Blaze: yes, new chapter
Darth: that's cool
Blaze: yup and here are the review replies for the reviewers of the last chapter
SAGGYHERMAN: Thanks for the review.
Badbonita: Oops, I completely forgot that Harry was fifteen months old when he was placed with the Dursleys. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the review.
lunaz: Thanks for the review.
cara-tanaka: Thanks for the review
TeaPott: Thanks for the review, here is the next chapter
MishaySahila: Thanks for the review
niceladysakura: Happy new year to you too (though a little late) and I hate them too
FireFriday: Thanks for the review.
IchiKura1: Thanks and I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review.
Gerard-n-Jethro: You'll see in the first part of this chapter as well as the reaction. Thanks for the review.
AliensWhoLikeHP: Thanks for the review.
Nefari: Don't worry, the Dursley's won't and there will be plenty more interactions between Sev and Harry. Thanks for the review.
Blaze: and here is the next chapter that's likely to be short, I hope that you like it and reviews, as already, are much appreciated and Harry won't go to his new home until the next chapter. The last chapter title came from the Breaking Benjamin song by the way and this title came from the song by George Harrison.
Never Say Never
Chapter 3
Not Alone Anymore
Once the Silencing Charm had been cast, Severus examined Albus as the Headmaster stayed silent for a long moment. "Severus," he said softly. "You know that no one must know about your guardianship of Harry because it would put both of you in danger. And that means that you will have to keep to your spying duties in order to avoid raising suspicion from people like Lucius Malfoy."
Severus sighed. "I sort of figured that," he said. "But now that You-Know-Who is gone, we really don't have to worry about it. I honestly don't think that he will be back before Potter starts Hogwarts and while Potter is studying at Hogwarts, I can keep up my duties without raising suspicions."
"Are you going to tell Harry about this?"
Severus hesitated. "A relationship, no matter what kind, cannot last if it is built on lies," he said softly remembering that that was what caused him and Lily to drift apart. She still forgave him and stayed his friend but he had lost her forever to James bloody Potter. "If I want him to trust me then I will have to be honest with him. I won't tell him anytime soon, he's much too young and still reeling from what happened with those bloody muggles!"
Albus nodded. "You will have to return to the Dursleys in order to get guardianship of Harry. Are you planning on adopting him?" He asked.
Severus bit back the sharp sarcastic retort. "What else am I supposed to do?" he said lips curling in a sneer. "If I don't adopt the brat then the Ministry won't see it as legal and send him back to those muggles."
"I suppose you are right. Nonetheless, the Dursleys will have to sign the papers."
"Yes, I know this." Severus curled his lip again. "I thought the Ministry will be too thrilled about having me, a former Death Eater, taking custody of the Boy-Who-Lived." He mentally told himself that James Potter would probably be turning in his grave if he knew that Severus was taking custody of his son. That brought him some satisfaction.
"You're the only one that can, Severus. Lily named you his second godfather and since Sirius is in Azkaban, you're the only one he has left," Albus pointed out.
Severus nodded shortly. He knew that Lily had asked him to be Harry's godfather in spite of what happened with Voldemort. This occurred soon after Lily forgave him for calling her a 'mudblood' and after he turned away from Voldemort. He had joined the Order of the Phoenix just before Lily and James had been killed and he often blamed himself because he had been the one to deliver the prophecy Trelawney had uttered to the Dark Lord. But, nonetheless, he was still the godfather of Harry Potter and now that the Dursleys were proven to be unfit guardians and Black was still in Azkaban, as Albus had said, he was the only one left.
"What are we going to do about the Dursleys?" Severus asked curtly. "I would very much like to shake some sense into their thick skulls." And perhaps curse them a few times, he thought.
"We will do nothing but confront them. Once we get a confession, we'll let the muggle police force deal with it," Albus replied.
Severus growled. "After what they did to Potter, they deserve more than that," he snapped angrily.
Albus narrowed his eyes. "Both you and Minerva want to hex or curse them, don't you?" he asked.
"After what they did…" Severus shrugged and left the thought hanging. "I won't do it, however, since I know doing so would likely land me in Azkaban but they deserve to pay for what happened to Potter."
Albus's eyes twinkled. "Of course, Severus," he said. "Rest assured, they will be taken care of." He glanced toward the couch in Albus's office before narrowing his eyes when he spotted Minerva gently holding Harry down. "Now I wonder what that is about?"
Severus shook his head. "Why don't we find out instead of standing here looking like idiots?" he sneered before walking toward the couch.
Harry whimpered as he struggled to escape the woman's grip. Minerva had a strong grip but Harry knew that he wasn't supposed to be on the couch and kept trying to get off and sit on the cold floor. "Can't stay up here," he whimpered.
"Why on Earth not? It is a perfectly nice soft couch," Minerva protested.
Harry shook his head and whimpered again before he glanced up as the tall dark man and the bearded old man walked over to join them. The old man's eyes were twinkling. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked curiously.
"Harry won't stay on the couch. He seems to think that he's not supposed to be up here and I keep trying to keep him on," Minerva replied.
Harry whimpered before he struggled out of Minerva's grip and climbed off of the couch. The tall dark man walked over to join him before gently lifting the boy and placing him back on the couch, sitting beside him. "You are allowed to be up here, Harry," he said. Harry noted that his voice, though curt was soothingly gentle, unlike Uncle Vernon's or Aunt Petunia's voice. "You don't have to sit on the floor. In fact, you shouldn't be sitting on the floor."
Harry was about to reply but sneezed instead and the tall man handed him a handkerchief before wiping his nose and putting the handkerchief away. Harry coughed before whimpering. "Not allowed up here," he said gazing up at his tall rescuer with huge green eyes before lowering his head to look at his lap. "Uncle get mad."
"Your Uncle's not here, Harry," Minerva pointed out.
Harry whimpered. "Who you?" he asked curiously.
"Oh I am sorry. We forgot to introduce ourselves, didn't we?" Albus said with a small smile. "I am Albus Dumbledore and this is Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape."
Harry gazed up at him. "S…Severus?" he stammered out struggling to pronounce the unfamiliar name.
The young man, Severus, nodded. "Yes, Harry."
"My g…guardian?" he stammered out the word and managed to pronounce it right.
"Not yet but soon."
Harry smiled happily. "Why you be my g…guardian?" he asked curiously.
"Because what your Aunt and Uncle did to you was horrible," Severus replied. He hesitated for a split second before adding, "I also knew your mother and she named me your godfather."
Harry's eyes went as wide as the moon again. "You knew mummy? And you my godfather?"
Severus nodded.
Harry frowned. "Why not come for me 'fore?" he asked hesitantly.
"I did not know of what was occurring in your home," Severus admitted throwing a glare at Albus that Harry barely missed seeing.
"What you mean by not yet?" Harry asked curiously.
"I mean that I have to get your Aunt and Uncle to sign over custody of you over to me," Severus replied.
"Oh." Harry looked downcast as if he was expecting his Aunt and Uncle to not agree to sign over the custody. He gazed at Severus before he scouted hesitantly closer to the dark clad man and put an arm around his waist. He flushed in embarrassment when he realized what he had done but before he could pull back, he felt the dark man put an arm around his small shoulders.
The look he directed at Albus and Minerva, who were grinning, could have melted stone.
"We go home now?" Harry asked.
"Soon, Harry, soon," Severus replied. "We still need to get the papers and then go over to the Dursleys."
As if on cue, the fireplace suddenly turned green and Harry gasped in surprise as a young woman came out of the fireplace dusting herself off as she did so. Albus turned to look at the woman. "Hello, you must be Amelia Bones of the Ministry," he greeted her.
The woman nodded in greeting. "I got the papers you requested, Albus," she said. "As you are the one that is supposed to be watching him since Black is in Azkaban, I cannot go against any decision you made even if you decided to choose him," she glared briefly at Severus, "as Potter's guardian."
Harry frowned before looking up at Severus. "Why she not like you?" he asked.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Severus replied with a glare back at Amelia Bones.
"Thank you, Amelia," Albus said taking the papers. He nodded to Amelia who stepped into the fireplace and a green flash enveloped her before she disappeared.
Harry pushed himself off of the couch before hurrying over to the fireplace gazing through it and frowning as his tiny hands explored the fireplace. "Where she go?" he asked glancing up as Severus walked over to join him.
"She went back to her office," Severus replied. "She traveled by floo."
Harry looked confused. "What that?" he asked.
Severus sighed. "I'll explain it when you're old enough to understand," he promised.
Harry smiled happily. "Okay," he said before he gazed down at the floor when he realized that he had walked away from Severus without telling him. "Sorry," he said.
"Whatever for, P…Harry?"
"Walkin' away 'out telling you?"
Severus shook his head. "Don't worry about that, Harry," he said. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry involuntarily flinched before following the tall dark man back toward the couch.
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: yeah, I know short chapter but oh well
Darth: I liked it
Blaze: (snorts) you would
Darth: (looks injured) well, what's going to happen in the next chapter?
Blaze: Severus goes to the Dursleys, Harry sees his new home, and the first trip to Diagan Alley
Darth: ah okay
Blaze: yeah so please review and I will post chapter 4 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon.