The next morning dawned with grey clouds covering the sky. Slowly Harry's eyes blinked upon, he felt warm and safe for the first time in his life. He realised he was still being held by his professor and immediately felt heat rush to his face. 'So embarrassing.' Harry tried to extract himself from his professors' arms without waking the man. He managed to remove one arm before the mans' onyx eyes snapped open and locked onto Harrys' forest green ones. "Oh, um, hi Sir," Harry muttered, lowering his gaze.

"And where do you think you are going, Mister Potter?" Professor Snape asked with an inscrutable expression on his face. Harry jumped at the question.

"Well, Sir, you see, I didn't want to be a burden on you, which I already have been. I thought it would be best to leave before you woke up." Harry tried to explain.

"Silly boy! If I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here. Simple." Harry was shocked, no adult had ever wanted him around before. He started to cry in earnest. Professor Snape pulled the young boy back into his arms. "Harry, I know this may be a tough question but what exactly did those horrid muggles do to you? Take your time answering Harry, we have all day. It's Saturday, and I have no duties so to speak of."

"Sir-"

"Harry, when we are in private, please call me Severus."

"Okay, Severus, but this is a long story. I remember everything that has happened to me since the night my parents died." Harry didn't notice, while he was talking, Severus started to pale. Harry looked into his eyes, "Yes, Sir, I know you were there. However, you don't know the rest of the story."

"How could you know that?" He was asked.

"The curse unlocked my eidetic memory." Harry re-composed himself and started his story. He talked for hours until his throat was scratchy and painful. He told Severus about him being left outside in the cold on his Aunts' doorstep with only a letter of explanation. He assured the man that the Dursely's had cared for him like their own until he displayed his first signs of accidental magic at age three. How from then on, he was kept in the cupboard under the stairs. That Petunia had taught him to cook at age four and how that was his job three times a day, every day from that time on. He explained that every time Dudley caused mischief, it was blamed on Harry. He spoke of his time in primary school, how he could never show that he was smarter than Dudley, how he was never permitted to have a friend, and how no teachers noticed. He went on to describe the punishments he would experience, from no food, being locked up, being hit with frypans, Harry Hunting and even the beatings from Vernon.When Harry finished, he let out a big sigh, realising how long he had been holding on to all of that. "Thank you for listening to me complain Severus." The man didn't respond, he was mulling over the information he had received.

"Harry, you never have to apologise. They were wrong, not you. You are the bravest young man I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I would like you to come to me anytime you need to talk. About anything." Severus finally replied, "now, it is dinner time in the great hall, and we missed both breakfast and lunch with our chat. You must be hungry, let us go eat my little snake."

They walked together to the Great Hall where Severus let Harry walk inside first and then followed a few seconds later.