“Are you looking forward to the summer holidays, Harry?” Justin asked from his placement under his bed in the Hufflepuff common room. He was looking for the game cards he seemed to have a habit of losing fairly often.

“Um,” Harry responded, not really having thought about it much. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Any plans?”

Huh. Well, now that he thought about it, no, he had absolutely no plans for the summer. That could be a problem.

Professor Snape had said that the Dursleys were no longer an option which was perfectly fine by Harry, but what if that only applied for the Christmas holidays? There was a big difference between Professor Snape keeping an eye on Harry for a couple of weeks versus a couple of months. The Dursleys had dealt with him for several years and hated him, and the last thing he wanted was for that to be the case with Professor Snape.

He doubted that the professor would even volunteer to take him in, anyway. They got along pretty well, sure, and he seemed to care for him, absolutely, but he hadn’t wanted to take him last summer when there was no other option. Why should it be any different now? Surely it was early enough still that they could find someone else to put up with him. Maybe he could just go to an orphanage or something.

Harry sighed. He should probably go to the headmaster to discuss it. Professor Snape had once mentioned that Professor Dumbledore had some involvement with his placement with the Dursleys, so it was likely up to him where he would go next.

***

“He came to you?” Severus asked, feeling offense rising in his chest for unknown reasons. He had no right or desire for the feeling, it wasn’t as though Harry belonged to him. If nothing else he should be glad that he finally found another adult to speak to about things.

Albus popped a lemon drop into his mouth, holding the bowl out to Severus as he rested his legs upon his desk. Severus made a face at the offer of candy. “He certainly did,” the old man confirmed joyfully. “Wanted to make sure that he wasn’t too late to register for the orphanage or something along those lines.”

“Register for the what?”

“The orphanage. He seems to be under the assumption that since the Dursley’s are no longer his legal guardians, he has nowhere to stay this summer.”

Severus scoffed. “And I suppose an orphanage would be a better option as opposed to myself.”

Albus shrugged casually. “Is he aware that you’re even an option?”

“Well of course he…” Severus trailed off, frowning. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“You’re not his legal guardian,” Albus offered bluntly. “While you have done a lot for him, you are certainly in no way responsible for his welfare.”

Severus glared. “Legally speaking, no, but otherwise of course I am responsible for him! I am the one who took him from that wretched home, the one who has been there through nightmares and medical visits and-“

“My, my, Severus. Could it be that you are jealous?”

“Jealous of whom, exactly?”

“Not whom, more like what. You seem to be envious of what could be, but isn’t. Yes, you have been there for Harry for various occasions throughout the past several months. But Harry has been through a lot in his short life, and perhaps he doesn’t realize that you might actually want to be responsible for him.”

“I’ve discussed it with him before,” Severus offered offhandedly. “There’s no reason for confusion.”

“He’s an eleven year old boy, Severus. Who has been through a great deal of trauma. Don’t you think that it’s understandable that he might not quite… understand?”

“He’s not an imbecile,” Severus muttered.

Albus smiled. “I’m not questioning his intelligence. I’m simply suggesting that maybe something more concrete would prove your sincerity to him.”

“Concrete like what?” Severus sighed, quickly growing tired of this conversation.

Albus put his legs down and sat up straight before going through his desk drawers and retrieving a stack of paper. “Oh, nothing serious. Perhaps you could just sign a few documents for me.”

Severus stared down at the words outlining the top page. “You can’t be serious.”

“Not often, no, but in this case…”

“Albus, I cannot be responsible for-“

“Did you not just say that you were?”

“This is different-“

“Oh, I see. You want Harry to trust that you will be there for him, but won’t actually commit to it. Well, that certainly makes sense, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“It’s not like that,” Severus scowld.

“Isn’t it? These are just papers, yes, they change nothing in some ways. But in others, they change everything and could prove to Harry you really do care for him, and that you want to. But the way things are now says to him that this is only temporary and could go away at any time.” Albus leaned towards Severus. ”Don’t you think that Harry deserves some stability in his life?”

“I think what Harry deserves in a legal guardian is someone who can properly care for him.”

“Do you care for the boy or not?” Albus asked seriously.

”I-“

“It’s a yes or no question, Severus.”

“Well, yes, of course I care for him, but-“

“But what? I don’t see anyone else standing in line for the role of guardian, no one worthy at least.”

Severus rolled his eyes. “I would hardly deem myself as worthy to take custody of the boy who lived.”

“Perhaps if you stop looking at him through the lense of his celebrity status and just look at Harry, the boy who is clearly already infatuated with you, you would see things differently.”

“Harry is a child, he has no idea what is best for him,” Severus said.

“And you do?”

“Well, I know that it’s not me.”

“I happen to think differently. You two are already familiar with one another. But if you truly wish for me to find someone else… I suppose I could give Remus a Floo call…”

Severus sneered. “Lupin? Albus, the man is a werewolf for Merlin’s sake!”

“Perhaps you could babysit during the full moon, then.”

“I know that you are only saying these things to infuriate me in an effort to control me, but it’s working,” Severus muttered with disdain, inking a quill before starting to sign the documents.

Albus smiled. “You shouldn’t sign things without reading them through first, Severus.”

“I can almost say that I trust you, Albus. And if I’m wrong, well, I know of at least 47 potions to poison an old man without evidence.”

“Are you certain about this?”

Severus signed his name over and over again, the Severus T. Snape in black ink being a sign of his commitment, before passing the documents over to Albus. “Did you not just spend the past several minutes trying to convince me of this?”

“I simply assumed that you would discuss it with Harry first, is all,” Albus said as he glanced through the papers.

“I’m not planning on filing them without speaking to him first.”

Albus passed the documents back to him, his smile shining brighter than the sun. “Then speak away.”

***

“-I’m perfectly willing to file them, but only if this is what you want, of course-”

“What does the T stand for?” Harry asked quietly.

Severus blinked. “What?”

“Your middle name. I don’t know it. What, uh…”

“Tobias,” Severus answered absently. Was that really what the child chose to focus on?

“Oh,” said Harry. “That’s, that’s… nice.”

“It’s after my father who wasn’t terribly nice, so, I’m not a big fan.” Why did he say that, why did he say that?

“Oh,” Harry said again, softer this time. “Well, that, sucks, I guess.”

Severus snorted. “Yes, it does rather suck, I suppose.”

Harry laughed lightly. “Do you, did you… really?” he asked, eyes focused on Severus’ signature.

“I did,” Severus confirmed, “and I do.”

“Are you sure?” Harry questioned, finally looking up at him with wide green eyes. “I mean this is- you don’t have to, really it’s-“

“I don’t have to do anything, Harry,” Severus scoffed. “I do things because I want to. Which is why I’m doing this. Unless you don’t want me to, then-“

“No!” Harry said quickly, “I just, I don’t- what if you regret it? I mean, you have been so nice to me, Professor Snape, and I just, I- I don’t want things to get spoiled and ruined and wrong and for you to hate me and-“

“If I were meant to hate you I would already,” Severus said, swallowing down his natural instinct to abandon this conversation. Harry needed to know. “There is no reason why that should ever come to pass. At this point I could never- there is nothing that you could do that would make me not… not want you.”

Harry bit his lip but didn’t look away as he clearly struggled to keep his tears in. “You mean it? You really want me? You’re not j-just saying that?”

“Have you ever known me to offer meaningless platitudes, child? Of course I mean it.”

Harry set the papers to the side before throwing his arms around Severus, knocking him backward a few inches in the process. Severus hesitantly brought his own arms up to wrap around the boy.

“Yes, this is what I want,” the boy said into his chest, sniffling lightly. “Thank you for asking. I just, I didn’t think you-“

“Well, now we both know,” Severus said. “No more misunderstandings.”

“No more misunderstandings,” Harry agreed.

Yeah, bet.