After fighting with Snape for fifteen about who was sleeping where, Harry finally convinced Snape to sleep in his own bed and transfigure the couch for him. After another ten minutes of fighting with Snape about taking a Dreamless Sleep potion, Harry took the potion and fell asleep almost immediately.

Severus, on the other hand, found it a bit harder to get to sleep. He was exhausted, but there was so much swimming around in his mind that he had a hard time putting his thoughts to rest long enough to fall asleep.

All the things he had learned about Harry that day swam at the forefront of his mind. The person he had thought he had known for five years was indeed a complete stranger to him. The arrogant, above the rules teenager that Harry seemed to be at Hogwarts was swept away completely by the abused, unloved orphan who now slept in Severus’ living room. It was very disconcerting thinking that even Severus himself would have given Harry a better home than those Muggles had; Severus would have at least taken care of him, if not loved him.

Eventually, Severus’ thoughts slid away and blackness took over as he fell into a much needed slumber. He had barely slept at all in the last few days and, with a teenager on his hands for whoever knew how long, he certainly needed his rest.

What woke Severus up was someone coming in through his Floo. Since only certain Order members, himself, and Dumbledore were the only ones keyed into his wards, he had slim pickings to guess who it was. As he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he saw the kindly old Headmaster of Hogwarts smiling at him from across the room.

“I see you’ve decided to sleep in this morning, Severus. I’m sorry to have to interrupt your peaceful dosing. I have only a few precious moments before I must head off to Edinburgh to talk to an associate.”

Severus glared slightly at the old man before getting out of bed and pulling his dressing gown on over his night clothes. His swept a hand through his long hair before wordlessly leaving the bedroom and indicating for Dumbledore to follow him.

Upon entering the living room, Severus saw that Harry was already up and munching on a piece of toast while reading one of the many potions journals lining the walls.

“Good morning, Harry! Did you sleep well, my boy?” Dumbledore asked as he smiled over at Harry.

Harry looked up from his book and swallowed his mouth full of toast before smiling at the elderly wizard. “Good morning, sir. I slept well, thank you. I think Professor Snape slept better than both of us,” Harry said with a smirk as he noticed Snape still in his pajamas.

Severus scowled at the teen as he entered the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. It was only nine o’clock in the morning, and though he usually woke up much earlier, it was still too early to deal with that infernal old man and the chipper teen.

“Ah, here he is. I was just speaking to Harry about Remus’ preference to take on the boy for the rest of the summer.”

Severus sat down across from Dumbledore on the re-transfigured couch and sat the tray of tea down on the coffee table. “So, did you decide whether or not Lupin will be taking Harry?” Severus asked as he sipped slowly at his tea.

Dumbledore nodded as he took up a cup of tea and added a few sugar cubes. “I have decided, Severus. Remus plays a very important role in the Order. Because of his affliction, he is able to more readily communicate with the Dark creatures rallying around Voldemort. He is often away on missions for days and sometimes weeks at a time. For this reason, I think the best place for Harry to spend the rest of the summer is here in Bristol with you.”

Severus stopped midway to taking a sip of tea and stared at Dumbledore. He had expected to have to deal with having Harry for a few days, and was even prepared for a week or two, but the rest of the summer? “What about the Weasleys? Molly and Arthur immediately volunteered to take him when they heard what had happened. Surely they haven’t changed their minds?”

“Of course they haven’t. It is by my own volition that I believe Harry must stay here. The Burrow is not under a Fidelius charm, and it is indeed on the map and well known as the Weasley residence. If Voldemort plans to go after Harry again, I believe the first place he would look is the Burrow. Grimmauld Place is not ideal because there would be no one there to help make sure Harry is safe. Though you are sometimes summoned to Voldemort, you are usually home during the summer. This cottage is unplottable, unknown to anyone expect three other Order members, myself, and now Harry, and is under many wards and the Fidelius charm. I don’t think I could imagine a safer place for Harry,” Dumbledore said, watching Severus’ expression closely. The man looked slightly horrified currently, but he was confident that would change.

Harry was looking between Dumbledore and Snape, waiting for the Potions Master to blow up and start yelling. The explosion never happened, however. “So…I’d have to stay here all summer? I can’t go to the Burrow to see Ron and Hermione at all?” Harry asked, feeling disappointed that he wouldn’t get to see his friends at all before school started up again.

“I think that would be for the best, Harry. I know you would like to see your friends at some point, but it’s just not a smart choice with you in so much danger currently. In fact, I must ask that you not tell Ron, Hermione, or anyone else where you are or who you’re with. You may inform them that you’re safe and protected, but you mustn’t let anyone know you are here in Bristol with Professor Snape,” said Dumbledore. He really did hate to separate Harry from his friends, but there was just too much at risk to allow him to go to them or vice versa.

Harry sighed heavily but nodded slowly. “Yes, sir. I won’t tell anyone. I think Hedwig is still at the Burrow. Do you think you can tell Ron to send her back so I can write to them at least?”

Dumbledore smiled as he stood up and clapped Harry gently on the shoulder. “Of course, Harry, my boy. I will see to that as soon as possible. Ah, one more thing; almost all of your belongings were destroyed in the blast. I believe Professor Snape has been making his clothes smaller for you to wear?”

Harry blushed slightly and frowned as he thought about his invisibility cloak, the Marauder’s map, and his Firebolt. He was lucky he had his wand still. “Yes, sir. I don’t suppose anything was salvageable?”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled mischievously as he twirled his wand. A package roughly the size of a sweater appeared on the coffee table. “A few things were saved because they were in your Hogwarts trunk, though not everything was saved.” Dumbledore indicated for Harry to open the package.

Harry tore away the brown paper and beamed as the silvery material of his cloak and the worn parchment of the map appeared in front of his eyes. He let the cloak slide through his fingers, feeling the familiar liquid-like material and feeling much more at home. “Thank you…” Harry whispered as he pulled the cloak close to him and caressed the brittle parchment of the map.

Dumbledore nodded as he watched Harry affectionately cling to the few possessions he still owned. “I’m afraid your broom was not repairable, though I did try.”

Harry shrugged as he looked over at the Headmaster, setting his cloak back on the coffee table. “I’m not so sure I’ll be needing a broom anymore; I don’t see myself playing Quidditch this year, Professor.”

Dumbledore frowned as he studied Harry closely. The boy’s spirit had definitely been dimmed a bit by this most recent tragedy, and it saddened Dumbledore greatly. “I’m sorry to hear that, Harry, but that is a decision that is all up to you. I feel safe saying this to you now, but I had planned to approve Professor McGonagall’s recommendation for you being Quidditch captain this year.”

Harry felt his stomach plummet at those words, but he still didn’t feel like Quidditch was something he would want to pursue anymore. He wasn’t sure exactly what had made him come to this conclusion, but who knew it’s what he wanted. “I’m flattered, sir, really, but I’m going to have to decline the position.”

Dumbledore nodded solemnly as he clasped his hands together. “Very well, Harry. We will have to pick a new captain after try-outs, considering there are the positions of Seeker, and two Chasers now to fill for the Gryffindor team. Well, I must be getting on my way now, boys. I will send along your message to Ron, as well as some gold from your vault so that you may begin to buy some new belongings, such as clothes. I’m sure Severus wouldn’t mind showing you how to Owl order,” Dumbledore said as he nodded towards Snape.

Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes and just nodded curtly, avoiding making eye contact with either Harry or Dumbledore. “Good day, Professor.”

S~S~S~S

“No, you must ask for self sizing clothing because you cannot try them on. It’s the best bet; you’ll know for a fact that they’ll fit, even if they are two Galleons more a pair.”

Severus and Harry were sitting at the coffee table nibbling on small sandwiches and looking through some of Severus’ Owl order catalogues, trying to find some clothes for Harry to buy.

“But I don’t really wear that style. They’re too…Nerdy.”

Severus glared at the teen as he snatched the magazine away. “Those are the pants I wear, thank you very much. They are not nerdy, they’re practical.”

Harry tried to hide his laughter as he picked up a different catalogue. “You wear pants under all those robes and cloaks?” Harry asked with a snicker.

“Of course I do, you depraved boy! I don’t walk around in my underwear – Well…not anymore, at least. Your father saw to that. I made damn sure I wore pants from that day forth.”

The atmosphere suddenly became tense as Harry tried to distract himself with a catalogue dedicated to socks. He lost interest quickly.

“I am sorry for sneaking and seeing that memory, Professor. If I could take it back and un-see it, I would.”

Severus sighed as he laid the catalogue back on the coffee table and leaned back slightly on the couch. “I’m sure you would, Harry. That was definitely not the most charming moment of your father’s life. It was also not the only moment of your father’s life, and you’d do well to remember that.”

Harry gaped at the Potions Master as the magazine slipped out of his slack grip. “Am I imagining things, or did you just defend my father’s memory?” Harry asked, feeling distinctly wrong footed.

Severus rubbed a hand over his eyes before fixing his gaze on a shocked Harry. “As much as James and I despised each other in school, I am not above admitting that a lot of what your father and Black did to me during our Hogwarts yeas was definitely provoked by me. Later on, after Graduation, James turned into a different person; a responsible man, extremely passionate about fighting for what he believed in. Loathe I am to admit it, Harry, you’re father was a good person.”

Harry felt extremely emotional all of a sudden and had to blink back to moisture in his eyes. He never thought he’d live to hear Snape praise his father, of all people. It was definitely a culture shock, to say the least. “Thank you, Professor, for saying that. I still know hardly anything about him – my mum, too.”

Severus nodded slowly as he finished his cup of tea. “Well, I don’t know much about who your father was when he was younger, but your mother, on the other hand, I know plenty about. Lily was my best friend growing up,” Severus admitted, a small reminiscent smile on his face.

Harry felt himself smiling at the thought of his mother as a teenager at Hogwarts. He’d heard stories about his father from Sirius and Remus, but he knew very little about his mother. “What was she like?”

Severus felt slightly wary of describing Lily to her son. He was afraid to let his own feelings for her show too much in front of Harry.

“Well…I’m sure you’ve heard that she was brilliant. She had a quirky sense of humor that most people just couldn’t understand. Though a lot of people thought she was a stickler for the rules, Lily was actually really quite laid back. She only ever enforced the rules like a Nazi when it was James or Sirius breaking them. She wasn’t the gossiping type, but Merlin forbid her and Lupin start talking about one thing or another; they’d gab for hours. She was seriously afraid of bugs, and absolutely loved the smell of brand new parchment. She preferred Muggle pens and pencils to quills, and had a hobby of drawing when she was bored, though she was no Picasso. She was a natural at Potions and Charms, but she hated Transfiguration, though she wasn’t bad at anything she did. She got the most O.W.L.S. in our year, one more than I did. By then, she had stopped speaking to me. I’ll never regret anything more than losing her as a friend. Lily was a beautiful person, Harry, inside and out. You’re more like her than I think I could ever tell you, though you look exactly like James.”

Harry didn’t know when he had began to cry, and he didn’t notice the tears rolling down his cheeks, but he could feel himself smiling. He had always imagined his mother with Ginny’s looks and Hermione’s mind, but he learned that Lily was definitely her own person. His chest ached as he longed to know her himself instead of having to live through someone else’s memories. “She sounds perfect…” Harry whispered as he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them.

Severus felt his stomach do a flop as he watched Harry cry. He had the strangest urge to reach out and hug the boy, though that was completely ridiculous. Severus Snape didn’t hug anyone, especially not Harry Potter. “She was, Harry…She was.”

Though it seemed like it had been hours, twenty minutes passed in silence as Severus and Harry both became lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Severus broke the silence as he turned to Harry.

“I don’t believe I ever apologized for cutting off your Occlumency lessons. It was very foolish of me and…and it could have meant Black’s life if I had taught you correctly in the first place.”

Harry wiped at his mostly dry cheeks and sniffled a little. “It wasn’t all your fault, Professor. I shouldn’t have snuck into your memory, and I hadn’t practiced like you told me to. I think we were both too caught up in ourselves to be able to work together.”

Severus quirked an eyebrow and shook his head slowly. “You’re very wise for a sixteen-year-old; it’s disconcerting.”

Harry chuckled, slightly amazed that Snape would actually call him wise. “I’m not sixteen yet, sir. My birthday is next Friday, actually.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m afraid a large party is out of the question due to the possibility of uninvited guests, but I might be able to convince Professor Dumbledore to allow you to speak to your friends through the floo network for a few minutes that day,” Severus said, feeling completely out of his element. He had no idea where these fatherly urges were coming from, but they were extremely strange to him.

Harry looked about as surprised as Severus felt with an offer like that. “You’d do that for me? Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t thank me yet; I make no promises, I only said that I will ask him if it would be alright. I do, however, want to start teaching you Occlumency again; correctly this time. I certainly took the wrong approach last time, and with you in even greater danger than before, it’s even more important now for you to learn how to block your mind. Will you agree to practice correctly as I instruct you to, if I agree to be a more patient, informant teacher?”

They didn’t really have much else to do for the rest of the summer, and Snape was certainly right about it being even more important now to know how to protect his thoughts and memories from Voldemort. Feeling much more confident this time, Harry nodded his head. “Yeah, I’ll agree.”

The corners of Severus’ mouth twitched up as his black eyes glistened. “Good, very good.”

S~S~S~S

After a mostly enjoyable lunch, Severus decided that it was time to start Harry on the right track for proper Occlumency instruction. The way he had attempted to teach the boy before was not only incorrect, but ultimately unfair.

“Along with our practical lessons, I would like you to read this Guide to help you better understand the finer technique of Occlumency. With a combination of practical and literal lessons, you should be able to comprehend the subject fully,” Severus said as he handed The Beginner’s Guide to Occlumency to Harry.

Ah, so there was the book. He knew from the moment he saw it that, at some point, he would be reading it. No matter, it would be better for everyone if Harry learned to close his mind, and that was exactly what he was going to do. “Yes, sir.”

“Now, instead of throwing you into the middle of the theory of Occlumency and watching you squirm, I will begin with showing you how Occlumency looks and feels like. It’s not something easily described, so the best way is to show you. Now these types of things will require a little bit of physical contact. Is that alright with you?” Severus asked as he moved around the couch, his wand twirling between his long fingers. He tried to discern Harry’s answer from his expression, but the boy’s face was blank as ever.

The idea of ‘getting physical’ with Snape was definitely not ok with Harry, but he was mature enough to know that the physical aspects would mostly likely be a hand on the temple, or a touch on the wrist; nothing more demanding than that. “Yeah, I suppose that’s alright.”

Severus nodded and motioned for Harry to follow him into his bedroom, where the fireplace was roaring warmly in the grate. Severus then sat down on the rug in front of the fire and looked up at Harry. “Sit facing away from me,” he instructed the boy.

Harry’s eyebrow shot up, but he did as the Professor told him, sitting awkwardly with his back to Snape and fearing what would happen next. No one could blame him for being paranoid with an ex-Death Eater who had a vendetta against him sitting behind him doing Merlin knew what.

Severus could tell that the boy was nervous and tense, but he hoped his misgivings would melt away after a little while. It took extreme concentrations to learn Occlumency. “Relax and try to clear your mind. Leave all thought behind you.”

Harry glared at the wall across from him before closing his eyes. If he had any idea how to clear his mind like Snape was asking him, he wouldn’t have had such a hard time with the lessons last year! Stupid man, obviously he didn’t learn from his mistakes. How on earth was he supposed to just stop thinking? It was an instinctive, natural part of the human mind and not something one just knows how to stop – Obviously, Harry was failing miserably at leaving thought behind. He let out a frustrated sigh as his eyes snapped back open. “I don’t know how to do that, sir. I don’t even know where to begin trying to stop thought completely,” Harry said as he turned slightly to look at Snape.

Severus’ had had his eyes closed and was currently trying to clear his own mind when Harry’s frustrated voice cracked his concentration. He decided losing his temper now would only result in frustrating the boy more, so he would be calm in the face of his annoyance. “You misunderstand me, Harry. I do not necessarily want you to ‘stop thought completely’; I want you to abandon your thoughts. No one can stop thinking, but they can occupy their minds with things other than thought,” Severus tried to explain. This was going to be much more difficult than he’d hoped.

Well, that did make more sense than completely halting thought altogether, but it didn’t change the fact that Harry still had no idea how to go about doing that.”I’m not sure I understand, sir. What am I suppose to occupy my mind with if not thought?” Harry asked. He really did want to learn Occlumency, but Snape was going to have to learn how to be a better instructor if they were to get anything done within the century.

Ok, so this method was going to fail as well, Severus realized. On to plan B, then. He uncrossed his legs and stretched them out on either side of Harry, allowing for more room in front of him. “Lean back and rest on my chest. Relax, for Merlin’s sake. I’m not going to hurt you, you idiot child.”

This was getting even stranger than Harry had anticipated. He had never desired to be so close to Snape and would surely never want to be again. He was also getting annoyed with the way the Potions Master kept calling him ‘child’. He was far from a child. Harry leaned back until he felt himself resting against Snape’s slowly rising and falling chest. He felt his stomach squirm, but he tried to relax himself as much as possible by trying to forget who he was leaning on.

“What’s your favourite season?” Severus asked the boy suddenly.

Harry’s confused expression came back as he felt the vibrations of Snape’s voice through his back. “Um…Fall, I guess,” Harry answered. Fall was his favourite season because that’s when he was allowed to go back to Hogwarts and escape his family, though now things would be awfully different this year.

“Can you imagine a simple scene of Fall wildlife? Perhaps a forest clearing, with many coloured leaves falling to the ground from surrounding trees. A light wind picks up the dead leaves and they swirl around, high into the air, before falling back and lying still among the dry grass. The sky is hazy and dull, but the sunlight can still be seen shining half-heartedly through the shedding tree canopy above you…” Severus said as he tried to lay out a scene for Harry to imagine. Different people required different things to occupy their minds. He needed liquid, flowing silver to occupy his; perhaps Harry needed something elemental too. He’d try both roads and see which worked best.

Harry tried to stop thinking of anything but that forest clearing. He added in some low flying sparrows and a soft level of birdsong into the scene that Snape had woven for him. He imagined himself wandering around the clearing, the wind blowing in his hair and the dry leaves tickling his arms as they floated on by. It was a pleasant temperature and a wonderful thought to get lost in. He hadn’t even realized that Snape had placed a hand on each of his temples and was now seeing the same scene that Harry currently was.

“Very good, Harry…This is exactly what I was trying to get you to do. Whenever you need to clear your mind and Occlude, this is the type of thing you need to imagine. You still have your thoughts and memories, but they are hidden behind this scene that is currently occupying your mind. As long as the important things are not on the forefront of your mind, they’re unreachable. This is the key to Occlumency and you cannot move on without it. There is more to it however, so let the scene fade and come back into your consciousness…”

Harry heard all of this as if Snape was speaking from his subconscious and not outside of his head. It was a strange feeling to have somebody besides himself speaking in his mind. He slowly let the forest clearing scene fade away as he opened his eyes. He was back in Snape’s bedroom, leaning against his chest and sitting on the hearth in front of the roaring fire.

Severus removed his hands from Harry’s temples and pushed the boy gently off his chest. “Turn to face me now,” he waited for Harry to turn towards him. He could tell the boy was much more relaxed now, which would be very helpful for the next part.

“Now that you know how to clear your mind, the next step is learning how to Occlude while still being able to function normally. It would not be pertinent for you to zone out every time you need to clear your mind. The key is to know how to focus on the tasks at hand, yet still be able to hide your other thoughts.” Severus flicked his wand and summoned a fifty piece puzzle from one of the book shelves. He opened the box and dumped the pieces out in front of Harry, setting the box aside.

“I want you to imagine that scene again, but this time, I want you to concentrate on putting this puzzle together at the same time. Start thinking of the scene first, then try to start on the puzzle. You may find it difficult to not think of anything but the puzzle at first, but it takes practice. Go ahead and give it a try,” Severus said as he scooted back a bit to give Harry room to work on the simple puzzle.

Harry sighed as he looked down at the picture on the front of the box to see what the puzzle was supposed to look like. It was a never ending field of yellow daises in tall grass on a sunny day. Harry suddenly had a different idea of how to clear his mind. He closed his eyes and imagined he was in that same field of daisies on the front of the puzzle box. The wind was blowing the yellow sea back on forth as Harry walked through the tall grass, letting it slide through his fingers as he started to run. Then he imagined himself sitting in a small clearing in the field with the puzzle pieces and puzzle box sitting next to him. Very slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to imagine he was still in the field with the puzzle. He began reaching for pieces and connecting a few he saw that matched up.

Severus watched Harry carefully to see if he was actually Occluding, or just attempting. After ten minutes with his eyes closed, the boy opened his eyes and began placing the puzzle pieces together. His slow movement and carefully measured blinks made it immediately apparent to Severus that he was indeed Occluding while putting the puzzle together. The boy was a natural when he received proper teaching. Not until Harry had completed the puzzle did Severus move or speak.

“Very impressive…You were Occluding the whole time?” Severus asked as he began to break apart the puzzle and put it back in the box.

Harry shook his head firmly as Snape’s voice rattled his thoughts of being in the field. The scene began to dissolve and he instead was looking at Snape, sitting beside a warm fire in a dark bedroom. “I was still Occluding just then, actually. I did it differently this time, though. Instead of imagining the Fall forest clearing, I imagined myself in that field of daises on the puzzle. I think that if I can somehow adapt my surroundings into a scene that I can lose myself in, I’ll still be able to function as long as I imagine myself doing whatever I’m doing in those surroundings. All I thought of was the puzzle,” Harry said quickly, feeling an adrenaline rush at finally being able to successfully do Occlumency.

“Well, that’s a unique way of doing it, but you may not always be so lucky as to have a ready scene to imagine. I think that if you cannot form your surroundings into a scene like you just did, using the Fall forest clearing would be your best option, since you seem to be able to do that just fine. Just imagine yourself doing whatever it is you need to do in the forest clearing instead. There are many ways of occupying your mind. Using scenes like that is just one of them. A more complicated and challenging way of doing it is to imagine elemental things like fire, water, perhaps a gas, or swirling sand dunes. Some Occlumens find it easier to use elemental thoughts because it is something that does not require too much detail and therefore leaves room for concentration on more important things. I personally imagine a sort of rolling liquid steel, much like what memories look like while in a pensieve. It takes practice to find your niche, but I have confidence in you. Explore a few options and see what works best for you.”

Severus stood up from the hearth and held a hand out to help Harry up. “I think that is enough for now. You can practice a bit on your own and read a few chapters before we begin blocking against mental penetration from an outside source. You’re doing very well already.”

Harry smiled at the Potions Master, feeling quite proud of himself for achieving such a big goal so soon into the lessons. It helped that Snape was actually a very good teacher when he applied himself and didn’t lose his temper. If only he taught his Potions class like that at Hogwarts; many more students would enjoy the subject and pass, most likely. “Thank you, sir. I think I can really get a hang of Occlumency now that I understand it more. You’re a good teacher.”

Severus sighed as he led the way out of the bedroom, through the living room and into the kitchen. “I’m not a good teacher, Harry, I’m only a sufficient instructor when I choose to be,” Severus said as he started to pull out a few ingredients to make dinner.

Harry sat down at the small kitchen table as he watched Snape pull out pots and pans and set them on the stove. One good thing about living with a Potions Master was that the food always had precisely the right amount of spices and ingredients. “Maybe you should choose to be a ‘sufficient instructor’ more often. Maybe I would start to understand Potions as well,” Harry said with a cheeky grin.

Severus turned and glared at Harry as he tapped the stove with his wand to fire it up. “Don’t push it, Potter.”

Harry just laughed and stood up to help the Professor prepare dinner. They weren’t exactly best friends, but they also weren’t at each other’s throats. Maybe spending a summer with Severus wouldn’t be so horrible after all.

S~S~S~S

Harry woke up with a start as a bright light poked at his closed eye lids. He blinked and looked around the living room which was currently acting as a pseudo-bedroom for him. Snape was standing beside a window, its curtains thrown wide and the bright morning sun shining through.

“Morning, Harry. I daresay you’ll be glad to hear that there are two heads in the floo waiting to speak with you,” Severus said, trying to hide his amusement. The boy looked thoroughly confused and highly comical with bed head and displaced pajamas.

Harry tried to wrack his brain for details of why there would be heads in the Floo waiting to speak with him when it finally hit him; today was his birthday! He quickly jumped out of bed, slipped his slippers on, and threw a dressing gown over his night clothes before beaming at the Professor and running into the bedroom towards the floo. His smile became even wider as he saw Ron and Hermione looking around the room whispering to each other.

“Are you lot always this nosey, or do you carefully inspect everyone’s floo you speak through?” Harry asked as he kneeled on the hearth in front of the fire.

Hermione beamed as she spotted Harry, blushing slightly at his words, though it was lost in the green flames. “Harry! Oh, we’ve missed you so much! Happy birthday! We tried to send you our gifts last night, but they came back this morning. Everything is alright where you are, right?”

Ron rolled his eyes and glanced at Hermione before smiling at Harry. “Happy birthday, mate. Any idea when you can come to the Burrow? Hermione is driving everyone spare with worry.”

Harry frowned as he shook his head. “Well, everything is just fine here, Hermione, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to visit the Burrow at all this summer. Dumbledore told me that it’s just too dangerous for me to go anywhere, or for you to come here,” Harry added, already sure of what his friends’ suggestions would be.

Hermione frowned, her bushy curls crackling with the flames. “I’m guessing you can’t tell us exactly where you are, either? We don’t even know who answered the floo, as they fled the room before we could see.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow at that, but he knew it was important that absolutely no one knew where he was or who he was with, including Ron and Hermione. “No, I can’t tell you anything, really. I’m only allowed to tell you I’m safe and well protected where I’m at, and that I’m not alone.”

Hermione worried her lip with her teeth for a second, thinking of how to phrase what she wanted to ask. “How are you, Harry? I mean…emotionally?” she asked tentatively, hoping not to set off Harry’s classically short temper.

Harry smiled appreciatively at his two friends’ concerned looks. He really did miss having his friends to vent to when he needed it most. “I’m alright, thanks. I mean, I was never that close with the Dursley’s because of the way they treated me and thought of magic. I guess it’s a bit disconcerting to know I have absolutely no family left in the world whatsoever, but I’ll be alright. I miss you guys, and Ginny and everyone. Can you tell them all I said hello and I’m sorry for not being able to make it for a visit?”

Ron nodded fervently as Hermione wiped at her teary eyes. “Of course, mate. Sorry that you have to spend your birthday alone – or, er, with whoever it is you’re staying with. We’ll eat some cake for you!”

“Ronald! You have no subtlety, I swear,” Hermione snapped as she glared at Ron through the flames. She turned back to Harry, her face transforming back into a pleasant smile. “Have a happy birthday, Harry. We’ll save your gifts for whenever we get to see you, alright? Be safe!”

Harry smiled and waved, wishing he could be there at the Burrow instead of crouching on Snape’s bedroom floor. “Thanks, guys. See you soon, hopefully!”

Ron and Hermione both waved for a few seconds, then they were both gone, the green flames turning back into normal red ones.

Harry stood up from the rug and brushed the soot from his pajama bottoms, feeling a bit depressed despite it being his birthday. He turned to go find some breakfast and nearly ran into Snape, who was holding out a small package.

“Molly absolutely refused to let me leave the Order meeting last night without promising to give this to you. She also sent along a cake,” Severus said as she handed the small box to Harry, feeling uncomfortable and bit awkward. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do on the boy’s birthday; he didn’t even celebrate his own birthday.

Harry took the box, smiling as warmth spread through him at the thought of Molly threatening Snape with a wand unless he agreed to deliver the gift. He tore off the paper and opened the little black box, his eyes going wide as he saw the gift inside. It was a shiny silver watch that thrummed with magic, but instead of minute and hour hands, there were different words around the large face of the watch; bed, bathe, homework, leisure, Quidditch, family, friends, alone, celebration, eat, and hot cocoa were just a few of the words.

“This is bloody brilliant…” he whispered as he clasped the watch onto his wrist and smiled as the words whirled around until four words came to the forefront of the face and glimmered a soft green. “Family, friends, celebration, eat. Smart little watch, you are.”

Severus quirked an eyebrow as he reentered the room and heard Harry speaking to his jewelry. “Were you just conversing with your watch, Harry?” he asked, a scalding cup of tea balanced in his hand.

Harry laughed and nodded, still smiling down at the watch. “It’s a…er – ‘Time for Intelligence watch’. It’s supposed to tell you what you need most. Fred and George Weasley invented them for their joke shop, Molly says. Brilliant bit a magic,” Harry explained as the watch whirled around again and displayed two words now; bathe and alone. “Well I would hope so,” Harry chuckled as he took the watch off so he could take a shower. He smiled at Snape, who looked bored and indifferent all at the same time. “Save some cake for me, eh?”

Severus rolled his eyes as he sipped at his tea and left the bedroom so Harry could shower and dress before breakfast. “Teenagers…” he muttered as he walked away. He paused and turned back around just as Harry was about to close the bedroom door for some privacy. “Happy birthday, Harry.”

Harry beamed and nodded at the Potions Master, feeling much better now than after his conversation with Ron and Hermione. “Thanks, Professor.”

Even though Harry couldn’t be with his friends on his birthday, it was still turning out to be one of his best ones yet.