New story yay! And of course I don't own Harry Potter or make any profit from this so don't sue me please. Now on with the story!

~Understanding Severus Snape: Chapter One~

Severus Snape was a very intimidating man, no one could deny that but what most didn't know was that the reason he was so unapproachable was because of his life as a double spy for the Order and for Voldemort. Yes no one truly knew just what kind of hell his life really was but one Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, was slowly beginning to understand just how much his formally most hated Professor had given up and how he had come to see this was purely by happenstance.

It was during a Hogsmead weekend in his sixth year when he had stayed behind that he had unexpectedly run into his Potions Professor, who had been completely unaware of his presence and had been rather alarmingly bleeding profusely from several wounds. Harry wasn't sure what to think at first but with the amount of blood the man was losing he couldn't in good conscious just leave the man bleeding in the hallway even after everything he had been through throughout his fifth year, namely losing his godfather in the Department of Mysteries to Bellatrix Lestrange and his run in with Voldemort when the man had possessed him.

So yes despite everything the man had ever said or done to him Harry couldn't stand to see anymore death not after Sirius; Harry had done what any rather hysterical teenager would do and promptly began shouting the man's name in the hopes that he would get up and snarl out a nasty insult and become normal again.

Harry's rational mind knew damn well that wasn't going to happen but what the hell could he do? Go to Dumbledore you idiot! Harry scolded himself mentally as he categorised the man's location and bolted for Dumbledore's office.

As he was running through the halls Harry had to wonder and ask himself just why he was helping the man who had made his life at Hogwarts a nightmare for the past five years. Because he is the only one who doesn't see me as the boy-who-lived and treats me like he treats everyone else although admittedly he treats me worse. Despite that and Harry's rather negative feelings towards the man – Harry didn't hate him hell he didn't even hate Voldemort no only the Dursleys held that title – the sour Potions Master had always grounded him in a way no one else could.

Snape never let him get away with anything or made special allowances for him and it was that that had kept Harry humble, made him remember that he was no more important than any of the witches and wizards that surrounded him and though Harry believed he would never have turned out as bad as Draco Malfoy he had a feeling he may have become truly arrogant if Snape hadn't have kept throwing that in his face every time they crossed paths and for that Harry was grateful.

Not that he'd ever admit that to the greasy git.

Now back to the story; he had run all the way to the Headmasters office, growling out the password taking the steps two at a time and informing the Headmaster in rather hysterical terms that his Potions Master was in the dungeons face first in a pool of his own blood. Well, let us just say that it wasn't the best way he could have told the man but hey it got him moving. Snape was in the hospital wing in the next five minutes being treated by a somewhat frantic Madam Pomfrey.

While the witch had worked Harry and Dumbledore had quite the conversation. Harry had flat out refused to leave until he was told why and how the man was in such a condition. It was this conversation that had revealed to him that Snape was a spy, spying on Voldemort for the Order.

Harry had been shocked into silence. No matter how one looked at it there was no way Snape was going to avoid Voldemort's wrath the man or rather thing was far too unstable and Snape was willingly putting himself in harm's way. Why?

Dumbledore had not told him the answer to that question, he had said it was not his right to tell and Harry, although frustrated, could understand Dumbledore's reasoning perfectly, didn't mean he liked it. So that was the incident that had begun Harry's understanding towards his Potions Professor and his newest obsession: Snape Spying.

Snape Spying was bloody hard to do the man seemed to have the hearing of a bloody cat and too many times than he'd care to admit he had nearly been caught but bless the twins for the Marauders map; if he didn't have that map he would have been toast for sure. Snape was still as intimidating as ever and more than once Harry had to remind himself of what he had seen and what he knows otherwise he would have called him an overbearing git and been done with it, it was hard to see the man as vulnerable, he was always so strong and well, being honest with himself just plain indestructible.

Ron and Hermione were constantly turning around to find him gone without a trace, the most they knew however was that it seemed to happen every time Snape went by and believed Harry didn't want to be anywhere near the man for some reason. Well they were right that he disappeared when Snape was around, if only briefly, but he wasn't hiding from him…well he was just a lot closer than they thought.

Harry wasn't entirely sure why he was stalking his Professor but it definitely had something to do with his new found fascination with the man and seeing the man only an inch from death. Either way Snape Spying was taking up quite a bit of his time but he didn't really mind all that much, it kept his mind off the impending war.

It did make Potions that much worse though. He just couldn't concentrate with the man stalking through the room, snarking and snarling at the incompetent students, which included Harry. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from the man and his graceful movements as he swooped down upon unsuspecting students.

The very fact that he thought the man 'graceful' was of mild concern to Harry but he couldn't deny it, the man had always had a grace about him, Harry had just never noticed it before.

Harry frowned over his potion after once again pulling his gaze from his Professor and watched his potion turn a sickly yellow which most certainly was not the correct colour the potion should be. His thoughts were constantly being pulled to that encounter, an encounter his Professor was obviously unaware of. Truthfully he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Harry was also curious as to why that was. Surely Dumbledore would have informed Snape of Harry running across him to close to his death bed than was comfortable? But Snape had never mentioned it or gave any indication that he knew.

Such thoughts once again brought the frightful image of his Professor lying face first on the floor in a pool of blood, a pool that had gotten bigger every second he had stood there in shock and horror.

Harry shivered in discomfort. He did not need to add that particular image to his repertoire of horrific nightmares. Just once Harry would really like to have a peaceful night sleep, no nightmares or visions. He wished he didn't feel the need to look over his shoulder every second of his waking hours.

Harry wasn't sure which he found worse, the nightmares or feeling like a constant cloud of danger followed him everywhere when he was awake. He didn't feel safe, even with his friends and the no doubt powerful and effective wards of Hogwarts but Voldemort had managed to get passed them before and is surely likely to do so again, especially now that he now has a solid body and his followers rallied.

Just thinking about the insane wizard was enough to have Harry shudder. He could not help but picture the ugly serpentine like body Voldemort had created for himself and those sickly red eyes that have haunted him ever since he had learned of magic and came to Hogwarts.

The wizard was without a doubt terrifying and powerful and they all expected him to be able to defeat that monster? In what world, hell in what universe, was that considered acceptable?! He is sixteen for Merlin's sake! He has barely had any training compared to Voldemort who has had about sixty more years' worth of knowledge and experience, give or take a couple of years and he was supposed to defeat him? To kill him?

Harry gave a quiet sigh of frustration. Despite popular opinion Harry wasn't stupid, if he really went out to face Voldemort he would die within five minutes. It is simply far too much to expect from him and funnily enough the only one who seemed to realise this is one Severus Snape. Even Voldemort believed he could somehow threaten him, hence the many attacks on his life.

Because of this Harry has had to label most of the Wizarding population as utter imbeciles and sadly that included his friends…well, perhaps not Luna but then Luna was just a strange girl and the twins they are far more logical them people give them credit for. Then there was his rival, Draco Malfoy, despite being an utter ass and snot nosed brat he too had no illusions that Harry could win against Voldemort.

Harry nearly snorted aloud but managed to contain the urge. Draco Malfoy had not been hexed into the next century by Harry because the other boy was one of the few who didn't have rose tinted glasses on with which they viewed the world and so Harry very graciously let him be. Not to mention Harry found their verbal sparring to be quite entertaining.

Amused by his current line of thought Harry added in the next ingredient only for it to turn vomit green. Stirring his potion clockwise three times Harry ruefully gave up on getting it right, he didn't know nearly enough about potions to fix it and they were brewing alone today. Sighing Harry glanced down at his textbook for the instructions.

He had been too lost in thought and added the ingredient too late so all he could really hope for was to go to the next step and go from there with hopefully no mistakes. Perhaps then Harry may just scrape a pass. Harry gave a silent scoff at that thought, there was no way he was going to even remotely pass his Potion lesson especially being in the NEWT class.

Really why did Professor McGonagall coerce him into taking up potions instead of dropping it like he had planned? Oh right it was because Professor Slughorn was supposed to be taking Potions and he was nowhere near as strict a teacher but now, half way through the year, the man decided to go missing after having a drink with Hagrid where the pair got utterly sloshed.

Slughorn had gone missing between Hagrid's hut and the greenhouses for Herbology and it had been three weeks now so Snape had taken over teaching Potions as well as Defence so yes Snape not teaching Potions is what had him agreeing, too bad Slughorn had gone missing.

Harry gave another sigh as he read through the notes written in the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book. Normally if he followed the notes exactly he would have no problem making a perfect potion but he just could not concentrate with Snape stalking around the room.

Harry picked up his sliced ginger root and slipped it into his bubbling cauldron. Unfortunately for Harry his current obsession decided to stalk past him with a scowl on his face. No doubt to have a go at poor Neville.

The ensuring remarks proved him correct making Harry sigh and against his better judgement wishing the man would pay attention to him. Ever since the ending of their Occlumency lessons the year before the man had gone out of his way to not pay any more attention to Harry as was necessary and it irritated him for some reason.

Scowling Harry added the next ingredient to the potion only noticing too late that he added the wrong thing. Harry's eyes widened in horror before there was a deafening bang throughout the room and Harry was knocked backwards and fell hard to the ground covered in potion.

Harry barely had time to see Snape's infuriated face before his world went black his last thought being at least he noticed me.

So thoughts?