Title: Harry Potter and the Summer From Hell

Author: Ladye Black

Warnings: References to self-abuse, this is a slightly dark fic people

Disclaimer: Does everyone have it by now? I do not own Harry Potter; I'm only using him for my nefarious purposes for awhile...

Notes: I am so sorry for this being so late. Life caught up with me for awhile, but now I'm back, dun dun duuunnnn...

Chapter 10

Harry woke up gasping in the middle of the night, the spell shrieking with pain. "What the hell?" he mumbled as he stumbled out of his room and into Severus'.

"Professor Snape, are you okay?" he asked, squinting into the darkness. He thought he heard Snape say 'Shit' before there was a loud thump of an object hitting the floor. "Professor Snape," Harry was more awake now. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes," Snape grounded out. "I'm perfectly fine, Potter, go back to bed."

"What was that loud thump I heard?"

"It was nothing, Potter," Snape growled. "Go back to sleep!"

Harry, finally awake now, heard the defensiveness in Snape's voice. His forehead crinkled in determined concentration. He would get some answers out of the stubborn man, starting now.

"Sir, I distinctly heard a loud 'thump', and I do not believe it was 'nothing'. Neither was whatever woke me up. You can continue to lie, if you want, but I will get answers someday. In the meantime, I will have to continually worry about what you are up to." Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "I think it would be best if told me what happened," he added, trying to look intimidating and failing slightly.

Snape stared at him for a moment, wondering exactly when the boy had become the man that was standing before him. Perhaps, it had always been there, hidden behind the boy's insecurities and need for affection.

"Well?" Harry prompted.

Snape considered his odds for another moment and then decided that his chances of getting out of this one for not good. However, he did have some questions of his own, like how had Potter heard him? Severus had made sure to put up a silencing spell before he had started.

Severus sighed internally before he began to talk. "I assume Headmaster Dumbledore has told you about some of my past?"

Harry nodded. "He said that you've been spying for him for a long time, and that you took the Dark Mark before you were sixteen."

Snape frowned. Potter knew that much about him already? He supposed it was another attempt of Dumbledore's to get them to get along better, having Harry understand him. Still, he was slightly bitter at the older man's invasion of his privacy.

"Then, he's probably also mentioned that I've tried to kill myself." Harry just nodded. "I had thought so; I suppose he also has some sort of way to keep track of me?" Snape asked, making a sudden leap of intuition.

Harry couldn't contain his surprise, he gaped at Snape. No wonder the man had been a spy for so long, he was extremely sharp. He nodded slowly.

"Well, what was it?"

"What was what?"

"What was the spell, Potter?" Snape asked, irritated, standing up from the other side of the bed.

"Oh!" Harry thought for a moment. "I don't know."

Snape just barely kept himself from snapping. "Don't know," he growled dangerously. "How could you not know?"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't look at the title. Professor Dumbledore just gave me the incantation and told me to say it."

Snape looked ready to curse the boy into oblivion. Instead, he stared at Harry before he sat on the bed, sighing loudly. "I suppose I should just be grateful it was Albus that gave you the spell," he said to himself. "Did it ever cross your mind that the spell could have been something totally different than what he said it was?"

It hadn't.

"Um, well..."

"No, I suppose not. Listen, Potter, you're going to have to start thinking on your own. We won't always be here to hold your hand through the mistakes you make."

Suddenly, Harry was furious. What right did this man have to make such accusations! Especially when he had...when he had... "Hey! You changed the subject!"

Snape smirked. "And it almost worked, too. Perhaps you have grown something behind that scar of yours."

Harry just silently regarded Snape, determined not to be provoked again.

"Hmm, perhaps you have," said Snape after a moment's silence. Harry grinned. "Very well, I'll tell you a little bit about it." Snape sat back against the headboard. "You might as well sit down," he said, gesturing to the other end of the bed. "This will take some time to tell."

Harry quickly took the offered seat, eager to hear Snape's tale.

"I will only say this once," Snape started. "What I'm about to tell you is not the whole tale and no amount of whining or begging will get it out of me. I will only tell you what I think you ought to know and nothing more. Agreed?"

Harry nodded. "Agreed."

"Very well," and Snape started his story.

TBC...

Sorry, next is a little Snape tale, and hopefully a shorter wait. Tell me how I've done, ne?