Madam Pomfrey liked to go some nights to the teachers’ lounge, she enjoyed the company, and the friendly bantering. This night she was able to inform them about the latest test she had run on Harry.

“He gained two pounds and a half.”

Snape sighed, he was resigned that sooner or later they ended talking about Potter. It no longer angered him, but he had to pretend….

“He still looks like a starved pigeon,” he said.

“He will have to gain at least 6 more pounds, that would position him in his age average weight, he will start growing then.”

“How long will he have to keep on drinking the supplement?”

“He won’t have to drink it this month. The kids usually gain weight during the Christmas period.”

“Too much sugar if you ask me..”

“It will be good for Harry, he needs some fat over his bones,” said Minerva.

“I will give Harry special vitamins for the cold weather, please make him come to my office.”

“Yes Madam.”

The snow had covered the school yards as a white blanket. It was Saturday and the students were enjoying themselves playing in the snow.

Snape recognized a black haired kid playing with a red headed one… he was glad that Potter looked warm and comfortable. If he had a heart, it would have bled for the young boy that had worn paper pages between his clothes as insulation!

Snape was in Ravenclaw tower with the staff studying blood magic.

“Do you know that some cultures believe that by eating the heart and brain of their dead ancestors they gained their essence and magic…?” Flitwick was reading a long ancient parchment.

“I have heard that blood contracts could be made by making a cut in the hand with a knife and mixing the blood in a handshake.” Severus had even seen that kind of thing done.

“Muggles have experimented with blood to cure themselves. They use transfusions of blood and even organs or bones or bone marrows.” Pomona had been talking with the Muggle studies Professor.

“We use blood as a base for the blood replenishment potions. We use a little bit of the patient’s blood.” Madam Pomfrey had also been involved in the research.

“But how do the blood wards work, I know that Lily never lived in her sister’s house, how did Albus place the wards? Could they work if we find any other relative, may be a cousin or someone further removed?” Minerva knew that they had to explore all the possibilities.

“I though about that, Minerva, I had hired a London lawyer that specializes in inheritances, he said that if there are any Evans living relatives he will found them, even if they do not live in England.”

“That is a good idea, Severus.”

“There are other kind of wards used for the protection of buildings, there are some where blood sacrifices are used… They…keep the foundations protected from harm.” Flitwick was still looking in the ancient parchment.

“Are you sure you are looking at the correct kind of parchments, that is so gross…Filius.” Well, Pomona had always had a weak heart.

“I think we are having some progress…” Filius was really interested in the gross details…

“So, we cut his relatives in pieces, eat their brains and hearts, pour their blood in the house foundations and bury them there…” It was hard for Severus to keep a straight face.

“Harry might be safe in the house, but I am sure the house will be haunted!” Minerva did have a sense of humor! “What have you found about blood adoptions? There is no blood involved at all as far as I have heard…”

“Well,” the small wizard left the parchments over the table and picked another set. “They were very popular during Roman times, but I can’t find any assurance that they would sustain any kind of blood wards.”

“We should use a ‘fidelius’ charm. Buy a house on the Continent and take the boy there.” Pomona would like to visit the Mediterranean Sea.

“We could enroll him in a Summer school…” Severus liked the shocked looks on his colleagues’ faces.

“Harry needs to have Holidays…”

“Summer schools are recreative… Minerva, may be a farm…”

“There are Blood contracts, they made blood brothers…” Filius kept reading.

“We may always combine all these ideas,” said Severus.

“We won’t kill his relatives,” Minerva was getting tired of her colleagues’ obsession with blood.

“Minerva, you are not fun! But it’s not what I was thinking… We may take some blood from the aunt, from Potter and from his cousin and make a blood replenishment potion with them… We could use some kind of fountain to keep it flowing… I guess it would be enough to sustain the wards in the house.”

“The problem is not with the house, it’s with his relatives!” Pomona liked the idea of a house in Italy or France.

“Of course, we send the relatives abroad and keep the house with the blood wards…”

“Harry can’t live alone there… he is a young boy and needs a family…”

“One of us could stay with him for part of the summer at least…”

“He doesn’t only need company, he needs a family environment…”

All their eyes were over Snape.

“I had never liked Surrey… If I’m going to keep him I would rather take him to my family estate… The wards over there are really ancient…”

“That may solve our problems, although you may consider a blood adoption plus a fountain of blood…”

“Filius I will begin to think that you like blood shedding too much! I say that we should wait. There is not rush yet, we have until the beginning of the summer. Harry is safe here mean while.”

On Sunday after they had played in the snow again, Ron started sneezing and he had a temperature the next morning. Harry went with him to the infirmary; Madam Pomfrey made Ron stay and gave Harry some pepper-up potion before sending him to his classes.

Hermione was busy taking notes of the homework and class work. Harry knew that Ron wouldn’t like to be reminded of school while he was sick. The day was gloomy and he felt sad without his friend.

Malfoy sent him a note in transfiguration. It said “Where is your boyfriend Potter? Working in the infirmary to get money for Christmas presents?”

They almost get into a fist-fight in the corridor.

They went their separate ways after loosing 5 points each, but at dinnertime Malfoy sent him a new note. It said that they would meet for a duel in the Armory Room at 11.

Harry answered that he did not trust him, because the last time he had not appeared at all.

Malfoy answered back that they should go alone.

That night, Snape was leaving Flitwick's office when Nigulus Black, going in on one of the pictures in the halls stopped him.

“Oh! Snape, I guess that you should go back to your dungeons via the Armors room.”

“And why is that?”

“I have heard that the armors are upset because two kids are throwing their pieces all around, and you are interested in both of them…”

What am I doing here? Harry thought. He should be under his bed covers. Harry thought that Malfoy wouldn’t appear.

But Malfoy had his own reasons to want to fight, his father had informed him, in the letter he received that day, that he should stay at Hogwarts during the holidays, because he and his mother were going to have a second honeymoon in Paris.

So they both arrived at the appointed time in the armory room.

Neither of them knew enough curses nor hexes, they had used water-splashing charms and also tickle charms on each other. Harry knew that they would end up using their fists, but now they were throwing pieces of armor from the room. It wouldn’t last long as the racket they were making would wake up the castle.

“Stop it Malfoy. We are going to get caught!”

“Do you give up?”

“In your dreams, Malfoy! We are even!”

“No!”

Harry sent an arm piece flying. Malfoy was hit by the glove.

“Ouch!”

“Do you give up?”

“Never!”

Harry felt that someone was behind him, he tried to turn, but felt a hand holding him by the scruff of his neck. A known smell of potions' ingredients made him realize that they were caught by the person he least wanted to see in this circumstance.

Snape caught in the air the piece of helmet that Malfoy threw.

Malfoy wondered what had happened as it did not make a sound. He looked up and was faced with his head of house, holding up his antagonist.

Severus used his wand and several small movements later the armors recovered their pieces.

The two boys were standing quietly beside him. They both could feel the anger boiling inside their professor.

Snape was taking his time fixing the armors, it could have been a job that he should assign to the miscreants, but it would be noisy and it was already late. The room was not used a lot, but the armors wouldn’t like to stay in pieces until fixed by Filch. This was giving him time to think what to do with his charges.

Harry had panicked at the mention of spanking, but that was what Draco was expecting, the blond boy was placing his hands over his buttocks rubbing the pain that would be. How would he proceed? Malfoy also knew that his head of house was not used to letting them sweat for the punishment, it always proceed after the deed, fast and painful. Snape wouldn’t send them to bed until punishment was dished.

Snape finished placing the helmets and turned.

“Are you aware of how many rules you two broke? Gallivanting after curfew, fighting with a schoolmate, using magic outside classrooms, damaging school property. Being close to the third floor! How did you leave the dungeons, Mr. Malfoy? Who gave you the night password?”

“I didn’t go back to the dungeons, Sir. I stayed hidden in the library until curfew.”

“And you, Mr. Potter?”

“There is no night password in Gryffindor tower, Sir. I just told the Fat Lady that I needed to pick up a book that I had left in a classroom…”

“So we must add lying to your list of trespasses…”

“It doesn’t count if you lie to a portrait, Sir,” Draco said.

“And if said portrait is asked about the whereabouts of this particular student?”

“But, Sir…”

“Not another word out of your mouths young men, come with me to my office.”

Once there he started talking.

“As we are very close to the holidays I won’t deduct points from your houses…”

Harry couldn’t believe his ears. Was he going to let them go? Harry watched as Snape pulled a chair and placed it in the middle of the room. He sat and extended his right hand towards Malfoy. The blond boy knew what was expected of him, because he went to the dark dressed man and bent over his lap.

Slytherins knew that their head of house almost never deducted points from his own house, but they knew that they were not free of the consequences. They knew that they were almost always painful. Malfoy didn’t even protest that Potter was allowed to watch.

He had received this kind of punishment in group and knew that if he was here, Potter would receive the same. As well as to be required to keep quiet and not to mention it outside this room.

Being the first would allow Malfoy to watch Potter getting his, in the end.

Harry watched the procedure as if he was in a dream.

Malfoy over Snape’s lap.

Snape’s hand smacking his buttocks.

Malfoy sobbing since the sixth smack.

Snape advising that he should stay in bed and not break any more rules or he would get it bare.

Then it was over.

Snape provided a tissue and Malfoy cleaned his eyes and nose, then he recovered himself.

Snape choose to punish Malfoy first to show Potter that it was not a beating, just some smacks in his buttocks and all would be forgiven.

Malfoy received a small hug and then Snape said, “Well, Mr. Malfoy it’s past your bedtime. Go to your dorm now.”

“But, Sir… Potter…? He saw me…”

“He won’t talk about it, you may stay, but you will get another spanking after I finished with him…”

“It’s not fair.”

“Do you want to come back tomorrow night for another dose, Mr. Malfoy?”

“No, Sir. Good night.”

Snape stood up and took Malfoy to the door, he whispered something in his ear and closed the door behind his student. He turned and kneeled to be able to look at Harry in the eye. He said.

“Potter, you are going to get the same punishment that Mr. Malfoy received. 20 smacks over your uniform. Could you take it? It won’t be pleasant, but it will be over fast and we’ll forget about it. I allowed you to see so you would know what to expect. I won’t beat you.”

Harry was looking through teary eyes. He knew that he was going to be smacked, not beaten. It would be painful, but he wanted what comfort the blond boy received. He wanted to be hugged by Snape.

“Are you ready? Or would you prefer a detention?”

“I’m ready, Sir.”

Snape pulled him over his lap. Harry was tense, he had never been so close to someone else. He felt Snape’s left arm holding him and then the smacking started. It was hard, it smarted. But it hurt much less than his uncle’s fists or his dreaded belt. And it hurt less because he deserved this. He should know better than leaving his dorm for a duel!

He tried to keep quiet, but gave up in the middle. It was a crying and sobbing young boy over Snape’s lap in the end. He cried long and didn’t feel the hand around his back consoling him or hear his words saying that it was over.

When he calmed down Snape stood him up and gave him a tissue. Before Snape could say anything Harry extended his arms and buried himself on his shoulder sobbing more.

Snape held the child. This was the reason why he had sent Draco to bed after all. He knew that Potter was a bundle of pent up emotion and he had to allow him to vent. After a while Harry realized that his tears had wet Snape’s robes and he started getting hold of himself. Snape gave him another tissue.

“How do you feel, Mr. Potter?”

“I am sorry, Sir.”

“Why?”

“Because I got you wet, Sir.”

Snape hugged him again.

“It’s too late to go back to your tower, you will sleep here. Go to the bathroom and get cleaned. You will find a new toothbrush there and your pajamas, the ones that got burned, I repaired them. Put them on and I will fix the couch for you to sleep on.”

“Yes Sir.”

Harry returned with a clean face and red eyes. He had kept crying in the bathroom. He felt like a baby!

He saw that the couch had some blankets and pillows. Snape was not there, but he could hear him moving in a nearby room

.

He lay down and pulled the covers. It was warm and nice. He felt tears coming again and he started crying. Snape came back and sat beside him until he calmed again.

“How do you feel? Are you in pain?”

“No, Sir. It doesn’t hurt any more. Would you tell Professor McGonagall that I am here?”

“I already told her, Mr. Potter.”

“Does she know about the duel?”

“She knows that you were out after curfew and that I have dealt with it. So it was a duel?”

“Yes, Sir. I had never been in a duel before. Just read about them, with swords or guns, but we used magic, Sir.”

“And that was not good. You do not know enough magic, but you could be in great danger. If you ever point your wand at another person without your teachers’ supervision I will spank you bare and I would use a slipper. Is that understood, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.”

Snape placed his hand on his head, moving the hair and closing his eyes softly.

“Stop talking and go to sleep. It’s already late. I will leave this lamp on so you won’t get disoriented if you wake up.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Good night, child.”

Snape woke up and went out to check on the boy asleep in his living room. He could have transfigured the couch into a bed, but he didn’t want to set a precedent.

He had a guest room, but it was used as an additional library. He was conducting his 'bloody blood wards' research there. He was not going to allow any child in there, as the books were more than a little dangerous.

He had allowed some of his home-sick Slytherin students to stay in his quarters before, but always on the couch.

Harry woke up with a strange feeling of not knowing where he was. He left the couch for the bathroom and went back to the living room.

He couldn’t sleep again so he tried to open the door and it was locked. He had to wait for his Professor.

Snape had heard the boy wake up later and that he tried to open the door, he would scold the boy for that. It is not polite to try to leave without your host’s knowledge.

He came out and found Harry, wearing his uniform and cleaning the kitchen.

“Might you tell me what are you doing in my kitchen, Mr. Potter?”

“Sir… I… I was going to prepare some breakfast. There is no food, just tea. I wanted to go to the kitchens, but the door is closed… so I thought that I should wash instead…”

“Let that be child. We will have breakfast in the Great Hall.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Why would you want to prepare breakfast, are you hungry, Mr. Potter?”

“Not very much, Sir. But preparing breakfast is one of my chores at my aunt’s home and I was awake… So I guess I needed something to do.”

“I would appreciate, Mr. Potter that if you ever sleep here again, you would stay in your bed. Try to sleep more or take a book to read. It’s not polite to try to leave or clean around, it may imply to your host that his living accommodations are not adequate.”

“I am sorry, Sir. It was not my intention.”

“Just remember it for future reference, Mr. Potter.”

“Could I really read one of your books, Sir?”

“Only the books you can reach! And the ones that allow themselves to be picked. The ones that won’t go out must be left alone. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Well… let’s go, Mr. Potter, we need our breakfast.”

“Sir… Do you have any book where I can find something about Nicholas Flamel?”

“And why would you want to find him, Mr. Potter?”

“Hermione… She came across his name… in something she was reading and… she is curious…Sir.”

“How did she come across his name, what was she researching?”

“I don’t know.”

Snape knew that the boy was not saying the truth, but he let it go.

“My advice is that you shouldn’t stick your nose into everything, Mr. Potter and the same goes to Miss Granger.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You should try this eggnog, Minerva.”

“Thank you, Poppy. I need to know how many students are going to stay for Christmas vacation. I have 2 firsts, 2 thirds, 1 fourth, 3 fifths, and 6 sevenths…” Poppy magically tallied them in the wall.

“Filius?”

“Just 3 fifths and 4 sevenths”

“Pomona?”

“3 fifths, 3 sixths and 2 sevenths.”

“Severus?”

“1 first, 4 fifths and 5 sevenths.”

“Should we house them all together?” Filius said knowing that it always created controversy.

“Do you want them to kill each other?” Severus always answered that.

“It’s Christmas. They can forget the house rivalry.”

“You are an optimist, Pomona, but I would rather each stays in their dormitories,” confirmed Minerva.

“They will be at the same table at meals any way,” continued Flitwick.

Minerva knocked at Snape’s office door and was received inside the sober room.

“What can I do for you, Minerva?”

“I see that as always you choose to skip on the Christmas decorations.”

“Holiday nonsense, would you like some tea?”

“Yes please, I received an owl form Arthur and Molly Weasley this morning. It seems that there is an outbreak of Dragon pox in Romania and their son is coming to England instead of their going to visit him, so they are asking us to send their four kids.”

“Early Christmas present, Minerva, I guess that you will sleep better knowing that there are no Weasleys sleeping under you roof.”

“They are a handful. The bad side of this, is that Harry is left alone. Ronald Weasley wanted him to accompany his family, but we do not have Harry's family approval and no time at all to ask them.”

“When are they leaving?”

“Hagrid took them just now to the train station. Harry went with them and will come back with Hagrid.”

“Please ask Mr. Potter to see me, Minerva.”

“Thank you, Severus.”

“You wanted to see me, Professor?’

“Yes, Mr. Potter. I have this supplement for you, you should drink it every night during this week, and this other during breakfast for three days, it will strengthen your lungs.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“I hear that the Weasleys had gone home…”

“Yes, Sir. I’m glad for Ron being with his family, but… I was happy to have my first Christmas in the magical world with them.”

“I know… There is another first year that stayed in school, Mr. Potter. You may find something to do with him, to entertain yourselves…”

“Who is he, Sir?”

“Mr. Malfoy.”

“We are not friends, Sir.”

“I know that. But I guess that you two can spend an afternoon fighting with snowballs without being friends.”

“Really, Sir?”

“Really, child. Hurry to the front yard. Mr. Malfoy has been there for a while now so you may start preparing snowballs also.”

Harry found Malfoy sitting on a stone. The blond boy did not look happy.

“Came here to gloat, Potter?”

“What for, Malfoy? Professor Snape said that you would be here.”

“Does he want me to go inside, Potter?”

“No, he said that we could play in the snow… Throw snowballs and things like that. Do you want to?”

“Why would you play with me, Potter?”

“It’s better than playing alone, Malfoy. We are the only first years in the castle and… All my house mates are too busy to play with me.”

“Professor Snape told you to come here and play with me?”

“He said that we could spend the afternoon playing with the snow without harming each other or being friends…”

“I have never played with so much snow.”

“Me neither. We are even. I have always imagined that I could build a castle with snow… Do you want to try?”

“Let’s just throw snowballs, Potter, we have still to settle our duel. We were even when Snape stopped us.”

“No, we were not, Malfoy, I had just hit you with the glove when he arrived… The one hit the most with the snowballs looses!”

“All right.”

At dinnertime there were only two tables set in the great hall, one for the teaching staff and another for the students.

Snape could see that the children were behaving, seating all at the same table could make some sparkles fly… The Slytherins and Gryffindors were not together with the rest of the houses in between so they were dining politely.

Snape looked for the blond and black-haired boys, but they were not at the table.

It was not obligatory to eat, but outside was dark and a blizzard was approaching… may be they were changing wet clothes…

He started worrying after dinner when neither of the boys appeared.

He used a point me spell and followed his wand to the castle door.

He was going to kill them. He placed a snow repelling and a warming spell around him and went out.