Severus had worked through the night on the conundrum of the exploding potion. He'd mixed untold batches of Pepper-Up potion, each time changing either the ingredients or the order in which they were added, or even the way that the potion was stirred. It wasn't until near morning that he got a mixture that appeared to have the same qualities as the Weasley twins' goo. To his disgust, he stumbled on the solution completely by accident. He'd been stirring a batch in the normal way, considering which avenue to investigate next, when he realized that he'd lost count of the number of times he'd stirred the mixture. Swearing softly under his breath, he hauled the large cauldron over to the nearest sink. He didn't notice that the contents had changed color until the first drops hit the drain cover. Quickly righting the heavy cauldron as purple smoke billowed from the drain; he took it back to the lab bench and ladled the mixture into a clear apothecary jar.

He moved back to his desk, carefully setting the jar down in the center so that he could observe it and write at the same time. He quickly set about writing down the method of creation, glancing up to see if the concoction had changed as it cooled. So far it still looked remarkably like what the Weasley twins had brought down this afternoon. Now he simply had to remember how many stokes he had stirred it with. ~Let's see, I began, "one, two, three, . four,~ he counted as he reenacted the preparation. ~Then I began thinking that maybe the lining of the cauldron was different, that would be about 3 strokes. Taking into account the possibility that the bat wings had gone bad, two more strokes, but bat wings never go bad (they are worse than any bacteria), then I realized that I had lost count. Approximately nine strokes.~

Severus looked at the uncovered apothecary jar as he finished writing his notes. Still no change in color at roughly room temperature. He picked the jar up, held it at eye level, and tipped it slightly to test the viscosity. ~Definitely thicker at this temperature.~ He made a note on his scroll to take a more precise measurement with a Bessel tube later. He reached forward and swung the lid of the jar into place, protecting the sample from contamination. He rose and walked swiftly to the supply cabinet, intending to mix another batch of potion, so intent on what he was doing that he didn't notice Remus Lupin standing in the doorway.

Lupin watched Snape collect supplies from his cabinet, smiling as he heard the muffled mutters emanating from the depths of it. It was obvious from the cluttered state of the lab that Snape had been working for hours on whatever he was brewing.

"Excuse me, Sev, but just what is it you're doing, and are you intending to eat this morning?"

Snape whirled in surprise, nearly dropping the heavy brown storage container in his hands. "What are you about, startling me like that!" He set the jar down on the nearby bench, frowning heavily at Lupin.

"The headmaster sent me to see why you aren't at breakfast."

"It can't possibly be time for breakfast yet. I just started the experiment a few hours ago."

Lupin looked at Snape in amusement. "Not only is it time for breakfast, breakfast is almost over, and your son is looking a little nervous. I think he's afraid that Sirius may have gotten to you. The Headmaster wanted me to remind you that you are supposed to be taking a trip today too."

Snape banged his hand against the bench in irritation. It never failed! Every single time he was at a crucial point in research, something came along to interrupt! Unfortunately, this was one obligation he couldn't shrug off. Sighing, he looked around the cluttered work bench, walked over to the desk, waved his wand over the large jar full of goo to reduce it, and stuffed it into a pocket in his cloak.

"Just what is that stuff, Sev?" Lupin had watched the proceedings with thinly veiled amusement.

"Never mind, Lupin, you'll find out if it works. And don't call me 'Sev,'" he grumbled as they walked out the door and down the corridor together.

"Is that cur gone?" Severus' tone of voice made it clear that he expected the answer to be "yes".

"He left before daylight. When are you going to leave the past where it belongs, behind you?"

"Some things are unforgivable," Snape paused as they reached the door to the great hall, turning to face Lupin fully. "I will make every effort to at least be civil when Harry is around, but if you expect me to ever treat Sirius as anything remotely resembling a friend, you will wait in vain." With those words, he swept into the great hall, cloak billowing out behind him.

"Severus, sometimes you are your own worst enemy," Lupin muttered as he followed Snape to the common table and sat in his accustomed place.

"Ahh, Severus, so good of you to join us!" Dumbledore was presiding over the one table as usual. "Do try some of the eggs."

Snape accepted the offered dish, realizing suddenly how hungry he was. He helped himself to a healthy portion of the eggs, and looked around the table to see what else remained. He had started eating, and was considering when he would be able to find the time necessary to continue his experiments when he felt someone's eyes on him. He looked up to see Harry staring at him quizzically. Snape nodded at Harry, and returned his attention to his food.

Harry sighed with disappointment, scooted back his chair, and asked to be excused. Obviously Snape had forgotten they were to go somewhere today.

Snape's voice cut through his reverie. "Harry, meet me at the front doors in half an hour. Wear your cloak, you'll need it." Severus poured himself another cup of tea as he talked.

"Yes sir!" Harry smiled in relief and hurried out of the room.

"What are you planning to do today, Severus?" Professor McGonagall was sipping her second cup of tea in a leisurely fashion, enjoying the unhurried atmosphere of the Holiday Break.

"Something I should have done awhile ago. If you'll excuse me Headmaster, there are some things I need to do before we leave."

"Certainly Severus. Oh, and do let me know if you find out anything about that substance." Dumbledore smiled serenely at Snape, apparently confident in his Potion Master's ability to determine what was causing the explosive properties of the goo.

Severus waved a hand in acknowledgement as he left the room, intent on returning to his dungeon and making a mental list of items to take with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are you going, Harry?" Ron had settled himself in a corner of the common room near the fire, and was sitting in one chair with his legs propped up on another, reading a book with a brilliant orange cover. Harry could just barely read the lettering on the spine.

"Chuddly Cannons, an Exhaustive History. Who gave you that?"

"Hermione of course!" Ron grinned at Harry. Who else would have given him a massive book for Christmas! "So, where are you going?"

"I don't know, Professor Snape didn't tell me." Harry glanced at his watch, and seeing he had fifteen minutes before he needed to be at the front doors, he sat down on the couch next to Ron's chair.

"Snape is taking you somewhere? That sounds like a right jolly outing!" The look on Ron's face made it clear that he in fact thought it sounded like a horrible idea.

"Ron! I think it's wonderful that his father is taking Harry somewhere!" Hermione had entered quietly and heard Ron's remark.

"I just mean that he's not the person I would pick to go on an outing with.I don't think he knows the meaning of the word 'fun'." Ron tried to extricate himself from the fix his unruly tongue had gotten him into, only to dig a deeper hole for himself. Hermione frowned at him as his ears turned red, and he turned to Harry.

"You know what I mean, don't you mate?"

Harry laughed at his beleaguered friend, saying "It's ok, Ron, I know he's hard to get along with, but somehow I think this is going to be a good day." Harry looked at his watch again, and rose from his chair.

"I'm not about to get on his bad side by being late though, see you all later."

As Harry hurried through the portrait hole he could hear Hermione saying "Honestly Ron, anyone would think..."

Harry smiled to himself as he walked toward the front hallway. He wondered how long it would take Hermione to finish telling Ron that he was an unthinking idiot. He reached the front door with two minutes to spare, and sat on a bench near the front door, wondering where they would be going.

"Ready?" Harry jerked to attention and looked up at his father, who was standing next to him. The man certainly could move quickly and quietly.

"Yes Sir." Harry rose from the bench and followed Snape out the door. "Excuse me, but where are we going?"

"Ah, that is a surprise Harry. For the moment though, we are going to the large field near the quidditch stadium." Snape continued to stride quickly through the courtyard toward the fields, forcing Harry to almost run to keep up.

"Sir.can we please slow down," Harry puffed after several minutes of brisk trotting.

Severus turned and looked at his son, panting and rosy cheeked with exertion. ~He looks so much like Lily.~ "Don't wait so long to tell me I'm going too fast next time," he said, walking on, his pace a bit slower.

"Yes sir." Harry occupied himself with wondering where they were going as they walked through the snow covered lawns to the quidditch stadium. He was so deeply in thought that he didn't notice when Snape stopped, and ran directly into his back.

"Oh, sorry Sir." Harry turned red with embarrassment.

"Harry, you need to pay better attention to where you are going." Severus pulled a metal shoehorn out of his pocket and extended it toward Harry. "Hold on to this. It will get us to our destination."

Harry immediately put his hands behind his back and retreated from the object in Snape's hand.

"What's this?" Snape was puzzled by Harry's behavior, and didn't realize that he was frowning at his son in an intimidating manner.

"It's a portkey, isn't it. I..I.." Harry stuttered to a stop, face white, as he stared at the portkey.

"Yes, it is, but I assure you that it's perfectly safe. Haven't you traveled by portkey before?" Snape was mystified as to why Harry was behaving so oddly.

"I." Harry looked at his feet, summoned every scrap of courage he had, and looked up at Snape. "Last spring, the Tri-wizard Cup. It was a portkey, and when we touched it, Cedric and I.." Harry's voice dwindled. He didn't want to have to relive what had happened last spring yet again. It was bad enough when the nightmares came.

"I should have remembered Harry." Snape unthinkingly reached out and gripped Harry's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Nothing bad will happen through using this one. Will you trust me?"

Harry searched his father's eyes, and finding no condemnation there, he slowly brought a hand from behind his back and reached for the shoehorn.

"Mind you hold on tight now." Severus kept his one hand on Harry's shoulder as the portkey dragged them toward their destination.

Harry closed his eyes as the portkey whirled him along. It seemed hours passed before he felt himself slowing, and then thumping to the ground. He managed to stay upright, gradually becoming aware of the sound of birds chirping in the distance.

"Harry, you can open your eyes now." Snape sounded slightly amused.

Harry opened his eyes, and found, to his surprise, that they were surrounded by large trees. In summer, the trees would create a beautiful canopy of greenery overhead, but now, stripped of their leaves for the winter, they were merely bleak.

"Where are we?"

Snape had been watching Harry as he looked around. "You will see. We need to take this path," Severus said, pointing at a footpath that led to the right.

He led Harry through the snow muffled woods, enjoying the quiet and the beauty of the pristine surroundings. It had been too long since he'd been here. Sometimes the memories attached to this place were too painful. Maybe now there was a chance to build happier memories to take their place, he mused. Snape stopped as they reached the edge of the woods, took a deep breath, and stepped onto a snow covered meadow, turning to watch Harry as he too stepped forward. He watched Harry's eyes become large and luminous as his gaze caught the large building in front of them.

"What is that?" Harry couldn't tear his eyes off the large manor house that dominated the clearing it sat in. Made predominately of grey stone, set with large windows and surmounted by towering chimneys, the three story castle was built to let in light and air. The meadow they were standing in swept up to the stairs leading to the front doors.

"That, Harry, is 'Chateau Forêt Vierge. It was built by Suavis Snape in the 14th Century, and generations of Snapes have lived here", Severus said, still watching Harry's astonished expression with amusement. "Would you like to go in?"

Harry nodded silently, unable to utter a sound in his astonishment. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could have had no idea the Snapes owned a castle! As he followed his father across the meadow and toward the front doors, Harry could see the faint glimmer of water to his right beyond the house. "Is that a lake?"

"Indeed. There is also a boathouse just beyond the gardens in the back, with canoes and row boats." They had reached the steps, and Harry waited for his father to unlock the front door, shifting impatiently from foot to foot. Snape had pulled out his wand and was muttering softly as he waved it in front of the door. Harry couldn't hear the exact words used, and they didn't sound like any incantation he'd learned at school. The door swung open slowly and silently, revealing a large hall with a grand, polished wood circular staircase leading to the second floor.

"Welcome home Harry." Snape stood aside to allow his son to enter first.

"Home." Harry said the word softly, trying to adjust to the idea that he, the boy who'd never belonged anywhere, could actually have a home. There were two large entryways on either side of the staircase, and Harry could see dining furniture on one side, and a sitting room on the other.

"Come on then!" Snape led the way past the stairs into another part of the first floor, showing Harry various sitting rooms, portrait halls with large paintings of generations of Snapes, and finally, the library, which featured floor to ceiling bookcases crammed full of books, manuals, and scrolls. Harry was particularly entranced with a large section full of Quidditch books.

"Time enough for that later, come along." This time his father led him to the staircase. As they climbed to the second floor, Harry admired yet more paintings of his ancestors, who variously waved, smiled, or scowled at him. Snape paused at the top of the staircase, seemed to draw himself up a little straighter, and led the way to some doors on the right.

"The rooms on this side of the house are the bedrooms set aside for family members. Those on the other side are for guests." Severus stopped in front of a large, highly polished dark wood door at the very end of the corridor. "This is the Master's bedroom. It is mine for now, but some day it will be yours." He opened the door and the two of them stepped inside.

Harry was surprised at how bright the room appeared. It was painted in shades of sunshine yellow and moss green, had floor to ceiling windows along two walls and French doors leading to a balcony overlooking the lake and part of the formal garden. The canopied bed occupied one corner of the room, while several large chairs were grouped around a table near the windows. A large stone fireplace was centered on one of the interior walls, and an almost life sized painting of a woman with red hair and vibrant green eyes occupied the space above the mantle. She was smiling softly at Harry and Severus, watching them as they moved through the room.

"That's.." Harry couldn't complete the thought as he walked hesitantly toward the portrait.

"Yes, that's Lily." Severus joined his son before the picture and stood gazing inscrutably up at it. "I never could bear to move that picture. We lived here after we were married. My parents had passed on by then." He stared a minute longer, and then turned away, moving toward the door to the hallway.

Harry didn't want to leave the picture of his mother, but he also didn't want to make Snape impatient with him. He silently promised himself another visit to this room to look at her as they left. Severus stopped in front of a door just down the hallway from the master's room. He swept the door open and gestured Harry through. This room was somewhat smaller than the Severus', was painted a dark blue in color and had a window seat built in under the windows along one wall. There was a canopy bed hung with faded blue tapestry along another wall. A stone fireplace was set into a third wall. An intricately carved roll top desk with matching book cases and a large squashy blue chair completed the furnishings. The room appeared very dilapidated and neglected.

"I thought you might like this room for your own. You could change the colors and furnishings as you wish." Severus hadn't remembered that the furnishings were quite as bad as they evidently were. "You are welcome to take any furniture out of any room except for mine."

"Uhm, Sir?"

"Yes Harry?"

"When will I be able to live here with you?" Harry held his breath, not sure what answer he was hoping to hear.

"I don't know. You know that I'm involved in the war against Voldemort. It's not safe for you to be known as my son right now, for either of us. It's going to depend on what happens with the war." This wasn't precisely the answer that Harry had hoped for. "Follow me, there are some things I want to show you."

Snape led the way back downstairs, pointing out the staircase to the attics as they passed it. "Most of the things on this desk you are not to touch," he said as he led Harry back into the library and up to the large desk at the end. Reaching into the center drawer, he pulled out a large packet of papers tied together in the middle with a black ribbon. "These are papers you will need in case something should happen to me. They explain bank accounts, properties, and certain other investments." Harry stared at the packet, slightly taken aback at the thought that Snape had already prepared for the event of his death. "Give me your hand."

Harry put his hand out, and Snape put the packet of papers into Harry's hand, put his hand on top of the papers, and waved his wand over them, chanting sonorously. There was a brief flash of light, and when Harry was again able to see, the ribbon was held in the center with a large green seal.

"These papers will only open at your touch. No one else will be able to read them." Snape took the packet and put it back in the drawer. "I have some work I need to do, would you like to explore on your own for awhile?" Snape walked to a bookcase behind the desk as he talked.

"Uh, I guess so, Sir." Harry watched intrigued as Severus tapped several places on the shelves and moved two books in what seemed to be a random manner. He could faintly hear a muffled click, and then one section of bookcase swung out into the room noiselessly. Harry moved up behind Severus, trying to peer around him and see what was hidden behind the books.

"This is my private lab. I have many dangerous compounds stored in here. Do not touch anything without my express permission. Do you understand me?" Severus glared menacingly into Harry's eyes as he spoke.

"Yes sir." Harry backed up quickly as his father entered the lab. ~Maybe now would be a good opportunity to investigate the Quidditch books.~

Several hours passed in silence as Harry read through several books on Quidditch techniques and Severus played with his potion. Harry heard muffled oaths coming from the lab occasionally, and decided he'd better stay where he was instead of risking calling his father's famous temper down on his head. At one point Severus strode into the library, black frown firmly fixed on his face. He grabbed a book off the shelf behind the massive desk and stalked back to his lab. Obviously things were not going well.

For his part, Severus was baffled. His first approximation of 9 stirs had resulted in a pink potion. Not even close to the purple color he was looking for. His next trial of 10 stirs had yielded a watery, bluish potion. His next supposition was that extra stirring was required to yield the texture he was looking for. So he'd tried 11, 12, 13, and 14 stirs to no avail. Severus carefully added the last ingredient and began to stir, watching the contents of the cauldron intently as he stirred.

Meanwhile, Harry had located a book on the history of Quidditch, and was astonished at how much the game had changed. Forgetting his previous reluctance to disturb his father, he wandered into the lab, book in hand.

"Sir, why don't we play Quidditch with 3 bludgers anymore? It seems to me that having the beaters out numbered by one would make the game more interesting."

Severus paused in his stirring, looked blankly at Harry, and said "I'm not sure. I don't think I ever heard anyone..Oh blast!" Severus jerked the stirring rod out of the cauldron and looked in disbelief at his mixture. It was a perfect, bright purple color. He tentatively prodded the stuff with his stirring rod. As he drew the rod back, a long string of undeniably goopy, gloppy purple stuff stretched between the rod and the cauldron.

"Harry! That's it!" Severus tossed his rod on the table and stared at Harry in amazement.

"What's it?" Harry was torn between amusement at Snape's antics and concern that he'd lost his mind.

"I've been trying to figure out how to make the base potion for the Weasley twin's explosive since last night. I'd tried every combination of stirring I could think of, when you came in here and asked me your question. I never thought of a half a stir being the important thing. It's very rare for a compound to require something and a half stirs, in this case 9 ½. Of course it would be 9 ½, a very unique number, it's also 19 halves." Severus looked at his pocket watch. "We should be getting back to the school; it's almost time for dinner. Just let me clean this mess up and we can go."

"Can I help you?" Harry was tired of reading. He'd welcome the chance for some activity, even if it was cleaning dirty cauldrons out.

"It would go faster. Why don't you start with those cauldron's, and I'll start putting these ingredients away. Use the scouring powder by the sink, I'm not sure how stable they are, wouldn't want to set a reaction off by using magic to clean them. And whatever you do, don't mix them together in the sink!"

Both worked in quiet harmony for awhile. As he scrubbed the cauldrons out Harry thought about a question he'd been wondering about for quite awhile. He hefted the last cauldron out of the sink, looked over at Professor Snape, who was placing each ingredient with precision where it belonged, and decided ~why not?~

"Sir?"

Severus looked over at Harry, eyebrow raised inquiringly.

"Uhm, I was wondering, what should I call you?" Harry looked down at the cauldron he was toting back to the shelves.

Severus looked at Harry thoughtfully for a minute. "When we are at school you need to address me as 'Professor Snape.' Do you have something in mind for when we are not at school?"

"I don't know sir, but 'sir' seems so...so.." Harry hesitated, searching for the word he wanted.

"Formal?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, Harry, I called my father 'Father', and I know Lily called her father 'Pops', which I loath. I know a lot of the boys at school call their fathers 'Dad', but perhaps we don't know each other well enough for that yet. Would Father be acceptable to you?" Severus hadn't given much thought to this problem before, but he could see that it was bothering Harry, so it deserved to be given serious consideration.

"Father." Harry tried it out, and nodded.

"Father it is then." Severus looked around at his now neat lab. "I believe that we are finished. Are you ready to go back to school?"

Harry grabbed the book he'd been reading off of the bench. "May I take this book with me, Father?"

"Yes, Harry, just be sure you return it to the right place next time we come." Severus closed the bookcase/door behind them as they left the lab, and extinguished the lights in the library with a wave of his wand. He could feel the weight of the two jars full of identical purple goo in his pockets. What a satisfying end to the project!

Harry looked back at the chateau as they walked through the meadow toward the woods. He hoped that next time he'd be allowed to bring Hermione, Ginny and Ron so they could all explore.

"Come along, Harry." Severus was waiting just inside the trees for him.

"Coming Father." Harry smiled as he sped up his pace so that he could keep up with Snape's longer legs. It felt good to use that word. ~Father.~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry had spent most of dinner in a fever of excitement, hardly able to wait until after dinner so that he could describe his afternoon with Snape.

"A whole huge castle?" Ron was torn between envy at Harry's good luck, and interest in the hidden lab.

"It's not really a castle," Harry corrected. "More like a very large house. Like a.manor house I guess."

"And Snape gave you your own room to decorate any way you wish?" Hermione seemed very interested in the possibility of redecorating Harry's room.

"Well yes.." Harry didn't quite see where Hermione was going with this.

"You will of course make the furnishings red and gold." Hermione obviously thought that Harry would want to make a Gryffindor statement.

"Of course not, he'll do just what I did and use orange!" Ron appeared to think that the Chuddley Cannons color was the only way to decorate.

"Oh Ron, don't be ridiculous! Of course Harry won't.." Hermione leaned toward Ron and stabbed at the air with her finger as she talked.

Harry sat quietly, a bit dismayed by the amount of attention redecorating one room was causing. A movement from the chair next to his caught his eye, and he turned toward Ginny. She grimaced at him and nodded toward the door. They both rose quietly, tiptoed to the portrait hole, and quietly left the room.

"Don't listen to them Harry, you decorate it any way you wish. Although I think I'll hate you forever if you follow Ron's lead and make it orange!" Ginny grinned at Harry's perplexed face.

"Actually, I was thinking of green and blue." Harry looked back at the portrait hole, guarded as usual by the pink lady. "Do you think they'll notice we've gone?"

"Not for a long while. I know the signs, they've settled in for an evening of it." Ginny shook her head in amused exasperation.

"Well I don't want to hang around and listen to them. Let's take a walk." Harry led the way toward the front doors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus climbed the stairs to Dumbledore's office, thinking about the day's events. Overall it had been a good day. He'd managed to figure out the compound, with Harry's help, and the visit to the chateau had gone well. He reached the door, knocked once, and let himself in. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, obviously waiting for Severus.

"Well, Severus, how did your visit home go?" Trust Dumbledore to cut directly to the chase.

"Quite well sir. Harry appeared to enjoy the house and its surroundings, and I have, with Harry's help, concocted the base potion for the explosive twice in a row." Severus placed the two apothecary jars on the desk. "Oh, and Harry has decided to call me 'Father' when we're not in school."

"Severus, that's wonderful! What a step forward!" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, happy with Snape's news.

"Yes sir, you see, it takes nine and one half stirs instead of full stirs. I don't know quite why I didn't think of it before, the number is so obvious." Snape regarded the jars with satisfaction.

"Severus, I was referring to Harry calling you 'Father'." Dumbledore hid his smile behind his hand. He knew just how focused his Potions Master could be.

"Oh, yes, of course."

"Now, about this potion. Nine and one half you say?"

"Yes sir. And it's easily duplicable. We should be able to manufacture it in large quantities fairly easily. The difficulty will be in deciding how to deliver it. I want to study it's stability before." Severus stopped speaking abruptly, his right hand moving to his left forearm. ~Not now. ~

"Severus?" Dumbledore was moving around his desk toward Snape, a worried expression on his face.

"I'm being summoned. I have to go." Severus stood and moved quickly toward the door.

"You'll tell Harry, won't you?" Dumbledore followed Snape.

"If I can find him." Severus strode quickly down the stairs, mentally girding himself for the coming ordeal.

"Be careful, and come straight to me when you return." Dumbledore called after him down the stairs.

"I always am, and always do." wafted back up the stairs to Albus. How much longer could this go on, he wondered. Hopefully Severus' luck wouldn't run out tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Ginny let themselves into the castle just in time to see Professor Snape stalk toward them dressed in a long black cloak and holding a mask in one hand. Ginny gasped and turned white, instantly recognizing the garb of a death eater. Harry grabbed her arm, and found his thoughts returning to that awful night last year when he and Cedric had grabbed the tri-wizard cup together, and ended up surrounded by wizards dressed like this.

"Harry, I only have a minute, Voldemort expects instant obedience, and I risk unwanted attention if I delay too long. I want your promise that you won't leave this castle for any reason tonight." Snape stared intently at Harry. "Father, I don't understand." Harry looked up at his father, trying to get beyond the death eater costume.

"It is dangerous for you to be away from the guards set on this castle. I do not know what Voldemort has planned for tonight. It may be a planning meeting, it may be a revel. Either way, I want you to promise me that you will not leave the castle."

"Will you tell me when you return?" Harry wasn't willing to promise until he had a promise in return.

"Yes, I will seek you out before I report to Dumbledore." Snape waited impatiently for Harry to make his promise.

"I will stay within the castle tonight." Harry figured he was pretty safe making that promise.

"And I will make sure he keeps that promise," Ginny spoke up unexpectedly from beside Harry. Harry looked at her in astonishment, while Snape gazed at her approvingly, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Thank you Miss Weasley, I count on you!" Snape turned and strode purposefully to the door, pulling it open and stepping through quickly. He needed to hurry to the apperating point.

"Wait!" Harry dashed after him and leaned out the door as Snape went down the steps.

"What!" Severus was exasperated at the delay.

"You will be careful, right?"

"Harry, I'm always careful, that's how I've survived so long." Severus waved farewell and disappeared into the night. Harry closed the door and leaned against it. It was going to be a long night.