Archive of Our Own

Everyone had thought that this was going to be difficult for him, that it would be something that he would struggle with, and that he would have been incredibly torn making the choice that he did, even though it was the right thing to do.

He hadn't really had the energy to correct them and had just hummed and nodded along with the words that he hadn't really listened to properly, it had at the end of the day been the easiest choice that he had made, it was the easiest decision to make, and he had only been waiting out the research on the correct way to do this so that he could get it done.

He had to admit to himself that he did not really have plans for what he was going to do afterward, he had had the forethought to empty out the Potter and Black vaults, and then with a second thought when he had gotten into the Lestrange vault he had emptied that out as well while he had been in there casting the spells that he needed on the Hufflepuff Cup to be able to trace it when he needed to. Bill would have gotten into trouble for it considering he had snuck Harry in, but it wouldn't matter soon enough.

He turned down the alleyway he had been aiming for and kept his movements smooth and steady, ensuring that he was able to push his way through the crowd in the alley without drawing too much attention to himself. It was a delicate balance, but one that he had worked on over the last couple of years.

He took a right hand turn, and then a quick left hand turn, he didn't even bother looking around as he cast a silencing spell before casting a blasting hex to open up a gap for himself in the wall, summoning the bricks and dust that were caused by the explosion, throwing them further down the alleyway so that they could not alert his target. Then he stepped into the back yard.

Opening the back door of the building was laughably easy, and he slipped into Borgin and Burkes and made his way towards where he could hear two voices coming from. Abraxus Malfoy was taken out with a killing curse and Harry was pressing his wand to Voldemort's throat, blue eyes wide and confused as they looked up at him right as he spoke his spell "Sectumsempra,"

Voldemort pushed away from him as a line across his throat opened up, stumbled and fell to the floor as his hands gripped at his throat to try and stem the bleeding. His blue eyes flicked to Harry's face with confusion and disbelief clear on his features, amusing Harry a little. He easily disarmed Voldemort, pathetically easily, and caught it when it flew to him, pocketing it lazily before looking back to the Dark Lord.

"Sorry, you're dying here today," Harry said. He could see panic flash over Voldemort's features and then he saw the triumph and smugness that he had been waiting for to cross Voldemort's features. "I hope you're not thinking that your horcruxes will save you,"

Harry chuckled when Voldemort's eyes widened and true panic washed over his face as he grasped at his throat more desperately, endlessly trying to heal himself, Harry fed the magic that was in the wound, shoving away the healing magic to prevent the wound from closing.

"They're all destroyed," Harry nodded in confirmation. "When I say you're going to die here, you're going to die here,"

He stepped back when Voldemort tried to reach for him, and then took another step back to lean against the wall and watch. It took a little longer than he had thought it would, but finally when he cast a diagnostic spell he was able to confirm that Voldemort was dead.

He grabbed a couple of things that caught his attention and dropped them into the beaded bottomless bag attached to his belt, and then turned to make his way into the backyard again. He reckoned that there was something cathartic about watching the shop catch flames, it was probably a little bit of overkill, but after everything that he had been through to stand here, feeling the heat of the flames against his skin, well he thought that he was allowed to make sure that he had definitely done what he had travelled so far to complete.

Once he was happy that the fire had truly caught, and the building was rapidly being engulfed, he turned and made his way back out of the alley, only a little bit of activity was starting around the shop as a few people seemed to realise that something was going on in the store, the flames breaking slowly through his notice me not charm. He just carried on walking, making his way through the semi familiar alley and out into an equally only partially familiar alley. As he stepped from one to the other he swept off his cloak, shrinking it and shoving it into the bag on his belt without breaking his stride. The massive white building that he was aiming for was unchanged, slightly achingly familiar, and he turned towards it quickly.

Harry climbed the steps into the massive bank and made his way down towards the queue for the different tellers just as a rumble started going around the hall as shouting started in the Alleyway outside.

"What is going on?" The woman in front of Harry asked the teenage boy that came running over to her.

"Borgin and Burkes is on fire, it has caught a couple of the neighbouring shops on fire as well," The boy panted.

"Well, it is Knockturn Alley, can't say I am sorry to see a couple of those shops go," The woman huffed before facing forward again. Harry couldn't agree with her more.

As ever the queue moved fairly quickly in the bank, and Harry found himself with a teller just as the shouts were getting a little louder outside.

"Welcome to Gringotts, how may I assist?" The teller said in a bored tone.

"I would like a private meeting please," Harry requested.

"You are aware that private meetings are only for important customers?" The Goblin said, looking Harry up and down, no doubt taking in his crumpled and dirty clothing that he had been wearing for the last few days, his lack of bags, and his age, the tone saying exactly how important she thought Harry could be.

"I assure you I will not be wasting your valuable time," Harry said with a polite smile. The Goblin surveyed him for a second before hopping down and motioning for him to follow. He cut his way around the wizards and witches milling around in the bank, dodging around a few of them who were too busy craning their necks to try and see through the doors to the crowd in the alley, before following the slightly impatient looking Goblin into a private office.

The Goblin swept across the floor and hopped up onto the chair behind the desk that raised itself up magically so that she would be eye level with Harry when he sat down on the other side of the desk.

"What can I help you with?" The Goblin sighed.

"I want to open a bank vault with yourselves, I will also need a new identity with all the paperwork needed to go with it. I need it to be Dragon fire proof, and I am also looking for investment advice as I have a fair bit of coin, assisting me in claiming my right through defeat and death of some old vaults," Harry listed settling back into his seat.

"And…when you say a fair bit?" The Goblin narrowed her eyes, seeming to realise that this could actually be quite interesting.

"I believe I have approximately….hmm let me think 200803215 Galleons, and a few Sickles and Knuts in there as well, some rare items as well that I would be looking to sell to those who wouldn't ask any questions, in fact the less questions asked the better overall," Harry waved his hand around.

"I…understand, such a large amount of money suddenly being banked with us, should anyone come asking those questions we would have to reveal the information," The Goblin said carefully.

"Don't worry, no one will be asking questions about the amount banked with you, I mean more questions about myself," Harry grinned. He could only imagine what the Goblin thought of him and where he got such a large amount of money, robbery was obviously at the top of her list as she looked over him again.

"Very well," The Goblin nodded more to herself than to Harry, "what name do you want?" She pulled out parchment and a quill.

"Let me think," Harry hadn't actually thought this far ahead, coming here had been a little spur of the moment after he had completed his mission. As he scanned through different variations of name in his head, he tried to work out which name he would want to live the rest of his life with, create a life with. "Harrison Ronald Grimm Granger," He said, and it felt right as soon as he said it.

"Very well, I will have all the paperwork that you need ready tomorrow," The Goblin scribbled it down, "It will be ironclad," she added reassuringly, a glint in her eyes.

"I would be looking for an accounts manager, if it is ready for tomorrow morning, along with all the believable school records to have me at age 18 but having missed a year from a random School in the world that can be bribed to go along with my story should anyone check, I believe that you would be the right fit for such a roll," Harry smiled leaning forward a little.

"200803215 Galleons…leave it to me!" The Goblin nodded firmly, Galleons practically appearing in her eyes at the thought of being account manager of such a large vault.

"I am sure we will work wonderfully together going forward," Harry stood. "Oh, and the vaults I want to claim through defeat and death are the Slytherin ones, I killed the last heir," he stood before turning and leaving the room.

The fire was under control by the time that he stepped back out into the sun of Diagon Alley, and the crowd were starting to disperse as the excitement died down, Aurors were milling around investigating, and Harry couldn't be bothered paying much attention to any of it. He walked past and aimed towards Madame Malkin's Robe shop. A good few Galleons later he had several sets of robes, shirts and trousers, and he would be collecting his Hogwarts robes in a couple of days.

He stopped by a store to grab a few sandwiches and bottles of butterbeer, before heading for the Leaky Cauldron, quickly getting a room for himself and finding himself standing in it, enveloped by silence as the day sank in.

He milled around dropping the things that he needed out onto the table in the room and settled down to eat his meal as he looked out the window down onto Diagon. It was strange. It was the same but quite different.

Everyone had thought that this was going to be difficult for him, that it would be something that he would struggle with, and that he would have been incredibly torn making the choice that he did, even though it was the right thing to do.

Coming back in time to kill Voldemort hadn't been difficult at all. Sirius was dead, Hermione was dead, Ron was dead, Fred and George were dead, Hagrid was dead. They were the people that had meant the most to him, and had been most involved in his life from when he stepped into the Wizarding world. And he had lost them.

When Dumbledore had suggested sending Harry back in time to kill Voldemort before he got too powerful, everyone had thought that he was making a sacrifice, but he had nothing to be there for. Mr and Mrs Weasley he was fond of, but he hadn't spent much time with them, Remus had barely made an effort to be in touch with him besides the year he had been at Hogwarts and even then he hadn't exactly sought Harry out to know him, there was nothing for him there.

Here though, he could make sure that so many people who had been hurt, killed, so many people that had been lost would not be. Ron and Hermione would be born in a few years time, and they would grow up to have a life that wasn't filled with danger and a future of death, they would be able to grow up safe knowing that Voldemort was definitely dead, and they wouldn't have a second war to worry about as they learned and grew up. They would grow up.

Sirius wouldn't go to Azkaban, he would get to have a life, he would never have to suffer through being in prison, he would never have that haunted look in his eyes that nothing could get rid of. He could meet a witch or wizard and settle down and have a family of his own if that was what he wanted, or live the wild free life, he would have the choice.

Neville would have his parents, whole and healthy to raise him, he would get to know them growing up, and they would get to raise their son, they would get to love him properly and not in the shell of a way they were able to manage after the torture that they had been through.

In the end the choice Harry had to make had been laughably easy, as soon as it had been suggested he had agreed, and then it had been simply waiting for them to figure out exactly how to do it. The spells itself had been bafflingly easy, the power needed to fuel it had not been, Dumbledore had killed himself to do it, but as their eyes met they both knew that this was the chance to make everything right, to make sure that what had happened was stopped. He was dying in that timeline, but in Harry's new one, he would live without the pressure of ten years of watching and waiting for Voldemort to reappear, he would get to have a life, he wouldn't have to watch so many in the Order that he cared for dying. As the old man's body had hit the floor while the time turner around Harry's neck exploded and glowing golden sand had surrounded him, twisting in ribbons to envelope him, he had met Dumbledore's eyes just before the light went out in them and Harry was pulled away from his time and he had nodded a promise that he would make sure that it was different this time.

He thought that Dumbledore had been the only one that understood how Harry was actually feeling about it.

He had arrived in 1977 a week ago, and he had made his way through the horcruxes, destroying them one after the other with the sword of Gryffindor, he had finished with Nagini the day before, and today had been the day for the last step.

He took a big bite of his chicken sandwich as he tried to work out what he was feeling. It was odd being in a world where Voldemort was definitely gone, knowing that he didn't have to wait for the next attack from him, knowing that the world was going to be very very different now. He had avenged Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Fred and George, he had ensured that in the future they would be ok.

He took another bite of the sandwich and settled back in his chair still looking down over Diagon. He had to live his life here now, it was a one way trip and he had known that, he hadn't even been sure that he would survive, but he had taken the money and the items from the vaults just in case he did. He knew that Ron and Hermione would want him to have a life, to try and make a life for himself here, and he had to live long enough to make sure that they were ok once they were born.

Getting his NEWTs from Hogwarts was important for him to be able to build that life for himself, beyond that, he had no clue what he was going to do. Harry shrugged to himself as he finished his sandwich and brushed the crumbs from himself. He did better without much of a plan anyway, he would get ready to go to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks, and then he would see what happened.

Harry was walking through Diagon getting the things that he would need for Hogwarts, his acceptance letter had finally come through from them, he was sure the delay was due to Dumbledore's distraction with Voldemort's body having been discovered in the remains of Borkin and Burkes along with Abraxus' body, everyone was trying to work out what had happened and how someone had managed to kill him, there had been a lot of work trying to determine if this was some sort of trick, but it had finally been announced that he was dead and gone.

Harry had been a little worried when his acceptance letter hadn't come through, but it seemed all his paperwork that Gringotts had supplied for him had held up the way they had promised, and now he only had two days till he would be attending for his last year.

He had his vault all setup, he had paid for his year at Hogwarts, Glnra his Goblin accountant was looking into different investments for him, he was looking forward to making something of a life in this time.

He was in Flourish and Blotts collecting the books that he needed for the year when he heard a slightly familiar laugh. He frowned a little and looked up, and his eyes fell on Sirius.

He felt something in his heart clench as he looked at the young features of Sirius, lighthearted and free from all of the troubles that he had always had in his face while Harry had known him, he was the boy in the pictures that Harry had had of him.

Harry stepped across to the bookshelf behind him pretending to look through the books there, and sure enough there was his dad. James Potter was just like he had been in the photographs, he was like the boy that he had seen in Snape's memories, handsome and full of charm and mischief.

Also like in Snape's memories though, he was a bully.

Harry's eyes narrowed on a smaller, thin teenager who could only be Severus Snape as a teenager. Unlike the adult version of Snape who had practically had a shield around himself to keep people at arms length, giving off an air of power and danger, teenage Snape had a defiance in him and he was by no means backing down, but Harry could see how uncomfortable he was feeling, and he was looking around where James and Sirius had cornered him, his shoulders were hunched in, and he was holding onto the books in his hands tightly.

"Aww what's the matter Snivellus? Going to run to mummy and daddy to get help?" Sirius was saying, and all the joy that Harry had seen at seeing him and James froze over.

"Don't be silly Sirius, they don't love him, they don't love him at all," James laughed.

"That's right, poor Snivellus, what about telling your friends? Oh you don't have them either!" Sirius laughed.

"And your precious Dark Lord is dead! There doesn't seem to be anyone to…"

James, Sirius and Severus' eyes all went wide right before James and Sirius fell to the floor, stiff as boards from Harry's full body bind hex. Severus looked up shocked as Harry walked over.

"Why did you do that?" Severus narrowed his eyes onto Harry suspiciously.

"Needed this book, they were being loud," Harry shrugged, stepping over James and grabbed a random book, then he turned and started walking away. Severus watched him shocked, before looking back down at James and Sirius. He smirked and rolled them onto their fronts so that they were face down on the floor and then walked further into the shop to get the rest of his books, though his eyes caught on the dark haired, green-eyed teen who was paying for his books at the counter.

As he was leaving he turned to meet Severus' eyes, and there was something in them that Severus couldn't place, but Severus' breath caught as he watched the teen until the green eyed teen looked away and walked out of the store. He hadn't seen him before, and he had no clue why he had stuck up for Severus, there was something familiar about him as well that niggled at Severus. He watched the teen walk out of the store and down the alleyway before he turned back to collect his books, glancing to where Potter and Black were still lying to make sure that they were still there before he headed to the counter himself.

He couldn't help but wonder if the teen would be going to Hogwarts.

Harry scowled to himself as he dropped his bags onto his bed and paced a little around the room, he was feeling wrong, out of sorts and confused, he had thought a few of times over the last couple of days about what it would be like seeing his father, his mother and Sirius for the first time, he hadn't even thought about the fact that Snape would be here as well, somehow that had slipped his mind with everything else. That was not the way that he had wanted to see them for the first time, and it had left a bad taste in his mouth. He didn't regret hexing them, he couldn't get the way they had been ganging up on Snape out of his head, the way the slender teen had been hunched in on himself, the words that they had said to him, truly cruel and mean words.

They clearly knew that Severus was being abused at home, and they had been taunting him with it! Harry couldn't help but think about Dudley and his little gang when they had ganged up on Harry, when Dudley had made fun of Harry's home life, his dead parents, not caring about how he hurt Harry, just wanting to hurt him, and taking enjoyment out of it.

Harry grit his teeth and dropped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the hotel room. Why could things never be easy?

Severus settled down at the Slytherin table and looked around the hall, he ignored James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all staring at him, he was definitely ignoring the Head Boy pin on James Potter's robes, if he paid any attention to it then the boiling anger inside of him threatened to spill over. James Potter had been making his life miserable for six years now, he had constantly gotten away with bad behaviour being labelled under him being a 'prankster' and yet he had been named Head Boy? Severus would have been less furious about it if Remus had gotten Head Boy, but Potter!

He completely allowed his eyes to skim over Lily where she was sitting, he was looking for a dark head of hair and green eyes that had been on his mind for the last couple of days he would reluctantly admit to himself, but there was no sign of him to Severus' disappointment. He glanced over Lucius who was looking more arrogant than normal, the news of Abraxus Malfoy's death had spread around Wizarding Britain, the teenage Malfoy was now the Malfoy Lord.

Everyone turned when the doors opened and the First Years walked in, and very quickly chatter around the Hall started as they took in the tall figure at the back of the First years, and Severus' eyes widened when he finally saw the person that he had been looking for walk down the centre of the Hall. He glanced to the side and saw James and Sirius narrowing their eyes on the teenager before they leant over to Remus and Peter, motioning to the teen, clearly indicating that he was the one that had petrified them. Severus turned to look back at the teen, a little concerned at what the group would do to him purely because he had helped Severus.

Severus hadn't considered that he would have to come in with the first years, there hadn't been a transfer in all the time that Severus had been at Hogwarts, and he was fairly sure that it hadn't happened in a long time, most witches and wizards stayed in the school in their area and only moved afterward. No one really paid attention to the Sorting Hat's song, no one ever really did, and then finally the sorting got under way. The first years were all sorted away between the 4 different Houses, everyone blinking when the dark haired teen clapped enthusiastically for them all, most of the first years turned and waved cheerfully to him before hurrying off to their seats. And then the dark haired teen was the only one left.

"Harrison Ronald Grimm Granger," McGonagall called, and the teen walked up to sit on the stool as everyone muttered amongst themselves, the Slytherins talking rapidly to figure out if there was an old house by that name.

Harry felt amused as once again, as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, he had every eye in the Hall on him and there was lots of muttering from all areas. Then the hat settled on his head and this time he could feel the brush of the Sorting Hat's magical mind against his own mind.

"I have been here in your head before, though not for a long time in the future," The hat hummed into his mind.

"Yes,"

"I won't tell anyone," The Hat hummed.

"I know you won't, it is the right thing to do," Harry thought back. "Plus," Harry imagined the Sorting Hat on fire.

"No need for that young man," The Sorting Hat chuckled. "Well where to sort you then? You have the same choice as last time I think, and I will leave it up to you considering you have gone through a lot to sit here and start your life again. So, Slytherin or Gryffindor?" The Sorting Hat offered.

Harry considered it, before making his decision, curious and eager to see where this choice would take him.

"Slytherin!" The Hat called into the Hall. "Good luck Harry Potter," The Hat murmured in his mind. Harry waited for the Hat to be taken off of his head before he stood and turned towards the Slytherin table, it was different and it wasn't the choice that he had been expecting to make, but in the moment he felt it was the right choice to provide some different and interesting changes to his life. He walked down the steps and over to the table and started walking down it to find a seat, but then he caught dark brown eyes, eyes that were nearly black watching him. Mentally shrugging, Harry walked further down the table than he was going to and slipped into the seat next to Severus that was conspicuously empty.

The Hall burst into life as the food appeared on the tables and all the hungry students reached out to fill their plates. The Slytherin table with more decorum, but still with eagerness. Harry amongst them, completely ignoring the stares that were being shot his way, by the Slytherins, by the other curious students, by the Marauders, by Severus.

"Where are you from?" Narcissa asked curiously, seemingly to be the one nominated to ask.

"I'm from Surrey," Harry looked up from his meal.

"You haven't attended Hogwarts though," Goyle said.

"Obviously," Harry snorted, and Goyle flushed a little.

"Where have you gone to school then?" Lucius asked.

"Egypt, my parents didn't like Dumbledore," Harry answered.

"So why are you attending now?" Bellatrix asked.

"Because all my family were murdered, and I spent the last year on the run from him," Harry answered, and the whole table went silent while Bellatrix stared at him open mouthed, a humiliated blush on her cheeks considering she had been the one to ask the question.

"And then you decided to join Hogwarts?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I need to finish my education and get my NEWTs, I figured that I might as well finish it here," Harry turned and met those dark eyes.

"So you are 18?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Harry smiled.

"We can show you the people that you should be mixing with Granger," Lucius drawled from where he was sitting, taking Harry's attention from Severus. It was so like Draco's comment to Harry that he couldn't help but snort.

"Thanks but no thanks," Harry turned back to his food.

"I would be careful who you disrespect Granger!" Lucius narrowed his eyes.

"Or what?" Harry met his eyes and all the humour fell from his face as he locked Lucius' eyes with his.

"What?" Lucius jerked his head back slightly.

"Or what? You made the threat Malfoy, if you can't back it up, then don't make it," Harry said lowly.

"You will be sharing a dorm with me!" Lucius sneered.

"That isn't a threat," Harry snorted, turning back to his food leaving Lucius to gawp at him.

"I wasn't done talking!" Lucius bristled.

"I am," Harry said without even looking at him. Conversation around the table carried on, everyone talking about their summer, all the while their eyes kept going back to the newcomer in their midst.

"You should be careful how you speak to them," Severus said softly, catching Harry's robe sleeves as they made their way with the others down to the dungeon.

"Are you worried about me?" Harry asked quietly, a small smile on his lips again. Severus let go of Harry's sleeve, turning his head away slightly.

"You helped me in the shop, I am returning the favour," Severus muttered.

"There is no need to worry about me," Harry smiled. "I will be just fine,"

"Lucius isn't incredibly powerful, but he has a lot of support," Severus warned.

"I will be fine," Harry smiled.

They walked into the dungeon, and everyone fanned out in different directions to get themselves settled in. Harry settled in front of the fire, not worried about finding where the dorm room was, it would be easy enough to figure out with a point me spell, instead he settled back to watch the movement of the Slytherins in the common room, taking them in, matching faces to names that he partially knew, and then finding new ones. It was different, being here, there were differences to the Common room from when he had been here in his second year, but then there were decades of difference.

It was different to his first day in Gryffindor as an 11 year old, and he found himself mulling over his choice, if he was honest with himself he hadn't even thought about where he would be sorted, he just wanted to get his NEWTs and start his life over. When faced with the choice, choosing Slytherin had been two fold.

He didn't want to be sorted with his dad, Sirius, Remus, Peter or his mother, he wasn't sure that he wouldn't be able to resist smothering Peter in the night if he shared a dorm with him, and after the meeting in the bookshop he didn't really want to be around the others, not sure that he would like what he saw the closer he was to them.

The second was Severus Snape. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something pulling him towards the teen, and over the years he had learned to listen to those feelings. He was curious more than anything else, and choosing Slytherin gave him a chance to be closer to the other.

"That's enough!" Harry barked at the fifth year who was making fun of one of the first years who was looking a little green around the gills and teary eyed.

"What is it to do with you?" The Fifth year glowered.

"Absolutely nothing," Harry walked over and rested his hand on the little boy's shoulder who looked up at him a little wide eyed.

"So don't interfere,"

"Oh, I'm going to interfere. Carry on, and you will regret it," Harry warned.

"That isn't a threat," Lucius Malfoy smirked, walking over to them and standing behind the Fifth year.

"No it isn't," Harry inclined his head to the blond and then turned to the fifth year, "Carry on and I will make sure that you feel like you have ants all over you for the next two weeks," Harry warned.

"That doesn't scare me," The fifth year tried to front up to Harry, who just laughed.

"Day and night," He emphasised, and then took a sudden step towards the fifth year who yelped and jerked back, standing right on Lucius' foot who yelped himself.

Chuckles broke out around the Common Room, and Harry wrapped his arm around the first year as Lucius and the Fifth year flushed in embarrassment.

"Come on, let's get you guys settled," Harry wrapped his arm around another First year and led them over to the sofas. "So, are you guys all doing ok?" He asked fishing into the beaded bag attached to his belt and pulled out a bar of chocolate for each of them.

He chuckled when the rest of the first years gathered around him with wide, hopeful eyes. Harry handed the rest of them chocolate bars and they settled around him.

"Could we have some hot chocolate for everyone please?" Harry turned to the corner and met the startled eyes of the House Elf there, her eyes widened and then she smiled nodding her head and clicked her fingers, hot chocolate appearing for them all. "Anyone else?" he asked the common room, and some hesitant requests were made as a couple more house elves popped into the Common room to help, the group of them glancing nervously at Lucius, but asking anyway.

"Thank you," Harry smiled at the House Elves, their eyes widening again before they all flushed and popped out.

Harry talked with the first years for a little while as they drank their hot chocolate, reassuring them about their lessons and finding their way around, and slowly quietened down as they introduced themselves to each other and started making friendships among their group, promises to help each other get through the first week passing between them, and working out how they could help each other make it through what was going to be a stressful week.

As he was listening to them with a small smile Harry's eyes caught on a portrait watching him intently, the features made it clear who he was, and there was no denying it at all. The portrait inclined his head seeing that he had Harry's attention, and then he nodded his head to the entrance to the Common Room.

"Alright guys, time for bed, it is going to be a big day tomorrow," Harry smiled at the small grumbles he got, but they stood and made their way to the stairs for their dorm rooms. Harry waved to them and called goodnight as they called goodnight to him. As soon as they were away he turned and walked out of the common room, unaware of the pair of eyes watching him.

Harry made his way down the hallway and ducked into the first room that he found, seeing a portrait of an older woman in there he stepped fully into the room, and sure enough a few seconds later the man stepped into her portrait.

"Madame, would you mind if I borrowed your portrait?" The man asked.

"Of course not!" The woman gawped looking between them before hurrying away.

"So," The man turned his eyes to look at Harry as soon as she was gone, looking him up and down.

"So," Harry repeated, tilting his head.

"So you are the one that killed my last descendent?" Salazar Slytherin asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"Was he as mad as he was when he was here?" Slytherin sighed.

"Madder, and he would only have gotten worse," Harry shrugged.

"It would seem that way," Slytherin sighed.

"No, you misunderstand, I have come back from the future, specifically to kill him off, he was burning the world, he had started a war with the muggles, and it was all out world war, it wouldn't have been worth surviving even if we had had a chance to win," Harry snorted.

"That is…different," Slytherin blinked.

"It is what it is, now I have a life to make, which is why I am claiming your vaults," Harry shrugged.

"I dislike the knowledge that you are not of my blood holding my heirlooms," Slytherin narrowed his eyes.

*Sorry but I have a life to make, and I am going to enjoy it after everything that your mad descendant put me through, think of it as repayment,* Harry hissed in parseltongue. Slytherin blinked at him and then started laughing.

*I take it back, I think we are going to be just fine,* Slytherin chuckled, *we will talk more, for now you need to head back to bed before curfew,*

*Goodnight,* Harry waved over his shoulder as he turned and walked out of the room. He got halfway down the hall, and then reached out suddenly, thrusting his hand behind a tapestry and pulled Severus out from behind it by the grip that he had on his wrist.

"Is there a reason you are trying to spy on me?" Harry asked calmly as Severus tugged against his grip for a moment before giving in.

"I was curious who that portrait was and what he wanted with you," Severus grit out.

"You could have just asked me," Harry smiled.

"Would you have told me?" Severus narrowed his eyes.

"No, not yet, I don't trust you enough yet," Harry shook his head.

"See I…what do you mean yet?" Severus looked at him confused.

"Just as it sounds, yet, I need to get to know you better first before I go spilling all my secrets," Harry grinned. He looked down into brown eyes so dark that they seemed black, and was quite surprised to feel a stirring in the pit of his stomach as those eyes widened, and an open, vulnerable look flashed across Severus' face.

"What game are you playing?" Severus asked quietly and that look was gone, replaced with a guarded, suspicious one.

"No games," Harry shrugged letting go of Severus' wrist and motioned down the hallway, before leading them back towards the common room, "And I know you have no reason to trust me on that, yet, but I will prove it to you,"

"If you want to get anywhere, being around me isn't going to get you anywhere," Severus said quietly as they walked into the common room. "I am a half blood,"

"Oh me too!" Harry said brightly, and loudly, "my dad was a pureblood, mum was muggleborn,"

There was a small quiet in the common room as eyes turned to them incredulously, and Severus stared up at him shocked.

"Knew that you didn't belong here Granger, you filthy mudblood, just you wait!" Bellatrix sneered.

"Wait for what?" Harry said cheerfully as he carried on leading Severus towards the dorms. "Your Dark Lord? Believe he was found dead and crispy," Harry smirked before throwing up a shield with a careless wave of his wand over his shoulder as the Witch snarled and cast a hex at him.

He chuckled at the shrieks behind him as a few people had to surge out of the way of the rebounded hex.

"Besides, you're far more interesting than anyone else here," Harry said honestly, as though they had not been interrupted, looking down into Severus' confused eyes. "Will you tell me about the professors, so I am not going in blind? Also I have no clue where the Seventh Year Dorm is," Harry asked.

"Right…yes," Severus nodded and led Harry into their dorm room, still looking utterly baffled.

The next morning Harry opened the curtains around his bed and smirked when he found Severus staring at Lucius, who was standing in front of the mirror desperately trying to get his hair to turn back to blond from the red and golden colours it currently was, Harry was rather proud of the spell, the gold had formed a shape of a lion on the back of Lucius' head.

"Get rid of the charm!" Lucius snarled seeing Harry stretching lazily behind him.

"Can't, lasts for 24 hours," Harry shrugged.

"Get rid of it," Lucius repeated.

"I just told you I can't. Maybe you also should have thought about the consequences I warned you of before you decided to attack me while I was sleeping. Not exactly honourable of you Malfoy," Harry snorted before turning and heading to the showers.

When he returned Severus was alone in the dorm room, no doubt Lucius was trying to find someone to reverse the charm. Harry grabbed his outer robes from the bed and pulled them on, popping a couple of things he needed for the day into the bag on his belt before he turned to Severus while leaning against the post of his own bed.

"Something that you want to say to me?" Harry asked.

"You seem very good at pranks," Severus said lowly, and Harry realised what the problem was.

"Hmm, I am good at them, and use them when I need to. I figure turning Malfoy's hair red and gold would be the better choice than frying his fingers or something like that. I'm not like Potter, Black and their little group," Harry said.

"You know a lot considering that you haven't attended Hogwarts before," Severus narrowed, "You hadn't been introduced to Lucius but you knew his name,"

"Yes I did," Harry's green eyes met Severus' dark ones. Those eyes narrowed on him.

"Granger," Severus huffed.

"I told you, not spilling all my secrets to you yet," Harry smiled. "And call me Harry,"

"You're playing games with me!" Severus visibly bristled and turned to walk out.

"I am not playing with you Severus," Harry said softly right before the other student walked out of the dorm room, Severus paused and then walked out.

He was fuming as he stormed through the common room and through the castle to the Great Hall. He didn't know why the other affected him so much, he had learned long ago to hide his emotions and not let anyone see how he was feeling, it was the easiest way for someone to be able to manipulate you, for them to know where to hurt you, but there was something about Harry…no Granger! There was something about him that undid all of Severus' self taught discipline.

He sat down at the table in the Great Hall, the gap where Lucius and his followers should have been sitting was obvious, no doubt they were desperately trying to undo the spells on the Malfoy Lord. The seats beside Severus stayed empty. Last year he had had people to talk to, and though he did not have friends, he had had acquaintances thanks to the Dark Lord wanting him as part of his side.

Severus was not stupid, it wasn't the greatest choice that he had ever made, and he had regretted it nearly as soon as he had joined, he didn't believe what the Dark Lord believed, how could he when he himself was a Half-blood and had been more intelligent than a lot of the adult Purebloods that had been in some of the Dark Lord's meetings. Blood dictated nothing. Lily was more powerful than most of the Purebloods in Slytherin, hell Harry, Grager! Had admitted that he was a Half-blood and look at what he had been able to do to Lucius.

No blood meant nothing. Power though. That had been why Severus had joined, and loneliness he hated to admit to himself. He had no one, no support, no help, he was being relentlessly taunted and bullied by Potter and his group and he had no one to back him up, he had no one to watch his back. He admitted to himself that he had become exhausted by it, especially when Lily and Potter had gotten together and if anything this seemed to have made the taunting worse, as though Potter wanted to rub salt into the wounds to prove that he had won.

Severus was glad that Potter didn't realise that just the fact Lily had chosen to date his bully after everything that Potter had done to him, everything that he had been put through by him and his group, and still didn't try and stop Potter from bullying Severus, hurt more than anything Potter could ever do.

Joining the Dark Lord had been a balance that Severus had weighed up and in the end he went for the easier option when he looked at the choices laid before him. He needed support, he needed power, he wanted to become a renown Potions Master, and to do that he needed to have money behind him and a good name, neither of which he would be able to get without the Dark Lord, not without a lot of time passing. He had made his choice and he was ready to have to live through it, good or bad. And last year had partially convinced him that he had made the right choice, he had had people to talk to, to rely on, he was moving forward.

And then the Dark Lord had somehow been killed.

Severus was back to being by himself, though he did think a part of that was that his fellow Slytherins were in shock at the suddenness of it, the Dark Lord's star had just seemed to really be on the rise and things were beginning to happen, and then he was dead. It didn't stop the space beside him from feeling lonely though.

"Right everyone, get a good breakfast!" Harry…Granger! Said herding the First Year Slytherins over to the table, the group following along after him like a bunch of chicks. Severus narrowed his eyes, and then narrowed them further when he realised what Granger was about to do, but before he could think what to say the First Years were surrounding him, and Granger dropped down into the seat next to him.

"Ugh black tea Severus really?" Granger cheerfully glanced into the cup Severus had been nursing along with his thoughts.

"Want some coffee with your sugar Granger?" Severus snarked despite himself as he watched with faint horror as Granger piled 4 teaspoons of sugar into his coffee.

"I'm not sweet enough," Granger grinned at him.

Severus huffed, remembering his annoyance as he turned back to his breakfast but Granger didn't seem to take it to heart.

"Mr Granger, Mr Granger, wonderful you seem to be making friends!" Harry turned to find a slightly younger Professor Slughorn hurrying towards him, it was a little odd because he was older than the version he had seen in his memories when he was conversing with Tom Riddle about the Horcruxes, but younger than the version who had taught Harry.

"Yes I am," Harry nodded.

"Wonderful, well here is your timetable," Slughorn grinned at him, handing it over before moving to the other students.

"What are you good at?" Severus asked dryly.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, take it he wants to 'collect' me," Harry said not looking up from scanning over his timetable until he felt Severus' eyes burning into him, turning he found those dark eyes narrowed again. "No games, just not yet," Harry said softly before Severus could say anything.

"Harry! We need to get to Transfiguration first, where is Transfiguration?" One of the First years groaned.

"It's ok," Harry smiled before tapping his wand to his throat, "Sonorus, morning everyone! Older students, our First years have Transfiguration first, who else is heading in that direction to guide the Slytherin First Years and the other House that are heading that way?"

"We're the other House, Harry!" A First year waved from the Hufflepuff table, blushing darkly at calling out, but looking relieved, as did the other First Years around her.

"We're heading in that direction!" A Ravenclaw Fourth year said a little confusedly and awkwardly.

"Wonderful, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Firsties, where are you headed to first?" Harry turned to them.

"Charms!" One of the Gryffindors shouted.

"We're going to Defence, it is by us," Severus sighed.

"Perfect! When you're ready, come gather in this direction and we will take you there. Are you guys good to take the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs?" Harry looked at the Ravenclaw who nodded, still looking baffled. "Cheers!"

"Thanks Harry," One of the other First Year Slytherins grinned.

"No worries, and for your next lessons just grab a passing older student and ask for directions ok?" Harry smiled at them.

"Thanks!"

"What?" Harry asked, turning and finding Severus watching him with a confused expression as the Hall mumbled around them at their odd newcomer.

"Nothing," Severus fought down the urge to smile and turned back to his breakfast, eating a little faster considering they now appeared to be escorting First years to their class first.

"Ok, so this is the Library," Harry's voice caught Severus' attention faster than he would have liked, and he turned from where he was sitting at the table he had claimed to see Harry Granger standing there, with the entirety of the First Years of Hogwarts around him. "Ah Madam Pince, lovely to meet you,"

"Yes as well," The Librarian blinked.

"We are just finding our way around," Harry smiled before turning. "Right, History of Magic classroom next," he waved the students out and they all waited out of the way until Harry had exited, and then they all followed him down the corridor.

The other teen was a strange person, he was kind and generous, light hearted and seemed to laugh easily, however he obviously had the ability to be dangerous, Severus had seen that flashing through his eyes that first night when he had stepped up for the bullied First year and then had gone toe to toe with Lucius, Lucius sounded dangerous, Harry…Granger! Meant it. He had no doubt that he could be dangerous if he wanted to be.

Severus grit his teeth but tried to keep his expression as blank as possible while Black snickered with Pettigrew in the background, and Lupin made half hearted attempts to stop Potter. Their illustrious Head Boy himself was throwing not very subtle comments that he clearly thought were incredibly subtle and clever at Severus about his choice in following the Dark Lord and how that had failed him.

There was a crowd around them and Severus had been backed into a corner by the four of them and was waiting for his chance to say something sharp, biting and intelligent that would confuse all of them but Lupin and be able to walk off.

"Are we boring you Snivellus?" Black sneered.

"I know how to get his attention," Potter smirked, and Severus tensed seeing his wand already in motion, knowing that this wasn't going to be good. Before he could get his shield up Potter's spell hit him, and Severus felt mortification flying through him as his clothes all disappeared and he was left wearing nothing but a pair of lacy pink knickers. Severus glued his left arm to his side so that the greyed out Dark Mark would not be revealed, the thing aside from Severus' humiliation that Potter had been looking for.

"James," Lupin needled, "you shouldn't,"

"It is just a prank!" Potter laughed. "Now, let's raise those arms so everyone can appreciate your underwear Snivellus, I didn't know pink was your colour!" The crowd laughed and Severus felt humiliation washing over him, burning through him, especially when he saw Lily standing there as well, doing nothing, with her eyes on his left forearm.

Severus snarled when Black cast a shield in front of Potter to deflect Severus' spell, Lupin deflected the second one as Potter's spell hit him, he resisted the spell as much as he could but he could feel his arms starting to move, sweat built up on his forehead quickly as he tried to fight it but his arms were moving and he couldn't stop it.

"Finite," The word was snapped out angrily right as a hand clamped down on Severus' left forearm covering it, a body appearing to shield him from everyone's sight before black fabric swished around Severus and Harry covered him in his robes. He let go of Severus' arm and closed the robes around him before turning burning green eyes onto Potter. Severus noticed a panting First year Gryffindor standing close by watching Harry with wide eyed awe.

"What do you think you're doing!" Potter snarled. Harry turned to face the crowd and the Marauders, making sure that most of Severus was shielded from view still by his body.

"I could ask you the same thing," Harry frowned, crossing his arms.

"I don't know what the issue is! It was just a prank," Potter repeated.

"It isn't a prank if the person you are pulling it on isn't laughing, then it is just outright bullying," Harry glared at Potter.

"You don't know anything about it!" Black sneered.

"The joke was just misunderstood," Lupin nodded, holding his hands up appeasingly.

"Oh, it was misunderstood!" Harry nodded back to Lupin.

"Yes, that is all, James just took the joke a little out of hand that is all," Lupin smiled pleasantly.

"Of course," Harry smiled back, and then faster than Severus had seen someone their age move he wordlessly cast a spell, seconds later all four of the Marauders were standing in front of them completely naked except for green and silver knickers.

"What the hell!" Potter choked as the crowd around them started laughing at the group.

"How did you know that spell?! We created it!" Black snarled.

"Why did you do that?" Lily snapped, stepping forward and trying to create robes for them but it wouldn't cover them up.

"It was just a prank," Harry smirked before turning and carefully wrapping his arm around Severus' shoulders and led him through the crowd.

"I will get your things Severus," Regulus Black said softly.

"Thank you," Harry nodded to him and then hurried Severus away. Severus was utterly mortified at what had just happened and how many people had seen, he was feeling shaken by what had nearly happened, and he was feeling shocked. Harry led him through the hallways down to the common room, the warmth of the robes around him the only thing fighting off the chill of the dungeons until they could step through into the common room.

"What?" Bellatrix started to smirk.

"Say anything, I dare you!" Harry snarled his green eyes flashing on her, and there was enough danger in them that she stepped back and paused for long enough for Harry to get Severus to the stairs of the dormitory.

Harry didn't seem to care as he cast strong locking spells on their dormitory door that would stop the others from being able to get in as he walked him across the room and sat him on his bed.

"Are you ok?" Harry crouched down at Severus' bare feet and looked up at him concerned.

"You shouldn't have done that, you will get into trouble," Severus said a little hollowly, burying a little deeper into the robes around himself.

"That doesn't matter, I will deal with that!" Harry snapped, but the anger was clearly not meant for him, he rested his hand on Severus' knee, resting it over the fabric of his own robe that was covering Severus. "Are you ok?"

"Why do you care?" Severus looked up, and he wanted to be furious with himself as he felt his eyes burning and tears welling up in them. He had thought that it had been humiliating enough when Potter had flipped him upside down and showed off his underwear to everyone around the lake, this was even more humiliating, his skinny, pale, gangly, scarred body had been on show to everyone. He was tired and exhausted of this, he was fed up of constantly being the butt of the joke, he was fed up of never getting anywhere, he was fed up with his life always having to be difficult.

He was fed up with never being able to just live his life, he was fed up with everything, and all he wanted was to be able to get through the school year and get away from it all.

He started when he felt a hand cupping his face, and he snapped his eyes open not having realised that he had closed them, and he met concerned green eyes. Harry was cupping his face and he gently brushed a tear that ran down Severus' cheek.

"Don't!" Severus tried to snarl and pull away, but Harry shook his head.

"Please don't push me away, I just want to help," Harry said softly.

"Why? You don't know me! I have nothing to give you! What is it? Why are you helping me?"

"Because I want to. Because you don't deserve to be treated the way that you are, because I like you," Harry said honestly.

"Why? You don't know me, no one else wants…" Severus cut himself off, reaching up to wipe his eyes on Harry's robes.

"Because you're incredibly smart, you're impressive, I find you fascinating and I have a feeling that you're a very good person to have in my life," Harry answered honestly.

"No one else thinks so," Severus brushed his eyes again.

"Then they're idiots, and that isn't exactly true, it was a Gryffindor student, who you have helped, who came and got me," Harry shook his head, Severus' mind snapped to the panting first year. "And they really are idiots!" Harry snarled.

"I don't understand you," Severus sniffed.

"So get to know me," Harry gentled from his anger.

"It never works, people always let me down," Severus shook his head, tugging the robes higher around his face to try and shield himself.

"I won't," Harry shook his head.

"You can't promise that," Severus shook his head.

"I will take a vow if you want?" Harry said seriously, holding out his hand. Severus blinked and then started laughing to himself.

"Green and silver knickers?" he managed to say through his laughter.

"A little on the nose I know, but too good not to," Harry grinned.

"You're different," Severus shook his head.

"Just a little," Harry shrugged.

"I'm tired," Severus sighed.

"Get changed into something comfortable," Harry said softly, standing and walking to the door.

"Harry?" Severus asked cautiously.

"I will be right back," Harry smiled over his shoulder.

Severus waited until the door was shut before he pulled Harry's robes away from himself. The feeling of the cold hitting his skin was both due to his lack of clothing underneath the robes, but also the wash of the shame of seeing what everyone in that corridor had seen as well.

He closed his eyes as he tugged the underwear off and threw them into the middle of the floor casting an incendio on them right away, turning his back on them as he quickly opened his trunk and grabbed comfortable clothing from there. He tugged on underwear and his pyjama pants before looking down at his bare arm.

He took a breath and looked at the faded grey mark on his arm, the one that had nearly been revealed to everyone in that corridor. He had made his choices, and he both regretted them and stood by the choices that he had made when he had very little options. His mind went over what had happened into the corridor again, and he shuddered before quickly pulling his long sleeved pyjama top on before climbing into his bed.

Moments later Harry walked into the dorm room again, he had Severus' bag over his shoulder and he was carrying a tray in his hands that looked as though it was piled with food. Severus watched a little bemused as Harry placed the tray down on Severus' bedside cabinet and then widened the bed before climbing on with the tray and drawing the curtains around them, quickly sealing them and casting privacy charms before turning to Severus with a smile.

"Can I ask something?" Severus asked.

"Of course, I can't promise that I will answer everything, but I will answer what I can," Harry said. Severus battled down the initial irritation and took in the earnest expression on Harry's face.

"You know about my arm? You grabbed it and kept it hidden," Severus looked down at the bed covers.

"I know," Harry nodded. When Severus glanced up there was no real expression on his face that Severus could read.

"How do you feel about it?" Severus asked to the point.

"I don't think that you made the choice because you believe in what he was spouting, your reasons are your own and you don't need to share them with me, now or ever, but it isn't something that I judge you for. I think I have made it quite clear that I don't believe in that rubbish about blood purity or anything like that, look at you," Harry shrugged.

"Me?" Severus blinked.

"Well yes, you're a halfblood and you're powerful, your magic is creative and packs a hell of a punch, you're incredibly intelligent and the things that I know that you can do with potions…" Harry cut off with a little grimace.

"You know that in the same way you knew who Lucius was?" Severus asked, completely ignoring the blush burning his face.

"Yes," Harry nodded, and the look in his green eyes told Severus that he wasn't taking any joy in not telling Severus how he knew.

"Are you an alien?" Severus asked casually. Harry blinked and then burst out laughing.

"Of all the things I was expecting you to say right now that was the last thing!" Harry said through his laughter, and Severus found himself smiling shyly back as he drew his legs up to his chest and watched those green eyes sparkling with mirth.

"So….was that a no?" Severus asked casually, listening to Harry chuckle a little more.

"I can definitely confirm no for the alien theory," Harry grinned, picking up the tray of food and placing it between them.

"Shame, that would have made you interesting," Severus drawled, reaching out and taking a battered chicken strip to nibble on.

"You mean you don't find me interesting?" Harry gasped, pressing his hand to his chest.

"Mildly," Severus shrugged.

"Mildly! Huh," Harry smirked at him. "I will have to make sure I am exceedingly interesting to you,"

"I don't know why," Severus admitted, finishing the chicken piece and reaching out for another.

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry tilted his head and looked at him.

"I…" Severus hadn't been expecting that and he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

"What is it you want to do with your life?" Harry asked, settling back against Severus' headboard.

"Why?" Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"So suspicious!" Harry chuckled, grabbing some food for himself. "Because I want to get to know you better, and because I have no clue what I am going to do with my life now," Harry admitted.

"You don't have any ideas?" Severus turned so that he was leaning against his side against the cushions and the headboard to look at Harry.

"Oh I have had plenty of ideas but none of them that I really want to do," Harry sighed.

"I want to be a Potions Master," Severus said.

"I think you would be amazing at that," Harry smiled.

"It has become a lot more difficult for me to achieve," Severus smiled a little sadly.

"Can I ask why?" Harry asked.

"To get to the right places takes money and influence," Severus sighed.

"Part of the reason you joined him?" Harry asked completely without judgement.

"Yes," Severus took a deep breath.

"You're talented and have a brilliant mind, don't rule out your future," Harry said softly.

"My life doesn't really go that way," Severus sighed.

"I know what it is to expect a slap rather than a gentle hand,"

"What?" Severus blinked.

"My parents were killed when I was one, my mum's family brought me up, or dragged me up more like it, they hated me, hated magic, hated my mum,"

"You said your parents were killed last year," Severus asked cautiously.

"Yes, easier than having to explain everything really, I don't want people poking too closely into things," Harry shrugged.

"I'm people," Severus snorted.

"No, you're not, you're different," Harry shrugged, grabbing the bunch of grapes on the plate and pulling it in half, passing the other half to Severus.

"Why?"

"I know something about you through my none Alien knowledge, enough that I want to get to know you more, and know that you are different to most people,"

"I'm not someone to attach yourself to if you want to get ahead,"

"If you haven't noticed getting ahead isn't something that I am really interested in,"

"What are you interested in?" Severus asked.

"I just want to enjoy my life, have as happy a life as I can, enjoy it as much as I can while finding a purpose for it," Harry hummed.

"You're only 18, you have plenty of time," Severus said quietly.

"Hmm, time seems to be an issue sometimes," Harry said, suddenly looking as though he were a million miles away, before shaking himself as he turned to look at Severus.

"You're not as sure as you seem to be," Severus frowned a little.

"You can be happy and unsure at the same time," Harry chuckled. "But no I'm not. I just go forward through life and do my best to make the best of it I guess," Harry shrugged.

"I think I could do with being a little more like that," Severus admitted.

"Who you are is just fine," Harry turned his head to look at the other.

"I think…I need to look forward a little more than I look back," Severus shook his head.

"I want to be part of whatever your future looks like," Harry said honestly, and smiled softly when Severus looked at him shocked. "So, shall we toast to moving forward?" He grinned, picking up one of the bottles of butterbeer that he had on the tray.

Severus blinked at him a couple of times before chuckling and picked up the other bottle, tapping it against Harry's.

The part of him that was the person that always looked back said that this wouldn't last, that Harry was playing a game with him, or that he would realise that there were better people out there and Severus would get left behind. But looking at Harry as the green eyed teen began rambling on about the many, some of them ridiculous, ideas for a career that he had had, Severus was able to quiet that part of himself, and he put himself into this moment only.

"Mr Granger," Harry turned as Dumbledore came walking towards him.

"Headmaster," Harry said pleasantly.

"I am going to need you to come to my office, now," Dumbledore gave him the scolding grandfather look, and Harry wanted to chuckle. If only he knew.

"Of course Headmaster," Harry smiled.

"Headmaster I…" Severus started to say but Harry reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently and winking at him where Dumbledore couldn't see.

"I will be right back," Harry assured him. "Could you let Professor Flitwick know I am with the Headmaster please,"

"Ok," Severus looked a little mullish and concerned, both of them aware of what this was about.

"Thank you," Harry smiled before turning back to Dumbledore who was looking more than a little baffled at Harry's attitude.

"Right, this way Mr Granger," Dumbledore motioned.

Harry followed along beside Dumbledore through the school, completely ignoring the looks that the other man was giving him as they walked through the corridor. It was odd seeing him and being this close to him, especially when his attitude was so different to Harry. He wasn't Dumbledore's weapon and ace in his deck in this timeline, he wasn't anything really to the man in this timeline, it was intriguing seeing the difference in him. Harry in this timeline was a Slytherin, he was a new student that would be here for nine months, and he had gone up against a few of Dumbledore's favourite students.

Thinking about it, Harry wasn't too sure why James, Sirius, Remus and Peter by default, were so important to Dumbledore and why he favoured them so much.

Harry waited patiently as Dumbledore murmured the password to the Griffin and then motioned for Harry to follow him onto the staircase. Walking into the office Harry was hit by a surprise that he hadn't seen coming, and it took him a lot to keep his face as neutral as he possibly could, though from the slightly satisfied expression on Dumbledore's face he hadn't been able to fully suppress his reaction.

There was no mistaking the people sitting in Dumbledore's office, clearly waiting for them, especially as they turned to look at him. He had only seen 2 pictures of them, and though they were a little older than those two pictures he had of them, it was clearly them. His Grandparents.

Fleamont and Euphemia Potter.

"This is Mr Granger," Dumbledore introduced, walking around his desk to sit down, straight backed and looking more secure with his position.

"Lady and Lord Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you," Harry pulled himself together and walked forward, offering his hand to Fleamont.

"I wasn't expecting the boy that attacked our son to be so polite," Fleamont blinked but out of clear politeness took his hand.

"I wasn't expecting the parents of the boy that I had a run in with after he attacked my friend to be here while I was punished for my actions, I guess we're both surprised!" Harry leant in like they were sharing a secret.

"Yes well, I think we…" Dumbledore tried to say quickly but Euphemia held her hand up with a frown on her face interrupting him, her eyes still on Harry.

"What did you just accuse my son of?" she asked, clearly unimpressed.

"Attacking my friend. It wasn't a one off thing either," Harry shrugged, transfiguring a chair and sitting down considering no one had offered him a seat.

"A few fun pranks are hardly attacking," Dumbledore frowned in disappointment at Harry shaking his head.

"So could you explain why I am sitting in front of the Headmaster of the School, and two parents, for casting the exact same spell on four students that used it on one when they ganged up on him? Or is James and his group to be called up here after me?" Harry asked pleasantly.

"What?" Fleamont frowned, he and Euphemia looking more and more confused.

"I cast the same spell on the 4 of them that they had just cast on Severus, while they had ganged up on him. The four of them worked together to prevent Severus from being able to defend himself while they cast the spell on him after they had taunted him for around five minutes and…"

"I do not believe that this is…" Dumbledore tried to say but Harry snapped furious green eyes onto him and interrupted right back.

"I do not believe that I was finished talking. You brought Lord and Lady Potter here, now I believe that they have the right to hear the truth,"

"What truth?" Fleamont asked.

"Your son and his group of friends are bullies, they have been bullying Severus for years now, those 'pranks' of theirs are attacks on him," Harry told the two frankly.

"Mr Snape has done plenty on his own as well," Dumbledore tried to say.

"All of which he has been punished for, and yet the 'Marauders' have faced very little. And one student standing up against four when he is being constantly harassed and bullied, and nothing is being done to stop them hardly counts as 'doing plenty' of his one, and more defence I would say," Harry frowned.

"What types of things has my son and his friends done to this young man?" Fleamont held his hand up to Dumbledore to stop him speaking when the Headmaster opened his mouth again, and Harry felt a flash of hope go through him that his Grandparents were actually decent people and were going to listen to him.

"Severus has told me that they have…" Harry listed some of the things that Severus had indeed told him that they had done to him, and others that he knew about via adult Severus.

"Were you aware of this?" Euphemia turned to Dumbledore who looked a little started at being confronted.

"They were pranks, a few that went a little too far I admit, but they are just harmless, teenage pranks," Dumbledore smiled, shaking his head.

"Pranks? You have allowed our son and his friends to bully this boy for years now, and when someone stands up for him you pull that person in here to try and punish them!" Euphemia said, looking utterly outraged.

"What…what did you think you were doing?" Fleamont frowned, shaking his head.

"They were simply being pranksters, there was no need to blow it out of proportion, boys will get over enthusiastic sometimes," Dumbledore tried to smile.

"As I told the four of them yesterday, if the person on the other end of the prank isn't laughing then it isn't a prank but bullying," Harry said firmly, "especially when they keep targeting the same person,"

"I would like to meet this young man," Fleamont said, "Mr Snape, yes?" he asked Harry.

"Yes," Harry said but he was a lot tenser and clearly on guard.

"We have no intention of hurting Mr Snape, we wish to speak to him and understand what our son has put him through, and apologise to him," Euphemia said seeing the tenseness.

"I would like to stay with him if that is what Severus wants," Harry said.

"Of course," Fleamont nodded.

"Send for Mr Snape please," Dumbledore seemed baffled by the turn of events and turned to the house elf who nodded and popped away, leaving the headmaster looking at them, looking back at him. It was an uncomfortable fifteen minutes until they finally heard the staircase outside the office moving and then a soft tap to the door.

"Come in, Mr Snape," Dumbledore called.

Severus walked into the office, his back held straight and his chin in the air, but Harry could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

"You called for me Headmaster?" Severus said uncertainly walking fully into the office.

"We actually asked to speak to you, we are James' parents, Fleamont and Euphemia," Fleamont said standing.

"Harry was only trying to protect me!" Severus said quickly.

"Harry has explained what has been happening, for years, we do not agree with our son's behaviour, and we have not been aware of it, or made aware of it," Euphemia glanced at Dumbledore before looking back to Severus.

"We just wish to talk to you and to get your side of it," Fleamont explained.

"I can stay or go, whatever you want," Harry said softly when Severus glanced at him.

"Stay, please," Severus requested.

"Of course," Harry nodded and transfigured another chair for him.

"Firstly, I want to apologise for what our son has done to you, this is not how we raised him. Mr Granger has told us a little bit, and a few things that he has done to you," Euphemia and Fleamont sat down as well and they leaned in to look seriously at Severus.

"I…" Severus glanced uncertainly at Harry.

"We want to know so that we can deal with James' behaviour," Fleamont explained.

"I…" Severus looked at Harry again, and Harry took a risk reaching out and taking Severus' hand, squeezing it in what he hoped would be a comforting way. "He didn't like me at first because I was friends with Lily,"

"His girlfriend," Fleamont sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"He's been interested in her since First year, because I was her friend he and his friends turned their attention to me, the fact that I am a Slytherin egged them on even more,"

"James' damn dislike of Slytherin, I have no clue where he got this dislike of Slytherins from," Fleamont sighed.

"Not you?" Harry asked, unable to help himself, personal curiosity winning out more than anything else.

"No, there have been a good number of Potters that have been Slytherins. Part of me thinks that this dislike is because of Sirius," Fleamont sighed.

"My Grandparents were Blacks, they have obviously been predominantly Slytherins," Euphemia sighed. "I really think it is because of Sirius and his issues with his mother, James has put that on all Slytherins,"

"The whole house rivalry seemed more than a little ridiculous to me and I have only been here a month," Harry hummed settled back into his seat.

"You have only been here a month?" Fleamont blinked.

"I transferred from Egypt," Harry nodded.

"That is unusual, and worse that we were summoned here for this meeting and your parents were not," Euphemia glared at Dumbledore.

"My parents are dead," Harry said, and the Potter's turned to look at him wide eyed. "They died when I was one, it is what it is," Harry shrugged.

"Your guardians?" Fleamont asked a little wide eyed but Harry just smiled a little and shook his head.

"There seems to be an unlevel way in which you treat your students Headmaster Dumbledore," Euphemia turned to the Headmaster who was looking a little baffled.

"I may have been a little lenient," Dumbledore blinked.

"You summoned Mr Granger here to punish him in front of us because we came to you to find out what had happened to James, and yet there was to be no punishment for James or his friends was there?" Euphemia pressed.

"James and his friends were pulling a prank, Mr Granger attacked them on purpose," Dumbledore held his hands up.

"Potter wanted to utterly humiliate me, there was nothing of a prank about it, he did what he did to humiliate me in front of the other students and Lily, Harry didn't 'attack' them, he defended me when they got angry at him stepping in to stop them, and then when they tried to make an excuse for what they had done," Severus spoke up.

"We are truly sorry for what our son has put you through, and what you have had to suffer from him and his friends. How long has this been going on?" Fleamont asked.

"Since our first year," Severus said, and Euphemia covered her face.

"That…that is not the behaviour that we expect from our son, that behaviour is not something that we would have accepted. Had we known, we would have made sure that he was punished, that this behaviour did not carry on. I promise you that a conversation between ourselves, and Headmaster Dumbledore will take place about this, though that will be private," Fleamont said, slashing his eyes to Dumbledore.

"This is our address, should James, or any of his friends, do something to you, either of you, or anyone else again, please let us know right away," Euphemia transfigured a piece of paper and wrote their address down and passed it over to Harry.

"We will," Harry nodded.

"I assure you, we will be speaking to James and his friends," Fleamont said firmly as Harry and Severus stood.

"Lord and Lady Potter, you seem like decent people," Harry said, and Severus paused in making his way to the door, turning to blink at him.

"Thank you," Fleamont seemed a little bemused at the 18 year old speaking to him that way.

"After seeing James' behaviour, it did make me wonder who you would be, especially when you were sitting here. I am relieved more than you will know that you are not who I thought you were," Harry carried on, and Fleamont and Euphemia straightened a little in their seats.

"We are embarrassed at who our son apparently is, and we will make sure that we do everything that we can to correct that behaviour," Euphemia nodded.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Harry nodded and then turned and left the office with Severus.

They walked for a little while in silence.

"Dumbledore looked furious," Severus said finally.

"That didn't go the way he was expecting at all," Harry snorted.

"There was something about how you were with the Potters, something personal and painful," Seerus said softly, and Harry tensed a little.

"Yes, there was, is," Harry nodded without looking at Severus.

"Your none alien knowledge?" Severus asked quietly.

"Yes," Harry smiled a little looking down at the other, curiosity was written all over his face, but there was no indication that he was feeling angry about Harry holding back.

"I can't believe that they are so angry about it," Severus took a step back in the conversation.

"Me either, the conversation definitely took a quick turn," Harry hummed.

"Dumbledore could look to take revenge on you," Severus said concerned.

"What happens, happens, I doubt he is really going to do too much considering he is going to be carefully watched," Harry snorted.

"Potter and his group are going to be furious," Severus said.

"Good, let them be," Harry grinned, and he knew that there were too many teeth in the smile.

"When you look like that I know you can be dangerous," Severus stopped walking and Harry looked down into his eyes.

"Yes," He just agreed, green eyes intent upon Severus.

"I really don't understand what it is you see," Severus looked away from those eyes. "No one else has seen anything in me,"

"Then they're idiots, and biased morons. My opinions aren't theirs, and honestly, I think that they are going to regret it in a few years," Harry reached out and touched Severus' cheek carefully.

"What are you doing?" Severus blinked.

"I am sorry," Harry flushed and went to pull his hand away, but long, thin fingers closed over his wrist and stopped him.

"I didn't ask you to stop, I asked what you were doing," Severus said, and his nearly black eyes were intent as they scanned over his face.

"Honestly, I don't really know, I just want to be…I want to be close to you, I want to touch you," Harry licked his lips.

"Touch me how? Like a friend?" Severus asked.

"No, not as a friend," Harry shook his head.

"It is difficult for me to believe that someone would want to be my friend, never mind want to be with me in a…"

"Romantic way?" Harry said what Severus clearly wasn't confident enough to say. The dark haired teen nodded his head and then dropped his eyes. "I could say probably a dozen reasons why it is that I feel this way for you, since I saw you in the bookstore I have felt a pull towards you that I can't explain, and I definitely don't want to deny. You are…all I want to do is be close to you Severus, and be in your life in any way that I can," Harry smiled when Severus looked up.

"I have been hurt, a lot in the past," Severus frowned.

"I know," Harry stroked his fingers over Severus' cheek again, watching black eyes flutter shut. "Whatever you want to give me, I will be happy with. However long it takes for you to trust me, I will be here,"

"I am…I am interested in you as well," Severus said hesitantly, glancing away from Harry as well as a blush spread across his cheeks.

"That is all I need to hear, we can go at your pace," Harry smiled brightly.

"Even if it takes me years?" Severus asked hesitantly.

"Even then," Harry nodded.

"You will really wait that long?" Severus frowned, disbelief crossing his face again.

"As long as I get to be in your life, that is all that matters," Harry turned their hands so that he was holding Severus' and raised it to his lips.

"Where did you come from?" Severus laughed a little disbelievingly.

"You will struggle to believe me when I tell you," Harry snorted.

"But you will?" Severus tilted his head picking up on Harry's tone.

"I will," Harry smiled.

"Then that is all I need to hear," Severus squeezed Harry's hand and then took a breath and started walking down the corridor with Harry's hand still in his. He chuckled softly seeing the dopey smile on Harry's face, shaking his head. "I have no clue how you were sorted into Slytherin and not Hufflepuff,"

"I did have a choice," Harry hummed.

"Between Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" Severus asked, surprised.

"Gryffindor," Harry shook his head.

"I am seriously reconsidering," Severus raised his eyebrow.

"You said you were interested too, I am going to stick to you like a limpet now!" Harry grinned.

"I regret my choices regularly, this is going to be one of them," Severus said dryly, but Harry smiled even brighter as he took in the brightness to Severus' face., something seemingly had eased from his shoulders.

"I heard that you were summoned to the Headmaster's office, Granger!" Lucius smirked as he walked into the common room and stopped in front of the table Harry and Severus were sitting at.

"I am afraid that you are still stuck with me Malfoy, and it didn't go the way Dumbledore was hoping it would," Harry smirked back.

"What do you mean?" Lucius frowned.

"Well," Harry leant forward and the Malfoy Lord couldn't seem to stop himself from leaning in as well, clearly eager for the information. "I am afraid that that is none of your business, though you will probably find out some of it sooner rather than later," Harry grinned.

"You're making enemies of the wrong people Granger!" Lucius spat, a flush spreading over his face as a few people close enough to hear laughed.

"I have had enemies Malfoy, you are a nuisance and nothing more," Harry snorted leaning back in his seat.

Lucius snarled and stormed off with Harry watching him. When he turned he found Severus' eyes intently upon him.

"You should be more careful," Severus said softly.

"I am not worried about Malfoy," Harry shook his head.

"Even though he doesn't have the power you do, he has the money and the name," Severus warned.

"I might not have the name yet, but I have the money to easily match, if not exceed him," Harry shrugged, and then watched as a series of complicated emotions flickered over Severus' face. As he waited for the other Harry threw up some privacy charms around them, those around them already muttering about his comment.

"You have more money than Lucius?" Severus asked.

"Probably, I am not sure what is in his vaults exactly, but if I were to guess, yes," Harry nodded.

"You have not offered to fund me becoming a Potions Master," Severus said.

"No I haven't," Harry nodded and then after a pause settled back into his seat looking at Severus.

"Why not, if you believe in me that much?" Severus asked.

"If you want me to fund you, I will, happily. But I am interested in something more than being your business partner, and if I offered you that money, you would think that I am trying to buy you in some way," Harry said softly.

"I…" Severus paused.

"I believe that you will get exactly where you need to be, Severus, under your own talents and skills. I do not want to endanger what we have building between us with the suspicion that I am trying to control, or force you into something with me in any way. If you would like to lend the money from me I will easily arrange that, I can even have my accountant write up a contract detailing your paying me it all back when you are earning enough," Harry said.

"That…wouldn't feel right," Severus pursed his lips. "As much as I am desperate to become a Potions Master, I think, if I did that, even with the contract, I would…" Dark eyes turned to the side as he didn't not want to say out loud that it would make him suspicious of Harry's intentions.

"You have had too many shit people in your life that have wanted nothing but to take from you," Harry said, his mind flicking to his own mother. "I understand why you would be suspicious,"

"Were you going to tell me about your money?" Severus asked.

"I just did," Harry grinned. "I wasn't keeping it a secret,"

"How do you have so much?" Severus frowned and then grimaced. "I am sorry, that was incredibly intrusive,"

"It is fine, I am 18, orphaned and you have already guessed that my upbringing was shit," Harry grinned. "My parents left me some money, my godfather left me some more and…"

"And?" Severus asked, concerned seeing Harry looking thoughtful. He watched as Harry tripled the secrecy charms around them, the common room disappearing as the charm turned black, completely blocking them from sight, and any living thing besides the two of them died inside of the charm.

"I stole some of it, and the rest of it I have claimed from the vaults of the person that killed my parents," Harry said.

"Right of defeat if they were the last of their line?" Severus said and Harry nodded, and he watched as Severus' brilliant mind put two and two together. "Harry… did you kill the person that killed your parents?"

"Yes I did," Harry nodded.

Severus gulped a little as green eyes hardened almost looking as though they were actual emeralds, and Harry's face set, and Severus could completely believe that the teen that had a bunch of First years following him around like chicks, and fussed over them, had killed this person.

"How long ago?" Severus licked his lips.

"Few months now," Harry answered, his eyes intent upon Severus, clearly knowing he was piecing things together.

"Harry did you…did you kill the Dark Lord?" Severus asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

And Severus…he didn't know what to do with that. The Dark Lord had been his chance to progress further in life, he had given him allies, he had improved his life the year before, he felt as though he had had a purpose, and Harry had taken all of that away by killing the man whose star had been rising.

But…but the man had already been showing signs of madness, Severus had been terrified when he watched the Dark Lord torturing one of his followers because they had failed on a near impossible mission, he had heard of others who had been killed for not doing as the Dark Lord wished. And those allies, they had disappeared into the wind, they had not been real allies, there had not been anything substantial between them.

"I can release you from the charm if you need time away from me to think," Harry said, raising his hand.

"No," Severus reached out and caught it.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked.

"My whole life changed with that action, the choices I had made," Severus said, and Harry's eyes flicked to his left forearm. "The life I thought I was going to have disappeared,"

"I know," Harry nodded.

"I do not think that it is necessarily for the worst," Severus admitted. "I made a choice, and I was going to live with that choice, whatever happened, I would have lived with it. But…"

"You have more choices than are decided for you by other people's lives, Severus," Harry said with a sudden intensity, leaning forward. "You are…"

Severus tilted his head when Harry let out a frustrated noise.

"None Alien knowledge?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Harry huffed out a sigh and then met Severus' eyes, surprising Severus with the intensity behind them. "You are not bound to what other people say or think about you, you are not bound to needing other people to get places, that will just hold you back and bind you into chains. Dumbledore, Voldemort, me, you don't need any of us because you are a powerful, intelligent and brilliant person, you just need to believe in that and push yourself forward, and you will end up being respected and recognised for exactly who and what you are. You don't need anyone else to show that, or help you get there, you're more than capable on your own, you just need to have a little more faith in yourself, and the world outside of these walls," Harry said.

Severus blinked at him for more than a few moments, completely stunned by the words and the utter belief behind them, stunned by the utter belief that Harry had in him and what he could achieve. Part of him wanted to bristle at the implications of what Harry had said about him feeling like he needed others to be recognised, but the reminder of the mark sitting on his arm stopped that. It had been the reason he had joined Voldemort, because he had believed, and the Dark Lord had made him believe, that he would not get a fair chance in the world, and he had to grasp it for himself in other ways.

But Harry was sitting here in front of him, telling him he didn't need anyone, not even Harry himself, to achieve what he wanted to achieve. And he believed it, utterly. He believed in Severus.

Harry watched concerned as Severus stood from his chair and smoothed down his robes before walking around their table. Hope fluttered in his chest as he took in the warmness to those black eyes as Severus' hand reached up and cupped his face, looking down at him before pressing the softest of kisses to his lips.

"Thank you,"

The words had some much meaning and feeling to them, and Harry understood it all as he closed his eyes and rested their foreheads together with a soft smile.

"Granger!" Lucius snapped as Harry hurried past.

"I am not comparing bank vaults or dicks with you Malfoy, I said what I said," Harry called before racing from the room leaving Lucius and a few other Slytherins gawking after him, and Severus shaking his head.

"Severus," Lucius' charming drawl had the other refraining from rolling his eyes as he raised them from his book and found the Malfoy Lord standing in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you, Lord Malfoy?" Severus asked, and he really had to fight to not roll his eyes as Lucius' blue eyes sparked.

"You and I, we got on well last year," Lucius reminded him.

Yes we did," Severus nodded, and they had, mostly.

"And I am Lord Malfoy now," Lucius reminded him. Whatever swept over Severus' face seemed to make Lucius think that he was winning something as he stepped closer. As it was, Severus had realised that the Dark Lord had not been the only person in the store when Harry killed him, and what that meant.

"You are," Severus nodded, his mind flicking back to the conversation he and Harry had had two days ago under that spell.

"Granger is arrogant, and antagonistic, being connected to him is not helping you, it will not assist you in advancing anywhere when it is the people that can best assist you in advancing that he is antagonising," Lucius hummed.

"Hmmm," Severus nodded in agreement.

"He seems to share things with you, trust you, in ways that he doesn't anyone else," Lucius smiled charmingly, in that way that had many swaying towards him, and Severus hated to admit that he had been one of them last year, when that attention had been on him. Lucius knew it as well.

Now though…

"He does, he has shared a good bit about himself, though there are still things he is holding back," Severus nodded.

"You have need of a sponsor, someone with money AND a name to advance you," Lucius said.

"To become a Potions Master?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Lucius seemed happy that Severus was understanding him. Except.

"I do believe that the thing I most need is talent and brains, something that I have more than enough of. I don't need to rely on money and a name behind me, would they help, yes, but I have all the talent and skills to get me to where I need to be without selling myself," Severus stood and snapped his book shut.

"You are making a mistake, whatever money he has offered, I can more than match!" Lucius snapped standing, all charm gone and frustration only in its place.

"He has offered no money, and I would take no money from him. I don't need it, I will get exactly to where I want to be off of my own back," Severus sneered.

"I will block you," Lucius snapped and the common room went silent.

"Good luck with that when I can easily go to any of the European Schools for learning, you're rich and influential, but you throw it around like a child throwing a tantrum, and that is why you hate Harry, because he makes you look like the child you are. Block away, at that point I would allow Harry to get involved, and I am sure he would love to deal with you blocking my way simply because I wouldn't feed you information about him," Severus smirked.

"Do carry on Lord Malfoy, the common room is quite interested," Regulus leant against the table next to Severus and raised his eyebrow, "I am sure my aunt would also be delighted to hear about this episode," he added when Lucius seemed to be firing himself up.

Lucius huffed and spun around to storm away, his betrothal to Narcissa the weapon Regulus had clearly hoped it would be.

"Black," Severus inclined his head.

"I have some homework to finish, may I join you?" Regulus motioned to the table Severus had been sitting at.

Severus looked at the boy who was a year beneath him, and he realised that he rarely saw him with others, he definitely did not see him with his brother and his friends, in fact he had seen Black spouting anti-Slytherin things at the younger boy on more than a few occasions.

"What homework are you doing?" Severus sat down and motioned to the free seat.

"Charms, I am going to have to drag it out, the length of parchment that they want is ridiculous for the subject matter," Regulus sighed sitting down.

"I can not believe this School, the Ravenclaw firsties are nearly having a breakdown," Harry huffed walking over to his and Severus' regular table, blinking when he saw Regulus looking slightly concerned right back at him.

"Why?" Severus asked.

"They have set them homework that is absolutely fine if you're a born wizard, or have lived in the Wizarding world, but the muggle born and raised are utterly lost," Harry sighed, sitting down and dropping the bowl of biscuits he had in his hands onto the middle of the table.

"They never really bothered about that, they just expect us to make do," Severus shrugged, reaching for one of the still deliciously warm biscuits.

"It is madness, it is a School, they're meant to teach and encourage not segregate," Harry sighed before eyeing Regulus pointedly who blinked at him.

"There seems to be a level of actually wishing for a separation between the Houses rather than encouraging us to work together," Severus agreed, reaching curiously into the bowl.

"I wasn't really aware that the mud…muggle born and raised didn't learn about the magical world before coming here," Regulus said quietly as Harry looked at him again.

"You literally find out about it on your birthday, so if you are in September you have a whole year to get your head around it and try and learn….something, if you are July or August you have like a breath to get your head around it before being launched into the middle of it," Harry huffed. Again he looked at Regulus intently.

"When is your birthday?" Severus asked curiously.

"31st of July," Harry grumbled and then rolled his eyes, "I am guessing you are earlier in the year going by how smug you look,"

"9th January," Severus smirked.

"Just remember I am older than you though," Harry smirked, lifting Severus' hand and kissing the back of it before setting his books out while Severus blushed darkly.

"Do you…want me to go? Am I intruding?" Regulus said once Harry had finished setting his books out and looked at him.

"No he wants you to take a bloody biscuit, will you before he has an aneurism!" Severus rolled his eyes, picking up the bowl and holding it out to Regulus.

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable!" Harry said apologetically.

"He fusses," Severus snorted as Regulus took a biscuit, still not looking sure.

"You're doing Defence?" Harry said as a clear offering.

"Yes, but I am not really understanding the method," Regulus sighed.

"Oh I can help!" Harry scooted his chair closer and launched into an explanation while Regulus blinked at him wide eyed and Severus smiled a little behind his book.

"I am going to brew a potion," Severus said, and he hid his smile against his raised knees when Harry looked up right away from where he was sprawled on his stomach on Severus' bed, interested despite the innocuity of the comment.

"What type?" Harry asked.

"A new one, I am going to make one, and I am going to get recognised for its ingenuity," Severus smirked.

"You have something in mind?" Harry asked, sitting up.

"Yes, and it is going to be revenge as well," Severus grinned.

"What are you planning?" Harry laughed.

"I am going to invent a potion that makes the full moon more bearable for werewolves, and Lupin, Potter, Black and Pettigrew are going to have to think of me every time Lupin takes it and it helps him," Severus said.

"Lupin is a werewolf?!" Harry gasped dramatically.

"You did already know then?" Severus snorted.

"I did," Harry nodded. Severus grabbed his hand and tugged him so that he was also leaning against the cushions on the headrest of Severus's bed, before carefully curling into Harry.

"I…whatever it is, how you know these things…you're here to stay, right?" Severus asked slowly, hating how vulnerable the question made him, even as Harry wrapped his arm around Severus' shoulders and hugged him, smiling a little when the younger teen curled around a little so he was resting his head on Harry's chest.

"I am here for good and have no intention of going anywhere," Harry said. He leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of Severus' head. "I don't want to be anywhere else," he added softer.

"The more you say things like that, the more I believe you," Severus admitted.

"Then I will make sure to keep saying them," Harry smiled.

"I have the feeling you would have anyway," Severus laughed.

"Well I mean yes, but it is good to know it is working," Harry chuckled. "You're going to know people's socks off with your potion,"

"I have a lot to work out, and to get it tested, and then get it noticed," Severus said softly.

"You will do it," Harry said with such surety that Severus had to shake his head before sinking a little more into Harry's hold.

"Who do you think you are?!" James shouted storming towards where Harry and Severus were standing with Regulus.

"Some kind of superstar," Harry answered and then shrugged when Severus and Regular blinked. "It is a joke that will gain momentum,"

"I spoke to you!" James snapped.

"I heard, and I was choosing to ignore you," Harry sighed.

"You think you can go snitching to my mum and dad like a child?" James stopped in front of Harry.

"Actually Dumbledore got you into that trouble," Harry smirked.

"What do you mean?" Remus frowned as he, Pettigrew and Sirius caught up with James, Sirius glaring at his brother.

"Dumbledore brought Potter's parents here to show me up and punish me in front of them. All I did was tell the truth and they didn't like what they heard. You aren't a very good example of who your parents are Potter, they're nice, decent people," Harry hummed.

"You're winding him up, stop it!" Lily snapped, hurrying over.

"Your boyfriends stormed his way over here shouting at me Miss Evans, perhaps you should advise your boyfriend to control his temper and not place the onus of actions on those responding to him," Harry said sharply. He watched with satisfaction as her eyes snapped to Severus standing behind Harry and then back to him, her green eyes narrowing.

"My parents think that I am some sort of bully and are…"

"What do you think you are if not a bully Potter?" Harry frowned. "No seriously," he added when James went red.

"What?" James blinked at him.

"There are four of you, and one of Severus, you gang up on him, cast humiliating spells on him, seek him out to embarrass and single him out, three of you cast spells to prevent him from being able to protect or stop you while the fourth casts whatever new spell you have. What is that, if it is not bullying?" Harry asked.

"They're pranks," Remus laughed a little awkwardly, waving Harry off.

Harry threw up a privacy spell around their group, much to the annoyance of the crowd that had gathered around them.

"I told you last time, if the person on the receiving end of the prank isn't laughing, that isn't a prank, and if that person doesn't laugh over years, what is it, but bullying," Harry answered.

"Snape gives as good as he gets!" Sirius frowned.

"Against the 4 of you. Again, 4 against 1, and how often does he instigate anything against you, and isn't reacting to something you have done?" Harry asked calmly.

"He called me a mudblood," Lily snapped.

"You mean after you started dating and being friends with the person and group who have been torturing him for years?" Harry turned to her. "Should he have said it, no, it was wrong. Was he in the middle of an incredibly humiliating moment, and then person who he had thought was his friend, who he could trust and rely on, who had started seeing the person that was making his life miserable and was spending all of her time with him, decided to try and intervene and saw him in the process of being humiliated? Did he lash out in a way that he knew would hurt? Yes,"

"He's a Death Eater!" James sneered.

"Fairly sure Voldemort is dead," Harry said and watched them all jerk back. "So no more Death Eaters. And grow the fuck up and take some responsibility for your actions, I am fairly sure that is what your parents are trying to teach you, and you are willfully ignoring,"

"What do you mean?!" Lily snapped.

"How do you think Voldemort got to Severus? Do you think Severus just signed on the dotted line happily because he is a Slytherin, and of course that means he would be a Death Eater?" Harry asked and smirked when he saw the expression on their faces. "Again, grow up. You left Severus alone, isolated and humiliated, despite all of the strength of character that he has, despite who he is being an interesting person, who was going to be his friend when you lot kept attacking him? When he was constantly the centre of your dangerous pranks? Especially when Dumbledore let you get away with it and there were clearly never going to be any consequences for your actions, who was going to get close to Severus and risk being included in all of that? You drove away any potential friends that Severus may have had, and then you gave him the impossible choice of trying to remain your friend while you were dating and friends with the boys who did all of that to him," Harry's green eyes snapped to Lily and watched hers widen.

"We didn't…"

"You did, you made sure no one got close to Severus, because as much as they may have wanted to be his friend, they didn't want to become involved in your pranks that no one was going to control. How do you think Voldemort got to him? There is only so much that someone can take before they become worn down. Maybe he even just wanted a little bit of respite from you fucking with him constantly," Harry growled.

"We're not responsible for the choices he made," Sirius said, but it had little fire behind it.

"Not completely no, there are other factors that led Severus to a place where he felt as though he had no other choice, but those are private and his. But you played a large part, you contributed to it, and you need to grow the fuck up, because life, it has consequences," Harry stepped away and pushed Severus and Regulus towards the edges of his privacy spell.

"Granger!" James spluttered.

"If you are so sure that Slytherin means Death Eater and Death Eater means Slytherin, you might want to have a little chat with Peter there, even check his arm. When was the last time he undressed in front of you?" Harry said over his shoulder and pushed the other two through the spell cancelling it.

"I will leave you two alone," Regulus said.

"Meet us for supper, Regulus," Harry said.

"That sounds more like a demand," The younger Black managed to smile.

"I was," Harry smiled. He wrapped his arms around Severus and led his silent….sort of boyfriend, into the nearest empty classroom.

"How do you know these things Harry? How do you know what has happened? I didn't tell you about that time by the lake, and you weren't here, how do you know?" Severus spun around and was so wide eyed and panicked that Harry took a step towards him, but to his hurt Severus held up his hand to stop him, even as he wrapped his other arm around his stomach to protect himself.

"I…it is truly unbelievable, I don't know if you will believe me, or if you will write me off as being utterly mad," Harry sighed.

"Trust me," Severus said firmly.

"I do, more than anyone else I do. But, this is so…much," Harry groaned, dropping back to lean against a table as he scrubbed his fingers through his hair so hard it hurt a little, at least until long fingers caught his hands and stopped them.

He looked up to see Severus standing right in front of him now, looking a little more composed while faced with Harry's frustration. But then when he looked closer he realised that it wasn't frustration.

"You're scared," Severus said, surprised. "But, you stood up to Dumbledore, to the Potters, to Potter and his bunch, Lucius, and you weren't scared," He frowned, confused.

"I…that doesn't matter, you matter to me. I am worried that you won't believe me, and even if you do, how you will react," Harry sighed, lowering his head.

Severus hated the slightly defeated set of his shoulders, he hated that the confidence that Harry normally had seemed to have seeped out of him. He ran his fingers through that wild black hair a couple of times trying to soothe Harry before tugging on it gently so that he had to meet his eyes.

"Tell me," He said softly.

"I wasn't in Egypt the last few years," Harry said slowly and then stopped, seemingly lost on where to go next.

"Where did you go to school then?" Severus prompted after a moment, hoping that he was helping.

"Hogwarts," Harry laughed.

"Are you…polyjuiced? Where you polyjuiced?" Severus asked, confused.

"No, I…" Harry looked up at him and his brain was clearly spinning trying to work out the best way to say what he needed to say before sighing. "I time travelled here, from the future,"

Severus blinked, and then blinked a few more times as he tried to process what Harry had just said to him. He would have thought it were a joke if not for the earnest expression on Harry's face.

"How far?" Severus asked.

"Just over twenty years,"

"How?" Severus asked, his mind spinning. "Why?"

"How is…honestly I don't know the whole aspects of the ritual. It was purposefully kept from me because they were worried that I would use it to try and jump forward again, but I wouldn't have anything to go back to. It involved concentrating the ritual into the magic of a Time Turner, basically causing the Time Turner to explode its magic outward to be caught in the ritual and shove me here. We didn't really know if it would work, if it would kill me, it did kill Dumbledore who cast the ritual," Harry said so matter of factly that Severus gripped his shirt tightly in one hand.

The fear was gone now from Harry's face, in its place he seemed….blank. It was wrong, so wrong. In all the time that he had known Harry he had such an expressive face, he allowed his emotions to show through, which made Severus wonder about him being in Slytherin. But now, it was as though he had been drained.

"You didn't know if you would live?" Severus asked after a moment.

"No, it was kind of a last try thing, it would either work, not work, tear me apart and scatter me into different times, or kill me, the ratio wasn't great to be fair," Harry shrugged.

"But you did it anyway? Dumbledore died casting it?" Severus asked.

"Yes, and it worked, it sent me here as we intended," Harry nodded.

"To kill the D…Voldemort?" Severus asked.

"He had made himself immortal in my time, truly immortal. And the world was burning. We were losing. I had to come back, stop him before he was too powerful, stop him while I could," Harry nodded.

"Why did it have to be you?" Severus asked painfully.

"Because he had been trying to kill me from when I was a baby, because there was a Prophecy tying the two of us together, though by me coming back it probably wouldn't have made a difference, because…"

"Because?" Severus frowned at the look in those green eyes.

"I had lost everyone that I truly cared about. I didn't have anything to risk leaving behind if it did or didn't work. Everyone I loved had already died," Harry said.

Severus cupped his face, looking into those eyes, and seeing the pain, the loss and the hopelessness in them.

"Harry," Severus breathed out.

"I made it back here, and I did what I had come to do," Harry hummed.

"But you weren't sure?" Severus frowned.

"I didn't have a death wish, I was sure enough in it working that I emptied out my vaults, stole from the Lestrange vaults everything that they had and brought it here with me, to start a new life if I made it," Harry smiled a little. "I didn't really think about what that life could be until I killed Voldemort, but I hoped,"

"After losing everything?" Severus shook his head.

"But I didn't, they're all going to be fine. I stopped him now, so they will live, or be born, and they will be able to have normal lives without Voldemort hovering over them for the next 20 years. You will be able to live without him hovering over you," Harry smiled, brushing some hair from Severus' eyes.

"What were…we?" Severus asked, his mind spinning.

"We weren't close. I respected you, you were my potions teacher," Harry grinned. "You disliked me," He grimaced then.

"Why?" Severus frowned.

"My name, it isn't Granger," Harry said slowly.

"I rather gathered that," Severus rolled his eyes, making Harry huff amused despite the situation.

"My name was Harry James Potter," Harry said, and then clearly braced himself as he watched Severus' mind running a million miles an hour. His eyes scanning over Harry, taking in the similarities that he could see now, his mind going over everything that had happened so far.

"You're…Potter and Lily's son?" He asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded, his eyes cautious.

"You said that…your parents died, when you were one," Severus blinked.

"Yes, Voldemort killed them. He tried to kill me but the killing curse backfired, because of the prophecy, because of an old spell mum cast on me, left me with this and a link to him," Harry moved his hair and Severus' eyes fell on the lightning bolt scar that Harry kept well covered, Severus had thought for vanities sake despite that not really being Harry. "I was sent to live with Petunia and her husband,"

"What, but they hate magic!" Severus snapped.

"Yup, pretty much hated me as well. Dumbledore made them take me in, made me stay there for blood wards. It wasn't…wasn't pleasant," Harry admitted.

"I feel like that is an understatement," Severus reached out to cup Harry's face with one hand again. "And I disliked you, because you were Potter's son?"

"Yes, you switched sides, but it was too late, he killed mum and I don't think you forgave yourself for that, even though it wasn't your fault, and you never seemed to get over what dad…it feels really odd calling them this now… did to you," Harry grimaced.

"But you…you have gone against them, for me, when they're your parents, and they're here," Severus stepped back a little.

"Just because they're here and they're alive, it doesn't make who they are, or how they're treating you right. I love my mum and dad, the people that they were as adults, they sacrificed themselves to protect me, and I will always love those people. The James and Lily here, they're not my parents, and they're never going to be the parents that I had, because events have changed. And I don't particularly like who they are right now,"

"Because of me," Severus grimaced.

"Because of them," Harry shook his head.

"But why….why pick me? Why not befriend them and try and change them that way?" Severus frowned deeply, shaking his head.

"What I said to you is true Severus, I have been drawn to you since I saw you in that store, and I want to be by your side, I care for you, a lot, and I want to be part of your life," Harry said softly.

"But…you said I disliked you, you're underselling things, who I was to you…"

"Isn't who you are now, and who you will be. The same as my parents, that will change," Harry shook his head. "I definitely didn't have the feelings for him that I have for you,"

"You have faith…in the things that I can do, because you know I will do them," Severus said.

"Not really," Harry shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"The you I knew, you were brilliant don't get me wrong, you clearly knew your stuff, and you had become a Potions Master, but…you lived your life first under Voldemort's thumb, then his and Dumbledore's, then Dumbledore's and then both again. You were…smothered, stuck, trapped. I never got to see you achieve much outside of the war," Harry said thoughtfully. "But knowing how intelligent you were…are and seeing who you are right now, I believe that you can achieve everything that you want, that you will do everything that you want,"

"You have so much faith in me," Severus breathed out, and then blinked, "You have so much trust in me, to tell me this,"

"I didn't want to keep it from you forever, and I trust you," Harry nodded.

"You have been through so much though," Severus stepped closer to Harry, and then closer again until he was standing between his legs.

"You believe me then," Harry sighed.

"Of all the things to make up that would be the most random, and it makes sense in an odd way, how you know what you know, the people you know that you shouldn't. The…Potter's parents, was that…"

"I never met them, I never really knew anything about them, Sirius mentioned them once or twice but not in any detail. I had one picture of them and that was it. It was a bit of a shock seeing them there. I had expected to meet mum, dad, Sirius and Remus, but I hadn't even thought about them," Harry huffed.

"Why didn't Black take you in…" Severus asked cautiously, his voice trailing off as he clearly realised the answer wasn't going to be a happy one.

"Pettigrew betrayed my parents, he's a Death Eater, he held the Fidelius Charm of where we were hiding, he told Voldemort. Sirius hunted him down and tried to kill him. Pettigrew escaped in his rat form, Sirius was blamed for his death and thought to be the traitor because everyone believed he was the secret keeper. He went to Azkaban,"

"How did you speak to him then? By the time you grew up he should have been…"

"Dementors take happy thoughts and feelings, knowing you're innocent and the man that betrayed your friends is still out there, that isn't a happy thought. Sirius managed to cling onto that thought to keep himself…mostly sane. Pettigrew ended up the familiar of the boy that would become my best friend. Sirius escaped when he managed to get his hands on a newspaper that showed Ron with Pettigrew and realised he was more than likely in my dorm room with me,"

"Of course he would manage to escape that prison," Severus rolled his eyes. "Ron…your name?" he asked a little softer.

"Harrison, because I wanted to keep my name, Grimm, for Sirius and his animagus form. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were my best friends, they went through nearly everything with me, they stayed by my side despite the danger, they fought with me, and they died because of me, because they were my friends," Harry said.

"They died because Voldemort was a madman who wanted to kill you and was followed by madmen, that is not on you, that is not your fault," Severus said firmly.

"It is," Harry disagreed softly. "But I am going to make sure that they are able to grow up and have normal lives this time, they're going to be born without Voldemort hanging over them, go to school and be normal kids, grow up to be normal adults," Harry shrugged.

"But their lives will unknowingly be lesser for not having you in it in the same way," Severus said and Harry's eyes snapped from the floor and up to him. "You have made my life better by being here in it, and I don't want to really know what my life would be like without you in it either, I have an idea of it, and it is something I have no desire to see,"

"Severus I…"

"I know," Severus smiled. "However I can help you, let me, tell me everything or nothing, if you just want someone to be with you tell me,"

"Thank you, I…" Harry closed his eyes as tears filled them and he leant forward to rest his forehead against Severus' chest, feeling clever fingers coming up to run soothingly through his hair.

"You have helped so many people who will now never know what it is you have done for them. What do you want now, Harry Potter?" Severus asked.

"I want…I just want to enjoy my life, live it, and I want to be with you," Harry dared reach out and take Severus' hips in his hands.

"Everything you have done, and that is all you want?" Severus said a little incredulously.

"That is all," Harry shrugged.

"Well, thankfully part of that matches with what I want as well," Severus hummed.

"Only part?" Harry looked up.

"I want to be with you, but I can't have you enjoying things too much, you would get bored I believe. I need to keep you on your toes," Severus smirked a little.

"Can't have too much of a good thing," Harry nodded.

"No you can't," Severus hummed before leaning down and pressing their lips firmly together, swallowing the gasp that Harry let out and pressing deeper into the kiss.

Severus lay in the dark later that night staring up at the canopy of his bed as his mind spun. Harry was a time traveller, his boyfriend was a time traveller.

He found it so difficult already believing that Harry wanted him, that Harry wanted to be with him, and now there was this part of things as well. Part of Severus could not believe someone powerful enough to fight and survive the Dark Lord….Voldemort as a child, fight in the war that Harry had mentioned but not gone into detail about, time travelled back more than 20 years in time and destroyed the D…Voldemort in this time, that someone like that wanted him.

But then it made it easier to believe as well. Harry had chosen him, stuck by his side, defended him, gotten furious for him against his own parents, against Sirius who it sounded as though he had had a close relationship with despite the circumstances. He had a chance to be their friend, to be close to them, but instead he had chosen Severus.

Severus was not really sure how it had happened, and how he had been lucky enough to have Harry, for Harry to have the interest that he seemed to have in Severus, but he definitely wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, he was selfish enough not to.

Regulus let out a startled noises when he found the collar of his shirt gripped and he was tugged back into a corridor.

"I want to know about Granger and why you're hanging around him!" Sirius growled at him, and as much as Regulus wanted to roll his eyes at his brother and James Potter who also blocked him in, he knew it would just irritate them more.

"We're…friends, that is all," Regulus said, and he saw when Sirius jumped onto the uncertainty in his voice.

"You don't find it suspicious that he has become your friend just when he has started arguing with us and picking fights with us?" Sirius asked, mock concern on his face that made Regulus want to feel angry.

"I approached him and Severus. And it is hardly him picking fights with you," Regulus sneered.

"The only person outside of Gryffindor connected to any of us, and he just conveniently starts hanging around with you when the only person he has shown any interest in for some reason." Sirius said with sympathy, something that made Regulus want to sneer at him, he couldn't remember the last time that Sirius had shown any concern for him.

"Accio Regulus," The voice came from behind Sirius and James, and Regulus did yelp as he found himself tugged forward, the spell yanking him quickly between the two Gryffindors who yelped and jumped to the side, and right to Harry who picked up his book bag that he dropped as he made contact with Harry.

Harry threw his bag over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Regulus' shoulders.

"I am interested in Severus because he is intelligent, sharp, quick witted, understanding and frankly sexy as hell," Harry announced, and everyone passing paused to blink at him. "And I am not going to use your brother to get to you, or whatever you think. Regulus has his own worth outside of yours Black, hard as that might be for your ego to understand. I like him, he's a good friend,"

Regulus blinked at Harry as the older teen pulled him away and down the corridor leaving Sirius and James gawping after them.

"I hope you don't think that I am your friend because of them," Harry said while looking forward as they walked, his arm still warm and firm around Regulus' shoulders.

"I…I thought you may just be putting up with me, because…you feel sorry for me," Regulus heard himself admitting and felt a blush staining his cheeks. "I haven't really…" He managed to shut himself up there, but Harry clearly knew what he had been going to say as he squeezed his shoulders.

"I like you, I want to be your friend, I think that you would be a good friend to have," Harry looked down at him, green eyes warm and open.

"I don't…I am not," Regulus shook his head.

"Well I think you are," Harry grinned. "Come on Severus is waiting,"

"How did you know that they had cornered me?" Regulus frowned.

"I am good at showing up in places, especially when it inconveniences idiots," Harry rolled his eyes before tugging Regulus further down the corridor.

"How long have you been there?" Severus narrowed his eyes at where Harry was lying on top of a desk, a book hovering over his face, the pages turning with lazy movements of his fingers.

"About an hour, you were absorbed. I have brought lunch," Harry said without looking away from the book.

"We were meant to meet up!" Severus said, mortified, checking the time.

"It is fine, you're working hard on your potion, I was quite happy relaxing here and getting to watch you," Harry smiled rolling so that he was sitting on the edge of the desk as Severus hurried over.

"No, I am sorry I should have…" Severus' words were cut off when Harry wrapped his arm around his waist and tugged him against him, stealing the rest of his words in a sweet kiss.

"I don't mind, I like watching you work," Harry smiled when they parted. Severus looked away embarrassed, both by the intensity of the kiss and the words, not to mention the expression on Harry's face.

"What are you reading?" Severus asked, picking up the book and blinking confused when he saw it was on educational laws in Britain.

"Something I have been thinking about," Harry admitted.

"Go on?" Severus encouraged leaning against Harry.

"The way you were treated, the way Slytherins are treated, the way that Potter and his group got away with their behaviour, muggle born and raised not knowing before their birthday," Harry frowned down at his book.

"You want to change it?" Severus guessed.

"Does that sound arrogant?" Harry grimaced.

"From the man who time travelled back in time, I don't think it is. I think if anyone has the force of will to change things, it is you," Severus smiled cupping Harry's face and stroking his fingers over his cheekbones, watching green eyes flicker shut.

Every time Harry reacted to him, to his touch like this, it made his heart race and what he had realised was love growing steadier and steadier in his chest. It was quick, he knew that he had never been in love with anyone before, and he and Harry had only known each other for 2 and half months at this point, but in the same way that Harry said he was drawn to him, he found himself drawn to Harry.

"Thank you," Harry smiled at him, opening his eyes again and breaking Severus from his thoughts.

"For what? Severus blinked.

"For supporting me," Harry smiled happily.

"You have literally been supporting and encouraging me, the least I can do is return that," Severus said before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Harry's lips, "Besides, I know you can do it, and I know you will make things so much more better,"

"Thank you," Harry said with so much feeling that Severus had to press their lips together again, humming happily when Harry wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him until they were pressed flush together and Severus groaned a little louder when Harry deepened the kiss.

"Harry," Severus groaned when Harry's hand tightened on his hips and he felt how hard Harry was against him.

"Sorry," Harry panted, pressing their foreheads together and visibly fighting to get himself under control.

"I haven't…" Severus blushed pausing in the admittance looking at Harry, hoping that he would understand, and as he had hoped Harry's green eyes warmed.

"There is no rush, I am happy with whatever you are ready for," Harry smiled, gently kissing Severus again.

"I want you, I want to… but I am…" Severus blushed darkly.

"It is ok, at our speed it is fine," Harry reassured him.

"I am sorry, I want you, I do," Severus said nervously, scanning his eyes over Harry.

"Don't look at me like that, whatever it is that you are ready for," Harry drew him into a long, drugging kiss that Severus sank into, all his concerns and worries washing away under Harry's lips and hands.

"For Merlin's sake!" Harry huffed and turned to see James storming towards him with Sirius, looking utterly furious.

"We have detention!" James spat.

"That sounds like a you issue," Harry shrugged.

"We wouldn't have been given detention before, it was just a stupid prank!" Sirius growled.

"You mean you are feeling the consequences of your actions and not being shown favouritism anymore, so that has to be my fault?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"You come here and think that you can just change everything!" James snapped.

"Yes, that was the plan," Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"You think this is funny?!" Sirius snapped, anger washing over his face.

"What do you think your lives are going to be like when you leave here? When you go into the real world? I heard you both want to be Aurors, do you think that the Auror training is going to put up with you and your attitudes? Do you think that you will get away with the way that you act here, the entitlement that you think you have?" Harry sighed, turning to walk away.

Even without the people around him shouting out in warning Harry felt the spell heading towards him, and he threw his shield over his shoulder, spinning and throwing a spell at Lupin where he was coming in from the other side, taking him off of his feet and against the wall.

James and Sirius threw a round of spells, curses and hexes at him, and they made frustrated sounds when Harry deflected and absorbed every single one of them before he fired back. He was impressed with them being able to hold off a couple of his spells, but quickly enough he managed to take James off of his feet and unconscious the other teen hit the floor.

It took a little longer with Sirius, and he realised that his relationship with the future Sirius from his timeline made him a little reluctant to hurt him. Finally though he moved and with a couple of quick spells that ate through Sirius' defences and overwhelmed him, having him collapsing to the ground petrified.

Harry blinked when 2 spells shot past him, not meant for him, and he turned to follow its path and watched Lily slamming into the wall bound in ropes before she hit the floor. He turned back from the direction that the spells had come from and found Severus storming towards him, looking utterly furious.

As his boyfriend cupped his face and looked him over concerned, making sure that he wasn't hurt, the small bit of worry that Harry had held that Severus wouldn't choose him over Lily if the choice came disappeared as snapping black eyes scanned over him before looking to where the Gryffindors were lying on the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Dumbledore swept towards them.

"They attacked Granger, he was defending himself," a couple of students stepped forward that had been watching, and then a few more.

"This is unacceptable!" Dumbledore glared at Harry.

"Defending myself?" Harry asked incredulously.

"I…fighting is not acceptable in this school!" Dumbledore said firmly.

Harry looked at him intently, his green eyes burning as they held the twinkling blue eyes of the Headmaster, he raised his eyes when he felt the press of Legilimency in his mind. It was far from easy pushing it aside, it was only the fact that ironically it had been this man himself that had taught him Occlumency eventually that enabled him to do it, and he saw the horror on Dumbleodre's face.

Whether because he realised that he had been caught trying to read his mind, or because he realised that he had just tried to force himself into the mind of one of the students under his care and what that could mean for him, or both, Harry wasn't sure, but the Headmaster took a step back.

"You have gone too far," Harry said softly.

"I didn't…"

"Come," Harry smiled at Severus, wrapping his arm around his waist and started walking him away.

"Mr Granger…" Dumbledore said, and then paused when Harry turned to look at him, clearly lost as to what to say.

Harry walked away with Severus, those around them muttering and trying to work out what had just happened.

"Harry?" Severus asked concerned once they were far enough away.

"He tried to force himself into my mind," Harry said and Severus' hands gripped his robes where they were resting on his chest.

"What?" Severus hissed. "Did he manage?" he asked, concerned as the implications hit him.

"No, I know Occlumency," Harry smiled.

"You're one of his students, under his care," Severus grit out.

"Yes I am, and he realises how far he has gone," Harry nodded, easily following Severus into the alcove that he was tugged into.

"He is dangerous," Severus frowned, cupping Harry's face.

"Not any more, he knows that I have him over a barrel now. And I think it is time to write to the Potters," Harry hummed.

"Are you going to be ok with that?" Severus asked concerned, his black eyes going from furious to concerned in a second.

"I…I want to work with them, to get to know them. Who James and Lily are, who Sirius and Remus are, they aren't the people I knew, or knew of, and I am not sure they will ever be able to come close to that, but I would like to get to know the Potters," Harry admitted.

"Your grandparents," Severus said with understanding, trying to fight down the bafflement that still went through him thinking about where Harry was actually from, thinking about his life.

"It is probably silly, and risking too much," Harry sighed.

"No, it isn't silly at all," Severus shook his head.

"I thought you would call me out for being an idiot," Harry smiled.

"As long as it isn't a threat to you, then I will support you," Severus stroked his fingers over Harry's cheek.

I will write to them and set up a meeting," Harry said nervously.

"And you will write to Dumbledore and make it clear that if he does anything to you, you have provisions in place to protect yourself," Severus said sharply.

"And that is why I need your wonderful mind," Harry grinned tugging Severus in for a kiss.

"I have a house," Harry said and Severus and Regulus looked up and blinked at him for the random comment.

"Congratulations?" Regulus said, confused looking at Severus who was looking at Harry bemused but clearly waiting to see where his mind had jumped to, considering they were in the middle of their homework.

"I mean, I have bought a home and it is nearly finished," Harry blushed a little. "I was thinking of going there for Christmas,"

"Ok?" Severus said hesitantly, and Harry sighed to himself, he was doing this terribly.

"I would like you to come there, for Christmas," Harry groaned rubbing his eyes, "I am terrible at these things,"

"Just a little rusty I think," Severus said, sounding amused now and not worried.

"I am sure you two will have a much better Yule than I will," Regulus said brightly, but Harry huffed.

"I meant you as well!" He groaned.

"Oh…but…"

"I will deal with your parents if they have anything to say about it. I would like to spend Christmas, Yule, with the two of you," Harry said firmly.

"You look so determined," Severus said teasingly, but there was a warmth on his face as he looked at Harry.

"My parents Harry…" Regulus shook his head.

"I will deal with them," Harry said firmly.

"Harry, they're not people that you want to make enemies of," Regulus shook his head.

"Well that is like a red rag to a bull," Severus snorted. "This idiot has already bumped heads more than twenty times with Lucius, what makes you think he will not with your parents?" Severus asked.

"Especially for a friend," Harry nodded before turning and glaring at Severus, "also rude,"

"But true, you run towards a challenge," Severus chuckled.

"Still rude," Harry muttered. "This is my first Christmas, Yule, here, and I would like to spend it with you both," he said.

"That is cheating," Regulus snorted.

"I am not above that, in my hardheadedness," Harry shot Severus a dark look who just chuckled.

"Thank you," Regulus said softly.

"I will make the arrangements," Harry smiled.

"Harry?" Severus said tiredly, blinking his eyes open to find Harry slipping through the hangings around his bed.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Harry muttered.

"What is it?" Severus yawned.

"I had a nightmare, sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok," Harry muttered. Severus looked at him and saw the strain around his eyes, saw the pinch to his mouth and the tense way that he was holding himself. "What?" Harry asked when Severus took his hand and started tugging him.

"Come on," Severus urged and managed to tug Harry so that he was under the covers with him before curling slightly on top of Harry, wrapping his arm over Harry's waist, and humming happily when Harry's arms cautiously curled around his waist.

He sometimes forgot what Harry had been through, even though it was always there in the back of his mind that Harry had managed to time travel here, that he had jumped through time to be here with Severus, he forgot what Harry had been through in his time, why it was he was here. He forgot how much Harry had lost, he forgot the things that he must have seen, though Harry had never gone into detail about it, Severus could guess what he had been through during a war, during a magical war, he had seen enough of it during the year that he had been part of the Dark Lord's side to imagine what it would have been like if he got worse, and that probably wasn't really touching on it.

Harry had lost so much, his parents and godfather - who Severus struggled to separate out from the people that he knew and at the same time it seemed like they were nowhere near the same people - he had never met his Grandparents. The friends that Harry had mentioned only now and then, but who had meant so much to him that he had taken their name when he created his new life here, so that he could carry them with him for the rest of his new life.

He had left behind his time and his life.

"Thank you," Harry breathed, relaxing incrementally under Severus' hold, gently stroking Harry's side with his hand.

"You never have to thank me," Severus shook his head, holding Harry a little tighter. "I…I want to be here for you, I want to help you in any way that I can, because I am falling in love with you,"

Harry's breath caught in his chest, and his arms tightened around Severus for a moment.

"I am falling in love with you too," Harry breathed into the darkness around them, and Severus leant up to press a kiss to his lips, feeling the last of his tenseness easing from his body.

"Stay," Severus urged, resting his head comfortably onto Harry's chest.

"I am not going to argue that," Harry managed to chuckle.

Severus blinked around the house that he, Regulus and Harry had arrived at following Harry's coordinates. He had not been sure what to expect, part of him thought that Harry might have gone for a big mansion, not having a lot growing up the way Severus had, he might have wanted that.

But this was much more Harry, Severus had to admit, and he had to admit quietly to himself that it was much more himself as well.

The house probably had a good 5 bedrooms, a couple of reception rooms and from what he could see a big kitchen and a large garden. It was bright and airy, it had high ceilings, and it had an air of comfort to it, something that was comfortable and cosy.

It was very Harry.

Severus smiled looking at the bright lights hanging around the ceiling, the large christmas tree standing in the comfortable looking living room, twinkling merrily and with a small pile of presents underneath it already, the multicoloured ornaments sparkling prettily on the tree. A beautiful garland strung with lights curled up the banister leading to the upstairs, and there were lovely ornaments dotted around, filling the still clearly unlived space.

"It is so different to Grimmauld," Regulus said, looking around with bright grey eyes.

"It is very different to where I grew up," Severus agreed, taking a third look around.

"I wanted it to be very different to where I grew up," Harry admitted, his feet moving on the bright wood floor catching Severus' attention as he walked into the living room and started the fire. Sverus followed after him, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist and hugging him tightly.

"It is beautiful," Severus said.

"It is, Glnra did even better than I expected," Harry admitted.

"Glnra?" Severus asked, confused.

"My Goblin Account manager, she has been working hard for me getting a lot of things done, and has had all this setup for me," Harry explained.

"It looks as though she has hired the best to get this all in place for you," Regulus said appreciatively.

"She has, this is exactly what I wanted, cosy and comfortable but with plenty of space, and still enough of a blank slate to put my own stamp on it once I am ready to move in after school," Harry nodded.

"Subtle Granger," Regulus snorted through his laughter when Harry glanced at Severus at the end of his words.

"Come on lover boy, show us to our rooms," Severus chuckled, taking Harry's hand and tugging him to the stairs.

"This is your room Regulus," Harry motioned to a comfortable room which Regulus moved into, and pointedly closed the door behind himself quickly, leaving Harry blinking after him.

"Where is our room?" Severus asked, tugging Harry's hand.

"Your room is here," Harry motioned to the next room along and watched with a small frown when Severus poked his head in and looked around nodding.

"This will make a lovely office, now where are we sleeping?" Severus turned to look at him, and though the words were confident, his black eyes were nervous when he looked at Harry.

"We?" Harry said hopefully.

"We, which one is our bedroom?" Severus nodded, looking a little more confident.

"Are you sure, I don't…" Harry's words were cut off when Severus pressed their lips together.

"If we're going to be thinking about living here together after School, sharing a room for the holidays will be a good practice run," Severus said softly. "And besides, I think I would struggle sleeping by myself after sharing a bed with you for the last month,"

"Oh, right…" Harry nodded and then smiled brightly, tugging Severus across the hallway to the master bedroom.

Severus placed his trunk onto the floor and re-sized it, but then he turned to Harry who was standing there nervously, watching him with slightly wide eyes as though he couldn't believe that Severus was there.

"We can decorate it however you want, however makes you comfortable," Harry said quickly, motioning around the room.

"We, however we want," Severus shook his head, his own nerves settling as he realised that Harry wanted this as much as he did, that he wanted this to work as much as Severus did.

"I want you to be comfortable here," Harry muttered looking down at his feet.

"I thought I would be staying in a home where my father beats me, and my mother watches and does nothing. I want to build a home with you, not something that is one or the other of us," Severus stepped close to Harry and took his hands, looking at him with intent black eyes.

"I want a home too, I have never had one," Harry admitted.

"Then let's build one together," Severus smiled, stepping closer into Harry's warm body.

"Together. I can do that," Harry nodded smiling back, the nerves easing from his face. "I didn't want you to feel as though I am pressuring you,"

"That is something that you have never made me feel, and never will I don't believe, but you can say what you want as well Harry, I am not going to run away, if you ever suggest anything that I am not comfortable with, I will tell you and we can discuss it, I won't withdraw into myself,"

"That sounds fair," Harry smiled a little brighter.

"This is…it is amazing," Severus sighed looking around. "I am not going to want to go back to Hogwarts," he admitted.

"Not much longer, and we can be living here, together, making our lives," Harry said brightly. "I have a room set aside that I think will be perfect for a potions lab for you!"

Harry stopped when Severus dug his feet in and stopped him from leading Severus out of the room and no doubt to the room that he had in mind, he turned concerned, worried he had overstepped despite the conversation that they had just had, but he found Severus looking at him with an expression that made his heart thunder in his chest.

"Harry I…I have no clue what I have done to deserve this, but I will never take it for granted I promise," Severus breathed.

"I think…I feel like everything we suffered in the other timeline, everything that we had to do…maybe this is our reward," Harry admitted what he had been thinking for a while.

Severus drew Harry into a long, heated kiss, trying to absorb the fact that Harry thought of him as some sort of reward.

"Ok, I am so full that I feel as though I am going to pop, and I had no clue you could cook like that!" Severus groaned, dropping onto the bed, on their bed he amended with a grin.

"I might not be good at potions but I can cook," Harry shut the door behind himself and stripped his jumper off.

"People tend to be good at one or the other for some reason," Severus hummed before rolling to the side.

"Really? No one ever told me that!" Harry said, reaching up to start unbuttoning his shirt, and Severus' eyes were intent upon his hands.

"Yes, it is a weird thing, they should go together bu…" Severus sat up sharply as Harry stripped off his shirt and threw it to the side.

"What?" Harry blinked, seeing Severus' attention.

"I haven't seen you without a shirt on," Severus said, still staring intently.

"Surely you have," Harry frowned thoughtfully, casting his mind back.

"No I haven't," Severus shook his head, slipping from the bed he walked over and reached out his hand to touch Harry's chest but paused a breath away. "Does it hurt?" he asked, concerned.

"No, it healed by the time I arrived here," Harry smiled, taking Severus' hand and pressing it against his chest.

"Harry," Severus breathed out as he spread his fingers over the warm muscles of Harry's chest, following the lines of scars that looked as though that had been made from glass shattered and hitting his skin deeply, small lines travelled between each cut, glowing faintly golden under his skin.

"The time turner," Harry explained what Severus had guessed at, watching Severus' face intently as Severus couldn't take his eyes from Harry's skin.

"You have been through so much," Severus shook his head.

"It sounds silly, but the longer that I am here, and the more I settle, the more I am glad for it. It reminds me that I have survived it, that I did travel, it reminds me that all of this is real, that this isn't a dream," Harry hummed, reaching up and taking both of Severus' hands in his, squeezing them gently.

Severus looked up and met green eyes before leaning up and capturing Harry's lips in his.

"Make love to me," Severus breathed against Harry's lips.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, surprised.

"If you are ready, I would like to feel you," Severus admitted softly.

"I am ready, I would like that," Harry said, and then groaned when sparkling black eyes looked up at him.

"You would like that?" Severus teased.

"That sounded awful, like I would like a slice of toast," Harry huffed.

"I am glad you're nervous too," Severus smiled, drawing Harry back to the bed with their still joined hands.

"So nervous, I want it to be right," Harry admitted, but he bent down and lifted Severus onto the bed, dropping him into the centre of it, making Severus laugh happily as Harry crawled on top of him.

"I think it could last five seconds, and it would be perfect as long as it is you and me together," Severus admitted.

"I will make sure to remind you of that," Harry grinned, crawling over Severus and kissing him.

"I hope that it is just going to be you and I for the rest of our lives, this is just the beginning," Severus hummed when they parted.

"I like the sound of that," Harry sighed before sinking into Severus' arm, sealing their lips together again.

They quickly stripped themselves of the rest of their clothes, and though Severus did feel self conscious with Harry seeing him naked for the first time, but the way green eyes scanned over him, the way green eyes devoured him, he found himself lying there more confidently, opening his arms to welcome Harry into them again.

The two of them gasped when their naked skin pressed together for the first time, theri arousal pressed together and sent sparks through them both as they pressed heated kisses to each other's lips, falling into each other even more as they rocked their hips together gently.

"Do you want…" Harry asked, looking down at Severus' beautifully flushed face.

"I want to feel you inside of me," Severus licked his lips nervously, looking up at Harry. He felt arousal burn even hotter through his body when he saw the look on Harry's face.

"Merlin," Harry groaned before quickly casting the spells that were needed, and then he pressed himself to Severus' entrance, looking at him and waiting until Severus nodded to show he was ready, words escaping him as he realised that he was about to make love to the man that he loved, that they were about to be joined together.

Slowly, perfectly slowly, Harry slipped into Severus, the younger teen gasping into his mouth at the feeling of Harry filling him, into finally they were sealed together, Harry's hips pressed against the flesh of Severus' arse, and the green eyed teen panted at the feeling of utter pleasure of being inside of Severus' tight, hot body.

After a moment to collect himself Harry slowly drew his hips back and then started rocking into Severus, pleasure building between them as they gazed into each other's eyes as they fell into pleasure with the other for the first time.

"I was dreading leaving Hogwarts, I didn't know what was going to happen to me, where my life was going to go. I hated being at Hogwarts because of the bullying, but at the same time it was something that I knew. I was…terrified of what I would do after," Severus admitted gazing at the top of their bed.

They were lying in the middle of the bed, Harry with his feet towards the headboard, Severus with his feet towards the footboard, their heads lying next to each other as they lay naked on top of the covers, coming down from the pleasure of their love making and having dropped down on the bed after a quick shower together that had led to a quick fumble underneath the warm water.

Severus raised his arm into the air and gazed at the greyed out dark mark on his arm, something that he had thought might give him a start in life, but had been suspicious that it was just going to make his life worse.

He smiled when fingers slipped into his and squeezed, Harry looking warmly at him when Severus turned his head from their joined hands to look at the other.

"And now?" Harry asked.

"Now I can't wait to start my life properly, our life, I can't wait to start living with the man I love and the life we're creating together,"

"Love?" Harry asked breathlessly, his green eyes practically glowing as they looked at Severus.

"Love," Severus repeated, nodding.

"I love you too," Harry breathed out. "So much,"

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," Severus sighed happily, turning to press their lips together.

Harry closed his eyes after they shuffled and got comfortable together under the covers, lying properly on the bed and settling down to sleep, the two of them lying tangled together as Severus fell to sleep quickly, a small and content smile on his lips.

Everyone had thought that coming back here was going to be incredibly hard for him, they had all looked at him sympathetically when he had been getting ready for the ritual to bring him here.

He had had nothing left back in his time, he had had nothing keeping him there, he had had nothing to live for there, everything had been taken off of him.

Here, Voldemort was gone, and he would not be hovering like a shadow over people's lives, he would not destroy anymore lives, steal anymore people.

Hagrid's expulsion was already being worked through to be resolved, and he would be proven innocent of releasing the beast in Hogwarts. He would be allowed a wand and he would be allowed to finish his education.

Fleamont and Euphemia were coming around to visit tomorrow, willing to listen to his suggestions for education, and seemingly eager to assist him in reforming and changing how things were done. He hoped to have a relationship of sorts with them, and he looked forward to getting to know them better.

He knew that they were going to be dealing with James and Sirius over Christmas, and would be making it clear how much trouble attacking Harry could have gotten them into. Harry had hope that even though they wouldn't have the war to mature them and help them grow up, they would manage it soon enough. They would never be the people that Harry knew, or knew of, but they would have the chance to have a life, they would have the chance to grow old, to live their lives, and that was enough for him.

He had a good friend in Regulus and he would make sure that the other had a good life, he would make sure that he was able to do what he wanted to do with his life.

Harry had left his time with nothing left for him, and here…here he had a man that he loved so much that he ached with it in the best of ways, and he was loved by that man, he was looking forward to their life together, a life that he had no doubt would be exactly what they wanted it to be, because at the end of the day the two of them were far too stubborn to allow for it to be anything else.

Harry hadn't even considered Severus Snape when he had been sent back to this time, he had not really been a thought in the back of his head for if he survived taking down and finishing Voldemort off.

Now Severus Snape was his complete world, and he was sure was his reward for the things he had had to live through and do, for what he had had to suffer.

Lying looking at the sleeping face of Severus as he lay in his arms Harry took a breath and closed his eyes to drift into sleep himself, dreams of the rest of their lives filling his mind.

They had all the time in the world.