Severus stepped back into his office from the floo to find that Harry had moved from under his desk to a similar curled-up position on his couch. Well, it's an improvement, he reflected. He hated seeing Harry like this, though. And he was only going to make it worse. Do I have to do this now? Yes. He did. If they didn't talk this through, then he'd have to bring it up on Monday, and Harry would be that much more difficult about it.

And so he sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Harry and asked, “So, what happened?”

Harry looked up at him, startled. “You don't already know?”

“I know some of it from Sinestra. I would like your version, please.”

“I'd rather not,” Harry said quietly, looking away.

“I realize that.”

Predictably, Harry scowled at him. He didn't answer, however, and Severus finally decided to help him out.

“You were in class with her, were you not?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what happened?”

“I- I told her not to call me a rat. But I was polite, really! Well...at first I was, anyway.”

Severus blinked. That was new. “What happened, then?”

“S-she got mad, so then I got mad and I called her- I got rude.”

“What did you call her?” Severus insisted.

Harry grimaced. “I called her a bitch.”

Could be worse, I suppose. Severus frowned briefly, but decided not to say anything. “And then?”

“She told me to leave, but then she changed her mind and told me to stay. I- I think she figured I wouldn't go anywhere she said unless she escorted me.”

“Would you have?”

Harry lifted his chin slightly, but bit his lip, apparently conflicted. “Probably not.”

At least he's honest, Severus reminded himself again. “You do realize that you would just end up in more trouble for that?”

“I know.”

“Then why wouldn't you just obey in the first place?”

“'Cause it's Sinestra,” Harry answered.

“You just won't obey her?” Severus pressed.

“Well, her and Binns,” Harry said. “A-and I guess Filch and Dumbledore and Quirrell. Well, when he was still a teacher, anyway. But they're kind of different.”

“How so?”

Suddenly Harry seemed a little reluctant. “Well...Sinestra and Binns are kind of useless. Binns wouldn't even notice if I disobeyed enough to get me in trouble. Sinestra...well obviously she does, but what do I care about her? I don't give a damn what she thinks of me, and she can't make me obey her, either. Well, not without taking me to somebody else.” Harry hesitated again before biting his lip and continuing. “The other three, well, they can make me obey, they just haven't tried. Quirrell prefers to send me to someone else, like Sinestra, and Filch's scared of you.” Severus was surprised to see Harry give him a brief, shy, smile at this. “Dumbledore – I just haven't been close enough.”

Severus winced, but decided to let it go. “And what about those who you do obey? That would be – let's see - Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and I?”

“I dunno,” Harry answered, “Flitwick and Sprout are nice. Kinda too nice, actually. What'd be the point of messing with them?”

“So you obey them because they're too nice?”

“Well, yeah. Mostly Sprout, I guess. It's just no fun to be mean to her. It'd be like kicking a puppy.”

Severus gaped at him for a moment, then started to laugh. He hadn't thought of it that way, before, but he did exactly the same thing – sending barbs at Minerva because Sprout was, as Harry said, 'too nice.'

“So you only mess with people who fight back?” Severus finally asked.

“I guess.”

“I 'fight back', as does Professor McGonagall, and yet you respect us,” Severus pointed out.

“Fight back and lose,” Harry clarified. “You won.”

“And yet you challenge me all the time,” Severus asked, confused.

“Well I'm not gonna suddenly be good all the time!” Harry protested, before continuing softly. “Not as long as you let me. It's clear enough that you're just humoring me, isn't it?”

The bitterness in Harry's tone bit at him, but Severus fought to understand. “I am not certain I understand. I won your 'World War I', but you hardly improved your behavior afterward.”

“In a game of winner takes all, you play to the end, Professor,” Harry said.

“Meaning-?”

“I knew I couldn't win, but then you'd caught me, so what else could I do but try?”

Severus closed his eyes, finally beginning to understand. “So when you first challenged me-”

“Don't you mean when you attacked me?” Harry asked, avoiding his eyes. “Given a choice, I would never have taken you on in the first place. You attacked, I ran like hell, you caught me, I did the best I could, and I lost. Winner takes all, like I said. Maybe it had to happen, but you gotta understand why I didn't think you'd be nice, after all that.”

Severus gritted his teeth, feeling like a hole had been torn into his abdomen without his expecting it. “I'm sorry,” he said finally.

“Don't be,” Harry said, voice barely audible. “If you hadn't caught me, I'd still-” he cut off, but Severus understood.

He'd still be scared of me, he means. Severus looked over at Harry, feeling the terrible guilt turn into a terrible sadness. Winner takes all. I suppose his uncle 'won'.

“So yeah, you could've stopped my fighting long ago, if you really wanted to. I still don't really get why you don't but- but I do notice,” Harry finished softly, before adding hastily “Which is not to say that I regret messing with your office, or that I'm ever going to be a good kid, or anything. Not happening.”

Severus smiled, touched. “Wouldn't dream of it. Which is not to say that I won't give you a detention when you do.”

“You didn't on Monday,” Harry pointed out.

“I still can.”

“Can not.”

Severus smirked. “Can, too.”

“Can-” Suddenly Harry stopped, blushing, and Severus found himself laughing again as Harry defended himself. “You started it.”

“Oh, very mature.”

Harry scowled, almost playful, and Severus smiled. After a second or two, however, the silence became strained, as Severus tried to think of a way to get back on track. He's finally relaxed, and now I'm going to force him to talk again?

Finally Harry said, “You still want me to tell you what happened.”

Severus hid his own reluctance and nodded. “You got to the point where Sinestra told you to stay behind.”

“I know,” Harry said glumly, but then continued quickly. “She told me to stay behind, and I did, and I went with her, but then she started heading in the wrong direction, so I asked her where we were going. She said that she wasn't gonna take me to you, 'cause you were unfair, and so she was gonna take me to Dumbledore instead. But then I refused and she got mad and started pulling on me so I left and came here.”

He sounded like he was done talking, but he'd left out some rather important details – the very part of the story that Severus wanted him to go over again. “Okay,” he said. “Now tell me what happened between her pulling and you getting here.”

Harry glared at him quickly, but then looked down at his hands. “I left, like I said.”

“And she just let you go?”

Harry hesitated, biting his lip. “N-no I had to pull free.”

“And she just let go when you pulled?”

Once again Harry hesitated before answering. “Yeah.”

Severus watched him gravely for a moment. “You do realize that Sinestra already told me this story, do you not?”

Harry nodded a little, still not looking at him, but didn't say anything to defend himself.

“Then you realize that your story differs from hers?” Severus pressed.

Harry nodded again.

Snape lifted an eyebrow. “And yet you maintain that she just let you go of her own volition.”

Another nod.

Severus shook his head, frustrated. “Why?”

Harry shook his head, and Severus tried again. “Why, Harry? Why can't you just tell me what really happened? She was out of line. I'm hardly going to punish you, though I am less than pleased that you would lie to me about this.”

“But I'm lying, just 'cause she told a different story?” Harry asked.

Severus sighed. “I saw the burns, Harry.”

Harry looked up at him then, real fear in his eyes, and Severus continued softly. “You are not in trouble, Harry. I just want you to tell me what really happened.”

Harry's eyes turned pleading, but Severus just waited, making it clear that he wanted an answer. Harry just shook his head.

“Why not? I am certain you did not intend to hurt her, Harry. You did nothing wrong. What happened?”

Harry started trembling lightly. “It- it's not allowed,” he finally whispered. “Really, really, not allowed.”

“What is not allowed?”

Harry shook his head, trembling. “Please. I really can't.”

Severus looked at him, and sighed. It was increasingly obvious that Harry was at the end of his rope. Pushing now wouldn't do any good.

“Very well. That's enough for today.”

Harry closed his eyes, feeling himself tremble and hoping Snape couldn't tell. God damnit but does today suck. “C-can I go, then? I- I mean may I go, please?” He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to – Snape's office was quiet, compared to his dorm, and Blaise, at least, would definitely realize something was up if Harry left now – but it was what he always asked, when he wanted to be left alone, and he definitely didn't want to talk anymore.

“You may go, or stay, as you wish,” Snape answered, standing up slowly from the other end to move back to his desk. “I will be here, grading papers. There are reading books on the bookcase behind you, as well as the first-year potions textbook. If you need writing materials, let me know.”

“Oh.” Snape was – backing off? Really? Well that's a solution. Maybe he would stay, for a little while. “Okay.”