Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I'm simply amusing myself with the possibilities.

Warnings: Malexmale relationships in later chapters.

Note: Both my laptop and my computer have died on me, and the shiny new little thing I'm using now belongs to college. No type-ups at night or at the weekends, unless I have to bring this home due to my teacher leaving early. Don't count on that very often either. Sorry.

5th September 1996

Professor Dumbledore asked us all to write in a diary every day until Severus is his own age again. It's one book so that we can read over what the others wrote. The other two thought that I should go first because it involves me more than them.

The first few days with Severus actually went better than I'd hoped, but I was shocked by what he'd told us of his past. I thought he'd sort of keep his memory from his adulthood and try to do the opposite of everything we told him. I suppose it's probably better this way; he doesn't know us, it's a new beginning for all of us. Maybe not. I don't know if I want to hear anymore of his home life as a little kid. But it might help us understand why he was the way he was all the time.

Harry

5th September 1996

I don't write unless I have to, but Dumbledore said it would be cool to write what happens and whatever. Something to do with Snape when he gets older.

Ok, I'd never thought much about Slytherins and their home lives. To be honest I'd never cared. I mean who would? They're Slytherins! Pretty much all of them are rich, with galleons pouring out of their ears from the minute they're born, and think they're better than everyone else because of it. Malfoy's especially, thinkin' they're the cream of the crop and everything.

But how was I to know Snape had such a bad life growing up? It's not like he sat with me, butterbeer or firewhisky in hand and tell me his life story every night. Why would I care anyway? He's hardly freakin' the happiest wizard alive.

But after the first few nights with mini-Snape, I guess Harry figured Snape wasn't as bad as he made out to be. I kind of felt bad myself when he told us about his dad and the bath thing. I mean I guess I didn't help at all when all I did was yell and curse at him for not doin' what I said. I guess I had the thought in mind that he's still be the same as his older self even if he didn't remember that part.

It was even weirder since whenever he got scared or jumpy he came over to me. Like the morning we got him from the hospital wing, even if I was in front, he could have gone past me to Harry or Hermes. He went to me, though. And the Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid when he took us into the Forest he kept tripping over things, I think. I was kinda concentrating on not falling over myself. He tugged on my robes and asked me to pick him up. Then he hid against me when he freaked out. If Ginny was that young she wouldn't have done that if she was scared. I think it's from being the youngest of a load of guys; you've got to be tough to survive. Especially when Fred and George are two of them.

We have to take turns to take care of him. Hermione will kill me if I mess up a second time.

Ron.

5th September 1996

Now if only Ron would write as much for an essay, without my 'help', then I'll die a happy woman.

But on the subject of the latest occurrence of our lives, our Potions Professor, Severus Snape, has repressed to Four Years Old. For the last week, Harry, Ron and I have been looking after him by bringing him with us to class and caring for him after classes in the living area that Professor Dumbledore created for us all.

It's close to the Gryffindor Common Room so that we can go for whatever reason. There's a large room for Severus to play in which he seems to enjoy very much, there's a large enough living room to have the whole of Gryffindor fit in with elbow room, two separate bathrooms, each bigger than my parents en suite, and more. I have a room to myself, without the enlightening presences of Lavender and Pervati, which I will definitely miss when Severus is grown up.

What I enjoy most, surprisingly, is the look on Severus' face when he plays in the nursery with the toys, or when Ron picks him up when he's scared. It's such a sweet and innocent expression. At times like that it's hard to believe anything he told us about his past. The awful story about his father. Unfortunately, that sounds to me like only the tip of the iceberg.

I'm very, very much hoping it isn't.

Hermione Jane Granger

Severus had noticed to funny looking book that the trio had each taken turns writing in. At one point he was so curious he opened it himself, but all he could read were the really short words that he'd learned from school, and some things his Mummy had taught him. Harry's and Ron's handwriting was almost illegible; it looked like writing in thin mud with a brittle twig.

Thinking of learning words and his mum made him think of the girl he had often seen around Spinner's End. The one with bright red hair and beautiful bright green eyes, always playing on he swings in the park with her older sister.

He hadn't pulled up the courage to talk to Lily Evans yet.