Harry clutched his bunny closer to him and drew his knees up close to his body. He wasn’t cold, just used to being tightly packed in the confines of the cupboard, so being able to stretch out seemed strange to him. A strange snapping sound was coming from somewhere in the room, and Harry began to wonder if perhaps a mouse was trying to gnaw through his cupboard walls.

Harry opened his eyes at last and blinked. He could see the crackling fire in the hearth, so that was the popping sound that he had heard. It took Harry a few moments to remember where he was, and when he recalled the images of Nearly Headless Nick he snapped up from the bed at once and gave the room a quick glance over. He relaxed slightly when Nick was not present, just Snape reading a book near the fireplace.

“Really Potter, you are being ridiculous.” Harry started at the sound of the cool voice. The pale professor hadn’t even bothered to look up from the thick leather book he was reading. Harry felt his cheeks warm. Of course he was safe right now, and as long as Snape was with him he’d be safe from all the nasty surprises that Hogwarts had to offer him.

“Sir,” Harry squeaked out. He nearly shrank back under the secure folds of Snape’s thick forest green duvet when Snape looked up at him with an unblinking stare. Snape snapped his worn book shut and gave Harry his mostly undivided attention. “Why did you do it?” Harry whispered as his cheeks burned even hotter than before and his heart began to pound roughly in his ears.

“I’ve done many things in the past twenty four hours, Potter,” Snape said rolling his eyes. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.” Harry looked away when Snape’s hard gaze bored into him again.

“I er...” Harry paused. Snape was unsettling him, making him trip over what he had wanted to say. Harry took a shaky breath in through his nose and stared ahead at a brick in the wall that was about at Snape’s eye level. “You locked me in that room with that-” Harry stopped himself from saying the word, just thinking about it gave him the shivers all over again.

Snape growled low in his throat. “I would appreciate eye contact when you are speaking to me, Mr Potter,” Snape said in a calm voice that was just as disquieting as his glare.

Harry looked down at his rabbit and then gave it a tight hug. Snape stood from his chair, dropped the book onto the armchair with a thunk and stalked toward Harry. Harry flinched back, smashing Snape’s lovely pillows hard into the headboard as he tried to scramble back and away. Snape sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to reach out for the boy. Harry inched back a bit further. Snape nearly smirked at the boy’s reaction, but instead he kept his face neutral and scooted forward on the edge of the bed so that Harry had nowhere to go.

When Snape reached out for Harry again, Harry jerked back with a little whimpering sound. “Be still, Potter,” Snape ordered, and Harry froze in spite of himself. Snape felt Harry’s forehead with his cool hand. After a few seconds he reached up with his other hand and felt Harry’s cheeks. Then both hands trailed down to Harry’s small throat, where slender fingers applied gentle pressure. He commanded Harry to swallow and waited for the boy to respond. He felt him try once, and fail, but on the second try Harry succeeded with a less than comfortable swallow. He made Harry swallow twice more before finally releasing him.

Harry rubbed at his throat where Snape’s hands had left a cool, unnatural feeling. “The room was not locked, Potter,” Snape said finally.

Harry gaped at Snape. What did he mean the door wasn’t locked! Harry had tried with all his strength to open the huge door without even a bit of response. It had to have been locked. Harry was sure that he would have at least gotten a groan out of the door had it been unlocked. “But I tried to open it!” Harry exclaimed a bit louder than he would have liked to, but the memory of fighting with that door brought back all kinds of unpleasant emotions.

Snape smirked at Harry this time, and Harry shuddered at the sight. Snape’s dark eyes glinted with emotions that Harry could only guess at. “You may have attempted to open the door, but obviously you failed. That can hardly be blamed upon me, Potter.”

“But...” Harry felt fresh irritation building in him.

“You panicked, and had you thought to try pushing against the door instead of pulling it, it would have opened for you.”

No! Harry refused to believe that. He wasn’t a dunderhead! Snape had to have locked him in the room, because if he hadn’t that meant that Harry had been acting like a fool.

“You may try my door if you wish, Potter. It is exactly like your own.”

Harry glanced to the door, but made no move to get up and test it. He wasn’t going to leave Snape’s side. As long as he was with Snape, he was safe. “No,” Harry said.

“Suit yourself, boy,” Snape replied. He stood and went to the door, not bothering to invite Harry to go with him. Harry felt his tummy give a hard lurch. If Snape left him alone then the ghost might come back to get him! Harry flung the covers away, gripped his rabbit by the leg and nearly fell on his face trying to scramble out of the bed. Snape’s hand had stayed on the ring to the door, and he was watching Harry with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Wait!” Harry blurted. “I want to come with you!” He stumbled over to Snape, who glanced at the rabbit in Harry’s hand. Harry cradled Bray to him, just in case Snape decided he wanted to take the rabbit back.

“Why?” Snape asked sharply.

Harry thought for a bit, maybe Snape didn’t like to see Harry treating the gift he’d given him so roughly. “I don’t want to leave Bray here. He can come too, right?”

Snape snorted aloud. “Potter, why is it that you wish to pester me with your company?”

Harry shuffled his feet against the floor, unsure of how to answer. What did Snape want him to say? “I just... I don’t want to be left alone.” He nearly choked with his last words, and he tugged gently on Bray’s whiskers.

“Potter, you’re perfectly safe here,” Snape said cooly. He would never understand! Harry felt his face heat up again. Maybe Snape thought he was just being a little baby.

“Please, just let me come. I’ll be very good, I promise.”

Snape gave Harry a scrutinizing stare, as if he were searching Harry’s face for signs of dishonesty. Finally the grim man sighed and looked as though he had just agreed to have all his greasy hairs pulled from his head one at a time. “Very well, Potter. You may come, but if you misbehave you will not enjoy the consequences.”

Harry nodded with a little gulp. There was no way he was going to give Snape a reason to lock him up by himself.

****

Snape was hard to keep up with. He had a large stride and he didn’t seem to mind that Harry did not. Harry had to jog more than a few times just to be sure that he didn’t get left too far behind. He surely didn’t want to be stuck in some corridor alone.

Finally Snape stopped at a set of doors. Harry stood there for a second trying to catch his breath. He felt awfully winded. He followed Snape in the huge room, barely recognizing that there were books everywhere. Not even the Dursleys had that many books, but Harry wasn’t all that impressed, all he wanted was to find a place to sit down for a while.

With a weary sigh Harry plopped onto a conveniently situated couch near the bookshelf that Snape was looking over. Harry decided it was better to let Snape alone. He had that look in his eyes that Aunt Petunia always got when she wanted a new dress. Yes, Snape would be better off left to himself for quite a while.

****

“Boy! I told you not to move from that cupboard and you disobeyed me! I was going to take you with me! I surely didn’t ask that much of you to stay in the lousy cupboard for such a short time! You’re not going with me now or ever. You’ve ruined everything. You worthless little runt.”

Harry stared up into his Uncle’s angry red face. The big man had a little trail of spittle growing from his bottom lip all the way to the end of his many chins. Harry tried to look away from it, but decided that while Vernon was so upset, looking away from him wasn’t the wisest of plans. The thin trail of drool swung gently in the air as Vernon shook and continued to yell things that Harry could no longer absorb. He picked up a word here and there, but that was all. The spit finally disconnected and dropped to the floor like a drop of thick dew. Harry nearly sagged with relief, because as soon as that had happened his Uncle was calming. He had finished his rant.

Perhaps now he would show mercy and let Harry come along on the vacation with him. As Vernon turned away from Harry toward the front door Harry trailed after him quietly. Vernon whirled on him like an angry snake. “You are not coming with me. Was I not clear enough the first time, Potter?” Harry shivered at the calm in Vernon’s normally roaring tone. This was something dangerous indeed. The little boy stepped back, and Vernon shook his head. “Back where you belong.” He pointed to the open cupboard.

Harry shuffled his feet for a moment and then moved toward the cupboard. He turned back to Vernon. “Uncle, Please,” Harry stammered. Vernon pointed fat finger to Harry’s prison and Harry backed into it obediently. He started badly when the door slammed shut near his nose and the vent closed. The door was locked. He wasn’t going anywhere with Uncle Vernon now or ever.

****

Harry woke with a jerk of small limbs. He shivered as the sweat covering his body sent a chill through him. He curled into a tight ball, hugging Bray tightly to him, as he took in shuddering breaths. So he had had a nightmare in the middle of the day. Harry hadn’t realized that was even possible since he didn’t often get the chance to nap in the daylight hours.

He glanced at the bookshelf that Snape had been looking through the last Harry remembered. Snape was gone! Why had he drifted off and let Snape go! Harry nearly fell as he scrambled off of the couch. Dizziness rippled through his small body and he saw spots fleck in front of his eyes. He stumbled forward, clutching Bray, and wondered whether he should cry out for Snape or not.

Harry felt his head pound as he searched for Snape. His heart was racing inside his chest. Maybe Snape had gone all the way back to his room. If he thought that Harry could find the way back on his own, then he probably wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving the boy to fend for himself.

An icy chill swept through Harry, making his teeth chatter. It was so cold in the library that Harry was sure that he should have been able to see his breath. He rubbed his small arms with his free hand and reached for the hood of his small robes. The hood didn’t help much, but it was better than not doing anything at all. Frantically Harry searched through rows and rows of books. The tall man seemed to have abandoned him. Harry shook as another chill ripped through him. He sniffed as his nose began to drip. He swiped at the snot with his clean sleeve without flinching. He wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t. He’d been alone before. His joints ached dully. Everything hurt. His skin felt sensitive as though he had been sunburned. He shivered again and bit his lip to stop his teeth from chattering. A sob escaped his lips and was followed by a choking cough. He dropped to the floor and huddled into a ball to try and warm himself.

****

As Snape glanced through another book he heard an odd sound. A cry? He frowned. Last he recalled he had left the little boy napping peacefully on a soft couch. He hadn’t gone but a few shelves away, but the boy was out of his line of sight. Perhaps the child had woken.

Snape closed the book and tucked it beneath his arm, heading for the couch where he had last left Potter. His eyes narrowed as he found the couch empty. Stupid child! Wandering about like a fool! He listened hard for a moment. He caught the sound of the boy’s sobs, and followed the sound.

When he found Potter, the boy was curled in on himself shivering. Snape knelt near him and noted the sheen of sweat on the boy’s forehead, his sweat dampened clothing and the flushed pink of his cheeks. Gently he reached out and touched Potter’s face. His cool hands met with soft, hot skin. Fever.

Snape swore under his breath. The boy was ill. Comforting sick children was not one of Snape’s strong points and to make matters worse Pomfrey would not be here to help him if things turned bad. Snape let his book drop to the stone floor as he scooped up the small boy. He turned away to leave the library without glancing back. The book could wait for another time.