"Dudley!"

Dudley Dursley was doing his homework when he heard his father shouting from the living room for him. Taking off his reading glasses, pushing aside his books and the Maths assignment he was writing out, he rushed out of his room and down the stairs.

"Yeah, dad?"

He ran into the living room where his father, Vernon Dursley, was on the floor, in grey sweats, where he'd been in the midst of doing stretches. He pointed at the mantle where a snowy white owl perched.

"That's your cousin's, isn't it?" Vernon asked warily.

"Yeah, dad. That's Hedwig," Dudley sighed exaggeratedly. His dad had seen Hedwig how many times, and he still wasn't sure the owl belonged to Harry? "It's okay. I told you before she's not going to make any messes. Is there something we can feed her? I don't think she's going to like salad." Dudley went over, cautiously, petted Hedwig's head as gently as he possibly could, and then removed the small scroll attached to her leg.

"I don't like salads, either, Duds," fumed Vernon who was not only on the same diet his son was on, but he'd also stopped drinking and was going to regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. It seemed he was in a perpetual grouchy mood, but he did his best not to yell when he was angry. "Put a note on the shopping list to get some... some bird food, Duds. If you and your cousin are going to write all the time, I'm not feeding it what precious little we are allowed on our diets."

Just as Dudley was about to sit down and read his letter from Harry, his father waved his hands at him for help. Vernon had lost some of his weight, but he still had a long ways to go. It helped a great deal that his son not only was dieting with him, but also agreed to go to the gym with his father three times a week. Even so, he still had trouble picking himself up from the floor.

Dudley helped to pull his father up and then, while his father went to throw their diet dinners into the microwave, Dudley sat down to read his cousin's letter.

This was only the second one he'd received from Harry and Dudley still found it odd that a seven year old was writing to him and not a sixteen year old boy. Harry's new father had sent a letter along with Harry's first letter, explaining in detail that Dudley's cousin only remembered his home life and the way it was the first six years of his life. It seemed that Harry, although he knew he'd de-aged himself, had somehow 'divorced' himself from the teenager he once was.

This had really confused Vernon, but Dudley just told his father to just think of Harry Potter-Snape as someone different from the Harry Potter he'd grown up with. Vernon tried to argue it out some more, but Dudley, who felt he understood it all, just walked away leaving his father to talk to himself.

Dudley rather liked this seven year old Harry and couldn't help smiling as he read the letter.

Dear Dudley,

Remember I told you all about hunting for the Black Flower and Harley and his farting boat? When my friend Draco comes to visit dad and I are going to take him on Harley's boat. I hope he likes Harley.

Dad had a date this Monday. I think he really likes Echo. She's a lot pretty and dad says she doesn't take sass from me. I don't think I sassed her? I'm not really sure what sass is. I think it's an American word. Slang. Well, Echo made me clean up my bathroom when she was watching me for dad when he had a meeting with grandpa. Echo's strict, but she bounced me on my bed, so that was fun and it was all okay.

Anyway, so dad had this date with Echo and they went to eat fancy food at a fancy restaurant in London. Did you know the wizarding side of London has horses and carriages? They've got gaslamps, too, since electric stuff doesn't work well around magic.

Dad and Echo went dancing, too, so I guess that was fun. I had to stay at Hogwarts with grandpa which was all right until Hector, that's my dog, chased after this ugly cat that thinks she's better than everyone. She's owned by this really, super, icky, scary Squib named Filch. He smells funny and he could really use a bath! Oh, a Squib is a magic borned person who can't do magic.

So Hector or the cat knocked down all this armour in a hallway and Hector got all scared like a mouse. He was walking like he was afraid to leave the ground the rest of the night.

Grandpa got mad at me though and I was real sure he was going to spank me because I broke one of his expensive statues by accident. He made me stand in a corner, though, and told me that he was going to tell my dad.

Dad picked me up on Tuesday in the morning and I was real glad to see him, but grandpa talked to dad and told him how awful I'd been and that I didn't get to bed until really late. 9:30 something like that. Dad didn't talk to me on the way home and that's never a good sign. It means he's really mad, or really disappointed. When he gets really mad, his cheek kinda does this pulsy jumpy thingy, like he's chewing on something.

When we got home I got a real long lecture about respecting other people's stuff and listening to my elders and being polite. I then got five swats on my bum and had to stand in the corner too even though grandpa had already made me do that! Do you think that was fair?

Anyway, I'm going to be as careful as I can with other people's things especially grandpa's.

Well, we're getting the cottage all ready for Draco's visit. I can't wait to see him! I want to show him the Black Flower seedling I got started. I don't know if it will survive, yet, but dad's helping me and if I grow a flower he's going to let me sell it. It will be like me having a real paying job kind of thing.

Tell Uncle Vernon hello and I hope he really doesn't mind Hedwig. Remember to tell Uncle Vernon that she's really clean and she won't do her bird business in the house. She's very fussy about that.

Write soon, Dudley.

Love,
Harry

After Vernon and Dudley ate dinner, Dudley went to finish his homework while his father went to his AA meeting. Once his homework was done, he wrote a letter to his cousin and then sent Hedwig on her way with it.

Hedwig pecked on the living room window of the cottage. No one heard her, at first, because the witch and wizard and her little boy were busy cleaning the Muggle way and the Wizard way. She let out a screeching hoot and pecked at the window again.

Harry dropped his dust rag, ran over to the window and opened the window.

"Hi, Hedwig!" the owl flew into the cottage and then perched on the back of Severus' favorite chair. Harry climbed into the chair and removed the letter around her leg. She then plucked at strands of his hair as he slid against the back and sat down.

Harry was about to open his letter when it was snatched from his hands by magic. "Hey! That's mine!"

His dust rag dropped from above him into his lap. "Finish your dusting and then go make your bed, son," ordered Severus. The wizard tucked the letter into the pocket of his trousers.

With a sigh calculated to be loud enough for his father to hear, Harry finished dusting the bookshelves and giggled when a second dust rag whapped him in the back of the head.

"Melodrama doesn't suit you, child," his father teased.

"I don't know what melodrama is, so you can't say I'm doing it," countered Harry slyly.

"Melodrama is the exaggeration of one's behavior and you seem to be trying to become the Master of Melodrama."

"If I do become the Master can everyone call me Master Snape?" Harry threw a sparkling, green-eyed gaze over his shoulder at his father.

Severus frowned darkly, "Hardly." He then winked and Harry chuckled.

Harry was finally released from his chores and leaped onto the sofa as his father handed him his letter from Dudley. Severus sat down in his chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes.

Dear Harry,

Do you think you'll have a mum soon? It would be nice for you to have a proper family. Dad's not real ready to date anyone. He's been grumpy a lot lately and he's really trying hard to lose weight. Don't worry, he's yelling a lot less.

Did I tell you I'm going to a new school this year since we're in London now? I've made a couple of friends, including a real nice girl that lives across the street from us. I told her about mum and how she's crazy and Allie was really nice about it.

Mum is crazy. I mean, I feel bad about it, but I didn't make her the way she is. I finally asked dad what he saw in mum and he told me that for a short time, she was really nice and sweet. I felt kind of sick when he told me mum started to go off after I was born. My therapist, Dr. Whelan, says that mum had something called Postpartum Depression. I went and looked it up on the internet and although I'm no expert, I think what I read about Postpartum Psychosis sounds more like what mum has. She was really scary sometimes and not just at you. Mum scared me a lot, too.

Your dad asked mine if you could come visit and dad says that's okay, but only at the Easter hols. Dad doesn't feel well, sometimes, so I think maybe he's hoping he'll feel better around then.

That's too bad you got spanked, Harry. You asked me if I thought it was fair and I think since you broke something it probably didn't feel fair to you, but you have to remember to treat other people's stuff nicely. I know, I never did that, even with my own stuff. Dad says I was a spoiled brat because mum let me get away with crap and he did, too, but he says, at the time he thought it was easier to do that to keep Mum from going off. I know now I was pretty bad, and I was awful to you a lot when we should have stuck together against mum. I am really sorry for having been a prat. I suppose it's good you don't remember it all and I know in your first letter you told me to forget it, too, but it's kind of hard to forget sometimes. I guess, in our own ways, we get second chances so it's good. Right?

Say hi to your dad for me. Hey, that makes your dad my uncle, right? Will you ask him if I can call him uncle? Say hi to Echo, too.

Your cousin,
Dudley

Harry looked up from his letter and towards his father. "Daddy? You awake?"

Severus didn't open his eyes, but spoke, "I am. Do you have a question?"

"A couple. Dudley wants to know since you're my dad if he can call you uncle. Is that okay with you?"

Severus blinked and sat up straighter. "Uncle?" Harry nodded. "I hadn't thought of it, but I suppose that since he is your cousin, that does make him my nephew." He grimaced. He wasn't so certain he wanted to be at all associated with the Dursleys.

Harry frowned as he caught something odd in his father's tone of voice. "You don't like Dudley and Uncle Vernon, do you?"

Severus stared deeply at his son for a long moment then sighed, and patted his thigh. Harry left the sofa and with his father helping, he climbed up into his lap.

"I realise, Harry, that since you only remember having lived six years with your relatives it's hard for you to understand that even though it was mostly your Aunt Petunia that was cruel to you, your Uncle Vernon, by virtue of his lack of action in doing something to prevent the abuse is nearly as bad as she was. It's a bit easier to forgive Dudley since I know now that he was being abused as well, though not in the same manner you were." Severus sighed and carded his slim fingers through his son's hair.

"Does it mean anything that they're trying to be better, dad? And to be nice to me now?" Harry leaned back so that his head was tucked just underneath his father's chin.

"It does and I never meant to make you think I don't appreciate their efforts. I am someone who unfortunately holds a grudge for a very long time against people I feel have hurt me, or those I care about. It is admirable that your Uncle and your cousin are trying to make up for what they did to you, but it's much harder for me to accept right now. Time just needs to pass, child."

"Okay. I just was hoping you didn't hate them cuz they are trying, right?"

"Right," agreed Severus. He lifted his son from his lap. "Now, let's see where Echo has gone off to since I need to run an errand in a few minutes."

Harry followed his father back to the end of the short hallway that connected the bedroom lab and their three bedrooms. That morning Severus had added a fifth bedroom at the end for Draco to stay in during his visit. Echo was in the bedroom decorating.

The room held a large, sleigh style bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, an owl perch, and a desk that was next to a modest window. The window was enchanted since the natural view was only a plain, rock, cliff face. Echo had tuned the enchanted window to a view of the ocean.

The room itself was decorated in Draco's favorite colour, Slytherin green. There were other shades of green with some blue mixed in as well that gave the room a kind of ocean green feel to it.

"What do you think?" she asked as she heard Severus' and Harry's footsteps behind her.

"You need some fish on the walls," Harry enthused. "I like it!"

"Fish?" Echo chuckled. "I think that might be a bit much, but you can suggest it to Draco and if he wants to add fish, he certainly can."

"I think the Slytherin Common Room could use your touch to lighten it up a bit," smirked Severus. He then kissed Echo's cheek. "Draco will like it."

"Good," smiled Echo. "My work here is done."

"I'm going to go run my errand, Echo. I should be back before dinner," said Severus.

"Where are you going, dad?" asked Harry.

"I need to complete something that Potter requested of me." Harry frowned in puzzlement. "The broom," Severus reminded.

"Oh! Say hi to Ron, then, for me."

"I shall, son." Severus started to turn for the living room when Harry stopped him.

"Dad! You're forgetting something!"

"Am I?" There was a slight smirk upon his face, but a glint of provocation in his dark eyes. "Whatever could I have forgotten?"

"You gotta kiss me goodbye!" huffed Harry. "And Echo, too!"

"Ah! Sorry. No time!" Severus spun away and walked rapidly down the short hallway and into the living room. Harry's feet thumped after him a few seconds later. He didn't see Echo, as she followed last, laughing silently.

Harry caught his father around the hips and Severus bent down and snatched up the little boy. "You gotta kiss me goodbye, dad! It's a rule!" Harry glared tautly at his father's smirk.

"A rule, eh? I don't recall making a rule like that," he teased further, this time his smirk widening.

"My rules! I made it. Dad doesn't get to leave without kissin' me goodbye. So there!"

"And if I don't?" he asked tickling his son's ribs.

Harry squealed and laughed and scrambled out of his father's arms. Severus dropped him, gently, to the floor. "You don't get dessert and you have to go to bed early."

"Rather harsh punishment," Severus mused, bending down slightly. "So I guess I had better kiss you goodbye." He lightly pecked Harry's warm cheek and Harry caught him around the neck in a hug.

Harry quickly whispered into his father's ear, "Kiss Echo, too."

"As you say, son, I shall do so." Severus rose as soon as Harry let him go and then caught Echo by her upper arms, pulled her close, and kissed her briefly. "Does that suffice, Harry?"

Harry only laughed. "Bye, dad!"

Severus gave Echo a second, brief kiss, to her cheek, and said, "Goodbye you two. And I want my dessert so it better be good." He let Echo go and was soon vanishing through the Floo.

Echo took Harry by the hand. "What sort of dessert should we make, Harry?"

"Fudge brownies!"