Harry was up late, thinking about life and trying to study. Ginny was sitting with him, writing an essay for History of Magic. He wanted to work on the expectations he had for Professor Snape before seeing him tomorrow night. No one had ever asked him what he wanted before. It felt bold to ask for anything. It might be easier to work on his apology to Dr. Keller.

Dear Dr. Keller,

I apologize for my behaviour last night. I didn't mean to be rude and I know it isn't any excuse but it's really hard to talk about what's wrong with me. It's very nice of you to come here to Hogwarts to talk to me and I'll make sure I never act that way again.

Thank you,

Harry

He looked at the parchment and frowned. It wasn't very good but it wasn't really that big of a deal. She wasn't going to be around again until next week anyway, so if Snape didn't like this apology, there was time to write another. Harry was much more interested in coming up with expectations. He took out a fresh piece of parchment.

1. You won't give up on me because I screw up.

2. You won't pressure me to talk about things I don't want to talk about.

3. We can still talk about things even though I have to see Dr. Keller.

Harry couldn't think of anything else and it was getting late. Those were the most important things and it didn't seem like a good idea to go in with a giant list of things that he expected. He sighed and Ginny looked up.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harry said. "Just tired."

"Me, too." Ginny put her book down. "I saw you talking to Luna the other day, in the library. I didn't realize you were friends."

"We've only talked a couple times, but she's really nice," he said.

"I like Luna," said Ginny. "She's a bit odd, but it suits her."

"It does." Harry nodded. Luna was unusual, but there was something nice about the way she spoke her mind and wasn't afraid of what other people thought. Most people, including Harry, were concerned about the way other people viewed them. He noticed that Ginny had a journal sticking out of her bag. "Do you write in a journal?"

Ginny quickly shoved the black book into her bag. "Sometimes. I like to write about things when they bother me."

"I write a journal, too," Harry said. He felt good about it and it was nice to see he wasn't the only one writing. "It's made me feel so much better about things this term."

"It's nice to be able to talk about things and keep them private," said Ginny. She seemed a little upset about Harry seeing the journal and he figured it was because she might be embarrassed. She stood up to leave. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Ginny," he said. He'd better go to sleep, too. Lately he'd been feeling worn out.

***

Harry fidgeted nervously in his chair after handing Snape the apology he'd written for Dr. Keller. Snape quickly skimmed over the page and looked up at him.

"This is inadequate, Harry," he said. "It doesn't convey much honest regret."

"Well, I figured if you didn't like it I'd have time to work on it before I see her again," Harry answered.

Severus handed the parchment back over to Harry. "I'd like to see you put more effort into it. Give it another go and I'll review it before next week."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, putting the parchment into his bag.

"Are you ready to discuss the expectations we have for each other?" Severus asked.

"I wrote them down, sir." Harry pulled out his journal and opened it up to the page with the three expectations. "I hope I did them right." He handed Snape the journal.

Severus read over what Harry had written and was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. "Let us discuss them before I tell you my expectations, Potter."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

"I assure you, I will not give up on you because you make a mistake, Harry. Everyone makes mistakes and while I cannot guarantee I won't get angry or upset with something you do, I will not give up or renege on my commitment," said Severus.

Harry was tense, his jaw clenched. Feeling so vulnerable with Snape was difficult. He was baring his soul. It was so uncomfortable he could hardly stand it.

"Thank you, Professor. It's just that you said, um, that you'd be done with me when I screwed up last week. So I thought that might happen. And I don't want it to, so..." Harry was stumbling over his words.

"Harry, it was wrong of me to say those things and I will be more mindful of how I phrase things when I am irritated with you. It's not fair to leave you uncertain of where you stand with me. Let's establish right now that I am in this for the long haul and want to help you. I will not abandon you if you do things I disapprove of, even if I become angry," said Severus.

Harry exhaled in relief. The first expectation had been addressed and he felt good about it. That was the answer he'd been hoping for from Snape. "Okay."

"The next expectation is trickier because there are things you need to discuss." Severus stopped when Harry bit his lip and looked away. "Harry, don't get upset. I don't plan to pressure you into talking about anything. We will get to the point where you can talk about things openly and if that takes time, so be it."

With a shy smile, Harry looked over at Snape and nodded. That didn't sound too bad.

"As for your third expectation." Severus paused in order to think of a way to phrase what he wanted to get across to the boy. "You and I will continue these talks. I have no plan to discontinue them and you don't need to worry about me disappearing simply because you have a therapist. It's quite clear that you and I are building a rapport that's helping you. In fact, you should know that I enjoy these talks with you and have no interest withdrawing my support."

Harry couldn't believe that Snape just admitted that he liked talking to him and he grinned broadly. "Thank you, sir," he said. "It makes me feel better to know that you aren't going to stop talking to me."

"Now, let us discuss my expectations for you, Mr. Potter. The most important is that you will not lie to me. Ever. I will accept nothing less than the truth from you, no matter how serious you think something may or may not be. Is that understood?"

Snape's ability to switch into his scary, serious mode always took Harry by surprise. It seemed like he should be prepared for it by now. "I understand, sir. I swear I won't lie to you."

Looking directly into Harry's eyes, Severus needed to be certain that Potter understood. "This includes lies of omission. If something serious occurs, such as a fight and you do not tell me about it, you will have broken your promise. It will be considered a lie."

"Yes, sir," said Harry. "I understand. I won't lie or keep things from you. I promise."

Severus gave Harry a quick nod to acknowledge they were clear on the issue. "Next, I expect for you to behave yourself. The behaviour you exhibited earlier this term is absolutely unacceptable. You will treat faculty and peers with respect. You will show up to your classes on time and prepared. You will not engage in any altercations, physical or verbal, with other students."

Harry's jaw dropped. "But, sir! What am I supposed to do if Malfoy corners me in a hallway? Just let him attack me?"

Severus had prepared himself for this question. "Mr. Malfoy has been told that it would be a grave mistake for him to provoke you, Mr. Potter. However, if he chooses to disregard my explicit instructions, you will remind him that I have forbidden any fighting between you. I expect for you to walk away and come to my office if you need me. If not, simply move away from Mr. Malfoy until you have passed any danger of a fight."

Pondering that, Harry felt a little better about the possibility of avoiding fights with Draco Malfoy. It sounded easy enough, but he wasn't sure if Malfoy would go along with Snape's orders.

"Okay, sir," he answered. "If Malfoy does try to start a fight, I'll remind him that you've told us not to fight, and if I'm in the dungeons, I'll come to your office. Otherwise, I'll just walk away to somewhere safer."

"Precisely," Severus said. "I'm certain this next expectation will be difficult for you, Harry. But it is crucial if we are to make progress. I must insist that you do as I say, despite whether or not you want to do it. I understand that you've grown up having to fend for yourself, or at least that's what I've gathered from what little you've said. But that is over. You no longer have to handle everything on your own. I am going to act as your temporary guardian during school."

"What?" Harry interrupted. "You mean instead of the Dursleys? You'll be like, in charge of me?"

"Do not interrupt me when I am speaking, Potter," said Severus in a sharp tone. "Yes, I am in charge of you, so to speak. I will be acting in your best interests and that is what you must remember at all times. I might ask you to do things you don't want to do, such as continue to work with Dr. Keller, and you will obey me. I know what's best for you, Harry. I'm the adult. You'll do what you are told. Understood?"

"I guess so," said Harry. He could feel himself pouting. Since he wasn't used to adults taking care of him, the idea was irritating. But at the same time, it was appealing to have an adult help him. To guide him and do what parents do. Is that what he was saying? That he'd be like a parent? "Do you mean you'll act like...a parent would?" He blushed and looked away.

The word "parent" caused Severus to suck in a breath. "Correct. I will take over duties that parents are generally charged with, such as setting limits for behaviour, attending to your basic needs such as clothing, shelter, food, and other things. I will certainly be taking on serious responsibility for your care."

Wow. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Snape was going to be like a parent to him. He was going to be in charge. Harry wouldn't be running his whole life anymore and that was scary.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you're conflicted. But this might help. The important thing is to remember that trust is the cornerstone of this relationship, Harry. You must place your trust in me and for my part, I will do everything in my power not to let you down. Do you think you can trust me?"

He didn't need to think about it, the answer was obvious. "Yes, sir," said Harry. "I can trust you. I know you won't hurt me." Admitting that last sentence was so hard Harry had to fight tears.

"Excellent," said Severus. "My final expectation is that you will meet with Dr. Keller weekly, and you will put forth sufficient effort to make changes. You need to keep working with her, there is no other option. Therefore, I suggest you make it more enjoyable and participate."

"I can do that, sir," Harry answered. He was quiet. He was still stuck on the idea of Snape being his guardian. He had so many questions to ask. "Sir? Since you're my guardian, does that mean I don't have to return to the Dursleys' house?"

Severus took a moment to resettle in his chair. He crossed his legs and clasped his hands down on his lap. "Harry, I have a strong suspicion that it would be inappropriate for you to return to live with the Dursley family. However, without knowing much more about the situation, I am in no position to make promises about how long I will be acting as guardian. This is one of the reasons why you must get to the point where you can talk about them."

Harry felt trapped. There was no way around this, was there? "Um...maybe I could start talking about small things and see how it feels? Like when you and I have these talks, I might be able to talk about something that happened but not anything too hard to handle."

Severus saw this as a decent compromise. "Yes, Harry. I think that will work. We've talked quite a bit tonight, so I think we should end until tomorrow. But your plan is a good one and I think it has the possibility of getting you past this obstacle."

Harry felt tense and relieved. His emotions were always a jumble at times like this, when he was agreeing to something he didn't want to do. But he could see the benefit in doing it so he pushed forward.

"Thank you, sir. I'll start thinking of things that we could discuss and make a list. That way we can start off slow, yeah?" Harry felt better.

"An excellent idea," said Severus. "I look forward to learning more about you, Harry."

***

Once Potter was gone, Severus entered his quarters and considered the talk they'd had. Headway was being made and he was pleased. He found himself more invested in the boy's mental health and wellness by the day, and it seemed they were poised on the brink of making some real progress. Severus couldn't remember a time when there had been an issue with a student that had led him to be so personally invested. Was it possible that he was actually enjoying this work with Potter? Shaking that thought off, he headed over to make a drink to relax and enjoy the rest of his evening.