The canopy above the bed seemed much dustier than it should have been after only three months abandonment. The crisp linens and too-heavy blanket felt like a straight jacket to Harry, and he was sure he would suffocate any moment from the pressure of it. Throwing the heavy duvet to the side, Harry curled up underneath the silky top sheet and tried to close his eyes, but they snapped open again as the image of Draco, stark white and deathly still, haunted behind his eyelids. Harry did not realize he had been biting his lip until he tasted coppery blood.

Abandoning the attempt to get any sleep, Harry threw off the sheet and swung his feet from the bed, looking around for some sort of distraction. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled open the single drawer, finding little odds and ends that must have belonged to his godfather. He shifted around some burnt down candles and broken quill bits and gasped as he caught his own reflection in a small square mirror that was horribly familiar. With trembling fingers, Harry scooped the mirror up and cradled it in his still-youthful hands, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over yet again. He slid his thumb along the edge and let out another gasp as the thin mirror sliced his flesh, warm droplets of blood collecting at the slivered cut. He put his injured thumb to his mouth and nursed the wound as he wiped the little smear of blood off of the reflective glass onto the pair of borrowed pyjama pants that he wore.

Harry was unaware of how long he sat and stared into the little mirror, wishing that Sirius or his father would appear and tell him how to correct his monumental mistake. He wished for his mother to appear and tell him that everything was alright; it would all work out in the end. Even as Harry wished for this false hope, ached for someone to reassure him and hold him while he cried, he knew that he would never feel the warmth of his mother’s hug, the love of his father’s pride. He knew that he was destined to be alone in his struggles, even if he had a few people around him who seemed like they cared almost like a parent would. It was inevitable – Harry Potter would always be an orphan, and he would always have to endure constant reminders that he was alone. The pain of that realization tore at his soul more than anything else ever could.

S~S~S~S

“Now, Severus, you’re being unreasonable.”

“He can stay here, there’s no reason why he can’t! Headquarters is just as safe as my cottage, and I do not wish for him to be in residence with me any longer. If I never see his face again, it’ll be too soon,” Severus snarled as he paced the basement kitchen at Grimmauld Place tirelessly.

Remus rubbed a hand tiredly across his face, his tea growing cold on the table in front of him. Tonks sat across from him looking rather bored and sending exasperated glances at Snape as the man paced in front of Dumbledore, who was looking as serene and calm as ever.

“Voldemort and his followers have no idea that your cottage even exists, Severus. They know the Order has a Headquarters, and they know it is in London. Just knowing that is far too much information and it puts Harry at risk. There is only one week until Hogwarts begins again, and then Mr. Potter will reside in Gryffindor Tower, far from your dungeon quarters and classroom. You are mature enough to handle having him for only one week longer, are you not?” Dumbledore asked in his maddeningly calm and level-headed voice.

Severus let out a quiet growl as he spun around and glared at Remus as if this was all his fault. He was angry and looking for any outlet, apparently. “Fine, he can stay one more week if he wants, but I cannot. I’ll return to Hogwarts early and Lupin can babysit the brat until school starts again.”

“I have to return to the school for the staff meeting as well, Severus. Though I have no qualms about staying with Harry, I cannot. Perhaps it would be best if all three of us were to return to Hogwarts early,” Remus suggested with a shrug. He sounded tired and looked it, too. The three of them had not slept at all that night, what with Snape refusing to leave St. Mungo’s until nearly four in the morning and Harry being wary of returning to the Bristol cottage with Snape at all. Only when Dumbledore came to check up did Harry beg mercy to sleep at Headquarters for at least a little while. The boy was still asleep even then.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded gently. “If that would be more amendable to the situation, then I am not opposed to the three of you returning to Hogwarts a bit early. Harry might be a bit upset about not riding the train with his friends, but I think I can talk him into it, if I must.”

“He’ll get over it, I’m sure. He can explain to Draco’s friends why Draco didn’t ride the train with them, either; that should sober him right up,” Severus said snidely. He had given up pacing in favour of sitting with his arms crossed tight over his chest beside Remus at the kitchen table.

“It’s not all Harry’s fault you know, Snape. Malfoy didn’t have to take those spells for Harry; he could have shoved him out of the way and kept himself from getting hit too. It was a combination of both of their bad instincts. Don’t take it all out on Harry. He already has enough of a guilt complex as it is,” said Tonks. She had been present in Diagon Alley during the attack, being one of the disguised Order members on guard duty. Sure, she felt bad about the young Slytherin being in a coma, but blaming it all on Harry just wasn’t fair.

Severus glared into his untouched teacup, trying to reel in the anger he wished to lash out at the young Auror. That dull niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach that had started to crop up whenever he thought about Potter came up again, agreeing fully with Tonks and angering him further. However, he managed to stay calm and even felt less tense. “Draco was only trying to help. He panicked and didn’t think it through, I’ll admit, but he never would have had to do that if Potter would have stayed hidden like he was supposed to. That boy has no discipline whatsoever, disobeying direct instructions that were supposed to help keep him safe. He’s a ticking time bomb, and I’m not so sure if I’m willing to put myself at risk for someone who obviously sees his own safety as a joke.” Severus snapped, his temper rising again.

Dumbledore gazed intently at the Potions Master, a sharp look in his eyes. “That is not an option, Severus, lest you wish to die rather than help protect him.”

“I cannot always be there for him! There will be situations, circumstances where I can’t get to him to help him, or what I do to try to protect him doesn’t work – will I die then? How deep does this commitment go; how much do I have to lose for his sake?” Severus ended in a hiss like whisper, his voice shaking slightly with emotion.

Dumbledore leaned forward, his ice blue eyes still gazing intently at Snape. “Deeper, I think, than you’ve ever realized. What were the exact requirements, Severus; do you remember?”

Severus’ mind immediately flashed back with stark detail to the moment when he took the Unbreakable Vow five year previous...

Severus kneeled in front of Albus and took the elderly wizard’s hand in his own. He inclined his head towards Remus to indicate that they were ready.

Remus moved forward and touched the tip of his wand to Albus’ and Severus’ linked hands, waiting for Albus to initiate the Vow.

“Will you, Severus, watch over the son of James and Lily Potter, Harry, as he attempts to fill the fated Prophecy?”

“I will,” said Severus.

A bright flame issued from Remus’ wand and wrapped around the linked hands of Albus and Severus, swirling and causing a red glow to light the cemetery around them.

“And will you do everything in your power to keep him alive?”

“I will.”

A second lick of flame, brighter than the first and weaving like a braid with the swirling flame already in place around the two wizards’ hands, slipped from the point of Remus’ wand.

“And lastly, will you protect Harry with your life, no matter what the circumstances may come to be?” Dumbledore asked, his gaze very intense as he grasped Severus’ hand firmly.

Severus hesitated for only a second, even less than that, before nodding curtly. “I will.”

The third flame was the brightest yet, entwining with the braided flames, then soaking into the skin of Severus’ and Dumbledore’s hands.

“Watch over him, do everything in my power to keep him alive, and protect him with my own life, no matter what the circumstances may come to be,” Severus repeated from memory, knowing the last part was exactly what Dumbledore intended for him to remember.

Dumbledore nodded once as he studied his Potions Professor. “Precisely. That last bit about ‘protect him with my own life, no matter what the circumstances may come to be’, that condition makes your statement null and void. Even if you do everything you possibly can for Harry, and he still dies, you will not be taken by the Vow because you fulfilled that criteria just by trying. It is not an impossible task; you just make it harder than it has to be.”

Severus let out a long sigh as he thought that over, glancing at Remus out of the corner of his eye and catching Tonks’ strange, somewhat offended look. “Why, I’ve always wondered, was I the only one to take this Vow, when it is the job of every Order member now?” Severus asked, the familiar question that had haunted him for a long time finally voicing itself.

Dumbledore appeared to ponder that for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to Severus. “You took that Vow because you owe it to Harry. You took that Vow because it gives you purpose, a reason to keep fighting for the light, even when your spy status was torn apart. You took that Vow, Severus, because I never want you to question your importance in this war. You and you alone took that Vow because you were the most likely to doubt your usefulness. It was a test that I had used on all of the Order members when they first joined; I asked the same thing of every single one of them. You were the only one who agreed to it straight away, no hesitation at all. That is how I knew I could rely on you to actually fulfil that Vow.”

Shocked into silence, Severus looked around the table to confirm what Dumbledore had said. Remus looked like this information was nothing new, but Tonks had an incredulous expression on her face as she gaped at Snape. That pretty much confirmed it all. “You cannot be serious. I was the only one who was fully willing?”

Dumbledore nodded succinctly, his eyes sparkling in amusement. “Everyone else, even Remus here, hesitated for a second or two before grudgingly agreeing to it, at which time I told them it was only a test, which they had all failed. You should be honoured that you were the only one to pass, Severus.”

“Oh yes, I’m just giddy with pride,” Severus snapped, glaring at Remus as the werewolf tried to hide his laugh with his tea cup. He tried to let his anger radiate, pushing away the melancholy creeping up on him as he thought about Draco’s still and prone form lying in a stark white hospital bed.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open slowly and Harry stepped in, his shoulders slumped and his head hung in what appeared to be shame. He had tried to sleep for the past five hours or so, but regretful thoughts, replaying memories, and deep shame marred any rest he might have gotten. He didn’t dare look up, afraid to meet Snape’s gaze.

Dumbledore pulled out the chair beside him and conjured a cup of tea as well as a plate of breakfast foods for Harry. “Come and have a bite to eat, Harry; you must be hungry.”

Harry walked over slowly and sat down reluctantly at the table not reaching for his fork or even looking at the plate of food before him. “Not really, sir. I just couldn’t sleep and didn’t feel like trying anymore,” Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone at the table, even Snape, was eyeing Harry with something akin to pity. He looked miserable, utterly exhausted, and very vulnerable. Severus rolled his eyes as he uncrossed his arms and leaned across the table towards Harry.

“Stop sulking, Potter. What you did was foolish, extremely dangerous, and childish – no one will deny that, not even Professor Dumbledore here. Instead of walking around like an inferi, perhaps you should try and help reverse the results of your actions,” Severus said in a low voice, receiving shocked glances from the three other adults in the kitchen.

Harry slowly lifted his head and met Snape’s eyes, feeling his stomach squirm as he realized the Potions Master was not occluding his thoughts. He took this as an invitation, as Snape would never accidently stop blocking for any reason. What Harry saw was anger, regret, sadness, and a hint of sympathy which shocked him the most. Harry blinked and looked away for a second, checking Snape’s eyes and finding the usual block upon gaining his gaze again. So it had been intentional. Harry understood Snape even less now, if that was even possible. “What do you mean, sir?”

Severus sat back in his seat but refrained from crossing his arms again, trying not to seem too standoffish. “Perhaps some research. The Research Department at St. Mungo’s is very busy, as Draco is not the only patient they are researching for. If you could persuade Ms. Granger to assist, you may be able to find something that will help even before the Healers do.”

Harry felt his heart do a little leap at that notion of reversing his mistake. He knew Hermione wouldn’t be able to resist doing research, even if it was to benefit Malfoy. “There aren’t very many books here in the Black library that don’t bite or turn you to stone if you open them,” Harry pointed out, picking up a blueberry muffin and taking a large bite out of it.

“It is a good thing we are returning to Hogwarts a week early, then.” Severus turned to Remus, who seemed to be studying Snape as if he was an interesting psychology experiment. “You’ll need to escort him to gather his things, yours as well I suppose. I need to go back to St. Mungo’s before leaving for the school.”

“If I may be so bold, Severus, but I do believe I may be able to convince Healer Smithson to release Draco into Madam Pomfrey’s care in Hogwarts’ dispensary so that you may be closer to him during the school year while awaiting a solution,” said Dumbledore in a very placating and gentle voice.

Severus felt himself relax minutely, not even aware that he had been so stressed by the notion of not being near Draco during the school year. “I would very much appreciate that, Albus. Thank you.”

“Of course, my dear boy; of course. It is the least I could do.”

Severus rolled his eyes at Dumbledore’s endearment, quite used to being referred to as a boy, even in his thirties. To Dumbledore, he would always be that young and wayward Slytherin who was the butt of many jokes. This thought rendered guilt to rise up in Severus after thinking of all the things he had been saying and thinking about the Headmaster for the last few months. He may be meddlesome – yes – but most of the time it was for the good of others. Severus mentally shook himself, not quite willing to allow himself to wallow in these thoughts.

“I should get to the hospital now so that I may have time to pack later.” Severus stood up from the table, noticing again that Potter was avoiding his gaze like the plague. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not, as his emotions seemed to be skewed and warped when it came to the young Gryffindor, which thoroughly irritated the Potions Master enough to tell himself that he was indeed still furious with the foolish boy. With a nod to Dumbledore and a glance at Remus, Severus stepped into the hearth and took a handful of floo powder from the canister. “St. Mungo’s!”

Harry dropped the muffin he had been eating back onto the plate and pulled his tea closer, taking a deep drink. He didn’t look up at the adults around the table, though he could feel their eyes on him. He suddenly felt smothered and wanted to be alone.

“Remus, may I have a word with you; privately?” Dumbledore asked as he stood from the table and gestured toward the kitchen door. He waited for Remus to pass in front of him before following him out, leaving Harry alone with Tonks.

“Are you feeling better, Harry?” Tonks asked as she leaned her elbows on the table, her chin rested on her palm. Her hair was a deep shade of purple today and fell elegantly to her shoulders, framing her pale, heart shaped face nicely.

“A bit, but not much,” Harry said quietly, not sure why he was talking about it with Tonks of all people. As down to earth as she was, Harry had become increasingly annoyed with her while she had been guarding him at the cottage. Maybe it had been a combination of feeling the prisoner and being baby sat that made him irritable in the first place, not Tonks herself.

Tonks shifted her chair so that she was angled more towards Harry, which in turn scooted the chair closer so that they bumped knees under the table. “It was stupid, Harry, but I don’t think you’re fully to blame. Don’t let the guilt take you over, yeah? I’m sure they’ll find a way to wake young Malfoy up; it’ll just take time. Try not to let Severus get to you so much, either. It’s quite unnerving to see you so frightened of him.”

Harry frowned as the pushed his tea cup away from him. He looked up and caught Tonks’ gaze, which seemed genuinely sympathetic. Her soft smile lit up her features more so than her usually enthusiastic expressions and Harry noticed for the first time just how beautiful she really was – at least in this form. He wandered vaguely what she looked like naturally, no modification of any kind. “I’m not really frightened, per se. I’m just...I feel like I...let him down, as odd as that sounds. I mean, why the bloody hell should I care what he thinks? But...I do, and it’s tearing me up to see him so disappointed – so angry.” Harry had not realized he felt that way until he said it, but even as he reeled from what he had let slip, he knew it was perfectly true.

Tonks’ smile turned to a curious frown as she cocked her head to the side and studied Harry like he was an interesting piece of art on display. “Who would have thought, eh? The way Severus was being so...well, gentle isn’t exactly the right word, but even though he was right livid with you, he was still so...calm.”

Harry shrugged as he sat back in his chair, his messy hair flopping into his tired eyes. “It doesn’t matter now, really. He wants nothing to do with me, and everything will be back to how it was before; Snape hates all things Potter – one summer couldn’t possibly change that.” Harry looked away as he felt his heart drop. “I should be used to that by now, abandonment...”

“Harry –,” Tonks began, her expression one of pained sympathy and disbelief. She had even reached over and clasped her hand around one of Harry’s before Remus returned to the kitchen.

“Ready to go, Harry? I think it best we get your things while Severus is still at St. Mungo’s so he has a bit more time to cool off,” Remus said, trying to make the situation seem less serious than it really was. He felt so torn, afraid to abandon Harry, and not willing to risk Snape’s wrath if he sided with the boy instead.

Harry half shrugged, half nodded as he stood up, pulling his hand a bit reluctantly away from Tonks, who looked like she still intended to chew Harry out for his comment. “See you,” he said as he followed Remus to the hearth and waited his turn to floo back to the cottage.

Remus left before Harry, giving Tonks her chance to get a word in. “You haven’t been abandoned, Harry; never believe that. I’ll write to you, ok? You can come to me for anything – I’ll always be willing to help with whatever you need.”

Harry smiled his first true smile since before the accident, though it was a pained, slightly depressed looking smile. “I’d like that. Wotcher,” Harry said with a wave, his smile growing into more of a smirk as he tossed the floo powder down after stepping into the hearth. “Snape cottage!”

S~S~S~S

It was quiet, too quiet. The globe like lights floated over to hover above Draco’s bed, illuminating the teen’s pale, still features. A Healer was checking the chart clipped to the end of the bed, making comments on the parchment as she ran a few diagnostic spells. Her frown was enough information as it was, but Healer Smithson turned to Snape and said, “No change yet, Professor, but we’re working really hard to find a solution, I assure you. I had an owl from Dumbledore this morning about transferring Mr. Malfoy to Hogwarts for the school year; is that still what you’d like to do?”

Severus was a bit taken aback that Dumbledore had owled the Healer about moving Draco before he had even asked him if it was what he wanted. The old wizard certainly knew Severus much better than he gave him credit for. “Yes, I would like him more accessible while I am teaching this term. The school Matron is qualified to care for him as the staff here is? Or will you or a different Healer be coming to care for him?” Severus asked, truly curious. He knew Madam Pomfrey was a very good Mediwitch, but she was not a certified Healer.

Healer Smithson propped Draco’s bed up and lifted his head so she could pour a bright red potion into his mouth, using a spell to force him to swallow it all. “Poppy is qualified enough to monitor him, yes, but myself and Healer Jacobs will be stopping in from time to time to check on Mr. Malfoy and make sure he is receiving proper care and monitor his improvements and declines. We will still be working very hard here to find a solution for his situation as well. Don’t worry, Professor, we’ll find a way,” Smithson said as she wiped away a bit of spilt potion from Draco’s chin and laid his bed back down flat. She used one more diagnostic spell, frowned again, and looked at his chart. “I’ll be right back, excuse me.”

Severus gave a curt nod and watched the Healer bustle from the ward. She looked familiar, but not like a past student. Severus let his mind wonder over that as he stared unseeing at his godson. It finally clicked where he recognized the Healer from as Severus swam through the thick, distasteful memories of his fifth year at Hogwarts, remembering one of very few good memories in all those seven horrible years.

“Ms. Smithson, please pair up with Mr. Snape, just for today. I’m going to start assigning partners if this keeps happening, Abigail; you cannot work with Mr. McDougal every time,” Professor McGonagall said sternly as she sat the small, prickly hedgehogs on the counter before Severus and Abigail.

Abigail gave a resigned sigh and nodded, frowning at Josh McDougal, her Ravenclaw friend and crush, over Severus’ shoulder. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Severus slumped down in his stool, which was a particularly hard task as the stool sat so high up. He glared at the twitchy little rodent before him, ignoring his textbook and not making a move to try and transfigure the animal as instructed. “Dunno why this requires partners...Bloody juvenile spell...” he muttered under his breath, his long sheet of black hair obscuring his scowling face.

Abby sat on the stool beside Severus and flipped open to the chapter on trans-species transfiguration in her textbook, sighing heavily. This was one of her worst subjects, not to mention she was stuck with Mr. Know-It-All, who made her feel like even more of a failure. “I understand the part about changing its internal DNA before changing the body, but I dunno how you’re supposed to not kill the thing before the transition. I don’t want to hurt it, either...” Abby complained as she frowned pitifully at the little creatures scurrying across the marble desktop.

Severus huffed as he drew his wand and pointed it lazily at the hedgehog, levelling his wand so that it sat flat against his hand, palm up. “Transitus Proprius!” Severus said commandingly, watching as the hedgehog morphed into a guinea pig. He looked up and saw that Abigail looked thoroughly defeated and decided to take pity on her. “You do not understand as well as you might think. First things first, you cannot kill an animal using the trans-species morphing spell. If you do not do the spell correctly, the worst that can happen is a mixing of two different species on accident, which is illegal, but not harmful to the creature. Now, you do have to change the internal DNA first, but it is all part of the same spell. The trick is to arrange how the spell should take place in your mind first, and then be able to push that spell through, executing the steps in the correct order,” Severus explained, garnering a slightly shocked, but relieved look from the too-innocent Slytherin Prefect.

“Close your eyes and no wand for now. Think first of the description in the text about changing the animal’s DNA make-up. Settle that in your mind, and then change to imagining the hedgehog morphing from itself into a guinea pig. Got it?”

Abigail still had her eyes closed, remembering the paragraph about DNA transfiguration before replaying the memory of just having watched Severus’ hedgehog morph into a guinea pig. She nodded quickly before opening her eyes and raising her wand, holding it exactly as Severus had before. “Yes, I think so.”

“Don’t think; know. If you’re not confident with your spell work, it will not be done correctly,” said Severus, twirling his black wand between his long fingers. He had gone through quite the growth spurt over the Christmas holidays and was now at least six foot tall, making him tower over most of the boys in his and the next year up.

Abigail concentrated as hard as she could, the spell arranged in her mind in the correct order. She stared at the hedgehog for a few seconds, replaying how the spell sounded over and over in her head. “Transitus Proprius!” Abby held her breath as she waited for the change to take place. As the hedgehog’s quills started to recede into its skin and the musculature morphed into that of a guinea pig, Abby let out a squeal of triumph and unthinkingly jumped from her stool and hugged Severus hard around the middle.

The entire fifth year Transfiguration class stared openly as Severus turned bright red and sat stock still, the Slytherin Prefect still wrapped tightly around him in gratitude. A few seconds passed in silence until Professor McGonagall came over and tapped Abby on the shoulder, making her open her eyes and realize what she was doing. She jumped back as if burned, her cheeks a nice shade of rosy red as well as she averted her eyes from everyone in the room.

“Very good job Abby, Mr. Snape. Twenty points to Slytherin for two successful trans-species morphing spells.”

Abby smiled lightly as she returned to her stool, still not looking at anyone as she closed her textbook and waited impatiently for the bell to ring. When it did, she took off as fast as she could, being first out of the classroom and leaving Severus to stash away the hedgehogs-turned-guinea pigs in the cages up at the front.

Later that evening just before dinner, it was Abby’s shift to make rounds in the dungeon corridors, checking for trouble makers and wayward students. Abby turned the corner to head along the path back to the Slytherin common room when she ran into somebody who had been watching their feet as they walked.

Severus toppled over, sending Abigail crashing to the ground as well and unluckily ending up on top of the Prefect. He lifted his weight off of her as quickly as he could, his cheeks burning hotly as he stared down at her.

Abby couldn’t move, her body still half pinned by Severus’ weight, not to mention his arms were boxing her in on either side. She looked up at him, intending to yell for him to get off of her and get lost, but the blush on his cheeks, and the slight sparkle in his surprisingly blue eyes caught her off guard. She lifted a hand with some difficulty and swept his long black hair out of his face and behind his ear, feeling that is was not greasy as it appeared, but slick with what could have been hair gel. She could tell he was frozen with fear and uncertainty as he tensed up, his eyes boring into hers. Without really thinking it through, or allowing herself to think about just who this person was, Abby leaned up on her elbows and pressed her lips to his, receiving absolutely no response for a long few seconds. After what felt like years, Severus began to return the pressure on her lips, kissing Abigail back tentatively.

It all happened so quickly, and ended just as quickly as they heard footsteps just ahead getting ready to turn the corner. Jumping up quickly and helping Abby to her feet, Severus brushed off his robes and tried to look innocent as Regulus Black walked by on his way to the common room. They both waited until they were sure no one was around before speaking simultaneously.

“Sorry about –,” said Snape.

“Thanks for –,” Abby started.

They both blushed and looked away from each other, the air starting to feel suffocatingly thick. Abby was the first to recover as she looked back up at Severus in the dark, dank dungeon corridor. “Thanks for helping me in class today; I would never have gotten that spell otherwise. You should think about a career in teaching; you’re good at it.”

Severus smiled shyly, garnering a smile from the Slytherin Prefect as well. “You’re welcome. I don’t think teaching would be my thing. You see, I hate teenagers, and they tend to hate me as well, so it just wouldn’t work. Besides, if I taught anything, it would be potions.”

Abby giggled, surprised to hear the usually subdued Slytherin crack a joke, however hidden it was. “So you’re saying you hate yourself? You are still a teenager, you know.”

Severus nodded, feeling his heartbeat quicken as Abigail giggled. “Yes, precisely; I’m my own reason for hating teenagers. Honestly, would you want to teach yourself?”

“No, not really. I’d get frustrated with how impossibly stupid I was and give up long before I taught myself anything,” Abby said with another giggle, feeling strangely comfortable talking so openly to her mysterious housemate.

“You’re not stupid, Abby,” Severus said quietly, the playful air sucked out of the conversation now. He felt slightly panicked as Abigail stared at him, wondering if he had somehow offended her by defending her intelligence.

Abby felt her stomach churn wildly as she stared up at the much taller Severus, wondering how someone so sweet could be so misunderstood. She snapped out of her reverie as students began to flood out of the common room and towards the steps leading up to the Entrance Hall for dinner. “We should go eat. Want to sit with me?” Abby asked tentatively, not wanting to push herself onto him too much.

“Er....yeah, sure,” Severus said, nodding for Abby to take the lead, ignoring the curious stares they were receiving from fellow Slytherins of all ages. He smiled lightly at Abby as she walked beside him, flooding into the Great Hall with the rest of the school as the smell of a wonderful Hogwarts dinner wafted heavily against their senses. It was the first meal Severus had not spent isolated in a long time.

Severus was brought back to the present as Healer Smithson returned to the ward, looking slightly harried and exhausted on top of it all. She held out a few sheets of parchment to Severus as she fished around in her pockets for a quill. “Here you are, just some forms saying you authorize and approve of Mr. Malfoy’s relocation and that you’re taking responsibility for all expenses as his legal guardian.” She finally found a Never-out quill in her back pocket, handing it over to Snape so he could sign the forms.

“Thanks, Abigail,” Severus said, pretending to read the forms as he waited for the Healer’s reaction to his remembering her. He looked up after quickly signing both sheets and found the Healer smirking at him, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light of the ward.

“I was wondering when you’d snap to. It’s been a long time, Severus, but I never thought you would forget about me,” Abby said as she took the offered forms and quill back from her former classmate.

Severus nodded slightly feeling very old as he tried to not calculate how many years ago it had truly been. “I didn’t forget about you, it was a momentary lapse of memory. It has indeed been a long time. I never knew you had ambitions to be a Healer.”

Abigail shrugged as she leaned against the wall beside Draco’s bed, her arms crossed over her chest as her red hair fell across her shoulders as if it was tired itself. “I didn’t, really. I didn’t have the N.E.W.T.s for it either, but I attended a special post-traditional training school for mediwizardry and was certified seven years ago. I must say I was shocked to hear about you teaching at Hogwarts after your incessant claims that teaching ‘wasn’t your thing’.”

“Yes, well, being a father isn’t really ‘my thing’ either, but things have a funny way of forcing themselves into your life. The boy is my godson; I never intended to become his sole guardian. I remember a girl who started last year, Slytherin who looks like a misplaced Weasley, much like you did. I can’t remember her name; might she be a relative?” Severus asked, knowing full well that Carly Smithson was almost certainly Abigail’s daughter.

Abby smiled as she nodded gently. “That’s my little Carly. Can’t believe I have a twelve year old daughter; makes me feel older than running into old boyfriends so many years later. I nearly died laughing when she came home in June ranting and raving about how scary and mean her new Head of House was. She of course thought I was laughing at her and didn’t speak to me for a week, claiming that ‘he has to be a vampire, mum, he has to be!’”

Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head exasperatedly. “Yes, kids say the damndest things, don’t they? I’m sure you did get quite a laugh out of it, but maybe little Carly should be careful what she says to her mother if she’s going to report to the scary vampire what she said about him.”

Abigail snorted in laughter, covering her mouth quickly and unnecessarily as they were in a ward full of coma patients. She waited for her laughter to subside before letting her hand fall, a wide smile still on her face. “Same old Severus I remember, I see. Well, I’m glad I ran into you, and I do hope your son – godson – begins to improve quickly. I’ll be sure to tell Carly you’re indeed not a blood-sucking undead soul,” Abby said in amusement.

Severus smiled and nodded, standing up from his seat and gently sweeping Draco’s hair out of his eyes before turning back to the Healer. “Thank you, Abby. When will he be transferred? I’m going to go pack now so that I may return to the school tonight.”

Abigail walked over and snagged the chart once more, making another quick note on the parchment before looking back up at Snape. “I just scheduled the transfer for tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock. I’ll be there to help get him settled and to debrief Poppy about his care. See you tomorrow?” she said, her smirk a bit mischievous and her deep green eyes keen.

Severus felt his stomach flutter as if he were still a fifteen year old boy in the midst of going through puberty once more. “Yes, I will see you tomorrow. Good day, Abby.”

“See ya, Sev.”

S~S~S~S

Back at Snape Cottage, Harry was getting a whole lot of nothing done as Remus packed his own belongings that had managed to get strewn across the small house. He sat on his still-transfigured bed, staring down at his shiny new Hogwarts trunk. The engraved letters seemed to mock him as he wanted so bad to reject the trunk, to have his old beat up trunk back because it had not been a gift from Snape. It had not been a sort of peace offering, building a bridge where hot, angry lava had previously boiled in hatred. He didn’t have very many things to begin with, but his new trunk sat completely empty, his clothes, the Marauder’s map and his invisibility cloak lying on the bed beside him. He had intended to pack, but seeing the trunk sitting there, innocently waiting to be filled, made him feel physically ill. This somewhat masked gift of what could have been forgiveness felt tainted; Harry didn’t deserve it after what he had done, after he had hurt the Potions Professor. Though Snape used anger to convey it, Harry knew he was truly hurt, too.

Remus came out of the bedroom, where he was flipping through Severus’ clothes to make sure none of his own had been mistakenly mixed in with them. He located a few of his missing books as he walked by a book shelf and stopped mid-walk as he saw Harry staring down at his still-closed trunk, his belongings sitting beside him instead. “Harry? What are you doing? I’m almost done.”

Harry blinked and shook his head, finally coming out of his depressing reverie as Remus spoke to him. “Sorry...Started thinking and lost track of time,” he claimed, knowing he should just open up the trunk and dump his belongings in, but hesitating anyways.

Remus walked over and sat on the bed beside Harry, sensing that something was off kilter. The nice, expensive looking trunk Severus had given Harry lay at his feet, untouched and waiting to be used. “I know things are hard right now, Harry, and that you blame yourself for what happened, but you cannot let the guilt consume you. As Severus said, you need to turn this negative energy into positive and try to help instead of wallowing in guilt. I know how it feels to be so consumed by guilt you can hardly do anything else. I foolishly let it take me over, and I lost much of my life and happiness because I let myself fall into that trap. Please don’t let it take you over as well. Severus is upset, yes, and he will continue to be for a while, but things will level out; they always do.”

“Snape has always hated me. This summer, something changed between us – shifted. He respected me and I him. I think we finally understood each other for once, and I went and bollixed it all up. I could have killed Draco...Whatever understanding we had before is gone now, and I don’t think I can fix it again.” Harry looked up at Remus, his eyes red-rimmed and haunted looking. “Why do I care so damn much, and why does it hurt so bad?”

Remus wrapped an arm around Harry and pulled the teen closer, encasing him in a half hug. “Because, Harry, despite your history with Severus, you formed a special connection with him. He saved your life, and you gave him something to focus on when he felt like he was useless to Dumbledore, to the Order, to you. After losing his spy status, he felt he could no longer help protect you, but he was wrong; he’s been protecting you just by allowing you to stay here all summer. As little as he may show it, and he’ll probably never admit it, you gave him hope, Harry.”

Harry leaned heavily against Remus as he pulled out his wand and spelled his things to pack themselves into the new trunk, the lid closing with a heavy thud as his things arranged themselves inside. “That may have been, Remus, but it’s gone now.”

Remus was about to protest once more, but the hearth in the bedroom lit up the walls in green as someone came through the floo. Severus walked out of the bedroom and spotted Remus clutching Harry, who looked miserable and defeated, close to him. That familiar twinge in his chest fluttered a bit more, but he pushed it down, ignoring it. His mood had been marginally improved from running into Abigail, and he wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.

“Remus, may I have a quick word with you?” Severus asked, ignoring Harry and indicating that Remus should follow him into the potions lab.

Remus gave Harry another quick squeeze and a reassuring pat on the shoulder before standing up and following the Potions Master into the lab, closing the door carefully behind him.

Severus pulled out his wand and quickly put a few warding and silencing spells on the door before turning to his work desk, which was mostly taken over by a potion trunk. He flipped open the clasps and the spring loaded lid flew open, revealing row upon row of large potions bottles, each labelled with a specific date. “This should be enough potions for the remainder of this year, and all of next. You need to begin taking the potion on the specific date on the bottle, taking a third of it each of the three days before the full moon in order for it to work correctly. I’ve actually made a few modifications to it, adding a mild sedative and pain reliever that should go into effect on the third night before the full moon, hopefully making the transformation easier to bear. There is a stasis spell on each bottle as well, so that it is always fresh. I thought this would be much easier than having to brew it for you every month.”

Remus was shocked speechless as he stared at the trunk full of gleaming bottles. He stepped forward and traced a scarred finger along the spherical bottle, feeling the warmth of the potion through the thick glass. As simple as it seemed, aside from his friends becoming Animagi for him, this was the sweetest thing anyone had done for him. He turned to Severus, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “Thank you, Severus. This is...incredibly thoughtful and helpful. Thank you so much...” Remus pulled Severus into a hug, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Severus hugged Remus back, feeling slightly uncomfortable for the first time with being so intimately close to a man. Having run into his first girlfriend from Hogwarts mere minutes ago, Severus’ mind wanted to latch on to his heterosexuality and pull him away from these feelings for Remus. He felt an internal battle begin that he was sure would not be resolved for a long time if he had to see both Remus and Abigail on a regular basis. He began to pull away, easily being released from the hug, only to be kissed passionately, reminding him of the strength of his feelings for Remus as he enthusiastically kissed him back. It was definitely going to be an interesting school year.