"Don't worry," Snape promised. "This book is safe with me. If the Dark Lord wanted it to be kept secure, I cannot imagine a better place than with myself."

"That's good," Avery breathed out. "We've been worrying about that," he glanced around nervously and then added in an undertone, "We all know how...clumsy Crabbe is, and I'm much too busy, so I'm glad I can ship this off to someone more trustworthy. Thanks for coming, Severus,"

Snape gave him the flicker of a smile. "If that is all, I'll be going Avery. Good day," he set off from the abandoned, blackened house and made his way to the station.

XXXXX

Molly set Harry down in the little cot and kissed him goodnight. Then she bustled out of the room.

Harry immediately sat up and blinked in the darkness. He had had a nice dinner, but he missed Snape more than ever. Usually the way he went to sleep comprised of Snape ordering him to sleep, and him either obeying or making a fuss and Snape sighing and groaning but finally giving in and rocking him to sleep. That was cozier than just putting him here and leaving him.

Harry sniffed distastefully at the cot. It wasn't new and blue like his and he didn't even have his little stuffed cat. All he did have was a rag doll and it was hardly comforting.

Maybe Nape really had left him forever...Tears dribbled down his cheeks. No one liked him. No wonder Nape had left him. No wonder the man hadn't picked him up early from his cot that day. Nape thought him a burden just like his auntie and uncle used to. Harry let out a whimper and felt the worst he had ever felt in his life.

XXXXX

It was the next day, 5:00 in the evening, and Harry's attitude had completely changed. He did not call for Snape, or cry and beg someone to take him to the man, but just sat quietly and distantly.

Molly was very worried and Ron didn't know why Harry didn't seem to want to play anymore. Actually, Harry seemed rather aggressive.

"Harry, dear?" Molly said, cautiously.

Harry looked at her.

"Would you like some chocolate, dear?"

Harry shrugged and went back to playing with the rag doll (Poking it in it's stomach and eyes).

Molly looked at him worriedly and then went back into the kitchen. Best to leave the child alone.

Meanwhile, Snape, right back in his empty and private compartment, looked anxiously out of the window. He didn't know why, but he really wanted to meet Harry and see if he was okay. In a few, restless hours the train finally creaked to a stop and Snape stepped out. He was back in Devon. Now he just had to get to Harry.

XXXXX

At exactly 6:51 pm, the doorbell rang and Molly looked up eagerly. "That must be dad, Harry!" she told the little boy who was lying on his side and staring at the room.

Harry didn't move.

Molly quickly opened the door. "Severus!" she cried. "It's very nice to see you again. Harry has really been waiting for you," she lead him to the family room, where Harry was now sitting up and looking at the commotion with faint interest.

There was a short silence.

Snape had expected a better welcome than this. Well, not that he cared.

Harry looked shocked for a moment and then he sucked in his cheeks, "Nape?" He whispered in a low voice.

Really? Snape thought, disappointed. I thought he would be a little more enthusiastic.

The man strode to Harry and picked him up.

"Nape, Nape! You bak!" Harry said, very surprised.

"I promised that I would return, didn't I? Did you behave?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded. He didn't hug Snape back properly. He just stared up at the man with open eyes.

Snape looked at Molly anxiously.

Molly returned the look. "Maybe he's tired. Take him home and hopefully he'll feel better,"

Snape nodded and said, "Thank you so much, Molly."

"No problem at all,"

Then Snape left the house, Harry very stiff in his arms.

By the time he had taken Harry home, Snape was very frightened. Harry seemed so indifferent.

"Did you have fun then, Potter?" Snape asked, uncertainly.

Harry shrugged.

"Is something the matter?"

Harry shook his head.

"Right. Okay then."

Snape came to the conclusion that Harry was still mad at him for when he had picked him up from his cot late. But he had been very sad at his farewell...Maybe now that he was back, Harry would resume giving him the cold-shoulder treatment.

This thought made Snape's blood boil. He left Harry on the sofa and didn't pay a bit of attention to him until dinner.

When dinner was made: spaghetti, one of Harry's favorite suppers, Snape came into the living room, where Harry was sitting, very close to the grate...And reaching out his hand to touch the fire.

Snape quickly scooped him up. "We don't play with fire, Potter," he said, sternly. "Come on, let's have some dinner,"

Harry stayed stiff as a board in Snape's arms and didn't lean against his shoulder as he usually did. He didn't even respond, but just stared longingly at the flickering flames.

Snape seated him on the high chair and gave him a plateful of spaghetti. Harry ate a little, not looking at Snape or making a single sound.

Snape glared at him. If Harry had seen the look, he might have been very frightened. All of Snape's previous affections (Snape preferred it to be referred as: 'thoughts') had evaporated. Now it was only hatred (yes, harsh) and anger that Snape felt against Harry. They ate dinner in a stony and oppressive silence. Snape didn't set the boy out on the mat with his toys. He didn't accio a book and read to him. He didn't bother spending time with a child who couldn't bother to be grateful for what he had done for him.

Snape didn't even rock Harry to sleep or read him a tiny story that night. Not that Harry needed it. Harry immediately lay on his side when he was put into the crib, and closed his eyes.

Snape didn't even wish him goodnight.

"Spoilt brat," He muttered furiously after unceremoniously dumping Harry in his cot. He left the room and slammed the door. But not before hearing a miserable whimper from Harry.

Snape wasn't even sure that he had heard it. He pushed Harry out of his mind and went to his lab to cool down.

When he left, Harry started sniffling and rubbing his arms to console himself. He had known it! Nape didn't like him after all! Now that it was confirmed, Harry settled into a sleep.

XXXXX

Harry didn't even think about Snape the next morning. When he awoke, he tried to climb out of his cot by himself. Before he could kill himself, though, Snape entered the room gruffly and picked him up and laid him down on the rug. The man didn't say a word. He just left the door open and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Harry couldn't care less. He played on the rug with his blocks and then crawled into the living room. He had fun trekking through the furniture and when he saw Snape walking back from the kitchen, he actually groaned. He quickly tried to hide behind the sofa.

This caused Snape to spend ten minutes looking for him. The man first went into the nursery and when he couldn't find the boy, he searched the living room. He got more and more pressured until, out of options, he called out, "Potter! Where are you?"

Harry sucked in his cheeks and was more resolute not to be found.

But Snape found him eventually. His face showed utmost hatred but Harry didn't flinch. There was hatred on his face too. More or less.

Snape sat Harry on his high chair and gave him his breakfast. Harry ate, though he wasn't very hungry. He felt thirsty though, but he didn't ask Snape for water. He just breathed roughly through his parched throat.

Snape stared at him. "Do you want to drink something?" he asked, pointedly.

Harry glared at him.

Snape shrugged. "Be that way. You can die of thirst, for all I care," But when he was passing by, he saw the big green eyes widen sadly. Sighing, he remembered Lily, and filled a glass of water for Harry.

Harry drank it silently. Snape was just thinking about how he would have absolutely hated Harry and left him to starve like he deserved if it wasn't for Lily, when to his astonishment, when Harry drew back the cup from his mouth, tears were dripping down his face.

Snape picked Harry up, sat him on his lap and wiped the tears carefully. He couldn't help seeing the green eyes now and then, which were narrowed in sadness. Feeling a little bad for being so hostile with the child, Snape whispered, "Why don't we go back to normal?"

More tears dripped down but Harry didn't hug Snape or agree in any way. "Me play," he said, after a while.

Snape took him off his lap and Harry crawled away. Snape couldn't help feeling stung. He had felt a tiny bit that maybe the boy actually liked him. It would be a change from all the hatred he had always endured in his life. But it looked like things would always be the same. Snape sighed heavily and buried his head in his arms.

XXXXX

Snape was reading a book and Harry was in an entirely different corner, poking his stuffed cat. The doorbell rang suddenly and Harry looked up. He began to crawl towards the door to open it, but Snape beat him to it. It was Charity.

"Severus!" she hugged him.

Harry knew her a little, but she was still a total stranger to him. Charity smiled at Harry who was crawling behind Snape. It seemed to her that the boy must be attached to the man, though it wasn't so at the moment.

"Charity, this is a surprise," Snape said.

Charity smiled. "I wanted to meet you. And Harry. You two been getting along, then?"

Snape sighed. Where could he start? "Not really," he said, dryly.

Once he had seated Charity in the living room and had given her some tea, he began to explain. By default, Harry would crawl over to Snape's side and sit with him. But instead, most astonishingly, today he snuggled up in Charity's lap

Charity's eyes were wide. "He wasn't so friendly with me the other day," she remarked, stroking the boy's hair.

So he likes everyone but me, Snape thought.

"Something's the matter with Potter," he said. And he explained all of Harry's behavior. About the stiffness when he was hugged or touched. About his cold treatment. Everything. Bit by bit, Charity's eyes widened.

"And this all happened after you came back?" she asked, apprehensively.

Snape nodded.

She looked horrified for a moment. Then she said, "Oh dear, Severus, I'm not sure but...this may be an attachment disorder."

Snape stared. "A what?"

"Maybe you should check with a Healer. It happens to some children. Usually those who are neglected. But don't worry. Harry will be cured...gradually."

"How can you be sure?" Snape looked at Harry who was curled up near her.

"Friendliness to strangers, sudden stiffness...It's not that he doesn't like you. Too many changes can do that to a child. I've read the symptoms. But wait, Severus, just do a check up. I'm not sure, okay?"

Snape had never been so stunned before.

XXXXX

After looking hopelessly at a mute Harry for twenty minutes, Snape decided that he definitely would go to a Healer. Not that he believed a word Charity had said.

So it came as a violent shock when the healer said that Harry had a case of Avoidant Attachment Disorder.

"He is scared of being rejected, and may show signs of aggression. Keep your child-" the healer said. Snape didn't know how many people would think Harry was his child before he cracked. "...With you 24/7. Sleep and nap close to him. Spend lots of time with him. Remind him you love him, and he'll feel better and eventually get over this," Snape almost gagged. Love him? What kind of nonsense was this? "Here is a vial of some special calming draught. Give this to him once a day, in the afternoon. Starting today. It will soothe him and avoid negative thoughts."

Snape stared at Harry. "Er. What...what causes Attachment Disorder?"

The Healer looked at him a little sympathetically. "Sometimes if the child has too many abrupt changes with caretakers...Or when they are verbally and physically abused...Or even when they're not sure their caretaker really likes them and are scared, it can develop. There are many cases. But if you've been treating him very well it may only be that he is very attached to you and is just scared of being approved,"

Harry gave a miserable whimper and curled himself into a small ball.