Albus Dumbledore paced in his office, anxiously waiting for Severus’s arrival. He had sent a note to the Potions Master asking for his assistance in a . . . rather complicated task. He had left out that the complicated task involved one Harry Potter.

               The Boy-Who-Lived hadn’t even started Hogwarts yet. If Albus had his math correct, Harry was only seven years old. But even at such a young age, the boy had run away from his relatives’ home for five times – no, this was the sixth. The wards had just alerted Albus moments ago that Harry had taken off once more and was gaining quite some distance away from his home. It was too dangerous for someone as valuable as Harry Potter to be leaving the safety of his home.

               And yes, he was completely aware of what went on inside that house. He knew Harry’s life would be hard, but this was the only way to keep the boy safe. He needed the protection of the blood wards and Petunia Dursley was the only living relative of Lily Potter. Besides, what went on in the house wasn’t that bad was it. Albus had only been told by the witches from family services what they saw when he sent them to retrieve the boy to take him home.

They mentioned that the child’s bedroom was a cupboard under the stairs, that he was a thin boy, and he seemed terrified of his aunt, uncle, and cousin! But that wasn’t too bad, Albus was sure he had seen worse. Kids survive pretty rough times. And besides, the witches never mentioned bruises or broken limbs. And the boy was breathing and able to run miles from home – though a little accidental magic may be playing a role in that.

But each time he sent a friendly witch who knew how to speak convincingly to a child, the boy still ran away within a month or so. Once a year back was the first incident, in mid-July with clothes that were practically falling off the boy. He had been on the streets of Surrey for a night before the witch Albus sent had found him. She managed to reassure him and take him back home peacefully.

The second, third, and fourth times were each a month apart with three different ladies collecting the boy. They were each similar – the boy left home in the evening and ran until nightfall where he would find a place to sleep. The next day, one of the ladies Albus could get in touch with would find the boy, take him out to lunch, talk sweetly, then return him home.

The sixth time had been a little different. The boy had managed to hide for about three days in an alleyway before the witch he sent managed to find him. She had been so terrified, but her relief overwhelmed her when she spotted him digging in trash for food. She took him to breakfast that time and explained like the other ladies that she worked with family services and why she couldn’t allow a boy to live on the streets.

What was concerning to Albus though was the one thing that remained consistent in all six cases, the boy never spoke a word. No matter what the ladies said or did, Harry just stared at them blankly or pointed to what he wanted if they were out to eat. Was he mute? Did he fear speaking to adults? Or did he just obey the “no talking to strangers” rule so well?

No mater, Albus had a new plan this time. Perhaps the boy didn’t need a sweet stranger to return him home. Clearly, that didn’t work to keep him there. What might work could be a good scare. Perhaps if the boy had a little fear of the outside world, he might be more willing to stay put in his relatives’ care. And what better man to scare children than one of the feared professors, Severus Snape?

Albus was torn from his thoughts as the man in question stepped into his office.

“Good evening, Severus,” Albus smiled, taking a seat behind his desk.

“Evening, Headmaster,” Severus greeted, taking a seat in front of the man’s desk. “You wanted to see me about an urgent matter?”

“I did, Severus, I did,” Albus nodded. “It seems we have an out of Hogwarts situation that needs tending to. And I thought your help in this might be very beneficial.”

“Can we just get straight to the point, Albus?” Severus asked impatiently. “I have many papers to grade and a potion brewing presently.”

“Of course, dear boy,” Albus smiled. He was used to Severus’s temperament; it was just how the man was and he meant no harm by it. “You see, a young boy – a halfblood – lives with his muggle relatives but he has been consistently running away from his home. I have sent six witches from family services to return the boy safely to his home, but he never remains there for long.”

“And you summoned me, why?” Severus frowned.

“What I am thinking is that perhaps instead of sweet visits, the child needs a . . . scare to get him to stay put. Nothing big, no need to traumatize the child. Just a quick little reality check of what the outside world has to offer to little boys alone on the streets.”

“Again,” Severus’s frown deepened. “You summoned me, why? Who is this brat anyway?”

“Harry Potter,” Albus answered.

“Harry Potter?” Severus practically spat out, his frown now a glare. “So, the spoiled little prince isn’t satisfied with his relatives’ fancy home, is he? Perhaps the house isn’t big enough? Or his relatives’ slaving away to his every need isn’t enough for him?”

“Now, now,” Albus raised a hand. “The boy may have his reasons, but I am hoping that a little scare may encourage him to stay home. That is where you come in.”

“You want me to scare the Boy-Who-Lived?” Severus raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Albus, I may instill some fear in the students here, but I think to scare a young child on the streets may be rather . . . cruel, don’t you think?”

“I’m afraid we have little choice. Harry must be kept in the safety of the blood wards around his aunt’s home. It’s the only way to keep him protected and hidden. He must return home and he must remain home. And if instill a little fear of the outside world is the only way to do this, then I’m afraid it must be done.”

“And I was the first person that jumped to mind?”

“You are the best at it. And the only one I can trust to keep this matter between us.”

“Where is Potter anyway? He ran away in this weather? It’s the middle of January for Merlin’s sake!”

“Yes, and you will have to work quickly. I do no believe the boy is properly dressed at all and we do not want him catching frostbite or pneumonia.”

“Of course, he’s not. He probably doesn’t even know how to dress himself without the help of his servants.”

“I would also ask you to remember that you are not supposed to know this boy. Try to keep magic to a minimum and refrain from using his name.”

“How did the other six ladies manage?”

“They managed, have no fear. It is better this way. Harry is just a child after all. I am not sure what his relatives told him of his past –”

“Probably every little detail of what a wonderful hero he is.”

“But,” Albus continued, ignoring Severus’s snide comment, “we will treat him as a muggle child just in case. And one we do not know.”

Severus sighed and rubbed at his head. “I’m going to have to banish the potion I have brewing. This will also set me behind on my work.”

“No worries, no worries,” Albus said. “It is a Friday after all. This task shouldn’t take long. Maybe get him running back home or if you’d like, I can call another witch from family services . . .”

“I do not think they would approve,” Severus said. “What am I supposed to do? Attempt to kidnap him? What if he doesn’t even run home?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something. Good luck, Severus.”

 

 

Damn old coot, Severus thought as he walked away from Hogwarts, so he could apparate to Surrey. Here he goes, off to scare a little boy who couldn’t be any older than seven. This was terrible and ridiculous. Forget that it was freezing, and the snow had picked up speed. He hoped a blizzard wasn’t on its way. He had checked the weather, and the snowstorm was supposed to be just south of Surrey. It better stay there.

Severus past the anti-apparition wards and disapparated from Hogwarts. Once he arrived in an alleyway in Surrey, he used a locator charm to find Harry’s location. He just wanted to make this as quick as possible, so he could get back to Hogwarts and back to work.

Why did I agree to this? Severus thought as he followed the tug of his wand. He didn’t want to deal with the spoiled brat four years earlier than he needed to. This was torture on his behalf. And it felt . . . wrong. Despite his willingness to terrorize his students, a small child was a whole other field. Students needed a little fear – potions nor defense against the dark arts (a class he hoped to one day teach) were something to fool around in. To scare a child running away from home . . . why was he even running away from home to begin with?

Severus sighed, seeing his breath in the air. The wind was picking up and it howled around him. There was no one on the streets. No one would be stupid enough to be out in this weather. Why on earth would a little kid think any differently?

A little Gryffindor in the making Harry was.

There he was, speak of the devil. Severus paused where he stood. The small body of the child was in an alleyway curled up against the side of a building where little snow touched the ground due to the overhang. The boy had his arms wrapped around his legs and was shivering. Severus frowned at the boy’s attire.

He had on a tattered old jumper that swallowed the small body and some ripped up trousers that seemed much too large on him. They covered the boy’s feet, which Severus hoped had sneakers or, better yet, boots. Severus didn’t like the look of this. Did the boy take off from home in the worst clothes imaginable? Why would he even possess such atrocious clothes?

Severus cautiously approached the boy, not wanting to startle him. When he stood in front of him, he gently tapped the boy’s knee with a knuckle.

The child gasped and jumped, curling in on himself more.

“Easy,” Severus advised. “Can I ask what you are doing out in this weather without even a warm coat and hat?”

Harry just stared up at Severus, his eyes wide and his cheeks red and chapped from the cold.

“Right,” Severus sighed. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

Harry remained silent, just stared up at Severus. The wind picked up and howled, snow blowing all over the place. Harry shivered violently and curled in on himself more.

“You know, if you stay out here much longer you could freeze off a limb,” Severus tried, trying to instill some fear. He really wasn’t up to scaring the boy with much else. Clearly, the snowstorm was moving further north than expected. It would definitely hit Surrey. “Perhaps an arm or a leg. Which would you rather be without?”

Harry simply shrugged, remaining on the ground shivering.

Severus sighed. Wasn’t he intimidating enough towering over the boy? Just standing near one of his students left them trembling and clumsily dropping whatever they’re holding. This boy didn’t seem the slightest bit unnerved by him. Though there were more pressing matters at hand, like freezing. Surely that was the child’s concern.

“Have you,” Severus tried again, “ever been told stories of what happens to little boys with no parents nearby?”

Harry didn’t react, just stared up at Severus, his body trembling as the wind blew at them harshly again. This is pathetic, Severus couldn’t help but think.

“No? Well, I definitely have some fun stories to share with you,” Severus said, though his mind couldn’t think of one. What was something parents told their children a lot? Possibility of being kidnapped? Never being seen or heard from again? “You could be taken by a stranger, perhaps one who is a murderer. You could be killed or taken by a –”

Severus swallowed what he was about to say. No need to get too graphic, the boy was only seven. But wasn’t the point to scare the child? Yes, but there was no need to get too detailed. Severus wouldn’t do that. But Harry just stared up at him with his glassy green eyes, his nose just as red as his cheeks.

“What are you, deaf?” Severus snapped, his own body starting to shiver. The storm definitely just hit Surrey. They couldn’t stay out here. But this task was proving more difficult than intended. “Can you hear me?”

Harry nodded. Wonderful. The boy was listening. Did nothing phase this brat?

“Are you mute?”

There was nothing from Harry. Did the child even know what mute meant?

“Can you understand me?”

Harry nodded.

Good, the boy knew what he was saying. Snow was blowing at a faster pace around them. Why did he bother? Maybe if the child ran away the next time, Albus would decide to lock him up somewhere. Why didn’t the boy’s relatives teach this kid something about running away? It was their job to keep him safe. Did they even care he was out here in this weather? Giving up, Severus decided to forget the plan and just take the kid home.

“You can’t stay out here. There’s a storm. You have to go home.”

Harry shook his head. No? Why not? Wasn’t the boy freezing? He obviously was, just look at his red face.

“You need to go home; you’ll freeze out here! Come on, let me take you home.”

Severus reached down and tried to get the boy to stand. Harry whined in protest and pulled against Severus. Then, the boy leaned forward and bit down on Severus hand. Severus released him out of surprise more than pain. 

That damn brat! Severus glared down at Harry, who curled in on himself once more, shaking furiously in the wind, staring up at him with glassy eyes. Hs gloved offered protection for the most part, but they were thin, and he felt the slight pinch of teeth on skin. Fine, if the spoiled horror wanted to stay, then Severus wasn’t going to make him leave.

“Freeze for all I care,” Severus snarled before turning away and leaving the alley. He made it a few feet when his morality caught up to him and he stopped himself, sighing.

He couldn’t just leave the poor boy in the storm. Harry would be dead by midnight.

Severus turned and looked back at Harry, who hadn’t moved. The boy wasn’t dressed properly at all and he was already turning red and chapped from the weather. Severus peered through the flying snow closer at the boy. His nose was turning slightly blue.

Severus rushed back to the boy and grabbed his arm once more, trying to lift the boy up. Harry whined in protest once more before trying to bite again.

“Stop it,” Severus warned, grabbing a hold of Harry’s other arm. “You can’t stay here. I won’t make you go home yet. You can come with me and we’ll go somewhere warm for the night.”

Harry kept trying to bite at Severus’s hand, whining louder. Severus kept his grip on Harry out of the boy’s teeth reach.

“I promise,” Severus said. “I won’t take you home, not tonight. We’ll go someplace warm, honest.”

Harry stopped resisting and just stared at Severus for a long moment before nodding. Severus pulled the boy to his feet . . . and stared at the boy’s bare feet. The tips of his toes were also turning blue.

“Why don’t you have any shoes?”

Harry shrugged and shivered away.

Thinking fast, Severus unzipped his coat and unbuttoned his winter robe. He gathered the boy into his arms, wrapping Harry in his robe then zipping up his coat halfway, cradling the boy with his left arm. Harry’s body was ice to touch and his body shook Severus’s. Severus rubbed his hands over the boy’s small body, trying to warm him. Where was the nearest hotel around here?

With Harry wrapped up in his robe and coat, Severus discreetly pulled out his wand and used a locator charm once more for a hotel. He followed it in the blinding weather, casting a heating charm on his and Harry’s body. The boy still shook however.

Finally, he came across a hotel and rushed inside, keeping Harry against his body the whole time. He stopped at the front desk to check in and get a room. The front desk clerk started immediately checking availability when she saw Severus enter.

“Room for . . . two, sir?” the lady frowned as she looked at Harry’s head against Severus’s chest. “Is your kid okay?”

Severus blinked at the lady and glanced own at Harry. She really thought this was his kid? Well, with the position he found himself in, who wouldn’t jump to that conclusion? He’d have to roll with it. No need alerting any authorities.

“Yes, he’s fine,” Severus insisted. “We got caught in the storm. Do you have available rooms?”

“Let me see,” the clerk stared at her computer. “A lot of people have come in, all trapped by the storm tonight. We have one room left – but it has one bed. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, should it?”

Yes, it’s a problem! Severus growled in his head. This isn’t my kid, dammit! Severus groaned. They needed a room and the poor boy needed a warm bath immediately. He was still shivering against him.

“It’ll do,” Severus decided.

The clerk nodded and booked their room and directed them where to go. Severus climbed on the elevator to the second floor and rushed to his designated room, inserting the key to unlock the door. He threw the key on the table with a loud clank as he ran to the bathroom and immediately started drawing a warm bath. He carefully maneuvered out of his winter coat, keeping Harry wrapped in his robe.

Once the bath was halfway full, he unwrapped Harry and helped the boy strip out of his clothes. He hesitated briefly when he reached for the child’s shorts, but they were as frozen as everything else and he slid them off. Harry didn’t seem to mind being starkers in front of him.

“There you go,” Severus said, turning the water off now that the bath was full. “Go on, get in.”

Harry just stood there shaking in front of him. Severus sighed. Did he have to do everything? Well, the boy was half-frozen, he could help a bit more. Severus lifted Harry up and slowly lowered him down into the warm water.

As soon as the boy touched the water, Harry started to whine and struggle in his arms.

“It’s okay,” Severus tried to reassure him, slowly continuing to lower him. “I know it must feel too hot, but it’s because you’re cold. Calm down, this will help.”

Harry kept whining even as Severus lowered him completely. As Severus began pulling his hands away, Harry quickly bit down on Severus’s wrist.

“Ow!” Severus yanked his hand away, then pointed a stern finger at the boy and shouted, “Stop biting!”

Harry’s face scrunched up slightly and his lip trembled even more, but this time it wasn’t just because of the cold. The eyes looked even more glassy and a tear escaped his eye. Oh no, Severus mentally kicked himself. Don’t cry, don’t do it.

Harry started crying against Harry’s wishes, silent shaky sobs as more tears trailed down his already irritated cheeks. What was he supposed to do? Severus just watched Harry as he tried to think of a way to end the tears. He was not prepared for this night. Why on earth did he agree to this stupid idea? Now he was stuck with a bawling seven-year-old on the verge of frostbite. How did parents get their kids to stop crying? Why couldn’t Harry be eleven?

“Stop it,” Severus demanded but in a softer tone. That seemed to make Harry cry more. “Enough, no more tears. Everything’s fine.”

Was it? Was it really? Harry just kept crying and Severus felt like he was losing his mind. He sighed and rubbed at his face.

“Hey,” Severus tried again, trying to soften his voice as much as he could. “I’m sorry for yelling. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Please stop.”

Harry sniffled as he stared at Severus for a long moment, hiccoughing slightly. Severus raised an eyebrow and asked, “Finished?”

Harry rubbed at his cheeks and nodded.

“Good boy,” Severus let out with a sigh of relief. Harry just stared at him, then offered a small smile. Uncomfortable, Severus tested the warmth of the water and added a little more hot water. He talked to the silent child. “Just sit in here while I get you some po-medicine. I’ll get you medicine. Stay in there.”

Harry nodded.

Severus left the bathroom and leaned against the desk in the room, trying to breathe his nerves away. He was not in any shape for dealing with a tiny child. Why tonight? Why couldn’t Harry have picked a warmer day to runaway from home. Severus reached into his robe and pulled out a small emergency kit he brought with him just in case. He enlarged it and grabbed a warming potion, a pepper up, and a potion to word off any infections, like pneumonia. He found a syringe in his kit, good thing he thought about muggle ways of giving medication. He used a spell to duplicate two more syringes and measured out a good dose of each potion. Then he returned to the bathroom with them.

“Here, Po – err, kid,” Severus said. “I have your medicines. One at a time now. Here, take this one first.”

Severus held up the warming potion to Harry’s mouth. Harry obediently opened his mouth, but when Severus squirted the potion in, Harry’s face turned sour and he leaned over ready to spit the vile potion out. Severus quickly covered Harry’s mouth.

“No-no,” Severus said. “Swallow it.”

Harry whined in protest.

“Don’t give me that. You have two more and you will take them. You will not waste my . . . medicine. Now swallow.”

Harry whined again but forced himself to swallow it down. Severus picked up the next syringe, but Harry clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away. Severus frowned.

“You will take these,” Severus stated plainly. Harry didn’t move. Seeing no other way to go about this, Severus reached out and grabbed Harry’s chin, pulling the boy’s head around and holding the syringe at Harry’s mouth, trying to jab it in between the boy’s tightly clamped lips. “They’ll make you feel better. You don’t want to get sick, do you?”

Harry whined in protest. Severus squeezed Harry’s chin tightly until Harry gave in and opened his mouth the slightest. Severus squirted the potion in and covered Harry’s mouth until the boy swallowed. One more. This was taking too much effort. Harry had already pulled his head away.

“C’mon, kid,” Severus sighed, reaching for the boy’s chin.

Harry turned his head quickly and tried to bite Severus. Already taught on this lesson, Severus snatched his hand away. He gave Harry a glare that scared most of his students into quick submission.

“What,” Severus scolded, trying not to shout like last time, “did I tell you about biting?”

He had hoped not yelling would keep the boy from crying, but it seemed glaring and snarling at the boy had the same effect. Harry’s eyes watered and his lips trembled. Severus dropped the syringe on the bathroom floor in utter defeat and held his head in his hands. He didn’t know what to do know. He should have just left the boy in the storm.

No, that wouldn’t have been right. The child needed to be somewhere warm and it would have been on his conscience all night. But who knew treating the boy would have been so difficult?

Severus heard the water as the boy shifted. Something scraped on the bathroom floor and Severus looked at Harry. The boy had the syringe in his mouth, his face scrunched as he slowly ejected the potion in his mouth. The boy made a face as he handed the syringe shyly to Severus. Severus stared at him in disbelief for a moment before accepting the syringe.

“Thank you,” Severus muttered. He looked at Harry, who’s eyes were bright as ever and staring intently at him. “And good boy.”

The boy gave another small smile.

Severus grew uncomfortable and felt the warmth of the water. “Another few minutes and you’ll be good to come out.”

Severus stood and left the bathroom, packing away his emergency kit. He sighed and leaned against the desk, burying his head in his arms. What had he signed himself up for? They would both need nightclothes, very warm ones preferably. Severus could just transfigure his clothes into something to sleep in, but what about the boy? Deciding on the best course of action, Severus stripped off his robe, removing all the items from the pockets and putting them in his trouser pockets, and transfigured it into a long, black night shirt, guessing the size. Then he found a small towel and, using the boy’s undergarments for sizing, he transfigured the towel into shorts for the boy, making sure they were soft and not uncomfortable. The size still looked too big for the boy, but he had been wearing them so maybe it was just perception. He could still shrink them if need be.

Severus entered the bathroom with the clothes and set them aside. He held out a towel.

“Okay,” he told the boy. “I think you’re done. Come out.”

Harry obediently stood and allowed Severus to wrap him in the towel. The boy stepped out of the bathtub and took over on drying himself, his muscled moving with more ease now. As Harry turned slightly to dry his legs, Severus took in a sharp breath as he saw the boy’s back and hind covered in dark, large bruises.

“What happened to you?” Severus asked.

Harry jumped and backed away from Severus, keeping his rear out of sight. Severus knew the panicked look and bit back any more questions on what happened. He swallowed. He could only imagine how those bruises came to be. And he would have to investigate his thoughts later. But it would make the numerous times Harry ran away from home understandable.  

“Does it hurt?”

Harry shook his head.

“Are you being honest? I have something to make it better.”

There was a long pause from Harry before the boy nodded slowly. Severus held up a hand to indicate that Harry should stay put. Severus left and dug for the emergency kit in his pocket. He enlarged it and found the bruise balm he would need. It was in a jar muggle enough to pass. He replaced the emergency kit and went back into the bathroom.

“Here, I have this,” Severus showed Harry the balm. “Would you like me to apply it, or do you want to do it?”

Harry stood with his back against the far wall and just stared at Severus for long, silent moments. Finally, Harry stepped closer to Severus and turned. Severus nodded and opened the balm. The trust the boy displayed to him was rather . . . disconcerting. Severus wasn’t sure why, but it felt misplaced. He rubbed the bruise balm into the boy’s bottom and lower back. Clearly, Harry had taken a beating, and very recently as well. Something wasn’t right, but he would dwell on it later. The child was tired and practically falling asleep against the counter as Severus finished up. Severus capped the jar and pushed the clothes closer.    

“Here are some clothes for you.”

Harry frowned at the new clothes, tilting his head at them and looking up at Severus with clear confusion.

“Just wear them,” Severus said, not feeling the need to explain where they came from.

Harry pulled on the shorts and frowned as he held out the elastic. Severus sighed. They were too large. Why was the kid wearing clothes too big for him? Severus used wordless and wandless magic to shrink the elastic on the shorts. Harry jumped at the movement, staring down at the shorts and shooting Severus a panicked look as he backed away again, hunching his shoulders, his eyes wide.

“It’s okay,” Severus said softly, “it was just . . . I mean, I didn’t . . .” Severus sighed. The boy was just staring at him wide eyed as if afraid Severus would hurt him. And Severus couldn’t, well, wasn’t allowed to explain a thing to Harry. “It’s okay, kid. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Severus slowly approached Harry, watching the boy’s reaction. He picked up the nightshirt and held it open to drape over the boy’s head. “May I?” he asked.

Harry seemed to take several deep breaths before pushing away from the wall and warily drawing closer to Severus. He gave the man a nervous glance, but all Severus did was drop the nightshirt over Harry’s head.

“There,” Severus said, glad that the nightshirt fit. “The hotel has extra toothpaste and brushes, so wash your teeth and then we’ll get you in bed.”

Harry complied and allowed Severus to lead him to the one bed in the room. Once the boy was under the covers, Severus took care of himself in the bathroom, taking a brief hot shower and transfiguring his clothes into nightclothes, all the while thinking of the bruises on Harry’s back. He had so many questions for Harry, but the boy didn’t even speak. Instead, he whined and tried to bite. A thought struck Severus – could Harry speak? Did he know how? He hoped Harry wasn’t mute. That would complicate a lot of things.

After brushing his own teeth, Severus left the bathroom and stared down at Harry sleeping peacefully on the bed. Severus pulled out his wand and sent out his doe patronus to inform Albus of where he and Harry was and why. After giving the message and watching the doe leap away, he nearly had a heart attack when he realized Harry was staring right at him, his green eyes wide. He sighed.

“Well, I guess I don’t need to hide that piece of information from you, do I?”

Harry remained silent and just stared. Severus sighed again and set his wand down on the bedside table.

“I’m a wizard, kid. As are you. Now go back to sleep.”

Harry seemed even more awake now as he stared at Severus’s wand and looked up at the man.

“We’ll talk more in the morning. Go to sleep.”

The boy stared at him before opening his mouth. In a whisper so soft, Severus swore he imagined it, the boy said, “Harry.”

Severus felt a bit of hope rise in his chest. So, the boy wasn’t a mute after all. And he shared his name.

“Harry. I take it that’s your name?”

Harry nodded.

“My name is Severus Snape. Now go to sleep. It’s late. We both need it.”

Harry shifted on the bed, moving over on the bed. He made room before patting at the empty space. Severus frowned. Harry was actually offering to share the bed. It did look more comfortable than his other option.   

“I’m fine, Harry. I can sleep in the chair.”

Harry’s eyes glanced to the chair then back to Severus. He patted the place again.

“Go to sleep, Harry,” Severus demanded, sitting in the armchair and leaning back.

Harry just stared at Severus. Didn’t those eyes ever blink? How unnerving. Severus tried to ignore Harry and closed his own eyes. But he could still feel the boy staring at him. After nearly five minutes, he snapped his eyes open and sighed.

“Fine, fine,” Severus groaned, standing next to the bed. “If I sleep here, will you go to sleep and quit staring at me?”

Harry nodded.

“Fine,” Severus snapped, climbing into the bed and under the blankets. “Well, I hope your happy for making this harder than it has to be. Now go to sleep.”

Harry stared at him with his large green eyes for a moment more before giving Severus a small smile and closing his eyes. Severus leaned back in the pillows, sighing as Harry finally fell back to sleep. He looked over at the boy, watching the even rise and fall of his chest. Suddenly, thoughts of what could have been crossed his mind – thoughts of Lily and himself and . . . Severus shook the thoughts away. He had to worry about what he would do in the morning.

Clearly, the boy had a pretty good reason for running away. And Severus wasn’t sure if he was ready to deal with truths yet.

It’ll be dealt with in the morning, he thought, turning on his side away from Harry. He closed his eyes to earn some much needed rest.

 

 

Severus slowly opened his eyes and nearly rolled out of bed at the sight of Harry Potter sleeping at his side. He had nearly forgotten about the events of last night. Sitting up in bed, Severus rubbed at his face and stared down at the peacefully sleeping boy. Well, it was best to take the boy home today. He’d have to investigate the injuries Harry had later, perhaps back at Hogwarts. Unless Harry had received them some other way, if there was abuse going on in Harry’s home, then no matter how many times Albus sent him back, Harry would always find a chance to run away. And Severus had to at least report the abuse to authorities – it was the right thing to do. Even if no one acted upon it, he would at least feel as though he did what was right and tried to help.

               Standing, Severus pushed the curtain aside and looked out the window. It was still pretty dark out, even though the clock said 7:15am. Snow still fell heavily to the ground.

               Severus went to the bathroom and splashed his face with water to wake himself up a bit more. After performing his morning duties and changing his night clothes back to day clothes, he went back into the room.

               Harry was awake now and sitting up on the bed, fiddling with Severus’s wand that was left on the bedside stand, running his fingers along the ebony wood and twirling it in his fingers.

               “No!” Severus snapped, coming around the bed and standing in front of Harry. “Give it to me! Now!”

               Harry’s eyes watered and his lower lip trembled as he handed the wand over to Severus. No, the man thought as he accepted his wand, not the tears again!

               “You don’t have to cry,” Severus said desperately. “It’s just . . . this isn’t a toy you can play with and it certainly isn’t safe for you to be messing with. Okay?”

               Harry nodded his head, still pulling a sad face. Severus sighed.

               “Okay then,” he began, pulling Harry off the bed. “You’ll have to get dressed. I’m taking you home whether you like it or not.”

               Harry just looked at his bare feet.

               Severus found the clothes Harry had worn last night. They were stiff from the cold last night, but Severus thawed them with a spell and patched up the tattered pieces. He shrunk them down to the boy’s size.

               “Here,” he thrusted the clothes at Harry. “These should fit much better now. And you’ll need socks and shoes.”

               Harry squinted at the clothes before trying to fit his head through an arm hole. Severus frowned and pulled the shirt away

               “What are you doing? You know how to change yourself, correct?”          

               Harry nodded and squinted at the shirt again. A thought struck Severus and he snatched the shirt away and held three fingers in front of Harry’s face.

               “How many fingers am I holding up?”

               Harry squinted at him before shrugging. How had Severus missed it last night? Yes the boy had been near frozen and had probably not had the facial muscle to squint, but once he had warmed the child up – ah, yes, he did most of the work for Harry and everything else was habit – like brushing teeth.

               “Do you wear glasses?”

               Harry nodded.

               “Where are yours?”

               Harry shrugged and pointed to the window. Severus sighed, figuring Harry must have lost them in the snow last night. Great – the boy was as blind as his father was. Severus pulled at a thread on his shirt and transfigured it into a dark pair of frames. He found a glass cup in the bathroom and (casting a muffling charm) broke he glass and used a couple pieced to transfigure into lens. He banished the broken glass away and handed the glasses to Harry, who set them on his face, squinting through the lens. Severus pointed his wand at the lens.

               “Tell me when you can see clearly.”

               After a couple seconds, Harry smiled and nodded.

               “Good, now get dressed.”

               While Harry dressed in the clothes, Severus searched the hotel for things to transfigure. He might as well as go with the towels again. He hoped he wasn’t billed for missing towels. He ripped a smaller towel in half and transfigured them into socks. Then, using the best of his transfiguration spells, he turned two hand towels into small winter boots. They would have to do.

               Harry handed the nightshirt to Severus as the man returned with the socks and boots.

               “Put these on,” Severus commanded as he took the nightshirt and turned it into a winter coat for the boy. “There. You should be much warmer now.”

               Severus grabbed his own winter coat and pocketed his gloves for now. He wished he had some more towels to make gloves and a hat at the very least for Harry, but for now, what he’s done will have to do.

               “Are you ready?”

               Harry shrugged, studying the nice black boots he now had on. The boy looked miserable. Who could blame him, Severus thought. Severus knew he wouldn’t want to return home if last night’s evidence was what was waiting for him.

               “You’ll be okay,” Severus said. “Now let’s go.”

               Severus led Harry to the elevator and to the front desk, where surprisingly the same lady was standing. She smiled at them as they approached.

               “Why,” she cooed at Harry. “You look so much better! How are you feeling?”

               Harry stared at her, then shrugged.

               “He doesn’t talk much,” Severus said. “Shy kid.”

               “Oh, how sweet!” the lady smiled. “Well, is there anything I can help you with. My shift technically ended thirty minutes ago, but we do have more staff trying to work out a schedule and accommodate everyone. We are overbooked at the moment and more people seem to be flying in.”

               “Yes, yes,” Severus interrupted. “I need to check out.”

               “Check out? I really can’t recommend that you leave. The storm has gotten worse and there’s already two and a half feet of snow out there. We are expected to get hit with six to eight more inches of snow by this evening! And the roads – snowplows have been getting stuck out there. No one should really be on the streets or sidewalks.”

               “No, no,” Severus groaned, covering his head with his hands as he leaned on the desk. “I have to get back to work. I can’t be stuck here.”

               “Work? I feel sorry for you, sir, most businesses closed to wait out the storm. But don’t worry, by tomorrow it should blow over. For today, we are stocked on extra food and warm beverages. We have a swimming pool downstairs nicely heated for the weather and . . . it has a water slide!”

               The lady smiled at Harry, who just stared up at her.

               “And there’s a hot tub. Good to relieve that stress I know you must be feeling.”

               “Tell me about it,” Severus muttered.

               “I really am sorry, sir. It’s only seven fifty so our complimentary breakfast should be open. Better get it while it’s still hot and before the rest of the hotel wakes up. You two are early birds – I guess its true what they say, father like son and all.”

               “Right,” Severus commented, pulling Harry away towards the dining area.

               Harry offered a small smile to the lady as he was dragged away.

               “I can’t believe this!” Severus growled. “Albus owes me big time for this.”

               Severus paused as he saw a box full of winter attire that said: Free gloves, hats, scarves, and winter coats. Please take what you need.

               “Go pick out a few things,” Severus told Harry, ushering the boy towards the large box. Harry stared down in the mess before looking back at Severus. Sighing irritable, Severus stepped forward as well and dug through the box, pulling out a red scarf and draping it over the boy’s neck. He looked for small gloves that would fit the boy. He found a black and blue designed pair and handed them to Harry. Then he grabbed a black hat and dropped it on Harry’s head. The boy seemed amused by Severus’s actions and adjusted everything on him.

               Harry whined and tugged on the winter coat.

               “What?” Severus asked. “Use your words.”

               “Hot,” Harry whispered.

               Severus rolled his eyes and helped Harry take everything off, taking off his own coat as well. He set everything down at a small table and led Harry to where a breakfast buffet was laid out. Severus handed Harry and plate.

               “What would you like, Harry?”

               Harry stared at all the food then looked at Severus.

               “C’mon, Harry, what do you want?”

               Harry shrugged.

               Severus growled under his breath before just dishing up a bit of everything on Harry’s plate: scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, yogurt, fruit, and a chocolate chip muffin. Severus added scrambled eggs, ham, yogurt, and fruit to his own plate. He poured himself coffee and poured Harry a cup of milk. He balanced the cups on his own plate and walked Harry back to their table.

               Harry just sat and watched Severus start eating his own breakfast. Severus grew once more uncomfortable with the staring before pausing and glaring at Harry.

               “Eat, Harry,” Severus demanded.

               Harry picked up a fork and took a nibble of the scrambled eggs. Severus watched Harry now. The boy nibbled more at the eggs before setting his fork down and looking back at Severus. Shaking his head, Severus reached across the table, lifted Harry’s fork, and shoveled a good amount of eggs on to it. He held the fork up to Harry’s mouth.

               “Eat right. You need more food in your system than that. You will not be picky.”

               Harry opened his mouth and swallowed the eggs forcefully. His face turned a bit green and Harry made a face.

               “What is wrong with you?” Severus frowned.

               Harry just looked at Severus, his lower lip starting to tremble. Severus rubbed at his head which was starting to grow a migraine. He thought back to last night when he had given Harry a bath. The boy was thinner than a twig. That could mean he wasn’t used to eating large meals like this. But that meant that the boy’s relatives . . . 

               Sighing, Severus reached glanced around to make sure no one was watching before summoning his emergency kit. He knew he had something that will help. He dug through it and pulled out two vials and a syringe. These potions could be combined. He noticed that Harry was already making a face as he drew up some appetite stimulating potion and an antiemetic potion. Severus had taken these himself before, which was why he had them on hand. Severus held the syringe to Harry’s mouth.

               “Now, don’t fight me on this. One is to help you feel hungry and the other is so you don’t throw up what you eat. Open your mouth. Let’s make this quick.”

               Harry scrunched his face and closed his eyes as he obediently opened his mouth, though just enough that Severus could squirt the potion in. Harry swallowed the potions and looked sick before the potions kicked in. Severus speared a strawberry and held it to Harry’s mouth, who eagerly ate it.

               “Good boy,” Severus said.

               Harry smiled happily as he accepted the fork from Severus and speared a sausage link. Who knew two words could have such an impact on a young boy. Severus watched Harry eat the link before saying:

               “I would like you to finish all your fruit and drink all of your milk. And at least half of everything else. You need the sustenance. You’re nothing but skin and bone.”

               Harry nodded and ate another strawberry.

               Severus returned to his own breakfast after shrinking and pocketing his kit. Once he was finished, he sipped at his coffee and watched Harry eat at the food ravenously. The boy had almost polished off the entire plate. Perhaps he gave a little too much appetite stimulant. Oh well, it wouldn’t harm the boy. In fact, the boy could do with extra food in his system. Once Harry was finished with his food, Severus motioned to the glass of milk. Harry chugged it down quickly, wiping away the milk mustache that remained. He smiled at Severus.

               “Well, let’s head back to our room. It seems we are trapped here till tomorrow.”

               Harry’s smile seemed to grow bigger and Severus frowned at that but led the way back to their room. He sent another patronus to Albus explaining that he was trapped in the hotel until the storm blew over and that Harry was still with him.

               Severus looked at Harry who was sitting on the bed once more staring at him. Great. He’d have to find the boy something to do for the day or Harry would just stare.

               “So . . .” Severus began, trying to think of something to say. “What do you like to do, Harry?”

               Harry shrugged.

               Severus looked at the television and turned it one, flipping through the channels.

               “Do you like TV? Cartoons?”

               Harry shrugged again.

               “Why don’t you talk?” Severus snapped as he kept flipping through the channels. It was hard to tell what may be on what channel when everything was on a commercial break. “Cat got your tongue or something? You know, it’s disrespectful to shrug all the time.”

               Harry resisted shrugging and this time whispered, “Freaks shouldn’t talk to normal people.”

               Severus froze and stared at Harry, ignoring the television. Freaks? Normal people? What on earth was that about? Severus had a feeling he knew where the boy got such a terrible idea and he felt like murdering those damn Dursleys. But what should he say now? Harry believed himself to be a freak – how terrible.

               “Do . . .” Severus stumbled on what he wanted to say. Then an idea hit him. “Do you think I’m normal?”

               Harry nodded. Really? Severus lifted his hand and conjured a wandless and wordless non-corporal patronus in his hand, keeping the silvery form floating above his palm.

               “How about now?”

               Harry stared in awe at the magic before smiling and slowly shaking his head.

               “Then I believe you have every right to talk to me. And anyone for that matter. You are no different than I. Would you call me a freak?”

               Harry’s eyes widened, and he shook his head aggressively.

               “Then you shouldn’t call yourself one.”

               “But,” the boy was speaking again, “I make freaky things happen.”

               “Like what?”

               Harry scrunched his face in thought. Severus realized Harry did that a lot.

               “Like Aunt Petunia cut off all my hair but I made it grow all back in one night.”

               “Accidental magic. That happens sometimes. It is not in your control and usually your emotions have an influence on it. It’s completely normal for a young wizard.”

               “It is?” Harry tilted his head. “I’m not a wizard. Magic isn’t real.”

               You’ve got to be kidding me, Severus thought.   

               “I can assure magic is very real and you are in fact a wizard,” Severus said as he pulled out his wand and waved it over Harry’s head, causing the boy’s hair to grow even longer, ending at his shoulder. Harry touched his hair and smiled. “See? I can make hair grow just as fast as you did. Your parents were wizards. Well, men are wizards, women are witches. But they were both very talented and I expect you will be as well.”

               Harry smiled at him, still playing with his longer hair before frowning.

               “Why does Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon call me a freak, then? Do they know?”

               “They might not understand magic,” Severus explained. “They are muggles, people who don’t have magic in them. They may not like what they don’t understand. It might scare them, so they take that fear out on you.”

               Severus decided against telling Harry that it might just be out of hatred. Pure disgusting hatred and dislike for this small child that was burdened on them years ago. Severus had known Petunia when he was younger, and he wouldn’t put t past her to treat Harry as she had treated her own sister. Sighing, Severus flicked his wand, returning Harry’s hair length back to what it was. Harry felt at his hair and pouted. Severus snorted.

               “Does accidental magic happen a lot?”

               “It depends on the child.”

               “I ended up on my school roof once.”

               “Now that is quite a feat. Don’t worry, as you grow, your control over your magic will. You are still very young.”

               “Can freaki- I mean magic be punished out of me?”

               “Excuse me?” Severus frowned.

               Harry shrugged and just stared at Severus expectantly. Severus sighed and rubbed at his face.

               “What do you mean punished?” Severus felt his stomach clench as he had a vague idea what those bruises last night might have been inflicted for. He was going to kill those Dursleys.

               Harry just shrugged again.

               “Don’t shrug at me! What did I just say about shrugging? It’s disrespectful. Now answer my question!?”

               Harry’s eyes watered and his lower lip trembled. Great, here we go with the tears again, Severus growled in his head. He really needed to reign in his temper around this kid. Clearly he wasn’t going to get much else out of the boy. 

               “Well, why don’t you watch the TV while I go see if there’s anything more exciting to do here.”

               Harry nodded and said, “Swimming.” 

               “I have no swimming trunks for us and we are out of towels. Let me go find someone to restock us. Stay in this room.”

               Harry nodded before hesitantly touching the television, looking at Severus for confirmation before flipping through the channels for cartoons, staring in awe at the screen. Severus guessed that the boy wasn’t allowed to watch TV at his relatives.

               Severus left the room and walked aimlessly though the hall. He momentarily wished that he had brought some work along with him. That would give him something to do. On the first floor, he nearly ran into another person who was rushing past him.

               “Why, hello again, sir!” the lady from the front desk greeted, holding a handful of towels.

               “Shouldn’t you be resting?” Severus asked. “You were awake all night.”

               “Well,” the lady smirked, “between you and me, no one came in between two am to five am. I fell asleep at the counter for a bit. I know it’s not much, but I can run on little sleep. And the hotel needs all the help it can get right now. We are on a shortage of towels and blankets . . .”

               “Funny. That’s exactly what I’m looking for.”

               “Oh, here, just take these.” The lady passed the towels she was carrying to him.

               “Are you sure? These aren’t needed for anything are they?”

               “No, just room 305. That miss there hasn’t used any of her towels yet, but she insists on more, so she can draw herself a warm bath. She’s had more complaints in one night than all the guests here put together. I feel as though she’s forgotten the storm. But policy is all guests come first. But you are a guest here as well. I’m sorry, but the room cleaners are doing their best to restock what they can.”

               “Thank you. This is very kind of you. Just a quick question – my . . . son wants to go swimming, but I really didn’t pack bathing suits with the weather and all as it is. I’m just wondering if you might –”

               “Yes, yes! We have a whole stock of bathing suits, just in case. Right in here, follow me.”

               Severus followed the lady down the hall and into the laundry room.

               “Here we go, you can pick any sizes you’d like in case one doesn’t work.”

               Severus knew he could resize them if they didn’t fit so he grabbed two trunks – one for himself and one for Harry. He figured a small would work and if not – fixable.

               “You’ve been a great help,” Severus commented. “Thank you so much, Mrs. . . .”

               “Wright. But just call me Lacey.”

               “Lacey. Again, thank you.”

               “Don’t forget,” Lacey called as Severus left the laundry room and headed back to his room, “lunch and dinner are also complimentary while the storm is still strong.”

 

              

               After a quick lunch or roast beef sandwiches (Harry needed more appetite stimulator and antiemetic), Severus brought Harry down to the swimming pool. The boy was smiling happily at the sight of the large water slide. The pool was full of other guests – adults and kids alike. Severus found an empty chair to leave their stuff on and immediately found his way to the hot tub. Harry sat down next to him. Severus felt himself relaxing in the steamy, bubbling water. He needed this.

               “Why don’t you go down the water slide, Harry?” Severus suggested.

               Harry looked over at the large slide and smiled. But didn’t move.

               “Go on,” Severus encouraged. “I’ll be right here when you come back. And be careful of your glasses.”

               At that, Harry obediently climbed out of the hot tub and ran over to the water slide.

               “Cute kid,” a woman in the hot tub said. Severus looked over at her. She was snuggled against a man and Severus figured they were a young couple. He inclined his head at her comment, not bothering to correct them.

               Severus looked back over at the water slide, but he figured Harry was standing in line. How did he get talked into this? He just had to indulge the boy, didn’t he? Severus finally saw Harry at the top of the water slide and smiled as Harry slid down it. Harry was running back to him when another boy stopped in Harry’s way. Severus studied the interaction closely.

The boy showed Harry the pool noodles he was carrying, jabbing them around like swords as he chattered away. Then, the kid handed Harry a noodle and jabbed at Harry’s chest. At first, Harry just stared at the boy. Then a small smile grew on Harry’s lips as he jabbed back at the boy, who blocked Harry’s attempt and jumped into the pool, daring Harry to come after him. Harry looked at Severus.

Severus motioned to the pool with his head when Harry met his eyes. Harry smiled again before jumping in after the boy. Even without words, Harry had found himself a friend to play with.

After spending an hour and a half at the pool area, Severus led Harry to the dining area for the complimentary dinner of cheese ravioli. When they sat down at the table, Severus reached for his shrunken kit for the potions, but Harry began eating on his own immediately. Severus smiled and began eating himself. A television was on and a weatherman was talking on the screen.

“Still expecting about three more inches through the night,” the man was saying, indicating an area around Surrey on the large map, “but tomorrow’s forecast is looking clear. Snowfall is expected to stop, and roads will be plowed early morning. It is recommended to stay indoors until the roads have been cleared.”

               Severus was glad that tomorrow would be his last day in the hotel. He finished eating and allowed Harry to pick out a dessert. The boy decided on a large hot chocolate, very fitting for the weather. Severus watched as Harry drank his drink happily, covering his lips in whipped cream. After the boy was finished, he set the cup down and yawned, rubbing his eyes.

               “Alright,” Severus said, standing up. “I think it’s bedtime. Ready?”

               Harry followed Severus back to their room and Severus changed Harry’s winter coat back into a nightshirt. Harry changed and brushed his teeth and crawled back into the bed, snuggling into the blankets and pillow. He watched as Severus flipped the television to the news station. Severus sensed Harry’s eyes on him and looked back at him.

               “What is it?” Severus asked.

               “Goodnight, sir,” Harry smiled.

               Severus stared at the small boy, the words taking a moment to register. He nodded his head and said, “Don’t forget to take off your glasses.”

               Harry pulled his glasses off and set them on the bedside stand. Harry patted the other side of the bed. Severus frowned.

               “I’ll go to bed in a bit, okay? Go to sleep.”

               Harry smiled and closed his eyes. Severus sighed again as he stared down at the boy. He’d have to take Harry back tomorrow. He’d have to return the boy to that dreadful place. Could he? Should he? Harry didn’t deserve his relatives’ poor treatment. But what could Severus do? He wasn’t really allowed to interfere with the personal lives of his students, forget a child on the streets. But he couldn’t do nothing. He needed a way to report this abuse to at least muggle authorities. Perhaps Harry could be placed in a foster system where a nice family would adopt him. But then what if no one ever adopted him? How terrible would that be. Conflicted and confused, Severus sighed and left to the bathroom to prepare for bed himself.

               When he was set himself, he stared at the space next to Harry. It wouldn’t hurt to sleep there for just one more night. Besides, it would keep him warmer than lying in a chair. Severus resigned to his fate and slid in to the bed, lying on his back and closing his eyes.

               The bed shifted, and he felt a weight against his side. He looked down to see Harry curled up against him. Severus carefully slid his arms under the boy and slid him over to the other side of the bed before settling back in and closing his eyes.

               The bed shifted once more, and Severus sighed as Harry curled at his side once more. He tried to move his arm to slide it under the boy, but Harry had wrapped his own arms around Severus’s. Severus tried to wiggle his arm out of the boy’s grip, but Harry didn’t loosen up the slightest.

               “Harry,” Severus gently shook the boy’s shoulder, but Harry tightened his grip and snuggled in to Severus’s side, his eyes remaining closed.

Groaning irritable, Severus laid back in his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Wonderful. How was he supposed to sleep with a seven-year-old latched to his arm? Severus must have figured it out because he fell asleep quickly staring up at the ceiling with Harry against him.

 

 

               Severus woke early the next morning, the weight of the young child against his side reminding him how uncomfortable he was. At least the boy wasn’t clinging to him like he was last night. Severus gently pushed Harry over to the other side of the bed before sliding out from under the blanket and stretching. He looked out the window as he stretched his arms out.

               The snow had finally stopped falling!

               A plow was busy pushing snow off the streets and salting the roads. Cars were once more traveling along albeit slowly. This was perfect. He could finally return the boy home and be on his way.

               Severus turned and looked at Harry sleeping in the bed. The boy’s lashes graced his pale cheeks, his hands curled under his chin, the rest of him covered by the thick blanket. Severus sighed as he thought back to when he had first found Harry – half frozen in the snow, barefoot and wearing tattered overly large clothes. And then the bruises and calling himself a freak. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.

               But he had to return the boy. It had been his assigned task and while he may not have been able to scare the child into staying put, he will succeed in returning him home. He’d inform Albus of his findings and hopefully Albus will see to the situation and he could forget all about Harry Potter. That was the hope anyway. Severus wasn’t sure how long it might take him to get the memories of that night out of his head. At least Harry had a couple new memories to hold onto, though Severus wished the boy would forget him. It would be awkward at school if Harry remembered the strange dark clothed man that had taken him in during a snow storm. He had a part to play at Hogwarts and he would have to be a bit hard on Harry to keep his image up. Besides, the brat did still look like his father – too much like him. An exact replica.

               Severus pulled out of his thoughts and left to the bathroom to shower and change his clothes back. He couldn’t wait to actually change into fresh clothes. Showering, Severus tried to keep Harry out of his thoughts, but his mind just kept wandering back to the boy’s situation. It felt wrong – what he was about to do. Every bone and nerve in his body told him to take the boy to child services and explain the situation. However, that may not go over very well considering Harry barely spoke and he now had no proof of any abuse. And even if he had left the child’s backside be, who’s to say that he didn’t inflict the bruises? Harry wasn’t his kid and the whole situation was too complicated. He would just have to take Harry to the Dursleys’ home and see how everything plays out from there.

               Not that Severus wanted to see the Dursleys. No, they were the last sort of people he wished to see. He remembered Petunia all too well from his childhood and teen years at Hogwarts – which really had been about ten years since he had last seen her. She was sure to recognize him, and Severus would give her a tongue lashing for sure. That woman would learn to never treat Lily’s son in such a manner.

               But what if she wasn’t even involved in the abuse? No, that was ridiculous, from what Harry had said, Petunia was very much involved. The boy was overly thin which meant both Petunia and her husband were neglecting to feed him properly. And Harry had specifically mentioned that his aunt and uncle called him a freak and that Petunia had even cut off all of Harry’s hair. Why – Severus hadn’t the faintest idea. Perhaps it was a means to humiliate the boy? Who knows with that woman.

               After stepping out of the shower and using his wand for a quick shave (having no razor to do it his usual way), Severus changed his clothes back to what they were before, casting a freshening charm on them as well. Once he was dressed and had brushed his teeth, he reentered the room to find Harry wide awake sitting on the bed patiently. The boy looked at Severus with a sad face. Severus was sure the boy had tried to use that look on the other ladies who had previously spoken to him. He wasn’t buying it though.

               “Do not give me that,” Severus frowned. “You have to go back to your relatives and you will stay there this time. Is that clear?”

               Harry just stared at him with sad eyes. Severus didn’t like the intense look and decided to summon the boy’s clothes from yesterday, looking away from Harry. Since when did kids have such emotionally intense faces?

               “Get up and dress,” Severus commanded.

               Harry jumped out of bed and slowly changed into the clothes while Severus transfigured the nightshirt back into a warm winter coat. He waited until Harry put on his boots before handing the coat to the boy.

               “We are leaving as soon as I check out, so be ready to head home,” Severus said. “I will talk to your relatives about your situation and hopefully there will be no more running away. Clear?”

               Harry just stared up at him, holding the coat. What is he thinking? Severus thought, frowning down at Harry. The child was awfully quiet this morning. Not one word he had uttered. Was this the treatment the other ladies had experienced with him? Perhaps they just didn’t get the extra one-on-one time Severus had gotten with Harry due to the storm.

               Suddenly, Harry dropped the coat and fell to the ground, wrapping his arms and legs around Severus’s leg. Severus nearly jumped back in surprise at the sudden movement.

               “Don’t take me back!” Harry cried loudly, probably the loudest the boy had ever been thus far. Severus just stared down at him, unsure of what to do. The boy kept crying. “I’ll be good! I promise! I can clean, I can garden, I can cook, I’ll be so quiet you won’t even know I’m around! Let me stay with you!”

               “Harry,” Severus started to say, but as he was unsure of what else to say, he just stared down at the boy. This wasn’t something he was used to at all. Most children wouldn’t dare touch him. He was highly uncomfortable with how Harry was acting and debated whether he should kick the boy off his leg or wait until the child released on his own.

               “Please, Mr. Snape!” Harry whined, clinging tightly to Severus’s leg. “Don’t take me back there! I don’t want to go back! They won’t be happy if I come back! They don’t want me!”

               “And you think I do?” Severus snapped. It was completely the wrong thing to say and Severus regretted it immediately after he spat it out. He was just a little overwhelmed with this emotional behavior.

               “No one wants me,” Harry mumbled into Severus’s leg as he buried his face against the fabric of Severus’s trousers. “But you won’t even know I’m around. I promise. I’ll be good.”

               “That’s not what I meant to say,” Severus said in a softer tone, reaching down and pulling on one of Harry’s arms. The boy didn’t budge. Sighing, Severus added, “I just . . . it’s complicated, Harry, but you can’t stay with me. Whether I wanted you or not, it wouldn’t be possible. No one would allow it.”

               Especially the Ministry, Severus thought. Given his history, being granted any child would be a miraculous feat. Regardless, Severus didn’t know the first thing about raising children. Yes, he wanted to help the boy out of this situation, but this wasn’t quite how he had planned it. The boy deserved better, perhaps a nice family with a devoted mother and father and a couple caring siblings. That would be better for Harry.  

               “Harry, let go of me,” Severus commanded.

               Harry didn’t respond, just clung tighter to him. Sighing, Severus glared down at Harry, hoping for some intimidation factor, but the boy wasn’t even looking up at him.

               “Harry,” Severus growled. “Let go.”

               “Please, sir,” Harry said, finally looking up at Severus with teary green eyes. Severus realized that without the glasses, Harry’s eyes seemed brighter – much like Lily’s. Having to look away from those emerald orbs, Severus took a deep breath. He summoned Harry’s glasses and handed them to the boy, who let go of Severus with one arm to put them on before clinging tightly to the man.

“Just one more night, then?” Harry asked, looking up at Severus with sad eyes again.

Severus looked back down at Harry. The glasses did help; the child looked so much more like his father. It was slightly easier to feel more detached from the boy this way. Why did Harry have to have Lily’s eyes? Why couldn’t he be a complete replica of his father? Severus reached down and tried to remove Harry off him once more.

“Let go of me,” Severus commanded, pulling at Harry’s arms.

“No, please,” Harry cried, resisting. “Just one more day with you! One more.”

“Harry, I’m serious,” Severus growled, managing to pull Harry’s arms away but the boy tightened his legs. “Let me go this instant! This is childish behavior!”

“I am a child!” Harry insisted, trying to wrap his arms around Severus’s leg again. “Just one more day!”

“Harry!” Severus growled in a low tone, resorting to his ominous teacher’s voice that scared most of his students. “Let go. Now.”

Harry finally stopped struggling and just stared at Severus with hurt eyes. Then, Harry released Severus, crawled away from the man and stood to his feet.

And away he ran.

Severus watched astonished as Harry opened the door and ran out of the hotel room. Was running away the boy’s answer to every problem he encountered? Well, that certainly wouldn’t solve anything. Grabbing his winter coat, checking to make sure his wand was in a hidden pocket of a sleeve, he quickly ran out of the room after Harry. All this time he spent with the lad, he’d be damned if he lost the boy right before completing his task.

Severus ran down the hall and looked for the child. A loud door slammed shut and Severus followed it to the stairway. Merlin, the boy moved fast on two small legs. Severus opened the door and ran down the stairs, following the footsteps he heard. Another door slammed as he neared the bottom of the steps and he rushed through the door after the child.

“Harry!” Severus yelled after the boy who was just in front of him now.

               Harry didn’t answer, just ran ahead to the dining room, running through in hopes to get to the front door and run outside. Severus was sure that was Harry’s plan and he wondered briefly if he could perform a quick spell to trip the boy or at least slow him down enough to catch up to him and grab him. But there was a lot of people around, many checking out, many grabbing a complimentary breakfast, and some chatting at tables.

               Severus saw Harry look back at him. It was a mistake on Harry’s behalf because the boy ran right into a table where two gentlemen were talking, nearly falling face first into their breakfast. Finally, Severus thought as he approached the table to grab Harry and apologize to the two men.  

               Until . . .

               “Harry!” One of the men snapped.

               Severus froze at that. The man who had spoken was large and neckless. How did this man know Harry? Harry looked up at the man terrified before pushing away from the table and backing away quickly, only to have his arm grabbed roughly by the large man. Severus glared at him before stepping forward to grab Harry himself when a voice sounded behind him.

               “Vernon, what’s wrong?”

               Severus turned to see Petunia (he recognized her immediately) coming from the kitchen with a plate of food, followed by a child who looked around Harry’s age, though much larger than Harry. Petunia’s eyes fell on Harry.

               “Harry!” she glared at the boy.

               “What is he doing here, Mummy?” the child asked, pointing at Harry. “Is he stealing my breakfast?”

               “Of course not, Duddykins,” Petunia smiled at the boy, handing him a cinnamon bun off the plate she had.

               “He’s interrupting my meeting is what he’s doing,” the man, Vernon, Severus presumed, said as he stood and dragged Harry away from the table. “Excuse me, Mr. Smith. I need to take care of my nephew. He’s a troubled boy, you see. I’ll be right back.”

               Troubled? Severus thought angrily.

               Vernon began to drag Harry to a different table where Petunia was leading the child. Harry whined in protest as Vernon yanked roughly on his arm, and Severus was sure the tight grip would leave bruises. Growing angry, Severus finally decided to intervene. He followed the family and grabbed Harry’s arm himself, surprising Vernon enough that the man released the boy. But before Severus could open his mouth, Vernon was shouting at him.

               “What do you think you’re doing putting your large nose in my family’s business?”

               “You!” Petunia snapped. “What are you doing here?” 

               Ah, so she remembered him as he remembered her. Good. Then there was no need for introductions.

               “I could ask you the same,” Severus returned, keeping a firm grip on Harry’s shoulders when the boy flinched at all the yelling.

               “Well, if you must know,” Petunia sneered, “My husband, Vernon, was in the middle of a making big drill order from that client there, Mr. Smith. We were courteous enough to come meet him here since he was trapped here by the storm. You see, Vernon owns his own company. And what do you do now, Snape? Still live in that shabby house on Spinner’s End?”

               As matter of fact, Severus thought to himself while glaring at Petunia, I do.

               “That is none of your concern,” Severus said. “But what is your concern was outside freezing to death a couple nights ago.”

               “You mean him?” Petunia pointed at Harry. “That was his own doing. He runs away all the time and after everything we do for him. He’s an ungrateful brat. If he had stayed put, then maybe he wouldn’t have been freezing to death.”

               Severus couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

               “You didn’t bother looking for him!” Severus growled. “He could have died out there!”

               Petunia gave a careless shrug and said, “Then he would have died. It’s not our fault he ran out in the middle of a storm. And I wasn’t going to risk my poor Dudders health by dragging in a sick, frozen child. Besides, he looks fine to me.”

               Severus’s grip on Harry’s shoulders tightened as he listened to the words that came out of Petunia’s mouth. These people . . . no, they didn’t even deserve that title . . . these creatures were ruthless. And Albus left Harry in their care? He would have a word with Albus and see to it that Harry was placed in a different home. Anything would be better than this! He could give the boy to a stray mutt and it would have done a better job caring for and protecting the boy. This was just pure neglect and carelessness for an innocent child. Pure disregard for familial blood. Harry whined uncomfortably, and Severus loosened his grip, realizing what he was doing. His glare deepened at Petunia.  

               “No thanks to you.”

               “Oh please, Snape, if you’re returning him like those other freaks did before, then just give him to us and be on your way.”

               Severus stared at these vile creatures. His mind was torn between dragging the boy out of the hotel with him and just letting the Dursleys take Harry home. Well, to their home. He was sure Harry didn’t call it home. The boy practically begged for Severus to take him in. Any place else would be home to the child – he was desperate enough for it. What was he supposed to do?

               “Is there a problem here?” a policeman suddenly asked, stopping in front of them after noticing the tense atmosphere surrounding them. Lacey, the desk clerk, was with him, probably having alerted him to the strange situation going on.

               Severus opened his mouth to inform that there was no problem when Petunia spoke first.

               “Kidnapper!” she shrieked loudly, pointing at Severus. “He has my nephew!”

               Shocked, Severus glared angrily at Petunia but when the officer moved towards him, he immediately let Harry go and stepped back, holding his hands up defensively.

               “Whoa, wait! I can explain!”

               Harry tried to go to Severus, but Lacey grabbed Harry gently around the waist and pulled him back and away from Severus, keeping him close to her and staring back and forth between Severus and the Dursleys, a look of shock and confusion on her face. Another officer came from the front desk area, pausing nearby and watching.

               “I think I’ll do the talking from here,” the officer said. He pointed at Harry. “Is this your kid?”

               Severus looked at Harry. The boy was just staring at him once more. He sighed.

               “No,” Severus answered, “but –”

               “Are you related to him in any way?”

               “I found him outside barefoot in the middle –”

               “Are you related to him in any way?”

               “No, I am not. But if you just hear me out –”

               “You have the right to remain silent, sir,” the officer interrupted. “Did you have any guardianship permission over this kid to have him with you?”

               “No, damn it!” Severus snapped. “Why aren’t you asking her why she never reported the child missing? I found him during the storm and brought him here . . .”

               “And you didn’t think to call in a report to the police about a child you found?”

               Well, the officer had him there. He should have just used his right to silence. Well, this wasn’t looking good.

               “Ma’am, this is your nephew?” the officer turned to ask Petunia.

               “Yes, he is.”

               “Do you have proof? Photo ID, birth certificate, guardianship papers?”

               Petunia was silent for a moment before saying, “I have his birth certificate at home, if you’d like your friend there to take me home and I can provide it.”

               “You don’t have a picture or anything on you now?”

               “I do not, sir.”

               “He is our nephew,” Vernon added, helpfully. “His parents died when he was a baby. He has a scar on his forehead. Shaped like a lightning bolt.”

               The officer looked over at Harry. Lacey looked down at the boy as well and pushed the boy’s hair back, revealing the scar. The officer nodded.

               “Well, I think that’s proof enough, considering this man admitted to finding and taking the child. I am so sorry you had to go through this, ma’am, sir. We’ll remove this man immediately.”

               Severus seethed where he stood. He was furious with Petunia, who smirked smugly in his direction. He was going to kill that sinister woman. Her and that beefy husband of hers.

               “Sir,” the officer was speaking to him again, the second one stepping forward with handcuffs. Severus groaned but allowed the second man to grab his arms roughly yank them back to handcuff him. “At this time, I am placing you under arrest for child abduction. You are not obliged to say or do anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say or do may be used in evidence. Do you understand?”

               Severus nodded, too angry to speak anything polite. He glanced in Harry’s direction, who was still being restrained by Lacey. Harry was struggling against her, whining and yanking his arms away trying to get out of her grip. He reached out towards Severus, whining again, his eyes tearful. Harry’s eyes met his for the briefest second, and Severus shook his head at the boy. Harry just gave him a sad face and continued to reach out for him until Petunia grabbed his arm and pulled Harry away from Lacey and out of Severus’s line of sight. Severus himself was led away by the two officers.

               “Luckily for you,” the second officer spoke, “we can actually drive you to the prison. Roads are cleared away.”

               “Lucky me,” Severus mumbled sarcastically as he allowed himself to be pushed in the back seat.

 

              

 

Severus ignored the stares of the other prisoners in the holding cell with him, choosing to stare at the floor instead. He wasn’t the least bit intimidated by them. He knew they were judging, calculating, trying to figure out what he might be in for. As long as they tried nothing, Severus would try nothing. Prison was nothing new to Severus – he was accustomed to the process. He’d been in worst prisons before, namely Azkaban when he had been waiting trial for his involvement with Death Eaters, so this experience was nothing.

Alas, that wasn’t to be so.

One man, a tall and stocky figure, stood and approached Severus, standing in front of him.

“What are you in for?”

Severus ignored him, keeping his eyes on the cold, stone floor.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. What are you in for?”

Severus didn’t respond.

“You one of those dark and silent types? I bet you’re a psychopath. Murder someone?”

Growing annoyed, Severus bit out, “I believe my reasons here are none of your concern.”

“So, it does speak!” the man smiled. “So, who’d you murder? Relative? Stranger? Child?”

“I don’t see how any of this concerns you.”

“I’m just trying to get to know everyone here. It’s good to make alliances. Don’t you think?”

               “Perhaps, if curiosity wasn’t such a killer.”

               “You trying to tell me something, psycho?”

               At the point, the door to the holding cell opened and an officer stepped in, one standing by the doorway.  

               “Break it up, you two,” the man said. “Go sit down.”

               The man glared at Severus before turning away and sitting back down where he was originally. The officer stopped in front of Severus.      

               “Let’s go, sir,” the officer said to Severus. “Some gentleman paid your bail.”

               Severus stood, glad to leave the room, and followed the officer to the office area where he was returned his coat and told to wait for instructions from the man behind the desk.

               “Severus, my boy!”

               Severus turned and glared at Albus, who was happily smiling as he stood from the chair he had been waiting in. The man was wearing some green muggle winter coat. Always have to stand out, doesn’t he?

               “Don’t talk to me, Albus,” Severus demanded as he dug for his wand in his coat sleeve.

               “Now, Severus Snape, correct?” the man behind the desk asked, while shuffling through files and papers. Severus discreetly waved his wand, twirling it softly in his hand. “I’m filling out a paper on your court date and . . .”

               The man blinked in confusion and looked at the files in his hand and up at Severus.

               “I’m sorry,” the man said. “I seem to have forgotten what I was doing. What did you need?”

               “You were clearing me of all charges,” Severus said in a dull tone.

               “Right, right,” the man nodded, shuffling through the files again for the right paperwork. While the man filled out what he needed, Severus slid his wand away and ignored Albus’s disapproving look at his wand use. Thankfully, Albus said nothing while the man had Severus sign a few papers, handing him copies of various pages before saying he was good to go. Severus thanked the man and stormed past Albus, who quickly followed him. They both left the building and walked down the sidewalk, Albus trying to catch up to Severus.

               “You have to understand,” Albus called out, “why this had to be done, Severus.”

               “Frankly,” Severus spat through gritted teeth, shoving his coat on in brisk, angry movements, “I don’t, Albus.” Severus didn’t stop walking once and he knew Albus was falling behind.

               “Severus, please, stop!”

               Severus immediately stopped and turned sharply, glaring at the older man.

               “I understand you are angry with the results of this,” Albus reasoned, continuing to approach Severus, catching up to the man. “I only want what is best for Harry and the blood wards offer the best protection the boy will ever have. He needs to stay with his relatives despite what I am sure you have witnessed. And I’m sorry I had put you to this difficult task, but if the boy experienced just a small scare –”

               “Oh, trust me, Albus,” Severus interrupted, “Harry’s terrified! I hope you’re happy!”

               “I do not take pleasure in the fear of young children, my boy.”

               “And you think I do?”

               “I do not. I had hoped it would be easier on you, but I now see that I was mistaken.”               

               “You often are, Albus. Often.”

               Severus turned at that, trudging away through the snow, leaving Albus behind to his thoughts.

               Severus apparated to Hogsmeade and walked the rest of the way to Hogwarts, taking the time to enjoy some peace and quiet. He couldn’t shake the image of Harry reaching out for him but being dragged away by his terrible aunt instead. It didn’t matter anymore, he tried to convince himself. Harry wasn’t his concern. He was back in the safety of the blood wards, despite the dangers of his relatives’ hateful behavior towards him. He didn’t have to worry about him anymore.

               But the vision of the scared boy kept eating away at him.

               Once back in his own quarters at Hogwarts, he lit his fireplace and cast a warming charm on him. Severus quickly found his way to his kitchen and pulled out a bitter beer. He needed a good drink after the day he had. Harry’s teary eyes kept invading his thoughts and he shook his head and drank the beer hastily, wondering if he could drink away the memories of the past couple days. He never felt so useless in his life. He should have done more. He should have told he officers the full story while they were driving him away. Would they have even believed him? Could he go back and make a report?

               What difference did it make? Someone was sure to interfere with his plans. Albus more likely. Or the Ministry of Magic. Or even child services themselves. Clearly Petunia knew how to play the normal family act. It would be hard to accuse anything with her word and a child who was picky about who he spoke to.

               This was the worst day of his life.

               At least it was over. He should just forget these past couple days. Just let them roll off his shoulder.

               Like they never even happened.

               Never happened at all.         

 

It was dark. All around him was nothing but complete blackness. He was used to it though, very used to it. It was all he had ever really known – darkness. That, and how unwanted he was; what a burden he was. He was just an orphaned child who would never be loved like a normal kid in a normal family.

               He knew all of this.

               Until he met that stranger from the hotel.

               Harry rubbed at his eyes tiredly, but he couldn’t sleep. He’d been having a lot of trouble falling asleep lately, especially after Uncle Vernon smashed his head against the wall when they all returned from the hotel. His bottom had burned something awful after Uncle Vernon pulled off his belt and smacked him with it bare, demanding to know why he dared to interrupt the meeting and why he was still even alive. Even Aunt Petunia told him that she wished that the stranger hadn’t found him and that he had just froze to death in the storm. It was some welcome home. But Harry knew that they wouldn’t have been happy seeing him again. They never smiled when they looked at him.

It had been a while since he had stayed the couple nights at the hotel. A week, maybe? And here he was, back in his small, cold, dark cupboard. Well, it was dark because it was past midnight. But the dark didn’t scare Harry – it was what was hidden in the dark that scared him. He remembered stepping out of his cupboard one night to scavenge the trash for the left-over food Aunt Petunia had deliberately thrown out, only to run right into Uncle Vernon in the kitchen. He hadn’t seen him right away and had just opened the lid to the trash when Uncle Vernon stopped him and yelled at him. He was thrown right back into his cupboard and locked in for the night.

That was another fear he had – being locked in a small room. He never knew when he’d be let out again. The longest time he had been locked in his cupboard and forgotten was for three days straight. No matter how hard he pounded at the door and cried to be let out, no one opened it. Harry had wondered if the Dursley’s had left the house to go on some trip in that time, forgetting all about him in his cupboard. No food, no water, no bathroom, Harry cried every day until Aunt Petunia opened the door that third day. Harry feared his cupboard, but he also found solace in it. Remarkably.

His cupboard was the one place he could hide from the Dursleys and hide some of his meaningful belongings from Dudley – what few belongings he had. A couple army men toys, a few drawings he had colored from Dudley’s broken crayons, but his latest addition was by far his favorite.

The soft, black winter coat from his time at the hotel. Harry still wasn’t sure where that man had gotten it, but it was soft and kept him warm. He used it as a blanket rather than as a coat since it could cover him better than his old blanket and Dudley’s old pajamas worked as sleepwear, though they were ripped in some places. But this coat reminded Harry of the man who had shown him what a little care could do. Harry snuggled more under the coat, breathing in its strange smell of spices and herbs.

“Mr. Snape,” Harry murmured, remembering that this was the same smell the man had had when he had curled up next to the man the last night he was with him.

Even though he had been pushed away, the second time Harry latched himself to the man, Mr. Snape had allowed him to stay near, giving up in making him move. It had been so nice feeling safe and secure at the man’s side.

Why didn’t Mr. Snape take him the next morning? Didn’t he feel safe and secure too? Mr. Snape had said that even if he had wanted to take Harry in, he wouldn’t have been able to. But why? And did that mean that Mr. Snape did want to take him in? What was holding him back?

Harry pulled the coat more securely over his shoulders, but that left his feet exposed. He shivered. Since returning back, he had only been let out of his cupboard to do his chores, cook breakfast and some dinners, and to eat a nibble here and there when Aunt Petunia allowed him. They had tried to throw out all his new clothes, from the coat to the new socks. Everything had gone into the trash and had been waiting on the curb, but Harry had left his cupboard and rescued the coat when everyone had been asleep. He didn’t care too much about the other things. The coat was special. It could turn into a nightshirt when Mr. Snape waved that stick of his. And it smelled just like Mr. Snape. This coat was everything to him now.

All this thought of Mr. Snape made Harry miss the man terribly. He was in prison now. That’s what Aunt Petunia said. The man could never bother her family again because he was behind bars with a bunch of bad people like murderers and psychos – right where he belonged. Harry didn’t like that at all. Mr. Snape wasn’t a bad man. Mr. Snape was good – he helped him out of the storm and warmed him and fed him and made him drink awful tasting medicine that made him feel better. Mr. Snape didn’t deserve to be in prison with bad people.

It was all his fault! Harry felt tears burn his eyes and he rubbed his face in the soft fabric of the coat. If he hadn’t been found, then Mr. Snape wouldn’t be in prison where he didn’t belong. But he had been so cold, he hadn’t been able to find a better hiding spot. Now Mr. Snape was gone and in prison! He really was a freak! He always made bad things like this happen! Poor Mr. Snape.

Harry rubbed at his face before deciding it was high time to leave again. No one wanted him, and Mr. Snape was gone forever. Maybe he could run to the prison and look for Mr. Snape. Where was the prison anyway?

Harry rolled off his little bed and grabbed Dudley’s old sneakers and threw them on. He should have saved his new boots Mr. Snape had given him. They had fit perfectly. But they were gone with the garbage truck now. Harry put on two more pairs of trousers, fitting them over each other to keep his legs warm and then put his winter coat on. This would keep him really warm. It hadn’t snowed in a while and the snow outside was slowly turning to slush. But it was still freezing so he’d need to keep warm.

               His plan: to find Mr. Snape. He would break him out of jail if he could. He’d find a way. He could do it. And then Mr. Snape would definitely want to keep him for rescuing him from all the murderers.

               But who was he kidding? He couldn’t break someone out of prison! Could he?

               Only one way to find out, Harry thought as he tiptoed out of his cupboard and out the front door. He would find Mr. Snape if it was the last thing he did.

 

 

 

               Severus headed for Albus’s office in hopes to catch the man before he left for the ministry. He needed to talk to him about Harry’s situation. It had been just over two weeks since the hotel incident and the whole problem was eating at his conscience. He just wanted to hear from Albus that there truly was no other way to help Harry. That should help calm his mind and put everything at ease. He gave the gargoyle the password and headed up the stairway, pausing at the door as he heard voices talking.

               He should turn away. Eavesdropping wasn’t appropriate and tended to get him in trouble – take the prophesy situation for example. But old habits die hard, especially when he heard a female’s voice say, “Harry Potter.”

               Severus froze as he had been turning away. He stepped a bit closer to the door and listened closely.

               “Calm down, Mrs. Baxley,” Albus was saying. “I’m sure he is somewhere safe and . . .”

               “How could you say that?” a woman seemed to yell. “That poor boy is out there, and we have no idea where he is! He’s been missing for five days, Albus! Five days! Do you know how long that is? What is he eating? Where is he sleeping? This is terrible, Albus! This is the seventh time he’s run. And my locator charms don’t even work!”

               “I’m sure there is a good reason for all of this,” Albus said in a calmer voice. “I, myself, will head out this afternoon and look for the boy. If I find him, I will return him home.”

               “Home! That boy needs to be locked up somewhere! Obviously, home isn’t home to him! This needs to end and he needs to be somewhere safe at all times. He can’t keep running away like this.”

               “I will see what I can do. I can be persuasive and I’m sure I can talk to Harry’s relatives about making home feel more like home. If I must bribe them to be kinder than I shall. Harry must remain where he is safe.”

               That did it. Severus slowly backed away from the door before rushing down the stairs and back to his quarters. He would go look for the boy. He couldn’t let Albus take Harry back to those terrible people – not after what he had witnessed at the hotel. Harry deserved better. Besides, the boy would never stay. He’d never call it home. It never would be home. He would always run away in search of something better.

               But what would I do with him? Severus thought as he neared his quarters. Where would I keep him? He could keep the boy hidden at Spinner’s End, perhaps have a house elf watch him during the day. Or, with the right magic and strategic thinking, he might be able to sneak Harry into Hogwarts and hide the boy in his quarters. Of course, he’d have the house elf assigned to his rooms to keep an eye on the boy as well. It’d be simple. And while he kept the boy hidden, he’d search for the perfect home for Harry. A nice young couple looking for a sweet boy perhaps?

He’d think on that later, he just had to get to Harry before Albus did. The boy would only suffer more torture from Petunia and her whale of a husband, no matter how influential Albus believed he was. 

               Severus reached his quarters and threw open the door. And nearly had a heart attack.

               “Mr. Snape!”

               Severus jumped back, his back slamming into the closed door behind him. In front of him, standing in the middle of his living room, was Harry Potter. But it wasn’t really Harry Potter, it was more like a silvery apparition of the boy, reminding Severus of corporeal patronuses. Severus slowly pushed away from the door, studying Harry.

               “Harry?” he questioned.

               “Remember me? From the hotel?”

               “Yes, yes, I remember you,” Severus circled around Harry, the child smiling up at him and watching him. Severus hesitantly reached out to touch the apparition, but his hand went right through.  “How are you . . . doing that?”

               “I don’t know. I just thought about you and how much I wanted to find you and there you were! I was hoping you might want to see me, too.”

               Severus frowned. That didn’t make sense at all. It was probably accidental magic, but of what kind? Severus had never seen such a thing as this before. But he’d have to focus on it later. He needed to find the boy.

               “Where are you?”

               “I don’t know.”

               “Harry work with me here,” Severus growled in exasperation. “What did you see around you before you . . . did this?”

               “I can still see what’s around me, Harry said looking around. And you, too! You’re standing right in front of me! But you’re kind of all . . . ghost like.”

               Well, this was weird, Severus thought, but he couldn’t waste time thinking on it. Albus was a powerful wizard and he was sure to be able to find the boy. Severus figured Harry’s magic was playing a role in hiding himself, whether the boy realized it or not.

               “Okay, what do you see around you?”

               “I see . . . a really tall thing in front of me. There’s a statue of a man at the top!”

               Great. At this rate, the boy could be describing a thousand locations. He needed Harry to be as specific as possible, but this was just . . . well, then again, he was seven.

               “What else? I need you to be as specific as possible.”

               “Err, there’s a fountain . . .”

               Yes, several places had fountains, Severus growled in his head.

               “There’s another fountain!” Harry’s apparition pointed to the side. “There in these pools . . .”

               Severus could feel himself growing frustrated and he said, “Harry, do you see anything really . . . out of the ordinary. Something . . . incredible or really amazing to you.”

               “I don’t know . . . the lions are brilliant.”

               “Lions? You see lions? How many?” Severus asked quickly.

               “Umm . . . one, two . . .” Harry seemed to look around something. “Three . . . four. Four big lions.”

               “Four lion statues,” Severus said more to himself as he thought, “the Landseer Lions, you’re in Trafalgar Square! You’re almost two hours away from home. How did you get there?”

               “Remember when I told you I ended up on my school roof?” Harry asked.

               “Yes.”

               “It was like that, but I ended up here. I kept wishing to go to you, but I came here. I spent the night here with that lion because I was so tired.” Harry pointed off to something. 

               Apparition, Severus concluded. The boy must have attempted to apparate to where his magic must have sensed Severus at, but only made it so far. The boy was just that, a boy and his magic was probably worn after apparating so far for his age. Severus had to admit it, the boy surprised him. It may have only been a two-hour distance, but that was really far for someone Harry’s age. Now if he could just figure out this new magic happening right now. Well, figure it out later, he will.

               “Okay, Harry,” Severus said, summoning his muggle coat. “I’m coming to get you. Stay near Nelson’s Column.”

               Harry smiled when Severus said he was coming for him but then frowned and asked, “Who?”

               “No, not who. The statue. The tall thing with the man on top.”

               “Oh, that. Okay.”

               “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be there soon.”

               “Okay.”

               Severus slowly backed away to his door, watching curiously as Harry’s apparition faded away. How strange. How very strange.

               Severus managed to sneak out of Hogwarts and past the apparition wards where he apparated to Trafalgar Square. He quickly scanned the large crowd of people, trying to spot Harry as he moved towards Nelson’s Column. He circled around it, but he didn’t see Harry anywhere. Where on earth was that kid? He told him to stay near the Column!

               Feeling a bit desperate as he did not want to be seen when Albus arrived, he called out for Harry, then started asking random people if they may have seen the boy.

               “Excuse me,” Severus stopped a group of tourists, “did you see a small boy, about yea high, err . . . messy black hair, glasses, green eyes . . .?”

               The group of people were already shaking their heads and saying “no” when Severus started asking, apologizing to him and moving on. Severus moved on to the next person he saw, then the next, feeling more frantic as everyone shook their head. He could search the entire square with so many people. What if someone had snatched the boy? How terrible! Severus stopped a man staring down at some map.

               “I’m sorry, sir, have you seen a little boy? He’s wearing a black winter coat, glasses, black hair . . .”

               “Is that him?” the man questioned pointing off somewhere.

               Severus followed his finger and saw an officer trying to drag a small boy out of the square, the child resisting and whining in protest. Harry.

               “Yes, yes, thank you,” Severus said, barely acknowledging the man’s nod before rushing to the officer and Harry. As he neared, he could hear the officer speaking.

               “You know, if you just told me where your parents are, you wouldn’t have to come with me,” the man snapped, sounding exasperated.

               “He’s mine, officer,” Severus said quickly once he was close enough to grab Harry and pull him away from the man. “Thank you for finding him. Harry, I told you to stay near, didn’t I?”

               Harry smiled up at him but didn’t answer. The officer just nodded and told Severus, “Just keep him close. Kids get lost around here pretty easily.”

               Severus thanked the officer again before taking Harry’s hand and leading him away.

               “You found me, sir!” Harry smiled up at him, gladly holding tightly to Severus’s hand. Severus said nothing, simply wanting to find a place out of sight so he could disapparate. 

               Suddenly, a loud noise of apparition caught Severus’s attention and he immediately sensed Albus’s magic. He looked around for the older wizard, seeing the man instantly in his rather atrocious muggle green coat. The man looked around and Severus ducked his head, lifting the hood of his own winter coat and pulling Harry along faster. He couldn’t disapparate with Albus around. Doing so would alert Albus to his magical signature. While he could perform a little magic here and there without being detected, large spells such as that tended to create a magical signature other wizards could learn to recognize. And Severus was sure Albus knew his as well as he knew Albus’s. What was he supposed to do now?

               Severus tugged on Harry’s hand, trying to urge the boy to keep up with his quick paces.

               “Mr. Snape, look at the horsey!” Harry said excitedly, pointing up at the equestrian statue of King George IV, slowing down to stare up at it.

               “Not now,” Severus snapped, picking Harry up and rushing along with the boy on his hip. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with carrying a small child, but he could sense that Albus was following them, probably using a spell to look for Harry’s magical signature. Whatever the boy had been doing to conceal himself before, he clearly wasn’t doing it now. Unless Albus had a different, stronger spell he was using.

               Severus needed somewhere he could hide just long enough to do a little magic of his own. Light magic that wouldn’t be noticed at all. He looked up at the National Gallery. The large pillars and entry way to the museum gave him an idea. He ran up the stairs towards the museum, then up the stairway that led to where the several columns were, he chose one in the far back away from the stairway he had climbed up and moved behind it so he was out of all sight from people.

Switching Harry to his other hip, he pulled out his wand and made small circular movements around Harry’s head, taking a small hint of his magical signature, his wand creating a reddish orb at the tip. Harry watched in awe as Severus gave his wand a flick and the little red orb detached itself from the wand and hovered in the air. Severus flicked his wand to the entry way of the museum and the little orb flew inside. Then, Severus held his wand between himself and Harry and cast a weak concealment spell, hoping that the orb’s magical presence caught Albus’s attention before he bothered to search harder. Once that was complete, Severus held a finger to his lips, looking pointedly at Harry, who nodded in response and used both hands to cover his mouth.

               Meanwhile, Albus climbed up the stairway, discreetly hiding his wand in the sleeve of his coat, following its pull that he had set to track Harry Potter. He paused as the pull weakened for a moment as if unsure of where to go. Albus looked around the pillars and amongst the crowd forming. Then, his wand tugged against his sleeve, leading him to the entry way of the museum. Albus sighed, if Harry had gone inside there, it might take ages to find him. Albus followed his wand’s lead and walked into the National Gallery.

               Severus glanced around the pillar he was behind just in time to see Albus’s green coat disappear inside the museum. He sighed in relief and pulled down his hood. He wasn’t sure how long that orb would last, so he kept Harry on his hip and rushed down the stairway closest to him and away from the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. Once he was far away enough to avoid his signature being detected, and far enough from as many people as possible, he stood behind a tree, checked his surroundings once more, then dispparated with Harry.

               He apparated to Spinner’s End first and finally set Harry on his own feet. Harry looked up at the old, crumbling house before him, the door chipped, ivy crawling up the side, and the stairs creaking as Severus walked up them. Harry quickly followed the man.

               “Is this where you live, Mr. Snape?” Harry asked.

               Severus used his wand to unlock his door. He looked down at the child as he held the door open for him. “Sometimes,” he decided to say.

               Harry entered the house and looked at all the antique looking living room space. He frowned at how dusty it was inside and sneezed. Severus shut the door behind them and moved past Harry. He just wanted to find the boy some clothes (old ones of his that he could size) and possibly a few books and toys for the boy. Severus never had many toys growing up, preferring the books, but he had a coupld trinkets lying around in the attic. Harry explored the living room and before Severus entered his small library, he paused and looked at Harry.

               “Do not touch anything,” he said. “Just wait right there.”

               Harry froze where he was and nodded, clasping his hands behind his back.

               Severus went into his library and scanned the shelves for books he had enjoyed when he was younger. He found The Tales of Beedle the Bard, perfect for Harry. That was the only thing he saw that might be suitable for Harry. He’d try the library at Hogwarts, but it would seem suspicious checking out kids’ books. He’d just buy the kid some books later. It wasn’t like he planned on having Harry around for long. Severus moved to the attic and searched boxes for old clothes. He found some outfits from when he was in his teens. They were simple, blue trousers, plain long-sleeved shirts in colors of black, blue, and one lonely shade of green. He could shrink those down for the boy and if worse came to worse, he’d just buy the kid an outfit or two. While he had been searching for clothes, he found a yo-yo, a Rubik’s cube, and a puzzle of all the constellations that Severus remembered putting together with Lily when they had been children. It was complicated, but would keep Harry busy. Classics for children, Severus figured.

               Severus decided he had enough for now, he shrunk everything, pocketed them, and returned back downstairs to the living room. He saw Harry quickly back away from a shelf and back to the spot he was in before Severus had gone to the library. Severus frowned at him.

               “What did you do?” he snapped.

               “Nothing,” Harry said, though his eyes glanced at the shelf.

               “Do not lie to me! If you broke something . . .”

               “I didn’t,” Harry insisted. “I only looked.”

               Severus glared at Harry and moved to the shelf to see what the boy found so fascinating. The shelf only had a couple picture frames, one with just Eileen Snape, nee Prince, Severus’s mother, and the other with both her and Tobias, his father.

               “Are those your parents, Mr. Snape?” Harry asked.

               Severus turned and looked at Harry.

               “Yes,” he answered simply before moving towards Harry and reaching into his pocket.

               “Are they still alive?”

               “One is.”

               “Oh. Which one?”

               “I don’t believe that is any of your concern.”

               Severus held out his hand towards Harry, who at first flinched at the movement. Severus enlarged the object he was holding, choosing to ignore the flinch.

               “Well? Take it.”

               Harry looked at what Severus was holding out to him – a yo-yo. Harry looked up at the man then slowly accepted the small toy. He smiled as he gave the yo-yo a try. He had never had a yo-yo before, but he had seen many other kids play with them before. He managed to figure it out quickly and he hugged Severus, who tensed and froze, unsure of what to do. Harry smiled up at him.

               “Thank you, Mr. Snape.”

               “Indeed,” Severus said, placing his hands on Harry’s shoulders and pushing the boy back. “Do not break it or lose it. You will not get another one.”

               “Yes, sir,” Harry said, holding the yo-yo close, looking up at Severus with obvious admiration in his eyes. Severus wasn’t sure how to respond to such a look and he just awkwardly picked Harry up and apparated to Hogsmeade to the apparition point near Hogwarts. He hoped Albus hadn’t completed his search yet. Severus looked at Harry and decided a simple concealment charm was in order.

               “Come here,” Severus pulled Harry closer to him. “I’m about to use a spell that will turn you temporarily invisible. You are to stay as close to me as possible. So close that I can feel you and know you are with me, okay? Do not abuse this.”

               “I won’t,” Harry shook his head.

               Severus sighed and waved his wand over Harry, slowly turning the child transparent. This spell, when he performed it, only lasted fifteen minutes tops before another recast was needed. They would have to move quickly.   

               Harry didn’t feel any different until he looked down at himself and saw right through his own body. He was invisible! Harry smiled and laughed at the sight of himself.

               “Shh!” Severus shushed, and Harry clamped his hands over his mouth. “Come.”

               Severus led Harry to the castle, the boy pressing against his side. As they neared Hogwarts, Harry gasped and stared in awe at the large castle. Severus had to feel for the boy, then press a hand on Harry’s back to urge him forward. He had to slow his stride, so Harry could keep up with him, but he used the quickest route to his quarters. He just hoped no one stopped him on the way. It was a Saturday, so many students were in their common rooms or the library. But Severus wasn’t sure where his colleagues might be at.

               He surprisingly arrived in his quarters without running into anyone, and just in time, too, as the spell wore off on Harry. Now, the only problem was someone might notice another presence in the castle – Albus mainly. But couldn’t house elves . . .?  

               “Eve!” Severus called out.

               The house elf assigned to his quarters popped in, startling Harry who fell backwards into an armchair at the sight of her. The elf glanced at Harry briefly before focusing on Severus.

               “How can Eve help you, Master Snape?”

               “You can conceal the magical signature of a wizard, correct?”

               “Yes, Master Snape. Would Master Snape like his signature concealed?”

               “Not mine, his,” Severus nodded towards Harry. “And you cannot tell anyone that he is here, especially Albus Dumbledore. And no other house elves are to come here, clear? And you will keep an eye on him while I attend to my classes.”

               “Oh, yes, very clear. Eve will keep new little master a secret and keep an eye on him. And conceal his signature.”

               Eve turned and snapped her fingers at Harry, who just blinked at her.

               “Harry,” Severus said, and Harry looked up at him. “This is Eve. While I am teaching, she will keep an eye on you for me. You are not to leave these rooms under any circumstances. Ever. Do you understand?”

               Harry said nothing, just looked back and forth between Eve and Severus. Severus frowned and repeated, “Do you understand?”

               Harry nodded.

               “Good. Eve, you are dismissed.”

               Eve bowed deeply and, with a loud pop, disappeared.

               “What was she?” Harry asked.

               “She was a house elf, Harry,” Severus answered but decided not to go into too much detail.

               “Oh. Are you keeping me?”

               “For now,” Severus said. “I am going to look around for a more suitable family for you and then we’ll see where we go from there. Hopefully, you won’t be cramped here for too long.”

               “Oh,” Harry said, looking a bit disappointed.

               A loud knock on the door sounded and Severus nearly jumped out of his skin. He grabbed Harry’s arm and pulled the boy out of the chair and dragged him towards his bedroom, shoving the boy inside.

               “Stay in here,” he commanded. “Do not move, do not make a sound.”

               Harry nodded.

               Severus closed the door as another knock sounded through the room. He hoped Eve’s magic was enough to conceal Harry as he opened the door to see who it was, though he had a pretty good guess.

               “Evening, headmaster,” Severus greeted, opening the door more to allow Albus to enter.

               “I’m afraid it isn’t quite a good evening, Severus,” Albus sighed as he stepped in and sat exhaustedly in an armchair.

               “And why might that be?” Severus asked, moving to the kitchen to make some tea.

               “I have terrible news, my boy. Harry Potter has gone missing. He ran away from home and has not been seen in five days. I have sent family services out looking for him several times, but it seems Harry’s magic is protecting himself from being found again. I fear that if it isn’t his magic protecting him, the boy may have been kidnapped. And by who knows who. I can only fear the worse.”

               “Potter clearly wasn’t terrified enough to stay put at his relatives,” Severus said as he poured the tea and brought Albus a cup. “I’m sure the boy didn’t go far. His magic must simply be blocking locator spells for the time being. Perhaps, Albus, you need to look more into why he’s running away. I knew Petunia and let me tell you, she was the most unpleasant being on this planet. I wouldn’t put it past her to be treating Potter . . . unfairly.”

               “I understand your concerns, Severus. I had too much faith that blood would mean more to Petunia than what Harry was. He is her family.”  

               Severus said nothing and Albus sipped at the tea.

               “I need your help, Severus. I need you to look for Harry Potter when I cannot. We must find him. Investigate if he has been taken and if any of . . . you know who knows where he may be. He could have been taken for a sinister plot, or even an attempt to finish Lord Voldemort’s mission.”

               Severus flinched at the use of Voldemort’s name. He still didn’t like to hear it. Sometimes, his left arm burned just in memory when someone said the name. Albus ignored it however.

               “I will see to it,” Severus said.

               “But Severus, let’s not mention to anyone of Harry’s disappearance. If the wizarding community hears of this, there may be . . . mass panic. And if your acquaintances know nothing of it, it’d be best not to let them gain any hints.”

               “Yes, Albus. I’ll be careful.”

               “Thank you, Severus. I can always trust you.”

               Severus didn’t answer to that

“Well, I should continue my search with family services. I’ll be on my way. I hope we find the poor boy soon.”

               “Indeed,” Severus commented, opening the door for Albus as the man left.

               Severus waited until he could no longer hear Albus’s footsteps leaving before sighing in relief and opening the door to his bedroom. Harry was sitting on the floor playing with the yo-yo Severus had given him.

               “Well,” Severus began, leaning against the doorframe, “it’s nearing dinnertime. I’m sure you’re hungry. When did you last eat?”

               Harry shrugged before saying, “I found a part of a burger in the dumpster last night.”

               Severus made a disgusted face. Did Harry actually go dumpster diving? And then Severus had gone and picked him up. He felt like he could smell garbage on his own robe now. Wonderful. “I think a bath is in order first. I’m sure you haven’t bathed in a while. Take that coat off.”

               Harry shrugged out of his coat while Severus entered the room and emptied his pockets on the bed. He realized he would have to come up with a place for Harry to sleep. He didn’t like the idea of using the couch, just in case someone knocked on his door in the middle of the night. One could never be too cautious. He didn’t have an extra room at the moment, the other two rooms were a study and a lab. Then the bathroom, which was connected to his room. He also realized he would have to set some rules for Harry. And probably structure out some kind of schedule so Harry didn’t bore while he was away. Who knew children were so much work?

               “Where should I put this?” Harry said, holding up his winter coat.

               Severus looked at the coat that had once been one of his teaching robes. He pointed to his wardrobe and said, “Hang it in there for now.”

               While Harry obeyed, Severus decided to run Harry a bath. He’d think of rules tonight and write them out, along with a schedule. In the morning before his classes, he’d go over them with Harry. After the tub was full and Harry was in the water bathing, Severus ordered Eve to bring whatever was being served in the Great Hall down for him and Harry. It turned out to be a warm dinner of shepherd’s pie. Severus went back to his bedroom and looked at the objects on his bed. He shrunk all the clothes to Harry’s size and set puzzle and cube on a desk in the room. He used a couple of his nightshirts for Harry, shrinking them down to Harry’s size. He would have to buy the boy some clothes to wear, such as shorts, socks, and some new shoes.

               There was a large empty corner in his room. He once had the desk from his study there, but found it too crowded. Severus found an empty box and transfigured it into a bedspring, using one of his pillows to transfigure into a mattress. The bed filled the space right up. Minerva would be so proud of his transfiguration skills. They were definitely improving. Eve supplied the blankets and pillows.

Severus checked on Harry. The boy looked clean enough, and Severus helped the boy into a towel and handed him some nightclothes. It wasn’t as if they would be going out any time soon. Once Harry was dressed, he ran to admire his new bed, happily lying on it and hugging a pillow close. The boy looked so happy. Severus frowned. Anything could make the boy smile. Absolutely anything.

After eating dinner and having the boy read The Tales of Beedle Bard until eight, which Severus figured was late enough for Harry, Severus worked on a rules list and a schedule for the boy in his study. He would make sure to go over everything first thing in the morning and make sure the boy understood them perfectly. His mind went back to the strange apparition appearance earlier that afternoon. He had seen Harry right before him, and Harry said he saw Severus in the same way Severus saw him. It baffled Severus, and he would have to look more into it. Perhaps the library had a book on the event, explaining how exactly it happened. At the moment, Severus would chart it to accidental magic.  

Severus knew he’d have to find more interactive and stimulating games for Harry while he was gone. While the yo-yo made the boy smile, any other boy Harry’s age would rather some cool game after a five-minute play period with such an old toy. Severus sighed. Why had he gotten himself into this mess? If Albus ever caught him . . .

Well, he would just have to make sure Albus didn’t catch him. It wouldn’t be for long. Severus would find a nice family for Harry in a few days tops. Until then, he would just have to put up with Harry. And keep the boy away from dumpsters. Severus sighed and rubbed his face. He felt like some kind of triple agent now – working against both sides. This was terrible.

After creating a schedule, a list of rules, and grading several essays, it was nearing midnight when Severus decided to retire himself. He went back to his bedroom and paused to look at Harry. Just to make sure the boy was still asleep, he told himself.

As he hovered over Harry’s makeshift bed, the boy’s eyes fluttered open and sleep filled green emeralds looked up at him. Harry smiled at him and said, “Night-night, Mr. Snape,” then snuggled deeper into his pillow before closing his eyes again, falling back to sleep. Severus stepped back, unsure of what to think. Harry was asleep still, that was all that mattered.

Severus took care of his nightly routines before crawling in bed himself. For the longest while, he found that he couldn’t sleep, his mind straying to the situation with Harry. Was he doing the right thing? Could he even pull this off? Even if he found a family, legally they needed to go through an adoption process with the Ministry. This would never work! Would it?

With all the turmoil in his head, it would prove to be a long, fitful night for Severus.

 

It was a rough night for Severus, and he barely got any sleep, yet the next morning he managed to crawl out of bed and into a hot shower. Once he was dressed for his classes in his usual robes, he checked on Harry. The boy was awake and sitting up on the makeshift bed, fully dressed in the clothes he had worn yesterday. Severus didn’t think much of it, simply told Harry to follow him out to his dining area connected to his kitchen.

               Eve must have already set out breakfast for them, knowing they would be out soon. Severus guessed that was one way to allow the hot meal of eggs and sausage to cool. Severus sat down at the head, Harry sitting down in a seat closest to him.

               “Morning, Mr. Snape,” Harry smiled at him.

               “Morning,” Severus returned. “We have a lot to talk about before I leave for classes.”

               “Like what?”

               “Like the rules I have while I am away, and I’ve put together a schedule for you to follow . . .”

               A knock at the door caught their attention. Harry glanced over curiously at the door then back at Severus, who frowned and stood to answer it, telling Harry to stay put and quiet. Severus opened the door just enough to see who was outside.

               “Headmaster,” Severus greeted, his frown deepening. The headmaster had a blank expression on his face.

               “You have him, don’t you, Severus?” the elder man asked.

               “Excuse me?” Severus wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. Albus knew he had Harry? Did he sense the child’s presence last night despite Eve’s magic? This wasn’t good.

               “You have Harry Potter,” Albus clarified, his face contorting into a frown. “Do not deny it. I know he is here.”

               “Headmaster, I can explain,” Severus said, even as Albus pushed his way through the door. Severus shut the door behind him and watched as Albus stared at Harry, the boy staring back in his usual quiet demeanor. “Albus, if you had witnessed what I had, you’d understand why I . . .”

               “I thought I could trust you, Severus.”

               Severus was taken back by the statement. He hadn’t really expected the man to be so blunt with him, but that was just like Albus, wasn’t it?

               “I asked for your help,” Albus continued, “and you betrayed me. How could you do this, Severus? You know what the boy is worth to the wizarding community, how could you risk his life in such . . .”

               “Risk his life!” Severus snapped, standing between Albus and Harry to keep the boy out of the man’s sight. “The boy would be dead if it hadn’t been for me! He’d still be on the streets if it hadn’t been for me. And he’d be back with those vile rats if it hadn’t been for me! I’m saving his life, which is more than can be said for you!”

               Albus just stared at Severus with a blank expression before the man sighed heavily.

               “I’m afraid that this must be done, Severus. The boy must return to his relatives where he is safe behind the blood wards. I must remove the boy from you.”

               “Over my dead body,” Severus snarled.

               “Then so be it, Severus.”

               Suddenly, several Aurors blasted through the door and entered Severus’s quarters, stunning Severus and pinning him to the ground, removing his wand. Severus tried to fight the stunner, willing his magic to break through the spell as he heard Harry whine upsettingly in the background. He urged every muscle to move. He couldn’t let Albus take Harry! He could see out of the corner of his eye Albus dragging the boy away, pausing at the door.

               “You were a loyal servant, Severus,” Albus said. “But kidnapping the Boy-Who-Lived is punishable with a dementor’s kiss.”

               With that, Albus left his quarters, Harry’s crying fading as the boy was forced away.

               And then, the entire room changed around him, growing dark and dim like a prison cell in Azkaban. The Aurors had all vanished, though Severus was still trapped to the ground, unable to move, wandless, defenseless. He could see dementors flying over his head, moving closer, the feeling of despair and hopelessness growing. He struggled to move, to summon his wand to him, to do anything. He needed his patronus! He didn’t have his wand and he couldn’t move, but could he still conjure one wordlessly and windlessly.

               Severus thought the words, expecto patronum, in his head and willed his patronus to come to his aid. The silvery doe leaped to his defense as the dementors neared closer, but instead of fending off the dementors, she galloped away and disappeared, as if she, too, felt some kind of betrayal from Severus.

               He was completely on his own with no one to help him. A dementor flew by his face and he screamed as he felt his soul being sucked away . . .

               Severus gasped as his eyes flew open and he sat up on his bed. He breathed heavily, wiping at the sweat dripping down his face. His heart was racing in his chest and he rubbed at his face with his hands. It had all been a dream. Just a nightmare.

               “Are you okay, Mr. Snape?”

               Severus nearly had another heart attack when he heard Harry speak, his head snapping over in the boy’s direction. Harry was sitting up on his bed, his legs over the side, staring at him with large green eyes.

               “Why are you awake?” Severus asked, ignoring the question. What time was it anyway? Severus grabbed his wand from the bedside stand and cast a time charm. It was half past two in the morning.

               “I woke up and couldn’t fall back to sleep,” Harry answered. “And then you were having a nightmare.”

               “Were you just staring at me this whole time?” Severus asked with a bit of a bite in his tone. How embarrassing.

               “I didn’t know what to do,” Harry admitted, quietly. “Are you okay?”

               There was that question again. Severus willed himself to take several deep breaths to calm his racing heart. “I’m fine, Harry,” Severus finally said. “Just go back to sleep.”

               “I’ve been trying, Mr. Snape. I don’t sleep well at night.”

               “What are you talking about? You slept fine at the hotel the last I remember. Now quit stalling and go back to bed.”

               Harry just stared at Severus, his face expressionless, reminding Severus of dream Albus’s face. That expression was going to haunt him for a while. Severus sighed. Maybe he should think of why the child wasn’t sleeping. Did the boy have a nightmare as well?

               “Did you have a nightmare?”

               “No.”

               “Do you need the bathroom?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “Then why can’t you go back to bed?”

               Harry shrugged and said, “I don’t know. It’s hard to sleep. Uncle Vernon made me hit my head and I can’t sleep good anymore.”

               Severus sighed. Great, the boy might as well as have a concussion. Though not the most common sign for concussions in children, sleep disturbances would be. This must have happened after the boy was taken home from the hotel. Severus motioned the boy over to him with his hand, rubbing at his face with his other. Harry jumped off the bed and quickly skipped over to him, standing by the bed.

               “Do you get headaches?” Severus asked, summoning a concussion healing potion. He’d have to dose Harry again in the morning and tomorrow evening, just to be safe.

               “Sometimes,” Harry said, making a face as Severus opened the vial and simply handed it to Harry, not bothering to measure anything out. Harry took the vial and sniffed it, gagging at the fumes that penetrated his nose.

               “Oh, quit the dramatics,” Severus frowned. “Two sips.”

               Harry scrunched his face and bravely brought the vial to his lips, taking two quick sips of the potion. Severus watched closely to make sure it would be enough. A sip would have been sufficient, but Severus had the vague idea that Harry might try to take the smallest sip he could. So, two would do.

               “How did your uncle make you hit your head?” Severus asked when Harry handed the vial back to him. He sent the vial flying back to his supply cupboard. 

               Harry shrugged.

               “Harry,” Severus scolded lightly. “Answer my question. Truthfully.”

               Harry’s eyes started to water as his lower lip trembled. Severus sighed and hit his head back against the headboard and wondered if he was being too harsh somehow – he didn’t think he was. He hadn’t yelled or . . . wait. Severus realized Harry did this little routine when he had asked about the Dursleys back at the hotel.

               “Don’t you start with the waterworks,” Severus snapped, but kept his voice soft so Harry wouldn’t find a reason to actually start crying. “I know exactly what you are doing. You will answer my question if we have to sit here all night. It’s . . . important that I know so I can make sure you get the right treatment and heal properly.”

               The last bit was semi-true, but Harry didn’t need to know that. 

               Harry stared at him for a silent moment before shrugging again and saying in a soft whisper, “Uncle Vernon smacked me a couple times with his belt then he tried to throw me in my cupboard, but he threw me at the wall instead.”

               Severus closed his eyes when Harry mentioned the belt. He hadn’t seen any damage when he had given Harry a bath last night, but this incident had happened two weeks ago. At least no permanent damage was seen. And a cupboard?

               “Your cupboard?”

               “My room.”

               “Your room is a cupboard?”

               “Under the stairs.”

               Severus raised an eyebrow at that. Petunia just had to find every possible way to make sure the boy knew he was unwanted and unwelcomed. Harry actually slept in a cupboard! What kind of room was that? Severus wanted to ask more about it, but he need to stay focused on the matter at hand.

               “So, you hit your head. Did you pass out?”

               “Mmm,” Harry scrunched his face in thought. “I think for maybe like two seconds.”

               So that was a yes. An hour could have felt like two seconds to Harry. And how would the boy know how long he was out if he woke in the same place. Severus wouldn’t put it past Petunia or her husband to just leave the boy exactly where he passed out.

               “Have you felt sick at all?”

               Harry shook his head.

               Severus sighed, his own head starting to hurt. He summoned one more vial and saw Harry make a face at it.

               “Don’t worry,” Severus mumbled, uncorking the headache reliever, “this one’s for me.”

               Severus took a large swallow of the potion before sending it back. They both needed to head back to sleep. 

               “Do you think you can try to fall back to sleep on your own? I have a potion that will help you.”

               Harry made another face and said, “I can fall asleep on my own.”

               “Very well. Head back to your bed.”

               Harry slowly walked back towards his bed. Severus settled back down in his own bed, hoping he’d have no more realistic nightmares for the night. Severus had just closed his eyes when he felt a small body climb on to his bed and curl under the covers. He sighed irritably, his eyes opening and looking over at the small boy snuggling into a spare pillow.

               “Harry, this isn’t your bed.”

               Harry just snuggled deeper into the pillow, his lashes against his cheeks and falling asleep in under a minute.

               Severus sighed and shifted over on his bed and rolling on his side, facing away from Harry. Just for tonight, he decided. As long as Harry was asleep. The concussion potions should cure his problem of waking up in the middle of the night and this would no longer be a problem. Severus closed his own eyes and managed to fall back to sleep himself.

The next morning, Severus opened his eyes and checked the time, seeing that it was six thirty. He decided he should rise and prepare for the day. He’d have to go over a few things with the boy. He glanced over at Harry still sleeping on the other side of the bed. Severus shook his head at the sight before rising and leaving to the bathroom to take a shower.

 

 

Harry yawned and opened his eyes. Where was he? Oh, yes, Mr. Snape had come rescued him and brought him to this massive, magnificent castle. And he made his head feel better and gave him a bath and food – so much in such little time. Harry looked to the side where Mr. Snape should be. But the bed was empty except for him. He could hear the shower running and he felt the need to use the bathroom.

Harry climbed out of bed and looked at the closed bathroom door. He should just wait until Mr. Snape was done. It would be rude to invade his privacy. Harry jumped back up on the big bed to wait. He looked around for a TV. Mr. Snape had allowed him to watch one in the hotel, so maybe t would be okay to watch it here, too.

Except there was no TV. Hmm. Maybe Mr. Snape didn’t like TV.

The urge to go grew stronger and Harry crossed his legs and looked at the door again, the shower still running. How much longer would the man be?

I can hold it, Harry thought. I’m a big boy. I can wait.

After thirty seconds, Harry was holding at himself and looking at the bathroom door. He couldn’t wait. He jumped off the bed and ran to the door and knocked.

“Mr. Snape? I really have to use the bathroom.”

“I’ll be finished in a few minutes, Harry, can you wait?”

Harry shifted from foot to foot and shook his head. Knowing Mr. Snape couldn’t see him, he said, “No, sir. I need to go now. I can’t hold it anymore.”

“Oh, for the love of . . .”

Harry heard a growl of exasperation and he felt upset that he was annoying Mr. Snape. He was such a nuisance no matter where he was. It was silent for a moment, save for the running water. Then he heard a snap of fingers and the bathroom door clicked. 

“Quickly, Harry. But do not flush.”

Harry knew what happened when someone flushed the toilet while another took a shower. He wouldn’t do that to Mr. Snape. Rushing into the bathroom, Harry lifted the toilet seat and quickly relieved himself. It felt odd to be using the bathroom while there was someone else inside, at least the shower had a curtain. It was odd, yet made Harry feel like this was something families would do. He thought made him smile as he set the toilet seat back down, unsure what the rules were regarding that, then quickly rushed to the door.

“Your hands, Harry,” Mr. Snape reminded him.

Harry wondered if that would affect the shower water too, but he figured he could just wash his hands really quick. It probably wasn’t as bad as flushing the toilet. He quickly scrubbed his hands and left the bathroom. At least that was taken care of.

Now what was he supposed to do?

Harry sat back up on Mr. Snape’s bed, swinging his feet. He looked around the room curiously. The walls were painted in a mahogany color, the furniture inside in matching colors. The bed frame was a natural wood and the bedspread was black. The wardrobe was a blackish gray color. Harry decided he liked the room. It could do with some brighter colors, but t was homey.

After a couple minutes, the bathroom door opened once more, and Mr. Snape stepped out with a large towel around his waist and another towel that he dabbed at his face from shaving. Harry smiled happily at Mr. Snape and waited for instructions. Mr. Snape just held up a hand and Harry watched amazed as clothes flew right into them. Magic was so brilliant. It was nice to know that magic was real and that some people did have it. Harry still couldn’t believe that he had magic, too.

“Here,” Mr. Snape said, tossing the clothes to him. “Get dressed. We have a lot to discuss and I have classes I have to attend to.”

Harry nodded and started changing while Mr. Snape walked back to the bathroom with clothes himself, closing the door once more. Once Harry was all dressed, he sat on the bed again, unsure if he was allowed to leave the room. He’d like to explore the other rooms and see if there was anything interesting or fun to do.

After five or so minutes, Mr. Snape returned, and Harry smiled eagerly as he waited for more instructions. Mr. Snape was wearing some funny clothes. It kind of reminded Harry of a dress or a bathrobe or a . . .

“If you’re done staring at me like some zoo animal,” Mr. Snape said, “we may head to the table for breakfast.”

Mr. Snape was so funny, Harry thought as he hopped off the bed and followed after the man. Mr. Snape sat at the head and pointed to a seat close to him and Harry sat down. This is weird, Harry thought, there’s no plates, no food was cooked. What did Mr. Snape think would happen if they just sat down without preparing anything?

As he thought these last words, Harry’s eyes widened as two plates of scrambled eggs, toast, ham, and fruit appeared in front of them, along with two big funny looking cups. Harry watched as Mr. Snape summoned that oddly shaped medicine container from last night and poured a small amount in Harry’s cup.

               “This is your next dose for your concussion,” Mr. Snape said. Harry nodded and picked up the cup with both hands and stared down into it.

               What on earth was inside it? Harry frowned and sniffed at the strange liquid.

               “It’s pumpkin juice. Try it.”

               Harry looked up at Mr. Snape and back at his drink. He closed his eyes and hesitantly brought the cup to his lips and sipped. This . . . was . . . delicious! Harry gulped more of it. He couldn’t even taste the medicine Mr. Snape had put in. This juice was amazing! Why had he never heard of it before.

               “Harry, stop! Enough!”

               Mr. Snape pulled the cup away from him and Harry breathed, licking his lips. Mr. Snape was frowning at him. “Sorry,” Harry offered. He knew to have better manners than that. But that juice was just so good.

               “I would have preferred if Eve had sent you some milk, but I will make sure you get a glass for lunch.”

               “No more pumpkin juice?” Harry asked, afraid that his bad manners had ruined his chances of ever tasting it again.

               “You may have pumpkin juice, but in moderation. And you will not chug it.”

               “Okay. Sorry.”

               Mr. Snape just nodded at him then went back to his own breakfast. Harry picked up a fork and ate his scrambled eggs. There was even cheese on top of them. Yummy.

               A loud pop made Harry jump, but Mr. Snape didn’t even look at the rolled-up paper that appeared next to him. He just ignored it while he finished his breakfast. Harry decided to eat his own and ignore it as well. He watched as Mr. Snape ate some of the mixed fruit and Harry remembered that he should do the same. When Mr. Snape took a sip from his cup, Harry picked up his and took a sip, resisting the temptation to gulp the rest of it down. Mr. Snape picked up his butter knife to cut at the ham and Harry followed his lead.

               A cleared throat got his attention and Harry looked up at Mr. Snape’s glaring face.

               “Is there a reason you’re imitating everything I do?”

               “No, sir,” Harry said, his cheeks burning slightly. “Sorry.”

               Mr. Snape raised an eyebrow at him before focusing on his breakfast again. Harry nibbled at the rest of his food slowly, trying not to embarrass himself in front of Mr. Snape again. First needing the bathroom and now this? He was such a burden to people. Mr. Snape finished his breakfast and opened the paper that was next to his plate. Harry realized it was like a newspaper. He looked at the picture on the front page – two gentlemen in clothes like Mr. Snape were shaking hands. And their hands were actually moving! And their lips as if they were talking to each other!

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry exclaimed.

               Mr. Snape, moved the paper aside the slightest to look at him. Harry pointed to the front page and said, “The picture’s moving!”

               Mr. Snape looked at the front page before saying, “Yes, they do that.”

               “Really? All of them? How??”

               Mr. Snape sighed as he opened the paper back up, obscuring his face from view once more.
               “There is a . . . spell you have to use on the camera and then when the photos are developed, there is a spell to keep the movement consistent. It’s an easy process, just rather complicated to explain.”

               Harry wasn’t sure if he understood most of what Mr. Snape said. He knew camera and photos. A spell, eh? That was different.

               “Can spells do anything?”

               Mr. Snape sighed, and Harry wondered if he was irritating him. Mr. Snape folded the paper and set it aside before looking at Harry.

               “It depends on the spell. Now, we have more important things to talk about.”

               Harry nodded, ready to listen. Harry couldn’t think of anything more important than magic, but if Mr. Snape said there was more important things, then there was.  

               “I have set a list of rules for you that you will follow, especially when I am not here. Your first rule is to never go in my study or potions lab. They are the only rooms that are closed. You are to stay out of them.”

               “Yes, sir.”

               “Also, you are never to touch my wand. I believe I told you this at the hotel.”

               Harry nodded.

               “You are to listen to Eve when I am not here. And you will not demand things from her or tell her to do things for you.”

               Harry shook his head. He wouldn’t demand anything from anyone or tell Eve to do stuff. That was rude.

               “If anyone ever knocks at the door, do not answer it and stay quiet. That is very important, Harry. Never answer the door, got it? And never ever leave these rooms. You are to remain here at all times.”

               Harry nodded again. He was supposed to be a secret. No one knew where he was but Mr. Snape. And Harry didn’t care if no one ever knew where he was as long as he was with Mr. Snape.

               “If someone does enter without permission, heaven forbid, you run into the bedroom and shut the door. Lock it.”

               Harry nodded.

               “Those are the most important rules you have to follow if you want to remain here. It is imperative that you listen to me. And you will do as I say while you are here. Understand?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape. I understand.”

               “I have these rules written down and I can hang them on a wall or somewhere if you’d like. You are allowed to play with the toys I’ve brought you; you have the yo-yo, there’s a Rubik’s cube and a puzzle on the shelf near your bed. You may put the puzzle together on the floor in the living room. There’s also a book for you to read on that shelf. I expect you to keep yourself busy while I am away. I am still working on a schedule for you, so you have some structure. When I gather some books and learning material for your age, you will begin following it. I will inform you of that schedule later. For today, just keep yourself occupied. Eve will feed you lunch and I will return for dinner.”

               “Okay, Mr. Snape. I’ll be good.”

               “You better be. I swear if you break any of my rules you will not like the consequences.”

               “Will you hit me with your belt?” Harry asked curiously.

               “What? No, no, never, Harry. What your Uncle did to you was wrong. You did nothing to deserve a strapping and it was abuse on your Uncle’s behalf, especially when he threw you against the wall.”

               “He didn’t mean to,” Harry reminded, “he wanted to throw me in the cupboard.”

               Mr. Snape rubbed at his face and Harry wondered if the man was tired.

               “We’ll . . .” Mr. Snape paused for a second, “discuss this later. If you break my rules, the consequences will vary depending on what you did.”

               “Like what?”

               “Err . . .” Mr. Snape frowned and drummed his fingers. Harry waited patiently. Mr. Snape was clearly new to having a child around. He’ll figure it out though, Harry thought. “Say you . . . touched my wand again. The first time I scolded you, remember?” Harry nodded. “If you touch this again, I may swat you and put you in the corner. Does that answer your question?”

               That didn’t seem so bad. Wasn’t punishment supposed to be terrible though? It was supposed to be painful so the lesson sunk in – that’s what Aunt Petunia always said. Maybe Mr. Snape didn’t know how to punish a child.

               “But wouldn’t you have to spank me?” Harry asked.

               “I might if you ever leave these rooms. I’m serious on that, Harry, you cannot go out that door for whatever reason. If someone saw you, you won’t have to be concerned about anything I’ll do to you. You’ll be taken from me immediately and returned to your relatives. Do you want that?”

               “No, sir, I’ll stay right here.”

               “Good. And Harry, there’s a difference between beating a child and punishing one. Do you know the difference?”

               Harry frowned. Was beating a child killing one? That would be really bad. Or maybe it was leaving broken bones. Or a concussion. Was that what Mr. Snape was concerned about? It really was an accident on Uncle Vernon’s part. He was about to reassure Mr. Snape when the man spoke first.

               “It’s okay, Harry. We’ll work on that. I have to get to my classes. I’ll see you later tonight and we’ll talk more about how long you’ll be staying here. I want to start looking for a suitable family for you as soon as I can. Oh, and if you need anything that Eve cannot provide, ask her to get me. Okay?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry said.

               “Good. I’ll see you later,” Mr. Snape said as he stood and left the rooms.

               Harry sighed. He already missed Mr. Snape. This was nothing like the time they spent at the hotel. But that was okay. Mr. Snape had to work, like Uncle Vernon had to work. It was all part of being in a normal family. Mr. Snape would be back after teaching his classes. That made Mr. Snape a teacher! How cool!

               Harry wondered if he should do the dishes when the plates and cups disappeared on their own. His eyes widened again. All this magic stuff would take some getting used to. Harry left the table and found the shelf Severus had been referring to. He found the Rubik’s cube and fiddled with it for a minute before setting it back down. He’d never solve that. The puzzle looked cool – all the stars in the night sky shaped like cool animals and people. It was a thousand pieces and would probably take him a few days to solve it but it gave him something to do. He carried it out to the living room and dumped the pieced all over the floor.

               However, after ten minutes of putting together twenty pieces, Harry found himself growing bored. He wondered what would be on that schedule. Mr. Snape had mentioned something about books and learning stuff. That would be fun. He liked to learn. He enjoyed school – when Dudley and his gang wasn’t hunting him. He wished he had made more friends, but Dudley had always scared everyone off.

               There were no friends to make here. He was alone. And while being a secret made Harry feel important and mischievous, it would have been nice to have some company.

               Oh, well. This would work. He’d be busy with fun stuff soon. He just had to do what Mr. Snape said and keep himself “occupied.” Harry left the puzzle on the floor and found the book Severus had mentioned. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – this was different.

               Harry laid down on his bed. It would be a long day at this rate. He just had to keep himself busy and reading this book should help. He wasn’t allowed to leave. Or go in the study. Or the . . . what kind of lab did Mr. Snape call it?

               Harry sat up on his bed and tried to think of the word Mr. Snape had used. Po . . . potions? Harry thought back to stories he had heard of witches and potions in school around Halloween time. He could see the big . . . what was the word, cauldron with something green bubbling inside. He could picture the green witch with ugly warts stirring it, a black cat lurking around somewhere. Of course, he was remembering story books, but the idea of making a potion intrigued Harry. A real-life potion!

               And all the medicine he had been taking! Were they all potions? Potions that actually worked!

               But he wasn’t allowed near the lab. Harry laid back down and opened his book, staring at the first page but his mind pictured cauldrons and potions. Would it really hurt to just take a peek? He was stuck with nothing to do for an entire day – a peek inside wouldn’t hurt. And Mr. Snape would never know . . .

               What was he thinking? Harry shook the thoughts away. He wasn’t going to disobey Mr. Snape on his first day with him! Well, technically his first full day. He didn’t want Mr. Snape to think he was a bad kid or a freak like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. He was a good kid. He wanted Mr. Snape to like him and keep him forever. Harry tried to focus on the book, but he could barely read the first sentence (really just the title of the book on an inner page) without daydreaming about this potions lab and what hid inside.

               His childish curiosity was winning the battle between right and wrong. He would only take a peek.

               What harm would it do?

 

Harry slowly pushed open the door to Mr. Snape’s potions lab. He paused as he thought about shutting the door and actually obeying Mr. Snape. However, the brief second of hesitation passed as he pushed open the door more and stepped inside. He was immediately awed by the sight of two long tables with cauldrons lined up side by side. Two cauldrons on the first table were bubbling strange colors of green and blue. There were shelves and shelves of weird stuff on the walls – like wings from insects, plant leaves of all kinds, and Harry was sure he saw a jar of eyes – and another smaller square table where it looked like things were being chopped and put into containers. Against the far back wall was another shelving area where weird bottles were all lined up – vials and vials of different colored liquids and substances. A large sink was also in the back of the room, with strange brushing tools hanging above and a weird rack like structure for drying and towels laid on a shelf under the sink.

               To Harry, this was much more exciting than anything else outside of this room. Harry stepped further in and cautiously inched closer to one of the bubbling cauldrons.

               Suddenly, the cauldron stopped bubbling.

               Harry paused and wondered if he had done something to cause it. Then he realized the cauldron had been sitting on a strange heater thing and a timer was sitting nearby. The timer was at zero. Like an oven, Harry thought. A very deconstructed oven it would be.

               Harry saw a stepping stool near the many shelves of weird stuff and ran for it to drag it near the still bubbling cauldron. He wanted to see inside it before it stopped bubbling too. However, as he was just about to grab it, a loud pop startled him.

               “Master Harry sir should not be in Master Snape’s lab!” Eve said in a worried tone. “Yous must go.”

               Harry blinked at the house elf, his tongue freezing to the roof of his mouth.

               “Out, Master Harry!” Eve urged.

               Finding his voice, Harry smiled, “Hi, Eve. Why are you calling me Master?”

               “Eve is being respectful. Now Master Harry must leave potions lab.”

               “Can you just call me Harry? I’m not a master. What’s that over there?” Harry pointed at the bubbling cauldron.

               “It is Master Snape’s work and not of Eve’s concern. Ma- err, Harry must leave now. Yous not supposed to be here. Yous supposed to be playing in living room until Eve brings lunch.”

               “But it’s boring. What are you again? A house thingy?”

               “I’s is not a house thingy! Eve is a house elf! And Master Snape’s orders are to stay out of potions lab. Now yous must go!”

               “I’m only looking. I promise not to touch anything.”

               “Go, Master Harry!”

               “Just Harry.”

               “Go, Harry.”

               Harry sighed, but figured he should probably listen to the . . . house elf before she exploded in front of him. The elf was pretty insistent on him leaving Mr. Snape’s lab. Or was he supposed to be calling Mr. Snape Master Snape? That’s what Eve called him, and she said she used “Master” to be respectful. Was he being disrespectful by not calling Mr. Snape Master? As Harry left the lab he saw another door right across the hall and smiled as he remembered the man had referred to this room as his study. He wasn’t sure what “study” meant but he sure would like to find out.

               Glancing back at the potions lab door, he quickly slipped inside the study, closing the door behind him. Harry paused, his back against the door, as he realized that a “study” was very much like an office. There was a desk with a big comfy chair behind it and a stack of strange paper and a stand with feathers on the desk. This was . . . different.

               Uncle Vernon had an office, but it was nothing like this. He didn’t have the weird paper. Nor the shelves of books. And did Mr. Snape like to collect feathers?

               Before Harry could contemplate that idea more, a loud resonated through the room and Eve appeared in front of him again. She crossed her arms and frowned at Harry, who sighed.

               “I’m going, I’m going,” Harry said in defeat. Harry left the study and returned to the living room.

               Now completely bored, Harry dropped to the floor near his puzzle, where a thousand minus twenty pieces still littered the carpet. Harry figured he should continue working on the puzzle since it was really the only thing he could do. However, in his search, he could not find another piece that fit with what he had already put together. He wasn’t even sure what exactly he was putting together; the puzzle pieces he had just happened to fit. Harry threw a puzzle piece aside in frustration.

               When would Mr. Snape be back? He missed the man already. This wasn’t exactly what he had had in mind when he had gone searching for Mr. Snape. Why couldn’t this be more like the time spent together at the hotel?

               Harry knew his thinking wasn’t realistic though. Mr. Snape had to work. He had to make money in order to buy things he would need like clothes and food and fun stuff for his lab. Maybe Mr. Snape would show him his lab when he got back. He hoped the man returned soon, Harry thought as he fell over on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Otherwise, he might die from boredom.

 

               Severus searched the shelves for a book he knew existed in the library. He had just finished his morning class and was now doing a little research on the phenomenon that had occurred between himself and Harry. He could still see the boy in that strange blue like apparition. And Harry had said he could see Severus as well, but that he was also – what were the boy’s words? Ghost like. Severus was sure he had been an apparition in a similar form as he saw Harry.

               But the question was – what had happened? And why?

               Severus found the book he was looking for – Strange Happenings: A Guide to Rare and Unusual Magical Circumstances.

               Severus chose a seat far from other students and professors, a table in the farthest and most hidden corner in the library. He should remain undisturbed here.

               Flicking open the book, Severus skimmed through it, trying to find a hint of something relating to his strange encounter with Harry. There were pages and pages on unusual effects of exotic magical plants, the rare instances where a muggle performs unexplained magic in moments of fear (where the fight and flight responses are hyperactivated), and even more pages on unexplained paranormal activity when no ghosts appear to be present. The book was odd to say the least. He had already flipped through most of the book and Severus was considering finding a different one when he stumbled across the third to last chapter.

               It’s title: The Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem: a rare bonding magic.

               This had to be it! Severus read on. 

               “Latin in origin, Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem translates to Bond of the Guardian Angel. It is one of the rarest forms of bonding spells that exist due to the complexity of its nature. While binding spells are popular in marriages and house elves, this is still very much an unexplored field of magic and more complicated spells, such as the Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem, remain unstudied. There are few known cases of this spell’s occurrence, therefore, there are few who truly understand why it exists.

               In one of the first cases explored back in 1852, Bates*, the adopted mother of two orphaned girls, explained that she had bonded with her daughters the first day she had met them. Bates explained that she had felt a strange warmth during their trip from Russia to Scotland. Bates had noted that she had had her arms wrapped around both girls. She also noted that she was always aware of where her daughters were. When further questioned, Bates explained that one of her girls went missing at Diagon Alley, and while searching for her, the girl had appeared to her as a and I quote: “ghost-like apparition, reminding me of a corporeal patronus.” When the daughter was found and interviewed, she stated that she saw Bates in a similar form. Both girls come from a hard background, having been forced to work in a factory with no pay and no parents. They seemed hesitant around strangers, and it is because of this that Bates cut off ties with investigators on the Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem, hindering any further research.  

               While trying to understand and research this particular bond myself, I only encountered two cases that were reported. The second report was a bond between a well-off wizard, George*, and a street urchin, Peter*, in 1919. George had come across the child on an outing to London and the two formed a friendly connection and George visited Peter twice a week for a year before deciding to take the boy in as his own. It is unknown when exactly the Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem had occurred, though George speculates it may have been when he had fallen asleep with the boy at his side on his couch while reading a book. He swore that he had semi woken during the night and noticed a strange blue mist around himself and Peter, but paid little mind to it, believing himself to be dreaming. Unfortunately, before further investigation could ensue years later, Peter had died tragically during events of the Second World War, and George took his own life weeks later.

               The third occurrence was another tragedy. A bond had formed between a man and a very young boy in 1925. Why the bond occurred and how remains a mystery, though physical contact seems to be a key. Witnesses believe it may have formed when the two first met and the man had attempted to rescue the boy from a burning farm, but ended up trapped inside with the child until further help came. It was the most physical contact the two ever had. The child already had a family with his single mother and grandparents, but did attempt to pursue a relationship with his rescuer. However, the man rejected all attempts, and a year later, the man and boy suffered mental disturbances. They were medicalized in an asylum until both succumbed to unrelated diseases. DNA testing later proved that the man had been the boy’s father.

               There have been no further reports during the time of my investgation.

               The Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem appears to require very certain conditions to take place. In all cases, it occurred between a child and an adult. Physical contact between the two had to have occurred for an undetermined amount of time, but it can be inferred that contact had to last more than an hour. The bond did not always seem willing among both participants, so it can be concluded that the child plays the largest role in creating the bond.

There seems to be heavy emotional involvement to create the bond. While the first two cases had children from a rough past seeking a parental figure, the last case still puzzles me. Whether the boy suffered abuse from what family he had or simply craved for a father figure, the bond’s formation seems to contrast to the creation of the first two. It can be insinuated that perhaps the feeling of longing must be overwhelming enough to establish a Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem.

I have concluded that once the bond is formed, it establishes a unique mental connection between adult and child that allows either to simply wish to see or find the other, which then forms a “corporeal patronus” apparition of each other. I have also observed that the more physical contact there is, the stronger the link and connection grows, allowing for quicker visualization of each other. This seems to be the staple of the Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem. There may also be a possible telepathic connection, however, I have not been able to observe this ability.

However, it should be said that if the bond is rejected by either side, the spell will break the mind, and my guess, the very soul of both participants – willing or not. This leads to lifelong insanity. It seems to be a heavy enough con that this could be the reason the spell is not taught, researched, and exploited; and why so few cases are reported if there are many who reject it.

I would like to further my research on this topic and hopefully discover more behind this unique, dangerous, but beautiful bonding spell.

*Names have been changed for confidentiality purposes.”

Severus reread the passage. And again. And again.

He wasn’t sure how he should feel about it. This couldn’t really be what had happened to him – could it? But the evidence was there. No other spell could have caused an apparition of the boy like he had seen. It had to be it. The Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem. And if he tried to reject it, it would lead him to lifelong insanity.

When would the bond have even taken place? He had never really touched the boy in any way that would have allowed . . .

Oh no!

Severus groaned and dropped his head on his arms as he remembered the time at the hotel, when Harry had clung to his arm and they had both fallen asleep. That had definitely surpassed an hour. He was a thousand times screwed over. And while he may have not been willing, it seemed his opinion didn’t count. How could he have missed Harry’s longing for a parental figure? And how was he going to find a way out of this? He couldn’t risk them both losing their minds.

Severus leaned in his chair, staring at the passage again. There had to be a loophole. There was always a loophole in every spell. The only thing the spell seemed to insist on was not rejecting the bond. Severus could keep the bond he had with Harry and still find him a suitable family. And perhaps just visit the boy every once in a while, to satisfy the bond. That should be enough to sustain it without risking anything. Everything he had planned should still run smoothly enough.

There was one thing Severus was sure of – He couldn’t keep the child.

 

Minerva was beyond annoyed. Where on earth was Severus? She hadn’t seen him at breakfast, nor lunch, and dinner was slowly rolling around and he had yet to show himself. Obviously, the man hadn’t called out sick as he had seemingly taught his morning and afternoon classes if the teary eyed first years and griping sixth years were anything to go by.

And it wasn’t the fact that she simply hadn’t seen the man that annoyed her. Last week, Severus had assigned detention to a couple Gryffindors and needed the Gryffindor detention log from her office. But that had been last week. And the man had yet to return the log. Honestly, she couldn’t trust the potions professor to remember to return something to her even if the man’s life depended on it. It reminded her of when Severus had been a student at Hogwarts and she would constantly remind him to turn in his homework. It wasn’t that he forgot his homework, he just simply forgot to give it to her before class ended. And his homework was always superb.

The memory made her smile as she approached Severus’s quarters. She knocked, hoping Severus was inside preparing for dinner or something. After a long moment of silence, Minerva rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. Wherever Severus was, he wouldn’t mind her just grabbing the detention log off his desk. She had done so before and the man had seemed fine with it, always questioning her if she broke anything he should know about. She’d always just roll her eyes.

Usually, Severus would stare down and plot a murder in his head about anyone who dared invade his personal private spaces. It was something Severus felt pretty strongly about. However, her relationship with Severus had always been on the better side and she could usually get way with more than the average human being.

“Alohomora,” she muttered and opened the door. Really, Severus should invest in better security spells if he insisted on keeping his privacy.

As Minerva entered the room, she paused at the sight of a scattered puzzle on the floor. She saw the box it came from, realizing it was a puzzle of the constellations in the night sky. A thousand pieces at that. And a few pieces were already put together. Was Severus working on a puzzle now? And so far down on the floor? That was rather . . . atypical of the man. Of course, what did Minerva know of Severus’s personal life?

               Minerva moved to the man’s study and immediately spotted the detention log with the Slytherin detention log on the man’s desk. She picked up the Gryffindor one and skimmed through the pages, making sure Severus had filled out what was needed and had signed it. After confirming everything was up to date, Minerva left the study.

               And paused when she saw two emerald eyes peering out at her from behind Severus’s bedroom door. And just as they made eye contact, the door slammed shut.

               Minerva just stared at the wooden door. What on earth had that been? A shy house elf? Some kind of pet Severus had hidden here? It almost appeared to be a . . . child.

               “Hello?” Minerva questioned moving towards the door. She knocked on it softly. “Hello? Is someone in here? It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. You must know Severus. Well, I’m his friend. You can trust me. Are you a . . . relative, perhaps?”

               There was no sound from the other side of the door. Minerva wondered if she had truly scared this child. She figured the boy had to be a wizard, and if not, he was clearly familiar with magic if he was in Hogwarts. Or she. Minerva wasn’t really sure about any relatives Severus may have outside the immediate family she was familiar with. Was this perhaps a distant cousin he was babysitting?

               Babysitting. Now there was an idea to laugh at. Severus babysitting. She wondered how many times this child may have cried in his presence. Poor kid.

               Minerva looked around Severus’s quarters. The place did not seem kid friendly at all. There were hardly any toys, books, coloring utensils, nothing! That puzzle on the floor now made since but what was Severus thinking? A thousand-piece puzzle for a little child? Some might be able to solve it, but in Minerva’s short experience with young children like this one, most ended up frustrated and would quit rather than see it to the end. Minerva rolled her eyes. She would have to give Severus some pointers about children and what was appropriate.   

               “Hey,” Minerva tried again softly, smiling despite the kid couldn’t see her. “My name’s Minerva. You may call me Minny if you’d like. Have you been here all day? Alone? You must be very bored.”

               Still no response. How to lure a child out of a room . . .?

               Ahh. She had a way.

               “Do you like cats?” Minerva asked.

               With that, Minerva dropped down into her tabby form and meowed loudly at the door, sticking a paw under and feeling around for feet. She didn’t feel any, but the door cracked open the slightest and those emerald eyes peered down at her. She noticed the shocked and nervous look when the eyes darted around the room, clearly searching for the person that was once standing and talking to him. Then, the door opened more, and the child stepped out, smiling down at the cat.

               And Minerva nearly had a heart attack when she realized who the child was.

               Harry Potter!

               She purred instinctively as Harry ran his hand down her back. But Minerva’s thoughts were all over as she stared at the boy. But Harry was reported missing six days ago! Had he been here this entire time? Right under their noses? Did Albus know Harry was in Severus Snape’s quarters? Or had . . .?

               Minerva truly hoped Severus hadn’t kidnapped the boy. This could land the man in a lot of trouble. But Severus had never shown any interest in Harry Potter before. This wasn’t making sense. And it was getting hard to focus with Harry’s constant petting. Perhaps the child could answer her questions. Well, it was now or never.

               Minerva shifted back into herself, feeling bad for scaring the boy as he watched his eyes widen and the child nearly fell backwards into the bedroom. Then, she had to think quickly as the boy ran back into the bedroom and tried to shut the door.

               “Wait!” Minerva said, putting her foot in the door to stop it from shutting and pushing her way in.

               The boy ran to his bed, calling out “Eve!”

               Eve? Wasn’t that Severus’s . . . oh no.

               “Harry, shh, it’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you.”

               “Eve!” Harry called again, jumping up on his bed and curling into a corner. “Eve!”

               “Harry! Please, stop.”

               Harry paused and frowned at her. Minerva wondered if it was because she had said his name a couple times without even a formal introduction. Then, a loud pop caught her attention and they both turned to look at Eve, who squeaked in alarm.

               “No, Eve, wait!” Minerva tried to stop the elf, but she had already popped away just as quickly as she had appeared.

               Minerva sighed. Severus would probably come running now. However, there was nothing she could do about that. She turned and looked at Harry who was still sitting on his bed. And it was then she noticed the boy even had a bed here. It seems he was rather comfortable in it. She also noticed the Rubik’s cube and yoyo on a nearby shelf, along with a fairy tale book. Minerva shook her head – didn’t Severus know anything about entertaining children?

               “It’s okay, Harry,” Minerva smiled at the boy. “My name is Minerva. You can call me Minny if you’d like.”

               The boy just stared at her. Minerva held back a sigh and looked at the Rubik’s cube. She smiled and said, “Watch this.”

               Flickering her wand, she transfigured the Rubik’s cube into a mini, colorful but squarish robot, with a yellow square piece to wind it up. Keeping her distance, she magically winded it up and released it. They both watched as the robot walked in circles on the shelf, slowly and very much in classic robot motion. Minerva’s smile grew as Harry offered a smile as well. Harry reached over and picked up the robot toy, happily studying it and fiddling with the wind up.

               Remembering the puzzle, Minerva lit up with an idea.

               “Come watch this,” Minerva encouraged leaving the room and hoping the boy followed her to the living room. As she stood near the puzzle, she looked back at Severus’s bedroom doorway, glad to see Harry leaning against the frame with the little robot in his hands. She smiled, then flicked her wand at the puzzle.

               The pieces all began flying to their respective places, completing the puzzle in seconds. Minerva flicked her wand again, and all he constellations came to life, forming white shapes in the air in the bluish night mist that appeared, matching the night sky of the puzzle. Animals and ancient heroes danced through the mist, around the living room, a lion purring as it rubbed up against Minerva’s legs.

               Harry watched in awe as he stepped out further into the living room, petting the lion that felt like fluff as it pounced over to him. An eagle flew past him and Harry stared in awe. Two bears walked by in the air. To Harry, it looked like a mama and her cub. A man with a bow aimed an arrow at a leaping ram, paused, and waved down at Harry with a smile. Harry happily smiled up and waved back.

               Minerva watched on, glad to have a positive interaction with the boy. Hopefully, she could get him to open and answer a few questions.

 

               After teaching his second class of the day after lunch (which he had spent in the library), Severus found himself back in the library. He reread the passage from the book he had found and then tried to find more on the Vinculum ad Angelum Custodem bonding spell. After over an hour of searching, he had found nothing more on the spell. This was frustrating.

               At least he found something on telepathic communication. Severus had never bothered learning telepathy, preferring to learn occlumency and practicing Legilimency. This technique would be interesting if it truly was a part of this whole bonding thing. It seemed to be harder than simply making eye contact and thinking words. One had to truly will his words to the other person. However, the bond that now existed between himself and Harry should make it easier to learn and practice. Severus wondered if it might just come naturally. At least now that he knew about it, it might be worth practicing.

               However, the fact that they were bonded left a heavy weight on Severus’s shoulders. What had he done, following through with Albus’s crazy plan? He should have known it would backfire in the worst way. He wondered why the bond hadn’t punished them for not being together for almost two weeks, but he reasoned that neither were actively rejecting the other. What did that even mean – to reject the bond? Emotionally? Physically?

               If the bond was heavily focused on emotions, then perhaps it was hating the child? But he did hate Harry Potter, the son of his worst enemy, James Potter. Didn’t he hate the boy? He surely hated the boy’s father.

               But as Severus thought through his time with Harry, he found that he couldn’t hate Harry. As of right now, the boy was an innocent child in the middle of a terrible situation. But that didn’t mean he – heaven forbid – loved the boy! No, it wasn’t love. He cared for the child’s wellbeing, but not to that extent. Did he even like Harry? He could hardly stand the boy’s sudden hugs and bright, trusting smiles. No, it wasn’t like.

               It was tolerance.

               That was the word. He tolerated Harry. And the bond they now had didn’t seem to care, as long as he didn’t push the boy away.

               Severus sighed and rubbed at his face tiredly. What a long day. He wondered how Harry was doing, seeing as how the boy had been in his quarters alone with a house elf all day. Eve had reported to him at lunch saying that he boy had shown little interest in his lunch, complaining that his stomach hurt. Severus remembered that the boy had probably not eaten full meals like the dinner and breakfast he had fed the kid, and now his stomach was hurting as it tried to adjust. Severus sent Eve back to Harry with a stomach soother, and he told Eve to deliver a hearty snack for the boy in an hour or so, along with an antiemetic and appetite stimulator. Harry would probably be on that until his stomach adjusted again.

               He should probably head down to his quarters and join Harry for dinner at the very least. It probably wasn’t very appropriate leaving a child alone for so long. But there wasn’t much he could do about that. As he returned the library books, Eve appeared at his side with a loud pop.

               “Master Snape!” she exclaimed in a nervous breath, “Professor McGonagall is in your quarters with Ma- err, Harry!”

               Severus groaned, sure that Minerva had discovered the boy if Eve was exhilaratingly alerting him to her presence. Didn’t that woman know how to knock? Although, he had allowed her entrance to his quarters without his permission before. He usually didn’t care as long as she had good reason. Well, he better go fix this.

               He dismissed Eve and quickly left the library and headed to his quarters. Upon arrival, he was surprised to see Harry smiling down at a completed puzzle on the floor. Harry smiled up at him, his eyes brightening, but the boy said nothing as he looked back down at the puzzle. As he looked closer, Severus realized the stars in the puzzle actually twinkled and occasionally a shooting star or comet shot across the wooden puzzle. It was a muggle puzzle, so Severus was sure Minerva edited the little puzzle. Wonderful.

               Severus also saw a little colorful robot toy in Harry’s hands. Probably another of Minerva’s editions.

               “There you are, Severus Snape!” came Minerva’s voice.

               Severus sighed and turned to face her as she came out from his kitchen and glared at him. “You better start explaining before I regain my senses and alert the Aurors! Harry Potter has been missing for days and he’s been here this whole time! Are you trying to cause a mass panic in the wizarding world!? You know what that boy means to the public! Why is he here? Well, answer me!”

               “I can explain,” Severus said, holding up his hands defensively. “But it might just be easier to show you my conversation with Albus and what happened at the hotel.”

               Minerva crossed her arms and seemed to pout for a moment, looking down at the boy who was watching them with interest, before nodding and saying, “Fine. If it’ll be easier.”

               Severus led Minerva to his lab, telling Harry to stay put in the living room, and pulled out a pensieve. Severus pulled the memories of his conversation with Albus about Harry running away and the plan to scare the boy into staying put; some brief moments at the hotel, such as the bruises on Harry’s back and the boy’s strange questions about magic and freakiness; the brief encounter with the Dursleys; eavesdropping on Albus and a social worker; and then rescuing Harry. Severus kept out the strange bond part and his arrest, as well as the time at the swimming pool. That was all unneeded information.

               Once Minerva was done observing everything, she seemed teary eyed, but they quickly flashed with anger.

               “I knew it! I knew those people were terrible caregivers for Harry. But Albus didn’t listen to me. Now look at what the poor boy’s been through.”

               “And that is why no one can know he is here.”  

               “Oh Severus, if only it were that easy. How long can you possibly keep him hidden here?”

               “I’ll find a way. Starting with some better security on my quarters.”

               “Why don’t you inform the Ministry, they could help . . .”

               “They will do what they think is best, Minerva. And Albus will hear of it and he can be very influential. And you know what the man wants done with Harry.”

               “But . . . oh, I don’t know, Severus. You’re playing a risky game.”

               “I know. But I just need time to find Harry good family . . .”

               “You’re not keeping him?”

               “What?”

               Minerva blinked at him before shaking her head, “Never mind.”

               Severus frowned but continued.

               “This is temporary. I just need enough time to find Harry someplace permanent to stay and then once Harry is settled, I’ll work things out with the ministry. It’ll be harder for them to remove Harry once he is settled in a new home and is secure. Besides, I have proof of abuse and I’m sure that Skeeter would love a good headliner. This plan should work.”

               “But Severus, I mean, do you even know how to take care of a child? Even if it is for a short time? I mean you’re just a kid yourself!”

               “I am not . . .”

               “Don’t argue with me Severus Snape! You’re the youngest of the staff currently here. Now answer me, do you know the first thing about raising kids?”

               “Well, let’s see,” Severus began sarcastically, “three meals a day with water always available, a few treats here and there to reward good behavior, a place to sleep, a place to use the bathroom, occasionally walks every now and then . . .”

               Realizing what Severus was talking about, she rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. This man could be so frustrating sometimes.

               “Haha, Severus,” Minerva followed Severus out of the lab and back to the living room, where Harry was winding up his robot and watching it walk around on the floor. “I will agree with your plan, though. On one condition.”

               “And what might that be?”

               “You let me help you.”

               “Absolutely not. This is difficult enough as it is . . .”

               “Don’t you give me any of that, young man. You need my help. I may not have had children of my own, but I did have enough experience with young ones to know enough. Do you honestly think its healthy to just leave a kid down here all the time? With no one to play with? Nothing to do?”

               “I have a schedule in the making that includes learning material and chores for him to do, mostly making his bed and picking up after himself, but . . .”

               “It’s not enough,” Minerva insisted. “He needs a teacher. And I have Wednesdays and Saturdays free. Perhaps I can tutor him. And before you say no, think about what is best for Harry. He needs more company than a grumpy potions master and a busy house elf.”

               Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before nodding.

               “Fine. You can tutor him those days. Will that satisfy you?”

               “No. He needs more clothes. I took the liberty of looking around at what you have supplied. More clothes, more toys, and more books. Kids need stimulation, you know. It is very important to their health. And a thousand-piece puzzle? Really? Isn’t he seven?”

               “So? It would have kept him busy.”

               “Oh? One more question. Is there a reason he won’t talk to me?” Minerva looked down at the boy.

               Severus smirked as he said, “He’s selective about who he speaks to and in front of.”

               “Get off your high horse, Severus.”

               Suddenly, Eve popped into the room, grabbing both adults’ attention.

               “I’s just need to inform Master Snape that Harry was in your lab and study today. Eve made sure he left – Eve did! And Harry was very good otherwise.”

Severus turned his eyes on Harry with a look of disbelief as Eve popped away.

“You went into my lab and my study? After I specifically told you not to? Why would you do that? Did you think I just make up rules just to have rules for you? I told you . . .” Severus groaned as he rubbed at his face with a hand. Harry just stared up at him with a trembling lower lip. Children made no sense sometimes. Severus glared at Minerva as the woman began laughing.

“Oh, Severus,” she smiled. “Welcome to the world of parenting.”

“I want out,” Severus muttered under his breath.

“Well, I’ll be on my way,” Minerva decided, picking up the detention log she had come for. “I’ll find some more age appropriate items for Harry and I’ll see you later, handsome man,” Minerva cooed at Harry, who smiled at her and waved as she headed for the door. Severus followed her, opening the door for her. Minerva paused outside the door and looked up at Severus. “You know, you might want to consider hiding Harry at your –”

“No!” Severus growled. “Absolutely not. You know I’ve cut off those ties.”

“It’s been five years, Severus.”

“I don’t care.”

“See?” Minerva gave Severus a pointed look. “You really are still just a child. I’ll see you around. Take care of Harry.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Severus called after her. He shook his head as he shut his door. He saw Harry staring up at him with a smile. He glared back at the boy.

“I like Minny,” Harry stated.

“Minny?” Severus raised an eyebrow.

“She told me I could call her that. Do you know she can turn into a cat?”

“I still can’t believe you disobeyed me as soon as I left,” Severus frowned.

“Sorry,” Harry pulled on his sad face.

“Don’t give me that. If you ever go into any of those rooms without my knowledge or permission again . . .” Severus wasn’t really sure what to threaten the boy with, so he just gave Harry a pointed look. Harry seemed to get the message and nodded his head. “Good. Now come to the table. Dinner is ready.”

Harry jumped up with his robot, gladly holding up the new toy to show to Severus, who simply nodded and directed the boy to the table.

 

Harry happily sat down at the table for dinner. He was glad Mr. Snape was back from teaching classes. It had been quite lonely all day. Until Minny showed up. She made things a lot more fun, especially the cool twinkling puzzle and the new robot toy. He set his new toy on the table and wound it up to watch it walk around. Minny was nice; he’d like to see her again. Although, meeting her made him wonder how . . .

               “Toys off the table,” Mr. Snape said in a stern voice as he sat down at the table.

               Harry blushed and quickly set the toy on the floor. Since when were toys ever allowed on the table? Even at his aunt and uncle’s, toys were never on the table. How could he be so stupid to think that that rule would change here? There were normal rules that everyone should know.

               “I’d rather you put that toy on your bed, but for now it can remain there,” Mr. Snape continued. “Our dinner should be arriving shortly. Tomorrow, all toys stay on your bed or in the living area.”

               “Yes, sir,” Harry said. Harry remembered his thoughts about Minny. “Mr. Snape? How did Minny know my name?”

               “Well, since I can accurately assume you didn’t tell her your name, you are rather famous in the wizarding world. I’d say anyone who sees your scar will know your name. And some will just have to look at you and know you. You’re like a mirror image of your father.”

               Mr. Snape made a face as he said the last phrase, a face like he had tasted something awful. Harry paid little attention to that though, too curious about why he would be famous. He was a nobody. He lived in a cupboard under the stairs. He always did freaky things. And then he’d always run away. He was a bad boy.

               “I’m not famous. I’m just a freak.”

               Mr. Snape’s face seemed to darken, and the man just stared at Harry, making the boy slowly grow uncomfortable. Silence followed for several long seconds and Harry squirmed slightly under the unyielding eyes of the professor.

               “New rule,” Mr. Snape finally spoke, “you are never allowed to say that word again. If you do, I’ll hex your mouth full of suds.”

               Harry made a face himself at the image that presented in his mind. He didn’t want that to happen. But how could he avoid saying it when it was what he was? He couldn’t possibly be famous! Could he?

               “You are not a freak, Harry,” Mr. Snape spoke up again. “Far from it.”

               Harry remembered that Mr. Snape said something about his scar. Is that what made him famous?

               “Is my scar famous?” Harry asked.

               Mr. Snape snorted, but Harry wasn’t sure what was so funny. Mr. Snape said, “In a sense, yes. Your scar is kind of what made you famous. Or at least, how you got it. Do you . . . know how you got it?”

               “In a car accident.”

               “A car accident? No-no, who told you that. Wait, don’t answer that.”

               Harry watched as Mr. Snape sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. The man was quiet again for a few seconds before his dark eyes looked up at him.

“You see, Harry, there are good wizards and witches, and bad wizards and witches – just like how there are good people and bad people. Understand?”         

               Harry nodded. He knew how there were good and bad people. Bad people went to prison and slept in cupboards. Good people get good food three times a day. And lots of toys. And new clothes and not Dudley’s old ones. At least, that’s what Aunt Petunia always said.

               “Your parents were good people, Harry. They were Aurors, actually. Very good people.” Harry made a confused face that Mr. Snape must have noticed because the man said, “aurors are like . . . err, police, in a sense. Your parents fought bad people and protected good people.”

               Harry nodded with a smile. That he understood. It was nice hearing good things about his parents. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon never had anything good to say. Maybe they didn’t know his parents as well as they thought they did.

               “Before you were even born,” Mr. Snape continued, “there was a dark wizard – a bad wizard – who wanted power over the wizarding world; immortality, or to live forever; and to rid the world of muggles, or people without magic.”

               “Is it possible to live forever?” Harry asked, curious.

               “Well,” Mr. Snape drummed the table with his fingers, “there are ways to . . . extend life. But in my opinion, it is quite impossible to live forever. Anyway, one night a prophesy was told about someone who could defeat this dark wizard, someone born at the end of July.”

               “My birthday is the thirty-first. Me?”

               “You were an option. Your parents knew this, and they hid from this dark wizard. But . . . long story short, he found your parents hiding place and, though they did their best to protect – your mother even jumped in front of a killing curse for you – both of your parents were killed, and then he tried to kill you. But because of your mother’s sacrifice for you, the curse . . . didn’t kill you. That’s how you got that scar. And that is why you are famous – for surviving a killing curse.”

               “So . . .” Harry frowned. That didn’t sound at all like the story his aunt and uncle told him. “Mum and Dad didn’t die in a car crash? They weren’t good-for-nothing drunks?”

               “Excuse me? Absolutely not!” Mr. Snape exclaimed. “Your mother . . . and your father, they were heroes, Harry. Very good people.”
               Harry’s lip trembled, and his eyes burned as they watered. “They died because of me?”

               “What? No! You’re getting the wrong idea – they died for you. They were protecting you from a very bad man. He would have gone after you no matter what. You did nothing wrong. You were a baby. The Dark Lord is to blame for their deaths, not you.”

               “The Dark Lord?” Harry asked, looking at Mr. Snape through watery eyes. “Was that his name?”

               Harry watched as Mr. Snape seemed to pale and the man just stared at him, though his eyes seemed a bit distant, like maybe the man was thinking. Harry looked down, wondering if he had asked the wrong question. His eyes hurt, and he rubbed at them. His aunt and uncle had lied to him about his parents. They were good people! He knew that! He always knew that! But why would they lie to him? And why would a mean person kill his parents? How could anyone be so mean? Harry sniffed as tears fells from his eyes. He did make freaky things happen. Even as a baby.

               “Are you crying?” Mr. Snape asked, his tone evident of disbelief. “There’s no need to cry, I . . . maybe it was too much, too soon?”

               Harry just shrugged, still sniffling and rubbing at the tears. He shouldn’t be crying – sniveling freaks were punished. Mr. Snape didn’t seem to have any intention of punishing him. He hadn’t before. In fact, tears seemed to make the man stop asking questions and it also seemed to make him . . . nicer, dare he say? Well, in moments he was being a little too growls and yells. Harry sniffed again, unable to stop his tears.

               Suddenly, a hand clasped Harry’s shoulder. Harry looked at the hand and over at Mr. Snape. The man was frowning and seemed uncomfortable as he just rested his hand on Harry’s shoulder. Then, he patted the boy’s shoulder as he said, “there, there.”

               Harry shot out of his seat and quickly wrapped his arms around Mr. Snape, hugging the man tightly around his midsection. Mr. Snape tensed and didn’t move, but Harry refused to let go. He just wanted comfort. He wanted a way to end the flow of tears. He had never been allowed to hug his aunt or uncle, but Mr. Snape had yet to push him away. But if the man did, he might just lose himself in a flood of tears. He clung tighter to Mr. Snape, hoping the man would give him some form of comfort.

Then, the man patted his back in randomly paced thumps. They were a bit harder than a nice pat but not too hard to really hurt. Harry would have liked them to be a bit gentler but he wasn’t going to tell Mr. Snape anything. He would take whatever comfort he could get. They were distracting him from his terrible thoughts though, so Harry didn’t mind.

               “There, there,” Mr. Snape said again, “err, better now?”

               A hug would have been nice, but Harry wasn’t going to push his luck with Mr. Snape. He did nothing to deserve a hug. The pats were nice though. Harry nodded his head, letting go of Mr. Snape, who gently pushed him back into his seat.

               “I’m sorry,” Harry felt the need to say. He shouldn’t have jumped on Mr. Snape like that.

               “You’ve nothing to be sorry for. You were upset.”

               “Master Snape, sir,” squeaked Eve as she popped into the room, startling Harry. “Yous dinner is ready.”

               “Thank you, Eve,” Mr. Snape seemed to sigh with relief as she popped away and dinner appeared. “Here we go. Steak, mashed potatoes, with steamed carrots and green beans. Doesn’t that look good? Here, I have another appetite stimulator I want you to take.”

               Harry obediently accepted the strange glass Mr. Snape called a vial and took a sip. He hated this odd tasting thing. He hoped Mr. Snape didn’t give him these strange medicines he called potions often. But the food did look really good. Harry handed the vial back to Mr. Snape and wiped at his eyes one last time. Eve’s appearance brought up another question Harry had from earlier.

               “Mr. Snape?”

               “Yes?” Mr. Snape set to work cutting up his steak, looking a bit annoyed at yet another question.

               “Why does Eve call you Master?”

               “She’s being respectful.”

               “Should I call you Master, then?”

               Mr. Snape paused and looked up at Harry with a befuddled look. “No,” he said softly, as though his voice was miles away from his thoughts. Then, Mr. Snape seemed to refocus, and he shook his head firmly. “No, that wouldn’t be appropriate. You may continue to address me as you do.”

               “Oh. Why does she have to call you Master?”

               “She doesn’t have to, she just chooses to. Now be quiet and eat.”

               Harry picked up his fork and stabbed the big piece of steak. He directed the steak to the edge of his plate, then leaned down and bit at it, trying to pull off a piece with his teeth.

               “What are you doing?” Mr. Snape snapped. “Sit up! Use your knife and cut the steak in pieces. No, not like that – here, let me . . .”

               Harry allowed Mr. Snape to take the fork and knife and show him how to properly hold the utensils and cut the meat. Harry tried to fight the warmth spreading across his cheeks from his lack of experience with eating some foods. He had never really had steak before and the bite he had gotten was so juicy! But he had to eat the right way – not like an ungrateful brat. Mr. Snape was helping him though. Harry accepted the utensils back from Mr. Snape and allowed the man to adjust his hold. Then, he cut a piece off the steak himself.

               “Good,” Mr. Snape nodded, sitting back down in his own seat. “I expect you to eat those vegetables as well.”

               “Yes, sir.”

               They ate in silence for a few moments, Harry thinking about his first day with Mr. Snape. It had been rather lonely, but now that Mr. Snape was back, it would be better. Just like the time at the hotel, surely. And Minny had been a great bonus! She was so cool! A thought struck Harry suddenly.

               “Mr. Snape?”

               “Yes?”

               “Can you turn into a cat?”

               “No.”

“Oh. Can I turn into a cat?”

“No.”

“Oh. How can Minny turn into a cat?”

“She is an animagus. She trained herself to become one.”

“Oh. Can I train to become a . . . animagus thingy?”

“To become an animagus requires advanced magic beyond your years, Harry. That is a very hard magic to learn and there’s a lot you need to go through in order to become one. And then there’s the whole process of registering with the ministry, but in simpler terms, you are too young at the moment to attempt anything.”

“Oh.”

Harry’s face fell, and he stared down sadly at his food. It would have been so cool if he could have turned into a cat. Was that the only animal one could turn into. Harry figured he’d never know, since he wouldn’t become one anytime soon. He puckered out his lower lip, staring down at his half eaten plate.

“You know,” Mr. Snape suddenly said, “your father was an animagus. A big stag.”

Harry looked up at the man. His father could turn into an animal? How brilliant was that! But wait, “What’s a stag?”

“It’s a deer. Like this.” Mr. Snape made a weird movement with his wand and a small hologram of a deer appeared, silvery in color, with large antlers on its head. Harry stared in awe and laughed as the stag sneezed on him before disappearing. Mr. Snape snorted as well, but then frowned and returned back to eating.

Harry did the same, a small smile still on his face. His father had been an animagus! That was incredible! And a stag. Harry wondered if his father would have been a really big one. He couldn’t really picture an accurate size, considering he had never seen a buck before. Mr. Snape seemed to know a lot about his parents.

“Mr. Snape?”

“What now?”

“Were you friends with my parents?”

Mr. Snape fell silent, his fork clattering on his plate rather clumsily. Mr. Snape picked it up again.

“. . . I was with your mother. Not your father.”

“Why not my Dad?”

“I just . . . enough questions. Finish your vegetables.”

Harry ate a bite of green beans. Why didn’t Mr. Snape want to talk about his parents? Maybe he was sad they were gone. He was so stupid to ask a question like that. Clearly Mr. Snape was upset that they were dead – or at least his mother. Mr. Snape had been friends with her, so he had known her, unlike Harry. Besides, it really wasn’t Harry’s business to ask these questions anyway. Children were meant to be seen, not heard. Uncle Vernon taught him that.     

After a minute, Mr. Snape spoke again.

“I’d like to reinforce that when I say a room is off limits, it is off limits. You are not to enter my study or lab again, understood?”

“Yes, sir. But it looks fun.”

“What does?”

“Your lab. Where you make potions. I want to make a potion.”

“My lab is not a playground. It can be very dangerous. Think of potions like . . . explosive chemicals. One wrong move and you can cause yourself a lot of damage.”

“Can I maybe watch you sometime, then?” Harry asked. He really wanted to see a potion up close. If it was too dangerous to make one himself, maybe he could watch Mr. Snape make one. Mr. Snape sighed as he seemed to stare off at something across the room. Harry followed his gaze but didn’t see anything. He looked back at Mr. Snape, who looked down at him.

“Maybe.”

It wasn’t a no, so Harry gladly accepted the answer with a smile.

“I said maybe.” Mr. Snape stated again firmly.

“I know. I’ll be really good.”

“Hmm.” Mr. Snape went back to eating. Harry did the same.

 

Severus sat in his armchair, looking over the schedule he had created for Harry and the list of rules he had yet to hang somewhere. He had added the “the word freak is forbidden” rule. He had to convince that boy that he was not a freak. He had sent Harry off to brush his teeth and dress for bed. However, his mind was far from working on the schedule and rules. His thoughts were back on the conversations he had had during dinner with the boy. The boy knew so little about who he was, what had happened to his parents, and even about magic in general. It was frustrating really. And he was the one left to answer all the questions. None of this was fair.

If Albus had just removed the boy from that despicable family to begin with, he wouldn’t have to deal with Harry. He never would have met the boy. And now that he had Harry in his care, Severus had no choice but to expose the boy to the wizarding world. Whether that was what Albus wanted or not.

While explaining Harry’s past, the origin of the scar and death of his parents, he had omitted several details the boy could live without for the time being. He still cringed at his slip though. He hadn’t meant to refer to that “dark wizard” as the Dark Lord. It just came so naturally to him he thought nothing of it. He briefly wondered how Harry would feel if he knew that Mr. Snape had been the one to tell the Dark Lord of the prophesy, resulting in the events that had occurred.

If he had just kept his goddamed mouth shut . . .

It was history now, Severus sighed. No one could rewrite history; one could simply learn from it. And he would make no more mistakes. He had to do what was best for Harry; he had to do what Lily would want for her son.

And Lily would want her little boy in a good home, with loving parents who actually cared about his wellbeing. Severus would make sure of it. He made a promise – not to Albus, not to the Dark Lord – but to Lily.

“Mr. Snape?”

Severus blinked and looked won at Harry standing in front of his chair, holding a book open to a page with a finger pointing to a word. The boy was dressed in the pajamas from last night.

“Yes?”

“What does burrow mean?”

“Burrow? What are you reading?”

“Leo the Lop,” Harry held up the book that had a long-eared rabbit on the cover. “Minny gave it to me.”

“So I see,” Severus sighed. “Well, a burrow is a hole in the ground, usually dug out by some kind of animal. Rabbits in your case.”

“But it says the “entire burrow of bunnies,” Harry read. “That doesn’t make sense if it means holes.”

“Well, it’s like . . .”

Severus paused as Harry crawled up into the chair Severus was in, holding the book between them. Heck, the boy was practically on his lap. In Severus’s opinion, Harry was too comfortable around him. It made Severus uncomfortable. He was silent for a moment as he stared down at the boy and the book, before clearing his throat and deciding to answer the question as quickly as he could so the boy would leave him be.

“Well, here, burrow refers to a group. Rabbits make burrows, holes in the ground to live in. So, sometimes they are called a burrow of bunnies when seen in a group. Does that make sense now?”

Harry smiled up at him and nodded but didn’t move off Severus’s lap. Instead, he leaned more against the man. “Can you read it to me?”

Severus stared down at Harry. Was this child serious? He was not reading a book to him! The boy could clearly read fine on his own, surprisingly.

“Just until I have to go to bed?”

“You . . . you should go get in bed now. You need your sleep.”

“Just a couple pages? Please? It’ll help me fall asleep faster.”

Severus bit back a growl, biting his cheek. The nerve of this brat. Severus stared down at the book the boy was holding and back at Harry. Well, if Harry was promising to go to bed faster, then he might as well as indulge just this once.

“Fine, but you better go right to sleep after.”

Harry smiled and nodded as Severus took the book in his own hands.

“I mean it, right to sleep. And I’m only reading a couple pages.”

Harry nodded again, snuggling against Severus’s side.

“This will not become a nightly ritual, understand?”

Harry nodded again, saying, “Can you read it now?”

“Mind your cheek.”

Severus cleared his throat and began reading the page they were on. He read the next page as well, before a thought occurred to him. He should probably make sure Harry was aware of his plans. The plans to find the boy a good home. He had mentioned it before but perhaps he should drill the message home.

“Harry, you do realize that you being here is only temporary.”

The boy’s green eyes flicked up to his dark ones, sparkling behind the glasses the child wore, reminding Severus of both Lily and James Potter.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.  

“I mean, I’d like to find you a suitable family. You deserve better and . . .”

“I like being with you.”

“I . . . you don’t know that. You’ve hardly been here two days.”

“But before that, we were at the hotel.”

“I know, it’s just, you need a . . . a proper family, maybe a mother and father, siblings, perhaps?”

“I don’t want that. I want to be with you.”

“Harry, I can’t . . . This is a very complicated . . .” Severus sighed heavily, resting the book over his knee as he focused on Harry. “Remember when I told you about that dark wizard who murdered your parents?”

“Yes.”

“Well, because of that, there are . . . dangerous people who would love nothing more than to harm you. You need to be somewhere safe and in a place where you can be protected.”

“I feel safe with you. You can protect me.”

“No . . . no, not me. You need a . . . a home. It’s . . . complicated, Harry.”

“Is it?” Harry pouted up at him. “You keep saying that, but . . . does it have to be?”

 “Enough of this,” Severus groaned out. “Just remember that this is temporary.”

“Okay,” Harry sighed defeatedly. “But you can read to me, still, right?”

“Of course. But just a couple more pages. Then it’s bedtime.”

And so, the story of Leo the Lop was told: how he couldn’t even tell his ears hanged in an unusual manner—but the other bunnies noticed and started making fun of Leo for it. Leo didn’t like not being normal, so he tried to change the natural direction of his loppy ears, mustering the energy of the tiny muscles at their base to hold them straight up. But when that fails, he hangs upside down from a tree limb to let gravity do the work. That is when a possum tells him that he looked normal before, when he was on the ground. The story ended with "If we're normal and Leo is normal, then normal is whatever you are!"

Severus finished and closed the book before looking down at Harry, surprised to find the boy sound asleep against his side. He hadn’t even noticed the boy doze off. Then why on earth didn’t he stop reading the silly book!? Severus sighed as he wondered how to maneuver out of the chair without waking Harry. The boy had to go get in his bed, he might as well as wake him.

Severus rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder to shake him awake, then paused, staring down at the peaceful face.

He couldn’t wake him. He would feel terrible for disrupting his sleep.

Severus gathered his arms carefully and unsurely under the boy, pausing when Harry shifted slightly. When Harry was still again, Severus slowly lifted the boy up and stood from the chair, allowing the book to fall to the ground. He carried the slumbering child into the bedroom and to the small bed, where he laid him down and pulled the covers securely around him.

He watched as Harry snuggled into the pillow, a small smile gracing his lips against his will. He shook his head to wipe the smile away. What was he doing?

Severus sighed. If only Harry could be as easily convinced as Leo the Lop that he was as normal as everyone else and not a freak. Severus closed his eyes. Great, now he was referencing children’s books. Next, he will be singing lullabies and kissing booboos. Just lovely. Severus walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He needed to work on grading anyway. Perhaps that would help clear his mind.         

 

“And then, after I found that hamburger in the garbage, I went back to the pretty lion statue and got right up in his paws to sleep for the night,” Harry said as he happily followed Mr. Snape through the big bookstore.

Mr. Snape had woken him up early, so they could walk to Hogsmeade and go to some stores. Mr. Snape had used the invisibility spell like when they had snuck in to the big castle. Harry also had to drink some weird potion that changed his hair to a blond and his eyes to a hazel, as well as concealing his scar. Mr. Snape had explained that Hogsmeade was a village of just wizards and witches – no muggles, which Harry now knew were people without magic. What a strange word – muggle. That didn’t matter though – Mr. Snape was buying him clothes! He got new jeans and sweater, weird clothes that Mr. Snape called robes, and even new shoes. It had been jaw dropping watching a tape measure fly around him to measure different parts of his body and then see all the clothes come flying towards him. And then, when it was all over, Mr. Snape shrunk everything and put them all in his pockets.

               Now, they were at a bookstore and Mr. Snape asked a worker for teaching books for little kids. He grabbed books on writing and math and history and science and then he had Harry pick out a few books just to read for fun! Harry struggled to pick out just a few – they all looked so interesting. And Minny had already given him so many cool books! Harry grabbed three books – The first issue to The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle by L. C. A. Comics (a comic book about the adventures of a French muggle), A Children’s Anthology of Monsters by Newt Scamander (informative fairy tales about different magical creatures), and Manxmouse by Paul Gallico (a novel about a strange mouse that went on little adventures). He recognized The Tales of Beedle the Bard as one Mr. Snape had given him, so he was glad to add to his growing collection of books. 

               While shopping, Mr. Snape had asked him about his time alone on the streets. Harry had happily recollected his time away from the Dursleys, starting with how he had snuck out of the house and ran to his school to hide in between the dumpsters, where he had collected some food. Then he had searched for the prison for days (he wasn’t really exaggerating the two days he had looked) to find Mr. Snape before he had to start asking people for directions. A couple people actually bought him food. Except people got suspicious of him and tried to grab him. Then he had to keep running and running away from Surrey. He slept in trees and under shrubs a few times and then one day he wished to see Mr. Snape and ended up near those four lions and statue.

               “I’d prefer if you stayed away from dumpsters and garbage in general from this point forward,” Mr. Snape said, looking down at Harry.

               Harry nodded as he watched all the books shrink to be placed in Mr. Snape’s pockets.

               “And then that’s when you decided to reach out to me and sent a patronus like image of yourself to my quarters, is that correct?”

               “What’s a pat-tone-us?”

               “Patronus. It’s like a . . . err, well, it’s mostly used as an anti-demen- . . . well, it’s complicated, Harry. It’s kind of like that stag I showed you last night, remember that? Something . . . like that.”

               Harry thought back to the silvery image of the stag Mr. Snape had shown him. He nodded, even though he still had so many questions. Mr. Snape just sighed.  

               “Now, I believe we have one last stop to make.”

               “What’s that?”

               “The toy shop. As Minerva instructed.”

Mr. Snape didn’t look happy at all to be going to a toy shop, but Harry was excited. He had never been to a toy shop. He happily followed Mr. Snape out of the bookstore and to a building filled with various wizarding and muggle toys alike. Harry gasped and stared in awe, frozen in the entryway. Mr. Snape tugged him further inside.

“Now, Harry,” Mr. Snape said in a serious voice. “We need to be back at Hogwarts in a half hour. I have an afternoon class to attend to. You may pick out three things to keep yourself occupied. Be quick about it.”

Harry nodded and took a single step away from Mr. Snape. He stared in awe at the shelves and shelves of toys there were. It was incredible! Who knew there could be so many toys? And Mr. Snape was letting him pick out a couple? Three to be exact. And after all the clothes and books and . . . it was too much! Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would have never let him do something like this. He never did anything to deserve this. Only good boys were allowed to get toys. Why was Mr. Snape allowing this? Was he – the lonely freak who lived under the cupboards – a good boy? Oops – he wasn’t allowed to say freak anymore. But Mr. Snape couldn’t hear his thoughts. But it still wasn’t allowed – he was being a bad boy just standing there! What was wrong with him?

Harry felt his eyes water and he sniffed to try and hold back his sad tears. He didn’t deserve toys. He couldn’t pick out three. This felt wrong.

“Why are you crying – you’re in a toy store!” Mr. Snape said from behind him.

Harry realized a couple tears had escaped his eyes and were slowly trailing down his cheeks. Mr. Snape was now standing at his side once more and staring down at him with a concerned look. Harry shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. “Nothing,” he muttered, “I’m not crying.”

“Do not lie to me. What is the matter?” Mr. Snape sighed agitatedly, then took in a breath and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then spoke in a calmer voice, “Is it . . . perhaps overwhelming? You are not used to this, are you? Picking out toys for yourself, I mean.”

Harry nodded. It was overwhelming. It was too much! Mr. Snape was too nice for a boy like him.

“Why don’t . . . err, we could . . . perhaps pick out a couple things together?” Mr. Snape hesitantly held out a hand to Harry.

Harry rubbed at his eye one last time and smiled softly before accepting Mr. Snape’s hand. He allowed Mr. Snape to lead him down an aisle that had shelves of various toys for kids – from beginner broomsticks to Wizard’s chess to animated stuffed animals. It was all so strange to Harry, but Mr. Snape didn’t seem at all surprised when a dragon figure breathed a small flame of harmless fire. Harry had jumped at that, but Mr. Snape offered a reassuring squeeze of Harry’s hand. Then, Mr. Snape led Harry down a different aisle, where toys were less mobile and flighty. Harry relaxed a bit more and smiled at some normal stuffed animals.

After a ten-minute search, Harry decided on a game of wizard’s checkers (something he could play with Mr. Snape), a muggle Lego space set, complete with a spaceship, an astro man, a space dozer, and a shuttle, and finally, a six pack of never-drying playdough. Mr. Snape had to encourage him to actually pick out what he liked, otherwise, they would have left with nothing. Harry was still feeling very overwhelmed, but he smiled at Mr. Snape all the way back to Hogwarts, knowing that his invisibility would keep the man from ever knowing he was staring at him in admiration.

Once back at Hogwarts, Mr. Snape said they had a schedule to go over still but they would do that when Mr. Snape returned from teaching his class. Mr. Snape flicked his wand at a feather (which Mr. Snape called a quill) and it turned into a small, three-drawer dresser for all his new clothes, which flew out of Mr. Snape’s pockets and into their respective places. Then Mr. Snape emptied his pockets of the books he had bought and set them on top of the dresser. He set the toys on the shelf with the others of Harry’s before saying he would be back and leaving.

Lunch was served, and Harry took his appetite stimulator and ate a ham and swiss sandwich with steamed carrots and broccoli on the side. He enjoyed the food and happily gulped down pumpkin juice, belatedly remembering he was supposed to drink it slowly. He would remember for dinner.

Harry stood and took his plate, cup, and utensils to the kitchen, prepared to wash and dry, but as soon as he set everything down in the sink, they vanished. This place was strange. Harry wondered if there was anything he would have to clean, but the entire room was as clean as it was yesterday. There wasn’t even a speck of dust in sight. He wondered if Eve did the cleaning and how since he never saw her. Harry scuffed his feet as he walked past the fridge, pausing to stare up at the rules listed on the fridge.

Apartment Rules

1.      Do not enter my study or lab

2.      Do not touch my wand

3.      Listen to Eve when I am not around

4.      Do not answer the door should anyone knock. If someone enters, besides myself and Minny, hide in the bedroom and lock the door.

5.      If there is an emergency, tell Eve to alert me

6.      Freak is a Forbidden Word

Such strange rules. Mr. Snape had put them up yesterday evening, saying that he might add more as time went on. Harry sighed as he stared at the rules. They were so different from his relative’s rules. For one, Mr. Snape forgot to add no talking, no crying, no running, no playing, and no touching anything. But Mr. Snape seemed to want him to break those rules. Except the no crying. Mr. Snape didn’t seem to like crying. Not in a bad way, more like a way when Harry cried embarrassingly in front of his class. Maybe crying makes Mr. Snape feel uncomfortable, too.

Harry walked around the rooms, pausing in front of the potions lab door. He really wanted to watch Mr. Snape make a potion. It sounded like so much fun. But that room was forbidden unless Mr. Snape invited him in. It was dangerous, though how, Harry wasn’t really sure. Mr. Snape compared it to chemistry, but Harry didn’t know much about chemistry. 

Not knowing what else to do, Harry decided to play with all his new toys, testing out everything (except the checkers since that was a two-player game).

The playdough was amazing! No matter how much he rolled and molded with it, it didn’t dry out and he could remold the same piece into new shapes again and again. He created a red car with yellow lightning bolts on the side and black bumpers and big black tires. He made a smaller blue car with purple lightning bolts and black bumpers and orange wheels (since he ran out of black). He raced the cars around the bedroom before deciding to pack the playdough away and open his new Lego sets. He spent a couple hours building the spaceship and the astro man when Mr. Snape returned.

“Mr. Snape!” Harry called to him happily, running over to the man entering the living area. “Look at my spaceship! And my astronaut!”

“Err, they are nicely done, Harry,” Mr. Snape said. “Put those back on your shelf by your bed and come sit down on the couch. We have a few things to discuss.”

“Okay,” Harry smiled, running back to the room and setting his new creations on the shelf by his other belongings, including the robot toy Minny had transfigured from the Rubik’s cube. He plopped down on his bed and stared at the toys for a moment longer, his imagination taking over. He envisioned his astronaut flying into space and landing on the moon, only to run into – a giant, evil space robot! The robot was blocking the way back to the ship! The astronaut will have to fight the robot, so he pulls out his awesome laser gun and blasts an arm. But the arm grows back each time he shoots it off! And then the robot shoots lasers back! The astronaut jumps behind a big moon rock, only for a laser to blast it to pieces. The astronaut runs for another moon rock, shooting his gun at the robot, but the robot sees where the astronaut is going and blasts that rock before he can hide behind it. The robot has him cornered now and . . .

“Harry!” Mr. Snape’s voice cuts through Harry’s imagination. “How long does it take to put your toys away? Get back out here!”             

Harry jumped off his bed and ran back out to the living room, offering Mr. Snape a sheepish smile.

“Sorry. I got distracted.”

“Obviously,” Mr. Snape frowned, setting tea supplies down on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch. “Sit. We have much to go over.”

Harry obediently sat down next to Mr. Snape and smiled up at the man. Mr. Snape raised a hand and some weird paper came flying out of the forbidden study room. Harry stared down at the strange paper as Mr. Snape held it between them. It was a schedule.

Monday – 8am-10am: Writing

                   2pm-4pm: Math

Tuesday – 8am-10am: Study Time

                   2pm-4pm: History

Wednesday – 8am-10am: Lessons with Minerva

                         2pm-4pm: Study Time

Thursday – 8am-10am: Science

                     2pm-4pm: Reading

Friday – 8am-10am: Study Time

               2pm-4pm: Test

Saturday – 8am-10am: Lessons with Minerva

                    2pm-4pm: Study Time

 

               “As you can see,” Mr. Snape began, “You will spend four hours each day learning and studying. I expect you to use your study time wisely by working on any assignments either I or Minerva may assign you. I have worked your schedule to work around my own and Professor McGonagall’s. Mondays, I have a morning lecture, so I will see to your writing when I return in the afternoon, as which we will work on math. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have labs and classes to attend to, so you’ll do most of the work on your own. Thursdays, as you know, I have an afternoon lecture, but I will be quizzing you on your reading material. Any questions so far?”

               Harry shook his head. It looked like his boring days were about to get busy.

               “Every Friday, you will have a test on everything you’ve learned in that week. For tomorrow, we will skip that test as you are just starting your schedule. But on Saturday, I will drop you off at Professor McGonagall’s office to begin your lesson. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, you will have lessons with her. They will vary from topics on magic to muggle studies, depending on how well you are doing in your subjects. For this first time, I will drop you off, but I’m thinking of having Eve take you to Minerva’s office routinely. It would be safer and less conspicuous. I certainly can’t be seen visiting her so often and she otherwise. Understand? Any Questions?”

               “Are we reading today?” Harry asked. He liked to read and if Mr. Snape would stay and read with him – nothing could be better!

               “Well, it’s almost four thirty,” Mr. Snape said. “As I’ve said, I have an afternoon lecture. You’ll be doing the reading on your own. I believe Saturday will be the day we officially begin your schedule. How does that sound?”

               “Oh,” Harry couldn’t help the small pout. “Okay.”

               “Any other questions about your schedule? Lunch will continue to be at noon, and you may use your lunch break to . . . err, play with your toys or something until two. I do have a grandfather clock,” – Mr. Snape pointed off to the tall clock in the corner of the room – “so, I expect you to keep track of time. Even so, Eve will inform you of when it is two. I expect you to be responsible and start on the work I set out for you. This schedule is nonnegotiable. Questions?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “Good. So, err, what have you done today? Did you eat lunch?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape. All of it. I was going to clean my plate and stuff but it all disappeared.”

               “Yes, that happens here. The house elves tend to them, as they do everything. I will have Eve hold back on your toys and bed. I expect you to make your own bed each morning and to pick up after your toys and books. Dirty laundry will be collected by the house elves, but I expect you to put your own clothes away when they are returned. I do not want to find anything out of place. You know where your belongings need to be.”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape. Well, after lunch, I played with my new toys. I made two brilliant racecars with the playdough! One was blue with red lightning bolts – no wait, red with yellow lightning bolts! The other one was blue and purple – oh, now I wish I had saved them, so you could see them! I pretended that the room was a big racetrack . . .”

 

               Severus allowed Harry to talk about how he had played with the playdough and how amazed he was that it never got even a tiny bit dry from constantly be molded into something new. Then Harry went on to explain how he had followed the instructions to the Lego models so carefully and built the spaceship and astro man. Harry said he would create the shuttle and space dozer tomorrow if there was time, which Severus responded that he was sure there would be plenty of time for that, since they weren’t going to start the schedule then.

               After Severus had been thoroughly updated on the boy’s day, dinner was ready, and they went to the table where Eve served them their food. Harry needed another appetite stimulator in order to eat more than half of his plate. Severus was sure Harry would be on the stimulator for a few more days before he could eat a good portion of his meals without it. Once dinner was over, Severus helped Harry draw a warm bath. While Harry bathed, Severus picked up the daily prophet he had missed that morning in his rush to shop for Harry under Minerva’s suggestion. He sat in his armchair and tried to read the news, yet his thoughts strayed to Harry and the situation he found himself in. This would be the second day (full day) he had kept Harry in the castle. So far, his plan was working; he just had to start looking for a suitable family. And pretend to investigate the boy’s “disappearance” for Albus. And keep up with his lessons and teaching. And manage his part as Head of Slytherin. And teach and care for a seven-year-old child.

               What the bloody hell had he signed himself up for?

               After fifteen minutes of distressful thinking and semi-reading the paper, Harry appeared in his pajamas with a board game in his hands.

               “Can you play wizard’s checkers with me, now?” Harry asked, holding out the game.

               Severus stared at the boy in front of him. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He narrowed his eyes.

               “Not . . . tonight. I should actually prepare some ingredients for tomorrow’s first year classes. Merlin knows they can’t prepare their own ingredients properly.”

               Severus stood and set the Daily Prophet aside, prepared to hide away in his lab. He was just not cut out for amusing children. Harry’s face seemed to fall as he set the game on the coffee table, but he looked up at Severus with a hopeful expression.

               “Are you going to your lab? Can I come?”

               “What have I told you about my lab?”

               “But,” Harry’s lower lip puckered out. “You said that maybe I could watch you sometimes. Please? I’ll be good and quiet.”

               Severus closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. He’s heard that phrase far too often growing up. Be good and quiet indeed. It was all Harry was actually good at – heck, he excelled at it. Well, what harm would it do to have the boy observe him in the lab. Perhaps it would entertain him until bedtime. Maybe the boy would bore of the ingredient preparation he’d fall asleep in the lab. It wasn’t a bad idea, honestly.

               “Fine,” Severus decided. “But just this once.”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape!” Harry exclaimed, a large smile spreading across his face.

               Severus rolled his eyes and led the boy to his lab, holding the door open for him. Harry eagerly stepped inside, staring around at everything as if it was the most amazing place in the world. Severus summoned a variety of ingredients to his prep table, at the same time checking on a simmering cauldron on one of the long tables. He gave the potion a stir and removed it from the heat. He’d vial it all later, after his necessary ingredients were chopped.

               “What’s that, Mr. Snape?” Harry asked, pointing at the cauldron as he used his hands to push up on the table to get a closer look.

               “It is a Fever Reducer and get down!” Severus snapped, picking the boy up and off the table to set him on his feet.

               “Sorry.”              

               Severus summoned a stepstool and set it near his prepping station, heightening it so the boy could see above the table. When he was finished, he pointed at it and said, “Sit.”

               Harry jumped up on the stool and clasped his hands together, resting them in his lap and looking at Severus expectantly. Severus separated a jar of ginger roots from a container of bezoars. He picked up a grater to start on the bezoars first, as that would take the longest.

               “Now, I need to grate these bezoars and then –”

               “What’s a bezoar?”

               Severus glared at Harry for his interruption. The boy seemed a bit remorseful, but his eyes still sparkled with curiosity. Severus sighed and looked back at the bezoar he was grating, the tiny pieces collecting in a small, growing pile. He might as well as answer the kid’s questions if he was going to have him in there.

“A bezoar,” Severus answered, “is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. It looks like this.” Severus held up the bezoar pointedly to show Harry. Harry frowned at the stone that seemed too shiny to have been in a goat’s stomach.

“That was in a goat’s stomach? How did it get there? Do all goats have it?”

“It . . . depends on the type of bezoar. Other animals can create bezoars, as well. Some bezoars are formed by indigestible plant material – as is the case in most ruminants – cows are ruminants, Harry, as are sheep and goats.” Severus had seen the question forming on the boy’s lips and had answered before the child could ask. “Sometimes a bezoar is a hairball trapped in the stomach. And sometimes it’s not in the stomach at all – maybe it’s stuck in the throat, perhaps from swallowing food that hasn’t been chewed properly. In horses, that is known as choke.” 

“Is it because they’re choking?”

“Hmm,” Severus returned to grating. “Indeed. Smart boy.”

He ignored how Harry’s smile brightened and focused on what he was doing. It was quiet in the lab for a minute. 

“This is ginger,” Harry suddenly said.

Severus looked at the ginger roots and then at Harry.

“Yes, it is,” Severus frowned. “I need to chop them.”

“I can help you,” Harry offered. 

“I don’t think giving you a knife would be appropriate.”

“It’s okay. Aunt Petunia taught me all about chopping, and dicing, and mincing.”

Severus froze. Did Harry honestly know the difference between the three? Some adults didn’t even know the difference – forget most of his first-year students. Severus felt an anger for Petunia and her horrid husband surge within him. He really wanted to get back at her for her little scene at the hotel and for everything she had put this boy through. Severus closed his eyes, remembering how Harry had begged for him to take the boy in, claiming he could clean, garden, and cook. Clearly, the boy was not fibbing.

               “Why don’t –” Severus cleared his throat as he felt himself choke a bit from how dry it had gone. “Why don’t you show me what you know? Here.”

               Severus handed Harry his chopping knife and watched the boy closely, making sure he didn’t cut himself. Harry picked up a ginger root and began chopping it into even pieces at a slow rate. While Severus could chop them much faster, the boy was doing an adequate job even at his pace. In fact – the ginger was perfect when Harry finished and looked up at him expectantly.

               “Did I do okay?” the boy asked quietly.

               “Excellent,” Severus remarked with a frown. When Harry just stared, Severus blinked and offered a small smile to the child. “You did very good. Why don’t you keep at it while I grate these?”

               Harry nodded as a smile stretched across his face once more and grabbed another root. Severus shook his head as he watched Harry focus on what he was doing, his tongue sticking out at the corner as he slowly chopped the ginger perfectly. It amazed Severus how the strong the boy was – despite everything he had been through. How willing he was to please adults around him. Severus focused on his own task, working silently alongside Harry. For an hour, the two-finished prepping the ingredients, and when that was done, Severus sent Harry to their room, so he could work on cleaning up.

Severus used the alone time to think over Harry’s skill with a knife. And the boy’s comment from the hotel. Clearly, Harry was no more than a house elf to the Dursleys’. Severus growled under his breath and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. If he ever ran into that woman again, he would . . .

               A loud tapping sound rang through the apartment. Severus sighed and left his lab to find the source, though the sound was very familiar. He had a feeling he knew what it was. As he entered the living room, Harry was peering out of the bedroom door.

               “What’s that, sir?” he asked.

               “Go back into the room. Shut the door.”

               Harry did just that. Severus sighed as the incessant tapping continued. There had been no reason for Harry to shut himself in the bedroom door, but he’d rather this little routine be kept between himself and what was outside the door. Severus opened the door and looked down to see a Hen Harrier – a male, pale gray in color with black tipped wings – sitting outside his door, looking up from where it had been tapping its beak on the wood. The bird gave a kek noise and flew into the rooms, landing on the coffee table and offering its leg. Tightly grasped in its talons was a rolled-up piece of parchment. Severus sighed and accepted it, knowing the bird would be gone sooner if he just took the parchment.

               Dear Severus, I wish I could see you or at least hear your voice again. It’s been so long – five years to be exact. I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: I am sorry. Would you please come see me? If just for a cup of tea? I’m connected to the floo network, all you have to say is MacAuley Estate, Ireland. You are always welcomed, any time, day or night. Or, you could send Kieran off with a message. He’ll gladly accept it. Sincerely, your mother, Eileen Prince-MacAuley.

               Severus sighed, staring down at the parchment a moment longer before tossing it into the flaming fireplace, watching the parchment crinkle and burn. The hen harrier, Kieran, made that strange noise again as it stared at him, tilting its head.

               “I have nothing in return,” Severus said, crossing his arms. “The door is still open. Fly away.”

               “Kek.” Kieran just stared back.

               Severus sighed again, closing his eyes. It had been five years since he had last spoken to his mother. And five years since their last big argument. It was all they ever did anymore. And it was over the same thing. It didn’t matter what they were talking about – somehow, every conversation wound up back to their argument. They could have been discussing the weather and they’d end up arguing. Maybe he always started them, but they were conflicts yet resolved. And he wasn’t about to accept any apology yet. Not now, and perhaps not ever.

               “Fly away,” Severus insisted, opening his eyes and glaring at the bird.

               Kieran just kept staring, a strange throaty sound emitting off the bird before he spread his wings and took flight, leaving Severus’s quarters. Severus slammed the door shut behind it and collapsed in his armchair. He hated that bird and what it signified. The unsettled turmoils that still existed. The turmoils he didn’t want to face. Severus rubbed at his face and closed his eyes, feeling like he could use a beer or something to relax.      

               “Mr. Snape?” Harry’s voice invaded his head.

               Severus opened his eyes and looked at Harry, who was holding a book in his hands.

               “I was wondering if you could help me with a couple words in the beginning. This is a hard book.”

               Severus looked at the book Harry was holding: Manxmouse. Severus sighed again.

               “Try reading the first sentence,” Severus suggested.

               Harry stood at Severus’s side, so he could see the page as well.

               “There was once ra-rather an ex-ex-extra-extra-or –”

               “Extraordinary,” Severus corrected.

               “Extraordinary,” Harry repeated and continued, “old cccc . . . I don’t know that word.”

               “Ceramist,” Severus said, looking at the rest of the sentence as he took the book from Harry, “who lived in the village of Buntingdowndale in the heart of England. This is a kid’s book? I wouldn’t expect you to know a lot of these words.”

               “What’s a ceramist?” Harry asked.

               “Someone who makes porcelain things. Why don’t you read a different book? One that is easier.”

               “But this one looks interesting. Can you read it to me?”

               There was that question again. Severus frowned at Harry.

               “No. I will not. Read an easier book.” Severus handed the book back to Harry.

               “But,” Harry’s lips trembled as he stared at the cover. “This looks fun. I want to know what happens with Manxmouse. He looks so different and he probably doesn’t like being different. And he goes on cool adventures and . . .”

               “Oh, for the love of . . .” Severus growled as he lifted Harry roughly and set him on his lap, snatching the book from the boy. “Fine. I’ll read it to you. But just this first chapter. And just this once.”

               Harry smiled happily and nodded, leaning into Severus as he opened the book to the first chapter. Severus felt as though he had been played but would a seven-year-old really know how to manipulate someone like this. Just to be safe . . .

               “This is not going to become a nightly ritual, understand. Just this first chapter, just this once.”         

               “Yes, Mr. Snape.”

               The boy sounded too satisfied. Severus narrowed his eyes but began reading the first chapter of the book. It was a rather interesting first chapter – events happening, weddings, the very creation of a blue Manx Mouse by a ceramist. Severus had never read this book and found himself intrigued to read the next chapter, but he also noted that Harry was asleep on his lap. He sighed and leaned his head back against the chair cushion. What was happening to him? Why on earth had he agreed to read to the child. Yes, the boy had been on the verge of tears, but that shouldn’t bother him. His first years were often on the verge of tears. What made this situation different?

               Severus carried Harry to his bed and set the book on the shelf with the other books and toys. It was just this one night. Harry would have to amuse himself with books from now on. This was it. The last night he read to the boy. Harry would have a schedule to follow and homework to occupy his time from now on. This was not a nightly ritual. It wasn’t.

 

Severus’s eyes flew open and the vivid images of Lily’s dead body faded away, his heart still pounding in his chest. In his dreams, he always tried to save her, always tried to make it to Godric’s Hollow before Voldemort, but alas, he always failed. Severus sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. There was no point fretting over an unrealistic nightmare. Lily was dead. He had been responsible for that. The enormous guilt weighed down upon his shoulders heavier than the world itself. There could never be forgiveness for what he did to Lily – and her family. If not for him, Harry might still be in his caring mother’s company instead of suffering under the cruel guardianship of his relatives.

               Severus swung his legs over the side of the bed, running a hand through his hair. A nightcap sounded nice. Waving his wand to perform a time check, red numbers appeared in the air: 1:21am. Severus lowered his wand, the numbers vanishing. His eyes lingered over to Harry’s bed in the corner of the room . . . except the boy wasn’t in the bed.

               He jumped up, ignoring the dizziness from doing so, and rushed over to Harry’s bed. He threw the blanket to the floor, then scanned the room for the child.

               “Lumos!” Severus flicked his wand, lighting the room. He turned on his feet, glancing back at his own bed. He could hear the steady thump of blood passing through his ears, his wand trembling in his shaky hand’s grasp, his eyes becoming blurry as he kept spinning on his feet to check every corner in his room. He panted through his mouth, pausing as an idea struck him.

               Dropping to the floor, Severus looked under Harry’s bed, and instantly, he felt his heart slow and his body stopped shaking. He sighed and rested his head on his hands as he stared at the sleeping figure under the bed. It had been a long time since he had been on the verge of a panic attack. He did not miss the feeling. He studied the boy’s features. Harry had a thin face, a body too small and skinny for his age, and a black, messy mop he passed off as hair. He was the mirror image of James Potter, albeit an unhealthy image. Yet, the longer Severus stared, the more of Lily he could see in Harry. The boy’s face wasn’t all James – not the nose, or the long eyelashes, or those green eyes suddenly staring back at him.

               Severus blinked. Harry was awake and staring back at him, indeed.

               “What are you doing under here?” Severus asked.

               “The bed’s uncomfortable,” Harry said softly, yawning and rubbing an eye.

               “What do you mean it’s uncomfortable? Is it too hard? Too soft?”

               “No, it’s just weird. It’s making my back hurt.”

               Severus thought back to when Harry explained that he had slept in a cupboard, probably for most of his life. Severus was sure no comfortable mattress would fit in a cupboard, so Harry had never really slept on any kind of good mattress for such a length of time. The boy had been with him for two and a half days and three nights now. After sleeping on a terrible excuse for a bed for so long, Harry was sure to be feeling the aches of sleeping on proper mattresses.

               “Did you have a mattress in your cupboard?”

               “Mm-hmm.”

               “Was it big and comfy?”

               “Mm-mm. It was really small and not that fluffy.”

               “I see. And you slept on it every night for years.” Severus concluded that his guess of Harry’s sleeping situation was accurate.

               “Sometimes during the day, too. When they would lock me in my cupboard and not let me out.”

               “Not let you out? For how long?”

               “I don’t know. Sometimes for the weekend until school. And if they go on vacation but Old Mrs. Figg wasn’t around.”

               Severus had forgotten that Arabella Figg lived near the Dursleys. He wondered if she might be able to supply more information on Harry’s home life for evidence when he did have to get the Ministry involved. But hearing that Harry would be oftentimes locked in his cupboard for days on end was frightening and saddening to hear. He sighed, deciding not to think much on it for now. 

               “Your body will adjust to sleeping on a new surface in time,” Severus said. “Perhaps I can adjust the firmness of your mattress for you.”

               Harry shrugged and said, “Okay.” He snuggled into the pillow he had with him, closing his eyes.

               Severus stared at the boy a moment longer before finding the floor to be an uncomfortable resting spot. He propped himself on his elbows.

               “Harry,” Severus began, waiting for the child to open his eyes again, “you must be cold under there without a blanket. The castle isn’t exactly warm this time of year.”

               “I’m okay,” Harry said. “I don’t mind the cold.”

               Severus closed his own eyes as a memory of the boy sitting in the alleyway in the middle of a blizzard struck him hard. That memory would haunt him for a long time to come. He wondered if this cupboard Harry had slept in had any blankets for him.

               “I’d rather you sleep with a blanket. Minerva would have my head if I let you catch a cold down here.”

               “Okay.”

               Severus sighed, adjusting himself on his arms. Harry didn’t seem all awake and would probably fall right back to sleep where he was. But the cold of the night would surely disrupt his sleep through the night. Perhaps a snack with the right food would help him stay asleep – and in his bed.

“Why don’t you come out from under there and we’ll go get a little midnight snack?”  

               “A midnight snack?” Harry frowned. “Sneaking food at night is bad.”

               “Well, it’s not exactly sneaking if I’m the one insisting on it, now, is it?”

               “But it’s dark.”

               “That’s nothing to be afraid of.”

               “I know. But monsters like to hide in the dark. Or maybe . . .”

               Harry fell silent.

               “Maybe what?”

               “Maybe . . . Uncle Vernon.”

               Harry had whispered the name so softly, Severus nearly missed what the boy said. But he understood why Harry was hesitant to wonder around in the dark, even though the boy displayed true bravery each time he ran away from home. Severus sighed.

               “I can assure you that your uncle is nowhere near here, Harry.”

               “And monsters? And ghosts? And bad criminals?”

               Severus wondered if Harry was remembering scary stories he may have seen on TV, heard from school, or if his wonderful relatives filled the boy’s head with scary fantasies just to torment him. Severus hoped that Harry didn’t have an encounter with any of the Hogwarts’s ghosts for a long time. Peeves would terrorize Harry just by materializing in front of him.

               “How about this?” Severus suggested, picking up his wand. “I keep my wand lit at all times, so you can see everything around you. We’ll go to the kitchen and have warm milk with bananas and peanut butter.”

               Harry smiled and nodded. Severus stood as Harry crawled out and followed him out to the kitchen, staying close to Severus’s side and within the bright light. Severus set his wand down on the counter, so it continued to light up the kitchen while he sliced a banana and put a glob of peanut butter on a plate for Harry. Eve brought a warm glass of milk for Harry and Severus poured himself a nightcap. Severus knew the snack he was providing would all act as a sleep aid for Harry. The boy needed it with all the disturbed sleep he was having.

               Severus sipped at his drink as he watched Harry yawn and rub his eyes. His banana and peanut butter was gone, and he was gulping down the last of his milk. Harry set the glass down and yawned again.

               “What are we doing tomorrow?” Harry asked.

               “I have classes to teach, as I’ve told you countless times. You will remain here and . . . amuse yourself.”

               “Okay,” Harry said, though Severus detected a bit of disappointment.

               “Surely being here is better than being at your relatives. I’ll see if I can look into family hunting sooner. Then you’ll have a more structured home life.”

               “But I like it here.”

               “You do not. You are obviously disappointed that I will not be around tomorrow. You must be bored with no one else here and little to do.”

               “I don’t mind it. I didn’t do much at my relatives except my chores and stuff.”

               “Regardless, you need a place where there’s more social interaction and where you can make new friends and –”

               “I don’t have friends. I can make friends here. Eve is my friend.”

               “Eve is a house elf and that’s not the point. We go over this same situation, you know you can’t stay here. What you need is . . . we’re not discussing this right now. It’s late, you’re tired, go get in bed.”

               “I need the light. You said I’d always be able to see. Please.”

               Severus sighed, but finished his nightcap and picked up his wand. He led Harry back to his bed, waiting until the boy was under the covers. Harry fell sleep quickly, and Severus returned to the kitchen for a second nightcap, downing it quickly. He was not a kid person. The sooner he had his quarters back to himself, the less stress he was sure he would feel. Children were too much to deal with. Severus returned to his own bed and laid down, his eyes straying over to Harry’s bed. Despite how he felt about children, he secretly hoped that by helping Lily’s son, Lily herself would forgive him for . . . everything. One could dream . . .

              

Harry sat at the dining table alone. This was his third day living with Mr. Snape. Well, third full day. And the days were getting repetitive faster than he thought they would. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he would start his lessons with Minny. At least that would give him something more to do. He liked school – well, the learning part of it. He never made friends thanks to Dudley’s interference. And school had always been an escape from his relatives’ home when he wasn’t trying to run away to who knows where.  

               Harry sighed and fiddled with the colorful toy robot. He was beyond bored. Mr. Snape was right. Yes, it was better living here than with his relatives, but he was bored. And upset that he didn’t spend more time with Mr. Snape like at the hotel. But what upset him even more was that Mr. Snape seemed insistent in getting rid of him. Didn’t Mr. Snape like him? Maybe if he proved to Mr. Snape that he wasn’t bored living with him, then Mr. Snape would definitely want to keep him around.

               Harry was doing his best to obey all the rules. He stayed away from the doors to the potions lab and study, so he wasn’t tempted to enter them. He tried playing with his Lego stuff, but he wasn’t in the mood to build his other models. He did a lot of building yesterday. But playing with his toys wasn’t going to convince Mr. Snape to let him stay longer. He should do something useful, like when he had helped chop the ginger.

               An idea struck Harry and he looked around the rooms. The place was clean enough already, but Harry knew he could make the place shine with the right equipment. But where to find that equipment? Mr. Snape said that Eve did all the cleaning, so maybe she could give him a few things.

               “Eve!” Harry called out. He always felt silly just shouting out in the air, but it always seemed to work. He wondered how Eve always heard him.

               “Yes, Ma-err, Harry?” Eve greeted as she popped into view.

               “Where are the cleaning supplies?”

               “Harry does not need to clean. Eve will clean messes.” 

               “I know. But I would like to do some cleaning, too. It’s fun.”

               “Cleaning not fun for you. Playing with toys fun for kids. And learning new things. And exploring. And playing with friends. Eve will take care of cleaning.”

               “But . . .” Harry pouted, trying to think of a way to convince the house elf to let him do some cleaning. “I really like cleaning. That’s fun for me. And I want to impress Mr. Snape. Just for today I can clean? Please?”

               Eve tapped her foot and pulled at her ears. “Master Snape might not be happy for letting little master clean. Eve must obey Master Snape.”

               “I don’t think he would be mad for letting me clean,” Harry said, though he honestly wasn’t sure how Mr. Snape would feel about him cleaning. He hoped it made Mr. Snape happy. What if him cleaning made Mr. Snape mad? Like saying the word “freak?” Maybe it was a bad idea. But he had to try something to convince Mr. Snape he was good to keep around.

               “Eve can . . .” Eve tapped her foot again, “Eve will let little master clean just for today. Eve will bring cleaning supplies. What would Harry like to clean?”

               Harry beamed at the elf and frowned in thought.

               “I think I should start with the bedroom. Mr. Snape already made his bed, so I’ll make mine. I can dust and vacuum.”

               “Vacuum?” Eve frowned.

               “Yeah, you have a vacuum cleaner, right?”

               Eve’s frown deepened, “Eve thinks . . . there is vacuum thingy in Muggle Studies room. Eve will fetch it for Harry. Eve will also fetch feather duster.” 

               “Thanks!” Harry said. “And then I’ll clean the bathroom. Maybe I’ll mop, too. You have a mop, right? I’ll do the bathroom and kitchen floor. And then I’ll clean all the countertops and vacuum the living room and dining room. And then I’ll clean the dining table with dishwasher liquid and vinegar. Aunt Petunia taught me that.”

               “Eve will collect everything little master needs.”

               Eve popped away and cleaning supplies appeared in her place, along with a vacuum, which took a moment longer to appear. Harry happily set to work, starting in the bedroom. He quickly made his bed, making sure it was neat and perfect like Mr. Snape’s. Then, he organized his toy shelf, staking books on one half, and arranging his toys on the other half. Then, he dusted the room with the feather duster, cleaning every wall crevice and surface top in the bedroom. Once that was complete, he vacuumed the entire room.

               He moved on to the bathroom, using the broom to sweep, then scrubbing the floor with a wet rag. He poured cleaner in the toilet and allowed that to sit while he sprinkled baking soda all over the bathtub then sprayed it down with a vinegar and water solution mix. He let that sit while he scrubbed the toilet, then he went back to the bathtub and scrubbed that. He ran the shower briefly to rinse away the solution, then used a cloth to dry it. He scrubbed the counter top and the sink and cleaned the mirror. Then he began mopping the tile floor with a disinfectant. It took him a long time and when he was finished, it was lunch time.

               After eating, Harry immediately started on the living room, dusting and vacuuming. He scrubbed the glass top of the coffee table, making sure it was shining when he was finished. He vacuumed around the dining table, moving the four chairs to get underneath them. Then, he wiped down the dining table with that solution Aunt Petunia had shown him how to do. Then, he waxed the table to give it a nice shine.

               It was time for the kitchen, Harry’s favorite place to clean. Harry started by dusting, then wiping down the countertops, cabinets, and fridge. He scrubbed the stove top and even cleaned the inside of the stove. He made sure to soak the stove pans in the sink while he moved on to sweeping the floor. The kitchen was his favorite place to clean because he loved cooking – and cooking on what he knew were clean countertops and a clean stove made it all the better. Once he was done sweeping, he scrubbed the stove pans, rinsed them, and set them off to the side to dry. He cleaned the sink and then mopped the floor. He ran a cloth over the pans and put them back in their respective places. The cloths he used to dry all vanished as soon as he set them down, so he figured Eve was taking care of them, though he would have been glad to do that as well.

               Harry smiled at his beautiful work when he heard the door to the quarters open. He ran out of the kitchen to see a surprised Mr. Snape staring at the clean and fresh smelling living room.

               “Do you like it, Mr. Snape?” Harry asked, stopping in front of the man. “I asked Eve if I could clean and she said I could just today. Doesn’t it smell nice? Lemony fresh?”

               “You did all this?” Mr. Snape frowned.

               “Yeah,” Harry said, wondering why Mr. Snape looked so concerned. “It was fun.”

               “It was?” Mr. Snape moved further into the rooms, glancing into the bedroom. “You did in here, too?”           

               “And the bathroom.”

               Mr. Snape glanced at Harry before walking to the bathroom. Harry couldn’t tell if Mr. Snape liked his work or not? Was it too much? Or was it a bad job? Or was Mr. Snape upset that he had actually done cleaning. Harry felt his stomach knot up and he chewed his nails nervously, watching Mr. Snape come back to the living room with a frown on his face.

               “The table looks polished,” the man stated.        

               “I waxed it.”

               “You waxed it? How do you even know how to do that?”

               “Aunt Petunia taught me.”

               Mr. Snape sighed, running a hand through his hair as he ran another hand along the table, pausing to look into the kitchen. The man shook his head and rubbed his chin as he stared. Harry felt his lower lip tremble slightly as he waited for Mr. Snape to say something. Mr. Snape glanced his way and must have noticed Harry’s despondent face.

               “It’s . . .” Mr. Snape began, looking around the place and back at Harry. “It’s very well done. And you had fun doing all this?”

               “I like cleaning,” Harry said.

               But Harry knew it was somewhat of a lie. If he had still been at his relatives, cleaning was his least favorite thing to do. But it had been an escape from his relatives, as they would oftentimes just leave him to his work. Here, it was honestly just to escape the boredom, and to hopefully impress Mr. Snape – which he wasn’t quite sure if he had succeeded in. He didn’t mind cleaning.

               “Harry, you didn’t have to do this, though. Why did you?”

               “I wanted to. For you.”

               “For me? Why?”

               “I thought you might like it. I’m good at cleaning. I just wanted to make you happy.”

               Mr. Snape stared at Harry intensely for a long moment, and Harry felt a tear escape his eye. He sniffed and rubbed at his face. His work wasn’t appreciated. He couldn’t do anything right. Mr. Snape would never like him and would get rid of him forever because he was such a bother and a nuisance. He sniffed again and felt more tears leave his eyes.

               “No, please don’t cry,” Mr. Snape finally spoke. “I like it, Harry, I do. It’s a job well done.”

               “You hate it,” Harry said, sniffing more.

               “No, I don’t. I just want to make sure that this was something you really enjoyed doing, not something you felt you had to do out of obligation. It’s nice, it really is. I’m . . . happy.”

               Harry peered through his lashes at Mr. Snape. The man offered a small smile and Harry wondered if the man really was happy. Mr. Snape never looked happy. But he said he was happy now. Maybe he just didn’t know how to make himself look happy. Even at the hotel, Harry had never really seen the man look happy. Harry would have to learn the secrets of Mr. Snape’s facial expressions.

               “Really?”

               “Yes. If doing all this made you happy, then I’m happy.”

               Harry smiled at Mr. Snape, feeling his tears subside. Maybe the man was really happy. Mr. Snape insisted that Harry had done a good job several times.                  

“Well . . . I’m sure after all this cleaning, you must be hungry,” Mr. Snape suggested. “How about a little treat before dinner?”

Harry felt the last bit of sadness in him disappear. Mr. Snape was rewarding him for his work? He had never been given a reward! Or praise, even. He looked at Mr. Snape hopefully.

               “Really? Like dessert?”

               “Well, a small snack, not really dessert. I think you’ve deserved it. There’s biscuits in the pantry, or err, yogurt and applesauce in the fridge. Your choice.”

               “Can I have biscuits?”

               “Of course. They’re in the back of the pantry. Why don’t you grab those while I pour some milk?”

               “Okay!”

               Harry opened the walk-in pantry in the kitchen, opening the door the slightest bit, and searched the back shelf for the cookies, light from the kitchen flooding the otherwise dark space. He had just found a box of chocolate chip cookies when a soft click startled him, the box falling to the floor. The door to the pantry had shut itself. Feeling his heart rate pick up, Harry felt his way to the pantry door and gave it a push. The door didn’t budge. He realized that there was no knob on this side of the door, so it could only be opened from the outside.

               “Mr. Snape?” Harry whispered, knocking at the door slightly.

Harry felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His breathing started coming in sharp and shallow.

               He was trapped. The darkness was overwhelming him, morphing the pantry into his old cupboard. He felt the space closing in on him. He started seeing spots amid the darkness, and his blood felt cold as his body started tingling. He couldn’t breathe anymore.

               They had him locked in there again. They were denying him food, water, light, and they weren’t going to let him out for days. He choked on air, his heartbeat loud in his ears, and he pounded on the door furiously.

               “Let me out!” He screamed, his face hot as tears streaming down his face. “Please! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! I’ll be good! Let me out, let me out!” 

               A deep voice cut through the air, but Harry wasn’t sure what it said. The door opened, light blinding him, but he bolted out of his cupboard, collapsing on the floor against the opposite wall. He wrapped his arms around his legs and cried.

 

               Severus wasn’t sure what to do. One minute, he was pouring milk, the next, he was hearing Harry pounding on the pantry door frantically, pleading and apologizing. Severus hadn’t realized the door had shut itself on Harry, who probably hadn’t opened it far enough to prevent it from doing so. He had called out to Harry when he opened the door, but the child ran right past him and huddled up on the opposite wall, crying.

               “Harry, what’s wrong?” Severus asked. Was it the dark that had scared the boy? Or was it the fact that he had been locked in, trapped, inside a pantry?

               Severus’s thoughts made him realize that Harry had most likely suffered a flashback when the door closed and locked him in – just like how the boy’s relatives would lock him in and leave him for days. Severus stared down at the sobbing child.

               Harry was shaking, then he suddenly leaned forward and vomited for a long minute. Severus made a disgusted face, but simply flicked his wand to clean the mess. Harry wiped a hand over his mouth before curling in on himself. Severus took a step closer to the boy.

               “Harry,” Severus began, reaching a hand towards him. “Err, it’s okay. There, there.”

               Severus’s fingers brushed Harry’s shoulder when the boy jerked away from him, whining in protest. Severus pulled back, not sure how to proceed anymore. What was he supposed to do? How could he snap Harry out of this state? Should he even do that or just let Harry go through the motions till he comes out of it himself? Feeling useless as he watched the terrified child, Severus retreated to the dining table and sat down. He watched Harry from there, deciding to wait it out. The state the boy was in pulled at something in Severus’s chest, and it frustrated him that he could do nothing. That he didn’t know how to help Harry, didn’t know how to approach the situation, and certainly didn’t know how to deal with the emotions the boy was suffering.

               Severus sighed and rubbed wearily at his face. Sitting there was torture. All he could do was hope and pray Harry pulled out of it. He really didn’t want to take a visit to St. Mungo’s if the boy did not.

               An hour passed of neither moving or making a sound. Harry had long stopped crying, but he remained in the corner, his eyes blank and distant as he stared off to a corner of the kitchen. Severus rested his head in his arms, watching the boy, wondering when and how he should intervene, or if he even should.

               A loud knock on the door cut through the silence. Severus’s breath caught in his throat as he stood up and went to the door. He didn’t open it.

               “Who’s there?” he called out.

               “It is I, Severus,” Albus’s voice said. “Albus.”

               Shit, Severus thought, a knot tightening in his chest. “One second.”

               Severus ran back to the kitchen and reached for Harry, but before he could touch him, he froze. What if he startled the boy? Or scared him so terribly, he started screaming? He kneeled in front of Harry a good few inches back.

               “Harry,” he said softly. The boy made no indication that he heard him or was listening. Severus snapped his fingers in the boy’s face, a risky move. Harry blinked, and his eyes seemed to focus on him, but he didn’t move. “Harry, I need you to go to my room and get in your bed.”

               Harry didn’t move.

               “Harry, please.” Severus felt his heart speed up as another knock sounded through the rooms.

               “Severus?” Albus called. “I must say, we have important matters to discuss.”

               Severus rubbed the back of his neck, fighting his lungs to breathe nice and slow. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn’t let Albus in, not with Harry in the state he was in. He couldn’t risk forcing the boy to the bedroom. It might cause another attack. And a closed, locked door was the last thing Harry needed right now. He would have to get rid of Albus, somehow. He couldn’t let the headmaster find Harry.

               Standing, Severus went back to the door, willing his hands to stop shaking as he grasped the door knob. He swallowed dryly and opened the door just enough to look out.

               “This really isn’t a good time, Headmaster.”

               “I’m sorry, Severus. But I really must talk to you. You are the only person I can speak to about this matter.” There were bags under Albus’s eyes and the elder man’s face seemed more wrinkled than usual.

               Severus fought to gather the right thoughts in his head. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t risk looking or acting suspicious.

               “Yes, but . . . I have so many cauldrons boiling right now, and I really should get back to finishing them. I’m in for a long night, can this meeting wait until tomorrow?”

               “Please, Severus,” Albus insisted, his weary eyes peering into the man’s soul (or so Severus felt), “don’t send me away. I really need to talk to you and I’d rather not push this topic off.”

               Severus tensed, He wanted to slam the door shut. He wanted to let the man in. He wanted to insist that the man come back tomorrow. He wanted to throw up. But his body just would not move.

               “Are you all right, dear boy?” Albus questioned.

               Finding his voice, Severus choked out, “I’m fine. It’s just been some long few days.” Willing his body to move, Severus held the door open for Albus, “Please, come in.”

               “Thank you, Severus.”

               Albus entered and paused inside the living room, taking a deep breath.

               “Your house elf is a splendid cleaner. I might insist on borrowing her.”

               “Whenever you wish,” Severus said, pushing the door shut, still trying to fight the stiffness of his body.

               Albus sighed, “I could really use a soothing tea. Do you have any calming draughts, Severus? I’m sure that will help me sleep tonight. And honey sounds delightful.”

               The man began walking for the kitchen and Severus’s heart jumped to his throat. His body found the ability to move and he ran after the headmaster, stopping the man with a hand to the chest.

               “Please, Headmaster, you look exhausted. Allow me to serve the tea, you are a guest in my quarters, after all.”

               “If you insist, Severus. But I could also use a bit of water . . .”

               “Done! I’ll gather everything, really, it’s no problem. Take a seat, rest your legs.”

               “You make sound like a feeble, old man, Severus. Surely, I can be of some help in the kitchen.”

               Albus moved around Severus and walked for the kitchen.

               “No, really, Headmaster, it’s fine, I don’t need your help.”

               But it was too late. Albus entered the kitchen, Severus right behind him.

               “Honestly, you always insist on doing everything yourself,” Albus said, as he pulled a few teacups out of a cabinet and set a filled teapot on the stove. “It will not harm you or your reputation to have a little help every now and then. I could use a drop or two of a calming draught. You do have some in stock, do you not?”

               Severus didn’t hear a word Albus said. His eyes were fixated on the spot where Harry had been. The boy was no longer there. Had the child managed to snap out of it? But if not here, then where had he gone? Did he make a run for the room when he had been speaking to Albus through the door? But his bedroom door wasn’t shut. Harry surely would have shut the door if he had run there to hide. Wouldn’t he?

               “Severus?”

               Severus blinked, and his eyes looked in Albus’s direction.

               “Are you all right?”

               There was that question again. No, he was not all right. He was far from all right. And until he could resolve this Harry Potter situation, he would never be all right. Severus just nodded his head, his eyes straying to the wall once more before he looked up at Albus.

               “I’m fine,” he said. “It’s just . . . my nightmares are reoccurring.”

               “As are mine,” Albus nodded. “And I’ve had some new ones recently. I can’t help but fear that something terrible has happened to little Harry. And it’s all my fault. I should have done more for the boy. I should have persuaded Mr. and Mrs. Dursley to treat him better, more like family. I should have visited the boy myself, just to show the child that someone did care for him. And now looks what’s happened. Harry could be anywhere. He could have been kidnapped. Tortured. Murdered.”

               “Don’t give up so quickly,” Severus said softly. “Potter could also be somewhere safe and warm, without the slightest knowledge that his selfish actions will have the wizarding world in an uproar. He was probably taken in by an overindulgent family who’s mistaken him for an orphan with no living relatives. Who knows? We have to keep searching. I’m sure the brat is still very much alive.”

               “Perhaps, Severus,” Albus said, pouring hot water into the teacups, adding spices and honey. “Did you happen to find that calming draught?”

               Severus raised a hand, summoning a vial of the potion in question. He walked over to the headmaster, opened the vial, and allowed two drops to fall into each teacup. He needed the calming draught just as much as Albus did. His hands were still a bit shaky.

               “I hope your faith in Harry’s status reigns true,” Albus said, taking a long, grateful sip.

               “As do I,” Severus agreed.

               The two stood in comfortable silence, drinking the tea. Severus couldn’t stop his eyes from occasionally straying to the spot Harry had been. Albus did not seem to notice, however, lost in his own thoughts.

               “Might I borrow some Dreamless Sleep?” Albus asked when he finished his tea. “I’d rather not face my fears in dreams tonight.”

               “Of course.” Severus summoned a vial of the potion “Though as the brewer, I am obligated to warn you that taking the potion more than three times a week has a high potential for addiction and abuse.”

               “Of course, Severus. Just for tonight. It is healthy for one to admit to and face their fears. It is how we overcome them. I should let you get back to your work. Thank you, Severus.”

               “Anytime,” Severus said, watching the headmaster leave the kitchen. He heard the soft click of the door.

               As soon as Albus had left, Eve and Harry appeared in the kitchen, in the same spot Harry had been originally. Severus sighed in relief.

               “Eve made sure Harry could not be seen by Headmaster Dumbledore,” Eve informed him. Harry was still hugging his knees, though his eyes seemed more alert and less red now. “Eve stayed with Harry till Headmaster left.”

               “Thank you, Eve,” Severus said, setting down his own teacup and walking over to Harry. Eve vanished. He squatted in front of the boy, an overwhelming relief flooding his body at seeing Harry safe. Today had been an extremely close call. And he did not like the feeling it had left him in. He stared at Harry, and the boy stared right back. It was Harry who spoke first.

               “I was scared,” he said, as if that summed up the entire afternoon.

               Severus would later blame his actions on the calming draught he had taken, claiming he was not in the right state of mind. He reached out a hand and cupped Harry’s cheek, stroking the soft skin with his thumb. Harry smiled and leaned into the caress. Severus frowned thoughtfully.

               “Me too,” he said.     

 

Severus wasn’t sure how long Harry and he sat on the floor facing each other. Harry was still curled up in a ball and Severus still squatting in front of him, his legs starting to cramp. His thoughts were everywhere, and he just felt strange about how this day had progressed. He was a fool to think Harry was safe here from Albus’s eyes. Could he really pull this off? He looked down at his hand, remembering how he had caressed the boy just a moment ago. What the hell was happening to him? He was losing his mind with this mission. That calming draught was really screwing with his head.

Eve popped back into view, looking back and forth between Harry and Severus.

               “Eve has brought dinner,” she said, “Will Master Snape and little master be eating?”

               Severus sighed, standing up straight, Harry’s eyes following his movements. Severus offered his hand, asking, “Are you hungry, Harry?”

               Harry shook his head, remaining on the floor. Severus looked at the food on the table.

               “Are you sure? It looks like Eve brought mini trifles. Doesn’t that sound good?”

               “What’s a trifle?”            

               “You don’t . . . of course you wouldn’t know. It’s a dessert. Why don’t you come try it? I’m sure there’s pumpkin juice as well.”

               Harry offered a smile, reaching up and taking Severus’s hand. Severus pulled the boy to his feet and led him to the table where their food was sitting, a dish of warm moussaka with a side of Greek salad. Harry sat down and immediately reached for the trifle.

               “No,” Severus quickly said. Harry froze and looked over at him. “You need to eat your dinner first, then dessert.”

               Harry’s lower lip puckered out as he pushed the small bowl away. Severus wondered if he was doing the right thing when he shook the thoughts away. Of course, he was. His mother had always made him eat dinner first. Harry was just trying to play the sympathy card. Severus frowned at Harry.

               “None of that,” he said, “eat as much as you can of your food and then you can have the trifle.”

               “I don’t know what this is,” Harry said, using his fork to stab the strange, lasagna shaped food.

               “It’s called moussaka. Try it, it’s good.”

               “Is it made out of moose?”

               “What? No. Stop with the questions and just eat it.” Severus reached over and forked up some bites of the food on Harry’s plate, cutting it up. “Look, it’s eggplant, which is really good, and tomatoes and ground la-”

               Severus cut himself off, the word stuck in the back of his throat. Harry snapped his head up, waiting for Severus to finish what he was saying. Severus sighed, setting the fork down, pushing the plate away from Harry. He rested his head against his folded hands, propped up by his elbows, a headache starting to throb. This day has been stressing and it was starting to make him feel nauseous.  

               “Eve,” he called out. Eve popped into view. “Bring me a plate of fish and chips.”

               “Yes, sir.” She popped away and a plate of fish and chips appeared before Harry.

               Severus watched as Harry took a more eager bite of the familiar food. At least he was eating now. Severus sighed and just watched Harry eat, noting how the child eyed the cold dessert repeatedly. Severus knew it wouldn’t melt for a while in the chilled bowl. As Harry munched on the warm, salty chips, the boy looked at him.

               “Aren’t you going to eat?” the boy asked.

               “I’ve suddenly lost my appetite,” Severus answered honestly.

               “Oh,” Harry paused in eating, looking at his food and then back at Severus. “If you’re not eating, can I stop?”

               Severus raised an eyebrow. A part of him wondered if he should say no and make the boy keep eating. The other part thought it was a little unfair for him to make the child do something he wasn’t even doing. Well, it was just for one night, what harm would it do? Besides, Harry had managed half a fish and some chips. Partly blaming his decision on the calming draught, which was obviously having adverse reactions on him, Severus shrugged a shoulder and said, “Fair enough. If you’re not hungry, you can stop.”

               “But,” Harry’s eyes fell on the trifle. “Can I still eat the trifle?”

               Severus smirked. Clever boy, he thought. Just for tonight. He nodded his head.

               Harry’s smiled widened beyond what Severus thought was normal. He watched in amusement as Harry dug into the treat, getting it all over his face. Severus snorted as Harry tried to reach every bit of whipped cream on his face with his tongue. Summoning a napkin, he tossed it to the boy, who caught it and wiped his face, still smiling.

"This is my new favorite food!" Harry happily announced.

Unsure if he was supposed to be happy about that or not, Severus simply nodded his head.
               After dinner, or when Harry was finished with his dessert, Severus sent Harry off to dress for bed while he sat in his armchair grading papers. Harry had returned to the living room with the Manxmouse book in hand, and after a brief period of claiming he was in no mood to read to the boy and Harry pleading, Severus found himself with the child in his lap reading the second chapter of Manxmouse, Harry resting his head against Severus’s shoulder.

               “Aren’t you two a cute picture,” a voice interrupted them halfway through the chapter.

               Harry nearly fell over from how fast Severus stood up and turned, facing Minerva who was standing in his doorway, smiling at them. Severus glared at the woman, the book still in his hand, his thumb marking the page he had been on.

               “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” he growled. So much for that calming draught.   

               “I sent you a note that I would be stopping by,” Minerva said, closing the door and entering. “I see you haven’t even touched it, though.”

               Severus noted the rolled-up parchment resting in front of the fireplace where it fell after traveling through the floo system. Severus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. How had he missed that?

               “Well, don’t let me interrupt your reading time,” Minerva continued, walking over to the couch and sitting down. “I’ll wait.”

               Severus glared at her, then noticed Harry looking up at him hopefully. He frowned at the boy and shook his head. He handed the book back to Harry, who took it and stared down at the pages before giving Severus a sad look.   

               “No, we were just finishing. He needed help with the chapter,” Severus spoke to Harry, “I’m sure you can take over from where we left off.”

               Minerva rolled her eyes and stood back up, saying, “Fine, don’t read.” She took the book from Harry, cornering a page to mark the place and set it on the low coffee table.

               “Maybe tomorrow night,” she said to Harry, “I actually came down here to deliver something to you, sweetie. I was shopping for more transfiguration supplies when I saw this adorable, lonely friend. I think he needs a boy to love him.”

               Minerva reached into her robe and pulled out a tiny dog figurine. Harry’s eyes sparkled when it transfigured into a large stuffed dog with big floppy ears and long faux fur. Harry grinned and hugged the toy to his chest, the toy covering up his entire torso. He smiled at Minerva.

               “What do you say, Harry?” Severus said.

               Harry didn’t say anything, just glanced at Severus and back at Minerva, offering a bigger smile.

               “Harry,” Severus scolded. “Say thank you.”

               “He’s fine, Severus,” Minerva said. “His smile says it all. Look how happy he is. Are you excited to start lessons with me tomorrow? I’m going to teach you all about Hogwarts!”

               Harry snuggled into the large stuffed animal, nodding his head at Minerva, his eyes glittering with excitement.

               “It’ll be hard to teach him if he doesn’t say a word to you.”         

               “I have students who never say a word or question anything in classes. They do fine. How’s he been doing?”

               “Splendid,” Severus answered dryly. Then, he sighed and rubbed his temples. “Albus stopped by today. And Harry was in the middle of some flashback and wouldn’t move. It was a very close call today.”

               “You’re risking a lot hiding him here, Severus. You should bring the authorities into this. Or at least a few more people you can trust. And what do you mean “he was in the middle of a flashback?””

               Severus explained his conversation with Harry about being forced to sleep in a cupboard and how sometimes the Dursleys would lock Harry inside the cupboard for an extended period of time. Minerva commented on how horrid the family was, looking down at Harry with a sad face. Severus recounted the incident earlier that day of how the pantry door had shut on Harry and the boy suffered a flashback.

               “The poor dear,” Minerva sympathized, “and what did you do?”

               “When?”

               “During his flashback.”

               “Nothing. He wouldn’t let me touch him. I was just waiting until he snapped out of it.”

               “You didn’t do anything?”

               “What was I supposed to do?”

               “Not let him sit there and tremble!”

               “Well, what the f-” Severus bit back what he was about to say as his eyes landed on Harry. He looked away from the boy and growled loudly in exasperation, his hands clenching in fists at his side. Honestly, what had he been supposed to do? It wasn’t like he was some expert in handling emotional and traumatic situations. Hell, he had his own problems he was sure he dealt with in unhealthy, incorrect manners. What use was he to a scared child? Way to make me feel like an idiot and so useless, Minerva, Severus thought bitterly.

               “Calm down,” Minerva encouraged, “don’t get yourself worked up, now. You could have at least gotten Poppy.”

               “And let one more person in on Harry’s situation, hmm?”

               “She wouldn’t tell anyone, especially when you explain why you have the boy. I take it Albus came when Harry was suffering a flashback. Did you use a disillusion or concealment charm to hide him?”

               “No, those completely left my mind,” Severus muttered, covering his face with a hand. How could he have forgotten something so simple?

               “Well, what happened when Albus came by?”

               “My house elf hid him.”

               “Your house elf? Eve, correct? You’re lucky to have her. For Harry’s sake, and just look at your quarters. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your rooms so spotless and dust-free.”

               “Harry cleaned the rooms.”

               “Harry?” Minerva looked over at the boy still standing with the dog tight in his arms.

               Severus sighed, still trying to calm his rising temper. He needed some kind of release after the stresses of today. It had been too close of a call, Albus had nearly walked right in on him housing the boy and the consequences of such an event weighed down heavily on his mind. All he wanted at this point was just to keep the boy safe, but he was starting to doubt his capability of doing so. He rubbed wearily at his face, his eyes meeting Harry’s. The boy yawned and rubbed an eye and Severus was about to tell him to head to bed when Minerva spoke first.

               “Why don’t you go take a walk?” she suggested to him.

               Severus glared at her, “I don’t need a walk. I’m fine. Harry needs . . .”

               “I’ll take care of Harry,” Minerva gave Severus’s shoulder a push toward the door. “You need to do something to let go of that stress I’m sure you’re feeling. Go yell at some Gryffindors or punch a tree or something.”

               Before Severus knew it, he was in the hall and the door to his quarters shut behind him.

               “Kicked out of my own quarters,” he muttered, deciding a walk was just what he needed before finishing his grading. “I’ll yell at some Gryffindors, for sure. I’ll take a hundred points from your house.”

               Severus paused to spare his door one last glare before heading up the stairs.

              

               “You look tired, sweetie,” Minerva smiled at Harry. “Would you like to get right in bed? Or would you like me to read to you?”

               Harry’s smile grew, and he ran back to the bedroom. Minerva noted he didn’t pick up the Manxmouse book, which was fine with her. She’d rather save that for Severus to do with the boy. She didn’t care what excuse Severus made, she knew exactly what had been going on when she entered the room. And she felt a bit guilty for ruining the moment for the two. Harry returned with another book and sat on the couch next to Minerva.

               “Ah, The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” Minerva smiled. “One of my childhood favorites!”

               Harry snuggled with the stuffed dog and leaned slightly against Minerva to stare at the colorful pages. Minerva began reading a story to the boy, who was slowly falling asleep against her. After twenty minutes, Harry was nearly asleep, and Minerva prepared to help him to bed when a loud tapping sound echoed through the room.

               Harry abruptly sat up, looking at the door and at Minerva, who’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure what Severus usually had Harry do, but she waved her wand and cast a charm that would turn the boy invisible until she canceled it. She stood, leaving Harry on the couch, and cautiously approached the door.

               The tapping was inconsistent with that of a person knocking at the door. She frowned, wondering what could be making the noise, and if it was someone, why they were at Severus’s door. She flicked her wand at the door, casting a spell that turned the wood transparent on her side, like a two-sided mirror.

               On the other side of the door, tapping persistently with its beak, was a Hen Harrier hawk, pale gray with black tipped wings. Curious, Minerva canceled the spell and opened the door. The bird flew into the room, landing on the coffee table.

               “Kek,” the bird said, looking around the room, hopping to one side of the table and then he other. “Kek.”

               Minerva saw a rolled-up parchment grasped in the bird’s talons. She remembered Harry and flicked her wand the boy’s way, and he appeared once more, his eyes staring at the bird curiously.

               “Kek,” the bird continued, flying to the back of the chair and landing on the top, searching the room with a slow movement of the head. The bird paused, tilting its head at Minerva as it turned to face her. “Kek-kek.”

               “You must be looking for Severus,” Minerva said. “He’s not here, but I can give him the letter.”

               Minerva held out her hand toward the bird, remaining cautious. She was more familiar with the way owls worked, knowing that sometimes an owl would refuse to hand over any delivery to any one but the intended recipient. She wasn’t sure how this bird of prey might react to her reaching for the letter. The hawk tilted its head at her outstretched hand before lifting its leg and dropping the rolled parchment. Minerva smiled as she pulled away.

               Harry jumped off the couch and walked over to the bird, reaching a hand up to it.

“Harry, no,” Minerva warned, “be careful . . .”

               But it seemed her worries were for naught. Harry stroked the bird, and like a cat, it leaned into the touch, rubbing its head against the boy’s small fingernails. Harry laughed. Minerva breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at the letter. She knew it was none of her business, but the odd bird species and the fact it flew all the way into the dungeon instead of dropping it off at the owlery for the house elves to sort sparked her curiosity. She carefully unrolled the letter.

               Severus, I feel as though this is the millionth letter I’ve written to you. It reminds me of how quickly time flies and how much of your life I am missing. I know I made a mistake, but it was years ago, and I am deeply sorry. Can we not forgive and move on? I want you to be in my life, I want to know what you are up to, I want to hear your voice. I want to be there for you when I couldn’t before. You are my only son, Severus, and I do not want to lose you. As I’ve said before, I am connected to the floo network, all you have to say is MacAuley Estate, Ireland. And Kieran will always await your response. With Love, your mother, Eileen Prince-MacAuley.

               Minerva sighed as she finished reading the letter. It saddened her that Severus continued to choose this relationship with his mother.

               “Minny,” a quiet whisper interrupted her thoughts.

               She looked down in surprise at Harry, but quickly smiled and asked, “What is it, sweetheart?”

               “Is it a letter?”

               “It is.”

               “For Mr. Snape?”

               “Yes, for Mr. Snape.”

               “Whose it from?”

               Minerva hesitated, not sure how much Severus would want her to tell the boy. She looked down at the parchment, rolled it up, and set it on the coffee table. “Just someone Severus knows, is all, dear.”

               “Is it from his mummy?” Harry suddenly asked. “Or his daddy?”

               Minerva felt something break within her at the innocent question. She felt tears well in her eyes as she stared down at the inquisitive boy. She closed her eyes, hoping to keep them at bay. This was too much for her. Once she could breathe normally again, she patted Harry’s hair.

               “His mummy, dear,” she answered.

               “No daddy?”

               “It’s complicated. You’ll have to ask him about it.”

               “And the bird?”

               “Its name is Kieran,” Minerva said, watching the bird look around the room. Harry gave it another head scratch and smiled, the bird happily cooing.

 

               Severus enjoyed the fresh night air. No, he hadn’t seen any Gryffindors to take points from for wandering around past curfew, nor did he punch a tree, but sitting on the entrance stairway to Hogwarts in the cold night air was relaxing enough. Minerva may have kicked him out of his quarters, but at least she had been right that getting out would help a bit. He had to have been walking for an hour before he decided to come out here and sit.

               His thoughts strayed to Harry, someone he had managed to avoid thinking about so far. The boy needed help – more than he could ever offer. He had to find Harry a better place to live, a better home with a family that could provide him with the right medical treatment. It was the least he could do for the boy. He had to get his plan into motion and start searching for wizard families. He would include muggles, but at this point, Harry needed more exposure with the wizarding community, if only to help him realize he was not a freak.

               The incident with Albus also had Severus’s mind in paranoia. What if an incident like today happened again? What if Eve couldn’t pop in and save the day? What f he couldn’t help the boy himself? Protect him? Hide him? He took in a deep breath. He couldn’t let another day like this happen. It put Harry in too much risk. But it wasn’t like he could hide the boy away in his bedroom with the door locked forever. No matter how much he wanted to. He needed a better solution. But he didn’t know what that solution was. And he hated not having the answers. What had he signed himself up for?

               Severus watched a few owls soar high in the sky, a silent shadow against the dark blue, starless sky. Severus’s heating charm was starting to wear off and he wordlessly cast a refresher. He thought back to Harry, inwardly wishing he could see the boy right now, just to know he was safe in the castle where he had left him.

               As the thought left his mind, a silvery apparition began forming in the grass in front of him, taking the shape of a small child lying in the grass, his hands folded under his chin. It was an apparition, much like a patronus, of Harry.

               Harry opened his eyes, blinked, then pushed off the ground into a sitting stance.

               “Mr. Snape?”

               “Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Severus asked. He recalled the information he had read in the library about the Bond of the Guardian Angel, how simply wishing to see Harry would allow this . . . event to occur.

               Harry looked around and said, “I am in bed. Why are you sitting on my floor?”

               “I’m not on your floor. I’m outside the castle.”

               “Really? Like when you were looking for me by the lions?”           

               Severus figured Harry was referring to what was happening between them. He gave a single nod. Harry stood up, though Severus was sure the boy was climbing off the bed and walked over to him. Severus didn’t move as Harry paused in front of him.

“You’re like a ghost again,” Harry stated, reaching out a hand that went right through Severus’s head. Even so, Severus pulled his head away from the boy’s investigative actions. “My hand goes right through you.”

“As would mine,” Severus said.

Harry sat next to Severus on the stairs (or in the boy’s bedroom) and looked up at the man.

“Minny said you had to take a walk to calm down,” Harry said. “Are you all better, now?”

Severus resisted rolling his eyes. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Oh. When are you coming back?”

“When I feel like it. When are you going back to sleep?”

“When I feel like it,” Harry replied with a cheeky smile.

“Hmm, I don’t think so,” Severus decided. Missing a single meal was one thing, but missing any sleep was a no. Severus would rather deal with a hungry child than a tired, cranky one. “You’ll be asleep before I return, deal?”

“Why?”

“You need your sleep.”

“Will you come say goodnight to me?”

“I could say goodnight now.”

“But . . . it’s not the same,” Harry pouted, hugging his knees and staring down at his bare feet.

“How is it not the same? Goodnight is goodnight, no matter where it’s said.”

Harry shrugged his shoulders, still looking at his feet. Severus sighed. Children has such strange ideas. Well, if it made Harry get back in bed and out of his hair faster, he might as well as play along. It wasn’t like the boy would ever know if he said or didn’t say goodnight to him later when he was asleep.

“If you promise to go right to sleep, I’ll see about saying goodnight to you when I return.”

“Really?” Harry looked up at him hopefully, his eyes wide and bright without the glasses. Severus wondered how it was even possible for the apparition to do that.    

“I just said I would, didn’t I?”

“I’ll go right to sleep!”

“Good. Go get back in bed now.”

“When will I get to meet your Mum?”

The question surprised Severus and he lost any coherent thoughts for a few seconds as he simply stared down at the boy. His eyes darkened, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“A bird came and had a letter,” Harry explained. “Minny read it and said it was from your mummy. Will I get to meet her? Is she nice?”

Damn Minerva, Severus thought. Why couldn’t she leave his personal matters well enough alone? He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing. He would have to return sooner than he thought to his quarters. But how to answer the boy’s question . . .

“Mr. Snape?” Harry asked, a frown on his face.

               “We’ll,” Severus hesitated, peering down at Harry, “discuss this later.”

               Harry’s face fell, and he looked at his bare feet again, wriggling his toes, saying “Okay,” in a soft voice.

               “Now, get in bed.”

               Harry stood up and walked back to the spot in the grass where he had appeared. In awkward, blurry movements, he climbed up in the air for a second before he was on the ground, moving what had to be a blanket around him and curling up in the grass. Harry stared at Mr. Snape with wide eyes.

               “Go to sleep,” Severus encouraged.

               Harry closed his eyes, then peeked one open.

               “Keep your eyes closed,” Severus demanded, frowning at the boy.

               Harry closed his eyes completely, and after a few quiet seconds, the apparition faded from view. Severus sighed and stood to his feet. Now he had to deal with Minerva’s snooping. Honestly, couldn’t he get any privacy anymore? He made his way swiftly back to his quarters, throwing the door open, his eyes immediately zoning in on the parchment resting on the coffee table. He snatched it and threw it in the flaming fireplace.

               Only the letter froze before a flame could even lick it, then flew past Severus and into Minerva’s grasp. Minerva frowned at Severus, stepping away from the dining table where she had been seated.

               “You weren’t even going to open it?”

               “I don’t need to,” Severus snapped, rounding his living room. “It’s the same letter each time. I don’t need to be a seer to know what it might possibly say.”

               “She’s your mother, Severus,” Minerva said, keeping distance between herself and Severus, who kept walking towards her. “She’s your family.”

               “Some family,” Severus snapped.

               “Oh, for Merlin’s sake,” she huffed, “you are so immature. You know, for being – what, twenty-seven?”

               “I’m twenty-eight!”

               “Not by very long! But you’d think that at your age, you’d see how childish you are behaving. I would expect this from Harry, but not from you. You should have seen Harry playing with your mother’s bird when it arrived, she would love Harry . . .”

               “First of all,” Severus paused, pointing a finger at Minerva, “it’s my stepfather’s bird. Second, Harry is never meeting her, he’s nothing to her, and she is not playing any kind of role in my life. And third, you need to stay out of my business, especially personal family matters that have nothing to do with you!”

               Minerva crossed her arms.

               “Is that how it is?” Minerva flicked the parchment to Severus and it floated over to the man, who snatched it, crumbled it, and threw it in the fireplace. He watched satisfied as it burned away. Minerva continued talking, “Do you know what I see, Severus? I see a boy who doesn’t have a mother, who’ll never have the chance to get to know her or tell her how much he loves her. Then I see a man who’s too stubborn to see how good he’s got it. Who’s too foolish to let go of the past and reach out to a mother trying to reconnect with her only son. You two are sad cases.”

               With that, Minerva turned and left Severus’s quarters.

               Severus had just stared in the flames with a hard expression, watching the parchment burn to nothing. He glared at his door before walking to the kitchen and pouring himself a nightcap. He walked to his bedroom with his glass, pausing as he spotted Harry fast asleep in his bed. Severus took a sip of his drink as he watched the boy’s even breathing. The boy had that overly large toy hugged to his chest. He moved on in the room, setting his glass down on the nightstand by his bed.

               Walking back to Harry’s bed, he leaned over the boy slightly, and whispered, “Goodnight, Harry,” lingering for just a second before pulling away and heading into the bathroom. He completely missed the small smile that appeared on the boy’s face.     

 

Severus stared at the Hogwarts express in awe, excited to begin his Hogwarts career. He was eleven years old now, and this would be his first experience in the magical world. And it would be nice to escape his father’s presence for a while. His mother rested a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from running to the train without so much as a goodbye.

               “Now hold up, young man,” Eileen smirked down at her son. “Good gentlemen kiss their mother goodbye before leaving for months.”

               Severus groaned, his pale cheeks reddening. “Mum, do I have to?”

               “It is tradition,” Eileen insisted. In truth, it was a tradition among purebloods to formally kiss parents’ goodbye, a tradition Eileen didn’t enjoy with her own pureblood parents. But she saw no harm in enforcing it with her son, a son she truly loved for who he was and not his blood status as her own parents had reminded her time and time again.

               “Fine,” Severus turned and, after Eileen kneeled slightly for him, kissed her cheek quickly.

               “That’s the best you can do for your mother?” Eileen narrowed her eyes. “After everything I’ve done for you – carried you for nine months, brought you into this world, clothed you, fed you – ”

               “Okay, okay,” Severus rolled his eyes and gave his mother a longer kiss on the cheek. He was glad he had spotted a couple other families with children giving parents the same attention or his cheeks would be burning off.

               “Much better,” Eileen grinned. Her smile softened, and her eyes saddened. “You know I love you, right?”

               “I know,” Severus said.

               “I’m really going to miss you.”

               “Mum, it’s just until Christmas break. Then I’ll be home.”

               “Hmm,” Eileen stared off in the distance for a moment. Severus glanced back in the direction she was staring but didn’t see anything. He looked back at his mother, who refocused on him. “Why don’t you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas? It’ll be fun, and you’ll experience some new wizarding traditions we could never do at home.”

               “Yeah, but it won’t be Christmas without family,” Severus said. “I want to spend it with you. Besides, you’ll be alone with . . . you know, Father.”

               Eileen smiled sadly at him. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I promise you. One day, I’ll get us out of this situation. As soon as I find a job that will support us both, you and I will leave Spinner’s End and your father for good.”

               “How do you plan on doing that?” Severus asked. “You have no muggle education and Father won’t like it if you step foot in the Wizarding world to search for work. He’ll find out and he’ll . . .”

               It was bad enough that Severus was leaving for Hogwarts. His father had thrown a fit about his son going off to a freak school where he would learn freaky magic nonsense. He ended up arguing with Eileen about Severus’s acceptance and she and Severus both ended up with more bruises and developing scars. Severus’s shaggy clothes covered up that incident, and he couldn’t wait to change into his new Hogwarts uniform.

               “I’ll stay safe. It’ll be worth it to set us free, won’t it?”

               Severus said nothing, just stared sadly at his mother. Nothing was ever worth seeing his mother hurt. Because of Eileen’s lack of muggle education, no one ever hired her in the muggle world. And to even mention finding a job in the wizarding world was simply suicidal. Eileen sighed, deciding to change the subject.

               “Hey, aren’t you excited to be sorted?”

               Severus shrugged.

               “Well, let me know what house you end up in. What are we rooting for?”

               “Slytherin!” Severus smiled, knowing that that had been the house his mother had been in.

               “Slytherin all the way,” Eileen smiled, lifting her wand, the tip glowing green. Severus pulled out his own wand and lit it a silver color. The two touched the tips of the wands together, and two thin trails of the colored lights wrapped around the two wands, snake-like in their movements. The glow faded, and Eileen kissed Severus head, ruffling his long hair. “Remember, I will always love you and I will miss you greatly.”

               “I’ll miss you, too, Mum,” Severus said.

               “I would really like to see you stay at Hogwarts this Christmas. Just this once. I promise that we will spend every Christmas after that together. Deal?”

               Severus sighed but nodded his head. “Deal.”

               The Hogwarts whistle blew, and Eileen hugged her son, rather tightly in Severus’s opinion, before Severus ran to the train and climbed aboard. He waved out a window one to his mother.

               Christmas time came, and although Severus had agreed to stay at Hogwarts, he changed his mind and wrote home to his parents that he would be returning, despite his mother’s wishes. As much as he enjoyed his time at Hogwarts, he missed his mother and the holiday just didn’t feel right without her. He climbed off the train and exited the barrier to wait for his mother to pick him up. Time passed, and it was late evening when the familiar car pulled up to the station. Severus smiled and stood, only to lose the smile when his father stepped out of the car. Where was Mum?

               “Let’s go, boy,” Tobias’s gruff voice said.

               Quick to obey, Severus grabbed his belonging and jumped in the car.

               “Why didn’t Mum pick me up?” Severus asked as they drove away.

               “That bitch is gone,” Tobias growled.

               Severus frowned at his father’s choice of words. Gone – how? Hesitantly, he asked, “Where?”

               “Who the hell knows!? I haven’t seen her in months. Not since she took you to the train station to go to that freak show you call a school.” Tobias picked up a brown bag and took a large swig from the hidden bottle.

               Severus sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes watering. His mother was gone? For months? Where did she go? Why did she leave? Surely, she was coming back for Christmas – for him!

               “Is she coming back?”

               “If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll never come back. Now shut up and let me drive.”

               Tears fell from Severus’s eyes and he turned to look out the window. Eileen had left him. She left him alone with his father. She had abandoned him.   

               Severus opened his eyes. It had been a long while since he dreamed of his mother’s abandonment, and he was sure the events of tonight had been the cause of his dream tonight. Minerva had given him a lot to think about. And as much as he wanted to forget the silly conversation he had had with her, her words weighed heavy on his mind. Sitting up in his bed, Severus dragged a weary hand down his face.

               Seven years. For seven, long, torturous years his mother had been missing without a word. Young Severus, at just eleven years old, had even tried to report her missing, afraid that his father was lying about her never returning home and that he may have killed her or ran her out. Perhaps, out of fear for her life, she had taken on a new identity and was plotting to kidnap her son from Tobias. But the police questioned Tobias, who explained that Eileen left on her own terms, and once they were gone, he directed his anger at Severus.

               Seven years. For seven years he had to endure his father’s abuse alone, wondering if his mother would ever return, would ever save him from his father’s clutches. She had told him that they would leave Tobias together, but she had left without him. He went through his Hogwarts years alone, having no parent to ask questions or even talk to about school bullies. He was alone.

               Seven years until he heard from her once more. It had been four months after he had graduated from Hogwarts and two months since Tobias Snape had killed himself and four passengers in a fatal car crash caused by his own drunkenness. Severus had inherited Spinner’s End and had been living alone when a strange bird – a hen harrier – delivered a letter from his mother. The letter was full of apologies and regret as well as a wish to meet with Severus at a local café. Severus had nearly refused, after her abandonment, there was no way he was just going to let her walk back in his life.

               However, he decided to meet with her, if only to get answers about why she had left him. Eileen had been ecstatic to see him. Severus noted that she looked healthy. Older, but healthy, and wearing fine clothes. She explained to him that she had left Tobias the day she had dropped Severus off at Hogwarts. Her hope was to find a job and earn enough to buy a suitable home, then take Severus with her as soon as she could. Only a job did not come easy, and she struggled to earn enough to feed herself for years. It wasn’t until a year ago that she met Peadar MacAuley, a pureblood Irish wizard vacationing in London. The man was a manager at a wizarding summer camp for young kids and offered Eileen an opportunity to work at his camp. Eileen took the opportunity, learning that the man worked as a professor at Durmstrang Institute during the school year.

               After eight months of dating and getting to know one another, the two wed and settled into Peadar’s estate, and Eileen waited until Severus had graduated to contact him, as she knew he was very close to finished with his seventh year of school. She had been a bit hesitant to contact him after all these years, fearing he might hate her for leaving him, but was glad he came to meet with her.

               After, Severus did move in with his mother and his new stepfather temporarily, but after a month, he left once more, choosing the solitude of Spinner’s End. He’d visit every so often, but his encounters with his mother tended to end in heated disputes over the silliest things, somehow spinning back to her abandoning him all those years back. When Severus joined the Death Eaters a year later, both Eileen and Peadar had shared their disapproval, and Severus ignored them for two years, only returning in distress after endangering Lily and James Potter, as well as their new born son. Severus had spent time in Azkaban for his trial, where Albus Dumbledore had vouched for him, then he returned to Peadar’s estate.

               For two years he walked on eggshells with his mother and stepfather as he began his teaching career at Hogwarts. And then his temper exploded once more, over his mother’s constant pestering over his poor health and how he needed to take better care of himself. It shouldn’t have, but it did push him over the edge. She had abandoned him – what right did she have to concern herself over his health? And after bringing up that abandonment once more, he left the estate for the last time.

               And here he was five and a half years later.

               Severus looked over at Harry’s bed. The boy was sound asleep. Standing, Severus went to the kitchen and poured himself some water, downing it before returning to bed. It was still early dawn. He’d sleep for a few more hours.

 

Minerva waited patiently at her desk for Severus to arrive with little Harry. She had so much planned for the boy to do with her. She still couldn’t stop thinking about Eileen’s letter to her son and the boy’s innocent questions.

Minerva knew Eileen quite well. She had first met Eileen in her first year at Hogwarts, when Minerva was a first year and Eileen was a seventh year and captain of the school Gobstones team and President of the Hogwarts Gobstone Club. Eileen had graduated, and Minerva didn’t hear from her again for a long time. When Severus began Hogwarts, Minerva was the transfiguration professor. Severus had been an awful sight – pale, clothes mismatched and hardly fit, and bruises she would occasionally get glimpses of. She wondered what went on at home.

When Severus was in his sixth year, Minerva had a run in with Eileen in the town of Ottery St. Catchpole, where she assisted in a bookstore for low pay. Minerva had been searching for particular transfiguration books when she recognized the older, pale, worn women who immediately assisted her in finding what she needed. Minerva mentioned Severus and the two spoke about how the boy was doing in his classes. Halfway through their talk, Eileen burst into tears. Minerva felt for her, especially after hearing why Eileen had left Severus with Tobias.

Eileen knew that Tobias’s job was stable and paid enough to care for Severus. Eileen had hoped she would have found something similar years sooner, but she struggled to find a place to work and did a lot of job hopping just to keep herself fed. She regretted leaving Severus alone, but she couldn’t admit defeat. She had to find something better, so she could reunite with her son.

Minerva offered her assistance then and pointed her in the direction of London where Minerva knew several new jobs were posted, both muggle, that required little education, and wizarding jobs that would pay her so much more than what she received now. Eileen had thanks her and Minerva left with the books she needed.

A year later, Minerva had received a letter from Eileen asking to meet her at a café for tea. She gladly accepted and was glad to hear that she had found a friend in Peadar MacAuley who assisted her in finding a job. Minerva also learned that Eileen’s relationship with Peadar was blossoming into something more romantic.

Then Eileen asked about Severus, and Minerva regretted being so honest but explained how the boy found friends in the wrong places and was tailing a group of dark wizards. Eileen was saddened to hear that and had wanted to bring Severus to Peadar’s estate then and there, but she chose to make sure her relationship with Peadar stayed true first before getting her son involved. And she didn’t want to become a distraction to her son in his last year of Hogwarts.

Ever since that meeting, Minerva and Eileen would meet for tea every so often and just catch up with each other. They had become good friends and it hurt Minerva’s heart to see Eileen and Severus at odds. Everything Eileen did was for her son.

And now Severus was doing so much for Harry Potter. The poor boy needed all the help he could get. Minerva still thought Eileen could help Severus with raising Harry, if only Severus saw how much he needed to keep the boy. Sometimes the thought of informing Albus crossed her mind. If she and Severus approached him together and remained calm and reasonable, surely they could make Albus see how wrong it was to leave Harry with those sort of people.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts and she smiled as she flicked her wand to unlock the door. Severus stepped through and shut the door behind him before flicking his wand and Harry appeared at his side, smiling happily at the display of magic. The boy was looking himself over as if to make sure there was nothing left invisible.

“There he is! Right on time,” Minerva smiled at Harry, who shyly smiled back. “Good morning, Harry.”

Harry remained silent, though his smile grew. Severus rolled his eyes, then leaned down to Harry’s height, whispering in the boy’s ears. Minerva used her gift of being an animagus to sharpen her hearing.

“You will not continue these lessons if you do not address Professor McGonagall respectfully,” Severus was saying. Minerva nearly rolled her own eyes. “And verbally. Now, respond to Professor McGonagall.”

Severus stood to his full height, Harry glancing up hesitantly at the man before looking at Minerva, who smiled and raised her eyebrows as if she had no idea what Severus had asked of him.

“Good morning, Professor Mc-McGon-agall,” Harry struggled a bit with her surname.

“Come take a seat, Harry,” Minerva pointed to the chair in front of her desk. Harry glanced up at Severus before moving obediently.

“I will pick him up at ten sharp,” Severus informed.

“He will be ready, Severus,” Minerva smiled, waving the man away and keeping all of her attention on the sweet boy in front of him. As soon as the man was gone, she asked, “How are you, Harry? Getting along with Severus?”

“I’m good, Professor McGonagall,” Harry took his time to say her name correctly, “I really like Mr. Snape. He’s nice.”

“He’s not being a mean grump all the time, is he?”

               “No, he’s okay. Sometimes he’s a bit grumpy, but I think he just needs to smile more.”

               “I couldn’t agree more, Harry.” Minerva smiled at how smart Harry was and how well the boy could read Severus.

               “So what are we learning, Professor McGonagall?”   

               “Please,” Minerva waved her hand at him, “call me Minny, you are not a student at Hogwarts yet. Oh, will I feel so old when you do become one. You know, I taught your parents when they attended Hogwarts.”

               “Really?” Harry’s eyes brightened.

               “Yes, they were bright pupils. Your father was a bit of a troublemaker, always getting into mischief. And your mother, such a kindhearted lass, she was. Brilliant, too.”

               Harry’s smiled widened.

               “Did they look like me?”

               “Your father looked just like you – it’s uncanny really! Except he had hazel eyes. You have your mother’s eyes, Harry.”

               Harry’s smile widened impossibly more. The boy was adorable in Minerva’s opinion.

               “What about Mr. Snape?” Harry asked. “Did you teach him, too?”

               “I did,” Minerva nodded. “But Severus’s specialty was potions. Just like his mother.”

               “Did you know his mum?”  

               “I did, and I still do. She’s a very kind and hardworking woman and I think she would love you.”

               “I’d like to meet her.”

               “I know, dear.”

               “So, what are we learning, Pro – I mean, Minny.”

               “You know,” Minerva pulled out some paper and crayons, “I thought we could do some arts and crafts instead.” Minerva set the supplies in front of Harry. “We have a whole week for learning. For today, we’ll just get to know one another. Why don’t you draw me something that means a lot to you? Something really important.”

               Harry frowned at the paper, before picking up a red crayon and starting to draw a rectangle in the center.

               Minerva watched curiously, asking questions and answering any Harry had.

 

               Severus sighed as he looked over the same student’s assignment for the third time. There were no more corrections he could possibly do on it, yet he added more criticism to every page each time he looked it over. Then he’d look back at the clock. Two minutes before ten fifty-five. Then, he’d leave at ten fifty-five and take his time to make his way to Minerva’s office and arrive right at ten o’clock sharp.

               Severus sighed and looked at the assignment once more. He didn’t want to start another one and stop half way through to pick up Harry. That would be pointless. Severus tapped the corner of his desk and tea appeared for him. He took a long sip, then glanced at the clock.

               One minute to go.

               Standing slowly, Severus lifted his outer robe off the coat hanger and slipped it on. He walked back to his desk and took another long sip. The looked at the clock.

               Ten fifty-five.

               Perfect.

               Severus turned and left his quarters making his way up the stairs and to Minerva’s office. When he arrived, he knew it had to be ten, but he hesitated, trying to listen through the hard wood to make sure he wasn’t about to interrupt any last-minute information. It was quiet, so he knocked and entered at the sound of the unlocking click.

               Severus walked through, seeing Minerva smiling down at a parchment in her hands. He couldn’t see what it said, and Minerva carefully rolled it up and smiled at Severus. Harry wasn’t in the room.

               “Where is Harry?” Severus asked.

               “He’s using the loo,” Minerva gestured to an attached door to her office.

               “What did you go over with him today?”

               “Nothing. We just talked, and he colored.”

               “That is hardly productive.”

               “We have a week to learn. Today was just to get to know each other.”

               “This is not what these lessons are for. He comes here to learn, not fool around.”

               “He wasn’t fooling around, as you put it. He’ll learn things during our next lesson. It’s his first day with me alone, after all that time he spent with you, I’d like some bonding moments as well. You can’t hog all those moments.”

               “Bonding moments?” Severus scoffed. “We do not bond. He is simply in my care until I can find a more suitable guardian for him.”

               “Why are you so insistent on finding someone else for him?” Minerva asked, tilting her head. “The boy adores you, and you are obviously growing attached to him. I would think it splendid should you pursue guardianship yourself over the boy. He’s turning you into a softie, you know.” Minerva gave Severus a teasing smile.  

               “No,” Severus snapped, growing irritated with the conversation he was having with Minerva. She was prying into his life again and just humiliating him. He was definitely not turning into a “softie” as she wonderfully put it. “I am in no position to care for a child and the boy needs a proper family and more attention then I could ever provide. And for your information, the sooner I can be rid of the brat, the sooner I can get back to my life.”

               “Severus,” Minerva warned.

               “I am not finished. Despite what relationship you think the boy and I have, it does not exist. I am not doting on him and I will not have him spending more time than is absolutely necessary in this school. He’s already put a lot of stress on me, hindered several of my daily plans, and has been nothing more but a parasite in my life. I certainly do not want to make this arrangement permanent.”

               “Severus!” Minerva pointed off to the side. Severus followed her finger and his eyes widened at Harry, who was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, tears in his eyes. He sniffed loudly as his eyes met Severus’s.

               “Harry,” Severus said softly.

               A loud sob escaped the boy as he ran past the professors and out into the hall, running away.

               “Shit,” Severus ran out into the hall, stopping outside Minerva’s door as he watched Harry’s shoes disappear behind a corner. “Harry!” he shouted before slapping a hand over his mouth. He looked around, glad to note the hall was empty. “Eve!”

               Eve popped into view.

               “Find Harry now! Make sure he returns to my quarters.”

               “Yes, Master Snape,” Eve bowed before popping away.

               “Nice,” Minerva muttered, walking up to Severus, the rolled parchment still in her hands. “When you get talking, you do know how to talk the talk don’t you? You just aren’t very good at walking the walk. Honestly, Severus, would it kill you to let others know that you have a heart? Does it really offend you to say that you care for a child? Your temper will be the end of you, I swear it.” Minerva shook her head, then handed the parchment to Severus. “Here, this is what Harry worked on today. I asked him to draw something important to him. I’m sure he’ll want to keep it.”

               Severus accepted the parchment, and then Minerva shut the door to her office. A pop caught his attention. It was Eve.

               “Eve made sure young Master Harry made it safely to your quarters,” the elf informed him, “he is in his bed crying.”

               Severus sighed, a headache forming. He felt guilt tighten his chest, making inhaling hard. Severus nodded to Eve, who popped away. Looking down at the parchment in his hand, Severus unrolled it and looked down at the drawing, frowning.

               It was a drawing of him – Severus – in a superman outfit, a large red cape flowing behind him. It was rather well done for a child using crayons. Next to Severus, was a drawing of what he assumed to be Harry, holding his hand and smiling. Severus himself wasn’t smiling, but the drawing of him did look content, if that was even possible.

               Severus felt something break inside of him as he stared down at the drawing. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.  

               Back in his quarters, Severus slowly made his way to his bedroom. Harry’s sobs filled the rooms, and Severus hated the sound of it. He found Harry lying on his bed, hugging his stuffed dog, crying into its fur. Severus stood beside the bed, unsure of how to go about dealing with a sad child.

               “I thought you liked me,” Harry cried out.

               “Harry, it’s complicated – ”

               “But you hate me!” Harry continued.

               “No, I do not.”

               “I’m a – ” Harry’s breath hitched as he wiped his face on the toy. “I’m a parasite.”

               “No, absolutely not,” Severus insisted. “You are not a parasite, and nor will you ever be.”

               “Then why did you say that?”

               “Oh, Harry, I was . . . I was being . . .”

               “A meanie?” Harry offered, still not looking at him.

               “Untruthful,” Severus tried not to glare at the boy. “And quite rude, I admit. I didn’t mean what I said, though. I guess Minerva embarrassed me with her teasing and I sought to keep my reputation, but I see that I was wrong.”

               After some quiet crying, Harry suddenly said, “You don’t want me.”

               “As I said, it’s complicated.”

               “Why does it have to be complicated?”

               “Because it is. Your whole situation is complicated. You are not even supposed to be here, but I am doing my best to accommodate for you despite the fact that I could get in serious trouble for hiding you.”

               “But why don’t you want me?”

               “I believe you need a better home than what I could provide. You need a proper family and . . .”

               “I don’t care!” Harry interrupted, his sobs growing. Severus frowned. Obviously, his words were not what the boy wanted to hear, but that was simply too bad. His words were the truth. “Leave me alone,” Harry buried his face in the toy once more.

               “You will not speak to me in such a manner,” Severus scolded.

               “I hate you!” Harry suddenly shouted, sitting up and glaring at Severus.

               Severus felt as though he had been slapped. The three words caught him off guard and he stared down at the distraught child whose eyes were growing wide.

               “I’m sorry,” Harry said, scrambling back against the wall away from Severus . “Please don’t hurt me, I won’t do it again. I’m sorry. I’ll be good!”

               Severus knew the boy was falling back into old habits. He couldn’t take much more of Harry’s crying. A memory of something his mother would do when Severus had been in similar emotional times came to mind, and as much as he didn’t want to do it, he knew it would help the hurting boy. Slowly, Severus sat on the edge of the bed, making sure to leave space between Harry and himself. Then, he opened his arms invitingly.

               Harry stared for a second before he flew into Severus’s arms, nearly knocking the man over as he wrapped his arms around Severus’s neck, clinging tightly to the man. Severus froze when Harry jumped so eagerly into his embrace, then slowly brought his arms around the boy. He held Harry tightly, resting his head against the boy’s. The hold felt so natural and at the same time, awkward. But he kept his hold, knowing it was what Harry needed. After a few moments, Harry’s crying long over, Harry spoke.  

               “I don’t hate you.”

               “I know,” Severus said.  

               “I like you.”  

               “Hmm,” Severus wasn’t sure how to respond, unsure of where his own feelings for Harry were at. He just maintained his hug, waiting for Harry to loosen up on his neck.

               “Do you not like me because I’m a freak?”

               Severus sucked in a breath and immediately said, “What have I said about that word?”

               “I’m sorry. But is that why you don’t like me?”

               “I never said I didn’t like you. And you are not a freak. We’ve been over this. There is nothing freaky about you, Harry. Nothing. You are like me, and if you are a freak than I would be, too. Do you think I’m a freak?”

               Severus felt Harry shake his head against his neck. Severus wasn’t sure how many more times he’d have this conversation with the boy, but he hoped the lesson sunk in soon.

               “Then you are not a freak. If you say that word again, you’ll be getting a mouth full of suds.”

               There was silence for a moment.

               “I want you to like me,” Harry admitted.

               Severus sighed, holding Harry for a moment longer before pulling the boy away slightly.

               “I do . . . enjoy your presence,” Severus managed to say. Harry stared at Severus, his expression blanking, becoming unreadable even for Severus. How the boy did that, Severus was sure he’d never know. He almost wanted to hear the boy’s thoughts.

               “What I mean, Harry,” Severus tried again, “is that I do like you.”

Blank expression. Then, Harry smiled and leaned forward, initiating his own hug. Severus blinked but quickly brought his hands up to rest on Harry’s back. He was happy Harry was no longer crying, but he wasn’t sure where the boy’s head was at currently.

               When they released once more, Harry sat next to Severus. Severus dragged a hand down his face, then looked at Harry.

               “Lunch will be ready, soon,” Severus said, “why don’t you go wash up?”

               Harry nodded and stood.

               “Wait,” Severus said, pulling out the parchment Minerva had handed him from an inner pocket. He unrolled it and held the drawing up. “What does this mean?”

               Harry gave Severus a look that said, “Isn’t it obvious?”

               “You’re Superman,” Harry explained.

               “Why am I Superman?”

               “Because you saved me.”

               Severus blinked then nodded and handed the parchment out to Harry.

               “It’s for you,” Harry said.

               “Is that so?” Severus muttered, lowering his hand and looking down at the drawing. He glanced up at Harry, who was waiting nervously for Severus to say something. “Thank you. Go wash up.”

               Harry smiled and ran to the bathroom. Severus stared down at the drawing. It touched him. And it scared him. He was becoming attached to the boy. And he was not ready to be anyone’s guardian. He couldn’t be. After his past, he shouldn’t be. Harry deserved better.

He deserved a real Superman.

 

“I am afraid I have no news on Harry Potter’s whereabouts,” Albus informed Severus sadly, pacing the length of his office. “It has been ten days since he ran away from his relatives and there’s been no sign of him in all this time, not on the streets, not in the wizarding world. It’s as if the boy vanished into thin air.”

               “We will find him,” Severus said, though his mind was thinking back to the boy coloring in his quarters presently. Yesterday had been hard on them both, with Harry suddenly becoming quiet. During dinner, Severus had asked Harry why he didn’t seem as talkative, and Harry’s answer was that he didn’t want to hinder any of Severus’s plans for the day. Harry didn’t even come to him for his bedtime story. Not that the boy needed a bedtime story or that Severus wanted to read to him . . .  but it was still unlike the boy.

               “Have you spoken to any of your acquaintances?” Albus asked.

               “I have not had the opportunity to speak with anyone, but I have arranged for a meeting with an old friend to discuss important matters this afternoon.”

               “I will keep patrolling Harry’s hometown when I can, and family services is still on the lookout as well. Any information we can obtain is vital.” Albus sighed, pausing in his pacing. “The poor child must be hungry and cold. This is my fault. I should have done more for Harry. I should have checked up on him myself.”

               Severus refrained from agreeing with the elder man, biting his tongue to lash out at Albus and tell him just how much of Harry’s runaway problem was the man’s fault. Harry should have never been placed with his relatives to begin with. Albus sighed again and faced Severus.

               “You will report to me should you learn of any suspicious scheme or character?”

               “Of course.”

               “Very well. Good luck to you, Severus.”      

               When Severus returned to his quarters, he found Harry in the same place he had left him, lying on the floor in the bedroom surrounded by crayons and the coloring book Minny had brought for him. Harry looked up at him as he entered, smiled, then returned to his coloring. Severus sat on his sofa, studying Harry. He couldn’t risk leaving the boy here alone. Nor could he risk anyone recognizing Harry should he accompany him.

               “I finished, Mr. Snape,” Harry said, holding up his coloring. It was of an owl flying in a snowstorm with a letter in its beak. Harry had colored the owl brown with hints of grey and black, shading in the trees a light coal with hints of green.

               “Well done,” Severus nodded, unsure of what else to say.

               “Do you think I should color this next?” Harry turned the page to a wizard mansion, one that resembled several pureblooded family homes. Severus frowned, as the gate alone reminded him of where he had to go that day. Harry kept talking. “Is this someone’s house? It’s really big. I feel like I would get lost. Do you live in something like this or do you live here all the time? What do you think it would be like living in a big house like that? It’s even bigger than Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon’s house.”

               Severus ignored the questions as his mind worked a plan to keep Harry safe and within his sight. Hid brain didn’t even register the boy’s words until Harry looked at him warily and asked, “Am I bothering you? I’ll stop.” Harry lowered the book and his head, avoiding eye contact with Severus.

               “You were not bothering me,” Severus said. “I did live in a mansion like that temporarily years ago, but I am much more comfortable in the home you and I visited before arriving here.”

               Harry slowly glanced up at Severus, then said, “I think I’d be more comfortable there, too.”

               “You think so? I thought you would enjoy a large mansion with thousands of rooms for playing and sleeping. With a large kitchen and all the food you can eat and a big garden to run around outside.”

               “Maybe,” Harry smiled, “but maybe just for a little while. I like smaller houses.”

               “How do you know for sure? You’ve never lived in a larger house.”

               “It’s all I’ve ever known, smaller places. Like my cupboard.”

               Severus sucked in a sharp breath. For a split second, he wanted to buy the boy a mansion and never let the child see a smaller house – forget a cupboard. But he knew that would be impossible.

               “You’re simply used to smaller homes,” Severus argued. “I think any small boy would enjoy more room to play.” Severus stared down at the picture, then slid off the sofa and sat crisscrossed next to Harry on the floor. “Would you like to see a mansion like that?”

               Harry frowned, looked at the picture, then back at Severus. He shrugged and asked, “Today?”

               “Today. I have to see a friend, and he owns a huge mansion like this one, maybe even a bit bigger. He also has a son about your age. Perhaps you could play with him while I catch up with my friend, hmm?”

               Harry’s frown grew, and he gave Severus an unsure face. Severus wondered if Harry knew how to socialize with other kids. If he had been isolated so much by the Dursleys, the boy most likely had very little contact with other children.

               “It’ll be good for you to meet another child your age, especially someone other than me and Minny. You must get lonely in these rooms.”

               “Not really,” Harry said.

               “Regardless, it’ll be good for your health. What do you say? Accompany me to my friend’s place?”

               Harry shrugged once more, looking down at the colorless picture of the mansion. Then, he looked back up and smiled at Severus, nodding.

               “Word of advice,” Severus said, “try to be more verbal around my friend. He is very . . . traditional when it comes to respecting your elders. None of this shrugging and nodding, understand?”

               Harry started to nod but quickly corrected himself by saying, “Yes, Mr. Snape.”

               “Good. Let’s get you dressed in something more appropriate for the occasion.”

              

               Harry had no idea what Mr. Snape had just strangled him in, but he did not like it. He didn’t mind the idea of wearing “robes” since Mr. Snape wore them all the time, but these were terrible. There were so many straps and ties and buttons, and the cuffs and collar were done up a certain way and the hems were braided in some weird way. When Mr. Snape had told him he would wear a robe, he had been hoping for one of the nice cottony black ones Mr. Snape always wore, not this silky, shiny stuff that made him feel like a walking ornament. How special was this occasion?

               Mr. Snape seemed very nervous about the whole thing, too. He rubbed the nape of his neck a lot as he paced the length of his bedroom, a frown on his face. Mr. Snape stopped by his wardrobe and leaned into it, resting his forehead on his arm, running his free hand through his hair briefly.

               Harry sat on his bed, waiting for further instructions, trying to resist the urge to scratch at several different itchy places. Mr. Snape finally stood straight and crooked a finger at Harry, who jumped up and went to his side.

               “Remember, stay with either myself or the young boy at all times. And if anyone says anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, let me know. And if I call for you, you better come running, understand?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape.”

               Mr. Snape stared down at him for a moment, then rubbed his neck again as he muttered, “what am I thinking?”

               Harry had to wait a couple extra minutes as Mr. Snape began his pacing again. Once the man seemed satisfied, he guided Harry over to the fireplace with a hand on his shoulder.

               “I know you haven’t done this before,” Mr. Snape began, picking up a handful of some strange powder, “but it’s fairly simple. You will step in the fireplace, I will state our destination and drop the powder. Keep your eyes and mouth shut for this, alright? It might feel odd and seem a little strange, but do not struggle against it. Keep close to me and do not let my hand go. You do not want to get separated from me and end up in the wrong place, understand?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry said, “but what are we doing?”

               “Traveling by Floo.”

               “Oh. That means through the fireplace?” Harry asked, thinking back to what Mr. Snape had explained. “Like Father Christmas?”

               Mr. Snape snapped his head down and stared at Harry with a blank expression. Harry wondered if he said the wrong thing and hunched his shoulders slightly as he stared up at Mr. Snape.

               “Yes,” the man finally spoke, “like Father Christmas.”

               Mr. Snape gave Harry a gentle push and he hesitantly stepped into the fireplace. Mr. Snape joined him, pushing Harry’s elbows down against his side and taking Harry’s hand in his. Then, Mr. Snape said, “Malfoy Manor,” and threw down the powder.

               Harry gasped and clung to Mr. Snape as he felt himself flying through different fireplaces, blurred images causing a nausea feeling in his stomach to grow. He clenched his eyes shut and swallowed, clinging tighter to Mr. Snape. Thankfully, it all came to an end when his feet collided into solid ground. He would have toppled over from the impact if it wasn’t for the arm holding him up by the waist.

Harry took a minute to swallow a few times and find his footing before allowing Mr. Snape to lead him out of the fireplace and release him. Mr. Snape brushed himself off, then, seeing Harry’s slightly green face, brushed the boy off as well.

“Are you all right?” Mr. Snape asked in a quiet voice.

Harry waited another minutes, swallowing once more and taking a deep breath to expel some of the heat in his stomach before nodding.

“Remember, verbal responses.”

“I’m okay, Mr. Snape.”

Mr. Snape nodded and straightened himself. Just in time, as well. A tall, long blond-haired man stepped through a door into the large parlor, carrying a cane.

“Severus, my old friend,” the tall man smiled, striding across the room and stretching out a hand to shake Severus’s. “It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you. Still working as a professor? I could help you out there, you know. A better, higher paying job is surely more appealing than working with half grown brats all day.”

“I am quite satisfied at the moment, Lucius. I actually have something else I’d like to speak to you about.”

Lucius looked down at Harry.

“And who is this?”

Harry gulped and looked up at Mr. Snape, who indicated with a jerk of his head he should speak. Looking back at the man, Harry felt intimidated by the shiny, expensive looking robes that man wore, and the ornate cane he carried. He understood now why he was all dressed up. Trying to use all his manners, Harry reached out a hand, which Lucius accepted to shake firmly. “I’m Harry, sir.”

“It’s a long story and he is actually why I’ve come to talk to you . . .” Mr. Snape trailed off as Lucius suddenly pulled Harry closer, the boy gasping in surprise.

Lucius used his cane to brush aside some of Harry’s hair to reveal the unmistakable scar. “How remarkable. Harry Potter, is it?”

Harry was sure he was visibly shaking as he gave the man an uneasy grin and nodded in response to the question. The tight grip on his hand and the way the man stared down at him coldly reminded him of his uncle, and the cane brought several uneasy images to his mind. Lucius frowned at him.

               “Cat got your tongue, boy?” the man asked.

               Harry remembered Mr. Snape’s warning about being respectful and his eyes widened in realization. “No, sir,” Harry said, “Sorry, sir. Yes, I’m Harry Potter, sir.”

               Lucius narrowed his eyes at the rambling boy then at the scar.

               “Lucius,” Mr. Snape said, catching the man’s attention.

               Lucius released Harry’s hand, lowering his cane. Harry backed away and stepped closer to Mr. Snape, trying to stop his body from shaking so much.

               “The Harry Potter, Severus?” Lucius sneered. “I believe you have a lot of explaining to do.”

               “I know, and I will,” Mr. Snape said. “Perhaps without Harry present.”

               “Hmm,” Lucius’s eyes flicked to Harry once more. “Tansy!”

               A loud crack sounded, and a house elf appeared, her large ears falling back as she looked up at her master. Harry frowned at her tattered clothes. “What can Tansy do for Master Malfoy?”

               “Take Harry Potter here to meet Draco, then keep them occupied.”

               “Yes, Master Malfoy.”

               The elf walked over to Harry.

               “Right this way, Little Master,” she said, bowing and pointing to the far door.

 

               Harry looked up at Mr. Snape, who nodded. Slowly, he allowed Tansy to lead him through the gigantic halls of the manor, taking some time to admire the décor and strange objects he encountered on the way, including moving paintings, urns and vases, and artifacts he did not recognize. At the end of one hallway was a large painting of the Malfoy family, Lucius seated in a chair, a blond woman standing just to the side of the chair, a hand resting on the back and the other resting on the shoulder of a small boy standing in front of her. The boy looked just like Lucius, and Harry deduced that it was Draco. It was the only still painting in the hall.

               After traveling up a flight of stairs and down more halls, Tansy opened the door to a large room full of toys, a lounge area, and even a small kitchen in the back. A young boy was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, ordering another elf to entertain him.

               “Young Master Malfoy, sir,” Tansy greeted, bowing again. The small blonde looked at her, then at Harry with slight surprise. “Little Master Harry is here to accompany you while your father speaks with Master Snape.”

               “Don’t call him master,” Draco said, standing up, pushing the other elf aside. “He isn’t your master.”

               “Tansy apologizes Master Malfoy, sir,” Tansy bowed even more, her nose nearly touching the ground. “Tansy will burn her hands under the iron for her mistake if it pleases Master Malfoy.”

               Draco made a pained face and rubbed at his hands. Harry’s eyes widened at the elf’s statement.

               “No, don’t do that!” he said.

               Draco glared at him. “Don’t tell her what to do. Only I can do that. She has to punish herself when she displeases her master, and I am displeased.”

               “Tansy will go burn her hands under the iron right away.” Tansy raised her fingers to snap, but Draco quickly said, “Wait!”

               Tansy paused, her eyes large and her ears back, and Draco looked cautiously at Harry then lowered his head as he said, “You will not burn your hands. Just don’t let this happen again.”

               “Tansy is very thankful to Master Malfoy,” the elf nodded, “Tansy will make sure Master Malfoy gets extra biscuit with snack time later. Master Malfoy is so very good to Tansy.”

               “Yeah, yeah, just go,” Draco said. Tansy popped away. Draco glared at Harry and leaned closer to him, saying, “if you breathe a word about this to my father . . .”

               Harry quickly shook his head and Draco stepped back and held out a hand.

               “Draco Malfoy,” he introduced as if nothing had occurred between them.

               “Harry Potter,” Harry said, shaking the hand, watching as Draco’s eyes widened.

               “Harry Potter! As in the Boy-Who-Lived?”

               Harry blinked. The boy who lived? Was that some kind of code for something? Harry shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to respond.

               “You don’t know?” Draco made a face. “Do you have the scar? Lift your hair, I want to see!”

               Harry lifted the fringe of his hair, revealing the scar. Draco gasped and smiled.

               “You are Harry Potter! You defeated the Dark Lord! And you’re in my playroom. This is brilliant. What are you doing here?”

               “I’m here with Mr. Snape.”

               “You mean Severus? I haven’t seen him in almost forever. He’s my tutor, you know. At least in potions. It’s just during the summer, when he actually has time. Father wouldn’t let anyone else tutor me in such a subject. Why are you with him? Aren’t you supposed to be hiding or something?”

               “Why would I be hiding?”

               “Well, cause there’s all these dark wizards who would like to kill you. Don’t you know anything?”

               “Kill me? But . . .” Mr. Snape had said nothing about people wanting to kill him except that one crazy man: the Dark Lord. All he knew was that there were people who wanted to send him back to his relatives. Why would people want to kill him?

               “You really don’t know anything? Where have you been living, under a rock?”

               “With my relatives, actually,” Harry said.

               “Who are your relatives?”

               “Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon,” Harry answered and when Draco just stared at him, he added, “The Dursleys’.”

               “The Dursleys’?” Draco frowned and tapped his chin. “Sounds Muggle. Are they muggles?”

               Harry had to remember what Mr. Snape had told him about muggles. He nodded.

               “Well, that’s why you don’t know anything. You have a lot to learn about the real world. Or at least, the better part of it. I can help you there.” Draco held out his hand again.

               Harry frowned. “But we already shook hands.”

               “No-no,” Draco shook his head. “You have so much to learn. This type of handshake is a sign of friendship. It’s a tradition really, at least for purebloods. So, friends?”

               Harry’s eyes widened and sparkled as he quickly shook Draco’s hand. His first real friend.

               “Friends,” Harry smiled.

               Draco smirked and beaconed Harry further into the playroom with a wave of his hand. “So,” he said, “what do you know about the Wizarding World?”

               “Only what Mr. Snape has told me.”

               “Why do you call him Mr. Snape?” Draco asked, pulling down a small checkered rug and dumped a small box of red and black draughts. He sat on the floor, Harry copying him, and arranged the pieces on the rug appropriately.

               “Well, he’s an adult and usually you call adults Mister or Mrs and . . .”

               “Only if they don’t already have a title,” Draco said. “Like Auror, or Healer, or Master. Severus is actually a Master, he’s a Potions Master and the youngest in the whole world. And the best. But he doesn’t do anything with it now except teach so technically he’s a Professor. You should be calling him Professor Snape, not Mister. It would be more respectful.”

               “Oh,” Harry looked down at the gameboard. He didn’t know he was being disrespectful by calling Mr. Snape Mr. Snape. He would have to switch to calling him Professor immediately.

               “You shouldn’t say “oh,”” Draco said, “it makes you sound lowbrow.”

               Harry almost said “oh” again but quickly changed it to, “Okay.” He had no idea what lowbrow meant but he was sure it was nothing good.

 

               “So you kidnap him, Severus?” Lucius shook his head at the man. “Frankly, I do not wish to get involved in whatever you are up to. Does the old coot Headmaster know of this?”

               “No, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

               “My, my, who’s side are you on?” Lucius ushered Severus to the massive sofa in the parlor and took a seat, Severus deciding on a chair across from the sofa, so he could face Lucius head on. Tansy appeared with tea, setting it on the table. “Why help the boy now when you know what the Dark Lord wants of him when he returns.”

               “If he returns.”

               “When he returns,” Lucius said, fixing up tea for the both of them. “You and I both know that if he were truly dead, the Dark Mark will have faded to nothing.”

               “We don’t know that for sure. It might simply just remain faded as it is now.”      

               “I feel as though it should be less visible if the Dark Lord was truly dead. Regardless, you can’t double-cross both sides, Severus. Hiding the Potter boy from the light side and the dark side will not end favorably for you if you are caught. People will question your intentions. I can only help you so far and even then, you know where I stand on this whole situation. I support the winning side.”

               “And the side that benefits you the most,” Severus added, having heard this conversation before.

               “Exactly,” Lucius said.

               “And that is why I need your help,” Severus said. “You are the only person I can trust to keep this between us and help me search for a suitable home.”

               “That’s your plan? Rehome the boy?”

               “With your influence in the Ministry, I’m sure they’ll listen to you.”

               “As your acquaintance, I will say that your plan is plausible. As your friend, I will say it’s the bloody stupidest thing you can do. We can’t just entrust some family with the Boy-Who-Lived. Even with as much research and background checking family services does, we can never know what intentions people might have. We could give Potter to someone who’ll exploit his fame for publicity. Or someone who has every intention of killing the brat for the Dark Lord.”

               “Then we give him to a family we know means no harm either way, like the Weasleys or . . .”

               “Because the Weasley family is so capable of caring for yet another child. Why those people keep having children is beyond me. They should have stopped after the first.”

               “Lucius, please,” Severus paused to chug down his tea in frustration, nearly smacking the teacup down on the coffee table. “I can’t keep the boy hidden in Hogwarts forever. It’s too risky. I’ve had several near misses with Harry as it is, the boy is a ticking time bomb when it comes to his secrecy.”

               “Hmm,” Lucius looked off to the side, “well, I do know one family that could be a . . . temporary placement for Potter. Just to remove him from Hogwarts until you can come up with a better situation.”

               “You do? What family?”

               “I think you already know.”

               Severus blinked, then glared at Lucius.

               “No.”

               “It’d be perfect. It’s far away from Hogwarts, far away from Potter’s hometown, no one would ever suspect them. Relations aside, if I were you, I’d be taking advantage of this. You couldn’t ask for a better hideout. It’s practically kismet if you ask me.”

               “I do not want my mother involved in this.”

               “Severus, we could sit here and talk all day and night, but on this matter, I’ve given you my advice. Your options are pretty limited, and aside from leaving him here – which you will not do – you are on your own in figuring this out. If you do not like what I have to say, then I suggest you go elsewhere for suggestions.”

               Severus sighed. “Thank you, Lucius. I will consider your words.”

               “You do not have to make-up with your mother or stepfather,” Lucius added. “They could merely be a resource.”

               Severus studied the design on the teacup intently, soaking in the man’s words. A door opening caught both man’s attention, and they watched Draco step up to Lucius’s side of the sofa, glancing at Severus and then staring back at his father, minding his posture. Severus instantly realized Harry was not with him.

               “Yes, Draco?” Lucius asked, raising his brows.

               “Afternoon, Father,” Draco greeted, though he rocked on his heels anxiously, “Have you seen Harry? He told me he was just going to the bathroom and I thought he knew the way, but he didn’t come back.”

               Severus shot out of his seat and quickly left the parlor, just catching the last of what Lucius said to Draco.

               “And you did not think to escort our guest like a well-mannered gentleman regardless of whether he knew where it was or not?”

               Severus felt his heart pick up speed in his chest, and he tried taking slower, deeper breaths than the short, shallow ones he was suddenly taking. Why on earth was he panicking like this? He was normally good at the poker face and body control. That boy would be the death of him. It wasn’t so much the idea of Harry lost in the manor that frightened Severus, it was the knowledge of whose manor this was that did. All the dark artifacts Lucius collected and the suspicious characters who would sometimes roam the halls performing odd jobs Lucius hired them for. Harry should have asked Draco for directions before leaving, or even asked Draco to show him the way, not just take off.

 Just as Severus was about to run up the first flight of stairs to where he knew Draco’s playroom was when the boy in question appeared at the top of the stairs, rushing down the first steps before freezing at the sight of Severus. The boy gulped and looked down guiltily.

               Severus breathed a sigh of relief before he crossed his arms and glared at Harry.

               “Where have you been?” he growled.

               “I had to use the bathroom,” Harry said. “I forgot where it was and then I forgot the way to Draco’s room. Dobby helped me though.”

               “Dobby?” Severus asked, his eyes flashing. A suspicious wizard perhaps? Severus had hoped Harry wouldn’t encounter any more faces than just Lucius’s and Draco’s.

               “He’s a house elf,” Harry said. “He said . . . he . . . well, he was a little weird.”

               Severus reached up and grabbed Harry’s arm, dragging him back to the parlor.

               “You were supposed to stay with Draco,” Severus reminded him.

               “I just had to use the bathroom. I thought I remembered where it was.”

               “You should have asked to be sure!” Severus yelled. “You were supposed to be with someone at all time, not gallivanting around a manor alone. Something could have happened to you and none of us would have known.”

               “I’m sorry,” Harry said softly. “Were you worried?”

               “Yes, I was worried,” Severus snapped, spinning to face Harry. The words he spoke rang through his head and he froze, realizing how much impact those words had, not just on Harry but himself.

               “I didn’t mean to make you worried, Mr. Sn – err, Professor Snape.”

               Severus didn’t say anything. He was overwhelmed by the feelings that overtook him a moment ago. Lucius stepped out into the hall, Draco at his side. Severus closed his eyes and willed his growing anger to calm down. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper with Harry, but he was not used to the emotions the boy was starting to bring out in him.

               “Everything all right, out here?” Lucius asked.

               “Everything’s fine,” Severus said. “We should be leaving, thank you for your hospitality, Lucius, and your help.”

               “Any time,” Lucius said, shaking Severus’s hand. “Heed my advice, Severus. And do not grow too attached to . . . something you do not intend to keep. It’ll do no good for your health. Or his.”

               Severus sighed as he withdrew his hand, looking down at Harry.

               “I’m sorry I didn’t show you the way to the bathroom,” Draco apologized. “It was rude of me as your host.”

               “That’s okay,” Harry said, “I should have asked for directions.”

               “I guess you have to leave, now,” Draco said, “maybe we can finish our checkers game another time.”

               “Maybe,” Harry said, a bit upset about leaving his new friend.

               Draco smiled and held out his hand. Harry blinked and tilted his head. “Another handshake?” he asked.

               Draco’s smile morphed into a smirk, “You have so much to learn.”

               Severus allowed a small smile himself, waiting for Harry to shake Draco’s hand in farewell before leading the boy to the fireplace to floo back to Hogwarts.

 

               Harry waited inside the bedroom as Mr. Snape finished his conversation with the older, long bearded man, Albus. Harry had a vague image of the man from when he had been invisible in the kitchen after his flashback episode. Harry was curious as to what they were talking about out in the living room.

               Sliding off his bed, Harry tiptoed to the door, pressing his ear against it.

               “I’ve spoken with a couple acquaintances today, including Lucius Malfoy,” Mr. Snape said. “No one seems the slightest bit aware of Harry Potter’s disappearance. And if they are, they gave me no indication of their knowledge.”

               “It is good news for the most part,” the elder man’s voice said. “I shall look into Harry’s case at family services. Hopefully, they have a lead.”

               The noise was suddenly cut off and Harry frowned. Did the older man leave? Harry slowly touched the doorknob and tried to twist, but it remained locked and did not budge. Harry pressed his ear against the door once more, but when he was met with silence, he sighed and walked back to his bed, picking up his stuffed dog and lying down with it. At least he was out of those terrible robes. Harry used his stuffed dog as a pillow, closing his eyes. He thought back to his time spent with Draco. They had started a game of checkers, Draco having to teach Harry how to play the game. Once he understood, they talked about the differences between their living situations, Draco’s rich life compared to Harry’s street life and then his time with Professor Snape. Draco seemed intrigued by Harry’s story.

               And then he just had to go looking for the bathroom. It took him a while to find where he had seen the bathroom on his way up to Draco’s playroom. And then he couldn’t find his way back. That’s when he had met Dobby, who seemed to have a conniption over him being at Malfoy Manor. The elf kept insisting that he leave at once.

               He finally found the stairway that would lead down to the parlor, but he had run right into Mr. Snape. His stomach twisted as he remembered the look Mr. Snape had given him. Worry, then disappointment, and then fury. Mr. Snape had been worried about him. He had never had an adult worry about him before. He didn’t want to make Mr. Snape worry all the time.

Ten minutes later, the door opened, and Mr. Snape made a beeline right for Harry’s bed, crossing his arms and staring down at the boy.

               “What?” Harry asked, sitting up.

               “Eavesdropping?” Mr. Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

               Harry’s eyes widened, and he hunched his shoulders guiltily. “How did you know?”

               Mr. Snape flicked his wrist at the wall, and Harry could see through the wall and into the living room.

               “Only I could see through them,” Mr. Snape explained.

               “Oh – I mean, I didn’t know.”

               “Obviously. Do not let me catch you doing that again.”

               “Yes, Mr – I mean, Professor Snape.”

               “Professor Snape, hmm?” Mr. Snape frowned, a curious expression on his face. “What happened with calling me Mr. Snape?”

               “Draco said it was rude to call someone something that wasn’t their title. Since you’re a professor, I should call you Professor Snape, not Mr. Snape.”

               “Draco has a point,” Mr. Snape sat on the edge of Harry’s bed. “But I’m afraid I hear enough of Professor Snape from my students on a daily basis. Besides, you are not a student of mine yet.”

               “So, you don’t want me to call you Professor?”

               “You may call you what you wish, but I’d like to tell you your options. I believe we’ve moved past the Mister and Professor. Draco calls me Severus. Would you like to do the same?”

               Harry thought about it. Draco did call Mr. Snape by his first name, but Harry wasn’t sure he was comfortable with calling Mr. Snape by his first name. It just didn’t seem right. Harry shook his head.

               “No? Then what do you wish to call me?”

               One name crossed Harry’s mind, but he quickly disregarded it. He was sure Mr. Snape would oppose. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to call Mr. Snape.

               “It’s all right,” Mr. Snape smiled and stood, “you can think about it. It’s almost dinner time, and then after, you’ll bring me your Manxmouse book.”

               Harry smiled at the idea of a bedtime story. He cheekily asked, “but I thought reading wasn’t a nightly ritual.”

               “It’s not,” Mr. Snape answered, “I didn’t read to you last night.”

               Harry laughed as he jumped off his bed and followed Mr. Snape out to the dining table.

 

               Severus looked over at Harry once again to see the boy still poking at his food. Harry had hardly taken three bites of his lunch. Severus had just returned from his morning lecture and had planned to start Harry’s math lessons after lunch. He had briefly reviewed Harry’s writing assignment, which was just an essay review on the last chapter of Manxmouse the two had read the previous night. However, the boy seemed very quiet compared to his usual twenty questions. It was unlike him. Even so, Severus would not tolerate a picky child. He already had to deal with a class of incompetent students whining about the assigned homework and failed brews. He would not listen to the whines of a difficult little boy in his own quarters.

               “I expect you to eat at least half of your lunch,” Severus said.

               “I’m not that hungry,” Harry replied, looking over at Severus.

               “Nonsense, you barely ate your breakfast and now you are ignoring your lunch,” Severus frowned in thought, “if you need an appetite stimulator . . .”

               “No, Mr. Snape,” Harry quickly said, “I don’t want potions. I just don’t feel very hungry today.”

               “Are you sick?” Severus reached over and felt Harry’s head. “If you feel unwell . . .”

               “No, I’m fine!” Harry said.

               Severus sat back in his seat, giving Harry a critical look.

               “Mind your tone,” Severus warned.

               “Sorry,” Harry said, lowering his head, his lower lip trembling. His apology sounded genuine. “I didn’t mean to.”

               Severus sighed. What on earth was wrong with the child today? Severus closed his eyes and slowly counted backwards from ten to avoid snapping at Harry before opening his eyes and staring at the boy’s plate.

               “Please finish your lunch,” Severus said. “At least half of it.”

               Harry sniffed before picking up his fork and poking at his food once again, the fork never lifting to his mouth. Harry’s eyes were slowly filling up with unshed tears as he moved food around on his plate, the fork screeching against the ceramic. Irritated by the noise and defiance, Severus’s fork clattered on his own plate as he dropped it and reached over to lightly smack the fork out of Harry’s hand.

               “Enough with that,” Severus said.

               Harry pulled his hands into his lap, rubbing his stinging hand, his lower lip protruding out and wobbling. He sniffed as he looked down in his lap.

               “Are you going to eat lunch or not?” Severus asked, his patience short.

               Harry sniffled and shook his head.

               “Then go to your bed,” Severus said, pointing in the direction of their room. “You will wait there until I am ready to start your lessons.”

               Harry slid out of his chair and hurried away to his bed, still softly sniffing. Severus sighed and vanished the boy’s plate, his own appetite diminishing. What had gotten into that boy? Maybe he needed a nap or something. Kids needed naps, right? That must be it. Perhaps before their lessons, they could have a quiet time and Harry could nap. Then maybe Harry would eat all his dinner. If the boy didn’t eat dinner, Severus would force an appetite stimulator on him. Severus vanished his plate and went to his study, sitting at his desk and reviewing his second-year math lessons. Subtracting and adding, particularly with word problems. Severus pushed the plans aside, studying the worksheets he had prepared for Harry. Glancing at the grandfather clock, Severus figured some quiet time could be fit in to the schedule. It was only twelve thirty after all.

               A book sitting on a shelf caught his eye. Pulling it off, the cover read “Where the Sidewalk Ends: the poems and drawings of Shel Silverstein.” Severus smiled softly, remembering reading these same poems when he had been a young teenager. They were amusing and he was sure Harry would enjoy them. Besides, what better way to lure a child to sleep than some stories?

               Severus left his study and went to his room, finding Harry lying on his bed, head rested on his pillow and his eyes closed. Severus frowned, feeling Harry’s forehead again, but Harry wasn’t warm. The touch made Harry open his eyes.

               “Oh, sorry Mr. Snape,” Harry said, sitting up, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

               “Tired?” Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry.

               “No,” Harry yawned.

               “Of course, not,” Severus agreed, sitting next to Harry on the bed, backing up enough that his back rested against the wall. Harry pushed back to sit beside Severus. “Before we start our math lessons today, I’ve decided that some quiet time is in order. And what better activity for quiet time than reading?”

               “But what about our nighttime reading?”

               “We can still do that but remember, it’s not a ritual to read each night. Besides, Manxmouse is our nighttime book. This is Where the Sidewalk Ends.” Severus held up the book.

               “The sidewalk ends?” Harry questioned. “Where?”

               Severus chuckled, “Let’s find out.”

               Severus turned to the appropriate poem and read:

               “There is a place where the sidewalk ends

               And before the street begins,

               And there the grass grows soft and white,

               And there the sun burns crimson bright,

               And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

               To cool in the peppermint wind.”

               As Severus read, Harry leaned against the man’s side, smiling up at Severus then down at the book, reading along silently to words he recognized. Severus continued, coming to the last stanza.

               “Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

               And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

               For the children, they mark, and the children, they know,

               The place where the sidewalk ends.”

               “But if there’s a place where the sidewalk ends,” Harry asked, looking at the picture of two children looking over a ledge, “would we fall off the world?”

               Severus smiled down at Harry’s innocent and naïve question.

               “No, Harry, the world is not flat like this picture makes it out to be. There is no way for you to fall off the planet. Gravity would not allow it.”

               “Can I pick the next one?” Harry asked, flipping through the pages. Severus allowed him, watching Harry study the cartoons that accompanied the poems. Harry came across a poem with money drawn to the side, the title, “Smart.”

               “Read this one,” Harry said.

               “Excuse me?” Severus raised an eyebrow expectantly.

               “Please.”

               “Better,” Severus cleared his throat. “Ah, this ought to make a good introduction to your math lessons.” Severus read:

               “My dad gave me one dollar bill,

               ‘Cause I’m his smartest son,

               And I swapped it for two shiny quarters,

               ‘Cause two is more than one!

              

               And then I took the quarters

               And traded them to Lou

               For three dimes – I guess he didn’t know

               That three is more than two!

 

               Just then, along came old blind Bates

               And just cause he can’t see

               He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,

               And four is more than three!

 

               And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs

               Down at the sea feed store,        

               And the fool gave me five pennies for them,

               And five is more than four!

 

               And then I went and showed my dad,

               And he got red in the cheeks

               And closed his eyes and shook his head –

               Too proud of me to speak!”

               Harry laughed out loud at that, Severus smiling.

               “He lost money, right?” Harry asked, smiling up at Severus.

               “He did, indeed. In the United States, the dollar bill is the highest currency value out of what we just read in this poem, pennies are at the bottom.”

               “So he gave up all that for nothing.”

               “Yes, he did. And I expect you to be much smarter than our narrator here, understand?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry smiled. “Can you read another one, please?”

               “Yes, I can, but just a couple more,” Severus skimmed through the pages. “Let’s see, which one looks good. True Story is a funny one, how about the girl who doesn’t take the garbage out? Or . . . this one the boy turns into a TV set and this one a brother tries selling his sister . . .”

               “What about this one?” Harry pushed his finger in between a couple pages, and Severus opened the book to it, seeing the picture of a girl tucked up tightly in bed, peeking out from under the covers. He smiles, remembering how relatable this one was to him as a teen not wanting to attend some classes. Harry read the title, “Sick. Can you read that one?”

               “Yes, I can,” Severus said. “This is actually one of my favorites in this book. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

               “I cannot go to school today,”

               Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

               “I have the measles and the mumps,

               A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

               My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

               I’m going blind in my right eye

               My tonsils are as big as rocks,

               I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox

               And there’s one more – that’s seventeen,

               And don’t you think that my face looks green?

               My leg is cut, my eyes are blue –

               It might be instamatic flu.

               I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

               I’m sure that my left leg is broke –

              

               My hips hurt when I move my chin,

               My belly button’s caving in,

               My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,

My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is . . . Saturday

G'bye, I'm going out to play!””

Harry had laughed through most of the poem, leaning warmly into Severus’s side. Severus offered a short chuckle at the end, looking down at Harry. Harry yawned and rested his head against Severus, closing his eyes. Severus sighed.

“I think it’s nap time, Harry,” he said, ready to push off the bed.

“Wait, one more!” Harry whined, turning the pages in the book. “Please? This one?”

Severus huffed and looked at the selected poem. At least it was a short one.

“Very well, but then you are to take a nap, understand?”

“Yes, Mr. Snape.”

Severus leaned back against the bed, Harry snuggling up into his side. Once they were both comfortable again, Severus cleared his throat: “Listen to the mustn’ts, child.

Listen to the shouldn’ts,

The impossibles,

The won’ts.

Listen to the never haves,

Then listen close to me . . .

 

Anything can happen, child.

Anything can be.”

               Severus frowned at the poem. He remembered it, but it never held so much meaning to him in the past than it did now. He studied the words longer, soaking them in before looking down at Harry who had fallen asleep against him, his glasses crooked slightly. Severus closed the book and set it aside, carefully removing Harry’s glasses and putting them on the nearby shelf among Harry’s toys and books. Then, he studied Harry, thinking about the last poem he read.

               Anything can happen, anything can be . . .

               Why those words struck him so harshly, Severus didn’t know. He found himself sitting with Harry longer than he intended too, just watching the boy sleep against him. Slowly, Severus carded a hand through Harry’s unruly hair.

               When had he gotten so attached to James Potter’s spawn? How had it happened? Severus wondered if their unique bond had a role in it. Perhaps it was the bond that was making him feel suddenly so protective of the boy at his side. Yes, that had to be it. He was being influenced by some kind of poorly studied magic.

               And it was this magic that made him lean down toward Harry, his lips inches away from Harry’s mop of hair. Severus paused, feeling slightly awkward now as he carded his fingers through Harry’s hair some more before he pulled himself up. Maybe he needed some sleep, too. Oh well, he had too many things to attend to. Sleep would have to wait.

               Severus adjusted Harry down on the bed, making sure the boy was on his back with his head on the pillow. He stood off the bed and tucked Harry in, picking up his book and leaving the room.

               An hour and half passed before Severus went in to check on Harry. He had finished grading his third- and fourth-year homework assignments and figured it would be a good time to start Harry’s lessons. He was not surprised to see Harry’s eyes wide open, staring straight up at him.

               “Well rested, I presume?” Severus asked, crossing his arms as he looked down at Harry, who remained under his blanket. “It’s time for your math lessons.”

            “I don’t feel good,” Harry said, pulling the covers up over his chin slightly. He hadn’t put his glasses on and his green eyes sparkled up at Severus.

               “You don’t?” Severus raised skeptical eyebrows. He studied Harry’s face. The boy hadn’t felt warm earlier. He wondered if it was possible for Harry to have worsened while he napped, but he thought it should be the other way around. Sleep was the best medicine, after all, as was laughter. He remembered the poem he had read earlier, and how the narrator had been trying to get out of going to school. Would Harry attempt to pull something like that?”

               “You are being honest with me, correct?” Severus asked, crossing his arms, smirking slightly. “This wouldn’t happen to be a case of instamatic flu, would it?”

               Harry smiled under the blanket and shook his head.

               “Or perhaps you have the purple bumps,” Severus leaned over Harry, checking his face. “And my, do you look green. Is that a chicken pox I see? Do I count one, two, three . . .?” Severus tapped each side of Harry’s cheek then his nose as he counted, making the boy giggle. “Is your brain shrunk? Can you hear me?” Severus whispered into Harry’s ear, and Harry laughed louder, pulling away from Severus’s ticklish breath on his ear and covering his face more with the blanket. “Wait, I think I see those purple bumps. Hold still and let me check you over,” Severus said, pulling Harry back towards him and running ticklish fingers down the boy’s arm in a mock exam.

               Harry laughed even harder, then coughed harshly before leaning over the bed and vomiting on the floor, startling Severus who stepped back. Harry coughed and started sniffling, hiding his face under the blanket.

               “You weren’t kidding,” Severus said.

Sighing, he pulled out his wand and cleaned the floor. He sat on the edge of Harry’s bed and pulled the blanket away from Harry, who whined at him. Severus laid a hand over Harry’s forehead. The boy was warm, but he couldn’t tell if he was warm from being under the blankets or from a fever. Severus summoned a thermometer and stuck it under Harry’s tongue, leaving to his lab to grab a fever reducer and antiemetic potion. When he returned, he read the thermometer: 101.2 Fahrenheit. Not too bad. A fever reducer should have that down in no time.

“Did you feel sick earlier, Harry?” Severus asked as he summoned a spoon and measured out an appropriate dose for a small child, starting with the antiemetic.

Harry nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to be mad,” Harry whimpered, a tear trailing down his cheek.

“Why would I be mad that you are sick?” Severus asked, then felt stupid for doing so. He held out the spoon to Harry, who turned his head away with a whine. “None of that, young man. You need this and another potion. It will make you feel better. You don’t want to throw up again, do you?”

               “No,” Harry cried, “but it’ll make me sick.”

               “The potion?”

               “It’s yucky,” Harry sniffed, “it’ll make me sick up.”

               “No, it won’t. I promise. You can trust me. Don’t you trust me?”

               Harry looked at Severus with a sad face, but he nodded.

               “Take this for me, okay? It’ll make you feel much better.”

               Harry reluctantly opened his mouth and took the potion, making a face as he swallowed. Severus quickly poured out a dose of the fever reducer and Harry accepted it, softly crying. Severus set the potions aside in case he needed them again. He looked down at Harry, resting a hand on the other side of the boy to lean into.

               “Did you relatives get mad at you when you were sick?”

               Harry nodded.

               “What would they do?”

               “Aunt Petunia would yell at me for in-in-endang-gering Dudley, then she would put me in my cupboard and tell me to let it run its course. She would sometimes give me soup if I had to be in there a long time.”

               Severus bit his inner cheek, hoping Harry couldn’t feel the anger radiate from him.

               “That will not be the case here,” Severus said. “If you are ever unwell, injured, or even coughing, I want you to come straight to me, understand?”

               “Okay.”

               “Sleep now, Harry,” Severus said. “I will check on you in a bit.”

               “No math?”

               “I would think you would know that we can’t do your lessons when you are sick.” 

               Harry smiled, then rolled over on his side and closed his eyes. Severus waited until he was sure the boy was asleep before leaving the bedroom. He couldn’t understand how someone could despise a child to the point they would refuse medical care for a sick kid. Children were pathetic when sick, especially the small ones. Even when sick, Harry was laughing and smiling. Severus went into the kitchen and began making soup for Harry for dinner. He’d use a heating charm on it later.

               Two hours later he heard Harry tossing and turning.

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry’s voice echoed in the rooms. Severus jumped out of his study and into the bedroom, where Harry had kicked off his blanket, sweat dripping from his forehead, tears dripping from his eyes, his face scrunched. Severus rushed over to Harry, feeling the boy’s head. He was burning. Grabbing the thermometer off the shelf, Severus managed to get Harry still for a minute to accept the instrument. 102.8 Fahrenheit.

               “I hurt,” Harry sobbed, coughing, “my head hurts.”

               “I know, I know,” Severus summoned a fast-acting Fever Reducer this time, hoping to bring Harry’s rising fever down faster. A moderate dose for the boy should bring his fever down immediately. Severus poured out the potion on the spoon and held it out to Harry, who pulled his head away.

               “No, I’ll get sick,” Harry said.

               “No you won’t, I promise.”

               “I don’t feel good. My stomach hurts.”

               “I know, but you need this, Harry. Please, take it.”

               Harry cried harder but opened his mouth for the potion. Once Harry had swallowed it, Severus pulled out a pocket watch and waited a minute, watching Harry pull his pillow off the bed. He felt awful for the boy, just awful. The potion should have taken effect by now. Severus picked up the thermometer and Harry held it under his tongue. 104.2 Fahrenheit.

               Damn it, Severus thought, rushing to his bathroom and running a washcloth under cold water. He ran back to Harry and draped it over the boy’s head. Harry whined and kicked his legs.

               “Mr. Snape.”

               “I’m trying, Harry, let me get you another potion . . .”

               Severus jumped back as Harry sat up and vomited on the floor once again. Severus should have gotten a bucket, and he cursed his oversight. Now what?

               “No potion,” Harry wiped at his eyes, his cloth on the floor. Severus flicked his wand to clean the mess. He grabbed a handful of hair as he tried to think of what to do next. This was no ordinary bug and Harry wasn’t keeping his potions down.

               “Eve, I need water,” Severus demanded.

               A glass of water popped on the shelf by Harry’s bed and Severus allowed Harry to sip, summoning a bucket for the boy to spit into to rinse his mouth. He took the water away when Harry tried drinking it, making Harry whine.

               “My body hurts, Mr. Snape.”

               “I’m sorry, honey, I don’t know what to do,” Severus said, unaware of what he had called Harry.

               Severus left the room, leaving a crying Harry, and threw powder in the fireplace.

               “Poppy!”

               The green flames flickered for a minute before the mediwitch appeared.

               “Severus, what is it? I have an infirmary full of sick students, can this wait?”

               “No, I have a sick kid here,” Severus said, “I need your help now, he’s dehydrated and can’t keep any potions down.”

               “Could you . . .” Poppy looked off to the side, “I can’t just . . . why can’t you . . . oh, fine.”

               Severus stepped back and Poppy stepped through the flames. She adjusted her nursing’s cap and brushed herself off, sending an annoyed look at Severus.

               “Which student is so important that he couldn’t have walked up to the infirmary?”

               “He’s not a student,” Severus said, leading Poppy to his room.

“Well, then I hope he’s the Prince of England,” Poppy snapped. As soon as Poppy’s eyes fell on Harry, she gasped, covering her mouth, frozen in the doorway. Severus allowed her to get over her surprise, though he drummed his fingers against his crossed arms impatiently. Poppy slowly stepped forward, reaching to brush Harry’s hair back, “tell me this isn’t who I think it is.”

“It is,” Severus said.

Poppy brushed Harry’s hair back, revealing the scar, but her attention quickly turned to Harry’s sickness. “Merlin, he’s burning up! I bet he has what all the other students are coming in with.” Poppy pulled out her wand and performed a complicated diagnostic spell. “I knew it. The wizard flu. It’s been spreading through the school faster than locust across a pasture. The poor baby. This requires a special potion, specifically brewed for this virus.”

Poppy pulled out a small vial from her robes and sat on Harry’s bed, holding the boy up against her.

“Here we go, Harry,” she said, holding the vial to Harry’s lips. “You must drink this slowly. Sip by sip.”

“No, no more,” Harry cried, pulling away. “I’ll sick up.”

“You will not, I promise,” Poppy assured, “this has a special anti-nausea in it.”

Harry clamped his mouth shut, pushing away from Poppy. Severus stepped forward and sat next to Harry, who buried his head in Severus’s chest. Severus adjusted the boy so he sat against him.

“Poppy will heal you, Harry,” he said softly, “you have to take the potion, you can drink it slowly, okay?”

“Stay with me?” Harry asked, looking up at Severus with glassy eyes.

“I’ll be right here,” Severus said.

Harry nodded and sniffed before bravely sitting up and opening his mouth for Poppy, who poured in the potion little by little. It took ten minutes to drink the entire tiny vial and when they were done, Harry quickly fell asleep against Severus, his head on the man’s lap. Severus adjusted Harry so he was lying straight on his bed and covered him with a blanket. Poppy stood in front of them.

“He’ll need a second dose,” Poppy said, handing another tiny vial to Severus. “But it needs to be given with food. I recommend adding it to a bowl of chicken noodle soup. He’ll need it first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll make sure he gets it,” Severus said, putting the potion on Harry’s shelf, making sure not to move too much under the boy.

“How did you . . . no, I want to know why,” Poppy demanded, her hands on her hips.

“I had to,” Severus explained, carding a hand through Harry’s hair, scratching the scalp lightly. “His relatives are horrid to him and he ran away from home repeatedly. Blood wards are not, he can’t go back to his relatives. That is what Albus wants.”

               “How long?” Poppy asked, looking down sadly at Harry. “How long has he been here?”

               “Since last Tuesday. About a week.”

               “You can’t hide him here forever, Severus. Albus should know. Despite his insistence with the blood wards, ultimately, he wants what’s best for Harry. And if you are what is best for him . . .”

               “This is temporary,” Severus said, frowning at Poppy. “I am looking for a suitable home for him. When I find a good family, that is where he will go.”

               Poppy stared at Severus, a look of disbelief in her eyes as she watched Severus’s hand move from Harry’s hair to the boy’s back, rubbing soothingly as Harry stirred slightly. The boy sighed, falling into a deeper sleep. She bit back a smile and shook her head.

               “I think Harry has found a suitable home,” she commented. “But do what you will. I suppose you don’t want me to inform Albus?”

               “Please,” Severus said, “I just need time.”

               “Take all the time you need,” Poppy smiled. She reached into her robes and handed two more small vials to Severus. “And you will need these. Take them a few hours apart.”

               “What are these?”

               “For the flu. Someone had to bring the virus to Harry, seeing as he has not left these rooms and has not been in contact with the students, I’m assuming. That leaves you.”

               “I am perfectly fine,” Severus snapped, though he took the vials, knowing it was a losing battle with the matron.

               “Just in case,” Poppy said, holding up her hands. She moved out of the room. “I’ll see myself out. Let him sleep. It’s the best thing for him. He’ll probably sleep the whole night. I also recommend letting me examine him for a physical at some point, I’m sure I can find a place for him in my schedule. Good evening, Severus.”

               Severus nodded, his eyes never leaving the child’s sleeping face. He had never felt so worried in years. What was Harry doing to him? He decided he should probably rest as well. He carefully slipped out from under Harry, replacing the pillow under Harry’s head. After a quick dinner, he retired early for the night.

 

               Harry woke up early the next morning, feeling much better. He yawned and stretched, looking over at Mr. Snape’s bed. Mr. Snape wasn’t there, but harsh coughing from the kitchen told him where Mr. Snape was. Harry frowned, slipped his glasses on and slid out of bed, walking to the kitchen.

               Mr. Snape was stirring soup in a hot saucepan on the stove. The man covered his mouth with his elbow as he coughed violently again. He then picked up a small vial and poured the entire contents in the saucepan. Then he picked up another vial and sipped from it. Mr. Snape turned off the stove and summoned a bowl, pouring the soup into it. He turned and startled at seeing Harry watching him.

               “Sorry,” Harry quickly apologized.

               Severus waved his apology off and stepped forward, feeling Harry’s forehead.

               “You don’t feel warm,” Severus said, “are you feeling better?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry said. “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

               “I’m fine,” Mr. Snape said, giving Harry a rough push to the dining table. “You need to eat every last drop of this, understand? I am going to lie down for a while. It’s bad enough that I’ve had to cancel my classes today, the least I can do is rest. Try and work on reading your history book and we will discuss more this afternoon.”

               Mr. Snape coughed once more, retreating to the bedroom.

               Harry felt sad for Mr. Snape. The man had worked hard making him feel better last night, and even brought another person into their quarters to help him. Harry decided he would do as Mr. Snape asked once he finished his soup. The potion had an obvious bitter taste in the soup, but Harry forced it all down, taking about twenty minutes to eat the bowl of soup. He pushed the bowl away, knowing Eve would make it disappear. He pulled out his history book about the first king of England when Mr. Snape coughing caught his attention.

               He tiptoed into their bedroom, checking on Mr. Snape. The man was asleep, though he did not look very peaceful. His face was tight and pale, and he wasn’t even under the blankets. Harry moved further in and pulled the blanket over Mr. Snape as quietly and carefully as he could, so he didn’t disturb the man.

               Returning to the living room, Harry opened his book and read, but the reading bored him, so he tried coloring for a while, and then played with his toy robot and stuffed dog. Two hours passed and except for the occasional coughing, Mr. Snape had not come out of the bedroom.

               Harry wondered if he should help Mr. Snape like the man had helped him. Harry went into the kitchen and searched the cupboard for chicken noodle soup, finding a can in the pantry. He retrieved the stepstool from their bathroom and used it to rinse out the saucepan still on the stove, then poured in the contents of the can and set it on the stove, turning the burner on midway. Jumping off the stool, Harry moved it to search the cabinets for a bowl. Once he found a suitable one, he stirred the soup and watched it heat up for a while before turning the stove off. He poured the soup into the bowl and set the saucepan down on the stove.

               Harry carried the bowl of soup to their bedroom and set it on the nightstand near Mr. Snape’s bed. He realized he had forgotten a spoon and ran back out to the kitchen, opening drawers until he found the one that had utensils. Grabbing a spoon, he ran back to the bedroom.

               “Stop running,” Mr. Snape scolded, catching Harry off guard.

               Mr. Snape was sitting up on the bed, holding the bowl of soup in his hands.

               “Sorry, Mr. Snape,” Harry said, walking up to the man and handing over the spoon. “I made that for you.”

               “I certainly hope the stove is off,” Mr. Snape said, picking up a small vial and dumping it in the soup.

               “I made sure it was,” Harry nodded seriously, “I always check the stove to make sure it is off.”

               Mr. Snape gave him a sad looking face that morphed into a frown. “I would prefer if you stayed away from the stove from no on unless I am with you, okay?”

               “Oh,” Harry’s face fell, “okay.”

               Mr. Snape sighed, “But I do appreciate the soup, Harry.”

               Harry beamed up at Mr. Snape.

               “So, what have you been up to?” Mr. Snape asked, taking a bite of the soup.

               “Nothing, really,” Harry admitted.

               “Did you do your reading?”

               “I tried to, but it was boring.”

               “Not all your lessons will be fun, Harry, and I expect you to do them all diligently when you are assigned something, boring or not. Do you understand?”

               “I’m sorry,” Harry puckered out his lower lip.

               “That does not answer my question.”

               “I understand.”

               “Good. I see you have at least kept busy and stayed in our quarters like a good boy.”

               Harry’s smile quickly returned.

               “How are you feeling?” Mr. Snape asked. 

               “I’m much better. I’m a little tired though.”

               “A common side effect of this potion,” Mr. Snape said, twirling his spoon in the soup. “I suggest you take a nap.”

               “Okay,” Harry said moving around Mr. Snape’s bed and crawling in on the other side, snuggling into one of Mr. Snape’s pillows.

               “I meant . . .” Mr. Snape began but he shook his head and continued eating the soup.

               “How are you feeling?” Harry asked.

               “I am feeling better than I was this morning,” Mr. Snape admitted. “But you shouldn’t worry about me. You were very sick last night. Are you sure you are feeling better? Do you need more soup? Any more potions?”

               Harry shook his head as his eyes slowly closed. “No, I’m okay.”

               “Are you being honest with me?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape. I feel good.”

               Harry fell asleep quickly, leaving Severus thinking to himself if the boy was really all right or not. He must be feeling better if he had the audacity to crawl into Severus’s bed for a nap. Severus sighed and finished the soup, setting the bowl aside when he was done. His head still hurt so he decided more sleep couldn’t hurt. He laid back down in his bed, realizing that Harry had stolen one of his pillows. Now his head was too low. Severus huffed. Nothing he could do about it now.

               Looking over at Harry, Severus smiled at the peaceful face, snorting at how Harry’s glasses were crooked on the boy’s face. Didn’t the boy know how to take care of his glasses? Severus removed Harry’s glasses and set them on the nightstand. He laid on his side, smiling at Harry. The boy’s compassion was unbelievable after everything he had been through with his relatives. It saddened Severus that such a generous, empathetic child could survive the neglect Harry had undergone. Harry reminded him of himself when he had been a child, how he had always ran to his mother’s aid even when she didn’t want him to, and how she would always return the favor. It made Severus nostalgic thinking about what had been.

               Without a second’s thought, Severus reached out and pulled Harry closer to him with a single arm, resting his chin atop Harry’s head as the boy snuggled into his chest. Severus closed his eyes, memories of his childhood rushing to the forefront of his mind, but they were quickly pushed away by thoughts of his current relationship with his mother. Who was he kidding – he was nothing like Harry and Harry was nothing like him. They had different childhoods and at least Harry could look forward to a brighter future once Severus found him a new home. 

               Grumbling under his breath irritably, Severus rolled away from Harry, facing away from the boy. He adjusted his pillows under him to his liking and closed his eyes, occluding his mind from any thoughts. He missed the way Harry’s eyes had opened, a small smile growing before Harry closed his eyes again.

 

Two weeks flew by since Harry had fallen sick with wizard’s flu. He had fallen into his schedule easily, passing his first exam on everything he had learned in the past two weeks. He was glad to spend any amount of time with Mr. Snape, and Minny was nice and fun to be with on Wednesdays and Saturdays. However, Harry quickly found himself bored with the same routine, and his curiosity of the castle and magic grew more each day.

               He wanted to see more of the castle. He wondered if Mr. Snape would let him explore at any point. Harry had managed to get sneak peaks when Eve would walk him to Minny’s for his lessons on the magical world. There were knights aligned in one hallway and moving portraits and paintings everywhere, and some days, the stairs under his feet moved, making his trip to Minerva’s even longer and more entertaining. And some days, Harry say the many students wandering the halls, rushing to get to their classes, some flipping through their books for last minute studying of charms or ingredients, and others stroking the binding of their snarling and biting books.

               What fascinated Harry the most was the wand.

               Everyone had one. Even Minny. Even Mr. Snape.

               If only he could just touch one. Minny’s lessons were fun and all, she taught him a lot about how the wizarding world differed from the “muggle” world and how he, Harry, was famous and all. She even talked about his parents when they were students at Hogwarts. And as much as Harry loved time with her, he wished she would talk about her amazing wand that made magic happen.

               And Mr. Snape always had his in their quarters. Except when Mr. Snape had to leave. Harry wanted a closer look at the man’s wand. He had managed to touch it before, but Mr. Snape had scolded him and told him it wasn’t a toy. But he knew that now. He wouldn’t do anything with it – just look. Harry paused in his quill writing practice and looked across the table at Mr. Snape, who had just returned from his morning lecture.

               The man was sitting at the dining table reading the Daily Prophet, his face obscured. The man’s wand rested on the table next to a cup of tea. Harry swallowed dryly and looked back down at his writing. He finished with the letter “z” and dipped the tip of his quill in a small bowl of water, rinsing it as he had been taught.

               “All done,” Harry announced. He dried off the tip of his quill with a handcloth.

               The Daily Prophet was folded and set aside.

               “Let me see your quill,” Mr. Snape said, holding out a hand.

               Harry handed it over and began biting his thumbnail anxiously.

               “The nib is quite dull. You are using too much pressure when you are writing with it. A dull nib can affect your writing and makes most quills undesirable. Let’s see your writing.”

               Harry handed it over.

               “See these scratches? Too much pressure. You need to lighten up on the quill. Any harder and you might tear the parchment. And these blotches, that tells me you stop a lot when you are writing. If you must pause, lift the quill away from the parchment so it does not leak ink out.”

Mr. Snape stood and came around the table to Harry’s side, picking up a new quill and dipping it in the ink. He took Harry’s hand, making sure Harry was holding it correctly. Keeping his hand over Harry’s, he helped the boy write the letter “A,” big and small, making sure the boy kept minimal pressure on the parchment and kept moving so there were no blotches.

“There,” Mr. Snape said, “write the alphabet once more and then we shall have lunch.”

Harry nodded and started writing the next letter while Mr. Snape moved into the kitchen to make more tea.

Harry looked across the table at the wand still resting next to the teacup. He swallowed again, looking over his shoulder. He leaned forward slightly, allowing his quill to fall from his grip. He slowly reached cross the table and lifted the wand, glancing over his shoulder again. He slowly sat back in his seat and studied the wand in his grasp. It was long and slim, and when Harry moved it, it seemed flexible. The ebony wood was smooth on his skin. Harry traced the natural patterns of the wood with a finger. He wondered if he could make any magic happen with it. He experimentally pointed the wand at the abandoned teacup.

               “What are you doing?” Mr. Snape’s voice snapped.

               Harry jumped and dropped the wand, looking up at Mr. Snape, who snatched the wand and glared down at the boy.

               “Sorry, I was just looking at it,” Harry said.

               “What did I tell you about touching this?” Mr. Snape asked, holding up his wand pointedly.

               “Not to, but I was just looking.”

               “Just looking?” Mr. Snape shoved the wand into a sleeve before pulling Harry out of his seat, keeping a firm grip on Harry’s arm. “Tell me, what did I tell you about touching my wand? I’ve told you a couple times now, so you should know.”

               “I’m sorry.”

               “That doesn’t answer my question, little boy. What did I tell you?”

               “You-you said that it can be dangerous and-and not to-to touch it. That it’s not a toy.”

               “So what made you think that you could pick it up and play around with it?”

               “But I wasn’t playing with it. I was just-just looking.”

               “You were pointing it at something. Clearly you were trying to make it work, were you not? After I’ve told you that this is not something to mess with on numerous occasions, you still disobeyed me. And you knew you were disobeying because you waited until I was out of the room to pick it up. What was going through your head that made you think that that would be okay?”

               “Nothing. I’m sorry, Mr. Snape, really.”

               Mr. Snape used his free hand to swat Harry’s bottom before he released the child. Harry gasped at the sudden smack and his eyes watered immediately. Slowly, he reached back to rub as his lower lip trembled. In all his time with the man, he had never been smacked by him. He looked up at Mr. Snape with a pout.

               “Don’t look at me like that,” Mr. Snape frowned. He rested his hands on his hips. “You knew better.”

               Finding no sympathy, Harry avoided Mr. Snape’s stern eyes and looked at the man’s shiny black shoes instead. At least those couldn’t look at him disappointingly. He wondered if Mr. Snape would realize he was too much trouble and ship him off back to his relatives. The thought made him cry harder.

               “Enough already,” Mr. Snape scolded, though his tone was softer. “I smacked you once – I told you that would happen if you touched my wand. You knew that. This is hardly something to carry on so about.”

               “I’m really sorry,” Harry cried. “Don’t send me back.”

               “Send you back? Back where?”

               “To Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.”

               “I never said I’d ever do such a thing, calm yourself,” Mr. Snape kneeled in front of Harry and gently patted the boy’s shoulder. “You are never going back to them so long as I can help it. Calm down, deep breaths, that’s it.”

               Harry slowly did as Mr. Snape said, trying hard to take deep breaths.

               “But I’m-I’m . . . all I do is not listen and . . .”

               “Stop it, why are you working yourself up so? I told you I’m not sending you back. That is something you never have to fear. More deep breaths. In . . . out. In . . .  out.”

               After a few more deep breaths, Harry managed to calm himself some. The sting in his bottom had already faded, and he wiped at the remaining tears on his cheeks with a sleeve.

               “I see we still have some inner insecurities to work through,” Mr. Snape said, reaching around Harry to pat his back.

               “I’m sorry.”

               “Your fears are nothing to apologize for; they are beyond your control. We will work on them. As for my wand . . .”

               “I’ll never touch it again.”

               “It is for your own safety, young man.” Mr. Snape reached out and dragged a thumb along Harry’s cheek, wiping away a stray tear. At the small action, Harry lurched forward and wrapped his arms around Mr. Snape’s neck. The man didn’t even hesitate as he wrapped his own arms around Harry, gently rubbing the boy’s back. After a moment, Mr. Snape asked, “Are you calm now? I apologize for bringing up such emotions in you. You could never get in enough trouble for me to want to send you back to those horrid people. You are a good boy, but you are also a child and children make mistakes. And they must learn from them. Understand?”

               Harry sniffed and nodded.

               A knock at the door caught their attention. Harry looked at Mr. Snape, wondering if he should go to the bedroom and shut the door. Mr. Snape stood and pulled out his wand, giving it a flick at the door. The wood became transparent, and on the other side of the door stood Lucius, little Draco standing at his side. Mr. Snape frowned and walked over to the door, opening it slightly.

               “Good afternoon, Severus,” Lucius greeted. When Draco remained silent, staring down moodily at the ground, Lucius used his cane to tap the boy’s thigh. Draco gave his father a sideways glance before looking up at Mr. Snape.  

               “Good afternoon, Severus,” Draco greeted. “How do you do?”

               “Well, Draco. And you?”

               “I am well.” Draco looked to his father and received an approving nod.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” Lucius began, “but I thought we could discuss a few things over lunch?”

“Of course,” Mr. Snape said, opening the door to the older man. “Please, come in. I assume Professor Dumbledore knows you are here.”

               “Under the impression that I am catching up with an old friend, yes, he does.” Lucius walked into Mr. Snape’s quarters, eyeing Harry and the red-trimmed eyes. “I am not interrupting anything, am I?”

               “No, we were just finishing up.” Mr. Snape closed the door and stepped in between Lucius and Harry. “I’m sure the boys would like to spend some time together once more out here. Harry, why don’t you pull out that Wizard’s chess set on the shelf there and set it up for your friend while Lucius and I talk?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry said, doing as the man asked. A couple times, he and Mr. Snape had played Wizard’s chess, so he knew some of the basics. Draco sat himself on the sofa, watching Harry set up the game.

               “I’ll ask Eve to bring us what is being served in the Great Hall today. The boys can eat out here while we talk privately.”

               “Excellent,” Lucius smiled, following Mr. Snape. “I believe I may have a solution to your problem . . .”

               The adults disappeared in the kitchen and Harry finished setting up the game.

               “This is bloody awful,” Draco muttered from where he sat cross armed and slouched on the sofa. “Father has boring business to take care of and I get dragged along for it.”

               “Do you want to play?” Harry asked, gesturing to the board he just finished setting up.

               Draco rolled his eyes and looked down the hall at the closed doors. He slid off the sofa and walked toward the bedroom, opening the door and glancing inside.

               “We can play something else if you’d like,” Harry suggested, following the blond boy.

               Draco closed the door, finding nothing interesting the bedroom. He tilted his head at Harry.

               “You share a bedroom with Severus?”

               “Well, there’s no other bedrooms here.”

               Draco walked to the next door and opened it, seeing Mr. Snape’s study. Harry looked over his shoulder, afraid Mr. Snape would catch them – or Lucius. Harry looked back at Draco, seeing the boy shut Mr. Snape’s door.

               “What are you looking for?” Harry asked.

               “The door,” Draco answered, moving on to the next door. “It was here during my last visit.”

               “What door?”

               Draco didn’t answer. The blonde stepped into Mr. Snape’s potions lab, scanning the far walls. Harry gulped and looked over his shoulder, wondering if he should get Mr. Snape. But surely the man would not want his conversation interrupted. Maybe he should keep an eye on Draco since the boy seemed to have his own agenda.

               “We’re not allowed in here,” Harry said.

               “We’re not doing anything,” Draco replied. “We’re just looking for the door.”

               “I don’t get it, what door? There’s no other doors.”

               “There’s always another door. Hideaways and pockets in the castle, secret tunnels and shortcuts. You’ll see what I mean.”

               Draco crawled on the floor near some shelves against a wall. Nothing. He stood back up and looked around, Harry watching him anxiously.

               “You could help, you know,” Draco said.

               “But I don’t know what . . .”

               “It’s just a door. Have you ever been in this room before?”

               “A couple times.” Harry thought back to the few times Mr. Snape had let him aid him in the lab, chopping and prepping ingredients while the man worked on cool potion stuff. I’ve never seen any other door in here.”

               “That’s because it only shows up now and then. Severus explained it to me. Said I shouldn’t be crawling into rooms like that. But I was fine, and it only goes away when you’re not around. Help me see if it’s back. Just look for a door.”

               “Okay,” Harry said, glancing around and feeling the wall. A thought hit him. “Draco, do you have a wand?”

               “No. Why, do you?”

               “No. I was just wondering.”

               “Don’t you know anything? We don’t get wands until we are eleven.”

               “Oh – I mean, why eleven?”

               “Because we go to Hogwarts then. Besides, we couldn’t control a wand now anyway. I’ve tried. Did you ever try?”

               “Err . . . yes. But Mr. Snape caught me.”

               “Adults are so annoying. They don’t let us do anything fun. They just expect us to be good and polite and boring. They never want us to experience life.”

               “Right . . .”

               “Hey, look,” Draco exclaimed. He was kneeling down near the potion ingredient shelves, smiling at a hidden, small door. “I found it. It’s over here now.”

               Harry ran over to it and kneeled next to Draco. The small door had not been there the previous times Harry had been in the lab. Draco smirked at him.

               “Want to see where it goes today?”

               Harry smiled and nodded, excited to explore the magic of the castle.

 

               Severus paced the length of his kitchen as he listened to Lucius’s words. The man has so many good points, yet Severus wasn’t sure he was ready to accept the simple solution.

               “I can’t,” he said. “I can’t get them involved in this.”

               “And why not?” Lucius asked after a sip of tea. “Not only is the MacAuley estate nearly unplottable, it’s heavily warded and the name wouldn’t cross a million minds – not even the mind of someone who knew the Princes well.”

               “I cannot take Harry there.”

               “Cannot? Or will not? You need to grow up and think a little, Severus. I don’t care where you leave your relationship with your mother at but think outside the box and see the glorious opportunity presented to you. A perfect hideaway for the Boy-Who-Lived. He’ll be out of your hair and far away from this senile headmaster and it’ll give you time to search for a family who will take the boy in. It’s ingenious.”

               Severus sighed and took a large swallow of tea himself.

               “I can’t just abandon him there,” he said.

               “Abandon him? What are you on about – oh, don’t tell me you’ve grown attached? After I warned you not to. You care about that boy, don’t you? I dare say you’ve grown to see him as your own son.”

               “Please, the Potter spawn?” Severus snapped, though his voice held no malice.

               “Do not give me that load of bollocks, I see right through you. Damn it, you’ll put yourself at risk. You must distance yourself at once. You’ve spent far too much time with the boy. He’s nothing but trouble.”

               “He is not, he’s a good kid. Even after everything he’s been through.”

               “So that’s it then? You relate with him. Just because you share similar situations does not give you a good reason to keep him.”

               “I never said anything about keeping him. I want the boy to go to a good home.”

               “But you do not want to “abandon” him.”

               Severus growled in exasperation, looking off to the side. He did not have to explain himself. He stepped out of the kitchen and looked at the sofa and his heart jumped to his throat. Where were the kids?

               “Lucius, the boys are gone!”

               Lucius stepped out as well, tight-lipped and glaring at the spot the two boys should have been, the Wizard’s chess game untouched. “Those little brats,” he muttered.

               Severus opened the door to his bedroom, checking the bathroom before moving to his study, then his potions lab. He immediately noticed the new addition – a small tunnel in the wall. The castle tended to create new tunnels and rooms that vanished just as quickly as they appeared. Or led to some unexplored, potentially dangerous part of the castle. The boys could be anywhere at this point.

               Lucius paused next to Severus, admiring the tunnel. It wouldn’t allow a man to crawl in, but two small curious boys would fit perfectly. Lucius smirked.

               “They can’t be too far,” the man said, pulling the knob off at the end of his cane. A long scaly object fell to the ground. It was a silver snake figurine. Lucius replaced the knob and pulled out his own wand, muttering a chant. The snake ornament came alive and slithered into the tunnel.

               “What is that?” Severus questioned, his brows furrowed.

               “A tracker. Spelled to follow Draco’s scent should such a situation ever arise.”

              

               Harry felt like they had been crawling in the tunnel for ages. His palms and knees were starting to hurt from the hard stone floor. Draco led the way, confident that the tunnel would end in a fun part of the castle. Harry paused to rub at his palms before asking, “How much farther?”

               “How should I know?” Draco snapped, pausing as well, shifting to rub his knees.

               “Maybe we should go back.”

               “And sit on the sofa bored? I think we’re close. Come on.”

               Harry sighed and followed Draco onward. Finally, the two hit a dead end. Draco felt the wall in front of him and pushed on it. Slowly, the small door opened – just enough for the boys to peek through. The tunnel had somehow brought them to the Great Hall, behind the table where all the professors were eating lunch, including Albus Dumbledore.

               “We shouldn’t be here.” Harry’s voice trembled.

               “Yeah, maybe. I’ll try to shut this.”          

               Draco reached out and carefully pulled the door closed as best he could. However, the door squealed, and Draco paused, yanking his hand back. A few professors looked back.

               “What in Merlin’s name?” a female voice questioned.

               “There must be something in that tunnel – the door is open.” A male voice said.

               “A draft, no doubt.” Said another voice.

               Harry peered over Draco’s shoulder to see a couple people walking their way. He bit his lip, his heart hammering in his chest. Draco seemed tense next to him. The door was slowly opened more.

               And then Minny’s head appeared in front of them. She gasped.

               “What are you doing?” she hissed at Harry.

               Draco looked back and forth between Harry and Minny.

               Another hiss sounded and a snake slithered its way over to Draco, flicking its tongue out at the boy. It turned and slithered back down the tunnel to report the location. Draco groaned, knowing exactly what the serpent was and what it meant.  

               “You two better follow that snake,” Minny said. “Now. Hurry.”

               Draco sagged in relief and turned, glad to escape trouble for now. Harry followed the boy.

               “What is it, Minerva?” a deeper voice questioned.

               “Filius was right, Albus,” Minny said, standing up quickly. “Just a draft.”

               Minny discreetly flicked her wand behind her back, sending her cat patronus racing down the tunnel before she closed the door. “Let’s return to our meal, shall we?”

               The two boys continued crawling down the tunnel. Harry felt like a heat wave had hit him. His palms were sweaty and his stomach nauseous. He was sure Mr. Snape knew they had left the quarters and worse – entered the lab without his permission. If Mr. Snape didn’t want to be rid of him before, the man would definitely want him gone now. Harry fought from crying and focused on getting out of the tunnel, tears stinging his eyes.

               They reached the end of the tunnel, where Lucius was adjusting something at the end of his cane and where Mr. Snape was waiting with a cat patronus sitting at his feet. Harry avoided Mr. Snape’s eyes as he stepped out of the tunnel after Draco, staying at the other boy’s side.

               “Anything to say, Draco Malfoy?” Lucius asked.

               “I apologize for not staying put and crawling down that tunnel. That was wrong of me.”

               “Come, we are leaving,” Lucius waved Draco over to him. “I apologize for our quick departure. It is a shame our lunch must end so early. Think about what I said, Severus. And if you must grow attached, best do it where no one will find you or him. You don’t mind if we use your floo?”

               With that, Lucius left with Draco tailing.

 

               Severus kept his eyes on the disobedient child in front of him. He was too busy trying to slow his heart and take deep breaths, but his lungs would not expand properly. Minerva’s patronus, which decided to take its leave, had told him just how close Harry had been to Albus, how close the boy could have been caught. He was thankful that Minny had helped the children, but he could not risk something like this happening again. He closed his eyes, counting backwards from ten, taking more deep breaths.

               “I apologize for not-not staying put,” Harry began. “And for crawling down –”

               “Do not,” Severus scolded, his eyes flashing open and pinning Harry in his place. “I do not want a parrot, I want to know what made you think crawling down that tunnel was a good idea. What made you think that coming into my lab without me would be tolerated? Well?”

               “I don’t know,” Harry said, a couple tears gliding down his cheek. “I was trying to stop Draco but he –”

               “You could have been seen!” Severus interrupted, the fear of that fact alone stirring up his temper. He stalked toward the silently crying child. “You could have been seen by the entire school and by the one man who has the power to send you back to your relatives and keep you there permanently. Is that what you want?”

               “No.”

               “If it wasn’t for Minerva, you wouldn’t be here right now. Do you get that? He could have seen you.”

               “I didn’t know where the tunnel would go.”

               “Which is exactly why you should never have gone inside it in the first place. You should have told me what Draco was up to or . . . something.”

               Severus ran a frustrated hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck in the process. He forced out a deep breath of hot air. Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, he said, “I’m too angry to deal with you right now. Go to our room. Sit on your bed. Do not move or touch anything. You can consider yourself grounded.”

               Harry sniffed, “I’m really sorry.”

               “Go.”

               Harry shuffled his way out of the lab. Once the boy was gone, Severus shut the door to the tunnel, knowing it would disappear in time. He shook his head and left his lab, closing it behind him and this time, placing a locking charm on it. He wanted to walk to his study and lock himself inside for a while when he heard Harry’s loud sobs. He groaned, knowing he would never outlast Harry’s tears. He allowed a minute of Harry’s pitiful cried to soften his heart before he detoured to his bedroom, slowly approaching Harry’s bed.

               Harry was crying into his pillow. Severus kneeled by the bed and rested a gentle hand on the child’s back.

               “Calm yourself,” he said, “you’re working yourself up into a fit.”

               “You-you want to-to get rid of me now,” Harry cried.

               “I don’t recall ever saying those words.”

               “I told you I’m bad.”

               “That doesn’t make me want to get rid of you. Calm down, deep breaths. As I said earlier, you are a good boy. It’s just . . . I could have lost you today. Do you realize that?”

               Harry looked over at the man.

               “I don’t want to lose you, and what happened today scared me.”

               “Really?”

               “Yes. And it’s made me realize that . . . perhaps you shouldn’t stay here any longer.”

               “I have to leave?” Harry sniffed loudly.

               “Wherever you go, I go,” Severus smiled. “I promise you that. We might not live together like this, but I would still see you almost every day. Sound fair? Its for your own safety, Harry. So neither of us loses the other.”

               Harry sat up on his bed and wrapped his arms around Severus’s neck. Severus slowly stood, lifting Harry with him and holding him tight in his arms. Relief flooded through the man as he held the boy, knowing Harry was safe in his arms. Lucius might be right about one thing, as much as Severus hated to admit it.

               Later that evening, Severus stepped outside Hogwarts with a rolled-up parchment in his hands. He placed the parchment in his pocket as he neared the Forbidden Forest. Cupping his hands together, he raised them to his lips and blew, creating a whistle through his hands, a loud birdlike call echoing through the trees. A pair of bird eyes high in the branch of a nearby tree looked down at Severus before kekking and gliding down to him.

               Severus snorted and held out his hand for the hen harrier.

               “I knew one of you might be around,” he smiled. He reached into his pocket and handed the latter to the bird, who took it in its talons. “You know what to do.”

               Severus threw his hand up and the bird took off.

               The hen harrier flew high into the sky before diving down and disappearing in a cloud of gold dust. Severus sighed and folded his hands behind his back. He was doing this for Harry.

              

               The hen harrier reappeared miles away in another cloud of gold dust, now near the MacAuley estate in Ireland. Flying over mountains and to a mansion with large white gates and pillars. It flew past an attached tower where other hen harriers sitting in the windows cried at it, before diving for an open window on a lower floor of the mansion. It pecked at a loose feather on the windowsill before gliding to the desk inside, then hopped over to the person at the desk reading a journal.

               “Kek,” the bird cried, holding the parchment out.

               Eileen Prince-MacAuley lowered her journal and accepted the parchment. She unrolled it, adjusting her glasses to read what it said. Her eyes lit up and she sucked in a breath. Removing her reading glasses and setting them back in their case, Eileen leaned forward on the desk, smiling at the bird.

               “Thank you, my little friend,” she said, giving the bird a quick cheek rub.

               “Kek-kek,” the bird said. It flapped its wings and flew out of the window.

               Eileen looked at the parchment and smiled.  

 

“Why are we here?” Harry asked as Severus led him into the grocery store. “I thought we were going to your mother’s?”

               “We are,” Severus said, grabbing a basket and looking at produce. He bagged a few apples. “You like pears, right?”

               Harry nodded his head and Severus bagged a couple pears. “I might as well as supply you with some food for the next couple weeks until we can find you a more permanent situation,” Severus said, leading Harry further into the store.

               It had been a week since the hidden tunnel incident and Severus had quickly received a response back from his mother. She had said she would be happy to accommodate Harry for him while Severus worked things out with the Ministry or a secretive foster home. Severus wasn’t sure what he would do yet. However, Harry could not stay at Hogwarts any longer. It was just too risky.

               Severus found the condiments and packed peanut butter and jelly for Harry and located the bread. He frowned as he thought of other sandwiches the boy liked to eat. “Turkey or chicken?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

               “Turkey,” Harry said.

               Severus led Harry to the back of the store where the butcher was preparing meat. Upon seeing customers approach, he removed his gloves and apron, scrubbed his hands, and walked over to the counter. “What can I do for ye?”

               “Just sliced turkey will do,” Severus said, looking down at the hunks of meat.

               “Mr. Snape, look,” Harry called to him.

Severus glanced in Harry’s direction, where the boy was looking down in a box on a lower counter away from the food. Severus stepped closer to the boy to look in the box. Inside, was a large, furry rabbit, black and white in color. The rabbit huddled in a corner of the box.

“Isn’t it pretty?” Harry said. “Why’s there a rabbit in here?”        

“Found it in this box outside the store this morning,” the man said, handing Severus the sliced turkey. “Looks like a checkered giant. They get pretty big, that one’s only half grown. Someone must have wanted a small rabbit as a pet, but when that one got too big, they dumped it at the grocery store.”

“Aww,” Harry said, looking down at the bunny. He reached in and pet the bunny. “What are you going to do with him?”

“I was thinking he’d make a good stew,” the butcher said.  

Harry gasped and looked up at the man wide eyed.
“Really?” Severus hissed through his teeth. “You had to say that?”

“You’re going to kill him?” Harry asked, tears in his eyes.  

“Look kid, the rabbit has never seen a day in the wild, I let it go and it’ll be picked up by a hawk in an hour. This is merciful.”

“Why don’t you keep him as a pet?”

“I ain’t a rabbit person. Me dogs would rip that thing apart. This is life, lad. People should learn not to take on pets they know nothing about.”

Harry sniffed loudly, his lower lip trembling. Severus sighed, and gently took Harry’s arm. “Come,” he said. “Let’s finish our shopping.”

Harry gave the rabbit one last pet before allowing Severus to pull him away, a few tears trailing down his cheek. Severus bit his inner cheek as he looked down at Harry. The boy’s soft crying was starting to get to him. For a second, he wanted to snap at the boy that it was just a rabbit and it was not a big deal—rabbits were commonly eaten in Europe. He stopped, growling exaggeratedly before turning back around and reaching into his pocket.

“How much for the damn rabbit?” Severus said.

“Ye want him?” the butcher smiled. “Five euros and he’s yours.”

Severus paid the man and picked the rabbit up out of the box. It was one heavy rabbit; had to be about six or seven pounds. Did the man say this thing was half grown? Severus held out the rabbit to Harry, who’s eyes brightened, and he smiled widely as he accepted the animals and hugged it.

“Enjoy the rabbit,” the butcher smiled, pocketing the money.

Severus sighed. He had no idea how to care for a rabbit, but he was sure they’d figure it out. For now, he needed to finish shopping. He led Harry through the store, finishing his list while the boy squeezed and kissed his new pet.

“I think I’ll name him Mr. Trifle,” Harry announced. Severus wasn’t surprised. It was the child’s favorite dessert. “What do you think, Mr. Snape?”

“It’s a fine name.” Severus said, paying for the food and leaving the store. How did he walk into a grocery store and leave with a new pet? Harry walked ahead of him, petting the rabbit fondly, his eyes not on where he was going.

“Stay close to me,” Severus said, catching Harry’s arm. He let go once Harry was standing at his side and dug through his pocket. “I do not want you getting lost. Let me make sure I have enough muggle money now for transportation. It’s a long trip by foot to the estate.”

               “Look at the horsies!” Harry cried, running over to a waiting carriage attached to two chestnut horses with white feathering.

               “Harry!” Severus snapped, fishing out some money then quickly catching up to the child, who stroked the white blaze of one of the horses, laughing as the animal sniffed his hair, its breath tickling his neck.  

               “Aren’t they pretty?” Harry said, patting the horse’s nose. “What kind are they?”

               “They’re Cobs,” said a short, blond man, walking up to the two. He held a bucket up to one of the horses, allowing it to take a drink. “Alright there, gentlemen? Are ya in need of a ride?”

               “Yes, to MacAuley estate,” Severus answered. “Do you know the way?”

               “I’ve passed by the place,” the man said, moving the bucket over to the second impatient horse nosing the bucket for a drink. “I can get ya there in about forty minutes.”

               “That would be wonderful, thank you,” Severus said, paying the coachman, who tipped his hat as he set the bucket in the back of the carriage. Severus helped Harry climb up in the carriage with the rabbit, taking a seat next to the boy. The coachman climbed up to his place and flicked the reins, whistling to the horses.

               “Bean a grand soft day, don’t ya think?” The man spoke after they left the town and travelled down a road. “Name’s Niall. Ya from around here?”

               “Visiting, actually.”

               “Family, eh?”

               “You could say that.”

               “Laddie, keep yerself in the carriage, now. We wouldn’t want ye falling out.”

               Severus gave Harry a firm, warning tap on his bottom, and the boy got off his knees and sat appropriately on his bottom, giving Severus an indignant look as he cuddled the rabbit. “Behave,” Severus chided lightly.

               The rest of the ride was quiet, and they arrived to MacAuley estate.

               “There ye lads are,” Niall announced. “Enjoy yar visit.”

               Severus lifted Harry and set him on the ground before picking up his bag of groceries. The carriage drove on and Severus escorted Harry to the large gates. He paused just as he reached them, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes. It had been so long since he had last been here.

               “Wow!” Harry said, his eyes wide. Harry adjusted the rabbit in his hold and walked toward the towering white gates.  

               “Harry, please, stay with me,” Severus said. “I do not want to have to tell you again.”

               “Sorry,” Harry said, waiting until Severus was at his side. Harry adjusted the rabbit so he had it cradled in one arm before reaching out and taking Severus’s free hand.

               Severus looked down in surprise at the boy’s action, but if it kept Harry close, he would allow it. He tightened his fingers around Harry’s and led the child through the magically opening gates. Severus walked with Harry inside, following the stone path up to the door. Green pastures surrounded the manor, with some land fenced in to keep the horses in. A fountain garden in front of the manor misted the two as they neared the front door.

               Loud cawing from a high tower of the manor caught Harry’s attention. Several hen harriers stared down at the two newcomers, some eyeing the rabbit in Harry’s grasp hungrily. The rabbit tried to kick out of Harry’s hold, but Harry let go of Severus’s hand to firmly grip the bunny.

               “It’s okay Mr. Trifle,” he assured the black and white rabbit. “I won’t let them take you. You’re safe right here.”

               Severus used the door knocker to announce their presence. The door opened quickly, revealing an older woman with streaks of gray in her tied back black hair, her black eyes as piercing as Severus’s. Harry blinked up at her, looking between Severus and the lady curiously. The lady was almost two heads shorter that Severus, but that did not stop her from wrapping her arms around the man in a tight embrace.

               “Severus!” The woman greeted. “Oh, it is wonderful to see you again.”

               Severus did not return the hug, instead, he looked annoyed. The woman did not seem to care. She pulled back and smiled at Severus. “I have dinner on the stove, Peadar is in his study but he will be glad to know you’ve arrived safely. And you must be Harry.”

               Eileen kneeled in front of Harry, reaching up to brush some hair out of Harry’s face, her smile bright.

               “Harry, this is my mother, Eileen,” Severus said, remaining formal.

               “Hello, Eileen,” Harry said, reaching out to shake the woman’s hand as he had done with the Malfoys.

               Eileen laughed and pulled Harry into a hug. “There’s no need for such formalities here. You will call Nana as long as you’re here—I will answer to nothing else.”

               Harry laughed and said, “Okay.”

               “Mother,” Severus began, giving her a warning look.

               “Don’t worry, Severus, it’ll be fine,” she said, pushing Harry back as she felt something squirming in between them. “And who is this fella? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

               “This is Mr. Trifle,” Harry said, holding the rabbit up. “Mr. Snape got him for me.”

               “Good day, Mr. Trifle,” Eileen said, shaking the rabbit’s paw. “And how do you do?”

               The rabbit twitched its nose. “He says he’s doing great,” Harry said, smiling up at Eileen.

               “If we may enter,” Severus interrupted, “we have much to discuss and I’d like to get Harry settled.”

               “Of course,” Eileen held the door open for them.

               Severus gave Harry a gentle push inside the large mansion. Harry stared excitedly at how large the living room alone was. It wasn’t quite as massive as Malfoy Manor had been, but it felt homier and the personal touches from the painting and decorations on the wall to the vases of flowers told Harry that people actually lived in it.

               “This is amazing,” Harry said, spinning with Mr. Trifle as he admired everything. “I’m going to stay here?”

               “Yes, you will,” Eileen said. “At least until we find a more permanent solution. Or so says Mr. Snape.” Eileen smirked at Harry. Harry frowned as he looked around.

               “Where is Mr. Snape?” he asked.

               “Just putting the food away,” Severus said, rejoining the three. He looked at Eileen. “I want to thank you for allowing Harry to remain here.”

               “Of course,” Eileen said, frowning at Severus. “But I would like to hear the whole story from the beginning, if you do not mind. I want to understand why exactly you are hiding him from Albus Dumbledore.”

               “I will, in a moment. Let me show Harry to his room. Which one did you say?”

               “The guest room across from yours. We set it up just for Harry. Although I was unaware of the rabbit.”

               “I hope that won’t be a problem. That rabbit is a new addition.”

               “I’ll have the house elves see to a cage and litter.”

               Severus nodded, motioning to Harry to follow. Harry eagerly walked up the spiral stairway and down a long hall, passing several rooms. At the end of the hall were two rooms across from each other and another stairway. Severus escorted Harry into his new room, a large bedroom with a windowsill, desk, wardrobe, attached bathroom, and a queen-sized bed.

               “Brilliant!” Harry said, setting Mr. Trifle down on the bed before hopping up on it. “This is my room?”

               “I’m sure you’re glad not to have to share with me anymore,” Severus smiled.

               “I didn’t mind it,” Harry admitted. “I’ve never had my own bedroom before. Just my cupboard and then my own bed and now I have a whole room! It’s so big!”

               “I’m glad you like it,” Severus said, sitting down on the bed next to Harry. He absently stroked the rabbit’s fur as he thought about his next words. “I’m not sure how long you will remain here, but I can assure you that I will find a home that will give you your own bedroom just like this one.”

               “And you will visit me, right?” Harry asked.

               “Of course,” Severus said. “As often as I can.”

               Harry nodded and smiled, lying flat on his new bed. Mr. Trifle shuffled over to him and Harry picked up the rabbit, holding him up in the air. “Mr. Trifle says this is the best room ever.”

               Severus smiled and pulled out two toy-sized suitcases from an inner robe pocket. He used his wand to restore the cases to their original size. “I need to speak with Mother. While I do so, unpack your bags and get settled in. The house elves should be bringing a cage for Mr. Trifle soon.”

               “I don’t want him in a cage!”

               “The cage will just be for when we must leave him home alone and it will be where his litter is. Besides, he may like to take naps in his own little place with a nice comfy bed.”

               “Oh,” Harry said, hugging Mr. Trifle. “I mean, okay.”

               Severus nodded and left Harry in the room, heading back downstairs.

               “Severus,” Peadar MacAuley greeted with a soft smile from where he sat on the sofa next to Eileen. “It’s been so long since I’ve last seen ya. Did ya grow your hair out? It looks longer.”

               Peadar was a scruffy older man with narrow spectacles and a square face. He was close in height to Severus, if a bit shorter.

               “Perhaps,” Severus said, sitting in a chair across from the sofa. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Severus began with Albus’s request of finding a runaway Harry in a winter storm and scaring the boy into staying put at his relatives. However, the storm had interfered with plans and he had been stuck with the boy, in which he learned a lot about the child’s awful home life. Severus explained how he had gone back for Harry and took him to Hogwarts for the time being, then how Harry had almost been found out by Albus. And that was how he ended up needing their help.

“We will be glad to house him for as long as ya need, Severus,” Peadar said.

“Thank you,” Severus said. “I know this isn’t the welcome home you’ve both been looking for, but it means a lot to me for your help.”

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry called from the mezzanine in the house, looking down at the three in the living room. “I’ve finished packing. And you were right—Mr. Tifle likes his cage.”

               “There’s the wee troublemaker!’ Peadar announced. He waved to Harry. “Come down so I can get a look at ya.”

               Harry ran around the floor to the stairs, only walking when Severus warned him to slow down. He walked down the stairs and over to Peadar.

               “I’m Harry,” Harry said, smiling at Peadar.

               “And I’m Papa,” Peadar said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I hear your quite famous in the Wizarding world, huh?”

               Harry shrugged, laughing at Peadar’s enthusiasm. “Ya don’t know?” Peadar raised his brows. He stroked his beard as he looked at Harry thoughtfully. “A modest celebrity, it must be. You know what every celebrity needs?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “A little Turkish delight,” Peadar said, standing and guiding Harry toward the kitchen with a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll show you where that is.”

               “Peadar, please,” Severus said, though he didn’t move from the chair, “don’t spoil his dinner.”

               “He’ll be alright, Sev,” Eileen said, sitting up on the sofa. “While we have a moment, I want to apologize for the last incident when you were here. I understand I probably overstepped when I mentioned your eating habits and it was a really bad time to bring that up, but as your mother I—”

               “You stopped being my mother when I was eleven. I’m not having this conversation right now.”

               “Severus, please,” Eileen gave Severus a tired look. “We can’t put this off forever, and you can’t hold what happened against me for the rest of your life. I did what I thought was best at the time—”

               “Your judgement left much to be desired for, as it does now.”

               “I don’t know what to say.” Eileen shook her head. “You won’t hear me out, you won’t accept my apology. What do you want me to do? I know I left you and I regretted it every day since you were eleven years old. I always thought, by Christmas, I’ll bring you to our new home and surprise you. But Christmas came and I was still broke. So by Easter, I’d surprise you. And then Easter came and I had nothing to give. And then you were out of school, and then you were back to school, and then holidays flew by and I still hadn’t written to you and . . . I still had nothing.

“And when I thought I’d write; I was afraid to.” Eileen dragged a hand down her face. “I didn’t know what you would think of me. After all, I did abandon you, and I admit to that. I am by far the worst mother. But I just hope that one day, you’ll let me make up for it. But that’s up to you.”

Severus had remained silent. He sighed and looked in the direction of the kitchen. “I’m here for Harry’s sake. And if you insist on the silly names, then fine. As long as he’s happy.”

Eileen closed her eyes, her face tensed and pained. She breathed out a long breath before offering a small smile. “Are you sure you want to find a new home for him? He seems very attached to you and you’ve been together for quite a few weeks.”

“I am just Mr. Snape to him,” Severus said, standing, Eileen following his lead. “We have a connection which I will tell you about later. But he needs a home where he has a normal family. Not a lonely spy.”

Eileen nodded her head, “If you’re so sure you are just Mr. Snape to him.”

“Positive.”

Severus walked into the kitchen, finding both Harry and Peadar halfway through a container of Turkish delight. He rolled his eyes while Eileen scolded Peadar. He should make Peadar put Harry to bed that night.

Later that evening, after Harry had a tour of the house and explored the gardens, everyone settled down for dinner. Eileen filled bowls of her stew to go with her creamy polenta and fresh, steamed broccoli. She set the platters down as everyone took their seat, Peadar at the head, Eileen to his right, Severus to the left and Harry next to Severus. Severus thanked Eileen as she set the food down in front of him, Harry copying the man when he received his. Once Eileen took her seat, everyone dug in.

“This is really good,” Harry said, taking a large bite of the stew. “What is it?”

“Why, thank you,” Eileen smiled. “It’s an old Prince recipe. Rabbit stew.”

Harry’s spoon dropped as quickly as his mouth did. The boy looked down at the bowl and felt his eyes water as his lower lip trembled. “This is rabbit?”

Eileen’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry sweetie, I can get you something else . . .”

“Wait one moment,” Severus said, holding a finger up to Eileen as he turned to face Harry. “You were just saying how good it was. You can most certainly finish the stew.”

“But it’s rabbit,” Harry sounded more distraught.

“And? You were eating it fine, Mother made this for this occasion, she spent a lot of time prepping—”

“I don’t want to eat rabbit!” Harry declared.

“Do not interrupt me,” Severus said, pointing a stern finger at Harry.

“What if it was Mr. Trifle?”

“It obviously wasn’t.”

“Maybe it was his friend.”

“Severus,” Eileen said, “really, it’s not a problem. I can make him something else.”

“Absolutely not, he can eat what is being served or he can leave the table.” Severus glared at Harry.

However, Harry surprisingly glared back and pushed back his chair, leaving the table without much fuss. The boy could be heard stomping up the stairs. Severus rubbed his head frustratedly. Rarely did he have to scold the boy, but when he did, it always left him with a headache, especially when the boy pushed back. His appetite vanished now. Eileen sighed and sat back down, looking across the table at her son.

“I could have made him something else, Sev,” Eileen said. “He has a pet rabbit, of course he was going to react negatively to eating rabbit.”

“If I wanted your advice, I would have asked for it,” Severus said, his eyes still closed.

“I did not mean it that way, I just feel it was unnecessary to try and force him to eat it—”

“I was not forcing him.” Severus opened his eyes and glared at Eileen. “He said he thought the stew was good and the minute you tell him what it was he decided to be picky.”

“I wouldn’t call it picky.”

“Then we can agree to disagree, as always.”

“Oh, don’t start this again. Can’t we just have a relaxing, normal family dinner without arguing in the first ten minutes.”

Severus threw his napkin down on the table as he stood. “We were never a normal family,” he snapped before leaving the table. Eileen sighed and rested her head in her hands, Peadar reaching over and rubbing Eileen’s back.

Severus made his way upstairs to Harry’s room, having already asked a house elf for a plain sandwich and the broccoli from dinner for Harry. The meal arrived on the desk in Harry’s room just as Severus arrived. Harry was cuddling Mr. Trifle and sniffing in his pillow.

“I’m sorry,” Harry quickly said when Severus entered. “Did I ruin dinner for everyone?”

“No,” Severus said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I should have inquired about what dinner was and made sure you would have liked it.”

“I did like it,” Harry said, his lower lip protruding. “I feel bad about it. Mr. Trifle hates me now.”

“He does not.” Severus rubbed Harry’s back as the boy sniffled. “No more rabbit from now on. I’ll keep that in mind. I would like you to apologize to . . . Nana later about your behavior at the table.”

               “Okay,” Harry swiped his arm under his nose and pushed up, scooting over next to Severus. Harry wiped at his eyes and looked up at Severus. “Do you like your Mum?”

               “What makes you ask?”

               “I don’t know. You didn’t hug her back when she hugged you and you don’t smile when you talk to her. It doesn’t seem like you like her.”

               “It’s complicated.”

               “Why is it complicated?”

               “It just is, okay?” Severus snapped. Harry looked down sadly, muttering an apology. Severus rubbed his temple before shaking his head and saying, “No, I’m sorry. You see, I didn’t have a very nice father—no, not Peadar, he is my stepfather. But my previous father was not very nice to Mother and I. So she decided to leave and try to build a better life for us. However, she didn’t tell me she was leaving, and she also never came back. I didn’t see her again until I was seventeen. So, it’s not that I don’t like her, it’s just . . . our relationship is a little tense right now.”

               Harry frowned in thought, “My mummy died for me. Is our relationship tense, too?”

               “Oh, Harry.” Severus felt his face tighten and he was sure he was pale. He wrapped his arms around the child and pulled him against his side, burying his face in the boy’s hair. He held him for a minute, trying not to let those words affect him. He shook his head. “Absolutely not. She loved you, Harry. And she still does. My mother and I . . . this is . . . different.”

               Harry nodded as if he understood, keeping his head rested on Severus’s shoulder. Severus summoned the plate of food on the desk and gave it to Harry. “Here, a turkey sandwich. I expect you to eat all of your broccoli.”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape,” Harry picked up his fork and ate a stalk of broccoli. Mr. Trifle’s nose twitched as he scooted closer and closer before snatching a broccoli off Harry’s plate, moving away to nibble at it. Harry laughed while Severus snorted.

               “Naughty rabbit,” Severus commented. “When you are done, take a bath and then its bedtime, alright? You’ve had a long day.”

               Harry nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich.

 

               Lightning lit the room up in blues while thunder shook the mansion. Harry startled awake. He looked around, remembering he was in the MacAuley manor and he had his own bedroom here. Nana and Papa had said goodnight to him hours ago and the last thing Harry remembered was Mr. Snape reading Leo the Lop to him, one of the Serendipity books. While Mr. Snape had already read that book to him, after getting Mr. Trifle, Harry wanted to hear it again.

               Now, it was storming out and he was sleeping alone for the first time since he had come to stay with Mr. Snape. Harry held the blanket up against him, glancing over at the rabbit’s cage. Mr. Trifle had buried himself in his hay and was sleeping. Harry took a deep calming breath.

               Another loud band of thunder and Harry jumped out of the bed.

               “Mr. Snape!” he cried, opening his door and running out of his room. He opened Mr. Snape’s bedroom door which was thankfully across from his. “Mr. Snape!”

               Harry ran up to the bed, jumping on it and shaking the man.

               “Daddy!” he cried, “wake up.”

               Mr. Snape groaned and rolled on to his back, reaching over and lighting his wand to see. He blinked his eyes at Harry before sitting up and rubbing at his face.

               “Harry, what are you doing in here?”

               “There’s thunder,” Harry said.

               “And? You’re not afraid of thunder, you’ve slept through storms before.”

               “But I was with you.”

               Mr. Snape sighed. Harry swallowed. He hoped he wasn’t about to be sent away now. He really was scared.

               “You’re going to have to get used to sleeping alone, Harry. I leave on Monday for my classes.”

               “But you’ll come back, right?”

               “Not every night, but I guess for the first week, I will be here each night to make sure you are settled and used to your own bedroom, okay?”

               “I would like that.”

               “You left Mr. Trifle all alone. You don’t think he might need company during this storm?”

               “He was sleeping under his hay.”

               There was a bang of thunder and Harry squeaked and lurched forward, wrapping his arms around Mr. Snape’s neck, burying his face in Mr. Snape’s shoulder. Mr. Snape was surprised by his reaction, but the man wrapped his arms around Harry comfortingly.

               “You are safe, Harry, there is no reason to be afraid. It can’t hurt you.”

               “The lightening can.”

               “Not while you’re in here. Trust me.”

               “I want to stay with you.”

               Mr. Snape sighed, but he rubbed Harry’s back soothingly. “Alright, but just for tonight.”

               “Really?” Harry asked, pulling back to look at Mr. Snape.

               “Yes, really,” Mr. Snape said, brushing Harry’ hair back and planting a kiss on Harry’s forehead. Harry smiled, but Mr. Snape’s eyes widened. It was the first time the man had ever kissed him affectionately. Mr. Snape blinked. “Err, why don’t you lie down, then. Keep to your side.”

               “Yes, Daddy,” Harry said softly, crawling under the blanket.

               “What did you call me?” Mr. Snape asked quickly.

               “Mr. Snape,” Harry answered, meeting Mr. Snape’s narrowed eyes. Mr. Snape tilted his head at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Then the man nodded and turned over and Harry smiled happily at the man’s back, snuggling into his pillow.

             

               The first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, striking Severus in the face. The man turned over in his bed before blinking his eyes open. He remembered the events of last night and looked to his side to find an empty space in his bed. Feeling more awake, Severus sat up and glanced around the room.

               “Harry?” Severus asked, his eyes glancing over to the attached bathroom and then to his open bedroom door. He jumped out of bed, throwing on a light robe and making his way over to Harry’s room. Perhaps the boy had gone back to his own bed and was still sleeping. Severus opened Harry’s door to find the bed made but no child on it. The rabbit was shuffling around the room, occasionally twitching his nose. He looked up at Severus as the man entered. Severus stepped further in the room, making sure Harry wasn’t in the room for sure.

               Without realizing it, panic was starting to creep up on him. He stepped out of the boy’s bedroom and checked the restroom in the hall. Noise from the kitchen caught his attention and he rushed down the stairs to see who was causing the ruckus.

               “Good morning,” Eileen greeted with a smile, stirring the scrambled eggs. “I’ve got a good breakfast cooking for us. I hope you’re hungry—”

               “Where’s Harry?” Severus demanded.

               “He’s out in the barn,” Eileen answered, frowning at her son as he ran out of the house. “He’s with Peadar—I’m sure he’s okay. Severus!”

               Severus didn’t really hear anything else his mother said. He had already slipped on his shoes by the door and was running over to the large white barn behind the house. The chilly morning air was being chased away by the rising sun, but Severus didn’t let either slow him down as he made it to the opened barn doors. He sighed in relief as he saw Peadar holding Harry up to pet one of the ponies, a gray one with dark eyes.

               “He’s pretty,” Harry was saying.

               “She is a beauty,” Peadar corrected gently. “Her name is Asphodel, and she’s a Connemara Pony.”

               “It’s a pony? But she’s so big!”

               “That’s what makes her special. It makes them all special.” Peadar gestured to the rest of the Connemara ponies in the barn waiting to be let out to the pastures. “But this one is particularly special.”

               “Why?”

               “There you are,” Severus said, walking into the barn, glad to see that the boy was wearing a coat and boots.

               “Hi, Mr. Snape!” Harry greeted, reaching out to the man when he was close enough. Almost instinctively, Severus took the boy from Peadar and held him against his hip. “Papa was showing me the horsies. Isn’t she pretty? Maybe I can ride one?”

               “You should have told me you were awake,” Severus scolded slightly. “I didn’t know where you were.”

               “I’m sorry. Nana said not to wake you. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

               “I wasn’t . . .” Severus trailed off as he realized how he was acting. It didn’t even occur to him that he was acting like a concerned helicopter parent who had lost sight of their child for three seconds too long. In all honesty, in the time he had spent with the boy, the child had always been within immediate sight, for the exception of his classes, that is. Severus realized Harry and Peadar were staring at him, and he cleared his throat. “I wasn’t scared, it just caught me off guard. Next time let me know when you wake up. Okay?”

               “Okay.”

               Severus went to set Harry down, but Harry clung to the man. “Wait, I want to pet the pony!”

               “How do you ask?”

               “Please.”

               Severus sighed, and lifted Harry back up, moving closer to the horse. Harry smiled as he stroked the pony’s mane while Peadar grabbed two flakes of hay and set them down in front of Asphodel. The pony lowered her head and began munching away, her mane now out of reach from Harry’s hand.

               “She’s so soft,” Harry smiled. “Mr. Snape, did you know she’s eight year’s old? I’m going to be eight this year, too!”

               “I know,” Severus said. “She’s my horse.”

               Harry’s eyes widened. “Really? Is that what makes her special?”

               “It sure does,” Peadar said, nodding. “She was a gift to Severus when she was still in her mama’s womb. Severus picked out the name.”

               “Why that name?” Harry asked, looking at Severus. “It’s a strange name.”

               “It’s a plant,” Severus answered with a roll of his eyes, “with very pretty flowers about her color.”

               “Did you know she was going to be white?”

               “She’s actually gray, like her father,” Peadar said. He turned and pointed to a couple stalls down. “Her mother, Acting the Maggot, is the roan in that stall over there. We thought the foal might look more like her, but that’s the fun of genetics.”

               “Acting the Maggot?” Harry frowned. “That’s stranger-er.”

               Peadar chuckled. “That’s her name. But we call her Maggie.”

               “Can I ride Maggie?”

               “I’m afraid not, laddie. She’s pregnant.”

               “What about Asphodel?”

               “That’s the other thing that makes this horse so special.” Peadar smiled as he scratched the mare’s neck. “She’s also pregnant.”

               “Really? When will she have the baby? Did you know Mr. Snape? Your horse is pregnant.”

               “Yes,” Severus answered, switching Harry to his other hip. “They do breed here. I’d figure as much.”

               “Is she going to have the baby now? I want to see.”

               “In a couple months—I’d say late April or early May—she’ll have the foal, but ya’d have to get up pretty late. You’ll need Mr. Snape’s permission for that.”

               “Please, Mr. Snape?”

               Severus frowned, glancing at Peadar’s smirk and at Harry’s pleading eyes. He cleared his throat. “We’ll see.” Was all he could say to the boy for now. He would wring Peadar’s neck out later for giving the idea to the boy.

               “Okay. Can I see the other horses? Who’s that one?” Harry pointed to the stall across from Asphodel. Severus walked over to it so Harry could pet the pony’s snout. Harry smiled as the pony sniffed him. Another pony pawing at its stall door caught the boy’s attention, and he reached out to pet that one, Severus walking over to it. After greeting each pony and memorizing their names, Severus was finally able to get the boy out of the barn, taking his hand and leading him back to the house. Peadar stayed in the barn to finish up feeding and some other chores.

               A low growl caught their attention on their way back to the house. Harry froze and looked back at the barn. Two red colored dogs came from around the barn. They were taller and leaner and looked much faster than any of Harry’s Aunt Marge’s dogs. Harry gulped and tugged on Severus’s hand. The dog’s barked and charged forward.

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry screamed, hiding behind Severus when the man spun around.

               Severus held out a hand, ready to command the dogs back when he blinked and smiled, squatting down as the dogs pounced on him, jumping up to lick his face.

               “Shandy, Finn!” Severus greeted. “How have you boys been? Good dogs. I’ve certainly missed you guys.” Severus laughed as the two wriggled and rolled around in front of him, enjoying the rough head and stomach rubs. The Irish terriers whined and barked happily. Severus remembered Harry and looked back at the boy, who was watching him a couple steps back with fearful eyes.

               “Come here, Harry,” Severus said, waving to the boy to come closer. “They won’t hurt you. Come pet them.”

               Harry shook his head and took another step back. One of the dog’s saw Harry and barked at him with a wagging tail, but Severus grabbed its collar before it could jump on Harry in greeting. Harry, however, took the barks as a threat and whined, his lower lip trembling.

               “It’s okay. They’re noisy, but they don’t mean any harm. He’s just saying hello. Look, he’s soft like Mr. Trifle.”

               “I want to go inside,” Harry said.

               “They may want to go inside at some point, too . . .”

               “No!”

               Severus was taken back by the firm ‘no’ that left the boy’s mouth. He kept his hands on the dogs to keep their attention on him, but they were becoming more curious about the newcomer. “That’s not fair, you don’t want them to sleep out in the cold, do you? They have nice warm beds inside. What’s wrong, Harry? Why are you so afraid of them?”

               “They’re gonna bite me.”

               “They won’t bite you. I won’t let them.”

               “I don’t like dogs.”

               “Didn’t Minerva give you a stuffed dog?” Severus managed to keep the dogs in front of him as he gently took a hold of Harry’s wrist, trying to pull the boy closer. “You like that one. Think of them as big stuffed dog. Relax and come here.”

               Severus managed to pull Harry a step closer, but in doing so, the boy started crying and yanked away from Severus, backing up several steps.

               “Harry,” Severus said softly, starting to feel sympathy for the boy. He stood, pointing at the ground so the dogs would lay down. He picked up Harry, who buried his head in the crook of Severus’s neck. Severus patted the boy’s back. “It’s okay, calm down. I’m sorry.”

               Peadar was exiting the barn and he frowned at the sight. Severus nodded to the dogs and Peadar whistled for them. Severus began walking back to the house.

               “I’m sorry, Harry, I had no idea you had such a fear of dogs. Why is that? Have you never seen dogs before?”

               “No,” Harry said, peeking out to see if the coast was clear. Satisfied, he reached down and pulled up his pant legs, revealing a couple small scars over his ankle. “They do that.”

               Severus had to awkwardly adjust the boy so he could look at what the child was showing him. He sighed. Of course. Not only did the boy have awful relatives, he had had a bad encounter with man’s best friend. He fixed the boy’s pants and hoisted him up more.

               “Mean dogs do that,” Severus said. “These ones will not. You didn’t even know it when they came in last night.”

               “I was sleeping. I don’t like them.”  

               Severus dropped the subject at that, feeling bad for the two dogs that might end up being isolated from the family for a bit. He carried the boy inside and helped him remove his coat and boots before slipping off his own shoes. He left on his lightweight robe and followed the smell of eggs, sausage, and toast.

               “Breakfast is ready, boys!” Eileen called.

               Harry ran into the kitchen happily, but Severus grabbed the boy’s shoulder and led him into the bathroom to wash his hands. He did the same. Once they were both clean, though still red-eyed in Harry’s case, they settled down at the table and Eileen dished out to everyone before filling a plate for Peadar when he finished outside. Eileen allowed Severus and Harry to begin eating breakfast while she filled two bowls with kibble and sprinkled scrambled egg on top. She set the bowls down on the floor.

               Severus loudly cleared his throat. Eileen looked over at him and the man shook his head. Eileen frowned, and Severus jerked his head at Harry. Understanding dawned on her as she took in Harry’s still puffy eyes and she gave him an apologetic look. She held up a finger to Severus in a ‘one moment’ gesture, then summoned a coat and walked outside with the dishes.

               “Where’s Nana going?” Harry asked.

               “She’s going outside to feed Shandy and Finn,” Severus answered honestly as he continued to eat his breakfast.

               Harry looked back at his own breakfast, picking through it. Peadar and Eileen returned, chatting amiably. They joined Severus and Harry at the table, Peadar complimenting Eileen and digging in hungrily. Severus took the moment to thank his mother for breakfast, Harry copying him.

               “What gentleman I have at the table, today,” Eileen smiled, winking at Harry.

               “It is really good, Nana. Are you a professional chef?”

               “Now you’re just flattering me. I learned from my mother, memorized all her recipes, I did. Maybe you and I can pick out some dinners to make together, hmm?”

               Harry nodded, smiling around his jam covered toast.

               “And then, we could play some gobstones.”

               “What’s gobstones?” Harry asked.

               “Oh, no,” Peadar said, fighting a smile.

“Here we go,” Severus rolled his eyes while Eileen gasped dramatically.

“Now we must play a game of gobstones!” Eileen decided. “I declare tonight to be a gobstones marathon. The boy and I against the professors. We’ll need a team name, Harry. Why don’t you think one up?”  

“Mother was the Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team,” Severus told Harry, who still looked confused. “She was one of the best players, not that that is saying much. Gobstones is a children’s game—hey!”

“A game which you once enjoyed, Severus,” Eileen said calmly as if she hadn’t thrown a hexed napkin to stick to Severus’s face at her son. She smiled at Harry. “It’s an underappreciated game that children and adults can play that can be very fun and complex when you don’t want revolting liquid spat on you. It takes strategy, much like Quidditch or chess. Doesn’t it, Severus?”

“And yet,” Severus said, successfully removing the napkin off his face, “even a four-year-old can play it.”

               “As I said, it’s a game for all ages.”

               “How do you play?” Harry asked.

               “Have you ever played marbles?”

               “No.”

               “No?” Eileen looked to Severus.

               “Having met his relatives,” Severus glared down at his plate, “I’d say the boy hasn’t played many games in his life thus far.”

               “Well, we will have to remedy that,” Eileen shook her head, holding back some hair with a hand. “Maybe tonight, you, Peadar, and I can play gobstones. And maybe Mr. Snape will join us.”

               Harry smiled at Severus, who narrowed his eyes at his mother.

               “How about you tell us about yourself, laddie?” Peadar said, continuing the conversation. “What do you like, what’s your favorite game, favorite food, anything?”

               “Well, what should I answer first? I like trifles. They’re really good. Especially the berry ones.”

               “I guess I’ll have to pull out my mum’s old chocolate strawberry trifle recipe for dessert then, won’t I?” Eileen said.

               Harry nodded, only pausing when Severus used a napkin to wipe at the jam on the boy’s face, smiling up at the man as he did so. Severus paused, as if realizing what he was doing, then set the napkin down. He pushed back his chair and stood, pulling Harry’s chair back as well.

               “We should get ready for the day,” Severus suggested, leaving the table with Harry following, Peadar and Eileen agreeing a second later, finishing their breakfast before leaving the table to their bedroom.

 

               Harry stared out his window while cuddling his stuffed dog, watching the horses in the pasture, the two dogs running through the fields, and a couple hawks circling in the sky. He frowned, then shut the window and sat back on the ground, staring at his stuffed dog. He had always found dogs to be fascinating and even cute when they were written in stories or were stuffed animals. However, the real thing was another story. They had big teeth and paws and scary eyes that zeroed in on him like a predator stalking lunch.

               Mr. trifle shuffled over to Harry, sniffing him. The boy smiled and picked the rabbit up, snuggling him. Rabbits were okay. They were the bestest friend anyone could ask for.

               At that point, Mr. Snape opened his door and walked in.

               “You’re still up here?” Mr. Snape asked, sitting down next to the boy. “I thought you’d be exploring the house again or in the field with the horses.”

               “The dogs are outside,” Harry said, letting Mr. Trifle hop away.

               “I see,” Mr. Snape said, summoning a brush and moving closer to Harry. “I thought I asked you to brush your hair.”

               “I forgot,” Harry admitted, letting Mr. Snape brush through his knots, wincing slightly. “I brushed my teeth. See?” Harry smiled brightly up at Mr. Snape, who snorted and angled the boy’s head forward once more to finish brushing.

               “So, I see. I need to finish grading some essays before I head back to work tomorrow, and you need to get more acquainted with Nana and Papa. After this, you can join Nana in the living room and spend some time with her while I work in my old study.”

               “Okay.”

               Once Mr. Snape finished brushing the boy’s hair, he led Harry downstairs to Eileen, who was working on the couch with parchment spread out of the coffee table in front of her. A hen harrier stood on the arm of the couch with a rolled parchment in its beak.

               “Is that Kieran?” Harry smiled happily, running up to the bird that gave him a sidelong look.

               “It sure is,” Eileen smiled, scratching her bird under the beak. “He and I bonded pretty quickly when I first arrived here. He’s a sweetheart.”

               Harry stroked the bird’s head before Kieran dropped the parchment in his mouth and made a ‘kek’ noise at Eileen.

               “Oh, yes.” Eileen picked up the dropped parchment and handed it back to the bird. “Please take that to Linnea at Durmstrang Institute.”

               Kieran dipped his head before flapping his wings and flying out a window that opened and closed behind him. Mr. Snape settled Harry on the couch next to Eileen and reminded him to behave before he left the two alone.  

               “Why do you use a bird for mail?” Harry asked, swinging his legs.

               “It’s what we do in the magical world,” Eileen said, putting a hand over the boy’s legs to stop him from kicking. She piled some parchment on top of each other. “Most wizards and witches use owls, but the MacAuleys’ are special. They’ve used these special hen harriers for generations.”

               “Why is everything special here?”

               Eileen laughed, ruffling Harry’s hair. “Everything is special here. And those birds are not normal hen harriers. They are part phoenix. It’s a long story, and Peadar could explain it better, but they live here twenty-four seven and they are very devoted and bonded to the family.”

               “Cool.” Harry smiled, picturing a flaming phoenix in his head.

               “Very cool. But do you know what’s cooler? Gallagher’s Fantastical Summer Camp. It’s a day camp for young wizards and witches up to twelve years old here in Ireland. There’s even some night activities and volunteer options for older teens as well. There’s swimming, and crafts, and sports like Quidditch. Papa oversees the trail riding, and he provides the ponies of course. He’s co-manager with Mr. Gallagher.”

               “What do you do there?”

               “I am a camp counselor. I oversee a group assigned to me. Right now, I’m building some charts of different activities we could introduce this year that I’ll share with the other counselors for feedback. Do you have any ideas that you would like to do in the summer?”

               “I don’t know,” Harry shrugged. “I’ve never been to a camp before.”

               “Well, we will have to remedy that as well, won’t we?”

               “So, is that your job? The summer camp thing?”

               “Yes, it is. Otherwise, I tend to the house and barn when Peadar isn’t here. And I volunteer at the local library in my spare time. I run a book club for adults and do book readings for the young children. It is very satisfying work.”

               “And Papa? Does he have another job when he’s not at the camp?”

               “The camp is only open in the summer. Papa is a professor at Durmstrang Institute.”

               “Like Mr. Snape!” Harry smiled.

               “Exactly like Mr. Snape. Except Mr. Snape teaches potions and Papa teaches history.”

               “History? That’s boring.”

               “Not the way he teaches it. He makes it very exciting and engaging and the students learn a lot about the history of magic.”

               “Now it sounds interesting. Will I have him as a professor too?”

               “Probably not. Peadar works at Durmstrang, not Hogwarts.”

               “Another magic castle?”

               “Yes, another one. There are many all around the world.”

               “I had no idea the magic world was so big!”

               Eileen smiled down at the boy before returning to her filing and work. She could sense the child growing antsy and quickly summoned a coloring book for him to keep him quiet while she worked out some minor details. The two sat together in silence for several minutes when Peadar entered the house and slid out of his boots. He walked over to the two, sitting on the opposite side of Harry.

               “Hey kiddo.” Peadar looked at the page Harry was coloring. “What are ya working on?”

               “It’s a castle,” Harry said as if it was the most obvious thing.

               “Of course. Looks almost like Durmstrang.”

               “Nana says I will probably go to Hogwarts where Da-I mean, Mr. Snape works. But maybe I could visit where you work? Durm- . . .” Harry was blushing and hoping no one caught his slip. He hadn’t meant to say what he was going to, but it didn’t look like anyone caught it.

               “Durmstrang. And ya wouldn’t like it there. I hardly like it there, but the wonderful students keep me coming back. Well, most of them are wonderful.”

               “They all are wonderful, dear,” Eileen said. “Some just lose their way.”

               “With how management is at this moment, I’d lose my way too if I were a youngin’. Awful, I tell ya, and it just gets worse each year. Those poor students never have any idea what hits them, but I’m glad I can be there to soften the blow.”

               “You are a great mentor,” Eileen said.

               “I hate where I work, but I love being a professor. The students keep me happy.”

               “Mr. Snape never seems happy at work,” Harr said, thinking back to his time spent in the man’s quarters. “Your job should make you happy, right, Papa?”

               Peadar and Eileen looked at each other. Eileen sighed and said, “I believe that Severus took the potions master job out of obligation rather than out of joy for teaching.”

               “What’s obligation?”

               “This is hard to explain and Sev should probably be the one to explain it to you. I think he does care for the students—in fact, I know he cares for them. He just . . . needs someone to help him feel less lonely sometimes.”

               Harry nodded. He understood loneliness very well. And he couldn’t help but think about how lonely Mr. Snape must be. At lunch, which were simple sandwiches, Mr. Snape didn’t appear, a normal occurrence according to Eileen. Harry finished his lunch then went in search of Mr. Snape. He found the man in a room at the opposite end of the hall and he sneezed as soon as he entered.

               It was a small office of sorts, but it looked as if it hadn’t been touched in years if the layers of dust were anything to go by. The desk was cleaned off where Mr. Snape was working but it was clear the man didn’t bother cleaning anything else yet. A high stack of finished papers sat to one side of the desk while Mr. Snape worked on an essay at a time, a smaller stack resting on the other side of the man.

               “Mr. Snape,” Harry greeted. “You missed lunch.”

               “No, I ate here,” Mr. Snape said without looking up. Harry frowned and looked around. He didn’t see any plates or cups, and Eileen didn’t appear to send anything off with a house elf. Harry shrugged and rubbed his eyes, stepping closer to the man.

               “Did you know Nana and Papa work at a magic summer camp?”

               “Yes.”

               “I want to go there one day.”

               “We’ll see,” Mr. Snape said, his eyes never leaving the essay he was working on.

               Harry leaned against Mr. Snape as he rubbed at an eye. It itched for some reason, and he yawned. It was then that Mr. Snape paused in his work and stared at Harry for a moment. He set his quill down and stood up, lifting Harry with him.

               “You’ve had a busy two days,” Mr. Snape said. “I think you’re overdue for a nap.”

               “I’m too old for naps,” Harry protested even as he rested his head on Mr. Snape’s shoulder as the man carried the boy out into the hall, walking toward the boy’s room.

               “Just a rest then,” Mr. Snape decided. “To make your eyes feel all better.”

               His eyes did hurt a little. Harry rubbed at them again before loosely wrapping his arms around Mr. Snape’s neck. He liked it when the man held him. He wished Mr. Snape would do it more often. Harry was slowly lowered into his bed and a light blanket was draped over him. He felt his stuffed dog placed in his arms and he squeezed it lovingly.

               “I’m not tired,” Harry said, making sure Mr. Snape knew this. “I’m just resting my eyes.”

               “I know,” Mr. Snape said. “Go on and rest your eyes, honey.”

               Harry smiled and closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

 

               Severus smiled down at the boy, glad he went down without much of a fight. A voice startled him, and he spun around.

               “I used to call you honey,” Eileen said, smirking from where she leaned against the doorway.

               “I said Harry,” Severus said, walking out of the boy’s bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

               “Sure you did,” Eileen said, walking beside her son. “He’s a good boy. You should enlist him in the school here. He needs to be around kids his own age and should be learning. He’s very eager to learn, you know.”

               “He’s been seeing Minerva for the past month; I see no reason to stop his lessons with her. And I have a schedule he can follow here with you and Peadar.”

               “As much as I would love to homeschool the boy and spend all the time in the world with him, don’t you think it’s a little unfair that he doesn’t get out and see the world, make some friends, get out of his comfort zone. It might help curb some of his fears, like that with the dogs.”

               “He was bitten by a dog in the past.”

               “That doesn’t mean he can’t learn to love our dogs. It’ll take time, I know, but we don’t have to rush anything. The dogs can sleep in the barn while Harry adjusts to being here. School should come first and he does need to get into a routine.”

               “A family should come first.”

               “And you are that to him at this moment. He adores you. He needs you. And I read up on that Bond of the Guardian spell thing you told me about. This was meant to be. Maybe it’s a sign from above, from Lily.”

               “Lily does not want me raising her son,” Severus said quickly.

               “How would you know? She’s probably thinking how much better you are to him than her own sister was. Oh, how sad that must have been for her to see, the poor dear. Her only son treated as if he was nothing by his own flesh and blood.”

               “And this is exactly why Harry should experience a family with a loving couple. Not a miserable potions professor.”

               “You didn’t seem so miserable a few minutes ago, Severus. I saw the way you looked at him. I see the way you are with him. He will be happiest with you. Wherever you go. I’m sorry for the time I let go between us. I can never get those years back. But you have the chance to do what I could not for Harry. Think about it.”

               Eileen walked down the steps to start working on dinner while Severus remained in the hall. His mother’s words surprised him, but he couldn’t deny them either. He glanced back at Harry’s room, then down the stairs again. Perhaps putting the boy in school, even if just for a few days or so, would be a good thing. It would help the boy socially at least. He’d look into it. It wasn’t until an hour and a half later that Severus knew just how much he meant to the boy, and how much more sense Eileen’s words made in that moment.

               “Harry,” Severus said softly, shaking the boy’s shoulder. “You need to wake up now. If you sleep any more, I’ll never get you to bed tonight, and I leave in the morning, remember?”

               Harry whined sleepily, covering his head with the blanket.

               “None of that,” Severus said, removing the blanket and lifting the boy up. “Come on. Maybe a little snack will help you wake up, hmm? Some yummy cookies Mother just pulled from the oven with a big glass of milk. What do you think?”

               “Tired, Daddy,” Harry mumbled, resting his head on Severus’s shoulder, falling back into a light slumber.

               Severus froze, his eyes widening as he looked at Harry’s sleeping face. His heart rate picked up and he could feel a chill on his neck. Had he heard that correctly? Severus wasn’t sure how he was supposed to go about this. He was not the child’s father, nor could he ever be. Harry had never acted like he misunderstood the plan of finding the boy a new family, but perhaps this was the boy’s wishful thinking. Severus shook his head and proceeded to walk downstairs with Harry, his thoughts a million miles away.

               What was he supposed to do now?     

 

 

            “Mr. Snape,” Harry cried, running up to the man. “Do you have to leave today?”

               “As I’ve told you a thousand times,” Severus said as he shrunk his graded assignments and slipping them into an inner robe pocket, “I still have classes to teach. This will be no different from when you lived in my quarters.”

               “But I won’t see you for lunch,” Harry pouted up at him.

               “You’ll be fine, I should be able to return by dinner, and if not, I’ll let you know.” Severus kneeled in front of the boy. “Now, be good for Nana and Papa and do not forget to work on your writing. I gave Mother your math workbook and let her know where you’re at in it. I will check on your work when I return.”

               “Okay,” Harry said, watching his toes dig in the carpet.

               “Yes, sir,” Severus corrected, tilting the boy’s head up.

               “Yes, sir,” Harry said, a small smile playing on his lips. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around Severus. “Bye, Mr. Snape.”

               Severus swallowed dryly but wrapped his arms around Harry and patted his back. “Behave,” he reminded before standing and grabbing some floo powder. “The floo had been routed to quarters at Hogwarts, so if you ever need me, just ask Nana to floo call.”

               Harry nodded and watched sadly as Severus disappeared in green flames.

               Severus sighed as he stepped into his quiet quarters. He knew it would be strange now not having the child in his quarters asking a thousand questions a minute. He had grown used to that, and though he would never openly admit it, he enjoyed having the child to come back to from a long day of teaching each night.

               What he did not enjoy was the strange feeling still vibrating around in his chest after last night’s dilemma. The boy had called him the ‘d’ word, and Severus did not know what to make of it. He had been so sure Harry understood the plan of finding him a new home, and while Severus had not been actively searching as he should have been, he did not think they had developed a sort of father-son relationship. There was simply no way he could be father-like—just the thought of it made him cringe. And Lily surely wouldn’t want him in Harry’s life after what he put the Potters through.

               Yet, Harry was comfortable around him. He ran to him with every problem a seven-year-old could come up with. The boy had bonded to him, binding them with ancient magic beyond his understanding. Severus blamed the bond for the closeness he felt to Harry, for surely it was not because he was growing attached.

               Last night, Severus had decided to ignore Harry’s slip and took the boy down for a snack as he had promised, watching the child munch on cookies and smile at Eileen. Harry either forgot what he had called the man or simply did not know he had said it. He was back to ‘Mr. Snape’ once more, though he now noticed how Harry’s face longed to say a different name. How had he missed it before?

               Severus walked to his classroom and began preparing for his lessons that day, his mind still lost in thought. He would have to start looking for a new family soon. Yes, that was the answer. Once Harry experienced what having a real loving couple cater to him, he would forget all about Severus. For some reason, the thought of that left a hollow feeling in Severus’s heart.

 

               Harry pouted at the fireplace. He already missed Mr. Snape. The man wouldn’t be back until dinner—that was so far away! Harry sighed and walked away from the fireplace, heading toward the kitchen where Eileen was cleaning dishes.

               “Why don’t the dishes just disappear?” Harry asked honestly. “That’s what happens at Hogwarts.”

               “That’s because the house elves take care of the dishes there,” Eileen answered. “When I first lived here with Peadar, his three elves did that as well. It took a lot of convincing to let them allow me some chores. But I do not mind tending to the household duties—I find cleaning can be very relaxing.”

               “Me too,” Harry said. “Can I help?”

               Eileen smiled sadly at Harry, then nodded her head.

               “Of course.” She summoned a step stool and handed Harry a towel. “I’ll finish washing and you can dry.”

               “Okay,” Harry said, stepping up on the stool and reaching for the first plate. They washed and dried the dishes for a few minutes before everything was done. Harry looked up at Eileen. “Now what do we need to do?”

               “Need to do?” Eileen smiled down at Harry as she removed her gloves. “Absolutely nothing. Except for your writing and math, but we can work on that later. Why don’t you run along and play in the gardens or something? The horses should be out in the pastures.”

               “The dogs are outside,” Harry reminded Eileen.

               “True,” Eileen nodded, glancing out the window. “But they should be working with Peadar right now. I think they’ll be so distracted; they won’t even notice you.”

               After some persuading, Harry finally walked outside into the gardens, keeping an eye open for any red-furred dogs. When none came running, Harry allowed himself to relax and explore the gardens as he had the first day, splashing in the large fountain in bare feet after Eileen gave him permission. The gardens circled the house and a little pathway behind the house weaved through flowers and shrubs, circling the fountain, continuing in an endless loop. The paved path turned to gravel that led to the barn, but Harry kept off that. As much as he wanted to see the horses again, the thought of running into the dogs kept him from doing so.

               Harry brought Mr. Trifle out for some fresh air, allowing the rabbit to sniff at plants and lay in the sun. When Eileen told him lunch was ready, Harry took Mr. Trifle back to his room and returned to the dining table.

               “Why don’t you eat outside?” Eileen suggested. “After lunch, you’ll be inside, and I’ll help you work on your math pages before you start writing your sentences. Mr. Snape will want those complete, you know.”

               Harry happily took his plate out to the gardens, sitting at the outdoor table and seating. Eileen joined him briefly before Kieran flew over to her with a rolled parchment. He kekked at her and held out the letter.

               “You finish up, Harry,” Eileen said, standing as she accepted the letter. “I’ll be right back.”

               Harry nodded as he took a bite of his green beans, then picked up his chicken leg. Eileen disappeared inside the house, Kieran gliding behind her. Harry took a bite of his chicken leg, then his eyes widened, and he gasped as one of the terriers walked down one of the paths, passing the fountain as he sniffed around, heading straight for the table.

               “Nana,” Harry called softly, hoping Eileen hadn’t gone too far away. He wanted to run for the door, but he couldn’t make himself move.

               The dog paused and tilted his head at Harry, the gold tag jingling on his red collar. He licked his lips and took a few cautious steps forward.

               “No,” Harry said firmly at the dog.

               The dog paused, his ears perking up.

               “Sit!” Harry demanded, pointing at the dog.

               Slowly, the terrier sat down, his tail wagging behind him.

               “Lie down,” Harry said, feeling a bit more confident. “Down.”

               With a bark that startled Harry, the terrier shuffled his front legs down until he was lying flat, his head on the paved ground and his tail still wagging away. The dog licked his lips, eyeing Harry’s plate. Harry looked down at the chicken in his hands. He pulled off a piece of meat and threw it at the dog. It landed inches in front of the dog’s nose, and he stretched his neck to take the chicken. Harry smiled, then threw another piece of chicken.

               It landed a bit further away, so the dog crawled forward to take it, then backed up once more, letting out a happy bark.

               Harry jumped again at the noise, but less so than the first time. He smiled.

               “Shandy?” Peadar’s voice sounded, coming around the fountain. He glanced between the dog and Harry. “What’s going on here?”

               “Nothing,” Harry said, taking a bite of his chicken.

               Peadar looked at Shandy, who made a low, guttural noise as he looked off in the distance. Peadar narrowed his eyes at the dog before saying, “Get back to work, you lazy mutt.”

               Shandy barked a couple times at Peadar before running off to the barn, his tail wagging.

               “How can you tell them apart?” Harry asked. “They look exactly the same.”

               “They have different faces, ears, personalities . . .” Peadar explained as he sat across from Harry. When the boy blinked at him, he snorted and said, “Shandy wears a red collar. Finn has a blue one. It looks like Shandy’s taken a liking to ya.”

               “He wanted my food,” Harry said.

               “Food will win them over,” Peadar winked at Harry.

               “Why did you tell him to get back to work? What kind of work do they do?”

               “They’re mostly watchdogs. While the wards on this property keep out magical folk with ill intent, it doesn’t keep out muggles with ill intent. They alert me to any strangers sneaking around my property. They also keep the rats out of the feed. They’re very helpful.”

               “They won’t hurt Mr. Trifle, will they?” Harry’s eyes widened and watered.

               “No, no. As long as they don’t meet, but that won’t happen.” Peadar cleared his throat as he saw Harry becoming more distressed at the idea. “How about I put some protective charms on Mr. Trifle so the dogs can’t touch him at all.”

               Harry nodded his head. “Yes, please, please.”

               “Will do.” Peadar reached over and ruffled Harry’s hair.

               A brown speckled hen harrier flew down to the two, circling Peadar before deciding to land on the table, holding out a package to Peadar. Harry marveled at the bird, smiling as he watched Peadar accept the package.

               “Thank you, Fia,” Peadar said, opening the package to reveal a manual. Peadar opened it and looked through the scrolls, frowning and shaking his head. “Looks like they’re changing the curriculum again. I’ll review the new lesson plans, I suppose.” Peadar muttered under his breath as he scribbled a reply to the package’s sender. “They couldn’t even wait for the school year to end. Here Fia.”

               Fia gladly accepted the parchment.

               “Is she yours like Kieran is Nana’s?” Harry asked.

               Peadar smirked at Harry.

               “Technically, they belong to the MacAuley Estate,” he said, stroking Fia’s chin. “But the fire ghosts do bond to some people just like any other familiar. Fia bonded to me when I was a young boy, just a bit older than you, actually. She was barely a year old.”

               “Fire ghosts?”

               “That’s what they are,” Peadar explained. “You see, hundreds of years ago, when the first MacAuley built this land, he had a phoenix as a familiar. Loyal bird, it was. One day, the phoenix fell in love with a common hen harrier, and that is how the fire ghosts were born.”

               “Why are they called that?”

               “Well, hen harriers are also known as grey ghosts of the sky. Phoenix’s are known for their fire. So these guys have earned the name fire ghosts.”

               “That’s so cool!” Harry said, reaching out a hand to pet Fia, who reluctantly allowed the kid to pet her back. “Can they catch on fire like a phoenix?”

               “I’m afraid not,” Peadar smiled. “But they are very smart birds with exceptional life spans. They also have a little magic of their own.”

               Peadar said a strange name and Fia whistled before flapping her wings and soaring for the sky. Harry watched in awe as the bird flew high up in the sky before diving down at an incredible speed, disappearing in a cloud of gold dust that slowly cascaded down from the sky.

               “Wow,” Harry said.

               Peadar ruffled Harry’s hair and motioned for the boy to follow him, waving his hand to get rid of the boy’s finished lunch. Harry skipped after Peadar, following the man into the house and climbing up two flights of stairs. Peadar led Harry down a dark hall and opened the door at the end of the hall. They climbed one last flight of stairs, ending up in a tower that overlooked the entire estate.

               Harry oohed at the sight, looking over the ledge at the horses in the fields, rolling countryside with green, lush farm fields. Past the estate, he could see cows in the distance, sheep even further away, their white coats standing out on the hills. Birds flew high above it all, cawing and chirping. Peadar stood next to Harry, pointing down at the pastures.

               “You see that yellow fence in the far pasture?” Peadar asked.

               Harry nodded.

               “That is the boundary of our estate. You can play in all the fields, but do not go past that fence. The neighbor has a mean bull on the other side.”

               “Okay, Papa.”

Harry ran to the other side of the tower, looking in the other direction. He could see the tips of the tallest building from the nearby town mixed in with trees.

               “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Peadar said.

               “Yeah.”

               “This is where the fire ghosts live, where they make their nests and raise their young. Look up.”
               Harry looked up and gasped once more, awing at the many nests on several ledges where the harriers were resting, all staring down at the newcomer. He spun as he stared up, eyeing every bird until he was staring way up at the bell several feet above him.

               “They never leave?”

               “Some do. Some of the fledglings each year will fly away, and we’ll never see them again. Sometimes, the older birds will take off to live out the last few days of their lives free in the sky. And some of the most dedicated never leave the estate. They are here to protect and serve until their dying breath, as they have for generations.”

               “That’s brilliant,” Harry said, reaching up to pet a white and black harrier. “Do they have any babies now?”

               “They’ll be laying their eggs soon enough. And maybe one of the babies will take a liking to you.”

               “That would be amazing! Will it like Mr. Trifle?”

               “I’m sure it’ll respect everything you love. They learn fast. Come. I think Nana wanted you to start on your lessons.”

               Harry waved goodbye to all the birds before he followed Peadar back down to the living room, where Eileen was waiting at the coffee table with stacks of muggle papers. Harry glanced at one of the papers.

               “What’s that?” Harry pointed at the front page.

               “That is Saint Dalua’s Primary School.”

               “A new school?”

               “Yes,” Eileen smiled. “I thought I might show Mr. Snape this. It’s right past town, and I think you would enjoy the company of other children your age, hmm?”

               Harry shrugged, looking through the paper about the school. The idea made him more nervous than anything else.

               “Think about it. It’s never too late, you know. It’s a small school, but I bet you’d make some fast friends.”

               Harry shrugged again, setting the paper down and pulling his math book closer and opening it to the page he needed to work on. Eileen sighed but scooted closer to Harry to watch his work, aiding him when he needed it. Peadar settled in a chair across from them, reviewing the new lesson plans he would be required to teach his students.

At dinner that night, after Harry completed his math and writing sentences using words from a list, the boy was sitting alone as he finished his food, listening to Peadar and Eileen’s voice in the kitchen.

               “He said he was running late is all,” Eileen said.

               “He used to say that a lot when he lived here before,” Peadar said. “He was always running late. He promised the boy he would be here by dinner—”

               “And that he would let Harry know if he could not make it. Things happen that we cannot control in a day. Like your change in the curriculum this year.”

               “This isn’t about my work. We cannot allow him to bring his problems to us and expect us to take care of everything without issue. Harry needs stability, and Severus is the last person who can offer that.”
               Harry frowned. Did Papa mean that he didn’t want Harry staying with Mr. Snape? He scraped his fork on his plate mindlessly as he listened to the adults in the kitchen.

               “I think Harry will help bring stability into Severus’s life. This could be a good thing for all of us.”

               “He’s still angry with you. With us.”

               “I know.”

               “I don’t like the way he snaps at you.”

               “He’s still recovering from what I did to him. He just needs time.”

               “He’s had nearly eleven years to make up—honestly, that man can hold a grudge. He’s stubborn and hard-headed.”

               “He takes after his father. He wasn’t really like that when he was Harry’s age. He was a good boy. He changed, and his behavior is as much my fault—”

               “You are not the reason he refuses to forgive you. What else could you have done for him homeless and hungry on the streets? You did the right thing leaving him where he had a bed and food in my opinion.”

               “Maybe . . .”

               “Look, the past is behind us. Right now, he needs help getting out of yet another situation. He kidnapped the Boy-Who-Lived! Are we really just going to allow this to go on as if it’s completely okay?”

               “You heard what Severus said about Harry’s relatives.”

               “I know, and they sound awful, but there are authorities who take care of that kind of problem.”

               “Harry needs our help. Harry and Severus. I have an idea, but we’re going to need more time. Please, work with me, Peadar. For me. For Harry.”

               Peadar sighed loudly, and Harry heard no more. He tried to listen hard, but no more sounds came out of the kitchen. Harry sighed and ate more of his food, wondering what all that was about? Did Nana and Papa not want him there?  But they had seemed so happy earlier. But their conversation was mostly about Mr. Snape, and Harry remembered the man saying that his relationship with Eileen was tense. Was this what the man had meant? What about Mr. Snape’s relationship with Peadar? Where did that stand?

               “Harry,” Eileen said, ripping the boy away from his thoughts. She was staring at him with a concerned look.
               “Yes, Nana?”

               “Are you all right?”

               “I’m okay,” Harry said. “I was really hoping Mr. Snape would join us for dinner.”

               “Welcome to the disappointment club,” Peadar muttered as he walked out of the kitchen. He held his hands up apologetically when Eileen shot him a glare.

               “I know, dear,” Eileen said. “But I’m sure he had a very good reason for not being able to make it. Did he say anything to you when he floo-called?”

               “No.” Harry looked down at his half-eaten food, picking through it. “Should I be disappointed?”

               “Oh, no-no. I’m sure Severus is very disappointed in himself for not making it, he wouldn’t want you to feel the same way. How about some dessert? I have a chocolate trifle in the fridge.”

               Eileen walked back into the kitchen while Peadar sat next to Harry.

               “Tell me, laddie,” Peadar said, using his wand to refill Harry’s pumpkin juice, much to the boy’s delight. “How did you like living with, uh, Mr. Snape.”

               “I like him,” Harry said. He took a long drink from his pumpkin juice. “He’s funny, but he also doesn’t make me do all the chores. He only makes me make my bed and pick up my toys. He also doesn’t like certain words.”

               “Like what?”

               Harry leaned closer to Peadar and whispered, “He says ‘freak’ is a bad word.”

               “Is that so?”

               “My relatives said it all the time.”

               “So did Mr. Snape’s father,” Peadar said sadly, more to himself than to Harry.

               “Is that why he doesn’t like it? Cause his dad used to call him that, too?”

               “Hmm. Let’s get back on subject. Is Mr. Snape good with you?”

               “He’s the best.”

               “Why do you call him ‘Mr. Snape?’”

               “It’s polite to call someone mister or misses unless they tell you to call them something else. Mr. Snape said I could call him Severus if I wanted to, but I feel weird calling him by his first name. And he doesn’t want me to call him professor cause I’m not his student yet. So I just call him Mister.”

               “I see,” Peadar had an amused smile, as did Eileen as she stepped out of the kitchen with a generous slice of chocolate trifle.

               Harry licked his lips and picked up his fork. “Mr. Snape never lets me have that much trifle!”

               “It’ll be our secret,” Eileen said, winking at Harry, who ate away at the dessert.

               For the rest of the evening, Harry had never felt so giddy before.

               He played several games of gobstones with Eileen, too excited to call it quits even when the queen of gobstones had grown tired. The house elves drew a warm bath for him, and he splashed and played for nearly an hour before Eileen had reminded him to wash up and scrub behind his ears. Once he was dressed for bed, he heard the floo downstairs and ran out of his room at full speed, nearly tripping over Mr. Trifle on his way.

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry cried as he ran into the man, wrapping his arms around the man’s waist.  

               Mr. Snape was surprised at first, then returned the hug, kneeling slightly to better hold the bouncing child.

               “Hey, settle down,” Severus said, fixing Harry’s pajama top. “What’s gotten into you?”

               “I missed you,” Harry said, still bouncing on his feet.

               “And you’re that excited to see me?”

               “Yeah. Do you want to see my homework now? I did really good—Nana helped me. And I played in the gardens and Papa showed me the fire ghosts. Oh, I even took Mr. Trifle outside and played with him. And I got two glasses of pumpkin juice and a trifle for dessert.”

               “I see,” Mr. Snape said, looking up at a guilty looking Eileen.

               “In my defense,” Eileen said, “I had no idea he’s never had this much sugar before.”

               “In that case,” Mr Snape said, picking up a giggling Harry and holding him out to Eileen, “you can put him to bed.”

               Eileen gave Severus an annoyed look as she took Harry, setting the boy down on his feet.

               “What about my homework?” Harry asked. “Can I show you?”

               “I’ll look it over tonight and give it back in the morning. Now, you head upstairs and get in bed for Nana and I’ll be up in a moment to say goodnight. All right?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape.”

               Harry took Eileen’s hand and led the woman upstairs.

               “Can you read me a book?” Harry asked, running over to the bookshelf in the room, looking over all his books. “You can read Manxmouse—that’s my favorite.”

               “Now whatever is a manxmouse?” Eileen raised an eyebrow at that.

               Harry gasped dramatically as he spun around and looked at Eileen.

               “You don’t know Manxmouse?”

               “I bet someone could tell me all about manxmouse, but whoever could do such a thing?”

               “I know all about Manxmouse, Nana!” Harry grabbed the book and ran over to Eileen, jumping up on his bed and opening the book to a page where an illustration of the creature was. “Manxmouse was made by this guy who makes mice figures, but Manxmouse is different because he comes to life. He looks like a possum thing with kangaroo legs and monkey hands and rabbit ears like Mr. Trifle. Oh, and he doesn’t have a tail.”

               “That is something, isn’t it?” Eileen said as she pulled back the blankets and fluffed Harry’s pillow.

               “Yeah, and he runs away from his creator but then a Clutterbumph jumps on him!”

               “A clutterbumph!” Eileen gasped as she dimmed the lights in Harry’s room.

               “It’s a monster that turns into your worst fear when you see it, but Manxmouse doesn’t have any fear, so it didn’t even scare him. It told him to beware the Manx Cat because it’s destined to eat him!”

               And so, Harry told the entire story of Manxmouse as Eileen helped the boy brush out his hair, listening to the child chatter away about all the adventures Manxmouse had with stray cats, hawks, and evil pet shop owners.

               “And der was dis fox, Joe Reynard,” Harry kept talking even as he brushed his teeth under Eileen’s watchful eye. His mouth was frothing, but it did not end his tale. “He was bein’ chased by deese hunting dogs, but he gets away from dem and tells Manxmouse dat he belongs to da Manx Cat . . .”

               Eileen tucked the blanket around Harry once the child was in bed and sat on the edge while the boy kept talking about the book, smiling down at him.

               “So Manxmouse goes to the Isle of Man to meet Manx Cat cause it’s his destiny, and Manx Cat tells him it’s a thousand-year-old prophesy for him to eat Manxmouse.”

               “Oh my,” Eileen said.

               “I know! So now they’re at this stadium where everyone from the whole story is going to watch Manx Cat eat Manxmouse. But instead, Manxmouse stands up to Manxcat and fights back. And they decide not to eat Manxmouse and instead he becomes best friends with Manx Cat and they live together forever!”

               “Wow,” Eileen shook her head. “What an incredible story.”

               “I know. Sometimes, I feel like Manxmouse. And one day, Mr. Snape and I will live together forever.” Harry yawned.

               “I think you two have your own destiny to fulfill,” Eileen whispered.

               As Harry’s eyes were closing, he saw Mr. Snape walking into the bedroom.

               “Mr. Snape,” Harry smiled. “I was telling Nana about Manxmouse.”

               “I could hear you down the hall,” Severus smiled softly. “And now Nana will never have to read the book.”

               “I think she still should,” Harry said, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

               “Perhaps,” Mr. Snape reached down and ruffled Harry’s hair. “Goodnight, Harry.”

               “Night,” Harry said, his eyes closing.

               Eileen kissed Harry’s temple before following Severus out of the boy’s bedroom.

               “Really?” Severus asked once Eileen shut Harry’s bedroom door. “A quarter slice of a trifle and two glasses of pumpkin juice before bed?”

               “After the life he’s had, he deserves some spoiling. Now, what really kept you away from dinner? Harry was very upset you couldn’t make it. He hadn’t seen you all day.”

               “I got held back. I had a lot of work to catch up on and without Harry, it was easier to focus. I called when I knew I wouldn’t make it.”

               “My house is not a daycare center where you can leave Harry here and pretend he doesn’t exist.”

               “I know that. And I’m not doing that. There should be no further problems this week. I’m all caught up on work this week and now I need to focus on Harry. I need to search for a good home for the boy.”

               “And enroll him in school,” Eileen summoned the papers on the school near town. “It would give him more to do during the day and help teach him social skills. Those are just as important as a good family. This school is close, and I would not mind taking him there each morning and picking him up.”

               “I’ll think about it,” Severus decided, looking down at the papers.

               “Don’t put it off,” Eileen said. “He could start school next week.”

               “If he’s even here that long,” Severus argued.

               “Right.” Eileen smiled before heading off to her bedroom.

               Severus sighed and looked down at the papers.

               “Saint Dalua’s Primary School,” Severus read. “Maybe.”  

               For a split second, Severus felt guilt creeping up his chest. He had not meant to avoid dinner with Harry, he had simply wanted to get more work down without distractions. He sighed, pushing the feeling down. He would make it up to Harry. Tomorrow, for sure.

 

Severus quietly closed his bedroom door behind him and swept down the stairs away from his bedroom. Harry had somehow found a reason to share Severus’s bed once more, and Severus wasn’t really sure how else to convince the boy to stay in his own bed. As he reached the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder, a voice startled him.

               “Leaving without a goodbye?” Eileen asked, holding a warm cup of tea in her hands. She was sitting in the armchair with a wizarding paper in her hands.

               “I need to get to work,” Severus countered. “Harry is still asleep in my bed, but I should be back by this evening before dinner. I will not disappoint.”

               “Your bed?” Eileen frowned, glancing up the stairs.

               “I guess the rabbit was making a lot of noise last night. And apparently, it’s darker in his room than in mine. He is still working on staying in his own bed for one whole night.”

               “Well, maybe if you didn’t keep moving him from one place to the next and hiding him away all the time, he might feel a little more secure about himself and sleeping alone in the dark.”

               “Oh, so it’s my fault I can’t keep Harry in his own bed?”

               “I did not say that. I just think that if the boy knew he had a more stable environment, he wouldn’t crave seeking you out as much as he does. He needs to know that you’re not going to disappear from his life.”

               Severus growled under his breath as he shook his head.

               “You know, this whole thing is temporary,” Severus said. “I don’t care if he feels the need to sleep in someone else’s presence because it’s not like he’ll be here forever. He’ll be somewhere else soon enough and I won’t have to worry about his sleeping habits.”

               “You won’t worry about them? Or are you not letting yourself worry about them? I think I get it—you’re afraid of growing too attached to Harry.”

“I am not. I simply must focus on the matter at hand: finding him a new family. I cannot . . . this isn’t what Lily would want for him.”

“Lily?” Eileen raised her brows. “Lily would want her boy to be happy.”

“And he will be happy.”

“He is happy. Here. With you. Why can’t you see that? If there’s a family more perfect for Harry, it’s you.”

“Do you see this!?” Severus snapped, pulling up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing the faded Dark Mark. “I cannot take care of him.”

“Severus,” Peadar said calmly, walking out from the kitchen and towards Eileen and Severus. He shook his head disapprovingly. “Please do not yell at your mother.”

               “Can you ever stay out of a discussion that doesn’t concern you?” Severus said with a huff.  

“Don’t you yell at him,” Eileen said, stepping in between Severus and Peadar so she had her son’s full attention. “He’s a part of this family and the head of this household; he has every right to have a say in this. And you know what? I see a confused man who doesn’t know the good he’s got. And when Harry’s gone—do you think you can just go back to how things were before you met him?”

“I’ll be just fine. Like I was before I met you again.”  

               Eileen’s eyes glassed over and she was speechless. Peadar’s eyes widened before narrowing and his cheeks flushed with anger.

“Mr. Snape!” Harry called from the top of the stairs, looking down at everyone with concerned eyes. 

               “Harry,” Severus called up to him in a gentler tone, “it’s still early, go back to bed.” 

“I heard yelling.” Harry took a step down the stairs.

“It’s okay. Everything’s fine, now.”

               “Are you sure?” Harry took a couple more hesitant steps down the stairs.

               “I’m sure,” Severus said. He pointed back up the stairs. “Go back to bed. If you’re too awake now, make the bed and get ready for the day. Make sure you scrub your teeth well after breakfast.”

               “Are you leaving?”

               “Yes. I’ll be back in time for dinner. Upstairs.”

               Harry slowly turned around and walked back up the stairs. With one last look over his shoulder, Harry said, “Bye, Mr. Snape.”

               “Goodbye, Harry.”

               When Harry had disappeared back in the bedroom, Severus dragged a hand over his face with a sigh. He looked over at his mother and Peadar, and with a shake of his head, he threw down the floo powder and stepped into the flames, vanishing to Hogwarts.

              

Eileen took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then slowly let it out. She felt Peadar’s hands rub up and down her tense arms, and she let herself relax more. That conversation had played out much differently in her head. How was it that she and her son could be so quick to fall into arguments, especially so early in the morning. What was the trigger? Perhaps she could have worded her statement a little differently.  

“Are you all right?” Peadar asked his wife.

“I am fine. He’s said worse things before.”

“That does not make this okay. Severus—”

“Does not mean half the things he says,” Eileen interrupted, turning to face her husband. “At least I know that for a fact. He always regrets his words later. He doesn’t actually like arguing.”

“Could have fooled me,” Peadar mumbled before leaning in for a quick kiss. “I have classes to teach. You’ll be all right here by yourself with Harry?”

“I was thinking about taking him into town today. He needs to get out of the house and maybe we could do a little shopping.”

“Fine but be reasonable. Don’t go spoiling the boy, now.”

               “He needs a little spoiling. Someone has to do it.”

               Peadar chuckled and shook his head fondly before picking up some floo powder and vanishing as well. At that point, Harry came hopping down the stairs dressed for the day.

               “Morning, Nana,” Harry said with a smile. “Where’s Papa?”

               “He just left; oh, I should have had him say goodbye to you. We’ll have to scold him later for that.”

               “It’s okay,” Harry said quickly. “I don’t want him in trouble because of me.”

               “It won’t be because of you,” Eileen reassured Harry. “Peadar knows proper etiquettes, if he gets in trouble, it’ll be because of his bad manners. Now don’t you grow up to be like these gentlemen. I expect a goodbye from you whenever you leave this house.”

               “Yes, Nana.”

               “Let’s go have some breakfast, then I have a surprise for you.”

               “Really?” Harry asked excitedly as he followed Nana to the dining table. “But it’s not my birthday or anything. What’s the surprise for?”

               “Anyone can have surprises any day of the year.” Eileen dished up some beans and toast and scrambled eggs and set the plate in front of Harry. She had already fed the dogs and sent them outside for the day. Eileen served herself and sat next to Harry. “The best surprises are the ones we least expect, after all. They can make any awful day that much better if you can get someone to smile.”

               “Really?” Harry asked over a mouthful of beans.

               “Swallow before you speak,” Eileen reminded gently.

               Harry did so, and asked, “Can we make Mr. Snape smile?”

               “You would like to surprise Mr. Snape?” Eileen’s lips quirked the slightest.

               “Yeah! We can make him smile really big! He rarely does that.”

               “You said rarely, so I’m assuming you’ve made him smile before.”

               “Only a couple times, but I don’t really remember why. He doesn’t smile a lot. He always seems worried or something.”

               Eileen hummed softly in response before eating more of her breakfast. Severus had much to worry about in her opinion. He thoughts strayed years back. She had tried to surprise Severus on his birthdays when he had first moved in, but he had refused to partake in any such activities, so she gave up and merely wished her son a happy birthday when it came around. She remembered when Peadar announced that Asphodel would be gifted to Severus as a welcome to the family, and Severus had seemed the slightest bit happier when the foal had been born. He took great care of the horse in the few short years he lived with them before he stormed out one night. She wondered if there was any way she could bring back some of that light in Severus’s eyes the way Asphodel had the night she was born.

               She was so deep in her thoughts that Harry’s voice startled her a bit.

               “What do you think Mr. Snape would like for a surprise?” Harry asked.

               “That is a very good question, isn’t it? Well, let’s see, we know he likes black robes, black shoes, and black pants . . .”

               Harry laughed.

               “I guess he has enough of those, doesn’t he?” Eileen decided with a shrug of her shoulder.  

               “He needs something red.”

               “Out of all the colors in the world, that’s the first one that comes to mind? If you can wrestle him into something red, I will give you a thousand sickles.”

               “What are sickles?”

               “Never mind that.” Eileen tapped her chin thoughtfully. “What else does Mr. Snape like? He seems very interesting in stirring things, and mixing things, and brewing things . . .”

               “He likes potions!” Harry said excitedly. “We can surprise him with a potion!”

               “Unfortunately, I do not believe there is a potion on this planet that Mr. Snape doesn’t already know how to brew. In all honesty, he would probably grade us on our attempts.”

               Harry’s face fell for a moment before his eyes lit up.
               “What if we make him a new one? We can invent a potion!”

               “Now that would be a grand surprise, wouldn’t it?”

               “Can we make one now?”

               “Maybe later,” Eileen said. “For now, how about I give my surprise to you?”

               “What is it?” Harry’s smile grew wide as he wildly looked around the rooms.

               “It’s not here.” Eileen took Harry’s dish and her own and walked over to the sink, rinsing them and leaving the dishes in the sink for the house elves to take care of this once. “Your surprise is in town.”

               “We’re leaving?” Harry frowned.

               “We’re just going for a trip into town, and then we’ll be back. I think you’ll like what we find there. Go get your sneakers on so we can be on our way.”

               Harry smiled and ran upstairs as fast as he could to get his sneakers on. When Harry returned, Eileen helped the boy into his coat and bundled him up for the weather. She took Harry’s hand and led the boy out of the house and down the pathway to the large gates. Just as the gates opened, barking startled Harry and he pulled against Eileen’s hand to hide behind her as Shandy and Finn came running down the pathway after them. Eileen help up a hand to the dogs, giving them a gentle, “No-no, stay there.”

               “They’re not coming, are they?” Harry asked, his forehead creased and his eyes glassy.

               “They do not have to if you do not want them to.”

               “No.” The boy was firm with that word.

               “Okay. They will stay here.” Eileen smiled at the dogs and held up a hand. “Stay.”

               The two dogs sat and watched with a tilt of their heads as the gates closed them in. Finn stayed where he was, but Shandy lowered himself and crawled toward the gate, watching longingly as Eileen and Harry walked away.

               Eileen led Harry down the road some before hiding behind a tree and picking Harry up to apparate the rest of the way to town. She appeared behind another tree less than a quarter mile away from the town. She took Harry’s hand once more and allowed the boy to take his time to explore. She brought Harry to a clothing store for children first, and spent some time finding cute outfits for Harry.

               “But I already have clothes,” Harry said.

               “Not from Nana, you don’t,” Eileen said, holding up a polo shirt against Harry’s chest. “Wouldn’t you look so handsome in that? We should try it on, just to be sure. Is there anything you see that you like?”

               Eileen already had many shirts draped over her arm as well as a couple trousers. She had an array of polo shirts, flannels, a couple button downs, and a few regular shirts with funny sayings on them any boy would enjoy. She looked around for anything else that might catch Harry’s attention, spotting a shirt with a t-rex and another with trucks. She looked down, watching as Harry looked around the store with an interested glance. His face brightened and the boy ran to the other side of the store.

               “Look, Nana,” Harry said, grabbing a shirt off a rack. “It’s Mr. Trifle!”

               Eileen hesitated. Harry had pulled down a light blue shirt that had a black and white bunny on it that did look like Mr. Trifle, complete with a black snout and one black spot over the eye. The bunny was standing on it’s hind legs and its head was tilted slightly, one ear up and one ear down. On the rabbit’s nose was a darker blue butterfly. It was a shirt in the girl’s section, and already other shoppers in the store were turning to see her reaction.

               “Can I have this one?” Harry asked, holding it up against his chest to size as Eileen had done with other shirts.

               “Are you sure?” Eileen asked, walking over to Harry.

               “You would actually let him wear that?” an older woman asked, shaking her head at Eileen. “Do you know how the other boys will treat him if they see him in that?”

               “I do not believe I asked for your input, now did I?” Eileen snapped at the lady.

               With a huff, the woman sauntered away.

               Blowing out a breath, Eileen turned her attention back to Harry and she smiled at him.

               “Is this a bad shirt?” Harry asked, his face falling, and he lowered the shirt.

               “No, it’s a very cute shirt. It looks just like Mr. Trifle, doesn’t it? Do you really like it?”

               Harry nodded, hugging the shirt to his chest.

               “I think that one is a little big,” Eileen said, taking the shirt from Harry. “Let’s find one your size, shall we?”

               Harry watched patiently as Eileen dug through the rack and pulled out another shirt and held it up to Harry, nodding when it looked it would fit. She took Harry’s hand, ignoring the stares some people were giving her as she brought Harry to a dressing room to try on the clothes. He tolerated being dressed in the polo and flannel shirts, and the trousers fit perfectly. It was the bunny shirt that Harry excitedly pulled on and checked himself in the mirror and seeing how much Harry liked having Mr. Trifle on his shirt, Eileen could not say no to it, and bought the shirt along with everything else. She still ignored everyone’s disapproving stares.

               “Is this my surprise?” Harry asked as they finally left the clothing store. “I want to wear my shirt now.”

               “Maybe when we get home, okay? We can’t have you stripping in public. I’ve already gotten enough criticism today.”

               “What’s criticism?”

               “Never mind that.”

               Eileen opened the door to the next store and pushed Harry ahead of her. Harry gasped at the sight of toys, antiques, and books alike.

               “This is your surprise. Peadar agreed to two things today, so choose wisely.”       

               “Yes, Nana.”

               Harry’s behavior in the store surprised Eileen. Instead of running off and messing around with everything he could get his hands on, Harry stayed close to her, letting her lead the way through the store and only touching anything with her encouragement. Harry had a few toys he had brought with him that Severus had bought him, legos and playdough, but a child needed plenty of stimulating things to keep busy.

               Harry messed with a few items here and there, but for the most part, he kept his hands to himself. Eileen wondered if they would even leave the store with two items. This wasn’t how she saw her surprise going, but her predications of how things would go had been off thus far. Harry paused and picked up a journal, flipping through the blank pages.

               “What’s this one?” Harry asked.

               Eileen glanced at it.

               “It looks like it’s for artists. The blank pages are so you can fill it in with drawings and colors.”

               “Or make a potions book?”

               “Or make a potions book,” Eileen agreed. She knew what Harry was thinking now. The boy hugged the drawing journal to his chest.

               “I want this.”

               “Okay, would you like anything else from here? Any toys or books?”

               “I have to get started on this. Oh, can I have new colored pencils to go with it?”

               “For my little artist, anything,” Eileen said.

               She found a pack of colored pencils, crayons, markers, and sharpies for Harry and bought both items. As they walked away from the town, Harry managed to get a sharpie out and was already filling in the first page. He paused to look at different trees, asking for their names and writing in his book. He also asked about different flowers he found on the way, writing down their names as well. When they were muggle free and out of sight, Eileen apparated back to MacAuley Manor.

               Lunch was next on the day’s schedule, and while Eileen worked on food, Harry was focused on his book. After changing into his new bunny shirt, he worked around the kitchen as well, opening the cupboard and writing down different foods, spices, and oils he saw. Sometimes, Harry drew pictures with his crayons or pencils, but he used his markers and sharpies to write. His hard work and dedication made Eileen snort. While the Irish stew cooked in the pot on the stove (made with beef instead of lamb at Severus’s urging), she checked on Harry’s progress. He was already halfway through his book.

               “What potion are you inventing now?”

               “This one will make people smile more,” Harry answered picking up a banana. “See, the main ingredient is banana because it’s shaped like a smile already.”

               “It is!” Eileen said with sudden realization, “I never noticed before. I bet this one will be your best-selling potion!”

               “I’m making it special for Mr. Snape.”

               “That’s very kind of you. Mr. Snape definitely needs it.”

               “I know. And I’m using yummy ingredients so all my potions will taste delicious and not like those gross, slimy ones.”

               Harry worked hard through lunch, eating and working at the same time. Eileen didn’t have the heart to tell him to put it away while he ate. After lunch, Harry continued moving around the kitchen and even went into the garden to finish his potions book.

 

               Severus stepped through the floo an hour before Eileen would normally serve dinner. He tried his best to get away from Hogwarts in time to eat dinner with Harry. It would only be right after missing dinner yesterday with the boy. And he had to make sure Eileen and Peadar didn’t spoil the child with excessive amounts of sugar again. But first, he had to at least get all of his grading done before eating. He needed to turn back several essays to his classes’ tomorrow, so there was no way he could put off his work. If he worked diligently enough, he might be able to bang them out before he had to sit at the dinner table.

               He managed to sneak into the manor and work his way upstairs to his study, dropping his stack of essays on the desk. He sat down and began on his first essay.

               “Mr. Snape!” Harry’s voice cried, running into the room with a book. “You made it before dinner.”

               “Lower your voice,” Severus scolded lightly, annoyed that his peace did not last long. “I told you I would make it, didn’t I?”

               “You said that yesterday, too.” Harry made a sad face as he paused next to Severus’s desk.

               Those words made a twinge of guilt rise in Severus’s chest, but he forced the feeling away. Work was as much a priority as keeping Harry safe was, so he did not have to defend his being late against a seven-year-old.

               “Other obligations came up that needed tending to. I cannot predict how every day will end. I can only hope I make it back in time to eat.”

               “Oh—I mean, okay.”

Harry shuffled his feet under him. Severus looked Harry over, blinked, and then frowned.

               “What are you wearing?”

               “It’s a new shirt,” Harry said, looking down at the bunny. “Nana got it for me. It looks just like Mr. Trifle, right?”

               “Did you . . .” Severus’s frown deepened. “. . . ask for it?”

               Harry nodded.

               “Huh. Well, it looks very nice on you and could very well be Mr. Trifle’s twin.”

               “I knew it!”

               “Why don’t you go help Nana set up dinner while I work on these essays.”

               “Can I give you my surprise first?”

               “Surprise?”

               “I made this for you.”

               Harry handed the book over to Severus, who hesitated at first then sighed and accepted it. He opened the book and raised his brows at the first page. It looked like an index, and strange titles were listed with the page number next to it. They looked like potion names, if one would need a potion to glow in the dark or to blow bubbles. Severus couldn’t help but chuckle at some of the names, and he noticed how there was also a nutrition potion and a headache potion and a fever reducer, names he was sure Harry remembered from Severus dosing the child.

               Flipping through the pages, Severus admired Harry’s hard work that was clearly poured all over the book. While most of the potions only had three or four ingredients, the book was very detailed with the title of each potion at the top in large letters, the instructions taking up a page or two, and pictures drawn all over.

               “I wanted to surprise you with something you would like,” Harry said.

“Well, potion recipes are right up my alley,” Severus said. “Did you draw all this?” 

“Yeah, and I made all the potions special. This one is to make you smile more.”

Harry flipped to a page halfway through the book. The title was Smile Potion, and Severus chuckled at that.

“See? It’s already working!”

Severus made a fond face at the book before setting it down and opening his arms for the boy, who ran right into them. Severus hugged Harry tightly. While Severus would not admit it out loud, he was touched that Harry had spent most of the day making something for him, to make him smile. And with everything going on, hiding Harry, being at his parents’ place, and keeping information from Albus, he truly needed a good distraction to take his mind off it all.

“Thank you,” Severus said, rubbing Harry’s back. “It was a very nice surprise.”

“Do you really like it?”

“Love it. In fact, I think we should try out one of your potions.”

“Really? Do you think it’ll work?”

“Only one way to find out.”

After dinner, Severus found himself helping Harry in the kitchen with the Smile Potion. He allowed Harry to take charge as it was the boy’s creation. Harry stood on a step stool with an apron shrunken to his size, a mixing bowl and spoon in front of him, Severus standing close to make sure Harry didn’t get too excited and fall off the stool. Severus was glad to give the boy what he couldn’t reach when he needed something, but for the most part, he contented himself with watching his little genius at work.

“So after water and the yogurt,” Harry said, looking at his book carefully. “We stir three times.”

Harry stirred the water and yogurt three times in the mixing bowl. Then he looked at the book.

“And then we take the banana, and we take a bite,” Harry said, taking a bite of the banana and holding it up to Severus to do the same.

“That’s awfully specific,” Severus said, quirking a brow at Harry.

“It’s a potion. You have to be specific.”

“Right you are,” Severus said, fighting a grin. “My apologies, Professor Potter.”

Severus took a bite of the banana and chewed as Harry added the rest of it to the bowl, smashing it and mixing it in.

“Now we add sugar and spice,” Harry said.

“What kind of spice?” Severus asked as he handed Harry a spoonful of sugar.

“Any kind,” Harry said, already mixing in the sugar.

Severus selected a few carefully. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and basil. He allowed Harry to pick which one he wanted and wasn’t surprised when Harry added a tablespoon of each and mixed thoroughly. Harry then sprinkled salt and pepper in the bowl.

“Now we wave our hands over it,” Harry said, demonstrating, “and say the magic words.”

“What magic words?”

“Smiley Smilela!”

Severus snorted, then pulled out his wand from his sleeve and waved it dramatically over the mixing bowl.

“Smiley Smilela,” he said, allowing the tip of his wand to flicker sparks.

Harry watched amazed and peered down at the potion as if expecting it to change color or puff up in smoke. He gasped and looked up at Severus.

“Do you think it worked?”

“Let’s see.”

With daring ease, Severus picked up two clean spoons and scooped a small amount of the “potion” for each of them, handing one to Harry. They both tried the potion, Severus following Harry’s eager lead.

Years of drinking potions helped Severus keep a straight face at the strange flavor coating his tongue, but Harry’s face scrunched up in obvious dislike. Harry smacked his lips and frowned at the bowl.

“I thought it would taste better,” he said.

“I believe,” Severus said, dropping the spoon in the sink, “that all potions are doomed to taste repulsive.”

               “I’m gonna share some with Nana and Papa,” Harry said, taking two more spoonful’s of the potion and running out of the kitchen. “Nana, Papa, try my potion!”

               “Walk, Harry,” Severus reminded him, smirking slightly at the thought of Eileen and Peadar’s faces after eating the concoction.

               Harry’s potion worked wonders. Eileen and Peadar were smiling and laughing with Harry for the rest of the night. Eileen saved Harry’s amazing new product, wrapping it in plastic and storing it in the fridge, labeled and signed by Harry. Severus allowed himself to be pulled into a game of gobstones, one which he embarrassingly lost to his mother and Harry. When Eileen went to retrieve refreshments halfway through their game, Severus followed, leaning against the counter while she poured a half glass of wine, two beers, and a pumpkin juice.

               “I want to apologize for my words this morning,” Severus said, looking down at the top of his boots. He always felt like a child in these honest moments. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you as I did, I know you only have Harry’s best interests in mind, but I am trying my best as . . .” Severus sighed as he ran out of words to say.

               Eileen nodded to him as she handed him a glass of beer and the pumpkin juice.

               “Thank you,” Eileen said. “And I’m sorry for my choice of words. I do want what is best for Harry, but all we can do is give him all we can, and you are doing that. He is so happy when you are around and when you are not, he’s happy thinking of you.”

               Severus did not comment. Instead, he tapped his pointer finger on the glass of pumpkin juice he was holding, and it turned into warm milk. He gave Eileen a pointed look as he carried out the drinks. Eileen rolled her eyes at him.

               The two rejoined Peadar and Harry in the game, making sure to give the boy extra smiles through it all.

               The game ended late in the evening, and Severus ended up having to carry a sleepy Harry up the stairs to bed, the warm milk having done its job. He set Harry down on the boy’s bed, having the child stand in front of him, and summoned the child’s pajamas. He shook his head at the boy’s shirt. He had to admit the boy was adorable wearing it.

               “I think my potion really works,” Harry said with a yawn. He lifted his arms as Severus removed his shirt. “I think you smiled three whole times.”

               “Three more than I would have liked,” Severus admitted.

               Harry laughed as he stepped out of his trousers, then shrieked when Severus tickled his bare sides. Severus ruffled Harry’s hair, then helped the boy dress in his pajamas before setting him on the ground and directing him to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take care of any other nightly needs. Severus sat down on the edge of the boy’s bed while he waited. After a few minutes, Harry returned and lifted his hands up to Severus.

               “What, is the bed too high for you?” Severus asked even as he lifted Harry and swung the boy down on the bed, earning a squeal. Severus tucked Harry in and sat down on the edge once more, allowing himself to smile down at Harry, who blearily blinked up at him with a look that could only be described as adoration.

               “I love you, Daddy,” Harry suddenly said.

               Severus sucked in a breath and his eyes widened, but Harry’s eyes had already closed, and the boy crashed quickly. There was that word again, and this time, it was accompanied by three more shocking words. But the longer Severus sat there staring down at Harry, the words did not cause him anxiety he was sure he should be feeling. Instead, a warmth spread across his chest and a feeling he once knew long ago in his childhood flushed his face. He knew Harry was always half asleep and rarely aware of when he used the “d” name, but Severus found himself beginning to crave for more of those moments, preferably a time when Harry was aware and conscious so he could properly discuss this development with him.

               What would he even tell Harry? Should he deny the boy? Discourage such feelings?

               Slowly, a hand reached out and caressed Harry’s cheek. Severus wasn’t sure he was ready for that type of discussion. No, he wanted this to be real. He knew now that he wanted nothing more than to have been Harry’s true father, to have been Lily’s husband instead of James. Harry should have been his.

               He could wish it all he wanted, but it would never be real. Could never be real. But that did not mean he couldn’t live out a fantasy when he desired; give in to feeling he tried so hard to bury when he desired; love the boy when he desired.

               Severus leaned forward.

               “I love you, too, Harry,” he said softly before kissing the boy’s forehead.

               Dimming the lights but leaving a small amount left as a nightlight, Severus crept out of the bedroom, feeling as though he was walking on air.  

 

The door banging open to his bedroom startled Severus out of a deep slumber. His eyes flew open and he whipped his wand out and pointed it at the intruder, relaxing and lowering his wand when he realized it was just Harry. He frowned at the child’s distraught face. A loud sob ripped out of Harry’s throat.  

“Mr. Snape!” Harry cried, hugging his rabbit to his chest as he ran into the bedroom. “Something’s wrong with Mr. Trifle!”

And with that, Severus found the rabbit dropped n his lap. He hesitated, staring down at the rabbit’s twitching face.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I . . .” Severus picked up the rabbit and looked it over. He noted some patches of hair was missing and the rabbit seemed agitated in his hold and it kicked. Severus tried to keep it still so he could run his fingers over the bald areas to check for any lumps or redness, but the rabbit would not hold still for him.

“What’s going on?” Eileen asked as she appeared in his doorway, Peadar behind her. “We heard Harry crying. Is everything all right?”

“Mr. Trifle is sick!” Harry said, tears flowing freely down his face.

“Oh dear,” Eileen sighed, walking into the room and looking down at the rabbit.

Peadar walked over to Harry and rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Why don’t we let Nana and Severus look over your rabbit and we’ll go get some nice chocolate milk, okay?” Peadar said, taking Harry’s hand and leading the reluctant boy away. Harry wasn’t all for leaving Mr. Trifle alone, but at Severus’s nod, he allowed himself to be pulled away, rubbing his teary eyes under his glasses.

Once Harry was gone, Severus handed the rabbit to Eileen to hold while he stood out of his bed to better examine the bunny.

“Do you know anything about rabbits?” Severus asked, finding nothing abnormal on the rabbit’s skin.

“Besides how to cook them? No clue.”

Severus snorted. “Don’t say that around Harry.”

“There’s a vet office not too far from here, about an hour away. I can show you the apparition point. She sees our dogs and comes up here for the horses. She does everything as far as I know, she might be able to tell you what’s wrong.”

“I’m going to need to cancel my classes,” Severus said, crossing his arms and drumming his fingers.

Eileen’s eyes brightened for a brief second and she looked up at her son.

“I can substitute for you.”

Severus frowned.

“I couldn’t ask that of you,” Severus said.

“It would be no problem. It’s not like I have a thousand things to do here besides entertain Harry, who I’m sure will want to go to the vet with you. I can keep your classes caught up and you won’t have to worry about making up anything or extra work. I deal with kids all summer; how bad could it be?”

Severus quirked a brow at that.

“My lesson plans are on my desk in my quarters. Are you sure you remember enough to teach?”

“Please.” Eileen rolled her eyes playfully. “I passed my NEWTS with an O. I may not be a potions prodigy like someone I know, but I can teach a thing or two about several aspects of potion brewing and what that entails.”

“If you’re sure . . .” Severus trailed off. It was a wonderful offer, in all honesty. He would get a day off from work without any fear of falling behind.

“Trust me,” Eileen said, handing the rabbit to Severus and summoning a card. “This is the vet. Ask for her, she’s very good.”

Severus accepted the card while he adjusted the rabbit in his arm. He sighed with defeat and nodded his head.

“I expect all my students to be potion prodigies when I return to work tomorrow. Clearly you did something to me, so do the same to them.”

               Eileen smiled before leaving the room to allow her son to dress for the day. She found Harry drinking a large glass of chocolate milk and eating drop scones drowned in a strawberry sauce topped with whipped cream. Eileen scolded Peadar before explaining her plans for the day, and then sent Harry upstairs to dress quickly and join Mr. Snape.

               Severus finished dressing, then dragged the rabbit out from where it had crawled under the bed. He ran over to Harry’s room, pausing when Harry ran out to meet him. Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy’s clothes.

               “Didn’t you wear that yesterday?” Severus asked.

               Harry was wearing the same bunny shirt, but the trousers looked new. Harry glanced down at his shirt and then back up at Severus.

               “I only wore it for half the day yesterday,” Harry argued. He glanced back down at it. “It’s still clean.”

               “Fine,” Severus said, handing the rabbit to the boy and picking them both up. He looked at the card again, turning it over. An image of a location flashed at him as the card was charmed to do, and he closed his eyes and held on to that image before apparating there. He appeared in a cluster of trees a few yards away from a small building attached to a barn. A couple acres of land held a couple horses and a lone cow. He was sure the high-pitched screams he heard from inside the barn came from a pig. Harry huddled closer to Severus, clutching tightly to Severus’s hand as he wrapped his other arm more securely around Mr. Trifle.

Severus squeezed Harry’s hand comfortingly before leading the way to the building. It was an old building and ivy was claiming half of the walls. Severus opened the marked-up door and inside was a remodeled waiting area, complete with a small fish tank. Severus walked up to the receptionist desk.

“Good morning, sir,” the lady behind the desk greeted. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, an emergency actually,” Severus said. “My . . . err . . .”

Harry blinked up at Severus when the man’s gaze dropped down on him.

“My son’s rabbit is sick,” Severus finally said. “Do you think Doctor”—Severus glanced at the card— “McCarthy could take a look at him?”

“Dr. McCarthy is currently trimming hooves on a pig in the barn, but I will inform her that you are here.”

“Is that what’s making all that noise?” Severus smirked knowingly.

“Yes, sir.” The lady laughed. “Some pigs, when they don’t get their way, they are the most dramatic little things. Now, I’m just going to make sure your bunny is stable before I go let the doctor know she has an emergency.”

The lady took Mr. Trifle from Harry and checked him over, watching his nose and looking in his mouth briefly before handing him back to Harry before walking away. Severus sat down on a bench, Harry jumping up next to him, petting Mr. trifle and telling the rabbit it would be okay.

After another ten minutes or so, an older, curly-haired woman walked into the waiting room, a stethoscope around her neck. She smiled and held out a hand for Severus, who stood and shook it.

“Hello, Mr. Snape,” she greeted, “I remember you from the MacAuley’s Estate. Oh, it must have been so long ago. How’s your mother doing?”

               “She’s well.”

               “She talks so much about you when I go up to the barn. And who is this?”

               “This is Harry,” Severus introduced.

               “And this is Mr. Trifle,” Harry held up the bunny. “He needs help.”

               “Oh dear,” Doctor McCarthy accepted the bunny and cooed. “You poor thing. Let’s get you looked at.”

               Doctor McCarthy led the way to a clean exam room and set the bunny down on a scale first, weighing him before moving him to the exam table. Severus crossed his arms as he watched and waited while Harry leaned against the table, biting at the edge of his thumbnail. The doctor opened the rabbit’s mouth and nodded before she looked over the patches of missing fur. She listened to the rabbit’s heart with her stethoscope.

               “Can I hear?” Harry asked, holding his hands out.

               “Harry, not know,” Severus said.

               “It’s okay,” Doctor McCarthy said. She handed her stethoscope over and helped Harry put it in his ears correctly and place it over the bunny where he would hear the heart the best. Harry giggled.

               “It’s so fast!” he said loudly.

               Doctor McCarthy laughed and pulled the stethoscope out.

               “Bunnies have such fast, little heart beats, don’t they?”

               Harry nodded.

               Doctor McCarthy sat the bunny up and felt around Mr. Trifle’s groin area, checking that over as well.

               “Do you know what kind of rabbit it is?” the doctor asked.

               “Uh, checkered giant, I think.”

               “So it’s just a little baby still, isn’t it? Ah, I think I found one of your problems. Mr. Trifle is a Mrs.”

               “What’s that mean?” Harry asked. “It’s a girl bunny?”

               “It’s a lady. And I think she is experiencing a false pregnancy. Do you have any other rabbits?”

               “No, we got this one from a butcher who found it abandoned . . .”

               “He was going to eat her!” Harry complained, his lower lip puckered out.

               “She’s the only one we have. We’ve only had her a few days now.”

               “I see. Well, sometimes stress can also cause hormones to act up and make her think she’s going to have babies. She’s at least six months, possibly a little older at her size, definitely breeding age. That is why she’s been pulling out her fur and acting a little more irritated than usual. It should pass, though if you have no plans on breeding her, we could spay her now. It’ll reduce her risk of cancer urinary problems, it’ll calm her down a little, and may reduce her urge to spray.”

               “Pardon?” Severus’s face contorted with the last remark.

               “What’s spay mean?” Harry asked.

               “It means she won’t have any babies,” the doctor explained.

               “What if she wants to have babies?”

               “We are not having this conversation right now,” Severus said, rubbing his temples. He sighed. “How much is this going to cost?”

               “After everything Peadar and Eileen have done for me,” Doctor McCarthy waved her hand at Severus, “I can spay your rabbit at no cost, especially since you rescued the little gal. This one’s on me.”

               “I couldn’t possible allow that.”

               “Nonsense. I insist. My receptionist won’t take a pound from you. Now, I do have a full schedule, but I can fit Trifle in at the end of the day. We’ll keep her here until I’m ready for her. I’d say, be back around six tonight and she’ll be ready to go.”

               “We have to leave her?” Harry asked, petting his rabbit.

               “Just for today and then she’ll be all yours.”

               “We’ll come back for her, Harry. Say goodbye and let the doctor do her job.”

               “Bye bye, Miss Trifle,” Harry said, leaning over to kiss the rabbit’s nose.

               After several more kisses from Harry and one last squeeze, Severus finally managed to lead Harry out of the vet clinic.

               “Mrs. Trifle will be just fine,” Severus assured Harry as he walked over to the tree clusters. “She’ll need to rest for a couple days and then she’ll be back to her old self.”

               “It’s Miss Trifle,” Harry corrected. “She’s not married.”

               “My mistake,” Severus said, picking Harry up and apparating back to the manor.

               Severus sent a note to Eileen and Peadar about their findings. Harry ran up to his bedroom to “remodel” Miss Trifle’s cage to make it more comfortable when she returned, leaving Severus with the strange notion of having nothing to do. Later that morning, as Severus considered what to make for lunch, Eileen stopped by.

               “Have my students driven you away already?” Severus asked.

               “Of course not,” Eileen said. “They’re all a lovely bunch, actually.”

               “They better not get used to this spoiling. I’ll be back to set them all straight first thing tomorrow. Did the keel over in shock when they found out who you’re related to?”

               “Maybe one or two.” Eileen smirked. “Most were more curious about your childhood. They had so many questions.”

               “Which I’m sure you didn’t answer.”

               “Of course not.” Eileen smirked, unsettling Severus greatly. Eileen snorted and held out two thin slips to Severus.

               “What is this?”

               “Something I’ve been saving for the right moment. I think you two need to get out of this stuffy house and, I don’t know, explore Ireland a little.”

               Severus took the slips. They were tickets to the Dublin Zoo. Severus crinkled the edges in thought. He had never been to the Dublin Zoo, or any zoo for that matter. He had always wanted to go to one when he was a child, but that dream vanished years ago. He had an aching feeling that this was Eileen’s way of making up for an experience she had been responsible for losing for them both in the first place. And now, he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to see a bunch of smelly, pathetic animals pacing in their cages. For a moment, a thousand excuses as to why he couldn’t take Harry to the zoo popped into his head, and he almost uttered one of them.

               “What are those?” Harry asked as he entered the kitchen.

               Every excuse Severus had prepared drowned in a flood of forced cheerfulness.

               “Nana wants me to take you to the zoo,” Severus explained, handing the tickets to Harry.

               “Really?” the boy smiled.

               “They are for both of you,” Eileen said. “I am going back to Hogwarts now. Lunch is in an hour and they are serving the most delectable beef Wellington.”

               “Lucky,” Severus snapped.

               Eileen vanished in the floo’s green flames. Severus eyed the tickets Harry held, disdain filling his eyes, but Harry’s happy smile told him he had fallen into a trap.

               Thirty minutes later, Severus found him walking through the gates of Dublin Zoo, and he held tight to Harry’s hand, though the boy was doing his best to drag Severus along faster, eager to see everything the zoo had to offer.

               “I’ve never been to a zoo before!” Harry gasped at everything around him.

               “Neither have I,” Severus admitted in an agitated whisper. His tone did not seem to reach Harry’s ears.

               “This is going to be the best! Look at the goats!”

               Harry ripped free of Severus and ran over to the barnyard, reaching down to pet the goats sniffing him for food. Harry laughed at the ticklish breath on his neck. Severus caught up with Harry and pulled the boy away from the goat.

               “Do not take off from me like that again or you and I will leave this park immediately,” Severus scolded.

               “Sorry,” Harry said, finding the top of his shoes very fascinating. “I really wanted to see the goats and sheeps.”

               “That does not give you the right to leave my side. You will stay close to me, clear?”

               “Yes, Mr. Snape.”

               Severus could feel eyes on him, and with a swooping glare at everyone not minding their own business, he pushed Harry back toward the barnyard, where a smile quickly reappeared on the boy’s face. For fifteen minutes, Harry petted the goats and sheep and tried to coax the ducks to come closer. Finally, they moved on to the next enclosures, the reptile house. Harry oohed at the snakes and reptiles on display, running from the Gila monster to the tortoises and pausing in front of the Burmese python. Severus was staring at the Green Tree Python when a familiar hissing sound sent shivers down his left arm. He sucked in air and his head snapped in Harry’s direction.

               Harry was making hissing sounds at the Burmese Python behind the glass. The python was slowly rising up to face Harry and flicking it’s tongue out at the boy. Severus felt his insides coil, and a wave of nausea struck him suddenly. He walked over to Harry, who was still hissing away, and quickly turned the boy to face him.

               “What are you doing?” Severus asked.

               “I was just talking to the snake.”

               “You could understand him?”

               “Yeah, can’t you?”

               “No. We’re done here. Let’s see something else.”

               Harry scrunched his nose as Severus dragged the child away from the reptile house. A parselmouth! Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was a parselmouth. That would settle well with the rest of the wizarding world. How would Harry even have such a skill? Severus didn’t let Harry ago until elephants were in sight and he allowed the boy to walk ahead of him as he stared at the majestic animals. Severus couldn’t stop staring at Harry. His spine still tingled from the chill hearing parseltongue had caused. A loud trumpet pulled Severus from his thoughts, and his eyes strayed from Harry to the elephants playing with their water, and he couldn’t help the small smile.

               For a fun-filled hour, Harry and Severus saw many animals including a tiger, meerkats, wolves, penguins, giraffes and more. When Harry struggled to see the lemurs over the crowd in front of him, Severus lifted the child to his shoulders, and they saw a couple more animals like that. Severus was surprised at how enjoyable the zoo experience was turning out to be. The place was clean, and all the animals looked happy, enriched, and they weren’t as smelly as he had originally thought. Then Harry spotted the face painting table.

               “Can I be a lion?” Harry asked the painter. “Remember the lion, Mr. Snape? They were brilliant.”

               “Of course, you want to be a lion,” Severus muttered, tipping the painter and leaning back to watch Harry’s face transform. He hoped the paint washed off easily.

               When Harry was finally a lion, Severus bought them lunch, which turned out to be a few cheap sandwiches as he was not paying to dine in. After the two ate their fill, Harry ran off to the playground while Severus sat back on a nearby bench and drank his lemonade.

               Harry ran up the playground, nearly running into another boy about his age who was leaning against the rail, drinking a juice box. His face was also painted.

               “Hey,” the boy greeted. “Cool shirt.”

               Harry looked down at his bunny shirt and smiled.

               “Thanks,” he said. “It looks just like my rabbit.”

               “You have a rabbit?” the boy asked. “My mam won’t even trust me with a goldfish.”

               Harry laughed and studied the boy’s face. It was painted red with some white, but he could also make out blue eyes and dark brown hair. Harry tilted his head.

               “What are you supposed to be?”

               “I’m a red panda,” the boy answered. “There my favorite. Are you a lion?”

               “Yeah.” Harry growled playfully, holding up pretend claws.

               “Imma crocodile!” a much smaller blue-eyed boy said, running up to the other boy. His face was painted green and he had white teeth on the bottom half of his face. “Roar!” Then, the boy ran up the playground and slid down the slide.

               “That’s Cian,” the older boy said, “my little brother. I’m Ollie, by the way.”

               “I’m Harry. Nice to meet you,” Harry held out a hand as he remembered Draco showing him.

               Ollie smirked but shook Harry’s hand.

               “You British? You’re accents different.”

               “I’m from Surrey. That’s in England.”

               “I’m from Longford. That’s in Ireland.”

               “I think my Nana and Papa’s estate is close to there. Nana said it once . . . is that a town?”

               “I think it’s a county too,” Ollie explained, he slurped the rest of his juice box. “My mam’s waving to me, see you around.”

               Ollie jumped off the playground and joined a couple walking away from the playground, Ollie walking next to his father’s side while sending one last wave Harry’s way. Cian ran ahead of the family, laughing and roaring.

               “Make a new friend?” Severus asked when Harry ran up to him.

               “I think so,” Harry said, looking down at his hands. “But we only shook hands once.”

               “Okay.” Severus raised a brow at that. “I think we have plenty more animals to see. Let’s get to it.”

               “Where’s Longford?” Harry asked.

               “Where MacAuley Estate is.”

               “Really? We live really close to Ollie then.”

               “Or a hundred miles apart.”

               Harry frowned at that, but math was a hard concept, and he didn’t think much more on it. For the rest of the afternoon, he saw many more animals and even animals they had already seen. Severus bought an ice cream cone for Harry, which he ended up having to assist in before it melted everywhere. Harry had managed to drip ice cream on his shirt, and the two ended up in a bathroom for twenty minutes scrubbing at Harry’s beloved shirt before Severus remembered he was a wizard and spelled the stains away. Finally, Severus was forced to carry an exhausted Harry out of the zoo. It was nearing six o’clock, and when Severus was clear of any muggles, he apparated back to the vet clinic.

               He sat down with Harry still in his lap, the boy’s head on his shoulder. Harry blearily watched the colorful fish in the tank while they waited for Miss Trifle to be discharged, Severus’s rocking lulling him deeper into a trance. Slowly, Harry’s eyes closed.

               Severus rocked Harry slowly, patting the boy’s back. Today had been a good day, despite his earlier protests. He realized something. Harry had him wrapped around the boy’s little finger. How did that happen, he had no clue, but something inside Severus wanted to keep it that way. Maybe it was that Bond of the Guardian thing influencing his brain, but right now, he wanted to hold on to the dead weight against his shoulder and chest. He wanted nothing more than to hear the “d” word come out of Harry’s mouth again. He wanted it, but he knew he couldn’t have it.

               Or could he? Eileen seemed to think Severus keeping Harry was a brilliant idea, but how would he even go about that? The world would object to him adopting the child.

               The mere though of adopting sent a chill down his spine just as hearing parseltongue had. Perhaps he could talk to his mother about all of this.

               Finally, an assistant came out with the rabbit in a carrier.

               “Dr. McCarthy thought you could use a carrier,” the assistant whispered, handing over the rabbit. “Busy day?”

               “Very busy,” Severus said. “Tell the doctor I can’t thank her enough.”

               “Of course, sir. Have a good evening.”

               Severus left with the rabbit and apparated everyone back to MacAuley estate. He settled Harry in his bed, tucking the boy in before freeing the rabbit and shutting her in her cage.

               While Harry napped, Severus decided to check on his mother at Hogwarts. He should make it back before Harry even knew he was gone, and he floo’d away.

 

               Harry blinked his eyes open and looked around. He was in his bed and Miss Trifle was in her cage. He smiled and crawled off the bed and over to his rabbit, opening the door and petting her. She seemed very tired, so he decided to leave her in her cage and shut the door once more. He stood up and stretched, a yawn escaping his lips.

               He walked down the stairs.

               “Mr. Snape?” he called.

               There was no answer.

               “Nana? Papa?”

               The house was silent. Harry gulped. Had he been left here all alone? Where was everyone? Harry glanced in the kitchen, then moved through the entertainment room before deciding to try some of the back rooms. He checked the guest bedroom and bathroom, then paused in front of the back door that led to the gardens. He opened the door, only for something red to rush by him. Slamming the door shut before anything else could come through, Harry gulped and turned around.

               In downward dog, wagging his tail with a tennis ball in his mouth, was Shandy.

               “No!” Harry told the dog firmly, hoping that one word would convey that he wanted nothing to do with the dog.

               Shandy tilted his head and his ears perked, but he didn’t move otherwise.

               Carefully, Harry made his way around the dog and through the kitchen. He ran to the living area, wondering where everyone could have gone. Maybe Mr. Snape went back to Hogwarts? Maybe he wanted to check on Nana while Harry was sleeping. Harry stopped in front of the fireplace, frowning at the container of floo powder.

               A bark startled the boy and he spun around.

               Shandy was in the living room now, jumping around the tennis ball on the floor. Then, the dog snatched the ball in his large fangs and shook his head with a growl. He bowed again, wagging his tail and staring directly at Harry.

               Harry grabbed a handful of powder as he had seen everyone else do many times. He swallowed dryly as he backed into the fireplace. Shandy dropped he ball and stood up, tilting his head at Harry.

               “Hogwarts,” Harry said and threw down the powder.

               A thousand fireplaces flashed before his eyes and Harry nearly threw up on the trip before he was spat out in a dusty room, hitting his side hard from the fall. Harry groaned and held his elbow, looking at the scraped wound. He stood up and looked around. He had hoped the fireplace would have taken him to Mr. Snape’s quarters, but maybe he should have said “Mr. Snape’s room” instead of “Hogwarts.” Harry walked out of the unused classroom and into the hallway.

It was quiet. Not even the shuffles of students could be heard. Harry walked down the dark hall, hunching his shoulders as portraits eyed and sneered at him. He walked faster.

As he turned a corner, he nearly ran into . . . something. He backed up and stared at it with wide eyes.

               “Watch where you’re going!” Peeves snapped at Harry.

               Harry’s face paled and is knees rattled. Then, he screamed. And Peeves, in all his glory, screamed back.

               “A ghost!” Harry cried, running in the opposite direction and down the hall as fast as he could. “A ghost!”

               “A child!” Peeves screamed, waving his arms around, flying down the other hall. “A child!”

               Harry flew down staircases and ran past startled students. He looked back to see if the ghost was following him when someone shouted, “Hey, watch it!”

               Harry oofed as he ran into an older student, who nearly dropped all his textbooks.

               “Sorry,” Harry said, but his attention was captured by another sight.

               A headless ghost was floating toward him before a hand pushed its head back up into its proper place.

               “Ohh,” Nearly headless Nick said as he rubbed his neck, “It’s great to be able to get cricks out of your neck so quickly.”

               Harry’s jaw dropped, and when he came to his senses once more, he screamed again.

               “Whoa, easy kid,” Nick said, “I won’t hurt you.”

               “He’s pretty friendly,” the student tried, reaching a hand out to Harry.

               But Harry turned away and ran down more staircases. This time, he ran past students and teachers alike, who gave him curious glances. He was a sight to behold, as his face paint had smeared and he looked less like a lion and more like an orange faced oompa-loompa. He wasn’t actively screaming, but his heart was racing in his throat. He was sure the ghosts were chasing him, growing in numbers to corner him. He didn’t understand why no one else was running away, but it was their funeral. Uncle Vernon had made sure that Harry knew all about ghosts and their brain-eating ways. Harry would not be a victim.

               Harry didn’t stop sprinting until strong arms captured him.

               “No!” he cried. “Let me go! They’re going to eat me.”

               “Harry, stop!” Mr. Snape’s voice demanded. “Relax, it’s me.”

               Harry looked up at Mr. Snape and sobbed with relief. He raised his arms and Severus reflexively picked him up. He clung to the man, shaking and muttering about the ghosts and how scary they were. He could hear Nana’s voice and her soft hand joined Severus’s in rubbing his back soothingly.

               “Severus!” A new voice reached Harry’s ears.

He peeked out from Severus’s shoulder to see the older bearded man in long purple robes staring with stern eyes at Severus and Eileen, shaking his head disapprovingly. Severus sighed loudly while Eileen patted Harry’s back. Harry turned his face back into Severus’s shoulder.   

              

 

 

               “Knock, knock,” Severus said, knocking softly on his lab door.

               Eileen looked over her shoulder from where she was finishing erasing the board. She smiled and went back to cleaning up.

               “Well, come in, Mr. Snape,” she said. “I’ve been expecting you.”

               “Oh really?” Severus said, walking over to the chalk board and pulling out his wand.

               “You’re late for your detention.”

               “Whatever could I have done to deserve detention?” Severus gave his mother a raised brow before flicking his wand at the rest of the board, clearing it perfectly, even the smudge spots the eraser had left behind. Eileen sighed and set the eraser down.

               “Showing off in class,” she said, crossing her arms.

               Severus scoffed at that.

               “So, what brings you here?” Eileen asked as she returned to the desk and collected her bag and cloak. “I was about to head back home and get started on dinner.”

               “I didn’t know if you were finished or not,” Severus answered honestly, leaning against his desk as he waited for her to finish gathering her things. “I wanted to make sure my students weren’t keeping you here longer than necessary.”

               “Your students were incredibly happy to be dismissed early from class today.”

               “You let them go early? You should never let them out before the bell.”

               “It’s not like they were brewing today. In your schedule, it said to lecture them on the different uses of special cauldron types. How long can one person drone on about cauldrons?”

               “You clearly do not know enough about cauldrons.”

Eileen rolled her eyes and checked over the classroom one last time. Chairs were up, cauldrons shelved, and ingredients put away. She smiled softly.

               “I could get used to this,” she said.

               “Used to what?” Severus frowned at his dull classroom. “This gloomy place?”

               “You could brighten it up in here. Maybe some flowers or a sky-revealing ceiling spell. But no. I meant teaching.” Eileen ran her hand over a student’s desk. “Being here brought back so many good memories and the students have so much personality and it just felt so nice to teach kids and teens new things. I think . . . I think I’d like to be a teacher.”

               “Well, Albus would surely hire you. He likes to annoy me.”

               Eileen walked slowly through the classroom, looking back at the desk chairs, chalkboard and the teacher’s desk. Severus sighed and his face turned serious.

               “What would you teach?” he asked.

               “I don’t know—muggle studies, magical arts, muggle arts?” Eileen’s smile grew. I would definitely bring Gobstones Club back. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” Eileen hesitated, as she turned slowly, taking in everything. “You know what—I need to think about. Discuss things with Peadar and really wrap my head on what it means to be a professor. Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

               Severus shook his head and pushed away from his desk. He walked over to his mother.

               “Not that I would want you to teach here or anything,” he began, pausing at her side. “But I think you’d make a good professor.”

               “Aww, that’s sweet, Severus.”

               “Don’t make it weird.”

               Eileen smirked then frowned at the growing commotion outside.

               “Do you hear that?” she asked, walking toward the door.

               Severus tilted his head, frowning. A child’s scream bounced off the walls, and he recognized the tone and pitch. His eyes widened and he sprinted past his mother out into the hall where older students dumbfoundedly watched an orange faced child run down the hall screaming.

               Harry was teary eyed, and his tears streaked through the orange, smudged paint, and Severus outstretched his arm and caught the boy before he blindly ran past him.

               “No!” Harry screamed. “Let me go! They’re going to eat me.”

               “Harry, stop!” Severus said, his ears starting to ring from Harry’s loud voice. “Relax, it’s me.”

               Harry looked at him and reached up. Severus picked him up and patted his back while he clung to his neck, muttering about ghosts that were chasing him. Severus swayed slightly and Eileen joined them in the hall and rubbed Harry’s back as well.

               “What happened?” Eileen asked. “How did he even get here?”

               “I don’t know, he was at home napping—I didn’t think he’d wake up so soon.”

               “Honey, it’s okay, what’s the matter?” Eileen asked Harry.

               “Severus!” a new voice said in a stern scold.

               Severus’s eyes snapped over to Albus’s disapproving ones, and he knew he had been found out. He lowered his head against Harry’s and looked at Eileen, who gave him a sad look before patting Harry’s back some more.

               “My office,” Albus said, “now, Severus.”

               “Yes, sir.” Severus pushed Harry toward Eileen, but the boy was reluctant to let go of him. Severus whispered in the boy’s ear. “It’s okay, Harry. I’ll be right back. I won’t be gone long. Go with Nana.”

               Harry finally let go and allowed Eileen to take him, but he watched Severus with sad and guilty eyes.

               Severus patted the boy’s back one last time before Eileen took Harry into the potions’ classroom, asking him f he would like anything to drink or eat. With great effort, Severus walked after the headmaster to Albus’s office, finding himself in there sooner than he would have liked. Albus sat at his desk without so much as a glance to Severus, who slid into the chair in front of the desk. Albus didn’t seem to have any words at the moment, and Severus felt compelled to speak first.

               “Look, Albus, I apologize for not speaking up sooner, I just wanted what was best for Harry and . . .”

               “You don’t think that I also may have Harry’s best interest in mind?” Albus interrupted, though his voice was quiet. “I asked for your help, Severus, and you hid the child from me? For how long?”

               “Since the day you went to Trafalgar Square in search of him.” Albus’s eyes narrowed at that and the twinkle was nowhere to be seen now. Severus went on. “I couldn’t let him go back to those awful relatives of his. I made a promise to Lily to protect her child, and if Harry continued to run away from home, that should have raised several alarm bells!”

               “It did,” Albus tried to speak.

               “As if. You kept taking him back to that wretched home instead of considering what may potentially be happening behind closed doors. I heard you the day that that family services witch was here when Harry had run off again and couldn’t be found for days. You wanted to take him back once again without a second thought. So he could be hurt again and again. I’ve been there, Albus. I couldn’t let that happen on my watch.”

               “Severus, I—”

               “So, I took Harry. And I did not want to hide him from you, but I had to at least find the boy a good home and get him settled before I confessed what I did. Whether you fired me or not or had me thrown into Azkaban, I would have done it again if I had to. This is the best course of action—” 

               “I already found him a new home, Severus,” Albus said.

               Severus froze, falling back in his chair. He hadn’t even realized he had stood up in his tirade. A heavy breath escaped his lips as he mulled the words he just heard in his head. He wasn’t even sure he heard them correctly.

               “What?” Severus asked quietly.

               “I found the boy a new home,” Albus said. “A week or so after the child’s latest runaway, the blood wards dropped completely. I’m not sure why or what caused them to but living at his relatives would no longer protect him. So, I enlisted the help of Family Services to find me a secluded family with good wards around their home, and we would introduce them to Harry and give him a three-month trial run. If all worked out, he would be adopted by them and with help of ancient magic, new wards would be placed on the property for extra precautions. Family Services has found a family and they are willing to take Harry in. That was my plan for when I found Harry.”

               Severus felt a sudden wash of betrayal rush through his veins. It was cold, and he crossed his arms.

               “You didn’t inform me of any of this,” Severus said.

               “I could not.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I would trust you with my life. You are still a spy, however, and I believe that there is some information best left unsaid between us—for your safety. For Harry’s safety.”

Severus looked off in the distance and shook his head. It made sense, but it still hurt. He had known that he was not privy to every plan the headmaster thought of, but to be denied this piece of information regarding his—no, not his, Lily’s son. Severus rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, the start of a headache throbbing in his head. He must have been pretty tired if his thoughts were starting to mix up facts. He took a deep breath, and it came out shakily.

“I apologize for not coming forward with this sooner,” Albus continued, interlocking his fingers. “But you should have come to me as soon as you found Harry. I believe we both have trust bridges to rebuild. And some old habits that need work.”

Eavesdropping, Severus thought. He met Albus’s eyes. He supposed the man was correct. But it wasn’t the matter of trust that was affecting Severus so. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but he pushed all the feelings away and straightened himself, his breathing evening out and his face neutral.

“You know I cannot let this go without some penalty. Kidnapping is a serious crime, but considering who it is, and the circumstances, I know you well enough to know you meant no ill intent toward Harry. Without getting the authorities involved, I suppose I could temporarily suspend you from teaching without pay for a few weeks. This will give you some thinking time, and I’m sure you have much to think about.”

“Right,” Severus said, looking down at the nails on his fingers.   

“However,” Albus said, “For now, I believe we must do what is right for the boy and if—"

“Of course, of course,” Severus cut the man off. “I can bring him to the family you found and get him settled. It’ll probably be easier on Harry that way. I’ll have him there tomorrow afternoon. That’ll give me time to back him up.”

Albus was silent for the moment, then said, “If you believe that that is what’s best.”

“He’s not going back to his relatives,” Severus said with a glare. “Ever.”

“Of course.”

“So,” Albus said with a smile, “will you introduce me to Harry?”  

 

After flooing back to MacAuley Estate, everyone discovered dinner ready on the table. When Eileen had not shown up to make dinner herself, the elves got right to work and delivered a delicious shepherd’s pie. Peadar noticed everyone’s gloomy looks, and Eileen pulled him into the kitchen to explain what had happened.

Harry showed no interest in his dinner that night, and he picked at the food slowly, nibbling here and there. Severus watched him, but as he himself had no appetite, he did not scold Harry for wasting food. Peadar and Eileen were also silent, unsure of how to break the silence. When it was sure Harry would not take another bite of his dinner, Eileen remembered something and walked into the kitchen.

“Look what I found,” she smiled, setting dessert on the table in front of Harry. “The last slice of chocolate trifle. I think someone needs to finish that off.”

Harry glanced up at Eileen, then returned to picking out the components of his shepherd’s pie.

“You don’t even want a small bite,” Eileen asked.

Harry shook his head.

“I’m tired,” he said, setting the fork down.          

“All right,” Severus said, putting his drink down and standing up, glad for an excuse to leave the table. “Let’s get you ready for bed.”

Eileen sighed and started cleaning up after dinner while Peadar went out to the barn to complete his evening chores. Severus led Harry up the bedroom and gave the child pajamas to change into. Harry slowly changed into them, his eyes watering as he did so.

“What’s the matter, Harry?”

               “I ruined everything, didn’t I?” Harry asked, sniffling.

               “Of course not,” Severus said, kneeling in front of the boy and helping him pull on his top. He dragged his thumbs across Harry’s cheeks, wiping away a few tears that escaped the child’s eyes. “We knew we would find you a forever family, didn’t we? That was the plan. And you know what? You are always welcome here.”

               Harry looked down at his bare feet, his lower lip puckered out, but he at least wasn’t crying now. Severus took that as a good sign and led the boy to the bathroom. He plucked the child up and set him on the counter, wetting a rag under the sink and carefully wiping away the dry, cracked paint. Harry remained quiet as Severus cleaned him up. Finally, Severus set the child down and let him perform his nightly routines. When Harry came out and crawled into bed, Severus tucked him in and sat on the edge, staring down at him.

               “Everything is going to be just fine,” Severus said. “I promise.”

               Harry rolled over and closed his eyes, hugging the stuffed dog to his chest. Severus sighed and left the room, giving Harry some space.

               “How is he?” Eileen asked when Severus came down the stairs.

               “He’s . . . quiet.”

               “Poor baby. You know, I’ve been thinking since our little talk with Dumbledore . . .”

               “You mean the talk where I did all the introducing, Harry wouldn’t say a word, and all you did was glare at my boss? What could you have possibly been thinking about?”

               “I did not glare at him the whole time. I do not agree with his methods and he’s the reason Harry was with those horrid people. And now, just because some blood wards fall, when his plans don’t go his way, he thinks about relocating Harry to a nicer home. Harry isn’t some pawn to be strategically placed across the board.”

               “I know that,” Severus said, entering the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of water. “Albus knows that.”

               “Does he? Harry doesn’t need another big change in his life, he’s happy here and with us. If he goes to this new home, he’s going to be confused and lonely, and he’s already bonded to you, magically and emotionally; it would be too much.”

               “What are you trying to say?”

               “We should keep Harry.”

               “We?” Severus drank down his water before saying, “There’s no “we” here. There is me making all the decisions regarding a little boy in my care and I need to do what’s best for him.”

               “Denying the bond is obviously not the best; you and I both read up on the negative impacts it would have, and I’m sure Albus would understand as well.”

               “I wouldn’t be denying it and Albus would never understand.”

               Eileen frowned at that, thinking over Severus’s words as she followed him out of the kitchen.

               “You didn’t tell him about the bond.” Eileen’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t you tell him about the bond?”

               “There are some things best left unsaid between us.”

               “What are you talking about? Secrets do not build trust—trust is a two-way street.”

               “Is that so?” Severus smirked, turning for the stairway. “Sure as hell don’t feel like it. Albus doesn’t need to know about the bond. It’s not nearly important enough to mention it to him.”

               “You could have used that to your advantage to keep Harry.”

               “I’ve said this a thousand times,” Severus paused partially up the stairway, his voice rising. “He is not staying. All of this was temporary; we all knew that. Why is this such a big deal to you?”

               “So just like that.” Eileen threw her hands up exasperatedly. “You’re going to give up on Harry. Walk out of his life forever.”

               “Well, it didn’t seem so hard for you,” Severus muttered, walking back up the stairs without another word.

               Eileen huffed and folded her arms, but her eyes glistened the slightest bit.

               Severus tiptoed over to Harry’s room, afraid that the child may have woken from the noise. He was glad to see him still fast asleep. Walking up to the bed, Severus ran his fingers through Harry’s locks, straightening them out, he told himself. He stared down at Harry for a second too long before he shook his head and forced himself to begin packing Harry’s things for him as quietly and stealthily as he could. He could do it magically, but manually moving around helped distract him from his inner thoughts. He was not walking out on Harry. They had talked about everything with Albus. He would visit. He had promised.

The next day, Severus and Harry explored the foster family house Albus had found. A witch from family services met them at an apparition meet point, and while she had glared profusely at Severus (saying how awful it was to think the boy had been taken or killed all these weeks), she coddled Harry and ushered him from room to room. Poor Harry simply allowed himself to be shown every room, holding Miss Trifle snuggly in his arms, but he kept his eyes on the top of his shoes.

               “Here is where your room will be—isn’t that nice? You get your own room.”

               When the witch didn’t get a reaction, she asked, “Would you like to look around? You’re not even looking at your new room. I’m sure Miss Trifle would like to see it.”

               Harry glanced up and scanned the room before shrugging and looking back down.

               The witch sighed, standing up straight, sparing a glare at Severus as she moved past him, and led the way to the back of the house that led to the backyard. She held the door open for Harry and Severus.

               “Isn’t this beautiful?” she smiled. “Plenty of room for growing boys to run and play. And little bunnies.”

               The backyard was large, but not like what a farm could offer. Still, there was a lot of grass, a mini quidditch pitch which was good for rural homes such as this, and even a pond not far away with a dock. Harry glanced, but said nothing. The witch sighed but brought Harry back inside to the living room where the new foster parents were waiting. They stood up when they saw Harry enter.

               “What do you think?” the foster mom asked, smiling.

               Harry shrugged.

               “Well,” the witch said, shaking hands with the foster parents. “I think he’ll do just fine once he settles in and gets to know you and your other two boys. But if there are any problems, don’t be afraid to contact me.” She turned her attention to Harry, leaning down. “They are very nice people; you have nothing to worry about. You’re in good hands now. Everything will be okay.”  

               Harry peered through his bangs up at the foster parents, then he adjusted Miss Trifle in his arms and stared back at his shoes.

               “He’ll come around,” Severus spoke.

               “If you’d like to get him settled and say your goodbyes,” the foster dad said, “that would be agreeable.”

               The foster mom nodded while the family services witch forced a smile. Severus offered his hand to Harry and brought him to his designated room. Slipping the bag off his shoulder and setting it on Harry’s bed, Severus kneeled in front of Harry, who’s eyes watered and his lower lip puckered out.

“Please don’t leave me here,” Harry whispered.

“Harry,” Severus began.

“Please.”

“We’ve talked about this.” Severus used his thumbs to wipe away the tears as he had done the previous night. “You have to live somewhere safe where no one can hurt you. You’re a very special boy and I’ve told you what the plan was the whole time you’ve been with me. It was never meant to be permanent. But, hey, you can visit me anytime you want. And Nana and Papa would love to have you visit.”

“I want you and Nana and Papa now!” Harry stomped his foot. “Please.”

“Don’t,” Severus shook his head softly, “stomp your foot at me. Listen to what I am saying.”

“I want to stay with you. Don’t send me away.”

“I’m not sending you away. We discussed this several times before, Harry. There are reasons you can’t stay with me. This is for the best, and I can still see you now and then, everyone benefits.”

“I don’t care. Take me back with you.”

Severus sighed and held his arms out to the boy.

“How about a hug before I go? Hmm?”

Harry backed away, as if accepting the hug might seal their forever goodbye. He shook his head more tears escaping his eyes.

“No. Take me with you. Please. I don’t want to stay.”

“Perhaps,” the family service witch said from the doorway, “it might be best not to force anything. I think its time we head out and let Harry settle in.”

Severus looked back at the doorway to see the witch shaking hands with the foster parents and, with one last subtle jerk of the head at Severus to wrap it up, she walked out of the house. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, his chest tightening painfully and his head starting to develop a slight headache. He looked at Harry.

“I’m sorry,” Severus said softly. He stood up slowly and adjusted his coat. He walked out of the room, the parents parting for him at the doorway.

“No,” Harry cried, putting Miss Trifle down and running after Severus. The foster parents managed to catch Harry gently and tried soothing him with reassurances. “No, no, no.”

Severus kept moving, closing his eyes briefly at Harry’s cries.

“No, don’t leave me, Mr. Snape!” Harry pushed against the parents’ restraints, his cries growing louder, his face red. “Don’t leave me! Please! Come back!”

               Severus forced himself not to look back. If he did, he might just kidnap Harry once more. He opened the front door of the lovely house that would be Harry’s home now, and he stepped out.

“Mr. Snape! Please!” Harry broke free from the parents and ran for the door.

Shutting the door behind him, he leaned back on the door, hearing Harry’s small fist pound on the wood repeatedly from inside. Severus covered his face in his hand. His throat had suddenly gone dry and he could not swallow.

“Mr. Snape! Come back. Don’t leave me.”

Don’t look back, Severus told himself. He’ll understand. Someday.

With those last words running through his head and Harry’s screams still ringing in his ears, Severus disapparated from the door step, and the apparition wards were lifted around the house, along with the protection wards, sealing Harry in a protective bubble.

 

Eileen waited anxiously at the dining table with Peadar, her elbows on the table and her fingers interlocked. Peadar sat at the head, drumming his fingers against the wood while he waited, his eyes meeting his wife’s every few minutes. Severus had taken Harry to the foster home after lunch, and they had yet to hear any news from him as it neared eight o’clock at night. She wondered where Severus may have gone after dropping Harry off, and she hoped he was all right.

               Her son’s words from last night still left a sharp pang in her chest. She had not informed Peadar of what had transpired between them, and she had no plans to. Peadar did not appreciate anyone talking to Eileen in such a manner, and that included Severus. She wished Peadar would be easier on Severus, but Peadar understood the situation between herself and Severus too well, and he didn’t want Severus to make the same mistake he had. So, all she could do was remind Peadar that Severus was still hurting from her actions.

               As far as repairing her relationship with her son, she wondered if this whole situation may have just ruined any chance of that, or, if somehow it would bring them closer together. Honestly, it could go either way so quickly. Would Severus even come back to MacAuley estate now that Harry was gone?

               Suddenly, the floo flared to life and Eileen and Peadar both stood when Severus walked through the dining room and right to the kitchen.

               “Well?” Peadar asked. “How’d it go?”

               “How’d it go?” Severus shot back. He opened the fridge and dug through it, finding a new bottle of firewhiskey hiding in the back. “Oh, it went wonderful. He loved it. Bloody loved it.”

               Severus opened the firewhiskey and took a large swig of the drink.

               “If it went so well,” Eileen asked, walking into the kitchen, and standing on the other side of the island where Severus was leaning against and drinking ore of the firewhiskey. “Where did you go afterwards.”

               “Back to work. I’m suspended, you know. Might as well as gather my books and teaching material to review since I’ll have absolutely nothing else to do for three weeks.”  

               “Severus,” Peadar began, stepping into the kitchen.

               Eileen held up her hand to stop him, sharing a look with him before she turned back to Severus.

               “Why are you acting like this?” she asked. “What happened?”

“Acting like what?” Severus snapped. He paused and looked at Eileen. “He’s in a good place now. He’s got a big room, big yard, brothers, more than I could ever offer him. You know, I thought it would be a huge nightmare of abandonment and betrayal when I took him, but he loves the place.”

Severus took another gulp, pacing the length of the kitchen. Eileen stayed silent, just listening to him. Peadar crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, watching with cautious eyes.

“I said I’d get him a new home,” Severus continued, raising his bottle as if toasting to the statement. “A better family, a brighter future. And I did and he didn’t bat an eyelash. I call that success. I’m a fucking hero!”

Severus threw the beer bottle and it shattered on the opposite wall, alcohol splashing everywhere and glass sharded flying and hitting against the shield charm Peadar had casted just in time to cover Severus and Eileen. Eileen had jumped at the shattered glass, but relaxed when it fell harmlessly to the floor.

Severus did not notice, however. He had leaned over the island counter, his head buried in his arms. He made no noise, but his shoulders shook the slightest bit.

Eileen’s eyes watered as she stepped around the counter and rested a hand on Severus’s shoulder, comforted when he did not shrug her away. Slowly, she rested her head against his shoulder while her hand slid to his ack to rub soothing circles. Peadar also entered the kitchen and leaned against the counter across from Severus.

No one said a word. No one moved. They stayed there in that position in silent loss.  

              

 

                

              

                        

              

 

               Stiff, frozen fingers struggled to dip the quill in the ink bottle then raise the quill to a small parchment scroll. Eileen shivered against the stone brick wall, her breath puffing out visible in front of her as she slowly scribbled on the parchment to the best of her ability, fighting against her trembling hands.

               My dear Severus, she wrote, I hope you are having a peaceful and safe Christmas. I have so much to tell you . . .

               Every muscle contracted and Eileen hissed as she hugged her knees to her chest, relishing in the small warmth she managed to feel. After several long minutes, she unfolded herself, and stared down at her parchment, her breath hitching in time with her shivers. She felt a lump swell in her throat and warm, salty tears burned her eyes. She closed them, imagining her son’s sweet, cheeky smile he often wore for her. Something inside her, a mother instinct she thought, was screaming that there was something wrong, and it had everything to do with Severus. Her thoughts were that Severus had not heeded her advice to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas.

               She had been meaning to write a Christmas note to her boy anyway, but she had only hoped it would have been under different circumstances.

               Dear Severus, it would say, I am writing to you from the warmth of our beautiful home in southern Scotland, and I hope this letter finds you well, for I will not be far behind it. Today is a new beginning for us, and you and I will finally be free of Tobias Snape. I will pick you up from the train station myself, and we will enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner of warm turkey with stuffing, potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted parsnips, and my mother’s green bean casserole. And for dessert, what better than Christmas pudding? I look forward to seeing you very soon and we will never be apart again. I love you and miss you greatly, Mum.

               Eileen startled awake from the dream she had found herself in, where she served herself and Severus a warm dinner in a cozy house, then tucked her boy in a full-sized bed under thick blankets. She blinked down at the near-blank parchment, then shuddered. She lifted the quill to the parchment.

               . . . but first, I am sorry that I am not there this Christmas. I needed to find us a better life, and it’s been very hard as a woman with no expertise in any particular field. And with house elves, no one needs a housekeeper or babysitter. And there are those who cannot afford one. I have been wandering for days in search of a job, picking up small tasks here and there for little pay. And here I am, Christmas Eve, jobless, broke, and homeless.

               Eileen paused as she choked back some tears. Thinking about her next words. Her body was growing numb to the cold wind and her skin was turning blue where the ruined soles of her shoes exposed her feet. She considered her next words carefully.

               I even sold my wand so I could write this letter to you.

               Eileen scribbled that sentence out. Severus did not need to know the measures she had taken to ensure her boy knew he was loved and not forgotten. He did not need to know that she was not great at wandless magic and was practically defenseless now. He did not need to worry to the point he ran away from home and came looking for her, becoming homeless and hungry too. She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out a small picture of ten-year-old Severus, stroking it lightly. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the photo out of her weak hand and it fluttered through the air.

               “No!” Eileen cried, crumbling the parchment and quill in her hand as she jumped to her feet and chased after the picture, stumbling slightly due to her stiffened muscles.

               The picture remained out of her reach, soaring above the chimneys, and disappearing from her view. She sniffed as she clutched to the parchment and quill, belatedly remembering she had left the ink behind. She walked back to the building she had been leaning against to find the ink vial spilled from when she had chased the picture. Dropping to her knees, Eileen dipped the quill in the small puddle, soaking up what she could of ink that had not mixed with the snow. She sat back against the building and scribbled more.

               Do not worry about me. You worry about going to school and minding your father. Just remember, keep your distance and it’ll be like you are not even there to him. You are safer there than you are with me for at least you have food and a warm bed and transportation to school. Please, for me, stay there until I can come back to you or find a way to support us out here in the magical community.

               Eileen looked up at a bright light coming her way and realized it was a warm fireplace. It stopped in front of her and she held her hands out to it, enjoying the way her body melted in the heat. A blanket wrapped itself around her and she pulled it around herself tighter. She would be okay now. All she had to do was survive the night and she would be ready to search for a job once more, hopefully doing something that did not require utilizing much magic. There had to be someplace . . .

               Eileen’s eyes snapped open and she realized she had fallen asleep once again. She also realized she dd feel heat, and she gasped at the parchment that was now on fire. She shoved the parchment into the snow and put the flame out, but the damage was done. The parchment had burned to a crisp and crumbled in the snow.

               Tears burned Eileen’s tears as she lifted a couple pieces that had legible words and attempted to restore the pages. A golden line appeared down the ripped part, but her magic was too weak to fully piece the parchment together. Eileen hugged the shreds to her chest and sobbed.

               As she had slipped into a peaceful dream, her magic had sparked up as her body temperature dropped dangerously low, and in an attempt to warm her, sparked a fire on the nearest flammable thing she held, destroying her son’s letter.

               Eileen threw the pieces down and covered her face with her hands, taking deep, steady breaths. She would die here tonight. She just knew it. Earlier, no one had paid her any mind while they hustled about for last minute Christmas shopping, feeling no sympathy for the cold, homeless woman. And now she would freeze to death without a single final word to her family—her son.

               A small hoot caught her attention.

               Above her, resting on the gutter of the building she was leaning against, a small tawny owl stared down at her. It tilted its head and hooted again.

               Eileen grabbed the quill and held it up to the bird with great effort.

               “Please,” she whispered, “take it. Take it to him—my son—Severus Snape. Tell him I love him.”

               The bird stared a second long before gracefully gliding down to her, gently accepting the quill, and flying away into the white horizon.

               Eileen smiled before her eyes closed once more and she collapsed in the snow, forgotten and alone.

 

               “Someone did finally find me before I slipped away into the light,” Eileen said as she brushed the horse cross-tied in the aisleway of the barn. “I spent several months in St Mungo’s, mostly because they thought I was a squib with a suddenly growing magical core. They wanted to make sure I didn’t explode.”      

               “They didn’t believe who you were?” Severus asked, grooming another horse behind the one Eileen was grooming.

               “They didn’t want to believe that someone as homeless and unsuccessful as I would have come out of Hogwarts.” Eileen pushed on the horse so it would stand up straight and stop leaning on her, then resumed her grooming. “Or that a pureblood would fall so low.”

               “You never told me any of this before,” Severus said, pausing and looking off to the side. “I did . . . get that quill. I just had no idea what it meant. I thought the owl had delivered to the wrong person or accidentally took the quill instead of the letter. I think I vaguely remember calling it an imbecilic bird.”

               “That sounds like something you would say,” Eileen smirked, “even at eleven years old.”

               “I still have it,” Severus confessed in a whisper.

               “Pardon?” Eileen asked. She frowned.

               “I still have the quill. I guess I always hoped it was something more than just a wrong delivery. I kept it in my room, never used it, but it sat in the ink stand ever since. I suppose I was right to do so.”

               Eileen smiled, her eyes glistening. She looked back at the leaning horse, pushing him up again.

               “I never knew if the owl actually took it to you or not,” Eileen said. “You never said anything about it.”

               “Nor did you.” Severus returned to brushing the horse. “But I did get your message. Why did you never try again?”

               “I was afraid to. After all, I never did officially write to you, and when I wasn’t drugged up with potions and well enough to think straight at St. Mungo’s, four months had passed by since Christmas. I wasn’t sure what you would think of me then. I had left you alone, after all, for almost an entire year. Of course, when I was discharged, I had nothing once more . . . couldn’t write to you . . . couldn’t find my way back to Cokeworth. . . I didn’t really want to go back either, you would have been in school by that time. So I wandered and hitchhiked. Did little jobs here and there. And I accepted that that was my life. Job hopping, little food, a box for a house, and no you. I accepted that, even though my heart didn’t want to. But how could I ever be a part of your life again after what I did?”

               Severus had moved on to brushing the horse’s mane, but he listened to his mother’s words. He had never really taken the time to hear her out before. He didn’t want to, for there was no excuse big enough for what she did. And in his mind, there still wasn’t. But her story did garner his sympathy.

               “And then Peadar found me in the library in London reading to children,” Eileen smiled softly. “And, well, you know the rest from there. He’s the one who searched for my wand and finally bought it back for me as an anniversary gift.” 

               Severus was lost in his thoughts, so he did not respond to his mother. He absently brushed the horse as he pictured the lonely silver quill resting on his desk in his room a Spinner’s end. He had always hoped it was a sign of something more, and all this time it had been. It was a desperate attempt at contact from his mother, and who could have guessed that shortly after, his mother would give up and submit to the hand life was dealing her at the time.

               Severus’s head snapped up as a thought struck him: was that what he was doing to Harry? Giving up and submitting to the way it had to be?

               “I’m going to take a break,” Severus said, setting the brush down in the bucket.

               “All right,” Eileen motioned to the horse, “you can leave him there and I’ll finish him up. Buckley, stand up straight!” Eileen pushed the big horse off of her once again. “I will not tell you again.”

               Severus left Eileen with the horses. He walked to the gardens, following the laid pathways. He found himself near the back of the house where Shandy was lying down on a bench. Severus sat down next to the dog. He offered a small head scratch.

               Shandy whined and rested his head on Severus’s lap.

               “You miss him, huh?” Severus asked, petting the dog some more. Shandy whined. Severus sighed. “Well, I can’t say he feels the same for you.”

               Shandy made a throaty noise before sneezing.

               “I miss him, too, boy.”

               Shandy suddenly sat up and barked, then jumped off the bench and ran off. Severus decided he should check out whatever caught the dog’s attention. He stood and followed, but Shandy leaped off the pathway and ran through the bushes. Severus tried to eye the red-furred dog in the green scenery, only catching glimpses now and then. Shandy kept barking.

Looking around for Eileen or Peadar and not seeing either, Severus carefully stepped into the well cared for landscape, stepping over bushes and pushing through the tall plants. He revealed Shandy in the center and kneeled next to him.

On the ground at the dog’s feet was a colored page that Harry had done. It was of a magnificent mansion, a typical look to a pureblood home. Severus picked it up, smiling softly at it. It had been three days since he had said goodbye to Harry, and he already wanted to see the boy again. However, per Family Services standards, one had to allow at least two weeks of settling in time before visits were permitted. He could not see Harry.  The picture reminded him of something, however.

“Hey,” Severus spoke to Shandy, “would you like to visit an acquaintance?”

Shandy shook out his fur.

Ten minutes later, Severus used the floo to head over to Malfoy Manor, and when he arrived, he set Shandy down so the dog could shake himself off.

“What is the meaning of that?” Lucius snapped with a pointed finger at Shandy as he entered his parlor, the sound of the floo catching his attention.

The dog barked and wagged his tail excitedly as he ran over to Lucius, who stepped back and used his cane to keep the dog at a distance.

“Good evening to you, too,” Severus smirked as he watched Lucius.

               “Severus, you know how I feel about dogs,” Lucius said, spitting the last word out.

               “He needed a walk and I needed to talk to you,” Severus said with a shrug. “It’s a win-win.”           

               “First the Boy-Who-Lived and now this rat. Control it at once!” Lucius was still trying to push the dog away with the end of his cane, but Shandy continued trying to jump up to say hello to the new man. “Where did you get this thing?” 

               Deciding Lucius had had enough, Severus let the fun end.

               “MacAuley Estate.”

               Lucius shot a look at Severus, ignoring the dog for a moment, which gave Shandy the chance to jump up on Lucius’s leg and wag his tail up at the man.

               “MacAuley Estate,” Lucius’s lips curved into a smile. He reached down and scruffed the dog, picking it up to eye it closer, making Shandy whine. “This is one of their fine creatures, I’m assuming. I’m sure only the best genes exist in this specimen. Must of cost quite a pretty knut.”

               “He did, indeed,” Severus lied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, Lucius would assume the dogs were wizard bred. “Now put him down before you damage such chattel. The MacAuleys would not appreciate that.”

“I would not expect otherwise,” Lucius said, setting Shandy down. Shandy ran back to Severus’s side, sitting down at the man’s feet, shaking himself off and scratching under his collar.

“Now tell me how the boy is enjoying the hospitality of the finest pureblood family in Ireland,” Lucius demanded. “I am pleased you took my advice after all.”

“Potter is gone. He was discovered—a relief for me—by his own carelessness and placed under the protection of Dumbledore to some obscure family. I was not given any further details.”

“I see. The headmaster does not trust you enough with such information.” Lucius nodded and leaned into his cane. “It is to be expected. Pity, as there is no place more unplottable than the MacAuley estate, which would have given you not only protection for the brat but inside knowledge on where the boy lives. Considering that without a spelled invite, no wizard can just visit Ireland and expect to find the estate like that. No one’s ever heard of such a place. Family only can do that. Though I hear there isn’t much “family” left. Mr. MacAuley has not had any heirs, has he?”

“That does not concern you.”

Lucius snorted and held his head higher.

“It will when he passes, and the estate is put on the market and its location is finally brought to light. Every family will want to buy such ancient magic and discover the secrets of how the MacAuleys kept their fortune hidden for generations. Unless you’d be willing to share with your close friend?”

“I do not know myself,” Severus said. “I am here to update you on Potter’s status. We will need to be informed, after all, for when He returns.”

“Greatly appreciated. Besides, that boy was doing you harm. I could see it. You do not want vulnerability in war, Severus. Remember that.”

Severus hmphed at that. Any show of affection or care toward another living anything was weakness in Lucius’s eyes, and therefore vulnerability. 

“A puppy!” Draco cried from the doorway. He ran into the room and Shandy ran to meet the boy with several barks.

“Draco, do not run!” Lucius scolded. “And pet the dog with dignity, do not crawl on the floor.”

Draco huffed but got off his knees where he had dropped in front of Shandy and stood straight, using one hand to pet the dog on the head.

“I hear Harry has found a new home?” Draco asked.

“Eavesdropping again?” Lucius asked.

“No, I was walking to the kitchen for dinner. Mother called me. I accidentally overheard.” Draco bent over enough for the dog to jump up and lick his face, then straightened before his father could say anything.

“I apologize to say he won’t be around again anytime soon,” Severus said to Draco.

“That’s okay, Severus,” Draco said, smoothing out his robe before putting his hands behind his back. “Friends are bought and sold every day.”

“Right,” Severus agreed slowly, frowning at the child who was the same age as Harry, realizing that neither had ever experienced a true friendship. How alike they really were. “I should be going. Come, Shandy.” Severus patted his thigh.

“Have a good evening, Severus,” Lucius nodded to him.

Shandy wagged his tail as he followed Severus through the floo network once more. Severus returned to MacAuley, glad he had gotten that out of the way. He had to keep appearances after all. And Shandy had offered a little amusement to brighten his day. He had needed that.

 

The next day came and went, as did the next, and Severus found himself going through the motions of each day, falling into a silence Peadar and Eileen were all too familiar with. Without classes to teach, Severus had nothing to distract himself from his thoughts and guilt of leaving Harry as he had. He’d read a book now and then or throw a stick for the dogs in the evening, but ultimately, he was dull and usually lying around somewhere, lost in reflections.

And that’s how Peadar found him that morning, lying on the couch staring mindlessly at an open book, the pages never turning. He cleared his throat.

Severus looked over his book at Peadar, sitting up on the couch.

“I could use your help,” Peadar said, gesturing toward the back of the house. “The fence in the far pasture’s been mangled, and we need to fix it up before that bull takes another hit at it. Care to assist?”

“Yes, sir,” Severus answered, jumping to his feet, and he followed Peadar outside. As head of the household, even when Severus had first moved in, he had always been respectful toward Peadar—as long as he wasn’t in the midst of an argument with Eileen. The two walked out to the far pasture where the yellow fence had been smashed and broken to pieces in two area, not allowing for any bulls to escape, but a few horses might be willing to.

“This is exactly why I don’t ever use this pasture anymore,” Peadar said, waving his hands wildly at the damage. “Damn neighbor needs to do something about that overgrown menace.” With an exasperated sigh and shake of his head, Peadar looked at Severus. “Here’s what we need to do.”

Peadar explained how they would tear apart the old wooden fencing and replace it with the new electric wire fence system Peadar had purchased. Severus and Peadar got to work tearing up the hold fence, using their wands mostly as their only tools.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” Peadar said, trying to spark a conversation as they worked.

“Am I not usually quiet here?” Severus asked with a raised brow.

“You are, yes,” Peadar said. “But when you brought Harry along this time, you were more . . . outspoken. Now you’re back to quiet.”

“I guess I have nothing more to say,” Severus said.

“Really? After everything that has happened in the short time we housed Harry, you have nothing to say? I’m impressed. I think several things were brought up that need addressing, even right now. To me, I see someone who misses a certain boy and is wallowing in self-pity at the unfairness of the circumstances.”

               “I am not wallowing in anything,” Severus snapped. “And I do not . . . I don’t . . .”

               Peadar watched Severus with a knowing look before he snorted and worked on a stubborn fence post that refused to budge from the earth.

               “You can’t even say it,” he said. “You know, sometimes we don’t realize what we want until we lose it. Don’t you agree?”

               Severus kept his attention on chopping the wooden posts into smaller pieces for future firewood. After a minute, he glanced over his shoulder at Peadar.

               “What does it matter?” Severus said. “I can’t get him back.”

               “Can’t?” Peadar fired back. “Or unwilling to try? Just as you are with your mother.”

               Severus wanted to drop the conversation there and walk away from this pointless conversation. However, he suddenly felt like a hypocrite and he could not make himself leave. He was no better than his mother.

               “I left him like she left me. He’ll never forgive me for that.”

               “Is that coming from personal experience?” Peadar set down the wire he was unraveling and leaned against the new post in the ground. “Forgiveness can help us heal from what we’ve suffered. We don’t even have to make up to the person who has wronged us or even say it to their face, especially if nothing will come of it on their behalf. Sometimes, a simple I forgive ya from the yeartliftes the heaviest weights off our shoulders. It can let go of the emotional and physical trauma that tortures us and be the first step in our healing. We acknowledge and we move on.” 

               Severus tossed another chopped piece of wood into the pile, lowering his wand for a minute.

               “Not all of us can move on so easily. What happened to forgive but don’t forget?”

               “Forget does not mean to invalidate the past. We learn from our history after all. What it means is to forget—let go—of the bitterness and pain laid upon us and move on without having that open wound bleeding. Let it scar as it should naturally, a memory but not a way of life.”

               Severus crossed his arms, avoiding Peadar’s gaze as he let those words sink in.

               “Take my father for example. He left my mother for his mistress when I was six years old. And he was out of my life for thirty years. Thought he could make an entrance when Mam passed. I refused to have him be apart of my life, no matter how hard he tried to please me by keeping out of my way and greeting me a happy birthday when it came around. Twenty year’s later, I hear he’s suffered a stroke. Passed away shortly after. I never gave him a chance to prove himself. And my last words to him were “I’ll never forgive ya.”

               “I’ve forgiven him of course,” Peadar continued, walking up to Severus and placing a hand on Severus’s shoulder. “In the end, even if you never reconcile with your wrong doer, your forgiveness will make ya a happier and healthier person. Think about it. I know we’ve never seen eye to eye before, but that’s okay. I have no children of my own blood, but I am proud to call ya a son of mine.”

               Severus sighed and nodded.

               “Thank you,” Severus said. “That . . . that’s very kind of you.”

               “By the way,” Peadar added, giving Severus’s shoulder a light squeeze before dropping his hand, “I miss the little lad.”

               Before Severus could agree, trotting caught the men’s attention. Two horsemen were trotting up to Severus and Peadar, halting their horses just on the other side of the dismantled fence.

               “Careful our bull don’t realize you’ve opened the gate,” one of the men said. “He might be on the other side now, but he’d come charging.”

               “Why don’t ya do something about that crazy animal?” Peadar asked, shoving his wand up his sleeve, Severus slipping his down a pocket.

               “He’s just upset we took him from the herd,” the other horseman said. “We had to though, he maimed one of our other yearlings. Besides, he’s not the best stud around.”

               “Then take that thing to market,” Peadar huffed. “He’s going to hurt someone or my horses one of these days.”

               “Oh we plan to,” the man said, tipping his hat. “Just not yet. “we’ve a couple of heifers we’d like him to have before breeding season is over. That should keep him calmer too if he’s got some cows in here with him. Should leave your fence be.”

               “It better. You’re costing me money here.”

               “Our Da will gladly fund you for the damage,” the horsemen said, spurring their horses to get them moving. “Stop on by anytime.”

               The two rode off, leaving Severus and Peadar to finish the fence before the bull did make his way back over. They worked quickly, levitating the firewood to a designated spot on the side of the house.

               Later that night, Severus tossed and turned in his bed. He had struggled the last few nights to sleep, feeling as though he was forgetting something, missing something. Perhaps he had gotten to use to nightly routines involving a seven-year-old boy. Admitting defeat, Severus sat up in his bed and lit his wand. He opened the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a book, opening it to the index section. He smiled at Harry’s writing.

               Bubble Potion . . . . . Page 9.

               Severus flicked to page nine and read the instructions, admiring the boy’s drawings as he did.

               1. Fill caldren with water

               2. Add 2 table spoons of soap

               3. Add peppermint for good smells

               4. stir and make bubbles

               Don’t drink this one!

               Severus chuckled at Harry’s last line. He flipped back to the index, checking out the other options. Nutrition Potion . . . . . Page 18. Severus flipped to that page, curious as to what Harry considered nutritious compared to his scientifically researched potion. He chuckled at the boy’s words, seeing Harry had the correct spelling for "cauldron" this time.

               1. Fill cauldron with water and boil

               2. add lots of strawberries and blueberries

               3. eat strawberries and blueberries

               4. add two apples

               5. add sugar

               6. add yucky greens

               7. add more sugar

               8. boil for five minutes

               9. Enjoy

               Severus had to cover his mouth to smother his amusement. He shook his head fondly. How nutritious, he thought. Severus could only imagine what that particular potion might taste like. He read through the book slowly, taking his time to smile at the hard work Harry had poured into this book for him. And what did he do? Leave Harry at some stranger’s house. 

He grumbled under his breath and threw the covers off. Sliding his slipper on, Severus moved as stealthy as he could through the large, silent house to the kitchen. He flicked on the under cabinet lights to keep the kitchen slightly dim still and then he opened the fridge, wondering if a nightcap might help him settle. He saw Harry’s smile potion packaged up in the back of the fridge.

               Time froze as Severus stared at Harry’s creation. Without really thinking, he pulled out the container and opened it. He pulled out a spoon and stirred the strange concoction, scooping up a generous amount and raising it to his lips.

               “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

               Severus jolted and dropped the spoon. He spotted Eileen leaning against the doorway of the kitchen. She made a face at the container of mush.

               “I do not believe that’s aged well,” she said.

               Severus sighed and leaned against the counter. He was really losing it. Eileen walked into the kitchen and pulled the container away, sniffing it before using her wand to vanish it.

               “You must be pretty desperate if that’s what you were resorting to,” Eileen said. She rinsed out the container and washed it.

               “I need a drink,” Severus said, opening the fridge once more.

               “Pour me one, why don’t you?” Eileen said as she set the container in the drying rack.

               “Can’t sleep?” Severus questioned as he grabbed two glasses and a beer in the back of the fridge.

               “I’ve had better nights,” Eileen said. She dried her hands and accepted a glass from Severus, taking a small sip from it. “Must just be one of those days, you know? Lots on your mind and you just can’t sleep.”

               “I know how that is,” Severus said. He swallowed a gulp of his drink. “Thank you for all you and Peadar have done for Harry.”

               “Of course,” Eileen said. “He was a sweet boy. He deserved all he got.”

               “And for being there,” Severus quickly added, “when I needed you . . . to help with Harry, I mean.”

               Eileen nodded. “You’re welcome. We’re always here for you.”

               The two enjoyed each other’s company in silence as they finished their drinks. When Eileen set her cup in the sink and turned to leave, Severus set his own cup down and leaned on the island counter.

               “I forgive you,” he said.

               Eileen froze, staring at her son in the doorway of the kitchen.

               “I forgive you,” Severus repeated, “for doing what you thought you had to do. I would like to . . . try and start over without that lingering above us. To let the wound . . . scar. If you’re ready. I think I might be.”

               “Oh Severus,” Eileen rushed forward to hug her son, who briefly allowed it without returning much of it.

               “This doesn’t erase anything,” Severus said as they stepped back. “I’m sure I’m not going to be great at this and we’ve a lot to work out between us and I’m not entirely sure if . . .”

               “Hey,” Eileen interrupted. “Not all wounds scar overnight. I’m just happy for your forgiveness, though more often than not, I feel I don’t deserve it.”

               “Well, you’re getting it whether you want it or not.”

               “That’s the Severus I know.” Eileen snorted softly.

               “There’s one more thing,” Severus said.

               “Yes?”

               “I want to get Harry back.”

               A large smile grew on Eileen’s face.

              

Next Chapter: He Will Be Mine

 

               Severus slapped the paper down in front of Peadar and Eileen, startling the dogs begging at their owner’s feet. He kept a hand on top of the paper as he growled, “It’s all over the bloody news.”

               With that, he pushed the paper forward and released it, collapsing in a chair across from Eileen, who gave him a curious look while Peadar picked up the Daily Prophet and scanned it. After a moment, his eyebrows shot up and he handed the paper to Eileen, who summoned her reading glasses and accepted the paper, reading it herself.

               “Ex-Death Eater with Criminal History Applies to Adopt the Boy-Who-Lived” read the heading, and Severus’s Azkaban photo from all those years ago graced the page, followed by a long article on Severus’s history that a sneaky reporter must have snooped for. There was not much written about Harry Potter himself, but Harry’s running away problem was kept in the dark by Family Services and Albus Dumbledore. It was still assumed that Harry lived at relatives, but the article did speculate that Harry’s homelife may not be all rainbows and sunshine if he was up for adoption.

               “Read the reviews,” Severus encouraged, accepting a cup of coffee from a house elf and slurping it.

               Eileen really didn’t want to, but she glanced to the side where comments had been made regarding the situation. One was outraged that Family Services would even consider allowing a Death Eater of all people to apply for adoption of any child, while another offered to adopt the boy instead to spare him from a life of torture under a Death Eater’s hands, and yet another questioned the ulterior motive of the whole adoption. There were several more rude and vulgar statements, while only two offered support on the idea that not everyone is who they seem at first glance. Eileen sighed and set the paper down.

               “There’s nothing that can be done about it,” Peadar said. “Reporters are like wolves, they’re always stalking around waiting for something juicy to rip to shreds with dishonesty—just to make a good story.”

               “This coffee is awful,” Severus muttered, glaring into the mug.

               “Severus,” Eileen said, trying to get her son’s attention.

               “You should consider Origin,” he continued.

               “Off the matter of coffee brands,” Eileen said. “This is serious. You can’t let this get to you. People are always going to say what they want, but you can show them who you really are by going through with this. It doesn’t matter what these people think, it matters what Family Services decides of you, and Harry of course.”

               “I know that,” Severus said. “But this doesn’t help my case any.”

               “No,” Peadar said, “and I’m sure reporters will be all over Family Services when ya head there tomorrow, so be prepared for an ambush, but don’t say shit to them, and they will try to get ya to. Push right through.”

               “We’ll be there, too,” Eileen said. “We were summoned to speak on your behalf and answer some questions. Albus Dumbledore was also called in, I believe.”

               Severus sighed. He knew word would reach Albus, he just didn’t think it would be the day after he put his application in. The look on the worker who had helped drop Harry off with him had been priceless. She didn’t seem very happy to see him, but the other lady there at the time had smiled and talked him through the process. He now had a case number, and he was to speak to those two alone as they would be handling tis adoption process.

               Glaring at the plate of cold scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, Severus picked up the plate and set it on the floor at his feet. Shandy and Finn dived for the food in a red blur, inhaling what was on the plate in seconds.

               “Spoiled dogs,” Peadar muttered. “Albus will be here some time this morning. He wrote to me asking for permission to the estate. He has temporary access to the floo.”

“He probably wants to talk me out of it,” Severus said, sipping the coffee, ignoring the pleading looks of the two dogs for more.

“Even if he does, he did sound concerned for ya, so I agreed. Please try not to take off before he gets here.”

“Never,” Severus said, earning a small glare from Peadar and a small smile from Eileen.

Standing from the table, Severus made his way upstairs to his room, switching out his morning robe for a day robe before combing his hair quickly, watching himself in the mirror hanging above his dresser, thinking about how best to win over the caseworkers. A flash behind him caught his eye, and there in that strange ghost-like form in the middle of his bedroom was Harry Potter.

               Severus spun around, but Harry was quicker and he had turned himself, crossing his arms and keeping his back to Severus.

               With a sigh, Severus leaned against his dresser.

               “I’m sure you’ve heard the news or at least seen the paper.”

               Harry didn’t say anything.

               “Look, I’m sorry for leaving you at the Anderson’s. I had no choice in that matter. You were not supposed to be with me—legally, anyway. But I am trying to get you back now. Aren’t you happy for that?”

               Still, Harry didn’t move or say anything. Severus wished he could see Harry in person, but his two-week period was not up. As much as he really wanted to hug Harry and hold him close, he knew physical touch was impossible through the bond, and Harry didn’t seem to open to that idea at the moment anyway. Severus thought back on what he knew of the bond.

               “You had to have wanted to see me, even if just a little bit, for this to work. I know I’ve wanted to see you since that day, but I have not been allowed.” Severus pushed off the dresser and walked toward Harry. “I can’t change what happened, but I will fight to have you stay with me legally. I would like to adopt you, Harry. Is that what you want?”

               He was a step away from Harry when the boy turned around and looked up at him, his eyes watery and filled with hurt.

               “Why didn’t you fight for me before?” Harry said softly, his voice croaking slightly.

               Severus felt his heart clench and he froze with no answer at the ready. Slowly, Harry lowered his head and then faded from view. Severus dragged a hand down his face before throwing the comb as hard as he could back at the mirror, unsatisfied when neither broke.

               Severus collapsed on his bed, lying down at an angle and staring up at the ceiling. Incessant tapping at the window caught his attention, and he flicked his wrist, allowing one of the hen harriers’ to fly in. It dropped a letter next to his hand, then briefly looked for any morsel Severus might have.

               “The dogs ate everything,” Severus told it, shooing it away before looking at the letter. He recognized the crest. “Malfoy.”

               The letter was brief: “Come see me now.”

               Severus debated against it, just to annoy the wonderful Lucius Malfoy. There was only one thing he was sure Lucius wanted to discuss anyway, and after seeing Harry’s sad look of betrayal, Severus wasn’t up for it. However, he didn’t want to put it off either. He slipped his boots on, then his cloak. He quietly walked out of the house, avoiding Peadar and Eileen, knowing that any apparition crack was sure to catch their attention. He normally wouldn’t care if they knew he left, but with Albus arriving who knew when, he didn’t want to waste any time arguing either. Once outside and making sure neither were around to hear him, he apparated off the estate.

              

               Malfoy Manor was quiet, as usual. Severus walked up the pathway to the house, briefly wondering if peacocks could fly and if a simple stinging hex might help answer the question. He almost acted on that though as he reached the front door and rang the bell, but the door opened quickly, revealing a house elf.

               “Right this way, Master Snape, sir.” The elf led the way to the living room where Lucius was sitting patiently, staring into the fireplace with a smug look. He noticed Severus and stood, opening his arms invitingly.

               “Ah, Severus, welcome,” Lucius smiled. “Tea? Please help yourself.”

               “I’ll pass, thank you.”

               “I must say, what you’re thinking is ingenious—adopting the Boy-Who-Lived? It didn’t even cross my mind when you stopped by here with him. It makes sense now.”

               Severus frowned. He knew exactly what Lucius was thinking and he did not like it one bit. He knew he would have to face this aspect of his life at some point, but to have it thrown in his face now . . . well, he would have to improvise.

               “By taking in Harry Potter, you can raise him with the right ideals, prepare him for the Dark Lord’s return, and he’ll be ready to serve the dark side and we will rise to power.”

               “No,” Severus said, shaking his head.

               “No?” Lucius frowned. “I see, you simply wish to have him in your hands and turn him over to the Dark Lord when he returns? That would be my approach, more hands-off. I could pare a house elf to assist in raising him if you wish.”

               “No, Lucius. I do not plan on changing who he is or turning him over any time soon.”

               “Nor do I expect the Dark Lord to return any time soon, but you see . . .”

               “Lucius! I am adopting him because I want to.” Severus thought over his next words carefully. They would only backfire and he knew it, but he said it anyway. “Because I care for him.”

               Lucius stared silently at Severus before glaring at him. He took several intimidating steps forward.

               “What are you blathering about? You do not mean that you genuinely wish for the Harry Potter to be your son?”

               “I do.”

               “You’ve lost your mind.” Lucius snatched Severus’s wrist and held up his arm. “Are you forgetting something? You cannot escape your past; it will catch up to you and when it does, you will realize the big mistake that you’re making here.”   

               “The only mistake I’ve ever made,” Severus snapped, pulling away from Lucius and glaring back, “was listening to you and taking the damn mark in the first place.”

               “That was far from a mistake. You’ll have every Death Eater hunting you and that child till the end of your lives, and let me tell you, they won’t be very long lives either. Do not make new enemies where you were once an ally.”

               “Over my dead body will I allow any of you to harm a hair on that child if I have to hunt you all down first.” He held up his arm, pointing at the faded dark mark. “I’m done with this, I’m done with loyalties to masters who have absolutely no trust in me, I’m done with the cause, with groveling, with you!”

               Lucius flicked out his wand and Severus slammed into the wall behind them. Lucius pinned Severus there with a spell and jabbed his wand into Severus’s neck.

               “You should reconsider your choices,” Lucius growled. “I’d hate to do this to you, but I will for the greater good.”

               Lucius’s wand began vibrating a hot red that burned Severus’s skin, and he hissed.

               “You think you’ve fallen in love again.” Malfoy spat the word like it was some bitter tea. “You remember what happened last time you did that? Where is your love now?”

               Severus felt something snap inside him and he snarled at Lucius. He urged his magic to break the spell Lucius had him trapped under. His fingers twitched just a bit.

               “Let me remind you what happens to those who turn against the Dark Lord.”

               The wand on Severus’s neck burned more and Lucius opened his mouth, ready to utter a curse.

               “Daddy, stop!” Draco’s voice cried from the entryway.

               Lucius looked back at his son’s wide-eyed look, his wand lowering the slightest, and Severus smirked.

               “Go ahead,” Severus said, managing to free one arm from the spell and forcing Lucius’s wand deeper into his own neck. “Do it. Show him what he has to look forward to.”

               In a very muggle way, Lucius grabbed the front of Severus’s robes and slammed him against the wall again before releasing him, and Severus found that he could move on his own and he rubbed his neck with a glare back at Lucius.

               “Get out of my house,” Lucius said, pointing at the fireplace. “And never come back here.”

               “You invited me,” Severus reminded. He pushed away from the wall and made his way to the floo.

               “Severus!” Draco cried, running for him, but Lucius grabbed Draco’s arm and stopped him. Draco gave him a sad look.

               Severus shook his head at Draco. He glanced up at Lucius and sneered.

“Love is a strong thing, Lucius. You might want to be careful yourself.” With that, Severus grabbed floo powder from the vase on the mantle and floo’ed away from Malfoy manor.

               He reappeared in the living room at MacAuley estate. Peadar, Eileen, and Albus were all sitting in the living room chatting.

               “There you are!” Eileen said, crossing her arms as he stumbled out. “Where did you go? We told you Albus would be stopping by.”

               “Good morning, Severus,” Albus greeted in his usual cheery voice, standing up from the sofa and setting his cup of tea down.

               “I’m not in the mood for this talk, Albus, if you don’t mind,” Severus began.

               “I’ll make it a quick one,” Albus said. “To be honest, I’m quite happy for you.”

               “Really?” Severus quirked a brow.

               “Of course! You seemed pretty attached to Harry, I was surprised you did not ask to just keep the lad.”

               Severus blinked, glanced at his smiling mother, then back at Albus’s twinkling eyes.

               “You would have let me?”

               “Now, I’m not sure about that,” Albus admitted, “but there’s not much I can do about it now as you have already applied to adopt. I send my best wishes to you and hope it all turns out well.”

               “Thank you.” Severus did not know what else to say.

               “However . . .”

               There it was, Severus thought.

               “I can’t help but be concerned about how this will affect what we had agreed upon years earlier?” Albus looked at Severus pointedly.

               The spying. Severus shook his head.

               “I’m done with that,” he said.

               “Are you sure? You still have the mark. How will you be able to avoid Voldemort should he return?”

               Severus closed his eyes and shuddered at the name, a zing traveling up his left arm.

               “I’ll figure it out when it comes to that—if it ever comes to that.”

               “I care for your safety as well, Severus, and adopting Harry, especially publicly, paints a target on your back. Harry’s too.”

               “I will not back out of this.”

               “He can stay here,” Eileen jumped in. She glanced at her son. “At least, until Severus can find a new unplotted home with strong wards.”

               “The MacAuley Estate offers some of the best protection there is,” Peadar said as a hen harrier landed on his arm, ruffling its feathers before scratching itself with a beak. “No harm will come to Harry here. The wards do not let any intruders in unless they have an invite from a family member. He will be safe.”

               Albus looked at Severus.

               “Guess I’m looking for a new house now,” he shrugged. “I’ll keep you updated. And I’ll figure out a way to deal with the Dark Lord in the event he should return. But I am adopting Harry.”

               “I knew I would not be able to change your mind,” Albus said. “I only wanted you to be aware of the risks.”

               “I’m aware.”

               Albus finished his tea and smiled cheerily at everyone as he adjusted his hat.

               “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. MacAuley for your hospitality. And I will see you back at work in two weeks, Severus?”

               “I don’t think so,” Severus said, crossing his arms.

               “Severus?”

               “I quit.”

              

               Severus, Eileen, and Peadar touched the portkey and were pulled roughly to their destination. They arrived in front of the Wizarding Family Services building and were immediately mobbed by a group of reporters. A few aurors had been waiting for them, and they assisted the family through the mob as cameras flashed and reporters shouted their questions.

               Severus kept his head down, leaving the hood of his cloak up. He really didn’t want his face on the front page of the papers again. Yesterday had been rough enough. Lucius’s words and Albus’s shock over his resignation still lingered in his mind. He still wasn’t completely sure he was making the right decision as far as leaving Hogwarts, but he had Eileen’s and Peadar’s support, and that was enough.

               They made it inside with little problem, the reporters forced to remain outside by Family Services staff and the aurors. They were led to a large conference like room. After everyone was seated, the two caseworkers entered.

               “Hi, I’m Ashley Woode,” the lady with brunette hair pulled int a messy bun announced, reaching across the table to shake hands with Peadar and Eileen. “This is Grace Leer, she assisted in Harry’s new home placement and was there for the drop off with Severus.”

               Grace forced a smile as she reached across the table to shake hands with Eileen and Peadar.

               “I want to make sure that we make the best decisions for Harry,” Grace said.

               “Of course,” Eileen said, “us, too.”

               “Now,” Ashley said, grabbing everyone’s attention. “I look forward to getting to know you. Here we like to move adoptions along as quickly as possible to get children in a stable and secure environment. But first, we perform intensive background research on all our potential candidates, and you will be no different. Yes, there’s a little issue with your Death Eater history, but we do look the why’s and what exactly you did, which your arrest record shows, and really, your trial concluded not guilty and that you were a spy for the light—”

               “Which proves nothing,” Grace interrupted. “For all we know, Albus vouched for you because you made some kind of underhanded deal with him.”

               “Guess we’ll never know,” Severus said, earning an elbow jab from Eileen.

               Grace was not amused but Ashley cleared her throat and continued.

               “We do not admit hearsay into our reports. We look at facts, and we shall begin with names.”

               Everyone stated their name and Peadar and Eileen stated their relationship to Severus as well. Questions were basic: where they lived, what their profession was, hobbies, what animals lived in or around the house, what equipment was on the house, how many weapons (wands fell under that category), and if there was any alcohol or drugs in the house.

               After that was complete, questions took a turn as the dived deeper into Severus’s history. Eileen’s questions were harsh as they opened up her past abuse under Tobias Snape.

               “Were you able to protect Severus from Tobias Snape?” Grace asked yet another question about that subject.

               “I told you, I did what I could.”

               “But it was never enough, was it?”

               “Grace,” Ashley chided softly.

               “And then you abandoned Severus and left him under Tobias Snape’s care, is that correct?”

               Eileen lowered her head. “Yes.”

               “I don’t see why these are necessary,” Severus snapped. “You’ve asked enough questions about this.”  

               “Procedure,” Grace said, before looking back at Eileen and asking, “So, an abusive father and a neglectful mother. It doesn’t sound like Severus has had very good parental figures in his life. Would you agree?”

               Eileen glanced at Severus and Peadar, struggling with her words.

               “Without any role model to follow, it can be safe to say that Severus does not know what responsible parenting looks like because you were never there, and Tobias Snape was an unfit parent with an unpredictable temper and a drinking problem. And his influence has affected and shaped Severus in a similar manner, would you agree.”

               “He’s not his father.”

               “But he did willingly leave the boy at a new foster family without much fuss, correct? Quick to abandon, I’d say.”

               “He had no choice . . .”

               “And now he suddenly wants the boy back. Sounds to me like attachment problems, influenced by a history of neglect and unreliable figures.”

               Eileen blinked back tears as she tried not to let those words affect her, but she couldn’t help but wonder how much of it might be true.

               “Severus . . .”

               “Severus cannot be expected to be a reliable and safe parent due to his upbringing, isn’t that the truth?”

               “Enough of this!” Severus said, slamming his hands down on the table as he stood up, startling everyone in the room. “You’re badgering my mother and I will not stand for it. You keep this up and we’ll all leave, and I’ll just kidnap the boy back myself and call it a day.”

               Everyone was silent as Eileen stared wide eyed between Severus and the two ladies. Peadar stroked his mustache in thought, Grace glared at Severus, and Ashley leaned her face into her hand, pen and paper abandoned.

               Eileen reached up and pushed down on Severus’s shoulder. Taking the hint, Severus sat back down, but he glared across the table at Grace.

               “Please,” Ashley finally spoke in an exhausted voice, “don’t kidnap Harry again. We’re actually doing pretty well, Grace.”

               Ashley gave Grace a pointed look, but she huffed and looked off.

               “Peadar,” Ashely asked. “How would you describe Severus’s overall temperament.”

               “Hmm,” Peadar glanced at Severus. “Conscientious but guarded”

               Severus rolled his eyes.

               “Has he ever lost his temper?’ Grace asked while Ashley tried to remember how to spell “conscientious.”

               “Have you?” Peadar shot back evenly.

               “Describe Severus’s behavior when he is pushed over the edge,” Ashley supplied before Grace could make a comeback.

               “Ah, good question,” Peadar said, sitting back and tapping his chin. “He contains himself pretty well. Yeah, he’ll yell and pace, might throw a couple things when he’s alone, but he’s never hurt anyone or lashed out at them, especially at that boy. I’ve never seen him more patient with someone, let alone a kid.”

               “So, do you believe that Severus’s upbringing will have any impact on how he raises Harry?” Ashley asked.

               “Of course,” Peadar said. “He may have had a troubled childhood, and while some may reflect their parents, Severus more often does not. He overcame those negative attributes and became his own individual, with an understanding of what not to be and do. When I first met Severus, he was a moody seventeen-year-old. But at the same time, he was a gentleman. He was respectful to me, hard-working, did anything I asked, even if it was shoveling the stable. He’s a good man, and he has made up with his mother despite what happened. I think that says a lot about his character.”

               Ashley smiled while Grace leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

               “Okay,” Ashley said, “I think we have what we need from you, Mr. and Mrs. MacAuley. You’re good to wait out in reception while we finish with Severus. Thank you.”    

               When Severus was alone with the two women, they introduced some new questions, like why he wanted to adopt, how well he understood the adoption process, if he could provide for a child financially, what his plan was for schooling Harry, what he would do if Harry fell sick with a muggle illness (apparently purebloods struggled with that one). And the questions went on, with several role-playing scenarios and various other questions that he did not have an immediate answer for.

               What the hell was he supposed to do if Harry refused to eat dinner? The couple times Harry had decided not to eat, there had been legit reasons—save for the time Severus decided not to eat his own meal. It had seemed fair at the time, but was it the wrong thing to do?

               And his expectations of Harry? What did that even mean? And then what kind of parent did he think he would be? How was he supposed to know—was this just a guess based on what he knew of himself? Was he supposed to compare himself to his own parents? What would he look for in a new job? What would he like his schedule to be? How much time would he put aside for Harry alone? What responsibility will Harry have in the family? What would he do if Harry ran away—wasn’t that the question of the year? How would he help Harry with mourning his deceased parents . . .?

               “I don’t know!” Severus finally snapped, leaning forward, and rubbing his temples. “I don’t know.”

               Grace and Ashley shared a look. Ashley smiled softly while Grace frowned and whispered something in Ashley’s ear. Ashley rolled her eyes and gently flicked her wand, casting a muffling charm around the two. Severus watched slightly amused as the two ladies argued under the charm before Grace stood and stormed out of the room. Ashley gave an exasperated look before cancelling the spell and smiling at Severus.

               “We have everything we need from you, Severus,” Ashley said. “Thank you so much for your time and patience in all of this.”

               “I didn’t answer half of your questions.”

               “It’s okay. I haven’t interviewed anyone who could answer everything the first time. We never really know what we’re doing half the time anyway, do we?”

               Severus couldn’t answer that either, but he accepted that he was dismissed, and he thanked Ashley and left the room. Eileen and Peadar greeted him in the waiting area.

               “It’s about time,” Peadar said. “What did ya say to that Leer girl?”

               “I’m not the one who chased her away,” Severus said. “Look, I’m actually pretty tired, I think I’ll head home.”

               “Sounds like a plan to me. Hopefully, the elves have dinner on the stove.”

               “We’ll have an answer for you tomorrow once management has had a chance to review this case as well,” Ashley said when she walked out of the room. “Have a good night, everyone.”

               Peadar, Eileen, and Severus walked out the door into the chilly night air, but just as quickly as they stepped on the pavement, reporters were on their feet and running for them. The aurors had long ago left, so they had to push their own way through the flashing cameras and jumbles of questions. Severus managed to twist and turn his way out of the crowd quickly, leaving Eileen and Peadar to fend for themselves as he walked down a dark alley, wishing for a moment of peace alone anyway.

               He was glad Ashley Woode was on his case. He had a feeling if not for her, he wouldn’t be getting any closer to adopting Harry. And he would have an answer by tomorrow morning. That would be a relief and then he could pick Harry up and apologize profusely. As much as he focused on wishing to see Harry, he couldn’t get the bond to reach out. Harry seemed to have more control over it than he did, as odd as it was to admit it. He had ultimately decided not to tell anyone else about the bond he shared with Harry. It would be a family secret.

               Sharp pain shot up his leg and Severus hissed. He reached for his wand as he turned, only to be hit by a stunning spell that sent him crashing to the ground.

Two hooded cloaked figures pounced on him, sending curses that cut and burned as they approached, slicing the skin on his arms and legs. One spell burned a hold in his shirt, then a lacerating spell caught him on the ribs.

Severus was able to countercurse the stunning spell, but before he could lift his wand, he was assaulted with hard kicks to the chest and back that forced the breath out of him, and he shielded his head with his arms as a boot flew awfully close to his nose.

“Severus!” Eileen’s voice shouted.

The two figures bolted.

“Stop!” Eileen shouted as she chased after the figures, but they disapparated. Eileen turned back to Severus, kneeling at his side, and hovering her hands over his bloody arms.

“Dear Merlin,” Eileen muttered. “Peadar! Help!”

“I’m fine,” Severus hissed. He attempted to push himself up, but he sucked in a breath at the stabbing, throbbing pain that erupted from the cuts on his arms and his ribs. He fell back to the ground and panted, cold blood dripping to the ground that spun in his vision. He closed his eyes tightly.

Hands turned him on his back, and he faded from consciousness.

 

               A ticking clock invaded his subconscious, followed by the rays of the morning sun. Severus slowly blinked his eyes open and looked around. The white walls and curtains told him he was in St. Mungo’s. He vaguely remembered last night and looked down at his arms. They were bandaged in white. Under the hospital gown, he could feel the restriction of a bandage wrapped around his entire torso. He recognized those curses. They did not heal quickly even with potions. He would be wrapped up for a week at least.

               He spotted a pain reliever potion on the stand next to his bed, and he grabbed it and downed it in two gulps. He didn’t care if it followed the healer’s orders or not, he needed it now.

               “Are you okay?”

               Severus jumped at the sound of Harry’s voice.

               There, sitting at the end of his bed, was Harry in that strange ghost form once more.

               “I’m all right, Harry.”

               Harry’s lower lip puckered out.

               “You got hurt because of me.”

               “No,” Severus shook his head. “That’s not what happened. I think I know who did it. It was nothing to do with you.”

               “The Andersons said that too.” Harry looked down.

               “They’re right.”

               “I read the paper. It had everything to do with me.”

               “I think you’re misinterpreting.”

               “No one wants you to have me.” Harry looked back up at Severus. “I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

               “Harry,” Severus tried to push himself up, but it took a lot of strength.

               Harry’s form looked away however, and it began to fade.

               “Harry, no, wait! Don’t leave.”

               The patronus-like image of Harry disappeared. Severus pushed himself up, finding his clothes folded up on the stand. He threw his legs over and grabbed his robe, stripping out of the hospital gown. Putting his socks and sneakers on, he shakily stood up.

               “Sir,” the healer said, rushing into the room at the sight of Severus. “Sir, please, your injuries are freshly dressed and magically sewn, you do not want to stress them and reopen them, sit back down.”

               “I need to see Harry.” Severus pushed past the doctor, his strength slowly returning despite the pain in his body. A nurse walked into the room with a tray of several pain relievers and Severus nearly stumbled into her. Severus grabbed another vial and downed it before setting it back down.

               The pain diminished greatly, and he managed to pick up the speed out of the hospital.

               “Severus!” Eileen cried as she watched him half sprint past the front desk where she was discussing Severus’s discharge for later that evening. She ran toward her son. “What are you doing? You can’t leave yet.”

               “Something’s wrong,” Severus said. “I need to see Harry.”

               “You’re in no shape to do that,” Eileen said, putting a hand on his shoulder and pushing to stop him from walking out the door. “Look, you’re making yourself bleed again. Back to bed with you.”

               Severus looked down and noticed the white bandaged on his arms and chest slowly turning red. Though his legs did not suffer as much, a single cut had reopened, and a thin trail of blood trickled down his right calf. He was high on pain relievers now, so he felt none of it. He tried to push his mother aside without being too rough.

               “Harry needs to know that he can’t—”

               “Oh good, you’re up!” Ashley Woode said as she entered the hospital. “I have good news and bad news. Good news: we’ve approved the adoption. Bad news: Harry’s run away from the Andersons. No one knows where he is.”

               He might be high on pain relievers, but Severus felt his heart ache in worry at that wonderful bit of news.    

 

               Meanwhile, Harry ran as fast as he could through the trees. He knew the Andersons would probably call for help to come find him—the police maybe. They seemed more caring and attentive than the Dursleys ever were. But he had to get away. He had to make himself disappear so no one he cared about would get hurt because of him anymore. It hurt seeing Mr. Snape’s crumpled body on the front page where he had been jumped. And then seeing him all wrapped up in the hospital was just too much. He needed to leave. He was a burden to everyone.

               Harry paused to wipe at the tears escaping his eyes. He looked back. He had to leave Miss Trifle behind so she would be cared for. He didn’t want her to suffer hunger and no bed like he knew he would for a while now. He hoped the Andersons took good care of her for him. Or maybe he should go back and get her.

               No. It was too late for that now. Harry knew that if he ran fast enough and thought of somewhere else hard enough, he could disappear and reappear in a new place. He had done it a couple times before.

               Taking a couple big breaths, Harry ran as fast as he could, thinking hard about someplace where he would be wanted, where someone would want him, and he wouldn’t put anyone in danger. Running as fast as he could, he felt the strange tingle all over his body and then a squeezing sensation before he stumbled and fell on soft grass.

               Sniffing, he relaxed and took several deep breaths. That magic always left him so exhausted. He looked around. There was a fence to his left and pastures and pastures of land to his right. How strange. This is where his magic thought he would be wanted? He slowly stood up and frowned at the barn in the distance. It looked vaguely familiar.

               Looking back at the fence to his left, his eyes searched past it, and he saw the tower of MacAuley Estate and horses a few pastures away. He felt tears in his eyes as he realized he truly was wanted here, even if Mr. Snape had ended up hurt because of him. He was still wanted, and maybe even loved. He had yet to hear Mr. Snape say it, but he knew he could feel it. His eyes fell on the fence, and they widened as he realized something else.

               A loud snort sounded behind him.

               Time froze as Harry stopped breathing and his heart picked up speed. He slowly turned around.

               A large bull snorted again and pawed the ground as it jerked its head about, showing off its large horns.

               Harry gulped as a shiver slithered down his back. He was on the wrong side of the fence.

 

Severus felt his heart stop and he would have falled over if it weren’t for the many hands of healers and nurses grabbing him. His bandaged arms were slowly turning red and his chest hurt from the reopened wound. He took a few deep breaths as the healers tried to push him down in a wheelchair. He closed his eyes. He had to make the connection reach out. He had to find Harry. He had to find Harry.

               “Severus,” Ashley said, standing in front of him, helping him sit in the wheelchair. He opened his eyes. “We need to find Harry. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

               Severus shook his head. “No, if I knew . . .”

               “You’d tell us.” Ashley nodded. “We’re going to find him. I’m so sorry this happened.”

               “You should have expected it!” Severus couldn’t help but shout.

               “Sir, please,” the healer said, “you need to remain calm. Your blood pressure is spiking. Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

               “We’ll look for him, Sev,” Eileen said as he was wheeled back to his room. “We’ll find him.”

               Severus closed his eyes again, forcing his mind to reach out to Harry. If he could not make the bond act by thinking about Harry, maybe he could get it to respond with Legilimency. He focused all his magic on that gift and reached out to an image of Harry in his mind. He felt a twinge of a connection, and suddenly he was swallowed by an overwhelming warmth. For a brief minute, he felt like he was walking on air and he finally opened his eyes.

               Harry’s patronus-like form stood before him, wide-eyed and visibly shaking.

               “Wait!” Severus shouted, and everyone froze and stared at him. Harry’s form had jumped at the loudness. “I see him.”

               Eileen smiled while Ashley frowned and walked over to Severus and the healers and nurses, who were staring at him dumbfounded.

               “You see Harry?” Ashley asked, but Severus was focused on talking to someone in front of him.

               “Harry,” Severus said gently, “where are you? Please tell me. I know you’re scared and hurt, but . . .”

               “Bull,” Harry whispered.

               “Excuse me?” Severus frowned. He wasn’t sure if Harry meant a serious bull or if he was calling him out.

               “Who are you talking to?” a nurse asked, looking back and forth between Severus and the space in front of him.

               “Bull,” Harry repeated, taking a slow step back. “On the other side of the fence.”

               Severus suddenly knew what Harry was talking about as the memory of helping Peadar fix the mangled fence jumped to his mind. His eyes widened and he whispered. “Harry, don’t run.”

               Harry froze. Then he whispered, “help me.” Tears welled in Harry’s eyes.

               “Back away slowly,” Severus said. “Very slowly. Mother!”

               “I’m here,” Eileen said, rushing to Severus’s side.

               “He’s in the neighbor’s pasture. The crazy bull’s pasture.”

               Eileen’s eyes widened and she quickly pushed away and ran through the hall, Ashley running at her side.

               “How does he know that? Who was he talking to?”

               “It’s a long story.” Eileen said. “We need to hurry.”

               “How did Harry even get to your neighbors?”

               “He’s quite the little runaway,” was all Eileen said as they passed the anti-apparition wards and apparated away.

               Harry was slowly backing away still, his patronus image starting to fade.

               “Hurry,” Harry said before he faded completely.

               Severus sighed and leaned back in the wheelchair, starting to feel lightheaded. The healers and nurses shared a look before shrugging and pushing him along to magically resew his wounds.

 

               Peadar was letting out the last of the horses into the fields when Shandy and Finn began barking madly. Peadar turned around but did not see anyone in his fields. He frowned at the barking dogs.

               “Quiet,” he said. “There’s no one there.”

               The dogs hushed for a second, before Shandy started barking again, Finn following his lead. Peadar rolled his eyes and walked over to the dogs, kneeling next to them and looking off into the distance, trying to spot what they might see at their height. He still didn’t see anything. He shook his head and ruffled Finn’s head.

               “You boys are barking at the wind. Come on, let’s head back to the barn.”

               Shandy snorted, then bolted forward.

               “Hey!” Peadar called, grabbing Finn’s collar before he could take off after Shandy. “Shandy!”

               Shandy ran through the fields as fast as he could, flying between the fences’ boards and heading for the newly installed electric fence in the farthest pasture.

 

               Harry kept backing away slowly toward the fence as the bull advanced on him, swinging its head and mooing lowly. He held his breath and his heart thumped in his chest loudly. He shivered as a chill went down his spine and he looked around for a place to hide. He didn’t think he could get through the fence fast enough without the bull charging.

               Harry slowly reached a hand back to the fence.

               A jolt burned his hand and shocked his body, and he was thrown forward as he cried out in pain.

               The bull roared and charged, and Harry covered his head as the horns just missed him. The bull was right over him, the horns in the grass on the other side of Harry, and he was trapped between the bull’s horns and feet. The bull struggled to free its horns and shuffled its feet to do so. It kept angrily growling.

Harry found his breath that had been knocked out with the shock, and he crawled out from under the angry bull who freed its horns from the grass. It turned and eyed Harry, swinging its head once more.

Harry back crawled away as the bull walked towards him. He screamed when it charged, horns lowered.

A flash of red flew by and latched on to the bull’s nose, and the bull veered off to Harry’s right, running right past him as it swung its head and rammed the ground to try and loosen the animal biting its nose.

Harry watched shakily as the bull raged and bucked. The animal was finally thrown off, but it rolled and got up on its feet, darting around and barking at the bull, baiting it to follow. Harry saw the red collar from where he sat. It was Shandy.

               The bull chased Shandy in circles while the dog galloped at full speed. Harry looked at his hand. It was blistered and red. His lip trembled and tears fell out of his eyes. His hand really hurt, and the pain throbbed up his arm. He looked back just in time to see the bull trample over the dog, Shandy yelping loudly.

               Harry gasped.

               The bull ran off and turned a few yards away from Shandy, who laid still in the ground. Harry crawled forward slowly, keeping an eye on the bull as he moved closer to the dog. He reached Shandy and slowly touched the dog, running his hand over the whimpering dog’s side. It felt welt, and he lifted his hand and stared at the red blood staining it.

               “Shandy,” Harry cried. “Get up. Come on.”

               The bull roared again and swung its head as it charged Harry and the dog once more. Harry leaned over the dog and hugged him, tears falling down his cheeks. He’d never be able to outrun the bull. He closed his eyes tightly.

               Suddenly, he felt fur brush his side and his head shot up as he watched the other dog, Finn, fly by and bark at the dog, charging it head on before darting off to the side at the last minute. Leading the bull away.

               “Harry!” Eileen cried, running over to him. She picked him up, Harry wrapping his arms around her and crying in relief. Eileen gasped at the blood all over his hands and shirt. “Are you bleeding? Where are you hurt?”

               “Just my hand,” Harry said. He pointed to the ground. “Shandy.”

               Eileen looked down and gasped. Peadar caught up to everyone in time to see what Harry had pointed to and he took a deep breath as he kneeled next to the dog. Ashley had a hand over her mouth as she felt tears in her eyes at the sight of Harry and the dog.

               Four horsemen galloped into the field and three of them began roping the bucking cow. The fourth galloped straight to the group and an older man jumped off his horse, running up to Peadar and looking down at the dog.

               “I’m so sorry about this,” the man said. “I saw the commotion from the house and got my boys saddled up as fast as we could. I’ve got this, okay?” The man pointed at Shandy. “Let me take him to the vet, I’ll take care of everything.”

               The man looked up at Harry, and his eyes widened at the blood on him.

               “Is he okay? Did the bull get ya, son?”

               Harry shook his head and pointed at Shandy again. The man nodded, picked up Shandy, and said, “You’ve got yerself a brave, loyal companion here. I’m going to make sure he gets all the help he needs.” The man jumped up on his horse with the dog and galloped out of the field. One of the young men offered Peadar a horse and Peadar followed his neighbor.

               “You all okay?” one of the boys asked the ladies and Harry. They ladies nodded while Harry hid his face in Eileen’s shoulder. The bull was roped and calm, two men still pulling tight on the ropes. Finn ran over to Eileen and sat at her feet. “I’m real sorry about the bull. He’s been more of a danger than anything else lately. I think it’s time we call it for him.”

               “Thank you for getting here and stopping it from hurting my grandson,” Eileen said, rubbing Harry’s back.

               “Of course, ma’am.”

               Eileen and Ashley walked to the gate of the electric fence. Eileen softly muttered a spell and pushed the gate open, the electricity momentarily turned off. Finn followed at their heel and she sent the dog ahead to the barn. When they were sure the men weren’t watching, Ashley and Eileen apparated back to the hospital.

              

               Severus slowly woke up from the light sleep he had been put under in order for the healers to sew up his wounds again and rebandage. He was still slightly out of it and dozed in and out for another twenty minutes before he was fully awake again. He groaned and sat up, hissing at the pain in his ribs. He gasped as sharp pain shot through his chest and he leaned back again. He closed his eyes and leaned against the cold, metal bedframe.

               He vaguely remembered what had happened that morning. Harry had run away from his foster family. He had finally made the connection reach out to Harry intentionally and found out where the boy was. He also learned no one else could see the ghost like forms when Harry and himself used the bond. And Harry had been in the neighbor’s yard where a mad bull was being held. He sat up suddenly again.

               Where was Harry? Was he safe? Did the bull maim him? He had finally been approved and his first day as father ended with Harry being chopped to pieces. A dread filled his chest as he tried to push himself up but found that he could not get his legs down. He saw the bell above his head and rang it.

               No one came immediately.

               Impatient, he rang it again incessantly.  

               “Hold on!” Eileen shouted.

               Severus was surprised to hear her voice and he frowned. Was that a good sign? Did Harry survive the encounter? Severus waited a moment. He could hear the mutters of Eileen and some of the healers, as well as Ashley’s voice. What on earth could be more important than telling him where Harry was.

               Once again, Severus rang the bell.

               This time, he was rewarded with Harry running into his room, all smiles as the boy ran up to Severus’s bed, smiling up at him. Severus couldn’t help but stare in surprise at first.

               “Nana says,” Harry began, “if you ring the bell one more time, she’s going to shove it down your throat.”        

               Severus chuckled at that and picked up Harry, holding him in a tight hug on his lap.

               “Are you okay?” Severus asked him, taking note of his bandaged hand.

               “I’m okay,” Harry said, snuggling against Severus’s chest as gently as he could. “Are you okay?”

               “I’m going to be just fine. What happened to your hand? Did the bull get you?’

               “No. I touched the fence and it zapped me. It got Shandy.”

               “The bull got Shandy?”

               “Yeah,” Harry said, his eyes tearing up again and he sniffed as he leaned more into Severus. “It’s all my fault—he was trying to help me and the bull got him. I never even got to hug him.”

               “Hey,” Severus shushed, tightening his arms around Harry. “It’ll be okay. Shandy knows how much you thank him for saving you. He’s going to get a big juicy bone tonight.”

               “What if he dies because of me?” Harry cried softly.

               “It won’t be because of you,” Severus said. “Shandy would have done it for anyone of us in trouble. He loves you.”

               “Really?” Harry asked, looking up at Severus.

               “Really.”

               “I never said I love him back.” Harry sniffed.

               “You’ll get your chance,” Severus said. He adjusted Harry off his lap and to his side as the weight of the child was starting to hurt his chest. He leaned back on his bed and ran his fingers through Harry’s hair. Harry snuggled up against him, still teary eyed but calming down as he rested his head on Severus’s shoulder. Severus pulled him closer against him. “I’m sorry I sent you away, but I didn’t have a choice then. But now, I would very much like to adopt you so no one can make me send you away ever again. How does that sound?”

               Harry met Severus’s eyes and he stared up at him for a long minute. Then, he smiled and nodded.

               “I didn’t like it there.”

               “At the Andersons? Why’s that? Were they nice?”

               “Yeah. But I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to stay with you.”

               “I know,” Severus said. “And I didn’t want to leave you. And I promise you, I will never leave again. You are stuck with me now. So, no more running away, okay?”

               “Okay,” Harry smiled, closing his eyes, and resting his head against Severus.

               Eileen, Ashley, and a man in a black silk gown and bar jacket entered the room.

               “Well, Severus,” Ashley smiled, “Judge Reiley is here to officialize your adoption of Harry Potter.”

               Severus’s eyebrows shot up as he forced himself to sit up.

               “Really?” He tried once again to stand again, but his legs would not let him off the bed. “Is there a reason I can’t get off the bed?”

               “A healer spelled you to stay put,” Eileen answered smugly.

               “Don’t worry,” Judge Reiley smiled. “I don’t need you to rise, not here, not for this. Trust me, it won’t take long. Ashley.” The man nodded at Ashley, who stepped forward with some papers on a clipboard. “These are your adoption papers. I’m going to ask you a few questions while Ashley tells you where to sign. Is he information on the documents correct?”

               Severus saw his name, his addresss, his place of work—which was blank now and said “actively searching”—and other personal identification information, such as date of birth, parents names, and so on. He knew these papers automatically updated themselves and when he found a job, the document would magically change. He nodded his head.

               “Yes,” he said softly as he signed his name at the end of the paper.

               Ashley switched the papers around.

               “Is the information on these documents correct?”

               Severus glanced over Harry’s information, and smiled at the end where his name was listed down as “Harry James Potter-Snape.” He nodded again.

               “Yes.”

               “Do you swear to treat Harry as your legal son, no differently than if he were your own blood, and care, provide, and protect him as needed?”        

               “Of course.” Severus signed where Ashley pointed. She flipped the papers around, and Severus saw the adoption certificate this time. He smiled down at Harry and signed his name on it.

               “Harry, is this man who he claims to be?”

               Harry smiled and nodded.

               “And do you agree to be adopted by Severus Snape?”

               “Yes, please.”

               Judge Reiley smiled at Harry and nodded his head.

               “Very good. I approve this adoption. Congratulations, you two.”

               Severus felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he was handed a copy of all the paper work and he shook hands with Ashley and Judge Reiley. Eileen hugged Ashley and the judge as the left before she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Harry was curled up against Severus still, his arms wrapped loosely around Severus.

               “I am so proud of both of you,” Eileen said. She leaned over and kissed Harry’s cheek. She gave her son a look as she said, “You’re getting one, too.”

               “Mother,” Severus protested, but could do little as she planted a kiss on his forehead. Damn sticking charm. When would the doctor free him?

               “I should use a sticking charm on you more often,” Eileen smirked.

               Harry snuggled against Severus, then looked up at Severus with adoring eyes.

               “Does this mean you’re my daddy, now?”

               Severus looked down at Harry, who’s eyes suddenly looked unsure. Severus leaned down and kissed Harry’s temple as he wrapped an arm around Harry.

               “Of course. You are mine, now. And no one is taking you from me.”

               “I love you, Daddy,” Harry said.

               Eileen awed, and Severus felt his heart melt.

               “I love you, too, Harry.”

              

               Later that evening, a healer came in with more pain reliever potions a nurse was carrying.  

               “We’ll have you out of here in no time,” the healer said, “we’re sending you home with extra strength pain relievers and they should get you through the next week, at the end of which your wounds should have healed up by then. The bandage should be changed daily and . . .”

               “You call these extra strength?” Severus interrupted after downing one of the vials. “These are crap.”

               “Severus,” Eileen scolded, motioning to the sleeping Harry next to him.

               “I apologize, sir,” the healer said, “that they are not satisfactory. We could play around with the dosage for you and . . .”

               “Who’s your brewer?” Severus asked.

               “Retired three years ago. These are from freelance brewers.”

               “Well, they’re doing it wrong.”

               “Would you like us to prescribe a different potion?”

               Severus growled under his breath. He had to do everything himself, didn’t he. He carefully removed his arm from around Harry and said, “Just bring me a cauldron. And while you’re at it, grab three ounces of willow bark, 3 grams of turmeric, a pinch of ground mandrake root, unicorn horn dust, and a teaspoon of honey. Get to it.”

               The healer and nurse shared a look before the healer shrugged and said, “You heard the man. Go get him a cauldron.”

               It took twenty minutes until three nurses managed to find all the ingredients and a cauldron for Severus. The healer cancelled the sticking charm on Severus and created a makeshift workplace for him. Severus worked quickly and effectively, adding the ingredients where they were needed and stirred strategically. In the process of another twenty minutes, he had gained a large audience of healers and nurses who watched him closely. He used a final pain-relieving charm on the potion and turned off the heat. He used his wand to cool down the potion and he smirked.

               “There,” Severus said. “Now that’s an extra-strength pain reliever.”

               Everyone cheered and clapped.

               Severus dipped a vial in and let it fill before chugging it. His healer stepped in and took the vial.

               “I think you’ve had enough pain potions for one day,” the healer said. “But that was very impressive. Would you consider a full-time position as Brewer of the Hospital? We are in urgent need of someone who could keep our inventory in stock, as well as brew blood replenishing potions on the spot with the blood of a relative drawn fresh and brew any other emergency and/or rare potion we might otherwise not even think of. What do you say?”

               Severus blinked. He had not expected to impress anyone that much with his brewing skills. He looked at Eileen, who raised her brows and offered a small smile to him. He glanced back at Harry, who was stirring from his nap. He had just adopted his son and now he wanted to spend time with him, not jump into another busy job. He frowned. But he did need the money.

               “May I have a few days to consider it?”

               ‘Of course,” the healer said. “Take all the time you need. This position has been extremely hard to fill, I doubt anyone else will jump on it.”

               “Thank you.”

               “We will vial your potion for you. Do you mind if we keep some for our stock?”

               Severus shook his head, and everyone cleared out of his room, carting the cauldron out as well. Severus used the chance to rush to the restroom and splash water on his face. He looked at the bandages on his chest and cast a see-through charm. There was a large, long scar across his chest. He wondered how well it would heal. With one last long look, he returned to his bed and sat down on it. He rubbed Harry’s back as the boy yawned and blinked up at him.

               “You’ve slept all afternoon, honey,” Severus said. “You’ve had a long day, huh?”

               “Is Shandy okay?” Harry asked.

               Severus sighed. He had not heard any news about the dogs. He looked at Eileen, who looked down, avoiding his eyes. Harry’s lips were already starting to tremble as the worst entered Harry’s mind.

               “Shandy is okay,” Peadar announced as he entered the room, Shandy scooped in his arms, his chest and front legs wrapped in green bandage, a cone on his head. “He’s going to make a full recovery.”

               “Shandy!” Harry cried, crawling to the end of his bed and opening his arms. Peadar was surprised, but he settled Shandy at the end of the bed, and the dog wagged his tail as Harry carefully wrapped his arms around the dog. Shandy licked the cone in an attempt to lick Harry.

               Severus smiled at the two while Eileen filled Peadar in on what had happened. Peadar grinned at Harry, his official grandson. Harry was busy holding on to Shandy as the dog wiggled on the bed. Severus scooted down to the end of the bed, petting Shandy’s back and wrapping an arm around Harry. He leaned down and kissed the top of Harry’s head, getting the boy’s attention. Harry smiled and leaned against Severus, Shandy lying down across Harry’s lap, wagging his tail all the while.     

              

 

 

               He took a deep breath as he slowly unraveled the bandages around his chest. He hissed as the last of the bandage rolled off and his scars stretched as he straightened himself, staring closely at the two slashes across his chest in the mirror. He traced over them with a finger, feeling the raised, jagged edges. The cuts on his arm were not nearly as large as the few that struck his chest during the attack, and those cuts were mostly healed at this point. But the two on his chest—they lingered like an everlasting reminder of where he stood now in the world—cowering on the sidelines, too stubborn and angry to pick a side, knowing that both had betrayed him.

               What on earth was he supposed to do now?

               He ran a hand through his hair, having to grind his teeth at the movement, then grabbed the scar reducing salve on the bathroom counter and smeared a generous amount over his chest, then his arms and legs. After adopting Harry yesterday, there was a lot on his mind, mostly about how he was going to proceed when the inevitable war started back up. He knew that those circumstances may not even happen for years, but regardless, he needed a plan now. What would happen if the Dark Lord managed to return tomorrow? How could he juggle keeping Harry safe and avoid being hunted down by the world’s greatest sociopath?

               He did not regret adopting Harry. He was relieved it was all over and that Harry was safe with him. He hadn’t known it before for so long, but he truly had grown to love and care for Harry as his own. News spread fast of course, and it was all over the evening paper that mocked him from the dining table when he had returned to MacAuley Estate last night with everyone else. He did not look forward to reading this morning’s paper on how wrong the system was to let someone like himself adopt the incredible Boy-Who-Lived. I could always not read it, he thought.

               And then there was the matter of raising Harry and all that would entail: school, uniforms, healthcare, a house. He was supposed to be house hunting now. What was so wrong about Spinner’s End? It sheltered perfectly fine.

               A new house was also a big investment. He needed to find a new job, and the one at St Mungo’s weighed on his mind. It sounded like a busy, full time job that would pull his attention away from Harry. He didn’t want to become the parent that was never there or reliable. Maybe he could find a partner to work with and help lessen the load, so he was not working at all hours of day and night.

               There was also the matter of the assault that kept coming back to the forefront of his brain. The aurors had stopped by last night and he gave a short statement about the attack. They had told him he was more than welcome to press charges if he knew who the men were, but Severus declined against Peadar’s and Eileen’s wishes. Simply put, he was not up for a battle against someone who could buy his way to victory. Besides, while Lucius would never be caught red-handed—Severus knew who the man would turn to for an underhanded task. He would handle that situation when he was healed and off the pain meds.

               As Severus wrapped a fresh bandage around his chest to protect the sensitive scarred skin from rubbing against fabric, the movement of his arms caught his attention, and he froze at the sight of his left arm.

               Slowly, he turned his arm just so and stared at his skin. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He gingerly touched his forearm, rubbing the scar that remained where once his Dark Mark sat. But the mark itself was gone.

               He turned his arm this was and that, compared it to his other arm, then looked back at his left again. He rubbed his fingers up and down along the scar before summoning his wand and flicking several counter spells to deflect any concealment charms. When nothing happened, he stared at the small scar once more, tracing it with a finger.

               “Impossible,” Severus muttered. “No, no, that’s impossible.”

               Bark!

               Severus’s head snapped toward the sound. Finn sat outside his bathroom door, his head tilted and his tail alert. The dog barked again and spun in a circle.

               “You know something about this?” Severus asked, motioning to his arm.

               Finn sneezed before the sound of dishes downstairs lured him out of the room and he took off.

               “Okay, we’ll talk later,” Severus said as he waved Finn off.

Severus smiled as he returned to bandaging his chest. He drank down his pain reliever, did a quick shave, combed his hair, then dressed for the day, all while sparing glances at his arm. He couldn’t take his eyes off the scar as he walked downstairs to join everyone else for breakfast, his index finger tracing the scar’s edges.

“There you are, Severus,” Eileen greeted. She was just setting down the dog bowls for Shandy and Finn. Shandy hobbled over to his dish as best as he could with his forelegs bandaged up and he struggled for a few seconds with the cone before he found the right position to eat his food. “I was wondering if you were coming down or not. How are the wounds?”

“Healing,” Severus answered, pulling his eyes away from his arm. “How’s Harry doing? Is he awake?”

“He is.” Eileen motioned to the dining table with a wave of her hand. “But not having a good morning. He might be coming down with something. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

Concerned, Severus turned his attention to Harry. The child was slouching in his seat and rubbing his eyes, his legs swinging slowly. He frowned and stood behind Harry’s chair, leaning down so he could talk quietly.

“Are you feeling okay, Harry?” he asked, reaching down, and putting a hand over Harry’s forehead. Harry did feel slightly warm. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m tired,” Harry said, pushing slightly into Severus’s cold hand. “And my head hurts.”

“He doesn’t have a fever,” Eileen said when Severus pulled out his wand to check. “I already checked. Just a headache, I believe.”

“Maybe some food will help,” Severus said, slipping his wand back up his sleeve. “Look, Nana made boxty, don’t you want to try it?”

Harry slowly sat up and picked up his fork, taking a small bite of the potato pancake. Less concerned now, Severus moved into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee, his eyes trailing back down to his arm, rubbing the bare skin around the arm. As he poured the hot drink into a mug, he wondered if he should grab a headache reliever and a pepper up potion for Harry, who had taken two more bites of his boxty before slouching in his seat again and rubbing his eyes with a big yawn. He figured he’d wait until Harry had finished eating what he would of his breakfast. Maybe he would perk up after.

Severus sat down across from Harry and stared at his arm once again. Distracted, he hardly noticed Harry watching him until the child spoke.

“What are you looking at?”

Severus glanced over at Harry. He rubbed his arm and forced himself to look away and put his arms down.

“Nothing,” Severus said. “You know, you and I have some errands to run today.”

“Like what?” Harry whined, not sounding at all excited about these errands.

“Well, we have to sign you up for school, make sure you have enough school appropriate clothes, and I know someone who’s willing to show us a few houses today.”

“I don’t want to see houses. We live here, don’t we?”

“It’s my parents’ house, not mine.”

“They have room for us.”

“I know. But I’d like a nice quiet place of my own. You will, too, trust me on that. I was thinking about staying in the area, so we’ll be close to Nana and Papa whenever you want to visit. Besides, even if we moved far away, you could still floo over. You obviously know how to use the floo on your own.”

“Sorry about that,” Harry said softly. He picked at his food.

               “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have left you alone without a word.”

               “Can I just stay here today? My head really hurts.”

               Severus frowned.

               “When did your head start hurting?”

               “I don’t know. This morning?”

               “How is your hand? Are you sure there’s no lingering aftershock after the bull incident yesterday? Or from touching the electric fence?”

               “My hand is fine,” Harry said “There’s not even a scar.”

               “I’m going to get you a headache reliever. We’ll see if that helps.”

               “I don’t want a potion.”

               “Would you rather muggle medicine?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “A potion it is,” Severus decided, standing from the table. “Eat more of your breakfast and drink your milk.”

               Harry pouted at his food while Severus walked around him and toward the potions supply closet. He glanced through before spotting the headache reliever. He was hoping Harry felt better after the potion and brightened up. He really had some surprises for him. Severus walked back to the dining room and pulled out a chair next to Harry. He held the potion out to the child, who begrudgingly accepted it with a face. As Harry drank it, Severus caught sight of red, and he leaned forward, brushing Harry’s hair back.

               “Honey, your scar is bleeding,” Severus said, summoning a warm washcloth and dabbing at it. Harry hissed at the touch.

               Eileen stepped out of the kitchen and looked down at Harry, brushing back his hair while Severus cleaned the bleeding wound. Severus pulled the washcloth back and frowned. The bleeding stopped easily, but he couldn’t help but run his finger along the straight smooth scar that graced Harry’s forehead.

               “What happened to your scar?” Severus asked.

               “What do you mean?” Eileen asked, leaning close to see the scar more clearly.

               “It’s supposed to be shaped like a lightning bolt,” Severus said. “It’s . . . it’s straight up and down.”

               “Really?” Harry asked, reaching up to rub it.

               “Careful,” Severus said, catching Harry’s hand. “It seems sensitive right now. No wonder you have a headache.”

               “Hmm,” Eileen frowned in thought. “I wonder if it may have been morphed by the electric fence.”

               “You’d need a pretty high voltage to cause that kind of damage to already existent scars.”

               “Maybe his scar had some magical residue that got shocked.”

               Severus blinked at his mother’s words, then looked down at his arm curiously. Could the two be related somehow.

               “Your mark,” Eileen gasped, her eyes falling on Severus’s arm.

               Harry looked down as well.

               “What in Merlin’s name happened to your mark?” Eileen asked.

               “It just . . . vanished,” Severus answered. “Just like the shape of Harry’s scar.”

               Bark!

               Everyone looked over at Finn, who was wagging his tail. He barked again and spun in a circle. Shandy barked as well from the living room. Curious, Severus and Eileen followed the sound of the two dogs toward the fireplace. They kept barking at the mantle, and Severus looked on top of it and felt along it, carefully moving around the pictures and few figurines. Finding nothing, he turned and looked at the dogs.

               “There’s nothing here,” he said.

               The dogs huffed. They barked again. Finn jumped up on his hind legs while barking before losing his balance and falling over, catching himself as he spun in a circle and kept barking in time with Shandy.

               Severus looked back up at the fireplace, then followed the dogs’ eyes up until his eyes landed on a stone fairy figurine. As his fingers graced it, the dogs stopped barking and watched him curiously. They took a couple steps back and tilted their heads expectantly. Severus ran his fingers along the figurine, studying the winged creature’s details in the flowery dress and large wings. He turned the figurine in his hands, his eyes spotting the carving on the bottom of it.

               The Little Guardian Fairy, the script read.

               “Mother,” Severus asked. “What is this?”

               “An old Prince relic,” Eileen answered. She took the fairy from Severus, stroking the petite face. “My grandmother used to tell me the story all the time growing up.”

               Eileen sat in the armchair with the fairy, Harry leaning on the arm of the chair to see the fairy.

               “There was once a fairy village in little Littondale, where humans and fairies lived in harmony among each other. With peace, the fairies shared their magic with the humans of the dale, and in times of drought, there was no famine. In times of poverty, there was no poor. In times of sick, there was no death. For the fairies comforted and provided the humans in times of desperate needs, and in exchange, the humans gave the fairies protection from those who sought to use the fairies’ magic for rage, vengeance, and evil. The humans built tiny homes for the fairies, brought them offerings of sweet nectar, and planted trees where there was no need for agriculture. For a hundred years, the fairies and humans lived alongside each other in perfect content.

               All that is good cannot last forever, for one fateful night, a child was born stiff to a young king and queen. Distraught, they sought the fairies of Littondale and begged them for a miracle. But they told the king that their child could not be brought back to life, for the child had moved on to a happier place, and there was no magic in the world that could steal the child back. With sympathy, the fairies gave the king and queen an immortal white rose in memory of their child; a rose that would stand the tests of time. A rose that could never die.”

               But the king was not satisfied with a flower. Angered and betrayed, he spread word of the fairies’ refusal to save their child. He told lies of how they rejected him in his greatest time of need. One by one, he turned the humans against the fairies, and riots ravaged the homes of the fairies. Blood was shed, and the fairies were forced to retreat to secluded woods. They were hunted, however, and in one last desperate attempt to save themselves, they united their soles with the trees, the stones, and the plants of the forests, vanishing forever.”

               When no more fairies could be found, the king tried to destroy the immortal rose, but it did not burn, it did not break, and it did not drown. Looking at the rose only brought anger to the king’s heart, so he locked it away in the darkest room in his castle. It would never see the light of day again, but it would continue to live on despite the torture it is subjected to.”

               “What happened to the fairies?” Harry asked, his eyes wide and engaged.

               “It is said,” Eileen continued, “that their spirits still live in the forest of Littondale. If one makes a figurine in a fairy’s likeness from the wood or stone from that forest, or care for a specific plant, you will capture a fairy who will serve you in your greatest times of need. And if you give her a home, she will continue to serve your family for generations to come.”

               “Wow,” Harry said, an awed smile on his face.   

               “That’s a children’s tale,” Severus scoffed.

               “The dogs disagree,” Eileen said, gesturing to the two terriers lying down in front of her, eyes zeroed in on the figurine.

               “They don’t know what they saw,” Severus argued.

               “How do you think memories work in a dog?” Eileen asked with a smirk.

               “You’re not serious,” Severus glared, looking back and forth between the dogs and Eileen.

               Eileen was definitely serious however, and Severus was helping to hold the dogs while using Legilimency to search for last night’s memory and bring it to the front of the dog’s mind, signaling his mother when he found it. She used her wand to extract the memory and set it in a pensieve. Harry watched with an odd tilt of his head as the two performed the strange magic and set a weird, silvery strand into a bowl with clouds trapped inside.

               “Would you like to watch his memory, Harry?” Severus asked.

               “What do you mean?” Harry asked.

               “I mean would you like to see what Finn and Shandy saw last night?”

               Harry nodded.

               “All you do, is stick your head in this bowl. Relax and breath normally and keep your eyes open.” Severus used a charm to make the bowl larger so all three could stick their heads in. “Ready?”

               With that, the three stuck their heads in.

               The memory started with Shandy and Finn pacing around downstairs before settling down in the living room in front of the fireplace. As the clock struck three am, the fairy figurine on the mantel started glowing a strange silvery color. Shandy lifted his head and huffed. Finn followed his lead.

               Suddenly, a small dragon face poked its head out of the fairy. It was a blueish silver in color, with darker blue fin-like ears and a ridge riding up it is nose and down its back.

               Shandy barked.

               The little dragon pulled itself out of the stone and fluttered its small wings. It had four short, stubby legs and a short spade-tipped tail. The dragon flew over the dogs and toward the stairs.

               Shandy and Finn barked and gave chase, but Shandy slid to a stop at the stairs, his bandaged arms refusing to allow him to climb up the stairs. Finn paused as well, looking at Shandy for direction. Shandy barked, and with a huff, Finn ran up the stairs after the dragon.

               Cautiously, Finn poked his head in the doorway of Severus’s room.

               The dragon thing was hovering over the man’s bed. It bared its teeth at the dark mark on Severus’s arm, a small growl escaping.

               Suddenly, the dark mark began to glow in a similar manner as the dragon.

               The tattoo on Severus’s arm came to life as the snake slithered its way back into the skull’s mouth. The skull chomped down before peeling itself off Severus’s skin, leaving behind a scar where the dark magic was once branded on the man’s skin.

               The skull flew toward the dragon. Its mouth opened and the snake snapped its jaws at the dragon. The dragon flew out of reach and growled at the dark magic. It puffed out a glittery substance over the flying dark mark and then flew off, the mark following.

               Finn whimpered and jumped back as the dragon and mark flew over his head, leading the way to Harry’s room. Finn’s ears flattened on his head, and he held his tail low as he stalked after the strange magic fluttering around the house. He carefully nudged his head against Harry’s door to open it further. He watched as the dragon and the mark hovered over Harry’s sleeping form.

               The dragon tilted its head at Harry, then it spun very quickly, its body morphing and changing in a strange way. The dragon was now a silvery fairy in a blue, flower dress. She moved closer to Harry’s head, gently touching the lightning bolt scar. The mark flew closer, the snake slithering around he skull and intertwining itself through the empty eye sockets. The fairy waved the mark closer, then used her hands to control the snake’s actions. She directed the snake’s jaws just above the scar.

               “Let this evil magic destroy its own evil,” the fairy said in a soft voice.

               The snake’s jaws opened wide and lunged itself into Harry’s scar, chomping through it and reaching into Harry’s head.

               Harry stirred and his face scrunched up. The fairy gave Harry a kiss on his temple and he settled. The snake writhed and squirmed, seemingly struggling with something in Harry’s head.

Finally, the snake withdrew with a dark, thrashing substance in its mouth. Opening wide, the snake swallowed the darkness, and then the skull swallowed the snake.

The little fairy smiled at Harry. The lightning bolt scar had been physically altered during the process. It had straightened out and shriveled up slightly, a small drop of blood trickling from the opened wound. The fairy whispered, “You are free of the evil that tries to destroy what it can touch. You and your new family. May your bond never die.”

The little fairy shapeshifted back into a dragon and it growled at the dark mark, then flew off out of the room.

Finn scampered from the door as the flew above him, but he found his courage and barked at them as they flew back down the stairs. He chased them, alerting Shandy, who growled and barked at them as they passed him at the bottom of the stairs. Both dogs chased the dragon back to the fireplace, and they barked at the figurine as the dragon bit the skull and dragged it into the stone with it. The figurine stopped glowing and there was only the sound of the two dogs barking.

Peadar entered the scene, and he glanced around the living room, then saw the two dogs staring up at the mantle above the fireplace. He glared at the dogs, shushed them, then walked back to his bedroom.

Shandy and Finn stared at each other. Shandy let out a throaty groan before he hobbled back to his warm spot in front of the fireplace. Finn stared up at the figurine. With a sigh, he curled up in front of the fireplace as well.

The memory ended, and Severus yanked his head out of the bowl and stumbled over to the figurine, a bit disoriented from the viewing experience. He grabbed the fairy sculpture and stared at it closer, turning it this way and that until he found what he was looking for. On the back of the sculpture was the Dark Mark, carved into the back of the fairy’s head. And the thing the Dark Mark swallowed: Severus could only think of one thing that could have been living inside Harry’s scar, and the thought frightened him. His eyes met Eileen’s, and with the way her face was distorted in a horrified expression, he knew she had the same thought he had. And now, that very thing was inside the fairy figurine.

“So that means we have a fairy guardian?” Harry asked excitedly, holding his hands up to Severus to hold the stone sculpture.

Severus hesitated, then let Harry hold the sculpture.

“Be careful,” he warned. “Don’t drop it.”

“I won’t,” Harry promised.

Anxiety ripped at Severus’s chest as he watched Harry with the sculpture. Eileen was frowning at it in thought, while Severus wondered of all the ways he could destroy it. He felt very grateful that the fairy inside had done what it did to save Harry, but now he needed to do something horrific to the fairy in return in order to destroy what it had captured. But he had a feeling the fairy inside knew this.

               It also meant Severus had solved the mystery of the Bond of the Guardian Angel. All those who experienced a similar situation before him had had a fairy come to their aid. It was the fairy that had created the bond, not himself or Harry. A fairy that had been watching over the Prince family for generations. It was the fairy that gave himself and Harry the gift to communicate in the way they do.

               And the rejection of the fairy’s magic meant death to the fairy, which meant the fairy’s shared magic died as well, and such magic could also drain the magic and energy of those it had shared it with. It all made sense now. But how was he supposed to destroy what the fairy had caught without killing the fairy?

               “She’s very pretty,” Harry said, smiling at the carved face.

               “Let’s put it back on the mantle, okay?” Severus said, taking the figurine and setting it back above the fireplace. He would discuss the figurine later with Eileen and Peadar when Harry wasn’t around to hear the horrors of what they just discovered.

               “Thanks for the story, Nana,” Harry said.

               “Of course, Harry,” Eileen said, snapping out of her own dark thoughts. She clapped her hands together. “I know—why doesn’t Mr. Snape show you your surprise first?”

               Severus rolled his eyes at the mocking tone he heard when Eileen addressed him as “Mr. Snape.” However, after what he had just witnessed, he could use something to change the atmosphere around.

               “It’s Daddy now,” Harry smiled.

               “I think you’ve been calling me that all along, haven’t you?” Severus smirked, raising a brow.

               Harry shrugged with a not so guilty smile.

               Severus ruffled Harry’s hair before snapping his fingers. A large decorative box appeared on the floor at Harry’s feet. Severus gestured for Harry to open it since he knew Harry wouldn’t without his say so first. One day, he hoped the child would dig into his future presents to come.

               Harry tore the lid of the box off and tossed it aside.

               He gasped.

               “Miss Trifle!” Harry exclaimed, picking up his checkered rabbit and hugging her close. He noticed the large pink bow on her and small tag on the front of the bow. Harry looked at the tag. “It has her name on it!”

               “And a magical locator charm so that we can always fine her should she ever go missing,” Severus said.

               “I thought I’d never see you again,” Harry told his rabbit. “I’m sorry I left you. I’ll never do it again, I promise.”

               Severus kneeled in front of Harry.

               “And I promise you the same,” Severus said.

               Harry reached forward to give Severus a one-armed hug, Miss Trifle still in his other arm.

               “Thank you, Daddy,” Harry said.

               “Of course. Our family wouldn’t be complete without her.”

               Harry let Severus go and hugged Miss Trifle again, then gently stroked the rabbit. Severus felt Harry’s head and was glad it was cooler now. He allowed his finger to gently trace the new scar on Harry’s forehead before he gently kissed Harry’s temple.

               “Are you up for our tasks now? A little house hunting? Signing you up for school?”

               Harry nodded.

               “Go get dressed, brush your teeth, and grab a jacket. We’ll head out and get all that taken care of.”

               Harry took off to his bedroom with Miss Trifle in his arms. Eileen walked closer to Severus. She waited until Harry was in his bedroom before leaning closer to Severus and whispering: “What do we do about the horcrux?”

               Severus sighed and glanced at the fairy figurine.

               “I have no idea.”

              

 

Next Chapter: You’re Magic, Too

 

               Harry stood behind Severus while his father talked to the principal of Saint Dalua’s Primary School about transferring documents and reviewing the curriculum to make sure Harry was caught up to where he would be in his new class. Harry was not overly excited about any of it—he didn’t want to start a new school where kids could tease him or chase him in Harry hunting games. He quite enjoyed doing his own reading and work at home, where he didn’t have to see anyone else, just Miss Trifle and sometimes Shandy and Finn. Why couldn’t he keep doing that?

               Severus pulled out a bunch of papers from a folder he was carrying and shuffled through, handing some over to the principal as he found them. Principal O’Loof was her name, and Harry so far had managed to avoid meeting her eyes, even as she smiled at him warmly when she introduced herself. Severus had scolded him a little about being rude, but O’Loof waved it off as Harry being nervous about a new school.

               She wasn’t a scary woman, she had a nice smile and seemed to radiate joy, but Harry new principals could not be trusted, and he didn’t want this one to fool him.

               Harry waited patiently while Severus was told what health records the school would need on hand, and what information he should try to find out from Harry’s old school back in Surrey. Severus nodded along and wrote everything down on the inside of the folder.

               Bored and tired of being admired by the Principal and front desk ladies in the room, Harry tapped Severus’s arm.

               “Daddy, I have to use the loo,” Harry said.

               “Okay, Harry, err, where is that?” Severus asked O’Loof.

               “Out the door, to your right, all the way down the hall.”

               “I can find it,” Harry said, stepping out of the office quickly.

               “Come right back here when you’re done,” Severus called after him.

               Harry didn’t respond. He strolled slowly down the hall toward the bathroom, admiring the fifth graders’ paintings on the wall. There were several self-portraits, then a couple animal ones, and Harry took a moment to admire a lion. He wondered if he would be taught how to paint like that. Harry turned left at the end of the hall, passing the restroom in favor of following more paintings done by other grades. There were flowers and dragonflies and landscapes, then there was even a dragon painting.

               Harry then found the art classroom, where a class was working on shaping clay. Harry could see one girl turning her clay lump into a bunny.

               The sound of laughter caught his ear next, and Harry followed, passing a few other classes to a classroom with the door shut. He pushed o his tiptoes and peered through the window. Inside, a classroom was standing around an open space, one child was on a ladder smiling while the teacher explained why his contraption did not protect the egg that had been dropped to the floor. A few other kids were waiting to climb on the ladder and test their strangely protected egg. Harry smiled as he watched the next student drop their egg protected by a few balloons, which floated safely to the ground.

               Harry wondered what kind of lessons the kids could be learning from classes like these, and he moved on to another classroom where older students began cheering as the teacher took a soda can off a burner and dipped it in a shallow dish of water.

               Harry gasped as the can crushed itself.

               “Wow,” he said.

               “Hey, kid!”

               Harry jumped and turned around, stepping away from the door. A red-haired boy his age glared at him as he held up a wooden hall pass.

               “Where’s yours?” the boy asked.

               “Err . . .” Harry hesitated.

               “Anyone who doesn’t have a hall pass gets detention,” the boy said, crossing his arms.

               “He’s with me,” another blue-eyed boy said, running up to Harry and throwing an arm around his shoulder as if they had been friends for ages. “I was showing him around. Obviously, he’s new and doesn’t know all the rules.”

               “You’re late.” The redhead pointed an accusatory finger at the blue-eyed boy.

               “Doctor’s note,” the other kid said, holding up a slip of paper. “That beats a hall pass. And you only have five minutes for bathroom breaks. You better wrap yours up, Moloney. Don’t want Mrs. Pluckley to think you’ve had an accident.”

               “Whatever, Fowey,” the redhead said, turning away haughtily and walking back the way he had come.  

Harry sighed and looked at the kid who had come to his rescue.

“Thanks,” Harry said.

“I remember you,” the kid smiled. “You were that lion. Harry, right?”

Harry’s eyes widened as the kid’s face clicked in his memory. He’d remember that dark, curly-haired boy anywhere.

“You were the red panda,” Harry said. “Ollie!”

“Nice seeing you again,” Ollie said. “You coming to school here, now?”

“My dad and I just moved here,” Harry said. “He bought a new house that’s close to the school and my grandparents’ estate.”

“Cool. I live just on the border of town. My mam said I had the choice of going to two different schools when I started, but Dad wanted me to go to this one. I like it. You will, too.”

“I don’t know,” Harry said, shuffling his feet. “Is that kid going to be in my class?”

“You mean Eamon Moloney? Don’t let him get to you. He’d run crying from your bunny if he saw it.”

Harry laughed at that.

“Are you joining Mrs. Pluckley’s class? You’ll be with me, too.”

“Really?” Harry’s eyes brightened. “I think Principal O’Loof mentioned that name.”

“I’ll save you a seat. When are you starting?”

“I guess whenever Dad gets all the paperwork in. I didn’t think there’d be so much of it.”

“Adults make everything complicated. Want to see our classroom?”

“Sure.”

               “Follow me.”

               Harry chased Ollie down a couple corridors to a small classroom where thirteen other kids were sitting in seats quietly working on what Harry guessed was a writing assignment or test. Mrs. Pluckley was a middle-aged woman who looked like she was expecting any minute now. She walked between rows of chairs to observe the progress of each student. Moloney was putting the hall pass on her desk and moving to his own seat.

               “Watch this,” Ollie whispered. He stared intently at Moloney’s chair.

               As Moloney went to sit down, the chair slid back, and the redhead fell to the floor, catching everyone’s attention. While Mrs. Pluckley ran over to him to help him up, some of the kids muffled their snorts and laughs and focused back on their test. Ollie smirked while Harry gasped.   

               “You used magic!” he whispered.

               “Whatever you want to call it,” Ollie shrugged. “But keep it to yourself, okay? I get enough weird looks around here.”

               “I wouldn’t do that. I have it, too.”

               “You can move things with your mind?”

               “Well, I’ve never really tried to do that. But I can teleport if I run really fast.”

               “Really? Show me.”

               “Let’s go outside. I’m not really supposed to do it where others could see.”

               Ollie showed Harry how to get outside through the back doors, where a path led to the closed in playground. Harry stepped away and kneeled a few paces away from Ollie. Harry imagined teleporting to the playground while getting a good look at it, then ran straight as fast as he could. He felt his magic tingling around him, and then the weird sensation of being pulled by his navel into a tight tube caught his breath for a second, and just as quickly as it happened, it stopped.

               However, he realized he wasn’t exactly where he wanted to be.

               “Err, Ollie?” Harry called, peering over the school roof.

               Ollie looked up, his mouth dropping. He smiled.

               “That was amazing! How did you do that?”

               “I don’t know. It just kind of happens if I run really fast. I didn’t mean to end up here though.”

               “Still cool. Can you get down?”

               Harry looked around the steep sloped roof. He was sitting on the edge, and he did not think he could stand up safely.

               “There’s not a lot of room to run. I might slip too. But that’s magic. I’m a wizard, like my dad.”

               “My parents aren’t wizards.”

               “Dad says there are people born with magic to non-magic people. Muggleborns, I think.”

               “I can’t wait to tell Mam and Dad! They’ll be so happy to meet someone like me.”               

               “Could you help me get down, maybe? If you can move things, could you move me?”

               “I don’t know,” Ollie said. He frowned and studied the distance from the roof to the ground. “I’ve never tried moving a person before. I feel like I might drop you.”

               “Mister Oliver Fowey!” O’Loof snapped as she walked outside the school. Severus followed her out. “What are you doing outside the school? You were supposed to go straight to class.”

               “Principal O’Loof.” Ollie smiled nervously. “Err, lovely day, isn’t it?”

               “I remember you,” Severus said, eyeing the young boy. “You wouldn’t happen to know where my son is, do you?”

               “Well . . .” Ollie’s eyes trailed upward.

               Severus frowned and followed the boy’s glance, his eyes widening. O’Loof looked up as well and her jaw dropped.

               “Oh my goodness!” she said. “How did . . .?”  

               “How in Merlin’s name did you get up there?” Severus asked, his hands on his hips.

               “I was showing Ollie something and . . . it was an accident,” Harry said.

               “What could you have possibly been showing him?”

               Harry hummed in thought before saying, “Muggleborn.”

               Severus glanced back at Ollie, who smiled innocently up at him, then back at Harry. He realized what the two were most likely doing and sighed.

               “What did he say?” O’Loof asked.

               “It’s a game he likes to play,” Severus answered quickly. “Like hide and seek. But I can assure you, this is the first time he’s ever done something like this, and it will not happen again.” Severus glared at Harry, who swallowed visibly.

               “I’ll call the fire department,” O’Loof said, heading for the door.

               “No need,” Severus said as he discreetly waved his hand behind his back and transfigured a fallen tree branch into a ladder. Ollie gasped at the use of magic and he smiled. Severus winked at him before stepping aside to let the principal see. “We could use this one here.”

               “I didn’t even realize it was there. It could have bitten me. I’ll help you set it up.”

               Severus and O’Loof picked up the ladder and leaned it against the school. With encouragement from Severus, Harry slowly scooted forward and slid onto the ladder, working his way down with the two adults keeping the ladder still for him. On flat ground now, the ladder was set down and Severus checked Harry over.

               “Are you okay?” he asked. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

               “I’m okay,” Harry said. “I was just showing him.”

               “How to play, right?” Severus said, raising a bow. He looked between the two. “Games like that can be very dangerous when you’re not in the direct supervision of an adult, your parents especially. And you shouldn’t be playing them somewhere like school, when you should be in class, is that clear?”

               “Yes, sir,” Ollie said, understanding what game was used in place of.

               “Yes, Daddy,” Harry said at the same time as Ollie spoke.

               “Well,” O’Loof said with a smile, “it seems like you’ve taken care of that nicely. I see no reason for any further discipline. Looks like we’ll have another troublemaker at the school, won’t we, Mr. Fowey?”

               “I try my best,” Ollie said.

               “I know. Back to class with you. And Mr. Snape, we will see you in class soon. Your father will hear from us when we have everything transferred over.”

               “Yes, ma’am,” Harry said, “Hey, Dad, can Ollie come over sometime?”

               Ollie looked up hopefully at Severus.

               “That will be up to his parents. We will have to see.”

               “Okay. Bye, Ollie!”

               “Bye, Harry. It was nice seeing you again.”

               Ollie followed the principal back inside while Severus led Harry around the school and to a secluded place where he could apparate.

               “What exactly were you showing Ollie how to do?” Severus asked.

               “I was trying to teleport to the park. I’m good at that.”

               “I see. It’s called apparition, Harry. And it is a very dangerous kind of magic that could splinch you.”

               “What’s that mean?”

               “If you’re not careful, you could leave behind a part of your body. And then you’d be bleeding somewhere with no arm or leg. I don’t want that to happen and I not be around to heal you from it.”

               “But I’ve done this a lot. I’ve never had a problem before.”

               “But you are still very young, and your magic is still growing, just like you are. You’ve been very lucky, and your magic is strong, but I do not want you to apparate anymore without direct supervision and even then, only in emergency situations.”

               “But I can . . .”

               “Harry,” Severus said, looking down at him. “I am very serious about that. I better not here about any more “teleporting” or you’ll get a couple swats on that rear end of yours. I understand you’ve used that kind of magic successfully many times before, but there’s always that what if, and I’d like to be safe rather than sorry. Okay?”

               “Okay.”

               “No more.”

               No more,” Harry agreed.  

He took Harry to a muggle clothing store to find the right uniform, a red jumper, black trousers, and black socks and shoes. Severus had Harry try on a few styles before deciding on one he like best and then buying several of the jumpers and trousers. Severus then took Harry to their new house to settle in.

               It was a small but modernized dormer bungalow, and while Severus did not really appreciate the low ceilings on the second floor, he did not have to slouch, and he didn’t hit his head. Out of the eight houses he had looked at that day with the witch salesperson, this one was not too big, but not too small. It had had a recent update in the kitchen and the bathrooms, and the two bedrooms had fresh paint. The property was also the only one with a decent backyard that was fenced in, and tall hedges offered privacy from any prying neighbors. The floo network was already connected, and there were basic protective wards around the property.

               The kitchen, living room, a bathroom, a laundry room, and a mud room made up the first floor, while the two bedrooms and a bathroom took up the small space in the upstairs. Despite its small size, it was a perfect living space for a family that would spend most of their time either at work or school, and then at MacAuley estate. Severus was sure they would be visiting there a lot, so the house he bought had no reason to be any larger than what he had found.

               Severus helped Harry put away his new clothes, being careful to avoid stepping on the rabbit jumping around their feet. Harry paused to play footsies with Miss Trifle, and she eagerly chased his feet as he danced around the room. Severus snorted and finished up with Harry’s clothes, folding up the last of the trousers and setting them in Harry’s wardrobe.

               While Harry played with the rabbit, Severus headed downstairs to review the job description of the Brewer of the Hospital that Saint Mungo’s was looking for. He thought carefully about graduates from Hogwarts that might be worth partnering with. He had a met a few students who showed true passion for potion brewing.

               An owl flew up to his kitchen window and pecked at it until Severus opened it for the bird. It handed him the evening edition of the wizarding paper, and Severus accepted it and gave the bird a knut for payment.

               On the front page was a picture of his Azkaban picture once again, and the words: Ex-Death Eater is Granted Adoption of the Boy-Who-Lived.

               Severus sneered at the paper. Didn’t the wizarding world have anything else to talk about this week? How long would he keep seeing his name and his face in the paper. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from straying to the commentators on the side, where journalists wrote their harsh opinions, and he read how the world must have gone to hell with this outcome. He rubbed his temples. Maybe the world had gone to hell, but it was a hell he sure enjoyed.

               He thought back to the fairy in stone with the horcrux. He had managed to find a few old tomes on dark magic at Spinner’s End, which he had made a quick stop at before house hunting. When that house was cleared out, he would clean it up and sell it. For now, there was too much there that needed to be dealt with. And books on dark arts was one of the many things. He would read through the books later to see if there was anything on the destruction of horcruxes and a way to separate such a thing from the object it hosted. Clearly, the fairy found a way to remove it from Harry, but it still lived on. It had to be destroyed.

               Ad did this mean that the Dark Lord had more out there? Severus was sure the crazed leader had not meant to turn Harry into a horcrux, but no soul split that easily unless it had been split before and was already unstable. There had to be more out there, but where would the Dark Lord have hid them all?

While he was lost in thought, the doorbell rang. Surprised it even worked, Severus went over and opened the front door.

               “Hello, Mr. Snape,” a couple said outside his door, two children standing in front of them. “We’re the Foweys.”

               “Ah, yes,” Severus said, looking down at Ollie, who smiled cheekily up at him. “You have the troublemaker.”

               “So we hear,” Mrs. Fowey said, smiling down at her oldest son. “He’s such a good boy at home, it’s hard to believe sometimes. We brought you sausage penne marinara. As a welcome to the neighborhood.”

               “I don’t believe you’re from this neighborhood,” Severus said, frowning at the couple even as he accepted the dish.

               “No, we’re about a half hour drive away,” Mr. Fowey said, “but Ollie hasn’t stopped talking about you and Harry since he came home from school and we’re actually friends with someone in this neighborhood who could tell us about who bought it. They said they brought you a fruit basket?”

               “Right,” Severus said, though he still couldn’t think of which neighbor that was. Everyone thus far had brought him some kind of basket or dinner dish.

               “I’m Owen, by the way,” Mr. Fowey said. “This is my wife, Ciara. And you’ve met Oliver, and this is Cian.”

               “Everyone calls me Ollie,” Ollie said.

               “Except when you’re in trouble,” Owen added.

               “Yeah,” Ollie agreed.

               “My name is Severus,” Severus said. “And Harry is upstairs at the moment moving in to his new bedroom. Please come in. We can dig into this pasta.”

               “We wouldn’t want to intrude,” Ciara said. “We did make it for you and Harry after all.”

               “And you expect us to eat all this food by ourselves? I’ve gotten enough for an army. Come in, I insist.”

               Owen motioned to everyone to head inside and the two boys ran ahead happily, only slowing down at their mother’s cautioning.

               “Harry,” Severus called, “come downstairs, we have guests.”

               Harry came trampling down the stairs with Miss Trifle hopping at his side.

               “Ollie!” Harry exclaimed, running over to Ollie, who took quick interest in the rabbit. While the two boys were introduced to Miss Trifle, Owen and Ciara helped Severus set up for dinner.

               “This truly is a lovely house,” Ciara said. “You could fill the walls with pictures, maybe have some vases here and there, and it would be perfect.”

               “Honey, let Mr. Snape decorate his house as he pleases,” Owen said. He quirked a brow at Severus. “Be careful she don’t rope you in to letting her design the inside of your house. You’ll regret it.”

               “Stop it.” Ciara swatted at her husband.

               “I’m sure it would look nicer than I could ever make it,” Severus said as he heated up the dish in the oven, then pulled dishes out of the cupboard. “I’m a man of very simple test.”

               “This is interesting,” Owen said, picking up the paper Severs had left on the table. “The paper is so old, yet it’s dated today. Is that picture moving?”            

               “It’s the wizarding world’s newspaper.” Severus took the paper from Owen before he could really look at the face or question the headline. “Which we need to discuss, considering your son is a muggleborns wizard.”

               “Ollie was talking about that today as well,” Ciara said. “We always knew he was special. We just never realized how much so or that there was a whole world for him out there.”

               “He always struggled in school with making friends,” Owen said sadly, glancing at his oldest. “He’d always find someone new to hang out with, and then he’d come home crying one day saying how he scared off his new friend because he’d accidentally make something move. Recently, he’s been keeping to himself more, focusing on how he can make bigger things move. It’s getting him into quite the trouble at school. I think Harry’s really going to help him open back up and maybe even rein him in some.”

               “Harry is still learning what is acceptable and what’s not,” Severus said. “I’m hoping they don’t team up and cause double the trouble at school.”

               “He ended up on the roof by teleporting?”

               “It’s called apparition,” Severus said. “And he had a stern talking to about that. He is quite skilled at his age to do something only adult wizards are trained to do, but it is a dangerous kind of magic that could end with him missing an arm or leg. Or a head. He’s been lucky so far, but you of course understand that I don’t want him to get hurt. He’s not allowed to do that kind of magic unless it’s an emergency.”

               “Oh no, we understand,” Ciara said. “What about what Ollie does? Moving things?”

               “All kids have spurts of accidental magic. And some learn to even control some of their magic at a young age. Moving objects is preferable to apparating, and as long as he’s not using it for trouble or hurting himself, it’s good to let kids explore their magic. After all, he’ll be attending a magical boarding school when he turns eleven.”       

               “Really?” Owen asked, a proud smile gracing his lips. “He’ll love that. Same school as Harry I assume?”

               “I’m not sure. You’re welcome to send him to the school of your choice. He’ll get invitation letters as soon as he turns eleven. All you have to do is accept one of the schools.”

               Severus explained the different schools in the area, giving detail on how each school worked and what the major differences between them were. He described the wizarding world, how it was hidden from the muggle world (he had to explain what muggles were), and how it had to remain secret from all other muggles besides the parents or muggleborns. When the couple asked how their child was born with magic, Severus then had to explore how someone in either Owen’s or Ciara’s family had been a witch or wizard probably generations back, and that one of them had the recessive gene for a magical offspring.

               When the dinner had been thoroughly warmed, Severus had all three kids wash their hands since they had been petting the rabbit. Ollie helped Cian reach the water and put soap in his hands.

They joined the adults at the table for dinner. Harry and Ollie chattered away and shared stories of some of their accidental magic accidents. Harry told Ollie how he had grown back his hair overnight after his aunt had shaved it all off, and Ollie told the story of how he had moved is crib to the other side of the room when he was still just a baby. His parents confirmed the story, and even Severus was impressed.

Harry then told Ollie all about Hogwarts, or what Harry knew of it, at least. Severus added in small details Harry didn’t know when Ollie asked a question. Ollie was excited to hear about a magic school for kids just like him. While the kids talked and the adults listened to learn as well, Severus made a point of controlled magic by starting a fire in the fireplace and serving tea with magical aide, earning awes from everyone, save Harry, who had grown used to magic flying all about him.

               Finally, the Fowey’s were ready to leave, and they thanked Severus for sharing the dinner and told him that anytime Harry wanted to visit, he was more than welcome to. Severus said the same for Ollie, and the family left.

               “Daddy, when do I get to start school?” Harry asked after everyone had left.

               “Now you’re excited to start?” Severus ruffled Harry’s hair. “When all the paperwork is in and approved, you will begin school. That may be a few days, a week, who knows?”

               “I want to start tomorrow,” Harry pouted, sitting in the chair.  

               “I know, and Ollie isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be there when you start, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing from them again soon, anyway.”

               “Aww.” Harry slouched in his seat in defeat.

               “Sit up. Would you like to read with me now or go to bed early tonight? You’ve had a busy day.”

               “I’m not tired.” Harry crossed his arms.

               “Right.” Severus could feel Harry’s exhaustion radiating off him in waves. They had been all over the place looking for a house then getting Harry set for school. “So, what book shall it be tonight?”

               Harry pulled out one of the Serendipity books, Buttermilk, a story about a bunny and a bear who wanted to be friends, but whose parents would not allow it. Severus found the topic ironic but said nothing as he sat down with Harry to read the story. Harry slowly fell asleep before the book was finished. Severus set the book aside, but he didn’t move right away. He sat in the chair with Harry, rocking his child slightly.

               His mind strayed to the paper, and he hoped the media died down soon on the topic of who now parented the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry didn’t need that kind of attention, and Severus certainly didn’t want it. He was glad Harry was settling into a life with him so easily, and glad that he had found a friend at school to study with and play with. And cause trouble with. Severus snorted at that thought. Maybe they would be okay. They survived the chaos this far.

               Severus lifted Harry and carried him to his bed, herding the rabbit up the stairs with his feet. He laid Harry on his bed, covering him with a blanket. He pushed the rabbit into her now extra-large cage and shut the door, checking to make sure she had plenty of water and food in her bowls.

               Miss Trifle plopped down in her hay, lying on her belly with her legs stretched out. A yawn escaped her mouth before she dropped her head.

               “Spoiled rabbit,” Severus muttered. “Just like your owner.”

               Severus sat on the edge of Harry’s bed, running a hand through Harry’s hair before leaning down and kissing Harry’s temple, running a finger over the morphed scar.

               “Goodnight, son,” Severus said, turning out the lights and leaving Harry to his peaceful slumber.

              

 

              

              

              

              

                

              

              

                 

                

A month passed since Severus was awarded adoption of Harry, and things were finally settling into a routine. Severus had found an assistant to help him at St Mungo’s, with the titles Brewer of the Hospital and Brewer of the Hospital’s Apprentice. A fresh out of Hogwarts student named Conroy Collins who had excelled in potions and wanted to earn his own mastery in the subject. Under Severus’s tutelage, the young man was sure to obtain it in no time. Severus worked long hours at the hospital, leaving first thing in the morning after dropping Harry off at school, and often times, not returning home until Eileen was setting dinner on the table.

Harry, on the other hand, was enjoying school with Ollie in Mrs. Pluckley’s class. He came home with fun assignments that also helped him learn the targeted subjects they were talking about that week, and Severus had little trouble getting Harry to work on his homework. Ollie occasionally came home with Harry when Eileen picked Harry up from school and apparated them to the estate. Ollie’s parents would pick him up on those days from the estate at a later time, and when Severus returned, he would make sure all of Harry’s homework was complete before the played a game or read a story. They spent the weekdays at the estate, and on the weekends, would retreat to the small dormer for peace and quiet. Things were settling down for the family, aside from the fairy in stone with the horcrux that is. Severus was still wondering what the best course of action might be to destroy the soul piece, and if the fairy truly was willing to be a sacrifice. Otherwise, Harry had finally found a family and place to call home.

Alas, trouble did love following Harry around . . .

 

“Where do you think Mrs. Pluckley is?” Harry asked Ollie in a whisper, leaning over in his chair toward Ollie’s seat to do so.

“Didn’t you see her stomach?” Ollie answered. He was focused on spinning his pencil on its eraser without even touching it, his index finger swirling above it to keep it going. “I think her baby was done cooking and now she has to go give birth. At least, that’s what mam did with Cian.”

“What do we do without her?” Harry frowned as he looked around the classroom, wondering how a class would go on with no teacher.  

“The principal usually brings in a substitute whenever she’s had to leave class before,” Ollie said, losing focus as he looked over at Harry, the pencil falling on his desk and rolling away. “I hope it’s a nice one. Our last one had us do art projects for the day.”

“Brilliant. Maybe it’ll be the same one? I’ve never had a substitute before.”

“Class!” Principle O’Loof announced as she stepped into the classroom. Everyone ran to their seats or sat up straight if they were already in their seat. Harry and Ollie looked ahead and gave the principal and the new man standing next to her their full attention. Principal O’Loof waited for everyone to settle before speaking once more. “Mrs. Pluckley is on maternity leave for the remainder of the school year to spend time with her new baby.”

Everyone awed at the lost of Mrs. Pluckley.

“I know, I know,” Principal O’Loof said. “We will miss her dearly. But . . . please give a warm welcome to your new teacher who will substitute in her place—Mr. Mortagus Alarie!”

“Good morning, Mr. Alarie,” everyone greeted.

“Good morning, class,” Mr. Alarie smiled at everyone. He was a short and scrawny man wearing a rather unkempt suit and an old, faded jacket. He sported a short full beard that at least looked groomed, while the rest of his hair had a bit of madness to it. “I look forward to finishing out the year together and getting to know all of you bright pupils.”

“Please give Mr. Alarie the same respect you would give Mrs. Pluckley,” Principal O’Loof said. “They’re all yours, Mr. Alarie.”

Principal O’Loof stepped out of the classroom, closing the door behind her. Mr. Alarie stripped out of his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair at the teacher’s desk. He picked up a folder and opened it.

“Let’s begin with roll-call, shall we?”

The teacher began going through the list, calling out each student’s name.

“He won’t get to me for a bit,” Harry whispered to Ollie. “Ever had him before?”

“No, but I’ve seen him around,” Ollie said. “The older years seem to like him. I guess he’s nice.”

“Mr. Fowey,” the teacher scolded lightly.

“Yes, sir?” Ollie asked, sitting up in his seat.

“I’ve called your name twice,” Mr. Alarie said. “Am I interrupting your conversation?”

“No, sir, sorry. Here.” Ollie raised his hand and put it back down obediently.
               Mr. Alarie’s eyes strayed over to Harry, and Harry was sure the dull blue eyes darkened considerably. The man’s entire face seemed to tense, and his brows furrowed.  

“Why Harry Potter,” the man said, “our little . . . celebrity.”

“Thought you didn’t know him,” Ollie said.

“I don’t,” Harry assured. He corrected the teacher as nicely as he could. “It’s Snape, now. I just use that last name.”

Mr. Alarie glanced down at the list, his eyes scanning it for a few seconds before his brows rose. “So it is,” he murmured, “how interesting.”

The teacher continued with roll call while Harry and Ollie shared a confused look. Mr. Alarie made it down to his name and glanced up at Harry again, his eyes narrowing.

“Mr. Harry . . . Snape,” the teacher said slowly.

“Here,” Harry said, raising his hand quickly.

The teacher finished up with a couple more students then moved off of roll call and wrote his name on the chalkboard. He began writing down the topics of the English lesson they would be reviewing today while Harry and Ollie whispered to each other once more.

“How do you think he knows you?” Ollie asked.

“I don’t know,” Harry replied. “Unless he’s a wizard. Dad said a lot of people could recognize me by my scar.”

“Your scar?”

“It was something I got as a baby,” Harry said, not really wanting to talk about it now. “But if he’s a wizard that would explain how he knew my name. But what’s he’s problem with me?”

“Maybe he was just surprised that your here.”

“I don’t know. That didn’t sound like surprise. And if he’s a wizard, what’s he doing here anyway?”

“Is there something more important than today’s lesson, Mr. Fowey and Mr. Snape?” Mr. Alarie asked. “If so, please share with the rest of the class.”

“Nothing, sir,” Ollie said quickly.

“No, sir,” Harry agreed. “Sorry.”

“I do not tolerate students talking while I am talking. You will stay ten minutes after the bell for lunch, Mr. Snape, for your rudeness.”

“I was talking, too,” Ollie interjected.

“I didn’t catch you in the act, Mr. Fowey. Just Mr. Snape. Now both of you be quiet and listen.” Mr. Alarie glared at them, though his eyes seemed more focused on Harry. He turned to the rest of the class, pointing at the board where he had wrote: read a book, to the park, we stood outside, and went to school. “I want everyone to expand this sentence, just like what you were doing with Mrs. Pluckley. Include a who, where, when, why, and how in your expanded sentence. Try to use a different who each time. Begin.”

               Mr. Alarie walked toward the desk to sit down. Ollie winked at Harry, whispering “Don’t worry, I’ll get him back.”

               Ollie stared intently at the teacher’s chair, then gave the slightest flick of his wrist.

               The chair slid back just as Mr. Alarie moved to sit down, and he stumbled as he caught himself from falling back. Ollie held back a snort while Harry allowed a small smirk. A couple other students laughed at the teacher’s stumble. Unfortunately, unlike other incidents, the teacher did not think it was bad luck or a miscalculation on his part. His eyes darkened and he scowled as he moved to stand in front of Harry’s desk. Harry frowned back at the teacher with a confused look that he shared with Ollie.

               “Do you find yourself funny, Mr. Snape?” Mr. Alarie said. “That’s after school detention for you.”

               “It was me, sir,” Ollie quickly said, even as the other classmates gave him dumbfounded stares. “I did it. I’m sorry, sir.”

               Mr. Alarie glared at Ollie, and his eyes seemed to glitter with understanding.

               “A muggleborns, eh? That’s afternoon detention for you as well. Your parents will be called and informed of this so they can save themselves the trouble of showing up on time. Now do your work.”

               Harry and Ollie picked up their pencils and began working on their sentences. Mr. Alarie nodded and walked away. Ollie mouthed “sorry” to Harry, who mouthed “it’s okay” back. When everyone was finished with their sentences after thirty minutes, Mr. Alarie collected their papers. As he grabbed Harry’s, he sneered at the page, then shook his head.

               “These are the best sentences the Harry Potter could come up with? How mediocre.”

               “It’s Snape,” Harry reminded the teacher. “And they’re not . . . bad.”

               Harry had actually thought he had done a good job using bigger and more descriptive words. He had been quite proud of his sentences when he was finished. Mr. Alarie did not say anything as he finished collecting papers. He returned to the board then had the class work together to come up with sentences on the board, calling on everyone to participate, except Harry and Ollie who sat silently at their desks.

               Finally, the bell rang, and everyone ran out for lunch.

               Harry and Ollie remained seated.

               “I don’t recall saying you had to stay after the bell, Mr. Fowey,” Mr. Alarie reminded.

               “I’m waiting for Harry,” Ollie said.

               “What, are the muggles here too inferior to be your friend as well?”

               “What are you talking about?” Ollie snapped.

               “Watch your tone.”

               “Are you a wizard?” Harry asked, cutting right to the chase.

               “A wizard?” Mr. Alarie let out a short bark of sarcastic laughter. “Ha! I should be. I come from a line of pureblood wizardry that goes back further generations than yours, Mr. Potter. Yet for some reason, the magic skipped me.” Mr. Alarie glared at Ollie. “So how is it that a muggle with no great magical heritage ends up gifted?”

“I don’t know,” Ollie said.

“So, you’re not a wizard?” Harry asked, very confused.

The man seemed very annoyed with the question, then said, “For your cheek, lunch detention tomorrow, Mr. Potter.”

“It’s Snape,” Harry said.

“You can’t do that!” Ollie defended.

“You too, Mr. Fowey!”

The two boys sat seething in their seats as they glared at the teacher, but Mr. Alarie smirked at them.

“I will enjoy teaching your classroom very much,” he said. “Go enjoy your lunch while you can. I wouldn’t want hunger distracting you from the lines you’ll be writing this afternoon. Dismissed.”

Harry and Ollie share a look, then leave the classroom.

 

“You will have to start on a diuretic potion,” a healer told a patient lying in a hospital bed. “You will also need to take a kidney supplement potion, with extra cranberries added in. Let’s see how those two potions affect you and do a recheck of your bloodwork in three weeks. Are there any potion ingredients you are allergic to that you know of?”

“No, Healer,” the elder woman said.

“Good, good,” the healer smiled, nodding his head. “But if you do notice any swelling, abdominal cramping or pain, tightness in the chest, difficulty swallowing or breathing, wheezing, or nausea that doesn’t go away, stop the potions and floo call us immediately.”

Severus had been writing down notes on the case as the Healer had been speaking, making sure to write down extra cranberries on the side. Collins, his apprentice, stood at his side patiently awaiting his instructions.

A nurse paused in the doorway.

“Master Snape,” the nurse said quietly, “you have a floo call waiting in fireplace six.”

“Thank you,” Severus said. He handed his notes to Collins. “Same potions we made yesterday, three tablespoons of dried cranberry in the kidney supplement potion this time. Got that?”

“Yes, sir,” Collins said, writing down what Severus had said.

Severus walked toward the fireplace in question and was surprised to see Eileen’s head in the flames.

“Mother, is something wrong?”

“No,” Eileen said. “I’m sure there’s no problem, but I just received a call from Harry’s school. Harry earned himself after school detention. He’ll need to be picked up at four twenty this afternoon. I thought I’d let you know so you didn’t find out when you got home this evening.”

“Did they explain why?” Severus asked. What on earth could Harry have done to earn detention of any kind? He was a good, obedient kid.

“They said something about Harry being cheeky with the new substitute. I believe Ollie is also in detention.”

“Hmm.” Severus frowned in thought. “Four twenty, you say? If you don’t mind, I think I’ll pick Harry up from school.”

“It’s all fine with me,” Eileen said. “Oh, yes. This was delivered to you, today.”

A rolled parchment with a large M seal popped out of the fireplace and hovered in the air for Severus to take. He plucked it out of the air and stared at the seal for a moment before glancing up at the flames.

“Thank you. I will see you tonight.”

Eileen’s head vanished, and Severus unrolled the parchment, reading the brief message before blinking and looking at his watch. He quickly moved through the halls and down the stairs, taking two quick turns before arriving to the large potion lab.

The space was massive, with several tables and cauldrons brewing. Shelves and shelves filled the walls, stocked of various ingredients in alphabetical order. A large walk-in supply closet with a huge magically sealed deadbolt and key and lock held a variety of addictive and rare ingredients that were otherwise hard to come by. Another closet on the opposite side of the room was for cauldron and other equipment storage. Against the furthest back wall, several finished potions waited for use, and several empty vials with empty prescription labels waited to be filled. The back corner was a washroom for all the equipment, and a lavatory took up the smallest bit of space hidden in the back that connected to three separate office spaces. It was a Potions Master’s dream lab, and Severus used up every bit of room he had.

Collins was already in the lab, and Severus walked toward him and stared down at the cauldron. It was a near complete kidney supplement potion with the extra cranberries for bladder health, and he nodded at its reddish color.

“Well done,” he said, pleased that he managed to find a competent partner. “I must leave for a couple hours. An acquaintance requests my presence, and my son needs to be picked up from after school detention.”

“I hope everything is okay with him,” Collins said, a frown forming on his face.

“As do I,” Severus agreed. He sighed and turned for the door once more. “Remember, the diuretic potion requires 2 cups of water added every four minutes while it boils. The ingredients of that particular potion soak up water like a sponge.”

“Yes, sir. And it boils for thirty-two minutes, correct?”

“Exactly.” Severus nodded.

When Severus made it to the fireplaces, he looked at the address in the letter, then stepped into a fireplace with a handful of floo powder.

“Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley,” Severus said before dropping the floo powder and vanishing in the green flames.

He stepped out of the floo in the Leaky Cauldron slowly, glancing at his watch. He was ten minutes early, but knowing Lucius Malfoy, he wouldn’t be long. He sat down at the bar, and was served a water while he glanced at the menu, though he didn’t feel hungry or thirsty for anything. This was simply neutral territory, and that was the only reason he came. After a few minutes, the floo flared up again, and Severus glanced over toward it.

“So, you did come,” Lucius said as he slowly stepped over to Severus. He used his wand to blow the dust of the seat next to Severus before sitting down with fluid grace. “And here I thought I’d be disappointed once again.”

“You wanted to talk about Draco,” Severus said, moving to the topic of concern.

“Ah, yes,” Lucius said. “Waiter, wizard’s brew, please. Another for my friend here.”

“I will pass,” Severus told both Lucius and the waiter.

They were silent as the waiter topped off Severus’s water and gave Lucius his drink, which he took a long sip of.

“My son has been an absolute terror since the day I threw you out,” Lucius confessed, “and perhaps, I acted a bit hasty.”

Severus said nothing and chose to sip his water at Lucius’s pause.

“While I still do not approve of your decision to adopt Harry Potter,” Lucius continued, “and I still have no clue what you plan to tell the Dark Lord when he returns, but I will respect your decision for now. I, Lucius Malfoy, ask for a truce for the sake of my son.”

“What are your terms?” Severus asked.

“We meet on neutral ground as we are now,” Lucius said. “You will tutor my son in potions, charms, and transfiguration every other weekend of so. Merlin knows he’s falling behind. He’s chased away every other tutor I’ve hired that’s not direct family. I can’t seem to knock enough sense into him either about needing these lessons. He swears he will obey you, so that is why I have reached out. He will stay with you for the weekend for his lessons, then we meet again on neutral ground, and I take him home.”

Severus raised a brow. It all sounded fair so far.

“I ask that you leave my affairs to me,” Lucius continued, “and I’ll leave your affairs to you.”

“Fair,” Severus agreed. If he were to admit it, he truly did miss Draco. The young Malfoy junior had a lot of hope and potential, if only his father wasn’t Lucius Malfoy. “Now my terms.”

“Let’s hear it,” Lucius said with a sigh as though it was inconvenient Severus would have any terms of his own.

“You do not pester Draco with a thousand questions about where I am living or about anything to do with Harry Potter. He will have homework occasionally, but I will be teaching him at a level he will understand best. He’s still just a kid, after all.”

“Well, you know best when it comes to teaching miscreants,” Lucius said. He sighed. “I do only want what is best for my son, you know. He is my heir, and he must be well rounded in his education and prepared to manage his fortune and status.”

“Indeed,” Severus said, doing his best to resist rolling his eyes.

“Do we have a truce, Severus?” Lucius said, holding out a hand to shake.

“Truce,” Severus said, accepting Lucius’s hand and shaking it once before letting go.

“Very well,” Lucius said. “I think it best if Draco gets started right away on his lessons. This weekend, I’ll bring him here for you to pick up? Tomorrow, perhaps?”

“I work tomorrow, but I could grab him on my lunch break. He would receive a good potions lesson coming to work with me.”

“Excellent,” Lucius finished his brew and dropped a small tip. “Owl me the time.”

And with that, Lucius left the Leaky Cauldron.

Severus thought over what they had discussed. As much as Draco’s behavior could annoy him at times, he really did like Draco and had high expectations for the boy to be his own person and not a miniature version of his father. Draco was well aware of those standards, but Severus knew it was hard for a seven-year-old not to look up to their father. He hoped that these weekends would really help bring out a different side of Draco.

Severus glanced at his watch. He had a bit of time. He finished drinking his water, then stood up, adding to Lucius’s tip, and floo’d away to change his robes into muggle wear.

 

               The clock finally arrived to four twenty and Harry and Ollie dropped their pencils and rubbed their sore wrists. They had written “I will not be rude in class” in their neatest cursive thirty times. They glared at Mr. Alarie as they waited for him to even notice the time. A knock on the door sounded, and the two kids jumped to their feet and rushed to the door hopefully before their teacher could stand up and tell them off. They opened the door and were relieved to see their parents.

               “Mam, we did nothing wrong,” Ollie said to his mother as he ran to her. “He’s a magic-less wizard and he punished us for no reason.”

               “Dad, he’s a magic-less wizard, he knows what we are. He was rude to me first.”  

               “Pardon me?” Severus asked, resting a hand on Harry’s shoulder to keep him still. “I do not believe I heard that correctly.”

               “He’s a wizard,” Harry said. “He’s like us but with no magic.”

               “Yes, most people are,” Severus said, looking up at the teacher, who was smiling down at the two boys.

               “Kids, these days, right?” Mr. Alarie said. “They come up with quite the stories. I’m afraid someone has to be the villain here. You two know that you were punished for being rude and cheeky in class today. It’s what you just finished lines about.”

               “We weren’t rude,” Harry snapped back. He felt the hand on his shoulder tighten and winced.

               “You’re being rude right now,” Severus said. “Apologize.”

               “But he—”

               “Now, Harry.”

               “Sorry,” Harry told the teacher, who was smiling way too brightly for Harry’s taste.

               “It’s quite all right,” Mr. Alarie said. “I will see you two tomorrow in class, hopefully with a much better attitude. You know what to expect if not, and I’d hate to keep you here later than you have to be when you could be off being boys.”

               “I’m sure,” Harry muttered while Ollie crossed his arms and glared.

               “Harry, now that is enough,” Severus scolded. Severus turned to the teacher. “I apologize, I’m not sure what’s gotten into him today. He’s usually well behaved.”

               “Sometimes a change in teacher can upset children,” Mr. Alarie said. “It’s a hard phase, and I know I’m no Mrs. Pluckley, but I’ll do my best. Don’t be too mad at them, they really are good kids.”

               After goodbyes, Severus and Ciara walked out with the two boys, Severus scolding them both.

               “Harry, I believe I don’t need to tell you that our world is meant to stay in secret. You can not just go blathering it out to whatever muggle you please.”

               “But he’s not a muggle,” Harry said. “He even told us.”

               “That he was a wizard?” Severus asked. “I assure, I got no sense of that from him.”

               “Well, no, he—”

               “I don’t want to hear any more about your substitute.” Severus said, waving it off. He paused outside of the school. “What did you two do that he felt the need to keep you after school?”

               “Nothing,” Harry said, crossing his arms and pouting. Severus wasn’t even listening to him.

               “I may have pushed his chair back so he would fall,” Ollie said.

               Ciara gasped. “Ollie! Again?”

               “Sorry, mam. We were laughing and he thought it was Harry, but I confessed.”

               “And you?” Severus asked Harry.

               Harry shrugged, wondering if it was even worth trying to convince his dad that the man was a magic-less wizard. The more he thought about it, he wondered if it was even a thing. Maybe the man just knew about their world and really was a muggle and had only been trying to get a rise out of them. He frowned at that, then decided to say, “We were whispering to each other while he was teaching.”

               “Yeah, that, too,” Ollie agreed.

               “I’m sure I do not need to share my displeasure of having to leave work to come pick you up from your detention, now, do I?” Severus quirked a brow at Harry.

               “No, Dad. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

               “It better not. Otherwise, you’ll bring your lines home to keep working on until bedtime.”

               “That goes for you as well, young man,” Ciara told Ollie.

               “Yes, mam.”

               Harry and Ollie shared a look before they went their separate ways, Ollie into his mother’s car and Harry over to an out of sight alley to apparate. They shared an understanding that the new substitute teacher had to go. And they would have to expose him to their parents. Somehow.  

     

               After arriving back at MacAuley Estate, Severus stopped Harry with a hand on the boy’s shoulder before he could go run off to his room and free Miss Trifle. Harry paused to look up at him.

               “Tomorrow, Draco is coming over to stay for the weekend,” Severus said. “You remember Draco, yes?”

               “Yeah, I remember him,” Harry smiled for the first time since he had picked his son up.

               “He is here for potion lessons, but he will have plenty of free time to play with you as well. I expect you two to be on your best behavior. And if there’s another incident at school, there will be no free time for you.”

               “Yes, Dad,” Harry’s smile fell. “Can Ollie spend the night, too?”

               “As long as you two are good in school tomorrow, I don’t see why not.”

               “Thanks.” Harry turned and ran up the stairs.

               Severus found Eileen working on dinner in the kitchen. She was hovering over the stove touching up the layers of her coddle when she noticed Severus out of the corner of her eye. She paused what she was doing so she could face Severus.

               “So, what happened at school?” she asked.

               “Harry and his friend were causing trouble for the new substitute,” Severus explained as he grabbed leftover salad from the fridge. “Ciara and I spoke to both of them and surely there won’t be any more trouble.”

               “That seems rather unlike Harry, don’t you think?” Eileen frowned as she turned her attention back to the food.

               “I would have agreed if he hadn’t been rude to the teacher right in front of me,” Severus said. He glanced at his watch, then sighed. “I have a young student coming over tomorrow. I may stay at the estate this weekend to use the bigger lab so I can continue tutoring him in his studies. You remember the Malfoys? They have a son now, Draco.”

               “Aww, well, you’re always welcome to stay over. And I’m sure Harry would love another friend to play with.”

               “Ollie may also end up over here this weekend. Just what I need, three mischievous boys under one roof.” Severus shook his head, then pushed off the counter he was leaning against and headed for the fireplace. “I have to head back to work. Can you check on Harry’s work for me?”

               “Of course. Try not to become such a workaholic. Harry has to come first.”

               “He does and he always will,” Severus said. “I just need to get things under control and in order at the hospital. It’s been hectic with just Collins and me. I’m looking for one more brewer, an experienced one preferably, to join the team and then I’ll think we might be able to spread out the tasks among us three a lot easier and our schedules will be lighter. Till then, I’m really all the hospital’s got.”

               Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared in the fireplace.

               Eileen returned to cooking dinner with a shake of her head. She heard Harry hop down the stairs and he came running into the kitchen with his rabbit hopping at his feet.

The rabbit had grown another few pounds in the month, weighing in at ten pounds now. Miss Trifle had gone in for a check up at the vet, who believed Miss Trifle would put on another couple pounds in the next month or so and then be done growing. The black stripe down her back was more pronounced now, as was her attachment to Harry. When he was home, she was freed from his bedroom, and she would follow Harry everywhere. She had become quite the good little familiar.

“Hi Nana,” Harry greeted with a smile, holding up his assignment book. “All my homework is done. Where’s Dad? I want to show him.”

“Oh,” Eileen winced at that. She could tell Harry was in “trying to make up for naughty behavior” mode. “He just left. I’m sorry. I can show him later for you.”

               “No, it’s okay,” Harry said, lowering his assignment book.

               “Let me at least check it over for you,” Eileen said, taking the book from Harry. “Go set the table for dinner please. Papa should be home soon.”

               Harry grabbed dishes out from the cabinet then ran over to the table to set three places. Miss Trifle moved to follow but paused when one of the dogs entered the kitchen. Shandy, healed and coneless now, tilted his head at the rabbit. They stared for a few seconds before Miss Trifle sat up and thumped her foot irritably, glaring at the dog.

               Shandy barked and jumped aside, lying down, and waiting as Miss Trifle lifted her head up proudly and shuffled past the dog after her owner. Eileen snorted at the interaction. After a few kicks in the face, the dogs had learned to respect Miss Trifle’s space and presence in the house, and Peadar’s protection spell ensured they could not retaliate by biting or stomping on the rabbit.

               Dinner was a silent event, Harry picking at his food for the most part before finally being allowed to excuse himself and race up the stairs to his bedroom, Miss Trifle right behind him. Peadar and Eileen shared a curious look.

              

               Draco waited patiently at his father’s side in his best silky robes, his hands clasped behind his back. He glanced around the Leaky Cauldron, watching shoppers bustle around outside the store and a few customers seated randomly in the store had a few bags resting at their feet while they browsed the menu. Draco glanced up at his father, who was busy talking with the pub owner enthusiastically. Draco sighed and shifted slightly, looking over at the floo expectantly.

               The floo flared and Severus stepped through the flames.

               Draco grinned before wiping the smile off his face quickly when Lucius straightened and glanced down at him. Draco met his eyes before looking back at Severus, waiting patiently as the men shook hands and exchanged brief words about his tutoring. Draco rolled his eyes as his father went on about studying long hours and extra assignments to reinforce the learning. With all the man’s opinions on teaching, one would think he’d just teach his own son himself. But no, Lucius had to pay for the best tutors in Europe. The pureblood way.

               Finally, Severus was talking to him.

               “Are you ready, Draco?” Severus asked.

               “Yes, sir,” Draco said, reaching down to pick up his bags.

               “Really, Severus,” Lucius sneered. “You couldn’t bring just one of your house elves to collect Draco’s things? You’ll force the poor boy to carry his own bags?”

               “He’ll be carrying his own cauldron soon enough as it is,” Severus said. “Unless you wish to tutor him in potions?”

               Lucius narrowed his eyes at Severus.

               “I’ll trust you know what you’re doing.” Lucius said. He looked at his son. “Goodbye, Draco. Behave.”

               “Bye, Father,” Draco said, bowing slightly.

               Lucius gave a nod then headed for the fireplace, disappearing in a whoosh of green flames.

               When Lucius was out of sight, Severus pulled out his wand and gave Draco and apologetic look.

               “Sorry, Draco, but just to be safe, I need to—”

               “I understand,” Draco said, holding his arms out helpfully.

               Severus cast a search charm to check for any spells, potions, or magical devices that Lucius may have planted on Draco. Lucius was true to his words in most agreements and truces, usually. But given the circumstances, Severus felt better being overly cautious than risking exposing MacAuley Estate or his son’s safety. His charm checked out and he kneeled in front of Draco with open arms, and Draco ran into them eagerly and hugged his arms tightly around Severus’s neck.

               “I missed you,” Draco whispered.

               “I missed you, too.” Severus ran his hand over Draco’s smoothed back hair before standing up. He took Draco’s hand and led him to the fireplace. “How have you been? Minding your father, surely?”

               “I always mind Father,” Draco said. “But I have a say in who tutors me, too, you know.”

               Severus chuckled.

               “I know,” he agreed. “And now, you get to sit in the lab with my apprentice and watch us labor over potions for several hours until dinner.”

               Draco groaned at that.

               “Can’t you drop me off at your place and pretend I watched you do boring stuff for hours?”

               “Absolutely not. We need something for you to complain to your father about at the end of this weekend. Besides, Harry is at school right now. You’d be bored at the estate, too.”

               “I doubt it,” Draco said.

               Severus smirked as he dropped a handful of floo powder and the two vanished.

 

               Harry and Ollie sat quietly and rigidly in their seats while keeping an eye on Mr. Alarie. He was busy explaining the finer details of addition, drawing on the chalkboard and demonstrating how numbers carry. Harry and Ollie shared a brief look, both silently encouraging the other to remain on the teacher’s good side for today in hopes of earning a sleepover. Eileen had already spoken to Ciara about potentially having a sleepover and she had been so excited at the idea. And Harry was excited for Ollie to meet his other friend, Draco. Ollie was excited to meet another wizard who lived in the magical world and not the muggle world.

               “Mr. Snape,” Mr. Alarie said suddenly, “why don’t you come up here and demonstrate to the class how to add twenty-eight plus forty-two.”

               Harry blinked, surprised the teacher had even called on him. They had been getting the silent treatment from the teacher all day.

               “Err, okay.” Harry dropped down from his seat and walked up to the board. He stared at the numbers for a moment, reminding himself he had to start from one end and work his way up.

               “Today, Mr. Snape,” Mr. Alarie said.

               Harry blushed and hunched his shoulders slightly. He began with adding the eight and the two, which gave him ten. Drawing a zero under the line, he reminded himself mentally to draw a one above the two, then he added all three numbers, the one, two, and the four, which gave him seven. He smiled proudly at being able to mentally add all the numbers in his head without looking at his fingers. Writing the seven next to his zero, Harry put his chalk down and looked at Mr. Alarie expectantly.

               “The answer is seventy,” Harry said.

               “As we can obviously see from your work,” Mr. Alarie said with a frown. “Please take your seat.”

               Harry’s face fell at the lack of any praise, but he quickly retreated to his seat, biting back any remarks he would have liked to say to the substitute. Ollie gave him a thumbs up and a small smile.

               Harry looked up at the clock. If he was reading it right, it was almost time for the bell to ring, then he and Ollie will have survived the day. Harry chewed his fingernails in the anticipation.

               “Everyone will practice their addition and subtraction over the weekend,” Mr. Alarie stated as he handed each kid in the first row of seats a stack of paper. Everyone passed the papers back while the teacher spoke. “This is your homework. There is a front and back, please solve all the problems on both sides and remember to show your work. It is very important that I see how you got your answers, so I know you understand what you are doing. And also, that you have not cheated.”

               Mr. Alarie eyed Harry and Ollie as he said those last words.

               Harry and Ollie couldn’t help the angry look they shared.

               “Any questions?” Mr. Alarie asked.

               All the students were quiet and then the bell rang.

               “You are all dismissed. Except Mr. Snape and Mr. Fowey. You two will stay for fifteen minutes after the bell . . . for lack of participation today.”

               Harry’s mouth dropped and his eyebrows furrowed. They had been perfectly behaved and did everything the teacher had asked. What on earth did they not participate in? Harry looked at Ollie to see the same look of disbelief on his face. Ollie shrugged and sat back in his seat with a groan. One of the other students, Moloney, stuck his tongue out at Harry and Ollie as he ran past their seat to the door. Ollie made a face at his back while Harry shoved his homework into his bag.

               “This is ridiculous,” he muttered. “What do we tell Dad and your parents now?”

               “That we didn’t do anything,” Ollie said, resting his head on his desk. “We didn’t.”

               “And that’s a problem now, apparently.”

               “I mean, I feel like he’s been trying to get a rise out of us all day, if you think about it.”

               Harry did think about it, and it seemed accurate. Mr. Alarie had started the day scoffing at Harry’s homework, then he had badgered Ollie with questions about the day’s learning topic before they had even discussed anything. Ollie, of course, didn’t know any of the answers. After lunch and recess, Mr. Alarie decided that they weren’t sitting still enough in class and had them do ten pushups each so they would focus better. Then Harry had to solve the math problem, and he didn’t even get a “good job.” It made sense that maybe the teacher wanted more reaction out of them, and he was punishing them for not playing into his game.

               “I want him fired,” Ollie said. “He’s the worst ever.”

               “He’s nice to everyone else though.” Harry glanced at the teacher who was cleaning the chalkboard. “Everyone else likes him so no one will fire him.”

               “He’s nice to anyone without magic. It’s like he hates us for having magic and he doesn’t. That’s not our faults.”

               “Yeah. You’re right. He has to go. And we have all weekend to plan how we’ll get rid of him.”

               “No muttering back there,” Mr. Alarie snapped. “You’re being punished. Sit there quietly for ten more minutes then you may leave.”

               Time was ticking by so slowly. It was as if the world was against them right now.

               “There you two are,” Eileen’s voice entered the room as she stepped inside. She frowned when Harry and Ollie didn’t move from their seats, and she threw a look at the teacher. “What’s going on?”

               “I’m sorry,” Mr. Alarie said, walking over to Eileen. “Are you a relation to one of these boys?”

               “I’m Harry’s grandmother,” Eileen said.

               “I see. Well, these two decided not to participate in class so they are staying after the bell for a few minutes to remind them that participation is just as important as attendance.”

               “We did everything he asked us to do,” Ollie said. “Even the pushups.”

               “Pushups?” Eileen quirked a brow at that, looking at Mr. Alarie.

               “They still had some pent-up energy coming back from lunch. Physical activity is a good way to release that, you know.”

               “Hmm. Well, I’m afraid I have somewhere to be, so I’m sure they’ve been punished enough. Come on, boys.”

               Harry and Ollie smiled as they threw their bags over their shoulders and ran for the door. Mr. Alarie opened his mouth then decided against whatever he was going to say and smiled.

               “Of course. I’ll see you Monday, boys.”

               Harry and Ollie shared an annoyed look as they followed Eileen out of the school. Ciara and Cian were waiting outside. Cian was proudly showing off his drawing he had made in his afternoon preschool.

               “Ollie,” Cian greeted. He held up his drawing. “Look at my family tree. I made it all by myself.”

               “That’s so cool, Cian,” Ollie smiled. “Is that me?”

               “Yeah.”

               “And you even have Maimeó and Granda, and Aintín Roisin and our cousins. Good job, little brother.”

               Cian smiled proudly at Ollie. Ciara ran a hand through her youngest son’s locks as she spoke to Ollie.

               “What held you two up?”

               “The teacher.”

               “Again? What for this time?”

               “We did everything he asked without any complaints, and he said we didn’t participate.”

               Ciara gave Eileen a concerned look as she said, “Maybe he wanted you guys engaged emotionally a little more. I don’t know, even you’ve never been so much trouble for a teacher before, Ollie.”

               “There’s something odd about him,” Eileen said. “I’ll ask Severus about last evening when he gets back from work. Is Ollie still okay to spend the weekend at my place?”

               “Of course. I packed you everything you’ll need,” Ciara swung the backpack off her shoulder and held it out to Ollie. “Change of clothes, toothbrush, a couple of your favorite snacks, and your lovey, Bao.”

               “Mam!” Ollie whined, his face reddening as he snatched the bag away from his mother.

               “I’ll miss you, Ollie,” Ciara said, kissing her son’s forehead, before taking her younger son’s hand and leading him to the car. “Come on, Cian.”

               “A lovey, huh?” Harry smirked.

               “Shut up,” Ollie glared at him. He unzipped his bag, revealing a stuffed red panda peeking out at Harry. “That’s Bao. He’s a collectible.”

               “Sure,” Harry said in the most believing tone he could muster, a smile still on his face. Ollie stuck his tongue out at Harry, who laughed.

               Eileen led the two boys away from the school and to a secluded area among a gathering of trees. She took their hands and pulled them close before apparating to the gates of the estate. The boys raced each other to the front door, Eileen strolling behind them with a grin. Shandy and Finn barked and chased after the boys, sharing their energy and excitement. Harry pushed the door open, and the dogs barked and danced around as the boys chased the dogs and rubbed their stomachs when they would catch one and he would drop and roll over.

               “Settle down everyone,” Eileen laughed. “Goodness, we need more ladies in this house. Go free Miss Trifle, Harry.”

               Harry ran up the stairs with Ollie right behind him, the dogs following as well.

               Harry threw open his bedroom door and Miss Trifle was immediately hopping around his feet with as much excitement as everyone else. Harry picked her up and snuggled her

              

               Draco sighed as he waited patiently for Severus and Collins to finish the one hundredth potion of the day. This was so boring. He missed when Severus still worked at Hogwarts, and he would be allowed to hang out with other students and observe their potion brewing successes and fails. Having to sit around and watch two adults brew a million potions at once was only fascinating for so long and Draco was ready to move on with his life.

               He rested his head in his arms on the table as he watched Severus spell several cauldrons to the wash sink where they began washing themselves. Collins stocked several potion vials in the makeshift pharmacy area. Draco closed his eyes and wondered what Harry might be doing right now at MacAuley Estate. Probably having more fun than he was. Draco was very excited to be one of the few wizards to ever see inside the secluded, hidden wizarding home. The MacAuleys were a very private pureblood family, one of the very first to settle in Ireland. After a feud between several other pureblood families that lasted three generations, the MacAuleys closed their doors completely to the outside world, and for centuries, they have been as mysterious as a Loch Ness sighting.

               Draco opened his eyes, then sat up with a smile when he saw Severus heading his way.

               “Okay, you look tortured enough,” Severus smirked.

               “We’re leaving?” Draco asked hopefully.

               “Yes, and just in time for dinner. Come on, let’s get you settled in the guest room and introduce you to the rest of the family.”

               Draco followed Severus to one of the many fireplaces. He tried to contain himself, but his feet betrayed him by bouncing a couple times once they were in the fireplace. It was too bad he couldn’t really tell his father all about the MacAuley place, but he would make sure to rub it in that he had been honored enough to be inside the manor. That alone was enough to annoy his father.

               Severus threw down the powder and they saw several fireplaces flash before their eyes before a strange darkness took over for a brief minute and a light blinded them twice before disappearing and they saw into the manor. Draco figured it was a security ward they had encountered as he rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the fireplace.

               When he opened his eyes, he gasped and smiled, spinning in a circle to take everything in. It was nowhere near the size of Malfoy Manor, if anything, it would fit nicely tucked in the West Wing, but it was beautiful and had a bit of a historic feel to it. And there were personal touches everywhere, from the pony paintings on the walls to the couch pillows rested neatly against the armrests. He could see the second floor thanks to the open style, and he looked up even higher to catch sight of a chandelier. As much as he loved the massive size of Malfoy Manor, this place felt more like a home than an object to show off.

               Two red dogs paused at the top of the stairs before running down them barking. They both jumped up on Draco, who laughed and kneeled to pet the dogs, uncaring if his robes ended up covered in dog hair and slobber. Shandy and Finn licked his face and rolled around on the floor next to him.

               “Settling in already, I see,” Severus said.

               “This place is great,” Draco said. “You said there’s a barn, too?”

               “It’s a stable, and we can check that out tomorrow. For now, it’s dinner and then settle down time.” Severus whistled, and the two dogs ran over to his side, sitting down next to him and staring up at him expectantly. Severus reached into his robe pocket and pulled out Draco’s bag. “I’ll show you to your guest room.”

               Draco followed Severus upstairs. He wondered where Harry was hiding but figured he must be in his room. Severus stopped in front of the guest bedroom. Draco smiled as he stepped inside. It was elegant, with neutral walls and a queen-sized bed in the center. There was a large wardrobe for his robes and a desk to the right with a petite wooden chair to match. It was perfect for a pureblood.

               “I’m sure you can take it from here, hmm?” Severus asked. “Hang your clothes, then retrace your steps back downstairs. Shouldn’t be too hard, this is hardly like home for you.”

               “It’s great, Severus,” Draco said. “I’ll be right down.”

               Severus took that as his cue to leave. Draco made quick work hanging his robes and setting all his personal care items out in a small travel bag for his evening trip to the loo. He would have to make note of which door that was. He gathered his parchment books, quills, and inkstand and set them on the desk. He was sure Severus would give him homework at some point during his stay until Monday morning. He pulled out his Potions for Kids textbook Severus had bought for him last summer and set that on the desk as well. He took off his silver boots and exchanged them for his indoor slip-ons. He paused in front of the full-length mirror on an adjacent wall to the wardrobe. He smoothed out his robes, making sure he looked presentable for the MacAuleys.

               Finally, he stepped out of the bedroom, ready to join the family for dinner.

               “Oh, hi!” A blue-eyed, curly haired boy said to him from the room across from his guest room. The boy stepped forward, holding his hand out. “I’m Ollie.”

               Draco blinked, staring at Ollie’s strange, muggle-like clothing.

               “Err, hello,” Draco said, shaking the boy’s hand once and then releasing. “I don’t recall Severus saying anything about his mother and stepfather having any kids.”

               “That’s because I’m not their kid,” Ollie smiled. “But wouldn’t that be so cool! I’m just spending the weekend here.”

               “I see. Is that another guest room?”

               “No. It’s Harry’s room. I brought a sleeping bag.”

               “A what?” Draco frowned, his nose scrunching up.

               “You know, a comfy bag you sleep in on the floor. Harry and I are building a fort out of his blankets and pillows. You can join us, too! We can make it bigger if we need to.”

               “You really mean to sleep on the floor?”

               “Yeah, it’s fun. Haven’t you ever been to a sleepover?”

               “Well, yes, a couple times. But there were always plenty of beds.”

               “Eileen offered to duplicate Harry’s bed or just make it bigger, but we really wanted to make the fort and sleep on the floor. Maybe they’ll let us camp outside one night! Nice clothes by the way. You look like how Severus always does.”

               Draco’s mouth dropped. This boy was out of his mind if he thought sleeping outside of all places would be fun.

               “What did you say your last name was?” Draco asked.

               “Oh, it’s Fowey. Why?”

               “My father hosts a lot of formal parties and I’ve never seen or heard of a Fowey. You’re not a pureblood, are you?”

               “No, I’m a muggleborn. What’s that got to do with anything?”

               “It explains a lot, that’s for sure. What are you doing at the MacAuleys? They don’t even let my father in here.”

               “Harry invited me,” Ollie shrugged. “I come here a lot. Harry and I are best friends.”

               Draco seethed. A muggleborn of all people had been to the MacAuleys more times than he had ever even visited Hogwarts. And he was friends with Harry Potter now Snape? That would not do. Harry could certainly do better. He would have to remind Harry that there were right and wrong friends, especially for someone holding the kind of social status Harry now had.

               Ollie tilted his head at Draco, biting his lower lip. For some reason, the new kid looked broken, but Ollie figured he just had that kind of effect on people.

               “You okay?” Ollie asked.

               Before Draco could say anything, Harry finally came out of his bedroom with a black and white rabbit hopping at his feet. He was dressed in muggle clothing as well, looking rather content in them, too. Harry grinned when he saw Draco.

               “Draco! I see you met Ollie. We’re going to have so much fun this weekend with all three of us here. Come on, it’s time for dinner.”

               Harry led the way downstairs, Ollie quick to follow, giving Draco one last strange look.

               Draco wasn’t sure what to make of this. He was expected to sit at the same table as a muggleborn. When his father hears about this . . .

               Right, he can’t hear about this, Draco thought. He took a deep breath and followed in the direction the boys had gone in. And here he thought it would just be himself and Harry.

 

Draco pushed his food around his plate, occasionally glaring across the table at Ollie as the muggleborn proudly chatted away about his little brother trying out for some strange sport called “football.” Draco sneered, wondering what on earth could be so special about an ordinary muggle. He turned back to his food, pushing a green bean off his plate and to the floor where Shandy quickly gobbled it up. He smirked, then felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking over at the seat next to him, he saw Severus shaking his head at him.

               With a guilty shrug, Draco returned to pushing his food around on his plate.

               “I’m on the team already,” Ollie told everyone at the table, “and Cian wants to be just like me, so I hope he makes the Juniors Saint Dalua Football Club. They only learn the basics and play like one game in the year. Harry, you should join Saint Dalua Youth Football Club too and we can be on the same team! Wouldn’t that be so much fun?”

               “Yeah, but . . .” Harry blushed an looked down at his food. “I don’t know how to play.”

               “I could teach you,” Ollie said.

               “Really?” Harry gave Ollie a hopeful look.

               Draco snorted and said, “Why learn a muggle sport when you can play Quidditch? That’s what wizards play, after all.”

               “What’s that?” Harry and Ollie asked.

               “A sport played on broomsticks,” Draco answered with an air of superiority. “It’s the greatest sport in the world.”

               “Broomsticks?” Ollie made a face.

               “Well, of course!” Draco said. “What else would you fly on?”

               “You mean flying broomsticks!” Ollie exclaimed. He looked at Harry and they both said, “Cool.”

               Draco smirked, glad to have one upped the silly muggle sport Ollie was talking about. Football, how lame it sounded. Harry would obviously prefer a wizarding sport over something so muggle.

               “We don’t have any broomsticks here,” Peadar said, “it’d freak out the ponies, but you three are more than welcome to play football outside anytime.”

               Draco’s face fell. No quidditch pitch at MacAuley estate?

               “That’s okay,” Ollie said, “I can show Harry how to play football and he can sign up for the team. You’ll pass tryouts for sure when I’m through with you. Oh, do you want to learn too, Draco?”

               “I am here to learn magic,” Draco began to say.

               “You’ll have plenty of breaks where you can play with Harry and Ollie,” Severus said. “I won’t have you studying all day long as your father would have me do. You’re welcome.”

               “Thanks,” Draco said, giving Severus a weak smile. He huffed as he glared at the smiling boy sitting next to Harry across the table. Ollie was back to talking a mile a minute with Harry, completely oblivious to Draco’s disdainful stares.

               After dinner, Draco watched surprised as Eileen washed the dishes in the kitchen herself while Peadar took the dogs outside to the stable with him to finish up chores. Severus explained he needed to stop by the hospital to see if there were any late-night orders or emergencies and would be back in time to say goodnight, so Draco was left watching Draco and Ollie playing fetch with the black and white rabbit in the living room. The rabbit didn’t seem very interested in chasing or picking up any toys, but Harry used treats to encourage her to do so. It looked . . . fun, but Draco held his tongue.

               “Do you want to try?” Harry suddenly asked him. Draco blinked from where he sat on the sofa, then looked down at the rabbit.

               “When did you get a rabbit?” Draco asked.

               “Dad got her for me when we first came to Ireland. She was going to be turned into food, but we rescued her.” Harry picked up the rabbit and held her out to Draco. “Her name is Miss Trifle.”

               Draco hesitantly took the rabbit, holding it under its arms and out away from him as if it was a rabid creature. Miss Trifle’s nose twitched at him, and Draco made a face at the strange motion. He looked back at Harry.

               “Err, it’s very fluffy,” Draco said as he handed the rabbit back to Harry, brushing his hands on his robe after doing so. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood tall out of forced habit, studying Harry as he set the rabbit down and let her run around the living room again. Ollie tossed a toy and cheered when Miss Trifle chased it, though she didn’t pick it up.

               “We’re training her tricks,” Harry said. “One day, she’ll be able to bring back the toys to me. That could be useful. She could grab things for me.”

               “Yeah,” Draco agreed.

               “Hey, did you want to sleepover in my room?” Harry asked. “We have plenty of room, and we can build a bigger fort. Ollie and I—”

               “Maybe not tonight,” Draco quickly said. “I have to do reading for tomorrow’s lesson and I wouldn’t want to be distracted, you know?”

               “Oh.” Harry looked disappointed. “I mean I get it, that’s okay. What are you reading?”

               Draco smiled at the opportunity and stood a little straighter.

               “Severus and I go over potion ingredients and their uses, so I will know what certain ingredients are for and how they interact with other ingredients, that way, I’ll be triple ready for my magical education at Hogwarts or wherever Father ends up putting me. Sometimes, we even brew a potion together. You should really consider joining our studies tomorrow. It’s good to get a head start on your education in magic.”

               “That sounds great,” Harry said with a grin.         

               “But,” Ollie interrupted, “I thought we were going to work on, you know, a solution to our problem tomorrow. We can’t go back to school without a plan.”

               “Right, I forgot. Maybe we can do both? Ollie could get a head start on his education, too.”

               Ollie grinned broadly.

               “I don’t know,” Draco said as he narrowed his eyes. “He’s a muggleborn. He might slow us down.”

               “What do you mean?” Ollie asked, his smile morphing into a frown.

               “Muggleborns are known for being magically inferior to purebloods, like me, and even halfbloods, like Harry. You would probably just get in the way.”

               “Inferior?” Ollie questioned, his own eyes narrowing.

               “That’s probably not entirely true,” Harry said quickly. “Ollie is actually pretty good at—”

               “Yes.” Draco spoke over Harry as he stared directly at Ollie. “Inferior. My father says so, and he knows all about the useless potential of muggleborns. All they do is taint good magic.”

               “I don’t even know what that means,” Ollie said. His fists clenched at his side. “But I don’t like it.”

               “See? Not very smart already, are you?” Draco looked back at Harry. “You’ll find some wizard types are much better than others, Harry, and you really don’t want to go around making friends with the wrong sort, do you?”

               “What?” Harry blinked in bewilderment. “What are you talking about, Ollie is a great friend.”

               “He’s a muggleborn,” Draco clarified.

               “So?”

               “So . . .” Draco licked his lips, trying to remember what his father had said about muggleborns and why they did not make good acquaintances. However, he could only recall bits and pieces and nothing that really made sense if strung together, so he settled with, “As a halfblood, you deserve better.”

               “Well, Ollie is the best, then,” Harry said, crossing his arms and glaring at Draco.

               Draco glared back before huffing and turning away, retreating up the stairs. He said over his shoulder, “Fine, be that way. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.”

               Ollie and Harry shared a look.

               Draco returned to the guest room he had been given, closing the door hard behind him then leaning against it with crossed arms and a pout. He couldn’t believe Harry chose a muggleborn over him. It was ridiculous. Harry had so much to learn about the wizarding world. His father never lied about anything, he knew everything, and his father said that muggleborns were bad, so they had to be bad friends too. He had to make Harry see that.

 

               Later that night, long after everyone had turned in and gone to bed, Severus sat in front of the fireplace in the living room, Shandy and Finn sleeping at his feet. He wanted to finish grading today so he could focus on the boys tomorrow. He felt bad for brushing them off as he had the last couple weeks, and maybe his mother was right that he wasn’t listening to them as he should. Perhaps he was hasty in scolding Harry about their new teacher. He’d make it up to his kid. He couldn’t let his first year as a parent turn him into a bad father. He was not Tobias Snape.

               A creak on the stairs caught his attention, as well as the dogs who whipped their heads up in the direction of the sound. Harry continued to slowly tiptoe down the stairs.

               “What are you doing up?” Severus asked as Harry walked over to him. “It is way past your bedtime.”  

               “I couldn’t sleep,” Harry answered honestly as he paused in front of Severus, resting his hands on his father’s knees, silently communicating what he would like Severus to do.

               Severus set his work aside and lifted Harry into his lap, wrapping his arms around Harry snugly. Harry curled up against him, resting his head on Severus’s chest and pulling his legs up slightly. Severus rested his head against Harry’s, enjoying the embrace.

               “Daddy,” Harry began, glancing up inquisitively at Severus.

               “What is it?”

               “Draco doesn’t like Ollie. And I don’t think Ollie is liking Draco very much.”

               “No?” Severus arched an eyebrow. “Well, I can’t say I’m very surprised. Draco was brought up very differently than you or Ollie. You see, some pureblood families do not like muggles or muggleborns, and Draco’s family is one of them. His father has conditioned Draco to believe certain views regarding muggleborns, that they are beneath them and not worth their time. Do you understand?”

               “So, it’s his dad’s fault Draco doesn’t like Ollie?”

               Severus chuckled.

               “As much as I’d love to put all the blame on Lucius Malfoy, Draco has to make his own choices, too. Perhaps we can show him that Ollie isn’t so bad, and he will come around. What do you say?”

               “How do we do that?”

               “You and Ollie keep being nice to Draco, all right? Keep including him in your games even if he doesn’t seem interested. And be respectful to him, even if he is not to you. I know how he can get sometimes. Maybe, if you two can do that, you’ll show Draco that muggleborns are just as good as purebloods, or at the very least, that they can make good friends.”

               “Do you think that’ll work?” Harry asked.

               No, Severus thought, but he wasn’t about to tell Harry that. Severus knew that with all the conditioning Draco has had, it would take more than playdates to stray his mind away from his father’s political views. But Severus had an idea that would lure Draco into a friendship with Ollie much quicker than what he had asked Harry to do. But Harry did not need to know that plan.

               “I think if you try your hardest, and tell Ollie to do the same, you’ll find that Draco and Ollie can be friends, too. It takes patience and understanding. I know you three will get along very well. You all have something in common—you’re very gifted children.”

               “You really think so?” Harry’s bright eyes blinked up at him.

               “I know so.” Severus said. He kissed Harry’s temple before standing up with Harry still in his arms. He walked back up the stairs. “Now, back to your fortress. Draco will have lessons with me tomorrow, so you and Ollie have a little free time to do whatever you please.”

               “Can we learn potions, too?”

               “Hmm.” Severus pushed open Harry’s bedroom door and had to carefully step over a sleeping Ollie. “If that’s what you want to do, I don’t see why not.”

               “Thanks, Dad,” Harry said through a yawn as he was settled down into his makeshift bed on the floor. “Ollie would like that. And me, too.”

               “Goodnight, son.”

               “Night, Daddy.”

               Severus shut the door, then walked across the hall to the room next to his own room. He quietly opened the door just enough to check on Draco, who was sound asleep buried under blankets in the bed. He snorted, not surprised that Draco had declined sleeping on the floor.

              

               Draco was up bright and early the next morning, dressing promptly, and grabbing one of his beginner’s guides to potion brewing books. He walked down the stairs, following the smell of breakfast. Eileen was in the kitchen plating eggs, sausage, and toast on several dishes. Severus was in the kitchen as well, pouring three cups of orange juice and three cups of coffee. Severus glanced over at Draco and smiled.

               “You were always an early riser, Draco,” Severus said.

               “As a growing, young boy should be,” Draco bowed slightly in greeting. He set his book down on a table with a vase for safekeeping.

               “Now that’s the first I heard of that,” Eileen smiled down at Draco. “Is your bed made?”

               “My . . .” Draco blinked, then his eyes widened as he shook his head. “No, I was not aware it was a house rule here. I can go make it right now, ma’am. I think . . . I know how to.”

               “It’s okay,” Eileen said. “One of the elves here will tend to it for you. But just this once. We try to do much of the little chores here and leave the gardens and house maintenance to the elves.”

               “Yes, ma’am.” Draco bowed slightly again before Severus directed him to the dining table. Draco sat and licked his lips eagerly as food was set in front of him. Draco picked up a knife and fork and cut up his fried egg and took a bite.

               “Morning, Dad,” Harry greeted loudly as he came running down the stairs with Ollie right at his heels.

               “Morning, Severus,” Ollie said right after Harry.

               “Good morning, boys,” Severus returned as he set two more plates down across from Draco.

               “Good morning, Nana,” Harry said, hugging Eileen tightly, who returned the hug as well, swinging Harry slightly.

               “Good morning, my little prince,” Eileen said, kissing Harry’s mop of hair. “You are in a happy mood today. And morning to you, Ollie.”

               “Morning, Mrs. MacAuley,” Ollie said.

               “It’s Eileen,” Eileen said. “We’ve been over this many times.”

               “I always forget,” Ollie shrugged.

               Harry and Ollie sat at the dining table and dug into the food with gusto, using their forks to stab sausage links and shove what would fit into their mouths. Severus settled orange juice in front of all three boys, warning Harry and Ollie to slow down before sitting down at the table himself, tucking into his own breakfast in a much more dignified manner. Eileen set a plate down at the head of the table with a heating charm before she sat down herself to eat.  

               Draco picked up his orange juice and sipped it, glaring over his glass at Ollie as he watched the boy chug his orange juice. Honestly, were all muggles like this? His eyes strayed over to Harry, who lacked just as many table manners, though he at least settled a napkin in his lap. Draco rolled his eyes and returned to his breakfast, picking up his toast with two fingers and taking the smallest bite from it. Peadar joined them halfway through breakfast and started a chat with Eileen and Severus about adult things Draco paid no attention to.

               After breakfast, Draco made quick work to grab his book off the table and follow Severus to the potions lab downstairs. He settled himself on a stool seat at a clean table and opened his book to a page that identified herbs and their uses in potions. He folded his hands together and waited patiently while Severus gathered samples of herbs and set them out on the table.

               “I hope you’ve been studying,” Severus said, “because we’re diving right in to our lesson.”  

               “Yes, Severus,” Draco said smugly. “I can name and identify every herb in this book.”

               “Good. Then you can help catch the others up.” Severus waved his hand and two more stool chairs appeared on either side of Draco.

               Draco gasped, then shook his head.

               “You can’t be serious! This is our study time.”

               “Harry asked if he could join,” Severus said. “And I see no reason why I can’t kill two birds with one stone and teach you all at the same time. You’ll all be learning the same things soon enough anyway.”

               “But one of them is a muggleborn.” Draco huffed and glared at his book. “This is pureblood tutoring.”

               “Have you forgotten that you are being tutored by a halfblood, Draco?” Severus said, crossing his arms as if offended by Draco’s words. Draco looked away guiltily and shook his head as he muttered an apology. Severus nodded, then leaned against the table so he could talk softer to Draco. “I understand sharing residence with a muggleborn must be difficult considering how your father feels about them, but many great wizards were muggleborns or even halfbloods.”

               “Not the best though.”

               “Even the best. Let me tell you a secret even your father doesn’t know.”

               Draco leaned closer to Severus, a small smile on his face as he excitedly waited to hear what Severus knew that his father didn’t.

               “Muggleborns can be a great way to gain information and control over muggles. They can tell us all their muggle secrets, secrets that many pureblooded wizards do not know, and that gives us an advantage—over muggles and other purebloods alike. All we have to do to become privy to such private information is befriend a muggleborn, and they will confide everything to us.”

               “Why would I need to know anything a muggleborn knows?” Draco asked.

               “How else will we keep muggles beneath us?” Severus shot back. “We need to know what they’re up to, what they’re creating that could adversely affect us, right? We need to stay one step ahead of them.”

               “I get it,” Draco smirked.

               “Give Ollie a chance, Draco. He might surprise. You three boys have a lot in common.”

               “How?”

               Severus winked at Draco as he pulled back, just in time as Harry and Ollie ran into the potions lab. Harry and Ollie jumped up on the stools on either side of Draco, oohing at the herbs in containers scattered on the table.

               “Welcome to your first potions lesson Harry, Ollie,” Severus said. “Wait just a moment while I grab parchment and quills—oh, and a notebook and pen for you Ollie. You’ll need to practice with the quill before you start taking notes with one.”

               Severus stepped out of the lab and into a side room where extra ingredient supplies, and a small desk lived.

               “Look at all these plants,” Ollie said, peering really close at a rosemary. “Are they all magical?”

               Before Draco could reprimand Ollie for being so stupid, Harry spoke up.

               “No, silly. That’s just rosemary. It’s an herb you can use for cooking too.”

               “How do you know?” Draco asked. “I thought this was your first lesson.”

               “It is. But I used to help Aunt Petunia in the kitchen all the time to make soups and stuff.” Harry leaned over the table more and started pointing out the herbs. “That’s basil, that one’s parsley, mint, horseradish, sage, dill, thyme, and that’s obviously ginger.”

               Draco bit his tongue to hold back his jealousy at Harry’s knowledge, and when he looked up, he saw he wasn’t the only one surprised. Severus was standing just outside the storage closet door, his arms carrying writing supplies and his jaw slack. He closed his mouth and cleared his throat as he stepped over to the table, handing Harry and Draco parchment and quills and Ollie a notebook and pen.

               “That was very good, Harry,” Severus praised. “Though I was hoping you three would help each other identify the plants using Draco’s book, but no matter. We will review the plants once more and how to identify each one, then I want you three to work together to list three reasons why each ingredient is useful in a potion, what it aids in and such. Draco’s book will help you immensely in finding those reasons. Shall we begin?”

               Severus lectured the kids for the next forty minutes about how to identify the herbs, answering any questions each kid had. Harry did not ask much about identifying the plant, but how the plant could be used in a potion. Severus had to catch himself from answering every time as he wanted the boys to find those answers on their own. Finally, he told the boys to start looking for the plants’ uses in potions, and he left them to work, retreating to a bench where he began prepping a fever reducer, a high demand potion at St. Mungo’s.

               Draco led the way through the research, pointing out where the book talked about each plant. They started with dill and planned to work in order of the alphabet.

               “Dill is packed full of nutrients,” Draco read, “making it an excellent choice for nutrient de-fi-cien-cies, upset stomachs, and general healing, especially for regrowth.”

               Draco set the book down to write down his findings, while Harry and Ollie looked at the book for spelling aid. When they finished with dill, they moved on to the next plant, learning more about each one as they took turns reading from the book.

               “I had no clue rosemary was useful for pain,” Harry said. “If I had known, I would have used it all the time.”

               “What are you talking about?” Draco asked as he copied from the book.

               “I just mean it would have helped with some bruises and cuts now and then is all,” Harry clarified.

               “Sage is next,” Ollie said as he finished writing. “Which one is that again?”

               “Haven’t you learned how to tell it apart?” Draco asked, frowning at Ollie. Clearly not all muggleborns were meant to be great, but at least ollie could still be a source of information, he supposed.

               “I’m still trying to see the difference,” Ollie said. “I’m new to all this. You both had some practice, I didn’t.”

               “Well, figure it out.” Draco crossed his arms and looked away. “I’m not helping.”

               “Let me see the book,” Ollie said as he reached for it, but Draco snatched it and held it away.

               “No cheating,” Draco said. “Look at the plants.”

               “How am I supposed to learn if I can’t remind myself what I’m looking for?”

               “Sounds like that’s your problem.”

               “Come on, guys,” Harry tried to interject, looking around the room for Severus, but his father had gone into the storage room and had yet to come back out. Harry wondered what he was doing in there.

               Ollie lunged for the book, but Draco sat up on his knees on the stool and held it up higher out of Ollie’s reach.

               “Let me see the book!” Ollie demanded.

               “You have to try and look at the plants,” Draco argued.

               Ollie sat back in his seat and glared at Draco. Then his eyes intently stared at the book in Draco’s hands, and after a few seconds, he flicked a couple fingers in a jerking motion toward himself.

               The book lurched out of Draco’s hands and into Ollie’s, surprising Draco. He stared wide eyed at Ollie before he frowned again.

               “Accidental magic,” Draco decided.

               “Oh yeah?” Ollie challenged.

               Draco moved to take the book back, but Ollie threw the book up in the air then spun a finger around, suspending the book in the air as it spun around above them, matching the speed of Ollie’s finger.

               “You want it?” Ollie said. “Try and get it.”

               “That’s not fair!” Draco whined, looking back and forth at the book and Ollie. He rested his hands on his hip and said, “I’m not playing your silly game. You want to cheat, then cheat.”

               “It’s not cheating.” Ollie stopped twirling his finger and let the book fall into his hands. “It’s learning.”

               “Only a weak and lousy wizard would need to review something we just talked about.”

               “What’s your problem with me?” Ollie snapped and stomped a foot.

               “My problem? You’re not even trying to be a great muggleborn wizard, just a lazy one.”

               “I’m not trying to be anything. I’m just trying to learn like you and Harry.”

               “You’ll never be like me or Harry!”

               Ollie’s face fell for a second before the child snarled loudly and threw the book at Draco. Draco managed to dodge the book then quickly shoved Ollie back when the child lunged for him. Ollie stumbled back and fell, his arm slamming into the edge of another table behind him. Ollie yelped and cradled his elbow, which had a small cut that began bleeding. Ollie glanced at his wound, then shot Draco a hurt look, his blue eyes glassy.

               “Ollie, are you okay?” Harry asked, running over to his friend.

               Ollie sniffed and hissed as he eyed the cut again, showing Harry.

               Draco stared up at the ceiling as he sighed heavily, then kneeled down next to Ollie. He hadn't meant to hurt the other kid, and the guilt was getting to him, even if Ollie went at him first. At first, Ollie gave Draco a suspicious look and leaned away from the other kid, but Draco inched closer.

               “I’m not going to hurt you,” Draco said. “Let me see your arm.”

               “Why, so you can make it hurt more?” Ollie asked as he tried to scoot further away, but Draco caught his wrist and pulled his injured arm closer to him.

Ollie hissed and froze, watching Draco carefully. Harry kept a hand on Ollie’s shoulder.

Draco hovered his right hand over Ollie’s wound, then slowly waved over it, and the skin sutured itself together. Draco then waved his hand in a small circling, and the bruise that had been starting to form faded away. Draco lowered his hand with a huff as he asked, “Does it hurt anymore?”

Ollie looked at where the wound had been, then stretched out his elbow. He shook his head at Draco.

“Great,” Draco said rather dryly. “We should get back to our lesson.”

“You can heal people?” Ollie asked.

“I can heal little things,” Draco said. “Cuts, bruises, small burns. But I’m getting better every day. Severus teaches me to channel my magic during our lessons sometimes. You should start doing the same, since you can make things move.”

“That’s so cool, Draco,” Harry said, smiling. “And thanks for helping Ollie.”

“Yeah,” Ollie said, “thanks.”

“You know, I can apparate,” Harry said. “I wonder if Dad could help me channel that so I can control where I’m going.”

“You can apparate?” Draco’s brows shot up. “Willingly?”

“For the most part. All I have to do is run really fast and then poof! I’m somewhere else.”

“That is incredible! We don’t even get to learn how to do that until we come of age.”

“That’s what Dad said.”

“What’s going on out here?” Severus asked, walking around the table to where the three boys were kneeling on the ground. “I’m gone not five minutes grabbing liverwort from the back. What happened.”

Draco stood with his head lowered and hands clasped behind his back, prepared to confess, when Ollie jumped up next to him.

“We dropped a piece of sage and were trying to find it on the floor,” Ollie said. “I hit my arm on the table, but Draco fixed it.”

“I see,” Severus said, looking between the three boys standing side by side. Draco was staring wide eyed at Ollie but he quickly fixed his look and met Severus’s stare. He nodded. Severus continued. “Okay then. I’ll let whatever happened here slide, but just this once. Finish up with your research so we can review it. Then you boys may head outside and give me some peace.”

Severus went back to his potion at the other table while the boys climbed back in their seats and opened the book to the herbs page. They wrote down three uses of sage before Draco whispered to Ollie.

“Why did you stand up for me? I pushed you. I called you worthless.”

“I know. But then you healed me. I know that things are different where you’re from and that muggleborns aren’t well-liked, so it must be hard for you to like me. But even after you hurt me, you helped me, so I think maybe we can make this work. If we really try and not think about our differences, we could be friends.”

Draco paused, mulling over the words in his head. He nodded.

“Yeah, I think we can be friends.”

Ollie smiled, earning a small smile back from Draco.

“Maybe when we’re done with this,” Harry whispered, “all three of use can come up with a way to get rid of that magicless wizard substitute.”

“A magicless wizard?” Draco frowned. “There’s no such thing.”

“But there is,” Ollie confirmed. “He basically said that’s what he is. He’s our new substitute at school, and he has it out for me and Harry. We got in trouble for no reason because of him. But he’s nice to everyone else.”

“Really?” Draco tapped his quill against his chin. He smirked and whispered, “tell me more about this “magicless wizard.””     

 

Harry and Ollie explained to Draco how the new substitute at their muggle school singled them out during classes and made them do extra work or stay behind during lunch or after school for stupid reasons, and how he clearly had it out for just the two boys and no one else. Even their parents believed the teacher over them. They informed Draco that Mr. Alarie even confessed to knowing about the wizarding world and claimed that he came from a line of purebloods but that the magic had skipped him for some reason. Draco listened intently while pretending to read his notes from their lesson while Severus cleaned up.

               “So, what do you think about the magicless wizard?” Harry asked Draco, leaning close to whisper softly so Severus didn’t hear.

               “First, stop calling him that,” Draco whispered back. “It’s a dumb name. If he really is a wizard-born with no magic, he’s a squib. That’s what they call those.”

               “Dad didn’t seem to know what we were talking about,” Harry said.

               “Probably because you used that stupid name and Severus had to think fast in front of what he thinks is a muggle. Squibs aren’t common, you know. It’s such a disgrace to have one born in your family, it could ruin your whole status in the wizard world. Father says so.”

               “Are you boys done writing your summary notes of today’s lesson?” Severus asked as he paused in front of the table the three boys sat.

               Harry, Ollie, and Draco nodded simultaneously.

               “Very well. You boys are dismissed. Go play outside or something until lunch, okay?”

               “Yes, Daddy,” Harry said, jumping down with his parchment in hand and running out of the lab, Ollie and Draco quickly following his lead. They went to Harry’s bedroom first to put their notes away while Draco stopped in the guest room to put his notes away. They paused in the hallway.

               “So, he’s a squid?” Ollie asked curiously, frowning at the image that created in his head.

               “Squib,” Draco reiterated with a roll of his eyes. “Not squid. Your new teacher was probably disowned as soon as he was old enough to live on his own and took on a new name. He’s probably been living in the muggle world ever since. Alarie, huh? Hmm.”

               Draco closed his eyes tightly as he tried to think of names.

               “It sounds so familiar . . .,” Draco muttered as he shook his head. A few seconds passed when his eyes shot open, and he smiled. “Ah, Avery. That’s what it sounds like. And Father said the Averys’ are lucky to still be considered one of the Sacred because of the poor offspring they create. That must have been what he meant—they have a squib in the family.”

               “Why is that such a bad thing?” Harry asked.

               “Being a squib? That’s like being a muggle!”

               Ollie folded his arms and glared at Draco.

               “No offense,” Draco said to Ollie.

               Ollie rolled his eyes, knowing that was all he was going to get out of Draco.

               “To purebloods,” Draco tried again, “a squib in the family is a sign that the family has—what did Father say—weak magic. It’s bad socially, and the squib obviously cannot take over the family and keep the magic going since they don’t have any. It’s just not a good thing at all.”

               “But why would he be angry at us?” Ollie asked. “It’s not our fault we have magic and he doesn’t.”

               “I don’t know.” Draco shrugged. “He could just be angry at being disowned and kicked out of the wizarding world.”

               “Well, that’s not fair,” Harry said. “He’s taking it out on us, and we can’t do anything about it. Dad didn’t even believe me when I tried to tell him.”

               “Maybe try telling him again with the right word this time,” Draco suggested. “Cause if either of you say, “magicless wizard” again, I’m going to explode.”

               “But it’s not like Severus can fire him,” Ollie said. “Even if he believed us, what can he do about it?”

               “Hmm.” Harry tapped his chin in thought. “True. We need to get Mr. Alarie fired.”

               “How do we do that?” Ollie asked.

               “Well . . . he really didn’t like magic. Maybe we can annoy him enough with magic that he’ll snap in front of everyone to see.”

               “He’ll know it’s us.”

               “But no one else will. It’ll make him sound crazy.”

               “Maybe . . .. But you can’t control your magic very well. That means I have to keep moving things and it makes me so tired sometimes.”

               “I have something that might help,” Draco said with a smirk.

               “What?” Harry and Ollie asked eagerly.

               Draco led the way to the guest bedroom and dug through his bag. He pulled out several items: two round dungbombs, sticky paste in a jar, ooey-gooey green glowing slime, a handful of sneeze powder in a bag, and four hiccough sweets.

               “I was saving these for Harry and I—and you, too,” Draco quickly added when Ollie gave him a look. “To use on the MacAuleys’ during our visit. Sometimes, I can get Severus with just one joke, and he’s usually pretty cool about it, so I thought the MacAuleys’ would be no different. But I think you guys have a bigger enemy.”

               “What are they?” Ollie asked, picking up one of the dungbombs.

               “Careful with that,” Draco warned. “These are joke products from Zonko’s. That’s a dungbomb—you drop that, and we’ll be smelling like a bundimun for days. I managed to convince Mother to buy a few things for me when I went on my last sleepover. You guys can take these to school and use them against your teacher.”

               “We’ll never be able to set anything up with him watching us like a hawk,” Harry said.

               “We could . . .” Ollie began to say as he tapped his chin, “. . . go in now.”

               “We could? I thought they locked up the school when kids are gone.”

               “They do. But the janitors go in and clean during the day. Cian forgot one of his favorite toys once and wouldn’t go to bed without it and screamed all night. Mam went back to the school in the morning and a janitor helped her fine it. We might be able to get in the school now.”

               “Nana volunteers at the library this afternoon,” Harry said. “It’s right across from the school. We can ask to go with her.”

               “Then we sneak into the school,” Draco said with a smirk, “and set up our traps.”

               “This is going to be so wicked!” Ollie said excitedly.

               “I bet Nana is making lunch right now,” Harry said, standing up. “We can go ask her.”

               “Wait,” Draco said, stopping the boys from running out of the guest room. He hesitated and bit at his lower lip before taking a deep breath and standing tall. “How does one “make a bed?””

               “Make a bed?” Ollie asked, frowning. “You don’t know how to make a bed?”

               “Where I come from, it is not required of me. So no.”

               Harry smirked while Ollie burst into laughter. Draco deflated some and glared at Ollie.

               After a quick lesson on bed-making, it was not hard to convince Eileen to take the three boys with her to the library during lunch. She seemed pleased that the boys wanted to go to the library with her, but Severus gave them each a suspicious look before he agreed that maybe some time outside of the manor would do them some good while also giving him some peace and quiet. They changed Draco into some of Harry’s muggle clothes, a blue polo top and dark trousers, which Draco sneered down at but accepted. Eileen walked the boys to the end of the estate driveway and past the gates before pulling the boys close to her and apparating to a garden park near the library, appearing behind some trees and out of sight. The boys followed her to the library.

               Eileen spent an hour reading to younger kids nearly every Saturday before directing the kids to arts and crafts, usually creating something related to the book they had read. It was an hour that gave many parents a moment away from their kids to run an errand or read a book themselves, but this hour gave Harry, Ollie, and Draco limited time to get their plan in action and return to the library before Eileen even knew they were gone.

               They taught Draco how to play air hockey while they waited for Eileen to settle in and read a few pages of the chosen book of that day. As she really became engaged with children who were engorged in the story, the three boys slowly slinked away from the kid’s play area before taking off in a run when they were out of Eileen’s sight.

               They ran out of the library and stopped at a crosswalk, looking both ways and waiting for cars to pass. Ollie pushed a button that made the lights change and gave the okay signal for the boys to cross the road.

               “I didn’t know muggles had magic like that,” Draco said as he studied the button Ollie had pushed after crossing to the other side. He gave the button a few curious taps, staring back at the cars and the lights hanging in the air above them that shined a red color. Clearly this was some kind of control device for muggles to use against each other. He smiled as he kept pushing the button.

               “Stop it,” Ollie said as he grabbed Draco’s arm and pulled him away. “You’re going to make them angry.”

               Draco hmphed but followed Ollie and Harry to the front door of the school.

               It was locked.

               “Let’s try another door,” Ollie said. He ran around the building, leading Harry and Draco.

               They came across a side door that was unlocked. With victorious cheers, they ran inside. The halls were lighted by the sunlight streaming through the windows, and they could see well enough to find their classroom. They peeked inside the classroom first to make sure it was empty before stepping inside and closing the door behind them.

               “Where should we start?” Ollie asked.

               “Over here,” Harry said, waving his friends over to the teacher’s desk. I think a dungbomb right in the top drawer.”

               “Brilliant,” Draco said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of the dungbombs. “If we set it up against the papers like this, when he opens the drawer, it should make it move enough to explode on him.”

               As the boys helped shuffle the papers, Harry found parchment paper and pulled it out, studying the words.

               “Look at this,” Harry said. He read the words. “Kwikspell: Intro-duct-ion to Beginner’s Magic. Course one.”

               “Is that like a school for people without magic but who knows magic exists?” Ollie asked.

               Harry and Ollie looked at Draco for an answer, but the young blonde shrugged.

               “Don’t look at me. Father has his eyes on Hogwarts or Durmstrang. I don’t know much about the other schools.”

               Harry set the parchment back in the drawer and placed the dungbomb carefully, then slowly closed the drawer so as not to set it off. Then, Harry helped Draco dump the transparent sticky paste on the teacher’s chair. Apparently, it did not dry until something else adhered to the other side of the paste, making it perfect for long term pranks where waiting was required. Once the entire chair was coated in the sticky paste, they left the slime and powder at Harry’s and Ollie’s desks to be used the day of, along with the hiccough sweets. They couldn’t wait until Monday.

               “Okay, we’re all set,” Harry said. “Let’s get out of here.”

               The three boys ran out of the classroom and back down the hall that led to the door that had been unlocked. However, as they pushed on the door, it did not budge.

               “Oh no,” Ollie said. “We’re locked in.”

               “I hope there’s no alarms in here,” Draco said.

               “They probably go off when the door get’s broken into,” Harry said, recalling how the Dursleys’ alarm system did that. “So we can’t just force the door open. We need a key.”

               “Where are we going to get a key to get out of here?”

               “Shh!” Ollie shushed.

               Ollie closed his eyes and focused. He raised his hands toward the keyhole, then slowly acted as if he was inserting a key and turning it. He pushed on the door, but it remained locked.

               Sighing, Ollie tried it again, really focusing his magic on turning the mechanisms in the keyhole. He pretended to insert a key and turn it again.

               It did not work.

               “Come on, Ollie, you can do it!” Harry cheered for him. When Draco said nothing, Harry nudged him with an elbow.

               Draco sighed.

               “Yeah, Ollie,” Draco said. “You have to get us out of here or we’ll all be in trouble. Open the door! Open it.”

               “You can do it!” Harry encouraged. “You can open it.”

               Ollie took a deep breath. He pretended he had a key, a sturdy strong key that would fit perfectly into the keyhole. He imagined all the things he was able to move and pushed that energy into this imaginary key. He reached toward the keyhole and inserted the key in his mind. Then turned it.

               Finally, the door clicked as it unlocked, and the boys cheered as they pushed the door open and ran out into the sunlight. They gave Ollie congratulatory pats on the back, even Draco as he reluctantly remarked that Ollie did an amazing feat of magic.

               The boys ran over to the crosswalk, pushed the button, and when the light turned red for the cars, they ran across the road and back to the library.

               “Where have you been?” Eileen asked as soon as she spotted the boys sneaking over to the air hockey table. She rested her hands on her hips and glared at the boys.

               “Err, to the restroom,” Harry said with an innocent smile.

               “Outside?” Eileen asked, her brows shooting up.

               “Then we wanted to see the park,” Ollie piped up.

               “I’ve never been to a muggle town,” Draco said, his hands clasping together behind him as he stood tall. “They were showing me around.”

               “You should have asked before you left the library if you could go check out the park,” Eileen said. “I’ve been looking for you three for nearly fifteen minutes. I wasn’t sure what to think when I couldn’t find you.”

               “Sorry, Nana,” Harry said softly, guilt swelling in his chest for making her worry.

               “We’re leaving,” Eileen decided. “And you can explain to your father why we had to leave the library early.”

               Harry swallowed nervously at that, and Ollie and Draco shared a look.

               Back at MacAuley estate, the boys stuck to their story of using the restroom then showing Draco around the garden park. Draco even tried to make it sound authentic by describing his surprise over the crosswalk button that controlled the lights and made the cars stop. Severus seemed amused by Draco’s discovery, but overall, he didn’t seem that angry.

               “Harry, I’ve told you many times to tell either me or your grandparents about where you will be or where you want to go when you go out with them,” Severus scolded lightly. “We don’t tell you that to hear ourselves talk but to ensure your safety. We need to know where you are at all times. What of something had happened to your or any of you? We would have no idea because we thought you were within the safety of the library.”

               “I’m sorry, Dad,” Harry said, hoping he sounded sincere enough. He was sorry for worrying his Nana, but he was not sorry for why they left the library to begin with. He only hoped Severus didn’t pick up on that he wasn’t being totally genuine.

               Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry, but after a moment he nodded his acceptance of the apology.

               “There will be no dessert for any of you tonight or tomorrow,” Severus decided. “Now, Draco, I believe you have an essay to work on.”

               “Can we work on one too?” Harry asked. “It’s about our lesson today, right?”

               “I don’t see why not, but no copying off each other or distracting Draco from finishing his essay. You may share reflections and notes, but I want each essay to be in your own words. I will grade yours tonight, Draco, so you may have it to hand off to your father when I return you home tomorrow evening.”

               Severus waved his hand and two rolls of parchment, and a notebook appeared with two quills and a pen. Draco’s potions book also plopped down on the table. The boys sat down at the table and began working on their assignment. When Severus stepped away after making sure they were following his directions, Draco whispered to Harry.

               “Owl me all the details,” he said.

               “I will,” Harry said.

 

                Monday came quickly, and sitting at their usual desks, Harry and Ollie waited patiently for the teacher to arrive. While the other kids ran around the classroom laughing and playing, Ollie and Harry had gone over their plan a couple more times quietly. Finally, Mr. Alarie stepped into the room with a cheerful “Settle down, class.”

               Everyone ran to their seats and sat down.

               “Good morning, Mr. Alarie.”

               “Good morning, class,” Mr. Alarie said. “Today, we will start off with a reading assignment. First, everyone, pass up your homework to the front of the class and I shall collect them.

               All the students began passing up their homework, and while Mr. Alarie collected and glanced through to make sure everyone’s names were accounted for, Harry tapped the shoulder of the little brunette with glasses next to him. She gave him an annoyed look.

               “Candy?” Harry asked in a hushed voice, offering her one of the hiccough sweets.

               She smiled and nodded.

               Harry handed her the sweet, and then handed one to the boy behind him when he asked if he could have one.

               Ollie did the same to two kids sitting across from him.

               “Mr. Snape and Mr. Fowey, what are you doing? Up to no good already?” Mr. Alarie asked as he marched in their direction.

               “No sir,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Just sharing candy.”

               Harry and Ollie pretended to suck on candy.

               “It is too early for sugar. You boys are up to something, and I don’t like it. Mr. Fowey, take that seat in the back corner. I don’t want you two next to each other . . . for the remainder of the school year.”

               The boys shared an annoyed look, but Ollie did as he was told, grabbing his things and moving back to the lonely chair the teacher had pointed to. They were confident their plan would work, so the change in seats would not be long term. Once Ollie settled into his new seat, Mr. Alarie gave a satisfied smile and returned to the head of the class.

               “Now that that is taken care of . . .” he began.

               The brunette girl with glasses hiccoughed loudly. A few kids laughed and she smiled before hiccoughing again.

               The boy behind her started hiccupping as well, along with the two kids opposite of Harry. Everyone in the classroom was laughing now, even the hiccoughers, who found their shared dilemma hilarious.

               “Settle down, class,” Mr. Alarie said. “Are you kids, okay? Do you need a drink or anything? I hear plugging your nose and drinking water at the same time may help with those.”

               The kids shook their heads as they finished their candy and the hiccoughs slowly died down. Mr. Alarie seemed relieved, though he did give Harry and Ollie suspicious looks. He moved to his desk and picked up several copies of a book that he started to pass out to the class.

               “Everyone will read a page from the book, starting with Miss Hawlley, and we will work across the front rows to the back. Turn to page one. Miss Hawlley, you may begin.”

               As the little blonde in question started reading the first page, Mr. Alarie sat down at his desk and held the book up to follow along with the reading. Harry nearly grinned when he noticed Mr. Alarie frown at something on the desk. Ollie had made sure to shuffle things around and leave the drawer with the dungbomb slightly askew so Mr. Alarie would be forced to investigate his desk. And the teacher did just that. He adjusted some items on his desk, then jolted the top drawer of his desk open.

               Bang!

               The desk was quickly surrounded by a messy and foul substance that Mr. Alarie choked on, waving his hand around futilely in an attempt to clear the dusty air. He tried to stand up, but his bottom was stuck to the chair, and the chair rose with him when he stood.

               Kids in the classroom were holding their nose and making disgusted sounds while Harry and Ollie snickered behind their hands.

               Mr. Alarie managed to rip the chair off himself, which left a tear in his trousers, revealing his polka dot boxers underneath and many of the kids started laughing in the classroom. Red-faced and ears steaming, Mr. Alarie started stomping toward Harry.

               “You did this, Potter, I know it! You and your pesky little—”

               Harry pulled the slime from the cubby under his desk and squeezed out the bag as Mr. Alarie drew near. The slime shot out of the bag and coated the floor between himself and the furious teacher, who flailed his arms around as he slipped on the slime and dropped to the floor.

               It was amusing watching the man try to stand up on top of the slippery substance. He struggled for nearly two minutes while everyone started laughing at his moves, his arms swinging like windmills and his legs sliding back and forth and side to side.

               “That’s it!” Mr. Alarie shouted at Harry as he tried to push himself up. “To the principal’s office with you! We’ll see how your father likes your little jokes!”

               “Sir, let me help you,” Ollie said, running over to Mr. Alarie and pulling him off the slimey goo. He handed Mr. Alarie something round, then gave it a rough smack before running to the other end of the classroom, Harry following him.

               Mr. Alarie barely had time to register the device in his hand before it exploded with more of that foul smelling substance that coated his clothes and face. The kids in proximity to him jumped from their chairs and ran to the other end of the classroom screaming and plugging their noses.  

               Harry didn’t think Mr. Alarie could get any redder. He almost looked like he might pop any minute.

               Mr. Alarie threw what remained of the dungbomb on the ground, which was a mistake as the rest of the bomb went off, filling the classroom with more rotten egg smells.

               “Mr. Potter and Mr. Fowey,” Mr. Alarie snapped. “To the principal’s office at once!”

               “It’s Snape, can’t you get anything right?” Harry snapped.

               “The principal’s office!” Mr. Alarie reiterated.

               Perhaps it wasn’t their best plan the boys had come up with, but they weren’t finished yet. Now that Mr. Alarie was no longer the polite, respectful teacher before the eyes of other adults, Harry and Ollie were actually pretty relaxed as they sat in the two chairs in front of Principal O’Loof’s desk. The principal had called their parents, managing to reach Ciara and Eileen. Harry was sure Eileen would let Severus know and he would be the one to show up. As they waited for their parents to arrive, Mr. Alarie was still raging as he paced back and forth in the office.

               “I want them suspended!” he demanded. “Expelled!”

               “Calm down, Mortagus,” O’Loof said. “I am still trying to make sense of what happened.”

               “Nothing happened, Principal O’Loof,” Ollie said in his sweetest tone. “I don’t know why he sent us here. We were doing exactly what he said and then he tripped and got angry at us.”

               “Now, Mortagus,” O’Loof said, “maybe you should consider taking the day and letting whatever personal problems at home . . .”

               “This isn’t an at home matter,” Mr. Alarie said with a glare at the boys. “This is between me and those miscreants that attacked my classroom with their . . . tricks and witchcraft. The proof is in the classroom where it still smells like a dead skunk.”

               “Are you sure that’s not just you?” Harry asked, and Ollie laughed.

               “Boys,” O’Loof scolded, giving them a look before returning to try and calm Mr. Alarie down. “Mortagus, their parents will be here soon, and I’d rather have you calm and collected when they arrive so we can discuss this rationally.”

               “They are menaces,” Mr. Alarie said. “They think they’ll get away with this. They think that because they are gifted and privileged that they will get off scot-free with their little joke, disrupting the class, ruining my clothes, but I insist they be punished appropriately.”

               O’Loof seemed to sigh in exasperation when there was a knock at the door and the secretary opened the door.

               “The parents are here,” she said before stepping out of sight and Severus and Ciara stepped into the office.

               “I’m sorry to call you both in so early in the morning,” O’Loof apologized, “especially as school has barely begun, but it seems that we had an incident in the classroom yet two different stories.”

               ‘Your children assaulted me,” Mr. Alarie accused, pointing at the boys in question.

               Severus eyed Harry, though his face seemed more confused than anything else. Harry shrugged at his father, hoping his eyes weren’t giving away his guilty feelings inside.

               “Mr. Alarie, please,” O’Loof said. She turned her attention to the parents who stood behind Harry and Ollie respectively. “From my understanding, Harry and Ollie played a few jokes in the classroom on Mr. Alarie, and it may have gotten out of hand. Though they do plead innocent to some of the jokes Mr. Alarie is accusing them of.”

               “We put glue on his seat,” Ollie admitted, looking up at his mother. “We didn’t think it’d rip his clothes, but that was all we did. He started yelling at is for no reason after that.”

               “Ollie,” Ciara scolded, her hands finding their way to her hips as she looked down at her son.

               “Liar,” Mr. Alarie interrupted.  

               “Mortagus,” O’Loof hissed through her teeth.

               Severus gave Mr. Alarie a frown, but he kneeled next to Harry and whispered in his son’s ear.

               “I know Draco had several joke items in his bags and which ones they were, so I hope you are being completely honest that you did no more than put glue on your teacher’s seat, but if that is not the case, you better fess up now.”

               Harry swallowed dryly as he felt his face heat up with shame, much to his chagrin. How could he have thought that Severus wouldn’t know Draco had joke products? His father seemed to know everything, he always had ever since he first met him back at the hotel. Of course, the goal was to try to make Mr. Alarie expose himself, so sacrifices had to be made. Harry glanced at Ollie before speaking.

               “We did it. We set up a bunch of different jokes in the classroom before Mr. Alarie came in.”

               “Aha!” Mr. Alarie cried victoriously.

               “We were just having fun,” Harry said, looking at Ollie and nodding his head. Ollie nodded back in understanding, his hand reaching for his pocket. “He picks on us and no one else. We just wanted to get back at him for it.”

               “If you two weren’t so disruptive,” Mr. Alarie argued, “you’d be treated just as fairly as everyone else.”

               “I find it hard to believe,” Severus said, still kneeling next to Harry, “that my son has been that much of a disturbance in your class. Though I am surprised at your behavior this morning, Harry. It’s rather unlike you.”

While everyone was talking, Ollie slowly slipped a pinch of sneezing powder out of his pocket. He focused his energy on moving toward Mr. Alarie, and with a flick of his wrist, the powder shot forward and struck the teacher in the face, making him blink and crunch his nose. Ollie quickly rested his hands on his lap, resuming his innocent sad looks.

               It did not take long for the powder to cause Mr. Alarie to start sneezing uncontrollably. His eyes widened in understanding, making the man look more crazed than he already was.

               “They’ve done it again!” He said before sneezing twice in a row. “This is another one of their doings.”

               “We’ve all been sitting right here,” O’Loof said, frowning at Mr. Alarie. “No one has moved. It is allergy season, you know.”

               “It isn’t allergies,” Mr. Alarie insisted. He sneezed three times more. “It’s these brats. I want them expelled for this. They are nothing but trouble; the little magical freaks!”

Ciara and O’Loof glared at Mr. Alarie while Ollie crossed his arms and shot daggers at the teacher. Harry flinched back at Mr. Alarie’s words. He hadn’t heard anyone address him as that word in a long time, and Harry knew Severus was very aware of it as his father’s body suddenly tensed. Severus rose slowly and turned an ominous look on Mr. Alarie.

               “What did you just say?” Severus growled, his fists clenching at his side.

               Harry smirked as the color drained from Mr. Alarie’s face.

 

“What did you just say?” Severus growled, his fists clenching at his side as he turned toward the teacher. He couldn’t believe his ears right now. He really wished he had misheard the teacher, but as he watched the color drain from Alarie’s face, he knew he had heard correctly. This man dared to call his son a freak? He clenched his fists tighter as he took a threatening step toward the man.

“I—I misspoke,” Alarie started to say, taking a step back. “I meant to say . . . err, gifted but troublesome kids . . .”

“I’m sure,” Severus snapped, stepping closer to the man. “Very troublesome.”

“Now, Mr. Snape,” O’Loof began to say as she came around her desk to stand in between the two men, but Severus flicked his wrist in her direction and she froze to the spot, her mouth open mid-sentence and her legs caught in mid-stride.

Ciara gasped, startled by the magic while Harry and Ollie stared wide eyed at their principal before eagerly looking in Alarie’s direction.

“What did you do to her!?” Alarie demanded, alarmed. “There is a secrecy to uphold, you know. This is a breach!”

“So you do know?” Severus shot back. “You’ve known all along yet you made it seem like you were just some ordinary muggle.”

Alarie made a move as if to dart out of the office where more witnesses might see what was happening, but Severus snatched his wand from the sleeve of his muggle button up shirt and swung it in Alarie’s direction, forcing the man to stop dead in his tracks, his back against the wall of the office while Severus stepped close enough to jab the tip of his wand into the man’s neck. Alarie glared at Severus, baring his teeth in an almost disgusted manner.

“Don’t think I’m afraid of your magic just because I’m a squib,” Alarie snarled.

Something clicked behind Severus’s eyes, and he groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Magicless wizard, of course,” Severus muttered. He glanced back at the boys, who were still sitting in the chairs but clearly enjoying the show. They gave him pointed looks that screamed, “I told you so.” Glaring back at Alarie, Severus said, “The boys were right about you all along and you had me believing they were lying to me. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t hex that tongue of yours out of your mouth.”

“I can give you several,” Alarie said, his voice hardening, “starting with it’s illegal to hex a muggle and you know it.”

“But you’re not a muggle, squib,” Severus reminded, putting emphasis on that last word, making Alarie flinch back slightly. “Where in the law is it illegal to hex a well-deserving squib?”

“I’m sure it’s there if you look hard enough,” Alarie sneered, though it wasn’t nearly as intimidating as Severus’s. “And you did hex a muggle just now. What did you do to the principal?”

“A simple freeze charm,” Severus explained, twirling the wand in his fingers as he considered Alarie. “Yet I am still debating what “charm” I might use on you. I don’t think freezing you for a night is going to cut it for me.”

“You won’t get away with this. I have resources.”

“I’m sure. Why did you target the boys?”

“Target them? They targeted me!”

“With good reason, clearly. They simply fought back. Harry and Ollie can be troublemakers, sure, but they have never had more problems in school than when you showed up as their substitute. They accused you that first day of unfair treatment and now I’m starting to realize that perhaps I was too hasty in dismissing their words.”

“I gave them the fairest treatment they deserved.” Alarie glared at the boys over Severus’s shoulder. “When I lived in the magical world as a child, I was ignored, ridiculed, and belittled for any achievement I might have accomplished. I was so happy to be rid of my family when they disowned me, so happy to be free of the magical world. I was living quite contently among the muggles until those two showed up to make my life miserable.”

“We didn’t do anything to you,” Harry interrupted.

“Yeah, you started it,” Ollie added.

“If you were so happy to be a muggle, why do you have a Kwikspell book?”

Ciara rested a hand on both boys’ shoulders to settle them, but she did cast concerned eyes in Severus’s direction.

Severus couldn’t help the smirk at Harry’s comment on the Kwikspell, and he watched Alarie swallow dryly.

“Not so content without magic it would seem,” Severus said. “Jealous of those who are with it? Or is that burning desire to have magic so overwhelming it angers you? Pity the course has been statistically proven to be useless for Squibs, a waste of good money, really. Have you had any success, Mr. Alarie? Do all your homework like a good student?”

“How dare you mock me, just because you have magic and I do not. You think you’re so gifted and special and superior. Especially the great Harry Potter, who saved the whole world as a baby! But is he really so special? Of course not. You magical folks are no better than those without it. Even yourself, wizard.”

“I never claimed superiority, nor has my son or his friend. They don’t even understand the finer prejudices in the wizarding world yet, though I wish they never have to understand it. You have no right to force them into a position where they feel singled out and left out because of something they cannot control. I thought a squib of all people might understand how that feels.”

“They have no idea what it feels like to be born in a world where they will never fit in,” Alarie said. “No idea. They have shown me just how spoiled and pampered they are by their magical parents and company. You do not even care of what they did to disrupt my class and cause havoc every day since I’ve taken over for Mrs. Pluckley.”

“Their pranks they pulled today will be dealt with in a manner the principal, Ciara and I feel fit. Perhaps they went too far, but I’m sure it was only because they felt they had no other choice in retaliating against your bias against them, especially after I didn’t listen to them because you acted like you had no clue what they were talking about. Shame on me, but I will not be fooled twice. I think you’ve done enough for this school, don’t you?”

“What are you going to do? Imperio me? Hex me? Crucio me till I apologize for all my wrongdoings to your little brat of a son?”

“None of the above,” Severus answered calmly. “You are going to resign on your own free will.”

               Alarie scoffed loudly at that.

               “Then you will move out of this town, out of this county, out of Ireland if you can make that possible, and I highly suggest you ensure that I never see your face again, because if I do . . .”

               Severus leaned in close to whisper in Alarie’s ear, his wand digging into Alarie’s throat as he did so, the wand vibrating as it heated up and burned against Alarie’s skin, making the man hiss in pain.

               “I will use curses on your person that you’ve never heard of, curses you’ve never even fathomed could exist. And before you tell me what I can and can’t do as a wizard, let me inform you that I worked for the most powerful dark wizards in our time. I’m sure you know who.”

               Alarie’s face paled more, and his eyes widened.

               “Laws do not scare me into obedience,” Severus continued in his harsh whisper. “I learned ways to torture muggles like yourself without leaving a trace, and I’ve been aching to unleash my dark side for so long, you would be the perfect Guinea pig.”

               Severus stepped back from Alarie; his wand lowered but still pointed at the man.

               “So, you will resign on your own free will, yes?” he asked.

               Alarie seemed frozen to the spot in the same way O’Loof was, but he slowly found his motion as he slowly nodded his head, small beads of sweat dripping down is neck.

               “I shall send my notice in immediately.”

               “No need for the formal two weeks,” Severus said as if it were an afterthought. “Perhaps a family emergency came up, surely you must leave as soon as possible.”

               “Yes,” Alarie agreed. “As soon as possible.”

               “Excellent.” Severus smiled. “You might want to head out and get started on that letter. Now.”

               Alarie stumbled out of the office as he rushed out, rubbing at his neck. He didn’t say a word to anyone as he quickly evacuated the school. Severus turned to Harry and Ollie, who were sharing devilish smiles while Ciara seemed unsure of what to do, her eyes flashing back and forth between Severus and O’Loof.

               “She’s okay,” Severus reassured Ciara. “She’s heard and seen everything, so I’m afraid I will have to modify her memories of what just happened. You understand the importance of why I must do so?”

               Ciara nodded, though she didn’t look happy about it. Severus hoped she wasn’t too freaked out by his darker displays of magic that she grew concerned for Ollie’s wellbeing or whether he might learn dark magic. He would reassure her on light and dark magic another time, but for now, he had to take care of the principal. 

               Severus pointed his wand at O’Loof. He used a levitation spell to move her back around her desk and into her chair. From there, he cast a gentle obliviate on her mind to erase the memory of the last few minutes in the office. He made sure he was standing behind Harry before cancelling the freeze charm on O’Loof, then tucked his wand up his sleeve and waited patiently.

Ciara shared a look with him before looking at the principal, her hands resting lightly on the back of Ollie’s chair.

O’Loof blinked a couple times then rested a hand on her head and rubbed tenderly at her temple.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” Severus inquired.

“What?” O’Loof blinked and looked across her desk at the two boys sitting in chairs and the parents behind them. She blinked a few more times and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I just felt a strong headache come on.”

“Perhaps we should be going then? Give you some peace after all of this?” Severus suggested casually. “The boys will write letters of apology to you for their disturbances in class today during their early leave, and they will be on their best behavior during their in-school suspension the next three days.”

Harry and Ollie shot Severus a look, but Severus ignored them while O’Loof seemed to think that over. She nodded in agreement as she seemed to remember what they boys were doing in the office in the first place.

“Of course,” she said. “What you boys did was very mischievous and disruptive to class. It cannot happen again. And perhaps you should be writing those apology letters to Mr. Alarie?”

“Oh, your headache must be quite severe,” Severus said, sounding concerned. “Mr. Alarie left in quite a hurry, said something about a family emergency and that he would inform you of the details later. To me, it sounded like he might not be coming back so soon.”

“Really?” O’Loof asked, leaning forward slightly as she frowned in confusion up at Severus. “Huh. Well then, I will gladly accept your apology letters when you boys return to school tomorrow morning, and you will be respectful to your new substitute. Do we have a deal, Mr. Snape and Mr. Fowey?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the boys chorused, nodding their heads.

“Excellent.” O’Loof flipped open a book and wrote a few notes down. “You are both dismissed. Mind your parents.”

               With more nods, Harry and Ollie followed Severus and Ciara out of the school.

               “You won’t get in trouble for what . . . happened in there, will you?” Ciara asked softly as they stepped outside and onto a path that they followed to the sidewalk ahead.

               “No, it was such subtle magic, it’ll hardly be picked up on at the Ministry as something that should be investigated. Even if someone does look into it, I can claim it was to change my robe into muggle clothes. They’d buy it.”

               “Hmm,” Ciara commented, pausing next to her car parked alongside the curb.

               “About what did happen in there,” Severus began, “I meant no harm to anyone. The spells I used on the principal are very safe and harmless, even on muggles.”

               “What about the burn you gave Mr. Alarie?” Ciara asked.

               “A mild burn jinx,” Severus answered. “More irritating than painful.”

               “But there’s stronger burn jinxes?”

               Severus sighed.

               “Just like with anything you can learn in the muggle world, there are good and bad ways of magic in the wizarding world. It is unavoidable, unfortunately, but Ollie will go to a school where only good magic is taught. Many dark magic spells and curses have been forbidden in the majority of school’s courses for nearly a century. And he is a good kid. I would not worry about him even wanting to learn dark magic.”

               “It’s a lot to think about,” Ciara said. “I’m sorry, I just get so nervous sometimes because it’s so exciting to see Ollie so happy but also so scary because I can’t do what he can, and I can’t help him or guide him in a direction because I have no clue how to.”

               “I can’t pretend to know what that feels like,” Severus said honestly. “I do see what a good kid Ollie is though. You are doing everything right so far.”

               Ciara smiled at that, then opened the back door to her car and motioned for Ollie to jump in. The boys waved goodbye to each other, and Ollie climbed into the back seat of the car. Ciara closed the door.

               “He looks up to you,” Ciara said to Severus as she opened the door to climb in the front seat. “Promise me you’ll help guide him in the right direction with his magic.”

               “Always,” Severus answered with a firm nod.

               “Thank you,” Ciara said. She waved goodbye before driving away.

               Severus reached out a hand to Harry, who eagerly accepted it, and they walked for a bit as they talked.

               “I’m sorry I did not believe you about your professor being a “magicless wizard,”” Severus said. “I guess the connection between squib and your term evaded me. And I apologize for allowing Alarie’s treatment toward you continue.”

               “It’s okay, Daddy,” Harry said.

               “I disagree,” Severus said. He ran a hand down his face. “You told me what was going on at school and I didn’t listen. I’m not off to a great start with being a good father to you. This is exactly something my father would have done . . .” Severus growled slightly under his breath, frustrated with himself.

               “It’s really okay, Dad,” Harry insisted. “I got some revenge on Mr. Alarie and then I got to watch you make him pee his pants! He was so scared.”

               Severus snorted and looked down at Harry with a smile.

               “You are all sorts of trouble,” Severus said. “You shouldn’t have used all those magical joke products at your school. Any one of those kids or even Mr. Alarie himself could have reacted badly to the magic in the products or even the ingredients in some of them.”

               “I didn’t think about that,” Harry said, looking down at his shoes as he walked.

               “And it was very disruptive and distracting to your classmates, not to mention there’s no teacher now. I hope they can find someone to fill in for the day on such short notice or all those kids have lost a good day or education.”

               “I don’t think they’ll mind that much,” Harry shared his thought aloud.

               “Well, I do. You could be learning something new rather than writing an apology letter. And since you won’t be in school today, you can practice your cursive while you write that letter to your principal. You will apologize for the pranks you pulled on your teacher, disrupting the class, and you will explain how this will never happen again.”

               “It won’t,” Harry promised his father, then he muttered, “as long as the next substitute to nice.”

               “You’re pushing it, young man,” Severus scolded lightly. “I’m being pretty lenient letting you off with a warning and an apology letter . . .”

               “You got me in school suspension, too,” Harry reminded.

               “Yes, and you more than earned it. There are right and wrong ways of handling situations like Mr. Alarie, and you did not go about it the right way. You should have tried talking to me again, or Nana and Papa even. I’m sure they would have believed you over that professor in a heartbeat. But setting up pranks like that can be dangerous. What if someone had gotten seriously hurt?”

               “No one was supposed to get hurt.” Harry shrugged his shoulder then looked up at Severus. “Draco said they were harmless.”

               “They are usually harmless, but anything could go wrong. And when did you even set up the pranks? There was an awful lot to happen so quickly between the time you were dropped off and your professor would have arrived in the class.”

               Harry looked down at his feet again, falling silent.

               It didn’t take Severus long to piece together when Harry and his friends would have set up the traps.

               “The day you boys took off from Nana in the library,” Severus began, “you went to the school to set up your jokes, didn’t you?”

               “I’m sorry,” Harry said. “But we wanted to get back at Mr. Alarie. Now we don’t have to worry about being picked on.”

               “The last thing I ever want to hear is you or you and your friends wandering around town alone again. Is that clear?”

               “Yes, Daddy.”

               “Good. It’s been a long morning. I’m taking you home and you can either take a nap or get started on your apology letter.”

               “I’m too old for naps.”

               “Mmhmm,” Severus agreed as he picked up Harry and moved behind some trees, disapparating away. He arrived at the MacAuley Estate gates, and Severus set Harry down. They walked into the manor and Severus sent Harry on his way to his room with a firm swat and instructions to get going on the apology letter.

               Harry gave a small, surprised yelp at the swat, then gave his father an indignant look before heading to his room to work on the letter.

               “How did it go?” Eileen asked as she stepped out of her study, a hen harrier on her shoulder.

               “The substitute quit unexpectedly, and Harry is writing a letter of apology for his behavior to the principal,” Severus answered.    

               “Unexpectedly, hmm?” Eileen pushed, her brows rising at that as she gave Severus a knowing look.

               “It was rather sudden,” Severus reiterated, a smirk growing on his face. “I have to get back to work, but I’ll check on Harry first before I leave.”

               “I’m sure Harry is thrilled to be rid of him. I never liked that teacher. Something never settled right with me about him.”

               “Besides him being a squib and having a deplorable attitude toward magic? I can’t imagine what would unsettle you so.”

               Eileen smiled as she walked past Severus toward the kitchen. The harrier on her shoulder kekked before flying out a window that opened for it.

               “I have some deliveries I’m expecting,” Eileen said, “so don’t be surprised if the birds are in and out all day. And don’t be home late for dinner tonight. It’s important.”

               “I’ll try my best,” Severus said as he started, up the stairs to check on Harry.

               Severus still felt slightly guilty for missing all the clues the last few days about the substitute teacher. He wanted to be a good father to Harry, and here he was, failing already. He wondered if he had been a little too harsh with Harry with the in-school suspension, but he hadn’t wanted to seem suspicious and he felt it was a punishment the school would have offered anyway. Regardless of who started the little war between teacher and student, they were both in the wrong. He wasn’t going overboard, was he? And an apology letter was only polite.

               Severus knocked on Harry’s bedroom door, then opened it and was quickly greeted by a black and white rabbit hopping at his feet.

               “Hello, Miss Trifle,” Severus greeted, reaching down to give her a couple strokes over her ears.

               Upon entering the room and closing the door, Severus noticed Harry had managed to slip out of his sneakers and change his school uniform into clean day clothes before evidently falling into bed and passing out.

               A nap it was, then. The apology letter could wait.

               Smiling softly, Severus adjusted Harry on the bed before laying a light blanket over him. He spelled the room a bit cooler, then leaned down to kiss Harry’s temple.

               “I’m going to do better,” Severus whispered his promise in Harry’s ear. He ran a hand through Harry’s hair before closing the curtains with a flick of his wand. He pushed a small ramp closer to the bed, and Miss Trifle shuffled her way up it and snuggled in next to Harry. Content that everyone was napping, Severus quickly stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. 

 

 

               Hiding within the dark shadows behind the Leaky Cauldron, Severus waited patiently, the hood of his cloak lifted to conceal most of his face and his wand drawn and resting at his side. He heard the back door to the pub creak open, and he watched the shadow around the corner move slowly in his direction, and he heard the small flicker as the wizard’s wand was used to light a cigar, the smell of the putrid smoke quickly travelling to Severus’s nose, and he crinkled it in disgust.

               The shadow on the ground grew as it came closer to where Severus leaned against the side of the building, and as the smoke became thicker, Severus swung his arm out and his fist connected with the man’s nose.

               The man shouted in surprise as he stumbled back and clutched his nose, dropping his cigar, and cursing under his breath.

               Severus stepped out of the shadows and around the building, coming face to face with Corban Yaxley, an older blond man with blue eyes. He wore a dark blue robe with a silk tie that had a few droplets of blood on it now from his nose.

               “Out for a little stroll, our we, Yaxley?” Severus asked as he paused in front of the man, pulling the hood down. “Or are you looking for someone else to beat up like drunk muggles in a bar fight?”

               Yaxley’s eyes widened with rage, and he snarled as he held out his wand, but Severus was faster, and he silently cast a disarming spell that sent Yaxley’s wand flying out of his hand. Without giving Yaxley a chance to register that he no longer had his wand, Severus stunned the man, knocking Yaxley off his feet and he dropped like a sac of rocks to the ground.

               “What do you think you’re doing, Snape?” Yaxley hissed through his teeth as he struggled against the spell holding him down.

               “Sending a small warning,” Severus said as he kneeled next to Yaxley, “to you, your friends, and Lucius Malfoy. If you ever come after me or my family again, you will have bigger fears than the Dark Lord’s name.”

               “You think you stand a chance against the Dark Lord when he returns?” Yaxley cackled with laughter. “You wear the mark, Snape. He will find great pleasure in torturing you before he kills you for this blatant act of treason. Adopting the Boy-Who-Lived? The vanquisher of our greatest leader? You sicken us all.”

               “The Dark Lord is no longer my Lord. He cannot control me like the branded pigs the rest of you are anymore. I do not care for supremacy or greatness. All I ask is that you leave me and my family out of your business.”

               “You are a disgrace. When the Dark Lord returns, we will hunt you down and slaughter your whole family.”

               “Failure to do as I ask will result in unfavorable consequences.” Severus touched the tip of his wand to Yaxley’s throat, and the wizard failed to bite back a painful groan as Severus allowed a mild crucio to slip through his lips, and he watched with disinterest as Yaxley writhed on the ground. He canceled the spell, then whispered, “Trust me, you do not want to challenge me on this. You’ve seen me in action before. There was a reason the Dark Lord trusted me so.”

               “The Dark Lord isn’t here to protect you now. When Malfoy hears of this . . .”

               “Oh, I am planning on Malfoy hearing of this. You will tell him. Pass on my message, won’t you, Yaxley? You were always better at running the Dark Lord’s errands, this shouldn’t be too taxing on your miniscule brain. Remember, leave me and mine alone, or you will deal with me. That goes for every Death Eater free or prisoned. Get the word out.”

               Yaxley’s face was a dark red as he spluttered for a moment, struggling against the spell, then he glared at Severus.

               “You’ll never be free of your past,” Yaxley said.

               “Perhaps not,” Severus agreed as he stood, pulled his hood back up, and began walking away. “But the past will know what to expect if it messes with me. Have a good night. I’m sure you can free yourself from that body bind.”

               “Snape!” Yaxley shouted. He struggled against the spell holding him down, muttering a counter-curse that failed before shouting, “Get back here! Snape!”

               Severus smirked as he turned the corner around the Leaky Cauldron. He apparated back to MacAuley Estate, arriving just in time for dinner. He pulled down the hood and his smirk melted into a genuine smile as he stepped through the gates, Shandy and Finn running up to him with loud yaps of excitement. He petted the dogs and rubbed their ears briefly, then walked down the pathway to the house with the dogs at his heels.

               Inside, he had to duck to avoid a bird flying above his head with a small package in its clutches. It headed for the kitchen, where he heard a lot of commotion going on. The table was set for four already and a chopped salad waited in the center with homemade dressing. Severus paused in the kitchen entryway and crossed his arms as he watched Eileen and Harry work in the kitchen.

               Eileen accepted the package from the bird, muttering a “thank you” as she quickly opened the package to reveal fresh carrots that Eileen started chopping.

               “You’re just in time, Severus,” Eileen said, “for once.”

               “Hi, Daddy,” Harry greeted from where he was chopping onions, “Did you know it was Papa’s birthday?”

               “Is it really?” Severus quirked a brow as he stepped into the kitchen, standing behind Harry and watching him handle the knife to cut up the onions. “You know, if you keep the tip of your knife in contact with the cutting board and set your hand here on top like this, you’ll chop much faster.”

               Severus directed Harry’s hands through the motions and helped him chop the onion into smaller and smaller pieces, Harry taking over on his own to finish the job. When they were finished, Harry smiled up at Severus.

               “Very good,” Severus praised.

               “Want to see my present for Papa?” Harry asked as he hopped off the stool he was standing on and ran out of the kitchen.

               Severus leaned against the counter while Eileen took the onions and threw them in a pan with the carrots, stirring the two together.

               “He’s been very helpful,” Eileen said as she worked on the food.

               “Did he work on his apology letter?” Severus asked, glancing over at his mother.

               “Of course, he did. I made sure he worked on it after his nap. It’s in your study if you want to review it. He’s helped with some chores, setting up the table, and now he’s helping with dinner. In between working on his present for Papa, that is.”

               Eileen turned from the stove, her eyes quickly landing on Severus’s hand.

               “What did you do to your hand?” she asked with a frown.

               Severus glanced down, then rubbed the bruise on the back of his hand.

               “It’s nothing serious,” he said. “I smacked it against a cauldron while moving things around at work.”

               “Hmm,” was Eileen’s only response.  

               “Look, Daddy,” Harry said as he ran back into the kitchen with a paper. He handed the sheet to Severus, who smiled down at the drawing. It was of Harry, himself, and Eileen and Peadar in front of the barn with a couple horses off to the side, Shandy and Finn sitting on either side of everyone, and Miss Trifle next to Harry. The drawing was as a good as any typical seven-year-old could manage, but each person was distinguishable and Harry had written “My Family” at the top and “Happy Birthday, Papa,” at the bottom of the page.

               “This is very nicely done, Harry,” Severus said, running his hand through Harry’s hair before handing the drawing back to his son. “Papa will love it.”

               “Did you get something for Papa?” Harry asked.

               “No.” Severus shook his head. “When I last lived here, Papa was quite content with a celebratory meal and some family time. And seeing as the birds have brought us a banquet and Nana is slaving away at the stove, nothing has changed.”

               “Though he will love your gift,” Eileen added as she stirred her carrots and onions.

               “Of course,” Severus agreed.

               “I’m going to hide it until Papa gets here,” Harry said excitedly.

               As Harry ran off to hide his drawing, the floo flared and Peadar stepped through, setting down his homework assignments to grade later. After quick greetings and a big hug from Harry, everyone gathered around the table while platters flew over to the center of the table, platters of all Peadar’s favorite foods: boiled ham, calcannon with cabbage and scallions, pan-seared carrots, and Yorkshire pudding with an onion gravy. Everyone dug in hungrily, savoring the food and drinks, pumpkin juice in Harry’s case.

               When everyone was nearly stuffed, Eileen brought out a homemade cake and Severus reluctantly joined in a happy birthday chorus with Eileen and Harry to Peadar, though he recalled they never really sang to each other in the past. Must have been Harry’s influence for sure.

               The cake was a lemon drizzle, and Harry managed to polish two slices along with Peadar, while Severus and Eileen took their time tasting each bite of their slice of cake.

               Harry decided now was a good time to grab his gift for Peadar.

               “I made this for you, Papa,” Harry said as he handed over his drawing. “Happy birthday. Do you like it?”

               “I love it,” Peadar said. “I’m going to hang it in my office where everyone can see it. Thank you, Harry.”

               “So, how old are you now?” Harry asked, climbing into Peadar’s lap.

               “Oh, too old!” Peadar said.

               “That’s not a number. Come on, how old are you? I’ll tell you my age if you tell me yours.”

               “Like your age is such a shocker! I’m sixty-one years old now.”

               “Sixty-one? That’s like . . . fifty-two years older than me.”

               “Very good, but don’ rub it in, ya cheeky brat.”  

               Harry laughed, but the moment was interrupted by Shandy and Finn barking frantically at the back door, digging and whining at the thick wood.

               “What is it, boys?” Peadar called to the dogs.

               They turned around and barked at Peadar before digging at the door once more, growling and howling now.

               Peadar set Harry down and stood, walking over to the dogs and opening the back door. The two ran in a red blur toward the stable, barking the whole way.

               Throwing a thick robe on and slipping into his boots, Peadar followed the dogs.

               “What’s wrong?” Harry asked as he followed Eileen toward the door.

               “I don’t know,” Eileen said, summoning a cloak for herself and her own boots that she slipped on. “I’m going to go check it out. Stay here for a moment.”

               Harry watched as Eileen walked quickly after Peadar. Severus paused next to him, crossing his arms, and staring out at the barn. Harry looked up at him with wide eyes behind his glasses.

               “What do you think is wrong?” he asked.

               “I don’t know,” Severus answered honestly. “But Papa and Nana have everything under control. How about we take a look at your apology letter?”

               Severus reached a hand toward Harry, who sighed and slowly reached up to accept Severus’s hand, when a loud whinny caught their attention. Harry jerked away from Severus at the sound with a gasp.

               “One of the horses might be hurt!” Harry exclaimed before bolting out of the house and down to the barn.

               “Harry!” Severus called after him, slipping his boots back on and running after Harry. The seconds it took to put his shoes on gave Harry a lead and Severus didn’t catch up to him until they were in the barn, where Harry was watching Eileen and Peadar surrounding one of the horses, wands out and waving over her gently. Shandy and Finn glanced over at Harry and Severus from where they sat in front of the stall door.

It was the gray pony, Asphodel. She was on her side and breathing heavy, rolling slightly in the hay as she did so.

“What’s wrong with her?” Harry asked, stepping closer, but Severus stopped his advancements, grabbing Harry’s arm and yanking him back away from the stall.

“You’re not even in any shoes,” Severus scolded lightly.

“She’s in labor,” Peadar answered. He waved his wand over Asphodel’s stomach once more. “But she’s not supposed to foal for another twenty-five days. I can’t find anything wrong with her that might cause her to . . .”

Peadar cut off as Asphodel jumped to her feet, forcing Eileen and Peadar to step back as she slowly circled her stall a few times, nosing her hay and pawing at it a few times.

“What does labor mean?” Harry asked.

“She’s giving birth,” Severus explained. “She’s going to have the foal now, but it’s too early.”

“Is early bad?”

“It’s not always good,” Severus said slowly, his face wincing in concern for the horse as she laid back down again and her abdomen contracted. Severus kneeled next to Harry. “You know, son, the foal may not come out alive. I don’t know if you want to watch this. How about we go back inside . . .”

“No, I want to stay! Can I help?”

“There’s nothing for you to do here.”

“I want to see the baby.”

“Harry—”

“How Harry comforts the dogs, eh?” Peadar said from where he was waving his wand over Asphodel again, this time, strings of green light swirling into her abdomen. “I’m sure they could use it.”

               Harry gave Severus a hopeful look, and with a heavy sigh, Severus nodded his head. Harry ran over to the dogs and sat next to them, wrapping an arm around each dog’s neck while watching the horse through breaks in the wood of her stall.

               Severus leaned against the stall door, watching Peadar finish his spell and step back, giving Asphodel space as she stood up once more and paced, her ears falling back in irritation at her audience, but she pawed the ground once more and breathed heavy. After a few circles in her large stall, she found a spot in the center to lie down once more, her abdomen contracting.

               To Harry, he couldn’t see too much from where he sat next to the dogs, stroking their backs, calming himself more than he was calming the dogs. He peered through the cracks in the wood to see Asphodel contracting her abdomen a few times, then she rolled a few times before readjusting herself on the ground. Her abdomen contracted twice more before she relaxed, though she breathed heavily still and remained lying down.

               Harry stood up and inched closer to where Severus was standing and watching the pony with a concerned frown. Harry climbed up on the stall door, leaning his upper half over the top of the door to stay up on it and see what was happening. His mouth dropped open at the sight.

               It was a very tiny pony, with fine silky hair, long spindly legs, and floppy ears. It was black in color, a stark contrast to his grey mother, though somehow the foal looked paler than it should, and the next thing Harry noticed was that its chest did not move.

               Peadar crouched next to the foal and flicked his wand sharply down at the center of the foal’s chest.

               “Anima revoco,” he muttered under his breath repeatedly as he kept flicking his wand in a sharp motion downward, almost as if he might hit the baby, but his wand never touched the foal. Instead, Harry watched in awe as the chest moved downward with each flick of the wand, almost collapsing entirely on itself before inflating on its own in between each flick, as if a gust of wind forced air inside the baby’s lungs.

               He heard a small sniffle, and Harry looked to his right where Eileen was standing in the corner of the stall, a hand over her mouth and her eyes closed as she slowly shook her head. Confused, Harry swung his head to the left to stare up at Severus, who sighed heavily and looked down. This frightened Harry, and his eyes fell on the foal once more as Peadar continued to mutter the spell, and the foal’s chest kept rising and falling with each enchantment.

               Finally, Peadar paused in what he was doing and stared down at the foal.

               It did not move.

               “Anima revoco,” Peadar said again, flicking his wand once more. He repeated the charm a few more times before pausing again and taking in a deep breath as the foal did not move.

               “What’s wrong with the baby?” Harry asked. “Why isn’t he breathing?”

               “He was born too early, Harry,” Severus said softly.

               “Why?”

               “I don’t know the answer to that, but maybe he just wasn’t meant to live on this earth.”

               “No, he has to,” Harry argued, tears forming in his eyes. “Wake up, pony! You have to wake up!”

               “Please do not yell in here,” Severus scolded lightly.

               Harry pushed himself up and over the stall door, climbing into the stall before Severus could grab him, and he cautiously walked over to where Peadar was casting the spell on the foal. Asphodel eyed him but did not react otherwise as she continued to remain in the hay. He sat down in the hay next to his grandfather and watched the foal’s chest rise and fall. He felt a couple cold tears run down his cheek and he rubbed them away with a swipe of his arm.

               “Can I touch him?” Harry asked Peadar, his hand hovering over the foal hesitantly.

               Peadar paused in his spell and nodded his head, sighing as the foal did not move.

               Harry rested his hand on the foal’s muzzle. The foal’s eyes were wide open, blankly staring past Harry, little bits of gray hair circling the eyes. Gently smoothing the hair down as best he could, Harry moved his hand up toward the tuft of hair on top of the pony’s head, a small dark tuft that stretched down its neck. He ran his hand through the short mane, another tear escaping his eye. He realized Peadar hadn’t started the spell again, and he looked up at his grandfather.

               “Aren’t you going to do the thing again?” Harry asked.

               “It’s not working,” Peadar answered him softly. “The foal wasn’t ready to be born.”

               “No, he’s ready. You have to keep going.”

               “He’s gone. There’s nothing more I can do.”

               “He’s not gone. I know he isn’t.”

               “Harry,” Severus called from the stall door. “I think it’s time to go back inside.”

               “No! I won’t leave until you help him.”

               “We’re not negotiating with you, young man,” Severus said.

               “Lad, listen,” Peadar began gently, resting a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “sometimes things happen out of our control and there’s nothing we can do about it. This is one of those times. Asphodel must be sick, or the baby was already sick in her and that is why she gave birth so early. We’ll bury him together, okay?”

               “It’s not fair,” Harry mumbled, choking slightly as more tears welled in his eyes and he hugged the foal’s neck tightly.

               A soft grunt caught his ear. Harry let the foal’s head rest back in his lap and he stared down at the baby, unsure if the noise he heard had been from the baby or Asphodel, who pushed back up to her feet. Sparing the mama pony a glance, Harry looked down in time to watch the foal in his lap slowly blink its eyes at him.

               He gasped.

               “He’s blinked at me!” Harry exclaimed.

               “What?” Peadar asked. He was still sitting near Harry, and he inched closer and peered down at the horse, before leaning down and resting his ear against the baby’s chest. His eyes widened. “He’s alive. His heart is there but faint.”

Eileen nearly ran over to them with her wand out and swirling in an intricate pattern. The air around them warmed considerably. Then Peadar flicked his wand at the foal, and while Harry didn’t see anything happen at first, the foal’s chest began to rise and fall more visibly, as if it had been struggling to take in good breaths before.

               Harry smiled even as he felt a couple more tears fall down his cheek. The baby was alive! They weren’t going to have to bury him now. He was breathing and blinking.

               Asphodel walked over to the foal and sniffed her baby, then nuzzled and licked him. The baby did not react to Asphodel, he simply laid on the ground with his head in Harry’s lap.

               “He’ll be okay, now, right?” Harry asked.

               “He’ll be okay.” Peadar lifted the foal and settled him in a sternal position. Eileen danced her wand over the foal, and when Peadar let go, the foal remained in a sternal position, and Peadar and Eileen gave Asphodel and the baby some room to bond. Peadar took Harry’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “He’s going to need a little assistance for a while, but as he gets stronger, he’ll start acting more like a foal.”

               “What kind of assistance will he need?” Harry asked.

               Peadar leaned against the stall door near Severus, who remained on the other side watching Asphodel and the foal.

               “Well, he’s very weak because he’s not as developed as he would have been if he was born a few weeks from now. So we’ll give him some time to bond with his mother, then we’re going to help him stand up and nurse from Asphodel. It’s very important that he does that soon.”

               “Does that mean get milk from Asphodel?”

               “Yes, it does.”

               “Can I help?”

               “That would be very appreciated,” Peadar said with a smile.

               Severus reached over the stall door and ruffled Harry’s hair.

               “You do as Papa tells you with the baby, okay?” he said.

               “Yes, Daddy. What are we going to name the baby?”

               “He might already be sold, Harry,” Severus said sadly.

               “Not so fast,” Peadar interrupted. “We hadn’t announced Asphodel’s pregnancy like we’ve done the others. Now, Harry, the baby will need a lot of help, which means a lot of work for the next few weeks. He’s going to need help standing, and nursing, and he’ll need constant supervision. Do ya think you’re up for the challenge?”

               “Yes, Papa!” Harry squealed excitedly, jumping up and down next to Peadar. “I want to help.”

               “That also means,” Severus added, “staying on top of your schoolwork and not neglecting your chores or other pet.”

               “I will, Dad, I promise. And I won’t neglect Miss Trifle.”

               “I know you won’t.” Severus smiled softly at his son.

               “So I can help?” Harry asked.

               “Of course,” Peadar said. “Let’s get him up.”

               Harry followed Peadar, and with his grandfather’s permission, he helped lift the foal to a standing position. Eileen waved her wand once more over the foal and when Harry and Peadar let the baby go, he was standing on his own. He wobbled slightly but didn’t fall. Asphodel nuzzled him once more and licked him again, cleaning him off. The spells Eileen used helped to stabilize the foal so he did not fall over with his weak legs.

               Several moments passed before the foal took a hesitant step forward, then another, his limbs shaking and swinging out in an awkward manner. Finally, he found his way to nurse on his mother, and everyone cheered as he did so. When the foal was foal, he pulled away and stood next to his mother, blinking blearily.

               “He’s cute,” Harry said. “Do we get to name him now?”

               Severus snorted while Peadar chuckled warmly.

               “I think he deserves a name,” Peadar said. “Did ya have something in mind?”

               Harry tapped his chin and frowned in deep thought. He tilted his head as he studied the horse this way and that, then tapped his chin some more before looking up at Severus.

               “You know that poem book you read to me?” Harry asked.

               “You mean the one by Shel Silverstein?” Severus clarified.

               “Yeah, that one.” Harry frowned for a moment, then smiled. “I like Shel. Can we call him Shel?”

               “I think that’s a great name,” Peadar said with a smile.

               Harry beamed as he admired the foal, glad to have come up with the perfect name for the newcomer of the family. Shel blinked slowly back at Harry as he leaned against Asphodel.

               Severus reached over the stall door and lifted Harry up, resting him on his hip.   

               “Say goodnight, Harry,” Severus said. “It’s getting late, and you have school in the morning.”

               “Aww, do I have to leave now?”

               “Shel will be here in the morning. You can see him before you go to school. But that means getting up early, so we need to get you ready for bed.”

               “Fine,” Harry said reluctantly.

               “Goodnight, Harry,” Peadar and Eileen said. Peadar added, “You were a big help tonight.”

               “Night Nana and Papa. Night Shel.”

               Severus carried Harry out of the barn, seeing how he still was shoeless.

               Peadar stepped out of the stall, Eileen following him.

               “I’ll call the vet tomorrow,” Peadar told, “and have them both checked out, just to be safe. They seem to be doing well now.”

               “I can see to that while you are teaching,” Eileen said. She kissed her husband, then smirked. “Happy birthday, dear.”

               “Thank you, but I would have preferred a Guinness over a premature foal next time.”

               “I’ll keep that in mind,” Eileen said. She brushed past Peadar, calling the dogs to her side. She headed back for the house while Peadar kept an eye on the foal a little longer, watching him slowly lower himself into the hay where he quickly fell asleep, Asphodel standing guard next to him.

                 

              

              
        

Next Chapter: Things That Go Bump in the Night

 

               The skies were black, and the water was high. Waves struck the side of the vessel, rocking the small dinghy as it sailed onward in search of the lost island. It had been straight ahead of the small crew moments ago, but the storm that had been chasing them had caught up and stirred up forces of nature that threatened to crush their beloved sailing vessel Shel. The island had faded into the horizon in thick darkness, and the crew could not see which direction to go in now. A gust of wind struck her side, forcing her to crash into another large wave, knocking the crew off their feet.

               “Man your stations!” Harry demanded as he clung to the wheel to pull himself back up to his feet. “Able-seaman Draco, adjust the sails.”

               “Aye, aye, Captain,” Draco said, pulling on the rope that shifted the sails fighting against the screaming winds.

               “Mate Ollie, keep us afloat. We’re sinking.”

               “I’m bucketing as fast as I can, sir!” Ollie said as he frantically poured bucket after bucket of water out of the ship.

               “Hold on,” Harry shouted as he spun the wheel, turning the ship away from an oncoming wave.

               The wave clipped the edge of the ship with enough force that Ollie slipped on the slippery surface, falling over the rail and into the violent waters below.

               “Help!” Ollie cried, splashing frantically.

               “Man overboard! Draco, toss the life preserver!”

               “Nah,” Draco muttered, pointedly turning away from the life preserver, and crossing his arms.

               “Draco,” Harry scolded, giving his friend a pointed look.

               “Fine,” Draco relented. He picked up the life preserver and threw it out to Ollie, who quickly grabbed it and held on as Draco pulled him back up into the ship, grabbing Draco’s hand when he could reach him. Once safely on board, Ollie and Draco ran up to Harry who was struggling to control the helm. All three kids grabbed the wheel and assisted in turning it in a vain attempt to escape the massive wave rising in front of them.

All three screamed as the wave came crashing down, but then two strong arms wrapped around all of them and lifted them up.

               “What in Merlin’s name are you boys doing?” Severus asked as he pulled the kids off the bed they were standing on and set them down on the floor in front of him.

               “Daddy, you’re messing up our adventure,” Harry complained.

               “I’m messing it up? Have you seen your bedroom?”

               Blankets and pillows were thrown all over the place, along with a few of his toys. His bed was nearly bare of its sheets, and a few beach toys sat on the bed waiting to be put back to use. Miss Trifle’s cage sat in its usual corner surrounded by toys and books, and the little black and white rabbit twitched her nose as she nibbled on hay.

               “At least Miss Trifle has kept her side of the room clean like a proper lady,” Severus commented.

               “This isn’t a room,” Ollie explained. “It’s an ocean. And we’re in the middle of a storm!”

               “There’s an island we’re supposed to get to,” Harry added. “It’s full of treasure we have to find. But our ship was taking in a lot of water.” Harry gestured to his bed. “Then this big wave was going to wipe us out.”

               There was silence for a few seconds before Ollie and Harry looked over at Draco, who was staring at them with a slight frown. Draco’s eyes strayed up to Severus, his hands clasping behind his back out of forced habit, and he looked back at the other two boys before shrugging his shoulders.

               “Yes, what they were saying,” Draco said.

               “Dude,” Ollie said with a shake of his head, “you gotta learn to be a kid all the time, not just when adults aren’t around.”

               Draco stuck his tongue out at Ollie, who repeated the action right back.

               “I’m starting to regret reading Swallows and Amazons to you three,” Severus said. “It is getting late, and I believe Papa wanted your assistance with Shel tonight, didn’t he?”

               “Oh yeah,” Harry said, nodding his head. “He wanted me to take Shel for a walk around the barn. To help him exercise.”               

               “Then you better head out to the barn and get that done. You have an hour left until lights out and bedtime so be quick.”

               “Okay, Dad. Come on, guys,” Harry said, waving his friends to follow him out to the barn.  

               Harry, Ollie, and Draco ran past Severus out of the room, down the stairs, and out into the gardens, following the paths that led to the barn, chasing each other in a game of tag. The game ended when the three walked into the barn, spotting Peadar putting the last of the horses in its stall.

               “There you are, Harry,” Peadar greeted. “I was wondering when you’d come by to walk Shel.”

               “Sorry, Papa,” Harry said. “We got busy playing.”

               “That’s alright. Shel is doing better everyday standing out in the pasture and following his mam. However, it’s good for him to have these walks a little while longer to build his muscle up. Go ahead, up and down the stable a few times.”

               Harry walked over to Asphodel’s and Shel’s stall, where the mother horse greeted him with a snort through his hair. Harry laughed, then stepped into the stall where Shel was lying down in the hay at his mother’s feet. Despite being a month and a few days older now, Shel had hardly grown much in Harry’s eyes, but Peadar said the foal was improving, so Harry grabbed the rope and tied it around Shel the way Peadar had shown him. With a few tugs, Shel pushed up to his feet slowly and took a few wobbly steps forward before finding his rhythm and following Harry. Ollie and Draco petted the horse as he walked past them, then each kid took a turn walking the horse down the length of the stable and back.

               “Look at how strong he is getting,” Peadar commented, pausing next to Harry. “Remember when it took three of us just to walk him out of his stall and back?”

               “Yeah, now he can do three laps real easy.”

               “Yes, he can.” Peadar ruffled Harry’s hair. “Once you’re done, back to the house with all of you. I’m sure it’s almost you’re bedtime.”

               “That’s what Daddy said.” Harry accepted the rope back from Draco and walked Shel back to his stall, giving him a hug and a few pets before shutting him in the stall. “Night, Papa!”

               “Goodnight, Harry. Goodnight, boys.”

               Ollie and Draco gave a quick “goodnight” as they chased after Harry out of the barn. They shoved at each other playfully as they ran back for the house, laughing and jumping out of each other’s reach when one tried to tag the other.

               Suddenly, Ollie stopped short, holding a hand out to stop Harry from running ahead. Draco slowed down until he was next to the two, giving them a curious look.

               “Did you hear that?” Ollie asked.

               “Hear what?” Harry whispered; afraid he might miss the sound if he spoke too loud.

               Ollie frowned as he looked around the property, but the dark of the night obstructed a lot of his visual. Harry and Draco looked around as well, looking for anything out of the ordinary and listening for any strange sounds. After a minute of nothing, they all shared a look.

               Then, a high-pitched giggle broke through the night.

               The boys startled, then Ollie pointed toward the hedges along the far left side of the property, and he ran toward it.

               “Over here!” he shouted.

               Harry and Draco followed him. Once they were in front of the hedges, all three paused again, looking around.

               Another giggle broke through the silence.

               “I think it’s coming from the other side of these hedges,” Ollie said. He stepped closer, sliding in between two of the bushy shrubs and reaching a hand out. A flash of yellow flickered as Ollie brushed against the wards surrounding the property, then his hand broke through them. Ollie moved his hand around but felt nothing.

               “I don’t feel anything,” Ollie said. He peered through the shrubs. “I don’t see anything either.”

               “Careful,” Harry said. “The wards keep out all magical threats, but if you go past them, anything can happen.”

               “What about muggle threats?” Draco asked, crossing his arms.

               “Papa said the MacAuleys’ have never really had problems with muggles so I guess it’s easier to have wards set up and strengthened against one kind of threat than both. Makes them stronger or something.”

               “Hmph. My dad has wards against every possible threat ever. No chances taken.”

               Another giggle interrupted any further conversation. Ollie looked out past the wards.

               “Guys, I think I see something,” Ollie said, leaning closer, pushing against the wards once more. “It’s . . . hiding behind a bush. It looks red and . . . little? Let me see if I can . . .”

               As Ollie inched a little closer to whatever he was looking at, he was suddenly jerked forward with so much force he fell with a shout before being dragged out of sight behind the hedges.

               “Ollie!” Harry cried, running forward without a second thought, Draco following a few seconds of hesitation.

               They pushed through the hedges then past the words, stopping when they didn’t see Ollie anywhere.

               “Ollie!” Harry cried out again.

               “Ollie!” Draco called as well.

               There was a strange sound of choked laughter to their right, then a low snarl to their left.

               “Harry,” Draco whispered, taking a few steps back toward the hedges. “We should go back. Tell Severus or Mr. MacAuley or . . .”

               Draco’s voice suddenly cut off and scuffle sounded behind Harry, who spun around in time to see Draco’s legs drag away under the hedges.

               “Draco!” Harry cried, running forward before dropping down on his hands and knees and looking under the hedges.

               A small goblin-like creature stared back at Harry from under the hedges. Harry frowned at the peculiar creature. It stood no more than two feet high, and it had toad like skin under it’s red clothing it wore. Stranger still was the brown, human-like eyes that blinked at him. Harry tilted his head, and the creature copied him, blinking inquisitively. Then, the animal grinned, showing off small, pointed teeth.

               Harry felt his blood run cold and a shiver tickled his spine. He nearly jumped to his feet and ran for the house, but his feet were grabbed, and he screamed as he was dragged away from the hedges, the little creature beneath them giggling in delight as it waved at Harry.

 

               Severus drummed his fingers on the desk he was working at. The boys should have returned from the barn by now. It hardly took Harry fifteen minutes to walk the horse one last time before bed, and he was expecting demands for dessert when they did get back to the house. Eileen would be sure to cave, and he had to make sure they didn’t get too spoiled by his mother. Perhaps he should go make sure they weren’t sneaking anything from the kitchen.

               Severus left his study and walked downstairs, listening for any sounds of muffled laughter or clinking spoons. There was nothing but nails on the hard floor as Shandy and Finn walked out of the kitchen and toward the stairway Severus was coming down, wagging their tails at his presence. A door shutting caught Severus’s attention, and he followed the sounds to the kitchen to see Peadar taking off his boots in the mudroom just past the kitchen.

               “The boys aren’t with you?” Severus asked, a dread rising in his chest.

               “No, I sent them back inside about twenty or so minutes ago. They’re not in Harry’s room?”

               “No, they haven’t come up the stairs yet. Where’s Mother?”

               “Tending to the birds in the tall tower, last I knew. Ya sure the boys aren’t playing one of their games?”

               “If they are, they are all in serious trouble with me.”

               Severus ran upstairs to double check the rooms, opening every door there was upstairs before climbing the stairway up to the tower, startling Eileen who was feeding all the birds.

               “Is something wrong?” Eileen asked.

               “The boys are missing,” Severus said. “They went out to the barn to tend to Shel and they haven’t returned.”

               Eileen quickly followed Severus downstairs and back to the first floor, where Peadar confirmed the boys were not in the house. All three went back outside and began calling names, casting various spells, and checking every inch of the property.

               “Harry!” Severus shouted as he flicked his wand around, trying every locator spell he knew, but all were failing. “Oliver! Draco!”

               “Boys!” Eileen cried out in the stable, all the horses turning their heads to look at her. Shandy and Finn were sniffing around the barn. “Are you in here? Harry! Please come out if you’re hiding, it’s not funny.”

               Peadar used his wand to scan for any human presence through the pastures and gardens, but it came up negative. Looking up at the tall tower where the birds were watching with interest, Peadar said, “Time to light it up, ghosts.”

               There were several cries of agreement as several birds sat up and flew to the ledge of the tower. One by one, they ruffled out their feathers, causing a reddish orange glow to illuminate their bodies before they took to the sky. If not observed close enough, they could be mistaken for a ball of fire flying through the air. They traveled in small groups of three to five birds and flew over the entire property first, lighting up every acre for Peadar, Severus, and Eileen to see that the boys were indeed gone before they left the property in several different directions in search of the three missing boys.

               Severus held his head in his hands as he tried to control his breathing. This could no be happening, not now! Forget that Lucius was going to kill him for losing his precious heir, and that he had failed muggle parents of a wizard in protecting their child, he had lost his own son! How on earth had he lost three children?

               Two orange glowing birds flew down to Peadar and Eileen, one landing on the shoulder of their respective bonded partner. Kieran gently nuzzled against Eileen while Fia preened Peadar’s hair in an attempt to be comforting.

               “Thank you, Fia,” Peadar said. He rested a supporting hand on Severus’s shoulder. “We’ll find them, Severus. Right now, I think, would be a good time to call the aurors.”

               “Yes,” Severus agreed, then he groaned. “This is going to make me look like an awful parent.”

               “Now, now, you wouldn’t be the first parent to lose sight of their child. These things happen. The sooner they can investigate and help us search, the better. It’s mostly farmland and towns out here, so they can’t have gone too far.”

               “Daddy!” Harry’s voice sounded.

               Severus startled and looked around, Peadar and Eileen jumping as well.

               “Over here!” Harry shouted, and a sound against the gates drew Severus, Eileen, and Peadar forward. They spotted Harry, Draco, and Ollie waiting at the entrance gates, pulling against them in an attempt to get back inside. “We thought we saw something and then we couldn’t get back through the wards.”

               “Harry, you had me worried to death,” Severus started as he stepped toward the gate to let them in. Peadar, however, grabbed Severus’s upper arm, stopping the man in his tracks. Severus quickly glared at his stepfather. “What are you doing?”

               “Something’s not right,” Peadar explained.

               “What are you talking about?”

               “The wards know to let at least Harry through at all times, and Draco and Ollie are both invited guests that the wards would recognize for a temporary time. There should be no reason they could not open the gates and walk in themselves.”

               “What, are you just going to leave us out here then?” Draco asked, frowning at the adults.

               “Daddy, I’m really sorry,” Harry said, his eyes widening and his lower lip puckering out. “I didn’t mean to go past the wards.”

               “Peadar’s right, Severus,” Eileen said. “Something’s not right here. The gates would just open for them, they did earlier today when I took them to town with me. They raced back and beat me home. This doesn’t make sense.”

               Severus crossed his arms and stared at the children still holding on to the bars of the gate, pitiful looks on all their faces. Severus wanted to believe Harry was right in front of him, safe and unharmed, and that there was no threat. However, he knew what Peadar and Eileen were saying was true. Harry could just open the gate, so why couldn’t he now.

               “Please, Severus,” Ollie pleaded, tugging against the bars again. “May we come in, now?”

               Suddenly, Kieran and Fia both growled before diving for the children, talons out, and they lashed out at the kids, scratching and pecking. Severus nearly drew his wand to stun the birds, but then he watched as a few more birds dove down from the sky and lashed out at the children.

               At first, the children cried out, begging the birds to stop and asking for help from the adults, but then, something changed, and they were hissing and snarling at the birds, revealing pointy teeth.

               Peadar gasped, then flicked his wand at the children, conjuring ropes that tied themselves around each child tightly, trapping the growling kids.

               Peadar moved forward, finally opening the gates and stepping up to look closely at the kids, peering directly at Harry.

               Harry’s eyes softened and his teeth returned to normal as he gave Peadar a sad look.

               “Can I come home now, Papa?” Harry asked.

               “We need to call Magical Creatures Control as well as the aurors,” Peadar said. “The kids have been taken.”

               “What do you mean?” Severus asked. “Then who are these kids?”

               “These kids are changelings,” Peadar said. “Shapeshifting fairies that are left in place of stolen human children.”

               “No,” Severus muttered. “Then where are the boys?”

               “I don’t know,” Peadar admitted. “But the only creatures around here willing to snatch humans and leave changelings in their place are not friendly creatures. They are vulgar tricksters with an affinity for torturing and tormenting those they kidnap. They can draw nightmares to your head and make you live your worst fears over and over again as you sleep. And they love hearing kids scream.”

               “What kind of devilish monster are you talking about?”

               “The fear dearg.”

 

               Harry slowly opened his eyes, fluttering his lashes and groaning at the small ache in his head. He clutched at his head for a moment before looking around, but everything was blurry. He reached up to adjust his glasses, only to find them missing. He felt around the dirt, but he did not feel his glasses anywhere. Instead, his hand brushed over a body, and he shook the shoulder of whoever was next to him.

               “Draco? Ollie?”

               “Ollie,” Ollie said as he rolled away from Harry’s shaking. He groaned as he rubbed his face before he sat up. “Did you get the number of that bus?”

               “I don’t think it was a bus that hit us,” Harry said, crawling along the floor as he searched for his glasses. He ran into another body, and assumed it was Draco.

               “Draco,” Harry said, shaking his friend’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

               “My father will hear about this,” Draco muttered as he slowly came to. “Oh, Harry. Where are we?”

               “I don’t know,” Harry said. “I can’t find my glasses. Everything is so blurry right now.”

               “We’re in some kind of room,” Ollie said. “Surrounded by brick wall but no windows. Oh—here’s the door!” Ollie ran to the small wooden door they must have been dragged through, but it did not open. “It’s locked.”

               “What a surprise,” Draco said dryly. “Are you okay, Harry?”

               “I’ll be okay. Wish I could see though.”

               A shrieking laughter startled the kids, who huddled closer together. It went on for a full minute before silence fell upon them again. They stayed quiet anyway for a few more minutes before Ollie whispered, “What do you think it was that took us?”

               “I don’t know,” Harry whispered back. “It almost looked like a leprechaun when I saw it, but it was wearing the wrong color. Draco? What do you think?”

               “I don’t know. It’s Ireland, they could have completely different creatures than where I live.”

               “Right. Okay, we have to find a way out of here. Let me see if I can reach out to Dad. Maybe he’ll have an idea.”

 

               Meanwhile, back at the estate, several aurors were investigating the property while Magical Creatures Control officers were discussing the best way to go about negotiating a safe return of the stolen children. The changelings had returned to their former state of half-grown fairies with goblin like appearances and scaly skin. They gnawed at the cage bars where they had been locked up for the time being. According to the MCC officers, they would be released back into the forests once the children were returned. They would be taken in by their own kind once more, though only until another child could be snatched.

               “How long ago were the children taken?” an auror asked.

               “At this point, maybe forty minutes ago.”

               “And these changelings showed up in their place?”

               “Yes.”

               “I’m going to be honest, it is very hard to get these creatures to comply with anything, no matter what we bargain, and in most cases, the children are released when the fear dearg decide they’ve had enough of tormenting the kids. That could be an hour from now, but it could also be ten years from now. These creatures are unreasonable, difficult, and stubborn to the bone. And they hide their victims well. We’ll do our best, Mr. Snape.”

               Severus nodded his head, to afraid to speak. The auror moved on to talk to the MacAuleys, leaving Severus to his own horrifying thoughts. He had tried occluding his thoughts and reaching out to the bond between himself and Harry, but he could not even get a flicker of connection. He wondered if it was because he still didn’t have quite the control over it that Harry had, or if Harry was unconscious somewhere far away from him, helpless and afraid.

               How could this have happened? How could these things have gotten the kids in the first place? Peadar had said the wards reported no intrusion of magical enemies, which meant the kids must have left the safety of the wards on their own accord. Peadar then explained that the fear dearg were excellent at luring children away from safety. Severus should have discussed the wards more closely with the boys. He had always enforced staying on the property and inside the wards when they were outside, and when they left the estate, they were to be with an adult at all times, but he never really felt the need to go into further details on how the wards worked. Perhaps he should have anyway. This was all his fault!

               Severus closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a small flicker, then he heard Harry’s voice.

               “Dad, I need your help,” Harry said.

               Severus opened his eyes, and the blue ghostly form of Harry sat on the ground in front of him.

               “Harry.” Severus let out a sight of relief. Several people in the room turned to stare at him. “Thank merlin, are you okay? Are any of you hurt?”

               “No, just some headaches, but we’re okay. We’re stuck in some weird circular prison. I don’t know where we are exactly, there’s no windows. And my glasses are gone. I think . . . those things took them.”

               “Those things are called fear dearg and they are very dangerous. We have several aurors and magical creature control officers here right now trying to figure out how to find you. The fire ghosts are also out and about looking for you.”

               “Should we make noise, so it’ll be easier to find us?”

               Severus looked up at the aurors and officers.

               “He asked if they should make noise so you can find them?”

               “No, do not do that,” a MCC officer quickly said, ignoring the fact that he had no clue what was going on with Severus. “That will only entice them to play with the kids and they won’t do so in a friendly manner.”

               “Do not make any sounds, Harry,” Severus said. He took a deep breath before saying, “Just hold tight, son, we will find you.”

               “Okay, Dad. I’ll tell the others. Please hurry.”

               “I will find you, Harry. Do not be afraid.”

               Harry smiled at his father before his form faded from view. Severus felt hope fall away as his son vanished, reminding him that Harry was not in a safe place at all. They needed to move fast.

 

               “He said these things are called fear dearg,” Harry told his friends.

               Ollie gasped and Harry and Draco looked at him.

               “You’ve heard the name before?” Harry asked.

               “Yeah, but I always thought it was a scary bedtime story for kids. Dad used to say that if I was really naughty, the fear dearg would come and snatch me away. We used to play games at school to try and get fear dearg to appear but they never did. We all thought it was make-believe.”

               “Do you know anything else about them?” Draco asked.

               “Not really. Just that they’re the evil twin of leprechauns, and they like to kidnap children and replace them with look-a-likes. And the children they kidnap, they lock away somewhere and torture them until they either grow bored or the children somehow escape.”

               “Dad said that aurors and magical creatures control are looking for us, along with all the fire ghosts. They’ll find us, I’m sure. But we can’t make any noise because it might anger the fear dearg. We don’t want to give them reason to torment us.”

               Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to crumble away, and the kids backed away and up against the brick structure as two of the fear deargs appeared out of tunnels they burrowed through the ground. They wore little red coats and red caps, and besides the goblin like skin, they shared a lot of resemblance to pictures of leprechauns Harry had seen. They giggled as they stared at the kids.  

               “Freaks,” Draco muttered.

               “Careful, Draco,” Harry warned. “Don’t upset them.”

               The creatures moved forward with rigid steps, and when they were inches in front of the boys, Ollie flicked his wrist, sending dirt flying up into the air and striking one of the fear deargs, causing him to stumble into the other one, which sent both of them stumbling back into the tunnels they had burrowed to get in.

               Harry and Draco glared at Ollie.

               “What?” Ollie asked. “I panicked. They’re creepy and they were getting too close.”

               Before Harry could reply, the bricks behind them shifted and collapsed away, causing Harry, Ollie, and Draco to fall backwards. They rolled over and stood up, Harry rubbing his eyes and squinting at the landscape around them.

               They were deep in the forest as trees surrounded them everywhere, along with hundreds of fear deargs, all grinning and laughing at their guests.

               “Oh no,” Harry said.

               “What do we do, Harry?” Ollie asked.

               “This is not good,” Draco remarked.

               Daddy, please hurry up and find us fast, was all Harry could think.  

              

              

              

                                

              

               “What do we do, Harry?” Draco asked as all three kids stared out at the hundreds of grinning fear deargs, all dressed in red and looking much like the devils they were. Harry rubbed his eyes and groaned before opening them and straining to make out the details. There were several game trails leading in all sorts of directions, and any one of them could lead out of the forest they were in, or deeper into fear dearg territory. Harry squinted around before he pointed at the nearest trail.

               “We need to get out of here,” Harry said.

               “I don’t think they’re gonna let us leave,” Ollie said.

               “Well, they’re not doing anything right now but staring at us.”

               As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, all three boys felt the ground crumble beneath their feet, and they fell to the ground and slid down a short hill. The small elvish creatures laughed maniacally.

               “My bad,” Harry said with a groan. The boys pushed themselves back up, watching warily as four fear deargs stepped closer with slow steps and intent looks. They peered closely at the boys, then whispered among each other in a strange guttural language. After a short conversation, the four chuckled darkly before motioning to the others surrounding the boys.

               Several of the creatures jumped forward and began digging in a circle around the boy, and they moved so quickly that before the boys could even blink, they were surrounded by a deep moat several feet wide. Ollie leaned forward and looked down.

               “Yep,” he said, “that’s a long fall.”           

               “Great,” Draco huffed as he crossed his arms, “we’re trapped again.”

               “I don’t get what they want with us,” Harry said. “I wish we could understand what they were saying.”

               Ollie frowned, studying the moat and the ground around them. He spotted several fallen branches and logs and flicked his wrist at a few and jerked his hand toward himself. Several old branches began tumbling toward him while he motioned to a large log to come his way, and slowly, the log shifted back and forth before finally rolling toward the three boys. Draco watched mildly impressed as Ollie managed to position the log across the moat while using several branches to patch up the holes and soggy points along the log.

               Ollie gently pushed a foot down on the log, feeling for any give, and when he did not break through, he stepped up on the log.

               “Okay, I think it’s safe to cross. Harry, give me your hand. Draco, take his other hand.”

               The boys did as Ollie said and slowly, they carefully crossed the log until they were safely on the other side, no longer surrounded by a never-ending trench.

               “Nice job, Ollie,” Harry praised, patting his friend’s back.

               Suddenly, the fear deargs burst into cheers and laughter, screeching, yowling, and clapping. The boys frowned at the display, but before they could do anything more, several more rushed forward with rope, running around the boys’ legs before tugging, which caused the rope to tighten and snap the kids’ legs together, knocking them to the ground.

Two of the creatures made quick work of tying the boys’ hands in tight knots before jumping away. They creatures continued cheering, clapping, and stomping their feet.

“They’re getting a kick out of us using magic,” Draco said as he struggled against the rope. “That’s what they want out of us—entertainment! And we’re the main act. This is a joke.”  

“I can’t break free,” Harry growled under his breath as he struggled against the rope. “Ollie, think you can get us out of this one?”

“No, I need my hands,” Ollie said as he tried to free his hands from the tight knots. I can’t get them free.”

               “When I get out of this, I’m going to smash those ugly toads!” Draco shouted before growling and thrashing against the rope.

               “I don’t get how they can move so fast!” Harry said.

               “Must be part of their magic,” Draco muttered as he focused on trying to break free. Draco paused and glared over at Harry as best as he could. “Can’t you apparate?”

               “I need to run to do it.”

               “But do you though?”

               “Well . . . I’ve never tried apparating while sitting still and Dad says I shouldn’t . . .”

               “I feel like he’d excuse this.”

               “I’m gonna agree with Draco on that one,” Ollie said.

               “Okay, okay, I’ll try. Maybe if I picture myself running away, I can do it.”

               Harry closed his eyes, envisioning himself running through the trees as fast as he could and then willing himself to disappear. He waited, holding his breath.

               Nothing happened.

               Taking a deep breath, Harry really focused on what it felt like to run, the wind on his face, the leaves brushing up against his arms and legs, his heart picking up pace—he was so close, he could feel it now, all he had to do was will himself to disappear and . . .

               Nothing.

               “I can’t do it,” Harry whined.

               The fear deargs had slowly quieted down at the lack of activity, and a growl started to fill the forest as teeth were bared and the thick hair on the deargs rose. A few of them stepped closer in threatening manners.

               “Well, you better figure it out,” Draco cried. “I think we’re making them angry.”

               “I can’t, I can’t do it tied up like this!”

               “Yes, you can,” Ollie encouraged. “You can do it. You have to believe in yourself.”

               “I know I can do it if I run, but I can’t like this.”

               “Maybe it’s the running, maybe it’s the emotions you’re feeling when you’re running. Feel something! You have to get us out.”

               “I don’t know what I usually feel.”

               “When have you ever apparated before?” Draco asked. “To Severus, right? Trying to find him or getting away from danger, like the Dursleys. This is danger, we’re in danger and they’re going to kill us if you don’t get us out.”

               Harry felt tears in his eyes as he failed again at apparating, frustration brewing inside him as the growling picked up in the forest and his friends kept yelling their encouragements that were really not helpful. He ground his teeth together, wishing he could raise his hands and cover his ears to stop all the noise. Instead, all he could do was clench his fists as he wished for an easier way to save his friends from these devilish monsters.

               “Stop!” Harry screamed. “I said I can’t do it!”

               There was a loud snap and Harry choked as his breath was sucked out of him and he felt himself hit the ground hard as he fell backward into the forest. As he caught his breath, tears flooded his eyes as he cried out and clutched at his arm, blood pouring from a large slash wound.

               “Harry, are you okay” Draco asked loudly above the roar of applause and laughter from the fear deargs.

               “No, I’m hurt. I think . . . I think it was from apparating.”

               “You might be splinched,” Draco said. “Free us quickly and I can help.”

               Harry shakily stood to his feet and stumbled toward the blur that was his friends. He fell forward but caught himself at the last minute and managed to land on his hands and knees. His head spun as he crawled forward and felt around for the knots. A fear dearg had already tightened the rope around Draco’s and Ollie’s legs, just to make things more difficult, of course.

               Trying to untie complicated knots blind was not easy. Trying to do that while bleeding everywhere made it twice as difficult, and Harry felt tears fall from his eyes as he fell back, unable to free his friends.

               “It’s okay, Harry,” Ollie said. “Maybe try cutting us loose with a sharp rock? Here, I think I see one. I’m going to try and pull it toward us with just my eyes and fingertips.”

               Harry tried to put pressure on his wound, but it really hurt, and he was getting so lightheaded. Maybe he could put his head down for just a minute.

               “Harry? Harry!”

               Harry jerked his eyes open at Ollie’s call.

               “Reach forward, a little to your left, I got the rock.”

               Harry did as Ollie said and felt the rock in question. He started cutting at the rope as fast as his weakened arms would allow him and he managed to cut Draco’s hands free first before he fell over, his head landing in cushioned crumpled leaves. Draco shook the rope off and grabbed the rock to cut his legs free, then cut Ollie’s hands free.

               The fear deargs were having the time of their lives as they chanted and leaped around. Ollie glared at them as he kept a lookout while Draco crawled over to Harry, patting his cheek to stir his friend.

               “Mmm,” Harry groaned.

               “I’ve never healed a wound like this before,” Draco said, turning Harry slightly to get a better look at it. “This might take a minute. Do you think you can amuse our kidnappers while I do it?”

               Ollie looked around the trees at the audience of fear deargs. He shrugged.

               “I’ll give it my best.”

 

               Meanwhile, Severus paced the living room at MacAuley estate while aurors and Magical Creatures Control negotiated with a fear dearg one of the officers managed to capture on the edge of the forest. So far, the fear dearg agreed to take back the changelings that had morphed back into their previous states, but that was all the aurors and officers had managed to accomplish. The delay was killing Severus and he wanted nothing more than to torture the ugly beast with a cruciatus curse until it broke and told him where his boys were.

               He nearly acted on his impulse too as he stormed over to the table where the negotiations were taking place.

               “Whoa, easy, sir,” an auror said, jumping in his way and holding a hand up. “I’m afraid I cannot let you involve yourself with this.”

               “I need to find my son and his friends,” Severus insisted.

               “I understand, but we are doing everything in our power to resolve this situation.”

               “They could be torturing them as we speak!”     

               “I understand your frustrations and fear, but we need the fear dearg to cooperate with us if we are going to find the boys. We cannot use brute force or harm if we wish to find the boys alive. Do you understand what I am saying, sir?”

               “Yes, I understand,” Severus growled at the auror, his fists clenching to avoid shooting a curse at the elf creature from where he stood. He returned to pacing the living room. Eileen and Peadar were out of the house watching for signs from the fire ghosts. Shandy and Finn waited in front of the fireplace with sad faces, disappointed in themselves for being unable to pick up any scents. Miss Trifle thumped her feet agitatedly in the living room, and Severus paused to reach down and pet her.

               “I know, Miss Trifle, I miss Harry, too. I’m afraid without any leads, there’s nothing we can do but hope the fear dearg tells us where his clan are holding the boys or for one of the birds to come back with a location. If there was anything else I could do, trust me, I would be doing it.”

               Miss Trifle flicked her head, shaking the ribbons of her pink bow, and then thumped one of her feet again, looking up at Severus.

               Severus stroked the rabbit again soothingly, hoping to calm her nerves. Then, he went back to pacing, pulling his wand from his sleeve, and twirling it in his fingers as he thought of any spells that might be of use in this situation. Locator charms had failed so what about presence reveal spells—but those only worked within a mile radius and if the boys were farther than that, it would be wasted energy and time. And clearly, since the birds had not returned, the boys were far away.

               Miss Trifle gave an annoyed huff at Severus, but he paid her no attention as he remained lost in his own head. Miss Trifle shuffled over to the fireplace, standing in front of the dogs, who lifted their heads and watched her as she turned to face Severus.

               She thumped her foot loudly and repetitively.

               It took a moment, but Severus finally glanced in the direction of the noise. Miss Trifle kept thumping until Severus walked in her direction with a curious look. Finally, she stopped thumping and twitched her nose at Severus.

               “What are you doing?” Severus questioned, hardly believing he was asking a genuine question to the rabbit.

               Miss Trifle sighed through her nose, then lifted her ears straight up. Shandy and Finn tilted their heads at her, then looked up. Severus blinked, then slowly looked up as well until his eyes fell directly on the fairy in stone figurine.

               Severus stared at it for a minute before an idea hit him, and he rushed forward and grabbed the statue.

               “This is genius,” he said softly, then he looked down at Miss Trifle, who was still staring up at him with big eyes. He snorted. “You’re becoming quite the little familiar.”

               One of Miss Trifle’s ears tilted off to the side as she thumped her foot twice. Severus took that as a “you’re welcome,” and he ran outside with the dogs at his heel. He looked around for his parents, but when he did not immediately see them, he ran for the barn. Peadar was tending to one of the mares and her foal and Eileen was standing outside the stall talking with Peadar when she noticed Severus.

               “Mother,” Severus began, coming to a quick halt in front of her, startling her slightly. “This fairy, she can find us no matter where we are, right?”

               “As long as you are of Prince heritage, then yes, she theoretically could.”

               “That’s how she found Harry and I at the hotel and bonded us. She could find Harry.”

               “I’m not sure if adoption . . .”

               “I’ve named Harry as my heir, that’s enough for heritage, right? And in time of need, she will assist.”

               “Severus, I’m really not sure if she will look for Harry or not. This is ancient magic that follows ancient rules and as much as we all love Harry, I think blood ties are needed for such old magic. Don’t you think she would have already been looking for Harry? This is time of need, after all.”

               “Maybe I can ask her to. Come on, she took a horcrux for Harry. Maybe all I have to do is ask her and then she’ll help us.”

               Eileen shared a look with Peadar, who shrugged his shoulders. Eileen sighed and looked back at Severus.

               “Only one way to find out,” she said.

               Severus took a deep breath and lifted the stone and spoke gently.

               “Please, ancient and mystical fairy of the stone, you’ve helped us many times before, so many times. I need your help now to find my son. He’s in danger, mortal danger potentially, and we need to find him as quickly as possible. Will you please help me, help us, help him?”

               The stone remained still.

               “Please, fairy,” Severus pleaded. “There must be some way, some law, that lets you help me if not my son. I need your help. Harry needs your help. You took dark magic away from our lives. You protect us. I need you to protect him too.”

               Before the last sentence was even out of Severus’s mouth, the stone began to glow a light silvery blue. Shandy and Finn barked at the stone, spinning in circles and jumping on two as the glow brightened before fading away.

               Very slowly, a small spirit fairy dressed in blue petals emerged from the head of the stone, her hands clasped behind her back and her small wings fluttering just the slightest as she stared up at Severus with a serious face. She hovered over her stone for a moment before smiling softly and nodding her head once.

               “Oh, thank merlin,” Severus cried, setting the stone down gently on a stall door. “Thank you, thank you so much. Do you know where he is?”

               The fairy closed her eyes and began to glow, then she nodded her head with a smile. She flew toward the barn door, beaconing everyone to follow her before shapeshifting into a little blue dragon and taking off into the night.

               Peadar whistled sharply, and Shandy and Finn took off after the fairy, barking loudly to lead the way, Severus, Eileen, and Peadar chasing after the dogs and the fairy. An Auror shouted to them from the house, and Peadar called to them: “We have a lead, you might want to follow us!”

               They ran across open fields and crops, heading for the trees in the far back of the fields, the little dragon leading the way, pausing only once to wince as her blue light turned black for a brief second.

              

               Draco ran his hands over Harry’s arm in small circles, closing the last of the splinch wound, but Harry was still very lightheaded. Draco was covered in sweat, having never performed such a large amount of magic before, and he panted for a minute before resting his hands on Harry’s chest, hoping to offer some healing internally for Harry. Maybe blood loss was why Harry was still so out of it? He had bled a lot while Draco slowly closed the wound, and the ground underneath Harry was painted red.

               “How’s Harry?” Ollie asked as he kept a heavy rock hovering in the air above him.

               “His arm is fixed but he’s not great. He’s pale and really out of it. I have to try and heal him internally, I think. How’s the audience?”

               “Err, it’s a tough crowd.”

               The fear deargs stomped their feet and shrieked angrily at the three kids, and growls filled the trees as they moved closer, taking small pleasures in tripping Ollie or throwing more rocks and sticks at the child while Ollie tried to move or hover items. Some of the deargs had enjoyed watching Draco heal Harry, but most were unimpressed with the show, and were impatient for something more.

               “I think they’re bored,” Ollie said.

               “Well, it’s not like they paid for the show,” Draco snapped. “Keep them distracted a little longer.”

               “I’m getting kind of tired, Draco,” Ollie said.

               “I know, me too. You’re doing great. Your magical control is really impressive.”

               “You mean that?”

               “Yeah, I do. So keep it up.”
               Ollie smirked at Draco’s evasive tone from the compliment and decided to try a new trick for the fear deargs. He kicked at a large log to loosen it from the ground and then pushed forward with his hands. The log began tumbling around the trees, and like a video game controller, Ollie mover his hands in the direction he wanted the log to go.

               The growls turned into shouts of alarm as the log came crashing toward groups of the deargs, and they all leaped out of the way to avoid getting trampled. A few were unlucky and were toppled over like bowling pins.

               “Strike!” Ollie shouted, fist pumping the air.

               The fear deargs stared down at their fallen comrades, but instead of lashing out at Ollie, they began applauding and laughing once more.

               Ollie grinned as he directed the log to roll toward more groups, who all jumped out of the way, though some crueler ones pushed their fellow deargs into the path of the log. There was more applauding, stomping, laughing and less growling.

               Draco waved small circles over Harry, hoping that a generic heal would somehow fix Harry.

               “Please, Harry. Wake up. I’m doing the best I can.”          

               Harry did not stir.

               Draco fought back tears he could feel welling in his eyes and he focused on his magic, though every bit of him was drained and weak from the advanced healing he had done to stop Harry’s bleeding. Draco took a deep breath and frowned with renewed intent, and he willed the last of his healing magic into Harry, causing a flash of purple light that seemed to ricochet off Harry.
               Draco cried out as he fell forward, nearly collapsing on top of Harry, but he caught himself in time. He was spent from all the magic he had used, and he wasn’t sure it had been enough. Harry was still pale and listless and now he felt so cold. This was all his fault! If he hadn’t pushed Harry to apparate, he would still be okay, and they would all be tied up still—maybe dearg food but Harry wouldn’t look so dead.

               “I’m sorry, Harry,” Draco cried, too exhausted to hide his tears. “I really tried.”

               “It’s okay,” Harry whispered, his eyes still closed. “I know you tried. I feel a little better.”

               “Harry!” Draco hugged Harry in a tight grip before quickly letting go and awkwardly saying, “Err, glad you’re feeling better.”

               Harry laughed weakly before slowly pushing himself up and holding his head in his hand, groaning. Draco helped Harry stand up and waited until Harry wasn’t so wobbly before letting go.

               Ollie slowly backed up to stand next to them, his hands slowly lowering.

               “They’re not liking my roller log game anymore,” Ollie said sadly.

               The fear deargs were snarling and smacking the ground aggressively as they advanced on the kids, who backed away slowly, all three out of energy and completely drained.

               “I got thinking,” Ollie whispered, “if this is how they treat wizard kids, what do you think they do to muggle kids?”

               “I guess we’re about to find out,” Draco said.

               “I need to reach Dad,” Harry said, closing his eyes and rubbing his head.

               “Don’t push it, Harry,” Ollie said, “You almost bled out.”

               The fear deargs spoke in a strange tongue before the nearest one charge for the kids.

               A fire ghost dove out of the trees and snatched the fear dearg in its talons before it could touch the kids, flying off with the struggling creature before dropping it into the trees.

               That sent all the fear deargs into a fury as several charged the kids at once while others began throwing sticks and stones at the bird. The fire ghost let out a loud shrill that echoed through the trees as it dove into the trees once more before diving in a spin and knocking over several deargs that were chasing the three boys, who had taken off in a run.

               More fire ghosts appeared in the sky and attacked the fear deargs, snatching and throwing some, pecking others into the ground, and playing catch in the sky with a few others.

               Harry, Draco and Ollie ran as fast as they could, though Harry was having trouble with even short bursts of running, and he stopped every few seconds to catch his breath and keep himself from falling over.

               “It’s okay,” Ollie said, “It doesn’t look like we’re being followed.”

               “Catch your breath,” Draco said to Harry even as he himself was leaning over, hands on his knees, and panting. “Then we’ll keep going.”

               After a minute, Draco reached out to brush some shrubbery aside, only to yank his hand back quickly.

               “Ow!” he cried, seizing his hand that now bled from several punctures.

               A fear dearg stepped out of the bushes, snarling at the boys, looking delighted that it had tasted Draco’s flesh.

               Ollie put a protective arm out over Harry and Draco as he backed away, pushing his friends back as well, his other hand raised and ready to make something move, but the rest of Ollie was too exhausted to even register his magic. The fear dearg was joined by six more, and they circled the boys, trapping them once more.

               As a fear dearg raised a clawed hand to slash at Ollie, a little blue dragon dove in between them and snarled at the dearg, who swatted at the dragon, but it flew out of his reach and snapped at his hand.

               The boys frowned at the new creature then nearly collapsed in relief as Shandy and Finn shot out of the trees and attacked the closest fear deargs they could jump on, growling and thrashing before pinning a couple down and barking angrily.

               The fear dearg hissed in its unknown tongue, then looked up in surprise as the dragon spoke back in the same tongue. The fear dearg glared at the dragon and spoke once more, pointing to the boys before making a fist and shaking it at the kids. The dragon snarled and spoke once more.

               “Harry!” Severus called out, “Ollie, Draco!”

               “Dad, over here!” Harry called back, tears in his eyes as he realized they were safe now.

               Severus stepped out of the trees with his wand ready, Peadar, Eileen, and several aurors doing the same. Severus ran to the boys and hugged all three as soon as he saw them, pulling them into a tight embrace that the three returned readily. The other adults paused as they watched the interaction between the fear dearg and the dragon. Even the dogs waited with their captive fear deargs pinned under them, tails wagging as they watched the dragon.

               “The language of the fairy,” Peadar said aloud, “an old and complicated speech; how remarkable to witness in person.”

               Severus wasn’t sure if he agreed as he kept his arms around the three boys, even as they turned their attention to the conversation taking place between the two fairy species.

               The fear dearg seemed very angry in his tone, but the dragon did not back down as it snarled back in the same tone. Several more fear deargs appeared behind the one talking to the dragon, but they also waited for the conversation to end. It was the strangest moment of truce while an agreement was being made.

               Finally, the fear dearg threw up his hands and turned away, muttering under its breath before turning back and shouting a strange word.

               The dragon looked back and whirred softly.

               Shandy and Finn released the fear deargs pinned under them and the creatures took off running, following the retreating deargs, vanishing into the night.

               The dragon huffed before turning back to the people, flying over to Harry and whirring gently.

               “I remember you,” Harry said. “It’s the fairy from the stone.”

               Severus chuckled as he said, “It was your rabbit’s idea. You owe her a big thank you.”

               “And thank you to you, too,” Harry said. “What did you tell them?”

               The dragon blurred as it shifted into her humanoid fairy form. She smiled softly at the three boys before smirking.

               “I told them they were a disgrace to all fairy kind and should consider themselves lucky that I don’t summon the God of the Ireland Forests to banish them forever. But I would reconsider doing so if they left you alone forever.”

               “Is there really a god of the Ireland forests?” Ollie asked.

               “To them, there is now,” the fairy said.

               The three boys laughed before Draco tapped Severus’s arm.

               “You can let us go now,” he said. He held up his injured hand to Severus. “One of those things bit me.”

               “Let me take a look,” an MCC officer said, stepping forward and examining Draco’s bite wound. “Those things have disgusting dental hygiene, so I suggest a healing potion and an antibiotic solution applied to the wound tonight, then an antibiotic potion just to be safe.”

               “Yippee for me,” Draco muttered.

               “I’m glad you boys are safe,” Severus said. He herded them in front of him, and Eileen took Ollie’s hand while Peadar took Draco’s hand. “Let’s get you boys home and cleaned up and take care of. Then we are having a long discussion about the wards and its boundaries and what that means for you boys.”

               “Aww, can it wait until tomorrow?” Ollie asked, his head dropping back and his shoulders slumping. “I’m wall-falling.”

               “Very well,” Severus relented. “First thing tomorrow morning them. We also need a nice way of explaining to your parents what happened.”

               “Oh, Mam will love this story,” Ollie said with a grin.

               “Troublemaker,” Eileen said, pinching Ollie’s cheek none too gently.

               Peadar whistled to the glowing birds sitting in the trees and they shook the glow away and took off to the sky to head home. Everyone else apparated away, Severus sharing one last grateful look with the spirit fairy before apparating Harry home.

The fairy shifted back into her dragon form to begin the swift flight back to her stone. Before she could flap a single wing though, her blue glow turned black and her eyes red for a brief second before her natural glow returned and she shook herself out before flying into the trees, enjoying the chill of the night.

 

               Harry carefully led Asphodel around the small round pen he was in, minding his posture as he followed along the wooden fence, remembering to lead with shifts and changes in his body rather than tugging and pulling on the reins as he originally thought he would be doing when he first started to learn to ride. Miss Trifle sat in the saddle in front of him, leaning back into Harry as he moved the horse along the fence.

               Asphodel was an easy-going and patient horse, and Peadar decided she would be best for Harry to learn to ride on, as the other ponies could be stubborn or too rowdy for a beginner. Harry glanced behind him, smiling at Shel, who was eagerly following behind his mother while Harry practiced.

               “Eyes forward, Harry,” Severus said from the other side of the fence where he was riding Acting the Maggot, nicknamed Maggie, around the round pen while Harry practiced moving with Asphodel. Maggie’s foal, Riona, trotted behind her mother, staying close to the older mare. Severus slowed Maggie down to a walk as he moved alongside Harry and Asphodel. “Do you want to try trotting again?”

               Harry nodded and encouraged Asphodel to move faster, and she did not disappoint or hesitate and began trotting around the exercise pen, Severus trotting Maggie once more to keep pace. Harry adjusted Miss Trifle in his arms as the rabbit kicked herself up into a better position. He loved the feeling of riding, though he still never went faster than a trot, but for his sixth riding lesson, he was making a lot of progress. Even Severus had said he was doing very well and trusted Harry (and Asphodel) enough to allow Harry to practice without an adult in the same pen as him (though not without someone around at all). Harry couldn’t wait to start cantering and then maybe galloping, but for now, he was comfortable at the trot speed and could work on his commands and communicating with Asphodel until he was ready for controlling a faster horse. Shel trotted at Asphodel’s side, doing his best to keep up with his mother.

               “How do you feel about going to Gallagher’s Fantastical Summer Camp on Monday?” Severus asked as they continued trotting around the pen.

               “I can’t wait!” Harry exclaimed, slowing Asphodel down again to a walk, Severus copying Harry with Maggie. “Ollie and Draco are going to be there, too. We’re going to have so much fun. It took Draco forever to get his dad to sign the permission slip though.”

               “And a few well-timed tantrums,” Severus remarked.

               Harry smirked at his father.

               “I would have done the same thing if you said no.”

               “As if I would ever deny you such an opportunity,” Severus said. “And if you ever pull tantrums like that, you can say goodbye to camp and to the outside world and get very acquainted with the architecture of your bedroom.”

               “You praised Draco for his tantrums,” Harry pouted, though he knew he would do his best to never give his father too much trouble over things.

               “Draco’s lifestyle is very different from yours,” Severus said. “That doesn’t mean I should encourage throwing tantrums, but Draco needs opportunities to be a kid and less of a trophy that his father can show off. Summer camp will do wonders for Draco’s social wellbeing, but we’re not talking about Draco. How do you feel about leaving home for a week at a time for the next four weeks? I know this has only been your home for a few months now, but this camp will be a new experience. You’ll be spending the night at camp through the week and coming home for the weekends.”

               “I know,” Harry said. “It was kind of scary at first but then Ollie said his parents were letting him go and it was less scary. And now Draco’s going too! I’m just excited now.”

               “Well, if you get homesick, I’m only a floo call away.”

               “It sounds like you’re already homesick,” Harry joked, smiling at his father.

               Severus snorted, smiling back at his son before he said, “Cheeky brat.”

               Severus reached over and ruffled Harry’s hair, earning a laugh from his son. Maggie huffed loudly and side stepped away from the pen, looking off into the grounds eagerly, but Severus reined her back in toward the fence. She shook her head and huffed again but resumed walking.

               “I suppose I’ll miss you more than you’ll miss me,” Severus said.

               “No, I’ll miss you, too, Daddy,” Harry said. “I just can’t wait to have fun with my friends. I’ve never been to a summer camp.”

               “I’m excited for you. And Nana will be with you as well, though she may not be your camp counselor.”

               “She told me that. She’s usually with the older kids. But that would be okay as long as Ollie, Draco, and I are together. What are you going to do while I’m gone?”

               “Same as always, I suppose. Work.”

               “That’s not fun. It’s vacation time now.”

               “For you, maybe. My job is year-round. Although I did take a week off for us to do something very special after your summer camp.”

               “Really? What is it?”

               “I can’t tell you now, it would ruin the surprise.”

               Harry pouted at his father, watching as Severus corrected Maggie when the mare stubbornly stopped walking, then cantered forward suddenly, forcing Severus to pull her into tight circles to regain some control. Maggie’s ears pivoted back as she returned to walking along the fence, her foal right at her side.

               “I think Maggie’s bored with the walk,” Severus said. “How are you feeling with Asphodel, Harry?”

               “Okay. She’s being really good for me.”

               “Yes, I noticed. She’s always been a well-behaved pony. I can’t say the same for Maggie.”

               Maggie snorted, her ears falling back, as if she was highly offended by that remark. Severus snorted himself, then pulled Maggie further away from the fence.

               “Do a few more laps around the pen while I take Maggie for a run, then we’ll get them to the barn for a quick clean up and turn them out.”

               “Okay, Dad,” Harry said.

               Severus pulled Maggie further away before having her run in a full gallop through the gardens and into an empty field behind the house, passing the barn and galloping along the fence, the little foal galloping at their side. Maggie appeared to enjoy the gallop much more than the slow walking. Harry watched longingly for a moment, excited for his chance to have Asphodel gallop like that, but he still wouldn’t push his luck. Sometimes he felt like he would fall off at just a trot, so he kept practicing walking and keeping his posture and working on commands. It was still exciting to just be on top of the horse, communicating with a much larger animal in subtle ways, forming a bond of trust that they were working together and as one at the same time. Harry glanced back at Shel, excited for when Peadar would help Harry break him into an amazing riding pony.

               After a few more circles, Harry asked Asphodel to come to a stop, and she did so with no hesitation, giving Shel a chance to come up to her side. Harry looked over his shoulder in time to see Severus galloping over to them once more, slowly slowing down to stop in front of the pen before Severus hopped off the horse, taking her leads and pulling her after him into the pen. Harry waited until Severus was close enough to help him step off Asphodel, and he carefully pushed into his stirrup as he swung one leg over and slid down the horse’s side, feeling for the ground with his foot. He was still too short to reach the ground without pulling his other foot free of the stirrup, so Severus grabbed Harry’s waist and helped him the rest of the way to the ground.

               Severus then picked up Miss Trifle and set her on the ground. She shook herself out before sitting up and watching Harry curiously.

               “That rabbit has gotten very heavy,” Severus commented.

               Miss Trifle’s ears fell back as she narrowed her eyes and thumped her foot aggressively twice.

               “She’s all grown up is all,” Harry said, reaching down to give his rabbit a few long strokes down her back. “The vet said she’s a giant breed, so she’s supposed to be big.”

               “Yes, all thirteen pounds of her. Come, let’s get the horses cleaned up. It’ll be a good chance to give the foals some bath time exposure.”

               Harry pulled Asphodel’s lead and followed Severus to the barn, where they gave the ponies and foals a quick wash and dry before turning them out into the pasture with the other mares and foals. Miss Trifle stayed close to Harry’s heel, sniffing at new objects, and exploring the barn while staying close to her human.

               “When will Shel be ridable?” Harry asked as he hopped up on the fence, leaning over a rail as he watched the ponies trot out to the pasture. Miss Trifle hopped up on the ledge at Harry’s feet, dangling herself over the wood playfully.

               “Not for a while,” Severus answered. “He’s still just a baby and he’s nowhere near big enough to carry someone.”

               Harry pouted at that.

               “However, Shel will need to keep working on his manners. Leading him around and picking up his feet for cleaning will do him a world of wonders in the future.”

               “I do all that already,” Harry said.

               “And you’ll need to keep doing that. You can also get him acquainted with being rubbed and pet all over rather than just his face and withers. He’ll need to start getting used to the crossties for grooming and the farrier, he won’t be standing with mum for the rest of his life. He’ll be weaned soon enough as it is.”

               “I can do that. But what about when I’m gone?”

               “Papa will gladly work with Shel while you’re gone, as he does with all the foals. But when you get back from camp, Shel is your responsibility.”

               “I know. I’ll spend every minute with him on the weekends.”

               Severus smiled at Harry, then gestured for his son to follow him back to the house. Harry jumped off the fence and followed his father, Miss Trifle shuffling after him.  

               “You need to finish packing for camp. I don’t want any floo calls about you forgetting your toothbrush or a clean pair of pajamas.”

               “I wouldn’t. But you’d probably like if I did so you could drag me home.”

               “On second thought, forget as many things as you’d like.”

               Harry laughed at that, then raced Miss Trifle back to the house. Severus shook his head at his son fondly as he continued a leisure stroll to the house. He had one more task to do before the day ended, and it was not one he was looking forward to.

              

               Albus stroked his beard thoughtfully as he studied the stone structure, tilting it ever slightly from one side to the other, carefully studying every crevice and design. He adjusted his glasses and held the stone out from afar, as if seeing from a different distance might give him some clue to this riddle. Finally, he lowered the fairy statue and resumed stroking his beard and glanced up at Severus.

               “A horcrux, you say?” Albus asked.

               “Yes, we’ve all witnessed it,” Severus answered.

               “From the memory of a . . . dog.”

               Severus rolled his eyes.

               “You and I both know that most animal memories are honest and factual and very unlikely to be manipulated. They do not have the capability to alter a memory to deceive a wizard.”

               “But they do have the ability to perceive the world in a very unique manner than mankind.”

               “Yes, yes, but this is not the case. We saw the horcrux removed from Harry’s scar. You know what, she also took this.”

               Severus jerked up the sleeve of his robe to reveal the bare skin of his left forearm. The gasp from the headmaster did not escape Severus’s notice, and he rolled down his sleeve and crossed his arms as Albus returned his gaze to the fairy statue.

               “It is not that I do not believe you, Severus,” Albus said. “It is merely what you are implying that frightens me, and I must be sure that it is what we are dealing with. As you are aware, for Harry to be a horcrux was most likely unplanned. An accident Voldemort did not intend.”

               Despite the absence of the Dark Mark, Severus couldn’t help the slight shudder that ran up his arm at the name of the Dark lord. He ignored it and instead concluded, “He must have made one before.”

               “I agree. However, the soul is not so persuaded to fall apart on accident even if it has already been compromised before. The soul is something that wishes to stay intact at all costs as it is what keeps us alive. To fall apart so easily, accidentally, the soul must be more than compromised.”

               Severus’s eyes widened as he realized what Albus was getting at.

               “It must be completely shattered. Into several pieces.”

               “Yes. I fear Voldemort may have left behind several horcruxes, who knows how many for sure. And they are not easy to dispose of, even if someone was to find every single one of them. It requires careful handling and sometimes, sacrifice.”

               Glancing at the fairy statue in the headmaster’s hands, Severus swallowed dryly and refolded his arms, contemplating his decision as far as the fairy residing in the stone. He had told Albus what the kind fairy had done for Severus and Harry, but he had not told Albus of the Bond the fairy had given Severus and Harry, and he planned to never reveal that aspect of his relationship with his son. It may prove useful one day, and the less who knew the better. It had taken enough courage and trust to bring the matter to Albus’s attention, but Severus knew that if anyone could find and dispose of the horcruxes before the Dark Lord’s return, it was Albus Dumbledore.

               “I will look into Tom Riddle’s past and see if there were any objects that he may have been attached to and see if I can track down these horcruxes.” Albus lifted the fairy statue and looked at Severus. “Have you considered what you wish to do with this?”

               “I would like to free the fairy within before I even think of destroying it.”

               Albus held Severus’s gaze for a moment.

               “You do realize,” Albus began slowly, “that the horcrux may affect the fairy herself. It may attach itself to her. The darkest magic against some of the lightest magic on Earth; the repercussions may not be in favor of the little fairy. I am sure she knew this.”

               “I am, too. But I must try to help her. She saved Harry. And myself. It would be a dishonor to not even try to save her in return.”

               Albus smiled softly and handed the statue back to Severus.

               “I understand. I can only suggest that you get started sooner than later in finding a solution, as we do not know how this dark magic may manifest itself within the statue.”

               “Of course,” Severus said, stuffing the statue into an inner robe pocket. “Thank you, Albus. May I ask that you keep me up to date on any findings you have with any other horcruxes?”

               “I will let you know what I uncover,” Albus said. “And I trust that if you find anything yourself, you will let me know?”

               “I will,” Severus said, and while he meant the words wholeheartedly, it didn’t mean Albus would be the first to know of any future findings Severus came across.

               Albus met Severus’s gaze once more, then nodded softly.

               “Good luck, Severus. I’ll be in touch.”

               Severus nodded once before stepping out of the headmaster’s office and walking down the stairway. He took his time strolling out of Hogwarts’ castle, reminiscing on old school days as he walked down familiar halls. He considered checking out the potions lab in hopes of finding any evidence of who took over the potion professor position, but he decided against it as he didn’t want to start any awkward conversations should the new professor still be around packing up for summer vacation. Severus continued his way out of the castle without any detours and passed the gates so he could apparate back home. He felt more at ease now, placing the problem of the horcruxes in more powerful hands.

 

               Harry found the book he wanted, and he ran back to his bed, climbing in next to his father and holding the book out for him to take. Harry snuggled under the blanket with Miss Trifle curling up at the end of the bed. Severus read the title and quirked a brow at Harry.

               “Another “Choose Your Own Adventure” book?” Severus asked. “You know I do not enjoy these.”

               “But it’s about summer camp!” Harry said. “Please?”

               “How do you always find books that somehow relate to something you’re about to do? You might as well as make up a story if you’re going to “choose your own adventure” anyway.”

               “I like these books.”

               “And I like a straightforward beginning, middle, and end. This makes me think the writer couldn’t decide which direction to take the story in so decided to include every possible way they could think of.”

               “Dad, it’s supposed to be fun! I get to make the story go in the direction I want.”

               “Yes, and break every camp rule in doing so.”

               “That’s what makes it fun. I can make all the characters go canoeing instead of hiking and then see what adventure they find!”  

               “How about an adventure of escaping the giant river monster because you kids went without adult supervision?” Severus asked before pinning Harry down and pretending to growl and eat his son while Harry laughed and squirmed under Severus’s ticklish fingers.

               “There’s no river monster!” Harry cried in between fits of laughter.

               “How would you know? Did you ask a camp leader before taking the canoe?”

               “No.”

               “Then there might be.” Severus tickled Harry a few minutes more, earning loud squeals before he let up and held the book up, sighing in resignation. He looked at his son. “You really want me to read this one.”

               Harry nodded.

               “I’ll pick the adventures.”

               “Of course, you will.”

               Severus opened the book to the first page and began reading about a group of kids at a summer camp who do in fact go on a few adventures, some of which Severus told Harry he better not hear about. The book was a small multi-chapter book, so it took nearly forty minutes to get through the entire story, mostly due to Harry’s delay in deciding what he wanted the characters to do. When it was finally over, Severus kissed his son goodnight and turned the lights out, shutting the door behind him.

               The next morning, Harry frantically searched for last minute items to back in his bag, his toothbrush, toothpaste, Miss Trifle’s food and litter, which magically shrunk in his bag, a charm his father put on the bag, so everything fit into it when he put things in. It was quite mesmerizing, and Harry had distracted himself earlier by trying to fit as much of his bedroom into it, only for Severus to have him take most of it back out.

               Harry finally put one of his small fleece blankets in the bag and was satisfied that he had everything. He double checked just to make sure, mostly for Miss Trifle’s sake. He was so excited to bring his rabbit along, as he had been concerned about who would take care of her while he was gone (which seemed to offend Papa), but Nana had said all kinds of familiars were welcomed.

All familiars had to pass a loyalty test that would tell the supervisors that the familiar would not stray far from their owner, and then certain familiars needed additional charms such as for protection from other familiars or predators (in the case of Miss Trifle) or for removal of predatory instincts while at the camp (in the case of cats). Familiars larger than a small dog were not welcomed unfortunately, but as Nana had said, it was rare for children to have familiars at all, much less that of a large dog. Harry was one of seven children who had received approval for their familiar to attend camp with them, and five of the children were eleven to fourteen years of age, and the older kids were in a different section of the camp.

               Harry zipped up his bag and threw it on his back, then looked around for his new trainers Severus had bought for camp specifically, something new to dirty up. He was sure he put them next to his bed, but he didn’t see them anywhere.

               “Harry,” Severus’s voice called to him, “do you have everything you need? We need to leave soon.”

               “Almost Dad,” Harry called back as he dropped to the floor to look under his bed. They weren’t there. Honestly, did they walk themselves out of the room? “Just got to get my trainers on.”

               “That hardly takes a minute. You didn’t lose your trainers, did you?”

               “No, Dad, I just, err—”

               “If I have to come up there and place a locator charm on your new trainers, Harry James, I am not going to be happy.”

               Harry rolled his eyes. He had a small tendency to lose some of his things, like his jackets, or his shoes, or his socks, but he never had so much space before to call his own, or things that were his and no one else’s. It took some practice to be organized, but he eventually found everything anyway so what was the big deal?

               Miss Trifle sniffed around the room, then thumped her foot loudly near the wardrobe, and Harry ran over and found his new trainers under the wardrobe.

               “Good rabbit,” Harry said, grabbing his trainers and kissing Miss Trifle’s nose. He slid his trainers on, then adjusted the large pink bow around Miss Trifle before picking her up and carrying her downstairs.

               Severus was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed, and Harry offered a smile as he pointedly held out a shoe.

               “See? I knew where they were.”

               Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry, then sighed and gestured for Harry to follow as he walked toward the living space.

               Harry and Miss Trifle shared a relieved look then Harry followed his father. In the living room, Eileen was finishing her last-minute checklist as she shuffled through a shoulder bag. After a minute, she patted the bag with a satisfied nod then glanced down at Harry.

               “Are you ready to go, sweetie?”

               “Yes, Nana. Are you coming, too, Daddy?”

               “I’m just seeing you off,” Severus said. “What will I do without you here?”

               “You’ll figure it out,” Harry said cheekily.

               Severus pretended to clutch at his chest while Eileen laughed.

               “Ouch, that hurts,” Severus joked. “I suppose that means I’m going to miss you more than you’ll miss me?”

               Harry set down Miss Trifle before hugging his father tightly.

               “I’ll miss you, Daddy,” Harry said. “But I’ll be back for the weekend and I can tell you all about the fun I had!”

               “I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Severus said, then he hesitated as he felt along his robe, then pulled away and grabbed the fairy statue out of an inner pocket. “Almost forgot about her. While you’re gone, I plan to do some research into how to free out little friend from the stone.”

               “Because of the dark magic she ate?” Harry asked.

               “Yes, because of that,” Severus agreed as he settled the statue on the mantle. It had been all the information Severus had been willing to share with Harry about what had happened the night the fairy pulled Severus’s Dark Mark off and Harry’s horcrux out of his scar.

               “She’ll be okay, right?” Harry asked as he picked up Miss Trifle once more.

               “She’s going to be just fine,” Severus said. He checked his watch. “We should get going. We don’t want to be the last family checking in.”

               “At this rate,” Eileen said, “we’ll be the first family checking in. But you’re right, we should head out.”

               “I didn’t say goodbye to Papa,” Harry said.

               “I’ll tell him for you,” Severus said. “He had to stop Durmstrang for a few things this morning.”

               Harry nodded in agreement then stepped into the fireplace with Eileen and Severus, holding on to Miss Trifle securely as Eileen announced her destination and dropped the powder. The small family disappeared in the flames.

               The living room was silent. Then, the statue on the mantle shook the slightest before a black hue emitted from it, and the eyes of the fairy stone structure turned red.  

 

As he stepped out of the floo, Harry stared in awe at the large cabin space around him. There were six other fireplaces in a row that more people were stepping out of, and the wooden structure of the hallway was beautiful and exciting. Harry jumped around in excitement, adjusting Miss Trifle in his arms as Eileen and Severus herded him toward the dining hall.

            “This is as far as I go, Harry,” Severus said, pausing right outside the dining hall.

            Harry turned and ran into his father, giving him a hug goodbye, holding on tight as he realized he wouldn’t see his father again until Friday afternoon. While he hadn’t been nervous before, now that he was actually at the camp, the nerves suddenly appeared, and he didn’t really want his father to leave just yet.

            “I will see you Friday,” Severus said giving Harry a quick kiss on the temple. “I know you’ll have a lot of fun here.”

            “Do you have to leave now?” Harry asked?

            “I thought you were excited for camp?”

            “I was—I am. But there’s a lot of people inside and I don’t want to be alone.”

            “You won’t be alone for long. Ollie and Draco will be here soon.”

            “I know. Can’t you stay until they get here?”            

            Severus smiled softly at Harry as he brushed his hair back, then gave him one last kiss.

            “You’re going to be just fine. I know this is all new and overwhelming, but it’s all part of the experience. Besides, Nana is here with you. You’re going to be just fine and I’m sure you’ll make new friends.”

            Harry didn’t release his father immediately, even as Miss Trifle struggled in his grasp to be free from the crushing hug she was caught between. Severus ruffled his son’s hair then gently removed Harry’s arms from around him. He turned Harry in the direction of the dining hall where several kids were gathering and waiting, chatting with friends old and new. Harry swallowed nervously.        

            “Be brave, Harry,” Severus whispered in his ear. “And have fun. I’ll see you Friday.”

            Harry waved goodbye to his father as he turned and left, leaving Harry to face the crowd alone. Harry readjusted Miss Trifle again and walked into the hall, finding an empty space at the end of a long table. He sat down and settled Miss Trifle in his lap, looking around wildly to see where Eileen had disappeared to, but he didn’t see her anywhere. How had she disappeared so quickly? Suddenly feeling very alone, Harry hugged his rabbit close and waited for further instructions.

            “There you are!” Ollie’s voice yelled as he came running into the hall, jumping in the seat next to Harry. “Isn’t this so cool!”

            “Ollie!” Harry greeted with a big smile, the lonely feeling fading away now. “This is the coolest! I can’t wait to get started. What do you think we’re all waiting for?”

            “Probably some formal announcement of some sort,” Ollie said, kneeling on the seat and scanning over the heads of other kids. “Where’s Draco? He is coming right?”

            “Yeah, he’s coming. Should be here any minute.”

            A minute later, Draco did come strutting into the room, wearing his usual formal robe. Only a few kids glanced at Draco as he entered the hall, which quickly gave them away as muggleborn wizards who may have not experienced much of the wizarding world lifestyle yet. Harry snorted as Draco plopped down in the seat next to him with an annoyed face.”

            “Couldn’t talk your father into regular muggle clothes?” Harry asked.

            “Please tell me you have extra clothes,” Draco pleaded.

            “Dad thought you might need some,” Harry said, patting his bag.

            “Thank Merlin,” Draco said, pulling at the collar of his robe. “These are too hot to wear all week.”

            “What does your dad have against normal clothes?” Ollie asked.

            “Same thing he has against the ones who make the “normal clothes.”” Draco answered.

            After a few minutes of catching up with each other, everyone began shushing each other as an older gentleman at the head table gestured for everyone to settle down. Harry looked up at the man, smiling at how similar he looked to Albus Dumbledore with his eccentric dark blue robe covered in silver stars and his long white beard. He noticed a few other adults standing up there with the older man, and he figured they were the camp leaders.

            “Merlin, it’s dear Merlin,” Draco whispered, and Harry and Ollie snorted.

            “Settle down, everyone, settle,” the man said. He waited a moment before continuing. “My name is Conlaoch Gallagher, and you have all just entered Gallagher’s Fantastical Summer Camp!”

            The kids in the room applauded while some of the older kids whistled at the same time. Harry, Draco, and Ollie joined in the applause, stopping when Gallagher gestured for everyone to settle again.           

            “I see we have many familiar faces back for more adventures, and several new faces starting their own adventures. Here at Gallagher’s, we have five different divisions that you will all be separated into. First, we have the Daydreamers, all of our five-year-olds beginning their camp experiences. They are only here for the daytime experiences and will head home late afternoon. Since you are all ready with your camp leader, I will allow you to go settle in your adventure cabin.”

            A young lady and a teenage volunteer gathered the five-year-olds sitting on the floor near the head table and walked out of the dining hall with them. Once they were gone, Gallagher continued.

            “Everyone else, you are divided by age into the other four divisions. Six- to seven-year-olds are in the Dayflies cabin. Eight- to nine-year-olds will be in the Daystars cabin. Ten- to eleven-year-olds in the Nightlifes cabin, and finally, our twelve- to fourteen-year-olds in the Nighthawks cabin. So, if we can all divide ourselves appropriately with Dayflies in the far-right back corner, Daystars in the right front corner, Nightlifes front left corner, and Nighthawks back left corner. You will meet your camp leader there and head to your cabin to settle in. I wish you all happy camping!”

            Everyone started scrambling to their respective corners while Harry hesitated. Ollie and Draco had both turned eight last June, Draco on the fifth and Ollie on the twenty-first. Harry would not turn eight until the end of the month, and he wasn’t sure if he would be qualified to stick with Draco and Ollie or if he should move to the corner with the six- to seven-year-olds. His worries were answered when Eileen appeared at his side.

            “Go with your friends, Harry,” Eileen said. “I made sure you three were stuck with each other. You’re close enough in age to stay with them.”

            “Thanks, Nana,” Harry said with a grin. He hugged Eileen before running after Draco and Ollie.

            “What took you so long?” Draco asked. He was sitting on the edge of the table while Ollie leaned back against it.

            “I’m not technically eight yet,” Harry said. “I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to come over here with you guys or in the corner with the other seven-year-olds.”

            “That’s right, we’re older than you,” Draco said smugly. “Not by much though. I don’t see what the problem would have been.”

            “You get to stick with us, right?” Ollie asked with a frown.

            “Yeah, I do,” Harry answered.

            “Why, if it isn’t Harry Potter,” a familiar voice greeted.

            Harry turned around and grinned at Minerva McGonagall.

            “Minny!” Harry greeted, hugging the elder professor. “What are you doing here?”

            “I assist with many of the camp’s enchanted and transfigured playgrounds,” Minerva answered, then added with a wink, “And I tell some of the best campfire stories.”

            “I didn’t know I would see you here,” Harry said.

            “Eileen wanted it to be a surprise. We’ve worked together at the camp for nearly seven years now. Almost as long as you’ve been alive.”

            Harry laughed at that, then Minerva wished Harry happy camping with a quick ruffle of his hair before continuing her way out of the dining hall. Harry explained who she was to Draco and Ollie, and they stared in awe as she disappeared around the corner.

            “Do you think she’ll still be working at Hogwarts when we arrive?” Ollie asked.

            “Maybe.” Harry shrugged.

            When all the kids were in their respective corners, Harry realized that his corner had seven other kids, including Draco and Ollie. Three girls and two other boys were waiting for their camp leader to show up. Harry smiled shyly at the new faces, his eyes lingering on a bird resting on a girl’s shoulder. The bird was a budgie, a small green bird with a yellow head, and it bobbed its head every now and then as it made a variety of chirps and whistles. The girl was staring at Miss Trifle with a smile, and when their eyes met, Harry offered a small smile that she returned. So, this was the other kid who had received permission to bring her familiar.

            “Hello, Daystars,” a young lady greeted as she walked over to the group of kids, carrying a clipboard and wearing her camp leader uniform of a green and yellow shirt with khaki shorts. She had thick brown curly hair pulled up into a messy bun and her brown eyes sparkled with excitement. She waved her wand, casting a muffling charm around their table to cancel out the rest of the noise from the dining hall. “I am so excited to meet so many new faces this year. Let’s sit down for a minute and get to know one another before we head to our cabin to settle in.”

            Everyone sat down at the end of the table they were standing by and Draco and Ollie slid into a seat next to Harry. Harry settled Miss Trifle in his lap so her front paws could rest on the table, and she sniffed around, checking out all the new smells and faces. The camp leader summoned a seat and sat at the end of the table where she could see everyone’s faces.

            “My name is Aisling, and I will be your counselor for the next few weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, need to floo call home for any reason, or end up injured, come directly to me and I will sort it all out.” Aisling set down her clipboard, looking down the list briefly before saying, “Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. I want you to give me your name and something you look forward to at camp. I’ll start. My name is Aisling, and I cannot wait to take all of you on your next big summer adventure! Let’s start over here.”

            Aisling pointed at a young girl seated to her immediate right.

            “My name is Nia, and I can’t wait to ride the ponies here!” Nia said.

            “My name is Felix,” the boy next to Nia said, “and I’m looking forward to the treehouse! I hear the rope climbing is super fun because the ropes pull you around.”

            Harry smiled at that. He had heard Eileen mention the huge treehouse briefly, and he also couldn’t wait to see the treehouse. Or ride the ponies which he knew were from the stable back at MacAuley Estate. He wondered which ponies had been shipped over to the camp. Probably not Maggie.

            “My name is Birgit,” the next girl said, “and I’m so excited to for campfire stories and smores! My mami never lets me have smores.”

            “A good treat to look forward to,” Aisling said with a chuckle. “And how about you two at the end?”

            Harry turned his attention to the girl with the budgie on her shoulder sitting across from him, and the girl shyly smiled, her face heating up as all the attention was on her now. She reached up a hand to pet the bird for a few seconds before answering.

            “I’m Katarina,” she said, “but everyone calls me Kat. This is Professor.”

            “I’m the Professor,” the budgie said, surprising all the kids who smiled at the talking bird.

            “What’s the professor say?” Kat asked her bird.

            “Attention class,” Professor said in a low voice, “Turn to page three-hundred-ninety-four.”

            Everyone laughed at the bird, and Kat seemed to visibly relax in her seat as she smiled.

            “No laughing!” Professor scolded, then chirped before saying, “Ten points from Ravenclaw.”

            That earned more laughter with praises of “cool bird,” and “he’s amazing!”

            “Detention, detention,” Professor said while bobbing his head. “Detention, detention.”

            “Shh,” Kat said, touching a hand to the bird’s head. “Good bird. Thank you, Professor.”

            “You’re welcome.”

            “He is really smart,” Aisling said. “We are lucky to have you both in our group. What are you looking forward to most at camp, Kat?”

            “Err, well, I guess maybe making some new friends?” Kat answered hesitantly.

            “That is always my favorite thing about summer camp,” Aisling said encouragingly. “Now how about on this side? Let’s start with you, young man.”

            “I’m Carwyn,” the boy sitting next to Draco said. “I really want to go swimming! And kayaking! And maybe find a lake monster!”

            “There’s no lakes here,” Felix said from across the table with a frown.

            “Okay then, a river monster! Or a forest monster! Or a cabin ghost!”

            “Hopefully, we won’t have too many issues with monsters or ghosts,” Aisling quickly said. “But I do love your enthusiasm. How about you, young man?”

            Aisling nodded at Draco, who sighed and begrudgingly participated.

            “I’m Draco and I look forward most to getting out of these robes.”

            “Draco,” Ollie scolded in a whisper. “Something fun.”

            Draco rolled his eyes.

            “And I guess I look forward to the campfire and smores. Never had those either before.”

            “Let me guess,” Aisling said, glancing down at her clipboard, “strict pureblood family and you’re the only heir?”

            Draco nodded, holding himself up a bit straighter.

            “We’ve seen a few like you come through here. I hope you find the chance to relax and be a child for a change. And if you need any clothes a little more comfortable than those robes, we can work something out.”

            “We’ve got him covered,” Ollie said. “I’m Oliver, but everyone calls me Ollie. I cannot wait to see all the magic that happens here! I’ve been to a summer camp before but never a magical one! I wish I could have brought my little brother but he’s not magical as far as we know, but he would have loved it here! Oh, and the treehouse sounds amazing! I’m excited for everything really.”

            “Loving the energy,” Aisling said with a big grin. “And finally, another duo. What’s your names?”

            “I’m Harry,” Harry said. He lifted Miss Trifle up slightly. “This is Miss Trifle.”

“She is so cute,” Kat said.

“Who’s a pretty bird?” Professor said.

“Thanks,” Harry said with a laugh. “I think we’re most excited for the hiking trail. I heard it has a lot of magical plants and creatures.”

            “And you would be right,” Aisling said. “Now that we’ve all introduced ourselves, let’s head to our cabin to settle in. Today, we are going to explore the campground, so you all know you’re way around, we’ll show you where the paths are to and from the different activity points in the event any of you every get separated from the group, and then we’ll pick an activity for the day. Are we ready, Daystars?”

            At everyone’s nod, Aisling stood and gestured for everyone to follow, and the kids stood up and threw their bags over their shoulders, ready for the new adventures to begin.

 

            Back at MacAuley estate, Severus had taken work home and was going over the inventory list that automatically updated itself, writing up a list of ingredients and cauldrons he would need to order from Diagon Alley. He was sitting at the dining table with parchment paper spread out everywhere, the list rather extensive and involved. He was halfway through, and he took a sip of tea before marking down another ingredient item the hospital was running low on.

            Something hard struck him in the back of the head, and Severus rubbed the spot while turning to see what had been thrown and who had thrown it. It was a stale biscuit that now lay in three pieces on the floor, but there was no one in the kitchen or living room that he saw. Frowning, Severus banished the biscuit and returned to taking inventory. Sometimes, magic was wonky, and in an ancient, magical house like this, odd things could happen.

            But odd things never happened twice.

            Severus winced as another biscuit struck him in the back of the head, then another struck his neck. Grabbing his wand, Severus spun around and pointed his wand in the direction he felt the biscuits coming from.

            There was no one there, only an opened cookie jar.

            Standing up, Severus slowly approached the kitchen, his wand still ready to fire at anything that moved the slightest bit. He closed the cookie jar and set it in a pantry. He did a swoop around the kitchen, but there was no one or anything that could account for the flying biscuits. Severus lowered his wand, his annoyance high now. He headed back for the dining table, then startled and jumped back when he saw what was hovering above his work.

            It was the fairy, shifted in her dragon form, but instead of the blue hue she usually had, the dragon was all black with red eyes. It snarled at Severus.

            Hesitantly, Severus slowly reached for the parchment on the table.

            “I’m just going to grab my work,” Severus said as slowly as he stretched his hand for the parchment.

            As his fingertips brushed the edge of a crinkled parchment, the dragon let out a hot stream of fiery red flames, and Severus jerked his hand back and nearly fell backwards.

            “Holy shit, it breathes fire,” Severus cursed.

            The little dragon suddenly decided to use its claws and teeth to shred the parchment on the table, and Severus lunged forward, not wanting to lose a days’ worth of work.  

            “Hey, knock that off,” Severus said, grabbing a parchment the dragon had in its teeth. He ended up in a brief tug of war before the parchment ripped, the dragon thrashing around half it had. Severus glared at the ruined page. “You’re a tough little bugger.”

            The dragon snarled at Severus, and he was wise enough to slowly back away, grabbing his wand and pointing it at the dragon.

            “Easy, now,” Severus said. “What has gotten into you?”

            The dragon snarled once more before lunging forward with open jaws. Severus dodged the flying creature and shot a stunning spell at it, only to discover that spells went right through the fairy’s ghostly form. A little alarmed now, Severus had to duck again as the dragon swooped down at him. He thought back to what effective things captured ghosts but was drawing a blank, nor did he think the fairy was truly a ghost. The fairies of Littondale were truly a rare breed, which did not help him in this instance.

            Severus slowly stood up after a few seconds of silence, glancing around to spot where the fairy had taken off to. There was no sign of her, and he debated grabbing his work before anymore damage happened to it. He had managed to take three steps in the kitchen when the little dragon appeared, flying directly into his path toward the dining table—with an army of knives floating behind it.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Severus muttered, before throwing up a shield as all the knives came flying at him. The knives struck the shield before falling harmlessly to the floor. Severus ran out of the kitchen, the dragon flying after him with angry growls and snorts, an occasional stream of fire escaping her lips.

            Severus quickly opened a door and slammed it shut behind him, locking out the fairy dragon and leaning against the door in relief when he heard the creature fly away. He suddenly realized he was not alone in the room.

            Peadar was standing across from him, holding a book, and Severus realized he was in the library. Peadar smirked at Severus.

            “Hiding from a little dragon?” Peadar asked.

            “No, no,” Severus said, standing up straight and brushing himself off. “Just . . . looking for something to read. What about you? Are you hiding from a little dragon?”

            “No,” Peadar said, elongating the vowel in his answer.

            “What are you reading?” Severus asked.

            “Anything about horcruxes and how to destroy them,” Peadar said. “And a little bit about fairy magic here and there.”

            “Ah.” Severus nodded. “Any more books on that?”

            “Right bookcase, third shelf.”

            “Great. It seems like a very interesting topic.” Severus said as he scanned the shelf in question, grabbing a book on fairy magic and flipping through the pages quickly. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed him in the chest, and he hissed and clutched at his chest.

            “Are you okay?”

            The pain went away quickly, and Severus rubbed his chest. After a few seconds, he nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m not entirely sure what that was.”

            Peadar frowned at Severus but returned to his reading when Severus returned to flipping through the book. There had to be answers somewhere in one of these books to what was wrong with the little fairy who had suddenly turned black and sported red gleaming eyes.

 

            Harry yelped and clutched his chest, dropping his marshmallow into the campfire flames. The pain quickly subsided through, and Harry rubbed his chest in confusion. Miss Trifle jumped up on the log next to her owner and sniffed him with concern.

            “Are you okay?” Aisling quickly asked, rushing over to him.

            “Yeah, I’m okay,” Harry said. “I just had a weird feeling is all. It’s gone now.”

            “If you’re sure,” Aisling asked. At Harry’s nod, Aisling added, “Let me know if it happens again.”

            “Yes, ma’am,” Harry said. Aisling handed Harry a new stick and another marshmallow, and Harry returned to roasting his new marshmallow over the fire.

            “That was really weird, Harry,” Ollie said, giving his friend a concerned look.

            “You look like my dad when he hears about muggle politics,” Draco added. “You sure you’re okay?”

            “I’m fine guys. The pain is gone. Maybe I pulled a muscle in my chest or something. We had a busy day.”

            “Yeah, and we didn’t even do the really fun stuff yet,” Ollie complained. “We just walked around the camp and saw where everything was and then went swimming.”

            “It’s a good introductory day,” Draco said, happily wearing normal clothes for a change. “Now we know where everything is if we ever get lost and we got to have some easy fun. We can do all the really cool stuff tomorrow.”

            “I really can’t wait to see what Aisling has in store for us,” Harry said. “She’s been really fun.”

            Once Harry’s marshmallow was ready, he put together his smore and bit right into the gooey messiness, savoring every bite. Ollie had to catch his on fire a couple of times before he was happy with it, and Draco had to slowly cook his to perfection where it was evenly brown on all sides before he put together his smore. When everyone had their fill of the treat, it was bedtime, and Aisling led everyone back to their cabin.

The cabin had three main parts: the boys’ dorm with six beds and an attached bathroom with two toilets, a double vanity sink, and three small shower stalls, the girls side with the same number of beds and the same bathroom set up, and then the camp leader’s room with their own bathroom and shower stall. Everyone had already picked a bed and unpacked their things for the week, so all they had to do was change and take care of their nightly habits before crawling into bed.

            The boys had a quick pillow fight before Carwyn decided to tell his best scary ghost story about a child ghost haunting an old, abandoned playground, and one by one, everyone nodded off until Carwyn was telling the story in his sleep.

            When the rest of the campground was silent and everyone had retired to bed for the night, a strange shuffle could be heard heading straight for the Daystar cabin. The little budgie had been set up with a bird stand and a hanging cage next to Kat’s bed, and he opened his eyes at a gnawing noise just outside the girls’ side of the cabin. He chirped softly as he looked around in the dark, trying to pinpoint the noise.

            The gnawing noise stopped, and a dark shadow slithered along the floor in the cabin, squeezing in through a hole it had created in the corner of the cabin.

            “Naughty bird,” Professor said, as it watched the shadow crawl toward Kat’s bag. “Naughty bird.”

            Then, Professor let out a loud siren noise that woke everyone in the cabin, and the shadow scuffled out of the cabin, squeezing out of the hole it had crawled through and scurrying away.

            The girls turned the lights on while Kat pleaded with Professor to stop with the loud siren. Aisling came running into the room, her wand lit and ready. The boys came rushing over to the girls’ side of the cabin, concerned looks on their faces, Harry carrying Miss Trifle.

            “I’m sorry,” Kat apologized, her face red as she allowed the budgie to jump on to her shoulder when he finally stopped the loud noise. “Something must have spooked him.”

            Suddenly, Nia screamed.

            “A monster got in!” Nia cried, running over to Aisling and hiding behind her. “A monster got in!”

            “A monster?” Carwyn asked, rushing forward to see the evidence. “No way!”

            Birgit and Kat also ran over to Aisling when they saw the mess. A small hole had been chewed through the cabin’s wooden wall, the small teeth marks visible in the wood. The floor was muddy where something appeared to have dragged itself across the floor over to Kat’s bag, which had a small tear in it as if something had starting to take a bite out of it.

            “Definitely a monster,” Carwyn smiled.

            “Everyone calm down,” Aisling started to say.

            There was a loud knock at the door before Eileen entered with a few other camp counselors.

            “What is going on?” Eileen asked. “We could hear the bird at the other cabins.”

            “We have a camp monster!” Carwyn said excitedly.

            The girls squeaked in fear and hid behind Aisling more, burying their faces in her nightgown. She rested reassuring hands on the girls’ shoulders.

            “Carwyn, please,” Aisling scolded. She turned her attention to the other counselors. “It appears some kind of critter broke into the cabin, probably looking for food.”

            Eileen studied the damage while another counselor used their wand to perform a DNA analysis on the teeth marks and mud tracks. His spell came up negative however, and he shrugged. Eileen sighed, then used her wand to repair the damaged hole and the small tear in Kat’s bag. Another counselor cleaned the muddy floor. Eileen performed a few more security charms on the cabin and gave the girls a reassuring look.

            “There,” Eileen said. “Nothing will get in again. You are all safe now.”

            “You hear that, girls,” Aisling said. “No monster. We can all go back to bed.”

            “What if it comes back?” Nia asked.

            “I’ve reinforced the wood and Aisling will get an alert if something tries to chew its way through the wood again,” Eileen said. “You are safe, now. It was probably a badger or err . . .”

            “Could have been a fox,” another camp leader suggested.

            “Yes, a fox,” Eileen said. “And you’re little friend most likely scared it off for good.”

            “You’re sure?” Birgit asked.

            “We’re positive.”

            “Would you feel better if I slept out here with you girls?” Aisling asked.

            The three girls nodded and Aisling smiled at them.

            “Okay,” she said, “I’ll sleep out here with you and make sure nothing comes back inside here.”

            “Thank you, Aisling,” the girls said.

            “It’s settled then,” Eileen said. “You kids go back to sleep. There is much more fun to be had tomorrow.”

“I still think it was a monster,” Carwyn muttered.
“Carwyn,” Aisling scolded once more, “go back to bed!”

“Okay, okay,” Carwyn said, scuffing his feet as he followed the other boys to their side of the cabin. Eileen followed them and made sure they all got back into their individual beds.

“Goodnight, boys,” she said, turning out the light for them.

“Night,” the boys responded.

When Eileen left, the boys waited a moment before Ollie asked, “Do you really think it was a monster and not some wildlife?”

“No way a badger or a fox could chew a hole that large in a wooden cabin that quickly,” Carwyn whispered. “There’s something out there, magical probably, and it’ll be back.”

With those ominous words, Harry cuddled Miss Trifle closer to him, willing sleep to force him into dreamland, and it finally did a few minutes later, the threat of a monster in the far back of his mind for now.