Harry sat at a desk in the Potions classroom watching Snape as he wrote the instructions to a complicated potion on the board, a welcome back treat no doubt. Harry sighed, McGonagal had evaded his questions, but he knew that his assumption was right by the death glares he'd received from the moment he entered his first class of the day - Potions, they'd got him into the class even though he didn't have the grade.
He watched slightly detached as the rest of the class filed in. There weren't many of them. These were the rare few who excelled at potions, and he was stuck in a class with them for the next two years, wonderful. Hermione smiled at him when she entered and headed straight for the empty seat next to him.
"Wow Harry! Well done for getting in." she whispered excitedly. Harry was about to correct her and tell her that he didn't really belong here when someone spoke to him from the desk behind them.
"Pst. Potter." Harry turned round to face Jas. "Got your 'O' then?" she asked.
"I'm here." Was all he said.
"I suppose it's easier to concentrate without him hovering," she nodded towards Snape who was still standing at the front of the class with his back to them all, "Scaring you shitless."
"He doesn't scare me shitless." Harry hissed. "He just irritates me when he hovers, makes me angry, distracts me."
"Yeah, he can be distracting." She said gazing at his back.
"I'm sure the reason he distracts you is slightly different." Harry commented. Malfoy, who was sitting next to Jas, sniggered.
"Can't argue with that." he said, Jas hit him on the arm.
"Shut up of you can go sit somewhere else." She hissed.
"Aw. Being shunned by your house mates Malfoy?" Harry mocked.
"Not shunned." Malfoy bristled. "They just don't trust me anymore, through no fault of my own," he glared at Jas, "But I'm winning them back." He finished, still glaring at her.
"You can quit that, I did you a favour and you know it." She whispered.
"A favour! I was practically disowned! I was being hunted! If Severus hadn't endured His wrath for us we'd both be dead by now." He exclaimed in an outraged whisper.
"I told him not to, that I could take care of myself." She mumbled. "'What about Draco?' He said. If you weren't so worried about yourself, your image, your reputation, you might have thanked one of us but no-"
"Sshhh." Draco stopped her mid-rant. "Granger's eavesdropping." He said levelling a glare at the back of Hermione's head. Harry glanced at her and noticed her cheeks redden slightly. "How very Slytherin of her." Malfoy said.
"She's been getting lessons from the snake in lion's clothing." Jas commented. Harry saw Hermione frown.
The bell rang, startling them all, and the door slammed shut. Snape turned to face them and began his usual intimidating start-of-term speech.
Harry retreated to the Gryffindor common room after lunch as he didn't have any lessons on Monday afternoons according to his timetable. One of the perks of being a sixth, more free time, but then again with the amount of homework they'd received it looked like he was going to need it.
He had just leant his head on the back of the armchair he was sitting in and closed his eyes when he heard the portrait swing open allowing another Gryffindor entrance to the empty common room.
"Harry!" Ron called from the doorway and came and sat next to him.
"Hey Ron." Harry said wearily and leant his head back to close his eyes-
"I wanted to ask you something." Ron said. Harry groaned and looked at his friend expectantly. "Where were you last night?" Ron asked but continued before Harry could answer. "I woke up and noticed you weren't there, your bed was hardly slept in and I heard the door this morning." He explained.
"Went for a walk." Harry shrugged.
"A walk?"
"A walk."
"If you say so." Ron said disbelievingly.
"I do." Harry said as Hermione came into the common room and walked over to them and sat down facing Harry.
"What was all that about in Potions?" she asked directly. Harry groaned again. Too many questions!
"All what in Potions?" Ron asked. "Hang on, Potions? You're taking Potions mate?"
"Yeah I am."
"You got an O?" he asked.
"Er, no. I think Dumbledore must have given Snape a pay rise or something." He said, uncomfortable with the topic of his preferential treatment.
"Back to the point." Hermione said impatiently. "What favour did . . ." Hermione tried to recall her name.
"Jasrene Poliakov." Harry supplied.
"I thought it was Black?" Ron asked, Harry glared at him.
"You know her?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah she was the girl at you-know-where. Right Harry?" Harry didn't say anything.
"The one who stopped Malfoy from becoming a Death Eater?" she asked, Ron nodded. "It makes sense now."
"Joy for you." Harry said and heaved himself out of the chair.
"Harry that wasn't all I wanted to ask." Hermione said.
"I'm going for a walk." He told them.
"I'll come with you." She said standing up.
"Alone." He snapped and stalked towards the portrait hole and out into the corridor.
Harry sighed as he stalked through the empty halls of the castle, most people were in lesson so it was pretty quiet. He'd lost his temper, and provoked yet more flipping questions as well! Damn! He almost screamed in annoyance, but held it in when he heard voices from around the corner. He slowed and hid in an alcove peering round the corner.
Snape and Jas. Joy.
He watched as Jas ranted on about Draco and how unthankful he was being, gesturing wildly and becoming louder by the second.
Snape reached out a hand and cupped her face with it, murmuring 'shhhing' sounds. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. When she opened her eyes Snape pulled his hand away.
"Thank you." she whispered and leant up and kissed him softly on the lips. "See you later." She said and walked away up the corridor. Snape watched her go then turned round to face the end of the corridor Harry was hiding in.
"Mr. Potter." he said loudly and Harry jumped out of his skin.
"Sir?" he asked hesitantly as he stepped out of the shadows.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for lurking." He said sternly. The glaring match was broken when they both heard a sound from further down the corridor. Footsteps. Quick footsteps, whoever it was was running, but they couldn't see anything. Snape glanced at Harry suspiciously. Harry stared down the corridor as the footsteps got further away, for a second he thought he saw a glimpse of a foot before it disappeared around the corner.
"Potter, was that one of your little followers under your cloak?" Snape asked.
"No sir." Harry said frowning, when did Snape find out about his cloak?
"I was not aware of anyone else with an invisibility cloak, they are after all very rare." Snape mused. "But I suppose it's possible."
"Well we'll find out who it was soon enough." Harry said.
"How is that Mr. Potter?" Snape questioned.
"When they go and tell Dumbledore what you and Jas were just doing, I'm sure he'll inform you of who it was." He said smirking at the Potions Master. Snape scowled at him and stalked down the corridor, robe billowing behind him.