Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Love verses Blood

Summary: James abandoned Lily before finding out she was pregnant. Lily then met and married Severus not long after divorcing James. After Lily dies protecting Harry, Severus is forced raise Harry alone. Years later, James returns. Will he tear Severus' and Harry's lives apart.

Severus Snape was currently outside his home watching his six year old son Harry run around in the back yard with his honorary uncle, Remus Lupin. They were currently playing with a big red ball of Harry's. It was amazing how something so simple could hold his attention for so long.

Harry was not Severus' biological son. Technically, the boy was the son of Severus' late wife and her ex husband, James Potter, but that never mattered to Severus. As far as he was concerned, he was Harry's father. He'd been there for that child since the day that he was born. James Potter had abandoned his mother before she'd had the chance to tell the man she was pregnant. As far as Severus was concerned, his son was better off without the man.

Soon Remus approached Severus. "Hey, thinking about Lily?"

Lily had been Severus' wife and Harry's mother, who'd died when Harry was a year and a half. She'd been killed by the Dark Lord trying to protect their son. "Among other thing."

"Thinking of James as well then." Remus mused. It wasn't a question. It was no secret that Severus sometimes worried about what would happen if James Potter returned to Britain and decided he wanted to be Harry's father. That was actually Severus' worst fear.

"Do you know how irritating it is to have someone now what you're thinking before you have a chance to voice it?" Severus asked. Severus and Remus had a tentative friendship. It started because of Lily and continued because of Harry.

"James isn't coming back, Severus. You are Harry's father," he told him. Remus and James had once been very good friends, but that had ended when James abandoned Lily when she was pregnant. James had decided that a job in America was more important than his wife.

Soon Harry came towards Severus. "Will you play with me, Daddy."

"Actually scamp, it's time to go inside and get ready for dinner and then a bath," Severus told his son. Then despite the boy's protests, Severus brought his son inside.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

That night when Remus got home, he found James Potter waiting for him at his door. "What are you doing here," a surprised Remus asked.

"It's nice to see you too, Moony," James said smiling.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

"Why not? Were friends," James reminded.

"No, we were friends. Before you left the country and neglected your responsibilities," Remus reminded him as he opened the door to go inside. Much to Remus' displeasure, James followed him inside.

"Are we still on that?" James asked as if it wasn't a big deal. "It was nearly seven years ago. I'm sure Lily's gotten past it by now."

"Lily's dead!" Remus yelled. He instantly regretted his outburst because he was sure that this would lead to questions and questions could lead to the truth about Harry. Neither Severus nor Harry needed that.

"Dead? How?" James asked horrified.

Remus decided to avoid the question. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that there is nothing left for you here, so you should just go back to America and stay there," he said. He just hoped that James would get the message and leave, so that Harry and Severus could be left alone in peace.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" Came the voice of Remus' good friend, Sirius Black. Sirus was standing in the doorway with a nasty glare on his face. Sirius like Remus had not been happy when James left the country, leaving a pregnant wife behind.

"You too Sirius?" James asked.

"What do you expect after leaving your wife?" Sirius countered.

"You should leave, James. Leave and don't come back." Remus said.

James took looked at his two best friends in bewilderment and walked out the door.

Once James was gone, Sirius turned to Remus. "Remus, if he finds out about Harry-" he started.

"I know, Sirius. Look, I told him to leave the country. Hopefully he'll do so," Remus said. He would be lying though if he said he wasn't worried. He knew James and he knew that if he found out about Harry, he would take the boy away from Severus just to spite the man and it wouldn't matter how much damage it would do to Harry.