Madam Promfy remained as stiff as a broomstick, cautiously and confusedly taking in the bizarre sight. Severus was viciously accioing several vials of different potions from his cabinets and drawers. To Poppy, it appeared as if the office was having a major meltdown, and not only that was true but the man who thrived within was not too far off from having one himself. Actually he probably was. The enervated mind of Severus Tobias Snape was literally reeling from all his pent up frustration towards the whole Potter ordeal that has been taunting him cruelly since Dumbledore had forced the boy-who-lived upon his shoulders. Thankfully he had not gone completely barmy yet by knowing that his thoughts about Potter were flying faster than he was whipping those vials across the room.

Must the boy find ways to torment me even when he is not even in my classroom to do so? wondered the berserk Severus as he had hurled several potions across his office at his unwelcome visitor.

Nevertheless, it was extraordinary that the man still had some sanity left to be able to control his inapplicable actions. While releasing his anger, Snape very carefully made sure that the speeding potions would come to an abrupt halt before gently settling in front of his guest to take. The snarky Potions Master gathered his pent up temper to the best of his ability and exhaled.

'There shall be no more broken glass in this office!" He silently swore himself.

Again, remembering way too much and forgetting way too little, Potter's fading emerald eye's flashed again in front of his sight without warning. Ruggedly he threw up his shields and yanked the memory out of his head before it snagged.

"What does the boy need now?", infuriatingly asked Severus Snape with his eyes challenging the other.

"Pain relievers? sleeping droughts? Fever reducing potions? Here take them all!"

The hot tempered man then had more potions soaring twards the mediwitch in seconds. Luckily, Poppy was very skilled with her wand as she withdrew it quickly from her pocket, pointed it at the whirling vials, and one by one made them disappear in a resounding pop. Beady eyes had expanded several sizes at the dark man's uncalled for, aggressiveness and unacceptable behavior. Affronted and completely besides herself, Poppy let out a loud huff. Severus knew then and there that he was messing with the wrong witch.

"Severus Snape!"

At the sound of her tone, the man's cheeks grew hot and a blush flushed across his pallid cheeks. Had he not of acted out so childishly perhaps then he would've had the chance to be treated like an adult by her. Ashamed, he turned his back on the woman and preceded to go on as if he had just not acted like a complete mental case out of Azkabam.

"More calming droughts perhaps?", asked Severus lamely, hoping that mediwitch would not insist in him downing one himself.

"Severus...", Poppy continued but unable to say more, the Potions Master headed over to his largest cabinet filled to brim with many different jars of ingredients and potions. In a frenzy he thrust open the cabinet door and removed several large jars from inside. The man bore a rather painful expression on his face as he turned around with the two jars at hand. His forehead had crinkled uneasily. Beads of sweat had already started to form there and in the corners of his dark, swollen eyes which were sagging downward from exhaustion.

"Soothing balm? Scar remover paste?"

Severus clenched the bridge of his nose with a free hand after he wrestled the jars underneath his arm and hosted them over to the desk where his perplexed visitor awaited. The aching sensation in his head was wailing out in full force, and Poppy's reprimanding voice was no help.

"Severus!", scolded the medi-witch as she placed both of her hands on top of her hips.

Unfortunately, the abrupt reprimand had done more than make the drained wizard snap out of his absent-minded state. He had recoiled away from her like a serpent after he had practically jumped out of his skin.

Subconsciously, Snape's swear from before had not lasted very long as the two jars of balm and paste slipped out from beneath his arms. He jerked away, shocked.

SMASH!!!!!!

Severus had cringed when he heard that terrible sound. Again.

And just as the glass shattered into a sea of shimmering light, that same infernal memory plowed right through his occumency shields as if they had not been there in the first place. This time Severus was powerless to remove what was smacking him right in the face.

Victimized by his own mind, the green eyed boy was there to haunt him, to remind Snape of what he had started, and what he nearly had caused...

Severus ruthlessly grabbed two fistful of his greasy locks of hair and began to pull. Hard.

Poppy hesitantly crept closer to the distraught man wondering just what terrible thing was irking him... or rather destroying him.

"Oh dear...", murmured Poppy as she lifted her wand and pointed it at the sea of potions and paste that were brilliantly tainting the cobblestoned floor. Only the Potions Master knew just how similar the splattering of the potions were to Potter's blood which had stained his office (and his mind) only a mere week ago.

"Here, allow me...", insisted Poppy as she pointed her wand at the accumulating mess. Black eyes snapped open just afterwards.

"NO!", shouted Snape as he caused the other to turn towards him abruptly.

Poppy's tiny beaded eyes widened in fear of him just like so many eyes have done in the past. How could they not? People were always afraid, and they had good reasons to be. He was an Ex Death Eater after all, for that fact alone, he was a monster. A killer. Not that he minded it much, Severus actually preferred others to jump whenever he entered a room. It was better off that way that nobody could ever get too close, not that he would allow it it anyway. Never again would be the cause of one to perish from his touch. It had all started with her...

Lily.

His mind reeled off again as he stiffened a flustered moan. Lily Evans was the best thing that had ever happened to him and somehow had seen in him much more than just the greasy hair, large ugly nose, and pale skin. As a little girl, she had really put a spin on his world, his heart, and his whole entire life.

As a child, Snape could not understand how he could be more than a failure. Afterall, he grew up having been called a "freak" for the majority of his childhood and life by his abusive muggle father. It wasn't hard to except the nickname Snivilus either. Tears had always found a way to sneak into his eyes, he just couldn't get anything right!

His mother had been one who loved him by trying to do what was best for her son. Despite how her magic was practically beaten out of her by that treacherous muggle, she had still tried her best to sooth his pain. Elaine Prince had struggled, Severus saw this and as he got older(and grew darker), had wanted to put an end to his father's abuse for good. Unfortunatly it had been too late. Of course that woeful summer of Severus' fourth year he received the beating of his life by Tobias Snape, who had solely blamed him for the cause of her death. Even tho it was his father's missdeeds who made her ill and eventually killed her, Severus blamed himself for what happened...that he could have saved her someway, but didn't do a thing.

Lily was still there, seeing what nobody else did; that he wasn't a monster,that he wasn't a burden or a bane of existence, and that he had a purpose, that he could help people...that he was good.

Then she died, just like his mother had. All because of him.

He blamed himself.

There was nobody left to tell him that he wasn't a monster, that he wasn't a failure. There was nobody left who could possibly see if there was any good in him other than what was to fear. Nobody else could see that there might be something, a chance of goodness there in a heart that has grown cold and so bitter.

Nobody but her had seen him. Nobody else was able to understand.

...and Severus didn't want anyone else to dare try.

Breath, Severus, Breath.

This was the command. He obeyed.

Air seeped inside his battered lungs, and then slowly he released it, calming himself in the process. Unconsciously Snape brought a hand up to his temple, pin-pointed the pressured area with the cold tips of his fingers, and massaged the obscure pain. With all his remaining strength left, Severus tried to sooth away the dreadful source that was bashing into what was left of his brains.

"No. no... It's fine", said Severus in a voice that held too much despair for him to accept.

With two swift movements of his own wand the broken shards of glass came together as one restored with it's contents safely inside.

Severus just wished that it was just as easy to repair Harry Potter as it was to repair a broken jar. He would have offered everything he had to fix the boy now.

"Just tell me what potions you need.", pronounced Severus much more calmly than he had been moments before. His posture became composed, his facial expression numb, and his movement became flowing instead of rigid.

However, Snape was not prepared when Madam Poppy gave him a weak smile

"Harry doesn't need anymore potions, Professor. In fact... he's been doing fairly well."

Severus then whirled around and in his expression was a sense of disbelief. Potter's name was enough to rattle him up as it was, but there was Poppy, who had arrived into his office and appearing as if the boy kicked the bucket.

Instead it all turned out that all she wanted to tell him was that Potter was actually doing well!

Had he just lost his mind for no reason?

He was shocked senseless again as he mildly listened to the mediwitch continue onwards in a pleasant matter about Potter while he, evil Ex Death Eater, inwardly seethed at the ridiculous situation she brought him into.

As if being a mentor was enough! Was he the boy's personal Healer now as well?

"His fever is gone and he's been eating good with the help of some stomach enhancing potions. What is ever so pleasing is that the boy is adjusting to his environment fairly well, but hes still quit weary whenever I'm around him at certain times. Never the less, Mr. Potter is much more comfortable than he was when we awokened him out of his unconscious state last week.", announced Poppy, the ounce of hope in her voice could not be mistaken.

Then something was disturbed, Severus watched closely as the mediwitch dropped her eyes to the table. The small wrinkles that appeared underneath her sullen eyes were just as pronounced as the sneer that formed on his lips.

"He's been talking more everyday." This should have been a good thing but Poppy looked quite fazed by something that Severus did not know of. The women sighed and shook her head which only left Severus more angry than he had been before. Being oblivious did not suit his patience very well.

The sneer on his face had failed to falter even from her last words. Curiosity would have overridden him if he wasn't so hot headed.

"Then why in the name of merlin are you here standing as you are inside of my office?", growled the quick tempered man through clenched teeth.

Long trembling hands grabbed onto the desk for support as Severus miraculously remained on his feet. He could feel his nails digging unpleasantly into the carvings sketched into it's prestige wooden surface.

Poppy snapped her head up with dignity and her small frame became unmoving.

"No need to be rude to me, Severus, I am only here to ask of a favor and report to you about the boy's well being."

her narrow brows crumpled in confusion, "I must say though, I thought you would be pleased with the news seeing how the boy will be in your charge as soon as tomorrow comes."

Severus straightened his stance and pulled back his shoulders, but he could not control his black, oily curtains of hair from falling in front of his face.

"Don't remind me.", returned Snape with a glare. Fortunately for her, she did not even attempt. Instead, the witch chosen to remain silent until Severus decided to pop the question that he rather not.

"What favor do you ask of me.", he quietly drawled. It didn't sound like much of a question.

Shocked he was then when his gaze landed on a small mirror behind her. For the first time that week, Severus saw how completely disastrous he looked. His greasy locks were dangling in a heap of tangled sweat, and his eyes were sunken in from the lack of sleep that was spent concocting Potter's memory replenishing potion. The the bags that had formed underneath his eyes were sagging and had turned into an inky purple against his ashen skin.

The man had barely slept at all since he landed Potter in the infirmary, and when he attempted he found it very difficult. When he tried to sleep, he kept waking up in the middle of the night soaked head to toe in a sweat. Dreaming about Potter 's all knowing expression, and that look of understanding was more like a nightmare than anything else. Severus never wanted to see that look on the boys face ever again, so instead of taking dreamless sleep potions, he stayed awake. Afterall, a Occmency Master was much above the use of such potions.

"I am wondering if you would be able to keep an eye on Mr. Potter tonight."

A split second later, Severus looked like he was about to argue until the mediwitch added in quickly, "I won't be here." He closed his mouth and made her suffer a noble scowl instead.

"Why is that so?", gruffly asked the Potions Master. Poppy shrugged.

"I'm afraid St. Mungles is in need of my aid in controlling a new strain of dragon pox that has sprung lose there. Unfortunately, it's going to take the full night to get everything under control which means I won't be back to check up on Mr. Potter tonight."

"I thought", Severus stressed with a hint of malice in his voice, "you said that he was fine."

Again, it was not said as a question but Poppy knew how to take it. She was really the only other person besides Dumbledore who was ever able to handle the man's quick temper.

"He still is in need of a night watch, Mr. Snape. Professor McGonagal and I have been taking shifts with the job but she is unable to cover for me tonight.", said Poppy very slowly as if she was speaking to a five year old. Her eye's were childing and if Severus was still a young school boy, he might have quivered his lip. Instead, the Potions Master eyed her suspiciously.

"And why, may I ask, can she not? She is his Head after all."

Charcoal eyes narrowed enough to pester the little mediwitch for more. The sad thing was that it actually worked. He saw her weaken, Poppy's form swayed in place unsure of the words she wanted to use. Beady eyes darted to the side in attempt to avoid his cool black ones like before.

Oh! What an annoyance that she keeps dodging him!

"Many of the younger Gryffindor children have been going to her because of Umbridge's detentions.", she explained uneasily, "She's going to be meeting with them later on."

But there was something else that Poppy was not telling Snape. The mediwitch was holding something inside that was deeply bothering her , something that was lounging around uneasily from within.

"Mr. Potter has been having nightmares.", Poppy finally admitted, after slowly bringing up her concerned, beady, black eyes to match the Potions Master's bigger, aloof ones.

Poppy seemed disturbed when Severus broke eye contact so suddenly. Did he really want to know? He couldn't take much more of Potter, but he had to wonder what the boy was like during the past week.

"Severus", came her voice, more gentler this time. He sharply glanced back at Poppy trying to be numb himself again. The only hint of anxiety he showed was how his fingernails were still making grand indents into the desk he was gripping onto. The two glass jars beside him continued to mock him gruesomely for his misdeeds.

He was dangerous, he destroyed everything he touched! Potter being one of them because of that jar of dead cockroaches incident! It was no surprise to the Potions Master that this child must suffer now because of what he did, Poppy closed her eyes hoping her wording was right.

"I think they have something to do with you."

And her wording couldn't have been anymore damn true. They also penetrated much more than just his mind, but also the coldest of hearts belonging to a man that nobody would dare look upon as anything other than what he was; a monster.

............

"Severus?", Poppy grew worried as she watched the younger man push out his chair, fling it out behind him, and slump right into the seat like an old rag doll.

The man made a jester with his free hand, the one that wasn't on his forehead, to the chair across from his,

"You may sit if you like."

Feeling that something was put off and needed to be discuss, the mediwitch took the offer and sat down. She had never seen Severus look so dreary and bent out of shape before, or at least not since that Halloween night when the Potters had perished by the wand of he-who-must-not-be-named. And so, the Potions Master removed the sweaty palm from his forehead looking no doubtfully ill.

"Professor Snape, are you all right?"

He looked dizzy, his eyes were drooping from pure exhaustion as well. Poppy had also noted that the wizard must have paled several shades whiter in that past minute. Was Severus so worried about Potter that he had worked himself up to this awful state? That's what Poppy had thought when she first stepped into his office, but now even that was hard to believe by seeing how crazed he was becoming. But the Professor couldn't be concerned about Potter, could he?

Didn't he hate the boy?

It was a fact that he did. This was made very clear to her and the rest of the staff at Hogwarts that Professor Snape mistreated the child due to the history shared between the man and the boy's father. After all, she had known what Severus' past was like when Harry Potter's father and godfather were all children. They acted very crudely to the child Snape and since the moment that Potter number two had entered his first year, she knew that the adult Snape was going to act very cruel to child Harry for revenge. There was no doubt that Poppy's predictions were proved correct.

"Can I get you a potion?"

Poppy had thought that due to Potter's head injury things between the two might have changed. Severus had seemed like he had cared for the boy back in the infirmary, she had seen him protect him from them all when Potter had been sobbing. She had known these changes could have been because of Potter's mother, Lily. Severus and her have been the best of friends through most of their years at Hogwarts, so it was assumed that Severus would be up for the job of caring for Harry only because of what had happened to her. Poppy could remember talking to the Headmaster on that faithful night, he had explained to her how remorseful Severus was and Poppy then couldn't believe that the man was capable of such emotions... but yet he was.

Still, from seeing Severus' head explode as such and in the way he had thrown himself into such a change made Poppy rather suspicious. Something had to happen that she didn't know about.

"No thankyou. I'm fine."

The dark man's reply was too calm to be true. Poppy was so sure of it and when she looked into Severus' usually stony expression and noticed how it cracked ever so slightly enough to reveal something that was more alive, something more feeling.

She stared, "Is everything alright?"

The man's glare couldn't have been any more pronounced than it already was, "I'm fine, Poppy.", he said dead seriously. The little mediwitch wasn't going to let the situation of his health drop so quickly but Severus took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Tell me about Potter's nightmares. You have said that they were about me."

The demand wasn't grueling, but merely curious. There were not many times when Severus was interested in such matters, especially ones that were about that boy. Yet, she couldn't help but conclude that something life-altering had occurred between the two. Here he was, Professor Snarky Snape, strangely intrigued by what she had to say about Potter.

Oh, where to start... pondered the mediwitch.

"And when exactly did these silly fantasies start occurring? If you can not give him a dreamless sleep potion because he's still a delirious little delinquent then I can not help you." , silky retorted the Head of Slytherin.

His cunning expression had made her fume but at the same time had also made her wonder what he was trying to cover up. There was no doubt that Severus was hiding something. After all, Poppy had seem how the man's mind worked for many years now. The man was able to throw insults at people better than a chasewr was able to score in quiddich. The man was miserable, he hid behind his cruelty because thats what was easier for him; to turn everyone away who wanted to help.

"They aren't dreams Severus. They are memories returning to him, the same ones every night, and you very well know it.", snapped she with anger getting the best of her.

"What happened to him? The truth this time if you please."

Severus remained in his seat, she could tell from the mild shifts in his facial expression that he was trying to contain his greatest intension of exploding again. She gulped figuring that putting the blame on the man was not the best idea in the book, but what is said is done.

"What ever are you talking about?", scronfully exclaimed the Potions Master , "Potter is suffering from a serious head injury. His mind is simply confused, after all the boy's mind has never been anything more then...", he leaned back in his chair and his eyes lit up in brilliant amusement as a nasty smirk formed on his dry lips, "...primitive. That is of course, unless you believe otherwise."

Madam Promfey crossed her arms over her chest. "Well I do."

Severus' eyebrows shot up with mild surprise.

"His head is fine, Severus. It's his memories that aren't."

"It started the night after the incident.", began Poppy eying the younger wizard carefully. Snape was doing the same, his eyes wanting to rip the suspicions out of her head.

"He would start out moaning, but then he'd mumble. For one thing, he kept on saying your name over and over again." Poppy repeated to Severus what Potter had said in his slumber the first night, " Leave him alone. Leave Snape alone! Please don't..."

Severus, who was originally leaning back in his chair in a relaxed position, slowly sat up. His expression remained the same though; cold and bored. Poppy kept trying to explain, but she couldn't portray the emotions that were racking through the boy's body those nights as well as she would have wanted to. There eyes met again, and this time she felt the other man probing dangerously around in such uncharted territory. Dumbledore had mentioned before about Severus being gifted in legimency, but too bad though that she was being targeted.

"Eventually he settled down when I gave him a calming drought. A dreamless sleep wouldn't be good for him when his mind is still so weak. But It didn't help the next night, he only got worse. He was shaking like a leaf, and looking terrified of something... or rather somebody." She gave the Head of Slytherin a noble glare but, just like always, he was not fazed.

"He started to shout...your name again.", she paused as her head started to pound, "He was begging...", she paused and broke eye contact with the younger man. It was as if her mind was being penetrated too roughly, like the man did not want to believe it true.

"He.. wanted you to forgive him, Severus...or to understand something because he kept saying the same thing over and over again; me too, Snape. Me too..."

Severus shook his head and allowed his voice to grow stern, "The boy is just rambling nonsense. Did you not ask him if he remembered the dream the following morning?"

"Oh I asked him.", Poppy tersly stated, "He couldn't recall anything that happened that night. But the next few nights were different after that. He was screaming and sobbing and acting as if he was being hurt!"

Severus eyes narrowed in two dangerous slits, "Impossible!" his calmness was cracking, yet Poppy still dared to push him for more.

"Severus, It had gotten so bad that I had to wake the boy up... and for a few moments when he was awake he was--well, it seemed to me that he was back to his old self."

There was nothing but silence in the room as realization dawned upon the other.

At that Severus was now leaning forward in his seat, waiting apprehensively for the rest. His charcoal orbs were non the less glistening in wonder as he flipped a greasy strand of hair out of his pallid face.

"A few moments he had his head", said Severus more to himself rather than to Poppy as his eyes seem to focus elsewhere. The black curtains fell back over the man's dark features, hiding what needed to be.

"What happened afterwards I could only assume the worse."

Poppy sighed and folded her hands on the desk in front of her confirming his statement. She twiddled her thumbs nervously and selected her next words carefully.

"I was able to tell because of his eyes. They were so bright and lively when he awoken, but then they clouded over again. Faded away as if everything had left him just as quick as it came."

Severus looked absolutely destroyed as Poppy continue on. His mouth was now left hanging slightly agape as he remained transfixed into nowhere.

"When I asked him what he remembered all he asked me was if you were angry with him. I asked him why he thought that."

--Silence--

"What did Potter say?"

Something had shifted in his eyes just then, something beyond extraordinary. It was remarkable how hard his eyes were, but as they cracked they had completed him in someway. Cracking stones were just like filling in an inevitable void. They were cold, but at the same time it was like he melting the ice away.

Change was happening, but he was still himself. To the naked eye, one wouldn't notice the change at all in Severus. It was so unnoticeable that Poppy had first figured that it just could be a trick of the lighting in the room. She was no fool to this, because at that moment in time those bleak, condemning eyes were forever altered. Forever changed.

The silence was torture to Severus. He couldn't take silence no more than he could take The Dark Lord's most severe cruciatus curse. At this moment in time though, he would have gladly taken any curse that his "Master" would have in store for him, especially if the killer was to learn that he is the new carer of Harry Potter.

"Tell me what his exact words to you were", demanded Severus but the demand lacked everything he wanted to it have; the malice and the anger.

There was no maliciousness in his voice, no snarky remarks, no sly comments, no nothing. He was an empty man left with nothing but his solemn thoughts.

Severus didn't know how to act in such ways anymore because all he could see in Poppy's mind was Potter, his cheeks blemished and streaked in hot tears.

He looked at the memory carefully and could sense the anger she held towards Severus. Her suspicions were clear that he had something to do with the boy's injuries, but she was too afraid to push any further than she was going to. Then suddenly the image was release, the mediwitch had forced him out of her mind as if to say "See it for yourself." Her beaded eyes were full of hurt.

She didn't look so fearful anymore and it was probably because of this; Severus wasn't going to hurt this boy ever again. Poppy knew that she was speaking for Harry now.

"To me regarding you?", said Poppy with tears welling up in her eyes. Severus dourly shook his head. Did he...did he really want to hear it?

"He wants you, Severus...to understand something. I don't know what that is, but he wanted you to know that he wasn't going to tell anyone."

Severus heard a sob escape her throat and watched her turn away from his gaze. Bemusement was burning in her eyes as much as realization burned in his own.

How many more nights will it take for the boy to remember what Severus had done to him?

It was only mere moments after his shock that Poppy had turned her back on him and started to drag her feet back over to the fire place. She turned her head to the side before snatching up a handful of floo powder off his mantle place.

"Harry will see to you at eight o' clock after I depart from the school. Umbridge is aware, be on your toes but mark my word, Severus, she will not propose a threat. The boy is in a privately warded off room that will keep him hidden from everyone else. The wards will only be open to you and myself."

But before Severus had the chance to speak as his mouth hung slightly agape from his wild thought processing, the little mediwitch stepped into the fire place. She threw down the floo powder at her feet and had disappeared into the intensity of the green flames, leaving the Potions Master staring dumbfounded at the vacant spot. There he remained motionless as he watched the green flames dwindle to down nothing but ash.