Harry looked up from his book at the sound coming from the kitchen. It was definitely a Muggle station. He could hear the sounds of lunch being made, but the radio was new. Well, at least Snape wasn't singing. There was some other sound that peaked Harry's curiosity however, and he rose to see what it was. As he came around the corner to the kitchen he saw Snape... shuffling? He wasn't sure. It might have been dancing, or swaying. Ron would never believe him. The counter was covered in flasks and jars of something bubbling on the stove. He clearly wasn't fixing lunch.

"That's not- that's not lunch is it?"

Snape stopped dancing and looked over at Harry. He looked uncomfortable (finally!) but turned around to hide it. Hah, Harry thought.

"You have cleaned out my stock of bruise balm and healing potions. With your track record I anticipate the need for more in the future."

Harry frowned and looked at the calendar tacked on the wall that featured famous Potioneers. There were several days circled on the calendar that were supposedly the peak times to gather certain ingredients or brew certain classes of potions. Harry ignored those dates in favor of counting the days until Hogwarts.

"There's only 12 days to Hogwarts," Harry said.

"And you think you won't get into trouble again before then?" Snape asked.

"No-" Harry started. That wasn't what he meant. What need would Snape have for those healing potions after he went to Hogwarts? It wasn't like he'd be coming back. He could go to Madam Pomfrey if he got hurt. Ron and Hermione always dragged him to the Hospital Wing anyways.

"We will be going to Diagonalley in two days. I must also return to Hogwarts for a day to get things ready for the term. If we go to get your school things early perhaps you can pay a visit to the Weasleys while I am at the castle."

"You'll take me to see them?"

"Unless you wish to stay here and get into another brawl."

"I'll go," Harry said. He turned to leave Snape to his brewing and - music, but then stopped and asked, "We get to go to Danger Alley too, right?"

"I think not."

"What's there anyway? It can't be worse than Knockturn."

"And you would know what is down Knockturn Alley how?"

"I came out the wrong floo when I went to get school supplies with the Weasleys."

"What store did you come out in?"

"Borgin and Burkes."

"Borgin and Burkes is an ice cream parlour compared to the businesses that are run out of Danger Alley. Reputable witches and wizards sometimes have cause to go to shops on Knockturn, but there are none that would step foot on Danger Alley."

"What do you go down Knocturn Alley for?"

"Rare and hard to find potions ingredients. Also many of the wizarding lawyers in London are down Knockturn because rent is cheaper and there is more business to be found."

"What's down Danger Alley?"

"Several disreputable services, such as blood collection services to feed London's vampire population, the headquarters of several cults, a Goblin Pub, and it is well known that the slave trade is run out of Danger Alley."

"The slave trade?"

"For human slaves... many of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers take human slaves into service to take care of their households. Unregistered vampires also frequently take slaves to feed off of, and sometimes slaves are traded to and from other wizarding communities. I would advise not going down Danger Alley if you do not fancy finding yourself in service of a vampire."

"Is there any good reason to go down there?"

"Are you looking for one?"

"No. Just curious. I don't even know where it is. I never heard of it before you said something about it."

"Most of it is underground under the streets of London. This allows vampires to use it during daylight hours. No, there's no good reason to go there. Even the Aurors avoid it if they can, and when they have to go they go in force."

"Well-" Harry said, "Maybe someday I'll see it, if I get to be an auror."

"The last thing you need is to put yourself in more danger."

* * *

Harry and Snape were on Diagonalley just as the sun rose before most of the shops opened up. This allowed them to get to Harry's bank vault and then get through Harry's school shopping before most shoppers arrived on the alley. It was barely eight when Harry asked Snape if they could make one last stop into the Quidditch supply store. Severus agreed and was curious to see if Harry would go and oggle the new line of brooms or waste his money on other Quidditch gear. Harry did look at the brooms briefly, but passed them over after a few minutes to go to the clothing section. He bought himself a grey Falmouth Falcon's t-shirt, a dark blue Falcon's hoodie, and a blue and grey Falcon's beanie. He also bought an orange Cannon's beanie and then returned to Snape by the door.

"Cannons?" he asked.

"For Ron," Harry said.

"The Cannons will not come close to the World Cup this year."

"Yeah, but don't tell Ron that," Harry said.

"Neither will the Falcons," Snape said, and then glanced sideways to see how Harry would react.

Harry snorted. "That's what you think. They have a new Chaser. Lightning O'Leary. Straight off the Tornados."

"Puddlemere will take the Falcon's by March and they'll be out."

"Psh. Puddlemere? No wonder you like green so much."

"Meaning?"

"Seems like most of the Slytherins like Puddlemere. What with the colors being green and black."

"Much of the house does support Puddlemere, but there are a great many who are Falmouth fans and a smattering of other team supporters. Mr. Malfoy supports the Falcons."

"Well that's lovely," Harry said in mock interest.

"I'm surprised the two of you are not friends."

"Could you set up a play date for us?"

Snape and Harry looked at each other and then looked back down the alley as they walked, a discreet smile worn by both.

* * *

There was still fog hanging low on the fields surrounding the Burrow when Snape disapparated and left Harry there with his school things. Snape had barely stayed long enough to verify that there was smoke coming out of the chimney before he had gone to take care of business at Hogwarts. Harry hopped a low stone wall with his purchases and headed to the Weasley's door, hoping he wouldn't be intruding on them since he hadn't asked to come and visit. As he approached the door he could hear sounds of life inside. Ron was shouting about something the twins had done and Ginny was laughing. Harry breathed deeply of the fresh country air and felt suddenly like he was home. He loved the Weasleys and he loved the Burrow. He only wished he could have spent his entire summer here instead of wandering the alleys of Swanage and living in the boy's home.

Before he got a chance to knock the door opened to reveal a surprised Ron with a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth.

"Harry?" he asked, though it was muffled by the toast.

"Can I come to visit for the day?"

He moved aside and let Harry in. Mrs. Weasley was just putting breakfast on the table and it looked like everyone was just sitting down to eat.

"Harry dear! We wondered if you were here when the clock changed." She swooped in for a hug and then took Harry's bags from him and set them by the door before ushering him into a seat. "We wondered if we'd be seeing you at all this summer! Who brought you by?" She said it all in a rush and Harry didn't know what to say until he ran it all back through in his mind.

"The clock?" He asked.

She pointed to the family clock above the mantelpiece. It was the same as the year before with all the family names, but Harry's name had been added now. He noted that Hermione's had not despite that she was also close to the Weasleys. "We thought it was broken," Ron said. "All summer your hand has been back and forth between danger and home. Each time it points to home we look outside to see if you've come. That's why I opened the door. But I didn't figure you'd be standing there."

"Ron and I thought you were off on some grand adventure," Ginny said as she put some toast and bacon on Harry's plate. "Mum's been having a fit though every time your hand goes to danger."

Mrs. Weasley tsked. "I owled the Headmaster a few times-", "Try twenty," Fred butted in. Mrs. Weasley ignored him and continued on, "but he said there were circumstances we weren't aware of and that you were fine."

Harry held up his hands to show her he was fine, or at least fine now after Snape had gotten him away from Kirk and the Dursleys.

"What have you been up to young man?" Mr. Weasley asked as he too took a seat at the table. Everyone quieted and looked at Harry, who suddenly felt very put on the spot.

"Erm... I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you," he said, hoping they'd take that as an answer.

"Fighting dragons for a golden egg?" George asked.

"No, giant fanged snakes," Fred said.

"Escapees from Azkaban," Ginny chimed in.

Harry's face turned red and Ron nudged him with his foot under the table and whispered, "Dueling You-Know-Who."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Something like that," he said.

"All of it?" Ginny asked.

"Would you like me to make something up?" Harry asked.

"We don't do secrets in this house," Molly said as she brought him a cup of orange juice.

"Yes maam," he said. He could always tell them the truth and then say he'd made it all up. Then again there was always the possibility that they'd believe him. What should he say though? Snape adopted me to save me from an orphanage that I voluntarily put myself in? But it was a lie. Snape hadn't really adopted him.

"I went shopping this morning for my school books," Harry said instead. If they continued to ask him questions he supposed he'd tell them the truth. He didn't like lying to the Weasleys when they'd taken him in time and again, not to mention saved him from his jail cell in a flying car.

"We're going to get ours today," Ginny said as she finished her eggs. It looked like the red-headed family was still waiting for the rest of the story though so Harry forged on.

"And then Professor Snape dropped me off here because he had to go to Hogwarts for the day and he didn't want to leave me at home because the last time he did I got into a fight with neighborhood kids and the police got involved." It sounded rather mundane when he said it like that. It was a lot more anxiety inducing going through it.

"Severus Snape?" Molly asked.

"Yes."

"You make it sound like you're staying with him," Ron said. Ron's tone told Harry that his friend thought it was a joke. The twins looked like they thought the same.

"Well- I am. Until I go back to Hogwarts."

"Professor Dumbledore said you were being looked after," Arthur said. Harry wondered what Snape had told Dumbledore about his summer then and how much Dumbledore had told the Weasleys. He probably told them everything if they had really owled him twenty times just about Harry.

"Why?" Ron asked. "What's it like at his house?"

"It's just for the summer," Harry said. Then the thought struck him with all the reminders that they'd given him, that he'd done enough crazy things since he'd met the Weasleys that they might just believe anything he said, or at least the Weasley children would. There was no need to tell them about how he'd run away because of the beatings and ended up in an orphanage just to receive the same. "I snuck away from my relatives and went to Danger Alley. I got into some trouble with some vampires and they decided it was best if I stayed with Snape for the rest of the summer."

Fred dropped his fork, and there was silence for several long moments. The twins, Ron and Ginny looked shocked.

"Danger Alley?" Mr. Weasley asked. He seemed skeptical but Harry's friends didn't seem to pick up on his tone.

Harry shrugged and looked at his plate of eggs.

"Alright, that's enough questions for now," Molly chided them. "Let him eat or we won't have enough time to go to Diagonalley." Harry picked up his fork and began eating despite that he'd already had breakfast that morning with Snape, and was aware that Molly was watching him from the kitchen counter.

Ron and Ginny went upstairs when they were done eating to finish getting ready to leave and the twins went to a corner of the living room to pour over a list of things they wanted to buy for their joke business, most of which were potions ingredients. Molly began casting spells to clean the kitchen and Harry was just thinking about going upstairs to Ron's room when Mr. Weasley asked him to join him outside.

"I have to go buy some more floo powder," he said. "There's a wizard down the lane who makes it. "Why don't you walk with me Harry while the others are getting ready."

Harry followed him out and into the garden. They were quiet for a while as they walked and Harry just enjoyed being in the crisp morning air.

"Molly and I were worried. So were the children."

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "I didn't know you had a hand for me on the clock. I didn't mean to worry you."

Arthur raised his hand to stop Harry's apologies. "It's alright Harry. I don't think you have anything to be sorry for."

That wasn't true, Harry thought, mind flickering to Cedric Diggory's lifeless body, but before he could think overmuch on the events at the end of the last school year Mr. Weasley was talking again.

"You didn't go to Danger Alley, did you?" Harry looked up at him but before he could answer Mr. Weasley said, "The Ministry keeps a pretty detailed list of who comes and goes out of the alley. I have to look at it every morning to be sure no Muggles have been taken in for the slave trade."

Harry stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I know Molly and I aren't your parents, but we do consider you family. You don't have to tell me what's gone on this summer, but if you want to, I'd like to hear it."

Harry wasn't used to adults wanting to hear what he'd been through. Except Snape, but that was still new and strange to him, and he never spoke to Snape about things beyond the daily pleasantries and recently the banter back and forth about Quidditch and school houses and other trivial things.

They continued on down the lane for a few minutes in silence before Harry decided to say something because he felt awkward just walking with Ron's father and not talking. "Professor Snape did bring me today. I am staying with him until school starts."

Mr. Weasley nodded. "He seems like the choice Professor Dumbledore would make if you needed safekeeping."

"Professor Dumbledore didn't put me there," Harry said. "My relatives moved in next door to Professor Snape. I ran away and ended up living at an orphanage. I told them my name was Harry Weasley."

"You did?" Mr. Weasley asked with surprise, though Harry wasn't sure if he was surprised about Harry running away or him using their last name. Maybe both.

"Snape found out I was there and he lied to the lady at the orphanage. He signed some papers and told her he was adopting me and took me back to his house to keep me until Hogwarts starts."

"He lied?"

"Yeah. He said he was going to adopt me so she'd give him the papers and let me out." It occurred to Harry just then that he didn't really ‘need' Snape to take him out. He could have just left. The woman who ran the orphanage had said that there had been runaways before and no one had come after him when he'd disappeared overnight and all of the next day.

They were silent for a few more moments before Mr. Weasley said, "In the years I've known Professor Snape, I've never known him to lie. I've seen him twist truths as a spy, but he's never lied outright."

Harry gave him a look like he didn't know what he was talking about but then felt bad because Mr. Weasley had always been so nice to him. "I'm just with him until Hogwarts, that's all. He should be back to get me sometime later today. I think he said at dinner."

Mr. Weasley pointed down a short drive to a one story house and they turned off the lane. It only took a few minutes for Mr. Weasley to barter at the front door with the wizard for a sack of floo powder and then they were on their way back to the Burrow. Mr. Weasley didn't ask any more questions and Harry didn't offer up any more details. The others all seemed to be ready when they got back.

Harry dug into his shopping bags for the orange cap and gave it to Ron, who thanked him and stuck it on a hook by the door with a peeling tag above it that read, ‘Ronald's Things.'

"All right you lot, line up at the mantle. Harry and Ron, you can go through first, then the twins. We'll split up to get supplies. Molly will go with the twins and I'll go with Harry, Ron and Ginny. We'll meet back at the Leaky Cauldron before noon."

Because Harry had already bought his supplies he was just along for the trip with his friends. This time when he stepped out onto the alley it was full of shoppers.

"Did you really go to Danger Alley?" Ron asked when they had a moment to themselves in Flourish and Blotts.

"No," Harry admitted.

"And you're not staying with Snape either?"

"I am," Harry said. "He'll be back to get me around dinner."

"Why are you staying with him then?"

"I ran away. Danger Alley just sounded better in front of everybody than running away and having to have Snape come and save me."

"Is he at least treating you ok?"

"He feeds me crisps and fizzy drinks when he locks me in the dungeon under the house," Harry said. He glanced sideways to see that Ron's mouth was hanging slightly open. "I'm kidding, ok?" He gave a short laugh and Ron shook his head. "I'm fine Ron. I spend most of my time by myself doing my summer homework. He did buy me crisps and fizzy drinks though."

"Ok, well since you're not with your family anymore, you're definitely spending the holidays with us and staying next summer at my house. No more Dursleys, no more Snape."

"Sounds good," Harry said, although he thought that so far staying with Snape hadn't been that bad.

Harry had a few Galleons left in his pocket and spent it on a subscription to a Quidditch Magazine, a dueling book, and a bag full of candy to share with his friends on the train to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks, though he did give some to Ron and Ginny as soon as they got back to the Burrow. He spent the rest of the day under the shade of a tree with Ron and Ginny talking about the upcoming school year and who the new Defense Professor might be. Before Harry knew it, it was nearing dinner and Snape had appeared at the edge of the Weasley's yard. Harry said goodbye to his friends and went inside with Ron to retrieve his bags from his two trips to Diagonalley and Hedwig and her cage. While Harry was inside, Arthur came out and to the gate where Severus waited.

"Nice to see you Severus," he said.

"Likewise."

"You look well."

"And you."

Arthur toyed with a broken piece of the gate for a moment before asking seriously, "Did you adopt Harry?"

"He told you?"

"He says you lied to get him out of an orphanage after he ran away."

Severus sighed. "He does not believe I adopted him. I told him that Muggle papers are binding in wizarding law when involving wizards."

Arthur gave a nod. "When he said you signed papers I knew."

Severus surveyed Arthur's face. "You wish to protest the adoption?"

Arthur shook his head. "No." Then he did something that Severus Snape would never have expected him to. He reached out and took Snape's hand to shake it. "I want to thank you for getting Harry out of that house... away from those people. Albus was Harry's Proxy Guardian and we petitioned him several times to get custody of Harry but were always denied. Each summer when he came back to us we saw how he'd changed... become more withdrawn than the year before... smiled less, seemed more nervous... You're aware that the boys flew the Ford Anglia to Little Whinging to break him out from his room two years ago? The Muggles had bars across his window and had the door locked so he couldn't leave."

"I was aware of an incident with the car before they came to school but wasn't privy to the details."

"Harry ending up in the orphanage is a blessing. It allowed you to sign papers that takes the proxy away from Albus. He's a good man Severus, we both know that, but I don't think he was doing what was best for Harry."

Severus sighed again. "I did not intend on taking the boy. I did not intend on seeing the boy at all this summer."

"And you're not sure yet if it's a blessing?"

"I have not said anything about blessings."

Arthur gave a nod. "Take good care of him Severus. I know I don't have to tell you that. I really am pleased that he's being taken care of now. If you ever need help with anything regarding Harry, please let us know."

Severus gave a nod just as the back door opened to let Ron and Harry out. "Is it ok if I bring Hedwig back?" Harry asked, carrying her cage. He'd missed her this summer. She could probably have helped him find food if she'd been with him.

"Yes."

"Bye Ron," Harry said, and gave him a small wave. Ron handed Harry's bags to Snape who took them, and then he took Harry's arm and they disapparated back to Harry's strange new reality.