Harry munched happily on the cookie Snape had given him and looked out at the unfamiliar scenery flashing past his window. They appeared to be speeding past a tall cliff face, but every so often a break in the wall would reveal a giant waterfall a few hundred yards from the tracks. The falls were beautiful and reflected the dimming light in multi-colored rainbows.

"Do you know how long it will be until Hogwarts is opened again?" Harry asked curiously, turning his gaze away from the sight.

Snape shook his head abruptly, annoyed at the interruption, but he forced himself to answer in a flat tone. "A few months, I presume. Professor Dumbledore will need time...he has not yet mentioned a specific date to me or any of the other teachers. I would recommend you use this time wisely, Mr. Potter." A light sneer entered his tone at the name.

Harry frowned down at the remains of his cookie, suddenly no longer hungry. A few months with Severus Snape seemed like a death sentence. Although they had been getting along well during potions lessons, that was for mere hours and even then they rarely got along long enough to finish the entire lessons. Snape would probably throw him out after the first few days. With Death Eaters on the loose, Dumbledore and the other Professor's busy and no home to return to, Harry felt true fear grow up within him. His palms began to sweat and he wiped them on his pants, trying not to think about what the next few months had in store for him.

"I think I'll just sleep a bit more." He decided aloud. Without waiting for a reply - if, in fact, Snape would give any - or looking over to see the man's expression, Harry lay his head against the wall by the window and let his eyes fall closed. Once again, the train's motion lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

---

Snape watched Potter sleep for a few moments his oft-denied conscience sternly pointing out the uncomfortable position the boy had somehow found himself in - halfway slumped into the corner of the seat, his face pressed up against the wall, arms relaxed and hanging off the edge. The Potions Master re-opened the book and chose to ignore Potter. It wasn't as if he cared that the boy would wake with a crick in his neck. Worse things had happened, he thought with a snort of derision.

However, as he read on, his onyx eyes kept drifting back over to gaze at the boy. Every time he caught himself, the man would shake his head firmly and continue reading. After the third time, he growled in irritation and threw the book down on his seat a small part of him hoped that the noise would wake the boy up, but Potter remained unmoving.

"Albus, what have you done to me?" The man muttered darkly. "Months with this whelp!"

He pulled out his wand and waved it at the boy. A few Latin words later and Harry was resting comfortably on a full feather bed, covers wrapped securely around him and several fluffy white pillows piled under his head.

----

Several hours later the train came to it's final stop at the train station of Littleton. The loss of motion caused Harry to wake up. He yawned and turned his head to one side, trying to fight off the growing sense of wakefulness that permeated his mind. The first thing he noticed was a soft bed underneath him and a warm feather blanket on top. He sat up quickly, confusion taking the first step at wiping the sleep away. He looked around himself and tried to remember how he had come to be in the empty compartment. A vivid memory dissipated the last few tendrils of mental fog.

FLASHBACK

Harry paused outside the door to Dumbledore's office. His mouth was dry and he felt his blood rush away from his face at the prospect of entering the room where he had killed Voldemort. Deep inside, he harbored a strange fascination and expectation. For some reason that he could not pinpoint, he expected the room to be altered in some way to reflect the awful deed that had taken place within.

"Come in, my boy!" The Headmaster's welcoming shout sounded muffled through the thick door.

Harry pushed into the room and walked across the floor, each step left his feet feeling like many needles had pricked them. A residual aura of darkness - much like that in the courtyard - caused him to shiver and turn cold for a few moments. The second he ascended the stairs and stood before the large desk, which Dumbledore was seated behind, the cold faded away.

"I am sorry about that, Harry. I have tried to purge the remaining dark power from the room." The old man explained apologetically. "However, it seems that nothing short of time will erase it from here. I have contemplated finding a second office space in the meantime. The castle has many unused rooms, I am sure that at least on of these will service my needs adequately."

The man smiled happily and relaxed back into his chair. Harry had never seen the Headmaster so at ease, always a sense of foreboding had clouded his eyes. The death of Voldemort had brought an end to the constant foreshadow of darkness. Harry found himself smiling back, his first genuine smile in days.

"I have something to discuss with you." The older man paused, his eyes searching Harry's. "I would like you to go and live with professor Snape until the last of the Death Eaters are captured or killed. I feel that you would be safest in his care."

Harry winced at the word 'killed'. In his minds eye he could see the surprised expression on Voldemort's face as he fell to the floor. The fleeting remembrance vanished instantly. Harry tried to think of what the Headmaster had just told him. Living with Severus Snape did not seem like it would be very safe, and he could not picture the ill-tempered man caring for him one snidget. He told the Headmaster as much and received a loud chuckle for his trouble.

"After what you did for Severus you may expect some change in his attitude. The hostility that you feel towards each other is something that you will have to work through, but I do believe that it is for your better good to go with him." The old man offered a lemon drop and then took one for himself. "Or you could stay here at Hogwarts. I am sure, after slaying Voldemort in such a dramatic situation, any of the teachers would be glad to offer to supervise your stay here." He added quietly. "You may not like Severus, Harry, but you can trust him to look after you."

FLASH BACK

An empty cookie bag on the bench opposite was the only evidence that Snape had ever been there. Even his carry-on bag was missing. Harry raised himself up on one elbow and wondered where Snape had got himself to. He felt a sliver of unease at the thought of the man tucking him into the transfigured bed. He shivered and tapped the bed cover with his wand tip.

"Nox." He spelled decidedly.

Instantly he felt the material under him flux and shift, until it came to rest as a slightly uncomfortable compartment bench.

"Where is Snape?" The boy questioned aloud.

He could hear other passengers beginning to disembark, their footsteps echoing down the hall outside the door. Several passed by heading for the exit doors. For a moment Harry felt like he must have been abandoned by the potions professor. He grabbed his bag and after a brief hesitation stuffed the cookie bag in his duffle before moving to open the door. Just as he reached for it, the door handle turned and Snape's sallow face appeared in view.

"Potter, come with me." The man ordered.

Harry followed as the man whipped about and started towards the far end of the train car.

"How far away do you live, sir?" The boy asked.

"Not far." Snape replied. "Well within walking distance."

This did not give any idea to the actual distance. Harry frowned, but did not say anything further. He could not wait to get to the professor's home so that he could get settled in. In reality, he did not know how well he would like staying with the man. It didn't seem very probable that they would get along - at first, in the least - but in Dumbledore's office he had not been able to say no. There were a million reasons NOT to go to Spinner's End, and only one reason TO go. Harry wanted to get away from Hogwarts. From the place where he had committed murder. The killing curse still weighed heavily on his mind and he could not bear to stay at the school for the rest of his year. While his Aunt and Uncle's house would have been even worse. There was no way he could have done anything else. Dumbledore had made it quite clear that his only options were Hogwarts or the professor's home. All in all, at the time, the latter option seemed best for him. Now Harry was not so sure that he had chosen wisely.

Once out of the train station, Snape led him over to a shop, it's name scrawled in unsteady green writing over the glass door. It read: Homer's House of Herbs. Harry groaned internally at the ridiculous name. Snape told him to wait outside and then entered. Five minutes later he returned, seemingly empty-handed.

"My house is another block away, but before we go there do you need to purchase anything?"

Harry thought carefully and finally shook his head. "No, sir. I should have everything."

Snape turned on his heel and started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace forcing Harry to jog in order to keep up. The "house" looked more like cottage on steroids. It was obvious to Harry - from the taxi's to the passerby’s chatting into cell phones - that Littleton was a muggle town. How Snape was able to hide the disproportion of his house astonished Harry, although once he had thought on it there did seem to be a lot about the magical that muggles simply did not see because they wished not to see.

"Incase you are wondering, I have an illusion charm set over my property. Not even you can see it in its entirety unless I give you magical permission. The cottage that you see now is another illusion. The Snape family home is a little less than a castle in itself. A mansion, if you will, is a closer approximation." Snape informed him coolly.

"Are you going to show me the rest of it?" Harry asked.

Snape snorted. "With your record of mischievous, I would not dare such a thing. You will be fine in this portion of the house. I would advise you not to go looking for the rest of it, because you are more likely to end up the meal of some demented rug. I have not had a chance to do any purging of the dark magic anywhere else."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Great." He commented sarcastically.

The boy had seen dark magic to last him a lifetime. He had experienced enough of it to be sick of the very proximity. Snape entered the house first and held the door open as Harry walked inside dragging heavy his trunk behind him. Harry's gaze traveled quickly over everything he could see. They were standing at the head of a long hallway that branched off into different rooms; it seemed to go on forever. Snape went forward to lead the way.

"This is the main hallway. All of the sleeping quarters are upstairs, but every other room can be accessed from this hallway. Do not enter any of the rooms with a closed door, not under any circumstances." Snape glared at Harry until the boy nodded. "The kitchen is at the far end, and if you ever get lost just snap your fingers and one of the house elves will appear. Do you have any questions?"

The professor's tone was that of a teacher and not a guardian. His face was cold and expressionless and as Harry followed him down the hall he wondered again what he had gotten himself into.

"I don't have any questions right now, sir." Harry responded.

Just then a portrait on the wall caught his eye. It was of Salaazar Slytherin; the eyes seemed to be following Harry although the man's body never moved. The boy walked a little faster until the portrait was behind them. After passing by several more doors, some of which were closed, the man finally motioned towards a door that led up a stairway. There were glowing balls of light hovering a few feet from the ceiling and it kept the entire stairs lit very well. Harry pulled his trunk up behind him, bumping it on stairs as he went. He hoped that they would reach the rooms soon, because he wasn't sure how much longer he could lug the suitcase. It seemed to be getting heavier with every step. By the time that they reached the top, Harry was winded. He paused, taking several deep breaths.

"You will acquire a stronger physical endurance at the very least." Snape remarked as he pointed to an open doorway just within Harry's peripheral vision. The boy cocked his head further to one side, but still could not see inside. "That will be your room, Potter."

Harry glared at the acidic tone used on his last name. Then he pushed off the doorway and walked across to the room. Once inside his anger with Snape evaporated - temporarily - at the site of a huge room decorated in maroon and gold. The four-poster bed, chest and dresser reminded him of his Hogwarts room. They even had the Gryffindor badge engraved on them. Harry felt his heart constrict painfully. He finally had his own room and not just any room. After years and years of wishing for more than a closet under the stairs the worst man he knew had given him a palace for a room. He felt grateful and automatically wanted to please the person who did this much for him, but at the same time he didn't want to be nice to Snape. The man who had been nothing but a nuisance and a git for the past seven years.

His moral dilemma was solved quite nicely when Snape entered the room and said nonchalantly.

"Dumbledore personally moved all of this over from the tower. He also made sure that this entire room was warded and protected - over my own wards, of course. So you have no reason to be afraid in this room. Ever." Snape explained coolly.

Harry ducked his head to hide the relieved smile. "Dumbledore, huh? Nice." Was all that he said.

Snape moved to leave. "Dinner is at seven every night and breakfast is at six. You do not have to attend either, but I would appreciate it if you would not eat in any of the libraries. I have several and the books don't like to be smudged or covered in crumbs. Do you understand?" Snape fixed him with a hard stare.

Harry nodded, surprised that the man was being so easy. He had assumed that there would be an order to promptly arrive in the dinning room at the set time. He Aunt and Uncle would have never aloud him to eat in his room...they scarcely let him eat at all, he thought darkly.

"Will you be alright?" Snape asked, he seemed hesitant to leave and an awkward silence followed when Harry nodded. "Well, fine then. That's good. If you require anything, ever, just snap your fingers like I have said." Snape said finally.

"Yes, sir."

With a last look at the boy, Snape left the room.

----

Harry folded his last shirt and tucked it nicely into the middle drawer of his dresser. All of his belongings had been put away and with a glance at this watch he saw that it was close to dinnertime. He was tempted to stay in his room just because he could, but that didn't seem very polite and the last thing that he wanted was to upset Snape. He would eat in the dining room for the first meal, at least. After that if he wanted to stay in his room or go outside, that would be his business. This newfound freedom made him pause at the doorway, his hand on the knob.

What if Snape wasn't the horrible, bad, mean, git he had always thought. Before this summer he would have dismissed the idea immediately, but all throughout this past month he had received only a few scathing remarks. While they haven't been getting along like old-time friends, a strange truce seemed to have been reached. Although Harry knew that neither of them would admit it to the other. Still this made him wonder how Snape would react. What if everything went back to the way that it had been - the hate and angry words - as soon as he made a mistake. Swallowing, he hurried to the stairs, not wanting to find out the answer.

-----

Snape had just sat down at the head of a short table when Harry entered the room, a house elf at his side. The boy looked nervous and Snape raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He wondered what exactly the boy had to be nervous about. He decided to quickly check on the rooms as soon as dinner had finished.

"I see that you got lost already, Potter." He observed with a nod to the house elf - Honey.

"Yes." Harry blushed. He sat down a few chairs away from the teacher.

The rest of the meal passed in silence. Harry did not know what he would do once there was no longer anything he needed to do. Dumbledore must have expected something like this to happen, because he had sent along several books of useful transfiguration spell books along with two wizard's games that could be played alone. Wizards chess set specifically set up for single players and a scrabble game as well. Harry couldn't wait to try out the chessboard. If he practiced enough he might even be good enough to beat Ron by the time school started.

Harry finished his dinner of potatoes and salad then sat back in his chair unsure of how to leave the table. At Hogwarts it didn't matter, but at his Aunt and Uncle's house it was considered rude to leave without being excused. At the same time, he had been slapped more than once by his Uncle for asking to leave the table. The boy sat in silence, unmoving.

Snape watched him closely and frowned when it appeared that Harry was waiting for him to say something - what, the man could not fathom.

"You...liked your dinner?" Snape asked cautiously. He didn't know what the boy wanted to hear from him.

"Yes. It was very good, thank you, sir." Harry gave the expected response.

Once again silence fell over the table. Harry sat unmoving in his seat. He had just gotten up the courage to ask if he could go up to his room when Snape snapped his fingers.

Honey popped into place at the man's side. "Yes, master?" The woman elf asked.

Snape waved a hand vaguely in Harry's direction. "See to young master Potter. Make sure that he gets to his room alright and give him anything that he needs." At Harry's surprised look, Snape added. "You were finished, weren't you?"

The man looked pointedly at the empty plate in front of the teenage wizard. Harry nodded.

"Good, then why don't you head up to bed, you had a long weekend." Just as Harry reached the doorway of the room, Snape spoke again. "Will you need dreamless sleep potion?"

Harry flashed a glance over his shoulder at the man. "No. No, I'm fine - I'll be fine." He muttered. The last thing that he wanted was for Snape to see him as some weakling. After the display in the library, Harry was hesitant to get too emotional around the man and if he went into any kind of detail about his dream state, it would lead to another tear-filled panic attack. He didn't want that.

"Then I will see you tomorrow, Potter." Snape said, giving Harry an excuse to hurry away and upstairs.

---

That night Snape fell on top of his black and green silk covers with a satisfied smile. He sighed and turned his head to the left so that he could see the clear skin on his forearm for the hundredth time that day.

His thoughts swirled around the plans for his future. All he had worked for, all he had been was now in jeopardy. He no longer needed to spy on the dark side of the wizard world. This left him contemplating what he wanted to do with the time given to him. He knew how lucky he was to have made it this far without being killed or worse. He had been given a new chance to make a life for himself. A different life.

These thoughts drifted through his mind as he laid there, his body slowly relaxing into sleep. In he moments before unconsciousness took over, he smiled one more time.

----

Harry struggled under the covers of his bed, a nightmare clawing at him unmercifully. He groaned and gave a low cry. A few hours after falling asleep he was waking up again. The boy opened his eyes with another groan. Sitting up he wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked round the unfamiliar room.

The bright moon was framed in his window and let him know that it was still early night. He flopped back on the bed, noticing for the first time that his sheets and clothing were soaked with sweat. He ran a hand over his forehead and brought it back damp.

"Must have been a bad one." He muttered.

For him to not remember a nightmare was not uncommon, but usually he had a small inkling which horrible memory had triggered it. This night, however, he had no idea what the dream had been about. Sighing heavily, the boy rested his head down heavily on the pillow. He wanted to get up and change out of his sweaty clothes, but couldn't muster the energy.

This routine was becoming too normal. Every night he woke up from one or more intense and terrifying nightmares. It wasn't healthy and he knew it, but he could not bring himself to ask for help. Before, at Hogwarts, he could sneak a sleeping potion from the infirmary or have Hermione brew one for him - the intelligent young woman had become quite proficient at the potion.

Harry knew that he would not be able to get anymore sleep that night and his usual method of dealing with insomnia - the marauder man and a trip to the room of requirements - was unavailable.

Raising himself up, Harry flung his feet off the side of the bed and stood on the cold floor. He grabbed his wand and glasses off of the nightstand by the bed and accioed a pair of socks that Mrs. Weasley had made for him. He hopped on one foot, then the other as he pulled them on.

He wanted to search the house a little more, maybe find the library where he could find book to read. As he approached the door Harry hesitated wondering if Snape had detection wards up around his house. He did not doubt that this was the case.

He snapped his fingers to summon Honey. She popped into place directly in front of him. Her large green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness and Harry shivered at the creepy sight. He pointed his wand forward.

"Lumos."

Instantly the room was lit from a dim glowing point. Harry knelt down so that he was at eye level with the house elf.

"Honey, would professor Snape mind if I went to the library?" He asked.

Honey scratched her head in confusion and her wide eyes glanced back and forth between Harry and the floor. "But it is late master Potter. Young boys should be sleeping I thinks."

Harry sighed. "I can't sleep. I just want to read for a little while...will that be alright?"

"Honey does think master Snape will not mind. Do you need Honey to show you the way?"

Harry smiled. "Yes, that would be great."

He straightened and followed the elf out into the dark house.

---

The next morning dawned bright and cool with bird chirps could be heard from outside every window of the Snape house.

Severus dressed and prepared for the day with no thought of the boy he had agreed to guard. It had taken him several minutes to remember that the boy was even there. Being so used to an empty house, he was unsure of what to have the boy do. It wasn't like there were other wizards his age in the town. Even if there were, he wouldn't have allowed the boy to wander unmonitored outside the house.

Honey came into the room as Severus was preparing to go down to breakfast. The house elf bowed low and wrung her hands anxiously.

"Master Potter has fallen asleep in the library, master. Honey doesn't know if she should wake him - he has only just fallen asleep." Her eyes held a plea of instruction.

Snape frowned. The brat had obviously needed a sleeping potion last night. He donned his black cloak with a growl and stalked out of the room. Honey followed, she needed to run to keep up with his much longer stride.

"Transport him to his bed upstairs, but do not wake him. I will be taking breakfast in the lab this morning. Leave a warmed tray out for Potter." Snape said.

"Yes, master." Honey disappeared with a pop.

His personal lab was located in the basement of the building, of in the west wing. He went down the halls and flights of stairs at a determined pace. He could have simply apparated to the room, but he felt it best to take longer so that he would not reach the lab still angry with the boy. He did not make potions well when he was angry. It was a very touchy science.

Once there he set out he ingredients to make sleeping potion. He had some stocked on his shelves, but not nearly enough to accommodate two adult doses for each night. Dumbledore had warned him that the boy had nightmares. The Headmaster had also expressed a desire to see Severus deal with those problems and others that the boy experienced.

"He is a fragile young man and you alone are uniquely able to understand what he is going through." Severus mocked Dumbledore's words with a sneer. "Hah! If that old man thinks that I am going to act like some kind of - of Hufflepuff!" He muttered to the empty lab. "Then he has another thing coming."

The man set to work; he knew that once the boy woke up he would have to talk to him about last night. As unsavory as that task would be he could not have the boy suffering unduly under his watch.

---

It was well past lunchtime when Harry woke up. Once again he found himself on the bed in his room. He wondered how he had gotten there and figured that Honey must have had something to do with it - he hoped.

Dressing, he checked his watch and grimaced at the late time. If Snape didn't think he was useless before what would the man think now? He frowned and quickly changed into a faded pair of jeans and an old blue t-shirt.

He left the room and went to find Snape. He had already missed breakfast and lunch, he did not want to make the man mad at him. If this had been his Aunt and Uncle's house he would've been beaten and starved for being so rude. He also wondered if there were any chore list for him to cover during his stay. After all, if he lived in the house it only made sense that he would be expected to help in some way.

He checked the dinning room first, and a warm plate of food was set out in the place he had sat the night before. It was scrambled eggs and french toast liberally dusted with powdered sugar and maple syrup. He dug in and finished the meal quickly.

Honey appeared at his elbow as he finished the last bite of toast.

"Can Honey get master Potter anything else?" She asked.

"No, thank you." Harry replied. The elf snapped her wrinkly fingers and the plates were gone.

"Honey is to tell master Potter that master Snape is waiting in the library." She said and then apparated away to another part of the house.

Harry stared at the spot where she had been standing. He knew that he had to talk to Snape, but shame made his skin blush when he thought of all the things he had done wrong in the mere hours he had been living in the house. First there had been the night of wandering through the man's house and then sleeping in until all hours of the day.

He sighed heavily and pushed up from his chair. He might as well get it over with and finished as soon as possible.

---

Snape looked up from a book he was reading when Harry walked into the library a few minutes later. He put the book down and motioned for the boy to have a seat. The library walls were bookshelves that reached up to the ceiling. Books of every subject lined the shelves. One wall was bare and there was a desk, reading chairs and a black leather couch - the last which Snape was sitting on.

Harry chose one of the chairs farthest away from the couch and waited for the potion master to start talking. He did not know what to expect from the man. Memories of the "discussions" his Uncle had forced him to endure made his pulse quicken and his palms began to sweat. He wiped them on his pants.

"You wanted to see me, sir." He said finally.

Snape nodded, a disapproving frown on his face. "Yes. Yes, I did. I would like to know why you refused the dreamless sleep potion when you obviously needed it. Honey told me that you had a nightmare last night."

"Well, I didn't think that I would." Harry lied lamely. Truly, he just did not want to seem weak in the man's eyes. "I mean, you can't predict when you're going to have a nightmare." He said in a forced light tone.

"This is not a joke, Potter!" Snape snapped angrily. "Your care has been placed in my hands and that includes your mental state."

Harry grimaced at the raised voice and tried not to shy away. "I'm sorry - it won't happen again." He stammered meekly.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Indeed it will not." He said cryptically.

"I just didn't want to use up your personal supply." Harry's excuse only proved to anger the professor further.

"I am a potions master...do you KNOW what that means?" The man asked. "I do not run out of things. What is further, I do not like being lied to, you will cease immediately and tell me what this is really about."

Harry hesitated.

"Now, Potter!"

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Snape looked at him incredulously for a moment. "Big deal! I am the one who brought it up, it was me who offered you the potion. I would not begrudge you a good nights sleep! You should not be afraid to ask for help. I am your guardian for a reason. Do you not understand that?"

"I understand!" Harry defended himself, shrinking back into the chair. "I get it, okay. At the time, I just felt that you might...look down on me or something if I admitted that I needed it." He hung his head. "I'm sorry, alright. I mean it."

Snape sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "You apology is accepted, but unnecessary. In the future I only require that you be honest with me."

"Yes, sir."

---

Severus watched the boy closely throughout the entire exchange. He was deeply troubled by the fear and insecurity he could see in the boy. Something had happened to him, something unpleasant. Severus tried not to let his own memories of past abuse rise. He had to attend to the boy, there was more that they needed to discuss before he could let Potter leave.

"Do you have a punishment for me?" Potter asked, his voice wavering slightly. He looked mortified by having voiced the question, but when he looked up to meet the professor's eyes his expression was that of a resignation.

"No." Severus answered curtly. "I do have more questions, however."

Harry sighed, but nodded for the man to continue. He knew that it was necessary.

"Why did you not come to me for help last night when your nightmares kept you from returning to sleep?"

Harry's mouth fell open. "Wh-What?" He asked in disbelief.

"It would not have been to late to take a dose of sleepless dream...and, as it is, you have slept through most of the day."

Harry felt a blush travel up his neck. "I really am sorry about that, sir. I should have asked Honey to wake me up - or set my alarm - or just stayed awake." He rushed anxiously. "I won't let it happen again, I promise."

Snape laughed shortly. "I am not upset that you decided to sleep in, Potter. I am simply bothered by the fact that you did not trust me enough to ask for help when you needed it. I do not know if I can be an effective guardian these next months if you do not tell me the truth."

"To be honest it never would've occurred to me to go see you about the potion." The boy said. "I guess that it would have been easier if we'd had this talk last night."

Snape's lips curled up in smile. "Indeed."

"So, that was it?" Harry asked hopefully.

"For now. Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, I did." Harry hesitated, he didn't want to ask a question that might make the man angry again now that things seemed to have finally been worked out, but he had to know. "Do I have any...chores to do today?"

Snape smoothed a wrinkle in his black cloak as he considered the question. "I had not planned any for you, if that is what you are asking, but if you are bored I am sure that there is something to do around here that you might find enjoyable."

Harry had never thought that chores could be enjoyable. He shook his head.

"No, I still have some reports that Dumbledore wanted me to write. I was just curious, that's all. I will probably be working in my room for the afternoon."

Snape stood to his feet. "I will be working down in my lab for the rest of the night so do not expect me at dinner, but if you need anything to not hesitate to ask either myself or Honey. If you get hungry or thirsty before dinner - since you did miss breakfast - the kitchen is yours as well for the time being."

---

Harry looked around the large kitchen. He had not been able to resist exercising the freedom of being able to eat whenever he wanted. He almost felt guilty when he took a glass down from the cupboard - Honey had shown him where everything was located - and filled it with orange juice from the fridge. It had surprised him that Snape had such a muggle thing in his house, but then he had found out that Snape was very different than how he used to perceive the man.

It was both surprising and disconcerting the amount of concern that the teacher had shown him since the summer had begun. Never had his family shown that much concern. It confused him and scared him because now he did not know how to react around the man. He never knew what was acceptable and what was not. Dumbledore had warned that this might be the case and now the Headmaster had been proven correct.

Harry sat at the kitchen table and drank his juice slowly. He mulled over the fact that Snape had yet to be anything but helpful. True, the man had an unpredictable temperament, but even in his anger he had showed worry over Harry's welfare. It was puzzling to the boy.

Did Snape really care about him? Or were they facing a kind of truce because of sharing the same house? Harry was not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. It felt so nice to be cared for that he did not want to jeopardize that. Once he had finished his glass he cleaned it with a quick spell and put it away. He had reports to go write, figuring out the enigma that was Severus Snape would have to wait a few hours.