Severus scowled deeply at the houses on Private Drive. Every last one of them were the same cardboard cutout, square two story house. The only difference appeared to be the color and even that seemed to have been chosen to compliment the house next door. The lawns were perfectly manicured and perfectly green. A grossly over done example of normal, it was disgusting.

As he approached #4 he noticed a small boy weeding the gardens. His clothing was several sizes to big and obviously ragged and old. There were bruises on his arms and the shoulder where the too big shirt had slipped down. His anger rose at the sight. Even though he couldn’t see the child’s face he knew it was his son covered in bruises and so obviously not being taken care of, there was no way to mistake the wild mane of black hair that crowned the boys head, it was so much like James.

“Harry!” he called from the end of the walkway. He could only hope his son remembered him or at the very least wasn’t frightened by him.

Harry looked over his shoulder at the man that had called out his name. He was tall, taller then Uncle Vernon, with black hair, eyes and pale skin. There was a slight smile on his face. Harry stood up and faced the man with his head cocked to the side. He knew this man. He was sure of that but from where he couldn’t quite remember.

“Do I know you?” Harry questioned.

Severus nodded and reached into his pockets pulling out the toy that he had rescued from the burned remains of Godrics Hollow. The golden snitch he had bought for Harry when he was young. He would often charm it to fly around Harry’s head. As soon as James had seen the giggling toddler trying to catch the stuffed snitch he’d run out and bought a stuffed quaffle for Harry to play with. He said it was because it wasn’t fair of Severus to influence his soon towards his preferred quiditch position if James couldn’t do so as well.

As soon as Harry saw the toy the memory that had been dancing just out of focus clicked in his mind.

“Papa?” Harry responded. He shot forward running down the walkway when he saw the nod.

Severus knelt down on one knee and opened his arms to catch the running boy. Clutching him tightly to his chest, how he had missed holding his son.

“What’s going on out here!?!” Came a bellow from the front porch. Severus looked up to see a fat walrus of a man standing in the doorway.