A/N: I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who is reviewing. I know that sometimes when you're reading a story you absolutely hate it when people do this but I want to thank you all. My confidence in my stories isn't very high and no matter what type of criticism, constructive or mean, as well as whatever you feel I'm doing right, is greatly appreciated.

Severus Snape wasn't a flippant man. He wasn't random, or expressive, or…smile-y…yeah…He was closed, withdrawn, and personal. Whenever he did show emotion it was only to those he trusted or when that person he cared about was in danger. What made him grab the boy then? He didn't know, and he didn't think he would ever.

"Potter! What do you think you're doing? Don't you know how to read? The tank says Poisonous! Not 'Oh, pick me up, I won't kill you!' Honestly!"

He looked over the boy quickly, assessing him, making sure he was fine. What he saw was shocking, once again, enough to make him cringe.

Harry had shut down emotionally; Sev could see it in his face. The blank mask the boy wore was specifically designed to blend in to his surroundings and not give anything away. Severus knew this because it was the mask he used to wear, when he was still in school.

"I…I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to yell. Please put the snake back before you get…before someone sees."

Severus changed his sentence at the last minute, finally realizing how stupid it would be of him to assume that the snake would bite a Parseltounge. He watched the boy as he relaxed slightly at his apology but still remained tense and blank. Sev sighed and nodded to the snake,

"I'm sorry serpent. I did not think." The snake nodded slowly, still wary of the Professor and his sharp tongue, before looking back at the boy,

"This youngling is my master now. I would appreciate it if you didn't cause this reaction in him again."

Severus just nodded. He watched as the snake tightened slightly around the boy's neck, comforting the small eleven-year-old. He sighed slightly as the boy twitched and the right corner of his mouth ascended slightly, barely enough to be noticed. Harry finally broke free of his impassive moment and walked to the front of the shop.

Severus watched the boy closely for any signs of distress. His eyes widened as Harry walked up to the counter and set his mask in place, a soft look, a well placed grin. He looked like a normal eleven year old…except for those damn glamours, Severus thought. He'd have to get to those.

"Sir, I'd like to buy this snake."

The shop keeper looked up and his eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. Severus snorted silently. He had to admit, the situation was a little unnerving. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, buying an extremely rare, even more poisonous snake, which he was conveniently holding as if it were a long, legless puppy. Again, Severus snorted.

"It is kind of odd, that's true."

The snarky potions master jumped a bit, "Ms. Lovegood, what are you doing? Haven't you found what you're looking for?" The girl just smiled up at him, "Of course I have, Professor. That doesn't mean you have though. I just stayed to tell you something." She stopped and stayed silent. So long, in fact, that Severus had to sigh, frustrated, and demand answers.

Luna Lovegood smiled up at him, "Harry was brought here by Hagrid. I found that odd. I followed him. Harry isn't normal, obviously. When he speaks people listen, even people who hate him, such as Lucius Malfoy. When he asks for something people rush to help him…"

Here Snape opened him mouth to sneer insults concerning the boys father but was interrupted by Luna again, "He hates it. Every second of the horrible attention he feels he doesn't deserve. It's maddening to him. Every time he gets waited on, every time he's fawned over, every time an adoring glance is cast his way he encloses himself within his mind. He withdraws. You may sneer, you may compare him to his father, you may even blame his mother's death on the boy, but everything bad you may say about him is an absolute lie."

What the hell?