A/N : Thanks for the reviews, AgosDelGrosso and hikaru117! Again, feel free to give any feedbacks! I really am looking forward to reading them.

Chapter 3 : Observations and a Decision

"What the hell am I doing in a toilet cubicle?" Harry wondered. His limbs were sore and his head was pounding. It took him a few seconds to figure out why he was there until the memories of the previous night crushed on him. He started trembling involuntarily. His once forgotten scars were ripped open, and it really hurts. Tears started welling in his eyes, he willed them not to fall.

6 o'clock. Harry's watch shown. He hadn't gone to bed at the dormitory for the whole night. If Ron had realized, he might be waiting anxiously for him now, or worse, reporting it to Professor McGonagall. Harry groaned at that thought. The last thing he wanted now was the whole school knowing about his 'mysterious disappearance' and eventually finding out about his breakdown. He needed to think of a cover up fast.

In the meantime, he tidied his appearance, scourgifying water, dirt and tears from his robes. He considered using a beauty spell to touch up his haggard looks but decided against it because Hermione would most likely see through it. "Looking fatigued will also make my cover up more trustable," Harry concluded. He came up with the story when he was working. Not too much of a difficulty. "A born liar, someone who can't even be true to himself," Harry sighed.

After making sure he looked normal enough, he paced to the Great Hall. He was a tiny bit earlier than usual, so he took his time strolling in the corridors before entering. Ron and Hermione who were already there leapt to their feet immediately, anxiousness written on their faces. Harry plastered a small smile on his face, and greeted them.

"What happened to you last night? How did Occlumency go? I was so worried when you didn't return after midnight, I almost told McGonagall!" Harry barely sat down when he was bombarded with questions by Ron. He breathed out at Ron's last words. Thank goodness he didn't notify the teachers. Hermione, on the other hand, was eyeing Harry carefully, trying to see if he was hurt. Knowing that he had to answer their questions now or then, Harry chose not to keep them waiting." Snape pushed me too hard last night. I collapsed. This morning I woke up in his room. Sorry," Harry lied easily. Ron nodded while digging into his breakfast, muttering "It's fine." Hermione looked unconvinced, but merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

Harry was hungry but he had no appetite so he played with his food, waiting for Ron and Hermione to finish their breakfast. They were used to Harry's sudden gloomy mood in the morning which was usually caused by nightmares. "Ron, stop eating. We need to go to the dungeons now. Double potions, remember." Hermione pulled a grumbling Ron out of his seat. Harry groaned. "Why the hell do I need to meet Snape for the first class in the morning? Double period. Four hours. Damn." Still, he had no choice but to follow Hermione's footsteps.

They arrived at the dungeons just on time. Snape threw a meaningful glance at Harry before striding to the front of the classroom. "Morning class, we are working on the Draught of Peace today. If you have no questions, you may start brewing the potion." Snape commanded. He waited for questions, before starting to circle the class when he got none.

"Harry, did you realize that Snape has dark circles around his eyes? He wasn't sleeping well, huh? Nice to know that he has a heart despite his cool attitude towards everyone." Ron whispered to Harry, who was trying to focus on his potion. "Mr. Weasley, would you mind telling me your little joke?" Ron jumped. Since when had Snape been standing behind them, he didn't know. "Err...it's nothing, professor," Ron stammered. Luckily, Snape dropped the issue. Ron turned back to his potion which was now turning a shade of green, unlike the suggested pink.

Snape usually pounced on every opportunity to take points from Gryffindor, and was planning to do so to Ron, when something else caught his attention. Harry's hand was shaking when he added ingredients into his simmering cauldron. Snape also noticed that Harry's smile slid off his face and was replaced by a frown each time he thought no one was watching. Snape's heart sank. He was hoping that the boy would bounce back to his usual cheerful self after a long cry.

Yes, Snape had known Harry was crying alone in the toilet the previous night. When Harry walked out of his door, Snape followed him after using a disillusionment charm. He had heard Harry mutter Silencio, so he countered it, worried that Harry might do something silly. He heard the boy weeping and felt the urge to accompany him, but he knew Harry would not appreciate his company at the moment. Still concerned, Snape had actually stayed in the toilet for the whole night, only leaving after Harry.

"Professor?" Snape's thoughts were interrupted by Draco, who requested help. Soon, it was the end of the lesson. Harry left with Ron and Hermione with the same genuine but fake smile on his face, leaving a disturbed Snape in the classroom. Harry was really an expert when it came to masking emotions.

Snape couldn't concentrate in class, something that rarely happened to him. His thoughts wandered to Harry's well-being despite his conscious effort not to do so. He would not admit it, but after seeing the fragile part of Harry last night, he sensed that Harry was more like him instead of James. They both had an unpleasant childhood, heavy burden on their shoulders, and reluctance to show true emotions. Snape felt a strong urge to protect Harry and to care for him, like how a parent would.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall for dinner, Snape's eyes were glued to Harry. Being a successful spy, he had methods to make his gaze appear unfocused. He observed Harry piling some food on his plate, pretending to indulge in it, before vanishing it with his wand under the table. Ron and Hermione noticed nothing. Ron was too focused on his food while Hermione's nose was stuck in a book, as usual.

Snape knew he was the only one able to help Harry now. His so-called best friends were not observant enough. Harry, who was already underfed, couldn't be allowed to skip meals after meals. However, Snape was more concerned about Harry's mental health. Snape had once resorted to self-harm when his abuse had become unbearable and he would not allow Harry to experience that.

Yet, Snape had a major problem. Should the Dark Lord find out, both his and Harry's life would be at stake. After a few moments' consideration, Snape made a life-changing decision.

A/N : Bad news guys. I'm sitting for exams next week, and I desperately need to study more (not looking forward to it at all). Thus, I might not be able to update one chapter every day, but I will still try to get at least one chapter done every two to three days. Writing really helps to relieve stress. Anyway, I'm very very sorry for the delay. Hope you find my story interesting! Don't forget to leave comments!