Severus sighed in relief as Harry finally fell asleep as the sun broke the horizon in the enchanted window. It had been a long night with Harry vomiting despite the medications and needing painkillers every few hours. He was tired, but going to sleep now when Miss Adamson was due to stop by soon was pointless, and moving risked waking Harry, the last thing Severus wished to do. So, instead he let his head fall back against the headboard intending to rest his eyes for a minute before summoning a book to read.

A soft knock on Harry's open bedroom door startled Severus enough to wake Harry. Damn.

"Sir," Harry warned half-asleep in that particular tone that Severus learned to recognize overnight.

In an instant, the Potions Master supported Harry to lean over the basin he grabbed from the nightstand just in time for Harry to vomit up a clear liquid that was mostly stomach acid since the boy hadn't eaten anything the day before. The vomit disappeared as soon as it hit the charmed basin and Severus coaxed Harry to swish a mouthful of mouthwash and spit it into the basin before he allowed the boy to sink back into bed. He cast an extra scourgify on the basin to make ensure any chemo residue vanished.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Severus," Miss Adamson said from the doorway with a large tote slung around her shoulder.

"What time is it?" Severus blinked, his mind catching up with his awakened state.

"One," the Specialist informed him with an amused look on her face. "I'll sit with Harry if you'd like to freshen up."

"Thank you," Severus dipped his head in appreciation as he extricated himself from Harry who lay awake with dark circles under his eyes, trapping Severus' hand with his own. "I'll be back soon," he informed the child. "Relax, Miss Adamson won't do anything while I'm gone."

Harry nodded, relinquishing Severus' hand after he gave the boy a reassuring squeeze. Striding from the room, Severus felt a sense of urgency wash over him. Even though he knew the boy was in good hands, Severus felt the need to rush his shower. In less than twenty minutes, he was showered and dressed in black pants and a white oxford shirt, choosing to forgo a waistcoat in favor of comfort.

Looking into the mirror, Severus blinked at his own tired appearance. Dark circles that usually appeared after two consecutive nights without sleep were already present after one night, though usually his sleepless nights were from brewing or grading both of which were less worrisome than caring for the sick child. And the main chemo hadn't even started yet, not that Harry's body cared. The boy was already having a rough time, and since there were no known cancer cases for someone Harry's age it was impossible to predict how his magic or body would deal with the drugs compared to a Muggle. It was an ongoing experiment, not that they'd tell Harry that.

It wasn't surprising to him that Harry finally broke down, but what surprised him was how many issues the boy brought up. Severus would've never guessed the child, what everyone forgot Harry was, harbored so many issues that hadn't been dealt with. It was surprising Harry could function with that many unresolved issues at his age. Had they all failed him that much? He knew the answer was yes. Severus had felt the weight the boy carried around during Occlumency lessons, weight that surely increased since the Mutt's death and Harry's diagnosis.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He meant it when he told Albus he wasn't a shrink, but it looked like he was going to need to be, or at least something close to it to get Harry through the treatments and give the boy a chance to live. Merlin, had he really promised to help the child live if he fought to survive? The Potions Master raised his eyes back to the mirror. He looked like himself, which wasn't much to stare at with his crooked nose and premature lines dotting his face even if he felt off-center. Leave it to Harry Potter to send Severus Snape's tightly guarded mind into a swirl of emotions.

There was also the first intrathecal chemo injection to discuss with Harry. Severus expected Harry to ask sometime during the evening and night why he was already vomiting, but the boy hadn't, and so it left him with the burden of informing Harry. He refused to admit he was worried over the boy's reaction, but there was a strange feeling invading his mind. Severus hoped Harry didn't feel betrayed. The possibility could shatter the tentative trust they had built, and it would take a lot to make up for it. And as Severus was learning, Harry didn't trust easily, which would make overcoming betrayal extremely difficult and draining.

After downing a headache and pepper-up potion from the supply he kept in his bathroom in the hidden cabinet built into the wall located behind the mirror, Severus returned to Harry's bedroom to find the boy sitting up on his own accord laughing quietly as Miss Adamson changed her wand at will from Gryffindor red and gold striped to neon blue with neon orange polka dots.

"It isn't hard," Miss Adamson said demonstrating the wand movement with a pronounced flick as her wand changed to black with tiny golden snitches, "and it doesn't take much power."

"I don't know..." Harry trailed off looking at the Specialist's wand with envy.

"Try," Miss Adamson urged. "It's important to remind your magic that it's meant to cast spells, not fight your cancer."

"We haven't worked on silent casting yet," Harry said as an excuse.

Severus picked up the forgotten wand from the floor where it landed during Harry's breakdown and passed it to Harry. "Go on."

Harry practiced flicking his wand until Miss Adamson deemed it correct. "Now remember as you flick, visualize the color you want your wand to turn. Try a solid color first."

Squeezing his eyes shut as if that helped him visualize the spell, Harry flicked his wand. Severus watched Harry's wand flicker between its natural holly color and emerald green before returning to its natural color. Harry sighed as he opened his eyes to see that his wand hadn't changed.

"You almost had it," Miss Adamson encouraged.

"Try again, Harry, with you eyes open," Severus suggested. After the two spectacular failings concerning Harry's magic, he knew it would make a world of difference for Harry if he could achieve this new spell.

"Okay," the Gryffindor relented though the Potions Master could tell he didn't believe it would change anything. Harry flicked his wand again and this time the wand remained emerald green for ten seconds. "I did it!" Harry smiled, his eyes shining with light that had been absent over the last week.

"Yes," Severus nodded, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from turning upwards, "but it's well past time for you to eat something."

"Oh," Harry frowned, his hand clutching his wand though his stomach betrayed him by grumbling.

"You can practice after Miss Adamson leaves," Severus added.

"Okay," Harry agreed, the smile returning to his face.

Severus helped Harry to the table before ordering a selection of oatmeal, fruit, toast, and milk by floo hoping Harry would find something out of the simple foods to be appetizing. Then, Severus strode into the newly expanded kitchen, which contained more cabinets than before and an island. Relishing the extra room, he prepared coffee and tea to take out to the table for Miss Adamson and himself.

Their brunch had arrived when Severus sat down at the table, and he motioned for Harry to serve himself and start eating. The boy gave him an apprehensive look, but the Potions Master reached over to squeeze his hand in reassurance.

"Coffee or tea?" he asked the Specialist while pouring himself a cup of coffee with a scoop of sugar and bit of creamer added. Taking the attention off Harry would help the boy feel like his eating habits were on display.

"Black coffee, please."

Severus poured Miss Adamson a cup and handed it to her. "If you're hungry, feel free to make yourself a plate."

"No, thank you. I ate lunch before coming," she declined in between sips of her coffee.

The Potions Master took a drink of his own coffee before setting it down to retrieve Harry's medications. He walked over to the small corner cabinet and opened the sturdy wooden door with a wave of his wand where the multiple pill bottles were lined up inside with the labels facing him in alphabetical order. He found the bottles he needed along with the vitamins in the vitamin regimen that Miss Adamson had suggested that didn't interfere with the drugs or treatments. Severus put the pills and vitamins in a small clear plastic cup and set it in front of Harry after he reactivated the wards on the cabinet.

"Are all of these necessary?" Harry gulped as he stared at the cup.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie," Miss Adamson said. "Learn to swallow a few pills at a time and it won't seem as many."

Severus watched the boy swallow two pills at a time until the cup was empty while he tucked into his cinnamon apple flavored oatmeal. He couldn't expect Harry to eat if he didn't.

A few minutes later Harry pushed his bowl and plate away from him after eating a few bites. He looked a little green, so Severus banished the food from the table. "Drink your milk," Severus urged. "It'll help coat your stomach."

"Feeling nauseous already?" Miss Adamson asked.

Harry nodded before laying his head down on the table with his eyes closed, ignoring the glass of milk.

"Let's get you back to bed, and I'll give you an infusion to help, okay?" Miss Adamson stood up, calling upon a house-elf to retrieve a bag of antiemetics and a bag of saline.

------

Snape wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and together they walked back into his bedroom where Snape helped him settle into bed after casting a freshening spell on both Harry and the bed. "Thanks," Harry said when his pajamas were spelled off and replaced with a clean pair of flannel bottoms. The invisible grime was lifted off his skin and the sheets felt cool and smelled fresh like lilies with a hint of peppermint.

Watching the Potions Master release the disillusionment spell on the infusion pump that stood next to the wardrobe made Harry become nervous. The pole thing was large and intimidating with buttons and a display that must be controlled by magic because Harry saw neither cord nor outlet. Severus rolled it over to Harry's bedside as Miss Adamson walked into the room with two bags in hand. She hooked the bags onto the pole and then retreated to Harry's bathroom to wash her hands and put on gloves.

"Sir?" Harry questioned.

"Severus," the Potions Master reminded the boy.

"Severus," he corrected,  "what is she doing?"

"Washing her hands before hooking you up through your Hickman. It's really important the line doesn't become infected, and I suspect she'll also change the dressing and check it while she's here," Severus explained.

"Will it hurt?" Harry asked hopeful that for once whatever had to be done wouldn't hurt. 

"Since the area around where the Hickman is inserted is still a little sore, changing the dressing might be a bit uncomfortable, but you shouldn't experience any pain," Snape reassured him.

"Good," Harry nodded as he looked down to his newest accessory. He shivered. It was so strange seeing the tentacle like tube thing sticking out from his skin. A small pad of gauze covered the actual spot where it entered his skin, but it was surreal all the same. And why did the line split and have three endings? Did it mean he could expect to be hooked up to three things at once?

Miss Lucy returned with gloves on her hands, interrupting his thoughts. She perched on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling anything else besides nauseous?"

"A headache," Harry shrugged. When didn't he have a headache?

"Well, the saline will help with that. You're a bit dehydrated," Miss Adamson said as Harry watched her peel off the transparent dressing that secured the endings to his body, and then held onto one ending. She uncapped it before holding a clear filled plastic syringe up to the line, flushing it before hooking it up to one of the long tubes coming from the infusion pump, and then repeating the process.

Harry was surprised at how painless the process was. It wasn't even uncomfortable nor was there a needle in sight. He could see how he might be able to get used to the Hickman if the process was always that smooth and painless compared to an IV or shot.

"There, you should feel better soon," Miss Lucy smiled, gently touching the area around his Hickman. Harry chewed on his lower lip. It didn't really hurt, but the muscles and skin were sore and as Snape had warned, it was uncomfortable. "Everything looks good. I'm going to change the dressing now. Okay, Harry? Let me know if anything hurts."

Harry nodded.

The Specialist peeled off the transparent dressing from the exit site and another small one from a spot closer up to his neck. She removed the gauze and inspected both areas for infection before gently cleaning the areas and replacing the dressings with new ones.

"You can sit back now," Miss Adamson directed as she got up to dispose her gloves and used supplies in a red container Harry hadn't noticed before in the corner by the bathroom door. "While you're hooked up for the infusions there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you before starting chemo tomorrow."

Harry looked for Snape and found him leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his body, watching from the shadows. He needed the man there to take control of the conversation in case it got too much because Harry didn't think he could handle another episode like yesterday so soon. They locked eyes and Severus dipped his head giving Harry the confirmation he needed.

Sitting in the chair beside his bed, Miss Lucy pulled out a Muggle notepad filled with notes. "As you know, you had your first intrathecal chemo injection yesterday-"

"What?" Harry cut the Specialist off, his anger rising. It was the first time he had heard about any such injection.

"Harry, calm down," Snape said striding over to Harry's bedside.

"No! You said you'd listen to my opinions!" he accused, slamming his fist down into the mattress. Snape promised not to be like everyone else!

"I'll just wait outside," Miss Adamson excused herself.

"Listen to me," Snape said, his tone calm and even. "I didn't mean to exclude you from the decision. Miss Adamson brought up the suggestion after we'd already given you the conscious sedation drugs."

"So I agreed, but I don't remember it?" Harry asked, letting go of some of his anger. He didn't remember much of anything from his time spent in the Hospital Wing the day before and if he had agreed then he couldn't be angry with Snape.

"No, I didn't wish to ask you while you under the influence of the drugs. When I informed Miss Adamson I had the IV started, she asked for my consent to give you your first intrathecal injection since you were already undergoing conscious sedation for the Hickman procedure," Severus explained perching on the edge of Harry's bed.

"That's why I've been throwing up?" Harry pieced together the new information.

"Yes," the Slytherin confessed.

"Why didn't you ask me, or at least tell me after I woke up?" he asked, his voice cracking. Had he made the wrong decision? Was putting Snape in charge of his medical decisions a wrong choice?

"There wasn't time, Harry," Snape sighed squeezing his forearm. "As much as I wish to inform you of every decision before I make it, there are going to be times when I have to make a decision without your input. You have to trust that I'll do what's best for you."

"And starting the chemo injections early was best for me?" Harry ripped his arm away from his professor.

"Yes. It was either allow Miss Adamson to do the injection then when it was doubtful you'd feel any pain or wait when you weren't under conscious sedation with the possibility that the experience would be painful for you."

"I didn't feel any pain?" Harry asked.

"No," Severus confirmed. "You slept through the entire injection procedure."

"Why didn't you tell me last night?" he accused. There were plenty of times Snape could've brought it up.

"Do you think you could've handled it last night?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Harry relented his anger subsiding, "but I hate being kept in the dark."

"I know. That wasn't my intention," Snape said pulling Harry against his side and rubbing his shoulder.

Harry scanned his professor's face, searching for any trace of a lie, not that he'd be able to detect one on Snape's face of all people. But upon a closer look, there was something different in Snape's expression like he was less guarded than usual, and Harry saw a flash of genuineness in those endless pools of obsidian.

"Okay," Harry gave in.

"Thank you," Snape ruffled his hair as he stood up. "I'll get Miss Adamson, so she can go over the precautions we'll need to be sure to take."

Harry nodded liking the sound of we versus you.