Hey awesome reviewers and other not as awesome people who don't review :p lol anyways here's the next chapter, Snape may be a little ooc in this chapter but remember it's been a few months so there relationship is a little stronger. Now they can joke around with each other and seem a little closer. Also I will be going on vacation soon so either I'll have absolutely no time to write, or a lot of time, depending on how bored I am... And I'm going to see Daniel Radcliffe's broadway play this Wednesday! I'm so excited! Anyways I'll try and post again soon, enjoy the chapter and I welcome any reviews, critiques, and or requests.
Thanks,
MissGallagherGirl
As Harry sat by the edge of the Astronomy Tower he looked down upon the far spread grounds of Hogwarts School.
He remembered the first time he sat in this very spot, the same spot he had now become so accustomed to spending time in, he even began to think of this little corner of the tower as his.
Could it really have already been 5 years since the first time he wedged himself between these two walls and leaned his head on this very corner? Had time really flown by so fast?
It seemed like just yesterday he was getting sorted and sneaking out every night only to stare at himself next to his mom and dad in the Mirror of Erised.
He remembered that after Dumbledore discovered that Harry had found the Mirror he had moved it the next day and asked him not to go looking for it again. Ever since then, he found himself venturing up here instead, having nowhere else to go, nobody to turn to, and not being able to just peacefully sleep in his bed, he would always end up in the tower, gazing over the school, in the exact same spot.
It was the perfect place really. You could tuck yourself into the bend and gaze out over the grounds for hours on end, doing nothing more than thinking, contemplating about school, the homework you should be doing, all the things that had changed, and well just life in general.
Among all these thoughts he couldn't help but let his mind drift to wondering what would happen with summer just around the corner already...
It had been about 2 months since the headmaster had informed him that he would be spending that summer with none other than his own hated Potions master, Professor Snape. It was really sad that of all people, Snape was the only one who was able to house him, or more like the only one grudgingly willing.
As Harry sat there his eyes strayed to the very ledge he stood on just before he jumped. He knew that since then, Snape had put some wards up around the tower to prevent further suicidal temptation, but the fact remained that it was questionable on Dumbledore's behalf why there weren't any wards up beforehand.
Was he really the first person to attempt to jump off this very tower? Then again, if somebody else had tried, common sense says that the headmaster would put up some kind of charm to keep anyone else from endeavoring to do the same thing. So it looked like he was the only one. Again he couldn't help but let a wave off loneliness and despair sweep through him... he was truly alone.
Suddenly anger swept through his body, making him feel hot, and on the verge of an explosion, "DAMMIT!" He yelled loudly, not being able to control the raging emotions any longer.
He felt like an exploding bottle of pent up fury and wrath and to hell, he could scream as loud as he wanted to up here, everybody else was already in their dorms, probably sleeping, or in the girl's case, gossiping. Nobody could hear him and even if they could, nobody would give a damn.
However, Harry was mistaken...
"Mr. Potter", Harry jumped up, immediately pulled his wand out, and pointed it at the dark figure hiding in the depths of the shadows.
Heart racing, pulse running a mile, and wide eyes, he proceeded closer to the concealed frame, wand at the ready.
Snape raised an amused eyebrow, honestly the boy's face was priceless, but he quickly schooled his features into his signature scowl.
"Mr. Potter, I would advise you to put your wand away," Snape growled dangerously.
The boy actually had the audacity to freeze on the spot, wand still aimed at the professor, who was now scowling deeply.
"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded, though it sounded more like an accusation.
Snape glowered menacingly at the boy before snarling the words, "Potter. Lower. Your. Wand. NOW."
Harry, frightened from the loud and irked tone of voice, immediately lowered his wand and snapped out of the trance he had been in, blinking his eyes, he looked up upon his professor.
"Sorry", he replied sheepishly when he realized he had been holding his teacher at wand point, the same professor who was taking him in for the summer and, deciding he'd like to live through it, he chose to quickly apologize and lower his wand instead of facing the wrath of one Severus Snape all summer long. But his curiosity was piqued.
He looked questioningly at Snape. "Sir, why are you up here?" then he added hastily, "... if you don't mind me asking that is," trying his best to sound respectful to his new summer guardian.
Snape, still scowling, coolly replied, "That Mr. Potter is none of your business, nor your concern, however the real question, is why are you are up here."
Harry, now realizing he was caught after curfew and in the same place that he had last time tried to jump, looked down at his feet and began to study the flooring intently.
"Uh, sorry sir, I'll just be uhm, going now," he replied nervously, his eyes still downcast, hoping not to lose too many points for his house with the end of the year just around the corner.
Snape couldn't refrain from the urge to roll his eyes at the "uh" and "uhm's" the boy threw out. "Really Potter, your eloquence never seizes to amaze me." He remarked snidely.
Harry scowled, though instead of resembling a frown or even a glare, it was more like a childish pout and again Snape found himself having to eschew from smirking amusingly.
Instead he chose to simply raise an eyebrow and question, "Really Potter, is that all you can do? I've seen scarier butterflies."
Again, Harry attempted to glare and trying to find a suitable comeback replied, "Really? I would've thought the only living things you'd see would be spiders since you hide out in the dungeons all day long."
And he couldn't help it, he smacked himself, worse come back ever! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He could swear he felt himself blushing pink!
Spiders? Dungeons? Really?
Now Snape really couldn't help but look amused, "Potter, seize from hitting yourself this instant, you're killing brain cells and merlin knows you can't spare to lose any more of the few you have somehow already attained."
Harry scowled (pouted) and Snape pointed out, "Though you are right, there are a lot of spiders in the dungeons, but I doubt that pitiful excuse of a scowl would even slightly frighten one of them."
Harry shook his head, eyes widening, "Spiders aren't scared of anything, especially giant spiders, they wouldn't even be scared of your scowl! In fact the carnivorous beasts aren't even scared when you point a wand at them, with all those eyes, and there hairy legs and then, then they try to eat you and all you can do is run because it's not like you can go start firing off killing curses left and right, it's really, really awful!"
Harry shuttered at the thought of what took place in his second year when he and Ron had snuck into the Forbidden Forest after Hagrid gave them the absolutely worse advice ever, 'Follow the spiders.'
Realizing he was rambling on about the spiders, he stopped and waited for another snide comment on his eloquence but instead was rewarded with a glare.
"So Mr. Potter, please do enlighten me on where you experienced these... 'carnivorous beasts' as you know that the only place these spiders live is in the Forbidden Forrest and we all know students aren't allowed to go in there, so please do share, how you, a good little boy who never breaks the rules...", he couldn't help but sneer, "encountered these horrific monsters you just described to me.
Harry, now realizing he had brought even more trouble than just being out past curfew upon himself, decided to retreat while he still had the legs to do it.
Blushing pink, while stuttering, and smiling angelically and innocently, he faked a yawn and pretended to look at an inexistent watch.
"Hmmm... look at the time! Well, it's way past my bedtime, you know, have to be all bright eyed and bushy tailed for my favorite class tomorrow."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, is your favorite class, as far as I'm aware you don't have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow?"
Harry put a faultless face on, replying "Yours of course Professor, you know how much I simply adore spending quality time with you and my Slytherin chums in my favorite subject ever, Potions..."
Harry smiled cheekily, while slowing stepping backwards, awaiting the foreshadowed snide remark from Snape or predictable cuff to the head, but instead of doing any of these things Snape simply lunged at Harry who quickly jumped out of reach and then rapidly sprinted away, back to the Gryffindor Common Room, only faintly hearing the "Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter, for being out past curfew and for the cheek".
Then he continued on rumbling about, "abhorrent, horrid, obnoxious, little boys, who needed to learn where their place was."
Even though he would never admit it, he knew deep down he secretly enjoyed the daily battle of wits he played against the boy, firing insult after insult, only to be hit with a snide retort from the boy which he then needed to reply to with another spiteful comment, accompanied his signature scowl.
And every now and then, he even let the boy win these little brain wars... (at least that's what he told himself when he couldn't come up with a quicker retort than the Potter boy).