'Wait here.' Snape wondered how many times Dumbledore had left his office with the frustrating command as the only explanation.
Dumbledore re-entered the room and took even him by surprise.
He was with a child, a young boy about two years old by the looks of him. Snape's heart gave a jolt at the sight of him. He was unmistakable, in spite of the dark and messy hair that covered his scar.
"The Dursleys tried to send him away to an orphanage. I have to obliviate not only the people at the orphanage but the muggles on the road who saw the tyres of the car disappear."
And with that, Dumbledore left as quickly as he had arrived, leaving Harry with Snape.
Snape supposed he was to remain with the boy until Dumbledore returned. It infuriated him that Dumbledore took him for granted and there was nothing he could do about it.
Harry was staring at him with childish curiosity. "Who are you?"he asked surprisingly clearly for a child that had recently begun to speak.
"You may call me sir," Snape replied distinctly coldly.
Harry had lost interest in the conversation by then and ran towards the large fireplace in which a blazing fire roared.
Snape caught him just in time, and consequently set his own cloak on fire.
Harry seemed to find the entire process extremely amusing, and laughed out loud when Snape put out the fire.
Snape openly scowled at him, but Harry didn't seem bothered. He was edging back towards the fire, an impish look on his face.
"You are not to go near the fire. Do you understand?" Snape castigated severely.
Harry ignored him, clambered on to the leather chair, and found something else to entertain him; Fawkes.
He caught the bird suddenly, as though in an effort to strangle it. Fawkes nipped Harry's tiny hand, and his face crumpled.
Tears leaked out of those shockingly green eyes, and Snape found that he couldn't maintain the sternness.
He lifted the child and placed him on his lap. He discovered why the boy had been running towards the fire; his arms and legs were undeniably cold.
A surge of anger towards the Dursleys surprised him.
Had they been abusing the child?
His clothes were worn and thin, without a doubt not warm enough for the bitter winter.
Snape conjured up a fire in a jar, and placed it on Dumbledore's table. He then proceeded to wrap a part of his large billowing cloak around the boy.
Harry didn't reach out to touch the fire this time, but silently watched the flickering flames.
He had stopped crying almost as soon as Snape had lifted him up, and Snape realized unwillingly, that all that the boy needed was a little bit of love.
He hesitantly pushed a lock of hair away from Harry's face.
Harry leaned nearer to him, and closed his bright and innocent eyes, and Snape found himself unable to push him away.
He stroked the child's hair, lost in memories of Lily.
He heard footsteps outside. Harry was fast asleep now, snugly wrapped in his cloak.
He knew that it wouldn't do for him to be discovered with the Potter child asleep on his lap.
Before Dumbledore entered, he placed Harry in the armchair across him, and settled down with the Daily Prophet.
Dumbledore looked tired.
That was a good thing; he wouldn't have noticed that the paper was the wrong way up.
Snape set the paper down, and looked at Dumbledore.
"Well?"
"It's done. It's time to send him back."
"Surely not back to the Dursleys?"
"He is safe there, Severus. I had a hard time convincing Minerva but I am sure of it."
Snape glared at him in reply.
"Have you been getting acquainted with him?" Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
"He's as arrogant as his father. In the short span of time you were gone, he tried to burn himself, set my robes on fire, and tried to murder your bird," said Snape unblinkingly.
Dumbledore gave a low chuckle, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Harry.
"His memory must be wiped, Severus."
Harry had woken up in the commotion and was looking at the wand with those startling green eyes, and Snape despised himself for loving those eyes that were lost to him years ago.
"Obliviate."