A/N: A new chapter! What? That happens? Apparently on occasion it does. I hope you enjoy!
Morning came much too early for Harry as he opened his weary eyes to begin preparation for the day's classes. His head was still pounding enough that he wondered if he ought to go talk to Madam Pomfrey about it, and his back was aching from last night's exertion. Pulling on his school robes over his Muggle clothes, Harry glanced over at Ron's bed. His friend had been asleep when he got back to Gryffindor tower the night before. Harry inwardly cringed when he considered the tongue-lashing Ron and Hermione would give him for asking for a detention that he didn't deserve. Hermione in particular was very set on fairness and justice. Plus, there would be no hope that the pair didn't know about it. Harry had told Ron the great excuse that he had come up with (before he promptly forgot it under Snape's harsh gaze) and against Ron's urging had gone to save Jake. When he hadn't returned Ron would have known that Harry received detention for his interference. Although perhaps Harry might get away with having just gained attention. Maybe Ron and Hermione didn't have to hear about Jake and the others getting to leave…
That hope was dashed when Harry, Ron and Hermione reached the Great Hall. Heads whipped in Harry's direction and whispering shot around from all directions. Ron and Hermione shot Harry confused glances as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. Neville, who was sitting across the table from the trio, gaped at Harry in horror.
"Is it true Harry?" he whispered. "Did you really take detention so a bunch of Slytherins could get out of theirs?" Harry sighed and put his head in his hands. Hermione smacked him on the shoulder and yelled "Harry James Potter!" Noticing the attention she drew, Hermione changed her voice to a furious whisper as she continued. "What were you thinking? Honestly, saving a pack of Slytherins from their own head of house? They practically never even get a detention and you couldn't let your precious boyfriend suck up a few monotonous hours this once?" Ron seemed to be of the same opinion as he glared at Harry and silently continued eating his breakfast.
"Listen 'Mione. I know it was stupid, but I didn't mean to okay? I went down there with a great idea to get them out of detention without a problem, and then I just forgot it when Snape stared at me! I couldn't very well just back out of the room when I was already there so I took the blame. I'm sorry alright? I won't do it again," Harry responded morosely. "Speaking of that…Snape pretty much told me he's kill me if I ever took the blame for something I didn't do ever again." Ron gaped at Harry at that one.
"Snape actually didn't want to put you in detention? Blimey Harry, that must be some sort of miracle!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione just furrowed her eyebrows and looked pensive. Harry was relieved when it was time for them to head to Charms. He couldn't wait for tomorrow. Saturday meant Quidditch practice and homework. No time for sitting around thinking.
Severus Snape was, you guessed it, angry. And pure, downright exhausted. He had stayed up until 1am with the Potter brat and then managed to work himself into a rage over every injustice in the world; from Voldemort's rise to power to the way that his feet did not fit into Muggle shoes properly. As a result he had gotten maybe five minutes of rest before his internal alarm had woken him at 6am as always and he began his day. By the time the fifth year SLytherins and Gryffindors arrived for class at the end of the day, Snape was struggling to keep his eyes open.
"No practical today. You will be reading chapters 10 through 15 of your text as written on the board. I expect twenty inches on why flobberworm mucus is unsafe for consumption by humans yet acceptable for use in the growth of mandrakes on my desk Monday morning." Snape smirked as the nearly inaudible groaning swept around the room. The idiots knew better than to let him catch them complaining, but noise always made it through when it came to assignments. Snape loved the disappointment nearly as much as he loved holding detentions.
Lowering his head to the stack of papers to be graded that sat on his desk, Snape heard quiet laughter from the Slytherin half of the room. Looking up, he once again saw Jake and his friends leaning close together and laughing over some matter or another. Snape slashed an 'F' through the paper and attempted to ignore the noise. It was fairly quiet after all, and they were Slytherins. When 20 minutes later Severus had managed to mark only two more papers due to the incessant noise, he pushed back from his desk sharply and stalked over to the group of SLytherins. Silently he stood behind them as he listened to their murmurs. All he heard was 'dumb,' 'too easy,' and 'Harry' before he slapped Turvell upside the head.
"What the hell—Professor Snape? What…"
"Did I not attempt to give you and your gaggle of dunderheads detention last night for just this sort of ruckus only yesterday Mister Turvell?" droned Snape coldly. Jake's eyes widened and he mumbled an apology quickly. "That's more like it. Consider this your last and only warning. Should you be so disruptive in my class again, you will learn what it is to feel my disappointment," Snape continued. Jake and his friends had the decency to look ashamed, but as they began to turn back to their work, Snape added "And Mister Turvell?" Jake shot his head around to look at his head of house. "You do not want to know the penalty of my disappointment." Jake gulped and buried his head in his work for the rest of the class.
Meanwhile, Ron jabbed his elbow into Harry's ribs.
"Did you hear that?" he hissed under his breath. "A detention and a warning in two days? They weren't even that loud! What's going on with the greasy git?" Harry just shrugged and went back to reading. Underlining what he didn't understand for the millionth time that class, Harry wished once again he could be more like Hermione. How was he supposed to know what the reactions of the various stomach acids would be to varying agents present in flobberworm mucus? Shouldn't this text tell him that instead of just talking about them as if he should already know? Add to that the fact that the headache from the day before hadn't gone away and Harry was having a terrible day. He felt Snape's eyes on him as he winced when someone clanged their wand against an empty cauldron.
As the class filed out at the end of the period, Snape called Harry over to his desk. Hermione and Ron gave him a look that suggested he should really try not to land himself another detention, and hurried out of the classroom. Harry looked at his feet as he waited for Snape to speak. What had he done this time? He had tried to focus on work and he had been quiet…
"Potter! Look at me!" snapped Snape. Harry's eyes shot up to meet the dark, gleaming eyes of his professor. "What is the matter with you?" he barked. Harry was confused.
"Sir?" he questioned. "There's nothing the matter with me," answered Harry politely.
"No?" Snape leered. He took a metal ladle and slammed it against his nearby demonstration cauldron. The clang smashed into Harry's pounding head and he closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breathe. "Then why pray tell, are you cowering as if you've been hexed at the sound of a ladle hitting a cauldron?" When Harry opened his eyes again it was to a look of determination on Snape's face which he associated with answers. Noone got that look without spilling whatever it was that Snape wanted to know. Harry wasn't even sure that Dumbledore could stand fast under that look. Harry sighed and looked down at his feet again. He jumped when he felt Snape's fingers close tightly around his chin and force his head back up. Right. Eye contact. Snape stared at him expectantly. Harry sighed again as the fingers withdrew.
"I have a headache," said Harry simply. Snape looked at him in disbelief. "What?" asked Harry defensively, "I do! You're the one that wanted to know!"
"And why have you not visited Pomfrey in the infirmary if the cure to your problem is as simple as a pain relief potion? Do you have some sort of masochistic desire to be in pain?" Snape asked slowly. He was now giving Harry the 'why-are-you-so-ridiculously-thick' look.
"I got it from cleaning out the cauldrons. I just thought it'd go away, and I haven't had a chance to go to the infirmary about it yet today," Harry defended weakly. He was tired of everyone being disappointed at his actions lately, and he couldn't care less at this point about anything other than slipping into his comfy bed. Snape's sudden movement jerked Harry back to attention. He had opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small vial of pink liquid.
"This is my own version of pain relief potion. Poppy has not gotten around to using it yet as she still has some of the old version left, but this one has a better impact upon areas beyond the torso. Take half tonight and half tomorrow morning and it should counteract whatever remnants of potion fumes remain in your system. Next time go to the infirmary before you cause permanent damage to yourself." Snape passed Harry the vial and flicked his hand in a way that suggested he was tired of having Harry in his presence. Harry turned on his heel and fled without so much as a thank you.