AN: It's not Wednesday, and yet here I am, posting another chapter! And didn't I tell y'all that it would be longer?! I started writing this during a sprint war on discord and I couldn't stop. Special thanks to freyja_luna for taking the time to beta this for me. (I still haven't learned how to tag someone or I definitely would have) Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and leave a review if you've got time! Thanks!

Chapter 32

Over the next couple days, the students of Hogwarts could talk of nothing else besides Sirius Black. They theorized every possible way that they could think of on how he had gotten in and how he had also gotten back out without being seen.

Sir Cadogen and his fat grey pony had been hung in place of The Fat Lady and no one could wait until she was back. Sir Cadogen's favorite pastime seemed to be challenging the students to duels, and thinking up ridiculously hard passwords and changing them at least twice a day.

Aside from that, Harry noticed that he was being closely watched. It seemed that teachers were always finding excuses to walk with him in the halls from class to class. It was growing increasingly irritating but by the end of classes on Tuesday, it got exceptionally worse.

Their last class of the day was Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall had just dismissed them. As Harry was gathering up his book and notes, she called out to him.

"Potter, please stay behind for a moment."

Harry exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione, wondering if he had done anything that would cause his Head of House to be upset with him, but he could think of nothing as of late that he had done. When the classroom had emptied, he walked up to stand in front of her desk and noticed that Professor McGonagall looked deeply worried. Her lips were set in a thin line and her eyebrows seemed to crease together as she looked down at him.

When the door closed behind the last student, she spoke just barely above a whisper.

"Harry, I'm not sure how much Severus has told you about Sirius Black-"

"I know that he's after me," Harry rushed to assure her. "Snape told me before the term even started."

McGonagall nodded solemnly. "Alright. That's good, then." She sat back down in her chair behind her desk and folded her hands in front of her. "Then it shouldn't be hard for you to understand what I'm about to tell you. I think, at least for now, that it would be best if you no longer practiced quidditch in the evenings. With only your team members around, it's very dangerous,-"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and outrage. "No! We've got our first match on Saturday! I've got to train! Especially since I still don't have a new broom."

This was obviously news to McGonagall as she looked taken aback.

"You're still using a school broom?"

Harry nodded. "Snape won't let me buy a new one with my money from my vault. He keeps telling me I'm supposed to save it for my future. Which is ridiculous because it looks like there is loads in there." He stopped then as he realized he'd been rambling and looked up at his professor. "But please, don't say anything to him about it. We've been fighting about it a lot lately and I don't want him to be mad at me."

McGonagall smiled at the boy and shook her head.
"I wouldn't get into the middle of that anyway, though I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I do stand behind my decision as your Head of House, though. I just don't think it's safe for you to be out there alone."

Harry sighed. "Please, Professor. I've got to train. We're up against Slytherin!"

"Well," McGonagall studied him closely for a long moment before she finally consented. "Alright, but I'm going to insist that it be supervised. I'll ask Madam Hooch if she is available but I do not want to find out that you have stepped foot on that quidditch pitch until you hear from me first. I want your word, Harry."

Harry nodded quickly. "I promise. Our next practice is tonight though…"

"I will talk to her and let you know before practice. In the meantime, where are you headed now?"

"Er." Harry wasn't actually sure where Hermione and Ron had gone. "To the Common Room I suppose. I want to see Snape before dinner."

McGonagall nodded as she rose from her seat once more and led the way to the door.

"Let's go, then."

"Oh, thanks, Professor, but you really don't have to-"

"I am walking you to your Common Room, Harry, and I don't want to hear any complaining about it," she said sternly and Harry had no choice but to go with her. But that was definitely something he was going to speak to Snape about. He was absolutely sure that all of this had to have been his idea.

Once back at the common room, Harry quickly explained to Ron and Hermione what Professor McGonagall had held him back for and then told them that he was going to see Snape. He had been wanting to talk to him all day and hadn't had the chance yet.

Up in the boys' dormitory, Harry pulled the key from where it now hung from a thin gold chain around his neck. Hermione had transfigured the chain from an old shoelace and Harry was once again reminded of just how clever she was.

The door appeared at once when he thought of their dungeon rooms and Harry stepped through quickly, immediately noticing that Snape wasn't there. He checked the kitchen but found it empty as well.

"Snape!" he called out and waited for a reply. He supposed he could just search their rooms, but for some reason, he felt odd about doing that. Technically, he didn't live here while school was going on and usually while he was here, he only went to his own room if he wasn't in the parlor or kitchen. Suddenly, he seemed to feel very much like a guest here and he found that he didn't like that feeling at all.

"I'm in the lab, Harry!"

Harry walked down the hallway to Snape's lab and opened the door, sticking only his head inside as he scanned the room for his guardian. It took only a second to see him standing in front of a simmering cauldron with his back turned to him.

"Don't just stand in the doorway, Harry. Come inside," Snape said as he picked up a vial of something blue and slowly poured it into the cauldron.

Harry came fully into the room and crossed over to stand beside Snape.

"What are you brewing?" he asked as he eyed the potion. "It looks like the same stuff you were working on over the summer."

"That's because it is. It's for Remus as he's been feeling ill as of late."

Harry nodded. "Does he stay sick a lot, then?"

"Sometimes," Snape said as he stirred the potion slowly. "Though I'll thank you to not ask him about it or broadcast it to the entire school."

"I wouldn't!" Harry said, offended that Snape would think that about him. "What's wrong with him?"

"That's his business to tell if he chooses. Though if you're worried, I can at least tell you that it's not life threatening and your favorite professor will not be out of commission long."

Harry almost grinned as he looked up at him. "I never said he was my favorite professor."

Snape scoffed. "You didn't need to. We barely have a conversation without you bringing him up in some way or another."

"Jealous?" Harry asked with a smirk as he stood back so that Snape could pass by him to get to the cabinet where his potions were stored.

"Hardly," he replied as he surveyed the potions before picking up a larger container with what looked to Harry like green slime.

"Gross," Harry said aloud as he watched Snape pour a few drops into the now-steaming potion, turning it a faint blue color.

Snape turned down the heat under the cauldron before moving around to fully face his ward.

"I'm assuming that you didn't come down here just to watch me brew what is frankly a very boring potion."

The comment brought back to Harry's mind what he had actually come for and he shook his head before moving around the table to sit on the stool.

"You've got to tell them to stop, Snape."

Snape raised his eyebrow and stared down at Harry. "Should I know what you're talking about?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know you do. Did you tell all the teachers to watch me? You're all following me around everywhere. I can't go anywhere alone. Even Professor Sprout left the greenhouses today just to walk with us back up to the castle. And don't you think people are going to notice if they see the two of us walking along the corridors together? And then, today after class, Professor McGonagall kept me after class just to tell me that she doesn't want me to train for quidditch anymore!"

"Heaven forbid that the staff of this school be worried for your safety," Snape drawled sarcastically as he leaned his hip against the side of the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "And for the record, I didn't ask them to do that. Professor Dumbledore did, so if you have a problem with an order that the Headmaster himself has asked to be carried out, I suggest you take it up with him. And as for me being seen with you, I walked with the entire class today so I doubt anyone thought anything of it at all."

Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I just thought you asked them to. You're weirdly protective lately."

"Protective over my ward? How dare I be such a thing."

"Alright, you can stop now," Harry groaned. "I'm just… I dunno."

Harry let his words trail off and Snape sighed. "Harry, what's wrong? Really? You seemed upset in class today as well. Did you not sleep much last night?"

Harry shrugged. Snape ignored it and pressed on. "Something's bothering you. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know." When Snape only continued to stare down at him, Harry lifted his hands and then let them fall back down to his sides. "Honestly, Snape. I don't know what it is. I just feel strange lately but I don't know why."

"Strange? Strange, how? Do you feel sick at all?" Snape asked and then much to Harry's surprise, he raised his hand and placed it on Harry's forehead, checking to see if the boy felt warm. Harry moved his head away from him and scowled.

"I'm not sick, Snape!"

"Then talk to me, Harry. What is it?"

Harry sighed and picked up an empty vial and turned it over on its side before spinning it on the table top. He watched as the light glinted off the glass as he tried to figure out how to put into words how he felt.

Finally, as the small vial slowed and eventually stopped spinning, Harry spoke quietly without looking up at Snape. "Are you mad at me?"

Snape frowned. "Is there a reason that I should be?"

"I dunno," Harry mumbled, still looking away from him. "You seem alright, but something feels different and I don't know what it is. You didn't even really say anything about catching me out of the Great Hall when I came down on Sunday morning. I mean, I'm glad, obviously, that you didn't go mental, but I thought you would be upset or something and you didn't even seem like you cared. And I know that we've been fighting a lot. About Hogsmeade and about the broom and I didn't say sorry for being a prat about you not letting me go. But I keep thinking about it and I am. I'm sorry that I just left Saturday morning and didn't have breakfast with you and I'm sorry that I wouldn't talk to you when you saw me with Professor Lupin. But I guess it's too late now because those people still haven't shown up for the interviews and I thought they would have by now, unless…" Harry let his words trail off again as he took a deep, steadying breath. During his speech, Harry had gone from mumbling quietly, to nearly panicking as he apologized for fighting with Snape, then back to the most disheartening whisper that Snape was sure he had ever heard from the boy.

"Unless what?" Snape asked, though he was fairly sure that he knew what Harry was thinking now that he had actually started talking.

"I dunno," Harry replied, spinning the vial again.

Snape reached down and picked up the small vial and placed it further along the table, out of Harry's reach. "Yes, you do know, Harry. Unless what? Unless I told them not to bother coming? Unless I had decided that maybe you weren't worth the trouble?" Harry didn't answer but instead, he turned his head away and glared down at the opposite end of the table. He could feel his face getting warm and there was a lump rising in his throat that he tried to swallow down. But it wouldn't budge and he grit his teeth together in frustration when he felt his eyes begin to sting.

"If that's what you want," he eventually ground out.

"Well, it's not." Snape replied sternly. He reached out and placed his hand on the edge of Harry's stool and turned it to face him, though Harry stubbornly kept his face turned so that he wasn't looking at him. Undeterred, Snape simply raised his hand and gently took hold of Harry's chin before turning his head so that he could see the boy. Harry didn't resist but he only held Snape's gaze for a second before lowering his eyes so that he was looking instead at the front of Snape's robes. He swallowed hard once more and Snape sighed but resigned himself to speaking to the top of Harry's head. The brief moment of eye contact he had with him was enough for Snape to see that Harry was already on the verge of tears and the last thing he wanted to do was upset him further by insisting that he look at him.

"I am not mad at you. I didn't say anything more about Saturday night because Remus asked me not to. I told you that and I wasn't lying. He wants to have a family dinner next Saturday and he didn't want you to be in trouble or sulking during it. As for the interviews, I have no idea why they are dragging their feet about coming out here unless they are just intending to surprise us. Which they very well may be planning. I'm sure they would like nothing better than to catch us off guard, but I assure you that I have not, nor will I tell them not to come."

Harry nodded but made no move to speak or to look up at Snape.

"I have no intention of turning my back on you, Harry. None at all. Is that what you want?" Snape held his breath as he waited for Harry's reply and if he were being honest, he was terrified of the answer. What if that's really what all of this was about? What if Harry just didn't know how to tell him that he didn't want to be his ward anymore?

But Harry looked up then, his green eyes flashing. "No! I want to stay with you! I know I haven't lived with you for very long but it already feels like it's been ages and I don't want to go anywhere else." Harry bit the inside of his cheek as he considered his next words. "And besides, we already sort of have a routine, don't you think? You know like, breakfast on Sundays and sometimes we still have tea at night. And...well...we kinda fit together now. Right?"

Snape's lips turned up in a rare smile as he nodded. "Right. I think we make quite a pair."

As he had done a few times since coming to live with Snape, Harry suddenly jumped down from the stool and quickly wrapped his arms around Snape's middle. However, this time, Snape didn't even hesitate before bringing his own arms up to embrace the child.

"I really am sorry about how I've been acting, Snape," Harry said, his voice muffled from where his head was pressed against Snape's chest." I don't know why I keep fighting with you about Hogsmeade and the stupid broom."

Harry felt Snape sigh and then felt his right hand leave his back and settle on the back of his head. The feeling was strange, Harry thought, to have someone hugging him, but he found that he also felt comforted by it and couldn't bring himself to move away from the contact. He wondered what Snape, the bat of the dungeons, thought of it.

"You're already forgiven, Harry. There's no need to keep apologizing. And you have every right to be upset about Hogsmeade. I know it's not fair that you have to stay behind but I'd rather have you angry with me for keeping you safe than to have to hear that something happened to you while you were outside the castle. If I had my way about it, you'd move down here til he was caught."

Harry pulled away then and looked up at Snape with wide eyes. "No way, Snape! Do you know how embarrassing it would be to tell the others that you're making me sleep down here so you can watch over me? They'll think I'm a baby! Besides, keeping me here didn't really do much, did it? I was in the castle and he got in."

Snape looked down at him sternly. "That's really not helping your case to stay in the tower, Harry."

Harry groaned. "Snape," he whined, "I'll be fine. I just wish they would catch him already."

"They will," Snape assured him.

"What if they don't?"

Snape saw the flash of worry in Harry's green eyes and sighed. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Harry. I promise." Harry eventually nodded and so Snape turned towards the door of his lab. "Alright, I think it's time we had dinner. Do you want to eat upstairs or down here?"

Harry followed Snape out of the lab and down the hallway as he said, "Here. If I go up there then you'll just have to walk up there with me like I'm a bloody toddler anyway."

"Language, Harry." Snape shot a glare in his direction as he stopped outside of his own bedroom and opened the door. Harry hung back as Snape stepped inside and took off his outer robe and put it in a clothes basket before walking back out, shutting his door behind him.

"Going for a more casual look tonight, Snape?" Harry asked with a grin.

Snape looked down at his white button down shirt and dark trousers and rolled his eyes.

"Someone told me I looked like a bat with the robes on."

"That someone was right," Harry shot back as he walked ahead of Snape and into the parlor. "I'm pretty sure it's not against the law to just dress in regular clothes. I bet you wore robes all the time when you were a kid, too."

"Actually, I had quite a lot of 'regular clothes' as a child. Before I came to Hogwarts, I had never worn robes."

They both took their seats at the dinner table and Snape tapped the top with his knuckles. Their dinner appeared instantly. Roasted chicken, peas and mashed potatoes with gravy and buttery rolls. Harry grinned at the sight of one of his favorite meals before filling his plate with a large helping of everything.

"So, after you came to Hogwarts, you loved robes so much that you decided that you'd wear them forever?"

"Why are we still talking about my clothing choices?" Snape asked as he filled his own plate before placing a napkin in his lap.

Harry shrugged. "I'm just wondering."

Snape sighed. "No, I like Muggle clothing just fine, but robes are easier to wear when I'm working on potions as mine have anti-staining spells on them, and since I'm nearly always working on potions, it just makes the most sense to always wear them. I trust that answers all further questions about my attire?"

"Sure," Harry said with a grin before taking a bite of chicken.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Harry spoke again. "So, a family dinner?"

Snape nodded. "Yes, Saturday after next."

Harry scooped up some peas and mixed them with his potatoes. "And I'm coming?" he asked unsurely.

Snape looked at him curiously. "Yes. As part of this family, your presence is required."

"But I'm-"

"Part of this family," Snape interrupted, putting a stop to what he was sure Harry was about to say. "Yes, you're getting it now. So next Saturday, you and I will meet here and take the floo to the cottage-"

"We're not eating in Professor Dumbledore's quarters?" Harry asked, suddenly. The idea of leaving the castle hadn't even occurred to him.

"No," Snape replied, shaking his head before taking a drink from his glass of water. "He and Mum have a cottage out in the country."

"It's hard to picture Professor McGonagall living somewhere outside of Hogwarts."

"They mainly use it for a vacation home now but we all lived there every summer and Christmas holidays before." Snape said absently as he cut up a piece of chicken.

"Professor Lupin, too?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no, he stayed at Hogwarts year round."

"Very funny," Harry rolled his eyes. "Why don't the two of you get along?"

Snape took a long moment to chew his food before answering. "We get along fine."

"Yeah, and all the Weasley's have blue hair," Harry shook his head.

"You don't need to know everything, Harry," said Snape quietly. "Remus and I were close once, believe it or not."

"He told me when I met him that he didn't know you as well as he'd like."

Snape nodded. "I remember you telling me that. But he was referring to our time in Hogwarts, before we were both adopted. After that, around the summer before sixth year, things slowly changed, and by the time we were adults, I considered him my brother in all but blood."

"Then why don't you get along now?"

"That's enough on this now, Harry. Whatever is going on between me and Remus has nothing to do with you and you need not concern yourself with it."

Harry sighed knowing he would get no more out of the man tonight. They finished their dinner and afterwards had tea before Harry used the magical door to take him back to his dorm, where for the first time in days, he slept well.

The next few days passed slowly for Harry and by the time that Saturday morning arrived and it was time for the team to meet up for the quidditch match, Harry's stomach was twisted in knots. They had found out during their last training session that they wouldn't be playing against Slytherin and now with the weather worsening as the day went on, no one was in high spirits anymore.

However, as the team sat listening to Oliver's pre-match pep talk, they heard a pecking at the door to the changing rooms. Angelina, who was closest to the door, opened it up only to have to jump out of the way as Hedwig flew inside along with another owl, a tawny brown one that Harry recognized almost immediately as Snape's owl, Achilles. The two birds carried a long package between them and dropped it in front of Harry where he sat on the bench.

Everyone gathered around Harry as he opened it up, and to his great surprise, found a gleaming broomstick inside. On the handle, in shiny gold letters, it read, "Firebolt."

A collective gasp rose from the group as Harry's eyes widened.

"Who's it from, Harry?" Fred asked, astonishment in his voice.

"I dunno," Harry answered as he carefully ran his hand down the handle, taking in the sight of it.

"There's a note!" Alicia said, pointing to the corner of the box where a small, folded up piece of parchment lay.

Harry picked it up and opened it, slowly.

"Harry, I told you not to worry. Good luck today and be careful."

"They didn't sign it!" George exclaimed as he read over Harry's shoulder.

"What kind of nutter doesn't sign a gift like this?!" Fred agreed as he took the note from Harry's hand. But Harry knew who it had come from: Snape. Why would Snape do this? Why would he give him a broom like this?

Before he had time to think more on Snape's actions, Oliver spoke up.

"Alright, we're all really happy for you, Harry. Really, really happy. But we've got to go now."

They all stood up, still talking about the Firebolt as they made their way out to the pitch. Once they were out, Harry began to scan the stands for Snape and, though the rain was beating down upon them, he thought he could just make out Snape sitting next to Dumbledore in the Teacher's Box.

Snape watched from the stands as Harry and the others mounted their brooms and took off. Harry underestimated just how fast the Firebolt could go and Snape found himself holding his breath as his ward shot past them in a blur. He steadied himself quickly though and within a few minutes he was riding it with as much ease as one could with winds and rain battering him from all sides.

He gasped as Harry nearly hit one of the Weasley twins because he couldn't see through the rain and gave a sigh of relief when Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they all began to land for a time-out. But only a few minutes later and they were back in the sky. Thunder roared and lightning illuminated the sky in flashes of white and blue.

And then Snape saw them.

"Dad!" Snape wasn't worried about anyone hearing his slip of tongue over the thunderous

rain as he stared wide-eyed at the black, cloaked figures that were making their way across the Quidditch Pitch.

Dumbledore was already standing up and Snape followed after him as they made their way down the stands.

"Get down. Get down," he repeated over and over, knowing that Harry probably hadn't even noticed the dementors yet. He searched the sky for him but the players were just blurs of reds and yellows and he couldn't make out clearly where Harry was.

But then he saw him, near the Gryffindor goal posts, surrounded by dementors.

"There!" he shouted at Dumbledore who already had his wand raised and he and Snape both began to cast Expecto Patronum at the dementors.

But then, as if in slow motion, Harry was falling.

Without thinking twice, Snape pointed his wand at Harry and shouted a spell and, in the next second, Harry had been encased in a clear sphere of light, like a bubble, and he floated down to the ground. Dumbledore waved his wand a final time and the last of the dementors fled. He and Snape ran onto the field as the other players touched down on the ground, all running towards Harry.

Snape vaguely heard Diggory shouting at Madam Hooch that he wanted a rematch but all thoughts of Quidditch were pushed aside as he watched Dumbledore conjure a stretcher for Harry. Ron and Hermione, who had taken off running to the field the moment they had seen Harry begin to fall, were also there and he looked at Ron before pointing to Harry's broom, that thankfully had also been caught up in the bubble and so remained unscathed. McGonagall was suddenly by his side as well and together they all walked back to the castle and up to the Hospital Wing.

"Gone!" Snape shouted as he paced back and forth in Dumbledore's office a little while later. He had stayed with Harry until all the Gryffindors had shown up but then, after Madam Pomfrey had whispered to him that Harry had only fainted again and that she would call for him when he woke up, he had left with Dumbledore. "I want them gone! They obviously cannot be trusted to stay outside the bounds of the school and they need to be sent back to Azkaban immediately!"

"Calm down, Severus," Dumbledore spoke softly. He had allowed Snape to vent his frustrations while he penned a note to the Minister because he knew that it would be better than if the man kept his emotions bottled up, but now he needed to speak calmly to him and he outright refused to be yelled at in his own office. Least of all by his own son.

Snape turned to glare at the Headmaster, but Dumbledore only looked back at him in silence. "Harry is alright, Severus. I understand your anger and worry, I find myself feeling quite the same and I have already written a letter to Cornelius, but aside from that, there is not much that we can do at the moment. Would you care for some tea?"

Snape shook his head. "No. I would, however, like to know why in the bloody hell that Sirius Black has not been caught!?"

"And you of course know that that is a question that I can not answer. And dwelling on it takes our focus away from what is important right now."

"And what is that?" Snape snapped as he crossed the office to stand directly in front of the desk. He leaned down with his hands on the edge and asked, "What is so much more important than catching that murderer?"

"Harry," Dumbledore answered simply. "And the fact that he is safe now."

Snape sighed and dropped his head, his curtain of black hair now falling in front of his face, effectively hiding it from Dumbledore's view. He let out another steadying breath as he nodded.

Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock at the door and Ron rushed inside. "Sorry, Professors!" he exclaimed. He was still soaking wet and dripping water on the floor. With a wave of Dumbledore's wand, Ron was hit by a rush of warm air and his clothes instantly dried. He looked down at himself. "Thanks," he said quickly.

"Why are you here, Weasley?" Snape asked, having no time or patience for anything unless it was news about Harry.

"Oh, it's Harry, sir," Ron rushed to say. "He's awake, and he was fine at first, but now he's asking for you. It seems like he's getting upset."

"Who's with him?" Snape asked as he and Dumbledore were already walking towards the floo in the corner of the office.

"Just Hermione and Madam Pomfrey," Ron answered. Dumbledore waved Ron over.

"The floo is quicker, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said and Ron hurried over and joined the two older men in the fireplace just before Snape dropped the floo powder.

Once they had stepped out into the hospital wing, Snape immediately crossed over to where Harry was sitting up in bed, clearly upset as he had his knees pulled up to his chest with his head down and his arms wrapped around them tightly.

"Harry?" Snape said quietly as Hermione stood up from where she'd been sitting with him so that Snape could take her place. The moment he sat down, Harry launched himself into Snape's arms and while Snape immediately wrapped his own arms around the shaking boy, he looked up at Dumbledore in a silent plea of what to do. Dumbledore was absolutely no help however, as he simply stood there with that blasted twinkle in his eye.

"Harry?" Snape said again, "What is it?"

But Harry only shook his head and so Snape turned as much as he could to look at Hermione. She didn't need any prompting and immediately said, "I don't know, Professor. He seemed alright while the team was here, but then he just sort of closed up and wouldn't talk. But then when Madam Pomfrey came to tell us to leave, he started asking where you were and it seemed like he was getting upset so she sent Ron to get you. Ron was already gone before she could tell him to use the floo, though."

Snape nodded. "Harry," he said quietly so that only he could hear, "you've got to tell me what's wrong. I've never seen you like this."

"Why do they do this to me?" Harry whispered back. "Why do I keep hearing her every time? I don't want to hear her anymore."

Snape's breath caught in his chest as he realized what Harry was talking about. He pulled the boy tighter against him. "You know why," he whispered, now ignoring every other person in the room. "They feed off of your very worst memories."

"How do I make it stop?" Harry's pained words felt like daggers to Snape's heart and he hurt for the child in his arms who had been through too much in his very young life.

Snape swallowed hard. "There's a spell. Remus is better at it than I am. I'll get him to teach you."

"When?" Harry asked, finally moving away the smallest bit, but still keeping his eyes solely on Snape. He couldn't bear looking at anyone else.

"Not tonight," Snape answered. "He's sick and you're exhausted. You need to rest now."

But Harry was already shaking his head. "No, I'll just hear her in my dreams. I can't stay up here. Please, can't I just go with you?"

Snape looked over to Madam Pomfrey in silent question and she pursed her lips before nodding. "Alright, but resting only. All weekend. And I want him to take a bit of calming drought as well. It'll help him get to sleep tonight."

Both Snape and Harry nodded before Snape stood up so that Harry could get up as well. As he caught Dumbledore's eye, Snape narrowed his own. "Don't look at me like that," he snapped. Dumbledore only smiled brighter and ushered Ron and Hermione out of the room.

"We'll come check on you later, Harry," Hermione said and beside her, Ron nodded.

Harry didn't answer. In fact, he was quiet until they stepped out of the floo into their parlor.

"Are you hungry?" Snape asked. Harry shook his head. "Alright, but I'm going to insist that you eat dinner. Would you like to lie down out here on the couch or in your room?"

"Out here," Harry said softly as he made his way over to the couch and stretched out on it, resting his head on the arm. Snape waved his wand towards Harry's room and his blanket and pillow floated out and over to him. He placed the pillow under his head and covered the boy with his blanket before brushing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes.

"I don't want to go to sleep," Harry said, suddenly sitting back up.

"You need your rest," Snape stated flatly, having already expected this argument from the boy. "You heard Madam Pomfrey and if she finds out that you were doing anything besides exactly what she told you, I'm absolutely sure that I'll be the one to blame."

"But Snape-" Harry whined but Snape shook his head.

"No buts, Harry."

Another wave of his wand and the calming drought appeared in his hand. He held it out to Harry who took it with only a small sigh. It was a testament to how he was feeling that he didn't even make a face at the taste. Snape held out his hands and Harry handed him his glasses before burrowing down into the softness of the couch.

"Just rest now, Harry," Snape said, quietly. "I'll wake you for dinner."

Harry merely nodded as he was already drifting off to sleep.