"Now Harry, I believe there was something else you wished to discuss?"

Harry nodded. He wanted to ask about the spell that Snape had used on him, but all of a sudden, he was feeling rather sheepish about it. Still, if he wanted answers, he was only going to get them here. And the Headmaster had already placed a lot of trust in him. So he pulled himself together mentally and spit it out as best he could.

"Yes Professor. It's about last night. When we were running from the death eaters, I nearly passed out when Professor Snape was carrying me."

"Yes, your Professor has already reported to me this morning all that happened after he arrived. He seemed quite satisfied by your reaction to the situation as a matter of fact."

Harry couldn't help that his mouth was hanging wide open. "Quite satisfied?" he repeated.

Albus chuckled. "Yes Harry. Why coming from Severus, I dare say that he paid you a compliment. Oh now, don't look so surprised. If there is one thing that Severus appreciates, it's people who keep their head in danger and follow his orders without question."

Harry chuckled a little at this too. "Well, I think I might have been more scared to question him than meet Voldemort again sir. I wasn't sure what mood he was in."

They both laughed at that. It seemed to lighten the air quite a bit in fact. There were many constants in the universe. Most of them were relegated to the realm of ratios and were left to mathematicians, physicists, potioneers and arithmancers. Hogwarts, however, had her own constant. It was not to disturb one Severus Snape when he was in a foul mood. Which translated to: never disturb one Severus Snape.

When they both regained their composure, Dumbledore motioned for Harry to continue and Harry again had to swallow the urge to forget asking and fortified himself for the awkward conversation.

"Well, while he was, um, carrying me sir, I almost passed out. I was in a bit of pain you see, and couldn't breathe very well. But the Professor started chanting this strange spell while he was still running. It…well, I've never heard or felt anything like it. It must have been some kind of healing spell though, because I started to feel a lot better and I could breathe better too. But, I didn't even recognize the language. Do you know anything like it?"

"I know of a few spells that fit that description. They are all pretty powerful healing spells, although they fall far short of modern healing techniques. I would not be surprised to find that Severus knew any of them as he would appreciate a healing technique that could be used even without a wand. He is always telling me that it is unwise to place one’s entire defense in a weapon that can be taken away. What else can you tell me about it Harry?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to admit how vulnerable and confused that spell had made him feel afterwards, especially after the dream that he had had that night, but he needed answers.

"Well, um, it was, well, I felt something." Real smooth there, Harry.

Dumbledore gave an encouraging nod of his head as Harry paused. Harry decided to just plough right through it.

"Well, while I was starting to pass out, I thought I felt a sort of presence, I think; or maybe just a feeling that wasn't mine. I don't know. I felt - it made me feel - like I was protected and safe; like I would never be alone again. It was like," here he squirmed even more, trying to put the feeling into words. "It felt like someone or something was telling me that it would always be there for me, that it would stand between me and danger. That it would protect me. And I felt magic wrapping around my chest making it easier to breath and all my little pains kind of just went away. And I could hear Professor Snape chanting and it was like the words that he were chanting were what was telling me these things, even though I didn't really understand them, and," here his face turned bright red and in a breathless whisper he finished. "And it was like it was Professor Snape that was making me feel like that. Then, before I knew it, we Disapparated and the feelings were gone."

Dumbledore's expression was thoughtful for a moment and it was all Harry could do to not squirm some more, but he mastered himself. After all, he'd faced Voldemort. Surely he could handle this embarrassment. At least that was what he told himself.

Harry realized the moment that Dumbledore recognized the spell by the momentary look of surprise in the old man’s eyes.

"Well, it seems I'll never cease to be amazed. That spell is what some call an Intent Spell Harry. It is difficult to learn for several reasons. First of all, it is a difficult language to master, as there are no longer any native speakers. Of course, one need not learn the entire language to use the spell. But most important is the intent behind the spell. It is nearly forgotten because medi-wizards and witches cannot really use it; not because they do not intend to heal but because the intent is not personal enough. There are two things that one can do with a spell like that Harry: cause harm or heal wounds, both physically and mentally. It is said that very few can use it to cause harm because of the nature of the spell. You see, in order for it to work, the caster must have true, pure intentions to either cause harm or help on a very personal level. It is hard to cause harm with it because very few truly are that evil, but when it is used towards that aim, it can be worse than a Cruciatus because the person it's being used on not only feels the pain but also feels the casters intent. It must be very disconcerting, to feel another's hatred and pleasure at your pain, don’t you think?”

Harry nodded.

“The opposite is the healing spell, but it works much the same way. The caster must have purely good intentions on a personal level for it to work. It is more powerful than the other chanted healing spells but it is often impractical as very few have such pure intentions for any beyond their immediate family. I must say that I am surprised Severus bothered to learn this spell, but then he is quite good at research and has often found spells useful for his, um, line of work, in obscure volumes. But this does tell me one thing Harry. Professor Snape cannot hate you to have performed this spell. I do not know if he ‘likes' you, but it is obvious from his use of the spell that he does ‘intend' to keep you safe, as he has been attempting to do for years, I might add. Perhaps this will help you to speak to him this summer Harry?"

If Dumbledore was surprised, it was nothing to how Harry felt. He felt embarrassed, shy, vulnerable, surprised and confused.

“But, I mean, it doesn’t mean that he cares?” Harry said with something approaching panic. That would just take his worldview and turn it upside down.

“Why does that thought bother you Harry?” the Headmaster asked with concern.

“It doesn’t,” Harry said defensively. “I was just curious is all.”

The Headmaster nodded as though that made perfect sense. “It’s difficult to describe how the Intent Spell works Harry. Most people are only able to use it on people that they do care for a great deal – people they love - it’s true. But you did not describe feeling love. It is the very nature of the spell to reveal the caster’s intentions to the patient. You can tell me better what Professor Snape intended when he cast that spell I should think.”

Harry nodded. If that were true, then one thing was abundantly clear; Snape would not let anything hurt him if he could prevent it. But there had been no feelings approaching love or affection in there either. He wondered how one could feel so strongly about keeping a person safe without loving them. He needed to get out of there and be alone to think about all that he had just heard.

"Thank you Professor. I...thank you. I should be going now, I guess," Harry managed to say.

That did not surprise Albus. He could see all of Harry's emotions passing across his face and agreed that maybe Harry needed alone time to work through all that he had found out, so he had mercy.

"Of course Harry. I'm glad we had this talk. Perhaps you should take a walk. I always find that good weather helps one to heal."

"Thanks Professor. Bye," Harry called as he left. He was grateful to get out of there. He did decide to go outside. It seemed the best place to be alone and think.

The trouble was, what Dumbledore had told him had been the last thing that he had expected to hear. He didn't know how to take it. He knew people cared about him; his friends, the Weasleys, Remus and Dumbledore. And Remus and Dumbledore had made him feel safe, but never like last night. Never like he was watched over, never like he had a protector that would always be there for him and help him. Even Sirius had never made him feel like that; only Harry refused to admit that. It would feel like a betrayal to merely think it. The worse part was that it had been Professor Snape. He didn't want to believe that the intent behind the spell had been real. He had thought that Dumbledore would be able to write it off as the effect of the healing spell but that wasn't the case.

But it wasn't just the Intent Spell at all. A person could intend to do good all day long. They could speak words of comfort until they were blue in the face. They could promise they'd always be there when needed and even mean it. But that meant nothing. Those were just words, thoughts and feelings. But Snape never said those words. He never even gave those impressions. But when it came down to the wire and life and death were balanced over the precipice, he was there.

And not only was he there when needed, he was capable. He planned, he fought, he dealt out harsh punishments to the enemy and sustained injuries, but he delivered all the same. And Harry knew that last night's ordeal had been against the odds. Snape's intentions were hard to understand and shocking. His actions spoke very clearly. He didn't just intend to keep Harry safe; he did keep Harry safe.

But why would he do that if he doesn’t even like me?

Harry made his way down to the lake. He needed to think; he didn't want to but he couldn't help it.

Snape hated him, damn it! He was always mean to him, bullying him. He was always forcing him to obey rules; rules that would keep him safe.

Damn it!

First year, he remembered the incident on the broom. Snape had saved him. He had been the only one suspicious enough to know what was happening. And he had always been stalking the corridors, discouraging Harry from getting into trouble or running into Quirrel. Only Harry hadn't seen it like that before. Not that it worked, Harry thought ruefully.

Third year, Harry forced himself to look at what happened that year from another perspective, that of Snape's. Snape had looked at the map, seen that he and his friends were with a man whom Snape believed to be a killer out to get Harry. And he had seen that Remus, the same man's old friend was with him and hadn't taken the potion to prevent him from turning into a murderous creature on a full moon night. And Harry had to admit that that had been very foolish of Remus. Snape had rushed out to protect Harry and his friends. Oh, Harry believed that Snape's revenge on Sirius would have been sweet too, but it would have been easy enough to get reinforcements or dementors first, if that were the sole reason. No, Harry had to admit, Snape had rushed into danger for he and Hermione and Ron. And they had knocked him out and made him the bad guy in the whole affair.

In fourth year, Harry had seen Snape's face when he had left to return to Voldemort. Had he believed that he might be going to his death?

Fifth year. What a disaster! Had Snape really been trying to teach him Occlumency? Would he have learned better if he had actually been trying? And then, woe of all woes! The day he had gone to save Sirius, Snape had gone looking for he and his friends. Snape had warned the other Order members. Harry had been all set on blaming Snape at least partially for Sirius' death, but who else could he have warned? And was he so out of line, antagonizing Sirius? It was completely mutual after all.

And then last night. Damn it all! Why did Snape act like he hated Harry and then always save him?

Harry sat pondering these things as the sun arced across the sky and got lower. He didn't even notice that it was getting late until a soft and silky voice spoke up behind him.

"Mr. Potter. It is time for dinner and then you will see Madam Pomfrey."

Harry jumped up and spun around. His heart seemed lodged in his throat, along with his stomach. For a moment he couldn't speak. Then he regained his composure enough to respond, "Yes sir."

He knew he was blushing because the subject of his thoughts was standing directly before him. When the Professor began walking away, Harry hesitated and stopped.

"Professor?" he said quietly.

"What is it Potter?" said a slightly annoyed potions master.

"I just wanted to thank you sir, for everything you've done for me."

Harry hadn't even known what he was going to say until it was out. He was really blushing now, he knew it, but he kept his eyes on Snape all the same.

Severus paused for a moment, considering the boy before him. It was the second time that the boy had thanked him but for the life of him, he didn't know how to respond, which was unusual. Finally, as if nothing had happened, he turned and called over his shoulder, "Come Potter."

Harry followed quickly and silently.

Harry thought that they would be eating in the Great Hall, but he realized he was wrong as Snape led him down into the dungeons. They went past the potions classroom, made a right several meters later and entered the third door on their right. Harry followed silently, taking in his surroundings. So these were Snape's rooms.

It both seemed to suit the man and not. They were in the dungeons after all. The stone wall was covered in some places by three tasteful tapestries. One was of a fox surrounded by other animals in clothes and waving a red flag that read Renard. Another depicted a man with flaming red hair dressed like a Viking and smiling as another man shot an arrow at something that was not in the tapestry. The third and final tapestry depicted a monkey dressed in oriental clothing. Harry had no idea what they meant but he was too unsure of where he stood with Snape to ask about them.

The furniture was made of a fine, dark wood, but looked extremely sturdy. In fact, the furniture completely lacked decoration and seemed quite utilitarian yet comfortable. To the left of the room was a counter space that seemed to serve as a kitchen and near to that was a plain wooden table. On the other side of the room was a desk. The desk was strewn with papers and quills and inkbottles. Despite the amount of stuff cluttered on the desk, there was a spot cleared in the middle. The desk seemed serviceable enough and although it was full, it seemed to have an odd sense of organization to it. To the left of the desk was an opened door that appeared to be the bathroom.

The wall directly in front of the entrance had a fireplace in the middle of it and a closed door to each side. Between the fireplace and the doors on both sides, the walls were filled from top to bottom with shelves of books and a few instruments in odd places. Before the fireplace were two comfortable looking chairs and a small table between them.

Snape led him to the door to the right of the fireplace and opened it, stepping aside to let Harry pass. "This will be your room. The door on your right is your closet. The door on your left leads to my room. You are not to enter it unless there is an emergency. Do I need to explain what constitutes an emergency, Mr. Potter?"

"No, sir."

Snape eyed him but continued on anyway. "Lupin brought your trunk some time last night and I brought it down here," he said, pointing to the trunk at the foot of the bed. "Hagrid brought your owl's cage here this morning and wished me to inform you that she is safe in the owlery."

Harry smiled with relief. Snape rolled his eyes but continued. "Supper will be served in 15 minutes and you will present yourself at every meal. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

With that, Snape walked out the door and closed it behind him. Harry turned to the room. His trunk seemed untampered with. The first thing he did was retrieve his wand and sigh in relief as it's weight settled in his hand. He vowed to himself right then and there to never leave it again.

Taking a look around the room, he was pleasantly surprised. He admitted to himself that he had actually been expecting something damp and with torture instruments strewn about and laughed at himself for his imagination.

There was a serviceable desk to one side and an empty bookshelf to its left. The bed on the other side of the room was large but plain. It was comfortable though. The bedding was gray and at first seemed rather drab but upon further inspection, it had small designs of leaves on it and shone silver if the light hit it just right. It was very soft too. Harry was pleased with them. He thought they would be just warm enough for the dungeons. There were no pictures in the room or tapestries, but there was a rather thick and elaborately designed rug covering the center of the room. It was green in color and had gray and yellow leaves for the design.

Harry was quite satisfied with his quarters. They were plain but comfortable and the little decoration that there was, was very tasteful. He did wonder why Snape seemed to have so few personal possessions in the quarters that he lived in for most of the year. Three tapestries and some books could hardly be called very personal. It all seemed utilitarian with just a shot of taste.

But then, Harry thought, Snape couldn't have too much time for decoration. He had been a double agent, a teacher, a Potions Master responsible for stocking the school's and maybe even Voldemort's supplies. On top of his responsibility as the Head of Slytherin House and the personal knowledge Harry had of Snape's patrol duties at the school. All of a sudden, Harry wondered if Snape ever slept at all. Harry knew all too well what lack of sleep did to a person's mood and he was surprised to find sympathy within himself for Snape.

Here he was thinking about Snape again. Of course, he would be spending an entire summer with the man. But these thoughts were wasting time, so he bent down to put his books on the bookshelf. Then he placed his school supplies on the desk thinking that he'd put them away later. He figured that nearly 15 minutes had passed so he straightened his shirt and went out to meet Snape for dinner, slightly apprehensive.

Harry came out to see Snape preparing sandwiches from ingredients in the cupboards and an icebox in the kitchen area. He immediately wondered why the castle elves weren't serving them and although he never asked the question, Snape turned and spoke to him.

"The castle elves stay quite busy during the summer with repairs and other such jobs. Although they would be happy to serve dinner to any residents, it is just as easy to prepare our own meals and we will avoid being overfed. Now sit."

Harry wondered how the thin man before him could even worry about being overfed but wisely held his tongue. He felt like he was walking on eggshells. Snape was being curt but he hadn't said anything harsh or cruel yet. Perhaps he was just biding his time and waiting for Harry to give him a reason.

Harry was determined to not give him a reason though. It wasn't that Harry didn't think he could stand up for himself if something wasn't fair, but he truly didn't want to argue with the man or be disrespectful. And the more he found out about the Professor, either from being told or through observation, the more he wanted to understand the man and the more he respected him.

And there was no doubt in his mind now; he did respect Snape, for several reasons. For the way that Snape had battled the death eaters, for the control that Snape must have had to spy for so long and for the lives that he had saved because of his actions. That wasn't to mention the times that Snape had come to the rescue of the students here if the Headmaster was to be believed.

But then there were also the times that he was cruel and unfair, how he favored the Slytherins, letting them get away with everything. Harry was conflicted and nervous, sitting here in this room, alone with Snape. Would the man be nasty to him all summer long or would they reach some sort of truce? Harry sighed inwardly. He knew that Snape thought very little of him, so he would just have to make an extra effort to be courteous and respectful. After all, there was a lot that he could learn from the man.

Harry took a seat and ate quietly when Snape put the meal before him, being mindful of his manners. Snape ate across from him in silence. When they both finished, Harry waited patiently for Snape to speak.

At length, he did. "Mr. Potter, there will be rules here and I will expect them to be followed. You will find that unlike what you are used to, I will not turn a blind eye to any misbehavior. It is my responsibility to ensure your safety and see you healthy into the next school year. To that end, I will tell you exactly what I will expect from you and what you can expect from me."

Harry thought that that was very reasonable, especially for Snape. He was anxious to hear the expectations but found some measure of comfort in knowing that he would know exactly what he could expect from the adult he'd be staying with. In fact, he couldn't remember any time in his life when that had been the case. But this was Snape; a rock, implacable. And he believed that whether he liked what he was about to hear or not, Snape would take it seriously and keep his word, and there was a measure of comfort in that.

Snape was continuing. "Some ground rules then, Mr. Potter. You will not leave Hogwarts grounds nor enter the Forbidden Forest unless I am with you. The school and its grounds are open to you, but you will exercise caution. If at anytime you perceive anything that seems out of place or that could be a danger, you will inform me immediately, not deal with it yourself. Breakfast is at 8 AM, lunch at 1 PM and dinner at 6 PM. You will attend each one here and account for your day. There is no ‘bedtime,' but you are responsible for rising early enough to be presentable at breakfast. If I observe that you are incapable of setting yourself a proper bedtime though, I will do so for you. You will be in these quarters by 9 PM every night unless you have my permission to do otherwise. You may write to your friends but you may not tell them your whereabouts or anything that could lead them to conclude your whereabouts, nor will you tell them whom you are with. This school is safe, but there is no reason to invite danger should your owls be intercepted. As it is summertime, you will have much free time, but I demand that you spend at least a few hours each day in a productive manner. To this end, you may study any of the books that will open for you here or in the library. Should you feel you require a restricted book, you will tell me and I will decide whether you may have it or not. I will expect an account of what you have learned everyday at dinner. As for your free time, it is yours to decide. However, you will not fly on your broom without first asking permission.”

Snape paused. Harry had been wondering when he was going to pause, not that he had seemed that out of breath.

“As these rules are simple and not overly constrictive, they are not up for debate. Should you feel at anytime that you are above such rules, consider how unpleasant I can make your summer and possibly the rest of your school career.”

Oh yes, Harry believed him on that one.

“As for security, tomorrow morning after breakfast, I will discuss with you the measures I have taken and what is expected from you. Should you at any time entertain any foolish Gryffindor notion that you are so famous for that could result in any damage to this school, consider that these actions may result in the school's closure in the Fall. No matter how insignificant the consequences of your actions may seem to you, you will concede that I am far better equipped to assess such dangers. For tonight I will say only that I expect you to follow my orders without question, even if you yourself do not perceive any danger. You may expect that I will hold you to these rules Mr. Potter. If you break them, you will no doubt be wishing that you merely had to scrape cauldrons. I will put you to work Mr. Potter, if you cannot stay out of trouble."

Severus paused for a moment. The next part was the hardest to say but he had no doubt that it needed to be said. Potter had a right to know what he could expect from him. No matter how he felt about the boy, he was now his responsibility and Severus took that very seriously, so he ploughed on.

"You may rest assured that I will take my responsibility to you seriously. If you have any troubles, I will expect you to come to me immediately. If you are sick, I will heal you. If anything or anyone makes you uncomfortable, I will deal with it with you or for you. If you have any needs, you must tell me. If you have any questions, you come to me for answers. Now, is there any point that is still unclear to you Mr. Potter?"

"No sir, I understand."

Everything that Snape had said had been quite clear. Harry felt slightly insulted by some of Snape's words, but the man had said worse to him in the past. Although the words had been harsh and there seemed to be no room for compromise, Harry had to admit that they were fair and not overly constrictive. And that, from Snape, was nothing to argue with. Indeed, he'd have more freedom this summer than any other before.

And Snape's last words had been very reassuring. He could not remember ever having an adult tell him those things. They would say to contact them if he needed anything but Snape was demanding to be informed. It took the decision of whether to bother someone out of his hands and put it right where it belonged, in his guardian's hands. It seemed...right.

Snape nodded, pleased to have no argument. He was still tired from the events of the last two days and would not have been kind during an argument, no matter how necessary it was to assure the boy.

"Good. Now follow me to the infirmary. In the future, Potter, you will stay there until released or until I take you from there."

Harry recognized an order when he heard one. He was a little miffed that Snape could just walk out of the nurse's clutches but he couldn't. Wasn't he adult enough to know when he could leave or not? He really wanted to tell Snape this, but instead settled for imagining how the conversation would go. He rather thought that somehow Snape would win that argument so he didn't say a word. Instead he settled for asking Snape whether Madam Pomfrey and any other professors would be there over the summer.

"Madam Pomfrey will not be, but she will normally be available to return if necessary. And let us hope, Mr. Potter, that it will not be. Argus Filch lives here all year long. Professor Hagrid will be here off and on, but he has responsibilities that will take him away for large stretches of time. Professor Sprout may come occasionally to tend to her plants and Professor Firenze will be staying in his rooms and has asked to be undisturbed except in emergencies, which you will respect."

"Of course," Harry replied with no little indignation.

Snape really truly believed that he was that bad? Well, he had said as much before, but now it bothered Harry even more. He longed to explain all the situations that he had gotten into to Snape. They hadn't all been his fault. Why couldn't Snape ever give him the benefit of the doubt? Harry didn't quite understand why, but he wanted Snape to think better of him.

Snape continued after merely raising his eyebrows at Harry's interruption. "Trelawney's body will be in her tower and her mind will be in the clouds and both parts will remain there if we are lucky."

Harry snorted. Had Snape just cracked a joke?

"So only Professor Firenze, Mr. Filch and Trelawney will be here all summer, besides ourselves and occasionally the Headmaster. And Potter, do not, under any circumstances, do anything that would bring that...Trelawney, down from her tower. I am sure that that would greatly affect her inner eye and as we both already know that we are destined to die young and tragically, there is no reason to seek her wisdom further."

Harry burst out laughing. It really was too funny. He didn't know that his Professor had a sense of humor and even if he had given it thought, he never would have thought that Snape would let him hear it.

Snape rolled his eyes but had a smirk on his face nonetheless.

Harry couldn't help asking, "Sir, how often has she predicted your, um, grim future?"

Was that a smirk or a smile on Snape's face?

"Potter, it was a great shock to everyone that I made it through my first year as a teacher here. And I am grateful every year for my borrowed time. Now, get in there. I will wait outside here."

They were already at the infirmary. Harry groaned but promptly entered anyway. Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to be used to the potions master's ways, stuck her head out the door and invited Snape in as well.

"Please rest for a moment Severus. I'm just going to have a look at Mr. Potter and then I'd like to make sure your back and chest are healing properly."

Harry was confused at her words. He didn't remember Snape's back being hurt last night. Perhaps there had been a previous wound? Snape sighed and sat on his bed.

That was when Harry saw the plaque.

When Madam Pomfrey turned back to Harry, she and Severus were startled to see the boy doubled over in laughter. "Potter, what is so funny?" Snape snapped.

Harry couldn't even talk so he just pointed to the head of Snape's bed. When Snape turned to look, Harry saw Madam Pomfrey smile wickedly and plant her hands on her hips. There on the headboard, a large bronze plate was attached with ‘Severus Snape' etched into it.

Turning back to Madam Pomfrey was a Snape with a sneer. She was nonplussed though.

"Well, I thought that, perhaps, if you felt more at home here, you might let me, for once, finish my job. And I wouldn't be laughing too hard Mr. Potter," she finished, pointing to the head of the bed right next door.

He looked and, true to her threat, there was his name on a plate too. Now it was his turn to scowl.

Pomfrey chuckled at the sight. These patients of hers were too much alike, not that she'd ever mention it. There was only so far she was willing to go to tease Severus in one day after all, lest he turn that razor sharp tongue on her.

Harry finally sat on his bed and it just figured that now Snape was smirking at him.

"Now, perhaps I will get some cooperation from the two of you," she said, glaring at each in turn.

Harry looked down sheepishly but Snape just turned on his trademark sneer, which Pomfrey decided to ignore.

"Now, lay back Mr. Potter." She began running her wand over him. When she was finished, she said, "Well, apart from a little muscle weakness, no doubt caused by your running off against my orders, you seem well recovered. Get plenty of sleep tonight and you should be fine."

Turning to Severus, she said, "Just in case he does have any soreness, he'll need to take your muscle relaxer. Now, let's see that back of yours. Off with your shirt."

If Harry didn't think it was highly unlikely, he could have sworn he heard Snape actually groan. Snape stood and stripped off his outer robes and his shirt. Harry nearly gasped in shock. He was covered in scars. They crisscrossed his chest, back and arms, shining pearly white in the lamplight. There were newer scars on his chest and shoulder from last night and these were still pink and raised. His back was one big bruise, as if he had been hit by something large and heavy or he had fallen a great distance. Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue at the bruises and scars but said nothing while she examined him.

Harry longed to ask where Snape had gotten all his scars but held his tongue. The nurse applied a balm to his back, chest and shoulders and when she finally finished bandaging his upper torso, she grabbed his arm and examined his dark mark.

Harry hadn't noticed at first, but the mark looked as though it had been recently branded into his arm. The skin was raised and red and looked blistered.

"Have the summonses stopped?" she asked Severus as she began bandaging his forearm.

"Yes. I suspect it was merely out of anger that he kept burning my mark. He will no doubt be moving onto other, more interesting plans of revenge now," Snape responded with a wry look.

"Oh," she gulped. "Well, how fortunate for us." She looked like she was thinking anything but that but let the subject drop.

Snape pulled his shirt back on quickly when she was done examining him. The nurse placed her hands on her hips and took to glaring at the both of them. "Now, I'll be leaving tonight, but if I find that either of you have been over-exerting yourselves, I will call for back-up and force you both to stay here. I expect you both to get plenty of sleep tonight and take it easy for a couple days. And Severus, don't forget to bandage that back and chest twice a day."

She took a moment longer to glare at the two of them. Severus looked mutinous as always, but she knew that he would at least change his bandages. Harry was looking at his lap, most likely pretending to feel chagrined.

She sighed. Why she had to be both blessed and cursed by the care of the two most difficult and frequently injured people in all of Britain was beyond her. There was one large benefit to it though. Over the years, she was certain that her medical skills had been put to the test and improved. She was even considering taking the tests to become a full-fledged medi-healer this year, although she would have to brush up on medical potions since Severus had been her crutch in that area.

Finally, she sighed. "Very well. Have a good summer you two. And do try to stay all in one piece, if not for your own sakes, then at least for mine."

Harry said "Goodnight." He was surprised to see Snape smiling a little when he said "Good night Madam."

With that she left to pack in her office, smiling at Severus' quirks. Snape enjoyed giving Pomfrey a hard time, but in the end, it was always her that seemed to find him out when he was injured and healed him. She had become something of a friend to him over the years, just as the previous school nurse had been when he was just a student. So in the end, he could hardly deny her a small smile as she left for the summer. Besides, it was not as though he could not smile or did not enjoy doing it. He just thought that it was hilarious that most people believed him incapable of it.

When Snape finished dressing, he walked out of the infirmary with a "Come Potter," thrown over his shoulder. Harry felt a little like a puppy taking orders like that, but again, felt that it would be best to keep that to himself.

They walked all the way to the dungeons in silence and when they reached their quarters, Snape pointed to Harry's door and said, "Bed, Potter, and do not miss breakfast. If you oversleep, you will not like my method of waking you." And with that, Snape went to his own room and closed the door behind him.

Well, thought Harry, this night could have gone much worse. In fact, it had actually gone pretty well. Harry hoped that the rest of the summer went as smoothly. And hopefully he wouldn't feel like he was walking on eggshells for the rest of it. But he doubted it. Even though his perception of Snape may have changed drastically, there was no hope that Snape's perception of him had changed. These thoughts occupied his mind as he readied for bed, but when his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep almost instantly. Perhaps he had been more tired than he had thought.

--

The next morning may have dawned bright, but neither Snape nor Harry would know as they were in the dungeons. It seemed that they were both early risers though, as they entered the common room at nearly the same time, Harry just a few minutes after Snape.

"Good morning sir," Harry said.

Snape was wondering what had gotten into Boy Wonder to make him so polite recently but replied anyway with a "Potter" and a nod of his head, which was more than most people got. Snape reasoned that since they would have to live together for the next three months, he might as well at least start the day out well.

Not for the first time since yesterday morning, he found himself wondering why he had ever agreed to take on the task of babysitting Potter. Each time he asked himself the question though, he came back with the same answer; because he didn't trust anyone else to do it properly. And every time he came back with that answer, he asked himself why he cared. His answer to that was that it would save him a lot of work running after the boy when he got himself into trouble, and he actually believed himself when he thought that.

Moving toward the kitchen, Snape started making the strongest tea he had available. Unlike Potter, he had not gone off to sleep immediately, despite being tired enough to do so. He had rolled from his bruised back to his slashed chest to his injured right shoulder and finally settled for the least painful position of sleeping on his left side. Sleep had still evaded him though, so he had gone to his potions closet to get a mild pain reliever.

As he had passed by Potter's door, he thought he had heard something so he stopped to check on him. Perhaps he had been worried that Potter was having another vision, but he couldn't remember even bothering to justify it to himself last night.

When he stepped into the room, he realized that he had simply heard Potter shifting in his sleep. He didn't appear to be having any trouble sleeping though. It had seemed odd to Severus actually, standing there in that room and watching the boy sleep. He looked entirely different; younger and more innocent.

Snape had snorted at his own idiocy. He might look that way when he was sleeping but when he was awake, trouble could find him in even the safest places. Sighing, he closed the door and went back to his own room, downing the potion as he went. It wouldn't do for him to take a sleeping potion with Potter in his care. The Headmaster had chosen him to watch over the boy for a reason. No matter that they were inside Hogwart's formidable wards and Snape's own private wards surrounding his rooms. Snape was paranoid enough that he wanted to be able to wake immediately if there was trouble, either from Potter or from some mutual enemy of theirs.

He sighed again before finally allowing sleep to claim him. His last thoughts were that this summer was going to be a very stressful one. He had said that Potter would have his own personal free time, but that did not mean that Snape didn't feel bound to keep tabs on him. Watching out for the boy had become as mandatory for Snape as breathing over the years and he would not stop now.

Harry had followed Snape over to the kitchen counter. "May I help with breakfast, sir?" he inquired politely.

Now Snape was scowling. "And what, Potter, do you know about cooking?"

"Actually, a lot sir," Harry said with pride. "I did quite a bit of the cooking and chores at my Aunt and Uncle's house."

Snape was only surprised for a moment. "Is that so? Very well, Mr. Potter. There are eggs in the cold box there and pans in that cupboard. I take mine hardboiled."

As they worked, Snape's mind drifted to thoughts of the boy standing near him. He recalled from their Occlumency lessons that Potter's home life seemed to consist of a great deal of misery, but since he hadn't seen any outright abuse, he had let it go. And he had investigated. No, Potter was unloved but untouched. And there was nothing to be done for him in that case. He knew from personal experience that children could survive much worse that what he had seen in Potter's memories.

Not that he approved of that sort of treatment, although there were quite a few people that would not believe that. He knew that there were many that thought that if given the chance, he would be an abusive guardian, but nothing could be further from the truth. He was not a parent to his students. He was their teacher and as such, thought there were many benefits to learning the harsher lessons in life, like how incompetence would get you nowhere. But his own childhood had taught him many lessons about how a guardian should and should not act towards their wards. He truly believed that being a guardian came with great responsibility that no one with any pride could take lightly.

And he could not abide outright child abuse. Indeed, throughout his years as a teacher, he had dealt with many abused children and their parents. As the ones he dealt with were almost entirely from his own house, he had often taken to dealing with the situation outside of the usual methods. He did, after all, have quite an unsavory reputation in Wizarding Britain, which he was not above using to his and his students' benefits. While he would have preferred to go through the usual lines of dealing with abused students, he was always very careful to keep his students' confidence. It wouldn't do to embarrass his Slytherin families when he could just as easily deal with the situation internally.

In fact, the only people that thought that Snape would be abusive were the people who didn't know how he treated his Slytherins. They were his responsibility for longer every year than they were their parents. And the general prejudice against Slytherins made his protection of them even fiercer. There was not one Slytherin that had graduated under his watchful eye that he had not supported in one way or another. Indeed, almost all of his Slytherins still contacted him and it was from some of these ex-students that Snape expected to hear information about Voldemort's movements.

To many in the world, Severus Snape was a man of questionable character. To his Slytherin students, he was their protector, teacher and sometimes father. If the rest of the school thought that he was unfair, he didn't care one bit. Whatever his serpents required him to be, he was. Perhaps it was his years as a spy that allowed him to slip from disciplinarian to comforter but whatever the inspiration, not one Slytherin doubted their Professor.

Although Severus was a little worried about the return of some of his serpents this year. Still, he knew them all even better than their own parents did and he would deal with them all when the time came. And if he had to, he would protect each and every one of them from the service that some of the parents would demand they enter; that of the Dark Lords.

Snape was now set with the strange task of deciding how to deal with Potter. The boy was his student but not one of his serpents and for the summer, he was also his ward. Although Potter was nearly 16, he was still of an age that he would require guidance and Snape didn't think for one second that Potter wouldn't need even more than most other children his age. Snape also didn't think for one second that he could ever be the paternal type all the time, at least not anymore, and certainly not to Potter. Their history alone would make that laughable.

But, he was no longer a spy. He had been thinking about his life ever since he had heard that Potter had been kidnapped and he had come to the realization that much of what he had previously lived for no longer had any meaning. Oh, he still had connections and would be able to bring back some valuable information from time to time, but there was no longer any point in subterfuge. He no longer had to report to a megalomaniac intent on making his minions prove their loyalty over and over.

Still, the question of how to act with Potter was weighing greatly on his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that things should change. There was also little doubt that things could perhaps change. His own instinctive reaction whenever Potter landed himself in danger was telling even to a man that had no basis to judge real relationships any longer.

Even though his whole life appeared to be a carefully constructed lie, there were some things that Severus Snape knew to be true about himself. After all, one had to know oneself in order to do what he had done for years. There were many, he knew, that would say that living a lie precedes believing a lie and that might be true for most people. But Snape had always been very careful of that. He had had to be. If he had ever once let his guard down, he knew that he would have been inviting darkness in. The things that he had seen and done would have made him a cruel man in reality instead of just in appearance if he had lost himself at any point.

And Snape knew that he could guide Potter, that he could protect him. And although he had done so reluctantly at first, he knew now that there was no other option for him any longer. As he had thought many times before in an attempt to justify his motives, one could not spend so much of one's life looking out for another person without caring at all what happened to that person. And that was the case with Potter, no matter how the boy irritated him.

This internal rant could only end in one conclusion for Snape. He was Potter's guardian now. He even admitted to himself that he had seen himself as such for a long time now. And even if Potter went to someone else at the end of the summer, nothing would change for Snape. Harry Potter had become his responsibility because a long time ago he had chosen to make him his responsibility and it was now time to take it to the next level and guide the boy into adulthood.

That was if he could. There was the little problem of their mutual dislike, although, for some reason, Snape thought that that wouldn't be such an issue. Potter was acting very strangely towards him, but it was a step in the right direction, not in the wrong one, so it would have to do as a basis. As for him, well, he was a master at acting.

Harry was unaware of Snape's thoughts while he cooked, but if he had been privy to that information he would have been pleasantly surprised. The truth was that Harry Potter was thinking some very similar thoughts, though from a very different perspective.

There had been no doubt in his mind two days ago that the Professor hated him. That had all changed yesterday. He could not stop thinking about the Intent Spell that Dumbledore had told him about. He had at first been embarrassed because if he was honest with himself, he had felt better during that spell than at any other time that he could remember. And that was saying a lot since that spell had been spoken during a wild flight for their lives from Voldemort. He did not believe for a second afterwards that Snape had actually meant any of that though, at least not consciously.

His dream that night in the hospital wing had shown him the lie that he was telling to himself though. He had wanted that feeling of being watched over to be real. He had wanted to feel protected and watched over because he was sick of always being afraid but having to act like he wasn't. He wanted to be able to rely on an adult with more experience and knowledge. He wanted to have someone that could tell him what to do when things got too crazy. And he realized with a shock that he had wanted his cruel professor, who had hated his father and all his friends, to be that man.

He could not at first understand it. And he certainly thought that he was betraying James Potter and Sirius and even Remus by even thinking it. But he couldn't help his thoughts from turning in that direction anyway, especially after his talk with the Headmaster. He realized during that talk that the man that he had never trusted had been the one man that had tried to save him over and over.

But it was more than that. He was the one man that had the abilities to do so. He was paranoid, attentive, intelligent and, Harry knew after their escape, ruthless. Harry also believed that he might be one of the bravest men he had ever met, especially after Dumbledore's tale last night. And all of these came together to make Harry believe that Snape would make a good guardian.

But there was the matter of how Snape treated him. When he had first heard that he'd be staying with Snape, he had been dreading it. When he had gone down to the lake yesterday and thought about it, he had been hesitantly looking forward to it. He wanted so badly to prove himself to Snape; to be worthy of the man's protection. He had no false hopes that Snape would ever come to care for him. He was even unwilling to admit that he wanted that. What would everyone think of him? He was actively trying to earn...what? Snape's respect? Snape's protection? Snape's...concern?

It all came back to that Intent Spell. Dumbledore had said that Snape must really intend to keep Harry safe if he had used that spell. There was no doubt in Harry's mind how pathetic he was for wanting this. He had done things that the other students here could only gossip about. And yet all he wanted was someone to rely on. Why not Remus or Mrs. Weasley or even Dumbledore? Why not someone who made it clear that they wanted him rather than someone who showed him only contempt? Was he really so needy that he had to have this man's affection too?

He could tell himself all he wanted that it was only a matter of preparing himself for battle that made him want to earn Snape's trust, but in the end, his mind would wander back to the feeling that had washed over him during the spell and he would dwell on his dream and he would analyze Dumbledore's story of Snape's services. And he wanted to groan from the futility of it all. Professor Snape didn't care about anyone, especially not the son of his childhood enemy.

Or did he? The Headmaster had made it clear to Harry yesterday that he thought of Snape as a father would a son. Madam Pomfrey was clearly concerned about Snape and even dared to tease him. And Snape had smiled at her as one would a friend. And yesterday, Snape had been completely...different. He hadn't insulted Harry. Well, not like he usually did. And he had even made jokes about Trelawney when it had only been Harry to hear him. These were not the actions of a man who cared about no one. And who could do what Snape had done for all those years if he cared for no one? He at least had to care about humanity in general to go through what he must have, didn’t he?

And last night, Snape had told him exactly what he expected from Harry and what Harry could expect from him. He had clearly stated that Harry could and should go to him with any problems. Maybe Snape was only saying that out of duty, but those words from Snape combined with the Intent Spell gave Harry a strange sense of hope that Snape really was on his side.

Harry and Snape both ate in silence for some time, until Snape broke it by saying, "Tell me Potter, are you capable of preparing other meals or does your knowledge not extend past boiling water?"

Harry gritted his teeth but tried to answer in a level tone. The man just could not be pleasant. That had to be it. Maybe he had been cursed into being such a bloody git.

"Yes sir. I can prepare many meals."

Snape nodded. "In that case, there may be days that I will expect you to cook meals when I am too busy to do so. It is best to keep all of one's skills honed, no matter how trivial."

"Yes sir."

Rising from the table, Snape spoke again. "I will be checking on the wards this morning. I will expect you in here at 10:30 to discuss the security plans."

He started to walk away but Harry called after him. "Sir, may I go with you? I, um, would like to see how the wards work."

Snape considered him for a moment. Harry didn't even know where that had come from. He was curious about the wards, but did he really want to spend more time with Snape? Yes and no.

Finally Snape answered. "Very well, Potter. These are skills you should learn."

With that he walked out with Harry on his heels. As they walked, Snape handed him a bracelet and began speaking. "The other three occupants of this castle have alarms installed in their quarters to alert them to danger, as do the castle elves. They have all been instructed to leave via portkey at any sign of danger. I have made a portkey for you as well, which you will wear at all times around your wrist, even in sleep. To activate it, you merely say ‘portus' while touching your wand to it. If I tell you to use it, or if you find yourself in danger, activate it immediately and without question. I have placed spells on it that will alert me if you have had to use it. It will take you to a small property that I own that is quite hidden and safe. There is food and floo powder there. If I do not arrive behind you within ten hours time, you will floo immediately to Grimmauld Place only and stay there. Also, it is imperative that we be able to communicate immediately in this castle. Therefore, you will always carry with you this hand mirror."

Snape handed Harry a small compact that opened to show a mirror. It was plain and did not look at all feminine, which Harry would have been grateful for had he not felt a lump rise in his throat at the sight of a mirror.

Sirius had given him a mirror that did the same thing as this one. If only he had used it, he could have contacted Sirius and he wouldn't be dead now. It hadn't even been that long ago. Hot tears of grief and guilt were threatening Harry's eyes. He took the compact but held his head down, willing Snape to look away, but the man didn't, nor did he start walking again.

Severus held the mirror out for Potter to take and was surprised to find the boy's hands shaking as he took it. What was even more odd was the fact that Potter kept his head down, where only moments before he had been paying close attention. The part of his face that Severus could see was all of a sudden pale and the boy's shoulders were stiff and still. What the hell was wrong with the boy now?

"Are you ill Mr. Potter?" he asked.

Without looking up, Harry shook his head, trying to dispel his grief and focus on the Professor's words. For a moment he thought that he wouldn't be able to speak without his voice cracking, but finally, he said, "I'm fine sir," without his voice shaking. He took a few more moments to crush his guilt and then finally raised his head when he thought that he was under control.

Snape was watching him intently and it made him very shy all of a sudden. He didn't want the man to see this weakness of his. He didn't want anyone to see his guilt.