Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master stalked down the hallway with a forbidding glare as the kids scattered out of his way. He stopped at the Gargoyle guarding the Headmaster’s office and with obvious distaste spit out “Twizzlers” through clenched teeth.

The potions master stepped onto the revolving staircase and as soon as the gargoyle closed behind him he immediately relaxed. The children of Hogwarts, indeed the Wizarding world as a whole would have been shocked at the sparkle in the mans midnight eyes and the small curving upwards at the corners of his lips as he walked through the office door to meet the twinkling eyes of the man he considered to be almost a father to him.

“You want to see me sir?” Severus asked as he took a seat in front of the cluttered desk.

“Indeed I did my boy, indeed I did. Tea? Lemon Drop?” Albus smiled at his staff member.

“Tea please, although I do not know why you insist on offering me those atrocious candies, Albus. When you know good and well I will never take one.” Severus commented, the humor in his voice clearly heard. Just as he would never take a lemon drop Albus would never stop offering them, He’d even offered one to the Dark Lord during his first reign. This memory caused Severus to give a soft snort as he accepted the tea cup passed to him.

Albus Dumbledore raised his eyebrow at the clear amusement Severus seemed to be experiencing.

“Just remembering another Slytherin and his response when you offered HIM a lemon drop” Severus stated with a grin.

“Ah yes Mr. Riddle, as I remember, was less then amused at my offer to share my sweets with him.” He chuckled then clapping his hands together and leaning forward said “well lets get onto business shall we my boy. I’ve an answer from the ministry concerning your most recent application for custody of our young Harry.”

The younger man immediately sat up straighter with only the barest twinkle of hope shinning in his eyes. He had applied for full custody of his son every three months for the last three and a half years as Wizarding law allowed. The Ministry despite the fact that he was the boy’s biological father always refused him. It would be even harder to hear a negative answer now as his son’s fifth birthday was just a couple of months away.

“They’ve offered you visitation with Harry” Albus said.

“Finally! Something other than no and to think it only took three years hopefully it won’t take that long for me to get full custody.” Severus stated relieved that this time it wasn’t a straight out no.

“Severus, they are offering this with the condition that you stop applying for full custody. If you refuse to stop they will not allow the visits.”

“What? No! No this is my Son Albus. My baby, the only part of James I have left and they want me to just leave him where he is with out fighting for him? No. I want full custody of Harry. I want my son!” Severus ended on a near shout having already shot to his feet during his rant.

Albus stood and approached the irate man in front of his desk. He placed a pale weathered hand on the taller mans shoulder. “Severus I have argued with them to give you custody every time your application has come through the Wizengamont. They do not feel with your past that you are an acceptable parent for Harry. They consider your application nothing more then an annoyance they must deal with every three months. It has taken me three and a half years of arguing and trading favors to get you this much.” Albus state as he sat in the chair next to the one his potion master has vacated.

“Please sit Severus. I know this is not what you hoped for. But this is the best I could do” the older man said with a sigh.

“What exactly are they offering for visitation?” Severus asked his mentor quietly as he once again took his seat.

They have offered to let you have visitation every other weekend. As well as ten days during winter break and five during spring.” Albus answered.

“What about summers?” The dark haired man asked in resignation. He knew that Albus was right. This was the best he was going to get and if he didn’t take the offer then he would not see his son until the child turned 11 and came to Hogwarts.

“Six weeks every summer. There was some mumbling about stopping that once he began Hogwarts since you would have much more access to him. But I put a stop to that and insisted that you be allowed to keep the summers in exchange for not getting the winter and spring breaks.” Albus finished quite proud of himself.

“You gave up my holidays with my son to keep my summer visitation? What kind of negotiation is that? Why did you not just insist that nothing change when he comes to Hogwarts?” Severus asked slightly miffed that he would lose some of his time with his son once he started school.

“Harry can simply choose to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, Severus. Something I dare say the other members of the council didn’t think about when I suggested it. I think they just believed I was bargaining to keep the larger block of time.” Albus said as he patted the young mans knee before standing up and walking around his desk. “Now where did I put those papers…? Ahh yes, here they are.” Albus handed out a stack of papers. “You’ll have to sign these accepting the condition placed on the offer of visitation.”

Severus reached out and took the stack of parchments before meeting the headmasters eyes. “This really is the best I can hope for isn’t it?”

“I am afraid so my son, but it is better then being denied him all together is it not?”

“Yes, yes it is.” Severus stated before reaching out and taking a quill from the headmaster’s desk to sign the papers.

Albus watched on as one of the worlds leading potion masters signed papers that would mean the end of his dream of raising his son in the house that he and James had purchased together to do that very thing.

When Severus finished signing the papers he handed them to Albus and said “Thank you for fighting for me… for us, Albus.” Severus then turned and headed out the door. He didn’t hear Albus Dumbledore’s whispered words “Always, my boy. I will always fight for you.”