Chapter Three

"A Tale Of Two House Elves."

Before doing anything else, Harry shut Kreacher in the wall.

He did it at night, of course, when no one could see him to stop him – though he had the feeling that Remus knew and approved when, in the morning, the old wolf beamed fondly at him and patted him gently on the head. And it wasn't as if Kreacher would die or anything; the stasis spell he'd found rummaging through the Black's family library ensured that he'd live for a nice, long time. In the wall. Incapable of movement; incapable of thought; incapable of much, really, aside from breathing. Harry smiled a slow smile at the thought. He'd let the house elf out before he left for Hogwarts. Probably.

This did leave a problem, however, of who would do the cooking and cleaning now that they were sans House Elf. It was solved rather easily by Dumbledore via fire conference, when he twinkled amiably and said, "Oh, certainly if Kreacher doesn't feel up to satisfying the needs of the house, we can send up a house elf." He winked rather conspicuously at Harry. "Perhaps one that will cheer you up, my boy."

Harry smiled back at him, knowing what that meant: Dobby. It'd been a while since he'd seen the creature, and when Dobby wasn't trying to 'keep him safe', he really was quite cheering company. The only thing that dampened the event was that he knew, he just knew, that Dumbledore was only allowing it because the old man was so sure that he was depressed. The little gifts Harry had been sent all summer long, the personal notes, the frequent checks into his safety and well-being… they all added up to suicide watch. Or, possibly, court-ship. But Harry so didn't want to go there.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," he replied instead. "It'll be nice to have a friend around." A sudden thought occurred to him, one so conniving, so plotting, so Slytherin that he barely managed to suppress a smirk. Play-acting, he let loose a long sigh. "It just seems like I haven't seen any friends in a long time…. All summer, in fact…. It's like I haven't got any friends… at all."

Dumbledore's eyes took on a slightly panicked glitter, and he hurriedly said, "Well, I'm sure that it can be arranged for Miss Granger and Mister Weasley to come for a visit later on this month. They've already expressed a desire to do so, after all."

Harry beamed, having gotten what he was angling for. "Thank you so much, Professor," he said gratefully. He didn't even have to fake the emotion – he did miss his two best friends terribly, an ache that was only made worse by the knowledge of what he'd have to do once they got back to Hogwarts. He wanted to enjoy what time left he had with his friends before he began to alienate them… last year had been too close, had hit too hard. He knew now that some of those who followed him would die.

He wouldn't let it be them.

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There was a House Elf in Snape's chambers.

He glared at it.

It glared back.

That was a new occurrence.

"What," Snape said icily, clearly, "are you doing here, in my rooms?"

"Dobby is being here to make sure that Professor Snape is going to Harry Potter's side on time," the elf said in a high-pitched tone. Snape rolled his eyes, not bothering to care that he might be treading on sensitive sensibilities. It was expected of him. Besides, he felt he deserved a little bit of exasperation in return for having to deal with another one of Potter's supporters. Snape could tell by now who those were – they were the only ones who had ever managed, to his knowledge, to sound quite so self-righteous.

"I will be there when it is convenient for me," he replied. Then paused. Why was he bothering to answer to a bloody House Elf? Honestly, his acquaintance with Albus was disturbing him mentally on a more fundamental level than he'd previously thought. He sighed long-sufferingly and pocketed his shrunken trunk. At the House Elf's particularly large, wibbling eyes, he relented and said, "All right, I'll go now."

The elf beamed ecstatically. "We is be going by port-key! Professor Dumbles is giving it to Dobby last night!" And he proudly withdrew from… somewhere… a neon orange sock. Snape felt vaguely blinded just staring at it.

But he couldn't be bothered with the fact that a mere House Elf had been entrusted with a port-key that would be used to transport him. No; he had to clarify matters first. "We?" he asked silkily. "Pray tell, what is this 'we' you speak of?"

"Dobby is coming with Professor Snape! Dobby is taking care of Harry Potter!"

Unbidden, a thought rose up in Snape's black and inky mind, one that provoked a deep and utter sense of horror that settled in his stomach and provoked nausea. It was this: 'Oh Merlin, the next three weeks are going to be hell.'

The thought was only affirmed a few minutes later, when he tumbled from the force of port-key to watch the sickening scene of Lupin bidding farewell to Potter. They just oozed Gryffindor sentimentality with their soft and lingering gazes, their handshake that lasted too long to be brisk; the cautious hug that was given by Potter and just as cautiously received by Lupin. It was only due to iron will that Snape managed not to sick-up at the sight of Potter's eyes glittering as if suppressing tears as the wolf activated his own port-key and disappeared from view.

"Well," Snape said into the sudden silence. "That's a relief."

Potter glanced at him languorously, all signs of being upset miraculously vanished. Beneath the heavy glass of his spectacles his green eyes were slanted and calculating. "Oh, I see," he said matter-of-factly. "Because he's a werewolf, right Professor? You don't like to associate with those… Dark… creatures, do you." His verdant eyes flicked to Snape's arm, where the Mark had been burned and burned still. "Sir."

Snape bristled. But what was worse, he flushed.

A sure sign of guilt.

"I'm sure you can find a suitable set of rooms. Sir. I'm sorry that we don't have dungeons to accommodate you. Sir. I know that they are your preferred habitat. Sir. I suppose you'll just have to deal with the trials of sunlight. Sir." Potter smiled at him quite insincerely, then turned to the House Elf that was fairly bouncing in place for the brat's attention. "Dobby!" It was strange, to hear the teen's voice formerly so stilted suddenly turn inexplicably warm. "How wonderful to see you! How have you been?"

Feeling quite dismissed, and not liking the sensation, Snape stalked past the duo and made for the distant stairs. There would be time enough for him to humiliate Potter – twenty one days worth at any rate – and while usually baiting the brat wasn't something he'd put off for any length of time… today…

Today, he wasn't in the mood.

And he'd hex anyone who suggested it had something to do with the shame Potter had awoken within him with one too-green glance.

Wow, I'm a quick up-dater today! Well, please don't expect me to be so speedy again - it's difficult to do so around my homework and exam schedule... not to mention I'm graduating this year, so all the extracurricular activities have begun to add up. But I sat down at my computer last night and today and began to type, and this quite speedily came out! Hmm, I was trying to make my story humorous, but it keeps on sliding to the angst/drama! I'm so sorry! I guess it's my melodramatic personality shining through. Also, I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as long as the others - it just came to a point where it felt like it wanted to stop. Next chapter will be better, though!

Well, again, thank you to all my reviewers! You guys are so wonderful - I'm loving all the positive feedback, especially the constructive comments!

Blaise - Thank you! I hope this next installment came quick enough.

Cressida Aliora - Hee, I hope you don't have any objections to me updating faster than I did last time! I'm glad you liked the second chapter as much as the first - I was afraid it wouldn't be as good in comparison.

Echo the Insane - Ah! I'm so glad to be considered good fanfiction! And I agree with crazy Harry good Harry. You have no idea how much fun it is to write in the Dursleys, semi-quivering in terror... I think there's quite a bit of Dursley hate going on, as if all of Harry's fans are uniting to wreak vengeance on that clan of swine! I'm glad to have made my contribution.

djdeb - Hee, yeah I can't wait to see what Harry will do to Snape either! I have a lot of ideas, but most of the best ones just seem to come to me as I write. If you had any suggestions, I'd be glad to try to incorporate them into the story... as long as they fit in with my plot, of course!

mb - I love reading your reviews because then I always get hugged! (That was such a weird thing to say... but it's true! I'm the biggest hugger I know - like a cat, or something! Hehe.) Heh, that would be so the coolest, if Snape were Sorted into Hufflepuff... I have to admit, I'm extremely partial to Hufflepuffs. And don't you think that emotional blackmail is the only kind that would really work on Snape? I don't think he'd be careless enough for anyone to get any dirt on him... And as for whether or not Harry and Snape will reach an understanding -- well, that's a surprise. Hugs back!

blackshift - Ack! No! Don't flame! Glad you like it so far!

AwesomePossum - Ahhh! points delightedly It's the review that makes me always crack up! How awesome! I suppose I must gift you with a new pair of sunglasses, seeing as it's my fault the last one broke... I'm sorry! And simultaneously happy! What a strange contradiction! Hee, I absolutely adore your Watson.

Howl - Wow. Your review made me go all... tingly. I feel honoured to have someone such as yourself read and review; thank you for taking the time. I'm trying to make my Snape believable, and I hope that if I slip up you'll let me know. And don't worry! This story will have many more chapters to come.

Clodia - Indeed, torturing/baiting Snape makes me feel so happy/evil/happy as well! It seems that there are two of us at least that feel this way - mayhap we should form a society?