Ten minutes later, I find myself walking into a dark manor. Snape is beside me in his usual foul mood times ten so I'm doing my best impression of being under my Invisibility Cloak. When the door closes behind me, I sigh. A month, I only have to live here with him for a month. Surely, even I can survive a month with Snape. I then glance at him and catch his glare at something in front of us. On second thought, whom am I kidding? This is Snape.

My eyes then catch movement from a navy blue sofa in a room off to our left side. I mean, I remember Snape mentioning something about his concern about the state of his manor with my being there, but I haven't thought anything about it. However, when a familiar blond head suddenly comes up over the sofa, I bite back my question as to who is in the manor with us. Draco Malfoy, Mr. Prissy Slytherin himself, is lying on the sofa. When his eyes widen slightly, I know the jerk has seen me.

"Uncle Sev, what's Potter doing here?"

"It appears as if Potter will be staying with us until term, Draco," Snape replies quietly. "I take it there have been no issues concerning our second guest?"

"No," Draco quietly says closing his eyes. A pained expression then passes over his face before he quickly shifts his mood back to cold neutrality. "Mokai is watching her, though."

"I had already figured that much out for myself, thank you," Snape bitterly responds. He then glances at me. "We have one more guest here, but you will do well to avoid the last door to the left. Otherwise, Potter, I'll have you scrubbing cauldrons until Christmas. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," I answer.

"Let us hope that you stick to your word for once in your life. While you are here, you will not inform any of your pathetic little friends that you are residing with me. And you most certainly will not reveal in your usual whining way that Draco is here."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

"You will be expected to maintain your room in proper decorum at all times." At the sight of my opening my mouth, Snape says, "It is the same expectations I've placed on Draco so you may cease in thinking I'm playing favorites." He then glances towards Draco before looking at me again. "I doubt I need to inform you of this, but you are not to order Mokai to do it for you."

I instantly notice a slight grimace on Draco's face. He must have done that when he was first here. Luckily, I know what it feels like to be a house elf so I'm not going to do that. I open my mouth again to respond to tell him so, but Snape cuts me off once more.

"You may write your friends once a day, but the horrid brats will not ever set foot in my manor or even stick their heads in the floo. For meals, you will join Draco in the kitchen, and I shall join you every now and then. There will be no complaining, whining, or questioning if I tell you to do something. You will not show me your usual disrespect towards me." He then takes a step closer. "Therefore, you will refer to me as either 'Professor' or 'sir,' Mr. Potter, while we are forced to cohabitate."

Oh, yeah, because Malfoy gets to call you 'Uncle Sev,' I grumble in my head.

"There will be no fighting between you and Draco. Whatever issues you have while at school is over as of now. If I do catch either of you fighting, then I shall make both of you suffer." Snape's dark eyes dart to both of us so we know he's serious. "Lastly, you will either come to me or Draco if you are in pain or discomfort or if Merlin forbids it to talk."

That demand throws me for a loop. Why does Snape care if I'm in pain? I then glance towards Draco before looking back at him. Does he really think I'd ever go to Draco for anything? The prissy little Slytherin would likely mock me. Snape then catches my gaze.

"While I will admit that there is a certain level of distrust amongst us, it is dangerous for all of us to suffer through our pain in silence." Snape then sighs. "You have no doubt continued to dream of the Dark Lord's recent attacks. You perhaps even witnessed the recent death of Charity Burbage."

I feel my stomach sour instantly before I turn away. How does he always know? I mean, I know how he knows, Legilimency, but I know that he probably hasn't used it in this case. He just knows. He just freaking knows…everything. A few seconds later, Snape rests a hand on my shoulder.

"It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, Potter. Unlike your wretched Muggles, I shall think nothing of it." His hand on my shoulder is eerily soothing. "I am certain Draco will be the same."

Snape is positively confusing the hell out of me. One minute he's back to his regular git self, snarling like a rabid dog. By the next, he's a somewhat reserved but compassionate man. It's like Jekyll and Hyde, except both personalities are scary. Then again, I suppose I can understand his switching back and forth between the two. He's supposedly a spy for Dumbledore and Voldemort. I'm not certain yet where his true loyalties lie, but, well, I'll take all the help I can get at this point.

I then glance at the blond Slytherin who is watching me. I know Draco took the Dark Mark last year. One of my many Voldemort-induced dreams showed his initiation. So, honestly, who can blame me for not taking Snape's words at face value? After all, this is Draco Malfoy, the git who hurtled a slur towards Hermione our second year and got me banned from Quidditch our fifth year.

Draco's cries and pleas suddenly rush to the forefront of my brain as I remember one of the numerous dreams from this past summer. I watch the sickening memory and hear his screams as Voldemort continues to cast the Cruciatus on the Slytherin before finally releasing him. Draco's badly shaking body slams hard into the mud puddle. That's all I ever see, but it's all I ever want to see.

"I understand, sir," I quietly reply hanging my head. "But…um…"

"I am treating you as I would treat any one of my Slytherins, Mr. Potter," Snape responds. "It is the house you should have been in after all if the Sorting Hat had its way." He has an eerie calm about him as my eyes meet his. He doesn't appear upset at all. "Yes, Potter, I am well aware how close you came to be one of my snakes." He then draws himself up slightly. "However, do not expect me to treat you the same once we are at Hogwarts again, Mr. Potter."

Something in his words clicks in my brain. It's an act. It's all an act. I mean, sure, he probably does hate me because I look so much like my father who was a complete and total ass to Snape. But underneath all that dark brooding and anger, Snape is capable of acting semi-normal. I then scoff. I should have known. After all, I've only watched spy movies since I was six, and Uncle Vernon was on his spy movie kick. It's all about appearances with spies. Snape obviously couldn't act all cuddly and nice to me like the other professors, not if he was going to help Dumbledore and the Order. I then gather up my Gryffindor bravery.

"So while I'm here, you're going to be nice—"

"I am not nice, Potter," Snape replies with a slight growl. "I will, however, give you as much respect as you show me."

Okay, note to self, be respectful…just to see if he can do it, I think staring at him. I then glance down at my worn trainers. I have to look so ridiculous right now with my bruises and tattered clothes. My eyes then narrow on the scuff on my shoes as I think about some of the mysteries surrounding my soon-to-be disastrous life. I sigh quietly before looking at Snape. I don't really want to ask in front of Draco, but who knows when I'll be alone with Snape?

"Sir, doesn't the Wizarding World have some like Paternity test or something?"

"It has several, but Ms. Burke's family is refusing to administer one. They continue to state that they are convinced that it is your child. And should anyone refute their claims, they would likely duel the person to the death. And before you ask, Ms. Burke belongs to a very powerful pureblood family, Potter. I have no doubt that her families loyalties lie in the Dark Lord."

"And her?" softly I ask. When he raises an eyebrow, I sigh. "I don't know everyone at Hogwarts, sir. And I'm pretty sure that I've never met this Ravenclaw girl."

"It's understandable. Ms. Burke travels in a different circle than you do," he responds. "I do not believe she is purporting this preposterous story for her benefit, though." When my eyes narrow, he explains further. "From what I know of Ms. Burke, she is typically rather withdrawn from her peers. In her three years at Hogwarts, I have never had an issue in terms of her telling falsehoods."

"Maybe she's acting around everyone," I point out.

"I sincerely doubt Ms. Burke is capable of being this cunning, Potter."

"Then you think she's telling the truth," I grind out.

"I do not," Snape responds folding his arms across his chest. "I believe there are three plausible explanations for her behavior. After the act, someone could have easily altered her memory to make her believe that it was you. The father could have drunk Polyjuice to appear as you. The last explanation is that her family is pressuring her to continue claiming that you are the father."

"But why would her family do that, though? I mean, don't they understand what this is doing to me? I mean, she's a Ravenclaw, not a Slytherin." Snape's eyes narrow on me instantly. I prepare myself for the onslaught of his snarling, but it doesn't come.

"Ms. Burke's mother is the granddaughter of Belvina Black, the daughter of Phineas Nigellus Black. Her mother Elladora kept her surname instead of taking the Nott surname upon marriage."

"You mean, she's related to—" Snape nods curtly, which sours my stomach. "No wonder they're spreading these lies. They want me to look bad to the rest of the Wizarding World." I then sigh heavily. "They're expecting me to put up a fight. Aren't they?"

"Most likely," he responds calmly. You should know, Potter, that if you do put up a fight, they will do everything in their power to portray you as a liar, among other things. As it is, we are lucky that Ms. Burke made no insinuation of force."

"They would do that?" I squawk outraged.

"Unfortunately, the Burkes are one reason Slytherin has a bad reputation. So the answer if they would, yes, they would in a heartbeat. They would use any means necessary to discredit you so that there was no hope alive anymore. No hope means the Dark Lord wins."

I close my eyes at Snape's words. It can't just be that black and white. Where are my shades of gray? Honestly, how can I choose between those two options, either I call her out on being a liar and the whole world suffers, or I accept her lie and then I suffer? Why must it always be up to me? Why can't I just have a normal life instead of these stupid adventures every year?

"Before this crisis and after the rest of the world finally wised up and saw Fudge was an idiot, the public at large hailed you as a hero. If you call her out, the Burkes will most definitely show some 'proof' that you are the father."

"But when the baby is born, everyone will have to know it's not me, right?"

"You are correct." I sigh in relief, but Snape unfortunately continues, "Unless the Burkes decide to cast some form of glamour upon the child to hide its true lineage." My heart drops. This is why I hate Slytherins. They're sneaky little gits out to ruin my life.

"I bet you're happy about all this," I grumble towards Draco.

"Why on Earth would I be happy to hear you've spawned some pathetic love child, Potter?" Draco snaps. "Even if we do know that it's a lie, it's not as if I would care if you finally figured out what it is you're supposed to do with your—"

"Draco Lucian Malfoy," Snape sneers glaring at the blond. "Need I add more to your list of chores?" He waves away Draco's soft apology. "If there are no more questions idly waiting in your Quidditch-wrought brain, perhaps it'd be best if you accompanied Draco to your room for the evening."

"I do have one question, sir." I nearly laugh when Draco groans loudly. Obviously, he wants to get rid of me as bad as Snape does. "Who's the second person here with us, Professor?" Snape fixes me with a glaring stare before he growls.

"Since you will no doubt ignore my explicit instructions, it is a member of the Order, but it is not your precious werewolf so I frankly fail to see why it is any of your concern."

"What happened to the person, sir? Did it have to do with the Burrow?"

"Potter, quit playing twenty questions with me. I do not have the time or the patience tonight."

I say nothing, and I do nothing. Snape and I just stare at each other. So far, I think I've been very respectful with the bloody bat. I've been calling him 'sir' and 'professor' cringing on the inside every single time I utter it. Then again, I have to remember that this man is sacrificing a lot for the Order in order to keep me safe. He also was the person who took me away from the horrible nasty Dursleys, but that seems to be on Dumbledore's orders only.

"Fine, Potter," snaps Snape as if he's on his last shred of patience. "The Dark Lord sent his Death Eaters to the Burrow to punish the Weasleys for being blood traitors. Several Order members were already there because I had warned them that the Dark Lord might attack it. One of the Order's witches broke ranks foolishly during the attack, and a rather nasty curse struck her in the chest. Since supposedly I am the only one who can handle the damn witch, Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore placed her in my care." I open my mouth, but Snape angrily points towards the stairs. "Take him to his room now, Draco." At least he has answered some of my questions. I can wait for tomorrow to get the rest.