Erin was both nervous and excited, as she sat on a comfortable armchair and anticipated what was going to happen next. Severus had left only a moment ago to collect Harry from school.

The boy had no idea his mother would be waiting for him.

It had been a long day for Erin, because she'd had to learn so much and at first it was really overwhelming. She learned about the existence of magic, and insisted Severus prove it to her multiple times to ensure she wasn't seeing things. She discovered Harry was magical as well, which Erin found to be less surprising when she remembered an odd incident or two when Harry had done something that didn't seem to add up.

Like the time the three-year-old had been cuddling a toy she knew had been on a shelf on the other side of his room, and well out of the boy's reach.

Or when she'd tried her hand at gardening over the summer before Harry's third birthday and her flowers wilted terribly – until Harry had seen her sad face and touched them. Her lilies and tulips had blossomed beautifully, as little Harry clapped his hands with joy the moment she had grinned at the miraculous sight of her garden that afternoon.

Erin also wasn't surprised to hear Severus had adopted the boy recently as his son. She'd expected as much, especially after hearing Harry's speech at school and how he thought of Severus as his dad.

The subject brought Erin and Severus to the main topic at hand, which was deciding where to go from there. They were essentially strangers to each other, and yet the pair were parents to a seven-year-old boy who adored them to no end. It was decided, for the moment, that Erin would stay with them until another solution was found. They both wanted to raise Harry and be there for their son, but without being a couple it was going to be a bit more complicated than they preferred. And yet, neither Erin nor Severus minded the idea of living together with Harry, and so it was easily agreed to.

Additionally, they discussed Harry's name. Erin was quick to notice Severus referred to the boy as “Cody” and the child answered to it as well. She remembered Harry's speech and that he was aware of his former name. Both adults thought they had an answer and planned to ask Harry if he would agree to it, since it was his name which would be permanently altered.

And so, as Erin sat on the chair with an over-large frog for company, she thought about the other things she'd recently come to understand.

Her mother had played a huge part in her foiled attempts to find Harry, which Erin had guessed at anyway. She was pleased with how Severus said he'd handled it, and found it amusing how he clearly wasn't too comfortable with sharing the information with her. It had taken a few tries, but Severus had told her enough - saying Judith's memory of Harry was gone and he had taken extra steps to ensure their son's safety away from the woman. Erin had a feeling Severus could get into a lot of trouble for what he did, which was why she was glad he trusted her enough to reveal what he had done.

She knew from the first five minutes that Severus was a serious and private person.

Initially she had been a bit afraid that she would dislike him, because it would be disastrous for the situation and from a distance Severus looked like a rather unpleasant person. Erin was relieved to be proven otherwise, just enough that she was confident they could raise a child together without too much conflict.

A gasp escaped her lips when she heard a fast-talking voice nearby. Looking around, she wondered if it was some sort of spell enabling her to overhear her talkative son before he had yet to reach the door. Seconds later, the door opened and Erin rose from her seat with a wide smile on her face.

'-And Jack was really excited too, when I told him!' Harry continued, looking up at Severus as he babbled about telling his best friend about the adoption, not noticing his mother at first as he stepped into the room. 'He thought it was wicked too, and...'

'Hello.' Erin smiled and, like Severus, expected a dramatic reaction from Harry. But the boy did not move at first, mostly from shock, and then stepped away from her with a frown of distrust.

'You left. I gave my speech, then called you and...you left!' Harry accused as he gripped a handful of his father's clothes to feel safer. His eyes had tears in them as he stared at her. Harry wanted to run and hug his mother so badly, but the hurt of seeing her standing there at the school the day before and then losing her was still strongly on his mind.

'I know.' Erin said sadly. 'And I'm really sorry. I never meant for you to see me. I just wanted to see how big you've gotten. And I was so proud of you when you gave your speech. I thought you were very brave, even though I could tell you didn't want to stand in front of all those people.'

'You...you were?' Harry's anger faltered when she said how proud she was. 'I was super scared, but daddy made me feel braver.' He looked up at Severus, who was watching him with a guarded expression. Harry felt the man's hand on his back and sighed, feeling much calmer and less stressed.

'Of course I was.' Erin nodded. 'You're my son, and I will always be proud of you.'

'Mum!' Harry ran forward and hugged her with all the strength he had.

She laughed and picked him up, cuddling him close as tears streamed down both their faces. It had been nearly four years since Harry and Erin had been together. They thought of each other constantly and missed each other more as the time had passed. After the turmoil of being pulled apart once they had found comfortable happiness within their small family, and then enduring the loneliness of being without, the pair were finally reunited as mother and son. A heavy cloud of sadness and longing was lifted, replaced with a bubble of joy and relief.

Their family and hearts were whole once again, as they hugged the other close and rejoiced in finally being able to hug the other as they had been wanting to do for the past four years.

Severus, feeling awkward about witnessing the emotional reunion, moved to make some tea in the kitchen. He was correct in guessing it would be some time before the pair pulled away and sat down to discuss the new arrangement. And when the adults, child, and frog, all sat at the table together (Frogabook was technically on the floor as all his attempts to jump onto Harry's lap had failed), it was Harry who spoke first. His face formed an expression of worry and fear as his eyes darted from his two adoptive parents.

'If you're here now, mum...' Harry gulped. 'Does that mean I have to go with you now? And...and leave daddy?'

Severus cringed in realisation the boy used a more proper title for his mother whereas he was stuck with being called “daddy”. The look of contained amusement from Erin only caused Severus to blush and busy himself with returning the teacups to the kitchen where he washed them the muggle way in effort to delay returning to the table.

'No, sweetheart.' Erin placed a comforting hand on Harry's arm. 'You have a mother and a father now, and neither of us want to lose you. It would be cruel to you, and to us, if you were made to leave the other or even choose. So no, you don't have to leave your new dad.'

'But what about you?' Harry bit his lip.

'I'm staying as well.' Erin nodded. 'Your father and I have talked about it, and the best solution right now is if I live with both of you. From now on, you will have both of your parents living with you.'

'That's my biggest wish come true.' Harry's eyes filled with tears, though he was unable to move, as he felt like he was going to burst will all the happiness he felt inside himself.

The seven-year-old could only stare lovingly at his mother, and glance over at his father, as the greatest thing that could ever happen to him was comprehended. Never again would he long for a mother or father who loved him, who were there to support him, and who Harry could turn to when ever he wanted or needed to.

'It is my wish as well.' Erin was glad she had done all of her crying, as she was determined to be stronger for Harry.

Looking at Severus when he rejoined them at the table, Erin felt envious of his ability to appear calm and collected. She was convinced that inside he wasn't, because if he had decided to adopt Harry as his son, than the man's love for the sweet and adorable child in front of them had to be as strong as hers.

'I have a mum and a daddy.' Harry beamed, wanting to say it aloud. 'This is the best day of my life!'

'It is also a very important day, for many reasons.' Erin continued. 'You will need to make a choice regarding your name.' She told Harry, who was a bit distracted but trying his best to listen and focus on what was being said. 'Your father and I aren't married, therefore we each have a different surname. Traditionally, in a situation like this, the child receives his father's surname.'

'Why?' Harry wondered.

'It's just the way it is.' Erin shrugged. 'However, your father does not think it would be a good idea for you to have his surname.'

'Why not?' Harry stared at Severus, thinking maybe he didn't want Harry to be a Snape, or something as discouraging as that.

'In approximately four years, you will be attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry.' Severus explained. 'It is the same school in which I attended as a boy. Therefore, my name would be recognised and due to...certain circumstances, it may be an unfortunate occurrence if you were to also bear my name.'

'From what I understand...' Erin continued when Harry still looked confused. 'Not a lot of people like your father, and might think badly of you as well because you have his name. If you were his son, but with a different name, we thought it would be easier for you or there would be less chance of people judging you before they get to know you. Do you understand?'

'I think so.' Harry looked away, seeming sad at the thought of no one liking his dad.

He decided not to comment about it, and decided that maybe no one knew his dad was a hero and thought he was a bit scary. That was okay, because when Harry went to that magic school he'd just have to let everyone know how wonderful his daddy really was.

'Your surname will be the same as mine, as we always planned it to be.' Erin said to her son. 'And that leaves your first name...We both know your real name is Harry, but it was changed when you were taken from me. This was so I could not find you, and probably also to protect you as well.' Erin said, but did not elaborate. 'All these years, you've known your name to be Cody. You need to decide which one to keep forever.'

'I...I don't know.' Harry frowned. 'I was going to be Harry Summers - remember, mum? But, well I kinda like being Cody and everyone else calls me that. Except Jack. He knows I'm really Harry, so he calls me Cody and uses Harry as a nickname when no one else is around.' He shared, which Erin found amusing. 'What do you think?' Harry looked from his mother to his father, not sure which name to use.

'Well, I did have an idea.' Erin nodded. 'How about Cody Harry Summers?' She suggested. 'Harry would be your middle name, and when we're at home we can call you by whichever name you prefer. As you said, most people already know you as Cody and it is the name you have grown up answering to and writing on all your school assignments.'

'Cody Harry Summers.' Harry sounded it out carefully and multiple times, trying it with different tones and volumes until he was sure he liked it. 'Yeah!' He grinned. 'I like that name. I used to be Harry, but I don't think I am Harry anymore. Only a little bit. I became Cody then. Harry lost his parents and then was given a new mum. Cody was alone and then got a new dad.' He smiled at Severus with fondness. 'I think Cody Harry Summers is better because that way I get both!'

While Erin shared Harry's enthusiasm towards his new name, Severus rolled his eyes at the ridiculous logic and deemed his presence no longer required when the pair began to talk about all the things they would get to do now the three of them were a family. He headed through a nearby door to descend to his Potions Lab and switched on the light. Looking around, Severus found he wasn't in the mood to brew and merely stood in the center of the room to contemplate the alterations in the situation he was now in.

It had taken less than a week for him to gain a family.

He now had a son and...well, he supposed Erin was a friend/sister even if they were still mostly strangers. And with her fondness of Sirius Black, Severus knew he had to keep an eye on Erin until he knew where they stood in regards to trust, loyalty, and general personality differences. There was an elevated level of fondness that came with Harry not wanting to leave either of his parents, when Severus had expected to be forgotten and ignored once the boy had his mother back.

-- 

Later that night, Erin happily took her time in tucking Harry into bed.

She even sat down and read a storybook to him, which she had brought with her, and smothered him with cuddles and kisses at every chance she got. Harry only giggled and smiled at her, enjoying the feeling of being loved by his mother, which was something he had missed more than he ever realised. As Erin switched off his bedroom light and winced as the child shouted a “goodnight, daddy!”, in which he received a grunt in return, she turned and left the darkened room so her son could get his rest.

Reaching the main room, Erin felt very out of place but was determined to adapt. She was strong-willed and stubborn, so Erin knew she could do anything she had to for her son, even if was a bit weird at first. Looking over at Severus, who was seated in his usual armchair by a small fire, Erin sat on the sofa across from him and pondered on what to say.

'Severus, I need to ask you a few things.' Erin said. 'If you don't mind?'

'Go on.' Severus marked the page of his book and moved to place it on the armrest of the chair, before he looked over at the woman and awaited her response. She seemed to be taking her time, as though it was a matter of confusing importance.

'You know his was once Harry, and I wondered if you would like to know more about his history?'

'Absolutely not.' Severus frowned, surprising Erin by the ferocity of his response. 'I have a very clear assumption of who that boy might have once been - of who his father might have been.' He growled. 'I may be mistaken, and for the sake of this arrangement I wish to remain mistaken. He is Cody Summers, and that is the only person my son is now.'

'Our son.' Erin corrected instinctively. 'And alright, I understand.' She did, because something about his reaction made her realise that Severus might know who Harry Potter was.

She had done a little research in the past several weeks, and it hadn't told her very much other than the Potter family being well-known. If Severus knew more about them, Erin would loved to have heard all he knew, but if it was a matter that pained him than she was let it be out of respect. He was right, in saying that Harry was now Cody Summers and that was what mattered.

The past can be left as the past.

'We will not speak of it again, then, however I have one question about what you assume about the boy he may or may not have been.' Erin phrased carefully. 'Were his parents also magical?'

'Yes.' Severus answered. 'If he is who I have mistaken him for, than yes.'

'Does it make a difference, if a child with magic has magical parents?' Erin asked.

Severus narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously as he realised something very interesting about her question. Which brought his mind back to a topic he had also wanted to question her with.

'You automatically assume a child can be magical even if his or her parents are not?' Severus voiced. 'I was curious, also, in regards to yourself. Are you aware your mother is a witch?'

'That was something else I was going to ask you.' Erin looked away, a frown on her face at the thought of her horrid mother. 'I have no memory of it, and yet it just seems right to think she is. And to think children can be born without magical parents. It's like I have knowledge about something, but no memory of obtaining it. If my mother is a witch, why aren't I as well?

'It is highly possible you are, in fact, a witch.' Severus answered. 'When I confronted your mother in regards to her injustice towards my-our son, she foolishly informed me that since the age of ten, you were no longer a witch.' He explained to the wide-eyed Erin. 'It was her claim that your magic was erratic and poorly. I believe she intervened prior to the age in which you would be able to attend Hogwarts, and therefore learn to use your magic.'

'Why would she do that?' Erin almost shouted, rising to her feet and remain only just calm enough to not wake Harry with her screams of anger. 'I had magic, and she took it from me?' She fumed, muttering a few swears and staring into the fire with hurt.

'As a witch herself, I cannot begin to understand why she would decide such a drastic course of action against her own daughter.' Severus drawled.

He was sympathetic, though, because if something like that had happened to him, he would never had gone to Hogwarts and never been granted the slight freedom he had from the household he despised. The same house they were conversing in now, though minus the drunken monster that had been Tobias Snape.

'Unless, I mean, if my magic wasn't any good...' Erin's rage faltered as she sank into her seat again and sighed.

'It is profoundly common for magical children to be unable to control their magic until they receive their magical education at the age of eleven.' Severus explained. 'You were not given the opportunity in which to do so. However, you were born a witch and therefore it seems incomprehensible that your magic simply...disappeared. The fact you can no longer remember any occurrences of your own magic, nor the magic of your mother, suggests perhaps your memory was altered or erased.'

Erin was startled by the new information and hated her mother even more. If she never had to be near that vile woman again, Erin would live a very content life. She thought about what Severus had told her, and wondered if perhaps there was still a chance for her, except her knowledge was still quite limited. And she honestly could not remember seeing her mother use magic, though she recalled a newspaper with a moving picture and how odd things seemed to follow Judith Cain wherever she went.

'Is there any way to fix it?' Erin asked. 'Or rather, bring my magic back? What about my memories? It was a little over fifteen years ago that I supposedly lost my magic. Could I have simply forgotten?'

'It is incredibly unlikely you would forget such an event.' Severus reasoned. 'There are spells and potions that may prove useful in retrieving your magic, and perhaps even memories. I would have to do some research into the matter, and yet I do not know the extent of the alterations, or the methods used.'

'Can't you just look through my head and find out?' Erin muttered, mostly because she wished it was that simple. Catching a thoughtful expression on his face, she frowned and wondered upon her sarcastic comment. 'Could you do that?'

'It would be very unpleasant.' Severus cautioned. 'Potentially painful, in the form of a headache, and may offer few or no results...however, yes, I am trained in the art of Legilimancy. I could search your mind for signs of alterations or tampering, though a far less enduring option may be preferable.'

'Can you do it now?' Erin asked seriously. 'Yes, I know it's risky. This is my mind, and my magic...I need to know. Do what you must.'

Severus hesitated for a brief moment, then whipped out his wand and pointed it towards her. He waited for any sign of Erin changing her mind or gaining reluctance, but she didn't even fight him as he breathed the incantation and was soon flitting through her memories. Most of it was a blur, as Severus tried to be as quick yet as effective as he could. He only paused when an image of little Harry came to his mind, showing a bright smile with few teeth while waving his hands happily. He had missed those years of his new son's life, and as he saw one of Harry in a bathtub spilling water everywhere...Severus could not spare any regret for missing those bratty years of jam-covered-hands and tantrums.

Pulling from Erin's mind, Severus sank back into his seat to think about what he had discovered. Erin gasped as she fell onto her hands and knees, tears streaming down her face as she forced herself to remain quiet because she did not want to wake the sleeping seven-year-old upstairs. Sweating, and fighting a headache, Erin looked up at Severus and waited for a reply.

'Well?' Erin croaked through her throbbing skull.

'I am familiar with the spell used to contain your magic, though I have never heard of its use being this extensively.' Severus said in a low voice. 'It can be reversed. It may take up to two years, but your magic shall return. You will be able to get a wand and begin learning to use your magic, just as our son will in several years.'

'Oh, that's good!' Erin smiled and crawled back into her chair, exhaling in effort to calm herself. She blinked when a vial of light blue potion was hovered in front of her. Looking once at Severus, she grasped the object and sniffed it before she drank the contents. Her headache quickly began to fade.

'Thank you.' Erin said, though she was referring to more than just the potion. 'And what about my memories?'

'It is doubtful you will ever regain all of your memories relating to magic usage in your past.' Severus said. 'However, with the aid of a potion, I believe some of them may return over time.'

'You seem to know a lot about potions.' Erin commented. 'Is that common, or...?'

'I achieved a Potions Mastry upon graduation.' Severus smirked. 'I assure you, such dedication and skill in the fine art of Potion-Making is not at all common.'

'Oh. I guess I'm lucky then.' Erin said. 'How soon can we start getting my magic back?'

'Next month.' Severus answered, confident he could brew what she needed by then.

'Cody!'

Harry grumbled and rolled over when someone called his name. He wanted to pull the sheets over his head and ignore the voice, until he remembered the previous day and who was trying to wake him.

'Mum?' Harry's eyes opened and he sat up quickly. Looking towards the door, he saw Erin standing there and smiling at him as he grinned back.

'Good morning, sleepyhead.' Erin smiled at the boy. 'Breakfast is ready. Hurry up, or you'll be late.' She urged.

'Okay, mum!' Harry jumped out of bed and dressed into his school uniform before rushing to the bathroom. When he headed down the stairs, Harry said good morning to both of his parents and sat in front of a bowl of porridge.

'I think Frogabook likes you.' Harry giggled as he watched his large frog follow Erin to the kitchen and back. 'He doesn't like daddy much.'

'I wonder why?' Erin said sarcastically when Severus glared down at the creature as though it had caused him extreme loss or torment. 'Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about, Severus.' She remembered and sat between the two at the table. 'I know this is your home, and Harry's too, but it's...' She looked around and tried to find the right words without being too rude. 'Well, gloomy. And rather small. I don't know how the pair of you are able to move freely, and with all the darkness...honestly, it's a bit of a bat cave.'

'It will suffice.' Severus frowned at her.

'Daaad.' Harry whined in a way he'd heard Jack use before to his own father. 'This place is a bit scary. I kicked my toe on those books like five times yesterday.'

'Perhaps you should be more observant towards where you are walking.' Severus replied.

'Severus.' Erin sighed and gave him a stern look.

Harry joined her protest by pouting and with the pair of them, Severus felt rather pressured into reconsidering his previous insisting that it was fine. He was not fond of the place either, but Severus was very comfortable and familiar with the residence at Spinner's End.

'You won't have to sell it.' Erin tried to negotiate. 'But don't you think it would be better if we all lived in a more open house? A place with a backyard for Harry to run around in? I'm sure we can find something close enough to the school, so we wouldn't be moving very far.'

'Yeah, daddy.' Harry nodded. 'I'd love to be able to run around! And stare at the clouds, or climb a tree.' He smiled at the daydream of doing those things at home.

'I have a backyard.' Severus argued.

'The door barely opens.' Erin countered. 'And a backyard should not include a forest of bushes with thorns and...whatever else I saw growing out there. Which, no, I did not dare touch.'

'Pleeease daadd?' Harry pleaded. 'Please, please, pleeease can we get our own house?'

'I may consider it.' Severus grunted.

'Yay!' Harry grinned. 'Thanks, daddy.'

'Come on, Cody.' Erin said, practising the new name her son now went by. 'I hope you don't mind if I drop you off at school today?'

'That's okay. Daddy can pick me up.' Harry nodded as he rose from the table and walked around to give his dad a hug before he snatched his schoolbag and said farewell to his frog. Following his mother outside, they talked about the best ways to make Severus agree to a new house for their family, and how much bigger they thought Frogabook was going to get.

As they reached the gates, Jack was already there as he kicked a small stone with impatience.

'Hey, Jack!' Harry waved. 'Look!' He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him to the gates. 'Mum, this is my bestest friend in the whole world – Jack!'

'Whoa, you're Cody's mum?' Jack's eyes were wide as he stared at her. 'I mean, hello.' He blushed.

'Hello, Jack.' Erin smiled. 'It's a pleasure to meet you. Harry has told me much about you, so it's nice to finally meet you. I do not think I could wish for a better friend for my son.'

Blushing at the praise and his sudden shyness, Jack wasn't sure what to say, so he just stared at the ground until Erin had left.

'She's great, right?' Harry asked Jack as they walked towards a nearby seat. 'Just wait til I tell you all about what happened yesterday!'

-- 

By the weekend, the Summers-Snape family had moved into their new home.

It was a spacious house with large windows and a healthy, wide backyard. Even Severus had a hard time finding something to complain about their new residence. Harry loved his new room and had a lot of fun putting away his clothes and toys in it. He sat on his wooden bed and smiled, thinking of how happy he was with his new house and the relief of leaving the evil-looking Spinner's End behind. He would miss it from time to time, Harry was sure, because it was his first home, really. The new house was even better.

It would take an extra ten minutes to get to school, but Harry was excited because Jack's street was only a block away so Harry would be passing by Jack's house every morning so the two boys could walk to school together alongside Severus. It had been decided that his dad would walk him and Jack to school, and Erin would pick the boys up. Jack's parents seemed really pleased with the idea, more so than either of Harry's parents had been expecting. Harry and Jack, however, thought this was a huge bonus to the moving situation.

'Cody!' Erin called him.

'Coming!' Harry jumped off his bed and hurried down the hall. He descended the stairs and entered the large living room with a smile still on his face. Looking towards the doorway, he waved at Jack and led the boy around the back of the house where the highly fenced backyard was.

'You can come visit all the time now.' Harry grinned. 'This is so perfect! I have everything I could ever wish for!'

'Yeah.' Jack smiled back and stood some distance away from Harry as they planned to toss Harry's new ball back and forth. 'We can have more sleepovers, and now we get to walk to school together. It's awesome!'

'I know.' Harry caught the ball and watched Frogabook hopping near some bushes. He laughed at the frog's enthusiasm, because it was clear Harry wasn't the only one who loved their new backyard.

There was one thing he could possibly think of that wasn't so great.

Harry played with Jack and didn't mention it, since his best friend looked as happy as he felt. With his mum and dad working to bring his mum's magic back, the reality of Harry's own magic was often on the boy's mind. Looking over at Jack, he felt a little confused about it because from what he'd heard, Harry would be going to a special school for witches and wizards when he turned eleven. Still, it was a long time before he had to worry about that, so Harry shook it from his mind and passed the ball back to Jack.

And didn't think of it again until later that night when Harry was preparing to go to bed.

He was sitting on his bed and looking out the window, still adapting to his new surroundings and how he no longer had to live across from the dark house where all his nightmares had been real. He never had to see Emile or Simon again, but constantly seeing their previous house across from his had weighed on Harry's sense of security more than he had noticed. He felt so free and happy in his new home, which he shared with a family he had always dreamed of.

'Goodnight, Sweetheart.' Erin said as she kissed Harry on the forehead when she came into the room to tuck him into bed.

'Goodnight, mum.' Harry smiled. 'Tell daddy I said goodnight too, okay?'

'I will.' Erin nodded. 'Do you like our new home?'

'I love it.' Harry nodded. 'It's the best ever!'

'I'm glad.' Erin brushed some dark hair from his face, pausing as she looked at his forehead and realised the scar he had once had there was entirely gone. She didn't comment, as Harry's eyes had begun to close. Not bothering with a story, Erin kissed him again and switched off the light.

'Sweet dreams, my darling.' Erin whispered before she turned and left the room.

As she crossed the hall and headed to the bathroom for a shower, Severus walked to Harry's darkened room and stood in the doorway, since the boy liked to leave his door open now. He could only just make out the bed where his son slept and a smile crossed Severus' face as he too was happy with their new home and family.

'Sleep well, my son.' Severus said as he turned and headed for his room.

As the nearby bedroom door shut, and the water from the shower was heard, the seven-year-old boy who had once thought himself to be invisible, lay in his bed with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. He was filled with a wonderful happiness brought on by his loving family and their warm home, a joy and comfort which would follow him through his sleep that night and many more nights to come.