Thank you all for reviewing, I'm glad you seem to like the idea.

For those of you wondering, no, Harry is not going to be gay, I usually will state if he is otherwise in the summary, or warnings. Something to keep in mind for my readers.

Also Poppy: Different Poppy, and it's BECAUSE of Snape that this time she is taking action. She saw what her inaction and possible ignorance did to one of her students. So this time she's going to do something. Never said she wasn't guilty.

Don't worry it'll be address.

Open Hand

"Hello Harry, had a nice dinner?" Mary greeted.

Harry, looking more nervous than the day before, nodded before he settled down in the chair in front of the woman's desk.

"That's good." Mary doesn't comment on the boy's nervousness, instead she talked. "Alright, so we won't start our sessions just yet."

"We aren't?" Harry asked surprised.

"No, I want to make absolutely sure you want to go through with this. So I'm going to give you some information, and ask some questions. And hopefully by the end, we'll have something. How does that sound?"

"Good, I guess."

"Alright, now before we begin, I want you to know that you can decline to answer any of my questions. However, I will come back to it."

"Why?"

"The questions I'm going to ask you are to help me better understand your diagnoses, and help. However, I can't make you answer if you're uncomfortable. So if you say you don't want to answer, then I'll skip over it. But I will come back to it eventually."

"And if I keep on declining to answer?"

"Then that is on you. You know why you're here, and in the end it's up to you on how you want this to go."

Nodding, Harry felt some kind of relief, even though he knew better. He still thought this would be like his lessons with Snape, to hear that he could decide on how this could go was a great weight off his shoulder.

"Great, I'll start with me. My name is Mary Evergreen. My parents were born in Europe, as was I. However, I was sent to an American school for my magical education. It's also where I studied for my degree. My area of study is Psychology, particularly in abuse, PSTD, and a few other things. I have an older brother who also studied in the same field, however, he deals with adults, while I deal with child, and teenagers. I'm a master of Legilimency, which I will use in our lessons should you agree to it."

Harry froze, Mary continued on, having noticed.

"Any questions?"

"….You said you'd use Legilimency?"

"Only if you're comfortable with it."

"How would you use it?"

Mary blinked, "For one, to further confirm, deny, and even learn more about your diagnose. Another, is to use it as treatment." She answered, storing the reaction away for later. "You can say no if you're uncomfortable."

Swallowing, Harry murmured okay, and Mary continued, sliding muggle paper toward the teen. Harry stared, not use to seeing muggle items in the school, he then looked at her.

"A questionnaire, answer all of them to the best of your ability."

After handing him a muggle pen, Mary stood up, "I'll leave you to it. I'll be outside if you need me."

Harry watched her leave then turned back to the questionnaire, some were basic, others more personal. Harry, almost didn't answer them. However, he remembered Mary's words on how he wanted this to go. He knew he wasn't okay, and he did want to be better. To do that he was going to have to answer all the questions, and while she said he could say no to anything that made him uncomfortable. The teen knew he was going to have to get outside his comfort zone, and that mostly likely meant dealing with Legilimency again.

"She's not Snape," the teen reminded himself as he wrote down his answers, "not Snape."

He's not sure how long he spent answering the questions, and when he was done, he started down at the paper. Before taking a deep breath, got up, and opened the door. Peeking his head out, he found Mary sitting in a chair reading.

"Done?" She asked, when Harry made a noise to get her attention.

The teen nodded, smiling, Mary closed her book. The woman stood, and made her way back inside. Once settled back behind her desk, and after reading Harry's answers, the two talked more. Asking questions, and giving answers until it was time for Harry to go.

"I'll see you Wednesday evening for our first session, seven-thirty."

Harry nodded, while he was obviously nervous, there was also the feeling of a weight slowly coming off him.

~.~

Wednesday came, and Harry was pretty much a nervous wreck, so much so that even Snape seem to notice and for once left him alone. Hermione and Ron both commented on it, and while he couldn't remember what he said, Harry was at least partly sure that he was able to put some of their worries at ease.

"Good evening Harry, had a nice dinner?" Mary greeted.

Harry nodded, it's then that he noticed the changes in the room. Muggle pictures were on the walls, the dart board was still there, the empty book case on the right side of the wall was filled with books and other knick knacks. On the other side was a trunk, and the floor had a large round plush carpet. The desk was still there, but there were also beanbags. Looking up, showed the last of the sunlight turning into night.

Before, the room had been comfortable, and inviting. Now, it looked both inviting, and cozy.

"Alright, let's get started."

Mary stood, and made her way over to the trunk, Harry watched as she kneeled, and opened it. The woman pulled out a rectangular box, and shuffled on her knees to the middle of the carpet, before patting on the empty space to join her. A little unbalanced by this, Harry joined her.

"I love puzzles, done about over a hundred of these. My brother thinks it maybe an obsession," she said as she showed him the box, it didn't have a picture on it like the teen was expecting, "don't tell anyone." She then lean whispered playfully.

Harry found himself smiling a little bit.

After putting down what was basically flat cardboard, she opened up the box. "So, edges, or middle?"

"Pardon?" Harry blinked.

"Which pieces do you want to do? The edges, or the middle?" Mary clarified as she dumped the contents on the cardboard.

There was a lot of them.

"…..Aren't we supposed to be doing our sessions?"

"We are!" Mary chirped, smiling brightly.

Harry choose the edges.

"What is it? The picture of the puzzle I mean." Harry said after a few minutes of comfortable silence as they shuffled through the pieces and putting them together.

"I have no clue," Mary shrugged, "though judging from the piece, I'd say a really big cat."

The woman showed him the piece, Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked and tried to figure it out, "Maybe a dragon?" he guessed.

"Oooh, or catdradol!"

"A what?" Harry snorted.

"A catdradol, half dragon, half cat. Eats fish, purrs when you scratch behind their ears, and chases shiny things. Oh! And sea-weed is their cat nip."

Harry laughed.

Soon, their conversation dissolved into naming, and giving the most ridiculous names for animal hybrids. Hands putting more and more puzzle pieces together, and when Mary asked Harry about his week, and about his friends, the teen does so with next to no hesitation or much thought.

The time goes by quickly.

"Our time is up for today," Mary said when there was a soft chime from somewhere on her desk.

Disappointment is very clear on Harry's face as he begins to gather up the puzzle pieces to put in the box, "No need for that," Mary stopped him, "we'll leave it like this for the next session, that way we can pick up where we left off."

Both stood, stretching stiff muscles, then to Harry's surprise, the woman escorted him up to the tower, and to the Fat Lady portrait. Talking in hushed voices as they walked along the quiet, and empty halls.

"Good night Harry," Mary said.

"Good night Ms. Evergreen."

Smiling, the woman left, Harry watched her go before turning back to the portrait.

"She seems like a lovely young lady," commented the Fat Lady.

"I think so too, Butter Wands."

The portrait swung open, and Harry climbed in, heading straight for his dorm room. Quietly as not to disturb the others, he dressed for bed, and the moment his head pressed against his pillow, he was out like a light.

It's only when morning came, and he was eating breakfast, that Harry realized that it was first good night sleep he had in a long time.

~.~

Date: September, 20, 1996

Patient: Harry James Potter.

Age: 16

DOB: July 31, 1980

Relatives: One Uncle by marriage, maternal Aunt, and one older cousin. Parents are deceased, no siblings.

The first session of Mr. Potter had gone amazing well, the teenager opening as he answered my questions on his week, and about his friends. My use of the puzzles proved very effective, and will use in the future, and perhaps used for difficult sessions.

Mr. Potter answered everything on the questionnaire. From the questions, and from what Pomfrey had told me. There is a good chance that Mr. Potter is suffering from PSTD. His answer to number five of the questionnaire, makes me suspect that he has also suffer abuse, mostly likely from relatives.

Further questioning, and next week Legilimency session will confirm, or deny.

(There is sticky note placed nearby stating that Mary had ran into Professor Snape on her way back to her office.)

Next chapter: Legilimency.

Let me know what you think :)