With little recollection of going to sleep, Severus suddenly awoke in an unfamiliar bed surrounded by a room he did not recognize.

Before panic could settle in, his obsidian gaze noticed that the room to belonged in St. Mungo's, though he didn't have a clue as to how or why he had woken in such a place.

It wasn't a very large room and consisted of two beds, a small table between them, and a wooden chair on the other side of the room. To his left, Severus saw a pale curtain hiding the exteriors of the window, and to his right...was a rather unnatural and entirely unwelcome sight.

Harry Potter was on his back with cream-coloured sheets covering his body, which mirrored how Severus was in his own bed. He could not detect any obviously injuries and that visual fact only added to the concerning mystery of why they were at the magical hospital.

The boy was asleep but was stirring slightly as Severus looked away and tried to work out what had happened.

The teenager's eyes flew open and his wide gaze darted around the strange room as Harry wondered what was going on and where he was. Upon spotting his hated professor in the other bed, a frown formed on the Gryffindor's face as he had the urge to leave as soon as he could talk to someone familiar who could explain his own confusion.

'Wh-?' Harry gasped his feeble attempt at a question when the other man suddenly raised a hand in warning, effectively silencing the boy.

Snape's alarmed stare was a very worrying sight for Harry to observe in the expression of a usually flawlessly reserved and calm man. Following Snape's line of focus, Harry looked over at the occupant that sat in the only chair in the entire room.

A woman with red hair falling about her face was seated with her head slumped forward as she slept in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position.

Her facial features were mostly hidden from sight by her hair and the brief shadows of the dimly lit room; Harry couldn't even guess at who she might be and wondered why she had captured Snape's attention so profoundly.

Looking over at his professor, Harry had an unsettling feeling that Snape did know this person as there was a sense of recognition and caution about the way the man eyed her.

Severus made a move to leave his bed but growled when he became aware of the invisible but strong spell that was in place to ensure that he did not leave the bed or set foot on the likely cold floor below.

Sitting upright, Severus reached his hand towards the table where he spotted his wand; a gasp from the woman in the chair caused his movements to freeze as Severus nervously turned to look at her.

She yawned and stretched with a slight wince before her bright, emerald eyes lifted from the floor and trailed over to the bed where she noticed that both of the other occupants in the room were now awake.

'Harry!' Lily exclaimed and rushed to the boy's side.

The teenager had realized who she was and loosely accepted the tight, warm embrace from the woman as an expression of disbelief, hope and shock filled his features.

Severus snatched his wand and ended the charm in which had previously prevented his escape from the too-soft bed.

Wary of any injuries he may have, Severus slowly slid into standing position on the floor and felt confident when no pain coursed through him, though he felt a little weakened and unnaturally calm.

Staring down at the hospital attire he wore, Severus quickly transfigured it into his usual robes and looked over at the other bed again.

He focused on the impossible and somewhat envious sight of Lily hugging her only son. Severus tensed and cast numerous spells at her with the intention of finding out who this impostor was.

'Severus Snape!' Lily turned around quickly and frowned at him, causing him to pause for a moment and take a step backwards in reaction.

'That is no way to treat your wife who has missed and worried about you for months, is it?' She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him.

 Behind her, Harry made a choking sound at the word “wife” and tried to shake such a think from his mind, convinced that he'd heard it wrong.

That word had a different impact on Severus, who had not been expecting such a thing that he had though to only exist in the deepest, most guarded sections of his imagination; the shock of it caused him to actually drop his wand.

'Mum?' Harry swallowed and decided to pretend away Snape as much as he could while only focusing on the woman.

'Are you r-real?' He struggled to ask and ignored the snort that came from Snape nearby.

The man had resumed his spell-casting, though a tad more discreetly this time.

'Of course it's me.' Lily said with worry marking her features. She waved her wand at Severus to shield herself from further magical assessments.

'What has gotten into you pair?' She asked

Her enthusiasm towards the fact that they had awoken was replaced with concern and uncertainty. Both Severus and Harry felt guilty at this as though her unhappy gaze alone was enough for them to be held responsible for it.

Severus watched her for a moment and mused over the well-known fact that he would normally lunge at the person who dared to pretend to be Lily, in a fit of justified rage with his wand held at the throat, yet he could only glare at the person who had been so near him with that face and voice.

He'd have cursed that impostor for so much of breathing near he boy Severus had sworn to protect, and yet...he couldn't. Those ineffective revealing spells he had cast moments earlier was all his mind could comprehend with, because something wasn't right.

'Sir?' Harry stared as Snape swayed and looked a bit disorientated.

The woman who looked like his mother but couldn't possibly be so, had clearly cast a hovering spell on the man to make sure Snape landed on the bed rather then the floor.

'Who are you?' Harry watched the woman once he was sure Snape was unharmed, though he didn't know why he cared so much for the greasy git's wellbeing.

He wished with prayers and hope that this woman was real and somehow – even though Dumbledore had always said it wasn't possible – his mother had been returned to him.

The door to the small room opened and an aging wizard walked inside. He had his wand in one hand and was spelling diagnostics as he entered before he took a chance to look over his patients more thoroughly.

Severus was on his side, glaring at everyone in the room, and Harry sat still as he was emotional but tried very hard to remain otherwise.

'They do not believe it is really me.' Lily told the healer with a sad sigh.

'Memory loss and profound confusion is a common side-effect of what they had been through as well as the medications in which aided their recovery.' Healer Johnson nodded to her as he approached the boys more formally.

'What do you remember?' He asked them.

Harry frowned as he had not though upon anything before he had woken and now that he was asked to tell it, he wasn't really sure how they had gotten to this point.

He recalled the events of his third year at Hogwarts that led to saving Sirius...and that was bout it. Right up until the moment in which Sirius had flown into the sky on the similarly-rescued hippogriff, Harry could not remember anything beyond that point.

Worried, Harry looked over at Snape and hoped that his hated professor might have more information to share. A man like Snape would surely know what was going on or how they ha ended up in a place that Harry could only assume to be a magical hospital.

Yet, Snape appeared as lost as Harry did and remained just as silent.

'It is the beginning of July, 1994.' Johnson explained.

While he spoke, Lily returned to the chair she had been resting in and sank against it; she was very tired and still anxious about the situation.

'At the end of November last year, you and three other students were seen on the grounds of Hogwarts late at night.' Johnson said to Harry.

'You were apparently chasing a rat – now known to be escaped convict, Peter Pettigrew – into the forest and confronted a werewolf.' He said with disapproval.

Harry and Severus tried to pretend that this information wasn't new to them; in a way it wasn't as they knew most of the tale, yet certain details were quite different.

Johnson said it had occurred in November rather then many months later. They also wondered who the third student was as it had only been Ron and Hermione alongside Harry that night. Plus, the location had been the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade for the most part instead of the forest (though Harry said nothing about the time traveling aspect in which id involve Hermione and himself hiding out there while they waited for the opportune moment).

'Aurors James Potter and Sirius Black arrived at the scene to capture the dangerous criminal.' Johnson continued, earning a collective gasp from Harry and a growl from Severus at that news.

'I believe Harry convinced them to uphold their duty of justice rather than...the alternative.' The healer shook his head; he had heard how close the Aurors had been to killing Pettigrew before Harry stepped in with the suggestion of taking Pettigrew to the castle instead.

'Severus, I was told that you had been visiting the castle at the time. You must have heard the commotion on your way across the grounds, because you hurried to provide assistance in the situation.' Johnson turned to his other patient.

He failed to notice the deepened frown from the man (Severus...help Potter and Black? Not likely), and the way Harry rolled his eyes (sure, Snape was going to “help”...yeah right).

'I don't know much more part from the crucial fact that Dementors had swooped down on everyone shortly after. I was told it was a number in the near hundreds. Harry, James and Sirius had worked together to get rid of them while Severus prevented Pettigrew from escaping.' The Healer glanced at Lilly, who nodded in agreement to what had been said of those events.

'Two hours later I rushed to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing at the urgent request of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.' Johnson added. 'He said that the pair of you had collapsed from an unknown cause.' He said to Harry and Severus.

'We were unable to wake either of you and could only determine that whatever had caused your states of unconsciousness had something to do with the linking of your minds, perhaps an occurrence connected to the Dementors attack – few have survived such an onslaught from those creatures and therefore we had little to go by and were out of our depth in knowledge.' He sighed.

'In the end, we had no choice but to wait to see if either of you would wake up on your own. From what I can tell, you're both perfectly healthy and there are no lingering consequences from your ordeals.' Johnson said in a baffled tone.

'Perhaps you simply required time in which to heal?'

Severus, having found his strength again (why was it that he felt so sluggish if he was “perfectly healthy”, huh?), sat upright and frowned deeply at the healer. He shook his head and refused to believe anything he was being told.

'I have no memory of such events in which you have detailed.' Severus said.

'You have been misinformed. I am the Potions Master at Hogwarts and this brat is the son of Lily and James Potter.'

He ignored the inhale of breath from the woman he still deemed to be nothing more nor less than a cruel attempt of trickery.

'It's true.' Harry jumped into the conversation. 'When I as a baby, my parents were killed by Voldemort.'

He agreed with Snape for the first time in his life. And right now the man's unhappy presence was the only thing in which Harry was familiar with and knew how to deal with.

'Voldemort killed my dad and then tried to kill me, but mum refused to stand aside.' Harry ducked his head to avoid the tearful expression from the woman who looked just like his photos; it hurt him too much to see it.

'He killed her too and I somehow survived.' Harry sighed. 'I ended up with th Dursleys.' Harry frowned but was determined to tell them the truth of things to help understand why everything seemed so off.

'I didn't even know I was a wizard until Hagrid rescu-erm, I mean, gave me my letter.' Harry felt Snape watching him carefully and stopped talking as he blushed about almost slipping how he had been stuck on rock with his crazy relatives because Hagrid had come to save him.

He also didn't think his mum would want to hear those things, even if she might not be his real mother.

'He was sorted into Gryffindor and has been disrespectfully causing trouble ever since.' Severus finished.

'I have not!' Harry protested and didn't want to look bad in front of those in the room, apart from his annoying professor, of course, who didn't seem capable of thinking otherwise.

'I just...it seems to follow me around.' He blushed at what his own his ears perceived as a pathetic sounding alternative to what Snape had said of him, however true it may mostly be.

'Have you ever heard of a Djinn?' Johnson broke the silence with his serious question once the pair had finished their brief explanations.

'A...what?' Harry stared at the healer.

'It is a creature of muggle myth.' Severus answered and was glad to ignore the boy further.

'Muggles once feared that it had the power to place them into a deep sleep in which they would be unaware of merely dreaming of the lives they had longed for. They thought to have no realization to the falsehood, all whilst the creature slowly drained their blood over a period several days.'

'Gross.' Harry pulled a face.

'Yes, that is what their myth says.' Johnson nodded. 'It was brought about by own own kind, actually; though the creature itself does not exist, there is a spell in which mimics what they thought the Djinn capable of. There are two varieties: Either it does as the myth said – place a person into a seep sleep where they dream of the life they had always wished for, or it does the opposite – force a magical coma in which the victim dreams of losing those they love the very most and are forced to live without them.' He nodded.

'It appears as though you have both experienced the latter.'

'But I remember my life up until now.' Harry only found this new information to make things more confusing than they had been before. 'How can all that be possible?'

'Because the magical coma can fade your current memories and replace them with recollections of a life you never even lived.' Johnson explained.

Lily was silently watching the scene as he spoke, and Severus mentally struggled over the possibilities handed to his logic and thought process.

'It has been seven months since the spell was cast, likely from one of the most dangerous and desperate of the Dementors, and each month was two years in your minds, which had somehow become linked and therefore you both endured the loss of someone familiar while being haunted by the very person responsible: Voldemort.' The healer said.

'You are both fine now that you have awoken and the spell has worn off, if it was indeed the cause.' He added. 'You may each go home whenever you wish. From here onwards it will be an adjustment period and I'm confident that everything will fall back into place once you're surrounded by something more familiar and personal then a hospital ward.' Johnson smiled.

The healer glanced over at Lily and requested a word with her, which she agreed to and complied. Harry and Severus watched the pair eave the room while they tried to comprehend what the healer had told them.

The teenager gasped when – with such speed Harry couldn't have imagined – Snape was suddenly at his bedside and glaring down at him.

'This is mere possibility, Potter.' Severus warned the hopeful boy. 'None of this may be real either. For now we are required to play along with this absurdity until such a time in which further information can be uncovered.'

'Yes, sir.' Harry nodded.

He didn't care about any of that; as long as he had his mother and a home, so what if it was fake? As long as he could stay there for as long as he liked, of course. Harry also knew it would be loads better if Snape wasn't around as well and wished the man would just go away.

'Hang on,' Harry gulped. 'Mum said you-you were...her-' He shook his head with anger. 'No, she's my mother!'

Harry had no intention of sharing his regained parent with the greasy git he hated. Snape would just ruin things. Besides, his father and Sirius were around somewhere too and Harry wanted to get to know them better but knew Snape hated them as well.

Severus said nothing as such a fact of being Lily's husband had already reformed in his mind; here, in this place, he was married to Lily – something he had always wanted.

Yet there was the major aspect in which he had never factored into his imagination as he glared down at the boy for a moment.

'Yes, Potter.' Severus smirked in an effort to cloak his own annoyances and shock, giving off the delusion that he was as calm as always. Which wasn't true...he was never calm.

'However, you shall have to deal with it because like it or not...we are a family.' Severus enjoyed the look of horror on the boy's face as the teenager also picked up on the fact that the marriage also meant that Harry was a Snape.

Even as a shudder at having such a brat as his son, threatened his composure, Severus couldn't help noticing how foreign the word “family” had sounded when he'd voiced it.

There was the presence of brief sympathy as Severus looked down at Harry for a moment and realized that it was something they both no longer had, but had longed for with the same redheaded witch that was no conversing nearby. Both boy and man had lost her at the hand of Voldemort and been marked...

'Ack!' Harry flinched when he saw Snape's hand reach for him out of nowhere.

He fought back the urge to defend himself once the teenager realized that he wasn't being attacked. For a very fleeting moment, the Gryffindor could only sit frozen as Snape's oddly soft and warm hand reached to Harry's forehead.

'It is gone.' Severus simply stated and withdrew his hand from the boy's fringe.

'What is?' Harry panicked as he felt his head for something that was missing.

Clutching the handhold mirror Snape had just conjured, Harry peered into it and moved his hair around to find what the man had seen.

It was his lightning-shaped scar...or rather, where it would have been and yet was not.

'Are u ready to go home, sweetheart?' Lily smiled as she approached Harry's bed.

Harry quickly dropped his hands as though looking at his own head was something that people frowned upon and considered forbidden.

'Sev?' Lily turned to her husband.

She was concerned but showed signs of being much more at ease then she had been before she'd spoke to Johnson. Something he'd said to her must have helped.

'I require use of the facilities.' Severus answered.

He looked away from those emerald eyes and swallowed at the use of his old, once-cherished nickname in which Lily had been the only one to ever call him by. He crossed the room to the bathroom door and shut it behind himself as he spelled it locked.

Severus paused and leaned against the cool wood for a moment, hearing only his own heartbeat and the brat asking questions about the house and other nonsense that should be much less important to anyone, considering the situation they were in.

With strong ounces of hesitancy, Severus lowered his gaze to his left forearm and inched back the material covering it. He stared at the skin and remember how the Dark Mark had been only barely visible; it had been getting darker and more painful in the past few months.

And yet in this strange place where Lily was alive and Potter was his son without a scar...the mark of evil branded on his skin was also absent.

Looking into the mirror above the bathroom sink in which he clutched with both hands, Severus saw no changes in his appearance other than the way his hair looked cleaner and his face was less haunted.

 It made no sense and he was certain that none of this could possibly be real, not with so many year of turmoil and fighting he had endured long before he had even lost Lily. Johnson had said that the past fourteen years weren't real, but what of the events prior?

Or were they also false creations that served only to provide a background to those agonizing years that followed?

'Sec, are you okay?' Lily's voice reached him through the door and instantly he began to relax.

It was a sound Severus thought he would never hear again, like a musician hearing a personal tune he could never mimic.

Dealing with the Brat-Who-Annoyed-Him was a small sacrifice for living as Lily's husband and without the Dark Lord constantly plaguing him.

Opening the door with his usual lack of warning, Severus nodded at the mildly startled Lily and stepped from the bathroom.

Severus noticed the boy shoving aside a set of privacy curtains that had only recently been around the bed. Harry was now dressed in a pair of jeans, a dark blue long sleeved shirt and a pair of new sneakers.

Severus could only roll his eyes at how proud the teenager was to be wearing them.

Lily grasped her son's hand with her right and her husband's with her left. She smiled as they followed her out of the ward as they continued to leave the building itself, heading for the aparation point in which would serve to help take them home.

A few feet from it, however, Lily stopped and turned to face the boys while biting lightly on her lip.

'Mum?' Harry was worried when her eyes teared up. He had already accepted that this was his mother and everything was real, just different and would take some getting used to.

He didn't care if Snape had told him otherwise.

'Lily?' Severus added.

He wondered what had gone wrong already or if he had made a mistake somewhere along the line that was now the blame for her sadness.

'No, I'm alright.' Lily laughed as another tear slid down her cheek.

'It's just...it's been seven months and I was so worried about the both of you.' She swallowed and wrapped one arm around Harry while the other embraced Severus.

'Promise me that neither of you will ever scare me like that again!' Lily mock-scolded at them with small smile on her face, though it was hidden from their view.

'Don't ever leave me.'

'I promise.' Harry said automatically.

He placed his head on his mother's shoulder and melted to the one thing he had frequently cried for as a small child – a loving hug from his own mother.

Severus inhaled Lily's scent as she stepped close and he jumped when she was suddenly hugging him with one arm. He froze and stared down at her red hair and the emerald eyes that were welled with tears before she pressed her soft cheek against his.

Despite what he had warned the boy, Severus could not help wrapping Lily close and breathing in her scent once again as he felt the tender warmth of her living breathing form.

'I shall not leave you, Lily.' Severus had whispered before he could stop himself.

For a long moment, Harry and Severus forgot about the other as they hugged the woman they loved with every fiber of their being and were immeasurably thankful to be reunited with. They felt it was deserved after being without her for what felt to be a harsh lifetime filled with unfair coldness enveloped with darkness and unhappy trials that were beyond their control.

The pair may have noticed the absence of the marks given to them by Voldemort, but Harry and Severus were yet to realize a few other facts: such as how Harry's eyes no longer required glasses to see and did not match his mother's emerald colour, instead they were identical orbs of obsidian in which he had inherited from his father.

While the small family grouped with relief and loving reunion in the middle of a muggle street, time seemed to reach a standstill as neither indicated that they would be moving for a while.

Severus and Harry never had a family to love them unconditionally and that would always be there for them...and now they were about to realize just how much hard work actually went into achieving such a promise they previously could only dream of.

With Lily returned to them and a home that awaited their arrival, the pair almost forgot that the one person they had loathed the most was also a part of such a journey to happiness.

What Harry and Severus may consider to be a terribly unfair burden and harsh reminder of reality, would perhaps turn out to become one of the biggest blessings of all.

Assuming that when it came to Severus and Harry moving on from their bitterness and resentment to reach and share a common longing...that such a thing was even possible.

He had trouble seeing it, not because the average stone house that reminded him more of a cottage, was in any way too big or small...the last time he had seen this particular residence in Godric's Hollow was when it'd had a large gaping hole in it and crumbling foundations.

While Lily sympathetically tended to Harry (who was vomiting nearby because the appration had unsettled his stomach), Severus was unable to force his gaze from the house he felt was haunting him as it dared to look so innocent and ordinary.

'Sev?'

Lily looked over at him once Harry had straightened with an exhale of breath. They both noticed the paled, wide-eyed stare the man directed at the house.

'This is where it happened.' Severus said softly in response to her voice.

He turned and gave Harry a significant look. The teenager instantly picked up on the unspoken implication and meaning, and he too stared over at the house with horror.

'Where what-?' Lily glanced between the pair and realization dawned on her as she sighed and lowered her gaze.

'Oh.' She nodded 'I understand how horrible it must be to remember our home in such a painful way, but I promise that once we go inside...it'll be different.' Lily reached over and tenderly grasped Severus's hand with her own while the other gently rested on Harry's shoulder.

Harry swallowed and nodded his head in agreement, hoping that his mother was right. The teenager had no real memories of the house in which he had lost his parents, and therefore forced himself to remember that this wasn't the same one, not here where his mother was still alive.

This house was home.

Lily smiled at the way her son inhaled a deep breath and watched him stride forward with nervous determination.

Harry pushed open the steel gate with one hand as he looked around the exteriors of the house as though he was trying to take in every little detail he saw.

Harry noticed a large, healthy oak tree to the right, the grassy lawn was a fresh green, that let the cobbled pathway from the gate to the wooden door, stand out. He marched all the way to it and only then did Harry pause, his hand half-raised towards the handle before he hesitated and pulled away.

'Go ahead, sweetheart,' Lily encouraged. 'You're home now.'

'Home.' Harry smiled at such a title and turned to look at her.

Looking over her shoulder, he caught the sight of Snape, who still lingered by the gate. Harry wondered why it would have such an impact on the otherwise calm and adaptable man to see this place. He knew Voldemort had affected everyone, no matter which side they had been on, yet Snape looked to be greatly at unease.

The Gryffindor teenager could barely count on one hand the number of times he had ever seen such an unguarded expression (besides utmost loathing) on the man's face. And Harry, for a reason he couldn't quite comprehend, was unable to walk inside his very own home and leave Snape standing there, alone.

There was just something sad about the way the usually glaring and bitter man stood, almost nervously, by the gate without anyone to motivate him as Harry's mother had for himself.

Looking over at her, Harry saw the unmasked concern in her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder at Snape. Even so, she resumed her task of tapping the door with her wand to unlock it.

'Go and get you father.' Lily said softly to him. 'He'll see that everything is fine once we go inside.'

Harry blanched at way she'd used the word “father” when associating with Snape. Yet he nodded his head and approached the man, if only because Harry could not stand the idea of bringing any sign of sadness or misery to his mother's normally bright and cheerful face.

'Er, come on.' Harry said awkwardly as he reached the spot where Snape was standing. 'Voldemort hasn't been here this time, remember?'

Something about either his words or Harry's presence seemed to help, because Snape glared down at the teenager and strode right by the boy as though determined to ignore Harry and keep as much distance between them as possible.

Rolling his eyes, Harry hurried along the path to rejoin his mother, who had just pushed open the door to the house.

The first thing Harry noticed was how open the house was and how certain areas were vaguely similar to Privet Drive; the kitchen was on the left with the living room to the right, and the staircase was positioned around the middle, not far opposite the door.

The obvious comparisons ended there, thankfully.

The kitchen was large and contained every possible object or necessity in which any chef could need or want. The dining table, not far from the front of the kitchen's island, was composed of a dark, polished wood and seated three large, comfortable dining chairs on either side.

The living room had a huge fireplace, and along the hardly visible walls were more bookcases than the wallpaper in which was scarcely noticeable. Harry wondered why they could possibly need so many books of such endless variety of titles and genres; it was almost a small library!

He saw that the sofas and armchairs appeared to be made of leather, though were mostly concealed under large, fleece sheets that had been spread over them for added comfort.

The entire room had a very homey look and feel to it, and Harry instantly knew it was really true: he was home.

Walking to the fireplace, Harry's gaze trailed curiously along the mantle at the neat line of framed pictures that showed moments of his supposed life.

The first half was a happy childhood he'd never had, or at least Harry had no recollection of; a toddler grinning in a bubble bath; a little boy swinging between his parents over a pile of autumn leaves, using the adult's arms and hands as the swing itself; the content child sitting on the kitchen counter where his legs swayed while he licked a large, wooden spoon that was coated in chocolate cake batter; a boy warmly wrapped in a scarf, jumper, glove, boots, cap and cloak, running around in the snow and using a snowman to hide from the oncoming snowballs; and various other moments showing how loved and happy Harry had been through those younger years.

The teenager could not stop staring at the magical photos that moved in full colour like short clips of a life he had barely been able to dream of.

The rest of pictures on the mantle were muggle photos of the family. Most centered around Harry at various ages (four, nine, eleven and thirteen), in front of a large cake or presents.

And amongst the entire array of picture he planned to have a longer, better look at later, it was the final one in the row that had captured Harry's attention the most.

It was a magical family portrait.

Harry was eleven years old in the photo, dressed in his new Hogwarts robes (there was no house crest or colours, so it must have been taken right before he'd started school), and on either side of him were Lily and Snape.

His mother was smiling and fussing over his hair as she tried to unsuccessfully flatten with a gentle gesture. Snape stood to her side, chuckling at her actions and then placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. A proud expression coloured Snape's face as the man avoided looking towards where the camera had been located.

Harry lifted the frame into his hands and could not shake away the unnatural appearance of it all, yet how normal and happy the small family appeared.

Hastily replacing it on the mantle, Harry turned and ran up the stairs without noticing anything else. He reached the second landing and was breathing heavily as tears stung his eyes. Harry leaned towards the side wall and tried to come into terms with everything that still threatened to overwhelm him and tip the balance of anything he thought he'd known.

'No,' Severus reacted as he reached out a hand to prevent Lily from rushing after the boy who'd just fled from the room. 'Give him a moment.' Severus added.

He dropped his arm to his side and continued to look around the interiors of the house with a wary attitude and expression. He made a firm mental note to stay clear from the mantle where the photographs in which had upset the teen were arranged there.

'Severus?' Lily stared at his pained, calculating gaze as he looked around the house again, almost as though he was searching for something dreadful.

She had a feeling that he might know something about her son that she didn't, and that worried her.

'It is not the same.' Severus said.

His memory flashed back to the night he had arrived at the house too late. He'd first found James Potter lying face down and lifeless on the floor, then panic had seized him as he rushed upstairs, meeting the worst sight he had ever seen and continued to in his nightmares; Lily on the floor of the nursery, her eyes blank and skin cold, while baby Harry had watched from his cot nearby.

Certain pieces of furniture were either different or absent; the entire look of the house wasn't quite right and somehow it seemed to be nothing like the one he remembered, even as it looked the same from the outside.

'This is our home,' Lily frowned. 'It's always been this way.'

Severus supposed the difference could lie in the fact that he was Lily's husband rather than James, and therefore it would be only natural that their tastes in furniture and otherwise, would be vastly different.

Severus also wondered if Harry, like himself, felt a little more at ease to notice how muggle the house was, running on electricity - as indicated by the fridge, lights and switches.

'Why did you choose me?' Severus questioned Lily.

He sank into the nearest din chair and sighed heavily as he leaned forward to stare at the floor, letting his dark hair curtain his face as it always did.

'Over who?' Lily leaned on her knees in front of him, forcing his obsidian gaze to meet her emerald one for a brief moment before he looked away.

'I married you, Sev, because I love you.'

Severus felt his throat constrict at those meaningful words and his heart beat faster, like someone who was on the verge of being about to have a heart attack.

'You chose Potter,' Severus remembered with a glower. 'I called you a mudblood in our fifth year. I did not deserve your forgiveness, yet I pleaded foolishly for it...and you did not grant it. Our friendship did not last a moment longer beyond that day; upon graduation, you married Potter and gave him a son.'

It seemed to hurt more when he spoke it aloud even when it had seemingly happened many years ago. Deep down, Severus wondered if he'd merely occluded the pain way and moved forward because he had to, and that in its truest form...he had never really dealt with it.

'Oh, Sev,' Lily reached for his hand and clutched it within both of her own.

'That spell must have been awful, if you had to endure something so horribly unfair.' She explained. 'Yes, you did call me that dreadful name and begged me to forgive you, saying you hadn't meant it. I began to understand how humiliated you must have been at the time when you had used that name, but still...the company you kept was inexcusable. I gave you an ultimatum; choose me or them.' Lily said sadly.

'I had hoped you would make the right choice, that by choosing me you could prove how little you were like Avery and Mulciber. And, thankfully...you did.' Lily smiled fondly at him while Severus stared back with surprise.

'Of course, you couldn't simply break away from those lot.' Lily sighed. 'I watched as you pooled your features around them and fool everyone into thinking that we were no longer close friends and remained only at a “study partner basis”. I forgave you, Sev.' Lily promised. 'How could I not? I loved you, even then...and you confessed your own feelings not long after.' She chuckled.

'I will never forget that moment; you were so nervous, tripping over your own words and robes at the same time. I was worried you were going to pass out!' Lily laughed.

Severus could only glare at the thought of his younger self being such a mess during that crucial moment.

'I took pity on you,' Lily winked. 'I knew what you were trying to say, so I...I kissed you.'

Severus stared at her and did not speak; the silence was only broken by a thud from upstairs, no doubt caused by a sulking/clumsy teenager.

'I was never with James, though we did become friends later when you repaid his life debt. I recall how smug you had been about that accomplishment, since now you'd evened things with James all whilst also managing to have Sirius owe a debt to you within the same incident. Something in which I believe, much to the annoyance of Sirius, is yet to be settled.' Lily added while her gaze rose upwards to watch the ceiling; a look of motherly worry passed over her face as she wondered how her son was coping.

'From what the boy remembers, he was an orphan for all of his life.' Severus told her.

He knew her thoughts had strayed and rested only with the concern for her son.

'He requires a moment in which to calm himself. This is quite an adjustment...for us both.' Severus sighed.

'You never call him by his name.' Lily noticed. 'Harry is your son, Severus.'

He fought back a growl and flinch as she spoke of such connections he was supposed to have with the irritating brat and forced his gaze elsewhere again.

No matter the careful masks he wore or the lengthy precautions he made, Lily remained to be the only person (though Dumbledore often came quite close), to always see through all of his barriers and know exactly what was on his mind.

At times Severus thought it to be rather inspiring, and others just downright annoying.

'As far as I was aware, that boy is Harry James Potter,' Severus answered.

'He has been nothing but trouble and an insufferable brat for the entire duration of the past three years in which I had attempted to teach him.' He frowned. 'It remains difficult to see him as anything but.'

'I doubt that.' Lily narrowed her eyes at the way he had described Harry.

'I noticed the strong dislike between yo pair from the moment you both awoke. You're going to have to move passed it because he is your son!' She nodded.

'Harry Remus Snape is our son.'

Severus thought the name over in his mind, trying to separate the boy upstairs from the brat he was and the son he was supposed to be.

Harry Snape...the name just didn't seem right in his mind, yet Severus knew he had to play along. And if that meant...no, actually, even then he didn't think he'd ever be able to handle being the father of such a boy.

But a spy Severus had been, and therefore a little pretending was surely not beyond his capability.

'I'll put dinner on.' Lily stood.

She noticed the time on the cauldron-shaped clock with wands for hands; Severus thought it looked rather ridiculous, yet exactly the sort of thing Lily would buy.

'Could you please check on our son and have him lend me a hand?' Lily requested as she began to search the pantry for something to use.

Severus stood and sighed. He knew there was little choice in the matter and it was a suitable opportunity to see how much work he would need to do in order to make the brat tolerable.

'And remember, his name is Harry.' Lily's stern tone followed him as Severus growled once and stood at the bottom of the stairs.

He didn't move an inch further as he toyed with the name in his head again, trying to find an easier way to say it, or a better method in which to avoid using it at all.

Severus couldn't call the boy “Potter” as he always had; Plus, “boy” and “brat” wouldn't work either. Severus hated such labels as his father had used quite a few of them himself – even for the teen upstairs, Severus thought everyone deserved to be called by their name in some variety.

If he wasn't a Potter, he was a Snape...and there was no way that Severus was ever saying that! “Harry” is is.

Oh well, at least the boy won't be expecting it; Severus smirked.

'Harry!' Severus called up the stairs in a tone he mimicked from what he had heard other father's use when summoning their sons.

Not his own father, of course, who would have inserted several more swears and the sound of a breaking bottle. Tobias was never a good example for anything other than being a clear demonstration of “what not to do”.

There were a series of thumps on the above landing. Severus rolled his eyes as he began to ascend the stairs to make sure the boy hadn't incapacitated himself.

The corridor at the top of the stairs was long and carpeted; muggle picture frames hung along each wall. It was bad enough that Severus had to put up with the boy in person, but seeing Harry's younger face grinning at him from ever corner of the house was going to drive him deeper to insanity.

There were two open doors for the large, tiled bathroom and the toilet. Severus guessed the closed doors at the end belonged to the boy and a guest room, because the one nearest the stairs on the right was the main bedroom.

Severus had only peeked inside it for a moment and already he knew it was perhaps the one place where Lily seemed to have given him control over the decorations, since it was exactly to his tastes and preferences.

Reaching the door at right end in a few long strides, Severus sneered at the silver plaque that had “Harry” written on the front in gold paint and what was clearly a child's handwriting.

Yes, this was certainly the boy's room.

Severus raised his hand to knock at the precise second that the door was yanked open to reveal a semi-livid teenager that almost bumped into his visitor.

'I hate you.' Harry told him.

He had quickly covered his sock of seeing Snape standing on the other side of his door by frowning at the man and rooting his feet to the floor in effort to prevent the near-collision.

'As astonishing as that may be...' Severus had spoken in his usual sarcastic manner but paused when he had been about to add the “Potter” at the end. 'I believe it holds zero relevance to our current predicament. We are to establish a learned from of tolerance against the other's company as though this is where we belong.'

'But you don't, ' Harry glared. 'She's my mum; why would she marry you? She loves my real dad, James Potter!'

'Apparently not.' Severus snarled.

He stepped into the bedroom and watched with satisfaction when the teenager reflexively backed away from him, unwittingly allowing the his entrance.

'You mother is downstairs as her husband has gone to ask their son if he could so kindly assist her with the preparations of dinner for the family.' Severus spat.

He hated those difficult and unfamiliar words he had been forced to say in order to get a point across.

'You're not my father!' Harry stomped his foot. 'Even if...it's...'

'What?' Severus eyed the boy's panicked expression for a moment until something abruptly caught his attention.

'I don't need glasses anymore.' Harry verbalized it for Snape.

The teenager moved closer to the Snape, who quickly backed away by several inches.

'Look at my eyes!' Harry pointed to them. 'They're dark brown and evil-looking, like yours!'

'Obsidian.' Severus corrected.

He hadn't been able to say anything else as he finally absorbed the full appearance of the boy, when previously he'd been too determined to ignore the brat that certain aspects had gone unnoticed.

Without the glasses there were no obvious change in how he looked and who his features had been inherited from. Severus wanted to examine the teenager more, but twenty seconds was all he was allowed as Lily's voice called up to them.

'What are you two doing up there?' She asked. 'Leaving me to slave away in the kitchen, eh?' Lily mocked loudly.

The following sounds of pots and pans hitting each other was unmistakable.

'I'm going to help mum.' Harry said defiantly and marched out of the room.

Severus remained standing in the doorway and looked around the room, which was basic and yet clearly well lived-in.

There was a large bed with ruffled blankets, a desk that was covered in parchments which also had a draw and chair, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a bookshelf (Severus noticed the rows upon rows of every available textbook for every Hogwarts subject – Lily's doing, surely), a window seat with pale cushions...and that was without mentioning the Quidditch posters lining the walls, the large striped rug on the floor, the littering of robes, socks and loose parchment at every end of the room that somehow made it not quite look like a total mess of laziness and disorganization.

Rolling his eyes at the sight, Severus pulled the bedroom door closed and turned to stride along the corridor and down the stairs.

He paused at the sight in the kitchen, watching the scene from afar as Lily and Harry worked together to make dinner as though they had been doing it for years. Harry chopped vegetables while Lily stirred a bowl, each laughing and talking to each other with every ounce of being the normal family they should be.

Severus ducked his head to pull his gaze away from the sight, ignoring his hair as it further obscured his view. A terrible ache took residence in his chest, head, and his entire being.

He hadn't been noticed by the pair as he stood there by the stairs, hearing the loud laughter, cluttering of cooking and the flow of voices from the kitchen. Severus closed his eyes as his back lightly touched the rail of the staircase and he began to feel even worst, not with sickness but of painful truth.

He realized it now, that Harry was right...Severus did not belong here at all.

'I shall return.' He informed the pair in the kitchen and marched to the front door without sparing them a glance.

Pulling it open, Severus stepped outside and walked right through the gate before he turned on the spot and apparated.

--

Arriving at a forest he barely knew, Severus swallowed and didn't notice the sinking sun on the coloured horizon as he slid onto the damp grass and bowed his head.

He didn't cry or scream, no matter how desperately he wanted to. Instead, Severus hunched his shoulders as he first thought of the past three years he had assumed to know.

Those agonizing years with Harry Potter.

And then he saw the smiling son the boy now was, with black hair a little longer than usual and the obsidian eyes that needed no assistance from horridly round glasses in order to see.

James Potter was the one who needed glasses and yet Severus wondered if it had been he who had been so blind.

One object and a single colour; those were the only changes in the teenager and suddenly Harry was transformed into a brat who was still a troublemaker and annoying, but not because of James Potter, as the bot was instead...just a child.

Harry was a child...his child.

Here, at least, but there was no avoiding it any further. And at the same time, Severus didn't want to go back to that house at all. Not because of the boy, but because of the mother. Or was it both? It was one word Severus couldn't accept: family.

It wasn't his family, nor did Severus think he deserved it.

He had been the one to tell the Dark Lord of the prophecy and that that resulted in an orphaned little boy. Harry should have his mother; that was his primary right as a son.

But why wasn't James Potter here? Why was Severus in the place of the man who had originally fathered the boy and loved him to no end? Or at least, that's what happened in the other place; it was very confusing.

'I have done nothing.' Severus spoke to no one and only the wind answered him. 'Nothing to receive this blessing.'

He thought of the home where Lily was his wife, and no matter who the boy was...Severus had been granted a son as well.

'I didn't..' Severus shook his head and let a single tear fall.

'I DID NOTHING!' He shouted to the blackness of his closed eyes and clenched handfuls of grass with his fists.

Severus had ruined his friendship with Lily, joined the Dark Lord, hurt people and tore apart families in his service – heck, he'd even enjoyed it once – and then he betrayed his one real love and for her killed. He'd hated her son while caring about the boy's well-being at the same time, he had belittled said child for three years and done no kind deed that could worthy Severus of a gift never given to the likes of him...happiness.

He wasn't happy, no...but here there was the chance to be at least content.

'Severus, is that you?' A voice broke through the wind and reached his ears as the last tip of the sun dipped below the horizon.

Severus did not move; he felt vulnerable in his position of frustration and therefore did not bother to acknowledge Remus Lupin.

Though he took the effort to glare about how fate was never kind to him if of all the random places in the world he could have apparated to, that blood wold had to be there!

'Did something happen?' Remus sounded worried when the distraught man did not shift. He ignored the swear that accompanied Severus's verbal desire to be left alone, and took a step closer.

'I heard you yelling.' Remus added. 'Is Lily angry about something? That's the only time you leave the house like this, if you've had an argument about one silly thing or another.'

It wasn't perfect, Severus realized, it's not “too good to be true”, then!

'We did not.' Severus answered in an annoyed tone and briefly wondered why the wolf was still there.

'I do not deserve her love, a family or...a son.'

'I would think that after all these years you've fought on our side and not theirs, that you'd have realized how cheat you have been, due to no fault of your own.' Remus sighed.

'It is entirely my fault!' Severus snapped and glared at the other wizard. 'I betrayed her – you know this! That boy is-was an orphan because of my foolishness and error.'

'Strange, I thought it was because Pettigrew gave their location away.' Remus frowned. 'Life has never been very kind to you before this moment, Severus...who are you deny it the chance now?' He added.

'Or are you going to mess this up too?'

Severus snarled deep within his throat and clutched his wand to aim it at the wolf...but Remus was gone. He was alone again with only the cold wind on his face and the damp, fresh grass at his knees.

For a brief moment, Severus thought he had finally gone mad, because his logic reminded him that such an appearance and vanishing without a single sound of apparation or others, was not magically possible.

Plus, the other man had accepted so easily that Severus was awake and alert, and he had not disagreed about Harry being an orphan until now; which, compared to the events of that day, Severus had a reason to consider that to be rather odd as well.

Yet he had heard and seen Remus Lupin...or had that been false too?

'I don't think he's coming back.' Harry said to his mother as he dutifully set the table for dinner, reminding himself to place knives and forks for three people, not two.

'He said he will, Harry.' Lily told him sternly. 'Therefore he will. Have you ever known your father to not keep his word?'

Even with the little knowledge Harry had of this place and how to live in it, what he knew of Snape was enough for him to shake his head; no, that man did not say anything he didn't mean, not in terms of promises or threats.

Surely enough, the front door opened and Severus Snape walked inside. He didn't look at anyone as he stood near the re-closed door for a moment and even Harry found himself worrying about what was going on.

'Sev?' Lily asked nervously from the kitchen.

Harry thought she'd have been mad at him for just storming out like that, yet she took it in as though it happened frequently and with good reason.

'I apologize for my unexplained departure.' Severus said as he looked over at Lily. 'We were not in disagreement, yet I behaved as such.' He sighed. 'I merely required a moment in which to gather my thoughts with little distraction.'

Snape hadn't looked at him or otherwise spoke of him directly, yet Harry looked down at the plates on the table and felt guilty, as though he was the one who had caused Snape to storm off. The remorse was only for his mother having to worry though, as it had been nice without the git around to steal his mother from him. 

'Let's sit down, shall we?' Lily offered as the moment of silence passed over them.

She returned to the kitchen and waved her wand to hover the food onto the table. Seating herself across from Harry and to Severus's right, Lily began to serve out the food as though nothing had really happened.

Harry sank further into his seat as he watched the adults in front of him. Snape knew his mother somehow, Harry was certain of it, because the man assisted in serving the food with perfect sync and spoke to her in a way that implied their closeness. He glared when Snape piled quite a lot of vegetables on his place - he was nearly fourteen; he could serve his own food, why did Snape have to do it too? His mother was fine, that's what mothers were supposed to do, right?

'No arguments, Harry.' Lily frowned at his look. 'You're a growing boy and need your vegetables.'

'Indeed.' Severus smirked at the pout on the brat's face; it was a good distraction from the absurd feeling of awkwardness at being seated in such a family manner. And serving Harry his food, honestly, the boy was nearly fourteen! Still, Lily was doing it and Severus didn't know if it was proper or not for a father to as well and therefore decided to keep his hands busy and assist her. She hadn't reacted to his choice; therefore he had exhaled a silent relief that he must have done the right thing.

'Yes, mum.' Harry blushed. He reached for his fork and looked over at his supposed parents again, now feeling angry that even Snape seemed to know his mother better than he did.

'Aren't you mad?' Harry asked his mother and jabbed his fork in the direction of his snarly professor that he was forced to pretend as his father.

'He just stormed out on us!' The teen accused. 'We were making dinner and he just left, without telling you why or when he'd be back.'

At least that was something he could vent about, not because he cared at all why the git had blissfully left, but because it was the only thing that seemed reasonable enough to shout about at that moment.

'Harry, it is a big adjustment for both of you.' Lily reasoned. 'I'm sure your father simply needed a moment. Sometimes a change of scenery is best. Yes, he could have given us a little more information...' She glared at Severus. 'But I understand and everything is fine now.'

'No, it's not!' Harry snapped.

'Do not raise your voice at the table, young man!' Severus growled back, careful to not sound a hypocrite and kept his own tone in check. 'And especially not in such a rude manner to your mother.'

'Sorry, mum.' Harry winced. 'But it's not right. He can't just up and leave like that for no bloody reason.'

'Language, Harry.' Severus scolded again.

'Shut up!' Harry hissed at the man as he was pushed further to his limits by the usage of his first name. 'You're not my father! You don't belong here! Why did you even come back?'

'Harry Remus Snape!' Lily's voice echoed in the room, though she had barely raised her tone at all, and her firm gaze fell onto her son. 'That is a dreadful thing to say and I have half a mind to ground you for it right now.'

Harry backed against his chair and gulped, thinking that he had done something to make his mother despise him or at least be really angry with him. He'd never been scolded at by a parent before, since he'd had none, and therefore wasn't sure how to handle the situation. But he wasn't about to apologize to Snape!

Severus said nothing as he sat in his seat and stared at his plate of food. He chose instead to think about how much more meat and vegetables Lily had sneaked onto his plate without his noticing, instead of his urges to strangle the teenager in front of him while also agreeing with the insufferable brat.Yes, Severus was certain he didn't belong there at all...and he was not the boy's real father.

'You listen here, young man, and you listen well.' Lily said to Harry. 'Barely a year out of school, Severus and I married and another year after that we were blessed with you.' She explained in a calmer voice.

Both males at the table were avoiding her gaze, yet both listened as hard as they could, not wanting to miss anything.

'When you were just a toddler, a few months after your first birthday.' Lily sighed. 'Voldemort had visited where we were staying at the time and because your father and I were Order members, we had information he sought.'

'He tried to kill you?' Harry looked up. He had been under the impression that none of those things had happened, even if it was a bit different and his mother had clearly lived.

'Voldemort tried to kill us.' Lily corrected and her frown sent his gaze back to the table. 'Your father dueled with Voldemort while I pleaded for him to spare you.' She remembered with a pained tone and expression. 'By that time Aurors Potter and Black had arrived and with them their friend Remus Lupin, part of your namesake.'

'I know who Remus is.' Harry rolled his eyes a little. 

'Do not interrupt.' Severus added and waited for Lily to continue.

'Voldemort...he went to kill you, Harry.' Lily inhaled and shook her head. 'Remus acted fastest...he took the curse for you and because of him, you lived. Our family and friends mourned the loss and celebrated his bravery, but you had been very close to Remus and struggled with his absence; as a toddler, you did not understand why he was no longer around.'

Harry and Severus both stared at her, each shocked that Remus was dead and yet while Harry wanted to curl up and cry somewhere over it, Severus felt at unease as he had spoken to the werewolf not an hour ago...hadn't he?Lily, oblivious to their looks and thoughts, continued.

'We could not put you down to sleep, you barely ate or played, and soon we were at our wits end while also grieving for the loss of the person who had saved your life. We were thankful to no end, but it had still cost his life and that made it more difficult to deal with an equally upset child.'

'What's this got to do with now?' Harry wondered how it connected to the things he'd said to Snape a moment ago. He also didn't want to hear anymore about how hard he made things for them, or how Remus had died for him. It was just as bad as his parents dying for him, though Remus didn't have to, yet he'd done it anyway.

'Because, this man you have claimed not to be your father...' Lily returned to her disapproving self. 'Spent six days and nights rocking you to sleep, feeding you any amount of food you'll consume, and watching over you for every moment he wasn't passed out from his own lack of rest; any hour he didn't spend with you passed with him brewing potions either of us may need.' She said.

Harry felt a bit bad now, not because he thought that the Snape he knew would ever do those things, but because someone had. Maybe the stuff they'd endured before waking was actually a fake life and that maybe, just maybe...Snape had done those things for him.

'Severus looked after both of us. I was closer to Remus than he was and therefore a bigger mess.' She sighed. 'He did everything. He cared for you and constantly checked on me. Without your father, there is no way we'd have gotten over that as a solid, loving family.'

Severus rested his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands, leaning forward as he tried to imagine himself doing those things. He visualized the situation of losing Remus and seeing Lily and his baby son fall apart from it.

As he swallowed and looked over at Lily and then Harry, Severus winced as he realized that yes...he would have done exactly as she'd said.

'We are a family, and each of us have a place at this table.' Lily concluded. 'We each deserve to be here, to love each other and grown together, because no matter what happens...none of this will change.'

'I'm sorry.' Harry said as he nodded at her words. 'I'm sorry'. He added again, looking over at Snape as he thought about what he'd said and it had been terrible to tell his supposed father who had done those things for his son, that he didn't belong or wasn't so.

Severus just about fell out of his chair when the boy looked right over at him and genuinely apologized. The tears in the boy's eyes and the slumping of his shoulders indicated that he was more than remorseful about angering Lily, but also for saying those things before, no matter how true they may be.

'You are forgiven.' Severus answered. He saw Lily smile out of the corner of his eye and knew she had recovered from her tale far too quickly.

That sly should-have-been-in-Slytherin witch!

'Now, let's eat before the food gets cold.' Lily urged.

Harry nodded and picked at his potato for a moment before he looked up again and decided to chance it.

'Um, but...can't we make it that he has to tell us what's going on before he just leaves like that?' He nodded towards Snape.

Severus paused at the boy's words and remained very still as he eyed his pumpkin and wandered if this was a new record for the amount of times he wanted to strangle the Gryffindor in a single day.

'Sev?' Lily asked him. 'Could you let our son in on a few more details before you feel the need to take a moment from the house, next time?'

'I shall.' Severus answered, still not lifting his gaze as he spoke. His mind quickly flitted for something “fatherly” to say that would keep up with the role he was playing.

'I do apologize for causing you to worry.' Yes, that sounded good enough, and he'd almost meant it too!

'Oh, erm...yeah okay.' Harry hadn't expected Snape to apologize to him because of such a simple request Harry hadn't really cared about. 'Thanks.' He added, thinking it was the right thing to say and couldn't manage any other response.

Once dinner was finished and dessert had vanished, the adults moved to the living room while Harry returned to his room. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with his mother but was still too annoyed at Snape to tolerate the man as well.

The idea of leaving Snape with his mother only made Harry feel worse, yet he knew there was little he could do about it, other than to join them. He had lingered out of sight for a good ten minutes before he'd gone to his room, though, and listened to his mother and Snape talk about boring things as she filled him in on some details of their life.

It wasn't anything about him, so Harry retreated to his room – it had nothing to do with the way Snape had barked at him to stop eavesdropping and go do something useful.

And so, after a warm shower and changing into his silk-soft pajamas, Harry settled at his desk and looked over at the piece of paper his mother had given him after dessert. It was to help him adjust, she'd said, and Harry wondered if he could ever get used to it. The schedule wasn't too difficult, and yet he had to read it over and over, struggling with the family concept of some things. 

She'd marked which jobs she did and which were for Snape, since she was not only helping Harry adjust but Snape as well. Anything Harry was responsible for were also marked accordingly.

6:30 – Wake up Harry (Lily) 

7:00 – Breakfast (Severus)

8:00 – Chores

-Kitchen cleaned

-Take out the garbage

-Washing

-Harry tidies his room

  These tasks interchange, apart from Harry's room, to make it fair and so no one gets stuck with the same task very day.

9:00 – Outing (shopping, etc)

1:00 – lunch (Harry)

1:30 – Family Time

Here we help Harry with any schoolwork or just spent time together as a family.

2:30 – Unscheduled free time

5:00 – Preparation for dinner 

Everyone must be home by this point, unless otherwise specified.

6:00 – Dinner & Dessert (Lily – with assistance)

9:30 – Harry's bedtime

There was a knock at his bedroom door once Harry had finished glaring at the word “bedtime”. Turning quickly in his seat, he looked towards the door and smiled as he saw his mother standing there.

'Hey, mum.' Harry said and rose to give her a hug. He took any chance he had to do this and felt much more comfortable to do so when Snape wasn't around.

'Hey, sweetheart,' Lily rubbed his back as she returned the gesture. 'How are you holding up? That was a bit of an outburst we had before, huh?' She pulled back and looked at him in the eyes.

'Sorry.' Harry blushed and looked at his feet. 'I'm fine, it's just...weird.'

'I know.' Lily brushed a hand through his hair. 'But it'll get better once you fall into old habits again.' She held his hand and tugged Harry over to the bed so they could sit side by side.

Severus was on his way to the bathroom when he heard Lily speak and instinctively paused outside the room. He felt closer to her then he ever had before after their long talk in which informed him of most of the main events he needed to be aware of.

And of course, the flattering way she spoke of her love for him, yet Severus knew most husbands were supposed to say the same in return.She seemed to understand though, when his tongue got tied and he couldn't force it out.

'Your father and I love you, Harry.' Lily said. 'And just remember that your dad is having trouble adjusting too, and sometimes it's easier to be angry then to deal with what you feel is out of your control.' She advised. 

'I love you, mum.' Harry blurted out what he'd always wanted her to know but could never tell her.

'I know, sweetheart, I love you too.' Lily kissed his forehead.

Severus frowned deeply and wanted to march in there and yell at the brat who had been able to say that to Lily where he himself had failed. 

'I see so much of your father in you.' Lily mused as she stared at her son.

Harry said nothing as he was used to hearing that but couldn't understand how if that now applied to Snape then how was such a thing possible? Sure, his eyes were different and he had no glasses...but he was still himself in every other way...Harry had stared in the bathroom mirror for a very long time to make sure of it.

'Your dark hair that never goes straight,' Lily said and brushed it with her hand again. 'If your father stayed away from those potion fumes long enough, his hair would be the same way. I try to encourage him to wash it more but he feigns deafness.' She laughed.

'And my eyes, right?' Harry guessed, trying to hear more of his mother's voice and play the part as a son he desperately wanted to be.

'Yes, your eyes as well,' Lily nodded. 'I had hoped you would inherit mine, though it seems that if you had it would be about the only noticeable thing to others. Yet, your father has told me over and over how your ears and nose are mine, and the most part of your nature.' She snorted.

'He tried to blame your temper on me as well!' Lily rolled her eyes. 'No, I think you're cursed to have inherited that from both of us, stubbornness too.' She hugged Harry again with amusement.

Severus, unable to stand the sentimentality any longer when it came to the Potter brat, headed for the bathroom and had the shower he had been intending to. Despite himself, he did wash his hair extra carefully and before he left the room, clothed in what could only have been pajamas picked by Lily, Severus cast a drying charm on his hair and glared at his appearance.

Yes, okay...so Lily had a point, it was a lot less controlled that way, though he didn't dare compare it to the boy's mop of hair.

As he went to pass the boy's room, Lily had just left it and smiled at his hair with that knowing look he could only glower at.

'Someone did a bit of eavesdropping of his own, huh?' Lily teased him and smiled. 'Oh, Harry wants to talk to you before he goes to bed.' She added and headed for the bathroom herself while stifling a yawn.

Severus had no intention of letting the brat see him in his pajamas, yet also knew it was unavoidable unless he transfigured his clothes first. And if Lily caught him...well he'd rather not think about that.

Harry had been settling into his comfortable bed when there was a knock at the door and he nervously looked over as he contemplated answering.

'Come in.' He said nervously.

'Your mother said you wished to speak with me?' 

Harry looked over at Snape and had enough control not to snort at the appearance of the silver pajama shirt and long pants the man wore. It also had green lining on the edges and around the chest pocket; how very Slytherin.

'Er, yeah.' Harry nodded nervously.

'Well?' Severus asked with irritation as he stepped into the room.

'I want to make something clear.' Harry said with his defiant tone and expression that Severus hated to its core. 

Sensing a possible argument, Severus shut the door behind him and moved closer to the teenager, rolling his eyes at the way the boy inched further into the sheets of the bed as though they would provide him sufficient protection.

'And what is it in which you have to whine about now?' He snarled.

'I know how this marriage stuff works!' Harry glared. 'You-you're gonna..share the same room, right?' He tried to ignore the heating of his cheeks. 'It's not right! You're not really her husband and...could you....you know? Keep your hands off her?' Harry huffed. 'It's not nice for you to take advantage of her or something.'

Severus, for a few seconds, did not know how to react. A horrifying moment passed in which he thought he would actually laugh, if he hadn't felt so insulted at the same time. Striding to the bed, he snatched a handful of the boy's shirt and glared down at the brat.

'Whilst what I choose to do is none of your concern, Potter, rest assured that I will never treat any woman with such disrespect or – as you so childishly put it – take advantage of another in such a way.' Severus ground out. 'For your information, I will be sleeping in the guest room tonight.' 

He was tempted to make a comment about the “future arrangements” or something of a rather just to see the look of horror from the brat, but felt he wasn't in the mood to deal with the teenager's tantrums right now. He was being truthful though, it didn't feel right to even sleep beside Lily and had explained to her that it was part of the “adjustment” and she'd accepted it.

'If you're through fretting about matters that do not involve you, I wish to be rid of your presence as I have endured enough of your idiotic whining for one day.'

'No, wait!' Harry said quickly as Snape moved to leave. 'I-I wanted to say something else.' He added and hurriedly continued before the man could object. 

'I don't know how to do this.' Harry admitted. 'Or what to call you; you're not my dad but wouldn't it be weird if I called you  “sir” or something?' He frowned and did not want to address the man in any formal way at all, but knew some things had to be done keep what he had.

'No.' Severus said and surprised Harry with his honest expression. 'Regardless of playing such parts in which we are required, I shall not ask you to refer to me as something I am not, unless you wish to. Perhaps for now, until another solution can be found, it would be wise to avoid addressing me at all?

''Mum won't fall for that.' Harry rolled his eyes.

'Very good, you're not a complete incompetent after all.' Severus drawled as Harry had picked up on certain things about Lily already. Things that, as her son, he should already know anyway.

'I do not care, think of any pathetic excuse you can, however I for one will have no further involvement with such titles.' Severus said and left the subject matter at that.

'Fine,' Harry grunted and lay under his blankets. 'Could you turn the light off? Since you're right there.' He glanced at the switch a few inches from where Snape was standing.

Severus wanted to just leave and make the lazy brat get up and turn it off himself, yet as he opened the door he saw Lily smile at him as she walked passed. Sighing, Severus flipped the switch and stared at the darkness for a moment.

'Sleep soundly, Harry.' He added and shut the door.

Had Severus stayed a moment longer, he might have heard the teenager whisper a “good night” in return.

'Are you sure, Sev?' Lily asked as he headed for the guest room. 'We only have to sleep.'

'I insist.' Severus sighed. 'As far as I remember at this moment, you had married Potter and we were never even together. It does not feel right otherwise, as though I am taking advantage of you.'

Curse that brat for putting those words in his mind!

'Alright, well...I love you.' Lily reached on her toes and kissed him, shocking Severus so much that he hadn't managed to return to kiss before she was already pulling away and heading to the main bedroom.

As Severus lay in the guest bed and stared at the ceiling dimly lit by the moonlight, he cursed himself for not accepting her offer as a part of him was scared this would all vanish by morning and it was just a prolonged dream.

Little did he know, across the corridor, his supposed son was musing over very similar fears.

As the morning sun shone through the window of the main room, Lily awoke and looked around as she yawned. Feeling the continued emptiness on the other side of the bed, she sighed and got up to dress.

Stepping into the corridor, she wandered to Harry's room and pushed open the door to smile at the sight of her slumbering son.

Moving on, Lily reached the guest room and as quietly as possible while leaning on her tip-toes, peeked into the room. With a pout, she stepped back and sighed. The bed was made and empty, as though no one had even slept in the room at all.

Stalking downstairs, Lily frowned at her husband who was sitting in an armchair facing the stairs, with a pile of books on the floor beside him, his wand sitting atop it within perfect reach.

Seeing her entrance, he looked up and glanced over at the cauldron clock near the kitchen, seeing it was just after six.

'The Lily Evans I knew despised waking before ten.' Severus watched her with a teasing raise of his eyebrows.

'Well, Lily Evans then married Severus Snape who despised waking after seven.' Lily walked towards him and tilted her head to one side as she watched him. 'And so Lily Snape had to adapt to such inhumane hours.'

'And this same woman can now cook?' Severus recalled the dinner the previous night, which had been delicious, yet she remembered her to struggle with something as simple as toast; either it was warm bread or a black rock.

'Oh, don't be ridiculous.' Lily laughed and smiled at him as she moved to sit on his lap.

He sat up straight and inched into the back of the armchair, being completely unprepared for such an intimate seating arrangement. Severus moved his hands, not sure where to put them, and ended up placing them awkwardly on the armrest.

'I might have learned a thing or two over the years under your patient teaching.' Lily sighed. 'But no, you and Harry were the primary cooks. Though in those seven months...' She lowered her gaze sadly. 'I had to learn, even then I think I put on few extra pounds from take-away food.' Lily pulled a face.

'Last night was an illusion – it was Harry who did the cooking.' She added and stood.

 Lily placed a hand on each of his and leaned close, staring right into his eyes in a way that disabled any chance he had of looking away.

'How many hours sleep did you get?'

'Six.' Severus answered honestly and hated the feeling of being drugged by a truth serum when she stared at him like that. 

'Brewing, reading, or sulking?' She continued.

'One would think the books would be evidence enough.' Severus said dryly. 

'Not when one remembers that the man in question is Severus Snape.' Lily winked and moved to the kitchen for a drink. 'I have to wake Harry soon; I trust you have already memorized the schedule?'

Severus grunted and looked down at his hands that now rested on his lap; was he that predictable?

'Indeed. I shall be cooking breakfast.' He rose from his armchair and his hand snatched his wand along the way. Waving it, the books hovered into their place, except for one in which he eyed Lily carefully (who was fussing in the fridge for something), as he hid it amongst two subjects she hated, yet in a way that it wouldn't stand out.

 Severus felt he was a bit like that book; out of place, yet blending in enough to fool those who didn't know any better.

Lily left Severus in the kitchen as she wandered up the stairs and entered Harry's room. She pulled open the curtains to brighten the room and patted the teenager's shoulder as he groaned and rolled over, facing away from the light.

'Come on, sweetheart.' Lily smiled. 'Time to get up; your dad's got breakfast on and you know how he is about the proper order of things.'

Harry lay under the covers for a moment, his eyes still closed as he memorized that moment as his mother woke him and spoke of his father. Then his mind fully awoke and he remember that this wasn't a dream, and said “father” was really Snape.

Seeing his mother smiling at him, Harry lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close as he was so happy it was still real and not a dream.

'I love you, mum.' Harry told her.

'If only you woke this enthusiastically every morning!' Lily laughed. 'I love you too, sweetheart, now up you get.' She stood and headed for the door. 

Harry jumped from his bed and shut the door, dressing at record speed into a pair of blue trousers and a black shirt. He hurried downstairs with a smile but paused abruptly at the sight in the kitchen.

His mother had her arms around Snape from behind, who was attempting to cook at the stove while trying not to smile. Harry cleared his throat and marched towards the island, staring at Snape with a stern gaze.

'Goodness, it normally takes you half an hour to get up and dressed!' Lily exclaimed and held back another laugh. 'Honestly, the pair of you and mornings...I'll never get it.' She shook her head and moved to sit at the table to read the Daily Prophet.

Unsure what to do, Harry glanced between his mother and Snape as he tried to decide which action to take. He watched the man use obvious skill with the eggs and almost found himself thinking “I must have got that from him, because mum can't cook”, before he growled that Snape was NOT his real father.

Yet his determination and anger was fading because Snape or not...Harry had what he wanted. He had a home to live in with his mum and dad. Snape didn't love him, but at least the man was being civil most of the time for Lily's sake. And they were meant to be playing roles, right? That's what Snape had said, yet Harry had already accepted this is real and merely an adjustment.

Inhaling a sharp breath as he braved something most would consider suicide, Harry gripped the edge of the island counter and stared at Snape.

'Do you need any help...fath-dad?' He changed his word mid-sentence as “father” was something Draco Malfoy used.

Severus gasped and the glass he had been about to fill with water slipped and broke on the floor. He glared at the teenager who was looking both nervous and amused at once, and raised his wand to watch the glass mend and fly onto the counter near his hand.

'What?' Severus narrowed his eyes at the brat.

'What's wrong, dad?' Harry found it easier to say each time, though he didn't feel it was really applied to Snape, just a word in which to get payback to the man for being near his mum at all.

'I just asked if you wanted some help, dad.'

'No.' Severus ground his teeth together and returned to his task. 'I shall manage.'

'Okay, dad.' Harry nodded and walked to sit across from his mother, reading the front page from where he sat while she was concealed behind the newspaper, secretly smiling as she remained hidden from view.

Breakfast would have been eaten in total silence if Lily hadn't been so against such muteness during a meal. The boys listened and nodded accordingly as she chatted about random topics and interest, until the food was gone and she hovered the plates to the sink.

'Mum?' Harry said suddenly before either adult could speak. 'I-I need to ask you something.' He exhaled anxiously and stared at his entwined hands that sat on the table.

'What is it, Harry?' Lily asked, wondering why he looked so doubtful and nervous.

'I don't remember living here and all that stuff.' Harry said in one breath. 'I don't...I don't know how to be a son, or have family...like this one.' He blushed. 'And I don't think dad knows how to be a father.' Harry added and eyed Snape, remembering to call the man “dad” as often as he could.

'Loathe I am to admit it, the br-Harry is right.' Severus sighed and looked over at Lily with an apologetic expression, feeling he had failed her somehow.

'Oh, why didn't you say so?' Lily exhaled with relief and sympathy. 'It'll come back naturally, but a little boost can't hurt.' She nodded and sat down.

'Harry, being a son isn't a job or with set requirements.' Lily told him sadly. 'Just be yourself and act naturally. We're your parents, there is little you could do to truly disappoint or anger us.' She smiled, not noticing the way Severus rolled his eyes at the last comment.

'As long as you're happy, safe, and being the best person you can be...you'll do fine.' She nodded and turned to her husband. 'It's us who do all the work.' Lily joked. 'A father, for the most part, is simply there. Whenever Harry needs comfort, advice, assistance or company, we'll be there for him.' She promised her son and reached across the table to hold his hand.

'We love you, Harry...that's what really matters.'

'I believe the schedule states there are chores in which are to be completed?' Severus said and abruptly stood from the table.

Lily rolled her eyes at her husband and sighed. 'You heard the man: enough of this sentimentality, we have work to do!' She joked to Harry, who smiled back with amusement.

The teenager really enjoyed the times his mother picked on Snape because the man never seemed to be able to say anything back.

Harry, used to all the chores the Dursleys gave him to do on his own, found this was something he could handle easily, though it was odd to see the adults preparing to do the chores as well.

'What would you like me to do?' Harry asked and frowned as a thought occurred to him. 'Uh, are we doing this the muggle or magic way?'

'Because this is a more muggle area, the garbage is to be taken out the muggle way.' Lily nodded. 'The kitchen is to be cleaned the magical way while the clothes are a bit of both.'

Lily watched Severus head to the rubbish bin and nudged Harry towards the kitchen. Summoning her son's wand (Harry was shocked he'd forgotten it as he wasn't used to being allowed it during the holidays. He also ignored the disapproval Snape cast him for his forgetfulness), and showed him how to do things magically.

'I thought under-age wizards aren't allowed to do magic outside of school?' Harry questioned.

'In a muggle household.' Lily said. 'It's not encouraged, however the loophole is with magical parents, the trace can't actually detect who is doing it.' She winked. 'Your father learned that when he was in school - since his mother was a witch, but his father a muggle.'

Snape was a half-blood?

Harry stared for a moment, and paid close attention to the spells his mother taught him. With a hint of eagerness, Harry raised his wand and watched as the sink filled with water and soap. The dishes hovered their way into the waiting water and cleaned themselves, before stacking nearby, completely dried.

'Wow.' He grinned, even if he had seen something similar at the Burrow.

'The same works for the washing.' Lily explained. 'The clothes will go into the machine, along with the required power and soap liquids, and I've charmed it to start right away. The spell continues when the door opens, the clothes dry themselves as they move to the basket.'

'I love magic.' Harry smiled as he looked around. 'Can I do this for my room, too?'

'Nice try, young man.' Lily shook her head with mock sternness. 'No, since your room doesn't need washing, merely rearranging, there is no reason why you cannot use your own two hands for it.' She explained.

-- 

Just as the chores were finished, Harry moved to head upstairs to check the tidiness of his room, however a sound outside caused him to hesitate on the first step. He saw Snape tense, yet Lily only rolled her eyes and turned towards the front door, which soon burst open.

'Why good morning jolly lads and lovely lass!' A grinning wizard exclaimed.

Harry recognised him instantly and rushed closer with a wide grin on his face, whereas Severus clutched his wand and glared with utmost loathing.

'Sirius!' Harry said.

'Stop hogging the doorway, Padfoot!' Came another voice as James joined them, to the further irritation of Severus.

Harry paused and stared at his real father and had to bite his lip to keep back his emotions.

He had seen pictures and an enchanted reflection in a mirror, but to see James Potter standing before him in the flesh was overwhelming. He winced when a hand clamped on his shoulder from behind. Harry glanced back to see Snape's warning glare, reminding him that things were different in this time and place. Harry didn't care, but he showed enough restraint not to call James his "dad" or anything similar.

'Ah, Snape!' Sirius smirked at the man. 'I see all the beauty sleep has had no impact on you.' He teased.

'What about me?' Harry jumped in, eager to be involved in the conversation with his otherwise father and godfather.

'Hm.' James stepped closer and Severus retreated while Lily simply watched with amusement. 'I'm not sure, what do you think, Padfoot?'

Sirius and James stood in front of Harry, checking his appearance and trying not to laugh as they pretended to determine how the "beauty sleep" had helped him, if at all.

'Well, I'd say he's almost handsome.' James nodded.

'Couldn't agree more, Prongs.' Sirius added and ruffled Harry's hair. 'Must be Lily's genes, eh?'

'Ouch, someone slip something in your morning tea, Snape?' James finally noticed the hateful glare he was receiving. 'Strange, we haven't done that in years!'

'Must have something to do with whatever Lily wrote about.' Sirius rolled his eyes and glanced at the smiling Harry. 'We're glad you're okay though, kid.. It hasn't been the same without you or your dad.'

'True. We've searched high and low for a new partner or dedicated target in pranking, however there are slim selections.' James shook his head and then became serious. 'How are you all doing? We thought to drop by and see if we're needed in any way.'

'We're adjusting.' Lily replied. 'Otherwise I think we're doing really well, considering.'

'Why is it that three Snapes live in a Gryffindor place, anyway?' Sirius asked as he glanced around the house, since it was located in Godric's Hollow. 'Hey, mind if we hang out for a while, Lils? We promise to behave.'

Harry laughed and looked around to see how his mother reacted and she appeared to still get along with the pair really well. Even if James wasn't her husband here, at least they were friends, Harry thought. He realised Snape was quiet and saw the hatred elevating from his gaze. Harry noticed the man's wand in reach and inched away from him with caution.

He had always known it, but to see Snape's deep dislike for James and Sirius at once was quite worrying.

He wondered if he was supposed to be a little more neutral because Snape was supposed to be his father, and surely sons weren't supposed to be so delighted to see his father's enemies? Though they didn't appear to be such here and Lily got along with them fine.

'I don't think you're supposed to hate them here.' Harry whispered to Snape as he dared to approach the man. 'It might look weird.'

Severus glared at him, even as his posture instantly calmed and his grip on his wand slackened. His eyes remained additionally darkened and cold as he watched the interactions between Lily and James.

For a moment, Harry wondered why Snape seemed saddened, yet brushed it off and turned to listen to a joke Sirius was telling about the Giant Squid at Hogwarts.

'Are we ready to go?' James asked.

'Go?' Harry repeated. 'Go where?' He looked over at his mother, who was summoning her cloak from nearby.

Severus glanced her way as well, looking as tense as always - Harry could easily tell the man was withholding anything he wanted to say or react with.

'An outing is scheduled.' Lily reminded them. 'And since lunch isn't too far off, I thought we could all go for a bit of catching up and shopping.' She said. 'And there's a new store in Hogsmeade I want to see.'

Harry grinned and rushed up to his room for a jacket as instructed. He was excited to be spending time not just with his mother but his “real” father and recently discovered godfather as well. Snape...well, he could just try to pretend the man away, even if it was theoretically impossible.

Pausing at his wardrobe, Harry looked at the jacket in his hand and reached for a black cloak instead, wanting to feel more like a wizard than a muggle. Normally he didn't care, but those who hated him were muggles and those that loved him were magical, so he felt to be further belonging by acting the part. He put his cloak on and frowned at how he appeared to be even more like Snape with it, yet was pleased with how he looked like a wizard.

He turned to hurry from his room, eager to go on this outing with his regained family, unlike the few the Dursleys had reluctantly taken him on.

With a grin on his face, Harry took the stairs two at a time, only to hesitate on the last step.

His mother and Sirius were talking just outside the door and he could hear her laughter, yet his grin faded when he saw James and Snape. They weren't facing each other as James was looking at a family picture on a wall while he waited. Snape was watching James with deep loathing, yet Harry saw less than just hatred and wondered why the man looked so uncomfortable. As far as Harry knew, here his mother and Snape were married while she and James were not.

Why did Snape care so much?

What was it about his father, James, that the man hated when Sirius seemed to give him more reason to do so?

'Dad?' Harry said in a low tone, feeling bad about saying that to Snape with James nearby.

Severus flinched and looked towards Harry. He frowned and placed his wand up his sleeve as he peered over towards Lily and seemed to calm considerably.

'All set, Harry?' James asked as he approached them, ignoring Sirius' impatient complaining from outside.

'Yes...sir.' Harry swallowed, not sure what to call him and fought to make sure he didn't slip up with “dad” or something. 'How are we getting to Hogsmeade?'

'Apparation.' James answered. 'And please, don't call me “sir”. I'm not a professor and it makes me feel old.' He cracked a smile, which Harry returned. 'Just “James” will do. I see you really don't remember your life here. Don't worry, you can count on us to help you feel at home again.' James winked.

'Thanks, James.' Harry smiled and felt warm at the support from the other wizards. He heard his mother calling him, so Harry went to join her and Sirius outside, wondering what apparation was and if he should have asked.

'Severus, Lily told me we were enemies where...well, whatever made-up place you were at when you were in the coma.' James said. 'She didn't say much, but I got the impression there or then I earned your hatred. I promise you, here we may have fun mocking you but we do care about your son...about Harry. We think of you like an annoying brother, but still family.' He sighed and readjusted his glasses.

'I don't expect you to let go of your hatred so easily. I only ask that you give Sirius and me a chance. Let go of your grudge before it consumes you here. Look at Harry, he's so happy and willing to adapt. Surely his father can do the same?' James asked with a calculating, curious expression.

'And Lily?' Severus glared at James.

The other man was quiet as he turned around and watched the redhead fussing over her son, while Sirius tried to ruffle the boy's hair.

James smiled and nodded to Severus.

'She wouldn't tell me anything about that, only the fact she married someone else. Was it me?' James guessed from Severus' reaction. 'Well, here is what matters. Think of the other life as one long nightmare. You're awake now, literally, and here you got the girl. I have no resentment for it and you two have a great kid. I'm proud to be his godfather, as is Sirius, though he may whine about being the “back up” as he calls it.' James said. 'Just give us a chance...it's all I ask.'

Severus, unable to say anything without weighting the pros and cons first, merely strode outside the house. He stood with Lily and prepared to endure whatever outing the Marauders had in mind for them.

After apparating to Hogsmeade, which Harry discovered was a horribly uncomfortable way to travel, the group headed straight for Zonko's at the pleading request of Sirius. Harry, who had only been to Hogsmeade a few times, hurried after him with James not far behind.

With every ounce of reluctance, Severus wanted to wait outside and would have had Lily not grabbed his hand and pulled him along after the eager Gryffindors.

Stepping into the store, Severus looked around with a tense posture as he saw trouble everywhere. He had only been to this store once before and that had been enough to convince him to never want to be inside it again.

Though, he hid a smile as he watched Lily laughing at the things Harry showed her, feeling blessed yet undeserving towards the wonderful sight Severus thought he'd never see again. And for her smile alone, he would tolerate the Gryffindors he despised a very great deal and for a long time.

Except, oddly enough, Harry.

Severus didn't like the brat at all, yet he was much less irritating when James and Sirius themselves were right there suggesting he should purchase bat-shaped candy for himself when they'd ventured to Honeydukes, whereas Harry actually defended him.

'No, dad won't like that!' Harry said. For a moment Severus wondered what had motivated the brat or if he was just trying to stay civil. 'The snake ones might be better.'

Severus looked away, convinced he was over-thinking everything. Of course the brat was still a needle in his shoe, but at least it was easier to justify ignoring the boy and focusing all his dislike onto the other adult wizards. If one could so loosely call them that, Severus thought, as he rolled his eyes at the armfuls of candy they were purchasing whereas Harry simply made recommendations and laughed alongside them.

He was startled from his thoughts when something warm touched his forearm, the exact space where the Dark Mark should have been, but wasn't.

He looked from the hand towards its owner, where Lily stood across from him and smiled with that lovely smile of hers. Neither said a word, as Lily soon looked back at her son and made sure the trio of male Gryffindors weren't buying their way to a dreadful stomach-ache. Severus remained watching her for a moment longer, something he hadn't realised Harry to notice, and then lowered his gaze to her hand again. She skin was soft and smooth, even though the material over his forearm, yet it didn't feel right for her to be touching the very place of his arm where the Dark Mark had been. The evil brand in which had been a constant, painful reminder of his errors. He should pull his arm away, but could not.

Severus tried to ignore it, instead, even if such a notion was impossible. He didn't let people touch him for a reason, but he could never deny Lily, less so after he'd thought to have lost her.

Harry had seen the exchange and wondered if his previous theory was correct. He didn't know what he thought of the idea of his once-hated professor liking his mother. Here that man was supposed to be his father, not James who was leading the way out the doors of Honeydukes so they could head to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. He'd always loved his parents, even when he'd had no real memory of them, and now they were real people he could talk to, hug, and ask for guidance from.

It didn't feel right to replace James with Snape.

Harry watched his mother a moment longer as they walked, seeing how she wrapped an arm around Snape's and smiled at the good weather above. He expected the Slytherin man to look uncomfortable and annoyed. Harry only saw reluctance and confusion, which in turn made him further unsure about how he felt in regards to the pair.

And whenever those thoughts occurred, Harry would simply retreat back to playing along. As they passed a few stores, he was suddenly inspired to do something he had never felt justified for at any point in his life previously: to selfishly take full advantage of anything offered to him.

'Dad, can we go look in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop?' Harry urged, not thinking too straight as he reached over and grasped the man's right wrist with his own two hands.

If he'd realised, the teenager would likely have been deathly horrified by his actions. Severus was.

'Go ahead.' Lily encouraged. 'We'll wait for you.' She nodded, doing a good job of pretending not to notice Severus' started look of concealed panic.

He glared down at the brat and opened his mouth to protest against such a ridiculous notion. Raising his hand to yank his wrist away, Severus wondered if the brat had hit his head because he wasn't letting go and proceeded to unsuccessfully pull him towards the street where the store in question was.

'You son wants to spend some time with you.' Lily hissed in his ear. 'Go on, he's been eyeing the store since we got here.' She gave him a nudge, which was a sensation that spread to his feet because he was suddenly following after the thorn of a boy.

'Cease this atrocious behaviour, Potter!' Severus growled and managed to jerk his wrist safely away from Harry, who didn't even react to the action.

They were standing in front of the store now and Severus made no move to enter it, glaring down at the teenager who he was convinced was going to put him in an early gave, if he didn't do it himself.

'What?' Harry turned to look at him, feign confusion the man so easily saw through. He was glad to be in the middle of a street, otherwise he had no doubt a painful curse, string of insults, or manhandling would have occurred.

'Explain yourself.' Severus growled. 'Now!'

'I wanted to get mum something.' Harry knew better than to lie or avoid the topic, as he looked down at his feet with embarrassment. 'I couldn't ask her to bring me here or she'd have known. I want to surprise her, as I heard her talking about how she needed a new quill. I'd ask Sirius or James, but...' He didn't admit allowed his reasons for not doing so.

Honestly, he wasn't sure if they were that great at keeping it a surprise or wouldn't offer their opinions for the most dramatic and colourful array of items. Of course, it was a bit of an excuse as he hadn't thought to get his mother something until now. Really Harry was living a lifelong desire to drag his father off to a store. It was simplistic enough, but to Harry it was what he'd always seen and never experienced. Snape or not, he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.

'Please?' Harry looked pleadingly at Snape. 'I promise I won't be long. Could you come with me?'

'Are you so incapable of selecting a single quill that you require supervision and assistance?' Severus sneered. 'I shall remain here. You have two minutes.' He said and reached to his pocket for some money, since the boy had none.

'No, please!' Harry insisted. 'I'm sorry. I'll be nicer if you come with me. I just...I want something mum will really like and you know her better than I do.' He looked away sadly.

'I am sure she will be pleased with any selection you choose simply because it is a gift from her son.' Severus sighed and wondered why the boy wished to continuously torture him. He didn't even take up the Slytherin bait of striking up some sort of deal for the boy's better behaviour. He had no assumptions that the brat could follow through with such.

Harry hunched his shoulders and didn't want to go in the store anymore. It wasn't much point if Snape wasn't going to comply to his vision and the man didn't look like he was going to budge in his adamant decision.

'Okay.' Harry said in a low tone and held out his hand for the money, his dark eyes staring at the ground as he swallowed back emotions.

It was a stupid thing to get upset by, yet his dream had been yanked from under him and Harry felt a rage towards Snape re-emerge. Until he realised his hand was still empty and no money had been handed to him. Looking up, he flinched at the look he was receiving, only to release a yelp when his arm was grasped and he was unceremoniously pulled towards the store.

'Two minutes, Harry.'

Trying to force down a grin, Harry nodded and turned to look around at the quills and stationary on sale. Passing the dramatic items he assumed the two Marauders would instantly browse, he observed the colours and purposes with a smile. He never turned around, but he noticed the shadow of Snape looming nearby as he walked and tried to pretend it was his father, a real father and not his annoying professor who was pretending as he was.

'What's her favourite colour?' Harry finally turned when he wasn't sure which quill to pick.

He never imagined how stressful and insure such a simple purchase could be, but he'd never bought anything for his mother before, not on her birthdays, during mother's day, or at Christmas.

Severus felt his anger sap a little when the boy asked him what Lily's favourite colour was. He knew, of course, but her only child did not. Despite himself, he felt sad for the child, until he remembered who the brat was.

'Her preference varies with her mood and the weather.' Severus sighed. 'I would recommend violet, blue, or green.' He added when Harry looked stricken by his reply.

Honestly, it was just a quill, so Severus couldn't see why it was so bloody important and worth him living through this torture.

With the new information, Harry focused on the quills of those colours, finally directed his attention to a beautiful parrot feather quill which was blue and green. It reminded him of some-place tropical and peaceful, so it was perfect and met the colour suggestions. It even came with a few enchantments so it would last longer and remain beautiful.

He was aware that they'd been in the store for nearly eight minutes, if his watch was correct, yet neither man nor teenager commented on it as they headed towards the counter.

'I hope she likes it.' Harry worried and was second-guessing his purchase, which only had the money shoved towards him faster. 'Could I get it wrapped, and with a violet ribbon?' He asked, then paused to look up at Snape. 'Is that okay?'

Severus said nothing as he handed over additional money. He just wanted to get out of the store and rejoin Lily, though he preferred the boy's company over the two Marauders. And when he was finally granted brief freedom as they stepped outside, Harry clutching the silver wrapped gift like a lifeline, Severus realised the boy was not finished.

'Thank you.' Harry said as he looked at Snape, fidgeting under the gratitude he was not used to expressing to the man. 'You didn't have to, but I can tell you like my mum and you're not too bad, I mean when you're not teaching.' He said hurriedly and wished he wasn't blushing with his words.

Severus granted the boy a small nod and turned to lead the way to the Three Broomsticks, occasionally checking the brat hadn't wandered off. He didn't care if Harry did, but Lily would be most displeased, Severus told himself.

After lunch, the group gathered outside and proceeded to discuss Quidditch while Lily excused herself to visit a friend and the new store she had wanted to have a look at. Severus tried to go with her, but she insisted she wouldn't be long and left him no choice as she rushed off without him, leaving him at the mercy of the three Gryffindors. Thankfully, they mostly ignored him and interrogated Harry about what he was hiding, until Severus took pity on the teenager and shrunk the present so the boy could safety tuck it into his own pocket.

Severus wouldn't want the object to be ruined otherwise he'd have been dragged off to that store for nothing.

'Mum, what's wrong?' Harry's voice of concern yanked Severus from his thoughts and he quickly looked over at the red-haired witch.

'Lils?' James asked as well while Sirius fussed with a prank item that had become stuck to his face, clouding his vision.

Lily's smile was gone and her shoulders hunched in a manner identical to how Harry had appeared moments ago, a fact Severus was surprised to realise as he had always been under the assumption the boy had only inherited her smile and parts of her temper.

'I'm okay.' Lily assured them, though her forlorn face and lowered tone did not inspire confidence to her words. 'My friend, Stacy, she's got a situation with her nephew and...well, she needs my help at the store for the next week or so.' She looked from Harry to Severus and back again.

'I would be there almost all day. I know she wouldn't have asked unless she was desperate, but...I couldn't leave you two at the house all day. Not after what happened and that you're both awake now.'

'But your friend needs you.' Harry reasoned.

Severus was torn between trying to keep Lily all to himself or offering to take her place. He knew where she was going with her words and was almost glad the brat hadn't figured it out yet or he wouldn't be so willing. They could both see how loyal Lily was to a friend in need and really wanted to help.

James and Sirius, however, saw it as a family matter and busiest themselves with their purchases a short distance away.

'Will you two be okay without me?' Lily worried. 'It's only been a few days. I wish someone else was available, but Alice is looking after Neville because he's sick and Frank has to work. Mary's on a honeymoon and Claude is starting up his new business abroad.'

'You wouldn't be gone entirely, Lily.' Severus didn't like to see her so conflicted and in turmoil, therefore putting up with the whining brat for a week was hardly punishment if it made her feel better. 'Harry and I shall manage for a week.'

He tried to hide his mild smugness when he heard the boy gasp in realisation that with Lily being away all day for a week, it would leave only himself and Severus at the house during that time.

'Are you sure?' Lily looked at him. 'We're supposed to be doing this as a family. I feel terrible...you both need me.'

'At this moment, your friend requires your assistance far more than we do.' Severus continued while Harry reluctantly nodded.

'Okay.' Lily conceded with a heavy sigh. 'You'll be fine to do the chores and meals while I'm away? Maybe I shouldn't stay there too long so I can at least help with dinner?'

'We shall be fine.' Severus insisted. 'Have you so little faith in our competency that we cannot keep the house from being destroyed in your absence? You worry excessively, Lily.' He did his best to keep his tone light enough that she will know he didn't mean anything harsh by his words.

A stranger walking past might even accuse him of teasing.

While Harry glared at him, Severus wasn't sure how he felt about the smile forming on Lily's face as she looked at him. It had been so very long since Severus had done or said anything to make her smile like that.

'You're right.' Lily nodded, much to Harry's surprise. 'I'm being silly. Okay, well...I suppose we should make the most of this afternoon. I'll start at the store first thing tomorrow morning.'

--

And so it was decided.

An hour later the group returned to their home in Godric's Hollow with Lily trying to be confident and worry less about the coming week. James and Sirius said good bye shortly after, which was something that saddened Harry. He was stunned when Severus bid the Marauders goodbye with actual civility, though likely he'd never have greeted them with such contentedness so Harry just assumed the man was pleased to see them leave.

It was almost four in the afternoon by that point, and according to the schedule Lily had drawn up for them, they had skipped over family time and everyone had an hour of free time before beginning preparations for dinner.

Harry wasn't surprised nor disappointed when Snape vanished the moment he realised he was free to do as he wanted.

The man headed upstairs and Harry didn't follow. He walked to where his mother had seated herself on a sofa and hesitated before he sat softly beside her.

'Your father's right, I am worrying too much.' Lily said before he had the chance to figure out what to say. 'I just got you both back and now I'm not going to be around for a week.' She looked at her son and brushed some hair from his face with a smile.

'I miss you again already.'

'Don't worry, mum.' Harry told her. 'Dad can do anything. He'll make sure everything gets done and I promise you'll come home to a nice dinner every night, okay?'

'Oh, Harry.' Lily hugged him. 'You're such a sweetheart.'

'I love you, mum.' Harry told her again as they leaned back. 'And I got you something.' He smiled, pulling out the shrunken wrapped present. 'Um, I don't know how to...?'

'Here.' Lily lifted her wand and the object re-sized. 'Is this for me?' She was very surprised and delighted as she removed the violet ribbon and silver wrapping.

'It's not much.' Harry blushed. 'I just...you said you need a new quill and I wanted to get you a nice one. Dad helped me because I didn't know your favourite colour.' He felt guilty, unaware that Severus was at the top of the stairs with his wand in hand, shamelessly using an eavesdropping charm.

'It's perfect.' Lily hugged Harry again with a grin on her face. 'Of course, since everything you give me I love. I'll treasure this quill, Harry. It's very tropical, don't you think?'

'That's what I thought!' Harry agreed. 'It was pretty and brought happiness, just like you, mum.'

Severus stepped back into the shadows, his hand loosely gripping a book he had wanted to read as he had intended to give the situation a better effort and join the pair.

Now he couldn't...it was unnatural.

Hearing laughter from downstairs, Severus lowered his wand and ducked his head, letting his hair shield his face as he closed his eyes. Turning, he retreated to the guest bedroom he had been sleeping in and sat on the bed, looking down at his feet as he wondered if this was real. If not, he had to get back to their own time and place as soon as possible.

If it was real...Severus was truly lost.

And in his confusion, all he could think of was when Harry had grabbed his wrist to drag him off to the store so he could purchase a gift for Lily to remind her he thought of her often and loved her. Severus could never offer such sentiments, he believed, but that was not why the memory kept resurfacing in his mind.

For a few seconds, he hadn't glimpsed Harry Potter, he had instead only seen the dark-haired boy with obsidian eyes, wearing a black cloak as he tugged Severus' wrist and called him “dad".

'Remember to behave yourself, okay?' Lily asked Harry while she stood in the doorway the following morning.

'I'll try.' Harry replied honestly, glaring once at Snape who was standing beside him as they said good bye to Lily that morning.

'That's all I ask.' Lily nodded and turned to Severus. 'I know you're still adapting, but please follow the schedule closely, and not just with the chores, but family time as well. It is important for you and Harry to take this time to bond.' She kissed Harry's cheek and then Severus', both who turned a little red at the loving gesture they were so unused to and not wishing to have a witness to.

They waved and smiled, until the door shut and Lily was gone.

Harry turned cautiously to Snape, remaining tensed as he expected the man to start shouting and making him to all the chores on his own. He wasn't sure if it was a false sense of security when Snape hardly looked at him as he pointed to the schedule pinned to a wall in the kitchen. It showed that at eight, which is was now, they were to do their chores of cleaning the kitchen, taking out the garbage, washing the clothes and dishes, and Harry had to tidy his room.

Not having any hopes for an outing, Harry went about his half of the tasks and then headed up to his room when he was finished. Waking up in this strange place where his mother and father were alive, only his mother was married to Snape, was disorientating enough, yet for the several days since it had occurred, Lily had always been there. Now she would be away for most of the week and it was only him and Snape left.

Harry was still rubbish at Divination, but he predicted with confidence that he would be spending the next seven days hiding in his room.

Unknown to him, Severus had made a promise to Lily before she'd woken Harry, to put in his best effort towards spend time with his supposed son. And therefore, when the boy emerged to make lunch as per the schedule instructed, Severus forbid him to confine himself in his bedroom like a sulking toddler. The remark earned Severus a glare in return, though the boy admirably kept his mouth shut as he continued to make sandwiches for them both.

Severus and Harry soon learned how awkward a single meal could be, as they sat across from each other at the table to eat. Harry was under the impression he was being ignored and the situation hardly bothered Snape, whereas the man himself prided in his own ability to appear that way.

'Uhm...' Harry fidgeted and wished he was allowed to flee to his room.

He did not fancy having Snape burst into his bedroom and hex his socks to strangle him, so Harry couldn't risk an escape.

'What exactly are we supposed to do for “family time”, dad?' He blushed at the realising of how adapted he was to calling his spiteful professor such a term it had slipped from his lips without prior decision.

'Stop using that ridiculous title.' Severus growled. 'I am undeserving of it.' He added before quickly answering the question. 'The schedule clearly states, for those who possess the ability to read, that you are to complete your homework whilst spending time in the company of the other residences.'

Harry looked at the schedule and read the description Lily had written there: “Help Harry with any schoolwork or just spend time together as a family.”. He wasn't convinced Snape had grasped the entire meaning of the instruction, though he remained quiet as he knew he should - if he didn't want to have pepper shakers shoved up his nose, which were positioned dangerously close to Snape on the table. Maybe he was being too paranoid, but with Snape...a certain Gryffindor Boy-Who-Wants-to-Continue-Living could never be too careful.

'Quit dawdling, Potter!' Severus barked. 'Go upstairs and fetch your homework. You shall complete it at this table.'

Grumbling under his breath, Harry shoved away from his seat and stormed upstairs to get his school belongings. He loudly dropped them on the table, which had been cleared by Severus, and plopped grumpily back into his chair. At least homework would be a distraction, Harry thought.

'If you require assistance, I will be in the living room.' Severus said as he turned and walked towards the bookshelf in the mentioned room, extracting the book he had previously hidden amongst less-suspicious topics focused on matters he cared so little for. Flipping to the page on Muggle Folklore and their magical counter-parts, Severus glanced once at the back of the boy's head before he lowered his gaze to read.

'Stupid Potions.' Harry muttered as he jabbed his quill too hard against the parchment and caused a small tear. He shoved it aside and tried to write his Charms essay instead.

He remained there for over an hour, so it seeped into his free time, yet Harry didn't mind as much despite his overall lack of progress. Once he ran out of homework to do, he would no longer have it scheduled and therefore he would gain extra free time, Harry reasoned. Unless Snape gave him more homework just to be a git and make him further miserable. He liked Snape a little more than he usually did, but Lily's absence was sorely noticed as they slipped back to their accustomed ways. Stumped with his Potions assignment, Harry refused to ask Snape for any help, so he gathered his things and headed towards the staircase.

And he had been so close, too.

'Let me see.'

Harry clenched his teeth and turned to glare at his professor. Reluctantly, he handed over his feeble attempts to complete his work and stared daggers at the floor while Snape read over them. Twelve mocking comments later and Harry was able to dump his things in his room.

Relieved, Harry looked around for something to occupy his time with until he had to start making dinner at five. He had some books and various items in his room - things he'd never have imagined at the Dursleys, yet he wasn't too interested in most of them. He ended up sitting on his bed with a practise snitch fluttering around his head while Harry allowed his mind to wonder. It was why he was profoundly startled when his shouted name broke the silence of his musing.

'Potter!'

Furious and wanting to hold on to his peaceful moment, Harry didn't think first as he inhaled and yelled back at the man downstairs.

'My name is Harry!'

'Potter, get down here this instant!' Snape's angered tone replied with no space to consider what the boy had said, only that the brat had been so rude about it.

'Ugh, fine!' Harry shoved his snitch into a drawer and stomped down the stairs, taking his time until he reached the last one. Glaring at his professor, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the agony that was sure to follow.

'Disrespect shall not be tolerated.' Severus narrowed his eyes. 'You will be doing the chores on your own tomorrow as punishment. Now cease your theatrics and observe the schedule.'

Growling, as he expected Snape to have added ten more things to do, Harry didn't see anything different about the schedule at all. Until he realised what time it was, as shown on the cauldron clock on the wall.

'Oh!' He couldn't believe he hadn't been paying close attention because it was almost quartered to six. He had missed nearly an hour of preparation time for dinner and his mother would be home soon!

'Why didn't you tell me sooner?' Harry rounded on Snape, who glared back with contained fury.

'It is not my duty to remind you of your tasks.' Snape retorted. 'One would assume you were capable enough to do it yourself.' He added dryly.

'Git.' Harry muttered as he rushed to the kitchen and stared making dinner.

He was, convinced Snape hadn't told him on purpose just to make him look bad to his mother and fail in his promise to have dinner ready when she got home.

-- 

And when Lily did walk through the door, she found Severus and Harry seated at the table with a very simple dinner of rice and chicken waiting for her. She greeted them both with a smile, before she sat down to eat and asked them about their day.

'It went by really fast.' Harry said.

He wanted to tell her about how unfair Snape had been and the punishment he'd gotten for nothing, as well as reveal how he was breaking the name rule by calling him “Potter”. His mother was so happy, though, he didn't have the heart to say anything. Looking over at Snape, the man appeared to be thinking similar thoughts - if only revealed by his equal silence and simplistic answer.

'Indeed.'

Harry knew then that they needed Lily. He couldn't wait for the week to be over because without her...he and Snape could hardly breathe the same air without causing trouble. And with the first day going the way it had, Harry dreaded the next six days ahead of them.

 The next two days passed by in relative silence.

Harry had been permitted to hide in his room during free time, but struggled with his homework beforehand as he continuously refused to give Snape the satisfaction of asking him for help with anything.

On the fourth day without Lily, Harry was being far more reckless in talking back to Snape when the man annoyed him. It resulted in Snape shouting as he gave Harry more punishments. Having been denied his wish to fly around on his broomstick and then being yelled at, Harry had stormed up to his room and slammed the door, refusing to come out for the rest of the afternoon.

Severus had never missed Potion-making so badly. He let the boy lock himself away for the day, if only to preserve his own sanity.

It looked as though the week was going to end twice as badly as it had begun, yet on the night of day five, Harry went to bed early and buried himself under the covers. His pretending that Snape was his father so he could live his dreams of having a family and doing family things he'd always been neglected to participate in, had been shattered. He didn't cry at the loss, but squirmed and sulked to himself. He felt bad for missing the chance to see more of his mum as she was home so little, and Harry could not stand to be around Snape even a second longer.

His eyes finally closing, Harry's mind drifted to subconscious as tears did slide down his cheeks and onto his pillow.

He hadn't meant to start the arguments, really. Other than refusing to admit he needed help with his homework, Harry had only tried to be a good son and experience the family moments he had missed out on. Nothing he did worked and Snape only got mad at everything. Harry didn't realise how much it was pulling him down, until his slumbering mind conjured a nightmare he had been unprepared for.

--

Harry was standing by the lake at Hogwarts.

It was night and the Dementors were approaching. He could feel their chilling cold and looked around for Sirius, but his godfather wasn't there. Desperate, Harry ran to the forest to search for Sirius, only he found James instead.

'What's wrong, Harry?' James asked him and looked around for the threat.

'The Dementors!' He said breathlessly. 'Where's Sirius?'

'I'm right here.' Sirius stepped forward with a smile. 'Don't worry, your dad will keep you safe.'

'You're my dad.' Harry pointed at James. 'Not Snape! He's just a git.'

'But when Remus died, Snape looked after you.' James frowned. 'He protected your mother and you. He loves you, Harry.'

'That's not real!' Harry shouted, pleading them to believe him. 'It's not real! You're my dad, James.'

It was too late, his words weren't heard because his two father-figures were gone.

He was not longer in a forest as the Gryffindor common room came into view. Ron and Hermione were sitting by the fire when Harry hurried to them, searching his robes for his wand.

'Ron! Hermione!' Harry gasped. 'I've missed you.'

'What's wrong, Harry?' Hermione asked. 'Is your dad okay?'

'Snape's not my dad! Anyway, the Dementors are coming.' Harry told them. 'We have to find Sirius.'

'I dunno, mate.' Ron frowned. 'You're not the same any more.'

'Of course I am.' Harry was shocked by their dark expressions. 'What are you talking about?' He saw his reflection in a nearby mirror, showing him dressed in the Slytherin school uniform.

'No!' Harry denied. 'NO!' He squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, he was in Hogsmeade and the Dementors were mere feet away, closing in on him with their darkness and cold. He raised his wand to say a spell he had forgotten the incantation of, but all it did was shoot sparks and dishes appeared in front of him to wash themselves.

'Don't ever leave me, Harry.' Lily's voice whispered and he realised he had to find her, except there was so much fog now so he couldn't see. Calling for her and crying as he feared losing her, Harry wondered what was going on. James wasn't his dad, Sirius couldn't help him, Ron and Hermione thought he was too Slytherin to be their friend, and his mother was fading away.

'It's all Snape's fault!' Harry decided.

He prepared to attack the fog with his wand when a blurry image appeared before him. It was him, only as a very small child. He couldn't see his parent's faces as they were a blur. His younger self was laughing and playing with a fluttering snitch. Then a man approached and bent down, picking up toddler Harry to allow the boy to reach the object. It was Snape.

'No, it's all wrong.' Harry shook his head, unable to accept it. 'He hates me. Why can't he just leave me alone?'

Suddenly, at his words, Harry was standing alone in a field.

The blue shy overheard was peaceful as parrots with blue and green feathers flew overhead. He looked around and saw a gravestone on the top of the hill. Curiously walking towards it, Harry was shocked to see “Severus Snape” written on the stone. Behind it more tombstones were visible. There was one for James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. His younger self, aged about four, was standing at those ones with four roses in his hand.

Harry approached his younger self and looked down at him.

'What about Snape?' Harry asked. 'Did you bring him a flower too? I don't want him to die, just leave me alone.'

'Daddy doesn't love me.' Little Harry said. 'Daddy died with mummy in the house. Uncle Remus and uncle Sirius left too. I love them and they loved me.' The child turned and glared at Snape's grave, which was now facing them.

'What about Snape?' Harry asked again. He felt the child was going to say something else, and when he did...Harry was shocked by the hateful answer shouted by his younger self.

'No one loves Snape!'

--

In a flash of white, Harry opened his eyes and felt the warm morning sunlight shining on his face.

He swallowed and lay in his bed for a moment, trying to comprehend what he had just seen in his nightmare. No one loved Snape. Those who loved Harry had died and left him alone, and then no one loved Harry. Not the Dursleys at all, even if they were supposed to be his family. Sadness filled him, not for himself as he had regained some of those he loved, but in the realisation that maybe Snape wasn't very loved either.

Here they were in this real-or-not world where Lily was married to Snape, while James was alive and Sirius was there too. They were all connected to Harry, but not Snape. There were no cousins or other aunts and uncles, grandparents or friends from Snape's side, whereas he'd heard mentioning of Lily's parents and some of her friends. Snape was more alone than Harry, stuck in this place with a woman he may have once loved while forced to endure those who had hated him.

Harry wondered how he would feel if he'd woken up to have to share with Draco Malfoy.

'Harry-Oh, you're awake.' Lily peered into the room. 'Are you okay, sweetheart?' She asked with a concerned mothering expression when she saw his sweaty face.

'Yeah.' Harry lied and sat upright. 'I'm okay.'

'I hope I didn't wake you.' Lily said as Harry got out of bed and gave her a hug. 'I have to leave early and wanted to say goodbye.'

'Thanks.' Harry said and looked into the emerald eyes he had once shared. 'Have a good day, mum.'

'You too.' Lily kissed his cheek and turned to leave.

Harry remained standing there and turned to work out what to wear. He had gained a whole new perspective from his nightmare. His recently resurfaced rage towards Snape had faded, replaced with sadness and confusion.

If Snape died, would anyone attend his funeral or would no one care? Maybe Draco or Dumbledore would show up, perhaps. If Harry died, his friends would come and some of the staff, he was sure. He also thought so highly of his mother that he thought if she died (again), the whole world would be there to mourn. Harry never had a real family since he'd thought they'd died, and now he had a second chance. He was being selfish, because having a family meant he had a role to play as well.

And in regards to Snape, Harry felt he wasn't being a very good son...even if the man was being a git.

Dressing in a pair of jeans and a black shirt, Harry took his time waking up as he formed a new tactic. Simply going through the motions wasn't working any more, and he was determined to make this work. Hurrying downstairs, he saw Snape in the kitchen cooking what appeared to be scrambled eggs. Harry realised now, though he felt terribly guilty for it, that despite the anger he and Snape exchanged in the past few days, Snape always had breakfast ready for him in the morning. He always offered to assist with his homework if he needed. And not once did he command Harry to go to his room for the entire day. Family time meant they had to be in each other's company, regardless of how they behaved to each other, and Snape always followed through with the pre-arranged schedule.

He was almost being an okay dad, in that aspect.

Harry looked towards the books in the main room and knew Snape had been spending the days reading when he wasn't dong his tasks or mocking Harry. The teenager wondered if he missed brewing potions or having the freedom to do as he wanted. Instead, he remained in the house and read books while Harry complained and tried to avoid him. Harry wondered who was really the one being unfair.

'Thanks.' Harry said when Snape hovered a plate of breakfast in front of him, which joined the large glass of milk. He avoided looking at the man as he ate and thought about how he could fix things.

'You're quite good at cooking.' Harry commented nervously. 'What's your favourite food to eat?' He asked a couple of seemingly random questions and, for some reason unknown to Harry, the man answered.

Harry went about his chores afterwards, which were still his task entirely (other than taking out the rubbish), as punishment for his previous day's behaviour, which he was feeling really bad about now. Still without any plans for an outing, Harry returned to the kitchen rather than his bedroom and sat on the floor in a corner with a pile of books he had taken from his room. He flipped through the pages until he found something interesting in the cookbooks. Rising, he moved about in search of the ingredients and was relieved to find he had enough to work with.

-- 

For four hours Harry remained in the kitchen, moving back and forth while trying to work out the combination of muggle and magic techniques. He was worried Snape would check on him, but the man remained in the living room with his books and appeared to not care what Harry was doing.

As long as his peace wasn't interrupted and the house remained standing, Severus was content.

Storing biscuits in a tin and placing some custard tarts in the fridge, Harry turned to the counter where his masterpiece sat on a very large plate. He had brought Snape a sandwich at lunch, which he knew the man was surprised by, as it had all the ingredients he had found out Snape liked from their conversation at breakfast. Harry only received a nod in acknowledgement before they distanced once again. This time he hoped Snape would really like what he'd made and Harry had worked so hard on it. He had two failed attempts and had to clean the kitchen at least eight times, as well as himself.

It was a variety of cake, for the most part, and was very large. It had icing on the top with the word “Snape” written on it in green. He enchanted a steaming cauldron and fluttering snitch on either side of the word. Underneath was a flower petal from a lily, which he had painstakingly created himself from sugared dough. It had been so much agonising work to make and decorate the entire delicious-looking cake. His accomplishment shone on his face as he admired his work.

'I believe you ought to be doing your homework.'

Hearing Snape's reminder, Harry smiled as the man had stated it wasn't his duty to remind Harry of his tasks and yet the man continued to do so.

'Okay!' Harry called back quickly as he didn't want Snape to come check on him and ruin the surprise. Actually, he was fearful of Snape laughing at him and saying the cake looked stupid, but it was a risk he would take. All he had to do was keep it a secret until dinner and all would be fine.

Exhaling as he stepped backwards, Harry headed to his room to gather his school belongings, glad to have finished at least two of his essays over the course of the week. Not even his half-started Potions essay could ruin his mood as he looked to the far back counter where the cake was barely visible.

'Inform me if you require assistance.'

Harry looked over his shoulder towards where he could see Snape reading another book. He paused and looked down at his dreadful essay. Biting his lip, Harry growled and turned around in his chair.

'I er...could you, I mean...' Harry frowned with embarrassment. 'Could you have a look at this, please?'

Severus looked over the top of his book to make sure he'd heard correctly. With a nod, he rose from his seat and approached the teenager. The grimace on the boy's face showed he was expecting to be criticised for the little progress he had made on his essay. Severus only directed Harry to the correct sections of his textbooks because he knew it was a big step to be called upon for help, when the brat had been stubbornly trying not to for days...if the groaning and whining to himself was anything to go by.

A cracking sound interrupted the moment, which was unmistakeably the sound of failing magic. Severus looked around and wondered if he should have checked on what the brat was doing earlier when he'd been making all the noise in the kitchen. He hadn't, though, because he was tired of the scenes the teenager had been causing each day.

'Oh, no!' Harry jumped up, nearly knocking into Severus as he did so, and rushed to the kitchen. 'No, no...I did the movements right. Please, no!'

Severus tried to see what had caused the boy in such despair, but Harry's back was blocking the view. Sensing unpredictable magic, Severus snapped for Harry to stand aside and the boy did so just in time. A series of sparks shot from what appeared to be a cake, likely the result of mis-charmed icing.

With a final shudder of magic, the cake slipped and crashed onto the floor.

The yell of distraught from the teenager shocked Severus so much he was unable to react at first. Harry dropped to his knees and stared at the crumpled cake he had spent so much time making.

'It is hardly a matter of profound stress, Potter.' Severus said.

'I made it for you.' Harry's hurt tone reached him as he looked up at Severus, his eyes brimming with tears. 'I spent ages on it and I thought...I thought I did the spells right. I'm sorry.' He sniffed. 'I ruined it. I ruin everything!'

With a jerk of motion, the boy stood and fled the room, running up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door shut before he dove at his bed and shoved his face into the pillow.

Severus felt confused.

He looked down at the mangled cake and knew there was a 2-minute rule for food to be repaired without going to waste, something he was certain the brat didn't know about. With a wave of his wand, the cake re-formed and hovered back onto the counter exactly as it had been, minus the poorly made enchantments.

Severus was shocked. He saw the word too clearly, “Snape”, written in the middle with the obvious symbolism for each of them. A cauldron for himself, the snitch for Harry, and the flower petal for Lily. What statement was the child trying to make? He hadn't made it for his mother, as he'd said...Harry made this for Snape. But why? Why would the brat who hated and annoyed him go to such trouble to make a cake from muggle and magic methods and then become terribly emotional when it was ruined? And what had brought it on? Only a day ago the brat was back to his usual rebellious self and now...

'I'm a fool.' Severus exhaled as he walked to the table and sank into the seat he usually occupied during meals.

He saw it now, as he put the pieces together - right from the very first clue. The boy called him “dad” not with a sneer or mocking, but a willingness to use the title to describe Severus even if he was sure Harry didn't think of him as his father. He had dragged Severus along to a store to buy something for Lily, an action he had not performed to James or Sirius. Harry had ventured across his path multiple times in the past couple of days, regardless of how badly it turned out each time. He'd asked questions to get to know Severus better, he never objected to being in the same room with him even if it didn't like it, and once Harry had even sat in the living room with him to read a book rather than do so in his bedroom.

Severus realised, with renewed guilt, that the boy had been trying. To pretend, to be civil, or to grasp something he never had...Severus wasn't sure. He only knew he had failed the boy. Harry tried to reach out to him and Severus hadn't even noticed - instead he'd given punishments for the child's frustrations and sneered at his failings. Despite all of that, Harry then spent most of his free time making something so hard just for Severus.

He was being a good son.

Rising, Severus turned and headed up the stairs on the way to Harry's room. He stood outside it and paused, wondering if he should leave the boy alone for a while. His nerves got the better of him, so Severus turned and retreated back downstairs to plan a new strategy.

It was time he tried a little harder as well.

--

Severus waited until Harry would emerge to prepare dinner, as he always did to make his mother happy. The boy looked like a mess. Severus watched Harry pause at his homework and see the notes Severus had made for him and references to books to speed along the process.

It seemed to make Harry feel worse.

'Harry.' Severus rose from his seat from the living room and stepped towards the table.

Harry had flinched at his name and frozen to the spot, unable to face him. 'I am rather surprised you have yet to learn the effectiveness of household magic.' He grasped the boy's shoulder and sheered him to the kitchen.

'You fixed it.' Harry couldn't believe the sight in front of him.

Not only was the cake repaired as though it was still freshly made, but the animated icing was proper and spark-free. He turned and beamed up at Snape, which startled the man, and gushed his appreciation.

'Thank you!'

'I hardly did anything to warrant your gratitude.' Severus said defensively. 'I merely repaired your work. I cannot fathom why you would go to the trouble of making this for me, however I...it does look to be quite tempting. I expect your mother will enjoy it also.'

'Do you really like it?' Harry faltered a little. 'It's okay if you don't. I know it's a bit silly.'

Severus was about to scold the boy for accusing him of lying or doubting his own work. He paused as he remembered something he'd told Harry and then Lily later confirmed without even knowing he had said it. If Harry was trying to be a good son, than Severus couldn't let the boy get the upper-hand as he had to strive to be a non-dreadful father.

'I believe your craftsmanship to be quite impressive, if not because it is an admirable success, but also as a sentiment you created for me.' Severus stated. 'A gift should always be cherished, Harry, if delivered with the best of intentions.'

Had Harry not been thirteen, he might have hugged Snape then and there. However, because he was a dignified teenager, he was at loss of what to do without turning the entire moment into mush.

'Thanks, dad.' Harry smiled up at Snape. 'I'm really glad you like it.'

'I do.' Severus said. 'However, I believe preparations are to be made for dinner. Need I constantly remind you of your tasks or are you actually capable of doing so yourself? I shall place the cake in a secure location in the fridge, so enough dawdling, Harry!'

Harry cracked a smile and nodded, turning to work on a meal he knew Snape liked as he always showed up at the table faster on the nights it was served.

Severus paused nearby and remembered a few days ago, the outburst in which should have caused emotional grief rather than the smashed cake. He should have gone to the boy's room that day, he should have done more than watch the child walk away in tears as he had earlier.

He shouldn't have been so cold.

They had argued, and Harry tried to pull back a bag of prank items bought in Hogsmeade, which Severus had threatened to confiscate. The man released the object and Harry slid to the floor. He hunched there for hardly a minute and then started yelling. He'd shouted about how Severus was always so mean to him, always being unfair for things that weren't his fault, and he could never change it. Harry said he'd tried and it hurt him to want his parents, but instead be stuck with someone who hates him.

Severus should have seen the clues then, but he hadn't. He deliberately denied them, shoved the sentiments aside to deal with the angry teen who was being rude and disruptive. The boy had grabbed his belongings and hurried to his room, which appeared to be his sole safe haven in the house. Severus had let him leave, had turned and sat back down to read, and pushed the existence of the brat from his mind. Had they told her nothing more than lies every night at dinner to keep her smile shining brightly upon them, Severus knew Lily would have been profoundly ashamed of him. He saw it now. He saw the child's hurt, his loneliness, and his attempts to be kind to a man who wasn't his father and had previously been so unkind. For so long after Lily's supposed death, Severus had tried to redeem himself in her eyes, and now...now he wanted to redeem himself to her son as well.

Her son, who called him “dad”.

It stirred unfamiliar feelings inside him, feelings he feared, yet no matter how many times he felt out of place in the house and family...his cauldron symbolism had been included on the cake made by Harry. He had been accepted by a child who had no reason to accept him. It was only fair for Severus to do the same, in his own way.

'Right. I'll start dinner now.' Harry nodded. 'And thanks for the homework notes, dad. They'll really help.'

'They would not be necessary if you could complete your work in sufficient time without constantly losing focus.' Severus replied as he turned and walked back to the living room. A small smile secretly appeared on his formally stern and scowling face. Maybe Harry wasn't so bad...maybe Severus had a chance here too, to claim something he had once longed for. And he realised this now - not in the forgiving, loving presence of Lily, but the accepting, determined company of Harry.

His son had showed him the truth.