With a sigh Severus stood up and considered his new charge. Even if the potion had not revealed some rather startling news, he had already made his promise to Harry to protect him. A promise he had once made to Lily and had long since forgotten, or perhaps ignored in favor of holding onto petty grudges that were not Harry's to bear. Seeing a child so in need though... it was a hard pill to swallow to realize he'd let his first promise fall to naught. It was also a good motivating factor to keep both the first and second promise, even if they were one in the same.

Deciding to let the boy... his son, sleep under the bed until he woke again of his own accord, Severus went to his own bed and lay on his back, unable to sleep despite his own fatigue. He'd already let Draco know they were back, and now his only worries consisted of his own thoughts that flitted through his mind, some lingering longer than others. He had not been kind to Harry Potter in any sense of the word, not before this day, ever. Feeling uncertain about becoming the father of the boy who lived so suddenly was enough to hold back this revelation from Harry, just so that he could have more time to deal with it on his own. But his real concern was that Harry was unstable from his ordeal this summer, and he would only be compounding the problem by telling him that the one who was unkind to him for these many years was indeed his father. No, it was best to keep it to himself for now, perhaps forever. There were also other factors to consider, such as the part he would play in the fast approaching battle that he hoped would end the war. Harry would play a part in that battle too, he reminded himself as he stared at his dark ceiling. Unable to turn his mind off, it was many hours before Severus finally fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Harry?"

Harry cracked his eyes open to find himself under an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, Draco peering at him from where his face was pressed to the floor a few feet away.

Harry pulled himself out from under the bed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, noting for a moment that it looked as if Draco felt awkward as well.

"Want to get some lunch?" Draco asked finally a moment later, and Harry nodded. Still dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing for more than 24 hours now, Harry followed Draco out of Snape's quarters and up through the Dungeons, although he felt uncomfortable doing so. If anything, yesterday had just proved to him that Sirius could in fact get to him anywhere, especially since he knew where Harry was staying now.

"Where'd you go?" Draco asked as they sat down, Harry facing the door as was his custom now.

"Don't know. Just ran."

"Did- did Sirius do anything?"

"I er- I don't really know. I fell backwards and the next thing I knew Professor Snape was tackling him."

"You're kidding? He tackled him?"

"It was sort of epic actually. Like two people colliding on brooms mid-air. I don't know who won."

"Well I'm sure it was Uncle Severus, don't you think? I mean, he did run Black right out of the castle, didn't he?"

Harry looked uncomfortable again, and then asked uncertainly, "Did he?"

Draco nodded. "That's what he said anyhow. He put wards up around the castle to prevent Black from entering while he was out looking for you."

They were quiet for a while as Draco pretended to eat. In reality he wanted to know what had happened to Harry, whom he hadn't seen properly for three days now.

"How far did you get then?"

Harry shrugged. "I was at a river when he found me... I was trying to figure out if I wanted to cross it there."

"Illetherian River? It was up towards the mountains right?"

Harry nodded and then Draco said, "It feeds the lake. I went fishing there once with grandpa."

"Oh."

"You didn't try to cross did you? It can get fairly deep."

Harry scratched the back of his head again and said, "Well I did when I saw Snape coming after me. I didn't want to come back. I got swept under and he had to drag me out."

Draco nodded as if he had expected as much. "You're lucky you weren't in a deeper part. Uncle Severus can't swim you know."

Harry looked up at this. "He can't?"

"Nope. You should have seen him in fourth year when you were in the lake during the tournament. He held on to a post on the lake platform and never let go. I don't think he would have gone out at all except I think all the professors had to in case something happened."

They finished their lunch with Draco moving on to other subjects, but Harry wasn't listening because he was deep in thought about his Professor who had literally risked his life to save him by venturing out into the water. Not only that, but he had done it despite any fears he might have had. All the way back to the castle, and well into his dreams Harry had doubted the man's promise to him to make him feel safe, but now he'd have to reevaluate his feelings on the matter again. The only ones who'd risked their lives for Harry before were his parents, his friends, and Sirius. He again remembered his panic at seeing Sirius getting hit by a curse square in the chest in the Department of Mysteries, and then his relief afterwards, and again was swept with a wave of regret for thinking that maybe it would have been better if he hadn't survived.

"Well I for one am glad you're back," Draco said as they stood from lunch.

"Since when?"

Draco grinned. "Since my new broom came in yesterday afternoon and I need someone to go flying with."

"Psh." Harry rolled his eyes. He had still been considering buying a new broom himself, but at the same time was reluctant to let go of the one his almost father had given him.

"Going to start that Potion's business then?" Draco's eyebrows were raised in curiosity.

Scratching the back of his neck Harry said, "I haven't gone out to talk to the apothecary in Hogsmead."

"We can go today then," Draco said. "Find out what potions they want to pay for-" but he stopped talking when he saw the look on Harry's face as he held one arm tightly and looked away.

"Right," Draco finished. "Bet your tired then. How ‘bout this then... I'll go into town to talk to the bloke that runs the shop, and I get the first ride on your new broom when you get it... fresh out of the package."

Harry peered up at him through long bangs. "Why are you doing this?"

Draco smiled. "Not everybody gets to ride on two new brooms in one year." He stood then and picked up an apple from the table, throwing it once into the air and then taking a bite after he caught it. "See you ‘round dinner then, and you look at that broom catalog again," and then Draco was gone.

Harry frowned, and for the first time wondered what Ron and Hermione would say when they found out he was now friends with Draco Malfoy. A friend who would take care of him like this was a friend worth keeping. He just hoped that Ron saw it that way.

Harry did not go and look at the broom catalog because he had too much on his mind. He doubted very much that the apothecary would want to have dealings with an underage wizard in any case.

As Harry sat in a darkened hidden corridor behind a tapestry of Helga Hufflepuff up on the second floor, he wondered that Snape had let him stay in his quarters while he slept. The man had even given him hot chocolate before he'd gone to sleep, although Harry had been so tired physically and emotionally he'd barely had a sip of it before going out like a light. Harry bit his lip as he thought about where he'd sleep tonight. Surely the man wouldn't let him stay a second time, but Harry felt more on edge about Sirius than ever before and knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at all in Gryffindor tower.

Thankfully Harry was briefly given something else to think of just before dinner that night when Draco found him coming down into the Entrance Hall.

"Just remember, you promised the first flight to me," he said as he handed Harry a piece of parchment.

"What's this?"

"That's the list of potions he wants. He'll give you a sickle for each gallon. If you use a big cauldron you'll get two gallons for each one you brew."

"And he just agreed?"

"Well, not exactly," Draco hedged. "I had to sell him on it, but once I'd dropped your name he scribbled down this list."

Harry let his eyes scan the list again. He knew four of the ten potions. He supposed he could learn the others.

"Brewing's not allowed anywhere but in the dungeons if you're not a professor," Harry said then, and Draco nodded.

"After dinner I'll show you a small room Snape sometimes lets the Slytherin Prefects use. It's got a lock and everything so nobody can disturb your potions."

Harry folded the list and followed Draco into the Great Hall. He was hesitant to do the brewing even though he wanted the money, but on the other hand he felt like having something to do would take his mind off of things. Maybe he could brew at night when he was avoiding sleep.

"Are you going to trade the other broom in then?"

Shrugging Harry said, "I don't know. Maybe Ron would like to have it."

"Hm."

Harry knew Draco and Ron still didn't get along well, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it he thought. He had too much else to deal with for the time being.

After dinner Draco showed Harry the brewing room as promised. It was little bigger than a broom closet but it had a workbench and stool and was big enough for two cauldrons. There were several skinny shelves above the workbench and Harry thought he could store some of his ingredients there. He didn't want to haul his tools back and forth either so he'd have to get a box and keep it under the table.

"You can use my cauldron," Draco said, "then you'll have two. The bottom potion on the list has to brew overnight anyway."

Harry pulled out the list again and realized he didn't know how to brew that one.

"What is it?"

"It's a hair cream. Pansy doesn't have the money to buy it so we learned to brew it."

"Can you show me?"

Draco nodded. "You go get your cauldron and tools and I'll meet you back here in a few minutes."

Harry hurried up to his dormitory and gathered his necessary supplies, as well as Ron's old fifth year Potion's book and came back down. Draco was already in the room and had about twelve jars of ingredients.

"The hair cream takes all of those?"

"No," Draco said, "but some of the other potions do. You might as well go to the supply closet and get another armful of supplies."

Harry hesitated. "Snape will notice they're gone."

"Not his private stores," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "The student supply cupboard. Don't you ever brew outside of class?"

"Only when Hermione's brewing Polyjuice to get us into Slytherin common room."

"What?"

Harry smirked and chose that moment to go to the supply cupboard. When he got back Draco pointed his little chopping knife at Harry and said, "You'd better explain about the Polyjuice," before he went back to chopping the daisy roots.

"Only that we wanted to know if you were the one setting the Basilisk loose, so Ron and I impersonated Crabbe and Goyle."

"Ugh! It was you! I knew there was something wrong with them that night!" Draco tossed the frayed end of the root at Harry who gave a little laugh, feeling good at being able to forget some of his other troubles just now.

"Well we knew you were innocent at least."

"I'll get even, just you watch."

"Well good luck. Hermione had to steal from Snape's private stores, and to this day he insists it was me who broke in and took ingredients."

"Then you've had your payback then." They brewed for an hour, Draco writing down the instructions for the hair cream and showing Harry how to prepare it before he said he had summer homework to finish and went Slytherin common room.

Harry felt alone and uneasy again once Draco had left, and looked around the cramped space. There had been barely enough room for he and Draco to stand next to each other at the work bench against the wall, but now that Draco was gone Harry almost felt as if the walls were closing in. Even so, he wondered if there were a way to expand the room a little so he could conjure a bed or something, not that he'd sleep in it. At least he'd be close to the other two occupants of the castle and Sirius would never think to look for him down here.

Deciding that he would at least need a pillow if he was going to sleep on the floor under the workbench for the night, Harry left the room, locking it behind him. He stuck his hands in his pockets and made his way towards the stairs that would lead him up and out of the Dungeons. He found himself slowing as he passed Professor Snape's quarters however, and wishing he knew the password as Draco did so he could just sneak in and sleep under the guest bed again. He lingered for a moment longer before he continued on up and out of the dungeons. Once he was in Gryffindor tower, he felt too fatigued to go back to the dungeons, and so warded his room closed and climbed under his bed, though he didn't sleep at all, and left early in the morning to go back and check on his potions.

* * *

It had been three days since Harry had slept, and after finishing seven sickles worth of potions with Draco, Harry had decided to take a break before he made any explosive mistakes. He couldn't think properly and was feeling sick from the lack of sleep. A headache had taken permanent hold over him and despite his desire to lay down and doze throughout the day, he could never manage, no matter the number of wards he put up around Gryffindor tower, his bed, or even the dungeon room he brewed in.

He'd seen Snape several times since the man had retrieved him, but aside from the feeling that he was watching him, Harry had no interactions with him, mostly because he made himself scarce or avoided eye contact. He had started to feel bad that Snape had risked his life going into the water after him. The man didn't even like him, and it confused Harry the more tired he became, trying to wonder what would possess him to try to save Harry.

Draco had offered to get some sleep potion for Harry, but Harry refused. If he took a potion he was bound not to wake up of his own accord if he were being attacked or kidnapped. No, that wouldn't do at all.

And so it was on Thursday evening, after nearly four days without sleep, Harry found himself in an embarrassing predicament. He'd decided to go to the dungeons to organize some ingredients just to make himself useful when a wave of dizziness and nausea overtook him. He found his way to a dungeon wall to ride out the dizziness when Snape's voice announced his presence.

"You look pale Potter."

"Don- don't f- feel s'good," Harry mumbled before promptly collapsing at the Potion Master's feet. He woke a few moments later as Snape tried to rouse him, but his vision was blurry and his limbs felt like dead weight.

"Are you sick?" Snape asked, trying to assess Harry's condition, but Harry waved him away trying to get himself some of his personal space back. Snape didn't budge though.

"Jus' tireds'all."

"How long has it been since you slept last?"

"Mmmm... since your quarters." Harry gave an unbidden little giggle then and clamped his hand over his mouth, unsure why he felt silly when his body felt so horrible.

"I hope you haven't been brewing in this condition." He reached under Harry's knees and shoulders and before Harry knew what was happening he was being lifted into the air.

"You know about that?"

"When the ingredients cupboard goes empty and you and Draco are frequently to be seen coming from the brewing room, I just assumed."

Harry giggled again even as he felt lightheaded and his head throbbed. He still wasn't aware of how close he was to the man or that he was being carried.

"You c'n be pretty smart sometimes pr'fesser."

"Yes, I do surprise myself sometimes Mr. Potter," he said.

Harry looked around, confused to suddenly find himself in a bedroom as he was being laid on a bed.

"What's this?"

"A bed. I presume you are familiar with the concept of sleep."

Harry rolled away from the man despite his clouded brain telling him he wouldn't be able to sleep. "Maybe I'll just close my eyes then-"

Severus waited for Harry to finish what he was saying, but no more words were forthcoming and he moved to the foot of the bed to see that Harry's eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling slowly. Draco was right, Harry hadn't been sleeping. An interesting concept then that the boy would fall asleep in his quarters, although he reminded himself, four days without sleep would do that to a person.

A few hours later, Severus was consternated to come back to find the bed empty once more. A sneaker peeked out from under the bed however and Snape knew his son was safe, if even not from himself. He would give Harry some more time to deal with it after he'd had some time to sleep. One couldn't rush the healing of a deep hurt. Magic could not fix all things.