Harry crept out of the bedroom with Draco, heart in his throat. He was suddenly very grateful that Snape was still forcing him and Draco to keep their door open at night so he could hear if they tried to kill each other in their sleep or whatever it was he thought was going to happen. It meant that the door’s hinges didn’t creak as they snuck through the open door and sat together on the top step of the staircase. Harry peered between the bannisters. The house was dark, but light was spilling through a crack in the living room door so a single golden beam slashed through the gloom, hitting the wall of the staircase right beneath Draco’s foot. He looked at Harry and slowly placed a finger over his lips before inclining his head in the direction of the living room door. Harry tried to quiet his breathing so he could make out the muffled voices of the people within.

 

“- shouldn’t have done it, Severus,” Dumbledore said. “You should have gone through me.”

 

“I didn’t have to, actually,” Snape said coolly. “Informing you is merely a formality. Minerva is the Head of Child Welfare and Safeguarding at Hogwarts, as you well know. I only needed her permission and support to investigate a child’s home life and potentially remove him from his guardians, and -”

 

“This was not just any child, and you know it,” Dumbledore interrupted. “This was Harry Potter.”

 

Harry stiffened. Draco sharply looked up at him, a question he couldn’t voice waiting in the contours of his frown.

 

“To me, Harry Potter is like any other child and deserves to be treated as such,” Snape said sharply. “His fame and legacy ought to make no difference when it comes to a situation like this.”

 

Dumbledore scoffed - an odd sound to hear the Headmaster make, Harry thought. “I did not realise you employed such a philosophy in regard to him, Severus. After all, you’ve spent the last two years treating him like the reincarnation of James Potter, haven’t you?”

 

“Don’t throw that in my face,” Snape growled. Harry could easily imagine the scowl that was almost certainly affixed to his features. “When I realised what that boy has been through, I recognised the errors of my ways and have been doing everything I can to make up for it. You would do well to recognise the error of yours! Still putting him with those awful people, even after Minerva warned you what they were like, that they were the most awful sort of Muggles, and you still left him there -”

 

“I knew they were not ideal people,” Dumbledore said, “but a flawed character does not automatically make someone a child abuser. You cannot truly expect me to have predicted their treatment of him!”

 

Harry tensed.

 

“You should have checked!” Snape shouted, his voice crisp and clear as it carried through the house. “Why, Albus, why didn’t you?!”

 

“Because Petunia expressly refused to have any kind of contact with wizards if she was to take the boy in,” Dumbledore said, his voice jarringly soft next to Snape’s bellows. “And it’s not as though I left him unattended, Arabella was there -”

 

“And she told you they didn’t get on, didn’t she?” Snape hissed. “Figg said as much to me earlier! You didn’t exactly do much after she wrote to you and said they were horrid to the boy!”

 

Harry’s jaw dropped. Mrs Figg, his cat-obsessed neighbour who babysat him, knew the Headmaster? And what did Snape mean he'd been talking to her?!

 

“Yes, Arabella told me they didn’t get on, but neither of us realised the extent of it!” Dumbledore said, the irritation clear in his voice. “And once again, Severus - I assumed he was unhappy. That was all I thought it was. Considering the importance of keeping him at Privet Drive for his safety, I had to overlook that so he would stay alive! Unhappy does not necessarily mean abused -”

 

“Oh, you wouldn’t know abuse if it hit you over the head with a Beater's bat,” Snape muttered. There was the faint creak and groan of floorboards - it sounded like he was pacing.

 

“That is a highly unfair accusation.”

 

“It’s not, since you decided to invite yourself into my house in the middle of the night, ready to lecture me about rightfully terminating their custody!”

 

“That is not my problem, Severus. My issue lies with you going behind my back,” Dumbledore said with the air of someone who was struggling mightily to maintain their patience. “My issue is with you single handedly destroying the blood wards that keep Harry safe from Lord Voldemort.”

 

Harry gripped the edge of the stair he was sitting on, feeling something in his stomach lurch. What did the Headmaster mean? Were those wards really gone? The ones linked to his blood protection? Why?

 

“You acted rashly, Severus,” Dumbledore said reproachfully. “Do you even realise what you’ve done? That was the one place he was truly safe during the summers, when he’s away from Hogwarts. Those wards were irreplaceable, and now that you’ve destroyed them, I cannot undo your damage.”

 

“My damage?” Snape said incredulously. “Petunia was perfectly happy to wash her hands of him when I asked her if she'd give him up! If these oh-so important blood wards were as strong as you imply, I shouldn’t have been able to destroy them with a few well-placed words! They wanted nothing to do with him, Albus! It was shocking!"

 

Harry pressed his lips together, his chest tightening. They wanted nothing to do with him. He knew the Dursleys hated him, though. It shouldn't still sting.

 

Moments later, the words Snape had said finally registered. When I asked her if she’d give him up. Harry’s blood ran cold. As far as Harry was aware, Snape hadn’t spoken to Harry’s aunt in over a decade. Why were the two of them suddenly talking?

 

Snape couldn’t have gone to Privet Drive, could he?

 

“If Lord Voldemort regains his powers, you’ve as good as killed that boy,” Dumbledore said coldly. “No amount of warding can replicate Lily’s protections.”

 

“My warding can still do a damn good job,” Snape growled. “I know spells, Dark spells, and I am more than willing to use them for Harry’s sake if I must. That’s why you entrusted him to me for this time period, as you’ll recall? Because of my aptitude for Defence Against the Dark Arts? I am able to keep the boy safe in a way no one else can, in a way that might parallel Lily’s blood sacrifice.”

 

“Are you forgetting that this is the same boy I had to argue with you for hours about when I was convincing you to take him in for less than a month?” Dumbledore said sceptically. “I highly doubt you’re willing to house James Potter’s son every summer until he reaches his majority…”

 

“I am willing to house Harry.” Snape paused for a moment. “You do not need to worry about the warding being broken. You know perfectly well I can keep him safe and I will do it, Albus. I will protect that child with my life if I have to. You remember my oath."

 

Harry was reeling. Was this really what it sounded like? Snape was willing to - to take him in? What did that even mean? Still, Harry shook himself and pushed the questions to one side for now. He had to keep listening.

 

"I believe you're incapable of safely guarding him if you're letting your emotions blind you to the important things."

 

"You didn't see the things I did, Albus," Snape said, his voice terse and shaky. "You know I am capable of Occluding my emotions to the Dark Lord himself, but what those people did to him, what I saw -"

 

"Ah, yes, the things you saw when you Legilimised a pair of Muggles, correct?" Dumbledore interrupted. “Without permission or consent?”

 

Harry felt like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. Suddenly, the confusing pieces of the conversation all fell into place.

 

Snape had gone to Surrey. He’d spoken to Mrs Figg, he’d spoken to the Dursleys, and he’d Legilimised them? What had he seen in their minds? Dudley’s bullying, his uncle hitting him, the starvation, the horrid comments, the cupboard? Harry thought he might actually be sick when he thought about Snape seeing that. This was a nightmare. This was hell.

 

Draco suddenly grabbed onto Harry's wrist and held his other hand in the air in a placating gesture. Calm down, he mouthed. Harry suddenly realised he was dangerously close to losing control of his magic and took a few deep, shaky breaths, biting down on the flesh of his cheek until the copper tang of blood flooded his mouth. This was the best information he'd gotten in weeks, and he couldn't screw it up now by having some sort of breakdown.

 

Snape was still speaking, and Harry did his best to tune back in. "- subsection 13J strictly stated that I can legally use Legilimency upon the parents or guardians of a child enduring suspected abuse."

 

"They're Muggles who were defenceless against mental attacks."

 

"Defenceless? Harry was defenceless!" Snape roared. Harry couldn't help but flinch back, even though the shouting was far away. "I saw everything they did to him, Albus, when he was far too young to protect himself! They hit him, berated him, neglected him. They locked him in a cupboard for ten years of his life, all with two perfectly serviceable and unoccupied bedrooms in their house! Don't you dare call those disgusting people defenceless, or I will hex you right where you stand."

 

Harry felt very ill by now. He had pins and needles in his hands and did his best to gasp past the rock that had lodged itself in his chest. So Snape definitely knew about the cupboard then. That, for some reason, was just too awful for Harry to bear. He felt like he could float out of his body at any moment, and the only thing tethering him in place was Draco's hand, still tightly clutching Harry's wrist.

 

Oh God. Draco. Harry whipped his head to the side and saw the other boy watching him with an expression of unmitigated horror. His silver eyes had gone wide, trained on Harry’s face.

 

Draco knew now, too.

 

Harry yanked his hand away and wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them close to his chest. He buried his face in his arms, trying to make himself as small as possible. He felt Draco tapping him on the shoulder, but couldn’t look up. Dumbledore and Snape’s words continued to wash over him, even as Harry now found himself wishing he’d never overheard any of this at all.

 

"Albus, it is a miracle the boy is not an Obscurial," Snape growled. "The things they did to his magic…they punished him for his accidental magic, did I mention that? I didn't need to Legilimise those disgusting excuses for humans to discover that. The boy has a panic attack any time he exhibits harmless accidental magic. Do you know why? Because as a child, when he did the same thing all wizarding children do when he was scared or angry, they would lock him up and starve him. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

 

"If you think I am not utterly ashamed of myself, you have severely misjudged the situation," the Headmaster said heavily. “Do you think I wanted things to turn out this way, Severus? Do you think it brings me pleasure to discover all of this? I am just as disgusted as you are to learn this information. I had hoped Petunia would treat him like a second son, and I am bitterly disappointed!”

 

Dumbledore sounded angrier than Harry had ever heard him. He was normally so calm and serene, and the terrible edge to his voice made Harry shiver. It had also seemingly cowed Snape, and silence fell in the living room. Harry still didn't look up. He kept his face buried in his knees and clenched his hair in his fists so it tugged painfully at his scalp.

 

It was quite a while before someone spoke again. Dumbledore broke the silence. "Even if the wards were replaceable, I… I would not place him back there now, Severus. Not knowing what you've informed me. I simply wish you'd given me a little bit of time to work out a proper plan before destroying those wards. I don’t appreciate you going behind my back."

 

"I saw no alternative," Snape said. His voice sounded rather hollow. "We will never agree on how I handled this matter, Headmaster, so I think it best we simply drop it and look to the future to make these plans you speak of. You'll appreciate I intentionally did not inform the Ministry of this matter?"

 

"Indeed," Dumbledore said wearily. "And are you certain Vernon and Petunia will not mention relinquishing their rights to any questioning officials?"

 

"I believe I was rather…persuasive," Snape said eventually. "We'll face no trouble with them. At any rate, I doubt they would ever speak to a witch or wizard who showed up asking questions. Minerva and myself practically had to force our way in.”

 

Dumbledore sighed heavily and didn’t respond.

 

“Now, there is simply the matter of deciding Harry's future living arrangements."

 

"Indeed." Dumbledore made a slight humming noise. "And you're truly willing to take that on?"

 

"I believe I said as much earlier."

 

“But what if Lord Voldemort regains his powers?” Dumbledore queried. “Your role…”

 

“This, I think, is equally important.”

 

“True, true,” Dumbledore conceded. “Severus, I must admit I am confused. Your relationship with Harry is not exactly, ah… a close one, let’s say. Why are you suddenly so willing to look after him? I'd expect you to put up far more of a fight, not egg me on!”

 

“Things change,” Snape said shortly.

 

Dumbledore made a thoughtful sound, and Harry imagined him examining Snape over the tops of his half-moon spectacles.  “You’ve come to care for the boy, haven’t you Severus?”

 

“I think the answer to your question is rather obvious,” Snape said quietly. Harry felt a strange twinge in his chest. That almost sounded like a yes…

 

But it wasn’t.

 

“Well, I remember the promise you made me,” Dumbledore said softly. “I don’t doubt you would protect him with your life, if it came down to it.”

 

“Indeed I would.”

 

"And I want Minerva to regularly check in with Harry to make sure things are going smoothly if this is how we are going to go about things," Dumbledore said in a rather stern voice. "I am aware of the previous nature of your relationship, and if she even so much as suspects you're abusing your power over him -"

 

"Things between us have changed for good,” Snape interrupted. “That is really quite unnecessary."

 

"You've spent a quarter of an hour berating me for not doing my job properly for the last twelve years, so forgive me for wanting to do right by the boy for once."

 

"I won't fault you that, then, but let me assure you it will be an unnecessary precaution," Snape said.

 

"That is what I'm hoping." Dumbledore sighed again, a mournful sound. “Well…I suppose this is the most logical option. It’s rather late, so I shan’t stay and disrupt your night further, but we can iron out more of the details over the coming weeks, I suppose?”

 

“Yes, we can.”

 

"Severus…" Dumbledore sounded hesitant. "Do pass on my apologies to Harry for my part in what he has endured. I should have taken a closer look at precisely why he was so unhappy at Privet Drive instead of dismissing it. I have failed him."

 

"We've all failed him." Snape exhaled loudly.

 

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, so quietly that Harry had to strain his ears to hear. "I simply hope we can make up for it now."

 

"I am going to do my best, mark my words."

 

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said. Harry heard a shuffling noise. "I will not impose on you any longer. We shall speak soon."

 

"Goodnight, Headmaster." Harry heard the roaring sound that indicated the use of the Floo network. Dumbledore was gone.

 

Someone tugged aggressively on the sleeve of Harry's top. He finally looked up and saw Draco staring at him, wide-eyed, and pointing frantically in the direction of their room. Harry nodded numbly, got to his feet, and followed the other boy away from the landing. It was just in time, too; the golden beam of light started to grow wider as the living room door was opened, chasing their skittering feet. Harry and Draco both dove into their beds. Harry shut his eyes and pretended to be sleeping as Snape's footsteps made the ancient staircase groan. He was shaking terribly beneath the covers, and still felt like he could be sick at any moment.

 

The shuffle of Snape’s footsteps halted as he arrived upstairs, right in the doorway of their bedroom. Harry could hear the level sound of his breathing for a few moments before Snape quietly spoke. "I know both of you are awake, and that you both presumably listened to that conversation. I heard your footsteps as I came upstairs, and Harry, you're still wearing your glasses."

 

Harry winced.

 

"Both of you get up and come downstairs," Snape ordered. "We ought to discuss what you overheard…"

 

For once, Harry wasn't annoyed by the prospect of a chat with Snape. He had a lot of questions of his own, that much was certain.

 

As Harry stood up, he had to tightly grab onto the desk to steady himself as there was a strange rushing sensation in his ears. Once he regained his wits, he walked out of the room after Draco and realised Snape had watched this all unfold, his shadowed face frowning. He followed closely behind Harry as he walked down the stairs, like he was prepared to snatch him from the air if he lost his balance again.

 

It was the first time that Harry had seen Snape out of his typical black robes, or the very formal clothing he wore into the Muggle world. Dumbledore had obviously caught him by surprise, since Snape was instead wearing a dark green dressing gown over pyjamas. Well, it was late. As Harry and Draco sat down in the living room, he glanced up to the clock on the mantelpiece and realised it was half-past two.

 

"Draco, I am extraordinarily annoyed with you," Snape said tightly. "This is not the first time I have caught you listening in on things that are none of your business, and you know I do not care for it."

 

"Wasn't like you were trying to keep your voice down," Draco muttered.

 

"The majority of our conversation would have been inaudible if you had simply stayed put!" Snape said irritably. "It was none of your business, and you shouldn't have listened. And Harry." He turned to face him, face stern. "While we have not had an in-depth conversation about eavesdropping, I am certain you know it is something that would displease me?"

 

A hot wave of anger surged through Harry. "I don't care! It wasn't eavesdropping because you were talking about me, you prick!"

 

Suddenly, something on the mantelpiece shattered. Harry froze in place, his heart immediately speeding up. Snape slowly got out his wand and pointed it at the porcelain ornament which had split clean in two. "Reparo. Do you require a Calming Draught, Harry?"

 

"No," he said roughly. "I'm… I'm fine."

 

"If you begin to grow too upset, I will insist," Snape warned.

 

"I said I'm fine!" Harry hissed. "I'm just - well, obviously I'm a bit on edge, since you went and Legilimised my fucking relatives! How could you?!"

 

"If you continue to swear at me, I will count that as you growing too upset to continue," Snape said quietly. Harry bit down on his lip, struggling not to let loose another string of expletives. He was extraordinarily angry at that moment, and Snape’s unflappable calm was making him even more annoyed. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm down the loud pulsing in his ears.

 

“Yes, I used Legilimency upon the Dursleys,” Snape said. “It was not to be intentionally cruel, Harry. It was so I could determine precisely what had been done to you when Professor McGonagall and myself visited Privet Drive to finalise your removal from their custody. It was perfectly legal, you know.”

 

“That doesn’t matter!” Harry said loudly. “I didn’t want you to know all of it, Snape, it’s embarrassing!”

 

“There are many words I would use to describe what the Dursleys did to you, but embarrassing is not one of them.”

 

“Well it should be!” Harry shouted, his voice cracking. “You don’t understand!”

 

“Harry, it’s really not,” Draco said quietly.

 

“And you!” he whipped around to face Draco, who was looking rather concerned. “I didn’t want you knowing any of that, and now you do!”

 

“What are you annoyed at me for?” Draco demanded. “I’ve not done anything! I woke you up as soon as I realised they were talking about you and everything!”

 

“I’m annoyed because you’re going to tell everyone!” Harry shouted.

 

“No I’m not, you nitwit!” Draco hissed. “What kind of person do you think I am? I’m not going to tell people you live with abusive Muggles!”

 

Harry huffed. “Oh, sure, you’re saying that now, but the moment I do something you don’t like you’re going to spread it across the whole school, make fun of me again like you always do about my dead parents -”

 

“Oh, just shut up, Potter!” Draco shouted, jumping to his feet. “I’m not like that anymore, and if you think for a minute I’d tell people about that stuff you’re even more of a stupid little -”

 

“Gentlemen!” Snape bellowed. He got to his feet and placed himself in between Harry and Draco, his nostrils flaring. “Draco. This is hard enough for him without you making things worse. If you cannot pull yourself together, leave.”

 

“I’ll be fine,” Draco muttered, sitting back down.

 

“And you,” Snape said, turning back to Harry. “Take a deep breath and calm yourself down before I have to intervene. I want to explain what has happened tonight, and things will go a lot more smoothly if you stop shouting at everyone.”

 

Harry nodded and drew his knees close to his chest, which felt like it was being crushed by an iron press. Breathing was hard, and his heart was a stuttering drumbeat in his chest.

 

“And if it helps you feel any better, if you are not assured of Draco’s sincerity, if he even so much as breathes a word about the Dursleys to anyone at Hogwarts, I will personally make sure he lives to regret it for the rest of his sorry life.” Snape shot a withering glare at Draco, who shrank back slightly.

 

“I’m really not going to tell anyone,” he said again, voice soft and uncertain.

 

“I’ll believe that when I see it, Malfoy,” Harry muttered, glaring at the other boy.

 

“Draco,” Snape corrected him sharply. “My rules still stand - no more last names. Now, would you like for me to explain what you overheard?”

 

“Yeah.” Harry rubbed his arms to try and press away the goosebumps and looked up at Snape. “I… I really don’t have to go back?”

 

“Never.”

 

Harry nodded jerkily, an odd lump in his throat. He felt a burning behind his eyes and tried to hide his face. Harry would not cry in front of Draco. Absolutely not.

 

“And - and I’m living with you, then?” he whispered.

 

“Yes,” Snape said. “And I don’t want a fuss about staying with Weasley or Granger. I know you may dislike me, but the Headmaster only wants someone who is sufficiently magically capable, and I am the only one who meets these requirements, so -”

 

“I wasn’t going to complain.”

 

“Oh.” Snape stopped speaking, and seemed to deflate slightly. He looked surprised. “Well, I’m glad you’re able to see things that way.”

 

Harry nodded, and leaned his head against the side of the sofa, feeling too weary to hold it up on his own. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about living with Snape, in all honesty, but he at least knew it was certainly a far sight better than staying with the Dursleys. Unless Snape reverted back to the way he usually acted, that was…

 

“Now, you may have picked up on the fact that this arrangement is… quite hushed up,” Snape said hesitantly. “Your fame and status complicates matters. If you were removed from the Dursleys’ custody through the mainstream government channels, the Ministry for Magic might try to take over your custody. I’m sure you can imagine the undesirable implications of such a situation…”

 

“Yeah.” Harry shivered. He had a sudden vision of himself sitting on a stage in front of a hundred witches and wizards, all bidding for his custody like eager buyers at an auction.

 

“The Dursleys agreed to sign away their guardianship rights to me in exchange for our silence in regard to their treatment of you.” Snape’s lip curled into a sneer. “There is no statute of limitations on their crimes, however, so if you wished to have them prosecuted, your opportunity has not passed you by. You simply need to wait until you’re of age and out of the Ministry’s potential reach.”

 

“Prosecute?” Harry said numbly. His ears were ringing again. “Like - like they could actually get in trouble?”

 

“A topic for a different day, I believe,” Snape said quickly, “but yes. For now, I must impress upon you - both of you - how important it is to keep my guardianship of Harry quiet. The Headmaster has some tricks up his sleeve in case this little arrangement becomes public knowledge, but things will be significantly simpler if the two of you do not mention this custodial situation to anyone.”

 

“Who am I even going to tell?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you forgetting about how everyone hates me now?”

 

Harry turned back to Snape, alarmed. “Er - sir. I…I already sent letters to Ron and Hermione and told them I was staying here with you. I’m really sorry, I -”

 

Harry stopped speaking as Snape held up a hand and pursed his lips. “I suppose that’s…acceptable. They’re capable of keeping a secret?”

 

“Oh, yeah, definitely.”

 

“It’s fine for them to know, then. They are your closest friends, after all. I simply request you keep the matter quiet from any of your other…Gryffindor compatriots.” Snape’s lip curled up ever so slightly.

 

“I won’t tell them,” Harry promised.

 

“And Draco?”

 

“Don’t have anyone to tell,” he said again with a shrug.

 

“Good. Ensure the two of you keep it that way,” Snape said. “Now Draco, tomorrow morning, you will be doing lines as punishment for eavesdropping.”

 

Draco scowled. “But Severus -”

 

“Don’t,” Snape said sharply. “Harry, consider this a final warning. Do not listen in on my private conversations again.”

 

“Or what?” Harry muttered. “You’ll hide the fact you prodded around in my private business?”

 

Snape sighed very loudly. “As a matter of fact, I was going to tell you everything tomorrow morning. Don’t accuse me of lying,” he said sharply as Harry opened his mouth to protest. “I was going to tell you everything in regard to your circumstances. I simply needed to consult with the Headmaster first to properly confirm where you were going to be living after I destroyed those blood wards. I wasn’t entirely certain he wouldn’t dispute my newly-acquired guardianship of you once he found out what I did. I didn’t want to throw your entire life into chaos without telling you how things would end up.”

 

“Sorry, but what exactly are these blood wards everyone’s going on about?” Draco asked irritably, crossing his arms.

 

Snape hesitated for a moment. “This is once again completely confidential, Draco, and I am only telling you this because I think you are more likely to respect my need for silence with more information.” Draco nodded and leaned forwards slightly as Snape continued. “When Lily - when Harry’s mother died for him, a powerful, protective blood magic empowered by her love for him came into being. This is what allowed Harry to deflect the Killing Curse when the Dark Lord tried to kill him all those years ago, and it continues to protect him to this day. The Dark Lord cannot touch Harry without experiencing incredible pain and potential death.”

 

Draco’s face lit up with fascination. “That kind of magic is incredible! Especially when you consider that she was - well, nevermind. But Severus, you broke it?”

 

“Not entirely,” Snape said, raising one hand to his chin. “The Headmaster cast some spells, and he believes there is still a degree of this protection in Harry’s blood despite the removal of the wards at Privet Drive. It is now dormant, though. We don’t know what would happen if Harry came into contact with the Dark Lord.”

 

“Why would you destroy these wards if they were so important?” Draco asked bemusedly.

 

“It was, in all honesty, quite accidental,” Snape said with a grimace. “It was never my intention to destroy the wards when I arrived in Surrey. See, they rely on Harry considering Privet Drive his home, and require Harry’s aunt to be willing to provide him a place to stay. Petunia and myself had, ah… an exchange, shall we say, and it undid the protections on her house before I realised what was happening. Harry… well, he never had a close relationship with his aunt.”

 

“She hates me,” Harry chimed in helpfully.

 

Draco looked rather like he was sucking on a lemon. “I mean - but you’re family! Surely she doesn’t hate you -”

 

“Oh, yes she does,” Harry said darkly. “You overheard everything about my life with them, didn’t you? But trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

 

“Due to this strained relationship, it was very easy for these wards to be destroyed, far easier than I expected,” Snape said. “But I believe it was worth it. There is no point in trying to protect someone from external dangers when they are just at risk from the dangers within.”

 

Harry cringed. By now, Draco looked utterly appalled as the pieces began to come together. “So those bruises… they were from - Harry, I - I had no idea it was -”

 

“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped, glowering at Draco. “I don’t want your pity, so don’t you dare start -”

 

“Alright, alright! I just - I won’t tell anyone, okay?” Draco said in a small voice, shuffling in his seat. “I know you don’t believe me, but - I just really won’t. I promise.”

 

“Draco, why don’t you go back upstairs?” Snape suggested. “I need to speak to Harry alone, and it is extraordinarily late.”

 

“Er - alright, then.” Draco got to his feet and headed towards the door. He stopped just short of leaving and turned around to stare at Harry, expression pained and shocked. It was too unbearable for Harry to look at his face for too long so he stared at the floor instead, and refused to look up until Draco’s footsteps restarted.

 

As he began walking upstairs, Snape got to his feet and firmly shut the living room door. “That should take care of that. I apologise, Harry. I would have taken more precautions against prying, but the Headmaster admittedly caught me by surprise, and I had a lot on my mind.”

 

“Well, it wouldn’t have been a problem if we weren’t listening in,” Harry reluctantly admitted.

 

“Indeed,” Snape said, “although I do appreciate that Draco was the ringleader in the situation.”

 

“He probably was going to find out eventually.” Harry pulled a face. “Since we’re… living together now.”

 

“Do you now see why I am so insistent on the two of you trying to get on?” Snape asked, sitting back down and propping his elbows on his knees. “You have a fair few summers ahead of you, which you’ll be spending together. They will be far more bearable if the two of you simply drop this animosity.”

 

“I mean…he’s not that terrible,” Harry said reluctantly. “When we do football and Monopoly and stuff, I don’t mind him that much. It’s just the other stuff I have a problem with, you know?”

 

“Of course.” Snape nodded. “I am doing my utmost to make him change that.”

 

“I know.” Harry buried his face in his hands and groaned. “I wish he didn’t know. Oh my God…”

 

“He will behave with appropriate discretion, of that I can guarantee you.”

 

“But I still wish none of it happened,” Harry said miserably. “I don’t want anyone to know.”

 

“Unfortunately, Harry, you must simply accept that this is the reality of your situation.”

 

He stayed silent, face hidden. Malfoy, knowing about the Dursleys? It made Harry’s skin crawl. He’d only known a little about them before, and that had been enough for particularly hurtful comments in his verbal arsenal.

 

  “Those filthy Muggles you call a family threw you out, didn’t they, Potter?!” 

 

  “I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they’re not wanted at home…”

 

Harry grimaced.

 

“He may be able to understand more than you’d think,” Snape ventured.

 

He scoffed. “How could he possibly understand? His parents adore him. He can’t get it.”

 

“A parent can love a child, but that doesn’t always stop them from hurting their child,” Snape said softly. “And the Malfoys have hurt Draco, even though they care for him. For instance, the circumstances of their arrest were… traumatic for him, to say the least. And would you not agree that being raised in an environment that promotes the bigotry he believes is unhealthy, even if he doesn’t realise it?”

 

“I guess,” Harry said slowly. He supposed that Snape had a point there - the Malfoys had taught Draco terrible things, even though they loved him, and that had to do some damage.

 

He supposed it was a bit like Dudley’s relationship with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They gave Dudley everything that he wanted and let him get away with murder so he’d turned into a spoiled bully. Even though they loved him, they were still hurting him.

 

“It reminds me of my cousin and Uncle Vernon,” Harry decided to confess, finally looking up. “I never looked up to Uncle Vernon because he’s… well, him, but I know Dudley does because they actually like each other, even though Uncle Vernon’s really not an ideal role model. It’s sort of the same with Draco and his father, isn’t it? And all of his family seems to be in Azkaban for something - he was telling me how he’s related to Sirius Black earlier. Does he have anyone to look up to in his family who isn’t in prison for some sort of terrible crime?”

 

“Draco’s aunt, Andromeda Tonks, is his only close relative who isn’t incarcerated or dead,” Snape said heavily.

 

Harry exhaled loudly. “Wow.”

 

“You two have a lot more similarities than you’d think when it comes to these matters,” Snape said. “Simply give him a chance, and he may be far more understanding about your family situation than you might expect.”

 

He shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

 

Snape didn’t respond, and Harry sunk back into the sofa cushions, feeling rather weighed down. He was still struggling to grapple with the fact that he was going to be living here, with Snape and Draco, and that was just it. No more Dursleys. He couldn’t actually believe this was happening. He’d just sort of assumed that Snape was going to get him away from them and then wash his hands of Harry.

 

But now Harry was living with him. What did that even mean? How would it all work?

 

“Sir…I’m confused.”

 

Snape inclined his head, and Harry ploughed on. “Look. You - you have to put up with me just because Dumbledore stuck you with me originally, okay? I know you hate me, and you shouldn’t get forced into living with me just because there isn’t anyone else around who might. I’m not your problem.”

 

Snape made a slightly strangled noise. “Harry, let me make one thing crystal clear. I do not hate you. Not anymore. Far from it, in fact.” He got up from his armchair and moved across the room so he was sitting next to Harry on the sofa. “I am not being forced into this in any way, shape or form. The Headmaster may be one extraordinarily powerful wizard, but he could not compel me to do this if I did not want to. In fact, as I presume you overheard, I had to quite vociferously argue him into the arrangement.”

 

“I just - I have so many problems, and I don’t think that you should have to deal with it -”

 

“Harry. Look at me.” Harry slowly raised his head and looked into Snape’s eyes. They were blazing with a fierce conviction. “I have seen everything the Dursleys did to you, and that does not change a thing. You can and will live with me, and I am going to help you through this. I give you my word.”

 

Harry looked away, the lump in his throat practically choking him, and tried to blink back the tears that had welled in his eyes. He didn’t want Snape to see them.

 

“I hope one day you will learn to trust me.”

 

Harry tensed. “I - I don’t not trust you -”

 

“Don’t lie to me. You don’t trust me…” Snape sighed, his shoulders slumping. “You never mentioned the cupboard, after all.”

 

Harry dug his nails into his palms. “That - I don’t talk about that to anyone. Not even Ron and Hermione, and they already know some of it. You - don’t you understand it’s difficult?”

 

There was a long silence. After a moment, Harry chanced a look at Snape’s face and noticed some of the pain on his features slowly fade into nothingness, to be replaced with the blank, slack expression of Occlumency.

 

“You’re right,” Snape said finally. “It is difficult. But you need to try and talk about it, for your sake. If not with me, then with Professor McGonagall, or one of your friends. Just someone.”

 

“I…I will try,” Harry said. “It just might take some time.”

 

“These things often do.”

 

“Um…the cupboard was why I said the stuff I did about Professor McGonagall not caring the other day,” Harry mumbled. “My Hogwarts letter was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs. Since she signed it and all, I sort of assumed she knew.”

 

Snape tutted. “Harry, Minerva does not individually address those letters. She has a spell that does it for her.”

 

“Oh.” Harry pressed his lips together, suddenly filled with extraordinarily powerful guilt. He shouldn’t have assumed that about Professor McGonagall, he supposed. Harry still forgot how much witches and wizards relied on magic.

 

“This is why it can be helpful to talk about these things, you realise,” Snape said, tapping a finger against his leg. “You can dispel misconceptions you didn’t even realise you had.”

 

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He knew Snape was right, of course. As irritating as Snape’s forceful talks could be, they’d already taught Harry a thing or two. He’d learnt things about the Dursleys and himself he’d always considered to be normal just weren’t, and he wouldn’t have figured that out by himself.

 

Like it or not, Snape had helped him. Nothing could change that.

 

“I was really going to tell you,” Harry said softly. “About the… the, um…”

 

“The cupboard?” Snape prompted.

 

Harry pulled a face and nodded. He hadn’t been able to force the words through, for some reason.

 

“I did sense that there was something you were keeping from me,” Snape sighed.

 

“I kept trying to say but I just couldn’t, you know? Sorry.”

 

“You don’t need to apologise for that!” Snape said exasperatedly. “Merlin’s beard…”

 

Harry stared at the ground and didn’t respond, feeling rather depleted.

 

“The fact that they did that, when there were two perfectly good bedrooms -” Snape made an angry growling noise at the back of his throat. “Petunia truly is a spiteful old shrew.”

 

Harry didn’t disagree. “They moved me into Dudley’s second bedroom eventually, at least.”

 

This answer did not seem to please Snape, whose expression turned into an all-out snarl. “Needless to say, nothing of that nature will ever happen in my house, do you understand me?”

 

Harry nodded, and wrapped his arms around himself. He just couldn’t believe Snape had actually seen it. Every time Harry thought about it he got cold all over, like he’d just walked through a Hogwarts ghost.

 

Snape glanced towards the clock and winced. “Unless there’s anything you’d like to talk about immediately, perhaps it would be best for you to go to bed, and save the rest of this discussion for tomorrow. It’s almost three - you must be exhausted.”

 

Harry nodded, and slowly got to his feet, relieved they didn’t have to talk about this anymore for now. “Right. Okay.”

 

He started walking to the door, but stopped when Snape cleared his throat. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

 

Harry almost immediately responded with a no, but stopped himself moments before the words left his mouth. He didn’t know if he exactly trusted Snape yet, but he still had something he needed to say.

 

“I just…I want to say thank you,” he said finally. “I know you had your issues with my dad, but you’ve helped me anyway. No one else tried this hard to get me away from the Dursleys.” He swallowed hard. “And you did, even though I’ve been really fighting you on it, so…thanks.”

 

“I don’t need your thanks,” Snape said stiffly. “It’s the least any adult could do for a child in your situation.”

 

“Yes, but…just thanks anyway, sir.”

 

Snape stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know, if you’re living with me on a more permanent basis, perhaps Draco has a point about you calling me Severus. Would you be willing to give that a go?”

 

“Er…okay. Thank you, S-Severus.” Harry pulled a face. That felt completely and utterly wrong to say, and he was never going to do it again. Nope, never.

 

Snape, shockingly enough, smiled. It was thin and strangled, but still present. “We’ll work on it, I suppose. Goodnight, Harry.”

 

He nodded and finally left the living room, allowing the misery to fully spread across his face once the gloom hid his features. As Harry slipped back into his bedroom, he noticed Draco had fallen asleep on top of the covers. It looked like he had been waiting up to speak to Harry, but he’d been downstairs in the living room with Snape for too long.

 

Harry could not imagine calling him Severus. Ugh.

 

He laid back on his own bed - his bed for good, now, from what Snape was saying. Harry really couldn’t believe he was actually staying here. With Snape and Draco. Forever. He thought it should horrify him more than it did…

 

Harry knew his basis for judgement was skewed. He’d grown up with the Dursleys, after all, and they had been admittedly awful. Almost anybody would look good by comparison. He’d never have chosen to get stuck with Snape as a guardian, but all things considered, he hadn’t been utterly unbearable so far this summer. He was weirdly paranoid about mass-murderers, and he lost his temper and shouted sometimes, but compared to the Dursleys, he was practically a saint. Harry knew intellectually that none of this was ideal, but as far as things went in his life, this wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen to him. After all, Snape seemed pretty hell-bent on helping him, even when Harry didn’t have it in him to help himself. As hard as it was to admit, maybe he needed that.

 

But Harry just didn’t know for certain that everything would be alright. Snape obviously didn’t want this. After all, he’d been forced into it by Dumbledore originally! Just because he was saying he was willing to do it now didn’t mean he was telling the truth…

 

And from the sounds of things, Snape was only becoming Harry’s guardian because he was the only one qualified to do the job. The same had been true for Aunt Petunia - she was the only one who could make the blood wards work, so she was forced to take Harry in. She had hated every second of it, and had made that perfectly clear for his entire childhood. Snape would surely grow to resent this as much as Harry’s aunt had, and everything would switch. Life here would be just as bad as life at Privet Drive if he just gave it time, only this time, he wouldn’t have an escape through Hogwarts like he’d had with the Dursleys.

 

Unless Snape washed his hands of Harry, of course. That option was still far too likely.

 

He pulled the duvet over his head, suddenly overcome by the urge to hide from the world. Why did everything have to be so complicated?