Harry edged past Severus into the sitting room

"Well?" the older wizard demanded imperiously as he waved his wand to light the lamp in the corner of the room.

Harry urgently racked his brains trying to think how he could explain them sneaking out. There was no way he could even begin to tell the truth. It was all very well him pleading for a chance to explain things privately, but now that it came to it he had no idea what on earth to say.

He looked towards Severus briefly but the chagrin he saw in his expression made him quick to look away.

"Sometime this century." The professor's bit out the words sarcastically, his growing irritation adding to Harry's difficulties. "Where did you go to?"

Harry shook his head wordlessly. "I can't say."

Severus glared at him, seeming to become more irate by the second. "Explain your motivation then," he challenged. "You left these rooms earlier, claiming to be exhausted. You'd even fallen asleep on the couch after training. What ill-thought out excuse could you and Donovan possibly have come up with to justify breaking the school rules so abominably?"

"I can't tell you anything," Harry said helplessly. "It's not my secret."

"So, you're protecting that inane troublemaker."

"No! Honestly. None of this is to do with Connor. He didn't even want to go with me but I asked him to, he shouldn't get in trouble for this."

"Really?" Severus drawled the word out with blatant disbelief. "That boy sets out to cause havoc with little or no thought for the consequences of his actions. Now tell me the truth immediately or perhaps he might find that I implement, rather than simply threaten him with repercussions."

Talk, or I'll try to get him kicked out, Harry translated, knowing better than to doubt that Severus intended to actually go through with this. After all, he'd certainly tried to get Harry expelled enough times in the past.

"Why are you being like this? I've told you it wasn't anything to do with him!" Harry replied heatedly. "You're not being fair; you're not even giving him a chance."

"Oh, Mr Donovan has exhausted his quota of chances, believe me," Severus ground out.

Harry was aware that this wasn't going well. If anything he was managing to wind Severus up further instead of cooling him down. But he had to keep trying, for Sirius' sake to say nothing of the fact that he owed it to Connor.

"Look, I know he's not perfect but he's not that bad," Harry argued. "He's a good friend and he does well in most of his classes." Well, he is quite clever when he attends class and isn't trying to blow things up or hex his classmates, he couldn't help but add mentally.

Severus looked at Harry as if he were mad.

"He is one of the most immature, insufferable brats I have ever had the misfortune of coming across," he said scathingly. "From the start he has been completely disruptive, causing spats within Slytherins, truanting and breaking rules with abandon."

Oh heaven, forbid that anyone should actually stand up to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. It's not as if you completely ignore half the stuff that they do, is it?

Harry knew that he was on dangerous ground but just couldn't help himself from pointing out what he'd been thinking for a while. "Yeah, sure he's broken a few rules and put Malfoy's nose out of joint but you're more than punishing him for all of that already aren't you? I mean, I've never seen anyone have so many detentions. Perhaps if you gave him some freedom to relax and have fun he might behave better in class."

"Thank you so much for your expert appraisal of my professional judgement. You'll just have to excuse me while I ignore it completely," Severus spat back at him, his eyes blazing. "He's a bloody nuisance who must be suppressed."

Ok. Just shut up now, Harry told himself sternly, but keeping quiet had never been his forte and he was too much of a Gryffindor to ever resist grabbing the bull by the horns for long.

Sod it.

"Well, I'm sure you would have said exactly the same about me, last year, wouldn't you?" he retorted loudly. "When you've made up your mind about someone, your judgement's hardly the soundest is it?"

"You tell me." Severus' voice rose to meet his, each word as sharp as a knife, "I always thought you were a hare-brained, arrogant fool and you're hardly doing much to disproof that at the present time, are you? When I think that I allowed you to convince me to let you keep the cloak after your last little escapade... Well I can see that it's unlikely that I'll be making that mistake again after your audacity tonight." Harry swallowed hard as Severus took a step towards him. He backed further away.

"This is your final chance to explain your conduct this evening; as this is where my patience comes to an end," Severus' voice was icy cold as he stepped forward again. Harry's felt his heart pounding in his chest.

Severus sighed and reached towards him abruptly, Harry reacted instinctively flinching away from him and protecting his face with his arm.

Severus immediately froze with his hand en route to snatch away the invisibility cloak. Realising his mistake when no blow was forthcoming, Harry quickly lowered his arm, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks from the shame of cowering away.

Severus drew his arm back completely, his deadpan expression giving little away as he stared at Harry intensely. He took a couple steps away from Harry, so that he was no longer within arms-reach.

"I was reaching for the cloak," he said in an even tone.

"Oh. Right." Harry glanced at the cloak he was holding and noticed his hand was trembling somewhat. He gripped the crumpled material tightly against his torso, trying to still the movement. "Please don't take the cloak, I..." Harry's voice faltered, I what? I need it to see Sirius again, but there's no way I can say that!

"Please, just don't."

Severus watched the boy gripping the cloak so hard that his knuckles were white with tension. The way that the cloak was folded back on itself made sections of Harry's stomach disappear, giving him a strange over-worldly appearance in the dim light. At times he looked much younger than his sixteen years.

Severus' dark eyes studied him for a moment longer, before he pinched the bridge of his nose, retreating to the other side of the room and sitting down in his armchair. All of a sudden he looked exhausted and Harry felt a wave of guilt as he realised properly for the first time that the Professor was clad in his nightwear. He'd obviously been in bed asleep until fifteen minutes previously. This was probably the last way either of them wanted to be spending their night.

"Sit down," Severus ordered quietly, gesturing towards the sofa opposite.

Harry sat at the far edge of the sofa, a few feet away from Severus, feeling his heart rate gradually beginning to slow down. Somehow Severus was managing to sound completely normal, in fact, calmer than usual. There was no hint in either his voice or countenance that they'd been all but yelling at each other a minute ago.

"You've obviously been sneaking off to somewhere outside," Severus said in a matter of fact tone.

Harry stared at him, open-mouthed.

"Do you deny it?"

He shook his head.

"I thought not. There was some dried mud on Mr Donovan's legs, to say nothing of the heavy cloaks you were both wearing. The answer, therefore, that I need is why you were going outside."

Harry didn't say anything.

"Do you realise how dangerous that was? Sneaking out of your dormitory in the middle of the night to go outside, where anything could have happened to you and I'd have been none the wiser?"

"I had Connor with me."

There was a pause before Severus spoke again. When he did his voice was still level although it sounded slightly strained.

"And you really thought he was an adequate accomplice? He, who has shown such a lack of responsibility and sense since he's been here? Really Harry, I thought you would understand by now that by keeping secrets you are preventing those who wish to help you from acting."

"Honestly, we weren't in any danger."

"And I'm supposed to accept that because of what? The startlingly strong judgement you've demonstrated in the past during the various preposterous schemes that you've undertaken? Perhaps after your trip out tonight you'd like to find a troll to fight or a car to fly in?" Severus tone was barbed, but moderated; it didn't drip with sarcasm like it had done earlier.

"You are supposed to come to me, with your problems or difficulties," the professor continued. "That's why you're in Slytherin after all, Professor McGonagall may not have paid much attention to your comings and goings in the past, but I assure you I will. You just need to trust me to help you."

Harry sat silently, unwilling to say anything more than he had to. Severus might be right that McGonagall had ignored him or at least given him less attention than he needed at various times but he couldn't open up to him; at least not about this.

"Tell me what's going on."

For a moment Harry racked his brains trying to make up some excuse, anything to get him off his back. Perhaps he could say they were sneaking out to play quidditch or play a prank on Malfoy...

He looked Severus in the eyes.

"Tell me." It was an order. And yet, he did seem genuinely concerned about Harry.

Harry hesitated. "I don't want to lie to you," he said at last, resisting the temptation.

"Well there's an easy answer to that: don't!" Severus snapped back. He took a deep breath, lowering his voice again. "Obstinate, obdurate boy. You will tell me what this is about."

Although Severus seemed angry again, this time it seemed much more controlled. Harry felt immensely grateful that he was remaining in the armchair, resisting the urge to loom above him.

Severus looked at Harry coolly and folded his arms.

"A week of detentions, I think, for both you and Mr Donovan."

Harry didn't say anything.

"And a week without Quidditch."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment. OK I'll miss practise, but at least I won't miss another match.

"In fact, why don't I make that two weeks," Severus said silkily.

Ok. Then I will miss the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw match. Shit, that's two matches in a row that he'll have stopped me playing in.

"Why don't you just ban me forever?" he said angrily. "I still won't be able to tell you."

"Thirty points from Gryffindor."

Harry gasped. "Shouldn't you take the same from Slytherin, then? As Connor was with me?" He challenged, forgetting his bid to get Connor out of any punishments in his outrage.

Severus ignored this, musing to himself, "I wonder if thirty points will be enough? Your escapades usually involve your Gryffindor sidekicks after all."

"What!? Ron and Hermione weren't even there! You can't punish them!"

"Perhaps not. But if I find out they were in any way involved..."

Harry felt sick. If Severus decided to legilimise them he could find out all about his dreams. They had no way of occluding after all.

"They weren't there! Why can't you understand that?" Harry was frustrated.

"And then of course there is the cloak." Severus looked meaningfully at the item still tightly clasped in Harry's grip. He'd realised how desperate the boy was to hold onto the invisibility cloak earlier.

Harry swallowed. "It's my cloak, my father gave it to me."

"And you misuse it at every given opportunity."

"Please. Don't take it. Anything else... you can give me more detentions, make me miss more Quidditch, confiscate my broom." Harry felt desperate. He'd never manage to sneak out to see Sirius without the cloak.

"I think I've already given you enough detentions and restrictions on Quidditch," Severus said loftily. "Pass it to me."

"No, you can't take it..." Harry panicked.

"Oh, I think you'll find I can and I will."

"And what are you going to do with it, Severus? Destroy it like you did Sirius' broom?" The boys face was pale, his green eyes glistening.

Severus' jaw clenched. "Don't be absurd."

"It's not like I have many items of my parents, after all," Harry continued relentlessly. "Perhaps you'd like to confiscate the photos I have as well?"

They both stared at each other tensely for a long moment.

"Promise me," Severus voice sounded very tight. "Promise me, that if you keep the cloak you won't use it to sneak out again, then you can keep it."

Harry hesitated.

"That's what I thought," Severus said grimly. "Pass it to me."

He made no move to snatch it away this time and Harry looked down at the cloak for a minute, raking a hand through his messy mop of hair. He seemed to be considering it very carefully.

I can't give the cloak up. Without it I can't sneak outside and see Sirius. That is unless...

"Now, Harry."

Harry seemed to snap out of his daydream. When he looked over at Severus again, he still looked upset but seemed resigned to the fact that he'd be giving up his cloak. The colour was coming back into his face.

"Will you give it back to me?" he asked as he stood up to reluctantly pass it over.

"Perhaps when you can promise me that you won't misuse it." Severus took the cloak and folded it up carefully.

Harry watched him, wondering if Severus would really have let him keep the cloak if he'd made that promise.

"You'd better sleep in the spare room, Merlin knows it's late enough," Severus stood up with the cloak.

Harry turned to go but paused when Severus spoke as he walked away.

"Harry. I know you don't trust me at the moment, but I hope that eventually we'll reach a stage where you feel able to confide in me without feeling the need to sort everything out for yourself."

Harry looked back at the older wizard. Severus had rarely looked as tired and drawn as he did now and Harry couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him, in spite of all the detentions, points and Quidditch ban. It was all so complicated but somehow it just seemed wrong to leave Severus thinking that he didn't trust him, and of course flinching away earlier couldn't have helped.

"You keep saying that, but I do trust you," Harry said quietly. "Honestly, if it was my secret I'd tell you what was going on." It was true. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to keep quiet for Sirius' and Connor's sakes he would have told Severus in a flash. "I feel like I could talk to you about most things these days-"

"Apart from this, I take it?" Severus said dryly.

"Well... yes," Harry said sheepishly. "But honestly if you only knew how much more I trust you now than I did before this summer! I mean, you might have loathed me then, but the feeling was completely mutual. Dumbledore had just about persuaded me to accept that you were on our side, which in itself was a struggle, and what with you constantly favouring Malfoy and doing your best to torment me constantly-"

"I think I'm getting the picture," Severus interrupted quietly.

"You'd have been the last person I'd ever have gone to willingly about anything," Harry continued undaunted. "Whereas now things are different. Now you're teaching me occlumency and defence, and I'm in Slytherin, and somehow neither of us has ended up using any unforgiveables on the other-"

"Yet," Severus sounded faintly amused.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, well that's practically a miracle in itself if you ask me, given how we used to be, but seriously, I do appreciate the things you've done for me."

Severus contemplated this for a moment.

"Just go to bed, Harry," he said at last.

Harry shrugged as he headed towards the spare room, Severus had about as much grace in accepting gratitude as he did in making an apology.

Severus stayed up for a while longer, pouring himself a glass of firewhiskey to nurse in front of the glowing embers in the fireplace.

He took a sip of his drink, the previous conversation running through his mind. How could the boy be so nonchalant, casually stating that I'd done 'my best to torment him,' as if none of it mattered because he expects so little, Severus brooded. Harping on about what I'd done for him, completely neglecting to mention the fact that he'd saved my life this summer. He swallowed a larger sip of the firewhiskey and cradled the glass in his hands, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for some time.

***