“You aren’t dumb,” a voice says from behind him. Harry doesn’t turn around, instead focusing on the lake. It’s so hard to sit still even now, but there’s nowhere else he can go that no one will look for him.

“Look at me Mr. Potter,” the voice says again, and Harry sighs. Why won’t they just go away?

“What?” he asks, turning to look at the Potions Master. The man seemed out of place in his heavy black robes, but he didn’t seem as angry as earlier. Earlier when Harry had lost five points for nearly blowing up the classroom because he didn’t pay attention to the directions. Why can’t he ever focus?

“I said,” Snape repeated, moving closer and sitting a little away from Harry, “You aren’t dumb. You are rather intelligent from what I can tell, but you have a marked lack of focus.”

“I can’t help it,” Harry sighed, fiddling with the laces on his trainers. Snape hadn’t yelled at him yet, so that must mean something, right? Looking at the man in black, he saw him absently fiddling with a quill. Where’d that come from?

“I know it’s not your fault Mr. Potter,” Snape said, his voice jolting Harry’s thoughts back on track, “When was the last time you went to the doctor’s? Magical or muggle.”

“Um,” Harry said, biting his bottom lip as he thought. When had he gone last? Had he ever gone? Dudley went to the doctor’s office lots of times, for shots or check-ups or whatever, but freaks don’t need that. Then again, his freakishness was magic, so maybe he’s not a freak, or rather all magical people are freaks.

“Have you ever heard of a muggle disorder called ADHD?” Severus asked, shifting slightly where he sat, turning so he could see Harry better.

“I think,” Harry said, thinking back to when he had hidden from Dudley and his gang in the library, reading to pass the time until it was safe to leave. Reading was the only way he was able to sit still for longer than a few seconds. If the book was interesting, then he’d have trouble tearing himself away.

“ADHD is another name for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,” Severus explained, “It’s categorized by…”

“People who can’t focus or sit still,” Harry said, recalling what he had read in one of the books.

“Yes,” said Severus, seemingly ignoring the fact that Harry had talked over him, “They are more impulsive, speak incessantly, and are easily distracted or forgetful.”

“What’s that have to do with me?” Harry asked, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back against the tree. Can’t sit still…impulsive…can’t focus…”You think I have that don’t you,” Harry said, cutting off what Severus had been planning on saying.

“Yes, I do, however I have no concrete proof,” Severus said, still twirling his quill between his fingers, “You would need to go to a muggle doctor and explain to them, and have an adult explain as well, why you believe that you have this disorder. There are tests to verify this.”

“Why’d you notice?” Harry asked, bringing his legs up to his chest once more. “I only had potions once so far, but I’ve had charms and transfiguration twice, and Professor Flitwick and Professor Mcgonagall didn’t notice.”

“They’re not as familiar with the muggle world as I am,” Severus said, “And they don’t know what to look for; I do.”

“How would you know?” Harry asked. Professor Snape actually did seem to understand him, but how? None of his other teachers had seemed to think there was anything special about him, besides being the boy-who-lived, and that’s supposed to be a good thing. He’s gotten in trouble a bunch of times for fidgeting or not paying attention and talking out of turn. Why’d Snape notice it wasn’t his fault?

“I know because I deal with the same thing myself,” Severus quietly admitted, ignoring the dumbstruck look on Harry’s face, “When I was a child I was diagnosed with ADHD. It explained so much…”

“But you don’t act like that,” Harry blurted out before Snape could finish. He couldn’t believe it; the strict Potions Master had as much trouble as Harry did?

“I don’t?” Severus asked, arching one eyebrow, “Did you not notice that I am never still in class? I’m always sweeping from one end of the class to the other, instructing yes, but also because I simply cannot seem to keep still. I usually have the last word in any conversation, cutting off another before they finish speaking. It’s not to be rude, but I simply think of something I must say. I have a notebook that I use to keep track of all of the assignments that I need to check or that need to be handed in. I think I check my lesson plans more frequently than any other teacher here.”

Harry simply stared. Thinking about it, what Professor Snape was saying did make sense. Even sitting out here now, he’s fidgeting and playing with that quill. He had noticed the black leather-bound notebook on the man’s desk, but hadn’t had the time to ask what it was for. He had heard an argument between Snape and Mcgonagall, and he had seemed to cut her off an awful lot, just like he usually did.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter, seriously,” said Severus, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth momentarily.

“But how did you get so good with potions? Do the other teachers know? Can you help me stop getting in trouble with them? I try to be good, honest, but I can’t seem to focus on what they want me to. It doesn’t help that the stuff is so easy…”

“I can only answer one question at a time Harry,” Severus said, unconsciously using the boy’s given name and smirking when he blushed at the mild reproach.

“Will you answer?” Harry asked, fixing interested green eyes on equally interested onyx ones. He hadn’t had a conversation with someone for this long in forever. Usually people would get tired of him interrupting or changing the subject and leave.

“None of the others know, this is something I’ve kept to myself. Occlumency helps somewhat, as does the sleeping potions I’ve invented for this purpose, otherwise I would never get to sleep because my mind would never want to rest. And yes, I can try to help you. As I said, occlumency helps, so I would teach you that if you were interested.”

“What’s occlumency? How does it help? Is it hard to learn? Do you know if anyone else has ADHD here? Does anyone know that you have it? Can…”

“Slow down child,” Severus said, actually laughing at the eager expression on Harry’s face. And Minerva was wondering if he was slow? No, Mr. Potter is anything but. If he sets his mind to something, I can tell he will excel at whatever it is he sets his mind to. He’s intelligent, markedly so, but it is hard to see unless you know what to look for. “It is nearly time for dinner. Afterwards, come down to my office and I will attempt to answer all of your questions, and maybe get an answer to a few of my own.”

“Ok Professor,” Harry agreed, watching as his teacher stood and brushed grass off of his robes, tucking the quill into his pocket has he did so. He really had so many questions; he couldn’t wait until after dinner. Snape understands, Harry thought, following his teacher back into the school, he understands that I’m not dumb. Maybe he can make the others see that too.

After dinner, Harry practically sprinted down to the dungeons after asking a prefect where Professor Snape’s office was. Skidding to a stop outside the door, Harry raised a hand to knock when quiet laughter behind him drew his attention. Professor Snape was walking down the hall towards him, looking mildly amused.

“I can assume that you are ready to continue our conversation from earlier?” he asked, still smiling slightly. That boy…I swear, after I help him, the others are going to wonder how they ever thought that boy was anything but brilliant. Filius is going to have a fit that Minerva  stole one of his Ravenclaws.

“Yes,” Harry said eagerly, following Severus into his office. It felt so good to talk to someone who understood, and Professor Snape wasn’t half as horrible as he had thought. As soon as the door was closed and privacy wards were in place, Harry jumped right back into his questions from earlier. “What’s occlumency? Will it help me focus for class? Does anyone know you have ADHD? How will we  know if I do have it?”

Severus shook his head. “Again Harry, I can only answer one question at a time. Occlumency is the art of shielding your mind so someone skilled in Legilimency can’t read it and use your thoughts against you. I have found that, since clearing your mind of all thought is necessary for that to work, it is helpful for when I need absolute focus.”

“Like potions,” Harry said, wincing as he remembered his teacher’s earlier reprimand. He’d deserved it, but he never wanted to get on Snape’s bad side again.

“Yes, like when brewing potions,” Severus agreed, sensing where Harry’s thoughts were, “I wasn’t attempting to be deliberately cruel child, but I needed to bring your attention back to your potion quickly to prevent an explosion.”

“It’s ok Professor, I understand,” Harry said, and it was the truth. It was better to get yelled at for that mistake than to get hurt because of it. “So if you teach me occlumency I’ll be able to focus better?”

“I believe so,” Severus replied, “But it also helps if you are honestly interested in the class.”

“So History of Magic is definitely out then,” Harry sighed, “Professor Binns actually managed to put me to sleep.”

“He does that frequently,” Severus admitted, thinking back to his own student days, “Perhaps I could tutor you in that subject so you will do well on exams.”

“That’d be great Professor,” Harry said, eyes shining. Then he remembered another of his questions from earlier. “Does anyone else know you have ADHD?”

“No. I haven’t made it public knowledge simply because very few would understand what I’m talking about,” Severus said, summoning a house elf for tea.

“Even Madame Pomfrey?” Harry asked.

“Poppy deals with healing broken bones and such, and she leaves mental disorders to St. Mungo’s. Wizards and witches seem to think that magic can heal everything, and if it can’t, it angers them.”

“That’s stupid,” Harry said angrily, “Magic can’t fix everything. An injury is still an injury whether magic can fix it or not.”

“Very astute Harry,” Severus said approvingly.

“Professor,” Harry said after a moment, “How can we be sure that I do have ADHD? Maybe Professor Flitwick is right and I’m just like my father.”

“Harry, for all that you look like him, you are not James Potter,” Severus said. “Filius had no right to compare you to him. I’ll admit, when I first saw you, I wanted to believe that you would be exactly like your father, and I was prepared to hate you for that reason.”

“Why Professor?” Harry asked, confused. This was not where he imagined this conversation would be going.

“We didn’t get along when we were at school,” Severus said, unconsciously sneering as he remembered, “He and a group of his friends saw fit to terrorize me and others who they didn’t care for.”

“So he was like Dudley?” Harry asked sadly. He didn’t want to know that his dad had been a bully.

“While in school,” Severus said, sighing, “He was a terror. He grew up, however, and he died a good man.” While he hadn’t had any intention of singing James Potter’s praises, he didn’t want Harry to believe that his father was a bully until the day he died. From all reports, Potter had really matured after dating Lily.

“Ok,” Harry said, smiling slightly. It made him feel a little better to hear that his dad wasn’t always a bully.

“I believe we were distracted from your original question,” Severus said, attempting to get away from the subject of his schooldays. That was something he rarely thought about anymore. “You wanted to know how we would tell if you had ADHD or not?”

Harry nodded.

“I will ask permission from Headmaster Dumbledore to escort you to a muggle doctor, who will examine you. They will be able to diagnose you if you do have ADHD, which I honestly believe you do, and can offer suggestions on how work with it.”

“When will we go?” Harry asked, wanting to go as soon as possible, so his teachers stopped thinking he was lazy, or dumb.

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” Severus replied, “And the doctor I plan on taking you to has limited office hours. Meet me in the Great Hall at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, and we will go speak to the Headmaster. It would probably be best if you eat breakfast first, as I doubt we will be back before lunch.”

“Ok sir,” Harry agreed easily. He sat and talked until curfew with his Potions Professor. I bet Ron would faint if I told him that Professor Snape was nice and I actually like talking to him. He’s like an uncle, not like Uncle Vernon, and he actually cares about me. I can’t wait to start learning occlumency. Just wait till I learn; I bet the other professors will be really surprised.

Harry was waiting in front of the Hall doors as Severus emerged from the dungeons. He chuckled, pleased that Harry seemed to have gotten out of yesterday’s depression fairly quickly. He was also pleased he had the forethought to eat before he began his morning brewing. Harry looked like he was restraining himself from running forward and dragging Severus to the Headmaster’s office.

“Morning Professor,” Harry said as Severus approached.

Severus merely nodded and the two walked toward the Headmaster’s office. Harry was still bursting with questions, but he reined them in as he saw other students making their way to the Great Hall. He didn’t want any of them to know what was going on.

“Ice Mice,” Severus said as they reached the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster’s office. Harry nearly fell over in surprise as the gargoyle leaped aside, revealing a spiral staircase. He looked up at Severus with wide eyes.

“It is rather impressive the first time,” Severus said, motioning Harry forwards and following him up the stairs.

Harry raised his hand to knock, but before he could the Headmaster’s cheerful voice called, “Come in.”

Harry entered Dumbledore’s office, wide green eyes darting rapidly around the office, taking in all of the trinkets, the portraits, the books, and the beautiful phoenix that was resting on his perch.

“Ah Harry, Severus, what can I do today my boys?” Dumbledore asked from his place behind his desk. He motioned his two guests to sit in the chairs across from him. Severus and Harry complied before Severus answered.

“I would like your permission to take Mr. Potter to a muggle doctor,” Severus said, looking into the twinkling blue eyes warily. He knew that Dumbledore, like the vast majority of witches and wizards, believed that magic cured all. How would he react when he learned of Harry’s predicament?

“What?” Dumbledore asked, puzzled. “Madame Pomfrey is a capable Mediwitch Severus, and I assure you that if there is anything wrong with Harry she will be able to help him.”

“No she can’t,” Harry interrupted, his voice low and his eyes focusing on the ground. “She heals bodies, but she can’t heal minds. Professor Snape’s doctor friend can help me.”

“Minds? You believe there is something wrong with Harry’s mind?” Dumbledore asked, looking at his Potions Master in confusion. “Severus, I know that you disliked James, but having his child declared mentally unstable…”

“That is not why I wish for him to speak with Doctor Berger,” Severus interrupted. “This has nothing to do with James Potter and everything to do with Harry. I believe he has a mental disorder, one that magical healers are unaware of, and my doctor will be able to prove or disprove that theory.”

Dumbledore looked like he had a question for Severus, but Harry beat him to it.

“Doctor Berger? I know him, kinda,” Harry said, looking up at Severus. “He’s one of the doctors in the practice that Aunt Petunia takes Dudley too.”

“Was he your doctor Harry?” Severus asked, even though he had an idea what Harry’s answer would be. He paused for too long yesterday, when I questioned him about his last doctor’s visit. What else did those people do?

“No,” Harry said, shaking his head, “Freaks don’t need doctors.”

“They called you a freak?” Severus asked, furious. “How did you go to school with no medical records.”

“Uncle Vernon played golf with Dudley’s doctor, Doctor Fowl,” Harry replied, “And one time he took money with him, and came back with papers to take to the school. It said I’d had all the shots and stuff Dudley did.”

Severus just shook his head. “Unbelievable. Did you know about this old man? You always told me he was fine, that he was part of a loving family. Was that a lie, your way to keep your spy complacent?”

Dumbledore looked vaguely ashamed. “Severus, he needed the protection of the blood wards. The Dursleys are his only family. I had Arabella Fig watching him…”

“Mrs. Fig?” Harry asked incredulously. “She never was at the Dursleys. I went to her house when they wanted to go somewhere, like the movies or an amusement park, but she never went to the Dursleys or asked about it. She liked to talk about her cats; that’s all we’d talk about.”

Dumbledore had the grace to look ashamed when Severus glared at him. “It seems I was wrong…”

“That is an understatement Albus,” Severus growled. “It appears I have another matter to discuss with Mr. Potter when we return.”

“Another matter? And Severus, you still have not said why you are requesting permission to take Harry to this muggle doctor.”

“Because a Healer would not be able to diagnose ADHD. It is a muggle disorder, therefore he needs to be examined by a muggle doctor,” Severus said plainly.

“ADHD? I have never heard of that Severus,” Dumbledore said, frowning.

“Very few wizards have, however I am familiar with it,” Severus said, not willing to disclose his personal knowledge of the disorder to Dumbledore.

“And what makes you think that Harry has this disorder? The boy looks perfectly fine,” Dumbledore said, looking from Severus to Harry and back again.

“He has several symptoms that point to the fact he does indeed have ADHD,” Severus said, sighing as he began to relate, “Lack of focus, inability to sit still, impulsiveness, forgetfulness, and incessant chattering.”

Dumbledore frowned as Severus rattled off the same reasons he had given Harry the day before. “My dear boy, surely there would be more proof. Many children are talkative, and many have a hard time sitting still and focusing or remembering things.”

“If he does not have anything wrong, then Karl will say so, however it would be prudent to have him tested regardless,” Severus said. He held up his hand to stop Dumbledore from speaking as he added, “And Harry agrees with me.”

“Harry?” Dumbledore asked, focusing on the younger of his two visitors.

“I read about it before, when I was hiding from Dudley in the library,” Harry said softly, looking out of the window to avoid looking at Dumbledore. He didn’t trust Dumbledore; the man was treating him like his other teachers had. No wonder Professor Snape never told him.

“Albus, the sooner we leave, the sooner we will return. I promise no harm will befall Harry. You know I am able to protect him from any threat, magical or muggle.”

Dumbledore sighed. There was no arguing with Severus when he was like this, and with Harry assisting him… “Alright Severus, you have my permission to take Harry to this muggle doctor. You must have him back by nightfall, and I would like to know what the result of this visit is.”

“That will depend on the boy,” Severus said smoothly, standing and heading for the door, “Doctor/patient confidentiality. Come Harry, we have an appointment to keep.”

Harry got up and swiftly followed his professor out of the Headmaster’s office. He was quiet, thinking about what Severus had said. After I talked about the Dursleys, he said there was another matter we would need to discuss. What does he want to talk about?

The visit went much the way Severus expected it would. Doctor Berger asked both Severus and Harry about his behavior at home and at school, making notes in Harry’s file, which he had just started.

“Never liked that Fowl,” he said, shaking his head at what Severus said. “I found out what he’d done when the lad went to school, but I didn’t have any evidence against him. The papers say the boy had had his physical and shots just like any other child needs, but there was no way to prove that it had never happened.”

“Rest assured that the nurse at the school will see to that,” Severus said smoothly, knowing Madam Pomphrey had a list of magical and muggle vaccines that the students required. After telling her what they had found out, she would be more than willing to ensure that Harry got caught up to where he should be.

“Mm,” Burger said, nodding absently while he looked over his notes. “Why did you not consult her Severus, instead of coming here? You must have started out rather early; isn’t that school you teach at in Scotland?”

“We left yesterday, after classes had ended,” Severus lied swiftly. Muggle transportation was slower than magical, and Burger believed that he hated flying.

“Mm, and I suppose there is no reason for me to ask why young Mr. Potter’s relatives didn’t bring him to see me,” Burger said, shaking his head. “His aunt and uncle seem to be of the same lot as your father.”

Severus stiffened and Harry looked at him curiously. “Perhaps,” was all Severus said, indicating that he would say no more about it.

Conversation swiftly turned back to Harry, and Burger confirmed that he did have ADHD. He suggested medicine, taken in the morning and at night, to help with Harry’s hyperactivity.  Severus declined the latter, as the potion he took could be easily altered to allow Harry to take it as well.

They finally were able to leave at noon, taking with them a prescription for Harry. He had agreed to try the medicine for three months, before coming back for his next appointment. If he didn’t feel any different, or he didn’t like how the medicine made him feel, then they would take him off it. If he felt like it helped him, then he would continue to take it, and they would have regular appointments for Dr. Berger could make sure he wasn’t have any negative reactions to the medicine and that the dosage was right.

“What now?” Harry asked. They’d just left the pharmacy, with instructions to return and pick up Harry’s prescription in an hour.

“Now, I think it is time for lunch,” Severus replied, leading the way to the small café across the street. “And while we are waiting, you can decide what to tell the Headmaster when we return.”

“Do I have to tell him anything?” Harry asked, looking up at Severus uncertainly. “He didn’t even believe you when you said it wasn’t my fault. He was just like all the others.”

“True,” Severus sighed, “But that is because the Headmaster is not as familiar with the muggle world as I am. He believes that magic cures all.”

“So I don’t have to tell him what Dr. Berger said?” Harry asked hopefully, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“You will need to tell him something,” Severus responded dryly, “Otherwise there will be a problem come December when you have to return to the doctor’s, and as soon as someone notices you taking your medicine each morning.”

“Will the others say something?” Harry asked worriedly. He had enough trouble trying to avoid attention being known as the Boy-Who-Lived. He didn’t want to be treated different; he just wanted to be normal.

“Some might question what the medicine is for, and I’m sure the muggleborns would know what ADHD is, as well as most muggle-raised half-bloods, such as myself. The purebloods, however, would most likely have no more understanding than the Headmaster does,” Severus responded. “Others will question why you are spending so much time in the company of the ‘Greasy Git of the Dungeons.”

Harry winced when he heard Severus refer to himself like that. He hadn’t liked it when Ron called him that, being reminded of all the times the Dursleys called him a freak. “How did you know…?”

“That they address me in that manner?” Severus asked, shocking Harry by smirking. “Harry, I can assure you that I have been teaching for quite a while, and your classmates are not the first to address me thus. It is common for students to have nicknames for professors they dislike. I may not like it, and I most certainly will take points for disrespect if anyone dares to call me that to my face, but I understand it.”

“Oh,” Harry said, slightly shocked. He wondered if all the teachers knew the less than complimentary things the students said about them, or if it was just Snape. After all, the man always seemed to know everything.

“There is something else to consider,” Severus said, slightly nervous. He had been considering this particular topic since Harry had mentioned his life with the Dursleys, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

“What?”

“At your appointment today,” Severus said, deciding to work up to his main point, “I was only allowed to make the decisions I did for you as you are technically my responsibility while you are attending Hogwarts. If something were to happen while you were not at school, I would be unable to help you.”

Harry nodded, unsure of what his professor was trying to say.

“From what you have told me,” Severus said, looking out the window of the café rather than at Harry’s wide, inquisitive green eyes, “Your relatives are unfit to care for a goldfish, let alone an eleven year old. They have neglected you, correct?”

Harry bit his bottom lip. “I slept in the cupboard under the stairs, instead of a real room, but I got Dudley’s old clothes to wear, and right before I came to Hogwarts they put me in Dudley’s second bedroom.”

Severus was furious. To think Petunia would treat her own nephew, Lily’s child, in this manner was enough to make him consider visiting Surrey for a talk with the heartless shrew. “What else did they do? Did they ever physically abuse you? When you misbehaved, perhaps?” That had been what his father had done. Severus hadn’t been normal enough for him, even before his powers had fully appeared, so he got the belt.

To his relief, Harry shook his head. “If I was bad, I got sent to my cupboard with no meals. If I did my chores and didn’t do anything freaky, then I got to eat after they were done.” Harry decided not to mention his cousin beating him any chance he got. The Professor looked mad enough to spit fire now, he didn’t want to make it worse.

Severus took a deep breath to calm himself, then sighed. “I was friends with your mother when we were younger, and when she died I promised to protect you. I believed that you were in good hands at your relatives house. In all actuality, I expected you to be a spoiled brat, rather like young Mr. Malfoy.”

Harry snorted. “Yeah right. That was Dudley, sir. I was just a burden to them; they told me that often enough.”

“As I said, I was misinformed,” Severus said, hating the hurt he heard in Harry’s voice. “However, I would like to rectify my past mistake.”

“What do you mean Professor?” Harry asked, slightly confused. He couldn’t be saying what Harry thought he was, could he?

“I would like to become your guardian. It would take time, as I would need to fill out the proper forms and prove that your relatives are unfit, but I would understand if you would prefer someone else…”

Anything else Severus was going to say was cut off as two thin arms snaked around his waist, and a black-haired head was buried in his chest. He smiled slightly as he carded the infinitely messy hair.

“So I would assume that you are not adverse to me becoming your guardian?” Severus asked as Harry finally pulled back, his eyes wet.

Harry took the handkerchief the professor handed him, unable to keep the smile off his face even as he sheepishly wiped away his tears. Somebody wanted him! Him, Harry Potter, the Freak, the Burden. The Professor actually wanted him! “I would really like that sir,” he said quietly, smiling shyly at Severus.

Severus nodded, although he allowed a small smile to curl the edges of his lips. He was going to adopt Harry Potter. Merlin, this is most definitely not what he had suspected would occur when he met the boy. He had expected James Potter incarnate, arrogant and overconfident as his father had been. Instead, although in looks he resembled Potter senior and Lily, he appeared to have a similar life to Severus’s own.

“I will have to go to Wizarding Child Services, to obtain the necessary documents,” Severus said, shaking his head to dispel his train of thought. He didn’t want to remember his past; that would upset him, and he didn’t need the added stress right now. “A former student of mine might be able to keep the paperwork from reaching the wrong hands, and ensure that it is passed without interference from the Minister or the Headmaster.” He hated to think of Albus in that manner, but he knew the man had big plans for the Boy-Who-Lived, plans which did not involve him growing up a normal boy.

“Why would they care?” Harry asked curiously. “Aunt Petunia said nobody cared about me; that’s why I was left with them.”

“Why that sadistic…” Severus muttered, trailing off before he could use a few of the more colorful words in his vocabulary to describe Petunia Dursley, nee Evans. “I knew Petunia hated magic when we were children and she wasn’t allowed to go to Hogwarts, but to take it this far…”’

“Aunt Petunia wanted to go to Hogwarts?” Harry asked, eyes wide. His aunt hated magic, but she had once wanted to go to a magic school?

“Oh yes, she was always terribly jealous of your mother,” Severus said, realizing that his recollections were probably the only time Harry heard anything about his parents. “She already disliked me, because Lily would play with me and leave Petunia to her own devices, which often served to get her in trouble with her parents, as she was prone to disobey them when she was bored. When both Lily and I received letters to attend Hogwarts, that was the final straw. She wrote a letter to the Headmaster, after Lily received her letter, asking if there was a letter waiting for her that had been misdirected somehow.”

“How’d you know that?” Harry asked. His aunt didn’t seem to be the type of person who would share a secret like that with an enemy, and it sounded like she and the Professor were definitely enemies. The smirk on Severus’s face confirmed that statement.

“I was over visiting Lily one day, and she needed something from Petunia’s room. I think Petunia had stolen one of Lily’s barrettes, she had long hair and had all sorts of them to pull her hair back with, but I can’t remember for certain. While Lily was searching for whatever it was, I saw a letter sticking out of Petunia’s desk drawer. It was on parchment, not paper, which smacked of the wizarding world. I showed it to Lily, and we read it, seeing that it was from Professor Dumbledore and he was expressing regret that Petunia couldn’t attend Hogwarts. The rest came out when Lily confronted her, accidentally, when we were leaving for Hogwarts.”

“Wow,” Harry murmured, stunned that his magic hating aunt had wanted to go to Hogwarts to learn magic, once upon a time.

“Hm,” Severus agreed, standing and donning his coat, gesturing for Harry to do the same while he went to pay.

“Where are we going now sir?” Harry asks as they leave the café and Severus leads him into an alley, out of sight of any passersby.

“Now, we will apparate back to Hogsmede, to walk back to Hogwarts,” Severus said, looking around to ensure they were really alone before he used magic. He had too much to think about already to be bothered Obliviating muggles.

No one was in sight, so he took Harry’s arm and they were gone, reappearing miles away at the edge of the wizarding village, causing Harry to look around in fascination. Before, Severus simply waited until they were past the wards of Hogwarts to apparate. Now, however, there were a few ingredients he needed for the school stores, and the apothecary in Hogsmede carried the ingredients he needed. It was a good way to kill two birds with one stone, plus Harry would get his first glimpse at Hogsmede, one of the few truly magical villages left in Britain.

“I need to stop at the apothecary, to order some of the supplies your classmates seem fond of wasting,” Severus said, looking at the silent boy beside him. Harry was looking at everything as they walked, but it seemed that his gaze was straying more towards Honeydukes brightly colored displays than much else.

“Ok,” Harry said, tearing his gaze away from the shops to look at his professor. He remembered wait outside while his aunt and cousin went into the stores, and he can barely believe that the professor would actually take him in with him. He’s also distracted by the sweetshop. He’s never been inside a muggle one, so thoughts of what a magical one would be like are very distracting.

Severus understands the feeling. Growing up, he was lucky if his family had money for food, bills, and school supplies that his father didn’t drink away, let alone sweets.

After their short trip to the apothecary, Severus gently steers Harry into the shop, seeing the surprise flit through the expressive green eyes.

“Pick something,” he said, gently pushing the boy further inside. Harry moved as though in a daze, taking in everything.

Severus knew that if any of his students were here, they would probably make a comment about him coming to stock up on more blood-flavored lollies, but in reality he went to the display of chocolate frogs. He picked up a few, wondering about which card he would get, when he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. He looks down at Harry, who is holding a box of Bertie Bott’s beans up for inspection as though afraid Severus has changed his mind, causing him to mentally curse Petunia. Without a word, he leads Harry up to the counter, paying for both the frogs and beans before leading Harry out of the store, back to the school to face the others’ reactions.

Severus tucked the sweets he had bought for them both in the pockets of his robes, so that none of his colleagues would be able to see  and comment on them when they got back to the school. Harry was oddly silent, although Severus attributed that to fatigue. Apparation was rather disconcerting the first time, after all, and Harry had gone through it twice in the space of a few hours. He was actually impressed that the boy hadn't lost his lunch, but it seemed like Harry Potter would surprise him in more ways than one in the years to come.

Harry was thinking about everything they had learned that day. The medicine Doctor Berger had prescribed for him was in his pocket, and he wondered how he was going to hide it from the others. Maybe Professor Snape would hold onto it for him, and he could go down each morning to get it? It would also be an excuse to spend more time with the professor, which was a bonus. He'd enjoyed talking to him, and the professor's offer to adopt him was almost unbelievable to Harry. He'd dreamed about someone taking him away from the Dursleys, someone who loved him and actually wanted him, not someone who had been forced to take him, and it looked like Professor Snape would do that.

"Sir? Can I leave my medicine with you, and come down and get it each morning?" Harry asked, breaking Severus out of his thoughts.

It made sense that Harry wouldn't want the other students to know, Severus mused. After all, the poor boy was in the spotlight enough, as the ‘Boy Who Lived'. Adding a muggle disorder to that would just make people talk more, and this wasn't necessarily something that should be known. Dark wizards didn't mysteriously vanish when Voldemort died, and any information that they had about Harry could be used against him in a duel. He didn't think there was much the information could do, especially as most wizards had no idea what ADHD is, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

Severus realized that he had gotten lost in his thoughts and likely had taken too long to answer, but Harry was still waiting for a reply. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Come to my quarters at the same time each morning. It is more effective if you take them at roughly the same time, rather than at widely varying times. The same will hold true for the sleeping potion that I will give you to take in the evenings."

Harry nodded, looking up at the professor curiously. "Do you think the medicine will help? And the Occlumency?"

"I don't know Harry," Severus said honestly. He wouldn't lie to the boy unnecessarily. "For some, the medicine truly does help them, for others it does nothing. In my case, the medicine didn't help, which is why I created the sleeping potion. Everything else, I simply needed to learn to deal with. When my studies were too easy, I spent my free time researching things that were interesting to me. Occlumency helps me to focus as well. I kept a notebook with me, to keep track of my schoolwork, when it was due and when the tests were. I do the same now, with my lesson plans and the notebook keeping track of what I need to grade and hand back."

Harry nodded, biting his bottom lip as he thought about what Professor Snape had told him. He was glad that the professor hadn't lied to him and told him that the medicine would work even if he wasn't sure that it would. He hoped the medicine would help him, if only so he would stop getting in trouble with his teachers and so they would stop thinking that he was an idiot, but he was also glad that the professor would help him if the medicine didn't. If the medicine didn't work, or he didn't like how it made him feel, Professor Snape would help him. It was nice having someone helping him, instead of trying to figure out everything on his own. The professor had answered all of his questions about the wizarding world thus far, and all of his questions about ADHD and his parents. The professor didn't like talking about his dad, but Harry learned a lot about his mum in the past two days. He couldn't wait to learn more, if the professor didn't mind talking about her.

"What will we tell everyone?" Harry asked as they reached the gates to the school. "About what Doctor Berger said and about you wanting to adopt me and everything."

Severus considered Harry's question as he cast the spells necessary to open the gates. He waited until they had passed through the gates and he had relocked them before answering. "I think both your diagnosis and the pending adoption should be kept quiet. You may tell your friends, of course, although I have no doubt that you will need to do quite a bit of explaining about both topics. It would be best if it didn't become common knowledge until after the adoption is finalized."

Harry nodded. That was reasonable. It would take a long time to convince Ron, he knew that. Ron hated Professor Snape already, and since Ron was a pureblood, Harry didn't think he would know much about muggle disorders. He thought about Hermione next. She wasn't really his friend, not yet, but he did like her, a bit. She was just something of a know it all. She would probably know about ADHD, since she is a muggleborn. He was still debating on whether or not he would tell her too, and if they were friends or not, when they reached the front doors of the castle.

Severus gave Harry one of the chocolate frogs he had bought at Honeydukes, as well as the Bertie Bot's beans that he had bought for the boy, taking the medicine from him and tucking the bottle in his pocket. "I will see you at dinner, Mr. Potter," he said, opening the doors. "Unless the Headmaster requests our presence in his office before then."

Harry nodded, murmuring his goodbyes to the professor before heading off to find his friends. They had a lot to talk about.