Severus Snape was interested. In Harry Potter. Specifically, just what exactly the boy planned to do with the day's worth of time that he'd offered the boy. It was nearly through the school year, and the boy hadn't so much as asked for an hour. Snape hadn't pegged Potter, of all people, for a hoarder.

He, himself, had merely intended the grace time to be used for Potter's frequent misbehavior. That it wasn't, puzzled him.

And so, at the last - it was about a month before school ended, Snape said, as his third years were packing up to leave, "Potter, a word, if you please." It was a demand, more than a question. Potter knew enough to treat it as such.

Snape watched Potter approach his desk, waiting until everyone was out of the room to wave his wand and slam the door shut. It made Potter jump, and Snape smirked.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Potter managed, and it was oddly as if it was Draco Malfoy talking, sans drawl. When had Potter ceased being afraid that Snape had caught him doing wrong? Perhaps he simply hadn't done anything wrong? Still that had never stopped him before.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to ask if you'd given any thought to how you'd like to spend your day of my time." Snape asked, looking down at the small boy.

"Extensive thought, actually, sir," Harry Potter said - and Snape felt every single hair on him stand on end.* "You promised me a day. That's 24 hours, sir?"

Snape raised an eyebrow, skeptically. He had only meant eight, a full working man's day, but Snape hadn't been specific, so it was his fault. Besides, Potter demonstrating a braincell or two was hardly to be discouraged.

With his shoulders squared, Potter looked Snape over - as if trying to determine quite how upset Snape was. Which was odd, too. Snape's schoolhouse persona was that of a shouter, not the vengeful, venomous Slytherin.

"I would like to stay at your house this summer, sir." Harry Potter stated baldly, "I can fend for myself, and stay out of your way. Some arrangements will need to be made to get me to Diagon for books and clothes and what not, but I think the Weasleys will take me like last year."

Snape stared at Harry Potter. Although he knew his face looked as if it was carved from stone, internally, his mind was churning - like a maelstrom that threatened to drag his consciousness underneath.

Snape's head tilted up slowly, as he began to laugh. It was a thick, baritone laugh, and Potter just stared at him, slowly - very slowly - climbing to his feet.

"Potter," Snape said, and Potter froze, predictably. He hadn't been dismissed yet, after all. "Not once, in over a decade as a teacher, has any child even contemplated wanting to spend more time with me than is absolutely necessary." And, to that, Potter looked... concerned. "Last year, you asked, nay, pleaded to stay with the Weasleys - who already have more children than they can deal with, so you must have thought it was no burden at all."

Snape quirked an eyebrow at Potter, and continued, "That, was easy enough to brush off. What Muggle child wouldn't want to live in a Magical household. What child at all doesn't want to play with friends all day?" By this point, Potter was looking down at his shoes.

"Do you know why your request last year was denied?"

"Safety, sir, that's what Dumbledore said." Harry Potter looked up, "I wouldn't put Ron's family in danger."

Snape's voice lowered, softened, "And yet you're perfectly fine with putting me in danger?"

Harry's green eyes met Snape's - as if Potter was a charging rhino, "Dumbledore trusts you with my safety. You've got to be better than Molly and Arthur!"

Snape wanted to sigh at Potter's deplorable manners and disrespect for authority, but he restrained himself. "While that may be the case, the true reason why you stayed at your Aunt's last year was because you acted like a child, for whom changing where they live is an act of whimsy." If only because had I thought otherwise, I'd have pushed Albus aft over agley, if necessary.

"At my house, there will be rules," Snape continued, and Harry Potter beamed. "You will follow them, and you will not bother me when I am busy, which I frequently am." Snape paused, then said, "My house is probably not the splendor that you are accustomed to."

Harry Potter's face didn't fall. "I can cook if you like, sir. I'm not an expert, but I do pretty good."

Snape nodded, thinking. "I will have to speak to Albus about this." Not the least of which was because Potter's situation had to be more dire than he'd let on about, if he was bothering the dread Potions Professor for a place to live.

[a/n: Yes, I know, I started this plotline a hundred chapters ago. I could almost do this as a different story, if you guys want? Leave a review. I always love writing Severus Snape. One actually amused with Harry Potter is a treat!]

*metaphorically