All Harry wanted was comfort. Nothing else. He wanted his parent's comfort and if he couldn't get that, Evrus's comfort was a good enough substitute.

Harry had thought that the man hated him and didn't want him near. He still remembered how Evrus had shouted at him and locked him up. But he also remembered the man holding him and playing with him and he was very confused as to what to make of him.

Hary couldn't help snuggling closer into the robes when Evrus held him that morning, right after he had accidentally hurt himself. He had cried, not because it hurt, but because he was rather fed up. And when nothing had worked to calm him down, Evrus had picked him up to quieten him.

"Evrus," Harry punched the buttons softly. "Mm,"

Snape was not paying attention, though. He was looking out of the window, eyes narrowed. Some shadow was moving about there. His dark eyes followed the movement, trying to suss out if it was just a neighbour or something more.

Harry looked out of the window too and giggled as he saw a dusty pigeon sit on the window ledge and stare at him and then crack it's beak.

"Ooo!" Harry reached out for it. "Ba-ba-bauddie!"

The pigeon looked nervous.

"There," Snape turned his attention back to Harry. "Are you fine now?"

Harry giggled, still staring at the pigeon and clapping his hands. One chubby finger went to hold Evrus's finger and point it towards the window.

"Wow," Harry instructed, pulling.

Snape snatched his hand away and stood up. "Stop messing about,"

"Waaaa," Harry blinked his eyes and sniffled. "Bad!"

"Not a single word in your vocabulary is positive," Snape glowered. "Except 'play' of course, but that is positive only for you."

"Yep," Harry said, defiantly. When Snape tried to lower him to the floor, he kicked his legs and worried his lip. "Nope! Evrus! Evrusss!"

Snape was trying his best to be kind but he didn't have a very good temper. Even though he appeared controlled and impassive, his temper was a very short one and once he lost control of it, even Dumbledore had to resort to something other than candies.

Despite what everyone thought, Lily did not have a fiery temper like her hair. She was usually sweet-tempered and didn't crack easily. But you could tell that she was close when she started to use a lofty tone.

Snape knelt down on the floor, still holding Harry, and then let the baby sit on the floor with his help.

Harry stared around the room and suddenly snatched up a dust bunny. He sneezed. He looked rather adorable for a moment, and when Harry blinked confusedly at Snape, green eyes glimmering faintly, Snape could not help feeling overwhelmed. Who knew babies were so cute?

XXX

Snape twirled his wand in his fingers, waiting for the shadow to appear again. If it would, he would stun it. But it had been ten minutes, and the shadow which lurked near his house was nowhere to be seen.

Some while later, Snape gave up and went to check on Harry, who was wailing on the sofa.

The baby waved both his hands angrily and when Snape sat down on the sofa, Harry punched him.

Snape scowled and held both of his hands together. Harry wailed louder and bumped his head into Snape's chest.

"What's wrong with you? Sssh! Stop caterwauling."

Harry sniffled. "Evrus," he mumbled. "Evrusssss."

Snape was tired. He felt old and worn and he pushed Harry away and took a deep breath. He was so tired of everything and he felt like letting out all of his bottled-up emotions.

Harry scrambled to him again and cuddled close to him.

Snape groaned. "Stupid child. Go away,"

Harry didn't.

So Snape just let him snuffle close. It was the only warmth in this cold prison anyway.

XXX

When Snape came to collect Harry from his room, to take him to the kitchen, Harry was only half-awake. On the way to the kitchen, Snape heard taps at one of the windows and he hurriedly dumped Harry on his desk and rushed off.

Harry was annoyed and, being barely awake, decided to take revenge for being dropped in such a way. And he did that by tearing every bit of Snape's important paperwork. And then he proceeded to put a piece into his mouth.

When Snape came back, hair dishevelled and face disappointed, he stooped to pick Harry up and then froze when he saw the mess.

"Did you do this?" He asked dangerously, seeing the crumpled up pieces.

Harry cowered.

"You careless brat!" Snape hissed.

"Noooo!" Harry clutched at Snape's robes, contrite.

"Get away!" Snape pulled away and took out his wand, intending to spell the pieces back together. He waved his wand and the pieces easily fit together-except for one piece which was right in the middle. Snape spotted the piece in Harry's little hand, drooled on and previously chewed.

Disgusted, he let it be and took Harry to the kitchen, dumping him on the high chair.

"Evrus!" Harry said, mournfully. He hated being left alone, even for a small time.

Snape spent the next few minutes preparing Harry's meal. He was lost in thought about how to discipline Harry.

The baby was the most unruly, the most disobedient and destructive and surely-surely-other children were not like this?

When he angrily placed Harry's plate in front of him and then sat down at the table to eat his own food, Harry squeaked out, jiggling his head. "Pway!"

"You won't be playing for a long time," Snape said, darkly. For some reason, this made him recall his own, cruel father-the dark-haired man who had bullied him around like this too. And Snape immediately mellowed.

He may want to throttle Potter but he had to keep remembering the silent promise he had made to Dumbledore.

He sighed and looked at Harry, who put the spoon into his mouth obtrusively.

XXX

"You see that star, Potter?" Severus whispered, pointing at the dark night sky, holding Harry as they stared out of the large window in Harry's bedroom. "It's the North Star."

Harry loved watching stars. His eyes shone as he stared out at the sky.

Snape sighed, letting out days of frustration and grief.

Harry jabbed his finger at the bright North Star and cried out: "Wow!"

"It's time you get to sleep now,"

"Wow!"

"Yes, it's very impressive."

"Wow Evrus!" Harry cried, cheeks flushing. He snuggled into Snape's chest and grinned.

Snape laid him down in the crib and Harry smiled up at him. "Buh buh Evrus!"

"Goodnight."

Harry snuffled into his pillow and didn't move and Snape covered him up and left the room reluctantly. Had he really been thinking of punishing the boy before? He was as sweet as an angel...

As soon as Snape walked outside the room, he went directly to the kitchen to have a long, deep drink to numb all the depression that was gathering inside him. When he reached there, he took out the bottle from the cabinet and accioed a glass. There was a sudden knocking on the window and then a scuffling sound as if someone was running away.

Snape rushed to the window and saw that it was slightly open, a letter wedged in the space.

He grabbed the letter suspiciously, closed the window, and started to read:

I know who you are and I know who you have. You wont get away with this, traitor.

Snape's blood ran cold and he crumpled up the letter and took out his wand, going outside the house at once, intending to find the person who had written the letter, intending to beat them into a pulp.