Things continued on much as they had for the next several weeks until one day when Dr. House asked Harry how he felt about their situation. "What do you mean?"

"Are you happy living here, or would you rather live somewhere else?"

"There isn't anywhere else, is there?"

"It's possible that social services could find you another home."

"Oh," Harry stared at his feet, "do I have to leave?"

Greg studied Harry for a minute and explained. "I'm just not sure that I'm capable of this parenting thing."

"But, you are. You feed me every day and you make sure that I'm not alone after school and you found a better school for me and you don't yell at me for just existing. Please don't send me away."

"I have practiced incredible restraint, but that doesn't mean that I won't ever blow my top."

Harry merely nodded. He could feel burning behind his eyes and he didn't want to cry.

"I just don't know. You might be happier with somebody else, somebody who would pay more attention to you." House glumly replied. Harry turned and ran to his room, slamming the door in the process. Greg shook his head and went to the kitchen to wrangle up something to eat. When dinner was ready, he called Harry to the table, but Harry didn't come. House limped down the hall and knocked softly on the door. There was no answer, so he opened it. Harry was lying on his bed. It looked as if he had been crying.

"Harry, it's dinner time."

"Not hungry."

"I expect you to come to the table anyway."

"I don't want to."

"Harry, are you going to start with me now? Get up, wash your hands and face and go to the table." Greg turned to walk out the door but then suddenly turned back toward Harry who was beginning to sit up, "One more thing, never slam the door again." Greg ordered a bit more harshly than he would have liked.

Harry came to the table, but he was grumpy about it. His dad chose to ignore his behavior.

A few days later Harry spotted his Dad's car and a strange car in the driveway when he arrived home from school. He decided to go to the neighbor's house like usual because he didn't know who the extra car belonged to. However, Mrs. Sprout called to him from the garden that he was to go on home. Something about the situation felt wrong to Harry, but he walked home any way.

His Dad was sitting at the dining room table with a lady who looked vaguely familiar. She smiled at him. "Harry, do you remember your social worker, Ms. Young?" asked his dad.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry stated. "Is she going to take me away?"

Ms. Young quickly answered, "I'm here to see how you and your father are doing. I don't intend to take you away." Harry just stared at his feet.

Greg struggled to his feet. "You two talk. I'll be in the other room if you need me."

Harry nodded as Ms. Young thanked Greg. After Greg had left the room, Harry just stood there looking wistfully toward the door. He had almost forgotten about Ms. Young until she asked him to sit down. Harry complied and looked at her expectantly.

Ms. Young cleared her throat and began,"Okay, Harry, you are looking well. I think you've grown at least an inch since I last saw you." Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, Harry, what makes you think that I'm here to take you away?"

Again, Harry shrugged, but Ms. Young waited. Uncomfortable with the silence, Harry answered, "A couple of weeks ago, Dad told me that he wasn't sure that he was a good parent."

"What do you think?"

"I want to stay."

"I didn't ask you if you wanted to stay. I asked you what you think about his parenting."

"Umm… he's different than my Mom was. He never yells at me and he said that he'll never whip me but that he might spank me. He doesn't hug me, but he always makes sure that I'm fed and he checks on me at bedtime."

"Okay. Do you ever doing anything fun with your Dad?" asked Ms. Young.

"We don't go many places, but we call out for pizza sometimes and he's really funny. It's fun just to hang out with him."

"I see. You mentioned spankings. Has he punished you?"

"Not really. Once he gave me a little smack on the rear end, but it didn't hurt. Another time I was really bad at school and he just gave me some advice. I try to be really good 'cause I want to stay here."

"You know, we might be able to find you a family where you'd have a Mom and a Dad and maybe even brothers and sisters."

"But that's not what I want. Why doesn't he want me?"

"Oh honey. I don't think that he doesn't want you. He wants what is best for you. Can you see that?"Harry just shrugged. "Do you have homework?" Harry nodded. "Okay, well you work on that while I speak to your Father a few more minutes. Okay?" Harry smiled as he thought about Greg imitating Ms. Young by saying, "Okay, Okay?" in a high pitched voice. His Dad was funny.

"I'll get him."

Harry considered listening at the door as his father and Ms. Young discussed him, but he thought better of it and went to his room to complete his homework. After awhile he heard Ms. Young leave, but he just kept reading. He didn't want to see his Dad right now. It might make him feel worse, but everything seemed normal at dinner. Since his father didn't bring up Ms. Young's visit, Harry didn't say anything either.

Harry didn't sleep well that night and was grouchy the next morning. Dr. House didn't seem to notice. Harry had figured out that his Dad wasn't a morning person within two days of living with him. Mr. Snape, also not a morning person, noticed that Harry was in a foul mood as soon as Harry stomped into the classroom five minutes late. Mr. Snape reached out for Harry's late pass, but Harry ignored his outstretched hand and headed for his cubby. "Where's your tardy pass, Mr. Potter"

"I don't have one."

"Go get one."

"Okay. Whatever."

Mr. Snape frowned, but Harry was already walking out the door and didn't notice. When Harry hadn't arrived back at class ten minutes later, Mr. Snape called the office and was informed that Harry had not come in for a late slip. "We better find him," Snape responded. All available members of the crisis team were paged to come to the office. Snape left the teacher next door in charge of his class and walked to the office, stopping to check the boy's restroom on the way. After twenty minutes the school had been thoroughly searched. It was time to call the police and inform Harry's father of the situation. After a quick conversation, Dr. House headed for home and the police put out a bulletin about the missing child. Within fifteen minutes he was spotted by an officer in a cruiser. Harry, who had been wandering around the neighborhood trying to figure out what he was going to do about the mess he was in, was startled when the officer approached him. He tried to run, but the officer just grabbed his arm. Five minutes later Harry was delivered to his home where his irate, but concerned, father was waiting.

Dr. House sent Harry to his room and called the school to inform them that Harry was safe. He was informed that he and Harry would need to come in later that day for a conference.

Meanwhile Harry sat on the floor with tears streaming down his face. He didn't know what to expect.

Dr. House's phone rang. It was a member of his team. Couldn't they get along without him for five minutes? Greg quickly consulted with the caller and sat on the couch to consider Harry. He seriously didn't want to spank the boy, but perhaps that would get through to him the best. Still considering his options, he limped to his son's room. After knocking lightly on the door, he entered to find his son on the floor.

Although Harry wasn't sobbing any more, it was clear that he had been. Greg went into the bathroom and got a warm, wet wash cloth. Then he lowered himself into Harry's desk chair. "Harry, come over here please." Reluctantly, but promptly, Harry stood up and walked over to his father. Greg used the cloth to clean Harry's face and gave him a tissue to blow his nose. Once Harry's face looked respectable again, Greg told him to sit on his bed. Harry did so. Although his face pointed toward his father, his eyes were on his knees. "Harry, look at me please." Harry looked at his father's face and was surprised that his dad didn't look angry. "Now, tell me what happened."

"You already know," Harry mumbled.

Greg sighed, "I know what Mr. Snape and the police officer told me. I don't know your side of the story."

Harry took a deep breath and Greg nodded encouragingly. "Well, I didn't sleep very well last night."

Harry paused. "Go on," Greg said.

"I kind of felt lousy this morning and I guess I was a bit too slow because I got to school late. I rushed into my classroom and started to put my bag away, but Mr. Snape wanted my tardy pass. I hadn't even stopped by the office, so he sent me to get one. I just kinda dropped my stuff right on the floor and left the room. I knew I'd be in trouble for that and for being late and I got scared, so just left. I was on my way home when I realized that I'd just gotten myself into bigger trouble. I didn't know what to do, so I just started wandering around. That's when the cop found me and brought me home."

"I see. Can you tell me why you didn't sleep well last night?" Dr. House asked.

"Umm…well, I guess I was upset about yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah, that lady came."

"You mean the 'okay' lady?" Harry smiled faintly and nodded. "That really worried you, didn't it?"

"Now you're gonna get rid of me."

"What makes you think that?"

"I was bad. You don't really want me, but I figured if I was really good and didn't get in the way, you might keep me, but now you had to come home from work and everything." Harry was crying again.

Dr. House looked thoughtful,recalling how scared he had been when Harry had been missing. "Harry." The boy's green eyes shifted upward. "Ms. Young was just here on a standard visit. Social services needs to be sure that you're doing okay." He paused and added in a perfect imitation of Ms. Young, "Okay?"

Again, Harry almost smiled. "Oh."

"If you're comfortable staying here, then I think we'll just keep muddling through."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Well, that's settled, but you still need to be punished," Dr. House stated firmly.

Harry looked up. "Are you gonna spank me?"

"Not this time. However, for the next week you are confined to your room, except for meals and school. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"From now on, I expect you to be where you're supposed to be. If you pull a stunt like this again, I will spank you. Got it?" Harry nodded. "Good, now get cleaned up. We have a conference at your school."

The meeting at school was mostly what Dr. House had expected. Harry was scolded by both the principal and Mr. Snape for his foolish actions. The punishment was rather inventive. For a week, Harry was to be escorted everywhere from the minute he stepped foot on campus until he left. He would eat lunch in his classroom or in the office, depending on Mr. Snape's lunch plans each day. During recess Harry would have to play in an area designated by Mr. Snape.

When the meeting was adjourned Dr. House shook hands with Harry's principal and teacher. As he made eye contact with Mr. Snape he noticed the other man checking him out. He returned the eye contact and deliberately shifted his eyes down Snape's slim body. "Let's meet again next week to assure that Harry is ready to return to his normal schedule," suggested Mr. Snape with a wink. Dr House smiled and nodded as Mr. Snape escorted Harry back to class.

Harry didn't really mind spending all of his time in his room. That's what he did most of the time anyway. It was embarrassing to be escorted all day at school, but surprisingly enough Snape was decent about it. He didn't constantly make hurtful comments or continue to scold Harry for leaving the building. In the past teachers had been threatened by Harry's intelligence, but Mr. Snape challenged Harry every day without being demeaning. He didn't even make Harry feel stupid about requiring an escort. However, it was the last day of his punishment before Harry felt able to apologize to Mr. Snape for leaving the school without authorization. That was also the day that Harry's dad came in for a follow-up conference.

Harry sat quietly at his desk while his father and teacher spoke in the conference room that was attached to the classroom. At first he had tried to watch through the glass hoping that he could get some idea of what they were talking about, but Mr. Snape had come out and told him to turn around and do his work. Harry had complied, but he was pouting.

While Harry pouted at his desk, his father and teacher were discussing local gay bars and setting up a date. They decided it would be better not to share their plans with Harry as they weren't sure how he would react. After a few more minutes of idle chat, Greg collected his son and went home.

That Friday night Mrs. Sprout stayed with Harry while his father went out with a friend. Harry never suspected that the friend was his teacher.