Harry slept restlessly glancing at the clock next to his bed and willing the night to be over. His mind kept drifting back to Snape. Despite the sneering insults Harry couldn’t allow himself to forget that the man had been tortured for keeping quiet about him. He’d even treated his injuries all on his own, unwilling to call upon Dumbledore or Poppy’s support.

When it was daybreak at last Harry crept downstairs to Snape’s study where he could hear the older wizard’s footsteps pacing back and forth. It was still too early for breakfast but he wanted to apologise to his professor for making him think he was scared he’d betray him. He hesitated outside the door. Snape had been so angry last night; perhaps it would be good to check what sort of mood he was in first. The door was slightly ajar and Harry gently pulled it open and peeped into the room.

He held his breath as he realised Snape wasn’t alone, Dumbledore was talking to him through the floo. At first he was scared Snape might see him listening before realising that the angle of the fireplace meant that he was outside of both wizards line of sight. Harry inched forward slightly to hear their conversation.

‘...I am only sorry we did not have anything prepared in advance.’ Dumbledore was saying. ‘Rest assured the Order will find plenty of snippets of information which you can offer next time.’

Snape nodded briefly. ‘As you wish, but if we...’

‘Severus.’ Dumbledore interrupted. ‘You will not put yourself in any more danger than we can possibly avoid.’

‘A hex or two.’ Snape replied dismissively. ‘We both know that any information I provide has consequences, it would hardly interest the Dark Lord if it didn’t. We need to hang onto all our advantages for as long as we can.’ Snape gestured at his face which was still bright red although the blisters seemed to be going. ‘This is nothing.’

‘Severus.’ Dumbledore sounded mildly exasperated. ‘That is not ‘nothing’. Now we have a few days, I will speak to Order and come back to you. In the meantime how is the occlumency progressing?’

‘The boy’s defences are passable during the day but he shows his usual ineptitude whilst he is asleep. He witnessed the meeting last night.’

‘Ah.’ Dumbledore considered this for a moment. ‘Well that is still very encouraging and we still have almost another week before the start of term. But I think perhaps it is best if I avoid speaking to Harry for a little while yet. I am very proud of you Severus, yet again you are undertaking a task that no one else could hope to succeed at.’

Severus seemed to shift uncomfortably at the praise but covered this by quickly asking: ‘What news of the rest of the order?’

Harry pulled the door closed. If Snape heard him eavesdropping on Order business he would be furious and Dumbledore would probably be terribly disappointed. It wasn’t worth the risk. However just as he closed the door quietly he heard Dumbledore mention Sirius’ name and immediately abandoned any intention to stop listening- pressing his ear up against the wooden door.

Their voices were muffled but he could still make most of what they were saying out.

‘... supposed to send an owl days ago.’ Dumbledore finished.

‘The fool. He knows how dangerous Ireland is at the moment and particularly around Dublin. He should never have gone there. For Merlin’s sake Albus- he knows half of those brutes personally. What on earth was he thinking?’

‘He was determined to get their support. He saw it as his duty to Harry.’ Dumbledore sounded very unhappy.

‘No. He wanted a piece of the action and couldn’t bear to not play the starring role.’ Snape sneered back. ‘We all warned him. You even told him not to go. It’ll serve him right if he ends up getting himself killed.’

‘Severus.’ Dumbledore sounded annoyed. ‘I have business to attend to. Is there anything else we need to discuss?’

There was a slight pause before Dumbledore added, ‘Until tomorrow then.’

Harry crept back upstairs to his room his mind whirling. Sirius had implied that he needed to go away on Order business and now it turned out he was acting on his own accord, that Dumbledore had asked him not to go? And they were worried about him; as he hadn’t been in contact like he should have been. Harry had always known the trip would probably be dangerous for his godfather but he’d been so busy the past week that he hadn’t had time to dwell on his worries. What if Sirius was hurt or worse?

At seven o’clock Harry went down to breakfast, after all Snape would doubtlessly demand an explanation if he missed the meal.

Severus watched as the boy toyed with his cereal listlessly. He certainly looked very pale and subdued. Perhaps he was sickening for something.

‘What is wrong, Potter?’ He asked.

‘Nothing.’ The boy replied. And then, as if he realised this wouldn’t satisfy Severus, added ‘I didn’t sleep very well last night.’

Harry wasn’t lying, he had slept badly although that wasn’t the reason he couldn’t stomach his breakfast but he couldn’t let Snape know about the conversation he’d heard.

Severus sighed. He should have thought to give the brat a calming potion last night. Perhaps they both should have had one.

‘You may wake me in future if you can’t sleep, Potter.’ He said at last. ‘I have dreamless sleep and other potions which could benefit you. Our lessons will be hindered if you are too exhausted to concentrate.’

Harry didn’t reply. Wake him? Yeah right, he would love to have seen Snape’s reaction if he’d annoyed him again last night by whining about not being able to sleep...He took one more small bite of cereal before giving up and pushing it aside. His stomach was churning; there was no way he could eat. He sipped his pumpkin juice instead.

‘You may rest this morning instead of studying.’ Snape told him. ‘Hopefully you will feel better by this afternoon.’

Harry dragged his eyes away from his glass which he’d been focusing on.

‘Thanks.’

He trudged upstairs and lay down fully dressed on his bed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep with his mind racing like this. He concentrated on ensuring his occlumency shield was at it’s full strength: a continual whirlwind of movement and activity set as the backdrop to his thoughts. He sat up to reach for one of the books from beside his bed but felt a rush of dizziness which prompted him to sink back against the bed.

He moaned slightly as he struggled to choke back waves of nausea.

Then all of a sudden his mind felt wonderfully light and calm for a split second before he saw Padfoot lying in front of him.

It was as if he was viewing a memory, stood nearby but unable to make contact, the difference being that he could feel the sunlight beaming down, smell the forest around him and feel shockwaves of his godfather’s pain.

Sirius, in his animagous form was lying awkwardly, sprawled against the foot of a tree. His fur was matted and a pool of blood had formed beneath him and was soaking into the ground.

With a jolt Harry sat up. All the traces of nausea and weakness from earlier had disappeared. However the image of Sirius lying there kept floating into his mind and he hugged his knees into his body, shaking. Trying to get rid of the memory of his godfather lying there hurt, possibly dying.

What the hell was that? Some sort of waking nightmare? His occlumency wall was still strong and hadn’t been breached. He knew he hadn’t just fallen asleep...

At lunchtime when Harry told Snape that he still wasn’t up to practising occlumency the older wizard was prepared to accept it but he was determined to know exactly what the problem was.

‘I’m fine.’ Harry said concentrating on his meal.

‘Potter, look at me when I am talking to you.’ Snape demanded. ‘Are you feeling ill? Or just exhausted?’

‘I...’ Harry hesitated under his professors watchful dark eyes. ‘I’ve just been thinking...’

Severus bit back all his usual sarcastic, barbed comments. ‘And?’

‘I was wondering if we had any members of the Order based in Ireland. In case... Sirius had any problems. I mean, you can’t floo or apparate from Ireland so he’s stuck there isn’t he? I really wish he hadn’t gone. And when I was upstairs, lying down, I closed my eyes and I could see...’

Harry stumbled over his words, gulping back his tears. ‘I... I ...could just see him somehow. Lying there. Injured. I don’t know how badly.’

‘Potter.’ Snape’s voice was low and ominous. ‘Just how much of my conversation with the headmaster this morning did you eavesdrop into?’

Harry hesitated as he considered trying to lie his way out of it but thought better of it.

Whatever you could say about Snape the man wasn’t a fool, he had figured out that Harry had been listening and there was little point in denying it.

Severus watched as the boy shrugged.

‘The bits about our occlumency mainly, and then I was going away until I heard Dumbledore mention Sirius.’

‘At which point you thought you’d stay and listen at the door?’ Severus sneered. ‘Despite the fact that Professor Dumbledore and I were discussing private matters.’

‘It was to do with me.’

‘And that is supposed to excuse such blatant disrespect? You have been treated as a guest in my home. I didn’t expect to have to ward my office against your prying ears and restrict you to your room. How very naive of me to assume your sense of honour might prevent such unscrupulous behaviour. No matter though- my error can be easily remedied.’

And saying this Severus grabbed Harry’s arm and frog marched him to his bedroom. Before his professor could close the door the boy appealed to him, his fear for Sirius overcoming any sense of guilt in his own actions.

‘Sir? Please could you floo Professor Dumbledore and see if he has heard anything else? I just can’t stop thinking about...’

But Severus had gone shutting the door behind him.

Later that afternoon Leenie brought Harry a tray to make up for his missed lunch. The little elf didn’t say anything but just laid it on the desk quietly making Harry wonder if she had been told he was in disgrace.

A few hours later, Harry was trying to doze on his bed when Snape stormed into the room.

‘Get up.’ He snapped making Harry jump slightly.

‘Why didn’t you eat this?’ He pointed at the curling sandwich.

Harry shrugged helplessly.

‘Come downstairs. It’s dinnertime, and you will eat Potter.’

Sat at the table Harry made a real effort to eat some of his meal. Twice he started to ask his Professor something and twice he thought better of it. Eventually Severus could stand it no more.

‘Enough. If you have something to tell me then do so and stop sitting there gaping like an idiot.’

‘I’m just so worried about what I saw,’ Harry said in a rush. ‘I just need to know if he’s ok...’

‘This is what you get if you listen at doors.’ Snape replied heavily. ‘You need to grow up and stop acting so childishly. Sirius is in danger, as are all the Order members. You must accept that as a necessary part of life and stop making such a drama out of everything.’

‘I know.’ Harry nodded and toyed with his mashed potato for a few more minutes making

Severus think he had actually listened to him. Then he looked up.

‘Please can we still just check with Professor Dumbledore?’