"What, you were just walking down Knockturn Alley and decided you wanted to try a wizarding drug? What made you even think of getting some?"

"I..I really don't remember," Harry mumbled and stood up and quickly made his way to the door. He wanted this conversation to be over.

"Harry, we're not done having this conversation so please don't make me follow you all over this house," Snape said, getting to his feet, surprised that he had said please. He hadn't actually used that word with anyone in a long time, usually demanding things instead of asking for them.

"I don't want to talk anymore," Harry said and kept walking in a normal pace. He just wanted it to all be over. He didn't want to be with Snape anymore. The man was finding out too much.

Snape got to his feet and started after Harry, quickly catching up with the boy and whirling him around. "I don't care if you want to talk about it anymore. We're talking about it. I'm not like your friends. I'm not going to let you get out of talking just because you don't want anyone else to be involved in your problems!”

”I don't need your help! Just...just leave me alone!" Harry begged and tried to get away from his grip.

Snape kept his hold on Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. "You need help. I want to help you," he said firmly.

Harry broke down in tears and put his head on Snape's shoulder, "I know."

"Then let me help you. Talk to me. Skillith is very addictive, as I'm sure you've realized after taking it. How many times have you done it?" he asked as he held Harry tightly. He felt awkward and he knew Harry probably did too but he moved past that thought.

"I've uh...lost count," Harry cried and his legs gave out beneath him as he put all his weight on Severus.

"Shh," Severus said soothingly, slowly lowering the two of them to the floor. "You can get over this. I can...I can help you," he said desperately, trying to figure out how he was going to get this boy away from such a bad addiction. He refused to watch Harry be destroyed from some stupid wizarding drug.

"I....I am..really addicted. I don't know what to do," Harry sobbed.

"Okay, first off, do you have any here with you? Did you bring any?" he asked, rubbing Harry's back soothingly.

"I uh..." Did Harry really want to tell him? If Snape find out he would take it away and then Harry would be miserable without it. He needed it! He had to have it! But...he wanted to quit. It was terrible for him. He came to depend on it. He needed to get off of it or who knows what would happen.... Harry slowly nodded.

Snape nodded. "Okay, now you need to think about it and figure out when you tend to feel the need to take some. When do you find yourself wanting it? When you’re feeling a certain way?"

"When I, when I'm depressed I do I guess. When I get reminded..."

"Okay, well, we're going to have to make sure it's all taken out of your room. And then, whenever you start feeling depressed, or feeling like you want some, you need to come straight to me, alright? I'll try looking through my potions books later to see if I can find anything to help with the cravings, but it's doubtful. You'll probably have to go numb hippogriff on this and it's going to be really hard at first, but it will get better eventually, do you think you can do that?"

Harry had no choice. He had to. "Yeah," Harry said.

"You will do this Harry. You will be strong, and I will help you”

"Thank you," Harry said. The truth was, he craved skillith now. He wanted it this second. It was time to give it all to his professor.

"You're welcome. Do you want to go get it now?" he asked hopefully.

Harry nodded quickly and bolted up to his room. He reached in his trunk and started pulling stuff out all over the room. Finally he came to a plastic bag burried all the way at the bottom. Inside was all different colored flakes. Harry ran back downstairs and shoved it in Snape’s hands and then walked over to the couch and buried his face in the cushion.

Snape nodded and slipped the bag into his pocket and walked over to the couch, sitting on the edge next to Harry. "I'm er...I'm proud of you," he said, though it was difficult to say. He wasn't used to speaking like that.

"Professor?" Harry said picking his head up and looking at him. "Thank you for everything."

Snape smiled fractionally, making his face feel strange as he had not done so in such a long time. "You're welcome."

Harry sighed and put his head back to look up at the ceiling. He wanted Skillith. "Do you realize what anyone else would say if they found out about all this?"

"What would they say?" Snape asked calmly.

"They would all say... who knows what! They would turn there backs against me, that's for sure. I would probably go to St. Mungo’s or something and never see Hermione and Ron again. They wouldn't talk to me."

"I don't know your friends well enough to reassure you about them, and you might not be giving them enough credit. But then again, sometimes people who haven't experienced dark times themselves, can't fully understand people who have. They can't comprehend why those people might act certain ways or do certain things, so they either blindly accept it or shy away from those people who might just need help," Snape said, wondering if perhaps he'd been around Dumbledore too long.

Harry let out a snort of laughter. "You sound like Dumbledore."

Snape groaned.

"Merlin help me," he muttered.

Harry laughed again.

"So, do you think I have let enough stuff out so it doesn't eat me up?" Harry asked.

"Not nearly. It's not a one night process, but you're on the right track. How are you feeling right now?" Snape asked, rubbing Harry's back soothingly.

"I'm okay. I am actually feeling better, like I don't have so much weight on my shoulders as before."

"Good," Snape said, actually feeling a bit lighter himself. He glanced at the clock and was taken aback. "We've been talking for awhile. Are you tired?"

Harry looked at the clock. It was already 11. "Yeah I'm kind of tired but could I I..oh nevermind," Harry said getting up.

Snape caught the boy's words and stopped him. "Could you... Go ahead and ask, Harry."

"Could I um...sleep in the same room as you? You know...so I don't feel tempted?" The truth was Harry had received so much comfort that he hadn't before that he didn't want to be completely away from it.

Snape was a bit taken aback, but made sure not to let it show. "Of course," he said. "Go get in your nightclothes and brush your teeth and call Baz. He'll lead you to my chambers."

"Thank you," Harry said. He felt grateful. He knew he was being childish but Snape had shown Harry a different side of himself. Harry took about ten minutes. He felt weird being alone. He felt like he couldn't trust himself or something. He didn't like that feeling so he called Baz and immediately had him lead him to Snape's chambers.

Snape had just finished brushing his teeth when he heard Baz enter with Harry. The whole thing was a bit bizarre to Snape, but he found himself strangely excited. This is what fathers and sons did sometimes, wasn't it? He walked into his bedroom and gestured toward the conjured bed at the other side.

Harry thanked him and then climbed into bed. The last thing he said before he drifted off to sleep was another, "Thank you."

Snape watched as the boy fell quickly to sleep. He shook his head slightly, leaning back on his pillow. This had been a very strange day. He cleared his mind, as he had taught Harry to do for Occlumency, and soon fell asleep.

A couple of hours later while Snape was in a deep sleep Harry started screaming. "No! Stop! Let me go!! Uncle please! Ron give it back! I am not drinking that much! Uncle please! Ron, I said give it back!" Harry thrashed in his bed repeating himself over and over.

Snape shot up in bed and automatically grabbed his wand, pointing it into the darkness in paranoia before he remembered about Harry staying in his room. He immediately ran over to the other bed, nearly falling out of his own as it was smaller than he was accustomed, and shook the boy, calling out his name.

"Ron! Give it back!" Harry yelled with his eyes open and his body half-sprung from the bed. He looked around and remembered where he was. "Sorry...," he gasped, sheepishly.

Snape sat on the edge of Harry's bed and looked at him worriedly. "What was the dream about?" he queried.

"Um..." Harry couldn't remembered what he had said but he did remember what the dream was about. His uncle was hurting him and he wanted Firewhiskey but Ron wouldn't let him have it. "I don't remember," he said.

"I heard you talking in your sleep, but I'd really appreciate it if you willingly told me what happened," Snape said. It was the truth, even if he allowed it to sound like Harry had revealed more than he had. Whatever it took to get the boy to talk.

"Um...my uncle was hurting me. He splashed boiling water on my leg..." Harry explained recalling the dream and then the memory.

Snape was taken aback. "On purpose? Did that actually happen?"

"Er, yeah it did."

Snape shook his head slightly. "And now the part about Ron...," he prompted.

"Oh um...he wouldn't let me have any Firewhiskey," Harry said looking at his quilt.

"Hm, well Weasley just exceeded my expectations, then. You're lucky to have a friend who's worried about you like that," Snape said.

"Yeah...but he took it away, I mean....he is a good friend."

"Well, he's a good friend to have taken it away, even if you might not think so right now. And we're going numb hippogriff on alcohol too. I really don't want you on that stuff either, okay?" Snape said.

"But....I’m not addicted to alchohol and it isn't as bad!" Harry defended.

"Harry, you are addicted to alcohol. And I doubt you're a very fun drunk with the reasons you're taking it and all the stuff you have on your shoulders. Alcohol is horrible and is murder on your mind and body, something you do not need. Besides, do you want your friends to have to take care of you while you're stumbling around and yelling drunkenly, possibly saying cruel things to them? That's what people can do when they're drunk, you know."

"I am not- ah... okay, maybe I am. No, I don't want that to happen. I don't want to hurt them."

"Then we need to get you away from alcohol and Skillith, okay?" Snape said, glad to see that Harry was at least admitting he had a problem.

"Um...alright," Harry said in anticipation.

"Do you want me to stay here until you get back to sleep?" he asked gently.

"I don't think I can go back to sleep," Harry told him.

"Turn onto your stomach," Snape instructed.

Harry raised an eyebrow but turned on his stomach.

Snape softly rubbed Harry's back lightly in slow figure eight patterns. "Just close your eyes and relax. Try to clear your mind like we practiced in Occlumency," he said softly.

Harry felt comforted more than he ever thought he would. This is what he wanted. Harry fell asleep within five minutes.

Once he made sure Harry was asleep, Snape pulled the covers over him to keep him warm in the cold winter night. He brushed Harry's fringe away from his face thoughtfully before returning to his own bed and quickly drifting off to sleep.

In the morning Harry looked around and noticed that Snape's bed was already made. Snape must have gone downstairs already. The sun shone through the cracked blinds and Harry felt so much better than he had the night before. His first thought was disbelief. Disbelief at how much Harry really had told Snape. Snape knew everything and....Harry had no more skillith. He had given it all to Snape and Harry surely wouldn't be able get it back...ever. Harry remembered something he still had and reached in his trunk. He took out a cigarette and put it in his pocket along with a muggle lighter. He walked to the bathroom that wasn't connected to Snape's room and lit it. Smoking it as fast as he could he let it out and opened the window so the smoke would leave. Harry sighed in relief. That’s better. He then walked down the stairs to find Snape.

Snape looked up as Potter walked in and motioned for him to have a seat at the table. "We're having eggs and sausage, is that fine for you? And remember to try eating a bit passed where you'd normally stop."

"Yeah, that’s fine," Harry said and sat down a few seats away from Snape.

Snape's head shot up and stared at the boy, smelling very carefully, trying to concentrate on the sense. "You had some Skillith this morning, didn't you?" he asked in disappointment. "I thought you were serious about quitting."

"I didn't take any," Harry insisted, "I am serious."

Snape shook his head in disappointment, "You're lying to me again."

"I'm not lying to you! I gave it all to you!" Harry kept insisting. It was true he had no Skillith that morning but only if Snape still didn't give up would he find out that he had a cigarette. Then those would be taken from him as well. Dammit! Why didn't he take a breath mint or something after he was done?

"Then why can I smell it on your breath? Your clothes and everything about you is permeating with the smell of smoke. I had hoped you were being honest with me last night," he said, almost a bit hurt that Harry had lied to him.

"Professor, I swear to you that I did not smoke Skillith this morning. I...I want it but...I am serious about quitting. It must be..er..smoke from sometime before." Gosh, why wouldn't this man just give up? He would not give up his cigarettes! They were the only thing he had left!

"By lying to me, you insult me. I can smell smoke on you that wasn't there last night!" Snape said angrily.

"It isn't Skillith!" Harry demanded.

"Then why is there smoke on your breath, Harry?" Snape yelled.

"It isn't skillith!" Harry repeated angrily.

"Then what was it?" Snape yelled back.

"Not Skillith!" Harry said persistently. He could tell Snape was getting annoyed but he didn't care!

"But you smoked something. I thought you trusted me enough to tell me all the drugs you were on, Harry. What else are you hiding from me? What were you smoking?" he asked, getting upset.

"It's not a drug..." Harry finally said through gritted teeth.

"Oh really, then what is it?"

"Nothing important," Harry would not back down. He didn't care what Snape would think. He was not giving up the last thing he had. There was no way....

"It's important to me, I don't want you destroying yourself and I want you to trust me." Snape said.

"I don't want to tell you," Harry said not raising his voice completely.

"Why not?" Snape asked, a bit hurt

"I just..." Harry groaned. "I just don't want it taken away from me!" Harry admitted, and then realized what he had said and felt incredibly stupid.

"Don't want WHAT taken from you?" Snape asked worriedly.

Harry groaned again. "Nothing!" He said an took a large bite of sausage.

"Fine," Snape said quietly. "I can't force you to tell me anything. I just thought...oh nevermind." He went back to his meal, but didn't feel hungry anymore, feeling too upset. He was upset for getting worked up over this in the first place, leaving him even more upset. He couldn't look Harry in the eye anymore.

Harry took another few bites of his food. He was miserable. He felt bad because he knew he should quit smoking too. He could get cancer and his health would be in real danger. Smoking was a terribly habit. After about 4 minutes of complete silence, Harry muttered something.

"Cigarettes," he admitted, very softly.

Snape looked up in surprise. "What?" he asked, not having heard the boy. Harry repeated it reluctantly, louder this time. Snape actually began to feel a little relieved, despite the boy's revelation that he was on yet another drug. At least he was talking to him again. "Thank you for telling me," Snape said, surprising himself.

Harry said nothing but he nodded twice. He was beginning to be full but he had to eat more...he took a few more bites but very slowly.

"Cigarettes are also highly addictive, Harry. They'll kill you, you know. It will take awhile, but there's an overwhelming chance they'll kill you," Snape said cautiously, hoping Harry would end up offering to give up his cigarettes, as Snape didn't want to have to forcibly take them away.

"I know," Harry said still not quite ready to give them up. He only had one pack left. One pack couldn't hurt...

"I would like you to give them over to me. As long as you're going numb hippogriff, you might as well do the whole thing properly and get your whole system clean. And if you continue to do them now, your addiction to them will just grow and the work you'd be doing to get off Skillith and alcohol would be for nothing, as you won't have gotten rid of the addictive part of the habit. But....I won't force you to hand them over," Snape said softly. It had to be Harry's decision or it wouldn't work.

"It is only half a pack..." Harry said trying to convince himself that was alright.

"And after that, you'll be no better off than you are now. It's best to just do it all at once before the addictive cravings begin to drive you toward them more and more," Snape said ominously.

Harry said nothing. He still contemplated on giving the smokes up to him. Harry ate as much as he could. It was a little more than yesterday so he felt better.

"I'm glad to see you're eating a bit more," Snape said with a hint of pride to his voice. At least something he'd been trying to do was working. "We'll have you eating like a normal person by the time you get back to Hogwarts, hopefully."

Harry nodded wordlessly and got up. He needed a smoke.

"Harry," Snape called, hoping he wasn't losing the boy, "I want to help you, you know."

Harry ignored him. He walked into his room and got his pack of cigarettes out. He got his lighters and the couple of scattered cigarettes in his trunk and put it all in his front pocket.

Harry walked past the bathroom and downstairs to find Snape. Snape had his book in his lap, but his mind was racing too much to read it. He knew Harry was probably off smoking somewhere and felt helpless of the situation as he'd said he wouldn't force him away from them. And he couldn't. It all had to be Harry's choice or it would never work, that much he knew.

Harry found Snape reading on the couch and sat next to him. Harry dug in his pocket and then dropped all of what was inside on Snape’s lap over the book. Cigarettes and two lighters spilled out. Harry lay his head back on the couch and looked miserably up at the ceiling. After a few seconds he looked back at the cigarettes in deep longing but then back at the ceiling. He closed his eyes. He wanted Skillith.

Snape's heart leapt as he realized Harry had given him his cigarettes. He shoved all the stuff in his pockets and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I'm proud that you chose to give this up," he said, sincerely.

"I...didn't want to but...I had to. Now what?" Harry asked with his eyes still closed and his head leaning back on the cushion and still facing up

"How are you feeling?" Snape asked tentatively.

"I want it," Harry admitted.