Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

~~~

Monday, December 27, 1993

"Harry, Draco!"

The boys turned to find the owner of the voice in the Great Hall, and they grinned and waved when they saw Hermione running for them.

"How was your holiday?" she asked, giving each of them a hug.

"It was great," Harry replied.

"Best Christmas I've ever had," Draco added. "How was yours?"

"Normal," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Pansy Parkinson got expelled," Harry told her as they walked to a table. "Draco turned her into a rat." They explained the situation with the photo album, and the story left Hermione both furious and amused.

"Let's see, what else?" Draco said, thoughtfully. "Well, we were both sick for a couple of days; Harry showed me that he's a really good cook; he can do magic without a wand. Oh, and we were adopted. Harry's my brother now." Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Adopted?" she repeated. "By who?"

"All right, we'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone yet!" Harry warned her. "Dumbledore's going to make some announcement the night everyone else returns." Hermione promised not to tell. "We were adopted by..."

"Severus Snape," Draco finished, quietly, so that no one would hear. Hermione's eyes widened even more.

"So he's your father now? I can't imagine him being the father-type."

"He's really great, Hermione, he is." Harry laughed a little. "I'll admit, before this year, I never would have thought of him as someone who could be a father. But over the months, he's really been showing that he cares, and he's been taking care of us. You know what really made me think of him as my father? It wasn't the papers or anything. It was when he sat with me in a rocking chair at three-thirty this morning, after I'd had a nightmare, and he stayed until I was asleep."

"He's been taking care of us when we're sick. He lets us talk about things, and he helps us deal with it because he knows what we're going through. Even if he hadn't adopted us...I think I would still think of him as a father to me."

"Well, I'm happy for you all," Hermione said, sincerely. "I'm happy you now have a family who cares." She grinned. "Now, what's this about magic without a wand, Harry?" The boys laughed.

"We sat down to eat dinner after I made it one night, and I forgot the honey. So I just snapped my fingers, and it appeared. Dad did the same thing after dinner. He snapped his fingers and everything was cleaned up."

"It was bloody amazing," Draco told Hermione.

"I'd like to see it sometime," Hermione commented. She looked at her watch. "I need to go upstairs for now and put my things away. I'll see you two later!"

~~~

Sunday, January 2, 1994

"Welcome back, students!" Dumbledore announced the night that everyone was back in the school. "I hope that you have all had a good holiday. I have one announcement to make, and then the feast will begin.

"On Christmas Day, one of our teachers became a father. Professor Snape, our Potions master, adopted two boys whom he has grown to care a great deal for. Will those boys please stand up?"

Glancing at each other, then at Severus, who gave them a reassuring smile, Draco and Harry rose from their seats. A gasp sounded through the hall, and the students began chattering to each other, pointing and staring. Feeling self-conscious, both boys quickly sat back down.

"Professor Snape gave Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy what they've needed most these past few months: love. On Christmas Day, he took that a step further. He gave them a family for Christmas. I hope that you are all as happy for them as I am. And now, let the feast begin!"

Dumbledore waved his arm, and the tables were instantly covered with all kinds of food. The students, and the teachers, began to eat.

"Harry! Why didn't you tell me?!" Ron exclaimed, accusingly. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he said, quietly. Ron sighed, shaking his head, and went back to his food.

"Couldn't even tell his best friend..."

"I think it's great, Harry," Ginny said, shyly, from her seat next to Hermione.

"Thank you, Ginny," Harry said. He rested his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his hand as he looked away from Ron. Sighing quietly, he poked at his food with his fork.

"Are you still going to live in the Tower?" Seamus asked. Harry nodded.

"For the most part," he replied.

"Snape's probably going to take it easier on the two of you in Potions," Dean commented, frowning. Harry shook his head.

"He's already told us that he's going to treat us exactly the same as he treats everyone else. We still have to call him 'Professor' in classes and stuff. He's going to grade our papers the same. If he takes it easier on us, then you should be happy, because he'll take it easier on everyone else, too."

Suddenly, Harry heard a tiny whine coming from the floor. Looking down, he saw Lily staring up at him. Giving her a small smile, he lifted her up to hold her to his chest.

"How did you get here?" he asked her, giving her a tiny bit of food.

"Aw, where did the cat come from?" Parvati asked, reaching across the table to scratch Lily's head.

"I got her for Dad for Christmas," Harry responded.

Ron mumbled a few derogatory comments, and Harry inhaled sharply when he heard them. An angry look took over his face.

"And you were wondering why I didn't tell you?" Harry exclaimed. "That's exactly why! I knew how you'd react when you found out! You think what you want about him, Ron, but don't ever assume that you really know him and know who he is, because you don't."

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked, concerned, when Harry stood up without finishing his food.

"I'm going to bed," he replied, cradling Lily in his arms. "Goodnight." He went up to the High Table and stood in front of his father, who was speaking with Lupin.

"Dad, I'm going upstairs. Can I keep Lily tonight?"

"Sure you can," Severus agreed, reaching over to stroke Lily's fur. He noticed the furious look on Harry's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Ron," Harry sighed. "We had a little fight, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"If you say so. Bring Lily downstairs when you get up tomorrow." Harry nodded.

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Harry. And if anyone says anything that bothers you, ignore it, all right?"

"All right."

Harry went up to Gryffindor Tower and placed Lily on his bed. He then changed into his pajamas and grabbed a Muggle book that he'd been reading, then went back to the bed and lay down under the blankets, after drawing the curtains.. Lily crawled onto his chest and curled up, while Harry began to read Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry by a Muggle poet called Walt Whitman.

To think of time....To think through the retrospection,

To think of today..and the ages continued henceforeward.

Have you guessed you yourself would not continue? Have you

dreaded those earth-beetles?

Have you feared the future would be nothing to you?

Is today nothing? Is the beginningless past nothing?

If the future is nothing they are just as surely nothing.

To think that the sun rose in the east....that men and women

were flexible and real and alive....that everything was real

and alive;

To think that you and I did not see feel think nor bear our part,

To think that we are now here and bear our part.

"Oi, Harry!" Peering out from behind his curtain, Harry saw Fred and George in the doorway.

"Quidditch practice tomorrow night?" George asked. "Seven o'clock?"

"All right," Harry agreed. "See you then." The twins left, and Harry pulled the curtain shut again, then pulled out his wand. "Silencio," he said, quietly, before returning to his book. He knew that he would soon be asleep, no matter how hard he tried to stay awake. If he had a nightmare... He didn't want to wake anyone up again.