The time for term to start back seemed to sneak up on Harry and Severus. They spent the last week of break simply hanging around the Manor. A couple of times, Harry helped Severus in the lab and they had taken to playing chess together every night during tea. On New Year's Eve, Severus took Harry into town and they had dinner at one of the restaurants there. Afterward they went to the park where they were having a New Year's Eve party and they watched fireworks together. He was under a disguise of course, but Harry didn't mind. He enjoyed every moment of it, even if he did have to pretend to be someone else.
On the second of January, however, Severus and Harry left the Manor and flooed back to their quarters at Hogwarts. Classes would start back the next morning and Harry was a mixture of both nervous and excited. He wasn't sure how or when Severus was going to tell everyone the truth about the guardianship, but he couldn't stop thinking about it.
As he lay awake up in Gryffindor Tower that night, long after the other boys had drifted off to sleep, he wondered what would happen to him next. If Severus told everyone, he would be in danger from Voldemort's followers. If he didn't say anything, they would have to keep their relationship a secret forever, and the weight of that was really starting to get to Harry. He found himself constantly trying to be careful with his words so that he didn't accidentally slip up and say something he shouldn't.
He'd told Ron and the others that night before they'd gone to bed and they had all been happy for him. Though, Neville was still understandably wary when it came to his Potions professor. Harry wondered how it would be for him after everyone knew. When Severus didn't have to pretend in front of anyone anymore, would he be nicer to the Gryffindors?
These thoughts and more swirled around in Harry's head until the early morning hours, when he left the warmth and comfort of his bed to head downstairs to the Common Room. He sat on one of the couches by the fireplace and dropped his head into his hand as he watched the flames. A movement from the stairs caught his attention and he looked up to see Hermione coming down as well, her backpack on her shoulders.
"What are you doing awake so early?" Harry asked as she came over and sat next to him.
"I've been getting up early in order to get in extra study time," she answered as she reached down and pulled her charms textbook from her bag.
Harry rolled his eyes, "We haven't even had our first class yet, 'Mione."
"I know. I'm reading up on the chapters we covered before break so that I won't forget anything."
"I doubt that that will be a problem for you."
"Oh, hush," Hermione said with a grin. She opened the book to the page that had been bookmarked with a spare piece of parchment and then pulled her legs up under her before looking back to Harry.
"So why are you up so early? Certainly not for studying."
"Just thinking," Harry answered, watching the flames once more.
"About Professor Snape? You've been kinda quiet since we got back yesterday. Did something happen over break?"
Harry nodded, realizing that he hadn't told Hermione yet. "He wants to be open about the guardianship. And he wants to petition the Ministry to adopt me legally."
Hermione gasped. "Harry, that's wonderful! How do you feel about it?"
He shrugged. "I'm happy. I really am. This is what I want, but..." He trailed off and Hermione nodded, understanding at once.
"But it's also a dangerous secret to let out."
Harry looked over at her then. "I don't want him to get hurt because of me."
"I think," Hermione said after a moment in which she considered her words very seriously, "that Professor Snape would be willing to risk anything for you. He knows what it's like to have to pretend and hide things from the ones he cares about and maybe he just doesn't want that for you. And besides, he's got Professor Dumbledore, and Voldemort himself was scared of him."
"It's not Voldemort I'm worried about though. What's going to happen if Malfoy's dad finds out? Or the other Death Eaters? They'll come after him. Malfoy said so himself last summer. He said they could kill him if they find out."
Hermione was quiet for a long moment. Her charms book was all but forgotten about as she leaned over and rested her head on Harry's shoulder.
"I know it seems scary," she said after a while, "but I would try not to worry about it too much. If Professor Snape is willing to let his guard down and be honest about everything, I'm sure he thinks you're worth it. You deserve to have a family that you don't have to keep secrets about."
"I'm not so sure," he said quietly.
"I am," Hermione replied immediately. "You'll see, Harry. This will be good for you both."
Harry could only hope that she was right.
***
The first day of classes passed slowly. They'd had Defense that morning and though Remus had been nearly as cheerful as always, Ron and Harry both thought that he still seemed sick, and Harry wondered if he was still willing to help him learn the spell to ward off the Dementors.
He stopped by his desk after class and asked him about them, earning a grin from his favorite professor.
"I haven't forgotten, Harry. How does Thursday evening sound? At eight o'clock?"
"Sounds good." Harry nodded excitedly. "I'll be there."
"Great! The History of Magic classroom will be big enough, I think."
"Inside the school?" Harry asked, "How are you going to get a Dementor inside?"
Remus laughed. "Merlin, no. Dad and Severus would both kill me for that. No, I've got a much better idea. You just make sure you're there at eight, and I'll bring the Dementor."
Harry left the classroom in much brighter spirits, only to visibly deflate as he realized that he had Potions class next. He followed Hermione and Ron— who were arguing again— down to the dungeons and into the classroom.
They took their usual places and got out their notes and books. Severus stood up from where he had been sitting behind his desk and addressed the class.
"You will all copy the instructions for the Confusing Concoction from the board, and then you will brew it. There will be no need to talk."
At once, the instructions for the potion appeared on the blackboard behind him and everyone began to copy them off into their notebooks. Harry chanced a glance over to him, but Severus was walking between the rows of students on the far wall, peering down at them as they copied the text, but making no comments.
It was unusually warm in the classroom today and that, mixed with Harry's lack of sleep, had him fighting just to keep his eyes open. When he needed to read the fifth step for the third time in order to keep from writing it down wrong, he gave a sigh and shook his head, trying to clear it of the fogginess. Ron looked over at him curiously but Harry simply shrugged and started again.
Eventually though, Harry had rested his head in his hand and he was now perilously close to actually falling asleep. Suddenly, two fingers tapped his desk in front of him and he jumped. Severous was looking down at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry muttered an apology and tried to focus once more.
It got a little easier once he started brewing, as he now had to pay attention to the ingredients that he was adding to the potion. However, when he needed to let it simmer for ten minutes before adding the scurvy grass, Harry found himself again desperately fighting sleep.
"Mr. Potter." Harry heard his name from somewhere far off but he just couldn't bring himself to answer. "Mr. Potter?" Someone was poking at his ribs now and he tried to smack their hand away.
"Harry!"
Harry jerked awake and looked around the classroom only to find that nobody was looking at him, instead, everyone was staring, open mouthed at their professor. He, of course, only had eyes for Harry.
Harry could feel his face and neck heating up as he dropped his gaze to the table. He murmured a quiet, "Sorry," before taking great interest in his scurvy grass, hoping that his guardian would let it go.
He would have no such luck today, though as Severus suddenly seemed to notice everyone still staring at him. He opened his mouth once before closing it again. Then he pulled out his wand and waved it towards their potions, which immediately disappeared.
On the other side of Harry, Hermione gasped as her nearly finished potion vanished before her eyes.
"Alright, listen up," Snape said, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the class. "I've got an announcement to make and this seems like as good a time as any."
Harry groaned and shrunk down in his seat.
"Some of you already know this, but for the ones that do not, over the summer, I was granted guardianship of Harry Potter."
The class was suddenly in an uproar of conversation. Half seemed to be in utter shock and disbelief while the rest, namely the Slytherins, were in outrage. Only Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean, Seamus, Neville and Draco were quiet.
Snape let them go for far longer than Harry thought he would before finally calling for silence.
"I know that this is a great shock for many of you, and I also know that I'm possibly the last person that anyone would expect to be called upon to be his guardian." Snape seemed to choose his words carefully as he eyed the class. "But that is what happened. The story is Harry's to tell if he wishes to do so, but I only want to say that from here on out, things will be changing in my classroom. Not because Harry is my ward, but because I no longer need to pretend to be someone that I don't wish to be. That being said," Snape took a deep breath and glanced at Harry, who gave a small smile in return, "I want to apologize for how I have acted in class before now. I know that my behavior hasn't been befitting of a professor of Hogwarts and I have none— nor will I give— any excuses. This is not to say that I don't still expect the very best that you can offer or that I will excuse poor behavior. I will, however, endeavor to make sure that each and everyone of you lives up to your individual potential."
Snape pointed his wand towards the door and a blank piece of parchment appeared and attached itself to the wall. "If anyone needs or would like extra help in class, I am now opening up the Potions Club to all years instead of just N.E.W.T. students. You may sign your name on the sheet. We meet every Thursday evening at seven. Be on time as I will not allow late entry."
With that, Snape dismissed the class five minutes early, though most of the students were still too stunned to move. "What are you all waiting for? Go to lunch!"
***
News travelled fast in Hogwarts, and by the time that Harry had been dismissed from Herbology that afternoon, everyone seemed to know about his new guardian. He had been approached countless times by students wanting details or wondering if he had really agreed to this. One seventh-year Hufflepuff actually asked if he was sure that he hadn't been poisoned and offered to take him to Madam Pomfrey to get checked out.
That evening, Harry was glad to be going down to visit Snape if for no other reason than to yell at him for putting him on the spot like that. Not that Harry had any clue as to how else Snape was supposed to make the announcement, but that wasn't the point.
When he reached the door to their rooms, Harry opened it and went inside as he always did, but he hadn't expected to find Malfoy already there in the parlor. He certainly hadn't expected him to be shouting at Snape.
"I just don't understand why you're doing this, Uncle Severus!" Draco was standing with his back towards the door, so he didn't immediately see Harry come in. His fists were clenched and his blonde hair was sticking up at odd angles, as if he'd been forcefully running his hands through it.
"Draco, that's quite enough," Snape said, then glanced over to Harry who was standing frozen to the spot. He let the door shut behind him and Draco whirled around to face him.
"I guess you're happy now!" Draco shouted at him.
Before Harry could say anything back, Snape had stood up from his chair and moved between the pair, having had more than enough experiences over the summer with the two of them fighting. "Draco, I said that's enough!" Draco continued to glare at Harry but he wisely refrained from any more comments. "Telling everyone the truth was my idea," said Snape, "not Harry's."
Draco looked up at him, and for a moment, Harry thought he looked genuinely afraid. The skin between his eyebrows were creased and he was even more pale than usual.
"How are you supposed to be a spy if everyone knows?"
"I won't be." When Draco opened his mouth to protest further, Snape held his hand up. "I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not, Draco. And I am not afraid." He glanced between the two boys and nodded towards the couch. "Come and sit down, both of you."
Harry and Draco did as they were asked, sitting on opposite ends of the couch, facing Snape who reclaimed his chair.
"Listen to me very carefully," Snape said seriously. "I do not want to be a spy anymore. That part of my life is over. I am also not worried about followers of the Dark Lord finding out. It is very doubtful that any of them will make a move now, but even if they did, I will be ready for them. I can't promise that nothing will ever happen to me, but I hope you both know that I would never go down without a fight. I can hold my own in battle if I need to, but I simply will not spend my time worrying about something that may never happen."
He turned fully to Draco then. "Draco, I care about you more than you will ever know. Every bit as much as I care about Harry, and nothing will ever change that. But with that being said, it's likely that when your father finds out, he'll want to keep you away from me. If that happens, I understand if you do what he says. I will not ask you to choose between us, but I want you to know that my door is always open to you. If you need me, I will be there. No matter what."
Draco was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke, and even then, his words were barely above a whisper. "Do you think You-Know-Who will come back?"
"I think if there is even the slightest possibility, he will come back," Snape answered evenly.
Harry watched as Draco considered Snape's words before he sighed. "I don't know whose side is right or wrong, but I—" Draco swallowed hard before glancing at Harry, then back to Snape. "I don't want to lose you, Uncle Sev."
"You won't," Snape assured him. He looked over to Harry. "Neither of you will. I promise." He took a moment to glance between them before speaking again. "Can I ask something from the two of you in return?" Harry and Draco shot each other wary looks before Harry nodded. "I know it's asking a lot, and I'm not expecting any miracles, but do you think you might try, I mean actually try, to put forth an effort to get along?" Both boys opened their mouths to protest but Snape cut them off with a glare. "For my sake? And because I know firsthand what a rivalry like this will do to you. You could even start off small with say, being partners during Potions or even just by calling each other by your first names. I'm not asking for a lot here, boys, just a little effort."
"We're not going to become friends, Uncle Sev," Draco said with a scowl.
"You know, I've heard that before."
"From who?" Harry asked, curiously.
"Remus."
"Professor Lupin?" Draco's own curiosity was piqued and he sat up a little straighter in his seat. Snape nodded. "Did you become friends with him?"
"No," Snape replied. "We became brothers."
This news, while not surprising to Harry, seemed to be more than Draco could take in for one day and he shook his head. "No way."
"Since our fifth year at Hogwarts. Though it was still quite a while after that before we considered ourselves friends." When no one spoke after that, Snape continued, "I'm just asking you to try. I think if you do, you might actually find that you have quite a bit in common."
Finally, Harry sighed. "I will if he will."
"Fine, but don't expect too much."
"Great," Snape replied. "I'm assigning a project for Potion's Club and I'll set everyone up with partners. That way it won't even look like you're doing it because you want to."
"Oh, that reminds me," Harry quickly interjected. "I've got that meeting with Remus at eight on Thursday. Is that alright?"
Snape nodded. "Club meetings usually don't run more than an hour anyway. You should make it on time."
The three of them sat together for a while after that. Snape asked Jenka for tea and Draco passed Harry the red-rimmed cup without a word. When it got close to time for curfew, he sent them both on their way, knowing that Harry never stayed down in the dungeons on school nights.
Harry and Draco walked together down the corridor until they got to the end of the hallway, where Draco turned left to head down to the Slytherin Common Room and Harry went right towards the staircase.
Neither knew that someone close by was watching them from behind a suit of armor.