After finishing his lunch Harry went to the library and began writing his essay for transfiguration. He quickly realized that he needed to finish the assigned reading before he could start his paper. With a heavy sigh, he took his textbook to the sofa and threw himself down on his stomach and began to read. It was only after a few pages that Harry’s eyes began to droop and he allowed his head to rest for what he hoped would only be a few minutes.

Harry kept scrubbing the floor with the overused sponge, over and over. He plunged his sponge back into the mop bucket and then continued to scrub the floor. The linoleum flooring was covered in red streaks, the water in the bucket even redder. Why was Aunt Petunia having him clean the floor with blood? Whose blood was it? Was it his own?

“Harry. That’s mine. Give it back.”

Harry’s head snapped up and he could see Cedric standing near the backdoor that lead to the Dursley’s garden.

“No, Cedric, I need this. Aunt Petunia said to clean the floor with it. You can have it back when I’m done.” Harry continued his frantic scrubbing.

“Potter! What the hell are you doing?” Cedric was gone and Draco was there. He was leaning against the wall, looking content and worry-free. “I mean, really, you would think you would know how to clean a floor after all the practice you’ve had.”

“It’s blood, Malfoy. How am I supposed to get it clean with blood?” Harry continued to scrub the floor, only looking up periodically to check on his visitor.

“That’s not my problem, Potter. I’m just here to give you a message.” Draco was now standing directly in front of the dark-haired boy. The only part of Draco that Harry could see was the toe of his boots. “Here’s your message, Potter.” Draco swung his foot back and brought it forth with all his strength, sending his booted foot right into Harry’s face. Harry flew back across the blood slicked floor grabbing his face and yelling in pain. Blood began pouring from his nose, eyes and mouth. Draco advanced, the sound of Harry’s teeth crunching beneath his boots.

“Stay away! Stay away from me!” Harry backed himself up against the nearest cabinet and then realized he had blocked himself in. There was no escape. Draco was now upon him again, this time holding one of Aunt Petunia’s large carving knives. Harry screamed and yelled for help, but it did no good. Draco slashed the knife at Harry’s face. Harry was in hysterics until his screams became like those of a wounded animal. The knife kept slashing across his face, again and again and again and again…

“Potter! Potter! Wake up, you nit!” Draco gave Harry’s shoulder a quick jab with his index finger. “Potter!” Draco had walked in on Harry screaming and was not surprised to see that the boy was just having another nightmare. He seemed to have them on a regular basis and Draco was starting to become quite tired of them.

When Harry only continued to scream, Draco decided it was time for something more than a poke in the arm. He drew his wand and cast a water charm. Harry found himself coming suddenly awake after having a bucket of ice water dumped directly on his head. He sat up and frantically looked around. The only person in the room was Draco and Harry immediately went stark white. He knew it had only been a dream and that the Draco standing in front of him might want to kill him, but wouldn’t dare. Well, maybe someday he would attempt to, but not with Snape in the same house.

“Potter, your nose is bleeding. You might want to take care of that before you bleed all over this old, moth eaten carpet. On second thought, bleed away.” Draco went to the opposite wall and began scanning the shelves of books.

Harry reached up and touched his nose. His hand came away covered in blood. Quickly making his way to the kitchen he grabbed a hand towel and put it to his face, leaning his head back to help stop the blood flow.

“Did Draco do that?”

Harry spun around to find Professor Snape sitting at the kitchen table stirring his tea and reading a book.

“Um, yeah. I mean, no! No, Malfoy didn’t do this.”

“Have you lost your mind? Can you not remember how you got a bloody nose?”

“Actually, I don’t know how a got a bloody nose.” Harry pulled the towel away from his face and found it soaked with blood. He refolded the towel and placed a clean side back onto his nose. “I had another nightmare. Malfoy was in it and he gave me the bloody nose.”

Severus lean forward and put his elbows on the table. “In your dream, Draco gave you a bloody nose?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how is it that you have an actual nose bleed now?”

“Well, I don’t know. What I do know is that Malfoy woke me up with a bucket of icy water. The prick. If you were in here this whole time, why didn’t you come wake me up from that nightmare instead of letting Draco dump water on me?”

Ignoring the question, Severus stood and walked to Harry’s side. He took the towel from the boy and examined his nose. The bleeding had stopped and there seemed to be no lasting damage of any sort. Severus sat back down at the table and stared at Harry.

“Potter, have you ever had dreams or nightmares that upon waking seemed to, in reality have caused physical harm?”

“Just my scar hurting when I have nightmares about Voldemort. Actually, my scar only really hurts when I’ve had a vision, not necessarily a nightmare. But you already know all of that.” Harry took the towel to the sink and began rinsing it out.

“What did Draco do to you in your dream?”

“Why do you want to know that?” Harry came back to the table and sat down.

“Humor me,” Severus snarled as he picked up his tea cup and took a small drink.

“Well, I was on my hands and knees scrubbing a floor and he came and stood directly in front of me. He said something about having a message for me and then he swung his foot back and kicked me in the face. Not much to tell.”

“Well, Potter, don’t treat these dreams with the same idiocy that you did your panic attacks. If you have another dream where you awaken with injuries or bleeding you are to report it immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now I have a potion to check on. Find something useful to do with yourself other than sleeping the day away. Why not start by cleaning up the trail of blood you left between here and the library.” Severus swept out of the kitchen and went back to his lab.

Harry stood staring at the drops of blood on the floor. He couldn’t help thinking how just like his dream this seemed. Cleaning blood off the floor had to be easier than in his dream as he would have clean water to do it, but it was still strangely coincidental.

Harry went back to the counter and retrieved the same towel that he had used on his nose and proceeded to clean the floor.

Severus stared down into the cauldron praying to any deities that would listen that he was making this potion correctly. He had never made it before and was therefore giving every direction his utmost attention. He did not want there to be any doubt or second guessing when the results of the potion were reveled. When this potion was done, the results would be final. Severus would either find himself extremely relieved not to be the biological father of Harry Potter or he would find himself in the dilemma of his life. The dilemma, of course, being whether or not to acknowledge the boy as his son or to pretend that this whole potion assignment fiasco had never occurred.

Would he be able to ignore his own flesh and blood? If it meant ignoring Potter, then it probably wouldn’t be that difficult. Severus knew that he was giving the situation too much thought, yet again. He needed to wait and see what answers the potion held before jumping to any conclusions.

Severus then let his mind wander to the Governor’s meeting that was taking place at Hogwarts at this very moment. Albus said that he would contact him if his testimony was needed and Severus sincerely hoped it was. If the Governors were allowed to make a decision with the information they currently had, Severus knew he was a goner and would spend the next several months playing babysitter to two obnoxious teenagers.

Draco was yet another issue of concern for Severus. He truly did like the boy and thought that Draco had the potential to become an outstanding wizard; one that could have influence in the wizarding world and create change. In order for this to happen, Severus knew that it was vital that Draco stay out from under his father’s influence. This was easier to accomplish with Lucius in prison. It would also be manageable if Lucius were to be released from prison, yet Draco was allowed back into Hogwarts. The worst scenario was to see Lucius released from prison and Draco permanently expelled. Lucius would more than likely demand that his son be sent home and taught by tutors. Draco wouldn’t have a fighting chance if that were to happen.

“Professor, the Headmaster is here. He says he needs to see you immediately.”

“Tell him I’ll be right there, Potter.” Severus quickly washed and dried his hands and headed to the kitchen where he found Albus pacing frantically across the room.

“What is it, Albus?”

“Severus there is a bigger plot at play here. Some scheme, out of our control, brought the three of you together the night young Mr. McLaggen was killed and now the plot is to divest the three of you from Hogwarts. They don’t want your testimony. They want you gone.” Albus sat down and began massaging the bridge of his nose.

“You’re correct, Albus. Something does not sound right.” Severus took a seat next to Albus.

“There’s nothing for it, Severus. The Governors want you, Draco and Harry presented before them in the next half-hour. I will go get the boys. You get yourself ready to go.”

“You’ll likely find them in the library or in their rooms.” Severus went to check on the potion to make sure everything was stable. He only hoped he would be back within the hour in order to advance the potion to the next stage. He would hate to have to start over. Severus didn’t really need to get ready for his appearance before the Governors and made his way quickly back to the kitchen where he found Potter standing next to the floo.

“Where’s Draco?”

“He wasn’t ready. He wanted to change his clothes or something conceited like that.”

“Potter, do you always have to be so snide.” Severus now found himself pacing with nervous energy.

“Are you seriously asking me that? If I always have to be snide?” Harry sat down and watched Severus pace.

After a few minutes, Harry asked his professor something he had been wondering all day. “How is the potion going?”

“Exceedingly slow.”

“Well, you knew that, right. You said it would take a few weeks to make.”

“Yes, but it is still an exceedingly slow process for which I want done and over with. The sooner I know I have no permanent ties to the likes of you, the better.”

“Gee, thanks.” Harry made himself sound like he could care less what his professor thought or wanted, but really the comment had stung. He didn’t want to be related to the greasy git either. Yet, Harry couldn’t help thinking how horrible it would be to finally have something he’d always wanted, a mother or father, just to have that person treat him like the Dursleys had treated him. Snape could never be a good teacher or mentor, so what made Harry even entertain the thought that he would be a good father. It was laughable.

A few minutes later, Albus returned with Draco.

“Alright, we’re all here. Draco and Harry, we will be flooing to my office and then going to the boardroom from there. If the two of you want to go ahead and go to my office and wait, Professor Snape and I will join you shortly.”

Draco and Harry each took a pinch of floo powder and disappeared in a shoot of green flames.

“Severus, if I might ask? How is the potion coming along?”

“Fine. It is only the first day of brewing, but so far I have hit no snags in the process. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, my boy, just being a curious old man. You will keep me up to date on its progress?”

“Yes, of course. We should probably go, Albus. It will do no good to have Potter and Draco kill each other before the board gets to do their worst. The Governors won’t like being cheated of their fun.”

With another pinch of floo powder they were both gone.