Little Harry’s first experience with side-along apparition was hazy. He was in semi-conscious state when Severus carried him in his arms and apparated to Hogsmead. He could remember a strong sucking and pulling sensation, but it was nothing to how he felt now. They had just arrived at the apparition point at the end of an alley at Hogsmead and Harry was trying to get his bearings. He felt a little nauseous and there was a bitter taste in his mouth, the beginning of a vomit growing in his throat.

 

“Here, drink this,” Severus handed Harry a vial of purplish potion. “It will cure your nausea.”

 

Harry quickly swallowed this disgusting concoction, which tasted exactly like how it looked – absolutely revolting. There was still an aftertaste of bitterness in his mouth. Unknowingly, he held on tightly to his father’s warm hand and entered the buzzing village of Hogsmead. It was a beautiful April spring and Hogwarts students were enjoying a good Hogsmead weekend out.

 

As soon as they entered Hogsmead village, however, Harry forgot about his bitter medicine still sticking to his tongue and was infected by the joyous mood around him. He skipped alongside his father, turning his head left and right as he took in the shop houses around him. They were so different from the Muggle world’s shopping streets. The shop houses were trailing along a crooked line down the street, signboards hanging from roofs sticking out at odd directions in a vain attempt to capture the attention of shoppers passing by. Harry was having a hard time trying to take in everything around him, because there were so many things to look at.

 

Severus, on the other hand, put on a scowl that made students scurrying away from their paths at one look on his face, barely noticing the young Harry Potter holding his hand. Those who did, however, did not know who he was. Severus made sure that Harry’s fringe covered his scar. He did not want to attract unnecessary attention from anyone, especially when ex-Death Eaters are still at large. Voldemort was gone, but only temporarily, he believed, unlike most of the wizarding world living in the fantasy that the worst of the days were over.

 

He had explained to Harry about his scar, but only briefly, the night he told him that Voldemort murdered his parents. He thought that for now, that was all the information a nine-year-old needed. Of course, when the time comes for Little Harry to go to Hogwarts, he would have to be better equipped with more information about Voldemort, but for now, Harry could do with enjoying his innocence for as long as possible.

 

But even the Potions Master could not deny that it was a pleasant weather to be out on a stroll. Driving those dampening thoughts out of his head, he tried enjoying the lovely weather, consoled in the fact that Harry’s little hand was still clasped tightly in his and there was another two years before he had to worry about letting go of Harry, where he would undoubtedly be surrounded by his friends from school and away from the close protection Severus could give him.

 

There was a light breeze picking up due to the windy storm from yesterday, gently blowing at their feet. As they came to the end of the village and made their way across the Quidditch pitch towards the castle’s entrance, Severus thought about the conversation he was about to have with Albus Dumbledore.

 

The day Severus brought Little Harry to Hogwarts’ infirmary; he had a short meeting with the headmaster, making his stand clear that he did not want Harry going back to those Muggles. Although he still bore resentment toward his old arch enemy, he was willing to put those grudges aside to tend to the situation he had at hand then. Little Harry was the first case of child abuse he came upon – aside from his personal experience – so, of course, he lost his cool when he faced a placid, indifferent headmaster upon seeing Dumbledore that day.

 

Severus eyed Dumbledore a little warily. He had just finished telling the Headmaster of his alma mater what he observed when he chanced upon the Dursleys and what he knew through a little Legilimency from Harry’s mind. It was enough to tell him that the Dursleys were a bunch of selfish, perverted, abusive relatives who were alive for the sole purpose of wasting the planet’s limited resources. But of course, one simply does not say such things in front of the most powerful wizard in the world.

 

There was a glimmer of something dark, with a little regret and sadness mixed in those deep blue eyes that were no longer twinkling. Instead, they were sombre and even a little murderous, something Severus saw quite often in another pair of blood-red eyes once upon a time. It gave him shivers, bringing back unwanted memories from what seemed a lifetime ago, looking at those eyes again. Thankfully, it did not last long.

 

Dumbledore broke eye contact with him and sank back into his headmaster’s chair, rubbing a hand over his brow. There was silence for a long time after Severus finished his story. It was a lot to take in, Severus had to acknowledge. Especially with someone as flawless as Dumbledore, it was still hard admitting to one’s mistakes.

 

“I’ve always thought that family was the right thing for Harry. It was family that saved him, after all. I was...wrong.”

 

Severus startled a little when Dumbledore suddenly talked. In fact, the last word from his mouth sounded a little choked. He almost felt sorry for the old wizard.

 

Almost.

 

Perhaps if he were a more emotional and forgiving man, he would, but after all the hardships that life put him through, he just about had enough of those sappy sentiments people like Dumbledore relished upon.

 

“You shouldn’t have assumed,” Severus could not help but sound accusing. “I was a classic example; my father certainly didn’t show any affection towards me. You have spent a longer life than me, Dumbledore, you must have seen more of such cases than I have – children locked away in a corner of the house, neglected, abused, punished for something they could not understand and didn’t do.”

 

Another look of grief passed the Headmaster’s eyes, as if recalling a memory long lost, lingering for a while before disappearing. Severus wondered what it meant.

 

“Yes... you’re quite right, my dear boy, I should have taken extra precautions and the like.”

 

Severus cleared his throat, getting a bit uncomfortable by the turn the conversation has taken. He expected to just file a report on Harry Potter and be done with it, walk out of the office in five minutes flat, not having an emotional conversation with Albus Dumbledore, of all people.

 

“There is no use speculating what could have happened, Headmaster. The question of Ha-Potter’s future lies in wake,” Severus said, purposefully taking on a business-like tone. “The Dursleys are unfit to be guardians to any child, that much is clear, I have half a mind to return to Privet Drive and give them a taste of their own medicine.”

 

Dumbledore held up a hand. “No, Severus, you will leave this matter to me. I give you my promise that they will be dealt with... severely. I have another task for you.”

 

Severus looked sour at the prospect of not exacting some kind of revenge on Petunia and her family. When he was a child, he’d always wanted to curse his best friend’s sister into oblivion and make her pay for every hurtful word she said to Lily. However, magic was not allowed outside Hogwarts and by the time he was seventeen, he had more issues to worry about other than chasing after some Muggle grudge he had once upon a time. Besides, he and Lily weren’t speaking on terms with each other anymore, so there was no point in the revenge any longer.

 

Now that he had an excuse, though, Dumbledore was striping away that privilege from him. The old wizard probably thought he would get carried away dealing with those Muggles. Oh, how he longed to be a Death Eater for just an hour...

 

“Severus, are you listening to me?”

 

Dumbledore’s amused voice brought the Potions Master out of his musings. Ever since bringing Harry away from the Dursleys, he had been lost in trips down the memory lane a lot.

 

“I’m sorry, headmaster, you were saying...?”

 

“Harry needs somewhere to stay till the time comes for him to attend Hogwarts, somewhere safe. It is quite clear that he should not return to his relatives’ house anymore and Hogwarts is not an appropriate choice, Severus, if that’s what you were going to suggest. The castle is mostly empty during the summer, not to mention how hectic it is during the school term, and what Harry needs now is a responsible adult who understands what he had gone through and is capable of truly caring for him.”

 

“It seems you have a candidate in mind, headmaster.”

 

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled madly, directed at the Potions Master seated in front of him.

 

“NO, absolutely not!”

 

The silent trip brought the pair of father-and-son to the doors of Hogwarts infirmary. The school was empty and silent, just as Severus would have liked it to be. The two stepped into the hospital wing, their footsteps echoing in the large room.

 

“Severus,” Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office and greeted the Potions Master warmly, he had been a frequent visitor to the infirmary when he was a student at Hogwarts, whether as a patient or helper. “Here for the medical review, aren’t you?”

 

Severus nodded.

 

“I’ll be having a short meeting with the headmaster in the mean time.”

 

Pomfrey smiled, hearing the words unsaid. “I’ll take good care of your son, Severus.”

 

Harry tugged at his father’s hand. “Daddy...”

 

Severus bent down to Harry’s eye level, conscious of Pomfrey’s eyes on them. “Yes, Harry?”

 

“You’ll come and fetch me, right? You won’t leave me alone?” Harry asked, biting his lower lip in worry.

 

Severus touched Harry’s head lightly. “Of course not, I’ll come back for you in an hour, I promise.”

 

A tear welled up in the corner of Harry’s eye. He had never been away from his father for longer than a few minutes the whole time he was at the Manor. He felt a little scared now that his father was going away, even if it was for an hour. On an impulse, Harry rushed over and wrapped his arms around his father tightly around the waist. Tears were already flowing down his cheeks.

 

Overcoming his surprise, Severus returned the hug, comforting Little Harry that he was going nowhere.

 

 “All right, Harry, I really need to go now, be brave for me,” Severus wiped Harry’s tears away and then added as an afterthought, “and be good.”

 

Harry sniffed and nodded, his lower lip still quivering. “I’ll be brave, I’m a good boy. I’ll listen to Daddy.”

 

Severus nodded and then straightened to see that Madam Pomfrey was still standing there, tears gathering in her eyes at the warm sight. Ten years ago, she would never have thought that Severus Snape would be able to love at all. However, she was proven wrong by the way he treated Harry, even if she only witnessed so little of it.

 

With another nod at Madam Pomfrey and a pat on the head for Harry, Severus strode out of the infirmary without a backward glance. He was afraid that if he turned and saw Harry’s bright green eyes pleading with him not to leave, he would snatch the boy up and never let go.

 

“Come on, Harry.” Madam Pomfrey placed a hand on the nine-year-old’s back and let him sat down on the nearest bed. His eyes were a little puffy and he was quiet for a child his age, but he seemed to have improved physically from what she saw of him one month ago.

 

Severus may not be the most sociable or affectionate person in the world but this mediwitch could vouch that he was certainly a good father.

_____________________________________________________________________

“...and I could safely say that Harry has adapted well at the Manor and is, at the very least, comfortable with my presence as a constant in his life.”

 

Snape had spent a good ten minutes summarising what happened the whole month, as Dumbledore had asked, after listening to the Headmaster’s five minutes of mundane talking – he had been taking note of the time, counting down till an hour.

 

The elder wizard’s face cracked into a faint smile with a hint of sadness. “It seems that I’ve made at least one right decision regarding Little Harry.”

 

“At least one?” Severus queried, leaning forward a little, ignoring the rest of the headmaster’s comment.

 

Dumbledore nodded and started, “Two things I’d like to discuss with you, Severus, both regarding Harry, of course.”

 

“Ah, we’ve come to the purpose of our meeting,” Severus said with a tone of sarcasm, then felt a little guilty when Dumbledore gave him a hard look.

 

“Firstly, Little Harry has been taken care of very well at the Manor, as you have not failed to persuade me in. Yes, Severus, you were trying to persuade me into letting you be more than a temporary guardian to Harry, I can see that, don’t try and deny it. I feel that it is safe for you to have complete guardianship rights to Harry Potter.

 

“In other words, if both you and young Harry are willing, Severus, you could adopt Harry officially, and call him your son.”

 

Severus was shocked speechless at first, but recovered quickly. He was already calling Harry his son in the privacy of his... their home. Getting it done officially on parchment and ink was just making sure that people like Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy would not find some loophole and bring the whole situation to court. He had no reason to feel surprised, unless...

 

Unless there was some doubt at the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t worth sacrificing his personal space or a child he didn’t even want in the first place... surely it wouldn’t be good for either of them if Severus ended up not having time delivering his potions to his clients what with a child he had to tend to.

 

No... this was all wrong... Severus shook his head angrily at his own musings. Just that morning, he had sworn to protect Harry with his life and now he was having doubts because of... well, what was he afraid of, exactly, that useless Fudge or he-who-only-cares-for-his-pretty-face Malfoy? What kind of a man are you, Severus Snape?

 

“Severus, are you quite alright, my dear boy?”

 

“What?” Severus asked, startled. “I mean, yes, I’m fine, Headmaster. When can I sign these adoption papers you were talking about?”

 

Dumbledore gave him a knowing look, as if having read his thoughts, although Severus was sure he was Occluding.

 

“Well, as it so happens, I have contacted the relevant authorities from Young Wizarding Services and they would be coming down to finalise everything today. An interview or two with both Little Harry and yourself...”

 

“Oh, and you just... happened to know that Harry and I would get along well, didn’t you?”

 

 “I’ve never doubted it would be the case, yes.”

 

Dumbledore chuckled at the dark look on Severus’ face. “Try and calm yourself, Severus. Have some tea.”

 

With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured two cups – a black tea for Severus and Earl Grey for himself – as well as some biscuits, which was covered with so much sugar that Severus shuddered.

 

It was long before either talked. Severus found himself enjoying Dumbledore’s company – although he would never admit it to anyone – during the occasional visits to Hogwarts. It gets lonely at the Manor after months of only having Potions for company. That is not to say that he was not contented with his solitude, but intelligent conversations with another living human was always welcome.

 

“I do have another business proposition for you, Severus.”

 

The young Potions Master looked up in surprise.

 

“Have you given some thought on what happens after Harry starts Hogwarts? I’m sure he has shown some signs of accidental magic by now.”

 

Severus nodded, remembering the time when Harry broke a glass and quickly ‘put it back together’. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Headmaster.”

 

“Severus, as soon as Little Harry begins his time here as a student, he would be quite far apart from you for several months, except holidays and such. Unprotected. He would not be able to seek help from his father at moment’s notice. Surely you must have noticed that already?”

 

“Of course I have, I suppose you have thought a solution for the problem?” Severus replied, irritated.

 

To his surprise, though, Dumbledore nodded. “Professor Harleton, our current Potions teacher has been asking me to let him retire, so that he could spend the remaining time in his life with his wife and his family. He would be leaving us when school ends this year and I have not found another Potions professor just yet.”

 

“You want me to take the job... you want to me to teach?” Severus asked incredulously.

 

Dumbledore just continued as if he hadn’t spoken, although he was smiling wider.

 

“Think about it, Severus, you could be protecting Harry, as I’m sure he’s going to need it being in such close contact with Death Eaters’ children, while being able to access to past Potions research archives here in Hogwarts. You can continue doing what you love and take care of your child at the same time. Besides, Hogwarts is renowned for its extensive range of research by previous Potions Masters who have taught here; even the Prince Manor’s collection is inferior to Hogwarts’.”

 

Severus had to admit that was true. He was aware of the vast amount of materials Hogwarts could provide him to aid with his research. Living off private and specialised potion brewing for his clients could barely sustain him forever, especially as he now had a son to take care of.

 

But he was also aware that Dumbledore was tying an invisible string around his neck and slowly tempting him toward his side. Voldemort did almost the same thing when he tried recruiting Severus at the age of seventeen. The only difference was that Voldemort tempted him with money, power and fame, while Dumbledore drew him in using his son as an excuse. It was times like these that Severus saw why Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared.

 

“Severus, still with me, son?”

 

“I accept your offer, Headmaster,” Severus replied placidly. Securing a job at Hogwarts had another advantage – he could prevent Dumbledore from influencing Harry too much. There was no telling what the old coot would do once he had it in his head to train Harry Potter, the legendary Boy-who-lived, as a soldier of the ‘Light’ – meaning, a chess piece Dumbledore’s elaborate plan to bring world peace that always result in the opposite effect taking place.

 

Hence, the need to keep an eye on his son.

 

“Very well, I’ll leave you to inform Harry of the new arrangements. Say, have you found a tutor for the little one yet, Severus?”

 

Snape shot the Headmaster a glare, as if daring him to criticise his parenting.

 

“I’ve been busy with other plans, Headmaster. Harry needs time settling in. It’s been a hectic month.”

 

“Yes, of course, I quite understand, Severus, which is why I’ve taken the liberty to help you find a tutor. You have every right to reject the offer, but I do hope you would give some careful consideration to the one I have chosen. It is not easy finding someone we could trust and good for Little Harry as well.”

 

Severus sighed in defeat. It seemed that Dumbledore was keen on taking charge of Harry and his lives, putting his foot where it didn’t belong despite his best intentions... as usual.

 

“Who is this saint, may I ask?”

 

“You would not know of her, my boy. Professor Gwen Roslyn, currently an assistant to our Ancient Runes professor, is finishing her Mastery the following year and would be taking over Professor Babbling’s position the year after. She studied in Beauxbatons Academy, see, but she has been helping us with the war from the other side of the world, bringing valuable information from their point of view. Her father was a member of the Order, but sadly, he died in the last war.

 

“Well, I probably shouldn’t be gossiping about others behind her back. If you wished to find out more, you should ask her directly. She has agreed to help Little Harry with his pre-Hogwarts education while she is waiting to start her teaching post here at Hogwarts.”

 

Severus nodded throughout Dumbledore’s description, although he would be more satisfied if he had a full background check on this woman before letting her anywhere near his son.

 

Dumbledore continued prattling, much to his dismay.

 

“She is unmarried, Severus, pretty sad for such a charming woman like herself. From what I’ve heard, though, Gwen came out of a bad relationship. How did you young people put it? Ah yes, ‘it didn’t work out well between us’. Pity, really, she is quite a beauty, Gwen is.”

 

“Headmaster, with all due respects, I hope you did not let your own delusion of trying to be a matchmaker override your common sense. She may be a double agent for the Dark Lord like I am for you,” Severus seethed in anger. Dumbledore must be mad if he thought he could try and find Severus a wife.

 

“Well, if that is the case, you would be the perfect person to unveil her true intentions, no?” Dumbledore chuckled at Severus’ poisonous look.

 

It was fun to rile the Potions Master up.