That night, a knock sounded on the door, waking the two people by the fire. They had fallen asleep on the armchair, Harry's newly discovered and favourite way to cuddle.
Setting Harry on the floor and stretching to remove the stiffness from his limbs, Severus opened the door.
Shocked, he found himself faced with a thoroughly drenched Petunia, tears streaming down her face and clutching a chubby 3-year-old to her.
At her feet were several bags. She looked exhausted, on the verge of physically falling apart.
A raspy voice one would expect from an elder person escaped her lips. "My sister told me long ago where you lived and I-" She took a deep breath, speaking through her sobs. "I took my son and left Vernon, but I have nowhere to go."
Severus didn't hesitate. He decided to show compassion and kindness to the woman and her child.
"Sit here in front of the fire and dry off, I'm going put on some tea and soup for you and your son and I'll find a place for you to sleep."
He picked up her bags, placing them near the armchair, which he guided her to. Walking into the kitchen and putting soup on the heat, he then went and dragged out a spare full-sized bed he had put up in the attic years ago, originally belonging to his sister.
He set them in the living room and put white Egyptian cotton sheets on it, along with a silky green blanket and two big pillows.
While Snape was fixing up the bed in the living room, Petunia was becoming drowsy from the sudden warmth.
Severus saw young Harry walk over, approaching their unexpected visitors. "Aunt Tunia?"
Petunia straightened herself and looked at the boy, in disbelief.
"Harry?"
She snatched him up and hugged him, crying again.
"Oh my god you're alright, I've missed you." she told the boy.
Harry hugged her back. "Aunt Tunia!"
They both just sat, holding each other close.
After a moment, fear clouded his expression. "What about uncle Verny?" he asked, voice a bit shaky.
"You don't have to worry about him anymore, I left him."
Harry didn't know what that meant and looked confused.
"He's gone Harry, I'm not going to live with him anymore." She explained further.
Harry nods, his three-year-old mind only registering that Vernon was no longer going to be around.
Severus approached, with bowls of soup for her and Dudley.
"Petunia, did your sister tell you the truth about Harry?" he asked casually.
She looked at him with a smile and nodded.
"She did, she told me when she first found out she was pregnant that he was your son."
Severus nodded. "Yes, he is mine. He must have enacted some kind of glamour charm to keep anyone else from knowing the truth." He paused for a moment, looking at her cautiously. "What made you leave Vernon?"
"I've wanted to ever since we had Dudley. I found out long ago that Dudley had magic abilities and I kept them secret for fear of what Vernon would do, as I never imagined to what extent he may go to. But then, Harry arrived and Vernon started abusing him. I tried to make him stop but then the abuse would turn on me and I feared for Dudley if Vernon found out. I was going to take them both and leave, but then you showed up." She finished.
Severus sat across from them, studying Petunia intently.
"So you never were involved in the abuse?" He asked.
Petunia shook her head, almost indignant. "No of course not, he's my sister's son. I loved my sister and I love my nephew."
Looking sideways, he noticed Dudley had fallen asleep.
He stood and gently lifted Dudley, putting him in the bed he had set up for him and his mother.
Petunia walked over to the full-sized bed, laying beside Dudley. She fell asleep, in the middle of soothingly stroking his hair.
Flicking off the lights, Severus carried Harry with him to the boy's room, where they each shared the bed.