The rest of the week passed fairly quickly for both wizards. Harry was so caught up in applying different techniques to his feeble attempts of occlusion that he hardly noticed it speeding by. It was only when a small owl happened to come whizzing up to his window with a letter addressed to him from Ron the following Saturday that he realised how much he missed his friends. He watched Pig zoom excitedly around the room before opening it.
Dear Harry; it read.
Hope you are OK mate; Mum says you are with that greasy git of a potions teacher. I felt physically sick just hearing about it, I hardly doubt you are faring any better with the stupid man. I bet he's starving you or being more nasty than usual, try and get Dumbledore to let you stay with us instead, Hermione and I have asked him but he doesn't give us a proper response. Hermione and my family sends their best. Write back soon mate
Ron.
Harry read and re-read the words constantly, from his letter it sounded like Hermione and him were holed up together at the burrow or even at Hermione's! He found the thought distasteful, how dare they be having fun when he was having such a miserable time! His godfather Sirius hadn't written to him once so far either since he arrived at Snape's, even if the man was on the run still. God it was so unfair! He thought angrily to himself. Kicking his trunk aside which gained him nothing than a throbbing toe into the mix of emotions he was feeling, he stumbled down the stairs after writing a quick reply and sending Pig on his way. Harry felt nothing but resentment and almost wished that Ron hadn't written at all. Glancing toward Snape as he made his way into one of the dour man's studies, he found that he felt the need to vent his anger, he began by being as surly as possible.
Snape eyed Harry suspiciously. The boy had been nothing but hard work all morning, grunting and throwing him sharp looks and he had been more arrogant than usual to boot. So much for the "thanks" bloody Potter had given after he had bought him here from his blasted relatives, well he should have left him there! Snape thought agitatedly to himself. "Potter, cease this stupid childish demeanour at once. I know you may not be the brightest student to attend Hogwarts but as much as you may grunt, you will never convince me you are actually related to a troll regardless of how flawed your bloodline might be!" Snape ground out sharply. Stupid boy thinking he could disrupt my day just because he's in a bad mood about something! "Carry on and you'll find yourself facing another Occlumency lesson faster than you had hoped. Stop this incessant behaviour right now!" his eyes flashed angrily whilst his voice sneered at the boy, making Harry look up in surprise.
"Sorry Sir" Harry muttered sarcastically, stupid black bat should have left me where I was, at least then I didn't have to think about how much fun everyone else was having! He sighed, he had known the others would be having fun ofcourse but it hurt to know they were holed away together somewhere instead of with their respective guardians whilst he, Harry had to endure an entire summer of Snape invading his thoughts whenever he decided to resume the lessons. Harry had been taking part in a couple of potions lessons and attempted a few charms assignments from the grumpy man but had yet to learn of anything important to him. He had managed not to have his wand taken away from him so far however and didn't want to succeed in doing so now regardless of how angry he was with the world. He stilled his grumblings and proceeded to read the chapter he was currently attempting to read over.
Clearing his throat, Snape ordered Harry to present the book to him. "Potter," he began as he quickly noted the chapter the idiot child was currently on. "I would expect a first year to be at this point, what is taking you so long? Maybe it is that you are indeed related to a troll, that one you took out in the girls' bathroom during your first year your cousin was it?" His eyes glinted malevolently as he eyed the blushing brat in front of him. "Come on now, surely that's what you wish me to believe? With your stupid behaviour this morning?" he finished with a hint of glee at insulting the boy so.
Harry eyed him angrily, he had just about calmed down a little too! Greasy git deserved to die as far as he was concerned. No, wait he didn't believe that. He disliked the man, hated him somewhat even but could never wish him dead; not truthfully anyway. Feeling his own conscience and thoughts were against him, he sighed, annoyed with himself. "Sorry Sir, I'll read faster." he replied slowly. How on earth was he meant to tell the foul man that he could hardly see through his current glasses? That would be more mortifying than Harry could ever admit.
Snape eyed the boy expecting a rise out of him. The boy seemed to withdraw on himself as if being attacked by invisible enemies. He was surprised to find that his conscience was not as joyful at seeing the boy deplete within his shell as he usually would have been. With a snarl, he sent the boy away to his room, promising that any more insolent behaviour would render the stupid child without his wand for a whole week! That should stop him ruining my day he thought moodily.
Harry turned and left without another word, he would have to watch his behaviour from now on but on some level he found he didn't care. Damn the man! And Damn his pathetic attempts at saving my life too, I was fine before he came barging into my life and I'll be fine again when he gets the hell out of it! He sat feeling moody on his bed, stealing a glance around although he didn't know who or what he expected to see within his own room, he leapt quickly off of his bed and made his way to his trunk. Eyeing the photo album of his parents that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, he picked it up and sat down in the corner looking over it. Stroking his mothers' animated cheek as she waved and smiled up at him next to a dark haired man Harry knew to be his father, he suddenly felt the sudden rush of tears and blinked to keep them at bay. If it weren't for Voldemort, my parents would have been alive and then maybe I'd be good enough to be loved like everyone else. He thought, broken-hearted.
Snape walked toward Harry's door intent on giving him another lecture just for the hell of it when he spied Harry through the crack of the open door sitting down with traces of tears on his face stroking something. He could not explain it to himself but he had the sudden albeit small desire to enquire if the boy needed any assistance. Frowning, he backed away; he had thought he had curbed all thoughts of compassion years ago, it was such a strange emotion now and one he couldn't easily identify without some thought. He would have to double his efforts to try and hate the boy, a bit of good old fashioned teasing never hurt anyone! That's not true... his conscience leaped into action sneakily once again. SHUT UP! Snape roared at it in his head, he stalked away in an even bigger mood than before. Always the stupid boy's fault. I swear he was put on this earth just to inconvenience me! That's probably how he shall defeat the Dark Lord actually, bore him to death with his childish antics. Snape thought angrily. Grumbling he made his way to his potions lab, he would not be able to set eyes on the boy for the rest of the day, he reasoned.