"Minnie, do we really mean to stay here?" Harry asked with wide eyes as he looked up at the large manor before him. The sandstone shimmered lightly in the dimming sunlight and a fresh frost dusted the building and surrounding yard with a coat of glittering ice. It was the most magnificent building he had ever seen, outside of Hogwarts of course. He had thought the cottage was big for them, but this put their tiny home to shame.

"No, I thought we would take a visit on the way to our real home." Minerva said dryly and raised an eyebrow at him. He looked up at his guardian sheepishly and she took his hand tightly. "Welcome to Ross Manor."

They strode through the grounds and towards the front door by following a narrow path of gravel. Trees wound up on either side of them and Harry longed to see them in their full bloom. He imagined that with leaves the pathway up to the house would seem like an endless tunnel of green. The front door seemed imposing in its large stone doorframe and its ornate carvings of eagles in flight. However, Minerva opened the oaken barrier with ease and Harry found himself even more in awe of the interior.

Wood seemed to cover every surface and several deer heads were mounted against the wall. The panelling of the entryway was covered partially by a smooth looking cloth of forest green upon which several paintings stared at them curiously. It felt like the type of home he had imagined when reading fairy tales in school. He tucked his free hand into his robe pocket in fear of accidentally bumping into anything that might break.

Minerva seemed just as curious as he felt as she led him through the house. The first floor was not as large as it had appeared from the pathway. It consisted of a library, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a sitting room. The upstairs had five bedrooms and three bathrooms, one of which was attached to the master suite. By the time they reached the final room, Harry found himself quite winded and sat himself upon the large four poster bed that Minerva had claimed for her own.

"Have you decided which room you want for your own?" Minerva asked as she rummaged through the drawers, checking for any stray items the previous tenants might have left behind. She seemed satisfied when she found nothing, but Harry was a little disappointed that there didn't seem to be any secrets to uncover in the chest of drawers or in the wardrobe.

"I dunno." Harry answered and it was true, he didn't know. The room in the cottage had been the only room he ever had and all the bedrooms they had looked at seemed far too grand for him. Even the smallest bedroom was twice the size of the cottage room and he felt guilty for wanting any of them. Nobody had ever bothered to let him choose where he wanted to sleep before - the burden felt overwhelming.

"You mean, you 'don't know'." She corrected him lightly with a frown. "How about the blue room? It has quite a nice view of the forest and you would have your own desk and bookshelf."

Harry shrugged non-committedly and Minerva pressed on. "Do you miss the cottage? Is that why you can't pick a room?"

He shook his head and she let out a frustrated sigh. "Harry, just tell me what is the matter. I can hardly try to help if I don't know what troubles you."

"I don't deserve them." He mumbled and Minerva came forward to embrace him.

"I could throttle those muggles." She muttered under her breath as she held him tightly to her chest. "You do deserve a room and as my child, I insist that you pick one and not the smallest one either."

"Do you mean it?" Harry asked, his emerald eyes shining brightly as he looked at her in wonder. She had loosened her grip on him and he tried to hold back his excitement. It couldn't really be true could it?

"That you can have a room? By Merlin's beard, of course I do." Minerva said in exasperation. Harry could feel his hope dampen a little as she neglected to confirm what he really wanted to know for certain. He summoned forth the bit of bravery he had built in the weeks he had spent under her care to press on. The fear of rejection boiling up in him with ferocity.

"No, the other part." He said shyly and she hugged him tighter once again. He could feel her stroke his hair and he leaned into her touch. She hadn't pushed him away, which was a better sign than he expected.

"Yes, Harry." Minerva said softly, "If you'll have me."

Harry could feel himself lighten and an excited grin plastered itself to his face. She really meant it! He ought to have figured as much with the guardianship papers and the name change, but it seemed so surreal. To actually have a family, a mother, it was better than anything he could ever dream of. Picking a room didn't seem so hard now. He tightened his arms around her and she let out a short laugh.

"You silly whimsical thing." Minerva chided gently, but smiled at him before pressing a kiss into his forehead. "Come now, a room. Let's look at your options again."

Harry followed her like a loyal puppy following its master on its first hunt. They took in the three options Minerva had left him with. The first was the bedroom she had recommended. The furniture in there was lighter than the rest of the house in a brightly polished pine. The bed was a small cot that was covered in several layers of blue and beige blankets. The walls were covered in a light blue fabric that shimmered in the sunlight that streamed through the large window that overlooked the back of the house.

The second room they went to returned to the darker tones of the rest of the home in a rich mahogany. The floor was covered in what looked like several animal skins and in the back corner there was a large stone fireplace. The bed was double of the last room and was lined with several bookcases rather than the large window in the former room. The walls were a warm grey and had willow branches embroidered in the cloth in a light silver.

The final room had the largest bed of the three with a canopy of deep green hanging loosely over the four posters. It featured a medium sized window with the same view as the first with a small seat attached and the wood tones throughout were a brighter cherry. The walls were a golden hue and were etched with small symbols in a darker shade that Harry didn't recognize.

"What are those?" Harry asked, pointing at the wall panels curiously. Minerva traced her hand lightly over the fine fabric.

"Those are runes. They are used to create magical effects over an area or within an object. However, in this form they are a decoration." Minerva answered. "This one here should be familiar." She pointed to the sort of 'S' shaped rune, "That's Sowilo, the sun rune."

Harry looked at the fabric in awe and reached out to touch the symbol. He had never known his scar was shaped like a rune. He knew then his mind had been made up.

"Can I have this room, Minnie?" Harry asked and she nodded before resizing his trunk of belongings at the foot of his new bed.

"Start unpacking, I'll be downstairs getting the kitchen righted and lunch prepared." Minerva turned from the room and Harry set to his task at once. Mallow took a place of honor at the head of his bed, while he hung his robes, shirts, and slacks neatly in the wardrobe. The few books he had gotten from Minerva during her short tenure as his teacher were placed on a small bookshelf that lay hidden underneath the window seat. He looked around satisfied before sitting himself at the window and staring out into the snowy field and forest with a soft smile. It was home after all.

A/N: Another fluffy chapter of good feelings for you all to enjoy! Thank you again to all my kind reviewers and those of you who have taken the time to follow the story. This concludes the 'setting the stage' bit of the story and time will begin to move much more rapidly. For those of you that have been curious about my position on Dumbledore - the idea is he isn't a bad man, his logic has simply been flawed when it has come to Harry. He will face consequences for his actions, but they will not damn his character to the pits of hell. I simply intend to paint him as a human being and not a glorious second coming of Merlin or a power hungry megalomaniac. My whole reason for writing this story and why I love it so much is how human the characters are. They make mistakes, they have flawed ideas, and they try to grow from their perceived missteps even if they don't always succeed.