Harry tossed and turned restlessly. He couldn’t sleep. Snape was worried about the effects of doling out dreamless sleep in addition to the numerous pepper-up and energy potions Harry was choking down each day.  Despite Harry assuring him that he was happy to take the risk he wouldn’t hear of it. It didn’t help that Poppy had soundly agreed with him when she’d popped in to check on Harry’s progress.

So over the past few nights Harry had not been able to avoid his dreams.

He’d dreamt of Snape lying there on the bed, his face blue, the life drained out of him.

He’d dreamt of the battle that had taken place previously, with Moody firing off that deadly hex.

And tonight he dreamt of Sirius.

He was sat at the foot of Harry’s bed, the way he often had been during their time together.

 ‘Are you ok Harry?’ He asked kindly. ‘That was quite an ordeal that you went through.'

’'I’m ok.’ Harry replied sleepily sitting up.

Harry couldn’t understand why Sirius held up the palm of his hand gesturing for him to not come any closer.

'I just want to hug you.’ He said frowning.

‘Silly kid.’ Sirius chuckled to himself. ‘Don’t you remember? How can you hug me now? You didn’t help me Harry.’ His face grew darker, shadowed in pain. ‘You just left me there. You could have saved me Harry...’

And as Sirius turned away from him Harry saw the terrible chunks of flesh which had been torn out of his back and shoulders before he transformed, leaving Harry with the dead form of Padfoot lying across the foot of his bed. Harry reached out to touch him but the fur came away in his hand...

Harry’s screams of anguish drew Snape quickly to his side.

The professor wasn’t surprised. After all it had been this way the last three nights.

‘Harry. Harry. Wake up.’

Sitting up, bathed in a cold sweat, Harry’s eyes locked on the empty foot of his bed. He could feel the rush of saliva flowing into his mouth.

 ‘I think I’m going...’ He started to vomit before he could finish his sentence.

Hastily Severus transfigured the cup beside his bed into a huge bowl and held it in front of Harry as he cast a cleansing spell over the splatters on the bed.

 Harry heaved again before leaning back exhausted against the headboard.

‘It was Sirius.’ He said.

‘I know.’

For a moment Snape made strained to make eye contact with him through the gloom of the shadows before he spoke again.

‘You’re not occluding.’ He stated.

‘I’m tired.’ Harry muttered.

‘Harry.’

 ‘Ok, ok, I will.’

Severus gave him a moment and then whipped out his wand.

 ‘Legilimens.’ He whispered before drawing back after a few seconds.

‘Harry.’

‘I don’t feel up to this, ok?’ Harry said frustration and upset etched in his voice as he shut his eyes.

When he peeked out of the corner of his eyes a minute later Severus was still sat next to him but he’d tucked his wand back into his sleeve.

‘Occluding has always helped me. With the nightmares.’ Severus said in a low, expressionless voice, before starting to stand up. 

Harry reached out and caught his sleeve.

‘Try again.’

‘You’re sure?’ Harry nodded.

‘I don’t want to see that again.’ He said with a slight shudder.

***

It was some time before they finished their late night occlumency lesson and Harry lay back down.

 Severus banished the bowl and drew the chair back in beside him. The nightmares were nothing new, but they’d never been to the extent where Harry’d been physically sick before. He’d sit with the boy for a time, in case he woke again.

Beside him Harry appeared fairly calm as he drifted into sleep.

He dreamt he was back at Hogwarts in a potions lesson. He needed to dice the gillyweed but couldn’t cut it finely enough...

Then suddenly the dream changed. He felt a draft as the benches and lab disappeared and he realised he was in a wide room surrounded by bricks. There was a small barred window at the far end, almost like a window in a prison, except this didn’t fit with the rest of the room which was richly furnished. There was a thick rug, a large oak bed and a long table with stacks of parchments and finely made quills.

 At the desk a man was sat writing before he suddenly seemed to start and turn to stand. He was a tall, powerfully built man with pale skin and light blue eyes.

 His eyes were trained upon the door way and as he waited there was the sound of bolts and locks being turned before it swung open to reveal Sirius.

The two men obviously recognised each other.

‘Black.’ The tall stranger stated in a soft Irish accent.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter as he walked stiffly into the room. ‘My favourite squib!’ He declared loudly. Harry could feel the mixed waves of annoyance and amusement given off from the stranger.

All of a sudden Harry drew a deep breath and sat up with a jolt, startling Severus who had almost drifted off beside him.

‘Sirius again?’ He asked.

‘Yeah but it wasn’t a bad dream.’ Harry mumbled as he settled down again.

***

The next day when Harry eventually awoke it was broad daylight outside. Snape had been encouraging him to sleep in recently, insisting upon it even. Glancing at the breakfast table he could see that Snape had already eaten and he wandered through to his study.

The door was ajar and as Harry entered he caught the end of a conversation between Snape and Dumbledore.

 Dumbledore sounded weary as he asked. ‘What are you asking for Severus? Do you expect me to quiz him under veritaserum?’

‘No indeed.’ Snape replied silkily. ‘Where would the fun be in that? I think you should question him the way they questioned me all those years ago.’

Catching sight of Harry, who was turning to go, he called him back.

‘Get in here Harry.’ He ordered him before glancing back at Dumbledore. ‘We need to talk.’

Dumbledore nodded to him as his image died away.

‘Was that about Moody?’ Harry asked. ‘I didn’t mean to overhear- honestly I didn’t- but was that what you were talking about?’

‘That’s not something you need to concern yourself with.’ Snape replied dismissively.

‘But he tried to kill you.’ Harry said uncertainly. ‘That’s what you think isn’t it? What’s going to happen to him?’

‘Oh nothing much.’ Snape’s dark eyes seemed to glitter more than ever as he said this. ‘The order cannot fathom that an auror might take such an action.’

‘But you think he did?’Harry persisted.

‘I am fairly confident that I have a more realistic outlook than most of the order.’ Snape sneered.

‘So what are you going to do?’

Snape glared sharply at him as if suddenly becoming aware that he had already said too much.

‘Nothing. Now sit down.’

Harry sat and looked across at his professor who was silent for some time, seemingly lost for words.

‘Professor Dumbledore and I have been discussing your welfare at Hogwarts.’ He said suddenly. ‘You have always behaved appallingly at school; running around at all hours, endangering yourself, getting into one ridiculous predicament after another.  You have been weakened by recent events and will need to be watched over. We have agreed that I will do so when we return to Hogwarts.’

Harry ran a hand through his head, trying to take this in. ‘So...’

‘So you will be moving into Slytherin.’

Harry opened his mouth to speak but Snape was too quick. ‘Let me finish. The matter has been decided. Dumbledore and I believe that this is for the best. You will still be a member of Gryffindor, in addition to Slytherin, and you are free to spend time in the Gryffindor common room should you wish to do so. You will also continue to play Quidditch for Gryffindor and any points you earn or lose will be directed there.’

‘So it’s just for sleeping then?’ Harry asked eventually sounding slightly shell-shocked. ‘I have to sleep in a Slytherin dorm but I’m free to carry on as normal the rest of the time?’

‘You will in effect be a member of both houses.’ Snape injected. ‘You are free to spend as much time in Slytherin as you choose, but yes primarily I will expect to have some contact with you each evening to ensure your safety and address certain lessons before you go to sleep.’

‘Oh.’ Harry said sounding very uncertain.

Snape wanted him to sleep in Slytherin to make sure he was safe? He must be mad – Slytherin had to be the least safe place for him in the whole of Hogwarts, surrounded in a dorm by a bunch of Deatheaters-in-training. And yet... part of Harry was somehow pleased at the idea. He’d be close to Snape if he needed him and to keep an eye on him when he was summoned to meetings. And he had promised that everything else would carry on as usual. It wasn’t such a bad arrangement although Harry wasn’t impressed with the manner that everything had been arranged without giving him a choice in the matter.

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Ok then.’

Severus watched him closely, expecting an outburst any second.

‘You ...have no objections to the new arrangements?’ He asked carefully.

Harry shrugged again. ‘I think there’s a good chance I’ll get hexed in my sleep, but other than that. It’s ok.’

‘That need not concern you.’ Severus said confidently. ‘Slytherins never hex one another.’

‘Ok then.’ Harry said seeming quite laid back about the whole matter. ‘I’m going to go and have breakfast now.’

***

Severus watched the boy leave the study. The outburst he had expected having never materialised.

It was only when Harry was sat eating his breakfast that it occurred to him to wonder what Ron and Hermione were going to think. Well he could tell them quite honestly that he had been given no choice in the matter but they would expect him to be devastated by the news and to resist it furiously... Come to think of it how were the Slytherins going to react, apart from relishing the opportunity to attack him?

Harry chewed his toast thoughtfully before heading back to the study.

Ah, here it comes, Severus thought.

‘What are you going to tell them?’

‘Them?’

‘The Slytherins? I mean... they’re going to want to know why I’m joining their house. And it’ll all get fed back to Voldemort. Won’t he think it’s disloyal, you being my head of house to me and looking  out for me?’

‘Actually that’s precisely where the advantage lies.’ Severus replied. ‘If the Dark Lord hears that Professor Dumbledore has insisted on placing you in my house, how can I be expected to do any less than treat you on a par with my other Slytherins.’

‘And we’re going to say that Dumbledore has decided to move me why...because I need more Remedial Potions lessons?’ Harry sounded less than impressed by this.

‘Professor Dumbledore, in his wisdom, has decided that it will benefit you to have a mentor capable of tutoring you in Defence and Potions.’ Snape replied. ‘The Dark Lord no doubt will see it as an opportunity for me to try and arrange your downfall.’

 Harry nodded. ‘I guess you’ve thought it through.’

‘Are you...’ Inwardly Severus cursed himself for actually inviting disagreement, ‘...satisfied with what will happen?’

‘I guess... I mean, it’s going to be a bit weird at first.’ Harry dropped his eyes to his feet before continuing. ‘But I’ve got pretty used to being around you and stuff. I wouldn’t want that to change.’

‘It’s settled then.’ Severus said contentedly. ‘You might want to start to pack this afternoon as we’ll be leaving early tomorrow.’

***

Which was how Harry and Severus came to be walking into a Slytherin dorm on the first day of term before all the other students had arrived back. At this point Harry betrayed his first sign of nerves about the new arrangement. ‘You’re not going to put me in a dorm with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle are you?’

Severus glanced at him, hiding his amusement. Did the idiotic boy think he would instigate open warfare within Slytherin? ‘Not unless you really annoy me.’

‘So who will be in here?’ Harry indicated the three empty beds.

‘Mr Nott, Mr Buckley and a new student: Mr Connor Donovan. You may have heard of his father Sir Finleigh Donovan, the First Minister of Ireland.’

That didn’t sound too bad, Harry thought. Although Theodore Nott came from a notorious pureblood family at least he kept his head down and didn’t form part of Malfoy’s little gang. Jasper Buckley was a withdrawn, quiet child who Harry didn’t know much about. And then there was the new boy. Well it didn’t sound as though there would be much fun and conversation in his new dorm but it could have been an awful lot worse.

Harry dumped his trunk at the foot of the bed nearest the door.

‘You’re not going to unpack?’

‘I think I’ll go over to the Gryffindor common room... you know to wait for Ron and Hermione to arrive.’ Harry replied. ‘They’re going to wonder where I am.’

Severus nodded and began to lead the way back from the dorm to the Slytherin common room. He stopped just before the doorway to the common room.  That he nodded his head at a plain oak door is my study.

‘That is my study.’ He remarked, touching a stone on the right hand side. The door sprang open. ‘The door will not be warded against you should you need me, although you will do me the courtesy of knocking.’

‘And this...’ He led Harry through the common room and down a winding passage from the far corner ‘...is the entrance to my rooms.’ He placed a hand to the stone to the right in a similar manner to the previous room. Again the door opened.

He stepped through and Harry followed finding himself in a lounge complete with a sofa and a large fireplace which was surrounded by several more doors. Harry found himself marvelling at the sheer vastness of Hogwarts once more.

‘Dinning room, library and my bedroom.’ Severus listed off the various doors.

‘There is a spare bedroom.’ He pointed to a door in the far corner. ‘If you should ever have any problems in your dorm- not that you will.’

‘And I can come here? To talk to you and practise occlumency?’ Harry asked.

Harry felt a smile running across his face. He still disliked potions, although it didn’t feel him with as much dread as before, but extra defence lessons... now that Snape and him were getting along he could only imagine the brilliant defence moves he might learn.

***
In the bustle and chaos of everyone arriving back Harry wandered over to Gryffindor. He found Hermione in the common room and wordlessly she gave him an enormous hug. He hadn’t sent many owls over the past fortnight but he had told her and Ron the basics about what had happened to Sirius and him staying with Snape.

‘Harry. I’m so sorry.’ Hermione muttered into the side of his ear before pulling back. ‘Ron’s just taken his trunk into the dorm...’

‘Yeah about that...’

‘Harry!’

Ron strode towards them quickly.

‘There’s been some mistake! You’re not down on the list for our dorm anymore!’

***

Later at dinner Harry sat between Ron and Hermione. He wasn’t sure what Snape expected –they hadn’t discussed meal times but he wanted to spend as much time as possible with them before heading over to Slytherin that evening.

‘Is that him?’ Hermione asked looking over at a tall boy with brown hair who was sat on with Slytherin on the next table. ‘Your new dorm mate? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before?’

‘When did they sort him?’ Ron frowned, ‘they haven’t finished the first years yet.’

‘Dunno.’ Harry replied. ‘Snape already knew he was going to be in Slytherin so I guess they must have done it over the holidays.’

‘Unusual for someone to join Hogwarts so late on, isn’t it? I wonder why he’s came here? I mean if his Dad’s the First Minister it’s not like his whole family are going to be moving from Ireland is it?’ Hermione was still staring at him.

‘Does it matter? Merlin are ever going to get round to eating...’ Ron groaned.

Then a moment later he brightened up grinning broadly.

‘Did you hear that Harry?’ He nudged him.

‘What?’

‘Your new room mate. He’s fallen out with Malfoy already from the sounds of things.’

‘Shhh.’ Hermione hushed Ron as she also tried to listen in on the next table.

Harry strained his ears, turning his head slightly towards the Slytherin’s conversation while trying not to make it too obvious. He could hear the new boy, Connor, speaking loudly in a broad Irish accent.

‘...so I pleaded with the damn hat – anything but Slytherin but unfortunately it seems that it wasn’t to be. I wasn’t nice enough for Hufflepuff, didn’t have the courage for Gryffindor or the brains to get into Ravenclaw so ... I ended up here.’

It wasn’t just Draco, but the entire Slytherin table who were beginning to flare up.

‘You obviously don’t understand how things work around here,’ Draco sneered back at him. ‘having been stuck in the depths of Ireland. Being sorted into our house is both an honour and a privilege and certain individuals will not last long in Slytherin if they are not of the right calibre.’

‘You mean I might be able to get out?’ Connor replied lightly. ‘Thank Merlin for that.’

Draco narrowed his eyes at him. ‘What school did you say you went to in Ireland again Donovan?’

‘I didn’t.’ Connor replied. ‘I’ve had a tutor the past eighteen months.’

Draco looked delighted at this. ‘You needed the extra lessons? Couldn’t hack it at school then?’

‘Something like that.’ Connor agreed, his eyes sparkling. ‘Part of the reason I came here I suppose. Brit schools lag behind us over in Ireland you see. I’m sure I’ll reach your standards that much more easily.’

It seemed that all the tables nearby were listening in on the unusual spectacle of the Slytherin’s arguing amongst each other because at that point Luna spoke up.

‘Didn’t you use to go to school in Glenageary, Connor?’ she asked seriously. ‘I’m not sure their results are any higher than Hogwarts.’

‘Luna.’ A genuine smile spread across Connor’s face. ‘I forgot you came here.’

‘I’m surprised you were able to come here.’ She replied innocently. ‘After what happened at Glenageary.’

‘What happened at his old school?’ Draco interrupted scenting a scandal.

Luna replied with her usual vagueness. ‘They had to shut the Glenageary school for renovations a while back. My father and I visited because there had been sightings of crumple horned-snorkacks nearby. We think the new building works disturbed them. It was terribly sad.’

The conversation lulled fo  a moment as everyone tried to digest this.

‘So why did you choose to come here Donovan? Your father’s the First Minister, I would imagine he could find plenty of schools in Ireland for you to go to? He could build you a few more after your old one closed, I shouldn’t wonder?’  Draco certainly had the bit between his teeth in trying to figure the new boy out.

‘What makes you think I choose to come here at all?’ Connor replied casually. ‘No offense or anything but if I had a list of places I’d choose to be this wouldn’t make it.’

***

At the front of the room on the staff table both McGonagall and Snape's eyes had been drawn away from Gryffindo to the flurry of interaction on the Slytherin table.

‘My, I can see that you will have your hands full this year, Severus.’

Severus glanced towards Minerva before replying. ‘One can only hope that Connor Donovan will have learnt something over the past year.’

Minerva snorted slightly as if she found that amusing. ‘And with Harry too. Slytherin really will be full to the brim.’ There was a slight pause before she continued more solemnly. ‘How is he holding up?’

‘As is to be expected.’  

 ‘You will need to look after him.’  

‘Of course.’ Severus replied his eyes drifting back to the Gryffindor table once more.