Harry and Hermione wrote back to each other multiple times, each talking about the things they have done over the last couple of days. Harry told Hermione about his amazing trip to his grandparent's not aware of the promise his new guardian had made. Hermione had responded about the new puppy she had gotten, and how sad she was going to be when she had to leave her for Hogwarts. They found out that they were not far from each other, a few hours tops, and so the letters didn't take long to get back and forth. It took perhaps a day to get five letters back and forth.

They talked of many things, and finally, the prospect of a sleepover was brought up. Hermione was on board instantly, and Harry, never being one for much social interaction, especially with one of the opposite gender, was hesitant at first. After a few more letters, Hermione had finally convinced him to ask his guardian.

Harry poked in head into the open bathroom door. Severus was brushing his teeth, staring at his reflection with tired eyes, wearing nothing but pajama bottoms and the strange bandage that was constantly wrapped tightly around his left forearm. He scratched at his new beard that he had been too lazy to shave off. It curled, much like his hair had when he was younger, making him look like a hobo Santa. His wings were a mess, but Harry had no doubt they would be back to near perfection by mid-day. The man seemed to have a talent Harry hadn't mastered yet when it came to smoothing down ruffled bed-head wings.

"Um, Severus? Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked. He was no longer afraid to call the man by anything but sirs. In fact, Severus had insisted on it. He had started to get annoyed with the constant string of sirs, and told him to call him by his first name or nothing at all. He had plenty of it during school, he had said, which amused Harry. It was almost exactly what his grandfather had said.

Severus spit into the sink, then wiped his mouth with a hand towel. He turned to Harry, them motioned for him to follow. Harry followed him to the kitchen, then waited until Severus' coffee was made and the man took a sip of the steaming black liquid. Severus was practically a selective mute in the mornings until he had his coffee. Harry had learned early on to never try and start a full blown conversation until after, unless he wanted answers in grunts and half-blinks. Today was an exception. Hermione was patiently waiting for an answer, and Harry didn't want to keep her waiting.

After the first sip, Severus sighed and leaned his head back on his chair. It was silent for a few seconds, then the caffeine finally kicked in. He turned to Harry, a questioning eyebrow raised, which Harry knew was prompting him to continue his question.

"I've been writing to Hermione, you know, that girl from the shop? And she wants to know-what? Why are you smiling like that?" Severus' lips were turned upward in a small knowing smirk, and he eyed Harry from the side of his eye, as if he knew something Harry didn't.

Severus simply hummed, and took another sip of his coffee. "It's nothing of importance. Continue."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Hermione is my friend, if that's where your mind is going. Just friends. That's it."

Severus waved away his accusations, and Harry huffed. "Anyway..." he drawled. "Hermione and I were writing to each other, and we were wondering--well actually, she was wondering, I just went along with it--if it would be okay if uh, we can have a sleepover sometime before school starts."

Harry could tell that his new offer was doing nothing to stop the the accusations that were running through Severus' head, and the man's smirk rose even higher. "Just as friends," Harry stressed.

Severus put his hands up in a surrender position, although Harry knew the conversation would no doubt arise again at another time. Severus finished his coffee then took it to the sink. Now that he was through, Harry knew he would answer in more words than a sentence.

"I will have to think on that one," Severus answered. He rolled his shoulders, and his wings fluttered with the movement. "I don't know her parents, and I would have to meet them before I make any decisions. Where would this sleepover take place, anyway?"

Harry stalled. They hadn't discussed that. "Erm, here?" he said, although it came out more like a question. Severus made a noise of acknowledgement. "We'll see."

He went to the living room, where he plopped down in his favorite chair. Harry sat down on the couch, folding his legs underneath him. "We are going to have visitors today, so I want you to be on your best behavior when they arrive," Severus announced.

I hope you shave your beard before then, Harry thought. You might just scare them away. Severus' eyes narrowed, and Harry had a fleeting moment of panic where he thought Severus could read his mind, but then pushed it away. That was just silly.

"Okay, sir," he replied. He made a mental note to pick out his best polo, as it was way too hot for a dress shirt. "When will they be here?"

"The Longbottoms will be here around mid-afternoon. I have to brew a potion for the eldest of the family, and her grandson will be accompanying her," he answered. "I can trust that you will keep the Longbottom boy busy? I believe he is around your age, just a day older, in fact, so I hope it won't be terribly hard to find something in common."

Harry nodded enthusiastically. Finally he had someone to interact with beside the birds when he flew. Writing to Hermione was great and all, but it just wasn't the same. Perhaps he could even make friends with this Longbottom boy. It would be his first real friend that wouldn't get scared away by Dudley and his gang.

Severus looked at the clock, then sat up. "I have to finish getting ready." He rubbed at his beard. "I need to shave this off before I scare our guests away."

Harry froze. He met the other man's stare, the wprds oh crap going at a constant stream in his head. Severus winked, then went up the stairs to finish his morning routine. Harry stayed rooted to his seat, then decided it was just coincidence. He went to make himself breakfast, his bare feet slapping on tile. He found cereal that wasn't near expiration date then poured milk. He went back into the living room and watched television until the bottom of his cereal got all soggy and uneatable. He washed his bowl, then noting that he had nearly three hours to spare, went back to his room. He changed clothes, settling for dark pants and a deep red polo.

Spin slithered over to Harry, curious when he pulled out a thin book. It was the same book from the store, with the words cat, owl, snake, and badger written multiple times from cover to cover.

‘Whatsss that?' Spin hissed.

‘It's jussst a book. I haven't looked at it sinccce I got it, and I was curiousss," he hissed back.

He opened the thin cover, and instead of the four words he was expecting to see, only one repeated itself. ‘Badger' was written in fancy writing, covering the pages top to bottom.

"Huh, that's odd," Harry murmured.

‘What? What isss wrong, Harry?'

"It's different this time," he answered. He flipped through the pages, but the word did not change. He studied the book, holding up to the light. Nothing changed. "That's so weird. I wonder what it means?"

‘Perhapsss it can tell your future,' Spin hissed helpfully.

Harry shrugged, giving a doubious look. "I don't know how a badger can affect my future, but whatever." He set the book aside on his pillow, right next to his dinosaur. With a quick thought, he grabbed the stuffed toy and hid it under the bed. It just wouldn't do to seem like a child to a new guest.

He pulled out his Sherlock book, noticing that he only had a few more stories to read. "Hey, Spin, do you want me to read to you?"

His snake curled up next to him, his head peering out from his wrapped body. ‘Oh, yesss pleassse. I love it when you read to me and Hedwig.'

~.~

Before Harry knew it, three hours had passed. He was just finishing the final story when he heard the Floo come to life. He bookmarked the page the shut the book.

‘Okay, Ssspin, don't try and ssscare the guessst,' he instructed his snake.

Spin nodded his head, then slithered back to his normal spot on the desk, right underneath the lamp. He made himself look presentable, which looked no different from how he normally looked.

He ran down the stairs, noting for the first time the absence of meows and a certain black kitten. His thoughts were interrupted when Severus stepped from his room, clean-shaven and hair freshly washed. Harry really didn't see the point of the latter. It would just get greasy again with the potion fumes.

Two figures stood in front of the fireplace, dusting soot from their clothes. The taller, an older woman, raised her head. Harry stopped in his tracks when he saw the vulture hat and fox fur scarf. What really topped it off was the freakishly huge red handbag that hung from her side. Her wings looked recently groomed, and despite just leaving the fireplace, not a speck of soot was spotted on them. The boy was much noticeably shorter, around Harry's height. His ruffled dark hair fell into his eyes, and he was constantly fidgeting. HIs wings resembled a fluttery mass of pigeons. Unlike his grandmother's his were covered tip to bottom in soot, and Harry couldn't tell what the color was supposed to be.

Severus poked him in the back as he passed, prompting him to pick up his jaw and walk forward to greet his guests.

He held out his hand to the older lady. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to have you here," he said, trying his hardest to mimic how Petunia greeted new guests when they came over to Privet Drive.

The woman's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She grasped his hand, her sharp nails piercing the back of his knuckles, and shook furiously. "Goodness me! Harry Potter! What a pleasure to meet you! I'm Augusta Longbottom, and this is my grandson, Neville."

Harry could feel his ears turn pink and the woman's obvious excitement at meeting him. He turned to the Neville. "Hello!" he said cheerfully.

Neville's face burned red, and he jumped when Harry addressed him. "Oh, uh, hello." He meekly waved back. Augusta frowned at her grandson's answer, and her lips pursed like she had sucked on a lemon.

Severus turned to Harry and Neville. "I'll be discussing a potion commission with Augusta. I want you two to stay far away from my lab. I'm sure there is something you can do to occupy your time." Severus eyed Harry, and he nodded rapidly. "Good." He began to head towards his lab, but then turned around. He waved his wand, and all the soot disappeared from Neville's person and wings, showing the rusty color that lay beneath the grey.

They disappeared behind the secret bookcase that led to his lab, the large door closing with a resounding slam.

"So, Neville, what do you want to do?" Harry asked. Neville shrugged, staring at his shoes. He looked up and opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it and went back to staring at his shoes. Harry blew out air, making his bangs rustle.

"I'm not going to bite, you know. You can say whatever." Neville's face went an even deeper shade of red, if possible.

"Do you like to fly?" came the shy voice. The question shocked Harry, and he tried not to let it show. He didn't peg the other boy as the flying type.

"Uh, yeah. I love to fly! Although I only learned a couple of days ago, so I may not be all that great," he replied.

Neville's face perked up, and he lost some of the red color. "Really? I-I'm not all that great either, but perhaps we can race to see who's better?"

Harry's eyes shone at the challenge. "All right. We can do that in the backyard. Severus put up some spells so the neighbors can't see us."

They walked to the door, and Harry quickly slid open the door, making a bang that made both of them jump. As soon as Harry's feet hit the porch, he took off. Neville must have had the same idea, because he was right beside Harry in seconds.

Harry's wings shone golden in the light, and Neville's lost some of the rusty color and took on a more deep red tone. The other boy wobbled a bit, but flapped on. Harry whooped then sped towards the biggest tree, going up at the last second before hitting the trunk and speeding past the limbs.

Neville huffed behind him, flapping his wings harder and harder, but he kept close to Harry. Wanting to win, Harry did a one-eighty, then flew right back downwards. He knew if Severus came out of the house right then, Harry would no doubt be in trouble for trying such a risky move, but right then he didn't really seem to care. All of his adrenaline was pumping, making his eyes only see the skies ahead.

Neville reached the top of the tree, then tried to copy Harry's move. It resulted in him just flopping backwards and falling a few feet, but regaining his balance after nearly hitting a limb.

"Okay!" Neville wheezed. "I think you won!"

Harry skidded to a stop on the grass, then looked up at Neville, his hands shielding the light from his eyes. "Yeah?" he called back. He was slightly winded himself, although he wouldn't admit that. They had just started, and now they were already done!

Neville nodded, then slowly flew back down. His feet gently touched the grass, right in front of Harry. "Oh, yeah. You're way better. I thought you said you only learned a couple of days ago! You were flying like you've done it your whole life!"

"My dad was a great flyer, apparently," Harry replied, a bit sheepish. "I guess I got it from him. You didn't do so bad yourself! Who taught you?"

The question and praise combo seemed to catch Neville off guard. "Oh, I uh, my mum was a good flyer, or so my Gran told me. She used to play for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. My great Uncle Algie taught me how to fly. He was excited when I got my wings, so he began to teach me right away. Apparently he thought I was a Squib, but then my wings showed up, and he got super happy. I'm not all that great, not nearly as good as my mum anyway, but I guess if I wanted, I could try out for my house team." Neville paused, thinking, then continued. "Second year, of course," he added on, as if Harry didn't know what year to try out.

They headed to the living room, where they both sat down on the carpet by the fireplace. "So what house are you going to be in?" Harry asked.

"Most likely Hufflepuff," the other boy replied, picking leaves and twigs from his feathers. "My Gran wants me to be in Gryffindor, like my dad, but I don't think I'm brave enough."

Harry made a face. "Well, that's just silly. She shouldn't be the one to decide how to live your life. It's yours! You can be whoever you want to be! Besides, I don't think just because you're not in Gryffindor you can't be brave. Everyone is brave in their own way. You don't have to fight a war to be noble and stuff, like the Gryffindors."

Neville considered his logic. "I guess you're right. But Gran's gonna get awfully mad if I don't get in there."

"You should be able to decide, but if you want to please your Gran, then go for Gryffindor, I guess," Harry said, not wanting to argue any more.

"So what house do you think you'll get in?" Neville asked, turning his question on Harry.

Harry's mind went completely blank. "I...I don't know," he answered truthfully.

Neville's eyebrows rose. "Really? I would have thought you would have jumped at the chance to be in Gryffindor. Both of your parents were in there, and you're the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, after all!"

"I'm more than just a title," Harry grumbled.

Neville backtracked immediately. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I just meant-"

"I know what you meant, Neville."

Neville fidgeted with his wing. "Well, if I get into Hufflepuff, maybe you could get sorted there, too. That way I won't be so alone."

Harry smiled softly. "Yeah, maybe." Although as he said that, he knew Hufflepuff wasn't going to be an option to him. He knew his choices were either going to be Gryffindor or Slytherin. Being around both Heads of Houses certainly influenced him, but he didn't voice that. If Neville knew the Boy-Who-Lived was considering being in Slytherin, the all around "dark" house, he wouldn't hear the end of it. If he somehow managed to get in there, he really hoped Neville would still stay his friend.

Well this friendship is heading off to a great start, Harry thought. He couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or truthful, which puzzled him.

"Hey," Harry said suddenly, which startled Neville who was staring at the empty hearth. "Do you like snakes?"

"Well, I have a pet toad, so not really, but they do look cool. Why?"

Harry leaned forward. "Because I have a pet snake, that's why."

Harry noticed Neville's eyes fill with the slightest bit of fear, although he didn't know why. It wasn't like he was going to use his snake for mass destruction. He ignored it. "Do you want to see him? He's really nice, and he doesn't bite. He really lazy, so he won't do anything."

Neville contemplated the pros and cons than reluctantly nodded. "Great!" Harry said, then grabbed the other boy's arm and pulled him up the stairs.

Spin was right where he left him, curled up underneath the lamp. His black head popped up when Harry and Neville walked in.

‘Hello, Harry. Who'sss thisss?'

"Spin, this is Neville," Harry said in English. He didn't want to freak the other boy out by knowing the Boy-Who-Lived could speak Parseltongue. If Severus was scared by it, then a shy boy like Neville would run away screaming.

"Uh, hello, Spin," Neville said awkwardly, bringing up two fingers in a half-wave.

Harry walked over and picked up his pet. ‘Jussst play it cool, okay? Don't asssk me any quesstionsss. I don't want Neville knowing I can ssspeak to sssnakes. Just act like a normal sssnake,' he whisper-hissed under his breath so Neville couldn't hear.

‘I am a normal sssnake,' Spin hissed back, offended.

Harry turned around, proudly showing off his pet. He let Spin slither up his arm, his cool belly leaving goosebumps in his trail. He wrapped around his shoulders, then flicked Harry on the ear with his tongue, which made him squeal at the tickling touch.

Neville's shaky hand came up to pet him on the head with one finger. Spin butted his head towards Neville, and Neville stepped back a step. Spin cocked his head to the side, confused.

"He's not going to bite," Harry said, then demonstrated rubbing a finger down Spin's scaly body, making the snake hiss in pleasure. His hold tightened around Harry's shoulders, happy at getting a lot of attention.

Neville brought his hand back, this time leaving his finger on top of Spin's head for a few seconds then pulling away. Spin hissed sadly as Neville took his hand back.

‘Did I do sssomething wrong?' he hissed at Harry. Harry simply patted Spin's head in reassurance, then placed him back on the table.

"Don't you have a cage or something for him?" Neville asked warily, eyeing the desk.

Harry looked at Spin, who gave a slight glare at the word cage. "I, uh, don't think he'll like that much. He's more of a free-roamer, if you know what I mean. He only stays in my room anyway, so it won't matter if  he has a cage or not."

Neville looked slightly uncomfortable at the answer, but before he could voice his opinion, Harry sat down on his bed and patted the space beside him, telling Neville to sit. Neville sat, then his eyes widened as he spotted the little black book that was on Harry's pillow.

"Harry," he breathed, then gently picked it up. "Do you know what this is?"

"Uh, no?" Harry said confused. "It's just a normal black book, right?"

Neville shook his head. "This is a prophecy book! It can tell your upcoming future and it writes it down so you can read it! It's very vague, though. It usually only writes in very few words, so you usually have to figure it out yourself. But they're very cool!"

"So that's why it cost nearly fifty Galleons at the store," Harry thought ruefully. He ignored Spin's knowing look, and the way he gave a boasting hiss as Neville's words, like I told you so.

"Oh, so that's why the words changed," Harry said, taking the book and opening it. The word Badger was still written, but the text had grown in size slightly, looking more prominent.

"Badger?" Neville said, bewildered. "What does that mean?"

Harry shook his head. "I have no idea." He closed the book, then placed it back on his pillow.

"Maybe you could ask your guardian," Neville suggested.

"Maybe," Harry replied, but he knew he wasn't going to do that. If it was his future, he was going to be the one to figure it out by himself. He didn't want anyone interfering. Before Severus could find out he had the book, he put it in his dresser drawer, right under his pants.

"Can it tell your future, too?" he asked Neville.

Neville shook his head. "You're the owner of it now. It only tells the future of the person who holds it in their possession. If you were to give it away, then maybe it would tell the future of that other person, but it may get jumbled up with yours because you still bought it."

"Oh. So giving these as gifts are a no-go then?"

Neville cracked a smile. "Pretty much. They're also considered bogus, since practically anyone can have one, so no one really buys them anyway. But I think they're real. One time, my uncle had one and it said the words ‘sky' and ‘fall' over and over, and then a meteor fell down and nearly hit him when he was stargazing! If it wasn't for his quick shield charm, I think some of the fragments could have killed him."

Harry's eyes widened. "Woah!"

Their conversation was cut short when Severus called to them from the living room. "Harry! Mr. Longbottom! You need to come down."

"Aw, I have to leave already?" Neville whined.

Harry felt a rush of happiness at the boy's words. Not so much that Neville had to leave, because he didn't want him to leave either, but because he had managed to make a friend, and he liked him! He wanted to stay and be around him! That had never happened before. Dudley had always scared them away, but now there was no bully to prevent Neville from being around him.

"Maybe we can ask them if you can stay a bit longer," Harry suggested as he stomped down the stairs.

"I hope so."

They stopped in front of the adults. Augusta Longbottom still had her giant red handbag slung over her shoulder. It seemed she never took that thing off.

"Neville," she said, and Neville jumped into place beside her. "Come on. We need to leave."

Neville looked at Harry, and Harry didn't miss the look that was plastered on his face. It's not or never.

"Um, Mrs. Longbottom," Harry said, his voice barely audible. Severus looked at him, one eyebrow raised, wondering what Harry was doing. Augusta turned from the fireplace.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked between Severus and the older woman. "I was wondering if it was okay if Neville could stay a bit longer? Um, if that's alright with you...?" He looked at both of them, making sure Severus knew he was asking him as well.

Augusta and Severus exchanged glances. Severus' eyebrow was still quirked.

"I have some errands to run, so it may take a while to come back. Is it okay if Neville stays here while I do that?" Augusta asked. "I'll make sure Neville stays on his best behavior."

Neville and Harry gasped, looking at each other wide eyes. They stared down Severus.

"Is it okay, Severus? Please?" Harry egged on.

"I suppose it will be alright. I'm sure I can find something to occupy these two while you are gone. I may just make them help me pickle some parts for potions," he answered, giving a very evil smirk at the two boys. Harry and Neville gulped.

Augusta laughed, like she caught on to something they didn't. "Thank you Severus. I'll try and be fast. I'll be back after lunch. Be good, Neville!" She threw the powder into the flames and was gone.

"You, uh, weren't serious about the pickling thing, were you?" Harry asked tentatively.

Severus scoffed. "Of course not. Nothing can go into the lab until Augusta's potion is done. But if you two cause any havoc, I'll make sure pickling frog legs will be the least of your worries," he said, and gave Harry a warning look. "I don't want you to be doing another flying stunt like what you did last time."

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "How did you know about that?"

"Call it a sixth sense," he answered, giving Harry more questions than answers. Once again, Harry could swear the man could read minds.

"It's almost time for lunch. Why don't you two help me in making food?" Severus said, making it more of a demand then a question. Harry rushed to help, and Neville trailed behind, unsure of what to do.

"What are we having?" Harry asked as he washed his hands. Neville followed Harry's lead. His hands slipped while getting soap, and the soap dispenser fell inside the sink, making the liquid go everywhere. Neville stuttered out an apology while trying to right it again.

"I'm going to let you decide today. My brain is still on potion mode. I don't want to accidentally poison you while making sandwiches," Severus joked. Harry grinned at the rare comical side of Severus and rushed to the fridge.

He picked out some chicken and cheese and rummaged in the cupboard, looking for tortillas. "What are you making?" Severus asked, eyeing the selection in Harry's hands.

"Chicken and cheese quesadillas," he answered.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "For lunch? That seems more like a dinner meal than lunch." Harry just shrugged. It was the first thing that popped into his head, and he rolled with it.

Neville just stood in the doorway while Harry and Severus worked, giving Harry the impression he didn't know what to do in the kitchen.

"Hey, Neville!" Harry called to the dark haired boy. "Come help me cut the chicken."

Severus eyed the boy warily as he grabbed a knife, and Harry made sure to scoot away a bit. Just as Harry thought, Neville was a mess with a knife. Instead of cutting the chicken into neat little strips, he shredded it, making little chicken pieces go everywhere. Once, he sliced his pinkie, and Severus had to take him aside and help heal him, leaving Harry to finish the rest.

Finally, after Neville had his finger bandaged, and after Harry had added more to the quesadillas and heated them up, lunch was served. Neville apologized over and over as he shuffled to the table.

"I'm really sorry. I'm a menace at cooking. I don't know how I'm going to survive Hogwarts, especially in Potions!" Neville said.

"You better learn quickly, then. I don't want any exploding cauldrons in my class," Severus remarked, giving Neville a ‘no-nonsense' look as he ate a bite.

Harry was confused for a second, then he remembered that Severus was the Potions professor. Harry tried to hide his shudder. The man could be strict at times, almost scary, and that was just at home. He didn't want to see how the man acted with a room full of children and fire.

Neville gulped, most likely thinking along the same lines Harry was. "I'll try, sir."

As Harry ate, he expected Hades to rub against his leg and beg for scraps, but nothing happened. He recalled that Hades wasn't there to trip him on the stairs either, and he looked around for the little black menace.

"What in the world are you looking for, Harry?" Severus asked. Neville was staring at him curiously, a bit of chicken connected by a string of cheese hanging from his mouth.

"Hades. Where is that kitten?" Harry said, peering under the table. Severus smirked. "He's gone," he replied.

Harry shot back up. "Gone?"

Severus nodded. "He's over at your grandparents'."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "When did you go back over there? You've been here for the last three days!"

"I went back shortly after you went to sleep. I needed to talk with your grandmother about some things."

Harry head cocked to the side. "What things?"

Severus' mouth tilted downward a bit, but he didn't look unpleased. He just looked slightly worried. "Things you'll find out about later."

Harry let it go, not wanting to make Severus angry by pushing the subject. Instead, he turned the topic to Neville.

"Hey, Neville. My friend Hermione and I were planning on having a slumber party later on, sometime before we go to Hogwarts. If we can have one-" he eyed Severus out of the corner of his eye, and the man raised an eyebrow, "-and if your Gran will let you, do you want to come?"

Neville started at being addressed, not expecting the question. "Uh, y-yeah, sure."

Severus huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "I still need to meet your friend's parents before I can decide on anything. Do they even know that you are planning this?"

Harry nodded. "I believe so. She said it was her parent's idea, anyway. ‘A way to get to know other kids and to make friends!' they said, so they shouldn't disagree with it."

Severus' eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Hmm," he hummed.

"How do you boys feel about flying again after lunch?" Severus asked halfway through lunch.

Harry and Neville looked at each other. Neville looked a bit unsure, but Harry was all for it. "Yeah!" he answered for the both of them.

After lunch, Severus did as he promised. He swooped into the air like a rocket, Harry close behind. Neville started a bit later, looking slightly nervous now that someone else was observing his flying. Harry and Neville made a game, a sort of mid-air hide-and-seek, and Severus was the score keeper. Severus made a boundary around the house so Harry and Neville wouldn't accidentally fly into the street or have the neighbors see two kids with wings.

With Neville counting, Harry tried to find a spot, but he soon realized it was a bit harder than he thought. There was nowhere to hide mid-air, and with the other boy having wings as well, he would no doubt find Harry in no time. Panicking, because Neville was quickly reaching one-hundred, he looked down at Severus for help. He shrugged, refusing to take part in the game and pick sides.

Right as Neville reached one hundred, Harry managed to balance himself on the roof, right behind the chimney. For a moment, he thought he had found a good spot, but then Neville quickly turned around and headed straight for him. With a start, Harry realised one of his wings were poking out behind the brick tower, his bright feathers making a shining golden beacon for Neville to spot easily.

"Awe, come on!" Harry said as Neville reached to tap him out. Before Neville could touch him, however, he zipped away, flying in the opposite direction.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Neville zoomed after him, and they both laughed as they chased each other, the hide-and-seek game forgotten. Harry managed to get Severus in the mix, and all three had a grand time with their new game.

Halfway through, where Harry was gladly declaring himself the winner, another person joined the trio in the air. Augusta flew with her slightly withered wings, flapping right in front of the group.

"I hate to break up the fun, but it's time to go, Neville," she said.

Neville looked a bit put out, but went with his grandmother, promising to write. Harry waved from the air until they went inside and he could no longer see them.

"Do you think he could come over again later?" he asked Severus. Severus simply shrugged, saying it depended on his work.

.'.

Afterwords, Harry went back to his room, no doubt to write to his friend, Hermione, and update her on what Severus said. Severus stayed in the living room, waiting until he was sure the potion was done heating. He finished it, bottling and labeling the purple potion, and set it on his shelf to mail later.

After ten, and after he was sure Harry was finally asleep, he went outside. The moon barely shone, and the stars were hidden behind clouds, making it ink black. He spread his wings, sure that nobody could see him, with his dark wings and clothing, and took off, heading for his parent's house.

His feet touched the pavement of the sidewalk, and he walked the rest of the way.  There were no lights on down the road, which made him blend in even more.

He knocked sharply three times, and Rose's face appeared. "Severus! I wasn't expecting you until later. Come in, come in. We have much to discuss."

Severus stepped over the threshold. He could hear Joe's snores echo down the hallway. He sat in his usual spot on the couch, and smiled when Rose offered him a cup of tea.

"So, Severus, are you ready?" she asked. "I already messaged Dumbledore. He and that Ministry official should be here soon."

Severus nodded. "Good. Let's get this over with"

Not ten minutes after, the fireplace roared to life, and two figures stepped out. Dumbledore met them with his normal merry cheer, and Madame Bones dusted soot off of her ministry work clothes. He chose her, not only because he considered her one of his few close friends, but he knew with certainty that she would help in every way possible and make sure that not a word was breathed outside the walls that they were speaking.

"Severus!" she said when she spotted who was seated on the couch.

"Hello, Amelia. Please, sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

She sat, although she looked confused. It seemed Dumbledore didn't inform her of why she was present.

"What do you need me for?" she asked.

He took in a deep breath, and looked to his mother. She nodded her head, giving him the courage he needed to continue. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he had a small smile.

"I want to adopt Harry Potter," he said.

Amelia sucked in a breath. "Severus, are you sure?"

He nodded. "I am sure. I have been living with him for a while now, and I know how his previous guardians had treated him. If there is a way to erase his pain, and to give him a life that he will enjoy, then I will do everything in my power to do so. So I want to adopt him."

"Does the boy want this?"

It was Severus' turn to suck in a breath, but it wasn't of shock, but a short, sharp one, full of pain. He didn't know. He didn't know if the boy would want him. And why should he? He was the one responsible for his mother's murder. But he didn't know that.

In just a short few weeks, his whole perception of the boy had changed drastically. He had been prepared to hate the boy, to see nothing but a clone of James Potter, to see a little Gryffindor brat. But now he couldn't even imagine doing that. He had grown to care for the boy, Merlin help him, and he knew if Harry refused his offer, refused to have anything to do with Severus, his heart would break.

"I...I don't know," he answered.

Amelia seemed to see what was going through Severus' head. "Severus, just be prepared for anything. I don't want to see you hurt. If the Ministry catches wind of what is happening, no doubt there will be problems. I'll do anything in my power to make sure nothing bad happens. I just need to make sure you can you can keep your end free of problems, and first, we need to talk with Harry. Otherwise, I can't do anything. I can get the papers ready, just in case, but that's all I can do for now, until you and Harry are both sure you wish to go with this."

Severus sat up straighter. "Okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow."