Harry opened his eyes slowly; he didn’t bother moving. He had a feeling that the binding spell that Snape had cast was still working, even though it had weakened enough to let Harry move around on the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, burying his face deep into the pillow he was currently curled around. He felt his knee spasm painfully, but he knew the true reason behind it was the fact he had made himself into a small ball on the bed, wrapped around the pillow he held tightly in his arms. Snape couldn’t possibly be serious about bringing Malfoy over, Harry thought angrily to himself. It would be too infuriating, too humiliating.

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he heard the door to the room open.

“I know you’re awake, Potter,” an annoying voice said from doorway.

Harry didn’t even bother turning over. With his back still facing the door, he raised his arm and then gave Snape the middle finger. Snape stared at the teen, his left eye beginning to twitch; he was sorely tempted to teach the boy a lesson in respect. He took a deep breath as Harry lowered his arm.

“I see your mood hasn’t improved,” Snape said dryly.

“Wow, you really are smart aren’t you?” Harry muttered.

Snape shook his head. “Keep that attitude up, Potter, and you won’t leave that bed for the duration of the entire summer.”

The teen shrugged, his eyes still closed. The older man quickly crossed the room and grabbed Harry’s bad leg, pulling it into a position that wouldn’t be as painful. Harry jumped, his hands instinctively protecting his head. Snape rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“I am not going to hit you, Potter,” Snape said in a disgusted tone of voice. But he filed away the boy’s first instinct to protect himself.

Harry lowered his hands and pushed himself up so he was sitting upright. It was a much better position when one wanted to glare at someone who was standing over you.

“You are not going to bring Malfoy in on this.” Harry stated in a choked voice. He wished he could sound stronger and adamant, but he felt too weak.

Snape raised an eyebrow as the corners of his mouth twitched. “Are you telling me what I will and will not do, Mr. Potter?” Snape raised an eyebrow.

Harry continued to glare at him. “I am fifteen years old, almost sixteen. I do not need a babysitter. I am fine taking care of myself. Besides, Malfoy would choke to death if you even mentioned I was here.”

Snape smirked. “I am sorry to crush your tender dream Potter, but not only does Draco know that you are here, he will be coming up later to stay with you, as I am very busy and can’t always be around when you might need someone.” Snape said, his tone very patronizing as if he were speaking to a naughty young child.

If looks could kill, Harry would have been guilty of Snape’s murder right then and there. Snape did not comment on the boy’s fury; instead, the man reached over, grabbing hold of Harry’s wrist, and glanced at the wrist watch he wore. He could hear the boy swearing underneath his breath, and the wrist he held was shaking, most likely with barely contained anger. Snape still said nothing, just took Harry’s pulse which was rather quick and unsteady, a worrisome fact considering his fragile condition. Snape shook his head and released Harry’s wrist.

“Calm down, Potter, it isn’t the end of the world,” Snape snapped, losing his patience with the boy.

“This has got to be my worst summer ever,” Harry ground out, trying not to pout.

Snape smirked. “Oh really? I was just thinking to myself this is going to be one of my better ones. After all, once you can be trusted to look after yourself, I can finally drill into that thick head of yours how to properly brew a potion.”

Harry growled. “I can brew potions the right way, but between you and Malfoy, they get screwed up.”

Snape shook his head. “You are going to have to learn how to brew when under pressure. You can’t always have perfect conditions,” Snape pointed out. Harry opened his mouth to argue but shut it. The git actually had a point. Groaning, he looked at Snape pleadingly.

“Please, not Malfoy? Anyone but him. Hell, I’ll take Voldemort over him.”

Snape raised an eyebrow. “Well, I am afraid it is too late now for me to request the Dark Lord to baby-sit you. So, you are just going to have to bear with Draco. Who, in fact, unless I am mistaken, is down stairs most likely wearing a hole in my carpet because he is as much thrilled as you are with this arrangement.”

“You must enjoy torturing those younger than you,” Harry grumbled.

Snape walked towards the door, saying over his shoulder, “Why, of course. Most adult wizards do, especially if they were in Slytherin.”

Snape slipped from the room, leaving Harry fuming. Snape knew there wasn’t any reason to close the door; the spell he had used earlier still had several hours left before it released its hold on Harry. He walked down the steps, and sure enough, Draco was pacing in the study.

“How good of you to come, Draco,” Snape said and earned himself another teenage glare.

“Explain to me again why I want to waste my time with Potter?” Draco sneered. He crossed his arms and leaned back against Snape’s desk. The boy was becoming more and more like his father everyday, but if Snape had his way, then that would change and soon.

“Because despite your claim of hatred you actually like him?” Snape said. He waited patiently as Draco sputtered and scoffed.

“Me like Potter? Look at who his friends are, a mudblood and a Weasley!” Draco nearly shouted at the end.

Snape folded his arms. “You will not yell at me, Draco. Yes, I understand your objection to his friends, but consider the fact that neither of them seems to actually care for his well-being. They encourage him to get into trouble, which in the long run leads to him spending a great deal of time in the hospital wing. I am pretty sure Pomfrey has an actual bed made just for him.”

“And that makes me care because?” Draco asked, his arms still folded, trying to looks disdainful and aloof.

“His uncle likes to use him as a punching bag.” Snape said quietly.

Draco stared at him, eyes wide. “Potter? Our P-Potter? You have got to be kidding. Potter probably lied about it . . . just to get attention or something.”

“Actually, the story he is going with is that he walked into a wall,” Snape said and watched as Draco did an imitation of a fish out of water. Slowly, the Slytherin boy shut his mouth and looked thoughtful.

“And . . . you aren’t going to tell anyone about this later?” Draco asked cautiously.

Snape shook his head. “What happens in this house during summer will stay here unless you or Potter decide otherwise. And I highly doubt he is going to want to tell anyone he stayed with you and me during this summer,” Snape pointed out.

Draco nodded, a bit reluctantly. He was still pissed at Harry for causing his father to be put into Azkaban. Not that his father didn’t deserve it . . . Draco added silently. Sighing, he realized he actually understood why the golden boy had done it. And his mother was a lot happier now that the ties to the Dark Lord were almost cut. Even with her having been a former supporter, recent events had caused her loyalties to change. Shaking his head clear of his thoughts, Draco realized that Snape was watching him.

“All right, all right, I yield. I’ll try and get along with Potter. But how the heck do you expect me to be able to actually baby-sit him? He’ll try to fight me off.”

Snape smiled wryly. “The wall he ran into shattered his left knee to the point he can’t even put the slightest bit of pressure on it without pain. And as for standing in it, the knee won’t support his weight, he’ll crumble to the floor. Draco, when you see him, you will understand.” Snape motioned for them to move towards the stairs.

“Can I use spells?” Draco asked as he followed his godfather.

“Yes, as well as potions and anything else you need to keep him calm and in line. But remember not to actually cause anymore harm to him. Also, he’s currently stuck in bed from a binding spell I cast on him earlier, and it should last a few more hours at least,” Snape stated as they walked up the stairs. He led Draco to the room, stepping in first, then moving aside to let Draco in. Draco stared at the image of Harry Potter on the bed, taking in the dark-haired boy’s condition – the paleness of his face and the bruises. Draco shook his head and took a deep breath. But the other teen was half-awake and didn’t look pleased.

“Seems we’re going to be spending quite a bit of time together, Potter,” Draco called out, causing Harry to jump awake and grab the glasses that he had set by his pillow. He glared daggers at Malfoy.

“All you have to do is say no, Malfoy,” Harry spat.

Draco kept looking at Harry’s face, then shook his head. “You really got a whipping didn’t you?” he asked. There was no hidden venom, no malice in his voice.

Harry glared at him even more. “No I didn’t,” he snarled.

Draco turned to Snape. The man shook his head, as if to say “I told you so.”

“I can keep an eye on him right now if you have other things you want to go do,” Draco offered. He could hear muttering coming from the bed, but Snape nodded.

“I have potions that need to be brewed. I will check in on you two in a few hours.” Snape met Draco’s eyes and nodded, trusting his godson. Draco watched as he left the room, then he turned and stared directly into Harry’s eyes.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Potter. We both know that your uncle beat the living daylights out of you. And from the looks of it, has been doing so since you left Hogwarts. Does he do this every year?” Draco asked.

Harry looked away angrily. “Even if he did, I wouldn’t tell you about it. Go away, Malfoy!”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, would it hurt the two of us, if for once we weren’t at each others throats? No one is here expect for Snape, and no one at Hogwarts has to know that we can actually get along without trying to hex each other.”

Harry watched him carefully before he cleared his throat. “I do not need you to watch me,” he said in a tight voice. Draco smirked.

“From here, it sure as hell looks like you need a bloody keeper, if not a nursemaid. You get yourself into more scrapes than anyone I have ever known. Seriously, it’s a wonder that you are still alive. And as I am slightly older, and uninjured I would like to add, I am going to watch you. Or rather baby-sit you.”

Draco walked over to Harry and shoving him down on the bed with both hands. A sly grin lit the Slytherin’s face.

“Look at it this way, Potter, now I can torture you without actually hurting you. What more could I possibly wish for?”

Harry groaned and started to sit back up only to find one of Draco’s hands planted firmly on the center of his chest.

“Here’s an idea,” Draco said in a conversational tone as if he was discussing the weather. “Snape says you have a binding spell on you. Why don’t you rest until it wears off? That way you’ll have the strength to actually fight back and try to do as you like, and I won’t have to watch you struggle in vain.”

Harry blinked and narrowed his eyes. But he didn’t sit up when Draco removed his hand.

“Potter, rest means sleep,” Draco sneered and nearly kicked himself when temper lit Harry’s eyes. But Harry just shook his head tiredly.

“You are so paying for that later,” he said in a slurred voice. Potter, it seemed was past his strength. A few moments later, Draco found himself in the room with a sleeping Harry. Shaking his head, Draco glanced around the room, smirking when he realized nothing of Potter’s was out in the open. He reached over and carefully took the glasses off Harry’s face and slid them into his pocket. Then he went to one of the corners in the room and made himself comfortable in an armchair that stood there. His eyes were on the still form. He had to be ready, because he knew when Harry woke up there would be a battle. And as pissed as Harry looked, it was going to be a bad one.

Draco couldn’t help smiling. It was always fun egging on the young Gryffindor. Though he had a feeling he might have to enlist in Snape’s help to win the upcoming battle…

Snape carefully added the last ingredient to the potion he had been brewing and nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard a series of crashes from upstairs. He narrowed his eyes and quickly put out the flame beneath the cauldron. The crashes got louder as did the faint noise of two voices shouting. His eyes twitched, and he was ready to cuff both teens on the head. He stormed up the stairs and headed directly for Harry’s room. The shouting had stopped, but the sound of things being broken still carried on. Snape growled as he stormed into the room. Potter, being the idiot he was, was on his feet, balancing awkwardly on his right leg his wand out in his hand. How the boy had managed to recover it Snape hadn’t a clue, but he had a feeling he was going to have to lock the damned thing up. The wand was pointed directly at Draco, who had his own wand out and pointed.

“Accio Draco and Harry’s wands!” Snape shouted, and both boy’s wands flew into his waiting hand. He stood there fuming as both teens turned to face him. Draco had a guilty look on his face, but Potter’s eyes were blazing.

“I am not staying here,” he snarled.

Snape narrowed his eyes and pointed to the bed.

“You most certainly are. You have exactly five seconds to turn and head back for that bed,” Snape snapped.

Harry glared at him. “You don’t want me here, I don’t want to be here. So I am leaving.”

Draco looked from his godfather to Harry then back to his godfather again and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be an idiot for Merlin’s sake, Potter!” Snape snapped and quickly walked over to Harry and before the younger teen could react had Harry over his shoulder and deposited on the bed. Harry sprang upright but froze when Snape pointed his wand directly at him.

“I warned you before Potter,” Snape stated, “Immobulus.”

Harry’s body fell down completely against Snape’s own like a limp doll. Snape gave Draco a look that warned the teen there would be a discussion later. Snape gathered Harry’s body up in his arms and rearranged him on the bed, putting a pillow under the left knee and placing the boy’s arms straight by his side. Then Snape slid a hand into his pocket, setting down his wand as well as Harry’s and Draco’s, and he pulled out a small potions vial. Harry narrowed his eyes, the only way he was able to communicate his rage. Without a word, Snape forced Harry’s jaw open and poured the vial down his throat, which he massaged gently till Harry was forced to swallow the potion. Then Snape turned his full attention to Draco.

“Just what was it that you were doing Draco?” Snape said in a tone of voice he used many a time on students. Draco swallowed the immediate retort he had thought of.

“Sorry, it’s just he…and then we…and…” Draco fumbled under his godfather’s glare. Snape held up Draco’s wand.

“I do not expect there to be a repeat episode,” he stated and turned to note with satisfaction that Harry was fast asleep. “I told you he should not be on his feet. I will make it very clear right now. You are not allowed to let Potter out of bed for the remainder of the night. Have I made myself clear?” Snape said softly.

Draco nodded. “Yes sir.”

Snape walked over and pressed his wand back into his hands. “I am locking up Potter’s wand – hopefully that will keep it out of his hands for a couple of days. I’m going to bring a pain relieving potion that will be laced with a calming draught later tonight. I expect you to ensure that Potter drinks all of it,” Snape said and left the room without looking back.

Draco groaned and walked back over to the armchair, collapsing into it. He tucked his wand into his pants and stared at Harry’s form again. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. The dark-haired teen could make him so mad that he could easily forget what condition the boy was in.

Harry opened his eyes slowly and groaned. He. Hated. Snape. He thought passionately.

He raised his head up off the pillow slowly; yes, he could move. But he wasn’t alone. Draco was sitting in the armchair in the room eating. He looked up at Harry, his face blank, then turned his head towards the door.

“Can I trust you to feed yourself?” Snape asked from the doorway. He had a bowl of something in hands and a glass of juice in his hands.

Harry wanted to snarl and tell the potions master to go to hell or go wash his dirty hair or something equally insulting, but Harry was starving. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had actually eaten something. He nodded quietly, well aware that Draco was watching him intently. Snape walked over and handed Harry the bowl and set the glass on the table by the bed.

Harry squinted at the plate, and realized he had completely forgotten about his glasses. He glanced around the room trying to remember where he had placed them, or where they could have fallen of but he couldn’t even remember taking them off. Snape raised an eyebrow and glanced at Draco who held up Harry’s glasses, walking over Snape retrieved them and handed them to Harry who glared in Draco’s direction, then grumpily set down to the task of eating. The liquid in the bowl was soup, Harry released and after he tasted it, he was surprised to find it was good. He ate slowly, only pausing to take a sip from the glass. He blinked when he heard voices whispering; Snape was leaning over Draco, pressing a mug into the teen’s hand. Draco nodded, a bit of a smirk on his face as he looked in Harry’s direction. Then Draco set the mug on the ground and went back to eating himself. Harry blinked then shrugged as Snape left the room again. He quickly polished off the soup, setting it on his bedside table, and then quickly downed the juice. It tasted so good that he didn’t feel like arguing or trying to get up or doing anything other than sitting there. Harry set the empty juice cup down.

Draco stood up, stretching before picking the mug up. He walked over and set the mug down and smirked down at Harry.

“Ready for your next dose?” Draco inquired.

“Don’t even dream it, Malfoy,” Harry spat.

Draco continued to smirk, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you saying your knee doesn’t hurt at all?” Draco asked.

Harry growled; he was not about to admit that said knee was silent agony. Harry shifted a little away from Draco, weary. Draco was taller than he was, and for some reason, the look in the Slytherin’s eyes was sending chills down his back.

“Easy way, or the fun way Potter?” Draco questioned.

“Go away, Malfoy,” Harry snapped and Draco grinned broadly.

“The fun way it is.” Draco said, and in a flash he was on top of Harry, his knees pinning both of Harry’s arms. “I’m really glad Sev taught me how to force someone to drink a potion, though I never thought I would have the pleasure of doing so to you.”

Draco moved quickly; with his left hand he forced Harry’s jaw open, and he reached over and grabbed the mug setting the lip of it against Harry’s mouth. Harry struggled to close his mouth, but he was still weak and tired. Draco easily overpowered him and dumped the entire contents of the mug down his throat. Harry gagged, tears coming to his eyes. The contents were a thick sluggish liquid that slid slowly down his throat. He gagged again and felt Draco hold his mouth closed. Draco’s other hand slid up and down his throat firmly, slowly forcing the gooey mass down his throat. Releasing Harry’s mouth, Draco looked down at his nemesis.

“There, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Draco asked, but he didn’t want to taunt any further. The bruises on Harry’s face were more brilliant up close, and Draco found himself angered, shaking his head he met Harry’s furious eyes.

“Hey I gave you a chance to drink it on your own,” Draco pointed out and felt Harry squirm beneath him.

“Get off of me, Malfoy,” Harry ordered, but he felt his body begin to float, and his knee’s pain was fading away. Smirking a little, Draco got off Harry and watched as the Boy-Who-Somehow-Managed-to-Survive-Each-Day fought to stay awake as his eyes became hooded.

“Another sleeping potion,” Harry slurred the words together.

“It wasn’t a sleeping draught, Potter. If your body wants to sleep, then it needs it,” Draco said.

Harry blinked, but he didn’t glare at Draco. In fact, Harry only sighed in defeat, turning his head away from the blonde and willingly went to sleep. Draco frowned, that certainly wasn’t normal. Shaking his head he glanced at the door, sighing he went back to his arm chair and waited for Snape to come in and make sure the potion had been drunken. Most likely, he was going to sleep in the same room, unless Snape placed another binding spell. Didn’t matter either way to Draco, he had a lot on his mind. Closing his eyes, Draco fell into a light doze in the chair, ready to wake if Harry did…

Harry’s body twisted slightly and a soft moan escaped his lips. Turning again his found his mind surrounded by the images of Sirius and Cedric. He twitched and twisted away as the ghostly figures approached him with bloody outstretched hands.

“Nooo…” he said softly out load as he tried to escape. Then a flash of green lit his eyesight and the sound of cruel laughter hit his ears. Then he felt his body twitch as all his senses were engulfed in pain…

Draco turned in the arm chair and blinked awake, for a moment he sat there trying to understand what had woken him up. He glanced around the dimly lit room, then he focused on the teen on the bed. He stared for a moment before he heard the boy moan. Potter it seemed was having a nightmare. At first Draco shrugged it off, but as continued to watch the dark haired teen he grew to be somewhat concerned. Harry was now twitching and twisting in a way that didn’t seem normal. Getting to his feet Draco quickly walked over to his side and tried to shake him awake. The boy shrunk away from Draco’s hands; then after a moment his back arched, and he screamed. Draco shook his head, then quickly grabbed Harry’s injured leg with one hand, and pushed the other on Harry’s chest trying to keep him still.

“Severus!” Draco shouted and put more weight to his hand on Harry’s chest. The teen fought his hold, his back arching again as another scream escaped his throat. The door to the room was thrown opened and Snape swept into the room, his eyes hooded and looking displeased. Without a word, he walked over to the bed and took hold of Harry’s arms forcing him to stay still.

“What’s going on?” Draco asked as he fought to keep Harry still. Snape sighed.

“Potter is having a nightmare,” Snape said dryly as he held Harry’s arms still. Draco stared at him.

“This is a nightmare?” Draco said in shock. Snape stared down at Harry’s face and sighed.

“So it would seem. Do you think you can hold him still for a few more minutes while I go get a calming draught?” Snape demanded. Draco nodded as he kept the teen from moving much.

“Yes sir,” he said, and Snape quickly rushed from the room. Harry’s face contorted, and he let out yet another strangled scream.

Draco paled and was grateful when Snape reentered the room with a vial in his hand. The potions master quickly tipped Harry’s head back and poured the potion down his throat, careful to make sure that the boy didn’t choke on it. Then with skilled hands, he hauled Harry upright and shook him gently to wake him.

The teen’s eyes snapped open, and he leaned unknowingly into Snape’s arms struggling to catch his breath. Snape stared down at the boy who was now in his arms and tried not to disturb the child; he didn’t want to send the boy back into hysterics. Slowly, Harry’s breathing calmed down, and the teen pushed away from Snape his face red with embarrassment. Snape stared down at him and slowly sat on the side of the bed. Draco stood near by unsure what exactly what to do.

“Are you calm now?” Snape said in a somewhat gentle tone of voice. Harry nodded and took a deep breath. He lowered his eyes to stare down at the blanket that covered his legs.

“Can you get back to sleep?” Snape demanded. Harry nodded silently, his face still red from embarrassment. Snape narrowed his eyes.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Harry nodded again.

“Very well…Draco, I’ll show you to a room you can sleep in.” Snape snapped and walked to the door. He turned and watched as Harry lay back down his eyes closing. Draco glanced at him and then quickly walked to Snape and left the room. Turning, Harry opened his eyes and stared at the closed door and sighed…it was going to be a long night…