Author's Note at bottom.

000ooo000ooo

Severus stood before his bay window in the afternoon. He looked out across the road to the trees which had lost all their leaves. The bitter chill of the mornings had made it's way into the day as well. A burning hot fireplace constantly provided relief from the near-winter weather.

His eyes scanned the road, awaiting to see the young man, wondering if he would show to this lesson. Harry had missed the last two.

He hadn't resumed running in the last week either.

Snape eventually gathered the will to send an owl to Potter, telling him to show to their next lesson or they were finished. Half of his heart sent the letter out of concern for his former student, but the other part was for the fact that remained- he sought to teach.

If Potter didn't show to this lesson he would certainly find his precise whereabouts and demand an explanation.

In the end, what made this all unsettling from the beginning was that Harry hadn't even sent a letter saying why this had come about. By now it was certain he was not ill. Something was amiss. Snape began to think Harry hadn't approved of their studies. Perhaps he didn't feel the social stand-point was essential, or that the reflection in History of Dark Magic was not necessary. If that were the case, then he was just as Severus had thought all along. Ignorant and very narrow-minded. At least he had the courtesy to discontinue running as promised.

Typical Potter.

Perhaps though, he hadn't been accepted into the next training Phase. That would give reason for him to discontinue, but it still didn't provide as to why he wouldn't owl him.

Eventually he saw the man walking down the road towards his home. Automatically he felt a little bit of relief within himself- despite his all around dislike for the man. Harry's arms were huddled around his frame in effort to keep himself warm. His hair was as messy as ever, for the wind had made it's own suggestions on how to style it. As he walked against the breeze, it brought with it many leaves it had stolen from the ground or from the remains left in the trees.

Snape tore his eyes away from the man and strode to his door and opened which allowed many leaves to come flying in, along with the vicious bite of the cold breeze. Snape came to terms that he was indeed glad to see he hadn't been abandoned. Even though he was tutoring Harry, he was still teaching. And that to him alone was a fresh of breath air from his solidarity. He did enjoy his peace but teaching was a passion of his that he had grown fond of for many years.

Harry made his way up the walk way in the yard. He didn't even look t the taller man until he was on the porch. His whole body was shivering.

"You obviously have missed our last two lessons!"

Harry did not flinch as he held himself huddled below the towering, and very furious man. "Sorry. I had some personal s-stuff." His green eyes met with angry dark ones. The chill of the air outside had tinted his cheeks a flush red.

Harry's did not at all look the same. His eyes looked heavy, dark circles contrasted against the green. 'Weary' and 'down' were a complete understatement to his appearance.

"Personal stuff, what?"

"Just personal stuff-"

"You are forgetting what I had asked weeks ago. You will address me by 'sir'."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Personal stuff, s-sir." His body began to shake worse as his blood slowed from the lack of movement.

Snape noticed the shuddering and frowned at the sight. "Why did you not wear a warmer coat?" The question left him before he could stop it. He felt his stomach turn at the sound of concern which had also left his lips.

Harry's eyes instantly softened. "Oh... um, I'm not sure."

"You are 'not sure'?" He rolled his eyes. "A grown man and you cannot be responsible to keep yourself warm? Why then, did you not warm yourself? You are a wizard. A pathetic excuse for one, nonetheless."

"Sir, I have not been myself. Please, c-can we just get on with lessons?"

He would of normally jumped at the opportunity to respond disapprovingly at Harry being outspoken. Normally. But something was awry, and perhaps the lack of being surrounded by students made him lose his ill-tempered self. Maybe. Whatever the reason though, he was consciously concerned for Harry, and even more so that Harry had addressed reason for concern by admitting he had not been normal.

"Very well, step inside. But next time I will blast you with fire myself if you show up half to hypothermia!"

Harry nodded, teeth chattering, and walked past the man who closed the door behind him. He made his way over to the fire and stood before it all while still holding his frame in attempt to overcome the chill still upon him. Snape silently made his way into the seating room and observed the younger man from behind. He couldn't get the idea from out of his mind that a big change had occurred. Snape was usually an intuitive Wizard and his instincts were typically correct.

"How far have you gotten on the books I assigned?"

"Um, about... maybe a quarter way on each of them."

He held back the urge to reach out and smack the man. "I'm surprised at myself that I expected more from you."

Harry turned his head around and met eyes with the older wizard, but promptly looked away. He left the warmth of the fire to sit on the couch. Snape followed suit and sat across from him on his lone-chair.

"Yeah. I guess I could of read more."

"Perhaps you do not take our lessons seriously?"

"No, I do! I'm sorry, I have been... busy."

"Excuses. Regardless, next time I expect you to have at least one book completed. More particularly, I would expect you to attend our lessons."

It was obvious Harry did not hear him. He had lost himself in thought and stared at the rug on the floor between their feet and he bit his lip unconsciously as his eyes bore into the carpet.

Snape took this chance to observe the younger man while he would go unnoticed. He looked very shaken, like he hadn't slept or either ate in days. His face which normally shone with confidence had lost it's touch and gave the appearance of being incredibly depressed.

"Very well. What have you found interesting so far from your readings?"

Silence.

"Potter!"

His head shot upwards as his emerald eyes found the blazing dark ones. Snape rubbed his brow together frustrated. Obviously the younger of the men was far too distracted.

"I assume they accepted your letter for me to tutor you?"

Harry slightly nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Mm. Well, regardless, I think it could be best not to linger on not being accepted for Phase IV."

Harry's eyes looked into Snape's curiously. "I have been accepted already."

Out of habit, his hand found his way to his bottom lip and rested itself there. "I assumed that was the reason for you to not come to lessons; you had conjectured that you were not accepted and felt our lessons were unnecessary to continue."

He slipped his hands into his sweater pockets. "Oh. No, sir."

A silence cast it's deafening curse among the room. Snape continued to observe Harry who had once again lost himself on an invisible spot on the middle of the floor.

"I heard- through the grapevine," his eyes automatically rolled before continuing, "that Granger and Mr. Weasley wed not too long ago."

"Yeah. A year ago."

"Hm." He paused and thought about how to discover the truth without appearing obvious to his investigating. Nothing seemed amiss with his best friends so instantly his thoughts adverted to what he had read in the Prophet many weeks prior.

"I assume things are going well with your muggle friend?"

Harry suddenly tensed.

There.

He found the sore spot.

But why did he even care that he had done so?

"Why do you ask?" He breathed the question so quiet that Snape was surprised he had heard it despite the wind pounding on the windows from outside.

"It would seem that to any person, knowing that their significant other were the savior of the world would be incredibly awe-inspiring. I would think that you in particular would be soaking this attention up."

"Yeah well it wouldn't do me much good anyways," Harry scoffed. He turned his head to the side and looked into the source of heat.

Snape's eyes bore in the side of Harry's head. "Why would it do you no good?"

His face shot towards Snape. "Because he won't ever know I was a bloody wizard!" Harry stood up and raised his fist but held it firm beside his face while his eyes were shut tight. "He won't bloody know, and even when I told him he just didn't get it!"

Snape wasn't even alarmed by the outbreak. The lash of anger served better than to have the boy moping during their sessions. Possibly once he got this outburst out they could return to their duties.

"That is not surprising that a muggle would not understand a Wizard." He stated the last part as if it were plainly the most obvious thing he knew of. His eyes never once left Harry who still had his own shut but had calmed somewhat.

"It is surprising when you thought they had truly loved you." Harry never lost composure once, but Snape was intuitive to hear the hurt in his voice regardless. He let his fist fall beside his side.

A thought in Harry's words struck him suddenly. "You said, 'he won't ever know' that you were a wizard?" Snape's eyes furrowed.

Harry opened his own but kept them held on the fire. "He won't," he breathed softly.

"Potter, you must be aware that this is not making any sense... even to me."

His head softly shook. He looked as though he struggled to come forth with what Snape asked. After a moment, he formed the words which he was conflicted with himself to say. "I did it. I did the spell and erased his memory."

His hand dropped from his lip, actually shocked to hear what was said. "You erased his memory? Why?"

"Because he bloody panicked!" Harry still didn't make eye contact as he raged, explaining the story to his former teacher. "He started cursing at me, telling me I was a damn freak or something! All I thought-" he momentarily stopped and calmed himself before continuing, "I just thought he had said he knew there was more to me in his letter. And so I showed him what I was when he had come home. But I should of bloody known it was already too late! He blasted found someone else. He planned to leave me as soon as I confronted him. Regardless, I messed it all up. I don't know how far I erased his memory but once I did it, he just looked so damn confused. He had no idea who I was! And then he just grew even more panicked. He knew something had happened because I was standing before him shaking. I was bloody shaking so damn bad because I felt as though I killed him!" Harry snapped towards Snape, his eyes shown brightly with tears threatening their existence.

He had begun breathing deeper, bearing green eyes meeting the dark ones. "I haven't been the same since. I don't know what to do anymore. I am ashamed- ashamed I am a Wizard for the first time of my life! I should of just let him go- let him run and tell the world. I doubt they would of believed him. But I was scared and at the same time I hated him for what he did. But now I just hate myself twice as much because though he hurt me, I loved him."

Speechless, Snape observed Harry from his seat. He would of never thought that Harry Potter would ever do something to this extent. Erasing one's memory was not bad if it was absolutely necessary. In some respect, Snape admitted to himself that he may have done the same...

"This is why you have been missing your lessons?"

"This is why." Harry brought his hands to his face to rub the un-shed tears from his eyes. "I never felt something so strong. Never. I saw it all the time though- Hermione and Ron practically are in their own world and I am so happy for them, but then I felt left to find that for myself. And I had it."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know." He turned to his body was facing the bookshelf. He became lost in thought while Snape silently considered what he was informed of.

"You know, it's ironic in a way- what happened..." His hand ruffled his short hair. Something about seeing that made Snape's heart beat faster. Just slightly.

"Educate me."

Harry's hand went from his hair and began to rub his forehead. "Well, it's ironic that I did that to him because he freaked that I was a Wizard. He had slipped the note into a book that looked like a regular novel, but all along it was the book about Wizarding History which I had charmed." He almost laughed. "It's ironic that I was a Wizard all along, doing those sort of things... yet he saw me as a freak when he actually knew. Nothing had changed except for him knowing."

He let the words soak in, unsure of what to say to the younger man. He and Harry had never been on good terms and even though they were nowhere near a friendship, they still shared each others deepest moments. For one, Snape had been the one to find the wreckage of the home where his parents body lay slain. He had witnessed Harry's turmoil in the stands immediately after the attack of his fellow classmate during the Tri-Wizard Tournaments. It was also he who was a part of saving Harry from Crouch's son. And Harry of course, had seen into his dark moments in time on two separate occasions. What else was there to lose if he let the boy confine in him for once? They were technically closer than anyone else realized. "How long were you and this... muggle... together?"

"Derrick. And it we were technically together exactly a year... to the day."

"Only a year."

"You don't get it though. I gave what felt as my soul to him. And he burned-crushed-smashed it the day he left me a letter- in the book- saying he had found a new person. You have no idea how that hurt me. I had given myself to him and been thrown out as a reject. And it still hurts the same as it did that day. In fact, I don't ever feel that it won't."

"It feels that way... in the onset."

Harry turned around to look at the man before him. He would of never expected the man to share advice to him, but the most of the surprise came from the advice which also admitted to his own hurt. Rather than ask Snape of his own past loves, Harry nodded, thankful to not be made out to be a fool for once when he actually felt as if he were.

Snape rubbed his lip. "They say that 'failure is the only opportunity to begin more intelligently'." With that he met Harry's eyes and gave him a soft nod.

Harry sighed. "Yeah. I suppose you are right."

"I cannot lie to you and profess this will be easy. What you did will likely plague you for some time to come. Erasing a memory under such circumstances was not the best use of magic. And that of one whom you say you loved. But, you are young. And from the sounds of it, that Derrick must of strayed from a good path. Betraying a person you care of is of the more cowardice ways to end a companionship. I myself... would likely of done the same if I were in the similar event."

Soft expressions met. For a brief moment if felt as if meeting each other for the first time. An understanding was shared between the two men.

"Now that we have that out of the way.." Snape forced himself to roll his eyes as if the event had actually been an annoyance.. "..do educate me what you found interesting from your books you have been reading. If you cannot think of at least three things then I will find it upon myself to read these books to you after tucking you in. This of course sounds absolutely vulgar to myself, as I am sure to you as well. So please do think of something."

Harry almost smiled. He found a comfortable spot on the couch and did his best to forget the hardship of his past in that moment.

He couldn't name the exact reason why, but for some reason, the weight on his heart had drastically lessened since he had met Snape for lessons.

000ooo0000

Later that evening, Severus was working on cleaning his kitchen area before doing his evening reading. Harry had left his home minutes prior allowing him to attend to his regular daily routine. He always preferred to do cleaning by hand, particularly scrubbing the kitchen counter. He felt a sense of accomplishment by providing surfaces with an absolute clean surface. Part of him knew he was considering "overly-obsessive" in his cleanliness, but he just knew what he liked and maintained it to that aspect.

Snape set the dirty rag by his sink and pulled out his wand. He whispered a spell which cleaned the cloth back to it's prior state- as bacteria free as a spell could make it.

He was about to put the cloth away in a drawer when he heard the rap of a knock on his front door. He set the cloth down upon the counter surface and walked to the door.

When he pulled the door open, he was completely speechless to see who stood before him.

"Hello, Severus."

000ooo000ooo

Authors note: I hope you guys are enjoying the slow bonding between the two :)

I wasn't 100% satisfied with this chapter, but I wanted to update sooner than later and get working on the next chapters coming up which will have a bunch of Harry and Snape! I am having issues with scene breaks. Apparently doesnt like symbols which I have seen on other fanfictions in the past. So please bare with me if you noticed before. Thank you for all the lovely reviews I received, but mostly thank you for reading!

Asphodel21: I predict in the future that Harry will fall into a deep depression and a stubborn and possessive Snape will refuse to let that happen, therefore having to rip Harry from his bed ;)

The arithmancer: I know, I felt bad for him. I hope I made his heartbreak feel real enough.

Angel-Miyu: I am a huge Snape lover. He has so many inner layers to him that are so fun to peel while writing him. Him and Harry compliment each other in that aspect because we know who Harry is fairly well, but he has to work to figure out who Snape is.

It has snowed in my city today. As much as it's "eew", it's also very pretty, which inspires me to want to write future scenes with Harry + Snape + snow! Who knows what that could lead to ;)