S.S.

Severus sat in his usual armchair surrounded by his notes and stared contemplatively into the fire. He was loathe to send the boy back to Lupin or that imbecilic dog he called his godfather, not by himself at least. The boy was obviously deeply disappointed, not to mention angry, and the child had a temper like his mother. There was every chance that leaving them to their own devices could cause them to alienate him further.

It was strange to imagine that he'd been attempting to console Harry Potter over the behaviour of his father. He'd never anticipated that kind of reaction from the child. He should have expected that the boy had been bullied by his cousin. It was obvious even in that short time he'd seen him with his family that the boy could quite easily get away with physically hurting Harry, and he'd even seemed to expect it. The very fact that he did not fight back or complain, that was incredibly out of character for the young Gryffindor.

Harry. Severus mulled the name over. Could it have been a mistake to agree to that? Need it be that significant? The child merely wanted to ensure that he wasn't seen as his father and that wasn't a terrible reason to change how he addressed him, not in the circumstances, and the child's temper did need to be appeased, if only to prevent him doing himself more damage.

The issue of Lupin and his godfather could be put to one side for the moment. He would not be seeing them again until Severus had a word with them. It was one time too many that he'd seen the boy come back less than impressed from his time with them. What did they think the boy was coming to them for? How difficult was it for them to keep the boy entertained for a few hours? It didn't take much to keep him happy; he had been thrilled at the beach, even left to his own devices.

The boy's blasted sidekicks coming to the castle was not what he wanted. Having to be in charge of another two Gryffindors was well above and beyond the call of duty. It would not be a good idea to let them know that he and the boy were on somewhat better terms. Any chance of him going back to spying when the time came would be blown out of the water if he was seen to be friendly with the child and that was not something they could afford.

The Dark Lord certainly would rise again, and it seemed that the day was getting nearer and nearer ever since that blasted rat escaped. He would go back into his service for Lily; he owed her that much for what he did. Had he known that the prophecy could mean her...

Severus shook himself from the dark thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him and glanced over to the boy's room, where the door had been left ajar. He'd not come out after Severus had healed him and  he ought to check on him.

At least he had news that would put him in a better frame of mind. He didn't want the boy wallowing in misery until the situation was remedied.

"Your friends will arrive at the castle in two days," he said, leaning against the door frame. Harry looked up from his quidditch magazine grinning widely at the news.

"I know. Ron told me when they were coming in his letter," he replied, nodding towards his desk where the letter in question lay.

"There will be rules for when they arrive. I will not have you three running amok in my quarters or under my care." Harry gave him a look that said 'when have I ever 'run amok?' "That cloak of yours is to stay away, is that clear?" Severus said firmly in answer to Harry's look. "I will not have you disregarding my rules as you three do with those of the school."

"I won't. And I don't disregard school rules," Harry replied indignantly. "Well, not much and only if I have to," he amended with a shrug.

"I believe we covered the fact that you never had to do any of those ridiculously dangerous stunts you pulled. Nevertheless, you will not feel any need to break my rules while your guests are here."

"I wasn't going to, and I never broke you rules on purpose."

Severus inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. "You have been better behaved than I expected. Regarding what we discussed earlier, I will not be referring to you by your given name in front of your friends. I do not wish them to believe that my opinion towards you has changed," Severus said, judging that it would be far better for him to be warned in advance, rather than spring it on him just before his friends arrived. He'd need time to adjust to the idea; Gryffindors had no Slytherin subtlety.

"Why not?" the boy asked abruptly, interrupting Severus' train of thought.

Severus sent him a hard look. "I have a reputation to uphold. It is of vital importance that as few people as possible are aware that I am anything other than your least favourite teacher," he said, only to be met with a furious glare.

"Fine, sir," Harry replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm on the 'Sir', making to climb off his bed. He grabbed his pyjamas from his cupboard and went into the adjacent bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Attitude, Potter," Severus yelled, sneering to himself as he realised what he'd said. It was a surprisingly hard habit to break. Potter came rather more automatically than Harry...

"What do you think you're doing?" he questioned as soon as the now pyjama-clad boy reappeared from the bathroom.

"Going to bed, sir," was the short reply he received as Harry pulled up the covers and flicked his wand to get the lights to turn off.

"Po- It is eight o'clock."

"I'm not allowed to go to bed?" Harry bit out angrily, sitting back up.

Severus had had enough for one day and shut the door with a snap. Perhaps the boy was tired. He had been out all day and was more than likely emotionally exhausted as well. Perhaps his attitude would improve by morning. He had thought that the boy would be more mature about the situation; it was hardly as if he was going back on his word.

H.P.

Harry scowled darkly at the door as Snape slammed it shut. He couldn't believe it. He thought that they were getting on! Snape was being, well, sort of decent. He was listening to him, he'd stopped insulting him all the time, he took him to the beach, and he even he bought him a birthday present for Merlin's sake! But then maybe this explains his behaviour at his birthday meal. He obviously didn't want anyone to know that they'd been getting on because he was ashamed of him or something.

If he hated the idea of people associating them with each other then why'd he even bother being nicer to him in the first place? And where did Snape get off being ashamed of him? And why did he have to say this today when everything had gone wrong?

Harry threw the covers over his head, ignoring the pain in his shoulder from earlier in the day. Going to the ice rink seemed so long ago now. At least his friends would be here soon.

The next day it was potions again first thing and Harry dragged himself out of bed, not at all looking forward to the day ahead.

He sat himself down at the table silently, not looking at Snape, and determining to eat his food as quickly as possible. Harry shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth, all the while considering how Snape was such a gigantic hypocrite. If he thought the way he had been treating him in the past was so wrong then why didn't he want people to know that things had changed? And if he didn't want people to know that they were getting on better then how would he act in class? 

It didn't make any sense! Snape wasn't just being decent to him, he damn near gave him a hug hours before he'd gone and said that. Maybe he regretted it though, maybe he thought Harry had been too clingy and now he didn't want some whiny kid trailing around after him… Harry flushed with embarrassment. No wonder Snape didn't want to be friendly with him in front of people, he probably thought he was going to embarrass him.

He really didn't want to spend the day with Snape or do his potions class, but he couldn't risk giving Snape an opportunity to stop his friends from coming up, not now that he didn't have anyone all over again. He couldn't decide whether he was more angry at Snape or angry at himself.

It turned out that he was both and Snape did not appreciate him taking it out on his ingredients.

"Stop mutilating your flobberworms. What an utter waste of potions ingredients," Snape snarled, casting an evanesco over Harry's desk where flobberworm slices littered the table. "Are you under the impression that I have unlimited stocks for you to destroy?"

"No."

"Start over," Snape ordered. Harry couldn't help but notice that he hadn't called him by his name all day. He hadn't called him Potter either, but it was like he was trying to avoid saying it at all. "You remember where the cupboard is, yes?" Snape questioned sarcastically when Harry didn't move. Harry threw him a dark glare, stalking angrily past him to get to the store cupboard.

The flobberworms were on a high level for Harry. No doubt for Snape it was easy enough to reach, but Harry was short for his age. He went on his toes trying to get as high as possible and stretched his hand up as far as it would go, forgetting that he'd hurt his shoulder until he felt a searing pain that had him automatically yanking his arm back down to his side, making him lose his balance and fall hard enough onto the shelves for them to wobble precariously.

He breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't knocked the whole lot of them over, only realising that he'd unseated some of the jars higher up as the shelf righted itself. A heavy jar of flobberworms smashed onto the floor, narrowly missing his head. Someone firmly gripped his shoulder and pulled him backwards just as three more glass jars followed.

The pain flared yet again and Harry couldn't help but yelp, twisting roughly out of Snape's grasp. His teacher's eyes narrowed but he didn't comment. "What did you think you were doing?" 

"I was getting the flobberworms like you said," Harry replied defensively, his hand automatically going to his shoulder. Did Snape have to grab him so hard? Snape was watching him intently and he quickly dropped his hand back to his side.

"Come here," Snape ordered, pulling out his wand.

"What? No, I'm fine."

"I'd like to check if you need healing. Come here."

"I don't need anything, I'm fine," he insisted, holding up his hands.

"I will not ask you again," Snape said, his voice threatening and Harry stepped back, attempting to put more distance between them. He bumping into another set of shelves and Snape grabbed him yet again, pulling him clear of the cupboard and away from anything that had the potential to fall on his head.

"I have had enough of your attitude, Harry!" He let go of him as if burned when he realised he'd grabbed the same shoulder yet again and Harry was wincing slightly in pain. "Stand still."

"No," Harry protested, stepping back. He didn't want Snape to heal him and he knew he'd insist that he had to, especially when he saw the size of the bruise over his back and shoulder where he'd collided with the wall the day before. He didn't want Snape's help. He didn't need it, but he especially didn't want anything from him if he was too ashamed of him to be decent to him in front of other people. "I don't want your help."

"I was under the impression that you wanted to see your friends tomorrow. Evidently I was mistaken," Snape growled.

Harry stared defiantly back at him and Snape thrust his wand away. "I shall notify their parents immediately."

What a manipulative Slytherin, using his friends against him. "Don't. All right, okay? You can look."

"How did you get this?" Snape asked angrily when he saw the extent of the bruising.

"I fell over."

"You didn't think to inform me that you're hurt?"

"No, I had other stuff going on didn't I?" Harry bit out, irritated.

Apparently Snape really had had enough because he lowered himself to Harry's level, holding his chin in his hand so that he had no choice but to face him and while holding his gaze, said slowly, "I've been exceptionally patient with you. I'm on the verge of losing my patience and you do not want me to lose my patience, Potter."

"Harry," he found himself insisting, suddenly caring a great deal what his potions professor called him.

"Perhaps that was a mistake considering your attitude since I agreed to your request," Snape said coldly.

"That has nothing to do with it. You've done everything you can not to say my name since."

Snape pulled back. "You've lost your free time today. Do not take that tone with me." Snape seemed to take a moment to think before speaking again. "This behaviour stops now. If that is not the cause of your behaviour then tell me what is."

Why is he standing there trying to sort this out? Why doesn't he just go back to the Snape who'd threaten and punish him to get him to behave?

"No, stop it. Stop being like this if it's not real."

"Kindly explain that in understandable terms," Snape said, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"This," Harry said, gesturing between them. "Looking after me stuff."

Snape stared at him for a moment and Harry got the impression he was trying to replay the conversation to figure out what Harry had meant in the first place. After a moment he frowned. "You are upset because you think my interest in taking care of you is insincere," he stated as if it was the most ridiculous conclusion for him to have come to.

Harry stared back at him. "You pretty much said so yesterday."

"I did not. From where did your idiotic head get that from?"

"Because you said, well, you said that you had a reputation to uphold so you didn't want people to think that you liked me. It makes sense the way you got angry at my birthday thing if you're ashamed of me–"

"I am not ashamed of you, you foolish boy," Snape interrupted, looking appalled.

"Don't call me that! And you did say that."

"Harry, that was not what I meant." He paused as if thinking before turning back to Harry. "My reputation is very important and for certain eyes it must remain the same. It does not mean that I am insincere in my actions; it merely means that in front of certain people I must act according to a role I must play."

"That's the same. Your reputation is important to you and you think I'll ruin it. Is it because of yesterday? I'm not normally like that." Harry didn't realise he was rambling until he was cut off by Snape.

"Harry, I cannot explain." He put up a hand to stop Harry interrupting him before continuing. "Necessity dictates that I put my reputation before you but if I had a choice I would not."

Harry knew that it was something for Snape to come out with that. He'd expected him to say something about not having a choice about whether to look after him, and all that guardian stuff he'd been going on about before. He broke the silence, which was starting to become awkward as neither spoke. "What necessity?"

"I cannot tell you, so I need you to trust me," Snape said firmly.

"Why can't you tell me?" 

"Do not push me. I will not explain." Snape's tone was final and Harry knew that he'd either have to take him at his word or take him to be a liar. Snape was stubborn enough to give him nothing. He was probably lucky to have gotten this much out of him.

Harry sighed. "I do trust you. You've saved my life before; I haven't forgotten."

"I'm not asking you if you trust me with your life, I'm asking you to trust my word."

"I do."

Snape summoned some salve which zoomed in from his office. "Stand still." Snape held him firmly in place as he put the salve on his shoulder as if he didn't trust that Harry wouldn't pull away again. "I take it you have no more injuries?" he asked looking down at him suspiciously.

"Um, not injured, no," Harry answered, looking away from Snape. He definitely felt less like he was lying when he said it like that, though apparently Snape didn't feel the same way.

S.S.

Why did the idiotic boy insist on making such a simple issue so difficult.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing. My feet just hurt a bit, that's all. I said I wasn't injured," the boy replied, irritatingly downplaying everything as usual.

"Would this be due to your trip to the ice rink?" Severus asked, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

"I suppose," the boy shrugged.

"Did you take my advice?"

"I meant to. I brought the socks, didn't I? I couldn't fit them all on."

"You need bigger shoes. It's common sense, Pot- Harry."

"Yeah, but Remus queued for them and I didn't want to make him do it again." Severus' eyes narrowed at the mention of Lupin. How difficult is it for these fools to keep the boy uninjured for the few hours they have him?

"How did you get the bruise on your back?" Severus asked, though he was sure that he knew the answer to that already.

"I fell, like I said earlier."

"Manners, Pot- Harry," Severus growled. "Where did you fall?"

"On the ice, sir. I sort of hit the wall. It's not a big deal – everyone was falling over."

"Where was Lupin?"

"He was watching me from the seats at the edge."

"So the wolf saw you hit the side?" Severus clarified. Clearly he wasn't doing well to keep the irritation out of his voice as the boy was looking even more uncomfortable.

"Look it's not a big thing and I came off the ice right after."

"Then he brought you back?"

"No, then we went to London."

"He offered to heal you?"

"No, but–"

Severus cut Harry off with a furious glare. Oh, he'd be having a word with those two before the boy got within a mile of them. Apparently no one is capable of looking after the child.

"You're mad," Harry stated, obviously picking up on his anger at the wolf.

Severus tried to put his anger at the wolf to one side. "If Lupin failed to heal you then you should have come to me. Seeing as this isn't obvious to you then you can regard it as a new rule. You are obliged to inform me if you are suffering from pain or illness."

"It wasn't that bad…"

"Would I be right in assuming it to be part of the reason that I've lost even more of my supplies?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean for them to fall."

Severus inclined his head. He hadn't meant for the boy to regard his statement as scolding for damaging his stocks; he had been attempting to make a point, but it was enough that the boy was conceding that he was right. It wasn't remotely worth another argument.

H.P.

"You understand that when your friends are here I will be treating you differently?" Snape said over dinner that evening.

"Yeah, you're going to be like you used to be," Harry said shrugging. He didn't particularly like it but he could deal with it.

"Stay out of my sight and it need not be too much of an issue. How much have you already discussed with your friends?"

"Umm." He didn't want to say that he spent a lot of his time moaning before, but Ron and Hermione could sympathise and Snape had been really horrible.

"I presume it should be fairly simple to keep them thinking that I have not changed my view of you?" Snape said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said, ducking his head down.

"For future reference I would prefer it if you make any mention of me in keeping with my reputation. Although, at present, I shouldn't imagine that will be too difficult."

"Um, sorry sir."

Snape sent him an irritated glare that quite clearly said 'shut up' and so Harry fell silent.

"You will return here to eat lunch and dinner with your two guests. Otherwise feel free to spend the day outside my quarters," Severus said, leaving no room for Harry to misunderstand his wishes.

S.S.

The boy was more than excited at the prospect of seeing his friends and although Severus did not relish the idea of having his space invaded by more Gryffindors, at least he was somewhat more cheerful since his falling out with his godfather.

He did not know what to do for the boy. He could not and would not make excuses for Black and Potter. As far as he was concerned they did not deserve it, even if it would cheer Harry up. 

The scene the day before gave him more to think about. To think that the child was idiotic enough to believe that Severus was ashamed of him! How could he have thought the boy arrogant? The child had obviously been angry and upset but he still tried to win back some favour, which was a disturbing thought. He did not think that the child would feel that vulnerable, and why would he want his favour so badly? Perhaps his argument with Black has left him feeling desperate enough that he feared losing what small relationship they had cultivated.

He would have to speak to the two dogs soon, before Saturday when the boy would visit them again. Those imbeciles obviously needed to be told how to look after a child.

Snape watched the fireplace with narrowed eyes. The Gryffindors were due to come through any second and he intended to let them know, in no uncertain terms, that misbehaviour was not an option. The moment the floo flared to life Harry was out of his seat like a shot.

"Ron!"

"Hey, it's good to see you mate. Where's er," the Weasley boy caught Severus' eye and fell silent.

Granger soon followed out of the fireplace getting overly sentimental and drowning the boy in a hug. They'd only been apart for a matter of weeks.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger." Severus nodded coldly to both when the girl had relinquished her grasp on Harry. "It is my unfortunate task to look after the pair of you while you visit Potter. You will follow the rules or you will suffer the consequences. If Potter can follow them then I expect the two of you to have sufficient brain cells to do so as well," Severus said with a sneer. He noticed that Granger looked particularly unhappy about the sleight against her intelligence and smirked nastily.

"You have permission to be in this room, the kitchen and Potter's room only within my quarters. If you choose to roam the castle you must inform me via a note where you are going, and this means that where you are going must be within bounds. You will come back here for lunch and dinner."

H.P.

Snape was being all right so far but then again Ron and Hermione had only just arrived he had plenty of time to cut them all down to size for the rest of the day. Maybe he was just waiting for them to give him a reason… Anyway it would probably be best to get out of there.

"Uh sir, I think we're going to go ou–"

"I said in a note, Potter, or is following a simple instruction too difficult for the boy-who-lived?" Snape scathed and with that he swept out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. He said he'd be mean but Harry still hadn't been expecting that.