Previously

So maybe he appreciated an apt pupil. But surely that was all there was to it. He did not have any feelings for Harry Potter other than an alliance-based camaraderie. But even as he told himself that, he knew he was lying, and he knew Dumbledore knew that, too.

Connecting

Sighing in frustration, Harry worked diligently on his potion. Things were still slightly awkward with Ron and Hermione, but they were on friendlier terms than they had been before, so it was a start. Snape had been the biggest obstacle in his goal for a happy and normal life at the moment, besides Voldemort, of course. The infuriating Potions master had been very erratic the past week, with strange mood swings and would go from ignoring or avoiding Harry to starting up conversations with him in the hallways in between classes. It was almost enough to drive him crazy. He was beginning to question his feelings for the deranged man after all.

At the present moment, Snape seemed rather high-strung and ireful. Harry wouldn't have been surprised if he saw a twitch in the professor's face.

'Granger!' he shouted suddenly. 'What are you doing!?'

Hermione froze, staring at Snape, horrified that she might be doing something wrong.

'Adding the powdered bicorn horn, sir?'

Snape scowled irritably and turned completely around and stalked the other way. Hermione looked hesitantly at Harry, who had become her second resource behind the teacher himself.

'Don't worry, Hermione, you're doing it right, Snape's just being a d-'

'A what, Mr Potter?'

Harry instantly felt like he had been plunged into a bucket of ice water. That furious voice froze his insides almost as well as Voldemort's words could.

'A…' Harry's mind seized as random thoughts flew through his head. 'A d-d-duuuuuh?' Harry stammered in a panic.

Snape was standing across the dungeon classroom staring at Harry, while the entire class, including Harry, was staring at Snape. His face was contorted into a confused sort of grimace.

'See me after class, Mr Potter,' he cried with a spastic sort of whole body twitch, before retreating hastily to his desk.

'What the hell is wrong with him,' Harry heard Malfoy scoff rather audibly to his bench mate. Harry was thinking more or less the same thing, but more along the lines of how it pertained to his survival chances. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. Though normally he would have relished the thought of some alone time with Snape, right now he didn't know what to expect. He had the second and third volume of Slytherin's notes in his bag, which he was beginning to think might just save his life. Snape motioned for the potions to be placed on the stewing racks and for clean up to start. Harry took all three potions he and his friends were brewing to the racks while Hermione and Ron started cleaning up.

Class was dismissed and Harry reluctantly trudged up to Snape's desk. He watched as Snape purposefully ignored him for several moments before turning and fixing him with a slightly wide-eyed stare.

'We will begin Occlumency Monday night,' he said lightly, as if the revelation had come to him just then. 'Be here at seven. Things will start off slow,' he said slowly, 'as Professor Dumbledore has need of his Pensieve at the moment.'

'Can't you get one for yourself?' Harry inquired innocently. Snape sighed dramatically.

'One cannot just simply walk into Diagon Alley and acquire a Pensieve, Potter,' he explained, sounding more like himself. 'The type of stone basin required for one is rather rare.'

'As rare as these?' Harry grinned, revealing the workbooks he had translated, and placing them on Snape's desk. 'I forgot to give you the second one after we had dinner.'

Snape flinched. Apparently he had touched a nerve.

'Had dinner?' Harry repeated, and again Snape flinched. 'What about-'

'That's enough!' Snape shouted, standing abruptly. 'I will not be harassed by a student!'

Harry took a step back.

'Who are you and what have you done with the real Severus Snape?'

A shudder went down Snape's back as he took a second to revel in the way Harry said his first name.

'Enough,' Snape said icily, sitting back down. 'Things have just been…'

He noticed Harry had sat down across the desk from him, looking at him intently.

'What.'

'You were explaining?' Harry prompted. Snape scowled.

'You moved.'

'To listen better?' Harry rolled his eyes, obviously trying to provoke Snape. Snape let it slide, for now.

'Things have been…difficult, since your friends revealed their actions.'

Harry stiffened.

'Sir,' he said rather rigidly, 'it is well known in Muggle psychology that if-'

'Oh, cut the propriety bullshit,' Snape snapped, 'we both know what's going on here.'

There was a pregnant pause before Harry took a deep breath.

'We…do?'

Snape bolted up from his chair and began pacing. He stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

'Get out.'

'Sir?' Harry pushed. 'Can you ex-'

'Out!'

Harry stood slowly, insolently.

'If we could just-'

'Out, Potter! Out!'

Harry saw the outraged look that Snape gave him and knew the real Snape was back in full force. With a shiver of fear and something else, he fled.

'I can't.'

'Of course you can, dear boy,' Dumbledore encouraged him heartily. Snape tried not to roll his eyes.

'You don't know Potter.'

'Au contraire,' Dumbledore said with a conspiratorial smile, 'I think I do.'

Snape straightened, narrowing his eyes at the old man.

'What do you know that I don't?'

'Nothing, Severus,' Dumbledore chuckled. 'I only have a slightly more educated guess than yourself due to more experience on my part.'

It was Monday, just before dinner and the time was closing in for Snape's Occlumency lesson with Harry. He had seen the boy in class, and he had looked distinctly distracted and tired. He had noticed the Granger girl had to offer him some help, which he accepted. Strange, he had thought, for the new Potions star to not only accept but need help from another pupil. Snape had already been dreading the return to Occlumency, but now, knowing Potter was anxious about it too, he was even more nervous.

'Things will work out,' Dumbledore told him with finality, gesturing to the door as he rose. 'It is time to eat and then time for you to give your attentions to Harry Potter.'

Snape flinched at Dumbledore's wording, but stood and followed the old headmaster out of his office.

'Come in,' Snape called, his voice tight. The door opened and Harry ducked in, shoulders sagging and looking hesitant. 'We don't have all night,' Snape snapped. 'Ready yourself.'

Harry stepped forward and drew his wand. He felt queasy, nerves churning his dinner furiously in his stomach, his whole body tense with anticipation.

'Legilimens.'

Harry's view of the classroom clouded as he recounted the dream he had been plagued with the night before.

He was running through endless dark stone hallways, turning left, turning right, always running. A chilling laugh was echoing all around him, making his skin crawl, pushing him to run further, run faster. His legs ached, his breath felt fiery in his dry throat and lungs, and sweat was beading cold upon his brow. But the laughter was getting louder, the fear in his chest was squeezing harder, his stomach was churning more forcefully…

Harry fell to his knees and coughed, vomiting all over the floor. His breath was coming in shuddering gasps and he was shaking violently. He was vaguely aware of Snape moving behind him as he vomited again. The sick vanished and he collapsed to the cold floor, hyperventilating.

Snape felt the fear rolling off Harry in thick waves. He had definitely not expected Harry's defences to fall so easily, nor to come across such a terrifying memory so quickly. Usually Harry was at least slightly defensive of his more personal and vulnerable memories and dreams. Instead of berating the young man, however, he went to his aid. He fell to his knees and got sick, so Snape vanished it, just in time, as Harry then collapsed. He put his hands on Harry's back, feeling his breaths coming in short gasps.

'Easy,' he muttered, grabbing Harry's shoulders to roll him over. Harry's face was very white, his eyes shut and his brow furrowed.

'He's going to kill me,' he whispered, not opening his eyes.

'No,' Snape growled, shaking Harry firmly by the shoulders.

Harry opened his eyes and Snape was again met with a look of hurt and pain. He could barely stand to meet Harry's eyes, but he knew exactly what he had to say when he looked into their depths.

'I won't let him.'

Green eyes stared into black for an intense moment before shutting. A deep sigh escaped Harry, as if that was all he needed to hear. The atmosphere between them relaxed and Snape sat back, removing his hands from Harry's shoulders.

'We both know what's going on here,' Harry breathed.

Snape frowned, recognizing the words.

'What?'

Harry closed his eyes and nodded.

'Go again.'

'Again what?'

Harry looked at Snape, remaining still.

'Go in my head.'

Snape paused, but felt driven by a morbid curiosity, wondering what was at the end of the hallway.

His legs ached, his breath felt fiery in his dry throat and lungs, and sweat was beading cold upon his brow. But the laughter was getting louder, the fear in his chest was squeezing harder, his stomach was churning more forcefully. He ran towards a door, it was slightly open and the laughter was coming from behind it. With a burst of speed, he rushed through the door. It slammed open and he pulled himself to a stop. Voldemort stood laughing over the twisted body of Severus Snape. A moaning sound was emanating from him as he pulled himself slowly across the floor in agony.

'No!' He flew at Voldemort, a red hot surge of power coursing through his body and exploding through his outstretched fingertips. Voldemort screamed and whirled as he threw himself across Snape's body just as the killing curse hit him.

Snape pulled himself up, standing over Harry's panting form. He had sacrificed himself for him. It was a dream, but it had felt real enough. The intense fear, the aching muscles, the twisting stomach.

'So now we both know what's going on here,' Snape ground out. Harry refused to meet his eyes.

'Dobby,' Snape called. A crack resounded in the dungeon and the house elf appeared.

'Yes sir? What can I be doing for Professor Snape, sir?'

'Escort Mr Potter to his dormitory,' Snape instructed him coldly, his eyes remaining on Harry until he was helped out by the elf, still refusing to look at him.

'So that is what's going on here,' he muttered to himself.