Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I only own the plot.

A/N: Okay guys. The thing is, I was reading this story this morning and I realized that I have made more than a couple mistakes. Sorry. My only beta is me, so please forgive all of my mistakes.

Chapter 27

It was weird, Harry decided. Really weird. A year ago he would have never believed that he would be in this position. He was in Snape's private quarters, and he called Snape Severus, and the man didn't hate him, and he was also with Draco Malfoy, who was his boyfriend and he was allowed to kiss whenever he felt like it. And they both knew his secret.

Harry had honestly planned on never telling anyone his secret. He had been prepared to go through life without letting anyone know. He didn't see why he should have told someone, because he didn't think that anything would change.

He had told his elementary teacher once. Her name had been Ms. Smith. She was nice, especially to him, and one day he had just told her. He hadn't meant to, but it slipped out, and then she was asking for the whole story. It had been early in his life, before the belt, but he had still had plenty to tell her. She went to the principal. The principal in turn went to Uncle Vernon. He and Aunt Petunia had managed to butter the man up, assure him that Harry was loved and merely a hooligan that liked to tell tales. The principal had believed them, and then Harry had gotten the beating of his life. And once he went back to school the one person he had on his side, Ms. Smith, hated him.

It had set the standard. Harry had never considered telling anyone else how his life was, because he knew that they would never believe him and that he would just be punished.

And so the idea that both of these people believed him, were helping him, was not only weird, it was surreal. Harry was sure that one day he was going to wake up and realized that this was all just a dream.

"Eat your food and stop playing with it," Severus told him, getting up from the table. Harry glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised. To his complete surprise, the man was almost as bad as he was with playing with his food. To tell Harry to stop seemed completely hyprocritical. "Stop looking at me like that, you brat."

Harry turned back to his porridge, a slight smile on his face as Draco chuckled. He realized with a jolt that he was going to miss having breakfast like this, just Draco, him, and Severus. It was peaceful and homey in the way that the loud and bustling Great Hall wasn't.

"Harry," Draco prodded him gently and Harry turned away from his thoughts. They were just foolish anyway. He needed to stop thinking about Severus' private quarters as homely, because that would encourage this stupid idea inside of him that this was the closest thing he had ever gotten to a home and a parent.

It was stupid, really.

"Yes?" He asked Draco, perhaps a bit too late. Draco smirked at him.

"Do you want to go flying this morning?" He asked. Harry nodded enthusiastically. Flying was exactly what he needed to clear his head and rid him of these ridiculous notions. Severus stepped back into the room, looking disgruntled.

"Those plans may have to be put on hold, Draco," He addressed his godson. "Harry and I have a meeting scheduled with the Headmaster."

"He's back?" Harry asked in surprise. Dumbledore seemed to be out of Hogwarts more often than he was in it these days.

"Indeed," Severus said, looking at Harry's bowl. "And finish that food. You're too scrawny."

"I'm not scrawny," Harry said defensivly, trying to ignore that little voice shouting 'see! see!'. He wished that Severus would stop acting like his parents. Then it would be easier to convince himself that he wasn't.

And that would stop Harry from getting hurt in the long run, because he Severus really was not his parent, and soon he was going to make sure Harry knew it.

Severus glanced over at Harry. He hadn't been quiet, per say, but he was acting differently. He couldn't quite say what was different, but he could tell that something was bothering the boy.

Great Merlin. He was developing an instinct with James Potter's son.

It was the first time in a while that Severus had considered Harry as James Potter's son, and he was surprised to find that the usual anger didn't come. Perhaps it was because he had finally noticed that Harry was not his father, or perhaps because he had finally let go some of that anger that had been fueling him, but he no longer felt the urge to throttle the boy whenever he thought of him in such a way.

"Are you alright?" He found himself asking before he knew it, though he wasn't sure he even really wanted to know.

"Hmm?" Harry looked up, green eyes muddy with thought. "Oh yes. Just curious about what Dumbledore's going to do."

"Aren't we all," Severus said dryly. If the man said greater good just once, he was going to hex him.

They walked to the door and Severus said the password to the gargoyle, who nodded. The door swung open and Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulders, ushering him forward.

He's not your parent, he's not your parent, he's not your parent, Harry chanted to himself. The memory of Severus' arm around his shoulders taunted him. He's not your parent, he's not your parent, he's not your parent.

"Was there something you needed, Albus?" Severus prodded after declining the lemon drop.

"Oh yes. We need to discuss what will be happening next summer." Dumbledore said. Harry stiffened. "Now, I know you came to me with concerns Severus, but I don't think that you really considered everything."

"He's not going back," Severus said darkly. Harry cradled his head in hands. He wanted to tell Severus that it was no use, because whatever Harry said was never enough to save him from going back, but he bit his tongue.

"He must. There is no other place for him to go," Dumbledore said. Severus scoffed.

"Surely Molly Weasley will take him in," He said.

"Molly's house is being used for many Order meetings. It would be too dangerous for Harry to be there." Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sorry Severus, but there is nowhere else for him to go."

Harry sighed. That was always the way, wasn't it? No one wanted him.

A warm hand with slender fingers went over Harry's shoulder, and Harry startled.

"He can stay with me."