I unfortunately do not own the wonderful world of Harry Potter. I do not claim ownership of any of these characters or locations etc.

I hope you all have been enjoying this story and please review. Attention is my muse and motivation.

Love,

Dany

For his part, fatherhood did not suit Hagrid particularly well. This isn't to say that he didn't try, but rather that for a man so large, caring for a child about the size of his hand did not come naturally. So it was that although Harry would sleep in Hagrid's hut, Minerva spent her time with the infant more often than not. And thus, Albus had allowed for Minerva to carry her young charge into the weekly faculty meeting that same week.

As each professor filed in and took their respective seats, curious glances were directed at the gurgling child who was tucked safely in the transfiguration professor's arms. At last, the final faculty member swept in with his black cloak flowing behind him. Severus Snape was never early to meetings, electing to show up instead precisely at the time specified. The brooding potions master retreated to the corner of the room and proceeded to take on a bored appearance, marred only by the lines between his eyebrows at the sight of the young Potter boy.

"What were you thinking, Albus?" The livid potions master cornered Dumbledore after everyone else had left the meeting. "Keeping the boy in the castle? What happened to leaving him with Petunia?"

Albus sighed and looked every bit his age, fully aware of how the sight of the boy had affected his young friend. "You know as well as I do that Harry would not have been well cared for at the Dursley house, Severus. Petunia turned her back on everything magical when her sister was accepted to Hogwarts and she wasn't. As it is, Harry has ended the war, for now. We must keep him safe."

Severus sneered. "And you'll keep him safe in a castle full of students, will you? Some of these students have Death Eater parents, Albus. The war isn't over for them, you know."

The headmaster's piercing blue eyes caught the bitterness in the potion master's voice. "What is truly the problem, Severus?"

Snape's dark eyes flashed with momentary pain. "Nothing at all, Headmaster. I will see you at dinner." With that, the young man swept from the room before Albus had the chance to say anything. The headmaster sank into his chair and sighed because he had never done enough for the young man and yet he had demanded the world.

Over three years had passed since the fall of the Dark Lord that fateful night in October and slowly, but surely, the wizarding world was healing. Children had started to return to Hogwarts, Hogsmeade was once more safe to wander during daylight hours, and the Ministry of Magic was finishing up the final Death Eater trials. Severus and Minerva sat in Minerva's study, leaning over a tartan covered ottoman upon which sat a chess board. The pair had finally taken up their weekly games once again and, though Severus never admitted to it, those Sunday nights brought him peace that he had not known since long before the war had begun. It was, however, not to his distinct pleasure to suddenly hear the fussing of a young child from the next room.

Minerva sighed, nudged her knight forward, and retreated to care for the Potter boy. Severus had gone out of his way to avoid the child since he had first arrived in Hagrid's arms three years earlier. And to the chagrin of the Headmaster and the stern transfiguration professor, Severus had succeeded. Until now.

The boy toddled out of the adjacent room and eyed Severus with innocent curiosity that made the potions master wonder if he had ever had the same look about him. If he did, Severus concluded, he did not remember such a time. Harry had reached the chess board and inspected it before picking up one of Minerva's bishops and sucking on the end. Both professors could hear the chess piece's protests at the treatment.

Severus put on his most intimidating scowl, the caliber of which could reduce a first year to tears in less than ten seconds. Unconcerned, Harry put out a small chubby hand and pulled the corner of the bitter man's robes into his tiny fist. Severus helplessly sought out Minerva's gaze to find that she was smirking at him in a rather unbecoming way (unbecoming mostly because it was his smirk that he found on her face, and that was disturbing). He leaned over to make better eye contact with the child who simply smiled a wide ridiculous smile and grabbed Snape's long hooked nose with his hand.

So it was, that, to his distinct distaste, Severus Snape became one of Harry Potter's favorite people.

It was Yule time when it happened.

Harry was in the arms of the Head Girl, Amelia Bones, when he grabbed a lock of her soft red hair and it turned abruptly to a shocking shade of purple, matched only by the Headmaster's violet robes. Rather than getting angry, Amelia grinned and spun around holding the child. A feast was set up that night in honor of young Potter's first accidental magic.

"How could you let the Malfoy's get away with everything they've done?" To say that Severus was angry was an understatement. "Lucius is the Dark Lord's right hand man and the fall of our lord hasn't changed that family's view of pureblood superiority. I thought we had all the evidence we needed to send them to Azkaban."

Albus groaned. He could never win with the surly potions professor. "You know as well as I do that the Malfoy family has enough money to run the wizarding world alone for the next twenty years. No amount of evidence can convince the Wizengamot when the Malfoy's have the money to pay quite charitably for their crimes. Besides," Albus leaned forward and regarded Snape curiously, "your godson really ought to have his parents with him. Some children are not so lucky."

Snape's eyes darkened but he said nothing.

"You know, Severus, you should offer to look after the Malfoy heir here at Hogwarts for a couple days."

A blind houself would be able to tell that the Headmaster was scheming. Dumbledore's motive was about as subtle as a dancing hippogriff. The old man may scheme with the best of them but he was still a Gryffindor and therefore not well versed in the ways of subtlety. It was all Snape could do not to roll his eyes. But at the same time, he knew he was bound to do as the Headmaster asked. He stood abruptly and nodded at Albus before sweeping from the room. Fawkes cawed after him as the door slammed shut.

Madam Malfoy,

I was pleased to hear of your absolution by the Wizengamot.

You and your husband did not deserve the fate met by our fellows. It was a relief to know that my dearest friends are free and well.

It has been quite a while since I last saw my godson. If it is agreeable, I should like to take him here to Hogwarts for a few days to allow you and your husband plenty of time to settle back in to the manor.

Yours,

SS

Rolanda Hooch was thrilled. Her young charge had taken quite adeptly to the children's broom that she had purchased behind Minerva's back. She'd be damned if she didn't make Harry Potter the next great seeker in Hogwarts history. The boy giggled and zoomed about, two feet from the soft grass on the quidditch pitch. Harry had settled into Hogwarts easily. His toothy smile earned many a soft sigh from any woman who laid eyes on him and his wide trusting green eyes softened even the heart of the usually harsh potions master (not that Severus would ever admit to it).

A betting pool had begun among the professors over which House young Harry would be sorted into. Already, he showed characteristics of all the houses. Rolanda insisted that he would be in Slytherin, like herself, but Minerva was insistent that he be in Gryffindor. Hooch never missed the chance to mock Minerva by saying she had a soft spot for the boy and just wanted to keep him out of trouble. Pomona, for similar reasons, wanted Harry in Hufflepuff, saying that the poor dear needed as many good loyal friends as a boy could have. Though Severus had not yet put in a bet, in the silence of his rooms he considered that Ravenclaw would be the place for the child. Nice and neutral but the environment that would continue to satisfy Potter's insatiable curiosity about the magical world around him.

A shriek pulled Rolanda from her dreams of a Slytherin Potter and she saw the child trip as he tried to dismount his broom and fall into the grass. She sighed and scooped up Harry, cooing in his ear to soothe his fright. With a flick of her wand, she banished the broom to her rooms (she couldn't afford for Minerva to ask questions about it), and carried the child down to Hagrid's.

Dearest Severus,

I'll admit my surprise at your letter and your request to see Draco, but I am pleased all the same. Lucius and I would be forever grateful if you could take Draco off our hands for a few days. Our time in Azkaban has not been kind to either of us, particularly Lucius, though don't you dare tell him so.

Perhaps you can entertain Draco with some flobberworms in your lab.

Could you pick him up tomorrow evening say around five? I would take him to Hogwarts but my magic is still recovering, as am I.

I look forward to seeing you darken my doorway once more, Severus.

Love,

Narcissa