“The brilliant Potions Master…The snarky Potions Professor…The baby sitter to the Boy-Who-Lived. Who knew your resume was getting so large, Severus?”

There was rumbling laughter all around him, a few high voices here and there pointing out the women in the room. Severus didn’t dare look up to see if they were the wives, or fellow Death Eaters. The cold, hard tiles beneath him were making his knees ache, and he was shivering in the drafty air that blew through an open window, having had his cloak and robes stripped from him upon his arrival. His thin t-shirt and trousers weren’t enough to keep him warm in the icy air of wherever they were.

Footsteps circled around Severus as he kneeled and trembled. It had already been fifteen minutes and, from his welcome and current position, it was clear that his cover was blown and he was not safe – at all. He hoped in the back of his mind that Dumbledore had received his message and sent someone to watch over Harry, not really sparing a thought for the possibility of some sort of rescue mission for himself; he knew it was over, and he just wanted to know that Harry was safe still.

“I hear that ‘faithful pawn in Dumbledore’s army of fools’ has also been added to your list of expertise, Severus. Tell me, after searching for Potter for nearly a month and coming up empty handed, I see you lurking in the boy’s mind, examining memories of living with you for three full weeks; why did you not bring him to me, if you’re such a loyal Death Eater?”

Severus still didn’t dare to look up, but he thought quickly for an answer, something to appease the Dark Lord’s thirst for his blood. “I had to gain the boy’s trust first, my Lord. He would never believe he was safe with me unless I led him to believe so. I had to wait for an opening in which Dumbledore wouldn’t notice if he was gone; I needed more time, my Lord,” Severus ground out in a shaky voice. He wasn’t usually this prone to nervousness, and it was very bothersome to feel so petrified in the face of such danger. He didn’t want to die a coward….

Robe-clad knees bent and kneeled in front of him, a cold hand touching the back of his exposed neck. “Oh, how I would like to believe you, Severus. You were always so faithful, so informant. You have done well playing me the fool, my boy, but I’m afraid your role of double agent is up.” Voldemort moved away from Severus, standing up and gesturing towards all of the collective Death Eaters. “Let the games…begin.”

S~S~S~S

“Harry…Harry, wake up.”

Harry sat bolt upright, nearly smacking his forehead into Tonks’. He looked around and noticed his vision was bleary; Tonks must have removed his glasses. “Is there any news of Snape?” Harry asked in a slurred voice. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep, but the sun was shining faintly through the curtains across the room.

Tonks shook her head as she picked up Harry’s glasses and handed them to him. “No news yet, Harry. Dumbledore is working on it, though, so don’t worry yourself, yeah? Why don’t you let me make you a spot of breakfast and we’ll talk some.”

Harry frowned, not feeling very hungry at all. What was happening to Snape, could he already be dead? He wasn’t much in the mood for food or talking. One glance at his watch showed that what he really needed was time alone, but he didn’t think Tonks would stand for that. “I slept all through the night? Weird…that’s the first time I haven’t had a nightmare all summer,” Harry said as he sat up and ran his hand through his messy black hair.

Tonks frowned as she studied the teen. Harry had been through so much in his short life; it was hard to believe the boy was only sixteen and yet so full of concern for those around him. That the boy was surprised he had not awaken from a nightmare made her chest ache in sympathy. She had seen some terrible things as an Auror, yes, but she was far enough removed from the situations to keep her conscious clean. “Come on, Harry, you need to eat.”

Harry stood up and nodded slowly, knowing he’d be fighting a losing battle if he refused.

S~S~S~S

Two whole days, that’s how long Harry had to sit, trying to entertain himself with different Potions journals and the Legilimency books Snape had pulled aside for him. He was starting to understand more why being a natural Legilimens was so amazing; the art was extremely complicated and was nearly impossible to Master. His respect for Snape grew to a new level.

Snape…No news had been heard, despite Dumbledore’s efforts to find him. The last known place Voldemort had set up shop had been cleared out, and without Snape as their informant, they had no idea where he was now. They had no way of knowing if he was dead or alive, at this point.

Tonks hovered over Harry constantly, making Harry take Snape’s bed and sleeping on the Transfigured bed in the living room because she refused to sleep in the same place Snape use to lay his head. Harry didn’t mind all that much, but he was becoming increasingly annoyed by Tonks. She was just one if those people that you had to take in small doses, and Harry was over-dosing quickly.

“Harry, do you want to play chess or something? I’m bored! I can’t just sit there and read like you can; books drive me mad,” Tonks complained as she popped a Bertie Bott’s into her mouth and rested her feet on the coffee table in front of the couch.

Harry had the strongest urge to remove her feet from the table with a sneer. It made his skin crawl as he realized how Snape-like the very thought was. “Sorry, Tonks, I’m just not in a chess playing mood. Maybe later.”

“Gee, Harry. When I was your age, I wouldn’t sit still for more than a minute at a time. You’re a strange kid, you know that?”

Harry snorted as he turned a page in his book, throwing Tonks a bored glance. “Trust me, I know it.”

A loud bang in Snape’s bedroom accompanied by a soft curse made Harry and Tonks both jump up and move towards the closed door, wands held aloft. Harry used his wand to open the door and was prepared to start firing hexes when he saw that it was only Charlie Weasley.

“Charlie? What on earth are you doing here?” Tonks asked as she lowered her wand and stepped forward.

“Wait! What colour jumper did you mum give me for Christmas last year?” Harry asked, his wand still pointed at Charlie.

Charlie’s eyebrows creased for a second before he realized that Harry was only trying to confirm his identity. “Maroon with a golden snitch in the middle that flew around when it needed the wash,” he answered calmly, smiling lightly at the teen.

Harry nodded as he smiled back at Charlie, lowering his wand. “Sorry, I’m a bit paranoid these days,” he said as he shook the red-head’s hand.

Charlie chuckled as he put his own wand away and clapped Harry firmly on the shoulder. “It’s quite alright, Harry. That was very smart of you, actually. Tonks would do well to remember her training, eh?” he said as he grinned at the now purple-haired woman. “Anyways, urgent business, I’m afraid. Dung has got himself arrested again and as Kingsley is still out looking for Snape, Dumbledore needs you to clean up this mess for him. I’ll stay with Harry until you get back.”

Tonks nodded as she gave an exasperated sigh. “Bloody old thief just can’t keep his hands to himself, can he? I’ll be back as soon as I can, Harry. We’ll have that chess match then.”

Harry put on a fake smile for Tonks and nodded to reassure her. “Yeah, that sounds good. Be careful.”

Charlie noticed that Harry seemed relieved after Tonks had left through the floo and chuckled to himself. “She’s a lot to handle, Tonks, but she means it all in good spirit. Kind of grows on you after a while, really. How’ve you been holding up, Harry? I know it can’t be easy being holed up here with Snape all summer.”

Harry led the way back into the living room and plopped down onto the couch, setting his discarded book on the coffee table to make room for Charlie to sit. He never really got to talk to the second eldest Weasley brother, but he liked him all the same. He was a fairly laid back guy for being a Dragon tamer in Romania. “I don’t mind it, actually. Snape saved my life, and he’s been really helpful this summer too. He taught me Occlumency and helped me discover my Legilimency skills. He’s really not that awful outside of Hogwarts, you know.”

Charlie snorted as he leaned back on the couch, looking around the cramped little cottage and wondering how on earth something so homely could belong to Snape. “I’ve seen him outside of Hogwarts for many years now, Harry, and he’s just as unpleasant as ever. I think maybe the old Potions Master has been taking it easy on you this summer, as he rightfully should. I won’t say Snape is my favourite person, but he’s a good man deep inside.”

Harry nodded, happy that he finally had someone agree with him. “No news still?”

Charlie shook his head morosely as he studied Harry’s worried expression. The boy truly cared for Snape’s safety, and as strange as it was, it made Charlie respect the teen a bit more. “Sorry, Harry…Nothing yet.”

S~S~S~S

“Is ‘e dead yet? I’m starvin’ over ‘ere!”

“Aye, he’s still breathing, but his wounds will make him bleed dry. Let’s just get rid o’ him now and be done with it, eh?”

A man in black robes walked into the cellar, looking down with disgust at the body that lay at his feet. “The Dark Lord wants a word with you two. He said to let me handle him while you’re away. Go,” the man said, jerking his head towards the stairs that led out of the cellar.

“Aye, he’s still kickin’ so be careful. Get rid of the body tonight; Malfoy will kill us if we let Snape here smell up his pretty little cellar.”

The two men flanked in masks laughed harshly as they stepped over the bloody mass on the cellar floor and climbed their way up the stairs. The man in black waited until he heard the door slam closed before pointing his wand and locking it. He knelt down beside the huddled up body and gently touched the bruised cheek of Severus Snape.

“Sweet Merlin, Severus…What have they done to you? It’s Remus; I’m under Polyjuice of another Death Eater. I’m sorry it’s taken this long to get to you, but I’m here now. I’m going to get you to safety, alright? Just hang on for a few more seconds.”

Severus groaned as every muscle in his body ached and he felt the blood seeping from his various wounds. He had many broken bones and plenty of internal damage, he was sure of that, but he had managed to hang on to his consciousness through sheer will alone. He couldn’t dignify a better response as his throat was raw and torn from screaming. He tried to open his swollen shut eyes so that he could see the man currently wrapping a cloak around his naked and bloody body.

“Apparation is out of the question with the state you’re in. I have an emergency portkey that we’ll have to use. I’m afraid you’ll probably feel plenty of discomfort either way; I’ll try to make it as painless as possible.” Remus bent down and wrapped the cloak he had taken off more securely around Snape’s shaking body. He carefully slid his hands underneath the man and lifted him easily, using his extra strength that his Lycanthropy allotted him. He reached into the front of his robes and pulled out a necklace shaped like a phoenix.

“Get ready, Severus, this is going to hurt. Strenuus Eo!” The phoenix pendant glowed red for a moment, allowing Remus just enough time to lift Severus’ arm and place the phoenix partially in his lank grasp. The familiar feeling of a hook behind the navel swept them away from the dark cellar of Malfoy Manor.

Remus prepared himself for a rough landing, trying to take most of the impact himself so that Snape would not be further injured. As they landed, Remus fell to his knees, still holding Snape in his arms. He felt his skin start to bubble and change as the Polyjuice potion wore off and he returned to his own body.

Severus let out a pained moan as the impact of the landing jarred all his broken bones and puncture wounds. He felt like sicking up, but didn’t even have enough strength to try. The cold wind let him know that they were out doors. He shivered in Remus’ arms, too weak to feel humiliated by his current position.

Remus stood and quickly made his way to the cottage, which was twenty feet away. He kicked the door open instead of trying to struggle with his wand. “Help, I’ve got Severus!” Remus yelled as two worried voices gave a shout of fright from the bedroom.

Harry ran out of Snape’s bedroom, where he had been playing wizard’s chess with Charlie. He felt his heart jump into his throat as he saw Remus carry a half naked but covered Snape over to the Transfigured bed in the living room. He was covered in dirt and blood, his hair tangled and matted. “Oh God, is he alive?” Harry asked as he hovered close to the bed, trying to resist going to Snape and checking him over.

Remus pulled out his wand and conjured a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. He began to sponge away the dried blood and muck around a few open wounds that he could see on Snape’s abdomen and chest. “He’s alive, but only just. He’s covered in flesh wounds; looks like he was hit with a Cutting hex over and over. I’m sure he has quite a few broken bones as well. Here, take this cloth and very carefully clean around the wounds so that I can start healing them,” Remus said as he conjured another cloth and handed it to Harry. He turned to look at Charlie, who was standing back with his wand still raised.

“Go to Dumbledore, tell him I’ve brought Severus back to the cottage and am treating him now.”

Charlie nodded quickly and ran back into the bedroom, grabbing a handful of floo powder and tossing it into the flames. He stepped in and called out his destination, which stayed silent as the green flames whisked him away.

The water in the bowl soon became a murky reddish brown colour as Remus and Harry worked together to clean Snape’s many wounds. Remus used his wand to refresh the water between healing wounds and cleaning others. After an hour, in which Snape finally lost consciousness, Remus had healed all of Snape’s wounds and most of his broken bones. He still had a lot of healing to do on his own, and a diagnostic spell showed that he had a concussion to top it all off.

“He should sleep for quite a bit now, but if he wakes up and complains of pain, there are a couple of Pain Relieving potions sitting on the table. There’s a Dreamless Sleep there in the green bottle if he should wake with nightmares or anything. He might be a little disoriented when he wakes up, but just try to calm him down and he’ll be alright. ”

Harry wiped his brow with his sleeve as he sat the bloodied cloth into the bowl of dirty water and glanced at the sleeping form of the Potions Master. He looked strangely peaceful, even with all the bruising and small cuts on his face. “Aren’t you staying, Remus?” Harry asked as he tore his gaze away from the Potions Professor.

Remus frowned and shook his head, pulling a metal flask out of his too-large robes. “I must go back before Voldemort realizes I’m gone. I’ve been on a mission for the Order for a week now and only just got the opportunity to get to Severus. I’m afraid I’ve already been gone for too long. I’ll alert the Order that you’re alone with him; I’m sure Dumbledore will send somebody. Be careful, Harry, and floo the Order if necessary.” Remus raised the flask to his lips and took a deep drink. After a few seconds, he started to transform back into his Death Eater disguise.

Harry felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea of staying alone with Snape in his current condition. What if something went wrong and he needed some sort of quick healing? Harry only knew one healing spell, and it was the simplest one. He sighed and nodded his agreement to Remus. “Ok…Just…Come back in one piece, yeah?”

The unfamiliar face that Remus was wearing smiled solemnly at Harry as he nodded. “Of course, Harry. Don’t worry about me, worry about Severus,” Remus said, nodding towards the dozing man. He offered Harry a reassuring smile before turning back towards the door and leaving the cottage.

Harry stood staring at the front door for a few minutes, unnerved by the thick silence surrounding him. He couldn’t even hear Snape’s breathing because it was still fairly shallow and unsteady. It worried him more than he cared to admit. This man had rescued him, despite his obvious dislike of him at Hogwarts; he’d even vowed to protect Harry when he was only an infant. Snape had taken him into his home, left Hogwarts for the summer to stay with Harry. How could he not have at least a little compassion for the man? He sat down in the arm chair beside the Transfigured bed and curled his knees up to his chest, pulling the throw blanket over himself as he watched the minute rise and fall of Snape’s chest.

S~S~S~S

Severus was falling. The black vortex that was spinning around him seemed endless, nothing but pitch blackness below him. Then suddenly, the ground was coming up, but he was too close, he’d surely die from the fall! Only a few feet now –

“No!” Severus yelled as he sat bolt upright in bed, his body covered in cold sweat as he trembled.

Harry jerked awake and straightened his glasses as he stood up. He moved towards Snape, who flinched at Harry’s quick movements. “It’s alright, Professor, it’s just me, Harry. You’re home now, you’re safe,” Harry said quietly as he moved closer to Snape.

Severus blinked as he looked around, his head spinning slightly from his abrupt awakening. He looked over at Harry as he spoke, watching his lips move as his ear didn’t seem to want to work properly. He rubbed his temples, trying to ward off the headache that was starting to form. His body felt heavy and sore, and his hair was matted and full of dried blood and dirt. He didn’t have the strength to respond to Harry. Besides, what was he supposed to say?

Harry frowned as Snape rubbed his temples and grimaced. He looked disoriented and seemed like he might be in pain. “Here, take this; it’s a Pain Relieving potion. Are you thirsty or hungry? Can I get you anything?” Harry asked as he uncorked the potion and handed it to Snape.

Severus took the potion and drained it, pushing the vial back into Harry’s hand. He shook his head slowly as he propped himself up on the pillows behind him. His head started to clear as the potion took effect, making it much easier to think. “A glass of water would be nice, thank you.”

Harry pulled out his wand and gave it a complicated twirl, conjuring a glass of cool, clear water. He handed it to Snape and sat down on the edge of the bed near Snape’s feet. “How’re you feeling?”

Severus drained the glass of water and sat the empty glass down on the table beside the bed. He glared slightly at Harry, though it was half-hearted at best. The boy had a truly concerned look in his eyes. “I feel like I’ve just been tortured for forty-eight hours and left for dead, then rescued completely starkers by an old schoolmate and cared for by a sixteen-year-old boy. Humiliated doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Severus drawled as he examined the faint scarring all along his arms and bare chest.

Harry had the urge to laugh, but refrained as he didn’t want to be cursed by Snape – who didn’t even have a wand to curse him with. Harry felt a great surge of sympathy; losing your wand was like losing an arm. “Don’t be ashamed; you were trying to do what was best for the Order. I guess it’s kind of like ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ I owe you my life, sir.”

Severus stared at the teen, yet again amazed at his ability to care so much. Harry had even warned him not to go to the Dark Lord, but he didn’t listen. Now the life debt had been passed to Remus, who Severus just realized was absent. “Where is Lupin? I passed out soon after taking the portkey; I don’t remember anything else.”

“Remus had to go back to wherever Voldemort is. He said he was on a mission for the Order under disguise and that’s how he got to you. We cleaned your wounds and Remus healed them. You had a few broken bones, but Remus healed those, too. You have a concussion as well, so you should take it easy for awhile. Remus said he would inform the Order that I was here alone with you, but I haven’t heard anything from anyone since he left nearly four hours ago,” Harry said, a bit miffed that no one had bothered to come check up on him or Snape. Didn’t they even care that he had nearly died? Yes, Remus had sent Charlie to tell Dumbledore, but didn’t he want to check on Snape himself?

Severus noticed the bitter note in Harry’s voice and couldn’t help but share the teen’s feelings. However much Dumbledore gushed how important Severus was to him, the old man certainly wasn’t worrying himself over the Potions Master now. “I’m sure the Order have a good reason for keeping you waiting, Harry, but you’ve no need to worry; I’m fine, thanks to you and Lupin. I would surely have died if not for the werewolf’s quick thinking and your assistance.”

Harry blushed slightly at the Potions Professor’s praise, fidgeting a bit with a loose string on the blanket thrown over Snape. “I barely did anything, it was mostly Remus who healed you; he’s the one who deserves your thanks, Professor,” said Harry, frowning at the older man.

“The point is that you cared enough to help, Harry; that’s enough to garner my appreciation. Make no mistake, I will surely thank Lupin when I get the chance. A Life Debt has been forged between us now. It’s as strong as any other magically binding contract. The only other person I’ve ever owed a Life Debt to was your father,” Severus explained, his throat still feeling a bit raw from two straight days of screaming.

Harry’s eyebrows rose as he cocked his head curiously to the side. Snape had owed his father a Life Debt? That was news to him. “How did my father save your life? That’s the only way to form a Life Debt, right?” Harry asked as he curled his legs up on the bed and made himself a bit more comfortable.

“Black never told you about that, eh? Well, I don’t suppose he would, since it sheds him in a bad light. Your father and I never got along while in school, Harry. In fact, we were practically mortal enemies. By association, Black hated me and I hated him. Lupin and Pettigrew were pretty neutral, though neither of them did anything to stop the fighting, and Peter even cheered them on a few times. They tormented me ruthlessly; you witnessed such a time in the pensieve just last year. Only a year after that, another event occurred that could have ended in my death.

I was forever curious about Lupin’s constant illnesses during our Hogwarts years. I was not a fool; I soon realized that he disappeared during the full moon every month, and I longed to find him out and tell Dumbledore all about it. It wasn’t that I had a vendetta against Lupin; really, it was the fact that getting Lupin thrown out of school would hurt Black and Potter, and that was exactly what I wanted. Note that this was after your mother and I stopped speaking, or rather, when your mother stopped speaking to me. I was erratically angry that your father and Black had lost me the best friend I had ever had, and I will admit I was a ruthless little shite back then. I started to give off hints of my knowledge of Lupin’s condition to both Black and your father, using it as bait to piss them off and set their minds a worry that I knew their long kept secret.

One particular night of the full moon, I happened to see Lupin leaving the castle, accompanied by Madam Pomfrey and white as a sheet. I wanted to follow, but as soon as I got outside, I had lost them. I turned back towards the castle and ran headlong into Black. He was irate that I had tried to follow Lupin, and he smelled strongly of spirits, I’m positive of that. The fool was drunk and angry and instead of torturing me like he normally would, he told me exactly where to find Lupin.

‘You want to see a werewolf so bloody much, Snivellus? Go to the Whomping Willow after sunset and press the knot in the centre with a stick, follow the tunnel underneath the tree until you reach a wooden door…’

I was angry, young, and stupid; I followed Black’s instructions. I could hear Lupin as the werewolf howling and snarling as I got near the door. Your father arrived just in time to fight the werewolf back in his Animagus form and get me out of there unharmed. Apparently Black had gone to brag to James about sending me to my death, and being the noble Gryffindor he was, James came after me. After that, I owed him my life. I never got to repay him, but when the receiver of a Life Debt passes on, the debt passes to their next of kin. I paid that debt your very first year of Hogwarts during a Quidditch match in which, I believe, you thought I was trying to kill you, not save you. No matter now, the past is the past.”

Harry didn’t realize that he was trembling until Snape leaned forward on the bed and touched his arm in a gentle gesture. Harry looked down at Snape’s hand resting atop his arm, the usually soft hands roughened from fighting back against his attackers. He looked up and met Snape’s eyes, surprised to see the deep blue and not black. “I’m sorry for the way Sirius and my dad treated you. You’re not a bad person…I wish my mum would have seen that and stayed friends with you…”

Severus shook his head firmly, his hand still resting lightly on Harry’s arm. “Harry, they are not your crimes to apologize for. By the time Lily had stopped speaking to me, I was so steeped in the Dark Arts that I believed calling her a Mudblood was ok. I’m glad she disassociated with me when she did, or else I might have hurt her worse. I am not proud of my youth, and I am not innocent of paying your father and Black back for everything they did to me. You are not your father, or your godfather, and it has taken me this long to realize and admit that. Now you need to come to terms with it as well.”

It felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulders as he listened to Snape’s slow, deep voice reassure him. He wondered what would have happened if his mother would have swayed Snape from the Dark Arts instead of leaving him behind for James. Would he possibly have Snape as a father and not James? Or were Snape and Lily destined not to end up together? “Things might have been really different if you’d stayed friends with my mum. You loved her, I know you did,” Harry said softly, now avoiding Snape’s eyes.

Severus sighed heavily. He was having similar thoughts and Harry seemed very tuned in to his own reminiscing. “I did love her, Harry, but what’s done is done and we can’t change the past. Besides, if things would have been different and your mother had never married James, you wouldn’t be here. Perhaps a different son or daughter in your place, but you are distinctly part James as well as part Lily.”

Harry snorted humourlessly as he looked back up at Snape. The way his life had been so far, he wasn’t abject to never having been born. “Maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad, me never being born.”

Severus felt a pang of sadness at those words. The boy was so miserable he wished he’d never been born? What kind of an existence was that? Severus had definitely always had the wrong idea about Harry, and he vowed then to try to get to know who he really was, despite his differences with the teen. “How different the world would be without you, Harry. There’s no telling what terror may have reigned upon the Wizarding and Muggle world alike if you hadn’t inadvertently stopped the Dark Lord as an infant. Each person, no matter how big or small, makes a significant impact on the world around them just simply by being here. You fall into that more so than most. I know my life would be massively different if you’d never been born.”

Harry nodded slowly, knowing what Snape was saying was true, but not feeling any better about it. Maybe he was being melodramatic, but he’d never really had anyone to talk to about these things before; even Sirius hadn’t been the most ideal person to have a heart-to-heart with. “Like you said, what’s done is done and we can’t change the past, so why dwell on it, eh?” Harry said with a seemingly disinterested shrug. “Are you sure you don’t need anything, sir?”

“Now that you mention it, I’m really in need of the facilities. I don’t think I can walk yet by myself, so I may require some assistance, I think. But first, I’d like you to get something for me. In my Potions lab through the door on the left is a large black cabinet. In the top drawer on the left is a long black box; open it and bring me the wand that is inside,” Severus said as he shifted slightly under the covers, his back becoming sore from his current position.

Harry stood up to follow Snape’s instructions after nodding once. He entered the Potions lab, which till now he had never seen before, and headed to the back where the large black cabinet was. He opened the drawer Snape indicated and pulled out the skinny black wand box. The wand inside was long and slender and had a cherry colouring to it; much different from Snape’s old black, formidable looking wand. Harry walked back out with the wand and held it out to Snape. “I never thought about keeping an extra wand around; good idea.”

Severus took the wand and gave it a twirl, clothing himself in simple black pajamas so he could stand without giving Harry a show the teen dearly did not want. “It’s not necessarily an extra; it was my mother’s wand. I kept it after she passed away. I’ll have to get a new one eventually because her magical strengths were much different from mine, but it will do for now.” Severus pulled the blankets away from him and tried to swing his legs over the side of the bed. His muscles were still horribly sore and he knew, despite the best healing charms, that his body had not healed correctly.

Harry noticed Snape was having a bit of difficulty getting out of bed, and couldn’t stop himself from moving forward and swinging the Potions Master’s arm over his shoulder and carefully helping him stand. He couldn’t stand seeing the man struggle like that on his own and do nothing to help him. This man had carried him from a burning building – well, at least one that had exploded – the least Harry could do was help him to the loo.

Severus was momentarily shocked by Harry’s helpfulness, but allowed the boy to help him over to the loo. He nodded that he would be fine by himself at the door and Harry backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Severus caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and was taken aback. He still had tons of bruises, though they didn’t hurt, and he had a few cuts on his cheeks and forehead. His hair was disgusting and made him want to dive for the shower immediately. He knew he’d have trouble standing long enough to take one, however, so he’d either have to take a bath, or have Harry assist him, which wasn’t ideal for either party involved. Though he had lost most of his pride upon his rescue, Severus still had at least a little shred of dignity left. He finally made it to the toilet after what seemed like half an hour and relieved himself, feeling a lot better now that his bladder wasn’t fit to burst.

He limped and stumbled his way back over to the door, which he nearly fell through as he turned the handle. Harry was there to catch his fall, however, and held him steady before helping him into his room and into his own bed instead of the living room. “Thank you, Harry. Hopefully someone else will come to help and you won’t have to play my nursemaid anymore,” Severus said with a sigh as he leaned back into his pillows, exhausted from the extremely short trip to the loo and back.

Harry shrugged as he conjured a cup of tea for the Professor and handed it carefully to him. He felt like he needed to force Snape to eat something, but he pushed the urge away, knowing the man would eat when and if he wanted to. “I don’t mind so much, sir. Like I said, it’s like ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’.”

Severus quirked an eyebrow, hearing that saying for the second time in one day and still not really comprehending it. “That must be a Muggle saying, because I’ve never scratched your back in my life, Potter,” Severus slurred as he felt his eyelids grow heavy and begin to close over his tired eyes.

Harry chuckled as he pulled the blanket back over Snape and put the cup of tea aside on the table before he burnt himself with it. “It is a Muggle saying. A lot of Muggle sayings are more metaphorical than literal; I’m so use to hearing and using them that I forget you magical folk probably have no idea –  ” Harry was cut off by a soft snore from the Potions Master, which made him chuckle even more. He put a hand over his mouth the silence his giggles before backing out of the room slowly, using his wand to turn off the lights and extinguish the roaring fire. “Goodnight, sir…” Harry whispered before he closed the door with a quiet snap.