One week, one week, one week, one week…

Severus chanted in his head as he lay in his bare crib and stared up at the dark, vaulted ceiling. He didn’t like the way the shadows danced at the corners of the room, hiding there, like monsters, waltzing between this world and the next, ready to jump out at him the moment he turned his attention away.

Malfoy had wasted no time in letting him know just how much he was actually wanted there. The moment Hestia saw that Severus at least had a room, a crib, and a decent blanket and pillow, which she had designated as his basic necessities, besides food and water, Draco had driven her out of his home like an unwanted pest. Having no other legal reason to stay, Hestia had reluctantly obliged, but not before passing Moody a piece of parchment that Severus later learned contained a list of suspicious activity to watch out for. The moment Hestia was gone, though, the blonde-haired teen had given both Severus and Moody a look of complete disdain before turning on his heel and marching out the door, slamming it behind him.

“Well…this custody hearing should be short and sweet.” Moody had grunted. Sev peered at him in confusion. “If he shows no incentive to care for you at all—by himself, since he’s the one vying for custody, then Potter and his lady friend will be awarded custody. Plain and simple!”

Severus knew Malfoy had no incentive to care for him. The boy couldn’t even care for a dog, for Merlin’s sake! A human being required much more care than that.

POP! POP!

The sudden noise had Moody jumping to his feet and pointing his wand in the direction of the sound. Severus, on the other hand, scooted to the side of the crib farthest away from it.

“Who are you?!” The auror snarled, “State your purpose!”

“W—w—w—we—we are house elves, s—s—sir!” A familiar little voice squeaked from beyond Severus’ crib.

The infant gasped. He knew that voice! Pulling himself up with the railing, Severus peered over the footboard of the crib to find two familiar-looking house elves cowering before Moody. “Dooobeee!” Sev exclaimed with a smile. “Kweeee-ew!”

“Master Sirius and Master Harry have sent us to help you guard Young Master Severus there.” Kreacher explained, not as phased by Moody as Dobby was.

“They did?” Moody croaked, his magical eye moving from one house elf to the other suspiciously.

“Yes.”

The auror had stood there, frozen, his gaze moving back and forth and back and forth for a long while. Until, finally, he accepted their answer and dropped his guard. “Fine.” He snapped, turning away with a huff.

Thus began their long week at Malfoy Manor.

One week, one week, one week, one week…

It had barely been two hours and already Severus wanted nothing more than to go home. Home as in the Den, Godric’s Hollow, the Burrow, Hogwarts—anywhere Harry and Ginny were right now. He didn’t want to be here, in the dragon’s lair, watching the shadows through the corners of his eye, waiting for something to happen.

This place was nothing like home. It was cold, dark, damp; it reminded him too much of the quarters he used to keep in the dungeons of Hogwarts a lifetime ago.

Or was it just…seven months ago?

It was…! Severus realized with muted surprised. It really was just seven months ago that he had been an adult. It was seven months ago that he had fought in the war and been a spy and played with the darkness like it was something he actually wished to control. Yet these past seven months, Severus felt like he’s been living another life—a better life, a sweeter life, a life he should have been living the first time around. It was a life filled with love and affection and family and values.

“May you soon see this opportunity as a blessing…”

The words of the Lady of the Lake, spoken to him just last June, came floating back into his mind. Severus shut his eyes and images from the last seven months of his life invaded his consciousness. A blessing it truly was indeed...

FLASH!

“Alright, I’m going to hold you low to the ground and you’re going to swing your legs as hard as you can.” Harry told Severus as he threw the infant-sized football onto the grass in the backyard. “Ready?”

Sev narrowed his eyes and looked around the backyard for anything he could aim for. The moment he spotted Padfoot napping in the grass, an impish grin appeared on his face and he began nodding at Harry with enthusiasm.

“Excellent! Alright then…” Severus felt Harry shift him around for a bit before the teen allowed him to slip down his arm so that he could catch him between his two hands. The young wizard then lowered him until his little feet hovered just above the ground. “Okay. KICK, Severus! Kick the football, cub!”

The infant bit his lip to hide his grin, pulled his foot back, and gave the small football a hearty kick! The toy then flew into the air briefly before coming down and landing atop Padfoot’s head with a loud THUMP! The dog whined and immediately looked up in their direction.

“Sorry about that, old boy!” Harry exclaimed with a grimace. Severus, on the other hand, giggled at the mutt’s scrunched up face.

WOOF! The mutt barked, huffing before turning his tail to them and trotting towards the porch. He settled for napping on the swinging bench instead.

FLASH!

“Alright, love, let’s start a process here.” Ginny said, adjusting the gloves on her hand before checking the gloves she had just put on Sev. “Mum and I used to garden together all the time. I’m sure you used to love gardening as well.” She said, raising an eyebrow at the squirmy infant before her.

Severus shrugged and reached for the bag of seeds nearby. “Omo.” He answered simply. It was partially true. He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually gardened, and therefore he couldn’t remember if he actually enjoyed it or not.

“Alright. I see you’re all raring to go.” Ginny chuckled, adjusting her position on the grass so that she now faced the bare flowerbed. “First, we make a small hole...” Ginny scooped some dirt out of the ground and set it aside. “Then we put a few seeds in…” She dropped a pinch-worth of seeds into the hole with a smile. “Then we cover it back up!” The teen swept the dirt back into the hole and turned her vibrant grin onto the infant next to her. “Your turn, babe!” She declared, nuzzling his cheek.

Severus bit his lip and smiled. Leaning forward, he poked the fertile soil with three fingers, creating a hole. He then dropped a handful of seeds around the vicinity of the hole, managing to get a pinch-worth inside the actual opening, before cupping the dirt between his hands and creating a small mound on top of his tiny hole.

Leaning back, Severus inspected his planting job in relation to Ginny’s. Hers was flat while his culminated in a mound, there were no seeds around hers while seeds littered the ground around his, and there were no tiny handprints anywhere near hers while his mound was surrounded by them. The infant frowned. All in all, his planting job was a lot more uncoordinated compared to hers.

“Perfect job, my love!” Ginny whispered in his ear. Sev could hear a smile in her voice. “It’s excellent!”

All of a sudden, Sev’s frown turned upside down.

FLASH!

“Which one do you want, Sev? The brown horse, the black horse, the white horse, or the carriage?” Harry asked as they climbed onto the carousel platform.

“Love, I don’t think the carriages go up and down.” Ginny commented, pointing to the sign next to one of them.

“True.” Harry nodded. “You’ll want a horse then.”

“Bick!” Sev replied, pointing to the big white horse with a smile.

“You should ride with him, Harry.” Ginny suggested, holding the camera up. “That way, I can get your picture while you ride.”

After a short bout of whispered arguments, Harry climbed onto the big white horse with Sev and proceeded to wrap the strap firmly around his middle. As soon as that was done, he wrapped an arm around his infant’s waist for good measure.

“Ready, love?” Ginny asked, telling him to smile before quickly taking his picture.

“Here we go, cub…” Harry said when the carousel began to move.

As the wind swept through his hair and the music filled his ears, Sev concluded with a grin that this carousel ride was the best ride EVER!

FLASH!

The smiles.

It had only been a few hours, but he already missed smiling. Sev eyed his surroundings for the thousandth time that day. Cold, dark, and quiet. They were the qualities that used to characterize his Slytherin quarters as well. Cold, dark, and quiet. Sev couldn’t smile here. He had no reason to smile here. If it wasn’t so cold, he would smile at being warm. If it wasn’t so dark, he would smile at the light that hit his face. If it wasn’t so quiet, he would smile at the fact that he didn’t feel so alone.

Just like the first time, then. The usually-grumpy voice at the back of his mind mused in a rather uncharacteristic tone filled with melancholy. Great! Even his cynical side was depressed by the state of things!

It’s the aura that pervades this so-called home. It explained neutrally.

Sev couldn’t help but agree.

With yourself. His cynical voice pointed out sardonically.

The infant rolled his eyes.

It was true, though! The aura that encompassed this mansion reminded Severus vaguely of something he had sensed before. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, though. He just remembered that it was rather dark. There was a muted moaning noise right at the edge of his hearing that he couldn’t quite make out.

I suggest you not even try. The bored voice commented. It could be something you don’t want to deal with.

The fact that he was having reassuring conversations with himself was a testament to his current state-of-mind. After being surrounded by happiness and light for months, it was rather hard to transition back to the way it used to be. His life with Harry and Ginny was filled with joy. The atmosphere they created encouraged independence and free will. Sev knew he could be who he was around them and they would do nothing but encourage him to keep at it. 

Here, in Malfoy Manor, on the other hand, the situation was entirely different. The atmosphere around here felt miserable, suppressed; like happiness and light were being beaten down and not allowed to take form. A shiver ran down Severus’ spine. This reminded him too much of his old home in Spinner’s End. Draco’s attitude from earlier was too reminiscent of the attitude his first father had towards him. Severus would be damned if ended up growing up surrounded by this rubbish the second time around!

All of a sudden, Sev heard a loud scraping noise and turned just in time to see Moody step away from his fallen chair and cross the room in two strides. When he came to a stop, he had his nose to the far wall and was eyeing the wallpaper with an intensity that would have scared Severus, had that look been directed towards him. 

Frowning in confusion, the infant wondered idly what it would be like to be under the command of that nutter. Harry, Ron, Tonks and Sirius all answered to him and Sev wondered how they took that. Recalling Harry’s and Sirius’ reactions to his presence back in New York, it was obvious that they respected him in the same way that soldiers respected their superiors. Sev understood that. Yet he wondered if that respect was based on fear of Mad-Eye Moody or on respect of the man and his accomplishments.

Because, if Severus was to be frank, Moody was not a man he would have picked to be the role model at the insane asylum. The man was a few fries short of a happy meal, in his opinion. Mad-Eye Moody had the reputation of toeing the line between good auror and bad auror. He was the one who usually came up with the most insane conspiracy theories and believed in them so much that convincing him of the truth was tantamount to convincing the Devil that Heaven was paradise. The man was almost like Voldemort in a way. Both commanded respect just by their very presence, and both weren’t in full possession of all their marbles as well. Yet the aura permeating from Moody was not one filled with the desire for global domination, but one bursting with the need to keep everyone as safe from the darkness as possible. Therein lay the difference.

Moody was desperate for unselfish reasons. Voldemort merely looked out for number one. Moody sat on the ledge between the edge of sanity and the abyss of madness. Voldemort ran to the cliff and gladly threw himself off. Given the choice between the two of them, Severus would have followed Mad-Eye Moody with almost no hesitation at all; which was probably why Harry trusted the crazy old man with his, Severus’, life.

In the blink of an eye, Moody went from being a frozen, wall-staring statue to a moving blur whose speed defied all logic entirely. “You two! House elves!” He bellowed, making Sev, Dobby, and Kreacher all jump at the sudden noise after an eternity of silence.

“Y—y—yes, sir?” Dobby stuttered from behind Sev’s crib.

“Guard that child with your lives, do you understand me?!” He barked, pointing at Severus.

The infant’s eyes widened. Why, in Merlin’s name, did he say that?! Why would he need to say that?!

As if to answer all his silent questions, Moody promptly turned on his heel, opened the door, and took off down the hall.

Like a dam bursting open, a loud, high-pitched wail, accompanied by a surge of dark energy, suddenly overwhelmed Sev’s senses. Out of instinct, the infant covered his ears with his hands, closed his eyes, and dove headfirst into his pillow. He suddenly remembered where he had heard that wailing before. It was back when he had accompanied Harry and Ginny down to the Slytherin common room to pack his things away. Sev recalled the dark energy had assaulted him then as well.

But it wasn’t as intense as this! The voice at the back of his mind screamed in response. The wailing of the phantom voice was so loud that Sev had to scream at himself—in his head—in order for him to hear himself think!

Merlin’s Beard! That sound was awful! It reminded Sev of the screaming he heard from the victims of the Cruciatus curses back in his Death Eater days. It sounded like the wailing of a human being whose flesh was being ripped from bone, whose muscles were being torn to shreds, and whose organs were being ripped from their body. It sounded like the cry of a mother whose child had just been murdered in front of her eyes. The pain and agony in the voice made Severus cringe and want to cry out himself.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” He moaned.

“Young Sir! Young Sir!” Severus cracked open an eye to see Dobby waving at him nervously and Kreacher peering at him with muted concern. From the way Dobby’s mouth kept moving, Sev figured the house elf was trying to tell him something, yet he couldn’t hear it, whatever it was. The voice and the accompanying dark energy were too distracting. Sev could tell his heart was beginning to race, his stomach was knotting up, and his breaths were getting shorter by the second. He had other things to worry about besides what Dobby was trying to tell him. 

“Can’t—seen—caught—banish—invisible—w—leave you—Here, sir!”

Severus moaned and began rubbing his ears in an effort to block out that voice. Right now, he didn’t give a damn about what Dobby and Kreacher had to say unless they meant to help him get rid of that pain-inducing voice coming from what seemed like everywhere.

The very walls are wailing. The voice at the back drawled ominously. Crying out in despair.

Severus wanted to die.

Glancing back towards Dobby and Kreacher, Sev watched as the former house elf snapped his fingers and the two elves faded away.

The infant gasped and pushed up against his bed, his eyes widening at the spot Dobby and Kreacher had just been standing. The terrible wailing intensified once his ears were no longer covered but Severus didn’t care. His two house elves—his only forms of protection left, now that Moody had taken off—were now gone! “DOOBEEE!” Sev cried in a panic, looking around the spot where they had been standing just moments ago. “DOOOBEEE! KWEEE-EW!!!” The infant felt his heart rate shoot up exponentially.

They were gone!!! Dobby and Kreacher and Moody were all gone!!! And the door was open and the voice was yelling and Sev was shivering and he felt exposed and something cold and dark was coming for him. He could just feel it!

Something wicked this way comes…

Severus never wanted to die as badly as he did right now!

“Do you sense it, Sev?”

The infant shut his eyes and a memory of a time not so long ago flashed in his mind.

“It’s white magic.” Ginny murmured into his soft baby hair. “It’s hard to detect, I know. Surrounded by all this darkness, it seems virtually impossible to be able to sense any white magic anywhere. But know this, love: there can be no dark without the light, and all the darkness in the universe cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” Sev pushed up, removing his hand and his attention from the glass to meet Ginny’s eyes. “Even if there were no windows in this room, and we were surrounded by dark magic…there would still be light. You know where?” Sev inclined his head curiously. Ginny pointed to his little chest. “In here.” Sev looked down at her finger. She then pointed to his forehead. “And in here.” Sev looked up. After a moment, he grasped her finger in his little fist, brought it into his mouth, and began chewing on it.

“You remember what it felt like, don’t you?” Ginny continued, regardless of the finger chewing. “You remember what it felt like to be surrounded by white magic? To sense it everywhere, feel it in everything? Do you remember how absolutely amazing it felt to be immersed in it? How free and alive you were when Harry showed you how to sense it last night?”

Sev did remember what it felt like, and he wanted nothing more than to feel that right now!

“Then there’s your candle.” Ginny murmured with a smile. “It’s inside you!” She rubbed her nose against his baby nose, generating a fit of childish giggles from the infant. “All the darkness in this room would not be able to extinguish this candle.” Ginny pulled her finger out of his mouth and tapped him gently on the lips with it.

It was inside him; it was inside him; it was inside him!

Severus whimpered and glanced down at his chest dubiously. It didn’t feel like it was inside him!!!

“Well, well, well, what have we here, boys?!” A voice cackled from the open doorway.

Sev gasped and quickly turned so that his back was no longer facing the door. Who else then should he come face-to-face with other than the dragon of the dragon’s lair himself?

Draco Malfoy.

“What are you crying about, Snape?” He jeered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he leaned cockily against the doorframe. “And where did your bodyguard go, I wonder? You’re here all alone!” He finished in a mock-sad tone-of-voice. Sev could hear cackling coming from the shadows just behind Malfoy.

The infant whimpered and swiped a hand across his eyes. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t supposed to be happening!

“God, look at you. You weakling!” Malfoy snarled, glaring at him as he pushed off the doorframe and began stepping into the room. “A few months with Potter and his pansies and you turn into this!” He made a disgusted sound at the back of his throat and promptly spit on the floor by his feet. “Disgusting, crying child!”

“What’s wrong with you, boy! Be a man! Quit crying like a little girl! Stupid pansy! Just like your whore mother!”

“I’ll give you something to cry about, Severus Snape. Don’t you worry about that!” Malfoy continued, a mad gleam in his bloodshot eyes.

All of a sudden, Severus’ heart rate kicked up and he steadily began to hyperventilate. He could smell alcohol in the room.

“A spy for the Resistance!” Draco cackled madly. “A spy! The Dark Lord trusted you like he trusted none other in his ranks, and you turn out to be the snake in the grass!”

“Get him, Draco!” One of the voices cried from the shadows beyond the doorway.

“Well, I guess that’s typical, isn’t it? The head snake turns out to be the biggest lion of them all.”

“We kill lions! Don’t we, boys?!” Another voice whooped from the shadows just beyond.

Severus made a low whimpering sound in his throat as he pulled his stuffed lion cub over and hugged it for all it was worth, burying his face in its soft head while at the same time keeping one eye trained on the preying Malfoy. His fear skyrocketed with every step closer Malfoy took, making his tears fall all the harder and his cries all the louder. 

“Look at this whimpering idiot.” Malfoy taunted, earning him a laugh from his cronies just outside the door. “Crying like the baby he is. Now Potter and his lap dogs aren’t here to protect you, are they?” The blonde teen pulled out his wand. “SHUT YOUR FACE!”

All of a sudden, Severus’ cries were silenced. His childish wails ceased to bounce off the bare walls. He felt himself crying. He knew he was crying! He knew he was yelling his lungs out right now, yet he heard not a peep.

Malfoy had just cast a silencing spell on him.

What an abominable thing to do! The voice at the back commented, scandalized by Draco’s actions.

Sev couldn’t cry. Well, he could cry, but he couldn’t hear himself cry! And if he couldn’t hear himself cry, then what was the point of crying?! He cried in order to vent his frustrations, release stress, voice his displeasure, and a number of other different things. Yet without the ability to hear all these things come out of him, to hear himself release these frustrations, without the knowledge that he was being heard by someone who could help him deal with his stress, then what was the point of crying? Malfoy had just taken away his only means of releasing all his pent-up emotions, effectively imprisoning Severus within his mind. 

Harry would never have done that! His little voice agreed with ferocity. Harry would never have cast a spell on me to get me to do something he wanted! Severus could have cried ‘til his lungs gave out, day in and day out, and still neither Harry nor Ginny would have resorted to using a silencing charm on him. Ever!

“There! That sounds a bit better. Don’t you think, boys?” Malfoy grinned, his eyes narrowing at the panicking child inside the crib. “Now…what shall I do first, eh?”

“Draco!” A female voice echoed from the doorway, making everyone turn towards it in surprise.

Severus was shocked to see Astoria Greengrass walk through the threshold and march straight towards Draco, looking half-determined, half-panicked. What is she doing here? He wondered idly.

“Draco, stop! You told your father you would wait until he gets home.” She said, trying to grab Draco’s wand from his hand.

“What are you doing?!” The blonde replied, scandalized.

“Give me your wand!”

SMACK!

Draco backhanded the younger girl strongly, sending her sprawling towards the floor. Sev gasped and hugged his lion cub even closer to his chest, pushing himself to the other end of the crib, trying to get as far away from Malfoy as possible. Adrenaline pumped through the infant’s veins. 

Not good! Not good! Not good! Not good! Sev chanted in his head. He bit his lip hard in a desperate attempt to contain his fear.

“Father is already home, you stupid bitch!” Draco growled at her hunched form. “He’s a bit preoccupied at the moment, though, dealing with my meddlesome, disobedient mother. And you’ll do well to remember your place in this family,” he cried, pointing a threatening finger at the fallen teen, “lest you want to end up just like her once I’m done with HIM!” And with that, Malfoy marched towards the crib with angry strides, pulling his walking stick out of thin air and preparing to use it against the eleven-month-old Severus Snape.

Before he could reach him, though, a powerful wave of energy coursed through the room, sweeping Draco off his feet and sending him flying into the air. The blonde teen flew through the threshold and into his unsuspecting cronies, knocking everyone to the ground. Before anyone could process what had just happened, the bedroom door slammed shut and its lock clicked into place.

“Told you, I did!” A familiar voice squeaked where no one stood. “I did! I did! I did!”

“Yes, yes, shut up now.” There was a quick snapping sound and Dobby and Kreacher suddenly reappeared where they had been standing before—right beside Severus’ crib. The infant couldn’t be happier to see them. “Are you alright, Little Master?” Kreacher asked, snapping his fingers and instantly removing the silencing charm.

“KWEEE-EW!!!” Sev cried, reaching through the bars of his crib to give the grumpy little house elf the biggest bear hug he could possibly manage at the moment.

Kreacher’s eyes popped out of their sockets the moment the little human’s arms encircled his neck. Then, just as quickly, they narrowed again when he became highly suspicious of this new kind of affectionate display.

As Kreacher tended to Severus, Dobby made his way across the room to give Astoria a check-up. “Young Mistress? Young Mistress, are you alright?” He asked, approaching her with hesitation.

Astoria had picked herself up, somewhat, off the ground and was now sitting with her back against the wall. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she had her arms crossed over her kneecaps. Her head was buried in her arms and she appeared to be sniffling.

“Young Mistress?” Dobby questioned, laying a shaky hand upon her arm.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” The young woman shrieked, jerking violently to the side. She jumped away from Dobby at the same time Dobby jumped away from her.

“S—s—s—sorry! Dobby apologizes for startling the young mistress!” The house elf squeaked, wringing his wrists nervously.

“It’s alright!” Astoria replied hastily. Her eyes, however, remained wide and puffy as they darted from side to side. “It’s…it’s okay…” Almost subconsciously, she began rubbing the spot on her cheek where Draco had struck her moments before. “It…it’s fine.”

Frowning, Kreacher waved Severus to the far side of his crib and turned his back to the infant, shielding him from the crazy-looking teen across the room.

“Would you like me to heal that for you, Young Mis—”

“No, thank you!” Astoria replied, jumping to her feet and hastily making her way towards the door. “No, thank you. I’m fine!” Still rubbing her cheek furiously, the teen frantically scanned the room, as if looking for anything she might have dropped. Seemingly satisfied with not having found anything, Astoria tightened her robe around herself and reached for the doorknob. She paused before turning it, however, and glanced back over her shoulder to peer at Dobby and Kreacher.

“I’ll try to convince the kitchen elves to come in and feed him.” She told them, her voice no higher than a whisper. Glancing at the door nervously, Astoria turned back to the two house elves after a split second and lowered her voice even more. “And I won’t tell them you’re here.” As soon as those words were past her lips, she unlocked the door and slipped out of the room as stealthily as a shadow, making sure to close and lock the door behind her.

Sev cringed briefly as the wailing voice and the sensations of darkness assaulted him for the short second that the door was open, but relaxed again once the door was shut and locked.

It was going to be a long week!

“Malfoy’s going to regret this little ploy for redemption, mark my words.” Ron sighed as he watched his sister through the kitchen window.

Ginny was sitting in the middle of the garden, her head buried in her arms and her shoulders shaking from the intensity of her sobs.

“Time for another crying fit, I assume.” Hermione remarked sadly as she followed her boyfriend’s gaze.

“How’s she been doing?” Sirius asked, nodding towards the crying teen out the window.

“It’s been the same thing for the last three days.” Fred replied.

“She goes from crying fit—”

“—to studying fit—”

“—and back to crying fit again!”

“And when she gets into a studying mood, she hits those law books like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Ron remarked.

“I can’t even keep up with her!” Hermione added for emphasis.

“And that’s saying something!” Ron exclaimed.

“Well she has good reason to, doesn’t she?” Remus pointed out. “Imagine your own child being taken away from you. She’s desperate to get him back. They both are!”

“I can’t imagine what they’re going through.” Tonks threw in, tightening her arms around Teddy. The very thought of someone coming in and taking her baby away from her filled her with dread and desperation. She would do anything and everything to prevent that from happening. She didn’t know how Harry and Ginny were standing it!

“Yeah, I know.” Sirius nodded in agreement. “Harry’s not doing much better, I can tell you.”

“We see him when he’s here, Padfoot.”

“What’s he up to when he’s not here?” Hermione asked, concerned about her best friend and his current state-of-mind. “Ron and I try to ask him how he’s feeling but he always blows us off.”

“Won’t even answer when we corner him about it.” Ron added.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” Sirius replied with a grimace. “Harry’s beyond furious right now, and cornering a very angry lion is never advisable.”

“He goes off for long stretches at a time.” Remus explained, passing Hermione a cup of tea. “And when he comes back, he digs through countless law books for hours on end.”

“Getting him to eat is a battle in and of itself.”

“Yeah, Ginny too.” Ron nodded.

“George and I think that those long stretches when he goes out by himself are his venting times.” Fred explained.

“Do you lot remember that scarecrow we had in the South Field?” George recounted, “The one we used for target practice whenever we de-gnomed the garden?”

“Yeah?” Ron raised an eyebrow.

“We were just wondering whether or not you all noticed it was steadily beginning to resemble Malfoy a bit.” Fred asked with a smirk.

“Or whether or not you all noticed how it’s scattered all over the South Field right now.” George finished with a snort.

“You destroyed it?” Hermione asked with a frown.

“Not us!”

“Harry!” Fred and George replied in unison.

“The thing exploded rather violently yesterday.” Fred explained.

“Beyond repair now.”

“That’s probably where he went off to yesterday afternoon.” Sirius mused idly. Outside the window, he watched as his godson walked up to Ginny and took a seat behind her. Harry wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and provided her with a shoulder to cry on. At the same time, he levitated a law book behind her head and began reading while she bawled her eyes out.

Clever boy…Padfoot mused silently.

“What charges or whatever has Malfoy brought against Harry?” Ron asked.

“They’re not exactly charges, Ron.” Hermione interjected. “They’re more of allegations that bring into question Harry’s ability to care for a child.”

“But what does Ginny have to do with all of this?”

“Ginny applied for co-guardianship along with Harry. Once Harry’s guardianship rights were revoked, Ginny’s went along with it.”

“So just because they assume Harry will be a bad guardian, they immediately assume Ginny will be a bad guardian as well?” Ron frowned. “One bad apple is supposed to make the whole batch rotten?!”

“I suppose their reasoning was that once they received allegations that one of the petitioners’ abilities were questionable, they wouldn’t want the child anywhere near that questionable petitioner anymore. If one petitioner signed the agreement along with a second petitioner, then it’s safe to assume that the former already has or will have continuous contact with the latter. Thus if the former’s abilities were called into question, then you wouldn’t want the petitioned to stay with the latter—”

“Hermione!” Ron exclaimed, interrupting his girlfriend’s monologue. “Speak English, will ya?!”

“If Draco Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy petitioned for guardianship of Severus together, and we brought up allegations of alcohol abuse against Draco, then by your logic, Lucius should get custody of Severus.”

“But he’s just as bad!” Ron argued.

“But you can’t prove that.”

“See the point, Ron?” Remus raised an eyebrow. “It’s to prevent worse case scenarios such as that.”

“But Ron was asking what the allegations were against Harry, though.” Tonks pointed out. “And what proof did they have?”

“Draco Malfoy presented evidence in front of the entire Department of Wizarding Child Protective Services that Harry has a history of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Along with that, they cite some bogusly high statistic stating that most people who live through abuse end up as abusers themselves. Their evidence for Harry’s history came from his medical record at St. Mungo’s.” Sirius explained.

“Which they most likely obtained illegally.” Hermione pointed out. “Medical records are not supposed to be public knowledge.”

“We could use that to argue our case before the Wizengamot.” Remus pointed out.

“But the thing is, Moony, Hestia was supposed to know about this, but she didn’t.”

“Her impartiality is questionable—that would be the counter from Malfoy’s court.” George added.

“We’ve got to work on that one.” Sirius nodded, making a note of it on a sheet of parchment. “Other allegations include that Harry has a history of violence—”

“See, that I don’t understand!” Ron exclaimed.

“—and that he has been linked to muggle gang activity quite recently.”

“Well, that’s a total lie!” Hermione argued.

Sirius’ lips thinned into a line and he wordlessly slid a copy of Harry’s muggle criminal record over to her. A mug shot of a fifteen-year-old Henry James Potter stared back at them from the top page. “The Death Eaters dug up Harry’s muggle criminal record. It’s all there in black-and-white.”

“Can’t these be forged?!” Ron argued.

“They could have been.” The animagus replied with a frown, “And that would’ve been a grand argument…if it wasn’t for the fact that Harry admitted it himself.”

“WHAT?!” Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Tonks all exclaimed, their eyes widening at Sirius.

“Most of the history of violence argument comes from his bouts of vandalism during his younger years.”

“When he reacted publicly to the abuses he was suffering at home, at the hands of his uncle.” Hermione nodded. “That part we know about. What is this about gang activity, though?”

“It started off innocent enough, really. I supposed most recruitments do, if you really think about it.” Remus picked up where Sirius left off. “Harry went out to dinner one night at a restaurant that had a bar somewhere in the back. You know that sort, right?” Everyone nodded at him. “Well…turns out, there was this gang leader that was having dinner at the very same restaurant, the very same time. Anyway, he spots Harry—fifteen-year-old kid eating alone. This is a mere week into the summer holiday after your fifth year.”

“Suffice to say that Harry was a bit depressed, a bit bored, and more than a bit lonely.” Sirius interjected. “The perfect combination if you’re looking to tempt someone into joining your gang. Long story short, Harry went from having a drink with his new friends to partying at the hottest nightclubs in London within the space of three days. He had the world at his fingertips—fast money, fast drugs, fast alcohol, fast cars, fast women…” Sirius inhaled sharply and his own eyes glazed over at the thought of it all. “Sex appeal, sex appeal, sex appeal…” He murmured under his breath.

“Harry doesn’t seem the sort to fall into that kind of life.” Hermione argued with a frown.

“Maybe not to you, ‘Mione.” Remus replied gently, “But, remember, it is not wise to judge another’s reaction to a situation unless one has gone through such a trial oneself.”

“I highly doubt Hermione’s been recruited into a hardcore gang before.” Fred teased with a snort.

“But I have.” Sirius interjected, his somber tone bringing their joking to a screeching halt. “I’ve been targeted for recruiting into muggle gangs before. And let me tell you, it is NOT EASY for a young man of fifteen to turn his back on that world.”

“Padfoot?” Tonks raised a surprised eyebrow at her cousin.

“It’s all sex appeal—every bit of it!” The animagus continued. “And it’s all fun and games until your life depends on whether or not you choose to beat someone senseless or stick a bullet in their head.” Sirius’ eyes glazed over as if he was reliving a distant and painful memory. “And it’s only once you actually get to that point that you realize you may have gotten in over your head.” Pulling back Harry’s criminal record, Sirius stared into his godson’s mug shot and saw in those fifteen-year-old eyes, a reflection of himself as a teenager. “It’s only when you’re standing before the devil, and he’s asking for that final bit of your soul, that you realize you’ve been giving it to him all along.”

“Sirius!” The sound of his name snapped Sirius out of the trance-like state he was in and he looked up to find almost everyone staring at him in confusion.

“What’s all this got to do with proving Malfoy’s going to be a bad father and Harry’s going to be a good one?” Tonks asked, getting the question on everyone’s mind out into the open.

“Oh…” The animagus frowned. He had just lost his train of thought. “This has nothing to do with proving Malfoy is going to be a bad father. For that, all you need to do is to talk to his secret mind healer and have a proper medical healer diagnose his alcohol addiction before the court.” He explained with a shrug.

Hermione, Ron, Tonks, Fred, and George all exchanged a perplexed look. “Did you get all that down, Ronald?”

The redhead grunted in response just as Sirius continued his monologue. “No…I was just thinking about Harry’s situation and how we’re going to prove he’s perfectly capable of raising a happy, healthy child before the Wizengamot.”

“And where did your thoughts lead you?” Tonks asked, genuinely intrigued by her cousin’s train-of-thought.

“Well…if he’s anything like me—”

“Which he is, considering he got out of gang life in virtually the same manner you got out years ago, Padfoot.” Remus replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Then this whole gang situation would have changed him greatly—for the better!”

“The question is how we’re going to prove that!” Hermione argued. “How we’re going to convince the Wizengamot, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that all the things that happened to Harry in his life has shaped him for the better and that he’s ultimately going to turn out to be a great father. How are we going to prove all that?”

“The same way we prove that Malfoy is going to be a bad father.” Sirius answered simply.

“But we have a mind healer working for us when it comes to attesting to Malfoy’s state-of-mind.” Tonks interjected. “We have no such thing when it comes to attesting to Harry’s.”

“We’re going to need someone who has known about Harry all along.” Hermione added, “Someone who can corroborate our claim that Harry’s experiences have changed him for the better.”

“And that he’s not a nutter.” Ron threw in.

“The problem is no one fits that description!” Fred argued.

“I know! That’s my problem.” Hermione replied with a scowl. “I—”

“UH-HUH!!!” Sirius exclaimed, slamming his palm against the table and startling everyone into silence. “I got it!” He cried with a joyous cackle. The animagus’ eyes gleamed in the sunlight as he jumped up from the table and grabbed his coat off the hook by the hearth. “Moony! Come with me!” He called, glancing back at the perplexed group of people frozen behind him. “Come on, mate, I need your help with something!”

After exchanging a quick glance and a nod with his wife, Remus stood up from the table and caught the coat Sirius threw his way. “Where are we going?” He asked for the sake of everyone else in the room, even as he followed Sirius to the floo.

“London.” The animagus replied. 

Remus frowned in confusion. “Grimmauld Place?” He asked.

Sirius shook his head and grinned at his best mate over his shoulder. “East End.”

Moody was glaring at the floor.

He was on his knees by Severus’ crib and was glaring at the floor. His good eye was closed while his magical eye bulged out of its socket, and it was trained on a speck of invisible dust on the otherwise immaculate hardwood floor. The infant was beginning to feel sorry for whatever speck was under the man’s scrutiny right now.

Your boss is a nutter. Sev muttered toward the two familiar presences in his head. The infant was lying on his side inside his crib. He had his arms wrapped firmly around Simba and was watching the eccentric auror with just a modicum of interest. Otherwise, he was incredibly bored. Again. Severus had not been taken out of his crib since he arrived here.

Harry’s chuckles reverberated from the back of his mind. That’s how Moody is, cub. That’s what makes him special.

Think of him as an eccentric old man rather than a nutter. Ginny added kindly.

He was crazy and he was weird. There. Sev made his final assessment.

But he is the best form of protection anyone can come by. Harry commented.

No, you are! Sev argued, hugging his lion even closer to his chest and shutting his eyes.

“You are! You are! You are!” Sev ran to the couch Harry and Ginny perpetually occupied at the back of his mind and dove into the space in between them, squeezing himself into the small gap. Both his parents’ arms immediately encircled him.

“Are you keeping that candle burning, love?” Ginny asked gently. “Remember what I said several months ago?”

“Don’t let the darkness win, cub.”

“The door keeps the voices away!” Sev replied, looking up at Harry for an explanation. “When it’s open, I feel like the scary voice is everywhere, but when the door is closed, I feel like it’s being held back.”

“Moody likely put charms on the door so that the house’s aura wouldn’t affect you too much.” Harry nodded. “Whether or not the door’s open determines whether or not the charms work effectively.”

“It still feels like a cage, though.” Sev remarked sadly. “They don’t even feed me there. It’s stupid! I want to go home!” He lamented. “The big voice even hates it there!”

“Does he now?” Harry responded with a look of surprise. “That’s new!”

“The big voice?” Ginny raised an eyebrow.

“Severus Snape.” Her boyfriend answered. “The BIG Severus Snape, as opposed to this guy.” He said, gesturing towards the five-year-old between them. “He’s the perpetual voice of cynicism at the back of Sev’s mind.”

“I prefer to consider myself the voice of reason, thank you very much!” A familiar voice echoed from the family’s right. All three heads turned to find a familiar-looking thirty-eight year-old approaching from somewhere among the white void of Sev’s mind.

Harry smiled and stood up, offering Snape his hand. “Mr. Snape.”

“Mr. Potter.” Snape nodded, taking Harry’s hand and giving it a firm shake.

“I heard you don’t like it in Malfoy Manor.”

“Yes.” The potions master replied simply, turning away and studying the white void around them. It was obvious that was all Harry was going to get out of him. The teenager snorted and shook his head.

“Who are you?!” Sev cried, studying the man with a frown.

“I’m you, you silly little boy!” Snape replied with a roll of his eyes.

“He’s me?!” Sev peered up at Ginny in confusion. Grabbing her hand, he wrapped her arm around himself even tighter and scowled at the strange man.

Ginny settled for picking him up and settling him on her lap instead, her arms wrapped firmly around his waist. “You don’t remember what you used to look like, love?”

“His self-image has yet to form.” Snape explained. “He has a vague notion of what he used to look like, but he pays it little to no heed. He’s building himself from the ground up.”

“I don’t understand, Mr. Snape. There are two of you?” Ginny’s eyebrows scrunched together.

Snape shook his head. “Not quite.” Shifting his robes to the side, he took a seat on the easy chair that had appeared out of nowhere. Once he was seated, Harry took his own seat once again. “There is him.” The potions master gestured towards the child on the couch. “I’m just…a certain part of him.”

“But you were…de-aged, weren’t you?”

Snape shook his head. “I was reborn.” Once again, he pointed to the fidgety five-year-old on Ginny’s lap. “He is the man. I am merely the memories.”

“When Sev first took the potion, it was you who was dominating his mind, wasn’t it?” Harry asked with a small half-smile.

Snape inclined his head. “Yet he has steadily been taking control of himself as time goes on.”

“That explains the behavioral changes.” Harry remarked to Ginny.

“So are you stuck in his mind, Mr. Snape?” His girlfriend asked, trying to grasp the whole situation.

“No, madam, I am a part of his mind.” Snape repeated with a roll of his eyes. How many times did he have to say it?! “The voice at the back that niggles at him whenever he misses an opportunity to pull a prank on the mutt.”

“Ah!” On her lap, Sev grinned and began giggling at his older counterpart. “That explains it. Thank you!”

“It’s good to know you’re still in here, Snape.” Harry remarked with a smile.

The potions master eyed him warily before turning away and trying to act nonchalant. “It’s good to know I have a real family this time around.” He murmured under his breath. “One who’s actually fighting for me.”

Harry heard him anyway. “Good feelings all around, th—”

Sev’s eyes flew open as he felt his crib shake and heard the hinges creak loudly.

“Goddamn family!” Moody grumbled, using the crib to help him climb to his feet. “Do they think I can’t see them?!” He snapped at Severus. “Do they think I don’t know what they’re up to?!” Turning away, the auror summoned a piece of parchment from the desk and began scribbling furiously upon it.

Severus was confused. What just happened here?

“I have enough evidence to put both father and son in Azkaban ten times over! Rape, assault, battery, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, harboring wanted criminals!” Moody barred his teeth at the parchment as if it was the source of his troubles.

“Do they think I don’t know what’s going on?!” Moody bitched to Sev, slamming his parchment down atop the growing pile on the side table by his makeshift cot. “They don’t call me Mad-Eye­ for nothing. I can see clear to either end of this abominable house, from the east wing to the west and from the attic to the basement!”

So that’s why Moody kept glaring at the walls and the floorboards and the ceiling and everything. He was spying on the Malfoys!

Clever ploy…The big voice at the back mused. Kills two birds with one stone.

“Kingsley probably came up with it.” Ginny commented.

“No, hun, it seems more Moody’s style.” Harry snorted.

“Every Death Eater on our wanted board is hiding in this house right now. I can see them!” The auror exclaimed, shaking his finger at the ceiling. “I can tell you exactly where they are right now. And the day of your custody hearing is the day my boys and I raid this joint!” The old wizard slammed his fist into the desk in emphasis.

“Did he say every Death Eater on the board?!” Harry exclaimed, suddenly agitated.

“But if that’s the case, why haven’t they—”

“They’re holding back.” Harry surmised. “They’re holding back because they’re expecting to win Severus during the custody hearing!”

“Harry—”

“Over my dead body!”

“Lucius Malfoy is getting a one-way ticket to Azkaban, let me tell you that!” Moody continued. Severus began sucking on his thumb, nervous at the intensity of the old wizard’s rants. “And just wait ‘til I catch his son in the act! That boy rapes that lady-friend of his when he’s in a drunken rage, I just know it!” The auror glared at the far wall. “I can tell by the way she flinches at the touch. Like a beaten animal, let me tell ye!”

Moody scoffed. “And it’s the house elves that Potter and Black sent that take care of you. I never once saw one of Malfoy’s elves come in here. Do they feed you? NO! Do they change you?”

BANG!

Moody banged his fist against the side table with a ferocity that made Severus cringe.

“NO!”

“Do they listen to me?!” He snarled at Severus.

BANG!

“NO!”

Alastor Moody is not a man who takes getting ignored very well. Sev mused. No wonder Harry, Ron, and even Sirius were afraid of disrespecting him.

“What? Did they expect to just take you without a fight from Potter’s camp? After he’s cared for ye these past few months? What are they, stupid?! Know your enemies!” The auror snarled, pointing a finger at the ceiling in emphasis “Know your enemies—that’s what I always tell my boys. Wife beaters, the pair of them! Like father, like son. If I wasn’t here, you’d be dead by now, I can tell ye that! Dim-witted, good-for-nothing…”

Moody’s rants faded into the background as Sev slowly tuned them out. They were getting more and more senseless by the minute.

Reaching to the back of his mind, he could feel both Harry’s and Ginny’s presences, still there and still very strong. Harry’s consciousness had gone, most likely to continue working on the case. He had sounded extremely angry a few minutes ago, Severus recalled. Yet Ginny’s consciousness was still there. She was singing to him, humming that song that he loved so much. Sev recalled many a night when he fell asleep to her angelic voice humming that familiar tune.

“Mmmmmm Hmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm Mmmm…”

It was usually the nights Harry was gone for training. And Ginny was the one putting him to bed in the evenings. 

“Mmmmmm Hmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm Mmmm…”

It was the same song Harry had first sung to him months ago, when he had gotten sick and couldn’t get to sleep.

“Mmmmmm Hmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm Mmmm…”

The same one Sirius had sung to Harry years ago, under the same circumstances.

“Mmmmmm Hmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm Mmmm…”

Severus hugged Simba close to his chest and allowed his mind to wander. Ginny’s singing brought back oh so many memories. Thoughts of sweeter times. Better times. Happier times.

“There’s your candle, love. It’s inside you!”

The memories—they were his candle, protecting him from darkness. They were his lifesaver in this storm. They were the reason he still had hope; the reason why he didn’t wish death on himself quite yet.

“Alright, Sev, here we go!” Harry wrapped his right arm firmly around the infant while his left lightly rubbed the unicorn’s soft mane. Sev gasped as their ride suddenly began to jerk and shake. Wrapping his arms around Harry’s hand, he grasped at the teen’s fingers and held on to dear life until the unicorn steadied itself on its feet. “There now!” Harry chuckled. “Not too bad, eh?”

“Smile, handsome!” Ginny cried, waving at them from behind the lens of a magical camera.

Sev grinned but, just as quickly, his look transformed into one of surprise as the unicorn they were riding suddenly began to move.

Harry chuckled behind him and tightened his grip on the infant. “Nice and easy, Sev.” He crooned. “Unicorns are gentle creatures. They’re slow and graceful.” The teen pointed to the ground. “Their feet don’t even touch the earth.” Harry rubbed his thumb across Sev’s tummy. “You’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you won’t fall.”

Beside them, Ginny climbed onto a unicorn herself and slung the camera over her shoulder. Sev watched as she leaned down and laid an ear to the back of the unicorn’s neck. Her eyes closed and a smile appeared on her face as she began to caress the unicorn’s silky mane. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Sev heard her murmur, her voice full of grace and wonder. “Thank you for this ride.” The unicorn neighed and began nodding up and down, as if to say she was welcome.

“Hold on, Sev.” Harry said before the infant noticed the increased grip across his chest. “We’re about to go for a run.”

No sooner had the words left his lips that the unicorn they were riding suddenly took off on a run. Sev squeaked in surprise and gripped Harry’s fingers with a vengeance.

“Easy, cub…” Harry chuckled above him. “Relax…Feel it…”

Severus closed his eyes and tried to swallow at the bile he could feel rising from his stomach!

Yet the moment he opened them, though—the moment his eyes once again met sunlight—he felt as if those eyes had been closed his entire life.

They were riding with the unicorns! They were riding along with a herd of one of the most magical creatures in history—one whose very name oozed with white magic and light. And they had been welcomed into it! From the very beginning, the unicorns had called them and had accepted the three of them into their fold. Now they were being treated to a view of the world as seen through the eyes of these amazing creatures. And, oh, was it gorgeous!

Sev had never particularly noticed before, but the Scottish countryside was beyond beautiful! The rolling emerald green hills, the long, tall grass, flowing in the wind, the winding creeks—they all contributed to the air of innate magic about the land. For the first time in his life, Sev took a minute to sit back, feel the wind blow through his hair, and bask in the beauty of the land that had become his second home. A sweet essence tickled his nose and the infant inhaled slowly, savoring the scent of the crisp summer air mixed with the aroma of the lingering morning dew. A warm finger caressed his face and Sev looked up to see rays of sunlight filtering down through the treetops to touch him with their warmth.   

The entire herd made scarcely a whisper as they ran through the forest. And in the absence of their sound, Sev was able to immerse himself in the music of the wilds of Scotland. The birds in the creek sang him a tune while the grumbling elves and the grunting centaurs provided the background track to their song. The infant smiled at the harmony of life around him.

“Goddamn it!”

CLUMP! THUD! BANG!

“What is it, Mr. Moody, sir?”

“They’re at it again! The both of them!”

“Master Draco?”

“AND his father!”

“Poor Mistress Narcissa…Poor Mistress Astoria…”

“Watch the kid!”

“Hang on to your candle, sweetheart!”

“The light chases away the darkness.”

Fingers of light from the treetops, reaching down to caress his face.

Riding with the unicorns through the Scottish countryside.

Screaming. Earsplitting, gut-wrenching, blood-curdling screaming. The door was open again.

“There’s nothing to fear from the shadows.”

Riding on Harry’s shoulders through the moors around Hogwarts.

Wading in the shallows of the lake with Ginny.

“Lie flat and still, cub.” Harry instructed. “Relax…calm down…and you’ll just float along the surface of the water.” Sev bit his lip and began squirming. “Easy, easy, easy there! I got my arm underneath you, Sev, and I’m not going to let you drown.”

A high pitched scream and the cry of an agonized female, weeping. “I hate him! I hate all of them! I HATE my life!”

As the voice at the back of his head crooned about getting what she deserved for living with a family like that, Sev couldn’t help but disagree. The infant felt sorry for her. Sorry that she had been born into a family that would arrange for her to be married to a madman.

“I’m not having him anymore! I can’t stand this!” Sev watched as she took a seat on Moody’s cot and buried her face in her hands. The infant cringed at the black and blue marks all over her arms. “No more! No more! No more!”

She wailed.

And the walls wailed.

And Sev’s heart wailed as well.

As Harry helped him float along the surface of the lake, Sev took the time to immerse himself in all that he could sense around him. The lake birds sang to him, and the clouds danced above him, and the water wrapped him in its embrace.

“Astoria!”

“No, Mrs. Malfoy!” The girl shrieked, jumping off the bed and backing away from the woman who had just ran into the room. “NO MORE!”

“Calm down, dear girl!”

“How can you be so calm?!” Astoria screamed, frustration, anger, and fresh bruises marring her otherwise pretty face. “The other bastard was going at you too!”

“I know—”

“THEN HOW CAN YOU BE LIKE THAT?!” Astoria yelled at the top of her lungs.

All the while, Severus lay, unmoving, in his crib, hugging Simba close to his chest and watching them with unseeing eyes. This all felt like a dream to him…

And the world in his mind? That felt like reality!

“Oh, the summertime is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming…”

Ginny was dancing him around the front field, singing into his ear whilst waltzing between Aberforth’s sleeping goats.

“And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather…”

“Will ye go lassie go…” Harry voice joined in. As Ginny turned, Sev spotted him leaning against Aberforth’s low wooden fence, a small smile on his face and his eyes shining with the light of the sun.

“That should hold them back for now.” Moody snarled as he reentered the room and slammed the door behind him.

The voice that was screaming bloody murder was instantly silenced.

“You! Elves! Help the ladies!”

“You’re an Auror, aren’t you?!” Astoria cried.

“Aye!”

“I want to press charges against that bastard!”

“Duly noted.”

“No, wait! Astoria…”

“How can you just sit back and take it?!” The teen snapped at the older woman.

“I haven’t—”

“Yes, you have!” Astoria bit back. “Just look at you, Mrs. Malfoy. You’re pathetic!”

“L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see…”

Padfoot pushed slightly against the kitchen door with his nose, opening it just a crack but wide enough to allow himself and the infant behind him to peek through.

“V is for very, very extraordinary
E is for even more than anyone that I adore!”

Sev bit his lip as he leaned against the dog and used him to help boost himself up so that he could peek into the kitchen too.

“Yes, love is all that I can give to you!
Love is more than just a game for two.”

They were dancing in the kitchen again. Sev loved it when they danced in the kitchen! Harry was singing to Ginny and she was giggling into his chest; probably because his singing wasn’t all that great.

“Two and love can make it!”

“Take my heart and please don’t break it.” Ginny whispered.

“Love was made for me and you!”

It was indeed.

Sev watched as Narcissa Malfoy collapsed onto Moody’s cot, much like Astoria did just minutes before. She had a long, sad look on her bruising face and the infant took note of the deadness about her eyes as she frowned at the floor. “You get used to it, Astor—”   

“No!” The teen retorted immediately. “You get used it! I am not having it anymore! I don’t care what father or mother says. They can disown me for all I care now. I am having no more of this!”

“All you have to do is want it, Severus.”

Harry’s voice echoed in his head.

“Want it and it’s yours.”  

Sev knew what he wanted.

“Daddy?”

“I’m right here, cub.”

“Mummy?”

“Always here, love.”

“I want to go home!”

The Lady Malfoy’s eyes rose from the floor to meet the infant’s gaze through the bars of his crib. Sev didn’t react. He didn’t really care much. He felt like he was watching one of those muggle television shows as he reclined on the couch in the back of his head, snuggling between Harry and Ginny. Everything that happened out here didn’t really affect him; because it wasn’t real, and at the end of the day he was going to go back to the reality within his mind.

“I’m so sorry, Severus.” She gasped, her voice thick with sadness.

“Humph! Sorry isn’t going to cut it with the Wizengamot!” Moody growled, signaling for the elves to go help Astoria. “You know, I have documented proof of neglect! How did they expect to win the kid in the courts if they blatantly neglect him in front of a representative from the Ministry?!”

“They didn’t expect a real court battle.” Narcissa replied, her gaze never leaving the child in his crib. “Or you.”

“What kind of world are you people living in? Dreamland?!” The auror snapped. “In case you haven’t noticed, Potter isn’t the kind to take things lying down!”

“They were expecting him to take matters into his own hands. And when he did, they would be waiting for him.”

“The kid was bait.” Moody surmised, his face scrunching up into a frown.

“Yes…for a trap Potter never walked into.”

“Then why didn’t ye just kidnap him?!” The auror was trying to get his head around their whacked out logic.

“And give Potter the power to bring up charges? Have him in the right while they remain in the wrong? Not to mention, appear even worse to the press and the rest of the Ministry?” Narcissa snorted half-heartedly. “You underestimate my husband’s efforts to clear the Malfoy name.”

“Woman, nothing can help your family’s name at this point!” Moody was never one for beating around the bush.

Narcissa frowned at his words and returned her gaze to the baby across the room. Sev watched as the look in her eyes slowly transformed from one of depression to one of barely controlled rage. Fingering her bruising cheek, the Lady Malfoy quickly glanced at the battered teen across the room, who was being healed by the house elves, before returning her gaze to the infant in his crib. The child knew immediately that that look of anger was by no means directed at him.

“They’re not my family anymore, Mr. Moody.” She declared with quiet conviction. Across the room, Astoria, Dobby, and Kreacher all widened their eyes at her words.

“Good!” Moody snapped, not caring one bit for the miraculous transformation that just took place. “Then you’ll have no problem testifying against them in court?”

“If you’ll have no problems with helping me get a divorce?”

“Severus…”

“Hello, Lady!” Sev closed his eyes to find himself back at the mysterious lake in the middle of the Forbidden Forest—where Merlin’s lover lived.

“What is it that you want, Severus?” She crooned, gliding towards him with as much grace as the mist around her, making mere ripples upon the surface of the water.

“I want to go home.” Severus knew that from the depths of his heart. “To my parents…and my family…” He could feel a knot forming in his throat. Every muscle ached with need. “I just want to go home!” This time, his voice cracked and the five-year-old could feel a tear slide down his cheek. He missed Harry and Ginny!

“Dear child, sweet child…” The Lady reached out a ghostly finger to wipe the tear from his cheek. “Don’t cry…”

“Severus!” The child turned at the sound of his name to find a little girl, around his age, standing at the tree line and grinning at him. She had bright red hair and the most enchanting green eyes Severus had ever seen! “Come on, Sev! They’re calling us! Come on!” And without even waiting for a reply, she turned around and took off.

“No, wait!” Not aware of his own actions, Sev chased after her, not sparing a second glance at the Lady or the lake behind him.

“Come on, Sev. Hurry!” It was easy to follow her bright red hair. It stood out clearly among a forest of green and brown. “Your mum and dad have been calling us for forever!”

“Wait!” Sev cried. “Who are you?!”

“Lily!” Ginny’s voice came out of nowhere and Sev ground to a halt just as he reached the edge of the tree line. “There you are! And where have you been, Severus?! We were just about to send Padfoot to sniff you out.”

The Den. This was the Den! But…it was different somehow.

“Well what are you standing there for, love. Come on!” She waved him over. “Get inside and wash up. The both of you! Lily, your parents are in the living room. And Teddy just got here, Sev.”

“Hey, Sev! Let’s go flying later, okay?” A familiar-looking aquamarine-haired boy cried happily from the small back porch.

“Excuse me! Both you AND him are grounded for that stunt you pulled last week, remember?” Remus’ voice called from one of the second-floor windows. “If either of you touch a broom, your butts are going to regret it!”

“I second that.” Harry called from behind Severus, startling the child. Before he could blink, Sev was swept off his feet and onto Harry’s shoulders. “Now come on! You’re gonna help me barbeque, cub.”

Back in his crib, Sev’s eyes flew open and he gaped at the ceiling. Was that a glimpse of the future?

“All you have to do is want it, dear child…”

An image of Harry and Ginny flashed in his mind. They were both smiling down at him and holding their hands out for him to take.

“Want it and it’s yours…”

Without hesitation, Severus grabbed hold of both their hands and held on as tightly as he could.

A strange tingling sensation instantly flashed through his body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

“And now, Severus…” the Lady’s voice echoed in his mind, a hint of a smile in her tone. “…it’s yours!”

Odd. Sev thought. What did she mean by that?

Never underestimate the power of Old Magic. The big Severus crooned at the back of his mind.

Old Magic?!

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

“They’re trying to break in!” Astoria shrieked in alarm. “They can’t break in! I demand you to not let them break in!”

Moody sighed and growled something unpleasant under his breath.

“Moopy?” The auror turned at the sound of his name to find Severus sitting up in his crib, his thumb in his mouth, staring at him through wide eyes.

“What, kid?” Signaling to the elves, he bade them to add their own special charms onto the door, on top of his, in order to prevent the Death Eaters on the other side from getting through.

“Wamp mummy and daddy!”

“Tomorrow, son.” The auror replied, digging in his pockets for the two-way mirror the social worker had given him a week ago. He needed to contact Hestia. “You’ll have them back tomorrow.”