Disclaimer: this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter six: Like Fathers, Like Sons

The student-out-of-bed alarm on the Slytherin dorms dragged Severus unwillingly from his sleep just after midnight. If it was the fifth years doing a desperate, midnight cramming session for their O.W.L.s in the library again, he was going to kill them—especially since it was only November. With a groan, he grabbed his wand off the nightstand and waved it in a complicated pattern to see which dorm the signal came from. It signaled that one of the second year boys was out of bed.

Severus was immediately wide awake. The fact that it was Harry's dorm was not lost on him. Coupled with the fact that the blasted diary still hadn't been located, it was just too much of a coincidence for him. With his heart in his throat, he threw on some robes and his boots and then quickly took the Floo down to the Slytherin common room. It was empty, so Severus swiftly made his way to the dorm rooms. He had the vague hope that Harry might have gone back to bed. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Harry who'd tripped the alarm. Unfortunately, Harry's bed was empty. Terror gripped Severus' heart, but without knowing where to look, it would be a fool's errant to go and search the castle.

Quietly, so as not to wake any of the other boys, he walked back to the common room. He had a moment of panic, and he envisioned all kinds of terrible things: Harry kidnapped by Death Eaters or somehow hurt by that blasted missing diary. He briefly entertained the thought of calling Albus for help. But he also knew that if he went to Albus now, he'd probably be told he was overreacting to a normal, teenage stunt. Nevertheless, Severus swore that if the boy had indeed gone out just for some stupid teenage stunt, he was going to be in detention until Christmas. He took up a position in the deep shadows next to the hearth, where he could easily keep an eye on the entrance, and settled in to wait.

An hour later, Severus was beginning to get worried. What if his first thoughts hadn't been quite as ridiculous as he'd thought? He was debating whether or not to raise the school-wide alarm when the entrance to the common room opened. Severus drew himself up to full height, ready to reign down his wrath on Harry. But while the entrance closed after a while, no one had come through. He frowned and was just about to step forward to investigate when Harry suddenly appeared. Severus swore mentally. The boy had a damn Invisibility Cloak. It was James' Invisibility Cloak, most likely, and Severus knew exactly who to blame for giving a twelve year-old such an item.

He stepped forward and waved his wand to provide some light. Harry jumped in fright, and Severus narrowed his eyes. He'd spent the last hour getting more and more worried. Now that he saw his charge was perfectly fine, that worry made way for anger.

"Mr. Potter, what a surprise," he said.

"Severus, eh, Professor, I, uh," Harry stammered.

"You, Mister Potter, are out of bed," Severus said. "One begs the question of why?"

Harry had better be smart enough to tell the truth, because Severus was not feeling patient enough to listen to whatever excuse the boy would think up.

I, ah, uh, prank," Harry squeaked out.

Severus narrowed his eyes. Harry was nervous, and it was easy to see that he was lying. Yet there was something in Harry's demeanor that was giving Severus an uneasy feeling.

"Really?" Severus said with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of prank would compel you to get out of bed in the middle of the night and walk around the castle for over an hour—with an Invisibility Cloak, no less."

Harry stared at the ground. Every line of his body radiated how uncomfortable he was feeling. That was nothing new. Every student Severus had ever caught out of bed had felt uncomfortable, and he wasn't swayed by it in the least.

"That's what I thought," Severus said after it became clear Harry wasn't going to break the silence. "You will serve detention with me tomorrow evening after dinner, and you've just lost your House twenty points."

"Yes, sir," Harry mumbled.

"And I will, of course, be taking that cloak with me," he said, holding out his hand for it.

Harry raised startled eyes to his, but Severus was unmoved. Did the child really think he'd let him keep an Invisibility Cloak? He couldn't, in good conscience, allow a child access to something that was both so valuable and potentially dangerous—not as a Professor, and certainly not as Harry's guardian.

"No!" he exclaimed, backing up from Severus.

"Mr. Potter," Severus began, but Harry didn't let him continue.

"No, you can't take it. Please, I need it. You don't understand," Harry said, panic clearly lacing his voice.

The fear that was coming off the boy was palpable. Whatever Harry had been doing, it was nothing as simple as a prank or a midnight trip to the kitchen. And it was making Severus worried, extremely worried. He could think of several different reasons for Harry to act like this, and none of the reasons were good.

"Harry, calm down," Severus said. "You'll have it back. I promise. Besides, there is nothing you would need it for right now."

"No," Harry nearly moaned. "You don't understand."

"Then tell me," Severus said, desperate for an answer. "Make me understand."

"I can't," Harry choked. "I can't."

Severus wanted to keep pressing, wanted to find out what could have happened that Harry was so twisted up over it. Several scenarios, from potions abuse to self-harm flashed through his mind. Whatever it was, Severus realized he wasn't going to get an answer out of the boy—not tonight, anyway.

Severus heaved a sigh and stepped forward, drawing a trembling Harry in his embrace. The boy hugged him back as if he was the only solid rock in a stormy sea.

"It's going to be all right," Severus said soothingly. "I promise."

After a long moment, Harry withdrew from the hug and Severus let him go. With trembling hands, Harry gave the cloak to Severus.

"Don't, just, don't tell anyone about it," he begged.

"I won't," Severus promised. "I will keep it safe, and you will have it back. I promise. Now, off to bed with you."

He watched Harry go, his head bowed low and his shoulders hanging. Gently, Severus folded the cloak to carry it back with him to his rooms. He'd keep it safe, just as he would keep Harry safe, whatever the child's demons were.

The next day during lunch, Severus went to Harry's dorm room. The most logical way of figuring out what was going on with Harry was to look through his things. Severus had long ago learned that teenage boys might be very good at hiding their thoughts when they really wanted to, but they still mainly kept the physical evidence of their deeds in obvious places, like their trunks. Severus carefully looked through the trunk, not exactly sure what he was looking for. Potions vials, maybe, or some sort of sharp instrument.

When Severus found the familiar diary in between Harry's things, the icy ball of dread that had been in his stomach since the night before exploded into white hot anger. Out of all the scenarios Severus had envisioned, this was the one he feared the most. The Weasley girl had not left the diary at home, lying innocently in her room, nor had it somehow escaped his detection when he'd searched for it. It had never been in her possession to begin with. With a snap, he closed Harry's trunk and reset the wards that were on it.

The diary clenched tightly in his hand, he stalked out of the dorm back to his quarters. He grabbed a hand of Floo powder as soon as he reached his living room and threw it in the fire. It turned green, and Severus got on his knees, sticking his head into the Floo and calling out for Malfoy Manor.

"Lucius. Lucius!" he called out.

It wasn't long before Lucius came into view.

"Severus, everything all right?" Lucius asked.

The worry in his friend's voice, no scratch that, ex-friend's voice made him snarl.

"No, everything is not bloody all right," he said. "Get your ass here, right now."

Without waiting for answer, he withdrew from the Floo. Seconds later, Lucius stepped through. Without waiting for the man to get his bearings, Severus smacked the diary down on the coffee table.

"What in Merlin's name is the meaning of this?" he asked.

"You found it?" Lucius said, part surprised and part relieved.

"Don't play dumb with me, Lucius!" Severus roared, actually succeeding in getting Lucius to take a startled step backwards. "What were you thinking, slipping it to Harry. Did you think I wouldn't notice? Did you think you'd get rid of the Dark Lord's enemy? Was that your plan all along?"

Lucius had gone very pale and stiff, looking at Severus with wide eyes. Then his eyes narrowed.

"Now you listen to me, Severus. I did not place that diary on Harry Potter," Lucius said. "So just calm down, and we can figure out how this happened."

"Don't tell me to calm down," Severus shouted.

"Severus, really, this is not as big deal as you're making it out to be," Lucius said, enragingly calm.

"Not a big deal," Severus screamed. "You tried to kill my son!"

Lucius' eyes widened with surprise, and Severus dropped down heavily on a chair, the anger pouring out of him and leaving only the fear he felt for Harry in its wake. Oh dear Merlin, he thought to himself. Since when did he think of Harry as his son? He wasn't, no matter how much Severus wished it to be, and thinking like that would only get his heart broken. He startled when he felt Lucius' hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the man watching him with compassion and understanding in his eyes.

"I swear to you, Severus, I had nothing to do with this," Lucius said, and Severus believed him. "Is Harry all right?"

"I think so," Severus said. "He was off doing Merlin knows what last night and seemed a bit irrational after I caught him. But other than that, he seemed fine."

"Either way, you now have the diary, and it can't harm him anymore," Lucius said.

Severus sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. Lucius was right, but it didn't help Severus feel any better. The blond wizard seemed to understand, because he left with a last supportive squeeze to Severus' shoulder. Once again alone, Severus contemplated what to do. He'd never anticipated Harry being dragged into their plan. But what was done was done, and with the diary no longer in Harry's possession, he'd be just fine. He'd let Harry's detention stand, if only so he could keep an eye on the boy for his own peace of mind, but he'd tell him to bring some homework. No use in punishing the child anymore than he'd already been punished for something he had no control over.

Later that evening, Severus dearly wished they knew more about the diary and its effects. Harry was pale and distracted, and Severus couldn't help but feel it was because of the dairy. He'd tried to start a conversation with Harry several times, but the child wasn't very talkative. In the end, he let him be, only vowing to keep a close eye on the boy for the foreseeable future.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

After an entire Friday of worrying about Harry, who was decidedly gloomy, Severus was glad Saturday morning had arrived. Between the Quidditch game planned for today and the surprise he had for Harry, he hoped the boy would be in a better mood.

He made sure to be at breakfast early, but Harry and his friends still beat him there. Draco was looking a bit queasy, but Harry was as animated as Severus had seen him since he'd confiscated the boy's Invisibility Cloak. Clearly, he was excited for his first Quidditch match.

As the Great Hall slowly filled with students, Severus eagerly anticipated the arrival of the mail. Finally, when breakfast was reaching its end, the barrage of owls that delivered the mail winged their way into the great hall. Six barn owls, carrying a large, slender packet, made their way towards Harry.

Severus watched as Harry and his friends quickly cleared some space when it became apparent the package was for Harry. He watched as Harry grabbed the card first, opening it, reading it, then whipped his head around to watch Severus with wide eyes. Severus smiled and nodded at Harry. He'd kept the note short and to the point, merely writing Consider it an early Christmas present and signing it with Severus, so Harry would know the gift came from him as Harry's guardian, not as his Professor or Head of House.

With a slight smile on his face, Severus looked on as Harry eagerly tore into the package, revealing a brand new Nimbus 2001. Harry whipped his face towards Severus, a beaming smile on his face.

"Thank you," the boy mouthed, before turning his attention back to the broom.

"Don't you think that's a bit over the top to give to him?" Minerva muttered beside him.

Severus smirked. The broom had drawn the attention of the other members of the Quidditch team, and they were gathering around it, admiring it but not touching. Flint slapped Harry on the back, almost careening the boy into his plate of food, clearly happy about Harry receiving it just in time for the game.

"As his guardian, it's perfectly logical to buy him a broom now that he's the Seeker on his house team," Severus said. "I couldn't in good conscience allow him to use Draco Malfoy's cast-off broom, could I?"

"And it has nothing to do at all with increasing your team's chances against Gryffindor today?" Minerva said sarcastically.

"Not at all, my dear Minerva, none at all," Severus said sugary-sweet.

Minerva merely glowered at him, muttering about unfair advantages. Severus merely smiled as he took a sip of his tea. No matter what Minerva thought, Severus hadn't bought Harry the broom to increase Slytherin's chances for the Cup. No, he'd bought the broom because it wasn't fair to Harry that he'd lost his own and because the boy needed a pick-me-up after the whole diary fiasco. But most of all, he'd bought Harry the broom because he'd wanted to. Of course, having one more advantage over the other house teams was a nice bonus.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

In the week before the Christmas holidays, when the weather had turned cold and biting, the list of on-duty staff for the Christmas holidays was handed out to everyone during the weekly staff meeting. Severus perused it casually, mainly to see who else would be staying at the castle this year. It came as a great shock to him to see Sinistra's name listed as Acting Head of House for Slytherin, while his own name was missing from the list.

"Albus, why aren't I on the list?" Severus asked, bemused.

Ever since he'd started at Hogwarts as both the Potions Master and Head of House for Slytherin, he'd stayed. So it was a complete mystery as to why Albus had chosen to leave him off the list this year.

"Why, my boy," Albus said with a smile. "I thought you'd might like to spent your holiday with Harry this year."

Severus felt his eyes widen in realization, and a flush crept up his cheeks. Rolanda guffawed, Irma snickered, and even Filius couldn't contain his laughter.

"You hadn't even thought about it, had you?" Minerva asked with mirth.

Severus groaned at his own stupidity. No, he hadn't thought about it. It was so common for him not to have anyone to spend the holidays with that it hadn't even registered with him that this year he did. His colleagues would never let him live this down.

He also realized he would need to talk to Harry about the upcoming holiday. The child had remained at Hogwarts last year, and if what he knew of his life with the Dursleys was any indication, he wouldn't have celebrated Christmas before coming to Hogwarts. So it was very likely that Harry hadn't given the matter any thought at all. And while it was all good and dandy for Albus to decide he should spent the holidays with Harry at Spinner's End, that didn't mean the boy would actually want that.

The next day, Severus requested Harry's presence in his office after dinner. The timid knock on his door made Severus scowl. Ever since that wretched diary had been retrieved, Harry had been looking pale and tired, and he was far more timid and silent than he had been before. Severus felt a stab of renewed concern for him. He knew there was nothing physically wrong with him—he'd performed several diagnostic spells on the sly already—but something was going on.

Consciously setting that aside, he wiped the scowl off his face and called Harry inside.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Harry asked.

"It's Severus," he said, smiling, letting Harry know it wasn't a school matter.

Harry smiled back and relaxed greatly. Perhaps, Severus thought, the boy just needed a holiday. He resolved to make this Christmas the best one Harry had ever had, even though he himself wasn't much into the holiday.

"I just wanted to let you know that we'll be going to Spinner's End for the holidays," Severus said.

He didn't exactly know what kind of reaction he'd expected from Harry, but the almost horrified look on the boy's face wasn't it. He felt a stab of desolation at the thought that Harry would be so opposed to spending Christmas with him that he'd rather stay at Hogwarts.

"But, but if we go home," Harry stammered, "then Draco will have to go home, as well."

It took Severus longer than he cared to admit to comprehend Harry's objection to celebrating Christmas at Spinner's End. But when he did, a wave of relief washed over him, as it seemed Harry's unwillingness to go to Spinner's End had nothing to do with Severus after all. It was followed up quickly with a wave of regret, however, as he thought about Draco.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But Draco will not be allowed to stay at Hogwarts this year under any circumstances."

Narcissa would not allow it, not with the Dark Lord's specter running around the Wizarding World, plotting Merlin knew what. Harry's shoulders slumped down. Severus knew how the child felt, but there was nothing he could do.

"But despite that," Severus continued, "I do hope you'll allow yourself to enjoy Christmas."

Harry smiled at that.

"With a tree and everything?" he asked.

"With a tree and everything," Severus answered back with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll enjoy it," Harry said.

Severus could tell the boy meant it. And he would make sure Harry would indeed have a tree, and presents, and everything they had both missed during previous Christmases.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Severus finished all his end-of-term responsibilities at Hogwarts in record time. Still, he had to hurry if he wanted to be at Platform 9 in time to pick up Harry. He'd thought of keeping him at Hogwarts and just taking the Floo to Spinner's End, since that would have been infinitely easier, but in the end he'd decided that the train ride was such an integral part of the Hogwarts experience, he couldn't deny Harry that.

After turning over responsibility for the remaining Slytherins to Sinistra, Severus rushed out of the castle and made his way to the gates. The moment he crossed the wards, he Apparated to King's Cross station.

The platform was teeming with parents and younger siblings, but thankfully the train had not yet arrived. Severus installed himself next to a pillar that was set a bit to the back of the platform, where it was a bit quieter. It wasn't long before the bright red Hogwarts Express came into view. As it came to a stop and the students started spilling out, the platform became a total chaos. Instead of wading into the mass of people as a dumb Diricawl, Severus stayed where he was, using his height to look for Harry.

He wasn't surprised in the least to find the boy huddled with Theodore, Draco, and Hermione. They seemed to be frantically trying to sort out a pile of parchments and books. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they closely guarded whatever was on the papers. It didn't take them long before all papers were duly sorted and stashed away.

Severus' mind immediately flashed back to the beginning of the school year, where he'd seen similar behavior from this group. In fact, they'd been slightly off this whole term, frequently disappearing into an empty classroom they'd converted into some kind of common room. But with the missing diary and later his concern about Harry, Severus had never followed up on it. Perhaps he should have.

The foursome was now talking and joking, obviously unwilling to leave each other to go in search of their parents. Severus settled in to wait. He'd let Harry spend some more time with his friends. Now that he'd finished his work at Hogwarts, he was no longer in a hurry.

Suddenly, the whole demeanor of the group changed. Hermione lost her easy smile and stepped slightly behind Harry as if seeking protection from him. She hid her face in her hair in a display of shyness that couldn't be anything but false if you even remotely knew the girl. Draco and Theodore went stiff and formal, Pureblood masks drawn up tight. They seemed to ignore Hermione completely, although Severus saw Draco shoot a quick, apologetic look to the girl before he wiped that off his face as well. Harry had kept his smile and continued talking as if nothing had happened, but there was a subtle tension in his body that he managed to hide masterfully. Severus went on high alert, searching for whatever had happened to spook the children. He found it in the approaching Xavier Nott and his wife.

He looked back at the group, silently applauding them for their performance. Hermione seemed to be the outsider, only being with them for Harry's grace, while Theodore and Draco ignored her, as if she was beneath them. It was a perfect performance for the Notts and likely for Draco's parents as well. Severus smiled. Oh yes, these kids were going to go far, of that he was certain.

Theo went away with his parents; soon after, Hermione spotted her parents, as well, leaving Harry alone with Draco. When Severus saw Lucius making his way toward the boys, he also made his way over. It was time to take Harry home.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Severus watched as Harry was once again ensconced in a Defense Against the Dark Arts book that was N.E.W.T. level. It seemed as though no matter how much he was keeping Remus' idea of giving Harry extra lessons away from the child, Harry had begun teaching himself. Severus just wished he knew if it was because Harry was truly interested or merely knew, somehow, that he was going to need it later on.

It was his biggest fear when it came to allowing Harry to do extra lessons. If the child felt he needed to do them, it was an easy step to convince him that he had to do everything alone and that he couldn't trust adults to protect him. This was exactly the opposite of what Severus wanted to teach Harry, now that the boy had a somewhat stable home here with him. With a sigh, Severus headed over to where Harry was sitting. It was time they talked.

"Don't you think that's a bit heavy as reading material during the holidays?" he asked lightly.

"Nah," Harry said, looking up from his book. "It's just a bit of light reading."

Severus raised his eyebrow. Light reading? By Merlin, if Harry was thinking of that book as light reading, he was even more advanced than Lupin had figured.

"Professor Lupin had a talk with me a while back about your performance in his lessons," Severus said.

He had Harry's complete attention now, as the boy watched him with curiosity and a hint of apprehension. Severus wished he didn't understand the apprehension in Harry's gaze, but he could only imagine too well what it would have meant for Harry if his previous guardians had ever sat him down for a talk. He also knew that time was the only thing that would heal those wounds in Harry, so he ignored it.

"He told me you were picking up everything fairly easy," Severus said. "And if you can understand that book, then you're far more advanced than your classmates."

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.

"It's not a bad thing, Harry," Severus said. "And nothing has to change."

He wanted that to be perfectly clear. Seeing Harry read a N.E.W.T.-level book might have driven Lupin's point home to Severus, but he'd be damned if he was going to pressure Harry into doing something he didn't want.

"But we have talked about the possibility of giving you some extra lessons," Severus said. "That is, if you'd be interested."

"Yes, sir," Harry said eagerly. "That would be great!"

"That bored?" Severus asked with a chuckle.

Harry blushed, grinning sheepishly.

"I'll talk it over with Professor Lupin and get something set up for you," Severus promised.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Christmas Eve found Harry and Severus sitting on the couch in the living room, both with a cup of hot cocoa in their hands. The only lights on were the fairy lights strung up in the Christmas tree, casting a soft glow over their surroundings. The pile of presents beneath it had grown exponentially during the day as owls brought presents from friends to be added to the presents Severus and Harry had already placed under it. It was all very domestic, and even though Severus would deny it to his death, he was actually enjoying it.

"Professor?"

Harry's voice was soft and hesitant as it broke the comfortable silence. Severus held in a sigh. He'd been waiting for this conversation the entire day, as Harry had grown more restless and started casting him uncertain looks. The fact that he'd reverted to using his title instead of his name told Severus that Harry had finally dug up the courage to start whatever conversation he was planning on having.

"It's Severus, remember," Severus replied.

"I, eh, I wanted to ask about my Invisibility Cloak," Harry said.

Severus was surprised. He'd taken the cloak from Harry more than a month ago. Could the child really be worried about it still?

"It's safe," Severus said. "I've put it in a safe place."

"Oh, I know," Harry said easily.

The trust displayed by the casual words caused Severus to smile. Not many people trusted him, and to have this amount of trust coming from Harry meant the world to him.

"Then what did you want to ask about it?" Severus asked.

"I wanted to ask if I could have it back," Harry said. "Don't say no right away," he rushed to add. "Just, hear me out first."

Severus nodded to show he would listen.

"It's just … it belonged to my Dad, you know?" Harry said. "And I don't have anything of him. Just some pictures, but it's not … just not the same. I've got those letters my Mum wrote, thanks to you, but the cloak was all I had from my Dad. And I know it's crazy, because it's safe, but I just … want it back."

Severus sighed. That would explain Harry's rather panicked reaction at having to give it up, but it didn't negate his original reasons for confiscating it. On the other hand, he could see it from Harry's point of view. For a crazy second, he thought about asking Albus for advice, but he already knew what the man would say. After all, it had been Albus who'd given the boy the cloak in the first place—probably for the very reason Harry was now asking for it back.

"I will give it back to you," Severus said, and Harry's face lit up with a smile. "Wait a moment. I'll give it back on the condition that you do not use it. If I ever catch you using it again, I will confiscate it until you're of age and out of Hogwarts. Are we clear?"

"Yes, I promise, I won't use it," Harry said, giving Severus a quick hug.

"Very well. I will return it to you when we get back to Hogwarts," Severus said. "Now, off to bed with you."

Harry went to his room, leaving Severus alone downstairs. He stared at the fairy lights, wondering if he'd made the right decision. The odds of Harry keeping his word were very low, yet Severus had completely caved to the pleading look the child had sent him. With a wry grin, Severus stood to go to bed himself. He was sure he was going to regret his decision in years to come, but right now, with Christmas a few hours away and Harry so obviously happy, he couldn't really bring himself to care.