1Disclaimer: Still own nothing.
A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews!! I totally didn't expect them!! To answer some questions, yes this is HP/SS... or will be eventually, and yes I did notice the irony and I'm SO glad somebody else did!! :) Yay!! Also FYI the rating on this may change depending on where it goes. It's still a major work in progress so expect some small changes. So yeah. Thanks again for all your input on the story! Makes me so happy!! So this chapter didn't turn out quite how I wanted it but here it goes anyway.
Harry stepped reluctantly into the Hospital Wing, sweeping his eyes across the long room. He caught a glimpse of bruised and bloody faces before an almost frantic Madame Pomfrey bustled over to him.
"Harry. How badly are you hurt?" Without waiting for his answer she pulled him into a vacant chair and proceeded to examine his head. After a few painful prods she nodded and pulled away. "Do you feel any dizziness or nausea?" Harry shook his head. She nodded again. "You'll need a Blood Replenishing Potion. Of course if you had been brought to me straight away you wouldn't even need that." Harry smiled as she hurried away, still muttering something about people interfering with her job.
Harry surveyed the room again, uninterrupted this time. Every bed was full and several students, like Harry, sat in chairs along the walls, totaling over 30 students in all. Harry spotted Ron being treated by Professor McGonagall at the other end of the Wing, Hermione hovering anxiously next to him. He could pick out a couple other faces from his year among the injured, but the majority of them were younger, first or second years. What kind of people could attack children, he asked himself furiously. What did they ever do to deserve this?
He was pulled from his thoughts by the black robed, solemn, Professor Snape striding towards him carrying what he assumed was his Blood Replenishing potion. Snape stopped directly in front of Harry and silently handed him the potion. Harry drained the foul tasting liquid in one swallow and handed the empty vial back to Snape, who stored it in his pocket. He pulled, from the same pocket, four items that Harry recognized as Muggle butterfly bandages.
"May I?" Without waiting for a reply Snape knelt on the floor next to Harry. He muttered a quick cleansing charm and Harry hissed from the sharp stinging the spread through his head as the wound was cleaned. Snape leaned in and began carefully closing the gash with the butterfly bandages. Harry took the opportunity to study Snape. His hair hung limply to his shoulders, shiny with hair products or grease, though Harry strongly suspected the latter. His eyes were the same cruel black that Harry had grown accustomed to over the years. His attitude toward Harry had worsened, if that was even possible, due to the incident last year where Harry's curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had pried into Snape's memories. Snape now took every opportunity to harass Harry with snide remarks and scathing looks. He took away house points for the smallest of incidents and Harry was certain that the reason he was failing his NEWT level potions class was because of Snape's hatred and bias. And now he needed Snape's help. How sickeningly ironic. Harry sighed and waited for Snape to finish with the bandages before speaking.
"Professor? Can I speak with you for a minute?" Harry stuffed down the part of him that wanted to hex Snape into oblivion and tried his best to be polite.
"What is it Potter? If you haven't noticed, I'm a little busy." Harry, again, swallowed his anger and replaced it with politeness.
"I spoke with Professor Dumbledore about preparing for the war." Snape's eyes widened and he glanced around looking for possible eavesdroppers. "He told me about the Ministry's decision to not train the students." Harry paused, not sure how to proceed, and Snape jumped willingly into the silence.
"And what could this possibly have to do with me?" He stared at Harry, obvious annoyance filling his eyes and voice. Harry's anger boiled up again and he spoke, unable to completely control himself.
"I need your help training for the war." Snape froze, staring intently at Harry with surprised eyes. "The Ministry is watching Dumbledore or he'd train me himself. You're pretty much my last resort." Harry wondered if he should have admitted that but shrugged it off and met Snape's stare.
"We will need to talk in a more private place. Meet me tonight after the feast. In my office, 9 o'clock sharp." Harry's anger slipped away and he nodded and watched as Snape turned and strode away to another student. Harry was soon joined by Hermione and a healed Ron, and the three Gryffindors exited the Hospital Wing.
Harry walked quickly through the dark winding hallways. Nerves filled his stomach with butterflies, putting him in a worse mood than he already was. The Feast had been a subdued event. The Great Hall was filled with scared and injured students who had finally realized the severity of the situation they were facing. Though Dumbledore had tried to carry on like nothing had happened, nothing could break through the somber mood that had settled heavily on his students. Harry himself had tried to lighten the mood several times only to be met with a few feeble smiles and nervous laughs. Finally he had surrendered himself to sitting silently and worrying about his meeting with Snape. Definitely not a subject that would brighten his spirits. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts as he rounded the last corner and stopped outside Snape's office. With a deep calming breath and a surge of courage he knocked softly on the door. Part of him hoped that no one would answer. No such luck.
"Come in." Harry pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit office. Snape was sitting behind his desk bent over a stack of papers. He glanced up for a moment as Harry walked towards the desk, before returning to his work. Minutes passed as Harry stood awkwardly waiting for Snape to acknowledge him. Harry had just begun cursing Snape's rudeness when he finally set down his quill and leaned back in his chair. "You said you needed to speak with me. Speak." Harry swallowed hard and managed to pull back the crude remark that threatened to spill from his mouth.
"Well like I said I spoke to Professor Dumbledore. He seems to think that the only way for me to receive the training I need is to take lessons from you." Harry suddenly found the floor very interesting to watch. "So I'm asking for your help." The last was said in barely more than a mumble.
"And why, Potter, do you think that these lessons would work out any better than our Occlumency lessons?" The sarcasm in Snape's voice made Harry cringe and he realized what Snape was trying to do. Deciding to play along, he answered, gaze still firmly planted on the ground.
"I've been thinking about that. I never really apologized to you. I am sorry." The last was said with almost desperate sincerity but Snape snorted and Harry looked up to find his eyes filled with cold amusement.
"You really expect me to believe that. The Boy-Who-Lived playing the innocent child to get what he wants. Ha!" He sneered at Harry. Harry tried to control himself but it was a lost cause.
"I was trying to be polite." The words came out harsher than Harry had intended but they got the point across. "Just because you can't let something go doesn't mean that I should be punished for it." Snape jumped to his feet, his eyes blazing with anger, and Harry took a step back, wondering if he'd pushed the man too far. When Snape finally spoke his voice was cold enough to send shivers down Harry's spine.
"If the apology had been sincere it would be a different matter." Snape leaned over his desk, looming over Harry in a not-so-subtle threat. "Do you really expect me to believe that you and your little friends didn't have a great big laugh over the treatment I received from your idiotic father and your mutt of a Godfather?" Harry snapped.
"You think I like knowing that my dad was a complete prick?! You think I really get off on knowing that him and his friends made people's lives hell?!" Snape leaned back in surprise. "You need to stop living in the past and wake up! Open your eyes and look around! Maybe then you'll realize that I'm not my father!" Harry shuddered to a stop, out of breath and tired. He stared at Snape, waiting for the man to vault the desk and strangle him to death. When the attack didn't come Harry sighed and walked away. He paused for a moment at the door and looked back at his stunned potions Professor. "I really am sorry." He left quickly, the door closing softly behind him.
A/N: Ok, so that so didn't go how I planned. Damn characters have a mind of their own. And it's a lot shorter than I wanted it too. Oh well I guess it worked out anyway. But tell me what you think? This one might need to be rewritten.