"Moony?" Harry said after throwing the ball to Remus, who caught it and threw it back. "Yep?"

"Ca' I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Hare."

"Can you live with me an' Daddy?"

The question caught Remus off guard, and the ball hit him square in the face. Harry giggled at the sight. "Please?! I'll be good and helpful!"

"Harry..." He let out a sigh. "I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. Me and your daddy don't always get along, and I'm trying to find a job, so I'm on the road a lot. That's why I can only visit in the afternoons and weekends."

"What if you helped-ed Daddy?! You can help him do Potions and teach! Then you have job and you get to live here with us! Pretty please?"

Remus set the ball next to him and gestured for Harry to come over. Harry did, and sat in Remus' lap. "Harry, you know I love you, right? More than anything in this world?" Harry nodded. "I love you very much, and if I thought moving in would help you and make everything better, I would." Harry smiled. "But I don't think it would. Like I said, me and Sev don't really get along that well, and if we fight it might trigger you."

"But it would help!"

"How so?"

"Well, if you help Daddy then he wouldn't be cross a lot, and then he would be happy, which makes me happy, and you'd have a job and you'd live with me because we're a family, and then you can both sleep in my room and..."

"And what?"

"And I'll feel safe." Remus raised his eyebrow at the response. "Safe?"

"I dunno... I just..." Harry looked away from Remus, struggling to get the words out. "You... when you're both there, it just... makes me feel safe. And loved. I'm sorry. I feel like that when it's just Daddy but with both of you guys...I've only known you for like a month. I shouldn't've asked. It's stupid."

"No, it's not. Is there any other reason?"

"I... everyone I know has a mummy and a daddy... maybe... if I had two daddies, I would be just a bit normal. I'm different. I don't want to be different."

Remus gave Harry a soft hug. Two dads? Did Severus tell Harry something? No, he wouldn't do that. Was that how Harry thought about him?

On the other side of things, he wasn't opposing the idea Harry had just brought to his mind.

"Harry, I understand why you want me to live with you now. I just... I'll talk to Severus about it, okay? We'll see what we can do. Now. Want some ice cream before daddy gets back?"

The smile returned to Harry's face, who was nodding happily. "Chocolate!" He yelled as Remus threw the ball into the new toy basket. "Alrighty, come on then. You go wash your hands. I'll get us both some ice cream."

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

Remus looked over at Harry, who was playing in the sitting room with a toy car he had gotten him as a, very, late birthday present. "He asked me something while you were out," he muttered to Severus. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Asked if I could move in with you two. Said I could help you in your class, y'know, teaching and stuff, because it slipped that I'm looking for a job."

"You still don't have one? What about those interviews?" Severus asked, eyes wide. "It's legally required. You have to enclose that you are a werewolf, and it's legal for them to discriminate against werewolves. Safety of their children, they say."

"You've been visiting Harry for a month and you still haven't gotten any owls?"

"Nope. I promised I would talk to you after he explained why he wants me here."

"What did he say?" Severus sat next to Remus so he could also watch the young boy. "It... He said I could help you teach, and you wouldn't be cross a lot. You'd be happier, so he'd be happy, and I'd have a job. I could live with you two and we can... sleep in his room like we've done, and he'd feel safe. Loved. He feels like that when it's just the two of you, so please don't get angry.

"He told me he's different. He wants to be normal, and everyone he knows has a mum and a dad, so two dads couldn't be that different." Remus watched Severus' face carefully, waiting to see if it would change. It didn't. It remained emotionless, watching Harry.

"He said that?"

"You haven't told him anything, right?" Remus asked and turned to glare at Severus for a split second. "About...? Oh! No, I haven't told him anything, you dimwit. Yes, let me tell my son all about your love life from ten years ago, it's the biggest gossip in all of Britain."

"If that gets out, who's going to hire me then? You and him... that person are the only people who know. It's the eighties. People in the Muggle world get killed for being like me." Severus let out a sigh. "I don't have it out for you, you know. I'm not going to leak that just to ruin your life."

"How are you not grossed out?" Remus asked, doubting that Severus was telling the full truth. "I'm a wizard who is a single father, I'm a spy for the Light, and I'm known as 'the Greasy Dungeon Bat. Can't get much weirder than that, can you?" Remus let out a chuckle. "No, no you can't. But in all seriousness, what are we- you going to tell him?"

"I... I guess I could think about it. I can talk to Minerva about me getting an assistant teacher. You'd get about twelve hundred galleons a month, not fifteen, because you'd only be an assistant, but that's pretty good pay."

"Wait... that's... Holy Merlin that's a lot of money! That's almost six thousand pounds, which would be... Merlin's beard! Severus, that's over fifty thousand a year! I've never had that much money in my life! I could kiss you!" Remus stopped when he noticed he was rambling, and what he just said. "I... uh... dammit..."

"Damn?" Harry asked. "No!" Harry flinched. "Sorry, but that's a bad word. I didn't mean to say it."

"Adult word?"

"Yes. Go play for a bit, we're almost done talking, and then we can have dinner."

"I-I didn't mean to say that! I-It just slipped out, I swear!" Remus stuttered, a dark blush creeping up his face. "Don't sweat it. You're blushing." Severus smirked. "Got a crush on me, Lupin?"

"Sh-Shut up! We aren't teenagers anymore!"

"Aww, Remus, you flustered!"

"Harry, what do you want for dinner?" Remus asked, purposefully changing the topic. "Fish and chips?" Harry asked quietly. "Oh, Harry. I'm sorry I yelled before, okay? That really is just a naughty word."

"Will I get in trouble if I say it?" Remus looked to Severus for help. "Magic was a bad word there, and he got punished," Severus whispered to the werewolf. "Oh... No, Harry, you won't get in trouble." He looked to Severus for help as Harry climbed on Severus' lap. "Harry, do you know what a time out is?" Harry shook his head. "It's when you sit in a corner, like one in the living room, and you think about what you did wrong for about five to ten minutes depending on what you did. Then we would talk about it. If it was very bad, I might take away a toy for one day."

"Lily?!" Harry cried. "No. I will never take Lily, okay? More like a car or a ball or your markers, but I will never take Lily away. She's too important."

"Important?" Harry questioned. Of course Lily was important to him, but important to Severus as well?

"She helps you, does she not? Like a comfort item for you, so I will never, ever take her away unless it is to clean her. Anyway, that would be what would happen if you say that word, and time outs mean we can't play as much, so don't say it, okay? Now, why don't we eat some dinner, read for a bit, and go to bed?"

"Moony stay?" Harry asked halfway through his small plate. He was eating more, much more than he did before, but couldn't eat 'normal' amounts yet.

"For the night," Remus replied. "Severus?"

"Well, Harry... Me and Moony talked about it while you were playing. I'm going to talk to Minnie and see if Remus can work as my assistant. He'd live at Hogwarts, help with teaching and grading, and since he;d be living here, you'd see him a lot more."

"Every day?!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "Mmm-hmm. Everyday."

"He'd live with us?!"

"Well..." Remus started. He wasn't sure. He wanted privacy, but if living here with the two would help Harry...

"Conjoined quarters, Harry. So he'd have his own home, but there would be a portrait in between them leading to the others home, sort of like a door but different," Severus explained. He glanced at Remus, who nodded. "That would work."

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

"Harry, you and I need to talk," Severus said, gesturing for his son to come to him. "Okay?"

"'Bout what?"

"Well, I want to talk to you about Remus." Harry nodded, and Severus continued. "I know you've only known him for a month, but what do you think of him?"

"I love him! He's nice, he reads me bedtime stories and ev'rythin'!"

"Tell me about what you think of him, Hare." Harry scrunched his nose in thought for a moment. "Umm... first I though' he's scary... but then I hug him, and he was nice! He's nice. And 'E's like you, and I want him to stay with us!"

"How is he like me?" Severus asked. What in Merlin's name could they have in common? "You haven't left me, neither has Re."

"Left?"

"No wanna be alone," Harry mumbled. His mind went back to when he was alone. In the cupboard, no Lily and no Daddy. Just dark and scary and not knowing when it was going to hurt again.

"Oh, bambi. You'll never be alone again, okay? And tomorrow I'll talk to Minnie, see what she can do. Then you can have me and Re here all the time."

"All the time?"

"Always, my little boy."

"Are you sad?" Harry asked after a moment of silence. "No, where did you get that idea?"

"I dunno... you just look sad... or alone..."

"Well, I'm not, because I have you, and Auntie Minnie, okay?"

"And Moony?!" Severus noticed Remus watching them out of the corner of his eye. Sneaky bastard. "Of course. Especially Moony. Now, go choose some pajamas and lay them on your bed, and we can have some hot chocolate."

"With mallows!?" Harry exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "Yes. With marshmallows."

"Did you mean that, or was it just because Harry was there?" Remus asked. Severus shrugged. "I..." He didn't believe what he was about to say. "You... you've helped us both, even if you haven't realized."

"Severus Snape, talking about how he feels. Never thought I'd see the day," Remus teased. "Ha ha, very funny. Minnie said I should try showing more emotion, to try and get Harry to as well."

"Be honest. Would you completely hate it if I moved to Hogwarts and... you know, become your assistant?" Remus asked as Harry came bouncing in, Lily tucked safely under his arm. "I just said you've helped the both of us. Of course I won't mind. Though, we might have some fights about... well, you know. Ready for hot cocoa Harry?"

"With mallows!?" Harry nodded. "Of course. With mallows. Want some tea, Remus?"

"Sure. Have you got earl grey?"

"Of course I do, you know this by now." They all receive their drinks and sipped them happily. "So Re get's to stay?"

"Hopefully, pup." Remus ruffled Harry's hair affectionately. "And I'll never be alone again," Harry whispered.

"What, Harry?"

"Nothing. Do we have to go to bed?" Harry replied, changing the subject. "Yes, we do, because I have class tomorrow, and then we have to make your costume, remember?" Severus said. "My doggy!?! Yes!"

"Yes, honey. Your doggy costume. Now eat your marshmallows. Can we try a bath before bed?"

"No," Harry stated. "No bath."

"Alright, it's okay." Severus let out a sigh. It had been almost three-and-a-half months, and he still couldn't take a bath. The day had gone so well, he thought it could be worth a try. "We can do a charm, it's fine."

"Daddy..." Harry whispered after he ate the fluffy 'mallows'. "Yes, bambi?"

"I... I think I can try it."

Severus smiled lightly. "Are you sure? We don't have to if you don't want to, okay?"

"It won't hurt, right?"

"Nope. They feel good, Hare. The water will be warm, and we can add some fun bubbles and toys you can play with, okay?" Harry nodded quietly. 'I can trust Daddy,' he thought. "Mmm-hmm. Only Daddy though."

Harry glanced at Remus, waiting for him to get mad, but he never did. "Okay. I'll be reading while you take your bath."

"Go take those pajamas and wait in my room, okay?" Harry nodded and walked slowly. "He's never said yes, you know," Severus mumbled. "I didn't dare try it at first, when he told me what baths were like, and when I did, I swear to Merlin I almost cried. He was so scared, he hid under his bed until I was able to coax him out."

"Did he really? What happened?"

"The water was always either so hot it burned him, or so cold it gave him frostbite. Poppy informed me that was what some of the burns were from."

"Merlin..."

"Yeah. That try was in mid September, it's been about a month. Anyway, I should probably go." Severus stood and made his way to his bedroom, where Harry was sitting on the bed. "Alright, bambi. Come on, you can choose how warm you want the water to be, okay?"

"Okay..." Harry slipped off the bed and followed Severus into the large bathroom. "I'm going to run the water, tell me if it's too hot or too cold and I'll fix it, okay?" Severus turned on the tap and put two fingers underneath the stream of running water until it was an okay temperature. "Come here and tell me if this is good or not." Harry stuck one small finger under the water. "I..."

"Is it okay?"

"Too hot."

Severus fiddled with one of the knobs for a moment. "Better?" he asked. "Yes," Harry whispered. "Okay. Can you take off your jumper and your shirt?"

"Re won't come in here, right?" Harry mumbled. "Nope. I shut my bedroom door, so he'll knock, and if you don't want him to, he won't come in here, okay?"

"Okay."

Harry slowly took off his shirt and jumper, arms wrapping around himself to cover the scars. Cover his story.

"Good job, bambi." Harry proceeded to take off the rest, his glasses going to the counter next to his pajamas, and he blushed uncomfortably. "Okay, in you go..." Severus lifted Harry from under his arms and lowered Harry into the warm water. Well, he tried to anyway. Harry's legs curled upwards in an attempt to stay as far away as he could. "Harry, you chose how warm it was, remember? It's the perfect temperature, and in a moment I'll add bubbles that you can play with, okay? Can you get in the water, please?"

"Promise it won't hurt?" Harry's voice trembled. "I promise. I will never, ever hurt you. This is just to clean you because charms won't work forever, and baths are fun."

Hesitantly, Harry let his legs fall into the water, and soon he was sitting in the tub. "See? Not so bad, right? Now here, bubbles." They started to spout from the tip of Severus' wand. Thick, fluffy bubbles that Harry found intriguing. "I get to play with 'em?" Harry asked. "You get to play with them while I wash you off, okay?"

Severus set down a few toys in the water; a boat, a Hippogriff, and a rubber ducky. "Play?" Harry asked softly. "Yes, Harry."

Harry carefully made the Hippogriff fly as Severus started to gently wash his hair. "Daddy?"

"Yes bambi?"

"Why... why are you so nice to me?"

"Well... me and your mum were best friends, Harry. I've loved you since you were born. If Dumbledore said I could, I would have taken you with me and you would have had the best childhood anyone could ever have, but he lied. I love you, and when you love someone, this is what you do."

"When I'm a big kid... do I have to leave?" Harry started racing the boat and the duck. "No. When you turn eleven, you get to start learning magic, Harry, with your own wand and school books and everything. And you can live with me here, because I'll teach you Potions, okay?"

"Promise I'll get to live with you?"

"Always, bambi."

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

"I take it the bath went well?" Remus asked as they all took their places in Severus' bed; Remus on the left, Severus on the right, and Harry in the middle. Harry had passed out once he had dried off. "It went alright."

"No trouble?"

"A bit at the beginning, but once he was in the water he started playing and talking a bit. Goodnight, Remus."

"Yeah. 'Night, Severus."