Harry groaned as the potions master dragged him back to his office.
"Sit." He said slamming the door behind them. Harry flinched and groaned going to sit down on the chair in front of the teacher's table. He focused on the ingredients on the wall and grimaced as a set tiny colourful eyes turned to look at him.
Still it was better than looking at the head of Slytherin's sneering face.
"Did you need something professor?" He asked after the silence started to stretch. His eyes flickered up to the teacher who remained with a permanent looking glare.
"I want you to know, Potter, that it is not my custom nor my nature to chase after arrogant and foolish little teenagers." He'd gone back to spitting his name out like a disease and Harry blinked in surprise at not having realised that Snape had changed his tone with him in the first place.
"And you should know tha-"
"I care little for your cheek, Potter."
"You care little for many things professor." Harry replied simply and looked up then, glaring back at him. "I don't understand why I'm here, I need to have dinner." He said. He went to stand up and Snape pointed his wand at him, a quick blue flicker coming out and he found himself firmly stuck to the chair, his trousers refusing to pull away from the wooden surface.
"If it's dinner you want." He said calmly and the potions master summoned a house-elf.
"Bring mister Potter some of the food for dinner." He said. In a flash a large plate with an assortment of every food on the table appeared. Harry eyed the succulent dish, the gravy covered roasted meats and crispy potatoes, the salad on the side and the large serving of apple crumble covered in custard on a dish to the side.
"Nnh…" Harry looked away, feeling shaky and queasy, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Not hungry?" Snape sneered. The greasy bastard. Harry jumped hearing something getting slammed on the table by the Slytherin and turned to see a purple vial in front of the plate of food. He was surprised it hadn't shattered. "Take it." He said darkly.
Harry looked at him a little nervous. Snape looked absolutely furious at this point. Surely he wouldn't try to poison him would he?
No… wait… that shade of lilac is for…
"For… nausea?" Harry asked softly.
"Laced with calming drought. You would think normal teens wouldn't become such a nervous wreck from just getting asked out on a date. Or was it your bruised ego that a girl had to initiate it?" Harry flinched and trembled further, covering his mouth. "Drink the potion Potter!" He hissed. Harry couldn't have even if he wanted to. He didn't even have the strength to get angry at him as he twisted his body as much as it would go and retched violently onto the stone floor. Nothing but bile stained water came out but it still left him feeling like he'd been trampled by a Hippogriff.
The mess was gone with a wave of Snape's wand. "Merlin give me patience." Harry didn't reply and instead used his shaky hands to uncork the lilac potion and drink it all. Instantly he felt relieved of the sensation that the world was shifting under his feet, though he wished he could get up and rinse his mouth.
"Thanks…" Harry mumbled, not looking at him. He felt his face heating up as he registered the other's words. "You heard Cho?" he mumbled.
"Hmm… well yes, it was hard not to come see what was happening when just past the doors into the Great Hall packs of female students were giggling and whispering to each other trying to listen."
"And you saw a group of giggling girls and thought, 'yes, that looks like exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.'?" He asked with mock innocence, the corner of Snape's lips twitching slightly.
"I truly believed that Dumbledore would be of more… help to you." He said finally as he nudged the plate closer to Harry who, after calming down felt his stomach rumble and he started eating, partly to please his empty stomach, partly because he could have a reason not to reply to Snape straight away.
In the end he shrugged. "It doesn't matter." He said, making sure his voice sounded uncaring, as if he had been completely fine about the whole matter. "I don't need any help anyway."
"Hmm… is that Gryffindor pride?" he asked. Harry didn't look up at him, he didn't want to reply with any counter argument. He was too tired to play this game.
"No one can help me. Why should I get… used to relying on someone who has no obligation to even stick around. I only have one person who can do that for me… and he's a wrongfully convicted felon." He poked at a roast potato and brought half of it to his mouth.
"I am not someone you should rely on… yet due to circumstances, in this instance, I am the only one you can rely on. I questioned at first the point of talking about things past. However, bottling things up can lead to volatile results over time."
Harry tried not to smile but failed as he chuckled and groaned at the same time. "I would have thought potion puns were beneath someone like you."
Snape frowned and looked down, trying to recall what he'd said and sneered in response. "What made you nauseous? You are not sick, not poisoned, so what made you run off to empty into the basin?"
Harry looked down and figured, who would Snape tell anyway. "Cho asked me out… I panicked and accepted."
"Oh? Do you not wish to go on a date with this girl?" He highly doubted Snape would even encourage a conversation about Harry's love-life unless he saw a link to his 'issues'.
"I don't know… I think Cho is pretty… and we did kiss… but immediately after I just felt empty and hollow and I… kept thinking about that muggle and I felt sick to my stomach. Then when she asked me out I figured… maybe I'll enjoy a date. Besides, I'm fifteen… I'm supposed to go on dates… what if people start picking up I'm even weirder than anyone thinks because I don't date." Harry's eyes flickered to Snape's to see if he was actually listened and his cheeks felt hot realising he was so he quickly kept his eyes focused on his food, taking a bite. The potion he took was the only thing ensuring he kept eating.
"I will admit," Snape started. "That I am even more unqualified to talk about romance to you. However, I would argue that fifteen is too young to date anyway. You do not need to rush anything. Nonetheless, you should not get so worried about this 'date'." Harry tried not to laugh at the way Snape spoke through clenched jaw, entirely tense body. It was funny to see the other struggling to talk about romance with him after all their years of not even remotely liking each other. It made him feel warm that he was at least trying even though he clearly was no expert on the subject.
Harry looked down and took another bite. "What if I act weirdly and Cho realises there's something wrong with me?" He mumbled.
"There is nothing wrong with you." Came the confident response and Harry felt the warmth once more. It was quite something hearing it directly from someone else's mouth. Someone who was not obligated to be nice to him and yet was so anyway.
"Thank you…" He said softly and felt the unease about the whole thing leaving him, for now.
