Harry didn't know how he'd gotten himself into this silly mess. What did Snape even need him for anyway? He must have been in major trouble to enlist Harry's help like this. Everyone knew how much Snape hated Harry, and that Harry was no fan of the snarky man. For four years Harry had endured the man's icy glares, his snide comments, his unwarranted detentions full of manual labor, and his penchant for taking points if he even caught Harry looking sideways at him from across a corridor. The start of Harry's fifth year hadn't looked like it was going to be much better. Snape had given him detention on his first week back to school, though Harry still couldn't figure out what he'd done to upset the man.

Harry sighed as he packed his only warm items of clothing into his backpack. His Weasley Jumper from the year before still fit, barely, and he had a pair of threadbare gloves to try to keep the frost from his hands. He also had a Gryffindor scarf from his first year that Hermione had given him, but that was starting to get worn as well. He had to be packed and ready by five this morning. He thought the Potions Master had just given him this early deadline to punish him again, though Harry didn't know why since this was a favor he was doing for Snape... a favor he didn't have to do.

Harry's friends had left for the holidays and most of the castle had emptied out, leaving Harry and just a few others there to spend Christmas alone and to try avoiding Umbridge and her crazy rules. Harry hadn't looked forward to spending Christmas alone yet again, and he definitely didn't look forward to being stuck in the castle with Umbridge. She'd given Harry several detentions with a blood quill, and the back of his hand had faint scars now bearing the words, ‘I must not tell lies.' Harry had told himself he would do anything to avoid being alone again this year. Well, not anything. He would never go back to the Dursleys. That would be a worse fate than being alone.

His friends had been gone for three days, and Harry had avoided as many meals as he could so he could stick around the tower and not have to run into Umbridge anywhere in the castle. It was on one of his rare trips to the Great Hall for breakfast the previous day that Snape had spotted him. Harry had come down to breakfast as early as he thought he could get away with, hoping to eat before Umbridge woke up. It was five thirty in the morning and Harry had been the only one in the Great Hall, trying to eat as quickly as possible. That was when Snape had come into the Great Hall for an early cup of coffee and decided to make Harry a surprising offer.

"Potter," the man had said, looking at him with disdain.

"Sir?"

"You have not been at many meals these last few days."

Harry took his hand off the table and put it in his lap, wanting to hide the scars. He didn't think he could tell another teacher that he was avoiding Umbridge, especially not Snape, who would call him disrespectful and give him detention just to spite him. "Oh," Harry said, not knowing what else to tell him in lieu of the truth. He startled a moment later when Snape sat down across from him, and looked up to find him staring at him intently.

"I have a situation Potter, one which you may be uniquely suited to help me with."

"What is it sir?" What could Harry possibly help him with?

"I have a family gathering I am required to attend over Christmas... one which requires me to take a child with me."

For human sacrifice? "Why do you need to-"

"That's none of your concern Potter. Seeing that you are staying at the castle for the holiday, it means you are available." He sneered a little, like he wasn't enjoying talking to Harry at all, which Harry knew he wasn't. "If you will agree to come with me, I would consider it a," he paused and sneered again with a little shake of his head, "personal favor," he finished. It looked like it pained him to say it.

Harry's mind was racing, a personal favor from Snape? What did that even mean?

"What do you want me to do, if I agree?" Harry asked.

"What I am going to tell you, you will tell no one, even if you do not agree to accompany me," Snape instructed in a cold tone, and Harry nodded in agreement. "If you come to this family gathering with me, you will pretend to be my estranged son."

"Estranged son?" Harry sat up, frown on his face. "What does that mean?"

"If I had an estranged son, it means one that did not grow up with me. It would be a role for you to play... an act."

Harry thought it over. He was a good actor. He had to be when people had questions about his home life, or when he came back to school covered in bruises and needed to make up excuses for why he had them, or pretend he wasn't in pain at all. Or maybe he wasn't that good at acting after all, because he always got the feeling that his friends never bought the line he was selling them that everything was just fine.

"So- I'd get to leave the castle?" Harry asked.

"For 21 days. We would leave tomorrow and return the day the rest of the students come back."

"Will there be a Christmas tree?"

"Potter!" Snape snapped, and Harry flinched back a little.

Harry didn't want to stay in the castle, but if he did at least he'd get to open a couple gifts from his friends in front of the tree in Gryffindor common room.

"This is not a vacation Potter, it's a job. Do you want it or not?"

A job that didn't pay any money. A job that would mean spending the holidays with a man that hated him just slightly less than Umbridge did. A job that meant he might not get a Christmas at all. Harry looked up at him. A job, not a holiday. But the truth was, Harry would have done almost anything to not have to spend Christmas alone again this year.

"I'll do it sir."

"Be at my quarters at five am tomorrow morning packed and ready to go. Bring winter attire. I will inform your head of house."

"Yes sir."

Done thinking back on how he'd gotten himself into this mess, Harry shook his head as he latched the strap on his back pack. He slipped his wand into his back pocket and headed for the common room. It was 4:45 am and he needed to get down to Snape's quarters. He was surprised when he met Snape at the common room entrance however. Harry stepped back as Snape came into the common room. There was no fire in the grate since Harry was the only one left in the tower and he was leaving.

"Show me what you have packed."

Harry pulled his backpack off and took it to a table near the entrance the seventh years liked to study at. He pulled out all of the things he'd just spent time packing away.

Snape's eyes drifted over the items of clothing and then he turned to Harry, angry. "You did not do as I told you."

"I packed for time away and packed winter clothes," Harry said, already wary of spending two weeks with Snape. The trip hadn't even started yet and Snape was already mad at him.

"You did not. These are little more than rags."

"It's what I have sir."

"Show me your wardrobe and trunk," Snape demanded, and Harry packed his clothes back into his bag quickly and led the way upstairs to the fifth year boy's dormitory. Inside Snape waited impatiently as Harry opened his wardrobe and then the trunk at the foot of his bed. Snape looked into both. Harry's school robes were in the wardrobe with his Quidditch uniform, two t-shirts, his school uniform, and a few pairs of holey socks.

"Where is your coat and hat? Where are your other pairs of shoes and boots?"

"This is it," Harry said.

"You expect me to believe your family sent you to school with everything that's in your bag?"

"I don't want you to believe anything," Harry said. "I told you, this is what I have. This is always what I have."

The man stared at him, and then swept out of the room. Harry followed slowly, and sighed. None of the other teachers were like this. Umbridge was her own kind of nasty, but the other teachers at least talked to Harry like he was human.

Harry followed Snape down to his office where they were going to use the Floo. Snape's things were already packed into two black suitcases.

"Sit Potter," Snape said, and Harry sat on the edge of one of the hard visitor chairs. Snape sat in his own chair across the desk and leveled a serious look at Harry.

"There are rules. After I tell them to you, it will be your last chance to back out. Once we leave the castle, you may not back out of our arrangement."

"Yes sir."

"My word is law. What I say goes with no argument. You will do as I say, when I say, is that clear?"

Harry nodded. It was the same at home with the Dursleys. He considered it to be the same at school with the other teachers as well. Snape always acted like Harry was defiant or disrespectful, but Harry never argued. Arguing with adults led to getting hit or locked away or missed meals. He had no desire to raise Snape's ire any more than it was most of the time.

"You are pretending to be my son Harry Snape. You will keep your bangs over your scar as you normally do to keep it covered. Any mention of Harry Potter, and you are to act as though he is a boy at school you know, not yourself."

"Ok."

"It is imperative that those at this family gathering believe you are my child. They believe that your mother kept you from me until recently. It was only in the last year that you and I were reunited. You now live with me."

"What happened to my mother?" Harry asked, feeling weird talking about this role he would soon have to slip into.

"She died."

"Erm- do I get along with you?"

"Potter!" Snape snapped again, and Harry flinched back. He wished he could just ask the questions he needed answers to so he could do what he needed to do. He didn't want to be in trouble for the entire 21 days.

"I just meant- because kids don't always get along with their parents," Harry said. He knew Seamus didn't always get along with his mother, and there was a third year girl in Gryffindor who had recently gone to live with her father, who had much different rules than she had been used to living with her grandparents. Harry had overheard her telling her friends in the common room that the new living arrangement had taken a lot of getting used to and that there had been some problems during the summer.

"You are playing the part of my respectful son, who does what I say at all times. That is all you must focus on."

"Yes sir."

"Am I in Slytherin?"

Snape leveled another glare at him. "It will be best if as many details of your life match up with the details of this... son you will be pretending to be. It will prevent you from slipping up and giving contradictory details about yourself. Your likes and dislikes, your house, your grades, all will remain the same aside from your last name and parentage."

"Ok."

"There is one other detail to discuss before we leave. Payment."

"I thought-" Harry had thought there would be no payment. The payment for this job was getting to leave the castle and have other people to be around.

"I said I will owe you a favor. There are things you may not call that favor in on. I will not change your grades for you. I will not lie for you. I will not get your friends out of trouble or change their grades or lie for them. Am I clear?"

"Yes-" Harry couldn't even think of anything he would ask this man for.

"Do you understand what I said?"

At Harry's blank look Snape sighed. "It is best not to owe a favor to anyone Potter, not ever. Some people are worse to owe a favor to than others. Lucius Malfoy for instance, is one man you never wish to owe a favor to for any reason. In our world, getting to call in a favor from another witch or wizard is like having a sack of gold to spend. Favors must be honored short of asking those who owe you a favor to murder someone or throw their own life away."

"Oh. I didn't know." He could see now why Snape had seemed so upset by offering to owe Harry a favor the day before.

"Do you have any idea what you will be asking me to do in return for doing this job for me?"

Harry looked up and then back down at his hands and shook his head.

"Think about it." He stood up and moved to his bags. "Do you have any more questions before we depart?"

"What was my mother's name?"

"The details of my son's life will match yours," Snape repeated. "I have given minimal information to my relatives, so anything you tell them will not contradict what I have already said, aside from the fact that you were with your mother until she died and came to stay with me a year ago."

"Ok."

"Bring your bag to the fireplace. We must make a stop before we get to our destination." He held out a jar of Floo powder to Harry and told him, "The address is Snape residence, London. The password is Honeywater."

Harry stepped into the grate with the floo powder, said the address and password, and disappeared in a flash. He came out of a grate in a cozy looking flat a moment later. Snape stepped out of the fireplace into the flat seconds after Harry did.

"Leave your bag," Snape said, setting down his suitcases. "Take my arm."

Harry reached out slowly, paused a moment, and then at an impatient look from Snape touched his arm near the elbow. Harry had barely done so when Snape apparated them to an alley somewhere.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"London, several miles from my flat. Don't ask questions. From this point forward you do as I say without question or argument."

"Yes sir."

"Father," Snape corrected.

Harry gave him an uncertain look.

"If you call me sir when we reach the gathering, they will not believe we are father and son. Practice now while we are in London."

"Yes s- father."

Snape rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, then led Harry out of the alley and around the corner into a clothing store that had just opened for the day. In less than twenty minutes Snape had picked out a dozen outfits for Harry, including new shoes, socks, underwear, and warm clothes for winter. He took Harry back to the alley they'd landed in and apparated him back to the flat.

"Sir- erm, what are all these clothes for?" Snape had held each item of clothing up to Harry in the store to see if it looked like it might fit, and had put it in a basket to purchase. He hadn't asked Harry if he liked any of the items, so Harry wasn't certain that the clothes were for him. Perhaps Snape had a nephew his age he needed to buy gifts for.

"If I was your father I would not let you walk around in the rags you packed. My relatives would not believe this ruse if you showed up looking as you do." He opened one of the bags and pulled out a gray sweater, a pair of slacks and the packages of socks and underwear. "Go into the bathroom and put those on. Through the door behind the sofa."

Harry took the items uncertainly and went into the bathroom to change, pulling the price tags off the clothes. He wasn't used to wearing new things unless it was his school robes and uniform. The sweater was soft and he was glad to have socks without holes and pants that fit. He came out a few minutes later. Snape was kneeling on the floor folding all of the new clothing and putting it into Harry's backpack. Harry's old clothes were in a pile next to two dozen price tags Snape had snipped off of the new items of clothing.

"Put the new boots and coat on. Put the new mittens and hat in your coat pocket. Where we're going will be cold. Take none of your old clothes. They can remain here until we return."

"What do I owe you for the clothes?" Harry asked.

Snape only answered with a sigh. Perhaps Harry didn't owe him anything because he wasn't keeping the clothes once this job was done. That made sense. Snape could probably sell the clothes if Harry didn't stain or rip them and get his money back.

Finally dressed, Harry felt warmer than he had all term. He hated the winter because his hands and face always got chapped and he had no way of keeping warm.

"Sit on the sofa and do not move until I return."

"Where are you going sir?"

"No questions Potter. If I have to keep reminding you, I may as well take you back to the castle. Sit!"

Harry sat on the dark gray sofa and Snape narrowed his eyes at him before disappearing with a pop. While he was gone, Harry let his eyes rove around the nice flat. One wall was red brick. The kitchen was small but had floor to ceiling windows that looked out into the neighborhood. Harry wanted to get up and look through the windows, but didn't want to be caught if Snape popped back in unexpectedly and be sent back to Hogwarts. He didn't want to ruin this one chance to spend Christmas with others.

It was a good thing Harry hadn't left the couch, because less than five minutes later Snape had apparated back into the flat with a bag from some shop.

"Put these in your bag. They are yours to use while we are away."

Harry got up and took the little bag from Snape. Inside was a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair brush along with a little bottle of Muggle shampoo. Harry put them in his backpack and zipped it up.

"Put your backpack on. It is time to depart. Remember Potter, if this doesn't work... if we are caught in the lie, we will both be back at Hogwarts and the favor will be void."

"Yes sir."

"Ready yourself." He paused as he held out his arm and Harry took it. "Don't cross uncle Theodore." He looked down at Harry and gave him a stern look. "He is the head of the family, and if he tells you to do something, you will have to find a way to do it. He is the one demanding I bring my heir to the yearly family gathering. You are to remain respectful and polite to my relatives and to me at all times or there will be consequences you will not enjoy."

Harry gave him a nod and added this to the list in his mind of rules he had been given to follow. Don't mess with Theodore.

Snape disapparated with Harry, taking him into the unknown.

They appeared on a snowy white hill, fresh snowflakes drifting down peacefully around them. Harry's new boots crunched when he moved, but this sound and all others were muffled by the white world they'd entered. They were standing in front of a large two story wood cabin. There were a few copses of trees, but not many and none nearby. Harry turned in a slow circle to take in their isolated surroundings. It looked like they were in the Scottish highlands somewhere on a high hill, and he wondered how far from Hogwarts they could be.

"Come," Snape said, and started off towards the front door. Harry followed, glad that he had warm clothes on. He pulled the snow cap out of his pocket and put it on even though they would be inside in a moment.

Snape didn't knock on the front door, and instead opened it and went inside, stamping the snow from his shoes and directing Harry to do the same.

"Is that Severus, or Eldrid back with the firewood?" called a male voice.

"It's Severus uncle Theodore," Snape called. He took off his coat and hung it on a coat rack that already had several coats and scarves there. He nodded towards the coat rack and Harry started to take his off too. A moment later and a man that looked to be about 60 came into the entryway.

"Severus, it's good to see you," he said, though his eyes were on Harry, who felt like a spotlight had been shined on him. Harry reached up and took his hat off, flattening his bangs over his forehead quickly to be sure his scar wasn't showing.

"And you must be his son," the man said, eyes traveling from Harry's messy black hair, to his face, and then to his brand new clothes. "We've been asking your da' to bring you around for years. He kept saying he didn't know where you were."

"Erm, I was at school," Harry said.

"So you go to Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded, mind working frantically to come up with something to say. "I didn't realize my father was alive until last year."

"Yes, dreadful business," the man said, "a mother keeping a child from his father." He winked at Harry and said, "I'm your great great uncle Theodore, but you can call me Uncle Teddy or Uncle Theo."

"I'm Harry," Harry said, and Theo held out his hand to shake. There were butterflies in Harry's stomach, but so far things seemed to be going well.

"Best come in and get settled," Theodore said. "There's a fire going in the living room. Eldrid will be back soon with some firewood and Glynis is in the kitchen baking. Take him up to your room and put your things away," Theodore told Snape.

Snape gave him a terse nod, and then led Harry up a set of stairs. There were several rooms off of the upstairs landing, and Severus led Harry to one at the end of the landing. He pushed open the door to the small bedroom and inside Harry found two twin beds, two small wood dressers, and a window looking out over the snowy landscape. The bright light bounced around the walls, all made of wood, and made the room feel like a cozy space. Harry was surprised to find a decorative garland draped across one of the dressers, and a green wreath of tree boughs on the door.

"Take the bed by the window," Snape instructed, closing the door behind him and throwing up a silencing ward. "Put your things away in the dresser."

"Yes sir."

"Yes father," Snape corrected, and Harry's cheeks turned red, causing Snape to give another sigh.

"Theodore will be the one to watch out for," he told Harry. "He is highly intelligent and has a sense about when people are lying or telling the truth."

"Did I do ok?" Harry asked.

"For now."

Harry put the new clothes away and looked out the window at the white landscape. It was pretty and he was glad to be out of the castle, even if this only lasted a day. After only a few minutes, Snape dropped the silencing charm and told Harry to follow him, reminding him again to be on his best behavior.

Downstairs they found Theodore in the living room. It was a huge room with a high ceiling with wooden beams. Like the rest of the cabin the walls were made out of logs. There was a massive stone fireplace that seemed not to be connected to the Floo network as it wasn't tall enough to step into. There was a large couch and two comfortable looking chairs, all in a semi circle around the fireplace. Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous Christmas tree which was decorated with lights and ornaments. It was at least ten feet tall, and there were gifts wrapped beneath it already. None of the gifts were for him, he reminded himself. Perhaps he'd still be allowed to open gifts from his friends if Ron's owl could track him down by Christmas.

"Have a seat Harry," Theodore said, and Harry turned and found that Snape was already sitting on the couch.

"Yes sir," he said, and sat down in the brown leather chair by the Christmas tree. A few moments later a woman who looked to be about the same age as Theodore bustled in with a tray of cups full of steaming liquid.

"Oh Severus, you've arrived," she said happily. "I wasn't sure if you'd come or not." She handed him a cup and Harry could smell that it was coffee.

"I dare not refuse an invitation from Great Uncle Theodore."

She smiled at him and then turned to give a cup to Theodore who was sitting in the other comfortable chair.

"What about the boy Glyn?" Theodore asked as she went to sit next to Severus.

"What boy?"

Theodore pointed and she turned and spied Harry, then turned back to Severus. "You brought him Severus? You do have a son?"

"As I said." Snape took a drink of his coffee, seemingly to fortify himself for a barrage of questions.

Instead of questioning him however she turned to Harry and said, "I thought I'd never get to meet you. I didn't believe our dear Severus had a son. Would you like some hot apple cider or some hot chocolate dear?"

"Whatever you have is fine," Harry said.

"We have both, which will it be?"

"Uh... cider?"

"I'll be right back." She disappeared through a wooden door and was back two minutes later with another steaming cup. It smelled of apples and cinnamon, and Harry gratefully took it and wrapped his hands around it.

"Do you have something to say?" Severus asked, and Harry looked up at him. The man's eyes were boring into his own.

"Thank you miss," Harry said.

She laughed. "It's aunt Glynis. You can call me aunty Glyn if you want. I'm Severus' aunt. Theodore there in the chair is my father."

Harry let his eyes go between her and Theodore. They looked to be about the same age.

She sat down on the couch on the end closest to the chair Harry was in and said, "What's your name?"

"Harry."

"Harry, don't let my father fool you. He's 92. The thing about wizards is their bodies take a while longer to catch up to their age than Muggle bodies. You do know about wizards don't you?"

"I go to Hogwarts."

"You do?"

"This is my fifth year."

"So you've been at the school the whole time Severus has been searching for you?"

"Erm, I didn't know."

She smiled warmly at him.

"We're all curious Glyn," Theodore said. "They just got here though. Might want to give the lad a bit of room to breath before we pepper him with questions."

"Of course," she said with a smile. "I need to take breakfast out of the oven anyway. When Eldrid gets back he'll be starving."

After she went back into the kitchen, Theodore began to ask Severus about how work was going for him at the school, if the term had been going smoothly, and how much he was making now. Snape and Theodore seemed happy to ignore Harry, who listened to them talk as he drank his hot cider and stared into the dancing flames of the fire.

"Harry," Snape snapped, and Harry's head snapped to him. There was a man wearing gloves and coat standing behind Snape, and the three men were staring at him. When had he come in?

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

Snape looked consternated. "Uncle Theodore asked you a question."

Harry looked to Theodore, still in his chair. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to be day dreaming."

Theodore smiled. "It's all right lad. This is Eldrid, your da's cousin."

"Hello Harry," the man said. His hair was greying and he looked at least ten years older than Snape, maybe more.

"Hello," Harry said shly.

"Mind helping me with the firewood?"

Harry stood up quickly and set his cup of cider on a wooden coaster on the coffee table. "Yes sir."

He followed Eldrid back to the entryway and pulled his boots and coat back on, then followed him outside.

Around the side of the cabin there was some sort of device to split wood. It looked Muggle. "I know you can't use magic outside of school yet," Eldrid said. "I'll chop the wood with a spell, then you take rounds of wood and put them here on this platform like this." He picked up a round of wood and set it on the Muggle machine. "Then hit this lever and keep your hands out of the way. Hit the lever again to stop the wedge before you reposition the wood. It needs to be this big when you're done," he said, pointing to wood in a little pile along the side of the cabin. He showed Harry how to split the wood and then Harry took a round and tried it for himself. When he hit the lever on the machine, a sharp wedge came down slowly onto the round of wood, pushing further and further into it until the pressure was too much, and the wood split in half. Harry worked with each half until they were both the right size to go onto the stack of firewood. It was twenty minutes before the two of them were done with the tree Eldrid had cut down, and Harry was grateful to have something to do and also that Eldrid didn't seem intent on asking him questions.

When they were done, they each took an armful of wood back into the house and set it by the fireplace. Eldred put a fresh piece of wood on the fire and then led Harry into the kitchen and dining room, where Snape and Theodore were already sitting at the table and Glynis was setting a dish of quiche with bacon in front of them.

"I've made you another cup of cider Harry," she said. "Yours got cold while you were out chopping wood. Have a seat there by your dad."

Harry took the empty seat next to Snape, who was doing his best to ignore Harry unless he had something to say to him.

Once they were all seated around the table, Glynins looked at Harry's red hands. "Harry, your hands must be so cold. Don't you have any gloves to take outside with you?"

Harry looked at his hands. They were cold but he was used to it and had barely noticed. "I forgot them. They're still by the front door."

"Warm your hands up around your mug, there you go. I'll give you lotion to put on them after breakfast so they don't get chapped."

"Thank you."

"How far did you have to go to get a tree for wood?" Theodore asked Eldrid.

"Couple towns over. There were some downed trees from snow. Once the snow was cleared off and I had it limbed up, it wasn't hard to apparate back with. Harry helped me make quick work of it. He's a hard worker. Didn't even complain about the cold."

Harry looked up from his bacon to find Snape's family looking at him. Were they waiting for a response?

"It was fun," Harry said.

"So lad," Theodore said, "tell us about yourself. Tell us about your grades and your favorite subjects in school, and what you like to do for fun."

Harry swallowed the bite of bacon in his mouth as his mind raced. Should he lie and say he had good grades in all his classes to make Snape look good? If he was going to pretend to be the man's son, shouldn't he help him look like the best father? But Snape's words from early that morning had come back to him again about keeping the details of his life as similar as possible to his own to avoid contradicting himself later on.

"I'm really good in Defense class," Harry said. "Top of the class in fifth year. That's my favorite. I like Care of Magical Creatures too, I'm not top of the class, but close. I have an E in Transfiguration and Charms. I'm really close to getting an E in Potions."

"What's keeping you from getting better grades in Potions?" Eldrid asked. Shouldn't you be top of the class if your dad is the teacher, was the unspoken question.

"With the extra help he's been giving me on weekends I'm getting close to raising my grade," Harry lied. "I struggle a lot in Potions."

"So did I when I was in school," Glynis said with a smile.

"What do you do in your free time?" Theodore asked.

"I'm on the house Quidditch team," Harry said. "I play Seeker."

"Which house are you in?" asked Eldrid.

"Gryffindor."

"Haven't had a Gryffindor in the family for generations," Eldrid said. "Not for 200 years."

Harry looked down into his food. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Eldrid asked. Harry's eyes came back up to him. "Don't ever be ashamed for who you are. First rule of being a Prince heir. Now let's see... we usually end up with kids in Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and the occasional Hufflepuff, but not since little Lettie fifty years ago. Severus and Eldrid were the last to be in Slytherin."

"The hat tried to put me there," Harry said.

"It did?" Glynis asked.

"It said I'd have family there. I asked not to go to Slytherin because a boy that had been rude to me and my friend before the sorting had just been put there."

"Family eh," Eldrid said, finishing off his quiche. "Sounds like it was right. Might have made an easier job for Severus to find you if you'd been in his own house. That would have been something wouldn't it Sev? Never would have let you live it down if he'd been right under your nose all these years."

"You still avoid this boy now? The one that kept you out of Slytherin?" Theodore asked Harry.

Before Harry could answer, Severus snorted and said, "I wouldn't say avoid. They are constantly fighting. He was given detention in his first year for duelling at midnight with him."

"Who is he?" Glynis asked.

"Draco Malfoy," Severus said.

The table grew quiet and Harry wondered why. He knew Snape was friends with the Malfoy's, and hoped his family didn't think poorly of Harry because he didn't like Draco.

"Did you win the duel?" Eldrid asked.

"We got caught before we could duel."

"Have you won any duels?"

"A few," Harry said. "In class I mean. I don't really duel after hours or anything. It was just the once."

Glynis asked Severus to help her with the dishes, and Eldrid and Theodore told Harry to follow them back into the living room to sit by the fire.

"You like living with your da' now?" Eldrid asked once they were comfortable. "Now that he found you?"

"Yeah," Harry said quietly, hoping they wouldn't ask him for details, because he didn't know any. "On breaks from school we go back to his flat in London."

"What do you two do together?" Theodore asked.

"Brew potions." It was the only thing Harry could think of to say, because Snape was the school Potions Master. "I need a lot of help to get my grades up. We rebrew all the potions I didn't get good grades on until I can do them right."

"Why do you have so much trouble in Potions?"

Because Snape's an ass, Harry thought to himself. Because he lets Draco throw stuff into my cauldron and doesn't do anything about it. Because he puts me down all the time and I can't concentrate on so many steps all at once needed to finish a potion anyway. "It's just hard to concentrate," Harry said. At least that was true. He looked into the fire and hoped Snape would be back soon. Maybe he could answer questions instead of leaving Harry to do all the work.

"What happened with your mother?" Eldrid asked. "How was it that Severus finally found you?"

Snape had told Harry to stick to the truth as much as possible hadn't he?

"I wasn't staying with my mum. She died a long time ago."

"She did?"

"I was with my aunt, uncle and cousin. They're Muggles. I guess they got tired of me and sent him a letter to come get me. That's when I found out he was still alive and he found me."

"Your mother's relatives?" Theodore asked.

Harry nodded.

"What do you mean got tired of you?"

Harry didn't know what to say to that. He'd told people a lot of times that the Dursleys were abusive and it had always backfired on him. No one ever believed him, so he usually pretended they were a normal family.

"They don't like magic. They thought I was a trouble maker is all."

"But now you're with your da' at least," Eldrid said. "It must be nice to have him there for you now."

Harry stared into the fire. "Yeah." Must be.

They'd left Harry alone for a while after that. Snape had come back into the living room and Eldrid had struck up a conversation with him about Ministry politics and other things Harry didn't understand. Glyn took Harry into the kitchen and gave him lotion as promised and told him she'd go into town in the next couple days and get him some chapstick as well. "The winter air can be so harsh here," she told him.

Feeling overwhelmed by all that had happened that morning, the trip to London to get clothes, and then to the cabin where he'd been introduced to Snape's family, Harry asked Glynis if he was allowed to go up to the room he shared with his ‘father' to lay down for a while.

"Of course, are you feeling under the weather?"

"Just tired is all," Harry said. "We got up really early this morning."

"You go up and lay down. Severus will come wake you for lunch."

"Thank you."

Harry went into the entryway and then up the stairs, careful not to walk heavily so he wouldn't get yelled at as that sort of thing was never allowed at the Dursleys, or at least it wasn't for him anyway.

Harry sat on his bed and looked out the window for several minutes, trying to sort through everything he'd been asked and all that he had said. He had had to lie a couple of times and wanted to be sure he kept it all straight. He didn't know what he'd expected of Snape's family, but it wasn't this. They were so nice. They had welcomed him with open arms. He'd been offered a spot by the warm fire, fed, spoken to like a person, and Glynis had even tried to help with his chapped hands. Of course they would though if they thought he was family. He hoped he could keep this together through Christmas. This was a nice family, and despite the fact that Snape hated him and wouldn't have brought him if he'd had another choice, Harry was glad to be here.

* * *

"Po- wake up," Severus said, sounding irritated. Harry tried to pull himself from sleep, but was having a hard time doing so. He felt bone tired and his limbs felt like lead. He knew Snape was calling for him to wake up, but he couldn't.

Snape shook him and told him to wake up again, which helped, and Harry was able to start separating reality from his dreams, finally opening his eyes.

"Sir," Harry said, confused for a moment about where he was.

"You have missed lunch. It is nearly time for dinner."

"I'm sorry sir, I'll get up."

"See that you do. I did not bring you along to sleep the entire trip away."

"M' sorry sir, I wasn't feeling the best."

Harry startled a moment later when Snape put the back of his hand against Harry's forehead, but held still anyway.

"You do not have a fever."

"It's ok sir, I'll be fine." He was having trouble clearing the fog away from his mind though. Maybe if he could get a hot cup of coffee or strong tea.

He pulled the blanket off of himself and swung his legs over to hang off the side of the bed. He stiffened when Snape said, "What were you trying to pull down there?"

His eyes came up warily. "Pull sir?"

"That story you gave to Uncle Theodore about your relatives."

Harry tried to think about what he had said that could possibly have made Snape mad.

"You said stick close to the truth. I haven't ever had a mum to live with," Harry said, "so I couldn't tell them about what it was like living with her before you. So I told them she died a long time ago and I was staying with my aunt and uncle."

"Your aunt and uncle that don't like you?" Snape asked skeptically. "Telling my relatives that your family got tired of you and threw you away makes no sense."

It does to the Dursleys, Harry thought. They had always threatened to dump him in an orphanage or out on the streets, and had left him by himself in his cupboard under the stairs as often as possible. They'd left him with Mrs. Fig when going on vacation, they'd left him in the back yard or shed if they were going out for the day during the summer, even if it meant he got sunburned from being out all day because there was no shade. They'd left him to starve too. He'd always had to scrounge around for whatever he could find to eat, even going to the neighbors and asking for food, though if Aunt Petunia ever found out that he'd done that and sullied her reputation with the gossiping neighbors she'd kill him herself.

"Potter?" Snape asked.

The only answer he got was Harry turning and throwing up on the floor. Snape looked startled for a moment, but quickly banished the mess with his wand.

"Get back in bed. I will see if there is a pepperup potion to give you."

"I'm ok," Harry said. "I can handle it."

"And make me look like a neglectful father for letting you wander around when you're sick?"

Snape scoffed and left Harry there alone in the room. Harry didn't think he was actually sick. Tired, yes, overwhelmed yes, sad, yes. Sometimes thinking back to his time at the Dursleys was just too much to handle. He was embarrassed more than anything that he'd grown so nauseous at the memories that he'd thrown up in front of his Professor. Wanting to go back to sleep and forget it happened at all, Harry pulled the covers back over himself despite that the room was plenty warm.

Snape returned five minutes later and forced Harry to drink the pepperup potion, and told him to go back to sleep.

Lying under the covers facing the wall, Harry couldn't help but feel a little irritated with the man. He'd wanted Harry to tell the truth. He'd wanted him to play this part, and Harry was doing that. Harry was doing his best to do the job he'd been given, and all Snape could do was accuse him of lying. He hadn't believed Harry about his clothes, about his relatives, or about not feeling well. He supposed he would never be able to make Snape believe him about anything, though with Snape's help he might be able to make his relatives believe this lie they were spinning together. Like the role he played at the Dursleys, Harry considered this job a point of survival. If he did as he was told he could make it through this holiday. If he could ignore Snape he might even enjoy some of it. If he could act this part, and pretend this family was his... make himself believe it so he could do a good job, then he might even be able to make Snape happy. If, if, if.