Snape made his slow way up the stairs to get dressed, leaving Harry alone with Lupin. This was the first time Harry had been alone with the man, although Lupin had been trying to get him by himself for a quiet word all term. Harry dawdled over the washing up as long as he could. It meant he didn't have to turn to face the patiently waiting man.

"So, how has your schoolwork been going this term, Harry?" the professor asked, picking up the tea towel to help dry and put away, "Professor McGonagall tells me that your marks have dropped a bit."

Harry stared at the man, who took a wet dish out of his hand. After a second, he made sense of what Lupin was asking him. This was the sort of getting-to-know-you conversation he had been trying to have with Harry, since the start of term. It wasn't any less awkward now. Worse, there was no way to escape.

He shrugged. Since Neville died, and with all the other business going on, homework just seemed like far too much trouble.

"I know things have been very difficult for you, Harry. I'd like to help, if I can." Lupin's voice was soft, concerned.

It was like that when he was in primary school. First, the nurse had wanted to speak with him, and then, after she had visited the Dursleys, she'd sent him to speak with the school social worker. The social worker had been very kind, and rather pretty, as he remembered. How could Harry have explained to her that he was just That Freak who needed to be shut away? At the time, he'd brushed off her concern, not wanting another scene at the Dursleys.

How was he supposed to explain to this oh-so-understanding man, that it would have been better if he, Harry, had died, rather than his parents? That he suspected that Dumbledore had sent him to the Dursleys, because the old wizard knew the Dursleys would know best how to cope with him?

Thinking about Dumbledore just made Harry want to be sick. A glass slipped out of his hands, into the sink.

Lupin turned back around from putting up a plate, he put his hand out to stop Harry from picking up the glass again, "I think you should sit down. You don't look well."

"I'm fine." gritted Harry.

"No, come along." said Lupin, "Sit down." He made Harry put the dish rag down, and took him by the elbow, making him sit back at the kitchen table. The black dog came into the room to sit by Harry's side, and leaned against his leg.

"You're looking very pale." said Lupin, putting the back of his hand against Harry's forehead, "And,you're a bit clammy."

The boy jerked away, "I'm fine." he muttered, again.

In fact, Harry was feeling ill, right through Snape's potion. This was the first time the potion had failed him. Harry swallowed against the urge to throw up. He shut his eyes, putting his face in his hands, elbows on the table. He sat like that for a while. Lupin didn't try to touch him again, for which Harry was grateful.

Snuffles whined and rested his head on Harry's lap, feeling warm and solid. After a few minutes, Harry took one hand from in front of his face, and put it on top of the dog's head.

"Harry?" Snape had come back into the kitchen, finally. Harry looked up. Lupin was sitting across the table from Harry, his chin resting on folded hands, watching him patiently. Snape stood at Harry's shoulder, leaning on his cane, "Are you all right?" the potion's master asked.

"I...Yeah..." Harry managed to croak, still feeling a little off balance, "Sir." He added, for good measure.

Snape looked at him searchingly, repeating Lupin's gesture of pressing the back of his hand to Harry's forehead, "Madam Pomfrey suggested that some calming draughts would not go amiss, over the next few days." Harry pulled away, not liking that they were both treating him like an absolute infant.

The tall man pulled out the chair nearest him, sat down, and leaned his cane against the table. He pulled his wand from his sleeve, flicked it, summoning a couple of vials of potions, which came to rest on the table at his elbow. Then, Snape scooted his chair over until he was a somewhat closer to Harry than the boy would have liked.

Harry darted a look at Lupin, who smiled reassuringly, although a slight frown appeared between his eyebows.

Snuffles growled low in his throat.

"Harry, tell your dog I'm not going to eat you." said Snape, in a soft, indecipherable voice, "Take off your glasses, and look at me, please."

Obediently, Harry looked up, taking off his glasses with one hand, while scratching Snuffles' head soothingly under the table, with the other. All Snape did was light the end of his wand to look into his eyes. He nodded sharply, as if satisfied, "Take this." He pushed one of the potions at Harry, "Do you have any pain in your neck or shoulders?"

Harry shook his head, putting his glasses back on. When he uncapped the potion, the smell was very strong, "Essence of sweaty sock." he muttered, "My favorite."

"Yes, I have the house elves collect them after Quidditch matches." replied Snape, idly. Harry couldn't tell whether Snape was joking or not and decided not to ask.

Very slowly, as if to make sure Harry saw what he was doing, Snape brought his hands up to prod the sides of Harry's neck, frowning when Harry pulled away, "Does that hurt?" Snape asked, sharply.

"No." It didn't, Harry just didn't like people fussing over him.

"Then hold still, and tell me if this hurts." Snape continued to prod the side of Harry's neck, moving his hands forward to touch the front of his throat "It seems you're fairly well healed from this latest stunt," Snape said, when he was finished, "Physically, that is." He pushed another potion bottle at Harry, "Drink that one, as well."

"What's this one?" asked Harry, it was bright yellow, with grey sludge at the bottom.

"Hypericum, crocus sativus and phosphate of potash." replied Snape, blandly.

It tasted the way fresh hay, and floo powder smelled. Harry dutifully drank it and handed the vial back to Snape, who banished it and the other somewhere, with a flick of his wand.

After that, Snape picked up his cane and rose awkwardly to his feet, glancing at the other man, "Lupin, for god's sake, change into something that won't have the neighborhood brats marking you as someone to throw stones at."

Lupin was still wearing his grey wizard robes, Harry realized. Snape was wearing black wool trousers, and brown sweater, with his hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Oh. Ah." Lupin hesitated, as though a bit flustered, "What would you suggest?"

Snape rolled his eyes "Allow me?" he asked, raising his wand.

Lupin stood as well, making a gesture of assent.

The potion's master stood a moment, as though considering. With a mutter he gave his wand a few complicated little flicks, and transfigured Lupin's clothes into a charcoal wool blazer, with leather patches on the arms, and dark grey trousers, "There, they might still throw stones, but the Ministry won't need to make an appearance."

Lupin gave Snape a half smile, as though Snape's jibe amused him. The Defense professor produced a lead for the dog, handing it to Harry, "I've found that...Snuffles, did you call him?...is quite well trained. It seems his former owner did a good job with him."

Harry leaned down, and snapped the leash onto the heavy leather collar. It looked expensive, "Professor?" Harry asked Lupin, "Where's this collar from?"

Lupin waved his hand dismissively, "Oh, I transfigured it from a belt. Keep it."

Looking at Lupin's wardrobe, Harry wasn't at all sure Lupin could afford to be giving away bits of clothing like that, especially not expensive ones. Even transfigured, his shirt collar was frayed, the sleeves of his jacket a bit threadbare. However, that was the professor's business, Harry supposed.

Clipping on the lead, Harry noticed that there seemed to be runes carved onto the collar. Next time he saw Hermione, he'd have to see if she knew if they meant anything.

As the three of them emerged into the late morning drizzle, Lupin walked to Harry's left, with the dog between them. Snape stalked along on Harry's other side; oddly, there was something comforting to Harry about the man's presence.

None of them spoke for a few minutes. Harry kept taking surreptitious looks at Snape, thinking about the long white scar on the inside of the man's arm. He also considered Snape in general.

No one could ever say that Snape was a nice man, but it appeared it didn't matter to Snape whether Harry was That Freak or The Boy Who Lived, he'd look after either one, just the same. There was comfort in that, a solidity that Harry had never experienced.

Before now, Harry had known he needed to be in people's good graces, needed to earn his keep, in order to get anything he needed. At the Dursley's, they made sure he understood how much he was disliked, how much of a burden he was. His existence depended on making himself less of one.

There were teachers in Primary school who disliked him,some of them almost as much as Snape did. One particularly nasty woman had had a habit of making the students check each other's papers. Piers, Dudley's best friend, had sat beside Harry in her class, so he always got to check Harry's. For the first three days of the term, Piers had changed all Harry's answers, so that it seemed that Harry hadn't done the homework properly.

Harry tried to tell the woman, but she was in Aunt Petunia's book club, and was taken in by Aunt Petunia's "Harry-is-a-nasty-bit-of-work" speech. After that, Harry had just stopped bothering to complete the homework. Nobody wondered why, the next year, that he did so well in maths, with a teacher who did like him.

It just didn't seem right, all of a sudden. The Dursleys treated him badly because they didn't like him. They hated him because he was a Freak and a Burden. The Wizarding World treated him like he was special, because he had survived an attack by a Dark Wizard.

Snape was no different, it seemed. He harassed Harry in class, even picked on him, from the moment they met. Unfairness was the way of things, if you were liked you were looked after, if not, well, you shifted for yourself, as best you could.

But, he'd saved Harry's life, and he'd saved Ginny's as well, without hesitation.

It was true that he disliked Harry, but it was for his own reasons, whatever they were. He was taking decent care of Harry, at the moment, because it was his job. He did it, because that was how "responsible adults" behaved.

"Have I grown a second head?" Snape asked, the third time he caught Harry staring.

"I...no, sir." they walked on.

People like Hermione and Ron might be able to fool themselves that adults were fair, and had their best interests at heart. Hell, Harry had wanted to believe that himself, but that just wasn't his experience.

Harry had hoped that the Wizarding World might be different. That he might be able to find people to help him there. He'd tried to explain the night he blew up Marge, but Fudge and Shacklebolt had told Harry straight out that Dumbledore said he had to go back to the Dursley's, even after Harry had told both of them that Vernon was going to beat the shite out of him.

First it wasn't any big deal, and then three weeks later, they decided it was all abuse.

Lupin finally spoke, "You look angry." he observed.

They were stood in a little park. Like the rest of Spinner's End, it had a sad, ill used look about it. Some of the swings were missing from their chains and the seesaws had been covered in graffiti. Someone had left some empty beer bottles lying about, under a metal table. The stubs of cigarrettes littered the ground. It started raining in earnest, splashing into the puddles that stood here and there on the saturated ground.

Snape pulled his wand out and the rain stopped falling on them. Lupin led the three of them to the metal park bench. Snape spelled it dry, before he sat.

Harry stayed standing, while Lupin sat next to Snape. The dog sat next to Harry, rather than nosing around as one would expect.

"What are you angry about, just now?" Lupin asked, mildly.

Harry shrugged, crossing his arms across his chest, "Do you know why Dumbledore send me to live with the Dursleys?" he found himself asking, suddenly.

The two men looked at each other, uneasily, "Petunia was your last known blood relative." Snape said, slowly, "The Wizarding World holds bonds of blood paramount."

Well, at least that was confirmation that it was Dumbledore.

"Is that why you're angry?" Lupin pressed, "Because you were sent to the Dursleys? It would be natural if you were, you know."

"I don't want to talk about it." Snarled Harry, "Nobody's ever cared before. Bit late to start now." He uncrossed his arms and stuck his fists into his jacket pockets, keeping a tight hold on the dog's lead. The boots Snape had bought him were doing an admirable job of keeping his feet dry. Harry stared at his feet, poking at the wet ground with his toe. It was probably the first time he could remember walking in the rain, without getting his feet soaked.

"There are many people who care about you." Lupin said, "Sadly, no one in the Wizarding World could imagine your relations would be anything but delighted to have you."

Harry hunched his shoulders more, "Well, they weren't." he hissed, "They hated having me around. I bet they wouldn't have taken me at all if they weren't getting a small fortune. But, I never knew anything about that. They told me they took me out of charity. Aunt Petunia used to tell me that my mum and dad were drunk when they smashed up their car and got themselves killed. She told me," Harry swallowed, "My mum was as common as dirt, and I'd've been better off if she'd gone to London to-to...you know...get rid of me...when she was pregnant."

Snuffles whined and nosed at the boy, probably tired of being ignored. Harry took his hand out of his pocket to scratch the dog.

Neither of the two teachers said anything, and Harry refused to look at them. He had the idea that they were silently communicating with each other, though. The anger drained out of him, leaving him cold and tired. He sniffed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "Look," he said, finally,"WHat I did-I know it was stupid. I won't do it again. You won't have to worry about it...I'm sorry...I know I'm nothing but trouble..." He trailed off, glanced up at the two men.

Lupin still sat calmly, although he looked sad. Snape, though...Harry was shocked by the look of raw pain on Snape's face. It was gone so quickly that Harry wondered if he'd imagined it as Snape's face took on his customary impassive expression.

Only half of Harry's attention was on what Lupin was saying, he was busy watching the other professor, trying not to look as if he was staring. Snape pulled a handkerchief from his inside pocket. He wiped both his eyes with it, muttering something to himself about "Damn rain." He glared at Harry, as if expecting to be contradicted.

Harry blinked; hadn't Snape just cast a charm to keep the rain off?

Was he upset about Harry?

"Professor?" Harry said to Lupin, although he kept looking at his guardian, "I think Professor Snape needs to get back to bed."

Lupin looked at Professor Snape, with some concern, "You may be right." He stood and extended a hand to the other man.

"Get off, Lupin," snarled Snape, "I'm fine." He staggered to his feet, with the help of his cane.

Lupin shook his head, "No, I think Harry's quite right, actually." He took the taller man's arm, the one that wasn't holding the cane, much like he'd taken Harry's elbow earlier, "Come along."

Apparently, Snape needed help enough that he didn't protest again, but walked slowly between the other two.

"Er, Professor Snape?" said Harry, in a small voice, as they walked.

"Yes?" The professor was leaning heavily against Lupin, Harry saw.

"You'll be all right?"

It was Lupin who answered, "He'll be fine." He said, firmly, "He needs rest, and some looking after, that's all."

"I do not need 'looking after'. " Growled Professor Snape.

"Of course not." Agreed Lupin, mildly, "Perhaps, you'd prefer to explain that to Molly Weasley. Poppy told me, we could still arrange to have you both moved into her front room."

Harry nearly laughed aloud at the picture that presented.