A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

A huge thank you to my betas!

This is for

THC/The Houses Competition

House: Hufflepuff

Class: Muggle Studies

Prompt(s): [Scenario] Mentor Snape /SeveritusAU! - Severus Snape becomes Harry's mentor. Alternatively, Severus Snape adopts/saves Harry. Suggested characters: Severus, Harry, Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Minerva

[First Line] Sometimes, running away [isn't/wasn't] the cowardly option.

Word count: 1250

Warning: Major canon character death

Sometimes, running away wasn't the cowardly option. Running away had actually changed Severus' life entirely.

Running away was what had kept Severus alive all these years, running away after he'd heard the prophecy. Yes, he'd run to his master and done something stupid. But then he'd run away again, this time begging Dumbledore to save Lily and her family.

The night Lord Voldemort had died, he'd run away from Hogwarts, despite orders for him to stay. He knew that night running was not an act of cowardice. No, running away that night had been an act of bravery, one he'd never thought himself capable of.

He'd gone to Godric's Hollow to… he wasn't sure what. It wasn't as if he could have saved them. He wanted to save them. A part of him had doubted Dumbledore would be able to do it, to save them. He wanted to save Lily and Harry. At first, Harry has been nothing more to him than an afterthought, but then, he realized the boy was Lily's. Lily loved him unconditionally, and if he mattered that much to Lily, then he mattered to Severus as well.

James dying was of still no consequence to him. He didn't like James pure and simple. After everything the Marauders had done to Severus in school, he wasn't required to like his abusers. He wasn't even required to forgive him. Forgiveness had come after though, after that fateful night when he'd done everything in his power to save Lily.

Lily, he still cared about Lily. She'd been his best, his only, friend for a long time. He remembered when they'd been children, the only magical ones in their area. The trouble they would get into.

Yes, he'd screwed all that up. Yes, he'd been an idiot, but maybe if he could save her and Harry, maybe she'd finally be able to forgive him?

He'd been too late. Lily and James were dead. Lord Voldemort was gone and baby Harry was all that was left. Severus knew Dumbledore's plans for the boy, to send him to live with Petunia.

Severus didn't think Petunia could even raise a cactus. The thought of her and that horrible muggle she'd married raising Harry made Severus feel sick. He did the only thing he could think of.

He took Harry, tucked him under his billowing black cloak, and like a bat in the night, took off with the baby. Yes, running away from Godric's Hollow that night had been brave.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Sev, can we have waffles?" Harry asked, looking at Severus. It had been two years since he'd made the decision to take Harry, to raise him. Severus had moved Harry into his home that night, putting upwards to make his home untraceable.

There were old charms he knew, charms that helped hide them from the prying eyes of Albus Dumbledore. No one else was looking for the boy as far as Severus could tell.

Everyone seemed to think he'd died in Godric's Hollow with his parents. Severus was currently doing nothing to dispel those rumors.

"Waffles?" Severus asked, pretending he hadn't heard Harry's request.

"With choc'let chips?" Harry added, giving Severus a wide smile. Severus looked down at his charge. He'd found one of the most difficult parts of raising the child was telling him 'no', especially when Harry looked at him wide-eyed with those green eyes.

"Are you sure you'd rather not have eggs?" he asked.

"Waffles."

"We had waffles yesterday, and if I am not mistaken, the day before as well," Severus pointed out, knowing he'd already lost this argument. He was already starting to get the waffle and pancake mix from the cabinet.

"Favorite," Harry said. "You like waffles too, Sev."

"You're right, Harry. I do like waffles, but I also enjoy eggs, beans on toast, fresh fruit, and many other things."

"Did Mummy like waffles?" Harry suddenly asked, causing Severus to nearly drop the whisk. Harry didn't talk about his parents as much anymore.

When Severus had first taken him, Harry'd asked about them every day. Severus hadn't lied to the child, but instead told him the truth. His parents had been killed by an evil man.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Why? Why?" Harry's little voice had asked, tears in his eyes. Severus knew he couldn't fully understand what had happened. To the one year old, death didn't exist. There was no evil, nothing bad.

"Do you remember how you and your mummy stayed in the house all the time?"

"Yes, we were hiding," Harry answered, sucking his thumb. Severus nodded. He wasn't surprised Harry was fairly bright. Lily had been brilliant.

"Do you know why you were hiding?"

"Bad man. Bad man took Mummy and Daddy?"

"Yes, he did," Severus answered, trying to not cry as Harry's eyes filled with tears. He wasn't sure when it had happened, but the idea of hurting Harry, even in telling him the truth, felt like a knife in his chest.

"They gone, not coming back," Harry said, his voice soft.

"No, Harry, they are not," Severus said, hugging him tightly. "I am here though, I will take care of you. I won't let anything happen to you," he promised. Harry buried his face against Severus' chest, sniffling loudly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Yes, she liked waffles," Severus answered, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"Did Daddy?"

"I don't know. I wasn't friends with him."

"Why not?" Harry asked, watching Severus pour the waffle mixture onto the waffle iron and close the top. Harry had already learned it was hot and knew not to put his fingers near the device.

Severus paused, thinking about how to answer the question. Part of him, the part of him that he was slowly trying to change, wanted to tell Harry the truth. His father had been a bully. Harry looked up at him, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"We were in different houses at school. Your father liked playing Quidditch. I preferred to spend my time reading," Severus answered truthfully.

"I like Qwiddich too!" Harry exclaimed.

Severus ruffled Harry's hair.

"I know you do, Harry. And that is why I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Harry asked, watching Severus remove the waffles and place them on plates. He scampered over to the table, grabbing a knife and fork in the process.

"A friend of mine, Lucius, has given us two tickets to see a Quidditch match on Saturday."

"But you don't like Qwiddich," Harry pointed out, letting Severus help him cut his waffle.

"I do not find it as interesting as you do, Harry, but Lucius and his son, Draco, will also be there. Draco is your age."

"He three!"

"Yes, he is three. He also likes Quidditch. So, while you and Draco watch the match, Lucius and I will spend our time catching up. I haven't seen him in a while, he was away."

"Does Draco like waffles?" Harry asked, holding up his fork, which held a piece of waffle. It dripped syrup onto the tablecloth. Severus shook his head smiling.

"You'll just have to wait until Saturday to ask him yourself," he answered, wondering if Draco did like waffles, or had he never had them. Did house elves know how to make waffles?

Surely that was who made Draco his breakfasts, wasn't it? Until he'd take Harry, Severus had never even considered these questions. Now, he was wondering if he should invite Lucius and Draco over for breakfast at some point, just to make them waffles.