Harry woke up a few hours later with a smile still on his face. It had been some time since he had slept so peacefully and he relished in the feelings of safety and comfort that he drew from this place. A glance around the room told him that he was alone and that it seemed to be quite late. For a moment, he considered getting up to find his new parents but he put it out of his mind at once. Snape had been very clear in that aspect and he didn’t want to disobey the man. Especially not now and not over such a small thing.

He wondered if his feelings were normal, he wanted to please his former professors in a way he had never felt the need to. He had meant every word he had said to Snape about allowing the man to guide the rest of his childhood, and therefore, he would have to listen and do as he was told. He didn’t really mind. Minerva and Severus weren’t like the Dursleys and their constant demands, and they weren’t like Dumbledore and his subtle manipulations. They were just two adults that had always kept his best interests in mind and that had done what they could to protect him.

Harry’s musings were interrupted when the door opened, and Snape entered the room. The man seemed a bit surprised to see him awake, but a small, pleased smile overcame the surprise.

“Good, you’re awake.” He walked closer to the bed and placed the tray he had been carrying on the side table. “I want you to eat something; it’s already been a few days since you last had anything, you must be hungry.”

Harry nodded, noticing for the first time that he was indeed very hungry. With Snape’s help, he sat up, and the tray was placed on his lap. Quickly, the boy ate the soup and crackers Severus had brought, and then he swallowed the energy potion his father had prepared.

Snape was watching him carefully the whole time. The boy seemed to be doing much better, and even if his magic were still very weak, he would be able to get out of bed in a day or two. Once the teen was finished, Snape put the tray on the table and sat back down on the chair that had been placed next to the bed. It didn’t seem like Harry was about to go back to sleep, and even if the teen had been staying in bed until now, Snape didn’t think that having him bored would be a good idea.

A soft voice startled his musings. “Dad?”

Snape blinked and looked at the boy, who was regarding him expectantly. “Yes, Harry?”

“What has happened to my things? Are they still at Hogwarts?”

The man looked a bit sad for a moment, thinking about his own things. “I’m afraid so, Harry. I didn’t expect that I wouldn’t be able to go back, and Minerva was in a hurry to get us, so we didn’t have the time to get our things together.”

Harry sighed sadly, he had been expecting it, but he had still hoped. Suddenly a hand brushed against his cheek in a gentle, comforting, gesture, and he looked up at the wizard sitting next to him. “Hey, don’t look so sad. I know we won’t be able to replace some things, but Minerva and I will take you shopping once you’re feeling better.”

Harry looked up at him, a bit surprised at his words. “That’s not necessary, I’ll be fine.”

Snape raised an eyebrow. “You don’t honestly expect to keep walking around in Minerva’s late husband’s clothes, do you? Not to mention that you’ll need your own supplies to go to that art school of yours.”

Harry nodded a bit reluctantly. “Ok, but I’ll pay you back once I can regain access to my bank account.”

Severus looked down at him patiently. “I thought we had agreed that we would be your parents? Are you regretting it?”

Harry snapped his head up. “No!”

Snape smiled a bit. “Then why are you being difficult about this, Harry? You don’t honestly think that Weasley or Granger buy their own clothes and supplies.”

Harry shook his head; he knew that his friends didn’t pay for their own things, but this was different. He was trying to find a way to explain what he was feeling when Snape cut off his thoughts by speaking again. “Harry, there’s no way for you to convince either Minerva or me to let you pay for your things, so I suggest you drop it. After all, this is part of being a parent, and the same way we expect you to listen to us because we’re now your parents, you will have to accept what we do for you in return. It’s the way things go, you can’t expect one thing without the other.”

Harry bowed his head and sagged against his pillows. He didn’t want to fight against the man, he was tired, and just wanted to rest. Did it really matter that much? He was just not used to accepting things from others, and it was weird for him to let himself be taken care of. Sensing his sudden listless mood, Snape stood up, and with gentle hands, helped the teen to lay down in bed again before tucking him in. “Go back to sleep now, and don’t think too much about what’s going to happen. If you still have problems with us buying you things when you’re feeling better, we’ll talk about it, ok?”

Harry, feeling a bit reassured, nodded and closed his eyes. “Ok, Dad.”

“Sleep well, Harry. And remember to call us if you need anything.”

“I will, good night.”

Minerva was sitting in the kitchen when he came down. While he cleaned the tray Harry had used, the woman made some tea, and after that, they both sat down at the kitchen table, relaxing after the stressing day.

“You were up there for a long time, I was starting to get worried.”

Snape nodded, sipping at his hot cup of tea. “Harry was awake when I entered, he ate the soup, and we talked for a bit after that. He wanted to know what had happened to his things.”

Minerva frowned lightly. “We’ll have to take him shopping, he’ll need clothes and supplies.” She paused for a bit and then added. “And so will you.”

Severus looked at her faintly amused, completely ignoring her last words. “That’s what I told him, he wasn’t very happy about it.”

The witch raised an eyebrow. “Why on earth not? It’s not like he can keep walking around in those old clothes.”

Snape couldn’t help but laugh a bit at her words. “Minerva, I’m really starting to think we were made for each other. That’s just what I told him.” The woman rolled her eyes in amusement but listened as he continued in a more serious tone. “It seems that our son has some issues about people buying him things.”

Minerva frowned; teenagers usually didn’t give such things a second thought, they took things like food and clothing for granted, unless... “Do you think it has something to do with that family of his?”

Severus shrugged lightly. “It’s the most likely assumption. What do you know about them?”

The woman looked intently into her tea. “Not much, to tell the truth. They seemed very normal when I visited them before leaving Harry there. I know Lily didn’t like her sister and that the feelings were probably mutual. Maybe that dislike passed on to Harry?”

The wizard shrugged lightly. “Who knows, it wouldn’t be that difficult to imagine.” Snape grimaced lightly, thinking about how he had felt about the teen at the beginning of the year. Pushing those dark thoughts aside, he continued. “How does the boy feel about them?”

Minerva sighed, also ignoring the man’s allusion at his own mistreatment of the boy. “I’ve never heard much about it, but I believe he didn’t like them much. He always spent his holidays at Hogwarts, and I know he asked permission of Dumbledore to spent his summers at the Weasleys’.”

Snape nodded. “I’ve heard a few comments about them too, mostly from Weasley; I don’t think he likes them much. I also saw some images of them when I was teaching Harry occlumency, but I didn’t pay them much heed, since they were often overruled by other images of the Dark Lord or his Death Eaters.”

They both finished their tea in silence until Minerva spoke again. “Do you think he has any more issues besides the clothing one?”

Snape looked back at her seriously. “Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, we’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

Minerva couldn’t help but smirk at those words. “Knowing him, he won’t like that much.”

Severus smiled a bit in amusement and placed his empty cup on the table. “No, I’m afraid he won’t, but if we’re going to be taking care of him, we’ll need to know what’s going on with him in the first place.” Without giving her the chance to reply, the Potions Master stood up. “If you excuse me, I need to get back to the potions before they’re ruined.”

Minerva nodded slightly. “Don’t stay up too late, it’s been a stressing day for the lot of us.”

The man laughed quietly while leaving the room. “I’ll try.”

The witch stayed in the kitchen for a few minutes, cleaning up the things they had used for tea. After that, she doused the lights and went up to her own room. There, she changed into her nightclothes and was about to get in bed when a shrill scream ran through the house. At once, the woman was back on her feet, wand in hand, and rushed to Harry’s bedroom, knowing that he had been the one to scream.

She found him on the floor, curled up against the bed, with the sheets and blankets tangled around his limbs. Minerva could tell that he was crying and shivering violently, even if he didn’t utter a sound. Quickly she approached the small form of her new son, and with gentle hands, the witch started to untangle the teen from the blankets and drew him into her arms. “Hush, Harry, everything is alright. No one is going to hurt you. Come on, Child, calm down a bit, try to breath deeply.”

She was still trying to calm him down when Severus rushed into the room, a worried look in his deep, black eyes.

“Are you both alright? What happened?”

Minerva couldn’t help but give him a small smile. How much he had changed in such a short time. Only days ago he would have been furious at anyone that dared to interrupt him in the middle of brewing a potion. Minerva couldn’t help but wonder how much of the man she knew was actually true and how much had been a facade to protect his cover in front of other Death Eaters. Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she answered before the man had a chance to grow more worried. “I’m fine, Severus, but I don’t know about Harry.”

They both looked down at the teen that was now clutching her pyjamas, desperately sobbing against her chest. Snape approached them and knelt down at Minerva’s side. Gently, he started to pet Harry’s damp hair. “What’s wrong, Harry? Did you have a nightmare? Are you in pain?”

The boy didn’t answer his questions and just kept crying, his head firmly pressed against Minerva’s chest. After sharing a concerned glance over the teen’s head, both teachers managed to get Harry back on the bed, with Minerva lying at his side since the teen had refused to let go of her. Severus left the room quickly and came back a few minutes later with a vial in his hand.

Minerva looked up at him. “Dreamless sleep?”

Snape shook his head. “Just a calming potion, he can’t drink a dreamless one so soon after the energy potion.”

Minerva nodded in understanding and turned to the boy still sobbing in her arms. “Harry, Sweetie, can you drink this for us?”

The teen finally moved his head away from the woman’s chest and gazed up at the blurry form that could only be his newly acquired father. Minerva moved him to a sitting position, supporting him with an arm around his back, and Severus helped him drink the potion he had brought up. They all stayed still for some time, waiting for the potion to kick in and for the teen to stop crying. Even with the potion’s help, it took them nearly ten minutes to calm Harry down. One his sobs had stopped, he laid limply in Minerva’s arms, leaning against her shoulder, one of his hands clutching Severus’.

The older man gently dried the child’s tears with a warm cloth he had just conjured. “Harry, what happened?”

The boy shivered slightly. “Nightmare.”

The adults shared a look, and Minerva cautiously pressed the boy a bit. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Harry shook his head vigorously and stayed silent. Severus sighed softly, seeing they wouldn’t get an answer out of the teen. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now?”

The teen tightened his grip on the man’s hand and mumbled something under his breath. Not having heard what he had said, Minerva kindly asked him to repeat it. For a moment, it seemed like Harry was going to remain silent, but then he thought twice about it and spoke in a slightly louder voice.

“I don’t want to be alone.”

Harry waited with closed eyes for his new parents to tell him he was being ridiculous and that nothing was going to happen. Instead of that, strong arms suddenly picked him up from his place at Minerva’s side. Harry’s eyes flew open, and he saw that he was being held up against Snape’s chest. Looking towards the bed, he saw his former head of house take out her wand and point it to the bed. Not a second later, the bed became larger, and Harry couldn’t help but sag in relieve against Severus; it seemed he wasn’t going to be left alone to deal with his nightmares.

Minerva was the first to get into the newly enlarged and freshly made bed. Then, like a small child, Harry was gently placed next to her. Immediately, soft, warm arms went around him, securing him in a kind embrace. Harry was about to nod off when he heard the door open. His eyes flew open once again, and his gaze moved to the retreating form of his new father.

“Dad?”

The man stopped and turned around slightly. “Yes?”

Harry frowned a bit, trying to keep his tired thoughts together. “Aren’t you staying?”

The man shared a long look with the woman lying in bed. She nodded lightly at him, silently telling him she didn’t have a problem with it. Severus nodded in returned and spoke softly to the teen that seemed just too sleepy to get their unspoken conversation. “Go to sleep, Harry. I still have several potions brewing; I’ll come back as soon as they’re done.”

The teen yawned sleepily and feeling reassured; he closed his eyes again, drifting off even before the door closed after Severus.

Harry woke up again when he felt someone move on the large bed. Opening his eyes, he saw that the other man had indeed joined them at some point and that he was now snuggled against his broad chest. Turning his head a bit, still unwilling to move from his comfortable position, and saw that Minerva was sitting up in bed, getting dressed in her bathrobe before standing up. When she turned around and saw sleepy green eyes looking up at her, the witch couldn’t help but smile fondly down towards her son. Minerva bent over and softly placed a kiss on the teen’s brow.

“It’s still early, Harry, go back to sleep. Breakfast will be ready when you wake up again.”

The teen smiled up at her and watched as she left the room before closing his eyes again. He had wanted to simply enjoy the warmth and comfort coming from his father, but in a few minutes, he was once again deeply asleep.

Snape woke him up nearly an hour later, and he was allowed to get up as long as Severus was with him in case something happened. The Potions Master turned to watch out of the window while Harry got dressed in some clothes Minerva had gotten him from her husband’s closet. Once he was dressed, they went to the kitchen together. There, as promised, breakfast was nearly ready and Minerva was making some tea while the bacon sizzled in the pan. The older man immediately forced Harry to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs and then went to help his fellow professor.

Breakfast passed peacefully, and after that, Harry was settled in the living room while Minerva tidied the kitchen and Severus went to retrieve the potions he had brewed the day before.

Minerva looked at the man and teen sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace before joining them. She knew they were nervous, she wasn’t feeling very confidant right now either. After all, it was a huge decision to be taking, but she didn’t regret her decision.

The tense silence between them lasted until Severus finally snapped. “You both realise that you don’t have to do this, right? We can think of something else to do to hide from Albus.”

Minerva couldn’t help but smile softly at the man. Despite his words, she could see he was just as nervous as them and was anxiously awaiting their answer.

Without saying a word, she extended a hand and picked up the vial holding a pale, yellow looking potion. She knew it had to be the de-aging potion since it was the only vial of it, and the other three contained similar substances. After making sure she was right by glancing at her fellow professor, she quickly uncorked the potion and gulped it down.

Closing her eyes, she felt a shiver run through her body. While there was no pain, she felt her skin softening and stretching, her muscles grew firmer and her tingled pleasantly. Once all sensation faded, she opened her eyes and looked up. Severus was smiling softly, while Harry was positively gapping at her.

Smiling mischievously, she winked at the teen. “Well?”

Severus shook his head slightly, obviously amused at her antics. “You look even more beautiful than I remember from my time at Hogwarts, Minerva.”

The woman rolled her eyes and lightly swatted his leg, noticing her hands had lost all the wrinkles they had gotten through the years. “Then it’s a pity that we’ll have to mask it, isn’t it?”

The man laughed lightly and nodded towards the three remaining potions. Harry, coming out of his daze, looked curiously at them. “Dad?”

The older wizards looked down at the teen sitting at his side. “Yes, Harry?”

“Why is that vial darker then the other ones?” pointing to the vial in the middle. “Shouldn’t they all be the same?”

Severus shook his head seriously. “No, Child, Minerva and I will go first taking these two potions; they will change us to a person we’re imagining at the moment, changing our features at will. It’s a bit like transfiguration, but the potion will make sure the change stays in place without draining our magical powers. After we’re done, we will both put a drop of blood in the other potion, and you will take it. This potion is often used in magical adoption as it allows for the children to adopt the characteristics of both his or her new parents.”

Minerva smiled lightly. “If I remember correctly from what I learned while in school, it will pass any paternity tests, muggle as well as magical, right?”

Snape smirked lightly. “Indeed. Shall we get on with this? Unless either of you don’t want to?” While the question had been general, he was looking at Harry as he spoke. The teen lightly shook his head; he didn’t doubt that this was for the best.

Minerva, having seen Harry’s small movement, nodded lightly and picked up her vial. Snape mimicked her movements, and then they both closed their eyes. Harry could tell they were concentrating on the changes they wanted to make in their bodies, but he couldn’t help but start feeling uneasy at the long silence. Finally, almost at the same time, both adults drank the potion without a sign of doubt. Harry couldn’t help but watch in awe as Minerva’s youthful face changed. Her features were not as sharp now, her nose became smaller and her lips filled up a bit. Her hair changed and became completely black, nearly reaching her lower back. It was even more amazing to watch as her body changed. Even sitting down, Harry could tell that she was now a bit shorter, her fingers were longer, and her skin changed to a nice tanned colour. Once she opened her eyes, the teen could see they were now a soft brown colour.

The woman smiled gently down at him when she noticed he was staring intently at her. “Well, Harry, what do you think?”

The boy blushed, a bit embarrassed at the question. “You’re very beautiful, ma’am.”

The woman laughed softly, her brown eyes shinning with mirth. “Thank you, Child. And remember it’s Mum now.”

Harry nodded in agreement, and they both turned to look at the man still sitting at the teen’s side. The first thing Minerva noticed was that he was as tall as he had been, meaning that he would literally tower over her. On the positive side, he no longer looked like a walking corpse, as he had filled out and his body looked much more athletic. His skin, while still fairly pale, had a healthier colour. His face hadn’t changed much, his features were still sharp, but his nose was much smaller and the shape of his eyes had changed lightly, making them bigger and more noticeable. His hair was now cut short and had lightened to a soft brown, almost blond, colour. Feeling the eyes resting on him, he looked up from his hands, which had stayed the same, and looked at Minerva in amusement, considering her changed form. Harry looked at the laughing, dark blue eyes of the older man, they were so different from the dark lifeless pools that had belonged to his new father’s face for so long; it was almost as if with the potion, the last remains of the old Snape had vanished, leaving a new man behind.

Once the two teachers had studied each other, Severus picked up the remaining potion, and with the knife he had placed on the table, he nicked his finger, quickly allowing two drops of his blood to fall into the potion before healing the cut. After cleaning the knife, he passed it on to Minerva, who repeated his actions. Once her blood was added into the vial, Severus gently shook it, and the three watched as the potion became transparent enough to see through it.

Harry accepted the vial from his father’s hands, and after looking at both adults, he drank the potion. It was a strange feeling, not unlike the one he had experienced with the poly-juice potion, but without the pain. He felt cold and warm at the same time, while sensing his face and body change. When the feeling passed and he was sure there wasn’t going to be more, he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Minerva smiling down at him, watching him with a proud glint in her eyes. At first he didn’t notice many changes, he could tell he was still small even through he had filled out a bit. Looking down at his hands, he saw that his fingers were longer, and their colour was a bit more tanned.

He was startled out of his thoughts, when his father muttered a word under his breath, and a mirror appeared in front of them. Harry looked at his new self intently. While the general shape of his face had not changed much, you could see it was now a perfect blend of the two people sitting by him. His hair was dark brown, falling down to his shoulders in soft waves; he had Severus’ blue eyes, they just seemed a few shades lighter. His features were mostly like Minerva’s, except for his lips and the shape of his ears, which he had gotten from Severus.

Harry smiled lightly as he felt his former potions teacher wrap an arm around his shoulders and saw Minerva sit on the arm of the couch, just next to him. A sense of belonging ran through him; still looking in the mirror, he saw something he never had hoped he would have. A family, his family. With a content sigh, he leaned against Severus’ side and gripped Minerva’s hand. The woman tore her gaze from the mirror and smiled down at him.

“Well, what do you think?”

The boy returned her smile. “It’s perfect.”

Snape nodded in agreement. “Yes, it is. Now we just need to find some new names for us. After all, Minerva and Severus aren’t very common names, and we can’t really keep calling you Harry.”

The teen shrugged unconcernedly. “Not my problem.”

When both adults glanced at him, he grinned. “You’re my parents, it’s your job to worry about my name.”

Minerva couldn’t hold in a laugh at the youth’s logic and Snape ruffled his hair playfully. “Just for that remark we should name you Maurus or some other stuck-up name like that.”

Both adults laughed again at Harry’s alarmed face. Minerva shook her head reassuringly. “Relax, my boy, there’s no way I could call you that and keep a straight face.”

Severus grinned mischievously, but nonetheless grinned in agreement. Looking over at his watch, he noticed it had been several hours since they had started the whole proceeding. With slightly narrowed eyes, he looked down at the teen still leaning against him; he seemed to be fine, but Severus wasn’t taking his chances with the child’s health. “I think it’s time for you to get back to your bed, young man.”

Harry pouted while looking up at the tall man sitting at his side. “We haven’t had lunch yet!”

Severus merely raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re still exhausted and the changes brought by the potion are more tiring than you may realise right now. So, no arguments, up to bed with you.”

Harry sighed, but stood up obediently, his decision about letting Severus guide him overruling his rebellious thoughts about how he knew better about how he felt than the other man. The older wizard led him up the stairs and into his room, where Harry let himself be tucked in bed by his new father after removing his shoes. At the teen’s request, Severus stayed there for a bit, comfortably perched on the bed. Just as he had expected, the teen drifted off to sleep a few minutes later.

Once Severus had made it back to the living room, he and Minerva didn’t waste time and quickly started their discussion on names. After nearly two hours, they finally managed to agree. Their own names had been easily enough to choose, since they each could pick their own, and finally had settled with Jasmine for Minerva and Richard for Severus.

The problem had come when they tried to agree on a name for their son. Every time Minerva suggested a name, Severus deemed it either too Gryffindor or too casual. On the other hand, Severus’ ideas tended to be too formal or typical pure-blooded, which Minerva absolutely refused.

Finally, after nearly starting a shouting match and only holding back because of the child sleeping on the room above, they settled on Daniel, with Minerva firmly stating that she was going to call her son Danny. Severus simply shrugged at her words, as long as she didn’t force him to call the boy anything else but Daniel, she could call him whatever she wanted.