"I will contact you after my first class," Severus said. He stood by the fireplace, ready to Floo to his classroom. He'd been ready, in fact, for the past ten minutes, but for some reason, he couldn't seem to bring himself to actually go. He kept thinking of warnings and instructions for Harry instead. "Where is your mirror?"

"On the table by the sofa. Right next to my books, and I have parchment and quills, and yes, they're all responding to my voice. We've double-checked them. Twice." Harry grinned.

Severus ignored Harry's joking and continued, "You know to move your arms as little as possible, and if they should begin bleeding..."

"Call you at once," Harry supplied.

"Because they won't stop bleeding on their own. If I don't heal them within a short while,..."

"I could bleed to death," Harry finished.

Severus frowned at him. "I'm not convinced you're taking the matter seriously."

"I am, sir...Severus. I really am. But we've been over it a dozen times already, and I know what to do. I'm just going to sit on the sofa and read my books and take notes. I'll be very careful about moving my arms, and if there are any problems, I'll call you through the mirror right away," Harry promised.

Severus sighed and nodded. "Very well. I'll be back at lunchtime, Harry. Have a good morning."

"You, too. And you're going to be nicer to the students, remember. No making first-years cry."

"And I was so looking forward to this morning," Severus said dryly. He patted Harry's shoulder, then stepped into the fireplace and Flooed away.

Harry shook his head, still feeling slightly amazed that he and Sn...Severus could joke around with each other. Who would have ever believed it? Then he went over to the sofa and sat down, picking up his schedule, which McGonagall had sent to him during breakfast.

Defense Against the Dark Arts first. It seemed strange when he didn't even know the new professor. He wondered what Slughorn would be like, and shuddered as memories of Umbridge floated into his mind. But then Harry resolutely pushed them away. It wouldn't do to get all upset and have to call Severus back before he'd even finished his opening "stopper death" speech. Anyway, Slughorn was bound to be different from Toad Lady.

Harry settled down to read the first chapter of the Defense text, but it wasn't long before he realized that he might have a problem. Apparently, learning nonverbal magic was going to be important in Defense this year, and much of the first chapter described ways of casting and repelling jinxes by unspoken incantations, with instructions for pairing up and practicing.

It sounded like they were going to be getting lots of practical experience this year, which was great, except that Harry couldn't use his wand yet. Well, he would just have to study the theory, and hope that it would help him to pick up the skill quickly once his arms were well and he could actually practice.

Harry spent the next hour reading and taking notes on the application of nonverbal magic. At first he'd felt a bit silly talking to the quill instead of writing, but he'd gotten used to it by now and was soon absorbed in his work. It was a surprise when he heard Severus' voice calling him. Carefully setting his book and parchment aside, he reached for the mirror and smiled at the professor's rather anxious expression.

"Hi, Severus. How was class?"

Severus seemed to relax once he saw that Harry was all right. "It went well enough, I suppose. I took your advice and only gave five detentions instead of the usual ten."

"Well, that's an improvement." Harry agreed. Before Severus could ask, he added, "Everything's fine here. My arms aren't bleeding, and I've just been studying Defense." He hesitated. "Um, Severus, is there any way that I could begin using my wand again?"

"No! Are you mental, Potter? Are you trying to kill yourself? Your wounds bleed at the slightest provocation, and you want to wave a wand about and have surges of magic traveling through your body? Do you have any idea how much damage..."

"I do now," Harry remarked, in a passably good imitation of Severus' own wry tones. "Sorry, Professor Snape, I promise I won't touch a wand until I have your express permission."

Severus scowled at him. "I don't care for that attitude, Potter. I can still assign you detention, you know."

Harry swallowed hard and looked away for a minute. He wasn't sure exactly how or why they'd started arguing, but he didn't like it. It hurt for the professor to look at him angrily, and speak in such a scathing tone. And worse, it brought back all his fears about their newfound friendship dissolving. He wasn't sure if he could stand it if they went back to being enemies.

A flash of red on his arms caught his attention, and he turned back to the mirror. "My arms are bleeding."

"I'm coming." The professor abruptly disappeared from the mirror and an instant later he was rushing out of the fireplace in the living room. He quickly healed Harry's arms and re-bandaged them. Then he moved Harry's book aside and sank down beside him on the sofa, looking drained and worried.

"I'm sorry," Harry said in a small voice.

"So am I," the professor agreed. He ran a hand through his hair. "I...over-reacted, I suppose. It...concerned me when you mentioned using your wand. You can't do that yet, Harry. The loss of blood could kill you."

Harry nodded. "I didn't mean to talk back. It was just that you started calling me ‘Potter' again, and I thought...." He shook his head and repeated. "I'm sorry."

Casting a sidelong glance at the man beside him, he made himself ask, "Do you still want me to call you ‘Severus'?"

"Of course I do, Harry." Severus pulled him close in a one-armed hug. "I'm not going to stop caring for you just because we exchange a cross word now and again."

Harry froze, wondering if he'd really heard correctly. "You care about me?"

"After the past few weeks, you still have to ask?" Severus murmured. He reached to place his fingers under Harry's chin and tilt his face towards him, just as he had the night before. "Yes, Harry. I care for you. I suppose that's why I spoke so sharply before. There have only been a few people that I have cared for in my life, and most of them are gone now. I don't want anything else to happen to you."

Harry swallowed hard, feeling as if a burden had fallen off his shoulders. It was all right. Sn...Severus didn't hate him again.

"I was just worried about getting behind in class," Harry explained. "The whole first half of the Defense book is about practicing nonverbal dueling, and I can't even use my wand. How am I going to keep up?"

"You won't get that far behind in a couple weeks," Severus told him. "Nonverbal magic is quite difficult and it'll take months of practice before most of your classmates succeed at it. And if you do feel that you need extra help, I'll work with you on it...once your arms are healed."

"All right, sir," Harry gave him a wan smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, do I have your word that you will not attempt to practice with your wand until your arms are well?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Good." Severus hesitated, then repeated what he'd said earlier, "I don't want anything to happen to you, Harry."

Harry looked at him, and something in the professor's black eyes made him feel better. Severus really did care for him.

Severus reached over to smooth Harry's hair. "Will you be all right now?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes, sir."

"All right, then. I've got to go. I'm late for my next class. It's a double one, so I won't be back until lunch. Unless you need me, of course." Severus swept back towards the fireplace.

Before he could Floo away, Harry had to ask. "Severus? How could you put me in detention, since I can't move my arms and all?"

"Oh, I'm sure I could think of something if I really tried," Severus drawled before vanishing in a burst of green flame.

***

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. Harry studied Charms until Severus reappeared for lunch. He was anxious to hear about the first day of school, but so far Severus had only taught younger students and hadn't seen any of the sixth-years.

"Ron and Hermione said they'd come down after their last class. I can't wait to hear all about everything. That's all right, isn't it?" He added, looking over at the professor. It was Severus' home after all. Of course, he'd given Harry's friends permission to visit during the summer, but Harry had to wonder if he might feel differently now that classes had started back up.

But Severus nodded. "Yes. You can invite them to stay for dinner, too, if you'd like."

Harry grinned at him. "I never thought you'd be willing to have all of us down here."

"Times change, Mr. Potter," Severus smirked at him, and then said, "And I'm not upset with you, Harry. But I will have to call you ‘Potter' again in class, you know."

"I know, but that's different." Nonetheless, Harry felt an unpleasant chill deep inside when he thought about attending Potions class again. Sure, everything had been going great here, but what would it be like to face Severus from across his desk in the classroom again? Old memories tried to surface...the professor's cool voice sneering at him, his dark eyes cold and angry,...the queasy feeling in Harry's stomach when he entered the dungeons and knew that he would be baited and humiliated in front of everyone...

"Harry?" A warm hand settled on his shoulder and Harry looked up to see Severus watching him, and now his eyes and voice were filled with concern.

Harry shoved the past away. It was over, after all. Severus cared for him now.

"I'm fine." He forced himself to smile. "I was just thinking about classes. Wonder what Slughorn's like? Sorry, it's ‘Professor' Slughorn, I know. I guess Ron and Hermione can tell me when they come down."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Are you so sure that your friends have had a class with Professor Slughorn then?"

Harry frowned at him. "They had Defense this morning, and isn't he the new Defense professor?"

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose." Severus reached for another sandwich.

"Well, there aren't any other positions available, are there?"

"No." Severus took a bite of his sandwich.

Harry grinned. "You're just trying to tease me. Either he's the Defense professor or he isn't. There's no other choice, is there?"

Severus drained his glass of water and stood up. "Well, he is and he isn't. But I'm sure Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger will want to explain it to you themselves, and I'd hate to spoil their surprise. If you're all right, Harry, the third-year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are waiting."

"What time will you be back?" Harry asked.

"About four o'clock, I suppose. But if you need me for anything..."

"Call you. I know. Good-bye, sir."

Harry spent the afternoon studying Herbology and Transfiguration. A few times he got distracted thinking about his friends and wondering how everyone's first day of classes was going, but for the most part, he concentrated on his work.

McGonagall had been right...it looked as if sixth-year was going to be challenging, and Harry wanted to keep up. It was obvious that nonverbal spells were going to be important in more classes than just Defense and he couldn't help but worry about being hopelessly behind everyone else, in spite of Severus' reassurances. He missed being in class, but he had to admit that he did get a lot of reading done on his own.

He had just finished the second chapter in the Transfiguration text, when there was a knock on the door, and he heard Ron's voice saying, "It's us, Harry. Let us in."

Grinning, Harry called out the password and a moment later, his two best friends were seated beside him on the sofa. Hermione dug around in her bag for the notes she'd promised to bring while Ron leaned back with an exhausted groan.

"You know, after last year being so rough, what with our O.W.L.S. and all, you'd think they'd go a bit easier on us this year, wouldn't you? But I swear, it's even worse. Essays in Charms and Transfiguration already, and a test Friday in Defense," he complained.

Harry looked from one to another impatiently. "Never mind that. Tell me about everybody."

Ron sat up and he and Hermione exchanged a significant look.

"Harry, you'll never guess who the Defense professor is!" Hermione began.

Harry couldn't imagine who it was, if not Slughorn, but before he could say anything, Ron burst out, "It's Dumbledore!"

"Ron, I was telling him," Hermione exclaimed.

Ron looked a little shamefaced. "Sorry."

"Dumbledore?" Harry repeated after a moment of stunned silence. "But he's headmaster. How can he teach, too? I mean, isn't being headmaster a full-time job?"

"He said he thought that with You-Know-Who being back and all, that it was vital for us to know how to defend ourselves, and that as he had had a hard time finding a competent instructor willing to take on the full responsibility of teaching, he'd decided he would just have to make time for it himself," Hermione explained.

"Well, I guess that's what Snape meant," Harry muttered.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Oh, he was just being evasive when I said something about Slughorn being the Defense professor." Harry frowned thoughtfully. "What is Slughorn doing here then?"

"Well, he's going to be Dumbledore's assistant and substitute." Ron put in. "You're right, Dumbledore did say that he had a lot of other duties as well, and that when he couldn't be there, Slughorn would fill in. He's going to help with grading exams and papers, too, I think."

"But is he any good?" Harry wondered. "What about Dumbledore saying he couldn't find anyone competent?"

"Oh, Slughorn's competent," Hermione said. "He and Dumbledore gave us a demonstration of dueling at the beginning of class, and Harry, it was amazing. I've never seen anything like it."

Harry remembered Dumbledore fighting Voldemort at the Ministry last spring, and he knew that if the headmaster had shown the class even a fraction of his skills, that it would have been amazing indeed. It was a moment before he realized that Hermione was still talking.

"Apparently Slughorn used to be a Hogwarts professor, too, but he retired years ago, and didn't want to come back to work full-time. He agreed to help out when Dumbledore needed someone to take his place, but that's all."

"Hmm, well, that's..." Harry broke off, a terrible thought slammng into him with all the force of avalanche. "But it's cursed! No one lasts longer than a year in Defense! What's Dumbledore thinking? We can't lose him!"

"Calm down, mate." Ron patted his shoulder. "You're gonna get your arms bleeding again."

Harry took a deep breath. "But we can't lose..."

"Relax, Harry," Hermione said. "Ron and I have been talking about it already. Dumbledore knows about the curse, and he'd never leave Hogwarts. You know that. He may only teach for a year, but he'll still be headmaster."

Harry took another deep breath and checked to be sure that his arms were all right. He told himself that Hermione was right. Of course Dumbledore wouldn't risk leaving them. But the little knot of fear in his stomach wouldn't listen to reason.