Chapter 10

Author's Note: In case you haven't figured it out by now, I loosely based the floor plan of this Grimmauld Place on the books and basically made it up from there to suit my purposes. Just go with it!

"Glad to see you're still among the living, Harry," Fred said with a wicked grin.

"Yeah," George agreed, "we were sure that Snape would've chopped you into Potions' ingredients …."

"Or locked you in his dungeon …."

"Or …"

"Okay, I get it," Harry said, returning the smile. "I'm fine."

"Rather surprising to see him here, though, isn't it, Gred?"

"It is, Forge."

"I had to come," Harry told the twins. "Punishment chores, remember?"

"Ahh, of course," George said, "we've been sold into slavery today."

"We kind of earned it, guys," Harry reminded them.

"Someone got us caught!" Both twins told him at the same time.

"Snape is a spy," Harry said with a shrug. "I guess that we should have known better."

The twins exchanged a look that Harry could quite read. He wasn't sure if they were teasing him or genuinely miffed. They were all standing in the drawing-room. Snape had dropped him off—Apparating Harry to the front stoop, opening the door, and then leaving as soon as it was closed after him. He had already had the lecture that morning about following Rules One and Two.

"Too true, my young friend," George said sympathetically. "Which is why we were so happy to see you here today, in one piece."

"How long are you grounded for, Harry?" Fred asked gravely as if had had just asked how long Harry had to live.

"I'm not," Harry told him.

The twins exchanged another of what Harry was beginning to think of as their 'twin looks,' and it was starting to get to him. He glared at them. There was no reason to not believe him.

"Snape's gone soft?" Fred asked.

"You've tamed him!" George cried.

"No," Harry insisted. "Really, he hasn't. I got in major trouble."

"How?" Both twins demanded.

"None of your business!" Harry informed them hotly.

He didn't see why he had to tell them about his private life. He never had. Just because he had gotten in trouble for them was no reason for them to know the details of how he was punished.

"You see to be walking fine, so he didn't wallop you," Fred said.

"Hey!" Harry said. "If Snape walloped me yesterday so hard that I couldn't walk today, that would be abuse. I am sure that at least one of the adults here would have something to say about it. Probably Sirius, or Remus, or even your mum."

The twins must have considered this telepathically. "Can you sit down?" George asked.

"Yes!" Harry said. "But it's none of your business!"

Just then, the door opened, and Harry felt relieved to be released from this ridiculous interrogation from his so-called friends. When Ginny walked in, he wondered if she was going to join in or stop it. He folded his arms and looked at them in what he hoped was an obstinate enough expression that they got the picture.

"What are you three doing?" Ginny cried. "We're supposed to get started on the dining room!"

"Your brothers are too busy pressing me into matters they have no business in," Harry replied hotly.

Ginny looked at the three of them, noticing the tenor of the room for the first time. She raised an eyebrow in a gesture that reminded Harry almost of Snape for a moment. Then she turned to her brothers.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked them. "We need to get going before we get in more trouble. We're already on restriction for a week. Do you want to make it worse? You want Mum to come in here with her spoon?"

"No," Harry said. "Let's go."

Harry was glad to use Ginny's appearance as an opportunity to get out of there and away from the Weasley Police. He followed Ginny into the drawing-room, where a bucket was set up filled with handkerchiefs and cleaning supplies. She handed Harry a cloth and tied a red bandana around her face like a mask to cover her nose and mouth. Harry tried not to giggle at the mental picture he immediately formed of Ginny as a robber in the American Wild West.

"I'm sorry, Gin," he told her sincerely, "I didn't want you to get in trouble."

"I was a willing co-conspirator," Ginny said with a half-hearted shrug. "It's not like I didn't get anything out of it."

"Well, yeah, I guess," Harry said. "Your Mum was some mad."

"Uh, yeah," Ginny said. "So was Snape."

"He was," Harry said softly. "He said I violated his trust, but the worst part was that I put my life and everyone else's at risk."

"Fred and George did that," Ginny scoffed. "It was their idea."

"I went along with it," Harry sighed.

They went over to the sideboards lining the walls and began to dust them. There were side-by-side sideboards—the dining room was that large. Harry and Ginny each took one. There was silence for a few minutes. Harry wondered where the twins were.

"Did you get in terrible trouble?" Ginny finally asked.

"I got a long lecture," Harry answered after a moment. "Snape gave me a choice, though, for the punishment. He let me choose between restriction and a ruler."

"Really?" Ginny seemed genuinely surprised. "You picked the ruler?"

"Yeah," Harry turned to her. "How did you know?"

She shrugged, "I would have. I hate being stuck on restriction."

"Me too," Harry said softly.

There was no way he could tell her about the Dursleys. He never told anyone. He knew that Ron had told his family some things. Fred, George, and Ron had seen the bars on his window. The twins had seen the catflap and the cupboard, and they were by no means stupid. Harry had a feeling Fred and George knew more than Ron about what really had gone on in his former home situation. He began to see the interrogation in a new light. Maybe the twins were not simply annoying. Perhaps they were just making sure that Harry hadn't gone from one bad situation to another. The jokes were just standard Weasley twin fare—their way of approaching a sensitive topic. They had gotten Harry to say much more than he usually would.

"I'm going to murder them," Ginny muttered.

"Where do you think they went?" Harry asked her.

"Who knows?" she cried. "I'm not covering for them. Let's leave them the curtains. They're full of doxies."

Harry shuttered. He didn't want to go anywhere near them and wasn't sure that he knew how to deal with doxies anyway. The little flying creatures had poisonous bites, and the potions used to treat them were noxious too.

"Fine with me," Harry agreed.

"They're saving them," Ginny said.

"What?"

"The doxies," Ginny told him. "They're using the venom. I don't know what for. They have way more money than they used to." She looked pointedly at Harry. "They got it from you, didn't they?"

He considered for a moment and then decided he might as well tell her, "Yep. I gave them my winnings from the Tournament. I couldn't keep them. It was blood money."

Ginny stared at him for a minute and then nodded.

"Do you think your mum would be mad?" Harry asked.

"Let's just make sure she doesn't find out," Ginny said. "She's pretty distracted right now, with the Order and everything. I don't think she knows half of what is going on with them."

"Good," Harry breathed.

They continued cleaning, and within a couple of hours, the room looked much better. They had dusted and polished all the wooden furniture. This was no easy task as it was all an extremely dark wood. The chairs all had cushions on them that were tied on. They had removed them and piled them in a corner. The chairs would be less comfortable without the cushions, but they were filthy. The room was usable now if you avoided the windows, which were still doxy-infested.

Fred and George bustled in a few minutes before noon. They had a large sack and a net, both of which they were carrying surreptitiously. They shut the door quickly. Obviously, they'd been trying to make sure that no one saw them with these items.

"Where have you two been?" Ginny screeched in a fair imitation of her mother.

"Whoa there, little sister!" Fred said, holding up his hands in surrender. "We had to get our cleaning supplies ready. The spells took longer than expected."

"We have all the cleaning supplies here already!" Ginny told them in an annoyed voice. "You just want to collect the doxies. I should march right downstairs and tell Mum!"

"Now, now, Sis," George soothed, "don't get in a snit. We'll give you a share of the profits for the time you worked without us."

"What are you talking about, profits?" Ginny scoffed. "You two have no profits."

"Au contraire, my sister," Fred told him primly, "we do indeed. Business is booming after our … capital investment. We will give you a five percent cut of whatever we get from the doxy product."

"Ten," Ginny countered.

"Eight," Fred said. "Harry is already an investor."

"Fine," Ginny said. "Harry, let's go eat."

Shaking his head, Harry followed her. From that little display, he wasn't sure whether he should be relieved not to have siblings or if he was missing something. Dudley had never treated him like a sibling. He was just a punching bag.

When they got to the hallway, Harry was surprised to see Snape there. His guardian beckoned him over, and he gestured to Ginny that he would meet her downstairs. She nodded.

"How is the cleaning going?" Snape asked.

As far as Harry could tell, Snape did not seem angry. He was wearing his usual black robes, and his posture was straight, but his face was neutral. Harry relaxed somewhat.

"It's going well, Sir. We finished the dining room. I was about to have lunch. I'll ask Mrs. Weasley what else she wants me to do then."

"That's fine," Snape told him with a nod. "You are also going to have your first session with Lupin today."

That deflated Harry's mood considerably. He didn't mind talking to Lupin generally, but he wasn't looking forward to it in general and didn't want to talk about his feelings at all. He knew that Snape was not going to let him out of this.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said glumly.

Snape patted him on the shoulder, "I am sure it will not be as bad as you are making it out to be. Lupin will mostly be describing the process with you today. I do hope that you tell him that you are having nightmares. Remember that he will not tell me anything that you say or do during your sessions with him. The only thing he will ever report to me is whether or not you go."

"Okay," Harry said. "Does that mean I will get in trouble if I don't go?"

"What do you think?" Snape asked, leveling Harry with a look that made him do his best to avoid squirming.

"I'll go, Sir," Harry said quickly.

"Good choice, Harry," Snape told him wryly. "I will pick you up this evening."

"Goodbye, Sir."

Harry went back downstairs and found everyone starting to eat, including the twins. He had expected them to be in the dining room doxy-hunting. Missing lunch might have raised questions about them shirking the chore, he supposed. He sat down at one end of the table next to Ginny. Lupin, Sirius, Hermione, and Ron were on one side of the table, and Ginny, Tonks, Fred, and George were on the side Harry was sitting on. Mrs. Weasley came bustling over and put some shepherd's pie on his plate.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her as politely as he could.

Sirius winked at him. Harry began to eat and listened to the friendly conversation around the table. There was an Order meeting the next day, and efforts were underway to get the house in better shape. Harry wondered distractedly if Snape would take him or leave him home.

"Will the dining room be ready?" Mrs. Weasley asked the table.

"Should be," Ginny answered for all of them before shoveling a bite into her mouth.

Harry grinned at her. They had done their part. It was up to the twins to finish getting the pests out of the curtains on their own. Fred and George glared at their sister.

"We might use that then," Mrs. Weasley said. "It would be easier than using this room."

"That room is still tainted if you ask me," Sirius put in, "far more than this one."

"What do you think, Remus," Mrs. Weasley asked, sitting down with a sigh.

"I have removed as many artifacts as I could," Remus told her. "I can have Severus take a look."

Harry looked at his godfather, expecting a remark about Snape and dark magic. To his surprise, Sirius said nothing. He just nodded and took a swig of coffee. It seemed that miracles were really possible. Sirius was trying to be friendlier toward Harry's new guardian.

"We'll have it here tomorrow then," Sirius said, "and have Snape check on it."

After lunch, Harry and Ginny were sent to a large room on the second floor that Sirius called the 'study." He didn't seem inclined to linger but assured them that Remus had cleared the space of all dark objects. Kreature lurked behind Sirius for a few moments and then bolted, muttering to himself.

"He wants some of the stuff for himself," Ginny told Harry. "Black family heirlooms or something. Sirius just binned it all. If we find anything else, we're to put it here."

She gestured to a large box. To Harry, it seemed a little sad that Sirius wouldn't let Kreature have any of it. If he was just going to throw it out, there couldn't be any harm. He looked around. Nothing came to his notice. Still, he vowed that if he did find something, he would save it for the grumpy elf. Harry knew what it was like not to have anything left of your family.

The study wasn't as miserable to work in as the dining room had been, but it was nearly there. There was almost as much wood, and it seemed bigger to Harry. There were three large couches and two armchairs, as well as a huge desk. They stayed away from the windows, assuming the curtains were just as infested. Every once in a while, they moved.

When the silence started to get to Harry, he asked, "What kind of objects did Remus find?"

"Oh, you know, things like biting knobs and pulls that pulled back, that sort of thing," Ginny answered offhand as she dusted a bookcase.

"Wow," Harry said. "I'll bet the twins loved that."

"Oh, we weren't allowed to be in here while he did it," Ginny said. "Some of that stuff is really dangerous. There were cursed objects."

Harry shivered. He hated to think of the things that might be lurking in some of the rooms in this house. Snape had warned him not to wander when he'd first been brought here, but he really hadn't listened. There were apparently some dangerous items in this house.

During the hours they worked, Kreacher tried to sneak in two or three more times. Harry wasn't sure how many times he tried to do it in all. He saw the elf at least twice, and Ginny shrieked at him another time. Harry did find a few small items that looked like Black family heirlooms. There was a small silver ring, a rubber seal, a bronze oval picture frame about the size of a tea-plate, and something that Harry thought was a locket. He felt funny about that and didn't want to touch it. It was stuck in the back of a cupboard, and Harry had an awful headache by then. He used a rag to pull it out and put it with the others. It did not have the Black family crest on it, but Harry barely glanced at it. It made him feel sick. He put the whole lot in a sack and thrust it behind a stack of books.

After Ginny went downstairs, taking the box of Black heirlooms with her, Harry waited hidden around the corner of a cabinet. Sure enough, Kreacher came creeping in, muttering about 'treasures' and 'mistress.' Harry popped out of his hiding place.

"Kreacher," Harry hissed softly, "I have something for you."

"What!" Kreacher yelped in surprise. "What's it saying?"

The elf shuffled closer to Harry. His eyes scrunched together warily in his dirty face. He glared at Harry, but there was confusion and doubt mixed in with the usual hatred.

"I saved you some stuff," Harry said. "Here."

He went to the bookcase and took out the sack, handing it to Kreacher. The elf stepped back, hesitant. Then he jumped forward and grabbed the sack.

"You give this … to me?" Kreacher asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Harry said. "Everyone deserves memories. They're your family."

Tears were forming in Kreacher's eyes. As they fell, tracks of black formed on his wrinkled face. He didn't make a sound, but Harry saw genuine gratitude in those eyes.

"Well, see you, Kreacher," Harry told the elf. "Don't tell anyone, okay? I'd probably get in trouble for giving that to you."

Without waiting for Kreacher's answer, Harry left. The elf's emotions were making him uncomfortable. He hadn't spent much time with Kreacher. His experiences with elves had shown him that they tended to be overly demonstrative, and he wasn't sure what Kreacher would do. The last thing he wanted was for the elf to start screeching in gratitude as Dobby would have done at a gesture of any kind. Harry knew what he had done would probably anger Sirius, but he felt he'd had to do it and didn't see any harm in the elf having some treasures.

Since he wanted to hurry down to the others before he would likely be missed, Harry quickened his steps. He wasn't sure where Ginny had gone. She wasn't in the dining room, and neither were the twins. They must have finished the curtains. Since the house's gathering spots seemed to be the drawing-room and the kitchen, he decided to check the drawing-room first. It was too early to eat.

As he got closer, Harry heard voices coming from the drawing-room. The double doors were open, so he stood outside in the hallway to listen. There was definitely an argument brewing.

"Fred and George can do the curtains there too!" Ginny said.

"There's no reason they can't do them," one of the twins argued. "We did them in the dining room."

"That's all you did!" Ginny reminded them.

"Hey!" Fred or George complained, probably at being called out at shirking the rest of the shore.

Harry decided to step in then. He didn't want to be caught in the hallway where it would seem like he was eavesdropping, even though he was. He was curious as to which way this argument would fall.

"You were all to help on the dining room," Mrs. Weasley was telling the twins, her hands on her hips.

"The curtains were a big chore," Fred hedged.

Ginny's hands on her hips mirrored Mrs. Weasley. Her face was a storm cloud. Harry decided to stay out of it for now.

"Ah, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, apparently just noticing him. "Remus is looking for you, Dear."

Harry's heart sank. As much as he didn't want to go get doxies out of the study curtains, he didn't want to spill his guts to Remus. He tried to think of a way to get out of it. Mrs. Weasley must have seen it on his face.

"We're fine here, Harry," she said firmly. "He's in the library."

Harry nodded. He walked to the library feeling like a condemned man on his way to his sentence. When he arrived, he waited, his hand on the doorknob for longer than was strictly necessary. Finally, he turned the knob and went in, but only after reminding himself that he was a Gryffindor and had faced Voldemort three times, as well as a basilisk and a werewolf. Indeed, he could go meet the werewolf when he wasn't dangerous. He was just going to talk about his feelings after all. That couldn't be so bad.

"Ah, Harry," Remus said jovially, setting aside a book and waving him over to a chair in the sunny nook by the window. "Come in!"

"Hi," Harry said quietly. He sat gingerly on the chair opposite Remus, and teacups popped up on the little tables next to each of them. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

Remus picked up his cup, blew on the liquid inside, and sighed, "Youthful indiscretion. I accept your apology. I assume that Severus saw to the punishment."

It wasn't really a question, but Harry nodded anyway. He picked up his own cup, more to have something to do than for any other reason, and took a sip. The tea was just a bit too hot and slightly burned his tongue. He barely noticed the flavor and put it down.

"Um, Snape said that I have to come, but you won't tell him anything other than that," Harry said quickly, the words running together in his haste to get them out.

"That's right," Remus said with a nod. "Everything you tell me is completely confidential. I am under a type of healer's oath. I will not tell your guardian or anyone else unless you tell me you plan to hurt yourself or someone else. Severus and I have agreed that since you are a minor, I will tell him that you kept your appointment and nothing else. You could walk out that door right now, and I would tell him that you kept your appointment."

"Really?" Harry asked.

He couldn't imagine doing that. It seemed mental. Snape would surely know.

"I understand that you do not want to be here, Harry," Remus said. "It is for your benefit. We will take it slow. Just get to know each other at first."

Harry nodded, but this did not make him feel better.

"I want you to be comfortable. Feel free to sit wherever and however you want. You can do pretty much whatever you want and talk however you want. You can do anything except hurt yourself or me," Remus told him.

"Huh," Harry said. "If I started trashing this room, you wouldn't stop me?"

"Is that what you want to do?" Remus asked, betraying no emotion at all in the question.

"No!" Harry cried. "I wouldn't do that. I just asked, is all."

"No," Remus said. "I suppose I wouldn't."

"You wouldn't need to tell on me," Harry said. "Sirius would know who did it, and so would Snape. I'd get in trouble anyway."

Remus seemed to consider this. Then he said, "break that cup."

"What?" Harry demanded.

"Go ahead, Harry," Remus said. "Toss it on the floor. I'm told that breaking things can be very therapeutic for anger."

"No way," Harry said. "That's mental. Sirius would be angry. Snape would murder me. I'm not breaking anything."

"Suit yourself. You can, though. You should."

Harry looked at Remus, doubting him. Then he felt a flood of anger. He picked up the cup, still full of hot tea, and tossed it on the floor with as much force as he could muster. It shattered.

If Harry expected to feel better, he had to admit that he really didn't. He felt a bit empty. There was tea and pieces of porcelain everywhere, and he could imagine Sirius's hurt face and Snape asking him if he'd lost his mind. He looked at Remus.

"Very good," Remus said.

Then he waved his wand, and the cup flew back onto the table. The stain and bits of porcelain vanished. The only difference was that Remus didn't return the tea.

"Oh," Harry said.

"Do you feel better?" Remus asked.

"Not really," Harry said.

"Well, that answers your question," Remus said. "Pointless destruction isn't really therapeutic. Not everything can be so easily put back together. You, for example, are not as easily replaced. People's feelings are also not as easily restored when shattered."

As Harry sat back down, he thought about the things he had said to people in the first couple of days he had been here. Remus was probably right. On the other hand, it had felt good to tell people those things. He had been thinking some of them for years.

"Sometimes people need to hear things," Harry muttered darkly, "even if they don't want to."

"I agree, Harry," Remus said. "Some truths are difficult to hear. There are more tactful ways to get the point across, and you might consider when tact and discretion are necessary."

"Nobody ever cares how I feel, or what they say to me or about me," Harry retorted.

"It may seem that way, Harry," Remus said gently. "I believe that much of what you said was true. Probably most of it. The reality is that you have not had an advocate. You decided to advocate for yourself. I am glad you did. We will not dwell now on how you did it."

Harry nodded, kicking off his shoes and picking his feet up under him to put them up on the chair. So far, this session was not going as he had expected, but it wasn't making him feel better either. He just felt like a prat.

"There will be some give and take in our meetings," Remus said. "You can bring up topics any time you like, and sometimes I will. I will not force you to talk if you do not want to. You can sit there the entire time if you do not want to talk. We are scheduled for an hour today."

"How often?" Harry asked.

"Severus wants you to meet with me three times a week during the summer," Remus said.

"What!" Harry demanded. That seemed excessive.

"He believes you have been through traumatic experiences, both recently and in the years you were at Hogwarts. As well as … before," Remus said.

"He wants me to talk about the graveyard," Harry said.

"He believes it would be beneficial," Remus confirmed. "You can talk to him, Harry. He would understand. He knows Voldemort better than possibly anyone else alive. I can help you take apart and recognize your feelings."

"Who says I want to?"

"It is part of healing, Harry," Remus said. "Moving on."

"How come no one cared before?" Harry asked. "I've been through other stuff! I fought him before. First and second year."

"Well, Harry," Remus said slowly. "I could not speculate. I do understand your feelings. Your relatives were Muggles. They were not told specific details so as to not frighten them …."

"That's a load of shite!" Harry shouted, jumping to his feet. "They wouldn't have cared if you had told them all the details! If you had told them I almost died, which you could have, at the end of every year, I'm pretty sure the reply would have been TOO BAD!"

"Harry …"

"No! They HATED ME!" Harry could feel his face getting red. He almost grabbed the teacup again to throw it, but it seemed pointless. Remus would just put it back together.

"You're right," Remus said softly. "You're right, Harry. Someone should have checked on you. Someone should have made sure you were okay."

As Harry stood there, hands in fists and shaking in anger, he realized that his accidental magic was about to shake the walls and begin breaking glass if he didn't calm down. Remus's calm demeanor soothed his anger somewhat, and he sank into the chair again, the beginnings of tears at the back of his eyes. They were tears of frustration.

"You have Severus now, Harry," Remus said. "I know it is a little late, but I at least and relieved for that."

Harry nodded, forcefully wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. He was angry at himself for losing control like that. He leaned back, deciding not to say anything else.

Remus must have picked up on Harry's mood because he nodded. Waving his hand, he produced a small, leather-bound notebook about the size of a textbook. The cover was black, and Harry's name—his full new name—was etched into the cover. He held it out. Harry took it tentatively.

"I want you to use this before you go to sleep each night, or whenever else you feel your feelings overwhelming you," Remus said. "No one else will read what you write in this book unless you specifically want someone to. If you want me to read one of the pages, tap that page three times and say my name. It is charmed."

Harry nodded. It was an interesting charm. He found himself idly wondering how it worked and thinking Hermione would love to learn it.

There was a pause of several minutes. Harry stared out the window, even though he could see nothing out of it except the sky. He felt lost and exhausted.

"There is an Order meeting here tomorrow?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Yes," Remus confirmed.

"I know Snape won't let me go to the meeting, but I think he might bring me here, during," Harry said.

"I imagine he would if you asked him," Remus said. "Do you want to see your friends?"

Harry sighed. "Ron and I had a row, as you know. I haven't really talked to Hermione. Ginny is miffed at me since Diagon Alley, a little, I think. We've barely talked. And the twins—well, nothing fazes them, I guess."

That comment made Remus chuckle. "I think you're right about that last one. Those two are too clever by half. Maybe it's the twin connection. Two heads? Harry, do you have any ideas on how to mend fences with your friends?"

"I thought maybe I could come to the meeting and … you know, hang out."

"That sounds like a good idea," Remus nodded. "Have you asked Severus for permission? Are you restricted from seeing friends because of what happened?"

"No," Harry said. "He punished me a different way. He gave me a choice."

"He did?"

Harry felt his cheeks growing warm. It was a little embarrassing to admit how he was punished, but he supposed if Remus was his counselor, he should be able to talk to him about things like this. After all, his relationship with Snape would likely come up a lot in their meetings.

"Yeah. He walloped me."

That did not seem to surprise Remus. He just nodded with a small knowing smile. He said back in his chair.

"Ah," was all he said. "Why did you choose that? What was the other choice?"

"Grounding," Harry said with an unintentional shudder.

Remus noticed. "You prefer not to be grounded?"

Harry looked down. He knew they were getting into the area that Snape had wanted him to discuss with at least one of them. He just didn't feel ready.

"Snape wants me to talk about it," Harry said quietly. "I just don't want to yet, okay? I just don't like being locked up. At all."

"I think it is important that Severus knows that, Harry," Remus said in a serious tone.

"He does," Harry looked up at Remus, making sure to make eye contact. "He said that's why he gave me a choice. I think he knows some of what they … what the Dursleys did to me. He doesn't know all of though. I mean, he has to punish me some way, right?" Harry smiled.

Remus gave a little chuckle. "Yes, I suppose he does. Especially if you are going to do things like run off to Knockturn Alley! In all seriousness, Severus knows you are not perfect, Harry. He is trying to be fair. He will be strict because, well, it is in his nature. He thinks that is what you need. You will agree with him if you consider what not having boundaries has been like for you. The comfort of knowing someone tells you where the line is—that can be a good thing."

"I guess," Harry said. "It's not like I mean to make him mad."

"Well, you will see if you push the boundaries," Remus reminded him.

"Hmm," Harry decided not to respond to that.

He didn't like being responded that adults could hold him accountable. He was used to just doing things. He felt that he usually was justified.

"So, how do I convince Snape to let me come here to spend time with my friends?" Harry asked.

"I think telling him what you told me is a good start," Remus said. "It is in his best interest to have no more fisticuffs."

Harry grinned. "I promise!"

"I think it's in your best interest too, young man," Remus said, teasingly shaking his finger.

"Yes," Harry agreed.

"You can go now, Cub," Remus said, using his pet name for Harry, "when Severus gets here, ask him if you can stay over. One more child here would hardly make a difference, I am sure. I will supervise, or Sirius will if he asks."

"Really?" Harry thought that sounded like a good plan.

"Sure."

They walked down to the kitchen, where everyone was settling in for supper. Snape was there. Harry wasn't sure if he would be or if he was even supposed to eat. With Remus's offer in his mind, Harry rushed over to Snape before he'd lose his nerve in seeing Hermione and Ron. He did want to make up with them, after all.

"Snape, can I talk to you?" Harry asked in a low voice as soon as he got up to his guardian.

"Of course," Snape said with a nod.

They went off to a corner where there weren't any people. The kitchen was so bustling with noise that they wouldn't be overheard, but Harry saw Snape cast a quick spell to muffle the noise. He wondered if the man was being considerate or thought Harry had gotten into something.

"I'm not in trouble!" Harry offered quickly.

"I didn't think you were," Snape said with a small laugh.

"Oh good," Harry said. "I thought maybe you thought I was. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" Snape prodded when Harry didn't actually ask.

"Oh, right," Harry wondered why he was nervous. "Uh, Remus asked if I wanted to stay overnight."

"Remus asked?" Snape said with a raised eyebrow.

Harry hated how he could do that. Snape always seemed to read him. He hurried on to explain.

"Um, well, not exactly. I met with him today." Snape nodded, so Harry continued. "Well, I mentioned that I wanted to make friends again with Hermione and Ron. You know it's been … uh."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He had told off both of his friends, but it wasn't as if they hadn't deserved it. He had frozen Hermione out. Ron had been a prat. They had fought twice. Harry wasn't sure how to sum that up.

"I am aware," Snape said drily.

"Well, yeah," Harry said, relieved that Snape had the measure of that situation too. "So, Remus thought if I stayed the night to hang out with them, things might get … back to normal. He said he'd supervise. I guess by that, he means I'm his kid for the night and not a guest of the Weasleys."

Harry smiled at that last thought. It seemed pretty funny to him. He was Sirius's godson, after all. Remus had offered, and it seemed fair to tell Snape everything since Snape was his guardian and seemed particular about this kind of thing. It had never been an issue before. Harry had always just stayed with the Weasleys, and Dumbledore arranged it. For the first time, Dumbledore had no say in Harry's arrangements.

Snape nodded. "I will speak to Remus and Mrs. Weasley, as well as your godfather. If all the other adults agree to the arrangement, I will Apparate you back home, and you can back a bag for the night," he said.

As his guardian walked off to confer with Remus and Sirius, Harry took a moment to consider how easy that had really been. Somehow this seemed different than escaping the Dursleys to stay with the Weasleys. He was just an ordinary kid staying over at a friend's house. Except for the weird way in which the situation had been arranged since none of his friends knew it yet, it felt pretty normal. Snape nodded at him.

"I'm staying the night here," Harry announced to no one in particular.

Fred and George were the closest to him. They looked up at his words, and so did Ron. Hermione had been speaking intently to Tonks, but she lifted her head when she heard him.

"That's great, Harry!" Fred said.

"We'll have to plan something special," George added.

"You will not," Ginny remonstrated, tossing a roll at him.

Hermione gave Harry a small smile, and Ron's expression was unreadable. Harry smiled at him, hoping to express friendship. He decided that, given Ron's track record, he would have to be the bigger person. Snape would kill him if he fought with the prat tonight. Civil would have to do.

"Would you like to eat here?" Snape asked.

Surprised to even be given a choice, Harry nodded. He was even more surprised when Snape walked around the table to pull out the chair next to him. Harry sat down and took the bowl of chicken wings Fred handed him.

"I think we finished everything," Harry told Snape, hoping to ingratiate himself. Snape was really being brilliant.

Snape nodded but otherwise didn't comment. Harry relaxed a little and passed the rest of the meal comfortably. Snape talked civilly with Mrs. Weasley about household potions while Harry listened to the twins talk about the use of doxy venom and prayed Snape couldn't hear.

After they ate, Harry was near bursting with excitement. He felt like a little kid and sort of silly, but he couldn't help it. He had a house to leave and a house to come back to. That made all the difference in the world. He had never had a parent.

"What should I pack, Sir?" Harry asked, chewing nervously on his bottom lip.

"It's one night," Snape said, not making Harry feel like a toddler for asking, for which he was grateful. "I will take you home after the Order meeting tomorrow. It should get out around nine or ten. There is no way to tell with these things."

"Okay," Harry said.

He went into his room and realized that he would not be embarrassed about his clothes. He had new pajamas and new toiletries. He had new everything. Perhaps he should not have been so hasty in being angry with Snape about the shopping trip. Harry piled everything on his trunk for now. He wasn't sure what to put it in. He figured his schoolbag would do.

Then Snape came in with a leather duffel bag and handed it to Harry. When he took it, Harry saw that it had the initials 'HPSP' engraved in blue. He carefully ran his finger over the letters.

"Harry Potter Snape Prince?" Harry asked breathlessly.

"That's right," Snape confirmed. "This is charmed with featherweight and expanding charms. There are also compartments. I will leave you to see if you can find them all."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said. "It's amazing."

"You have a full set," Snape told him. "But this one seemed most appropriate for today. Your trunk seems serviceable, and you can leave the initials or have them altered. We will get you another one, as you have more clothing now."

"Wow," Harry joked, "I'll have as much stuff as Malfoy."

"There is no reason you shouldn't," Snape said, "provided it is something you need and not something you just want. There is a difference between providing for and pampering. You will always be comfortable, Harry. I do not want to see you arrogant, but I see no problem with a little spoiling."

Harry gaped at him. "Sir, what have you done with Severus Snape?"

"I did say a little, Harry," Snape said, chuckling a little. "After all, if I don't give you things, how can I take them away?"

"Oh!" Harry said. "That sounds more like the Snape I'm used to."

"Speaking of that, Harry," Snape said, turning to a more serious tone. "I want you to think about something. Just think about it, mind you. I am no longer your professor. While it is still proper to show respect and call me 'Sir,' 'Professor' is no longer appropriate. You will have to decide what you are comfortable with."

"Oh," Harry said.

"I am afraid that I have never felt comfortable with children calling adults by their first names," Snape said. "So, we will have to dispense with that option. You can decide. You can take as much time as you like."

"What do I call you in the meantime?" Harry asked. "Just stick with, 'Sir'?"

"For now, it seems to suit," Severus agreed. "You may call me 'Father,' or if that is too stuffy, 'Dad.' You can also just call me 'Snape.'

"That's not disrespectful?" Harry asked.

"It is not really my preference," Harry said. "But it may have to serve."

"Okay, Sir," Harry said. All of those options made him uncomfortable. "Dad. Pa. Da. Wow. Do you like any of those?"

"Do you?" Snape asked.

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly. "I never knew my real father. I never really think of him as anything, I guess. I have tried to call him 'Dad,' but he's not really my dad because he doesn't exist, not really. I don't remember him."

"Give it time, Harry," Snape said. "It is new. It took me time to stop calling you 'Potter,' as you are, essentially, not a Potter anymore. Also, it is too distant. I will call you 'Son' sometimes if that is okay with you."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"All right, then, Son."

Harry ran forward and hugged Snape fiercely. He wanted a father in the worst way. He always had. He'd never had anyone, and seeing the ghosts of his parents in the graveyard had made that yearning come back. Then the Dursleys throwing him out had made it ten times worse. He had felt permanently abandoned. Maybe it was playacting for now, but if they could start calling each other father and son, they could be father and son.

"Okay, Dad," Harry said, trying it out.

Snape gave Harry a genuine smile. "Pack, Harry. When you are ready, come downstairs, and we'll Apparate. Oh, and Son …"

"I know, Dad," Harry said, interrupting his 'dad.' "Rules One and Two, or you will get the ruler when I get home?"

"Right," Snape said, turning to walk out.

Harry finished packing with a feeling of genuine happiness he couldn't remember feeling for a long time. He really wasn't planning on getting into trouble, but then again, he usually didn't plan on it. It happened. Remus was right. He didn't want to disappoint Snape. He wasn't used to having someone care what he did.

As soon as he finished packing, Harry ran downstairs with his duffel trailing behind him. On the landing, he felt his feet suddenly stick to the floor. He waved his arms in the air.

"What is Rule One," Snape asked in a manner that showed he was only partly joking, despite the sticking charm Harry was currently experiencing.

"Uh, don't put myself in danger?" Harry said with a cringe.

"That is right," Snape said. "Did it occur to you that running down the staircase like a crazed hippogriff was in violation of said rule?"

"Uh," Harry finally straightened himself without being in danger of falling over and looked at Snape sheepishly. "I was excited?"

"Do you want to be able to go with your friends tonight?" Snape asked.

"Yes, Sir! Please, Dad!"

Harry hadn't even realized he had said the word until it came out. Maybe he had already been thinking of Snape that way. He put his head down, sure that Snape would accuse him of emotional manipulation, and refuse to let him go.

There was a soft pop, and Harry felt the charm dislodge. He almost fell off the step. Harry didn't move, though. He was afraid that his sleepover was doomed before it even began.

"Harry, come here," Snape said quietly.

Harry dragged his feet and walked over to his guardian—uh, father. He dropped the duffel bag at his feet with a thud and looked up at Snape. He was trying to think of something to say to change the man's mind, but nothing was coming.

"I know you are excited, Harry," Snape said. "I realize that your life has been devoid of simple pleasures for far too long. I meant what I said before. I want to give you what you have missed out on. However," his voice grew stern, and his expression with it, "that does not mean that the rules change. I have set these rules for a reason. You cannot visit your friends if you break your neck falling down the stairs, can you?"

"No, Sir," Harry said sadly.

"Despite what you obviously think, I am not going to forbid you from going," Snape told him.

"You're not?" Harry asked, surprised.

"No, I think that would be cruel, and although you are used to thinking of me as such, I am attempting to reform," Snape told him. "However, there is still the rule you broke."

"Yes, Sir," Harry said glumly.

"What are we to do about that?" Snape asked.

"The ruler?" Harry asked, hoping the answer was negative.

"I think not, this time. It was a comparatively minor infraction," Snape told him.

Snape cocked his finger, and Harry stepped closer, which didn't seem possible. Snape turned him to the side and popped him one firmly on his backside. It was hardly more than a time. Harry knew it was not nearly as hard as he had used with the ruler, and he had stopped feeling that after ten minutes.

"That is a reminder not to behave dangerously in any way," he told Harry.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, feeling ashamed of himself for acting like a little kid and now being punished like one. "Sorry, Dad."

"It is all right," Snape gave him a quick hug, the first one, Harry realized, that his guardian had initiated. "I forgive you. I do not want you hurt. I must enforce the rules, however. If I let little things slide, they will turn into bigger ones."

With that, he picked up Harry's duffel, and they walked out the door. Harry thought about what Snape had said. No one had really ever cared so much about his safety before and certainly never chided him for risking it. Now that Harry thought about it, most of the shouting and punishing Snape did in the classroom had to do with safety too. Snape was a nutter for safety, but Harry didn't blame him after teaching potions to teenagers for so long.

When they arrived at Grimmauld Place, Snape let Harry in as he had before. Harry was relieved he didn't get another lecture on the rules. He knew that it wasn't going to be that easy to follow them with a household of Weasleys, even though Hermione could be as bossy as Snape, in his experience.

"Harry!" Hermione came bursting forward and hugged him awkwardly.

At least Harry thought it was awkward. She was running up to him and hugging him as if they hadn't been arguing for the last few days. He had basically shunned her and Ron in favor of the Weasley twins and Ginny, taking them to Diagon Alley instead. Apparently, she had decided to pretend nothing had happened. Harry could see Ron lurking around the corner of the drawing-room in the background.

"Hey," Harry said, holding up a hand half-heartedly in greeting.

"Hey," Ron replied, returning the gesture with as much warmth.

It was a start. Hermione made a face at them, looking like she was going to cry. Then she seemed to get over it. She grabbed Harry's shirtsleeve at the shoulder and pulled him toward Ron.

"Let's play Exploding Snap!" she cried with a little too much enthusiasm.

Harry couldn't think of a time when Hermione had ever been so excited to play a pointless game like Exploding Snap, but he nodded and allowed himself to be led into the drawing-room after Ron. The three of them sat down on the floor in a circle.

"Alright," Hermione said, still with fake cheer, "how do you play this again?"

Unable to control himself any longer, Harry burst out laughing. It was just so ridiculous how hard Hermione was trying to pretend everything was fine. At first, her look of horror made him laugh harder, and then she began laughing too. Soon, Ron was joining them.

"What is going on in here?" Ginny asked, sticking her head in the door?"

"Hermione was teaching us how to play Exploding Snap," Harry explained between peals of laughter.

"She was?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"Yep," Ron smirked.

"This I gotta see," Ginny said, sitting down in the circle.

They all played the messy and noisy game for an hour or so. Harry found himself relaxing around Ron and Hermione. Ginny's presence helped. He was genuinely enjoying himself.

"Anyone want popcorn?"

The kids jumped when Sirius came into the room with a massive bowl of popcorn. Remus was following him with two smaller ones. Harry suddenly felt hungry, smelling the buttery goodness.

"This one is just butter," Sirius said, putting the largest one down on the coffee table. "This one has chocolate sauce, and this one is my special recipe," he gestured to the third bowl. "Marshmallows and butterscotch!"

Ginny made a face, "Eww!"

Ron seemed to disagree and dove for the bowl.

"So, how about some stories?" Sirius asked.

"What kind of stories?" Harry asked.

"Well, Moony and I had some fun in our day at Hogwarts," Sirius said with a wink at his partner in crime. "We could tell you some stories that would set your hair on edge. Even yours, Harry."

"Hey, you guys have snacks!"

Fred and George had found them.

With the twins there, they finished off the popcorn in no time. Harry couldn't remember when he had ever had so much fun. Sirius and Remus told stories of the Marauders' golden days, carefully edited to avoid mentioning Peter Pettigrew. He did tell about a few prank wars with Snape, but they were from the boys' younger days when they were not vicious. Snape gave as good as he got, so Harry did not feel too badly about laughing along with the others.

After the popcorn was gone, everyone went upstairs. Harry was planning to sleep in the same room he'd had before, even though he wasn't sharing it with anyone else. He went to the room and saw that it was still unoccupied. He was just starting to unpack when a twin, likely George, stuck his head in.

"Hey Harry, come down to our room. We are giving out free samples!"

"Um, I don't know about that," Harry said, trying not to hurt his feelings.

Harry really wanted to support the twins in their efforts to develop new products. He just didn't want to be a lab rat for said products. He made a face. He supposed any good benefactor should be more supportive.

"Okay."

Harry walked down to the end of the hallway, where the twins apparently enjoyed some kind of suite. It was a huge room with two twin beds, which the twins had shoved into opposite corners, and what looked like an attached bath. The room was full of boxes, small tables, bubbling cauldrons, and odds and ends.

"Wow," Harry couldn't help exclaiming.

"As our main benefactor, you should get the first crack at the product," George said gleefully, thrusting a pile of sweets into Harry's hands. "Enjoy!"

"What are they?" Harry asked. He was in no hurry to try any of it, lest he end up with a huge tongue or turning into a canary.

"Well, this one," Fred pointed to a bright green candy, "will give you very realistic looking measles for at least a day. And this one, he pointed to another candy, "is our new and improved Fever Fudge!"

"I see," Harry said. "I'll take your word for it."

"We're still improving this one," George said, holding up a topaz blue hard candy, "it is supposed to turn you invisible. Right now, you turn incandescent. Still a hit at parties!"

"This stuff's brilliant, guys, really," Harry said, "but, um, you test it all on yourselves? Is it safe?"

"Oh, sure," Fred scoffed. "We test it one at a time. The other is always on call, ready to head to St. Mungo's."

"Right," Harry murmured.

"Anyway," George said, clapping his hands together eagerly. "Everyone should be here any minute now for our demonstration!"

"Demonstration," Harry could feel himself go pale, "of what?"

"Oh, Dear Investor, this will be our greatest success!" Fred cried.

"And that," George added, "is saying something."

"Uh," Harry started to say, "are you sure you should …."

He was interrupted when the door opened, and the others shuffled in. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all came in at the same time. Harry wondered about that. He had more significant worries right now. He had been having a good time and didn't want anyone getting hurt.

"Maybe you shouldn't …."

"Harry," George said sternly, "trust us. Don't you want to have some fun?"

"Well, I guess, if you're sure it's safe," Harry hedged.

"Of course," Fred said. "We've tested."

"Right," Harry muttered.

"All right, everyone," George called out, sounding like a circus ringmaster Harry had seen on the telly once, "come on over to the observation area." He added to the effect when he conjured or summoned a hat with stripes in different colors and popped it onto his head with a flourish.

There was a sofa and chair in their room, and they had added a couple of other chairs. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione sat on the sofa, and Ron sat on one of the chairs next to them. Despite his earlier worries, Harry had to admit he was curious. This was a bit of fun, after all.

"First up is Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Whizzes!" George declared.

Fred produced two magical sparklers. They were similar to Muggle sparklers Harry had seen, except for the fact that instead of being on sticks, they hovered above their sticks and then whizzed through the air, changing colors and then making popping sounds before disappearing.

"Wow!" Harry could not help but say. "Brilliant." He clapped politely.

"We are working on making them last longer," Fred added with a slight frown, "but, no matter!"

"Any suggestions?" George asked.

"What colors do they come in?" Ginny asked.

"So far, the colors you saw," Fred told her. "If you have recommendations, write them on the parchment on your tables."

Harry noticed there was a small parchment and quill on the table in front of him. He picked it up, requested red and gold, and then added light blue as an afterthought in honor of his new family colors. He was beginning to really enjoy this.

"Alright," George said. "Next."

George clapped his hands, and a silver sparkler bird appeared. The bird was about the size of a dove or pigeon but made entirely of tiny sparks. It flew around the room and made little loop de loops and then exploded into a colorful pattern.

"Oooh!" Both girls cooed. They immediately began writing on their parchments.

Harry had liked the bird too. He decided it should be available in other colors and should write messages. It would be awesome in Quidditch mascots!

"Excellent! Now, for the finale," George said in a suspenseful voice.

Fred and George went over to a corner and puttered around for a minute. Harry exchanged glances with Hermione and Ginny. He was both excited and a little nervous about what the twins considered the finale.

"We are working on … Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs!" Fred and Georges said simultaneously.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in horror.

"Did they just say …?" Hermione asked.

"I think they did," Harry agreed.

"You don't think they will …" Hermione started to say.

She was interrupted when Fred and George turned around. "Now note," George said, "this is a very toned-down version. We don't want to bring down the house!"

Harry felt better hearing that, but Hermione didn't look convinced.

"Here we go!" Fred cried.

Both twins gestured, and there was a tremendous flash. A dragon was in the room, near the ceiling. It wasn't a real dragon, of course. It certainly seemed as big as one in the enclosed space, which suddenly didn't seem large anymore to Harry. The dragoon bucked and roared. It was made of sparks, like the dove. It didn't seem to enjoy being in a confined space. With one last roar, it dove, straight for the floor—and through it.

Before he knew what was happening, Harry stood up and walked forward to gape in horror at what had been a solid wood floor only moments before. Now there was a red-hot circle of wood, fortunately burning itself out rapidly. He was looking straight down.

"Where did it go?" Ron asked in a voice several octaves higher than his usual one.

"What floor is that?" Ginny asked.

"It looks like it went through at least two levels," Hermione said, awe and dismay in her voice.

There was a commotion below them, and the circle of children staring down through the hole found themselves staring at a circle of adults looking up through the hole. For a moment, no one said anything. Harry saw a combination of expressions on the faces below him, from what seemed to be shock in Remus's face to amusement mixed with fear in Sirius's and anger in Mrs. Weasley's.

"What in Merlin's name happened here?" Remus demanded. He seemed to be the one who found his voice first.

"Um," Fred said. "Back to the drawing board?"