Previously in twenty-one days

He noticed the disappointed look that crossed Draco's face for a moment and the look on Potter's face that bordered on hurt, before he took the chalk and wrote Draco's name on the board, drawing two points behind the name.

Underneath Draco's name he wrote Potter's, followed by two points too. He gazed back at Potter and actually noticed a smile on the brat's face. Growling he turned and went back to his desk.

Chapter four

Day two

Tuesday, third of September

He had cooked another few of the cataneo roots and again he had handed them over to the students, now watching Potter and Weasley as close as he watched his Slytherins. The both of them hadn't been talking a word together since the truce Draco and Potter had made but at least Weasley seemed to accept it as did each other of the Gryffindors. And the Slytherins, he thought, feeling something like relief at the thought.

As it seemed, Potter possessed the same leadership traits as did Draco and as Potter had proven himself to be the calmest and most reasonable on the Gryffindor side, ready to help out and ready to come up with ideas, just as Draco was on the Slytherin side, he had no abjections against it. It might sound strange, Potter being reasonable and helpful in such a situation, but it seemed to be true.

He rather had expected Potter being one of the first to complain. Yet – the brat didn't. In the contrary. He had to admit, since this damn situation had started, Potter had accepted the situation as it was, had looked for ways to make it easier for all of them and had even placed his prejudices aside in order to keep everything calm and smooth.

And right now Potter was giving the root he was meant to eat to Miss Brown who had been complaining about those roots not doing anything against her hunger. It was the second time now Potter had given food away to others. And as it was the second day without any food for Potter in this case, he doubted that the brat simply did not like the earthy taste of the roots. He was sure that Potter was definitely hungry enough to eat them even if he didn't like them.

He would wait a few minutes and then he would have a talk with the brat who right now rather looked like a monster than like a boy of fourteen years. The brat had tired, red eyes from lack of sleep in a face that was thin and pale and the black hair was even more unruly as it was normally.

It was then that the brat took out his potions book and began to read again, probably trying to get his mind off the hunger he felt. Well, the boy had read in the transfiguration book all day, and hadn't he mentioned that those two books were his only left since he had created the mattresses with his other books?

Draco too had his potions book out, trying to get his mind off this entire mess. As had some others, including Granger who had fought over her book bag and surely had each book she had bought at Diagon Alley during the summer in it, even if she would not have needed them yesterday for classes.

Theodore cast nervous glances towards him and Snape sighed, left his desk and went towards the laboratory. He would have to try the floo again anyway and on his way back to the classroom he could get some dreamless sleep potion for the boy. He would need it after being awake last night.

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Harry felt ready to drop right were he sat.

He knew this feeling all too well, and he did not like it, knowing that it was weakness, knowing that maybe he had calculated wrongly and he would not have as much time as he thought. He felt rather more dizzy and ill than he actually should right now. And he didn't understand it either. While with the Dursleys, he not only had not more to eat than he had right now, but he had to work himself into exhaustion each day too. He hadn't had to do this right now. So – what was wrong with him?

Well, maybe it was because he hadn't slept last night. He hadn't had much sleep during all the time with the Dursleys and he hadn't slept well during the first night back either. So – yes, he of course was tired. More than tired. And last night he simply had not dared to sleep at all. At the Dursleys he could sleep at least two or three hours each night, even if knowing that his uncle would wake him up with each nightmare he had, and even if knowing that his uncle would beat the shit out of him then, but knowing that it couldn't be helped either and that it would end on September the first anyway, when he would return to Hogwarts.

And he wouldn't scream during each nightmare anyway, so there were times when he could sleep a few hours without a beating. It was different here.

Well, yes. No one would beat him here, he knew that. But alone the thought of the other Gryffindors, not to mention the Slytherins and Snape, knowing that he had those nightmares, it made him shiver with fright. They would have their field day if they knew. None of them had been a jerk, that was true, yes. And Snape even had been – friendly. But that didn't mean that they wouldn't hold it against him later, when this all was over.

If this would be over eventually.

Well, he wasn't the only one miserable. They all were. And honestly, Ron was close to snapping into two, Hermione and Neville were silent and not quite themselves, somehow withdrawn. Lavender and Parvati were crying together every now and then and Seamus and Dean nearly had been fighting over their roots earlier. They all were close to panicking, he was sure about that.

So, he just had to be the strong one for now, until this mess was over and they were out of the dungeons. He would not going to fail his fellow Gryffindors, not even the Slytherins with whom he had made a truce, that weren't even 'Slytherins' anymore but just fellow students in the same misery. And surely he would not fail Snape, no matter what. Snape needed at least a few of them calm and sane and if he could do that, then he would. He simply would have to deal with everything as he always did. He just would carry through as good as possible to the end, as always. Whatever end it was that awaited them.

He simply wasn't stupid enough to think that they would get out of this so easily. No one had come during two days now and he doubted that someone would come anytime soon. He doubted that they would actually die down here – somehow. But they surely would not have an easy time during the next few days.

If he just would find a way to avoid sleep tonight somehow. He was so tired, he was sure he would fall asleep as soon as most of the others had settled and silence had settled in the room. And Snape had already been annoyed last night, with all his cleaning. He hadn't said anything after he had called him into his office, but he had seen it. The way Snape had watched him, with a dark face, his dark eyes blazing with anger.

Well, as always. It wasn't anything new here.

Maybe if he would find something to do in Snape's office, or in the lab. Then Snape would not have to watch him and he would not annoy him. But somehow he doubted that. Snape would always be annoyed at him, even looking at him annoyed Snape.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

Of course the floo still had been closed, as had been the door to his office, to the corridors, and of course he again had not been able to call his house elf down here. Not to mention that still Marlow wasn't back in his frame, whatever kept this wretched wizard away from them. He would kill him as soon as he came back. And he would kill him again if he came back without information.

Well, he had known it would be this way.

Going through the cupboards and shelves in his laboratory he couldn't help but thinking back at Potter who had had this blasted small smile on his face when he had written his name on the board and given him two points. Potter definitely had been really happy about it, gaining points from him, Snape.

Well, yes – he had to admit that it was the first time he had given Potter a single point instead of taking them from the brat. Nevertheless he had thought that the Gryffindor would accept the points stoically. As stoically as he had been since they had been locked down here. But he hadn't. He had been smiling at him. And seeing this smile, a smile that had been so much like Lily's smile, it nearly had been his downfall. Blasted brat!

Yes, the brat had Potter's unruly mop of hair. And yes, he had Potter's face and his glasses reminded him just the more at Potter senior. And some of his rule braking was just like Potter too. The strolling through the castle at nights, sneaking down into the kitchens for food after curfew. And his thoughtless actions too.

But honestly, there was so much that reminded him at Lily right now too.

His need to help others, his ability to stay calm for the sake of others, his green eyes that expressed so much with one single gaze of them, and his smile he had shown him earlier. Potter – if he liked to admit it or not – was truly Lily's son too. Thinner, more serious and sad somehow, more frightened, but definitely Lily's son, and for a moment he was glad that he had not snapped at the boy when he would have had the chance doing so, that he had caused the blasted brat to show a small smile for once.

And for a moment he wondered why in Merlin's name Potter was as thin as he actually was. And as tired. And why he had not slept last night. Narrowing his eyes at the door to the classroom he wondered if maybe Potter had nightmares too, just as Theodore, and that he simply had not dared to fall asleep. Yes. He really would have to have another word with Potter.

And with Theodore too. He couldn't allow the boy to stay awake every other night. It simply wasn't an option. The boy needed his sleep right now to stay calm and sane, to sleep away the worst pain hunger would bring soon, to sleep away the worries and fears that soon would arise in the students. More than now at least.

Narrowing his eyes at the door again he wondered where from Potter had known that sleep would help. He had told Weasley yesterday to go to sleep, had said it would help with the hunger. Wherefrom had he known this? It wasn't normal for a student to know such a thing, now, was it? And how had the brat known that the cataneo root wasn't poisonous? Shaking his head he simply took another vial of dreamless sleep. He would see if Potter would sleep tonight.

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"Theodore?" Snape quietly asked, lowering himself down so that he had one knee on the floor beside the boy's mattress. There was no need for all the others to know that he gave the boy a dreamless sleep potion. Theodore was too uncomfortable about it already as it was without every one of the others knowing.

"Yes, sir?" The boy asked, his voice as quiet as his had been and looking over at the other side of the boy he noticed Draco being asleep. Somehow he wondered how that boy managed to lay down and sleep, never mind what situation he was in, never mind how long he had been awake and how long he had been sleeping earlier. He himself lay awake for hours sometimes.

A slight smile tuck at the corners of his lips while watching his godson for a moment.

"It is not night yet, Theodore, but definitely late enough for you to try and sleep as you have not had your eyes closed last night." He said, simply reaching the vial with the dreamless sleep potion towards the boy who took it with relief showing on his face.

"Thank you, sir." The boy murmured.

"You're welcome, Theodore." Snape quietly answered. "Take it as soon as you are ready for bed. You can give the vial back tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir." The boy answered and the Potions Master was about to get up just when his snake gazed back at him. "Sir?"

"Yes, Theodore?" Snape asked, lowering his head towards one side.

"Do you think that we will be out of here soon? I mean, you said so, but do you truly believe it?" The boy asked and Snape couldn't help but giving away a sigh. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, ignoring the slight flinch.

"I cannot be sure, Theodore." He then slowly answered, sensing the question that truly was on the boy's mind but which he had not dared to ask. "And I truly do not know the answer to your unspoken question. But yes, I do believe that we will be out of here soon enough to prevent death. None of you will die down here. I do believe that, and I want you to believe that too. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." The boy answered, yet – by the look on the boy's face and the way he lowered his eyes he knew that the boy didn't believe him.

Sighing again he released the teenager's shoulder and grabbed his chin, forcing the boy to look at him.

"I really do want you to believe that, Theodore, as that is what will happen." He sternly said. "We will be out of here alive, all of us. It might take the headmaster a bit longer as we originally thought and hoped, but he will manage to find a way. He would not be Albus Dumbledore if he would not find one. And meanwhile we will search for a way too. Do you understand?"

The "yes, sir" he gained this time was much more confident than the one before had been and he nodded satisfied.

"I do have a few more vials of dreamless sleep down here and I do have enough ingredients for brewing another batch if necessary, even if I doubt it. You do not have to fear about that however. But nevertheless I want you to think of a way for sleeping without the potion as I do not like you being awake every second night. You should sleep as much as possible as do your classmates. It is important as it will keep your strength together. Not to mention that sleep deprivation only will leave you with depression, fear and exhaustion. Nothing that will help us right now."

"But sir …" The boy began and Snape quickly held up his hand to stop him, giving him a stern gaze.

"I did not imply that you have to do so right now. I merely suggested that you might think about a solution, nothing more and nothing else. It is worth a thought at least. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, sir." The boy said, this time misery clearly audible in his voice.

"Good." Snape nodded. "What is your shoulder doing?" He then asked.

"My shoulder is fine, sir, thank you." Theodore answered and this time he even smiled a bit.

"Good." Snape again said. "See that you tell me if it changes. What is your back doing?"

"That one is fine too, sir." The boy answered and again Snape nodded.

"Good, then I suggest you get ready for bed, take the potion and then try to sleep as long as possible."

"Yes, sir." The boy answered and got up to visit the bathroom that was attended to the laboratory and to get ready for bed, leaving Snape watching him with a grim expression on his face.

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"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing, Potter?" The low feral growl in Snape's dark voice made Harry flinch and turn rather quickly on the table he was standing atop, turning away from the shelf he was about to clean out, nearly losing his footing in the process and he could feel fear settle in his stomach, his heartbeat speeding up for a moment. Ok, then it had not been such a good idea to clean out the Professor's office, maybe the bathroom or the kitchen would have been a better idea. He tried his best to hide the fear that crept up into his chest from the older wizard in the room but he knew that he failed the moment his eyes fell on the teacher that stood in the doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest, his dark eyes piercing him and his face a mask of indifference he always wore. Nevertheless he could detect the annoyance in the pale face of the man.

"Stop this annoying cleaning, Potter and go to sleep." Snape said in the same low growl.

"Uhm …" Was all he could get out for the moment, even if he knew that the Professor hated such incoherent answers and he took a deep breath to get his nerves back under control. Damn, he had been through worse at the Dursleys and his nerves shouldn't betray him now the way they did.

Uncle Vernon would already have beaten him to death because he would have found a reason to blame him for the situation. Snape wouldn't do so. He neither blamed him, nor would he beat him.

And at the Dursleys he wouldn't have something to eat either, with the exception that he would have to watch them eating whereas here they all were in the same situation. Neither would have to watch others eating while being hungry. There wasn't any unfair situation aside from the fact that the situation itself was unfair to them all in the first place. But that was something they all would have to deal with. So – no, he had no reason to lose his nerves.

'Maybe the difference lies in the fact that you are trying to get the man's approval.' A small voice in the back of his mind answered and startled he hitched a breath.

"Eloquent as always, I see." Snape drawled, his dark eyes still piercing him, yet – they were not as angry as they normally were when they fell on him. And the Professor's voice too did not sound as angry as it normally sounded when addressing him. Strange, he couldn't help thinking for a moment.

"Well, sir." He answered, still not really able to suppress his fear. Maybe he was just too tired, maybe he was just too hungry, or maybe the situation reminded him just too much at Private Drive. "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so I thought I could get some work done instead. I mean … well …"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before he ran his hand over his face tiredly.

He doubted that Potter really wouldn't be able to sleep, he just did not want to and he had a good idea as to why. He had watched the brat last night and from what he had observed – well, the boy was afraid, most likely because of the situation, as they all were. And nevertheless, he knew there was more.

The boy was more jumpy than ever before, he threw fearful glances towards him, Snape, every now and then. He was more silent than he was normally and his bend shoulders and stance indicated not only fear but - pain as well. The teen's green eyes were not Lily's bright green but a dark one and somehow he doubted that this was the natural color of the boy's eyes. He had seen them brighter last year, and the year before and in Potter's first year.

'But are they not the color they are at the beginning of each year?' A small voice asked in the back of his mind and he narrowed his eyes. Yes, they were, he couldn't help answering this small voice.

All in all, Potter radiated fear, even if he tried to hide it.

Again he remembered the smile the brat had shown him earlier, when he had written his name on the board and when he had given him two points. It had been a smile, even if a hesitant one, a small one, one that clearly showed the brat had not only been surprised but grateful as well.

Yes, somehow that wasn't the Potter he knew.

All he had seen since Monday, since they were locked down here, indicated that there was something wrong with the boy and the more time passed the more it became clear. His annoying need to do work instead of sleeping, his damn need to comfort others without a single thought of self preservation and the way he had told Weasley that they all were in the same boat, the way he had been ready to make a truce with Draco, something he had not expected from Potter. Again he was reminded at Potter telling Weasley to sleep and Potter knowing that the cataneo root was not poisonous.

Well, those were the biggest signs, but there were smaller signs as well and he was someone who knew how to read people's body language and to hear between the words they said. And he knew how to interpret the subtle layers of personality that covered the people too. It was a skill that simply was vital for his survival as a spy and now that the boy had his attention, he easily noticed more than he had wanted to notice.

Sighing he waved Potter over and pointed at the chair that stood in front of his desk while he himself sat onto the edge of the wooden table.

"Sit down, Mr. Potter." He said, noticing the startled gaze from the boy when he did not call him 'Potter' but 'Mr. Potter'. Well, he simply couldn't deny that Potter acted in this situation like he expected his Slytherins to act and maybe he could handle Potter like he would handle one of his snakes, as strange as this thought might be right now. Maybe if he talked to him like he talked to his snakes, maybe he would get what he wanted from the boy.

Once more he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while Potter sat down, hesitantly and unsurely.

"I have watched you since we are in this situation, Mr. Potter." He began, trying to keep his voice low and neutral. "And you have proven yourself able to act sanely and wisely, even friendly towards the Slytherins, providing comfort to others, and I am pleased with what I have seen from you. You behaved like I expect one of my Slytherins to behave right now."

He noticed Potter's eyes growing large with surprise before the boy blushed and then looked aside and he lifted an eyebrow, realizing that the brat wasn't used to praise from him. Well, that had to be expected as he never before had given praise to Potter and yet he would say it again as it was the truth.

"And nevertheless, Mr. Potter, we are sitting in here for the second time within two nights, discussing your sleeping patterns." He silently continued. "So, care to explain as to why you avoid sleep by cleaning out the classroom or my office, despite the fact that you look as if being ready to drop at any moment?"

There were a few moments during which Potter said nothing, just blinked at the floor, startled, hesitant, unsure and again he clearly could see the word 'fear' written over the brat's forehead in red letters. Now however there was something else mixed to it and the only name he could add to it right now was frustration.

"Well, sir." Potter finally began, his voice as hesitant as his appearance was. "I'm just too worried over the situation. I wouldn't be able to sleep right now."

"I thought we were over this need to hide some things, Mr. Potter." Snape said. He wasn't entirely sure, but he had a good guess at what impact his next words would have on the boy, at least would he had been one of his Slytherins. "And to be honest, then I have to admit that I am disappointed. I thought that you had seen that you could trust me by now."

Well, by judging the teen's startled and considerably paling face correctly, he had been right. The boy right now felt frustrated by himself and most probably he silently cursed himself. And the murmured "I'm sorry, sir" he gave away, was proof enough that he was right again. Damn, the brat seemed to be close to tears right now and he narrowed his eyes at him. Was his, Snape's, opinion really that important to Potter? Since when? What had happened to the hate the boy always had felt towards him?

Sighing again and momentarily running his hand over his face Snape shook his head in confusion.

"Would you like to try it again, Mr. Potter, explaining why you so desperately avoid sleep?" He then asked.

Again there were a few moments of silence during which Potter hung his head before he bent lower and ran his arms around his midsection in a gesture of self-protection before he finally answered, in such a small voice that he had to listen closely to understand the words at all.

"Because I have nightmares. Sometimes."

"And you do not wish the Slytherins to notice it." He nodded. He had thought as much.

"No one knows about them." Potter murmured and Snape couldn't resist lifting his eyebrow at the boy.

"Not even your fellow Gryffindors?" He asked and the only answer he got this time was a slight shaking of Potter's head.

"How have you been able to keep this hidden from your dorm mates?"

"I have used a silencing spell." Potter murmured, his face blushing furiously.

"Excuse me, Mr. Potter?" Snape's growl made him look up and immediately Harry realized he had made a mistake as he got a good look at his teacher's face. Snape was pale but his dark eyes were narrowed and a vein was throbbing on the man's neck and Harry feared, like he often did with uncle Vernon when the man's face went purple, that Snape was going to explode and have a heart attack.

He considered saying that it wasn't important and that Snape shouldn't mind him but then the older wizard ran a weary hand over his face and sighed before the black eyes settled on his face again and the older wizard sighed once more and folded his arms in front of his chest, looking much too intimidating for Harry's comfort and he remained silent.

He was angry beyond reason and he knew he had to calm down if he didn't want Potter being startled out of his wits. The teen was already jumpy enough as it was. But honestly, why in Merlin's name couldn't Minerva keep her lions from using those spells while being with their own? Sometimes this woman drove him to madness and honestly, he shouldn't wonder why the Gryffindors were the way they were as they were left to themselves by their head of house.

Of course he knew that Minerva cared about her lions, but honestly, sometimes he doubted her sanity.

"Mr. Potter." Snape said with a sigh and the man's tone was calm and strangely gentle. "Kindly inform me as to how often you use those spells and as to how long you suffer from nightmares in the first place!"

"I always use them in the dorm before I go to bed, sir." Potter murmured, addressing rather the floor beneath his feet than him. "I don't want to wake the others …"

"Did you ever consider the fact, Mr. Potter, that nobody can wake you from a nightmare if you use a silencing spell as no one can hear you then?"

Potter's head snapped up at him, confusion and uncertainty written all over his face and the green eyes blinking in near shock at him.

"But … but why … why would anyone want this?" Potter had the nerve to ask and again Snape had to grit his teeth for a moment to stop himself from snapping at the foolish boy. Had the damn brat never been woken by his relatives when he'd had a nightmare at home that he was so startled at his question?

"Would you do me the favour, Mr. Potter, and tell me what your relatives did when you had a nightmare at home?" He asked out of curiosity.

"They did nothing!" Potter answered and Snape couldn't help but narrowing his eyes at the boy.

The answer had been a bit too quick for his liking and the boy sounded too much as if he tried to defend them for his liking either. Something in the boy's words and tone worried him and for a moment he was tempted to ask how much he had been sleeping and more importantly how much he had been eating at home during his summer holidays. But knowing that he wouldn't get any straight answer out of the boy right now and knowing that he wouldn't do any good to either of them right now, he swallowed the question and simply nodded.

"Be it as it may." He finally said. "For now I will provide you with dreamless sleep potion, Mr. Potter. You can take it only every second night however, as it would be addictive if you took it each night. For those nights during which you cannot take the dreamless sleep however, we will find another solution. And I do not want you to use such spells either if you are back in your tower, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Potter murmured miserably and with another sigh he reached into the pocket of his robes and took the second vial he had taken from his stocks earlier. He reached the vial towards the boy who cast an unsure gaze at him and he actually had to give him an encouraging nod, as if to ensure the brat that he was allowed to take it, before he finally took it with trembling fingers, uncorked the vial and downed its contents quickly.

"Thank you, sir." Seemed to be all the boy was able to get out at the moment and he nodded.

"Go to bed, Mr. Potter and sleep." He simply said and the boy turned and was about to leave when a thought struck him.

"And, Mr. Potter." He called the boy back and again Potter turned, this time towards him, casting an unsure gaze at him. "It has been you, Mr. Potter, who said that houses are unimportant at the moment. In some way indicating that Slytherin and Gryffindor do not exist down here right now. And if there are no two different houses, then I am not head of Slytherin right now, but simply your teacher and my responsibility belongs to each of you in the same way. So I expect you to address me if you have any troubles or problems. Is that clear, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, sir." Potter answered after a few seconds during which he looked at him, blinkingly, shocked again, as if he had grown suddenly two added heads like this blasted three headed dog Hagrid once had brought to school, in Potter's first year.

"Good, Mr. Potter." He growled. "See that you remember that. Good night."

"Good night, Professor." Potter answered, again after a few seconds during which he hesitated, before he finally turned and left the office, silently closing the door behind him.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

When he left his office a few minutes later and entered the classroom, he noticed that most of the students were sleeping by now.

Granger was laying on her mattress, reading, as was Longbottom and Draco too was in a horizontal position, awake but his mind elsewhere. Theodore was one of those fast asleep and he went over to the boy. He knelt down beside him, his head lowered to one side and he watched the boy's pale but restful face for a short moment, running his hand through the short brown hair for a moment before he turned towards Draco who watched him sleepily.

"Sleep, Draco." He said in a tired voice. "That's the best you can do right now. Tomorrow will be a new day and we will see what it might bring."

He stood when the blond boy nodded and after a second of hesitance he went towards the Gryffindor side and knelt beside Potter's mattress, Draco's eyes following him as well as Granger's and Longbottom's. He extended his hand, keeping it for a moment mid air, before he carded his fingers through the unruly mop of black hair, just as he had done with Theodore before, causing the boy to sleepily open his eyes at him.

"Sleep child." He quietly said, glancing down into the green eyes that watched him sleepily. "I'm tired by myself and I don't have the nerve to deal with you right now. We will talk tomorrow."

He turned and gazed towards Granger and Longbottom when Potter closed his eyes obediently, or simply because he was too tired to keep them open any longer.

"You two as well." He said. "Sleep. It's the best you can do right now."