"Would you mind getting off me? There was a matter I wanted to discuss before Christmas but you need not be led atop me." Snape's words seemed to remind the other that he was led on him as he suddenly moved off and away from the man.
"What is it then?"
"Have you brought Harry a present yet?"
"Of course. Why, you forgotten and want to claim my gift?"
"No, I have brought him a gift but there was something else I was considering getting and I thought we should get it together."
"Ahh, I see. Snivelus is too poor that he has to try and worm into the Black fortune."
"Not at all Mutt! I could buy it for him without making a dent in a single Prince or Snape vault. I just thought that it would mean more coming from the two of us rather than just me. A symbolic gesture if you like, the two of us willing to put aside everything, put aside our pasts, for him. It doesn't matter." Snape turned away from the other and expected him to leave but instead heard the creaking of springs as someone sat on the bed.
"What is it then, this genius present of yours?"
"It is not so much the present I need your help with, just the things to go along with it. That is where I think you'll come in."
"Ooh, I can do something Snape can't?"
"Do not take the piss mutt. I will not feel bad for not including you in this gift." Sirius bowed his head in a silent apology. "I need you to talk to Miss. Granger about something for me, preferably so Harry doesn't find out."
Harry smiled widely as he accepted the wrapped present from Sirius, having joined he and Snape at the edge of the room while the Weasley children opened their things from their parents.
"It's nothing much, I'm not allowed to go out shopping and I can't do magic without the ministry finding me." Harry pulled open the paper and opened the book to the first page, giggling quietly. "I hear Hagrid made you one in first year but I had all the pictures of us at school so he couldn't get them. I thought it might be something you might like."
"What is going on with your hair?" Harry said between peals of laughter.
"Oi, I was punk I'll have you know."
"It's pink!"
"Well yes, how else could I rebel? I came from an entirely Slytherin family so I dyed my hair gold, then the next time I tried to dye it red but it came out kinda pink where it didn't cover the previous colour. You're father followed me round for ages with fashion magazines he'd put my face in telling everyone that 'Black is the new pink'. You would not believe the number of people who thought I really did appear in those magazines." Harry continued to laugh as he looked through the rest of the pictures of the four friends before hugging Sirius tightly.
"Thanks, I love it."
"It's not your only present but it is the only one I can give you now. Snivelus- Severus," he amended when he saw the disappointment in Harry expression, "Severus and I got you something from the two of us. It's at the manor though."
"You didn't kill each other?"
"We wanted to work for you pup, show you that it can be done." Harry hugged the man tightly.
"Thank you, it's perfect."
"You don't know what it is yet."
"No, but if it is at the manor you won't be there when I open it but if it's from the two of you I know it will be perfect."
"That's where you're wrong child," Harry turned to face the man on his other side in questioning. "Black now has his own portkey to the manor and back here that can be used whenever he gives the password. He spoke to Miss. Granger about those curious coins you carry and he and I now have our own set for when we are at the manor so I can let him know when he is able to come by."
"Really?" Snape nodded at the same time as Sirius so Harry threw an arm around each of them and pulled them closer into a tight hug. "Best present ever."
"This isn't your present pup, this is just our way of making sure I get to see you open it and then more in the future."
"I love you two," Harry whispered while pressing a hesitant kiss to each of their cheeks.
"Love you too puppy."
"And I child." Harry snuggled under Sirius' arm while tucking his feet under the Snape's thigh and smiling at the man where he sat sideways.
"You didn't fight, you didn't try and kill each other?"
"Absolutely not puppy. We had to show you that you're more important than our past. It was all his idea really, you shouldn't be thanking me puppy."
"I doubt you would have made it through unscathed if you didn't put your differences behind you to help him, so thank you." Sirius looked away from the back of Harry's and up at the man the teen was facing, nodding his head in respect of the idea while sending a small smile at him, Snape returning the gesture. Harry hugged the arm that Sirius wrapped around him like a teddy bear, gripping it to his chest, while pressing his legs closer to the other man.
"Hey puppy, why don't you go join the others?" Harry nodded slowly before hugging each men one final time and going to join the Weasley children who were all showing each other what they had got from their parents. The teen plonked himself down between Ron and Charlie, laughing with them as Ron showed him the jokes the twins had given him. No one noticed Charlie watching Harry intently except for Harry and Snape, neither of which commented but Harry sent the occasional grin at the man.
Everyone spent the day laughing at the joy of Christmas, even Harry who had been plagued with bad memories all night that he kept hidden from Charlie. He only felt worse when Mr Weasley was wheeled into the room at the start of dinner but he forced himself to keep smiling, three around the table noticing the change in his demeanour when they looked over at him. As soon as people began to head up to bed, Harry made his escape to his own room and didn't even bother getting changed as he crawled into the bed and curled up tightly beneath the covers. When the door opened he'd expected it to be Charlie coming up to bed so he was surprised when Severus knelt down in front of him and rested a hand on his cheek.
"You didn't do anything child. The Dark Lord sent you a vision of what was happening but it was NOT you doing it to him, understand?" Harry looked over at the man with watery eyes and nodded slowly while curling tighter in on himself. "I love you child, merry Christmas, sleep well." Severus pressed a kiss to his forehead and ruffled his hair before leaving the room, crossing paths with Charlie as he left the room and Charlie entered. The man didn't say a word but climbed into the bed and curled up around him on the bed, wrapping Harry in his arms.
"What did Sirius and Severus get you for Christmas then love?" Charlie asked to distract the teen from his thoughts.
"Umm, Siri gave me a book, a photograph album, of him and Lupin and my dad and their days at school. Dad- Sev gave me some rare potions ingredients for our experiments and the like that I asked him for. They gave me a gift between them but I don't know what that is yet, it's at the manor, but Sev gave Siri a portkey to the manor so he can come to see me sometimes."
"Sounds like it will be a nice surprise for when you go back there."
"Yeah, I think that it will be. Either way I get to see Siri more often." Charlie pressed a kiss to the back of Harry's neck and held him tighter.
"You know, you won't be very comfortable if you go to sleep in those clothes, you should change your jeans at least."
"Trying to get me out of my clothes already Char?" The man was thankful Harry was facing the other way so he couldn't see him blush but Harry still smirked when he felt the spike in embarrassment from the man. "You're in equally uncomfortable clothes to sleep in."
"I'm not the only one trying to get someone out of their clothes tonight then, am I?"
"Hey, if I wasn't 15 I'd be happy to make sure you never wear clothes in bed with me but I am NOT having sex at 15 so I'll just have to make do with you wearing clothes."
"Two years, at least. When you are an adult, that is when we can even begin to make those considerations."
"Two years, sounds good. You think you can wait that long?"
"I've waited 23 years to have sex, I can wait another 2 for you." Harry awkwardly turned over so he was facing the other in his embrace.
"You've never-" Harry trailed off disbelievingly.
"You don't have to say it like it is such a bad thing."
"I'm not, I just didn't expect- how has no one snapped you up already? You're gorgeous, and funny, and kind." Charlie laughed as he rolled away so Harry rolled with him until he was led above the other, looking down at him with a sincere smile while Charlie brushed his thumbs repeatedly over the pale hips revealed by Harry's position. "I love you too."
"I didn't say-"
"But you felt," Harry stated as he tapped his open palm twice over the man's heart before leaving it there. Charlie wrapped his arms around the boy when Harry dropped his head onto his chest.
"Yes I did, didn't I? Come on, get changed, then we can lay back down."
"You going to help me?"
"Are you going to help me?" Harry smiled and shifted off the other, offering a hand to help him stand as well before pulling him over to the drawers they had shared for their sleepwear. "Just clothes," he warned.
"Just clothes," Harry agreed as he began to unbutton Charlie's shirt while the man returned the favour. The teen pushed the sleeves down the other's arms before shrugging out of his own shirt. Harry looked over the man's torso and hesitantly ran his hands down Charlie's chest before undoing his jeans and pushing them off the man's hips so they fell to the floor before removing his own trousers and stepping out of them. He pulled out some pyjamas for them both and handed the man his bottoms while putting on his own, when he straightened himself up he reached for the t-shirt he got out but saw Charlie holding it instead. Harry looked up at the man with furrowed brows so Charlie flicked it out and held it open in his hands as if offering it open for the teen to put on so Harry nervously stepped nearer and threaded his arms through the holes before ducking his head through the neck. As Charlie lowered the material his fingers grazed down Harry's back making the teen flinch away.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to do anything." Charlie stepped away from Harry and raised his hands in show of his honesty so Harry nodded at him and took a careful step nearer. Charlie saw Harry nearing so he stopped backing away to let the teen approach at his own speed. He looked up and watched the man in suspicion until he reached him and hesitantly ducked his head to the other's chest while clutching his t-shirt in his fists. Charlie went to hug the boy but stopped at the last second and placed his hands on Harry's hips instead.
"I don't like people touching my back when I don't have any clothes on, sorry."
"It's okay hun, I didn't know, I won't do it again." Harry nodded and moved Charlie's arms to wrap around him rather than resting on him before returning to his previous position.
"Did you feel?" he asked hesitantly.
"Feel what?"
"My back," Harry whispered as a shiver went through him so he pressed himself nearer to the other, the arms wrapping tighter around him.
"No. I can't say I did, I was preoccupied with looking at you, trying to see what I could before I covered you back up again." Harry relaxed in his arms and let his eyes flutter closed while pressing a kiss to the man's chest, belatedly realising that Charlie hadn't put his top back on again. He stayed there for a couple of minutes before pulling away and chewing on his lip as he handed Charlie the t-shirt he'd got out of the drawers for him. The older man accepted the shirt and pulled it on quickly, trying not to scare Harry any further.
"Are you going to stay with me tonight?"
"Do you want me to?" Harry nodded and took his hand, pulling him back to the bed. Charlie led down first and Harry then led atop him as they were beforehand.
"Did you have a good day?"
"Yeah, I don't often get to see the whole family. Christmas is the only time that we all come together really, when Percy isn't being a complete prat anyway. It was fun this year, like having an extended family here with Sirius and Severus and you. I think the twins favourite thing was finding out Sirius made that map of theirs. I must say though, you should watch what you eat, I'm still not too sure that they have forgiven you for not telling them sooner."
"I'm sorry about Percy."
"Nah, don't be. He's my brother and I love him but he can be a right bore most of the time, just makes comments to take the fun out of the whole day and all the presents. He's always been the same, I've just never noticed how much until this year when he wasn't here."
"Got rid of Percy, nearly killed your dad, I'm doing well at whittling down your family." Harry looked away and he tensed up when he felt the spike in anger from the other man.
"Don't say that! You haven't done anything to my family. You saved my dad's life and Percy has always been a twat."
"Sorry," Harry whispered fearfully but Charlie was quick to cup his cheek and run his thumb along Harry's cheekbone, soothing the panic from his features.
"I don't want you to apologise." Harry looked down at the man and met his gaze, considering him carefully. "I blame you for nothing, you don't have to apologise." Harry licked his lips drawing Charlie's gaze to them so he tentatively pressed them to the older man's in a chaste kiss, smiling into it when Charlie began to kiss back.
"Seriously, how has no one snapped you up already?" Harry said against his lips making the other smile as well.
"Can't say that anyone's tried before you."
"Everyone else is an idiot then." Harry let his head fall onto the other's shoulder, pressing his lips to the man's neck where he lay. "Merry Christmas Charlie."
"Merry Christmas Harry."
"Do you want me to move?"
"Hmm, nope. You're so light that you're perfectly comfortable to stay on me and you're like a personal heater. You can stay there if you want, I'm not going to tell you to move."
"Thank you. Nigh' night Charlie."
"Goodnight Harry."
"Sirius!" Harry called when the man arrived by portkey in front of him before running over and wrapping him in a hug which the man was quick to return.
"Hey pup."
"What are you doing here?"
"Have you forgotten your Christmas present already? Anyone would think that we haven't seen each other for years and not that we only saw each other last night."
"Yeah, but since then it's been like 18 hours and I won't get to see you when I go back to school until the next holidays and that's ages." Sirius smiled down at the teen in his arms before noticing Snape nodding at him in the doorway.
"Shall we go show you your real present then?" Harry pulled back and nodded, taking the other's hand in his own as Snape began to lead them away from the library and towards one of the empty rooms that Harry had never been in. As they reached the door Snape gestured towards it with his hand and Harry nervously looked between the two men stood near him and the door before hesitantly opening it. All of his fears vanished when he saw the contents of the room and his eyes widened as he looked back at the two as if asking permission. When the two school enemies nodded at him he ran into the room with a big grin and began running his fingers across the smooth surface before sitting down.
"Well done Severus, I think the piano was a good idea." Snape smiled softly as he watched the simple joy of the child who was almost caressing the surface. "You going to play something for us then pup?" he said louder earning an enthusiastic nod. Sirius looked around the room before resigning himself to standing. Snape noticed his predicament and summoned an armchair for the man, leaning against the doorframe himself as Harry ran his fingers along each of the keys without making a sound until he positioned them on the keys properly. He shut his eyes with a smile and began to play 'Mad World' on automatic before changing it seamlessly into a Christmas song so the mood of the room didn't lower. Even as he drew the song to a close he kept his eyes shut and returned to hovering just above the keys in serenity while the other two watched him in silence. Harry pressed down on the keys again and began to play his own composition for the two men in the room. "It's beautiful pup," Sirius said when Harry stopped playing again making the boy look over at him. "Where did you learn?" Snape figured that Harry wouldn't answer as he always avoided the question when he asked.
"I taught myself. Well, there was someone else and we learnt together."
"Who was that pup?"
"Doesn't matter. She's gone. Her dad took the beating too far one day, he went to prison and her baby brother got left with her alcoholic mum. Last I heard he ran away, don't know what happened to him. He'd be 11 in a few months. I always wondered about him, he seemed to do things like me, when I learnt about Hogwarts I held out hope that I might see him there one day but after so long I doubt that anymore. I mean, he was 9 when he left. What 9-year-old would make it on the streets for so long, on his own?"
"Who were they pup?"
"I went to junior school with Sophia sometimes, on the odd days we would both be allowed. Her and Dylan lived just down the road. Number 16." Harry began playing quietly as he spoke in hopes of distracting himself from his words. "We used to hide in the music room at lunch together because she knew I wouldn't want to be outside with the others. We learnt pretty quickly that you were only allowed to be in there if you were practising an instrument. Sophia had always loved the sound of piano so we checked books out of the library and learnt. When we were in year 6 Dylan was in year 3 and he started to learn the guitar so he could stay with us. I don't think he carried on when we left though." Snape was shocked at all Harry had revealed after his previous aversion to the questions.
"What was their last name child, can you remember?"
"Of course I can, she was my only friend. Fuge, Dylan and Sophia Fuge." Snape nodded pensively.
"Do you mind staying here with Black while I go and check something?" Harry shook his head but didn't look at the man. "I won't be long. If the house is in ruin when I return, I know to blame Black." The man strode out of the room leaving the others sat in the room while Harry played the piano so Sirius moved to sit next to him on the Piano bench and played a few notes to match Harry.
"Pureblood, 'every pureblood child should be trained in at least 1 classical instrument'," he said mockingly when he noticed his Godson looking towards him in shock.
Snape walked through the house until he reached the sitting room and flooed straight through to the Headmasters' office.
"Severus my boy, what can I do for you? I thought you'd be enjoying your break from school with your ward."
"I am, thank you. I need a favour, or a request more like."
"What would that be my boy?"
"Dylan Fuge. Is that a name on the list of first years for next year?"
"Why are you inquiring?"
"Just answer the question please headmaster." Albus considered the man for a few seconds before withdrawing the scroll of names from his desk drawer and scanning through it.
"Yes, Dylan Fuge, 20th June, letters sent and received but no reply."
"Where?"
"Why-"
"Where headmaster? I'll explain it all if this pans out."
"Netherheys Orphanage, Surrey. I shall expect full detail as soon as you can though Severus."
"Understood Headmaster, thank you." Snape went back through the floo to his own house but immediately apparated away to the orphanage and strode up, knocking on the door. As soon as it was pulled open he was stood facing a woman who looked barely 20 and a lot shorter than him. "Hello, my name is Severus Snape and I have been trying to find a boy my adoptive son used to know before he ran away from his home. I was wondering if you can help me, the last news I have of him is that he is here."
"I'm not meant to give out our children's names sir."
"I don't need his name. I have it already, I just want to know if it is the same boy my child knew. I want to know what happened to him and I know my son does and if possible I would like to see about doing something to take him in as well." The woman seemed to hesitate at hearing these words.
"Let me just get the matron. She'll know if we can help or not." Snape inclined his head before the woman shut the door and he heard her scurrying away on the other side so he turned with a smirk to face the gardens. When he heard the door being pulled open he turned and saw a much older, but no taller, woman stood there.
"Come into my office sir, we can talk there." Snape once again inclined his head and began to follow the woman the short distance to her office where he took a seat when offered. "What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a child. A particular child, I am not wishing to adopt a random child but rather one in particular and I have traced him to here I believe. I understand it is not your policy to give out names but I am not after that. I can tell you what little I know of the boy and if it matches I would like to talk to him with the view of adopting him. You see, I believe that my adoptive son knows him and he frequently wonders what happened to the boy he knew."
"Very well," she said with pursed lips. "What is this child's name?"
"Dylan Fuge. Born on the 20th of June I believe. He will be turning 11 this year. He had an alcoholic mother and an abusive father who is in prison for the beating and death of his daughter Sophia who would be 15 or 16 now had her father not gotten hold of her. He ran away when he was 9 and, as far as I know, he remained on the streets until he came here."
"Dylan?" Snape nodded. "We do have a boy here by that description but now tends to call himself Dan although we never knew a real name for him, he wouldn't tell us. He's one of our long-termers. He's been here for a year. I'm afraid that he refuses all talk of adoption, keeps going on about he's going to a boarding school when he's 11 to find a boy named Harry something."
"Harry Potter? He's my current adoptive son. It's him who is looking for Dylan. I'm a teacher at a boarding school in Scotland called Hogwarts, it was there that I found out he was here, he's on a list of students offered a scholarship to our school but we had had no reply. I thought it prudent to come here myself, kill two birds with one stone as it were. May I speak to him? Ensure that it is the same boy. He still has the scholarship if he desires but I want to check, for my son."
"He doesn't take well to men, he hasn't had the best past as you know."
"Yes I do. My son Harry came from a similar background, his parents died and he was placed in with his abusive aunt and uncle. Please, if he doesn't want to talk to me or asks me to leave, I will and I won't bother him again but I want to try." The woman pursed her lips even tighter but nodded.
"You will speak to him in one of our designated rooms. There are cameras so I shall know if you try anything unsavoury and it will be your own adopted child you lose as well as any contact with Dylan, scholarship be damned." Snape nodded in acceptance of these terms, knowing that truthfully there was nothing she could do to take Harry away from him.
They walked through the office door and across the corridor where he went to sit in the room while she carried on to collect the boy. He felt nervous as he sat and began to straighten out his clothes and he wasn't too sure why except that this boy meant so much to Harry and he hadn't trusted him enough to mention the boy until then. He sat upright when the boy opened and a boy shuffled in with his head bowed.
"Thank you for your interest sir but I'm not up for adoption, I'm going away in September you see so there really wouldn't be any point." He began to walk back out the door so Snape acted on impulse as he stood and reached out for the boy, still meters between them but just in gesture.
"Wait! Please? Hogwarts school. Sophia. Harry Potter." He began calling out what he could to make the boy stop leaving. The school had made him hesitate, the mention of his sister had made him stop but at the mention of Harry he turned and looked up at the man in suspicion. Snape reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the picture of Harry he'd grabbed before he left the house and placed it on the table facing the 10-year-old. "That boy there? My Harry." Dylan watched him carefully as he sat back down in the chair before nearing the table and picking up the picture, retreating a few steps with it before looking at it.
"Harry," he whispered as tears formed in his eyes and he carefully stroked the image as though scared it would disappear. "He looks happy," he said before dropping the picture in surprise when it suddenly waved at him. "What was that?"
"Ahh, sorry. Should've warned you. Harry said you could do things like him and then you were on the list for Hogwarts, I never thought that you wouldn't be accustomed to moving pictures. I don't why I didn't." The boy crouched down and picked up the picture, waving back at the subject. "It's just a picture. He can't see you." The boy seemed defeated at these words so he dropped his hand and returned to staring at the image and the bright green eyes he knew so well in pain, looking at him in happiness.
"What do you mean, your Harry?"
"I adopted him not long after his 14th birthday."
"And he's happy?"
"He's currently back at my house playing the piano with his godfather."
"He still plays?"
"Yes, we brought him one for Christmas. I hear you were learning the guitar, did you continue?"
"No, no one wants to give the kid on the streets money, much less a guitar. I figured he'd forgotten me, or the same had happened that Sophia went through, I hadn't heard from him or seen him when I went back to look so I just thought-"
"He still thinks of you. Wondering if you'd be joining him at school this year. Wondering if you kept playing when he and your sister left the school. Wondering if you'd survived on the streets on your own."
"He didn't forget me?" the boy asked hopefully.
"No. I'm afraid it was my fault you didn't see him again."
"Don't be afraid. I ran to get away, you got him away." By this point Dylan had slumped into the chair opposite Snape and kept stroking the picture like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"You're very brave for a 10-year-old. I was still hiding under my bed from my dad when I was your age."
"You think I'm brave?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Harry said he was in the brave lion house because he didn't want to be in the snake house. Do you think I could join him?"
"Do you know, I think you might do just that. We hadn't had a reply from your school letters so we weren't sure if you'd be coming."
"It said owl, I don't have an owl. Harry did but I don't. I wanted to see about the post office but we aren't allowed out on our own and the matron couldn't find any mention of a Hogwarts school anywhere so she figured it was just a hoax."
"No child, entirely real. Does this mean you want me to pass on your acceptance to the headmaster?"
"Yes please sir."
"Just Severus or Sev please. Harry only has to call me sir in lesson, I think the same could be said for you."
"Do you teach there then?"
"Yes, I teach him and all the other students potions."
"Professor Snape sir? The one Harry didn't like because he was always mean?"
"I suppose you could say that, yes. His father bullied me at school and I let that cloud my opinion of him, I don't think that picture looks like he's scared of the person taking it though, does it?"
"No. He looks like he loves you."
"And I him."
"Is that why you adopted him then, because you're his teacher?"
"No, but it helped because it meant all the time I'm working or he's at school we still see each other."
"The matron said you said about adopting me?"
"Yes I did. Only if it is what you wanted though. I hear you're attached to this place because of your scholarship."
"I didn't know how else to explain that I wanted to be at a boarding school but that it would be free."
"It was a good explanation."
"Would you then?"
"What? Adopt you?" Dylan nodded. "Yes, it was easy with Harry because he had a magical guardian but it will take longer with you because you are in the muggle system. I doubt I'd be able to take you to see Harry but I could see about him coming here one day with me."
"No," Dylan stated firmly, the first time he'd spoken above a whisper to the man. "Don't, I don't want him to know. I always planned we'd see each other at school on my first day. I want to do that."
"That's 9 months though child."
"I've waited 2 years. It's not so bad here anyway. You'd have to have lots of checks done and visits and days out together eventually so it will take a while anyway."
"Very well. On one of our trips I can take you to buy your school things."
"You don't have to sir, I could get them."
"Never said you couldn't. That is just one of the perks though, you don't have to buy your own things. We could get the school to pay as part of it's funding, or I can pay as your prospective guardian, either way you aren't paying."
"They're going to come in soon and tell you that time's up on our chat." Dylan took one last look at the picture to try and commit it to memory before holding it out to the man. "Here." Snape shook his head.
"Keep it. I've got multiple pictures of him, and the real thing." Dylan didn't seem to like this answer. "You can give it back to me when you get the real thing back." This drew a smile from the boy as he looked up at Snape.
"You aren't so bad." Severus lips curled upwards on one side at this answer.
"I should hope so. You aren't so bad either."
"Thank you for the picture."
"Am I allowed to go ahead with the adoption then?" Dylan nodded sincerely and stood from his chair just as the door opened.
"Time's up gentlemen. Someone still has homework to do." The younger woman ruffled Dylan's hair as she walked towards them making the boy duck away and try to smooth it down again. "Longest talk you've had with anyone since coming here, hey Dylan? I can barely get two full sentences out of you unless you want something." The boy grinned innocently at the woman who stood next to him but as soon as Snape stood he was around the other side of the table hugging his stomach tightly.
"Thank you Sev," he whispered to the amazement of the woman, amazement that only grew when he allowed the man to return the gesture.
"My pleasure child. I'll see you at school if not beforehand yes? And my Harry will have quite the surprise."
"Harry? As in the one you told me about when you first came to us?" Dylan nodded happily and showed her the picture, hiding the moving hand with his finger as he did.
"Sev adopted him. He didn't forget me and he didn't join Sophia, isn't that great?" he said enthusiastically, shocking the woman even more at how much he had said, not just in the presence of an adult, but when outnumbered by them.
"Yes it is. Go on you rascal, get. I expect to see you doing your homework when I come to check on you." Dylan hugged the man again before running out of the room with the picture much to the amusement of the two still stood there.
"Look, I can't stay, my son is at home with his godfather and Merlin knows what they have done to the house. I'll be back soon if I can to begin the process of adopting him. Dylan has posed no objections to the idea since I work at the school he wishes to attend and I have already adopted the only person he has left in the world."
"I hope to see you soon Mr Snape, was it?"
"Yes it was. I'll see you just as soon as I can." Snape whirled out of the room and left through the front door, the young woman following him to the entrance before turning and walking up to Dylan's room.
"Hey Dan. I thought I said homework." The boy looked up from the photo with a teary smile so the woman sat next to him on his bed and hesitantly wrapped him in her arm. "What's wrong?"
"He's still alive, he still thinks about me." Dylan pushed into her side and lifted the picture so they could both see it, making sure he still covered the wave. "He looks so happy now, healthy."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"What if he doesn't like me anymore? He's grown up, he's got his own friends, his own family, what space is there for me in his life now?" Dylan sniffed as he fought back more tears. "I'm nothing anymore, never was other than his friend's annoying brother and now I'm not even that." Dylan moved the picture back to his lap and stroked it with a single finger. "Maybe I should tell Severus no and tell him I don't want the scholarship anymore."
"Daniel no-middle-or-last-name, you listen to me now. In the year I have known you, the only thing you have ever wanted or asked for, other than food, is to go to this school and to find this boy. I will drag you all the way there myself if that is what it takes, I will not let you give up on this dream of yours now." Dylan laughed breathily and wiped his eyes with his sleeve before pulling away from the contact.
"God Aeryn, you said homework, stop distracting me!" The woman laughed as she held her hands up in surrender and moved to the door before looking back at the child.
"I like this version of you Dan, the talkative one, not the down-in-the-dumps one. This man, whoever he is, it seems like he'll be good for you." Dylan smiled sincerely at her for one of the few times since he'd dropped himself off on their doorstep. "Do you want a frame for that picture?"
"Can I?"
"Course, all the others get pictures for their family, this boy has always been yours. What is it you always tell me that makes you seem old before your time?"
"Blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb."
"Exactly, the relationships you CHOOSE are stronger than the ones you are born with. You chose this boy, and he chose you, he's your family now, official or not." Dylan nodded but didn't reply as he moved to his desk and began his homework.
"What happened?" Snape asked as soon as he walked into the lounge and saw Harry curled up with his head on Sirius lap on the sofa, tear tracks evident on his cheeks.
"Nothing much. We played piano, we laughed, we talked, he cried, he fell asleep because he was exhausted. I waited with him here to talk to you. What happened, did you do what you needed to?"
"Yes. My chat with the headmaster was particularly enlightening and rewarding."
"You found him?"
"He doesn't want Harry to know, he's planned their meeting at Hogwarts for two years. He thought Harry had been killed as his sister had. You know, the first thing we need to do next year is to add a guitar to Harry's piano."
"You're taking him in then?"
"Yes, I suppose I should've asked Harry first, see if he minded." Snape sat down at the other end of the sofa and looked down at the form in Black's lap.
"We both know that he would love it, to have him near."
"He seems worse than Harry was when I first found out about him. I don't know if it's his age or what it is. According to the people there he goes by a different name. He doesn't seem to like physical contact. He is terrified of adults, especially men. From the sounds of it, until I showed up today he rarely says more than a couple of sentences to anyone. I took a photo of Harry along and he treated it like his most prized possession. The only things he does talk about apparently are his scholarship to Hogwarts and this boy he used to know." Snape looked sadly down at Harry and wondered if Harry would have acted the same if he'd met him when he was 10.
"Aww, come on, you'll get through to him. You'll have the advantage, the head start, you'll have Harry to help you get through to this boy."
"Do you wish to stay the night Black? I'm finding myself equally tired. Just the prospect of having two kids is wearing me out already." Sirius smiled at the man's comment and pat his shoulder a couple of times before accepting the invitation and carrying Harry up to bed, retiring into the guest bedroom he was offered.
A/N: this chapter got away from me a bit. I had never intended to include a new character but Dylan just sort of happened. Oh well, hope you like.