"Harry, today you are going to go with Tommy for a bit, okay?" Severus asked, giving Harry his breakfast. "Why?"

"I have a meeting-"

"Ca' I come with?! Please, please, please, please!?"

"No. Not this one, this is a special meeting."

Harry pouted. "But you said that last time, and last time wasn't that long ago!"

"Harry, my last meeting was a month ago, and I let you come with. Bambi, I know you hate it, but we have to start trying to..." Severus trailed off, not knowing how to word the sentence. "What?!"

"We have to try and get you comfortable not being around me. Don't make that face, Harry. Now eat."

"But why?!"

"Eat."

Reluctantly, Harry did so, scowling. Severus sat in front of him, started reading.

"Harry, you need to be comfortable around others without me. You need to so that you can make friends your own age, go over to your friends house, eventually go to school. You know Tommy, you like him, don't you?"

"I do, I just..."

"It's scary, isn't it?"

Harry nodded after taking a bite. "Well, you get over fears by facing them. We'll start out small, like a short time with Tommy, then a longer time, and after that I'll think of something. Now, finish up so you can get dressed, and we'll go down to the Slytherin common room."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can take Lily?" Harry asked as Severus tied his trainers. "Of course you can. Grab her, and then we can start going."

Harry reached over and tucked Lily under his arm, jumped down from the chair, and took Severus' hand. They began walking the short distance, Harry occasionally jumping over the cracks in the stone floor.

"Tommy!" Harry yelled as he saw the second year walk towards them. "Hey Harry."

"Thomas." Severus nodded at him. "Thank you."

"No problem Professor," Thomas siad, flashing a small grin. "Any idea when your meeting will be over?"

"Maybe an hour, but if it runs over I'll pay you the extra time. Most likely two hours at most. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not a problem!"

Severus snarled at a group of girls giggling and pointing at Harry, making them scurry away. "I'd appreciate it if you kept him out of crowded places, besides the common room."

"Why don't we go inside the common room Professor? I have some questions before you head off." Severus nodded, stated the password, and they took places on one of the black leather couches.

"Harry, why don't you play with Lily for a bit?" Harry moved to the floor and started making Lily fly, jump, and other sorts.

"So?" Severus questioned. "Sir, are their any sorts of techniques I should use in case... he, well, has a panic attack or something? Something that calms him down?"

"As far as I know, besides him just... nevermind. What you can do to comfort him, like most small children, is to physically comfort him. I swear, physical touch is one of the things he loves most..." Severus' voice trailed off as he looked at Harry.

"Okay! Is it okay if I take him outside later? Maybe just down by the lake?"

"Sure, but I didn't give him any extra layers."

"I'll have one of the fifth years shrink one of my jumpers. It'll be fine! Oh, aren't you late?"

Severus glanced at the clock and almost did a double take. "I need to go. If need be, Floo call me in McGonagall's office!"

He strode out, walking in long strides up the many floors to the lion's office.

"Severus, sit down. Tea?" McGonagall asked, gesturing for Severus to sit. He did so and politely declined the drink.

"Well, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I need help."

McGonagall noticed Severus' mask fall, and paid closer attention. "With?"

"Harry."

"Did something happen?! Is he alright?"

"Nothing has happened. Recently. I'm worried. What if I can't give him what he needs?"

McGonagall sighed. "Severus, you simply being there for him is enough."

Severus shook his head. "Minerva, what if he turns out like me? Aggravated, mad, annoyed, alone, hated?"

"You aren't like that, Sev. It's not your fault you were denied help in the beginning, and we both know that is only a mask you put on. A mask you put on because you are still scared."

"I can't be-"

"No. Stop for a moment and listen," McGonagall demanded, Severus staring at her with a look of surprise. "Now. You got out of your situation not long ago. You've gotten proper help, but the fear of him is still with you. You put on your mask, because you don't want people to see you in a vulnerable state. I will agree, you can not act this way around Harry. Around your students when Harry isn't around? For now, yes, but you need to work on it. Around Harry? No. You need to teach him, and yourself, that being vulnerable is okay, and, again, he and yourself can be scared and have feelings. They can't hurt either of you anymore. Both of you are safe. Both of you need to learn to show your feelings. It's what makes us human."

Severus was silent for moments, then cleared his throat. "You're right," he whispered. "You're right. I am scared. I don't know what to do."

"First off, maybe you still need therapy. Or maybe you need to face your fear head on. Show people you are other than angry and emotionless."

"And?"

"Then, show people you, Severus. Who most kids think you are? That is not you. I know how you act with the Slytherins and Harry, and sometimes me. That is you. Not the greasy dungeon bat everyone thinks you are."

"Do you know the whereabouts of Remus Lupin?" Severus asked after thinking for a while. "Yes. Why?"

"I think... I think Harry would benefit from meeting, and knowing him."

"Is this your way of changing the subject?" McGonagall asked, giving him a knowing glance. "No."

"You never were good at lying to me, Severus. Anyway, I'll write down his address, and you can owl him." She reached over to her desk, and started writing.

"Here." She handed the folded piece of parchment to Severus, who pocketed it. "Thank you, Minerva."

"I'm being serious, Severus. You are still young. I won't let you stick on a mask for your entire life."

"I'll try, Minnie."

"Good. So, where's Harry?"

"With one of the Slytherins, Thomas," Severu said, reading over the address. "The second year?"

Severus nodded. "Harry met him the one night when I went down to the common room, and he instantly took a liking to Thomas."

McGonagall nodded. "He's starting to trust?" she asked. "Thankfully. Of course, he's still wary, but he didn't have a meltdown this morning. Anyway, it's been about an hour. I should go get Harry."

"Of course."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Watcha writing?" Harry asked as Severus began scratching a quill on parchment. "A letter."

"Who you writing to?"

"Someone I want you to meet. He was your papa's and mum's friend." Harry smiled. "Really? When? Who is he?"

"Remus Lupin."

"Moony?"

Severus stopped writing. "What did you say?"

"Moony."

Severus didn't say anything. How could Harry remember...?

"You remember him?" Severus asked. Harry nodded. "A bit. Just his name."

"Do you remember Sirius?"

"Padfoot!"

"How do you remember?" Severus inquired. "I dunno, I just 'member the names," Harry replied. "You remember what they look like?"

"No."

"Okay."

Severus shrugged it off and continued his letter. Some wizards have better memory, maybe that was it.

He finished the letter and sent it off. "Alright Harry, time for bed." Harry and him walked to Harry's room, got Harry changed, and in bed. "Nigh', Daddy." Severus leaned down and kissed Harry's forehead. "Goodnight bambi."

He walked out of the room, leaving the door half open to let light in, and went back to his prior spot in the sitting room. An hour had barely passed when an owl flew through the open window.

"And who are you?"

Severus took the letter from the birds claws, eyes widening when he saw it was from a Remus Lupin.

Severus Snape.

Of course, I would love to come visit Harry! My one question, is why is he with you? I thought he was with Dumbledore, why did that change? Is it true about what you said? Why was he with his aunt and uncle?! Lily specifically said no! What the hell!? Write back to me as soon as possible. Don't give me vague details like you did in the prior letter.

Remus Lupin.

It took him a while to write a response, trying to figure out how to phrase one sentence, if he should even mention another. But, it was eventually finished, and he sent it off with the owl Lupin sent.

Bedtime.