Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
Severus faced his floo, a scowl on his face as Granger and Draco stepped out and into his sitting room. He never let anyone into his quarters except Albus and now three students were going to be spending time here.
"You wanted to see us, Sir?" Hermione asked politely.
"Yes. I am acting as guardian to Potter and -"
"What? Why doesn't he just get sent home?" Draco asked. "He – ouch!" He glared at Hermione as he rubbed the spot on his arm that she hit.
"To the relatives that starved him?" Hermione asked sarcastically.
"Oh. Right," Draco said with a slight grimace. "Well, what about his godfather?" At Hermione's wide-eyed look, he smirked. "Yes, I know you guys are in touch with him. I hear things."
"And it is something that you won't share with anyone," Snape hissed at him. "Just like you won't share the news about Potter with your parents. Correct?"
"I haven't written to them or anything," Draco said quickly. "I haven't told anyone."
"Keep it that way," Snape said. "As to why Potter is not with his godfather, it has been decided he will be safer here. Also, I can observe him as I try to reverse the de-aging."
"Oh, that makes sense," Hermione said with a nod. "So what do we tell everyone about Ron and Harry?"
"The Headmaster decided we'll tell them they came down with Goblin's Cough," Snape said. "It can take up to two weeks to treat so it gives us a little time. It's highly contagious so telling everyone they were sent home to recover will be plausible."
Hermione nodded, wringing her hands slightly. "They'll miss so many lessons!" She fretted.
Draco snorted. "Like Potter and Weasley care about that."
Hermione glared at him. "I care. We have O.W.L.s this year!"
"I'm sure they can get caught up," Snape said dismissively. "As for you two, you can study here the times I need you to watch Potter. Like right now. He's already had dinner so -"
"Wait. So we have to help babysit Potter?" Draco asked incredulously.
Snape leveled him a glare. "Since you are part of the reason he is a toddler, yes. And stop interrupting me," he added in irritation.
"Sorry, sir. But it wasn't my fault what happened to Potter!" Draco protested.
Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Yes, it was!" She snapped at him. She looked at Snape. "What if he hurts Harry?" She asked.
"You think I would hurt a toddler?" Draco asked, clearly affronted.
"Yes, especially if it is Harry," Hermione said bluntly.
"He won't hurt Potter if he knows what is good for him," Snape said, a slight threat in his voice as he stared at Draco.
"I wouldn't hurt a little kid!" Draco protested. "Even an annoying one like Potter." He added.
Just then, Harry raced into the room. "Nape!" He shouted happily.
"No need to shout," Snape scolded, although his voice was much softer as he addressed the little boy. "And no running indoors." He told him.
"Hi, Harry. Do remember me?" Hermione asked brightly.
Harry looked at her curiously and then shook his head.
"I'm Hermione."
"Ermyne?" Harry scrunched up his nose as he tried to say her name.
"Aw, you're so cute," Hermione cooed. It was true, Harry was an adorable toddler. "Hermione." She said again.
"Heronee?" Harry tried again.
"Try this. Mione," Draco said.
"Mione," Harry repeated.
"Good enough," Hermione smiled. She pointed at Draco. "This is Draco."
"Dwaco," Harry grinned.
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Hermione and Draco will be taking care of you while I am gone," Snape told the little boy. "Behave yourself and remember, no touching wands," he warned. He had seen Potter looking at his earlier and made sure he had firmly lectured him that a wand was dangerous and not for little kids. He glanced at Hermione and Draco. "Make sure not to leave your wands lying around."
"We won't," Hermione said.
"Nape leaving?" Harry asked in alarm. The tall man didn't want him anymore? What had he done wrong? His lower lip began to tremble as he stared at his Nape.
"Just for a little while," Snape assured him. "Then I will be back."
"Pwomise?"
"I promise," Snape told him. He caught Hermione looking at him with a small smile and sneered at her before stalking towards the door. He forced himself not to look back at the toddler as he let himself out of his quarters.
"So what are we supposed to do with him? Put him down for a nap until Professor Snape returns?" Draco asked in a bored voice as he plopped down on the sofa.
"No nap!" Harry shouted. "No, no, no!"
"Good one," Hermione said sarcastically to Draco before looking at Harry. "Do you want to play something?" She asked him sweetly.
Harry hesitated. He hadn't ever really played with anyone before. "Play what?"
"Hmm. We could build something with your blocks?" Hermione suggested. "Or I see you have a kid's broom." She added as she noticed one leaning against the coffee table.
"Bwoom?" Harry looked at it warily.
"Yeah, it flies!" Hermione told him. She'd read about toddler brooms, they didn't go high, of course, and there were charms to make sure the toddler didn't fall off.
"Fwy?" Harry whispered, looking more interested.
"Yup. Draco will show you."
"I will?" Draco asked her in surprise.
Hermione gave him a mild glare. "Yes, you will." She snapped at him.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever the brat wants." He caught Potter giving him a hurt look and cleared his voice. "Just kidding, kid."
"Hwarry," Harry said.
"Right." Draco took the broom and showed him how to straddle it. The broom lifted two feet up and Harry squealed with delight.
"Lean forward slightly," Draco instructed.
Harry obeyed and giggled as the broom began flying across the room. "Dwaco, Harry fwying!" He exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah, you're doing great," Draco grinned. He saw Hermione looking at him and quickly schooled his face into a more serious look, clearing his throat.
Hermione hid a smile as they watched Harry fly around the room. Maybe Malfoy wasn't so bad after all.
HP
Snape returned to the castle after purchasing the ingredients he needed to hopefully reverse the de-aging. He at first had felt relieved to finally be by himself, not having to worry about keeping an eye on a toddler. But he found himself actually missing the little brat, wondering if he was behaving for Granger and Draco. If Draco was being nice to him, if Potter missed him...Snape snorted to himself. Now that was funny. Teenage Potter would never miss him but toddler Potter seemed to actually like him.
Snape flooed to his quarters to find Granger and Draco drawing with Potter. "Well, he looks to be in one piece -" he started to say.
"Nape!" Harry jumped up and ran as fast as his little legs would let him, slamming into Snape's legs. "Nape back!"
"I said I would be back, didn't I?" Snape grumbled as he sent his packages to his private lab and then lifted Potter into his arms. "Were you a good boy?"
Harry nodded.
"He was," Hermione confirmed. "He flew around the room for a while and then we did some artwork."
"I drewed you a picure!" Harry said excitedly, handing it to him.
"You drew me a picture," Snape corrected him. He took the parchment that had a black blob he assumed was himself and a tiny figure next to him. "Is this us?"
"Uh huh," Harry grinned.
"Well, it's very nice," Snape said, inwardly smirking. Definitely not an artist, he thought in amusement. "So you did some art and flew...wait. Flew?" He shot his gaze to the two teens in the room.
Hermione cleared her throat. "I saw the toddler broom so Malfoy showed him how to ride it."
"She made me!" Draco said quickly.
Snape closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't mind you showing him how to fly, but I do not appreciate teaching him indoors. Flying is for outside only." He set Harry down and then gently took the boy's chin in his hand. "Flying is for outside only." He said firmly, keeping eye contact. "All right? It's not safe for you to fly inside, you could knock into something."
"But -" Harry stopped at the look on Nape's face. He sighed. "All wight." He agreed. Actually, flying outside sounded like fun!
"We're sorry, Professor," Hermione spoke up. "We should have thought of that."
"You should have since it was your idea," Draco muttered. He blinked innocently when Granger gave him a glare.
"It's fine, just remember for next time," Snape said. "You two are dismissed."
"See you later, Harry," Hermione said as she and Draco left.
"Bye runt," Draco said, quickly dodging a smack from Hermione.
Snape smirked and then looked at Harry. "All right. Bath, story, and then bed. We have a big day tomorrow."
Harry looked up at him curiously.
"We'll be visiting some…friends," Snape said sourly. Black was kicking up a fuss so the Headmaster had asked him to take Harry to visit his godfather tomorrow. Apparently, the werewolf would be there too. A waste of my time, he grumbled to himself.
"Are they nice?" Harry asked.
"They'll be nice to you," Snape told him. "Now let's get your bath out of the way."
"Bubbles?" Harry asked hopefully.
"I suppose," Snape said, a small smile forming when he saw the boy's eyes light up. What is this child doing to me? He wondered with a sigh.
HP
"Close your eyes and mouth," Snape said as he stepped into his fireplace holding Harry. Once the child obeyed, he threw down the floo powder. "Grimmauld Place!"
Snape stepped out and nodded to Molly and Remus. He ignored the mutt.
"Hello Severus," Molly smiled at Harry, who had opened his eyes and was gazing at them curiously. "Oh, he is adorable. I brought Ron so they could play." She gestured towards Ron, who was spinning around and giggling.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Wonderful," He said as he set Harry down.
"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed when he saw him. "Come here pup!" He knelt down and opened his arms wide.
Harry's eyes widened in alarm and he grabbed onto Snape's leg. "Nape," he whispered, looking up pleadingly.
Snape couldn't help but smirk at Black's dumbfounded expression as he bent down and lifted Potter back up. "I guess you don't remember your godfather." He said smugly.
Sirius glared at him.
Remus stepped forward with a friendly smile. "Hi, Harry. Do you remember us? We were known to you as Mooney and Padfoot."
"Pafoo'," Harry whispered, a sprinkling of a memory filtering his mind. "Mooey."
"Yeah, Harry. See?" Sirius transformed into a dog and began galloping around the room.
Harry gasped, still holding onto Snape's neck. He then laughed in delight. "Pafoo'!"
With a sigh, Snape let him down and Harry began clapping as Sirius ran around barking. "It would appear, like most of us, Potter prefers Black as a dog." He commented.
Padfoot paused and snarled at Snape before trotting up to Harry and lowering himself so it was easier for Harry to pet him. Ron stopped spinning and toddled over, clapping his hands in delight at seeing the dog.
"Soft," Harry said fondly. "Not like Aunt Margies doggies. They mean." He looked up at Snape with sad, green eyes. "They hurted Hwarry." He whispered.
Padfoot growled while Remus looked at Harry sadly and Snape's eyes narrowed.
"He is very thin and small," Molly said suddenly, eyeing Harry.
"He's three, of course, he is small," Sirius said after transforming back. He watched fondly as Harry ran after Ron, both boys giggling as they traded off chasing each other.
"Ron is three and he is bigger," Remus said with a frown. "Harry is very thin."
Sirius looked from Ron to Harry, worry filling his eyes. "Why?"
"Severus?" Molly asked in a tight voice. "Ron looks exactly the way he did when he was three the first time. So if this is how Harry looked the first time he was three then there is a problem."
Snape sighed. Of course, Molly would notice. "It appears he wasn't fed much by his relatives." He admitted.
"What?" Remus looked horrified. "They starved him?"
"Yes," Snape said.
Sirius's face darkened, his hands clenching into fists. "Is that all they did?" He asked in a low voice.
"According to the diagnostic Poppy ran, he was abused and neglected from the time he was left on their doorstep," Snape said quietly.
"What?" Molly gasped.
"I'll kill them!" Sirius yelled.
"Why didn't Harry ever say anything?" Remus asked, shaking his head sadly.
"Does Dumbledore know?" Molly demanded.
Snape held up his hand. "Enough. I don't know much, obviously. Once Potter is back to his normal age, hopefully, he will tell us more. The report showed many bruises and burns as well as malnutrition. Albus knows and I have told him that Potter will not be returning there."
"I'm surprised you care," Sirius snapped, furious that his godson had been abused. And now Harry was a toddler and instead of being in his care, he was in Snivillus's.
"I do not care what you think of me, mutt," Snape snapped back. "But I do not condone child abuse."
"What do call bullying Harry since he started Hogwarts?" Sirius argued.
"Sirius -" Remus began.
"There is a reason for how I act," Snape said stiffly.
"Right, for your spying," Sirius rolled his eyes. "You hate Harry!" He accused him.
"Nape hate Hwarry?"
Snape's dark eyes flashed down to Potter, who was looking up at him with a heartbroken expression. His heart clenched at the hurt in those green eyes.
"Way to go, Sirius," Remus hissed angrily.
Regret flashed in Sirius's eyes as he eyed his godson.
Snape knelt down to the child. "No, I do not hate you." He said very softly.
Harry bit his lip and glanced at Sirius before focusing back on Snape. "But -"
"He made a mean joke," Molly spoke up soothingly. She glared at Sirius. "Right?"
"Right," Sirius agreed quickly "It was a joke, pup. I'm sorry."
"No hate?" Harry asked Snape pleadingly.
"No hate," Snape agreed.
"Auntie, Unkle, and Duddy hate," Harry whispered.
"They are fools," Snape said seriously. "They are bad people."
Harry nodded in agreement.
Ron had been standing behind Harry and pointed at Sirius. "Time out?" He asked innocently. He knew he would get time out for saying something not nice.
Remus coughed to cover his laugh while Snape nodded in approval. Molly eyed Sirius shrewdly. "Actually -"
Sirius backed away. "No way." He protested. "Uh, how about you play with Padfoot again?" He immediately transformed back into a dog and began running around the room, with two toddlers chasing him.
"Perhaps he could permanently stay as a dog," Snape muttered.
"Now Severus, he didn't mean for Harry to hear that," Remus said.
"It doesn't matter! The boy did hear it and I don't want him questioning that I care for him!" Snape snapped.
"You care for him?" Molly's face softened. "He is a sweet boy. Maybe this accident was a good thing." She remarked before following the boys, summoning a camera to take pictures as they played with Padfoot.
Snape rolled his eyes at her sentiment.
"I know you cared for Lily," Remus said quietly.
"Don't, wolf!" Snape snarled at him.
"You protect him for her," Remus said knowingly. "But you're coming to care for him for him."
Snape took a deep breath to control his anger. "Child Potter is far more endearing than teenager Potter," He drawled. "Once he is of age again, we'll go back to disliking each other."
"We'll see," Remus said with a smile.
TBC: