A/N: In My third chapter I said Harry fought a Chinese Fireball, he actually went against a Hungarian Horntail: Thank-you to those who pointed it out, it was much appreciated. And to those with no idea what I'm talking about, that is because I have now fixed the chapter!

Man I am having a bitch of a time getting this to update… I've been trying for the past 3 hours! Bloody computers!

Thanks to those who reviewed, you guys rock! Keep it up please!

Chapter Four

Harry refused to be the one to break the uncomfortable silence he and Snape were now 'enjoying'. He wasn't the one with something to say, he had no need to explain himself. Hell, he didn't have some 16 year old son, with some 14 year dead married women, who was passed off as her equally dead husband's kid. He didn't, after 16 years, show up and suddenly make some 'who's your daddy!' comment! But no, Harry realized, he wasn't bitter about being forced into this at all.

Snape knew it was his responsibility to break the silence, knew it was up to him to somehow find the words. Watching his son, and thinking about the way he had handled things this morning, Snape made a decision and hoped to any power above that may be listening that it was the right one. Sugar-free honesty…

"Harry I don't really know where to begin or how to say this in some way that won't seem so wrong, so I'm just going to give you the facts and we'll go from there. Maybe if we both at least know the situation we can decide on which direction to take."

Severus received no response, but he really hadn't been expecting one. Harry didn't even bother to look Snape in the face. At least the git was smart enough to realize that Harry needed to at least get a handle on the basics of this situation before he could attempt to react to it.

"As you already know I went to school with your pa- with Lily and James" Shit he was screwing up again. "What you don't know is that Lily and I were friends, she was extremely studious, much like your Ms. Granger, and I was the same. We saw each other so often in the library that we took to, at first, just nodding across the room before each settling in to study but at some point we started to talk, and by the end of first year she was one of my closest friends. As we got older we remained best friends despite the obvious obstacles- she was a Gryffindor, I was a Slytherin. She was muggle-born and well we both know the political leanings of my youth. We used to spend hours fighting about whether muggles should be aloud into the wizarding world. I tended to simply consider your mother the exception to the rule, she of course didn't see it that way. By the end of our 4th year, in an effort to stop extremely repetitive fights, we agreed to disagree, and declared that we would never discuss politics again."

"Without that obvious point of contention always between us, and our friendship growing we started to date in 5th year, right up until about the second month of 7th year. See, in 7th year you'll find that yourself and all your friends will become very focused on what you re going to do after Hogwarts. It was then that Lily realized that just because we didn't talk about didn't mean I didn't still have the same beliefs; she realized that I would at the very least be a Dark Lord sympathizer, if not join the Dark Lord. She couldn't date somebody who in essence hated her. Not her, but muggle-borns, of which she was one. She ended it, and despite our best effort our friendship didn't survive our split. A few months later she started dating James."

Severus wished he could stop there, actually be wished he never had to tell any of this story but that was not to be the case. He spoke about Lily and James' engagement and his decision to join the Dark Lord and then he reached that pivotal event.

"It was about 2 months before she was to marry James when Lily showed up on my doorstep. Despite the fact that we were no longer friends, I did still care for your mother and she seemed so upset. Over tea we talked for what seemed like hours. She had become unsure as to her course of action, she told me muggles call it 'cold feet'. I guess she needed to know that we were really over, that we could never work out. I guess you could say we were each others first loves and… I guess somehow things got out of control that day."

Harry understood what he meant just fine and really hoped Snape didn't elaborate on that comment. The really annoying thing was that Harry couldn't particularly fault them yet, he understood the story, understood their actions, even understood, in some abstract way, the need to see your first love again before getting married.

Snape was already talking again, going on to tell Harry about Lily finding out she was pregnant, telling James, them deciding together to keep Harry's true parentage a secret. Harry was relieved to hear that James had known he wasn't his, relieved that when James made the decision to die for his son he had known full well Harry was a son of his heart and not his blood. And still Harry couldn't really fault Lily and James, not even Severus really. He hated that his fucked up psyche meant that screwing around behind your fiancé's back was okay, but the simple fact was that he could understand it.

Learning about the glamour he was under answered some questions Harry had always had but that didn't seem too important right then. Actually only one thing seemed to be of any note right then. And that was that Dumbledore had again kept vital information about his own life from him! He thought that the prophecy was the last of his secrets that was being kept secret even from him, but apparently not. And if that wasn't, what made him think this was?

But Snape had stopped talking now, and was looking at Harry waiting for him to say something, or hell throw something, slam something, just DO something! So Harry really had no time just yet to process this new betrayal of Dumbledore's, he instead had to focus on what his apparent father was telling him.

"Okay, so… you are the man who contributed half the DNA which created me. That's interesting. I understand what you've told me, I get it, and relax, I don't fault your actions, or her's and hey, James really was a pretty innocent little lamb in all this so he's all clear."

Whatever Severus had been expecting this easy acceptance wasn't it. And he really wasn't expecting to be referred to as 'the man who contributed half the DNA which created me'. He froze, none of the little scripts he had been working on furiously since he found out ever went this way and now he had no idea what to do. And Harry didn't seem inclined to give him time to figure it out…

When Snape didn't say anything Harry decided that retreat was really the best policy in life (those who said honest was were obviously insane). To this end Harry brought them back around to his earlier statement. "I really should be getting back, sir. I have chores and I was supposed to be home by breakfast." Somehow, knowing now what he knew, Harry couldn't call Snape 'professor' anymore, though he hated it 'sir' would have to do.

This statement brought a rush of words back to Severus, and gods he wished his son would stop doing that to him. He couldn't just let him leave, had to at least reach some kind of resolve. Going with his gut had seemed to work earlier when he lay everything out for Harry, he had managed to explain the situation without creating either a homicidal or suicidal teen. Maybe it would work again…

"I was hoping that perhaps you would like to stay here? I would like the opportunity to get to know you, and I was hoping that you would get to know me too, and Cassi would of course love to have you." He didn't know it but it was actually the next line which reached Harry, made him pause to think, "Tainen would love to have a big brother around I'm sure"

This was it. Harry had always wanted a family, but still- Snape? He had never been a son before, and at this point in his life it wasn't something he was prepared to try. He knew that he wasn't 'son' material. But a big brother? That was something he had never even given a thought to beyond Ginny Weasley, and she didn't really need any more big brothers. But this little boy, he was so bright and happy. In the two minutes Harry had spent with him, despite his hangover, he had lightened Harry's mood so much. The cynical part of Harry knew that the boy would lose that innocence soon enough, but some new part of him, some part he had never felt before, some part which seemed to have been born when Snape said those words, wanted to protect Tainen from the world.

Harry wasn't used to these sorts of feelings. He only felt this strongly about a few people and never this quickly. But somehow, like a bloody magic word he suddenly wanted to be that little boy's big brother. He may have never been, and may never be a son, but he could be a big brother. And he would be brilliant at it, this he would do…

But he couldn't live here. 9 months out of the year he had to pretend, he only got 3 months to himself and he knew that if he were to stay with Snape he would need to find some other form of 'stress release'. At least when he stayed with the Weasley's during holidays stress relief was still obtainable, and their house was one of the less stressful places he had ever been. Rarely did they make him want to claw his own skin off. But living with Snape? With no sex, drugs or alcohol?

"Umm, I'm not sure that's practical sir. Umm, I have things to do, I only get to see my friends for a few months a year, I'd hate to be so far away from them, and I have some plans that can't be cancelled, and, well, umm… look, living with you could be exceptionally awkward, I don't think you'd be thrilled when I stumble through the door at 4 am smashed and I will, so I really think I should just stay where I am. But, I mean, that big brother thing… I kinda liked that, so maybe I could visit or something…"

Harry seemed to run out of steam, not really knowing how he could possibly make this work, but wanting it too. Lucky for him, Severus wanted this to work even more then he did, hell, he would probably have agreed to let Harry throw his disgusting little orgies in the guest cottage if it would just get him to stay, well okay maybe he wouldn't go that far.

"I understand what you're saying. I guess that you probably do miss your friends, and I can understand if you have plans organized but I would really like you to stay here. So how about if you had a password activated portkey, which would take you to a designated spot in Little Whinging when you spoke one password and then would bring you back here when you used a different password. If it was something you had on you all the time, like a ring, it would allow free travel between the two locations and, because I would really like to try to make this work, I won't comment at all on any 4 am stumbling I hear."

Although Snape sneered through most of his response Harry was impressed, and more then a little shocked. Snape must really want this. Harry would really rather not think about the possible implications of why Snape would want this so bad and instead focused on the positive- He would get to be near his little brother all the time. He could still relax when he needed. He could still see his friends and go to that concert tomorrow night. And he would be free of the Dursley's! No more dealing with being called a freak, doing all the chores, the occasional slap for whatever indiscretion, and all the other little things which made home life suck. He had been there long enough to reinforce the wards, he could leave, and Snape couldn't really be any worse could he? Plus, life here was looking pretty good, plenty of food, room, sunshine and fresh air. Plenty of pros, only the one major con- Snape- but all up, pros win!

"I think that sounds like a nice idea sir. I'll have to head back to my relatives to get my things but otherwise, I would like to take your offer to stay for the rest of the summer."

Severus contained his happiness with this turn of events only through long practice, 'maybe this will work, maybe we can make this work…'

"Oh except tomorrow night, I'm staying in London with friends over night, other then that though…"

Or maybe it won't be that easy…

If you don't R&R I will personally call your mother and tell her what a naughty little thing you have been!

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