Harry slept fitfully that night; waking frequently with coughing fits. Every time he woke there was a steady hand waiting to help him sit up and a glass of ice water quickly available. By morning Harry could feel the tightness in his chest loosening and was finding it much more comfortable to breath.

He wondered guiltily if his professor had slept at all and remembered the man's words at the start of the holiday when he had declared he had lots of work to do. Harry sighed heavily. Snape was the last person he would have wanted to discover his secret, but the man had been quite decent about things last night. He hadn't mocked at all, or even been angry about the glamours.

Harry wondered nervously if it would last or if the professor would be back to his old snarky self today? The sound of a soft tread on the steps up to the dormitories interrupted his musing and Harry sat up, shoving his pillows behind his back.

He watched nervously as the professor entered the room, noting the man's damp hair and change of clothes. He had obviously come straight from the shower.

Severus eyed the boy appraisingly, trying not to look to fierce and temper his normal glare. Having practised that particular expression for so many years, it was hard to know how to arrange his features differently but the boy did not look too terrified so that had to be a good sign.

He lay a few potions vials on the bedside table and conjured the armchair over.

"You look a little better this morning. How is the breathing?"

Harry shrugged. "It doesn't hurt any more and I feel much better."

The professor handed each of the potions to Harry and poured him a cup of water before ordering tea and toast for them both.

"I have instructed your fellow students to stay away for a few days; partly to ensure they don't catch your cold and partly so that you don't have to worry about your appearance." Severus explained quietly, watching as the boys cheeks flushed.

He waited for Harry to make eye contact again and when it seemed that was not going to happen he continued anyway, hoping he was listening.

"It's very important that you don't try and recast the glamours right now. You are far from the well and the drain on your magical and physical energy could be dangerous.

"Potter, do you understand?"

Harry nodded, keeping his eyes focused on the bedspread and hoping that the the professor would consider him still to ill to start asking difficult questions. Harry was no where near ready to answer them.

They ate in silence and Harry slowly found himself relaxing again as he drank the hot, sweet tea and even managed a few half slices of toast. Once they had finished, the professor tidied the trays away and pulled a jar of ointment out of his bag.

"If you have no objections, I have a jar of anti- scarring cream that I would like to apply to your cuts."

Harry nodded his assent and watched as the man washed his hands and then knelt beside Harry's bed with the jar and a wad of cotton swabs. Harry rolled over as the man gently pushed him onto his side and moved the back of his pyjama top up to shoulder height.

Harry sighed as he felt the cool cream covering the still tender welts on his back and shoulders. It felt icy against his too hot skin and he thought vaguely that it would be nice to fill a bath with the stuff and just climb in.

"I'm afraid it's unlikely to have any effect on the older scars but you should see an improvement on anything that's less than a year old."

Harry found the enormity of the situation suddenly crashing down on him. No one had seen these scars; no one! Only Uncle Vernon and him knew what happened in that house. He wasn't even sure his Aunt really knew what happened during her weekly outings to the supermarket?

He fought against the sudden panic, he was not supposed to tell. That had always been the rule.

"I fell." he said quietly, cringing as he felt the hand applying the cool salve still for a moment.

After a pause, Severus resumed his work.

"Yes, I see that Potter," he said quietly; his voice curiously flat. "You fell repeatedly; over many years; on the same belt buckle."

Harry pulled away and wrenched his pyjama top down, pulling his knees up until he sat huddled against the headboard. He stared fiercely at a spot on the wall. He would not cry; he would not cry in front of Snape. He knew the bastard would mock him, he just knew it!

There was a moment of unbearable silence, broken by the professors quiet admission.

"I myself suffered from a similar clumsiness when I was young."

It took a moment for Snape's words to sink in and once they did Harry froze, startled green eyes flying to meet the serious grey ones that were watching him sadly.

"You...you did?"

Severus nodded. "My father," he said simply. "Although a dog chain was his tool of choice. I imagine he thought it was more humiliating and therefore decreased the possibility of me telling anyone what he had done."

Harry was speechless. His mind completely numbed by his professors words and the fact that he had told him; Harry Potter! The student he hated the most.

Bloody hell Harry; say something, he thought desperately. Don't just sit here like a complete idiot.

Before he could get his brain to work, Snape had moved from his position beside the bed and taking one last bit of the salve, lifted Harry's chin and gently covered the mark on his cheek.

He placed the pot on the bedside table and refreshed the water jug before turning and giving the shell shocked boy a faint smile.

"Get some rest Harry. I will send one of the house elves up to keep an eye on you." He paused and sighing softly added. "You don't have to tell me what happened or speak about any of this during these holidays but we will have to address things before the next summer break. You may very well choose to tell me nothing and that is fine too. I'm sure there are others you would prefer to confide in. However, I won't accept any tales about falling, walking into cupboards or whatever other things you have come up with over the years. It is important for you that you learn that what has been done to you is wrong and that you have no responsibility to cover up for whoever has hurt you. It is for that reason that I won't accept such things. Sleep well Harry, you will feel better soon."

The professor left the room, closing the door quietly behind him and Harry slid down under the covers with a sob. He didn't know why it should seem so important but all that he could think of was that Snape had called him Harry; twice! Somehow that felt better than any potion or any of the kind words the man had said.

Harry took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. Maybe he really would feel better soon; about everything.