Harry jumped out of bed the next day as the sun was just rising eager to talk to Snape. He had worried all night about him, for some odd reason. Nervously he showered, got dressed, then paced the floor until it was time to go down for breakfast. By this time both Ron and Hermione had woken up and were in the common room with him.
"Something wrong, mate?" Ron asked yawning.
"No, I just have something important to do today and I can't wait." It was partially true, Harry thought as he finally stopped pacing.
"Yea, there's Quidditch practice today, isn't there?" The redhead asked getting all excited about it.
Quidditch…..how could he have forgotten. "Yea, mate, there is." Harry responded slightly distracted as he stared at the clock on the wall.
Hermione had caught the worry in Harry's actions as well as voice. "Perhaps we should go down to the Great Hall for some breakfast?"
"Great idea." Ron said as he pulled on his shoes that he had somehow forgotten to take to his room the night before.
The three of them stepped through the portrait hole and headed down the stairs. The moment they entered the Great Hall Harry's eyes began to scan for Snape. He wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Uh, I forgot something back in my dorm. I'll catch you guys later." Harry said as he turned and took off out of the room. He was so concerned about his teacher that he hadn't been watching where he was going and ran right into someone knocking the both of them down.
"Watch where you're going, Potter. I don't want your filth all over my expensive clothing." A voice spat out. He knew it that moment it had been Malfoy and it caused him to frown.
"Sorry." Harry said as he stood up and dusted himself off before starting to walk away.
"Hey! Aren't you going to apologize for running into me? Wouldn't that be the Gryffindor thing to do?" Malfoy called after him in a mocking tone.
"I don't have time to play your little games, Malfoy." He replied as he continued walking.
"I can't believe this! You're a disgrace to your….." Was all he heard before turning the and heading to Snape's office.
He stopped outside the door and listened but heard nothing. He knocked lightly and got no response. This really began to worry him so he knocked a little louder. This time it was greeted with a "Who is it?"
"It's Harry…I mean Potter, professor. Can I come in and talk to you?" He called through the thick wooden door.
There was a short silence before his answer came. "No, Potter, go away!"
Of course Harry wasn't going to listen, he never did so he slowly pushed the door open and peered around the edge of it. There was Snape sitting at his desk with his head resting in his hands. He walked inside and closed the door as quietly as he had opened it. "Professor?"
The potions master's head didn't even move. "I thought I told you to go away."
Harry took a few steps towards the desk realizing something was wrong with Snape. He glanced around the room looking for any indication of what this could be.
"Professor, are you alright?" He asked as he stepped around next to the older man. Hesitantly he reached out and placed his hand on his teachers shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"
Snape quickly turned away from the hand. "Please, just go away. I'm fine, really."
"And here I thought I'd find you with that person your great master promised you. Not alone wallowing in self pity." Harry spat at him realizing the man was not going to say anything.
"I told him to forget what I asked for and just to leave me alone, Potter. Now, go away." this shocked the Gryffindor. Snape had gone through all that trouble and then not accepted his reward. That wasn't like him.
"Not until you tell me what happened last night. I really want to know. Did the potion work, did he even test it?" Harry mind was filled with many questions, most he wouldn't ask the man. Such as, why he had rejected his reward.
"He's testing it right now and I won't know if it works for a few weeks. Well, if it works fully anyway." Finally Snape lifted his head from his hands and looked at the boy. He looked very pale, as if he had not eaten in days. This worried Harry even more than anything that day. "Now, I'm begging you, go away and let me be, Potter."
"You look horrible, sir." The potions master's eyes narrowed slightly at this comment. "Oh, I didn't mean to be insulting, I was just making an observation." Harry quickly added.
"I know." He said lowering his head again. "I just would really like it if you left me alone for awhile. Give me time to figure out if I can counter this potions I just handed over to the enemy."
"Alright, but if you need anything you can ask me….Or Hermione. Don't be angry with her for telling me about helping you before. She was just worried, like I am." That was the last thing that was said before Harry left the small office.
As he walked back to the Great Hall he felt extremely let down. He didn't know why and couldn't think of anything that would make him feel like this. Perhaps it was the new weapon Voldemort now had that was bothering him. Maybe it was the way Snape looked. For a moment he pictured what the man had looked like before he left. He seemed more lively, less pale, and his eyes…there was something in them that he didn't see a few minutes ago. It's like the man he had spoken to just the night before was no longer there.