Severus began to slip into unconsciousness. When he awoke he stared around in confusion, he was in a place that reminded him very much of the place Harry had called the Shrieking Shack, it was dark and creepy and cold he thought shivering as he rubbed his arms and looked around, he definitely didn't like this place.

He closed his eyes as he heard a soft voice whispering to him chanting, he didn't question the voice even as he felt some unknown force pulling against him, he screamed as he felt a force pulling him as though he was being ripped in two until suddenly it was over. He collapsed to his knees momentarily recovering his breath, he felt a soothing presence beside him which gave him the strength to look up. He frowned in confusion, the space he was in was now like a blank canvas, a calming space, quiet and peaceful.

He looked up and saw dark spirits whirling around above him, his nightmares he thought. He watched them nervously for a minute until some strange unknown force seemed to suck the darkness out of them, he watched fascinated until all that was left was were tiny little wisps like ghostly spirits they circled around his head and he flinched at first until one came close enough to touch him. He giggled as the spirit passed through, tickling him with its touch, he could sense somehow that something had sucked all the darkness out of them, they weren't scary, just whispers of the past that could no longer hurt him.

It was then that he became aware of another presence there with him. He looked around and spotted some dark, vaguely human-shaped, creature a distance away. The thing was covered in black robes that appeared shredded and hung off of it, its face was also covered in a black curtain of hair that hung limply, giving it the appearance of a wraith-like creature. He watched in fearful awe unsure as of yet what to make of the creature when suddenly it let out a scream throwing back its head and writhing in pain as dark energy emerged rising like some malevolent gaseous spirit ripped out of him, it was like watching some strange kind of exorcism.

It cried out as if in pain until suddenly it was over, the dark cloud seemed to dissipate and the creature swayed slightly before collapsing to its knees. He hesitated, feeling sorry for it and wondering if he should approach as it knelt with its hands out in front like a man trying to catch his breath, it stayed like that for a minute before it suddenly lifted its head, hair falling away from its face.

He gasped, it was a man, a man with a pale face and lank black hair. Their eyes caught briefly and the man stared at him with dark eyes before looking back down to the ground and concentrating on getting up, slowly he rose to his feet, it was clearly painful for him but he took his time retaining his dignity as he stood and brushed the dust off his robes, looking around him with confusion and mild interest.

His eyes fell back on Severus and he walked over to him. Severus froze, entranced by him, drawn in by his startling familiar black gaze as he approached gracefully, his black robes no longer torn sweeping and billowing behind him. He stopped a short distance away still staring as though fascinated by the boy, he reached out tentatively as though to touch him to check he was real and not some illusion, before apparently shaking himself out of it and withdrawing his hand sharply as if thinking better of it.

He then looked up noticing perhaps for the first time, the little wraith-like spirits circling around Severus. He watched them intently for a minute before carefully withdrawing a black wand that felt strangely familiar from a hidden pocket, the wand sang to Sev as he raised it and carefully lifted it to the little ghost-like spirit which came away attached as though attracted like a magnet and the other spirits joined to form a strange kind of train trailing behind the wand. The man carefully lifted the wand till it was touching his forehead while muttering an incantation with his eyes closed and the spirits appeared to disappear as though melting into him. He gave out a soft sigh of relief as though he had retrieved a part of himself that had been missing and slowly opened his eyes, his dark gaze turning back to rest on him again.

"Who are you?" Severus asked.

"The man smiled "I am Severus Snape" he replied looking at him thoughtfully, "and you remind me of myself when I was a young boy" he mused, reaching out a hand as though to touch his cheek but paused as Sev flinched away instinctively. He put his hands up, "I promise I won't hurt you" he said gently and instinctively he trusted him, whatever darkness had been inside him had been purged, leaving the man cleansed, and calm energy now radiated from him. He tried again and gently touched his cheek stroking it with great care using his long slender fingers and carefully brushing his long hair off of his face.

Sev stared at him in puzzlement, wondering who this man was. Why did he share his name and why did he seem so familiar he thought. Then suddenly the pieces seemed to slide together. One of the things that had scared him so much about his nightmares aside from the obviously traumatic nature and content of them was the strange disconcerting feeling as though he was watching someone else's life, and he knew suddenly that this man was the focus of his dreams.

"It was you" he gasped in shock as the realisation hit him, "you're the man from my nightmares!"

"What?" the man recoiled, clearly horrified by the thought that he was the subject of a child's nightmares.

"The dreams I had were like viewing someone else's life, their memories" he continued lost in his own thoughts.

The man's face paled, draining of colour "my memories" he finished his face grim, he turned and started pacing "I see" he said looking troubled before eventually regaining his composure "I'm sorry those memories were not something anyone else should have to see, particularly not one so young" he apologised grimacing.

"So what just happened, what did you do to them?" Severus asked, wondering what he had done to the memories.

"I placed them back in my mind, where they belong" he smiled knowingly, "as for what happened, I do not know, although I could perhaps hazard a guess, the last thing I remember was ..." he paused apparently frozen reliving something traumatic, "unpleasant to say the least" he stated eventually a look of distaste crossing his face "I do not know how I ended up here, I was hoping perhaps you could fill me in. Perhaps it is time for some company" Severus frowned at him, "it is alright Mr Potter, you may join us now if you wish" he said stepping forward and addressing the room as a whole.

Severus looked around puzzled he had been vaguely aware of Harry's presence but he had been separated as though watching them through a hidden window. Then he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, he looked around astonished.

"Harry!" Severus shouted, catching his attention as he ran towards Harry who turned, his astonished expression turning to a wide smile as he caught him and lifted him in his arms.

"Sev" he said with obvious affection as the boy buried his head into his chest.

"Potter" Snape acknowledged curtly, causing his head to snap up to meet the gaze of his former Professor, wearily he walked towards him. Severus caught the unspoken tension and sensed the change in Harry as he tensed up. He scowled, catching the man's gaze, he didn't like anything that made Harry react like that.

The man caught his eye and looked away embarrassed "ah, I'm sorry, old habit" he explained clearing his throat awkwardly "Harry" he tried again curtly, testing the words as though they were unfamiliar on his tongue.

Harry smiled at this, amused as well by the change and the fact that Severus elicited such a response from the cold Potions Master "Professor" he replied warmly he reached out and embraced him somewhat awkwardly considering startling the older man "is it really you?"

"Of course it is me" he snapped with a hint of a snarl, Harry smiled, some things never changed.

"We thought we'd lost you, I thought I'd never have the chance to thank you, your memories explained so much. I misjudged you, I'm so sorry" he said sincerely.

This apology appeared to shock him for a moment before he regained his composure "no Harry. It is I who should apologise, I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and blind me, I should have been able to see past that and act like a responsible adult" he said somewhat awkwardly.

"It's alright I get it you were under a lot of pressure and acting as a spy, you couldn't afford to be kind to us in front of the Slytherins"

"No Potter, it's not alright the way I treated you" he replied more angrily.

Harry, aware of the increasing discomfort of the child in his arms who did not understand their shared past, chose this moment to interrupt "Sir, I don't really think we should be discussing this in front of him" he said indicating Severus "besides I forgave you when I saw your memories, it is the past let us move on" he said placing a hand gently on his arm.

He looked at the boy briefly then looked away and sighed "I am sorry, perhaps you are right I just, hindsight is a wonderful thing, I regret that I did not act differently"

"And I told you I forgive you, Severus, you have had enough torment in your life and paid for your mistakes, please accept my forgiveness" his shoulders slumped forward and after a minute he nodded his assent before lifting his head looking as emotional as Harry had ever seen.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was lying in the Shrieking Shack with you"

"Harry smiled "he happened" he replied gesturing to the boy in his arms, Severus blinked at him in astonishment "I went back to retrieve your body and found him. He was alone and scared I took care of him" Harry continued.

Snape stared at them in astonishment, trying to get his head around it, did that mean the boy was him, that he wasn't truly dead? He peered more closely at the boy. Yes, there was certainly something familiar about him, that distinctive black hair, dark obsidian eyes and pale skin were unmistakable. The signs of neglect were apparent, he appeared too thin and small by far and clung to Harry like a lifeline and yet there were also signs of recovery as though someone had been taking care of him. His hair looked softer and there were signs already that he was beginning to fill out slightly and someone had put care into making sure he was wearing nice clothes, it was all more than he could have hoped for when he was his age.

"So where are we now?" he asked.

"In his mind, if I'm not mistaken" he grinned, at his astonished look he continued "he was having bad nightmares, we figured they were your memories. The only solution we could come up with was to remove the memories"

"I see that explains it" he said numbly, clearly still in shock.

Severus frowned as he struggled to keep up with the adult's conversation, trying to puzzle it all together, clearly, the two knew each other and this man was supposed to be him? "so you're me in the future, does that mean I'm going to grow up to be you in the future?" he asked worriedly he liked the strange man in black. Sure he looked scary and intimidating but he had been kind and spoken softly to him, and he clearly had a unique sense of humour but in spite of that Sev wasn't at all sure he wanted to end up becoming him when he was older he could tell instinctively that something very bad had happened to him he carried the sadness around him like a shadow.

"No!" Harry answered more sharply than he'd intended, startling both of them. Professor Snape glared at him and spun on his heel, clearly the way he'd said that had offended him and brought back the old hatred. Harry sighed and lowered Sev to the ground "I'd better go deal with this wait here" Severus nodded watching him curiously as he approached the dark man who was meant to be him.

"Professor Harry called out only to be ignored "I'm sorry, please I didn't mean it like that"

"Really Potter" he said his voice as acidic as it had ever been in life, "because it certainly sounded to me like you resented the idea of him growing up to be me, guess you haven't entirely buried the past hey Potter?" he sneered "arrogant just like your father" he thought he heard him mutter.

Harry looked at him in shock "no that's not it at all. Look, I know we didn't get along well before and I'm only just now coming to terms with who you are and beginning to appreciate the brilliant, brave creative genius that you are"

Snape snorted derisively at that, clearly not believing it "no really I mean it whether or not you believe me" Harry insisted angrily, "I really respect you and I want to honour you for everything you've done Sir but Severus deserves better than to grow up with that legacy hanging over him don't you think?"

Snape still seemed to be largely ignoring him, so he decided to try another tactic "tell me something do you want Severus to grow up like you? Alone, bullied and shunned by virtually everyone, neglected, abused" he said coming up behind him emphasising each word and he could see the impact it had on the man, he visibly winced at each word, clearly it was painful to be reminded of his own childhood.

He eventually snapped and span round angrily, causing Harry to back away "of course not! No one deserves to go through that"

"Even me?" Harry asked before looking away, causing him to pause. Snape looked at him in shock before recovering himself.

He leaned down and gently lifted Harry's chin "especially you" Harry looked away unable to meet his eye " listen, Potter, I mean Harry if I'd have known sooner I would have done something maybe not publicly but I would not have allowed you to return there. As it was I only began to realise the truth when I saw it in our Occlumency lessons, it took time for me to believe what I was seeing was true" he sighed "by that time the damage had been done, we both loathed each other, I believed our relationship was broken beyond repair and we both had our roles to play it was too late to change things between us."

"It's ok we were both blinded by our own hate, I thought the worst of you as well" Harry said wiping his eyes.

"Potter, I was not blind" he warned but one look at Harry's face stopped him in his tracks "alright I was blind as well, I saw only what I expected to"

"Right, look, we're getting off track. What I was trying to say is Severus is a part of you but you are not the same person, not anymore, you may have been him once but he is changing and I am determined he is going to grow up to be happy, he will have the life you always should have had first time round, he deserves the chance to live his own life. You played an important part in my life and in the war, I want him to know about you but he doesn't deserve to grow up burdened by your legacy weighing him down"

"You would raise him even knowing he is me and after all, I did to you?" Snape asked incredulously.

Harry turned to him eyes burning "yes I would, he's an innocent, traumatised child who needs a loving family, a family that I'm more than willing to provide and love that I want to give him, he's like a son to me. I would do this for you as well Severus if I could, you both deserve a second chance at life and happiness regardless of what you may think, you made mistakes that does not make you a bad person and does not mean you do not deserve forgiveness or a second chance"

He looked at him glowering in annoyance before smiling and shaking his head "well we will have to agree to disagree on that front however it appears I have misjudged you, Potter, much as it pains me to say it you are a far better man than your father in fact you remind me much more of your mother you certainly have her kind heart" he told a gobsmacked Harry.

He put a hand on his arm "thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me" he said sincerely, Snape nodded curtly and Harry knew how hard it had been for him to say that.

They approached Severus who had been watching them with interest "sorry about that Severus. What I meant was that he is not you, not anymore. He will always be a part of you, but think of him more like a close relative like an Uncle" at Severus's puzzled expression, he rubbed his brow, trying to think how to explain it so he would understand.

"The man you see here is a result of the many decisions he has made over the course of his life, you have a chance to shape your own future to be whatever you like"

"He is correct. I have not had a good life, I've made poor choices and paid the price for them. I do not know what has happened but you have been given a second chance, that is a wonderful blessing, use it have a happy life do not make the same mistakes I did" the man said sternly before smiling at him.

Sev looked from one to the other in astonished confusion "but how, how will I know? Will I see you again?" He asked, turning to the man in black who was meant to be him.

"I will be here, it seems I will always be a part of you" he said touching the boy's cheek tentatively.

Suddenly something occurred to him, he knows he has asked other people and been given an answer but he felt the need to confirm it from this man who knows him better than anyone "she's really gone isn't she?"

Snape looks at him in confusion, he can't surely mean Lily he's too young to have met her so there can only be one other woman who he would care about enough to ask about, his mother he thinks as his heart clenched for this boy in memory of her, he looked at Harry for confirmation, he appeared to understand and nodded.

He turned back to Severus "your mother?" he nodded sadly, he sighed wondering how he could break it to him "yes, she's gone, she died a long time ago." The boy appeared to be prepared for that answer but is clearly still upset at the confirmation "I know it's hard. Our mother was a brilliant woman, she was a very talented witch, she taught me all I know about potions, and I got my passion for them from her. She loved us with all her heart and cared a great deal about us, she was just unfortunate that she married the wrong man. Don't ever forget how much she loved you" he told him as he tried hard to be brave and stifle his tears.

"So it's true, I'm an orphan, I'm all alone" he replied sadly.

"Hardly" Snape snorted, they looked at him questioningly, and he rolled his eyes before continuing, "you clearly have a lot of people who care about you who will act as a surrogate family."

"He's right, you've got a lot of people who care about you and you've got me" Harry said firmly, "and I would very much like to take care of you if you'll have me that is?"

"Like a parent?" Sev asked looking up hopefully.

"Yes, very much like a parent or a guardian if you'd prefer it's up to you." Harry assured him, hoping he'd be able to do a better job than Sev's parents or his aunt and uncle for that matter. Sev burrowed his head into his chest in response, he could feel him nod his head and took that to be his acceptance as he lifted him up.

"Well it appears that you already have a family to guide you to make good decisions, something I found myself lacking, I trust that you will make good use of this chance and not do anything stupid like I did" Professor Snape told him, smiling.

"I'll try. Will I be able to talk to you again?"

Harry interjected, lifting Sev in his arms once again, comforting him "I certainly hope you will" at Snape's inquiring look he continued "we intend to use your memories to create and animate a painting of you in the Headmaster's office, so you see Sev, you'll be able to talk to him any time you like."

Snape looked lost for words "I don't know what to say, you do me a great honour, I don't deserve this."

"You deserve it more than most, after all, you have done for us all " Harry insisted firmly, cutting him off before he could protest, "and no amount of self-deprecating speeches will convince me otherwise, so you're just going to have to accept it" he informed him sternly before smiling.

"Well it appears even in death I am stuck with you Potter" he smirked winking at Sev.

"Wouldn't have it any other way Sir" Harry replied cheekily.

"I'll miss you" Sev said tears starting to fall.

Harry, with Sev in his arms, embraced the older man, who had once been his teacher, in one last hug before reluctantly pulling apart "now I think it's time for you to wake up mister" he told Severus who waved shyly at the older man "take care of yourself Severus"

"And you Mr Potter, Mr Snape" he acknowledged with a last smile, bowing to them stiffly before fading away.

Harry woke first and looked down at the little boy who appeared to be still sleeping peacefully in his lap. He shook him gently, till his eyes started to flutter open and he stared up at him in confusion "Severus are you ok? How do you feel?"

He thought about it for a moment, he felt somehow lighter and more at peace "good" he stated although he couldn't help feeling as though there was something he'd forgotten.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief before turning to the Doctor "did it work?"

He smiled and nodded, holding up several small vials full of the same gaseous substance he had seen Professor Snape expel in his final moments. They both stared in fascination at the vials "I removed all these memories that didn't belong, I am certain that you shall be sleeping much better from now" he said addressing the last part to Severus before looking intently at Harry "the boy has suffered a lot of trauma already in his young life, I would suggest making some appointments with a mind healer, I would be happy to continue working with him if you'd like?"

Harry looked at Severus "what do you think Severus?" he shrugged, this Dr had seemed alright and he was feeling much better, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to see someone about the trauma in his life.

"If I may add my own two cents, it may be difficult at first talking about your experiences but we are used to working with children and making the experience enjoyable and I believe it will be beneficial in the long run for you to overcome your demons and starting at a young age will be far better than burying these emotions"

Severus felt all eyes on him, and he wasn't sure now whether he wanted to talk about his past, but the Dr did make it sound like it might be fun and not scary "uh I guess could give it a go" he conceded.

This answer seemed to please them "at a boy, I'm proud of you" Harry praised him.

"Very good, I'll get an appointment set up for you. In the meantime if there are any problems, please do not hesitate to contact me" he said getting up to shake their hands.

That night, as Severus was settling down for the night after going through their normal ritual, he realised what he'd forgotten, he and Harry had left that strange man in his mind without a care in the world. He wondered what had happened to him, was he still there, was he ok? He decided to check and called out in his mind.

"Professor Snape?" he waited and there was no response, he began to panic, what if he wasn't there? Sure the man was a bit scary and intimidating, but at the same time, he somehow radiated an aura of calm from him.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, there came a reply "child? Are you alright? What's wrong?" the voice sounded concerned.

He breathed a sigh of relief, he was still there "I'm fine, I just wanted to check you were still there"

"Of course, I am still here foolish child" the voice said sounding slightly exasperated but also with a touch of fondness like a parent "I am afraid you are stuck with me whether you like it or not. Now try to get some sleep"

Severus gulped, feeling slightly nervous for the first time since he woke up "what's wrong?" "Uh it's nothing" he replied twiddling his fingers not wanting to admit he was still a bit scared to go to sleep after all the nightmares he'd had the past week.

Apparently, he didn't need to say anything though "I see. Do not worry child, I will protect you and guard you against bad dreams now sleep" the voice told him softly and he felt waves of calm energy engulfing him, he had the vaguest sense of his presence, of his dark soft robes and the smell of dried aromatic herbs that reminded him of his mother and he knew he meant it when he said that he'd protect him against bad dreams.

Severus smiled as he felt himself nodding off. He was glad he would be there with him, right now he felt like the luckiest boy ever, something he'd never expected to say. Not only did he have Harry and Hermione who were kind of like a Mum and Dad but he had all the Professors and all Harry's friends who were like Aunt's and Uncle's like one big family and not only that but now he had a very special guardian who he knew would always be with him watching over him and guarding him from harm. He went to sleep finally feeling happy and content. When he woke the next morning it was too bright warm sunlight streaming in through the window, he felt well rested and realised that he'd slept all the way through the night without any bad dreams, he grinned thinking that it had been the best night's sleep he could remember having in a long while.