Tiredly, the raven, messy haired boy sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and for oone moment, he forgot where he was.

Strange, I don't remember the Dursleys having a yellow couch in their living room....fear, taking the place of confusion on the young Gryffindor's face, Harry, though he struggled, he still managed to stand up from the couch he had fallen asleep.

"And where do you think you're going, Mr Potter?" A familiar silky tone asked, making Harry startle, looking in the direction of where the voice came from, Harry, without his glasses, recognized the familiar outline of Snape and all memories came flooding back to him. Snape manor, that's where I am. Harry reminded himself, still wondering how Snape managed to own such a thing. Maybe the greasy git's ancestors stole it, after murdering the owners of this house?

"....otter?"

Distracted from his train of thoughts, Harry looked up at the potions master, hiding his confusion.

"Si...sir?" Oh. "Um, n....n....nowhere, sir" he finally responded, remembering the professor's question, from just a moment ago.

Snape studied the boy for a moment with his onyx penetrating eyes. Giving a small nod of acceptance to the boy. He handed the boy his glasses, remembering that he had them in his pocket. Taking them, Harry slid his glasses back on, just as the professor said in a firm tone, "Good answer. Now, sit back down, I have some things to discuss with you"

Frowning in confusion, Harry sat back down on the couch, knowing to obey any adult when they use a firm or dominant tone. He knew, from experience that it meant trouble if he didn't do what they say and he didn't want to find out what Snape would do if he disobeyed the man. Even if he was confused as to why the man wanted him to sit down.

Freaks aren't allowed to si....Harry shook his head, telling himself to listen to the man, sitting on the other couch in the room. He needed to listen to know if he did anything wrong or not. Under normal circumstances, or if he hadn't been abused, he probably would have had the courage to ask the professor if he had done anything wrong, but he didn't have that courage and so he decided to just sit quietly and wait.

"Good, now....are you, are you hungry by any chance Mr Potter?" Snape asked

Harry blinked a few times just to make sure to see if he was dreaming or not. Fearfully, he shook his head, not wanting to fall into any trap, set by the professor himself. The Dursleys used to do the same thing to him when he lived with them.

"N...no sir," were the only words Harry responded with, though when the potions master looked at him, as if he was a very rare insect or something like that, Harry squirmed.

"Are you sure? Lunch was a couple of hours ago, I had tried to wake you, but it seems you're a heavy sleeper" Harry heard Snape say

Before Harry had anytime to respond, a grumbling noise came from the boy's stomach, revealing that he was indeed hungry. Worriedly, Harry glanced up, afraid that the man would yell at him for lying and possibly punish him.

Why can't I for once in my life, obey the rules? Harry asked himself. He flinched back when the professor opened his mouth, expecting to be yelled at, only to let out a small relieved sigh, at hearing the man call for his house elf instead. Good, I'm not in trouble then.

In seconds, Lucy reappeared with Harry's lunch that she had kept warm for the young master. Just as her master Severus had ordered, she handed the boy the tray with a plate of freshly caught cod, which she had bought from a wizarding market earlier on in the day, also on the plate beside the cooked cod, was some vegetables. Mainly, steamed carrots, broccoli and peas, with mashed potatoes on the side. On the tray aside from the plate of food was a glass of water.

"Thank you Lucy" Harry quietly said, when she handed the tray to him.

"You's is welcome little master" Lucy responded, popping back out of the room, after checking with both masters if they needed anything else.

After a few good minutes of silence, waiting for the boy to start eating his late lunch and once Severus knew what to say, the professor opened his mouth and began speaking. Making sure his ward was listening at the same time.

"Now the only thing you will have to Mr Potter is eat your lunch and listen at the same time. Do you think you can do that? Good. Now, the first thing I wanted to talk to you about is your sleeping habits, of which I've noticed you seem to be sleeping quite a lot, most of the time you tend to fall asleep late mornings or early afternoons, sleeping for more than an hour at least...." Severus, sat forward a bit, studying the boy with a hard, firm stare, letting him know that he wanted the truth and only the truth and that there'll be consequences for not telling the truth. He hoped the young Potter boy would know by now, to listen to his tone of voice and know that he meant every word he says. "Are you having any nightmares, that's making you tired during the day?" he finally asked, after realizing that his thoughts were going off topic.

"No sir," was all the boy responded with as well as a small shake in the negative.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked, pleased to know the boy wasn't lying. Maybe he had been ill that evening then, when he was vomiting? Severus thought, feeling a heavy weight leave his chest, now that he had one less thing to worry about.

The Gryffindor shook his head again, letting Severus know that the boy was indeed sure.

"Very well....If you do however happen to get any nightmares, I still want you to come get me or at least let me know and I give you the dreamless sleep potion, like I did that night when Lucy had came to get me. The potion wards off any nightmares you experience and do not want to have." The Hogwarts professor explained, thinking of the other concerns he wanted to talk to the boy about.

The boy only nodded in response, and Severus, decided just this once he would allow no verbal response from the boy. A moment later, the professor glanced over at the boy to make sure that Potter was still eating, seeing that he was, Severus, though pleased to see his ward eat, didn't let his emotions show and carried on keeping his face, neutral. It was then he remembered, the other....concern he wanted to discuss with his ward.

"The other thing I want to talk to you about Mr Potter is your clothes....I have arranged for a tailor to come by to the manor from her home in Paris, some time tomorrow afternoon...."

"But sir, how....how am I meant to pay, I don'...." Potter started

Putting up a hand, the boy immediately stopped talking and just sat there, waiting for the professor to speak.

"Might I remind you Mr Potter that I am your guardian for the entire summer until the headmaster or I can find you a proper wizarding family...and as your guardian it is my job to provide you the things you need, as I see fit. Clothes that aren't three times your size, that don't have stains or any holes on, are something I see fit to provide you with....something your relatives," Severus sneered the last words out, "should have provided for you among other things with the large, monthly stipend, the headmaster was sending them."

Harry stared wide eyed at the professor for more than a minute, his knife and fork dropped out of his hands and onto the plate with a loud clank. Did I hear right? Did Snape say that my realtives were getting a large, monthly stipend? The boy, sat there, thinking back to the numerous of times the Dursleys always saying 'freaks like you aren't allowed nice things.' Something they would always say to him whenever he used to ask for something, at around eight or nine, he had guessed that they just didn't have enough money to provide for him and him only.

"THOSE LYING BASTARDS!" Harry all but yelled, forgetting who was in the room with him. With his mind, clouded with anger towards his relatives, similar to the anger he had towards them that evening when Hagrid came to give him his Hogwarts acceptance letter.

Standing up, Harry put the tray of food down on the coffee table in front of him and stormed towards the door. Still forgetting that Snape was in the room or that he had just used bad language in front of a professor....oh well.

Half an hour later found Harry sitting rigid on the bed, the same bed he's been sleeping in for the past several days, waiting with wide emerald eyes that were filled with fear, for Snape to come storming into the room after remembering what he had said down stairs in the man's presence. His legs were pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, a way to comfort himself as he waited nervously for the professor to show, which he knew was to happen any moment and when Snape does come, the man will no doubt send him packing to, back to Privet drive where his uncle, he knew would be waiting for him.

I'm dead, I'm dead. Harry repeated over and over silently in his mind, wishing, not for the first time that he wasn't a 'dirty fre....Harry flinched back at hearing the bedroom door open. Without a moments hesistation, Harry instictively raised his arms to protect his face, waiting for the blow to come, however, the fearful boy only felt the edge of the bed dip. Confused, knowing that didn't happen whenever his uncle or aunt would hit him, he cautiously lowered his arms, only to see the potions master sitting there looking at him with a....

Is that concern on Snape's face? Harry wondered, though he didn't get very long to think about that as the look disappeared on the professor's face. Something Harry was now used to since being awake, here at the manor for almost a week.

"Sor...sorry sir" Harry quickly apologized, knowing exactly why the professor was there in the room.

"I'm sure you are Mr Potter....and I accept your apology Mr Potter." Snape said, his tone was a silky firm tone, one he usually uses when talking to a student who knows when they're in trouble, basically, Harry was used to that tone by now after having being the one that gets into trouble by the man in the last couple of years, and the few times he's been in trouble here at the manor for the past several days as well. The accepting of the apology part, Harry wasn't used to hearing from the man and he was still getting over his shock that came with it, the moment Snape said he 'accepts your apology.' Something, Harry had never heard from any adult in his life, until these several days he has spent with the professor.

"However," Harry gulped as Snape carried on in the same firm, silky tone, ready to rebuke his ward. "That does not excuse you from you behaviour downstairs...even if you have a good reason for it. Along with that, your language was atrocious downstairs, and though I forgot to mention it last Tuesday evening, you should know by now not to use such language. I am sure your relatives had at least some decency in telling you to never use that foul word, even if it is true." Shocked, Harry's jaw dropped open at seeing the smirk on the man's face, before it quickly disappeared again, just as it had reappeared and now, Snape's face was back to it's usual stoic expression.

"Therefore, you will be punished." Fearfully, Harry flinched back, wishing he could go back in time to change what he had said down in Snape's study.


*****FLASHBACK*****

A seven year old Harry was busy cooking dinner for his relatives when he flinched from hearing his uncle's raised voice.

"BOY! COME HERE NOW!"

"Co...co...coming un...uncle Vernon" Harry fearfully said in a shaky voice, before doing so though, he turned the cooker off, not wanting to burn the dinner as he knew it would mean a few slaps around the head and a week locked in his cupboard without any food and boy was he hungry.

'Potter'

Walking out to the hallway where his uncle was, Harry, knowing what this was about looked up at the man with a stoic expression on his face, well as stoic as it could be.

"Ye...yes uncle....uncle Vernon?"

'Potter, it's professor Snape'

"WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY YOU LITTLE FREAK?" Harry made to open his mouth to respond to his uncle, only to get cut off by the man. "HOW DARE YOU USE YOUR FREAKISHNESS AT SCHOOL? AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR YOU, THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US? BY EMBARRASSING US, USING YOUR FREAKISHNESS TO GET UP TO THE ROOF!" Vernon yelled at his seven year old nephew, making the boy tremble. He knew what was to come next.

"I...I'm sor..." A tearful Harry got cut off by his uncle.

"SORRY! SORRY! OH, YOU WILL BE BOY AFTER YOUR PUNISHMENT! GET OUT INTO THE SHED, NOW!" Vernon yelled again, his beefy face, all red from yelling at his freaky nephew.

'Harry, you're at Snape manor'

Trained, since day one to do as he was told ever since living with the Dursleys, Harry, sniffling, ran out to the shed in the back garden, knowing it was best to obey than disobey his uncle. There, he took off his over sized, hand-me-down top he got from Duddley once his cousin had grown out of it and stood waiting for his punishment. While there, he wiped his tears away, willing for them to stop, knowing it would make his punishment longer.

Seven year old Harry flinched back violently from hearing his uncle enter the shed, with a quick fearful glance, he noticed his uncle holding a belt.

"Good, you're ready for your punishment I can see" Vernon stepped closer to his freakish nephew, and without warning, he raised the belt in his hand and the first crackle sound of leather hitting a child's skin, caused Harry to bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from screaming out in pain. That would only the beating hurt more.

'Mr Potter if you do not respond within the next minute you'll have detention for a month with Mr Filch'

*****END OF FLASHBACK*****

Feeling Potter flinch under his hand that he was using to rub the boy's back soothingly, the same thing he would do to his Slytherins who had gone through a nightmare or flashback, the potions master left it there, instead of removing his hand, knowing that the boy needed to get used to a different touch, one that wouldn't hurt him.

"Do you....do you want to talk about it?" Severus decided to ask, the same question he would ask his snakes. The boy in question shook his head, and with a sigh, Severus let the question go, seeing as this was the first flashback since a few days ago. I shall have him talk if he experiences another flashback. Severus decided, nodding his head in agreement with that thought.

"Very well then, as I said last time, I won't make you talk about it unless you are ready or I feel that it would do you more good than not to talk about it. Understood?"

Not yet able to find the courage to speak, the Gryffindor just gave a small nod in response.

Sighing, Severus hated these moments when he was dealing with abused children. "I know that you do not want to talk right now cause you're afraid of how your voice might sound, but I still must insist that you give me a verbal answer Mr Potter." He said firmly

"Ye...yes sir" Potter responded in a croaky voice as if he had been crying, which he hadn't.

"Good. Now...." Severus, thought of a milder word to use for now instead of punishment, fearing he might cause another flashback. Damn Potter's relatives! Unfortunately, he couldn't think of a word right now and so with another sigh, the professor, continued in a gentle, yet firm tone. Doing his best not to set off another flashback. "Now, I know that you do not like that word Mr Potter, but as of right now I cannot for the life of me think of a different word that won't give you a flashback. Now, as for your....punishment," Severus said the word cautiously, waiting for a similar reaction to the last time as he subconsciously carried on rubbing the boy's back, reassuring his ward.

After breathing in and out for a few times, the young Gryffindor gave a small nod to Snape, letting the man know he was okay and he could carry on.

Severus who had seen the nod, understood. Carrying on, he said, "your....punishment, will be scrubbing cauldrons....and a good mouth washing" He added the last part of the punishment in, the moment a memory of his own mother using that as a punishment on him when he was younger, after he swore at his father and though she agreed with him, she didn't want to see her son getting a worse punishment and for that, Severus was forever grateful to his mother, Eileen Snape considering how drunk his father had been that day, whatever the punishment his own father would have came up with, would have been ten times worse than usual.

"Mouth....mouth washing sir?" Harry wondered if that would be anything similar to what his aunt Petunia had given him ages ago for calling her 'precious Diddykins' a fat bullying pig.

"Have you gone deaf Pott...Mr Potter? Yes, mouth washing, that's what I said" Snape snapped, his hand paused on Harry's back for a moment. The boy in question shook his head in the negative.

"No...no sir, I...I was just wondering if it would be anything like....like aun....like Petunia's?" Harry responded, watching as the man furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the name of his aunt.

With a shake of his head, Snape said, "Depends on the reason as to why your aunt washed your mouth out and with what? But probably not as she most likely used a normal bar of soup whereas I would be using an old family recipe."

This time it was Harry's turn to furrow his eyebrows in confusion, wondering what this old family recipe was. I just hope it doesn't sting. It was then, Harry decided to tell Snape that he was wrong and no his aunt didn't use a bar of soup.

Nervously looking up at the man, Harry raised his hand, like someone would do in school when they knew the answer to whatever question their teacher asked the class.

"Yes Mr Potter" Snape said, back to standing up with his arms folded once again, across his chest.

"Um, sir....actually, my aun....actually, Petunia used um, toilet cleaner on me" Harry confessed quietly, looking down, afraid to see the man's reaction, stiffening as he waited for the laugh or mocking insults that he was sure to come. However, he was far off on the professor's reaction.

"Toilet cleaner, Mr Potter?" Severus asked, occluding his mind. It wouldn't do him any good to blow up in front of his ward, especially if it could cause the boy to have another flashback, something he did not wish to happen. Plus, he might have heard wrong. The boy gave a small nod in response, followed by a small 'yes sir.'

Breath Severus, calm down.

Wound cleansing potion, Wolfsbane potion, Wit-sharpening potion, hmmm, what's next? Ah, that's the one....Wiggenweld potion

Unfortunately, Severus' normal way of calming himself down didn't work.

"THOSE BLOODY MUGGLES! MERLIN-DAMN YOU, ALBUS!" Severus all but yelled to nobody in particular, though if the headmaster was there, he would most likely be the victim. Calmed down now after yelling that out, Severus realized who was in the room. With a quick glance over towards the bed where the boy had been sitting, before he had lost control and yelled those words out, Severus felt a moment of panic seeing his ward wasn't there. Bloody hell Severus, when am I going to learn!

Looking around the room, Severus' onyx eyes shortly landed on the small boy pre-teen standing in the corner, shaking fearfully. Sighing, Severus knew he needed to find someone else to take the boy and quick. He realized he wasn't cut out for this and the sun would have to freeze over before he would allow himself to hurt his ward out of anger.

"I...I apologize Mr Potter, I did not mean to startle you. I was just angry." Severus apologized, it was then he remembered giving the boy a punishment for his language. Severus, you Merlin-damn hypocrite! "I believe, considering my language just now, that I shall have to let you off of your punishment." Severus said, smirking a little at the boy's shock. He realized, this was the first time since he met the boy, nearly two years ago, that he was dropping the child's punishment. "However," He started, this time in the same firm tone as before. "Should you use such atrocious language again in my presence, the punishment I give you will stand. Understood?"

"Ye...yes sir" The boy responded

"Good. Now, ah yes, the other thing I wanted to talk to you about is this, Mr Potter...." Severus dug into his cloak pocket, taking out the boy's summer potions homework that he had been reading earlier on downstairs in his study while the young Potter child was sleeping. "Your potions homework I had set to your year for the summer, which I have managed to read along with you charms essay. While your homework for charms was.....well done, I believe you should re-do your potions homework as there are too many mistakes. This time though, I want you to not hesitate to ask me for help with this" He said, handing the boy his homework to read through himself, seeing what mistakes he had made.

While the boy was quietly reading, checking for the mistakes, Severus took out his wand and accioed a potions book from his study, downstairs, one that had once belonged to his great-great-great-grandmother, Aoife Prince.

"I suggest you have a read through this book, preferably chapter 27. You'll find more about the shrinking solutions potion in that book, than the one I am guessing you were using." Severus mentioned, handing the book to his ward.

Harry looked down at the title on the potions book that was now in his hands. "Advanced potion-making. Sir?" Harry looked up at the professor, this...this isn't um, the um, boo...book you assigned us to...to um, read"

"I know that Mr Potter, however that book that I have given you to borrow to help you with your essay, has the appropriate ingredients and methods in there, compared to the book most of your classmates will no doubt be using." Snape said in a no nonsense tone. "Now, you may either come back down to my study with me and do your homework there, or you may do it up in the library. Whichever you choose, you are to still come and ask for help if you need it...if you choose to do it up in the library, be sure to call Lucy to know where I am." That said, the potions master turned on his heels, swept out of the room and leaving his ward to decide where he wants to re-do his potions essay.

*****

“And where do you think you're going Mr Potter?” Snape's silky tone startled Harry from going any further to the stairs.

Initially, when he had arrived downstairs, he had been planning to take up Snape's offer and join the man in his study to re-write his summer essay, however, he changed his mind when he arrived at the study door. He had then turned round and limped back towards the stairs, planning on going up to the library. He had been too caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the study door opening.

Exhausted, even though he had accidentally allowed himself to drift off to sleep barely two hours ago, the Gryffindor boy refused to show it, not wanting to look any more weaker in front of the professor, than he had unintentionally done so during the past week and a half.

Biting back a yawn, Harry turned round, glancing up at Snape, struggling with not averting his eyes to the ground, like he would have done if facing his uncle, who when he was talking or yelling at him, uncle Vernon disliked it when he, Harry looked at him. Aunt Petunia was another adult who glared and yelled at him whenever he would look up at her. Every other adult however, would tell him off and accuse him of being rude.

“The um.....libr......library sir,” he responded, wondering if he would still be allowed up there. He bit his bottom lip in dread.

Though he had complained the last two years when Hermione dragged him and Ron off to the Hogwarts library, in truth, Harry really loved being surrounded by books. It was the only safe haven he had ever known, along with his cupboard under the stairs.

Silence ensconced the foyer as the two wizards stood there quietly. Harry stood, squirming under Snape's unreadable look, while Snape, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, just stared at him as if he was a rare bug. He narrowed his eyes at his ward, shortly frowning when Harry averted his eyes to the floor.

“To do your.....potions essay I presume?” the professor guessed in a mild tone

With his hands still clutching his quill, ink bottle and the potions text book Snape had lent him, Harry hesitated, before giving a small nod. “yes sir”

He gave in to the need of averting his eyes to the ground, not wanting to keep looking at Snape. Afraid that if he didn't, he would most likely see the familiar sneer on Snape's face. A look he usually gets from most adults apart from Mr & Mrs Weasley, his old babysitter Mrs Figg, who has always watched him when the Dursleys needed her to, most of the Hogwarts professors and his year one teacher, Mrs Smith.

A sharp pang was felt in his chest at the thought of his year one teacher who had been the only adult in his life, up until now to know about his home life with the Dursleys. She had been there for him even when he was in year three, the same year it had been announced by the head teacher during one school assembly, that she had moved to another country. Harry pushed those thoughts away, controlling his emotions, something he had learnt to do at an early age, since working out that punishments given by his relatives were quicker if he didn't crack.

Lost in thought again, Harry almost didn't hear Snape give a small sigh. “Since you are already down here Mr Potter, you might as well take up my offer and come into my study to do your essay.” Snape stepped back from the doorway so that his ward could enter the room.

“It....it's alright sir, I.....I can go up to the,” Harry started

Snape shook his head, glaring at him as if to dare him to finish that sentence.

“I have no intention of allowing you to go traipsing around this manor just to look for the library, when you can do your essay down here in my study, besides, I am sure you will find it is better warm in there than out here or up in the library," the professor said in an even tone, that was before Snape snapped, "In, now, Mr Potter!”

Hesitating a moment or two, Harry gave a small nod. “yes sir” and made his way back towards the study. Limping in the process.

He flinched as an unexpected hand landed gently on his back, guiding him further into the room and over towards the couches. It was the couch closer to the lit fireplace, that he stopped in front of, shortly noticing that Snape's hand wasn't on his back any longer.

“Sit!” was the only instruction Harry heard Snape say.
Not wanting to be told twice or make Snape angry, Harry sat down on the couch, doing what he was told to do like a well-trained dog would do. He bit his bottom lip, nervously as well as to hold back a yawn, he didn't want Snape to question him about his sleep. And though he had accidentally dozed off earlier on, before coming down here, he was still rather tired.

The Gryffindor boy sat there in silence, waiting for Snape to say something else, squirming under the look Snape was giving him, a look he has seen the man give potions (made by Gryffindors) to decide whether to banish the cauldron or not, as well as deciding on whether to ridicule the unfortunate student or not. Usually he would choose both to ridicule the chosen student and banish their cauldron, telling them to start again or to give them multiple detentions. Harry should know as he is usually the unlucky student.

"When did you start limping?" Was the unexpected question from Snape, Harry bit his bottom lip again, unsure how to answer that.

"Not......not too long.......on my way down, sir" Harry responded, averting his eyes to the ground.

Snape's lips thinned. Glancing down at his ward. "Stop that! Do you want your lip to start bleeding?" The professor chided and for a moment Harry looked completely unsure of why Snape had just chided at him.

His mind was swirling in a mixture of fear and confusion as he tried hard to think about what he had recently done to cause Snape to snap at him.

Not that it doesn't take much.

"May I have a look?" Harry was distracted from his thoughts, he looked at Snape in confusion, frowning when he saw the man was kneeling down in front of him.

When did he get down there? The professor asked again, indicating to Harry's right leg, the one that was causing him to limp. He shrugged, not sure how to answer to the professor, or even what to say. He was so tired and he just wanted to crawl back in bed and sleep, never wake again.

"Yes sir" Harry mumbled, reluctantly allowing Snape to check his leg.

He flinched back at first when Snape rolled up his trouser leg to have a look at the wounds and bruises. The professor frowned in confusion, which Harry took differently and flinched back again, covering his face and expecting a blow coming from the man, who seemed angry. However, when no hand connected to his face, Harry, cautiously removed his arms, lowering them when he saw that Snape was still kneeling down, frowning and having a look at his other leg.

Snape glanced up at him with a stern glare. Harry gulped, wondering not for the first time what he did wrong to cause Snape to glare up at him. Still kneeling down, Snape asked in an accusing tone, "did you go into my lab by any chance Mr Potter?"

The Gryffindor boy shook his head in the negative, "n....n.....no sir" he gulped when the accusing look didn't leave the professor's face.

"Are you quite sure of that Mr Potter?" Without hesitating, Harry slowly nodded. The professor's lips thinned. "You had better not.......if you didn't go into......where is your wand?" Snape's eyes narrowed until they looked like slits.
Harry was certain that Snape was trying to read his mind.

"Up......upstairs sir,"

Standing up, the professor took out his wand and accioed Harry's wand. In seconds, the summoned wand landed into Snape's outstretched hand. Without word, Snape shot the boy another accusing look as he went over to his desk where he laid Harry's wand on the table. Harry watch with a churning stomach as Snape muttered a spell.

From where he was sitting, Harry watched as his wand glowed with a bright white light surrounding it. Confused, Harry asked Snape what that meant.

"It means Mr Potter....." Snape started, picking up Harry's wand and making his way back over to the sitting area, "that you haven't used your wand without permission while being out of Hogwarts" the professor finished in a formal tone. "Should I find out that you have been using it without being asked to, you will be a very sorry boy. Clear?"

Harry nodded.

"Good. Now that, that is out of the way, you are to get started on your essay....." Snape paused, thinking for a moment of what to say next, "…...I would suggest you read the chapter first, then write notes and then bring them to me and I shall read them, once I am satisfied, you can start re-writing your potions essay."

"Yes sir" Harry said, pocketing his wand. He then did as he was told, knowing that it was best not to continue to upset Snape, even though he had no idea how he did so in the first place. He gathered his stuff, placing his ink bottle and quill down on the coffee table in front, settled down on the couch before opening up the potions text book on his lap. Flicking through the pages until he found the chapter with the potion he was doing his essay on.

Only Merlin knows how long Harry had been silently reading the chapter on the shrinking solution and when it came time to write notes, Harry automatically reached for where he thought he had left some parchment on the coffee table. Feeling no familiar feel of the material, Harry looked up with a confused frown, his eyes widening in fear. His mind swirled with thoughts on where.....realisation flooded Harry's mind as he now knew that he had left a pile of parchment in his school trunk.

Crap!

Closing the book, Harry put it down onto the coffee table, stood up intending to go upstairs to retrieve some parchment from his trunk, that was before Snape's voice cut through his decision, firmly telling him to sit down in a warning tone, that obviously meant 'if you don't, you shall be washing and scrubbing cauldrons until the day you die'.....well that's what Harry thought it meant. Harry did sit down as Snape stood up from his chair from behind his desk.

The professor made his way round the desk and over to Harry, who started fidgeting. Waiting for the explosion. It didn't come, yet.

"You have done your essay?" The professor asked in his silky tone, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Hesitating, Harry shook his head. "No sir" he mumbled

"And have you written your notes yet?"

Again, after hesitating, Harry shook his head, mumbling a quiet "no sir"

"Then why were you getting up as if to leave the room, Mr Potter? Did you ask if you could leave? No, you did not and though this is your house as well as mine for the summer, I shall not have you traipsing around this manor getting into only Merlin and Salazar know what mischief......" The professor paused, narrowing his eyes at his wayward ward, "you will stay in that seat and will not leave unless it is to go to the toilet, nothing else. If you are thirsty, ask or call Lucy, same for if you are peckish. But under no other circumstances will you be able to leave that seat until I am satisfied. Am I clear Mr Potter?"

Harry sighed dejectedly, nodding his head. His eyes looking at the floor. "Ye......yes sir" he said quietly, inside he was berating himself. You can't even go one hour without annoying the professor. The Dursleys are right, you really are a freak.....

"Good. Now, why did you want to leave the room Mr Potter?" Snape asked for the second time, bring Harry out of his thoughts,

Nervously, Harry bit his bottom lip, shrugging and reluctantly deciding to tell Snape why he had gotten up and his reason for wanting to leave the room.

"Parchment" was all he said, indicating with his head towards the coffee table with most of his equipment on, when he noticed Snape's confused look.

"Ah, you forgot to bring some parchment down with you I presume?" Snape asked in a gentler tone, Harry slowly nodded, unsure of how the man would react. "Accio three rolls of parchment" Snape said, pointing his wand at the desk by the floo.

Harry watched as three rolls of parchment came flying towards the professor, landing into the man's hand. He handed them to his ward, who looked up at him in shock and a hint of confusion.

"Sir?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at him, "what? You do not wish to do your essay now?"

Harry shook his head in the negative, "no sir, I.....I mean, three rolls of parchment......that's a lot. I only needed one."

The professor snorted, "you need at least three Mr Potter, not one. One roll of parchment will not get you a good grade Mr Potter...... He gestured to the parchment still held in his hand, and Harry, with some hesitation, took the parchment from Snape, thanking the man in a quiet voice. Snape just nodded and went back to sitting behind his desk to carry on with his own work.

Sitting back down at his desk, Severus glanced shortly at his ward, glad to see that the boy was doing his work. He frowned, seeing that the boy was still shivering, holding back a sigh, Severus got the boy's attention. "Mr Potter, if you are still feeling cold, you may use that throw blanket that is currently on the back of the couch you are sitting on to keep yourself warm, also you may order a hot drink from Lucy." He offered

Glad that Potter was listening to him and used the throw blanket to wrap it around him, Severus got back to his own work. Letting out a sigh as he did, knowing that he still has a lot to work on with his ward, like using a blanket or ordering a drink to warm himself up if it is too cold, or that it is alright to use more than one roll of parchment.
Now I know why Potter's essays are always so abysmal when he hands them in.

Blasted muggles!

With another sigh, Severus decided to read over what he had already written down in his lesson plans for his upcoming second years. Once satisfied with what he read, he picked up his quill, dipping the nib into his black ink. Putting the tip of the quill to the roll of parchment, Severus continued writing.

Hmmm.......

'Second term – Have class reading chapter 36 on the Hair-raising potion, in book of potions
Lesson after that, brew the hair-raising potion and assign essay
Read chapter on swelling solution, mini test on swelling solution, next lesson - have the class brew the potion.......'

An appetizing smell of Lucy's cooking assaulted the busy potions master's nose, after what seemed like days of writing but only at least thirty long minutes of working in silence, hearing nothing but quills scratching on the surfaces of parchment paper. Pausing, Severus put his quill against the ink pot, so that any residue of ink left on the nib of his quill would just drip right back into the pot of ink. Taking out his wand, Severus checked the time, seeing that it was nearly time for dinner, he averted his eyes over to his ward who should have been still writing, instead, however, the boy was.......sleeping?

Frowning in thought, the potions master knew that he still hasn't worked out why Potter's always falling asleep at all hours of the day. At first, like earlier on this evening, Severus had thought he brat-who-lived-to-give-him-a-headache, had somehow stolen a potion or two from his ward, possibly by disobeying his rule of not to enter his lab unsupervised or without permission. But after verbally accusing the boy today, Severus felt guilty for jumping to conclusions, rebuking himself afterwards, for forgetting that he had his lab door locked and heavily warded with an excellent password, one that not even Lily, if she were here today, would be able to get into his lab without his knowledge.

Oh Severus, you fool.

A glamour charm was out of the question as well, since he had already checked Potter's wand and the wand had glowed white, meaning it has not been used for days......no doubt since the boy had left Hogwarts, and again, Severus had felt rather foolish with himself, for accusing the boy of using his wand without his knowledge. One, Potter would have received a letter from the ministry, two, he Severus, would have heard his alarms going off, letting him know that Potter was doing something he shouldn't.

I shall contact Madam Pomfrey sometime tomorrow, after Madame Beaumont leaves after fitting the Potter child. Severus thought, making up his mind. He wouldn't put off contacting the medi-witch any longer. Pleased that he had that sorted, a puzzled look shortly crossed the potions master's face when he wondered whether he should or shouldn't wake up Potter just yet. As if reading his thoughts, Lucy popped into the room to announce to both wizards that dinner was ready.

Nodding his thanks, the potions master told his house elf that they would be in the dining room shortly. With that, she popped away, leaving her master to the easy decision of waking up his ward. Plus, Severus would much rather be asleep later and not worry about the Gryffindor wandering around his manor in the middle of the night, getting into who knows what trouble.