They reappeared on a sidewalk in front of a two story house, but made no move to go inside.

"This is not my house Potter. You will behave yourself at all times, and will do explicitly as I say, or you will find yourself without a place to stay for the next three days, do I make myself clear?"

Harry looked up at him, and then to the house. "Yes sir." He wondered why Snape would bring him to a house that wasn't his and then tell him to obey him. Was Snape going to be staying here too?

Leading the way up the walk and front steps, Snape opened the door and Harry followed him in, looking around with some curiosity as he wondered who lived here. The house looked... well, Muggle. There wasn't floral wallpaper or furniture like aunt Petunia liked, but there were Muggle appliances like a phone on the wall, lamps, a radio, and a TV from what Harry could see of the living room through the door.

"We're back," Snape called. Harry half expected some of the Order to come out to greet them, but instead a tall woman with shoulder length brown hair came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"Where did you go?"

Snape stood aside, and Harry found the man's expression curious. He didn't seem as agitated as he had, but seemed, anxious. That was an expression Harry didn't think professor Snape had ever used before.

"This is Harry Potter. His family went on vacation and left him with a neighbor, who then left him in Teddington on the side of a road. They will not be back for three days."

Harry's eyes widened and he could feel his cheeks turning red. He wasn't used to being put on display like that. He wasn't sure if this woman was a Muggle yet either and so wasn't sure what information he could divulge about himself and his status in the magical world.

"Oh, you must be hungry Harry. We already ate lunch, but I'll make you a sandwich. Sam is upstairs if you want to go up while I'm making you lunch. I'm Joanna by the way, but you can call me Jo."

Harry looked to Snape expectantly, but he was choosing not to look at Harry at the moment, or say anything.

"Nice to meet you," Harry said, stepping forward to shake her hand, before asking, "Sam?"

"He's my son. You probably know him. He's in your year in Ravenclaw.

Harry gave a nod. He knew of a boy named Sam Heywood, but they'd never actually spoken. "Thank you," he said, and she gave him another warm smile.

"Up the stairs and to the right. You can sleep in Sam's room until your family gets home from vacation."

Harry smiled then and thought that it was awful nice of Snape to bring him here. He hurried up the stairs, but turned to wave goodbye to his Professor only to find himself frozen at what he saw. Joanna had moved in close to Snape and was giving him a gentle kiss on the lips as she held his face in one hand. As they pulled away from each other, Harry feared being shouted at for watching, and continued to bolt up the stairs.

Heart beating erratically (the bat of the dungeons had just kissed a person after all... a really pretty person), Harry saw a partially open door to the right. Feeling out of place in somebody else's home, Harry knocked and the door swung open to reveal Sam Heywood lying on his stomach on his bed reading a magazine.

Sam looked up and said, "Uh, hello."

Harry raised a hand in a silent wave. "Um, your mum told me to come up. Er... Professor Snape brought me here."

"Oh, well, better come in then before he tries to bond with you or something."

"Sorry?"

Sam waved him in and Harry came in and closed the door.

"Here." Sam tossed the magazine to Harry and then grabbed another off his night stand, before sitting down cross legged on the floor. Harry did the same.

"You must be the reason he was all agitated the other day. He came home and wouldn't tell mum what the issue was, only that he'd had to deal with a student."

"That would be me," Harry said. He glanced down at the magazine and saw that it was the Quidditch Gazette. He didn't subscribe to this one, but he'd seen Seamus with it in the common room before. "So, Professor Snape..."

"Lives here now," Sam supplied. "Moved in over Easter holiday a few months ago."

"Because he wants you to serve an all summer detention?" Harry asked awkwardly.

Sam laughed. "Almost. He's engaged to my mum."

Harry choked then and Sam nodded. "That's nothing. What's weird is having Professor Snape in your home 24/7 trying to 'bond' with you."

"I didn't know that was possible," Harry said then, and Sam nodded.

"It is. I'm ok with them dating and whatever, but I don't want to go fishing with him, or go into town to get ice cream with him."

Harry sighed then. It was like he'd just discovered a rip in the fabric of the space time continuum. The world for Harry Potter was officially on its head. Needing time to think things over, namely the fact that Snape was human and was dating Sam's mom, who may or may not be Muggle, Harry pretended to read the magazine until Joanna came up with a sandwich and two fizzy drinks, one for him and one for Sam.

After she left, Harry said, "Your mum said I could sleep in your room until I go back to my house in a few days. Is that ok?"

Sam nodded and said, "Yeah, a cot pulls out from under my bed. They'd probably give you the guest room, but my cousin stays there sometimes when he's in the area."

"Your cousin?"

"He works for The Falmouth Falcons. He's the team manager."

"I love the Falcons," Harry said.

"I get free tickets to all the games. My cousin Jason is in charge of travel arrangements and scouting for new talent."

"I wouldn't mind joining a team after I graduate. Do you play?"

"Nah," Sam said. "My friend Thomas plays for Ravenclaw, but I don't have a fast broom. I'm into some Muggle sports though."

"Is your mum a Muggle?"

"My dad was. Mum graduated a few years after Professor Snape."

They were quiet for a few moments before Sam said, "I have an extra bike. Want to go ride around? If I stay up here too long Snape will try to get me to play a board game or something."

Harry snorted despite himself then and said, "Yeah, let's go."

It turned out that Sam knew how to do several tricks on his bike, including jumping it up and down off of curbs and rails. Harry was impressed. From what he had seen of Sam at school, he had thought of Sam like he thought of Neville: awkward and often ignored by the 'in' groups.

"Is this what you do all summer then when Snape isn't pestering you?"

Sam shrugged. "I guess. Not many people here like me. I had a black eye like yours last summer from Avery Hightower. He lives in the house on the other side of the sports park. Who pummeled you?"

Harry eyed the raven haired boy on the other bike for a moment. He felt at ease around him like he did Ron, and wondered if he could tell him the truth.

"My uncle. Don't tell anyone though."

"Is that why Snape went and got you?" Sam seemed concerned.

"No. I was in jail and he got me out. My cousin lied to the cops and said I vandalized the park. I didn't have anyone else to call. Then Snape took me home and my uncle was mad. They don't like magic. They don't like Snape."

"Oh. Then why'd he go back for you?"

"They dumped me on the side of the road."

"And you're going back?"

Harry shrugged. "It'll be ok. Only a couple of months until school starts. They'll be there when I get back."

Sam gave him a sideways glance then, and Harry pointed at him. "You can't tell anyone. You know Snape doesn't like me. He'll think I'm making it up and then I'll get in trouble for causing a fight between him and your mum."

"I did see him give you detention last year for not having your tie done up right."

"Nobody ever taught me how," Harry said as they began to pedal back to Sam's house.

Sam flashed him a wicked grin. "Maybe he can spend his time bonding with you showing you how to do a tie instead of pestering me all day long."

"Blech," Harry said, laughing. It hurt his eye to smile to wide. It felt good to tell someone the truth though.

Dinner was an awkward affair that night, Harry seeing Snape being so normal. It only got worse when Joanna asked Harry what had happened to his eye. Harry flashed Sam a glance but Sam was determinedly looking at his candied carrots. Good, Harry thought, he wasn't going to tell.

"A guy down the street from my house," Harry said. "I guess he decided he didn't like me very much."

That did draw Sam's attention.

"The same thing happened last summer to Sam! I swear, I don't know what some of these parents are teaching their children these days."

Harry felt bad about lying to her, but he didn't have much of a choice did he. He didn't want the negative attention, and he was sure Snape would misconstrue it as him trying to get pity.

After dinner Sam went upstairs to take a shower, and Harry helped clean the dishes off the table. Joanna declined his offer to wash the dishes, saying that Severus was going to help her. With nothing to do, Harry left the kitchen and began to climb the stairs, but paused when he heard his name faintly come back through the kitchen door, and listened hard.

"He's a very nice boy," Joanna was saying.

"One would think," Snape said. Harry could hear dishes rattling as they washed them together.

"Severus Snape, you are really something, do you know that?"

"Oh?"

"You must be if your students look up to you enough to call you for help. He could have called his own head of house."

"Perhaps he just wished to be an annoyance."

"Maybe he just trusted you."

Harry pushed the kitchen door open just an inch to peer inside. Joanna was holding her wet soapy hand up to Snape's cheek and he had his eyes closed. Letting the door close softly, Harry stood there for a moment feeling conflicted. Snape was a normal person, and he still hated Harry. There had to be a reason, and as Harry lay in Sam's room awake that night, the only conclusion he could come to, was that Harry deserved to be hated.

Despite his injured ribs and still sore eye, Harry found himself enjoying his time there with Sam and Joanna for the next two days. Sam taught Harry how to go down a small ramp on his trick bike and Joanna was very kind to him, even giving him some bruise balm for his eye. Unlike Snape, she never had an unkind word for him, although Snape's tongue was rather mellow in her presence, Harry still caught the stern looks he sent his way.

At the end of Harry's third day there, he found himself on the receiving end of one of Snape's cold glares. Harry didn't know why he had to be like that. He thought he had been very obedient and polite during his short time there.

"Potter. It is time to go. Gather your things."

Harry gave a small nod, and said quietly, "Yes sir." He went upstairs and threw his two shirts and pair of shorts into his bag. That's all he had been allowed to take out of the house. He didn't even have any changes of socks or underwear.

Downstairs Snape was waiting for him by the front door along with Joanna and Sam.

"It was good to have you here with us Harry," Joanna told him. "You're welcome back any time, ok?"

"Thank you," Harry said. She gently touched his still bruised eye before stepping away again. Sam gave him a motionless wave, and Harry returned it.

"See you 'round," Harry said, and then followed Snape out the door where he gripped his arm and apparated him away.

The sun was just beginning to set when they appeared on Privet Drive.

"I can get in by myself sir," Harry said.

"There is no car in the driveway."

Harry looked at the driveway and then nodded. "They probably went out for ice cream sir." Snape motioned with his hand for Harry to go to the front door however, apparently not satisfied until Harry was inside.

"Thanks sir," Harry said, and then left him there on the sidewalk as he went up to the front door. He was going to pull out his key, but the door wasn't latched, and he pushed it open, mouth falling a little at what he saw. The house was completely empty. In fact, it looked like there had never been anyone living there at all.

Harry let his bag fall to the floor as he dragged his feet into the kitchen. His wand was there on the floor at an odd angle amongst a burnt pile of what looked like wood and a dozen spent matches. He bent and picked it up and felt the warmth of its magic rush through his fingers. At least it wasn't damaged.

He heard a single knock on the front door and then heard it creak open. Harry let his head fall forward to rest on an overhead cabinet over the counters. The Dursleys had dumped him on the side of the road, and then packed up and moved to who knew where. This was it, he really did have no place to go.

"Potter?"

Harry took several deep breaths before slamming his fist into the cupboard, head still against it.

"Potter," came Snape's voice again after a few moments.

Harry turned, eyes dry, and stared at his Professor.

"Come on." There was no pity in his eyes, but there was no anger in his voice either. Having no place else to go, Harry followed him out of the empty house, and let himself be apparated away, to where, he didn't know.