There was a good news and a bad news. The good news was that Minerva had given Snape a small handbook for child-caring. Snape had insisted that he did not need any such thing, but was grateful later. The bad news was that Snape was in an extremely unpleasant mood and Harry was not helping in the least.

As Snape tried to make supper, Harry came crawling into the kitchen. The man looked up from the bubbling stew and his eyes widened.

"What do you think you're doing here, Potter? Get back to the nursery at once!" Snape commanded.

Harry seated himself on the tiled floor and smiled up at Snape, raising his arms expectantly.

Snape felt his blood boil. "How dare you keep up this cheek like your insufferable father! Do as I say at once!"

Harry didn't move, though his smile wavered.

"That's it," Snape strode to Harry menacingly.

When Harry saw Snape advancing upon him, he did something which took Snape aback.

His eyes filled with tears and he covered his face while whimpering. Snape's anger immediately ebbed away a little. He sighed, "I will never hit you, Potter. Stop it,"

Harry still cowered, his bottom lip trembling. "Sowwy, no hurt!"

"What?" Snape demanded.

"Sowwy!" Harry repeated.

Sorry?

Snape felt a little bad then. He picked Harry up and rocked him. Harry's eyes were still watery and he leaned against Snape's chest, sniffing.

"I will never hit you." Snape said again. "Don't worry. You will never hide your face in that suggestive way again, do you understand?"

Harry nodded, because had learned to do so when Snape said "understand?".

"What did you want then?" Snape asked, in a softer tone.

"Play," Harry said. "Pwease. Play!"

Harry had learnt many new words in the last few weeks. And Snape had been playing with him as a routine. According to the handbook, playing actually was very crucial for a child's upbringing. Snape couldn't have cared less about Harry's 'upbringing' but Dumbledore had insisted that he had to try.

"No. I am busy. Perhaps later. Now go back to your room, and if you are good, I promise we'll build together."

Harry frowned, "No! PLAY NAPE!"

"Excuse me?" Snape said, dangerously.

"PLAY! PLAY WIV ME NAPE!"

Snape had half a mind to drop him on the floor or lock him up. "Silence! How dare you throw a tantrum under my roof! Spoilt like your fath-"

"PLAY!"

Snape strode to the nursery, Harry in arms, and dumped the boy into his crib. "There," he said, triumphantly. "You will stay here in isolation and think about what you've done. You are being punished, Potter. I do not tolerate such behavior."

Harry screeched and banged his little fists on the crib railings.

Snape wanted to Silencio him but he wasn't sure if it would or would not provide damage, as the child was only little. He left the room in a flourish of robes and Harry looked in surprise at the deserted room. Snape had...actually left him all alone.

Heart breaking, Harry nuzzled down into the cot and began crying with all his heart. He certainly had no one to love him.

XXXXX

It was not long until Snape, rather pleased with himself for controlling Harry, took a small peek into the rather silent room. Expecting to see Harry asleep in the least, he instead saw the boy propped up and looking sullenly at his feet.

"Potter?" Snape went to the crib and inquired.

Harry hardly looked at him. He gave a tiny sniffle and didn't move.

"More brattish behavior," Snape sighed, annoyed. "Now, come on, Potter, let's have some supper alright?" He attempted to pick Harry up, but Harry kicked and writhed and hit Snape on the face angrily.

"Potter!" Snape shouted, outraged. "Stop it!"

"Nape!" Harry yelled back, going very red in the face.

"You will stop struggling in this impudent way this instant!" Snape commanded. He gave a small swat to Harry's thighs in the effort of calming him down. It hardly hurt, and was hardly considered more than a pat, but Harry's eyes widened and he began crying like a maniac.

He fell limp in Snape's arms and cried and cried.

Snape was shocked. He quickly sat down on the leather chair and rocked Harry-to no avail.

"Potter-Potter, stop. What's the matter with you?" Snape was getting very concerned now. Accioing the parental guidebook, he skimmed through the pages with one hand and rocked Harry gently with the other.

He stopped at one page.

Abusive Behaviours.

Hurting or hitting a child at a young age...

Snape shook his head. He would never hurt Harry. That swat wasn't even meant to sting. It was meant as a behaving reminder. More or less.

For two minutes Snape tried rocking, talking softly, gingerly stroking the unruly hair, trying a charm and making a funny statement-all to calm Harry down...but it was all in vain.

Finally, giving up, no choices left, he said very softly. "Please Potter. Don't cry. I love you, there, there."

The effect was immediate. Harry stopped. No one-except his parents-had EVER said I love you to him. Harry paused in his crying and said in a whimpering and pitiful voice, "Nape love Pot?" he asked, enchanted.

"Harry." Snape felt uncomfortable when the boy referred to himself in that way.

"Nape love Hawwy?"

The man hesitated and then said, just to please Harry, not really meaning it, "Yes. Professor Snape loves Harry."

Harry buried his little nose in the black robes and controlled his remaining sobs. After a while he confirmed, "Hawwy loves Nape. Love Nape, Love Nape, Love Nape!" He lifted his head up from the robes and grinned, 'Love Nape!"

Snape patted his back. "Good, now let's have supper." He had to try not to look too pleased.

"Ok!" Harry agreed and allowed Snape to lift him up. Snape let Harry snuggle against his robes and grab a handful of the fabric for support. And then he gingerly carried the little boy to the kitchen, thinking just how dramatic being a guardian was.

He seated Harry on the high chair that he had gotten from Dumbledore as a present, and then went to the stove to get him a bowl of porridge.

Harry ate it all up hungrily and a bit of porridge slopped on his shirt. Snape groaned and mopped Harry up. He then took Harry to the living room, got out his building blocks and encouraged the boy to play, while he worked on some important business. After all, he had to go to Hogwarts in a while and he really had to get his schedule worked out.

So, after making out the class syllabus and organizing the storage cupboard, Snape went to make a few vials of extra potions for display. But before he could even start, he heard Harry crying out.

Snape ran to the living room with an anxious expression on his face. He saw Harry lying on his stomach, crying silently.

"What's wrong?" Snape picked Harry up.

Harry showed Snape a broken doll, murmuring "Sowwy," apologetically.

"Reparo!" Snape swished his wand. The doll fixed itself immediately.

Harry sniffed and gasped, his cheeks bright red. He peered at the fixed doll and then gazed at Snape's wand. "Oooo!" Harry whispered.

"You want the wand?" Snape saw Harry reach out for his wand. He sat on the sofa and carefully handed his wand to the boy.

"Nape, ooooo!" Harry swished the stick-and suddenly one block levitated in the air for a second and plopped back down onto the floor. "Wow! Oo!"

Snape was surprised. Harry leaned against Snape's chest and again swished the wand. This time one of the toys did a flip in the air.

Snape was glad that Harry had found a new game but also impressed that the small child could perform magic at such a young age.

"Very good, Harry," Snape said.

Harry grinned and rolled the wand between his hands. "Nape, mine,"

"No, it's mine," Snape shook his head, taking the wand. Harry's eyes went big and teary but when Snape gave him a stern look, he nodded obediently, "'Kay!"

Snape was proud that he could control Harry now. "Good boy," he said.

"Yay Nape!" Harry beamed, cuddling in with Snape. "Play?"

"Fine." Snape put Harry onto the carpet and spread out the blocks. "Want the blocks?"

Harry nodded and they began to make different things. Snape made loads of tiny "buildings" and then put the car in the middle of two buildings, saying it was the "road."

"Wow!" Harry clapped his hands many a time.

Snape laughed a bit when he saw Harry clap his hands. That was so adorabl-

He quickly shook himself. Remember. This was a Potter...

That night, Harry and Snape had a game of chess (Which Harry wasn't too good at) and then went to sleep. Harry was a little restless. He wouldn't go in his crib. He seemed much more comfy in Snape's arms.

Snape didn't like this one bit. He persisted to put Harry in the cot, but then gave up grudgingly. He noticed how much Harry loved to be held and hugged. As if he strove for it. Snape was almost certain now that the boy hadn't gotten hugged much back at his relative's house.

Harry just wanted to gain love and acceptance. And if he was getting that from Snape, he was glad.

"Love Nape," he murmured, falling asleep quickly, holding a fistful of robes firmly in his little hand.

Snape sighed and rocked the boy. He couldn't quite say that back...But maybe there was a certain liking somewhere.