Chapter One

            It had been a couple months since Harry had made the agreement with Dumbledore to take in a one deaged Severus Snape. He had to admit that in hindsight he had been hesitant, but Severus had settled in quite nicely with him and he enjoyed having him around. He was eleven now, and that was a big age in Harry’s book. The deaging process had happened instantly, and the aging process from an infant to Severus’s current age had moved quickly…but now that Severus was eleven, it seemed that he was aging normally. The potion really had been designed to give the little Potion’s Master a second chance, changing his childhood considerably enough so that he would be able to enjoy the entirety of teen-hood. That was until puberty struck…no child enjoyed that.

“Severus,” he called upstairs. “Hurry, Serenity won’t wait all day for us…and you know how moody that woman gets when we are late.”

            Raising Severus had been a challenge in and of itself…for one…he had all the memories adult Severus had, but none of them really helped getting Severus into the manner of acting his proper age. When the Potions Master had been about two, which had only been a couple weeks ago, he insisted on doing everything himself. However, he would then face the sheer disappointment to realize that he couldn’t. Baby Severus could not feed, walk, or do the basic necessities on his own. And for Severus that had probably seemed like the end of the world, the man had been taught to raise himself from the moment he was able to. Now, though, it wasn’t as bad. Severus accepted his limitations, albeit begrudgingly.

            Potty training had definitely been a REAL challenge, one he never wished to revisit. Harry had actually gone so far as making Serenity come over and aid him with it. His Serenity…she had been the patience in this very complex relationship. Without her guidance he would have surly floundered. It came with her being a muggle…she had a natural gift for young children. He had been a bit worried how Severus would react to having him dating a muggle, that he would try and meddle with that, but to his great surprise Severus had embraced that as well It even went as far as him flocking to her. It was strange that even with Severus being younger than him; he still sought out his approval in how he lived and chose to lead his life.

“Severus Tobias Snape, did you hear me?”

“I am coming, Potter!” the tiny voice yelled back. “I am trying to get my hair to lay flat!”

            Harry snorted, that was not going to happen. Harry had gotten it cut so that it WOULD retain some of its natural bounce and volume. Severus was too young to have that lank, greasy, hair. And so he forced the past Professor into a barber shop and took a couple of inches off. A couple tears later, and a good romp, he found that Severus liked it. Unless it was in regard to getting it to lay flat…then it was back to him being very pissy about the haircut.  

“And what did we say about you calling me that?” Harry continued, putting down his copy of the Daily Prophet. “You know you are to call me Harry, Severus, otherwise I will make you sit in your room for disrespect.”

            Harry knew that getting Severus to call him by anything other than Harry was a futile effort, but every once in a while his ward would slip and call him by his last name. Harry was fairly good at letting it go, but when they were in public Severus actually had to stomach the “dad” word. They wanted people in their world to believe that Severus was his son, mostly because that was the only thing that kept him the most protected. To say that Severus was NOT his own raised a lot of questions from the media. Their story went on the lines of Harry adopting Severus after discovering his, undesirable, situation at home. And quite frankly, that rang completely true. The potions master had been horribly depressed after the second wizarding war…and this had more or less been his saving grace.

            Severus came downstairs, grumbling and pressing his hair down with his two hands. Harry smirked and watched entertained. Now he knew how Harry had to have felt when he was a student. The only difference was Harry learned to just accept it, and Severus was too much of a perfectionist to ignore it.

“IT…WON’T…UGGGGH!” Severus groaned. “I hate you for doing this to me!”

“You don’t hate me when we are in eighty degree weather and you don’t have that mess sticking to the back of your neck.” Harry smirked.

            Severus stuck out his tongue and continued to mess with the black mop that lay on top of his head. Personally, Harry thought he looked quite cute. He was wearing a pair of white and green shorts and a white t-shirt, the messy hair just tied it all together and made him look more his age. Which was actually something Harry was always trying to instill in his ward; he was eleven…not forty-nine.

“Very mature, Severus,” Harry smirked. “Almost made me believe you are eleven there.”

“Shut up.” Severus hissed.

“Excuse me?” Harry asked, sternly. “Is that anyway to talk to me? Apologize.”

            He watched as Severus’s lips pursed and his face took on a fairly unpleasant expression. Severus had never been good at apologizing, but Harry tried his best to instill this in him. His pride was so big, and it clashed horribly with Harry’s own. Remus said that they both needed lessons on humility, but they had yet to schedule those yet.

“But….you teased me first.” Severus pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“Neither is telling your guardian to shut up-

-but…fine…sorry…” he grumbled, darkly.

“A little bit more sincere.”

            Severus glared and Harry cocked his eyebrow, his expression remaining calm and patient. He found that getting just as angry at Severus did nothing when it came to their disputes. He found that he had a better effect when he did not raise his voice or give into his temper, it was actually quite ironic…Severus had been the same way when he had been a teacher as well.

“You are wasting all the time that could be spent getting your wand, you do realize this?”

            Severus pouted, his onyx eyes becoming gentle. Harry knew that his ward had yearned for nothing more than to be able to claim his wand. He had lusted after it since he had been left in Harry’s care. Harry even recalled several occasions when Severus had taken his own wand and nearly blown their home into bits.

“I’m sorry, Harry,” he whispered, his eyes looking down at his sandaled feet. “Can we go now?”

            Harry nodded and gently placed his hand on Severus’s shoulder to steer him out. Serenity was going to want to maim him for being so late, but he was sure she would be okay as soon as she saw Severus. She loved him as if he was her own, and Harry loved that about her. She didn’t judge him for his past, even when Harry had discussed it with her, and she was the most accepting woman he had ever met; especially with his magic.

“Is Serenity coming over for supper tonight?” Severus asked as they made their way to the fireplace in the den.

“I’ll ask her, Sev,” Harry smiled getting a hand full of floo powder. “She might have classes to get ready for.”

            Severus nodded and took a handful of floo powder as well and walked into the fireplace as well.  Severus had always hated the Floo, but now that he was younger it just seemed to aggravate him more. Harry said he would outgrow it, but Severus knew that he wouldn’t. Motion sickness was something he had struggled with up to his adult hood. Even when he had been a Death Eater and had to fly without a broom, he would get horribly sick afterwards.

“No, make sure you say the name of her house correctly,” Harry smirked. “Last time I ended up in her neighbor.”

“I remember,” Severus smiled. “It was funny…you turned about as red as a cherry.”

“Yes, yes, now, move your bum…she’s going to castrate me if we are anymore late.”

            Severus smiled and closing his eyes he said, “The Hovel.”

HPSSHPSSHPSS

            Serenity would never understand why she even tried to be on time for when Harry said he would come over. She could probably have slept an hour more and had a lovely breakfast, and he still would not have been at her home near the time they had mentioned. One day, Serenity was certain; she was going to give that man a good thrashing. Granted, when she looked into those emerald eyes of his, all of her anger and resolve just vanished and Serenity found herself at his mercy once more.

“Honey!” Harry called. “I’m home!”

            Serenity smirked and rolled her eyes, pursing her lips into a fine line. Harry Potter always had to make a grand entrance, and no doubt tracking soot onto her clean floor with it. Setting her pen down she walked into the kitchen and watched as her two boys dusted themselves off.

“I swear, Harry,” she sighed. “You need to get your license or something…I am running out of vacuum bags with how often you…fireplace…here.”

“It’s called the Floo, Rennie,” Severus said wiping the soot from his nose. “I don’t like it much either.”

            Serenity smiled and pulled, Severus into her arms, sticking her tongue out at Harry as she placed a kiss on the young boy’s forehead.

“At least there is ONE gentleman in this house, Harry James,” she teased. “He knows well enough to agree with me.”

“Oh, so I don’t get a kiss then?” Harry pouted.

“No, boyfriends that come about an hour and a half late do not get kisses.” Serenity teased.

            Harry rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Severus as his ward began to smirk and poke fun at his disposition. Even at this age Severus was such a snake, he had probably dawdled in hopes that Harry wouldn’t get to kiss his girlfriend. Granted, he couldn’t blame Severus completely, if Harry had been eleven and had seen Professor Snape kiss some woman, he would have probably blown chunks as well.

“Well I’ll try and make up for it later, then,” Harry said taking her hand gently. “If you let me that is?”

            Serenity felt her cheeks go slightly pink as Harry held her hand. There was always this sensation of butterflies whenever he was around her…but she tried to repress it as much as possible while Severus was in the room. She knew the relationship Sev and Harry had before they became guardian and ward, and Serenity did not want to make it anymore awkward for them than it had to be.

“Harry?” Severus whined. “Can we go now? I want my wand!”

“Alright, alright, don’t get your knickers all bunched up,” Harry scolded. “We are going to drive into London, Serenity won’t use the Floo.”

“A fireplace burns things Harry,” Serenity said in a clipped tone. “I refuse to be one of those things.”

“You should trust me more, Sere,” Harry grinned, his green eyes glittering. “I would never let you get hurt.”

“No,” she said with a gentle smile. “I know that, but I do not want to risk it anyway…we can take my car and you can ride your inferno home.”

            Severus felt his lips curl slightly in disgust; he really didn’t like the prospects of either. What happened to old fashioned walking? Of course it took longer to get from place to place, but it didn’t make Severus vomit. And really, for the young snake, that was all that really mattered to him. Severus Snape liked to maintain that he NEVER got sick, and he especially never got sick in front of Harry Potter. He liked living with Harry, and was getting better at accepting his care, but having him mop up sick was not something he wished to contribute to their relationship.

“You know, death by car is a lot more painful than death by floo.” Harry sighed, placing his hand on Severus’s shoulder.

“No it’s not,” Severus snorted. “It’s probably about the same…Floo would be worse…you could suffocate to death on soo-

            Harry’s hand quickly clasped over Severus’s mouth and the boy looked up at him in surprise and completely shock.

“Kids,” he grinned. “Don’t they say the strangest things?”

            OH we are DEFINITELY not having this Potter! Without further warning Severus stuck his tongue out and licked the palm of Harry’s hand.

“EWE, Severus Tobias Snape, that is just disgusting!” Harry screeched, wiping the saliva onto his pant leg. “You have no clue where that hand has been!”

“I could make a couple, good, guesses.” Severus smirked.

“And how many of those would get you grounded?”

            Severus glared, sullenly, and bowed his head in respectful silence. He almost hated that Harry Potter had that kind of power of him, and that he reacted like grounding was one of the worst fates in the world. Really, it just gave Severus more time to brush up on his reading…but now that his mind was more set into eleven year old tendencies, he realized that he would much rather spend his time outside walking around Godric’s Hollow.

“Exactly…” Harry said ruffling his hair. “Now let’s get moving so we can get you your wand and robes.”

“Can I get a new book too?” Severus asked, resting his head on Harry’s arm. “I’ve read all of mine.”

“Oh, I suppose,” Harry teased. “And you used to call Hermione a know-it-all.”