"Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evan's eyes, I am sure?"

"DON'T!" bellowed Severus. "Gone… dead…"

"Is this remorse, Severus?"

"I wish… I wish I were dead…"

"And what use would that be to anyone?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

"What- what do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died. Make sure it is not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."*

Severus woke from his fitful sleep, his eyes snapping open. He had been having the same dream over and over again for weeks, replaying the conversation he had had with Dumbledore a year and a half before in his dreams, the plea of protecting the Potter boy haunting him. So far, Severus hadn't tried to protect the boy. Severus rationalized in his head that with the Dark Lord dead, he had no reason to try to protect the child. After all, there was no reason for him to care about the child. He was with Lily's sister, which while it wasn't ideal, Severus knew the boy wouldn't die and that's all he cared about.

Still, something wasn't sitting well with him and he knew what he should do. With a sigh, the young man heaved himself out of bed and to his wardrobe. Dressing for the day, Severus shoved his socked feet into his dress shoes and trudged down the stairs to his kitchen. Filling the coffee machine that sat on his counter from his father, Severus moved about the room, preparing a light breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs. Once the pot was filled with the hot liquid, he poured himself a mug, sipping the black brew as the room filled with June sunlight.

When he finished, the young man put the plate and mug in the sink, to be washed when he returned. Striding to the fireplace, Severus tossed a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, stepping through to his destination.

*S*S*

Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, reading over the new school years' roster of first year students when his floo activated and Severus Snape, his new potions master came through. Severus was due to start working the upcoming September as Horace wished to retire at the end of the current school year.

"Severus, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Albus looked up from the parchment with a smile.

"I need to know where Harry Potter lives." Severus sat down on one of the hard chairs in front of his employer's desk, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Severus, I remember you saying you wanted nothing to do with the boy until he turned eleven." Albus looked at him over his half-moon glasses, his eyes twinkling.

"I fear that there is something not right with where the boy is living. I have no proof, and I have no reason to be trusted, but my conscious is telling to check on his living situation." Severus pushed off his knees to sit up straight in the chair.

"Severus, I trust you. Even though you haven't had the best past, everyone deserves a second chance. I know I haven't had the best past either and I have the reputation of being the kindest wizard on the planet. I have seen the best in you Severus." Albus handed the younger wizard a folder. "This is all the information we have on Harry Potter to date. Go to Surrey and come back with your findings. If anything is wrong, we will move the boy, but do not try to remove him on your own."

"What if something is majorly wrong? I am just to leave a baby?" Severus was surprised at the headmaster's decision.

"We will work together to find a home for the boy after we have a case. You can't take him without the law on your side. You could be charged with kidnapping." Albus fixed the man before him with a hard stare.

"Yes sir I understand." With that, Severus stood up and walked to the fireplace, stepping through to his own home.

He sat down in his armchair with the folder in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. He only allowed himself one glass of any alcohol a day, though he would be lying to himself if he said that he always followed that rule. He didn't care that it was barely 10 am, he rationalized that he would need it.

Opening the folder on his lap, he skimmed over the first few pages, listing immunization records and doctor's visits. The next page detailed his parents and their blood status, which made Severus'' heart clench when he saw Lily's name and blood status on the parchment, followed by the word deceased.

"I'm so sorry, Lily." Severus flipped the page and saw pictures of what he presumed where of Petunia's family before Potter came to live with them. There was a large man and she still had her long neck. Severus remembered how she would use it to spy on him and Lily when they were children. On the next sheet there was a blonde baby that resembled a beach ball. He snapped the folder shut and stood.

Dumbledore be damned. He was going to do something more than observe.

*S*S*

Severus apparated to the darkening street of Privet Drive, his wand held firmly in his hand. He refused to take any chances, not knowing how the Dursley's would react to him barging into their home and taking their nearly three year old nephew.

Mustering up the courage he needed, which admittedly wasn't much, the young potions master went to the door and rapped his knuckles four times. As he waited, he could hear footsteps and a soft crying.

Faster than he thought, the door was pulled open quickly. Petunia Dursley stood with a large, round child on her hip and the source of the crying, a small baby that could be no older than 20 months was clinging to her pant leg, wailing for her to pick him up as well.

"Mrs. Dursley, I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm Severus Snape. I've been sent by Albus Dumbledore to evaluate how you have been treating Harry Potter."

Petunia gave him a foul look and tried to close the door in his face. "You will not be entering my home, you freak!"

Severus very calmly shouldered his way in and scooped up the sobbing boy. Bouncing him on his hip, Severus took note of the bony child who refused to calm. He was too light for his own good, which made Severus a little nervous. He needed food and lots of it, and a more caring family.

"Odd, how you would rather listen to the screaming rather than pick up the boy and care for him." Severus tutted, patting the boy on his back. He had a nephew Potter's age, and knew how to care for children, but he was shocked that his own aunt would rather he cry than comfort him.

"He's no family of mine. He's a freak, just like his mother and father. Blowing up my good china today and yesterday, my toilet caught on fire!"

Severus soothed the boy as her voice got higher and higher.

"My husband and I are not happy! We're thinking about putting him in an orphanage where he belongs." Petunia rocked her son in her arms.

"No need. I'll be taking him off your hands. It's clear to me that you and your husband are unfit to care for a gerbil, let alone a child. You clearly have not been feeding him, but have instead been overfeeding your own son. Your sister loved you dearly, till her dying day. And this is how you repay her? You should be ashamed of yourself."

Severus tucked the boy's head under his chin and rocked him back and forth. "if you would be so kind as to get the boy's personal items, so that we can be on our way. I would hate oh so much for you to be inconvenienced any longer."

Petunia's mouth puckered and she swiftly left the hallway they were standing in. Severus assumed it was to get the boy's clothes and toys but she was back, and Severus could hear the boy she was just holding screaming for attention in another room.

She wrenched open the door to the broom cupboard under the stairs where there was a stained mattress and a blanket full of holes. On the shelf about the bed, a few articles of clothing were stored and on the bed, a patchwork lion that Severus recognized as the one Lily made for her son when she found out she was pregnant.

He watched as she stuffed all the things other than the mattress and the blanket into a plastic shopping bag, not bothered to use a real bag for the boy and shoved it into Severus' arms.

Now, if you would be so kind, leave my home at once!"

*S*S*

Severus left the house and winched as the door behind him slammed shut. Severus shushed the boy he was holding and bounced him on his hip as he decided his next step.

He couldn't apparate with a baby, and the floo would be too violent. He could call a cab, but he had no money. But he could call someone else.

Severus strode down the street to the residence of Arabella Figg, who he knew to be a squib, assigned with the task of watching to make sure Potter didn't die. He knocked on the door of her home, holding his breath and hoping she was there.

"Yes?" the door was pulled open as far as the chain would allow and when the woman realized who he was, she closed and then released the chain, so she could throw open the door.

"Severus! What are you doing here? Why do you have little Harry?"

"I fear that his treatment has been less than desirable, and I have acted out in haste. I did not think of how I would get the child to Hogwarts once I got him to safety. Would it be possible for me to use your floo?"

Severus knew only one person who could drive a car and thankfully she was a few towns over on ministry business. Julianne Moore and Severus had met in University when they were 18. She was involved in child social services and he in potions. Through mutual friends and time, they started to date and in the past year, be had proposed. Though they were getting married in the upcoming year, Severus was not sure how she would react to his suggestion that they care for the child, for the time being, at least.

Nevertheless, he had to call her to get out of Surrey. Thankfully, she was wrapping up a conference a few miles away from Surrey and should be able to get them. He tossed the sparkly green powder into the fireplace and called out the name of the conference center she was in. As much as he hated it, he knelt and stuck his head in the flames, rather than stepping through. He held his breath and waited, praying she would come into the room.

When he heard footsteps, he called out to them, hoping it was Julianne or someone who knew her and would go get her.

"Severus?" Julianne dropped to her knees, her robes fluttering around her on the floor. "Why are you calling me in the middle of the day? Is everything alright?"

"Well, I acted out of haste and I may have kidnapped Harry Potter."

"Severus, what did you do?" Julianne was shocked and hoped he was joking.

"I went to Surrey and took the boy from his relatives. They were starving him. He's nearly 3 and he's skeletal. He would have died." Severus sighed, trying to reason with her.

"You don't have a way to get him to Yorkshire do you?" Julianne pulled her briefcase toward herself and dug inside for her keys. She drove a Ford Sierra and thankfully, she had a car seat already in the back for Christopher, Severus's nephew.

"I don't, and I would love you forever if you helped me out." Severus smirked, knowing his word choice was out of character.

"You dolt, you already love me forever. You gave me a ring to prove it. I'm in Guildford, so if you can entertain him for 15 minutes, I can be there to come and get you."

"You're a life saver. We're at Number 5 Privet Drive." Severus cut off the call and stood up, turning around to find Arabella feeding the boy dry cereal, which he was nearly inhaling.

"I figured he shouldn't have anything heavier. They barely feed him as is. He's lucky that he gets a meal every few days as far as the Dursley's are concerned." Arabella rolled her eyes. "They should have their own child taken away."

Severus smiled a little and sat in the chair next to the boy. Spying the plastic bag, Severus pulled the bag closer and started to rifle through it, handing the boy the stuffed toy.

"Kitty!" Harry hoarsely cried out, as if he rarely used his voice. He reached his little hands for it and stuffed a leg into his mouth, sucking on the fabric. Severus could remember doing the same to his stuffed snake when his father was in the living room below him, yelling at his mother.

Severus watched as the boy pulled the lion from his mouth long enough to stuff a handful of cereal into his mouth, chew and then jam the leg back into his mouth once more. The malnourished boy ate for about 20 minutes before there was the sound of a horn beeping outside.

Harry jumped and cowered, nearly tossing the cereal onto the floor by accident. Mrs. Figg picked him up and rocked him while Severus went outside with the plastic bag of clothes.

"Hi, Sev. What do you have here?" Julianne got out of the car and rounded it to stand at his side.

"This is what the Dursley's gave me for his clothes." Severus put the bag on the roof of the car and pulled out a hole filled jumper. It was stained and way too big for the baby, and Julianne narrowed her eyes at the garment.

"Well, he needs new clothes, and we need to get more children sized forks and such and cups. And he'll need a bed and other furniture and toys and the like, you know how Christopher can be about having his own space when he visits. We have the car seat and I brought Christopher's stroller and the diaper bag. Do you think he's potty trained?"

"I don't think so. He's wearing a diaper right now." Severus stuffed the sweater back into the plastic bag and tossed it into her trunk.

"We'll have to work on that then. After all, you rescued him, so we basically have to keep him."

"What do you mean?" Severus followed her up the walkway to number 5.

"Severus, no one has been kind to him other than Lily and James. We're going to be parents now, love. Christopher will be excited and your mother as well."

"I thought we could give him to the Weasleys' or something?" Severus opened the door and walked into the house with her. "Cora is going to be furious that we're doing this."

Cora was Severus' younger sister. Her husband had left when she was 6 months pregnant with Christopher and filed for divorce in the same year. Last they heard, he was drinking himself to death in Knockturn Alley.

"They have so many kids and Molly's pregnant. There is no way I'm sending him to them. And Cora won't be furious. She's been pushing for us to have kids for years." Julianne walked into the kitchen where Harry was sitting on the floor, playing with two cups and his lion. "Hi Harry!" She knelt on the floor next to him, a smile on her face.

"Hi," He was quiet and shy, and Julianne's heart broke.

"I like your lion. He's very cute."

"He no cute! He a killer! Raw!" Harry picked up the toy and shook it a little. He liked the nice lady who was talking to him. She wasn't yelling at him for playing and not cleaning and she was even on the floor with him. She reminded him of the lady who used to live next door to his aunt and uncle. She used to let him play on her daughter's swing set when his auntie went over with Dudley. He didn't know why, but there was something about her that made him want to trust her. There was an aura about her that just glowed.

"Oh, see I didn't know that. Do you know anything else about lions?" Julianne moved slowly so her back was against the cabinets under the sink. Harry watched her with wide eyes and didn't relax until she stopped moving. Once she was still, Harry moved a little closer to her, but was still nervous.

"They is fluffy and big kitties!" Harry handed her the toy and clumsily climbed into her lap. He tried this with his auntie before and he got pushed to the floor, but this lady was on the floor with him and she wasn't being loud.

"Oh ho, are they?" Julianne carefully looped her arms around his waist, so he wouldn't fall.

"MMhmm," He leaned against her chest.

"Harry, can I ask you a question?" Julianne looked at Severus who was talking to Arabella quietly in the other room. "Are your auntie and uncle nice to you?"

Harry started to squirm. "Uhhh, sometimes they hurt Harry. Auntie pushed Harry down today." He yanked the large sleeve back on his shirt and showed her the bruise that was on his forearm.

"Well, sweetie, do you want to stay with me and Severus, the man who came and got you today? We have a big backyard and Severus and I have a nephew that's your age that would love to meet you."

"Yeah!" Harry smiled, and Julianne moved him off her lap, so she could stand and pick him up. Settling him on her hip, Julianne walked to the living room to collect Severus.

"Harry, tell Severus that you want to live with us."

"Harry wanna live wif you!" Harry handed Severus his lion. Then he turned to Julianne and whispered, "You no hurt Harry?"

"No, honey, we will never hurt you." Julianne walked out of the house after saying goodbye to Arabella to put Harry in the car seat. She buckled him in the seat as Vernon Dursley was pulling into his driveway, making Harry start to cry.

"Harry, shhhh. He will never hurt you again." Julianne called Severus over to watch Harry and to calm him down while she confronted the whale of a man.

"Mr. Dursley," She was thankful she took her robes off before she got out of the car, so her expensive purple shirt and black skirt were exposed, her black heels clicking on the pavement.

"Who are you, what do you want?" He pulled his briefcase out of the car and shut the door.

"I'm Julianne Moore and I work for Wizarding Child Protective Services, or the W.C.P.S. for short. I have recently found out that you and your wife were abusing Harry Potter," She held up a hand when he tried to interrupt her. "You and your wife will be hearing from my office." She handed him her business card.

"How dare you come and threaten me, in my own neighborhood!" He went purple in the face.

"Oh, you think that that's a threat?" She laughed. "Fine, you want a threat? If you tread carefully, you won't be arrested, your wife won't be arrested, your son won't go into foster care and you won't be ruined completely." She slapped papers into his hand. "Read those, memorize them. This is what you could be charged with. We'll get in touch with you and let you know if we're going to charge you. You may, if you're lucky, only have to give money to his guardians to help them raise him. Worse case, you go to prison. How does 15-25 sound? Good day, sir." She stormed off to her car and climbed into the driver seat.

"What did you say to him? Severus was in the passenger seat, using his wand to make colorful bubbles for the boy, who was laughing.

"I simply informed him that he will be hearing from me later about his treatment of Harry." She turned the car on and pulled out onto the road. "Now, we are going into London and we will be outfitting Harry with all the things that a child needs."

"Julianne, this is going to be expensive…" Severus frowned. He and his fiancé lived rather cheaply, but it was simply due to his taste, having grown up with very little. They had the money to live rather comfortably, as her job with the W.C.P.S. and his job at Hogwarts paid rather well. She was up for a promotion to assistant director soon and she had already filled out the contract for the position.

"I have an account I set up with work for Harry. Everything he needs for us to set up a room and to get him clothes, toys, and furniture is on the W.C.P.S. After this haul, yes, we must buy things, but in this first round, we're not going to go broke." She turned onto the main road and onto the freeway on the way to London. "We have the spare bedroom, so we won't need to make a new room, which is good. I'm just happy he's away from those nasty people."

Severus nodded. "As am I. He's just a little boy." Severus handed the child a small baggy of dry cereal to snack on.

Julianne nodded and continued to drive. She wanted to get to Diagon Alley before the crowds got too bad, and she knew that Severus felt the same way about crowds. Harry, undoubtedly was the same as the two of them. Julianne was a little nervous about taking the small boy to the shops, but knew that he needed to be able to pick out his own items, like his toys and perhaps his bedding.

"Where we going?" Harry chirped from the backseat, his mouth full of cheerios.

"We," Julianne looked in the backseat via the rearview mirror "are going to London to get you toys and a bed and some clothes and anything else you want."

"But, but… Auntie says Harry doesn't get to have new things." Harry was clearly very confused.

"Well, lovie, your auntie is wrong. You very much deserve new things and you're going to get them. You can get a bunch of new toys and clothes that fit you."

"Oh." Harry plucked a loose thread on the car seat.

"Harry, we want to spoil you. You don't really have much, child and we want to change that." Julianne smiled at her fiancé's kind words. He wasn't always the most kind when he spoke, and it made her heart soar when he tried.

"But Harry doesn't get things 'cause he's a freak." Harry ducked his head down and a few tears slid down his nose.

"Love, you're not a freak. You're a very special little boy and we would love to buy you all sorts of fun things, like toys and clothes!" Julianne continued to go down the road, anxious to get the shopping trip started so they could get home and start decorating Harry's new room.

Severus and Julianne had built a cottage for themselves and the children they would have, spacious bedrooms ready for cribs and bright walls and scattered toys. There was a master bedroom and down the hall from their bedroom was the room set up for Severus' nephew, but there were three other choices for Harry. Julianne wanted him to have his own bedroom, and not have to share one with Christopher. They were in the process of setting up a large playroom in their basement, wanting there to be a place for their kids to play when it was raining out.

"Can Harry have some cars?" Harry perked up a little and blurted out his question. Dudley had these large toy cars that Harry always wanted to play with, but he was smacked by Auntie whenever he went near them.

"If you would like some cars, then we will get you some cars," Severus pointed to the exit they needed, to make sure his fiancée didn't miss it.

After a few moments, Julianne pulled into the muggle parking lot of the Leaky Caldron. "Alright, boys, let's go shopping!"

This is the first chapter of a story I have wanted to write for a very long time! Finally, the Severus adopts Harry story I want to read is going to exist.