The morning sun was shining brightly through the opened curtains when Harry awoke to his second morning in the hospital wing. In the many visits he'd made to the hospital wing during the past two years, he'd noticed that Madam Pomfrey had a rather-- /over-zealous/ appreciation for sunlight. Every morning at the crack of dawn the curtains were flung wide, no matter how much any patients unlucky enough to be located near the windows protested. Harry was grateful he was near the door, for it allowed him at least a few more hours sleep, until the sunlight crept into his far side of the room.

Yawning, Harry sat up slowly, rolling his left shoulder to test the injured flesh. Madam Pomfrey had told him not to use the arm much for a while, and judging by the sharp pain that shot through his shoulder, he wasn't in any hurry to use it either. Suddenly, a loud, excited barking erupted from somewhere outside the castle. Curious, Harry quickly put on his glasses and slipped quietly out of the bed, he didn't want Pomfrey to know he was up yet if she was nearby. He padded softly across the room to the window, blinking away the sharp light that stung his bleary eyes. The instant he glanced down toward the lawns however, he was wide awake.

Fluffy.

The huge, three-headed dog was standing on the main lawn, all three great, pink tongues lolling out of the gaping mouths. The interesting thing though, was that the massive tail was wagging furiously, whipping through the air with enough force to cause the tall grass below to wave in the resulting wind. Harry was pretty sure he was gaping, though it took a sharp, happy bark from one of the dog's three massive heads to draw his attention to the fact. Below, Hagrid was standing about twenty feet ahead of Fluffy, waving a giant tree-branch in the air. The half-giant was laughing heartily when he sent the branch flying off behind him, the dog nearly knocking him over as it dashed after it. Fluffy was on it in an instant, the three heads momentarily fighting over possession of the stick until the left finally won. The left head was held significantly higher than the others as the dog trotted back to its master, dropping the stick obediently at his feet. Harry groaned and leaned his head against the window. Something about the sight of the beast that had practically eaten him (on two occasions) behaving like a gigantic puppy was just a bit disturbing.

"Good Morning!" the bright, excessively jovial voice of Madam Pomfrey rang from behind. Harry turned to face her, his eyes still slightly wide from shock. The Nurse had just walked in the door, a mug of steaming coffee held in one hand. She was smiling brightly as she walked up beside him, and made a slight clicking sound of disapproval in her throat when she looked out the window.

"Morning, Madam Pomfrey." Harry said, stifling a yawn.

"Honestly, the way that man behaves with that beast---I don't even want to think about all the times he was in here when he first got it, always getting bitten or stepped on. Hmmph." She muttered, still staring out the window, then she turned back to Harry, taking a quick sip of her coffee. "And how are you doing this morning, Mr. Potter? Did the sleeping potion help at all?" she asked, and Harry nodded. Because the wounds on his back weren't quite healed, it still hurt quite a bit and kept him awake. With the sleeping potion, he'd gone out like a light.

"Yes it did, thank you." he said, and she set her coffee aside, then latched onto his arm and maneuvered the injured shoulder toward her.

"Let's just check on this, shall we?" she said, then unwrapped a few of the bandages. She fiddled with them for a moment, then tightened the bandages again. "It looks alright for now, I changed them not two hours ago while you were sleeping. I'll need to put new ones on in a few hours, alright?" she said, her face warmed by a gentle smile.

"Alright." Harry replied, tugging the sleeve of his pajamas back down over his arm.

"Now, why don't you go get changed and head down for some breakfast? Dumbledore would like you to come out to the front lawns afterward, he didn't say why." She said, and nudged him lightly away from the window.

"Okay, thanks again, Madam Pomfrey." he said, and took off to fetch his clothes. What could Dumbledore possibly want with him outside? He wondered. Hopefully nothing more had happened during the night, though thankfully he was still the only resident of the hospital wing. Grabbing his jeans and tee-shirt off the bed-side table, he headed out the door.

----------------------

Harry had been on edge all the way through breakfast, he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. After all, since his return for the summer Dumbledore had only asked to see him once before, and that had been about the monster attack. Although, if something bad had indeed occurred, surely Madam Pomfrey would have known, wouldn't she? He thought, then continued on through the foyer to the main doors. He opened them carefully, trying not to strain his healing injuries too much. Simply moving caused a few of the wounds to stretch and break open, and it certainly wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Once on the stone steps that led down to the lawn, however, Harry was even more confused. A little ways off, Dumbledore was standing with a group of witches and wizards, all talking animatedly. Nothing really seemed to be the matter though, no one was yelling and they didn't seem to be in a hurry of any sort. Then Harry spotted a red haired head among the wizards, and recognized the man instantly. Mr. Weasley. That meant that the dozen or so people gathered around were most likely members of the Ministry of Magic, probably there to see about the mysterious creature. Harry shrugged and continued down the stairs and onto the lawn, heading slowly toward the group.

"Harry!" a familiar voice exclaimed from somewhere behind him. A huge smile spread across his face as he turned around, for running toward him were none other than Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They slid to a stop when they reached his side, panting heavily.

"Harry! You're ok!" Ron exclaimed, a bright smile lighting his face. Hermione was so happy that she was laughing slightly, still holding her stomach as she caught her breath.

"Of course I'm okay." Harry grinned, "Don't think that I'm not thankful or anything, but--what on earth are you guys doing here?" he asked, and Ron laughed.

"That's what we wanted to ask /you/." Hermione said.

"My dad's here with the Ministry to perform some spell, and we came along to see how you were doing. We heard about the attack." Ron said, his eyes sliding to the white wrappings that shown from beneath Harry's shirt sleeve.

"Really, Harry, how are you? What happened?" Hermione asked, nervously rolling the newspaper that she held in her hands.

"I'm fine, honest. I can't use my left arm much yet, though." he admitted, sighing heavily as he stared at it. He wouldn't be able to fly his broom until it healed, and the weather had been perfect for flying lately, he hated to miss out on the opportunity. Neither Hermione nor Ron looked entirely convinced, for they cast a worried glance at one another and then at Harry.

"There's something you're not telling me." Harry stated, placing a hand on his hip. Hermione nodded, and Ron scratched the back of his neck idly, looking off toward the forest.

"We saw it in the paper this morning, Dumbledore was going to tell you, but we told him that we would." Hermione said, and handed the rolled paper to Harry. He unrolled it carefully, and stared in confusion at the front page. The main article was about something called a 'Dark Mark,' appearing over the home of a recently disappeared muggle family.

"What's a Dark Mark?" Harry asked, but Hermione only thrust her finger at a particular paragraph of the article. It read:

"The missing London family are believed to be

victims of the Death Eaters, loyal servants of

You-Know-Who. The family had been, until

recently, the guardians of Harry Potter, the

only person known to have faced You-Know-Who

and lived. Muggle authorities have not yet

released the names...."

Harry stopped reading, his eyes frozen on the page. At first he didn't react at all, but merely kept staring at the page, blinking. Then he slowly handed the page back to Hermione, continuing to stare at the ground. He didn't know how to react, for some reason he wasn't sad or upset, and he was shocked more than anything. There was one feeling, however, that he did recognize squirming in his gut. It was guilt. The Dursleys had disappeared, had probably been killed, and all because Voldemort's followers had been looking for him. Because of him, they were gone.

"Harry...I'm so sorry..." Hermione began, but Harry cut her off with a violent shake of his head.

"Don't be." he said, then turned abruptly toward the empty side of the lawn. "Let's go for a walk, okay?" he said, and the three walked off around the castle, away from the Ministry group. They walked in silence for a moment, with Harry staring at the ground ahead of them.

"What's a Dark Mark?" he said after a while, and Ron jumped in surprise.

"It's You-Know-Who's symbol, a skull with a snake crawling out of the mouth. It's sort of his signature, it's left after nearly every attack." Ron said. Hermione opened the newspaper to another page, and showed it to Harry. Unlike the rest of the pictures, the one he stared at did not move. It was a black and white rendition of the Dark Mark, and as he stared at it, Harry thought he could sense a distinct drop in the temperature.

"What about the Death Eaters?" he asked as Hermione rolled up the paper again.

"You-Know-Who's followers, fellow Dark Wizards that carried out all sorts of murder and destruction for him. After he lost his powers, most of them were imprisoned, and a few who claimed to have been under his control got off free. There are still a number that weren't caught though, and every once in a while they'll do something like this to remind everyone they're still around, waiting for their master to return." Hermione said, shoving the rolled paper in the back pocket of the jeans she wore.

"Oh." Harry replied, imagining a group of hooded wizards blasting into number 4, Privet Drive, wands waving and green light flashing. He shook his head violently, earning a sharp pain from his shoulder. Hermione suddenly perked up, her eyes snapping wide as some thought took her by surprise.

"I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, and pulled something out of her side pocket. It was a disposable camera. "I brought this along to get pictures of the school, without all the people bustling about." she explained, winding the camera with her thumb. Harry and Ron cast each other a quick glance, and then both settled for staring at their companion as she fiddled with the device.

"Why don't you two stand right over there?" she said, shooing them to a point on their right. They complied silently, waiting patiently for Hermione to get the right angle on the castle behind them. "That's perfect!" she exclaimed, and snapped the picture. But Ron and Harry ignored her, for they were too busy staring at the figure that had wandered up behind her.

"Well, looks like all the Gryffindor trash is here for the summer." the figure sneered, and Hermione turned slowly around, her face twisted in disgust.

"Looks like Slytherin House knew who to leave behind then, too, Malfoy." Harry replied, glaring harshly. Hermione quickly rushed over to stand beside her friends, and Malfoy laughed.

"Oh I'm just here with my father, he wishes to speak to the Ministry about some of Dumbledore's actions---we heard about what those muggles did to you, Potter. It wasn't very wise of the old git to leave you with them, now was it?" Malfoy sneered, and Harry stiffened, one hand unconsciously flying to the arm that had been broken. It wasn't completely healed either, still throbbing now and then.

"Why should you care what happens to me? It's none of your business what Dumbledore---" Harry began, his face turning pink with anger. Malfoy crossed his arms and sneered again, biting back a laugh.

"It is my business, after all, if Dumbledore sent you back to that family and then didn't even bother to rescue you himself, how can he be trusted to make decisions for the rest of us students? I know /I/ don't want to go to a school with a Headmaster like that!" Malfoy said, his mouth twisted into a wicked smirk. The smirk transformed into a frown then, when he noticed that the three weren't paying attention to him any longer. They were staring at something just above him, probably just trying to annoy him, he thought.

"What? Trying to be smart? Just wait until....." he began, but then the Granger girl lifted the camera in her hand and snapped a quick picture of him, and he stared at her in surprise. The other two were still staring above him, Weasley's mouth was twitching slightly.

"What? What is wrong with you three?" Malfoy persisted, his arms placed stubbornly on his hips. Then something foul blew across the top of his head, and he noticed for the first time the immense shadow looming over him. Slowly, very slowly he tilted his head back and looked up. He was only dimly aware of the roaring laughter that broke out in front of him, for he'd never been more terrified in his life. Above him hung three huge, monstrous heads, with glistening black lips pulled back from dozens of yellowed fangs. Three sets of eyes were focused entirely on him, and a low, rumbling growl was emanating from a neck three times as wide as a tree.

He ran faster than he ever had in his entire life, completely ignorant to the several camera flashes behind him.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry were laughing so hard that they ended up sprawled on the grass, wiping tears from their eyes. Across the field, Fluffy was still chasing Malfoy, though obviously it was just for fun, for the dog was purposely keeping pace with the terrified boy. The three finally returned to their senses when a second looming figure approached and gave each of them a hand up from the ground.

"Well now, I dare say that's the funniest thing I 'ave ever seen in me life." Hagrid rumbled, his mouth curved in a wide grin. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all grinned in return, and Hermione was positively hugging her camera.

"Did you see his face?! I've never seen anybody look so terrified in their life!" Ron said, holding his stomach to keep from laughing again.

"He'll never live /that/ one down!" Harry laughed.

"And I've got pictures!" Hermione exclaimed happily, holding the camera in the air like a hard-earned trophy. She grinned maliciously as she stowed it safely back in her pocket, patting it fondly.

"Looks like you all 're gonna 'ave an interestin' year." Hagrid said, "How're you doin', Ron? Hermione?"

"We're fine, but why is Fluffy out running around?" Hermione asked, and Ron nodded.

"Oh, that. Nuthin' to worry about, he's trained real well now. I have 'im guardin' the castle at night, he'll keep those monsters off the grounds. I caught fifteen critters meself las' night, and then I had to bring out Fluffy to help. He's been locked up fer too long now, all this runnin'l do 'im good." he said, glancing to the horizon where the dog was still having a grand time with his new toy.

"/Malfoy/ will do him good, you mean." Ron snickered, "You have /so/ got to make me copies of those pictures, Hermione!" he continued, she smiled brightly and started laughing again. Hagrid was looking off behind them, then gave a loud whistle.

"Fluffy! Go home, boy!" he yelled, and the dog complied immediately, sauntering off in the direction of Hagrid's hut with heads bowed in disappointment. "We gotta get inside now, you three. Them Ministry folk'll be castin' that spell, an we can't be out 'ere when they do. You can come to me hut, if ye'd like." he rumbled, and the three nodded.

"That would be great, Hagrid." Harry said, and the three headed quickly off toward the hut, each stifling a laugh in turn when they spied Malfoy once again. He'd climbed up a tree.

----------------------------------

Dumbledore slid the glasses off his nose and rubbed his eyes, sorely tempted to head to his rooms for a nap. For the moment though, he was content to stay where he was, seated at a table in the Great Hall. The last of the Ministry members had just left, as they'd spent a good part of the evening arguing with Lucius Malfoy. The Ministry had predictably sided with Dumbledore, seeming as it had been partially their idea in the first place to leave Harry with the Dursleys, and now that the muggle family was gone, it was a tender subject and Malfoy's arguments had been virtually ripped to shreds. He'd gone home with his proverbial tail between his legs. He had, however, put up quite a fight, for the sun had set several hours earlier. Dumbledore was just preparing to rise and head upstairs when the nearby back door to the hall was flung open. When he recognized the figure that stumbled through the door, he was on his feet and at the man's side in an instant.

"Severus!" Dumbledore gasp, helping the disheveled wizard to a seat at the table. The Potions Master was in a very bad condition, though his face was as rigid and unyielding as ever. One hand was clutching his ribcage as he caught his breath, and the other hung at his side, the fingers bloody and twisted. His face was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and his eyes were dull and unfocused, tell-tale signs of the Cruciatus Curse. The pale face was also scratched and bruised, blood matting some of the surrounding hair.

"They know....." he gasped, turning his head to cough wetly, he leaned forward against the table, resting his arms across it. For a brief moment, pain flashed across his features, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. Pain could be dealt with later, right now he had a job to do.

"Severus, let's get you up to the hospital wing...." Dumbledore began, but Severus shook his head, flinching slightly when Dumbledore placed a hand on his back. The Headmaster sat down beside him, waiting silently for him to speak. It pained him to no ends to see Snape in such a condition, but he knew that the man wouldn't move an inch until he was good and ready. They'd been through similar scenarios before, though never before had Severus been beaten so horribly. Before, there had been an occasional Cruciatus Curse, and the odd, mild beating now and then, but they had never been severe; it wouldn't do to ruin a useful tool, after all.

"They know....." Severus began again, stifling another cough.

"That you were spying for me?" Dumbledore asked, and the Potions Master closed his eyes, nodding silently. "Oh dear......" Dumbledore whispered, suddenly overcome with fear for his friend. Time after time he'd sent Snape off to gather information, and time after time he'd fought against his own guilt for it. In later years, before Voldemort's fall, there had been several instances where they'd feared he'd been found out, and Dumbledore had asked Severus not to chance returning. Severus had refused outright, desperate to attempt to alleviate the guilt that always weighed heavily on his heart. Though he never said a word about his years as a loyal Death-Eater, Dumbledore knew without a doubt that Severus waged an inner war every day of his life, constantly assaulted by the vicious memories or his past. He knew Snape would sacrifice himself in an instant if it could erase the things he'd done, and that was why Dumbledore trusted this man more than any other. That was why he'd entrusted him with Harry Potter's life.

------------

Harry was ecstatic. Ron and Hermione had been allowed to stay for the night, as Mr. Weasley promised to return for them in the morning. He'd been having one of the best times of his life, spending the day chatting, playing chess, and joking with his friends. Hermione turned out to have a lively sense of humor when she didn't have homework to worry about. Madam Pomfrey had agreed to let them stay in the hospital wing since there weren't any other patients, and they'd already rearranged several of the beds. Now they were on their way to the Great Hall for a late supper, all running excitedly down the hall. It felt wonderful to be able to wander around the castle without having to worry about losing house points or getting detention, and Ron was currently taking full advantage of that freedom. He was running along side Harry and Hermione, impersonating Draco's fateful first meeting with Fluffy.

"Ahhh! I'm a rich little Slytherin brat, look at me run!" Ron intoned, and Harry and Hermione giggled.

"I think we should get Fluffy a /really/ big dog treat for that one, I /love/ that dog....." Ron said as he slowed down beside them, grinning ear to ear.

"That dog tried to eat us, remember?" Hermione said, though she too was grinning.

"So? For chasing Malfoy I'd forgive that big mutt if he /had/ eaten me." Ron said as they approached the back door to the Great Hall. Hermione had her hand on the door handle when they heard voices from within, and they instantly froze.

"Who is it?" Hermione whispered, and Harry stepped quietly forward, pressing his ear to the wooden door.

"Snape and Dumbledore, sounds important." he said, and Ron and Hermione instantly scooted up next to him, pressing their own ears to the door. Harry found himself somewhat relieved to discover that Snape had returned, though he hid the emotion from his face.

{"What do you mean?"} Dumbledore's voice said, the tone filled with worry. When Snape replied, his voice was ragged and pained, and Harry couldn't help but bite his lip. Something had obviously happened to Snape after he'd run off......

{"It wasn't Voldemort...."} Snape continued, pausing to emit a very ragged, painful sounding cough.{"It was his power....I could feel it, but the man I saw was /not/ the Dark Lord...."} Snape continued, breathing heavily.

{"But he summoned the Death Eaters?"} Dumbledore asked, and Snape presumably nodded before replying.

{"He bore the Dark Mark on his own arm, but I know I've never seen him before."} Ron, Hermione, and Harry pulled away from the door momentarily, all wide eyed and confused.

"What was Snape doing with the Death Eaters?" Hermione wondered aloud, keeping her voice at a whisper.

"Isn't it obvious? The evil git /is/ a Death Eater......I always knew that man had to have some nasty secret...." Ron said, his arms crossed smugly.

"No, he can't be." Harry said, shaking his head vigorously. After all, why would a Death Eater save his life?

"Harry's right, Ron. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher, and if he was a Death Eater, why would he be telling Dumbledore all that about the Dark Lord?" Hermione said, her own arms crossed. She was convinced that Snape was the most evil teacher on the face of the planet, but she knew that Dumbledore would never have hired anyone who served Voldemort. Ron made a sound in his throat, his brows turned down slightly.

"He's probably just playing the double agent...." he muttered, and they all returned their ears to the door, listening intently. For a moment, no one inside spoke, and they only heard the sound of Snape's ragged breathing. But then Snape spoke up again, his voice low and pained.

{"He's after Harry...."} Snape said, and everyone was surprised at the emotion in his voice, and that for perhaps the second time in history, he'd used Harry's first name. {"Before, he was just trying to get his body and power back...but now he doesn't seem to care about that. He wants Harry out of the way...."} Snape said, and coughed again.

{"He's safe here, Severus. The ministry came and helped me put a few more warding spells on the castle, so that none of those monsters can enter. Hagrid has Fluffy on patrol too, and tomorrow I think I'll send the ministry an owl and request that we be temporarily cut off of the Floo Network. As long as Harry stays on the grounds, Voldemort can't get to him."} Dumbledore said firmly, but Snape didn't sound like he believed him.

{"He'll find a way."} he said, and then there was the sound of something being scooted back from a table.

{"Now let's get you to the hospital wing, I'll not have you dying at my table, Severus."} the Headmaster scolded, and Snape replied with a hoarse laugh. The three eavesdroppers stepped away from the door and slipped quietly off into a nearby shadow, struggling to be silent. A moment later, the door opened and out stepped Dumbledore, supporting a severely injured Snape. The two walked slowly down the hall, the latter limping dramatically. When they'd disappeared around a far corner, Ron, Hermione, and Harry emerged, heading through the door to the Great Hall.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked as they sat at one of the tables, all still in slight shock.

"He seemed awfully concerned about you for some reason, Harry. What's going on?" Hermione asked, watching Harry expectantly. Harry sighed and stared down at the table, struggling to find the answer.

"I'm not real sure either, Hermione. Snape's been different this summer....I don't know what to make of it. One minute he's our mean and nasty Potions Master, the next, he's rescuing me from the Dursleys or some horrific monster." Harry said, his voice dropping slightly at the mention of his missing family. Ron and Hermione were watching him with strange expressions, something akin to worry. It was Hermione who finally asked the question that both she and Ron had been pondering.

"Harry, what did Draco mean when he said he'd heard about what the muggles did to you?" she said, her voice soft. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question.

"It's nothing." Harry muttered, his eyes distant. Unconsciously his hand drifted over to clutch his forearm once again, the memory of how it had been broken still fresh in his mind.

"Harry..." Hermione persisted.

"I don't want to talk about it." he said firmly, his voice holding a pleading note. Hermione nodded, letting it go.

"What's all this about Snape, then?" Ron asked, his face twisted in slight disgust. Harry laughed slightly, and his friends both stared at him in confusion.

"I've been staying with him for the summer." Harry replied, and laughed again at the expressions of pure horror on his friends' faces.

"You've been staying with /SNAPE/? And you're still ALIVE?!" Ron screeched, his chair falling to the floor behind him as he rose. Hermione was gaping at him like a fish.

"Yeah....Dumbledore made me." Harry replied, his mouth twisted in a slight smile. Now that he thought about it, it really hadn't been so bad staying with Snape.

"Bloody hell, Harry, it must be horrible! You're coming home with me tomorrow, whether my dad agrees or not!" Ron said, leaning across the table. Harry shook his head vigorously, still smiling slightly.

"No, Ron. Thank you, but it's alright, really. He /did/ save my life." he said, and Ron joined Hermione in gaping at him.

"But...doesn't he yell at you and torture you? Make you sleep in a corner and scrub his floors or something?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"He yells sometimes, but he usually just sits by himself, working on his potions or reading. I've pretty much got free-run of the castle." Harry said, and his smile slowly transformed to a slight frown. He was worried about Snape, "I hope he's alright...." he added.

"I can't believe Dumbledore made you stay with him..." Hermione said, blinking at him, Harry shrugged in reply.

"It's not so bad...." Harry said, and Ron and Hermione gave each other a look.

"Your not actually...starting to like the evil git, are you?" Ron asked with an expression that clearly said he hoped not.

"I don't know, he's not as bad as he is during the school year. I don't like him, but then I don't' hate him either. You know, he actually apologized to me the other day," Harry said, and his friends gaped at him again.

"Professor Snape? Apologize? Now /that/ is getting really scary..." Ron said, shivering slightly.

"You know Harry, everything weird really /does/ happen to you."

------------

Night passed and morning came all too quickly in Harry's opinion, and it seemed he'd barely batted an eye before Mr. Weasley arrived and led Ron and Hermione off to Hogsmeade, where a company car was waiting for them. They'd stayed up most of the night, talking quietly and laughing at Ron's jokes about Malfoy. Snape had been laid in a bed at the far end of the room, next to the window, and Madam Pomfrey hadn't left his side even once all night. Harry fully intended to check on him as soon as he could, but Pomfrey refused to let him visit even after Ron and Hermione had departed. She'd given Snape a powerful sleeping potion, and he hadn't once stirred the entire night or the following day. It wasn't until the next night, Harry's last in the hospital wing, that he finally got his chance.

It was close to midnight when Madam Pomfrey finally left for her own rooms, completely exhausted from her constant vigilance. After she'd left, Harry had slipped from bed and silently crossed the room, pausing to snatch a blanket from his bed to ward of the night's chill. When he reached the Potions Master's bedside, he paused and watched him for a moment, it was strange seeing the Professor like that. His face was completely devoid of its constant sneer or angry glare, it was soft and pained in sleep, almost vulnerable. Harry sat down in a chair near the bed and settled into it comfortably, wrapping the blanket tightly about himself as he watched his Professor. He'd been determined to stay awake, but it didn't take long before his eyes started to droop, and he fell to sleep at last.

-----

Severus Snape jerked awake when a bright light suddenly pierced the darkness behind his eyelids, and he opened them to see Poppy sauntering away from the opened curtains, whistling innocently. Grumbling, Severus dropped his head back to the pillow, wishing more than anything that he was back in his dungeons, where the windows were on the /west/ side of the castle. Now that he was awake, he could feel every cut and bruise he'd earned the day before (or had he been here longer?) screaming in protest to his position. He shifted in the bed, rising up on his elbows to sit up against the pillow. Casting a quick glance down at the horrible hospital garments someone had stuck him in, his lip curled in disgust. He missed his robes, too.

A soft snore from nearby drew his attention, and his head whipped over to stare at the small figure curled in a nearby chair, tangled within the white cotton hospital blanket. Potter. The boy had fallen asleep in the chair, his head rested against his shoulder and the back of the chair. For a moment, Severus watched him in confusion. Surely Potter hadn't actually been /concerned/ about him, the mere idea was laughable. And yet, there the boy lay, snoozing happily. The boy snored a second time, and jerked awake, one hand instantly flying up to straighten his crooked glasses.

"Morning, Potter." Severus said, and the boy nearly jumped out of the chair.

"Professor!" Potter said, and he was actually smiling. He stood up from the chair and stepped closer to the bed, absently rubbing the injured shoulder that didn't appreciate the unusual sleeping position. "Are you okay?" the boy asked, and Severus bit back on a sarcastic reply. His first reaction would have been to reply with a , 'I'm in the hospital wing, Potter, what do you think?' but something in the boy's concerned expression made him change his answer.

"Yes, thanks to Poppy." he replied, then, almost as an afterthought, added, "And how about you?" Potter looked mildly surprised at the question, and Snape wasn't entirely sure why he'd bothered to ask in the first place.

"I'm good. Madam Pomfrey is letting me go today." he replied with a smile, and Severus smiled slightly in reply. Poppy /was/ rather possessive of her patients. Shifting his position again, Severus pulled his arms out from under the covers and sat up higher, stifling a yawn in the process.

"Shouldn't you be down having breakfast?" Severus asked, and Harry nodded slightly, though his gaze was strangely unfocused.

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you later?" Harry said, rising from the chair.

"If Poppy will let you." Severus replied, and Harry nodded again, heading slowly off toward the door. Severus stared after him in confusion. Potter had seemed pretty normal at first, but then something had distracted him, but what? The realization of what had happened brought a fierce wave of shame and slight fear. He glanced down at his arm, clenching the muscle tightly. The Dark Mark.

Harry had seen the Dark Mark.