"Come to me, Harry." Voldemort said, reaching his hand out to him. Harry stared at the outreached hand. His arm burned just thinking about reaching up. It burned and burned.

"Stop it…!"

Harry whimpered as he opened his eyes and trembled as he realised he'd turned in his sleep onto his poorly bandaged arm. No way was he showing this mess to Hermione or even Ron so the night before he used up what little healing salve he had left and bandaged up the rest. He started at his arm and saw the bandages soaking slowly in red, probably opened up when he rolled onto it.

It hurt so much and it made his stomach twist unpleasantly. In a second he bolted out of the bed and threw up in the toilet. He'd done the same when he came back the night before.

"Mate? You still sick?" Ron's sleepy voice asked from the entrance to the toilet. Harry's only response was to retch into the bowl again. "You should go to Madame Pomfrey." The redhead said. Harry trembled, as if the cold of the stone floor was seeping through his skin.

"I… I'm fine…" he mumbled and flushed. He made sure his pyjama's sleeve was pulled down properly before coming out, wobbly, to wash his mouth.

"Then at least stay in bed today, I'll vouch for your morning classes." Harry thought about it, but then realised that Umbridge was likely to summon him for another detention if he drew that much attention to himself.

"I'm ok Ron… really." He said trying to look calm and collected but Ron looked even more awake now.

"Mate… you need to rest… you look like death itself." Ron said.

"Gee… thanks Ron." He said walking past him.

"I mean it Harry… just lie in for today…"

"Enough talk Ron… I'll be fine after breakfast." He said softly. Maybe he could pop by Snape's office to ask for the potion for sickness before class. He knew Ron wanted to argue, but he chose not to, and instead went back to trying to sleep as long as possible. Harry, instead, focused on wrapping another set bandages over the ones he had already and getting ready.

He made his way down the quiet castle, most portraits still asleep. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, though he hadn't had a good night sleep since… could be that he hadn't had a good night sleep since leaving Snape's quarters?

It was the quilt. He had to get Snape to teach him the spell. He was here. He knocked on the portrait and Salazar's snake hissed at him.

"Don't you know the meaning of sleep boy?"

"I wish I did. Is professor Snape-" The door opened and Snape reached for his wand. It told Harry that he had probably surprised him.

"What on earth…" Snape whispered putting away his wand. He had that same expression Ron had when he saw him this morning. It must be his hair. He tried flattening it down though he felt it bounce back up.

"Sorry professor… could you give me more of that purple potion?" He mumbled focusing on the lining of his robes. The silence started stretching and he looked up to see the look of suspicion from the potions master. Snape turned to face his rooms, a hand grabbing Harry by the shoulder and leading him inside.

He went to sit on the chair he'd used as a bed, not feeling comfortable sitting anywhere else. Mostly because the potions master had never expressed his permission in the number of times Harry had been in his quarters.

"What was it this time?" Harry perked up slightly, accepting the lilac potion as it was handed to him. Snape used a tone of voice that held no emotion, no actual concern… but Harry had come to realise, or hope, that it was the professor's way of not revealing his actual humanity.

Harry reminded himself of the lie he'd prepared. The lie… say it… say it!

Harry kept his eyes down as a pull at the pit of his stomach made him slowly reach for his sleeve and start pulling it up. He gulped and felt himself tremble at his weakness. What was he hoping to accomplish with showing?! Stupid! Stupid! Just cover it up! He doesn't care! No one ever-

He went to pull it down but the potions master placed a firm hand over of shaky, uncut hand. He didn't look up at him as Snape sat next to him and removed the bandages. He saw the bloody, uneven bandages drop to the ground and whimpered as the other started undoing the second one.

"Stupid boy… didn't you put anything between the bandage and whatever it is you have here?" The potions master reprimanded him and Harry felt another whimper escape his lips as the other tugged. He looked at his arm. The parts he had not applied the healing salve to had latched onto the bandages and dried up overnight. "This will hurt… but it needs to be done." He managed to look up at Snape then. Snape rolled up a piece of thick cloth around a polished piece of round wood, normally used to hold up thick scrolls. "Bite onto this."

Harry flinched but nodded doing as the other said, biting onto it. He closed his eyes as Snape turned a determined expression to his arm. He cried out, loudly, as one hand gripped his wrist hard and the other used his wand to quickly rip out the pieces of the bandaged that had gotten stuck. The pain lasted the longest five seconds of Harry's life, but now the bleeding started again and with a vengeance.

Harry took off the cloth and breathed deeply, staring at his arm. Water washed away the new and old blood, bringing out the swollen words underneath.

"Umbridge?" Snape asked softly, staring at the toad's handiwork. "When was this?" Harry flinched at the hiss in the other's tone.

"Last night…"

"You were with me last night. I sent you off with plenty of time to get to Gryffindor tower." Snape said loudly. "Look at me, Potter!" He yelled.

"Just forget it! Thank you for the potion! I can deal with Umbridge on my own!" Harry exclaimed and went to stand up but Snape's hand on his shoulder shoved him back down.

"Deal with it? Your idea of wound healing seems to be 'bandage it as badly as possible so others don't notice'! One bandage over another? What, you think wizards are resistant to infections?! Now what the devil did that woman do?" He hissed dangerously low and Harry flinched looking down, staying quiet.

"I'm too tired to say it…" He whispered. He was certain Snape would push him but the man simply took a deep breath and slowly started dabbing the wound with a special potion that stung a little. He turned Harry's arm over and Harry flinched as the other paused, looking at the three harsh scratches, marring most of the words into an unreadable mess.

"If that woman ever gives you detention again… you will tell me." He told him.

"I can't… she told me not to tell anyone about this one…" He mumbled.

"I want to know, Potter. And I will be reminding the headmaster about this issue, you can rest assured about that." He said, cleaning his arm properly and adding a different kind of salve than the one he'd used before, lathering it on properly before wrapping the bandage carefully. "Now watch. You're supposed to made it neat, the second part should cover half of the previous one and so on." He said wrapping it around.

When he was done, Snape stared at his arm a while longer before looking up at him. "You cannot deal with everything on your own, Potter. You are still a child. If you won't rely on your friends, or madam Pomfrey…"

"She told me not to tell."

"Yes… you still need to rely on someone." He said.

"…I came to you." Harry mumbled, holding his numb arm close to him.

"You should have done so yesterday. It may still get infected, if you start feeling feverish tell me immediately. Since I assume you're desperate to go to class today. I suggest you go before breakfast is finished." He told him.

"Ron told me to stay in bed."

"You should. You look like death."

Harry glared at him. "That's what he said… you're all so rude in the morning." He grumbled.

"And you are too stubborn."

"I'll go to breakfast." He said standing up. "Oh… professor, could you show me that transfiguration thing to make a duvet?" he asked. Snape blinked in confusion as he too stood up.

"Perhaps when we have more time."

"Ok… thanks… again… I mean…" He started awkwardly. Snape rolled his eyes and turned him around, taking him to the door.

"You're welcome. Now out." He said. Harry jumped as the portrait shut behind him and sighed going to the great hall. He felt a little excitement at the possibility of Snape getting Umbridge in trouble. Though he knew it was unlikely to happen… it was nice to think about.

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

Severus took a good couple of breaths as he paced his quarters trying to erase the image from his mind, the image of the boy's marred arm. It was unacceptable. He was not going to allow this. How dare she?! Umbridge would pay. He would make her pay!