A/N Discovered I've been working on this story for two and a half years already, and nowhere near finished. I do have other stories on my hands so updates will remain infrequent. Sorry.

Severus woke late the next morning. He turned on his back and stretched lazily, a happy smile on his face. The trip with Uncle Harry had been so cool, and now he was going to join his grandfather on their vacation. After the threat of not being allowed to come, he doubly appreciated the coming holiday.

His grandfather peeked around the door, and when he saw Severus was awake, came to sit on the side of the bed.

"Excited?" he asked.

"Of course," Severus sat up, "thanks for letting me come, Granddad," he said again, earnestly.

The Headmaster ran his hand through the raven locks of hair. "I promised I would never again threaten to take away our holiday, Sev. Especially not when you did nothing to warrant punishment in the first place. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" he tried not to think of the boy's past life, in which he HAD broken many promises. He had been doubly careful not to repeat that mistake in his grandsons life.

"No, granddad," Severus sighed and slightly leaned into the touch, "You just…you've never been that angry with me before. I was…"

"Scared?" Dumbledore finished gently, "I'm sorry I frightened you, child. I promise, even if you ever do something wrong and I am angry, that I will never be as cold with you as I was then. It was wrong of me."

Severus, feeling a little embarrassed by his granddad's apology, swung his legs over the edge of his bed.

"Cold," he shivered as his bare feet touched the floor. The Headmaster shook his head in exasperation.

"The same thing every winter. And every winter I give you a pair of slippers that you always leave out in the sitting room instead of putting them by your bed."

Severus had already overcome his reluctance to the cold and sped off towards the bathroom to wash and dress.

sssssssss

Though they took a short trip every year – to the much warmer regions of southern Europe, or a trip to the snow – they always ended their holiday by staying at the Leaky Cauldron to do their Christmas shopping together in the Alley. They had started that tradition when Severus was just shy of his fifth birthday, and enjoyed it so much they had continued. By now, Tom kept their usual room for them.

They arrived late in the evening after five days in Greece. Tom had stayed up for them with a warm snack, and after a good night's sleep they went off to the Alley to spend the day there. The day always included hot chocolate and Christmas Special ice-cream at Florean's – a ridiculous combination, ice-cream and chocolate, Gran Minerva always groused, but one both Severus and Dumbledore loved – and the bookstore. Of course, one did not rush Florean's Christmas Special. It just wasn't done. It was also quite impossible, as the ice-cream when first served shot stars for at least ten minutes before any attempt to eat it could be made.

In the morning, they visited several stores together to buy presents for their friends. Severus used his own money to buy a few things for his godparents and the children as well as any of his new Hogwarts friends he wanted to send something, but the other presents he and his grandfather gave together. Dumbledore wanted the boy to learn that spending money on others is enjoyable, but he also did not see the need to let the holiday season leave the child penniless. Especially not at Hogwarts, where after years of persuasion, Harry had finally succeeded in convincing his fellow professors to allow ALL students to visit Hogsmeade, not just third years and above. There wasn't any danger to it anymore, he had argued, and really, was it fair to leave the children cooped up in the castle all the time?

The snowy street was dancing with lights, enchanted to hover over the heads of the shopping public. Large Christmas trees decorated several store windows. Of course, Gringotts had no such illumination. The Goblin idea of decorating for Christmas included pictures of fierce, fire-breathing dragons falling to the Goblin hordes after the clever Goblin prankster, Slymouth, betrayed them. As he did every year, Severus shivered a little at the realistic, gory scenes but accepted that they were part of the Goblin celebrations. Goblins, his grandfather explained long ago, did not celebrate Christmas but the lengthening of the days after midwinter. Of course, Aunt Phoebe had long ago explained about Christmas and had told him not to object to the Goblins decorations. After all, she explained to the then six-years old, who sat next to her with his head on her swollen belly to feel the baby kick, trees had very little to do with it as well.

"Trees aren't bloody," Severus had pointed out, "and they don't betray people, either."

"True. But they have a different culture, Junior. Muggle Mythology has prankster like that too, but that doesn't mean Muggles go around doing that, does it? Just like the Goblins have nothing to gain by betraying wizards or murdering the dragons that work for them."

Today, however, the decorations in the Alley were bright and cheery, and quickly drove any thoughts of horrible battles from Severus's head. Edible Christmas decorations also floated above their heads, and Severus joined the many other children in the road in trying to catch some.

Then Dumbledore waited at Florean's while Severus purchased his Highly Secret And Confidential gift for his grandfather. He had twenty minutes to do so and come to the ice-cream parlour, Dumbledore threatened semi-sternly, or he would come looking for the boy.

Finally, they had settled in a quiet corner of the shop, blowing into their hot chocolate and watching the stars shoot from their Christmas Specials.

Then a voice behind them came in their direction. "Albus and Severus Dumbledore? Right over there, lad."

"Rick!" Severus said in excitement as he spotted his friend. Dumbledore looked around as well, but it soon became obvious that this was no social call. The young Diggory's face was red, tear streaked and tense. He rushed over to them and nearly clung to his Headmaster's robes.

"I don't want to go back, please, can I stay at Hogwarts? Please, I don't want to be Cedric anymore, I can't be Cedric anymore, I came to find you…"

The Headmaster, taken aback briefly, recovered enough to calmly pry the boy off him, sit him down at their table and give him a handkerchief.

"Wipe your face, child, and calm down."

Severus just stared at his friend. Rick was wearing a warm sweater, but only a thin cloak and no gloves or scarf. He had to be freezing. Silently he pushed his hot chocolate over to his friend.

Rick sniffed a little more but finally began to relax a bit into the warmth. He looked up at his Headmaster in fear.

"Don't make me go back, please, Sir!"

"Did you run away, child?" Albus gently asked. The shy nod did not come as a surprise. He had feared it would come to this, and cursed himself for not having found time to talk to the Diggories yet.

"I – They were disappointed that I am in Slytherin. And they kept comparing my grades to Cedric's grades – they even took out his grades from first year! I'm never going to be good enough for them, never. They want Cedric, not me."

A tear fell into the hot chocolate, and Dumbledore sighed.

"Well, I will have to tell your parents where you are, but I think you should drink that hot chocolate first. And have a Christmas Special, as well."

Florean Fortescue had enough foresight to have already prepared another hot chocolate and Special, so when the boys were eating contently, Rick still a little shaky, Albus used his Floo to call Arthur Weasley, who agreed to meet them at the Leaky immediately.

ssssssssssss

Half an hour later, in the Dumbledore's rooms and wrapped in a warm blanket by the fire, Cedric eyed Arthur Weasley cautiously. The man was a co-worker of his father, and an occasional family friend, so he did not expect much good.

Instead, the balding man listened to the stories he, Severus and Severus's grandfather provided, and nodded gravely.

"I understand," he finally said, "This is not a situation that can continue."

"Should we not inform his parents, Arthur?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked, pulling the man aside.

Arthur Weasley sent him a calculating look. "I think there's no rush, Albus. It wouldn't harm them to spend some time worrying about the child. It might do them a world of good to realize what they are missing out on if they continue this…this…abusive behaviour."

"Now, really, Arthur…"

The younger man held up a hand to stall any protests. "I realize they are misguided and hurt people who have no intention of abusing their child, but their behaviour is abusive all the same. Let them sweat it out for a bit – and we shall see if they go frantic and search the entire wizarding world for the boy…or…"

"I see your point," Albus conceded, "but we would be practically kidnapping the child by not informing his parents, wouldn't we?"

"He came to you on his own," Arthur shrugged, "I'm not talking about hiding him for weeks, Albus. Just a few more hours – perhaps until the morning. Take him back to Hogwarts with you, and I'll keep you apprised."

ssssssssss

Severus did not mind at all that his friend came to stay with him. He did not even mind much that his trip with his grandfather had been cut short a bit – after all, they'd only had one night at the Leaky Cauldron left before they would have returned home anyway. Granddad had put up another bed in his room and the boys went to bed early that night.

"Sev?" Rick asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think they'll make me go back home?"

"I don't know," Severus had to admit, "I don't think they are going to send you back without…you know…doing something. Talking to your parents."

"Fat lot of good that is going to do," Rick muttered.

"Mr Weasley and Granddad wouldn't just send you back when they know nothing is going to change," Severus had full confidence in his grandfather and the redhaired family, that he was of course familiar with. The elder ones, at least – There were Ronald and Ginny, as well, who were Uncle Harry's age, but Severus rarely saw them, and usually only very briefly at that.

"I hope so. I don't ever want to go back."

Silence reigned for a while before Severus hesitatingly turned to his friend.

"But do you…I mean…do you love them?"

Rick thought on that for a long time.

"I suppose I do, somewhere," he finally admitted, "I mean – they are my parents, and they aren't…they don't beat me and they give me stuff…only never things that I want, always thinks that Cedric would have wanted. Or according to them, anyway, because I never knew Cedric."

"Hmmm," Severus said sleepily, "Uncle Arthur will sort things out, and Granddad too, you'll see. I hope you can stay for Christmas – I would like it if you got to celebrate it with us."

Rick looked around, a little shocked but feeling warm. Here he was wanted, not as a replacement for a long-dead brother, but for himself. After all, Severus had not known Cedric either.

He turned over and closed his eyes as well – deciding that he would follow Severus's example and trust the Headmaster.