Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for the long wait for this update. I had some family emergencies and it's been a difficult few weeks. I am so grateful to everyone who has been reading this story, and to everyone who has sent encouraging words in messages and reviews. It means SO much to me.

I got kind of stuck for a bit (I wrote and ditched this chapter about 10 different times), but I now know exactly where I want to go with it, so hopefully I can get back to my weekly updates if you guys are still interested in reading.

"Dad, there's someone here to see you!"

Snape was deep in concentration with his manuscript when he heard Harry's voice calling out for him. He set his papers down and begrudgingly made his way to the back door. He'd told the boy he was working and he needed to entertain himself outdoors for an hour, so he was slightly annoyed to be disturbed. He'd also heard him yell out "dad" and wondered what the boy was playing at.

When he reached the door, Snape saw that Harry was not alone, and his face immediately softened. There, standing next to his bedraggled ward was a woman.

Snape stood in the doorway, and opened the door wider. "Yes?" he said coolly.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth. I'm one of your neighbors." She smiled at him, but he could sense she was slightly intimidated by his presence.

Snape kept his face expressionless as he opened the door further and gestured with his hand. "Come in."

Elizabeth walked into the kitchen with Harry following closely behind her. Snape put his hand on Harry's back as he ushered him inside. Before the boy could walk away, he grabbed a small fistfull of his shirt and pulled him back. "Shoes."

Harry pulled off his trainers and left them by the door.

Snape turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Would you care for some tea?"

"That would be lovely," Elizabeth replied, smiling gently as she stood nervously in the kitchen.

"Harry, please put on the kettle." Snape glanced back at Harry and the boy immediately made his way to the kitchen counter, flipping on the kettle and pulling out the tea set. While he waited for the water to boil, he leaned up against the formica and watched the scene unfold with great interest.

Snape gestured to the kitchen table, and Elizabeth sat down. He took a seat across from her.

"I'm Elliot Prince," Snape said, "I see you've met my son Harry."

"I have," she smiled, looking over at Harry. "I hope I'm not inconveniencing you. I just wanted to introduce myself. Professor Llewelyn sent a message saying he had some family staying over. I usually come over to tend his garden once a week when he's away."

"I see," Snape said, nodding his head. "Professor Llewelyn is a cousin of mine. He's graciously offered to allow us to stay for a few weeks while Harry recovers from a recent illness." Snape awkwardly stuck to the script, not wanting to dig himself too far into the cover story.

"Oh my! I didn't know he was unwell, I hope he's doing better now."

"He's quite fine. We just thought some fresh sea air would do him some good," Snape replied quickly.

"Yeah, I feel much better now!" Harry added from the kitchen.

"Well that's good. How are you both settling in here?" Elizabeth asked politely.

Before Snape could respond, Harry jumped in. "It's really great. We went to the beach yesterday. I like going out, but most of the time I'm stuck inside. Dad is always making me study."

Snape shot Harry a disapproving look before turning back to Elizabeth. "He has a lot to catch up on, but we try to get some fresh air every day."

The kettle bubbled then clicked off and Harry turned around to pour the hot water into the teapot and set three cups on a tray. He decanted the milk into a tiny pitcher and pulled out a packet of biscuits before bringing the tea service to the table and taking a seat next to Elizabeth.

"Thank you, Harry" Elizabeth said as he set the tray down. She reached for a cup and poured herself some tea, stirring in some milk and sugar before bringing it gracefully to her lips.

Harry sat on the edge of his seat, clearly interested to know more. "So you're a gardener?"

Elizabeth chuckled slightly and put her tea cup down. "Well, not professionally. I'm just a neighbor, but I enjoy gardening, and with Professor LLewelyn away sometimes, he's asked me to pop by and keep an eye on things for him. He has a lovely garden, so I do my best to look after things for him when he's gone."

Snape poured himself a cup of tea and looked carefully over the young woman in front of him. She had blond hair and delicate, but soft features, and her smile was demure and kind. She was intriguing, but he didn't want the complication of having to deal with other people right now. They were supposed to be in hiding, keeping a low profile.

"Well, that's very kind of you, Miss…?" Snape asked subtly, wanting to keep things formal. He would be polite, and allow her to stay for tea, but he certainly didn't want to encourage her to stop by again.

"Elizabeth Owens, but please, call me Elizabeth," she replied.

Snape ignored this. He would not call her Elizabeth. "I'm sure you have quite enough to do on your own time, Miss Owens. Harry and I will look after the garden while we're here. Please don't concern yourself with this, we will manage just fine for the next few weeks."

Elizabeth looked almost offended. "Professor Llewelyn is a good friend, and I assure you it's no trouble at all. I've been taking care of his garden for several years. It's not an inconvenience in the least. He has quite a few special plants, and I'd hate for anything to happen to them."

"I can assure you, Miss Owens, I'm more than qualified to look after these plants. You really needn't bother." Snape kept his face neutral but his tone firm. He was being polite, but his message was clear. Her services were unwanted.

Harry butted in, "Don't be so uptight, Dad. Elizabeth said she wants to help, besides, she knows these gardens better than us!"

Snape's face tightened and he narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Thank you, Harry. I'm sure you have plenty of work you can do in your room. You may be excused. Say goodbye to Ms. Owens."

"I'm still drinking my tea! Besides, this is my free time," Harry responded, with no intention of getting up from the table. He bit into a biscuit and reached for his tea.

"Also, there's really no need to be so formal. Elizabeth is fine. Really."

Snape was quickly losing control over the situation and it was making him tense. He ignored Elizabeth and turned his attention to Harry. "You may take your tea to your room where you can read or review some of your work from earlier." He kept his voice amazingly steady, but if Harry had any sense at all, he would recognize that the man was not opening it up for discussion.

Harry continued to ignore him, more interested to get to know Elizabeth. "If you're not a full-time gardener, what do you do here?" Harry asked, in his most innocent voice, avoiding eye-contact with Snape while he shoved a Jammie Dodger in his mouth.

Snape fumed silently, not wanting to scold or shout at Harry in front of the woman. His face telegraphed his displeasure, but Harry refused to look at him, focusing all of his attention on the beautiful young woman at the table. Snape sipped at his tea quietly while he seethed.

"I grew up here, but I live with my grandmother and my son, Patrick. He's 11. My grandmother is older now, so I'm her caregiver. I help around the house and work in her gardens as well. I also do some work with the local council, bringing meals and medicine to the elderly. Most of the young people have moved away, so we have a lot of older people who don't have family around to help them."

Elizabeth reached for a biscuit and glanced over at Snape, smiling nervously but not knowing what else to say to engage him.

"You have an 11 year-old son? I'm 12, maybe we can meet sometime. I'm always bored here playing by myself. Does he like football?" Harry was practically jumping out of his seat at the possibility of having someone besides Snape to hang out with.

"He's quite sporty, I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

"Maybe you can bring him over when you come back. I can also help you with the garden too, if you want," Harry said. "I'm actually learning about plants for school, so it would be great if you could show me what you do. I've done some gardening before, I'm sure I could be really helpful."

Before Elizabeth could answer, Snape set his cup down with a noticeable clink. "Harry, enough. I've just told Ms. Owens that her services are not required while we are here. I'm perfectly capable of looking after the garden and, as she has already said, she's engaged in much more important responsibilities." Snape had slipped into his "professor voice" and it left little room for argument.

"I really don't mind, Mr. Prince," Elizabeth said sweetly, erring on the side of formality, recognizing that he was not one for casual pleasantries. "Besides, it might be nice to allow the boys to get together."

"Yeah, Dad," Harry said with a bit of bravado.

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry, "I've already asked you to excuse yourself twice. I don't think you'll like the consequences if I have to ask you again."

The air seemed to drop ten degrees, and even Elizabeth felt uncomfortable at those words. This was clearly a man who did not appreciate being challenged. She closed her mouth and sipped at her tea quietly.

"Fine," Harry said as he stood up loudly from his chair. He grabbed his cup and two more biscuits, daring Snape to say anything. He looked at Elizabeth. "It was really nice to meet you. I hope I'll see you again and get to meet your son. I also hope you don't let my dad talk you out of coming back." He shot her a smile and walked proudly out of the kitchen, satisfied he'd had the last word.

Snape sighed to himself. "I apologize for my son's behavior, he's clearly feeling a bit pent up here."

"Trust me, as a mum of a pre-teen, I completely understand. But I meant what I said, I really don't mind coming to work in the garden. I also think it would be lovely to bring Patrick over so he and Harry can get to know each other. It would probably do the boy some good to get a break from all of the school work."

Elizabeth hoped she hadn't crossed the line. Although she generally wasn't easily intimidated, she could tell that Snape was extremely rigid, and she wanted to be polite. He was, after all, a relative of Professor Llewelyn, a person whose friendship she valued and for whom she had great respect.

Snape thought about her offer for a moment. He didn't want to complicate their lives here unnecessarily, but maybe it would be good if Harry spent some time with someone his own age. It might also give him a few extra hours to work on his own, and give the boy a break from the monotony of his school work.

"I really wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it." Elizabeth smiled. "I can come back tomorrow afternoon with my son if that works for you. If you're busy, I can putter in the garden while the boys get to know each other."

Snape nodded. "If you're sure. You're under no obligation, whatsoever."

"It would be lovely. I'll pop back by tomorrow around half 3, is that alright?" Elizabeth set down her empty cup and wiped her hands gently on a napkin before setting it on the table.

"That would be fine."

Elizabeth stood up from the table and slid her chair in. "Thank you for having me for tea, it was very nice to meet you. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Snape got up and opened the back door. "We'll see you tomorrow."

As he closed the door behind him, Snape had to take a moment to center himself again. He hoped he hadn't made a poor choice in telling her to come back. It was refreshing to speak to another adult. Besides, it would give him some time to work on his own as long as Harry could be entertained for a few hours. It was a win-win.

Snape put the dishes in the sink and walked to Harry's room, knocking before opening the door. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain that little display?"

Harry was sitting at his desk, although his books were all closed and it didn't look like he was engaged in anything fruitful. He turned around in his chair. "What? I was just being friendly."

"I do not appreciate having to repeat myself when I ask you to do something. Especially in front of guests."

Snape was being uptight, but thankfully Harry was unfazed. He knew he wasn't in any real trouble. "Sorry. I just thought maybe I could make some new friends. It'd be nice to have someone else to play with."

"Then you'll be happy to know she's coming back tomorrow with her son. But you better be on your very best behavior, Mr. Potter. Any more sass or cheek from you, and not only will you lose that privilege, you'll spend your free time scrubbing cauldrons with a sore backside. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." Harry was tempted to roll his eyes, but he figured he'd pushed Snape enough for one day. Not to mention, he could still feel the effects of their little discussion this morning. He definitely didn't want to challenge him further.

Besides, Harry really wanted to meet this Patrick boy, there was no way he was going to jeopardize missing out on that. If Snape wanted to make idle threats to make himself feel better, he was going to indulge the old man and act like he was properly chastised. "I'll be good, I promise."

"Good. We'll start dinner in an hour. You can work quietly in your room until then. I'd advise that you review some of what we worked on today, I plan to quiz you on it after dinner."

At 7:30 the next morning, Snape knocked on Harry's door.

"Time to get up, Mr. Potter."

Harry, who usually moaned and took several minutes to get out of bed in the morning, popped up immediately and grabbed his glasses. He hadn't been this excited in a while. "I'm up!"

After getting changed, he practically skipped to the breakfast table with an enormous smile on his face.

"My, aren't we chipper this morning." Snape drawled, giving him a slightly disapproving glare as he reached for his tea. He could already tell Harry was going to be a handful today.

"Yup! It's going to be a good day, I can tell." Harry piled eggs onto his plate and then kneeled up on his chair to reach over to the other side of the table, stretching out to grab the salt that was next to Snape's plate.

Snape reached out and gave him a quick smack on the hand. "It's incredibly rude to reach across the table like that. If you need something, you ask politely for the nearest person to pass it to you."

Harry sat back in his chair and grumbled, somewhat annoyed. "Sorry, can you pass me the salt."

"Sit properly. And it's 'Would you please pass the salt. You should also note that if you're ever asked to pass the salt, you should pass the pepper along with it. Try again."

Harry rolled his eyes and put his legs down under the table. "It's just breakfast, do we really need to do this now? I just want to eat my eggs in peace."

Snape's jaw twitched and his brow furrowed. "Drop the attitude. You may not have had anyone to teach you proper manners before, but you do now. It is my job to correct you, and I will do so, whatever time of day I find you in need of correction. So sit up straight, wipe the pout off your face, and ask me again properly."

After adjusting himself in his seat and putting his hands in his lap, Harry put on his most angelic face and looked up at Snape, "If you would be so kind, sir, and if it wouldn't inconvenience you too much, would you please pass me the salt?"

Harry snickered to himself as he watched Snape reach for the salt and pepper and place them down in front of his plate.

"Very amusing, Mr. Potter. Now eat your food, you impudent little wretch. And if you roll your eyes at me again, I'll hex them to stay like that for an hour."

Snape kept his stern professor face on, but he enjoyed the banter. Knowing Harry was happy and relaxed enough to joke around with him made him feel confident in their progress. He just hoped he wasn't losing his edge too much.

The morning passed by relatively quickly. They worked on principles of transfiguration—since Harry was not allowed to use his wand—and they finished up with some History of Magic and a bit of Astronomy.

"Do I really need to keep learning this stuff if I'm going to be a Potions apprentice? Isn't History of Magic kind of pointless."

"Whatever you decide to do with your life, Harry, you will need a well-rounded education. While we will focus more on Potions and Defense once your apprenticeship begins, you will still need to maintain your studies in the basic curriculum. I don't want you going out into the world without the skills and knowledge of your peers."

"But, can't I drop some of these classes? I mean, do I really need Divination and History of Magic? Come on."

Snape closed the textbook and set his quill down. "For the time being, you will follow the 2nd year curriculum. We will make adjustments as needed. Now, go clean-up and we'll have lunch."

"What time is it now?" Harry asked, looking up from his pile of diced mandrake roots.

Snape sighed as he stirred his cauldron. "Ten minutes since the last time you asked me. We've still got more than 30 minutes before they get here. Now, focus."

Harry went back to dicing, but he couldn't focus, he was too excited. It was exactly why Snape had decided not to let him brew today and instead had him prepping ingredients.

For Harry, the minutes ticked by at an incredibly slow pace. He usually loved being in the lab with Snape but today he couldn't wait until 3:30, when Elizabeth was coming back with her son.

"I'm almost done. Can I clean up and change? I want to put on shorts in case we play football."

"You've finished pickling the mandrake roots? Did you label it?" Snape looked up from the Pepper-Up potion he was brewing to scrutinize Harry's lab space.

"It's in the jar, I just need to label it."

"Do it properly—and neatly—and then I want you to clean up your lab space. I can see pieces of mandrake all over your bench from here." Snape reached for the bicorn horn, carefully adding two pinches to his cauldron.

Harry wanted to hurry up and be done, but he knew if he rushed too much and messed something up, Snape would just make him do it again. He carefully wrote out the label before walking it over to the Potions Master.

"Is this OK?"

Snape glanced at the bottle. "Your handwriting is atrocious. But that will do for now. Put it in the bottom cabinet to the left, it will do better in the dark." Snape nodded his head in the direction of the cabinet.

After putting away the jar, Harry went about quickly cleaning his lab bench. He wiped it down with a wet rag and looked around to make sure he didn't miss anything.

"I cleaned everything. Can I please go now?"

Snape completed his 30 counter-clockwise stirs and then lifted the long wooden stirrer out of the cauldron, tapping it on the inside edge before setting it down on his bench. "Let me look."

He walked over to Harry's bench and made sure everything was up to his standards. Seeing streaks on the bench and an uneven film where he wiped it, he pursed his lips slightly. "It's a rush job, Mr. Potter, I expect you to do a much better job next time. You will wipe down your bench thoroughly again tomorrow before we begin. However, you may be excused. I'll be upstairs shortly."

"Thank you!" Harry yelled as he threw off his robes and bolted for the stairs.

"Don't run! And hang your robes up!" Snape shouted after him.

Harry slowed his pace to a brisk walk and tossed his robes on the hook before bounding up the stairs into his room. He looked through his wardrobe to find a suitable outfit. He wished he had a cool muggle football jersey, but at least he now had nice new clothes that actually fit him.

Even though it was April, they were by the sea and the afternoons and evenings could still get quite chilly. He changed into a long-sleeved t-shirt and put on his navy shorts. He'd taken off the black boots he brewed in and changed into athletic socks and trainers before running to the washroom to look at himself in the mirror.

He didn't even hear Snape come up behind him. "You'll be fine, Harry. I'm sure Patrick is just as excited to meet you." He put a hand on Harry's shoulder and locked eyes with him in the mirror. "Shall we make tea?"

Harry ran a comb through his hair just for good measure, although it didn't do much good, his hair continued to stick up in all directions like it always had.

As he passed through the parlor, Harry glanced up at the clock. 3:25. Five more minutes. He helped Snape in the kitchen as they set-up their tea service.

"What if he doesn't like any of these biscuits?" Harry asked, looking up at Snape with a worried expression.

"If he can't find something he likes between chocolate digestives, ginger snaps, Jammie Dodgers, and Hobnobs, then perhaps you shouldn't make friends with him after all," Snape quipped, hoping to put the boy at ease.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh.

"It will be fine, Harry."

"Should I make sandwiches? What if they're really hungry?"

"I'll cut up some fruit. Why don't you arrange the biscuits on the table?" Snape turned him toward the table and gave him an encouraging tap on the back.

When the tea service was sitting on the kitchen table, with a plate full of various biscuits, cut up apple and orange slices, and four empty teacups, Harry finally sat down. He was about to get up again and check the clock when he heard a knock at the front door.

Harry jumped up from the table and ran for the door, only to have a hand gently grab his collar from behind. "Walk please," Snape said quietly in his ear. "And relax. It will be fun."

The two walked to the door together and Harry opened it wide to find Elizabeth with her arm around a tall, thin boy with dirty blond hair. Even though he was only 11, he was a few inches taller than Harry, but he had a pleasant face and he was smiling confidently.

"Come in, please," Snape said, this time answering the door with a brief smile. "It's nice to see you Ms. Owens, and this must be your son."

Harry felt shy and inched closer to Snape, allowing him to do all the talking as the two guests walked through the door.

Elizabeth pushed her son forward. "Patrick, this is Mr. Prince and his son Harry."

Patrick reached his hand out to Snape, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Prince." After shaking hands, he looked over at Harry with a quick wave. "Hi."

Snape put his arm around Harry and gave his shoulder a squeeze for reassurance, and then a quick tap to encourage him to say hello.

"Uh, hi, I'm Harry."

"We were just going to have some tea if you'd like to join us," Snape said, rescuing everyone from the awkward silence. Elizabeth followed him to the kitchen leaving the boys in the foyer to hopefully break the ice.

"Do you like football?" Harry asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah, it's cool, but I'm more of a rugby guy. I play on my school's team. Do you play sports at your school?"

"Oh, um, well I used to. But right now my dad is home schooling me, so maybe next year."

"Cool."

They walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table across from each other, Harry next to Snape and Patrick next to his mother.

"I didn't know what kind of biscuits you like so I put out all of them," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders nervously.

"Sweet, you have Jammie Dodgers, those are my favorite!"

"Me too!" Harry exclaimed. He was starting to relax a bit and was enjoying the company.

Fifteen minutes later, Snape looked over and saw Harry reaching for what had to be his fifth biscuit. He gently put his hand on the boy's wrist and pulled it away. "I think you've had plenty of biscuits for today. Why don't you take Patrick to play outside?"

Harry was shocked at the soft tone Snape was using and the gentle way he'd touched him. Gone was his snarky, strict Potions Master, replaced by this kind, doting faux father. Even if it was for the benefit of their guests, Harry was enjoying it.

"OK, Dad," he smiled at him. "Come on Patrick, I'll show you the back garden. Maybe we can kick the football around."

The boys made their way outside, leaving Snape at the table with Elizabeth discussing Professor Llewelyn's rarer plants.

"Where's your mum?" Patrick asked as he rolled the football along the grass.

Harry swallowed nervously, remembering that dreadful car trip and realizing they never did finalize their full story. He decided to go with the truth. "She died when I was a baby."

"Oh, sorry Harry. That really sucks."

"Yeah. I don't even remember her."

"If it makes you feel any better, I never knew my dad. He ditched my mom when she was pregnant. So it's just me, Mum, and my Gran. Well, technically she's my great-grandmother, but I call her Gran."

"Yeah, it's just me and my Dad. I don't have any grandparents, must be nice."

"It's fine." Patrick shrugged his shoulders. "Wanna set up some goals and play one-on-one or just pass the ball around?"

Harry had already gotten the feeling that Patrick was pretty athletic. Even if his favorite sport was rugby, he was pretty sure he would destroy him in 1-v-1. "Let's just pass it."

The boys passed the ball around the backyard casually while they chatted. After 30 minutes, Patrick looked up. "This is kind of boring, want to go explore a bit?"

Harry looked around, knowing full well that he was to always stay within the boundaries of the back garden. "Um, let me just tell my dad. He doesn't like me to go too far from the house."

"Aren't you 12? I'm only 11 and my mom lets me go wherever I want as long as I'm back before dark. My friends and I are always riding our bikes around and doing fun things. It's not a big deal, we don't have to go far."

Harry's ears turned red with embarrassment. He liked Patrick a lot, and he didn't want him to think he was uncool, but he also knew if he left the yard without permission, Snape would have an absolute fit. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to have to come looking for him, dragging him back to the house while he scolded and smacked him. Just imagining it made him want to die of humiliation.

He was about to come up with another excuse when the back door flew open and Snape saved the day. "Harry, I think Ms. Owens is ready to leave. Why don't you both come inside."

Harry had never been so glad to have Snape call him in. "Sorry, Patrick, guess we'll have to go exploring another time."

"Yeah, maybe you can come to my house next time, I can show you some cool places. Do you have a bike here?"

"Uh, not sure," Harry said as the boys bounded through the back door. The truth was, Harry didn't know how to ride a bike. Dudley had a bike, but Harry was never allowed to ride it, and no one had ever taught him how.

Snape once again put an arm around Harry as he closed and locked the backdoor. "Did you gentlemen enjoy yourselves?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it was fun." He wanted to play it cool, but he couldn't help leaning in to Snape's side, milking every single second of artificial affection as if it were really meant for him.

"Thanks for having me, Mr. Prince. I told Harry he should come by and hang out at my house next. Can he come over tomorrow, Mum?"

Elizabeth looked over at Snape. "I'm not sure what Harry's schedule is like, Paddy, but we'll try and get you both together soon."

"Please, dad? Please?" Harry looked up pleadingly.

Snape fell back on the ultimate parental response. "We'll see." He patted Harry's shoulder a little more firmly and his tone changed just enough for Harry to recognize that he wasn't going to discuss it anymore right now.

Elizabeth smiled as she guided Patrick forward. "Thank you again, Elliot, we'll be in touch. We're just the next house down the road. You and Harry are always welcome to pop by."

Snape walked the guests to the front door before opening. "It was a pleasure having you both. Have a good evening."

"Bye Patrick, bye Ms. Owens. Hope to see you soon!"

With one hand around Harry and another on the open door, Snape stood in the doorway until their guests were halfway up the drive. Once he was sure they wouldn't turn around, he dropped his arm and closed the door, locking it carefully. He left Harry in the hallway and tossed the key on the credenza before retiring to his chair in the parlor where he leaned his head back, closed his eyes and stretched his legs out in front of him, letting out a deep breath. The charade had exhausted him.

Harry wandered in a few seconds behind him. "So, Elliot, did you have a nice time with Elizabeth? Was it a pleasure having her?" He smiled cheekily as he flopped down on the couch.

Snape opened one eye and looked at Harry. "Don't get smart, Mr. Potter, I'd hate for such a lovely afternoon to end with you in the corner holding a bar of soap in your mouth."

Harry recognized the mock threat and laughed. "Sorry, dad."

Despite his laugh, Harry felt a pang of sadness when he said those words. He wasn't ready for their little role play to end. He loved having Snape pretend to be his father. He liked calling him "dad" and he basked in the extra tenderness that Snape had shown him-the arms around his shoulders, the gentle touches, the softer tone of voice. He knew it wasn't real, but for a few hours it felt real. For just an afternoon, he didn't feel like an abandoned orphan, but a loved and cared for boy.

They sat in silence for several minutes before Harry pushed himself up on the couch and turned to Snape. "Do you know how to ride a bike?"

Snape opened his eyes and looked at Harry. "Where on earth did that come from?"

"I don't know. Patrick said he and his friends ride their bikes around. I've never ridden one. No one ever taught me."

"Ah, I see." Snape paused for a moment, readjusted his legs and sat up in his chair. "I believe I saw some bikes in the garage. Is that something you want to try?"

Harry's face lit up, he thought Snape might mock him or tell him he was ridiculous. "Yes...do you think you could teach me?"

"I haven't ridden a bike since I was a child...but you know what they say...it's like riding a bike." Snape smirked, clearly amused with himself.

Harry laughed out loud. "Three hours pretending to be my father and you're already making dad jokes. Go on, then, what else you got, old man?"

Snape pulled out his wand and leaned toward Harry menacingly, tapping his wand on his left palm, "You want to know what else I've got, little boy? I've got entire anthologies on how to torture impertinent little brats who disrespect their elders. So, by all means, continue with your insolence. I implore you," he said, dragging out the words for dramatic effect.

"I would, but I'm not sure in your frail, elderly condition you'd have the energy for it," Harry teased.

With that, Snape flicked his wrist and hit Harry with a tickling jinx.

Harry immediately doubled over and burst out laughing. "No! Stop! I mean it! Snaaaaape!" Harry was squirming on the couch, nearly in tears, howling and trying to escape the invisible fingers that were attacking him. "I give up, I'm sorry, I'm SORRRRRY! Make it stop! Please!"

"I believe the words you're looking for are 'Please forgive me, my most brilliant and esteemed Professor, I will never be rude or disrespectful ever again'...Let's hear it, then." Snape tried to keep his smile hidden as Harry writhed around, giggling uncontrollably.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry, please forgive me dearest brilliant Professor Snape, I swear I'll never be rude again. Please!"

Snape muttered the incantation and the spell ended. "You're lucky I'm feeling so generous."

Panting and out of breath, Harry smiled and looked up at Snape with sweat on his forehead, his glasses askew and half of his body hanging off the couch. "That was torture."

Snape tucked his wand back in his sleeve and nodded his head. "I tried to warn you, Mr. Potter, but as usual, you had to learn the hard way. So, let that be a lesson to you."

Harry wiped his brow and climbed back onto the couch, still breathing hard and smiling. "But for real, can you teach me how to ride a bike?"

"I can certainly try."

When Snape came in that night to put Harry to bed, he noticed that the boy was in a rather sullen mood. Harry was normally sitting up and smiling, eagerly waiting for Snape to say good-night, but tonight, he was leaned up against the headboard, resting his chin on a pillow he held tightly across his chest and a look on his face that made him look like a kicked puppy.

"Is something wrong?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Tired, I guess."

Snape sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "Didn't you have fun, today?"

"Yeah, I guess it just made me miss my friends. You know, my real friends. I think they've probably forgotten all about me."

"Lay down." Snape reached up and took Harry's glasses off and set them on the table before pulling the blankets up around him as he settled in. "That's nonsense. I happen to know for a fact that every one of your Gryffindor friends were beside themselves when you didn't come back to school. There were tears and meltdowns and petitions and students demanding inquiries for months. Not to mention, your quidditch team was absolute rubbish without you. Your absence was felt deeply, Harry. By both students and staff, I assure you. You were never forgotten for a single moment. By anyone."

Snape hadn't realized until today how lonely Harry must be feeling without his friends. When he saw how excited he was to meet Patrick, and how happy and animated he had become around someone his own age, he immediately recognized that this was a void he couldn't fill. He would have to make more of an effort to make sure Harry had friends in his life.

"Would you like to spend time with Patrick again?"

"Definitely! Do you think I could go to his house next time?" Harry looked up at Snape with hopeful eyes.

"I'm sure we can arrange something, maybe over the weekend. But only if you get your work done and behave yourself." Snape attempted to put on a stern tone, but they both knew it was half-hearted.

"Patrick asked me about my mum. I didn't know what to say so I told him the truth. I said she died when I was a baby and I don't remember her."

Just saying the words out loud was enough to open the emotional floodgates. Harry rolled onto his stomach and pressed his face in the pillow, hiding his face while he cried softly.

Snape didn't know how to respond to that with words, so he just put his hand on Harry's back, and slowly began to rub circles while he shushed him gently. He took a minute to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "She loved you so much, Harry. And she will always be with you."

They stayed like that for ages. Snape continued to reassure him softly while he rubbed his back, and eventually Harry stopped crying and just laid there, allowing himself to be soothed. He closed his eyes and imagined it was his mom or dad, he just wanted to feel loved.
Soon, Harry's breaths had slowed and Snape was sure he had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake him, he continued to sit there, gradually slowing down the circles on his back until his hand was almost still. When he was sure Harry wouldn't wake up, he lifted his hand, pulled the quilts up and got up gently from the bed, trying not to disturb him as the mattress shifted.

He stood for a while in the dark room, just looking down at Harry before he turned off the small desk lamp and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

Is this what it feels like to be a parent?

Author's End Note:

Please review! It really does keep me going!