AN: Hello all! I hope you're all having a good day! At this point, I'm not sure if this chapter is early or late lol but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed The Proposal. It was really fun to write!

Anyway, on to the next chapter! And if you feel so inclined, leave a review and tell me what you liked or didn't like about it. Nicely though :)

Chapter 35

The next few weeks passed quietly for both Harry and Snape. Ravenclaw had beaten Hufflepuff at their match at the end of November, meaning that Gryffindor was still in the running after all. This news especially brought Harry's mood up.

Ron and Hermione had both been just as shocked as he had been to find out about Sirius Black. Still, of course, Hermione had sided with the adults in thinking that they would have told him eventually and had been more than a little concerned with the fact that Harry still seemed intent on actually hoping to find Black. He had finally stopped talking about him around her just to keep her from threatening to tell Snape.

Harry wasn't mental enough that he intended to go looking for Black. He knew that he wasn't prepared to go up against a fully trained wizard. It was more that, for him, imagining that he could go after him made him feel slightly better about it all. But Hermione didn't want to hear any talk of that sort at all, and so by the time that the Christmas holidays were nearly upon them, Sirius Black was no longer mentioned. He and Ron stopped bringing him up.

Two weeks before the end of term came the first snowfall, and suddenly, Christmas was in the air. Professor Flitwick had already started his decorations, and students were all happily talking about their plans for the holidays. Harry hadn't given them much thought since he and Snape had left the manor. Snape had told him they could spend Christmas there, but he hadn't said anything about it since, and now Harry wasn't sure if they would or not. Hermione and Ron had both said that if Harry stayed at Hogwarts, they would remain with him. Ron insisted that he couldn't stand the idea of staying in the same house as Percy for two weeks, and Hermione thought she would have a chance to get the library all to herself for once.

She had long since finished the book that Snape had loaned her and had borrowed another one right after. However, Harry didn't have the faintest idea of what she was reading or why. He found it hard enough to read the required chapters in his textbooks, much less extra reading just for the fun of it.

Everyone was excited to find out that another Hogsmeade trip would be happening on the last weekend before the term was to end. Everyone except for Harry anyway. He had already resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be going, and he wasn't going to ask Snape to let him go. It wouldn't do him any good, and he didn't want to fight with Snape. It just wasn't worth it.

The morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione and then started up the staircase to Gryffindor Tower. He was in the third-floor corridor when he heard someone whisper his name, and he immediately turned around in a circle to see who had spoken, just in time to feel a hand wrap around his arm and pull him behind a statue of the hump-backed, one-eyed witch.

"What's going on?!" Harry asked in surprise at seeing the Weasley twins.

"We wanted to give you an early Christmas present," said George with a grin. Fred pulled something from the inside of his cloak and handed it over to Harry with a mock bow, as if he were presenting something rare and extraordinary.

Harry just looked down at it with a frown. "You're giving me a blank piece of parchment? What do I need this for?"

"A blank piece of parchment?!" Fred said with a grimace. "Harry, we're offended!"

"That there," George said, pointing at the parchment, "is the secret to our success. And believe me, it's an absolute wrench giving it to you."

"But we don't need it anymore. We figure you could still get a lot of use out of it, though."

Harry looked between the two in confusion. "But it's a piece of parchment."

"Oh, it's much more than that!" Fred replied. "We nicked it from Filch in our first year-"

"We had let off a Dungbomb in the corridor. He wasn't pleased."

"So he hauled us off to his office-"

"Where we just so happened to notice a drawer marked, 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous.'"

"Oh no," Harry said, starting to understand where they were going with this.

"Well, we couldn't just not look!" George said, as if the very idea was ridiculous.

"So George caused a distraction by setting off another Dungbomb-"

"And Fred opened the drawer and pulled out this wonderful masterpiece!"

"Alright," Harry said, deciding just to humor the twins, "what is it then?"

Fred and George both grinned before Fred took out his wand and tapped the top of the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

At once, ink lines began to fill every spare space on the page. Criss-crossing and spreading like a spider's web and at the top, words started to appear in curly, green ink.

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers,

are proud to present

The Marauders Map.

It was a map that showed every square inch of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. Inside it was tiny ink dots moving around, each labeled with a name. Harry bent over it in astonishment. Looking as close as he could, he saw a dot marked Severus Snape in the parlor of their rooms down in the dungeons. Harry thought he must be sitting in his armchair by the fireplace. Harry continued to glance around the map at all the corridors and rooms, taking in everyone's name that was still inside the castle.

But the map showed several passages he had never seen before, and many of them appeared to lead straight out of the castle.

"They go to Hogsmeade," Fred said, tracing one of the passages with his finger. "There are seven in all, but Filch only knows about these four-" he pointed to the four he meant, -" but we're pretty sure that we're the only ones who know about the last three."

"The one behind the mirror on the fourth floor caved in last year," said George, "and that other one is under the Whomping Willow, so it's no use either."

"But this one here," Fred pointed to one that was right where they currently stood, "it leads right into Honeydukes' cellar."

"Wicked," Harry breathed.

"Right," George grinned, "now we better get going, and Harry, don't forget to wipe it when you're done."

"Yeah," Fred agreed, "otherwise anyone could read it. Just tap it when you're through and say, 'Mischief Managed.' It will immediately disappear."

"Thanks," Harry said sincerely.

George winked at him with a mischievous grin. "See you in Hogsmeade, Harry."

Just as the Map had said, Snape was in his parlor, watching the flames flicker in the fireplace as he thought about the letter he had just received. The Ministry was coming on Monday. He had thought, perhaps naively so, that if they hadn't come by now, then they likely wouldn't show up until after the holidays. Now, they would be here in two days and on the first day of the Christmas holidays.

Snape sighed heavily as he tapped the end table, barely noticing when the tea set appeared. He had barely even had the chance to talk to Harry about their plans for the holidays, and now he had to tell him that the first day would be filled with Ministry social workers interviewing them.

Before Snape could overthink it further, his parlor door opened and Remus stepped inside. Snape glared at him.

"Civilized people would see a closed door and knock before entering," he said coldly.

"Sorry, Severus," Remus replied in a hurry. "I just got my letter telling me when my interview is for Harry. They're really going to do this at Christmastime?"

"It seems so." Snape nodded towards the tea, and Remus gladly took a cup before sitting down in the armchair opposite him.

"Have you told Harry yet?" Remus asked.

"No. I plan to tell him at dinner tonight. He said he was staying down here."

"He's been staying here a lot lately, hasn't he?"

"I'm not even sure why," Snape admitted. "It's not as if I'm great company."

Remus sat back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other while taking a sip. He grimaced at the bitter taste and reached for more sugar cubes to drop into it.

"You consume entirely too much sugar," Snape stated with a frown.

"Are you worried about my sugar intake now, Mum?" Remus teased with a grin on his face.

"You're as bad as Harry. Shouldn't you be setting better examples?"

"That's what he has you for, Severus. Me, I'm the cool, fun-loving uncle, and I'm supposed to set bad examples."

"Uncle?" Severus nearly choked on his tea. "Who said anything about you being his uncle?"

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Remus rolled his eyes. "It's time you accepted it, Severus. You're going through all this with the Ministry trying to get legal guardianship over him, right? You would adopt him if you could. You care for him, anyone with eyes can see that, and he cares for you as well. If you're going to be his legal guardian, it's only fair that I get to be his legal uncle."

"Harry doesn't see me like that," Snape protested. "And even if he did, uncles come from parents. I am not his parent, not even legally, so you are not his uncle."

"Quit trying to deny what is so clear to everyone else, Severus. You said so yourself that Harry asked you if you would adopt him if you could, right?"

"He did. Once." Snape nodded.

"And you told him that you would. You are taking care of him. He has his own room here and back at the manor, a room that he has stayed in almost every weekend lately. He comes to you with his problems. You're the only one he wanted after the latest dementor attack, and you even bought him a new broom. A Firebolt, no less!"

"What are you getting at, Remus?" Snape asked, annoyed at his brother.

"You really don't get it, do you? Harry wants to be with you, Severus. He wants to be around you. To be a part of this makeshift family of ours. To finally belong somewhere. He sees you as his family, Severus, even if he doesn't understand it yet."

Severus shook his head. "And just what am I supposed to do about that? What happens if we do these interviews on Monday and then they decide that I'm not fit to keep him? We both know that I'm no Albus Dumbledore. No one in their right mind would trust me with a child. Especially not this child!" Severus had stood up and was now pacing in front of the couch.

"You're worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet, Severus. And you forget that the social workers are going to interview all of us. We'll all tell them how good of a match you and Harry are. They'll see the facts. Since coming to live with you, Harry's grades have improved, he's mostly stayed out of trouble, and he's happier and healthier than he has ever been. Madam Pomfrey will attest to his health."

"And what if all that is not enough?" Severus asked, and for the first time in years, Remus thought he looked terrified. "What if, after everything, they still take him away?"

"They won't," Remus said with as much confidence as he could muster.

"You don't know that. They could." Severus sighed. "No matter how you spin it, spy or not, I am a former Death Eater, and they very well could take him away from me. I've already had him longer than I thought they would allow."

"Exactly!" Remus put his teacup down on the tray and stood up to face Severus. "You've already had him nearly six months. If they were going to take him away, don't you think they would have done it by now?"

"They could just be-"

"They could just be doing a lot, Severus, and you'll drive yourself mad trying to think of everything. You know as well as I do that the best thing you can do for Harry is to keep a calm head on your shoulders and prepare him as best as you can for what to expect." Remus sighed reached a hand out to clap Severus on the shoulder, "Everything's going to be fine, Sev. You've got all of us in your corner, and we won't let you down."

Finally, Severus nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to him at dinner."

"Good," Remus replied. "Now, let me tell you what I've got planned to give him for Christmas."

"Don't spoil him," Severus said immediately, sitting back down.

"Says the man who bought him a Firebolt." Remus laughed.

"He needed that. For Quidditch."

Harry was late. He'd promised Snape that he would be there for dinner, but he had gotten caught up in Hogsmeade and had forgotten the time. He only hoped that Snape wouldn't ask him where he had been because Harry wasn't sure that he could lie convincingly enough to make Snape believe him.

Harry pulled the key from where it hung around his neck even as he was rushing into his dormitory, and as soon as the door appeared, he wrenched it open and ran inside.

"Sorry I'm late, Snape," he rushed to say.

"Do not run, Harry. You're not being raised by trolls," Snape called from the kitchen.

Harry rolled his eyes as he went inside. "You're not even in here. How'd you know I was running?"

"I could hear you stampeding through the parlor like a herd of hippogriffs."

Harry took his seat at the table next to Snape, who looked at him curiously.

"Why is your face flushed?" he asked before tapping the table for their food.

"I was running, remember?" Harry answered, "I was outside before that."

Snape narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He didn't mind Harry being outside, but he had a feeling there was more to the story. "I hope you wore your coat. It's far too cold to be running around without proper winter clothes."

"I'm fine, Snape."

Snape nodded, and they both began filling their plates with Yorkshire pudding and sausages. It was one of Harry's favorite meals, but tonight he was already full from eating all the candy he'd gotten from Honeydukes.

"Not hungry?" Snape asked, eyeing Harry's plate.

"I am," Harry was quick to say. "I just had a big lunch, is all."

"Right," Snape turned back to his own plate, not believing Harry for a second.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Snape put his fork down and took a deep breath. "I heard from the Ministry today."

Harry's head snapped up immediately. "What did they say?"

"That they will be here on Monday morning to start the interviews. Now, I'm not sure who they will get to first. It could be one of us, your teachers or my parents or Remus. I do know that they are planning to speak to Madam Pomfrey, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley later on in the week."

Harry could feel his heart speeding up, and he tried to take a deep breath. "So Monday?"

"Monday," Snape replied quietly.

Harry pushed his plate away, his appetite now completely gone.

"No," Snape said firmly, "you need to eat. You've barely touched your dinner."

"I'm not hungry, Snape." Harry protested, "I'm really not."

Snape sighed. "Alright, but if you get hungry later, let me know, and I'll have Jenka get you some sandwiches."

"Thanks," Harry leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table after his plate disappeared. "What do you think they'll ask me?"

Snape took a minute to think over his answer while he finished his last bite of food before vanishing the rest of their dinner. "I suppose they'll ask you how you're doing in school, how you've been since you left your relatives. They'll want to know how we get along and if you like living with me. They just want to know that you're in the best place possible."

"I am," Harry said quickly.

"And they will see that, Harry," Snape assured him. "You don't need to worry."

"Are you worried?" he asked.

"No," Snape lied easily. "Everything will be fine."

"Okay, but what if it's not? What if they try to make me go somewhere else, Snape?"

"They won't," Snape promised. "They will see that this is the best place for you, that we are good for each other. Harry, they will see that as long as we both keep our heads and mind our tempers. I don't want to hear of you being disrespectful or rude to them, do you understand?"

"As long as you're not rude either," Harry snapped back. "You don't go making them run for the hills with your evil Potions Master act—no acting like a great big bat and billowing your robes out behind you. Or intimidating them with your mean looks and insults. You behave,

Snape."

Snape smirked at the boy. "I'll do my best."

"You'd better," Harry replied with as much sternness as he could muster, "or I'll tell Dumbledore to stick you in a corner."

"Oh, I'm terrified." Snape snorted though he was glad to see that Harry seemed less worried now than he had been.

"McGonagall then," Harry went on with a grin. "I'll tell her, and she'll put you in your place."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right,"

Snape stood up and pushed his chair back under the table. "Alright, you cheeky brat, let's go have some tea."

Harry followed Snape into the parlor but at a much slower pace. "Snape?" he asked as he took his seat next to his guardian.

"Yes?" Snape tapped the table, and tea appeared along with sandwiches and biscuits.

"What if they do take me away?"

Snape sighed and looked down at the boy he had come to care so much about. "I'm not going to let that happen, Harry. I promise."