AN: Wow…just wow…I'm so glad y'all like this. I wasn't sure that anyone would…This one has a bit more Severus in it but I'm not sure on how well I did him…any comments are welcome! Though I will say this, should you flame you will be read then I will see if I can twist your comments back around to a positive. Review! Review! Review! They make my dismal day happy! Cheers!

PS. The fourth chapter may take me a bit longer to put up as I'm still writing it. Just so everyone knows!

He Is Not One of Us

Chapter Three

"Severus, is he really starting down that path? Have I done him wrong?" Dumbledore asked once the rest of his staff left. The great wizard let out a troubled sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"I am not the best of wizards to ask that question, but I see a boy who is successfully building his own walls to keep everyone out. Albus, the entire student body is against him with only a few exceptions,"

"I'm sure Mr. Weasley will be able to bring him back," Dumbledore stated with a nod as if agreeing with himself.

"Weasley is one of his biggest tormentors. There is an even split those of darker leanings follow Draco the rest are behind Weasley. Our only hope is Ms. Granger! Open your eyes, Albus,"

"Mr. Weasley is Harry's friend surely that means something?" Dumbledore suggested.

"That may have been the case their first year, but no longer. Just today that Neanderthal threw a pebble at Potter's potion. It could have completely destroyed my classroom, Filius', and quite possibly two more floors if Potter hadn't caught it,"

"Surely not," Dumbledore tried to ignore his doubts.

"Albus, they were brewing the Blood Boilers' antidote and Potter's was perfect. You know the reaction to that one should a rock fall into it," Snape watched the old wizard's face pale dramatically.

"We must talk with them; the loss of a friendship can be very damaging. Severus, I can only assume that you have finally put your past behind you in accordance with your Harry,"

"Stop, even if I have there is no hope of ever getting those two to be friends once more. Potter has removed the rose tinted glasses and, as much as I am loathe to admit it, matured beyond the imbecilic whining of Weasley. Albus, I can no longer read his every thought as if they were shouted, his walls are gaining strength every minute. We can only hope Granger sees through them and brings him back in time," Severus interjected his voice hardening in hopes of getting through to the Headmaster. He had no desire to even begin to think of that bastard of a pure-blood, no it was safer to think of Lily. He needed to see his once close friend in the boy or he would never be able to help him as much as he could.

"How could I have failed him so, Severus?" a defeated Albus Dumbledore moaned.

"You placed him with Petunia for one," the Potions Master stated with his normal sneer in place.

"She is his family; surely she would have looked after him as her own. Lily was her sister,"

"A sister she despised as soon as Lily found out she was a witch while she became second for one more thing in the sight of their parents. She is petty and jealous," Severus snapped reminding the old man that the younger had grown up with her.

"Can you help him? I know of no better that could guide him away from those horrors, warn him of the addictiveness," Dumbledore finally asked after a length of silence. Snape stared at him a moment trying to pull himself together.

"I can attempt it," he muttered as he thought back to the end of his Potions class and actually holding a civil conversation and the perfect potion.

"Thank you, Severus,"

The Potions Master took that as his signal to leave the elder man to his thoughts. He stepped away from the jumping gargoyle just in time to hear a pair of voices to his right, turning slightly he spotted Granger and Potter leaving a door that he was certain hadn't been there before the staff meeting.

"You are simply…I can't come up with a word to describe what I just saw. Harry, there was nothing left of it," Hermione stammered as she looped her arm through his as he used the other hand to run through his mess of hair.

"I'm not that good, Mi. I still need practice on my multiple opponents; they're still managing to get me,"

"Harry, you were dueling six target drones set at Master. No one is perfect, except me of course," Hermione added with a batting of her eyelashes at her friend. Snape watched as the boy rolled his eyes and a smirk lifted a corner of his mouth.

"Oh of course, forgive me oh great and perfect Hermione Granger," Harry forced his grin back as he gave her an exaggerated bow while Hermione was watching him with a keen eye. Unfortunately, it only lasted so long until Harry looked at her with a half smirk that put life back in his green eyes that Snape had never seen before. The hall was soon filled with their laughter as they once more started down the corridor where Snape decided to make himself known.

"Mr. Potter, if you would, come to my office. I need to speak with you in a more in depth conversation," he drawled causing Hermione to jump at the sudden new comer while Harry stood straight with a blank mask instantly closing his emotions off.

"Yes, sir, I need to make sure Hermione reaches the Gryffindor Tower and I will meet you there," Harry answered cleanly while Hermione stared sadly at the sudden change to her friend. She turned to her Potions professor with a sharp eye with only a trace of sadness present.

"Professor, may I join in this conversation? I know of certain changes that have come about recently," she added glancing over at the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office then to Harry before her gaze landed on him once more. Snape was inwardly amazed at the subtle message hidden in the looks that normally he only saw amongst his Slytherins.

"It would be best if it would be a private meeting, Ms. Granger, perhaps next time," Snape stated.

"Yes, sir," she answered as she thought back to the incredible things that had come from Harry earlier about the man before her.

FLASHBACK

They were back on the couch were they had fallen into a comfortable silence each thinking about what they had just argued about. Harry's arm had somehow slid down to drape around her shoulders as she leaned against him.

"Snape knows," Harry's voice reverberated against her ear that had managed to rest on his chest.

"How?" she murmured not moving from her spot. She closed her eyes against the reminder that there was a possibility of losing him.

"I didn't get a chance to hide the books that I had removed from the Library. He must have seen them when he came around to our table. That's about the time he stepped verbally degrading me,"

Hermione sat up looking at him with wide eyes her fear for his safety apparent in their brown depths.

"You brought the books with you? To a class with Slytherins and our detestable housemates, Harry; what were you thinking?" she watched him sit up then to once more ran a hand through his still ruffled hair messing it up even worse.

"I wasn't, Mi, all that has been on my mind lately is this damn tournament and how everyone's reacted. I just feel like I'm not one of them anymore, Snape's…He…All he did was ask when I had last slept and to warned me to keep my humanity. He asked if I was prepared for the fall out and if I would allow Voldemort to win,"

"Will you? Are you?" Hermione asked quietly looking away from him in attempt to hide her tears from him. She couldn't stand to think of him seeing her so weak, but the angry surge of magic was unexpected.

"Will I what; will I let Voldemort win? Of course not, how could you even think I would?" Harry accused, his eyes unknowingly flashing with a mixture of his betrayal and fury.

"No, I would never doubt that, Harry. Will you keep your humanity? Are you prepared for the fallout?" she asked quietly turning back to see his hard face melt back into the tender and caring boy she's grown to care so much for.

"Mi, you're the only one I really care about, the rest…the rest don't matter, and the fall out has already begun," he stated brushing a calloused thumb over her cheek, wiping the salty lines of water away.

"But what about Sirius, Remus, Neville, they are still on your side," Hermione added as she held his hand to her cheek while grasping the other.

"For how long; Sirius left me to chase after Peter; he didn't care enough to stay with me. Remus, I never knew he existed until last year and even then he never mentioned my parents except for the same old line about my looks. It's only been this year that Neville's even really came up to me, I admit I've not been very open but still. How long will he last?" Harry returned as his eyes became hard, the cold anger breaking her heart as his hand slid from her face. She instantly sprang herself at him wrapping her arms around his neck and stratleing his lap. The fact that she was still in his uniform skirt evaporating from her mind, she never noticed that it was hiked up exposing most of her thighs.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry, forget I even asked. I'm just so worried about you. You are my first friend, the first person that stepped out to see the bushy-haired know-it-all. I can't lose you," she forced her tears back as she watched the anger fading from his beautiful green eyes as his hands slowly skidded up her sides to wrap around to her lower back sending waves of heat and goosebumps along the trail his fingers had skidded along the simple white dress shirt she wore.

"I can't stay mad around you, it's just not possible. I will give them a chance, Mi. Hell, I'll even give Snape a chance if it will make you happy," he muttered as a half smirk lifted the corner of his mouth while he leaned his head forward to touch their foreheads together. Hermione could feel the hope bloom within her and could tell that it showed on her face as his smirk turned into one of his rare real smiles.

END FLASHBACK

Hermione watched in silence as her Potions professor silently went down to his dungeons. She let out a sigh as she felt Harry's arm come up around her shoulders. Leaning into his side she felt right like this was where she was supposed to be. Heat instantly burst up from her core at the simple touch of his lips to her hair barely brushing the top of her ear.

"Come on, I better get you to the den before people get to suspicious," he muttered, his warm breathe tickling her cheek. Her feet began moving on their own while her mind swirled with the new sensations that her heart and body where throwing at it. The silence between them was only interrupted by the sound of their shoes on the stone and the mumblings of the paintings talking to each other. Before she knew it they were in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, she had to do something, say anything. She looked up just in time to see her friend start to say the password and she quickly put a finger to his lips. She pulled all of her courage to simply lift up and place a chaste kiss to his lips.

"Be careful Harry, I'll see you in the morning at breakfast," she managed before giving the password and entering the Gryffindor Common Room quickly. Harry remained frozen for once feeling every bit of being a normal teenage boy, the famine giggles bringing him back.

"Young love, it makes this old girl envious of being only a portrait all over again," Harry stared at the painted woman.

"Love …I'm not sure I know what that is," he muttered.

"Deary, when she's all you can see for the future if she's the one you can't live without. She's the one you love," the Fat Lady sighed. Harry shook his head slowly as he turned away.

"Would you keep an eye on her for me please?" he asked with a glance over his shoulder.

"Of course, love," she said with a sad knowing look aimed at him. He nodded and began his trek down to the dungeons.