Six year old Harry was staying with Hagrid one afternoon while his daddy worked on a series of Very Important potions for the headmaster, when suddenly something fuzzy bounded into the room.

"A doggy!" Harry exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight.

The half-grown Great Dane trotted over to him and licked his face in response. He threw his arms around the dog's neck and got an excited bark for his efforts.

"Ah Harry!" Hagrid said, coming back into the cabin with an armload of firewood. "I see yeh've met Fang!"

"I've always wanted a doggy!" The little boy proclaimed, looking up at Hagrid with wide hopeful eyes.

Hagrid, not being very much more than a little boy himself in some ways, didn't see a problem with granting that request. Thus, with a boisterous laugh, he said, "Well then Harry, he's yers!"

Fang, who was still very much a puppy at this point, thought that was a grand idea and immediately began licking Harry's face again.

When Hagrid dropped Harry and Fang off at Severus' quarters three hours later, the boy and dog were already on their way to being best of friends.

"Is yer dad around here somewhere?" Hagrid asked, looking at the empty quarters in some concern.

"Um," little Harry said, running to the door that led to his father's private potions lab. It was locked, but there was a note on the door with his name on it. Taking the note, he ran back to Hagrid and handed it over, looking up expectantly.

"Dear 'Arry," Hagrid read off slowly. "I'm in meh lab bottling potions until six. If you will wash yer hands and face, we can go to dinner when I'm done. Love, Dad."

"What time is it now?"

"Huh? Oh, it's fifteen minutes to six. Are you sure I shouldn't wait with you?"

"It's okay, Hagrid! Daddy's jus' in that room there," he pointed with a little finger, already walking Hagrid to the door, Fang trailing along behind them.

"Well, if yer sure, I'll see you later then, 'kay 'Arry?"

"Kay!" He called out as he shut the door. It locked automatically at his touch and he grinned. He loved magic!

Turning around, he noted with some concern that Fang was no longer standing right behind him, but instead he was across the room, sniffing at his Daddy's pile of potions journals. Harry was under strict instructions not to touch them himself, so he reasoned that it was true for Fang as well.

"Fang, come back here!" He called out, patting his leg.

Fang looked up, but he didn't respond to Harry's instructions; instead, he sprinted away in the other direction, heading towards one of Severus' bookshelves.

"No, Fang!" He whispered loudly, chasing after his doggy.

He found Fang standing in front of the bookcase, one of Severus' old tomes on the floor, its pages crumpled and slobbered on.

"Fang!" Harry said in horror. "What did you do?" Harry leapt at his doggy, but Fang jumped out of his way and he tumbled across the floor, bruising his little knees on the hard stone. Jumping up, he limped over to where he had seen his doggy last, only to find a fresh puddle waiting for him instead.

His knees really throbbing now, Harry valiantly sniffled back his impending tears as he searched for his doggy.

Finally, he located him just outside his daddy's lab, scratching on the door. Grabbing Fang around the neck, he got a hold on him just as the door opened to reveal a shocked looking Severus.

"Harry, why is there a mongrel in my quarters?" Severus' voice had dropped into the cold dangerous range that most students quaked in fear at.

Harry sniffled again, and attempted to wipe his shoulder at his eyes.

"Hagrid gave him to me as a gift, daddy! But . . ." Harry trailed off, not certain how to explain the mischief that his friend had already gotten into.

"But?" Severus prompted; his pose still stiff. Without another word, he transfigured one of his handkerchiefs into a leash and clipped it to Fang's collar.

"He only got aways from me fo' a minute, daddy! Honest!" Harry pleaded with a sob.

"Harry, what did he do?" Severus crouched down and took the little boy's chin in his hand.

Stuttering, Harry quickly told Severus about the book and the puddle. At the end of his recitation, he cringed backwards, and half heartedly put a hand up over his face to block the impending blows he expected to feel.

"Child?" He heard his daddy's soft voice ask after a moment of nothing.

Nervously, he lowered his arm and revealed his tear streaked face to daddy. "Daddy?"

Putting a hand to his shoulder, his Tall Man drew him into his chest and hugged him tightly. "What did I tell you I would never ever do to you?" He whispered in Harry's ear.

"But, he tried to eat your book!"

"What did I say?" Severus repeated, looking down at Harry with his warm dark eyes.

"You said you'd never ever hit me daddy," little Harry sniffled and gulped piteously.

"Never ever," his daddy whispered forcefully in his ear. "I wouldn't hurt my Harry. Never!"

Harry heard his words and couldn't help but sob into his daddy's chest. "I'm sorry daddy!"

After giving him a moment to calm down, Severus asked the next question. "What should we do about your furry friend then?"

Harry's lip trembled and he sniffled again. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to say it.

"Harry?" His daddy's voice held just a bit of challenge this time and he forced himself to let out a shuddery breath.

"We haveta give him back ta Hagrid," Harry said mournfully.

"And if Hagrid should offer us another pet in the future?"

Harry pushed his face against his daddy's chest for a moment before answering. "Haveta say no," he finally said, his voice muffled.

"No, you must remember to ask me first. This is my home as much as it is yours, child."

Harry nodded and then stood up with a loud sniffle. If he was going to have to give back his doggy, then he didn't want to wait any longer. Fang, seeing that they were moving, unhelpfully let out a bark and wagged his tail.

Holding the leash, Severus walked Harry and Fang to the door, but stopped just as they were preparing to step out into the corridor.

"Are you hurt, Harry?" He asked, after watching his son try to cover up yet another wince.

Harry shrugged and looked up at Severus with mournful eyes.

"Let me rephrase that, child. Are you physically hurt?" He had gone round and round trying to get Harry to tell him when he was hurt, but his aunt's lessons were too hard ingrained to be forgotten so easily.

"Maybe?" Harry answered, shifting his eyes away from Severus' own piercing ones.

"Harry," Severus warned.

"I mighta falled on my knees," Harry muttered, still not looking at Severus.

Severus instantly knelt down and rolled up Harry's trousers. Already turning purple, the little boy's knees stared back at him painfully. "Child! You are to tell me when you are hurt. I need to know so I can help you."

With a wave of his wand, Severus quickly summoned the bruise healing paste and began applying it to his son's injured joints. Then, he pulled him into his arms and propped Harry on a convenient hip for their trip down to Hagrid's.

Harry sniffled almost continuously on the way there, and although Hagrid looked sad to see them on his doorstep, he had nodded his big shaggy head in understanding when Severus had explained that he didn't have the time to properly look after a pet.

"Well, if you ever want ta see Fang, you just come down and visit me, 'Arry!" Hagrid said as they left.

"Okay, Hagrid," Harry said with a watery smile. "I will."