Friendship and Beyond 14/?

Rated: R contains mentions of rape and torture, although not actual scenes. Possible HP/SS in later chapters, also HG/RW.

Authors Notes: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, that would be JKR. Subject matter not for children, although nothing too graphic, but be careful when reading just to be on the safe side.

To Survive

Harry looked at his potions professor warily as Snape continued to stare at him. Harry didn't know what to say to the staid, and normally vitriolic man who was now his head of house. It was funny how fate saw fit to continually screw with Harry Potter's life. Although Harry felt like he needed to talk to someone about his ordeal, he doubted that the Potion Master would lend a sympathetic ear. Harry didn't want sympathy or pity, and quite frankly was getting sick of everyone looking at him worriedly when they thought he wasn't aware of it. Even Ron and Hermione were doing it now more frequently, not in their case that he blamed them, but it was getting tiring none the less.

If he could just get a few good nights of sleep he was sure he wouldn't be so tightly strung, but as it was he continually was on edge. Even Malfoy had commented about it in his sarcastic biting way. If he didn't do something soon, everyone would begin to notice his state of unrest. That alone was reason enough to speak to someone, but Harry did not feel comfortable explaining the inner-workings of his mind to anyone, let alone Snape.

Harry kept trying to convince himself that everything was indeed normal, and that in going to rescue his friends he knew very well what could happen, but this did nothing to ease his nausea, nor help with his nightmares. Every time he closed his eyes, whether awake or asleep, he would see Voldemort standing over him leering with him helpless to protect himself. It was getting so bad that Harry had taken to putting up silencing charms so he wouldn't disturb his friends, although obviously they were far more observant then he often gave them credit for.

"Mister Potter, as entertaining as it is to watch you scowl at my quill, I would ask you not to waste anymore of my time with your useless stalling." Snape sneered, bringing Harry abruptly from his depressing musings. "For your friends," Snape hissed the word like it was the vilest of things. "To practically fob you off on the 'greasy git' that you and your fellow students all fear, there must be something which you feel the need to discuss."

"Right, of course." Harry mumbled keeping a tight grip on his wand hidden in his right pocket. Even though Harry knew that Snape could most likely disarm him fairly easily if he felt so inclined, the gesture made him feel a bit less helpless. "Um.. Since you are the potion master…"

"You just now became aware of that fact, Potter?" Snape asked viciously, glaring into the startled green eyes of his most vexing student.

"No sir, I knew that before." Harry stumbled over himself in his haste to answer, causing Snape to raise an incredulous eyebrow at the boy's timidity. He was practically burrowed into Snape's recliner, looking very small and vulnerable suddenly, rather than powerful and defiant like he usually does. This fact alone caused Snape to stop and take notice.

Once the man stopped glaring disdainfully at 'the boy who lived' he began to notice how sickly Harry looked. Snape was mentally kicking himself for letting the brat and his friends leave his office last week when they were obviously keeping secrets. Although at the time he thought that they would deal with whatever was bothering them, it was obvious that was not to be the case.

"I was wondering…" Harry spoke hesitantly, getting Snape's undivided attention once again. In response to the halting request Snape merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow, signaling the brat to continue. There were a few moments of charged silence as Harry considered how much to tell his professor before he continued. "Um… could you make me a vial of 'Draught of the Living Dead'?"

Snape merely continued to stare at the nervous boy who was squirming in his seat looking fearfully at the potions master's shoulder. During his death eater days, Severus learned that most people tend to fill silences when it becomes too uncomfortable for them. It didn't take long for Potter to continue his explanation, although obviously with reluctance.

"My, ah, friends are worried about my sleeping habits, and I've tried everything else." Harry explained.

"Do your friends have cause to worry?" Snape asked softly in his most silky voice. Potter glanced at his face quickly in surprise before settling his gaze once again on Snape's left shoulder.

"Well I haven't been sleeping overly well." Harry answered carefully.

"I see and what else have you tried in your quest for undisrupted sleep?"

"I have tried a calming salve that Hermione made, relaxing sounds to help me get to sleep, I've even made Dreamless Sleep potion." Harry listed off on his fingers.

"Really, Mister Potter? And where did this new-found skill in Potions come from?" Snape asked curiously, for now ignoring how Harry obtained the potion ingredients. "I have been trying to drill limited knowledge into your thick skull for over six years now."

"The mother of all invention, Professor." Harry responded in a surprisingly bitter tone of voice. "Necessity."