Harry slept for 5 hours before he woke up with a churning stomach and a rather full bladder. As he sat up on the bed trying to breathe deeply to hold off the inevitable he grabbed his glasses and looked around. Where was Snape? He had expected the man to be there when he woke up, since he was last time. Harry shrugged before pushing off the covers and struggling to sit up. He hated the way his whole body hurt and he wasn’t even sure if he could make it to the bathroom by himself. Pride was gone from him the minute it felt like he might just explode from all the liquid in him.

“Snape,” He tried calling only to find that his voice had barely come out in a whisper, no matter how many times he tried to clear it.

Harry sighed before seeing the rubbish bin on the floor and trying to reach for it only to find it was just out of arm’s length. He swallowed convulsively as he could feel something creeping into his throat instantly putting a hand over his mouth. He stood up and swayed before grabbing the bed post, trying to take a step forward so he could grab the trash can.

The minute he let go of the bed he felt like he was falling and he quickly reached for it to steady himself. He gagged suddenly; the bile wanting to coming up but he didn’t want to mess up the man’s carpet so he tried to hold it back. Harry felt tears coming into his eyes, not knowing what to do, and was a few seconds away from spewing his guts everywhere and sobbing when his door opened.

“Harry, what are you doing out of bed?” Severus asked as he came into the room with a tray of food in his hands.

If his professor was expecting an answered he would be waiting for one for a long time. The minute Harry smelled the food he couldn’t hold back the puke as his stomach lurched at the smell. He gagged loudly before letting go of the bed and reaching for the can on the floor barely grabbing it before he fell. He could hear Snape moving probably to put the tray away somewhere before the urge to throw up overwhelmed him.

Seeing double vision; he still tried to empty his entire contents of his stomach into the can, only to notice with a sick feeling that he had missed. He felt the warmth of his sick on his socks, and these nice soft pajamas he was wearing catching the brunt of it, he vaguely remember in primary school about projectile vomiting. Was he doing that?

Harry was aware that the trashcan was moved by another hand just under his mouth, unable to stop throwing up. He felt like he would never stop, his throat was killing him, and every time he tried to take a breath he would puke again. Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse he suddenly felt warmth in his lap, and over his bum. His eyes widen in horror as he reached out with one hand to grab himself to stop it but he couldn’t. Harry let the tears come, feeling the most humiliated he had ever been in his life.

Severus had heard the alarm signaling that Harry was awake but he had been in the middle of preparing the child a lunch he might want to eat. He took a few more minutes before he entered Harry’s room only to find him looking like he might be ill any second, or pass out one. What was the child doing out of bed? His question was answered when the boy reached for the bin on the floor and Severus could have kicked himself at his negligence. He had meant to leave it close to the bed in case Harry needed to use it but he had forgotten.

As he set the tray down he was aware of the child being sick and turned around to see him just miss the can and he winced. This was gross but it wasn’t Harry’s fault and he wouldn’t blame him for this. Grabbing the can he held it steady under his mouth, waiting for the bout of vomiting could pass before handing him a another stomach calming draught. He settled himself next to the boy gently rubbing his back, wishing that Harry didn’t have to go through this.

As Harry started another round of emptying his stomach, Severus became aware of something warm just underneath him and he looked down to see Harry grab himself and a rapidly spreading puddle on his carpet. Severus sighed loudly he was messing up left and right. He hadn’t even thought of the boy having to use the bathroom, this was why he couldn’t be a healer. His bedside manner was horrible.

Finally Harry stopped and Severus took that moment to get him to swallow the potion before gently standing up. He pulled out his wand to clean himself only to stop as he looked at the child on the floor.

“I’m sorry sir, I’ll clean it up,” Harry said quietly as he cried.

“You’re sick child, and you will most certainly not be cleaning anything up. There’s nothing to be sorry for, I should have remembered to leave the can by the bed,” Severus replied before gently picking up the boy in his arms.

Quickly spelling the can and the mess on the floor he carried Harry to the bathroom. There he started a nice warm bath and started to undress the child in his arms who had a steady stream of silent tears falling down his face. Not knowing how to fix the tears, Severus gently set him into the tub and washed him. Sometime alone the bath, the boy dropped off having cried himself to sleep.

The next few days Severus waited on Harry whenever he needed him and even when he didn’t. He was always in the boy’s room when he woke up, having never wanting Harry to feel like that again. And his efforts paid off.

3 days later Harry woke up with a smile on his face, his body didn’t hurt and he didn’t feel like he might want to be sick. In fact he felt hungry, as he pulled the blankets out he caught sight of the man who had been there for him sleeping in a chair. Had the man been sleeping there all the time?

 Harry felt a new emotion running through him; he had never had anyone to stay with him while he had been sick. He loved the fact that he wasn’t dealing with it alone. During the time he was ill Snape hadn’t yelled, or glared or scowled or anything. Dare he say it, Snape had been nice.

Wanting to return the favor Harry tiptoed pass the man and out the door wanting to grab a shower before he did anything. By the time Harry had made it back to his room the man was gone, and for a second he wonder if because he was better Snape didn’t feel like he had to spend time with him? No sooner had he thought that, the man himself appeared in new clothes and though he wouldn’t call it a smile it wasn’t a scowl either.

“How do you feel child?” Severus asked.

“Good, I feel really good,” Harry replied honestly as his stomach growled.

“Don’t forget hungry, let’s go so you can eat,” Severus replied with a smirk before heading downstairs.

After breakfast and after checking Harry’s temperature; ‘just in case’ Severus had said he quickly flooed the Burrow to let Molly know that Ronald could come over.

“Ron’s coming over? I didn’t know that,” Harry asked with a smile.

“He wanted to see you, and you could use another visit since your last one didn’t turn out so well.” Severus replied dryly.

“Good, I wanna show him my room,” Harry replied happily.

“And you can, Harry I will be gone for about an hour or so,” Severus said quietly.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked curiously.

“To Hogwarts, I have to talk to Albus about something important.” Severus said unaware that he had just sent Harry into a panic.

“Is this about when I hid from you? I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean too,” Harry replied quickly.

“Harry child, I promise you this has nothing to do about that. We have settled that have we not? I merely just need to ask Albus a question on his new grading scale.” Severus told him lying smoothly. He didnt want to upset the child by bringing up Umbridge.

Thankfully Ronald chose that moment to floo in and after threatening them with an inch of their life if they were to leave the manor and go into rooms that were locked he quickly flooed to Hogwarts. As Severus landed in the Headmaster’s office he wasn’t at all surprised to see Minerva sitting across from him having tea.

“Severus, good morning my boy, but what are you doing here? Is something the matter with Harry?” Albus asked concern in his tone.

“Harry’s fine, he just recovered from a nasty bout of the flu. I am here because I require the use of your pensive.” Severus said calmly before spelling a privacy spell around them, so no one, not even the portraits could hear what was being said.

“Severus what is this about?” Albus asked getting up to grab the bowl and setting it in front of the Slytherin.

“Did either of you know that a Professor has been using a blood quill on the students?” Severus asked casually, as if he was only asking the time of day.

“Who dared to harm MY children?!” Albus said in a much to calm voice as his twinkling blue eyes hardened.

“Surely you’re mistaken!” Minerva said automatically dropping her cup of tea on the floor.

Severus resisted the urge to grab his wand; he could literally feel the anger and magic pulsing off of Albus in waves. Minerva must have felt it as well because she suddenly went quiet as they watch the leader of the light struggle to rein in his magic, least he hurt them all. He pulled out a vial of a calming potion and passed it over to his mentor who took it gratefully.

 The winds that had suddenly appeared in the office were gone and so was the rattling of portraits and all his trinkets. Severus looked at the man across the desk, knowing why the greatest Dark Lord of all time feared him. He would deny it forever, but Severus was actually scared of Albus at that moment.

He had forgotten that this kindly old man with his twinkling eyes and love of lemon drops was also the defeater of Gellert Grinnwald. He sat frozen in his seat as he waited for that ever annoying twinkle to come back. It didn’t, but the cold hard look in the blue eyes; were gone, and in its place was pure sadness. Severus didn’t understand at that moment.

“I’m sorry for frightening you my boy,” Albus replied sadly having seen the fear in the younger man’s eyes.

Minerva turned with surprise to look at Severus. Having been with Albus all these years she wasn’t a stranger to him nearly losing control. Though it was rare it happened to all of them at some point. Apparently Severus hadn’t had that pleasure, Albus was right she could see the fear in those dark eyes for only a second before they blanked over. Only here would Severus allow his emotions to show, and Minerva felt pleased to know that he included her in his list of people he could really trust.

“The pensive Albus, I think you and Minerva should have a look, before I say something I regret.” Severus said as he took the memory of Harry’s hands, and the talk he had with the Weasleys. He didn’t acknowledge the man’s apology. Besides what was there to say, there was no use lying since the man had seen through his mask anyway. He moved the bowl towards them and leaned back into the chair to wait as they entered the pensive.

Back at the Manor Harry and Ron were trying to figure out what to do. It was a huge house, but it also belonged to their potion’s master and they knew he would make good on his threat if something ended up broken or they ended up hurt after not listening to his warnings.

“Wanna go outside and fly?” Ron asked after a moment.

“I can’t that’s how I got sick in the first place, Snape says I don’t have a proper coat.” Harry explained as he stretched out on the couch.

“That sucks, so I guess we can’t do that,” Ron murmured from his own position on the love seat across from Harry.

“Yea,” Harry replied, bored to death.

“Hey Harry, has Snape been treating you right?” Ron asked softly.

“Yea he has. He took care of me when I was sick, you should have seen him Ron he was brill. He didn’t even get mad when I threw up everywhere,” Harry replied with a grin.

“Did he, well he carried you from the Burrow to here. He said he had to get you home,” Ron remembered fondly.

“I think he might like me now,” Harry said grin getting wider.

“That’s good mate, you need someone to look out for you,” Ron answered.

“Yea, he even told me he’s gonna get me clothes, since all I have are Dudley’s hand me downs. And he gave me my own room, its huge Ron. He told me it was especially for me.” Harry rattled on.

Ron found himself grinning as well, Harry’s mood was contagious. He wasn’t jealous in the slightest he was so happy for his mate. Harry didn’t have a lot of happiness in his life and he was happy that Snape could provide it. Of all people he had never considered his Potions teacher would make a good parent.

But the man was proving him wrong every time he saw it. Harry never liked to talk about himself but now it was like he couldn’t stop, Ron wasn’t going to burst his bubble. For one, he was sure that Umbridge was toast and he did not want to know what Snape would do to him if he upset Harry. He waited until Harry took a breath in his story before talking.

“Can I see your room Harry?” Ron asked quickly.

“Yep, it’s upstairs come on,” Harry said jumping off the sofa and leading Ron up the stairs.

At Hogwarts Severus was thinking of all his subtle poisons in his cabinet. He needed something that couldn’t be detected; Umbridge was going down. He shook his head as Minerva and Albus reemerged from the basin, Albus would never let him kill the witch. For one he couldn’t let go of his spy, not to mention Severus didn’t want to leave Harry without another guardian. He stilled in his chair at that thought, wondering when he start thinking about being a permanent guardian to the boy.

He chewed the inside of his lip, if Dumbledore hadn’t found a guardian for Harry by the time summer came around, would he allow Harry to stay with him then? He didn’t even know how Harry felt about that, and he wasn’t gonna bring it up unless it became a possibility.

“Now do you see, that witch used a blood quill on my students,” Severus said calmly.

“Why didn’t they tell us? Why would they want to keep this a secret?” Minerva asked tearfully.

“Funny you should ask that Minerva,” Severus asked as his eyes narrowed in anger. “You told Harry to keep his head down, when he was trying to tell you about her detentions. You brushed him off and as you can tell with the Weasleys they believed you; being that the Headmistress allowed it.” Severus answered quietly.

“I didn’t mean that, I just meant with Harry being vocal in her class. Oh what have I done?” Minerva said as he flopped down in her chair.

“Nonetheless, what are we going to do about her Albus?” Severus asked, ignoring the woman in the chair, in favor of seeing how the witch would suffer.

“Leave this to me Severus, Minerva and I will take care of her.”Albus said his eye gaining a glint.

“No, she hurt Lily’s child, I won’t stand by while you just talk to her.” Severus said as the rage in his chest built, for how much Harry seemed to suffer.

“Oh Severus, you don’t give me enough credit. I will make her rue the day she decided to use a blood quill under one Albus Dumbledore. Have you forgotten who defeated Gellert Grindwald?” Albus asked the cold hard look in his eyes coming back.

Severus shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. He didn’t care what Albus did to her, he would be getting his revenge. Anyone who had dared hurt his child would know that getting cursed was the least of their worries. He didn’t seem to notice the slip up, an after changing a few more pleasantries Severus flooed back to the Manor.