He didn't know at what point he'd fallen asleep but he'd slept all through the night. Harry was dreading detention, he'd considered starting some of the essays yesterday, maybe Charms, considering he spent all day doing the work in the forest, but he'd ended up asleep. He was not going to get a weekend at all. To make matters worse, Saturday started as a beautiful sunny morning with dew covered grass and with great promise for the day ahead. It was days like this that Harry liked to go flying. That just made this detention all the more torturous.

He had breakfast early, before too many people could come and ask him questions about his 'soulmate'. He was hungry. Only now realising that he also skipped dinner in his attempt to hide out from the world. The hot chocolate had helped a little though.

He made sure to get plenty for breakfast this time.

"Clearly skipping two meals doesn't feel pleasant the day after does it, Mr. Potter." Harry turned round to look at Snape, his cheek's puffed out from having a full mouth of sausages and beans. Snape rose an eyebrow at the appalling display that would make Ron proud. "However, do try not to choke in an attempt to skip on today's detention." He said simply and walked towards the breakfast table. Harry managed to get the bite down before looking back at his plate and eating a little slower.

Will his lifetime worth of awkward relationships ever end? Well, it wasn't a relationship yet and if it were up to them it never will. He wondered if any other girl would want him knowing his soulmate was someone else. According to everyone's behaviour about soulmates that was a big nono.

And was he really gay? He didn't feel it, but then again he'd never felt straight either, he just figured he was since he kissed Cho, though that had been super awkward, and since he really liked Ginny. So… he was bi? Now he had to question his sexuality, he hated that darn ministry.

Oh yeah! And Snape isn't gay either! He loved Harry's mother so he had to be straight. That just made Harry feel worse. Strangely he did understand what they meant by emptiness, it was like… going to a quidich game alone… He loved quidich but without a friend beside him to cheer with him… it just wasn't as fun. So did that mean he wanted to be with Snape?

"God this is horrible." Harry mumbled.

"Is it Mr. Potter?" Harry jumped hearing Skeeter appear beside him.

"You stay away from me." He growled getting up and trying to get out of the great hall. Suddenly the doors opened and reporters bombarded in.

The teachers and few students there looked surprised that the reporters could have gotten past the wards. Harry stepped back slowly. The reporters seeing him retreating ran towards him. Harry turned to run but he was quickly surrounded by the press.

Mcgonagal looked shocked, "What the…" Severus had his hands clenched into fists as he stood trying to make it to Potter, seeing the boy trying to look for a way out.

"Mr. Potter! When will your wedding be?" "Mr. Potter, how is it being with someone who dislikes you?" "Mr. Potter, will two heroes together cause too much of an ego problem?" "Mr. Potter, how many children are you planning to have?" "Mr. Potter!" "Mr. Potter!"

There was no way out, if he found a gap they would close it back up again and when he actually tried to push his way out one of them grabbed him and pushed him back into the centre. Something that really surprised him, never having expected them to get physical in their attempts to get a story.

"Leave me alone!" Harry yelled. This was dangerous, they were pushing and shoving each other to try and get to him. Suddenly an arm wrapped around Harry's shoulders and pulled him out of that circle of vultures, Mcgonagal and the other teachers blocking the reporters, pushing them steadily out of school grounds.

Snape pulled him out through the teachers' doors and walked with him down the corridors. The uproar of some of the reporters that managed to get through the teachers, following them. Snape closed door after door in an attempt to slow them down.

"Ridiculous." Snape hissed when finally the only sound echoing on the stone walls was the sound of their steps. Harry tried to ignore the feeling that having Snape's arm around his shoulders gave him. His hand gripping hard onto his robes, as if ready to pull him away from any danger that might arise.

"Professor, I think they're done following." He said. Snape did not stop. "Professor…" Still nothing. "Sev…erus?" He tried. Snape halted suddenly and looked down at Harry. Harry still a head shorter than the potion's master. The other stepped away from him, letting go and just looked down the corridors. No one was in fact following them.

"What did you call me?" Harry flinched.

"I…" Harry regretted it the moment it left his lips.

"I am your headmaster and professor. You will address me as one or the other. I did not survive that snake bite just to have you forget respect, Mr. Potter." He said crossing his arms as he was so used to doing.

"Yes, of course professor, I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Harry said. Snape nodded and looked down the corridor once more.

"I can't have you wondering the corridors until it's certain there are no reporters in the school. Come on." He said continuing towards the headmaster's office. It was a short journey, the teacher's path making getting from one point of the castle to another much easier.

Once in the office Harry's eyes went straight to Albus' portrait who smiled and nodded at him with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.

"Good morning, Professor." Harry said.

"Good morning, my dear boy. What brings you here this fine morning?" he asked. Harry was going to reply when the potion's master interrupted him yet again.

"Potter, I'm going to find Professor Mcgonagal to make sure this matter has been taken care off." He said. Harry turned and nodded. "If you want the elves to bring you your breakfast here you may ask them." With that the other left muttering to himself about bloody reporters.

Dumbledore chuckled once Harry decided to in fact have his breakfast brought up since he was still hungry. "Having trouble Harry?" He asked as Harry was brought a tray with a new breakfast.

"Reporters… they came into the great hall and started asking a bunch of questions." Harry said. "I just wish they'd leave me alone." Harry admitted.

"I'm sure a day will come when they won't bother you anymore, Harry." Harry wished he could believe that. Not wanting to hear any more false reassurances he simply carried on with his breakfast.

Snape hadn't returned by the time he'd finished and Harry was too afraid to get out of his chair and wander around the other's office.

Figuring he might as well get his detention started he moved his chair closer to the headmaster's table, the chair loudly screeching on the stone floor as it was dragged. Once there he called for a house elf so they could bring him his writing materials and a couple of books. When reached to get his ink and parchment he hesitated. He realised that there wasn't really enough space for him unless he moved some papers and maybe Snape had left them like that for a reason. Turning to look at a smaller table in the corner he opted to go to that one instead and turned the chair, dragging it once more, the screeching bothering the portraits.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Snape snapped from the door. Harry jumped and looked at him like a deer caught in head lights. The chair wasn't even halfway to the small table.

"I thought… I didn't know when you were coming back professor, so I figured I could get started with my essays." He said.

"Did you consider using your wand Mr. Potter?" Snape asked. Harry blushed.

"Yes…" Snape carried on staring unimpressed. "N-no… well, it was just a chair!"

"Yes, well. It seems your idea would be correct. Regarding your little popularity problem, I'm afraid I can't let you go until new wards are put in place." He said. Harry tensed at that.

"How long?"

"The whole day most likely." He said simply going to sit on his own chair. Harry looked at the table in the corner. Maybe Snape really was trying to get close to him, but in a way that wasn't obvious… so it seemed like Harry was the one that wanted it? Oh, that's so… Slytherin!

"What about Professor Mcgonagal? Or I could just stay in the library. Or…"

"Trust me Potter, it was not my idea to keep you here. Apparently all other teachers are busy, absent or setting up the wards. So, to our great dismay, we are stuck together for the rest of your detention. Now sit. I expect a high quality essay regarding the potions lesson you decided to skip yesterday." He said simply getting to his own work.

"Nnh… fine." Harry groaned softly but carried on pushing the chair.

"Use your wand, Potter." Harry pressed his lips together not looking at the headmaster as he pulled back taking his wand from the holder on his arm. He no longer put his wand in his robes. For good reason. He pointed the elder wand at the chair feeling his fingers twitch for using it for something so trivial. None the less, without a spell, the chair easily slid into position. The wand looked no different from his old wand, a powerful disguise, only an experienced wand maker would probably be able to see through the concealment magic, and only if they got close enough to do so. Something Harry didn't allow anyone to do.

Once he finished he put the wand away and took out his things, working quietly in the corner. By the time lunch time arrived he was surprised to find that he'd finished three. Charms, that one had been pretty straight forward, Divination and DADA. Now he only had Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions left and he might have a Sunday after all.

"It's time for lunch Mr. Potter." Harry looked over his shoulder to see that a large tray with sandwiches had been left on the headmaster's table. Snape was looking at the sandwiches with a sour look but said nothing. Harry stood and came over to grab some brown bread sandwiches. "Sit."

"What, I'm having lunch with you?" He asked. Snape looked at him annoyed.

"Who else is here?" he asked. "You'd probably end up messing up whatever essay you've been working on if I made you eat there." He said. Harry bit his bottom lip and nodded sitting down on the other chair by the table, eating quietly, looking anywhere but at the headmaster. This was awkward.

"Professor…"

"This does not mean you can talk to me." He said simply.

"But Professor… don't you think we should talk about… the mirror?" Harry said finally. Snape remained quiet. Harry didn't look up at him and believed the other was considering talking.

"I am old enough to be your father, Potter. I am not going to ask a relationship from you boy." Harry certainly felt his face heat up with a blush. God he shouldn't have asked.

"O-ofcourse not professor, it's just with this whole… hype, I was just wondering if it was alright not to do anything." He said.

"And since when do you do as others tell you?" Snape scoffed. Harry rolled his eyes.

"So it doesn't matter, right? If we don't…"

"It certainly doesn't matter to me." Snape said calmly. Harry felt relief at that.

"Thank you Professor…" He said simply and they finished their meal in a slightly less, but still awkward, silence.

At the end of the day Harry only had the potions essay to write out. He handed the others to Snape and left the office in time for dinner. He was glad he didn't have to share another meal with the headmaster.

When Harry left Dumbledore decided to speak up. "My dear Severus, you should know better than to lie to your soulmate." Dumbledore said.

"Firstly, Albus, it's what he wanted to hear. Secondly, it wasn't a lie. That mirror is probably as much nonsense as the mirror of Erised." He said. There was a chuckle and a brief silence.

"Consider this a chance my boy, to move on… you've been grieving for Lily far too long." Albus said gently. Severus didn't reply, choosing to ignore the other, and ignore the tightening of his chest.

"Harry, good to see you, Mcgonagal told us what happened this morning." Hermione said when the other came over to sit down for dinner.

"Yeah it was a nightmare… what did you guys do today?" Harry asked beginning to rub his chest. Hermione frowned gently.

"Are you hurt Harry?" Ron asked. Harry looked surprised and tried to think.

"No… I just feel… sad for some reason." He mumbled.

"Did you spend all day with the Headmaster? Are things looking up?" Hermione thought thinking perhaps it was that.

"It was a painfully long detention Hermione." Was all that Harry said, ignoring her disapproving look.

It was hard going to sleep… the burning in his chest just kept getting stronger, but eventually exhaustion won and he fell into an unpleasant nightmare… or rather, an unpleasant memory.