"Evening, Dray," said Harry.

"Hullo, Harry."

Neither knew what to say. They simply stood, admiring the view from the Astronomy tower, ignoring the fact that it was past midnight.

"I know that you are planning something."

"Oh really, Dray? Maybe, you would tell me what am I planning?"

"Well," Draco drawled. "It's obvious, isn't it? You are planning on driving the school mad."

"Mad? Me? Pfft. Never," said Harry. "Well...maybe -just maybe, mind you!- that is...a small part of my plan."

Draco laughed. Then calmed down.

"May I help?" he asked, for once serious.

"You? Never!" said Harry in the same manner. Draco pouted and that did it. Harry burst out laughing, pulling Draco into a fit as well.

"Mr Potter. Mr Malfoy. What in Merlin's name are you doing here at this hour?"

"Uh oh," they both said under their breaths as a fuming Professor McGonagall came towards them.

"Potter! I knew you would get us into trouble! A tattle-tale? Ha! So you know what, Gryffindork? I think I am telling Snape!" said Draco suddenly.

"Oh yeah? And what will your Snapey do? Give me detention? You know what? I think you deserve every insult anyone ever told you, you disgusting, slimy snake!"

McGonagall tried to separate them as the two were getting into a battle stance.

"Ok, that is enough! Both of you will lose 20 points for being out of bounds and fighting and you'll spend a detention with Professor Snape."

Both looked sullen.

"Yes, Professor," they said together and gave each other as loathing glares as they could.

As the Professor dismissed them, they walked off together.

"20 points?" Draco mouthed.

"1 detention?" Harry mouthed back.

They both gave small snorts and eye-rolls as if to say "Pfft. Piece of cake."

They high fived each other before going separate ways. They however didn't see Professor McGonagall, who had been going the same way. The Professor froze, with her one leg in the air, ready to make the next step, her mouth hanging open. Her eye twitched.

Admin Emerald has joined the chat.

Salazar: Good evening Emerald. I see you are awake. But why at 2. In. The. Morning?

Emerald: Heh...Oops.

Salazar: Oops? What is that supposed to mean?

Emerald: Sorry sir?

Salazar: Where are you, Emerald?

Emerald: In my common room.

Salazar: I see. Any good reason why you are awake?

Emerald: Not exactly...I just got some nightmares.

Salazar: And how long have they been going on?

Emerald: Well...most of my life, so I'm rather used to them.

Salazar: Have you seen Poppy about them?

Emerald: Salazar, please. I have lived with them earlier and I will be alive in the future as well. Can we not talk about them?

Salazar: Emerald, you Will talk to someone about them or I will have to do something about them.

Emerald: No you don't. You're not my guardian.

Salazar: Yes, I may not be your guardian, but I am your Professor.

Emerald: Fine.

Emerald: Thanks Professor.

Salazar: I gave an oath when I became a teacher, so I don't really have a choice in the matter, so you can just simply stop thanking.

It hurt. Really hurt as Harry read the message. Harry was hoping that maybe he had been wrong about the Professor. Apparently not.

Emerald: I see.

Salazar: Will you go to sleep tonight?

Emerald: No. I already slept a few hours. They should do.

Salazar: Come to your 'favourite' classroom. Now.

Emerald: Why?

Salazar: Stop asking stupid questions and get here. Now!

Emerald: Or what?

Salazar: Or you will be losing all of the points Gryffindor gained, plus you'll spend a couple of detentions with me.

Emerald: I don't really care about the points and I already have a detention with you.

Salazar: We will talk about how you got the detention later. Now get your silly Gryffindor face down here or I will come and fetch you!

Emerald: Good luck with that, my dear Professor.

Admin Emerald has left the chat.

Harry sighed as he looked at his closed laptop. He felt worn out, but he simply couldn't sleep in fear if more of his nightmares. He lazily watched as the fire started to disappear completely. Harry sighed and cast a fire renewing spell and watched as it sprang to life.

He watched the fire immersed so deeply that he didn't hear the Portrait door open and close.

Harry jumped as a hand slid over his mouth, covering it so he couldn't scream, from behind. His eyes widened and his mind was working a billion miles a second.

Harry struggled, but the other hand around his shoulders was not holding him. It was just simply there.

Harry calmed as he heard a familiar voice say "Shush now."

As Harry slowly began to relax, the hand released his mouth.

Harry looked back, to find Snape standing there, his arms crossed, looking rather murderous.

Harry gulped.

"Well, Mr Potter? Are you coming quietly or not?" he asked, walking over to the front of the couch and towards Harry, who was moving away as fast as possible, still sitting. Harry felt his thin socks touch the cold floor, but found he didn't care much as Snape moved towards him, looking as if he was going to strike him right then and there.

Then he stopped.

"Well, Mr Potter, you had your chance," said Snape and whipped out his wand and cast a silencing charm on Harry, who was flat against the couches back.

The next thing was so surprising that Harry forgot to struggle. Snape swiped the boy into his arms and while tightening his hold, so he couldn't escape or at least that's what Severus told himself.

Harry was slowly beginning to understand what happened and he began to struggle, but Snape was too strong for him.

Severus carried Harry to his quarters, where he dumped Harry on a sofa.

"Well?" he said, with a smirk. "Do you believe me now, when I said that I would fetch you if I had to?"

Harry glared, as he couldn't talk. 'Fetch me?' Harry thought. 'Okay. Note-To-Self take everything Snape says literally.'

Snape smirked as if he knew what Harry was thinking and turned, looking for something in the cabinets.

He turned back with a vial in his hand only to see Harry sitting there, pouting with puppy-eyes.

The fact that his glasses had been left at the common room, didn't help Severus.

Severus pursed his lips.

"Fine," he snarled and released Harry from the silencing spell. Harry grinned.

"It's too early for you to be happy, Potter," said Snape.

Snape held out a potion to him that Harry recognised as a Calming Draught. He took it, untrustingly and gulped it down.

"Now will you come here when I ask you?"

"Yes, sir," Harry mumbled.

"Very well. Now stay here, while I fetch you a Dreamless Sleeping Potion."

"Yes, sir."

However by the time Severus was back, Harry was fast asleep on the couch.

Harry and Draco entered the Potions classroom for their detentions. They stood and waited for Professor Snape.

"Wondering corridors at night? My, my, what could you two have been doing?" said Snape as he appeared. His eyes were boring into Harry's as Harry flushed and looked down.

He assigned them 40 cauldrons and set to work on grading essays.

In an hour the pair was standing at his table. "Well?" he snapped irritably.

"We have finished, sir," said Draco, casually.

Indeed. 40 cauldrons in less than an hour? Impossible.

"Very well," he said and raised his eyebrows as the two high fived.

Just then Professor McGonagall came in.

"They are done already?" she asked. Harry and Draco grinned.

"Yeah, we make a good team," said Draco. Severus noted that Harry had not said a single word since last night.

"Yeah, what are friends for," said Harry finally. His voice sounded weak and tired, but cheerful.

As the two left, Minerva asked "Friends?"

She shook her head as if exhausted.

"There is something fishy going on here."

"Maybe not fishy, but micy?"

Minerva caught sight of his face and said "Don't you dare, Severus!"

He didn't say anything, but he did get a strong cough.

"That's a bad attempt to hide a laugh," she said, pursing her lips.

Three people watched Harry closely for the next days. Harry could feel Snape's, Draco's and Dumbledore's eyes on him, but ignored them.

Suddenly he could no longer stand the two looks and one stare. He looked to where the stare was coming from: Professor Snape and glared at him.

The Potions Master scowled and bent to continue his dinner, while Harry stood and stumbled as fast as possible from the Great Hall. No one noticed, except for Severus. Not even Granger and Weasley, who were in a heated argument again.

Severus sneered. Some friends they were.

He watched as Mark Evans ran after Harry ...uh Potter and decided to give them some time, before he decided to go and find H–Potter. Find Potter.