AN: Enjoy!

Chapter 17

When Harry woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to remember why it was that he felt as awful as he did. He had sicked up right in front of his professor. How embarrassing! His stomach ached and his head was pounding. It took him longer still, to work out what Snape was doing sleeping on one of the overstuffed armchairs in his room.

This was the second time since Harry had come to live with him that he had awoken to find the man so close. Had he been here all night? Why, when his own bed was just down the hall?

Suddenly, his stomach began to ache painfully and he tried to stifle a groan as he curled in on himself, willing the stabbing pain to subside. Snape had only been resting quietly in the chair however and when he heard Harry's gasp of pain, he immediately sat upright and looked over at the boy.

"Potter?" He questioned as he stood up and began to make his way over to the bed.

"I'm fine," mumbled Harry, his voice muffled by his pillow.

Harry lay on his side, his eyes were squeezed shut and his face was pale and screwed up in pain as he wrapped his arms tighter around himself, bringing his knees up towards his chest.

"You ridiculous child," Snape half heartedly scolded, "do you think I am blind? I can clearly see that you are not fine." Without another word, Snape sat on the edge of the bed, waved his wand and then waited as more potions flew into Harry's room.

"Alright, sit up here so you can take these potions," Snape said as he reached over and felt Harry's forehead. Harry flinched back at the contact but Snape paid it no mind. "Your fever is back up again. You need to take these potions, Potter." When Harry only shook his head and burrowed deeper into the covers, Snape rolled his eyes.

"Potter, are you in pain?"

Harry mumbled incoherently into his pillow once again and Snape sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Clearly stronger tactics were needed.

"If you can not cooperate with me, then I suppose I should floo call Madam Pomfrey and have her come and have a look at you for herself."

"Sna-ape, nooo." Harry whined as he finally turned his head to look up at the professor.

Snape raised his brows at the boy but made no further comment. Instead, he simply waited and then with a sigh, Harry turned over and pushed himself up so that he was leaning against the headboard.

"Very good." Snape said with a nod and then asked, "What exactly is hurting you? And please refrain from whining when you answer me."

"I just feel sore all over, but it's mostly just my stomach that hurts and my head."

Snape reached over to where the potions had settled on Harry's nightstand and picked up the first one. "A stomach soother first then." Then as an afterthought, he added, "Would it help if it were flavored?"

Harry blinked up at Snape slowly. Had he really just offered to flavor potions so that it would be easier for him to take?! What was going on here?

He sat up straighter and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why are you being like this?" He demanded to know. "I'm not dying, Snape, I've just got a stomach flu or something." He snapped.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I am perfectly capable, Potter, of coming to that conclusion myself. I merely thought you would prefer to take them if they were flavored to a taste you enjoy. I certainly won't make that mistake again." He thrust the potion vial towards Harry who took it instinctively, though he scowled at his guardian as he did so.

"You don't have to be so cross about it." Harry muttered as he sniffed the potion, curling his nose up at the smell.

"Nor do you." Snape replied evenly. "Sick or not, Potter, how you behave is entirely up to you. You can choose to wallow in your misery or you can attempt to have a positive attitude. I understand that you do not feel well and that you are exhausted. You've barely slept at all and the time you did sleep, you were restless because your body is fighting sickness, however that doesn't give you the right to be rude."

Harry felt his face heat up, though he wasn't sure if it was all from embarrassment at being scolded or if the fever had a lot to do with it. He made no further comment as he brought the dreaded potion to his lips and forced himself to drink it. Though instead of tasting an awful potion, he was surprised to find that it tasted like strawberries.

Harry looked up with a small frown. "You flavored it anyway?"

"I did." Snape answered simply, before taking the vial from him and replacing it with the fever reducer. Harry took it without a word and by the time he had taken all three, finding them all pleasant to taste, his eyes were shining and he felt his throat tighten with an emotion that he didn't understand.

"I'm sorry!" He blurted out. "I was a prat and you were still nice to me even though you didn't have to be."

"It's quite alright, Potter." Snape assured him as he stared down at him. "It's certainly not something to get so worked up about. Why don't you lay back down and get some rest, unless you feel as though you could eat something. Maybe light toast or perhaps some oatmeal?"

At these words, Harry shook his head furiously.

"I don't understand! Why are you being like this? Why did you bother with me last night when I could have handled it on my own? I always have and I manage just fine!"

"Potter," Snape began, "your body needs rest. Working yourself up like this is not going to help anything. You need to calm down."

"Not until you tell me why you're acting like this! The Dursley's would never have given me medicine and they definitely wouldn't have cleaned up that disgusting mess I made last night. Uncle Vernon would have just yelled at me and left me on the bathroom floor. But you- you helped me and gave me water and got me into bed. And- and then you made me take potions and you even stayed in here all night I think. Just like a- like a-"

"Like a guardian, Harry." Snape interrupted, not even realizing that he had used Harry's first name. Harry did realize though and he instantly quieted. "Why? Because that's exactly what I am. I am your guardian. I am responsible for your well being. I am. Not you. You should never have had to take care of anything like this yourself. You are a child." Snape stressed his last words in hopes that they would sink into the boy's head.

He shifted on the bed so that he was facing him directly and said, "The entire fate of the world does not need to rest on your shoulders. You are thirteen. There will be plenty of times when you will need to be strong and capable. Plenty of times when you will have to fight and be put into dangerous situations. But right now, in this house, in my care, you need not be those things. Let me be the one to take care of you. That is obviously not a concept that you are familiar with, but I promise you, that is how it shall be."

Harry nodded mutely, though he wasn't sure that he believed those words.

"Alright." Snape said as he stood up. "Now, I want you to lie back and get some rest. If you truly don't think you can eat anything now, that's fine, however I will insist that you at least try at lunch. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Harry responded as he lowered himself down into the blankets. Snape took them in his hands and brought them up and over Harry's shoulders, unconsciously letting his hand rest there for a moment before standing up straight.

"I'll be just downstairs, but if you need me, Jenka will let me know."

"M'kay." Harry murmured as he rolled over onto his side.

As Snape dimmed the lights and left the room, all Harry could think about was how he had, for the first time since he'd known the man, called him Harry instead of Potter. He was sure that it had just been a slip of the tongue, an accident or at most, a way to get Harry's attention and force him to calm down, but Harry thought about it all the same.

He thought also about how Snape had said that he wanted to take care of him. He still didn't believe it, but would it really be so bad to let someone else take over? Even if it was just for a little while?

These thoughts and more swirled around Harry's mind until he finally drifted to sleep.

Later that day, Snape sat alone at the dining room table, eating a cold chicken salad sandwich. Harry had been begging to get out of bed for most of the day but Snape had insisted that he needed to rest and had instructed Jenka to take him his lunch in his room.

Now, however, Snape almost wished that he had allowed him to get up to join him. He had grown used to Harry's presence and near constant chatter during their meals and without it, the room felt too quiet. He decided that after lunch, he would allow the boy to get up as long as he promised to rest quietly in the living room. He hadn't been sick anymore today but he still didn't want him to overdo it.

Snape had thought of almost nothing else all day except for their conversation that morning. He'd tried to get some brewing down in his lab but he simply couldn't concentrate on his tasks and ended up having to banish the potion he had been working on because he had added the wrong ingredient without realizing until it was too late. After that, he had given up all together and spent the rest of the morning alternating between reading in the living room and checking on Harry.

Snape sighed as he finished his food and vanished it from the table. He stood up and made his way up the stairs and over to Harry's room. He knocked lightly before he opened the door to find Harry sitting up on his bed, his defense book open on his lap. Harry looked up expectantly when he heard Snape enter.

"Did you finish your lunch?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded towards the tray that sat on his desk. "Most of it."

"And are you feeling sick at all?"

"Nope. Can I get up now?" Harry tossed his book aside but made no move to actually leave the bed.

Snape crossed his arms and looked down at him.

"I am inclined to allow you to get up, but only if you promise to rest in the living room."

Harry groaned. "Awe, Snape! I've been resting all day."

Snape shook his head. "That is your only option, young man. Either rest quietly on the couch or stay up here. It's up to you."

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Fine." Then, he added, "Will you play a game of chess with me?"

"I suppose that could be arranged." Snape answered without hesitation.

"Alright," Harry smiled and stood up.

"Bring your blanket and pillow, please."

Harry did as he was asked and followed the older man downstairs. Once he was settled on the couch, Snape set up the chess board on the coffee table and moved his chair closer so that he wouldn't have to reach as far to play.

"Am I going to have to stay in bed again tomorrow?" Harry asked as he made his first move. "I feel loads better now, honest."

"We shall see in the morning but I do not think so. Seems to be that it was just a small case of the stomach flu."

"Told you." Harry grumbled before deciding to change the subject. "When is Malfoy coming again?"

Snape sighed as he moved his pawn forward. "The day after tomorrow."

"So just one more day then." Harry glumly stared down at the board, thinking about his next move.

"One more day?" Snape asked, "No, don't move that there, you're setting it up to be taken."

Since Snape had started playing chess with Harry in the evenings, he had been trying to teach him to better his game. Harry hoped that maybe this year he might actually beat Ron.

"Yeah," Harry removed his hand from the piece and looked for another. "Only one more day until it'll be two against one."

Snape shook his head. "I already told you that it won't be like that."

"You say that, but what's stopping him? And besides, it's not like you can be nice to me without him being suspicious."

"He will not do anything. Trust me. The way I treat you will not change." Snape said simply.

Harry leaned back into the couch cushions, the game temporarily forgotten.

"I think you're giving Malfoy a bit more credit than he deserves."

Snape looked up, frown firmly in place. "I'm giving you both more credit than you deserve. There's not to be any fighting between you two while he's here. I expect you both to behave like proper gentlemen."

"I will if he does." Harry said, leaning his head in his hands. He was starting to feel tired again but he hoped that Snape wouldn't notice.

"You both will. I mean it, Potter."

Harry looked up but made no comment. Snape had gone back to calling him Potter and it reaffirmed Harry's idea that he hadn't meant to call him by his first name at all that morning. Harry had tried to convince himself that it didn't matter, that he hadn't hoped that maybe he and Snape had come to some sort of unspoken truce in the time that he had been living here, but the truth was, it mattered. It mattered to Harry and he wasn't even sure why. All he knew was that now, hearing Snape call him by his last name, suddenly felt like a punch in the gut and Harry didn't like it one bit.

"Potter, are you even listening to me?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Snape, I heard you. No fighting with Malfoy. I'll be a good little boy and stay out of trouble, but I don't know what you expect me to do when he starts something first. And you know he will."

Snape sighed. If he survived the week with them, it would be a miracle.

"I'm going to talk with him, but if he starts something anyway, I expect you to walk away and come tell me."

Harry scoffed. "Sure, Snape, I'll just come tattle on him. That'll really help things."

Harry stifled a yawn behind his hand that Snape noticed all too quickly.

"You're tired already. Are you sure you feel okay?"

Harry's shoulders dropped as he looked miserably over at Snape. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Lie down anyway and take a nap. I'll wake you for supper. And don't worry about Draco. Just trust me."

Harry barely nodded as he was already burrowing deeper into the soft and warm fabric of his blankets, the chess game over before it had even really started.

Much too soon for Harry's liking, the day had come for Draco's arrival. When the wards had alerted Snape that someone had apparated through, he immediately sent Harry upstairs to his room. He didn't want to take any chances on him being seen by Lucius.

As desperately as Harry wanted to know what was going on downstairs, he refrained from sneaking to the top of the stairs in order to eavesdrop. For one thing, Snape would kill him, and for another, he didn't actually want to take a chance on being seen by the older Malfoy. Besides, he figured that the look on Malfoy's face when he saw him in Snape's house would be worth all the waiting.

Eventually, Harry heard a loud pop and suddenly Jenka stood in front of where he sat on the couch. She looked up at him with wide eyes and a smile that Harry returned. He had grown to like Jenka very much in the time that he had been with Snape.

"Master Harry Potter, sir, Master Snape is sending Jenka to tell you to come downstairs, sir."

Harry nodded. "Alright. I'm on my way." As he stood up to leave, Jenka bowed low before disappearing out of sight.

Harry quickly made his way downstairs and into the living room. Draco was sitting in the armchair and hadn't noticed him yet. In Harry's armchair. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde, not even really understanding why that seeing Draco sitting there was bothering him so much. He caught Snape's eye and cleared his throat. "Jenka said you wanted me to come down."

Draco's head shot up the second he heard Harry speak.

"Potter! What are you doing here?" He sneered. He stood abruptly from his seat and crossed the room to stand in front of Harry.

"Same as you, Malfoy, I'm staying with Snape."

"Yeah, right!" Draco turned to face Snape who was watching the interaction closely. "What's he really doing here, Uncle Severus?"

"Uncle Severus?!" Harry couldn't keep from laughing at the idea that anyone would call Snape that and live to tell about it!

"Shut it, Potter!" Draco spat, turning back around. "Shouldn't you be with your filthy muggle relatives, hiding away somewhere like you do every summer? What? Even they wouldn't take you back this year?"

"Boys," Snape warned as he stood up, however before he could say more, Harry shot Draco a fierce look and said, "You don't know a thing about it, you spoiled, pompous little prat! I've been with Snape practically all summer."

"That's enough!" Snape stepped up next to the two, fully prepared to put his foot down before things got anymore heated, but the teenagers had other ideas.

"I bet!" Draco shot back, ignoring Snape all together. The boy's had inched closer to each other and they now stood toe to toe. "As his charity case, no doubt!"

"Jealous?" Harry glowered, his green eyes blazing. "I'm sure you'd gladly stay with Snape if it meant getting away from your father."

Draco smirked and turned away. For a moment Snape thought that maybe that would be the end of it. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"At least I still have one." He muttered, just loud enough for Harry and Snape to hear. "I don't have to play pretend with Professor Snape to know what it feels like to have a parent."

All the color seemed to drain from Harry's face at once.

"No!" Snape yelled but it was too late, without giving his actions a second thought, Harry lunged at Draco, tackling him to the ground.