Daniella Greengrass had something missing from her life. She had finally successfully become a member of the Hogwarts staff, something respected by wizards everywhere. It had taken nights and days of studies and ultimately proving her worth on the subject, Ancient Runes. Her family had been so proud of her! She had gone to her brother's home, something that was normal not a pleasant experience with the exception of seeing her God daughter/niece, Daphne. Being Daniella, she had never once contradicted her brother in anyway, as her older brother would certainly dismiss her contradictions as most older brothers did, and more importantly, it simply was not done, being rude to the head of your family's home. That said, she had seriously considered kidnapping her niece at one point and ever since that thought until the fall of the dark lord.

Daniella could remember the conversation clearly. Her brother, William, had been conversing those days with people whom Daniella thought disgraceful to all Purebloods alike. The dark lord was gaining more and more support and her brother had seen this happening and was willing to even sell his daughter to achieve new heights socially, something not completely unheard of but nonetheless barbaric.

"So, Lucius, if I can arrange the future marriage of our young heiress, my daughter, Daphne, to your young heir, Draco, then you can promise me that when the Dark Lord rises that the ancient and noble house of Greengrass will be recognized accordingly, and a merge will be placed?"

"It is just a proposal, Fredrik. From what I have heard of late, I had thought that you might take a great interest to this particular arrangement…"

Fredrik had nodded and looked to his wife and sister sitting with them at the table, and began smiling at the two noble blondes across from him. "We will have to discuss this proposal and I will tell you at a later date whether the houses will merge or not in the future."

Lucius had stood with his wife. He shook Fredrik's hand and left in confidence.

She shuddered just thinking about it. What the Malfoy's had done over the years had been completely disgraceful and no matter how highly her brother talked of them, she would always think differently. Daniella sighed. Daphne had become part of her over the years. That she could end up with such a fate sickened her. Once the Dark Lord had fallen, to the hands of a little boy no less, Daniella couldn't help but let a sigh of relief. She had taken Daphne with her to her home while Fredrik's home had been searched vigorously. Daphne, thank Merlin, was not binded to the Malfoys in anyway, but that did not mean that it would not happen in the future. Those few days with Daphne she had thought of what the little boy would end up as. The boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.

Daniella had been just one year out of Hogwarts when the boy-who-lived had not died. No one had heard of him as he seemingly disappeared after his great victory. This annoyed the public to no end, but stories and rumors were still being spread, even five years after the incident.

There was a reason why Daniella had been thinking of this. It was a simple reason, really. Her profound ability with legilimency gained her access to much more information than she had expected. She did not purposefully done it, like most times that it happened, but it was simply one of her traits that she tried to hold back for the sake of other's privacy.

When she had been accepted into the Hogwarts staff yesterday, there was a small party for her celebrated in the great hall upon her entrance. She had the luck to be seated next to one of her favorite professors, Professor McGonagall. There had been much wine served that night, and a question of whether she was looking forward to teacher her God daughter was brought up. Upon further discussion of her God daughter, who, again, she was immensely proud of, came the discussion of Harry Potter who was also going to be attending that year.

Minerva (as Daniella had begun calling her shortly after joining the staff), had privately let it slip that she had being upset by the way his life might have turned out. Of course, she had much wine and didn't even realize her mistake, but Daniella couldn't stop herself from looking into the memory of the respected witch. She had quickly, and silently, agreed with her that she had not wanted to live with those dreadful muggles. She did not want to appear overly interested in the subject, as a true Slytherin never shows a hint of what they could be thinking. Apparently, the poor boy was just left there, not even checked up on since then.

'How could Dumbledore just do that?' She was still sitting in her classroom, finishing the touches on what would be covered in her seventh years' year. 'From what Minerva said, the poor thing has not even been checked up on… No one would notice if I just checked up on the boy tonight.'

It was around the time when she would be going home normally, an agreement between her and the headmaster that she would have sleeping quarters at the school, but she would normally be sleeping at her home as to ensure that nothing bad was happening to her god daughter. Before she was hired at the school she was working on a project that required her to report once a day to an office, if only briefly. Ultimately, Daniella had gotten the teaching position because of this job, so Dumbledore was not hard to convince to place a floo network in her room. Although all of the work could be done at home, the inconvenience of all of the wards in Hogwarts would have made it much more difficult to do both jobs if she had not had the floo in her private room.

Once she was in her home, she recalled the street which Minerva had been, five years prior. She would not lie and say that she wasn't excited, but she could not admit it to herself either. Once she was on the street, she moved until she saw it. Number Four.

All of the houses were the same, but she could hear the muffled yells coming from this one. It wasn't late, only around three or four. She placed a dissillusionment charm on herself, something she had become increasingly good at over the years at Hogwarts, learning blackmail information that would ensure no one would ever bother her. Unlike many of the wizards she had to deal with growing up, she was one of the few who weren't greatly remembered or even well known, a fact that she was proud of through the years. She believed in the wise saying to speak soft words but carry a big stick. There was a reason why the infamous Marauders had never messed with her specifically after their first attempt.

She remembered briefly the time when she was a second year, walking along to dinner when they had snuck up on her. Of course, with her uncanny ability with 'hearing' people, she was able to sense what they were going to do, and preform the spell on them before running up to them and promptly kicking two of them "there", breaking one's nose, and having the last one begging for mercy. They swore that they would never do anything to her and ran off, very afraid.

Another time, someone of her own house, an older slytherin had tried to sneak up on her, but for much racier reasons. She dodged his stunner, but he was close enough to try to grab her, which he did, but when he attempted to harm her, she used the move which she was not so naive to ignore from the muggle world, her fighting skill. No one had heard of the experience except for her one fried at the time, Andria Parkinson, who she had warned about the boy trying to attack her, although she claimed that she just used accidental magic, not 'muggle methods'.

As she gracefully moved closer to the back of the home, the voices became louder. She looked through the curtains of the back window and saw a little boy, undoubtedly a Potter, cowering from a purple faced man holding a paper up, screaming.

"YOU THINK YOUR SPECIAL, FREAK?" He screamed. The boy whimpered something that Daniella couldn't hear. "DON'T YOU TALK BACK!" He punched the little six year old in the stomach. Daniella gasped in horror as the boy fell to the floor. "YOU CHEATED, BOY!" He kicked him. "YOU THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD BE BETTER THAN DUDLEY, DID YOU?" Another kick. Daniella felt the rage boil over in her blood. She grabbed her wand. "WELL, YOUR NOT SPECIAL, YOUR JUST A FREAK! JUST LIKE YOUR BLOODY PARENTS! THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU ARE FREAKS!" He grabbed the little boy by the scruff and flung him across the room. "CUPBOARD, NOW! AND NO FOOD UNTIL WE SEE FIT THAT YOU'VE LEARNED THAT CHEATING AND STEALING IS NOT TOLERATED IN THIS HOUSE, BOY!" He kicked the boy, hard in the ribs and picked him up as they boy was crying in pain from movement, and threw him into the little cupboard beneath the stairs.

Before Daniella could think properly about what she was doing, she kicked open the door. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" the purple faced man said.

"How dare you treat him like that, Dursley," she spat his name. "Give the boy to me now, and you'll never have to worry about him or his kind again." She could feel the anger trying to escape her, but she held it in for fear that Dumbledore would be alerted if she did anything drastic.

"You mean that bloody waste of air?" he said. He went into the cupboard and took out Harry, bloodied and bruised, obviously crying. Daniella's heart went out to him.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" She stunned the man and quickly levitated Harry to her and put him on the table. She walked over to the man, looking around. No one else was around. She enervated him. Before he could say or do anything, she obliviated him. "The boy left to go to the park and hadn't come back," she said before going over to the little boy. "I know your probably hurting very bad right now, but if you come with me I promise to heal you right away and you won't have to stay here any longer." It didn't matter right now if this was even Harry Potter or not. This instant he was just a boy, damaged and young who desperately needed her help, help that no one else was providing.

He looked scared up at her, but the promise of not coming back was too great and he accepted. She gently took him into his arms, a response that felt right as her maternal instincts kicked in, and ran out the door, disillusioning them both. Her could hear him whimpering and taking obviously painful breathes. It was slowly breaking her heart. Once they were back where she had apperated to, she disapperated into her home.

She gently placed the little green eyed, raven haired boy onto the couch and lay him there. "I'm Daniella, hun. Do you have a name?" She asked, trying to get him to stop crying.

"Y-Yes… It's Harry… Harry Potter." He was trying not to cry now. He looked at the woman. He couldn't really see that well, but he noticed that she was very young. "Where am I?" He asked her.

"Shh, I'll tell you everything once I heal some of these wounds, hun. Would you please take off your shirt?" He nodded, and, embarrassed, took off his shirt.

Daniella was trying to be strong for the young boy in front of her but she couldn't help the gasp that came when he painfully removed his shirt. There were bruises covering his emaciated form. With shaky hands she healed some of the cuts and buises on him. "This part is going to hurt." He nodded and she muttered the incantation to correctly place his bones. He gasped in pain and she ran to her cabinet to get some pain potion. She grabbed some skele-grow while she was there and gave them both to him. "Does anything else hurt?"

Harry made a face after drinking the potions. "I've had a problem with my left leg, I think it's broken… Ms. Daniella…"

She gently moved his pant leg up and he gasped in pain. His leg was clearly broken. She could see the bone cracked in half. After fixing the bone she gently pulled down the pant leg. "Alright Harry, how do you feel? Is the potion working?"

"It… It doesn't hurt anymore…?"

"Okay, that's good. Now for your question, Harry. As I told you, I'm Daniella. Daniella Greengrass. You are in my private home right now." He looked hesitant and she could tell he was trying to restrain himself. "It's okay," she gently rubbed his hand. "You can ask me questions."

"How did we get here?"

"That is a good question. We apperated here using magic."

"M-Magic?" He was wide eyed now.

"What do you mean? You've never heard of magic?" She was staring at him, bewildered.

"I've heard of it, I just thought it was fake… whenever I said it I would get in trouble."

"Harry, your a wizard." He looked at her incredulously. "Harry, do you even know who you are? Who your parents are?"

He looked at the floor, for some reason ashamed. "Well… well, I know they died in a car crash, but… I don't know… don't know their names or anything like that…"

"WHAT?" He jumped. "Harry, your the boy-who-lived. The only boy who has ever survived the killing curse. Your parents, Lily and James Potter, they were both wizards who went to Hogwarts, just like I did. They were killed by the Dark Lord who you defeated when he tried killing you! Are you telling me that they lied to you about that?!"

Harry's head was spinning. "Well… Well, no. I didn't know any of that. Are you sure that I'm a wizard?"

Daniella figured the only way to prove this was to show him. "Okay, see that table?" He looked at the table and it became a pig. "WOAH!" She smiled at him. "That's what many people say when they first say that." She looked at him closer. "Are you alright, Harry? Do you want something to eat?"

Harry seemed like he didn't want to answer but muttered to her. "Yes, I'm a little hungry…" She smiled gently at him and brushed the hair out of his face. This boy had obviously only been showed compassion for when his parents were still alive. 'The boy-who-lived, the one who saved myself and the only one whom I truly love, he has been neglected all of these years. No more though. I will care for him now.' "What would you like to eat, Harry?"

Harry felt like he was in a dream. Daniella's hand was still brushing his hair gently out of his face and behind his ears. "I really don't mind, Ms. Daniella." He couldn't help but lean into her touch, savoring it before it all disappeared.

She smiled at him and stood up. She cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him on the head. "Why don't you try to sleep and I'll make some dinner."

Harry decided to do just that.

.

.

.

Daniella studied Harry before she woke him up. He seemed slightly troubled, even while sleeping. She placed the nutrient potion supplement next to the pumpkin juice and macaroni and cheese that she prepared. It was one of her secret favorites and she had never hear of a muggle child who hadn't liked it. She crouched down next to him and gently rubbed his arm up and down. "Harry?" she called.

Harry slowly stirred then flinched away, startled. "W- Oh." He took on a sheepish look. "Hello Daniella." He rubbed his eyes and looked at the food, squinting. "Is that dinner? It smells really good!"

Daniella chuckled. "Yes, this is dinner, Harry. Why are you squinting?" She helped him sit up on the couch.

Harry looked at her and the food, his stomach rumbling. It smelled cheesy! He loved cheese. "Oh, Dudley smashed my glasses today at school." He shrugged. "They didn't do much good anyway. I'd rather not see than have those terrible headaches."

Daniella took the food and gave it to him, sitting next to him on the couch with her own plate. "Okay, we'll go get you another pair tomorrow sometime." She smiled as Harry's expression changed after a bite of the food.

"This is AWSOME!" He said, shoving another forkful of macaroni in his mouth.

Daniella laughed. "Well, I'm glad you like it."

They ate quickly in silence until he was finished. "What is this?" he asked, gesturing to the cup.

"Oh, that's pumpkin juice. It's a drink in the wizard world. I think you'll enjoy it. Just drink up that nutrition potion first. It doesn't look like you have been getting all of your veggies lately…?" Inside she was seething, just thinking about the poor boy being tortured like that while the entire wizarding community would do anything to meet him. Disgusting. Well, she had him not, so he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. The bloody muggles would get what they had coming to them later in life, no doubt.

"Well, no… I've been in trouble lately, so, only have had a few meals a week…" It took very strong Occumulancy shields to not show how much rage she had at this point. She took a deep breathe in and let it go, slowly.

"Harry, I'm not going to let that happen. If you promise to stay with me, and to stay out of trouble, that's all I ask, then I'll give you three meals a day and never mistreat you. I promise." She took Harry's hand and patted it, then stood up and took the plates to the kitchen and charmed them clean.

When she got back in she found Harry looking around the room. "Harry, it isn't too late yet, would you like to go out and get some things? Or are you still not feeling too well?"

"I'll go out with you. I would love to go out!" He stood up then winced. "My leg hurts a little though…"

"Oh, that's alright. Furula," she said pointing her wand at his leg. suddenly it was in a brace. With the next wave of her wand there were two crutches. "How's that, Harry?"

He just smiled. "This is great, Ms. Daniella! How… How long will I be… er… staying here?"

"Forever, Harry. Or at least until you want to leave, that is." She smiled at him when he looked at her surprised. "You're a nice kid. I wouldn't mind some company…"

Harry was grinning at her, cheeks reddened from praise. "Thanks! I don't need the bandages though, but maybe I'll use the crutches until it doesn't hurt so much."

Daniella nodded and with another swish of the wand the bandages were gone. "Well, lets get going, Harry. The sooner we finish our shopping, the quicker we can get back here and get a good night's sleep."

With that, the unusual duo made their way through London, stopping here and there to pick up clothes, shoes, glasses, a lot of books which were mostly about history as Harry expressed a great interest in the topic. Daniella found herself having the best time of her life with the little raven haired charmer.

When they got home, Harry was completely exhausted. He sat on the couch and fell asleep before even showering. Daniella saw this and did a quick cleaning charm on his clothes, then transfigured them into more comfortable nightwear. Scooping him up in her arms, she couldn't help but sigh in content when he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her. She just stayed like that for a few minutes, holding him in her arms. This is what she had wanted all of her life. What she needed. She had no memory of her parents ever hugging her in anyway, only giving her words of praise which would only go so far in one's life. No, she would be better than them, simply because she needed this just as much as he did. The one man she loved had been lost to the war with the dark lord, and no one could change that. Her brother and sister in law were similar to her parents; never hugging Daphne, seldom telling her they loved her. In front of anyone, Daniella would act just like them, the way she was raised to act. But, whenever she could sneak Daphne away to her home, she would braid her hair and give her hugs and tickle her. She wished that Daphne could have more of that in her life, but she would do the best she could to provide the love that she felt her own parents had missed out on.

She pulled the covers on the guest bed open, then gently placed Harry beneath them. A ghost smile graced his lips as he snuggled into the covers. Daniella brushed the hair out of his face and traced the scar. 'I wish he did not have to bear the mark of such an injustice…' She gentle lowered herself to the sleeping boy and laid a kiss on his head. 'But I will love him all the same.'