The potions professor blinked. 'Did the brat just ask if I have any dust?'

"Are you accusing me of neglecting the state of my quarters?"

The boy gaped, "What? No! I just want to see what dust looks like from down here."

That was…unexpected. 'Merlin, save me from curious adolescents.' 

"I use all rooms here quite often, so you won't find any dust for your amusement."

"Oh," he tried not to look disappointed. However, Snape didn't have any trouble recognizing the expression on the face of the Boy Who Lived.

'Never in my life, have I ever seen someone upset over being unable to see dust. But of course, Potter always had a disregard for the rules.'

"It seems that the school elves have been careless in cleaning. There's dust to your left."

Harry looked to his left and saw an uneven layer of grey-ish substance that settled on the desk. He walked over and poked it. When he pulled his finger away, some of it came off with his finger. He looked back at the professor.

'This wasn't here when I last looked, and house elves are NEVER careless!' Harry shuddered, 'Did Snape conjure it? But…why?'

"Don't think I did this for your pleasure, Potter. I merely didn't have a wish for you to bother me about not being able to explore the seemingly exciting prospect of dust," Snape rolled his eyes.

'Well, Potions isn't that exciting either, so don't you dare talk!' Snape doing the nice thing was definitely a one-time thing, yup.

"Sir? What do I do now?"

Snape mentally sighed, 'Brilliant, I get to wrack my brain in an effort to figure out ways to keep Potter occupied.' He suddenly had an idea,

"Do you read books?"

'Err…Snape? We ARE in a school, no? And I AM a student, no? And students DO read textbooks, yes?' 

Seeing the disbelieving look on Harry's face, the Bat of the Dungeons quickly clarified, "For pleasure, I mean. Your textbooks do not qualify."

Harry thought for a minute, "I used to read at the public library, before coming to Hogwarts. Now, I never thought to."

Snape sniffed, "Perhaps you'll agree to select something from the shelves?"

Harry stared, 'He DID NOT just ask that…he's not supposed to offer me his books! Wait…Dumbledore's his boss…meaning that he has to "baby-sit" me. I feel like a 4 year old, but since he asked'

He shrugged, "Sure."

Snape glared, "Answer again, this time with some respect."

'Ah, there's the Snape we know and love.'

"Sorry, sir. Yes, sir."

The Slytherin Head nodded, "Very well, you may go."

Harry started for his broom, but paused, 'Wait…I'm too small to pull out a book and read it. Dammit, I thought I was short before, but this is too much!' He took in the size of the books, 'Ah…I'm a wizard,' he snorted, 'Harry, you are THE most idiotic person in the world.'

He mounted his broom and went for the bookshelf, 'Let's see, "Record of Potion Failures", "Debates Over the Draught of Living Dead"….ah! "Quidditch Through the Ages". I wonder what this book is doing with the Greasy Git? Maybe he just took it from someone in detention".

Harry shrugged and cast a shrinking charm on the book. With his prize in his grasp, he went to a corner and sat down. Time passed, and Harry fell asleep.

"Potter! Come here this instant!" Snape was looking for Harry, with no success, "Potter!"

'If that brat managed to get himself disposed of by a house elf…'

"Potter!"

Hearing all the ruckus, Harry woke up, 'What? Where? And why is everything so big?'

Thinking for a while (which involved panicking), he remembered the day's events, 'Oh…and why's Snape calling me? Guess I might as well go check,' he got on his broom and went in the direction of Snape's voice.

'…tell me that I'm dreaming and Snape's not actually running from room-to-room,' Harry rubbed his eyes, 'Nope, he actually is going hysterical.'

"Umm…Professor?"

Snape turned his head, "Potter! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Err...sleeping?"

'Ah, so that's where he was.'

"10 points from Gryffindor for failing to inform me of your whereabouts."

"Hey! I wasn't planning on sleeping?"

"10 points for disrespect. You might've told me where you were planning to sit to read. Professor Dumbledore put me in the position of looking after you, and I have no wish to tell him that I lost you."

"Why not just use a Point-Me spell?"

"…"

"You forgot, didn't you?"

'Severus, you utter fool!'

"10 points from Gryffindor for disrespect."

Harry gaped, 'So not fair! Not my fault he forgot.' 

"Furthermore, it is time to go to the Great Hall for dinner," and with that, Snape turned to leave.

Not to be left behind, Harry flew after him.