Blaze: new chapter

Darth: that's cool

Blaze: I'm glad I got ten reviews on the first chapter so I have decided to post the second chapter of this story

Darth: is it going to be short?

Blaze: probably. Here is chapter 2 and I hope that you like it, reviews, as always, are much appreciated and once again it is AU so many of the characters may seem a bit OOC, especially Dumbledore and I'm not entirely sure if Severus can make it so his home at Spinner's End is heavily protected but I decided to include that in the story so that's completely AU, unless it's true which I doubt.

Darth: and?

Blaze: if anyone can figure out where I got the title, which I really think has something to do with this chapter, I will give them a free…ah anything virtual that you want. Also, flashbacks will have flashback typed before them since we all know that Harry has visions of Voldymuffin later on in the series so I want to keep those separate since I am planning in bring old Voldy into this story. As for the story title, yes I did use it once for a Star Wars story that I deleted. After I heard this song by The Fray, I knew that it was perfect for this story.

Never Say Never

Chapter 2

Dear Agony

Harry blinked his eyes a few times to find himself lying on a comfortable couch with a blanket covering his shoulders. He stiffened in fear; he wasn't supposed to be on the couch, his Aunt and Uncle didn't want him on it but he was too comfortable to move. Voices came to him and pulled the four-year-old boy into a sitting position before he gazed around.

"He cannot return to those muggles, Albus," a voice, female by the sound of it, protested angrily.

"The blood wards protect him from the agents of You-Know-Who," an elder man's voice replied in a calm voice.

"They beat him, Albus. He was so scared that he didn't even accept my offer of help and you saw the examination when we had Poppy look at him earlier."

"I'll have a talk with them…"

"Are you that naïve, Albus?" a smooth cold male voice snapped. "He is being beaten by his relatives. Are you going to make the same mistake twice in your lifetime?"

"I truly regret what happened to you, Severus, but…"

"You are thinking of sending the boy back to his relatives. My father abused me and you did nothing. His relatives abuse him and you're still going to do nothing. Are you really that dim witted, Albus?"

"What am I supposed to do? The blood wards protect him from the agents of You-Know-Who."

"Yes but they do not protect him from his family," the female voice said breaking into the conversation. "I'm sure there are many families, non-muggle ones, who would be willing to take in the Boy-Who-Lived."

"But none of them can offer him the same protection that the blood wards can," said the elder man.

"What about Severus's place?" the female voice suggested. "It is well hidden and protected by wards that not even the agents of the dark lord can penetrate. That was one of the reasons why they never knew where Severus lived during the war. Then again, that could be because he never went back there. Besides, he can always bring the boy with him to Hogwarts while he's teaching."

"What? I am not taking the Potter brat in," the smooth voice snapped angrily.

The elder man's voice sighed. "I'm going to have to agree with Minerva, Severus," he said. "It is either you take him to your heavily protected place during holidays, and Hogwarts during the school year or I will be forced to send him back to his relatives."

Harry gazed at the three people who were in the same room with him. One he recognized as the dark clad man that had saved him earlier. The man looked to be about twenty-four years old with greasy dark hair and obsidian eyes that glittered with barely restrained anger. The second was an elder woman with graying hair that he felt he had seen before while the third was an old man with white hair and a long white beard that sort of reminded Harry of Father Christmas.

The dark man scowled angrily. "Fine, I'll take the brat in," he said reluctantly.

"You know that I would not ask this of you, Severus, if I did not think you would be best suited at looking out for him," the white haired man said.

"I am not suitable for looking out for him, Albus," Severus retorted. "I've done so many things in the past…" He broke off and didn't finish his statement.

"Severus, you repented your actions after the war," said Albus.

"Besides, we'll be able to help you as well as Molly and Arthur will be there as well to help," the woman that Harry assumed was Minerva said. Harry curled into a ball, wondering why they were talking about him as if he wasn't there. He reminded himself to not speak because of his Aunt and Uncle's rules.

Severus glared at the two of them. "I already said I would take the brat in, didn't I?" he snapped.

"I know. I just don't want it to seem as though I was forcing this on you," Albus said.

Severus scowled.

Harry gazed at the three people. "What I doin' here?" he whimpered finding gaining the courage to ask the question that has been burning in his mind.

The three people turned as one to look at the four-year-old boy that was lying curled on the couch. Minerva smiled gently at the boy and Harry frowned, recognizing her as the woman that had tried to help him earlier. He shrank away from her before whimpering in fear. The old woman reminded him too much of Aunt Marge even though she didn't have a dog with her as his aunt did.

"You're here because you'll be safe here," said Albus gently walking forward.

Harry frowned up at the white haired old man. "You look like Father Christmas," he said.

Severus snorted while Minerva's lips quirked in the start of a smile.

Albus laughed softly. "I suppose I do," he said.

Harry whimpered. "Gotta go home. Aunt and Uncle be mad if I don't come back," he said starting to push himself to his feet. A coughing fit immediately caused him to fall back onto the couch.

Severus walked to his side before lifting the boy's head slightly and placing a cup beneath his lips. "Drink," he murmured.

Harry started to protest but the dark man was insistent and he finally relented and drank the thick liquid in the cup, wrinkling his face at the taste. Almost immediately, the coughing spasm disappeared and he felt much better.

"My colleague here wishes to become your guardian. Would you like that?" Albus asked.

Harry raised his green eyes to look at the dark haired young man. "You?" he asked softly. He sat up before gazing at the dark man and he moved over to sit close to the young man. "You save me," he added.

Severus threw a glare at Albus before glancing at the small four year old boy. "Yes, I did," he replied. "And if you want, you will never have to go back to your relatives."

Harry's eyes went as wide as the full moon above the sky. "Really?" he asked in a soft subdued voice. He couldn't believe it, he just couldn't believe that someone he didn't know would take in a freak and burden such as himself. He shook his head before whimpering. "Not true," he said.

"What's not true?" Minerva asked confused.

"No one like me…just a freak," Harry whimpered.

Severus's eyes flashed with anger at the tone of the boy's voice as if Harry truly believed those words. Albus was shocked speechless while Minerva looked on the verge of either crying or going to the Dursleys and ripping them to pieces. "Who called you a freak?" he asked struggling to keep the anger out of his voice. He certainly didn't want the brat to start crying.

"Auntie Petunia, Uncle Vern'n and Dudley," Harry whimpered.

Severus resisted the urge to snort. Tuney seems to not have gotten over her jealously of Lily and it turned into something more, he thought angrily. "You are not a freak, Harry," he said firmly.

"Am too."

"No you are not."

"Am too so there."

Merlin save me from stubborn four year old boys, Severus thought rolling his eyes to the ceiling in Albus's office. "You are not a freak," he said it slowly but with an edge that prevented Harry from trying to argue. The boy shrank way from him before gazing up at him in confusion.

"Make things happen," he whimpered. "Caused Dudley to trip down steps. Sent food flying everywhere."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "And why precisely did you do that?"

"Didn't do it," Harry whimpered. "Was mad and then it go flying. Wasn't even near it. That why me a freak."

Accidental magic, Severus thought. "You are not a freak," he said again struggling to knock some sense in the stubborn Potter brat.

"Am too. Can do that stuff."

"Harry, the reason you can do that is because you're a wizard," Albus said gently as he looked down on the four-year-old boy.

"Wisard?"

"Yes, you have powerful magic in your body."

Harry shook his head. "Magic not real," he murmured.

"Who told you that?" Minerva asked looking surprised like Albus while Severus's blank expression was back on his face.

"Aunt Petunia," Harry replied.

"They lied to you, magic is real," Minerva said gently.

"No, it not."

"Yes it is."

"No, it not."

Stubborn little brat, Severus thought rolling his eyes again before narrowing them. "It is real,' he said to the boy causing him to look at the Potions Master with brilliant green eyes that reminded the young man of his beloved Lily and he had to force himself to not look away even while guilt coursed through his body.

He had promised to protect Lily's son after he joined the Order of the Phoenix just before Lily and James had been killed and yet he hadn't been able to protect the boy from his own relatives. Oh Lily, I am so sorry, he thought.

Harry gazed up at him before looking down and he didn't reply right away. He shivered and Severus put an arm around the little boy's shoulder. I'm only doing this because he's cold, he told himself firmly in the vaults of his mind.

Harry flinched slightly before he leaned into the warmth and rested his head on Severus's side. He gazed up at him. "You wanna be my gu…gu…" he frowned as he tried to figure out how to pronounce the word.

"Yes, I want to be your guardian," Severus said though he glared over Harry's head at Albus who managed to rope him into this. Albus smiled, a twinkle in his eyes, and Severus resisted the urge to snort.

Harry hesitated. "Won't have to see Aunt and Uncle again?" he asked.

"No you will not, Harry," Minerva said gently. She glared at Albus. "He shouldn't have had to spend this long with them," she murmured just loud enough for Albus and Severus to hear.

Harry was too busy gazing up at the Potions Master to hear anything that the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress had said to each other. "Okay," he said happily before he hesitated and rested his head against Severus's side. Severus gazed down at the boy, narrowing his eyes but strangely softened when he remembered what he had gone through with his father.

It seems we have more in common, Harry, than your father and I did, Severus thought.

"Where we go now?" Harry asked.

"I will speak with the Ministry to get the custody papers." Albus gestured with his hand that he wished to speak with the Potions Master alone and Severus nodded before slowly getting to his feet.

Harry whimpered before gazing up at Severus. "Don't go," he whimpered.

"I won't be long," Severus as soothingly as possible before he walked over to join Albus, waiting as the Headmaster cast a silencing charm and wondering what he wanted to say that he didn't want Minerva or Harry to hear.

"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Minerva suggested to Harry who was still gazing over the back of the couch to where his soon-to-be guardian was speaking with the old man that looked like Father Christmas. He remembered that the old man's name was Albus because of what he heard when he was sleeping.

Harry gazed at the elderly woman before shrinking away from her, once again reminded of his aunt Marge. Minerva stayed away from him but still watched him with dark eyes until the boy finally gave up and lied down on the couch. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Flashback

"You little idiot," Vernon screamed angrily at the four-year-old boy. "We don't want none of your freakishness in this house. How dare you use your freaky powers on my son?"

Dudley had pushed Harry while they were on the stairs and Harry was making his way to his cupboard beneath the stairs and he got angry and suddenly Dudley was sent flying down the stairs, crashing into Petunia who immediately began weeping and gushing over the fat boy.

Vernon's face was purple with rage and Harry whimpered before shrinking away from his Uncle. His uncle sneered at him before grabbing him, slamming him into the wall and slapping him hard across the face. Again…and again…and again until a cut appeared on Harry's lip.

Harry forced himself not to cry but even so tears started to fall from his face.

"Don't you dare cry, you little freak," Vernon said angrily before he grabbed Harry and pulled him into his office, tossing him in roughly before he pulled his belt off and slammed it into Harry's back. Again…and again…and again…and again until several angry red welts covered the boy's skinny back.

"That'll teach you to touch Dudley," Vernon growled before he stalked out of the office, leaving Harry sobbing on the floor.

Petunia didn't offer any comfort as she walked into the kitchen to prepare her food and Dudley walked into the office before kicking Harry hard in the side. Harry cried out in pain and Dudley glared at him. "That teach you," he spat before he kicked him again and stalked out of the office.

"Boy get in here and cook dinner, now!" Vernon screamed angrily.

Harry quickly scrambled to his feet, tears in his eyes from the pain. "Yes Uncle Vern'n," he said before he hurried out of the office to head toward the kitchen.

End Flashback

Harry whimpered as his eyes snapped open before he gazed around rapidly forgetting where he was and wondering why he was sleeping on a couch in a big room instead of the mattress in his cupboard. He whimpered. Not suppose be up here, he thought starting to push himself up so that he could climb off of the bed.

"What do you think you are doing getting up?" a voice asked and Harry whimpered before glancing up to find the elderly woman gazing down at him with concern in her eyes. "You're much to tired and injured to be walking around, Harry," she said gently.

Harry shook his head mutely and sat down on the floor, the rules his aunt and uncle drilled into him coming back into his mind.

Minerva gazed down at the little boy. "You can sit on the couch you know, it's much more comfortable," she said and, as if to prove her point, she sat down as well before patting the seat next to her.

Harry shook his head.

"Come on, Harry," Minerva said soothingly.

"Not allowed," Harry whimpered.

"You are here," Minerva said quietly.

It's a trick, don't trust her, don't trust any adults, his mind screamed at him and Harry agreed with the voice in his mind before shaking his head again and refusing to get up from his position on the floor. Minerva gazed at him with gentle sadness in her eyes before she stood up, reached down and gently lifted the four year old boy before placing him on the couch, catching the boy by surprise.

The instant he was placed on the couch, Harry tried to get off, afraid that she had only done that so that she would have an excuse to hit him like Petunia and Vernon always did. Minerva wouldn't allow it though and put an arm around the boy's shoulder as she struggled to keep the four-year-old boy from climbing off of the couch and sitting back on the cool floor.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: that was a six page chapter

Darth: well really five pages if you don't count the Author's notes

Blaze: true

Darth: what's going to happen in the next chapter?

Blaze: Albus and Severus's talk, Minerva and Severus go to the Dursleys, and Harry goes to his new home though probably not in that order.

Darth: The Dursleys already?

Blaze: like I said, it will probably be at the end of the next chapter rather than in the middle.

Darth: ah okay

Blaze: please review and I would greatly appreciate it if I can get 20 or more reviews before I post the next chapter. A huge thank you to the first ten people who reviewed this story. By the way, I do not condone child abuse, no matter how many times I use it in this story. (Believe me, it's a pain in the butt to write it and not want to saw my hands off for what I put.)