A/N: This is the last chapter by End Transmission. Thank you so much for letting me adopt your story.

"So, you believe that you could take care of our Little Harry? Even after what I've told you about him?" The woman, big, burly, but kind of face, leaned across her desk, fixing the couple before her with an intense stare. The two were young, anyone could see that. The woman was thin and tall, and had wavy blond hair that seems to sparkle even in the artificial light. The man was a bit stockier, but in no way large. His face was kind, but his eyes seemed to blaze with a hard light; his dark brown hair lay in fringes across his face.

It made her nervous. Little Harry needed gentle words, and someone who could be there for him when he experiences a nightmare. Which, according to always-loyal Marie, happened quite often. She was not so sure that these people could give the boy what he needed. But on the other hand, they had not fled when she had admitted that he was mute. Nor had they seemed to mind when she mentioned the nightmares. And given that this was the first couple to have no objections, she felt as if she must at least give them a chance.

"Oh, yes." The woman spoke, her voice oozing a sweetness that didn't belong. "We could take very good care of the boy. He would turn into a proper young lad under our watchful eye." She batted her eyelashes, as if to sway the woman's opinion.

"We cannot have children of our own, and adoption seemed like the easiest choice." The man added leaning forward slightly, the fringe of hair hiding his face. "Now, if we could actually meet the lad?" He added, his voice hard, as if he was getting impatient with all of the questions.

Laura, the Head Matron, sighed and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you must. I will go and fetch him. Are you still planning on taking him out into the city for the day?" She didn't feel comfortable with letting Harry go with these people, but she could get in trouble for refusing them when there was no reputable evidence to suggest they were not trustworthy.

"Of course." The lady oozed. "And we will even buy him a little trinket, if he so wishes. Now go on, go get the boy." The woman waved her hands at Laura, as though chasing her off. The matron bit at her lip, holding back a tart reply, and instead left the room to seek out the boy.

Harry and Marie were busy reading through a picture book concerning Sign Language. Of course. Laura had forgotten about the mysterious man who was teaching the boy to speak. She had only met him once, and he had seemed formidable, but not particularly unkind.

"Ah, Marie, Harry, there you are. Harry dear, there are some people here who want to meet you." Laura said kindly, leaning down so she was eye-level with the boy. "They want to take you out to the city today, so you can spend some time with them. What do you think?"

Harry flashed her a sign, much to her delight, although she couldn't read it. She looked up at Marie questioningly, who frowned. "He's asking who they are." She informed the Head Matron.

"Why, their names are Samantha and Joseph Piccet. They seem like very nice people." It almost felt as if she were lying.

Harry glanced up at Marie, and flashed another sign. "Oh dear, that's right." Marie glanced back at her boss. "Professor Snape will not know about Harry's trip with the Piccets, and he is near impossible to reach. He does not even have a phone!"

"You will have to inform him when he comes for Harry's lesson then. The trip will likely take a greater part of the day. Do make sure to mention that, Marie. Now, Little Harry, let us go and meet the Piccets." Harry stared up at Laura, and bit at his thumb. He didn't want to meet the Piccets. He wanted to stay for his lesson with Severus. But he could see that, in this matter, he had little choice. And so, reluctantly, he got to his feet and allowed Laura to lead him from the room.

He rethought his decision when he actually met the pair. The woman was tall and pretty, but there was something in her features that scared him. The man, on the other hand, seemed pretty normal, but his eyes glittered with something almost…sinister. No, Harry didn't want to go with these people. He wanted his Severus. Yes, his Severus. Would the man be angry that they could not have their lesson today? Would he abandon Harry because of it? No! That couldn't happen! Harry didn't want these people!

"Hello, Harry dear. My name is Samantha. We are going to take you out to town, won't that be so much fun? Oh…dear, we can't have a little boy carrying around something like that." The tall woman was eyeing his doe with distaste. "Little boys don't have stuffed animals, Little Harry." She added, and the nickname, which he loved, sounded wrong from her.

"Laura, would you take this, please? It's unsightly." The woman finished, leaning down to take Lily, his doe. Harry opened his mouth in a silent yell, and pulled away, hiding Lily behind his back. Samantha couldn't have his toy! She was special to him, and Severus liked her too, he had told Harry that once.

"That's quite the toy you have there, Harry. A very pretty doe. Do you know what a doe is?" Harry had shaken his head. "It is what they call a female deer. Does she have a name?" At that Harry had perked up, and he shifted through the book, trying to find a picture that represented the doe's name. The closest thing he found was a flower, although it hadn't been the flower he wanted. Of course, he didn't really know what a Lily looked like, anyways.

But Severus had understood. And a sad look had entered the man's eyes, making Harry wonder if he had done something wrong. "Lily, that is a very good name for her, Harry. I think she is a very nice toy. Keep her safe forever, all right? Now, let's continue…"

Harry would keep her safe, as he had promised. And that meant that this woman could not lay her hands on her! Samantha didn't like that, however, and a blazing look entered her eyes. It scared Harry, but not enough to make him give Lily up.

"Here, Harry. I will keep your toy safe for you, and she'll be waiting for you when you get back, ok?" That was Laura's voice. She had leaned down to Harry's level, and was smiling kindly at him, with her palm extended. Harry bit his lip, but he knew he could trust Laura. She had watched Lily before, after all. And so he released the doe from his grip, and set it in the woman's hand.

"Oh thank you, Harry, you're such a good boy. Now go on and have fun with the Piccets, alright, dear?" Laura said quietly, giving Harry a small kiss on the forehead. Harry nodded, and then turned to Samantha, who no longer looked angry. She took one of his hands, and Joseph took the other. The three left the building, Harry glancing back one last time. I'll be back, I'll be back. Laura promised I would. He chanted mentally.

Severus Snape was not a happy person. He sneered down at the poor matron, who only just kept herself from cowering. Snape had come all this way to this God-forsaken orphanage, only to find out that they had sent Harry off, all alone, with a young couple. Not only was he annoyed that he had traveled so far for nothing, he was also deeply concerned.

From the moment Marie had mentioned the 'Piccets', he had felt as if something was off. Something didn't feel right, and he didn't like that. Marie had said that she hadn't met the people. And so he had gone to Laura, who even admitted that something about the people seemed cold! And yet they still let Lily's Son out of their sight.

Well, Snape wouldn't have it. He had to know if these 'Piccets' were taking care of the boy. And so he swept from the Orphanage, after giving Laura a very…stern talking to. The matrons had said that the Piccets had planned to take Harry into the Muggle town. That seemed innocent enough, but Snape couldn't put it out of his head that something wrong was going on. And Merlin save those Muggles if anything happened to Lily's child.

He found them along a crowded street. Even from the description he had forced from the Head Matron, he wouldn't have seen them if it hadn't been for the blob of black hair walking by their side. Harry had his hand in the woman's, although he didn't look too happy about it. His head was hanging, and even from a distance Snape could see the distress in the child's eyes.

Snape surreptitiously got closer, and it was then that the woman's honey-covered voice could be heard. "Pick up your head, boy! People will think you're an invalid or something." Snape's lip curled, even as he watched Harry obey. How dare that muggle boss around his pupil like that?

"Ah, yes. Let's go in here, dear. Perhaps we can find something for the boy, a trinket, as you said." The man beckoned to the store on their nearest right. The woman grinned widely.

"Yes, yes, of course. Come along, Harry." The blond practically yanked the three-year old in after her. Snape frowned, hesitated, and then followed.

The shop was fairly large, and Snape couldn't help but feel a little respect for the man. He, at least, seemed to know what attracted children. The shop was bright and colorful, and full of muggle toys. There were stuffed animals of all species, toy soldiers, small blinking objects, and more. Snape was not at all surprised when Harry instantly walked towards the shelves of animals; he had already proven how much he liked the things.

The woman, however, seemed to think that it was improper. "Didn't I tell you before that little boys don't play with stuffed animals? You don't want people to think you're some kind of fairy, would you? Come along, let's go and look at toys a young man should have." She took Harry by the hand, and pulled.

To Snape's great relief--the boy had some fight in him after all! --Harry tugged back, one arm reaching for a stuffed black and white dog. Snape's relief turned to rage in a split second when the woman yanked, bringing Harry right up to her leg, which was about as far as he reached.

The movement was so tiny, so weak, that no one but Snape, who was watching closely, would have seen it. It was unlikely that it had even hurt, but when Snape saw the woman slap Harry across the face, he became enraged, and gave up his position as a spy. He crossed the distance in a minuscule amount of steps, and found himself shoving the woman away from the small boy, who was holding his face in shock.

"My dear lady." Snape began, his voice soft, cold, and full of menace. "I hope I did not just see you strike an innocent child, just for wanting to look at a toy." His voice becoming quieter, if it was possible.

"Of course not!" Samantha's voice was full of mock surprise. "Why, sir, I'm sure you must have been seeing things! I would never hit a child." Snape snarled, and too his pleasure, the woman backed away, looking truly frightened.

"You're lying." He hissed, putting his face towards hers. "This little trip of yours is over, I'm taking Harry back to the orphanage, and alerting the matrons to exactly what happened. If you so much as come back to that place, to meet any child, I will come after you myself, is that clear?" When she nodded, obviously cowed, Snape turned away, looking at Harry.

The boy seemed to have recovered from his shock of being struck, and was currently staring up at Snape, his eyes dancing. Snape barely suppressed a smile as he reached out with his hand to grasp Harry's. "Come, Harry, we are leaving. I'm going to take you back to the orphanage now. I'll bet Marie will be waiting, and she'll be very happy to see you." He said, his voice becoming less cold.

Harry nodded, and began to walk forward. Before he had taken more then a couple of steps, however, he had stopped. He half-turned around, and his eyes fell on something. When Snape followed the look, he saw that Harry was staring at the dog he had reached for before. Harry looked away again, and began to walk, but this time Snape stopped him. While simultaneously throwing the Piccet's a sneer, Snape reached out and took the dog from the shelf. He then handed it to Harry, who stared up at him with amazement. Snape then took the boy to the counter to pay for his new toy.

Seeing that the boy's trip into town had been cut short, the pair ended up having time for a lesson after all. Of course, they had to retrieve Lily from Laura first, and then they had to decide on a name for the stuffed dog. Snape had always considered the naming of inanimate objects pointless, but he could understand the child's need to do so. And so he agreed that they could put off the lesson for a few minutes, and instead search through the book to find a good name for the little black and white dog.

Snape sat across from Harry on the floor as the latter flipped through the pages. Every now and then he would pause, study the picture, and then continue on. Finally, after what seemed like hours, although it was really only about ten minutes, the boy stopped for good, and flashed Snape a sign.

:Star

That must be the name Harry had chosen for his new, stuffed companion. Snape considered it a minute, and then he nodded, a tiny smile lighting up his face. "Star. A good name. Now, are you ready to continue with your lessons? I'd like to teach you some more words, and maybe how to make a sentence." He said, and when Harry nodded, they began.

Dumbledore was waiting for Snape as the latter walked into the small, circular office. Snape took his place in the chair across from the desk, and silence fell over the pair. Dumbledore waited patiently, knowing that the younger man before him needed to say something, but had no idea how to go about it. Finally, Snape sighed, and then spoke.

"There was a couple who came to the Orphanage in hopes of spending time with, and I'm guessing eventually adopting, Harry." He said with disdain, his lip curling slightly. Dumbledore, of course, could hear what had not been said, but he did not comment on that yet.

"You say that as if something changed their mind." Dumbledore said.

"Yes, I did. The woman struck him, Albus! I wouldn't have it! They were unfit to be parents." Snape's sneer curled higher.

"Well then, it sounds like everything worked out well. So…why is it bothering you so?" Dumbledore's voice softened. Snape glanced up at his mentor, and he couldn't help but feel defeated. He knew why this was bothering him, of course. He knew his mind rather well. But he didn't like it, didn't want to admit it. But he knew he must, he had to tell someone, and only Dumbledore could understand.

"As long as he is in that place, he could be adopted at any time, by anyone. And when he is adopted by kind, caring people, he will see that I'm far from nice, and will likely reject me. He will not want to see me again, and…I don't want that, Albus. He is…my last link to Lily." Snape could feel his voice catching, and hated himself even more for it. He wasn't weak, he wasn't.

"I think it is more then that." Dumbledore pointed out gently. "I believe that, and forgive me for saying it, that you have grown to care for the boy as himself, as well." Snape looked away, staring at his hands. He couldn't deny it; there was truth in the older man's words. He had begun to care for Harry, who was so innocent, and so very much like Lily. Harry, with his stuffed doe and dog, and his compassion for others.

Snape nodded, and he heard Dumbledore chuckle. His head snapped up, and he fixed the older man with a glare. Dumbledore smiled gently at him, and reached out to cover his hand with his own.

"Peace, Severus. I was only chuckling because I warned you that this might happen. There is no shame in caring for someone, my boy. In fact, it is a man's-"

"Greatest strength. You've said it before, Albus." Snape interrupted. "Albus, what can I do? It is almost inevitable that he will be adopted, and I don't believe I could stand being shunned from his life."

"Yes, it is always possible that it may happen. But for now, Severus, you have a chance to make an impact on his whole life. You have a chance to teach him to speak. Take your chance, keep teaching him. I believe the answer you are looking for will come to you." Dumbledore said quietly.

"You know what I should do." Snape said suddenly, fixing the man with an incredulous look. "You know, but you're not telling me!" Dumbledore chuckled again, but he didn't deny it.

"Yes, I know what I believe you should do. But you need to figure it out for yourself. I highly doubt you would appreciate what I would have to say." Dumbledore stood from his chair, and began to pace softly around the room. He stopped by Fawkes' perch, and stood there, running a hand through the phoenix's soft feathers.

"I shouldn't have even offered to teach him. My life was so much simpler before." Snape groaned softly, putting his head in his hands. What had he been thinking?

"No, Severus." Dumbledore said suddenly, turning to face the younger man. "Quite the contrary. I believe this decision was probably the best one you have ever made in the course of your life. Now, it is quite late, and you should get some rest. Think about what we've spoken of, Severus."

Snape got up to leave, his mind more befuddled then it had been before he had walked into the office.

"Oh, and Severus." Dumbledore said, even as the other left. "Do not shut the boy out of your life because of your confusion. He needs you just as much as you need him."