Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not claim any monetary funds or otherwise on the creation of this story. The only things I own are the plot and the loveable original characters coming up in the story. So please, don't sue~!

A/n: So, I finally begin this little pet project amidst my novel. I thought now was a good a time as any to start. I hope people will enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Unbeta'd formally, but it has been looked over, so don't worry about atrocious mistakes. ^-^ Without further ado, I present to you, the tale~

The night cloaked him better than any disguise he could've made in his weakened state. He had to choke back at laugh at his condition, thinking on how just a day earlier, he'd been dining in comfort, surround by what he'd deemed happiness. However, he was disillusioned, no longer unaware of the circumstances surrounding his life, and he was furious. Furious that he'd allowed this to happen, that he hadn't realized what was going on.

Apparently, it took a powerful legilimensy that backfired, an unexpected stunner, six Sectumsempras, a bone-breaking hex, and a narrowly avoided obliviation to wake Harry Potter to the exact dictations upon which his life was based. If it hadn't been for Severus Snape -the most unlikely ally he'd found- Harry had no doubts to the fact that he would either still be in the dungeons far below Hogwarts being tortured, or back to being mindless and content in the lies that had weaved a web of false contentment around him.

As it was, the greasy haired man had snuck down into the dank cell and freed him with a bit of acidic potion, onyx eyes carefully blank and emotionless. He hadn't been given much time to react as the other grabbed his arm and fled from the scene, pulling him behind him. They'd made it all the way to the school grounds before they were caught.

Curses and hexes were thrown and narrowly dodge, though a few had gotten to Harry. One of which was sectumsempra and the other, the bone-breaking hex.

Snape had taken the brunt of the attack, but was still pulling Harry across the grounds. His mind was a mess as he watched Snape expertly take down several teachers. He was almost overpowering them. But, soon enough, he felt the imminent pressure of the one who had done this to him - Albus Dumbledore.

Cursing fit to make a pirate blush like a schoolgirl, Snape hurriedly shoved a pouch in his hand, and a dirty, rugged looking owl feather in the other. He stared at the owl feather.

"Professor, what--"

He was cut off by the sudden jerk behind his navel, and the last thing he saw was an enraged Dumbledore flying out of the castle doors, screaming a hex aimed at the disappearing two. The purple light reached them and grazed Snape in the back, but it was already too late; they'd managed to get away.

The moment the earth stopped tilting at wild angles, Harry looked around, wand somehow at the ready, though he'd been sure he hadn't had it whilst he was imprisoned. Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to ask unnecessary questions. His first glance revealed a small, woodland home looking like an exact replica of something out of a fairytale book.

His second glance showed an unconscious Snape laying at his feet. With a muffled curse, Harry dropped down beside his Potions Professor, checking for a pulse. There was one, and it was strong and steady. Not sure what to do, Harry simply placed his arm underneath the other man, and picked him up awkwardly, trying to be careful whilst not giving the man the chance to wake up and find himself embarrassed at his position.

Carrying the Potions Master into the cottage, one he assumed was safe, since he'd been brought there, though this was Snape he was dealing with, Harry set the other man down on a soft-looking, brown suede couch. The house was as interesting on the interesting on the inside, as it was enchanted looking on the outside.

He grinned. Whilst waiting for his Professor to wake up and explain the situation to him, Harry got up to explore the house, forgetting, for the moment, the pouch Snape had given to him before they'd port keyed to this strange location.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The front of the house was a pale cream and pine and burgundy colour, elegantly done up to look that a bigger version of a cottage. The windows all had burgundy shutters framed with the carvings of unicorns, centaurs, faun, and fae -mostly of the nymph and dyrad variety- which were moving in never-ending intricate paths around the wooden structure. An elaborately carved chimney sat on one side of the faux-thatched roof, a phoenix wrapped around the funnel, wings almost immaculately chiselled into detailed flames. The wings themselves would occasionally detach and flap, to blow away the smoke, but that was only when a fire was going.

The front garden, where Harry had landed with Snape, was filled with strawberry bushes, a small grape vineyard, about five by five long paces, and other various fruits, somehow all in bloom. Also, there were several types of fruit looking things that Harry was sure he'd never seen before.

He'd decided to explore from the outside in, though he'd quickly found that the backyard wouldn't let him go round. Perhaps he could only get there through the back door.

Also in the small fruit farm, Harry could recognize a few magical and non-magical plants used in the most common of potions growing. He even saw a vibrant patch of mint, though it was clearly not normal, seeing as there were also some blue-lavender fruits that looked like a miniature version of a strawberry growing from them as well. He quickly learnt that if he got too close to the odd looking plant, the stems grew vines with fangs that hissed briefly and darted in to bite him with a snake-like agility that took all his seeker reflexes to avoid.

Harry decided it was time to go inside after that.

Inside the house was much more modern in regards to the decoration. In fact, to Harry's great surprise, the interior actually appeared to be more muggle than anything, looking like something straight out of one of those Home Décor Magazines his Aunt frequently purchased just to place on the coffee table in the living room so she'd look normal and homely to anybody who bothered to visit.

The hallways were adorned with portraits of beautiful men and woman who were most definitely not human. They giggled at him as he walked past, the cherry oak floors and deep cream walls providing a cozy atmosphere as he made his way across the foyer and into the living room. Inside, was of course, the brown suede couch Snape was lying on. This was against the middle wall of the room. Two other couches faced inwards, opposite each other on either side of the couch, in the same soft suede, and two matching suede armchairs filled in the corners where all three couches met, though this time, they were cream suede.

Throw pillows of green and gold silk and velvet covered the chairs, and in the corner, semi-closed off in a sort of meeting area, was a conference table, surrounded by eight chintz seats. The room has spades-shaped windows with soft lacy green curtains, fluttering lightly in a breeze Harry was sure was magically created. The chintz chairs were a pale mint green, which each had two tiny cushions seating against each puffy arm, a soft silver and moonlight white in colour.

Beyond the dining room, Harry could see the kitchen. Inside, it was bright and airy, pine and pastel yellow along with some cream made up the colour scheme. Everything inside looked shiny and brand new, and the appliances were a mixture of muggle and magical ones.

A quick glance in the fridge and cupboards showed that they were stock full enough for a full out year long siege, probably longer, in he'd looked into the pantry. He'd only known there was one because of the cream coloured door that said 'Pantry' in pretty, cursive script across it. Harry didn't look too closely, but he also had a feeling that the writing on the door wasn't really English. He had no idea how he knew that, but, his instinct did, and if there was one thing Harry knew he could rely on, it was his instinct.

Deciding to leave the mysterious writing and the pantry door alone, he swept past the dining room area, discovering it to be the same as the meeting area, only with a dining table and suitable chairs instead of the comfortable squishy chairs and business like desk.

He soon realized that the house he'd entered was a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared to be, because the next room he hit was a full blown library, and it was huge. At least four stories high (and he had only seen a two story house from the outside), each floor was spacious yet packed with books, each bookshelf filled to the brim with books.

Harry could only gape at the sheer size of it all, unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing. Walking in, he navigated his way around, looking at section titles to see what kind of books he would find. A moment later, a tray with a thin book resembling a menu floated over to him, hovering in front of torso.

He glanced down and was surprised to discover the book was actually a sort of map to the library.

It gave him a lot of options. For starters, he could find out what all the categories of books stored in the library was and where they were. Then, he could find all the subcategories in each category and where. On top of that, he could also write in what he wanted to look for (or, if he was more advanced, send a telepathic message) and the book would show him exactly what books contained what he was looking for, and where they were.

He quickly found that nearly everything was stored at the library. From replicated ancient scrolls in hieroglyphs that he couldn't read -and some that were translated for his viewing pleasure- to muggle mushy romance stories.

Time flew by as he immersed himself in his fascination, reading books on magical theory, wandless magic, and specified-categorized magic.

He didn't even feel Snape's presence until the older man sat down across from him, eyebrow raised in an amused manner he'd never had the privilege to see before.

"I see you found the library to your liking," Snape said, tone one of wry amusement.

Harry jumped with a start, eyes going wide at the sudden appearance of his Potions Professor.

"FUCK!"

The expletive was coupled with a loud echoing bang that reverberated around the library as he fell from his chair. Harry was incensed when he heard a chuckle from above him, and he glowered upwards, emerald green eyes glowing brightly with agitation.

"Language, Mr. Potter," Snape said smoothly, unruffled as ever by Harry's outburst. Harry grumbled picking himself up and eying his professor with distaste. He was surprised to note that his teacher didn't seem so sour as was usually when in class. It threw him off a bit, enough to apologize, to which Snape replied with an inclination of his head.

Both of them sat a little bit stiffly, surveying each other. Harry sighed, wanting to get things over and done with, and across from him, he heard Snape echo his sigh.

"So… care to explain just what has been going on, Professor Snape?" he asked, leaning backwards in his chair. Snape arranged his robes carefully, wincing a little bit and reminding Harry that he'd been injured.

"Severus."

"Excuse me?"

He blinked, in slight confusion.

"Call me Severus. I'm hardly your Professor anymore after smuggling you out of the very institute I teach at," Sna-- Severus replied, eyebrows furrowing into a frown. Harry didn't think his jaw could possibly get any wider. Severus Snape had just invited him to call him by his first name. He blinked, unsure of what to say, and so merely nodded, head tilted in confusion.

"Alright, then call me Harry instead. Mr. Potter is just way too informal," he said by way of response. Sn--- Severus actually smirked.

"I don't think I'll be able to call you that for much longer, Harry, as we'll be looking to change your name, and your identity really, after this… ordeal…"

Correction: His jaw could, indeed, get wider.

"WHAT?!"

Deca 02/28/10

End Notes: Alright, so there is chapter one of this most exciting tale. I hope you all enjoyed. I do have big plans for this story, so I'm getting really bouncy when I start thinking ahead. I hope everyone will find the characters as loveable as I do.

R&R ^-^