Harry didn't know what compelled him to say yes, he was just glad he did. The look that appeared on Severus' face was one that he never would have expected to see. It was sheer happiness. Harry had never thought that he'd see a look like that on the potion master's face, let alone that he would be the one to put it there.
Elizabeth giggled beside him like a little girl and it struck him that this was the first time he had actually seem his sister happy.
"There is one more thing before we sit down to dinner" Severus said, the glow of happiness was still ever so apparent. "Harry. . . I want to legally claim you as mine, you already know that I am your father, but I want it to be recognized by the Ministry."
"You want to adopt me?" Harry asked, his voice trembling. He never thought that they would make it this far.
"Yes, I want to adopt you" Severus stated. "I am waiting for the paperwork, but before I actually began the process, I wanted to clear it with you."
In a blink of an eye Harry was ensconced in Severus' arms. "Yes" Harry murmured "Yes, yes, yes."
SS
Severus sat at his desk grading the numerous stacks of essays that had somehow accumulated there. He had neglected his grading for quite some time, but it seemed as though his students either did not mind or didn't care. He was halfway through the third and final stack when his fire place came alive with green flames. After a moment, the person he had been waiting for emerged from the emerald flames.
"Lucius" Severus greeted as he set down his grading quill." I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten about me." There was a smirk upon his lips and a playful note in his voice as he spoke.
"Forget you? Never." Lucius replied as he handed a rather large envelope over to Severus, who took it with questioning eyes.
"Are these the. . ."
"The papers, yes." Lucius replied as he seated himself across from Severus in a rather hard chair. I found a loophole while reading over the criteria they wanted and your qualifications."
"Is that so?" Severus asked as he withdrew the coveted forms.
"Yes." Lucius replied. "Remember that letter he wrote you when you had to get Elizabeth?" Severus nodded "I used that, they said they wanted a letter, they didn't say it could be nearly twenty years old."
"What was my qualification?" Severus asked as he withdrew a new quill and began to fill in the blank form.
"Your education, job, and parenting skills," Lucius stated as he watched Severus fill in the form. "It's blatantly obvious that you are a good parent, you raise that girl of yours by yourself."
Severus nodded as he read over the questions and filled them in to the best of his ability.
"So who are you planning on taking in if I may ask?" Lucius inquired as Severus' hand hesitated for a moment before he mumbled something.
"I hate to tell you but I don't understand gibberish." Lucius stated as he watched his old friend.
"Harry Potter." Severus enunciated as he looked over the forms before signing his name at the very bottom.
"Are you insane?" Lucius asked as he stared at the form Severus was holding out to him.
"No, I know and understand what I am doing Lucius." Severus sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "The boy needs help, more help than anyone else here can provide. No one else on this staff has ever been through a quarter of what you and I have endured. I might be a heartless bastard ninety-five percent of the time, but everything we have worked for is riding on this one child."
Of course he didn't want Harry because he was the key to winning this war, but as long as he played it that way with Lucius he would be fine. After all, the older man did not need to know his real intentions, right?
Lucius gave him a skeptical look before taking the papers and looking them over to ensure they were properly completed. "I hope you know what you have just gotten yourself into old friend." Lucius murmured as he rolled up the papers and placed them into one of the many pockets of his cloak.
"Of course I know what I have just gotten myself into, Lucius." Severus replied "I would not have asked you for the papers if I had not. Besides, you and I both know this idea that we have is for the best. The faster we can get the war over with the faster we can return to the lives we created." For a moment there was an unusual glimmer in Lucius' eyes before the older gentleman turned to the fire.
"I will go and have the order filed this afternoon, with any luck they will be processed in three to four weeks." Lucius stated as he stood on the hearth. "If we -you- are lucky, you should get the certificate on or a little after Christmas."
"Thank you Lucius." Severus said as he watched his blond companion throw a handful of Floo powder into the fire and step in before disappearing.
With a deep sigh, Severus leaned forward and rested his elbows upon his desk. He was getting closer to calling that boy his even if he had to mislead one of the few people he could trust on it. But it was for the best. He was still uncertain what side the eldest Malfoy played for and whether or not he still claimed loyalty to the Dark Lord. A little lie was the best way to go, at least for the moment. It would keep his kids safe, for a little while.
HP
Harry had no idea how he was going to break the news to his friends. He was certain they would freak but so would everyone else when they found out, well almost everyone. He was pretty sure Elizabeth would be nothing but smiles as everyone else scoffed in horror and made their varying opinions on Snape's treatment of him heard to anyone who would listen.
For the first time in months Harry felt a smile crawl onto his lips at the thought of everyone's reaction. Quietly he sighed and rolled over onto his side. The rays of the setting sun lighting up the practically empty dorm as he took a moment to relax before dinner. He was sure he would wait until the adoption was final before he told anyone. He didn't want to complicate the issue even more than it already was, and he was certain that the moment the news hit the papers there would be an uprising in whatever department his father was going through, hell there might even been an investigation.
At that thought a chill ran down Harry's spine. That was the last thing he wanted .That was the one thing he was truly afraid of. What would the Wizarding world think then? What would they do to him when they found out how weak he was? What would Elizabeth think . . . well actually he already knew what Elizabeth thought. He already knew she would love him unconditionally no matter what he had to go through, and she would stand beside him no matter what he had to face from this step forward. At least he knew he had two people on his side when the dam broke and everything came flooding in at once. . .
"Harry?" Hermione's voice echoed through the stone corridor as she ascended the stairs. "Harry?" Hermione stuck her head into the dorm, her curly hair framing her face as she leaned in. "This just came for you." As she extended her hand, a gold envelope came into view. Slowly Harry pushed himself up from his place on his bed and retrieved the letter from Hermione's fingers.
"Thank you." Harry replied as he examined the writing on the envelope's front. He could feel a rather thick letter hidden under the expensive gold paper.
"Are you coming down to dinner?" Hermione asked as Harry slowly slid his finger under the flap to open it.
"Not right now Hermione." Harry replied as the paper began to rip as he tore it along his finger.
Harry paid no attention to his friend as he withdrew the parchment from the gold wrapping. Slowly Harry sank back down on his bed as his eyes scanned over the letter.
Harry,
It would be greatly appreciated if you would come to my office after dinner tonight. We must discuss several things before you leave for the Christmas Holiday. I have enclosed several documents that I feel you need to look over before any further decisions are made in the near future.
Sincerely.
Albus Dumbledore.
Harry glanced over the documents the headmaster had included in the letter before stuffing them back into the envelope and tossing it up on his pillows.