"Welcome Severus and Harry to my home I have been expecting you!" said an elderly woman rising from her chair. The woman had rich healthy hair pulled up into a sleek chignon, her skin glowing with gentle lines that reveal more wisdom than age taking in all that she sees while revealing nothing. With eyes that sparkled with humour and secrets that only an older woman would know. She stood straight, as if she could command the room despite her lack of height. Snape couldn't help but to relax in her presence being reminded strongly of his mother and what she could possibly have been like had she had a chance to reach old age. He always felt bad to think of his mother, as she had died whilst he was still a boy, but at least he still had her portrait, one which he had painted himself and he had been able to speak to it regularly. It was the very first picture which his mother had showed him how to allow for the persons essence to be captured in the piece. So that it could be real and speak with him magically. Later on Snape chose to make a picture he had created of his best friend do the same thing. Both portraits still hung in his house today. But thinking of his mother always made him sad as she had died shortly after teaching him that ability.

"Would you like to have some candy?" the kindly old woman asked taking Snape away from his thoughts. He stared at the ceiling before looking at Harry and said "go ahead son."

Harry happily took a few pieces saying "thank you,"

"Take a seat both of you and we will discuss your plans," she said kindly. She didn't mind having the company as her children had all grown older and rarely visited.

"Thank you for having us here," Snape stated sitting down on the couch.

Harry sat next to him still chewing on the candy.

"Your welcome, Dumbledore said you might need to stay here a few days if he could find a way to bring you here. I didn't realise that it would be so soon though!" she stated feeling flustered, "never mind though, I haven't started making dinner yet and there's always enough food here just for in case the children choose to drop in."

Harry smiled not knowing how to respond to the woman and this nice man sitting beside him who kept calling him son. He knew he didn't really have a family or at least, not a family that wanted him. The Dursleys had always taken every opportunity to remind him of that fact. However they seemed to be quite nice to him and some food was better than none. Harry was then reaching for his fourth piece of candy with glee.

"You poor boy you look famished! Maybe I shall start my dinner plans a little early today!" the older lady stated getting up and walking into the kitchen, she came out a few minutes later holding a few sandwiches on a plate, "I wasn't sure what you'd like so I made a couple, that one is ground beef, from my sloppy joes I made the other night, the kids just love them. Then there's corned beef and tuna have as much as you like boys!

Snape felt a little silly being treated as a child, but remembering the woman's age it would be like having her children back with him. "Go for it Harry, I'll have what's left." Harry devoured the corn beef and ground beef sandwiches leaving Snape with the tuna which he didn't mind. Although Harry was quite hungry having not eaten that day he still wanted to leave at least one behind for the nice man that had rescued him.

"I really appreciate all this," Harry said shyly, "but who are you?"

Snape nearly dropped his tuna sandwich on the floor when he heard that out of his son. His face displaying his honesty and his confusion. "Harry," Snape stated, "I'm your father. Son, don't you remember? Hogwarts?" he tried again hoping that his son would at least remember his idiotic friends, "Ron Weasley? Hermione Granger?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you are talking about. Also…if you're really my father, how come I wasn't with you all of these years instead of the Dursleys?" Harry asked.

"Because Harry," Snape stated, "I didn't know that I had a son until just recently. As soon as I found out I sought to take you away from the Dursleys, permanently."

Harry nearly fell out of his chair in surprise. Someone actually wanted him? That couldn't be true he was just…just Harry…a nothing…a nobody…

Snape sighed and tried again, "Harry, what is the last thing that you remember?"

"You rescued me from the Dusleys just a few minutes ago sir," he looked at Snape as if the man had lost his mind.

Snape sighed and again tried, "Harry, how old are you?"

"Ten sir," he said, ignoring Snape's shocked reaction "it's my birthday in a few days. I'll be eleven and I'll…" Harry noticed his reaction and closed his mouth quickly.

Snape just about passed out! Here was his son, his son who had just completed second year of Hogwarts, telling him that he was ten years old? And not knowing anything about Hogwarts! This was NOT a good sign!

"Do you even remember your name Harry?" he asked.

"Oh yes sir, I'm Harry sir, Harry Potter," he replied looking at the older man. Finally a correct answer! Snape smiled.

"Sir, what's wrong, have you got the wrong Harry?" the boy asked. He knew that there is no way that someone could want him, could want to come for him and to protect him. He felt like crying but he knew that he needed to sit bravely and wait for the answer.

"No Harry," Snape stated gently, Harry's face dropped and he opened his mouth as if to say something but Snape continued, "I have the right boy. You are my son."

Harry smiled at him happily and then found himself asking a question, so unusual for him to ask questions as the Dursleys never allowed him to, but he found himself spitting out, "sir, how did we get here?"

"Magic Harry, we are wizards," Snape stated calmly.

"but I can't be a wizard….I'm….just Harry…just Harry!"

"well just Harry, did you ever do anything that you can't explain, when you were scared or frightened" Snape asked gently prompting the boy to remember anything…anything at all.

Harry and Snape sat in silence as Harry thought really hard about it and he remembered a few times in school when he had been trying to run from Dudley and his gang. Appearing on the roof that one time, the times that his Uncle had locked him in his closet when strange things had happened around the house. Like him suddenly growing all of his hair back overnight after Aunt Petunia had given him a particularly rough haircut.

"Ah, so you see Harry, you may have forgotten quite a bit, things I will have to teach you this summer before you go back to school with me. But I promise you son we will get through this thing, together."

"Together," Harry said.

Snape spent some time talking to Harry trying to find out exactly what he did remember, what he could possibly piece together and keep him safe. What he found? Nothing. His memory of Hogwarts was completely gone.

"Come on boys, enough chit chat, its time for dinner," the older woman said.

"I'm sorry but…who are you?" Harry asked. He was getting quite good at this!

The woman smiled at him saying "Melissa Topper, I'm just a friend, you can call me Mel if you like!"

Harry smiled at his new father and then at Mel, "I'm Harry…you can call me Harry!"

She laughed and ushered the two boys into the dining room for a dinner which she had prepared. A beautiful meat pie with a plate of vegetables.

"I hope your hungry because I've also prepared a desert!" she said

Harry couldn't believe that there had been so much food on his plate!

"I want you to eat the lot son," Snape stated. Harry just stared at his plate.

"Eat what you want hon, I don't mind," Mel said and smiled.

Harry smiled back starting to cut into his piece of pie.

"How long will you be staying?" Mel asked.

"Oh just a few days, I have to rest for a bit. We will be gone soon," Snape stated gently trying to be at ease with the woman.

But no matter how much Dumbledore insisted that other people were merely there to help him he always felt like he was imposing. Even being in a strange persons home for a few hours, let alone a few days, was a lot for him to have to cope with.

"Can I have some more?" Harry had actually cleaned his plate.

"Sure thing Harry. But you might want to leave some room for the chocolate pudding!" Mel said.

"Can I really have some?" Harry asked Snape.

"Of course you can son," Snape smiled. It was good to see Harry still had a bit of an appetite. That was a good sign that their influence had not rubbed off on him yet. If Snape had a choice they would have never even got their hands on him at all! But Snape sighed knowing that he had to simply accept that the most important thing right now was getting him and his son back home. He could deal with what had happened later.

Dinner was one of the best meals that Harry had eaten in a while but all the same he felt tired. Snape knew this just by looking at him. "Mel," Snape cleared his throat in embarrassment looking at Harry. He looked like he was about to fall asleep right there at the table. Mel chuckled. "I did forget to show you around didn't I?" she stated. The house was not even as big as the Weasley home. With only two bedrooms, three if you included the master bedroom, Mel's room. One bathroom which had a shower and a toilet at the end of the hallway. A kitchen at the other end and a lounge room next to that. Still…Mel thought of it as home. It was comfortable to simply have a place to lie down.

"This will be your room Harry, why don't you get some rest?" she asked.

"This will be your room Severus, for when you are ready." She indicated the bedroom next to hers.

Snape chose to stay in the bedroom with Harry merely talking general muggle things. As Snapes father had been muggle it wasn't hard for him to relate. Talking about the Adams family shows, Harry told him a little about the Simpsons and Snape found it amusing that the boy could speak so animatedly about that drivel. But soon Harry found himself falling asleep and Snape tucked the boy into the bed and slipped off to his own room to rest.