Welcome to those who have just tuned in. Aloha, to those familar faces. Do take a seat by the fire, pour a shot of chocolate milk and help yourself to a Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Bean cookie. There free, you know.

As always, I own nothing, it is all J.K Rowling's.

Harry woke with a lurch. His initial reaction was to begin scrambling from the bed in a desperate attempt to beat Dudley to the breakfast table, however as he tried to remove himself from his cosy haven, his right knee met a solid wall and he yelped. Clutching his throbbing knee cap he looked around him and mentally scowled. He had completely forgotten about where he was and sighing, he slid off of the left side of the bed and began rummaging through his trunk for a fresh pair of clothes. As he rummaged, Harry tried to shake the unease that brewed deep within his stomach. He had dreamt that dream again, the one where Cedric Diggory's face loomed just within his reach but was replaced with a blinding green light. It was formality at this stage for Harry to wake in a sweat, his heart beating wildly and his mind racing with horror and destruction.

After pulling on a pair of jeans and a hooded jumper, Harry stood distantly in the middle of the room. He was unsure of what to do with himself. His eyes rested on the empty cage belonging to Hedwig and he wondered where she was. He hoped she had returned to the Burrow and maybe Ron was in the middle of writing him a letter. His mood lightened. Harry had little contact with his friends this summer. His uncle had refused to allow Hedwig roam freely around his bedroom, so Harry had no other option but to let her roam freely outside, occasionally sneaking her in at the dead of night to retrieve the odd correspondence or two. Turning on the spot, Harry eyed the shelves on the wall, they were bare except for one, upon which lay a small leather bound book. Cautiously looking over his shoulder, he knelt on the single bed and reached for the book on the shelf. He felt edgy even being on this side of the room. Realistically Harry knew there was no one who could see him, but the fact that Severus Snape resided no more than a few meters away kept Harry on his guard. He strained his ears before unpinning the strap and flicked the book open. It was a muggle book, no doubt at that, but what the pages contained puzzled him. Drawings of all kinds were imprinted on the page; dragons, flowers, broomsticks, stick men and even a Hogwarts Shield. Puzzled at this, Harry examined the cover of the book in the hopes of putting a name on the artist, but nothing obvious struck him. On the spine of the book, the letters FINN were scratched into the leather. A sudden knock on the door caused Harry to drop the book. He quickly kicked it under the bed and stuttered a reply. The door opened and Remus popped his head around.

"Are you alright Harry?" he asked, eyeing the young wizards stunned complexion.

Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Just forgot where I was is all," he smiled meekly.

Remus chortled and opened the door fully. "Breakfast is ready on the table. I hope you're used to eating this early." He escorted Harry down the hall and down the creaking stairs. This time, they stopped outside the only other door downstairs. Harry was readily expecting Snape to be sitting at the table, a scowl plastered across his sallow face and his usual attire of dismal swooping robes. However what Harry saw was fit only for Hogwarts gossip. Standing above an old black stove stood not what Harry recognised as Professor Snape. Rather, there stood a man dressed in dark pants, much like the ones he wore teaching; Snape also wore a crisp white shirt, buttoned neatly at the wrists and a dark blue woollen vest . His hair hung the same, however, loosely around his face yet somehow seemed a lot lighter and far less greasy on his head. Harry glanced at Remus, raising an eyebrow.

"Severus, this looks amazing. Thank you for preparing it." said Remus, smiling up at the Professor.

Severus replied with a sharp grunt, then drew his gaze to Harry. "Welcome to Palaver Street, Mr Potter," he said. Harry noted the silky threat reserved especially for him that Snape kept hidden deep within his voice, but not as deep could be mistaken. "I trust your stay here will be interesting."

"Harry was just saying last night, before he turned in for the night, that he's very grateful for your hospitality. I've already settled him in, explained the off limit areas and all that. " chirped Remus, "Oh, are those the eggs with the soft centre? I do really love those."

Severus kept his eyes rooted firmly on Harry's head throughout the entire breakfast. He noted each and every angle of the boys face, scowling deeply at the scar on his forehead and ever deeper at Harry's unsightly hair. Potter, he thought to himself. Occasionally, he noted the edgy flinching movements Harry made whenever he caught his eye. Severus made no secret of the fact he enjoyed how students cowered before him. Control and perfection were in his books, the key to success and respect. He didn't like the idea of Potter staying in his house for the summer, he only wished he had reached the Floo fire before Remus had, that way he'd have quickly seen Dumbledore on his way.

"I want a word with you Potter, after breakfast," Severus announced, standing up from the table. "You will meet me when you have finished your meal in the living room."

"OK."

Severus scowled. He left the room, allowing the door to bang behind him. Harry looked to Remus and smiled softly.

"I know what you're thinking," Remus said, a small smile playing on his lips, " But really, he's not that bad."

"I respect your judgment, Remus, but I can't ever see myself and Snape getting along." Harry stabbed a piece of egg with his fork. "He's a good cook though."

"Credit where credit due, I suppose." Remus agreed, stabbing his egg yolk with a slice of toast.

0000

In the living room, Severus Snape stood impatiently next to the fireplace. His dark eyes were glued to the window and he scowled deeply at the figure of a tall, thin woman. To Severus, she had always reminded him of a back alley Marylin Monroe. Her peroxide blonde hair and tight leopard print pants were to much for his eyes and he shuddered lightly, setting his gaze back to a spot on the carpet. A knock on the door signalled Harry's arrival and he barked an "Enter." He watched the boy skulk into the room, cautiously glancing around him.

"Sit." he commanded, pointing to one of the single chairs. "Stay."

Harry scowled. Temptation fought to overcome him and his mind whirled with smart remarks he had been practicing all summer in the hopes one day, he'd have the nerve to actually use them. Severus however allowed little opportunity and pointed to the window.

"This is Palaver Street." he said simply. "While here you are beneath my charge. You will do as I say, move as I say and show absolute respect and gratitude at all times. I will tolerate zero nonsense from you. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes sir." Harry emphasized through gritted teeth.

Severus took a step forward and glared down his nose at Harry. "There is much to learn about this area. You will at all times remain within this circle of houses until permission is granted from myself to remove your presence. I will be watching at all times. One wrong move and you will find yourself carted without a moments hesitation straight back to Little Whinging."

"Yes sir."

"There are many rules to learn while here, Potter and I'll take my time to mention them just once, so open those ears." Severus walked to the window. "There are certain people within this area who will without a moments hesitation destroy you. You will figure out for yourself whom you can and cannot socialise with. They will choose you and will not care about who you are, what privileges you have in life. Celebrities are not welcomed here, Mr Potter."

"Best hope no celebrities make an appearance then, sir" Harry challenged, narrowing his eyes. The nerve of Snape, he thought.

"It will do you well Potter to learn that smart comments will earn you punishments in this house. Any rule breaking and you will find yourself withering the summer away in the attic cleaning out cauldrons! Don't forget that the Headmaster isn't here to wash away your foolish errors."

There was a pause. Severus took the time to glance out the window again, where the tall blonde lady was returning with a brown paper bag. He marvelled at her ability to steady those spindly legs in such high plat formed shoes. "Stand here Potter," he said, pointing to a spot at his side. Harry obeyed, though slowly, taking his time to approach the window, the only form of spite he could manage without being to obvious.

"That woman there is Ms. Truman," Severus said. Harry looked at the lady who fumbled with a key, hopelessly trying to jam it into the lock of number 16. "At all times you will avoid this woman. She is not a friend of mine, nor Professor Lupin's."

"OK, sir," Harry agreed.

"Then we're clear Potter. You may now take this time to wonder outside in the terrace."

Harry nodded and made for the door. As he crossed the threshold he heard Snape bark after him. "One error Potter, one single error and you're gone." He closed the door and exited the house.

Outside the morning sun crept across the grass and lit the circle of houses magnificently, reflecting against the shiny brass door knockers, each from what he could see were shaped like Dung. Harry stood on the step of the house and looked around him. The blonde lady had finally managed to enter her home, but Harry couldn't help but wonder why Snape had warned him against her. In fact, Harry wondered a lot of things about Palaver Street. How did people here at all manage to get along with each other? The circle of houses together seemed very cramped and there was little room for personal space. The houses were tiny, just two downstairs rooms. The upstairs wasn't to bad, he thought, at least he had his own space there, that was quite spacious.

He began scraping a stone along the step with the sole of his shoe, scratching various lines into the cement. He was awfully bored, and then his eyes found the lone ball still in the middle of the grass. He looked around him and with no sign of life, walked to the ball. He supposed someone wouldn't mind, after all it mustn't be a very special ball to say it was left lying around for just anyone to use. He tapped it lightly with his toe, then attempted a few solo kicks. He had once seen Dudley do this, where one continuously kicks the ball into the air using their foot and knee. His ridiculous attempt however sent the ball bouncing to the other side of the field. He followed and attempted again.

"Oi! Get yer hands of tha' ball!"

Harry looked across the little green to see a small boy of about 5 years old stood at the doorway of number 23. The boy had a thick head of curly brown hair. He wore a thick woollen jumper and a pair of dark jeans, stained green at the knees from sliding along the grass. In his hand, he brandished a stick.

"I told yes get away from me ball," he yelled again, crossing the field to Harry.

Harry stared. He was confused at how to treat the situation. "Er, sorry, kid," he said, taking a step back, "I didn't know it was yours, it was just lying there when I came out."

The boy slapped the stick of the floor. "That don't mean you take what aint yours! You's waits til ye finds out and then yes ask nicely."

"Alright, sorry." Harry hated to admit it, but he felt rather intimidated by the wild looking child. That stick looked particularly dangerous, especially with those branches hanging from it.

"What's yer name?" the child asked, eyeing Harry up and down. "You talks different to me. So yer not from here."

"I'm Harry and you're right, I'm not from here."

The child looked Harry up and down again, then jabbed him in the foot with his stick. Harry jerked his foot away.

"You can't go hitting people with that stick," he barked, allowing his hand to rest on the waist band of his jeans where his wand was tucked away safely. The boy smirked at Harry, displaying a grin with a missing front teeth, and then he thumped the stick against the floor.

"Gerry Timothy O' Brien!" yelled a woman from the doorway of number 23. The boy threw the stick at Harry and spun around. The woman stepped from her doorway and took large and quick strides towards Harry and who he now knew was Gerry Timothy O' Brien. She was a large lady, with long auburn hair falling in thick waves towards her shoulders. She wore a white blouse and a green floral cooking apron, covering her dark patched skirt. She reminded Harry of someone. "How dare ye wave tha stick about'. As if yer somebody important! Say yer sorry!"

"But ma', he tried to take me ball!" Gerry Timothy O' Brien protested, frantically pointing at Harry, "I seed him meself , he were kickin' it up and down the green."

"Then thas yer own fualt for leavin' it out all night, now say yers sorry, or by heavens I'll have yer father out onto you." The lady stood with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "I haven' got all day so do it quickly."

Gerry Timothy O' Brien turned to Harry and glared up at him. His bottom lip stuck out, and Harry inwardly smirked as he saw the boy fighting his inner child in the hopes of looking tough and strong in front of him. "I'm sorry fer thumpin' me stick at ya like that. I won't do it again."

Harry nodded, a bit unhinged and embarrassed by the scene he had caused. He saw from within a few houses curtains twitching and a few neighbours had even dared to open their front doors a crack. He quickly glanced to Snape's house; luckily no sign of movement. "It's - it's ok, honestly, it's alright. Em.. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

The lady grasped the boys shoulder and pushed him in the direction of the house. "Get inta that house you and ate your breakfast before it goes cold." she ordered, tutting and shaking her head as he scampered across the field. "I do apologise 'bout tha," she said, turning to Harry. "He's me second youngest. Bit of a wild one, get's it from his father. You're not a familiar face here at all."

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter. I'm staying in number 23, with my uncle. He'll be looking after me, bit of a summer holiday." Harry said, secretly chuffed at his ability to come up with such a story on the spot.

"Ah yes, Severus and Remus," the mother said, her rosy cheeks lifted into a big grin, "A lovely couple they are, very fond of them meself, I am. Why Severus only just yesterday gave me a batch of something' sweet smellin' that straight away broke my little one's cough. Poor creature was hackin' up phlegm for days until Severus came ter the rescue yet again! I'm Mrs O' Brien, by the way. Or yes can jus' call me Dorothy, most roun' here do."

"Thank you, Mrs O' Brien. I'll tell my uncle you were asking."

"MAAAAAAAAAAM! HE ATE ME SLICE OF TOAST!" Gerry Timothy O' Brien roared from the door step of his home.

"Kill em I will, kill um all!" she muttered, shaking her head and turning back to the house, "Have a lovely mornin' Harry, we'll be seein' yes later I'm sure."

Harry watched her retreat and couldn't help but smirk broadly when she caught Gerry Timothy O' Brien by the ear and dragged him howling back into the house. He presumed playing with the ball would be safe , now that the wild 5 year old was being held hostage at the breakfast table. Harry took to kicking the ball against a wall between houses 18 and 19. The wall was cracked in various places and what looked like large chunks, just big enough for feet had been purposely dug out of it. He wondered if having a peep over the wall was a wise idea, but quickly thought against it when he saw Remus retreating from the house.

"Having fun Harry?" he asked, tucking a book beneath his arm.

Harry shrugged. "It's alright." he said.

Remus patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. There's a few kids here about your age, you'll quickly meet them and make friends. The summer will fly and before you know it you'll be back at Hogwarts. Would you like to accompany me to the book store? I'm returning a book for Severus, seems he's had a bit of a tiff with the store owner and has gotten himself barred."

Harry chuckled. The idea of the feared potions master being chucked out of a shop by the scruff of the neck remained with him the whole way to the store and even more so when Harry saw how small and thin the store owner looked compared to the tall and broad features of Snape. Remus successfully returned the book and decided that a round of ice cream was in order.

"Thank Remus," Harry said, accepting the chocolate ice cream.

They walked silently up the street and stopped to lean against the black gates which Harry noticed as the entrance to the play park from his arrival last night. "Where exactly are we?" he asked.

"The outskirts of London, I believe." Remus said, licking strawberry ice cream from his knuckles. "I never knew this place existed myself until I came here with Severus. I do believe we're not exactly in the suburbs, but we aren't in the country side either."

"So we're just in the middle?"

"More or less. This area is developed on land which used to belong to a large chemical plant. It was shut down, according to Severus, back in the early 80's. Something to do with Hippies protesting and tying themselves to chemical barrels. Anyway, seeing as an economy boom occurred for the muggles at that time, they found finance to stretch there living estates this far out."

"It's a bit of a strange place. The area looks very urban; lot's of greenery, space, cobble stone. But the people… the people are very…"

"Inner city slum?" Remus smiled.

Harry blushed. He had wanted to tell Remus about his encounter with a fraction of the O' Brien family, but feared it would earn him punishment if Severus found out. "I didn't want to be rude about it, but yeah, very slum. They talk with a twang and some of the children look a bit rugged."

Remus waved and wished an elderly man good morning and then nodded politely to a boy of about Harry's age. "That's Mr Jenkin's who just saluted me," he said, "He's a lovely old man, very gentle, but did himself some serious harm reputation wise when his wife was found wondering hopelessly and battered around the street. Apparently they had an argument, he lost his cool and threw a plate or two - Severus speculates a first or three. Harmless old chap, really, despite the allegations." Harry gawped after him. The man looked as fragile as a china set. Harry couldn't imagine him harming a fly. "The young boy was Peter Morgan. He works in the pet shop. Nice lad, might be worth your while getting to know him. Very bright."

Harry nodded. "So, is it just us. I mean like, are there any more houses around here?"

"If you walk down a bit there's another little tunnel just like ours. Houses 1 -14 are in there and if you walked up there a bit, you'll find houses 26 - 35. Seems like a small community, but most houses have families in them. I'd advise avoiding areas that aren't yours, Harry. It'll take some time to adjust to the living ways of Palaver Street. It's a very nice and settled community, but people are very territorial. Mostly the teenagers; they fight each other for space, then usually get the younger kids to cause problems around the streets. Some adults too are pathetic enough to get involved. Best stick to your own area."

Harry nodded and followed Remus back to the house. It was a lot to remember in such a short space of time. Palaver Street was sounding more and more like a criminal ghetto every minute and Harry's experience so far hadn't been too welcoming. Already he'd found himself an enemy in a branch wielding 5 year old and by the sounds of it, there were more than just one O' Brien.

Harry decided against staying outside, there wasn't much to do anyway in a circle of houses. Instead he chose to help Remus tidy the kitchen. It was a nice little kitchen. Welcoming, with the black gas stove, cream wooden cupboards and a tidy little spice rack. The window was curtained again in flowers, Harry never gathered Snape to be the floral type, but shrugged it off anyway, storing it in the back of his mind for later gossip at Hogwarts. He was about to turn the conversation towards Sirius, when Severus entered the kitchen. He was holding a black cauldron which smelled of rot. The fumes emitted swirled around the kitchen and swiftly up Harry's nose.

"What is that?" he gasped, covering the bottom half of his face with his hood.

"Not at all interesting you don't recognise a first year potion, Potter," Severus chimed, tilting the murky liquid down the sink. It plopped into the sink in blobs, sizzling occasionally. Harry choose to ignore Snape's remark, instead scowled at the back of his head. "Remus, can you not stand and stare. It's dripping on the floor!"

Remus quickly dashed to his side and mopped the spill up. Severus dropped the cauldron into the sink and turned on his heel. "Clean that cauldron, Potter!" he barked, slamming the door for the second time that morning.

"I do apologise for his behaviour, Harry." Remus said, still on his knees, scrubbing the stained floor. "He gets awfully crabby after a failed brew. Could you open that window, the smell really is disgusting."

Harry threw the window open, grateful for the blanket of fresh air that wafted in. He set to scrubbing the cauldron, vigorously rubbing the thick crust which was forming at the base. He couldn't understand why Snape had snapped at Remus, after all it wasn't Remus who had spilled the potion in the first place. It was that git Snape's fault for being clumsy!

"You didn't spill that potion Remus," Harry snapped.

"I know, Harry. Severus did." Remus said casually, turning to fold some laundry.

"Then why'd he bark at you to clean it up?"

Remus shrugged. "Stress."

Harry sighed and continued scrubbing the cauldron. Silence maintained between them, until Harry excused himself to go to the bathroom. He heard Severus exit the spare room, before he had time to shut the bathroom door and the hooting of an owl jerked Harry's ears to attention. He left a crack in the door, and peeped cautiously out. He saw Severus feed the tawny owl a treat, before it flew back into the spare room and more than likely out the window. Harry watched as his professor unfolded the letter and scanned it, his dark eyes flicking back and forth. He knew it was wrong to ease drop and nose, but right now his opinion of Severus was equal to his opinion of Draco Malfoy. Both were slime in his eyes.

The potion masters reaction to the letter surprised Harry far more than anything. A pink tinge flushed his cheeks and his hands shook. He then clenched his fists, crinkling one half of the letter in the process and stormed down the stairs. Harry by instinct flung the bathroom door open and abandoned his protesting bladder. He slipped down the stairs after Severus and followed him into the kitchen.

"OUT!" Severus yelled.

"But I was just wondering -"

"What did I say about errors, Potter!" He pushed Harry out of the room and slammed the door shut. Harry presumed a silencing charm had been cast on Severus's behalf, so he retreated to his bedroom., his fists clenched angrily at his sides. What was in that letter? Why was Snape so angry? What about Remus? He flopped miserably onto his bed and glowered up at the ceiling.

To come: What was in that letter? Why is Severus so narky and what are the opinions of the rest of the O' Brien family on Harry?

Mitremlamp: Thank you for being my very first reviewer. I do hope to see you presence through to the final chapter.

DarkestAngel113: I do hope this update was quick enough for you?

Kayapride: Thank you and stay tuned if you wish to see where I take this story. I assure you there will be many adventures, many loved characters and a bit of everything thrown together. We'll see what we come up with in the end!

Felinity: Alas, the grammar errors are a meer result of attending college. I was such an avid writer before I began college, had myself numerous accounts here on , all very amatuer, now that I look back on them. Search the penname ValidHacker - One of my very first accounts :( All abandoned stories now. Just a handful among the basketfull. Having attended college I had to abandone my writing and so with it, my English skills. But no fears! With practice comes perfection. Oh, and thank you very much for your review! Hope to see you in future chapters!

Thank you also to those you favourited and alerted this story. Do continue to follow along.