***3 Aug, 1986 8:00 p.m.***

Harry marched in to the sitting room to present himself for inspection before bed. His pyjamas were stuck to his skin with dampness and he left a trail of watery footprints leading from the bathroom to Severus' chair.

"Did you even go near a towel?" Severus asked exasperated as he cast a drying spell over Harry.

"I used a towel," Harry insisted.

"Where you still in the bath?" Severus momentarily removed Harry's glasses and checked behind the boy's ears for any signs of tuber growth. Satisfied that the child at least managed to wash himself adequately (apparently he still hadn't managed the drying part on his own), Severus wiped off Harry's glasses before putting them back on his face.

Harry shook his head, "Of course not, Daddy…you're being silly."

Severus looked affronted. He had been called many things in his lifetime, most of which could not be repeated in front of a six year old child, but Severus could never recall being referred to as 'silly'.

"Continue to call me offensive names and I might forget about tonight's story," Severus warned.

"I didn't call you names," Harry said, ignoring the threat as he went to find a book from the shelf. He padded back over to Severus, with book in hand. "This one," he proclaimed.

Severus feigned an annoyed look and took the book from Harry, "I shouldn't be reading to cheeky little boys," but once he saw which book Harry picked, he would have read it to the child even if he had been angry.

Harry had picked one of the gifts Severus had given him for his birthday, Now We Are Six, by A.A. Milne. Severus was impressed.

Harry was quite the cunning little manipulator. Of course, Severus would never deny him this book. If Harry wasn't sorted into Slytherin when it was his time to start Hogwarts', then the Sorting Hat would need an appointment with a hatter.

Without even asking, Harry climbed up into Severus' lap and settled himself in. Severus looked down and raised an eyebrow at the boy leaning back against his chest and said, "Are we quite comfortable?"

Harry looked up at his daddy and said, "Uh huh…how about you?"

Severus had a little quirk of a smile as he closed his eyes and slightly shook his head.

Despite the fact that he was now a teacher, Severus never liked children much. It was one of life's little ironies that this child, out of all the children in the world, had managed to melt Severus' once ice cold heart. "I am comfortable as well…shall we begin?"

Harry nodded his head and Severus begun, "When I was one, I had just begun…When I was two, I was nearly new…"

"Daddy…," interrupted Harry. "She's really nice…isn't she?"

It took Severus a moment to realise who Harry was talking about. "Who? Miss Lucy…she seems to be, Harry," Severus said, trying to keep his tone uninterested and he returned to the poem. "When I was three, I was hardly me…When I…"

"That was awful nice of you to fix her, Daddy."

"You simply say 'nice' or even 'very nice'…but never 'awful nice', Harry. It is an oxymoron." Severus corrected.

"Okay…It was very nice of you to fix her, Daddy," Harry amended. He looked a bit confused at the word 'oxymoron', but readily shaked it off. "I bet she likes you now," he said confidently.

Severus practically choked on air as he laid the book in his lap. "Harry…I know what you are trying to do…," Severus coughed out, "But you need to get such thoughts out of that scheming little brain of yours right now," Severus warned. "Miss Lucy is betrothed."

"What's 'betrothed'?" Harry asked worriedly as he looked up at Severus.

"That means that she has plans to marry someone."

"Who? Who's she going to marry?"

"You've met her fiancé, Harry…Miss Lucy is going to marry Mr. Musgrave."

"THAT WANKER!" Harry cried, scandalously. He quickly covered his mouth because he knew he just said a bad word.

"Harry Potter! Where did you learn such language?" Severus had his suspicions that Harry learned the word from the incorrigible Weasley twins, and although Severus couldn't help but agree with Harry's assessment of his colleague's choice of mate, Severus could not let the foul language go unnoticed.

Harry whispered, "I don't know?" he kept his hands busy by playing with a stray thread on his pyjama sleeve. Harry knew he shouldn't use such offensive language. But it was obvious he was trying to reason as to what such an agreeable person as Miss Lucy would see in a odious person such as Kenneth Musgrave.

"I gather that I do," Severus said ominously. "And I shall talk to Mrs. Weasley before you go back to The Burrow…Next time I hear you use that sort of language, Harry, you will find that dirty little mouths get washed out with soap…Do I make myself clear, young man?"

Harry nodded contritely, "Yes Sir…But I still don't think Mr. Musgrave is a very nice man."

Inwardly, Severus agreed, but he said, "Be that as it may…I'm sure Miss Lucy knows Mr. Musgrave better than you do…You will keep your opinions to yourself. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good," Severus said in finality as he picked Harry up and stood him on the floor. "Now…it's getting late and we shall start the poem again tomorrow night," Severus announced as he arose from his chair. "If you are going to spend the morning with the aforementioned Miss Lucy…you need to get to bed." Severus patted Harry on his bum and Harry made way to his bed chamber.

"I'm sorry about saying the bad word, Daddy," Harry said as he looked back to see his daddy following him. "Are you still going to take me out on my broom tomorrow?"

"I will if I manage to finish my brewing and you manage to behave for Miss Lucy," Severus said as he watched Harry enter his room and climb into bed.

"I promise to be good…And I promise not to say anything about Mr. Musgrave," Harry stressed.

Severus removed Harry's glasses and placed them on the nightstand. He then tucked Harry's blanket around his shoulders, leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "See that you remember that," Severus Noxed the lights and a small globe on Harry's night stand began to glow. Forming within the mist of the globe was the smiling face of Harry's mother, Lily. She would watch over Harry at night, making sure that the nightmares stayed at bay.

"Good night, Harry," he began to shut the door part way.

"Good night, Daddy," said Harry as he stared into the face of Lily...thinking.

***4 August 1986***

Severus approached the History classroom with Harry in hand and he heard familiar voices.

"I must say…I find that rather unexpected."

"Really? You sound a little disappointed, Uncle Albus…I'm not surprised at all…You must admit…it takes quite a bit of ambition to achieve two Doctorate degrees by the age of twenty-five."

Severus and Harry entered the classroom just in time to see Albus Dumbledore take the Sorting Hat off of Lucy's head.

Severus cleared his throat to make their presence known.

Albus turned around and enlightened Severus. "Ah Severus, my boy…How fortuitous that you should arrive at this time…It seems that the Sorting Hat has deemed that Lucy would make a worthy Slytherin."

"It would seem that you're my boss now, Severus," Lucy smiled impishly, seemingly proud of herself that she had irked her Uncle Albus.

Severus was stunned. He had forgotten that Lucy had never attended Hogwarts, of course she would have to be sorted. But Slytherin? That had even surprised Severus.

Harry didn't seem to find it surprising at all. He ran up to Lucy and she leaned over from where she was sitting to receive his congratulations. "Slytherin's the best!" Harry practically sang out "Slytherin has snakes!" Harry said, "Do you like snakes, Miss Lucy?"

"Why Harry, I happen to like snakes very much."

***4 August, 1986, 2:18 p.m.***

Lucy sat on a bench facing the Quidditch Pitch. She had promised Harry that after lunch she would come out and watch him fly.

Presently, Harry and Severus were flying about on their separate brooms. Harry was wearing a little cloak that billowed as he flew. Severus had divested himself of his usual constricting attire and was wearing only a waistcoat over his white linen shirt with his black pants.

Apparently, Severus was giving Harry some last minute instruction before he let the child on his own. Granted, they were only ten feet off the ground, but she could still see apprehension in Severus' face.

Severus landed not five yards from her. He was still looking up at Harry. "Slow down, boy…or you won't set your backside to broom again until you are thirty!"

Lucy scoffed, "I don't think he's going any faster than ten miles an hour, Severus," Lucy observed. "Besides, with that Sticking Charm you cast five minutes ago, I don't think the child's going anywhere."

Severus scoffed back, mostly at himself for being called out. He was also mildly impressed with the witch's power of observation. That charm had been silent and wandless.

Severus had walked over and sat down on the bench with her, making sure to keep a respectable distance. "I don't think I've ever seen someone take to a broom more naturally," Severus admitted. "As much as it makes me happy to see him do so well, I hate to think that he inherited something else from his father besides that mop on his head."

"I take it that you were no fan of James Potter, then," Lucy observed.

Severus gave her a sideways glance that said that she hit the nail on the head.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to become Harry's godfather," Lucy asked. She was watching Harry practicing his figure eights, as he waved at Severus and Lucy.

"Both hands on your broom, Harry!" Severus called out. Without taking his eyes off his godson, he continued the conversation. "His mother, Lily. We were childhood friends…I was unaware that she had even named me as a godfather until last year."

Lucy had caught an inference. 'A godfather', "I take it there was at least one other godparent named."

Severus momentarily froze, but immediately regained his composure. "Your assumption would be correct…his imbecile of a father had actually named Sirius Black as Harry's primary guardian should anything happen to he and Lily."

Lucy gasped, "Sirius Black! You must be kidding me. Where was Harry until last year?"

"With Lily's even more pathetic Muggle sister," Severus said bitterly. "You have noticed Harry is small for his age."

"Yes…but so am I for that matter."

Severus gave a wry smile. "Unfortunately, Harry's stature is due to nearly four years of neglect at the hands of his muggle relatives," he explained. "They barely fed the child, berated him, and treated him like a house elf. The only room they had even afforded the child was a boot cupboard under the stairs."

"Dear Merlin," Lucy said under her breath. "Have they been reported?"

"No," Severus said with a note of resentment. "Lily's sacrifice to save Harry cast an extraordinarily powerful blood ward. As long as Harry is allowed board at a home in which Lily's blood resides, he cannot be touched by any of the Dark Lord's followers that mean to harm him," Severus explained. "Apparently, Albus believes that we need to keep all options open if I can no longer take care of Harry."

"That sounds like Uncle Albus," said Lucy, "Always justifying the means as long as he achieves his desired outcome."

"I wouldn't be too harsh on Albus," Severus said. "As soon as he saw the opportunity, he removed Harry from the situation."

"Are you related to Lily Potter?"

"In a matter of speaking…She was my Blood Sister…Five more minutes Harry!" Severus announced.

"Your Blood Sister?"

Severus gave a quirky little smile as he recalled, "We were nine…and best friends. She had read about the Blood Brother ritual in a book…Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer, I believe.I remember pointing out to her that she was a girl and she couldn't possibly be my brother. She insisted it didn't matter and kept pressing…After a while, I thought it to be a good idea as well," he said wistfully. "We were nine…how were we to know that we created a truly magical bond."

"Kids do the darnedest things… How did Uncle Albus find out?"

"I told him," Severus said matter-of-factly. "I'm not even sure how the topic made it into conversation, but once Albus knew, he informed me that Lily had named me as a godfather."

"Uncle Albus never bothered to inform you before then?" Lucy asked, barely masking outrage.

"It would not have done any good," Severus pointed out. "If I had not been bonded to Lily by blood, Harry would still be with those awful people…As it was, I had no desire to take on the mantle of fatherhood at the time."

Lucy seemed to find that last statement a little hard to believe. "But you're so good with Harry," she commented. "It's obvious he loves you so."

Severus nervously cleared his throat. "Well…yes…Albus had convinced me to at least meet the child. When I had…I was appalled. Harry did not even have clothes to call his own. He was given the castoffs of his overly obese cousin…I couldn't possibly leave Lily's child there…As it was, the boy had initially mistaken me for his father…coming to rescue him after all that time."

Severus could remember how his heart clinched the first time Harry called him 'Daddy'. If Severus had played his cards differently, perhaps the words would have rang true.

Severus could tell that the witch had sensed he had not told her everything and he was grateful that she had the sensitivity not to pry.

It was almost time for Harry to land. Severus got up and picked up his broom. He was going to guide Harry's landing. Before he took off, he turned to Lucy and asked, "Would you care to join us for tea?"

She shook her head as she arose, "Another time perhaps, I'm having tea with Pawpaw this afternoon."

"I bid you good day, then…and thank you for looking after Harry this morning," Severus said as he straddled his broom.

"Anytime Severus," she waved as she watched him fly off next to Harry.

"Can't I stay up a little longer, Daddy? Please," Harry pleaded.

"No, It is time for tea…and if you stay up too much longer, you're sure to regret it in the morning…Now Harry, to land you need to gently point your broom dow…"

"Oh look, Daddy…an owl!" Harry said excitedly as he pointed behind Severus.

Severus turned and sure enough, a tawny barn owl had landed at the castle entrance in front of Lucy. She had removed a post from its extended foot.

Even from a distance, Severus could see her face fall when she opened the letter. Lucy ran into the castle and out of sight.