Congratulations agirlcalledkill2586 that is indeed where the chapter titles are coming from, the chocolate covered character of your choice wings its way to you with a freshly shaken squirty cream bottle and glace cherries!

AND does anyone else but me imagine Snape's lines drawled by Alan Rickman?

Chapter Ten - When in disgrace with fortune

Severus caught Harry as he fell, one arm looped around the boys waist cradling his head and neck in the crook of his collar bone. Poppy didn't look up she was too busy weaving healing magic's to wonder how the boy had been caught only that he had been, she was a powerful witch this one, as were all of the teachers Dumbledore had pulled to his school, sometimes Severus wondered at Tom Riddles sanity in not seeing them for the fighting force that they were.

A shift against his side and he looked down to meet Slytherin green eyes, muddy with pain but still undeniably lovely, the girls in Gryffindor were undoubtedly sighing every time the boy looked at them. He watched the boys nose wrinkle as one tear escaped him, Severus automatically wiped it away "There Harry, a little pain makes us more than we are" he felt his lips twitch into a small, but relevant, smile. A little cruciatus taught you to appreciate pain.

A lot taught you to embrace it.

Harry sniffed but a similar smile bowed his lips as Poppy straightened "There, that's the best I can do, bad healing is going to leave you with some permanent damage, but nothing that should stop you leading a perfectly normal life….if….if! you relax for the next couple of days" He felt Harry tense and lifted his eyebrows "I think I can keep Mr Potter tied up for the next couple of days with something relaxing, don't you Harry?"

He waited for the affirmative for a few moments before looking down to find Harry looking back at him through ridiculously long lashes with a grin haunting his features. Severus frowned, what had he said that was funny?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry wanted to laugh for the first time in ages.

More and more every moment he saw the look of face slapped confusion on Severus Snape's normally inscrutable face, of course he was also blushing, because (and DAMN teenage hormones leading to a dirty mind) he had instantly flashed on being tied up with something relaxing in mind.

Of course he'd never considered Snape in that light before, but if one was owned by someone then one had to expect all sorts of things, and kinkiness was but one interesting part. And that look on Severus' face…..

He laughed.

It wasn't a long laugh or particularly belly rumbling, but it was there, and he saw it, and dawning comprehension reflected in midnight eyes "Ha ha, Mr Potter, ten points to Gryffindor for managing to make something said by a nurse into an innuendo worthy of Slytherin" Harry wanted to argue that it hadn't been Madame Pomfreys expression he had corrupted, but the undercurrent of sarcastic humour in Snapes voice made it impossible to do anything but enjoy the joke.

It had been a long time since he'd done that, when had the last time been, some gag of Ron's about Malfoy which had been nearly a year ago. He turned abruptly in Snape's arms and hugged him "Thanks" a gentle pressure, mindful of his ribs, was to his shock returned "A mere pittance Potter" Then he was settled upon the edge of the sofa whilst Severus ushered out Madame Pomfrey it was obvious he'd done it before, ignoring all of her gentle clucking and getting her into the fire and away without a moments break in his aloof savoir faire.

Then he turned back in a swirl of black robe "So Harry, tell me, what happened?" the voice was gentle but there was an undertone of command to it, for a moment he balked, he was a Gryffindor they didn't confide in Slytherin, especially not the head of Slytherin who'd been so out of character nice….

Yesss Harry, tell ussss all about it

He was speaking before the last hissed sibilant had left his mental space.

"It was like this….."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry's voice was calm but there was an edge to it, like a perfectly made sword, just as likely to cut you as an enemy. "…..my cousin, the muggle, and I don't get along, and neither do his friends and I. They decided that they didn't like my looks and were going to change them, every summer, since I started at Hogwarts and they couldn't get to me at school, I have a few interesting scars apart from this one"

Severus watched as Harry's hand lingered on the lightening bolt shaped curse scar, and felt compelled to speak "There is more to you than your scars Harry, I hope there is more to all of us than the marks we bear, much as they may come, in some way to define us, they do not make us whom and what we are"

Emerald eyes were watching him and in them was a need so huge that it was almost overwhelming, and realization struck. Harry Potter, Dumbledore's crowned saviour of the wizarding world was balanced on the edge of madness out of a simple desire to have someone care for him.

It was really that simple.

Men died from lack of love, and Harry Potter was dying, they needed his friends back at Hogwarts and a supportive network established. He had never lost a Slytherin to suicide or madness, he supposed he could extend his record to one annoying Gryffindor.