Warnings: Contains sadistic and cold Harry, a confused and useless Severus, and a Lord Voldemort that rules over Great Britain.

Disclaimer: I own none of this except whatever original stuff I can imbue into it.

Un'beta'd. Anyone want to offer?

Stockholm Syndrome: A phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his or her captor.

THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
by Nenya Entwhistle

Chapter Two
History is Repeated

It had been almost a year since Harry had taken him as a pet and Severus was no closer to figuring out Harry now than he had then.  It was quite frustrating for such a brilliant man to be so utterly stumped.  If he were the type prone to give hysterics when he couldn't figure out something, he would have already had a heart attack from the strenuous bout.  As it was, he'd come rather close to ripping his hair out a time or two. 

At least he was lucky, he supposed that he got privileges that other pets didn't get.  He was allowed to make his precious potions and he was permitted to read and write.  If he hadn't been, then he would have gone stark crazy, and yet at the same time--- since he was given those rights, he was utterly confused about the reason why.  It wasn't like Harry liked him.  If anything, Harry should have hated him even more than Draco hated Hermione. 

So why?

Why was Harry nice to me?  He scrawled in his bold and distinct script. 
Why does Harry not use me like the other pets are used?  I.E. In a sexual context?
I know why Harry wanted me as a pet… a slave, but why does he treat me as a guest? 
And how did Harry turn so cold?
I don't understand… he used to be the model Gryffindor and now he's Voldemort's second.
How can a person change that much?
Was he always like that and we just didn't see it until it was too late?
I can't see him as being the cruel and perfect torturer that he is now.  He was never his father as much as I hate to admit it.  He was not his father's son, if anything he's Lily's son.  Yet now, I'm not so sure.  Are his father's genes coming through?  And if that's the case, still as malicious as James was to Slytherins was a true Gryffindor to the bitter end. 
Why did Harry turn dark? 
Why???

"I see you like to make good use of your time," came Potter's clipped voice.  "Never the wasteful type, are you Snape?" 

Severus tensed up as he discretely tried to fold up the parchment that he had been writing on.  It wouldn't do to let Harry see this, it wouldn't do at all.  And what the bloody hell was Harry doing back so early?  He never came back this early.  Something was up.  Something was wrong.  There had to be because if it was a normal Death Eater meeting, Harry wouldn't be back early.  After all, Harry was Voldemort's favorite Death Eater and as his favorite got the bulk of the sadistic torture. 

"What do you have in your hand, Snape?" Potter inquired, moving over so stealthily and so swiftly that Severus had no time to get it away from his Master before Potter had it in his grasp.  "Interesting how you tried to hide this from me.  What could it possibly be?" 

Gulping down hard, Severus refused to meet Potter's intense gaze.  It wasn't as bad as having to look into Voldemort's crimson eyes because Harry's still remained a shockingly vivid green.  There was some humanity still left in him, not much but there was some.  If there wasn't any, if Harry had really given himself over entirely to the Dark Arts and to the Darkness… his eyes would resonate the blood color as Voldemort's did. 

He could see how Harry had some humanity left in him.  If he wasn't, then how could he be so kind to him?  Kind to his greasy and awful Potions Professor that had hated him discriminately for supposedly being James Potter's son to the very core of his existence.  It was unlike anything Severus would have thought possible and yet Harry was nice to him and treated him with more respect than anyone he'd ever met.  Because unlike Dumbledore, he understood that Severus wanted nothing more than to be left alone with his potions and his books.  That was what his life was about. 

Severus didn't even want to see how Harry was reacting to what he had written.  He didn't want to know.  As a pet, he had no right to question what Harry thought was right for him and he was afraid that his questions would persuade Harry to react in a manner that would change the manner that he was being treated right now and that would be awful because he was content.  It had its bad points, not having total freedom but it was a tolerable existence… that was at least on par with Hogwarts. 

"I am more like Voldemort than you think," Potter finally stated.

That wasn't something that Severus wanted to hear.  If anything, he didn't like the detached tone of Harry's voice.  Why wasn't he ranting or raving like the Gryffindor brat he had thought he knew like a book back at Hogwarts?  Why wasn't Harry reacting at all?  It worried Severus.  It was disturbing that he had no reaction.  Voldemort would have had one, as inhumane as he was, he would have laughed like a demon--- low and evil.  But Harry had none.  It was eerie.  And it was unnatural. 

"Your questions, they are very you, Snape," Potter commented nonchalantly.  "And you have every right to wonder why I have changed."  While his back might still be ramrod with tension, Severus also felt his curiosity pricking.  Harry was talking.  Potter was talking.  Hopefully, he wouldn't stop.  Severus wanted to know, had to know.  "Always straight to the point, aren't you?  Always the analytical one, I see." 

Severus didn't know how to react other than to shake his head that yes he was… precisely that.  It seemed to please Harry since instead of crumbling up the parchment, he rested it back exactly where it had laid in front of Severus.  Again it was an utterly calm and totally unexpected action.  How could a Gryffindor be so emotionless?  Severus didn't understand.  It infuriated him to not understand it. 

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO BLOODY CALM ABOUT EVERYTHING?!" Severus shouted.  "WHY HAVE YOU CHANGED SO MUCH?  WHERE IS THAT IRRITATING AND INFURIATING HARRY POTTER, THE BOY WHO LIVED THAT I KNEW?  You aren't Harry Potter.  You are Voldemort's right hand and you are exactly the opposite of everything I thought you to be…" 

Harry looked slightly amused, though he didn't seem to be taken back by Severus's outburst.  Could anything startle the young man anymore?  It didn't seem like anything did and it alarmed Severus.  How could Harry be so fucking calm and cool about everything?  It wasn't like the Gryffindor that he knew at all.  "I am Harry Potter," Potter declared with slow deliberateness.  "And it is possible to change that much when much was done to you." 

"WHAT THOUGH?" Severus screamed.  "What could possible make the golden boy," he couldn't help but sneer, "into a Death Eater?  Voldemort's favored at that?  Or better yet WHO?" 

His Master looked at him as if he were stupid that he didn't know.  This was going to be cataclysmic.  "Albus Dumbledore, who else?" 

It wasn't entirely unexpected for Severus.  He knew how wily Dumbledore could be, indeed, hadn't Dumbledore shown him numerous times that he could be just as sly and underhanded as Voldemort?  Except Harry had to realize that Dumbledore did what he had to do for the good of the world while Voldemort only served himself.  And even if Dumbledore had done something despicable, there was ultimately a reason for it… a very good reason for it. 

"What did he do?" Severus murmured, his voice softer and more understanding.  He had to know what Dumbledore had done because what Dumbledore had done had cost them possibly the war.  For all he knew the entire Light had collapsed when he had been caught a year ago.  He had heard nothing since of anything taking place that would indicate otherwise.  Was it all a lost cause?  "To make you change so…?" 

"What he always does," Potter responded cryptically.  It made Severus want to choke him.  He knew Harry was doing this deliberately, making a point to be secretive about what he was saying as to make Severus crawl with the want of knowing.  Harry had to know that nothing ate at him quite like keeping something he wanted to know from him.  If he didn't, he wouldn't punish Severus by barring the Library from him.  That was incredible torture to him and thank Merlin Harry had only done that to him once. 

"Which is?" Severus inquired, impatience beginning to break through into his tone. 

Potter's cold green eyes gazed down into him with such severity that it chilled him to the core of his being.  There was no life in those eyes as if he'd been sucked dry by a Dementor, but that was impossible since Severus knew there still lurked some emotional response though there was little of it.  Severus had only managed to discern three distinct emotions from Harry: (1) apathy (2) irritation (3) patience.  Right now it was apathy, complete and utter apathy with a little mixture of his infinite patience.  It was totally infuriating. 

Severus wanted something other than indifference and tolerance from Harry, anything!  But no, Harry was still being his usual apathetic and uncaring self.  That wasn't entirely true, his conscious hissed at him.  If Harry didn't care then why would Harry go out of his way to set up a potions laboratory for him?  Why would Harry leave around odd and ancient potions texts… the likes of which he had never seen before?  It was as if Harry was… this sounded ridiculous… courting him at times. 

"That isn't one of your written questions," Potter murmured.  "But I will answer one of your questions, I suppose.  What about the first?  Why am I nice to you?  I suppose it does seem rather strange, Snape, doesn't it?  Why would the Boy Who Lived who has been victimized by his Potions professor unfairly since first year ever want to be nice to the greasy git?"  Severus winced and reluctantly nodded.  "The answer: why not?" 

Indeed, why not?  Severus was left to contemplate this answer as Harry swept out of the room without so much as a by your leave.  There was no reason for Harry to be cruel to him even if he had been cruel to Harry.  It wasn't like he was Harry's greatest nemesis like James had been to him to such a degree that he had carried it over to the son.  If anything, he had to be a secondary concern to the immediate threat of Voldemort who been trying to kill Harry since he'd been born. 

Yet how things changed.  Now Harry stood beside Voldemort as his second in command and Severus supposed since Voldemort couldn't kill Harry what was the next best thing to do other than to tempt Harry to the dark side?  It certainly had worked out, hadn't it?  The war had actually been pretty even until Harry had gone over to the dark side and then things had started changing.  If there was one thing that Severus regretted was how they had underutilized Harry.  There had been a very good reason Voldemort had targeted Harry.  Harry was one of the strongest wizards he had ever met, notwithstanding Voldemort and Dumbledore. 

Still… even if it was a why not, there had to be more than that and Harry wasn't telling him.  Harry was more than just a mere nice.  Sometimes he could be downright kind.  Then again, he could also be uncaring and cold to such a degree that Severus never knew what to expect.  He was always being thrown for a loop.  It would be nice to have some predictability, but no… of course not.  Life was never simple, was it? 

Life always had to be difficult. 

And his questions answered had only left him more confused. 

Author's Note: Geez the psychology of this is quite demanding. Severus's mind is a tough cookie to write. So what did you think of my portrayal of Severus? And what do you think Dumbledore did to make Harry switch from light to dark? And do you really think that Harry is as bad as he seems? (If you don't, you might want to reread chapter 1 where he raped Hermione.) Also… if he really is dark… why is he being so fucking nice to Snape? And an additional note, notice that when Harry's in the room and doing anything he's addressed as "Potter" but Severus addresses Harry when he thinks about him as "Harry" because the Stockholm Syndrome has already begun to affect Severus deeply.

Thanks (commentary is very enlightening and I appreciate all of it!)
shrimpy stirfry- TY! I strive to be original.
ShaeLynn- I'm usually horrible at continuing stuff, so I think we're even.
lillinfields- Severus didn't go to Harry with his questions quite like you wanted, but I think this worked out rather well, didn't it?
cloudshape- TY!
OpenOnyxEyes- Oh I'll tell you when it's an NC-17 scene, but that won't be for a while.
katrina- Oh yes, this is probably going to be a 10 part series.
Shuki- aka Quickjewel- TY!
Doneril- The BIG question... I know but I'm not telling ^_^. (Well my muse thinks she knows).

TBC… asap…