Severus stepped out of the fireplace. Those words his mother said hurt. All he wanted to do was please her. She had done so much for him. She took him away from his father. She was always there to provide comfort when something was wrong, or when he came home after a hard Death Eater’s meeting. She’s always been there.

“You disgust me.”

Those words rang in his ears. It was like a broken record in his mind repeating over and over. He didn’t want his mother knowing that he took Harry. He didn’t want the Headmaster knowing that Harry wasn’t with his relatives.

Severus walked into the small restroom that was down the hall from the parlor. He splashed water on his face. He needed something to rid the memory of the last twenty minutes. He wanted to shut those three words out of his head.

Grabbing one of the towels that hung on the wall, Severus dried his face and looked at himself in the mirror. Severus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly let the air out of his lungs. He did it a couple more times. Opening his eyes again, he was able to occlude his mind of the past twenty minutes. He left the bathroom. Severus walked towards the stairs. He could hear coughing from the bottom of the stairs, and he rushed up the stairs to take care of Harry.

Harry was sitting up in bed. His back curved as his coughing racked his body; he felt a hand on his chest and one rubbing circles on his back. He could faintly catch a whiff of anise and sandalwood.

“Calm down. This will pass. Try to take slow breaths. That’s good — slow breaths. You’re okay. You’re not alone. I’m right here.”

Those soothing words seemed to bathe over Harry. He leaned into the voice and felt something hard but not uncomfortable leaning against his shoulder. As long as he was in the enclosure of comfort, he felt something he has never felt before: safe.

After a few moments, Harry coughing calmed down. Severus continued to rub small circles on Harry’s back.

“Feeling better, Potter?” Severus asked softly.

Harry’s throat felt scratchy from all that coughing. “Yeah.” Harry’s voice was gravely at best.

Severus waved his hand, and a glass of water appeared. He put the glass towards Harry’s lips.

“It’s water,” Severus said. “It should help your throat.”

Without a question or a second thought, Harry trusted what Severus said and took a sip of the cool water that soothed his throat. After a couple of sips, Severus put the glass down on the bedside table.

“It’s been a while,” Severus said. “Do you think you can eat something?”

Harry didn’t realize he was hungry until his Potions Professor asked. He could use something to eat. It had been a while since he’s eaten anything.

“Yes, sir,” Harry answered. His voice sounded a little better since having some water.

“What would you like?”

“Eggs, grilled tomatoes, and toast,” Harry said, lifting his head trying to see his Professor.

“Well, come on,” Severus said, putting his hand under Harry’s good shoulder. “I want you to try and get around.”

“I can’t see,” Harry protested but allowed Snape to help him stand up.

“Do you trust me?” Severus asked.

It was a weird question to ask. Severus Snape never gave Harry any reassurance that he would be trustworthy. Yes, he protected Harry throughout his time at Hogwarts, but that didn’t mean that they didn’t have their differences.

Harry was standing now. He lifted his left arm, the one that was dislocated, and touched Severus’ chest. Standing as close as he was to the Potions Master, Harry could see him a little. It wasn’t as defined as if he had his glasses on, but he knew who was standing in front of him.

Without hesitation, Harry said, “Yes.”

Harry's definitive answer surprised Severus but didn’t slow him down.

“Well, I will help you walk into the kitchen so that you can eat.”

____0000______000______000___000

“Do you trust that man?” Fenrir growled.

Fenrir and Bellatrix stayed at the table after the mysterious person apparated away from the table. They never saw who they were talking to.

“No,” Bellatrix answered. “But wouldn’t it be nice to gift our lord with Minerva McGonagall. She’s the most feared.”

“It would be wonderful,” Fenrir said. “The question is, how would we get to her. She stays at school. You know we can’t enter.”

“Let me worry about that,” Bellatrix said, smiling. “I may have a plan brewing.”

Bellatrix softly chuckled at the pun. She always believed there was something between McGonagall and Snape. She could never pinpoint it, but it always seemed that he stayed around the Head Gryffindor more than his own house.

“Let’s go,” Bellatrix said.

“What are you thinking?” Fenrir asked, standing up from the table.

“I think we need to visit the oaf at the cabin by the school,” Bellatrix said, walking out of the small bar. Fenrir followed.

___000___000___000

Minerva walked in the Infirmary and went straight to Poppy’s office.

“Did you talk to Severus?” Poppy asked when she saw Minerva walk in.

“He wasn’t there,” Minerva said sitting down in the chair across from Poppy’s desk. “This is weird. It’s not like Severus to do this.”

“Are you worried about him?” Poppy asked, ignoring the paperwork she was working on before Minerva walked in.

“Yeah,” Minerva said absently. “I am. I mean I know he’s a grown man; I shouldn’t worry like he’s a schoolboy, but something is nagging in the back of my mind.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I wish I knew. It’s more a feeling than something solid.” Minerva shook her head. “I’ll give Severus a couple of days and talk with him.” Minerva stood up. “I’ve bothered you enough for today.”

“Oh, please,” Poppy said, waving her hand. “I don’t want to hear that. You know you’re always welcome. I enjoy our times together.” Poppy got up and walked Minerva to the door. “And I understand what you mean. I worry about Severus as well. I’ve been worried about him since you brought him to me so many years ago. So, I know what you mean.”

“Thank,” Minerva said.

Minerva and Poppy gave each other a slight hug, and Minerva walked out of the Infirmary to her chambers.

__000___000___000___000

Hagrid was coming from the Forbidden Forest. His crossbow was hanging from his shoulder and a long string of dead ferrets on his other shoulder. Fang was walking beside him with a ferret in his mouth.

“Well, Fang, this should keep Braford happy for a while.” Hagrid walked towards the back of his cabin.

Braford was Buckbeak’s littermate. Buckbeak was the calmer hippogriff of the two, which was the reason Hagrid used Buckbeak instead of Braford during his first class. He missed his hippogriff but was happy in knowing that he got away before the executioner did his deed. But ever since the scandal with Buckbeak, Hagrid has kept Braford under wraps. He didn’t want to lose his last hippogriff because of a spoiled brat.

Hagrid hung the line of ferrets on the post as Fang dropped the one that was in his mouth next to the post.

“How ‘bout some dinner?” Hagrid asked Fang.

The two of them walked into his cabin. Hagrid was getting his ingredients together when Fang started barking.

“What’s the matter?” Hagrid asked.

There was a bang at the front door. Hagrid walked to the door and opened it. Fang growled, standing up from his spot on the floor.

Two spells were shouted at the same time.

“Imperio!”

“Avada Kadavra!”

A grey and green light flashed from the window of the cabin.

____0000___0000___0000___000

Harry sat across from Severus at the table. The child looked over at his Potions Professor. He was wondering why he was feeling so comfortable around him. His teacher always spoke down to Harry; he belittled Harry and tried to make things his fault. Now he was sitting across from the man, and he didn’t feel any animosity towards him.

“Professor,” Harry said.

Severus looked up at the boy sitting across from him.

“Why am I here?” Harry asked.

Severus looked at the boy. He wiped his mouth with the serviette, then laid it on top of his plate.

“It’s a complicated story,” Severus said. “One that I need time to gather together. As I’m not sure myself.”

“The headmaster said I had to go back to my relatives,” Harry said.

“Yes,” Severus agreed.

“Are you going to take me?” Harry asked.

It was a long moment of silence. The longer the quiet time was between them, the more Harry was worried that he would be taken back to his relatives.

“I can’t.” Severus finally said.

“Sir?” Harry was puzzled.

“No one should be treated like that. No one, not even you, should have the bruises, the broken bones, the neglect. You should not live through that.

“But why do you care?” Harry asked. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m actually like this new you.” Harry smirked.

Severus looked at the boy across from him and raised his eyebrow at the cheeky brat. Usually, he would give someone a severe tongue lashing talking to him like that, but he didn’t feel that way now. He had to stop himself from smiling at the brat.

Severus thought about Harry’s original question and sobered up.

“I can’t explain it,” Severus sighed. “I just can’t take you back.”

“Thanks,” Harry said with a little smile on his face.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of them. Harry looked down at the dishes on the table and decided he would pull his weight. If the Professor was going to let him stay, he could at least clean up.

Harry stood up and started piling dishes on top of each other. Severus watched Harry pick-up the dishes.

“What are you doing?” Severus asked when Harry removed his plate.

“Doing my part,” Harry said, shrugging his shoulder.

“You can’t see well,” Severus said.

“One thing I can do without really seeing is washing dishes,” Harry said shrugging. “If you’re going to let me stay with you, I can at least help out.”

“You know you don’t have to,” Severus said.

“After everything you’ve done for me,” Harry said, picking up the last of the dishes. “It’s not even enough to show my gratitude.

Severus shook his head. “Don’t thank me yet.”

Severus saw that Harry was trying to use his sore arm.

“How is that shoulder?” Severus asked.

“It’s okay,” Harry said, putting the dishes in the sink. “A little stiff.”

Severus stood up and stood behind Harry.

“Give me a second,” Severus said. “I want to see your range of motion.”

Harry allowed Severus to rotate his shoulder. It hurt a little, but it wasn’t that bad. He could still work with it.

“Let me see your hand,” Severus said, turning Harry around so that they were facing each other.

Harry held out his hand and watched as Severus turned his hand over and slightly press around his hand.

“How does that feel?” Severus asked, looking up at the boy.

“A little stiff, but a lot better than before,” Harry said.

“Alright.” Severus let go of the child’s hand. “I have a salve that can help with the stiffness.”

Severus walked out of the kitchen. Harry walked to the sink and started cleaning the dishes.

___000___000___000___000

Minerva walked into her office and went to her desk. She sighed as she sat down in her chair, worried about her son. Something was not right. The last time Severus disappeared like this was when he became a Death Eater, but even then, Severus had talked to her before he left her. Well, talk wouldn’t be the right word.

SLAP!

The sound reverberated around the room. Severus stood in complete shock, looking at his new adoptive mother. His cheek turned slightly pink from the hit he had just endured. Not once did she think that she would lay a hand on him. After she hit Severus, she put her hand over her mouth.

"Why did you do it?" Minerva's voice was thick with tears, her hand slightly stinging from slapping Severus. Those black eyes of her son looked at her pierced with anger and fear. Severus turned to walk away, she grabbed his arm, and he stayed put. "Severus."

"You wouldn't understand," Severus said. His voice quiet. She could hear the hurt in his voice, but she had to push him. She wanted to understand why he would taint himself with the mark like that.

"Well, help me understand."

"I had to take the mark," Severus turned and faced Minerva. "I wanted it. I needed it. Now Lucius..."

"Wait a minute," Minerva cut Severus off. "Lucius? Lucius Malfoy. I can't believe you would listen to that boy. Him and his little entourage are no better than James and his friends.

"He is not like Potter! No one is like Potter or Black. Don't compare my friends with those Gryffindors."

"Severus," Minerva admonished. "What's is going on with you?" She grabbed his left arm. "This is not you."

Severus snatched his arm from her grasp. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"

Minerva stepped back and looked at her son. "Severus."

"No," Severus yelled. "I am not a Gryffindor. I'm a Slytherin. And I am proud of my decision."

"No, you're not," Minerva said quietly. "You've doomed yourself, Severus." She no longer held her tears back as they streamed down her face. "Can you not see that."

Severus looked at Minerva for the first time with disgust. "I don't need your approval. I don't need you. I didn't ask you to adopt me. So, you can leave me alone." With that Severus turned and walked out of his adoptive mother's office.

Tears streamed down Minerva’s face thinking back to that afternoon she thought she lost her son forever. She didn’t want that to happen again. She knew she would have to find her son and fast.

A knock on her door brought the Transfiguration Professor out of her musing.

“Hold on,” Minerva said, trying to make her voice sound strong. So not to let whoever was behind her door know she was crying.

Patting her eyes with her silk handkerchief to rid her face of the tears, she walked to her door.

“Who is it?” Minerva opened her door. “Oh, hi. What’s can I do for you?”

A hand grabbed Minerva on the side of her head and slammed her into the door jam. Minerva collapsed on the floor.

___000___000___000___000

Harry was washing the last dish when he felt his hip vibrate so hard, he almost fell. He had to catch himself on the sink. Once he got his feet under him, he reached in his pocket and fished out what had caused him to almost fall on the floor.

Looking down at his hand, Harry didn’t know what was happening.

“PROFESSOR!”

TBC