Gathering his thoughts quickly, Snape led Harry into the dining room and called for Poppy to fetch a warm beverage for the boy. As Poppy busied herself making the drink to Harry's obvious bewilderment, Snape watched intently, waiting for some kind of reaction from the boy. "Now Potter, may I ask as to why you deemed it.. ah necessary to jump into my lap as soon as you saw me?" Snape enquired with a sneer.
Harry looked at Snape with a sideways glance, his face blushing as he remembered that particular blunder on his part. How stupid was I?! I couldn't admit that there was nowhere for me to go… nobody ever wants me… he thought miserably. Not that he would tell Snape that, he thought bitterly. Snape eyed the boy with well-hidden curiosity. When he received no answer as expected however, he tried a different line. "Potter, why is it that you ask to return to your relatives? Surely you must realise that you will not return there by now… I may not favour and pander to you like everyone but surely you realise that I have never hurt you?" He finished, unsure of how he felt about this situation himself. And the boy seemed so desperate to be accepted and I pushed him to the floor, Snape thought angrily to himself. All he could think about was the brief moment that those green eyes stared up at him with a mixture of shock and fear. Mind, he never was good with those sorts of situations, these situations were often more a burden to him, he was better left alone.
Looking keenly at the floor, Harry slowly chewed over his answer thoughtfully before replying, his voice small as if wishing not to be heard. "I'm sorry, Sir… You see, I know that you have never hurt me and you helped me but I know that I have to go back…" he finished miserably.
Sighing with exasperation, Snape quickly tried to ease the obvious pain affecting the boy. "Potter, no you will not be going back with your uncle, this is one thing that I can guarantee… and I don't guarantee things lightly… now, finish your drink and off to bed." He noted that Harry had begun to look rather sleepy.
Harry downed the rest of his drink and made his way to his room, as he exited the dining room however, he called a soft "thank you" to his potions master and quickly made his way upstairs. This time I will remember to place the silencing charm! Harry thought to himself with determination.
Snape watched the boy go, feeling a mixture of annoyance and… pity. Snape never felt pity, and he didn't find it an emotion he could easily identify with. He pushed it away with a sudden urge as though it may contaminate him. I must not have anymore nonsense like this! he thought acidly to himself. But all through the night, his mind kept wandering back (no matter how forbidden) to the way that Harry had looked at him as he pushed the boy unceremoniously from his body; that look had almost ripped apart at his actual being.
Upstairs, Harry remained wide awake, wishing he wasn't a freak that nobody wanted. He knew he was here in Snapes' manor on borrowed time, and as much as it surprised him, he would have liked to stay here forever. This was the first time he had ever felt safe; and his feelings towards the man that currently cared for him? He frowned slightly, Snape hadn't been as awful as usual by any means. What was his ulterior plan? Harry fell into an uneasy sleep and woke the next morning aching. As he made his way down for breakfast he became aware of Snape eyeing him with… something he could not identify but it made him nervous.
Snape was battling his own turmoil, he had not been able to shake that look the boy had given him the night before and was actually feeling guilty. This in itself was a relatively new emotion to Snape, he found it quite distasteful. "Potter, we will be practicing Occlumency today." He ground out suddenly. As Harry studied his breakfast moodily, he quickly replied "yes, Sir…" He continued frowning at his plate. He hadn't practiced in a couple of days.