"I expected you would be able to tell me Mr. Potter," she said, gazing down through her glasses at him. She'd just pulled him away from Gryffindor table and told him he was to go back to Slytherin for another week or possibly two.

"I don't have any idea," Harry said. "Is someone else exchanging places with me?"

"Not that I'm aware of," she said. "For the next two weeks Mr. Thomas will be out of the dorms in Ravenclaw."

"But why am I going back?" His stomach squirmed. What could Snape possibly want with him? Was he unhappy with the way Harry had portrayed Slytherins in his presentation? Perhaps he wanted revenge and wanted Harry back under his thumb where he could give him as many detentions as he wanted, or else take the rest of Harry's things away.

"All I've been told is that Professor Snape has requested you return to Slytherin for now because he has unfinished business with you."

She turned to give her attention to a line of students who were waiting to put their names on the exchange list (still presumably a product of Harry's presentation the night before), but Harry stopped her with, "But- it's not for good, right?" She gave him a look of pity. Harry had wondered what life would have been like if he'd been placed in Slytherin, but now his curiosity was satisfied, and he was worried that somehow he was being exchanged into the house permanently.

"It's not permanent. I suggest you speak to Professor Snape. Until you get the chance to do so, you should sit at Slytherin table. I'll see to it that your things are sent back to the Slytherin dorms." She took her list and walked to the students waiting for her, and Harry let his shoulders droop. Maybe joining the exchange hadn't been such a good idea after all.

Ron and Hermione gave him an odd look as he walked back to Slytherin table. He'd had one night in Gryffindor, and now he found himself back in Slytherin. The Slytherins seemed confused too.

"What Potter?" Draco asked when he sat down between Tracey Davis and Teddy. "Can't get enough of us now? I know you can't be exchanging back in. You've done three weeks."

"I'm not sure what's going on," Harry admitted, and he didn't mind that they saw him looking confused. After all, some of the boys had already seen him crying in the dorms when he thought he was getting kicked out. "Professor McGonagall just said I was to go back to Slytherin for another week. She didn't know why, only that Professor Snape said I had to."

"It can't be your project," Teddy tried to reason. "It was good, and it's done."

"I think he wants to give me more detentions," Harry thought out loud, but then he realized the other sixth years had grown silent and looked up at them. Crap. "I said that out loud didn't I?"

"Maybe you should be back in Slytherin," Pansy said. "You think you got to know us and our house, but you don't know Professor Snape very well."

"He does give me a lot of detentions," Harry pointed out.

"How many did you deserve?" Milicient dared him to answer her truthfully.

"Well I'm not really a great judge of that am I?" Harry said, feeling snarky, on edge, and uncertain all at the same time. "I'm biased. I'm bound to think I don't deserve any detentions so you shouldn't ask me."

Millicent and Pansy both stuck their chins up in the air as if Harry must have deserved all previous detentions, but also didn't say anything else about it since Harry admitted he wouldn't be able to give a fair answer.

"If it's not my project, what other reason could it be other than he's upset with me?"

"Being in Slytherin isn't a punishment Potter," Draco drawled as he rolled his eyes. "After your glowing review of us last night I thought you would have realized that by now."

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't mind being in Slytherin, I just don't know why Professor Snape wants me here. You can't deny he doesn't like me."

They exchanged looks but no one denied it. After he took Harry's coat twice and gave him detention without allowing him to give his side of the story, they couldn't defend their head of house's actions when it came to Harry.

"Look, just don't count him out yet," Blaise said. "You came into Slytherin the first time with an open enough mind to realize you'd had some misconceptions about us, maybe this time you should come in with an open mind towards Professor Snape. You already said you realized the rules were subjective... that means based on personal feelings and tastes. We happen to think Professor Snape is a good guy and we like the way he runs Slytherin. If you thought Slytherin was ok the first time around, that had to partly be because of the way he's decided to run things."

"I'm trying to have an open mind," Harry thought out loud again. He looked at the faces around him who looked doubtful and finished, "You might just have to remind me if I forget."

After breakfast Harry walked back to Gryffindor table with Blaise and explained to Ron and Hermione what had developed so far that morning. Hermione was pensive and Ron inclined not to speak his opinion on the matter at all since there was a Slytherin with Harry. Harry made plans to meet Ron and Hermione in the library after lunch and then went with Blaise back to the Slytherin common room.

"C'mon," Blaise said. "Don't look so mopey. You're going to set a bad example for the entire school. They'll all think your project was a joke if you can't handle going back to a different house for a couple of weeks."

"I'm not moping," Harry said. Well, he might have been, and Blaise gave him a look to tell him he was. Harry wanted to tell Blaise that he didn't know what it was like, to constantly feel anxiety at the edges of your mind waiting to creep in, or to be afraid of Professor Snape, or to be worried he'd be yelled at again for no reason at all, or to always be on edge wondering what he'd done wrong now or what he'd do wrong next to get himself into trouble. No one understood though, and Harry knew he'd never be able to explain it to Blaise. From what Harry had heard, Blaise came from a well-to-do family like Draco and Pansy. Blaise's family had sent him fifteen gifts at Christmas which ranged from novels to fine candies and expensive items of clothing. Blaise also wrote letters home regularly and received letters every few days. No, a boy like Blaise wouldn't understand. He couldn't.

Harry was only in the common room for a few minutes when Professor Snape made an appearance. Harry saw him come in from where he sat with the other boys in a corner while they studied. He watched as the Potion Master's dark eyes swept the room until they found Harry, and then motioned for him to come to where he stood at the entrance. When Harry rose silently, the others looked around and found Snape. "Keep an open mind," Teddy reminded him.

When he made it to Snape, the man turned and walked back out of the common room without a word and Harry followed nervously. He was led down the hall and around the corner to Snape's office and let inside.

"Have a seat Potter. We have things to discuss."

Harry sat in one of the visitor's chairs and wiped his sweaty hands along his jeans. He wanted to babble on about being in trouble and to remind Snape that he'd already served one detention he hadn't deserved over the coats, but kept his mouth clamped firmly shut.

"Relax Potter," Snape said as he sat down behind his desk and took in the stressed appearance of the boy. "You are not in trouble."

Harry did relax at that, but only slightly. If he wasn't in trouble, then why had he been called back to Slytherin?

"Ask," Snape said with an irritated sigh.

"Sir?"

"I can see every emotion play across your face. If you have questions, ask. That is what a Slytherin would do."

"I don't know why I'm here," Harry said. "Professor McGonagall just said you had unfinished business with me."

"That is true, and also what you are here to talk about."

Harry wiped his hands on his jeans again and sat quietly, wanting to hear the rest and get it over with.

"I promised you the full Slytherin experience," Snape said, sitting back in his chair so he didn't lean over his desk and appear frightening, which he had a tendency to do, even when he wasn't upset or angry. "I hardly had time to give you that experience in the few days that remained of your time in Slytherin."

"I don't understand."

"Potter, you told me some disturbing things in the dormitory. I wouldn't be living up to my duties as head of house if I did nothing to remedy the situation you find yourself in."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Finally he asked boldy, "What if I lied?"

Snape didn't bother to narrow his eyes and call Harry out, and it unnerved Harry to see the man looking so unperturbed at his proclamation. "Seriously," Harry said, "I lied about it all," he insisted. "I have a huge bedroom and a big bed with a lot of red and gold pillows, and I just bring rags to school to get sympathy when people see me wearing them. I look more like an orphan that way."

"An interesting twist," Severus said coolly, "but hardly worth my effort to acknowledge the lie. If you're going to spin falsehoods you should know that Slytherins practice their stories and work out every detail before trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and rarely ever succeed in doing so."

Harry let his mouth gape. A week ago Snape would have bought it hook, line and sinker. Harry didn't know why he was so panicked to know that Snape knew the truth when he hadn't cared telling him a few days ago. Maybe it was the suggestion that he was going to try to do something about it. No one had ever tried to fix things for Harry before, aside from Sprout cutting his hair and fixing his pants and tie.

"What I don't understand is why you would lie now. I do not see the purpose that would serve."

No, Harry supposed he wouldn't. He was like Blaise and everyone else. He couldn't possibly understand.

"Well?" he asked when Harry hadn't provided an appropriate answer several moments later. Harry only shrugged in response.

"Very well. I want to be sure you know the rules this time before you go back to the common room."

Harry looked up. Rules he could handle. He was good at following rules, usually.

"I am your guardian whilst you are here." He didn't continue, as if this were the only rule. Harry wasn't surprised. He supposed everyone knew that the teachers were their guardians while they were at school. In fact, Harry had been told Dumbledore had all the power of guardianship over him even when he was in the Muggle world until he was 17.

"Nothing to say to that?" Severus asked, brows raised.

"Well, sir," Harry said, "isn't that true of every house? The Headmaster said he was my guardian anyway since I don't have one in the wizarding world."

Severus narrowed his eyes, looked like he wanted to say something about it, but then didn't and adjusted himself so he was sitting back in his chair again and not leaning out over the desk towards Harry.

"As the rules stand, I am your guardian whilst you are in Slytherin house, which is why I brought you back to Slytherin for the time being."

"I don't-"

"Part of being a Slytherin is having me as an advocate. I preformed that duty poorly during your first two weeks here, but after you informed me of your situation at home, I went to the Headmaster's office and advocated on your behalf."

"What does that-"

"It means Potter, that the Headmaster has agreed that whilst you are part of Slytherin house, I am your guardian in this world and he is not."

Harry swallowed. He didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but reminded himself that he was supposed to be keeping an open mind about Snape. He hadn't been yelled at so far this morning or given detention so he supposed he should keep up his end of the bargain.

"As my ward this means you have my undivided attention regarding your needs. This includes clothing, food, shelter, and your overall well-being. As my ward, I expect you, as I expect any Slytherin to come to me if you are having issues or have needs that have gone unmet."

Harry's mind was spinning so quickly he felt it was in danger of shutting off altogether. He couldn't wrap his brain around what Snape was saying. He knew he was technically in Slytherin, but that didn't mean anything! He wasn't actually a Slytherin! As much as he'd tried to pretend he was a part of the other houses, he was still just a Gryffindor. Why would Snape go to the trouble then to become his guardian, and only while he was in Slytherin? Unless- "You mean for me not to go back to Gryffindor?" Harry looked up from where he'd been staring at the desk trying to work things out.

Severus sighed. "I need more time to advocate for your rights Potter. I can't do that unless you're here. I don't intend on keeping you here all year, and if you went to the Headmaster or Professor McGonagall and complained enough I'm certain they'd place you back in Gryffindor, but it is in your best interest to be here until things have a chance to be worked out."

Harry was surprised Snape had been honest with him. He'd even told him how to get himself back in Gryffindor, thus giving him a choice. He didn't know what it would look like for things to be ‘all worked out' and it made him nervous. "What's that even mean?"

"I'm not certain. From what you have told me I assume you do not wish to return to your family during the summer."

Harry hadn't even told him the half of it, and no, he didn't want to return. There was nothing there for him but punishment and loneliness and contempt and-

"What are you thinking?" Snape asked suddenly, stopping Harry's spiraling thoughts about the Dursleys cold.

There was that question again. Rylee had asked him that several weeks ago. Slytherins were blunt though. They spoke candidly and asked what they wanted without preamble.

"I don't know what any of this looks like," Harry said, finally finding a way to put words to his anxiety. "I don't know how to do what you're saying. I don't know how to be a Slytherin, or a ward. I don't know what's supposed to happen after I leave Slytherin. I have to go back to the Dursleys in the summer. I always have to go back. That's the way it's always been."

Severus narrowed his eyes and said suddenly, "You're going to start a new term project Potter."

Harry raised his brows.

"Your last project turned out better than one would have expected." Snape paused for a moment and Harry was sure he was trying to find any flaw in Harry's project to criticize him on, but then he continued, "Since you are here for at least the next two weeks, I expect you to start a new project like the others in the house will be doing. This time I will choose the topic however."

"The others said I get to choose."

"Many Slytherins choose with the help of their parents. Since you are my temporary ward, I am advising you to take my advice on topic choice."

"Ok..."

"I want you to think about what life would be like if you exchanged into a family that would be ideal for you. Since you have so much experience exchanging into new houses and moving in and out of new situations, I want you to come up with a hypothetical scenario in which you have a brand new family. Write about why this family is ideal for you, how they differ from the Dursleys, and how your transition into this new family goes."

"That's going to be hard," Harry thought aloud.

"You have friends who are happy with their families, do you not? I would imagine it would not be hard to think about what you know of their family life and imagine new and interesting scenarios from there."

"I don't have to present this do I?"

"As I understand it, presenting your last project was solely your idea."

"It was-"

"The rest of the details of the project are up to you. I require only a paper, but if you wish to provide more, you can. Sharing with people other than myself is optional."

Harry nodded, thinking it over. If it was just a paper, he supposed he could manage. He used to imagine new families for himself all the time when he was younger and stuck for hours on end in his cupboard. He hadn't thought about anything like that for a long time though. Hogwarts had replaced his need for an actual family, because he felt safe around his friends most of the year.

Harry stood to leave when Snape didn't say anything else, but Snape cleared his throat to stop him. Harry turned and looked at him with question in his eyes.

"We're not finished yet."

"Sir?"

"As I said, as your guardian I am charged with making sure your needs are met. Food and shelter are taken care of, but clothing is another matter."

"I just need to get to a shop," Harry protested, but Snape stood up and went for a bag of floo powder on the mantle.

"Which is where I will be taking you this afternoon."

"My money pouch is in the dorms-"

"I am charged with meeting your needs Potter. Simply transporting you to a clothing store does not fill that requirement."

Harry uncertainty took a pinch of floo powder from the drawstring pouch that was being offered to him, and moments later left the castle with Professor Snape. He returned to the common room two hours later with several brown packages wrapped in twine and full of new clothes.

"What'cha got there?" an older Slytherin asked as Harry passed by.

"Clothes," Harry said, face heating up.

"About time," Draco drawled. He followed Harry into the empty dorm to see what he had. Apparently the other boys were in the library checking out books for their new term projects.

"Let's see then," Draco said. "I thought I'd have to give you my coat if you didn't get new things soon."

Harry unwrapped the brown packages carefully and admired the new clothes that fell out. He had new slacks for school, new uniform shirts, a new robe, new jeans, new socks and underwear, a coat like Draco's and a maroon zip up hoodie that was lined with extra layers of soft, warm fabric inside.

Harry also showed off his new sneakers to Draco, which he was already wearing. They were white and dark crimson.

"Not so bad Potter," Draco concluded as he sat down at his desk to read a novel and Harry began to hang his things up in the wardrobe. Harry had now taken Crabbe's bed since Draco was back and Crabbe was in Hufflepuff this week.

"Has Professor Snape taken anyone to get new clothes before?" Harry asked.

Draco turned to look at him. "Professor Snape took you?" Harry nodded. "No," Draco said, and turned around.

"He hasn't?"

"Not that I know of. Has McGonagall taken anyone out and bought them new things?"

"No."

Harry changed into a new pair of jeans and then pulled on the new zip up hoodie and admired how soft and warm it was. Then he sat at his desk and pulled out a spiral notebook and a Muggle pen. He supposed the paper didn't need to be perfect the first time around, so he could just write down whatever he was thinking and work it into a final draft later.

‘My new family makes sure I have clothes that fit good and aren't holey. I have a coat and I'm always warm in the winter. I never have to borrow other people's things.'

Well, it was a start anyhow. Maybe the rest would come to him in his dreams. If he were honest, not all of his fantasies about a proper family had left when he'd come to Hogwarts. Sometimes he still dreamed of someone coming to spirit him away from the Dursleys. Sometimes it was the Weasley's in a flying car, and other times people he didn't recognize.

* * *

"What's your new project Harry?" Teddy asked Wednesday. They'd seen Harry sitting at his desk and scribbling notes for days.

"It's a secret," Harry said.

"Sounds interesting," Blaise challenged him, wanting details.

"Difficult," Harry corrected him, because for Harry it was. He'd been assigned to also compare and contrast how this fictional family compared to the Dursleys and it hurt to think about all the ways the Dursleys fell short. It couldn't be that hard to have him as family could it? But it must have been if the Dursleys wouldn't acknowledge him or provide him with food or clothes. Even Snape had managed that much.

* * *

‘My new family realizes I don't like loud sounds or to be yelled at. It's nice that they make an effort to talk to me nicely.' I have my own room and a soft bed to sleep in. I have a soft blanket and a pillow. I don't have to sleep on the floor in the cupboard under the stairs like I have to at the Dursleys. I prefer to be here with my new family instead of counting down the days until I go back to school.'

* * *

"How is your translation coming Draco?"

Harry looked up from his Transfiguration homework as Snape came over to stand next to Draco at one of the couches in the common room. Aside from the two times he'd come in to talk to Harry previously, Harry had yet to see Snape in the common room. Now it appeared he was making the rounds. He spoke to Draco for a few minutes, and then moved on to a group of first years, and then stopped to speak to Rylee French. After nearly twenty minutes, he made his way to Harry.

"Has your new clothing provided adequate warmth?"

Harry looked down at his chest and admired again the new clothes and new crimson zip up hoodie again. "Yes sir," Harry said. He opened his mouth to thank Snape again but the man held his hand up to stall him, perhaps aware there were others nearby in the common room that might overhear.

"And your project?" he asked.

"I've been working on it," Harry said.

"Do you need help?"

Harry frowned. How was Snape going to help him with it? Harry was supposed to be imagining a new family. He knew Snape was going to read the paper in the end, but he was still embarrassed to discuss it with him. He didn't want the man to know how he dreamed of being treated so well... like a prince. The man had called him ‘Prince Potter' often enough anyhow, and Harry preferred not to be around when he read the paper.

"I'm fine," he said, realizing Snape was watching him as he waited for an answer.

"And your other schoolwork? The most recent report said you were struggling in Transfiguration."

"Hermione's helping me in the evenings in the library," Harry told him.

"Very well," Snape said. He turned to move off, but then turned back to Harry and gave him a pointed look. "Remember what I said Potter, you are to come to me if any needs are going unmet." Then he walked across the room to see how Tracey and Millicent were doing with their projects and schoolwork.

Harry felt it had been such an odd encounter with Snape that he thought about it well after the man had left the common room forty minutes later. No one ever checked on him like that. Hermione just helped him with his homework automatically, always assuming he and Ron were struggling with it, and Ron and the other boys in the dorm automatically offered their extra items of warm clothing to Harry at the start of every term knowing he needed it. No one ever asked what he needed though or reminded him that help was available. It was weird... and sort of nice, he admitted.

‘My new family writes to me while I'm at school and checks up to see my grades are being kept up and to see if I need anything. I know I have someone to talk to.'

* * *

Snape came to the common room a lot as it turned out. He made an appearance most nights after dinner for at least twenty minutes to see if anyone needed help with school work or had questions, or sometimes to deal with issues the younger years were having such as fighting with dorm mates. It was nothing so interesting as when Professor Flitwick came to the Ravenclaw common room, or so official as when Professor Sprout made a rare appearance for student court, but Harry found it almost comforting to know that Snape would eventually show up if he did have something needing addressed. In fact, most of the Slytherins, especially the younger ones, seemed to save up questions throughout the day to ask Snape in the evenings.

Harry found it interesting to listen to the things the kids in different years asked. A lot of first and second years complained to Snape about the mean things kids in other houses had said or done that day. Kids in third through fifth year asked a lot of homework questions, especially about Potions. Sometimes fifth through seventh year boys cast a spell around themselves and Snape to ask him a question privately (Harry had tried to become a lip reader in his time in Slytherin but never managed). He figured they must have been embarrassing questions. And several seventh years sought out Snape's advice on in-depth projects and on things that might potentially make them look better on applications after Hogwarts.

Snape didn't always know the answer, but he always promised to think about things and get back to students when he didn't. Harry never approached Snape to ask him anything because it felt strange to do so, but he did enjoy watching others as they did. It reminded him of all the times Ron talked about asking his dad for advice.

‘My new family are always happy to listen to me and answer my questions. They don't lie like the Dursleys.'

* * *

"You haven't been eating," Snape observed after lunch on Sunday afternoon. He'd come down to Slytherin table after most of the students and staff had left the Great Hall. Only Harry and Draco and a handful of other students remained in the large room, some playing games and others studying.

Harry shrugged as he pushed his plate away from him. He hadn't been feeling well since last night. His body was achy, he felt tired, and he was pretty sure he was running a fever because he couldn't seem to get warm one minute, only to be stiflingly hot the next.

"He's going to get us all sick," Draco snarked irritably from across the table. Snape frowned at the blond but then looked back to Harry. "Make sure you find your way to the Hospital Wing after you leave the table." Then he turned to Draco and said in low tones, "Perhaps you'd better take a break from your studies this afternoon and take a walk."

"It's freezing outside," Draco snapped at him, but then realized he was talking to his Head of House and seemed contrite.

"Then another activity that does not involve schoolwork or your project."

Draco sighed irritably. "You're not making him stop working on his project," he said, motioning to Harry.

Severus took the opportunity to look at Harry again and assess his pale face and damp forehead. Harry for his part looked like he was interested in the conversation being held, and looked like he'd rather go on a walk than go to the Hospital Wing.

"Perhaps Mr. Potter will join us for a break after he sees Madam Pomfrey."

Draco looked irked that he wasn't going to get out of anything, but Harry seemed interested.

"Go Potter. Meet us at the bottom of the Dungeon stairwell in fifteen minutes."

"Yes sir." Harry stood up and strained his ears to listen to the conversation being continued without him as he left the table. All he managed to catch was another complaint from Draco and Snape responding, "He doesn't appear to be under enough stress to rip someone's head off with his bare teeth, unlike a certain blond boy I know..."

In the Hospital Wing Madam Pomfrey determined Harry had a mild cold and gave him pepperup potion and a general healing potion and then sent him on his way. By the time Harry made the bottom of the dungeon steps he didn't feel 100 percent but he felt well enough. Snape and Draco were waiting for him, and Draco rolled his eyes as Snape led them off down the corridor. It looked like Draco had lost the argument about taking a break.

Snape didn't lead them to his office or back to the common room. Instead he led them to his private quarters. Draco didn't seem surprised. Harry looked around and thought Snape's quarters looked a lot like McGonagall's (he'd been dragged there a few times by his friends when he was sick and had refused to go to the Hospital Wing, only to have McGonagall lead him there herself). There were a couple of couches and an armchair around a coffee table in front of the fire. There was also a desk piled with paperwork, and an adjoining kitchen with a kitchen table and several chairs. There was a hall Harry assumed led to a bathroom and bedroom.

Draco plopped down on Snape's sofa and Harry waited to be invited to sit. He'd never been in any Professor's quarters for long enough to have a seat before this.

"Sit," Snape told him, and then went to the kitchen to make tea. He came back a few minutes later with tea and a tin of chocolate covered biscuits. Draco took a biscuit without being invited and stared into the fire for several moments, content not to talk to Snape until he was done being angry about being dragged away from his project. Snape for his part seemed content to ignore Draco instead of forcing him to talk, and instead turned his attention to Harry, who was feeling awkward.

"There are a few board and card games if you would like to play."

Harry frowned. Draco didn't look like he wanted to play anything.

"Ignore him until he's ready to rejoin civilized discussion," Snape told Harry.

Draco shot a look of contempt at the Potions Master at the comment, but then went back to staring at the fire, frown firmly set and arms crossed.

"Ok..." Harry said.

Snape used his wand to call a small wooden box to them. It looked like the wooden chest the Hufflepuff boys had games stashed in, but in far better shape. The box landed next to Harry on the sofa and he reached inside and pulled out a smaller cardboard box that seemed to have cards in it. "I don't know how to play any of these," Harry said after looking at the other games in the box. He'd seen a couple of these in Hufflepuff but hadn't played them. The box with cards was red and had a photo of two Goblins fighting each other with swords, and the title, ‘Goblin Fire.'

"Any of them?" Draco asked in disbelief.

Harry gave another look over what was in the box and then shook his head. They were all wizard games. Harry had learned things like Exploding Snap, Gobstones, Wizard's Chess and a few others commonly played in Gryffindor common room, but there were a lot more he'd never seen or heard of.

Draco held out his hand for the box and practically snatched it from him when he tried to hand it over.

"It's like Mermaid's Tide," Draco said, opening the box and pulling a tall stack of cards out.

"I don't know what that is either."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Both of them are like Dragon Helm," he said, shuffling the cards. "It's all the same series.

Harry shrugged.

"Seriously Potter, with all the free time you spend wasting, I thought you would know what card games are."

"I've played cards before," Harry said. "We play Exploding Snap."

Draco counted ten cards out to himself, ten to Harry, and ten to Snape, who appeared to be playing as well. These seemed different than the others in the deck and Draco began turning cards face up in the center of the coffee table until he had five. They had different illustrations of Goblins and had names like, ‘Forge Master' and ‘Blade Wielder'.

"This isn't as simple as Exploding Snap," Draco said, starting to explain the rules. "We each start with 50 life. You can only attack the person to your right. If your life goes to zero you lose. The cards in your hand are like money, you buy the face up cards with them to use to fight whoever is to your right." After one hand (in which Harry lost followed quickly by Draco), Harry thought he had the game down. It was fun and he wondered if Ron knew how to play. He thought he would like a set of his own. By the end of the second hand, Draco's competitive streak had reared its head and he didn't seem as downtrodden and stressed as he had earlier. At the end of the two hours they'd spent in Snape's quarters playing cards, Harry was pleased that he'd won at least two hands.

"You don't look well Potter," Snape commented. "You should return to the dorms and lie down."

Harry looked up. The pepperup potion had worn off and he was starting to feel sluggish again. He helped Draco sort and put the cards away and then stood to leave.

"Draco," Snape said as the two boys made the door to the corridor, "you are not to do anything educational until tomorrow at breakfast."

Draco didn't seem to mind after the game break though. "Yes sir," he said, and followed Harry out and back to the common room.

"I like that game," Harry said when they were back in the dorms.

"What game?" Crabbe asked.

"Goblin Fire," Draco said.

"I like Mermaid's Tide better," Crabbe said.

"Want to play?" Draco asked, and Crabbe got into his trunk and pulled out a blue box that looked like the Goblin Fire box in Snape's quarters. Harry wanted to play too but settled for crawling into bed and watching Draco, Crabbe and Goyle play on the floor since he wasn't feeling well. He ended up drifting off to sleep before seven and felt better for it in the morning.

‘My new family notices when something's wrong. They take me to the doctor when I'm sick. They take me fun places too and we do fun things together like play games and go flying. I'm not lonely. It's nice to have someone that wants to be around me.'

* * *

"What's your new project about?" Ron asked as he sat next to Harry and Hermione in the library. "It's not fair to make you go back to Slytherin just to do extra homework."

Harry shrugged. "That's not why they told me to go back. It's not that much work anyway," he said, skirting around the question and hoping Ron didn't notice he hadn't actually answered. "Not like the last project anyway. Actually, I spent Sunday afternoon playing Goblin Fire and eating biscuits."

"We have that at home," Ron commented. "I'd rather play Dragon Helm though. Charlie has all the expansions of that and makes us all play when he comes home on holiday."

"The guys in Slytherin seem to like Mermaid's Tide," Harry said, trying to lead the conversation further away from his project.

Ron frowned. "Then who were you playing Goblin Fire with?"

"Draco and Professor Snape," Harry said. Even Hermione looked up from her work at his statement.

"Professor Snape plays games?" Hermione asked.

"He had a box of board games."

"He came into Slytherin just to play games?" Ron asked.

"No, we played in his quarters." At the look Ron and Hermione were giving him, Harry wasn't sure he wanted to explain but knew he'd should. "Draco was stressed about his project so Snape invited me and Draco to play board games. We ate biscuits and had tea and played cards for a couple hours then went back to the common room."

"It's not- normal for students to be spending time in staff quarters," Hermione hedged.

"We've been in McGonagall's quarters before," Harry said.

"That's different, she's our head of house and we were all there together," Ron huffed, seeming upset.

"Technically he's my head of house until I go back to Gryffindor and Draco and I were both there. C'mon, nothing happened," Harry laughed. "It wasn't that weird. I went to Professor Sprout's quarters with Ernie and Justin and she cut my hair and fixed my clothes up so I wouldn't get in trouble anymore."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and Hermione looked content to drop it, but Ron didn't. "Don't you think you're taking this exchange thing a little too seriously mate? You're still a Gryffindor. I think they should let you come back to the tower."

"I'll be back," Harry said confidently. He still wanted to go back to Gryffindor, but he didn't miss the tower as much as he had right after he'd been pulled to be put back in Slytherin. Now his days were filled with school, working on his paper, and playing card games. He also saw Ron and Hermione after dinner each night in the library to do homework together.

"Well make it soon," Ron said. "It's not the same without you."

"I heard your name was on the list to go to Hufflepuff tomorrow," Harry said.

Ron straightened up and looked nervous for a moment. "Yeah, well, maybe I shouldn't have put my name on the list."

"It'll be fine," Harry said. "They have loud parties and play a lot of board games," Harry reminded him. "You'll like it. The beds aren't so bad either. Just try it just to have the experience and remind yourself it's only for two weeks."

"Or five," Ron grouched again about Harry's time in Slytherin.

Harry tried to concentrate on his homework again so Ron would go back to his. Before they left the library Hermione told Harry she was going to be seeing more of him since she was exchanging into Slytherin in the morning.

"Really?" Harry said brightly. His two weeks were up but he hadn't been told to go back to Gryffindor so he assumed he'd be in Slytherin for the next round of exchanges.

She smiled at him as they parted in the corridor outside the library and then went with Ron back to Gryffindor.

Harry was preoccupied with thoughts of all the fun he'd have spending two weeks with Hermione in Slytherin as he made his way back down through the castle twenty minutes before curfew. He was almost back to the entrance to Slytherin when something hard slammed up against him and took him into the wall.

"What-the-hell-Potter?!" Draco breathed uncomfortably close to Harry's face.

"What-" he was confused and not sure why he'd been tackled or why Draco was so angry all of a sudden. Harry started shaking, thinking this was new. He never shook or grew anxious when he was only facing other angry students, only adults. Draco seemed awfully strong just then though, and as angry as Uncle Vernon ever was.

"You're a real piece of garbage, but I suspect you know that already, don't you."

"I don't," damn, his voice was shaking too. "Why are you mad?"

"Because you came into Slytherin and we treated you like one of us, and you went and gossiped about me to Weasel and the Mudblood!"

"I didn't-"

"You told them all about how I'm stressed and overworked and how Professor Snape had to coddle me and drag me to play board games."

"No I didn't," Harry exclaimed.

Draco pulled him forward and shoved his back hard into the stones behind him again, and Harry cast his mind about for anything he could have said like that. "Liar," Draco sneered, not letting up. His arm was practically crushing Harry's chest and making it hard to breath. "Blaise told me. He was in the row of books behind you in the library."

"I'm not lying," Harry said. "They wanted to know why I was in Snape's quarters."

"So you just thought you'd tell them how unstable I am? Don't mess with me Potter. I'll show you unstable if that's what you want." He slammed Harry back again and Harry was sure his back and chest would be bruised. For good measure Draco punched Harry in the side of the face before letting him go. Draco looked as unsettled that he'd just hit Harry as Harry felt stunned about it.

"Don't even think about coming back to Slytherin. Go back to Gryffindor where you belong." He stalked down the corridor and out of sight, still visibly upset. Harry reached up to touch the side of his face and was dismayed to find that it was tender. Well this is just wonderful, he thought. He didn't have the current password to Gryffindor and all of his things were still in Slytherin. He was certain if he went back to the dorms in Slytherin that Draco and the others would pummel him. He also thought about Hermione spending the next to weeks in Slytherin alone and what that might be like for her if they were all angry at Harry. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Touching his face again and flinching back at how sore it was, Harry stepped away from the wall and thought about what he should do. He supposed he could go to McGonagall, but he wasn't sure she'd want to deal with it since he wasn't living in Gryffindor right now. He knew she'd do something about it, but wasn't sure what. She'd probably insist Harry had just been mistreated, but that wasn't what had happened. The Slytherins had tried to be nice to him so far, and had done so for five weeks. It was all a big misunderstanding and that upset Harry to think about almost as much as getting kicked out of Slytherin and the exchange over Christmas did. Draco wasn't just being mean, he was genuinely upset, and it unsettled Harry that he thought Harry had been sharing his secret. Harry wasn't even sure the others in Slytherin knew how stressed Draco was since Snape had seemed to always talk to Draco about it privately after class or after meals when others had already left the area. It was only per chance (or good hearing) that had led Harry to knowing.

Harry didn't want to go to Professor McGonagall and get Draco in trouble, he just wanted to fix the mess that had been made of things. The question was how to do that when Draco didn't want to listen and he couldn't go into Slytherin without being in danger. He doubted he'd get anyone to listen to him and was stumped about what to do.

"Curfew is in three minutes Potter," came Snape's voice from down the corridor. He must have been visiting the common room and had just left. If the others always saved their questions for him, maybe he should try too, Harry thought.

"Sir?"

Snape stopped in front of him, and Harry noted the man's eyes were narrowed as he looked at the spot on the side of Harry's face near his eye where he'd been hit. Snape reached out and took Harry's chin to turn his face so he could see it better.

"Been fighting have we?"

Harry bit his lip. If Snape had just come from the common room, the others had probably told him about the fight already. Maybe Harry wouldn't get a chance to fix things after all.

"As I have already told you," Snape said, trying not to sound to irritated, "I am your guardian whilst you are here. You are to come to me if you have issues."

"You mean I'm not kicked out of Slytherin?"

"Should you be?"

"I thought the others would have told you."

"As much as I make myself available Potter, not every Slytherin shares their secrets with me."

He motioned for Harry to follow him down the hall and Harry allowed himself to be led into the man's office.

"Who have you been fighting?" Snape asked after the door was closed, though Harry couldn't detect the old malice that he was used to hearing in the man's voice. Maybe being in Slytherin had its advantages.

"I haven't been fighting so much as I've been digging myself a hole."

"Explain."

"I was talking to Ron and Hermione, and I guess Blaise overheard me and told Draco. Only, I think there's been a misunderstanding, because Draco thinks I've been spreading things around the school about him being stressed out."

"Have you?" Snape raised his brows and again Harry tried to detect any tone that suggested he was in trouble, but there wasn't one. He tried to remind himself that there was no need to start feeling anxious and to his relief didn't detect the grip of anxiety creeping in on him from the edges.

"No sir, well I might have said something, but it wasn't anything like what Blaise told Draco that I said!"

"What did you say?"

"I can't remember how we got on the topic, but I told Ron and Hermione I was playing cards with Draco in your quarters, and they thought... well..." Harry started to stumble over his words, not wanting to make mention of what they thought, "well I just wanted to set them straight, that was all, I swear. I just said it was nothing like they were thinking, that you had invited Draco and me to play games because he was stressed. I didn't even think about it at the time sir. I'd never just go telling things like that to people just to spread it around."

"And how did you become bruised?"

"Well Blaise told Draco and Draco was waiting for me in the corridor outside Slytherin. He pushed me up against the wall and he wasn't happy. It's really just a big misunderstanding. I'd never just spread rumors. I tried to talk to him but he was too upset to listen. And now I don't know how to fix it."

"Are you injured anywhere else?"

Harry frowned, that was all Snape had to say about it? No one ever cared if he was hurt, especially not Snape. "I don't know, I don't think so. My back and chest maybe, I-"

Snape held up his hand to stall Harry and then told him to lift up his shirt to see if there was any more bruising. Harry did so and turned in a circle.

"Your chest and back are bruised. Did you injure Draco?"

Harry looked down. No, that would have been a rotten thing to do. "No," he mumbled. Besides not wanting to fight since it was a misunderstanding, Harry had been too shaken to do much of anything about it. He just stood there and took it.

"Come with me. We will sort this out and then you will report to Madam Pomfrey to take care of the bruising."

"Where are we going sir?"

"The dorms."

"I can't go back there though. Draco said not to and I'm sure the others are going to be upset."

"House rules say issues must be worked out immediately." Snape looked like he wanted to say something else but didn't and Harry followed him out and through the corridors to the common room. Nobody seemed to care much that Harry was there, to his surprise, but some looked curiously at the bruise on his face. Snape led him straight to the hall leading to the boy's dorms and inside. Blaise was in the hall by himself reading a book.

"Mr. Zambini, how many others did you speak to about what you overheard in the library this evening?"

He looked up from his book. "No one sir, just Draco."

"And has Mr. Malfoy spoken to anyone about it?"

"I don't think so..." Blaise looked at the bruise on Harry's face and finished with, "he just stormed into the dorm room and locked himself inside."

Snape knocked and announced that he was coming in, and then unlocked the door with a spell. He motioned for Harry and Blaise to follow and then shut and warded the door so no one outside could hear what was going on. Draco looked angry and contrite at the same time upon seeing Harry and the bruise he'd caused.

"We are going to get to the bottom of this incident here and now," Snape said, sounding a little more testy than he had in his office minutes before. His tone left no room for complaint.

"Blaise, what did you tell Draco this evening about what you overheard?"

Blaise closed his book and sat in his desk chair. "I told him he should talk to Harry about what he says and who he says it to and said he had mentioned him being stressed and playing cards with you as a break. I figured Harry didn't know we don't share things about each other in Slytherin, but thought it should be kept between him and Draco. I didn't want to be involved in it anymore than I already was."

Snape turned to Draco and asked, "Is this accurate Draco?"

Draco mumbled and then nodded that it was. "Why then was there an incident in the corridors? I have spoken to the house about this at length, so I know you know better than to bring violence into a disagreement."

"He was spreading rumors about me uncle Sev!" Draco threw his hand out towards Harry, but seemed more upset than angry. "He pretends to be part of Slytherin but then runs off to his friends and tells them everything he knows about me!"

"And this was reason to hit him?"

"No," said Draco, but Harry thought he heard him mumble, "but he deserved it."

"How would you know what he deserved if you didn't speak to him about it first?"

Draco didn't answer so Snape turned to Harry.

"Harry, repeat what you revealed in my office."

Harry was surprised to hear the man use his first name. Generally he was always ‘Potter', and more recently, ‘Mr. Potter.' Harry noticed that Snape was always very formal when speaking to students, but suddenly when he'd warded the dorm door against eavesdropping, the formalities were dropped and he was using their first names. It was almost like they were back in his quarters playing cards again. Draco had dropped formalities too. He'd called Snape ‘uncle,' but Harry didn't have the time to think about it just at the moment.

"Well?" Draco snapped when Harry hadn't started speaking.

"Erm- does Blaise have to be here for this?" Harry asked. Maybe Blaise didn't know any more about Draco's stress than he'd overheard, but in any case Harry didn't want to talk about his conversation with Ron and Hermione since it involved the discussion about Snape's quarters.

"When resolving disputes, all involved parties participate to ensure no one engages in a ‘he said she said' discussion. If all involved parties are present, there will be no lying."

Harry decided to just forge on then even though the discussion was going to get uncomfortable. "I was telling Ron and Hermione I'd been having a nice time here and that I'd gotten to play board games and the like. Somehow, I don't remember, it came up that I was playing cards with Draco in the Professor's quarters. They seemed to get the wrong idea, and I was trying to explain to them so they'd understand that nothing bad was going on. They didn't get it so I said we'd been invited to have a break to play games since Draco was stressed out, or at least, I think that's how it went. I can't remember all of it." Harry caught Draco's eyes then and said, "I swear Draco, I wouldn't just spread things around about you. I didn't even think about what I said and I don't think they read anything into it. I'd go back and keep my big mouth shut if I could have the chance."

Draco turned away and looked like he didn't believe him. "Look," Harry said, "I know you and the others don't like me, and just tolerate me here, but I kind of like being here and I kind of like you guys. I know you don't want to be my friend, but I'd like to be yours. I wouldn't knowingly talk about you to other people, especially when I know it's something you don't want others to know. I'm sorry."

Draco let his mouth hang open at Harry's words and Harry wasn't sure if he believed them or not. Snape looked between the three boys and asked, "Is the dispute resolved?"

Harry wasn't sure if it was or not, but after a long moment Draco gave a dramatic sigh, rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. It's resolved."

"Resolved," Blaise said as soon as Draco had given his answer. Snape turned to Harry.

"Yes sir," Harry said. It had such finality to it; a finality like there had been at the conclusion of the student court in Hufflepuff, and Harry was surprised. He half thought Draco would just wait until Snape left to pummel him again, but knew how straightforward Slytherins were after being there for five weeks. When they said something, they seemed to mean it.

"Draco, since you caused Harry's injuries, you will accompany him to the Hospital Wing. I would also recommend an apology given that you accepted one from him."

"Can I go too sir?" Blaise asked.

"If the three of you do not make your way straight back to the common room from the Hospital Wing, I will know." They nodded and left, now having permission to be out after curfew.

They were quiet until they made the Entrance Hall.

"What Potter?" Draco asked, half exasperated, and Harry frowned wondering what he had done now.

"Huh?"

"You look like you're plotting something."

"Cut it out Draco," Blaise said. "Unless you want to start something again."

"I was just watching the look on his face," Draco said.

Harry looked at them both as they began to climb up through the castle. "I was just thinking about how Snape mediated in the dorms."

"And?"

Harry shrugged.

"Well how would you resolve an issue in Gryffindor?" Blaise asked.

"McGonagall doesn't go into the common room very often," Draco supplied.

"She doesn't?"

Harry shook his head. "Usually Hermione would tell me or Ron we're being presumptuous, or something like that, and insist we talk to each other instead of jumping to conclusions. Then we'd talk and Ron and I would get into a fight anyway, though not with fists," Harry said, giving Draco a sideways glance, "then Hermione would storm off and say we're both being ridiculous and she'd refuse to talk to either one of us until we worked things out."

"How long would that go on for?" Blaise asked, entranced by the explanation Harry had given.

He shrugged. "Usually a couple of days. The longest was when I was in the Triwizard Tournament... that went on until after the first task."

"What did you have to fight about then?"

"Ron thought I put my name in the cup without telling him. I didn't."

"That's a stupid thing to fight about," Blaise said.

Draco snorted, "Says the one who fought with Goyle last year in the dorms over who would get the best wardrobe."

"Is that why there's only five wardrobes instead of six in the dorms?" Harry asked. They always seemed to be one short and Goyle kept his clothing on the couch.

"They blasted it apart last year," Draco said with another snort.

Madam Pomfrey saw to Harry's bruises in short order, and the three boys made their way back to the dorms. For a group of students who was so secretive about warding rooms against eavesdroppers, Harry was surprised how fast the truth came out once back in their room. The other boys wanted to know why they'd been out after curfew, and it was only minutes before the entire story had been re-told, minus the part about Draco being stressed and overworked.

Harry lay in bed that night unable to sleep. His bruises were healing, but he paid them no attention. Long after he was certain the other boys were asleep, Harry got his project notebook and returned to bed, lighting the paper with his wand.

‘It's nice to have someone that listens to what I have to say without judging me or jumping to conclusions. It's nice to have someone to step in and help me work things out when I don't know what to do.'

Harry put his notebook away and lay back in the darkness. He wondered how Ravenclaws handled disputes between students. Hufflepuff had court, Slytherins had a mediation with their Head of House, and Gryffindors handled things themselves. He liked handling things himself, and he usually knew what to do when he and Ron were fighting, or when he saw other Gryffindors arguing. He knew exactly what to step in and say to help fix the problem because he'd learned that living in Gryffindor over the years. It was nice to have someone older there to help when he didn't know how to fix the problem though, like tonight with Draco. It was also nice to not have it all drug out in front of the entire house like it would have been in student court. Student court had its advantages too though, and Harry couldn't help but be reminded that it had led to some of his appearance issues being taken care of and given a fair place for him to state his case.

There was more than one way to skin a dragon, he thought as he fell asleep, allowing himself a few moments just before he did to be excited that Hermione was coming to Slytherin in the morning.