Tom looked up with watchful eyes as Severus Snape melted through the softly-glowing hospital screen. The man looked more ill at ease than he'd ever seen him, and a prickle of wariness ran down Tom's spine.

"Hello, Harry," Snape mustered a smile and summoned a chair to sit down on. He looked tired, and almost old. "Madam Pomfrey tells me that you're healing well."

Tom nodded once, not speaking. What did the man want? To talk more of their guardians? He'd been the one pushed out to deal with that, as the most logical choice. Freak wouldn't even be able to think of them without panicking and shoving himself in a corner. Jay would bluster and rage and call them all fuckheads. Tom at least could stay relatively calm when speaking of the Dursleys.

But if it were solely about their guardians, would Snape look so uncomfortable? Perhaps he was going to return them to the Dursleys after all. Tom didn't think Pomfrey would accept that decision, but then, she wasn't here right now, was she. Only he was. And while his previous actions appeared at least slightly trustworthy, they knew better than most how appearances could be deceiving.

"I know this is a difficult conversation," Snape finally began, leaning forward a bit. "But I'm afraid that it must be discussed. Madam Pomfrey and I need to know the identity and location of your guardians."

"Why?" Tom asked. Snape blinked, looking surprised at the question. Freak constantly mumbled in their head, rocking back and forth and gasping in panic-stricken sobs about going back, having to go back.

"So that charges can be brought, and you can have a new guardian, of course," Snape replied, as if it were the simplest answer in the world. Tom blinked at him, their head going utterly silent for a moment.

"A new guardian?" Tom inquired, his voice tentative despite his best efforts for it not to be. Damn it! He was not a child! Well, he was, technically, but not in maturity.

"Yes," Snape's mouth quirked upward at one corner. "In fact, Harry, I was actually hoping you might consider me for your guardian."

And for what seemed like the millionth time in the past two days, Harry's world rocked on its foundations.

Before Tom even realised what he was doing, his mouth had opened and carefully spit out the required information: "Vernon and Petunia Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Surrey."

What are you doing, we'll be sent back, they'll get us, they'll catch us, they'll hurt us! Freak wailed in the silence of their head. It was only through sheer force of will that Tom maintained fronting, and even he resorted to rocking back and forth in the bed, although he studiously kept his thumb from slipping in his mouth. That was an indignity that, while cheerfully allowed to Freak, he refused to even consider for himself.

"Thank you, Harry," Snape said, calm, the light in his eyes oddly reassuring. "Thank you. I know that was very difficult for you, and I am very happy that you could tell me that. May I call in Madam Pomfrey?"

Tom gave a short nod, his body trembling all over. There was a brief, murmured conversation through the screens, and in moments, the mediwitch stepped through, her wand up and immediately sending a reassuring burst of blue light to settle over Tom. He instantly calmed, and even felt Freak retreat a bit, thumb corked in his mouth. Good to know that you're a decent nurse, Jay said, without his customary bite. Despite the calming spell, their body still felt quite weak and shivery, and Tom was glad he was propped up in bed.

"Thank you for telling Professor Snape, Harry," Pomfrey said gently. "It is greatly appreciated and will help enormously in getting you away from those...those people," she spat out the word like an epithet.

"Yes, I was hoping to talk about that more with you here, Poppy," Snape interjected, looking discomfited. "Once you are removed from the care of the Dursleys, you will be in need of new guardianship. I hoped," and here he cleared his throat, "you might consider me for your choice of guardian."

Tom settled back in the bed a little, thinking about it. Snape? As a guardian? He'd certainly be better than the Dursleys. He might have been a Death Eater, but if he was going to hurt Harry, he would have done so already, even by Tom's way of thinking. No one had known that Snape had Harry yesterday. No one. He could have tortured him, murdered him, sold him to other Voldy supporters or...worse. And yet he hadn't. He'd comforted him after his panic attack, treated his ankle, fed him properly, brought him here to be treated even better! He had a bit of a temper, but then again, so did they. And he hadn't hit them, had he. Not even when again, he was alone and no one would have known.

Besides, who else would take him in? A sullen, defiant boy with far too many people crowded in his head and a lifetime of prior abuse? People didn't want to deal with abused children. With the effects of trauma. "Not in my backyard" as the truism went. Snape was at least willing to try.

"All right," Tom finally spoke up, his voice raspy.

"What do you mean?" Snape looked confused, a bit of distrust creeping into his expression.

"All right," Tom repeated. "You as my guardian. Yes. I want you to take over guardianship."

And for a moment, he wondered if the man would faint, he paled so quickly.

"Severus!" Madam Pomfrey shook his shoulder hard. "For goodness sake," she clicked her tongue. "It can't be that unexpected."

Apparently it is, Jay smirked inside. Greasy-haired bat.

Greasy-haired bat who's willing to take us in and keep us away from the Dursleys, Tom retorted, with as much patience as he could muster. Ergo, worth it.

"Well, then, it's settled," Madam Pomfrey finally said, when it looked like Snape would be incapable of responding for a few minutes yet. "Professor Snape will apply to be your official guardian on the basis that your previous guardians were abusive and neglectful, endangering a child."

"Yes," Snape finally spoke up, his voice sounding slightly rusty, and looking as though he'd taken a baseball between the eyes. It made Blue giggle inside. "I shall warn you now, Harry. I can be a very unpleasant man. You already know I have a temper. But I swear to you, I will never starve you or hit you or abandon you or abuse you in any way. I shall never deny you proper medical care or schooling. I will do the best that I can to be a proper guardian and in time, perhaps even officially adopt you-if you'd like me to," he added hastily. "You will never have to return to the Dursleys again."

Despite himself, Tom felt his jaw creak open in shock. It was laid out so matter-of-factly. And Pomfrey was nodding along with the man, looking quite satisfied with herself.

"All right," was all he could think to say. After all, what else could he? Their world had just turned neatly on its head. He could only hope it would be a change for the best.