Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and ideas are the whole intellectual property of Ms. J.K. Rowling and are hers alone to sell. I do not receive, nor would I accept any compensation for any of the owned intellectual property of Ms. Rowling (nor that which she has licensed to WB etc.). What follows is just a wacky little ditty I wanted to get out of my brain. It only got there because I so love that which Ms. Rowling created. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 2: Now and Forever

Harry Potter awoke to a sudden brightness. Sitting up, he looked nervously around to the window where Severus Snape, the man he called 'Daddy', stood brooding.

'Good morning,' he said without preamble, and Harry seemed to search both the sound of his voice and the look on his face before answering in a very small voice.

'Good morning Daddy…' There was an awkward pause as they both seemed to search for what to say next. 'I'm sorry…' Harry said finally in a miserable, defeated voice that very nearly broke Severus.

'I'm sorry too,' he said, turning and looking directly at the boy. The look on the child's face was heart breaking. Severus was sure he was about to burst into tears at any moment, and in truth, Severus felt close to breaking down from nerves himself. 'Well,' he said with false cheer. 'We have to get you up and ready! Albus will be here any minute to take us to your aunt and uncle's house.'

'Are we going to get them to signature…?' Harry asked nervously. 'Are you still going to…'

Severus stared, shocked at Harry, who seemed to be holding his breath, terrified of what the answer might be. Does he really think I'd change my mind and not go through with… 'Yes!' he answered as soon as he regained control of his voice. 'Of course! Harry,' he moved quickly to the side of the bed and pulled the five-year-old boy to his feet, standing him on the big bed. 'Nothing would ever make me change my mind. A herd of rampaging Hippogriffs couldn't stop me from adopting you today, do you understand?'

'But…' Harry's voice was filled with awe, and surprise. 'Your lab… I… I thought – maybe…'

Severus pulled Harry off the bed and into a big hug to reassure him. 'Nothing, Harry. Absolutely nothing. There's not enough trouble in the world you could be in that I wouldn't still want to adopt you. Ok?' Feeling Harry nod wordlessly into his neck, Severus walked him over to the child-sized wardrobe and shifted him to one hip so he could free his other hand to pull out Harry's clothes for the day. 'What do you think? Blue or purple robes?'

'But don't we have to dress as Muggles to go see Aunt Petunia?'

'True, true,' Severus agreed, selecting a pair of dark trousers, and a simple shirt and waistcoat. Once he had Harry dressed, and his hair as combed as it would be, he drew him back to the wardrobe. 'But for the ministry later, which do you want: blue or purple robes? I will not have you seen at the ministry dressed as a Muggle.'

They were halfway through breakfast when they heard the front Floo activate. 'Finish your  breakfast, then wash-up and meet us in the front room.' Severus gave Harry a reassuring pat on the head as he hurried through to open the Floo to allow Dumbledore access to their home.

'Ready for the big day Severus?' Dumbledore smiled as he brushed soot off of his robes.

'You're not wearing that to visit the Muggles?!' Was his only reply.

'Bit nervous are you?' he winked at his young friend. 'Don't worry, I'll transfigure into something less obvious before we go, but I must confess that I'm not terribly comfortable in trousers – far too constricting for my tastes… Severus – you're positively green! What are you so worried about?'

'What if they won't sign?' Severus sat heavily, closing his eyes and leaning into the chair. 'What if they decide that they want him back?!  I'm only his second cousin, and with my past… if the Muggles put up a fight for him…' he sighed, looking up at his friend and mentor. 'I don't want to lose him…'

'Severus,' he interrupted him. 'They won't want him – they didn't before, and nothing has changed in their opinions of the magical world.' Dumbledore leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 'And if they put up any difficulties… well, you can just suggest to them the kinds of things that a fully-trained wizard such as yourself might do if he were forced to think too much on the condition he was in when we last collected him from them…' He winked, and Severus felt a small smile reaching his eyes as some of his nervousness dissipated.

'And here's Harry!  How are you my boy?'

'I'm fine, sir,' said Harry, shyly shuffling his feet. 'How are you?'

'If I were any better, there'd have to be two of me.' Dumbledore answered, shooting a curious look at Severus. Harry was never usually this reserved anymore with the Headmaster.

'Harry, you don't have to be shy. Yesterday was yesterday. Today is a day to be happy only. Alright?' Severus smiled at him before turning to Dumbledore to explain. 'He got in a spot of trouble yesterday in my lab. But we're not going to dwell on it today. So,' he clapped his hands, indicating that the former subject was closed. 'How are we getting there? Ah – portkey. Come along, Harry.'

***************

'… and here… here… and here… and that's it!'

Severus scowled openly at the Dursleys as Dumbledore uttered a quick spell to dry the ink on the final custody release parchments. He couldn't have been prouder of Harry. In spite of the nasty comments and looks his closest living relatives had thrown at him, he'd stayed calm and collected. And, though he was sitting on Severus' lap, leaning firmly against his chest and holding his hand, he was still facing the ugly looks of these people. Unflinching. At the sight of their wands, Harry's cousin 'Tubby', or 'Dubby-wubby' or some such thing (his mother seemed to have a never ending stream of 'pet' names for the large child) had hidden, bawling behind his mother's apron and had refused to re-emerge.

'Of course, we'll have to revisit the matter of the support James and Lily gave you before they died at some later time. Everything that was theirs will be Harry's when he comes of age.'

The large Muggle purpled and spluttered while his wife attempted to scowl contemptuously at him – amateur, thought Severus, showing her what a real scowl looked like.

'Shall we go Albus? I don't want to be late at the Ministry. Say goodbye Harry. You won't have to see these people again for a very long time.'

'Goodbye,' said Harry quietly, jumping down as Severus stood up, though he still wouldn't release his hand.

'Right, then,' smiled Dumbledore. 'The Ministry shall we Severus?'

'In a minute,' he replied, pulling his and Harry's robes from his bag. 'We're portkeying directly from here, and I won't have he or I being seen at the Ministry dressed like this.'

Dumbledore chuckled softly and transfigured his own clothes back into robes as he watched Severus adjust Harry's robes. 'Ah,' he sighed, winking at Harry. 'You should try without the trousers underneath – so much freer.'

The shrieks of shock and outrage of the Dursley's were the last thing they heard as they touched the portkey before landing in front of the Ministry.

Once inside, Harry very reluctantly allowed himself to be lead away from his father and Dumbledore and into a smaller room. There were two witches in the room – the one behind the desk looked very forbidding and stern (even more than Auntie Minnie, thought Harry), while the one seated on the other side of the desk smiled warmly at him and patted the chair next to her welcomingly. They explained that Madam Legert (behind the desk) would ask him questions about his father, and Madam Liverna  ('call me Betty, dear') would help him to understand everything and make sure he didn't get too nervous.

'When do I get to be adopted by Daddy?' he asked right away.

'Well, we're just going to ask a few questions, then we'll speak with Professor – your Daddy, then Professor Dumbledore, and that's it – you'll be all set! Alright?'

Harry nodded nervously and Madam Legert started asking what seemed to Harry to be the weirdest questions he'd ever been asked. 'What kinds of foods does he give you to eat?' – 'Er, all kinds – the elves at Hogwarts cook lots of stuff.' , 'Do you get fed differently during the summer when you're not living at Hogwarts?' – 'Er, well, less hot soup and more cold meats and such, but otherwise, not really.' , 'Does he make you wear a scarf when it's cold?' – 'Er, yes. And boots, and a warm cloak and mittens…' , 'Has he ever done anything to make you scared of him?' – 'Er, no. Not scared.' , 'What sorts of punishments has he given you when you've misbehaved?' …

It went on, and on, and Harry was thoroughly confused by the end of it until Madam Liverna (Betty!) asked: 'Harry, do you want Mr. Snape to be your Daddy from now on?' – 'Yes!' this question earned the first smile of the interview.

'What does it mean to you, to be adopted by him?' asked the stern Madam Legert again.

'Well,' Harry thought for a moment. 'I guess, that he'll be my Daddy for ever now, and no one can make him stop being my Daddy.'

'But you do understand that he's not your real father don't you?'

'He is too real!' Harry pouted, his eyes misting up.

'Is that what he's told you?' she demanded. 'What has he told you about James Potter and Lily – your parents?'

'Oh, them,' said Harry, calming down a bit. 'I know that they were my first parents. But the bad man made them go to heaven even though it wasn't the right time for them to go. It wasn't their fault, but they couldn't stop him. So now I have my new Daddy and he loves me.'

'What does Sna- your new Daddy tell you about your first parents?'

'Well,' Harry seemed to be thinking. 'He told me that even though he wasn't friends with them himself, that they both had lots of other friends – like Uncle Remus – Daddy takes me to see him sometimes and he tells me funny stories about when they were all at school… Um, Daddy says that,' Harry giggled slightly. 'That my first Daddy was really smart, and that I look a lot like him, and that he played Quidditch – I hope I can play as good as he did. Um, and that he was Head Boy, and Mummy was Head Girl, and that she was even smarter than first Daddy, and she was pretty, and my eyes are like hers…'

'Alright, Harry.' She smiled finally, and leaned forward on her desk. 'Do you love him?' Harry nodded, smiling. 'Does he tell you that he loves you?' Again, Harry nodded.

'All the time!' he rolled his eyes, grinning.

'Do you want him to be your new Daddy for ever and ever?'

'Oh, yes please!'

***************

Mine, Severus stared alternately from the signed document in his hand to the sleeping boy in front of him.  My son, now. Legally, officially, completely. I'm his Daddy now. And not just because he insists on calling me 'Daddy' anymore!

He was certain that no one on earth ever knew joy like he knew that day.

The ministry refused to allow him to change Harry's name, but they had been expecting that. The name Harry Potter meant too much to too many people. It was the name of hope in the Wizarding world that meant that good really could overcome evil. They compromised, and though it wouldn't be made public, Harry gained a second middle name: Harry James Snape Potter. Not a hyphenated last name. His last name would only ever be Potter, and Severus liked that. He knew only too well how important it is to never forget the past. He didn't care one whit about the name. It didn't matter. Harry was his – now and forever, and that was all that mattered.