Chapter Twelve: January 6th

Harry met Ron and Hermione at the Hogwarts Express Platform half an hour before the train was due to depart. They exchanged stories of the last week of the holidays while waiting for the train to arrive. Apparently the twins had come up with some new ideas and tested them out at home the previous day with predictably disastrous results. Ron admitted that he was actually glad to be going back to school to get away from it all, and in particular, his mother's fury.

Harry couldn't help thinking about the fact that he was going to see Severus again. He wondered what would have happened to the bond due to their distance, and just hoped that it wouldn't be something like what had happened after the summer. He didn't think he could cope with another shock like that. Hopefully his mother didn't have anything else up her sleeve.

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Harry looked up at the head table as he slipped into his seat for dinner. Severus wasn't there. A wave of apprehension went through him. He hadn't felt anything happen to Severus, but all of the teachers were supposed to be at the start of term Feast. He hadn't felt anything, but he wasn't sure if he would have, even if it was serious, with the changes to the bond they'd been experiencing.

Cautiously he reached to free the bond from its shield, then realised that it was somehow down already. He'd thought that by now he had better control than that. He frowned, but didn't waste time wondering about it. He had to figure out where Severus was.

//Severus? Are you okay?//

//It's nothing important, I just got held up with a potion.//

Harry took a deep calming breath. The bastard had known Harry was concerned but hadn't said anything! He didn't care if Severus happened to overhear that thought. In fact, he rather thought he would broadcast it so it would be clear exactly how he felt about it.

//Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you were worried about me.//

Harry attempted to bring his shield up again before he thought something unforgivable that would set them back weeks of work, but ended up scrabbling futilely at it.

//Shit.//

//Harry? What is it?//

//Nothing. Go away.//

He felt Severus' turning away, and what he assumed was the professor trying to put up his own shield but having as little success as Harry himself. Then he felt Severus' worry at the new development, and couldn't keep a little gloating from his mental projection. At least he now knew it wasn't solely his fault if Severus was having the same problem.

//What is going on?//

The mystified thought could have been either of them.

//We need to do something about this. Come to my quarters after the feast.//

//Can't. Have to talk to my friends, or they'll think something's odd.// He was actually happy to be able to say that since he was still slightly annoyed with Severus.

//Fine, then whenever you can make it down. I'll be watching a potion anyhow.//

Harry knew that his acknowledgement would reach Severus and returned his attention to his friends and the meal. A few minutes later, Professor Snape swept in – it was definitely the Professor, and not Severus – and took his seat, a forbidding glare ensuring that his neighbour wouldn't dare to ask what had kept him.

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Harry waited until everyone else was asleep before slipping out of Gryffindor Tower. There was no excuse he would have been able to give for going to the dungeons today, and no one would have believe that he needed to use the library this early in the term. Besides, he rather wanted to make Severus wait.

He slipped his Invisibility Cloak around him as he walked quickly through the corridors that led to the dungeons, checking with Severus that it was okay to visit as he went. As he reached the portrait that hid the entrance to Severus' quarters, he realised that he didn't need to be told the key – somehow he knew it already, without even having to reach out for it. He frowned but let himself in. Harry felt Severus' surprise when he realised where he was.

//That's charmed to only open in my presence, even if the correct things are done.//

//I…hmmm.//

"Hey," Harry said, removing his cloak as he entered Severus' workroom. He wasn't sure why he still bothered to vocalise, but he rather thought he wanted to keep what little sense of normalcy they could. He had noticed also that mostly it was surface thoughts, or particularly vehement ones, that were overheard, and at least this way he knew what was getting through.

"Good evening." Severus greeted him without looking up from the cauldron he was adding what appeared to be beetle wings to. "You'll have to wait a minute, I can't leave this."

"Can I help?"

"You'll just…" A pause. "You can chop the mint. Finely, mind." Harry rather thought that was as close to an apology as he'd ever get.

//It is.//

Harry smiled wryly and began chopping.

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A quarter of an hour later, Severus set the potion to simmer and turned to him.

"I take it you were having the same problem with the shield."

"Er, yes. But, well, there was something else I wanted to do first."

"Yes?" The eyebrow again.

"Here." Harry thrust a gaily wrapped package at him. "Christmas present," he muttered, and tried not to blush.

//I…thank you.// Severus was speechless, clearly. As he unwrapped it, Harry waited impatiently. The recipient's reaction was always the best part of giving presents. Eventually, Severus extracted a green-tinged glass paperweight shaped like a coiled snake, the expression carved on its face somehow appearing both relaxed and watchful.

//Turn it over!// Harry's blush flared as he realised he'd broadcast that thought. Severus did, and discovered that words had been etched underneath. Holding it up, he discovered an inscription. 'For my mother, Dayan Snape'.

//Oh my.//

"I found it in Paris. I thought…that you might like it, it being your family and all. Or at least I thought it was your family…" Harry realised he was perilously close to babbling, and shut up.

"Thank you, Harry. I doubt you know it, but great-aunt Dayan was something of a legend – or perhaps a warning – in the family. She was my grandfather's sister, and she married a supporter of Grindelwald. Apparently she was willing to tolerate that, presumably for the family's sake, but when her husband wanted to train their son in the Dark Arts she took the child and disappeared. She was only about twenty three at the time. My father's version was that she must have died in poverty and misery or something of the sort. He used it as a warning of what happens to people who go against their family. I'd always hoped that she did better."

//I hoped that she'd made it. That I could make it.//

"I'm glad I found it, then." //I'm glad you like it.//

//I have something for you too.// "Accio present!" When a tissue-wrapped bundle made its way to his hand, Severus passed it to Harry without introduction. Unwrapped, it revealed a silver man's bracelet, with an oval locket attached. //This used to be mine, but I think you would appreciate it more.//

Harry opened it, knowing what he would find – a portrait of his mother at about seventeen. She smiled brightly at him and waved, curiosity written on her face. He squinted at the signature, again anticipating what was there, and finding a double 'S'. //I didn't know you painted.//

//I don't advertise it.//

//No, I don't s'pose you do.//

Severus set the paperweight down carefully on the workbench. "Well, now that the obligatory gift-giving is over, I hope we can proceed to the true purpose of this visit." The old acerbic tone was back, and Harry had to smile.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? I can't get my shield up, and I don't think you can either. I don't know, but I think that maybe it's a little more…leaky…than it was before. I shouldn't have been able to get in here on my own."

He felt assent from the other side. "I can't think of any reason why that would be so. After all, we were making progress with control before the holidays. We have come to a form of trust and acceptance. Even friendship." //Except maybe for the incident this evening.//

"I guess that…maybe the distance wasn't good for it?"

"Perhaps. The only thing I can think of is to work on the control again. The exercises we were trying previously. Perhaps it will improve with time."

//I hope so.// "I think I should go back now…lessons tomorrow and all."

"Yes. Goodnight."

"'Night. Sweet dreams."

//Perhaps, if I'm lucky.//

Harry looked back, wondering if the undertones he thought he'd caught were real, but Severus looked perfectly normal. He turned back, shaking his head. Maybe he was more tired than he'd realised.