Wow! Over 4,000 hits in less than a month? =D I must say I am honoured that so many people are actually reading the fic. I was hoping for a good reception, but this has already reached beyond my expectations!

And thank you so much for those of you who have reviewed! As I've said before, reviews are not demanded, but are always welcome and appreciated.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 13 – Round Two

Sunday – May 30, 1999
12:17

"Professor?" Severus heard a voice filter into his office.

Sighing, he got up and walked over to the door opening, "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned around with a cloak in hand, "Sorry, I just forgot this down here yesterday," he said, holding it up. "Didn't mean to bother you – just didn't want you to think someone was lurking around, stealing things."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Potter, are you feeling alright?"

Harry tilted his head in confusion, "Yeah... why?"

"You are being oddly polite when just yesterday you made yourself perfectly at home without asking."

"Oh, yeah, I should apologize for that," he said, blushing, and then looked away.

What the hell has gotten into him?

Severus waved his hand in dismissal, "Never mind that." He walked down the few steps to the lab area and strode over towards Harry, who finally looked up.

"I am, however, more curious about those scars of yours – how are they healing?"

"Scars?" the young man asked, again, in confusion.

Severus ushered Harry deeper into the room and closed the door behind them, "From the raid six months ago, the one you caught Malfoy senior in."

"Oh!" Harry said, a visible light clicking in his eyes, "Um, fine I guess."

Severus rolled his eyes, "There shouldn't be any scars left. Take off your shirt."

"My what?"

"Oh Heaven forbid, Potter, I've dressed your wounds before, just take off your shirt or I'll do it for you."

Eyes widening, Harry sat his cloak down on the nearest table and pulled the shirt off quickly as a blush started rising on his flesh.

Severus could not hold back his sharp intake of breath at what he saw – five jagged lines running across his rib cage, a few splattering forwards and one wrapping around his back, disappearing beneath his jean line.

"Harry!"

The boy whipped around, but tried to cover himself with his arms, "They're still healing –"

Severus grabbed both arms and moved them out of his line of view, turning the body so light could shine across the faded but still very visible scars.

"They should not be still healing! If they would had got you to a proper healer who bought supplies from a formidable potions master these," he said pointing to the white lines, "would no longer be here!"

Severus' angry voice rang clear through the classroom, and Harry turned his head away from the man, and whispered quietly, "I'm so sorry..."

Finally seeing that he was yelling at the wrong person, Severus let out a defeated sound on a breath of air, "It's not your fault... They should have known better. What if someone else had seen these? They would have thought you wanted them as some sort of sick souvenir."

Noticing his voice was yet again rising, he took a moment to steady himself and lowered Harry's arm. The man still was not looking at him.

"Potter – Harry," Glistening eyes stared back at him.

"I don't want any more scars."

Severus grimly nodded, "I know. I will brew a proper batch of healing and blemish vanishing salves tonight."

Harry squared his shoulders and nodded, "Thank you." Noticing that he was still exposed however, he turned to get his abandoned shirt, "I'll leave you so can get back work then."

Fortunately, Severus had enough sense this time to not let him just walk away.

"You know, you should learn how to brew these two as well. Considering that – well, it's you."

Harry smiled at Severus as he pulled his shirt back on, "As long as I'm not intruding, I suppose I could stay."

"No, I have everything finished for exams next week. 'Potter-safe' at present."

Harry snorted, but nodded, and Severus went to get the cauldrons and ingredients. After setting them up, he went up to his desk and pulled a notebook out, as well as a quill and some ink. Harry looked at him questioningly.

"You are not going to remember every step just by brewing the potion once," he said, laying the parcels in front of Harry.

"Well, not all of us can store information like a computer in our brains."

Severus scrunched his eyebrows and gave Harry an odd look, as if he had just grown another head.

Harry chuckled, "Never mind, it's a muggle device for storing information."

"I see..."

"Thank you, though," Harry said, and opened the journal and titled the first two pages: Healing Salve and Blemish Vanishing Salve.

He then turned to the inside front cover, and wrote Property of the Half-Blood Prince's Brat.

Severus, at first, felt a bubble of rage at seeing his old name. But when 'Brat' appeared, it immediately dissipated, and he snorted.

"Brat."

"I know."

Sunday – May 30, 1999
20:39

Those scars should have been healed now. If I ever find out who was assigned the duty, I will be obtaining some curious potion ingredients that one does not come by on a casual day. And the Ministry for Merlin's sake! What kind of potion's masters are they dealing with? I might have to resign myself to paying the Weasley family a visit, just to talk to Arthur and Percy to see what the bloody hell is going on over there.

I am still at a loss as to why he seemed so gloomy when first entering the lab. For some inane reason, I have a strong gut sense that it involved Albus (when does it not?). The man meddles too much on a daily basis, but when it comes to Potter, it is thrice fold.

It is no wonder that his return to the castle seemed so bitter sweet. He gets to come 'home' in a sense (he has never been able to call anywhere else by that name), but then he has to put up with Albus. Though, even if he leaves as he said, the man still meddles. Perhaps he finally understands why I never leave – there is no reason to. I will have watchful eyes on me until the day I am laid in a shallow grave.

The image of those scars has kept searing in the back of my mind since the moment he left. I know they will heal now as long as he keeps using the salves, but he should not have waited this long to get them properly healed. Those cuts could have caused infection and landed him in St. Mungos for weeks! Who knows which nincompoop was assigned to heal him – and to include the fact that they were probably star struck does not help matters.

At least he is 'home' now and does not have to worry about such trivial matters, someone will always be on hand to save the brat if need be. Somehow, I am deducing that it will be me – as per usual.

- Severus