Harry was chewing on the end of the quill. Somewhere around the 16th line she had gone over to drawing spirals on another piece of parchment. She felt terrible. Not because she was stuck in Snape's office doing lines but because of how she had screamed her head of not thirty minutes ago. She felt rather guilty about it. When she thought about it she was angry with the Headmaster but more than anything she was angry because her world was slipping between her fingers and there was nothing she could do about it. It was all she could do not to cry when she thought about how things would never be the same again. Yes, her life had never been great but at least it had been somewhat understandable to her if she was just the Dursleys' freaky pretend nephew with the dead parents. If she was just Harry, who went to school, played chess with Ron and spoke to Hermione in the bathroom after potions class.

Now things were changing and she couldn't control it. The adults seemed to be making decisions about her every time she turned her back but when Harry had time to think about it she had to admit that McGonagall, Snape and Pomfrey had been helping her and had actually tried to make things better for her. Dumbledore would have done things his way if they weren't there and Harry didn't like the thought of that one bit. She felt rather bad about leaving McGonagall's quarters now. Surely she could have waited a little longer? And what if she had been seen? What would that mean? Then there was her conversation with Snape to consider. She hadn't meant to strike him. Not really. She was just so angry and he had tried to stop her tearing the door down – wards and all.
What had she expected? That he was going to be fine with that? What other place could she really go? McGonagall didn't have time and she most certainly didn't want to stay in the infirmary. But it was only for the summer wasn't it? And she would have her own room? That was actually very kind of them she thought. She let the quill rest a little to long on the parchment, resulting in a rather large ink stain. She certainly didn't want this and she could easily tell that Snape didn't either but she knew she had to stay here. There was nowhere else. But how was she going to survive in such close proximity to the man after what she had said to him? Harry was still surprised to be alive. She would have expected Snape to skin her alive but here she was doing lines which was really a rather mild punishment where Snape was concerned. She was pretty sure Snape was still furious with her and just as sure that he wasn't likely to listen to her but she did feel she wanted to explain herself. Harry wondered whether she could open that door he had disappeared through if she touched the book but she didn't get a chance to find out because just then the door appeared on the wall and Snape stepped out. He immediately raised an eyebrow in surprise as he locked eyes with Harry who had already been staring in the door's direction.

“I take it you have completed so many lines you simply had to take a break or your hand would fall off?” said the professor dryly.

“Uhm,” replied Harry as she found herself tongue-tied.

Snape strode over to the desk and towered over Harry.

“And do you have anything to say to me?” he asked.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Sir. I just...” began Harry as she turned her attention to the floor.

“I am aware that this has been a shock to you which is also the only reason you are not scrubbing cauldrons this very moment. That being said you will not behave in such a manner again – you will not find me as lenient a second time.”

“I know... I just... I promise I won't do it again,” mumbled Harry.

There it was again. She had felt guilty when he wasn't there but now that he was actually standing there she felt so small. This was the second time she felt guilty for not obeying him since they had discovered her secret. She hadn't ever felt anything but hurt or anger when he had previously told her off because she had never felt it was justified.

“See that you don't,” replied Snape. “What on earth is that?”

Harry looked up to see Snape tapping a long thin finger on her spiral covered parchment.

“Oh,” was all Harry could say as she reached out and grabbed the rest of the parchment on the desk in an attempted to conceal how few lines she had actually written.

“I will be back shortly and then you may continue your work in your room. However, should you wish to and if you are able to do so politely we may discuss the situation. Did you eat lunch before you left professor McGonagall's quarters?”

“No, sir,” replied Harry as she dared to look up and meet the man's gaze.

Why was he asking her that? Would she be in trouble for that too? She'd eaten breakfast rather late after all and McGonagall had left nothing else for her. Snape didn't explain any further. Instead he once again disappeared through the secret door and left Harry on her own. She was rather puzzled. A part of her felt a little slighted that he hadn't acknowledged her apology more. He was clearly still cross with her. Still, he'd offered to talk to her and he hadn't said anything about her drawings either. Her surprise became even greater when a few moments later a plate and glass appeared on the desk out of nowhere. It was pumpkin juice and a tuna sandwich. Harry stared at it for a moment, not knowing what to make of this. Then she reached out and took a sip of the juice. In the silence of the room Harry slowly ate the meal and when she was done the plate and glass disappeared again. Harry looked at the 16 lines on her sheet of parchment. She knew she wouldn't be able to finish before Snape returned but for some strange reason she suddenly felt an urge to try very hard to or at least have a lot more to show him once he did.

---

Snape didn't return for about another half hour. By this time Harry had managed to write forty-something lines. In reality she had done more but only that many were somewhat readable. She found holding the quill strange because her hands were different now. Her fingers were thinner now and her hands overall smaller and she had to hold the quill further down to be able to control it. As a result her fingers were covered in ink. She was concentrating rather hard on not staining the parchment further and so she didn't hear him enter the room.

“Have you made any progress?” said a silky voice somewhere above her and Harry almost jumped out of her chair.

“Oh,” gasped Harry.

“The ink goes on the parchment, not on your hands! You're not touching anything until you have washed them.”

“I'll be right back, sir,” replied Harry as politely as she could manage and got up to go out to the bathroom and as soon as she closed the door to the office behind her she basically ran to the bathroom since in her experience Snape generally didn't have much patience. When she returned, the quill and ink were no longer on the desk. In fact the desk was gone. Snape was holding her lines in his hand and looking at them with a frown as she entered. This rather annoyed Harry. Was he expecting her to be done so quickly? Well, knowing Snape he probably was. In a moment he would acknowledge her presence by insulting her work.

“Next time I would appreciate it if you wrote in something resembling the Latin alphabet. Did you write this with your toes?” frowned Snape without looking up.

There it is. Harry rolled her eyes. She could have thought of some retort but she really was exhausted and she didn't want to argue with Snape twice in the same day. In fact what she wanted to do was curl up somewhere. What she wanted was for someone to tell her that everything would be fine and she didn't have to worry about a thing. Most of all she wanted to be able to believe that. Snape handed her the parchment and turned to the bookcase so quickly that she barely had time to catch the pile.

“Put your hand on the book,” instructed the man.

Harry moved over and did as she was told with more than a little curiosity and apprehension. Snape mumbled a spell and waved his wand over her hand and a golden glow appeared. Suddenly the secret door emerged and Snape opened it.

“From now on the door appears to you as well. I don't believe I need to tell you that if you ever show this to anyone without my permission you'll be lucky to leave my quarters intact!”

“Yes, sir,” Harry nodded, completely ignoring Snape's threats.

She took great care to notice that the book she was touching was entitled Faust and didn't look in the least bit magical otherwise. The professor's office had been pretty much what she'd imagined it to be. Dark and gloomy, just like his classroom. Full of jars she didn't want to look to closely at and books in strange languages. No students she knew had been in McGonagall's private chambers and if she told the others that they would be surprised, but Snape had little reason to worry because no one would ever believe she had been in his quarters! Harry had heard the rumors about Snape sleeping in a coffin or living in the darkest, dampest corner of the dungeons where he kept students chained to the walls. Most of these stories she'd heard from Ron or the twins of course. She'd never truly believed them and neither had Hermione but still those images usually flashed before her eyes every time she'd been in trouble with him over the last year. Somehow considering that he'd managed not to kill her in all the time he had spent in Surrey, Harry couldn't quite imagine him that way. She looked up at her professor for confirmation but clearly she had already hesitated too long because he placed a hand on the back of her neck and pushed her forward through the door.

Harry was surprised. She was standing in what appeared to be a living room – and a rather large one at that. The floor and walls were still the same grey stone as Snape's office and classroom but other than that she didn't feel like she was in a dungeon at all! On the wall just opposite her was a large ornate fireplace from which light and warmth was emanating. On either side of it were two bookcases that fitted perfectly along the wall. On her left side she saw two doors, one at either end and between the doors were two large, black leather armchairs with a small, round mahogany table in the middle. Above the table was a painting of a large house surrounded by what looked like copper beeches but Harry couldn't see any movement in it. On her right side was a couch matching the armchairs and another door. Harry turned her head to find there was door on the wall behind her other than the one she had just entered. On the floor was a large Persian rug with a beautiful pattern in shades of dark green.

“If you are quite done taking in the scenery perhaps you would care to close your mouth?” said Snape, silkily behind her.

Harry realized she had been gaping and quickly shut her mouth, There were no dangling chains or coffins. In fact the room looked every bit as inviting as McGonagall's living room even though the room was decidedly more masculine. It was odd, thinking of these as Snape's quarters. In a way she was relieved that she wouldn't be staying in a hole in ground but she also didn't like how human this made him seem. Then again, she didn't exactly know for sure that her room wasn't a hole in the ground.

“Through here,” continued the professor as he held the door on her right open for her.

“Oh, uhm, professor? I was wondering if...” she began.

“Any questions you may have can surely wait until you've been shown your room, can it not?” Snape replied in a tone that told Harry that this was not a question.

The door lead to a hallway that had five other doors than the one Harry had just emerged from. Well, there was a large door at the far end, three doors on the opposite wall and an opening in the other end near her through which Harry caught a quick glimpse of a kitchen. She didn't have time to dwell on this as she felt Snape once again pushing her forward down the hall.

“This is the bathroom,” said Snape sullenly as he gestured to the second of the three doors. “This will be where you will be staying,” he continued as they reached the third door.

“That over there is the other entrance to my quarters and a door which you must never open under any circumstances. It is important that you are never seen entering my rooms and so you may only use the entrance in my office. My students do not know about it and will not suspect anything.”

Snape nodded towards the larger door at the end of the hallway but Harry wasn't really paying attention. She hugged the stack of parchment close to her and silently prayed for the room to be unlike her room at the Dursleys'. She knew from Snape's reaction to it that it probably wouldn't be but considering how she had spoken to him earlier she wouldn't put it past him to torture her a little for it. Then Snape opened the door and she stepped inside. It was very simple and Harry instantly recognized the desk she had just used a few minutes ago had been moved inside. There was a wardrobe, a bed and a bookcase. Harry wrinkled her nose slightly when she notices that the covers on her bed were emerald green but she didn't say a word because she didn't dare complain at this point. She stepped further into the room and looked at the bookcase which she found she really liked. It was made of dark wood and stood on what looked like deer feet. At the top were carved leaves as decoration.

“And does it live up to your... expectations,” said Snape behind her, pausing weirdly at the last word as if he was correcting himself.

“It's fine... Sir,” replied Harry.

And it truly was that. Fine. It was neither spectacular nor was it unbearable. If she was going to live near Snape, Harry suspected the design of her room was the least of her problems and the room had the most important thing – a door she could shut. Snape left her there with rather curt instructions to finish her lines. Harry didn't do so right away though. She sat on the bed, bouncing a little bit before she leaned back onto it and stared at the ceiling. This was like a dream. A surreal dream. Or a nightmare. She couldn't completely relax in this temporary room. Harry tried to recall all the events which had lead her here. The examination, aunt Petunia, Snape, the bottle and Dumbledore. She felt lost.

About 20 minutes later she heard noises in the hallway. She perked her ears and could hear Snape having a conversation with someone. Before she could figure out what the topic was, it was over. A moment later Snape appeared in the doorway with Harry's trunk in his hand and his eyebrows raised at finding her standing in the middle of the room. Harry, who had just jumped off the bed didn't manage to say anything before Snape deposited the trunk in front of her.

“Professor McGonagall has just been here to deliver these. I suggest you unpack your trunk. This, however, is a gift I believe.”

Then he took a small parcel out of his pocket and enlarged it before he turned and left. Harry couldn't help but notice how eager he seemed to get away from her. The parcel contained a plain white shirt, a pairs of jeans, a pair of socks and a note from McGonagall stating that she hoped this would be of some help to her. Harry smiled briefly. McGonagall had given her a gift – again! She hadn't forgotten about the broom. She had always known her to be a stern but ultimately understanding and kind woman, but since she'd come to Privet Drive she had been so gentle. Almost as if she was really concerned. Oh, why couldn't it be her? I bet if I talked to Dumbledore about it... No, what am I saying? I'm never talking to him again! How bad can it be? It's the bloody bat! At least she knew the chances of him killing her were relatively slim, him having protected her last year and now as well, but she still reckoned it had come pretty close earlier that day. With that thought in mind Harry put the clothes in the wardrobe, along with her broom which was also there, careful to hide the invisibility cloak well. However as she did so she noticed something missing. Where was her wand? Harry removed everything carefully but it wasn't there. She decided she would ask Snape about it once he returned and sat she down to continue the lines. A while later she briefly left the room to use the bathroom and she noted how quiet it was. However, she didn't want to start exploring and risk getting caught. The bathroom was smaller than McGonagall's. The floor and walls were covered by black tiles and the sink looked like black marble but was much simpler in design than McGonagall's. There also was no bathtub there, only a shower.

Harry returned to her room and spent her time there working as best she could with her mind constantly wandering off – she was especially thinking about where her wand could have gotten to. By the time a knock came at the door she had lost track of time completely. Her old watch had been left at the Dursleys'. The next moment Snape was in the doorway.

“Join me in the living room. We need to talk,” he said curtly and stepped aside, holding the door open as he waited for her to get up.

“Yes, sir,” was all Harry managed to get out.

She didn't really want to talk to him, though she was curious as to what was to happen to her. She walked ahead of Snape back into the living room, sneaking a glance into the kitchen as she walked past it. The fire was still going in the living room. Snape gestured towards the couch before he took a seat in one of the armchairs across the room.

“Sit down. We have much to discuss.”

“What's going to happen? Did M.. Professor McGonagall say anything? Did...”

“Be quiet! If you insist on blabbering all you will hear is your own voice! Now, if you are able to listen, shall we begin?”

Harry swallowed and nodded. She hadn't expected Snape to snap at her so suddenly. He was clearly not pleased. Who was she kidding? How could this possibly work?

“The Headmaster is currently organizing the reveal of you to the public. I will be meeting with him later tonight and I will be taking up the matter of your name with him, should you wish it,” said Snape is his normal gloomy yet unaffected classroom voice that was mainly reserved for giving instructions.

Harry wasn't sure what to reply to that. Yes, she certainly didn't want people going about calling her Harriet because all she could hear when Snape said it was Petunia's voice. But what she wanted instead she didn't know.

“I do want that, professor,” she said.

Snape didn't inquire as to her preferences which Harry found a bit odd. He merely continued.

“As you have already been informed you will remain here until school begins unless you at that time do not feel comfortable to do so yet, however, this is my home and while you are here I expect you to follow the rules I set for you. I mean that.”

She resisted the urge to pull up her legs and curl into a ball. Never mind that this was a man who had saved her life, who had protected her from Dumbledore, who was her... relative – this was Snape. What rules? Don't mess up? Don't be bad at potions? Don't talk? Don't breathe?

“First things first, you are forbidden to enter my bedroom, the lab and the potions storage without my express permission. My room is the third door in the hallway, the lab and storage are there and there,” he continued as he gestured to the two doors on either side of the armchairs. “I will of course be keeping it locked but an unlocked door is not an invitation for you to snoop!” Snape paused and looked at her pointedly. “If I find you have disobeyed me you will not like the outcome. Furthermore I expect you to do as you are told when you are told, though I am aware this is not your forte, be respectful and truthful. I will not stand for disobedience, attitude or lying. We will not have a repeat of what happened earlier today!”

“I said I was sorry,” protested Harry. Do whatever Snape said? Whatever? This wasn't going well.

“So you did. I have been very lenient considering what you have just been through but that will not continue. If you know the rules you should be able to follow them should you not?”

“Well...”

“Furthermore, professor McGonagall has informed me that the Headmaster will be informing the majority of the staff shortly. Until then you must remain out of sight.”

“You mean I have to stay here? All day?” cried Harry. She was pretty sure that would kill her.

“For the most part yes, however you most certainly will be allowed out when possible. I don't intend to neglect my work to stay here and watch you. As a matter of fact we will be going out tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Where to... Sir?” replied Harry.

They were going out tomorrow? She was going somewhere with him? Still she guessed it was better than being locked in his quarters. She didn't like that thought. It wouldn't be much different from the Dursleys.

“From what I have seen you will need additional clothes. Furthermore we may look around for furniture for your room and I believe you did not yet have your schoolbooks?”

“Are we going to Diagon Alley?” Harry gasped, a light shining in her eyes.

“Absolutely not! We cannot be seen together in such a public place yet! No, we will be apparating to a village much like Hogsmeade, where I am not a well known figure and will not have to explain your presence at my side. Now, I suppose you may ask any questions you may have to what we've discussed,” said the professor in an almost bored voice as i he was sick of explaining things to her.

Harry pondered for a moment. She had to buy furniture? Just how much would that cost her? And clothes too? And how would she get money from Gringotts if they weren't going to Diagon Alley? Did they have branches elsewhere? In the end she looked up and met Snape's dark eyes.

“Have you seen my wand?” she asked.

“I have. I have taken it for safekeeping. You will not be needing it during the summer,” Snape replied as he got up from the chair, signaling that this conversation was over.

“But... You can't do that! It's mine, sir!” Harry protested.

Snape sighed.

“You are not allowed to perform magic during the summer regardless of whether you are here or not. It will be returned to you at the beginning of the school year and you should have no objections to that unless you truly do plan to break the law again so soon.”

“Can... Can the Ministry tell here too?” Harry said. She had wondered about this. How did it work? They weren't supposed to use wands outside of classes either but next to no one followed that rule.

“They cannot. But that is no excuse. Have you finished the lines?”

“Almost, professor,” lied Harry. She had written about a hundred readable ones.

“Then you may continue. Once you are finished you may read in your room. I suggest you review potions. Furthermore, you may find it much more beneficial if you were to actually read it this time. It most certainly explains your grades.”

Harry blushed sightly but quickly lowered her head to hide it.

---

Severus watched the girl disappear back into the hallway. At least she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. He could feel the tension between as they both refused to take up the topic. Severus knew why he hadn't brought up the fact that this girl was his. He didn't know what that meant. He couldn't ever claim her or it would destroy his connections to the Death Eaters and cause them to be hunted mercilessly by many of those to whom he would be a traitor. The rest of the wizarding community wouldn't be forgiving either. What would they think of it? She was the savior – pure and innocent in their eyes. He was a foul Death Eater to many of them still. Now that she knew would she be expecting something from him? Could he still help her and be there for her? Would she let him? Did he even feel comfortable doing that? But what did it matter if he truly cared for the girl? He had to look after her for Lily's sake. Then a thought came to him. What must she think, having never had any parents, to suddenly find one and see them leave her? Lily would have loved her. She would have loved her to pieces and the girl surely knew that. Was he rejecting her? What would that do to her? Then again, she hadn't spoken about it either and Severus couldn't be sure whether this was because she was too afraid to or because she didn't want it to be true. He had heard her. He hates me. Was that a girl wishing he didn't or a girl speaking with as much contempt as she assigned to him? He knew it was likely but for some reason he couldn't accept that. There was something... Some strange pressure upon his chest whenever he did think that thought. That she well and truly hated him and was only putting up with him because she hated her relatives more.

Severus had been working over the next couple of hours. He hadn't seen the girl except one time when he was in the living room he had heard her light footsteps in the hallway. He half expected her to enter but she didn't and just went to the bathroom and back. Around six o'clock he knocked on her door before opening it and found her at her desk with ink on her hands again. When he asked her to join him for dinner she had actually asked him whether she might stay in her room! He had nodded of course, left her there and had the house elves send in a tray but now he was convinced of it: She was avoiding him. Severus huffed as he finished his own meal and got up to go see the Headmaster. It mattered little to him of course! She could sit in solitude if she pleased. He preferred it so anyway. But that cannot be healthy! After all is it not your duty so see that she is well? Do you not owe it to Lily? Are you not obligated to as her future Head of House? I refuse to have her sitting in there sulking all summer! Yes, this is not ideal but she will have to adjust to it! And so Severus decided that tomorrow morning she would be coming out for breakfast whether she liked it or not! He wasn't going to cater to her whims! With that thought, Severus closed the door to his office behind him and left for the meeting.

---

“This is troubling indeed – and you are sure she cannot be persuaded?” asked Dumbledore pensively.

“If you had seen her you wouldn't be asking such things. The girl nearly broke down,” replied Severus evenly.

“It's not impossible of course, but perhaps she would agree to a middle name? That way she need not use it. Has she said anything about her preferences?”

“Not yet. However I doubt she would have decided,” Severus replied as he moved to the window.

“I can get the papers of course. Severus, you of course understand that I cannot grant her wishes regarding her surname? We've already discussed your claim over her...”

“I don't believe anyone is suggesting she take my name,” said Severus, a bitter taste in his mouth. “But I don't believe you would have any objections to her association with Lily?”

“Of course not,” the Headmaster nodded.

“I think that's an excellent idea,” added Poppy who was sitting in a chair with her arms crossed.

“I will be sending in the papers and the press statement on Monday. I will need them back before then. I will procure them tonight and have them sent to your quarters tomorrow. You may send them back once she has decided. I take it my personal presence is still unwanted?” Dumbledore continued.

“Absolutely,” replied Severus curtly. “Are we done here?”

He wanted nothing more than to be out of the old man's sight but he needed to meet with him if he was to work on behalf of the girl.

“Severus, don't forget the potions. I'm quite serious about that,” Poppy reminded him.

Severus nodded in reply and left the room without wishing the Headmaster a good night.The walk back to his own quarters did a lot to cool his anger. Once again the Headmaster had been surprisingly helpful and Severus was no fool. It had to serve some purpose. Was the old man just trying to repair his relationship with the girl? Surely not! Severus was convinced something else was going on and he didn't like it one bit because it was every bit as much him as it was the girl whom the Headmaster was trying to manipulate. He entered his chambers through the seemingly empty wall at the end of a dungeon corridor and stepped into the hallway. His quarters were eerily quiet. Well, they were usually silent as a tomb but with that particular child here Severus would have expected the place to be on fire. A grim suspicion surfaced. She wouldn't have left again would she?

Severus frowned. If she had she would be sorry indeed! He quickly opened the door to what was now her room. She was lying on the bed, on top of the covers, asleep. She was still fully clothed and her fingers were still black with dried ink. Severus sighed. Well, at least she hadn't gotten herself in trouble. It was only 8 pm – she had to be exhausted. He debated whether he should wake up the girl and order her to go to bed properly but quickly decided against it. He didn't need her asking questions about the meeting. Instead he walked over to her and carefully removed her shoes. Shoes in bed! Haven't she been taught anything at all by that harpy? Severus gently pushed the sleeping girl to the side, before pulling back the covers, putting them over her. He didn't need her ill in the morning. It was strange. When she was sleeping, nothing of the fear, anger and distrust remained in her face and Severus found himself able to see her face with any reminders of who she was. With her eyes closed and the scar hidden behind her fringe all mayor reminders that this was Lily's child were gone. There was still something of her. Mostly around the mouth. She looked so much more like... But these were silly thoughts and he quickly banished them. It was no use dwelling on such things. He turned to leave but before he closed the door behind him he flicked his wand and raised the temperature of the room a bit.