Despite how things were looking a bit more promising between Snape and Harry, they interacted about the same way in the classrooms and if they happened to come across each other during school hours. Harry tried not to let the man's sour attitude and unfairness bother him as he sort of understood the need to ensure that the Slytherins and other students didn't get too suspicious, but there were times when it bothered him and he hated the relationship they had outside their study sessions.

It had only annoyed him previously but now it was really started to feel a lot worst than before and Harry wasn't so sure if he could endure the rest of the year like this.

But on the lighter side...Quidditch practices were back! Although Wood was as pressuring and over-working as usual, Harry felt greatful for the extra hours in which he spent in the air and forgetting about his troubles on the ground.

He was slightly nervous about their first match against Slytherin for if they won than Snape was sure not to be very thrilled and perhaps become more of a git, but Harry tried not to dwell too strongly on that aspect of it all. They had to win.

As Harry flew through the air to catch the golden snitch, Snape was prowling the dungeons corridors as though on the lookout for a rule-breaking first-year; he was annoyed yet cautious and just plain moody.

He had previously been pacing in his private quarters but a part of him wanted someone to yell at, although it was just a substitute for who he really wanted to yell at: Voldemort. Granted that he would get a merciless death if he actually yelled at the Dark Lord that he was supposed to be loyal to, but Snape thought of many things he'd have liked to tell him. It was his fault that Harry was orphaned but that wasn't what had Snape so riled up. It was the fact that Voldemort had killed Lily.

He'd been down this trail of thoughts before but now for a different but still equally selfish reason: he had no idea how to father the boy whilst Lily could have provided him with a grand amount of knowledge. She had always been so good with kids whereas Snape had been more of the kind to drown one...accidently, of course.

"Oh, good evening Professor Snape" A sixth year gave a brief wave as he passed by.

Snape barely snapped out of his thoughts long enough to nod in reply but then paused. He knew that boy, by reputation mostly, but his name was a little forgotten...no, wasn't it Bartimous?

"Wait a second" Snape said and the boy paused, looking interested but otherwise unbothered.

"Yes, sir?" He asked.

"What is your name?" Snape questioned, making sure he got it right before addressing him.

"Bartimous Fairway, sir" The boy answered rather proudly as he brushed some lgiht brown hair from his face, revealing deep blue eyes and a few freckles.

"I believe you are the eldest sibling of five?" Snape asked.

"Yeah" The boy nodded, now looking confused as it wasn't common that Snape questioned his students about how many simblings they had.

"I see" Snape said and pondered how to go about what he wanted to ask. He noticed the prefect badge pinned to the robes of the Slytherin boy and decided to go with a lie, hoping it would get back to the other members of his house.

"Your youngest brother is a second year, is he not?" Snape asked as casually as he could, years of spying had helped him with that.

"Yes sir, Jamie is in his second year" Bartimous replied. "Did he do something?"

"Not that I am aware of at the current time" Snape replied, trying to ignore the closeness of the name "Jamie" and withheld his sneer of disgust.

"Although if I could have a moment of your time...?" He glanced at his office and the boy nodded.

"What is it, sir?" Bartimous asked, looking as though he felt important and Snape decided to prey on that.

"I was merely curious for a piece of knowledge" Snape said and the boy's eyebrows went up and he tried to conceal a smirk. "As I have no children of my own and do not have the time nor patience to deal with crying brats..." Snape trailed off although he felt as though he was structuring a lie again. Harry wasn't really a crying brat and he was his son now, in a way.

"Understandable, sir" Bartimous nodded eagerly. "I'd be happy to answer any question you have. I'm at your service!"

"Yes" Snape eyed the boy for a moment, unsure if this was a good idea afterall. "I have a particular boy in one of my classes that has the rare potential to do well, but he is having difficulties at home, or so I have been told" Snape inwardly rolled his eyes, but there was no going back now.

"As your brother is of his age, perhaps you know of a more productive way in which to speak to such a child?" He asked.

"Well I could talk to him if you like, sir" Bartimous offered although he didn't look too keen.

"I prefer not" Snape narrowed his eyes, casting the teenager a intimidating stare.

"Oh well um...usually if my brother's going through something I just give him time to talk about it since i know he will, he trusts me you see" Bartimous smiled and continued to talk while Snape listened, occasionally bored but at the same time he was getting a small idea of what should and shouldn't be said to a twelve-year-old. For he may have taught a lot of second-year children over his years as a teacher...but he had never actually cared about them beyond being a mentor to a Slytherin or a skeptical teacher to others. Now he had a son, and it was time he tried to fall into his role as a father a bit more.

When Monday came around, Harry was feeling rather anxious but also a bit ill. At first he thought it was nerves or a cold from practicing Quidditch the day before in the rain, but as 7pm approached he wasn't so sure.

But nonetheless, Harry gathered his things and headed down to the dungeons, feeling the further chill of the place and shivered. He doubted that Snape would let him off for the night simply because he was prone to temperatures and felt a little dizzy, so Harry pressed on and took a deep, calming breath as he knocked on the door.

"Enter" Snape replied and glanced up as Harry came into the room and sat down. He noticed that the boy seemed to be avoiding looking at him and his "hello" sounded a bit forced, so maybe he had gone too far last session?

Snape frowned but after ten minutes, Harry appeared to be a bit disoriented and the professor wondered if he was tired again or if it was something else.

"Oops" Harry hissed as his quill slipped and ink spilled over his parchment.

"Silly child" Snape sighed but hadn't meant it to be an insult as he flicked his wand and cleaned up the mess while he approaching the desk.

"Are you ill?" He asked as Harry's face was a little flushed and he still refused to look up at him.

"I'm fine sir" Harry replied rather quickly. "It's nothing really" He added but winced slightly as something cold contacted with his forehead. Only then did he looked up to see that Snape had his hand on his forehead and frowned when he no doubt noticed how feverish he was.

"You are not fine" Snape growled, removing his hand and clutched the boy under his arms. "You are going straight to the hospital wing."

"But..." Harry went to protest but was lightly shoved towards the door and decided it was best not to argue for his head was starting to throb and his stomach felt cramped.

"Sir, I don't..." He went to say that he was indeed not feeling too good while his vision blurred, despite the fact that he was still wearing his glasses.

"Do not argue, Potter!" Snape snapped and reached for the boy but at that precise second, Harry stumbled and the man found himself catching the boy before he slammed his head against the stone wall or something else that would cause him further harm.

"Sorry" Harry mumbled and straightened up, eagerly making his way towards the hospital for he was determined to lay down now and his head was starting to really hurt. How could he have felt this rotten so quickly? A few minutes ago he'd been rather fine, but then again...it was a whole lot colder down in the dungeons.

"Why did you not go straight to the hospital wing the moment you felt unwell?" Snape scowled at the boy while watching him carefully from behind, making sure he wasn't going to fall again.

"I..." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes even though the man couldn't see his face. "I thought you would be mad, okay? You know? If I didn't show up."

"I assure you, Mr Potter, that I would prefer to miss a study session than have you being ill on my watch" Snape said and covered his surprise to Harry's words rather well.

"Oh" Harry said with a hint of something that Snape couldn't quite make out.

As they continued to walk, he thought back on what he'd said and wondered why Harry would be discouraged by it but then it clicked...the boy had no idea that he had really gone from his role as teacher to his new role as his father. And the way he had covered his real thoughts made it seem as though he was more concerned with their sessions or studying than the boy himself.

Snape was annoyed that he couldn't go about being the boy's father without showing some emotion or concern, to go against everything he had previously trained himself to do: be distant, uncaring and strictly professional. But being a father, he had to show the boy that he cared, he had to take into consideration the boy's happiness and feelings instead of just his safety.

"If you are feeling ill...I would prefer you to be resting than sitting at a desk and doing schoolwork" Snape said, noticing a small change in the boy's walking, as if he was slowing to listen more carefully and delaying the arrival to the hospital wing.

"Your wellbeing is of more importance" He added and the boy had stopped moving altogether so Snape reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder to steer him into the hospital wing which was just up ahead.

"You again, Potter?" Madam Promfry sighed as she spotted the boy, not taking any notice of the professor at all. "What did you do this time?"

"Not sure, I think it's a cold or something" Harry replied. "My head is killing me and I don't feel too good."

"Well lie down and I'll have a look at you" She said and led him over to a bed, transfiguring his clothes into pyjamas before running a dignostic spell.

"It's a nasty flu, by the looks of it" She said. "It's a good thing you came to be while you did. You're going to need plenty of fluids and rest!" Promfry said and left to fetch some potions while Snape stood nearby and watched the boy trying to sit up but Harry didn't seem to notice him. Perhaps he'd assumed that Snape would leave once he was in Promfry's care?

Snape continued to watch as the medi-witch fussed over the boy and once she was done he summoned Harry's things from the dungeons where he had left them to place them on the bedside table for Hermione or Ron to collect and return when they came to visit for they surely would.

"I haven't a clue how you came across him, but I'm glad you brought him in" Promfry finally paid attention to Snape as he placed the books and quill on the bedside table and Harry glanced at him curiously.

"He was studying with me" Snape replied, although he had no idea why he felt the need to add such information.

"I hope you weren't over-working him!" She scowled and he actually felt rather offended for a brief moment.

"Are you implying that I would allow a child to continue working whilst they are unwell?" He eyed her. "I brought him to you the moment I noticed that he was ill."

"Of course" She nodded, looking a bit surpried but brushed the topic off. 'Nevertheless, it's a relief that you did" Promfry glanced at Harry and headed back to her office again, leaving them alone for now.

Harry glanced around the ward but there were no other patients or really anyone apart from himself and Professor Snape.

"Thank-you, sir" He said.

"Your gratitude is unnecesssary" Snape replied and the boy lowered his gaze.

"But...you are welcome" He added and Harry glanced back up quickly.

"Our sessions have been post-poned until you are capable of taking them again. I shall inform you other teachers of your situation" He said. "I expect that you will not be attending classes or playing Quidditch until such time as well. You are to remain here and rest, understood?"

"Yes, sir" Harry sighed, leaning back against the pillows that had been placed behind his back.

"Well I'm a bit tired now, but thanks again sir" He said and lay down, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

Snape nodded and found himself feeling rather reluctant to leave, but surely he was being rediculous for Harry was being cared for now and needed rest anyway.

But still, he remained and watched the boy fall asleep before finally forcing himself to leave; strolling back down to the dungeons where he suddenly felt as though he'd done something wrong by leaving Harry in the care of another.

Harry was in the hospital wing for only a few days and his friends had come by quite often when they had free time. but no-one apart from Madam Promfry was aware that every night in which Harry was there, Snape came by to check on him around 10pm when he was sure that the boy was asleep and all his visitors were gone.

It was Friday afternoon when Harry was finally released from his bed and made his way back to the Gryffindor tower where his friends greeted him happily and made sure he was okay.

His session with Snape had been cut short on Monday, but he'd also missed his Wednesday session and Harry found himself wishing that he hadn't. He wondered if it was the study habits he was starting to pick up or if it was the man himself that was the reason for his disapointment. But he'd been so releived to find that he would be able to make it to his Friday session that night at 7pm per usual.

"I assume that you are feeling well?" Snape asked as Harry knocked on his door later and was let inside. although the professor wouldn't put it past the Gryffindor to have escaped the hospital wing before he was supposed to. Although he doubted that a study session with him was much of a good enough reason to.

"Yes sir" Harry nodded and flashed a relieved smile as he settled down at the desk and began his work, flashing back to the night before when he'd awoken due to a nightmare and could have sworn that he'd seen Snape leaving the hospital wing. But he decided to say nothing about it and continued to focus on his work.

Although he had woken up because of a nightmare and after completing several essays and all of his homework, he glanced up at Snape and bit his lip...pondering if he should mention it.

The professor had looked over at the same time and saw Harry biting his lip in a way that he recalled Lily doing on more than one occasion and instantly knew that something was bothering the boy.

But instead he decided to test how much work they needed to do in their little "arrangement" and see if the boy would say anything, so he glanced away and continued marking student's work for checking on Harry each night for a week had left him mildly behind on his own tasks.

And so the session neared an end and still Harry hadn't said anything, but he fidgeted more and kept glancing up. Still, Snape said nothing.

--

Harry sighed and found he that had no more tasks to complete so got to his feet and gathered his things. He looked over at Snape to see that he had left his desk and was approaching him.

He didn't know if it was because the dream had bothered him so much or if the fact that he kept thinking how Snape had wanted him to mention his nightmares...but either way, he bit his lip once more and decided to brave the situation and reach out to the man, even in the smallest of ways.

"Um...sir?" He asked and even his voice sounded nervous.

"Yes, Harry?" Snape asked, trying to encourage the boy to speak by using his first name as he'd noticed the reaction he'd recieved earlier when he'd let it slip.

"I...you said I could tell you if I had a nightmare?"

"That is correct" Snape nodded. "I assume that there is a reason for your lapse in memory?" He asked, mentally cursing himself for his usual harshness slipping out and aiming at the boy. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes" Harry sighed, lowering his gaze. "Last night" He replied and decided to just get it over with for he hadn't been mocked last time but then again he hadn't so much of got anything from the man last time, even if it did reel rather good to talk to someone about it.

"Do you wish to discuss it?" Snape asked after the boy went quiet. He saw the slight nod and waved his wand, conjuring the table and chair into two armchairs and he sat down, hoping to encourage Harry to do the same.

Harry looked confused but sat on the opposite armchair and entwined his fingers nervously, almost as if he was ashamed of something

"I...well it was confusing and I can't really remember it too well..." He stumbled with his words but Snape remained quiet, giving the boy time to think and figure out how to explain it.

"I wasn't sure where I was at first, but it was some sort of old house and there were voices but I don't know who they were. I just hear them talking about how useless I was, and how they hated me" Harry slumped his shoulders slightly, looking a bit pained but now that he'd began he found himself unable to stop.

"I...I think they were my parents or something, for they called me "their boy" sometimes. I dunno, it's stupid but...they grew louder and soon the door opened but instead of lots of people it was my uncle. He doesn't like me much and I think he's scared of magic, so I wasn't surprised but then he started yelling...the usual stuff but, it still hurt."

"Does your uncle usually raise his voice to you?" Snape asked, arching an eyebrow and Harry seemed surprised as he looked up, as though he'd forgotten that Snape was even there.

"Well, not always, but I suppose. He's...not very nice" Harry sighed and blushed, looking away again as though he'd said too much.

"And what did your uncle say, in your nightmare?" Snape continued to ask, keeping his tone as calm as he could and decided to address the other issues later.

"Just...that I was a freak and that no one wanted me" Harry shrugged as though it was the most normal thing and Snape didn't like how calm Harry was about those words for it wasn't a very nice thing for an uncle to tell their nephew...dream or not.

"But then I was back at that house and I saw my mum dying again" He sniffed slightly and Snape barely noticed it.

"Sorry, I know you probably don't want to hear about my stupid dream but..." He then attempted to cover the emotions he was clearly feeling but Snape could see right through his tone, expression and posture.

"If I had no concern for such things, I would not be sitting here and enduring it" Snape replied. "You appear to be rather unsettled by this nightmare...more so than the last. Might I question why that is?"

"I don't know" Harry shrugged, looking honest. "I guess I just sometimes forget that no one wants me" He sighed, looking away again and was astonished to find that he could talk to Snape easily about some things once he'd started and realised that the man was actually listening. No adult had ever wanted to hear about such things from him before.

Snape studied the boy for a moment and frowned. "I doubt that your aunt and uncle do not wish to keep you. Would they have taken you into their care if they did not?" He asked.

"Aunt Petunia once said I had to stay there" Harry said. "That they had no choice."

Snape said nothing for it contradicted everything he'd believed about the boy being spoiled and loved just as any Potter would have been but he knew Petunia and she wasn't a fan of magic. But he'd thought that she'd have still cared for her nephew, for Lily's son...perhaps that wasn't the case.

That was the first time that Snape had looked at Harry...really looked at him. He was too skinny for a growing boy, a soon-to-be teenager, and he had stayed at Hogwarts during the Christmas break last year...in fact it had been during every break the previous year until he wasn't allowed to stay over the summer. Did his relatives truly care so little for him that he didn't want to be anywhere near them or felt as though they hated him? Surely that wasn't the case? The boy was exagerating...wasn't he?

Snape stared into Harry's emerald eyes as he looked up and saw the truth ridden in his sad look and defeated gaze...no, it was true. Harry had not only been neglected in the sense of not being fed enough or being well guilded but he was also lacking what every child should have...love, kindness and reassurance.

If he had a nightmare when he was young, who comforted him? If he had trouble with his homework, who did he ask for help from? Did he get a birthday party each year? Was he allowed to have friends sleepover? Did Harry get any part of a happy childhood that all children should have but some sadly did not...like Snape himself had not?

"Sir?" Harry asked as Snape was still hadn't said anything.

"Perhaps I misjudged you, Harry" Snape said, looking oddly uncomfortable and somewhat annoyed.

"I treated you unfairly in the past year for I was under the impression that you had been constantly spoiled and pampered at home...I am ashamed to admit that perhaps I was mistaken" He confessed and Harry looked as though Snape had grown an extra head and was turning purple for he eyes were wide and his jaw hung open slighty.

"They're not that bad" Harry finally found his voice.

"And yet they do not care for you as an adult guardian should for a child" Snape raised an eyebrow and suddenly found himself understanding why Harry needed a father so badly...but the boy required more than Snape felt he could give.

Snape did not like to be touched and he most certainly did not wish to be the one to enforce such coddling and comfort. But Harry needs it, a small voice said in his head that sounded suspiciously like Lily while he stared at the boy who was now looking rather confused as he stared back.

"It is late" Snape rose from his armchair, glancing at the time while doing so. "You require rest. We will discuss this further at another time."

"Yes sir" Harry nodded and eagerly gathered his things and headed for the door but paused and turned back, biting his lip once more.

"And um...thanks. For, you know? Listening...no one has...I mean, it helped. Thank-you."

Snape nodded and watched the door close as the boy left, feeling oddly comforted by the fact that he'd at least helped the boy in some way.

But he was getting a headache with all the new imformation and the realisation of what sort of life Harry really had and how much his life lacked just as Snape's own life had been...and in some way, still was.

Snape knew that there was no way that he could back out of his new role now for it would just make the boy think that yet another adult had failed him and that yet another person didn't want him.

Because in all honesty...Snape did want him, as a son. He wanted to make the boy smile, he wanted to give him the things that he lacked and he wanted so desperately to teach him that he did care. But Snape had no idea how to express those things...