A/N: More toddler speak, no translations. If you need them, feel free to review or PM me and I will be willing to provide. Hint: saying them aloud usually helps. Most are phonetic when speaking and an apostrophe is leaving out a letter or group of letters.

Chapter 7

Severus rocked the boy gently until he finished eating. Once he drifted off, he began to correct essays from his 3rd years. He did not notice the passage of time, until Jamie began to stir. That is when he looked up at the clock. It was nearly 6, when dinner would be served in the Great Hall. "Did you have a good nap, Jamie?" he asked the little boy softly.

He nodded and curled up against Sev's chest, having been sat up, and began sucking his thumb once more.

"Let's change your diaper then go to dinner."

"M'tay."

He cleaned him up quickly, and put him back in his pajamas. He carried the boy up to the Great Hall on his hip. The loud talking that normally took place was silenced immediately as they realized the rumors of their potions professor were true. Ginny Weasley broke the silence first as Severus walked past the Gryffindor table.

"Good evening, Professor."

He nodded curtly. "Miss Weasley." Since the afternoon, they had had an unspoken, tentative truce.

"Hello Harry," she smiled at the small toddler.

He waved shyly with his left hand, though it never left its death grip from the professor's robes, his other hand busy as he did not remove his thumb. "Hi," he muttered around his fist.

"If you'll excuse us, Miss Weasley. Enjoy your supper." He walked up to the Head's Table as whispers broke out across the hall. He took a seat next to McGonagall, holding Harry in his lap. "Jamie, what do you like to eat?"

He shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention and the question.

Severus prepared him a plate of bite sized foods, as he tried to remember what Lily used to feed him. He sliced a small piece of chicken, added a tiny pile of corn, a roll, and poured some chocolate milk into a sippy cup. He sat it on the boy's lap, holding it in his left hand still, as he prepared his own food.

"How is he doing, Severus?" Minerva asked him.

"He had a rough moment this afternoon, but he's doing better than I expected. He has slept through the majority of the day." He glanced down. "Jamie, please eat your chicken." He told the boy who was simply pushing it around on his plate, not having eaten even a bite of it.

"Did birdy have names?"

"No, the chicken did not have a name."

"Why?"

"Because the chicken was raised with the purpose of being eaten."

"Why?"

"Because people eat the meat of certain animals."

"That not nice."

"Your milk comes from a cow," Minerva interrupted.

He looked up at Severus, his eyes wide and fearful.

"It did not hurt the cow. She gave the milk willingly and continues to each morning."

"You sure?"

"I am very sure."

"So milk is not mean."

"Drinking milk is not harming the animals."

"Promise?"

He nodded. I promise." He banished the chicken off the boy's plate, replacing it with little cubes of cheese. He glared at Minerva as the boy returned to his meal. "Did you have to tell him that? It is difficult enough to get him to eat as it is."

"He is 3," she hissed back. "How was I supposed to know he is a vegetarian?"

"Lily always was, and I'm not shocked Harry is. He takes after his mother in far more ways than he does after Potter. I remember there was always chicken in the cupboard, for baby food, but I can't recall him ever eating any of it, despite Potter's attempts during Order meetings. The only reason he ever ate any sort of meat when he was older was because Miss Granger insisted upon it, and even then it was very little." He brushed a hand through the boy's raven hair. "He has long since been close to nature. The Parseltongue did not come from the Dark Lord, he and his familiar are very close, and he has been healed by Fawkes on more than one occasion. Whenever he is upset, he opens his bedroom window and longs to be outside. I'm not going to force him to eat things that he does not wish or goes against his morals."

"Severus, why are you indulging in a toddler's whims?" she scolded lightly.

As dessert appeared, he sliced some strawberries in a bowl which he gave to the tiny child without adding sugar, knowing he would like it better that way, and avoiding the guaranteed sugar rush were he to do so. "Jamie, don't clean your hands on your pajamas please; use a napkin."

"M'tay."

He turned back to the Head of Gryffindor House. "I am not indulging. I am simply doing what I must to get him to eat and eat healthy. Much of what is on this table he cannot eat without physically getting sick," he said firmly, though he did believe the child could do with a little indulgence.

"He would get used to it," she said, knowing he was speaking of the heavy, rich foods the house elves prepared for each meal.

"I never have."

"He is not you."

"Nor did I ever claim he is."

"You seemed to believe he was James."

"That was a mistake on my part. As I said previously, he takes after his mother in more ways than his father, including his health and eating habits. My habits happen to correspond with Lily's because we grew up together. Minerva, I am the child's guardian and I would appreciate if you could let me be." He glanced down at the squirming boy in his lap. "Yes, Jamie?"

"Can I go say hi to Uncle Moo'ey?" he pointed at Remus Lupin, who had just entered the Hall.

"Yes, you may." He sat the boy on the ground. He never removed his eyes from the child as he slid under the table, crawled backwards down the four steps before turning and running as fast as his little legs could carry him towards the werewolf.

Remus's eyes widened as he saw the young boy running towards him. He hadn't believed the letter he received from Ron Weasley, but had come to check it out anyway, as per the teen's request. He scooped up the toddler as he got close and hugged him tight. "Hello, my cub."

"Uncle Moo'ey, where Uncle Paddy?"

"Uncle Padfoot is with your mummy and papa."

"Daddy say they in sky."

"Yes, they are in the sky watching over you."

He nodded. "You want 'zert?"

Remus chuckled. "I would like that, yes."

"Go sit Daddy." He squirmed down and took Remus's hand before heading back toward the Head Table. Severus scoot his seat a little to the side and a new chair appeared beside him. Harry pat the empty chair then climbed up into Snape's lap. "Daddy, Uncle Moo'ey is gonna sits with us for 'zert. More sssrawberries?" he struggled with the word.

"You may have more strawberries at breakfast. It is almost time for bed," he said after glancing at the clock. He wanted the 3 year old to be in bed by 730 and asleep by 8. It was now 715.

"Me haf milk?" he yawned.

"Yes, you can have a bottle of milk. He picked up the bottle from the table and laid the boy in his arms as he had before. Harry closed his eyes, holding his blanket in one hand and Sev's robes in the other. He was asleep before the bottle was empty. "Well, wolf, did you see what you wanted?" Severus growled at the man.

"Severus, would you mind if we talked? I would appreciate understanding the situation, and not just Ron Weasley's version of events."

He sighed inwardly, though he did not show any emotion. "Very well, if you are finished, we shall retire to my quarters."

"I am."

They stood. Severus, still cradling the raven in his arms, led the way to the dungeons and entered his private quarters. "If you do not mind, I would prefer to speak in Jamie's room. I need to put him to bed, but would rather not leave him alone at the moment."

"Whatever is easiest for you. What happened to him?" he asked as the stern man lovingly, it seemed, tucked the child into a newly conjured crib. "Ron said that he has been living with you for the last six weeks?"

"He has. I am still ashamed to say that we all missed the abuse he had to suffer through, both here and at home. It did not help that the boy's magic and growth have been stunted magically, and he has spent so much of his magical energy on the glamour charms." He thought for a moment. "I must ask complete discretion, but I shall show you a few memories that will explain everything."

"I will keep it to myself."

He nodded. "I will be back momentarily."

Remus leaned over the edge of the crib and gently traced a finger down the boy's forehead and down his small nose. The child didn't look any bigger than he did the last time the werewolf had seen him, before he was a teen, about a week before that Halloween.

Severus came back in. He watched the sad, slight smile on Remus's face as he brushed his fingers lightly through the toddler's baby soft hair. "Look at all the memories," he interrupted softly. "They are all important. I will not be going in. I only now lost the impulse to kill." He sat the Pensive down as Harry began to whimper. He scooped him up, along with his blanket. "You're safe, Jamie, Daddy's got you." He began to walk slowly, bouncing slightly. "Shh….no one will hurt you, baby." He noticed Remus was just watching him. "Go on, may as well get it over with." The man entered the Pensive. He walked around for another ten minutes before trying to lay his son down. Harry whimpered, clutching at him. "Alright, it's okay. I won't put you down."

Another ten minutes passed. Harry refused to be set down and he squirmed whenever Severus sat down in a chair. "Come on, Jamie, I won't let anyone hurt you." He eyed the bed longingly. Whispering soothing nonsense, he walked over to the bed and lay back down, holding the toddler to his chest. "See that wasn't so difficult, now was it," he muttered softly, his right hand holding the child's head carefully, his left hand cradling the boy's bum just above his lower abdomen so he didn't slide off. He looked down as the small head shifted slightly to the left side of his chest then back over his sternum. He gently delved into the boy's mind.

Jamie was in the midst of stage 2 sleep, just coming out of a dream. The only feeling he could discern was contentment and safety as he listened to the heartbeat, felt the rise and fall of his chest, the smell of the sweet, slightly spicy smoke clinging to the soft, thick, warm robes, and the warmth of the hands holding him still. He pulled out unconsciously as he fell into a deep sleep, lulled by the warm body of his son and the warmth and security he was radiating.

When Remus came out of the Pensive nearly a half hour later, shaking with rage, he froze seeing the two men. His rage softened as he saw the peace on both their features, the blanket thrown haphazardly over the pair. He quickly transfigured the Potions Master's teaching robes into long black cotton pajamas and covered them both with the covers. There werewolf turned out the light and quietly left the private quarters before storming to the Headmaster's office.

"Raspberry Jam," he spat. The gargoyle jumped aside and Lupin nearly ran up the stairs. It was about 1015, but that didn't stop him from pounding on the door.

"Enter." He went in. "Ah, Remus, what can I do for you?"

"Why the hell did you send him to those Muggles? And how the hell did you not notice members of your own faculty cursing one of your students?" His voice was deadly low, just above a growl as he tried to keep his temper in check so his wolf form did not come out, despite the fact they were 2 weeks from a full moon.

"Remus, I apologize, I honestly did not know the full extent of everything going on with his…relatives. I had suspected minor neglect, but nothing to this extent. He was always a happy student; I never even considered it to be a mask." He held up a hand to silence the man. "In defense of the faculty, including yourself as you were one of his professors, even if for only a year, the boy has immensely strong magic, not shocking considering who his parents are. About 70% of that magic, from what we can figure, had gone naturally into glamour charms, including changing his height, weight, and blocking all of his scars and pain."

Remus forced himself to unclench his jaw. "Does the ministry know of his deaging?"

"No, nor is it in the plan to tell them, however, there are enough students here who will tell that it won't be long before they find out."

"They will never let a 3 year old stay at the school," he muttered to himself. "Harry is going to miss too many of his classes."

"Severus has been privately tutoring him for the last 6 weeks and is now near the top of his class."

"Who is his guardian?"

"That still rests with the Dursleys."

Remus jumped up and pounded the desk. "Dammit, Albus! I know you have the strings. You better damn well pull them and make Severus Harry's guardian. If it's not done by the weekend, Severus and I will pull our own strings." He left the office angrily, slamming the door behind him. The werewolf stopped in the Entrance Hall and took a deep breath. He looked at his watch. It had been 2 hours since he left the quarters. It was now near midnight. He made his way back down stairs. He muttered the password and curled up on the couch with a stack of parchments and a quill. He set to work.