Remus was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that he was only hearing one pair of footfalls going towards his destination. It didn't become apparent to him until he was standing in front of the gargoyle. He was about to speak the password that was on the letter he had received the day before when he glanced down and saw that he was alone.

He quickly turned around looking down the corridor to see if he could spot the small child and it seemed that he heartbeat sped up when he realized that he was alone.

“Well, don't just stand there.”

Remus turned back around and faced the gargoyle.

“I—,”

“Come up,” the voice from the stone statue said.

Conflicted, Remus looked back down the empty corridor but turned and went up the spiral staircase leading to the Headmaster's office. He knew that Harry had to be somewhere in the castle and if anyone could pinpoint where Harry was it was the man he was going to see.

When he got to the last step, the door to the office opened. Remus could see his former Headmaster sitting behind his desk, working on some parchments in front of him.

Albus looked up at Remus as he walked into his office. Peering over his half-moon glasses, Albus smiled.

“I'm so glad that you could make it,” Albus said. “I wanted you to come by as Severus has been working on the Wolfsbane potion.”

“What?” Remus asked, distracted, looking back at the still opened office door. “I'm the guinea pig.”

“Is something wrong?” Albus asked, standing up and walking towards Remus.

“I... as it is....I,” Remus stammered.

“John,” Albus said, calmly, putting his hands on the other man's shoulders, making Remus face him.

Remus blinked at the Headmaster. Only the man before him would call him by his middle name. Albus knew at the moment something was troubling the man before him. It had been a long time since Albus had to use calling him John to get him to calm down enough to speak. Actually the last time Albus had to use that method was when he learned he was the butt of a prank that could have ended horribly for him and two other students.

“Something happened last night,” Remus confessed.

“All right,” Albus said, lowering his hands. “How about you tell me what's going on over some tea?” Albus snapped his fingers and a tea service was sitting on his desk. “You still like your tea with sugar and honey?”

Remus couldn't help the small slide at the side of his mouth forming a smile at the fact that Albus remembered that though Remus wasn't much on sweets, except for chocolate around the full moon, he would indulge himself with his honey sweet tea.

“You remembered?” Remus whispered.

“Someone that has a sweeter tooth than me? Forever.” Albus smiled, looking back at Remus.

After a moment of comfortable silence while Albus prepared each of their teas, Albus gestured for Remus to sit.

“Now,” Albus said, handing over the cup. “You want to tell me what's going on?”

“I had a strange visitor last night,” Remus said looking down at his tea.

____0000____0000____000

Severus could not believe who was standing in front of him. He was the spitting image of his father. From his hair to the glasses, the child screamed James Potter. And as much as he could not stand the man, Severus couldn't stop looking at the child. Though just has he had his father's looks there were still so much that showed he was Lily's child as well.

“What you doing?” Harry asked, bringing Severus out of his thoughts. No longer fearful, Harry walked up to the counter and peered over as much as he could to see what was on top. Even though he just turned eight and was now becoming a big boy, he heard Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon tell Dudley all the time that becoming eight meant that he was now a big boy, so that meant that Harry was a big boy as well. And so he was eight, and a big boy, just not a tall boy. He was still short for his age. The counter came up to his shoulders. When he got close to it, gripping the edge of the counter he tried to get on his tiptoes so that he could see in the bubbling pot, but was still too short to look inside. He gave a short huff of frustration and a pout that he couldn't see inside.

Severus watched the child, still frozen at the fact that Harry Potter was in his lab. He was supposed to be somewhere safe. That's what Albus told him. Harry was safe.

When he heard the frustrated sound come from the child, his eyebrow quirked up as he tried to keep his face neutral. That was definitely something that Lily would do if there was something that she wanted to see or do and wasn't able to. It took a lot in him not to smile as he remembered Lily looking that same way when she wanted to look at his notes or peer into his cauldron to make sure she was doing hers right.

“May I help you?” Severus said, finally finding his voice.

Lost in his memories, he didn't realize that the child was jumping up and down trying to look into the cauldron.

Harry stopped jumping and looked up at the man in black.

“I wanted to see what you were making,” Harry said. “It looks really neat. I wanna see.” Harry raised his arms up towards to the man. Never. Never had he been this open about what he wanted. He was determined to see what the man was making. It was as if whatever was in that pot was so important that nothing else mattered until Harry saw what was inside. He just had to.

Severus' eyebrows disappeared towards his hairline, looking down at the child next to him. He knew what the child wanted. Being around his godson when he was younger, Severus knew that was the universal gesture of wanting to be picked up. The question was why did the child want him to do it. The pleading eyes was too much for Severus' cold heart. For what may have seemed like an eternity of debating with himself was only a moment or two when Severus reached down and lifted the child in his arms.

The smile that came across Harry's mouth lit up his face that it warmed Severus to know that he put that smile on the child. That smile was Lily's smile. And seeing the child smiling and feeling him cling to his robes as he propped him on his arm until they were both comfortable. Severus couldn't help but feel that the child belonged in his arms. His legs wrapped around his midsection so easily. He had just enough fabric of his robe where it wasn't constricting Severus' movements in any way. He actually could get used to this.

It worked, Harry thought with glee. It actually worked. He always wanted to be picked up and held. He had seen Dudley get picked up. Even when he got too big, aunt Petunia still tried to pick him up, but not Harry. No, Harry wasn't good enough to be picked up. Harry loved this place. This place Harry could sleep on the couch. This place Harry could eat soft bread and creamy cheese. This place Harry could drink sweet milk. And now this place where he could be picked up like a good boy. Just being in the man's arms, Harry almost forgot the reason why he wanted to be up in the first place. All he wanted now was to savor the feeling of being held. When he felt the man moving, Harry turned slightly so not to slip off of the man's arm and peered down at the pot. His face scrunched up when he saw what was in there. It looked like a sickly green slime. It didn't smell that bad, but it wasn't good either. Satisfied about knowing what was in the pot, Harry turned back to face the man who was nice enough to pick him up.

“What is it?” Harry asked.

“It will be Wolfsbane Potion when it's finished,” Severus replied.

“When will it be finished? Can I help?”

Waving his free hand over the cauldron, wandlessly casting a status charm over the potion. “It has to sit for an hour,” Severus answered. “While we wait, why don't we go and see why you are in this school.”

When Severus turned away from the counter, Harry really hoped that he wouldn't put him down. He'd hope that he could stay in the man's arms, slightly tightening his grip of the man's cape.

Severus glanced at the child in his arms as he made his way out of the lab, heading towards the Headmaster's office. He felt the child tighten his hold on him. Letting the child down was the furthest thing from his mind. Never did he think that he would walk around toting a child in his arms, but for some reason he just didn't have it in him to let the child go, even if he was James Potter's son.

When he realized that he wasn't going to be put on the floor, Harry gave a contented sigh as he laid his head on the man's shoulder. In that instance the lack of sleep he had gotten the night before popping into Remus' place came back full force. The slight rocking the man did while he walked down the corridor was soothing to the child. But he had a question that was itching to get out, and Harry knew he needed to ask before sleep truly claimed him.

“What's your name?” Harry asked. His voice was a low, sleepy murmur.

“Severus, child.”

“Hmmm,” Harry hummed, smiling a little. “Thank you, Sev'us.”

“For what, child?” Severus asked, but didn't receive a response as Harry fell asleep in his arms.

______00000______0000______000_____0000

“Last night?” Albus asked.

Remus nodded. “He just popped in.”

“Where is he now?”

A blush crept up the werewolf's neck towards his cheeks as he looked down into his tea cup.

“Remus, where is the child?”

“He's somewhere in the school,” Remus whispered.

“You lost him?” Albus asked.

“I was not paying attention,” Remus admitted. He still had not looked up from his teacup. He just couldn't see the disappointed look in his mentor's eyes.

“John, look at me.”

After a moment, Remus lifted his head. He was a little shocked to see the twinkle in Albus' eyes.

“He's in the school,” Albus said. “We'll find him. There's nothing here that he can get into and hurt himself on.”

Remus said nothing.

“Is that why you were reluctant to come up?”

Remus nodded.

Albus nodded. He felt a change in his warding, letting him know that someone was coming close toward the gargoyle. The magical signature of the wizard coming, let Albus know who was coming.

“Come on up, Severus,” Albus called out.

Remus looked up at the Headmaster. He always wanted to know how he knew that someone was there. He didn't have time to wonder for long as he heard footsteps coming up the spiral stairs.

A few moments after Albus called out, the door to the office opened. Remus watched as Severus walked into the office, carrying a bundle in his arms.

“Harry,” Remus called out, as he stood and walked over to the Potions Master.

“Do calm yourself, wolf. He's asleep.” Severus scolded.

Remus wasn't paying attention as he walked over to Severus and laid his hand on the child's back, slowly rubbing it.

“Severus, dear boy, how did you come to have such a precious bundle?” Albus asked.

“The little imp followed me to my lab,” Severus confessed, stepping away from the wolf, heading towards Albus. Remus falling into step beside the Potions Master, not wanting the child to leave his sight again.

“Stop hovering,” Severus snapped at Remus. “I'm not going to hurt the child.”

“I didn't think you were,” Remus replied, stepping back a little surprised at the harshness of Severus' tone. “I know you won't hurt him. It's just I lost him. I didn't know where he was, if he was hurt. Forgive me, Severus.”

Severus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Take the child,” Severus said, softly. “So you can see that he's fine.”

Severus moved his hands to under the child's arms so that he could lift him away from his chest when he and the other men in the room received a surprise.

Harry turned his head and pressed his forehead against the Potions Master's shoulder. His arms tightened around Severus' neck and his legs crossed behind him, locking at the ankles. Severus was shocked as he thought the child was asleep. Remus started rubbing Harry's back in an attempt to calm the child down, but Harry would not be soothed.

Then both men heard the child murmur something that had them freeze in their movements.

“I'm a good boy,” Harry whined. “I can be a good boy. I can be good. Please.”

Both men looked at each other puzzled.

“Harry,” Remus whispered. “Harry.”

The child wasn't paying attention. He was shaking his head, trying to stay as close as he could to the comforting shoulder he was leaning on, repeating over and over that he could be a good boy.

“Harry, please child,” Remus said, rubbing the child's back. “Please look at me.”

Harry turned his head, without lifting it, and looked at the man he stay with last night.

“There you are,” Remus soothed. He gave the child a small smile. “Now, why would you say that?”

“Uncle Vernon,” Harry said, lifting his head off the man in black's shoulder. “Said that freaks couldn't be good boys. Only good boys can be picked up.” Turning to face the man who was holding him, “and you picked me up, so I can be a good boy too. I'm not a freak. You picked me up.” Tears pooling in his eyes as he lowered his head back on Severus' shoulder. His own small shoulders shaking as he cried.

TBC