After a potion's mishap, Snape becomes a 6/7month old baby in Sirius Black's care. Will the enemies be able to put the past behind them and allow the experience to heal ghosts from their past, or does the hurt just run too deep? Warning: Child abuse/neglect referenced

Sirius puffed out a sharp breath; "Twenty", he muttered to keep a count of his final chip up from that morning. He unfurled his crossed legs and easily leapt down from the bar across the doorway of one of the numerous rooms of Grimmauld Place.

The soft, bare pads of his feet hit the cold wooden floor with a soft thud, and he grimaced as sweat rolled down his face. He felt old! "Old and out of condition" he huffed inwardly.

Since escaping Azkaban he had been determined to return to the fighting shape he had enjoyed as an Auror before his arrest. He was useful and would provide it to the Order, and Dumbledore. Despite the acidic comments that greasy git Snivellus never missed an opportunity to make; he would be of use to Harry. He would stop Voldemort this time – even if it meant his life.

A cold glare darkened his face then, as much as he tried not to remember the hellhole, he had been imprisoned in for nearly 12 years of his life, it had taken its toll on him. The weight had returned, mostly due to Molly and Remus fussing like mother hens, overfeeding him every chance they got.

And while he would never confess it aloud, he wasn't the same kid who went into Azkaban.

He had been 21 when he was sentenced to life without trial. He celebrated his 22 birthday 2 days later, alone and grieving as Padfoot, in a dark and grimy cell. He had wished he had died alongside James and Lily every day, before being reunited with his Godson 2 years ago.

Lost in thought, Sirius found that his feet were making their way to the master room of the house, his room, he reminded himself.

It was early yet, a glance outside of the large bay windows as he descended the stairs told him it couldn't be past mid-morning. The sun blazed in brilliant Autumnal strands across a dull grey sky and Sirius stopped and inhaled deeply, gazing at the sight. He was free, or as free as he could be at that moment, and he was alive to protect Harry.

He walked into his room and had just reached a strong hand out towards the chrome shower fixture when the ward on his floo alerted him that someone had entered his kitchen.

He grabbed for his wand immediately, chest and feet bare, and lithely moved towards the kitchen.

He knew it could only be an Order member who entered (due to the protection spells which saturated the house and surrounding location) but even at that he wouldn't take the risk of letting his guard down. "Once bitten" he thought sardonically and smirked at the irony of the comment. He would remember that one for his Moony, it would make the Wolf laugh he thought.

Sirius reached the doorway to the kitchen, wand raised, and entered. He was greeted by the strangest sight he had seen in a long time. His expression turned from menacing upon his entry to the kitchen, to relieved and eventually to bewildered.

Dumbledore stood in the kitchen with a bundle in his arms.

"Sirius my boy, as always – nice to see you. Though, I didn't expect to be seeing so much of you…" his ex-Professor commented, eyes twinkling over his half mood spectacles. Sirius felt heat raise to the high cheek bones of his face, and immediately the Black bravado (as Moony called it) replaced his chagrin.

"Albus!" Sirius exclaimed, reaching his arms wide in welcome "What brings you to my humble abode so unannounced?" bringing cheeky emphasis on the final word. He glanced at Dumbledore's arms and suspiciously raised a dark black brow.

"Do you need to hide a dead body?" Sirius continued, slightly concerned with the strange human like shape of the black mass. Something about the material seemed familiar to Sirius and his mouth began to taste strangely acidic.

"Well, you see… I have a mission for you Sirius. No one else I can ask. And there's no one else I would trust for this task" Dumbledore spoke slowly but firmly and watched Sirius' chest begin to puff with unbridled pride.

"There was an accident this morning in Hogwarts. No, not Harry" Dumbledore held his hand in the air to calm Sirius' suddenly wild look. "For once, Harry wasn't involved – nor Miss Granger or Mr Weasley" Dumbledore chuckled to himself fondly while Sirius breathed a sigh of pure relief.

"No, unfortunately, Severus was working on an assignment for me. He had been crafting something I thought me might need. A potion. But now, I suppose that's irrelevant…" Dumbledore trailed off.

Sirius was used to Dumbledore speaking in riddles and was almost not listening as soon as Dumbledore brought up that slimy git's name. His nose was wrinkled in unmasked disgust and he looked beyond Dumbledore, down the long kitchen, towards where a spider crawled along the wall.

Dumbledore registered the unease in the younger man before him, but continued nonetheless; "He was interrupted during a crucial stage of brewing by a student barging into his classroom and unfortunately the potion exploding – covering him in the contents. I know Severus made the contents perfectly, it did what we wanted it to do. He de-aged himself to 6, maybe 7 months old" Albus stopped and moved the bundle in his arms for Sirius to see.

Sirius was in shock – Snape was a bumbling baby brat? He could have bent over in two and laughed himself into a coma! He tried to keep his face blank in Dumbledore's presence and glanced blankly at the baby in his arms.

Sleeping snuggly among what Sirius now determined to be his robes as potions master, was Severus Snape. Even thinking the name made him immediately hate the child.

He watched the small baby sleep soundly. He was thin and pale, his skin starkly contrasting against the long black eyelashes which grazed him cheeks. An unmistakable mop of sleek black hair adorned the child's head and spilt down to his neck, curling at the nape.

Sirius felt sick to his stomach. What on earth could Dumbledore be asking him to do and what did Snivellus have to do with it?

As though reading his mind, Dumbledore sighed and gazed at Sirius in an imploring way. "I need someone I trust to protect him Sirius, I know I can rely on you" and with that he moved his arms and the child was jostled awake suddenly.

The baby sleepily awoke in a way Sirius had never seen before (not that he had much experience with babies, other than Harry). Wary black eyes looked up at Dumbledore and then a clumsy baby hand raised in the arm; fingers splayed.

"What in the world is going on" Severus wondered. His head hurt and he felt like he was sleeping on the lumpiest bed in the world. He recounted the last foggy memory he had. Something about a potion and an explosion and now…

He couldn't be. There was no way in the cruel world he lived in that he would have to suffer another terrible childhood. But he instantly knew it, he had never failed when brewing a potion. He had de-aged himself.

Sirius watched and saw Snape's dark eyes widen and a garbled cry escaped his little mouth.

Snape tried to shout out and heard a garbled high baby cry. What in Merlin's name was he going to do? He tried to get up, but his limbs were heavy and uncoordinated.

Panicked, the baby writhed violently in Dumbledore's arms. Sirius thought it was as if it was trying to figure out where he was. Dumbledore lightly bounced the child. Tears were filling the large obsidian eyes and they pooled unushered in the baby's eyes.

Sirius arched another brow at Dumbledore in question and Albus nodded solemnly "We think Professor Snape may have retained some of his characteristics and is essentially an adult man in an infant's body".

Snape heard the words clearly from his mentor and felt like the world was crashing around him. Stupid baby emotions – he had no control over himself and this made him uncomfortable.

Sirius watched as the little form stiffened and a small sob escaped the child, before slobbery baby lips clamped it closed.

Snape cursed himself silently, he wouldn't reduce himself to crying like a pathetic baby – no matter what he looked like.

"He's an odd sprog, isn't he?" Sirius commented lightly, causing the baby to turn his head and look at the source of the new voice. Black eyes met grey and the child looked instantly terrified. He didn't move an inch and didn't stop staring in fright at Black.

Snape would have recognised that voice in a crowded room. The voice that tormented him throughout his student career at Hogwarts. The voice that bickered with him throughout every Order meeting, reducing him to the bullied child he was. Humiliating him with his pathetic 'quick wit' for cheap laughs from the Order at his expense. Instantly, ice cold fear filled his little baby body and it overwhelmed all rational thought that the adult man tried to form.

Severus reverted to his most basic emotion. "This man is bad, and he is going to beat me. Please don't leave me" he chanted in his head towards Dumbledore.

Dumbledore, not picking up on the thoughts of his young potions master, but sensing this to be his opportunity to leave the baby and return to Hogwarts for damage control, moved towards Sirius, his arms held out to him. "I must take my leave, I'm afraid. I will send the supplies with a house elf imminently, and Madam Pomfrey will attend to the child this afternoon. I needed to get him out of the school as quickly as possible to protect him, and us all. Who knows how vulnerable his mind is to Lord Voldemort now" he finished solemnly.

"Here we go" he moved the child swiftly towards Sirius.

The motion of the secure arms he was in moving away from him, exposing his little body to the cold air and to the even colder man standing in front of him, brought Snape back to his senses quickly.

Snape whipped his little head back to look at Dumbledore, in what Sirius thought was a look of complete disbelief.

Then all hell broke loose.

"You can be serious, you old coot! He will get his revenge on me in every which way he can think of! You need to protect me!" he screamed. Though, of course, all the occupants of the room heard were angry sharp baby cries and noises.

The child screamed an ear-splitting scream followed by terrified whimpers and sobs. He kicked his tiny legs as quickly as he could and lifted his little arms in the air, tiny fists raised in defiance.

Snape didn't care how embarrassing he was behaving. He didn't care if he had to shave his head and move to Poland, he just knew he couldn't be left with Black.

In his head, memories of his father beating him resurfaced and confused his little baby mind. He knew this wasn't his father, but he couldn't make his little mind co-operate.

Memories of his childhood were pouring freely through the barricades he had steadily built. He was overwhelmed and terrified. So many emotions for such a little body.

Sirius gingerly took the child from Dumbledore after attempting to back away from the terrible noise. Dumbledore looked at him intently before wishing him luck and departing once more via the floo.

Snape felt strong, rough hands grip him around his ribs and slide under his arm pits. The way he was being held was hurting him. Black was squeezing him intentionally and this was the beginning of the abuse he would experience here. He couldn't control the sheer terror his little body was wracked with.

The screaming continued from the baby, which Sirius now held at arms-length away from himself. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure. The little git was kicking and fighting, and Sirius had to tighten his grip on the infant in fear the stupid potions master would wriggle free, fall on the tiles of the kitchen and die. "That'd be just my luck – straight back to Azkaban" he thought darkly.

Sirius was alarmed when Snape's screamed reached a higher volume of shrillness and unmistakable fear.

Now, Sirius had experience with Harry as a baby, before prison, and he was drawing on it for all it was worth. He realised a second too late he was probably hurting the baby and immediately loosened his grip. To his relief the crying subsided slightly.

"You bastard! You are crushing me to death! Get your grubby paws off me!" Severus was screaming. He felt the strong grip subside and was calmed momentarily as the pain stopped.

"For fucks sake Snivellus shut the hell up!" Black roared in panic. He was completely fucking this up and he knew it. Snape was probably milking it for all it was worth, waiting to tease me when aged up again.

The loud sound of the roar in his little ears startled him into silence and he stared wide-eyed at the scary man holding him. Snape decided there and then that he wouldn't give Black the satisfaction of a reaction hence forth. He would adopt the protocol he had used when in Spinners End. He would not react or cry out. He would be a brave boy and get through this he reasoned with himself.

Sirius felt sick to his stomach when the big black eyes of his enemy widened significantly in unmistakable terror. Had he really just roared at an infant? He was no better than those Dursley's Harry had been stuck with until this Summer.

"Hey hey hey it's ok. You're alright Sniv-Snape" he amended as gently as he could. He awkwardly bobbed his enemy in what he hoped was a comforting way.

The bobbing made Snape feel confused and the words put his guard up. Black was clearly trying to lull him into a false sense of security before doing something horrible to him.

"Come on Snape you're not going to make me beg for it are you?" Sirius murmured. "I'm sorry ok? You were being a brat on purpose! And you were testing me… And…" Sirius deflated. He ran a free hand through his sleek black curly hair. "Please give me strength to get through this with Snivellus torturing me" he pleaded inwardly.

He moved the little boy to face him and watched as the impassive face stared back. He almost laughed. Was Snape icing him out?

Snape watched as Black smirked at him. "Smug bastard" he thought. "I hate him".

"Snape. We are both stuck in a shitty situation. We need to work together, ok?" Sirius said to the baby, patting the little back of the child.

He watched as Snape's face betrayed a bit of discomfort at the touch and a small shiver wracked his little body.

"You must be cold little one." Sirius murmured. Registering for the first time that the child he held was naked and vulnerable. Sirius couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the man. The kitchen was cold, Sirius was still naked at the torso and barefoot. His sweat had since cooled making him feel the cold more than before.

Careful to keep the potion masters robe between the naked skin of the child and himself, he imagined the baby was Harry and instinctively cuddled the baby close for shared warmth. He ignored the stiffness of the child and walked out of the room towards his master bathroom.

Snape felt he would have fallen through the floor in shock if Black's strong arms weren't holding him close. Despite his disgust at the contact, the warmth of Black appealed to his infant body and he instinctively moved towards the heat.

Neither his father nor his mother had ever held him like this. Or spoken to him like this. It was a trick of course; children weren't treated like this. Snape wasn't treated like this…

He was walked upstairs by Sirius, bundled in his scratchy potion robes. Sirius had continued to rub his back until he sat him on his own bed. A quick few safety spells and charms to protect the baby were put in place before Sirius walked into his en-suite to run a bath to warm the child up.

"Just pretend it's Harry" he reasoned with his mind. Snivellus was not going to make him look bad – he wouldn't harm a hair on his greasy head. It was easier to think like this when the baby was out of his sight. To hate the bat-like man.

Snape lay on Black's bedspread looking up at the ceiling quietly, absentmindedly his tiny feet kicked up through the cloak. His little hand tried to swipe his right foot to hold it. He couldn't explain why, but holding it would make life better right now.

He didn't know what Black was doing, but he had left him. He was cold and lonely lying on the bedspread. Why couldn't Dumbledore have kept him – he wouldn't have been any trouble to the old coot.

He was lost in his thoughts, shivering slightly, when he suddenly felt very warm. He stiffened and whimpered quietly to himself as he realised in terror that he had wet himself. On Black's bedspread. He was mortified. And terrified.

Immediately he recounted a painful and terrible memory from his past;

Severus was used to being alone. Mumma and Dadda were too busy for a little brat. A little freak like him. He cringed inwardly at the words, but he knew they were right. He was a bad boy and a no-good waste of space. His parents told him often.

Mumma and Dadda were gone. Severus didn't know how long they had been gone but he stood in his empty cold crib alone. He whimpered quietly, not for attention, but just because he couldn't choke the whimper back. He knew crying did no good – no one ever came. And when he cried in front of Dadda, the beatings were usually worse.

His little tummy grumbled angrily, and a thin baby hand moved to his side. His bony ribs strained against the skin, but that wasn't unusual for the toddler. At 2 years old he knew he wasn't entitled to food every day and he assumed he had done something wrong to deserve this current starvation.

His little mind eyes looked around his dark scary room. "Where is Mumma" he wondered to himself, his little heart felt shattered. He was so alone and scared. He murmured "Mumma" to himself aloud, hoping it would make her appear.

He was cold and stood naked save for a used dirty nappy.

His little nappy was full and it made him feel yucky. He hadn't been changed in a while – he wasn't sure when. It hung heavily between his little legs, which were rashed and sore from the neglect. But he was a bad nasty freak who didn't deserve fresh nappies.

Severus didn't want to touch it or sit it in. It made his tiny tummy squirm, and his mess was cold and smelly. He stopped his little bony hand from rubbing his bare bum cheek quickly. He didn't want that on his little fingers. Dadda would be so angry again.

He heard the door slam downstairs and heard his parents fighting. Severus backed away from his crib bars. The bum of his overfull nappy squishing uncomfortably against his cold bottom and he cringed but didn't react other than that. The bad smell refreshed in the room from him disturbing it with his movement.

He knew what was coming.

His Dadda banged the door opened, drunk and angry, eyes fixed on the little one in the crib.

"It stinks in here you fucking freak" his father growled, making his way towards his only son.

Severus saw dadda approach him and couldn't help his reaction. He cringed in on himself and fear overtook the little boy as he wet himself in terror.

The overused nappy allowed the urine to splash fast from either side of the gaps, hitting his legs and spurting off in every direction. He felt the warm liquid running heavily down his legs and pooling under his little bare feet. Adding another stain to the thin mattress he used.

Severus' eyes widened in terror as he met his dadda's look of rage. His body trembled in fear, but he couldn't stop the liquid coming from his privates. He had no control.

"You fucking disgusting piece of shit!" he roared, "You did that deliberately to make me angry!" he stormed towards the cowering toddler, backhanding the little boy across his terrified face, knocking the thin body back against the bare bars of his crib.

Whimpering at the pain in his face and the bony shoulder blades hitting the wood, Severus realised his mistake too late; no noise!

"I'll give you something to cry about you freak" his dadda promised, as he raised his hand again.

Silent fat tears spilled from his eyes as Snape watched this memory unfurl in his baby fogged brain. He wouldn't make a noise, he promised. Unaware that his little body was betraying him with little whimpers and sobs of fear.

Sirius had been bent over the tub, wondering how the bloody hell he was supposed to know what the tub would be full for baby "Harry" when the ward from his bed to the bathroom (effectively acting as a baby monitor) delivered the sounds of whimpers from the baby.

Sirius stood with a sigh, knees cracking, and walked into his bedroom. The smell of piss hit him in the face and he reacted by blowing a long loud breath out. "Jesus, Snape, were you eating asparagus?".

The joke died on his lips as he watched the baby jump in terror and the quiet whimpering increasing.

He approached the little boy lying on his bed and watched as the baby cringed away from him.

Without thinking, he reached out towards Snape, who flinched at the hands touching him.

Sirius' stomach lurched. Did Snape really think he was going to hit him off for this? Hell, he probably did piss the bed on purpose for Sirius not using a nappy, but he was a baby.

Sirius thought to himself that this is the reaction of a child who has known extraordinary cruelty.

Snape felt the calloused hand reach for his naked skin and flinched automatically. "Please don't hurt me Black. I'm sorry, it was an accident" Snape said, but all that came out of his little wet red lips was a garbled whimpering cry.

"There, there, little man. I know, I should have put a nappy on you. Merlin, did Dumbledore not think to do that… in all his 200 years he's never cared for a baby?" Sirius joked, murmuring to Snape.

This was to no avail, Snape continued to whimper, fat tears streaking down his face. He was trying to tense for the first blow, but he was so exhausted and cold and scared.

He could feel the low rumble of Sirius' voice through his naked chest and despite his fear and humiliation at his nakedness, and his incontinence, he longed to be held against the warm chest of his enemy for comfort. He was disgusted with the baby emotions warping his brain.

Sirius could see Snape was far away, he was calling him and getting no response. "Snape? Snaaaaaaaape?"

"Severus" he tried and noticed a slight reaction from the little pup in his arms.

"Yes, I think we will use Severus going forward?" Sirius asked, meeting the tot's eyes. "Much better than Snivellus!" Sirius joked again with instant regret. He watched the pain and embarrassment flash in the baby's eyes.

"Please Black. I can't take anymore" Snape pleaded, more naked now than he physically was.

One had under a wet naked bum and another at the back of the baby, Sirius moved Snape automatically to his naked chest without thinking too much about it.

He remembered cuddling Harry like this when he had colic and couldn't be settled any other way. Lily and James had taught him that skin-to-skin was the best way to calm a baby.

To his delight, he watched as his littlest enemy relaxed slightly against his naked chest.

Snape was mortified to admit this was the most secure he had felt in a long time. Black murmured nonsense in his little ear, while the other ear was squished against the man's strong, muscular chest. He listened to the even heartbeat of his sworn enemy.

"I'm sorry I made a mess" Snape mumbled to Sirius, while Sirius heard the baby coo gently, and he smiled despite himself.

"Alright little one, let's get you into this bath and cleaned up" Sirius said, heading to the bath.

He lowered the baby towards the bath, bottom first.

"Argh Black you buffoon! You bastard! You intentionally lowered my guard and then you try to scald me alive! Evil! Let me go you bad man!" Snape let out a string of loud complaints, while his tears were renewed.

Sirius, realising his mistake, immediately lifted the baby into the air and apologised, the cheeks of his face as red as Severus' bottom cheeks.

"Sorry Snape, I might not like you but I'm not trying to kill you on purpose" he muttered darkly.

Bath temperature checked 4 times over, Sirius deemed it safe enough to try Snape again. Who complied with his bath – to say the least.

He watched as Black kneeled beside the tub, eye level to Snape and look at him with confusion. Sirius thought babies liked baths – Snape was being a greasy git, sitting stone-still in the middle of the tub, a glare on his little baby face, one little fist over his privates. He was making Sirius feel awkward.

Sirius turned away from the baby for a moment, having decided there had been enough time for the house elf to deliver the baby supplies from Hogwarts, he accio'd baby soap, shampoo, a flannel mitt and a fluffy towel.

"Right! Let's get that greasy mop finally cleaned" Sirius commented. He watched the little boy's face crumble and a bottom lip jutted out in an attempt to stop the cry in his little throat.

Sirius felt another pang of guilt. "Pretend it's Harry for Merlin's sake, you're bullying a goddamn baby Black" he thought.

Snape watched Black unsure of what he was doing. He was certainly being as horrible to him as he would have when he was grown up. His little baby body betrayed him regularly he thought, why did Black's hateful comments even bother him so much.

A small voice in his mind thought of the cuddle and the warmth and safety it had brought. He squashed that betraying thought immediately as Black approached him with a soapy mitt.

"Come near me with that at your own peril Black" Snape sneered. Sirius hearing the unsure cooing of an innocent little boy.

"Time to get squeaky clean Snape!" Sirius chimed happily. He was in for a difficult time with this little Slytherin and he knew it.

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Guys that's the first chapter done (much longer than I thought!).

If you liked it, please let me know and I'll go for a Chapter 2 – There's a lot of detail here so you can expect the same if you want me to keep writing. I have some really great thoughts for the next visit of our favourite duo.

Thank you so much for reading 3 Hopefully see you all real soon!