Severus felt rather rattled when he strode into the hospital wing the next day, trying desperately to conceal any outward appearances of nerves. He had been up all night thinking about the situation at hand. He had promised to protect Lily's son, at all costs, but guardianship? He had resolved to talk to the boy first, gauge his reaction to the subject, and go from there.

"Good morning Mr Potter," He nodded to the boy, "I trust you slept well." He refrained from making a comment on how Harry was practically guzzling his breakfast, just in case he stopped. He was so thin a light spring breeze could send him flying.

Harry smiled slightly, swallowing his mouthful of scrambled eggs, "Very well, thank you Sir," To which he quietly added, "The best I've slept in a month, actually."

"I'm glad to hear it." Severus replied sincerely. He hesitated in how to phrase his next remark, he honestly didn't want Harry to stop eating, "Try not to eat too much at once, take it slowly. By the looks of your severe weight loss, it will take a few weeks for your stomach to get slowly used to proper portions of food again."

Harry nodded, "I know Sir. I always ration myself for the first few weeks of school after the summer, I've grown used to it." He sniggered, "It was a mistake I made in my first year, and have learned from."

Severus nodded in satisfaction, but his non-existent heart ached for the child who had to learn to ration himself of food, learning how to eat again after two months of starvation, "Well… As long as you don't make yourself ill. Did Madam Pomfrey tell you why I am here this morning?"

Harry swallowed, suddenly looking as nervous as Severus felt, "To discuss my circumstances, and where I will be staying for the rest of the summer."

"Correct." Severus said, "Now -"

"Please don't send me back to the Dursley's." Harry blurted out, surprising Severus, "Sir... I don't know why you got me out of there yesterday, I don't understand why you care about how I was being treated, but please, please, don't send me back." Water pooled in the eyes that so closely resembled those of Lily Evans.

"Mr Potter, I want you to listen to me." Severus said sternly, sitting in a chair besides Harry's bed and folding his hands, "You will not be setting foot in Number Four, Privet Drive again. Myself and the Headmaster have discussed your circumstances, and it has been agreed explicitly that you will not be returning."

Harry let out a deep breath, relaxing back into his pillows, then he looked at Severus hesitatingly, and still looking scared he asked, "Do you promise, Professor?"

Severus nodded stiffly, unsure how to deal with the boy's blatant display of emotion, "To the best of my ability, you will never go back."

Harry nodded, smiling slightly, "Thank you." He said, just about audible.

Severus gave a little smile back at that point, trying terribly hard not just to grimace as usual, which only served to enhance Harry's smile into a grin, "So, the question has been raised as to where you will go now. Has the Headmaster ever explained why you were sent to the Dursley's in the first place?"

"Not in so many words, no." Harry shook his head. Many times had he wondered why he had been sent to live with the Dursley's, and whose decision it had been to cast him off there.

"The night your parents died, Lily refused to let he-who-shall-not-be-named have you. She chose to protect you, and sacrificed herself in the slightest hope of saving you. This kind of sacrifice creates what is known as a blood bond, an ancient form of magic that will give you Lily's protection until such time as your turn of age, but only as long as you stay with one of Lily's blood relatives. This is what has kept you from he-who-shall-not-be-named. As long as you stayed with the Dursley's, with Petunia being Lily's sister, the blood bond would continue to give you Lily's protection. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Harry was hesitant, "Though I am confused as to what the conclusion is, now. As far as I know, I don't have any other relatives through either my mum or dad, and you said that the blood bond is the only thing keeping Volde -"

"Don't say his name!"

"Sorry, the only thing keeping he-who-shall-not-be-named from me."

"That is correct, Harry. And I am afraid you are right, Lily's parents passed away unexpectedly during her time at Hogwarts, and your father's family were killed in the first war."

Harry looked devastated, the cogs turning in his mind and churning out only one possible solution, "So if I don't want he-who-shall-not-be-named to find me, I have to return to the Dursley's, that is the option you're giving me…"

"There is one other option." Severus told Harry, who looked hopeful.

"Yes?"

"Without the blood bond, you have to stay somewhere that can provide equal amounts of protection for you, equal to this ancient magic. I will tell you now that there are not many places that boast such levels of protection. Before I tell you the solution the Headmaster has reached, and you seek other options, I want you to understand that neither the Burrow or Grimmauld Place is a suitable option as a place for you to stay during the summer vacations."

"Why not? Sirius is my godfather after all."

"True, and his house occasionally acts as a safe house for members of the light side -"

"Then surely it is safe enough for me to stay in?" Harry argued.

"Would you please listen child?" Severus bit out, exasperated, and Harry stopped talking, "Firstly, the Burrow. While I am sure Mr and Mrs Weasley would be thrilled to have you, the Burrow does not have the appropriate wards and protection to operate as a safe house for you. While it is eligible for a short time in the summer, a prolonged period would make it unsafe. Do you understand?"

Harry bobbed his head, "Alright, I understand that, but why can't I go and live with Sirius?"

"That is the other problem. As you are underage, whoever you live with must become your legal guardian, in all senses. With Sirius on the run as a convicted felon, and Remus Lupin being a werewolf, neither can take legal guardianship of you."

"Remus can't take guardianship of me because he is a werewolf? But surely if he had his own children -"

Severus rubbed his temples, "Mr Potter please don't lecture me on the laws, I have heard both Professor Dumbledore and Lupin go on about them enough times. The law is absurd, but it is still the law and we must act according to it."

Harry looked confused, "Well, then what is the solution Professor Dumbledore came to then?"

Severus cleared his throat, "The Headmaster, seeing it as the only solution left, has come up with a way for you to stay at Hogwarts throughout the holiday period. That would include the rest of this summer and any other summers during your time at Hogwarts."

Harry's face lit up, "Really?" He said excitedly, "Truly? I can stay at Hogwarts all year round?"

"That is correct but -"

"Wait," Harry interrupted him, obviously coming to the conclusion Severus was about to explain to him, "Even if I am living at Hogwarts, don't I still need a legal guardian? Is Professor Dumbledore going to be my legal guardian?"

"You need to learn not to interrupt your elders, Mr Potter. Yes you do still need a legal guardian, however Professor Dumbledore is not the one who would take on that role."

"Professor McGonagall, then? She's my head of house after all."

"No, it would not be Professor McGonagall."

"Then who?" Harry asked.

Severus straightened up slightly in his chair, "Professor Dumbledore has suggested, in the light of the events that took place yesterday, and the availability of people able to fill this very particular role, that I would be the one to take guardianship of you."

Harry's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped, "You?" He said incredulously.

Severus sneered, "Sorry to disappoint you Mr Potter." His snarky attitude was back, but he regretted it when Harry recoiled.

"I am sorry for speaking out of turn," He muttered, crossing his arms protectively over his chest, expecting some form of retaliation, "I was just surprised. I didn't expect you to be the one…"

Severus sighed, "No, it is understandable that you are surprised at the outcome of these events. The truth is, many of the Hogwarts staff are simply too old to take guardianship of a teenager, the Ministry officials would never allow it. Professor Dumbledore thought that since I was the one to find you in… in that place, and given my age compared to the other teachers, it would be appropriate if I were the one to take you as my ward."

Harry nodded, "I suppose that does make sense."

Severus stood, "Obviously you will need time to consider. No decision will be made without your consent, of course, I simply wanted to explain the situation to you. Take your time."

Before Severus could move anywhere, the boy was speaking, "No, I don't need anytime. You can be my legal guardian." He looked nervous while saying the words, but continued, "I agree, accept, whatever. And then I will stay at Hogwarts, right?"

Severus was shocked at the boy's willingness to become his ward, so quickly and with so little time to think over it, "It is no trouble if you want a day or two to consider this. Your guardianship is something to consider carefully, a decision you should perhaps take more time to think over."

"I don't believe so, Sir." Harry told him, regaining some confidence, "You are asking me to choose between staying at Hogwarts with you, or returning to the Dursley's. Sir, no matter how much you have disliked me over the years, there really isn't any competition."

Severus sighed and returned to sitting in the chair by Harry's bed, "If this is your final decision -"

"It is." Harry nodded, in determined confirmation. His hands were balled from his nerves, but surely living with his Professor couldn't be as bad as living with the Dursley's. Professor Snape was an imposing man, but he clearly didn't abide by the rules his relatives did, if his reactions was anything to go by.

"Alright, then I would like to set one other thing straight." Severus swallowed his ego and his pride, and tried his best not to grimace, "My dislike of you that has accumulated over the years was nothing more than petty vengeance on behalf of your father, who I despised during our own time at Hogwarts. It was incredibly unprofessional of me, and unfair to say the least. Call the past twenty four hours a realisation, but I assumed you were pampered -" Harry snorted, "It seems silly to you, going through what you have been through, but I always assumed you were just like your father, spoiled rotten. I believed that you were worse, actually, given the title you have in our world. I see now that was never the case, and I am taking this opportunity to apologise for my mistreatment towards you. I made a mistake, and I apologise."

Harry looked surprised, but he nodded his head and smiled, "That is alright Professor, I understand why you treated me that why. Thank you for your apology. "

Severus was relieved, he had conjured up that explanation halfway through walking to the hospital wing, manically trying to think of ways to legitimately justify himself. Of course the explanation was true, but Severus was not good at saying sorry, "Thank you for accepting my apology. If I am going to be your guardian, I believe we should begin on a clean slate."

"I agree." Harry said, "A clean slate." He held his hand out for Severus to shake, which the bemused professor submitted to.

"May I ask, Harry, what you meant by saying you understand my treatment of you?"

"Oh, well Remus and Sirius have told me a little of how they acted in school. I am not surprised you hated me, after all I look so like my dad." He said the last part almost mockingly, rolling his eyes.

Severus raised a brow, both at the boy's quick forgiveness and his tone, "You don't like the physical likeness that you share with your father? It is remarkable, you know, Sirius and Remus aren't exaggerating."

Harry shrugged, "When I was first told about the resemblance, I was thrilled. I felt like our appearance gave us a connection, as I feel towards our shared patronus. Now, it is just used an excuse for everyone to compare me to him."

"And you don't want to be like him?"

"I want to be my own person, and being constantly compared to him…" Harry trailed off, "Well it doesn't serve the purpose. Sirius has a habit of 'accidently' calling me James. Honestly it annoys me. Half the time, probably more, he calls me by the wrong name."

Severus sighed, "I suppose I haven't helped. My treatment of you was vastly because of your appearance being so alike to that of your father's."

"But you have pointed out your mistake." Harry reminded him, "And apologised for it. Sirius, and sometimes Remus, however… They just laugh it off when I remind them I am not James Potter."

Severus chuckled, startling Harry slightly as he learned it was not an unfriendly sound, "I am sure telling them that I will be becoming your legal guardian will do the trick. If it doesn't, I am afraid that nothing will."

Harry grinned, "I suppose." He settled back against his pillows, "So… guardianship."

"I know it is a strange situation. Feel free to ask any questions or back out at any time. The Headmaster has agreed that you can't return to Privet Drive," more like I hassled him into it, "And this seems like a logical alternative, given your love of the castle."

"I'm not going to back out." Harry told him seriously, "I would never choose to go back to the Dursley's. I hated them and… well it is clear they didn't like me either. Can you tell me, what is your role in all of this? What does legal guardianship actually entail?"

"Of course." Severus settled himself more comfortably into his chair, "It means I will have all the rights your Aunt and Uncle did as your guardians, they will just transfer to me once the documents have been signed. I will be responsible for your welfare, and all decisions regarding you will be dealt through me. It is often called parental responsibility; I believe that is the term the muggles often use."

Harry looked trepidatious, "So, you will have all the rights a parent would have over their child?"

"Until you turn seventeen, that is correct."

"Isn't that just adoption? Do wizards not have adoption?"

"Adoption is a more permanent format than guardianship is, and yes it is does exist in the wizarding world, though it is less common. Wizards have adoption centres and orphanages, after all."

"And I will stay here with you during the holidays?"

"You will have rooms in my personal quarters here at Hogwarts, yes, where you can come anytime you like." Severus didn't particularly like the idea of sharing his personal space, but he couldn't back out now, "I also own two properties that I often visit during the summer. You will have your own room in both of those houses, if there is such a time when it would be safe to visit them."

Harry still looked apprehensive, "So would I be allowed to stay in your quarters during term time, as in overnights, or would I have to still sleep in Gryffindor tower?"

Severus furrowed his brows, "I am not sure, I would have to check with Professor Dumbledore. Since they are your rooms too, I am sure it would not be a problem for you to use them regularly. Why? Do you not like the Tower?"

Harry answered him timidly, "I am not sure what the response to all this will be, is all."

"You fear a backlash from your friends in Gryffindor, if the head of Slytherin house becomes your guardian?" Severus questioned him, and Harry nodded.

"Not just that, but I haven't spoken to Ron or Hermione since summer started." Harry saddened, "I haven't heard from anyone, actually. I don't know where we stand, after my proclamation concerning you-know-who being back."

Severus was stunned by this, he had always quietly admired the closeness the 'golden trio' shared, "I will speak to Professor Dumbledore about it, and see if there is a reason for their silence." Severus told Harry, who brightened.

"Thank you Sir."

"Not at all. Do you have any other questions?"

"I don't think so, not at the moment.."

"Right then," Severus stood, "I must get going, I have to check on some potions I may have left slightly too long. You are being let out of the hospital wing tomorrow morning, so I will come and collect you, and show you to my - I mean, our, quarters."

Harry looked pleased, "Thank you Sir. One more thing though, actually."

Severus raised a brow, "Yes Mr Potter?"

"Well, that is it, actually. If you are going to be my guardian, practically my parent, I was thinking that you should, well, perhaps you should call me Harry." The young boy looked so nervous asking this of his teacher, but the professor could see the sense in his question.

Severus nodded at Harry's words, making the young boy grin, and then he began to walk away. A few paces later, he made a decision and turned back around, folding his hands in front of him, "Since I am going to be calling you Harry then, and not only will I be your guardian but we will be living together, I don't see the harm in your calling me Severus." Harry grinned, "But not around other students, only when we are alone or with teachers. Understood?"

"Yes, thank you… Severus."

The potions professor nodded, and left the hospital wing.

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Once Severus had left, Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He couldn't believe how the past two days had turned out. Leaving the Dursley's? Having Snape become his guardian? The man seemed true enough, and Harry had honestly accepted his apology, but he was still a bit uneasy about the whole situation. Snape could just be playing the nice guy, until all the documents were signed, and then his true self would return.

It was a chance he was going to have to take. Even if Snape was at his worst, he would not hurt him like the Dursley's had. There would be no 'Harry Hunting' games while he was at Hogwarts.

He sighed, taking note of the time and swallowing an awful potion Madam Pomfrey had left on the side for him. It was half an hour late, but he had been immersed in talking to Snape.

Of course he was still uneasy, but somehow the man was exceptionally effortless to talk to. He hadn't meant to start talking about Sirius and Remus, or Ron and Hermione to the man, but it had just come out with Severus' questions. No matter, it felt quite nice to speak to someone about his problems regarding his friends.

He began to feel the potion taking effect, and laid his head back down, drifting off to sleep.

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"I'll do it. Harry has agreed as well." Severus told Albus, walking into the Headmaster's office, and summoning a drink. Albus looked at him disapprovingly, but wouldn't say anything since it wasn't term time, "We had a long talk, actually, surprisingly. I explained everything, that I would have full parental responsibility over him until his seventeenth birthday."

"You are truly willing to do this? And he has agreed to all stipulations?"

"I am. He is nervous about what others will think, his friends in Gryffindor, particularly Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, but he has agreed for me to take guardianship. He believes I am a better choice than returning to the home of the Dursleys." Severus snorted, "Not much of a compliment, in truth, but I will take it."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. Apparently part of his concern stems from the fact neither Mr Weasley or Miss Granger having sent him any letters this summer, which even I find unusual. I didn't tell him they are both currently staying at Grimmauld place, the time it would have taken to explain why they can stay there and he can't... I assume it would have only upset and angered him further. Therefore, he was wondering whether he will be allowed to stay in our quarters during term time."

Dumbledore sighed, "I asked them not to tell him about the Order, but I suppose they took it as they should have no correspondence at all. I will go to Grimmauld Place and talk with them, and the others. They will have to know about this, Severus."

Severus cringed, "Perhaps we should wait until all the documents are signed. We both know that one irrational and impatient Sirius Black will try to stop it."

"Agreed then, though Sirius has to understand his situation, he is a convicted felon after all. We will tell them after the documents have been signed and you are legally Harry's guardian." Dumbledore said, "But I will still go speak to Ron and Hermione."

"Thank you, Albus."

"As for staying with you during term time, I don't see the harm in it, there are his rooms after all. However, I would encourage him to stay with his friends, at least during the week if not the weekend, unless the circumstances are dire."

"I agree." Severus nodded, Harry would be satisfied with that answer.

"I suppose you apologised for your past actions towards Harry?" Albus asked, stroking Fawkes.

Severus narrowed his eyes, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I thought it only reasonable to try and start again with the boy. How did you know about that?"

"I didn't know, that is why I asked." Albus' eyes twinkled.

It was a look Severus had never trusted, and he didn't intend to start now.