Snape stood in the kitchen for a few minutes with his tea. He wasn't that angry, but his emotions were all over the place and he needed to figure out what he was going to do.

He didn't want to admit it, but Harry's words had stung him. Am I being unfair?...No, he call you a git and was being a petulant little brat.

He took a few more deep breaths and put the cup to his lips, soothing himself with the warm, earthy liquid. He stayed in the kitchen because he wasn't ready to look at Harry right now, he knew it would just make him feel worse. He had never felt these feelings before; whenever he had scolded or punished students in the past he'd known they deserved it and he didn't care if they thought he was mean or evil. It was not his job to be their friend, he was a teacher, he needed to maintain order and enforce the rules.

But it didn't feel like that with Harry. Yes, the boy was in desperate need of structure, discipline and boundaries, but the bond between Master-Apprentice required much more than that- there needed to be a deep level of trust and a mutual respect for it to succeed.

Snape drank the rest of his tea then waved his hand and banished the cup before heading back to the parlor. Harry was still standing quietly in the corner. Good, at least this time the brat isn't crying. He sat back in his armchair and watched the clock.

When the final five minutes passed, Snape called Harry out of the corner. "Come here, Mr. Potter."

Harry was still feeling hurt and confused, but the time in the corner had taken the edge off of his anger. He walked over to Snape and stood in front of him. He stayed quiet, with his head bent down, not sure of what to expect.

"Is there anything you'd like to say?" Snape asked, his voice even but his face creased slightly.

Harry didn't really think he should have to apologize, but he could see that that was what Snape expected. He also figured this might be his best chance to avoid serious punishment.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry I was rude to you." It wasn't the most heartfelt apology he'd ever given, but he hoped it was good enough.

Thank Merlin. Snape felt huge relief. He didn't want to punish the boy and he felt quite bad about how he had reacted earlier, but he also didn't want to lose face and look weak. He was glad Harry had given him an out by apologizing.

Snape nodded at his apology. "Very well. Take a seat. We need to talk."

Harry shuffled over to the couch, hoping this wouldn't take too long. He was still feeling extremely disappointed that his day had gone from being such a good one to absolute crap in about 30 seconds.

"Mr. Potter, while I understand you were frustrated earlier, I want you to know that it is never an excuse to say rude things, raise your voice at me, or refuse to obey me when I ask you to do something. This is something you've done several times now, and it needs to stop." Snape scolded him half-heartedly.

Harry blushed slightly at the accusation. He had been so focused on feeling wronged that he hadn't realized how it might look to Snape. Even though he hadn't meant to behave badly, he knew he had disrespected Snape a number of times in the last few days. He was actually pretty surprised he still had all of his vital organs.

"I'm not going to punish you any more for this. I realize that today was a long, difficult day and I'm sure we both could have handled ourselves better." Snape slipped in his pseudo-apology, trying not to make a big deal about it. He wanted Harry to know that he recognized he was a bit unfair without excusing what was becoming repeatedly disrespectful behavior.

"While we will put this behind us today, I want to be very very clear about my expectations moving forward. Are you paying attention, Mr. Potter?

"Yes, sir." Harry felt relieved, he was worried Snape would take this opportunity to make good on his prior threats of punishment.

"Good, because I'm going to hold you accountable from this moment forward. First of all, whether we are inside this house or out in public, I expect you to be polite and respectful at all times. I know you know how to do that because I saw a perfect example of it earlier today. You will address me properly, and I expect you to keep a respectful tone. No cheekiness, no talking back, and certainly no name-calling or cursing. Is that clear so far?

"Yes, sir."

"Secondly, I expect you to listen and obey without argument or complaint. Whether it is with schoolwork, potions, or things at home, when I ask you to do something, you are to do it. If I ask you not to do something, you will not do it. Fairly straightforward, I should think." He looked directly at Harry to make sure he was taking it in.

Harry nodded. So, he just wants me to do everything he says, all the time and then everything will be fine? Control freak.

Snape paused for a moment and took a sip of tea. "Finally, there will be no lying. I know we touched on that this morning…" he arched an eyebrow at Harry, "but I mean it, I have a zero tolerance policy for lies. Aside from the fact that it is a stain on your character, lying destroys trust. I am not just teaching you how to brew potions, Mr. Potter, I will be training you in very powerful magic. I will be sharing with you important knowledge and skills that are sacred among wizards, and it is vital that we are able to trust one another or both of us will fail in our responsibilities."

Harry just stared at him. It had never occurred to him that Snape was going to be more than a glorified babysitter and homeschool coordinator. He figured his apprenticeship would mostly be chopping things up for the man, kind of like a six-year detention. But it sounded like Snape actually meant to take this seriously.

"Are you really going to teach me things like that?"

"Of course. But only if I can trust you. The bond we will have as Master-Apprentice is far more than just a contract, Mr. Potter. It is a sacred magical oath that we make to one another and to all of the other Potion Masters who have come before us, and to those who will come after us. I know this is hard for you to understand right now, but we are keepers of generations of sacred magical knowledge. When I share it with you, I am entrusting that you will hold onto and safeguard that knowledge until you can entrust it to the next generation. It's an unbroken chain of trust that reaches through time."

Harry was speechless. He hadn't realized that becoming an apprentice meant all of this. He had known Snape was pretty serious about it by the way he had talked about things in Master Barclay's office, but this was way more intense than he imagined.

"We will talk more about the details of the apprenticeship as the week goes on. For now, I want to impress on you the importance of these rules. No disrespect, no willful disobedience, and absolutely no lying. Do you understand what I've said?

"Yes, sir."

"Good, because your grace period is officially over, Mr. Potter," Snape said before taking a moment and focusing his eyes on Harry. "The next time you break any of these rules, you will find yourself on the receiving end of a very sound spanking."

Harry's ears flushed and he avoided making eye contact with Snape, praying that this was the end of the conversation. He was mortified to think Snape would actually spank him, but having been on the receiving end of a few of his smacks, he didn't doubt for one minute that Snape meant every word.

"You've had a long day, go to your room and rest. I'll come get you when it's time for tea."

Harry pushed himself up from the couch and made his way toward his room. Now that Snape had mentioned it, he was feeling pretty exhausted.

As he walked past Snape, the man reached out and put his hand on Harry's arm, "I meant it earlier when I said I was very proud of you today." He gave him a pat and sent him on his way.

Harry closed his door and flopped onto his bed. He was on the verge of tears. He didn't know why those few simple words made him feel so emotional, but he couldn't help it. He took his glasses off and put them on his table before he buried his head in his pillow and cried quietly.

The tears were a release. It had been a very emotional day. Harry would never be able to put words to everything he was feeling because it was all too complex. His tears were the expression of so many things. He cried for the childhood he didn't have and the love he had missed out on. He cried for being abandoned, first by his parents and then by his relatives. He cried out of fear for his life and his uncertain future.

But they weren't all unhappy tears. He also cried because he felt hopeful in a way he never had before. His heart, which had always felt empty, was being filled by the fact that someone cared for him, believed in him, was proud of him and wanted him to succeed. He had never felt those feelings before, but they filled a need in him that he hadn't even known he was missing.

In less than five minutes, Harry had cried himself into a deep sleep.

An hour and a half later, Snape knocked on his door. He opened it to see the boy laying on his stomach on top of the blankets, dead asleep.

"It's time for tea," Snape's voice echoed loudly from the doorway.

When Harry didn't stir, Snape walked over and put his hand on the boy's forehead, feeling for signs of a fever. Thankfully, his skin felt cool.

He shook the boy's shoulder gently and said, "Wake up, Potter."

Harry finally opened his eyes and lifted his head up to see his Potion Master sitting on the edge of his bed. He felt like he'd been hit by a truck. He had been in such a deep sleep, he actually felt more exhausted and groggy now than he did before his nap. He groaned a bit and turned his head, laid back down on the pillow and shut his eyes.

"No, no you don't. Up you get, Mr. Potter," he gave him two light taps on the hip. "If I let you sleep now you'll never get to bed tonight."

Harry didn't budge. Snape considered just leaving him alone, hoping he would just sleep til morning, but it was only 5:30pm. He didn't want the boy getting up and wandering in the middle of the night again.

Snape waited a bit before adopting a slightly harsher tone. "Potter, I said get up. Now move it." He waited another moment before giving him a light smack on the rear. "Come on, let's go."

Harry groaned again but rolled himself over into a sitting position. He grabbed his glasses and put them on. "But I'm sooo tired."

"Yes, I'm sure you are. That's what happens to naughty little boys who wander around the castle all night when they should be in bed." He arched his eyebrow at Harry for emphasis.

Harry turned red. He had hoped Snape had forgotten about that whole situation. He was not eager to revisit that conversation anytime soon.

Snape stood up and walked to the door before turning around to Harry, "I haven't forgotten, Mr. Potter. But I had hoped that my little lecture on lying and the importance of trust might have made you reflect a bit on your...explanation," he said casually as he disappeared through the doorway.

Dammit. Harry went to freshen himself up in the washroom before returning to the parlor. He splashed his face with water and combed his hair. What the hell does he want me to do? Tell him I lied? If he knows I'm lying why doesn't he just punish me and get it over with. I'm not going to confess to him, that's nuts.

By the time Harry made it back to the parlor, Snape had set-up a small tea service with a few biscuits and some fresh fruit. Harry sat down on the couch and yawned.

"You may help yourself to tea and biscuits," Snape said, motioning to the table. "But no more than two, I want you to be able to eat dinner later."

Snape wanted to keep things light, but he had an agenda to get through. "So, Potter, I was thinking we should make some plans for this week."

Harry poured himself a cup of tea and grabbed a biscuit, dipping it into his tea and then pulling it out just before it collapsed in his cup. Perfect. He popped it in his mouth and let the biscuit dissolve.

"I am going to set you a schedule so we can see how things go and make adjustments from there. You'll be working on your school work in the mornings, and in the afternoons and evenings we'll do some work in the potions lab or related to the apprenticeship."

"But it's Easter break, it's a school holiday, no one is doing school work!" Harry whined, not wanting to study while everyone else was relaxing at home.

"Well, isn't that rich coming from the boy I found laying on a beach after missing nearly an entire year of school." Snape chided him gently. "I think you've had quite enough of a break from school work, Mr. Potter. Besides, I need to see where you are with everything so I can determine what speed we will work at. I was hoping by the end of next summer we will have caught you up with both the second and third year curricula."

"Fine." Harry said, not hiding the disappointment in his voice.

"Good, then I hope I won't hear any more complaining." He gave Harry a stern look as a warning to mind his attitude. "You will wake up each day at 7:30am, then shower and get ready. We will have breakfast at 8. Then I will set you up with your morning assignments in my study which you will begin at 8:30. You will work until noon and then take a break for lunch."

He's a slave driver. Just like I thought. "Can I take a break before lunch?"

"I think that can be arranged. Now, after lunch our schedule will vary some. There will be some days where you'll help me brew potions, and other days where we might need to run errands or harvest ingredients, or perhaps even read and discuss research papers. But this will be time that you and I spend together preparing you for the apprenticeship."

This actually sounded much more interesting to Harry. "So, we'll be working together, or will I be like, scrubbing cauldrons and dicing flobberworms while you do all the fun stuff."

Snape stifled a smile. "I suppose that depends on how you behave, Mr. Potter. I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility."

Harry gave a small pout and Snape smirked. "However, the purpose of this is for you and I to spend quality time together, so we can discuss things and we can learn how to work with each other."

"OK, cool," Harry said, trying not to sound too excited. He was actually really looking forward to spending this time with Snape, learning new things and secret magic that no other students would ever know.

"In the evenings you'll have free time, assuming you are caught up with your school work. When the students come back, you may be able to spend time with your friends for a few hours, or go out flying, but until we finalize things, you'll stay inside. Do you have any hobbies, Mr. Potter?"

"Um, not really. Just quidditch I guess." He'd never really thought about it- he spent most of his free time at school just kind of hanging out with Ron and Hermione. Sometimes they played cards or chess, but he didn't really have a hobby of his own.

"Do you like reading? Or drawing? Or writing? I'd like to help you find an activity that you can do, quietly, to relax your mind when you have some down time."

Harry looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know. I mean, I like reading OK, but sometimes I get distracted and I forget to focus on the words and then I don't remember anything."

"Hmmm, yes, well, we'll have to work on that. I'm sure that doesn't help your studying at all."

Snape reflected for a moment. "Perhaps we can take a trip into Hogsmeade tomorrow and pick up some different activities for you to try. That way you can pick out any books or art supplies or anything you're interested in and try them out. Having a hobby you enjoy can be a wonderful stress reliever."

Snape was actually a bit worried about Harry's mental health and coping skills. He wanted to help him find outlets for his stress and anxiety. He knew that the boy often got in trouble when he got wound up, so he hoped he could find ways to help him express himself in a more healthy way.

"That would be really great! Thanks!" Harry was excited about this. He had never had anything of his own to play with or enjoy as a kid. He liked the idea of a hobby that was all his.

"Excellent. Then we'll get started tomorrow. I want you ready for bed tonight by 8:30pm. Lights off by 9pm."

9pm? I'm not a baby, what the hell. Harry wanted to complain, but he figured he had pushed Snape enough for one day. He'd choose his battles wisely. "Yes, sir."

Harry and Snape spent a relatively calm evening together. After dinner, Harry went back to his room to organize all of his schoolbooks and unpack all of his potion's supplies. He spent a lot of time holding and looking over each tool, and arranging them neatly in different ways. He felt really excited, he couldn't wait to get started learning all of the cool things Snape would teach him.

When it was time for lights out, Snape knocked on the door and opened it to find Harry sitting on the floor near his bookshelf, carefully arranging his potion's tools onto the shelf. For the second time that day, Snape felt his heart flicker with an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time. It was like his heart had been in hibernation for 20 years and was just starting to wake up again. Stop being so damn sentimental, Severus.

"It's 9 o'clock, Mr. Potter, time for lights out."

Harry was already in his pajamas, so he got up from the floor and walked directly to bed, pushing his legs under the blankets before pulling the covers up to his chest.

Snape walked over to the side of Harry's bed and held out his hand, "Glasses." Harry took them off and put them in his hand. Snape folded them gently and put them on the bedside table. With a flick of his wand, the lights in the room dimmed.

He pulled Harry's desk chair beside his bed and sat down.

"You've had a very long and tiring day. I hope that you can sleep well tonight and get some good rest, you're going to have to dust the cobwebs off that brain of yours tomorrow." He gently tapped the side of Harry's head with his finger.

"I shouldn't need to say this, but you are not allowed to leave this room for any reason other than going to the loo. There will be no 'sleepwalking' tonight, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." Harry was glad the lights were low so that Snape couldn't see his face go pink.

"I'm very serious. You're all out of second chances, Mr. Potter." He gave the boy a stern look. "When I come in to wake you at 7:30 tomorrow, I want to see a well-rested boy who has been asleep in his bed all night."

"Yes, sir. I won't go anywhere, I promise."

"So good to hear, a very wise choice indeed." Snape put his hand on Harry's forehead and brushed down gently, closing Harry's eyes. "Close your eyes. I want you to practice calming your mind. This is a very important skill for a wizard."

Snape took his hand away from Harry's face and rested it at his side. "First, I want you to take a deep breath in, hold it...and now let it out slowly. I want you to keep your eyes closed and listen very carefully to the sound of my voice...Now, I want you to picture a place that makes you feel relaxed. It can be a real place or it can be a place you imagine. Whatever makes you feel calm. For some people it's a quiet beach, for others a meadow, some even imagine they are floating in space. Do you have a place in your mind?"

Snape's low, silky voice was like a calming draught and Harry was already starting to feel sleepy. "Yes sir, I'm laying in the grass by a river."

"Very good, Mr. Potter, very good." His voice was soothing and he was speaking very slowly, keeping his voice at just above a whisper. "I want you to keep your eyes closed and imagine everything you feel at your little place by the river. I want you to feel the soft grass underneath you. Feel it on your legs, on your arms, on your neck. Feel it on the palms of your hands as you move your hand gently on top of it. Feel how soft the ground is beneath your, it's like laying on a cloud. Now feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. I want you to imagine a warm pleasant breeze is moving over your face, and your arms, and your body. Now I want you to listen...What do you hear in your special place? Can you hear the sound of the river water, slowly babbling over the rocks? Listen for the sounds of the nature around you, are there birds or is it quiet? Can you hear the blades of grass moving next to your ears when the wind blows gently? Now listen for the sounds of your own breath, in and out, in and out. If you are very quiet, can you hear and feel your heart beating? Focus on your heart beat. That's very good, Mr. Potter. You're doing a very good job."

Snape looked down and saw that Harry was fast asleep. He hoped that if he started to teach him these relaxation exercises, he would slowly be able to teach him the skills he would need later to learn Occlumency. He knew that Harry was an anxious boy, so he wanted to teach him the power of his own mind so he could learn to quiet the noise inside of him.

He got up slowly and moved the chair back to the desk. As he left, he flicked his wand to extinguish the light completely. He closed the door gently behind him.

Standing in the hallway, he debated for a moment before casting another few spells to put wards and alarms on the doors. He didn't think Harry would dare try and leave, but he didn't want to take any chances.

The next morning, Snape awoke feeling refreshed for the first time in days. He showered and dressed himself and made himself a cup of tea before waking Harry.

Snape knocked on Harry's door before opening it slowly. Harry was tangled up in his sheets and still asleep.

"It's 7:30, Mr. Potter, time to wake up."

Harry forced himself to sit up and reached for his glasses.

"You have 30 minutes to shower, dress, and take care of your personal needs before breakfast. Don't dawdle."

Snape closed the door and returned to the parlor to enjoy his tea and The Daily Prophet. At 8am, Harry came out with his hair wet (but combed), wearing his grey trousers and one of his white button-downs. Snape was surprised to see him dressed up, but he was pleased that he seemed ready to get to work.

After breakfast, Harry ran to his room to get his books. Snape walked him to a locked door on the other side of his parlor. Harry had never really noticed the door, it had been closed and locked the whole time he'd been there. It turned out to be a door to Snape's study, but because it also connected directly to the Potion's lab and to the hallway, he generally kept it separate from his living quarters.

Snape's study was rather large and in addition to his desk, there were shelves filled with reference books and random knick knacks. There were a few odd things in jars, but they seemed to be more for display than use in potions.

Like Master Barclay, Snape had a sofa along one wall, and a separate round table surrounded by chairs where Harry imagined groups of students would sit for a special study group or meeting.

Snape set Harry up at the round table. He put parchment and quills on the table and gestured at Harry to put his books down.

"Today you will start with Transfiguration and History of Magic. I've outlined your work on this piece of parchment. You are to read and take notes on the pages listed. There is a writing assignment listed for each when you have completed the reading."

Snape handed Harry the list of assignments for each subject. "You will work quietly and diligently until 10:30 at which point you may take a ten minute break. I will be working at my desk but I expect not to be disturbed unless it is urgent. Do you have any questions?

"No, sir."

"Very well, then get to work."

Snape returned to his desk where he could keep an eye on Harry while he took care of his own to-do list. He wrote letters to Dumbledore and Barclay, and then spent his time sketching out what he wanted to do with Harry during the week.

The morning passed without incident. When Snape checked Harry's work at noon, he realized that the boy was a lot further behind than he realized. His work still looked like it belonged to a beginning first-year, terribly researched, poorly constructed and filled with spelling and grammatical errors. Snape would have to adjust the way he was doing this, he didn't think Harry would get a lot out of purely independent work at this point.

During lunch, Snape received a message from Dumbledore requesting to meet with him as soon as possible to go over his meeting with Master Barclay and to discuss plans to move forward with the APM and the Ministry.

"I will need to step out for a little while, Mr. Potter, I have some meetings to attend to. You and I will still do some work together later, but in the meantime I want you to do some reading for Potions."

Harry was crushed that Snape was leaving him alone during the time that they were supposed to be doing work together. He had been looking forward to this since yesterday.

"I'm going to give you a special Potion's book, not one of our usual textbooks, and I want you to do a different kind of assignment for me. After you browse through the book, I want you to find a potion that you find interesting, and write out all of the ingredients needed to brew it, and where to find each of those ingredients. Next I want you to write about what you think might be easy or hard about brewing the potion, and what you think is really important or unique about the process."

Harry was frustrated and he sat with his arms crossed on the sofa, choosing not to engage with Snape as he explained the assignment.

Snape didn't seem to notice that Harry was throwing a silent tantrum. Leaving the boy wasn't at all what he had planned for the day, but he needed to give him something to do while he took care of important business.

"It's OK to choose something challenging, I want you to write about what interests you, what you want to learn and why you want to learn it."

Snape went into his study for a moment and came out with a large book and handed it to Harry.

Harry took the book but didn't say a word and refused to make eye-contact.

Snape was too busy rushing around and thinking about his meeting with Dumbledore, he wanted to finish quickly so he could still do some work with Harry and take a trip to Hogsmeade.

"You can work in the study or you can work in your room, I'll leave the door to the study open. I should be back by 3:30 at the latest"

Snape walked out leaving Harry sitting on the couch holding the Potion's book and sulking. Harry was tired of sitting and reading by himself, he'd been doing that all day. He looked at the clock and it was only 1 o'clock.

It was the first time he'd been alone in the quarters since the first day. His thoughts went immediately to his invisibility cloak. I could leave for a bit and he'd never know. He didn't find out last time. Plus, he was desperate for a change of scenery.

He thought about the last conversation he had with Snape and he knew that if he got caught he'd be in big big trouble. But as long as he came back quickly, he could still get everything done and Snape would never know. Screw him and his rules. He does what he wants, so I'm going to do what I want.

Without a second thought, Harry ran to Snape's room and grabbed his invisibility cloak out of the wardrobe. Just holding it in his hand he felt that euphoric rush of excitement and adrenaline, it made his mind feel both energized and relaxed. He threw the cloak on and walked out the door.

Snape had just about reached Dumbledore's office when his wand vibrated and glowed green, alerting him that his wards had been breached. He stopped dead in his tracks. If that boy has left our quarters, I swear I will kill him.

He let Dumbledore know that he'd have to come back later, and he returned immediately to the dungeons. His heart was racing, hoping that Harry wasn't sick or injured. He wanted to believe there was a good explanation, especially after the long conversation he'd had with the boy yesterday.

When he got to his quarters, they were empty. The potion's book was sitting on the couch and Harry was nowhere in sight. Remembering his invisibility cloak, Snape went to his wardrobe, reached up to the shelf and realized it was gone. That arrogant, disobedient little brat! Oh, he is going to get it this time.

He closed his bedroom door (this time locking it with his wand), and went back to the parlor. He didn't know whether he should go looking for the boy or wait for him to return. If he had his invisibility cloak, tracking him down would be difficult. If he wasn't back in 30 minutes he'd go looking for him, for now he would sit and wait.

Not sure what else to do, he retreated to his armchair. He thought about exactly what he was going to do to the boy so that he never, ever even thought about disobeying him like this again.

Harry felt elated as he returned to the dungeons. It had been such a beautiful day, so he had walked around by the lake and laid out in the grass for a bit. The fresh air, and the adventure of sneaking out had energized him and put him in a very good mood.

Although he didn't have a watch, he figured he'd only been gone about 30 or 40 minutes. He'd still have plenty of time to read Snape's stupid potion book and put some words on a parchment before the old bat got back.

He opened the door and took off his cloak. He was about to hop on the sofa when he looked up and saw Professor Snape, sitting quietly in the armchair, rage in his eyes.

Harry gasped audibly. The blood drained from his face completely and he thought he might actually pass out..

Snape let the silence hang in the air for several seconds, increasing the tension in the room.

"Mr. Potter...how very disappointing," Snape drawled, his tone seething with cold rage. He got up from his chair slowly and walked over to Harry. Without a word, he put his hand out.

Harry put the folded cloak into his hand and let his head drop. "I'm sorry," he said, his eyes starting to fill with tears.

Snape was unmoved. "Oh, trust me, you will be when I'm finished with you," he replied, his voice low and foreboding.

He put the cloak into his robes and crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at Harry. At 6'2", Snape towered over the boy, and with his jaw clenched and his black eyes narrowed, he was a very intimidating presence. He waited for a few more seconds before he spoke, he wanted Harry to sense his displeasure.

Snape was glad he'd had half an hour to think about things and get his emotions under control. He knew that he would have a much bigger impact on Harry if he were measured and cold, rather than angry and emotional.

"So, let me get this right. You not only disobeyed my instructions to sit quietly and do your assignment, you then went into my bedroom-a place you know is off-limits, I might add-and proceeded to search through my wardrobe without my permission. Am I on track so far?"

Harry didn't respond, his eyes were staring at the floor and he was fighting tears of shame.

"Then, having rifled through my private things, you decided to steal an item that had been taken out of your possession due to prior misuse. Not satisfied with that, you decided to take this item, leave the dungeons and gallivant around the castle despite being told on no less than FOUR occasions that it was dangerous and forbidden."

Tears were falling from Harry's face onto the floor.

"Get your eyes off the floor. Look at me when I'm speaking to you," Snape barked.

Harry kept his head down but lifted his eyes up. Snape's face was fixed and hard, and there was anger in his eyes. It sent a shiver down Harry's spine.

"Is this correct, Mr. Potter or am I missing something?

"No, sir. That's it."

"Is that it? I find myself wondering, given how quickly you left here after my departure, if this wasn't the first time you've done this. Is it, Mr. Potter?

Harry knew he was in so much trouble. He kept silent and prayed that the floor would open up and swallow him.

Snape stared at him for a moment before adding "I'd suggest you not add lying to your list of transgressions, Mr. Potter, you've already built up quite a tab."

"No, sir. I went out before," Harry squeaked out, tears still running down his cheeks.

Snape had suspected so much, but he wanted to hear him admit to it. "How many times?"

"Only once with the cloak, sir."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Were there other times without the cloak?"

Harry wanted to die, but he knew Snape was probably going to kill him anyway. "Well, there was the night you found me in the Owlery"

Finally! Snape had known it all along, but he had wanted Harry to admit to it. "I see. So, just to clarify, you weren't sleep-walking then?"

Harry sobbed out, "No, sir."

"Tsk tsk tsk, Mr. Potter. How many times did you lie about that to my face? I gave you so many opportunities to tell the truth. Do you remember what I said I would do to you if I found out you were lying about that?"

"Yes, sir."

"What's that, then?"

Harry didn't think he could say it. He felt so embarrassed. "You said...you said you'd punish me."

"Be specific, I'm sure you must have heard me, what did I say I'd do?"

"Spank me." Just saying the words made Harry feel like a small child. He could feel the blood rushing to his ears.

"Oh yes, Mr. Potter and that was a promise. Although you have committed quite the list of transgressions. I'm not sure a single spanking is going to cover it."

Snape let that sink for a moment before he proceeded.

"I don't think I need to reiterate how extremely disappointed I am in you. While I don't excuse your behavior prior today, after our talk yesterday you knew—without a shadow of a doubt—that you were disobeying me when you left today. Did you not?

"Yes, sir."

"Then what were you thinking?"

"I don't know...I guess I just wanted to do something fun. And I was mad that you left me here after you said this was time we were supposed to spend together"

Snape couldn't help it, he smirked. "Well you certainly have my full attention now, Mr. Potter. Now that my meetings are on hold, I will make sure that you and your backside get plenty of quality one-on-one time with me today."

Snape wanted as much build-up as possible. The spanking itself would last less than a minute, but If he was going to punish the boy, he wanted him to experience all of the fear and anticipation that he hoped would add to the production of it. He wanted this to be the first and the last time Harry ever even thought about disobeying him like this. He was a big believer in the psychological aspect of the punishment, so he was laying it on thick, hoping to make a strong impression.

"So, in your own words, you did it because you just...wanted to. Did you not understand me yesterday when I explained the rules to you?

"Yes sir, I did."

"Did you think you were smarter than me and that somehow you wouldn't get caught?

Harry was silent.

"Ah, I see." Snape walked over and closed the door to the study, flicking his wand at it, locking it. Then he swooped his wand in a circle above him, casting a silencing charm around the parlor, casually, without disrupting his lecture.

This did not go unnoticed by Harry. He felt his pulse quicken and his stomach sink. There was no way he was getting out of this.

"And I suppose you must think that you know better than me if you decided to ignore the rules I've put in place for your safety. Do you think your powers of assessment are superior to mine, Mr. Potter?"

Harry hated these rhetorical questions and he couldn't stand it any more, so the next thing he knew, he was blurting out. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it. It made me feel good. When I had my cloak and I went off on a secret adventure, it just made me feel...happy. And free. I know I shouldn't have done it, I'm really sorry. Really really sorry."

Harry was practically begging for forgiveness. He felt awful. He hadn't liked lying to Snape and he hated letting him down.

"Well then, it seems to me that you knew the rules and made the decision to deliberately disobey me. I don't think there's much more to discuss. Come on, let's get this over with."

Snape grabbed Harry's wrist and walked him across the parlor. He sat down on the couch, standing the boy to the side of him.

"Glasses," Snape said, with his hand extended. Harry took off his glasses and put them in his hands. He tucked them into his robes.

Ever one to drag out the anticipation, Snape made a dramatic point of slowly unbuttoning and then rolling up his right sleeve. Then he took Harry's left forearm and pulled him gently over his knees.

"Do you know why you are being punished or do we need to review your extensive list of transgressions again?"

"Yes sir, I know." There was a certain amount of acceptance in his tone. Harry knew what he'd done wrong, and he knew this was coming. He would be glad to get it over with, the lecturing and the build-up had been absolute torture. He just wanted it to all be finished so Snape wouldn't be angry at him anymore.

"Very well." Snape's hand came down hard on Harry's backside. It took him a moment to recover from the shock of the first smack, but within a few seconds his entire backside felt like it was on fire.

Harry squirmed and yelped, but Snape held him securely around the waist and kept the smacks coming down at a regular pace. By the 10th smack, Harry was in tears, begging Snape to stop.

"We are far from done here, Mr. Potter. I intend to make this a lesson you remember for a very long time."

He continued raining down smacks. After another 30 seconds, Harry was a sobbing mess. Snape stopped for a moment to talk to Harry. "That was the spanking for what you did today. For trespassing, for stealing your cloak, and for deliberately disobeying me and putting yourself in danger by leaving the quarters."

"As for the fact that you snuck out twice before and lied repeatedly to me about it, I'm going to give you an additional six strokes with a ruler. I'm half tempted to haul you back over my knee again tonight to give you a second spanking just for lying to me, but hopefully this will make a strong enough impression."

"Accio ruler." A ruler came flying across the room from Snape's desk. He caught it with his right hand.

Harry was still crying over Snape's lap. Snape waited for a moment and then brought the ruler down hard with a loud crack. Harry yelped. Snape paused between smacks, he wanted Harry to feel each one. "You will NEVER leave these quarters without permission EVER again." He gave him another smack. "You do NOT disobey me" he brought down another smack. "And as for the lying." He gave him a particularly hard smack. "That ends NOW." He aimed the last two hard smacks on Harry's sit spots to drive the message home.

After the sixth stroke Harry just laid there sobbing. Snape set the ruler down on the couch and put a hand on Harry's back.

"It's finished now, you've been thoroughly punished Mr. Potter, and now it's over." He reached down and gently grasped Harry's arm, lifting him off his lap and setting him down on the couch.

Harry was crying so hard he was barely breathing. It wasn't just because the spanking had hurt- which it had- but because he felt terrible. Disappointing Snape was one the worst feelings in the world. He was afraid that Snape would never trust him again. What if he doesn't want me as an apprentice anymore? He said he wouldn't teach me if he couldn't trust me. These thoughts just made Harry cry harder.

Snape let him cry for a moment before he spoke. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to the boy.

"That's enough. You need to breathe, Potter. There's no need to work yourself into hysterics over a few smacks. It's over. Now take a deep breath and calm yourself." Snape's words were firm but soothing.

Snape watched as the boy attempted to slow his breathing. After a few moments, he continued. "I don't know what possessed you to behave this way, Mr. Potter, but I hope it is very clear to you now that I mean exactly what I say. I have these rules for a reason. All of them. I had hoped you would trust me enough to follow them, but, regrettably, you needed to see for yourself that I am a man of my word. If you break these rules, there will be consequences. I hope that you've learned your lesson but if not, I will be here to do this again and again until you decide you're ready to behave responsibly."

Even though he was lightly scolding the boy, he was using the same calm voice he'd used the other night when he'd done the relaxation exercise. It had the desired effect and Harry was breathing normally now and was visibly less upset.

"I'm sorry. I really am." Harry said, with tears welling in his eyes again.

"I know you are. And now that you've been punished, we will move on from this. I'm not angry with you and I don't want you feeling upset any more. But I do want you to know that your days of running around like a feral child are finished, Mr. Potter. I am the one looking out for you now, and I will keep you safe, but it will be a lot easier if you listen to me."

Harry sniffled loudly before looking at Snape. "But, what if you don't want me now. You said for the apprenticeship that we had to trust each other, and I ruined that." Harry put his head down into his hands.

Snape put his hand under Harry's chin and pulled his face up gently. "Look at me- I punished you because you broke the rules and made some very poor decisions. And while I hope you don't make them again, it does not change my decision to care for you and teach you and make you my apprentice. You're a 12 year-old boy. You are going to make mistakes. It is my job to help you learn from them and figure out how to do better. What kind of teacher would I be if I kicked a student out of my class every time they didn't know the answer?"

He put a hand on Harry's back and gave him a pat. "Now go to the washroom and splash some water on your face." Snape stood up and pulled Harry up with them. He reached into his robes and handed him back his glasses. "Take a moment and collect yourself. Off you go."

Harry walked to the bathroom and closed the door. His backside was still on fire. He reached back and gave it a rub, trying to lessen the discomfort. Idiot he said to himself in the mirror. Let's try to avoid that in future, it bloody hurts! To be honest, he was already feeling better, the sharp sting was going away and now it was just a dull throb and a radiating warmth. He splashed his face with water and took another deep breath.

Now that it was all over, Harry felt embarrassed for having been punished like a little kid. Just thinking about it made his face burn red as he walked back into the parlor. He was glad to see Snape had gone to the kitchen. He sat down gingerly on the couch and waited patiently.

He heard Snape's voice calling out from the kitchen. "Do you want tea?"

Harry wasn't really in the mood, but he could see that Snape felt the need to do something for him. "Sure, thanks."

Snape pulled out two mugs and put tea bags in them while he waited for the kettle. When the water was boiling he filled the cups. He dropped two sugar cubes in Harry's cup and added a dash of milk. He stirred it with a spoon before dunking the tea bag several more times and then squeezing it up against the side of the cup with a spoon. He pulled out the tea bags, and brought the two mugs back to the parlor.

He handed one to Harry and then sat in his armchair. He let them sit in silence for a minute before he spoke again. "I had planned to take us to Hogsmeade this afternoon to do some shopping...not that you deserve it after the stunt you pulled." He narrowed his eyes at Harry, but he was struggling to keep a straight face and Harry knew he was giving him a hard time.

"Is this the part where I throw myself at your feet and beg you to take me?" Harry asked, giving him a cheeky grin.

"Oh, Potter, you'll have to do better than that. I want to know all about how cruel your guardian is and how much you've suffered. Then maybe some heartfelt tearful regrets and of course, countless promises of how you'll never be naughty ever again. Throwing yourself at my feet would be a nice touch, but I'd expect you to be fully committed to the entire performance."

Harry smiled, he liked this Snape. The one who pretended to be serious when he was really just being snarky.

"As much as I've enjoyed this unexpected quality time we've had," Snape drawled sarcastically, "I didn't get a chance to have my meeting with Professor Dumbledore because someone broke through the wards and forced me to come back early" Snape raised his eyebrow and gave Harry one of his signature looks.

Harry's eyes got wide and he turned his head toward his professor with a look of surprise.

"Oh yes, Potter, you didn't think I would forget to put wards up after your little adventure the other night? You're not the only one who sometimes has to learn the hard way. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice...well, that will never happen."

Harry turned red and stared down at his tea. Dammit, I didn't think he'd actually put up wards! Sneaky git.

"I'll be back shortly. I want you to stay in your room until I return. While I'm gone, you will sit at your desk and write 'I will not lie to Professor Snape, nor will I sneak around behind his back, invade his privacy or steal from him to satisfy my own disobedient whims' 100 times."

Harry groaned before Snape added,"I don't think I need to remind you of what will happen if you so much as step a toe outside of your room." He picked up the thick wooden ruler from the couch and tapped it against his palm several times before walking over to his desk, opening the top drawer and putting it inside. He closed the drawer loudly for added flair.

Snape returned to the couch and put his hand on Harry's shoulder, "Go to your room and work on your lines. If you get finished and you're bored, you can read this." He picked up the potions book and put it in Harry's hands. Then he tapped his arm, "Off you go."

Harry walked to his room, potion's book in his hand, dreading having to sit on a hard chair and write those stupid lines. Evil git, he knows exactly what he's doing. He just wants me to suffer. Just as he reached his bedroom door, he heard Snape's voice.

"If you behave yourself and finish your lines, we will go to Hogsmeade when I get back. And you won't even have to throw yourself on the floor and beg. You can tell me later what a kind and generous guardian I am."

Snape smirked as he left his quarters.