I Will Always Be With You

Dreams

Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts, wasn't fond of his students, they were stupid kids that have almost burnt his class down to ashes more than once, but he liked children, Draco Malfoy, his godson, was one of his favorites, he was so intelligent and active, sometimes even annoyingly so, that Severus always wanted to see him when he had an especially bad day. Draco liked him just because he was "uncle Sev" and didn't judge his dark looks.

Thinking about his godson made him ponder about The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, son of his best friend Lily Potter nee Evans and his worst enemy James Potter, Dumbledore had said that the child was in a happy muggle family that treated him like a prince. In some way, the thought of the Potter spawn being spoiled made him assume that the kid was a bully, a spoiled prat, someone that he won't welcome in his class, he would be exactly like his father. But also, Potter being spoiled was always better than the kid being abused, after all, he vowed to protect the child, if the child was safe in the muggle house, wherever that is, he will be at peace with himself.

It was a cold night of December, Severus went to bed after grading some first year's essays, surprisingly they weren't inadequate, some of the students weren't able to pass but there wasn't any Trolls upon the marks, which was very rare, 'I may have a capable group among my first years.' He fell asleep quickly, which was easily achieved with the help of some sleeping potion of his own creation.

The dream in which he was had Lily on it, which is how he knew that it was, indeed, a dream, she got closer and closer, getting away from the dark mass that was the deeps of the scene, his best friend sat down on the love seat, which Severus hadn't noticed before, and gestured for him to sit on the armchair in front of her.

Once he sat down Lily started talking: "Sev... it's been a very long time... I missed you" Severus wanted to express the same feelings towards her, but she cut him by continuing her speech "I need you Sev... Harry, my son... he needs you, he is alone with Petunia, my little boy is with my vicious sister and his whale husband..." Severus was extremely confused, Dumbledore told him otherwise "But Lily... Dumbledore told me that.." he was cut again but this time by James Potter "Dumbledore... that son of a b..." he saw James taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself "Snape... I know I was a complete idiot towards you but I want to say sorry, it was wrong and I should have known better"

Severus was speechless for the first time in his life, James Potter was apologizing to him, he was angry but somehow, seeing that the man was sorry, and, even if it was after his dead, still wanted to say so, made him reconsider if James was really that bad of a choice for Lily "how did Harry end up in Tuney's house?" Severus spoke after a couple of minutes of silence, during which James sat down next to his wife and took her hand "Albus wanted it like that, why? I cannot tell" Lily sighed deeply "you have to save him Sev please, promise me you will" Severus swallowed some saliva thinking about the promise before accepting the request, then Lily stood up and kissed his cheek. After that sweet gesture, Lily and his husband thanked Severus before marching away into the darkness.

Severus woke up feeling everything and anything, all the information that he believed true had been twisted by a dream, were the facts even real? They had to be, he felt Lily's kiss, he saw them, they were real, he could have sworn it. He had to talk with the headmaster, he needed answers.

He dressed in a hurry, thinking about everything that he needed to corroborate and how to do it, his train of thought took him to wonder if the headmaster would tell him the truth if he asked. By the way, James had reacted when Severus mentioned the Old Man he supposed that he was hardly going to get any truthful answer... but he needed to try nevertheless so he got dress and started walking up the stairs from the dungeon to the headmaster office.

Harry woke up that morning at 6 am, like every morning since he remembered, he felt his body aching, after all, his uncle was rather vicious with his punishment the day before. To be honest, he deserved it, another weird thing had happened the day before, he couldn't explain how the roses had started to open and close in a little dance, it had made him smile until his uncle came... it got worse when he said the forbidden word "magic," but it was magic, or at least it looks like it, why did he uncle keep saying that magic wasn't real if it was happening in front of him?

Anyway, he couldn't change his uncle, it was not like he could just ask some supernatural force for someone that cared to come and pick him up, right? He stood tall, well, as tall as he was, which wasn't much, and got into the kitchen, using a little stool to be able to reach the kitchen and make breakfast. When he failed to make some of the bacon right, leaving it for too long and burning it, his aunt Petunia took his arm and placed an ice on it, leaving it to burn his bare skin, it hurt so badly... but he couldn't cry out loud because it would make everything even worse so he cried silently before going to put on his "going to school shirt" and some shoes.

Once outside, he realized he had to wear a jumper, he tried to go and get it, but his uncle pushed him out of the house, so hard that he lost his balance and ended up on the cold floor. After a couple hours of classes they had recess and Harry was being bullied again, so he ran as much as he could, he hid in a broom closet, he always felt safe on small spaces and closets, Dudley wouldn't bother to get him on those, he barely fitted in one... once he was safe he started thinking about, even though he didn't believe that it was going to help, praying to someone, some kind of fate to send him a person to get him out of the Dursley's house, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to try and prayed for the remaining of the recess hoping it would help.

Severus Snape stepped inside the headmaster's office and sat down on one of the chairs that were laid in front of the grandiose table, he looked at the headmaster with a questioning look while said old man walked towards the chair on the other side of the table, "it is a pleasure to have you here my boy... lemon drop? Tea?" he said as a way to break the ice as well as being polite, Severus, with the same politeness declined the offer deciding to ask the important questions about the child as soon as possible to be able to retrieve him as soon as possible "thank you, headmaster, but I came here to ask you about Harry Potter" Severus could have sworn that the statement definitely had been a shook to the headmaster but the old man was good at hiding his emotions, so he couldn't be sure.

"I was hoping I could check on him since he is Lily's son and I vowed to protect him..." Severus tried to look as good intentioned as possible even if he knew that he was going to take the boy away from that family. "My boy... you don't have to worry at all, Minerva can tell you, Harry is in the best house, living a good life" Dumbledore let slip a piece of information that, Severus assumed, didn't think the black haired man would use, so Minerva will tell him, he was convinced, she cared about Lily and James so she would not mind someone watching over their little child, it was Severus time to speak up "thank you for your reassures headmaster, if you don't mind, I will leave now, I need to prepare some potions" he stood up and made his leave, robes blowing behind him like large black wings.

His next stop was at Professor McGonagall's office, he sat down on another chair in front of a less imposing desk but this time he did accept the tea, the elderly woman was a very dear friend for him and he enjoyed her company very much, he explained the situation to her, including the dream and the conversation with the headmaster, because she trusted her with his secrets and knew that she was concerned about Harry as well. "Severus, I am so happy that you have decided to listen to Lily... the kid lives in the number 4 Privet Drive in Surrey, let me write it down for you" she wrote down the address and gave it to him "I will go now, thank you Minerva" he smiled for about half of a second before living the office and the castle, walking to through the main gates to be able to apparate.