'I don't think he's coming back.' Harry said to his mother as he dutifully set the table for dinner, reminding himself to place knives and forks for three people, not two.

'He said he will, Harry.' Lily told him sternly. 'Therefore he will. Have you ever known your father to not keep his word?'

Even with the little knowledge Harry had of this place and how to live in it, what he knew of Snape was enough for him to shake his head; no, that man did not say anything he didn't mean, not in terms of promises or threats.

Surely enough, the front door opened and Severus Snape walked inside. He didn't look at anyone as he stood near the re-closed door for a moment and even Harry found himself worrying about what was going on.

'Sev?' Lily asked nervously from the kitchen.

Harry thought she'd have been mad at him for just storming out like that, yet she took it in as though it happened frequently and with good reason.

'I apologize for my unexplained departure.' Severus said as he looked over at Lily. 'We were not in disagreement, yet I behaved as such.' He sighed. 'I merely required a moment in which to gather my thoughts with little distraction.'

Snape hadn't looked at him or otherwise spoke of him directly, yet Harry looked down at the plates on the table and felt guilty, as though he was the one who had caused Snape to storm off. The remorse was only for his mother having to worry though, as it had been nice without the git around to steal his mother from him. 

'Let's sit down, shall we?' Lily offered as the moment of silence passed over them.

She returned to the kitchen and waved her wand to hover the food onto the table. Seating herself across from Harry and to Severus's right, Lily began to serve out the food as though nothing had really happened.

Harry sank further into his seat as he watched the adults in front of him. Snape knew his mother somehow, Harry was certain of it, because the man assisted in serving the food with perfect sync and spoke to her in a way that implied their closeness. He glared when Snape piled quite a lot of vegetables on his place - he was nearly fourteen; he could serve his own food, why did Snape have to do it too? His mother was fine, that's what mothers were supposed to do, right?

'No arguments, Harry.' Lily frowned at his look. 'You're a growing boy and need your vegetables.'

'Indeed.' Severus smirked at the pout on the brat's face; it was a good distraction from the absurd feeling of awkwardness at being seated in such a family manner. And serving Harry his food, honestly, the boy was nearly fourteen! Still, Lily was doing it and Severus didn't know if it was proper or not for a father to as well and therefore decided to keep his hands busy and assist her. She hadn't reacted to his choice; therefore he had exhaled a silent relief that he must have done the right thing.

'Yes, mum.' Harry blushed. He reached for his fork and looked over at his supposed parents again, now feeling angry that even Snape seemed to know his mother better than he did.

'Aren't you mad?' Harry asked his mother and jabbed his fork in the direction of his snarly professor that he was forced to pretend as his father.

'He just stormed out on us!' The teen accused. 'We were making dinner and he just left, without telling you why or when he'd be back.'

At least that was something he could vent about, not because he cared at all why the git had blissfully left, but because it was the only thing that seemed reasonable enough to shout about at that moment.

'Harry, it is a big adjustment for both of you.' Lily reasoned. 'I'm sure your father simply needed a moment. Sometimes a change of scenery is best. Yes, he could have given us a little more information...' She glared at Severus. 'But I understand and everything is fine now.'

'No, it's not!' Harry snapped.

'Do not raise your voice at the table, young man!' Severus growled back, careful to not sound a hypocrite and kept his own tone in check. 'And especially not in such a rude manner to your mother.'

'Sorry, mum.' Harry winced. 'But it's not right. He can't just up and leave like that for no bloody reason.'

'Language, Harry.' Severus scolded again.

'Shut up!' Harry hissed at the man as he was pushed further to his limits by the usage of his first name. 'You're not my father! You don't belong here! Why did you even come back?'

'Harry Remus Snape!' Lily's voice echoed in the room, though she had barely raised her tone at all, and her firm gaze fell onto her son. 'That is a dreadful thing to say and I have half a mind to ground you for it right now.'

Harry backed against his chair and gulped, thinking that he had done something to make his mother despise him or at least be really angry with him. He'd never been scolded at by a parent before, since he'd had none, and therefore wasn't sure how to handle the situation. But he wasn't about to apologize to Snape!

Severus said nothing as he sat in his seat and stared at his plate of food. He chose instead to think about how much more meat and vegetables Lily had sneaked onto his plate without his noticing, instead of his urges to strangle the teenager in front of him while also agreeing with the insufferable brat.Yes, Severus was certain he didn't belong there at all...and he was not the boy's real father.

'You listen here, young man, and you listen well.' Lily said to Harry. 'Barely a year out of school, Severus and I married and another year after that we were blessed with you.' She explained in a calmer voice.

Both males at the table were avoiding her gaze, yet both listened as hard as they could, not wanting to miss anything.

'When you were just a toddler, a few months after your first birthday.' Lily sighed. 'Voldemort had visited where we were staying at the time and because your father and I were Order members, we had information he sought.'

'He tried to kill you?' Harry looked up. He had been under the impression that none of those things had happened, even if it was a bit different and his mother had clearly lived.

'Voldemort tried to kill us.' Lily corrected and her frown sent his gaze back to the table. 'Your father dueled with Voldemort while I pleaded for him to spare you.' She remembered with a pained tone and expression. 'By that time Aurors Potter and Black had arrived and with them their friend Remus Lupin, part of your namesake.'

'I know who Remus is.' Harry rolled his eyes a little. 

'Do not interrupt.' Severus added and waited for Lily to continue.

'Voldemort...he went to kill you, Harry.' Lily inhaled and shook her head. 'Remus acted fastest...he took the curse for you and because of him, you lived. Our family and friends mourned the loss and celebrated his bravery, but you had been very close to Remus and struggled with his absence; as a toddler, you did not understand why he was no longer around.'

Harry and Severus both stared at her, each shocked that Remus was dead and yet while Harry wanted to curl up and cry somewhere over it, Severus felt at unease as he had spoken to the werewolf not an hour ago...hadn't he?Lily, oblivious to their looks and thoughts, continued.

'We could not put you down to sleep, you barely ate or played, and soon we were at our wits end while also grieving for the loss of the person who had saved your life. We were thankful to no end, but it had still cost his life and that made it more difficult to deal with an equally upset child.'

'What's this got to do with now?' Harry wondered how it connected to the things he'd said to Snape a moment ago. He also didn't want to hear anymore about how hard he made things for them, or how Remus had died for him. It was just as bad as his parents dying for him, though Remus didn't have to, yet he'd done it anyway.

'Because, this man you have claimed not to be your father...' Lily returned to her disapproving self. 'Spent six days and nights rocking you to sleep, feeding you any amount of food you'll consume, and watching over you for every moment he wasn't passed out from his own lack of rest; any hour he didn't spend with you passed with him brewing potions either of us may need.' She said.

Harry felt a bit bad now, not because he thought that the Snape he knew would ever do those things, but because someone had. Maybe the stuff they'd endured before waking was actually a fake life and that maybe, just maybe...Snape had done those things for him.

'Severus looked after both of us. I was closer to Remus than he was and therefore a bigger mess.' She sighed. 'He did everything. He cared for you and constantly checked on me. Without your father, there is no way we'd have gotten over that as a solid, loving family.'

Severus rested his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands, leaning forward as he tried to imagine himself doing those things. He visualized the situation of losing Remus and seeing Lily and his baby son fall apart from it.

As he swallowed and looked over at Lily and then Harry, Severus winced as he realized that yes...he would have done exactly as she'd said.

'We are a family, and each of us have a place at this table.' Lily concluded. 'We each deserve to be here, to love each other and grown together, because no matter what happens...none of this will change.'

'I'm sorry.' Harry said as he nodded at her words. 'I'm sorry'. He added again, looking over at Snape as he thought about what he'd said and it had been terrible to tell his supposed father who had done those things for his son, that he didn't belong or wasn't so.

Severus just about fell out of his chair when the boy looked right over at him and genuinely apologized. The tears in the boy's eyes and the slumping of his shoulders indicated that he was more than remorseful about angering Lily, but also for saying those things before, no matter how true they may be.

'You are forgiven.' Severus answered. He saw Lily smile out of the corner of his eye and knew she had recovered from her tale far too quickly.

That sly should-have-been-in-Slytherin witch!

'Now, let's eat before the food gets cold.' Lily urged.

Harry nodded and picked at his potato for a moment before he looked up again and decided to chance it.

'Um, but...can't we make it that he has to tell us what's going on before he just leaves like that?' He nodded towards Snape.

Severus paused at the boy's words and remained very still as he eyed his pumpkin and wandered if this was a new record for the amount of times he wanted to strangle the Gryffindor in a single day.

'Sev?' Lily asked him. 'Could you let our son in on a few more details before you feel the need to take a moment from the house, next time?'

'I shall.' Severus answered, still not lifting his gaze as he spoke. His mind quickly flitted for something “fatherly” to say that would keep up with the role he was playing.

'I do apologize for causing you to worry.' Yes, that sounded good enough, and he'd almost meant it too!

'Oh, erm...yeah okay.' Harry hadn't expected Snape to apologize to him because of such a simple request Harry hadn't really cared about. 'Thanks.' He added, thinking it was the right thing to say and couldn't manage any other response.

Once dinner was finished and dessert had vanished, the adults moved to the living room while Harry returned to his room. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with his mother but was still too annoyed at Snape to tolerate the man as well.

The idea of leaving Snape with his mother only made Harry feel worse, yet he knew there was little he could do about it, other than to join them. He had lingered out of sight for a good ten minutes before he'd gone to his room, though, and listened to his mother and Snape talk about boring things as she filled him in on some details of their life.

It wasn't anything about him, so Harry retreated to his room – it had nothing to do with the way Snape had barked at him to stop eavesdropping and go do something useful.

And so, after a warm shower and changing into his silk-soft pajamas, Harry settled at his desk and looked over at the piece of paper his mother had given him after dessert. It was to help him adjust, she'd said, and Harry wondered if he could ever get used to it. The schedule wasn't too difficult, and yet he had to read it over and over, struggling with the family concept of some things. 

She'd marked which jobs she did and which were for Snape, since she was not only helping Harry adjust but Snape as well. Anything Harry was responsible for were also marked accordingly.

6:30 – Wake up Harry (Lily) 

7:00 – Breakfast (Severus)

8:00 – Chores

-Kitchen cleaned

-Take out the garbage

-Washing

-Harry tidies his room

  These tasks interchange, apart from Harry's room, to make it fair and so no one gets stuck with the same task very day.

9:00 – Outing (shopping, etc)

1:00 – lunch (Harry)

1:30 – Family Time

Here we help Harry with any schoolwork or just spent time together as a family.

2:30 – Unscheduled free time

5:00 – Preparation for dinner 

Everyone must be home by this point, unless otherwise specified.

6:00 – Dinner & Dessert (Lily – with assistance)

9:30 – Harry's bedtime

There was a knock at his bedroom door once Harry had finished glaring at the word “bedtime”. Turning quickly in his seat, he looked towards the door and smiled as he saw his mother standing there.

'Hey, mum.' Harry said and rose to give her a hug. He took any chance he had to do this and felt much more comfortable to do so when Snape wasn't around.

'Hey, sweetheart,' Lily rubbed his back as she returned the gesture. 'How are you holding up? That was a bit of an outburst we had before, huh?' She pulled back and looked at him in the eyes.

'Sorry.' Harry blushed and looked at his feet. 'I'm fine, it's just...weird.'

'I know.' Lily brushed a hand through his hair. 'But it'll get better once you fall into old habits again.' She held his hand and tugged Harry over to the bed so they could sit side by side.

Severus was on his way to the bathroom when he heard Lily speak and instinctively paused outside the room. He felt closer to her then he ever had before after their long talk in which informed him of most of the main events he needed to be aware of.

And of course, the flattering way she spoke of her love for him, yet Severus knew most husbands were supposed to say the same in return.She seemed to understand though, when his tongue got tied and he couldn't force it out.

'Your father and I love you, Harry.' Lily said. 'And just remember that your dad is having trouble adjusting too, and sometimes it's easier to be angry then to deal with what you feel is out of your control.' She advised. 

'I love you, mum.' Harry blurted out what he'd always wanted her to know but could never tell her.

'I know, sweetheart, I love you too.' Lily kissed his forehead.

Severus frowned deeply and wanted to march in there and yell at the brat who had been able to say that to Lily where he himself had failed. 

'I see so much of your father in you.' Lily mused as she stared at her son.

Harry said nothing as he was used to hearing that but couldn't understand how if that now applied to Snape then how was such a thing possible? Sure, his eyes were different and he had no glasses...but he was still himself in every other way...Harry had stared in the bathroom mirror for a very long time to make sure of it.

'Your dark hair that never goes straight,' Lily said and brushed it with her hand again. 'If your father stayed away from those potion fumes long enough, his hair would be the same way. I try to encourage him to wash it more but he feigns deafness.' She laughed.

'And my eyes, right?' Harry guessed, trying to hear more of his mother's voice and play the part as a son he desperately wanted to be.

'Yes, your eyes as well,' Lily nodded. 'I had hoped you would inherit mine, though it seems that if you had it would be about the only noticeable thing to others. Yet, your father has told me over and over how your ears and nose are mine, and the most part of your nature.' She snorted.

'He tried to blame your temper on me as well!' Lily rolled her eyes. 'No, I think you're cursed to have inherited that from both of us, stubbornness too.' She hugged Harry again with amusement.

Severus, unable to stand the sentimentality any longer when it came to the Potter brat, headed for the bathroom and had the shower he had been intending to. Despite himself, he did wash his hair extra carefully and before he left the room, clothed in what could only have been pajamas picked by Lily, Severus cast a drying charm on his hair and glared at his appearance.

Yes, okay...so Lily had a point, it was a lot less controlled that way, though he didn't dare compare it to the boy's mop of hair.

As he went to pass the boy's room, Lily had just left it and smiled at his hair with that knowing look he could only glower at.

'Someone did a bit of eavesdropping of his own, huh?' Lily teased him and smiled. 'Oh, Harry wants to talk to you before he goes to bed.' She added and headed for the bathroom herself while stifling a yawn.

Severus had no intention of letting the brat see him in his pajamas, yet also knew it was unavoidable unless he transfigured his clothes first. And if Lily caught him...well he'd rather not think about that.

Harry had been settling into his comfortable bed when there was a knock at the door and he nervously looked over as he contemplated answering.

'Come in.' He said nervously.

'Your mother said you wished to speak with me?' 

Harry looked over at Snape and had enough control not to snort at the appearance of the silver pajama shirt and long pants the man wore. It also had green lining on the edges and around the chest pocket; how very Slytherin.

'Er, yeah.' Harry nodded nervously.

'Well?' Severus asked with irritation as he stepped into the room.

'I want to make something clear.' Harry said with his defiant tone and expression that Severus hated to its core. 

Sensing a possible argument, Severus shut the door behind him and moved closer to the teenager, rolling his eyes at the way the boy inched further into the sheets of the bed as though they would provide him sufficient protection.

'And what is it in which you have to whine about now?' He snarled.

'I know how this marriage stuff works!' Harry glared. 'You-you're gonna..share the same room, right?' He tried to ignore the heating of his cheeks. 'It's not right! You're not really her husband and...could you....you know? Keep your hands off her?' Harry huffed. 'It's not nice for you to take advantage of her or something.'

Severus, for a few seconds, did not know how to react. A horrifying moment passed in which he thought he would actually laugh, if he hadn't felt so insulted at the same time. Striding to the bed, he snatched a handful of the boy's shirt and glared down at the brat.

'Whilst what I choose to do is none of your concern, Potter, rest assured that I will never treat any woman with such disrespect or – as you so childishly put it – take advantage of another in such a way.' Severus ground out. 'For your information, I will be sleeping in the guest room tonight.' 

He was tempted to make a comment about the “future arrangements” or something of a rather just to see the look of horror from the brat, but felt he wasn't in the mood to deal with the teenager's tantrums right now. He was being truthful though, it didn't feel right to even sleep beside Lily and had explained to her that it was part of the “adjustment” and she'd accepted it.

'If you're through fretting about matters that do not involve you, I wish to be rid of your presence as I have endured enough of your idiotic whining for one day.'

'No, wait!' Harry said quickly as Snape moved to leave. 'I-I wanted to say something else.' He added and hurriedly continued before the man could object. 

'I don't know how to do this.' Harry admitted. 'Or what to call you; you're not my dad but wouldn't it be weird if I called you  “sir” or something?' He frowned and did not want to address the man in any formal way at all, but knew some things had to be done keep what he had.

'No.' Severus said and surprised Harry with his honest expression. 'Regardless of playing such parts in which we are required, I shall not ask you to refer to me as something I am not, unless you wish to. Perhaps for now, until another solution can be found, it would be wise to avoid addressing me at all?

''Mum won't fall for that.' Harry rolled his eyes.

'Very good, you're not a complete incompetent after all.' Severus drawled as Harry had picked up on certain things about Lily already. Things that, as her son, he should already know anyway.

'I do not care, think of any pathetic excuse you can, however I for one will have no further involvement with such titles.' Severus said and left the subject matter at that.

'Fine,' Harry grunted and lay under his blankets. 'Could you turn the light off? Since you're right there.' He glanced at the switch a few inches from where Snape was standing.

Severus wanted to just leave and make the lazy brat get up and turn it off himself, yet as he opened the door he saw Lily smile at him as she walked passed. Sighing, Severus flipped the switch and stared at the darkness for a moment.

'Sleep soundly, Harry.' He added and shut the door.

Had Severus stayed a moment longer, he might have heard the teenager whisper a “good night” in return.

'Are you sure, Sev?' Lily asked as he headed for the guest room. 'We only have to sleep.'

'I insist.' Severus sighed. 'As far as I remember at this moment, you had married Potter and we were never even together. It does not feel right otherwise, as though I am taking advantage of you.'

Curse that brat for putting those words in his mind!

'Alright, well...I love you.' Lily reached on her toes and kissed him, shocking Severus so much that he hadn't managed to return to kiss before she was already pulling away and heading to the main bedroom.

As Severus lay in the guest bed and stared at the ceiling dimly lit by the moonlight, he cursed himself for not accepting her offer as a part of him was scared this would all vanish by morning and it was just a prolonged dream.

Little did he know, across the corridor, his supposed son was musing over very similar fears.

As the morning sun shone through the window of the main room, Lily awoke and looked around as she yawned. Feeling the continued emptiness on the other side of the bed, she sighed and got up to dress.

Stepping into the corridor, she wandered to Harry's room and pushed open the door to smile at the sight of her slumbering son.

Moving on, Lily reached the guest room and as quietly as possible while leaning on her tip-toes, peeked into the room. With a pout, she stepped back and sighed. The bed was made and empty, as though no one had even slept in the room at all.

Stalking downstairs, Lily frowned at her husband who was sitting in an armchair facing the stairs, with a pile of books on the floor beside him, his wand sitting atop it within perfect reach.

Seeing her entrance, he looked up and glanced over at the cauldron clock near the kitchen, seeing it was just after six.

'The Lily Evans I knew despised waking before ten.' Severus watched her with a teasing raise of his eyebrows.

'Well, Lily Evans then married Severus Snape who despised waking after seven.' Lily walked towards him and tilted her head to one side as she watched him. 'And so Lily Snape had to adapt to such inhumane hours.'

'And this same woman can now cook?' Severus recalled the dinner the previous night, which had been delicious, yet she remembered her to struggle with something as simple as toast; either it was warm bread or a black rock.

'Oh, don't be ridiculous.' Lily laughed and smiled at him as she moved to sit on his lap.

He sat up straight and inched into the back of the armchair, being completely unprepared for such an intimate seating arrangement. Severus moved his hands, not sure where to put them, and ended up placing them awkwardly on the armrest.

'I might have learned a thing or two over the years under your patient teaching.' Lily sighed. 'But no, you and Harry were the primary cooks. Though in those seven months...' She lowered her gaze sadly. 'I had to learn, even then I think I put on few extra pounds from take-away food.' Lily pulled a face.

'Last night was an illusion – it was Harry who did the cooking.' She added and stood.

 Lily placed a hand on each of his and leaned close, staring right into his eyes in a way that disabled any chance he had of looking away.

'How many hours sleep did you get?'

'Six.' Severus answered honestly and hated the feeling of being drugged by a truth serum when she stared at him like that. 

'Brewing, reading, or sulking?' She continued.

'One would think the books would be evidence enough.' Severus said dryly. 

'Not when one remembers that the man in question is Severus Snape.' Lily winked and moved to the kitchen for a drink. 'I have to wake Harry soon; I trust you have already memorized the schedule?'

Severus grunted and looked down at his hands that now rested on his lap; was he that predictable?

'Indeed. I shall be cooking breakfast.' He rose from his armchair and his hand snatched his wand along the way. Waving it, the books hovered into their place, except for one in which he eyed Lily carefully (who was fussing in the fridge for something), as he hid it amongst two subjects she hated, yet in a way that it wouldn't stand out.

 Severus felt he was a bit like that book; out of place, yet blending in enough to fool those who didn't know any better.

Lily left Severus in the kitchen as she wandered up the stairs and entered Harry's room. She pulled open the curtains to brighten the room and patted the teenager's shoulder as he groaned and rolled over, facing away from the light.

'Come on, sweetheart.' Lily smiled. 'Time to get up; your dad's got breakfast on and you know how he is about the proper order of things.'

Harry lay under the covers for a moment, his eyes still closed as he memorized that moment as his mother woke him and spoke of his father. Then his mind fully awoke and he remember that this wasn't a dream, and said “father” was really Snape.

Seeing his mother smiling at him, Harry lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close as he was so happy it was still real and not a dream.

'I love you, mum.' Harry told her.

'If only you woke this enthusiastically every morning!' Lily laughed. 'I love you too, sweetheart, now up you get.' She stood and headed for the door. 

Harry jumped from his bed and shut the door, dressing at record speed into a pair of blue trousers and a black shirt. He hurried downstairs with a smile but paused abruptly at the sight in the kitchen.

His mother had her arms around Snape from behind, who was attempting to cook at the stove while trying not to smile. Harry cleared his throat and marched towards the island, staring at Snape with a stern gaze.

'Goodness, it normally takes you half an hour to get up and dressed!' Lily exclaimed and held back another laugh. 'Honestly, the pair of you and mornings...I'll never get it.' She shook her head and moved to sit at the table to read the Daily Prophet.

Unsure what to do, Harry glanced between his mother and Snape as he tried to decide which action to take. He watched the man use obvious skill with the eggs and almost found himself thinking “I must have got that from him, because mum can't cook”, before he growled that Snape was NOT his real father.

Yet his determination and anger was fading because Snape or not...Harry had what he wanted. He had a home to live in with his mum and dad. Snape didn't love him, but at least the man was being civil most of the time for Lily's sake. And they were meant to be playing roles, right? That's what Snape had said, yet Harry had already accepted this is real and merely an adjustment.

Inhaling a sharp breath as he braved something most would consider suicide, Harry gripped the edge of the island counter and stared at Snape.

'Do you need any help...fath-dad?' He changed his word mid-sentence as “father” was something Draco Malfoy used.

Severus gasped and the glass he had been about to fill with water slipped and broke on the floor. He glared at the teenager who was looking both nervous and amused at once, and raised his wand to watch the glass mend and fly onto the counter near his hand.

'What?' Severus narrowed his eyes at the brat.

'What's wrong, dad?' Harry found it easier to say each time, though he didn't feel it was really applied to Snape, just a word in which to get payback to the man for being near his mum at all.

'I just asked if you wanted some help, dad.'

'No.' Severus ground his teeth together and returned to his task. 'I shall manage.'

'Okay, dad.' Harry nodded and walked to sit across from his mother, reading the front page from where he sat while she was concealed behind the newspaper, secretly smiling as she remained hidden from view.