A/N First, I would like to thank Sela, eav, Corgi, Mikee, Kateri, xikum, Not A Muggle, Charma1219, Lady Lightening, Calani, Lady Lily, and Toria for taking the time to review and for encouraging me to continue the story.

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Chapter 7

Diagon Alley

Night had descended over Diagon Alley leaving the street deserted. Calm silence drifted into neighboring windows on the third floor of the Leaky Cauldron. Two pairs of ears strained, desperate to hear any sound that might break them free from their tortured thoughts.

Harry looked over at the clock on the nightstand and groaned. It was still three hours before any sane person would wake up. He just couldn't get the butterflies in his stomach to settle down. He rolled over and started tracing a pattern on the wall with his finger. He didn't know what Ron and Hermione's reactions were going to be, and alone in the dark his imagination was turning what could be into a vivid nightmare.

Snape sat in a cushioned chair before the window, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his fingertips. It had been more than fifteen years since he had last heard from his parents. The day he packed his bags and carried them to his new home. As a young man he had thought them foolish, they obviously didn't understand what he was trying to achieve. His friends from school were the wealthy, the powerful. He'd joined an organization of people who wanted to be the best, who wanted the best for the wizarding world. It was all just networking and politics, his parents were overreacting. Just a few months after that day, he first saw the truth about the organization he'd joined.

* Flashback *

Severus stood amongst seventeen young men, their glasses raised in a toast to his new life. He found it hard to believe that just one short year ago he'd stood beside some of these faces as he graduated from Hogwarts. Now they were here to help him celebrate his marriage, but first, one last night as a single wizard.

* End Flashback *

That night things had happened he would spend his whole life trying to forget. He stood beside his bride the next morning with a keen awareness of what his life had really become. Even then he only understood a small portion of the truth, but it was enough to make him see the very real danger he had placed himself and his young family in. There was no walking away, that had been made clear to him, the only way out was death. Not just your own death, no, your entire family would die. He now knew that his parents had been right but he had shut that door firmly and forcefully behind him the day he left. Knowing what he did now he didn't think that he deserved to be taken back, but he needed help.

He sent a note to his parents that evening, a polite announcement of his marriage, and waited. He was not surprised when his owl returned without a reply. He understood, he had made his choice and was on his own. He would do the best he could. Do what he had to do, and try not to get involved in anything too bad.

His plan didn't work. Within two years after his graduation from Hogwarts he had become one of Voldemort's top advisors. Mostly his involvement surrounded potions. Potions to torture, potions to kill; as unpleasant as the work was, it wasn't as bad as the raids.

Then that night, the call, the order to bring ones spouse.

He had tried again, another innocent. He didn't know what to do, he needed advice, someone to turn to. Still no answer. Trapped, his wife and son gone, no way out, what might have happened had his old Professor not found him. If he hadn't been given another purpose.

Snape stood and walked over to the dresser. He picked up the letter, reread it, set it back down. Now they wanted to see him. Lunch or dinner, at his convenience, they would travel to meet him. Snape had taken Harry to visit his parents so that Harry would have another option if he didn't want to live with him. Now it looked like his parents were going to try to take his son away from him.

Snape returned to the chair, looking out over the empty street until the first light came to chase the darkness away.

Harry didn't wait for an alarm or wake-up-call. He was up, showered, dressed, and knocking at his Professors door a full fifteen minutes before breakfast would be served. Fortunately for him Snape was ready and they were free to pick their choice of the empty tables in the dining hall.

Harry broke into a run as they neared Gringotts, happy to see everyone of course but most keen to find a certain two.

"Oi, Harry," Ron called out "We've been waiting for half an hour."

"They don't even open for another ten minutes," Hermione replied "Honestly. Hi Harry!"

Harry had run ahead of Snape and caught up in greetings the group didn't notice the pale Professor walk up to join their company.

"Harry will your father be joining us later?" Mr. Weasley asked "We are all looking forward to meeting him."

"He's here," Harry said taking a place at Snape's side "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I'd like you to meet my father, Professor Severus Snape."

There, he'd said it, the worst was over, now it was up to them. And silence reigned…

"Are you a boy or a fish Mr. Weasley?" Snape's biting sarcasm spurred Hermione to push Ron's jaw back into it's rightful position as well as find her tongue.

"It's… good to see you professor," Hermione speedily replied "Mum, dad, this is Professor Snape, our potions Professor."

Following Hermione's lead the adults quickly regained their composure and exchanged greetings. The elder Weasley's perhaps a bit more reserved than the elder Grangers.

"I believe we all have business in Gringott's," Snape condescendingly offered "Perhaps we should meet back up at Flourish and Blotts when we have finished."

Snape's suggestion while solely intended to give himself time to readjust to the situation also served to give two other families time on their own to discuss the matter.

"Mum," Ron cried "you can't leave Harry with him. It's Professor Snape, he'll probably dissect Harry and use him for potions. He's a Death Eater."

"He's horrible," Ginny jumped in "really Mum."

"Well, I don't know," Molly Weasley was weighing the Professor's possible parenting skills against the Dursleys complete lack of them.

"Now kids," Mr. Weasley attempted to diffuse the situation "I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore wouldn't leave Harry with Professor Snape if he was at all uncertain about his loyalties."

"But Dad!" Ron and Ginny exclaimed in unison.

"Now this is what we'll do," Molly Weasley was not going to accept this living arrangement for Harry without a through investigation "Ron, you have been invited to visit with Harry until the start of term. You should all be staying at the school, I'm sure Professor Snape has preparations to make. This close to the start of term the Headmaster as well as all the Professors should be there. You will go, and you will write me. I want to know everything. Then we'll see… Harry looks ok, he's been with Professor Snape for a few weeks, but…"

Surprisingly, the twins remained unusually quiet during the discourse.

Snape was surprised when he looked into his Gringotts Vault. He had not visited it in many years, but he was sure there had been a much smaller amount in his vault. While the pile of coins was no where near the size of Harry's, it was enough to set his mind at ease on his offer to pay for Harry's education. A few minutes thought brought back the memory of the rent from his house in Hogsmede. The rent, plus interest, for fifteen years, it would have added up.

Hermione had a much easier time convincing her parents that she had to visit with Harry. They wanted to verify where she would be and who else would be there, but tentatively agreed bearing the answers to those questions.

Harry waited while his Professor withdrew what he would need from his vault. Not far away, somewhere in the winding caverns was his own vault, securely locked away. Harry was happy to leave and move on towards Flourish and Blotts. He hoped both Ron and Hermione would be going home with him that evening. He knew they wouldn't tell him all of their thoughts until they were alone.

Much to Snape's annoyance, a shopping trip that should have taken a few hours at most, lasted all day. He was assaulted with questions from his son's friends parents. It was nearing dinner time when they finally approached their last stop, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Harry had grown just enough over the summer to need new robes. Snape was sure to tell the seamstress to leave a couple inches to be let out for growth, the boy had to hit his growth spurt sometime.

A bell jingled as the door to the shop opened, and a cold voice extended it's greetings from behind them.

"Professor Snape," Lucius Malfoy accentuated the distain in his voice "I am… surprised to see you. May I ask what you are doing in town?"

The Grangers, although strangers to the majority of the wizarding world, had managed to acquire a dislike of Mr. Malfoy after their last meeting. They joined the Weasley parents and Professor Snape, putting themselves between the unpleasant man and their children.

Snape could not avoid answering the question although telling Malfoy was nearly as good as walking straight up to Voldemort. The news would travel fast. He would show no weakness.

"I am helping my son purchase his school supplies," Snape answered.

"Your son?" Draco Malfoy peeked out from behind his father.

"I believe you know Mr. Potter Draco," Snape kept his tone even "I am sure you will be seeing a lot of each other this year."

Lucius Malfoy looked from Snape to Harry and back again. He now understood. How Snape had managed to hide that information from him for so many years he didn't know, but he was going to find out. The Dark Lord would be very pleased, and he would finally have the most coveted place at his master's side. He grabbed Draco and pulled him out of the shop, he had business to attend to.

Dinner at the Leaky Cauldron was a quiet affair for such a large and diverse group. Each person present held their own understanding of what the information told to Lucius Malfoy meant. None of them believed that it could be good.

Grave faces said their goodbyes. Two packed trunks made their way through the floo network beside their now less than enthusiastic owners. Four bodies climbed into the horseless carriage that would take them to Hogwarts. Another year was about to begin.

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A/N Short chapter I know. I have no excuse to offer except "I've been out of town and… and…" Pitiful, absolutely pitiful. Shakes head and gets to work on the next chapter.

Terrible aren't I, have them meet in an environment where Ron and Hermione won't be able to give their true feelings on Snape as Harry's father. Oh well, there is still plenty of time before the opening feast.