The sun was sinking low in the horizon as Snape slumped into his chair in his office. It was only the first day of the term and he was already exhausted. It had not helped that he being called to one end of the school to the other by the Carrows, who kept reporting rebellious students. Those students were nearly all from Potter's lot, the group that had named itself 'Dumbledore's Army'; the rest were simply Potter's supporters and the Dark Lord's enemies.

Snape looked over his shoulder. Dumbledore himself was sleeping soundly in his portrait. Snape resisted the urge to grab the portrait by the frame and roughly shake it; he blamed Dumbledore for the position he now found himself in. It was the former headmaster who had ordered his former employee to become his spy and mingle with the Dark Lord's inner circle just as he had done when he had graduated from Hogwarts in 1978. That idea had not thrilled Snape then and it continued to irritate him to no end.

He got to his feet. It might be best to check on Potter and see how he was doing; the boy refused to leave his room, at least when Snape was around. As Snape climbed up the stairs, he was trying to work out a detail that Dumbledore had neglected when he had helped the Potions master prepare for Potter's stay: how to protect the boy while maintaining his Death Eater image. It was difficult to not waver more on one side than the other and Snape feared that he would become too protective of Potter and give away where his true loyalties lie to the Dark Lord and his followers. Snape shuddered at the thought of facing his 'master's' wrath.

Potter's bedroom door was closed and Snape quietly opened it. Potter was lying horizontally and unmoving on the bed. Fear clawed at Snape's insides as he rushed toward him. Had the Carrows somehow found out that Snape had smuggled Potter in the school and they came and attacked the boy when Snape had his back turned? Anything was possible in these dark times.

Snape stood over Potter and released a breath he did not know he was holding. Potter's chest was slowly rising up and down and he rolled over a bit; he was asleep. Snape sat on the edge of the bed next to Potter, getting over his brief moment of panic.

Don't ever scare me like that again, Harry, Snape thought as he gazed at Potter's sleeping form. At least one of them could fall into an easy slumber; Snape had trouble getting a good night's sleep with his racing mind. He constantly kept wondering if the security measures were good enough and how long it will take for the Carrows – who were like a ticking time bomb – to snap and kill a student or staff member. And on top of that, he had Potter to juggle as well. Snape assumed that it was the amount of responsibilities that was going to kill him, not the Dark Lord.

Snape stood up and removed Potter's glasses, placing them on the table next to the bed. Very slowly, Snape turned him in a vertical position. He laid Potter's head on the pillow and pulled the blankets over his former student, who did not wake up. Snape silently backed away as Potter turned his back on him and left the room.

Snape went back downstairs. This time, however, he was not the only one awake. Dumbledore was sitting upright in his portrait and he was smiling brightly. Snape approached him.

"What are you smiling about?" Snape hissed irritably.

"It was a nice day out," Dumbledore replied cheerfully.

"Where's that paint thinner?" Snape asked, looking around the office.

"Calm down, Severus –"

"Don't tell me to calm down! It's only the first day of term and I'm already running amok trying to keep this school safe while looking as if I'm the Dark Lord's most faithful servant. When you come back from the dead and fill in my shoes then you can tell me calm down!"

Dumbledore remained impassive as Snape drew breath after his rant. The former headmaster pushed his half-moon glasses further up his nose, looking at his friend thoughtfully.

"Severus –" Dumbledore began.

"What?" Snape snapped.

"Do you want to know the real reason why I was smiling?" Dumbledore asked patiently. Snape nodded curtly. "It's because positivity is how you battle negativity. Yes, even in these dark times. It does not do any good to brood over all the things that have gone wrong in the world," Dumbledore continued.

Snape groaned and turned the desk's chair around so that he can sit facing Dumbledore. "You are far too optimistic, Albus," Snape said as he sat.

"And you are far too cynical, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "How is our guest?"

"Asleep and loathing me. He barely leaves his room."

"Only when you are around. He comes out when you leave. I've had a few conversations with him already."

"What did you tell him?"

"Just a few things to keep his mind off of being captured, that's all. I haven't revealed our plan to him."

"Good," Snape said. "It's not the time to let him know."

"Harry has told me that he along with Mr Weasley and Miss Granger have not managed to discover the location of Slytherin's locket before they got separated," Dumbledore informed him. "What did you do with it?"

"Hid it somewhere in Harry's room. He should be able to find it if he looks hard enough," Snape replied in a bored tone.

"And the diadem and the cup?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"The diadem is under lock and key in your desk and the cup is placed on one of the tables over there," Snape said, pointing at the spindle-legged table closest to the fireplace. "You'd be amazed at how narrow-mindedness can assure the best kind of invisibility."

"I see that you have learned something from me," Dumbledore said, pleased.

"Evidently," Snape replied lazily.

"I'll be doing my best to give Harry hints on where to find the Horcruxes. There are, after all, four of them in this office alone."

Snape glowered at Dumbledore. As if he had needed reminding that Potter had to be destroyed along with the Dark Lord. Snape has yet to forgive Dumbledore for keeping that small bit of information hidden for so long.

"Severus, I have a favor to ask from you," Dumbledore suddenly said.

Snape raised his eyebrows; this could not be good. "What?" he replied suspiciously.

"Can you please fetch Dobby the house-elf from down in the kitchens? He will be more than happy to help Harry," Dumbledore requested.

"And what can a house-elf do, pray tell?" Snape demanded.

"Oh, many things. Just do as I say, Severus," Dumbledore told him severely.

"Yes, Albus. I'll go there straight away," Snape replied.

Dumbledore looked satisfied as Snape turned on his heels and swept out of the office. He should have, Snape thought, learnt not to question Dumbledore's plans; it always brought more questions than answers.

Here it is! The end of the first school term is almost here so I should be able to upload chapters a bit more frequently. :)