Early morning sunlight poured through the bedroom windows and into the room, causing the raven haired boy to wake.

The young Gryffindor yawned as he tiredly glanced around the blurry room. He frowned at seeing a blurry black figure in the blurry armchair. He guessed it was Snape, fast asleep judging by the sound of things.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he fumbled around for his glasses. Slipping them on to the bridge of his nose once he found them. Feeling better now that he could see clearer. He looked back at the sleeping form of the potions master, frowning when he noticed the man’s legs covered with a blanket.

A strange, warm feeling entered his chest as memories of his aunt and sometimes his uncle staying with his cousin whenever he was ill or when he had a nightmare. For him, Harry, this was the first time, probably since his parents were killed, that someone, an adult stayed the night with him due to a nightmare. The strange thing was....it was Snape who had stayed with him.

Maybe Snape's not as bad as I thought?

Harry felt a little uncomfortable, deciding to ignore the feeling for now, he made to reach for the book that he was currently reading at the moment. Narnia: The, Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, written by a wizard. C.S. Lewis. He was quite familiar with the story since his year 4 teacher, Mr Wilson had started reading the book to the class when they were studying both world war one and two. Unfortunately, Dudley, his cousin had been in his class and when he told aunt Petunia what they were reading, she had phoned the school straight away, complaining that she didn't want her 'Dudders' anywhere in the classroom if they were reading that book.

After finding the book in Snape's library a few days ago, Harry didn't hesitate to start reading it and so far, he was enjoying the book.

Focusing on the current page he was on....or trying to, Harry felt much more uncomfortable than earlier on. He tried to continue reading, and as time slowly ticked by, Harry couldn't concentrate. What made it worse, was, that he had started wriggling about in his spot on the bed where he was sitting.

Making up his mind, Harry closed the book and put it down. He slid closer towards the edge of the bed and just as he was about to climb out of bed, he stopped, remembering that he wasn't allowed to leave the bed, until Pomfrey deemed it safe. He glanced over at Snape, who was still sleeping.....at least, he hoped the professor was.

Sliding back into the centre of the bed, Harry stayed sitting there, wriggling about as he tried not to think about needing to use the loo.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, Lucy popped in, waking the potions master up. Harry, who had been trying to continue reading to get his mind off of things, looked up as Lucy arrived into the room with two trays of breakfast. One for Snape and one for Harry himself.

"How did young master and master Severus sirs sleep?" Lucy asked, carrying both trays over to the designated wizards.

Severus nodded his head, yawning, he replied to the elf. "Fine, thank you for asking Lucy. Although, you could have.....(another yawn)…..you could have woken me up"

Lucy shook her head.

"I's....I's couldn't wake yous up master Severus sir, you's looked so peaceful sleeping ther....."

At the time, Severus had been taking a sip of the green tea Lucy had handed to him, spat it out in shock. "Lucy!" Severus started, a little embarrassed that the elf was discussing that he looked so peaceful sleeping, right where his student could hear. He fixed the elf with a warning glare, reminding her, "that.... Lucy, is not something you should so.... openly say in front of any students of mine"

If house elves could blush, Severus was pretty sure that's what Lucy's cheeks would be doing right now. Instead, the little creature nodded her head.

"Oh, yes master Severus sir, Lucy is sorry, Lucy won't do it again.....Lucy will....Lucy will go and iron her hands, Lucy will....."

"Not go and iron her hands!" Severus interrupted, startling both his ward and his house elf. "How many times do I have to tell you Lucy, you are not to go and punish yourself for every mistake you make" he told her, firmly. The look he gave her, the little elf knew what it meant right away. She nodded, promising she would refrain from punishing herself unless he, her master told her to. She then popped out.

About to eat his breakfast, Severus glanced over at his ward to check that the boy was indeed eating. However, he ended up frowning in confusion when he noticed the boy wriggling on his spot on the bed.

"Mr Potter, unless you have.....what is that muggle expression again? Ah, ants in your pants, then I suggest you stop moving about like that,”

Potter shook his head.

“I....I ca-can't help it s-sir” the boy responded through clenched teeth, looking as if he was in pain.

“And why not? I am certain all you need to do is stop moving”

Potter shook his head again.

“I....I ca-can't. I needtousetheloo”

“What was that Mr Potter? I didn't get all of what you said. Speak clearly!”

Potter let out a small sigh. “I....I need to use the loo”

Hearing this, Severus's eyes went wide when he caught on.

“How long?”

“S-sir?”

“How long have you been needing to use the loo Mr Potter?” Severus clarified

Shrugging his shoulders, Potter responded, “S-since I....uh, woke up sir,” the boy's voice trailed off.

Severus rolled his eyes. “And how long ago was that?”

Potter shrugged again. “I....I don't know. Maybe five, ten minutes ago.”

*****

With his back against the wall, his arms folded against his chest and his wand in his robe pocket, Severus stood there in the quiet, lit hallway, standing next to the bathroom door.

The sound of running water told him that the Potter boy wasn't finished yet.

Taking out his wand, Severus casted a tempus charm. He let out a long sigh when he saw the time.

7:15am

Potter's been in there for half an hour.

Pocketing his wand, Severus knocked on the door for the third time in the space of thirty minutes, since the boy had a.....little accident, on their way to the bathroom.

“Mr Potter, you've been in there for half an hour. What is taking you so long?”

Severus knew without a doubt that if he wanted to, he could easily enter the bathroom right now without the help of magic, demand the boy to finish showering and get dressed, but having promised Potter that he would stay out here in the hallway as long as the door was unlocked, then he wouldn't enter the bathroom unless either the boy himself, wanted him to, or if it was an emergency where the boy would require immediate assistance.

At first, after Potter's accident, Severus had suggested the boy take a bath, where he, Severus, had planned on washing the boy himself. After hearing Poppy tell him that he was not to leave the boy alone for a long period of time, especially in the bathroom, Severus didn't want to disappoint the medi-witch, again. But,, as soon as the word, bath, came out of Severus's mouth, the boy stiffened at the word.

Having filed that away for later, Severus, not wanting to scare the boy into a panic attack, suggested the child have a short shower, as long as the door remained unlocked at that he talked to him the whole time he's showering. In that way, Severus would know whether the boy was fine or not.

So far, for the past thirty minutes, the boy has been responding well.

“I.....uh, I'm nearly finished, um, sir” came Potter's response from the other side of the bathroom.

Tempted to tell the boy that he's said that....twice already, Severus decided against, telling himself that maybe the boy wasn't yet done.

He rolled his eyes at that. Knowing damn well that the boy was indeed done.

It certainly doesn't take that long to shower, Severus usually took five minutes and that involved both washing his body and hair.

He was ready to knock on the bathroom door again, when he heard the running shower water finally stop. He waited, a few moments, just in case, and though he didn't show it, he was....relieved when the boy came out, wrapped in a towel.

Though the child was obviously limping, Severus could see nothing else wrong with the boy. As he made his way over to the boy, prepared to guide Potter back to the guestroom where the child could change into some clean clothes, Severus spoke up, reminding the boy of his presence and that he was still there.

“Finally Mr Potter.....any longer, I would have assumed you were trying to win the world record of the longest shower” Severus said, startling the boy, who turned to look up at him with fear, nearly falling off balance in the process.

If it wasn't for Severus's quick reflexes, then Potter would have fallen to the floor, possibly cracking his head.

“My apologies Mr Potter, I didn't mean to scare you, I had merely meant to let you know that I was still here”

“S-sir? You're....uh, still here. I, thought.....I thought you wou....”

Thee potions master snorted at this. “Why wouldn’t I still be here Mr Potter? Didn't I say that I wou.....Potter! What is that mark on your arms?”

The boy blanched.

Harry silently cursed. Bloody hell!

Why on earth did I forget my clothes in the bathroom?

“Wha....what marks?” Harry innocently asked, looking at his arms.

He flinched when he felt someone raise his chin to look up at the glaring professor. The hand that had raised his chin so he could look at the professor, left.

“What did I say about lying to me Mr Potter?”

“I'm not....”

“Quiet!”

“But,”

“The truth Mr Potter! What are those marks on your arms?”

Gulping, Harry bit his lip. Thinking of what to tell Snape. His shoulders drooped as he averted his gaze away from the man.

“Pott....Mr Potter, you will do me the courtesy of looking at me if.....”

“I just don't want to talk about it, sir” Harry defiantly said, averting his gaze back up at the still glaring potions master.

There was a long silence that followed, with Snape continuing to glare down at his ward, his arms folded once more, against his chest, while Harry stood there, looking up at the man with a defiant look on his face, glaring up at Snape, daring the professor to try getting him to talk.

He wouldn't, but the man could try.

Feeling like hours had past but only a few seconds, Harry was the first one to break, realising how he had said the words to the professor, Harry blanched, the glare and defiant look gone, and the look of fear came back.

Snape, shortly realised as well, the glare went and was replaced by a neutral facial expression, but Harry didn't notice.

Sighing, Snape started, breaking the silence. “Pott....”

The boy flinched back, raising an arm to protect his face.

“I'm sorry” was all he said

Shaking his head, Snape, in a calm tone, told Harry that there is no need to be sorry.

“I....if you are not ready to talk to me about your problems, I shouldn't be trying to get you to,”

Harry slowly lowered his arm. “S-sir?”

Snape’s lips thinned.

Harry watched as the professor glanced down at him.

“Come, though it is summer, it can still get a little chilly in the manor and I being your guardian, do not want you to freeze to death out here.”

Harry nodded, glad that the professor was letting it go and though he didn't know how long he had until Snape decided to ask him about the marks on his body again, Harry hoped it wouldn't be soon. He didn't want to start thinking about where he would have to go next after having to come clean to Snape. He was certain that he wouldn't be welcomed at Hogwarts and he was certain neither Ron nor Hermione would want anything to do with him once it is known what he truly is.

“Y-yes sir,”

The rest of Friday was quiet, with Severus spending most of the day down in his lab to brew batches of potions for the Hogwarts Hospital wing, while the boy continued reading.

Breakfast, and lunch had both been quiet. Severus tried to engage the Potter boy into a conversation, instead, the boy had flat out ignored him, doing his best to pretend he wasn't there.

During lunch, Severus noticed the child barely touching his food, and seeing as the boy had hardly ate anything earlier on at breakfast, Severus, not wanting a repeat of Thursday, used an old spell he had seen busy parents using on their babies, many times before, a spell that was invented to spoon feed mainly babies when the parents are too busy to do it themselves. Spelling the spoon sitting atop of Potter's tray, Severus shortly earned a glare from the boy.

"Eat, unless you want a repeat of yesterday" was all Severus said in a serious tone, before going back to his own meal.

Dinner was just as silent as the previous two meals, and afterwards when it was time for the boy to get ready for bed, Severus supplied the aloe vera potion once more. Allowing the boy to rub the potions into the wounds on his stomach, legs and arms. Severus offered to rub the healing potion into the wounds that were on the boy's back. Potter shrugged, but nevertheless, allowed Severus to do so.

While Severus was rubbing the potion paste into the wounds, he noticed the boy flinching.

"I am nearly finished Mr Potter," Severus gently told the boy, noticing Potter's body still remaining stiff.

Since it was too soon to allow the boy any dreamless sleep as it would without a doubt mix with the potions that Poppy had spelled into the boy the day before, Severus was indeed right to expect the child to have another nightmare.

Like before, Severus had fallen asleep for the second time in a row in the armchair, while continuing his story about Lily and the carnival she had bought them all to.

*****

Saturday morning, breakfast, was just as quiet. Severus offered to teach the boy some more chess moves but Potter shrugged, and continued to read.

It wasn't until after lunch, when, Severus, having joined his ward once again upstairs, to keep the boy company while eating, decided, after realising he was going to have to sit through another quiet meal, that enough was enough. There was no way he was going to be able to help the boy if he didn't know what was wrong or if he couldn't get the boy to open up to him.

"Alright Mr Potter, enough of this. What is troubling you?" Severus finally asked,

Confused, Harry looked up at the professor.

"S-sir?"

"Something is clearly bothering you, and I want.....I would like to know"

Harry shook his head at this.

"Nothing's wrong,"

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

Harry nodded his head. "Yes sir, I'm....I'm fine, honest"

"Then kindly do me the favour of looking up at me and say that you are fine"

Harry blanched. He opened his mouth, the closed it. No words left. Sighing, his shoulders dropped in defeat. Biting his bottom lip nervously, Harry glanced up at the professor, starting to feel sick to his stomach. I am so stupid! So, so stupid!

"Al-al-alright, I.....I," Harry paused, wondering if he had a death wish or something. Of, course he did. No one else had faced Voldemort twice and lived to tell the tale, three times if you count when he was a baby.

"Take your time Mr Potter," Snape said encouragingly from the armchair.

Harry nervously nodded, wondering if Voldemort could just come and make his appearance now, perhaps, this time, win and end his life. There's nothing left for me anyway. Hagrid can just take care of Hedwig for me and Ron....Ron can have my cloak and broom, while Hermione....she can have whatever she wants of mine to keep.

Swallowing thickly, Harry, sat on top of his hands to try to stop them from shaking. It didn't work. Deciding that it was now or never, he looked down at the duvet. Taking a deep breath in, Harry started telling Snape what was wrong and just as soon as he finished, he flinched back, glancing back across at Snape who just sat there in the armchair, stunned into silence.

Confused, Harry watched the Slytherin's mouth open and close, but no words coming out. He frowned.

Where was Snape telling him to get out and never come back? Where was Snape throwing him out of his manor, without giving him any time to pack his things? Where was the angry Snape telling him that he's an attention seeking freak and calling him a liar?

All of these questions and more, filled Harry's mind right now as the professor continued to sit there, unmoving, looking almost as if he was frozen solid.

"Pott...." Snape started, Harry flinched, preparing himself to be thrown out of the manor, prepared to be taken back to Surrey straight away, prepared to be yelled at, prepared to be hit. Either one, Harry would take it.

It's not like I wouldn't deserve it.

The potions master cleared his throat, "Mr Pott....Harry," This got Harry to look warily up at Snape, confused. Snape shouldn't be calling him that. "Is that....is that what you think of yourself?"

"S-sir?"

"Do you really think you're a.... a 'disgusting freak'?"

Harry blanched. No, no, no! Snape wasn't meant to know that.

"Pott...."

Harry flinched back.

"Mr Pott...." Harry heard Snape sigh. He flinched again when he noticed a larger hand coming towards him. The Gryffindor boy, watched as the large, spider-like hand, rest on the mattress, "I wasn't going to hit you, Mr Pott....Harry." There was a moment of silence until Snape continued, "do you really think you're a 'disgusting freak' Mr....Harry?" Snape asked again,

Knowing that Snape could not know about that, Harry shook his head. Seeing the Snape raise an eyebrow in disbelief, Harry quickly responded,

"I....I mean I um, used to think of myself like that sir, but I....I don't anymore though....." Harry trailed off, realizing how unbelievable his voice sounded, averting his eyes back down to the duvet cover, he knew what was to follow.

Sitting in the armchair, Severus sat there a little annoyed with himself that he still didn't have the boy's complete trust enough for the child to open up to him about what had gone on at Privet Drive that night. Merlin, he really wished he could kill the boy's relatives right now, but he wouldn't do that, knowing very well that would go the completely wrong way.

He sighed, glancing across at the boy who just sat there, in bed, playing with a loose thread on the duvet. "Did you want to play a game of chess?" Severus asked, the boy shook his head. "Are you sure? I....I can teach you some more moves"

Potter shook his head again.

With another sigh, Severus asked his ward if he had anything in mind that he might like to do. The child just shrugged, then said that he would just like to continue reading and Severus took this as a sign that he was not wanted right now.

"Alright, well.... I shall be downstairs brewing some more potions Mr Potter. If you need anything....at all, do not be afraid to call for me, or call for Lucy"

Potter nodded his head, but didn't respond.

Taking this as his cue to leave, Severus left the room, and went back down to his lab to do some brewing.

Later that night, the boy had another nightmare, waking Severus. Yawning, Severus climbed out of his bed and made his way to Potter's......to the guestroom. Eventually he woke the boy up, tried his best attempt to comfort the boy, tried his best to get the boy to open up about his nightmare, but did no good whatsoever and just ended up offering to tell another story about Lily.

Sunday, Potter again, still didn't want to do anything apart from reading. Severus was starting to feel lost at what he should do, and wondering whether he had made the right decision.

Perhaps, the Weasleys or even the wolf, would have done a much better job at this than I. He thought, while writing out the curriculum for fourth years for next September. He startled, accidentally knocking over his steaming mug of.... coffee, a drink he doesn't usually drink, but recently, he decided to give it a try.

"Bloody hell!" Severus swore, standing up out of his desk chair, taking his wand out, he pointed it at the spilled drink, that was messing up his work. He hesitated, before calling for Lucy as he put his wand back in his pocket. There was no spell in the world that could undo the damage made. He knew that he would have to re-write all seven class curriculums, again.

"Severus, you fool" Severus berated himself, muttering under his breath, unknowingly repeating the words he had heard the small voice say in his head, just moments before. A voice he had thought that sounded a lot like Lily.

I must be losing my mind.

*****

Monday morning didn't start out too well either, like the previous days, Potter was quieter than usual, he rarely responded much to Severus, who still tried to engage him into a conversation during breakfast.

Lunch and dinner were just the same.

In the evening, after Potter had fallen asleep, and Severus, after a long evening of rewriting the first-year class curriculum, he was ready to go to bed himself, but just as he was about to crawl into his awaiting bed, his alarms went off. Severus sighed, backing away from the bed, hesitating at first, the potions master grabbed his wand from his bed side table, with a flick, he lighted up the area in front of him, making it easier for him to see where he was going as he headed out of his room and across the hallway, towards Pott......the guestroom.

Tuesday, in Severus's opinion was much different. Having assigned his ward, the first part of his punishment. 200 lines of 'I will not lie to my guardian again.'

Yes, though the boy has been having nightmares nearly all week, Severus couldn't let the boy not go unpunished for lying to him. The boy needed to learn not to lie to most trustworthy adults, like he, himself.

With a yawn, Severus took another sip of his steaming mug of coffee, which he still did not like, but it was better than nothing, put his quill to parchment and continued his own work. Now that he has finished rewriting the class curriculum for the first years, he needed to restart the curriculum for his second and seventh years.

"Take two drops, Pott....Mr Potter," Severus instructed, handing the boy a familiar purple potion.

Potter, who was currently sitting up in bed, not wanting to go to sleep, but with a lot of persuasion from Severus, the boy complied, especially with the confidence from said potions master, that he wouldn't be suffering from any nightmares once he takes two drops of the potion.

“Wh-why only two dr-dr-drops si.....sir?” Potter tiredly asked him,

A thoughtful look crossed the potions master's face.

“It is only two drops because, Mr Potter, this potion, the dreamless sleep, is harmful if taken in a large dose, can result to death if one isn't too careful.....” Severus paused, thinking back to what he had learnt about the potion when he had first helped his uncle brew the potion, not much older than the Potter boy. “However, it all depends on the drinker's body mass. Height and weight. You, Pott....Mr Potter, since you are a lot shorter and weigh lighter than most of your year group,"

Potter's cheeks blushed red as said boy averted his eyes to the duvet.

Severus couldn’t help but be reminded of himself when he had first gone to live with his uncle. He rolled his eyes, knowing that he and the Potter child are nothing alike. Ignoring this, Severus continued.

“You can only drink two drops. Any more than that, you would be at risk of falling right back in a coma.” He told the boy in a serious, warning tone. Just as he was about to remind the boy to drink the potion, a scary thought popped into Severus's mind.

“Pott.....Mr Potter,” he started off in a silky tone, which soon changed to a threatening one. “If I ever find out you’ve been sneaking this potion from either my own store cupboards....or from the Hogwarts hospital wing, then you will be one sorry boy. Understand?” he threatened, fixing his ward with a hard glare that basically said, ‘you better not disobey.’

Potter just sat there staring up at him from his space on the bed. When Severus thought that he would have to repeat his threat, the boy nodded his head, followed by a quiet verbal response.

“Uh, ye-yes sir” Potter truthfully said

Severus nodded at this. Hoping beyond hope that the boy would take the warning seriously.

Once his ward had drank two drops of the potion, Severus took the vial back, corked it then took a seat down in the armchair. "Did you....did you want to hear another story about your mother, Mr Potter?" Severus asked the boy, seeing as that managed to get his ward to sleep for most of the week without the potion. The boy nodded his head against the pillow without any hesitation.

Silence ensconced the room as Severus thought of another good story to tell that would help get the boy to sleep. Thinking of one, Severus told Potter to get comfy.

"It was our first Christmas together, a few years before we started Hogwarts, I think...." Severus paused, watching as the boy struggled to hold back a yawn. Just as he was about to continue, Potter, yawning again, interrupted.

"Um, sir, y--you uh.... knew my mother before Hogwar's?" Potter asked,

Severus nodded. "Yes, but that story is for another time. Now, can I get back to my current story?"

Potter yawned. "Y'sir"

Continuing from where he had paused, Severus continued. "I think we were about eight....or nearly eight. Anyway, we had met that summer earlier on, which I will tell you about later." There was a long pause as Severus thought back to his first Christmas with Lily. "You have visited your....great-aunt before, haven't you, Mr Potter?"

Potter frowned as if thinking about it. He then shook his head. "No s—sir, didn' know....I--I had any other rel....relatives, sir"

It was Severus's turn to frown. Confused, the potions master had assumed Potter would have visited at least once, seeing it was his great-aunt, his only other living relative besides Lily's horrible older sister.

Severus shook his head, knowing he needed to get back to the story. You're getting off topic, Severus. ignoring that side of his brain, instead, the potions master went with what he wanted to ask the boy.

"And why not? Didn't your relatives ever bring you to visit? After all they're...."

"Aun'y said we--said we don'ave any....any other living relatives, sir,"

Raising an eyebrow at this in disbelief, Severus wanted to push the boy further, ask the child more questions, but seeing as the boy was drifting to sleep, Severus reluctantly pushed the questions aside, for now and continued his story. He let out a small sigh, knowing he would have to describe Potter's great-aunt's house as much as he could from memory.

"That is fine, Mr Potter. I shall just have try and describe the house as much as possible then." Severus told the boy in a gentle tone, he gave a yawn himself. "Now where was I, ah, that's right.....you're mother and her family were visiting her mother's sister and your mother's cousins, who lived in the nearby village from here. Her aunt owned a three-bedroom cottage, by a river. In the winter, if there was any snow, I would always think I was in a Narnian styled village...."

He described the river out front, the stone the cottage was made of. (Limestone) he described the snow covered trees, described the interior and the layout of the cottage as best as he could. What it was like during summer, when there were some warm sunny days, and what it was like during the winter.

“Since your mother and I had been writing to each other as much as possible, using my mother's owl, I knew from the letters that she was visiting the area again, and so we had arranged to meet up at the local park where we had first met."

Severus went on to describe the park that was covered in snow on the day they had met up again for the first time since the summer ended. He described the way Lily looked that day, described the first time they had played together in the snow.

"Between the two of us, your mother's sister, their cousins, and some of the local muggle village kids, we had a snow ball fight that lasted for quite some time. Lily and I were on the same team as each other, winning 5/2. We were all cold after the game had ended, and had all decided to head to our designated homes, since Lily's aunt's house was closer than mine...." And welcoming. Severus added in his head. "We, Lily and I, headed back there, where we had homemade hot chocolate with marshmallows, and along with her aunt, parents and her sister, we all sat down in the living room, by the roasting fire, watching a muggle movie called, A Christmas carol, on the muggle picture box. It turns out, that was your mother's favourite Christmas movie, I...."

Jerking awake, several minutes later, Severus rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He then glanced over at his ward who was fast asleep. With a yawn, Severus tiredly stood up, stretching, he went over to the bed, tucking the boy in.

Hesitating, Severus's hand lingered above the boy's head, shortly finding itself, brushing the boy's messy hair. Realizing what he was doing, Severus pulled back his hand, but instead of leaving the room like he had wanted to, he took a few steps back, away from the bed and just stood there quietly for a moment or two, making sure the boy was actually, fast asleep. When he was certain, Severus hesitated before finally leaving the room, noxing the bedroom light as he did.

Back in his own room, Severus, ready for bed himself, looked at the vial of potion in his hand. Shaking his head as if to tell himself, no, the potions master placed the vial in the drawer in his bedside table. Closing the drawer, Severus noxed the light of his wand, he then placed his wand atop of the bedside table, then climbed into his comfortable bed. Yawning, Severus pulled the duvet up to his chin, his head hit his soft pillow, and as he did his nightly routine, occlude his mind, his eyes closed and soon the only sound in the dark, bedroom of the potions master, was the man snoring.

Wednesday, Harry noticed that Snape hadn't showed up at all for breakfast. He sighed, as he got continued to write another fifty lines of the punishment the potions master had given him for lying.

Half way through, Snape interrupted, and after receiving permission from Harry, walked into the room, asking if Harry wanted to play a game. Harry shrugged, but nodded, knowing he didn't want to finish writing his lines. He then asked the professor what game they'd be playing, Snape told him, shortly summoning a deck of cards.

*****

"Any kings sir?" Harry asked, he couldn't help but smirk when the professor groaned, knowing he was losing....again, for the third time that morning as they played Go Fish. A simple muggle card game, that Harry hadn't played nor known how to play up until today when Snape taught it to him. "Thank you sir," Harry smiled, thanking the man as he took the king of hearts from the man.

A look of concentration appeared on Harry's face as he studied his cards so far. Right now he currently had 9 cards. 3 threes (3 of diamonds, 3 of clubs and 3 of hearts) 2 kings (King of hearts and King of clubs) 2 fours (4 of spades and 4 of diamonds) 1 queen (Queen of spades) and 1 seven (7 of hearts.)

He decided to ask the professor if he had any queens. He let out a small laugh as the professor let out a groan. Taking the card from the man, Harry decided to say, "if I didn't know any better sir, I would think you hate this game"

In response, Snape grumbled, "I didn't....until now."

Looking at his cards again, Harry decided to ask the professor for any of his threes, that is if he had any.

"Finally." Snape let out, relieved. His expression changed back to a stoic one as he cleared his throat. "I'm afraid not Mr Potter. Go....fish"

Harry reached for a card atop of the floating pile in between the two of them. Turning it over so he could see, the smile that was on his face, dropped. "Your turn sir." He told the professor, who then went and asked if he had any Jacks.

Without having to look at his cards, Harry took out the one he had just picked up, handing it to the professor, who then asked if he had any sevens. Harry nodded. It wasn't until Snape asked if he had any fours, did Harry let out a sigh as he handed the two cards over to the smirking potions master. Though he hadn't played this game up until today, he was starting to not like this game. However, that changed back, when Snape asked if he had any fives.

"No sir, I do not." He confidently said, smiling, now that it was his turn to ask Snape and win back some cards.

"Any queens, sir" Harry asked, deciding to start with that one first. He thanked the professor when he handed him the designated card.

The game continued for fifteen minutes, and in the end, Snape won.

“How much of the lines have you written so far, Mr Potter?” Snape decided to ask Harry as he shuffled the deck of cards, ready for another game of Go Fish.

Harry blanched. I should have just told him that I hadn't finished inst....he startled out of his thoughts when he heard Snape sigh.

“I believe we are finished with these cards for now” Snape said, taking out his wand, getting ready to spell the cards back where they had come from.

Enjoying the game, Harry didn’t want it to end, but he just nodded his head in agreement.

“If we have time later, if you want, we can continue playing a few more rounds of Go Fish.” Snape said in a promising tone

Harry raised an eyebrow at this. “This afternoon could we um....play another game or two, sir?” he hoped, watching as Snape's facial expression changed from a neutral tone to a thoughtful one.

The potions master shortly gave a curt nod. “Yes....sometime, this afternoon if you are up to it of course”

Glad, Harry was about to grab the tray Snape had Lucy bring up after breakfast so he could use it like a ‘portable desk' so he wouldn't get ink on the bedding, he glanced up at Snape once more, a question he wanted to ask the man.

“Go ahead Mr Potter, ask whatever question you want.....just as long as it's appropriate” Snape told him, sitting back down in the armchair as he did.

“How'd you....” Harry watched Snape raise an eyebrow, giving him a look that just said, ‘do you really need to ask.’ He shook his head. Giving a small nervous sigh, Harry asked the professor his question. “Where um....were you s-sir, today at um....at br-breakfast?”

Instinctively, Harry flinched back. I must have death wish.

Severus sat there for a moment unable to move as he thought about Potter's question.

Though it was harmless, Severus wasn't going to answer. He wouldn't.

Standing up from the armchair, Severus shook his head, seeing the flinch from the boy.

“Though your question is appropriate, it is not something I will share with you Mr Potter.” He paused, “any....other questions that doesn't involve myself not being here at breakfast this morning.”

Potter frowned at this in confusion, shortly the look changed to a thoughtful, and shortly, the boy shook his head.

“N-no sir, no more questions.”

“Are you sure?”

This time Potter nodded his head. “yes sir.”

Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy. He surveyed the young Potter boy as said child, grabbed his parchment to continue writing fifty lines for the day. It was rare for Severus to allow any of his students to break the punishment down, but seeing as Potter was his ward for the summer, and not just his student, and knowing the boy still needed to preserve his energy, Severus suggest to Potter the other day to do fifty lines each day, so far, the boy has been doing just that and after today the boy would have only a hundred lines to write.

“Alright Mr Potter, I will be downstairs working, so I shall hopefully be back up for lunch.” Severus told the boy as he stood up and out of the armchair.

Potter gave a small nod, without looking up at him, too busy continuing his lines. Certain the boy had heard him, Severus reminded Potter to call for Lucy if he needed anything, he then exited the room and went down to his study.

In the late evening Potter had another nightmare, where he was pleading and begging his uncle to leave him alone, promising not to do any magic, Severus, during this, had gently shook the sweat soaked boy awake.

Potter shot up, almost colliding heads with Severus, who had quickly stepped back, so the collision didn't happen. The boy sat there, panting heavily, Severus kept a hand placed on the back of the boy's shoulder.

“Easy Pott....Mr Potter, breath.” Severus gently told him.

This caused the boy to flinch. “S-sir?”

Severus nodded his head. “Yes Po....Mr Potter, it is I.” There was a pause. “You....had another nightmare, about your uncle,”

Potter looked at him with fear and a different look, one that Severus could not correctly guess what it was.

“Did you want to talk about it?”

The child shook his head, Severus told the boy that it was fine and that if he wasn't ready to talk about it, he didn't have to. “Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?” Severus watched as the boy shook his head.

Has Potter always looked this pale?

“N-“

In the next moment, Severus had vomit all over his slippers. He felt the boy flinch, as he took his wand out from his pocket with his free hand.

“Sor....” Potter started

“It is alri....”

The boy vomited again, and instead of scourgifying his slippers, Severus was about to flick his wand to conjure a bucket, but, Lucy, appeared instead, already holding one. Severus sighed, grateful that he had kept the elf when he had inherited the manor.

“Lucy bought up bucket for younger master Harry Potter sir to use” Lucy squeaked, handing the boy the bucket to hold, while Severus scourgified his slippers clean of any vomit.

“Thank you Lucy,” Severus told the elf, “but how....”

Lucy shook her head, pointing her finger at him, as if reprimanding him.

“Bad master for forgetting that Lucy can knows when Lucy is be needed”

Severus’s cheeks flush red. Of all the house elves, he could have had, he had to end up with the one that does not hesitate to reprimand him, right in front of his student now ward.

The boy groaned, shortly followed by another wave of sickness, and Severus found himself, sitting on the edge of the bed, beside the boy. Memories flashed to the front of his mind, memories of when he was ill and what his mother used to do that would help make him feel better. Deciding to try, Severus, with his hand still resting on the back of the boy's shoulder, Severus rubbed soothing circle's on his ward's back, ignoring the flinch, and the boy tensing.

“Relax, Mr Pott....Harry, you're fine. I'm not going to hurt you” Severus said in a gentle tone,

Eventually, after what seemed like ages, Potter stopped vomiting, and though he was shaking, Severus, telling the boy what he was going to do, scourgified the child. Afterwards, he called for Lucy.

“Do you think you’ll be able to stomach anything Mr Potter?” he asked the boy,

Potter shrugged, “I-I don't know....maybe”

Severus gave a curt nod. “That is fine,”

Lucy shortly popped back into the room. Severus turned to look at her, “Lucy, please bring up two mugs of camomile tea,”

The elf did just as Severus asked, popping back into the room with two mugs of steaming tea, sitting atop of a tray. “I's bought up some camomile tea”

Severus, as he stood up from the bed, took a mug of tea from the tray and handed it to the boy, warning him that it was hot and to be careful.

Potter yawned, afterwards, the boy quietly thanked him as he took the offered mug.

“No need,” the potions master told the boy as he took his own mug and went over to the armchair, taking a seat, he turned to look at the house elf. “Thank you Lucy. You may go back t-t....to bed” Severus yawned, dismissing the elf.

Both wizards sat there in the dim lit room, sipping their tea. Finally, as the evening continued to lag on closer towards morning, Severus broke the silence. Asking Potter how he was feeling.

The child shrugged. “A little better sir,”

Severus nodded at this. “Do you know what could have caused it?” he decided to ask, breaking the few moments of silence.

He watched as Potter started to bob his head up and down, as if to say yes, but instead of saying any words, Potter hesitated for a moment before shaking his head in the negative.

“N-no sir,” Potter quietly said, with his emerald eyes averted to his mug of herbal tea.

As he took a sip of his own mug of herbal tea, Severus mentally filed away Potter's response, for later.

Thursday morning, both wizards woke later than usual, Lucy served them breakfast. In the afternoon, Snape was back downstairs, continuing to rewrite the class curriculum for each Hogwarts year, now starting on the third and sixth years.

Harry continued writing another fifty lines.

After dinner, Snape supplied the aloe vera potions paste for the boy to rub into his wounds, like before. Nightmares again, and Harry woke to Snape there again, giving him a certain look that Harry couldn't say what it was just yet, in case he was wrong, but he knew that it was the same look the professor keeps on giving him each night this week whenever he's woken from a nightmare.

Friday, they played chess again, Severus won twice, while Harry won once. They also played Go Fish, in which Harry won most. Three times, while Snape won twice. In the evening, after Harry applied the aloe vera paste to his wounds, Snape told him more stories of his mother.

When he had woke up drenched in sweat, vomiting, Harry, flinched at the potions master's hand rubbing his back in soothing motions. Like the other night, Lucy bought up two mugs of steaming camomile tea, a hot drink that Harry was starting to like.

Saturday morning found both wizards in the middle of having their lunch when Snape snapped at Harry.

“Do you think you can chew any more louder Potter! Are you....”

“Severus Tobias Snape, I will not have you snapping at my patient like that!” Pomfrey interrupted, startling both a nervous Harry who immediately relaxed when she announced her presence, and an irritated potions master, who looked like one of the many Hogwarts students caught by the said potions master himself. “Come on Mr Potter, just ignore the grinch there, and finish your lunch”

Harry looked at the medi-witch, shocked. She knew that movie?

In the armchair, Snape cleared his throat. “Pott....” Harry flinched. “Mr Potter, please finish your lunch”

Harry glanced towards Pomfrey who nodded encouragingly. “You will need to finish your lunch dear. I cannot run a diagnosis charm on you otherwise” Pomfrey told him.

Harry sighed but nodded, then reluctantly went back to eating. Doing his best to listen to the conversation he was sure to happen between Snape and Pomfrey. Unfortunately, as if reading his mind, Pomfrey turned back to Snape, asking to speak to him outside. The look she gave the potions master, was something that resembled a mother bear, protecting her cubs....or in this case, cub.

Snape noticed the look too. “Why not just in here Poppy, I believe whatev....”

“No, Severus! I want to speak to you privately outside, now!” Pomfrey said, doing her best to keep her voice calm.

Snape looked like he was about to protest again, but one look at the witch, would make the headmaster to obey her.

“Alright fine,” Snape sighed, “but you will allow me to speak first before....releasing your mama dragon on my person”

Harry heard Snape say as the two adults walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door them, leaving Harry to sit there nervously playing with his food instead of eating it.

Pomfrey soon came back in, followed by Snape, who looked just like a child who had been grounded for a month and told no television. Ignoring the potions master who went to sit back down in the armchair, Pomfrey looked at Harry.

“You've barely touched your food Mr Potter,” she pointed out, concerned,

Harry shrugged. “Not that hungry” he quietly said,

The medi-witch sent Snape a glare. Harry watched as Snape shook his head with a look, as if to say, ‘it wasn't me.’

Before Harry could jump in and say that he had eaten some, Pomfrey spoke.

“Alright Mr Potter, nothing to worried about,” she started, taking out her wand, “I will just be casting a diagnosis charm to see how you are faring”

Harry nervously nodded, flinching when the medi-witch pointed her wand at him. He flinched again when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You are fine Pott....M...Harry, it is just Popp....Madam Pomfrey” Snape said, Harry startled, just noticing now that Snape had moved the chair closer to the bedside.

When Pomfrey was finished, like last time, a roll of parchment appeared in the air, arms length from the medi-witch, who took it without any hesitation.

Harry sat there nervously as he waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish reading the results and to just tell him now if he had to stay in bed for another week or if he was able to leave.

“Well, according to this, everything seems to be healing just fine Mr Potter. If you continue to keep eating for all three meals, taking the nutrient potion twice a day for breakfast and dinner, you should be at a healthy weight by September. The same goes for if you continue to use the aooe vera potion paste for three times a week, same as you've been doing, your wounds should be fully healed in three weeks time,”

“So....does that mean I-I can leave the bed?”

“Pomfrey gave a small curt nod at this. “Yes it does Mr Potter,”

“Finally” Harry let out in a relieved voice as he made to climb out of bed.

“Just a minute Mr Potter,” Pomfrey stopped him. “Just because you are allowed to leave the bed, does not mean you are allowed to do anything foolish, like flying on your broom, wandering around the manor without telling either Severus or Lucy where you are going. In fact, for the first three days, you are to have either of the two bring you to wherever you want to go....”

A frown appeared on Harry's face. “Does....does that um, include using the um bathroom?”

Pomfrey gave him a look that basically said, ‘what do you think?’

“Yes Mr Potter, it does include just that, but with some privacy. You will be able to use the bathroom facilities while whoever escorted you to the bathroom, must remain outside with the bathroom door unlocked. Also, you are to take it easy for the first few days. No being up on your feet for more than an hour the most.” Pomfrey firmly told him, “Do you understand?”

Harry sighed. At least I don't have to stay in bed all day anymore.