Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. He along with the other characters belong to J.K. Rowling

A special thanks to The Lonely God With a Box for beta'ing my story!

A/N: Well, here is chapter 7. Enjoy!! :)

Chapter 7! :)

Severus and Harry walked out of the castle in the cool of the night. Harry followed his professor with great trepidation. He did not want to go back to the Dursleys. He knew they hated him, and with the fact that he wasn't there to make dinner the last night, he also knew that they would be especially angry as well. Harry wondered why was it so important that they leave right this second. Harry wondered why couldn't they wait until morning

Harry sighed. He looked down and saw that he was still holding the teddy bear.

“Uh...Professor,” Harry's voice was timid as not to anger Snape any more than he appeared to be now.

“What is it Potter?” Severus said, not even turning to look at the boy, or even slow down walking.

“Can we go back?” Harry asked.

“You heard the Headmaster, did you not.”

“Yes sir, but...”

“But what, Potter. Spill it.” Severus stopped walking turned and looked at Harry who was still a few steps behind him. Severus figured he was probably walking too fast for Harry, seeing how he had just healed him not a few hours ago. Harry had a sheen of sweat on his brow. This worried Severus since it was a rather cool night. Severus stood still and watched as Harry got closer and closer to him.

Severus waited until Harry was standing next to him before he asked him again, “But what, Potter?”

Harry, panting a little from the trek from the castle, holding out the black teddy bear that he's been clutching since Severus transfigured out of his cloak. “I didn't mean to take it.”

“It's yours, Mr. Potter,” Severus drawled out.

“I'm almost fifteen, and this is not mine.”

“The way you are holding on to that bear begs to differ.” Harry looked down and to his embarrassment, he was tightly holding the bear to his chest. “Keep it, Potter. Now can we continue? I would like to get back to Surrey sometime in the near future.”

Harry's head shot up and looked at his Professor. His scared, green eyes meeting black, coal eyes. Severus knew Harry didn't want to go back there. Truth be told, he didn't want to take him back. Not that he really was taking him back. He just had to tell Albus that he was. There was no way that he was going to make Harry stay with those appalling creatures that would harm a child. It really hurt that Minerva, his mother, would continue to see the bad in him. Severus knew that Minerva still never forgave Severus for taking the Dark Mark. He agreed that he was stupid and naive, but he just wasn't thinking clearly after his failure with his only true best friend, Lily.

“Why would I need your help?” Severus was embarrassed, hurt and angry, and he was lashing out his hurt to the only person around. “I don't need your help! All you are doing is making it worse.”

Lily was stunned into silence. She couldn't believe her best friend was talking to her like that. She just couldn't just stand around and watch like the others did and see that James Potter hurt Severus anymore. Lily knew the real reason that Severus was sitting by the tree alone. She was there when Professor Tibit belittled Severus during Ancient Ruins. Severus was walking out of class when all was dismissed at the end. Lily reached out and grabbed her best friend's arm. She could see the hurt in his black eyes. He told her were she could find him and walked out of the room. Being stopped by several people, was the reason she was late meeting Severus out side by the tree. By the time she got out there James already had Severus upside down.

Now, a very angry and humiliated Severus was lashing out at his only best friend.

“....don't need your help,” Severus yelled. “You're nothing but a filthy Mudblood.”

Severus did not mean for that word to come out of his mouth. That was the last thing that he ever wanted to say to his best friend. The hurt and anguish in her eyes just broke him more than he'd been all day. Oh how he wish he could have that second back.

“I-I'm sorry...”Severus immediately tried to rectify what he just broke.

“No,” Lily said backing away from Severus, as if he was a contagion. Tears burning the back of her throat. “You seem like you've wanted to say that for a while.” Lily said. One single tear rolled down her cheek.

“It's nice to know you are so easily influenced by your dorm-mates. I'll take my leave now,” Lily began to walk away.

“Lily, please, I...,” Severus' voice trailed of.

“Goodbye, Severus.” Lily turned and was about to walk off when she saw the same thing that Severus saw. Minerva was standing in the walkway.

“Back to your common rooms, Ms. Evans,” Minerva said looking at the tear stains on the child's cheeks.”

Minerva watched as she disappeared down the path. Now the only person who is left, besides Severus, was Minerva. She walked up to her son. She could see the hurt in his eyes.

“Severus,”Minerva walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Severus said, looking at the ground.

Severus moved to walk pass his Professor when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His breath hitched. He didn't want comfort now. Not after saying such a horrible thing to his best, his only, friend. But the hand wouldn't move. It just stayed there.

Severus shook his head. He didn't want comfort. He didn't deserve comfort. But he knew he didn't have the strength to move out of her grip. He was so disgusted with his weakness, and when he felt arms wrap around his shoulders in an embrace, his breath hitched again.

Minerva heard what Severus said and she knew that he would probably beat himself up for it. She knew that he didn't believe what the other Slytherin said about Muggleborns. In fact, she had seen on several occasions this bright student in her arms defend his best friend to the point of his own house ostracizing and ridiculing him.

“Do you want to talk about it?,” Minerva asked quietly, rubbing her hand up and down Severus' back. She felt his head shake on her shoulder. She sighed and just held her wayward boy a little longer. She told him that she would always be available to him when he needed her.

“How did you know I was out here?” Severus mumbled in her robes still not wanting to remove himself from her embrace.

Minerva smiled a little and stepped back. Severus looked at his Professor.

“Do you still have your Christmas present?”

Severus had a puzzled look at first as his hand reached into his pocket. He just knew that everything would have fallen out of it since that blasted Potter hexed him and had him hanging upside down. But to his surprise the small coin was still there perfectly nestled in his pocket. Severus pulled it out. Minerva looked at the coin in his hand and nodded.

“Good,” She said. “I want you to always have that on you. I had hope that it would come in handy when you went back home to your father, but I see that now it is needed for while you are in school.”

“What is this, really?”

“I have one of it's sister coins,” she began. “And it alerted me that you were in trouble.”

“That's how you knew where I was,” Severus concluded.

Minerva shook her head. “I didn't. I've been searching for you for the past fifteen minutes. When I couldn't find you in the library or the potions' lab, I know there was only one place left for you to be, and that's here.”

“So how long had you been here?” Anger began to lace his voice. “Did you stand by and watch what your precious Gryffindors did to me this time? Did you like what you saw?”

“Severus Tobias Snape,” Minerva reprimanded. “You will calm yourself this instant. I've already told you I have been searching the castle for you. I didn't get here until I heard what you said to Lily.” Severus sighed and looked down. “Now,” in a much calmer voice. “You want to tell me what happened?”

Severus sighed again and looked up at his Professor, who was turning out to be more of a mother figure towards him than a just a teacher. He told her the whole story of what happen from leaving Ancient Ruins to Lily leaving. At the end of his story, Severus was back in Minerva's arms. She embraced him again when he got to the point of him hurting Lily's feelings.

“I'm so sorry, son,” Minerva whispered in his ear, holding him in her arms. “Give it a few days. If its a friendship worth having, she will forgive you.”

Severus looked down at the boy standing next to him. Blasted those cursed eyes, he thought.

“Take my arm, Potter,” Severus commanded.

“But sir, what about...” Harry started, but Severus cut him off.

“Just hold on to the bear. You need it more than anyone else.” His voice was harsh but not mean. Harry just blinked at his Professor. “Now, grab hold.” He held out his arm for Harry to grab.

Harry maneuvered the bear in his arm that was in the sling and grabbed hold of his teacher's arm.

“Do not let go,” was the last thing that was said before a loud cracking noise and neither wizard was standing in that spot anymore.

Harry swayed a bit. He was surprised that he didn't fall. He's never encountered that feeling before. He's traveled by floo and port-key, but this was totally different. If Harry had anything in his stomach, he felt it might have made a grand re-entrance.

Severus stood still next to Potter. He knew that this had to be the first time that Harry had apparated the way the boy swayed. He stay still for Harry to let him get his barrings. Once Harry's head stop swimming he let go of the grip he had on Severus' arm. He looked around and didn't recognized where he was.

“Uh, sir?” Harry said looking around.

“What is it, Mr. Potter?” Severus drawled walking down the street.

“Where are we?” Harry began to follow Snape down the street. “I thought you were taking me back to my -- relatives.” Harry couldn't help the hesitation that came from calling out his relatives.

Severus stopped walking and turned and faced Harry. Harry couldn't help but stop and look up at his teacher.

“Do you really want to go back to those people?” Harry blinked at his teacher and shook his head. “I thought so.” Severus then turned and began to walk down the street again. This time Harry followed Severus down the street. They stopped once they got to the end. There was a two story house. Severus walked through the gate and towards the front door.

“Come Mr. Potter,” Severus said opening up the front door. “Welcome to my home.”

Harry stood in the walkway with a complete and utter shock. Never would he think that his most hated teacher would bring him to his house. Could it be that he actually heard his pleas in the Infirmary? Oh, Harry could only hope. Slowly, but surely Harry walked up the walkway and towards the door and looked inside.

Maybe, just maybe, Harry thought.

TBC