Arthur Weasley seemed fairly surprised when he opened the door to find the potions master at his door.

"I was wondering if I could have a word. It seems that you are the only person I know at present who can help me answer something." Severus said. The redhead motion for him to come on in.

As he stepped into the house he could hear the racket from the Weasley children coming from upstairs. Only one of the twins was at present on the ground floor and the moment he saw him he apparated away.

"We can talk better in the kitchen." Arthur recommended. Molly Weasley was there, hovering freshly dried dishes up into their respective places on the cupboard.

"Oh, Severus, what a surprise." She said. "Would you like some tea?" She offered.

"Actually… I just have some questions that need answering. Of the people I know, you are the best suited to answer these questions."

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Arthur asked.

Severus hesitated. Asking for help was beyond what he was accustomed to. However, he had to prove to Potter that he was serious. That he wanted to take care of him and that he wasn't ashamed of who knew about it.

"I want to know… to be sure of what is required when someone becomes a father. What is expected of a good parent?" He needed to know if he could actually offer Potter what he needed.

The Weasleys stared at him for a couple of seconds before finding their voices once more.

"Severus… are you going to be a father?" Arthur asked in surprise. Severus said nothing. He wouldn't say it like that… he wouldn't be so bold as to say that he was going to be one. But he wanted to give Potter everything a parent would have given him.

Molly Weasley spoke next. "Severus, you would be surprised how many people think they're inadequate to be parents. There are a lot of criticisms out there. A lot of judgement on what makes a good parent or not. Personally, the one thing I think makes a great parent would be when all you do is to make them happy." She said.

"When they're running a fever and no potion is bringing it down, even when you feel helpless, unable to take away their suffering, you just want to be by their side, let them know you'll always be there for them." Arthur continued, smiling gently at distant memories.

Severus remembered when Potter fell under the Devil's Torture in Black's home. He remembered the rage that coursed through him when Potter kept getting wound after wound for him to patch up. He remembered the helplessness of not being able to get him out of Malfoy manor in time. Or the helplessness at not having been able to address Harry's past properly, in a supportive manner.

"What if you make a mistake?" He heard himself ask.

"Oh you will." Molly said.

"You will definitely make mistake after mistake." Arthur said.

"But that's how your kids help you grow. And as long as you do your best to try and do what's best for them… there is no real mistake that can be made." Molly said.

"What if they don't want to listen to you? Or they want to break off from you?" Potter seemed very determined to never speak to him again.

"Children may say that. When they go off to do something you consider stupid it's sometimes your duty to let them hate you. Let them kick and scream and let them say they don't love you as much as they want. But as the responsible adult it's your duty to pull them away from situations they may deem fine, when really, they can be quite dangerous." Arthur said.

"Don't get me started on the stress Ron put us through, every year getting into so much trouble. We understand his loyalty to help his friends, but as his parents we simply couldn't let it pass." Molly continued.

The two obviously spoke from their own experiences, yet Severus couldn't help but think of the similarities with his and Potter's situation.

"Above all… let them know you will never give up on them and that you'll always be waiting for them with open arms." Arthur said gently glancing at a family picture on the wall.

Severus saw him admiring his whole brood. Though his last line was probably directed at Percy, whom he'd heard had cut himself off from his parents a while back. It wasn't the same with Potter but he still appreciated the similar theme in both cases.

"…You want to take Harry in." Molly said. It surprised him that mother said it. Mr. Weasley also seemed rather shocked as he looked between his wife and the potions master.

"There are things the boy may never forgive me for… but I don't think he should stay where he is."

"I know what you mean. There's something very off about his family. It's never been healthy for the boy." She said softly.

"I don't claim to be capable of even remotely replacing Potter's parents but… I want to give him what I can." To try and give Harry what his actions took away.

"If I had not seen you in that temple I would have had many more questions than I have now." Molly said.

"But it was enough to tell." Arthur said.

"Tell?"

"That you really care." Molly said simply. Severus felt uncomfortable knowing that the two now knew so much about him. What if Potter refused again? He would have to live with the failure, knowing more people knew he failed. But his pride was not the issue. He better learn to swallow more of his pride from now on.

"Thank you…"

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

Harry woke up an hour ago, but he couldn't find the will power to get out of bed. How could he possibly get up knowing that he had to go to Emwood's house? Nausea lingered as he failed to push back memories. He needed to get out of here. He had to run away. He had to… But where would he go? There were still deatheaters out there and he never again wanted to see a single dark wizard again.

What could he do? After all he went through… he didn't want to throw himself in the path of vengeful deatheaters. He had to go for the lesser of two evils. Speaking of evils. He spotted Duddley's old dictionary poking out from under the bed. He remembered that word that Voldemort called him. What was the other trying to say to him? It sounded vile but he wanted to know. He reached for the dictionary and found the C. When he found the word and read its meaning he felt a strangled scream of rage escape from his throat with the effort it took to throw the book across the room. How dare he call him that?! How dare he?!

"What's all that noise you rotten boy? Come out now!" His aunt demanded, knocking loudly on the door.

"Just don't think about it… don't think about it…" Harry whispered as he stood up and got dressed. He prepared himself a sandwich with tea, while his aunt gushed into the phone at her precious baby boy. He ate quickly, not taking time to savour the food. Even if Petunia hadn't done it since he was ten it was still a force of habit to eat as quickly as possible in case his aunt decided he'd had enough and snatched his food away. Only when he was done did he take his time with the tea, relaxing since his aunt seemed like she was going to remain on the phone for a while.

She noticed him once he put the mug into the sink and her smile turned into a sneer. "You're still here? Why not put yourself to good use and go help that neighbour?" She snapped.

Harry looked at her and felt his heart begin to race as he opened his lips. "I don't… want to go." He said.

She glared at him even more intensely. "I'll call you later Dudders." She said and hanged up the phone.

"You think after how rude you've been I'm going to let you off just like that?" She hissed. How was it possible that so much hate festered inside the woman against him?

"Not this man! I refuse to go!" Harry yelled.

"You don't even know Mr. Emwood. He's a very respectable man and you will not embarrass us by breaking your word."

"He's not respectable at all! He-!" The words caught in his throat. He couldn't say it. They would never let him forget it. They would insult and push him until their words destroyed him. "Nevermind!" he yelled and stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut and making his way to the house. He saw Mrs. Figg peeking through the window.

She would probably tell Dumbledore. So what? Dumbledore would pretend he didn't hear anything just like the headmaster did with everything that the Dursleys did to him.

The road wasn't long enough and no matter how slow he tried to walk the door was soon before him. He knocked on the door. He could already feel his breakfast threatening to come back up.

The door opened and he saw Mr. Emwood's familiar friendly smile. "Harry, come in." Harry moved sluggishly inside, his skin crawled the deeper he walked into the house. Just as he had expected, the livingroom remained the same. The shelves had not been emptied to allow shifting them away from the walls he was supposed to paint. The pictures hanging on the wall were still there and there was no sign of painting equipment anywhere.

He felt Emwood's hands grip onto his shoulders firmly. "Come upstairs with me." Harry never replied but the other easily moved him. He felt like a weightless doll and his body moved where the man led him.

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

Severus walked up to number 4 Privet Drive with more confidence than he truly felt. The fat oaf's car was not in the drive which saved him the trouble of having to argue with two people to get to Potter.

He knocked loudly on the door and smirked as he heard the hurried clicking of heels come toward the door.

Petunia opened the door and looked at him in alarm before settling into anger. "You! How dare you show up you-!"

"Where's the boy Tunni?" He asked. She looked even more irate if it were possible.

"He's not here! Why would you care about him now? You haven't shown up even though Lily died- hey! Where do you think you're going?" Severus walked round her and went up the stairs.

"Some guardian you are. Couldn't even read the list of teachers he's had? First jealous of your sister and now of her son. You always were pathetic Petunia." He spat and blasted every lock on the boy's door before opening it. He couldn't help but notice the cat flap and the state of the boy's miserable room. The only thing bright and colourful about the boy's dismal room was the bright red duvet and the snowy white owl chirping in the cage, desperately nipping at the bars, frustrated at the small enclosure she had.

"You listen here you freak! You will get out of my house this instant!" She shrieked. Severus ignored her and went to open the cage of the bird, opening the window for it. Even though it was daytime the frustrated bird shot out, to allow the wind to catch her wings.

"Where is the boy Petunia?" He asked turning around, shoving past her and going down to check the garden.

"We've put him to good use! We're not allowing him anymore freedom to do what he pleases!"

"Have you even allowed him to study for his exams?" He yelled at her. Freedoms? This woman wants to talk about allowing Potter freedoms?

"You're not his father! You're nothing to that freakish boy! Why should I tell you anything when Lily herself made it clear that she didn't want anything more to do with you?"

"I don't give a damn what Lily said!" He snapped. "That was then and this is now and I am taking him from your abysmal care this very instant!" Potter was not in the garden either. "Where is he?!"

"He's doing chores! We're having him help the neighbours. He's painting some walls today." She said calmly. Something cold settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Which house?" She looked at him like he was crazy for asking.

"I'm not telling you so you can go and make a scene in front of our respected neigh- what are you doing?!" Severus grabbed her by the shoulders and, woman or not, he slammed her against the wall by his grip on her shirt.

"What house? You despicable monster!" He hissed. That seemed enough to jolt her back to the reality of who had more power here.

"End of the road… Mr. Emwood lives there but don't you dare make a- Snape!" She tried calling him back but he stormed out of there and rushed to that house. The route of which he so clearly remembered from Potter's occlumency sessions.