~Aria POV~

I looked at Momma and the strange man, Sevvus. Is he my daddy? Momma said we were going to meet him, before the bad men stopped her. Sevvus saved us, and Momma likes him. He must be daddy, Aria concluded, looking at the two people on the couch.

"Momma," I said, wanting to see if she was ok.

~Catherine POV~

"Momma," Aria said, startling Severus and I.

I looked over at the crib, where Aria was sitting and looking at us with a serious expression on her face. She always acts so much older than she is, it's hard to believe she's not even two.

"Yes Aria," I said, going over to pick her up and cuddle her close, still unable to get over the fact that I nearly lost her. If Severus hadn't shown up…

"Is Sevvus daddy?"

I looked at Severus in confusion. "Sevvus?"

He looked a little embarrassed as he replied, "I was unsure if I was her father or not, and it would have been wrong of me to answer that question without you, especially since I was unsure as well, so I instructed her to call me by my given name. I must say the way she pronounces my name is adorable."

"Well, you'll have to make do with being called Daddy instead, ok Sevvus," I teased.

He smirked, as Aria looked between the two of us.

"Sevvus daddy?" she asked again.

"Yes Aria, Severus is your daddy."

"Daddy," Aria squealed happily, reaching out her arms to him.

~Severus POV~

"Daddy," Aria squealed, reaching out for me.

I took her from Catherine, and she laid her little head on my shoulder, cuddling close.

"I luv daddy," she sighed happily.

"I love you too Aria," I whispered, still unable to accept this. Catherine agreed to marry me, and I have a daughter. I never expected this, but now I wouldn't trade it for anything.

As I turned to ask Catherine about putting Aria to bed, a patronus leapt into the center of the room. I recognized the silver cat instantly. "Minerva," I breathed.

Aria squirmed, wanting down to pet the pretty silver cat, but I held her tightly as I listened to Minerva's message, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Severus, I need your help. The boy is being abused by those horrible muggles he lives with. Albus is insisting that he remain because of the blood wards, but they will kill him." As Minerva finished speaking, the cat faded away. It was too much to take in.

"What boy?" Catherine asked, looking at where the cat had been. "That was McGonagall's voice, right?"

"The Potter's son, the one I promised to protect. He's only a little older than Aria."

Catherine's face matched what I was feeling. "How can they do that to a child, an innocent? You have to help him Sev, the must be something you can do."

"There is one thing," I said, handing Aria back to her mother. "I am going to Surrey, and I'm going to bring that little boy here. He doesn't deserve to be treated that way, how my father raised me."

Catherine brushed her lips against mine, hugging Aria close as she said, "We'll adopt him. A blood adoption should mean that the blood wards surrounding his relative's house would move here."

I nodded, summoning my cloak . "I'll start on the potion as soon as I return, " I promised, fastening my cloak. "If we perform the ceremony, Minerva will be our witness. She didn't approve of Albus placing Harry there in the first place."

~Third person POV~

Severus kissed Catherine and Aria goodbye before turning on the spot and disapperating with a soft 'pop'. He reappeared in Little Whinging, Privet Drive to be exact. Stalking down the road, he sneered at the uniformity of the houses. The people inside said houses would do anything to protect their image, just like the Dursleys. As Severus stopped in front of Number Four, he spotted a cat sitting on the wall.

"I came as quickly as I could Minerva," he said to the cat. It nodded to him, before stalking along the wall to the back of the house, which was in shadow. He followed, and as he entered the back, he encountered a stern-faced witch with her hair in a bun.

"Thank Merlin you're here Severus," the witch said, speaking in the same brogue as the patronus had. "I can't get to the boy without the muggles noticing, and Albus would be furious if he found out."

"Where is the boy?" Severus asked, his face and voice devoid of all emotion.

His companion was bristling with anger as she replied, "Locked in the cupboard under the stairs! They didn't even give him a proper room!"

~Severus POV~

I couldn't believe it. A cupboard under the stairs? Damn those muggles, and the Headmaster as well! "I'll get him," I replied, barely able to keep control of my rapidly rising temper. I could do Harry no good in Azkaban. The child may be the spawn of James Potter, but even he doesn't deserve this.

Quickly, I transformed into my animangus form, a black snake with black eyes, and slithered into the house through a crack in the door. I was in the kitchen. The door to the rest of the house was open, and I could hear a tv loudly playing. From above, I could hear a child throwing a temper tantrum. Minerva once said the boy's cousin was spoiled, that must be him screaming. Slithering forward, I came upon the cupboard under the stairs.

Looking at the door, I wanted to doubt Minerva's words. A toddler is locked in here? No one is that heartless… There was a sniffle from behind the door, and I hissed in rage. The boy is in there, locked into a broom cupboard! There was a crack under the door, wide enough for me to slither through. The sight that greeted me enraged me further. A little boy with black hair was crying on the floor. Bruises covered his pale arms, and his thread-bare pajamas were at least three sizes too big. He lifted his head as I hissed, enraged at the callousness of these people.

"Hello," he hissed softly, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

The boy is a parselmouth? Well, that will certainly make the explanation easier, but we'll have to talk about this later. "Hello," I hissed back, "Are you Harry Potter?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "You know me?"

I almost laughed. How do I know you're name? The entire Wizarding world know who you are. "I knew you're mother," I hissed, waiting for the inevitable question. Sure enough…

"My mum?" he asked, eyes wide.

"I am not a real snake Harry. I'm a wizard, and I've come to rescue you."

"A wizard," he said, his forehead creasing. "Uncle Vernon says no magic."

"Your uncle is a muggle. He's not magical, so he doesn't believe in magic. Do you want me to prove I'm a wizard?" When the boy nodded eagerly, I transformed back, crouching so I didn't hit my head on the ceiling.

"Wow," Harry said, obviously amazed. Little things amuse him so.

"Harry," I said gently, "Would you like to come live with me? I want to get you away from these horrible muggles."

He shook his head sadly. "I'm a freak. Worthless."

Tears formed in those bright green eyes, and I couldn't help it. I hugged him close, the way I held Aria earlier. "You are not a freak," I said softly, "And you most certainly are not worthless."

He held the front of my robes tightly, as though afraid to let me go. So much for having him walk out. A spell will have to suffice. I flicked my wand at the door, silently unlocking all the locks. Another quick spell meant that we couldn't be seen by muggles, leaving us free to exit undetected. I carried the boy out of the cupboard, out the kitchen door, and into the night. Minerva was waiting on the wall, a cat once more.

"Harry," I said softly, "I'm going to take us to my house, ok? It will be uncomfortable, but it's the fastest way to travel." Harry nodded, nestling further into the front of my robes. I tightened my hold on him and disapparated, vowing that he was never going to return to these muggles. To hell with Albus Dumbledore.