Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, though I wish I did. Then I would not have to worry about being out of money when it comes time for Mother's Day and the works.

A/N: Sorry that there was no chapter last week. My mother surprised us with a trip to New York City and we were gone for all the time in which I usually write my new chapters. By the way, those who live in New York City are very brave people. It is a very crazy place. Also, I'm not quite sure if I mentioned it, but this is kind of AU because I forgot about Slughorn's existence and he's not even in this fanfiction.

Chapter 21

Harry woke up slowly, wrinkling his toes and sending his fingers out exploring across the sheets. The bed was warm and comfortable and Harry did not want to open his eyes and completely wake up. He turned onto his stomach, burying his head in the pillow. He already knew that he was not in his bed, but the fact that the pillow did not smell like Draco surprised him. If he was not in his bed or in Draco's, whose bed was he in? He was unaccustomed to waking up in an unrecognizable bed. He tended to stay in his own space, thanks to the Dursleys hammering into him the fact that nobody wanted him in theirs, and the only reason he woke up in Draco's bed was because when they spoke of their nightmares with each other Harry tended to fall asleep, as he was so warm and comfortable in Draco's arms.

Harry opened his eyes reluctantly and glanced around, as if he could see anything at all. He scrabbled around for his glasses, finally gaining purchase on the plastic frames somewhere off to his left. He shoved them on his face and looked around, and with his return of vision accompanied his return of memories of the night before.

Oh God. Had he really fallen asleep in Snape's private chambers? Right after the man finally seemed to be warming up to him and Harry had to go and blow it by falling asleep, taking a mile when he had been given an inch. He was so stupid. And now the man, who probably hated him again, also knew his darkest secret and could go around telling anyone he wanted to.

Someone knocked on the door and Harry flinched, realizing that his breath had started to get uneven and ragged. He took a deep breath and then spoke.

"Yes?" He called out.

"Breakfast is in ten minutes, Harry," A voice called. It was unmistakably Snape's, but somehow it was hard for Harry to believe it truly was. There was no ire held in it, and it was almost pleasant. As if he didn't mind Harry falling asleep.

Harry got to his feet and cracked his back. He wished to change out of the clothes he was in, because although they had been transfigured they still held the uncomfortable stiffness of being worn too long, but he had no other to change into. Harry settled for running a hand through his hair, trying without success to control it. Sometimes he hated his hair, even if Draco did like it. He was convinced anyway that Draco only liked his hair because he liked how troublesome it was to Harry, especially when Draco ran his hands through it and made it worse.

"I don't think that's going to help," The mirror suddenly told Harry sadly. He pulled his hands from his hair and shrugged before going out of the room. He wandered down the hall and found Snape sitting at a small table, his hands around a steaming mug.

"Morning," Snape greeted him, gesturing a slender hand at the empty seat in front of him. Harry sat down cautiously, staring at the man. He was unsure where they stood and he almost hated that feeling more than the feeling he got when he was with the Dursleys. At least with the Dursleys he knew the rules he should follow. He knew exactly what to do and when to do it. But here he didn't have a clue. He was terrified of making the wrong step. And although he knew that Snape wouldn't raise a hand to him, his horrified reaction when he had learned of Harry's abuse was proof of that, but he did not want to go back to the man hating him either.

"Good morning," Harry answered slowly. "How are you?"

"Fine," Snape said, looking up from his mug. His lips twitched slightly, as if Harry had said something amusing. "How are you?"

"Okay," Harry answered honestly. He could not pretend that he was at his best, what with having broken rule number one, do not tell, but he could not say he was at his worst either. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest and he could suddenly breathe easy now, knowing at least someone cared that he was being abused.

Snape opened his mouth, as if he was about to speak, but then house elves popped into existence in the room, scurrying forward to place plates on the table. Harry watched them as they removed the cover of the trays they had brought.

"Thank you," He called after the elf.

"Yes Master Potter, it was my pleasure," The elf said, bowing and then popping out of the room. Harry stared at the spot where he had disappeared and then turned to the food, picking up his fork speculatively.

"The elves can apparate in Hogwarts," He mused. "Do you think that I did something like that?"

"Only house elves can harness the specific house elf powers," Snape said, picking up his fork. Harry noted with slight disappointment that he ate the same exact thing that everyone else did at breakfast, and not blood like some others might suggest. "So unless you have ever gotten the urge to serve people and wander around naked until someone gifted you with clothes, I doubt it."

"Uh, no," Harry assured him, slightly freaked out by the fact that he was sitting at a table early in the morning with a Snape clad in bed robes, both enjoying identical meals, and the man was making a joke. Harry didn't even know Snape could make those, never mind in such a weird situation.

Harry took a bite of his eggs, picking around the weird green things in them. He was pretty sure they were vegetables, but he wasn't sure and he did not eat things that he could not name. Pretty soon he had eaten all that his stomach would allow and he set down his fork, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Here," Snape said quietly, passing a potion across the table. Harry took it and threw it back in one swallow, without even looking at it. He had learned that the best way to take a potion was to not observe it at all, to ensure that he was not more revolted than he needed to be.

It tasted foul, just as he was expecting.

"What was that?" Harry asked, once his eyes had stopped watering.

"Nutrition potion," Snape explained. "You are far too thin for a sixteen year old. I suspect they withheld food?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "It was actually one of their favorite things to do, give Dudley food while they withheld it from me." He fell silent and met Snape's surprisingly sympathetic gaze.

"Have you thought about who else you should tell?" Snape asked him. Harry looked away. He knew that he would have to tell other people and that was part of the reason why he hadn't wanted to tell before. Once you told one person, you had to tell everybody. Snape continued. "I think you should most definitely tell Professor Dumbledore, as well as Madame Pomfrey. And Draco, if you wish to continue any amorous relationship between the two of you."

"Madame Pomfrey?" Harry questioned, hoping Snape would not pick up on the fact that he was not giving him a real answer.

"So she can give you a check-up and ensure no lasting damage has been done," Snape said. "As well as fill out a welfare report."

"A welfare report?" Harry gulped in horror. He had known that people would know, but he didn't know that everybody would.

"It is our duty as teachers to report these things," Snape said, picking up his mug again. Suddenly Harry's heart sank. He didn't know why, but underneath freaking out he had suddenly developed the impression that Snape actually cared for him, even a little bit. But Snape's statement crushed that hope. It was obvious he was only doing this because it was his duty, not because he cared at all what happened to Harry. "We will try to make it as painless as possible for you, I assure you," Snape said, getting to his feet and placing a slender hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry suddenly felt bone weary, even though he had just woken up. He was so tired of thinking people cared and then being disappointed.

"I just want it all to be done," He sighed. Snape lifted his hand from Harry's shoulder and patted Harry's hair before continuing on to the sink. Harry's eyes widened as he kept his eyes on the wall in front of him. Had Snape just petted him? It was almost absent. It was almost fond.

But it couldn't have been.

Could it?