A/N: Well, here is the third chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews! You have no idea how relieved I am that you guys like it! There were two questions asked about the story, so I'm going to answer them here.

Nicia: Why does Sirius think that Harry's a disappointment? I'm not saying that Sirius thinks that, just that Harry believes he does. As to the why, it has something to do with an event J. K. Rowling used in the fifth book, OotP. I always thought it wasn't discussed enough, so I'm using it now, though earlier than in cannon. It will be revealed later on, as it plays a big role later when Sirius finds out about Harry staying with Severus. Maybe you already figured out which event I'm talking about, but if not you'll just have to wait. My apologies! =)

BlackAndWhiteLies: Please don't think me ignorant, but what does a 'Severitus story' mean? Of course I don't think you ignorant! I had to look it up myself when I started reading Harry Potter FanFic. Severitus means the story is about Severus Snape being, or becoming, a mentor or parental figure for Harry. And I hope you won't find that many spelling errors this time. If you know someone who would be willing to spellcheck my chapters for me before I upload them I'd be more than glad, as english isn't my mother language, but I'll give my best! =)

I hope you like it! Feedback is very much appreciated, also no flames please. Otherwise, every kind of criticism will be well received! =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters of it. That right belongs solely to J. K. Rowling!

Warning: This will be a Severitus story and later on male/male. Also, this Story will mention child abuse.

Note: This story is rated T just to be on the save side. I'll see how the story progresses, maybe I'll have to change it.

Summary: With Ron and Hermione turning away from him after his name came out of the goblet, Draco Malfoy acting weirder than ever and now having to return to his abusive life at Privet Drive, without any chance of help, Harry's only hope is one Severus Snape.

Breaking Free

Chapter Three – Finally Save?

Two weeks. It had been two sodding weeks of darkness, pain, loneliness and hunger since Harry had returned from Hogwarts. And the hunger was almost driving him crazy. It was nearly worse than the pain. But only just.

Exactly a fortnight ago, Harry had arrived back at Privet Drive and he already was on the brink of turning around and leaving for good.

He wished he could leave, but as always, he wasn't granted his wish.

Only last year, when Vernon decided it was time to beat some of that freakishness out of Harry, he had been one step away from cursing his Uncle into oblivion.

Now Harry only felt emtiness.

He didn't even have the will to fight back when his Cousin taunted him, or he and his friends started playing Harry hunting again.

Even though they didn't seem to enjoy the game as much as they once had anymore. Harry kind of understood that. Honestly, you can't play tag, when the one who is supposed to run away refuses to move.

Naturally, Harry had loads of sympathy towards Dudley.

And really, who could blame Harry for not wanting to fight? It hadn't been that long ago that Harry had seen the first person die infront of him, well except for his parents.

Back then he had fought. Had tried to stay alive. And for what? Thisß Was his life worth living? He didn't think so. Especially not under this circumstances.

Harry was woken up every morning at 6 o'clock, surprisingly not by his Aunt, but by and owl at his window.

Sure, the bird couldn't enter his room, but it was easy to take the Daily Prophet from it through the bars that had been reinstalled on his bedroom window.

After reading the newspaper for a couple of days Harry hadn't been sure he even wanted to return to Hogwarts anymore.

It had always been his home, his safe place. But now everything had changed. The Daily Prophet had declared his tale of what had happened on the graveyard a lie, nothing more than the imagination of the attention seeking, lying boy-who-lived.

Who would believe Harry that Voldemort was back when the Ministry denied it every chance they got?

But even more importantly harry himself had changed. he was so exhausted.

His whole life his relatives had hated and neglected him, but Harry had gotten used to it and once he had arrived at Hogwarts it hadn't mattered anymore, because there he had a real homeand people that cared about him.

Now his best friends had abandoned him, his godfather, who he had thought would be able to become his new family, seemed to not want him anymore and the wizarding world thought him a lying brat.

No. Harry didn't really want to return to that kind of life. But staying here at Privet Drive wasn't an option either.

Harry wasn't even sure he would continue living, if he stayed here at this hell hole.

Usually, his Aunt would 'wake' him around 7 o'clock to make breakfast, in which he wasn't allowed to participate. When he was lucky he got some old bread. When he was more than lucky he even got a slice of cheese, too.

Once Harry was finished he got a list of chores he was supposed to have fullfilled when his Uncle came back from work in the late afternoon. And that was not an easy task with the load of work he had to finish. Also his Uncle's habit of coming home early didn't really help Harry in his task.

Whenever Harry hadn't been able to cross out everything on the list as 'done' his Uncle would take on the job of making sure Harry regreted ever being born. And with the injuries that came with Vernon's punishments, it was nearly impossible to complete all his chores in time. Or what Harry's Uncle thought to be in time.

After that Harry would be allowed to use the bathroom for a whole of 10 minutes. Then Harry would be locked into his room again. Only abouit once a week he would get something to eat in the evening and it showed.

At Hogwarts Harry had always looked small for his age and like his body had just not been meant to be muscular.

Now he looked downright delicate, if not to say sickly.

He was pale and had dark rings under his eyes, caused by the frequent nightmares of Dementors, Voldemort and Cedric dying and had more bruised skin than unharmed.

His hair was greasier than Snape's could ever be and his stature showed, his will to go on like this had left him a long time ago.

At the moment Harry was in the garden, pulling out everything that looked as if it didn't belong there. It was a hot day in july and Harry was sure by now he had a bad sunburn on his neck and arms.

He sighed as he continued working, at the same time trying not to reopen the wounds on his back that had finally closed after being reopened nearly every day.

Carefully Harry shifted as it hurt to put pressure on his left knee. Ever since Dudley and his friends had caught him two days ago it had given him quite some trouble. Enough to make him slower in his chores.

Trying to stiffle a yawn he slowly sat up. Finally he was finished here, but the list still went on. Next on it was mowing the lawn. As if it needed that.

However, as useless as Harry thought this work to be, he didn't dare to object as he wouldn't face the consequences such a refusal would bring with it.

When Harry heard a car pull into the driveway he cringed. His Uncle was back and he had only just finished half of the list. He had just about been able to get out of bed and start his chores this morning. He wouldn't be able to endure another beating.

Harry had a difficult time getting up but managed it after a while. He was able to get all his garden tools and put them away before he heard the one thing he was dreading.

"BOY!" came the shout of his Uncle from the house. Harry swallowed and made his way slowly inwards.

Thanks to all the chores outside and not having his clothes washed or fixed, not even after a beating, Harry's clothes were less than rags. And when he stopped infront of Vernon he could see the sick pleasure his Uncle drew from seeing his nephew of a freak lika that.

Harry looked at his Uncle and cringed. Damn, he was still wearing his work uniform, that meant he hadn't been away with his colleagues, which usually meant something had gone wrong at work.

He fealt panic pool in the pit of his stomache and tried to squash it.

"Why are you not done with your chores, like your were supposed to?" His Uncle's voice was deadly silent and Harry felt himself start to shake, remembering the whip he had used on Harry a couple of times.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to slack off, but-" NO! He had said the word again!

WOOSH! Harry flew backwards and his head hit the wall with a sickening crunch. Harry tried getting back to his feet and held the left side of his face, where his Uncle's hand had connected with it.

Stupid! How could he be so stupid? You never use the word "but" with his Uncle. Harry didn't even have time to bring the world into focus again, before he felt Vernon's hand make contact with his solar plexus.

Sinking down to the floor Harry didn't have any power in him to fight back when Vernon got more vicious with every time he hit Harry. All the while yelling at him.

"You worthless piece of shit! We took you in and what do you do? Talk back and you won't do the simplest of things we ask of you! And that freakiness of yours is messing with everything! Admit it! You did something to my boss, so he wouldn't give me the promotion! You will regret everything you ever did to us!"

Harry couldn't breath. Something in his chest was so painfull and pushing on his lungs and all he could feel in his body was pain. His breath came in short ragged gasps and his vision was blurry from pain, tears and not having his glasses.

"We'll see if you think you can do that to us after I'm finished with you." Harry lay on the floor in the living room and looked after his Uncle who left.

He had to get away. His Uncle hadn't been this mad in a long time. Under normal circumstances Harry would have been able to handle what was to come, but he knew in the state he was in right now he would die if this continued.

With a wince he felt in his pocket and gave a relieved sigh. He hadn't lost his trunk. He had decided to carry it with him all the time, in case of an emergancy and he would have to leave.

Looking around for a way to escape his eyes landed on the floo.

It was the only thing in reach. Harry would make it neither to the front nor the backdoor in time. But he only could floo to Professor Snape and that wasn't really a possibility in Harry's opinion.

Crying out when suddenly pain errupted in his face, Harry pressed his fingers to it and could feel blood. He looked up with wide eyes. He hadn't even realized his Uncle had come back.

In his hand he saw the whip he so dreaded and realized that that was what was responsible for the pain in his face.

The whip came down a secong time with brutal power and hit his sore chest. It still gave him trouble breathing and all thoughts against going to Snape left him. He needed to get away from here. He couldn't die. He. Would. Not. Die.

With his last bit of strength, Harry tried to ignore the pain which was trying to push him into unconciousness, and made a grab for the floopowder. Feeling the green powder in his shaking hands he threw it into the flames and crawled inside them when they turned green.

He saw the enraged face of his Uncle and the frightened faces of his Aunt and Cousin and whispered brokenly "Severus Snape. Spinner's End."

Right before he gave into the blacknesshe hoped that something better would await him at the other end of the floo.

Severus Snape put out the fire while filling the finished potion into vials. He cleaned up his potions lab and then made his way upstairs.

So far the holidays had been quite good for Severus, who was glad to finally scape those brats from Hogwarts.

It was only two weeks into the holiday and he was staying at his house with his godson Draco.

Draco. Severus sighed. He was just glad the boy had reached him before his father had found out about him not wanting to follow Voldemort.

Severus had been shocked when the Slytherin had stood on his doorstep, soaking wet from the rain, explaining how he didn't want anything to do with his father anymore.

Apparently the man had made Draco watch him, while torturing muggles, and even though Draco had thought he wanted to follow into his father's footsteps, that was the point when he had realized how utterly clueless he had been until then.

Severus had listened to his godson and then had allowed him to stay. Spinner's End had the strongest protections on it and in no way was he going to endanger his godson by sending him back to Lucius Malfoy.

Sure, he had always spoiled his son, apart from the times when he was angry at him for being beaten by a "mudblood", but when the man thought someone deserved to be punished he was ruthless.

Severus didn't even want to imagine what the man would do to Draco when he got his hands on him.

Severus sat down at the dining table when his house elf Silly appeared.

"I is getting Mister Draco right this moment Master Severus." The elf bowed. "Thank you, Silly."Severus nodded.

Severus sat patiently while waiting for his godson. Sure, the boy had visited him sometimes, but staying with him like this seemed to be a good thing for both of them. Draco finally got to know how it was when someone really cared for you and not only for your education and behaviour like his father had done. And Severus couldn't help the warm feeling rising in his chest everytime his godson smiled at him.

He was like a son to him and Severus would do everything to protect him.

And there was the problem. Severus had made sure all his life that only the Headmaster and Draco knew how to access this house. With precautions like this, he didn't have to worry about anybody finding them here.

But the Headmaster had to give that blasted Potter-Boy the info how to reach his home. Severus glowered. Why him? Why couldn't anybody else take care of that boy for once?

He was just like his father. Always so arrogant and talking back and walking around like he was better than anybody else. And now he could tell the whole world how to find Severus' home.

He sighed. Life just wasn't fair.

"Why are you looking so glum?" Draco asked while taking his seat. He had just finished his summer homework and couldn't help the pleased smile on his face.

"Potter." Severus murmured and Draco had to fight to keep the smile on his face. Damnit! He was haunting him, Draco was sure of it. Everywhere he looked the boy-who-lived seemed to appear.

When he did his homework, he thought about how Potter was doing with his own homework. When he flew his broom he imagined racing against the other boy. When he worked on potions with his Uncle Severus, Draco couldn't help but think about how Harry had gotten that good in that subject. And the most horrible thought that had entered him since he had started thinking about the boy-who lived, was when he lay awake in bed, unable to sleep and just had to think about Harry being there and he was gone the next secong into dreamland.

Wait a second. When had he become Harry? It was Potter, not Harry!

Draco rubbed his eyes. He had thought he had gotten over that stupid…obsession that had started at the beginning of last year. But it just seemed to get worse. Draco had even talked to Blaise about it and after a while had come to the realization that he was fooling himself.

Draco cringed. He couldn't deny it any longer. He had a … crush on Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived.

Looking at his godfather he didn't even want to imagine what he would say if he knew. But Draco would make sure he never did. He just had to find a way to stop this feelings, or else he would go insane. Nothing good would come from it, Draco was certain.

Sure, he wasn't going to become a Death Eater and maybe that gave him points with Harry, but that still didn't change that the Gryffindor hated him.

On the other side of the table Severus stopped talking about stupid students, when he realized that his godson wasn't paying attention, but burrowed deep in his own thoughts. Severus watched him for a second and established that he looked sad. Like a little boy who didn't want anything more than a puppy, but knew he would never get one.

Severus sighed in his head. Draco had looked like that a lot lately, however every time Severus asked what was up with him, if he had a problem, Draco forced a smile on his face and said he was fine.

Severus opened his mouth for another try to get his godson to open up, when the unmistakeable sound of someone arriving by floo reached his ears.

He looked up and met Draco's eyes. The Headmaster had been here just yesterday and wouldn't come by so soon again. That left only one conclusionas to who just arrived: Potter.

Severus scowled, yet got up and went to his floo, Draco hot on his heels.

He opened the door to the parlor, expecting to see the golden boy of Gryffindor standing there arrogant as ever and stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of the bloody lump on the floor. No, not lump. Potter.

Behind him Draco drew in a deep breath and stared shocked at what was right infront of him.

Harry Potter was lying motionless on the floor, his clothes dirty, ripped and torn and not one inch of his skin without cuts and bruises.

Severus rushed to his side and started to look for a pulse and released a relieved breath when he found one.

Draco hurried to Harry's other side, not taking his eyes of the boy. He had to swallow twice to keep the tears from falling.

What had happened?

Suddenly Severus picked the boy up and started to walk towards the door. "Get pain relievers, healing potions, blood replenishers and skele grow. Also a sleeping draught and be fast!" He shouted over his shoulder while racing up the stairs and entering one of his guest bedrooms.

Severus laid down the boy and couldn't help but stare at all the wounds that covered him.

Severus started to take of the shirt, then the trousers and shoes, leaving the boy only in his boxers.

Severus cast healing spells one after another, trying to keep the boys heart beating.

Potter looked dead. Worse even, he looked like he had been dead for a while.

He was as skinny as people diagnosed with anorexia, every bit of skin was either split open or green, blue and yellow. Or black, like the left side of his face. And from his right temple, down over his face to his left ear ran an angry red wound.

What had happened to the boy?

Draco grabbed as many potions he could carry and raced back upstairs. His breath came in gasps and he couldn't keep the image of Harry out of his mind. He couldn't die! He just couldn't! Draco scowled. Who ever did this to him would pay!

He enterd the room and saw his godfather cast spells over the body of the still unconcious boy.

Draco handed the vials over and watched as Severus either spelled them into Harry's stomache or made him drink them by force.

Draco didn't know what to do so he just stared at Harry and in that moment something snapped inside of him.

He never wanted to see Harry like this. Draco wanted to protect him from anybody who even thougt about hurting him. He wished he could keep Harry from being hurt by his friends and wanted to tell him everything would work out.

In that moment Draco realized that he didn't have a crush on Harry Potter. He was in love with him.

Draco sat down next to Harry and took hold of his hand, praying he would be alright. When something caught his eye. A similar wound to the one on his face was on his right hipbone.

Draco stood back up and, ignoring his godfather, lifted Harry's side a bit to look at his back.

Draco sucked in a shocked breath at the sight. Harry's whole back was covered in welts. Some old and infected, others new and angry red.

His thoughts went on over drive and it took a while until Severus' voice got through to him.

"..should be fine now. For a minute I thought he wouldn't make it. I have to talk to Albus. The Death Eaters shouldn't have been able to reach him. How they got through the wards is a mystery to me."

Draco swallowed audibly. "Those wounds were not caused by Death Eaters."

At his godsons words, Severus looked up.

Draco looked at him with a grim expression. Severus halted in applying the healing balm to Potter's wounds and looked questioningly at Draco.

Draco just got to Severus side and lifted Harry a bit to reaveal the welts.

Severus eyes widened. Draco was right. No Death Eater would 'stoop so low' as to physically harm somebody. That's what magic was there for in their eyes.

No. Severus knew these kind of wounds too good to mistake them for what they were, as he had had similar ones in his youth. Even though his hadn't been so severe.

Potter had been brutally beaten and when the option of Death Eaters fell away, that left only one conclusion. Potter's family had hurt him.

Severus eyes flared with rage. How dare they? He never liked the boy, assuming he was just like James Potter, but no one harmed a child with Severus knowing about it and got away with it! They would pay!

A/N: So, what do you think? Sorry for the cliffhanger, I thought this would be a good time to stop. Let me know what your opinion is on this chapter! I'd be really happy to get more reviews, also let me know if there is something you would like to see happening in this story. I won't guarantee it will happen, but I promise I'll consider it. Also, questions and criticism are much appreciated, like that I know what to change or explain better! Thanks!