"Why didn't you wake us up, for heaven's sake!" Hermione muttered while Ron whined pathetically.

"I didn't want to bother you!" Harry explained impatiently for the thousands time.

It was lunchtime. When they had gone to the Great Hall, Harry had told his friends about what he had heard Snape say the night before. He had repeated the conversation between Dumbledore and the Potions Master. When Hermione had asked, rather crossly, what he had been doing by the dungeons in the first place, Harry had made up a story about not being able to sleep and taking a midnight stroll. Ron seemed to be satisfied by this explaination, but Hermione wasn't buying it.

"Harry, I still can't understand why you didn't wake us up!" Ron grumbled.

"I've told you already, I didn't want to disturb you! Besides, I can't get into Hermione's dormitories!" Harry defended himself for the one thousand and first time.

His friends were obviously unsatisfied with his lame excuse. "Didn't want to disturb us?" Ron fumed. "Since when did you start caring about us? You never care, just go storming off into an adventure and leaving us behind."

Harry gaped at his redheaded friend, surprised by what he had heard. Ron thought he didn't care? "B-- I'm sorry, Ron. I really didn't want to bother you. I wake you next time." He felt deeply hurt and let a small portion of his pain show in his voice.

Hermione flinched when as she heard the note of pain in her friend's voice. For some reason, it hurt to see Harry like this, uncertain and weak. He was always so strong, so fearless... She had always been over-protective of Harry. It angered her even more that Ron, Harry's best friend, was the cause of this pain. Though she had to blame herself for starting this arguement.

"Okay, that's enough," Hermione interrupted, shooting a chilling glare at Ron. The redhead seemed to cower under his female friend's look. "It's okay, Harry, we forgive you, just wake us up the next time." She paused for a second, then continued. "What Snape said is very important, Harry. V-Voldemort's new plan (Ron shuddered) seems to be a rather simple one. He wants to kill your father so you will crease to live."

"Is that even possible?" Ron asked.

"Of course it's possible," Hermione snapped, earning Ron another glare.

"So, what can we do about it?" Harry asked.

"Well---" Hermione began.

"Um... guys?" Ron began uncertainly. "It's time for the afternoon class already. I really don't want to be late, Snape'll murder us..."

"Okay, let's go," Hermione agreed reluctantly.

With that, they walked towards the Potions Dungeon.

****************

Harry walked into the dungeon, feeling strangely shy, as if this was his first time in Potions class. A minute later, Snape promptly walked into the room, his cloak swirling behind him.

"Take notes," the Potions Master said gruffly, then turned and began scribbling on the board. Harry, along with the rest of the class, became scribbling for the next twenty minutes.

After the notes were copied down, they moved onto making a new potion.

"This potion," Snape began, "requires the use of a rare plant called the 'Icebane'. This is a complicated potion, so I expect all of you to pay attention. I don't expect any of you to be able to make this potion," at this, he looked at Hermione. "For now, this is just for the basic procedures. If the potion in done correctly, it should turn out to be a yellow or gold colour."

After the Potions Master explained the necessary procedures, they started. The first explosion came from Crabbe; his potion showered anyone in reaching distance. After about half and hour, the potions were almost done. Ron added a bowl of the liquid form of wolfbane. His potion turned a dark shade of midnight blue. Neville's was forest-green, and Hermione's, which was done with more caution, turned orange.

Harry took a deep breath and told himself not to muck things up. He had read about the Icebane potion in the many healing books he had read. (He had asked Madam Pomfrey to borrow some books, he found them fascinating, and he had finished half the shelves already.) He had read, and re-read (since he had been bored), the many different ways to brew the potion. He knew that if he was careful, he could brew this potion correctly. He searched his brain, trying desperately to remember the last paragraph of the passage. Suddenly, the words rang in his memory.

"The Icebane Potion, known for its special effects of healing, has a special way of brewing. Instead of pouring the liquid wolfbane in, pour drop by drop, mixing each time. This allows the liquid to fully mix with the rest of the ingrediants."

With those words echoing over and over in his head, Harry began to mix. Finally, he slowly began to pour the liquid wolfbane in. Drop by drop, the dark mixture was poured into the simmering and bubbling cauldron. There, the last drop was in. After mixing throughly, Harry sat back and looked into the cauldron, hoping, praying, waiting. A few minutes later, the cauldron gave a satisfying hiss, and the potion within turned a golden colour.

He heard Hermione gasp behind him. "Harry! You did it, oh my God, I can't believe it, it's N.E.W.T's level... Where did you learn it?" His fellow Gryffindor chattered excitedly.

Harry paid no attention. He looked at Snape, wondering what the professor's reaction would be. Snape circled around the room and finally came to Harry's desk. "Ah, Potter," he said, and for a second, a look of surprise flashed in his dark eyes. Then, it was once more replaced by a cold, neutral mask. "So I see you have done it. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Shocked gasps flew around the room. Ron looked at Snape, a stunned look on his face, while Neville whispered, "He's delirious!" Malfoy looked absolutely shocked; Harry tried hard to keep from laughing out loud.

Snape paid no attention to the comments. "I expect to see you today right after dinner, Potter. Come to my office and explain to me exactly how you have managed that potion; I'm still not convinced that you're not cheating."

Harry looked into his professor's eyes and saw what no one else did: A twinkle of amusement. He smiled back and replied, "Yes, sir."

****************

Harry walked nervously down the hallway towards Snape's office. He had no idea how to behave around the Potions Master at the moment. Should he take his detension with the usual formal, 'Yes, sir,' and 'No, Professor,' answers, or should he act warmly as he had done last detension?

He decided that it was safer to go with formality. If Snape decided to be kinder, then he could change tactics.

Taking a deep breath, Harry reached up and knocked on the door. "Professor? May I come in?"

****************

Severus sat nervously in his office, waiting for Potter to come. He wasn't sure how to behave around the student yet. Should he show his true self (After all, the boy had a pretty good idea of what he was really like already, thanks to the incident with the Dark Mark), or should he continue being that stone-cold bastard that the students had come to fear?

After thinking for a few minutes, Severus decided that he didn't want to scare Harry any more. The boy had never feared him as other students had anyways. Besides, he was tired of acting like he didn't care, tired of acting like the teacher that everyone hated. So far, Albus was the only one who knew his true personality. Maybe it was time to open up to the Boy-Who- Lived......

There was a sudden knocking at the door and Harry's voice traveled into the room. "Professor? May I come in?"

Severus waved his hand and the door opened. The Gryffindor walked into the room, bending his head slightly when he saw his professor. The fact that Harry was acting so formally disconcerted him. What if the boy didn't want to get to know him? Or worse, what it he got laughed at? 'Damn, Severus, just get on with it,' he told himself.

Taking a deep breath, he waved Harry over to an empty chair. 'Time to face the music,' he thought. He was just about to start talking when Harry spoke first.

"Professor, I assure you that I was not cheating during Potion class today," The Gryffindor paused. "Though if you do not believe me, there is nothing else I can say." The boy stared at him defiantely.

Severus was taken aback by the honesty in those words. He looked up and tried to keep his emotions out of his words. "Potter, I assure you that I am convinced. I asked you to come for another reason."

Harry looked up curiously, and the Potions Master continued. "I am offering to help you proceed faster with your studies, to go beyond the sixth years' level. The Headmaster agrees with me in the fact that we believe that you will be needing it sooner than the others."

Severus stared into those emerald eyes. For a man so aware of every nuance of posture and expression, he could detect no emotion at all by looking at the boy. Which was impressive. Most students displayed their feelings proudly on their face. But not Potter. Yes, you could tell when he was happy or sad, but when he wanted to, the boy could disguise his feelings in such a way that you could not tell what he was thinking.

Finally, Harry replied. "Professor, I thank you for the offer and I accept. When do we start lessons?" There was no hint of sarcasm in his words.

This was it. Severus was tired of this formal teacher-student game they were playing. If he did not start acting more... warmer, they would soon have the schedule decided and Harry would leave. He changed into a more casual manner. Instead of using the boy's surname, he used the Gryffindor's first name. "Harry," he began, and saw the slight shock in the other's eyes at being addressed in such a way. "I think it would be better if you do not tell the other students of this. We should just say that it's... remedial potions."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed quickly. After a moment of silence, the boy added. "Um... is that all, professor? I have to go back to the Common Room to finish my homework."

Severus desperately wanted the boy to stay, but could find no other reasons. "You may leave," he said.

As Harry was leaving the room, the boy knocked his arm against the sharp corner of a table. Harry hissed and grabbed his arm. His face showed no signs of being hurt, but those green eyes were filled with pain .

"Harry?" Severus asked, concerned. The boy did not answer. From the slightly dazed look on the Gryffindor's face, he couldn't really hear what the Potions Master was saying. "Harry?" the teacher kept on murmuring the boy's name, hoping to reach him. Harry, meanwhile, seemed to be reviving some bad memory; he kept on muttering, "No, don't, it hurts... Please, stop, I'll say it, I'm a freak, I deserve to die...."

Severus was shocked. Harry thought that he deserved to die? The boy full of dignity that was so damn arrogant, like his father? What was going on?

Suddenly, the Gryffindor blinked. Realizing where he was, the boy muttered an apology and tried to disappear out the door. But Severus was not one to tolerate such things. "Harry," he said gently. "What's wrong?"

The boy didn't answer his question. "Please, Professor, let me out, please..."

"Harry," Severus said again. "It's okay... You can tell me if anything's wrong, you know..." He felt very awkward.

His comforting seemed to be too much for Harry. Severus watched as the tears formed in those haunting eyes... He could tell that Harry was trying desperately to stop the tears, but couldn't. Suddenly, the boy let out a sob and grabbed the Potion Master's robes, burying his head deep into it.

Severus felt more awkward than ever, but he could do nothing other than pat the boy's back and whisper, "It's okay, Harry, you're fine now..." The Potions Master felt umcomfortable being in physical contact of another human being, but there was nothing he could do at the moment...

Suddenly, Harry let go of Severus' robes. Those normally dancing green eyes seemed to be filled with... what was it? A wave of shock hit the Potions Master as he realized that it was shame; shame for showing his feelings, shame for breaking down...

"I-- I'm sorry, Professor," Harry whispered, and to Severus' surprise, the boy grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry..."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Harry," Seveus assured him gently. "There's nothing to be ashamed of..."

"I-- I have to go, Professor Snape," Harry said. "Ron and Hermione will be worried." To Severus, the formal title sounded strange. Making up his mind, he spoke softly.

"Severus."

"Huh?" Harry asked, obviously lost.

"Call me Severus, there's no need for formality in front of me."

Harry seemed vaguely surprised at the request, but he smiled. "Thank you, Severus," he whispered.

The Potions Master liked the way his own name rolled off the Gryffindor's lips. "You're welcome." He said. Then, he added, "Harry, I think it would be more... wise to keep this between us for now." His normally emotionless eyes twinkled. "Can't have the Slytherins pouncing over me."

"Okay." The boy smiled.

"Good night, Harry," Severus said softly as Harry walked towards the door. The Gryffindor looked up and smiled. The smile warmed the teacher's heart.

"Good night, Severus."