Remus Lupin let out a gusty sigh as he stared out the window of the bus, the warmth of his breath fogging up the glass, obscuring the view of the falling flakes outside. He knew he should have checked on the boy sooner, but it had been so hard to drag himself out of his well of depression, that it taken accidentally stumbling upon an old letter from Lily to push him into the world again.

He had originally planned on simply throwing the whole box of junk out intact, but at the very last second decided to look through it, finding that old letter and reminding him that he had responsibilities beyond wallowing in the past and obsessing over things that could not be changed. He may not be the boy's official godfather, but he loved Harry deeply, and could not believe he had allowed so long a time to pass without checking up on him.

He knew Dumbledore didn't really approve of anyone from their world interfering with the boy's growing up but Remus could not just leave the boy to the muggles. He remembered enough from Lily's tales of her twit of a sister to know better than to hope for the best. He figured Petunia probably favoured her own child over her nephew, though he was in no fear of anything too dire, no matter the woman's ignorance and arrogance concerning the wizarding kind. Harry was, after all, family.

Turning the collar of his threadbare winter coat up Remus stepped off the bus, the crunch of snow and the whistling of wind the only sound that reached his ears on the otherwise deserted street. Waving a hand to the bus driver in thanks, he set off deciding just to walk the rest of the distance.

He wished he'd had enough money to grab a taxi, but in all honestly he had barely had enough money for the bus after scraping up to buy the lad a Christmas present. It wasn't anything special, just a small bouncy ball that changed colour every time it hit a surface, but it was all he could afford.

Even as it was though, he didn't think he'd have enough for any kind of Christmas dinner. He'd be lucky if he had any bread and cheese left in his small shanty of a home. Still though, Harry would always come first, as he should have been from the very start.

Soon enough Remus found Privet Drive, and even sooner after that, the Dursley residence came into sight. He had just quickened his pace when he stopped short at the sight that greeted him. A small boy, looking no more than six years of age, was trying to crawl his way out of what looked like the remains of a snowman. It actually looked like the snowman had been built around the boy, but who in their right mind would do that to such a young child in this weather?

"Hey there," he commented softly as he approached, causing the child to jerk in surprise and fall on his tush in the snow. His clothes looked almost as threadbare as Remus's and almost as large actually. Frowning he crouched down a few feet away, wondering who this child could be, standing outside so late all alone. "All right?"

"Yes sir," the young boy whispered, keeping his head down and shaking all over. It was obvious he was freezing, as snow was all over him and his clothes were soaked straight through. He didn't even have any mittens on. Remus didn't think the shaking was just from being cold however.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," he grimaced at his own joked. "What are you doing out so late lad? Aren't your parents worried?"

"Don't got any parents," the boy sniffled dragging his wet sleeve under his nose. His fingers looked blue and nearly frostbitten. "They's dead."

"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry," Remus whispered feeling just horrible. "Who are you staying with then?"

"M'Aunt an' Uncle," the boy murmured looking towards the house he was in front of. "And cousin," he added in a whisper.

Looking at the house Remus's frown deepened. That was the Dursleys' house. Looking once more at the boy he gasped as he was besieged by the most brilliant green eyes he had not seen in seven years, framed by frowzy dark hair he was surprised he had not recognised at once. But there was no way this was Harry Potter! This boy could be no older than six, and Harry was eight!

It was then his eyes noticed something else, and it took all of his willpower not to curl his lips back and snarl, for he was sure the young boy before him would take it the wrong way. There, near the boy's temple obscured by the hair and clunky black glasses, was a dark purple bruise. Even if this boy was not his best friend's son, no one had any right to treat him thusly.

"Tell young one, do you have a name?" Remus queried softly instead, bunching his hands into fists in his pockets to keep his anger in check...for now.

"Harry, sir," the boy whispered again, causing Remus to have to strain to hear him over the wind.

"Would that be Harry Potter?"

Clearly shocked Harry's head snapped up, his face for the first time really clearly visible. "Yeah, yeah that's me," he softly said, only marginally louder than before. "How d'you..." the boy started before cutting himself of and ducking his head again. "Sorry sir," he rasped.

"Whatever for?" Remus asked confused. The boy had done nothing wrong.

"M'not allowed t'ask questions," Harry shivered.

"Did your aunt and uncle tell you that," Remus frowned tightening his fists.

"Y'sir," Harry whimpered.

"I see. And what are you doing outside lad? It's freezing out here."

Harry didn't answer, he only wrapped his arms around his legs and continued to shiver, prompting Remus to stand up and offer his hand. "Come now Harry, let's go inside. I have businesswith your relatives."

Clearly unsure yet not used to disobeying orders Harry slowly, hesitantly, reached out his small hand and took Remus's much larger one. Remus lightly tugged at the smaller hand and guided him up the front path, not even bothering to knock on the door before simply swinging it open and striding in. The aroma of a traditional Christmas Dinner greeted Remus instantly, and he could hear the rumbling of young Harry's stomach as loud as his own. Apparently, neither of them had eaten recently.

Barging into the dining room Remus grimaced at the sight before him. How could people be so fat? And a kid for Merlin's sake! He lost his appetite at the sight of the food hanging from their wide-open mouths, the gravy dripping from the moustache of the man who could only be Vernon Dursley.

"Wot! Who are you!" Dursley blustered, him and his wife jumping from their seats. Remus noticed as the youngest Dursley stayed sitting and stuffing his face.

"My name is Remus Lupin, and I'm a friend of Harry's parents." Seeing as how he was too busy glaring at the rapidly paling fat man before him, he felt rather than saw Harry's shocked look, the boy obviously wondering over that little titbit of information. "And I can tell you now, they would not look kindly to how you are treating your nephew."

"Now see here," Dursley began, only to be caught short when Remus flicked his wand out and pointed it at his neck, hidden though it was by the multiple chins. Petunia let out a small scream, and the boy Dursley just kept eating oblivious to what was happening when he could be shovelling mass amounts of food into his mouth.

"No, you see here Dursley," he spat. "What was Harry doing outside, in the snow, when you three buffoons are in here in the middle of your Christmas meal!"

"The whelp didn't finish his chores," Vernon ground out, the affront to his family obviously making him forget his fear a little. "It's nothing he doesn't deserve. He and Dudley were playing in the snow making snowmen."

"More like he was becoming the snowman!" Remus roared, causing Harry to shy away from him as much as he was able what with Remus still tightly holding his hand. "He could freeze to death out there while you fat bastards shove food into your giant maws! And what's with this bruise!" he snarled pointing at the dark mark on the boy's face, causing the boy to panic and try to get away. "Hold still Harry!" he ordered.

Gulping Harry stopped fighting, his hand going limp in Remus's. Remus was sorry for frightening him, but he was far too angry at the Dursleys to do anything about it now. He wished he could turn into the wolf and tear all their throats out, stealing Harry away to live with him.

"I told you, the boy got what he deserved. He's nothing but a freak, and thinks he's better than everyone. He's worthless, just like his worthless parents!"

Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say to said parents' friend.

"Stupefy!" Remus yelled, and Dursley fell to the ground, the other boy finally realising something was happening and soon he was cowering behind his mother as best he could.

"Please. Don't hurt us!" Petunia wailed trying to protect her enormous son.

"Answer me this," Remus bit out through clenched teeth getting straight to the point. "Have you abused your nephew, and Lily and James Potter's son, Harry James Potter?"

Petunia looked at him for a moment before turning her face away. "Yes," she whispered, her voice sounding wet. "We never wanted him."

"That does not give you the right to treat him like some common house-elf! I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking when he placed him with you, but I won't have it any longer! I might not be legally able to take him in, but I know others who would jump at the chance to care for James's and Lily's son!" The hand holding his wand quivered, sparking a little at the end from the wizard's suppressed rage, and only the shaking hand in his own brought him to enough awareness not to do something rash. "Harry," he bit out.

"Y-yessir?" the boy asked trembling like a leaf still.

"Get all your belongings. We're leaving."

"Yessir."

Remus glared at the Dursleys for all he was worth, though his eyes snapped to where the boy was heading when he heard him not on the stairs, but shuffling beside them. He wanted out of here as quick as possible, why was Harry wasting time down here instead of getting his things from his room? Huffing he shot one last warning glare Petunia's way before stalking to where the boy was...in the cupboard under the stairs?

"Harry?"

"Ow!" the boy softly exclaimed when his head met the wood panelling of the stairs. He flinched and scuttled back farther into the cupboard when he saw Remus heading towards him. "S-sorry sir! M'sorry!"

"Shh, it's all right Harry. Is this...is this where you sleep?" he whispered, eyeing the dirty, dingy cot inside and the ratty blanket.

"Y'sir," Harry murmured clutching a sack that had obviously seen better days. One strap was completely broken and the other was only held together by a few frayed ends. It looked only half full, and there was nothing left to put in it. Harry clutched it to his chest though, as if it might protect him against the world.

Remus wondered how often the poor boy and tried to use it as just that.

"Is that everything Harry?" he gently asked, trying to reign in his monstrous anger. He hated getting angry, hated the thought of being compared to an animal, hated going "feral." He tried his hardest to keep any tendencies similar to the wolf inside him hidden, except perhaps the extreme loyalty to his "pack mates," as Peter, James, and Sirius use to refer to it as. He ignored the pain the three names brought him by focusing on the little boy before him.

"Yessir," Harry whispered.

"Good boy," he murmured himself, causing Harry's head to dart up to look at him with wide eyes, his mouth agape with shock. "Come Harry, it's time that we left." Holding out his hand again he patiently waited for Harry to take it before pulling him out of the cupboard and leading him out the door.

"Wait! What did you do to my husband! Fix him!" Petunia screeched rushing out into the entryway.

Spinning around the wand was again pointed at her nose, Remus's glaring face on the other side of it as he watched her face drain of blood, leaving her looking sickly and the complete opposite of Lily's beauty. "You sicken me," he whispered harshly. "This is not the last you have seen of us. Of that you can be assured. Don't bother trying to run, we will find you." With that, he headed out the door, silently taking the spell off the walrus called Vernon Dursley.

They had reached the end of Privet Drive when Remus had finally cooled off enough to realise what he had just done. With a grimace he looked down at the boy beside him, dutifully trying to keep up to his longer stride, no matter that he was obviously chilled to the bone. Pausing he let the boy's hand go long enough to take off his coat and wrapped it around Harry, who looked up at him with such bright and grateful eyes he mentally kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier, for he knew the boy's damp clothes must be freezing him in this weather.

Taking the boy's sack himself to carry Remus glanced back and forth before deciding there was nothing for it. With a sigh, he pulled Harry closer to himself, and disappeared with a CRACK! 

Harry couldn't help but let out a gasp as they reappeared in a dark alley, though he quickly hunched his shoulders and gave the strange man who had taken him away from the Dursleys (Lupus? Lupine? What had he said his name was again?) a nervous glance, hoping he wasn't about to be clouted. His head already hurt and felt full of cotton, so he did not feel at all like he could deal with another slap, though the man didn't look like he could hit quite as hard as Uncle Vernon did.

"Harry, are you all right?" the man queried crouching down to look him better in the face. Quickly dropping his gaze and his head Harry gave a quick nod and a mumbled answer, causing the man to quietly huff, though he thankfully did not strike him. "That's good. Apparating can be a mite stressful on a younger body, if you're not expecting it. After being out in the cold for so long I'm sure it's even worse."

"Wat's..." Harry started to ask before clamping his mouth shut and ducking away. That was the second time he tried asking the man a question! He had been nice about it the first time, but there was no way he was going to continue allowing it!

"What's Apparating? It's a way wizards travel from place to place. You have to get a license for it, much like a muggle driving licence."

Wizards? But wizards didn't exist! His Aunt and Uncle told him so! Sometimes physically...and what was a muggle?

"Yessir," Harry mumbled instead of voicing any of these thoughts. At least he hadn't been hit.

"Now let's see about finding the correct address," the man murmured to himself as he led Harry out of the alley. "I've never been here personally, but it shouldn't be too hard to find...I think."

Harry wondered where they were going but absolutely knew he could not ask. He hoped they weren't going to an orphanage! Of course, when the Dursleys had threatened him with that option he hardly cared, and actually thought that maybe an orphanage would be better than staying with his family. At least there would be other kids there like him right? Or was he the only freaky orphan?

"Ah, here's the street. It's only a little farther Harry, think you can make it?" the man asked smiling down at him.

"Yes sir," Harry repeated, since he really had nothing else to say. What was he supposed to say to all of this?

"Good boy. Hopefully Severus is home," he said with a wry smile.

Harry, while, stared in shock again as this strange man called him a good boy for the second time. He had never been called a good boy before! He had been called boy plenty of times, but never good boy. A brief smile lit up his face before it just as quickly disappeared. The man would soon realise he wasn't a good boy at all, but a nasty, freaky, naughty one, and then he would hurt him just like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and Dudley did.

Shuddering a little, and not just because of the cold, Harry followed the man down the dingy dirty streets for a while until they stopped before a house that looked more than a little rundown. Actually, to Harry, it looked like the sort that might be haunted. But ghosts weren't real! Like wizards...

"Well, here we are Harry. Now, Severus isn't the nicest bloke, but he's the only one I could think of at the moment," the man told him, causing a feeling a dread to settle in Harry's stomach. Why was this not nice man needed? Did the man who took him from the Dursleys' need someone else to punish him? He really was a bad boy, wasn't he?

Nervously swallowing, though his mouth was dry like that sand paper he once had to use on the fence, Harry had no choice but to follow the man whose hand he was holding as he walked up to the front door and knocked. Trembling even more now he hid as much as possible behind the man and clenched his teeth together so they wouldn't rattle, though the icy wind blowing through his damp clothes, even with the large jacket covering him, didn't help much in that regard.

The man knocked again, louder this time, when there was no answer.

"What!" a snarled reply finally came when the door was wrenched open upon the man's third attempt to knock. "Lupin!" the dark man hissed, his black eyes like liquid tunnels of dark fire as he glared at the man, his whole demeanour instantly radiating scorn and anger to such a level Harry could practically taste it.

"Good evening Severus," the man, Lupin Harry now knew, calmly replied. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Your very presence is an interruption I'd rather not deal with Lupin," the man growled.

"Yes, well, I have something, or rather someone very important to talk to you about Severus, if you'd be so kind. It is quite cold out here, and nowhere near suitable for a child."

Severus, in an automatic response to the werewolf's words, finally glanced down and saw the little boy clutching Lupin's hand. His fingers looked blue, and cold as ice most likely, and he was positively drowning in the rags he was wearing, with the jacket no doubt being the werewolf's, but the thing that caught Severus's attention the most was the brilliant green eyes almost hidden by unruly dark hair.

He must have let out a gasp, because Lupin was giving him a look of sympathy and gently said, "This is Harry, Severus. Harry Potter."

Snapping out of his stupor, and angry at himself for being caught gaping at the spawn of Potter, Severus sneered and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared down at them. "Obviously. Only a Potter could have such disgusting hair as that," he spat. Hah! Irony, he knew, talking about disgusting hair when his own was a greasy lank.

The boy flinched back at his vitriol, and Lupin's eyes flashed in an anger more natural to his wolf form, though Severus refused to admit that such a reminder of the beast within the usual mild-mannered man scared him. He would willingly, and quite vocally, admit to hating the wolf's kind but he would never admit that he still had nightmares about this very man's bared fangs and claws in dark tunnels and rooms.

"That's enough Severus," Lupin said, very nearly growled himself actually, and Severus fought not to take a step back. He had never before seen the man this angry in human form before, and it was quite startling, truth be told. "Now we have important matters to discuss and Harry needs to come in out of the cold."

Severus noticed Lupin was shivering himself from the cold winds and snow, though of course the damned self-sacrificing Gryffindor would never think about himself. Oh no, he would quite willingly play the martyr, as he had been his entire life. Another reason to hate his kind, werewolf and Gryffindor alike, he thought vindictively.

"If you must," sneered Severus opening the door just wide enough for the two others to enter. If he had to talk to the stupid wolf he'd rather be warm himself, and if that meant inviting these two annoying Gryffindors (for he was sure that was exactly where the Potter spawn would Sort) then so be it, but Merlin be damned if he was going to offer them any tea!

"Thank you," Lupin replied stiffly ushering the small boy closer towards the fire in the sitting room. Taking out his wand he set about applying heat to the boy's clothes, steam lifting up from the oversized rags as he waved his wand about, Potter's green eyes unnaturally large as he watched the man work. "Sorry I couldn't do this sooner Harry, but I couldn't attract the attention of any muggles, and it was imperative I get you to a warmer place first."

"Y'sir," the boy murmured sounding more like a mouse than anything else as he tracked the werewolf's movements. Severus was doing the same thing, but for obviously different reasons, as he hardly trusted the mangy creature to be in his home. It was just like a Potter to mumble and not look at you when you were speaking, odious disrespectful monster that he undoubtedly was, not even bothering to wear proper clothes when he went out.

"Do you mind telling me what you're doing here wolf?" Severus snapped, causing Lupin to tense and Potter to look confused, though the brat quickly schooled his features. So Lupin hadn't seen fit to tell Potter's son about his infliction? It would be rather interesting to see how that played out. He hoped the boy would run away screaming. Served the disgusting beast right.

"I...went to see Harry," Lupin began his neck beginning to flare red in what had to be embarrassment. "I should have checked on his sooner, but..." he trailed off with a shrug. "I won't make excuses. Suffice it to say, upon finally seeing what Harry's life was like there, I had to remove him."

"Did you have the Headmaster's approval?"

Lupin looked up from where he was finishing drying the brat's clothing and shot Severus a dark look. There was such venom in the look that Severus almost felt the need to applaud it...almost. "Dumbledore's lack of foresight, or worse, outright manipulations are the reason I had to take the boy away from his repulsive relatives. You knew Lily's sister when you were younger, did you not?"

Potter's green eyes snapped to his face for the barest instant, before dropping to the floor again, but Severus had been able to read the shock there...and was that fear? If it weren't for the shock, or even more so the knowledge that Petunia never would have mentioned him or anyone else from the wizarding world, Severus would have imagined the boy's aunt had filled his head up with all sorts of bogeyman stories about him. That thought made him frown, though, as he realised how unlikely the girl he used to know would have regaled her sister's son with stories from his parents' world.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this situation Lupin. Headmaster Dumbledore will no doubt be displeased at learning you've taken the Potter spawn away from his family, perhaps you should take him back and get out of my house, the sooner the better," he sneered.

Lupin was suddenly standing toe-to-toe with him, wand clenched tightly in his shaking hand at his side, all mildness missing from his stance as he bared his teeth at Severus. "Shut the bloody hell up Snivellus before I hex your mouth off for even suggesting something like that," Lupin snarled and Severus could not help but take a step or two back from the enraged werewolf. "Harry is never returning to those depraved sacks of shite as long as I draw breath."

"Don't tempt me," Severus snarled back bringing his own wand out just in case. "And don't forget you're a werewolf Lupin, it's not like you could even adopt the boy."

Harry cowered as the two enraged men faced off, trying to quiet his sudden ragged breathing, for he better than to draw any attention to himself when someone was so obviously angry. Uncle Vernon had vented his own frustration about his work or car problems on the boy enough for him to realise how vitally important it was to appear invisible. And both men had those stick things in their hands...and had the dark man called Lupin a werewolf?

Recalling the story his teacher had read one time about the little girl in red, and wolf who ate her grandmother, Harry suddenly wondered who was the more dangerous out of the two gentleman. The dark man was taller and constantly looked angry, and worst of all he knew Aunt Petunia, so he must be just as mean as her! But wolves ate people, and Harry didn't want to get eaten, and a werewolf must be even worse than a regular one! Hunkering down as low to the ground as possible Harry scuttled backwards until he hit a wall (well, actually, it was a bookcase as there seemed hardly to be any open wall space anywhere) and tightly wrapped his arms around his knees and clamped his teeth together to still their chattering as the two men continued to yell at each other.

After they were done with him, they would take him back to the Dursleys, he just knew it! No one wanted a freaky little boy like him, and even though Lupin had acted kindly to him at first, it was obvious the other Severus man hated him just as much as the Dursleys did. And no wonder if he were a friend to Aunt Petunia! Unable to help himself, Harry pressed his face into his knees as hot tears trickled from his eyes, shamed to be crying like a baby and knowing it wasn't allowed. He just couldn't find the strength to stop himself though.

"Harry?" he heard a hoarse whisper some time later, and with a jump he guiltily looked up into the sad eyes of Lupin, who was crouching down in front of him while the other glared down from above.

"M-M'sorry sir. M'sorry," he whispered looking down again as he was supposed to bringing the back of his hand up to wipe the tears off his cheeks and leaving a trail of dirt from the soot and dust invading the house. "P-please don't eat me."

"Eat you!" Lupin exclaimed aghast. "Harry," he whispered his voice filling with pain. "I wouldn't eat you...I don't like the taste of children. Potion Masters, on the other hand..." he trailed off and when Harry chanced another glance up he saw Lupin staring at the other man with a warning look. The dark man for his part mashed his thin lips together and the skin around his dark eyes tautened as they flickered to Lupin for a moment before returning to stare at Harry.

Unsure if Lupin was serious or not he pushed further into the bookcase behind him as he tremulously asked, "You really won't eat me?"

"Of course not Harry! I told you I don't bite, didn't I? I haven't even given you your Christmas present yet."

At that, Harry's eyes lit up, and his mouth formed a little ‘o.'

"Y-you gots me a Christmas present?" he breathed, his heart hammering away at the prospect of an actual present. Then he cringed as he thought about the inconvenience of it. "I-it's okay sir, you didn't hav'ta get me anything. You warmed me up, that's enough, honest it is," he pleaded.

"Harry, it was no trouble at all, and getting you out of the snow wasn't a present it was simply what had to be done. You would have caught pneumonia had you been out there any longer," Lupin frowned. "I wanted to get you a present. It's not much, but...well, it's in my coat's pocket there."

With shaking fingers Harry, after an encouraging nod from Lupin, reached into the coat's pocket and extracted a small wrapped spherical object. Well, it was probably small to Lupin at least; to him he needed both hands to properly hold onto it. The shiny paper was a dark red colour and the small bow was a vibrant green. Christmas colours. He smiled a small smile. Harry liked Christmas colours.

"Go on lad, open it," Lupin urged with a matching smile.

Taking a deep breath, Harry scratched a little at the wrapping paper, until a small bit of it came undone. He then wiggled a tiny finger in the gap to pull more loose, though he kept glancing hesitantly up at Lupin, afraid the man would slap his hands and laugh and say Harry was stupid to think he could ever deserve a present. Finally, after a few heart-shattering moments full of anxiety, the wrapping paper fell away. Harry stared at the round object in his hand, realising almost instantly what it was, though he had never owned one himself. Dudley had several though, and never allowed Harry to play with them, though his cousin's were made out of a rubbery substance and this one was made out of some form of leather.

"A ball," he whispered, his throat clogging with even more tears as he stared down at the toy. His own ball. Looking up at Lupin, who looked somewhat anxious himself, he offered a watery smile. "Thank you sir. It's wonderful."

Lupin, who could obviously hear the appreciation and wonder in voice, gave a sort of watery smile back. "You're welcome Harry. I'm glad you enjoy it. Try bouncing it on the floor."

Though he was pretty sure leather didn't bounce, Harry did as he was told, frightened that if he didn't Lupin would take his present back. To his amazement, the moment the ball touched the floor it bounced up again, now a different colour. He couldn't keep the gasp in, and though he hunched his shoulders from the others, he eagerly caught the ball and let it drop to the floor again. Again it changed colour! A huge grin split Harry's face.

"It's amazing!" he quietly enthused. "Thank you sir!" Much better than those dog biscuits from Aunt Marge!

With a smile Lupin held his hand out, and heart suddenly jumping to his throat before plummeting to his toes, Harry had to struggle to keep any more tears from appearing. Swallowing his woe Harry caught the ball and put it in Lupin's hand. "Thank you for letting me play wiff it sir," he whispered.

"Oh Harry, the ball is yours to keep," Lupin explained softly shaking his head as he firmly put the ball back in Harry's hands. "I was merely offering you a hand up."

Oh! Cradling the ball with one arm, Harry bit his lip and allowed Lupin to pull him up by his other hand, before firmly clutching the ball to his chest with both hands as he stared warily up both men. The dark man hadn't said anything else, though he was staring at Harry with a calculating look in his eyes that frightened the boy, and without conscious thought he shied a little closer to Lupin.

"Do you see Severus? Do you see what I meant by the Dursleys' not being a proper place for him?"

Severus frowned at Lupin's quiet question as he watched the boy over his teacup quietly playing with his ball on the other side of the room, chagrined to find himself having tea with the wolf even though he had sworn he wouldn't, though he wished it were something a little stronger.

It was true, the boy acted as if the cheap ball was some divine gift, which was troubling to be sure. However, he couldn't make himself believe that the boy's relatives were anything other than doting, no matter how much Tuney had hated the wizarding world. The Headmaster would never leave the boy in any other conditions...would he?

"Harry," Lupin gently called and the boy immediately gripped the ball with both hands (such small hands for a supposed eight year old, Severus's traitorous mind couldn't help but supply) and scurried over as if any delay might mean the end of the world. He hesitated by the table, glancing at the teapot before bowing his head, reminding Severus startlingly of a house-elf.

"Did you needs a refill, sirs?" Potter's son whispered further cementing the image of servitude in Severus's mind even as he tried to quash such an idea. It was wholly impossible.

"No Harry," Lupin smiled. "But I thought you might like a biscuit and a spot of tea. You must be famished."

Startled green eyes shot up. "I can has a biscuit?" Potter whispered his hands moving almost in a spasm over his ball. "But you already gave me a present..."

Severus couldn't stop his eyes from closing. Now that truly was pathetic. He reopened them when Lupin began talking again, Potter's eyes wide as the wolf pressed the sugary treat in his hand, and he was sure the neighbours down the street could hear the boy's stomach rumbling.

"Harry, a biscuit isn't a present, it's food. It's what growing boys need," Lupin sighed.

"Dudley gets biscuits and pressies all the time," was the next whisper from the boy. His lips twisted into a resemblance of a sneer and Severus again almost felt the need to applaud. "That's why he's so fat."

Lupin smirked lightly, a little snort of laughter escaping as he bade the boy to sit in a chair at the table and poured him a spot of tea, as well as placing a few more biscuits on a plate for him. "I don't think will ever have to fear you becoming overweight Harry. Now eat up. After this maybe we can scrounge up some real food for you." Potter looked up at Lupin with near-hero-worship eyes at that pronouncement and Severus would have rolled his eyes if it were not painfully obvious how starved the brat was.

"The Headmaster always feels the need to hand out gift baskets of provisions, which is where these biscuits come from, so you can feel free to take whatever you need from there." He had meant it as a sneer as he knew Lupin had no money to buy food for the whelp, but then those once treasured green eyes turned their hero-worship to him, and he had to swallow uncomfortably.

"Thank you Severus," Lupin murmured.

"Thank you Mr Sev'rus," the boy whispered in an echo startling him.

"It is nothing," Severus sniffed.

"On the contrary, it is very much something," Lupin denied. "Go on Harry, the basket is through that doorway, go ahead and get some real foodstuff to eat."

"Y'sir."

Severus watched with a lowered brow as the much-too-small boy scooted off his chair and toddled into the kitchen, the ball still clutched firmly in his hands, before turning his gaze back to Lupin. Lupin was watching him in turn and Severus quickly pulled his haughtier mask back up.

"He needs someone Severus. As much as I want to be that someone, the laws would never allow it. You're the next closest person to the boy's parents."

"That's preposterous Lupin!" Severus hissed leaning forward. "Even if that were true, do you really think the law would allow a Death Eater to handle the Boy Who Lived?"

"Dumbledore has spoken on your behalf and informed them of your spying," Lupin began but Severus angrily cut him off.

"You know that is an embellishment of the truth and nothing more! I was never part of your beloved Order, and in fact willing fought against it on several occasions! I didn't truly switch allegiance until it was too late!" He brought himself up short, refusing to allow his emotions to give away his deeper thoughts, and how much he still hurt over the loss of his best friend's life. "Besides, I broke ties with the boy's mother long before he was born."

"Not by choice," Lupin murmured and Severus had to restrain himself from cursing the damned wolf.

"The point of the matter is that I cannot take on Potter's brat. Anyone from the Order would be better suited to that task."

"And raise the boy up with grandiose thoughts that turn him into even more of a prat than James ever was?" Lupin nearly exclaimed on an exhalation of breath. Severus blinked at him and Lupin gave a rueful smile. "I know James wasn't always the model individual, especially to you Severus, but he did mature as he got older...a little anyways. I should have done more to stop his treatment of you, but you were not the only one afraid to lose your friends," he admitted wistfully. "In the end I lost them anyways."

"Oh save your maudlin thoughts for someone who cares wolf," Severus snapped, refusing to connect with the man across from him in any way. "An Order member would be better suited and you know it."

"An Order member would defer to Dumbledore and I refuse to allow that man to have such a hold over that child any longer," Lupin growled.

"And should the Headmaster ask something of me and I refuse, what then? He'll retract his support of me and I'll see the inside of Azkaban before you can blink," Severus sneered, doing an admirable job of keeping the fear out of his voice. "When that happens I'll be sure to send your regards to your friend Black."

"That is ENOUGH!" Lupin snarled, bringing his hand down firmly on the table. "Do not mention..." Lupin pulled himself back with considerable effort, his shoulder shaking as he let out a heavy breath, running a weary hand over his face. "The past is the past, and that boy in there is the future. Can you really return Lily's son to his abusive relatives?" When Severus opened his mouth to object Lupin cut him off. "Can't you see the way he flinches at every loud noise or sudden movement? He's barely skin and bones, a mere trinket is a great treasure to him, and worse of all...he has bruises Severus."

"Roughhousing," Severus offered gruffly crossing his arms.

"Fine. Fine Severus. If you refuse to take care of the last piece of Lily's love, then you can return him to the Dursleys, and see for yourself what a life you're condemning a little boy to. Not that it should matter, though, right? After all...look how well you turned out."

Severus had jumped out of his seat, and he was about to return a scathing retort when both men were distracted by a sniffle and as one they turned to see the boy standing in the kitchen doorway, tears in his eyes and his fingers white where they gripped the ball.

"Can we go now?" the boy whispered.

"What? Harry..." Lupin began but Potter shook his head, the wild mop flinging back and forth, and Severus couldn't tear his eyes from the telltale bruise near his scalp.

"If I goes back now maybe the Dursleys won' be so mad," Potter continued to mumble. He looked down at his ball with such a forlorn expression that Severus thought his already broken heard might shatter into a million pieces. "Y'can haff the ball back then. The Dursleys won' let me keep it." He held the ball out with both hands, obviously fighting back tears, his hands and bottom lip shaking slightly.

"Harry, no," Lupin began and started towards the boy, who flinched slightly and dropped the ball, but this time there was no awe in his eyes as he saw the changing colours as it bounced on the floor and rolled to Severus's boots. "Oh Harry, even if I have to fight every Auror in the world, I'll never let them take you back to the Dursleys."

Severus slowly bent down and retrieved the ball, staring down at the emerald hue so like Lily's eyes before looking up, and staring into them for real. Taking a step forward he held out the ball to the little boy, his voice almost gentle as he intoned, "Lupin bought you this as a present, to refuse it now would be bad manners."

Potter looked at the ball and bit his lip. Crouching so he was at more of an eyelevel with the boy he slowly reached out to take one of Potter's hand and placed the ball in it, bringing the other up to wrap around it, and unconsciously gave the boy a very small smile. "T'ank you sir," Potter hoarsely whispered. "But the Dursleys..."

"The Dursleys do not matter Harry, for you will never see them again," he stated firmly, his much larger hands still clasping the boy's much smaller ones. "I promise you that. I will not allow you to be returned to them."

Watery green eyes looked up at him, for the first time looking him square in the eyes instead of a darting glance, as if searching for something in their black depths. Severus hoped he found whatever reassurance he was looking for. Slowly, hesitantly, the boy offered a small nod.

Remus watched with a small smile as Severus encouraged Harry to eat a little more off his plate a short while later, the three of them again sitting around the small rickety table to eat a late dinner, Harry obviously captivated now by the other man. Remus was amused to see that Severus was just as captivated by the little boy. He was oh-so-gently putting another small mince pie on the boy's plate, his dark eyes tracking the boy's movements, looking for any adverse reactions to the potions he had Harry drink to combat the cold and any pain left over from his life at the Dursleys' household.

Remus did not think Severus would appreciate it if he told the other that he was acting like a mother hen.

Harry, meanwhile, was basking in the glow of positive attention. He shyly offered thanks through his fringe, and he was obviously doing his best to not flinch back whenever Severus breached his personal space to refill his plate or cup, a new marvel for the lad. Remus knew he had made the right choice. Harry deserved to love and be loved, and so did Severus, though the stern wizard would naturally refute that.

Then again...watching the way Severus was so enraptured by the little boy before him, Remus began to doubt that. Christmas was indeed the season of miracles.

"And then her wig turned blue," Harry mumbled, jerking Remus out of his thoughts and back to the present. The boy hunched up his shoulders and warily watched the older man, his worried green gaze skirting to him for a moment, again taking in the movement of their hands as if expecting a physical reprimand for accidental magic at any moment.

"I suppose she was less than pleased with that," Severus murmured. "What did she do?"

"She couldn't do much, cause she couldn't prove I'd dones it...but th'Dursleys were less than pleased too," Harry admitted unconsciously mimicking Severus's speech pattern and phrasing with the last bit. Remus had to hide a smile at that. "I's was stuck in my cupboard for a week for that. I di'n't even knows how I did it."

"Accidental magic," Severus nodded. "Small children are prone to it more than most."

"I ain't that small," Harry complained with a petulant twist of his lips.

A twitch of Severus's lips was the only sign of his amusement. "Young children then. Children who have yet to start at Hogwarts and practice with their wands. Some older children and even some adults experience it as well though, especially in times of great distress, such as a bullying teacher."

"Then...then magic's real?" Harry whispered. He hunched even further down at that word.

"Of course magic is real," Severus frowned. "How else would you explain it? Or your ball? Or even the drying and warming spell Lupin used on you? Not to mention those potions."

"I thought...I thought I's just a freak..." Harry sadly murmured, though his arms tightened around the ball he picked up from off the table when Severus mentioned it, and it broke Remus's heart a little to see him so enamoured by such a cheap gift and also so terrified it would be taken away from him at any moment.

"No Harry," Severus firmly stated, ignoring Harry's flinch when he touched his chin and directing his face towards his own, so he could look into those wounded green eyes. "You are not a freak. If anyone were a freak, it would be your disgusting relatives. They treated you abominably. You are a gifted wizarding child. You will never again be punished for performing accidental magic."

"...kay," Harry murmured after a moment, obviously not believing him yet, but Remus and Severus both knew that it would take time. At least the boy wasn't flinching every time magic was mentioned and proclaiming that it was a bad word. He might not have fully excepted that he was a wizard yet, instead of a freak, but it was a start. Baby steps.

"Now how about some treacle tart?" Severus said, again that small smile lifting his lips a fraction of an inch, but it was a start. Baby steps.

"All right Harry. I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Harry bit his bottom lip, his eyes growing wide with leftover fear, watching Lupin pull his jacket back on and buttoning it up. "O-okay sir," he mumbled fretfully clutching his present. He flinched when Lupin stuck his hand out, but it was only to lightly ruffle his hair, and he flushed his embarrassment. "Bye," he whispered.

"Goodnight Harry. Maybe we can catch a movie for Boxing Day. Would you like that?"

Though still afraid of falling into a trap, neither of the two men had reacted at all how he expected them to, and so he pulled up all of his courage and gave a jerky nod. "Yeh. Yeh I would sir."

Crinkles formed around the man's eyes as he smiled. "Good. Sleep well little one." The two men exchanged a few quiet words and then Lupin was gone, lost in a flurry of freshly falling snow, and Harry was all alone with the dark man.

Except, besides his clothes and hair and eyes, he didn't seem so dark anymore. He offered a tentative smile when he noticed said dark eyes gazing down at him, and then they crinkled kind of like Lupin's, though his thins lips did not move.

"Come on Harry, time for a bath and then bed I think. Lupin will be by in the morning for breakfast, and then we'll be going to the theatre. Sound good?"

"Y'sir," Harry whispered following his new guardian (a thought that still made his heart beat rapidly) up the creaky old staircase hidden behind a bookshelf to a small bathroom. He nervously shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, until he noticed the man's eyes on him, and hastily straightened up and took a little shuffling step back. Uncle Vernon had hated it when he fidgeted and he feared what his new guardian might do if he disapproved of it too. After all, he was sure magic could hurt, too.

"I'll draw the bath for you," the Severus man stated, and then he was touching the knob that controlled the hot water, the steam quickly rising up and Harry was sure his glasses would fog up soon. "Do you need supervision?"

"No sir," Harry said trying to keep the indignation out of his voice.

"Very well. I shall get your bed ready then. The soap and flannels are in that cupboard. Do not let the water get too high or splash around too much," Severus said with a frown before sweeping out of the room.

Quickly undressing before the man could come back Harry grabbed the soap and a flannel to scrub with and got into the blissfully warm water. Though Lupin's wand had taken away most of the chill from the snow, there was something supremely wondrous about a warm bath, though he could probably count on one hand how many times he had been allowed one at the Dursleys'. They didn't like to waste hot water on the freak. Actually, he hardly got the luxury of real soap and a soft flannel too, now that he was thinking about it.

He wished he could linger and enjoy the warmth but he knew better than to be caught in the bathwater when the dark man came back so instead he washed as quickly as he could, getting soap in his eye in the process since he refused to let go of his ball for too long a time, and was just scrambling back into his grubby clothes when Severus re-entered the room.

"What in blazes are you doing child?" he frowned, his fist clamped around some kind of garment.

"I...I..." Harry froze what he was doing, one leg still half in his trousers, unsure what he was supposed to be doing. He hadn't gotten any water anywhere had he? He always made sure not to make a mess!

"Those rags are positively filthy. I brought you something else to where for the time being," the man murmured distractedly, his gaze taking in the expanse of sores and bruises and scars that had previously been hidden by Harry's oversized clothes.

Harry looked at the greying shirt Severus held out, obviously once the man's, with the bottom edge and sleeves cut down to his size. With a trembling hand, he slowly reached out and took the garment from him, marvelling at its softness. "T'ank you sir," he whispered. He hastily slipped it over his head, and though it was still a little large on him, he offered a tentative smile to the man who was watching him.

"I'll have to apply more salve to those wheals and bruises in the morning." His eyes were shadowed, and Harry was surprised to see a reflection of his own pain in them, as if the man truly was sorry such a thing had been done to him. "You may have more potion in the morning as well, if it is needed. Come now."

Harry followed the dark man down the hall to room obviously set up for a child and Harry was once more overcome with emotion. His own room. Not a cupboard, or a closet, but a room.

It was mostly bare, with only a child-sized bed and a small wardrobe left in it, and grey curtains hanging over the window practically blending in with the discoloured walls. It was clean, however, and Harry could see the stars peeking through the old curtains. He had never had a window before.

To his astonishment, Severus then helped him into the bed, even going so far as to tuck him in after. His eyes sparkled with tears as he clutched his ball beneath the warm covers. It was all so amazing. Was this what it was like to have a real family?

"Goodnight child," his dark man murmured as he closed the door behind him, leaving it open just a crack, just like Harry wanted but was too afraid to ask.

Harry gave a mighty yawn and snuggled against his pillow, a small smile lighting up his face as he went to sleep, the perfect end to the best day of his life. "Goodnight Mr Sev."