One of Those Days by Anthezar
Summary: One unlucky hit with a strange spell. That's all it took to alter the course of Harry's life - and everyone else's life around him. Bound to stay within ten feet of each other, Harry Potter and Severus Snape have to learn to get along or die trying.

But sometimes in the hardest of times, one can learn things never imagined possible. After all, the past doesn't define the future.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Dumbledore, Hermione, Luna, Ron, Sirius, Umbridge
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Angst, Drama, Family, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 5th Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys
Prompts: Teacher Attack!, Multiple Challenges, Harry's Rant, Joined at the Hip, Secrets
Challenges: Teacher Attack!, Multiple Challenges, Harry's Rant, Joined at the Hip, Secrets
Series: None
Chapters: 50 Completed: No Word count: 127595 Read: 355024 Published: 11 Jan 2014 Updated: 12 Mar 2020
Two: You and Me Together by Anthezar

It had to be at least a half an hour before Dumbledore stopped Snape. Harry had taken to sitting down in a chair near the wall, his two friends sitting on either side. They didn’t say much else during the whole thing, opting to stay quiet at his side. Harry figured he was in a bit of a shock about it, so he was thankful for their silence. His mind was racing about all the possibilities that this posed. What would happen if Harry tried to move further than ten feet away from Snape? What would the spell do to them? 

Where was he going to sleep now? Where was he going to eat? How was he going to go to classes? Oh, sweet Merlin—what about his detention tonight? He really didn’t want Snape to attend his detention with Umbridge. His friends didn’t even know what went on during her ‘sessions’. He just told them lines and made very sure to hide his hand from their view. The last thing he needed was Snape to have more ammo to make fun of him. 

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, his voice gentle, yet rising above the furious tirade that Snape was going through for the third time. The old man was ignored. “Severus.” 

The old man’s voice turned stern. Harry broke out of his thoughts, feeling alert by the powerful tone. It seemed to do the trick because Snape stopped. He gave out a low huff before turning to the Headmaster. 

“Yes, Albus?” answered Snape through gritted teeth, each word appearing to take every last bit of his energy. 

“As much as we all would like to hear you speak numerous threats—” There was a twinkling of the old man’s eyes as Snape glowered at him. “—I feel it’s time for us to move onto the real issue of the matter. I shall leave Mr. Malfoy’s punishment to you, since you are his head of house.” Malfoy paled at this. “Do try to leave something left of him.” 

“With pleasure,” sneered Snape, sending a withering glare to the teen. 

“You’re dismissed to your dormitory, Mr. Malfoy. I must insist that you keep quiet about this matter until we have a proper story on hand.” 

Malfoy fled the room immediately, not before giving Dumbledore a shaky nod. 

Harry’s stomach turned. Malfoy had been the buffer for Snape’s rage. Now with him gone, there was no one to take the full brunt of the man’s antagonism. It was already happening, too. Snape was turning his head towards Harry with the utmost amount of loathing in his eyes. There was a glare that was lifting his face. All in all, Harry knew that he needed to get away from the man. 

He wasn’t sure what came over him. Maybe that look had reminded him of how his Uncle Vernon got whenever Harry did accidental magic. Or maybe that look said, ‘I am going to kill you, Potter.’ Whatever it was, that look sent an instinctual need to get away

Harry bolted. 

He heard his friends cry out to him, but he didn’t listen. He ran to the door without so much as a glance behind himself. He barely made it to the stairs when he felt a fiery pain wash over his entire body. Before he could even consider the pain, there was a jerk to his navel. Instantly, he was pulled backwards through the air until he crashed into something, toppling to the floor for the second time that day. 

And apparently, it was Snape’s second time, too. 

Potter! What the devil do you think you are doing!?” hissed a furious voice behind Harry. 

His life was over. Yup, it was officially over. Harry James Potter was currently on top of Professor Severus Snape and for some strange reason, he couldn’t detach himself from the man. He was dead. Snape was gonna kill him. Forget Voldemort. Forget Umbridge. Forget Uncle Vernon. Snape was going to off him right then and there – in front of his friends and Dumbledore no less. 

He did notice, with a thankful heart, that the pain had subsided – not that it mattered, since his approaching death was imminent. 

Get off me!” snapped Snape, pushing against Harry’s back. This time, Harry managed to get off of the man. However, those hands wouldn’t detach. It was a terrible struggle to stand up, but the two of them managed it. But every time Snape tried to pull his hands free, Harry felt himself being dragged back with them. 

It was as if Snape’s hands were stuck to his back. 

“Albus! What is happening here?” demanded Snape, almost sounding desperate now. Harry turned his head to see the headmaster looking thoroughly pleased with something. It was more than a bit unnerving. Didn’t the old man fear for Harry’s life here? 

“I believe that little effect will fade in about ten minutes,” said Dumbledore cheerfully. 

What effect?!” 

“If either of you attempt to break the distance allowed, you’ll be forced back together – much like Harry here was – and you’ll both be stuck together for about ten minutes as a determent from attempting to get away from each other again. You must be touching as you see there. You can probably move one hand to his shoulder and remove the other one.” 

“Or to his neck…” muttered Snape darkly. 

“Oh, it’d be best if you didn’t strangle him, Severus.” 

Oh, and just why not?” snarled Snape, giving his hands a single wrench to pull them free – to no avail and causing Harry to jerk back. He couldn’t believe how casually these two men were talking about his potential death. 

“Because the spell would take you with him.” 

Oh, thank Merlin. There was some insurance. If Snape didn’t want to die, then he couldn’t kill Harry. That had to be a good thing. Right? Ah, but the amount of jerking that Harry was currently enduring as Professor Snape did his absolute best to remove his hands from Harry’s back was showing that perhaps he’ll experience an intense amount whiplash instead. 

“Severus,” chided Dumbledore. 

Snape’s hand moved to Harry’s shoulder. The hand squeezed in a way that was anything but gentle. Snape’s other hand was able to pull away. Thus, the two of them were standing side by side with Snape’s hand on Harry’s shoulder. To someone who didn’t know the two, it could’ve seemed like loving scene between a father and son or an uncle and nephew. 

Obviously, it was everything but that

“Albus, how in Merlin’s name are we supposed to function like this?” asked Severus, thoroughly exasperated by this point. 

He was extremely furious with Draco at that moment. How dare the little monster do this to him! Even if it was unintentional, this still was absolutely infuriating. Didn’t Albus fully understand the issues this was going to cause? Ten feet! That wasn’t very far. It meant that Potter had to be with him at all times. The blasted brat was going to have to move into his quarters – if Albus even suggested that he move in with the boy at the tower, Severus was going to quit everything and move out of the country to Alaska. 

No, no, no, no, the Potter brat was not going to stay with him in his quarters. No. 

And what about classes? Severus had numerous classes during the day, as did Potter. The classrooms were certainly further apart than ten feet. Not to mention meals – perhaps the boy could eat at the end of the table close to the staff table… 

The more Severus thought about all the logistics, the more overwhelmed he became. This spell tore his life apart; tiny little shredded pieces until there was nothing left. What were those parents thinking in ancient days? This was a horrible spell; a horrible discipline technique. Didn’t they believe in corporal punishment back then? Just wallop the little urchins and be done with the whole matter! There was no need to get creative.

Why… was Albus giving him that twinkling look again? 

Oh, Merlin save them all – Severus didn’t even want to think about if the Dark Lord called him during this mess… 

“I suppose you’ll have to figure it out,” said Dumbledore, smiling broadly. Severus experienced a homicidal moment there. “Think of it as an opportunity to get to know one another better. Might even be bit of an adventure.” 

“More like a nightmare,” whispered Weasley to Granger. 

Albus!” snapped Severus, ignoring the red headed brat. “Are you even thinking about the problems this will cause? Where is the boy going to sleep? What about his classes? What about my classes? What are we going to tell people? What if I’m called away on… on Order business? This is a disaster waiting to explode in our faces, and you dare sit there with those blasted twinkling eyes – sucking on a lemon drop, I might add – and not sound in the least bit worried about this whole affair?! Are you finally going senile?!” 

Harry’s mouth dropped in shock as he stared up at the man. He couldn’t believe the tone Snape was taking with Dumbledore. It was downright scary. Snape literally looked as if he were about to spit fire at any moment. And he was stuck to this man who was about to blow up. 

“Well, Harry will just have to move in with you,” suggested Dumbledore amiably, popping another lemon drop into his mouth. 

Harry’s own dropped. Live with Snape? He wouldn’t survive the first night. Snape could finally use him for potions ingredients in the privacy of his own home – there’d be no one to stop him. Surely Snape had his ways of harvesting ingredients without killing the subject, Harry just knew it. 

“As for all the other issues, I’m sure we can work on a class schedule that’d work for both of you,” continued Dumbledore, still smiling so brightly as if there wasn’t a care in the world. 

“There is no room in my quarters for a boy,” said Severus, glaring at Albus for even suggesting he allow this brat within his rooms. 

“Oh… I’m sure you’ll find the castle is most accommodating in times of need.” 

Those eyes were twinkling again. 

Blast it! It was like Albus knew this was going to happen. Either that or he was enjoying himself far too much. 

“I’m not allowing this brat into my rooms.” 

“Severus…” 

No! Those were his quarters. He did not want this precocious, annoying, bratty, messy teenager mucking about amongst his things. Not to mention this was Potter. Merlin knows what trouble he’d get into within the first five minutes in his quarters. His rooms were the only sanctuary he had in this castle. 

Severus was cursed. That was the only explanation for this entire nonsense. While normally he could take such things in stride, this was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. 

Just wait, dear Mr. Malfoy. Severus was going to make that boy regret ever lifting his wand towards another student. 

Harry tried to take offence at ‘brat’, but he figured that was pretty tame for Snape at the moment. At least that hand on his shoulder wasn’t digging into his skin any more. After experiencing way too many years underneath his relatives’ cruelty, the touch on his shoulder wasn’t an unpleasant one. He tried not to think about it, though. The owner of said touch was too busy arguing it out with Dumbledore to even notice. 

“Couldn’t we just sleep in the hospital wing?” suggested Harry. “I mean, until this spell passes over?” 

For a brief moment, even Snape looked hopeful at that suggestion. Apparently, sleeping in the hospital wing was a much more inviting option than allowing Harry into his rooms. 

I bet he sleeps in a coffin… thought Harry, and doesn’t want anyone to know. 

“Well, I suppose you could,” said Dumbledore with a considering tilt of his head. “But this spell won’t just go away on its own. It’s possible it might take weeks, even months in your case, before it’s broken. I highly doubt Severus will want to sleep in the hospital wing for months.” 

There was a deep groan as Snape lifted his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose before dragging his hand downward.

“Oh, sweet Merlin help us,” muttered Snape. 

Months! This was going to be for months?! Harry almost dropped to his knees in shock at the implications of that. Months. He was going to have to stay with Snape for months. He wasn’t going to live long enough. Snape would kill him and probably in the attempt of his own suicide. 

“But…” began Harry, his eyes widening slowly. He glanced over at his friends. Both were giving him pitying looks. Well, that wasn’t helpful. Nope, not at all. 

“Albus… How do we break the spell?” asked Snape, his tone going uncharacteristically soft. He sounded tired and Harry couldn’t help but feel a tad bad for the man. 

But he was in the same boat, too. He didn’t want to live with Snape, any more than Snape wanted Harry to live with him. Then again, it didn’t really matter any more. His dormmates weren’t exactly kind to him. All because of the Daily Prophet’s lies. This year had to be the worst so far – even with Voldemort’s return and Cedric’s death the previous school term. The Dursleys hated him, his housemates hated him, and Snape hated him. It would appear that Harry was destined to live where everyone hated him. 

Not that he cared much. Although, he was going to miss Ron. Harry tried to block everything out at that moment; ignoring the raging emotions that were threatening to drown him in their waves. Not caring was the only way to survive at that moment. 

“I think the two of you will have to figure that out on your own,” said Dumbledore, pulling Harry out of his thoughts once again. “If I told you, then it’s possible you’ll never break the spell.” 

“Albus!” shouted Snape, slamming his free hand down on Dumbledore’s desk, causing Harry to flinch. “This is not a game! Do not dare withhold information from me!” 

“Severus, I think you’ll find that your quarters have now been altered for you,” continued Dumbledore, completely ignoring Snape’s outburst. “Harry, the house elves will move you things into your new room. I’m sure you’ll want to get settled, so why don’t you and—” 

There was a deafening growl. 

“Come, Potter!” snapped Snape furiously, his hand moving to Harry’s neck. “We are leaving this mad old man.” 

Before Harry could say anything more, he was guided out of the room by Snape’s hand – barely managing a glance backwards to see his friends giving him sad, but encouraging waves. 

It was probably the last time he’d see them… 

The door shut behind Harry and Snape. Ron felt at a loss about what he could do for his friend. He seriously hoped that Harry would last. He was going to have to tell his friend to keep his temper down – shockingly. Ron fully admitted that he was the first to go off on Snape, but that wasn’t going to help Harry. Especially since he had to live with the Greasy Git. 

“I give it a week.” 

Ron turned to the headmaster, relief building up inside his chest. 

“A week—you mean Harry’ll be free of the spell in a week?” asked Ron hopefully. 

“Oh, no, Mr. Weasley. A week before those two kill each other,” said Dumbledore, almost cheerfully. He smiled at the two dumbfounded teens left in his office, lifting that old tin which no doubt contained the sweet he was about to offer them, “You sure you wouldn’t like a lemon drop?”

To be continued...


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