Harry Potter never had what one could call a happy childhood. Ever since he could remember, the Dursleys had ignored him the majority of the time and gone out of their way to make him feel unwelcome. His aunt and uncle often treated him like a criminal and blamed strange occurrences on him. Harry recalled being excited when he was old enough to go to elementary school, because it meant escaping from the Dursleys for a few hours. However, Harry's cousin went to the same elementary school. Anyone that decided to do anything other than ridicule Harry would pay for it, thanks to Dudley and his friends.

Things had started to look up for Harry when he found out that he was a wizard and would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd made some amazing friends, learned quite a lot and been able to get away from the Dursleys for an entire school year. Of course, he also had a nearly fatal encounter with the same dark wizard that had murdered his parents, but everything had turned out okay in the end.

Now, Harry had returned to live with his relatives for the summer and matters were progressively becoming worse at the Dursley household. His Uncle Vernon lost his job months ago, though no one had bothered to tell Harry why (he had overheard muffled discussions about accusations of fraud). Since then, Vernon had decided to do something else to occupy his time. Alcohol, Harry had found out quite quickly, made Vernon an even angrier person. Vernon was physically abusive prior to becoming an alcoholic, but it had never been very frequent or severe up until now.

In one of his drunken rages, Vernon had forbid Harry from going back to school. Harry had lost track of the date a long time ago, but he imagined that school would already have resumed for the year. He was supposed to be the extraordinary Boy Who Lived, right? Then why, he asked himself, was he being imprisoned by his completely non-magical family? He couldn't believe that he had been pitying himself for all these years when the worst had still been yet to come. At least his uncle had never treated him this badly before.

If only the wizarding world could see me now, Harry thought bitterly. He vaguely wondered how many of his bones his Uncle had broken this time. It felt as if every bone in his body was broken, but surely it couldn't be that bad...

-The previous night-

"Why is this house such a bloody mess?" Vernon screamed, enraged. He was obviously forgetting that he had made an awful mess of the house earlier that day when he had been in another one of his rages. "Petunia, get me another drink!"

Aunt Petunia scrambled off of the sitting room couch nervously. Earlier, Petunia and Dudley had discussed pouring the entire contents of Vernon's alcohol collection down the sink. Obviously they hadn't followed through on this because they were terrified of what Vernon would do to them. And they all knew that he would just go out and purchase more once it was gone.

Vernon was roaring drunk at this point. Harry had taken a lot from his uncle over the years, and had learned by experience that it was best to let his uncle's rages take their course. But Harry couldn't recall ever seeing his uncle this drunk before. Vernon was already incensed and it would only become worse if he was to drink more. Better me than Aunt Petunia or Dudley, Harry thought, imagining how Uncle Vernon would react to anyone that did away with his alcohol collection. Harry reached out and grabbed the bottle that was closest to him, loosening the top of it.

"I'll be out with it in a moment, Vernon," Petunia called out nervously.

Harry was nearly through with getting rid of Vernon's collection at this point. He opened yet another bottle and stared as its contents went down the sink. I'm really going to pay for this, but at least I'm used to Uncle Vernon's beatings. I can handle it better than Aunt Petunia or Dudley would be able to, Harry thought. It wasn't as though Harry particularly liked his aunt or cousin, but he still had no desire to watch Vernon kick the crap out of them. There had been a time when Vernon had cherished his wife and doted, perhaps too much, on his son. But the alcohol had taken over Vernon's life, and he seemed to care about little else.

Petunia entered the kitchen as Harry had just emptied the last bottle. "What do you think you're doing?" Petunia asked in a furious whisper.

"I did exactly what you and Dudley were talking about earlier. It's pretty obvious that he's still drunk from his last round! What do you think he'll do if he gets his hands on more alcohol? He's already furious and he's getting more violent. How long do you think it'll be before he puts his hands on you... or Dudley?"

"Petunia, what in the bloody hell is taking you so long? Do I have to do everything myself?" Vernon snarled.

Harry barely heard Petunia inform Vernon that he must have just finished the last of his alcohol. With a look of absolute fury, Vernon took in the sight of the empty bottles that were lined up on the counter, and eyed Harry, who was standing directly in front of them. Vernon grabbed Harry by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to the cupboard under the stairs. Harry assumed that this was to be his room once again. After what seemed like hours of his Uncle Vernon punching and kicking him with full force, he finally threw Harry in the cupboard and locked him in.

-End Flashback-

Petunia and Dudley had hardly been able to do anything to assist Harry. The only time Vernon went out of the house was when he had gone to the store to buy more alcohol. Harry had no clue where the money that bought it was coming from, as Vernon had lost his job. While Vernon was gone, either Petunia or Dudley would bring Harry a miniscule amount of food. At one point, Aunt Petunia had actually apologized to Harry for not being able to bring him more because she was afraid that Vernon would notice it was gone. Harry suspected that both Dudley and his aunt were grateful that he had stopped his uncle from drinking more that night, and therefore possibly stopped Vernon from hurting them. Harry would stare at the food they brought him, but he was too sore and weak to move at all, let alone to eat, so it wasn't as if the food they brought him did any good.

Harry felt horrible, and was certain that he must look horrible as well. The first time she had snuck Harry a bit of food, he had seen her pale considerably at the sight of him. He was sure that he needed medical attention, but he couldn't ask his aunt to take him. If she did, she would pay dearly for it once Vernon noticed that Harry was gone. 

Harry had no idea how long he would be locked in the cupboard. What if no one ever came looking for him, or they came and couldn't find him? After all, who would expect The Boy Who Lived to be locked, once again, in the cupboard under the stairs?

Severus could not believe he was currently sitting in the Headmaster’s office, discussing Harry Potter's well-being. Why did Dumbledore expect him to care that the boy had neglected to show up to Hogwarts for his second year? Dumbledore should be having a conversation such as this with Minerva McGonagall, or perhaps Filius Flitwick. Did Dumbledore think that, at some point, Severus had shown the slightest bit of emotion when it came to Potter, other than extreme dislike?

“Headmaster, I fail to see any reason to be concerned. It is quite apparent to me that the boy has decided he is too good for Hogwarts and does not wish to put the effort into learning, let alone attending school at all,” Severus said, the great disdain that he had for the boy apparent in his voice.

“You haven’t taken the time to get to know him, Severus. I am sure he will surprise you considerably once you do.”

“When have I ever expressed an interest in getting to know him?" Severus asked, arching an eyebrow. Then, he came very close to groaning audibly. The old man had plans, of course. Albus always had plans. And ulterior motives, which Severus knew all too well. “Don’t tell me you’re going to send me to check on the boy. As I’ve assured you many times during this meeting, Potter is fine!”

“It is already the third day of term. I firmly believe that he would owl the school, at the very least, to inform us if he did not wish to return. I believe my concerns are very valid, as should you. I wish for you to go and check on the boy, Severus.” Dumbledore said, his face betraying no emotion other than concern.

“Very well,” Snape said, sounding resigned. He made his way to the door, but paused a few steps before it and turned to face Albus again. "And what would you have me do, Headmaster, once I have retrieved the boy?" Severus asked rather grudgingly.

“Do as you see fit, Severus. I trust your judgement. Send an owl with an update on his condition as soon as possible. That is all I ask of you," Dumbledore said.

All you ask, Severus fumed. You ask a great deal, old man... Exiting the Headmaster's office, he hurriedly walked through the halls. He paid no mind to the students he passed by, most of them shooting a rather frightened glance in his direction. Snape walking in even more of a hurry than usual was never a good sign.

He did not pay his surroundings any attention until he reached the entrance to his quarters. Angry thoughts were still whirring through his mind about being asked to complete this particular task. Dumbledore had many other professors at his disposal that would have been better suited to do it, and would have been overjoyed to be able to do anything involving the Boy Who Lived.

Severus glanced around the hall swiftly before muttering a password. He seized his travel cloak from its hanger, donning it quickly and rushing out the door. The disgruntled potions master spoke to no one as he made his way to Hogsmeade... though this was customary behaviour for him on a normal day. He apparated once he was only a few feet into Hogsmeade.

Severus soon found himself on Privet Drive. Glancing around to make sure that he had not been seen, he took in the street. The houses were similar in size, and all had perfectly manicured lawns. Spotting number four, he swiftly approached the house, stepping over the low garden wall and walking up to the front door. It hadn't occurred to him to change into less conspicuous clothing, but he shrugged the thought aside. He raised a hand and knocked on the door tentatively.

A few moments later, he was face to face with what he could only identify as a disgusting creature. There are no words for this, Severus thought, thankful that very few muggles were anything like the abomination standing before him. It was not the man's size that troubled him. It was the plain lack of hygiene that the man possessed and lack of anything remotely resembling manners. The man, whom he assumed must be the boy's uncle, eyed him with a look of utter loathing.

“Are you here for the Potter boy?” he asked loudly. Dumbledore had mentioned early on during their meeting that the Dursleys were frightened of magic. The thought of them being frightened of him did not faze him. Severus could smell alcohol on the man's breath, which certainly explained why Potter’s uncle did not seem the least bit frightened.

“Yes, I have come to escort Potter to Hogwarts,” Severus said, trying his best not the sneer at the man.

“I told him he wasn’t to go back to his freak school,” Vernon all but shouted, slurring his words slightly. “He’s nothing but a burden to this household!"

Severus ignored the man's remarks. "And where is Potter right now?"

“Cupboard under the stairs,” Vernon muttered in reply. Snape kept his expression blank and nodded, though he was somewhat taken aback that Potter had been living in a cupboard. He made his way through the hall and to the cupboard door. His last thought before he entered the tiny cupboard was one of slight concern for the Potter boy, although he had no idea why.

Severus took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was a small mattress on the floor. Potter was on it, curled up in a ball. He had a considerable amount of blood on his shirt, and was breathing shallowly. He appeared to be barely conscious.

“It’s going to be alright, Potter. We shall portkey to my residence in a moment. Grab on to the portkey Potter, that’s it…” Severus said, holding out an old watch and watching the boy open his eyes slightly and grab onto it with shaky hands.

A few hours later, Severus was still shocked. This was highly unusual for him, as he'd seen many horrendous things while in the Dark Lord's service. Dumbledore had not exactly praised the Dursleys, but Severus always had been under the impression that the boy's relatives treated him with decency, if not cherished him.

The potions master did what he could for the boy. He had taken him straight upstairs and into one of the empty bedrooms, where he placed him gently on a rather roomy mattress. He performed all of the healing spells that he was comfortable with casting without injuring the boy further, and summoned quite a few different potions, including a basic healing potion and Dreamless Sleep Potion, so the boy wouldn't toss and turn while having a dream, injuring himself further. Once he was finally certain that he had tended to the boy's injuries to the best of his ability, he made his way downstairs to contact Dumbledore.

“He has multiple broken bones, Albus! How do you think it happened?" Severus yelled, infuriated at the old man in the fireplace before him.

“Where would you have had me put him, Severus? With a family that could easily turn him over to Voldemort? Perhaps with parents that would favour him over their own children only because of his name? Very strong wards have been put in place there for his protection, and wards of that type simply cannot be recreated at another location.”

“You can’t tell me you could not have found another location to put him at where he would be away from all of the fame,” Severus said scathingly. "The explanations you’ve given mean nothing. I don't even care that it's Potter! No child deserves to be mistreated the way this boy has!"

"I did what I thought was best for Harry at the time," Albus stated rather emphatically, as though that settled the matter.

"The child has been beaten senselessly by his uncle and that's all you have to say? The issue that you raised about the wards is not an acceptable explanation either! And don’t you dare attempt to tell me that wards of a similar strength could not have been put up at any other place,” Snape snarled. “He’s just been another one of your pawns, hasn’t he, Albus? It is of no consequence to you who pays the price in the end, as long as everything goes according to your plans!”

“Severus, I—” Dumbledore began.

Snape was through with the old man's explanations. He was finished listening to his flawed logic and pleas for understanding. And he was absolutely furious. “Don’t bother with attempting to make contact with either of us. As it is, you will be lucky if the boy so much as utters a word to you ever again! I shall contact you when I feel like doing so,” Severus said and then paused, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak again. "Severus—"

“This conversation is over,” the potions master said irately. He shot Dumbledore one last infuriated look and then disconnected from the floo network.

After a few uneventful days of the potions master taking care of the boy, he was finally awake and alert. Since Severus had brought him to his residence, the boy had slept almost constantly. The potions master had been slightly concerned at first, but then quickly came to the conclusion that Potter's body was trying to recover from its injuries. One of the potions he had been giving the boy also had a side effect of drowsiness, which only exacerbated the matter.

Severus had appeared at the doorway of Harry’s room moments after the boy awoke from his lengthy slumber. “Potter, do you require anything at the moment? I have a complex potion simmering in the lab and it cannot be left unattended for more than a few minutes.”

“No, I just,” Harry began, pausing hesitantly. “wanted to ask you something. I'll make it quick."

After discovering that Potter was not the pampered prince he had previously assumed him to be, Severus had been telling himself that what he had been feeling was not a hint of remorse over how he had treated him. After all, the fact that the boy had been abused did not change that he was an insolent brat with no regard for rules.

“Go ahead, Potter."

“I'm just wondering if you know when I can go back to Hogwarts."

“Potter, as I am sure you have gathered, many of your injuries have not yet healed. Magic can only do so much for them, I'm afraid. You shall simply have to wait for them to heal with time. During this time, you will be staying here. I have taken some time away from Hogwarts so I can remain here and make certain that you are healing properly. In return, all I ask is that you be respectful and obedient,” Severus said, refraining from stating aloud that he was unsure whether Potter actually possessed the ability to do these things.

“But why can’t I just return to Hogwarts and heal in the hospital wing?” Harry asked.

Severus held back the anger that rose inside of him. Potter was already showing signs of being ungrateful, though he probably should have expected it to happen. “The Headmaster and I believe that the Dark Lord and some of his followers may receive news of your injured state and attempt to take advantage of it. After all, the Dark Lord managed to get into the castle with ease a few months ago,” Severus said. “Now, I must return to that potion. Summon me if you require anything else, Potter. Try to get some more rest and I will check on you when I am finished with that potion.”

Becoming bored almost immediately after Snape left the room, Harry stared up at the ceiling. Too bad it’s not like the ceiling in the Great Hall, Harry thought to himself. Glancing around the room, he was rather surprised to see a digital clock to his left. His classmates would be eating lunch right about now before setting off to their next class. And Harry was stuck here with only Snape as company. Snape, who would obviously expect Harry to stay out of his way as much as possible and could barely stand the sight of him...

Knowing my luck, he thought to himself, Malfoy has already found out about all of this somehow. He could just hear it now... “What kind of wizard are you, Potter? Your muggle uncle beat the crap out of you and a teacher had to come and save you?”

Wanting something to do other than focus on his own thoughts, Harry put his hands on either side of himself and slowly pushed himself off of the bed. He grimaced as he stood up and slowly forced himself to take the few steps to where his trunk was. With some effort, he managed to get his trunk upright and dragged it over to the bed with his good arm. He struggled for a bit, but eventually managed to get the trunk onto the bed. Sitting down next to it, he opened his trunk and fumbled through the contents, carefully avoiding the sharp, broken quills that it contained. After a few moments of rummaging through it, he finally found something else he could occupy his time with: the photo album that contained pictures of his parents, and of himself when he was a baby.

He spent hours looking through the album, flipping through it more than a dozen times. His mum really had been beautiful. His parents looked as if they had been so happy together and seemed overjoyed to have a son. At least I was loved once… even if it was only up until I was a year old, Harry thought somewhat bitterly.

“I see you disregarded my request that you try to get some more rest, Mr. Potter.” a voice said rather darkly, startling Harry so much that he jumped a bit. But it was just Snape.

“I wasn’t tired enough to go back to sleep, Professor.” Harry said.

“What are you looking at?” Snape asked.

“It’s a photo album sir.” Harry said rather emotionlessly.

The boy looks upset, Severus thought to himself. He has no parents and his only remaining family doesn't even care about him. Severus suddenly felt a little less hatred towards the boy. Severus hadn’t been an orphan, but he has been as good as one, with an abusive alcoholic for a father and a mother too weak to leave the man and too scared to protect her own son. At this moment, he felt as if he could almost relate to the boy, though he swore that he would never admit it. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind.

Harry spoke again, hesitating slightly. "See, my parents are in this album. Professor Dumbledore mentioned that you knew my dad, sir. Does that mean you knew my mum too?”

Severus was not having this conversation, not now. He was ill-prepared for it. “I apologize, Mr. Potter, but we shall continue this conversation later. I have some matters that I must attend to.” Severus lied, though he nearly felt guilty for doing so. He felt even worse when he saw the boy's face fall slightly, but told himself that it would be easier on both of them if they didn't have this conversation at all.

Harry was disappointed, but he nodded in acceptance. After all, he had been waiting years to find out more about his parents. A few more hours wouldn’t make much of a difference. 

Severus Snape had never cared about anyone before. If you were to ask his students, they would most definitely agree with this statement. Some said there was just an empty space where his heart should be, while others believed it was black. Even Severus himself had long been used to and agreed with the notion that he was cold and distant emotionally. So why did he find that he was nearly concerned about the Potter boy?

As he sat in his living room, still lost in his thoughts, he heard someone calling his name from behind. Whirling around, he saw that once again, Dumbledore’s head was in his fireplace. “Dumbledore, I think I made it quite clear that I do not wish for you to contact me!” Severus yelled. Severus had informed him of that the day beforehand and while Dumbledore was quite old, he had no problems with his memory!

“Forgive me, Severus, but I have an inquiry,” Dumbledore said, his tone even more gentle than usual. “I am curious as to whether you had any clue as to when Harry will have made a full recovery.”

“As he was very close to unconsciousness from the numerous beatings he’d received from his Uncle for quite some time...” Severus said, giving him a pointed glare. “His health is still fragile, Dumbledore. Why do you ask?”

Dumbledore paused, anticipating the uproar that his next statement would cause. “I must owl the Dursleys and let them know that their nephew will be returning to them next summer. I would like to give them an update on his condition in this owl.”

And indeed, the uproar that Dumbledore had anticipated did come. “Return him to his relatives so they can injure him again, Dumbledore? Return him to his relatives where he may be killed the next time? I highly doubt his relatives even give a damn about his condition!” Severus roared.

“Now Severus, I am sure that you have gathered what the reason is that he must return there. The wards—”

“To hell with the wards, Dumbledore, I am not allowing him to return there!” Severus bellowed. “There are numerous other places that have wards of similar strength! I believe I understand now, Dumbledore. You want him to continue staying there because you know they will keep on abusing him! You think this will make him a stronger person and will make him more equipped to defeat the Dark Lord!”

“I—” Dumbledore began, but Severus cut him off yet again.

“As I’ve said, he is not going back to live with those horrible muggles. Do not contact me again.” Severus said coldly, and he cut off the connection.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Severus sighed. He did not enjoy being at odds with Dumbledore, but he couldn’t agree with his ideas on this particular subject… at all. I had better see how the boy is doing, Severus thought. And continue that conversation. Potter is expecting it. He got up, walking through the kitchen and into the hallway. He made his way up the rather large flight of stairs and made a left into Harry’s room. However, when Harry saw Severus enter the room, he looked apprehensive.

“Mr. Potter, is something wrong?” Severus asked, when he saw the boy staring out the window with a rather blank expression

“No, sir, nothing.” Harry said, snapping back to reality.

“Ah. Well Mr. Potter, I had rather thought that you would wish to continue our previous conversation now."

“Oh!" the boy exclaimed. Severus couldn't help but notice how his eyes lit up.

The boy seemed so excited to be close to hearing about his parents. Obviously the Dursleys hadn’t mentioned them much... not that Severus was the least bit surprised.

Snape took a deep breath before speaking again. “Your mother, Mr. Potter…  she was the kindest person I have ever known. She was very opinionated and stood up for what she believed in. She would give almost anyone a chance. She excelled in her classed. Lily was quite brilliant.”

Harry looked at Snape with wide eyes. The way he was talking about her… well, it just sounded slightly odd. But maybe that was because he rarely heard Snape give compliments. But it sounded as if Snape had liked his mother. If he had, then why did he hate Harry so much?

“Sir, Dumbledore said that you knew my dad too,” Harry said.

“I did,” the Professor confirmed. “Your father… he was arrogant in the extreme." He forced himself to stop at that. Hearing his teacher rant angrily about his father would not do much good at all, especially when he was in a more weakened state.

Harry looked down at the ground. He felt almost sick to his stomach. Everyone that had known his father, other than the Dursleys, had always spoken highly of him.

Snape looked at the boy, his expression softening slightly as he realized that the boy looked crestfallen. Speaking more softly, he said “I do not say this to upset you. Life is full of disappointments and no one can shield you from all of them. I think that you would rather know the truth rather than believe a lie. I am sure that you would have heard this from another source eventually, at any rate.”

“I idolized my father even though I hardly knew him! It’s more than a disappointment!” Harry shouted, anger boiling up inside of him.

“Your father grew up, Mr. Potter. Everyone is an idiot when they are young.” Severus said, as much as it pained him to do so. He never thought he'd see the day he stood up for James Potter.

“I’m not so sure,” Harry mumbled.

“All one can hope is that people learn from their mistakes as they age, Mr. Potter. And your father did. He was a good man.” Snape said, feeling a little bit as though a part of him had just died... he never thought he'd see the day that he would speak almost highly of James Potter. The boy stayed silent and stared out the window.

Harry did not acknowledge it when the Professor left the room. He just continued to stare out the window. He missed his friends and he missed Hogwarts. About now, they were probably in their second period class. Who would they have for Potions now? Were they happy that Snape was away? Did they suspect, perhaps, that Harry was staying with Snape?

Harry’s housemates would be eating together, playing chess matches and going to watch Quidditch games together. He felt that right now, he would give just about anything to be able to go back to Hogwarts. Sure, Snape was being close to nice to him. But still, Snape’s improved behaviour and attitude toward Harry could not possibly make up for everything that he was missing out on, everything that he had taken for granted during his first year.

Hours later, Harry heard the stairs creak, warning him of Snape’s impending arrival. Harry was careful to make his facial expression blank, determined not to show emotion. Moments later, Snape appeared in the doorway, clutching a vial in each of his hands.

Severus held the vials up. “Take these, Potter. They will aid in your healing.” Harry give him a confused look. “Blood-Replenishing Potion and a simple healing potion,” the potions master clarified.

“Which one should I take first?” Harry asked, slightly confused.

“It will work much more effectively if you take the Blood-Replenishing Potion first, Mr. Potter,” he said with a sigh. Then, with a pointed look, he added “You should have learned this in my class during your first year.”

Harry ignored the potions master’s slight jab at his lack of knowledge in that particular subject. He grabbed the first potion out of Snape’s hand and downed it with a grimace. “Isn’t there anything you can do to make the potion taste a little bit less revolting?”

Severus sighed again, slightly exasperated now. “Mr. Potter, are you aware that I have brewed those potions specifically for your benefit and spend hours daily doing so? No, I thought not. And once again, you have proven how little attention you pay in my class. I cannot add anything to the potion simply for your drinking pleasure without it changing the effectiveness of the potion. Perhaps a review of the entire curriculum for first year Potions is needed? Now, drink the healing potion.”

With another grimace, Harry downed the last potion. It tasted even worse than the first one had. “Have you any idea when I’ll be able to be up and around? I’m tired of lying in bed all day long.”

“Your body requires time to heal itself, Potter.” Snape said slowly, as if he were talking to an imbecile.

“I know, Professor, but I’m feeling better already.” Harry said impatiently. The sooner he could get out of bed for more than a few moments, the better. Then Snape would see that his condition had improved greatly, and allow him to go back to Hogwarts.

“Well, your arm is healing nicely. The healing potion has sped that up considerably, as it should have. Your shoulder was dislocated as well, but it seems to be back in place. Your ribs, however, are somewhat problematic. One of them is cracked. I am not a trained mediwizard, and I will not fool myself into believing that I would not make matters even worse if I attempted to repair it. Furthermore, your leg is not healing as quickly as I would like it to.”

Harry nodded, not at all troubled by the extent of his injuries. He had expected them to be much worse, since he felt quite horrible still... though he would never dream of admitting that to Snape. If he admitted it to Snape, he would find himself stuck here for even longer. “Yeah, but how long until I can start doing things again? I miss Hogwarts. I miss my friends.”

The potions master sneered at him this time. “I apologize, Potter, that I am not anything similar to the company you normally keep. It must be so awful for you, laying in bed all day while I brew potions for you and serve you your meals. You will stay here until you are told otherwise. You will do as I say, because it is for your own good.”

Harry couldn’t believe Snape. I will do as he says? And he doesn‘t even care about what‘s for my own good! I can’t believe Dumbledore left me with Snape! He’s the last person I want to deal with after this! I didn't ask him to come get me from the Dursleys and bring me here! Harry thought angrily. “Look, neither of us want to be here... both of us know it. We can find somewhere else for me to stay until I’m well enough to go back to my classes.”

“Potter, the Headmaster instructed me to retrieve you from your aunt and uncle’s place of residence! You are to stay here until you have healed sufficiently!”

“I know you don’t want to be here either! Why don’t you just send me back to Hogwarts? I’ll stay in the hospital wing! That way, you wouldn't have to spend hours brewing potions for me, and you could go back to teaching!” Harry yelled.

Severus felt something inside him snap. “I do not have the time, nor the patience to deal with your insolence! As usual, you have shown just how ungrateful you are! You will not show me disrespect in my own home!” Snape practically spat at him.

Harry got himself off of the bed as fast as he could. “What do you think you’re doing, Potter? Do you want to injure yourself further?” Snape shouted, taking a swift step in front of Harry and blocking Harry's path to the door as he did so.

Harry eyed Snape angrily. “I don’t know how we've even lasted up until now without blowing up on each other. I’m doing us both a favour by leaving, so get out of my way!”

“Don’t be an idiot, Potter! How do you expect to leave here? Do you expect to use the floo with the state you're in? You would only injure yourself further and be straight back here as soon as you arrived at Hogwarts! You will stay here whether you want to or not.” Snape said coldly.

“You can’t force me to stay here!” Harry shouted angrily, desperately looking for a way to get past his professor.

He raised an eyebrow at the remarkably annoying boy in front of him. “Can’t I?” Snape asked, his voice full of sarcasm. He strode out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Harry was fuming. He had no doubt that Snape had locked him in.

Both Harry and Severus spent hours alone after their disagreement. Harry had been unwilling to apologize to the potions master, especially after Snape had yelled at him like that. Severus was still outraged over Harry’s outburst and utter lack of respect. He felt like would explode if he even looked at the boy.

After sulking and contemplating for a long period of time, Harry decided that maybe he should just apologize to Snape. He had been out of line earlier, though it pained him to admit it to himself. And he was beginning to feel slightly lonely, especially after spending another miserable summer with only the Dursleys for company. Snape’s company was better than no company at all. Harry finally made up his mind, sighing out loud as he did so. He slowly forced himself up off the bed, trying not to gasp when he felt a sharp pain in his ribs. He took a few cautious steps forward, pausing at the door frame. He wasn’t sure where Snape was, but prayed that he was somewhere on the same floor as him. He didn’t know if his body, which was still quite sore, would be able to handle a walk down the stairs.

Harry didn’t know which room was Snape’s either, but was thankful that there were really only two options if he was on the same floor. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to see him wandering around the place and think he was snooping through his belongings. The bathroom was directly across the hall from his room and there were only two other rooms on that floor. One of those was Snape’s bedroom. Harry decided that it was most likely the room next to the bathroom, because he seriously doubted that the professor would have wanted to sleep in a room that was right next to Harry’s. He assumed that he was right when he saw a small amount of light emanating from that room.

Harry knocked on the door. “Can I come in, Professor?” he asked awkwardly.

Severus shifted on the bed slightly and glanced up from the book he was reading. “I suppose so, Potter,” he drawled.

“I just want to… apologize. I realize that I shouldn’t have yelled at you earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Indeed,” the potions master said in a flat voice.

“I’m just getting really frustrated. We’ve never got on, Professor, and after everything that’s happened I just want to keep busy and forget about it all. I don’t want to sit in a room for hours, staring at a wall and thinking about everything.”

“Potter, know that I will not tolerate such disrespect from you again. You’ve been let off easy this time, but in the future there will be consequences.” Snape said. Merlin, I’m going soft, Severus thought to himself. When have I ever let anyone get away with any type of infraction? It must be because I’m not teaching right now. Yes, being off work during term has interfered with my schedule, therefore interfering with my whole life….

Harry nodded in acceptance, hardly believing his good luck. He had to resist the urge to make a break for it before Snape changed his mind.

“Now, we have some matters to discuss. And it isn’t wise for you to stand for so long, in your present condition. Come and have a seat, Potter.” Snape said, indicating a chair that was close to the bed.

Harry was apprehensive, but walked over and seated himself on the chair. When Snape said he needed to discuss things with someone, it didn’t usually turn out too well for that person.

“This will not be a pleasant conversation, I’m afraid. However, I feel that your emotional state will become more… fragile if we put this conversation off for much longer.”

“You feel that my emotional state will become more fragile? I’m not fragile!” Harry shouted indignantly.

“Mr. Potter, did we not just talk about disrespect and consequences? Do not interrupt me again, or you will find out the type of consequences I have planned for you!” Snape all but barked at him.

Harry flinched slightly under the professor’s glare.

“We have argued enough for one day, I believe. Shall we continue our conversation?” Severus said, pausing for a moment to give the boy time to object. He didn’t. Severus began speaking again, this time with a slight amount of hesitation in his voice. “What occurred at your aunt and uncle’s, Potter-- how long had it been going on for?”

Harry frowned, still unhappy to be having a conversation regarding his relatives. In retrospect, he should have anticipated having this conversation numerous days ago. Snape had been forced to leave his job at Hogwarts temporarily to take care of Harry around the clock. Of course he wanted to know the details surrounding why he had been taken away from his job. Harry supposed that he owed the potions master an explanation, since this was his fault, after all.

Harry took a deep breath. “They’ve always treated me like an inconvenience. They rarely acknowledged my birthdays and I was often forgotten at Christmas. My uncle used to yell and blame me for things that I hadn’t done, but it didn’t get really bad until he lost his job and started drinking.”

Severus nodded, thoroughly displeased. “You understand, Potter, that all of is due to no fault of your own. Correct?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy mumbled an affirmative answer. Severus was not at all convinced.

The potions master sighed uncomfortably. Why was he even having this discussion with the boy? Severus was not about to pour his heart out to Potter and disclose anything about his childhood. Perhaps the boy would appreciate it, knowing that Severus was not judging him for being abused and that he knew what it was like. But Severus had never been the sentimental type and rarely ever bothered with trying to relate to his students. Why start now, especially for Potter of all people? Severus was not willing to bring up old demons and was certain that doing such a thing had no benefits. Maybe it was time to change the subject.

“Have you been keeping up with your studies, Mr. Potter?”

Snape saw the boy’s eyes widened slightly. “It hadn’t really occurred to me, sir. I haven’t even got any of the required books for this year. See, I asked my uncle if he could take me to London but he… refused.”

Snape eyed the boy with suspicion, but did not question what the refusal had entailed. “Which other items do you require for the school year, other than the books?”

“I’ll need anything else that’s on the list, and would you be able to pick up some more owl treats for Hedwig? I can find the key to my vault and give it to you before you leave, sir.”

Severus was mildly surprised that the boy hadn’t been expecting him to pay for his school things, which he would have done anyway. Not that Severus wanted the boy to view him being willing to pay for his school supplies as an act of kindness, of course. “Mr. Potter, I do not require the key. Since you will not be accompanying me, I rather think that the goblins would give me a hard time if I attempted to gain access to your vault.”

“Professor, can’t I just come to Diagon Alley with you? Wouldn’t it be easier that way?” the boy asked, a little too eagerly.

“It would not do to have you wandering around Diagon Alley in your injured state. Even if you were disguised, the risk that one of the Dark Lord’s followers may discover you is too great.” Severus said. And it wouldn’t do to have him discovered having any type of contact with Potter outside of Hogwarts. He did have a reputation to uphold, not to mention how disastrous the results would be if he were discovered by Death Eaters doing anything other handing Potter over to the Dark Lord.

Harry nodded in acceptance, looking resigned. He had really enjoyed his first time at Diagon Alley and had jumped at the chance to go back. He felt slightly irritated that he was being deprived of a return trip before going back to Hogwarts, but decided against arguing with Snape again. His Professor had definitely surprised him when he had been much more forgiving than usual after their argument. Harry was fairly certain that Snape would be much less forgiving the next time.

Severus awoke during the early hours of the morning to the sound of an ear splitting scream. Becoming fully alert at once, he snatched his wand off of his bedside table and rushed into the hallway. Surely the Dark Lord couldn’t have returned already… Dumbledore had told him that he had been greatly weakened by his encounter with Potter and would not be able to return to power again for a long time, perhaps for few years to come…

Severus mumbled a quick spell, causing a bright light to emanate from his wand. As he stood in the doorway of Potter’s room, he scanned it for any signs of intrusion. He found none. The boy was still screaming. Severus was slightly startled to see that he was thrashing around on the mattress, and clearly unaware of his surroundings. Severus became alarmed and rushed over to the boy’s bedside.

“Potter! Potter, you need to wake up! Potter!” he shouted. Harry showed no sign of hearing him and continued screaming and thrashing. The potions master reached out gently and touched the boy’s shoulder. “Harry,” he said, feeling rather odd to be calling the boy by his first name. Severus shook his shoulder gently. Harry did not wake up, but stopped thrashing. He continued to scream. Snape cursed himself silently for having neglected to give the boy a Dreamless Sleep potion.

Instinctively, Severus reached out to the boy with one of his hands. He placed his hand on the boy’s back, beginning to make slow circles around it with his hand. He mumbled a few comforting words to him, realizing that he was unsure of what to do. He moved his hand to Harry’s head, smoothing a bit of his hair down as he did so. He stroked the boy’s hair.

“Harry, everything is alright. You’re only having a bad dream. You’re safe.” he whispered.

Harry opened his eyes blearily, and Severus hastily disentangled his fingers from the boy's hair, feeling very awkward. “P-Professor?”

“I believe you were having a nightmare, Mr. Potter.” Severus murmured, more gently than he usually spoke. He silently cursed himself for deciding not to continue administering the Dreamless Sleep Potion to the boy.

“Did I wake you, sir?” he asked, looking alarmed.

Severus nodded. “It is of no consequence,” he stated quietly. Luckily, it seemed that Potter had not injured himself further by thrashing around. He ran a quick series of diagnostic spells, which confirmed this. “Would you like some tea, Mr. Potter? Personally, I’ve found that tea can be relaxing…” Snape said, and then trailed off, wondering why he was telling the boy this.

Harry nodded and moved to get up.

“You do not need to move, Mr. Potter. I will fetch the tea.”

Harry watched as Snape stood up and left the room. Had he been imagining it, or had Snape been trying to comfort him? He thought that somewhere while he was still in a deep sleep, he had felt hands -- hands that felt a little bit too real to have been in a dream -- rubbing his back. Harry was definitely not about to ask him. Snape would never comfort me. I’m lucky he isn’t laughing at me because I had a nightmare, or yelling because I woke him up. I imagined it, or else someone’s hand was touching me in the nightmare… yeah, that’s it… he thought. He was soon startled back to reality by the sound of potions master clearing his throat at the door.

Severus handed the boy a cup of tea, which Harry grasped with slightly shaking hands. “Potter, are you certain that you’re feeling alright?”

Harry nodded. “It was only a nightmare, sir. It just startled me a bit. I’m sorry that it woke you,” he said, grimacing slightly. He was not a baby, and the last thing he needed was for Snape to think even less of him than he already did because he couldn’t deal with a simple bad dream. Besides, he was still embarrassed as hell that he’d had to share details with Snape about how the Dursleys had treated him.

“These nightmares, Potter… you have them often, am I correct? Do they tend to have a particular theme?” Severus asked.

Harry nodded, biting his lip slightly. “I’ve had them quite a lot, ever since I was small,” He heard the potions master sigh slightly, and knew then that his omission of information had not gone unnoticed. “They’re, um… usually about the Dursleys, the nightmares.”

Snape nodded in acceptance, now somewhat satisfied with the explanation the boy had given him… though completely dissatisfied with why it was even necessary. The Dursleys were most definitely the cause of most of Potter’s trust issues and uncertainties… “Potter, you are aware that I could continue to give you Dreamless Sleep?”

“No,” Harry said, a little bit too loudly. He paused, just long enough to enjoy a sip of tea, before speaking again. “I mean… thank you for the offer, Professor, but I can’t depend on a potion for the rest of my life. If I took it for a while, the nightmares would come back once I stopped taking it again, so I don‘t really see any point in it.”

Severus considered him thoughtfully for a moment. “I admire you bravery. But this decision may also be a foolish one. You were lucky that, while you were thrashing around in your sleep, you did not injure yourself further. You may not have such luck next time.”

Harry made a noncommittal sound. “I’ve been meaning to ask you a question, Professor. I haven’t had injuries like this before and I know it’s still taking a really long time, but is it normal for my injuries to be healing quite this fast?”

He shifted slightly in his chair. “I’m surprised that you haven’t deduced the answer for yourself,” Snape said, his face astonishingly free of a sneer. “Your magic seems to be assisting in the healing process. Such occurrences are not as uncommon as one would think, actually.”

Snape was surprised that he hadn’t deduced the answer? Did that imply that he didn’t think Harry was a hopeless idiot after all? Harry decided that, more than likely, it was probably just another one of Snape’s ways to insult his intelligence. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to assist my magic in healing me any faster?” Harry asked rather dejectedly.

Severus let out a short, bark-like laugh. “I’m afraid not.. However, I am fairly certain that myself and your magic are doing what they can to speed up your recovery. Now, I assume that you plan to stay awake? I took a trip to Diagon Alley earlier, and I do believe that you have some reading for school to catch up on,” he said, indicating a pile of books on the table. In one swift movement, Severus was back in the doorway. He heard the boy groan in dissatisfaction at the mention of school work, and smirked a bit to himself as he made his way down the hall.