The weekend came bright and early the next day. Students were socializing in the Great Hall at breakfast, enjoying their two days of freedom from all of their schoolwork. None of them, however, seemed to have noticed the absence of one of their peers.

Harry was pacing feverishly in front of the fireplace, thinking hard. When Snape had oh-so-kindly let him use the bathroom earlier this morning, Harry had tried to find ways to lure Snape away from the portrait hole. Though he thought it was unlikely, Harry had come up with the notion that Snape's password might be a clue to the professor's past. It was a strong possibility to why Snape refused to give Harry the password but the young Gryffindor believed that it was more likely due to the fact that the Potions master did not desire to find his least favorite student back in his chamber. Still, it was worth a try.

Harry began to wring his hands. Where was all this energy coming from? Yesterday he spent most of his time here asleep and now he couldn't lie still. Maybe it was from the excess sleep he got. Snape had ordered Harry once more to stay in bed before leaving for the Great Hall to have breakfast but Harry could not comply; he had to move. Snape was going to kill him when he returned.

Deciding that he needed something to do to pass the time, Harry approached one of the many bookcases lining the walls. He examined all the titles and paused on a volume that had neither a title nor author. Curious, Harry pulled it out. He opened the book and discovered that it was actually a photo album disguised as a book. He turned to the first page and he found a few pictures of a black-haired boy, whom Harry assumed was Snape, with his parents. The father had the exact same hooked nose as the Potions master, confirming Harry's suspicions of the boy's identity, but it was the mother's features that were reproduced in most of Snape's being. All three members of the Snape family stood unsmiling and almost unmoving. They certainly didn't look like the happiest people on the planet in Harry's eyes.

The portrait swung open with a creaking sound and Harry hastily snapped the album shut and he put it back in its place, making himself a mental note to find another chance to look at the album more thoroughly. Harry barely had the time to compose himself to give out the appearance that he was just looking at the books rather than flipping through them when Snape walked in.

"Oh, for – Potter! I will glue you to the bed if you keep this up! What's your excuse this time?" Snape asked impatiently.

Harry already had his answer ready. He rushed toward the couch and collected his already infamous notebook. He opened it to the page explaining his sudden rush of energy and gave it to Snape. The older man took the notebook and read the message. Harry watched as Snape's eyes grew slightly wider and his already pale face grew slightly paler. The sight worried Harry a bit. Snape raised a hand and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Potter," he said, "why does every time something goes awry, it always involves you?"

Harry cocked his head to the side to show his confusion.

"The potion that I gave you last night has a side-effect. It gives you an incredible boost of energy for several hours at a time but when it wears off you will crash and it's not your typical energy crash either. Your body will receive the illusion that it has the flu only slightly worse. It's not a great feeling. Fortunately, it doesn't last long," Snape explained. He then added, "But now I'm more puzzled than ever."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"When Professor Dumbledore took this potion despite my advising against it, he received none of the side-effects. The same goes for the other professors who have taken it. I had then assumed that the potion only affected the brewer that way but, of course, you have proven me wrong. I will have to do a bit more research. In the meantime, you will no longer consume that potion and you will stick to the regular Pepperup Potion instead."

Harry snatched his notebook out of Snape's hand and he rushed toward the couch where he had also left his quill and ink bottle. He absolutely refused to stay two weeks with Snape and if getting out early meant enduring a few side-effects, Harry was more than ready to take them on.

He showed Snape his reply when he was finished writing it. The Potions master's eyes narrowed as he read the sentence.

"It's not a question about whether you are tough or not or whether you can handle it or not. You do not want to experience that potion's side-effect though now you have no choice but to do so. Believe me, if Professor McGonagall gets wind of this she will have my head," Snape said silkily.

A low groan escaped Harry's lips. He scribbled into the notebook again. He was not going to give up without a fight.

I don't care. Let me take that bloody potion. I would much rather go through an unpleasant side-effect than spend another unnecessary moment sick.

He had almost written down 'with you' instead of 'sick' but Harry had decided not to push it. He showed his message to the older man.

"That's what the headmaster said when I had first refused to administer him the potion," Snape recalled. Harry felt a small surge of pride in his chest: so he had spoken just like Dumbledore? It was quite the compliment.

"Fine. Take my potion at your own risk. I'm not going to waste my energy arguing with you, Potter. But don't come crying to me when the second half of the side-effect kicks in."

Harry simply shrugged; he didn't know what other answer to give. Snape then pressed a hand to the Gryffindor's forehead, causing Harry to jump a little at his professor's touch. This did not go unnoticed by Snape. He quickly retrieved his hand back and Harry looked at the ground. It felt strange to be more or less taken care of and it wasn't just the person who was taking care of him that made the whole thing strange. Harry wasn't used to being shown any kind of consideration yet, despite having friends who did care about him.

"At least we know the potion's working; your temperature had risen yesterday and now it has cooled down a bit," Snape remarked indifferently.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, his stomach gave a small yet audible growl. Harry blushed and braced himself for Snape's next sneer.

"If I hadn't heard your stomach, I would've thought your temperature had spiked just now," Snape smirked. Harry guessed that the red of his fever and the red of his blush combined together made him look like a tomato. "It's a good thing that I stopped by the kitchens on my way back here. I've asked the house-elves to bring you a bit of breakfast; they should be here any minute," Snape continued.

Harry was surprised to hear that there were house-elves at Hogwarts but he kept that surprise hidden. He didn't feel like explaining his experience with Dobby over the summer holidays and during his time in the Hospital Wing when he had had his bones in his arm removed to Snape. Harry turned his back on the Potions master and he sat in an armchair, trying his best to keep still.


A book was thrown onto a pile that was on the floor. And then another and another. Snape was relentlessly researching the cause to why it was only he and Potter who had to feel the potion's side-effect. And he unfortunately lucked out with each try. In between reading and failing, Snape had to take care of Potter, who seemed to be prone to miniature coughing fits that were easily solved by a long drink of water. The Potions master could not give Potter another dose of potion since he had to wait a full twenty-four hours before taking more. Snape couldn't wait for that time to come.

Snape flicked his wand and Summoned another box of tissues from who knew where. During the course of the afternoon, Potter's nose had suddenly become runny. On top of that, Snape grew annoyed at the boy's constant buzzing around the room like a fly so he ordered Potter to make himself useful and go through some books that might contain the information Snape was looking for. Potter wasn't Snape's ideal study partner but he was better than nothing.

Snape threw another book in the large pile that had formed itself next to his desk and rubbed his eyes. He had spent fruitless hours poring over books and his tired mind was now slightly clouded; he could no longer concentrate. Taking a small break, he looked blearily around the room. He and Potter together had only managed to get through one of the many bookcases. Snape never realized how many books he had until now.

He stood a little to look over his desk. Potter was lying flat on his stomach, doing his part of the research. Snape watched as the boy rolled over onto his back, holding the book open high above his head. Potter's energy level seemed to have lowered and the Hogwarts professor began to dread the inevitable that was coming.

Potter snapped the book shut and he picked himself up from the ground. Snape gazed on lazily as Potter made his way toward the near-empty bookcase to put back the piece of literature in his hands. Suddenly, the boy fell to his knees and Snape jumped to his feet, his senses on high alert. Potter's energy level had finally crashed and it was now time for the worst part of the side-effect. Snape rushed to his student's side and he slowly helped him onto his feet. The Potions master led Potter to the couch where he gently pushed him into a sitting position. Snape stood in front of the boy and examined him.

Potter was trembling violently and there was already a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead. He kept staring at the ground and he looked so pitiful that Snape didn't even have the heart to say 'I told you so'. Then, without warning, tears streamed down Potter's face.


Harry felt absolutely awful. His body ached all over, he felt weak and shivery and he also felt nauseated. Snape was not kidding when he had said that the second half of the side-effect was no picnic. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead and Harry suddenly started to cry. He didn't know what else to do. The Dursleys often came close to neglecting him whenever he was really ill to keep him from spreading whatever he had to Dudley. During those times, Harry would curl up in his cupboard and sob; that was his way of handling the situation. Snape wasn't going to be of any help: he had made that clear this morning.

Through his tears, Harry saw a very shocked Snape standing in front of him. The older man looked helplessly around the room, as if hoping that someone else would suddenly appear and take over the situation. Harry had already known that Snape was not an emotional man so he wasn't surprised that the Potions master was, for once, clueless on what to do. But, oddly enough, seeing Snape trying to find a solution provided Harry some sort of small comfort that he couldn't explain.

What happened next was nowhere near to what Harry had anticipated: Snape took a deep breath, sat on the couch, and very awkwardly put an arm around Harry's shoulders. He did not pull Harry closer to him but he seemed to be trying to find the right words to say. If Harry wasn't so flabbergasted he might have laughed outright in spite of himself at the struggling Potions master.

Harry did not want to admit it but what Snape was doing was making him feel a little better. He didn't know whether Snape's actions might have been out of concern for his student or not but the Potions master wasn't forcing Harry to stop shedding his tears, which was better than anything the Dursleys had always offered. Harry continued to allow the tears to flow, now knowing that, with Snape around, he was permitted to do so.


It took half an hour for Potter to calm down. When he had, he slumped against the couch and fell asleep, visibly emotionally drained. Snape gently laid him down the couch's length and he placed a pillow under the boy's head and covered him with a blanket. Snape went to collect the tissue box that was left in Potter's makeshift study area on the floor and he returned to the couch, kneeling in front of his student. Snape took a tissue out and began drying Potter's face with it.

I'm not the man for this job, Snape thought somberly. Potter evidently had more than a fever going on and the Potions master was utterly useless in emotional matters. Potter was in need of someone who was gifted in the art of communication. Snape was going to have to meet with Professor McGonagall the next day.

Even I didn't expect Snape to turn out so soft at the end. But what will he do with Harry now? Will he convince McGonagall to put Harry in someone else's care or will McGonagall tell him to see this through to the end no matter what happens? And will Snape tell her about the potion?

Thanks for the reviews! :D Please keep reviewing!