Harry instantly froze and followed his teacher’s dark gaze where he was staring murderously at his hand.  He flinched horribly when his teacher’s harsh tone interrupted the silence. The scar from Umbridge’s detention was red and it stood out against his pale skin. He found himself unconsciously pulling his hand to his lap so Snape wouldn’t stare at it. But that only led the man’s gaze to his own eyes, and he found himself unable to look away from the stare. His brow furrowed in confusion, Snape actually had a look of concern on his face for once. Harry shook his head, trying to figure out what got into his teacher. Why in the world did the man call him Harry?

This whole situation was baffling, and he no longer knew where he stood in regards to the man across from him. Did the man really want to know what happen to his hand, or was he simply asking to taunt him? Surely he and Dumbledore knew what was happening, he had tried to tell his Head of House and her answer told him, that she at least knew what was going on. But she had yet to do a damn thing to save them.

“Are you going to answer me Harry? What is that on your hand?” Severus finally asked again.

“What are you talking about sir?” Harry asked feigning confusion, but he should have known that lying was a lost cause.

“The scar that you are trying to hide from me on your left hand.” Severus stated matter factly.

“Oh, I just got them from detention sir,” Harry whispered trying to appear casual but failing terribly.

“Whose detentions caused that?” Snape hissed angrily, wondering which teacher would dare to physically harm a child?

Harry was hunching into himself, wondering why the man was so angry. He was staring wide eyed at his teacher who was too caught up in his anger to see what kind of distress he was causing the boy. If he had been paying attention he would have been able to see what was going to happen next.“Show me your hand Potter,” Snape stated loudly and angrily through gritted teeth. Severus knew immediately when he first saw the scar, that a blood quill was responsible. The question was who dared to use such a dark artifact on a student and at Hogwarts no less. They had to have known this wouldn’t stay a secret for long, and there would be hell to pay when Albus Dumbledore learned of yet another injustice to his favorite student. Hadn’t the child suffered enough?           

 The minute Snape asked to see the scar Harry flinched nearly falling out of his chair. Before his Professor could say a word he had bolted from the table, he had no idea where he was running to but he needed to get away from here. Was Snape going to blame him for this, and accuse him of wanting attention? Why did his teacher yell at him? He didn’t care to hear anything the man might have to say about him being spoiled and therefore deserving this punishment so he kept running. He ended up in a strange corridor in a part of the Manor he had never been in, and he wished with all his heart that he was at the Burrow with Ron and his family. Before he could do anything else he found himself being pulled at his naval similar to a portkey and he vanished from the Manor.         

   Severus groaned loudly at his blunder and berated himself for his own stupidity. Didn’t he just remind himself that the boy was wary of adult males, and he had gone and scared him off. He needed the child to understand that Snape wasn’t mad at him but just the person who hurt him. How long could the child keep getting hurt before his already fragile mind broke? He followed the boy, who seemed to just be running to get away and had no clue where he was going. He stopped when the wards around his house signaled to let him know someone had just apparated out from inside the Manor. He and Harry were the only ones here, when did the child learn to apparate and where the hell did he go?        

    Harry landed in the middle of the kitchen where the Weasleys were eating lunch. They all stared wide eyed at each other, and for the first time ever the Burrow was so silent you could hear a pin drop. How in the heck did he get here? He remembers wishing he was with Ron, and then suddenly he was here. The silence drudged on making Harry feel stupid for landing here in the first place. He shook his head; he didn’t know where to go. He didn’t belong anywhere, and he never should have come here. He wished he was at Hogwarts with Dobby at least the little elf would know how to make him smile if anything. But he didn’t go anywhere, why wasn’t anyone talking. He could hear his breaths quickening and that seemed to snap Ron out of the trance, because he got up and put an arm around his shoulder.

“Calm down Harry, you just startled us. No don’t you dare think that we didn’t want you here it was just a strange surprise. How did you get here anyway?”

“I didn’t mean too, I wasn’t trying to ruin your family gathering. I’ll just floo back to the Manor.” Harry replied already heading for the fireplace, this was horrible idea, and he struggled not to cry from all the hurt he was feeling.

He should have just stayed with Sirius and pretended that nothing ever happened. He knew that would have worked, he’s been doing it with the Durselys for the majority of his life. Deep down he knew it was wrong, but he ignored it, he knew in his heart that he really was an unwanted child. After all that was only the first time and it could have been an accident for all he knew. His godfather must hate him for squealing on him. Maybe he should just go back and apologize to him that would work right? He reached for the canister on the mantle but it was accioed away before he could touch it. He turned around to glare at whoever took it and found himself, pressed into the chest of Mrs. Weasley. He stiffened at the touch, but then he seemed to melt in it, and he found himself trying not to cry. Ron really didn’t know how lucky he was, what he wouldn’t give for someone who could love him like his mum did for him.

“Harry dear, it was a lovely surprise. I didn’t know you could apparate though, you should have told me you were coming, and I would have set an extra plate. No one is angry with you dear; you do not have to leave.”

Harry didn’t answer, but he tried to remove himself from the embrace. The longer she held him the harder it was to hold in his tears, and he found himself trying to stifle his sobs. She seemed to know what he was trying to prevent but she wouldn’t let go, no matter how hard he pulled away. Finally the tears came and he found himself weeping into her apron, all the while she rocked him. For a moment he allowed himself to pretend that this was his mum, and she loved him no matter what.

Severus was beside himself, on the verge of what his students refer to as ‘freaking out’. Where did that blasted child go? He forced himself to calm down and think rationally. He wasn’t at Grimmauld Place; he knew that for a fact, that only left Hogwarts and the Burrow. You couldn’t apparate into Hogwarts so he had a hunch he was with the Weasleys. He grabbed the floo powder and landed in the sitting room. The only ones in the room was Ron, his mum and Harry. He stopped short when he saw Harry sobbing into Molly’s arms as she rocked him.

His heart throb painfully in his chest as the boy’s cries threatened to overwhelm him. He found himself walking towards them, without a second thought. Soon he was directly behind the boy who still had no idea he was even there. He didn’t know what had compelled him to come over to them but he couldn’t help but wish that was him who was comforting Harry. Before he could say a thing Molly had turned Potter around and maneuvered the boy into his arms. It was instinct and he grabbed the boy firmly, and felt Harry’s tears soak his outer robe. He never noticed Weasely and his mum leaving them alone, nor did he hear them put a silencing charm around the room. He was so focused on the broken boy in his arms, why was he crying so hard? What else must this child go through? Did Harry even realize who was holding him now? When he found out would he stay or pull away? Severus was surprised to find that he would be hurt if the boy jerked away from him.

Harry felt himself getting yanked away from the warmth of Mrs. Weasley and the first thing that came through his head, was that she had gotten tired of him hugging her. He was so stupid he never should have let her have her way. But that wasn’t it; he knew when he smelled the calming scent of dreamless sleep on the robes in front of him that his Professor had come for him. How did he know where he was? Why did he come after him if he was angry with him? Was this all just for show? He couldn’t stop himself from gripping the man tighter, and didn’t care what happened later but he needed this now. He couldn’t process his thoughts quick enough, and for the moment it didn’t matter. When the Professor hugged him like this, it almost made him feel cherished that somebody wanted him.

 But he knew that it wasn’t true, he was the boy-who-lived nobody wanted him, they just wanted a savior. Severus picked the boy up; once again shocked at how light he was and how small he fit into his arms. He walked into the kitchen to inform Molly of them leaving. He grabbed the floo powder and headed back to his house. He was about to set the boy down when a quick look at the child’s face, showed that he had cried himself to sleep. Oh well tomorrow was a new day, he would ask him about the quill, and why he ran then. Even thouh it was only after 3:00pm he knew that the child would probably sleep well into the night. He carried the boy to his room and dressed him for bed, before tucking the covers around him. He spelled his room just in case the boy needed him in the night. Unconsciously he found himself carding his hand through the messy mop of black hair. He stopped when he felt Harry move his head, but he was only leaning into his touch. There was an unidentified sensation in his chest; it had been a long time since he had felt this particular emotion. Not since Lily had he felt this for another person, it was love. His heart swelled as he pondered that thought, before bent down and lightly brushed his lips against the child’s forehead before walking out of the room. But not before speaking softly to the boy on the bed;

“Goodnight my child.”

Harry waited until the door was firmly closed before taking his fingers and softly brushing them across his forehead where he was sure the man had kissed him. Did that really happen? He could still feel his Professor’s hand in his hair, the action was really soothing. Of course it happened he had even heard the man call him his child, did he really mean that? Harry wished it could be true, and he slowly closed his eyes. He found himself replying back to the man’s parting words; after all it was ok to pretend right?

“Goodnight Dad.”

He whispered in the darkness before rolling over and falling asleep. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, imagining Snape once again carding his hands through his hair.