Viridian stayed where he was for a minute, thinking about what Shadow had said, before running into the clearing. Standing in the center, where Shadow had been lying moments before, he looked around, calling for his teacher, his mentor, his father.

*Shadow* he called, looking in the direction the elder panther had disappeared in. *SHADOW!* He hung his head, sitting and curling his tail around his paws. *Please come back* he whispered, *I’m sorry.*

Shadow had been running aimlessly, not wanting to return to the dungeons, but also not having any specific location in the Forest to run to. He stopped in his tracks when he heard Viridian calling him. He turned, heading back to the clearing, wondering what had happened to his cub. Patience cub, he thought as he heard the second call, I can only run so fast.

He stopped at the edge of the clearing, seeing his cub sitting, tail curled around his paws, looking like he wished the Earth would open and swallow him whole. The plaintive whisper that followed tore at his heart, and before he had time to think he was moving, with only one thought in mind. I need to help my cub.

*Viridian?* he called as he stepped into view, scanning his cub for any signs of injury. I don’t see anything; no wounds, no obviously broken bones. What is wrong with him?

Viridian’s head snapped up as soon as the familiar voice called his name. *SHADOW* he said, practically yelled, as he ran toward Snape. Shadow. His Daddy. *You came back!*

*Of course cub,* Shadow said, bending his head to nuzzle his cub. *You called me, so I came. Is something the matter?*

Viridian knew that if he was Harry, he would be crying at this point. Even after everything he had said, Snape had come back. He had still wanted to help him, still thought of him as his cub.

 *No Daddy,* he said as he curled up in the space between Shadow’s forepaws as he lay down, *Nothing’s wrong now.*

Shadow looked at the cub curled against him. He knew they would have to go soon if they wanted to return to the castle before daybreak and avoid another search and rescue attempt, but at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care. His cub was back; he didn’t hate him. That was all that really mattered.

~

After an hour passed, Shadow could no longer ignore the fact that they really needed to return to the castle. He nudged his cub, waking him from a light sleep.

*It’s time to go back to the castle cub* Shadow said as he stood. *And once we return, I think we need to talk.*

*Yes Daddy* Viridian mewed, following obligingly as the older panther led the way out of the Forest. Harry didn’t know how much longer Snape would let him call him Daddy before he set him straight, so he took every opportunity when Shadow didn’t correct him.

They were silent on the way back to the castle, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Severus was wondering if Harry would want to be his son still, even after everything that had happened. Harry was wondering if Snape really wanted him as a son, even after everything that he had said. In this manner they reached the edge of the Forest, barely thinking before shifting back.

Severus motions Harry forward, following a few steps behind as they head toward the castle. Harry slips inside the still open doors and waits, wondering what Severus will do next. He enters a few seconds later, closing the door behind him and sets off toward the dungeons without a word. He stops at the top of the steps and motions Harry forward when he realizes that he wasn’t following.

They pass the classrooms and the Slytherin common room, going deeper into the dungeons than Harry had ever gone before. His guide’s footsteps’ never falter; he never pauses. He’s passed this way too many times to count, and it shows now. They stop at a plain black door, looking rather out of place in the stone dungeon, yet seeming to belong.

Severus opens the door to his flat, motioning for Harry to enter. The living room is small yet cozy, though there is a layer of dust which shows how long he has been gone. A wave of the wand takes care of the dust, while another lights the fire in the fireplace, flooding the room with warmth. Even in July, the dungeons are still cold. Harry stands motionless by the sofa, his eyes flickering around the room before fixing back on Severus.

“What now?” Harry asked, looking at Severus sadly. He fully expected to be told to get out of the Potions Master’s quarters and never return, that the other man only brought him down here to tell him that he didn’t care about him anymore. He expected to feel the rough edge of Snape’s tongue and get detention for the rest of his Hogwarts career. He didn’t expect the look on Snape’s face, as though Harry had lost his mind, nor did he expect the man’s answer.

“I planned on filing a lawsuit against those deplorable muggles you call family. They will go to jail for abuse and neglect, and no one will not be able to stop me from adopting you. Is that fine with you cub?” There was a hint of uncertainty in Severus’s voice, as though he expected Harry to refuse his offer and run screaming for the hills. This time, Harry did the unexpected.

“Are you kidding?” Harry asked, green eyes wide with happiness. “That would be awesome. I know you took care of me when I was Viridian, but I thought you wouldn’t want to anymore, now that I’m Harry again. You didn’t like me before…”

“I disliked your father, but you are not James Potter,” Severus replied, moving forward and laying a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Blood doesn’t matter Harry. Family is about who you care about, not whose child you are. I care for you as though you were my own, and that is not going to change.”

Harry was blinking rapidly, because he was not going to cry like a baby, even though this was the first time anyone had ever said that they cared about him, only him, and only because of who he was. Severus’s next words proved to be his undoing however.

“You are the child of my heart,” Severus said, cringing at how maudlin he sounded, but knowing Harry needed the confirmation. He had cared for Harry like his own since the accident had erased their memories, creating Shadow and Viridian and showing the Potions Master that everything he had believed about Harry Potter had been wrong. Just as Shadow cherished his cub, so did Severus cherish the child in front of him.

Harry threw his arms around Severus’s waist, hugging him tightly. “Thanks,” he murmured, his voice softly muffled by Severus’s robes. “You’re the best dad I could imagine, as both Shadow and Severus.”

Severus hugged his boy close, saying nothing because nothing more needed to be said. His bond with Harry was strong, and would withstand the test of time. True, there were still explanations to be had, but at this moment neither cared. Both Severus and Harry were happier than they could ever remember being, now that they had one thing that had been denied them for so long. A family.