Harry awoke in the Hospital Wing he knew that, that was where he was the instant that he got a whiff of the air around him. It was further cemented by the sounds or lack thereof signaling that it was either night or nobody except him was currently residing in the Wing. He could hear some owls flying past though so- wait he realized that he could hear!

That was when yesterday came back to him. At least he hoped that it was only yesterday because he didn't want to wake and find that he had spent days here. If that were the case it would mean he had missed more classes. He wasn't worried about the Professors' reactions they would be easy to handle. But Hermione would shriek like a banshee saying that he was purposefully trying to avoid classes. Let her tell it the avoidance of class was the eighth deadly sin.

Decided he opened his eyes thinking that it would be a good idea to find out his current situation. He had expected to see Madame Pomfrey clucking about and ready to pounce now that he was awake. So when the sight that he was greeted with did not mesh with the expected one he rubbed his eyes to be sure that he wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough Severus Snape still occupied the obviously transfigured chair by his bedside. If he had needed any more proof that Snape was committed to creating a better relationship with him this would definitely be it.

Snape was curled in on himself in the chair still asleep. His hair fell over one side of his face and his robes were a bit rumpled from the night spent in the chair. Next to the chair was a table that held essays that he we grading. But the most startling thing was that someone had inserted into Snape's hand a small stuffed snake that was green with a stripe of silver on his head. It had to be one of the Professors that had done it because they were the only ones who wouldn't fear death because of it and what's more Snape didn't seem like someone that would be a heavy sleeper.

This suspicion was proven correct when Harry got up from the bed and tapped him on the shoulder. Snape jerked awake. He was halfway going for his wand before he realized that he was in the Hospital Wing and that it was Harry that had woken him up. Then he noticed the stuffed snake. For a moment he glared at the stuffed snake as though it had put itself there or maybe he was thinking that it was an insult to his person. But whatever he was thinking he eventually got calm enough where he could take out his wand.

Realizing that Snape was going to destroy the toy Harry yelled "Stop!"

Snape halted his actions and looked at Harry.

Harry reached up and saved the little stuffed snake from its fate and held it close to his chest to protect it.

At first Snape was shocked but then he realized that Harry had only ever had cast offs so it made sense that he had never had a toy before that was bought new for him or given to him new which he would rectify immediately. The older wizard felt a little guilty that he had been about to destroy it. Perhaps one day he should take him to a toy store. Purely so that he wouldn't go without being able to pick out a toy for himself no child in his care would go without that simple courtesy because that would reflect badly on him. Preferably he would be able to have this outing before Christmas since the boy would be staying with him and Albus was sure to go wild with gifts. He mentally shuddered at the thought of what Christmas would be like if he let Albus have his way. It was a terrifying thought.

Snape cleared his throat. "You can keep it." Snape said since the boy was still squeezing the toy tightly as though the moment he put it down he was going to destroy it.

For a moment Harry was stunned. Snape was letting him have it. He had never had a toy given to him before. The closest thing that he had ever had was an old teddy bear that he had rescued from the rubbish bin it had the stuffing falling out of it and used to belong to Dudley before it was thrown away and subsequently saved by him.

Then once again, Snape found himself in a position that he was starting to fear would be a daily occurrence if he wasn't careful. Harry was hugging him as though he had just been given the world's best gift and not a stuffed toy that had been about to meet the same fate as a few other of its make and model.

"Does he have a name?" Harry asked from his perch upon Severus.

"No, but feel free to name it."

"Silver," Harry said after a moment. "Silver the snake."

Snape rolled his eyes. "How original." He said.

Harry shrugged. "I was going to call him Severus but I didn't want him to get confused."

"Let me get this straight. You were going to give it-"

"Him," Harry interrupted.

"Him" he acquiesced "my name and you wanted to avoid confusion for him."

"Got it in one," Harry said with a smile.

"Merlin, help me," Snape sighed. "Here let me see him for a moment."

When Harry hesitated he said. "I'm not going to destroy it." He assured the boy.

After a quick murmured spell Snape handed it back to him.

For a moment Harry wondered what he had done to Silver. Then he knew. The snake was moving now, he wasn't alive in the conventional sense of the word but he was able to move, he was warm and he could also speak. For a moment Harry was stunned that Snape had done that.

"Hello," Silver said.

"Hello," Harry replied.

"Friend?" Silver aked.

"Of course I am."

"You're a Parselmouth!"Snape said voice cracking in surprise.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"You were speaking to a snake in the language of the snakes." Snape explained.

"Is that bad?" Harry asked a bit worried at the way that Snape was looking at him.

"No it's not bad," Severus hurried to reassure the young wizard. "It's a very special and rare gift but you must keep it a secret. A lot of people think that it is evil. It is not but people do think it is, so the less people aware that you can talk to snakes the better.

"Yes sir," Harry said holding Silver closer to him.

A little while later Madame Pomfrey returned to her lair and found Harry asleep in Snape's arms with a stuffed green and silver snake clutched tightly to his chest with one hand and the other hand balled into a fist clutching just as tightly to Snape's teaching robes.

Poppy couldn't help but sigh. It was quite an adorable sight and she intended to preserve the memory for a long time and perhaps show some of the other professors.

"Time to get up," Snape said quietly to his charge once he had caught sight of Poppy watching them.

Harry huffed out a breath and batted away the hand that had woken him. That accomplished he snuggled more fiercely into Snape and tightened his hold on the robe and went back to sleep.

Poppy laughed quietly and Severus sent her a look that was clearly screaming 'Help me!'

"Looks like you are going to be carrying him," Poppy said.

Snape looked at wondering what she was talking about since there was no way that he was going to carry Potter up to Gryffindor Tower.

"He should be under supervision for the rest of the day at least. I could find nothing wrong with him aside from the fact that something has drained some of the energy from his magical core. He is fine now and just needs to rest and I think that you should take him down into your rooms so that both of you can rest up a bit." The fact that she thought that Severus looked tired went unsaid. How the man still denied that he cared deeply for the boy was beyond her comprehension.

Nodding Severus pulled himself out of the chair surprised by his stiffness. Then he bundled up the papers that he had been grading and shrunk them so that they would fit in his robes all without jostling the primate that was currently clinging to him. With a nod to Poppy, Snape then left the Hospital Wing and headed down to the dungeons hoping that he met nobody that he knew, or anybody at all preferably, on the way down because it was bad enough that Poppy had seen him anyone else added to that and his life would be over.

"You're a lot of trouble you know that?" he told the prone form in his arms. Even though he was intending it to be a bit mean his voice came out a little too fond for his tastes. Good heavens what is this boy doing to me? He thought to himself.

The words permeated Harry's dream as did the tone with which the words had been spoken and he smiled happily.

When they got down to the dungeon Snape attempted to lay the boy down on his bed intending to take the couch again. When he tried though, Harry clung tighter to him with a strength that bellied his small form.

Bleary eyes blinked up at him pleading with him stay. Snape sighed and decided that he might as well just bury his old reputation now. It was becoming too hard to hold on to nowadays away.

"Let me get dressed for bed and I'll come back." He said. "I promise," he added when the hand still didn't let go.

"The pajamas that have the potions on them?" asked the still sleepy pre-teen.

Snape smiled a bit. He remembered that he had been wearing those when the boy had woken up here only two days ago and saw him in that stupid pair of pajamas that the Headmaster had gotten him for Christmas last year.

Why not? He thought. My image and pride are gone all ready anyway.

Ten minutes later Snape was wearing the requested pajamas and at the request of the boy he slipped into the bed with him and once again the boy was clinging fiercely to him. Snape was happy that it was the weekend. Hopefully he could sleep in.

The next morning Snape woke alone in the bed. For a moment he had to wonder why that was such a shock to him. Then he remembered that last night he had, had a small twelve-year-old was clinging to him.

After stretching he got up to see where the boy had gotten off to.

"Morning Professor," Harry called from the kitchen area when he heard the man moving around in the rooms. Harry had cooked breakfast. For the first time though, it was because he wanted to and not because he had to. Also for the first time he would sit at the table and eat something he had cooked with another person. Of course he wasn't going to tell Snape that because he had some pride and last night he was childish enough to last for years. Honestly he feared the reaction of the Professor this morning because Harry was a twelve year old and he had no right to act like such a baby. Harry had been terrified when he had woken up to find that everything that he had thought happened yesterday had really happened. As a result he made breakfast the muggle way to calm his nerves.

Snape for his part was surprised that Harry had cooked. Of course he had lived amongst muggles for extended periods of time so he had knowledge and familiarity with the muggle way of cooking but he had never expected that Potter would ever cook for him.

As soon as Snape sat down a plate was put in front of him. It had on it three strips of bacon and two scrambled eggs. On a spate plate were two fluffy, golden brown pancakes. To drink there was a pitcher of tea and another one of water. After Potter had finished serving him he dished out his own portion which was unreasonably smaller than the amount that he had placed in front of him. After the boy had fished that he brought out the rest of the food that he had made.

For a moment Snape was astounded there was enough extra for them to both have more than seconds yet the boy had only place one egg and one strip of bacon on his plate along with a marginally smaller pancake.

"Don't worry sir; I know to wash the dishes afterwards." Harry said when he caught the professor looking at him. he hoped that was what the look meant and that he hadn't done the wrong thing in sitting at the table and dining with him. Snape was still looking at him oddly and he realized that he had forgotten to pour the tea! That must have been why Snape wasn't eating yet. Hurriedly Harry got up from his seat and poured the tea hoping that Snape wouldn't be to mad that he had forgotten to do so in the first place. The last time that he had done that at the Dursley's he had gotten no food for the rest of the day.

"What is the matter with you boy-"

Harry looked down at his socked feet. That was the way that Uncle Vernon had started every sentence when he had done something wrong. It always ended with him being put out of the house or being thrown in his cupboard and later on being shut in the small room that Dudley had been forced to give to him.

Severus knew the moment that Harry had looked down and refused to meet his eyes that he had said something wrong. He didn't know what but somehow he had made the boy flash back to the memories of his past guardians.

"Potter," he called out trying to get the boy's attention. "Harry!" he called a bit louder.

Startled Harry's eyes shot up to meet Severus's and the potion's master could see that there were unshed tears there.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said that reminded you of them. I had merely wanted tell you that you are not my servant. So get back in your seat and eat then we have to talk okay?"

Harry nodded glumly; he was not looking forward to the conversation at all.

After breakfast the two wizards relocated to the couch. Where Severus, with a gentleness he was shock to learn he possessed, coaxed Harry into telling him a bit more about what those creatures, for the muggles didn't deserve to have those three lumped in with their kind, had done to him.

Harry only told him the basic things like starvation, the absurd amount of chores that he had been required to complete on the daily basis and how they had called him mean names and said bad stuff about his mom and dad. Severus knew that there was much more that Harry wasn't telling him and he had only hoped that the brutes hadn't done anything to the boy sexually.

Then Severus realized that he was guilty of some of the things that they were. Sure he hadn't beaten the boy of took away his food but he had said some mean things about the boy's father and insulted him on the daily basis. He wondered how the boy had been able to see past that and trust him in spite of it. Severus's facade had been broken by the awakening of protective instincts and worry that the child might die. But Harry was unconscious for all of that and had only known him, the real him, essentially for less than four days and already he was so trusting of him and Severus just couldn't understand how. If it had been him in the same situation he probably wouldn't have ever trusted anyone ever again especially an adult.

When Severus voiced this Harry looked at him as though he had just said that Delores Umbridge was the sexiest woman on the planet. Harry easily explained that while yes Severus had been harsh in his actions toward him it was because he was operating under the false assumption that everyone muggle and magical alike pampered him like a little prince.

Not sure what to say to that Severus went into the room and retrieved the bathrobe that he put over his pajamas and then he grabbed silver from the bed. Once he was back in the living area he handed the stuffed snake over to the child and went over to the fireplace to floo the Headmaster's.

"Ah Severus my boy, to what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your call?"

"I need you to come down Albus."

Catching the tone in his voice Dumbledore was down in the dungeons in mere moments.

"Harry you have to tell him what you told me." Severus told the boy pulling him onto his lap and ignoring the twinkle that the action ignited in the Headmaster's eyes.

After Harry told him the briefest bits of the torture that had been his childhood he could see that the Headmaster looked like he was torn between outrage and guilt. "You didn't know sir." Harry asked tentatively.

"Oh Harry. Of course I didn't know. You must believe me if I even had the slightest clue… of course I knew that they might harbor distaste for you because of your parentage and your inheritance but I never dreamed that they would harm you like that." Dumbledore said. His countenance had finally settled on outrage and it was clear to the two in the room that he w2as just keeping his magic under control because they could feel the build-up of magical pressure in the room.

With a vindictive smirk Snape made a suggestion. "What do you two saw say to a Impromptu trip to Surrey?"

For a second Harry looked a bit scared he had never wanted to go back there. But then his Gryffindor courage shone through and he nodded hesitantly. "You can take you invisibility cloak if you need to." Snape whispered to him. Harry looked surprised as though he thought that Snape hadn't known about that. Snape raised an eyebrow as though to say 'of course I know about that.'

Dumbledore had managed to calm down sufficiently and he now looked as eager to punish- umm discipline the cretins that had dare to harm Harry.

"Would you mind if I added one more to our party?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape knew instantly who Albus meant. Having Minerva with them would be fun since she was as protective of her lions as he was of his snakes.

"What will you do to them?" Harry asked.

"What would you like us to do to them Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "I'm sure that between Minerva, Severus, and myself we can accomplish whatever you desire."

"I just want them to know." Harry said quietly. "I want them to know what they did to me felt."

"It is a fairer punishment than they deserve but we will adhere to your wish." Then the old man's eyes twinkled a bit. "Can we at least appear in our robes when we go?"

Harry smiled a bit he knew that they would hate that and he quickly agreed. "Are you going to wear the bright purple ones?" Harry asked.

The old man puzzled for a bit. "No this occasion, I believe, calls for the pink ones."

"You have pink robes!?" Harry laughed in surprise.

"Severus bought them for me last year for my birthday. Quite thoughtful of him wasn't it?"

"I never thought he would actually like them," Snape mumbled

Less than half an hour later found them on Privet Drive. There were three wizards, one dressed in black teaching robes, one dressed in a new bright green dress robe with a stuffed snake wrapped around his neck that was moving every minute or so at his command, and the last in bright pink robes with his long silver hair pulled back in a ponytail tied back with a pink hair tie. There was also a witch with them carried by the pink clad wizard in her animagus form of a tabby cat.

They made quite the scene walking down the street on a Sunday afternoon. Soon all four of them reached the address of number four Privet Drive and the pink robe wearing wizard knocked on the door. It was answered by one of the fattest boy's that they had ever laid eyes upon.

"Dad! There are some weirdos at the door!"

When Vernon Dursley came to the door and saw the scene on his front porch he tried to shut the door only to be stopped by the tall wizard dressed in black. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Snape snarled tempted to do some of the small Dark Curses that he knew. It was obvious when the man had realized exactly who he had tried to shut the door on.

With that warning the group was ushered in with the utmost haste. Then the beefy man eyes alighted on the smallest male in the group and glared with a force that caused him to take a step back. Snape took a breath to stop himself from grabbing his wand and hexing the man. Then he picked up the small preteen and glared full force at Vernon before venomously snarling out, "You will never hurt what's mine ever again you worthless excuse for a muggle!" Silver hissed from his perch on Harry in agreement with Severus. Silver might not be poisonous but it would still hurt if he bit someone and the big bully might just be that someone if he kept acting the way that he was.

"Is your wife home?" Dumbledore asked.

Vernon nodded still shell-shocked.

Five minutes later all the inhabitants of the house were seated. The wizards and the witch that had come out of her animagus form on one side and the Dursely's on the other.

"So," Dumbledore said with his natural politeness. "We," he indicated himself and the rest of the magical folk present, "Are here to address the treatment that this young wizard had while he lived in this house. Now don't bother to lie for I already know the truth and I have seen the evidence of your tender care."

"I am normally a very patient and kind man but even I have a limit to what I can take. I for one wanted to turn you all into mice or something of the sort but young Harry here doesn't want you harmed and I promised not do anything against that wish. What he did want was for you all to feel what he felt," Each adult took a Dursley and cast a charm. It had no physical effects. It was all mental. Harry had given them a few of the more painful memories and those were what was now playing in the all three of the Dursley's minds. But instead of Harry in the memory it would be them experiencing exactly what they had put the boy through.

Harry watched as their expression went from pain to sadness and back to pain again and by the end he could tell that they understood how he felt. He hoped they would be better for the experience for he wouldn't be coming back to this place. Boy would never forgive them. Freak would never forgive them either. But Harry would. The façades he had cultivated for survival here would be left behind today. It had hurt so much but now people knew and he would never have to come back to this place again.

"Let's go," Harry said quietly.

All three adults looked at the youngest in the room. Nodded to one another and walked out of the door.

"Thank you," Harry said as they walked his eyes brighter than any of them had ever seen before.

Suddenly Harry found himself once more in the arms of his ex-most hated professor.

"How about we get some ice cream," The wizard suggested.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. It had been a long time since he had ice cream.

The two older wizards let the younger ones go ahead. So they were surprised when Severus turned around. "Aren't you two coming?" the man asked.

Albus and Minerva looked at each other wondering if the man had hit his head. Then they shrugged whatever had happened to him they liked this new version of Severus and then hurried to catch up to him.

A/N wow that was a lot. it's over 4000 words i meant to put umbridge in this one but it got so long i decided to split the chapter up here. Anyway i want to pair Sevy off with someone. any suggestions? anyone is fair game but Minerva because i think she and Dumbledore have something going on. oh and please dont suggest students.