Co-Written with stormypup

Disclaimer: A large part of the first chapter is taken straight from chapter 25 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and belongs to J.K. Rowling, as does a good portion of chapter two. These have been modified by the authors to fit with the challenge. Chapter three onward was written solely by the authors using JKR's characters.

A/N: This was written for the Written for Wave XII of the Harry/Snape fqf fest. This fanfiction is a complete work (25 chapters in all) and shall be updated every Weekend between Friday and Sunday. I'd have to throw much love and many sugary sweets at my beta-reader, NSW, who put up with our horrible all-nighter grammar skills.

Thank you to all of you who said we did well sticking to canon last chapter. And for those of you who couldn't wait for the smack down between Snape and Harry...here it is!

Chapter Five

As soon as they Apparated into the rundown barn thirty miles away, Snape had his wand in hand. He pushed Harry away from him. "You have the sense of a bloody first year, Potter," he said, his voice incongruent with his altered body. "I could have Disapparated straight to the Dark Lord!" he said accusingly.

"You fucking bastard! Don't you dare start in on me now, don't you dare! I didn't even have to show up. I didn't have to help you off the damn ground and I sure as hell could have turned you into the ministry for murder, but I didn't and do you know why? Do you?!"

"I couldn't give a pixie's arse," Snape said, sneering. "Did you think I would just let you walk right in, knowing that you could bring the Aurors along with you? Unlike you, Potter, I am careful," he said spitefully. Merlin, he wanted the polyjuice to wear off. He couldn't be nearly as threatening as a wizened old woman half Potter's size.

And then suddenly he was on the ground. Snape glared up through one good eye at Potter. The boy was standing over him one hand still clenched in a fist with a murderous expression. It was almost comical.

"Did you kill Dumbledore for nothing?" Potter snapped.

"Do not speak of that to me," Snape hissed angrily, getting to his feet. "You haven't the first clue about what I have done!" he spat.

"Is that my fault?" Harry glowered in frustration. "It's not like I'm told anything. I'm just expected to go save the whole bleeding planet."

"Given the choice, you would have been told nothing," Snape said disdainfully, rubbing carefully at his eye, still surprised the brat had actually hit him. "Tell me, did it feel good to hit a little old lady?" he asked, smirking.

"Felt wonderful, thank you very much." Although while saying this, he was rubbing his sore knuckles.

At that moment, Snape began to feel the telltale tingling that came when the polyjuice began to wear off. His skin began to itch and his muscles tensed.

"Damn it," he growled, glaring at Harry as if it were all, his fault. Before Potter could raise his wand, Snape yelled, "Petrificus Totalis!" before falling against the wall as his body went through the transformation back to his own lanky form.

The housecoat Snape was wearing stretched painfully around his body as he took his normal shape He pulled furiously at the buttons, practically tearing them off in his haste to get out of the old woman clothing. His feet were painfully stuck into worn house slippers. With a quick scowl at Harry, Snape stepped into a nearby stall. He quickly stripped out of the torn clothes and grabbed the clothing he had stashed there weeks before.

It was dusty and smelled musty, but he ignored it, only caring that he got clothed as quickly as possible. When his robe was once again in place, Snape pulled on his boots, lacing them up while eyeing Potter warily.

When he was finally completely dressed, he pointed his wand at Harry and released him from the spell.

Harry sat up scowl firmly in place. He looked ready to go another round when he stopped himself. It was really something to see, Snape reflected idly as he watched the boy futilely clamp down on his emotions till only a hint of anger showed through.

"Where the hell are we?"

And then some things never changed at all.

"That hardly matters," Snape said, scowling. "Did you tell anyone where you were going?" he asked.

"No."

"Did you and Dumbledore find the locket? Was it destroyed?" he asked, hoping beyond hope there was one less Horcrux to be found.

"We found a locket, yes," Harry answered quietly, but didn't elaborate any farther.

Snape felt a small measure of relief. "Good, one less we have to track down," he said, pacing, idly tapping his wand against the palm of his hand.

"But it wasn't the right...locket," Harry finally finished.

Snape whirled on Harry, his brow furrowed in an angry scowl. "What are you talking about? Dumbledore was certain!" he said, wondering if Potter was deliberately misleading him. "Did you, or did you not find and destroy the locket?" Snape said slowly.

"We found a locket," Harry offered weakly, then sighed. "No, it was the wrong one, someone else had gotten there first."

Snape's scowl deepened. "Are you certain?" he asked, his stomach falling. "Did you discuss it with Dumbledore before...did he know?" Snape asked, feeling desperate. He didn't have the slightest idea where to look for the locket. They had been so certain of the locket's location, and he had assumed it was taken care of.

"I didn't find out until..." Harry was trembling again. "Until I came upon Dumbledore's body. I was kneeling on the locket. I could tell just from outward appearance it wasn't the right one, but at the time I just didn't care."

Snape leaned heavily against the wall, feeling defeated. He stared at Harry, wondering if the boy was going to cry. They didn't have time for crying.

"Did Dumbledore give you any indication of where the real locket might be?" he asked before answering his own question. "No, Dumbledore never knew," he said, rubbing his hands on his face. "I've got to think, start at the beginning," he said, talking more to himself than Harry. "The answer has to be somewhere," he said, leaning his head against the wall. Snape stood up straight, realizing something. "How do you know someone got there first?" he asked.

"There was a note, addressed to Voldemort," Harry answered, eyes downcast.

That was the last answer Snape had been expecting. "What kind of note?" he asked, moving quickly to loom over Harry.

Harry gulped. "Just a note, it basically said he beat the system, has his locket and is going to get revenge. Just a typical note."

"I don't want basically, Potter! What did it say, word for word!" he snapped, irritated.

"Don't yell at me!" Harry shouted in frustration. "I don't know what the damn note says word for word! I didn't memorize it for your listening pleasure!"

Snape clenched his fist around his wanted, fighting his desire to hex the boy. "Useless," Snape growled, turning away. Giving it only a moment of thought, Snape whirled back around.

"Legilimens!" he cried. If the idiot couldn't remember, Snape would find the memory himself to read the blasted note.

Harry staggered backwards into a bundle of hay as his mind was forcefully invaded. His first instinct was to fight back. Then his reason kicked in, and he started to help instead, trying to lead him. He knew it was important to find out what was in that letter, this was no time for them to be fighting each other. Besides, this way he could be sure Snape wasn't seeing things Harry didn't want him to see.

The soggy hay was making him sneeze, and he swore bugs were crawling on his skin. He tried not to focus on the details around him. If he left Snape up to his own devices there was no telling what he would find.

There were flashes of Inferi, and Dumbledore, a lake. The locket sitting in the basin. Then Potter was holding a sobbing Dumbledore, forcing him to drink from the basin, but Snape was pushed away from that memory before he could explore it further. Now Potter, kneeling next to Dumbledore, opening the locket, pulling out the note.

To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match
you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.

Snape pulled back from Harry's mind, repeating the note in his head over and over.

Dark Lord, so it was most likely a death eater. But who? Snape would know if there was another spy in Voldemort's camp. Wouldn't he?

He began to pace, ignoring Harry altogether. R.A.B? R.A.B? And then it came to him like a bolt of lightening.

"Black," he said, finally turning to Harry. "Regulus Black, it has to be."

"Sirius's brother?" Harry asked, frowning.

"He betrayed the Dark Lord, he wanted out! It was only a matter of time before he was killed for his betrayal. And he was just cocky enough to leave this little surprise for his former master," he added, taking a moment to think.

"The question is, did he have time to destroy it before he was killed?" he asked quietly. "It's at least a starting point, which is more than we had ten minutes it ago."

He looked at Harry and swallowed his pride. "You didn't fight me," he said, well aware that Potter could have made it a struggle to get to the information he needed. However, Snape couldn't bring himself to actually say the words, thank you. "It was...well done," he added, practically choking on the compliment. If Potter's expression was anything to go by, he had just put the brat into a state of shock.

Harry's jaw dropped. Unable to form anything remotely coherent to counter it, all he succeeded in saying was. "Swha...?"

"Ever articulate," Snape sneered. "You may go...do whatever it is you do. I'll contact you should the need arise," he said dismissively. "Do not do anything stupid such as go harrowing after Horcrux," Snape warned. "You'll end up dead before you can be of any use to anyone."

"Then why the hell did you call me here in the first place?" Potter snapped. "If I wasn't needed then why send me an owl?"

"You had information I needed, and now I have it," Snape said, scowling. "I haven't got the time to babysit you while I go after the other Horcrux."

"Do you know how dumb that sounds coming from you, sir?" Harry challenged, his eyes glinting with determination. "You remember Dumbledore before his passing as well as I. He tried to destroy one Horcrux on his own and look what bloody happened!"

Snape clenched his teeth, knowing that Potter was right, but he wasn't about to tell the brat that he had a point. "What did you tell your friends?" he asked instead. "Where do they think you are? I won't have Granger and Weasley blundering around."

"They don't know. I kinda Disapparated in front of them when their questions became too much." He flushed slightly and bowed his head.

"In any event, I am going to Bulgaria, if you wish to accompany me, then I suggest you pack a small bag," Snape said, the look he was giving Harry practically dared the boy to agree.

"It shouldn't take me too long…" Harry trailed off and stared at his professor, licking his lips nervously. "Why Bulgaria?"

Snape scowled. "It's quite cold there, don't expect to be coddled," he said, ignoring the question altogether.

Harry rocked back on his heels fighting a smirk that threatened to creep onto his face. There had been precious few times when he had noticeably thrown the sarcastic man completely. Today seemed to be that day. He was fairly certain if he pointed it out though he would find himself missing a body part.

"So warm clothing then?" He gnawed on his lower lip and averted his gaze in thought. What did he own that would constitute as warm? Shit, nothing that's what. Something told him that a cloak with a warming charm just wouldn't do it. And by the calculating look he was receiving, he truly didn't have time to go shopping either. Not that he was fond of that activity. He wasn't sure how to deal with this. He so desperately wanted to go and justify Dumbledore's death, but if he was going to freeze to death first, then it was pointless. The thing was, he knew Snape would not look kindly on Harry claiming he needed to go buy something warm. Snape already thought he was a spoiled brat that would probably further solidify that idea.

Snape's scowl deepened. The idiot boy was not taking the hint. If he wanted to be miserable, so be it.

"I have something to take care of before I go," he said, frowning at Harry. "If you are foolish enough to wish to join me then meet me here in one hour's time. Exactly one hour," he warned, "or I will leave without you."

"Yes, sir," came the distracted answer even as Harry pulled his wand out to apparate to...he lowered his wand with a vaguely puzzled expression. Where was he going to go? It was likely that everyone was dizzy with worry about his abrupt disappearance and the moment he returned to 4 Privet Drive someone was bound to notice. He was stuck in place for the moment, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in thought.

"Sir?" he questioned hesitantly.

"What is it, Potter?" Snape asked irritably. What more did the boy want from him? He was taking him along, which was more than anyone should have to do, especially him.

"I...the Order," Harry stopped for a moment before trying again. "I was supposed to go to the Burrow today, I left everyone without explanation. I...I can't go back."

"Potter, I do not need another reason for the Order to want my head. Absconding with the boy who lived will most certainly add fuel to their growing fire," Snape replied. This was becoming a bigger headache than it was worth. Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just go home and try not to get killed before I destroy the remaining Horcrux."

"No," Harry said voice hardening. "I'll go back and if someone's there I'll face them and tell them..." Tell them what, Harry, the truth? Please, like they would believe you. More than half of the order wants Snape's head on a platter. Best to just tell them the bare facts and risk isolation. "I'll just go." Harry finished lamely. "Just don't leave without me."

Snape stared at Harry, taking his measure. After a long moment, he made his decision. "One hour, Potter," he said and without another word, Disapparated.