"Dad! Dad, please! You have to help him!" Harry hollered bursting through the doors to their quarters like a tornado.
Severus was visibly taken aback. One, the door had been thrown open so violently a painting had been knocked from its place followed shortly by the breaking of glass. Two, his charge was yelling. Pleading really, with tears streaming down his reddened face in rivers he'd never seen before. Third, his charge was barefoot, in wrinkled pajamas, hair even more disheveled than normal, glasses askew, and visibly shaking. But that's not what had left Severus speechless with his mouth open and a forgotten quill dropped on the parchment in front of him. Harry Potter had just called him, Severus Snape, dad.
"Please, please, dad, we have to go now! He needs my help! I know you don't like him, but please! For me! Save him!" Harry pleaded again. This time his cries were softer with despair in his tone matching his body language as he sank to the floor head and shoulders slumped.
That was enough to snap Snape back to the present. The potion's master quickly made his way to his charge and knelt on the floor in front of him. More gently than he had ever moved before, Severus grasped Harry's face and gently lifted it so they were actually looking at it. Severus started wiping away the tears as he softly explained, "Child, I need you to calm down. I cannot help you if I do not understand what is causing you distress. Take deep breaths, Harry. I will do everything in my power to help you, but you need to tell me what's causing you so much distress. Please, child, breathe. I'm here. You're with me. Just breathe and tell me what happened."
Harry took a few shaky breaths before explaining, "I had a vision. Voldemort is looking for the prophecy. He's at the Ministry of Magic. Sev, Sirius is there! I know you've never gotten along, but please! Voldemort is going to kill him! Please help me, Sev!" The boy-who-lived was fading back into hysterics as he spoke so Severus pulled him into a firm embrace.
"Harry, listen to me very carefully. I am going to go to Grimmauld Place. I can take you with me there, if you'd like; but that is as far as you will go. If your godfather is not there, I will take some of the order with me to the Ministry of Magic. I will leave a member with you at Grimmauld Place. You will remain there because I'll be damned it, I let my son into the same vicinity as a murderer. I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety of your godfather," Severus explained quickly. He knew he had to act fast if Sirius' life was really in danger, but he would not leave his son in confused terror if there was anything he could do about it. The boy was viable to go to the ministry alone if it meant helping someone he loved,
Harry nodded with a whispered, "I'm coming with you."
Severus went through the floo first. As soon as he stepped out he bellowed, "Sirius Black, get in here now you mutt!"
Harry had stepped out of the floo shortly after Severus and though he was still trembling, he had fewer tears streaming down his face. Several footsteps could be heard. There was clambering coming from the staircase. The door to the kitchen was thrown open behind them. Running could be heard from down the hallway, but Severus ignored it all. He needed to reassure Harry as soon as possible.
"Sirius, I'm not kidding! Where the hell are you? You had better not have taken your sorry ass out of this house or so help me!" Severus bellowed again.
At that moment, Sirius ran around the corner of the staircase clad in a hastily thrown on robe. Severus felt Harry start to collapse next to him. The potion's master grabbed his charge and gently helped him to the floor pulling him into a comforting embrace.
"Harry! Oh, Merlin, what happened Severus?" Sirius called as he ran and knelt in front of the pair on the floor.
Remus had come racing down the hallway from the library, his tired eyes wide with alarm. Pronks had barged in from the kitchen having lost a slipper in her haste. And Kingsley-with wand drawn- and Arthur-still groggy with sleep- had been a step behind Sirius on the staircase. Now everyone was watching the spectacle, but to the three people on the floor in the center of the living room, only they existed. Seeing this was a very private moment, Tonks moved to the staircase and shooed Arthur and Kingsley back up following close behind. She exchanged glances with Remus. He moved a bit closer ready to offer comfort but didn't intrude on the moment yet.
As soon as he was kneeling, Sirius was thrown off by his sobbing godson who'd flung himself at his godfather. Harry just kept whimpering his name and Sirius looked to Severus in confusion.
"Harry had a vision that you went to the Ministry of Magic to confront He Who Shall Not Be Named. He was trying to steal the prophecy and Harry was terrified you would be murdered," Severus explained with a reassuring squeeze to the child's shoulder. "He's alright, Harry. Sirius is safe. Everything is okay." Severus whispered to the form still wracked with sobs despite being in the tight embrace of his godfather.
"Oh, Harry," Sirius gasped pulling his godson more firmly against him. He started rocking Harry back and forth.
"You got him?" Severus questioned softly.
"I've got you, Harry." Though Sirius was addressing Harry his grateful gaze was directed to the potion's master whom he offered a nod.
"Remus and I will be in the kitchen if you need us."
"There will be hot chocolate waiting when you're ready," Remus offered smiling sadly as he followed Severus into the kitchen.
Sirius continued rocking his godson but moved one of his arms so he could stroke the boy's disheveled hair. All the while he whispered reassurances to Harry whose entire body was shuddering with sobs. "It's alright, Harry. You're safe. I'm safe. You're here with me. I've got you. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm safe, child." When the sobs refused to be silenced, Sirius tried again. He pulled away ever so slightly and firmly asked, "Harry, will you please look at me?"
Green eyes filled with tears that flowed down the child's reddened cheeks met his godfather's and Sirius felt his heart break a little bit more. "S-Sirius?" Harry sniffled.
"That's right, kiddo. Your amazing godfather is right in front of you," Sirius offered with a smile. "It's really me and I'm safe so I need you to breathe for me. Slow, deep, even breaths, Harry," Sirius instructed his kid who'd once again buried his face in the older man's chest.
"I-I thought you had died! I thought you had left me!" Harry wailed desperately.
"I know, Harry. I can't imagine how much that terrified you, but I'm not dead. I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere. So there's no reason to make yourself sick. Harry, if you don't calm down you're going to be sick. I'm okay. I'm right here with you," Sirius reassured firmly.
When Harry's sobs were reduced to soft whimpers Sirius helped his godson stand and guided him to the sofa with a whispered, "Accio calming potion." When they were sat on the sofa, Harry leaning into Sirius' side, the older man brought the vial up to his godson's lips. "Harry, I need you to take this. It's a calming potion." Harry drank the potion with Sirius' help since he would not let go of his godfather. Sirius continued reassuring his kid as Harry slowly began relaxing into his godfather.
After what felt like an eternity, Harry's cries had subsided, and Sirius wiped the remaining tears from his godson's face. "I thought you were dead," Harry admitted softly.
"That much I gathered," Sirius chuckled before growing sirius again. "But I'm not dead, Harry. I'm very much alive and well. Although I do think you shaved a year or two off my life."
Harry halfheartedly elbowed Sirius in the ribs for the injected humor. "This isn't funny, Sirius," Harry whined. "I was terrified."
"I know, Harry. And I'm sorry you went through this, but everyone's okay now. We're all safe-well, as safe as we can be," Sirius amended with a wicked grin. "I'm okay, pup. Right here with you, where I'm meant to be. And I'm not planning on leaving you...ever. Not even when you're old, married, and frail."
Harry chuckled a little. Sirius offered one more tight squeeze before cheerfully shouting, "Remus made hot chocolate! I'd completely forgotten! He makes the world's greatest hot chocolate, and I'll bet he'll even let us have marshmallows, whipped cream, AND sprinkles tonight! Hell, Snape might even let you have a sleepover if you use those puppy dog eyes of yours! Come on, we gotta drink the hot chocolate before it gets cold, Harry. Race ya!" Sirius called as he morphed into his childlike self and raced to the kitchen with his godson hot on his heels.