Harry didn't know how he'd gotten himself into this silly mess. What did Snape even need him for anyway? He must have been in major trouble to enlist Harry's help like this. Everyone knew how much Snape hated Harry, and that Harry was no fan of the snarky man. For four years Harry had endured the man's icy glares, his snide comments, his unwarranted detentions full of manual labor, and his penchant for taking points if he even caught Harry looking sideways at him from across a corridor. The start of Harry's fifth year hadn't looked like it was going to be much better. Snape had given him detention on his first week back to school, though Harry still couldn't figure out what he'd done to upset the man.

Harry sighed as he packed his only warm items of clothing into his backpack. His Weasley Jumper from the year before still fit, barely, and he had a pair of threadbare gloves to try to keep the frost from his hands. He also had a Gryffindor scarf from his first year that Hermione had given him, but that was starting to get worn as well. He had to be packed and ready by five this morning. He thought the Potions Master had just given him this early deadline to punish him again, though Harry didn't know why since this was a favor he was doing for Snape... a favor he didn't have to do.

Harry's friends had left for the holidays and most of the castle had emptied out, leaving Harry and just a few others there to spend Christmas alone and to try avoiding Umbridge and her crazy rules. Harry hadn't looked forward to spending Christmas alone yet again, and he definitely didn't look forward to being stuck in the castle with Umbridge. She'd given Harry several detentions with a blood quill, and the back of his hand had faint scars now bearing the words, ‘I must not tell lies.' Harry had told himself he would do anything to avoid being alone again this year. Well, not anything. He would never go back to the Dursleys. That would be a worse fate than being alone.

His friends had been gone for three days, and Harry had avoided as many meals as he could so he could stick around the tower and not have to run into Umbridge anywhere in the castle. It was on one of his rare trips to the Great Hall for breakfast the previous day that Snape had spotted him. Harry had come down to breakfast as early as he thought he could get away with, hoping to eat before Umbridge woke up. It was five thirty in the morning and Harry had been the only one in the Great Hall, trying to eat as quickly as possible. That was when Snape had come into the Great Hall for an early cup of coffee and decided to make Harry a surprising offer.

"Potter," the man had said, looking at him with disdain.

"Sir?"

"You have not been at many meals these last few days."

Harry took his hand off the table and put it in his lap, wanting to hide the scars. He didn't think he could tell another teacher that he was avoiding Umbridge, especially not Snape, who would call him disrespectful and give him detention just to spite him. "Oh," Harry said, not knowing what else to tell him in lieu of the truth. He startled a moment later when Snape sat down across from him, and looked up to find him staring at him intently.

"I have a situation Potter, one which you may be uniquely suited to help me with."

"What is it sir?" What could Harry possibly help him with?

"I have a family gathering I am required to attend over Christmas... one which requires me to take a child with me."

For human sacrifice? "Why do you need to-"

"That's none of your concern Potter. Seeing that you are staying at the castle for the holiday, it means you are available." He sneered a little, like he wasn't enjoying talking to Harry at all, which Harry knew he wasn't. "If you will agree to come with me, I would consider it a," he paused and sneered again with a little shake of his head, "personal favor," he finished. It looked like it pained him to say it.

Harry's mind was racing, a personal favor from Snape? What did that even mean?

"What do you want me to do, if I agree?" Harry asked.

"What I am going to tell you, you will tell no one, even if you do not agree to accompany me," Snape instructed in a cold tone, and Harry nodded in agreement. "If you come to this family gathering with me, you will pretend to be my estranged son."

"Estranged son?" Harry sat up, frown on his face. "What does that mean?"

"If I had an estranged son, it means one that did not grow up with me. It would be a role for you to play... an act."

Harry thought it over. He was a good actor. He had to be when people had questions about his home life, or when he came back to school covered in bruises and needed to make up excuses for why he had them, or pretend he wasn't in pain at all. Or maybe he wasn't that good at acting after all, because he always got the feeling that his friends never bought the line he was selling them that everything was just fine.

"So- I'd get to leave the castle?" Harry asked.

"For 21 days. We would leave tomorrow and return the day the rest of the students come back."

"Will there be a Christmas tree?"

"Potter!" Snape snapped, and Harry flinched back a little.

Harry didn't want to stay in the castle, but if he did at least he'd get to open a couple gifts from his friends in front of the tree in Gryffindor common room.

"This is not a vacation Potter, it's a job. Do you want it or not?"

A job that didn't pay any money. A job that would mean spending the holidays with a man that hated him just slightly less than Umbridge did. A job that meant he might not get a Christmas at all. Harry looked up at him. A job, not a holiday. But the truth was, Harry would have done almost anything to not have to spend Christmas alone again this year.

"I'll do it sir."

"Be at my quarters at five am tomorrow morning packed and ready to go. Bring winter attire. I will inform your head of house."

"Yes sir."

Done thinking back on how he'd gotten himself into this mess, Harry shook his head as he latched the strap on his back pack. He slipped his wand into his back pocket and headed for the common room. It was 4:45 am and he needed to get down to Snape's quarters. He was surprised when he met Snape at the common room entrance however. Harry stepped back as Snape came into the common room. There was no fire in the grate since Harry was the only one left in the tower and he was leaving.

"Show me what you have packed."

Harry pulled his backpack off and took it to a table near the entrance the seventh years liked to study at. He pulled out all of the things he'd just spent time packing away.

Snape's eyes drifted over the items of clothing and then he turned to Harry, angry. "You did not do as I told you."

"I packed for time away and packed winter clothes," Harry said, already wary of spending two weeks with Snape. The trip hadn't even started yet and Snape was already mad at him.

"You did not. These are little more than rags."

"It's what I have sir."

"Show me your wardrobe and trunk," Snape demanded, and Harry packed his clothes back into his bag quickly and led the way upstairs to the fifth year boy's dormitory. Inside Snape waited impatiently as Harry opened his wardrobe and then the trunk at the foot of his bed. Snape looked into both. Harry's school robes were in the wardrobe with his Quidditch uniform, two t-shirts, his school uniform, and a few pairs of holey socks.

"Where is your coat and hat? Where are your other pairs of shoes and boots?"

"This is it," Harry said.

"You expect me to believe your family sent you to school with everything that's in your bag?"

"I don't want you to believe anything," Harry said. "I told you, this is what I have. This is always what I have."

The man stared at him, and then swept out of the room. Harry followed slowly, and sighed. None of the other teachers were like this. Umbridge was her own kind of nasty, but the other teachers at least talked to Harry like he was human.

Harry followed Snape down to his office where they were going to use the Floo. Snape's things were already packed into two black suitcases.

"Sit Potter," Snape said, and Harry sat on the edge of one of the hard visitor chairs. Snape sat in his own chair across the desk and leveled a serious look at Harry.

"There are rules. After I tell them to you, it will be your last chance to back out. Once we leave the castle, you may not back out of our arrangement."

"Yes sir."

"My word is law. What I say goes with no argument. You will do as I say, when I say, is that clear?"

Harry nodded. It was the same at home with the Dursleys. He considered it to be the same at school with the other teachers as well. Snape always acted like Harry was defiant or disrespectful, but Harry never argued. Arguing with adults led to getting hit or locked away or missed meals. He had no desire to raise Snape's ire any more than it was most of the time.

"You are pretending to be my son Harry Snape. You will keep your bangs over your scar as you normally do to keep it covered. Any mention of Harry Potter, and you are to act as though he is a boy at school you know, not yourself."

"Ok."

"It is imperative that those at this family gathering believe you are my child. They believe that your mother kept you from me until recently. It was only in the last year that you and I were reunited. You now live with me."

"What happened to my mother?" Harry asked, feeling weird talking about this role he would soon have to slip into.

"She died."

"Erm- do I get along with you?"

"Potter!" Snape snapped again, and Harry flinched back. He wished he could just ask the questions he needed answers to so he could do what he needed to do. He didn't want to be in trouble for the entire 21 days.

"I just meant- because kids don't always get along with their parents," Harry said. He knew Seamus didn't always get along with his mother, and there was a third year girl in Gryffindor who had recently gone to live with her father, who had much different rules than she had been used to living with her grandparents. Harry had overheard her telling her friends in the common room that the new living arrangement had taken a lot of getting used to and that there had been some problems during the summer.

"You are playing the part of my respectful son, who does what I say at all times. That is all you must focus on."

"Yes sir."

"Am I in Slytherin?"

Snape leveled another glare at him. "It will be best if as many details of your life match up with the details of this... son you will be pretending to be. It will prevent you from slipping up and giving contradictory details about yourself. Your likes and dislikes, your house, your grades, all will remain the same aside from your last name and parentage."

"Ok."

"There is one other detail to discuss before we leave. Payment."

"I thought-" Harry had thought there would be no payment. The payment for this job was getting to leave the castle and have other people to be around.

"I said I will owe you a favor. There are things you may not call that favor in on. I will not change your grades for you. I will not lie for you. I will not get your friends out of trouble or change their grades or lie for them. Am I clear?"

"Yes-" Harry couldn't even think of anything he would ask this man for.

"Do you understand what I said?"

At Harry's blank look Snape sighed. "It is best not to owe a favor to anyone Potter, not ever. Some people are worse to owe a favor to than others. Lucius Malfoy for instance, is one man you never wish to owe a favor to for any reason. In our world, getting to call in a favor from another witch or wizard is like having a sack of gold to spend. Favors must be honored short of asking those who owe you a favor to murder someone or throw their own life away."

"Oh. I didn't know." He could see now why Snape had seemed so upset by offering to owe Harry a favor the day before.

"Do you have any idea what you will be asking me to do in return for doing this job for me?"

Harry looked up and then back down at his hands and shook his head.

"Think about it." He stood up and moved to his bags. "Do you have any more questions before we depart?"

"What was my mother's name?"

"The details of my son's life will match yours," Snape repeated. "I have given minimal information to my relatives, so anything you tell them will not contradict what I have already said, aside from the fact that you were with your mother until she died and came to stay with me a year ago."

"Ok."

"Bring your bag to the fireplace. We must make a stop before we get to our destination." He held out a jar of Floo powder to Harry and told him, "The address is Snape residence, London. The password is Honeywater."

Harry stepped into the grate with the floo powder, said the address and password, and disappeared in a flash. He came out of a grate in a cozy looking flat a moment later. Snape stepped out of the fireplace into the flat seconds after Harry did.

"Leave your bag," Snape said, setting down his suitcases. "Take my arm."

Harry reached out slowly, paused a moment, and then at an impatient look from Snape touched his arm near the elbow. Harry had barely done so when Snape apparated them to an alley somewhere.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"London, several miles from my flat. Don't ask questions. From this point forward you do as I say without question or argument."

"Yes sir."

"Father," Snape corrected.

Harry gave him an uncertain look.

"If you call me sir when we reach the gathering, they will not believe we are father and son. Practice now while we are in London."

"Yes s- father."

Snape rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, then led Harry out of the alley and around the corner into a clothing store that had just opened for the day. In less than twenty minutes Snape had picked out a dozen outfits for Harry, including new shoes, socks, underwear, and warm clothes for winter. He took Harry back to the alley they'd landed in and apparated him back to the flat.

"Sir- erm, what are all these clothes for?" Snape had held each item of clothing up to Harry in the store to see if it looked like it might fit, and had put it in a basket to purchase. He hadn't asked Harry if he liked any of the items, so Harry wasn't certain that the clothes were for him. Perhaps Snape had a nephew his age he needed to buy gifts for.

"If I was your father I would not let you walk around in the rags you packed. My relatives would not believe this ruse if you showed up looking as you do." He opened one of the bags and pulled out a gray sweater, a pair of slacks and the packages of socks and underwear. "Go into the bathroom and put those on. Through the door behind the sofa."

Harry took the items uncertainly and went into the bathroom to change, pulling the price tags off the clothes. He wasn't used to wearing new things unless it was his school robes and uniform. The sweater was soft and he was glad to have socks without holes and pants that fit. He came out a few minutes later. Snape was kneeling on the floor folding all of the new clothing and putting it into Harry's backpack. Harry's old clothes were in a pile next to two dozen price tags Snape had snipped off of the new items of clothing.

"Put the new boots and coat on. Put the new mittens and hat in your coat pocket. Where we're going will be cold. Take none of your old clothes. They can remain here until we return."

"What do I owe you for the clothes?" Harry asked.

Snape only answered with a sigh. Perhaps Harry didn't owe him anything because he wasn't keeping the clothes once this job was done. That made sense. Snape could probably sell the clothes if Harry didn't stain or rip them and get his money back.

Finally dressed, Harry felt warmer than he had all term. He hated the winter because his hands and face always got chapped and he had no way of keeping warm.

"Sit on the sofa and do not move until I return."

"Where are you going sir?"

"No questions Potter. If I have to keep reminding you, I may as well take you back to the castle. Sit!"

Harry sat on the dark gray sofa and Snape narrowed his eyes at him before disappearing with a pop. While he was gone, Harry let his eyes rove around the nice flat. One wall was red brick. The kitchen was small but had floor to ceiling windows that looked out into the neighborhood. Harry wanted to get up and look through the windows, but didn't want to be caught if Snape popped back in unexpectedly and be sent back to Hogwarts. He didn't want to ruin this one chance to spend Christmas with others.

It was a good thing Harry hadn't left the couch, because less than five minutes later Snape had apparated back into the flat with a bag from some shop.

"Put these in your bag. They are yours to use while we are away."

Harry got up and took the little bag from Snape. Inside was a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair brush along with a little bottle of Muggle shampoo. Harry put them in his backpack and zipped it up.

"Put your backpack on. It is time to depart. Remember Potter, if this doesn't work... if we are caught in the lie, we will both be back at Hogwarts and the favor will be void."

"Yes sir."

"Ready yourself." He paused as he held out his arm and Harry took it. "Don't cross uncle Theodore." He looked down at Harry and gave him a stern look. "He is the head of the family, and if he tells you to do something, you will have to find a way to do it. He is the one demanding I bring my heir to the yearly family gathering. You are to remain respectful and polite to my relatives and to me at all times or there will be consequences you will not enjoy."

Harry gave him a nod and added this to the list in his mind of rules he had been given to follow. Don't mess with Theodore.

Snape disapparated with Harry, taking him into the unknown.