Warnings: slash, swearing

Disclaimer: JKR owns these toys. I'm just playing with them.

A/N: I have not abandoned this fic! Nor will I ever. It might take a while, but there will be updates.

Sorry for another bombardment of your inboxes. I reread every chapter before I start a new one and I tend to notice grammer errors, missing words, and incorrect flow so the perfectionist in me has to fix it.

And sorry for the long wait. This chapter and the next gave me severe writer's block, not to mention between full time college classes and at least 30+ hours of work.

Still not happy with this chapter and it's not nearly as long as the previous chapters, but I figured you guys needed something after so long. Hopefully you guys have some suggestions, especially about the next chapter which I was hoping to make the ritual. Feel free to float any ideas my way!

Italics = thoughts

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Chapter 8

"I think more people are going to think you're insane now." Neville quipped, referring to Harry's cheery mood that day. He sat down at their usual table in the library next to Harry and pulled out his homework, some parchment, and quills.

"Yeah, well," Harry's replied unenthusiastically. Classes were over and he still had a few hours before he went to see Severus. His morning high was diminishing. He didn't want to think that it had anything to do with a certain person being missing all day.

"I would understand considering everything; even if the part with Professor Snape is too frightening to think about." Neville only received a grunt for his comment. Harry stretched his arms out in front of him and dropped his head onto his arms. Where is he? I haven't seen him all day. He rarely misses a lesson if he can help it. He let out a groan, muffled by the robe sleeve his face was pressed into.

Neville just rolled his eyes at Harry's antics. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine. Probably slept in or something."

Harry lifted his head and stared at Neville with wide eyes. Please tell me that I did not just say that out loud? A small blush dusted his cheeks and he let out a small cough and glanced away. "I don't know what you're talking about. If I'm worried, it's about - this essay." Harry fibbed as he rushed to grab his parchment and just received another eye roll for his troubles.

"Yep, of course that's what it is." Neville lowered his eyes back to his homework, his voice softening as he said, "I'd be concerned if you weren't worried."

They sat in silence for a moment and both glanced up as they felt someone approaching them.

Harry just ignored the new arrivals while Neville watched as Blaise pulled out a chair for Pansy and then sat down himself. Pansy pulled out some homework, along with a copy of Witch Weekly, not even pretending an attempt at talking to them.Blaise opened his Charms book and took out some parchment before he turned to Harry, his brows furrowing.

"Potter, as funny as it is, why are you banging your head on the table?" Blaise asked with his usual nonchalant tone.

"Oh Harry's just being dramatic." Neville answered before Harry could say anything.

Pansy glanced over her magazine at them, an eyebrow raised. "That is not being dramatic. That is being an idiot. Being dramatic is an art, one that Potter does not possess the skill for."

She turned back to her magazine and attempted to start reading again, while ignoring Blaise's narrowed eyes directed at her and Harry's pitiful face. Though, Harry wasn't sure why Blaise was glaring at her.

"Pansy, darling."

She rolled her eyes over the top of the weekly at Blaise before answering, "Potter, I didn't get a chance until now to say this, but Draco said he stayed up late so you might not see him for most of the day. So no need to worry your pretty little head off."

Harry sat up straight and looked at her. "What? I'm not worrying." He shot a dirty look at both Neville who had coughed none to discreetly at his lie and Blaise who had scoffed, as his face heated up slightly. "Wait, it took you until now to tell me this? You saw me at breakfast! And we had two classes together!"

"What can I say, chasing after you was not on my agenda today. Besides I'm no one's messenger." Pansy said with a shrug.

"Don't take it to heart Potter. Envy is an ugly emotion." Blaise stated flippantly.

"Envious? About what?" She scoffed with venom and glowered at Blaise, daring him to answer.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and let out a small chuckle. "You knew it was never going to happen. He's only been obsessed since first year." He leaned over closer to her so the Gryffindors could not hear. "You will never be second place. He cares for you too much."

She continued to glare at him for a second longer before she turned her stare to Harry. She relaxed her face into her usual mask of indifference and turned back to her magazine.

Neville and Harry just looked at each other in confusion before going back to their studies.

It seemed that no time had passed since Blaise and Pansy's entrance before all four of them were heading out to their own respective destinations. Harry headed down to Severus' rooms with the necessary paperwork for him to sign that he had received from Gringotts. As he got closer his footsteps slowed. He licked his lips and wiped his dampening hands on his robes. He wondered if he should have thought about this more. Maybe Severus had changed his mind, had come to his senses about wanting him. He just couldn't face that kind of rejec-

Harry jumped as the door he didn't know he stood in front of swung open. He looked up at Severus' calm face and then ran his hand through his hair.

"Harry," Severus uttered softly. He stepped aside motioning for Harry to come in. With a hesitant smile, he silently entered the room. Not much had changed since that last time. The area they had used for tea was again ready with evening tea. Severus gestured for Harry to sit down then poured them each a cup before sitting down also.

In silence, Harry pulled the Gringotts documents out of his bag and set them in his lap. "Umm," Harry mumble, "if you're having second thoughts-"

"Never." Severus responded strongly. "Actually I am… pleased about this change of events. If anything, with this, I can do something I should have done a long time ago." He sat his cup down after taking another sip and stood up and headed toward some papers sitting on top of a dresser. He came back over and sat down slowly, keeping the papers in his lap as well.

"I have a proposition for you." Severus started and then paused. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Along with me becoming your guardian, I'd like to also adopt you."

Harry's mouth fell open at this. Severus hesitated and then continued in a low voice.

"I had fleeting thoughts to adopt you throughout the years after Voldemort's apparent death. At first it was a passing thought I assumed was brought on by guilt over…Lily's death. But after a while, getting to know you, I realized that I didn't mind your company, even if they were fleeting moments. There are, and probably will be, times when you irritate me and I you; and times when I'll interfere in your business more than you would like and you will be angry at me. But, after all these years of knowing each other, it doesn't seem like anything new." He scowled as he finished, "And adopting you will also give an added protection from those who would try to interfere in your life, say that you're too young to decide your own fate, or in this case, a guardian, especially someone like me. You would of course retain your name and titles."

Surprised, Harry could only stare at the man, his blind blank. And here he was worried Severus might have changed his mind! A quick thought about the Dursleys's almost made him say no and the only reason he didn't was because he had heard Draco talk about Snape protecting him. He wouldn't purposely hurt him, at least not like the Dursleys.

"Don't you need to have permission from my aunt and uncle for this to happen?" Harry asked, cautiously optimistic.

Severus just shook his head. "Considering what was left in your families' will, I outrank them when it comes to guardianship automatically."

Harry nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty before a huge smile crossed his face. "As a Gryffindor, I'm known for following my instincts and my instinct is to say yes."

A small smile of relief crossed Severus's face. "Good, good." Severus cleared his throat and held up the papers that had been in his lap the entire time. "These are the papers that we will both need to sign to make it official. I'll have to send them off tomorrow to the Department of Familial Affairs. It might take a day or two to finalize though."

"And these are the papers you need to sign as consent to be my guardian. I'll have to send them over to Chefe at Gringotts tomorrow and it should take effect almost immediately." Harry said.

They both looked at each other in the eye before letting out small laughs and handing the respective papers over to each other. An ink pot with two quills floated over and rested on the table between them. In the silence, papers were turned and quills scratched across paper, sealing each other's commitment to each other.

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Things were not going according to plan. For whatever reason, Ron and Hermione were not following the game plan. He had thought he had impressed on them, at least on the practical Hermione, how much Harry needed some guidance right now, that he was precariously close to losing his way and only someone like him could help him. And now this.

Dumbledore squinted over his half-moon glasses at the letter from Gringotts that he had received back when he tried to acquire a little more funding for his…projects.

If it hadn't have been for Severus, Harry would have been forced to make a decision at the start of the term eighteen days ago when he was in the hospital the first time and scared about the seal. There wouldn't be this little road block now. Foolish Severus. He had to go and give Harry the hope of the dampening potions. They were working but Harry was too powerful for them to be effective much longer. He'll have to make a decision soon on that front.

Now, who could this new guardian of Harry's be? He was sure that was the only reason he was forbidden access to Hary's Gringotts now. Only a formal guardian would be able to cancel his proxy guardian access. The keys from the other faults had vanished as well.

Probably to this new guardian as well.

He let out a resigned sigh, rubbing his forehead. He turned toward the chess game that he had been working on for years. Dumbledore sat thoughtful for a moment before moving a white piece to capture the enemy's black knight. He smiled.

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