A/N: Here we go again! Sylvia
"Tell me about your years at Hogwarts, Harry." Gran said as Harry settled into his favorite chair next to his grandmother. "Were there any girls?" She asked with a sly smile. Harry grimaced and sat up.
"Not really. I was too busy trying to stay alive." He told her. "Having a Dark Lord after you tends to warn off any females from actively pursuing you. Although there was Cho." He admitted. Gran's face immediately perked up at the name of a girl.
"Who's this Cho?" Gran said, taking out her knitting and settling in for a chat with her grandson. Harry smiled as the name brought back a few memories.
"Cho Chang. She was in Ravenclaw." Harry told her. "I had a crush on her for a little while, mostly in fourth and fifth years. It kind of died after that." Gran nodded. She knew what had happened in Harry's fifth year.
"So, did you two manage any dates?" Gran asked. Harry smiled. He knew what Gran was up to; he just didn't want her getting any ideas. He had figured out that he wasn't meant to find anyone, and had just been getting used to the idea of being a lone wolf the rest of his life. He made a mental note to tell Gran just that before the day was out.
"One. Fifth year. It was a travesty. She wanted to go to this little place that reminded me of the Divination classroom. It was obviously set up for teenager dates and outings, but I couldn't get comfortable. I said all the wrong things, did all the wrong things, and upset her terribly. We were friends after that, but not much more." Gran chuckled at Harry's recounting of his first date. Harry grinned sheepishly. "I guess it is pretty funny. I can destroy the Dark Lord, but not manage to last one date with a girl." Harry joined in Gran's laughter for a few seconds. "Last I heard, she was engaged to be married to someone from her own house." Harry informed the curious woman beside him. "I'm happy for her." Gran smiled at her grandson, whom had somehow turned out wonderfully, despite being raised by idiotic Muggles.
"That's good to hear, Harry. Now, dear, tell me how your first ride went yesterday with your father." Gran told the boy, who could only smirk.
"Well, let's see. After being hauled out of bed by a far too cheerful house elf and being dragged down to the barn at an ungodly hour of the morning, I think it went well. Severus laughed when I told him that a scheming grandmother and house elf had managed to get me down there." Gran chuckled.
"I've been found out!" Gran announced. "I admit it, I am the guilty party, but I think you and Severus just needed a little push." She told Harry lightly. "You're so serious when he is around!" She nudged Harry a bit. "He's changed, and you've changed. Just get to know each other. I think you both need each other far more than either one of you are willing to admit." Harry rolled his eyes, thankful for the first time that Gran wouldn't be able to see it. He had a feeling that she would smack him for such an action. "Besides, you needed to learn how to ride." She added, as though that made everything right again. "Severus tells me you are a natural and should be able to ride by yourself soon."
"Really?" he asked, surprised at that comment. The man hadn't mentioned anything of the like to him.
"Yes, really. He didn't want to tell you in fear of you not working at it." Harry laughed, thinking about how typical that sounded in reference to Severus. More so in Harry's early school days. "What is it, Harry?" Gran asked, amusement coloring her voice.
"I was just thinking about what he would have said when I was in school and he had been teaching me to ride." Gran smiled.
"Are you going to share?" She asked, waiting for him to tell her what her son had been like as a teacher.
"Oh, he would have said something along the lines of, 'Honestly, Potter, I cannot understand how you have even managed to mount the horse, much less stay on. Something I said must have penetrated that facile mind of yours.'" He imitated Severus's voice to the best of his ability and was rewarded with a hearty little chuckle from Gran.
"Is that what he is really like when he's at school?" she asked. Harry smiled.
"He was when I was there, anyway. He might have changed since then." Harry told her. He felt a twinge between his eyes and rubbed the spot. That was odd. "I think most of his attitude came from convincing others that he loathed all Gryffindors, but sometimes I wonder what his real feelings are, considering he fell in love with Mum." Gran chuckled.
"Well, Harry, he did indeed love her. Never had I seen him so taken with someone before." Gran told Harry. Harry looked over at her, wondering if she was going into her story mode. "He came home from his first year at Hogwarts and stepped right into my sitting room, still in his school robes, and announced that he found the woman that he was going to marry someday." Harry stared at Gran.
"Really?" he asked, not managing to ask anything more.
"Oh, yes. He came in, sat in that very chair," she said, gesturing towards the chair Harry was occupying, "and told me all about a Muggle-born witch called Lily Evans. He said the only thing wrong with her was that she was in Gryffindor, but then he said that it fitted her in a way that no other house could manage." Gran chuckled a bit. "He even pulled out a little picture he had managed to take without her knowing it. Oh, he brought some home every year, pictures of Lily." She paused. "I'm sure that they're in her room still." She told him. "You're going to have to ask Severus to show you that room. Oh, she was a joy to have around. Always asking if she could help me in anyway, polite, and obviously fond of Severus."
"What year did she begin coming here?" Harry asked. Gran paused in her knitting for a moment before answering.
"I do believe that it was their third year when she came her for the first time." Gran answered. "She was such a quiet little thing then, but Severus assured me that she would open up after a few days, and did she!" Gran told Harry, her smile growing wide. "She loved to talk about anything and everything. She, Severus, and I always managed to go on long walks together, and she knew such a lot about flowers, though very little about medicinal plants. Luckily, that changed after Severus started teaching her potions." Gran sighed, as though living the memories again.
"In their sixth year, she and Severus spent more and more time together, and she came for the whole summer for the first time. Oh, that was wonderful! She and I had become so close by that time. She insisted on calling me 'Mum' by that time, saying that she had two mothers then." Gran sighed. "Such a shame when her parents died." Gran mentioned. "Her sister had just married a ghastly man, and poor Lily had no where else to go, because she hated her brother-in-law." Gran paused for a minute.
"So Lily became a permanent part of the household, and my future daughter-in-law, until Severus starting spying, that is." Gran told Harry, her voice becoming sad. "Of course, Lily and I thought that he was Voldemort's. It never crossed our mind that he turned spy." Gran paused. "I suppose that we should have known better. Lily was sent away for her own safety, and next we heard, she and James were married and had a baby. That was you." Harry nodded, saddened at the thought that he could have known his family his whole life instead of finding them when he was twenty years old.
"Well, no time for past regrets." Harry started at Gran's comment. Was Gran a mind reader? Gran wrapped up her knitting and called out for her house elf. "It's time for this old woman to take a nap." She told Harry as her house elf started to lead her away. Harry wished her a good sleep and thought for a few minutes. He wondered if Severus would be willing to show him his mother's room. Only one way to find out.
Harry paused before the laboratory's door and took a deep breath. The worst thing he could do was say no to the request. Harry raised a hand and knocked on the door. "Come!" Harry took another breath and entered the lab. Severus looked up from the book he was staring at and smiled at Harry. "Good afternoon, Harry. What brings you down here?" Harry paused. Well, it couldn't be anymore direct than that.
"I was wondering, if you had time that is, if you could show me Mum's room?" Harry asked quietly. He looked up to see a funny expression on the man's face. He waited for an answer, wondering what Severus was thinking.
"You want to see your mother's room?" Severus asked. Harry nodded emphatically, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. "Dear Merlin." Severus thought. "I haven't been in that room since, well, since she left." He considered his son standing in front of him. "Very well. Come along." What that, he marked his place in his book and swept out of the lab, Harry trailing behind him. Severus led him upstairs and down a corridor before stopping in front of a door. "I should have showed you before this, but." He stopped. He didn't know what else to say. Instead, he turned the knob and opened the door, motioning Harry in. Severus noted that the door hinges did not sound rusty or unused, which meant Lucky had probably been in the room since Lily had left.
Harry had stopped about five feet into the room, just taking it in. It was a corner room, and two walls were nothing but windows with window seats beneath them. White lacy curtains sheltered the seats. The glass was clear, more evidence of Lucky's actions. The four-poster canopy bed was to Harry's right. The hangings were white and yellow and tied back, allowing a view of the white bedspread. The pattern on the topmost blanket was flowers, mainly daisies and lilies. Harry noticed that there were no petunias in sight. Harry allowed himself to wander around, taking in the vanity table. He lightly fingered the set on the table, noticing that the brush, comb, and mirror each had a lily engraved on them.
He looked at the picture on the corner of the vanity table. He picked it up and saw Lily and Severus chasing each other in the snow, and Lily somehow managing to catch Severus around the waist and take him to the ground. Harry smiled at the picture. Both of his parents were laughing so hard they could barely move, much less chase each other competently.
"Your mother loved sunlight." Severus said from behind Harry. Harry turned around to find that his father was sitting on a window seat, the curtain hanging around him as though it were hugging him. "So when she came here, I gave her the sunniest room I could find." Harry went over to join him, wondering how much Severus was going to tell him. "She would spend hours outside at a time, face turned up to the sun. I was always amazed that the sun never burned her, never darkened her skin, never changed her hair." Severus said in a faraway voice.
"This house, while home with mother, always seemed oppressive with its lonely halls and empty rooms. When Lily came here, she seemed to fill it somehow. Even my father liked her, and that was rare, for he pledged himself to Voldemort. Though he promised not to mention Lily. And he never did, not once. He even told me once that he and mother should have had another child, a sister for me. He liked what 'a young girl did for the place', and she seemed to dote on him. I think that's why he liked her. She treated him like a father, while I acted as though he were my equal." Severus smiled lightly to himself, still gazing out the window, but not seeing anything that was there. "He always used to fuss over her, especially the way she used to run everywhere. He would say things like 'young ladies should not run' and 'must you always rush about everywhere, girl?' to Lily as she passed him." Severus paused and Harry was afraid that Severus was finished.
"He gave his blessing so heartedly when I asked if I could marry her." Severus said. "He pulled me into his arms, wished me all the happiness in the world, and then straightened up, telling me that I made an excellent choice, regardless of blood." Severus smiled to himself again, as though reliving that day.
"Your mother also loved to ride. I think her riding habit is still here." Severus said, getting to his feet and going over to the wardrobe. He pulled open the doors and sighed lightly. "Here it is." Harry went over and smiled. The riding habit was a deep green, trimmed with silver. Harry caught the Slytherin house colors and almost laughed. "The green matched her eyes. She looked so nice in it, even when she was half asleep. She didn't like riding early in the morning, as I do." Severus considered his son for a moment. "It seems that you inherited that trait." Harry smiled wryly and looked at the robes, dresses, and other garments hanging there.
"Mother took Lily shopping when she first arrived. It was amazing when they returned. I thought the sitting room had a replicating charm on it, there were that many bags and boxes when they returned. Lily had looked exhausted, then exasperated as Mother mentioned that they were nowhere near done." Harry laughed at that idea. He had allowed Hermione help him shop once while they were still at Hogwarts. Needless to say, he had thought Binns's class less exhausting. "Your mother was an amazing woman, Harry." Severus said, moving back to the window seat. Severus looked about the room, as though searching for something. Harry watched as his eyes lit up and he jumped from his seat.
Severus knelt down next to the bed and brought out a small wooden box. He lifted the lid and retrieved several photo albums from it. "Here they are." Severus said, returning to the window seat. He looked at each of them until he found the correct one and smiled as he opened it. "First year at Hogwarts." Severus said. "If you think the Creevy brothers were bad with their camera, well, Lily was worse." He motioned for Harry to join him and then pointed to the page. "There's someone you should recognize." Harry looked at the picture and gasped.
"Aunt Petunia knew how to smile?" He asked, incredulous at the idea of a smiling Aunt Petunia. "Incredible." Severus nodded and turned the page. "These are your grandparents on your mother's side." Harry looked at his grandparents in the Muggle photograph. He could see the features of his mother in both people. His green eyes came from his grandfather, while the red hair came from his grandmother.
"I only managed to meet them a few times, but they were wonderful people, so full of love for their children. Makes me wonder what happened to Petunia." Severus commented as he turned another page. "Ah, Hogwart's Express." He said. "There's your mother in her robes." Severus said, pointing her out. "And if should happen to see a small little bundle on the floor, I can only explained that she had surprised me." Harry looked down at the floor in the picture.
"What happened?" Severus paused for a minute before answering.
"I'd been told that Muggles were not worth notice. Your mother had a wonderful right hook, though from whom she learned it I never knew." Harry laughed.
"She punched you?" He asked. He didn't wait for an answer before laughing again. "I can't believe that my mother hit a boy before she even made it to Hogwarts." Harry said.
"Well, the black eye reminded me that just because Muggles don't use magic, it doesn't mean that they do not have defenses." Harry smiled and then reached out and turned the page. "Ah, she had just bought a magic camera." Severus commented as Harry looked at the now moving pictures. He saw the eleven year old Lily and Severus poking each other with their quills in the library at Hogwarts. "I do believe that we were bored with our studies that day." Severus commented, as though trying to justify his actions. The two children in the picture tired of what they were doing and started throwing paper wads at each other. Harry looked through the other pictures, mostly of Severus practicing his glares. Harry saw a familiar one and his surprise must have shown on his face. "What is it?"
"Snape patented glare number 36." Harry told him. "Also known as 'mess with me or mine and I will hex you so hard that your grandchildren will feel it'." Harry told the man. Severus blinked a few times before breaking out into a huge grin.
"Well, I can't believe that you all think they're patented, because they're not." Severus said in reference to his glares. "Also, I do believe I was going for only children in that glare." Harry smiled and shrugged.
"We Gryffindors believed it was at least grandchildren, if not further ahead." Harry told him. He reached up as he felt another odd twinge. Severus noticed it but did not ask. Harry did not appear to be in any type of pain. "What's going on here?" Harry asked, pointing to a picture of several students. Severus looked and shook his head.
"I think that was the first time I actually fought back against Black and your father." Harry looked up sharply. "Although he was not your biological father, he did adopt you and take care of you. That is what he was to you before he died." Harry nodded slowly, taking in what his father had just said. Harry reached up to that twinge between his eyes again. "Head bothering you, Harry?"
"No, not really. It's just an odd twinge." Severus nodded and returned his attention to the photos in front of them.
"This was the Christmas celebration at Hogwarts that year. They had cancelled classes that day and allowed us free run of the school. The teachers then learned that that had not been a good idea and never did it again. Lily and I had a snowball fight that landed us side by side in the hospital. I never knew why she laughed so much on our way in, but now I do believe that she had accomplished her goal of spending some time with me away from the other students. She was a Slytherin at heart, I'm sure of it." Harry looked up in surprise, his eyebrows attempting to climb into his hairline. "What?" Severus asked.
"That's really weird that you say that, because that is where the Sorting Hat tried to place me when I first went to Hogwarts." Severus's surprise told Harry that he hadn't known at all. "I wonder if she made the same decision." Harry said, his face slowly returning to normal. Severus didn't get a chance to ask what Harry had meant by that comment, for in that second Harry's hands flew to his head and he sucked in breath. Severus immediately launched into action.
"Lucky!" The house elf popped into view and the creature's eyes widened. "Can you take him to his room?" The little creature nodded and snapped his fingers, causing himself and Harry to disappear. Severus ran down the hallway and to his son's rooms, mentally berating himself to not have asked to be taken along. He reached Harry's room and pulled out a vial. He placed a light hand on the boy's forehead and coaxed the potion into him. Severus poured a Dreamless Sleep potion into Harry's mouth and sighed as the potion started taking effect. "Go to sleep, Harry." Severus told the boy. Harry did little more than nod before he fell asleep. Severus reached out a hand and smoothed back the boy's hair.
Severus jumped as Harry's features shifted before his eyes. Severus watched in fascination as Harry's looks took on more of a Snape look, and then some of Lily's features were added in. After a minute, the changes stopped. Severus held his breath as he realized that he was looking at his son, truly, for the first time. "Oh, Lily." He whispered. "He's beautiful." Severus wished fervently that Lily could be there, standing next to him. Just like many of his childhood wishes, it went ignored.
Severus reached out a hand and caressed his son's face. He leaned down a kissed the boy's forehead. "It's so good to have you home, Harry." He whispered. He left the room and returned to Lily's. He gathered the photo albums and took them back to Harry's room. Harry deserved to have them now. He arranged them on one of the shelves and smiled towards his son again. Perhaps in time, they would have a relationship, one that both wanted. Severus went to find his mother to inform her that Harry's changes were complete.
A/N: Before anyone thinks that that is the end, it's not. We have a few chapters left people! Unfortunately, I am leaving for summer camp on May 23rd. That means that there will be few, if any, updates until the first week of August. You might want to check once a month after the twenty- third for updates. Once again, I have found out that ffn is freezing stories that have too much "chat" in them, so I won't be answering reviews anymore. However, if you include your email in your review, I will be happy to answer you. Thanks again! Sylvia
"Tell me about your years at Hogwarts, Harry." Gran said as Harry settled into his favorite chair next to his grandmother. "Were there any girls?" She asked with a sly smile. Harry grimaced and sat up.
"Not really. I was too busy trying to stay alive." He told her. "Having a Dark Lord after you tends to warn off any females from actively pursuing you. Although there was Cho." He admitted. Gran's face immediately perked up at the name of a girl.
"Who's this Cho?" Gran said, taking out her knitting and settling in for a chat with her grandson. Harry smiled as the name brought back a few memories.
"Cho Chang. She was in Ravenclaw." Harry told her. "I had a crush on her for a little while, mostly in fourth and fifth years. It kind of died after that." Gran nodded. She knew what had happened in Harry's fifth year.
"So, did you two manage any dates?" Gran asked. Harry smiled. He knew what Gran was up to; he just didn't want her getting any ideas. He had figured out that he wasn't meant to find anyone, and had just been getting used to the idea of being a lone wolf the rest of his life. He made a mental note to tell Gran just that before the day was out.
"One. Fifth year. It was a travesty. She wanted to go to this little place that reminded me of the Divination classroom. It was obviously set up for teenager dates and outings, but I couldn't get comfortable. I said all the wrong things, did all the wrong things, and upset her terribly. We were friends after that, but not much more." Gran chuckled at Harry's recounting of his first date. Harry grinned sheepishly. "I guess it is pretty funny. I can destroy the Dark Lord, but not manage to last one date with a girl." Harry joined in Gran's laughter for a few seconds. "Last I heard, she was engaged to be married to someone from her own house." Harry informed the curious woman beside him. "I'm happy for her." Gran smiled at her grandson, whom had somehow turned out wonderfully, despite being raised by idiotic Muggles.
"That's good to hear, Harry. Now, dear, tell me how your first ride went yesterday with your father." Gran told the boy, who could only smirk.
"Well, let's see. After being hauled out of bed by a far too cheerful house elf and being dragged down to the barn at an ungodly hour of the morning, I think it went well. Severus laughed when I told him that a scheming grandmother and house elf had managed to get me down there." Gran chuckled.
"I've been found out!" Gran announced. "I admit it, I am the guilty party, but I think you and Severus just needed a little push." She told Harry lightly. "You're so serious when he is around!" She nudged Harry a bit. "He's changed, and you've changed. Just get to know each other. I think you both need each other far more than either one of you are willing to admit." Harry rolled his eyes, thankful for the first time that Gran wouldn't be able to see it. He had a feeling that she would smack him for such an action. "Besides, you needed to learn how to ride." She added, as though that made everything right again. "Severus tells me you are a natural and should be able to ride by yourself soon."
"Really?" he asked, surprised at that comment. The man hadn't mentioned anything of the like to him.
"Yes, really. He didn't want to tell you in fear of you not working at it." Harry laughed, thinking about how typical that sounded in reference to Severus. More so in Harry's early school days. "What is it, Harry?" Gran asked, amusement coloring her voice.
"I was just thinking about what he would have said when I was in school and he had been teaching me to ride." Gran smiled.
"Are you going to share?" She asked, waiting for him to tell her what her son had been like as a teacher.
"Oh, he would have said something along the lines of, 'Honestly, Potter, I cannot understand how you have even managed to mount the horse, much less stay on. Something I said must have penetrated that facile mind of yours.'" He imitated Severus's voice to the best of his ability and was rewarded with a hearty little chuckle from Gran.
"Is that what he is really like when he's at school?" she asked. Harry smiled.
"He was when I was there, anyway. He might have changed since then." Harry told her. He felt a twinge between his eyes and rubbed the spot. That was odd. "I think most of his attitude came from convincing others that he loathed all Gryffindors, but sometimes I wonder what his real feelings are, considering he fell in love with Mum." Gran chuckled.
"Well, Harry, he did indeed love her. Never had I seen him so taken with someone before." Gran told Harry. Harry looked over at her, wondering if she was going into her story mode. "He came home from his first year at Hogwarts and stepped right into my sitting room, still in his school robes, and announced that he found the woman that he was going to marry someday." Harry stared at Gran.
"Really?" he asked, not managing to ask anything more.
"Oh, yes. He came in, sat in that very chair," she said, gesturing towards the chair Harry was occupying, "and told me all about a Muggle-born witch called Lily Evans. He said the only thing wrong with her was that she was in Gryffindor, but then he said that it fitted her in a way that no other house could manage." Gran chuckled a bit. "He even pulled out a little picture he had managed to take without her knowing it. Oh, he brought some home every year, pictures of Lily." She paused. "I'm sure that they're in her room still." She told him. "You're going to have to ask Severus to show you that room. Oh, she was a joy to have around. Always asking if she could help me in anyway, polite, and obviously fond of Severus."
"What year did she begin coming here?" Harry asked. Gran paused in her knitting for a moment before answering.
"I do believe that it was their third year when she came her for the first time." Gran answered. "She was such a quiet little thing then, but Severus assured me that she would open up after a few days, and did she!" Gran told Harry, her smile growing wide. "She loved to talk about anything and everything. She, Severus, and I always managed to go on long walks together, and she knew such a lot about flowers, though very little about medicinal plants. Luckily, that changed after Severus started teaching her potions." Gran sighed, as though living the memories again.
"In their sixth year, she and Severus spent more and more time together, and she came for the whole summer for the first time. Oh, that was wonderful! She and I had become so close by that time. She insisted on calling me 'Mum' by that time, saying that she had two mothers then." Gran sighed. "Such a shame when her parents died." Gran mentioned. "Her sister had just married a ghastly man, and poor Lily had no where else to go, because she hated her brother-in-law." Gran paused for a minute.
"So Lily became a permanent part of the household, and my future daughter-in-law, until Severus starting spying, that is." Gran told Harry, her voice becoming sad. "Of course, Lily and I thought that he was Voldemort's. It never crossed our mind that he turned spy." Gran paused. "I suppose that we should have known better. Lily was sent away for her own safety, and next we heard, she and James were married and had a baby. That was you." Harry nodded, saddened at the thought that he could have known his family his whole life instead of finding them when he was twenty years old.
"Well, no time for past regrets." Harry started at Gran's comment. Was Gran a mind reader? Gran wrapped up her knitting and called out for her house elf. "It's time for this old woman to take a nap." She told Harry as her house elf started to lead her away. Harry wished her a good sleep and thought for a few minutes. He wondered if Severus would be willing to show him his mother's room. Only one way to find out.
Harry paused before the laboratory's door and took a deep breath. The worst thing he could do was say no to the request. Harry raised a hand and knocked on the door. "Come!" Harry took another breath and entered the lab. Severus looked up from the book he was staring at and smiled at Harry. "Good afternoon, Harry. What brings you down here?" Harry paused. Well, it couldn't be anymore direct than that.
"I was wondering, if you had time that is, if you could show me Mum's room?" Harry asked quietly. He looked up to see a funny expression on the man's face. He waited for an answer, wondering what Severus was thinking.
"You want to see your mother's room?" Severus asked. Harry nodded emphatically, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. "Dear Merlin." Severus thought. "I haven't been in that room since, well, since she left." He considered his son standing in front of him. "Very well. Come along." What that, he marked his place in his book and swept out of the lab, Harry trailing behind him. Severus led him upstairs and down a corridor before stopping in front of a door. "I should have showed you before this, but." He stopped. He didn't know what else to say. Instead, he turned the knob and opened the door, motioning Harry in. Severus noted that the door hinges did not sound rusty or unused, which meant Lucky had probably been in the room since Lily had left.
Harry had stopped about five feet into the room, just taking it in. It was a corner room, and two walls were nothing but windows with window seats beneath them. White lacy curtains sheltered the seats. The glass was clear, more evidence of Lucky's actions. The four-poster canopy bed was to Harry's right. The hangings were white and yellow and tied back, allowing a view of the white bedspread. The pattern on the topmost blanket was flowers, mainly daisies and lilies. Harry noticed that there were no petunias in sight. Harry allowed himself to wander around, taking in the vanity table. He lightly fingered the set on the table, noticing that the brush, comb, and mirror each had a lily engraved on them.
He looked at the picture on the corner of the vanity table. He picked it up and saw Lily and Severus chasing each other in the snow, and Lily somehow managing to catch Severus around the waist and take him to the ground. Harry smiled at the picture. Both of his parents were laughing so hard they could barely move, much less chase each other competently.
"Your mother loved sunlight." Severus said from behind Harry. Harry turned around to find that his father was sitting on a window seat, the curtain hanging around him as though it were hugging him. "So when she came here, I gave her the sunniest room I could find." Harry went over to join him, wondering how much Severus was going to tell him. "She would spend hours outside at a time, face turned up to the sun. I was always amazed that the sun never burned her, never darkened her skin, never changed her hair." Severus said in a faraway voice.
"This house, while home with mother, always seemed oppressive with its lonely halls and empty rooms. When Lily came here, she seemed to fill it somehow. Even my father liked her, and that was rare, for he pledged himself to Voldemort. Though he promised not to mention Lily. And he never did, not once. He even told me once that he and mother should have had another child, a sister for me. He liked what 'a young girl did for the place', and she seemed to dote on him. I think that's why he liked her. She treated him like a father, while I acted as though he were my equal." Severus smiled lightly to himself, still gazing out the window, but not seeing anything that was there. "He always used to fuss over her, especially the way she used to run everywhere. He would say things like 'young ladies should not run' and 'must you always rush about everywhere, girl?' to Lily as she passed him." Severus paused and Harry was afraid that Severus was finished.
"He gave his blessing so heartedly when I asked if I could marry her." Severus said. "He pulled me into his arms, wished me all the happiness in the world, and then straightened up, telling me that I made an excellent choice, regardless of blood." Severus smiled to himself again, as though reliving that day.
"Your mother also loved to ride. I think her riding habit is still here." Severus said, getting to his feet and going over to the wardrobe. He pulled open the doors and sighed lightly. "Here it is." Harry went over and smiled. The riding habit was a deep green, trimmed with silver. Harry caught the Slytherin house colors and almost laughed. "The green matched her eyes. She looked so nice in it, even when she was half asleep. She didn't like riding early in the morning, as I do." Severus considered his son for a moment. "It seems that you inherited that trait." Harry smiled wryly and looked at the robes, dresses, and other garments hanging there.
"Mother took Lily shopping when she first arrived. It was amazing when they returned. I thought the sitting room had a replicating charm on it, there were that many bags and boxes when they returned. Lily had looked exhausted, then exasperated as Mother mentioned that they were nowhere near done." Harry laughed at that idea. He had allowed Hermione help him shop once while they were still at Hogwarts. Needless to say, he had thought Binns's class less exhausting. "Your mother was an amazing woman, Harry." Severus said, moving back to the window seat. Severus looked about the room, as though searching for something. Harry watched as his eyes lit up and he jumped from his seat.
Severus knelt down next to the bed and brought out a small wooden box. He lifted the lid and retrieved several photo albums from it. "Here they are." Severus said, returning to the window seat. He looked at each of them until he found the correct one and smiled as he opened it. "First year at Hogwarts." Severus said. "If you think the Creevy brothers were bad with their camera, well, Lily was worse." He motioned for Harry to join him and then pointed to the page. "There's someone you should recognize." Harry looked at the picture and gasped.
"Aunt Petunia knew how to smile?" He asked, incredulous at the idea of a smiling Aunt Petunia. "Incredible." Severus nodded and turned the page. "These are your grandparents on your mother's side." Harry looked at his grandparents in the Muggle photograph. He could see the features of his mother in both people. His green eyes came from his grandfather, while the red hair came from his grandmother.
"I only managed to meet them a few times, but they were wonderful people, so full of love for their children. Makes me wonder what happened to Petunia." Severus commented as he turned another page. "Ah, Hogwart's Express." He said. "There's your mother in her robes." Severus said, pointing her out. "And if should happen to see a small little bundle on the floor, I can only explained that she had surprised me." Harry looked down at the floor in the picture.
"What happened?" Severus paused for a minute before answering.
"I'd been told that Muggles were not worth notice. Your mother had a wonderful right hook, though from whom she learned it I never knew." Harry laughed.
"She punched you?" He asked. He didn't wait for an answer before laughing again. "I can't believe that my mother hit a boy before she even made it to Hogwarts." Harry said.
"Well, the black eye reminded me that just because Muggles don't use magic, it doesn't mean that they do not have defenses." Harry smiled and then reached out and turned the page. "Ah, she had just bought a magic camera." Severus commented as Harry looked at the now moving pictures. He saw the eleven year old Lily and Severus poking each other with their quills in the library at Hogwarts. "I do believe that we were bored with our studies that day." Severus commented, as though trying to justify his actions. The two children in the picture tired of what they were doing and started throwing paper wads at each other. Harry looked through the other pictures, mostly of Severus practicing his glares. Harry saw a familiar one and his surprise must have shown on his face. "What is it?"
"Snape patented glare number 36." Harry told him. "Also known as 'mess with me or mine and I will hex you so hard that your grandchildren will feel it'." Harry told the man. Severus blinked a few times before breaking out into a huge grin.
"Well, I can't believe that you all think they're patented, because they're not." Severus said in reference to his glares. "Also, I do believe I was going for only children in that glare." Harry smiled and shrugged.
"We Gryffindors believed it was at least grandchildren, if not further ahead." Harry told him. He reached up as he felt another odd twinge. Severus noticed it but did not ask. Harry did not appear to be in any type of pain. "What's going on here?" Harry asked, pointing to a picture of several students. Severus looked and shook his head.
"I think that was the first time I actually fought back against Black and your father." Harry looked up sharply. "Although he was not your biological father, he did adopt you and take care of you. That is what he was to you before he died." Harry nodded slowly, taking in what his father had just said. Harry reached up to that twinge between his eyes again. "Head bothering you, Harry?"
"No, not really. It's just an odd twinge." Severus nodded and returned his attention to the photos in front of them.
"This was the Christmas celebration at Hogwarts that year. They had cancelled classes that day and allowed us free run of the school. The teachers then learned that that had not been a good idea and never did it again. Lily and I had a snowball fight that landed us side by side in the hospital. I never knew why she laughed so much on our way in, but now I do believe that she had accomplished her goal of spending some time with me away from the other students. She was a Slytherin at heart, I'm sure of it." Harry looked up in surprise, his eyebrows attempting to climb into his hairline. "What?" Severus asked.
"That's really weird that you say that, because that is where the Sorting Hat tried to place me when I first went to Hogwarts." Severus's surprise told Harry that he hadn't known at all. "I wonder if she made the same decision." Harry said, his face slowly returning to normal. Severus didn't get a chance to ask what Harry had meant by that comment, for in that second Harry's hands flew to his head and he sucked in breath. Severus immediately launched into action.
"Lucky!" The house elf popped into view and the creature's eyes widened. "Can you take him to his room?" The little creature nodded and snapped his fingers, causing himself and Harry to disappear. Severus ran down the hallway and to his son's rooms, mentally berating himself to not have asked to be taken along. He reached Harry's room and pulled out a vial. He placed a light hand on the boy's forehead and coaxed the potion into him. Severus poured a Dreamless Sleep potion into Harry's mouth and sighed as the potion started taking effect. "Go to sleep, Harry." Severus told the boy. Harry did little more than nod before he fell asleep. Severus reached out a hand and smoothed back the boy's hair.
Severus jumped as Harry's features shifted before his eyes. Severus watched in fascination as Harry's looks took on more of a Snape look, and then some of Lily's features were added in. After a minute, the changes stopped. Severus held his breath as he realized that he was looking at his son, truly, for the first time. "Oh, Lily." He whispered. "He's beautiful." Severus wished fervently that Lily could be there, standing next to him. Just like many of his childhood wishes, it went ignored.
Severus reached out a hand and caressed his son's face. He leaned down a kissed the boy's forehead. "It's so good to have you home, Harry." He whispered. He left the room and returned to Lily's. He gathered the photo albums and took them back to Harry's room. Harry deserved to have them now. He arranged them on one of the shelves and smiled towards his son again. Perhaps in time, they would have a relationship, one that both wanted. Severus went to find his mother to inform her that Harry's changes were complete.
A/N: Before anyone thinks that that is the end, it's not. We have a few chapters left people! Unfortunately, I am leaving for summer camp on May 23rd. That means that there will be few, if any, updates until the first week of August. You might want to check once a month after the twenty- third for updates. Once again, I have found out that ffn is freezing stories that have too much "chat" in them, so I won't be answering reviews anymore. However, if you include your email in your review, I will be happy to answer you. Thanks again! Sylvia