remained untouched and although they looked tempting, he wasn't going to risk his recent throw-up free streak. Besides, he wasn't hungry anyway.

"Harry?" Severus sat down next to him on the sofa.

"I'm fine," he whispered, not looking up from the coffee table.

"Okay," his professor wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Harry leaned against the man's side burying his head in Severus' shoulder as he felt warmth and security wrap around him, giving in to his subconscious' desire to seek out comfort from the man who was apparently his father.

A few minutes later Severus shifted and Harry heard him whisper a soft accio followed by a book floating through the air and landing in Severus' lap. He looked down to see the thick blue book with weird symbols on it from the library that he'd been curious about, but couldn't see himself finishing.

"The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien," Severus read after he slipped his reading glasses on and flipped open the book to the first page. "Concerning Hobbits."

Harry listened as Severus read about the tiny peaceful creatures known as hobbits with hairy feet that lived in the Shire, particularly one, Bilbo Baggins, who had found a magic ring that when worn made him invisible. The Potions Master continued reading on with The Fellowship of the Ring. 

The whole time Harry stayed curled up against Severus' side, his eyes closed not because he was tired, but because he was imagining the new world being described to him. Were the elves and dwarfs like the ones they studied in Care of Magical Creatures or completely different? For that matter, was the book magical or Muggle? Harry forced his thoughts to the back of his head for fear of missing an important paragraph.

"Thank you," Harry whispered as he heard Severus shut the book after finishing chapter one with the wizard, Gandalf, leaving to find more information on the ring Bilbo had passed onto Frodo.

"For what, child?" the Potions Master asked, his tone questioning as if he wasn't sure what Harry was thanking him for.

"You came," Harry explained, calm and distracted from Ron's visit. He felt Severus tighten his grip around him as a tiny smile crept its way onto his face. Was this what it was like to have a father?