Once Severus had graduated, he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't have a home to return to once the school year had ended, because Hogwarts had been his home for the last two summers and all the holidays in between.

"Severus, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you want," Albus told him.

"What, and live in a cabin next door to Hagrid?"

"We can find a position here at the school for you, or I can help set up an apprenticeship with a Potions Master. That is still what you were leaning towards wasn't it?"

Severus nodded. Potions wasn't his favorite subject, but it's what he excelled at. He found dueling and defense more exciting, but he didn't know anyone that had gone into the aurory program in the last few years and he wasn't sure he'd be accepted if he applied.

"You only need one year. The question is, would you rather apprentice a master who is close to the school so you can continue to live here, or would you rather we find a Potions Master who is more highly skilled. If distance isn't a barrier, that opens up more possibilities."

"I'd rather be skilled," Severus said. Besides, the others who had just graduated weren't going to hang around home now that they were adults. He would feel silly if he was the only one left at school, or at least that's what he told himself.

Over the next two weeks, Albus brought up several possibilities, including a Potions Master in France who had invented several new promising potions in the last few years, one in York who was skilled and had a thriving apothecary though he rarely did any kind of research or trial in new potions, and one in Norway who was known for his work with Potions invented and used by the Fae. In the end Severus decided he'd like to apply to work with the one in France and Norway, that way if one fell through he'd still have a chance to work with the other. He was surprised by how quickly he heard back from both.

"It seems you've been accepted by both," Dumbledore beamed one afternoon as he sat down to tea in the Great Hall next to Severus and Minerva.

"Both?"

"You had a glowing recommendation from your Potions Professor and the Headmaster from your school. You also had the highest NEWT potions score from your class. How could they not want to work with you?" Dumbledore beamed.

"Who are you going to choose Severus?" Minerva asked.

Severus really didn't know. He'd only hoped he would be accepted by one of them and had planned on going to work with whoever was willing to take him.

"Asmund has been praised for his recent success with the wolfsbane potion," Albus said.

"But Gauthier invented the wolfsbane potion," Severus said.

"I read last year that Asmund collaborated on a project with the elves to create new warding potions for a new colony," McGonagall said, trying to be helpful. "They involved the fifth transfigurative property and had to be imbued with elvish magic to be activated."

"Two interesting choices," Albus said. "One who works exclusively to invent new potions, and one who invents new potions in collaboration with fae but also works to improve known potions."

"What are we discussing today?" asked Flitwick as he came over with a cup of tea already in hand and sat at the table next to McGonagall.

"Gauthier vs Asmund," McGonagall said.

"Ah yes, I heard you were thinking of a Potions apprenticeship Severus," Flitwick said with a smile. "Didn't Asmund work with the elves last year on a potion incorporating elvish charms?"

The consensus seemed to be in favor of Severus going to Norway, and he did find the prospect of working with different types of people interesting, so he ended up writing back to Asmund and heading to Norway less than a week later. He was surprised when Dumbledore decided to go with him, ‘to be sure he was settled'.

Asmund, as it turned out, lived in a stone cabin with a wood roof covered in moss in the middle of the forest, hours from civilization in Norway. He had a spare room for Severus to stay in, which was fortunate considering there were no other dwellings available, and Severus was informed upon his arrival that he was Asmund's first ever apprentice. Asmund was only ten years older than Severus, and was therefore fairly new to Potions himself, though so far, from what Severus had read and gathered, he'd had a whirlwind potions career.

Albus stayed for two days before he left Severus to his new apprenticeship, but continued to write once a week. Once when Severus had been so engrossed in a project involving faeries and a new class of potion never before heard of, he forgot to write back, and his next letter from Albus was an admonishment to write back each week or Albus would come in person to be sure all was well.

"Your headmaster seems very interested in your wellbeing. I did not realize staff at Scottish schools were so invested," said Asmund when he'd glanced over Severus' shoulder at the letter one morning.

Severus wasn't sure what to tell him, because he'd never really told anyone that the Headmaster was his guardian (or had been before he'd come of age).

"He- raised me. For the last two years I was at school."

"Ah, it makes sense now," Asmund smiled. "Not your Headmaster, your father."

"Not exactly," Severus said as he prepared the base for their seventh try at this new potion class.

"It explains why he was so upset you didn't write back, and why he brought you himself," Asmund said. "My Headmaster was ready to see me off the school grounds personally when I graduated. He was tired of me blowing up classrooms with my experiments. So were the other teachers. The groundskeeper practically cried tears of joy when I graduated."

Severus laughed, though he wasn't sure what to say to Asmund about the Headmaster. He wasn't his father, and couldn't be. His father was probably lying in a gutter somewhere near Spinner's End, too inebriated to make it all the way home. Severus didn't know for certain that his father was still in Spinner's End, but he thought he probably was. He hadn't tried to seek him out after school. He hadn't had a chance because he'd been wrapped up in trying to secure his apprenticeship. The apprenticeship that was flying by faster than he would have liked.

Before Severus knew it, an entire year had passed, and he'd completed the required apprenticeship, meaning he was halfway to his Mastery. He'd learned so much from Asmund and all the work they'd done that he wished he could have stayed for a second year to learn more. Unfortunately, now that the word was out that Asmund was accepting apprentices, he'd been receiving applications every other week and Severus was going to have to leave to make room for a new apprentice.

Asmund and Severus were sorry to say goodbye because they'd become good friends over the course of the year, but it was a necessity, and Severus found himself back in Britain with no idea what to do with himself now that his apprenticeship was over. He couldn't return to Hogwarts, because he was almost 19 now, and it would be strange to tell anyone he ran across that he knew from school that he was still living at Hogwarts. They would have questions he wouldn't want to answer. Dumbledore did ask him to come back, at least until he'd found a place to live, but Severus politely declined, and ended up staying at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. He had it in his mind to find out what had become of Tobias before he moved on to bigger and better things, whatever those things were, and Diagonalley was a good place to stay nearby.

Tobias Snape, as it turned out, still lived in the ramshackle two story house at the end of the street in Spinner's End. As it also turned out, he was still given to drink, and was less than pleased to see Severus.

"I thought I made it clear to that Headmaster of yers that I was done with you boy."

Severus didn't even know what to say to him as he stood there on the steps in front of the door.

"What's that look for? Were you expecting me to invite you in? Yeh'r not mine anymore. I wish you never were. I gave you away to that man with the beard. What was his name? Alvin? Avery? You shouldn't have come back."

"I just wanted to tell you I graduated," Severus said, mouth very dry. "And I'm on my way to earning my Potions Mastery. I did a year apprenticeship already-"

Tobias spat at Severus' feet and cut him off with a shout. "Aye! I said I didn't want to know! Yer not mine! Did yeh expect ter come back to old Toby and live fer free off my hard work again? I'm done with yeh boy! DONE!"

Severus had to jump back as the door was slammed hard enough that it would have broken Severus' nose or teeth if it had hit his face. He listened, but there were no other sounds coming from inside, and he stared at the door, not sure why he kept expecting it to open again. He felt... discarded. Tobias didn't even remember the name of the man he'd ‘given him away' to. Suddenly anger burned in the pit of his stomach, and Severus didn't know what to do with it. He felt like pulling out his wand and cursing every inch of that house, just to make his father's life as miserable as he'd always claimed Severus had. The thought even played across his mind to set the place on fire, but in the end he only ended up feeling stupid for standing and staring at the closed door for what must have been several minutes. When he turned around, he surveyed the street just to make sure Potter and Lupin weren't standing there, waiting to laugh at him for being thrown out yet again. There was no one there though.

Severus returned to the Leaky Cauldron, but felt too empty to return to his room and sit by himself, so he ended up wandering Diagonalley as the sun went down instead.

"Severus!"

Severus turned and found Lucius Malfoy holding his hand up in a silent wave, and a friendly smile on his face. It was different than the way Asmund smiled at him, but Severus was so desperate for anyone at all to be his friend in that moment, he was washed with relief that Lucius was smiling and not scowling at him.

"What have you been up to?" Lucius asked. "Did you hear I got married last month?"

"I was out of the country," Severus said quietly as Lucius came up beside him and slapped him on the back, as if they were old friends. In the time since Lucius had graduated, Severus had thought on the way things had been with him. Lucius had been friendly, but they hadn't been friends, and it seemed as though he'd only been interested in using Severus to get things from the Headmaster. But as Lucius started to speak to him, Severus also remembered how proud he had felt to be part of Lucius' circle in his sixth year, and how good it felt to have Lucius praise him and say he was going places. In that moment Severus wished he was further along in his Mastery so he could have something impressive to say to Lucius.

"That explains why you never responded to the wedding invitation."

"You invited me?"

"Of course I did!"

Severus frowned. He'd gotten all his other correspondence even though he'd been out of the country, but he supposed it wasn't unheard of for owls to get lost.

"I married Narcissa," Lucius said proudly. "A perfect match between the Malfoy and Black families, don't you think?"

Severus tried hard not to wrinkle his nose at the thought of the ‘noble house of Black' but Lucius only ended up laughing at his attempt.

"Narcissa was never fond of Sirius. I hope you know that. She always thought he was quite crass, especially in his treatment of you. You know he was practically disowned by his family after his sixth year right? He went to live with the Potters over holidays. Disowned, can you imagine?"

"I didn't realize," Severus said, straightening up. He was afraid Lucius would somehow be able to tell that he'd just come from his own father's house, who had just disowned him officially for a second time.

"I was just on my way to Knockturn for a drink. There's a wonderful pub over there that only serves those like us, have you ever been?"

Severus shook his head, and Lucius motioned for him to follow. Severus had only been up Knockturn a few times before. Lucius led him to a small pub with only six tables, all with highly polished wood and a grand chandelier hanging over the room. Severus wasn't sure what Lucius had meant when he'd said ‘those like us', if he'd meant pure-blooded or something else. Lucius had to know he wasn't a pure-blood. Severus felt like a fraud being there with him, but no one called him out as out of place, and they were seated at a table next to the window looking out over the alley without incident.

"Nice huh? Narcissa gets on me about coming without her, but there's no women allowed. As long as I take her out to a fancy dinner afterwards, she doesn't put up too much of a fuss though. You said you were out of country?"

"I did a year apprenticeship with a Potions Master."

"You're going for your mastery then? I always said you were going places Severus. I assume you studied with Gauthier?"

"Asmund."

"I heard he's become very popular recently. One of Avery's cousins tried to get an apprenticeship but there's a waiting list."

Severus knew why there was a waiting list and knew he was lucky to have been the first one in the door, but he wanted Lucius to be impressed with him as he had been before and said, "I had recommendations from the Headmaster and Professor Slughorn."

"It doesn't surprise me that he took you as an apprentice. Everyone in Slytherin knew you were top of the class in Potions. Asmund would have been a fool not to take you."

Severus took a drink of the fine brandy Lucius had ordered, and hoped he had enough money in his pocket to pay for his drink.

"So what does the rest of your Potions Mastery entail? I've never looked into it."

"I have several papers to write and submit to be published in Potions journals, and I have to invent a new potion. Then there is a test."

"They only require one year of apprenticeship then? I would have thought it was two. The aurory requires three and a year of supervised work after, and to work in most other Ministry departments it's at least two."

"There is an option to do a sixth month apprenticeship in lieu of writing two of the research papers. Then I would have to write one paper and invent a potion, then take the test. Those that get into the second apprenticeship usually get help writing their paper and help studying for the test."

"Why not do a second apprenticeship then?"

Severus wanted to. He wished he could go back to Norway, but even if Asmund wasn't busy with his next apprentice, the requirement for a second apprenticeship was that it be done with a different Potions Master.

"I haven't thought about who I'd like to apprentice with yet." If he would have been smart he would have had it all set up before he'd had to leave Norway instead of finding himself back in Britain with no plans of what to do next or where to stay.

"Maybe I can help an old friend," Lucius said, puffing his chest out as if he were proud to call Severus friend. Severus wasn't sure what to make of that.

"You know a Potions Master?"

"I know someone who might. And if not Narcissa and I could help you study. Narcissa was quite good at Potions, if you'll remember."

Severus did remember. Narcissa was a year behind him in school, and must have married Lucius right after she graduated.

"I couldn't impose on you," Severus said, but Lucius waved his hand at him and poured more Brandy into Severus' glass.

"You could come stay at the manor. We have a dozen guest rooms. Narcissa's mother just gave us a few house elves to add to our collection, so now we have six and they've no one to wait on."

Severus was about to object again when Lucius said, "You wouldn't deny me the chance to help a fellow Slytherin would you? Besides, when you get that mastery I'll be able to take some credit for it." He gave that smile to Severus again, the one he'd been desperate for an hour ago, and Severus wasn't sure if he wanted to refuse. He'd be living in a manor instead of the Leaky Cauldron and instead of at Hogwarts. When people asked him what he was up to these days, or asked after him, he'd be able to say he was well on his way to finishing his mastery, and not still living at home.

"You're sure I won't be in the way?" Severus asked. He wondered what Narcissa would think about Lucius inviting him to their home. He wasn't pure-blood, which Lucius knew, and he barely knew Narcissa, as she'd run with a different crowd when they were at school. "Narcissa wont' mind?" Severus asked.

"She's been saying she wants to entertain guests since we got married. You'll be our first."

Severus took another drink and then gave Lucius a nod. Malfoy Manor. Not a bad way to come back to Britain after all. He should by all rights be living in Prince Manor and not worrying about money at all, especially since it was now sitting empty, but his cousins had taken the family fortune and moved to Europe, and only those who had access to the wards could enter the Prince family estates.

After another hour of drinks, in which Lucius vowed to introduce Severus to some of his good friends after he moved in with them, they parted ways with plans for Severus to move to the manor in a few days. Severus for his part was excited, and wrote as much in a letter to Dumbledore. Dumbledore invited him via owl to tea at Hogwarts the next evening, and Severus apparated there, feeling good about his future, and feeling as though he might actually make the old man proud of him.

"Ah Severus," Dumbledore greeted him. Severus had expected to be having dinner in the Great Hall with the other staff, but Dumbledore asked him up to his quarters for the meal instead. Once they were settled in, Dumbledore asked him a variety of questions Severus was happy to answer about Asmund and the apprenticeship, before finally asking him about his most recent letter.

"I was curious Severus, about what you wrote in your letter. You said you were going to be staying with a friend?"

"Lucius Malfoy invited me to the manor," Severus said proudly. "He said he and Narcissa would help me study for the mastery test and come up with topics for the required research papers. He said he might know someone who could help me get a second apprenticeship as well. That would mean I would only have to write one paper." The Mastery papers would mean gruelling hours of research and writing. Many research papers submitted to Potions Journals took hundreds of hours to research and write. Some were years in the making. It was meant to take time, so the Mastery board could be sure anyone they granted a Mastery too was well versed in their field and more than capable.

"I could help you get a second apprenticeship," Dumbledore suggested.

"I've got it taken care of," Severus told him before taking another sip of his tea. He was grateful the old man had helped him get his first apprenticeship, but he wanted to show him he could do it on his own now. Well, not exactly on his own, Lucius was going to help, but how was he supposed to make Dumbledore proud of him if he couldn't really strike out on his own and get things accomplished without his help?

"Of course," Dumbledore said carefully, and this made Severus look up at him and wonder at his tone. "I only meant, that should you ever find yourself in need, I am here to help." They were quiet for a minute as they ate before Dumbledore spoke again. "I've heard some worrying things Severus."

"About me?" Severus asked, looking up and feeling panicked. He worried the old man had found out he'd gone back to Spinner's End.

"No, no," he held up his hand to quiet his worry. "I fear we are heading into troubling times Severus. While you've been away, some very troubling things have happened."

"What do you mean?"

"A few people have turned up missing, and one person was found dead. It appeared they'd been tortured to death."

"Who?" Severus asked, suddenly worried for Lily and some of his other friends from Slytherin.

"The death was an auror. Two former Slytherins, a couple years ahead of you went missing months ago, and recently Peter Pettigrew went missing, though he turned up a few weeks later with no memory of what had happened to him or where he'd been."

"What's happening to them?"

"There have been... rumors."

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore seemed wary and... almost afraid. Severus had never seen him like that before.

"People are saying an old student, Tom Riddle, is gathering up a group of followers around him. Some say to overthrow the Ministry. They think he and his group are behind the disappearances and the death."

Severus frowned. "Who's Tom Riddle?"

"A former Slytherin. He graduated nearly thirty years ago and disappeared for some time. He only recently resurfaced. It's been said he's been gathering students from his old house."

"But you have no proof," Severus said.

"I do not. I want you to be careful Severus. I don't want you to get caught up in all of this. You have a bright and promising future ahead of you."

Severus was upset that Dumbledore would think he would associate with such people. "Why do you think I'll get caught up in it?"

"You're going to stay with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

"So? Just because they're Slytheirn doesn't mean anything."

"No, it doesn't," Albus agreed. "But Lucius has been suspected of being in the man's group for some time now."

"Lucius Malfoy? Why would he associate with someone that's killing and kidnapping people?" It would only bring shame on the name of Malfoy, and on the name of Black as well now that Narcissa was his wife. It didn't make any sense. No one from a pure-blood line would risk being disowned for such behavior. Severus certainly wouldn't. If his mother hadn't gotten herself disowned when Severus was born, he would have been walking on eggshells to stay a part of the Prince family.

"I don't know Severus, and I can't know for certain that he is involved. I just want you to be careful. Be careful of who you choose to be friends with and what you get involved in. I also want you to remember that no matter what, you have a place here."

"I can't keep coming back here. I'm not a student anymore, and I'm not a child."

"No, you're not. But this is your home. Remember that Severus."

When dinner was done, Severus thanked him for the invite and left, feeling miffed and confused at the same time, and also feeling certain that Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be caught up with anything that was bad. Three days later he moved in with Lucius and Narcissa and was given a suite of his own in a wing of the house reserved just for esteemed guests. He had a large room with a walk in closet and a huge bath. He also had large windows overlooking the grounds, and he felt for a moment like a king.

For almost three weeks Narcissa and Lucius spent time with Severus helping him study for the mastery exam and coming up with potential topics for his first research paper. As time went on, he stopped questioning why Lucius called him friend and had invited him into his home with open arms, and started just enjoying life for the time being.

From time to time Lucius brought other friends of his by the house for dinner or drinks, or invited Severus out to drinks after dinner at the pub they'd first gone to on Knockturn Alley. Severus enjoyed spending time with Lucius, and Avery and even Goyle, who had been a year ahead of Lucius and had never paid Severus much attention. It wasn't long before Severus began to feel as though they were his friends as much as they were Lucius'.

Sometimes after they went for drinks, Lucius would ask Severus to return home and let Narcissa know he wouldn't be taking her out to dinner that night. He'd ask Severus to distract her by asking for extra help studying. When Severus would ask where Lucius was going with Avery and Goyle, and sometimes others they'd had drinks with, Lucius would laugh and slap him on the shoulder and say, "Got a meeting to attend. We've got big things in the works Sev, big things!" This went on for almost two months before Severus finally got curious enough to ask what meetings he was attending. He'd assumed they were for business purposes as Lucius always had something in the works to increase the Malfoy fortune. He was invested in several new businesses and in businesses across France.

"It's a business meeting," Lucius told him.

"Oh," Severus said, preparing to return again to distract Narcissa with questions about the upcoming mastery exam.

"You understand, don't you? I have things to attend to. I'd invite you, but it's not my place."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been working with an exciting group of people. People who really want to see things get done for once. People who know how to effect a real change."

"What kind of change?"

"Things have been stagnant in our community for a long time. Some of the old laws just don't apply any more, but it takes years to cut through all the red tape to get anything done at the Ministry. Take Avery for example. You know his family owns a broom company? The Ministry won't let anyone make or sell brooms that go faster than the Cleensweep four. People want a faster broom though. Quidditch teams want something faster, and fans want it too. But the Ministry won't budge. His family has been working the last few years with lawyers trying to cut through all the red tape."

Severus thought that made sense. The brooms people used were slow.

"We don't invite just anyone to the meetings though. We're afraid the wrong person will come and then report to the Ministry about the changes we're trying to get passed into law. My friend is the one who makes the decisions about who comes."

Severus wanted to ask Lucius to let him come, so he could be part of what his friends were part of, but he didn't want to beg either. The last two months with Lucius and Narcissa had taught him more than just Potions knowledge. He'd learned decorum and how to act as though he actually belonged to the Prince family. Narcissa had even found a book with information on the Prince family for him with a family tree. He'd never had access to that kind of information about where he'd come from before.

"Look, I'll tell you what," Lucius said. "My friend, the one who decides who comes to meetings, he's the one who I was going to ask about getting you a second apprenticeship. I'll talk to him tonight and see if I can bring you along next time to talk about the apprenticeship."

"Ok," Severus said. Lucius smiled and went down the alley after Avery and Goyle, who had left them there several minutes ago so they wouldn't be late to their meeting while Lucius talked with Severus.

The next week when they went out for drinks, Lucius told Severus the good news. "He says he thinks he has the perfect Potions Master for you to work with. He can really help you study and prepare for the exam, and possibly even get that research paper done. You can come, but just for tonight."

Avery and Goyle shared a look with a smile, but Severus assumed it was just because they were happy for him. After drinks Lucius led Severus down Knockturn to the other end of the alley and into a shop Severus hadn't been in before. He told Severus he'd have to wait there in the shop until the end of the meeting to meet with his friend, and then disappeared into the back room with Avery and Goyle. Severus resisted the urge to go to the door to listen and see if he could hear what was being said on the other side, and busied himself instead with an old Potions text he'd brought with him to study out of. After almost two hours, after Severus was stiff from sitting on a stool the shopkeep apparently used during the day behind the counter, the door to the back room opened again and people streamed out. Lucius came out last and beckoned Severus over. The leather chairs inside looked a lot nicer than the stool he'd occupied all evening.

"Is this him Lucius?" came a voice from a chair half in shadow. Then a man in his thirties, or maybe early forties sat forward and smiled. He had short dark brown hair and was wearing smart clothing, like something Lucius would normally wear. Suddenly Severus wished he'd dressed up tonight instead of wearing the simple clothes he had.

"This is Severus. He studied with Asmund. He needs another apprenticeship for six months."

The man stood up and held out his hand for Severus to shake, which he did, and the man said, "A pleasure to meet you Severus. Won't you have a seat?"

Severus sat, and his back thanked him to find the comfortable chair.

"As it so happens, one of our members is a Potions Master. He has an apothecary in Blackpool. He doesn't invent potions like Asmund, but he knows his craft better than most. He has a sharp mind. Lucius said you had a paper to author and had to invent a potion? He might be willing to help. I happen to know he doesn't have an apprentice right now."

"Would you be willing to introduce us?" Severus asked.

"Of course," the man said. "Lucius said you're likely to be one of the top Potions Masters once you gain your mastery. I wouldn't mind helping along such a brilliant young mind."

Severus tried hard not to look as if he was beaming in front of these two men.

"Tell me about yourself a little Severus, so I can pass along some information to him to help him see if you'll be a good fit for an apprenticeship."

Severus spoke for several minutes about how successful his last apprenticeship had been, about his good grades in his last few years of school, and when asked about what he hoped to accomplish as a Potions Master (he wanted to invent potions that people hadn't seen or thought of before).

"What about your family?" the man asked, and Severus paused, not certain what to say. Somehow, I come from a poor family that lived in a crooked house on a dirty lane didn't seem fitting. He couldn't exactly say he was from Dumbledore's family either though.

"He's from the Prince lineage," Lucius put in quickly.

"Prince, that's a good name to have. I thought they had all moved to Europe." He turned to Lucius and said, "He's been staying with you hasn't he Lucius? Is there someone older than you that claimed your family estates?" he then asked Severus.

Severus cleared his throat and hoped Lucius wouldn't answer for him, though he himself didn't know what to say. Lucius did answer though, and Severus wasn't sure if he was supposed to be mortified or angry or relieved that he didn't have to say it all out loud.

"His mother was disowned because she married a muggle."

"What a shame," the man said. "You weren't provided for at all by the Princes? I assume at least the Muggle was of some wealth for your mother to give up her inheritance?"

Severus looked at his hands and shook his head.

"No? Even if a family disowned their heir they usually take care of future descendants. It's unusually cruel not to do so."

"He lived at Hogwarts the last few years, before he graduated."

Severus looked up and met Lucius eyes. He knew? How did he know? Who had told him? Had he seen Tobias disown him?

"Is that right Severus?"

"I- yes." That was it. He wouldn't get that apprenticeship now. He'd have to just study on his own and write three papers. He couldn't go back to Dumbledore and ask for his help. The man would look down on him as this man was now. Only this man wasn't looking down on him.

"This is what we've been discussing Lucius," the man said. "Too many things like this have gone on. Things have to change. To imagine there are bright young minds out there not being taken care of and placed in the hands of Muggles to raise and be abandoned. It's sickening."

Lucius nodded as though he understood exactly what the man was saying.

"There need to be safeguards in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening," the man said. "Wouldn't you agree Severus? Lucius? Why haven't you brought him to meetings before? He clearly understands what we're about and how things need to change. He could have valuable input on the issues we're facing."

"I didn't want to interrupt his studies," Lucius said.

"No, we can't do that," the man agreed. He met Severus' eyes then though and said, "I'd like to help you Severus, in whatever way I can. I'll speak to the Potions Master in our group and see if he has room for an apprentice. If he doesn't, I'll tutor you myself. Someone from the Prince family should never have been left on his own as you were, and I would be honored to take it upon myself to make sure you receive all the tutoring you need to succeed. And if you decide at some point in the future you want to come to one of our meetings, you'll be welcomed with open arms. I'm pleased Lucius has offered you a home while you study or I would offer you that as well. We take care of our own here."

Severus was stunned. He'd never been welcomed by a group like this before. The man and Lucius exchanged several pleasantries before they left and Lucius and Severus decided to walk the alley back towards the pub before apparating away.

"I have a feeling this is all going to work out for you Severus," Lucius said proudly.

Severus nodded but didn't say anything.

"What's wrong? Didn't you hear him? Even if there's not room for an apprentice he'll help you."

"I- how did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I was staying at Hogwarts." He must have given it away somehow. He must have acted like the orphan he was.

"Suddenly you were spending a lot of time with the Headmaster, that's all. You stopped going home for holidays, and I didn't see you riding the train home anymore."

"But I wasn't acting like-"

"Like what?"

"Nevermind."

"Severus, this is all gonna work out. Tom's right you know, it's not right that you were removed from the Prince line. Something similar happened to Tom. He has a unique insight into the changes that need to be made because of it."

They went home and Severus thought on all that had been said. He thought about half a dozen changes he wished the Ministry would make and how he could propose that to Tom and the others at a future meeting, a meeting he fully wished to attend.

Severus did end up getting the apprenticeship in Blackpool, and while he continued to stay at Malfoy Manor, his days were full of working in the apothecary and studying with Andrei Karkaroff and his nephew Igor, who was an unofficial apprentice until the time which Severus was fully done with his apprenticeship. Severus didn't like working with the two nearly as much as he had with Asmund, and the work was boring, but Karkaroff was invested in getting Severus through the rest of his apprenticeship and had laid out a strict study schedule for he and Igor, and had even given Severus a brilliant topic for his research paper. Igor ended up moving back to Bulgaria after Severus was three months into his work with Karkaroff, but Severus didn't mind, as the boy was sour and disagreeable on the best of days. Severus started going to meetings with Lucius as well, and Karkaroff made sure to always tell Tom of the progress Severus was making.

Tom, it turned out, was Tom Riddle, the same man Dumbledore had warned him about, but for everything Severus could see, Tom was nothing more than a man who wanted to see positive change come into their world. It was something Severus wanted too.

There were several weekly meetings Severus found out, and he was only invited to the one every Friday night. Lucius started going to the ones on Saturday and Monday night as well, and Severus tried not to feel left out.

"Things have gotten a little scary with the way the Ministry has been vilifying us lately," Lucius explained. "We've started separating out the people we believe are reporting back to them. Only those we're sure are on our side have gone ahead to the other meetings."

"I would never-" Severus started, because he really did like Tom and wanted to please him, but Lucius held up his hand.

"Not you Sev. Tom thinks you're all right. He just doesn't want to interrupt your studies. He wants to be sure you've got your mastery first. You know, if the Ministry found out you were even coming to our meetings, they could block you from even taking the mastery test."

Severus nodded. He already knew. Avery had decided he wanted to become an auror and the Ministry had blocked his application.

"If you want to help, the best thing you can do is get your mastery and invent amazing potions. That will show people that we're not bad. After you get your mastery Tom will probably invite you to the other meetings."

Severus threw himself into his studies after that and in his last two months of the apprenticeship with Karkaroff, he researched and wrote his first paper, with a lot of help from Karkaroff and Narcissa. He'd also been able to invent a new potion with Tom's help, one that would render the consumer lighter than air and able to fly until the potion wore off. Tom praised him in front of the group at Friday meetings on a regular basis, and for a time Severus felt as though he couldn't possibly be happier.

In short order Severus passed his mastery test, underwent an interview with the Potions Mastery board, and had a certificate that declared him the country's newest Potions Master. Severus wanted to rush to tell Tom, Lucius and Narcissa about his achievements, but first he had to make a visit to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had invited him to dinner again, this time to celebrate. Dinner was to take place in the staff lounge. Apparently several of the staff had skipped dinner in the Great Hall with the students to come eat with them and congratulate him.

"Well done Severus!" Flitwick cried joyously. He'd said this more than five times already but he'd also had several glasses of wine so Severus simply smiled at him and went back to his conversation with Dumbledore and Slughorn.

"I was surprised to hear you took an apprenticeship with Karkaroff," Slughorn said, "but clearly it paid off. You've done very well for yourself Severus. I always thought you would."

Severus refrained from saying Slughorn never thought he would succeed. If he had he would have invited Severus to join the ‘Slug Club' along with Lily and James and others who had come before him like Lucius.

"It was an interesting choice," Dumbledore said.

"Why?"

"Well," Slughorn said, popping the last bite of a brownie into his mouth, "initially you had been so set on inventing potions, and that's just not what Karkaroff is known for. He's a potions master yes, but he's had a very quiet career running his apothecary."

"He was available and willing to help me study for the mastery exam."

"Of course," Slughorn said. "That is what the second apprenticeship is supposed to be for. He's very straightforward though... dry, if you know what I'm saying."

Severus did, but he refrained from saying so. He'd gotten so much help from Karkaroff and Lucius and Tom that he wasn't willing to say anything bad about them, even if it was something such as, ‘he was very boring to work with'.

After dinner, Albus invited him to his office for tea and Severus agreed. "I'm very proud of you Severus," the headmaster said.

"Thank you." It was what he'd been working for so hard for so long, but somewhere in the last six months, he'd stopped thinking about it and had started working for the weekly praise Tom was giving him at Friday meetings.

"Severus, I am proud of you."

"I know." He supposed he'd been too pensive and looked up and took a drink of his tea.

"I still worry Severus, about what we spoke about before."

"About Lucius Malfoy?"

"Amongst other people."

"I think you're wrong." It was the first time Severus had said anything to argue with the Headmaster, but he felt like he really should stick up for his friends.

"Am I?"

"Lucius just wants to see change."

"Was I correct in my assumption he's associated with Tom Riddle?"

"You're wrong about him too."

"You've spoken?"

"We've done more than just speak. They helped me earn my mastery. I've been to their meetings and I haven't seen anything like what you said. I haven't seen them kidnap anybody or torture them. And the people you said they kidnapped they didn't, by the way. McNair and Lestrange are alive and well and busy working on their own things."

"Then why don't they let the Ministry know that?"

"Why should they have to?" Severus spat. He paused then and pulled himself back, trying to reign in the emotion threatening to overtake him. When he was calmer he asked, "Why should we all have to answer to the Ministry in every thing we do and every person we speak to? That's overstepping what the Ministry should be."

Albus sighed. "Severus, I'm only concerned for your safety."

"You think they're capable of doing something to me?"

"I don't know what they're capable of."

"And what about me, what am I capable of?"

"What do you mean dear boy?"

"What do you think I'm capable of? Kidnapping? Murder? You think it of them, so you have to think it of me."

"I have to do no such thing," Dumbledore said. "I know you." He thought the man wanted to add ‘I raised you' but didn't.

"I'm one of them," Severus said. "I believe in what they're trying to do, and all they did was help me." He thought back to all the times Lucius and Tom had told him not to worry himself over something and to just concentrate on his studies. They looked out for him first before their own agenda. The only other person that had done that for him was Dumbledore, and he wished Dumbledore could see that they were good for him, and that Dumbledore wasn't the only one that was good for him.

"Severus, what is it you want to do now? Now that you have your mastery, what are your plans?"

"I-" he really wasn't sure.

"Do you want to open up an apothecary? Go abroad and study? Teach? I want to help you."

"I don't need your help, thank you," he said, trying not to sound irritated.

"I know you don't."

"You just want to get me away from them."

Severus stood up and set his tea cup down on the man's desk. Albus rose too.

"I only want what's best for you Severus."

In that moment, Severus didn't know that he did though. He knew that Lucius and Tom did, but he suddenly wasn't sure about Dumbledore.

"Thank you for inviting me, it's been a lovely evening," Severus said as he made for the door. Albus called after him to stay, but Severus ignored him. It was the last time he saw or spoke to Dumbledore for almost a year. Severus wished later on that he could have gone back to that moment and stayed, and heard the man out, but it was too late for that. Severus wished the following year could have been classified as all good, but being committed to go deeper into Riddle's ranks, there was no way it could have been.

Tom welcomed Severus to the Saturday meetings with open arms, but he wanted more. Severus wanted to prove himself to Tom after all he'd done for him. He wanted to prove he was every bit as good as Lucius and Avery and Goyle. Tom required him to prove it by doing something for him though. Doing something that would prove he was really loyal. Severus didn't know what that was at first, not until he overheard Lucius talking to Avery one day when they thought they were alone about ‘lord Voldemort.' He didn't know they were talking about Tom at first, but he heard others whisper ‘dark lord' at times too and figured it out. One day when Severus had gone to Hogsmead to gather ingredients for a new potion Tom wanted him to work on, he heard a seer give a prophecy against ‘the dark lord' in a back corner of the Hogshead, and he knew he had earned his way to the Monday meeting in that moment. Severus had been right. He'd given the prophecy straight to Tom, who though he looked disturbed, had praised Severus and called a meeting of his Monday followers immediately, even though it was Thursday. After the meeting, Severus was invited to come into the room. McNair, Lestrange, Lucius, Avery, Goyle, and a handful of others, including to Severus' dismay Igor Karkaroff, were waiting for him inside.

"Brothers and sisters, welcome our new brother Severus. He has proven once and for all that he is loyal to our cause and will not turn on us. After tonight he shall henceforth be known as your brother, and you shall do all you can to protect him. He will be known from henceforth as a death eater, because he opposes the death and destruction the Ministry seeks to bring us."

He asked for Severus' arm, and Severus was branded with an inky black tattoo of a snake going through a skull. Lucius explained to him later that night what all the tattoo meant and did, and for several weeks Severus walked around as though he couldn't be prouder of himself. But it was only a few weeks after he'd been branded that he realized that perhaps not all was as it had seemed when he'd taken the oath.

Bellatrix had kidnapped Alice and Frank Longbottom and tortured them nearly to death, and certainly to insanity. Severus hadn't been there to see it, but it had happened. Lucius and Tom both told Severus that it was necessary because of the prophecy. It was clear by the prophecy that the Ministry was planning on killing Tom and all of his ‘friends', and Frank and Alice, who worked for the Ministry were refusing to give up information that would save all of their lives. Severus didn't agree with what had happened, but kept his mouth shut. Even Lucius told Severus that he had far too much to do with the new potions lord Voldemort wanted him to develop to be worrying about things which didn't concern him. Severus was also busy helping Narcissa with little Draco, almost a year old now. The house elves were some help, but with Lucius always away on business for lord Voldemort, Narcissa had begun to feel at her wits end with a crying baby that Lucius wasn't around to help with. Severus had been helping with the baby so much that Lucius had named him Draco's godfather, and Severus felt as though it was his duty to help.

It was a few days before Draco was to turn one that Severus learned that Lily had also had a baby. A baby with James Potter. Apparently he was a little older than Draco, but only by a few months. He wouldn't have known at all except he was on Diagonalley with Narcissa picking up some things for Draco's party when he saw Lily holding a bundle with a black mop of hair sticking out.

"Severus, are you going to help me?" Narcissa asked sharply when she turned around with several bags and realized Severus was staring at something down the street, unaware she'd been asking him to help carry bags for the last several moments.

"What?"

"The bags? They're heavy."

"Of course."

"What were you staring at?" She searched the street and caught sight of Lily. "He's a few months older than Draco. My mother said they named Sirius as his godfather. That's all I know about him."

"Black?"

"That's what I said. You didn't like her, did you Severus?"

"Of course not," he said, taking the bags from her, though his eyes flitted back down the street towards the shop she'd just disappeared into.

"I heard she married Potter. He's an auror now, or at least training to be one."

Severus couldn't have been thrown for more of a loop if the world had exploded just then and hippogriffs came raining from the sky, and for the first time in months he wished he hadn't cut off contact with Dumbledore, because he wanted to talk to him about it, but it was too late for that now. Severus couldn't know that in a week's time his world really would explode around him, and that he'd be facing Dumbledore whether he wanted to or not.

Before Severus knew that his entire future had slipped away from him, it had all gone in the dead of night without his knowledge. Lily was dead, Tom had killed her and James and tried to kill their son. Severus couldn't even ask Tom why, because he was dead too, though Lucius said he didn't think it was possible for Tom to die, that he'd put precautions in place. It was Lucius who told Severus that Voldemort had gone after Lily's baby, because he'd determined that baby was the weapon the Ministry had planned to use to kill them all. Severus had never apparated quicker, never run faster than in the moments after Lucius had told him. He'd arrived too late and there was nothing he could do but hold Lily in his arms and cry and tell her he was sorry. She'd never hear his words though, and she'd never see him flee as Black came running up the stairs calling Lily and Harry's names as the baby wailed into the night.

Severus broke into Hogwarts that night at almost two in the morning and raced up through the castle to the entrance to Dumbledore's office and chambers. He didn't know the password and knew no amount of begging would get him inside, so he simply pounded on the stone gargoyle until Dumbledore heard and let him in, his fists aching and scraped.

"Severus, what's wrong? What's happened?"

Severus collapsed into his arms and sobbed, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts listened to his former student, his surrogate son explain how he was responsible for the murder of James and Lily Potter, that even now they lay dead in Godric's Hollow.

"Severus- I-" the old man's face was pale. He couldn't be proud of Severus now. He'd never be proud of him again thought Severus.

Severus expected him to bind him in ropes and chains and call the aurors, to snap his wand and have him carted off to Azkaban. He expected Dumbledore to yell him senseless or strike him or curse him or even to torture him, but he did none of those things. The only thing he did was hold him as he cried. Finally, after almost an hour, when Severus had quieted and his eyes were raw, the Headmaster spoke again.

"You were working for me. You were a spy."

"What are you-

"Repeat it," Dumbledore said forcefully, and not sure what else to do, Severus repeated it.

"I was working for you, I was a spy."

"You were gathering names for me, reporting back about their activities."

Severus repeated it, and then he said, "I don't understand."

"If Tom Riddle is truly gone, as you say, there will be trials. His followers will be taken to Azkaban, especially with what was done to the Longbottoms and to James and Lily. But you were working for me Severus. You weren't actually one of them." Albus wasn't covering for him... he couldn't be, not after what he'd done!

Severus rolled up his sleeve and showed Albus his mark, and Albus nodded. "All part of the plan. And when he returns, you'll continue spying, just as you were before."

"Do you really think he's coming back?"

"There are ways within the dark arts to circumvent death. If Lucius says that is what he's done, I don't doubt it. Riddle will return, and when he does, you'll continue as you were before, as my spy."

"I never wanted any of this to happen," Severus said. "I didn't listen to you, and I should have. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Lily," he said to the air then, and tears started afresh in his eyes.

"Are you sorry enough to make things right?" Albus asked.

"I can't make things right."

"You can try. That is all I ever wanted from you my boy, was to try."

"What do I do?"

"Harry is left in this world now without a home, without a family. He has no mother and father to protect him from the evils of this world. Will you protect him?"

"You mean take care of him?" Severus asked.

"I mean protect him Severus, even if it means your life."

His life was forfeit either way, he thought. He would get the Dementor's kiss for what he'd done, or Lucius and the others would hold Severus responsible for Voldemort dying and kill him. He certainly deserved to die for what he'd done to Lily and James.

"I'll protect him, even if it means my life." He couldn't make it right. There was no way he could. He'd orphaned a child. But he could try, if that was all Dumbledore wanted from him.

Dumbledore had left him there then, on the floor of his office, and had gone to see what had become of Harry James Potter. It was hours before he came back and the sun had already risen.

"I took the boy to his relatives. Lily's sister. Old magic will protect him there until he comes to school. If you really mean to protect him Severus, this will be the best place to do that."

"I don't- how?" The old man still wanted him to call the school home? What would he do, help Filch mop floors?

"I don't yet know, but I will find a way."

The next day Slughorn quit after hearing news of Lily's death and there was suddenly a position open for a Potions Master. And in the weeks that followed Severus was dragged through two trials, both of which Dumbledore showed up for and swore up and down that Severus had always been on their side, had always been a spy. And though he didn't want it... though he didn't deserve it, Severus found he had a home at Hogwarts, with the ghosts and the children, with the staff, and with Dumbledore. There was no way he could possibly do right by Lily or her child, and there was no way he could ever make the old man proud of him again, but he would try, because that was all he could do.

Part Six - Where Your Heart Is When You Realize Where It Should Be

Their defense teacher, Lewis Green had been unexpectedly sacked, or had decided to go on an extended holiday for some reason only a month into the school year. Nobody knew for certain, though rumors abounded. All they knew was that when they had shown up to Defense Monday morning, he was gone and a squat woman dressed all in pink had taken his place. She confiscated their defense texts and replaced them (free, courtesy of the Ministry) with new ones all about the ‘theory' of defense. No one knew what to think, especially when that night at dinner she stood up to introduce herself without the Headmaster's permission, and started talking about ‘pruning' what needed to be pruned in school.

"Seems a little batty, doesn't she?" Ron commented after her speech.

"She's from the ministry," Hermione said. "I heard Professor McGonagall talking about it with Professor Sinistra today in the corridor. You know what this means."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head, "not really."

"The ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

"Can they do that?" Neville asked.

"They're not supposed to," Hermione said, ignoring her lunch and looking unhappy. "The school's supposed to be a separate entity, that's why it has a board of governors. The Ministry gets one member on the board of governors and that's as far as they're allowed to go."

"But here she is," Ron said. "What's the Ministry care anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione said.

It became obvious fairly quickly to everyone however. Professor Umbridge wasted no time in passing several new rules without Dumbledore's permission, such as no hand holding by students on school grounds, and increased punishments for minor infractions. She also zoned in on Harry right away, and the second time they met for defense class with her in charge she wasted no time in picking at Harry until he practically blew up. The Slytherins laughed at the loss of points, but Harry had had enough detentions by now with Snape that he didn't even bristle at being assigned another one.

He would have served that detention too, except for the fact that Dumbledore met him on the way to detention that evening and informed him that he was to go to his office right away. Umbridge caught them on the way to his office and had stern words about him compromising her authority as a teacher before Dumbledore told her that all of Harry's detentions for the entire school year were to be assigned to Professor Snape, as he was the only one who could ‘handle' Harry's misbehavior as he was a strict disciplinarian. Harry didn't appreciate what Dumbledore had said in the least, but didn't mouth off or argue as he was led the rest of the way to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry, please have a seat."

Harry plopped into the chair and Dumbledore said, "You are unhappy with how I handled the situation."

"She's going to think I'm a troublemaker now and be on me all the time." The last thing he wanted was more detentions with Snape.

"Unfortunately Harry, it was necessary. Delores Umbridge is not a woman you want to cross. I want you to be on your best behavior around her. For now she is being forced on us by the Ministry. Make no mistake Harry, just because she is from the Ministry does not make her someone to trust. I would not put it past her to use dark magic on students, or to illegally dose students with veritaserum."

"Professor Snape threatened to do that, I don't have to be careful around him."

Dumbledore looked amused for only a moment as he said, "I'm sure he did." He turned serious again quickly though. "Harry, things are happening that you may not understand. You must be careful however. I will not always be here to protect you."

"What do you mean?"

"I think it's best for you to return to your dormitory. I'd advise you to stay there and to be in well before curfew each night. Tell your friends as well. Professor Umbridge will be doing nobody any favors. It's imperative that you understand this Harry."

"Yes sir." Dumbledore escorted him back to the tower and saw him inside with a last look that said, ‘stay out of trouble.' Harry didn't understand why Umbridge was so bad, but when he told Ron and Hermione, Hermione seemed alarmed.

"This is bad Harry. If she's going to use dark magic and the Headmaster warned you, it means there's nothing he can do about it because the Ministry put her here. If they're endorsing dark magic against students, we're in trouble."

"I don't know that that's what he meant," Harry said.

"I still don't even understand why she's here though," Ron said.

"You saw how she went for Harry right away. The Ministry has been printing lies about Harry and the Headmaster all summer. Maybe this is their way of finally discrediting them both."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"You could be expelled Harry."

"She can't just expel me. The Headmaster wouldn't allow it."

"Tell me again what he said about not being here," Hermione said.

"Nothing. He just said he wouldn't always be here to protect me or something like that."

"Don't you see Harry?" Hermione said urgently, "They're going to find a way to get rid of him too. Then he'll be gone and you'll be here with her. If she can get rid of the Headmaster and expel you, the Ministry can print that in all the papers. No one will believe you that You-Know-Who's back."

Harry paled and with a look at Ron it seemed the full force of it had hit Ron too.

Word spread fast about Umbridge, but students were seeing for themselves that she wasn't to be trifled with. She passed several more rules that were unpopular with students, including a ban on Quidditch for Harry and the twins, (to discourage further rule breaking), and a ban on all student clubs, which was a problem for Harry and his friends who had just come up with an idea to teach themselves defense since she wasn't teaching them anything. Harry and his friends had gone on with the defense club anyway (Dumbledore had to know about it, because Snape knew about it because he'd caught Harry on his way to the club twice already to tell him off for being rude or having angry outbursts), and it only took them four meetings to get caught. At the end of the fourth meeting, Umbridge and Filch had found them, confiscated the roster of students, and sacked Dumbledore for inciting a student rebellion against the Ministry under the name ‘Dumbledore's Army'.

Suddenly Harry found all his protection from Umbridge and the Ministry gone. Snape thought that would be enough to temper Harry's angry outbursts in the halls and stop him from snapping at students and teachers alike, but it wasn't, and Snape had doubled down on his attempts to temper Harry's emotions and keep them in check so he wouldn't get himself expelled. The only good thing that had come of it all was that Snape realized Harry needed new glasses and arranged for him to get an eye exam with Madam Pomfrey. Ron thought a second good thing had come of it too, though Hermione wasn't sure it was anything other than sad the Headmaster had been fired because of their club: it was McGonagall who had taken Dumbledore's place instead of Snape. Harry agreed with Ron. If Snape took over the school, it would be a disaster and Harry would have no peace.

* * *

Severus didn't know what he was supposed to do with the boy now. He knew what Albus wanted him to do, but he didn't know how to do it. No matter what he tried it hadn't worked, and Potter was still just as angry as the first day he'd arrived that term. He was still snapping at staff, (mostly at him and Minerva), he was still being rude to his friends (why they continued to tolerate it, Severus would never know), and he was still being rude to other students. Case in point, Severus needed to track the boy down and tell him off for trying to start a fist fight in the halls with Draco earlier that afternoon. Thankfully he'd heard it from Minerva instead of Umbridge. One of the last things Dumbledore had done before Umbridge had tried to have him arrested was ensure that all staff knew all of Harry's detentions were to be assigned to him, but he didnt' think Umbridge was really going to comply with it. Minerva had also made that clear to Umbridge, but again, she was dangerous and not to be trusted to follow the rules.

Severus stood in the corridor outside Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry to come in for the evening. Curfew was still a couple hours away but he was willing to bet the boy would turn up soon. Weasley and Granger had already gone back to their common room for the evening, and Potter was sure not to be far behind. He'd only been waiting for 10 minutes when he spotted him. Harry saw him and tried to put his head down and rush past, but Severus reached out and grabbed the back of his robes.

"What?" Harry snapped, face red and angry he couldn't get past him.

"We need to have words about what happened today."

"What happened is-" Harry bit down on the snarky comment as Snape gave him a stern look and held up his hand.

"Not here."

"Fine."

Severus let go of Harry's robes and led him back down to his office.

"Sit."

"I'll stand. I don't plan on being here long. I have homework to do."

"Fine," Severus said, trying not to grit his teeth. "Close the door."

Harry did as he was told and Severus said, "You cannot continue with what you are doing."

"What am I doing?"

"Being mad at the world."

"I'm not mad at the world, I'm pissed that Malfoy thinks he can get away with everything."

"Such as saying your new glasses look nice between classes?"

"That's not what he meant!" Harry shouted, huffing and crossing his arms.

"What did he mean?"

"I don't know but not that! He's always making fun of my stuff."

"Because he's spoiled and doesn't know better," Severus said, paraphrasing what Harry had told him weeks earlier.

"Yeah, so, it's not right!"

"But you do know better. You know why he does it, yet you try to goad him into a fistfight in the corridor not ten feet from the defense classroom! You will find and thank Professor McGonagall tomorrow by breakfast for stopping you from creating a fool of yourself and getting yourself expelled."

"Why do you even care?" Harry huffed.

Severus was silent for several moments, thinking about it. Because Dumbledore told him to. This was something he had to do, because he said he would, and because he'd made a promise long ago. This wasn't exactly what Severus had thought about when promising to protect Harry though. He'd thought of stepping in front of a curse to save him from Voldemort or something along those lines. Harry did need saving... he was in danger, but the most imminent danger right now was from himself. If he couldn't control his anger he'd get himself into a world of trouble, or he'd find in years to come that he wasn't a person with friends, only with people he'd pushed away. Severus knew because he'd gone through it in the years after he became a teacher at Hogwarts. Only Minerva, Albus, and strangely Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had stuck by him. His friends were few. The more he took the time to think on it though, the more he came to the realization, as Harry sat there waiting for an answer, that in the last weeks he hadn't been tracking Harry down in every spare moment and arguing with him because Albus had wanted him to. He'd been doing it because he was genuinely concerned about Harry's well-being. James and Lily wouldn't have wanted this for Harry.

"Well?" Harry demanded. "Can I go now?" The boy looked smug, like he'd won something. What had his initial question been? Why was he doing this?

"Because your father and I were friends," is what Severus ended up saying, and he was surprised by the words coming out of his own mouth. They were words he never thought he'd say.

Harry scoffed and Severus' eyes snapped up to his. "This time I caught you in a lie," Harry mocked. "You hated him. Everybody knows it, and that's why you hated me."

Severus sat down in his chair and closed his eyes tight for a moment, remembering the stricken look on James' face when he realized that Severus was upset to find out he was dating Lily. Severus hadn't understood it at the time, and had not really thought about it after. Not until now. James had that stricken look because he cared what Severus thought and how he felt, and realized that he'd hurt him by dating Lily.

"I did not realize that we were friends until now."

"Yeah, explain how that works," Harry demanded. "I know who all my friends are."

"Do you?" Severus asked. He suspected the boy had a lot more friends than he thought.

"You're a liar," Harry said, crossing his arms in a huff. "No one just realizes after that long that they were friends."

"The way you and Draco Malfoy are in the halls with each other... the taunting, and ribbing each other... that is how your father and I were. He would pull a prank on me, and I would pull one on him. I didn't realize we were friends then, that I enjoyed the back and forth as much as he and Remus did."

"Sirius said you hated each other."

"Black and I hated each other. With a passion," he added. He still hated Black. "The things Black did and said were cruel and meant to hurt and humiliate. The things your father did and said were more of just an annoyance. I-" he didn't want to tell the boy about Tobias and the incident in the alley in Spinner's End, but he felt it had come to a point where he had no choice now. He'd been getting nowhere with Harry except arguing. It was a month and a half of wasted time and they'd gotten nowhere. Perhaps Albus had been right, and Severus should have come clean up front. Hadn't the boy frequently asked why it had to be his Potions Master that he had to talk to instead of his Head of House?

"And just like that, when it's convenient for your own purposes to say you were friends, you realize it? Out of the blue?" Harry's eyes were full of anger.

"I have recently had a lot of cause for reflection," Severus said, trying not to snap at the boy. He hated to be disrespected, especially by children.

They were silent for a few moments and Severus took a calming breath, preparing himself for Harry to scoff at him, and make fun of him for who he was... who he had been in his youth. "One summer your father and Remus came to my home, probably to prank me, and found my father beating me in the alley outside. When he was done, they flew me to Hogwarts."

"I don't believe you," Harry said, sounding as though he really hated the Potions Master at that moment with everything he had. "Just stop already. No one believes you."

Severus kept going however, face as serious as it ever was, and eyes refusing to meet Harry's angry gaze. "I was allowed to stay at Hogwarts for my last two years. The Headmaster looked after me."

Harry was shaking his head now. "You're lying. STOP LYING."

"James and Remus never spoke of it after that and neither did I. I thought they would tell Black, but instead they told him to stop bothering me. I thought they would tell everyone, but they didn't tell anyone. After that, we didn't interact at all, because I was afraid to prank them anymore. I didn't realize until now, that what James was doing, was being my friend."

"If you were his friend, why the hell do you hate me so much? WHY?"

Severus finally looked back up at Harry. "I did hate him. For years. I even hated him after he died. And I hated you when you came to school. I don't now." In trying to explain it to Harry, Severus realized that he missed that back and forth he'd had with James and even with Remus, and he'd missed the last two years of it during their schooling. While James was busy being a friend by not telling anyone about him, Severus was busy pulling away and enjoying his new status in Slytherin. He wondered now if James hadn't started dating Lily, Severus' best friend, in the hopes of really becoming friends. He'd looked so- shocked, and upset when he saw the hurt look on Severus' face when Lily had announced their relationship. Maybe that was why. Maybe Severus would never know.

Harry was shaking his head and standing up.

"Ask Remus," Severus said.

"Ask him what?" Harry spat. "Ask him if you're a liar? I know you are!"

"Ask him about all of it," Severus said, but Harry had already bolted from the room and slammed the door on the way out. Albus had been so wrong, Severus thought, and he felt betrayed that the old man wasn't there for him to tell that to right then. Tell Harry about your situation, ha, it was easy for him to say that and then run off to take care of Order business and leave Severus there to deal with Umbridge, and Potter, and all the confused feelings that were now stirred up in him about his entire school career and who was and was not his friend.

* * *

‘I need to talk to you. In person. Please.' Harry had sent the desperate note off to Remus as soon as he'd stormed out of Snape's office and been able to find an owl. He didn't want to ask him about the things Snape had said, he wanted to yell, and scream, and tell Remus all the lies Snape was spouting about his father. He wanted someone to commiserate with since Ron was no longer interested in bashing Snape, and he wanted an adult to help him calm down. Screw Snape and his coping skills.

Harry hadn't expected a response from Remus so soon, but was happy to receive one anyway in the form of Remus turning up late that night. He'd sent a message by owl to Harry to come out to the Greenhouses, and Harry had snuck out with his cloak at eleven thirty after snapping at Ron and Hermione to mind their own business and at Neville to leave him alone.

Remus was waiting by greenhouse three, and they unlocked the door and went inside to escape the chill and avoid being seen from a castle window.

"Harry, what is it? It sounded urgent," Remus said, immediately serious after his quick hug to Harry.

"Snape is a bastard," Harry said, angry all over again even though it had been hours now since his latest confrontation with the Potions Master.

"What happened?"

"He was making up all these lies about you and dad and Sirius! He said Sirius was cruel to him and that you and dad saved him from getting beat up by his father and that he and dad were friends. I just want him to leave me alone! Why won't he leave me alone?" After Harry's tirade, he took a deep breath and then looked at Remus anxiously, waiting for him to go off about Snape. He didn't, and Harry felt more anxious the more Remus looked at him.

"What? Say something!"

"What exactly did Severus tell you about his father?"

"He said one summer you and my dad flew him to Hogwarts after his dad beat him up and then he made it sound like the Headmaster adopted him! He's crazy Remus and he's driving me crazy!"

"Harry, here, let's sit down." He motioned to a couple work stools the students sat on during classes and took a seat. Harry sat down too though he looked too amped up to stay seated long.

"Harry, you don't trust Severus."

"No, why would I? He's always had it out for me and now he's making up lies just because it suits him!"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Are you sure?"

"You are Remus aren't you, not Umbridge in disguise?" Harry half joked, though he seemed too anxious and wound up to think it really funny.

"I wouldn't tell you this normally, because I've never told anyone before, but it seems as though he told you already, and he must have had a reason to. Your dad and I went to London to see Sirius, and when he wasn't home we went to your mother's house to ask where Severus lived."

"Why would mum know-" Remus held up his hand to forestall Harry's questions until he was done.

"Lily and Severus were best friends throughout school. They knew each other before school and lived near each other. Don't give me that look Harry, you said you trusted me, so trust me enough to give you the story as it is. Lily wasn't home either, but Petunia told us where he lived. James just wanted to go over there and pester him. I don't know that you can understand it, but it's what they did to each other. They thought it was funny to bother each other and prank each other. One time Severus organized the whole of Slytherin house to sneak into Gryffindor and take me, Sirius, your dad and Peter out of the tower and strip us naked and leave us in the Great Hall for the students to find at breakfast. You're shaking your head, but I'm telling you, it happened. It happened all the time until we found his father beating him senseless. James and I stopped him and were able to borrow some brooms from Sirius' brother and fly Severus to Hogwarts. Albus didn't adopt him, not legally anyway, but he did take him in. None of us ever talked about it because we figured Severus wouldn't want us to. I'm surprised to hear Severus acknowledge James as his friend. James and I always considered him a friend, or at least we considered ourselves friendly, but Severus was very angry with us for finding out about his home life and he barely spoke to us after that. I think he was even angrier when he found out James and Lily were dating. That is the truth, and you can believe it because I'm telling you it is."

"But- he said Sirius was cruel to him."

"He was. Sirius was a different person as a teenager than he is now Harry. Sirius was brought up in a pureblooded household with parents who ranted about half-bloods being allowed to attend Hogwarts and marry into pure-blooded families. He was taught that one half-blood or muggle-born could spoil an entire bloodline. To him Severus was one of those people that had brought an entire wizarding blood-line to its knees."

"What's that mean?"

"Severus' mother was a pure-blood witch from an old pure-blood family, and his father was a muggle. Sirius spread that all over the school and made sure everyone knew that Severus was poor and wore used clothes. He did all he could to make sure Severus didn't have friends and make sure he felt like he didn't belong, because to Sirius that was a fact, that Severus didn't belong there and shouldn't get an education."

"But mum-"

"Lily was a muggle born who hadn't married into a pure-blooded family yet."

"Mum and dad were dating."

"The Potters had pure-bloods in the family, with a mixed line back through the generations. It wasn't the same."

"Sirius doesn't seem like that now... it just doesn't make sense."

"Harry, you have the benefit of knowing the man that saw first hand the harm pure-blood ideology can cause. Like the rest of us, he watched Voldemort and his sycophants destroy families and take lives. He lost one of his best friends to that ideology and two more to the destruction those ideas cause. And then he had 12 years to sit in Azkaban and think about it all. Time to reflect like that will change a person."

Harry swallowed hard and closed his eyes. It was too much to think about... too much to take in. Reflection, isn't that what Snape had said? He'd had time to reflect? Snape had been so different towards him lately. They'd fought a lot, and argued even more, but the things Snape had been on his case about had changed. He and Snape used to avoid each other at all costs, and the things the man had harassed him about were things like having messy hair or having his tie done up wrong, or for mouthing off to him. Harry had done a lot of mouthing off lately and hadn't been chastised for it though. And he'd lied about what had happened to him and hadn't gotten in trouble. The things that Snape was chastising Harry for now were for being rude to others, and not using coping skills to calm himself down so he didn't get in as much trouble. But why? WHY? All because he realized he was friends with Harry's father?

"What are you thinking Harry?"

"I don't know why Snape is being so- different to me."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I tried."

"Did you?"

Harry shrugged. Maybe he hadn't tried all that hard. Or maybe he had just yelled at him and stormed out.

"Harry, I'm here if you want to talk or if you need help. You know Sirius would be here if he could have, or the Headmaster. For now I think it's best if we get you back inside though. It's late and you have class in the morning, and if I'm caught on school grounds I'm likely to be hauled off by aurors."

Harry nodded. Now that he thought about it, it was selfish of him to have asked Remus to come. Umbridge was against any and all magical creatures, and with her pull at the Ministry Harry could just see her telling the Minister that Remus had come onto school grounds for a midnight massacre.

"I'm sorry I put you in danger."

Harry was about to put the cloak over himself when they heard a noise outside the greenhouse and saw a wandlight bobbing around towards the door. Harry grabbed his cloak and threw it over Remus, who protested briefly before the door flew open to reveal Umbridge.

"Mr. Potter, what, or whom would bring you out of the castle so late at night?"

Harry thought of pretending to be sleepwalking, but he didn't think he could pull it off.

"I just fancied a walk," he said. He wished he could have seemed defiant, but he was too scared she would spot Remus standing right beside him. He was so close Harry could feel his body heat and hear his breathing under the cloak.

"You're certain you weren't coming out to meet a certain ex-headmaster?"

"I thought Headmaster Dippet died before I was born," Harry said.

Her eyes grew sharp and she marched over to him and grabbed him by his ear, frog marching him to the door. Harry didn't dare turn back to see if Remus had pulled the cloak off himself for fear he'd give him away, and said instead, "I'll be fine! I'll be fine!"

"You most certainly will not!" Umbridge scolded, thinking he was trying to comfort himself. "This is a serious offense! Being out of bounds like this at this time of night! You'll be lucky to have any house points left at all by tomorrow morning."

Remus didn't reappear and Harry's ear felt like it was on fire by the time they made the Entrance Hall a few minutes later. What ensued was a moment Harry felt ashamed for for years afterwards. Headmistress McGonagall caught Umbridge hauling Harry inside by the ear and told Umbridge she was to stop manhandling the students. The two argued for several minutes before Umbridge smoothed down her blouse and said she'd be having words with the Minister about finding a new Headmaster, and stomped away.

Glaring after the squat woman's retreating back for a full thirty seconds, McGonagall finally turned to Harry.

"I'm so sorry," Harry said, shaking his head and eyes wide. He knew she'd be sacked by morning.

"I don't know why you were out of bounds Harry, and I'm not sure I care to. It was reckless, even for you. You've already been warned to stay out of trouble and out of her way."

"I know, I'm stupid. I'm really sorry."

McGonagall walked him back to Gryffindor and saw him inside, and in the morning his fears for McGonagall had been confirmed. At some point before breakfast Headmistress McGonagall had been sacked and escorted off the grounds, and Umbridge had thrown a fit of epic proportions (the way the portraits had told it) because Snape had somehow already been named new Headmaster before the Minister could even have his say in the matter.

Harry dared not tell his friends he was responsible for the Headmistress getting fired, or that he was responsible for what was sure to be the worst school year in Hogwarts history now that Snape was Headmaster and Umbridge was on the warpath.

* * *

This day was determined to be one of his worst this year, and possibly in many years. His feelings were confused because of the argument he'd had with Harry, because he'd told Harry practically everything and it hadn't helped anything and had only made the boy angrier. He'd had a few sips of scotch and then gone to bed, hoping to forget it all and put an end to his throbbing headache. The day wasn't done with him yet it seemed, because at half past four he was woken by three houseleves, who looked both sad and alarmed as they informed him he was the newest Headmaster of Hogwarts. They also informed him of the scene that had played out in the Entrance Hall between Minerva, Umbridge and Harry, though they had little other information aside from to tell him he had a lot on his schedule the coming morning. Wonderful. Barely two hours sleep and he had a full day as Headmaster ahead of him.

Severus showered and got ready for the day. He didn't even have extra special robes to wear for his first day as headmaster, he sneered. His teaching robes would have to do. He was certain Umbridge would have him fired before he could even order new ones in in any case. Then he'd be off with Albus and Minerva and the Order at Grimmauld Place plotting and planning the future of the entire wizarding world.

As Severus made his way up the spiraling stairs of the Headmaster's office (it was still Dumbledore's office as far as he was concerned), and then to the desk he had no right to sit behind, he reflected that in some way Lucius had been right. Lucius had always said he'd be going places and making something of himself. Even though he now knew Lucius had been grooming him since he was a sixth year to join Voldemort's ranks, that confidence from Lucius had spurred him on to things like getting his mastery in Potions.

"Well look at me now Lucius," he said to the empty room. "Headmaster of Hogwarts." Hmpf. He'd rather have Albus back. He surveyed the stacks of papers on the desk. Look at the lovely mess he had inherited with the position. He had a fifth year Gryffindor intent on tearing himself apart by the end of the year, a school full of children with raging hormones, an entire house on the recruitment list for Voldemort's ranks, and an insane woman with the backing of the Ministry trying to tear the entire school apart. One thing at a time he supposed. He wanted to call Potter up there and make him be awake just as early as he was, but an owl was tapping on the Headmaster's office window trying to get his attention.

Severus let the owl in and quickly read over two letters, one from Albus and one from Remus. The letter from Remus was short. It inquired about how Harry was doing and explained that he had Harry's cloak and what had happened in the Greenhouses. Severus was surprised the boy had done as he'd said and contacted Remus. He was also perturbed that Remus had come onto the grounds and called Harry out there in the middle of the night, thus getting Minerva fired and landing Severus in this odious position of Headmaster and cleanup crew.

The letter from Albus was both serious and bemused. Albus congratulated him on becoming the second youngest Headmaster in Hogwarts History, and then turned around and gave Severus a list of things he had to do right away, and a second full page of things he needed to watch out for with Umbridge. There was a third page that mentioned ways he might frame her or blackmail her into leaving, and at the end his final instructions were, "and you know what to do with Harry."

Severus growled and burned both letters. The sooner he could get Umbridge out of here, the better. They had enough to deal with between Potter and the return of Voldemort to have to deal with her as well.

Severus called a house elf and asked for breakfast for two, and then called another house elf and told her to fetch Harry Potter and get him into the office as soon as possible. Severus smiled with some satisfaction knowing it wasn't even seven on a Saturday and the boy was getting a rude awakening at this moment. It was only a few minutes before there was a knock on the door and Harry appeared being dragged by the elf. His hair was a mess, he looked half awake, and Severus was amused to see he hadn't even been given a chance to put both shoes on and still had one in his hand.

"Sir," Harry said.

"Thank you Tinky," Severus said, and the elf bowed and disapparated with a pop that made Harry jump.

"Sit down."

"Yes sir."

Severus wondered why the brat was finally being respectful. Perhaps it was because he knew just how much trouble he was in.

"Enlighten me to the events that took place last night after you left my office."

"I- erm."

Severus just stared at him, not wanting to interrupt. If he made the boy uncomfortable enough he'd get on with it already.

"I'm sorry. Please tell Professor McGonagall that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get her canned, really."

"You were warned to stay on Umbridge's good side, and also to stay out of trouble."

"I know, I- I was so mad last night, and upset. You told me to ask Remus so I sent him a letter. I didn't know he was gonna show up last night!"

"Explain what happened."

Harry did explain, and when he was done, Severus stared at him. "Is your ear injured, or any other part of you?"

"My- what- no?"

"Was that a question or an answer?"

"No- I'm fine. What does it matter? I got Professor McGonagall fired! Everyone's gonna hate me!"

"It was going to happen eventually Potter. Umbridge will likely have me out of office before the day is out. It would have been nice if we could have put it off for a few more weeks, but it would have happened without your interference in the end."

"What do you mean?"

"It's all planned Potter. By the end of the year Umbridge will likely have every staff at the school fired. As to your other question, it matters if you were hurt in the altercation last night because if you are I'll contact Madam Pomfrey and have you tended to."

"You're not mad at me?"

"I'm extremely displeased that I was woken at four am after two hours of sleep to be informed that on top of my teaching duties I am now the Headmaster. Whether or not I am upset does not negate your need for medical attention if you were injured."

"I'm not." Harry looked as confused and bewildered this morning as Severus had felt all night after Harry had rushed out of his office.

"Good."

The first elf Severus had called that morning popped back into the office with two plates of breakfast, again startling Harry, though Severus pretended not to notice, and popped back away before Severus could even thank him.

"Eat," Severus said, pushing one of the plates of food towards Harry.

"I'm not in detention?"

"Oh, you have detention every day with me after school from dinner until curfew, and every weekend except during meal times. It will keep you out of trouble if you are in my office, and out of Umbridge's grasp. Eat."

Harry frowned and pulled the plate over to himself and pushed the food around for a moment before he picked up a crispy piece of bacon and ate it.

"Are these real detentions?"

"They're going on the records as real detentions. That will satisfy Umbridge that I am the strict disciplinarian the Headmaster praised me as."

Harry thought Snape took satisfaction from that label, but he seemed so calm that Harry wasn't really sure if he was having detentions for the rest of the year or was just going to be allowed to do homework or read like he'd been given leave to do at the start of the year.

"You're supposed to be mad," Harry said.

Severus ignored him in favor of his cup of coffee however, and after finishing his breakfast Severus ignored him for the stack of papers closest to him so he could see what Minerva had been working on. Eventually Harry finished his breakfast, and with nothing else to do, he sat there and stared at the desk until Snape was done with his stack of papers.

"What am I going to do with you Potter?" Severus asked, pulling the next stack of papers over to himself.

Harry shrugged. How was he supposed to know? "Remus said you weren't lying."

"I wasn't."

"Is that why you're being nice to me? Because of what happened with your dad?"

"I told you why."

"Because you were friends with James."

"Have your parent's other friends not been friendly to you? Remus, and Black? Minerva and Albus?"

"I-"

"You should never have been placed with your aunt and uncle, and once you were, you should have been checked up on. The Headmaster feels poorly about that decision and what it's done to you. Because the Headmaster- took me in, because of my circumstances, and because of my friendship with your mother and father, he believed I would be the best person to talk to you."

"Because you're a strict disciplinarian?" Harry asked, clearly not understanding yet.

"Because I've been in your shoes. Because I understand more than Minerva or Albus what it's like to come to school bloody and bruised, and to hope no one finds out about it." Severus looked up at Harry and wished he could somehow channel Albus in that moment. Albus had always known how to make Severus feel wanted, and cared about. "I understand what it's like to be angry because this has been done to you, because other people know. It was the reason I hated your father for so long... because he knew, and because I thought he'd use it against me. He didn't. I just didn't realize until last night how much of a friend he had been to me."

"Remus said- he and my dad always thought of you as a friend."

"Hm."

Severus glanced at the clock and called another elf. This one was older and less excitable looking than the one that had dragged Harry out of bed that morning and all the way up through the castle. "Find and ask either Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger to bring Harry's homework as well as their own studying and a board game up to my office."

Harry frowned as the elf left. "Why are they in trouble?"

"They are not. You are staying for the morning however and I have work to do."

"So-"

"You and one of your friends can do homework and keep yourselves occupied. Quietly."

Harry didn't ask any more questions, and waited quietly for twenty minutes until Hermione appeared uncertainly with hers and Harry's bookbags.

"Over there Miss Granger. Work quietly until lunch."

Hermione didn't question him and went to the little table Severus pointed at and Harry went to sit there as well. It was a table Albus frequently took his tea at and sat to read at away from his desk.

"What's going on?" he heard Hermione whisper, and he paused his perusal of the papers on the desk, waiting to hear what Harry would tell her.

"I dunno," he said. "I'm in detention for the rest of my life I think, but I'm not sure."

"But, he said to bring a board game? And- he's the Headmaster now?"

Harry shrugged.

They passed the morning quietly and if not for the occasional turning of a page, Severus might not have known they were there. Several staff came and went to speak to Severus, but made no comment about the two students in the corner of his office working quietly.

He released them at lunch and told Harry to come back as soon as he was finished, with or without Granger or Weasley, but not both of them at the same time. Harry came back with Ron, though Ron looked uncertain about what was expected of him, though the two managed to pass the afternoon playing chess without an issue.

The next several days passed for Harry and Severus in the same way. Harry turned up during free time for ‘detention', sometimes with Ron or Hermione, and sometimes alone. One day as the weather had started to turn colder, Severus had a new zip up sweat shirt and pair of gloves waiting for him, and Harry thanked him quietly.

The more time Harry spent in Severus' office, the less Severus heard from staff about Harry acting out, though Severus really wasn't certain why. He wasn't sure if it was because of the incident that had resulted in Minerva being fired, or if it was because he'd told Harry the truth about his own story.

As the days passed, and then the weeks, and as Severus continued to protect Harry from himself, and from several close calls with Umbridge, Severus realized that this was more than just paying forward what had been done for him. This was his chance to repay James for helping him. This was his chance to take care of Harry in the way he always should have been taken care of. He was starting to realize something else as well: Albus had been right. The more time Severus spent with him, the more energy he put into helping Harry, and the more money he spent on the boy for clothes or new glasses or school things, the more he cared about him. He didn't know if he would ever come to feel about the Gryffindor as Albus had felt about him after taking him in, and their relationship certainly wasn't perfect, they still had rows several times a week, but things had changed between them in a way that was almost tangible. Severus wasn't certain he could describe it, or that he wanted to. He only knew that things had changed, and he felt for the first time that year, and really for the first time in a long time that things would work out, for himself and for Harry.

Severus was sacked not long after Valentines day (for stopping Umbridge from using a blood quill on Harry and Ron in a joint unauthorized detention), and the next in line was put in place as head of the school. As Severus was walking off of school grounds, Harry ran down the lawns after him, cold in the crisp air and breathless.

"Wait."

Severus stopped and turned to look at him as Harry stopped, panting heavily. "Be careful," he warned, "Umbridge has banned student use of the grounds."

"Wait." Harry said again, breathing hard for several moments and then he looked up at him and said, "What am I gonna do without you?"

"Umbridge won't be here forever. I will return with the rest of the staff."

"But-"

Severus looked into the boy's green eyes. They were desperate... lost.

"Where I am- you are welcome." He wanted to take the boy off of school grounds and get him away from Umbridge. He didn't want to leave him behind to blood quill detentions and who knew what else.

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

Harry did something unexpected then. He hugged Severus around the middle. It was a tight, quick, impulsive hug. Then Harry pulled back, looked as though he was steeling himself against the inevitable, and walked back up to the castle. Severus watched him go for a moment, and then turned and apparated away at the school gates. He wasn't sure what that was about, or what had made the boy do it (Severus had never hugged Albus before), but the hug stayed on his mind as he made his way to Grimmauld Place.

"Severus," Albus greeted, "you did remarkably well. You can't know how proud I am of you."

Minerva was nodding as they gestured for him to have a seat at the table and have a cup of tea to warm him from the cold.

"What happened?" Albus asked, followed by, "How's Harry?"

"He'll be fine," Severus said. He knew he would be because Severus would make sure of it.