The voice was so old. The man pulled on the robes, and for the first time Severus got a good look at the old man everyone thought was his father... Before he died of course. The old man's hair was grey, his skin worn and weathered. He was surprisingly well scarred. Severus hurried to put tea water on to boil, and got a bin to soak the old man's feet in hot water.

The old man let his creaking body fall into Severus' favorite armchair, and he gestured for firewhisky to be served with the tea. This came as no surprise, even as a dog he was fond of firewhiskey. The old mad twisted his ancient, gnarled hands around the hot cup of tea as he slipped his feet into the pool of hot water Severus had set before them.

Severus pulled up a spare stool, and waited patiently as the old man relaxed. Severus had never had a father aside from the old dog, and it was mind boggling to wonder what the old man had to say. For a long time the old man only sipped at his tea, occasionally taking a gulp of the firewhiskey.

"Son," The old man began, it made Severus feel strange to be called that... possibly for the first time. "I am an old dog. After this, I need you to promise to turn me back into what I am." That wasn't exactly what Severus expected him to say, but he gave a sad nod regardless.

The old man cleared his throat. "Did you know, my human name was Tobias? Toby for short." Severus shook his head at the old man's words. He had no idea. "Xpect you to still call me Dog though. Been Dog for... how old are you now boy?" Tobias said in his gravelly voice.

It took Severus a minute to count the years. "43?" He didn't mean for it to sound as questioning as it sounded. "I been a dog for 44 years then... Time passes quickly when your chasing that damn cat Filch keeps around. She use to be a human to dija know?" Severus was taken aback by the news.

"Whydya think he gets so upset when somthn happens to it? Use to be his wife. Deatheaters found out the squib married a muggle and she's got about the same story I do. Some death eater had mercy and turned her into a cat rather than kill'n her. On the condition she stayed that way oc'course." Severus shook his head in amazement.

Filch and Mrs. Norris had both passed on on the war, and for the first time Severus was deeply saddened by that. Toby continued speaking. "This place anit just a school, kid. This place is home for us folks what got no where to go... Folks like me, see?" Tobias looked at Severus with huge puppy dog eyes, and Severus could clearly see the resemblance between him and the dog he had grown up with.

"At tree. Womp'n Willow. Her name's Bermuda. She use to be a tree nymph, but got herself exiled from the forest for hitt'n a centaur. Big crime out in the woods. Ol' Dumbledore gave her a safe place guardn' that trap door for them wolves. My was she happy when Albus told her she could hit anything what came to close." The old man said, taking another swig of firewhiskey.

"Wolves?" Severus asked, speaking aloud to the old man for the first time since he had changed from a dog. "Ye. Them Hufflepuffs get all the dogs. Only reason that Lupin kid made it to Gryffindor 'z cuz it woulda shattered the kid to split him from his pack. Loyal dogs go to that house and be tak'n care of each other." The old man nodded at his tea.

"This'z good brew. Smells like the stuff your mum use to boil up. Anywho. A old dog learns a lot round this place. People ain't afraid to talk round a dog. Dog can't say nuthin." Tobias gave Severus a sneaky wink, hinting that he knew far more than he had ever let on.

"But out in the wood. Ye don't talk wit words. Ye talk wit smells. I love bein' a dog, ya know all bout wha's goin' on." The old man gave a wistful smile. "I even had pups o' my own once when I was a younger dog. Woulda introduced you, but the mum tried to bite me when I got close. but somewhere out there... me pups be runnin with packs o' their own..." The old man said wistfully.

"You're a good kid Sev." Tobias reached out and patted Severus' hand, Severus felt shockingly emotional at the old nickname and the gesture. "Is time for you ta have a pack o' yer own. I want ya to leave me here, an find yerself a good dame while ye can still have pups o' yer own. I'll always be able to sniff you out no matter where ya go." The old man patted Severus' hand again before leaning back into the chair.

Severus tried to laugh at the comment, but found that his throat was closed up with unshed tears. "I watched you boy..." Tobias said softly, his voice drifting off slightly. "I watched ye be loyal no matter what. 'M proud of ye, Sev. Any dog would be proud to call ye his pup." Toby looked at Severus with a heartfelt gaze.

"Would say yer mum'd be proud to but your mum was a b-" There was a tapping at the door in the middle of his sentence. Severus held a finger up for his adopted father to hold for a moment. He creaked the door open slightly to find headmaster McGonagall standing outside of his quarters. He opened the door more fully and gestured for her to enter "Headmaster, I would like for you to meet my father."