Harry Potter's Real Dad

As soon as the officer released him, he yanked away from him and stormed out the door, slamming it shut behind him. He nearly walked right into Harry, who was watching a young officer balance teacups and saucers on his hand and head, with assistance from his laughing coworkers.

"Daddy!" Harry exclaimed upon seeing Severus. "I was getting tea, but Officer Parc was showing me some cool tricks."

"Harry, we need to leave."

The officers shared a look while they helped the young man remove all the tea items.

"Right now?" Harry frowned. "But I didn't say goodbye to Aunt Petunia."

Aunt Petunia. Severus felt a rage boil in his chest just hearing that name. He tried to bite it down and focus on getting out of the building.

"Our visit time is over," he said, grabbing Harry's wrist and pulling him down the hall toward the exit.

Harry pulled against him futilely before crying out, "Stop! I don't want to go."

"You can't stay here. Our visit is over."

"No! Let go! Let me go!" Harry screamed, throwing himself to the ground, forcing Severus to stop. Severus growled frustratedly and reached for Harry to pick him up. Harry back crawled away, still crying out, "No! I don't want to go."

"Harry, stop this," Severus snapped. "Come here."

"I want to say goodbye," Harry cried, rolling over and standing up, running for one of the officers. "I don't want to go."

"Harry James Potter Snape!" Severus moved after his son.

"Sir, if I may," an older officer said, stopping Severus with a hand on his shoulder. He pulled Severus aside and spoke in a low voice. "In my experience, and I've been doing this for almost twenty-five years, and it never gets easier, it's sometimes better to let the kids say goodbye. At the least, it helps with closure."

"I don't want him near her," Severus said, glancing back at Harry, who was being held still by the young officer, who rubbed his shoulders comfortingly while they waited for a decision.

"I understand," the older officer said, "trust me, I understand. I have been keeping up on this case, and I've got three boys myself that I would not let that woman touch with a thirty-five-foot pole and their adults now, but for Harry . . . this is hard for him to understand. He finally gets to see his aunt and now he has to leave without a goodbye? He wasn't in there for whatever conversation you just had. He doesn't know what transpired and why you are so angry. Don't let him think you're angry at him."

Severus sighed, rubbing his hands down his face.

"I'll take him in so he may say goodbye," the officer offered. "I won't let any more be said between them except farewells. We'll be in and out."

"Fine," Severus said. He just wanted a moment to himself honestly. He was beyond frustrated with everything and he just wanted everyone to be quiet. No screaming, no talking, just silence. He sat down in a chair, his head in his hands. Petunia was probably enjoying this—she had to be listening and the walls were not paper thin.

"We'll be right back."

The officer took Harry's hand and led him back down the hall to the room, knocking firmly twice before entering. Severus waited in his seat, one of the officers offering him a cup of tea. He accepted it and held it in his hands but did not drink it. He thought about his conversation with Petunia. She was right, of course.

He had left his son in her care.

Harry's state of wellbeing was as much his fault as it was hers.

He sat up in his seat, leaning his head against the wall as he set the tea down on the empty chair next to him. Was he truly at Petunia's level as far as parenting went? Was he failing his children? Would he be able to heal Harry from everything he had been through, or was Petunia right? Had he damned his child by bringing him to this visit? Would he be struggling to teach Harry what love really was for the rest of his life? He didn't know if he was up for that challenge. What if Harry could never get over Petunia's hold on him? Severus knew he would fight tooth and nail for Harry, and he would love him no matter what, but if Harry was never going to be happy in his care, he couldn't live with that.

He really wished he had recorded that conversation between himself and Petunia. He wondered if he could pull a recording from a memory as he had done for a picture of Harry. Then he wondered if it would even be admissible evidence—as he had come here for visitation with Harry, not to try and pry information out of Petunia. He didn't understand all the muggle laws, so he would have to talk to his lawyer about that once he got the recording on some muggle device.

A few minutes passed, and Severus was starting to worry when the door finally opened, and the officer and Harry stepped through. Harry walked down the hall to Severus, cuddling his dinosaur. Severus had forgotten Harry had left that in there.

"Aunt Petunia has to go back to her new room," Harry said. "She said goodbye and maybe we can visit again?"

Severus stared at Harry for a long minute before pulling him into a tight hug. He rubbed his son's back, wondering if he could just make Harry listen to what he had heard. He decided against it. If anything, Harry would accuse him of making it up. He would have to hear it from Petunia's mouth in person himself. Clearly that was not meant to be today.

Severus squeezed Harry closer before releasing him, running a hand through Harry's long locks.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" Harry asked.

"I'm okay," Severus answered. "Just tired."

"Me, too," Harry said, leaning into his father's chest. "Can we go home, now?"

Severus's breath caught in his throat. He smiled and nodded.

"Of course, we can go home."

Maybe there was hope for healing after all.

....

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