Woo hoo! Hello my lovely reviewers! I am oh so happy when I check my email and see that "fanfiction review!" thing in my letterbox! Teehe! Now. After getting all those reviews in regards to the pairing I was… well in a world even more lost. So many different replies! Eeek! So here's what I came up with. Harry is going to stay single.

He may get a crush on Remus or Hermionie but he'll get over it and stay single. What do you think, good or bad? Also, I only got one reply to the question I asked last chapter! Aw! So I'll ask again, I am a huge Sirius Black groupie. (No I am not ashamed!) So I was wondering if I should bring him back, just in time for his poor godson's melt down.

Now in reply to some of my reviews:

Maya 100: Yeah, I know it's a bit odd for Harry to be opening up to Snape, But here's how I see it: Though Harry really hates Snape, aside from first year he basically seems to have a grudging trust in him. Also, like I stated in the chapter Harry realized that he didn't have really any chance out of it, and as you'll see in this chapter, Harry is still very reluctant to say anything, he gives out some info but then refuses to say more.

Angel74: AW! Thanks! I loved your ideas! Thank you so much, as you can see I've started taking them to heart. And also thanks about the comment on Snape, it's hard to keep him IC in fics like this, I'm glad you think I am.

Now. You know the thing, I don't own crap. On with the fic!

&HP&

For once in his life, Severus Snape was at a loss for words. For one freak moment, Severus Snape, the snarky-est professor on this side of the galaxy, the duke of diss, the wizard of witty-ness and wisecracks (1), was shocked into verbal submission. Part of him was shouting at his mind that the boy must have been lying, he was certain that this part must have been his pride. For if what Potter had just said was true, all those years of him seeing the boy as a pompous, pampered little prince had been wrong. Another part of him was telling him that he should have known, that he should have been kinder and let himself get to know Potter instead of jumping to conclusions. That particular voice sounded shockingly like Albus Dumbledore. Then there was of course the voice that just kind of stuttered and cursed a lot, trying to process all of the information. Luckily (or not, he couldn't know at the moment) the Albus voice of reason was winning, or rather, at the moment it was coming in at a close second with the angry stammering one.

&HP&

Remus Lupin felt as if all the blood in his body had been transformed into chunks of ice. He couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. What Harry had just said couldn't have been true! 'Ever since I was three… My uncle… He's been… Abusing me… Physically…' Harry's haunted words sounded in his head over and over like some sadistic prayer. No, it couldn't have been true! Not Lily and James' son. Not Harry. Sweet, kind, brave, selfless Harry. Not him. It couldn't be true, but those thoughts were swept away as he looked at Harry. Harry was staring at him as if he would snap and attack him, physically or verbally, at any moment. He would cast Severus these same glances from time to time as well. Snape himself looked as though he would pass out at any moment. His coal black eyes were as wide as they could go and his mouth was drawn into a thin twisted line, he was mumbling a tiny bit under his breath, as if having a great internal conflict with himself. Remus would have laughed if the circumstances hadn't been so grave. Remus knew that one of them would say something; he knew it wouldn't be Harry, and Snape didn't look as if he could say his own name, let alone start a conversation. So He knew that it would have to be him, he gathered his bearings and tried to keep his face passive, despite the tears steadily building in his golden eyes.

"Harry…" The boy looked from Severus back to him with fear and apprehension in his eyes. "I… Could you…. Elaborate…" He choked out, unable to think of any real questions at the moment. Harry let out a small sob and looked to the ground, after a few moments he finally spoke.

"It… It was my third birthday." He finally got out. That morning Uncle Vernon was already on edge, his business wasn't doing very well or something. I made my first mistake when I asked him where my presents were… The look on his face…. Like I was the most disgusting rediculus thing he had ever seen… Then I made my second mistake during the afternoon… I took a walk…. alone… Then my third mistake, get back late… Fourth mistake, telling my aunt and uncle why I was late… "

/Flash back\\

"Uncle Vernon?" A small third-year-old Harry Potter said from his position by the stove. His uncle grunted and didn't look up from his paper. Harry stared at him for a second, holing the pan of bacon in his small hands. "Do you… Do you know what day it is?" His uncle grunted again, so Harry decided to continue. "Um… It's my birthday today, sir…" he stammered out, looking shyly to the ground. His uncle glanced up from his paper for a moment and responded.

"So?" He grumbled boredly as he took a sip from his coffee mug. The three-year-old fidgeted a bit, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to think of something to say.

"Well… It's my birthday…" He murmured finally. "Aren't you gonna say 'happy birthday' to me?" His uncle looked at the undersized boy slowly.

"No." He stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, his beady little eyes practically burning holes in the boy's skin.

"Do I get any presents?" He asked quietly, his big innocent green eyes looking at his uncle through thick black lashes. He flinched a bit when said uncle stood slowly from the table and made his way over to him. The boy gulped as the gigantic man approached, his endless rolls of fat wobbling back and forth, and his short, fat legs struggled to bring the thundering mass closer and closer to the boy who was roughly the size of one of those legs.

"No." The fat man stated when he finally stood directly in front of Harry,

"W…Why?" He asked in a barley there voice. His uncle made an angry noise in the back of his throat and grabbed one of Harry's tiny shoulders with sausage like fingers. He ignored the boy's painful flinch as he steered him forcefully to the stove.

"Shut up you worthless freak! You don't get any presents because you don't deserve any presents!" He shouted, shoving Harry's small frame against the stove, Harry yelped as his hand brushed over the stoves hot surface. "Presents are what you give to someone you love! So why would we give you any you little bastard? We don't love you! No one does! Feel grateful enough that we let you stay here! Anyone else would have thrown your scrawny arse onto the streets when they found you lying worthlessly on their doorstep in a bloody basket like we did! Be more grateful! So shut the hell up and make our bloody breakfast! And stop crying you bloody baby!" His uncle waddled angrily back to his chair and plopped down, causing the chair to groan slightly from the pressure. The only other occupant at the table, Petunia Dursley (for Dudley had spent the night at a friends house), gave a quick unreadable glance at the trembling boy who was going back to making their breakfast with trembling hands, trying like hell not to cry.

(Later that day…)

Harry Potter wandered sadly around the streets of surrey, slowly trailing away from privet drive. He ignored the curious glance he got from people, obviously wondering what a three-year-old was doing out alone (not to mention he looked much younger than he really was.) Harry tried to push the events from earlier that morning out of his head, despite the consistency of the verbal abuse he received, his uncles words stung. Yes, it was true that he had never gotten a "happy birthday" or any presents, but somehow he had hoped that things would be different this year. Not to mention what his uncle had said about loving him, or rather not. Yes, once again it was true that his aunt and uncle had told him before that they didn't love him, but once again he always hoped that they would change. That he would have a family that loved him, a family that cared about him. He was starting to loose hope in that ever happening as well. He sighed and sat dejectedly on a swing at the park.

"Happy birthday Harry…" He muttered sadly, his head jerking up as he heard snickering.

"Hey Dudley… Isn't that your scrawny cousin?"

"Hm? Oh well. Looks like it is. How goes it freak?" Dudley Dursley drawled in such a sadistic way that you would never expect to hear from a five-year-old. Harry made a small noise and looked to the ground, wishing that it would open up and sallow him whole, swing set included. "What was that I heard ya say? So it's your birthday eh?" An evil grin spread on the fat boy's pink face. "Well, boys, what say we give the little freak a birthday present?" Harry looked up with wide eyes. 'No. Not today…' he thought as he jumped from the swing and began to run away. It wasn't long before they caught him, then they were on him immediately, hitting everywhere they could find. Until finally he blacked out.

/end flashback\\

Harry sighed. "When I woke up I ran home immediately… But I was already late. Then when my aunt caught me sneaking in and getting blood on her carpet my uncle got mad. I tried to explain that Dudley and his friends beat me up, but that only made them madder, he was mad at me for accusing his son. Then he…" Harry began to trail off; he closed his eyes and tears rolled down his cheek. "I think you can fill in the rest…" The there was silence… Harry didn't dare to speak, Snape and Remus couldn't possibly form a sentence in the state of shock they were in. The tears Remus had been trying to hide were rolling down his cheeks now. "It… well he didn't stop himself from hitting me after that… But it wasn't that bad… I got used to it… It was just a few slaps or punches here and there. Nothing big." He said quickly, causing Snape to make a very un-dignified noise.

"NOTHING TO BIG?" He boomed, immediately regretting it as he saw Harry flinch and draw back into his ball, his small frame shaking violently. Snape closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking very defeated as Harry began to stutter apologies. "Stop apologizing Potter… I didn't mean to yell. I'm not mad… per say… I… well. What do you mean 'nothing that big'? Abuse is big, even if it's not too aggressive. And judging by how it's affected you I'd say it was very violent, mentally and physically." He said, in a much calmer voice this time. "Can you tell us more?" He said, opening his eyes to look directly at Harry, who broke the eye contact quickly. Upon, processing what Snape had said he shook his head violently.

"No!" He croaked out, fresh tears pouring from his glassy, worn out looking, green eyes. "I… I can't… Please… D… Don't make me… Don't make this a big deal… I put up with it for 16 years, what's a few more. As soon as I turn 17 and graduate then I can leave… If Dumbledore see's it fit I mean…" He said the last part in a sad reluctant voice. Remus seemed to snap from his trance.

"Oh hell no!" He snapped, quickly calming his voice. "No. You are NOT going back there. If I have to sneak into that retched house and kidnap you my self! I am NOT letting you go back there! I owe it to Lily and James. I owe it to Sirius. I bloody owe it to YOU, Harry. I know you think that I look at you as just one of my students but you're wrong. I see you as so much more, I DO care about you a great deal and I would much rather die painfully than let you set foot in that hell hole ever again." The werewolf was out of breath by the e4nd of his speech, he had Snape looking at him in a sort of indifferent yet reluctant respect and Harry seemed to be to shock to speak.

"I… You mean you… You would… But… But why?" He whispered in a strained voice. Remus sighed and put his hand gently on Harry's shoulder, looking him directly in the eye.

"Like I said before Harry. I care about you a great deal. No one deserves such treatment. Least of all you. I know that you don't want to talk about it right now. You've been through a lot today so I'll respect that, but I do want you to talk to me sometime soon. I have to know, and Dumbledore will have to know too. It's the only way to get you out of there." Harry seemed a bit put out at the thought of having to open up, as well at the thought of having to tell Dumbledore. After a bit though he smiled softly and nodded at Remus, Remus smile back. What say we go back to my private quarters for some tea, you can rest as well? I'm guessing that you don't really want to face the Griffindor dorms right now." He smiled when Harry nodded at the last comment, they both stood up. Harry's stance was still very defensive, He had his arms crossed in a sort of self-hug position and his head was hung. Remus couldn't help himself, his instincts kicked in, and since the wolf saw Harry as part of his pack those instincts were rather parental in nature. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Harry and buried his face in his soft black hair. He felt Harry tense up at first but eventually relax and slowly bring his arms to wrap around Remus himself. Then he buried his face in the crook of Remus' neck in a shy fashion, Remus rubbed soothing circles on Harry's back and suddenly head an awkward cough. They both looked up to find Snape standing by the sink, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"We should go…" He muttered, turning and walking from the room. Harry blushed at his actions, Remus simply smiled at him; he wasn't embarrassed at what he did. Then they began to walk slowly from the room as well, Remus with his arm still wrapped protectively over Harry's shoulder.

&HP&

(1) My mom giggled when she read that… It was odd to see…

Well? What did you think? It was a long chapter I know, but hope ya liked it!