DISCLAIMERS: I don't own anthing other than the plot. J.K. owns the characters and I just borrowed them to play with.

A/n: Re-posted 08/17/2013

italics = Thoughts

Chapter 12 – Diagon Alley

Breakfast that morning was one of the strangest experiences of Harry and Severus' lives. They were trying to be civil, but the peace between them was like the thin ice in a frozen lake, and any bad move could make it all crumble, taking both of them with it.

But Severus knew that, if they didn't at least try to make their way through the ice, they would never get to the point where the tension between them was at least acceptable, and that if they let things stay the way they were at that moment, the trust Harry had in him would crumble just as easily.

"Professor..." Harry broke the silence "Are you going to spend the whole day in the lab, sir?"

It was an innocent enough question, but the tone of voice used by the boy – timid and scared – made Severus shiver and be caught in a memory...

Severus was a little over seven years old, and he was sitting at the same place Harry now occupied... he looked anxiously to his mother while she drank her morning coffee... and just as soon as she finished it, she got up and went to the potion lab, without a glance in Severus direction. She just left him there, sitting by himself, having to find something to amuse him throughout the day. Alone.

He shook his head, to get rid of the memory that wanted to take hold of his mind. A moment later he was got a hold of himself and was able to answer Harry's question.

"You don't need to call me 'Professor' if we're not in a classroom, Harry. You can just call me Severus." in truth, he would love to have Harry calling him dad or father, but he knew they were nowhere near that stage in their relationship "now for your question; no. As far as I can see, your... previous guardian never did what they were supposed to do, meaning take care of you, so we are going to Diagon Alley today.

Harry stayed still, paralyzed. First by surprise, he wasn't expecting to be asked to call the stoic man by his first name. But then Snape had to mention the Dursleys – even if he had been careful not to say their names – and the notion of them alone made Harry freeze in fear. Fear that the man in front of him would go back to acting like the horrible potion master that humiliated him at every chance he got.

A minute later Harry was able to process all Snape Severus... I should start to think of him as Severus... had said, and Harry felt that good kind of warmth that comes when we realize that something good is happening. He wants to take care of me!

"Harry? Are you alright?" Severus was starting to worry, Harry started to tense under his eyes, completely silent. Harry never manages to stay quiet... he always has something to say to me... he thought, and for the first time his thoughts wasn't full of hatred and sarcasm when he thought of Harry.

"I'm fine..." answered Harry, his voice full of emotion "what are we going to do at the Alley?" Severus had a smug look when he talked

"Let's see. The first thing we have to do is go to the bank, so I can make you officially my son. After that, we'll see what needs to be done."

Harry smiled, and Severus smiled back. While they finished eating, the silence between then was much more comfortable this time.

"If you are finished" Said Severus after several minutes "we can go now." Harry nodded and got up. In that moment he felt like the most normal boy in the whole wizarding world, in his way to Diagon Alley with an adult that actually cared for him. With my... father. He managed to say, at least to himself.

WHOSSONWHOSSONWHOSSON

Walking through Diagon Alley with Severus Snape was an event. The people around them seemed to not know to which of them they should look. If to the Boy-who-lived, or to the infamous potion master who accompanied him. Harry felt almost relived, seeing that no one dare to approach him, nor did they stared at him for long in the presence of the older wizard.

Their first stop was the bank. The goblins seemed to be waiting for them, seeing as, as soon as they entered the building they were taken to a privet room.

"Master Goblin." said Snape in his usual no nonsense kind of voice, and the goblin didn't looked like he minded the man's tone.

"Mr Snape, the documents you required are ready" the goblin said, giving the man a pile of parchment.

Snape looked through them carefully before signing and turning to Harry "You need to sign this too, Harry." the boy looked a bit confused

"What are those?"

"The documents making me your official guardian, magically speaking." was the explanation.

"Oh..." Harry was suddenly taken with dread "but... it don't... change my name or... or..."

"You were magically adopted, which means it can't be erased." Severus could understand Harry's fear "you should see this as having three parents, and because of your magical adoption by James, all three of us are your biological parents. Where do you guess your hair comes from?"

"Oh... ok." With a better understanding of things, Harry read and signed in all the right places, meaning, wherever Snape told him to sign.

"Very well, sir, now you are legally the heir to two families, Mr Potter." said the goblin.

"Two?" asked Snape "I'm the first Snape with wizard blood so..."

"Yes, but your son has two magical parents, making him eligible as the heir to the Prince Family." explained the goblin.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked, all this talk wasn't making any sense to him. What in Merlin's name is this Prince family?

"Harry..." Severus started, but one look at the goblin and he changed course "Thank you for your time. We are leaving now. Come, Harry, this is a story for another time and another place.

Harry was curious, but Snape looked like he did before they all found out about the truth behind Harry's birth, so he decided to stay silent for the moment.

Leaving the bank, father and son went to a lot of shops, all containing something Harry needed. The silence was comfortable but full of expectations. It was mid-afternoon before Severus was satisfied that Harry now had all he needed. The boy now had a new wardrobe, full of clothes that actually fit him. He also had a new trunk, with a featherweight charm in it, so Harry didn't need to carry a heavy trunk all through Hogwarts ever again. They also bought all the books Harry would need for his fourth year at school, since Snape new which books his colleagues asked of the students.

It was almost three in the afternoon when they finally stopped at a small restaurant in the muggle side of London. And it was there that Severus told the Prince Family history to his son, after making it impossible for anyone there to listen to what they were saying, of course.

A/n: Reviews?