It was in silence that Harry and Snape packed up their things, shuffling around their room rather awkwardly. Harry couldn't believe how much he and Snape's stuff had spread out throughout Grimmauld Place in the few short weeks they'd been there. He was relieved to find that despite the knowledge Snape had shared the other day, of his involvement with the prophecy, the act of packing was smoothing some of the ripples between them. They had been a little bit formal all day, but since they had started sorting through their stuff to take back to Hogwarts, they had begun to relax.

"Are these your socks, or mine?" Severus said, bewildered as he examined a pair of black socks he'd found under his bed. "The blue one is yours ..."

Harry took the blue sock, and examined the black ones. "Search me. Like it really matters, though. Pretty sure we wore each other's socks by accident enough by now."

"True," Severus said, shrugging and lobbing the socks into the suitcase at the end of his bed. "Mine now."

Harry sunk back down on his own bed. "Can't believe we go back in the morning," he said miserably. "You're sure I'm not allowed to apparate with you instead of going by the train with everyone?"

"Very sure, unfortunately. Concussions aren't to be toyed with."

"I'm not even sure I want to go back."

Severus sighed, nudging a pile of books he'd finally collected from all over the house. "Actually, on the subject - I talked to Dumbledore this morning. He dropped by to tell me the paperwork is through."

"What did they say?"

"You do not have to return to the Dursleys after this school year. You will be allowed to go live with someone else."

"No fucking way," Harry said breathlessly.

"Language," Snape warned. "But yes, it is the truth."

"How does that have to do with going back to Hogwarts though?" Harry asked, mostly because he was afraid he'd wake up if he stopped talking, and find out all of this was a dream.

"Well ... I made a - a proposal to Dumbledore about your new living situation." Why did Snape sound so scared? It wasn't like him at all. "If ... if you agreed, we would go to the Dursleys and collect the rest of your things tomorrow and get them to sign custody over. We would have to wait a few days to take the train to Hogwarts - so we would be late going back, but in that case I would go on the train with you. Amelia Bones said she would be able to meet us at the Dursleys to be a witness, and get things in order."

"Who were you thinking I would live with? The Weasleys?" Harry felt his heart fluttering slightly, fear, and anticipation toying with him.

Snape ran a hand through his hair, looking rather twitchy. "Actually ... I thought perhaps - given how well we've gotten to know each other this summer - perhaps you wanted to come and spend your summers with ... me? I would be made your guardian if that was the case. You've only got a year until you're seventeen, anyway, and Dumbledore and Amelia think it ... it can be done. If you want."

Harry was silent.

Snape compulsively straightened the books again. "My healer agrees it could work too, if that helps. In case you were worried I would try to ... off myself again. I am here to stay. I ... am sure of that now." Snape's shoulders seemed to relax at this last statement, although tension still remained as Harry considered the offer.

Somehow, the decision wasn't hard. Maybe it should have been, but after all he'd been through this summer with Snape, the answer came out before he had time to think. "Yes. My answer is yes."

Snape's eyebrows rose so high Harry was worried they were going to fly off his head. "Really?"

"Our socks are already hopelessly mixed together, so why not?" Harry said, letting out a breathy laugh. To his vast surprise, Severus laughed too, and his eyes lit up with delight.

"I will floo call Dumbledore, then," he said, still sounding a little stunned. "You ... you are sure?"

"Are you?"

"Of course."

"Good. Me too."

For a second they just stood around awkwardly, smiling sheepishly, and then Snape fled from the room to go and call Dumbledore.

***

Everything that followed seemed like a dream.

Harry still wasn't allowed to apparate or use the fireplace floo due to his concussion a little while back. That was fine by him, as both made him dizzy enough to puke even when he didn't suffer from vertigo if he bent over a few too many times to pick up a pack of cards.

Dumbledore showed up, hilariously enough, in a run-down old car and in disguise. Under the cover of Harry's invisiblity cloak, Harry and Snape ran down the steps and into it, where Dumbledore made sure to open the rear door under the pretense of grabbing a tissue box from the back seat.

 Dumbledore's disguise would throw off the Death Eaters, with any luck, for even though Harry knew quite well that it was the Headmaster in the front seat, the old woman in the flowing dress looked nothing like him. Once inside the car, with its enchanted windows, Dumbledore removed the enchantments, returning him to his usual self, dressed in a plum coloured suit Harry had never seen before. Harry held back a laugh, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"You do not have a driver's license," hissed Snape the moment the doors were shut. Dumbledore looked oddly pleased.

"No, but you do. I made it this far, did I not?"

"You can drive, sir?" Harry asked Snape.

"Obviously," Snape muttered. "I admit it has been a while, however."

There was a bit of awkward shuffling as Snape crawled up to the front seat and swapped with Dumbledore, who was surprisingly limber in taking the passenger seat.

"Key's in the ignition, Severus," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Don't forget the parking brake."

"Bite me," Snape mumbled so softly Harry almost thought he imagined it.

"What was that, my boy?" Dumbledore asked Severus, cupping his ear slightly.

Snape shoulder-checked, and at the same time grinned rather roguishly at Harry in the backseat. "Nothing, Albus."

He looked pretty cool, Harry had to admit, when he slid on the pair of sunglasses sitting on the dash. Dressed in muggle clothes that looked far showier than what he'd worn around Grimmauld place, Harry had the distinct impression Snape had actually been trying for a certain look.

The leather jacket was the biggest surprise, but Harry could not deny that it looked awesome. He suspected Snape had something up his sleeve, and the jacket was part of it, but what it was, he couldn't be sure.

 Snape slapped on the radio, and pulled away from Grimmauld place. There was only a little bit of grumpy muttering in traffic on his part, but overall, the trip went smoothly.

***

Pulling up into Petunia's driveway made Severus glow with delight. The image of the boat-like old junker sitting next to the Dursleys' pristine vehicle and shining house was sure to send Petunia off her rocker. And then the sight of him showing up - well, goodness knew how she'd react. Perhaps she would end up in a psychiatric institution herself. The leather jacket was just for her, really. The amount of complaining she had done even in their teens about "hooligans" and their horrible dress sense was a sure sign that it would drive her round the bend. The sight of Severus, and Dumbledore with his lurid plum coloured suit, would be the icing on the cake.

Potter seemed to be trying to hold back a laugh as Severus leaned casually against the brick, arms crossed and shades low. Smirking slightly, Severus rang the doorbell. Dumbledore glanced sideways at Severus.

This was going to make his year. 

***

To Harry's amazement, Aunt Petunia took one look at Snape, and actually screamed. It took about four minutes for Snape to stop howling with laughter (even with Dumbledore's admonishment) and about five minutes of Harry pounding on the door to get her to open it again Dumbledore, after a great deal of coaxing, somehow managed to talk their way into the kitchen.

Amelia arrived a few minutes later, dressed smartly and lip twitching at the sight of Snape, who had his boots up on the kitchen table and was glaring at Petunia. Petunia did not acknowledge the fact that Ameilia had let herself in, and instead stood staring at Snape, a kitchen rag in her fist and eyes bulging out of her head.

"It looks like we are all here," said Ameilia a moment later when Uncle Vernon entered, still in his work clothes and speechless for once in his life. She set down the papers, unfazed by the snorting noise Vernon was now making. "Shall we get started?"

"I should think so," drawled Snape. "What do you think, Tuney?"

Harry stared. Snape, dead serious, took his feet off the table, pulled out a pen, calmly unscrewed the cap, and nudged it toward Petunia, who twitched. Snape smiled warmly.

Dumbledore pursed his lips.

Overall, it was a surprise to Harry that they made it out alive, and in less than fifteen minutes, signed papers in hand.

Snape waved to the neighbours cheerfully, who stared as the strange trio climbed back into the run-down car.

"That was the worst example of guardianship I have ever seen," Dumbledore said sharply, picking up his newspaper.

"Well, Petunia's always been -" began Snape.

To Harry's amazement, Dumbledore hit Snape over the back of the head with the paper. "By you, you overgrown teenager."

Snape spluttered.

"Boots on the table, really?" Dumbledore continued, exasperated. "You had best grow up before next summer. Harry needs a proper example."

Snape seemed rather cowed.

Harry held the copy of the papers Amelia had let him keep. He folded them up, and put them in his pocket, smiling happily as Snape and Dumbledore bickered quietly in the front seat. This would be one to tell Ron and Hermione.