After the disastrous occlumency lesson Harry had hoped he’d seen the last of Snape for the day but barely an hour later he was summoned for dinner.

It was an awkward meal. Severus barely touched his food as he rattled off a list of rules and instructions covering the coming days. Harry kept his head down and tried to plough on with his meal but rapidly lost his appetite as he heard he would spend his mornings working on his homework assignments before ‘addressing his pathetic lack of skills in potions’, and the afternoons ‘endeavouring to improve at occlumency’.Any free time outside of lessons and studying would be entirely dependent on how he had conducted himself throughout the day.

Harry knew what that meant. No flying or enjoying himself because he would never be able to live up to Snape’s expectations.

Snape went on to list detailed rules about how he expected Harry to behave over the coming weeks. There were few surprises. Snape’s decisions and instructions were to be followed to the letter at all times or there would be ‘dire repercussions’. He was restricted to certain, limited areas of the house. His post was to be monitored...

Harry had been sat with a glazed-over expression in the wake of so many instructions but seemed to pay more attention at this point, tentatively interrupting Snape midflow. ‘Um.’

Severus made a great show of sighing before snapping, ‘What is it?’

‘Could I, um, well... would it be possible...’ Harry’s request nearly dried up as Snape raised an eyebrow impatiently.

‘...to see Ron and Hermione at some point, maybe next week? I could floo to Ron’s or maybe...’

Harry didn’t manage to finish his sentence as the disapproving look on Snape’s face gave him his answer.

‘I am sure that even you, Potter, would not be idiotic enough to suggest having those fool gryffyndors visit my home.’ Snape sneered. ‘I have already been burdened with your company and hardly think I wish blight myself further.’

Harry laid down his knife and fork, he’d lost his appetite. Of course Snape would say no. What did he expect? It was just that it would have been his first birthday away from the Dursleys next week. The first time which he could spend the day properly with someone that cared about him.

He glared back at Snape.

‘So. Can I go back to my room now?’ He asked with no small degree of attitude. Sod him. Did the evil git think Harry would have chosen to spend his holiday with him if he could have avoided it?

‘No. Eat your meal.’ Snape snapped whilst cutting up the chicken and vegetables on his own plate before chewing slowly.

Harry put his knife and fork together and pushed his plate away from in front of him.

‘I’m full.’ He said.

‘After half a potato and a forkful of peas? I hardly think so.’

Harry started to get up. ‘I think I’ll decide for myself if I’m hungry thanks.’ He said sarcastically.

‘SIT DOWN POTTER.’ Snape yelled suddenly at full volume.

Harry shrank back in his chair instinctively.

‘You will sit there until you eat your meal to my satisfaction. Understand?’

Harry stared at him incredulously. Why did he care what he ate? He picked up his fork and toyed half heartedly with his meal.

Snape looked darkly at him, his own meal forgotten.

‘You ungrateful little brat.’ He said dangerously quietly. ‘You swan in here disrupting my respite. Yet you can never be satisfied can you Potter. It’s never enough for you. Always trying to grab more and more for yourself. Never mind that you are too lazy and short sighted to concentrate upon any of the tasks which you are set. Far better that you focus upon yourpuerile, adolescent social life.’

Harry concentrated on cutting up his chicken into smaller and smaller pieces. Ignore him, he told himself. Don’t show him that you care. Inside he was seething. Did Snape think he didn’t try with the occlumency? He did his best but the man had never taught him properly and he had no idea what he was doing. He had as much chance occluding as winning the Quidditch World Cup without a broom unless Snape would deign himself to actually show him once and for all how to block his mind.

‘Of course considering whose son you are it is hardly surprising. James Potter was always an arrogant, idle fool and blood will out after all. In fact, considering the asinine company you have been keeping in recent weeks, it is no wonder that you seem to have surpassed even your own records for unmitigated failure...’

Harry looked down at his chicken. He had practically shredded the meal. There was a knot of tension in his stomach but perhaps if he could just eat what was on his plate he would be allowed to go back to his room before he exploded.

With this end in mind he picked up his fork hurriedly and began to choke back huge mouthfuls of his meal as best he could.

Severus watched with obvious disgust as the brat scoffed his meal with atrocious table manners.

‘Potter!’ He thundered. ‘Attempt to exhibit a modicum of etiquette whilst you eat.’

The boys slowed his frantic chewing down slightly but nevertheless had bolted back his meal in a record time when he picked up his glass of water and downed it in three gulps. He stared at Severus insolently as with fake manners he carefully drew his knife and fork together on the plate and sprang up from the table, heading for his room.

Back in the safety of his bedroom, Harry threw himself on his bed running his hands through his messy mop of hair. He’d kept his temper. Just. Although it couldn’t last and things were bound to go badly in the days to come. He’d promised Sirius he’d do his best to knuckle down to the occlumency and do his best to get along with Snape.

‘For your own sake, more than anything Harry.’ His godfather had said. ‘ If you can just work with him for a couple weeks. Otherwise it will just make things harder for you.’

Easy for Sirius to suggest, Harry thought, but not as realistic in practise. When Sirius had known Snape they’d been the same age and his godfather had had the other marauders backing him up. He could have chosen to ‘get along’ with Snape from a position of strength. Not so easy for Harry having to face the older, stronger and more powerful wizard.

Harry sighed and sat up. He’d been tempted to ask Snape if he could fly outside before going to bed but hadn’t wanted to give him the satisfaction of refusing. It didn’t matter though. In a way he was just as happy staying in his room.

Slipping onto the floor and sitting cross legged Harry tried his best to concentrate on remembering all the advise Sirius had given him. He focused on feeling the outskirts of his whole body, allowing his mind to register his skin from top to toe. He breathed deeply and rhythmically, visualising the faint shimmer which had always preceded Sirius’ own transformations to become Padfoot...

... and nothing

...yet.

Maybe if he practised really hard every day it would happen, he suddenly thought excitedly. Imagine if when Sirius came to visit him at Hogwarts he could surprise him by showing that all their efforts over the summer for him to become an animagous had paid off? Perhaps this boring fortnight might have some advantages after all! .................................................................................................................................. The next morning Harry was woken by a light tapping sound on his door. Blinking back his sleep and reaching for his glasses he found himself focusing upon a nervous house elf as he opened the door.

‘Master Potter, Master Snape has said it is time for you to get up so that you can get readyand breakfast before starting your work at 9am.’

Harry yawned glancing in bemusement at his watch. It was 8am. He was surprised that Snape hadn’t insisted on having him study earlier, starting at 8 or perhaps even 7am.

‘What’s your name?’ He asked curiously looking at the small, hunched over figure in front of him.

‘My name Master Harry? I am Leenie, Master Harry...’

The poor creature was obviously nervous. Snape probably treated her abominably Harry though indignantly.

‘Um it’s just Harry, ok Leenie... You don’t need to call me master or anything.’

‘Yes m... Harry.’ Leenie replied sounding very unsure of herself.

‘Right. Well I’ll get ready then and see you in a sec...’

Harry showered and dressed before heading down to the dining room which he was pleased to find was empty except for several plates of toast, cereal and eggs. A moment later Leenie appeared with a glass of icy cold milk.

‘Master Snape has said that this should be all that m...Harry would need for breakfast, but Leenie will do her best to get different things if Harry prefers...’ She mumbled the last part slightly guiltily.

Harry gave her a grin. ‘This is brilliant Leenie, thank you.’

He registered her slight shock at being thanked before she disappeared again leaving him to eat. Harry munched contentedly. This might not be so bad, if he and Snape avoided each other most of the time these two weeks could actually be ok. He guessed Snape wanted him to do his homework in the library, well that was fine with him. He hadn’t been able to start it at the Dursleys and had been having too much fun with Sirius to think about it later...

He’d just opened his charms book in the library and was just flicking through it to the correct chapter when Snape appeared.

‘Potter.’ He sneered coldly. ‘How have you fared with your homework?’

‘Uh... I have only just started...’

Snape glanced at the blank scroll in front of him and raised an eyebrow.

‘Potter, let me make this absolutely clear. You will be completing all your homework to the highest standard over the next fortnight. You will not be returning to Hogwarts with your usual insipid drivel. How many of your assignments have you finished in your time off so far?’

Harry was stubbornly silent.

‘None of them, Potter? After five weeks holiday?’ Snape sounded disgusted.

‘Well, I couldn’t at the Dursleys could I?’ Harry protested. ‘You’ve seen bits of what happened, what they did to me.’

‘You were there for one week, Potter. Allowing another week for... recovery that still leaves three weeks remaining!’ Snape replied unsympathetically.

Harry looked away.

‘I think I had better set you a strict timetable to follow as you seem incapable of organising yourself.’ Snape said pointedly. ‘Tomorrow you can breakfast at seven, starting your charms homework at eight –giving you four clear hours before luncheon –when I will review your work. Then you shall make the necessary amendments and start on your potions...’

Harry scowled, not really listening. He knew he had to do his homework but Snape seemed to take a perverse pleasure in ordering him about and making him miserable. Not that this wasn’t be expected of course but any hopes he might have had of them both avoiding each other seemed unlikely now to say the least.

Snape eventually left Harry to write his assignment, assuring him that he had better focus because he would not be getting any lunch unless it was finished. This gave Harry almost three hours which was plenty of time but the threat still rankled. The git had surely seen enough of his memories to see how the Dursleys treated him, but he’d still threaten to make him miss meals? Bastard.

Harry sat and brooded. What else would the git do to him? Would he copy his uncle’s example in beating him to a pulp when he pissed him off?

The week Harry had spent back with the Dursleys this summer had been a spectacular disaster. He’d gone back to Privet Drive determined to stand up for himself this year. Harry wasn’t sure if it had been the fact that he was getting older and therefore felt that he ought to stand up for himself or if it was the knowledge hidden at the back of his mind that his Godfather had offered to give him a home (if only Dumbledore hadn’t insisted on Harry returning to his relatives). Perhaps it was just pure Gryffindor bloody mindedness finally searing it’s head after years of kow-towing.

In any case this summer Harry had argued back with the Dursleys. And the more he had stood up for himself the more they had been determined to stamp him back down. Uncle Vernon seemed to sense the new found rebellious streak which needed to be quashed and therefore his punishments became more severe and painful. In the past Harry had submitted meekly to insults, endless chores, missed meals and the occasional belting to keep him in line. This year he answered back, blatantly helped himself to food and on one ill thought out occasion attempted to hit Vernon back.

Not to be tried again. Not when you’re a scrawny, fourteen year old who isn’t allowed to use magic over the summer. Not when your uncle has locked up your trunk, including the wand inside it, so you can’t use magic even if you wanted to defend yourself.

..............

While Harry brooded Severus was in his lab carefully mixing his latest creation, an advanced calming potion which was more effective and longer lasting. Well certainly something he was going to need plenty of with Potter around he thought grimly.

He’d noticed the expression on the brats face when he’d threatened not to let him have lunch, his Slytherin mind carefully noting that this was likely to be an effective punishment. Of course, he would never go as far as those relatives of his had. There were limits after all. No matter how sorely Potter tested him he would never strike the child or do anything to cause the little idiot any permanent damage.

Not that he would share that information with the boy. Much easier to keep a scared Potter in line, Severus mused. Well he’d certainly work on instilling his fearsome reputation in the brat over the next days. That ought to keep him in line.