Authors Note: I researched online if a wizard can apparate without a wand, and the debate remains open. Based on what I read, I believe the argument which implies that a wizard cannot apparate without one, so I am going to use that basis for my story.

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In complete silence, Harry and Snape scurried down a flight of stairs leading from the apartment. Both figures walked briskly in the night. They were silent and quick- as if travelers on a secret mission. An icy glaze covered the ground. A sign that winter was indeed near. Their breath created fog trails around them, as their noses, ears, hands and cheeks ached from the bitter cold.

Once in absence from any light, Severus stole a glance at Harry. Even in complete black he immediately noticed the younger man was violently shivering. Did he really need to care this closely for him? The pathetic man was less responsible now than he had been in his youth.

They didn't have a long journey, but it was indeed a cold night and going on for much longer without warmth would surely slow them down. Rolling his eyes, he stopped short and instructed Harry to do as well. He removed the bag from his back and reached into it, feeling around for what was needed.

"What are you doing?" Harry whispered in the dark.

Quietly, the man growled, "It appears you are still too incompetent to dress yourself properly." Finally, his hand found what it had been feeling for and he pulled the item out. Snape reached out his arm and held it for Harry to grab.

It was his coat.

"Oh, um... thank you." Setting his own bag on the frosted ground, he took the jacket and put his arms through it. From the corner of his eyes, Harry watched Snape as he began fastening the buttons. The fact that Snape thought to pack this for him gave him the feeling that Snape thought more for him than he did himself lately. And that was indeed saying a lot. "I hadn't thought of it again."

"I presumed as much. Besides, I can't have you getting yourself sick, and thus getting me sick in return." He knew this was a lie to himself. Muggle illnesses were but a simple potion to cure. Something in his soul these last few days lightened his irritation for Harry, which allowed him to be kind. Ever since he watched Harry strive to achieve an education, then witnessed how easily he would let it fall because of love, he felt an unmistakable affection for the boy. This was simply most likely just because the qualities in Harry reminded Snape of himself at one point.

But lies that one tells himself can be just as deceiving as those told by strangers.

Harry smiled to himself. Despite that Snape cared, he would never admit it. That was just the way things would probably always be, and he promised himself he would never take it to heart.

He threw the backpack over his shoulder and walked past Snape who followed suit. After a minute of silence, Harry inclined, "What is your plan?"

They had been walking along the dark road for much time. Every snap of a branch in the darkness burned Harry's ears, aching his eyes in looking for the knowledge of what creator made such sounds. Occasionally a pack of coyotes or a lone owl could be heard in the hills surrounding them.

"The plan is, once we are further down the road, we will apparate to my home," whispered Snape. His voice was almost drowned by the sound of crunching gravel beneath their shoes.

Harry nodded to himself. His thoughts drifted to his wand sitting in the beside drawer. For the first time, he realized that maybe it wasn't a good plan to leave it behind. In the moment it felt right, but now he wasn't so sure. In fact, the acid in his stomach from the feeling of apprehension told him he should have brought it. It was a limb in regards to how he always had it on him and relied on it unconsciously. Sometimes, the demise of the dark days made him forget that the world still contained remnants of shadow.

Regardless, they were far enough down the road that he felt it would be a hindrance to turn around for it. He told himself that he likely wouldn't need it, as Snape would be able to sort this out within a couple days.

"What is that?" Harry suddenly stopped and looked to something shiny in the road. Both men approached what Harry pointed out. Snape pulled out his wand and lit the tip, directing it to the ground.

It was blood. Everywhere. A trail of blood led to the side of the road where a carcass of a doe could be seen. It's body had been ripped to shreds, as is whatever carnivorous animal attacked it had made sure to destroy the body first.

After several long seconds of the two men staring at the sight before them, Snape finally spoke. "We will apparate from here." They turned around and walked to the middle of the road, away from the beautiful life that had been taken.

"Erm, there's one problem." He looked at the ground, ready for the vicious attack Snape would surely have on him once he discovered Harry's carelessness.

"What, Potter?"

"I uh, I um... I left my wand at my place."

Snape did not speak for several seconds. He looked down at the man before him who refused to look him in the eyes. "I told you to have it on your body. Do you realize the mistakes you are making by disregarding what I instructed?"

"No I um... I read it in the letter, but I just... can't." Harry looked him in the eyes.

It took Snape a few seconds to comprehend what Harry was indicating.

Frustrated, Snape whipped out his wand and reluctantly held out his arm for the younger man to grasp onto. He had so much more to say in regards to the foolishness shown by Potter, but now was not the time. They were sitting ducks in the darkness and the longer they lingered, the more likely they could be spotted and attacked.

Harry reached out and touched the sleeve connected to Snape's arm. He hesitated, but then squeezed his cold fingers around the man's firm forearm. Unexplainable to what he had felt before, Harry felt a rush of blood inside him. The next thing that happened was a possible coincidence, but in the darkness, he saw Snape's face turn towards his and hold eye contact for a long moment. The dark eyes bore into his bright green ones. Time, fear, and heed to get to their location suddenly became forgotten.

His fingers began to warm against the contact, making him wish he could wrap his other hand around the arm as well...

Snape's booming voice halted his trance. "Do you wish to splinch yourself?"

He shook his thoughts and realized he had been standing there, barely holding onto the extended forearm with his hand. This was surely a recipe for disaster, and luckily for him, Snape had not apparated yet.

Curious with the feeling he had felt a moment ago, he wrapped his arm further around the mans. But he never would find out if that connection caused the surge amplify. Not a second later, he felt the harsh tug behind his belly button and then his feet suddenly landed flat on a soft ground.

They had apparated precisely on Snape's lawn.

As soon as they regained their footing, Snape snarled, "You need to get over the past, Potter." He snapped his body around and headed for the house. Something stirred within him and whether for the wand being forgotten or further reasons, he was suddenly beyond frustrated with Potter.

Harry stood there alone and felt his cheeks redden. The feeling of disappointment he had caused for his petty actions came to the front of his mind. The man just didn't understand what turmoil his wand caused at the moment, but maybe he really was holding on to his pain in ways that he shouldn't. He needed to consider the advice Snape had given him and simply move on.

Snape waited for Harry at his front door. His eyes scanned the forest around them. The former Death Eater felt the eerie tension that they were not alone.

Harry saw Snape's eyes trained on something in the distance. He stopped breathing as he listened to the sounds of the forest around that descended around the lone home. Realization of how foolish his decision was created panic within himself. The hairs on the back of his neck stood from paranoia. He was completely unprotected...

Harry hurried his way to the entrance where Snape stood. Snape looked down to Harry for a moment, studying his face. He nodded, then turned to his front door and unlocked it with a spoken spell. Both men quietly walked inside and felt the warmth and the added security from the home. The former student watched as Snape locked the door and then spoke several incantations to ensure its resistance against any basic magic.

"Can we go back for it tomorrow?" Harry asked once the man was finished.

"That would be unwise. He surely knows your location now that I escorted you. I wouldn't be surprised if Kirnap already looted your precious belongings." Snape walked past Harry and went down a dark hallway, leaving the younger man to resolve himself to the situation.

Harry stood alone in the entryway while he digested his thoughts. He felt a huge pit in his stomach. How could he have been so careless?

He snapped from his thoughts of helplessness and went to sit on his familiar spot on the couch. The feeling in his eyelids found their place in his thoughts, tempting him to shut them for a short time and ease the tiredness. He rested his forehead in the palm of his hands. For some reason, the thought of Snape stirred in his mind. Just Snape though, nothing else... except the feeling which Snape had caused him...

But surely, he must have imagined whatever it was...

It was Snape, after all.

Not Derrick.

He felt sleep toying with him again. Several minutes had gone by and Snape had not returned from wherever he stole himself off to. His body began to sway, finding resolution on the cushions to his side.

Thoughts of a figure in the forest taunted his mind. Possibly a man, he could not tell. A dark shadow stood a-top a hillside, looking down onto the house. The figure appeared to be now looking straight over it; only the light of the window was seen by the shadow. Harry was there, fast asleep on the couch, wandless. The shadow suddenly jumped. The shadow was now falling through the sky, the stars overhead floated farther away as he neared the window. Closer, closer, almost close enough. The shadow could see he was alone... closer, closer...he could see his scar upon the boy's forehead...he was so close...

Something touched Harry's shoulder-

Harry jumped with a start. He felt his heart lurch in his chest rushing the adrenaline in his veins. There was a man above him! Without looking he acted on instinct, shoving the figure far away. He then jumped up reaching into his...empty wand pocket. Harry froze and looked at the intruder to see he had shoved...Snape back onto the couch armed with just a blanket in his hand.

Harry's breathing quickened. "I'm sorry! Sorry, I had a dream...and you...well you weren't you, you were..."

Snape did not say anything. The shove had not been painful, more so it shocked him that though small, Harry was strong. He stood up and tossed the blanket on the couch. He noticed the direction of Harry's stare, which went out the window towards the dark forest. Snape had never before felt that the woods ominously surrounded the lone house. The thought came to him that Harry had had a nightmare about Kirnap. Striding over to the window, Snape slammed the curtains shut to hide any sight of the two of them inside.

He heard Harry let out a sigh. Realizing Harry felt unsafe without his wand, Snape decided now was the best time to distract him. "I saw you had fallen asleep before I could show you to your room, but I suppose now I can." He walked from the living room and Harry quickly followed suit. Snape led him into a hallway with a few different doors. "Here is the wash-room, over there is my room, this-" he stopped and opened a door, "is a closet, marvelous I know." He shut the closet door, "You can find extra blankets in there if you become cold at night...seeing as you chose to leave your wand. And here," he opened a door and stepped inside, " is the room in which you will be staying."

When Harry went inside, he found the room to be nicely decorated, simple, but lavish for a guest. It was not too big, just the perfect size to be both comfortable and snug at once. On the bed, his two bags were placed. The room had a single window, which was thankfully already hidden by the curtain over it.

Snape stood in the doorway, waiting for anything the young man had to say. He watched Harry look around the room and eye his bags. Harry went over and opened one of them and pulled the books from his bag, laying each out on the bed. He looked at Snape.

"Thank you."

"Your bags were no concern."

"No I mean...thank you for...this." His hands gestured the whole room. "I wouldn't expect you to care."

Snape digested the words. After a long stretch of seconds, he finally said, "It would appear, Potter, that some sort of power beyond us, fate perhaps, keeps pulling us to work together."

Harry nodded then looked down to the books. "So I assume our lessons will continue regularly?"

"Perhaps more often, now."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I suppose we may as well try and get out lessons done sooner than later. And then your life will return to normal- without me." Harry grinned at the last part.

It was obvious to himself he wished to say something else, but after deciding otherwise, Snape finally murmured, "Perhaps it may."

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Thank you to my new beta Lollapalozzafanatic83 for working with me on this and my last chapter.

Angel-Miyu: Haha keep reading then! They will surely find trouble together in the next coming chapters ;) I have some great ideas stormed up and am very excited to post them.

GriffinCat: I'm glad you agree with the pace I set for him. I think it'll be important for him to go through something like that to see the good in other people (cough) Snape.

GreenVixen, JM2010 and Jens2: Thank you for pointing out that I needed a beta and being honest that my chapter needed help. I had been trying to avoid having a beta, but now I see why it's necessary. I believe I found a good beta who finds all the mistakes in my writing.

The Arithmancer: I was really hesitant at showing Snape's concerns so early in the story, but I think I will cover why he is showing concern in a later chapter. I'm happy you liked that already :) I have a lot planned out which Snarry lovers should enjoy!

On a side note, I should be posting every Tuesday now. I had been posting twice a week but I am slowing down to once a week so I can spend more time polishing chapters. Thanks for reading everyone :)