Snape sat quietly at the staff table and observed the students in the Great Hall. Although generally a tea drinker, he poured himself a generous cup of coffee hoping it would give him an extra bit of energy. The last few days had been draining and he still had not had the chance to get more than a few hours of sleep.

He wasn't a morning talker. He was never known for idle chatter, but he was especially not fond of anyone who tried to speak to him or engage in conversation before 10am. Preferably noon.

Snape looked down over the students. They were much more animated than usual this morning as they got ready to head home for the Easter holidays. Just looking at them smiling and bouncing around made him want to gag. He settled instead for an eye-roll.

He took another sip of his coffee, trying not to grimace at its bitterness, and projected a look that warned he was not in a mood to be trifled with.

Unaffected by his scowl and the obvious disdain for the energy that surrounded him, Professor McGonagall turned to him and said, "How's Harry getting along, Severus? What do you have planned for the week?"

None of your business you nosey old witch, he thought to himself. He wore a look of pure contempt, and after a brief pause and dramatic breath to telegraph his displeasure, he shot his eyes at her and replied. "He was breathing last I checked. But if you're so interested, please be assured I'd more than happy to have you take him off my hands."

McGonagall let out a huff. "Honestly, Severus, I just wanted to make sure the two of you were going to be alright. I do care for the boy, you know."

Snape decided not to dignify that with a response. Of course she cared, but he was the one who was taking all of the responsibility for the boy. He was the one balancing so many roles and was now being forced to take care of the 12 year-old brat all by himself.

He let the silence hang in the air while he took another sip from his coffee. "He's fine, he's resting. I have yet to torture him or remove his vital organs."

With that, he narrowed his eyes on the Slytherin table where he saw several fourth years giggling to one another. Recognizing this as a sure sign of mischief, he scanned down the table until he saw the first years hiccupping out multi-colored bubbles.

"Excuse me," Snape said, setting his cup down as he stood up from the staff table. Within the blink of an eye he was down at the Slytherin table. He bent down behind the fourth-year ring leaders and muttered something so low that only they could hear it. He flicked his wand and the first years stopped hiccuping.

Whatever he'd said, it had killed the jovial mood at the table. Hearing the ominous words in their ears, the fourth years' faces blanched and they all went silent, several heads dropping down while they slowly poked at their plates and brought food to their mouths. The entire table stayed silent as Snape stood back up, smoothed his hands down his robes and walked with brisk, purposeful steps out of the Great Hall.

It had been a harmless prank, but Snape refused to tolerate any nonsense this morning. A collective sigh of relief came over the table as soon as he'd stepped out of the Great Hall.

While the students finished their breakfast, Snape returned to his office, readying himself to do a dorm inspection and make sure that he had accounted for each of his Slytherins and where they were going. He also generally made time to speak with any students who were struggling academically so that he could give them a stern talking to before they left. He hoped that giving them a bit of a scare before break, it would give them plenty of time to reflect over the holidays on how they could improve when they returned.

The Hogwarts Express would leave at 12:30pm, and Snape had roughly 3.5 hours to run all of his checks, meet with his prefects and struggling students, and ensure each and every one of his little snakes was safely on the way home. It would be a busy morning, but he held onto the fact that he would be free of the dunderheads in a few short hours.

Having wrapped himself up in his invisibility cloak, Harry poked his head out of the front door. Seeing that the hallway was empty, he slipped through the door and allowed it to close quietly behind him. He wandered through the hallways for several minutes before realizing he didn't really have a plan.

He felt free. With his invisibility cloak wrapped around him, he felt safe and happy, and he just let himself walk around the castle, soaking it all in.

He desperately wanted to see Ron and Hermione, so he made his way to Gryffindor Tower. He knew he couldn't go into the dorm, but he hoped maybe to catch sight of them coming in or out. He didn't know the password, and he also knew that if he tried to get in he would probably cause havoc, so he just sat down against the wall next to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

It had felt like ages in the cold corridor before he heard the Prefects calling for everyone to line up by year. As the portrait swung open, he heard the headcount as each student stepped through hole into the hallway.

Everyone seemed happy and excited. Harry watched in envy as they giggled and prodded at each other, making their way down the halls. He waited patiently to see Ron and Hermione.

As the 1st years finished coming through, Harry sat up straighter, holding his breath and watching each person who climbed through, hoping it would be one of his friends.

Seamus came first, followed by Neville (who tripped and stumbled as he stepped through, and then looked around nervously to see if anyone noticed). Finally, Harry heard two familiar voices.

"Are you mental? I'm not planning on doing anything but sleeping all break," he heard Ron say as he his head peaked through the portrait hole.

"Honestly, Ron, you could do so much better if you took this time to read ahead. We're going to be 3rd years soon, which means our OWLS are only 2 years away. We can't afford to slack off during the holidays."

"Give it a rest, Hermione." Ron said, as he rolled his eyes, waiting for Hermione to step all the way out.

Harry's heart jumped in his chest- he was SO happy to see them. He missed them so much and he wanted nothing more than to talk with them and catch up and laugh like they used to. But he knew he couldn't. So instead, he just followed them. If he couldn't engage directly, at least he could look at them and listen to their conversation and feel a part of it that way.

"I hope my mom cooks Shephard's pie," he heard Ron say. "It's my absolutely favorite and no one makes it as good as her."

"Really, Ron? Is that all you can think about?" Hermione lifted her chin up slightly and continued walking.

"Food is the best part of going home. Well, that and not having to wake up for classes. I'm just planning to sleep and eat as much as I can."

"You'll never get ahead if you think that way, Ron," Hermione said, dripping with indignation.

"I also heard my dad has been rebuilding this muggle car. It sounds SO wicked! I reckon once he finishes it, he'll be able to make it fly, how freaking cool is that!?"

"There are rules and laws about these things, Ron. I'd hope your father knows the rules, what with him working at the Ministry and all. When I get home, we're going to plan our summer holiday in France. We're going to travel around and visit sights outside of Paris. I can't wait to see the Matisse museum and the places where Monet painted. We're also planning to visit the ancient city of Carcassonne. I can't wait."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You're going to spend the holiday planning for an educational holiday? Blimey, Hermione, don't you ever just relax?"

"I enjoy learning, Ron. And travelling and seeing new things is the best way to learn."

Harry followed them the entire way until they were waiting to get on the Hogwarts Express. He'd been thrilled to see them at first, but after seeing how happy they were, he suddenly experienced a deep sense of sadness at realizing that they seemed...normal. Did his absence mean nothing to them? It was as though they were perfectly happy living in a world without him. He'd hoped he'd hear them talking about him and how much they missed him-or at least, he'd see them miserable and unable to function without him.

He felt really sad. Maybe they didn't miss him at all.

As he watched the students loading onto the Hogwarts Express by year, he decided to make his way back to Snape's quarters. He knew the man would return as soon as all of his students were safely on the train.

Harry hustled through the halls and down to the dungeons. Thankfully the door opened when he pressed on it, and he flew in, closing the door behind him as he gasped for air.

He took off his invisibility cloak and folded it neatly as he made his way back to Snape's room. He quickly darted inside, opened the wardrobe, and pushed the cloak deep into the top shelf where he'd found it. After closing up the wardrobe, he quickly left Snape's room, shutting the bedroom door behind him.

Harry was still breathing heavily, both from running to get back and from the adrenaline rush of what he'd done. He found it difficult to sit still, but he grabbed his book and sat on the couch, taking deep breaths and willing himself to calm down.

He scanned and turned the pages, but after about 10 minutes he realized that he didn't remember a single word he'd read. His mind had been on Ron and Hermione and he couldn't concentrate on anything else. Had they really forgotten him so quickly? He missed them desperately, but it seemed to him that they didn't miss him at all.

Five more slow minutes went by as Harry laid on the couch, holding the book that he wasn't quite reading. And then, he heard the unmistakable click of the door.

Harry shot up on the couch, book in his lap, and turned toward his professor.

"Good to see you sitting quietly, Potter, I was afraid I'd return to find my quarters in complete shambles."

Harry smiled nervously. "Yes, sir. I was just reading." He felt his heart thumping in his ears, his adrenaline surging again with the lie. He subconsciously wiped the sweat off of his brow with his sleeve. Act cool, he doesn't suspect anything.

Snape removed his outer teaching robes and walked through the parlor toward his room without speaking another word to Harry. He felt relieved to find the boy sitting quietly on the couch.

When he reached his room, something felt...off. There was nothing out of place, per se, but Snape just got the sense that it wasn't exactly as he'd left it. ˆ He opened his wardrobe to hang up his outer robes. Everything seemed to be in place. He reached up on the shelf and saw the invisibility cloak still folded in the space where he left it. I'm probably being paranoid. Harry knows he shouldn't be in here. Let it go.

Taking a deep breath, he removed his cufflinks slowly—these were silver snakes with green gem-stone eyes—and reached for the box on the shelf. He deposited them carefully in the box and then replaced it on the shelf. He closed his wardrobe again and walked to his washroom to freshen up for lunch.

He carefully folded up each cuff before rolling his sleeves midway up his forearms. He rinsed his hands first in the warm water and then splashed it onto his face. He stared at himself in the mirror. He never loved the way he looked but he could see the dark circles under his eyes and even he had to admit he looked more tired than usual.

He dried his hands and face on a clean towel and breathed out all of his stress from the morning. Looking down and seeing the Death Eater tattoo on his left arm, he unrolled that sleeve until it was covered again.

Snape walked back to the parlor, stopping in front of Harry on the couch. "Did you have a productive morning?" Snape asked, rather sarcastically.

"Not really. I slept for a while, had breakfast, and I've just been reading." Harry responded, not making eye-contact. It wasn't a complete lie. He had done all of those things. He just happened to omit the part about where he'd snuck into Snape's room, stolen his invisibility cloak, wandered around the castle, and then returned before he got caught. He felt his heart quicken and he wondered if Snape could tell he was lying.

"I'm amazed that you could behave yourself for so long," he looked down at Harry, trying to read his face for any signs of deception. Harry smiled up innocently at him. Snape stared into his eyes, playing a visual game of chicken with him until finally Harry looked away. Satisfied, Snape said, "Get up, Potter, let's eat."

Harry leapt up and ran toward the kitchen, leaving his book open and laying on the couch.

As soon as they sat down, Snape tapped his wand on the table and a large amount of food appeared from the kitchens. "We'll take our meals in the Great Hall when we've finalized everything. For now, we'll eat here."

Harry nodded and began serving himself rather large helpings of potatoes and roast chicken.

"Take some vegetables, Potter," Snape said to him. "You need the vitamins."

Harry reached out to grab a small spoon of green beans. He placed about three on his plate when he heard Snape clear his throat and throw him a disapproving glare. "More, Potter. Don't try my patience or I'll see that you get nothing but a plate full of broccoli for dinner."

Harry scooped another spoonful of green beans onto his plate. He didn't dislike them, he would just rather save room for the things he enjoyed most.

Once again, they passed their meal in relative silence. A few times Snape had paused to admonish Harry on his atrocious table manners. "Keep your mouth closed when you chew, Potter" or "Don't shove so much into your mouth at once, the food isn't going anywhere." Snape honestly felt like he was eating lunch in a barn. He would have to work on that, clearly no one had ever taught Harry what real manners were.

As they were finishing, Snape clasped his hands together and laid them on the table. "As I mentioned, we will need to take some trips out of the castle over the next week."

He waited for Harry to put down his cutlery and look at him. "I'm assuming you don't have your books for 2nd year?"

"No, sir." Harry replied, running his finger along the edge of the table.

"Yes, well, we'll need to take care of that as soon as possible. We'll also need to get you the things you'll need for your apprenticeship. Some new robes are in order, as you'll no longer be wearing your Gryffindor robes. And judging by the rags you've been in over the last few days I think you could probably use some new clothes as well."

"It's fine, sir, I can make do."

"I don't think so, Potter. You're my apprentice and you're under my care. How you look and how you act reflects directly on me. I'll not have you looking like a common street urchin. As such, I'd prefer if you looked a little less...tragic." Snape sneered as he looked the boy up and down.

"As for other matters, we will be taking a trip to meet my mentor, Potion Master Barclay in the coming days. We will need his blessing and support for the apprenticeship bond. I hope I do not need to emphasize how important it is that you behave yourself when meeting him."

"No, sir, I'll be good." Harry hated being talked to like a toddler, but he was so excited about getting out of the castle that he'd say anything to keep Snape happy.

"Very well. Clean yourself up, we'll go to Diagon Alley to do some shopping this afternoon. I don't want you meeting Master Barclay looking like you've just stumbled out of a homeless shelter."

Harry was feeling energized. He was still riding his high from getting away with his little outing earlier, and he was thrilled to be going out for the afternoon. He'd never been a huge fan of shopping, per se, but anything was better than sitting around the castle with nothing to do.

Once the two reconvened in the parlor, Snape rapped Harry on the head with his wand, placing a disillusionment charm.

"Ow, what was that for?" Harry complained, rubbing the top of his head and scowling at Snape.

"Quit your whining, it was just a charm to conceal your appearance. I don't want to spend my afternoon having the paparazzi following around our famous Hogwarts celebrity," Snape replied dryly.

Harry gave him a disapproving look, "You could have warned me," he said, adding "you stupid git" under his breath.

"Mind your cheek," Snape said with a change in his tone that sent a warning,"It would be very inconvenient to have to delay our trip so that we could make time for you to write lines or stand in the corner."

"Sorry, sir."

Holding Harry's arm with one hand and grabbing a handful of floo powder in the other, Snape tossed the powder into the flame, stepped in and yelled "Diagon Alley."

Snape was on a mission. They stopped first at Flourish and Blotts and picked up all of the books for both the 2nd and 3rd year curriculum. On top of that, Snape browsed the potions section and grabbed a few more books on potion making that he thought would be useful for Harry with his apprenticeship. He also got a few more advanced textbooks for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was hoping to add this into his curriculum nearly as much as potions.

Next they stopped in to an apothecary to buy some more tools for Harry. Snape had nearly everything one would need for brewing in his collection, but he wanted Harry to have a set of his own tools and a few nice cauldrons. Snape remembered how excited he was when he bought his supplies as an apprentice. He picked up a gorgeous leather toolkit that held forcepts and blunt dissectors, shiny new scalpels and knives for dicing, small spoons in different sizes, stirrers of different lengths and materials, a scale, a mortar/pestle, and a collection of small beakers and glass containers. Snape was hoping that having his own, brand-new tools would encourage Harry in his brewing.

Harry was impressed by all of the little things that Snape was buying for him. Snape had taken his time looking at each tool before giving his approval; he wanted Harry to have the best and most useful tools he would need. As excited as he was, Harry still wasn't sure how he felt knowing he'd be spending so much time learning Potions, but he had to admit that getting all of the neat little items excited him. He had offered to go to Gringotts to get out his money to pay for it all, but Snape was insistent that this was his responsibility and didn't want to hear about it again.

Their next stop was buying new clothes. Harry dreaded this. He felt embarrassed about his hand-me-down clothes, and although he'd always wanted to have new things, the fact that Professor Snape had noticed the terrible state of his clothes and was the one buying them for him felt utterly humiliating.

"Good afternoon, sirs," the man said as they entered into "Every Wizard's Wonderful Wardrobe."

Snape nodded at the man in greeting. "My ward here has outgrown his clothes, so we will need to buy several sets of basics."

"Of course, sir. We'll get the measurements first, of course. Over 'ere, lad, stand on this stool." He called out to Harry who was hovering several feet away and sulking. After Snape shot him a look, he dragged his feet unenthusiastically toward the man.

Snape grabbed him as he walked past and whispered in his ear "Quit sulking. If you don't adjust your attitude, I assure you, I will find somewhere and I will do it for you. Understood?"

Harry's ears turned red and he nodded his head, forcing a smile on his face as he walked to the salesman.

Harry stood on the stool with his arms out wide while the man's magical tape measure flew around his body and took all of his measurements, a quill and parchment hovering nearby to jot the numbers down. Within a minute, the tape measure was finished wrapping around Harry and the measurements were completed.

"That's it, lad, you can step down," the friendly salesman said to Harry, offering a hand out to help him get down from the stool. "What all will you be needing today?"

Harry turned toward Snape and shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't know. Snape quickly took control of the situation and began listing items to the salesman. "We'll need several pairs of trousers- 2 pairs of jeans, one khaki, one grey wool, and two pairs of black dress trousers. For shirts, he'll need eight short sleeve t-shirts, two long sleeved, and four dress shirts: two white, one light blue, and one black. For formal wear he'll need two dark waistcoats and a formal suit jacket to match. For the summer, two pairs of casual shorts- one khaki, one navy, two pairs of athletic shorts and a bathing suit. He'll also need four wool sweaters. A brown belt and a black belt. Eight pairs of dark dress socks, five pairs of athletic socks. Two sets of summer pajamas and a set of warmer ones for winter. Oh, and 10 pairs of underwear."

The magic quill and parchment had taken everything down.

Snape glanced over at Harry. "Take a moment and let him know what your color/style preferences are. I've already detailed the important ones. Whatever you want for your t-shirts, pajamas, shorts, and underwear is up to you."

Harry blushed slightly. The salesman handed him a small book that showed the different styles and colors and he picked out what he wanted.

"He will also require a winter coat, a plain scarf, mittens, a woolen hat, and two thick pairs of woolen socks."

"Yes, sir, we'll add those to the list. Anything else?"

"No, that will be sufficient. We will come back in a few hours to collect them." Snape said and handed him a bag full of galleons and sickles. "We'll need them today so I hope that is sufficient to cover the cost of a rush order."

"No problem, sir. We'll 'ave it read in no time."

Snape nodded again and turned to Harry. "Let's go," he said with a firm push between his shoulder blades.

Harry was glad that Snape hadn't made a big deal out getting the clothes. Snape's matter of fact way of doing business made him feel less like a charity case. He was actually kind of excited to have brand new clothes fitted just for him.

After a few hours in the different stores, trying things on and buying supplies, Snape had taken a few moments to stop in to a few other specialty stores to see if he could get some ingredients he needed for his own potion's store. This bored Harry to no end, and after a while, his patience started to wear thin.

"Aren't we done yet?" Harry whined at their third apothecary and herbalist shop of the day.

Snape shot him a dark look. "Stop whinging. We still have a few more places to go." He paid the man at the counter and grabbed his bags, shrinking them and placing them into his robes. "Honestly, Potter, you sound like a toddler."

"I do not. We've just been shopping for ages and my feet are tired."

"That's enough. Keep your mouth shut unless you have something important to contribute, lest I feel compelled to cast a silencing spell," he said with a hint of acid in his voice.

Snape was annoyed at the whining, but after hearing Harry's complaint, he glanced down at the boy's feet and realized that his shoes were in just as bad of a state as the rest of his ratty clothes. Which reminded him, Harry should get new shoes as well.

Snape paused in front of a shoe store. He held the door open and gestured to Harry to go ahead. "Get in, Potter."

Although he refused to show it on his face--he didn't want Snape to know just how pathetic he really was-- Harry was actually really excited. He didn't remember ever getting brand new shoes. And just looking at all of the shoes on the wall put him in a state of complete awe.

"Pick out a pair of trainers. Then you'll need a pair of dress shoes, and a pair of black lace-ups you'll use in the lab. What size are you?"

Harry didn't know his size. He'd never had proper shoes that fit. "I don't know, sir?"

Within 15 seconds, a young witch came out to help them. "Hi, my name is Marley, how can I help you gentlemen today."

"We need a few pair of shoes for him"-Snape gestured toward Harry-"he needs to be measured."

"Come over here, love," she said, tapping on the bench where she wanted him to sit. She pulled out her wand and ran it across the underside of Harry's feet from toe to heel. He giggled a bit as it tickled. "Size 36 I'd say. What kind of shoes are you looking for?"

Harry jumped up and went to the wall of trainers. They were all so cool. After picking a few of them up, he decided on the ones he loved best and brought them to the nice sales lady. This particular trainer had colored stripes going down the sides that changed color depending on how fast you ran in them. They looked so stylish and amazing, and Harry had to have them.

"These, can you get these in my size?"

"Sure, love. Anything else?"

Snape walked to the wall across from the trainers and pulled two different shoes off the shelf. One was a simple black dress shoe and the other a sturdy lace-up boots that could withstand trampling around in the forest or having dangerous potions dropped on them. "These two as well."

"I'll be right back, then," and she disappeared into the back of the store. She returned a minute later with three boxes in her hands. "Try 'em on, love, see what you think."

Harry went for the trainers first and they felt amazing. He walked up and down the store looking at himself in the mirror and smiling as he jumped up and down in them. They felt so comfortable!

"Wow, these are wicked! Can we please get these?" He looked up and pleaded with Snape.

"Yes. Now try on the other two pair so we can get a move on." Harry was less enthusiastic about the dress shoes but his black lace-up boots seemed pretty neat. They all fit really well and didn't look to bad, so he gave Snape his approval and they walked out of the store with 3 new boxes of shoes shrunken into Snape's wizard robes.

Their final stop was at Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to pick up new robes for Harry. No longer a Hogwarts student, he would need several sets of robes that identified him as a Potion's apprentice. Like academic regalia in the Muggle World, the colors and markings on the robe are coordinated based on the subject the student were studying and title of the wearer. This was usually a big deal in the life of a new apprentice, but Harry was so young and his understanding of this so limited, Snape thought he would share in some of the rituals and understandings down the road, when Harry could understand and appreciate it better.

"We require new robes for my apprentice in Potions," Snape said to the man in the robe shop.

After another half hour, Harry left the store with several casual robes and two sets of dress robes. As potions fell under the "healing sciences" his robes were black and adorned with green velvet trim. Unlike the Potion Master's formal robes, which had several dark green velvet stripes on each shoulder, his were plain black but bore a small insignia of the Academy of Potion Masters on the left side embroidered in green and gold thread. His everyday robes were made of a thick fire and chemical resistant fabric and were plain black, other than the green crest which identified him as an apprentice.

By the time they'd left the robe shop, Harry was seriously knackered. He was grateful for all of his new clothes and books and supplies, but as the day wore, the more he kept thinking about Ron and Hermione and his emotions began to bubble to the surface.

"I'm tired," Harry groaned as they left the robe store.

"Well I apologize for inconveniencing you so much today," Snape responded sarcastically, irritated that the boy dared to complain after he'd spend the entire day trying to take care of his every need.

The two walked back toward the clothing shop to pick up the clothes they'd ordered earlier. No words were exchanged as Snape walked in the door, picked up the bundle, shrank it down and put it into his robes.

They returned to Snape's quarters by floo a few minutes later.

As soon as they came through the fireplace, Harry threw himself on the couch and laid his head on its arm, letting out a dramatic sigh. He kicked his shoes off and curled his feet up on the cushions, closing his eyes briefly.

Snape pulled out the various packages from his robes and enlarged them again, setting them down on the parlor floor. "Take these to your room, Potter, and put them away carefully."

"But I'm tired," he whined, not moving from the couch.

Snape walked over to the couch and grabbed his arm, pulling him up to his feet. He stared into his face before saying "Take them to your room. Now."

Harry jerked his arm out of Snape's grasp. "Stop! Jeez, cant you just give me a minute."

Both of them were exhausted from a long day, and Harry especially had been thinking about Ron and Hermione all day, fueling his own anger and disappointment.

Snape shot a hard look at Harry, "You do NOT tell me to stop. Now take these things to your room and put them away properly. Right. Now."

Harry sighed audibly and picked up the packages, pushing his door open loudly with his foot. He dropped the packages on his floor before turning around and slamming his bedroom door behind him.

Anger boiled inside of Snape and he stormed toward Harry's room, throwing open the door. "You do NOT slam doors here. EVER." He stood in the doorway, practically shaking with rage.

"I don't know what your problem is, Potter, but I've spent all day trying to do things. FOR. YOU. And how did you repay my kindness? Was it by thanking me? No, it was not. Or perhaps you let me know how appreciative you were by not whining or complaining all day? No, that's not it either. Instead you spent the entire day sulking and throwing tantrums and basically being the most ungrateful, entitled, arrogant brat I've ever laid eyes on." He glowered at Harry and dared him to respond.

Harry was frozen in place. Tears welled up in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He didn't know how to explain how he was feeling. He was upset about Ron and Hermione. And while he was actually very grateful for everything Snape had done for him, it had also been a stark reminder of how little he had ever been cared for before. He didn't have any words, so he just stood there, not saying anything, seething in his own emotions.

Snape could see that the boy was upset, but it didn't make any sense to him. He hadn't mistreated him in any way, and in fact he'd done everything he could to try and make the brat comfortable. He'd even bought him a whole new wardrobe for Merlin's sake. What was wrong with the boy?

"Don't let me ever hear you slam this door again, Potter, or you will be very sorry indeed. Now stop acting like a spoiled brat and put your things away. You've got thirty minutes," Snape said sternly before turning around and closing the door firmly behind him.

Snape made his way back to his armchair where he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had done everything he could think of to make Harry feel comfortable, going out of his way to make sure he had everything he needed. He couldn't understand why the boy was acting so poorly.

Just then, there was a knock on his door. Opening it up, he found a student had brought him a note from one of the school owls. He grabbed the letter and dismissed the student,returning to his chair to read.

It was from Master Barclay. He opened the letter and read:

Dear Severus,
So nice to hear from you. I would be delighted to meet you at my offices in Paddington, London. I will be available from 10:00am. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

I hope you are well.

Sincerely,
Potion Master Barclay

The letter had been straightforward and to the point, very much in the style of Master Barclay. It seemed he would need to prepare himself, and Harry, for a meeting tomorrow.

He sat in front of the fire and relaxed with a cup of tea. Forty-five minutes later, Snape had cooled down enough but he hadn't heard a single peep from Harry. He got up and knocked on the door.

Not hearing anything, he pushed the door open to find Harry laying on his bed, awake, but looking miserable. There was nothing on the floor so Snape could only assume his clothes and supplies had been put away properly.

Harry didn't look up, instead committing to laying on his side, staring at the wall.

Snape didn't have the energy or motivation to deal with a sulking 12 year-old. "Get up Potter, you've been indulged enough for one day. We'll have dinner in 5 minutes."

Harry waited until Snape left before rolling off of the edge of the bed and making his way to the kitchen table.

He sat down and reached for the food.

"Not so fast, Potter, put your napkin in your lap first. It is also polite to wait for the more senior people to serve themselves before you dive in like a pig at a trough."

Harry paused and picked up his napkin, placing it in his lap before waiting for Snape to scoop up his first helping. Then, without a word, he made his own plate.

"I don't know what has gotten into you today, but I will not tolerate your attitude any longer. I have asked very little of you, thus far, and you have repaid my kindness with abysmal behavior. It ends now."

Snape stared at Harry with a menacing glare. Harry looked down at his plate and continued to eat in silence.

"We're going to make another trip to London, tomorrow. This time to meet my own mentor, Potion Master Barclay."

Harry didn't respond, instead shoving another spoonful of food into his mouth so as to avoid being forced to give a verbal answer.

"We will leave here at 9:00am. You will be the absolute paragon of a respectful, well-mannered boy. You are not to speak unless you've been spoken to and you will answer every single question politely, with 'Yes, sir' or 'Yes, Professor.' If you even think of embarrassing me with your insolence, I swear to Merlin, I will make you regret the day you ever survived the Dark Lord."

Snape was being harsh, even for Snape, but he was fed up with the boy's attitude and the last thing he wanted was to give Master Barclay another reason to refuse his request. If Harry showed up and gave him cheek, or acted rudely in any way, his mentor might be inclined to believe Snape was wholly incapable of training the brat.

Once again, Snape's tirade was met by silence. This fueled Snape's frustration even more. "Respond to me when I speak to you, Potter," Snape spat.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, refusing to let his anger spill out. He waited a moment before adding "Can I leave now? I'm finished."

"May you please be excused?" Snape corrected. "And yes, you may. Take a bath and then you can read quietly in your room. Lights out at 9."

Harry scooted his chair back forcefully to cover the annoyed sound he made as he exhaled loudly. He walked toward the washroom and closed the door, turning on the bath.

Snape didn't know what else to do. He vanished the food and dirty plates from the table and poured himself a small glass of firewhisky before sitting down once again in his chair by the fire.

Tomorrow was going to be a difficult day. He hoped that Harry would get enough sleep tonight and be in a better mood tomorrow. He wasn't sure he had enough patience to make it through another day like today.

Snape read quietly for another thirty minutes before glancing at the clock. It was nearly 9pm. He hadn't heard anything from Harry since he'd sent him to the bath, so he walked back and knocked on his door.

Before awaiting an answer, he walked in. Harry was sitting up on the bed in his new pajamas, his hair wet and a book in his hands.

"Lights out in five minutes, Mr. Potter. I hope that with some sleep you'll be in a much more agreeable mood tomorrow." Snape's tone was firm but not harsh. "I'll wake you in the morning. Until then, I expect you to stay in your bed."

Harry looked at him but didn't respond. Snape decided not to push it. If the boy wanted to sulk all night in his room, he could knock himself out. 

"Very well, then, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Snape closed the door behind him and made his way to his own bedroom.

Snape was generally a night owl, finding he was much more productive after dark when the castle was quiet and his students were constantly bothering him. He almost never went to bed before midnight, but after several days of barely 3-4 hours of sleep, he was exhausted. He changed into his own sleep clothes, closed and locked his door, and laid down in bed. He hoped tomorrow would go smoothly.