Blaze: new chapter

Darth: that's cool

Blaze: yup so here is the next chapter and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated. Also, Malfoy's Manor is going to be located on the edge of a forest so I can use one of the ideas suggested to me by one of my reviewers.

Blaze: Also thanks for the idea, Michelle Erika and thanks for letting me know about Harry's age when his parents died, he is four in this story so I made a mistake and I'm too lazy to go back and change it.

Blaze: also, the nightmare is going to be in the next chapter as this chapter will be primarily focused on the play date and also Harry finds out a secret about himself that he really doesn't figure out until Chamber of Secrets.

Never Say Never

Chapter 5

Play Date at Malfoy Manor

The days leading up to the play date at Lucius Malfoy's manor passed by smoothly though Severus found himself running often to his newly adopted son's room every time Harry woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He knew that the boy was only four years old and yet he seemed to be experiencing the abuse his Uncle gave him over and over again.

Severus hated child abuse with a passion; it was the only thing he hated more than he had Voldemort and that was saying a lot since Voldemort had caused the death of his beloved Lily. The Potions Professor wanted to curse the bloody Dursleys into oblivion but he knew that he couldn't and so he had to restrain himself, even during the times when the talkative four-year-old spoke of the abuse.

Harry had grown from a very secluded and shy little boy to one who talked nearly nonstop in the days they've been together. It would take time for Harry to fully get rid of the emotional scarring that the Dursleys had given him but he was slowly recuperating. There were times, however, when he fell back into his old routines, such as the morning before his play date with Draco Malfoy.

Severus always got up at the crack of dawn and he was surprised when he found the four-year-old Harry walking in the kitchen and placing plates on the table. He narrowed his obsidian eyes slightly as he observed unnoticed. "What are you doing, Harry?" he asked struggling to keep his voice from turning hard . He knew that he had to be very gentle when it came with dealing with an abused child and being gentle wasn't easy when it came to Severus Snape.

Harry glanced up in surprise. "Making b'eakfast," he replied.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You are much too young to be cooking, young one," he said.

"But Uncle Vern'n get mad," Harry protested.

Severus forced himself not to sigh. "Harry, I'm making breakfast," he said before he walked to Harry and picked him up, placing him in the seat. Harry stiffened before he gazed up at Severus with huge green eyes.

"Not suppos' sit at table," he protested.

"At your Uncles, yes, but here you can," Severus said soothingly before he started making breakfast. When he was done, he glanced at the table and was relieved to see that Harry had listened to him and stayed at the table. He was so small that his head barely came to the top of the table and Severus had to place the boy on his lap in order for the boy to reach his plate.

If Albus saw me like this then he'd never let me live it down, Severus thought sourly as he watched Harry eat after he had given Harry the nutrient supplement that he needed. The boy was polite but, like other times, he ate timidly and had to be encouraged to eat more when he only finished a quarter of what was on his plate.

When Harry was done eating, Severus placed him gently on the ground. "Why don't you go play for a while?" he suggested.

Harry hesitated. "What about you? Need he'p with dishes?"

"Dishes are something adults do, Harry, not four-year-olds. Go and play and I'll let you know when it's time to go to the Malfoy Manor."

Harry hesitated again. ""Kay," he said finally though his voice suggested how hesitant he was but he did as he was told. Severus knew well enough to know that the boy was only hesitant because of the rules drilled in to him by his idiot guardians.

Albus was stupid to place Harry with those idiots, Severus thought angrily. He wasn't entirely sure if he would have done anything about Harry's predicament if he had known about it even though he was Harry's second godfather.

Shaking his head to clear it, Severus knew that he needed to come up with a way to hide Harry's scar for the play date. He narrowed his eyes as he thought about this because he knew he couldn't afford for Lucius Malfoy to discover that he has taken the Boy-Who-Lived as his ward.

Harry played silently in his room as he waited to go to the play date with that Malfoy person. He couldn't help but wonder as to why Draco would want to have a play date with a freak like him and he hoped that this wouldn't change things between him and his new guardian.

Harry rather liked his guardian Severus; even though he seemed to be a bit withdrawn and always wore black. It seemed to Harry that Severus was sad about something all the time but he couldn't entirely be sure if that was exactly true. All he knew was that Severus actually took him in and took him away from his relatives.

A part of Harry's mind kept on whispering that it was only temporarily and the instant Harry made a mistake, he would be sent back. That is one of the reasons why he was still self-consciously doing what he used to do at his old home. However, today was the first day that he actually got up at the crack of dawn to cook breakfast as he had when he was living with his aunt. The other times he was too exhausted after waking up screaming from nightmares.

No one knew the true extent of Harry's nightmares because he refused to talk about them. He believed that they were merely another show of how freaky he was. The nightmares he had of his Uncle's abuse, which he didn't consider to be abuse because he was so used to it and too young to understand, were common, as Severus had said, to kids that went through what Harry went through.

However, the nightmares he had of a pretty red haired woman and a flash of green light was something completely different. It was that nightmare that Harry refused to talk about no matter how many times he had that nightmare and Severus asked him what the nightmare was about.

Only about five days had gone by since Harry had first become Severus's ward and Harry loved every minute of it. Severus wasn't mean; he may be distant at times and very withdrawn but he wasn't mean, not like Uncle Vernon. Severus never hit him or locked him up in a cupboard and that made Harry relieved. He didn't like the cupboard because it was small, even for him as he was still very tiny for his age. He was four years old and yet Severus had commented, when he thought Harry wasn't listening, that Harry looked to be only two.

Harry knew that was because he couldn't eat as much as the Dursleys when he was living with them. He would be lucky to get the scraps left by Vernon or Dudley and he thought that it was better than nothing. Now, living in this small but comfortable house, it was completely different. He was fed three times a day and given more food than he has ever eaten in five days time with the Dursleys.

Harry often wondered what he was supposed to do to earn his food but every time he offered to do something today, such as make breakfast or do the dishes, Severus would remind him that four year olds didn't do this and they played and had fun. Harry smiled to himself; life with Severus was very good indeed.

But how long will it last before he gets tired of having you around? An inner voice whispered and Harry scowled at the voice and firmly told it to shut up as he picked up one of the toys given to him. He didn't get to play much with toys that weren't broken so he found it amazing to play with the cars Severus had given him and actually be able to roll them across the ground without a wheel falling off or it breaking apart in his hand.

He had been given an assortment of toys ranging from cars to a train set to stuffed animals to even a few picture books that he found interesting. Those books looked to be brand new and none of the pages were missing like the pages of the books that he often stole from Dudley, since Dudley didn't like reading as much as Harry did.

Harry placed the car he had been playing with before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the small bookshelf that carried the picture books on their shelves. He ran his fingers through them before pulling out a thin hardcover book that he knew he never read before and he walked to his bed before climbing on it and opening the book.

The only reason he knew how to read was because of the many books that he took from Dudley allowed him to learn his letters and even pronounce brand new words. Even so, he still had to sound out many of the words in the picture books but he was able to associate the words with the pictures on the pages of the book and it helped him to understand what the words meant. He figured that was why picture books were made in the first place.

The door to his room opened a little bit later and Harry glanced up as Severus walked into the room, a small bottle in his hands. "Hi," he greeted Severus happily before he turned his attention back to the book.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "You seem to love to read," he said coming to a stop at Harry's side. Harry had to tilt his head backwards to look up at Severus since the dark man was really tall. Either that or Harry was just really short.

"Didn't get to read much at home," Harry admitted closing the book and placing it on the bed beside him. "Time to go?"

"Not yet," Severus replied. He placed the bottle in Harry's hand. "You need to drink this and I need to take a look at something."

Harry hesitated but, feeling he could trust the dark man, he took the vial and, noticing that it was already open, he drank it, grimacing at the taste. "Yuck," he complained.

Severus's lips quirked in the beginnings of the smile. "It was just the nutrient supplement that I gave you earlier but with something added in it that'll keep you from getting sick should you eat too much or too little," he said. He reached out a hand and Harry winced almost self-consciously until he felt his guardian brush aside his dark hair to reveal the hideous scar that was on his forehead.

Severus's eyes narrowed slightly before he pulled out a jar of what looked like cream. "I'm going to have to put this cream on your scar," he said. "It'll hide it from everyone for twelve hours though it won't take it away permanently."

"What's permately?"

"It means forever."

"Kay. Why's that?"

Severus hesitated for a long moment. "It was caused by magic," he said finally.

Harry stiffened. "Magic not real." he murmured.

"Haven't we had this conversation before?"

Harry sighed. "Sorry," he said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Harry," Severus said.

"Why it caus'd by magic?"

Severus hesitated for a long moment. "Perhaps I'll explain to you when you get older," he said finally. He dipped his fingers into the cream and gently brushed it on Harry's forehead and he shuddered briefly at the cool touch of the cream. "When we go to the Malfoy Manor, you need to be on your best behavior. The Malfoys are old friends of mine."

Harry nodded. "Kay," he said.

Severus closed the jar before cleaning his fingers on a handkerchief before glancing at Harry. "Do you want to go in your pajamas?" he asked watching Harry with curiosity and mild amusement in his eyes.

Harry glanced down and noticed that he was still in his pajamas and he found himself blushing. "Oops," he said.

Severus snorted lightly. "I'll go contact the Malfoys while you get changed," he said.

"'Kay."

Severus got to his feet before making his way out of the room leaving Harry alone to pick out an outfit to wear to his play date with Draco.

Malfoy Manor was a huge house lying on the edge of a forest in London, hidden from the eyes of the Muggle that roamed the streets of the muggle parts of the large city. There were many rooms and nearly three floors that made it easier for anyone to get lost in the magnificent house. Severus has never liked Lucius's house because of the mere fact that it was here that the Dark Lord often gathered with his Death Eaters when he was still alive more than four years earlier.

Stepping through the floo from Hogwarts, as he didn't want Lucius to find out where he lived so he went through the enchanted school, Severus guided an awestruck Harry deeper into the house. Narcissa Malfoy was in the kitchen, Severus noticed, while Lucius and Draco came out to greet them. "Hello Severus and welcome," Lucius greeted him.

"Lucius," Severus replied inclining his head briefly in greeting.

Lucius smiled before he glanced down at his four-year-old son. "Draco, why don't you show Harry your room?" he suggested.

"'Kay," Draco said happily, his gray eyes big with excitement. He walked over to Harry's side. "Come on, Harry," he added.

Harry glanced up at Severus.

"Go on," Severus said.

"You be here?"

"Of course."

Harry hesitated again before nodding and walking after Draco even as Draco tried to urge Harry into moving a bit faster as they walked toward the large staircase of the ancient house.

Lucius watched the two children walk off before he turned his attention to Severus as Harry and Draco disappeared upstairs. His eyes were grim but excited at the same time and Severus narrowed his eyes. He believed that Lucius should be in Azkaban since he was the worst Death Eater of them all but since he had faked being under the Imperious Curse, he got out of it. The only reason Severus got out of it was because of Albus Dumbledore, who had recruited him to join the Order of the Phoenix several months before the defeat of the Dark Lord.

"There is something I need to speak to you about, Severus," Lucius said softly.

"What about?"

Before Lucius could reply, Narcissa walked into the living room, her blonde hair gently framing her face. "Hello Severus, it's been a long time," she greeted the Potions Professor.

"Hello Narcissa," Severus replied.

"Would you like some tea or something to drink?"

"No thank you."

"Narcissa, dear, why don't you instruct Dobby on what to cook for dinner? I need to speak with Severus about something important," Lucius suggested.

Narcissa nodded before she slipped back into the kitchen and Lucius waved for Severus to take a seat. He pulled out his wand briefly to cast a Silencing Charm over them before he sat down beside Severus. "I found out something interesting," he said softly.

"Oh? I would never have guessed," Severus replied somewhat sardonically, his lip curling slightly. "What did you find out this time?"

"I found out that the blood wards aren't protecting the Boy-Who-Lived anymore," Lucius said smirking.

Severus forced his face to remain emotionless though he wondered if Albus knew a Death Eater knew about the blood wards and them falling. "Is that so?" he said.

"Yes," Lucius replied. "It is also rumored that Albus Dumbledore took the boy away from his guardians for some reason even though those bloody blood wards protect him. I wonder why he would do that."

You wouldn't believe it if I told you, Severus thought but didn't repeat his thought out loud as he shrugged. "Why should I care about the bloody Potter brat?" he asked. He knew that he had to keep up his personae for hating the Potters in order to prevent Lucius from coming to the conclusion that Severus had taken in the boy. He didn't think it was likely because Lucius knew how much Severus hated James Potter and he didn't know how much Severus loved Lily Evans.

"We can find him," Lucius said smirking.

"And what exactly would we do if we found him? It's not like the dark lord is here right now to thank us graciously for the gift," Severus said curling his lip in a sneer.

"Yes but we can keep the boy and get him ready for when the Dark Lord does return."

"And how do you suppose to do that when Dumbledore himself is probably watching over the brat?"

Lucius pursed his lips in thought. "I have not yet worked that out yet," he admitted.

"When you do then let me know."

"Of course, my friend, of course." Lucius smiled in that infuriating way that made Severus want to grit his teeth in frustration. Since Lucius Malfoy's family was Pureblood, he often acted as though he was better than Half-Bloods, like Severus, or Muggleborn, like Lily, wizards. Since Severus, supposedly, worked for the dark lord, however, Lucius had made an exception for Half-Bloods but still refused to like muggles or muggle born wizards.

Severus was not like that; he had been in love with a muggleborn wizard after all. Lily. Just thinking about his beautiful old friend brought back memories that Severus both wanted to forget and wanted to cherish forever.

"Dad?"

Lucius glanced up as Draco peered over the banister of the staircase with Harry standing just behind him before he waved his wand unnoticeably to cancel the Silencing Charm. "Yes Draco?" he asked.

"Can me and Harry play outsi'e?"

Lucius pursed his lips in thought before he glanced at Severus. "What do you say? Harry is your adopted son after all," he said.

Severus narrowed his eyes before he nodded. "So long as they stay away from danger and the forest and stay warm," he said examining Harry who was still dressed in the winter coat that Severus had bought him earlier.

"Of course. Go on, Draco, Harry. Either Severus or I will come and find you when it's time for dinner."

"Kay," Draco said happily before he glanced at Harry. "Let's go." With that, the two four-year-olds ran out of the house, well Draco ran while Harry merely walked fast to keep up with the energetic little boy.

"Your adopted son seems a bit smaller than normal," Narcissa said walking into the living room. "Has he been eating properly?"

"I have been feeding him three times a day, Narcissa," Severus replied. "But I only adopted him five days ago so I'm not entirely sure as to how he was treated before he came into my care." He didn't bother on expanding because he knew that lie was going to have to be enough.

Narcissa nodded. "That is good," she said. "I hope that nothing bad happened to him before he came into your care."

Oh if only you knew. "I can only imagine," he admitted in reply.

"To be honest, Severus, I don't see you as the father type," Lucius said smiling coolly and the smile didn't reach his eyes, which were still dark gray icicles.

Severus merely shrugged sneering slightly though he knew that Lucius was correct; hardly anyone can see him as the father type, least of all Lucius Malfoy.

Harry frowned as he gazed at the large trees of the forest. The forest was so big that Harry had a difficult time to see the sky through the canopy of snow-covered branches. "We shouldn't be here," he protested. "Severus say stay away from for'st."

"Oh come on, it not that bad. It safe. Nothin' here but tigers and snakes," Draco said happily.

Harry frowned; he's never seen a tiger before nor has he ever seen a snake and he found it would be rather interesting to see a tiger or a snake. "Other anim'ls?" he asked.

Draco pursed his lips in thought. "Don't think so," he said. "Come on, Harry." With that, the blonde four-year-old ran deeper into the woods while Harry followed a bit more slowly. He gazed at the trees and the branches and had to climb over a few snow-covered fallen trunks as he struggled to keep up with Draco. He knew that he was much smaller than he was supposed to be but he wondered if Draco could just stop moving so quickly.

"Draco, wait up," Harry protested.

Draco glanced at the smaller boy before he slowed down and dropped to walk step by step beside Harry. "Sorry," he said before he gazed around smiling and sat down in the snow. "Good place to stop."

"I'm not sure…"

"It okay really."

Harry hesitated before nodding and sitting down beside Draco in the thick snow covered clearing. "What you wanna do?" he asked curiously.

Draco shrugged. "Don't know. Didn't bring nothin' with me," he said.

"Didn't bring nothin' neither."

Draco smiled before he lifting a small snowball in his small hand and tossed it at Harry, hitting him in the shoulder. "Snowba'l fight!" he cried happily.

Harry touched his shoulder before he gazed at Draco and, seeing the boy grinning happily, smiled before he picked up the snow and tossed it at Draco. He's never had the chance to have a snowball fight because that was when his freaky stuff happened and the last time that happened, Dudley ended up upside down in a snowdrift in the park. Ever since then, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon kept Harry away from the snow and didn't let him participate in snowball fights.

Harry was glad for the chance to have a snowball fight with his new friend. He dodged out of the way to avoid Draco's thrown snowball before making another one and tossing it at Draco but he ducked behind a tree and, laughing, the two little boys began running around the snow-covered forest, tossing snowballs at each other.

The sun was starting to cascade down into the sky by the time Draco and Harry, exhausted, collapsed in a partly snowy clearing some meters from their last known location. Harry gazed around before frowning. "Where are we?" he asked curiously.

Draco frowned as he gazed around, his gray eyes narrowed. "Don't know," he admitted. "Must have gotten lost."

Harry whimpered. "Scared," he said.

"Don't be. Dad'll find us," Draco assured him.

"We not suppose be here," Harry reminded him.

Draco frowned. "Yeah, Dad'll still find us though," he said firmly.

"Hope so."

A hissing sounded nearby and Harry glanced up sharply, his eyes widening with surprise and fear as a beautiful green-black viper with red-brown eyes, a stocky build, short tail and a triangular shaped head with vertically elliptical pupils slithered into the open. Though it was still light outside, the snake continued to move forward, its' triangular shaped head moving back and forth and its' forked tongue flickering out between its' closed jaws.

Draco stiffened, his eyes going wide. "Stay still," he whispered. "Don't move. Those snakes dangero's."

The viper slithered forward, still looking back and forth until it spotted the two little boys and hissed, (What are these humans doing here?) in surprise. Harry frowned; he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to understand that and yet he was able to do so. He also noticed that the snake had a feminine tone of voice.

(Hi,) Harry hissed happily causing Draco to gasp at him in surprise while the viper turned to fix red-brown eyes on the little boy with surprise in their depths.

(Sssso you sssspeak sssserpent tongue, little one,) the viper hissed slithering forward and Draco drew back several steps, his eyes going wide.

Harry didn't understand that. Couldn't Draco understand the snake too? He wondered silently. (I guessss,) he replied in the hissing voice.

(Interessssting,) the viper hissed slithering forward before lifting her triangular head and her forked tongue flickered out before gently touching Harry's face.

(What'ssss your name?) asked Harry curiously.

(I am called Sssarissssa,) the viper hissed.

"What you doin', Harry?" Draco asked fear in his voice.

"You don't underst'nd her?" Harry asked confused.

(The little one ssseemsss afraid,) the viper hissed sounding amused.

(He don't underssst'nd you,) Harry said confused. (Why'sss that?)

(Very few can ssspeak and underssstand us,) Sarisa hissed.

(You're very pretty, Sssarisssa,) said Harry. He stretched out a hand, ignoring Draco's quick intake of breath, before gently touching the viper's scaled green-black skin.

Sarisa hissed in amusement. (Thank you, little one,) she hissed. She slithered to Harry's side and her body slide onto Harry before curling up on his lap causing him to laugh in delight as he trailed his fingers across the snake's skin.

Draco continued to stare at Harry with wide-eyed surprise and Harry frowned as he glanced at him. "What?" he asked confused.

"You talk to that snake," Draco said eyes wide with shock.

"She friendly," Harry said happily. He held out an arm and Sarisa curled up on it, resting her triangular head on Harry's palm before examining Draco, her tongue flickering out from between her closed jaws. "Go on, say hi."

Draco hesitated. "H…Hi," he stammered out.

Sarisa glanced at Harry. (What did the little one sssay?) she asked.

Harry frowned. (You can't underssst'nd humansss?)

Sarisa shook her head tongue still flickering.

(He sssaid hi, Sssarisa,) Harry replied.

(Tell the little one that I sssay hi assss well and I will not harm any friend of a sssserpent friend,) Sarisa replied.

"She say hi and that she won't hurt you, Draco," Harry said gently stroking the snake's scales happily.

Draco's gray eyes narrowed. "Snakes danger'us," he protested.

"Not this one."

Draco sighed. "Suppose not," he said. He got to his feet before gazing around. "Where we go now?"

"Don't know."

(You ssseem lossst,) Sarisa said.

(We are,) Harry hissed in reply.

(You are trying to find that big houssse near here?)

(Yessss.)

Sarisa hissed before pointing her head through a gap in the clearing. (Go that way and I'll lead you to the houssse,) she hissed.

"Sarisa say she can take us to your home," said Harry to Draco who narrowed his eyes before hesitating and nodding. He followed Harry as Harry got to his feet and followed the viper's directions that he hoped he would lead back to Malfoy Manor.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: I love the Parselmouth Harry so I had to bring him in

Darth: and?

Blaze: and I like vipers so I brought in a viper who looks different than normal vipers

Darth: that's cool

Blaze: so please review and I'll post chapter 6 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon and once again thank you to everyone who helped me to get 42 reviews on this story so far. If I can get over 50 reviews before I update again, I will be grateful beyond belief.