Author's Note: This series will shortly be coming to its end. There may be a sequel if there's a high demand for one, but only time will tell. x) Thank you all for reading, following and reviewing this story.

"This is absurd, Albus," Snape began as Dumbledore occupied the seat by his bedside. The blue eyes bore into his, oddly amused by the sudden turn of events. "There is obviously no longer a need for me to reside with the boy any longer. It's due time that he be sent back to his aunt and uncle's," the Potions master urged, though some repugnant little voice in the corner of his mind had the nerve to question his intentions.

Dumbledore smiled softly, gaze settled on the window across the room as he mused over the circumstances. A light drizzle of rain had begun to fall. "It is quite the opposite, in fact. It has become crucial for you to continue to remain at Grimmauld Place with Harry."

"And what, pray tell, led you to make such an astute observation?" Snape grumbled darkly, a headache throbbing behind his temple. "I can assure you that I am in no mood to fend off any 'dark forces' at the present moment."

Smile never faltering, Dumbledore went on, Snape's cold and cynical words not hindering his gleeful revelation in the least. "No, I'm pleased to announce that any previous threat has been squandered. However, we still have a few visitors lingering about Privet Drive, questioning the whereabouts of Harry. I suppose it wouldn't do much damage to allow them to puzzle over the thought for a little while longer."

Snape allowed himself a moment of relief, priding himself on managing to properly obscure Potter from any curious beings working for the Dark Lord. "Then for what other reason do you wish to have him remain with me? If you want to continue this little game of hide-and-seek that you've started, why not send him to one of the other members of the Order? Lupin would gladly take him in, I'm sure."

"Yes, naturally, that would be a favorable option. However, it seems that there is a minor obstacle standing in our way—one of which I'm certain that you had not foreseen."

Snape frowned, searching through the carefully organized memories in his mind for somewhere where he might have slipped-up or overlooked an important detail. Coming up short, he sent Dumbledore a long look. "And what might that be?"

"The boy has taken a liking to you," Dumbledore finally revealed with an even brighter smile than the former one, "though I fear that he may never relay such information to you."

Snape blinked slowly and brought a hand to his forehead, feeling for the fever that was surely making him delirious. Any minute now he would wake up in the empty hospital room, accompanied only by the occasional fruit fly.

"You're mistaken," he managed to mutter gruffly, insulted that Dumbledore would even suggest such an improbable thing. "You mistake contempt for some sort of ill-disposed admiration."

"Have you ever though to consider that perhaps you are the one who is mistaken?"

Snape scowled, eyes hard and cold. How was he supposed to respond to that? Why was the man always so sure of himself? Had he been in his right-mind, there would have been no way that he could handle being in the presence of Potter unnecessarily. This illness plaguing him had just triggered this sudden weakness, blinding him from rational thought. Surely, that was all there was to it.

"The only question that remains now is whether or not you agree to continue to accompany the boy until the beginning of the school year," Dumbledore informed, casually standing up and walking over to the window in deep thought.

Snape closed his eyes tightly, deciding that this entire situation was more trouble than it was worth. "Even if I wasn't completely mental at the moment, you and I both know that such a thing would be dangerous. What if one of our 'friends' were to witness my actions?"

Dumbledore shook his head, arms folded as he observed the falling rain. "No, I don't think that would be an issue that we would have to concern ourselves with. Since you'll both be remaining at Grimmauld Place, no one should have the opportunity to accomplish such spying. That being said, if both you and Harry suddenly appear nowhere to be found, some suspicion would be raised. You'll have to take certain precautions such as visiting Spinner's End every once in a while, just to make the house seem as though it is in use. For all anyone knows, you could be working on a project for Voldemort or simply busy with preparing for the start of term. It would be in your best interest to stop by Diagon Alley in the upcoming days just to feed any peaking interests."

"The fact still remains that Potter would be better off with another auror,"Snape said indifferently before Dumbledore could go any further.

Turning away from the window and catching Snape's gaze, Dumbledore offered the man a shrewd expression. "Give the boy a chance; he may surprise you."

Snape couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Potter really should've left him choking on the floor.

Now that he had a little more perspective on the matter, Snape had to admit that life had been a whole lot easier when he'd kept his distance from Harry Potter, subjecting himself to hating the boy every minute of every day without thinking otherwise. Being around the boy was bringing back stale memories and unstitching age-old wounds that he'd once carefully threaded shut.

Staring at the green eyes that were scanning the newspaper in front of them, he felt that same ache in his chest from many years ago. Chills ran down his spine as he pictured Lily and recalled how he had loved her so. Even now, the mere thought of her fearlessly exuberant spirit and love for life itself brought him anguish and peace all at the same time. He would never love another woman as strongly and deeply as he had loved Lily, but staring into those pair of green eyes brought him a mix of regret and tranquility all over again.

"What? Why are you gawking at me that way? Do I have something on my face again? I thought the rash had cleared up by now," Harry said self-consciously as he caught Snape's eyes roving over him.

Immediately looking away and feigning apathy once more, Snape shook his head stiffly. "There's nothing out of the ordinary with your face, Potter. It is still as unsightly as it always has been."

"Git," Harry huffed, though a smirk tugged at his lips.

At least he'd made a quick and blessedly pain-free recovery. It seemed as though the entire potion that he'd taken to stave off the effects of the curse had left his system, leaving him feeling more energized than he'd been in nearly a month.

Harry gave him a coy look, setting down the newspaper. "You're probably just thinking up of ways to make Potions even more mind-boggling boring than it already is."

"Ignorant as that comment may be, you might be interested to know that I won't be teaching Potions this upcoming term," Snape droned, narrowing his eyes as he took a long sip of tea.

Completely invested in the conversation now, Harry hopped out of his seat on the couch, mind thirsty for this new knowledge. "What do you mean you're not teaching Potions anymore? Are you leaving Hogwarts?"

"Bet you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you, Potter?" Snape queried with a raised brow. "Unfortunately, I shall be remaining at the school as promised previously during our discussion at St. Mungos. I'd hate to let the hero of the wizarding world down," he mocked, enjoying the look on Harry's face as he churned the information in a state of mental numbness. "Contrary to your assumptions, I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Harry gaped at his professor for an arduous moment. His most hated person at Hogwarts was now going to be teaching his favorite subject? What had he done to deserve such a horrible feat?

Thinking things over for a bit, he couldn't say that he was entirely surprised. Snape had been trying to get his hands on that position for years.

And after further thought, Harry deduced that perhaps this transition could be viewed in a positive light. He supposed that he could strive to get good marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts no matter who was teaching the subject because he enjoyed it. Potions, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter, seeing as he despised the very subject itself.

Realizing that he should take an initiative at being polite, he said the only thing that could come to mind. "Congratulations."

Snape's expression revealed that he was genuinely taken aback. He gave Harry a curt nod, unable to bring himself to utter a word of thanks.

At least they were making gradual progress.

Hopefully, by the time school was back in session, they wouldn't completely despise each other, and Harry's experiences with the newly positioned professor wouldn't be entirely miserable.

"I suppose it makes sense just as well," Harry said mildly, eyes downcast. "What better way to learn than from someone who knows what the Dark Arts are all about?"

Snape let out a heavy breath, pulling up his sleeve and gazing distastefully at the Dark Mark on his left forearm. "You ought to know," he told Harry quietly, "that it was the biggest mistake I'd ever made, and if I could change what happened, I certainly would."

Harry glowered, eyes stinging uncomfortably as a lump in his throat began to form. He nodded stagnantly. He respected and understood the man before him. He could only imagine the torture of having to live with one's mistakes for an entire lifetime. "I know, and I don't hold it against you... Not anymore, anyway…"

Snape pulled down his sleeve again, reclining back in his chair once more as though nothing had happened. "In that case, I hope you've started your summer reading assignment for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Don't think you won't be tested on the material when the term begins. Best to start off the year prepared for once."

Harry rolled his eyes, letting out a low chuckle. "Alright, I'll get to it eventually. It'd be pathetic to get a failing mark on the first day of classes. You'll see though, my extensive skill with defensive spells will stun you."

"I wouldn't be so cheeky and sure of myself if I were you. Detention on the first day can always be arranged."

"Good to know things will be going back to normal," Harry joked, content to see that Snape's remarks didn't hold as much bite in them that they usually did.

In reality, he supposed things were far from normal, but that was quite fine by him.

Around this time of the year, Diagon Alley was always bustling with life. Parents, students, and teachers alike filled all of the stores as they tried to purchase everything on the school supply lists that they had either received or written up for themselves. That back-to-school atmosphere brought by the chill of the upcoming autumn season always signaled the end of summer vacation. Swelling emotions of nervousness, excitement, and heavy-heartedness filled the stomachs of each student. While everyone was surely looking forward to reuniting with their friends for another term, opposing feelings of dejection followed shortly behind, reminding everyone that after a few days of getting back into the usual routine of classes, they'd be wishing they hadn't parted with the summer so promptly.

"This is where we go our separate ways," Snape murmured to Harry as they stepped along the cobblestone pathway. "We shall meet outside the entrance in exactly two hours so that we can apparate back. I'm afraid we can't linger for too long or we might rouse suspicion, especially if we are seen walking together. We can arrange for food when we're amongst Muggles again."

Harry nodded in understanding. He'd withdrawn enough money from his bank account at Gringotts to purchase everything that he could possibly need for the school year, and would now have to tackle the grueling task of perusing each of the shops and waiting on long lines.

Snape went off in the opposite direction, disappearing into the bustling crowds of people as Harry stood in place, definitely not looking forward to the next two hours.

Accumulating the willpower to move, he headed for Flourish and Blotts first, deciding that getting his schoolbooks was the biggest priority at the moment. It was shortly after he stumbled upon Miranda Goshawk's 'Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6)' that another book instantly caught his attention. The 'Advanced Potion Making' textbook seemed to bore into his very soul, making him cower a step back with wary eyes.

There was no way that he was going to choose to take a N.E.W.T level Potions class this year out of his own voluntary will. He couldn't stand the subject, and would avoid it at every cost. The simple thought of having to memorize Potions ingredients for another year made his head spin. Even if Snape wasn't teaching the class any longer, he still would rather stick to Charms, Transfigurations, and Defense Against the Dark Arts instead.

Besides, he hadn't even met the O.W.L requirement for the class, so he was free to just abandon the matter.

It was rather unfortunate then, that he would later discover that he was going to have to take Potions regardless of whether he wanted to or not (courtesy of Dumbledore and another one of his schemes).

Refusing to even look at the wretched book for another second longer, he turned and fled in the opposite direction, hastily picking up a pristine copy of 'A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration' without too much of an internal warfare.

When he'd picked up everything that he would need, Harry paid for the schoolbooks and wandered back into the familiar alley of shops. He supposed that once he'd checked off everything on his supply list, there would be no harm in taking a gander at some non-school related stores, such as Fred and George's new business establishment. They seemed to be attracting a large number of customers for their efforts.

But first, he had to gather some more necessities. He had just finished purchasing some new quills and a fresh supply of parchment when some sort of commotion began to stir outside the shop.

Furrowing his brows, Harry stole a peek out of the store window, surprised to see smoke veiling his view of the other side of the alley. He was about to venture outside when a hand suddenly came down on his shoulder, sending him reeling with adrenaline as he prepared to defend himself. He drew his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at his attacker, only to sigh with relief upon seeing that it was only Snape.

"There you are," the man said steadily, looking a bit anxious. "We must leave; it seems some trouble has been stirring at Ollivander's."

"What do you mean by trouble? Are there Death Eaters outside?"

"Keep your voice down and take my arm," Snape ordered roughly, ignoring his pestering questions for the moment.

Part of Harry fought against the idea of leaving when there could possibly be people in trouble, but the rest of him knew that he was supposed to trust Snape, and that Dumbledore would want him to do as his professor suggested. So, rather reluctantly, he grasped Snape's sleeve, screwing his eyes shut as they apparated back outside of Grimmauld Place.

Recovering from the dizzying feeling of apparating, Harry followed Snape back inside of the Order's headquarters, still hovering about in anticipation as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on. He looked expectantly at Snape's haggard face.

"What just happened?" he asked, beginning his interrogation again. "Were they looking for me?"

Snape shook his head, immediately stepping over to the fireplace. "Not everything in the world revolves around you, Potter. I daresay the Dark Lord is in search of other prizes as well. Nonetheless, it was in our best interest to retreat. There was no knowing what the Dark Lord's followers might have done had they spotted you. Now, if you don't mind, there are a number of individuals that I need to contact. Seeing as you cannot be trusted to refrain from eavesdropping, I shall be using a Silencing charm to keep matters private. I suggest you stay upstairs until order has been restored."

A little frustrated at not being permitted to hear all the details of the incident, Harry returned to his temporary bedroom, deciding he might as well contact Ron and Hermione instead. Perhaps they would know more than he did.

Still, nothing could quench the growing fear in his stomach that this would not be the end of future "incidences" such as these.

They were on the verge of war.

Things seemed to surge full-speed ahead in the final few days before the start of term.

On the night of the incident at Diagon Alley, Snape left Grimmauld Place with a brief moment's notice before taking off, leaving Harry a little offended at his sudden disappearance.

When he didn't return by the following morning, Harry had to admit that he grew sick with concern, blaming his sudden emotions on the recent stress that he'd experienced. He wandered around Grimmauld Place in silence, trying to keep himself occupied as he waited impatiently for Snape's return, only to be severely disappointed as the minutes ticked on.

When the front door finally creaked open during the early evening hours, Harry had to muster all of his self-control to keep from dashing to the foyer.

And when Dumbledore walked into the living room and not Snape, Harry's stomach plummeted unexpectedly. He politely greeted the man, though it was obvious that he was disappointed at the change of company.

"Harry, my boy. There are a few things we must discuss. First and foremost, we must pay someone a visit," Dumbledore began coolly, adjusting his spectacles absent-mindedly.

Unable to repress his curiosity and worry, he spoke the question that had been on his mind for nearly twenty-four hours. "Erm, Professor, if you don't mind me asking, where is Professor Snape?"

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly, placing a wrinkled hand on Harry's back. "Professor Snape is running some errands for me at the present moment."

Harry nodded, feeling a little less fidgety and restless. When he had felt a bit more at ease, he finally noticed the hand that wasn't resting on his back. Dumbledore's other limb was still black and darkened from the first day that he had retrieved him from Privet Drive, his skin appearing to be covered in some giant bruise.

He wanted to find out the real reason behind the damaged appendage, considering that Dumbledore hadn't given him a proper answer when he'd first asked him about it, but decided to let the topic slide for now.

"So, where are we off to, Professor?"

"We're going to visit an old friend of mine," the elder replied mildly, holding out his arm for Harry to take as they apparated.

Harry was pleased to note that he was finally beginning to get used to the terrible twisting and churning sensation that came with apparations.

He walked up the length of the block, walking side by side with the Headmaster as they approached a Muggle home. A sense of déjà vu overcame him as he realized that this scenario greatly resembled how his first meeting with Snape over the summer had played out.

He was soon introduced to Horace Slughorn, finally realizing who this year's Potions master was going to be. Though he still wasn't completely sure as to why Dumbledore had used him to lure Slughorn back to Hogwarts, he really didn't pay the details too much mind at the time.

Instead, he was much more focused on why he was being brought to the Burrow instead of Grimmauld Place. Though he loved spending time with the Weasleys and was ecstatic to see Ron and Hermione again, he struggled to come to terms with the sudden change of location. Apparently, these 'errands' that Snape was on were going to take up most of his time until the start of the school year.

It was when Ron and Hermione were bombarding him with questions about his stay with Snape that he realized how betrayed he felt by the man for leaving him in the dust. Normally, he would've been overjoyed at the prospect of finally being freed from the man's 'baby-sitting', but the past few weeks with Snape had certainly changed his impression of him.

He knew that he'd see the man at the start of term, and would have to suffer his grueling homework assignments for an entire year, but he still couldn't help but brood a bit.

It wasn't until he returned to Diagon Alley the next day with Ron and Hermione that he realized how serious the situation was. All of the bustling people that had been painting the winding path with life had dissipated. Everything was sullen and empty. Most of the shops were now closed, broken windows boarded up with planks of wood as ash and smoldering remains of various magical items glided their way through the air.

But even during such trying times, Fred and George's joke shop continued to bring in customers, the building looming over the dead alley.

And after witnessing Draco Malfoy lurking about in Knockturn Alley and taking part in some sort of initiation ceremony, Harry knew that the upcoming year was going to be anything but dull. He could already sense impending trouble brewing.

At least now, he knew who his true enemies were.

To be continued...