Harry Potter was sat cross-legged on his bed, in what was now his room, looking at one of his most prized possessions in the world. It was a picture album which Hagrid had given him and he was currently looking at a photo of his parents dancing in the snow. He didn't know what Professor Snape's reaction would be if he saw him studying the photo intently though. Harry didn't know the full story, but he knew that Professor Snape and his dad had not gotten along. Had not gotten along at all. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, living here with Professor Snape, his Potions Professor had allowed him to invite his two best friends to spend the week of his birthday with them, and Harry couldn't wait for their arrival. Sure, it hadn't been that long since he had last seen them at the end of their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it seemed like it had been. Especially following all the excitement at the end of the last school year with the Chamber of Secrets. Harry felt a little bit guilty that he hadn't invited Ginny as well, but he didn't want to push his luck with Professor Snape. He had become fond of Ron's younger sister after the events of the last school year though, and he felt strangely protective of her. "Harry," Professor Snape called him. "You're friends will be here in a minute."

Harry scrambled off his bed and dashed out to their reception room to find his legal guardian stood there. Harry gave the man a small smile, and Hogwarts' youngest Professor reached out a hand to try and get his ward's hair to lie flat. Harry pulled back out of his way, wrinkling his nose. "It won't stay down," he groused.

He received a raised eye brow in return. "Well if you wore a hat when out playing Quidditch in the wind it wouldn't be such a mess," came the reply, and Harry knew without asking exactly what incident his Professor was referring to.

The incident in question had happend about a fortnight ago, not long after the end of the summer term. When Professor Dumbledore had told Professor Snape that he had to look after Harry for the summer, his Potions Professor had decided that they would live in his quarters at Hogwarts for the summer instead of returning to his childhood home. Harry did not know the reasons why, and he did not question. He had no complaints about staying at Hogwarts anyway, and he had spent a lot of time on the Quidditch Pitch. Professor Snape, apparently sick of Harry coming in from the Quidditch Pitch with his hair even more of a mess than normal, it was usually all stuck up on end and looked vaguely like he had been electrocuted after he had been flying for a couple of hours, had given him a hat to wear. Harry didn't know if Professor Snape had bought it especially but it had looked new. And he had worn it. He had worn it with quite a bit of pride, his Professor had actually given him something! But then Fang happened. He'd visited Hagrid one afternoon after flying, and he hadn't been paying any attention to what the dog was doing. The result? One ripped up hat after Fang had mistaken it for a new toy. Harry had not been able to look his teacher in the eye when he explained what had happened, and Professor Snape had seemed neither displeased nor amused with the story.

"I said I was sorry about the hat," Harry protested. "If I had noticed what Fang was doing I would have stopped him..." Harry trailed off.

"I know you did," Professor Snape cut in. "I was only teasing," the man said lightly, ruffling Harry's hair. He did give Harry occasional affectionate gestures.

"It'll never look neat if you keep doing that," Harry pointed out, but he didn't particularly care what his hair looked like.

"I'll just get you another hat," came the immediate response. It was meant as a come-back and in keeping with their banter, but Harry looked up at his guardian hopefully. He cringed slightly when he heard his Professor sigh. Professor Snape crouched so that he was at Harry's height, and put both of his hand's on the boy's shoulders. "Harry, if you wanted a new hat, all you had to do was ask."

"But it was my fault that it got all ripped up," Harry replied simply.

"And you'll take better care of the new one," his teacher told him. It was a statement, not a question, and Harry nodded. "Now what type of hat do you want?"

"The same as the old one?" Harry said hestiantly.

"Is that a question or an answer?" Professor Snape asked.

"An answer," Harry replied with a bit more confidence.

"Very well, I will get one for you," his Potions Professor promised. "And if you want anything from now on you only need ask. I may not always say yes, or you may need to use some of your pocket money to pay, but you can always ask."

Harry gave his Professor a small smile, but didn't get time to respond as the Floo suddenly flared, and he best friend appeared. "Ron!" Harry exclaimed happily.

"Hi, Harry," Ron replied, stepping out of the fireplace and tugging his backpack with him. "Professor Snape," he continued hesitantly.

"Mr Weasley," Professor Snape returned the greeting.

The Floo went again and Hermione appeared, and then Ron's father, but he didn't stay long, he only exchanged a few words with Professor Snape and wished Harry a 'Happy Birthday' for the end of the week. Harry was eager to show his friends his room, and as soon as Hermione had put her stuff in the guest room he dragged both her and Ron to his room, which Ron would be sharing with him for his stay. "It's lovely, Harry," Hermione told him, realising how much it meant to Harry. She had, of course, heard about Ron, Fred and George rescuing Harry from his relatives the summer before, and how there had been bars over his window. Harry smiled at her, suddenly self-conscious. The room wasn't overly large, especially now that there was a bed in there for Ron, but Harry was proud of it. It was his room, not the Cupboard Under the Stairs, or Dudley's Second Bedroom, but his room. "I especially like that," Hermione said, pointing out a box sat on a shelf above his bed.

"Oh, that's a money box which Professor Snape got me," Harry told her. "You can charm it so that it will let you know when you have enough money saved up for a certain item. You can also charm it so that you can't get money out until a certain date or until you have over a certain amount in. He said it's so that I don't waste all my pocket money on Hogsmeade weekends." Harry explained

"That's really neat Harry, and really sensible," Hermione told him. "And how exciting are Hogsmeade weekends going to be? I can't wait to start back at school."

"Hermione!" Ron whined, horrified. "It's the holidays, we don't want to think about school. It's time to have a break from work." Now Hermione looked horrified and Harry smiled. His friends would never change. But he was going to step in before they started another argument about school work.

The rest of the afternoon fairly flew past and the three best friends chatted away as if they hadn't seen each other in years, not just a few short weeks, during which time they had exchanged letters as well. Harry listed eagerly as his friends told him all about their summer holidays in France and Egypt. The afternoon was drawing to a close and Harry off-handedly commented that it would be time for dinner soon. Ron lowered his voice, almost conspiratorially, and asked, "so what's it like living with Snape?"

"Awful," Harry said bluntly, and both his best friends looked shocked. Harry had to fight to keep a straight face. "I mean, I have to do my homework, I get fed good food, I get given gifts..." Harry trailed off, giggling slightly.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, only chiding him slightly before she too started to giggle.

"I hate you, Harry!" Ron managed to tell him seriously before he also joined in his two best friends laughter. "Honestly though," Ron said a couple of minutes later when they had all calmed down a little, "you had me worried for a moment there!"

"Sorry," Harry apologised, not sounding like he meant it at all. Both his friends glared at him, but from the smiles on their faces he knew they didn't mean it.

Ron sobered suddenly. "I can't believe I'm about to eat dinner with Snape," he said.

"You eat dinner in the Great Hall with Professor Snape every night when we're at school," Hermione pointed out reasonably.

"Yeah, but this is different," Ron protested. "This is in his home, quarters, whatever, and at the same table as him!"

Harry laughed again. "Stop panicking!" he told his best friend. "At least you've got me and Hermione with you, I've been eating alone with him all summer."

"True," Ron had to conceed.

"And it really isn't that bad," Harry added as an after thought.

"Harry, dinner!" Professor Snape called them, and Harry and his friends made towards the room's door. Ron looked decidedly pale.

"He calls you Harry?" he questioned.

"Well what else is he going to call me?" Harry asked, confused.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked Ron, and both boys now looked confused. "Professor Snape isn't going to call Harry 'Potter' all summer, is he?" she asked.

"Okay, okay, valid point," Ron conceeded, grumbling slightly. And the three made there way to the kitchen table.

Both Ron and Hermione were surprisingly quiet throughout dinner, and Professor Snape didn't offer much conversation either. Harry had to keep fighting back laughter at how uncomfortable his friends were. He didn't think his guardian was feeling much comfortabler either. For dessert there was fruit salad, Professor Snape was a big believer in healthy eating, and always disapproved when Professor Dumbledore stopped by and gave Harry sweets.

After dinner, Professor Snape gave them permission to go outside and make the most of the warm summers evening, and the three friends slowly made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch. Ron was telling Harry all about the last pyramid they had visited in Egypt, the one his mum hadn't let Ginny go in as it had been so gruesome. He was describing it in detail, with Harry hanging on to every word, before Hermione broke in during a gap in the conversation. "Ron, that's disgusting," she told him, after a particularly gory detail.

Harry and Ron shared a look, and Ron muttered something which sounded suspiciously like "girls!", to which Hermione rolled her eyes. The had reached the Quidditch Pitch by now, and the three meandered there way around the outside of it, enjoying the late evening sunshine. After a while they sat down in one of the stands, still talking away, but not about Eygpt anymore, to Hermione's relief.

Dusk was beginning to fall when Hermione spotted Professor Snape heading towards them. "Time to head back inside now," he told them quietly. "It's getting dark." All three obediently stood to follow their Potions Professor back to the castle, and Harry got the feeling that neither Ron nor Hermione were willing to cross Professor Snape whilst they were staying with him as his guests, although the three of them had had enough run-ins with him as their teacher during their first two years at Hogwarts.

It seemed like no time at all until Harry and Ron were bidding Hermione good night, as they retired to Harry's room. Despite sharing a dormitory for the last two years, and Ron's room at the Burrow during last summer, they still got a thrill out of whispering to each other once the light had been turned out. Ron was telling Harry how unbearable Percy was being because he had been made Head Boy and how the twins were planning to get revenge once they got back to Hogwarts. Harry couldn't help but ask how they were planning on doing that. "Bat bogeys!" said Ron, and he went on to describe the hex in some detail, leaving both of them sniggering. When they finally stopped whispering and said good night, Harry reflected on how nice it was to have both of his friends here, even though he would never have been able to have a conversation like the one he and Ron had just had with Hermione.

They woke the next day to find that it was pouring with rain, and it showed no sign of letting up. Harry noticed that Professor Snape looked slightly worried at breakfast, probably at the thought of having to keep three Gryffindors entertained within his quarters for the day. Once breakfast was finished the three friends found themselves back in Harry's room. Harry was digging through his school trunk for his chess set so that he and Ron could have a game, when he realised there was a lot of junk in his trunk that he didn't need to keep in there anymore, since he no longer had to hide everything magical that he owned. He dug through some more random stuff and couldn't help but to smile when he came across his 'Potter for President' banner from his first Quidditch match. "What have you got there, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously from where she was sitting cross-legged on Harry's bed. Harry showed her, and she too smiled.

"It seems like so long ago, doesn't it?" she questioned.

Harry nodded, as did Ron. "Do you think in another two years we'll be able to remember small details from our first year?" Ron asked them.

"Well we certainly won't forget Fluffy!" Hermione said with a laugh. "But we could always put together a time capsule or something to make sure we remember." Both Ron and Harry agreed that that was an interesting prospect, and they began thinking over their first two years at Hogwarts. "Okay, so we're going to need a box," Hermione stated, taking charge.

"And there's our first problem," Ron muttered. "Where are we going to get a box from?" he asked.

Harry took a deep breath. "I'll go and ask Professor Snape," he told Ron and Hermione, and left his room quickly. His Potions Professor was still sat at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, and Harry approached his somewhat hesitantly. "Do you have a box we can have?" he asked in a rush. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, clearly curious to know what the three of them were up to, but he got out his wand and conjured a cardboard box without saying a word. "Thanks," Harry told him with a smile, before taking it and heading back to his room.

"Perfect," Hermione told him when he arrived back with the box, and the three friends sat around it on the floor. They were soon deep in discussion about what they had that they could put in the box. All three still had their Hogwarts letters, and Harry still had the bundle of letters which Dobby had eventually gave him last summer. Hermione and Harry joked that Ron probably still had the envelope from his howler which he had received at the beginning of last year chucked in his trunk somewhere, and he agreed to have a look when he went home. It was funny how they could look back at things which definately didn't seem funny at the time and laugh at them now.

"Too bad Malfoy got the letter Charlie sent us about Norbert," Ron moaned lightly. "That's certainly something to remember!"

Harry and Hermione laughed with him. "Suppose Hagrid still has some of his shell?" Hermione wondered out loud.

Harry gave her a look. "This is Hagrid we're talking about," he told her. "Of course he will," he said matter of factly. "We should ask him, I'm sure he'll give us a piece if we tell him what it's for. And there must be a charm or something to protect it while it's in the box."

Now Hermione gave him a look. "Of course there's a charm," she told him. "But we can't do that part until we're back at school."

"We are at school," Ron pointed out to her, just because he could.

Now Hermione fixed him with a look. "Until after the holidays then," she told him, and Ron smirked at her.

Before they could start an argument, they were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Professor Snape stuck his head round, and promptly raised an eyebrow at them. Harry supposed they must look funny all sat around an empty cardboard box in the middle of his bedroom floor. "It's lunchtime," they were told. The morning really had passed quickly and they hadn't done anything except sit and talk really. It was still raining though, so goodness only knew if the afternoon would pass as quick. It was another almost silent meal, with neither his friends or his Professor saying much, and Harry knew that this was going to get really old, real fast. He needed to get at least one of them talking somehow. He'd have to figure out a plan later. Back in his room after lunch, the three of them set about decorating the box. The rest of the day dragged on. The three friends weren't bored exactly, but they did wish it would stop raining. At least if it did that then they could go down and visit Hagrid. And Ron and Hermione were ok when they were in his room, but anywhere else in Professor Snape's quarters and they were scared to touch anything. Harry was loving having his friends here with him, but it was clear to him that it was uncomfortable for both of them and Professor Snape.

Much later on that evening, when Ron was in the shower and Hermione was in her room getting ready for bed, Harry ventured out into the common room to talk to his Potions Professor. He'd brought a book with him to pretend that he was planning on reading, even though he intended no such thing. He curled up in an arm chair and hugged his knees to his chest. "Thank you for letting my friends come and stay," he started the conversation tentatively.

"Your welcome Harry," Professor Snape told him, looking up from his Potions Journal. He then noticed his ward's curled up position. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Harry shrugged, hopelessly. How could he have forgotten how perceptive Professor Snape was? "It's just that neither you nor them seem comfortable with the situation," he admitted quietly.

"No doubt we will all get used to it in time," his Professor reassured him. "After all, you're no longer the scared little Gryffindor which Albus showed to my quarters at the beginning of the summer."

Harry stuck his tongue out at his guardian. Scared little Gryffindor indeed! But he had been very nervous around his Professor at the beginning of the summer. And he wasn't really sure when that had changed. Maybe his teacher was right. "And what have you been doing to amuse yourselves today?" his Potions Professor asked.

"We're making a time capsule so that we'll be able to remember all the little details of our time at Hogwarts," Harry told him excitedly. Like Hermione, he couldn't wait for third year to start, and he knew that Ron was looking forward to it secretly as well, although not for the lessons! Snape gave him a gentle look, and Harry tilted his head to observe his teacher, confused at the sudden scruntiny he was receiving.

"How like your mother you are at times Harry," he was told. "Now run along to bed." Harry stood and stretched and picked up his book. "And I don't want to hear you and Mr Weasley talking half the night tonight," he was told, but it was mock sternly, he could tell that Professor Snape wasn't mad.

Ron was already in bed when he got back to his room, the cardboard box pushed against the wall in between their beds. Harry climbed under the covers tiredly. He didn't know how he was so tired when he hadn't done anything all day. He and Ron heard Professor Snape check on Hermione, and then their door opened. "Goodnight Mr Weasley, goodnight Harry," their teacher bade them.

"Goodnight Professor," both boys replied, before settling down to sleep to the patter of the rain against the windows. It seemed to be slowing. Harry hoped the rain would be gone tomorrow. Then they could have some real fun, and his birthday was at the end of the week. He had a lot to look forward to, as well as a lot to look back on and remember.