It was two days before end of term, when Dumbledore summoned invited Harry Potter to his study. Naturally, Harry'd shown up cheerfully, full of curiosity.

All that was about to change, Severus Snape thought, watching from his customary darkened corner (which he half suspected Albus kept dark just as a courtesy to him).

"Harry, how are you doing?" Dumbledore said.

"Well enough, sir. I hope there's nothing exotic planned for the end of term this year."

"I never plan anything, so I shouldn't know!" Dumbledore said, chuckling - and lying through his teeth, which was abominable when both witnessing parties knew that he was lying. But leave it to Dumbledore to break even the smallest rules... Alte kocker couldn't even be bothered to be addressed as Headmaster. No, it was always professor.

"Was there some reason you asked me here?" Harry asked, and Snape was surprised at the level of his politeness. Not that the boy had the habit of using people's titles while addressing them, but ... aside from that, he sounded blessedly free of adolescent angst. Some bends were easier to straighten than others, Snape thought, obscurely pleased.

"Professor Snape has made me aware of your plans to live with him for the summer." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "I'm afraid that cannot happen. You would be jeopardizing not just your own life, but that of your cousin and his parents." Dumbledore had the audacity to grin, too.

This. This was why Snape was here. To watch this particular expression on Potter's face.

Potter's happiness vanished as if it had never been there. There was a brief moment of sadness, but that was blown away by Potter's rage. Snape wasn't sure if Potter would unleash his magic... But in the end, it didn't matter.

"But sir-" Harry Potter cried, trying to put all his hopes and dreams into such a plea.

It was at this point that Snape strode forward, putting his hand gently on Potter's shoulder, and then closing it firmly. Potter jumped - his startlement breaking him out of the rage. "If you insist, Albus, then so it shall be done. I fear I will have to find another way to pay off my debt."

Blessedly, although Potter was by no means an actor - he took the hint, and quieted down.

Snape quietly hoped that Potter hadn't told his friends - he could all too easily picture Potter having to "revise" his plans. And it was bad enough that one child saw the Headmaster as fallible...

Potter had stormed off, full of rage and vinegar. He'd found his bed, and pummeled it, crying tears of frustration and loss. He'd gone up to Hedwig, and talked with her, and taken flight out on the Quiddich field. None of it had helped. He was still going back to the Dursleys. Back to being starved. He wanted to ask Snape what he could possibly do that would satisfy his debt better than this? Harry'd wanted an escape - he'd almost had it in his hands, but like the Snitch, it had swerved away. At last, Harry Potter fell asleep on top of the Astronomy Tower. Hours later, Severus Snape found him, and - forbearing to wake him - simply redraped his robes to cover his feet.

[a/n: What's snape doing? Poor harry. Leave a review?]