Hello,

This is a shorter chapter, but I preferred to publish now then later. I think my chapters will be around 4k, 5k, or 6k… but this is not a promise. (Evil grin°)

Also, THANK YOU for all the feedback and positive response.

Alright, here you go now:

Read, enjoy and review…

The chapter was betaed by: wingnutdawn

Previously:

''I don't like it, but I trust you Harry. Just remember that you can tell me anything, alright?''

''Yes, thank you, you're amazing.'' He grinned at his girlfriend, deciding that he will tell her everything this evening if things worked out his way.

The pair ended up raising on their brooms back to the castle, therefore soon later Harry found himself again on the seventh floor in front of the Room of Requirements. He still had Malfoys and Snape's wands on him, which thinking about it, wasn't probably the smartest idea should someone catch him, but it seemed luck was on his side.

Inside the room, Hermione and Draco were sitting on opposite sofa's enjoying their meal. There was little conversation going other than what strictly necessary, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. The blond Slytherin had borrowed one of Hermione's text books, so both students were working on their Transfiguration homework when the entrance to the room started to open.

Chapter 2 continued

Hermione noticed that the blond tensed up, and a blank expression overcame the previously thoughtful face.

''Hi, how are you?'' Harry asked Hermione as his gaze flickered to Malfoy meaningfully.

''Good.'' Hermione responded with an assuring smile. ''And the practice?''

''Same as the last one.'' The emerald eyed teen responded vaguely; before his eyes settled on the blond as he took a seat across from him.

''How are you feeling?''

''Fine.'' Malfoy spat.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the other teen, and he reached out to his pocket to retrieve four small vials. ''Take those.''

''What is it?'' Draco demanded.

''Relax, it's not poison.'' The Gryffindor responded rolling his eyes. ''It's the Nerve restoring potion, Pepper-up potion and pain reliever from the infirmary.'' When harry saw the other boy about to protest, he cut in. ''Just drink it. I won't offer again.''

''What's the last one?'' The bond questioned conflicted between pride and his physical needs.
Malfoy watched as the other teen seemed momentarily confused before he realized what his school-enemy referred to. ''Dreamless sleep.'' Harry responded tonelessly. ''You want that too?''
''No.'' The blond replied with a sneer, making the Gryffindor's unreadable expression turn into annoyance.

''Guys, knock it off, both of you.'' Hermione intervened when she saw the conversation was taking on an unpleasant vibe. ''We have to decide what to do about Professor Snape's condition. He seems fine but it worries me that he hasn't woken up yet.''

''Don't worry, I asked Madame Pormfey when I got the potions and she said that Dreamless Sleep could have this effect. He'll wake at the latest in three hours.'' The raven haired assured his friend.
''YOU told her!'' Draco exploded.

''No! Some of us ask politely and don't always plot and steal in their free time Malfoy.'' He gave the blond a look.

''How dare you accuse me of stealing?!'' Draco returned offended before he snarled. ''But of course, how dare I even suggest that brilliant Potter is not going to have everything he wants as the wizard world falls daily to his feet? He is the Hero! The Savior! Even though the only thing he ever did was staying alive… actually, if someone thought of it, you never seem to be able to save anyone but your own behind. A pity really for all those fools who put their hope in you. Tell me Granger, did you already prepare a testament in case your dear best friend screws up again? It does sound like a yearly habit for him after all.''

''Get. Out.'' The words were dangerously soft, so wrongly said that Hermione found herself standing up to place herself between the two. She knew Harry as if he was her own brother, and he was short tempered indeed, but when he was angry he argued and yelled, when he was past that point he was precisely the wizard that Voldemort feared.

He kept his distance due to Hermione's presence, but this didn't stop his response. ''Tell me Malfoy, How does it feel like knowing that if Voldy perishes you'll end up in Azkaban but if he doesn't than you'll live till the end of your days as a slave? I wonder which is worse, despised by everyone… but then it doesn't matter really, does it? You don't even have anything to hope for.''

''Both of you, drop it, I think I saw Professor Snape stirring.'' Hermione said in a commanding tone, and both boys let the sudden distraction end their conversation.

The trio moved toward the slowly conscious Potion master when the green eyed teen eyed the other with obvious dislike. ''I meant it when I told you to get out. The door is that way.''

''I'm not leaving him alone with the two of you.'' Draco hissed back. His exterior clearly tensed.

''Oh, be-careful Malfoy, it's actually starting to look like you care about someone else other then yourself. Selflessness is a negative trial in Slytherin, wouldn't want to disappoint your father, would you?'' Harry mocked as he stood next to Hermione who was busy checking Snape's pulse, or so the Boy-who-Lived thought.

''Harry James Potter, knock it off or I'll turn your hair green for a month.'' The curly haired girl threatened.

Her friend's face expression was bewildered. ''It's Malfoy-''

''I know who he is, and I see that you are the one provoking him today.'' Draco found it strange to see the know-it-all glare at the other Gryffindor, especially over him. Judging by Potter's expression, he wasn't the only one with this feeling. Nevertheless, his actions seemed to finally get to Harry as he looked slightly ashamed.

''Fine, I'll stop.''

''I hold you to that.'' Granger promised but soon her strong stance, which Draco found curious, disappeared as she offered Potter a smile. To his complete surprise, she gave him one as well, although it was shorter and not as relaxed. Gryffindors were strange.

''Water'' Snape said just above a whisper. Strangely, Harry was the first one to get his most despised professor a glass of water. The potion master slowly sat up in the bed, and almost directly swung his legs to the side as if he was about to stand up.

''Professor… how are you feeling?'' Hermione questioned tentavily next to him. The middle aged man seemed for the first time to register the girls presence, as he turned to glare at the raven haired boy.

''It… appears that your word is worth less then your potion skills. You always find a way to surpass my lowest expectations, how impressive Mr Potter.'' The potion master sneered at Harry, who didn't let himself be intimidated.

''I needed to call Hermione… You should thank her that Malfoy nor you are not currently suffering from hypothermia.'' Harry replied as he handed the man the glass. ''No-one else knows.''

''Why should we trust you Potter?'' Draco demanded getting himself between his Godfather and the Bloody-Savior. ''How can we know you are not going to sell us out?''

''Think of it that way, anything I can do will not be worse then Voldemort-''

''Don't say that name!'' Snape hissed at him as both he and Malfoy grimaced as they bothheld their marked forearm.

''Sorry.'' Harry said sincerely, he hadn't meant to cause them pain. And he silently wondered if this was the reaction they got when anyone said the name in their presence.

Hermione intervened, and she silently noted that she was acting far too often as a mediator if her plan was to work. ''If you don't want to take Harry's word then take mine. Your secret is safe.''

''How noble miss Granger.'' Snape narrowed his eyes at her, but she stood with her head high as she met his gaze. ''I need to speak with Mr Potter privately. Draco, please return to the common room.

Tell the others that I had acompanied you to visit your mother.''
''What! No-''

''Immediately. Miss Granger, leave too. And find the Headmaster if you are capable.''

Hermione felt slightly angry at the tone he took with her. And these reflected in her face, however one look on Harry's stony expression as he glared at their professor caused her to remember her original plan. She put a hand gently on Harry's arm and whispered in his ear: ''Humor me, remember?''

The Boy-who-Lived regarded her with a mixed expression but he finally nodded. Snape was watching the two curiously but the two students separated almost immediately. Hermione went to gather her books while Draco regarded his torn shirt with distaste.

''Malfoy, catch.'' Harry called as he threw the blond his wand, which the other teen caught reflexively. Draco's eyes narrowed and he didn't bother to reply to the comment in anyway. Without further ado, he fixed his shirt and walked in the direction Granger seemed to be waiting for him. He took his time to glare at Potter, and tell his Godfather that he will be waiting for him before exiting.
Harry turned his gaze back to Snape as the two were left alone. The potion master gave his DADA student a blank look as he questioned: ''You know I'm part of the Order, and if Draco is to be found with a Dark Mark, this could greatly weaken my position as a spy!''

''You see sir, I don't know which side are you on.'' Harry answered though in his head, the wizard noted that Snape didn't voice the subject of the snake. Could he not remember? But although the emerald eyed wizard had to give it to him that he was a skilled actor, he just couldn't imagine a reason why Snape would pretend as if he didn't remember. ''So may be weakening your position will actually be good for the Order.''

''Are you really that blind Potter? I had saved your life repeatedly over the years, long before the Dark Lord was resurrected!''

''Why then? It doesn't make sense. Why in the world would you go through- through what I saw yesterday? And don't tell me it's because it's the right thing to do, I know you better then that.'' Harry replied with crossed arms.

''How arrogant can you be? You think you know me? Listen, and listen well Potter, I want that bastard's demise more then you could ever comprehend and nothing more concerns you.'' His voice was like steel, and Harry felt almost compelled to take a step back.

Taking advantage of Harry's silence, Severus continued. ''To uphold my end of the deal, which you managed to break minutes after it was made I presume: Last night Draco and I were summoned to the Dark Lord. He was… displeased with the increase in Auror activity, and made his anger known. Are there questions?''

Harry, for once in his life was grateful that he had tones of practice with ignoring someone's anger toward him. ''You have no-one but yourself to blame for that.''

Snape's black eyes sparked with barely contained fury as he replied. ''What a pity that you don't posses an equal amount perspective when you judge your own mistakes.''

That silenced Harry good, as his stomach clenched with a barely contained guilt that was usually hidden under the surface. His thoughts travelled to Sirius…

''Are you going to blackmail me into-''

''No. But you always find a way to twist my words around so I don't care what you think of me.'' Harry replied frustrated as he continued to explain, just to get the thing over with. ''Last night I discovered that I can… communicate with the serpent magic in the Dark Mark. It said that it's possible to get the Mark from Vold-HIS control over any death eaters if you wished to side with me. So you can't say that you don't have a way out from serving that lunatic anymore.''

For the first time in his life Harry felt like he made Snape speechless and he would have laughed in delight if not for the situation. Severus regarded his student silently as he tried to decide if the boy was or wasn't lying: ''At the price of serving you.'' He said with less distaste then Harry would have imagined.

''There's always a price… My offer stands for anyone.'' Harry said with a bit of hesitation, he felt uncomfortable negotiating such a thing. ''But… I'm not doing this to get- to take control over anyone. Just-''

''I understand. You don't want your hero image to shatter, should people think wrongly of you to have a connection with dark magic-'' Snape cut in without much emotion.

''No-stop- what I mean is- I hate your guts, but you can trust me not to use it against you.''

Severus regarded the boy in front silently. How similar was he to his swine of a father, yet the sincerity in his gaze reminded him uncomfortably of Lily. Truth be told, he was at lost how to react to such an offer. Oh, he wished to take a way out, he wanted it for many years, but he couldn't, for Lily he couldn't. But such a possibility for his Slytherins was… dare he say, hopeful? …What has this world come to? That he was actually counting of Potter's hero complex and for him to be sincere in his offer. Could he trust the teenager though? There was too much bad blood between them for Severus to decide if Potter wasn't playing a cruel joke here, his father would have done so.

''And what will you ask in repayment?'' Severus tested, rather out of sorts to have such a strange conversation with the boy who caused him a migraine everyday.

''Nothing- well- simply not to act or fight on Vol-His side. I won't force anyone to actually be on my side, just not on His either.'' A barely-understandable and Gryffindor response, though as he imagine what would Ronald Weasley's reaction in the place of his friend, he knew he wouldn't be given the same offer.

''Think on it… otherwise, I plan to tell Ginny about what happened last night, but no-one else. She will keep Malfoy's secret.'' The emerald eyed teen assured, though he wasn't surprised to receive a sceptic look.

''You ask of a girl to lie to her family for you? How selfless Potter.'' Snape commented sarcastically.

''Do we have a deal?'' Harry questioned with clenched fists.

''Don't make a deal when the other person has no choice in the matter.'' Snape rebuked him, the potion master rose slowly to his feet; carefully testing his balance before. ''The headmaster will likely discuss your phenomenal discovery regarding the Mark, so don't vanish from the school today. My wand Mr Potter.''

Harry took his time, childishly, as he gave the wand to its owner. Snape gave the sixteen year old another penetrating look, in which Harry concentrated on his mental shield, just in case. Whatever Snape found, or didn't find, in his expression, made the new appointed DADA professor to turn on his heel and make his way out of the chambers.

Once outside the door, Severus let the grimace of pain show on his face. He marched brusquely through the stoned corridors toward his own chambers. On the entire way the conversation with Potter and the meeting with Voldemort circled around his head. The Dark Lord had demanded to be informed on the newest plans of the order; only of course, Snape couldn't let those particular plans be known, as even the order members were not aware of what exactly their tasks were for. Sometimes everyone's loyalty to Dumbledore astounded the Potion Master, if he too wasn't bound to the same amount of loyalty of course.

Potter's behavior made his head ache. The brat seemed honest enough, and had not made half of a circus as Snape expected him to with such information. The news was disturbing however, as this was just one more example that Dark Lord and Boy-Who-Lived were so very similar, or rather had the potential to be.

If under that arrogance there was the power the Dark Lord posses with the mysterious power of the prophesy, then maybe not today, but some day the brat would be someone to be considerate of. That of course didn't help his mission of protecting the brat's life, for even if the child had power, his immaturity prevented him to be a real opponent to the Dark Lord. The occlumency proved that, Severus argued with himself. The brat was obviously capable of learning the skill, but it had been his own laziness that resulted in Black's death- though even he had not voiced it in such a way. The child had been tricked by a group of powerful experienced and adult wizards.
Yet, Draco's situation was not something the spy had fully anticipated. He winced at the realization that due to the unbreakable vow, and Draco being his Godson, the brat had a large advantage over him. He didn't like it one bit, and he worried that Potter's and Granger's decision to help both of them without asking anything for return would lead the young Malfoy- and then Voldemort- in discovering that his own loyalties were not lying with that lunatic. Severus wasn't even sure if they laid with the Headmaster, though the man was a mentor and the closest thing he had to a friend today. But he would be damned if anyone knew his loyalty laid, always, with Lily Evans. And Potter was her brat, so this made Severus his problem to protect.

As he changed his robes and took few more potions, Severus flooed to Dumbeldors office. He was as always warmly greeted by the head master. Before the old-man's eyes twinkled as he reported the news.

''Interesting.'' Albus whispered with true wonder in his voice- and this made the Potion master realize that he was not going to like what the old coot had on his mind.

Hey, don't forget to review : )

Also, I would be thankful for suggestions from you on what little things you would like to see. For example, AND SPOLIER SO DON'T CONTINUE READING THIS NOTE IF YOU PREFARE SO, I plan to have Harry try to teach Snape how to resist the Imperio Curse in few chapters. So if you have this kind of little things you would like to see, then leave a note please.

To be continued…