Harry ended up sleeping for most of the rest of the night, waking only once because he was thirsty and wet and after that he fell asleep again immediately. Severus had decided to transfigure an old box into a small crib and placed it next to his bed. It wasn’t that he minded Harry sleeping next to him, but he didn’t want the baby to get used to doing that every night, because if he did give him to a foster care facility, he knew they would not be sleeping with him, and so Harry had to get used to sleeping by himself. He made sure the crib had a thick mattress and a warm blanket, since the flat tended to grow chilly sometimes and he put Professor Hush-a-bye in the crib with the little boy.

Harry had already grown so attached to the bear that he had whimpered when it was out of sight. It made Severus both happy and sad to see such devotion to a mere stuffed toy. Clearly, the child hadn’t known much happiness in his short life and it made him furious to even think about the wicked people who had put Harry in the manger. They must have had no hearts to be so cruel.

Tomorrow he would give the boy a bath, since even Freshen Up charms had limits and then he would have to start seriously thinking about Harry’s future. He also needed to go shopping, both for food, which he did in the Muggle supermarket, and for clothes, which he usually did in Diagon Alley, but which was closed due to the holiday break. So that meant he would look in the Muggle department stores for clothes for Harry. Perhaps they would have some sales after the holiday, he mused. He recalled hazily his mum always taking him shopping the day after a major holiday because that was when sales were on.

Right then, however, Severus wanted nothing so much as to curl up in bed with a good book, read a bit, and then fall asleep. So that was what he did, indulging himself for once.

* * * * * *

Harry awoke feeling much better the next morning, and after his morning round of potions, Severus fed him some chicken broth with a small bit of bread soaked in it and some more milk. Harry eagerly drank both the bottle and the broth, and now Severus understood what Healer Faolin had meant when she’d said Harry probably hadn’t been feeling well when he’d tried to feed him before. The new hungry Harry was a breeze to feed, he opened his mouth readily and looked about for more when the bowl was empty.

Severus carefully wiped his mouth with a cloth and said, “That’s enough for now. I can give you more later. You need a bath, little tyke. Badly.” He lifted Harry from his lap and carried him over to the sink, because the flat didn’t have a real bathtub.

The sink wasn’t very large, but it would serve as a bathtub for the child. Severus carefully lined it with an old soft towel before running the water and adding some mild soap, a sponge and a rubber duck he’d transfigured from a cork stopper.

He tested the water with a hand before undressing Harry and gently placing him in the water.

At first Harry whimpered and stiffened, because all the baths he could recall were very cold, but the warmth of the water and Severus’s hands holding him soon put him at ease. He splashed a hand down at the water, and discovered that it moved and also the soap swirled about on the top.

“Easy there, no splashing till I’m finished washing you,” warned his caretaker, as he gently lathered up a soft sponge (it was one he used to wash vials with, carefully cleaned) and began to wash the baby.

Harry giggled and blew bubbles while he scrubbed, discovering that the sponge felt great upon his skin, so unlike the rough washcloth Petunia had used to use on him. This was not scratchy, it did not make his tender skin hurt, and the soap smelled like almonds and honey.

Severus even washed the baby’s hair, using a mild shampoo and rinsing him off with a cup.

Harry remained still when that was over, until Severus stepped back a bit, thinking he could let the child play for a while. Severus had cast a Water Repellent charm over his clothes, and thought he was very clever. He was tired of having his clothes get wet.

Harry looked at him, unsure of what to do.

Severus pushed the rubber duckie over to him. “Here, Harry. Play with the duck.” He squeezed it and it quacked.

Harry’s eyes grew wide. “Quack quack?”

“Yes, that’s a duck. That’s what it says—quack quack. Play with it and have fun.”

“Fun?” Harry looked at him, puzzled.

Severus showed him how to make the duck “swim” and “dive”.

“Quack quack!” sang Harry, loudly.

“Duck!” corrected Snape.

“Quack quack!” his charge insisted stubbornly.

“Duck.” Severus pointed to the duck. “Look. This is a duck.”

“Quack quack!”

After two more times of this, Severus gave up and let Harry call the duck Quack Quack. At least it made sense and didn’t sound like utterly incomprehensible infant babble. He had noticed that Harry was very quick to pick up new words and comprehended a good deal more than he would have thought a year-and-a-half baby capable of. “You’re a bright boy, Harry. By the time you’re two I’d wager you’ll be talking in full sentences,” he told the child.

Harry looked up at him. “Quack quack ‘wim.” He made the duck move across the sink then clapped his hands and grinned.

“Yes, ducks swim. Very good.”

“Goo’ Hawwy.” The grin widened. Then he brought his hands down and splashed. Hard. Water flew all over, including onto Severus, who discovered that he might not be able to get his clothes wet but he had forgotten about his face.

“Ahh! My eyes!” Severus yelped, for the soapy water had gotten into them. He quickly grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the faucet, then carefully wiped his stinging eyes.

Harry watched, not understanding what had happened, except for the fact that Severus seemed hurt. His bottom lip trembled. He didn’t want the Tall One hurt. “Owwie?”

Severus lowered the washcloth and summoned some soothing eyedrops and put them in his eyes, they protected him from acrid fumes while brewing, and immediately his eyes stopped burning. “I’m fine, but don’t splash me, Potter.” He scolded mildly. “That’s bad.”

“Bad?” Now that word he did know. His eyes filled with tears.

Alarmed, Severus said, “What’s the matter? Did you get soap in your eyes too?” He went to wipe Harry’s eyes with the wet cloth and Harry began to cry. “Shh. I’ll fix it.” He tilted the boy’s head back and put a drop in each eye. “There.”

But Harry was still upset and thought Snape was going to punish him, and his eyes still leaked tears. “Hawwy bad.” He sniffled, waiting for a smack and to be taken from the bath and stuck in the dark place.

Snape just stared at the little boy. Then it hit him. Harry wasn’t crying because he’d gotten soap in his eyes. He was crying because Snape had called him bad. He knew that word and for him to recognize it meant one thing. He had been called it often. Severus winced, recalling the miserable days of his own childhood. Tobias had called him every derogatory name in the book, shredding his self-confidence to pieces by the time he was eight. It was something that to this day, he still had problems with.

Now he looked at the child sitting in his sink and thought suddenly that here was another much like himself, made to feel unwanted and a burden by people who should have loved and cared for him. Harry might be too young to wonder why his relatives treated him so badly, but he was old enough to feel upset over it. What did they do to you, those miserable excuses for human beings? Even if they didn’t want you, how could they deliberately mistreat a baby?

Large tears were still trickling down Harry’s face and Severus said quickly, “Don’t cry. You’re not bad. It was an accident.”

Harry’s face crinkled. “No bad?” he repeated.

“No.” Severus reassured. “Play with the duck,” he encouraged.

“Quack quack pway!” Harry shouted, and grabbed the duck and splashed it down. “Fun!”

“Yes, fun. For you.” Severus bit back a groan and resigned himself to having a flood all over his kitchen for ten minutes while he let the child amuse himself. It was a good thing he was a wizard, so cleaning up messes wasn’t the chore it would have been otherwise.

Finally, he took him out and dried him off with a Drying Charm, putting on the Rash Away salve and the Decongestion Rub and then dressing him in a shrunken set of his trousers and shirt and a pair of socks. “Now, I need something to carry you in,” the Potions Master mused. “Because I can hardly shop while carrying you on my hip.”

He looked about and spied an old backpack that he used to carry potions and enlarged it so it would fit a toddler. He then lined it with sheepskin and cast a Warming charm on it. “There! Let’s try it out.”

He put Harry inside and the baby cooed and snuggled inside. Then he looked around and called, “Bea! Hawwy’s bea!”

“Right.” Severus summoned the bear and gave it to Harry, placing it in the back pack as well and slinging it over his back. Harry squealed with delight, he had never been carried like this before and it was fun.

Severus slipped off the straps and cleaned up the kitchenette with a quick charm then tugged on his coat and readjusted the straps on the pack. “Well, shall we go shopping, imp?” He called over his shoulder.

Harry clapped his hands. “Yay!”

* * * * * *

Four outfits and three bags of groceries later, Harry was asleep, and Severus was considering Apparating to visit the closest Wizarding Child Foster Home, he had read an ad for donations in the Prophet that morning, one of the few things he got delivered by owl post except for his potions. The home was called Angel Haven, and sounded like it might be a good place, but first he wished to check it out.

He returned briefly to the flat to drop off the groceries and to dress the sleeping Harry in one of his new outfits, a small pair of gray trousers and a soft green pullover with a snowman, plus matching socks and tiny white and green striped trainers. Then he quickly put the baby back inside the enlarged backpack, which he had received several comments on as he had shopped, many of the women thought he was clever to have thought of such a thing, as it kept the baby right next to him and left his hands free to carry things without having to push a cumbersome stroller or pram. All of them had commented on how adorable Harry was, and how Severus must be such a proud father.

Severus had been at a loss as to what to say, and so he had simply looked away shyly. A part of him had been shocked that anyone could consider the sleeping Harry Potter his son, and another part wistfully wished that it were so. Then he Apparated to the wizarding side of London, where the Angel Haven Foster Home was located, and once he had arrived, he made himself invisible and approached the front entrance.

The foster center was a large old style Georgian house, that had clearly been remodeled and renovated at some point. It had gently peaked gray slate roof tiles, the front was red brick with black shutters and large columns flanked the front entryway. Three stone steps curved about the front entrance, bringing you to the oaken double doors with an angel’s face and wings done in brass. Below the angel’s face was a brass ring, clearly a door knocker.

Severus walked about the house before he tried to enter, carefully observing the grounds, the house was set back a ways and there was a bit of lawn out back with some child-sized playground equipment, like a swing set, slide, teeter-totter, and monkey bars. Some children, ranging from about age five to twelve, were playing outside, watched over by a slightly sour-faced matron in a gray dress.

Severus noted that the children all had properly warm clothing, jackets, hats, mittens, and boots, though most of it was obviously secondhand. Still, it was more than Severus had sometimes when he was growing up, and the kids seemed healthy and were running around, laughing and throwing small snowballs at each other. There seemed to be more girls than boys.

Severus observed for a few moments before going into the ajar back door.

Inside, he saw a long hallway and followed it down to a large corridor that branched both east and west and there was a large room that appeared to be a kitchen. Some older boys and girls were inside, helping to prepare lunch, along with one or two house elves.

Today seemed to be sandwich and soup day, with the elves stirring the soup and the five girls and boys making ham and cheese sandwiches. One boy was pouring what looked like milk into a row of plastic cups. Another girl was washing up some dishes in the sink.

The place looked orderly and clean, none of the children seemed particularly upset about working in the kitchen, and Severus moved on.

Down the left side were dormitories, those he saw contained a bed and a chest of drawers and an armoire built into the wall. Six children shared a room and they were organized by colors and ages. Severus saw that there were only one or two children three and under, the others were older than Harry.

He wondered if that were because most people couldn’t resist a little baby, so they were the first adopted.

Down the right side was a kind of rec room, where the children played with toys and wizard chess and Exploding Snap. Severus followed this hallway around and found it brought him to the main entrance and a large staircase that faced the front doors. He crept up the stairs, grateful that Harry was still asleep, and spotted a door marked, Gina Sullivan, Director.

The door was ajar and he could see a tall middle-aged woman with her brown hair in a bun dressed in sable robes sitting behind a desk speaking to a rather harried looking younger woman with blond hair and a long neck dressed in blue robes. Severus tilted his head and listened to their conversation.

“ . . .this year we haven’t gotten the donations from people that we have in the past, Sharon, so I’m afraid we will have to tighten our budget this year and make do.” Gina Sullivan was saying, shaking her head sadly. She was looking down at a large leatherbound book that was probably a ledger. A quill and ink rested next to her elbow.

“So that means we can’t really take on any new candidates, now can we?” Sharon queried.

“I’m afraid not. You know how space is severely limited until we place some more of the older ones, and you and I know that there’s precious few families willing to take on a ten or eleven year old knowing they’d have to pay school fees besides, even if Professor Dumbledore has agreed to admit them on half tuition.”

“I know. Plus most families don’t want an older child, they think the child is too set in their ways and all,” Sharon sighed. “It’s sad, really, for all they really want is a place to belong and a chance to have a family, same as the little ‘uns. I had a call just yesterday, there was a fire down at Cheapside and someone found a little girl about three wandering about, didn’t remember anything, and they think she was the only one who made it out alive. They wanted to give her to us, but I told them I had to talk to you first.”

“I would love to take her, but you know we don’t have the staff to oversee any more kids. You might recommend he try the Society of Merlin, though I just spoke to Michael Ambrose the day before yesterday and he’s having the same problems we are, low on funds, low on staff and overcrowded with children.”

The blond bit her lip and looked unhappy.

Severus withdrew from the door, and crept back down the stairs. Having overheard that conversation made his decision both better and worse. Better because he now had an excuse to not leave Harry with them, since if they couldn’t handle the orphans they now had, they wouldn’t be able to take Harry, nor would Severus leave him in a place where he might be overlooked and not taken care of properly.

But it was worse because he didn’t know how on earth he could care for a toddler with his current job. Smithers would have no pity upon his newest employee and Severus sighed again and Apparated back to his home. He put the still asleep Harry into his crib and went to go through his desk again, where he kept some interesting collectibles and things his mother had given him. If worse came to worse, he could sell some of the rare ingredients and so pay for a sitter for Harry that way. But he hated doing that, for those grimoires and ingredients had been Eileen’s only legacy to her son, and he did not like to part with them.

Tomorrow I go back to work and I don’t know if I could find anyone before then, plus he’s still sick and needs potions. I suppose I could always call in sick tomorrow, that would give me more time to figure things out.

As he flipped through a worn leather portfolio, he saw a letter in an envelope written in his mother’s elegant hand, addressed to him. He removed it and saw that it was in among the papers he had gotten for the sale of Spinner’s End and carefully opened it, wondering how he could have missed it.

Inside was a single sheet of parchment.

Dear Severus,

If you are reading this then I have most likely passed away. I regret leaving you so suddenly, but I have tried to make sure that in the event of my death, you will have someone else to go to instead of staying with your father, assuming he’s not dead or in jail by this time.

You know that my father, Augustus Prince, disapproved of my decision to marry Tobias. He considered it marrying beneath me and refused to acknowledge him or me as a member of the Prince family so long as I remained his wife. But I did manage to get him to agree to acknowledge any issue I might have as his family.

What that means is that if you are ever in need financially or otherwise, you may contact your grandfather and he will provide you with whatever you require, he believes strongly in family obligation, and as he is the last of the Prince line save for yourself, my sister having died without children, he will not turn you away. He lives in an old part of North Yorkshire, off the Lonely Moor, at Foxfire Hall, it’s been in the family for generations, going back to before Arthur and Merlin, when the Princes were once wizard kings, before giving up their title and becoming part of the new Ministry of Magic some thousand or so years ago.

I used to love it there when I was a girl, and sometimes I still dream about it still. It’s tucked back in the wild hills and you can only reach it if you are given a Port Key by my father. That was a safeguard built into the land’s defenses centuries ago and to this day no one visits Foxfire Hall without the permission and knowledge of its current lord or lady.

Your grandfather is very well-off, he inherited a goodly sum of money upon the death of his father and made more working for Gringotts as a consultant and also as a battle mage back when Grindelwald tried to take over the Ministry. He was Captain of the Advance Guard that protected the Minister and his parliament, and the bane of any dark wizard who attempted to kill his employer. He has since retired and now oversees other ventures, but his name is still spoken of with respect in certain circles.

Go to him if you have need, Severus. He is your blood and he will help you, he has promised me on his honor and his honor is above reproach. He has even agreed to sign a document pledging his aid to any offspring of mine and your own, it is witnessed by his solicitor Aubrey Marlowe. It has been placed in the Ministry, under the Prince family records.

Remember that I shall always love you, my son, and shall be watching from beyond the Veil as an angel. Take care and grow up to be all that you can be.

Your loving mother,

Eileen Estrella Prince

March 15, 1976

The letter was dated a year before her actual death.

Severus re-read the parchment once more before placing it upon his desk. His mother had never mentioned his grandfather to him when she was alive, and he had always assumed his grandparents were deceased due to that lack of speaking about them. He now suspected it might have been resentment or maybe even sorrow that had kept her mute.

Be that as it may, he now had something to grasp at. He was not the sort to go begging handouts from anyone, rich relation, promise or not. But this time he couldn’t afford to turn away any chance, no matter how slim, that might allow him to keep Harry. If Augustus Prince were as rich as Eileen had claimed, surely he could advance Severus a loan, enough to ensure that Harry remained with him and he could hire a sitter while he was at work.

He decided to write the old wizard a letter and see if he responded to it, make sure that he was still alive, since the letter had been dated four years ago.

He pulled out a clean piece of parchment and began to write.

* * * * * *

The next morning, Severus Floo-called the apothecary and informed Smithers he was very ill and could not come in to work that day.

Smithers was lean and bony, with hair that stuck up in tufts from his head, and he wore a deep purple robe embroidered in gold thread that made him look like a scarecrow king. He had pale amber eyes that could skewer a person at a hundred paces and an attitude that made Scrooge look like an angel.

“Sick? What do you mean, you’re sick?” he growled, fixing the coughing Severus with one of his famous glares.

Severus sneezed and managed to say hoarsely, “Sorry, sir . . .but I really can’t . . .cough, cough . . .brew today like this . . .”

“You’re not allowed to be sick, Snape!” barked Smithers.

Severus commenced coughing fit to hack up a lung. His eyes streamed and he looked as though he were on the verge of passing out.

Smithers eyed him balefully. “Fine! But you can only be out for today. Tomorrow, you’ll be here, or else I’ll sack you! And you’re doing double brewing tomorrow to make up for the day you’ve missed, clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Severus wheezed. Then he withdrew his head from the flames.

Once back on his side of the Floo Network, he carefully wiped his streaming eyes and nose with a towel and silently thanked the Marauders, who had once been the bane of his existence in school, for teaching him the benefits of Cold Mimicking Powder. It was probably the only thing he was grateful for that they had invented.

Good thing the effects wore off in about ten minutes.

He heard Harry calling from the other room and was just about to go and get him when a tapping noise came from the window in the kitchen. He rushed to the window and opened it, letting the owl inside.

It was a beautiful Great Horned owl and it landed atop the counter and held out the letter in its talon imperiously.

Severus took it and fed the owl a bit of bacon he had been frying for breakfast. The owl took it fastidiously, then bowed and flew back out the window and away.

Severus peered at the letter he now held.

It was addressed to one Mr. Severus Snape, 14A Cottage Way, London. The return address was A. Prince, Lord Thornton, Foxfire Hall.

For one instant, Severus could not breathe and the room swam hazily before him.

He had not really dared to hope that his grandfather, whom he had never seen or spoken to in his whole life, would actually respond to his request to meet with him. He had not even known if the man were still alive.

But now he held a letter in his hand and knew one thing. Augustus Prince was indeed alive and had taken the time to respond to him.

With trembling fingers, he broke the seal upon the letter, which was of a leopard rampant.