"I'll swear on my magic never to hit you or do anything of the sort to you?"

"I don't want that. I want you not to hate me and hurt me because of who you are, not because some vow is forcing you to act a certain way towards me. I want to trust you because you care for me, not because you care about losing your magic more than you care about me."

"Very well, no vow. Pure trust between father and son. This'll be a fun challenge for us both."

"It'll be a challenge, whether or not it will be fun is still to be determined."

"You've been banned from classes for the day then, what were you planning on doing?"

"I don't know, can't exactly just be wandering round the castle. I was debating the tower or just hanging around here. I guess if Madam Pomfrey has stopped me from going I should probably stick in this general area in case a teacher comes questioning. Don't know what she'll want me to do though."

"Stay here, keep me company. It appears that everything I thought about you was wrong, and you know nothing about me, so perhaps we should rectify that while I'm stuck on bed rest." Harry span on the bed, drawing his legs up so he was sat sideways on the edge of the mattress facing the man.

"What do you want to know? Question for question?"

"Question for question?"

"You ask me one, I'll ask you one. You can pass on questions but then I get to ask a different one instead."

"Okay. Favourite colour?" Harry grinned at the man for the obvious first question.

"Green, like a Slytherin green, not a pale or dull one. Bright, and vibrant. You? Black doesn't count either, it's a shade, not a colour."

"Blue. Why green?"

"Freedom. It's like the green I imagine when I think of open fields and the sunlight shining through the leaves in a forest. Not the forbidden forest, a nice one. One that you can just keep walking through without anything trying to harm you. One you can escape into and find your own paths. Why blue?"

"Same reason as you, but for the ocean. You can go off in any direction you want and not spy another living soul for miles around you."

"Sounds lonely."

"Not necessarily. Tranquil is how I see it. No one around you to hurt you or to see your weaknesses. You say lonely, I say... safe, protected."

"So you see having people around you as being a bad thing?"

"I thought it was my turn to ask a question," he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood somewhat. "It is not a bad thing if they are a good person, I just haven't had many good people in my past. I don't like showing weakness to others, it gives them things to use against you, to hold over you, that was not something that I could afford to do, it is easier just to not let them close to you."

"Then I came along last night and ruined that." Harry dropped his head to look at his lap in shame as he realised that his coming forward was ruining Snape's way of life.

"Then you came along last night and CHANGED that, brought a good person into my life. Why do you think yourself worth so little?"

"Why do you think me worth so much? I only know what I've been told, what I've been taught, and that is that I- that I am a worthless freak, so why would you think me worth something?" Harry met the stare of the man in challenge, daring him to give a good answer to the question.

"Because I know you. I don't know much ABOUT you but I know the kind of person that you are, I know that you would risk your own life to save other's, that you are willing to sacrifice the secret you kept for four years to save the life of the man you thought hated you, that you are noble and, regrettably, self-sacrificing. I know that I want to hurt the people who ever made you feel as though you are worthless, the ones who told you that was the case. You aren't a freak." Harry looked up at Snape once more as though assessing the truth in his words, sending the man a half-smile after a few seconds.

"Your turn."

"Favourite food?"

"Treacle tart. You?"

"Pass, don't really have one."

"Birthday?"

"9th January." The two continued with asking one another questions for an hour or so, both keeping away from the worse subjects that Harry demanded they wait to talk about. "How are you?"

"Fine." Harry fought to contain a yawn but failed causing the man to chuckle quietly. "Tired apparently." Snape shifted over on the bed as far as he could and held an arm out to the side in offering.

"Come here," Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man but as another yawn forced its way out of his mouth he gave in and led down next to the man, head resting over Severus' heart while his arms were subtly shielding himself from the other, an action that the potion master noticed and felt dismayed by but didn't let it show. "Sweet dreams child."

"Night Sev," Harry whispered with a sleep filled voice. He was still asleep when Madam Pomfrey walked in through the curtains to check on them both and she smiled with pride at the man for clearly moving past who he thought the boy was.

"I expect you to look after him Severus. I don't want to see him in here anymore when he returns from school holidays."

"What do you mean?"

"I want him to be kept a healthy weight and not covered in injuries that need treating when he returns to school. The last two years I made him come see me every week until I deemed him a healthy weight as I thought he was doing it to himself on purpose, that he was anorexic or something even though he was only 11. This year was the first time that he told me the truth. As the school nurse I am only allowed to tell Dumbledore of the findings of the checkups although I feel you should know as he tends to keep his secrets closely guarded and as his father I have the right to reveal it to you. I will say this though, he didn't want anyone else to know about your relationship, originally that included you as well, but I would not push him to tell others until you have discussed that with him. Dumbledore just floo'd to say he will be down within the next 10 minutes or so, may I suggest that you are not cuddled with him then so his secrets stay that way." Severus made a move to hook his arms under Harry to move him but found his hands quickly being smacked away. "What do you think you're doing? You're on bed rest until dinner."

"Poppy I-"

"No. Stay. I shall move Mr Potter to another section of the infirmary and close the curtains around him so he isn't visible. He may return when the headmaster is gone or if he chooses to reveal himself, although I think that is a decision that would best be made by the two of you together." Poppy lifted Harry in her arms and walked off muttering how the child was still too light for a growing boy. It was barely 5 minutes later that Madam Pomfrey walked in within the headmaster, eyes twinkling as he did so.

"Ahh Severus, feeling better I hope."

"Much Headmaster."

"I told you to call me Albus."

"What do you want Albus?"

"I was just coming down to see how you are my boy, Poppy said you were better. I see our young Mr Potter did the trick."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I have a potions master who is dying without a family member and Mr Potter enquiring to that fact. Then the next day he is healed, I can only assume that there is a correlation there."

"It's a miracle," Snape stated drily as he watched the man with a level stare and a face devoid of all emotion.

"Miracle indeed my boy, I'm glad you're better Severus. Well I'll leave the two of you in peace," Albus chuckled as he walked away, blue eyes twinkling in full force. As soon as the doors shut he heaved a sigh and dropped his head into his hands, fingers threading into his hairline, as he let out a frustrated growl he felt a tentative hand on his back making him whip round to look at who was touching him, Harry stepping back in fear.

"What's wrong Sir?" Snape raised an eyebrow at the boy. "What's wrong... Sev?"

"I'm sorry, the headmaster knows." Harry's face became a clean slate, completely blank of any feelings or emotions.

"Oh. He was bound to find out sooner or later I guess."

"He didn't mention knowing what the connection was, but he certainly knows that there is one. I truly am sorry. Madam Pomfrey told me that you didn't want others to know. I should've known that the Headmaster would have pieced it all together."

"What-what did he say?" Harry started chewing on his lower lip nervously while looking down and picking at his fingernails.

"Not a lot. Just pointed out that he knew it would be you and that it's a miracle then he said he would leave us in peace."

"So, he doesn't- you know- mind?"

"Why would he mind? The other staff have had children come through the school. Mr Malfoy is my own Godson although I understand that isn't quite the same thing, but my point is, you aren't the first child that a staff member has brought through Hogwarts."

"You won't get in trouble then, for having me, for having taught me?"

"Don't be stupid." Harry flushed slightly in embarrassment as Snape reached out and pulled him towards the bed and into a awkwardly positioned hug. "I wouldn't get in trouble for having a son, even if I did- I wouldn't care. You know that right?" Harry took a couple of steps back from the man and continued to gnaw on his lip. "Come back, otherwise I will point out it is your fault when I break my bed rest to get you and Madame Pomfrey swoops in on me." Harry took a tiny step forward but nowhere near enough to appease the man as he moved the covers away and made the motion to stand when Harry quickly pushed him back down.

"I don't want you to be in trouble, not because of me," he whispered timidly while looking at the man through his bangs.

"And I promise you that I'm not. Want to go back to the questions?"

"Is that your question?"

"Is that yours?" The teen grinned as he moved to sit on the edge of the man's bed once more and continued their game of questions to learn more about one another. Madame Pompfrey occasionally came in to check on them both and bring them in some food as they did so.

"Mr Potter, you spend so much time here, I think it only fair to aid in your recovery," she stated as she handed over a large slice of treacle tart on one of her visits and another to the potions master, Harry grinning widely as he thanked her and dug in. "He never says no to treacle tart if he hasn't eaten enough," she told the older man.

"That surely is not healthy."

"Not really, but it is the only way I have managed to get this menace to take all of his potions, it is made with nutrient potions in specifically for him, the ones that I have you make to cater for an unknown pupil's specific needs at the start of each school year."

"I am still here you know."

"Do you deny that this is how I have to get you to take potions sometimes, when you are feeling too tired and ill to do so?"

"No."

"Even if eating the treacle tart will make you sick after being starved for nearly 2 months?"

"It doesn't since you started to include Stomach Settlers in them as well. Can you blame me for wanting to eat some of your delicious home cooking?"

"No need to be like that Mr Potter, you have already got your pudding." Harry smiled brightly at the woman who merely smiled back at him, the man watching the way the two of them interact with interest. As soon as both finished eating the woman took both of their plates and Harry pressed back into the man's side.

"Live with me?" the man asked suddenly once the mediwitch had left the two of them alone making Harry pull back in surprise and look at the man with furrowed brows.

"What?"

"I know that we have never really seen eye-to-eye, at all, but I'm willing to give it a chance if you are. Come live with me?" Harry led back down with his head on Snape's chest as he thought it through. Not seeing any real downside to the idea Harry nodded into the man's stomach, both smiling as he did. "Thank you child."

"My pleasure Sev, I look forward to it," the teen stated truthfully before a thought occurred that made him almost tremble in excitement for the possibility. "Can I have my own room?"

"Of course child. Where else would you sleep?"

"In the cupboard," Harry stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, and to him it was.

"No, I will never make you stay in a cupboard. We will go and find us a house that we both like, agreed?"

"You don't have to buy a house just because of me. I can go back to the Dursley's."

"Never going to happen child. I want to have a proper home with you and that is not where I am living now. My house has never been a home to me and it likely never will be, it doesn't hold any good memories for me. We can find somewhere that we both like the look of and we will make it a home, I'm 13 years too late but I will do this now that I have a chance to do so."

"Thank you."

"Muggle world or wizarding?"

"I have only ever lived in the muggle world other than at school. I don't know what it is like to live in a wizarding home."

"Same here child. Perhaps one adventure is enough and we stick with what we know in the muggle world, yes?" Harry shifted round on the bed so that he was curled up on the bed with his head still on his father's chest but so that he was looking up at the man. "That cannot be comfy." Harry shrugged indifferently so Snape sat up fully and shifted the boy so that he was curled up on his lap.

"I would've been alright."

"But you wouldn't have been comfy."

"I spent 11 years in a cupboard, it is rare I find a position that I can't manage anymore."

"Well you aren't in a cupboard anymore."

"Muggle world would be good Sev. I'd like that." Harry rested his head sideways onto the other's shoulder as he shut his eyes and imagined what it would be like to have his own bedroom.

"What are you thinking about?"

"A home." Snape smiled sadly down at the child and wished that Harry had had a proper home beforehand.

"I'll find us a few different places to look at while we are at school and then we can go have a look round them in the holidays, find one that we want to buy. Then we can hopefully have it completely set up come Summer."

"I'd like that Sev."

"Me too child. Me too."

"I'm sorry I never told you. Even if you didn't want me you deserved to know that you had a child, it shouldn't have only been because you were- because you were dying, that you found out."

"It doesn't matter. You're mine now, and I'm not letting you go again." Harry smiled into the man's neck as the arms around him tightened to prove the point.

"Thank you for saving me sir."

"You don't have to call me sir, and I should have done it sooner."

"I spent the 2 years I didn't know you calling you 'dad' and then 2 years I did calling you 'sir', it's a hard habit to break. I'm amazed I never mistakenly called you 'dad' in lesson, no doubt you and the other Slytherin's would not have let that go. Especially with you not knowing the truth."

"Unfortunately that would likely have been the case." The room slipped into silence until Harry tensed suddenly and sniffed quietly as he fought the tears that had formed. "What's wrong?" the man whispered when he noticed Harry fighting the urge to cry. When Harry shook his head in refusal to answer he repeated the question until the boy gave in and whispered his reply as to his thoughts.

"I'm sorry I'm not what you wanted." That was the last thing that Snape had expected to come from the child's mouth and his shock was clear to anyone who looked at him.

"Why would you think that?"

"You've always hated me, I'm sure that you would prefer any other student to be your child and you got stuck with the one that is a waste of space. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you want."

"You are mine, that is what I want. I don't hate you. I was shocked when I woke up and you were there next to my bed and I didn't show you that shock in a good way. You aren't a waste of space, you never could be, got it? Even if you were, you're my waste of space, understand? I cannot say that there is any student that I would prefer to have as my child, you are mine and you are perfect. Perhaps I would have liked you to be more proficient in potions but I can live without that being the case."

"I'll show you just how proficient I am if you want."

"I'd have no classroom left if I let you brew freely."

"Let me ask a question, think of all off the potions I've made. If they blew up, have any of them actually caused any harm or any damage? Have any of the explosions been anything more than just a flash of colour or smoke?" Snape thought back and realised that the child was right.

"You made yourself purposefully bad at potions but you did it safely. You create showy explosions rather than the dangerous messes that Longbottom makes. In a way that is more skilful than brewing correct potions in the first place. Why do you do that?"

"Because no one expects me to do well," Harry stated, not comprehending the man's confusion fully.

"So you make yourself seem worse than you are because people don't think you'll be good?"

"I'm expected to save the world. People see what they want to see, what they expect to see, that which they don't, I show to them. I show them that I am bad at potions because that is what they want me to be."

"So do I get to see the real you?"

"Perhaps," Harry said after some consideration, "but don't expect me to change how I act in potions lessons. People don't want to see 'Harry Potter' as good at potions, they expect him to be poor in that subject. Snape's son they would think to be good but since none of them know that connection I still couldn't act better in the subject. Even if it comes out that I am your son, then people will assume that I am better all of a sudden because of some sort of favouritism towards your spawn."

"You really don't think very much of yourself, do you?"

"I'm tiny so there is little of me to think about, but what I do think about, I don't like, no." Snape held Harry tighter as he heard these words. "I hope Poppy didn't hear that, she doesn't like me talking about myself like that."

"Nor do I child."

"Sorry," the teen whispered. "I just thought I'd talk to you, tell you things that Poppy won't but that she'll want to."

"Go ahead child. You can tell me anything."

"But- but you just said that you don't want me to talk like that?"

"I did. I guess what I mean is more that I don't want you to think of yourself like that, I don't want you to think yourself as worthless. You can talk to me about anything though. Please, what is it that you want to tell me? I will listen."

"It- it doesn't matter really. Just something stupid. Don't worry about it." Snape raised an eyebrow towards the boy. "I- like I said, I don't like myself, I hate myself and sometimes that hatred gets taken out on me. Poppy doesn't like me talking like that as she knows that either I have just hurt myself, or I want to and she knows that she can't really help me although she has never known what would help or what caused it in the first place. When I returned to the castle this year, and occasionally throughout the year, she has had to deal with my hatred for myself, among other things. That is why she says that I spend entirely too much time in the infirmary, because she has to see me so often because of my own hand."

"What would help? You said that Poppy doesn't know but would you tell me? What would help you when you want to hurt yourself?"

"It's sounds pathetic though."

"I really doubt that that is the case child." Harry chewed on his lip while he considered this statement.

"You."

"What?"

"I wanted... you. I wanted my dad. I wanted- I wanted to BE wanted."

"Yet you never said anything sooner. I would have been there for you had you said."

"I- yeah, sorry."

"I DO NOT WANT YOU TO SAY SORRY!" the Potions master snapped making Harry tense up as the arms were still around him and he couldn't move away.

"Y-yes sir," whimpered the teen who tried to protect himself with his arms as he began to shake with fear, instantly making the man feel guilty.

"I didn't mean to scare you child."

"Yes s-sir."

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes sir, sorry sir."

"Harry, do you know who I am?"

"Yes sir. Professor Snape sir. You're my father and I'm your failure."

"You're not my failure. You're my son. Relax child, calm down for me, okay?" Harry nodded slowly and rested a hand on Snape's chest, gradually matching his breathing to that of the potions master. As he did so his body lost tension and he curled tighter on himself as the shaking abated and he pressed into Snape who ran his hand through Harry's hair in silent comfort. The teen started to hum under his breath, the quiet tune and gentle vibrations allowing him to calm completely."I honestly didn't mean to scare you child. I meant what I said earlier, I would have been there for you had I known, I still will be there for you now if you need me. I don't want you to keep blaming yourself for not telling me sooner, that is why I want you not to apologise to me. Do you want to know something else?" Harry nodded hesitantly as if doing so would bring him trouble and even more pain. "You ARE wanted, so very, very much. Got it? So, if ever you want to hurt yourself again, I want you to remember that you are wanted and I want you to come talk to me."

"Yes sir."

"Am I to assume that was the response drilled into you when you were with your relatives?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied with a quick smirk sent at the man before ducking his head out of sight.

"Will you? Will you come and talk to me before you hurt yourself again?" Harry shrugged before shaking his head making Snape reign in his temper before he scared his son for a second time. "Why not?"

"It is mainly during the night, after curfew. I don't want you to get in trouble for me being with you when I should be in my dorm."

"I do not care about getting in trouble if it is a choice between that and your safety."

"But I do!"

"Sauvez-moi de son entêtement," Snape mumbled under his breath making Harry narrow his eyes at him. "I will not get in trouble."

"Parler de moi en français maintenant. Comment sais-tu ça?"

"Impressive. Where did you learn French? And I know, because even if other teachers do not, the headmaster knows there is some sort of connection between us and we could go to him to sort out any trouble that may befall on either of us. As long as he wishes me to remain in his staff, he will forgive you coming to see me at night. Alternatively, you seem to be quite capable of sneaking around the castle when you want to, I'm sure you would be able to not get caught."

"Encouraging me to sneak around now are you? I thought you were normally the one to endeavour to catch me all the time."

"I... was, hang on, all the times I have sent you back to your dormitory with a detention, were any of them times you were heading here, for Poppy to heal you?" Harry shrugged his shoulders, answering his question. "I see, how many times?"

"Not many. 2 or 3, possibly 4."

"And what do you do on those occasions?"

"I go back to my dorm like you tell me to."

"But you do not get your wounds treated, you know, even without knowing who you were to me, I would have taken you to the infirmary if you said."

"I know, but I didn't want to be a disappointment to you. Well, even more of a disappointment to you. I have bandages in my trunk, if you catch me and take me back, I bandage my arms up and let them heal the muggle way. Takes a bit longer to heal but I keep them clean and covered so they heal properly. The only difference is that the muggle way I end up with the scars remaining while Poppy gets rid of them when I come to her. It is about the pain, not the evidence of my pain so I don't care for the scars. The wizarding world would have a bit of a field day if they knew what I did to myself."

"At least you tended to them I suppose. You pull your sleeves up in potions, I've never seen any scars."

"Glamours on my wrists, other than there I cut where isn't visible to others. Hips, thighs, stomach. Facile."

"There's the French again."

"You started it."

"That I did. You never said, where did you learn?"

"We- there was a teacher at school, filling in while another was on maternity leave. She quickly realised that something was wrong with me and that I would prefer to stay indoors rather than play outside with the others and in her first few days she found out why. We weren't allowed to stay inside at break and lunchtime unless the weather was really bad. She was French and she decided that she would use that excuse to let me stay in the classroom with her. She was there for the whole school year so I had a lot of French lessons. When she left and the other teacher came back I continued to learn on my own time. It became my escape. 'Mione knows some from her Summers in France with her parents so she and I talk a little in French but I mainly use when I'm talking to myself, spilling my darkest thoughts, guess I'll have to watch that around you if you can understand."

"If you feel more comfortable talking about it in French, we can."

"I'd feel more comfortable if you couldn't understand me at all actually."

"Unfortunately, if you are coming to me to talk about it, which I hope that you will, I will have to be able to understand. Since, as far as I know, the only languages we have in common are French and English, they are the only options."

"D'accord, Français." Snape shifted down the bed slightly so he was reclined more, pulling Harry down with him. "If you are uncomfortable I can move."

"Not uncomfortable."

"Am I too heavy? I've been eating while I've been back at school and I have put on a couple of stone, I must be too heavy to sit on your lap, I am small I know but I am 13 so I can't be light enough to be sat on you, not for so long anyway."

"Hush child, you are perfectly fine sat there. I brought you onto my lap myself, didn't I?" Harry nodded slowly and began to tense up in his disbelief until he felt a kiss being pressed into his hair. "I promise you, you are not heavy, you are completely fine sat on my lap and I do not intend on letting you go so soon."

"Good, because you're comfy."