After the introductions, Harry leaned back against his Potion Professor’s chest. The voices of the men around him seemed to dull out in Harry’s ears. He was comfortable sitting on the Potion Master’s lap. The arm that was wrapped around him felt safe and secure. Something Harry had never felt. Harry’s head was leaning on the arm and he started to doze off. The slight tapping on his chest was soothing as well. He could feel the heartbeat on his back. Harry felt accepted.

“He’s finally dozing off,” Remus said.

“Yeah,” Severus agreed. “During the change, your body gets tired.”

“Don’t I know it,” Remus said. “It took you a long time to wake up.”

“Yeah, well,” Severus said, looking down at the boy. “I hope it won’t be the same with Harry.”

Albus sat back and listened to his two boys talking to each other. It had been a long time since he was able to have both of his sons in the same room. Albus was radiating with happiness.

“And what are you beaming at?” Severus asked, looking at Albus.

“I finally have both my sons together,” Albus said, smiling.

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” Severus said, smirking.

“Now, now,” Albus said, waving his hand and having a tea service appear with a small table in between them. “Grant an old man his dream.”

Remus leaned forward and started preparing his tea. Severus scowled at what his brother was putting in it.

“You know most people have a little sugar with their tea not a little tea with their sugar,” Severus grimaced. “How can you stand that?”

“Just because I don’t drink my tea like you, bitter and sour, doesn’t mean that mine is any less tea.”

“Oh please,” Severus said, rolling his eyes. “Can you even taste the tea under all that sugar?”

“Why are you on my case?” Remus asked sipping his tea.

“Because that is disgusting,” Severus snarled.

“Now boys,” Albus said, sipping his own tea. “Everyone has their own tastes. And I’m excited to see how Mr. Potter takes his tea.”

“He’s my fledgling, so he will take it like me,” Severus preened.

“Oh please,” Remus said, rolling his eyes. “Both James and Lily loved sweet tea. He will take after them.”

Severus hmphed after that. He looked down at the messy headed boy in his lap. He could see Harry was trying to sleep but kept trying to look around as if he was going to miss something if he slept.

Severus leaned down until he was close to the child’s ear.

“Sleep, fledgling,” Severus whispered. “We will be here when you wake. Your body is changing, and it needs rest.”

Harry moaned at that. He started squirming in the Potion Master’s lap. Remus and Albus were talking trying to give Severus some privacy with Harry. At first Severus was at a lost a what he was supposed to do.

Remus broke the conversation with Albus and looked at his brother.

“Follow your instincts,” Remus said. “You’re fighting it. Harry’s taking his cues from you. Allow your body to tell you how to deal with him. And Harry will follow.”

Severus looked at his brother and back down at Harry. Closing his eyes, Severus calmed his nerves and took his brother’s advice. Harry was still moaning and fidgeting on Severus’ lap. With his eyes closed, Severus raised his arm until his wrist was in front of Harry’s mouth.

Harry was agitated. He didn’t know why, just that there was something that he wanted, and he didn’t know what it was or how to ask for it. The more agitated he was getting the more scared he was becoming. What was wrong with him?

Then there was something that calmed him down. He felt the heat of something coming towards his face. His instincts were telling him that he should open his mouth and bite down. Harry was fighting it. He didn’t want to bite anything. It would make him a monster, and he didn’t want to be some monstrous freak. He was already a freak. He didn’t want to add to it.

A voice in his head said, “It’s okay. Follow your instincts. You need it.”

Harry succumbed to the overwhelming urges and opened his mouth. He latched on to what was in front of him. A sweet liquid entered his mouth. It was the best thing he’s ever tasted.

Severus was talking with Remus when the Potion Master’s eyes closed. Remus smirked at what was happening. Albus and Remus continued with their conversation, pretending that nothing was happening on the sofa.

Severus felt a surge of protectiveness over the child on his lap. Like a wave of completion finally washed over him. As Harry continued to suck from his wrist, Severus’ other arm wrapped around Harry’s middle pulling the child tighter to him. It was like their link was getting stronger.

In the end, Harry could feel what his professor was thinking, and Severus could feel what his fledgling was thinking.

The voice in Harry’s head said, “I am no longer just your professor. You are my fledgling, my child. You can call me Severus if you want.”

“Da,” Harry said. It was more comfortable to call his professor that than his given name. “Thank you for allowing the freak to come in.”

“Freak,” Severus said, quickly removing his wrist from Harry’s mouth.

Remus and Albus saw the abrupt movement and their conversation stopped. Remus and Albus were prepared to take on whatever caused Severus to sever his link to the child.

Severus opened his eyes, brought his wrist to his mouth, licking the bite so to close it up. He picked Harry up and turned him around to look at the child. Severus brought Harry close to his face to where they were nose to nose. They were almost touching.

Harry felt the sweet liquid taken away and the first tear burned the back of his eyes. His da didn’t want the freak. Why did he always have to make things worse?

“Open your eyes,” Severus commanded.

Harry opened his eyes. Severus could see the tears pooling in those emerald orbs.

“I’m sorry,” Harry whined. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Harry tried to move off of Severus’ lap but the grip his da had under his arms, Harry couldn’t move.

“Listen to me,” Severus snarled. “You are not a freak. I don’t ever want to hear you call yourself that again. Am I understood?”

Harry’s tears spilled over as he looked at the man in front of him.

“But I am a freak,” Harry whispered. “I’ve always been a freak.”

“I will not have my child referring to himself as a freak,” Severus growled.

“Your child?” Harry asked.

“Yes, my child,” Severus said, his voice going softer. “The moment we fed from each other you became mine.”

“Yours,” Harry whispered.

“Mine,” Severus whispered, lowering his forehead until he was touching Harry’s forehead.

For a moment Severus and Harry didn’t move. Severus then pushed Harry back until he was sitting on Severus’ lap.

“Now,” Severus said, calmly. “Who calls you freak?”

Harry lowered his head. Severus crooked his finger under Harry’s chin and raised his head up so that Harry was looking at him.

“No one will hurt you,” Severus promised. “Between me and your Uncle Remus, we won’t let them.”

Harry smirked, lowering his head until it was leaning against his da’s chest.

“My relatives,” Harry whispered. He lifted his head and looked at his Da. “I’m just a freak--,”

Severus and Remus growled. Harry’s eyes got huge looking up at Severus.

“It’s what they called me,” Harry said quickly. “I am to work around the house to show my appreciation for them taking me in.”

“Your appreciation?” Albus said. “My dear boy,” Harry turned around and looked at the Headmaster. “What is it you do?”

“Uhm, cook, clean, gardening,” Harry shrugged. “The usual things.”

Severus closed his eyes as he pulled Harry into a hug. His arms were tight around the child, but Harry didn’t complain.

Albus looked at his sons. He knew they were getting upset. Both men had their eyes closed. Remus’ hands were gripping the arms of the chair. His grip was so tight that his knuckles were turning bone white. Severus was trying to calm himself because he knew that his fledgling was on his lap. He lowered his head until his nose was buried in Harry’s hair, taking a deep breath trying to calm himself down.

“Boys,” Albus said. “I need you both to calm down. We need to discuss this.”

“What’s to discuss?” Remus growled. “He’s my cub. He’s my nephew. They hurt him. They abused their power.”

Remus looked over at his father. Albus could see that Remus’ eyes were amber. Looking over at Severus, Albus saw that his eyes were red. His pupils were turning to slits. Albus waved his hands causing the door to lock. He then put a binding spell on Remus to keep him on the chair.

Remus growled loudly when he felt himself being stuck to the chair.

“Let me go,” Remus growled.

“Not until you calm down,” Albus said coolly.

“They must pay.”

“And they will,” Albus said. “But as a family. Not alone. You are not alone. Neither one of you.”

Albus looked at both of his sons.

“Harry, my boy, come here,” Albus said.

Severus tightened his grip on his fledgling and growled.

“Severus,” Albus said, his voice turning cold. “You do not growl at me. I’m not taking him away. I just want to talk to him. Let. Him. Go.”

Severus stared at his father and softly growled. He fought his instincts of running away with his boy and hiding him. Looking at his father, he knew he couldn’t do it. Very slowly, Severus opened his arms.

Harry looked at his da and back to the Headmaster. Waiting for permission, Harry looked back to his da. Severus looked down to Harry and gave a slight nod. Harry climbed down and walked over to the Headmaster.

Albus pulled Harry closer to him, making him stand between his knees.

“Harry,” Albus said, softly. Holding Harry’s hands in his, slightly rubbing his thumbs over the backs of Harry’s hands. “How long have you worked around your relative’s house?”

Harry shrugged. “As long as I can remember.”

Harry heard a growl and turned back to his da, but Albus pulled on Harry’s hands to make him turn back, facing Albus again.  

“Tell me a typical day with you relatives,” Albus said, rubbing the back of Harry’s hands again.

“I get up and make breakfast,” Harry said. “Afterwards, I clean the kitchen. Aunt Petunia gives me a list of things that I have to have finished before Uncle Vernon gets home. Sometimes I am cleaning the inside of the house: making the beds, cleaning the bathrooms, dust the living room. Sometimes I clean Dudley’s second bedroom. When I have to work outside—,”

“Wait a minute,” Remus said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. “Dudley’s second bedroom?”

Harry turned to Remus. “Yeah, Dudley have two bedrooms. One is where he sleeps the other is where he keeps his toys.”

“Where do you sleep?” Severus asked. He had a feeling he knew but he wanted to hear it from the child’s mouth.

“My room is the cupboard under the stairs,” Harry said.

Severus growled and tried to stand up. Albus let go of one of Harry’s hand and waved his hand across Severus making him sit back down. Severus tried to stand, but just like Remus, he couldn’t stand.

“Let me up, old man,” Severus growled.

Albus raised an eyebrow at the statement. He didn’t reply to Severus. He put his attention back on Harry.

“You were about to tell me about your work outside,” Albus said to Harry.

“Sometimes, I wash Uncle Vernon’s car, mow the lawn. One time I had to paint the fence. I did a good job,” Harry said with pride in his voice.

Remus and Severus tried to get out of the binds that were holding them.

“You’re doing this during the summer?” Albus asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “Before I got my letter, I did it the entire year.”

Albus sat back in his chair. He looked at the child standing in front of him. He looked at the whole child. His height. His weight on how skinny his was. Albus looked at his clothes and noticed that they were slightly too big.

“Are these your regular clothes?” Albus asked.

Both Remus and Severus stopped trying to stand up and really looked at the small child in front of them. His shirt was slightly too big. His collar was sliding down one of his shoulders. The pants were too big, and they were staying up with a large belt that was wrapped twice around his waist.

Harry looked at all the men in the room. They all had angry faces.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said.

“Please, let me up,” Severus said. His voice was straining. “Please dad, let me up.”

Albus looked at Severus and could see that he needed his boy. Waving his hand, Severus stood up and leaned over, grabbing Harry and pulling him in his lap.

Harry felt hands under his arms. He was lifted and brought to a broad chest. He felt his da step back and sit back down on the sofa. Severus had his face in the crook of Harry’s neck. His arms were wrapped around Harry’s middle. Severus breathed in fledgling’s scent, trying to calm down. Harry wrapped his arms around Severus’ neck.

Remus looked over at his father. “We need to visit his relatives.”

“Don’t worry,” Albus said. “We will.”

TBC