Disclaimer: I do not own Harry potter and do not make money off of this. All rights belong to JK Rowling

But I'm only human

And I bleed when I fall down

I'm only human

And I crash and I break down

-Human by Christina Perri

Harry bolted upright thrashing and screaming as the memory of Umbridge was fresh in his mind. Immediately Dumbledore, Pomfrey, and Snape hurried into the room. Pomfrey rushed over and started talking very calmly.

"Harry? Harry you are safe. It is okay. I am sorry I don't want to give a calming draught; I must wait for the other draughts to get out of your system. Just breathe, breathe." She started taking deep breaths with Harry. He slowly started taking in air. The scene was fading from his mind. Dumbledore looked concerned but didn't want to make Harry mad again. Snape, however, was keeping his distance. At that moment he couldn't see James Potter's spawn, he saw the hurt boy of Lily Evans.

"She-she-was-was-there an-and-the-" Harry's voice was still cracking, and he couldn't form his sentence.

"Nightmares?" Dumbledore asked with a sad tone. Snape worked hard not to scoff; anyone could see Harry was having nightmares about the horrors in his past.

"The-the-Umbridge-she-she…" Harry was now starting to calm down. "I-I don't wa-want to say." He looked down as pink shame spread across his cheeks.

"Ha-Potter, it is very important you tell us what was going on. We need to know everything you can remember." Severus stepped up. Harry didn't want to talk to Snape. He was almost as bad as Umbridge in his mind.

"Yeah, ri-right. I am just going to tell the teacher who hates me, all my secrets!" Snape tightened his lips. Yes, he had been rather mean. But that was because Potter would always act like a spoiled brat who thinks he is too good for potions.

"Potter, I have never hated you."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Snape saw Poppy whisper to Dumbledore. He didn't know what she said, but Albus then spoke up.

"Well, my boy, I will leave you and professor Snape alone for a second while I talk to Madam Pomfrey." He glanced at Severus before returning to Poppy's office with her. Severus almost said no and was going to walk with them, but the headmaster gave him a glance that made Snape feel like he should stay.

With a sigh Snape walked over to the plush chair beside the bed. Harry rolled his eyes. He was not going to tell him anything. He tried to hide it, but he was still shaking from his dream.

"Don't try to deny it, I know Umbridge had used a blood quill on you." Snape decided to get right to it.

Harry panicked. His breathing got faster. No, Snape couldn't know this secret, what if he used it to blackmail him, or tell his snakes, or both!

"So, what if she did." Snape shook his head and put his hand up to his temples.

Harry flinched back hard on instinct and covered his glasses. Snape saw this and put his hand down.

"Potter, I would never hit a child." He said dryly. Harry put his hands down, but in no way looked relaxed.

"I'm sorry Sir, it was just an instinct." Harry rushed out. He almost said please don't hit me, but he knew that would just make Snape even more mad at him.

"Potter I'm not here to talk about your abuse and don't even try to deny it, I know. I'm here to talk about the fact that Umbridge illegally used a blood quill on you." Snape slowly folded his hands so not to scare Harry again. Harry paled. He hoped Snape didn't know about the other things that went on during detentions.

Harry did not want to talk about anything to Snape, not abuse, not the quill, and not the... other things that went on during detentions. If he just sat there saying nothing, Snape couldn't do anything about it. But Snape just sat there. It looked like he would sit there until he got what he wanted. Wanting to change the topic and move away from the quill, Harry asked a question about his eye.

"Why am I blind in this eye?" his voice shook, and his eyes watered just slightly. He tried to stop it, but he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He tried taking deep breaths to calm down, but being honest, he still hadn't accepted what had happened to his eye.

"Well, I see you were trying to change the topic, but I will tell you about your eye." Severus took a breath. "Long story short, your glasses broke, and glass got caught in your eye." He said plainly.

"Oh." Harry Didn't quite know what to say to that. His mind wandered to other things. A question started burning in his mind. "Sir, did you say that using... a blood quill. I think that's what you called it, is illegal?" That question was gnawing inside him.

"You heard correctly." Snape sat forward, hoping that Harry would start talking.

"Do you promise not to tell anybody?" Harry couldn't believe he was going to talk to Snape of all people, the greasy bat of the dungeons. But at the same time, he was ready to get this off his chest.

Snape nodded. "Though I might have to tell the headmaster and Madam Pomfrey." Harry closed his eyes.

"Yes, she did make me the blood quill I had to write I-I must no-not tell lies." The scar on the back of his hand seemed to be tingling.

"May I ask when and how much?" Harry gulped at the question.

"I would use it every detention and I would sometimes go for hours." Harry said plainly. Might as well spill the beans, Snape already knew. But never ever, in his life would he talk about the whip.

"And you didn't think to go to a teacher about this?" Snape asked sternly but without his usual sharpness. Of course, Potter would be too proud to tell anybody. But still, no one should have to go through the pain of a blood quill. But now all the times he seemed scared to go to detentions made sense.

"Sir please, no more detentions. I already got lots from Umbridge, are those not enough? I have so much schoolwork to catch up on." Harry asked as he wrung his hands.

"You are not any more special than anyone else, Potter. You don't get out of detentions just because another teacher has to give you some. And Professor Umbridge." Snape sneered. "And because of this selfish act why don't you spend my detentions with Umbridge." He smirked. At the time he thought the boy was just being his usual self. A brat that thinks he is above everyone else.

Harry visibly paled at his words."Sir, please!" Snape tilted his head as Potter's voice cracked. Potter threw his hands through his hair.

"Stop wasting my time and get out of my classroom!" He had essays to grade; he didn't have time to deal with selfish brats.

Harry rubbed his hand before he looked down and shuffled out of Snape's sight.

Severus hadn't thought about that simple action of rubbing the back of his hand. But now he felt terrible.

"I…I didn't tell anybody" Harry said so quietly Snape almost didn't hear it. "I didn't want to give her the satisfaction..." He trailed off.

"So, it was a battle of wills. Do you realize how dumb that was! Because you didn't turn her in who knows how many other students had to go through it!" Snape thew his hands in the air to try and stick his point.

Harry flinched again at that movement but was able to contain himself more that time. "That wasn't the only reason!" Harry's seeing eye looked to Severus; it was shiny with unshed tears. "She said if I told anybody I would get more lashes!"

Harry stopped talking and his eyes grew wide with the realization of what he had just said.

A/N: Please review!