Severus could not take his eyes off the young boy sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

               “Nothing like that, Severus,” Addie waved him off, snaping him out of his stupor. She patted Harry’s uninjured shoulder. “Just some glass wounds. But I’m afraid this one has a particularly deep piece in his shoulder.

               Severus blinked and shook his head before entering the bathroom. He glanced at Iris before kneeling in front of Harry, taking Addie’s place. He slowly reached up and gently stroked a thumb along Harry’s cheek, then looked at the black smear he managed to rub off.

               “What is this?” Severus asked, wiping his hand on his robe. “You look like a chimney sweep.”

               Hearing a familiar term, Harry perked up and smiled.

               “I am,” he said.

               “What?” Severus asked as an uneasy laugh escaped his lips.

               “A chimney sweep,” Harry explained. “Like you said.”

               “You know what that is?”

               Harry nodded.

               “And you actually climb up the chimney to clean it.”

               “Aunt Petunia says I’m the only one who could ever do it for her. She needs me. I have to go home and finish it.”

               Severus looked back at Addie, who had a look of horror on her face, her jaw slack. The two shared a look before Severus turned back to Harry. He carefully looked at Harry’s hands and elbows, taking note of the small cuts along his arms before turning his attention to the glass impaled in his shoulder. Severus pulled out his wand and cast a numbing spell and another spell to cut away the thin shirt. He felt along Harry’s skin where the glass pierced.

               “Doesn’t feel like it’s too deep,” Severus muttered. “Wouldn’t have struck a nerve or artery. But it is going to hurt. Harry, I need you to take several deep breaths for me, all right? Can you do that for me?”

               Harry took a deep breath in and out.

               “Keep going,” Severus said, “I’ll tell you when to stop.”

               Harry kept going, not entirely sure why he had to take deep breaths.

               “Nice and slow. Breath in. Hold. Breath out. Slowly.”

               Harry did it again. And again. This was strange, but nothing about today seemed normal. As he slowly released another breath, a sharp and sudden pain shot down his arm and forced a quick intake of breath again. He held it for a few seconds as his mind processed what happened. Then he let out a soft, “owwww,” before crying softly as he reached back to rub his shoulder.

               Severus had moved quickly and used his wand to slip the glass out of Harry’s shoulder as the boy let out a breath. He was not surprised when Harry started crying, but he felt sympathetic for the child as he set the glass down.

               “I’m sorry,” Severus said, patting the boy’s other shoulder. “I know that must have really hurt but you were very brave for it. I’m going to put a healing salve on it for you, okay? It won’t hurt anymore.”

               Harry was still crying and only nodded at Severus’s words. Anything to make the pain go away. Then he was leaving for sure.

               Severus summoned a container and then rubbed a generous amount of the salve over the wound on Harry’s back. This salve also had antimicrobial properties. Once Severus finished that, he fixed Harry’s shirt with the swish of his wand and moved to do the boy’s arms. As he rubbed the salve on the many small cuts, the white salve turned grey as it mixed with the soot and his hands turned black as he rubbed the boy’s arms.

               “You are in desperate need of a bath,” Severus said.

               “I get one tonight,” Harry said.

               “I would hope so. When were you cleaning a chimney?”

               “Today. I do it weekly in the winter months. It has to get done or the house will get cold.”

               “You do it weekly?” Severus finished with Harry’s arms and washed his hands before moving to Iris and looking her over before giving her the same treatment. “How long have you been doing this?”

               “Umm . . .” Harry frowned in thought. “Since I was four.”

               “Four years old?” Severus stopped what he was doing and stared at Harry. He shook his head as he finished rubbing the salve on her arms. “Unbelievable,” he muttered.

               “I’m good at it,” Harry said, sensing something off in Severus’s tone. “Really good.”

               Severus didn’t say anything as he closed the salve and gave his daughter one last look over. Harry swallowed dryly as he looked back down at his picture.

               “I have to go back and finish or Aunt Petunia won’t be happy. Do you have any more powder?”

               “Powder?” Severus asked, raising a brow at Harry.

               “He means floo powder,” Iris said. “That’s how he got here.”

               “There was floo powder in your fireplace?” Severus asked.

               Harry nodded.

               “Interesting,” Severus said as he stood up and closed his salve, sending it flying back to his lab.

               Harry watched in awe.

               “How did you do that?” Harry asked. He looked at his arms. “And I’m all better. Can I get some to take home?”

               “We’ll see,” Severus said, leaning against the bathroom sink. “First, I’d like you to take a bath.”

               “I get one tonight. After I finish the fireplace.”

               “I’d rather you take one now.”

               “But then I’ll just get all dirty again.”

               “You’re not cleaning anymore fireplaces,” Severus said, frowning now.

               “I have to!” Harry said, standing up and stomping his feet. “I have to finish the job or Aunt Petunia won’t be happy.”

               “Calm down. I’m not sending you back there tonight. I need to think some things through.”

               “You can’t keep me here!” Harry cried, his eyes watering up. He stomped his foot again. “Take me home now! Aunt Petunia needs me. She’s going to miss me and she doesn’t even know what happened to me and now I’m stuck here. You have to take me back. Please. She’s going to lock me in my cupboard if I don’t go back right now. Take me home. You have to take me home.”

               Harry felt his throat closing up on him and he started wheezing as he pleaded with Severus. He choked slightly on the last sentence and reached a hand up to his throat. His chest tightened on him.

               “I can’t breathe,” Harry wheezed, tears trailing down his cheeks.

               Severus was on his knees in front of Harry instantly.

               “Hey, take it easy,” he said. “Deep breaths. Nice and slow. Breath with me, deep breath in. Deep breath out. Come on, sit down. I’ve got you. Slow deep breaths.”

               Harry found himself sitting next to Severus on the bathroom floor. He tried to listen to the man and take deep breaths but it was hard to get air down his hurting throat. It was like he was breathing through a straw and he coughed and nearly choked.

               “Relax,” Severus said, patting his back. “Slow deep breaths.”

               Addie handed something to Severus, and he accepted it, giving it a quick shake.

               “Unfortunately, I don’t have an inhaler, but you can sip this,” Severus said, holding a small vial to Harry’s lips. “It’ll have the same effect.”

               Harry took a tiny sip of whatever the man was offering, but he felt like he was going to sick up and he swallowed quickly and turned away.

               “That’s yucky!”

               “You need a little more than that.”

               “I don’t want it! You’re poisoning me.” Harry started crying again, coughing once more, but Severus held the vial to his lips again.

               “I am not. It is medicine for you. It’s not going to taste good. Another sip. Please? For me?”

               Harry’s lower lip trembled but he bravely took another sip of the disgusting medicine. He never had medicine before, but Dudley always fought Aunt Petunia when he had to take it, so maybe it was this disgusting. He managed a good swallow this time, and the effects were nearly instant.

               His throat opened back up and his chest relaxed. Harry breathed easier and leaned against Severus exhausted.

               “He did that earlier,” Iris said, pointing at Harry. “When he came through the floo.”

               “Same thing?” Severus asked her.

               Iris nodded. “I gave him some water.”

               “That was very good of you,” Severus praised. He gently rubbed Harry’s arm. “Do you have an inhaler at home?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “No? But you have asthma, don’t you?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “Hmm,” Severus commented, giving Harry’s arm another rub. “I see.”

               Harry wasn’t sure what to think of Severus now. The man made his throat stop hurting and he was rubbing his arm. No one had ever done something like that before. Aunt Petunia had always told him to cough somewhere else whenever he went through something like that, and she would never touch him for longer than a few seconds. It was strange. This house was very strange.

               “Ladies,” Severus said, “may we have the bathroom?”

               Addie nodded and ushered Iris out with a hand on her shoulder.

               “Why did you ask them to leave?” Harry asked.

               “So, you can take your bath.”

               “I have to finish the fireplace.”

               “I’ll finish it for you. Today is your rest day.”

               “I don’t get a rest day.”

               “Well, this will be your first. Then you’ll be able to clean a thousand chimneys in no time.”

               “Really?”

               “After a bath, of course.”

               Harry looked at the bathtub and nodded. He could do that. And it was genuinely nice of Severus to finish cleaning the fireplace for him so he could rest. But what would Aunt Petunia say? He should go make sure it was okay with her first.

               “I have to ask Aunt Petunia if it’s okay first.”

               “I already spoke with her. She said yes.”

               “Oh. Really? I’m not getting locked in my cupboard?”

               “No.” Severus’s eyes flashed mysteriously, but Harry hardly noticed.

               “Okay.” Harry agreed.

               Severus helped the child up and began running a bath for the boy, making sure it wasn’t too hot. He set out a towel for him and added bubbles to the water, much to Harry’ delight.

               “I never have bubbles!” Harry clapped.

               “Well, enjoy them for as long as you want.” Severus turned off the water once it was full and looked at Harry. “Do you know how to take a bath?”

               Harry nodded.

               “Okay. You get in and soak up and I’m going to find you some clothes, all right? I’ll check in on you in a few minutes.”

               “Okay.” Harry took off his glasses and set them on the counter.

               Severus picked up the picture off the floor.

               “No, I want that!” Harry suddenly cried, reaching for the picture. “It’s all I have of my parents now.”

               “Relax,” Severus said. “I’ll make you a copy. It’s all I have too, you know.”

               “Oh,” Harry said, looking down at his feet. Now he was being selfish. “I’m sorry.” 

               “It’s not your fault. Get in the tub. I’ll be back with some clothes for you.”

               Severus left Harry in the bathroom, shutting the door behind him and moving to his study. He picked up the other pictures thrown on his desk and set them back in his drawer. He paused as he stared at the one of Lily holding a baby Harry. Her son truly did look like her. And James. And himself at that. He frowned as he put the picture away and stared at the framed photo on his desk. The child in his bathroom did not look like this healthy boy in the photo.

               For the first time, the thought that the photos of his child were manipulated crossed his mind, and he felt his heart twist. He should have checked up on Harry himself. He shouldn’t have trusted the headmaster unquestionably when they decided to leave Harry with his relatives, hoping he would have the best chance at happiness there.

               His decision on that had not been an easy one. When Lily and James had been murdered, he had been going through the grief of losing a very close friend, as well as a breakup with his girlfriend at the time, and a custody battle that quickly followed. He did not believe he would be able to care for two toddlers on his own, and he accepted Albus Dumbledore’s idea of leaving Harry at another blood relatives. Albus had agreed to secretly capture some pictures of Harry when he could for Severus.

               And now, the truth was too much for him. His son was a chimney sweep. How could Petunia stoop so low as to bring back an archaic torture? With his child nonetheless. He knew he had some explaining to do to Harry, and all in good time. Right now, he had to clean the boy up and feed him.

               And somehow convince him to stay. He wasn’t sure why Harry thought going back to his aunt was at all a good idea. Perhaps there was some kind of attachment he was missing. He could dwell on that later. He should find the boy some clothes. Severus set the picture frame down and glanced up. He nearly had a heart attack at the sight of Harry standing in his doorway wrapped in a towel.

               “What are you doing?” Severus asked.

               “I’m all done.”

               “You’re done? It’s been less than five minutes.”

               “I only have ten minutes.”

               Severus snorted.

               “Son, we’re going to need a lot more than ten minutes to clean you up.” Severus sighed and walked around his desk and walked over to Harry. “Come on. Let’s go take a real bath, all right?”

               Harry tilted his head but followed Severus back to the bathroom. He watched as Severus refilled the tub and added more bubbles to it, checking the heat of the water as he waited for it to finish filling. Once the tub was ready, Severus rolled up his sleeves and sat on the edge of the tub.

               “In you go.”

               “But I’m all done.”

               “Not quite. Come on, get in.”

               Harry slowly stepped in the tub, allowing Severus to take the towel from him as he did. He frowned as he sat down in the water, watching Severus pick up a bar of soap and lather up a washcloth. Then, he began gently scrubbing Harry’s shoulders and back. Harry could never reach back there, so he usually just focused on what he could reach. It felt kind of nice having someone rub his back for him. He looked up at Severus and asked:

               “Are you my real dad?”

               Severus hesitated, meeting Harry’s eyes before saying, “Yes.”

               “What about . . . err James?”

               “He is your real dad, too. He blood adopted you as a baby.”

               “What’s that mean?”

               “It’s an old ritual. You two shared blood and that is why you have some of his looks. You also have your mother’s eyes, and some of my looks. I quite like it actually.”

               Severus moved on to Harry’s arms, scrubbing as rough as he was willing to while remaining gentle.

               “Were you married to my mummy?”

               “No. We were very close friends, though. I loved her very much. But she was also falling in love with James at the same time she was with me. After our . . . little fling, she decided James was the one, and we agreed that we would let James blood adopt our baby—you—and I would be your godfather, so I could still see you. At that time, I was also falling in love more with Dahlia, Iris’s mother.”

               “Are you married?”

               “No. Dahlia and I broke up a few years ago.”

               “Oh. So where’s Dahlia?”

               “At her own place. Iris visits her on a weekend once a month and on two holidays.”

               “Why?”

               “Cause that’s what we agreed on in court. Now, enough about me, how about you. Tell me about your . . . cupboard.”

               “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

               “Why not?”

               Harry shrugged as he lifted a leg slightly while Severus scrubbed away.   

               “Okay, how about chimney sweeping? Do you enjoy that?”

               “It’s hard but it makes Aunt Petunia happy, so I like it.”

               “Do you,” Severus mused, as he tickled Harry’s feet slightly with the washcloth, earning a small laugh. “What else do you like to do?”

               “I can garden!” Harry exclaimed, sitting up slightly as Severus gently wiped at his face. “That’s fun, but sometimes I get really dirty and have to be hosed off before I go back inside. Oh, and I love making breakfast! I make the best scrambled eggs. And I keep the kitchen real clean too, no mess at all.”

               “Well, I can’t wait to try some of these scrambled eggs of yours.” Severus said as he set the washcloth aside and picked up the shampoo bottle. He squirted a generous amount in his hands and rubbed them together before lathering Harry’s messy curls up. “What about school? Do you like that?”

               “Sometimes. But I’m not supposed to.”

               “Not supposed to like school?”

               “I’m not supposed to be better than Dudley. Besides, school’s no fun. Dudley chases me around and won’t let anyone be my friend.”

               “I see.” Severus carefully rinsed Harry’s hair by scooping water up and brushing it through Harry’s hair.

               “If you’re my daddy, why don’t I live with you?”

               “I was in a rough place when your parents died,” Severus answered honestly, as he scooped up more water to rinse the suds off Harry’s body. “I did not think I could handle two little toddlers and my own grief at the same time. And I thought you would be safe with your relatives. Spoiled, even.”

               “I’m safe.”

               “Hmm,” was Severus’s only response.

               “Can I come visit?”

               “Visit?” Severus frowned.

               “Yeah. I like Iris. She’s cool. And you’re my dad, so I should visit.”

               “I think you’ll do more than visit, but we don’t have to talk about that now.” Severus wiped his hands on the towel Harry had and stood up. “Enjoy the bath for a few minutes while I go get you some clothes.”

               Harry nodded and Severus left the bathroom. He walked up the stairs to his daughter’s room and grabbed a pair of her pajamas and underwear. Harry looked very similar in size to Iris, and he could always resize them if needed. He turned the pick butterflies into green dinosaurs and walked back down the stairs. Pausing in the kitchen to see what Addie and Iris were up to.

               “We’re making dinner, Daddy,” Iris announced as she helped Addie add more potatoes to the pot, standing on her tiptoes on the step stool. “Are you staying tonight or going back to work?”

               “I think Hogwarts can wait,” Severus said, placing a hand on top of her daughter’s head. She stared up at him with a big grin and Severus gave her forehead a quick kiss. “Lean back away from the stove, sweetie. Addie, a word?”

               Severus and Addie stepped just outside the kitchen doorway where they could see Iris but kept their voices down.

               “About Harry . . .”

               “He’s not going back to those awful relatives,” Addie interrupted. “A chimney sweep? In all my years, why, I’ve never . . .”

               “I know,” Severus said. “He’s not going back. I’m going to have to take this to muggle court, however. But how do I say how he ended up here? He fell out of my fireplace?”

               “Say he ran away.”

               “He wants to go back.”

               “Really?” Addie made a face at that.

               “He speaks rather highly of “Aunt Petunia.” I think he believes she loves him; despite everything she’s done to him.”

               “Well,” Addie peered into the kitchen at Iris. “she’s all he’s ever known. Just stick with the running away by accident story. Maybe he was chimney sweeping, had an asthma attack and was confused and wandered off and you picked him up off the street during a business trip. That might work. Then he told you how he was treated, and you just couldn’t let that go. I would get the police involved sooner rather than later.”

               “Dammit, I should have taken a picture.”

               “Do you know how to take a picture from a memory?”

               “That’s brilliant. You’ll have to show me. I need to get back to Harry and you need to make sure we have some soup with our potatoes.”

               Addie looked back in the kitchen to see Iris throwing more cut up potatoes in the pot.

               “Iris, I said no more,” she scolded as she went back to the stove.

               Severus smirked, then moved down the hall back to the bathroom. He saw Harry playing with the bubbles in the bath, giving himself a beard and giggling. Severus snorted before entering, startling Harry, who slapped the bubbles away and waited patiently.

               “You’re more than welcome to play with the bubbles,” Severus said. He grabbed a clean towel and held it open for Harry. “I think you’ve been in there long enough. Out with you.”

               Harry stood and allowed Severus to wrap him in the towel, then lift him out of the bath and onto the fuzzy bathmat.

               “Much better,” Severus said, brushing some stray hairs out of Harry’s face.

               “I’ve never been this clean before,” Harry said, putting his glasses back on and looking down at himself. “No one’s every given me a bath before.”

               “No?”

               Harry shook his head.

               “Do you think Aunt Petunia will hug me now that I’m really clean? She doesn’t like dirt.”

               Severus sighed at that and decided not to answer. He handed the fresh clothes over to Harry.

               “Dry off and get dressed, okay, honey? Then I think dinner will be ready.”

               “When do I go back?”

               “Not now. Remember, it’s your rest day.”

               Harry accepted that answer and began drying himself off. Severus let Harry be and rejoined the ladies in the kitchen to see where he could help. He was quickly shooed out, however, so he went back to his study, remembering he would make a copy of the picture Harry liked so much. He duplicated the picture with a charm then shoved it in an inner robe pocket. Pausing outside the bathroom door, he knocked.

               “Harry? Do you need any help?”

               The door opened and Harry jumped out with a roar.

               “Oh my,” Severus smiled. “I’ve created a little monster.”

               “I’m a dinosaur,” Harry said. He held out the edge of his shirt. “See.”

               Severus pulled the hem out of Harry’s hands and flattened it out, adjusting the pajamas on Harry. He was quite pleased Harry liked them so much.

               “I’m sorry,” Harry suddenly said, looking contrite, his head lowered, and his lower lip puckered out. “I shouldn’t have tried to scare you like that.”

               “You were playing,” Severus said, summoning a comb and combing out Harry’s hair. “It’s what kids do.”

               “Aunt Petunia said I shouldn’t play like that. It’s a waste of what could be good work.”

               “You’re not working here,” Severus said. He pulled at some knots, surprised at how messy Harry’s hair actually was. And how long it was. “You need a trim.”

               “No one’s ever combed my hair before,” Harry said. He patted his hair when Severus was done. “You made it flat. It looks like yours now.”

               “It’s curling back up,” Severus said. “I don’t believe there’s much taming of those. Come on. Dinner is ready.”         

               It was hard convincing Harry to eat any more than three bites of his soup and a bite of his salad. Addie, who would normally leave before dinner was served, decided to stay until the police arrived, who Severus had called right before sitting down to eat. He watched Harry mostly, his own food forgotten until Iris took it upon herself to scold him for not eating his vegetables.

               After dinner, Iris showed Harry around the manor, running upstairs and downstairs to show off rooms in a random order, both kids laughing all the while. Severus took the chance to capture a picture from his memory of Harry covered in soot with Addie’s help, then he turned one of the guest rooms into Harry’s new bedroom, painting the walls blue and putting dinosaur bedsheets on the full-size bed.

               The police arrived just as he finished with the bedroom, and Severus showed them the picture and shared the story Addie had come up with earlier, Addie piping in as a witness. Harry was called down and the boy obediently answered the officer’s questions about chimney sweeping, and he even went into great detail about how he did it and how often. Harry even said that he wasn’t allowed to eat much because he had to stay small enough to fit up the chimney. He sounded proud of himself. When asked about the cupboard, he once again said he wasn’t allowed to talk about it.

               With that, the police had enough information, and when Severus explained he was Harry’s godfather and provided the paper proof, they allowed Harry to stay with him while the situation was sorted out.

               When that was finished, the two kids went back to exploring the house, Iris excitedly showing off every inch of her pink room.

               Finally, eight o’clock rolled around and Severus captured both kids, throwing them over his shoulders. They squealed and shrieked in his ears, but he was quite used to the volume. He settled Iris in her bed first, giving her a kiss goodnight and turning out the light.

               He set Harry down at the doorway of his new bedroom.

               “Well, what do you think?”

               “It’s so cool.” Harry ran in the room and stopped short of the bed. “This is where I will stay?”

               “It’s your room,” Severus said, picking Harry up and putting him on the bed.

               “Oh, I’m not supposed to be—”

               “Rest day,” Severus reminded. “Remember? It’s your room and this is your bed.”

               “My room?” Harry looked down at the blanket, then grinned and crawled down to the big dinosaur on his blanket. “Look, T-rex.”

               “Very good,” Severus commented, sitting on the edge of the bed. He helped Harry get under the blanket, the young boy yawning as he curled up before his eyes widened and he sat up.

               “I have to take the garbage out. And clean up after dinner. And make sure to lock the front door.”

               “Relax,” Severus said, pushing Harry back down. “You’re not at your relatives. Besides, Addie’s already taken care of all that. You’re tired. Go to sleep.”

               “I’ve never slept in a bed like this before,” Harry said, rubbing his eyes.

               “Then enjoy it,” Severus encouraged.

               “When am I going back?”

               “I don’t think you’ll be going back.”

               “Why not?” Aunt Petunia will miss me.”

               “Miss you?” Severus stroked a thumb across Harry’s cheek. “Honey, she made you crawl up a chimney. And it’s making you sick.”

               “I have to. No one else can clean it. She needs me.”

               Severus sighed, staring down sadly at Harry.

               “We’ll talk in the morning about this, kiddo,” Severus said. He leaned down and gave Harry a kiss on his temple. “Go to sleep.”

               Harry blinked up at him with a smile before closing his eyes. Severus set the copy of the photo he made and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. He walked out of the room quietly, closing the door behind him. He paused outside the bedroom door, leaning back against it and staring at the ceiling. All those photos of a happy, healthy, little boy flooded his mind, and he now knew how much of those were definitely fake. Or at the least, manipulated. He closed his eyes as he sank down to the floor, resting an arm over a knee and staring at the opposite wall.

               Severus didn’t know how to feel about it all—how to feel about Albus messing with the photos he secretly collected; how to feel about Petunia abusing her son; how to feel about the floo powder in a muggle fireplace; or how to feel about his failure as a father to Harry. He should have checked in on Harry himself, despite Albus’s wishes to keep away. He didn’t understand Albus’s ulterior motives, but the logic seemed sound: Harry was settled in at his relatives and doing well. That had been fine to live with until Harry showed up in his house.

               A chimney sweep. Of all the things in the world, his poor child was subjected to that. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. He wasn’t ready to add another child into his life. He struggled enough as it was with Iris and the problems her mother presented. He would have to make it happen, though. There was no way he was sending Harry back to those wretched people. He was the only family Harry had left now.