A/N: All right. Chapter 10. Enjoy. :]

"Why did you cancel our lessons a couple weeks ago?" Harry asked during a Sunday lesson. His professor was marking essays while Harry did some more research for the war effort. He had finished all his remaining homework at the beginning of their lesson and had moved on to perusing past Daily Prophets.

"I had other things to do," Severus said shortly. Harry had noticed that over the past couple weeks, his friend—yes, he referred to Severus as his friend in his head—had become distant and cold, much like he was when they were in public and had to play their original roles and pretend to hate each other.

Harry sighed. "I know you were summoned."

The Potions master glared at him. "If you knew, why did you ask?"

Harry shrugged. "I had hoped you would tell me. I just know you were summoned. I don't know what happened this time. I didn't have a nightmare."

"I would think you'd be grateful about that," Severus said.

"Of course but sometimes it is actually useful to see the meetings even if it hurts like hell afterwards." Harry nodded.

"You don't deliberately watch the meetings, do you, Potter?" Severus eyed him.

"'Harry', and no," Harry said. "Not all of the time," he muttered under his breath.

"Mr. Potter, do you mean to tell me that you sometimes watch the meetings instead of blocking them?" Severus said and Harry heard the dangerous tone.

"Look, I only do it when I think I could find something out, something important. How do you think I've learned so much about the Horcruxes when I don't have anything to help me? It's not like there's a book or anything that tells me what Voldemort used as his Horcruxes. I also don't know how to destroy them. We've been trying to figure that out since the beginning of summer holidays," Harry told him.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and sighed. "How do you know what you are hearing is the truth? We know that Voldemort is aware of the connection the two of you share. He may know when you are intentionally watching and give you false information."

"Believe me, he doesn't know when I'm using the connection. If he did, I never would've found out as much as I have. As such, I wouldn't have found out about this." Harry picked up his bag and dug around inside. He eventually pulled out the box he had been sent weeks earlier from Kingsley.

"A box?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, Professor, a box. It is infused with Voldemort's soul. No, you prat, it's what's inside that important," he said and saw Severus' eyes narrow.

"Watch it, Potter," he growled.

Harry shook his head and opened the box. He pulled out the golden locket and held it up for the Potions master to see. "If I hadn't watched a couple meetings, I never would've figured out that this is a Horcrux. I knew that Voldemort might've used it since it's a connection to the Founders, but I didn't know for sure if he had used Slytherin's locket. If I hadn't seen a couple meetings, I may have never discovered that the locket is a Horcrux."

"Where did you get that?" Severus asked, looking at the locket in Harry's hand but not daring to touch it.

"It was once in Grimmauld Place. When we all cleaned summer before last, we tossed this locket because we couldn't open it. We had no idea it was something extremely important. When my friends and I began discussing the Horcruxes and I mentioned things connected to the Founders, Ron remembered seeing this locket. We weren't sure if it was Slytherin's locket or not, but Ron remembered seeing a snake on it so we figured there was a good chance of it being the right locket. However, we had no idea where it was anymore since we had gotten rid of it.

"We had all been thinking of ways we could find it or of anyone who might have any idea where it was when I thought of Mundungus Fletcher. He was nicking Sirius' stuff and selling it. Perhaps he had taken the locket. So I called Kreacher and Dobby and asked them to find Dung, after forcing them to work together, that is. Honestly, they're both obsessed with working for me." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Anyone would be." Severus smirked and Harry glared.

"Ha ha, very funny," Harry said. "Anyways, it was quite a while before they came back with Dung. We questioned him and he did have the locket but he had sold it."

"To whom?" Severus asked.

"To Dolores Umbridge," Harry said with a wry smile. "Obviously we figured there was no way we could ever get the locket now. However, we had inside help."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Last summer, as you know, I was on full house arrest and the Order was adamant that I didn't leave the house. I remember seeing you a few times outside with Mad-Eye or McGonagall or Tonks, though you never looked happy to be with Tonks." Harry grinned. "Anyways, I got close to Remus and Kingsley over the summer. Kingsley became the older best friend or the older brother and I knew I could trust him with the information we had about the Horcruxes. So I told him everything we knew, including the locket. At the end, he agreed to help us. Over a month ago, I got that package, remember? The one I got the night we began discussing lessons?"

Severus nodded.

"It had been this and Kingsley sent it. He had managed to get us the locket from Umbridge. I have no idea how as I haven't spoken to him since the summer, but he got it. I couldn't believe he had managed to get it. We just have to figure out how to destroy it and it'll be two gone out of seven," Harry told him.

"Unbelievable," Severus whispered. "You don't wear this, do you?" he asked sharply.

"No." Harry shook his head. "I did for a couple days when I got it but Hermione made me take it off. It affects anyone who wears it and not in a good way. It made me irritable and angry and mean and tired. When she took it off, I immediately felt better. Since then, I've kept it locked in this box and kept it in my bag or my trunk."

"Have you discovered anything else since we last spoke of the Horcruxes?" Severus asked.

"No, we're still at the same place." Harry shook his head.

"Very well." Severus nodded. "It's late. Time for you to go," he said abruptly and Harry frowned. This was not the Severus Snape he had begun to befriend. What had happened?

"Professor, what happened? Why are you acting like this?" Harry asked.

"Like what?" Severus growled.

"Like this! You're acting the way you did before we were locked in the classroom," Harry said, standing up.

"Being in that room changed nothing, Mr. Potter. You'd do well to remember that," Severus said. "Now go. I will not write you a pass if you are out after curfew."

"Severus—"

"Go!" the man shouted. Harry stared at him angrily before grabbing his bag and marching from the room.

Before leaving he turned and said, "It changed a lot, Professor, and you know it," and he left, the door slamming behind him.

Severus sighed and shook his head as the door shut. He knew he was being a prick to Harry but he had to. It was simply too dangerous for them to have anything even close to resembling a good relationship. They had to hate each other, even if he didn't really hate the boy anymore. He had to keep Harry away for both their sakes.

"Severus," a woman's voice said and Severus watched as his familiar landed on his desk.

"Good evening, Ivory," Severus greeted, stroking her feathers.

"You are pushing him away, my dear Protected," Ivory said.

"Yes, I must." Severus nodded. "It is too dangerous for him to be close."

"Is that or are you simply afraid of what may come of friendship with the child?" Ivory questioned.

"What are you talking about, Ivory?" Severus asked.

"You are afraid he will eventually leave, no?" Ivory said and Severus looked away from her. "You already care for him, Severus, even if that care is limited."

"My views have changed, yes." Severus sighed.

"Then why do you distance yourself, dear?" Ivory asked softly.

Severus didn't answer. He didn't know what to say, he hardly knew what to do. His views of Harry Potter had changed and had changed quickly. Well, maybe not quickly. It did take being locked in a classroom for two days to make him even begin wondering if he had, in fact, been wrong about the child. Now, nearly three weeks had passed since they had been locked away together and Severus found himself enjoying Harry's presence, though he would never admit it. It was dangerous though. What was he supposed to do?

"We have come to a small truce. Whether it will hold or not remains to be seen," Severus said stiffly and returned to his marking.

"You are hopeless sometimes, my dear Severus," Ivory said teasingly and Severus raised an eyebrow at the raven.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Severus, you care about him but you are so insistent on remaining alone that you will not allow yourself to acknowledge that you care," Ivory told him.

"I am not alone," Severus said. "I have an irritating raven, or have you forgotten that you've been in my life since I was nine?"

"Oh, Severus. Try things of which you are afraid, dear. Your future may be brighter," Ivory said.

Severus glared. "Stop looking into the future, Ivory. You know the future is easily changed. I have no future, Ivory. I will not survive this war."

"Severus, have some faith in your abilities," Ivory said quietly and softly.

"It is not my abilities in which I've placed doubt. It's in Voldemort. Regardless of what I do or don't do, he will discover my true allegiance. When he does, he will not allow me to live," Severus said casually, sounding as though he was perfectly fine with this fate.

"Have faith, dear. Have hope," Ivory said and nuzzled his cheek before taking off, flying through the magical window Severus had installed to allow her to be able to fly through it and be outside. Severus sighed as he watched her leave before turning back to the essays before him.

"He hates me again." Harry sighed as he collapsed into his favourite chair before the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione were in the other chairs and looked at each other and then at him.

"I don't think he ever stopped, mate." Ron shrugged, writing something else down on his Charms essay.

"He did, Ron. I know you don't like that we've come to a truce but he really was different in private," Harry said. "I just don't know what's changed."

"Harry, maybe Ron's right. Maybe he only acted better in order to please the headmaster," Hermione said.

"No, it's something else. We had a truce, he was…pleasant…to me during our lessons, but now he's back to the way he used to be. Something happened, something changed." Harry shook his head.

"Give it some time, Harry. Maybe he's just stressed out with everything that's happening. I mean, Death Eaters did just attack that family a couple weeks ago. Killed everyone; mother, father, son, daughter, one year old baby girl," Hermione said.

Harry's gaze snapped to her. "What? What attack?"

"You didn't see the paper?" Hermione said and Harry shook his head. "A couple weeks ago a wizarding family was murdered. The parents were tortured and killed. The son who was nineteen was killed by Greyback. The one daughter was sixteen and she died from the Cruciatus Curse. The baby girl was hit with the Cruciatus and then killed."

Harry's thoughts ran. That's what had happened at the last meeting, the one Harry didn't see. Had Severus had to help kill that family?

"I'm going to go to bed. I'm kind of tired. I'll see you guys tomorrow," Harry said and walked up to the boys' dorms as his friends bid him goodnight. Harry mechanically changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, pulling the hangings shut.

He stared up at the canopy in thought. Ever since his fourth year he had grown to respect Severus Snape and that respect had only grown over the past couple years. However, despite his respect for the man, he didn't like the man. It wasn't until quite recently that Harry had begun entertaining the idea of perhaps forming a friendship with the older wizard. So, if he had just began contemplating the idea of having a friendship with Severus, why had his feelings for the man changed so drastically, so quickly? It was just a couple months earlier that he was being forced to work with the man and dreading it himself. Now, he wanted to spend time with the professor. He enjoyed the man's company and he had begun to call Severus his friend inside his head.

Harry shook his head and turned onto his side, slowly slipping into sleep.

The night was silent despite the wind that was gently rustling the few remaining leaves and making the trees creak eerily. The street was deserted as it was late. No one was out. Everyone was inside asleep, wading out the night, waiting to start a new day.

Harry looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He knew he was having a nightmare but he still had no idea what has going to happen this time. He was staring down the street when a streetlamp came to life behind him. He spun around and found a single house illuminated by the lamp. It was a simple house and it had a very homey feeling. Harry immediately knew that a family lived here.

He slowly walked towards the house, wanting to find out who it was that lived in this house and why it was important. He had only taken a few steps when many cracks upset the silent air. He jumped and turned around again. He couldn't see anything but could tell that spots of darkness were denser than the rest. He knew what, or who, was there. Death Eaters had arrived.

He watched as the cloaked wizards stepped into the streetlamp light and he saw there were about five Death Eaters. He continued to watch as the Death Eaters gazed around briefly before moving towards the illuminated house. He followed them quietly, keeping a safe distance between himself and the dark wizards. He knew it didn't matter if he was quiet or not as it was a dream and he would not be seen or heard.

He briefly wondered how he was viewing this nightmare if Voldemort was not there. He looked down at his hands and found they were his own, not Voldemort's skeletal ones that he had sported many times before in his sleep. If Voldemort wasn't there, was this really happening or was it just a making of his subconscious? He didn't stop to really figure out the answer to these questions and followed the Death Eaters into the house.

All the lights were out inside the house. Harry looked around, continuing to follow. They were in a large, wide hallway. On the left was a closet that was slightly open and Harry caught a glimpse of shoes and jackets. They walked down the hall and Harry glanced through the doorways into the rooms they passed; a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom. They continued on until they got to a set of stairs and quietly climbed them. They turned a corner immediately at the top and walked down a short hall that consisted of a bathroom and a closet. They walked to the end of the hall and turned right, walking straight for a closed door at the end.

Harry frowned and tried to see around the Death Eaters in front of him. He watched as the door swung open and the Death Eaters entered the room. He followed and watched as they circled the bed that was across from the door. Harry stepped up beside one of the Death Eaters to see the occupants of the bed. However, it was too dark and he was unable to see. That was until one of the Death Eaters lit their wand. Harry gasped. The two people in the bed were extremely familiar.

He began to draw in short, painful breaths as he watched the two adults stir and opened their eyes.

All the Death Eaters raised their wands at the adults and as the different spells sped towards the victims, Harry screamed for Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Harry! Wake up! Harry, wake up!" the sound of his voice being called and the feeling of someone shaking him brought Harry back into the world of the living. He shot up straight in his bed, trying to catch his breath. He found the other boys in the dorm gathered around his bed and Ron bending over him, having been the one that was shaking him.

"Harry, are you all right?" Seamus asked quietly.

"You've been screaming bloody murder for the past ten minutes, mate. We couldn't wake you," Dean said.

"Ron, get Hermione and McGonagall and Dumbledore. I have to talk to them. Now," Harry said, still breathing deeply.

"Harry, what happened?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Ron, go! We can still save them!" Harry shouted and Ron left with Neville to get the people Harry wanted. Seamus and Dean stood by silently, watching as Harry tried to compose himself but failed.

Harry's thoughts were racing. Why were Hermione's parents attacked? Were they still alive? Could they still be saved? Had his nightmare been a real vision? Or was it another situation like the one that had happened with Sirius?

"Mr. Potter, what is going on?" McGonagall said as she entered the dorm with Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore.

"There was an attack," Harry said and they all looked at him intently.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at Hermione. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger were attacked by Death Eaters. I don't know if they're still alive," he said, looking at his professors and watching the colour drain from his best friend.

"Minerva, gather Severus, Remus, Kingsley, and Tonks and go to the Granger residence. Bring Mr. and Mrs. Granger back here," Dumbledore instructed.

"Yes, Albus." McGonagall nodded and swept from the room.

"Come along, Harry. We will bring you to Poppy," Dumbledore said, motioning for Harry to follow. Harry nodded and carefully climbed from his bed. He looked at Ron who was holding Hermione as she trembled. Harry tried to send her a comforting look but had a feeling it came out as more of a grimace, so he simply nodded and followed Dumbledore to the hospital wing.

A/N: Hope you liked the chapter and thank you for reading and reviewing. :]