It felt like he'd just closed his eyes when he woke next.

The reason for his abrupt awakening was abundantly clear. The alarm he'd placed on his locked door was going off. Damn it.

It was 1:38 in the morning.

Blasted boy. He'd decided to run for it.

Severus reluctantly got up from the bed and waved a hand to turn off the alarms. The alert he'd placed had been a snap decision before he'd turned in for the night. The boy had a tendency to wander the castle during the school year, he doubted the child would stop just because it was summer and there was more danger with less supervision.

Idiot child.

He threw on his robe and slippers before leaving his quarters. The boy couldn't have gone far. He hoped.

If he spent the entire night searching the castle for the child he'd have the boy scrubbing every inch of Hogwarts with a toothbrush until he graduated. Maybe longer.

Severus had just made it up to the stairs to the first floor when he heard Flitwick's excited voice. How could the man be so awake at this hour? "Harry, my boy! What brings you up here in the middle of the night? Looking for a midnight snack?"

Snape's feet stopped moving. His curiosity got the better of him, and he waited to hear more. Why he cared what the boy had to say, he didn't know. But that was beside the point as he couldn't make out the child's quiet mumbling.

He resisted the urge to snap at the child to speak up.

Flitwick's voice reached his ears once again, "I see. Well, best get you back to Severus. The castle isn't a safe place for a child to wander around alone. Especially with so much of the staff gone already."

Before they rounded the corner to find him eavesdropping on the stairs Snape took the last step into the hall.

"Ah, Severus! We were just looking for you." Flitwick held a plate with an overly large sandwich in one hand. Clearly, he'd just come from the kitchens after acquiring his own midnight snack.

"I apologize for his bothering you," Snape glared at the boy who was staring at the floor. Or perhaps staring at his feet. His bare feet. Stupid boy.

Flitwick noticed the bare feet at that same time, using his wand (and the hand not holding a plate) he silently conjured a very furry pair of scarlet slippers with a Gryffindor crest on them. The lion on the crest appeared to be yawning every so often.

"That's better, I think," Flitwick commented before putting his wand away. "Perhaps I'll walk with the two of you back to your quarters."

Filius moved past him, and Snape glared at Harry until he followed the shorter man down the stairs. He was not going to give the boy an opportunity to run for it. Harry glared at him as he followed Flitwick.

Once they were all at the bottom of the stairs, Flitwick began speaking again, "I'm sure both of you are having a difficult time adjusting to your new circumstances."

Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Flitwick continued, though he looked at Harry who was walking next to him now, "But, Harry, you really must be more careful than to run around the castle. You're the only student here, and most of the staff will be leaving soon. Did you know some rooms in the castle only appear once a month for half an hour? What if you had wandered into one of those? Hmmm?"

Snape felt an odd sensation in his chest at the thought of the boy wandering into that room. He couldn't identify the feeling, and it didn't go away until he reminded himself that that room was kept locked by spells invented by the talented Charms professor walking in front of him, now. There was no way a first-year student would be able to get inside. Hell, he wouldn't be able to make it past all those locking spells before the door vanished again.

"Sorry, Professor," the child mumbled.

"You need to take better care, my boy. I understand that for a child the temptation is nearly irresistible. Of course, with everything going on right now a walk probably sounded like the best way to stop your mind from spinning. However, next time, try to think about the consequences of your actions."

"Yes, sir."

"Severus, would you mind if I came into your quarters to finish my midnight snack before it gets cold? I'm sure Harry will get himself back into bed."

"Of course, not," Severus agreed. He wondered if he'd be receiving the same sort of talking-to that Harry had just received. The idea was ridiculous, of course. He hadn't been a student for over ten years. And, honestly, what had he done to warrant a rebuke of any kind? It must have been the early hour of the morning putting such thoughts into his head.

They reached his quarters a moment later. Apparently, he'd forgotten to close the door on his way out.

Blasted boy.

Flitwick wished Harry a goodnight as the boy all but ran to his room. Snape debated momentarily if he should follow the boy and give him a lecture about running off in the middle of the night and bothering school staff during the summer months. Flitwick's voice made the decision for him.

Filius had made himself comfortable in the same chair Severus had occupied when he'd talked to Harry earlier that night. "I take it your first day as a father isn't going well?"

Snape cringed but sat down heavily. "We haven't even talked about that part of today's events."

"Oh?" Flitwick took a bite of his sandwich.

"I...it's not..." Severus wasn't sure how to explain the situation.

"It's new information that has completely shattered your worldview, and you don't know what to make of it yet."

Severus sighed and nodded silently in agreement. It sounded quite simple when Filius said it that way.

"Or how to talk about it."

Another nod.

"Would you care to practice on me, my boy? I've still half a sandwich to finish."

Severus was surprised at how little of an invitation he needed as he began talking. "Lily came to me about six months after she married James. She said she was going to divorce him." He sneered, "Unsurprisingly, James never really outgrew some of his bullying tendencies."

Filius said nothing, merely ate and listened. There was no judgment and no defense of anyone's actions. No inquiries for further details that Severus would never divulge because those details belonged to Lily alone. She may not have asked him to keep her secrets, but she didn't need to.

Snape was grateful, for the unspoken understanding.

"She stayed with me for three months." And those were the happiest three months of my life, he thought. "And then it was over. She went back to James."

"Severus," Flitwick's voice was firm but also understanding and gentle, "no one is asking you to defend yourself. However, I would suggest learning how to attack the situation head-on. You must decide on a course of action, and then take the necessary steps to see your plan through while also being flexible and willing to adapt to change."

Snape opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. He had spent the majority of the day avoiding thinking about the situation after all. And avoiding the boy. That was hardly facing anything head-on. And so far, that course of action has not resolved or made the situation more pleasant.

"The way I see it," Flitwick's voice rose, as though he were contemplating some fascinating bit of spell theory. "You have two choices: accept the boy or don't. If you try to accept him it will be challenging at first. If you don't, then you'll have to stay out of his life forever which may or may not be as challenging. Both options come with advantages and disadvantages."

"It's not that simple," Snape protested weakly.

"Isn't it?"

Severus paused for a moment, "He hates me."

"I would argue that hate is easier to work with than indifference." The Charms professor placed his now empty plate on the table.

Snape thought for a moment. Flitwick had an astounding ability to make everything seem simple. Logical. To reduce even the most complicated of situations down to a basic level that made it less daunting.

Yet..

He lowered his head to stare at the floor. "There's a part of me that is... pleased with the situation. Pleased that James Potter - who loathed me more than he loathed the Dark Lord - didn't even realize he was raising my child. He died thinking he was protecting his own son, and I hope that he's spinning in his grave over the revelation that I'm the boy's father."

He waited to hear Filius's admonishments for such thoughts, as he kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on the floor. Waited to be scolded like a child for inappropriate behavior. Criticized for thinking in a way that was contrary to the 'proper' way of things. But those words didn't come, and he continued speaking after a moment.

"That's the only part of me that wants to recognize I'm the boy's father." The admission made him uncomfortable. As though he'd said something that wasn't a lie, but wasn't the truth either. "That alone should prove I'm not meant to be one."

He heard Flitwick leave the chair and move to his side. A small, yet older hand rested on his knee. "Give yourself some credit, my dear boy. Most of us have those same types of thoughts but lack the courage to acknowledge them. Let alone share those thoughts with another. You've given that part of you a voice, yes. You can hear and acknowledge it's arguments. Now you have to allow the other parts of your heart and mind to have a voice, as well. Once you do, the results may surprise you."

They lapsed into silence for a moment before the small hand patted his knee softly. "Get some sleep, Severus."

Snape heard the door open and shut softly behind him.

Severus opened his eyes with reluctance, and he blinked several times to remove the blurriness of sleep. He had no desire to get out of bed yet and simply turned over onto his back. The conversation with Filius came back to him, as he slowly pulled himself from Morpheus's realm. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep immediately after Flitwick's departure. Instead, he'd stayed sitting in the chair staring at the floor until one of his legs went to sleep. Only then did he slowly stand and made his way to his room before crawling into his own bed. The charms professor's words stayed with him even then, and it took some time before he fell asleep.

He would never admit that talking had helped to put his own thoughts into some semblance of order. Or that it helped him breathe easier even though there was an emotional rawness left afterward. The ability to make complex subjects seem simplistic was what made Filius Flitwick an excellent teacher. As well as, a trusted advisor.

He glanced at the clock that hung over his bedroom door: it was nearly one in the afternoon.

Bloody hell.

Severus was suddenly very much awake. The boy had probably destroyed his quarters by now. Or was writing to the Daily Prophet about being starved by his Potions Professor. Or worse, telling Dumbledore some ridiculous story about being locked in a closet.

Damn it.

He made quick use of his bathroom - not even bothering to shave - and dressed quickly.

Stepping out into his living room his eyes almost instantly found the boy sitting at the kitchen table. Working on his summer assignments.

That was unexpected.

"Did you eat breakfast... or lunch?" Snape realized it was a stupid question, but wasn't sure what else to say.

The boy was startled at the sound of his voice and turned to glare at him but said nothing.

"Take out your wand," Snape instructed.

Harry seemed confused but pulled the wand from his pocket.

"Tap the table three times, and say what you'd like to eat."

The child thought for a moment before tapping the table, "Chocolate cake."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as seconds later a piece of chocolate cake appeared. He was at the table in two strides and removed the cake from the boy's reach.

"Hey!"

"You will eat something with more nutritional value than cake."

"It was your idea!" The boy shouted back.

"Last night, at supper, yes," Snape agreed, setting the piece of cake on the counter. "Because it had been a shit day for us both."

Harry crossed his arms and slumped down in his chair, "it's still a shit day."

Again, Severus found himself opening his mouth to take points from Gryffindor for swearing before remembering it was summer. Bloody hell.

"Just eat something else first, Potter, then you can have the cake. I will not have you running to Professor McGonagall and telling her that all I feed you is chocolate cake."

The boy continued to pout.

Snape growled before tapping the table three times in quick succession, "Two full English."

Two large plates overloaded with food appeared on the table. The boy hurriedly shoved his schoolwork into the school bag next to his chair as untidily as possible. Severus sat down in the chair opposite him and pulled one of the plates towards himself while nudging the other in front of the child.

They ate in silence.

Severus managed to clean his own plate in a way he hadn't done in years. His lack of appetite the previous day, and sleeping past lunch had apparently left him feeling ravenous. He noticed that the boy tucked in right away, as well, but barely finished half of the food. Regardless, once the boy was done Severus tapped the table four times with his wand and the plates vanished. He considered for a moment before tapping the table again and requesting a glass of milk.

Harry watched curiously as Snape pushed the glass of milk towards him before reaching for the cake that waited on the counter. He placed the cake in front of the boy, before sitting back into his own chair.

"I suppose," Severus began, "I should provide you with some sort of explanation for yesterday's events."

The boy blinked up at him from across the table but said nothing. Snape didn't need to use Legilimency to see both the trepidation and anticipation run through Potter's mind.

Severus took a deep breath before beginning the story starting with the first day he met Lily on the playground. He left nothing out. Even the things the boy was probably too young to hear, he would not be accused of hiding the more shameful aspects of his past from the child. Including the part he played in his best friend's death. And how'd he begged and pleaded with both Voldemort and Dumbledore to spare her life.

Harry, for his part, only asked the occasional question - usually for clarification of a new word - while the cake and milk were left half-eaten and mostly forgotten in front of him.

"As for my being your..." Severus cleared his throat. The word felt strange, "father." He took a deep breath, "James and Lily's marriage was not as happy as most believe. She stayed with me for three months, and began divorce proceedings during that time."

Harry's head was tilted to the side in confusion.

"Three months after she arrived, she told me that she was pregnant and that she was going back to James." Severus looked down, "I did ask if she was sure the baby was his, and she assured me it was. She said that - for you - she had to give James another chance."

"Why did she lie?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"I can only guess that it had something to do with my association with the Dark Lord, and her concern over your safety."

"Oh."

Snape sneered at the response but said nothing.

"Everyone says I look like James Potter. Except for my eyes."

"Because they expect you to look like him." Severus paused before adding, "It doesn't help that the glasses you wear are identical." The child looked skeptical, causing Snape to roll his eyes, again. "When my hair is short it is wavy and refuses to lay flat. James Potter had to style his hair to make it look that way."

He seemed to consider that answer before becoming sidetracked, "How did my Aunt know?"

Snape tilted his head to the side, "Lily and Tuney were sisters. They may have had a falling out, but if Lily showed up at Petunia's door distraught... even your Aunt would have let her in to talk for a while."

They both remained silent for several minutes, the only sound being Harry's foot tapping against the leg of his chair. Severus didn't know what else to say or do. He'd expected the boy to scream and rant at him again. Insult him. Make an assortment of allegations against him. But silence hadn't been what he expected.

"Perhaps," Severus suggested, "you'd like to take your broom and go flying?"

Harry looked at him with suspicion and confusion.

"I'll accompany you outside, of course, and you'll stay within the quidditch pitch." Snape wasn't sure why he cared about where Harry went flying and didn't want to examine that feeling. "But I'll not have you telling everyone I locked you in the dungeons the entire time you were here."

Harry ran to his room to get his broom.

There were fewer staff members in the Great Hall at supper than there had been the previous evening. Madams Pomfrey and Hooch were both absent, and though Severus was sure Sybill was still in the castle she had decided not to join them. Sinistra was absent, as well, and Severus couldn't remember if she'd told him that she'd be leaving early this year or not. She usually spent her summers traveling to various locations to study the skies from different parts of the globe.

As Severus nudged Harry towards the chair at the end of the table, he overheard Burbage talking to Vector about how she planned to spend a summer "fully immersed" in Muggle culture. Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The last time she'd tried that, it had lasted a week before she'd apparated back to the castle to ask him what do Villagers have to do with something called YMCA.

He'd enjoyed the laugh at her expense.

Once Severus and Harry were seated and began serving themselves, McGonagall - who was sitting across from them today - looked sternly at Severus. "I trust, you'll feed yourself and the boy something more nourishing than chocolate cake tonight, Severus."

Before Snape could snap a snide comment to her, Harry's voice spoke up casually from beside him, "I had cake for breakfast and lunch, too."

Snape sneered down at the child beside him who grinned up at him. He looked away from the boy to see McGonagall's stern expression leveled at him. He contemplated a sarcastic comeback to remind her that he was not a student any longer but decided that would make him sound as though it was his first year teaching all over again. He could already see the amusement in her eyes and had no desire to give more reason to laugh at his misery. He also couldn't defend himself without admitting that he hadn't fed the boy anything at all until after one in the afternoon.

"It won't happen again, Minerva," he promised and made a mental note to torture the child later. Perhaps with an inflating draft or a hiccupping potion.

Severus was relieved to watch the stern expression lift from her face, and went back to filling his plate with food. He was contemplating the nerve of the child sitting next to him when he saw a small hand reach for piece of lemon meringue pie before even considering actual food. He intercepted the pie wordlessly, glaring at the boy.

He heard what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle from Minerva, but when he looked up, she was covering it with a cough.

For the few seconds he looked up, Harry took the opportunity to quickly grab a bowl of some type of pudding.

"Potter," he growled, "that's enough."

The child dug into the pudding with gusto not even glancing up at him.

"His name," Minerva stated calmly, "I believe, is Harry."

He couldn't win.

"Harry," he said between clenched teeth glaring at Minerva for a second longer before turning his attention to the child, "Professor McGonagall is right. You need to eat an appropriate dinner before pudding."

Harry ignored him, not even so much as looking up.

Snape opened his mouth not sure what he was going to say, except to berate the child for not listening when another thought occurred to him. He resisted the urge to smile and instead looked up at McGonagall, "As you can see, Minerva, Harry refuses to listen to reason, however, it can't hurt for the child to eat pudding first. He'll need all the energy he can get while he spends the night scrubbing the floor of the Great Hall with a toothbrush."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy pause about to put another bite of pudding in his mouth. The child's eyes narrowed and he appeared to be trying to determine the seriousness of the threat. Snape raised an eyebrow at him challengingly.

Harry pushed the pudding aside, mumbling something under his breath, but reached for a helping of the Shepherd's Pie in front of him.