Chapter 2: Conversations

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Harry Potter belongs to JK.

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o O o O o

Severus made a slight detour to pick up Harry's invisibility cloak where it had been flung beside the One-eyed Witch statue, making a mental note to confiscate it unless someone could talk some sense into the dratted brat, and was hurrying down the corridor, boy and cloak in hand, when he ran smack dab into Draco Malfoy.

The blond boy looked nervous, and his eyes were bloodshot. He flinched when he recognized his professor.

"Well, well...Mister Malfoy," Snape spat, and grabbed him roughly by the arm as he continued towards the hospital wing.

After struggling against the Professor's strong hold for a minute, Draco bit his lip and cried out "S-Sir! Listen, please! It's Potter! Potter was hit with a curse and he's-I don't like him but we have to help or-"

"And what, Mr. Malfoy," Snape drawled, "Do you think I am doing?"

Draco blinked, and then gaped. In his panic, he hadn't recognized the dark-haired figure in his tall professor's arms.

"P-Potter!"

"Yes, Potter," Snape sneered. "Do you mean to imply that you were the perpetrator of the attack on Mr. Potter?"

"What? Well, no, sir…"

"Well, if you don't know what caused his condition, then you will have to excuse me. I will, however, have to ask what, exactly, you are doing out of your dorm in the middle of the night…" Snape raised an eyebrow and pierced Draco with a penetrating stare.

The boy shuddered under the man's scrutiny, opening and shutting his mouth several times before managing "Well, that's…No, sir, it was…it was Confusus Mens, Professor! But I didn't do it, I swear!"

"So eager to sell your friends out, I see…" Snape said, but at the boy's sick expression he continued, somewhat more gently, "Your instincts to return were not...entirely inappropriate, Malfoy. Though I fault you for not coming to me immediately, seeing as that would have made things much less dangerous for our resident celebrity," he sneered, "your friend Crabbe is the true one at fault, is he not?"

"How-how did you-?"

"I have my ways," he answered with an enigmatic sneer. "Now back to your dorm, Malfoy. 20 points from Slytherin and Detention tomorrow at 7 for being out of bounds after curfew in the first place and not thinking to stop your cronies from attacking schoolmates, be they Potter or not."

"But sir!"

Snape stopped and leveled a glare at him. "Be aware, Mr. Malfoy, that had you not made this extra visit, I may have been far less lenient. Whatever our…associations…with Potter may be, casting a curse like that can land you in Azkaban, regardless of age! And rest assured that your friend Mr. Goyle, who I am informed accompanied you, will be dealing with harsher punishments. Cowards, after all, do not reflect well on Slytherin house. And Mr. Crabbe…well. Let's just say you should not envy him right now. Make sure to inform Mr. Goyle that he is to meet me in my office tomorrow night at 7 as well."

Draco gulped. "Yes, sir. Um, and Crabbe, sir?"

"Leave that imbecile to me," Snape bit out. "Now, if that is all, I would rather free myself of this burden," Snape jerked his head to indicate the sleeping boy on his chest.

"Uh…yeah…" Draco eyed him warily and began to step backwards. Then, seemingly struggling with himself, he blurted, "Is he going to be…I mean…Is Potter…"

"He will live. And he should be sane. I cannot say that would have been the case had I been any later. Get back to your dorm, Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, sir. Goodnight, sir."

o O o O o

When they made it to the hospital wing, Snape gently deposited Harry on a hospital bed before rushing to Madame Pomfrey's chambers to alert her of their presence. A few minutes later, Madame Pomfrey stepped out, looking tired but alert. "Severus? What is it?"

"Poppy, I'm afraid we have a student who has been the target of a high-level dark curse. I managed to counter its most dangerous effects, but the victim is no doubt exhausted and needs to be made to rest for some time."

Poppy nodded, grabbing her notebook. Once she glimpsed Harry, she gasped. "Not again! Mr. Potter seems to find his way here more than any student I've ever known! Except, perhaps, for you, Severus," she added slyly.

"Hmph." Severus crossed his arms.

After running several quick diagnostics, she said, "Well, the nerve damage I can treat easily. Some dreamless sleep should help him once he wakes up to help him recover without dealing with residual effects of the curse. He is, after all, extremely worn-out, and a good long rest is most necessary for him right now." She paused. "Also, he is in dire need of a regiment of nutritive potions."

"Yes... I have come to suspect that our young Mr. Potter has suffered severe malnutrition in the past," Severus supplied softly.

Poppy blinked at the uncharacteristically soft way Severus referred to 'our young Mr. Potter,' but shook herself and replied, somewhat sadly, "I can see that. And it seems he has a slough of little injuries I never thought to scan him for before…bones that healed improperly, scars, bruises…Severus, you don't think?"

"I do. It seems our 'Savior' has not been the little pampered prince I thought he was." Severus spat the nickname, though this time his disgust didn't seem directed at the boy. Severus grimaced and kneaded his temples with his fists in frustration. "I can't believe I was so blind that I never suspected it. The boy has been abused, Poppy."

Poppy looked horrified, her suspicions confirmed. "The poor boy!" The healer stared at Harry and worried her lip, but at Severus' sudden sharp stare, she nodded and got to work.

o O o O o

Severus wasn't sure why he stayed, but Poppy didn't question him, for which he was thankful. Was it guilt? Responsibility? His loyalty to the boy's mother? Or something else? Was it a combination of all of these factors?

Severus decided to push his infernal tendency to constantly question and analyze his actions to the back-burner and do, for once, what he felt like doing, whether there was a logical reason or not. For all he knew was each time he thought he might get up to leave, images of a little skeletal child getting kicked and locked in a cupboard kept returning to haunt him.

And so, for the next few hours, he dutifully sat beside his student and spelled potions into him as Poppy continued to check his progress. After Severus assured her Harry would be fine under his watch, Poppy nodded and slipped back into her chambers, demanding he alert her if they had need of her.

When they were left in silence, Severus' habit to question and interpret came back to bite him, and he found himself considering what exactly he was doing here, playing nurse-maid to the son of his school-hood tormentor.

At times, the potions master truly didn't understand why he had chosen to stay. After all, part of the reason he'd taken the boy to the hospital wing in the first place was so that Harry wouldn't know of Severus' part in any of this…but then, again, Severus just couldn't free himself from the images of a little, helpless boy forcing himself to accept the absurd 'Christmas present,' and many more of the innocent object of neglect and abuse…after seeing such horrific images, it eased something deep within him to see Harry sleeping somewhat peacefully now.

And it occurred to him, as he looked at the glasses-less face, that his nose wasn't Potter's…nor were his cheekbones. Really, his face was much more like his mother's…it was just his hair and glasses which gave off the illusion of his being a James Potter look-alike.

Harry shivered in his sleep, and his face scrunched up. Readying vials of medicinal potions, Severus waited for the boy to show more signs of a recurring nightmare. Then, when Severus was checking the stasis spells on his potions for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Harry began to moan and then, suddenly, he bolted up, looking at Severus with terrified eyes. Severus found himself leaning forward to steady the boy and quickly spelled a calming draught into him. Harry's breathing soon calmed a bit, but he was still looking around frantically.

"Potter!" Harry didn't respond. "Potter, it's alright. It's just another nightmare!" Severus gently shook him by his shoulders and repeated himself once more.

Harry slowly looked up at him, and green locked with obsidian for a while before comprehension finally darkened the brilliant emerald eyes. Harry swallowed and then asked, raspily, "What…happened?"

"You were hit with a curse spell," Severus answered, relieved more than he could say that the boy was coherent enough to ask him about his condition.

"A curse…" Harry said, looking down at his hand.

"Yes. You have Mr. Crabbe to thank for it. Besides yourself, of course. Honestly Potter, sneaking out in the middle of the night! What were you thinking? I suppose it struck your fancy to try your hand at espionage?"

Harry flinched slightly at the tone, but then he noted, with surprise, the amount of venom with which the professor had said Crabbe's name. Didn't he always favor his Slytherins? Why would he care if Crabbe had cursed him? Him, Harry, Snape's least favorite student? It didn't make sense…and sure, he sounded angry at him, Harry, too, but it was different from his usual disgusted anger as if he were simply a bother put on earth to make Snape's life miserable. He had almost sounded, dare he think it, concerned…?

Suddenly his mind was buzzing with questions, and he felt dizzy. And there was a huge blank spot in his memory. Just what had happened to land him here? He couldn't really remember any confrontation with Crabbe…And, he realized, as no one seemed to be around but Snape, there wasn't much of a chance he'd have his questions answered anytime soon. But then again, why was Snape there? Did he dare ask? The man would probably bite his head off and lock him in his potions storeroom the rest of the night with an old sponge and soap. In the end, curiosity won out over the caution he'd learned to adopt in front of his snarky Potions and Defense teacher.

"Um…sir?"

"Hn?"

"Er, well…why…are you here?"

For a moment, Severus didn't know what to say, and considered growling at the boy to keep his Gryffindor nosiness to himself, but then, not meeting the boy's eyes, he said, evenly as he could, "I found you under the influence of that curse and then brought you here."

"Oh…and uh, you broke the curse, too, right professor?"

"Of course, Potter! Do you think I'd leave a student to go insane?" He snapped. Harry flinched at his tone, and Severus immediately felt a twinge of guilt, which boggled his mind since a similar reaction, hours earlier with Potter, would have thrilled him.

"Insane? It was…that bad, huh? I can't really remember. Everything's fuzzy…"

Now Severus felt even more uncomfortable. How would the boy feel if he knew what had really happened? Probably, just how you'd feel, Sev. Horrified, stripped of your privacy, invaded…

"Thanks, Professor."

Severus jumped at the uncommon sincerity in the boy's tone. He looked up and stared at Harry, who was watching him intently. His eyes showed confusion, but otherwise, there was more genuine interest than anything else.

"Don't mention it," Severus replied gruffly.

The two just sat there for a while in silence until Severus said, somewhat awkwardly, "So, how are you feeling? Do you need another pain reliever?" Before Harry could say anything, the professor had reached up to feel his forehead. "You don't have a fever, at least…See that you get some rest, Potter, and drink your Nutritive supplement when you wake up."

"Nutritive supplement? But why-"

"Don't ask stupid questions, Potter. You're severely undernourished."

Harry blushed. "Hey! My eating habits aren't your concern! I'm fine."

"Don't be a stubborn idiot, Potter! You'll take it unless you want me to feed it to you like a three-year-old. Is that clear?"

Harry choked a little at that thought. "I'm fine! What do you care, anyway?"

"What? I don't-" Severus spluttered before glaring daggers at Harry. The boy didn't flinch, but only glared back at him. Finally, though, he sighed and relented. "Fine. Sorry, professor, I just…no one usually makes me take stuff like that so…well, I'll do it."

Severus nodded. "Go to sleep, Potter. Do you require Dreamless sleep?"

"Wha-? Oh…no, I'm fine. I don't need it."

"There's no need to be brave, Potter. You're not the first to suffer horrible nightmares."

Harry blushed at this. "They're just stupid…no big deal…"

"Nevertheless, you need your sleep, and I believe you would do better drinking this for tonight."

He said it in a way that could broach no argument, and so Harry sighed and said softly, "Well, I guess…that would be good. Thanks, Professor…" He once again looked down at his hands.

"Here. Take this."

Harry swallowed it and collapsed back on his pillow.

"Thanks again, professor…g'night…" he yawned.

"Goodnight, Harry," Severus said softly, almost indiscernibly, before sitting back in the hospital chair to continue his nighttime vigil.

o O o O o

Early the next morning, Severus found himself growling "Blood Pops" to a certain gargoyle and hurrying up the circular stairs. He then burst into Dumbledore's office without waiting for his customary invitation.

"Severus, my boy! How are you this fine morning?"

Severus flinched at his cheerful demeanor, which felt extremely out of place after the ordeal of the night before. And that insufferable twinkling was even more insufferable this morning…

Clearly not fazed by the glare the Potions Master sent his way, Dumbledore smiled and waved Severus in, indicating a chair. Severus grunted somewhat reluctantly and sat down.

"Busy night, Severus?"

That struck a nerve. "Well, Albus, you tell me," he drawled. "You normally keep a pretty close watch on the lives of our students, don't you?"

"Why, dear boy, I am certainly not capable of knowing everything that goes on in this lovely castle of ours!" Dumbledore chuckled.

"No. Nor, clearly, do you have a clue as to the lives of your students outside of it…"

"I'm sorry, Severus. To what are you referring?" Dumbledore asked as if he were out of the know of some piece of gossip.

Clutching his fists, Severus struggled to hold in his temper. "Tell me," he bit out. "Did you, or did you not, know that Harry Potter has been abused by his muggle relatives?"

Dumbledore looked mildly shocked but then his face shifted to a sad resignation, as if he knew the facts more clearly than Severus did. "Oh, my boy. I think 'abused' is a little bit of a stretch."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him. "While I am aware that he has not been nearly as well-fed or well-loved as I would have liked him to be, at least the boy is alive, Severus! At least he's been kept safe from those who would not pause for an instant to take him from us!"

"Oh, I see…so as long as the muggles manage to restrain their flaying to within an inch of his life, you're fine with it, is that it?"

Dumbledore sighed. "My boy, you must understand. This hasn't been easy for me, but-"

"Easy for you?" He snarled. "What about Potter? Do you have any idea what goes on there, Albus? Would you like me to enlighten you?"

Dumbledore just watched him patiently as if he were a bad-tempered little boy with an unreasonable request. Severus nearly lost it right then.

"It seems, headmaster," he spat, "that the boy was made to live in a bloody cupboard under the stairs of his relatives' house for most of his life. A cupboard, Albus! A little boy, locked in a dark, enclosed area, all alone, with a bad mattress and a paper-thin blanket. They let him out to cook for them, yes, oh and do their other chores…and you'd think he'd at least get a decent meal out it, but no! The bloody arses barely gave him enough to survive! Have you ever wondered why the boy's so damn thin? Oh, and his cousin, the piece of lard, was treated like a little prince, when, of course, he was just a damn spoiled bully. You can not let him return there, Albus!"

Dumbledore studied him for a while before saying, shakily, "That can't be right, Severus. It can't have really been as bad as all that. Surely you're exaggerating?"

"Exaggerating? What do you take me for, old man?"

"Severus, please. If what you say is true, we must…" he sighed. "I fear we have no choice but to remove him. Do you have any proof?"

"Proof?" Severus' voice was cold. "Why don't you watch my memories of surfing through the boy's mind last night."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "That sounds quite invasive, Severus. May I ask what got into you to go to such lengths? Surely Harry can't have done anything in class to warrant your invading his darkest fears and secrets?"

Severus was shaking visibly now. Devious old coot, twisting things so his guilt would distract him from the more important matters…

"But Severus, as for evidence, I'm afraid I can't do anything without a direct confession from Harry. Memories of a memory are just not viable evidence for charges of this magnitude."

Severus was visibly shaking by this point, and he had to struggle to answer coherently. "You can't be serious, Albus. An abused child is not going to want to talk about it! My memories should be good enough!"

"Well, perhaps he needs to talk about it, if it is truly as bad as you say. You seem to be quite invested in the boy, Severus, something I'm glad to see. I've hoped you two would find common ground."

Common hell, more like. "Dammit, Albus, I don't understand you sometimes. But fine. I'll see if I can get the boy to talk, but if not, you are going to listen to me, is that clear? If I have to I'll force-feed Veritaserum to those miserable muggles and have them confess it all to you!"

"Severus, you know that's not permissible by-"

"Damn the statute of Secrecy, Albus! Once you hear their confession, you'd be hard pressed to defend them for another instant!" Severus was practically screaming.

"I understand, Severus. Please don't worry yourself over this. Wasn't there something else you wanted to discuss?"

Breathing more calmly, Severus began to explain what had happened since he'd been woken up the previous night.

"Hm. Well, I must say, Severus. Regardless of the seriousness of the hex, it was a duel between students, and things often get out of hand. I feel, at this juncture, that it would be unwise for us to expel another death eater's child. That might just prove to tip the balance against our favor, were Voldemort to take it as a declaration of war of some sort."

"Albus, a spell like that should land him in Azkaban!"

"But think about our efforts, Severus. As long as we take precautions to ensure Harry's safety, I see no reason why we must actually expel anyone."

Severus stared at him, stunned, for almost a full minute before responding. "What…sort of precautions, Albus? Just…what, exactly, do you plan to do to protect the boy?" He could hardly believe his ears. Hadn't Dumbledore always given his 'Golden Boy' special treatment among students? What was this then? Was he truly going to do nothing?

"I will leave that to you, Severus. You may do as you see fit."

"But you won't expel him."

"No. You may provide him, as you will, with the usual detentions and house point deductions. I understand you find it difficult to do so in the case of your own house, but-"

"Oh, Albus. Don't bait me that way," Severus said through gritted teeth.

"No baiting intended, my boy. But I trust your judgment, and we have more important things to worry about than a fired hex that caused no irreversible harm. If that is all, Severus?"

Severus wanted to scream, again, that the curse very well could have caused irreversible harm, but Albus was clearly not to be reasoned with today. And so, instead, he bit out, "That's all, Headmaster" and, grimacing, spun out of the room, slamming the door, to whisk back to his dungeons. Perhaps he had misjudged the boy's relationship with the headmaster, as well…

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