After discovering the leaky pipes and growing mold, Severus had reported the problem to Dumbledore, who agreed that all the students would have to go home for Christmas break until the problem was resolved. Dumbledore announced the predicament during dinner in the Great Hall, and Severus’s eyes immediately fell on the Golden Trio, who were huddled close whispering among themselves. Severus furrowed his brows, wondering what mischief they three were up to.

               The following Saturday morning, all the students evacuated the school, boarding the Hogwarts express. Severus had been sure Harry would have at least spoken to the Headmaster about returning home, but according to Hagrid, who had been in charge of escorting the students, Harry had been one of the first on the train, even getting on before his friends. That statement had caught Severus off guard, and for a second, he was sure he smelt a rat, but it could have been the mold in the walls.    

               And then panic ensued.

               An hour after all the students had left, Flitwick, who had been the attending professor on the train to double check head count, sent his patronus to report that Harry had not been on the train. And all the professors went in Lockdown mode, making sure all exits were closed, locked, and spelled with an alarm that would alert to a student’s presence.

               How dare that insolent brat.

               “He must still be in the school,” Minerva said.

               “That much is obvious,” Severus sneered, walking at a quick pace next to Minerva. “I thought Hagrid did a head count as the students boarded?”

               “Miss Granger and young Mr. Weasley informed Hagrid that Harry had already boarded before them.”

               “Potter must have conned his loyal followers into covering for him.”

               “I wouldn’t say that,” Minerva shook her head as they neared Gryffindor tower. “Harry isn’t like that. There must be some reason he didn’t join his friends on the train. I have a good suspicion that the boy doesn’t wish to spend his Christmas with those despicable muggles. They are the worst sort of people.”

               “Ah,” Severus smirked, “something we can agree on.”

               “I’ll check the common room and dorms,” Minerva said, giving the Fat Lady the Gryffindor password. “Perhaps you should check some of the places Harry may frequent?”  

               “Because Potter and I are such chums, I would naturally know where such places are.”

               Minerva rolled her eyes but said nothing as she entered the tower. Severus turned away, sighing and grumbling about spoiled brats ruining his day. Though he knew that Harry was the exact opposite of spoiled, he still didn’t enjoy wasting his time searching the entire castle for a missing boy. But who could blame Harry for pulling such an act after witnessing his homelife. If Severus had had more Gryffindor bravery as a student, he would have done the same thing.

               Keeping his own childhood in mind, Severus thought back to all the places he enjoyed visiting when he attended Hogwarts. Places where he could be alone and think in peace, away from idiotic students and bullies. The gardens, Hagrid’s hut, the lake, the Owlery . . .

               Wait, didn’t Harry have an owl?

               Severus turned sharply and headed for the Owlery. He wouldn’t bother informing another professor of his suspicions. He wanted to deal with this brat himself.

               Severus made record time storming his way to the Owlery with long, quick strides. He traveled up the stairs and opened the entry door without so much as a knock. A couple birds hooted in alarm and puffed their feathers. Severus’s eyes scanned the room, spotting one lonely boy and a white snowy on a higher ledge. Harry was sitting crisscrossed on it and the ledge looked sturdy enough to support his weight. But Severus frowned regardless.

               “Potter!” Severus yelled up to the boy. Merlin, the child must have climbed up several feet to reach that ledge. Reckless Gryffindor.

               Harry jumped, thankfully not enough to lose his balance. The boy stared wide eyed down at Severus but didn’t move.

               “Get your rear end down here this instant!”

               Harry visibly gulped, giving the snowy one last pet before sliding off the ledge to a lower one beneath him. Severus held his breath as he watched Harry descend carefully down the many shelves and rocky surfaces. His fingers graced the tip of his wand in his robe pocket, ready to grab it should the boy slip. Harry slid down to a large window sill. Then, slid out of it.

               Severus rushed forward, afraid the boy had lost his footing and fell to his death. Looking out the window, his heart slowed at the sight of Harry working his way down the rocky tower to the ground below. Where the hell had the boy learned to scale buildings?

               “Potter! What in the blazes are you doing?”

               “I’m not going back!” Harry finally called back to him, halfway down the tower. “I’m staying here for the break. I already signed the paper.”

               The Christmas stay list, Severus thought.

               “That list is void now, Potter. There are reasons you must return home.”

               “It’s just stupid mold!”

               “Black mold, boy. Surely you don’t wish to catch a respiratory infection?”

               “It’d be nothing worse than I’ve had before.”

               “Enough of this. Don’t move, I’ll get you down.”

               “I’ll get myself down,” Harry said, moving carefully and slowly once more. “I’m not going back, and you can’t make me.”

               “Potter, I said don’t move.”

               But Harry was through with listening. He was carefully climbing down the rocky structure, pushing his shoes in the right places and reaching for sturdy grasps. Severus sighed and backed up in the Owlery, knowing that if the boy touched the ground, he’d make a run for it. Severus would have to catch him before he could escape his sight.

               He knew one way to get the boy before he reached the ground. But he hadn’t done such an action in years. He closed his eyes and concentrated on what he was about to do, knowing it would require a lot of energy from himself. He opened his eyes and ran at the window, diving out as one would into a pool, flying down to the boy and grabbing the back of the boy’s robes, yanking him off the wall and holding him up in the air, using wordless magic to keep from strangling the boy with his own robes.

               Harry was shocked at first, his mouth gaping like a fish. “You can fly?” he asked, “Without a broom?” 

               “Obviously,” Severus snapped. “And you can cause a lot of trouble, can’t you?”

               “I’m not going back,” Harry declared, struggling in the man’s grip, reaching for the hand holding him up. “I won’t. You can’t make me. The train’s already left.”

               “I could just as easily apparate you home. Now quit doing that, if I drop you, you better wish you land on your head and pass out to avoid feeling the impact of falling from twenty feet.”

               Harry seemed to come to his senses and looked down. He gulped and allowed Severus to lower them both to the ground safely. Once his feet touched the ground, Harry ran, only to be yanked back by the grip still holding his robes. Severus tucked the boy under his arm, holding him securely, then brought his free hand down hard on the boy’s rear twice.

               “Ow!” Harry cried out. “Professor!”

               Severus stood Harry up, but kept a hand on his shoulder should the boy attempt to run again. Harry’s ears were red, but he was glaring up at Severus.

               “You better explain yourself before I haul you over my knees for a real smacking.”

               Harry’s lower lip trembled slightly, then he looked at the ground and frowned.

               “You know why I can’t go back,” he mumbled.

               Severus sighed, but kept a serious face. “And this was your brilliant idea? Causing a mass panic among the staff?”

               “What do you mean?”

               “Everyone is looking for you, Potter. They still are, in fact.” Severus flicked his wand and sent his patronus to inform the staff that he had found Harry. Harry watched the doe memorized.

               “What is that?” he asked.

               “I’ll ask the questions here,” Severus said, releasing the boy and crossing his arms. “What made you think that you could just make yourself at home after the Headmaster specifically ordered everyone home for the break.”

               “I didn’t want to go back,” Harry said. “You know why. I thought maybe I could just hide here during the break until everyone came back.”

               “For two weeks? Where would you sleep? What would you eat?”

               “I thought I could just sneak back into Gryffindor tower tonight. And I have food stored in my dorm, if I ration it, it would have lasted me two weeks.”

               “You have food stored away?”

               “Just some snacks and a couple sandwiches.”

               “Why?”

               “Why what?”

               “Watch your tone. Why did you store food away? There’s always plenty of food served in Hogwarts.”

               Harry shrugged his shoulders. Severus glared.

               “I do not like to be shrugged at, nor does a shrug answer my question.”

               Harry remained silent, staring down at the ground.

               “Potter, respond to me.”

               “I would,” Harry glared back at him, “but you don’t like to be shrugged at, sir.”

               Severus narrowed his eyes, biting his inner cheek to keep from acting on the impulse to smack the child again. “If you do not answer my question, I will simply take you past the apparition wards and deliver you to your relatives and be done with it. I have had it with your cheek, you little brat, and I will not waste any more of my time when I could be assisting the other professors in fixing the damage to the school.”

               “It’s just a habit, okay?” Harry finally said.

               Severus decided not to ask the boy to elaborate. He could put two and two together. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at the boy. Silence reigned for a moment before Severus clasped a hand on Harry’s shoulder and began leading the boy away from the Owlery.

               “Where are we going?” Harry asked.

               “To Professor Dumbledore,” Severus said.

               “No, please,” Harry pulled away, but Severus quickly grabbed the boy’s wrist. “He’ll send me back. I don’t want to go my relatives. I’ll leave in the summer, but not now. I promise. I could stay here, I could even help.”

               Severus remained silent, keeping a firm grip on the boy’s wrist as he kept trying to pull away from him. He had stopped moving, more focused on keeping the boy at his side. But he listened to the distraught child as he rambled.

               “I just want one Christmas without them,” Harry continued. “I want to be happy and celebrate without being locked away somewhere. Without hearing stupid Dudley get a thousand new, expensive gifts he’ll never use. Without having to make Christmas dinner and not even have a bite of it. I just . . .”

               Harry trailed off, looking down to hide a tear escaping his eye. He gave up trying to pull free from Severus and just kept his head down. Severus remained silent, comparing his wishes to always remain at Hogwarts during Christmas break. He never wanted to return to his drunk father and neglectful mother. He never wanted to hear them arguing and fighting. He didn’t have a Christmas dinner or presents to look forward to. He had seen how Harry’s relatives acted and heard exactly what they thought of their nephew. And Harry reminded him so much of . . .

               “Fine,” Severus said.

               Harry snapped his head, frowning in confusion.

               “I will give you two options,” Severus continued. He paused, making sure Harry was listening. “One: you will stay with me for Christmas break. You will remain in my quarters while the professors and I work on fixing the water damage. Then you will accompany me to my home in Spinner’s End next Saturday where we will remain for the week and return the day before the students arrive back.”

               Harry’s eyes had slowly widened before he frowned once more.

               “Option two: you return to your relatives for Christmas break.”

               Harry shook his head immediately.

               “Then you decide on option one?”

               “Can’t I just . . .” Harry swallowed, looking at the professor’s grip around his wrist. He gave a half-hearted attempt to pull free once more, but Severus didn’t loosen his hold the slightest. Harry sighed. “What’s wrong with staying at Hogwarts? I could stay in Gryffindor tower.”

               “You will not be left to your own devices, Potter. I gave you your options. Now make up your mind before I decide for you and deliver you to the headmaster. What will it be?”

               Harry bit his lip, meeting Severus’s eyes. “I don’t want to go back.”

               Severus inclined his head but said nothing. It still wasn’t an answer, and he would have to make sure he received an affirmative response before he could inform Albus of his decision to keep watch over the boy for the break. It was only two weeks. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Albus to agree to.

               Harry stared at Severus for a long moment before looking down and saying, “Option one.”

               “Very well,” Severus said. Then he pulled Harry along once more.

               “Where are we going now?” Harry asked.

               “To my quarters, as we’ve agreed.”

               “Oh,” Harry said, eloquent as ever.

               They were silent on the journey down to Severus’s quarters, Severus thinking of all the consequences of having just agreed to taking in Harry James Potter over Christmas break. What had he been thinking? He had fallen for the sympathy ploy. And it wasn’t like he could take his words back. He could only hope he didn’t regret his decision. There goes his peaceful, student-free vacation.

               Once in his quarters, after hearing the audible click of his door locking, he released Harry and pushed the boy into an empty corner in his lounge.

               “You will stand here until I say otherwise,” Severus said.

               “You’re making me stand in the corner? I’m not a baby! You can’t make me stand here.”

               “Watch me, Potter. A simple hex will have you standing there still and quiet all night. You will stand here of your own free will and think about your idiotic decision to ignore school orders or I will hex you.”

               “I don’t need a corner to think, sir,” Harry crossed his arms.

               “You will remain silent while you stand in the corner.”

               “I change my mind!” Harry suddenly said, glaring at the intersecting walls in front of him.

               Severus frowned but knew the boy was simply upset at having to stand in the corner. He rolled his eyes and grabbed the boy’s shoulder, jerking him out of the corner and turning him to face the door.

               “Then I shall assist you to your relatives’ home.”

               “No,” Harry slipped out of his weak hold and faced the corner once more. “I’ll stand in the corner. Even if it’s babyish.” The last part was muttered, but Severus decided to let it go.

               “You will stand there good and quiet,” he instructed.

               While Harry stood in the corner, Severus found a parchment and wrote out a note to Albus. He explained the situation and the deal he had made with Harry. He explained that it was just for the two weeks, that Harry had agreed to return to his relatives in the summer, and that he was more than capable of keeping Harry safe for two weeks. He didn’t bother making a note to the other professors as he was sure Albus would inform the staff. But that was as far as the news could go. No one else could learn of Harry Potter’s whereabouts during the Christmas break.

               Severus rolled the parchment and sent it through the floo, catching Harry’s attention, who stared curiously at the flames.

               “Face the corner,” Severus said.

               Harry frowned and looked back at the corner, making a face.

               Severus sighed. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t make Harry stand in the corner all day. Well, he could but he knew he shouldn’t. Severus sat down in his chair and cast a timer charm for ten minutes, casting it so his wand would flash green light when the ten minutes were up. He figured that was long enough for Harry to stand.

               The minutes passed by slowly, Harry fidgeting impatiently and grumbling under his breath occasionally while Severus occupied himself with the Daily Prophet. Once his light flashed green several times, he cancelled the spell.

               “You may leave the corner, Potter,” Severus informed. “Sit on the sofa.”

               Harry leaped from the corner to the couch, happy to give his feet a rest.

               “I certainly hope you realize now that your actions were uncalled for.”

               “I realized that before you made me stand n the corner,” Harry muttered.

               Severus glared, “Enough with that mumbling. You will speak clearly and respectfully from now on or so help me, Potter, you will be spitting out soap suds all winter long. I will not tolerate your disrespect while you stay under my roof, is that clear?”

               Harry visibly bit his lip before nodding.

               “A verbal answer.”

               “Yes, sir.”

               “Thank you,” Severus leaned back in his chair, studying Harry. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with his disobedience much further. Besides, he had already smacked the boy earlier. “I believe you have been disciplined enough for your direct defiance of an order. Now, we shall go over some rules I expect you to follow while you stay in these quarters.”

               Harry sighed, but nodded his head, quickly adding a “Yes, sir.”

               “For the exception of meals in the Great Hall, you will not leave these quarters without my permission and you will inform me of where you are going should I allow you to venture out and I will give you a time at which to return by. You will not be late, and you will not abuse that permission, or you will lose it. In my quarters, you are not permitted to enter my lab, my study, or my bedroom. If you so much as set a toe in any of those rooms, you will find sitting to be highly uncomfortable.”

               Harry’s face turned red, but he nodded.

               “You will keep your room here clean and tidy and your bed will be made each morning. Your bedtime is nine thirty and I expect you up no later than seven.”

               Harry made a face at the mention of a bedtime but said nothing. Severus was sure the boy was just trying to keep himself from being sent back to his relatives. At least at the moment.

               “Any questions?”

               “No, sir.”

               “Very well. Are your belongings at least packed or did you even bother with such a meticulous task?”

               “Everything’s packed, sir. I left my suitcase in my dorm, though.”

               “You may leave to your dorm and return right back to these quarters. I am sure all the professors know your situation by now. I will have the doorknob spelled to recognize your magic and let you in. You have fifteen minutes to gather what you need and be back here before I come looking for you, Potter, and if I do so, you will not like the consequences.”

               Harry nodded again, the tips of his ears turning red. Severus wondered how many times he could get that response out of Harry.

               “Go.”

               Harry was off the couch and out of the door in a second. Severus sighed and covered his face with his hands. What had he just signed up for? The floo flared up and a parchment flew to Severus, who caught it and opened it. It was from Albus, and it had just two words: Good luck!

               How encouraging, Severus thought, how very encouraging, Albus.