James desperately ran with the small burden in his arms. He had no idea where he was going but he was just going AWAY. He gave a short, panting laugh as he ran, his surroundings not making sense to him. Was he at a park? In someone's yard? He laughed again.
He heard a whimper coming from his arms and he slowed down. Then, he spied a dark alley and with a burst of speed, disappeared into its darkness. Bright green eyes looked at him adoringly but with a touch of fear and uncertainty.
"Daddy, where are we going?" So quick was the child to call him Daddy when he had only met him a few hours ago.
"Somewhere safe, my precious son," he kissed the little face desperately, knowing that his period of lucidity was coming to an end. The boy tried to snuggle deeper into his arms and he felt his tiny face force itself into the crook of his neck.
Where was he going? A roar in his head, drowning all noises. He was so startled that he nearly dropped his son. A woman singing. Where was she? Lily?
He shut his eyes and forced himself to concentrate. Where was he going? Yes, his eyes snapped open, he knew where he was going. Somewhere safe-ish. He giggled again. Safe-ish, Snape-ish.
With a loud crack, James Potter and his son, Harry Potter, disappeared.
In front of the gates to Snape's manor, he shushed and jiggled Harry when the boy started to cry. Why was he crying?
"Why are you crying, my boy?" He asked as he paced and wiped away Harry's tears.
"What was that, Dad? It felt bad!" Harry sobbed into his father's shoulders.
James stopped, even his mind stopped screaming for a precious second. Of course! Any sane father would know how to warn or coach their young muggle-raised son before they first apparated. And apparating when the father was mentally incapacitated? Not something that a good father would do! James felt tears well up in his own eyes as Harry's tapered off.
"Daddy, are you sad? Don't be sad, I will be good! Really good!" The boy reached out to touch the tears streaming on his father's cheek.
James smiled. "I'm not sad, Harry." Liar, liar, robes on fire. "I love you so much !" He kissed the thin little cheek and opened the gate with a flick of his hand.
He felt Harry flinch but he didn't say anything. Oh right, muggle-raised son.
James struggled to contain his emotions and the incessant singing, whispers, and noises that made him pause and look around every few steps. He knew they were in his head. They were in his head. Everyone said so! They were in his head.
He felt a finger trail down his arm and a large chunk of lucidity flew away.
"Not my son! Stay away from my son!" Again, he was running. Trying to run from the voices and the screams. They wanted Harry! They wanted to take Harry away from him. Just like Dumbledore and Remus and everyone. They hid Harry. Took him away and told James lies. Now, the voices wanted him, too!
James screamed as he banged on the warded entrance to the house. The life bond between him and Snape only extended so far. He didn't have enough of his mind to use magic.
"Not my son! Stay away from my son!" He crouched over the crying and terrified the boy, trying to protect him.
He needs protecting from you, James. What kind of father are you? The voice laughed and laughed and laughed.
He almost didn't notice when a different, harsher and more masculine voice yelled at him.
"Potter! Potter, what is the meaning of this?"
Snape, it was Snape. He knew who Snape was.
Wild brown eyes looked at tall, imposing figure in front of him. James stood up on shaky legs and held out his arms with the still crying boy inside them.
"Snape, you have to help me. They took him away from me-"
"Is that Harry Potter? After Dumbledore told you that he was safer with his relatives?" Snape sneered at the helpless boy who was trying to crawl back into his father's arms.
"No, he's safer with me! I'm his father! Me!" James screamed as he pulled Harry to his chest.
"Good. Now be his father somewhere else." James knew that he was failing to make his point across when Snape moved to close the door. What are you doing, James?
"Snape, I invoke the Life Debt." James smirked triumphantly when Snape paused and turned around.
"That infernal debt! When it was you who-"
"-and you owe Harry for Lily's death." James whispered.
Snape's already shallow face, paled further into an almost ghostly appearance.
"Yes, I know what you did. How it's your fault that we died!" James noticed that he was rocking Harry in his arms. The boy had a strong grip on his shirt.
James didn't remember death. One second, he was facing Voldemort and the next, he was facing the rotting corpse of his wife in their cemetery plot. "You owe me anything I ask!"
"What do you want, Potter?" Snape's voice sounded flat and resigned, defeated.
James looked down at the crying little boy. He must be so confused and afraid. He had found his father, only to lose him in a couple of hours. The watery green eyes, though, only stared at him in silent adoration.
"Harry, I'm not well. Your daddy is sick, my precious boy. Very sick." That's what everyone had said when he told them about the voices and screams. "Before I can take care of you, I need to get better. I need to go to a healer, a doctor."
"Daddy, don't leave me! I can help you!" The boy wailed as he wrapped his strong, little arms around James's neck.
"This man here, Mr. Snape," he nodded towards the tall, dark imposing figure, "will take care of you until Daddy is feeling all better. He'll take good care of you because he loved your Mom, just like how your daddy loved your Mom. He'll take good care of you because he knows your Mom will be sad if he doesn't. Then, when I get better, I'll come back for you, my brave little boy." At this point, James realized that he was rambling and Harry probably didn't understand half of what he said.
He looked at Snape's shocked and bloodless face, will the man faint before James could finish?
A scream from behind startled him. He heard footsteps run towards them. Harry! They wanted Harry and knew that soon he would be safe. Safer. Safe-ish. Snape-ish. James let out a wild giggle before trying hard to contain himself.
"This is what you must do to fulfill your debt," he screamed and stepped forward. He could barely hear himself over the screams behind him. They were coming. Faster and Faster.
Ignoring Harry's clinging hands, he removed the boy from arms and all but threw him into Snape's weak grip.
"They are coming! They want Harry. I'm going to run and led them away. Keep Harry safe, Snape." He kissed the boy's wet cheeks before running away.
The footsteps grew louder in his ears as the running footsteps followed him. They screamed at him to bring the boy back to them, to give him to them. What kind of father are you? You gave your son to your enemy, the female voice whispered in his ear. Startled, James tripped and fell hard on his face. Blood poured down his chin from his broken nose.
They surrounded him. The darkness and hate and fear and anger and death. The death that clung to him when he had first woken up. Only with Harry and his sweet youthful scent, did the smell of death go away. Now it was all around him. He gagged on the smell as the darkness filled his vision. He screamed.
Snape couldn't help but jump when he heard James Potter scream bloody murder. He instinctly brought the sobbing child closer to his chest as they listened to his father being torn apart by his own demons.
Snape regained his common sense and went back inside his manor, closing the door firmly behind him.
"Daddy! No, Daddy!" The little brat tried to escape his grip, Snape refused to let go.
"He's sick and hurt. He needs help."
"Hush, you little brat. I'm trying to get him some." That shut the child up. He placed the child on the couch, closest to the fireplace before throwing some green powder into the flames from a nearby pouch.
"Albums Dumbledore. I have Harry Potter."