As the hours ticked by Harry had slept, but Draco Malfoy had been awake for hours, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what his fate would be. Draco heard the door swing open to his room and he heard the footsteps coming towards his bed, but he didn't dare look into the emerald eyes he knew would be staring at him.

Harry didn't say anything, for he didn't know what to say. Part of him was angry at Draco, angrier than he had ever been, but part of him wanted to know why Draco had done it.

Carefully as to not wake the boy Harry walked to the side of the bed and sat down. He was still feeling quite light headed even though he had slept for most of the night. He was startled almost to the point of screaming when Draco turned over to face him, and in that moment Harry didn't know whether to run or to stay.

"I guess you want to know why don't you?"

Harry didn't answer him, he didn't say anything at all for a couple of minutes, fighting with himself over whether to run to Severus or not. Surely his father would wake up, and once he found him not in the bed any longer he would come looking for him. Harry licked his lips, and asked the question. "Why would you leave me there when you knew she would hurt me?"

Draco's face fell, his eyes staring down at the covers. Harry thought Draco was avoiding his question and was about to get up and leave.

"No, stay. I owe you an explanation. Well, I really owe you more than that."

Harry sat back down, but the fear that crept up inside him did nothing to calm his already churning stomach. "So why?"

The question was a simple one but Draco still found his mouth so dry he had to swallow twice before he began.

"Listen Harry. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to have what you have, someone who cared about me."

"You used me to have a family? You already had a family Draco, why did you have to try and take mine?"

"You call what I have a family? My mother almost killed you, and my father would have had he been alive. Harry, my parents are not what you would call a family."

Harry leaned closer to the bed then, whispering as he talked. " She hurt me Draco, did she do that to you too?"

Draco didn't answer Harry, he couldn't as flashes of beatings flew through his mind. "Harry, I never meant for you to get hurt. I wasn't thinking when I left you there. Can you ever forgive me?"

Harry was about to answer when Lucy opened the door. "Master Malfoy, I is hearing you talking to someone." Lucy stared over at Harry who was now standing beside the bed, but the sudden movement had caused him to become woozy, and he had to grasp the bed to keep from falling. This was all it took for Lucy to run for Severus.

Severus was sleeping, his dreams filled with unease as he slumbered, and yet he felt someone tugging on his sleeve and he was awake, wand drawn in a flash, staring into the eyes of his house elf.

"What is it Lucy? Has Mister Malfoy tried to escape?"

Lucy was jumping up and down now, tugging on his sleeve as hard as she could. "Mister Malfoy is not leaving his room, but Master Harry is there, and he is not looking well."

Severus looked over to the pillow Harry had been asleep on when he had closed his eyes, the pillow was now empty and Severus jumped from the bed, knocking Lucy down as he ran past her.

As Severus ran down the hall one dreadful thought raced through his mind over and over. He knew it was a horrible thing to think, but he knew after everything Harry had been through that he would personally take Draco to Azkaban if he had laid one finger on his son.

Flinging open the door Severus saw Harry crumble to the floor beside the bed, but he also saw Draco clamber from the bed, to his side, trying to help him up.

"Stand away from Harry," Severus ordered from where he stood. Once Draco stepped away, Severus strode to Harry's side in three brisk steps, and gathered the boy up in his arms, placing him on the bed.

"Harry are you all right?" When Harry didn't answer right away Severus started prodding and poking him in various places making sure nothing was broken or bleeding, and after a couple moments he was satisfied.

"I'm all right Dad, I just don't feel too good."

"You should not be out of bed young man. You have suffered a great deal, and your body needs time to heal from all of it."

Severus ushered Draco out of the way, and sent Lucy to fetch a potion, while he tucked Harry securely under the covers. He wanted to take Harry back to his room but any movement seemed to make Harry nauseated.

Lucy returned in seconds with the potion and Severus helped Harry to sit up to take it. The first batch came right back up, but the second dose stayed down, and Harry fell back on the pillows exhausted again.

Severus then turned on Draco who had been standing behind him, next to the chair. "Did you do anything to him?" he snarled.

Draco backed up from the menacing look. "I didn't do anything, honest." When Severus showed no signs of believing him at all, Draco tried to choke back the tears that were coming.

"Do not try to pretend with me Draco for I have known you your whole life. You wish me to believe you but how can I now? You purposely left Harry to be harmed for your own selfish gain. My trust is not given lightly, and I am afraid you have taken the trust I had in you away."

Draco was now in tears, hiccupping as he tried to hold them back. "Does this mean you don't care about me now! Does this mean just because you have a son, you don't have time for me anymore?"

Severus grew angry then, his face becoming red with the strain of trying to hold down his voice. "I have cared for you since you were born, but how do you repay me, by harming my son? I was the one who took care of you when your father beat you when you were but five Draco. It was I who took you in for a week when they left the house, but you have done something I didn't think you capable of. What were you thinking Draco? What was going through your mind, when you left Harry there to suffer the same kind of fate?"

Draco dropped down in the chair, sobbing now. "Answer me Draco!" Severus yelled, causing Harry to waken.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I just ... I just wanted to have a family that didn't think of me as a burden. I just wanted someone to be proud of me, to care about me. I never wanted to hurt Harry, really I didn't." Draco pulled his knees up to him now and continued to cry, no longer able to stare into the eyes of a man who had meant the world to him.

Severus now sat down on the edge of the bed, staring between the son he loved more than life itself, and the boy who he had watched grow up. He would have done anything for Draco, and many times he had wanted to take him from Lucius and Narcissa, but he had never been able to find a way. Now he had the boy, but could he take the chance that he would not hurt Harry again? Could he live with himself if he brought Draco into his home, only to have him harm what he treasured more than anything else?"

Severus was drawn from his thoughts as Harry whimpered. "Harry are you in pain? Is it your wrist, your back, your stomach?"

Harry slowly shook his head, though he did feel badly. "What will we do with Draco?"

Severus looked back towards the chair, and the red rimmed eyes that stared motionless up at him now. "What do you suggest we do Harry? He has hurt you, and left you for dead only to try and take your place? Would you forgive him so easily, trust him even?"

Harry shook his head, but then stopped when the room began to spin and his head started to ache.

"Hush now Harry, we do not need to talk about this now, you are not well and you need time to heal."

Harry held his head as he shook it again. "No Dad, I have to tell you something."

Severus helped Harry to lay back down against the pillows. "What do you need to tell me that is so important?" he asked, while brushing the stray hair from Harry's face.

"Draco, he is just like me. You took me home when Voldemort killed my mom and dad, and now his parents are gone too. I know he hurt me Dad, and I am kind of scared to be alone with him, but I don't hate him. Can't we help him? Can't we show him that being bad is not good like you tell me?"

Severus Snape smiled down at his son. "You never cease to amaze me. Even though he has caused you so much pain, and hurt, you would have me forgive him?"

"Please Dad, everyone needs a second chance you said. Doesn't Draco?"

Severus sat for a second lost in the past. He recalled someone named Albus Dumbledore giving him a second chance when he didn't think he deserved it, maybe now it was time to give one of his own. "Harry, I have never been one that is forgiving. I do not know if I can," he admitted.

"Please try Dad. Draco doesn't have anyone else."

Severus stared at Draco who was now staring at Harry. He hadn't wanted the boy to come to harm, but he couldn't bring himself to trust him, not yet, possibly never, but he would give him the same chance he had been given. As he opened his mouth to tell Draco, he was cut off by Draco.

"You mean you want me to stay here with you Harry, even after all I have done to you?"

Harry scooted closer to his father then, his instincts making him fear Draco even then. "I don't trust you Draco, but I don't want you to be sent away. Maybe Dad can help you be good instead of bad."

Severus had seen and heard enough for one night. Conjuring a bed out of the chair he told Draco to lay down and get some sleep. "We will sort this out in the morning, for now Harry you feel quite warm, and I want you to close your eyes and go back to sleep."

Harry clutched his father's shirt then, "You won't leave me will you Dad?"

Severus kissed him lightly on the head, and then pulled the covers up, tucking them in around him. "I will not leave you Harry, not now, not ever."

"Goodnight Dad, I love you," Harry whispered before falling asleep.

Severus smiled as he watched Harry's breathing even out, "Goodnight Harry I love you too."

The next morning Albus Dumbledore returned to Snape Manor, and he and Severus sat down to a cup of tea in the sitting room, so that Severus could watch Harry's door should he need him.

"How is Harry doing Severus?"

"He is much better today, though his injuries still are not healed completely and he has a small fever, but I am sure that will break soon."

Dumbledore then asked what Severus dreaded most, "And what of Draco?"

Severus explained his plan to Dumbledore. It was something he had Harry had talked about early that morning when Harry had woken up, and Draco still slept. Severus at first had been adamant about refusing such a plan, but Harry's pleading had made him cave at the first sign of tears.

"Severus, are you sure this is such a good idea? You would have Draco Malfoy move in here, and adopt him as well, after what he has done? What about Harry? How will you keep him safe from this occurring again?"

Severus' face lit up with a smile, a rare sight on the Potion Master. "As a matter of fact it was Harry's idea. I can't say it will be easy Albus. I can't even say I treasure the idea fully myself, but Harry has assured me that Draco can be saved, and I believe my son."

Severus and Albus sat for a few more minutes sipping their tea, and talking about the final paperwork that would need to be done. There wouldn't be anyone to contest the adoption since both parents were dead, and all other relatives were leery about taking the boy in.

Two months went by and Harry healed from all his injuries. Draco's birthday was coming up, and the morning of the birthday he was presented with the adoption papers.

"Are you really sure? You mean it?" he said through tear filled eyes.

"Of course we mean it," Harry said, slapping him on the arm. "Now blow out the candles."

It had been a good birthday, and Draco and Harry grew closer and closer. It was however not until Harry's birthday that the biggest surprise of them all came.

After spending the day opening his gifts, and playing with them Harry was more than ready for bed. Severus led the way to his room where Harry had been sleeping for the past few months too scared to sleep alone in the room with Draco, but Harry stopped before going in.

"Can I sleep in my room tonight Dad?"

Severus knelt down so he was eye level with Harry. "Are you sure you feel safe doing so?"

Harry chewed his lip for a moment, but then he smiled. "I'm ten years old now Dad. I need to learn to sleep in my own room."

Severus hugged him and led him down the hall towards his room. Draco was already in bed, and he turned around startled when Harry and Severus walked in.

Severus waved his wand and soon Harry's old bed turned into two, and Harry ran over to his jumping beneath the covers. Severus walked over to Draco, and pulled the covers up, before turning to Harry. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and asked one more time.

"Harry are you sure you want to do this?"

Harry nodded his head yes, but motioned Severus to come closer. "I still can come in your room if I have a bad dream can't I?"

Severus chuckled and mussed Harry's hair up. "You may indeed. It is now time to sleep, but if you need me just call or come to my room."

Harry told him he would be fine. Severus stood in the doorway, staring at both boys. They had come a long way in the few short months they had been together. Draco no longer felt a need to show he was a part of the family, as he felt like he was a little more each day, and Harry seemed as if he were overcoming his fears.

Severus turned to leave the room, but he stopped when he heard Harry talking.

"I love you Dad," floated across the room.

Severus walked back over and placed a kiss first on Harry's head and then on Draco's. "I love you both. Get some sleep."

Severus walked back into the sitting room and had a seat. How he come to this? he thought. A year from now both of them would be going to Hogwarts. Would they be together, would they be apart? Severus realized that though they had come through many challenges, that they had so many more to face.

In another year he would be not only their father but their teacher. There would be homework, and if he knew his sons, detentions. He would surely go gray from the stress alone, but for now he was content to come home each day and just be a family, one that was different by all aspects of the word family, but one that was held together with the strongest bonds of love.

A/N: This one is done. If you would like me to post another let me know.