average human’s Reviews > Veritaserum > Status Update

“Coming,” he called curtly.

Lupin had better have a marvelous excuse if he thought two thirty in the morning was an appropriate time to bring him-

“Harry,” he sighed, opening the door and seeing his ward sullenly glaring at the floor beside Lupin. “What in Merlin’s name are you doing out of your dorm at this time?”

“Attending a party,” Lupin supplied as Potter remained stubbornly silent. “And apparently quite the private after party.”

Potter scowled at Lupin, his cheeks pinking up.

“Piss off,” he muttered.

“Language,” Severus said sharply. “What kind of party?” he asked Lupin, eyeing Potter closely and attempting to identify the familiar smell coming from him.

He groaned out loud before he answered his own question, “The kind with alcohol.”

Potter reeked of whiskey.

“Drugs and sex as well,” Lupin added.

“What?” Severus gave Potter a sharp look as the child glared fiercely at Lupin.

“Potter, explain yourself, immediately.”

“Don’t think I will,” Potter slurred insolently.

Fucking slurred.

Severus groaned again and pinched the bridge of his nose- a fruitless venture to hold back his newly emerging migraine.

“Lupin, specifically, what happened?”

“I was completing my rounds when I got whiff of a rather particular smell coming from an empty classroom on the third floor-“

“Fuckin’ wolf senses,” Potter sneered at the floor.

Lupin gave Potter an annoyed look but otherwise ignored his interruption.

“I followed the smell and found roughly a dozen students still in the classroom. I confiscated six bottles of whiskey, what seems to be an outrageous amount of marijuana-“

“And my damn map,” Potter mumbled.

“-and interrupted three couples in the middle of lewd activities. One couple being Harry and Mister Weasley,” Lupin continued, now openly glaring at Potter in his annoyance at the interruptions.

“Sniiiiitch,” Potter slurred.

Alcohol, drugs, and sex. Potter may as well be a walking advert for a manic episode.

How Severus had ever once thought Potter did not have Manic-Depressive Illness was beyond him. Wishful thinking perhaps.

“Mister Fred Weasley?” Severus asked with minimal hopes that it was the more age appropriate (even if it was still inappropriate) Ronald Weasley. Severus had been present at dinner last night when the students returned from Hogsmeade and Potter had all but floated to his seat, where he then exchanged shy smiles with the unusually quiet Fred Weasley. Severus had been pleased to see his first date had gone well and hoped that Potter would eventually stop pretending he didn’t exist and would inform Severus himself how it went.

Now he wished it had gone terribly. Just so horribly wrong that his third year ward would never have considered participating in ‘lewd activities’ with a fifth year.

“I believe it was Fred,” Lupin said. “Though I guess it could have been George.”

“It was Fred,” Potter slurred. “Everyone thinks they’re identical yeah? But Fred’s got an extra freckle on his nose. Plus his mouths way-“

“Shut up,” Severus hissed.

Fifteen year old Fred Weasley. Severus was going to have to inform Molly Weasley that her underage son was sexually involved with his underaged ward.

Delightful.

Potter suddenly slumped over against the side of the doorway and smiled lazily at Severus.

“Am I comin’ in to get yelled at or am I goin’ to bed? Cause I think I can sleep now.”

Severus sighed, heavily, as he looked from Potter to Lupin.

“I am assuming you have doled out punishments to the students you found?”

“20 points each, and 25 from Harry and Fred since they were rather... um...” Lupin’s scarred face blushed heavily for a moment in obvious discomfort. “They were rather undressed when I found them.”

Fucking. Perfect.

“Then I shall take over from here.” Severus grit his teeth as he thanked the wolf, “Thank you for bringing Harry to me.”

“Of course,” Lupin said. He glanced down at Potter’s slumped form before frowning again. “Good luck.”

“I want my fuckin’ map back,” Potter yelled at Lupin’s retreating back. “Thief,” he muttered.

“Are you out of your mind?” Severus hissed, pulling Potter in to his quarters and slamming the door behind him.

“Don’t touch me,” Potter snarled, yanking his arm from Severus’ grip and tripping like a drunkard at the motion. “‘M all touched out for the day, thanks.”

Disturbing.

“Drinking, Potter, really? You thought it was a good idea for a thirteen year old to get drunk on school grounds? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Don’t you mean ‘are you out of your mind?’” Potter said, stumbling his way to the sofa. “That’s what you’re thinking, right? ‘Oh no, Potter did something crazy, again.’”

“No,” Severus said slowly as he followed behind the insolent child. “I am thinking, what possibly made you believe it was acceptable to attend a party with alcohol and drugs? And what kind of sexual activities did my underaged ward deem appropriate to participate in on school grounds?”

“Don’t think it’s your business,” Potter said as he sprawled across the sofa. Severus could see now that his eyes were hazy and unfocused. “Think it’s my business, innit?”

“You think wrong,” Severus growled, having no patience for this. “I am both your Head of House and your guardian- your activities are very much my business. Especially ones that could end with a disease.”

“So if I want to kill a bas-bas-silisk, no big deal,” Potter sneered even as he tripped over the word. “But if I want to have a drink, a smoke, and a shag then suddenly you want to play Dad,” he laughed. “Fuuuuck off.”

“Do not speak to me like that,” Severus hissed, momentarily ignoring the implication that he was in any way approving of Potter killing a basilisk last year. “I do not know what kind of game you think you are playing right now but it is putting you dangerously close to being punished much harder than you already will be.”

“Punish me then,” Potter laughed again. He clumsily got to his feet and stumbled a couple of steps closer to where Severus stood. “You can hit me if you want, yeah? Or grab a belt? Maybe lock me in the closet for a few days? C’mon, Snape, do it if it’ll make you feel like you’re in charge.”

God damnit.

“Potter I am in charge,” Severus said tersely. “Sit down before you trip and break your fool neck.”

“Ooh, am I Potter now?” Potter laughed mockingly at Severus’ slip up. “C’mon, if you’re going to punish me you might as well do it right,” Potter said, his green eyes dull and unfocused. “I probably won’t even feel it. I think I’m high,” he giggled breathlessly.

“Wonderful. Fucking wonderful. You are a moron Harry,” Severus groaned.

He was quite sure Potter was high. The closer the child got the more pungent the earthy aroma clinging to him was.

“Are you going to tell me why you were attending a party when you should be in bed?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Potter said. “Are you gonna punish me or are we playin’ games all night? Cause if so, I’ve got better places to be.”

“You have detention until the end of the year,” Severus decided thinking quickly. “Sit down.”

“Worth it,” Potter said with a drunken smile as he stumbled back to the sofa. “Did you know I might like blokes? Thought Daphne was dead gorgeous, didn’t I? And Lue’s beautiful. But Fred changed my mind. Or c’n I like both? Probably not. It’s weird right?”

Jesus Christ.
Potter was manic and drunk and rambling.
About his sexuality crisis apparently.
Which Severus was decidedly not equipped to handle at his current level of anger and frustration.

You obliviated the mind healer and now you have to deal with the fallout, he reminded himself.

He made finding, or educating, a Wixen Mind Healer, or at least a damn squib Mind Healer, his summer goal. Cancer research be damned.

“I cannot imagine how your sexual preferences are in any way related to an explanation for your behavior tonight,” Severus said tersely.

“Needed to check, didn’t I?” Potter said, still smiling. “Figured I’d give it a shot, see if things are better with a bloke when I’m d-drunk and older now. And guess what? You were right, it’s way better,” he laughed.

Jesus fucking Christ.

“You understand that you risked expulsion for any one of the many illegal activities you participated in tonight, correct?” Severus said, avoiding any sort of sex-related topic at the moment. Especially as Potter framed his statement in a way that made Severus question himself for informing Potter that consensual sex was meant to be pleasurable for both parties.

“‘Pell me then,” Potter said. “It’s not even a good threat.”

It wasn’t.

“You could have been hurt,” Severus said instead. “You were smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol? Were you aware that either one of those could cause irreparable damage to your internal organs? Not to say anything of the damaging effect of mixing the two.”

“No it can’t,” Potter laughed. “People do it all the time.”

“And they die, all the time,” Severus said. “You need help Harry. You are behaving irresponsibly and impulsively.”

“Am not,” Potter mumbled as he turned his head in to the sofa cushion.

“Oh? What were you thinking then before you began drinking alcohol and smoking with a group of older teenagers?”

“Wasn’t thinkin’ nothin’,” Potter said. “Just did it.”

Severus desperately wanted to shake the child and scream ‘THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF IMPULSIVITY,’ but he refrained. Instead he glared down at Potter and watched as his hazy eyes blinked slowly.

“We will speak more about this in the morning,” Severus said sternly. He summoned a blanket from his cupboard and laid it on the brat and pulled his glasses off his face. “Sleep and prepare an argument in your defense for in the morning.”

“‘Kay,” Potter sighed contentedly as he closed his eyes.

Severus drug his recliner closer to the sofa, once again, and summoned the medication the Contessa sent him and watched Potter sleep for a while... thinking... considering... planning...



By the time Potter opened his bloodshot eyes at six o’clock, Severus had slept not at all and prayed to Merlin that he could get through to the child.

“Owww,” Potter whined pathetically. “Wazgoin’ on?”

“You are in my quarters, on the sofa. Hopefully with a terrible hangover,” Severus said coolly. “Get up. We need to have a discussion.”

“No,” Potter mumbled as he turned and shifted on the sofa. “Wanna sleep.”

“Perhaps you should have slept last night,” Severus said sharply. “Get up now.”

“No,” Potter said stubbornly as he jammed his eyes closed.

“Aguamenti.”

“Son of a bitch,” Potter yelped as Severus poured water on his head. “What’d you do that for?” He shook his wet hair out, momentarily looking like a green eyed wet puppy, and glanced around himself quickly before snagging his glasses off the nearby table.

“You and I need to have a discussion,” Severus said. “You refused to get up and I resolved the issue.”

Potter blinked at him in shock before wincing.

“Thought you wanted me to sleep,” he grumbled. “Not drown me.”

Severus felt a small stab of regret as he realized last night was likely the first time all week Potter slept more than an hour. Though he consoled himself with the reminder that passing out from alcohol for a little less than three hours was scarcely better than maniacally staying awake.

“Perhaps you should have considered your sleep before you went to a party,” he said stoutly, shoving his regret deep down inside. This was the time to be firm, not bend to Potter’s ironclad will.

“Talk fast then,” Potter said as he laid his head against the back of the sofa. “My head hurts.”

“Good.”

Potter opened one eye and narrowed them at Severus at his sharp tone.

“What’s your problem then?”

“What’s my problem?” Severus repeated incredulously. “Do you not recall the events of last night?”

Potter scrubbed his face with his hands as he thought it over.

“Kinda,” he admitted. “I remember Lupin’s a snitch.”

“Lupin is a Professor,” Severus said, once again in a position where he was stuck defending one of the damn fools. “He was obligated to inform me of your activities. Just as I will be obligated to write to Mister Weasley’s mother of his activities last night.”

Potter shrugged and grimaced again at the movement.

“‘Kay,” he said. “That it?”

“No,” Severus barked. “That is not it.” Severus took a deep breath as he prepared himself to give his speech he rehearsed and perfected while Potter slept.

“Harry I understand that you are in denial about your mental health,” he said firmly, ignoring Potter’s dramatic groan of dismay at the topic. “However, I am unable to wait for you to come to terms with it as it is now impacting your education, safety, and overall health. If you refuse to treat the illness then I will have no choice but to have you admitted in the hospital for treatment.”

Potter sat up properly and gave Severus a wide eyed look of shock.

“What? You can’t do that!”

“You’ll find that I can,” Severus said. “You are a danger to yourself. I cannot spend every waking moment worrying that you will either cut your wrists open, or jump from the owlery believing you are capable of winged flight, or dying in some other scheme because you are ill and your mind is unreliably guiding you to situations where your life is in danger.”

Potter blanched at Severus’ blunt recounting of his previous deeds, and these were only the ones Severus knew of. He was quite sure that Miss Grangers subtle question of how a lack of sleep impacts mental processing at the end of her class last Thursday had not been for academic research.

“Headache potion,” Potter murmured as he broke away from Severus’ impassive gaze. Severus grit his back teeth harshly as Potter summoned the potion and down it quickly, likely before Severus had an opportunity to take it from him.

“Were you even going to ask?” Severus said between his clenched teeth at the blatant act of disrespect.

“Would have, but you aren’t asking me anything, are you?” Potter sneered. “If you can just make fuckin’ stupid demands then I can too.”

“Watch your language! You are the child,” Severus said loudly as he slammed his hand harshly on the armrest. “I am the adult, Potter. I can make any demands that I damn well please. You would do well to remember that.”

Potter jumped to his feet at Severus’ thoughtless slam and backed several steps away from him.

“Leave me alone,” he cried in a trembling voice as he vigilantly watched Severus’ hands. “Doesn’t it matter what I want?! You-you’ve lost the plot.”

Severus inhaled very slowly in an effort to not begin a screaming match with his twitchy and traumatized ward.

“Harry please sit. I am not going to hurt you,” he said much more calmly than he felt. “I do care what you want, but in this instance I must insist. This-“ he pulled the medication bottle from his pocket and rattled it lightly. “Is meant to help you. And you desperately need help.”

“NO I DON’T!” Potter yelled. “I DON’T WANT FUCKIN CRAZY MEDICINE!”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE,” Severus yelled back, quickly forgetting his previous determination not to shout at the child. “YOU WILL TAKE THIS OR YOU WILL GO SOMEWHERE THEY WILL FORCE YOU TO.”

“No.” Potter shook his head and looked around the room quickly. “No I won’t. You can’t make me.”

“I am your guardian and I can make you,” Severus said. “You need help before you end up dead because of it.”

Potter backed away a few more steps and his eyes flicked towards the door.

“Then you’re not my guardian anymore,” he said softly. “I quit.”

“Neither of us are quitting Harry,” Severus said as gently as he felt he was currently able. “All I am asking you to do is take this medicine. If it does not work or hurts you in any way then we will try something different, okay?”

“No,” Potter repeated. “I’ve seen people on pills like that before. They just laid there on their cots, just drooling and fucked up and stupid looking. I don’t need it.”

“You do,” Severus said as he very slowly, and with exaggerated movements, rose to his feet. “I will not allow it to cause you to become incapacitated in any way, I swear child. But you will take it.”

Potter stepped closer to the door as Severus took a small step towards him.

“Black said I can move in with him,” he said abruptly. “He wouldn’t make me go to a hospital or take pills.”

How could Severus have forgotten that Black had planned on asking Potter to move in with him yesterday?

Probably because you’ve been focused on the chaos that a manic Harry Potter has been sowing, he reassured himself.

It was an empty reassurance. He hadn’t factored Sirius God Damned Black and his own impulsive offers to Potter in to the equation when he had came up with this last ditch effort of a plan last night.

Severus closed his eyes briefly and counted to ten before he responded.

“Black does not understand your mental health as I do,” he said calmly. “I will not concede my guardianship of you to him because you are refusing to accept treatment.”

“I’ll just leave then,” Potter said. “I don’t need you.”

Severus pretended that the bluntly spoken remark did not cut him more sharply than any blade could have.

Potter is ill, he reminded himself firmly. He doesn’t mean the things he is saying.

Unless he does, the more insecure part of his heart whispered.

“You don’t mean that,” Severus said. “You are scared, confused, and likely coming down from a terrible manic episode (he hoped). You would leave our home instead of improving your health?”

“I AM NOT MANIC!” Potter shouted. “QUIT SAYING THAT!”

“You are,” Severus said simply. “It is not a weakness Harry. It is only an illness, like any other, that requires treatment.”

“I won’t go to the hospital.”

“You will not have to if you will take this medicine,” Severus said quickly. “It is used as a treatment for your illness.”

Potter glanced down at the pill bottle in Severus’ hand before looking back up at his face. Severus saw a brief flash of hesitation in his green eyes before he blinked and it was replaced with a look of stubborn determination.

“I won’t. I don’t need it. I don’t need you. I-“ Potter hesitated and Severus thought he could see a slight tremble in the child’s lower lip before he continued. “I’m- I’m moving out. You can have y-your house back. I don’t want it and I don’t want you.”

As Potter went to step towards the door, Severus, in his hurt and his shock, made an absolute foolish mistake. He reached out to grasp Potters arm in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

“Harry, listen-“

“Don’t touch me,” Potter hissed sharply before Severus’ hand on his arm erupted in a terribly burning pain. Severus quickly pulled his hand back and clenched his jaw in an effort to not show the pain that was burning through the veins in his hand.

Potter faltered as he had one foot out the door, he looked helplessly at Severus and mouthed something that Severus thought may have been an apology before resolutely turning on his heel and leaving Severus’ quarters.

Severus cradled his hand to his chest and stared at his door as the burn faded away. His plan on strong arming Potter in to accepting treatment had entirely backfired.

‘I don’t want it and I don’t want you,’ replayed on a loop in his mind as he struggled to process what exactly just happened.

He hadn’t forced Potter to treat his illness, all he’d succeeded in doing was driving him straight to Black’s arms.

And away from Severus himself.

86%

Harry didn’t storm out of Snape’s private living area, he fled. He fled down the corridor to the Slytherin dorms and hoped like hell that Blaise had thought to grab his cloak last night. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he lost that too.

He burst in their dorm, glanced around at his friends’ sleeping forms, and summoned his invisibility cloak.

“Oh thank God,” he whispered as the silken cloth flew from behind Blaise’s bed curtains straight to Harry’s hands.

Harry threw the cloak on over his head and shoulders and set off to the defense corridor. If Lupin could steal his stuff then he’d just steal it back. He got the map fair and square and Lupin had no right to take it from him.

Harry hesitated outside Lupin’s office and hoped he’d get lucky twice today and Lupin would be in bed still... or, after Harry checked the time and saw it was half post seven, maybe breakfast.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. If Lupin was in there he’d hear it open no matter how slowly, quietly, or invisibly, Harry opened it.

No sound.

He poked his head in and was relieved to see Lupin wasn’t in his office. Harry took a couple steps inside and focused on his magic as hard as he could,

I want the marauders map. Bring me the marauders map.

When nothing immediately happened Harry snarled and pulled harder on his core than he ever had before:

NOW. BRING ME MY MAP NOW. MY DAD MADE IT, I GOT IT FAIR AND SQUARE, LUPIN STOLE IT. NOW.

Harry almost fell over as a rolled up parchment flew in the room behind him and smacked him in the head.

Lupin must have had it with him, he thought with a private smirk he thought as he snagged the map off the floor and darted quickly out of the room.

He turned the map on and studied it until he found the path Fred and George must have used to get in to Hogsmeade. And it was right beside the defense corridor staircase, which made it Harry’s lucky break number three of the morning.

Harry went over to the weird humpbacked one-eyed witch statue and watched the map as a tiny Harry Potter dot put out a speech bubble that said “Dissendium.” He hoped that was the password and not another weird insult.

“Dissendium,” he murmured with his hand on the statue. The humpback slid open and Harry peered inside and saw it was a short drop to what was probably a tunnel. He swung his legs in and dropped right before the opening slid shut.

“Give me a light please,” he ordered his magic gently. He didn’t want to burn his eyes out if it responded as strongly as it did earlier when he yelled at it. He smiled when a normal sized ball of light sprung to life. It looked like there was only one path through so he turned the map off and tucked it securely back in Draco’s jeans he still had on.

Which was kind of gross considering all the things he did yesterday. He thought he probably needed a shower and then scoffed at himself.

You got weak Potter. Twenty four hours without a shower and you’re cringing?

Ten year old Harry would laugh at how posh he’s gotten since starting at Hogwarts.

Course, ten year old Harry would also never believe how much everything else changed.

Thirteen year old Harry hardly believed it himself sometimes.

Harry walked up to the end of the tunnel and gripped his pocket knife tightly in one hand as he climbed up a short ladder through another trapdoor.

“Fuck,” he whispered as the opening of the door immediately set off an alarm in Honeydukes. Harry ran out the front door quickly, thankful for the cloak that kept him hidden since the owners stormed down the shop stairs just as Harry was running out the door.

That was close, he thought as he headed to Rosmerta’s pub. Apparently Honeydukes set an alarm of some sort during their off hours.

Which, yeah, maybe he should have considered. Most muggle stores did as well. He’d learned that the hard way when he was younger and trying to steal food and clothes from closed stores.

Harry pulled his cloak off before he went in the Three Broomsticks and immediately looked around for Black.

“Can I help you?” Rosmerta called from behind the bar with a bemused look. “Are you supposed to be here Harry?”

Harry debated for a second before deciding poor orphan Harry would be his best play right now.

“I’m trying to find Black,” he sniffled a little for show as he evaded her question. “We were supposed to talk about me living with him this summer... since he’s my only real family left... and...” Harry glanced up at the witch through his lashes. “And he said he’d tell me about my Dad... they were best friends you know...”

Harry looked back down at his boots and slumped his shoulders.

C’mon... c’mon....

“Oh, of course dear,” Rosmerta cooed. “He’s not here, but I can point you towards the place he’s staying. He told me he bought a house, guess I know why now, don’t I? But he’s still staying in his flat until the school year ends.” She gave Harry a bright smile which he tried to shyly return. She looked around at the nearly empty pub and gestures towards the door, “I can show you real fast.”

“Thank you,” Harry said earnestly. “I know you’re probably really busy.”

“Of course sweetheart,” she said in an overly sweet voice. “Sirius is a dear, and he’s been talking about you nonstop.”

“Really?” Harry asked as he politely held the door open for her. “What’s he saying?”

If Black told her anything Harry said to Grim then he’d kill him and take his chances back in London by himself.

“Oh he just brags on and on about you,” Rosmerta said as she led Harry towards a cluster of houses in the village. “Talks about how great of a flier you are, how good at magic you are. Honestly I don’t think there’s ever been a prouder godparent in my pub.”

“That’s... that’s nice of him,” Harry said. And it was nice of him. Even if it didn’t make any sense. Harry hadn’t really given Black much reason to like him.

“Sirius is a good man,” Rosmerta carried on. “He’s made some mistakes but overall he’s a good man.”

Harry hummed noncommittally and let her prattle on as they walked up to a wide brick house.

“He’s the door on the left,” she said. “He was out late so he might still be asleep, I’d wager you could just go in.”

“‘Kay, thanks for showing me,” Harry said.

“No problem,” Rosmerta said cheerfully. “But if anyone comes looking for you I’ll have to tell them where you went.”

Harry watched as the witch winked at him and strolled away in her sparkling red heels.

Apparently she was a little sharper than he’d given her credit for.

Harry shook his head and squared his shoulders before knocking resolutely on Black’s door.

Once.

Twice.

No answer.

Harry shrugged before opening the door and slipping inside quickly. If Black was angry about it then he’d just tell him Rosmerta said he could.

“Black?” he called through an empty entrance room.

Maybe he’s still asleep.

Harry carefully walked towards the next door, keeping a tight grip on his knife. He opened the next door and glanced around to what seemed to be a one room flat. There was a small kitchen off to the right side of the room, two doors in the middle where a sofa was situated, and a bed and wardrobe on the left side of the room.

An empty bed.

“Fuck.”

He hadn’t factored Black not being home when he came to see him.

Harry grimaced at the sink full of dirty plates that were causing a gross smell in the small flat and sat down on the edge of the sofa while he tried to plan his next move.

He wasn’t going back to Hogwarts until he knew Snape couldn’t force him to go to a hospital or take any pills.

His throat burned when he thought about giving up his house... and summers with Snape... but it was better than becoming some kind of drooling zombie. Those people he’d seen on crazy pills weren’t special, they weren’t strong- they were just pathetic.

And if Snape thought Harry was going to live like that then he... he wasn’t as great as Harry thought he was.

Which was disappointing, but Harry didn’t need him. He’d done just fine on his own before Snape and he’d do fine now. Rosmerta said Black was a good guy, and he liked Harry. And if he put a single finger on him then Harry would hurt him.

He didn’t need Snape.

Unless... unless maybe Snape apologized? And swore to never bring it up again.

Maybe.

Harry laid back on Black’s sofa and closed his eyes as he tried to think through his options.

God he was tired.



Harry hadn’t meant to fall asleep and was shocked when he was awoken by a sharp crack of apparition.

“Harry!” Black cried happily, ignoring the way Harry had leapt to his feet with his knife drawn. “What are you doing here pup?”

Harry willed his heart rate to slow back down at his rude awakening.

“Looking for you, aren’t I?” Harry rolled the tension out of his shoulders and grit his teeth. “Can I still come stay with you this summer?”

“Yes!” Black cheered and did an odd little jump of joy and Harry let out a relieved sigh. “This’ll be great! Do you want to see the house now or let it be a surprise? Probably a surprise,” Black continued before Harry could even answer. “That would be better.”

“Can my friend Theo stay too?” Harry asked hesitantly. “I told him he could stay with me...”

“Theodore Nott?” Black scrunched his nose for a moment before shaking his head. “Pup his Dad was a Death Eater. Not just any either, he was close mates to Voldemort himself when they were in school.”

“So?”

“So that kid was probably raised up in his eyeballs in dark magic,” Black said. “He could be dangerous.”

“Theo’s not dangerous,” Harry scowled. “And we’re a...” he tried to remember what Susan called her and Harry before. “A package deal! We’re a package deal! If Theo can’t stay then I won’t either.”

Harry hoped that Black wanted him badly enough to let Theo stay too. Harry had made a promise and he wouldn’t let him stay at his dads house a single night longer.

“Fine,” Black waved one hand and then immediately started bouncing around the flat. “He can come too. Oh this will be great! Listen, I know you don’t like Moony but I’m hoping you guys can get along because we can all spend all summer together. And I’ve already got so many plans!”

Harry watched curiously as Black moved around the flat, seemingly purposelessly. He talked quickly about Quidditch matches, the World Cup, and camping, then he’d pick up a plate and start talking about a motorcycle before putting the plate in a new spot it didn’t belong.

“Er, you okay?” Harry asked hesitantly. He didn’t want Black to agree to let Harry and Theo stay if he was drunk and then change his mind later.

“I’m perfect now!” Black said with a bright smile. “Have you ever been to the States? No of course you haven’t,” Black scowled. “Damned muggles didn’t take you anywhere interesting did they? They’re lucky I’m trying to stay out of Azkaban or I’d go talk with them.” Black tapped his wand on the kitchen counter then yelped when the dirty dishes started shaking. “Whoops,” he laughed. “Happens sometimes. Anyway, what was I saying?”

Harry didn’t even get a chance to answer before Black was off on a new topic. This time about vacations maybe? Black was talking too fast for Harry to really follow.

“Are you hungry?”

“What?” Harry hadn’t noticed Black had apparently changed topics again. “Oh, er, sure.”

He was starving actually. He hadn’t really ate much the last couple of days.

“I don’t have anything here that’s edible but we could go to Rosmerta’s and order you lunch,” Black peered in his empty cabinets and spoke so quickly Harry barely understood what he had said.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Harry asked, starting to worry that Black was actually drunk or something.

“Right as rain,” Black waved his hand as he kept digging through the cabinets. “Hey listen, do you wanna become an animagus?! Because I had a great idea!”

Harry was beginning to regret coming here. There was something wrong with Black. He hadn’t acted like this the last few times Harry had been around him. He’d been normal then. And now he was acting...

Acting completely mad.

“I-I should get back to school,” Harry said nervously as he carefully moved towards the door. “We can write about this summer, yeah?”

“Don’t go!” Black spun around and gave Harry a wide eyed look of surprise. “You can skip classes today!”

“It’s Sunday,” Harry said slowly. “And it’s-“ he checked the time. “It’s one.”

“Even better!” Black laughed. “Hey! What if you played hooky for a few days and we went on a trip?”

“What kind of trip?” Harry asked, curious despite himself.

“Any kind we want!” Black laughed again. “We could take my bike out and go anywhere! We’re both free Harry! Free pup! We can go anywhere! Hey! Russia is beautiful in the winters! We could go there!”

Harry grimaced at the impulsive offer. He couldn’t go to Russia, or anywhere really.

“I’d get expelled,” he said. “Dumbledore would kick me right out.”

“No the fuck he wouldn’t,” Black snarled, his sudden anger startling compared to his previous excitement. “Dumbledore owes you. Owes me too really. And that’s what I’ll tell him if he says one word.”

“I really can’t go. I’m sorry,” Harry said, more anxious to leave as Black looked mad enough to hex him. “I’ve got classes.”

“Don’t go!” Black cried as Harry reached out for the door handle. “We need to make plans! Hold on! Let me grab something to write this all down or I’ll forget!” Black laughed and turned back to the kitchen drawers to dig for something. Probably a parchment, but considering his current state Harry wouldn’t bet on it.

The moment Black’s back was turned Harry grabbed the door handle and sprinted out both sets of doors to the yard as quickly as he could. He threw his cloak back on and just started running.

Black was mad. He was just bouncing around his flat talking and talking and not making any sense.

And he thought he was having great ideas but they weren’t. They were mad. Harry couldn’t skip school and go to Russia. And they couldn’t take a flying motorcycle to the States. They’d be caught and arrested.

He’s just excited, Harry reassured himself. That’s all.

He slowed down to a walk once he reached the familiar pathway back to Hogwarts and tried to sort his thoughts out.

He’s a bit impulsive... but he’s not always like this, he thought. Maybe he’s just having a weird day?

An episode, a quiet part of his brain whispered.



But Harry was impulsive sometimes. He had days where he had impulsive ideas. He hadn’t really thought about playing quidditch when he transfigured those feathers on his arm, did he?

But Black was just rambling. Thought he had some grand plans but they were crazy. He didn’t make any sense at all. He wasn’t even talking properly.



‘Your speech is also markedly worse.’



‘Harry you sound mad...’



Harry stopped in the middle of the abandoned path beneath his cloak and felt his breath coming quickly as his heart started to race.



‘You do remind me quite a bit of Sirius... He’d get these grand ideas for pranks and plans for the future... Nobody seemed to understand that these weren’t just crazy ideas, they were plans and they were amazing and Sirius was a genius for coming up with them.’



But Black wasn’t a genius. He was mad.



“Let’s play hooky and go to Russia!”

“I’m trying to be an owl! It’s a brilliant idea I had!”



‘Manic episodes are experienced by intense feelings of euphoria, high energy, decreased need for sleep, increased impulsive behavior, a sense of invincibility, and non-sensical thought patterns.’



Harry started sprinting towards the Hogwarts gates again as his mind began assaulting him with every thing Snape had said to him before that he’d brushed off.



“You need help.”
“You sound mad.”
“It’s not your fault, it’s an illness.”
“You are behaving erratically and impulsively!”
“It’s called Manic-Depressive Illness.”



When he made it back to Hogwarts grounds, Harry made it as far as the edge of the Black Lake before he sunk to the ground and yanked his cloak off so he could breath properly again.

Black was really mad. Just like Snape said.

Because Snape wasn’t a liar.

He was a bastard. A bully sometimes. Stubborn. Rude.

But not a liar.

He said Black was mad, and he is.

He said Harry was mad... ‘ill’ he said... and...



And... he probably is.



Cissa tried to tell him too, when he was sick (‘depressed’ his mind whispered) over the summer, didn’t she?

And Hermione said his ‘mental functioning’ was messed up. Because he wasn’t sleeping.

And he wasn’t eating.

And he was acting just as crazy as Black was.



Because he was.

Crazy.

Like Black.



Harry pulled his knees to his chest and laid his head down on them.

He was just as bad as Black. And the only person who offered to help him, who didn’t treat him badly over it, was Snape. Snape who he screamed at. And tried to hurt with his words. And did hurt with his magic.

Snape who was his first friend and helped him when he was new to Hogwarts. Helped him before Hogwarts in fact, when he took him shopping and made sure he didn’t look pathetic when he first came to the school.

Snape who kept his secrets and taught him Occlumency to protect his mind from others.

Snape who healed his broken bones and never made him stay in the Hospital Wing.

Snape who’s little fox patronus was because he cared about Harry. Cared about him as much as his own mum had apparently.

Who searched for him when he was expelled. And gave him his own house. And became his guardian so Harry never had to go back to Surrey.

Snape who knew he was sick this summer and didn’t just get rid of him. He stuck around anyway and kept trying to get Harry to accept his help.

Harry threw it all away.

And he couldn’t fix it now.

Snape surely hated him. He’d never forgive Harry for picking Black this morning. Harry certainly wouldn’t forgive one of his friends if they went and became friends with Finnigan or Parkinson instead of him.

Which meant Harry was alone, and had a sickness that he had no idea how to fix.

He didn’t want to be like Black. He wanted to be like Snape.

Strong. Powerful. Free. Smart.

Someone people listened to and respected. Someone that couldn’t be hurt.

Except... except Harry did hurt him.

And now he was right back where he started- alone.

Harry kept his head down as he held back the pathetic tears that were trying to escape. He’d messed up so badly and he had no idea how to fix it. He doubted if it could even be fixed.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER!”

Harry’s head snapped up from his knees at the sound of someone screaming at him. He turned slightly and saw Susan, along with all of his other friends, jogging towards him.

“WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!” Susan shouted again with her hands on her hips. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!”

“Hogsmeade,” Harry said hoarsely as they all stopped and stood beside him.

“Why were you in Hogsmeade?” Hermione asked.

“Because I’m an idiot,” Harry admitted as he put his head back down to his knees.

“Hey.” Harry sensed as Susan knelt down beside him and put her hand on his back. “Are you okay?”

“If Fred fucking Weasley hurt you I swear to Merlin I will kill him,” Blaise swore.

“No,” Harry said with his face buried. “I’m not hurt. I’m just stupid.”

“No you aren’t,” Susan said softly. “What’s going on?”

Harry turned his head again and saw all his friends were watching him with curious and pitying looks.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he mumbled. “Just leave me alone for a while, yeah?”

“Wroooong,” Susan sang out. “Here’s what we’re going to do- Hermione and Theo are going to go study because they’re swots-“

“Hey!” Hermione and Theo cried out indignantly.

“-Draco and Ron are going to go back to flying,” Susan continued. “Blaise is going to go back to bed because he’s got a hangover and is being a prat today.”

“Am not,” Blaise grumbled.

“Neville is going to go with me to go play cards, and Luna is going to stay here with you. Okay?”

Harry shook his head, but apparently her question was actually a demand because everyone else immediately began complying. Luna plopped down beside him, on the opposite side from Susan, and everyone else murmured goodbye’s as they split up just like Susan ordered them.

“I’ll see you tonight when you’re done thinking that you’re anything less than the strongest and most brilliant wizard ever,” Susan said as she made her way over towards where Neville was waiting. “And when you remember how amazing you are then you’ll remember I’m the best friend in the world and you’ll come tell me all about why you were in Hogsmeade and why you went to a party with Blaise and not me.”

Harry nodded his head and gave her what he hoped was a grateful smile.

As soon as everyone else was gone Luna began stroking his hair in the comforting way he’d gotten used to.

“Is Sirius Black disappointing?” she asked softly, somehow guessing at part of his thoughts.

“He’s crazy Lue,” Harry said.

He could tell Luna anything. She stayed right by his side when he was dealing with the dementors (‘depressed’ his mind said again). She stroked his hair and wiped his tears and didn’t tell anyone about the nightmares he had or the things he screamed in his sleep.

If there was a better person in the world than Luna Lovegood, Harry hadn’t met them.

“He’s crazy,” he said again. “And... Lue I think so am I.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because...” Harry trailed off as he tried to think of all the reasons Snape gave before. “Because people can’t turn themselves in to owls, can they? And they probably can’t add gills to themselves without that plant Neville mentioned. And it’s not normal to not sleep for more than a week, is it?”

“No Harry,” Luna said gently. “It’s not.”

“So then I’m crazy Lue,” Harry admitted in a hoarse whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You aren’t crazy Harry,” Luna reassured him softly. “You’re sick.”

Harry turned his head to look at Luna and saw that she was watching him with her big silver eyes and her lips were pulled back in a gentle smile.

“Sick?” he repeated. “That’s what Snape said.”

“Did I ever tell you how my mom died?” Luna asked.

Harry shook his head. He knew Luna’s mom died, and that she saw it happen and that’s why she could see the thestrals, but she never said what happened.

“You would have liked her,” Luna said with a fond smile. “She was a quite extraordinary witch. She went to Beauxtbatons when she was a student. She had a Masters in Potions, just like Professor Snape. But then she got sick, and she started experimenting with her potions. She said she heard people in her head telling her to do it. Telling her what to do. And she wasn’t careful with her potions, not like I am. And one day, one of her experiments backfired and it killed her.”

“And you were with her, yeah?”

“Yes.” Luna kept stroking his hair while she talked. “I was with her and she died because she was sick and she wouldn’t get help.”

“Snape offered to help me,” Harry admitted. “And I told him I didn’t need him. Said I wanted to live with Black instead.”

“Professor Snape won’t care about that,” Luna said. “He’ll want to help you. And I want you to let him. Please, Harry?”

“I can’t!” Harry said. “He won’t help me Lue, because I fucked up. And I don’t know how to fix it because everything feels so horrible right now. And I- I don’t think Snape’s ever going to talk to me again. I said... I told him I didn’t need him, but I think I do,” he admitted with a weak sniffle.

Luna grabbed his hand with her free one and held it firmly in her own.

“There’s nothing you can’t fix Harry,” she said gently.

“I don’t know how. Tell me how,” he pleaded. “Ask the nargles or something, please.”

“I don’t need the nargles to tell me what you should do,” she said with a gentle squeeze to his hand. “All you have to do is go to him. He’ll help you. No matter what you said. Professor Snape loves you.”

“He’s gonna be so mad Lue,” Harry said. “I hurt him, burnt his hand. And I said the meanest stuff I could think of.”

“And you think he’s going to hurt you back,” Luna said.

“Course he will. Why wouldn’t he?”

Luna grasped Harry’s other hand and held them both tightly as she looked in his eyes.

“Professor Snape loves you,” she said. Her voice was still as melodic as usual but firmer and more stern now. “He would never hurt you Harry. Never ever.”

Harry shook his head. Luna didn’t get it. If someone hurt you, you hurt them back. That’s the way the world worked. Harry might not know how love worked, didn’t know enough about it to even questions Luna’s claims that Snape loved him, but he knew how pain worked. And he knew how it felt better to hurt other people when they had hurt you.

“Come on Harry, I’ll go with you.” Luna got to her feet and tugged gently on Harry’s hands to pull him to his feet. “Let’s go find Professor Snape.”

“‘Kay,” Harry said quietly, throwing his cloak over himself and Luna so they weren’t stopped by anyone in the corridors. The cloak was made a little pointless by Luna’s soft singing, but Harry liked to hear her sing so he didn’t say anything about it.

He let Luna guide him towards Snape’s office while he made some quick decisions in his head. He knew Snape was going to be angry. Probably angrier than Harry had ever seen him before. Snape would think about how Harry hurt him and would hurt Harry back to get even. And...

And Harry would let him. Just this once. Because he’d earned it. He’d take whatever punishment Snape gave him and would just grit his teeth and bear it. He’d done it before, at Surrey when he was being punished and in London when he’d been earning something to eat. So... So Snape could do what he needed to do. And then they’d be even again.

And then Harry would ask him to help him. He’d even break his own rule about asking for things and he’d ask. He’d even fuckin’ beg if it meant he didn’t end up like Black ever again.

Whatever it took if it meant at the end of it Harry wouldn’t be sick anymore.

It will be worth it, he told himself firmly.

“You can go now Lue,” he said quietly as he squared his shoulders and prepared himself to knock on Snape’s door. He didn’t want Luna to get hurt, or have Snape be mad at her, when he went in.

He didn’t want her to see him beg either.

“It’ll be okay,” Luna said with a tight hug. “You’ll see.”

Harry pulled his cloak off and stared at the door.

Whatever it takes, he told himself firmly as he pictured Black’s crazy behavior from earlier. Whatever it takes.

Harry took a last deep breath and knocked firmly on Snape’s door.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next: Lithium pains.

(PS: we are wrapping up year 3 rather quickly. There are only 3 chapters left to finish this year up!!)

88%

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Come in,” Severus growled from behind his desk. He was in no mood to deal with the petty problems of his students or complaints about his Slytherins from any fellow professors.

Or God forbid a social call from Minerva or Lupin.

His head ached fiercely despite the two pain relieving potions he consumed since his fight with Potter. He suspected it was likely emotionally driven, not physical, and thus potion resistant.

He looked up from the paperwork he was fruitlessly attempting to distract himself with to see Harry Potter slide in silently.

“Potter,” he said tartly. “What can I do for you?”

Potter stepped up to his desk and Severus saw as he pulled his shoulders back, a determined pose belied by his pale face and trembling arms. Potter looked at the wall behind Severus’ head and clenched his jaw, apparently unwilling to speak.

“What do you want Potter? Now!” Severus demanded.

If Potter had came back to demand he sign over the legal forms to the mutt, or tell him some more about how Severus was no longer needed in his life, then he could just leave. Severus would never purposefully berate a sick teenager, but he certainly wouldn’t allow one to take a couple more jabs at him freely either.

Potter mumbled something so softly that Severus couldn’t hope to decipher it.

“Speak up! I have no time to play twenty questions with you right now.”

Potter flinched backwards from Severus’ sharp tone.

“I s-said... I s-said I n-need your help,” Potter stammered.

“I am uninterested in helping you,” Severus said coolly, imagining any one of many possible schemes Potter would be requesting his assistance with. “Whatever difficulties you have found yourself dealing with- you can have Black assist you with resolving.”

Potter ducked his head for a moment before giving Severus a pleading look.

“I apologize,” the child said softly.

“For what precisely?” Severus asked at Potter’s entirely unprecedented apology.

“For... for all that stuff I said... and for b-burning you...” Severus curled his lip up at the reminder of his own foolish mistake he had made that morning at grabbing Potter. “And you c-can do whatever y-you need to... so we’re even, yeah?”

Severus looked curiously at Potter’s trembling tone and his ‘I am terrified and trying to hide it’ posture.

“What do you believe I need to do to make us ‘even’ for your behavior this morning?” he asked him.

Potter curled his shaking hands in to fists at his sides and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Whatever you think you should,” he said through a tightly clenched jaw. “Just... just I need your help. So do it.”

Merlin.

Potter was expecting physical violence to somehow even an imagined score so that Severus would help him with whatever problem he was having. The child was pitiful.

“I will not strike you Potter,” Severus said, biting down on his previously scathing tone to a more neutral tone of indifference. “Inform me of the problem you need my assistance with.”

Potter opened his eyes slowly and Severus could practically see his heart racing through the pulse point in his neck.

“You were right.”

Severus raised his brows at Potters softly spoken admission. Though, he had no idea what he was referring to.

“What was I right about?” Severus asked him.

Potter’s eyes were rather wet as he made eye contact with Severus.

“Black is mad,” he said. “And... and I am too, aren’t I? And I dunno how to fix it. But... but you do, sir. So I need you to just hurt me so we can be even and help me. Please Snape. Please. I don’t wanna be like him.”

Potter sounded young and desperate. Severus saw one small tear trail out behind his silver glasses, which squeezed his heart painfully to see. But more importantly- Severus heard him.

Quit punishing the child with a cold shoulder, he scolded himself. A sick child is a sick child. Regardless of who he chose to be his guardian.

“Sit,” Severus said. “I am incredibly pleased to hear that you would like assistance with your illness, and would like to hear how you came to accept it.”

Potter took a step towards the chair before he hesitated.

“C-can you please j-just get even first? I don’t wanna s-stand back up.”

Jesus Christ.

Severus adopted Potter’s own move and closed his eyes tightly for a moment while he tried to think. Potter lived off a bartering system. He traded secrets for secrets. He shared information in exchange for information. Potter (rightfully) believed he dealt Severus pain this morning and would anxiously await a reckoning until he believes that Severus has sufficiently hurt him back.

Which Severus would not willingly do. Potter had suffered enough pain to last three lifetimes in Severus’ opinion.

“Tell me how you gained the scar that decorates your collarbone.” Severus pointed on his own collarbone to indicate the scar he referred to.

Potter stopped fidgeting and looked incredulously at Severus.

“Why?”

“Because I believe it will hurt you to tell me,” Severus said evenly. “I will not lay a finger on you, you may recall I even vowed to never do such a thing, and thus we will be even.”

And it will be another part of Potter’s past that Severus will be informed of.

Potter’s eyes widened and he raised his brows above the curtain of hair his fringe makes on his forehead.

“I got beat up by these street kids,” Potter said quietly with his eyes averted to his feet and his face bright red. Severus felt a warmth spread in his chest as he was once again able to recognize Potter’s stance. He believed this one would be called ‘needlessly embarrassed’. “One of ‘em had a knife and I ducked when he jabbed it at my throat and he caught my neck I guess.” Potter pulled on the collar of his jumper and showed Severus the scar he’d only seen flashes of before. It was thick and white and looked as if it had hurt incredibly badly. “I’d only been on my own a few months, it was just starting to get cold out, but after they beat the hell out of me I saw a cop and asked him for help. He called me a street rat and then pretended he didn’t even see me. So I went to a shelter and a lady stitched it up for me, even gave me a candy while she did it. But then she tried to put me in a foster home so I took off.”

It was no wonder Potter was terrified and disgusted by law enforcement. Severus himself was disgusted by what passed as Muggle law enforcement as he imagined an adult, in any capacity, purposefully ignoring a small child bleeding from a neck wound.

“Why were you adverse to residing in a foster home?” Severus asked. He had never heard of a homeless child actively avoiding a residence that could offer a warm bed, food, and continuous shelter.

Though, Potter was the only homeless child he had a relationship with. But still. The thought made no logical sense.

Potter lifted his head to look up at him and sighed.

“My uncle used to threaten me with them, didn’t he? Said they were way worse than his house so I should be grateful for what I had. Didn’t wanna take any chances, did I?”

“I see.”

And Severus did see.

He saw that Vernon Dursley had a reckoning coming.

“So... so are we even?” Potter took a shuffling step towards the chair in front of Severus’ desk.

“We are,” Severus said calmly. He hoped that the mental sting of sharing past traumas would be enough for Potter to feel as if Severus had ‘evened the score’. Otherwise God knows Potter will never fully relax in his company again.

Not that it matters as much now, seeing as Potter requested to reside with Black from now on.

“Would you care to sit and inform me how you came to the understanding that you require treatment?” Severus asked.

Potter sat down in his seat and let out a strangled sort of sigh.

“Black... he’s ‘manic’,” Potter used his fingers to emphasize quotations around manic which caused Severus’ lips to nearly twitch in to a smile. He repressed the urge though, sure that Potter would take it as a mocking gesture and become embarrassed.

“How did you determine this?” Severus asked him curiously. Just this morning Potter was unwilling to recognize a manic episode in himself and yet now he believes he has diagnosed Black. Severus was certain Potter was correct in his diagnosis, Potter’s manic behavior was startling similar to Black when they were classmates, yet he was curious how Potter reached the same conclusion.

“I... I went to see him,” Potter said. “And he was talking like a crazy person and jumping around and didn’t make no sense at all. And he said ‘let’s go to Russia’ and I realized that people can’t transfigure gills on to themselves, can they?”

“They cannot,” Severus said slowly. He had not been aware that Potter had ever believed it to be possible.

That is a question for another day, he stopped himself from latching on to that odd remark.

“How were you able to go see Black this morning?” he asked instead.

If Minerva gave Potter permission to run off to Black then she would be dealing with Severus.

Potter twisted his fingers around in his lap and fidgeted as he looked around the room.

“Ran fast, under my cloak, didn’t I?”

If Potter’s cloak was not one of very few items that physically connects him to his deceased father then Severus would happily confiscate it until the child graduates.

“I see. And so you risked further punishment to go ask Black to take over your guardianship in an effort to avoid treating your illness. You rightfully recognized that his manic speech and disjointed thoughts were similar to your own. And you then came to me for assistance in treating your illness, have i summarized your day accurately?”

“Kinda. But... but I didn’t ask him,” Potter said softly. “I know you probably don’t wanna have me stay with you anymore but... but I don’t wanna stay with Black either.”

Thank God, Severus thought with no small amount of relief. He had spent the day in a miserable state believing that the child he has grown ridiculously fond of had been lost to him forever.

“Pot- Harry, you are operating under a false belief,” Severus said gently. “I enjoy being your guardian. Further, you own our home. It is your house Harry. You need never reside anyplace you do not want to because you always have a home to return to.”

“Will you still be there?” Potter looked up at him and Severus found himself caught in his gaze. “Might be lonely if it’s just me...”

Severus smirked at Potter’s carefully worded plea.

“I will be there,” he told the ridiculous child. “As I have told you before, I have no desire to rescind my guardianship of you. You and I will likely have many more arguments in the next four years, and they are to be expected. They will not cause me to change my mind. Understand?” Severus allowed Potter to study him for authenticity behind his words until the child nodded in satisfaction. Whether Potter truly understood that Severus could not be easily drove away or not was a matter of its own, but for now it was enough to move on from.

Severus opened his desk drawer and retrieved the bottle of medication he had stored there. He delicately placed it on the desk between himself and Potter.

Potter, the fearless child who completed the seven trials to reach Flamel’s Stone at eleven years old and drove a sword through the mouth of a basilisk at twelve, paled and twitched at the sight of the harmless pill bottle.

“I would like for you to tell me your aversion to this medication.”

Potter grimaced and hunched his shoulders up.

“I’ll take it,” he said. “I don’t wanna be like Black again.”

“That is not what I asked,” Severus said gently. “I would like to understand your aversion so that I may alleviate any worries you are carrying.” Potter chewed on his lower lip for a long minute while Severus patiently waited for him to organize his thoughts.

“Ya ever checked in to a shelter?”

“I have not,” Severus said.

“So... so people always think you can just show up and get a bed, ya know? But it’s not like that... you gotta wait in line to see if they even have a bed open for ya. And when you get in they ask all sorts of questions. And one of them is if you have any medicine ya need,” Potter glanced down again at the bottle of medication on the desk and stared at it as he spoke. “And if ya say yes then they try and get it for ya. And I’d see ‘em. The people who said yes. And they just laid on their cots and they were worse off than the people on drugs, ya know? Cause at least the drugs made the other people move and talk. The pills people just laid there sir. Just droolin’ and stupid looking. Didn’t even notice when they got ripped off. And I don’t wanna be like the pill people.”

Severus could scarcely imagine a more miserable type of environment for a child to be exposed to.

“You will have an incredibly useful resource to prevent side effects such as those,” Severus said.

“What’s that?” Potter’s fearful gaze was still on the medication.

“Me. And I will never allow any ward of mine to be ‘droolin’’ nor ‘stupid looking’.”

Potter looked up and saw Severus’ smirk and a hint of a smile reached the child’s eyes before he tentatively reached for the medication.

“So do I just take one every day? And I’ll be fixed?”

“You are not a thing that is broken,” Severus stressed. “However, if you take the medication every day it will counteract the imbalanced chemicals in your system and we will hopefully see the end of the illness driven depressive and manic episodes.”

Severus waited silently as Potter considered the medication.

“What d’ya mean by ‘illness driven’?”

Severus chose his words very carefully.

“You are a teenager, which means that you will experience an increase in hormones and emotional fluctuation. You will undoubtedly still have have periods of strong feelings of joy and sadness. The medication will lessen the likelihood that you will have out of control thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.”

Potter nodded and opened the bottle with the look of a much older man being led to the gallows.

“Wait-“ Severus quickly grabbed the bottle from the ridiculous child. “When is the last time you ate today?”

“Er...” Potter trailed off and shrugged.

Severus sighed and checked the time.

“Do you mean to tell me that it is now six o’clock and you have not had a meal all day?”

Potter bit his lip and nodded.

“Foolish,” Severus admonished him gently. “You need to eat Harry. You cannot take this medication on an empty stomach, it can cause you to become sick if you do. You will take one during breakfast, where you will eat. And one during dinner, which you will also eat. Every day Harry. You cannot miss a dose, which means you cannot miss a meal. Do you understand?”

“I have to take it two times?”

“Two times a day, yes. Though we may have to adjust it at some point. There is no prior research on Wixen consuming muggle medications of this type. Not because it has been unneeded,” Severus hastily added lest Potter find another reason to not take the medicine. “But because Wixen are ignorant of this particular branch of Muggle advances. I have researched appropriate dosages for your age and size, but your metabolism is much higher than that of a Muggle.”

“Metabolism is why I’m skinny, right?”

“Precisely,” Severus smiled fondly as Potter apparently had been listening to Severus’ many rants on the interactions of potions on Muggles and medication on Wixen over the summer. “And because you seem to have a larger magical core than most, and thus are able to control your magic much more easily than most, your metabolism burns faster. Which is why you require a higher dose of medication for it to be effective.”

“So twice a day,” Potter said.

“Twice a day.”

“But... but I don’t want everyone to know,” Potter mumbled in a plaintive tone that squeezed Severus’ heart.

Severus stepped his hands beneath his chin as he considered Potter’s insecurity. It was not unfounded, Severus himself would feel the same way.

“Sir?” Potter called quietly.

“Just a moment please, I am attempting to think of a solution,” Severus told him. Potter remained unnaturally still, though not tense, as Severus thought.

The medication could not be charmed, it would impact the properties of the chemicals and could potentially poison Potter. It would also be impractical for Potter to duck beneath his invisibility cloak every meal.

Severus picked up the bottle of medication and frowned thoughtfully as he studied it.

The medication could not be altered, but... but the bottle itself could.

“Ah, I believe I have a solution,” Severus said, quite pleased with himself. “I will add a rune of subterfuge to the bottle itself.”

“What’s that mean then?”

Severus looked at Harry and frowned again as he had forgotten how poor the child’s prior education had truly been.

“It operates closely to the ‘Notice Me Not’ Charm,” Severus explained. “The rune will make it to where anyone aside from those keyed in to the rune, in this case only us, will be unable to notice the bottle. The rune will divert their attention off of it, you could shake the bottle in their face and they would only hear a rattling noise.”

“Brill,” Potter sighed. “Thank you.”

Severus pulled his wand out and very carefully drew the rune to the bottom of the bottle and, after a split second of hesitation, Severus also added a ward to alert him every time a pill was removed from the bottle.

It would do Potter no good if the child forgot to take the medication. Or, more likely, intentionally stopped taking it.

“Place your thumb here please,” Severus showed him how and once he was done Severus handed Potter the bottle.

He was hesitant to trust him with the medication, but Potter needed to be treated as an adult until he gave Severus a reason not to.

“If it is not a terrible imposition I would like for you to remain here tonight. Neither of us know of your allergies and it would be remiss of me to allow you to introduce a new substance to your body without supervision.”

“Here?” Potter looked around the classroom with raised brows. “I dunno...”

“No, brat,” Severus chuckled at the understandable confusion. “Apologies. I meant in my quarters. As you have recently became acquainted with my sofa, it would be safest for you to sleep there again tonight where I am close by in case you have an adverse reaction.”

“So I wouldn’t sleep in my dorm? Or eat in the Great Hall?” Potter asked slowly.

“Just for tonight,” Severus assured him. “I truly am concerned with allowing you to stray too far from me when there is no prior research on this medication being taken by a Wizard.”

“Susan’s gonna kill me though,” Potter frowned. “I told her I’d talk to her tonight, and... and she was good about it when she found me earlier.”

Severus was undeniably curious in what sort of condition Miss Bones found Potter in after his confrontation with Black.

“And...” Potter flushed and looked upwards towards the ceiling for a moment. “And Luna might be upset...”

Severus snorted as he realized what Potter was alluding to.

“Miss Lovegood absolutely cannot sleep in my quarters,” he said. “You, as my legal ward, are welcome to. However I would be fired if another child, especially a female child, slept in my private living space.”

“Fine,” Potter huffed and shrugged. “Worth a shot. Can I go see them before we eat and take the medicine then?”

Severus considered the reasonable request and decided to attempt a compromise.

“What if your friends joined you here, in the classroom, for dinner? I am sure Mavis would not be opposed to bringing you food and then you can eat with your friends while remaining close by. Is that acceptable?”

“Acceptable,” Potter mimicked with the first smirk of amusement Severus had seen on his face in quite some time. “Can I go get them?”

“May I send a patronus instead?” Severus countered with.

“Don’t trust me?” Potter didn’t sound upset, only curious, so Severus decided to answer honestly.

“I would prefer you to remain here until you have taken the first dose lest we spend another eight months arguing over the medication,” he said.

“‘Kay,” Potter shrugged and slumped down to a more relaxed pose in his chair. “But you didn’t see Black today. If that’s how I am then I’ll do whatever I have to to fix it.”

“And I am incredibly pleased and proud of you for that decision.” Severus smiled at Potter in what he hoped was an affectionate manner. “You have shown an incredible amount of maturity this afternoon.”

“Cause I said I’d take the pills?” Potter sounded curious but his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink that led Severus to believe he was pleased with his praise.

Which probably meant he should do it more often. Potter had probably never been praised for a thing in his life before he entered Hogwarts. And even now he is praised for the most for his magical strength and hardly for the things other children receive from their parents.

“You also apologized for this morning,” Severus said. “You rarely apologize for your actions and decisions, we are quite similar in that way, so it was a much appreciated apology.”

“You apologize to me all the time,” Potter (correctly) pointed out.

“I wrong you more often than I do most others,” Severus said bluntly. “And thus I apologize more often to you.” Severus cleared his throat and slowly brandished his wand. “I am going to send a message to Miss Bones now.”

Potter nodded and watched eagerly as Severus summoned his patronus.

“I would like to see you in my office,” Severus said. “Bring your misfits if you would.”

Potter scowled as the silver fox disappeared.

“My friends are not misfits.”

Severus raised a teasing brow at the child, and the relief he felt that he was able to still have a teasing relationship with Potter was no small amount.

“I was under the impression that you made a habit of adopting friends with unique qualities.”

“Unique means special, yeah? That’s not odd,” Potter said stoutly. “And you better not be calling Lue a misfit.”

“I was referring to the odd combination of qualities you have accumulated in your friendships, not the individuals themselves,” Severus said. Merlin forbid if the child believed Severus was insulting Miss Lovegood.

“What odd qualities?” Potter asked curiously.

“Where to begin?” Severus smirked. “Miss Bones, the Hufflepuff with a penchant for disturbingly vulgar language. Mister Longbottom who cannot complete a potion without adding his own fear induced sweat, yet who fist fought over your honor last year. Draco and Ronald, whose fathers have harbored a grudge their entire lives towards one another, and spend their afternoons playing chess and flying together. And of course Mister Nott and Miss Granger, the pureblooded son of a bigot who shares a relationship with the muggleborn walking encyclopedia, each of whom have memorized the Hogwarts Charter.”

Potter laughed brightly at Severus’ summary of his friends.

“What about me, Blaise, and Lue?” he asked eagerly.

“You mean the son of the most terrifying woman I have ever met, the child who gives me constant headaches, and my favorite student?”

“Thought I was your favorite?” Potter grinned.

“Your potions could never compare to Miss Lovegood,” Severus said pompously. “I will make a Potions Master of that witch yet.”

The grin on Potter’s face slid right off and he frowned unhappily.

“Did you know Lue’s mom was a potion master like you are?”

“I did not.” Severus was also unaware that Lovegood’s mother was deceased, as was indicated by Potter’s use of the past tense. “Perhaps that is where Miss Lovegood developed her superior skill in the subject,” he added kindly.

“Maybe.” Potter turned in his seat slightly to watch the classroom door. “Lue told me to come here. Said you wouldn’t hate me.”

Severus owed Miss Lovegood quite a bit apparently.

“She was correct,” he said. “It would take much more than one disagreement for me to hate you.”

Potter glanced over his shoulder at Severus and scrunched his brows together.

“What would it take?”

“Are you looking for future tips?” Severus asked in a dry attempt at bringing back Potter’s previously good humor.

“No,” Potter did huff out a small laugh. “But... but I don’t want you to hate me, do I? So I gotta know.”

Severus was interrupted from attempting to find a response to such an absurd question, Potter truly had no understanding of what it meant to be cared for, by the sudden arrival of half a dozen children. He quickly slid the bottle of medication to Potter who pocketed it with a subtle nod.

“Harry!” Bones squealed happily. “I was hoping you’d be here!”

Draco, Granger, Theodore, Lovegood, and Blaise all trailed in behind Miss Bones with their own smiles aimed towards Potter. Severus could sense an overall feeling of relief and once again wondered what sort of condition Potter had been in when he had to be convinced to come find Severus.

“I told you he was here,” Lovegood said airily as she sat down at the desk closest to Potter. “You weren’t listening.”

“Oh I heard you,” Bones rolled her eyes as she threw herself in the chair beside Lovegood. “But I told you to stay with him, not drop him off like owl post.”

“Professor,” Granger nodded politely at Severus.

“Good evening,” Severus said. “How are you?”

“Fine, thank you.” Granger tugged Theodore towards the other table beside Bones and Draco and Blaise followed suit on the opposite side.

“Where’s Ron and Nev?” Potter asked.

“They were already at dinner,” Draco said with a roll of his eyes.

“If you all are amenable I can rearrange the furniture and you could make a terrible mess of my classroom for dinner tonight,” Severus offered.

“Ooh, yes please!” Bones grinned over at him and Severus felt his usual fond exasperation at the wild girl. It was luck on Severus’ part that Potter had driven Bones to become an ally of his. Severus would undoubtedly go through cases of pain relief if any one of Potter’s friends had been against him, especially Bones who still commands the poltergeist to torment Lupin and Albus.

“Stand please,” Severus said. He flicked his wand at the desk tables after the students all stood and rearranged them in to a square grouping more suitable for their current needs.

“I will return momentarily if you would like to order dinner,” Severus said.

“‘Kay,” Potter murmured distractedly as he eyed the table seating carefully.

“Brat,” Severus sighed with another flick of his wand.

Potter gave him a self-conscious grin as Severus moved a chair to the corner of the table that would give Potter a view of both the doorway and Severus’ desk.

“That’s mine,” Draco joked as he moved as if to take Potters chair.

“Only if ya wanna fight over it,” Potter drawled as Severus strode off towards his quarters.

Severus left to give the children a moment of privacy while also rereading his notes on the research for Lithium one last time before Potter took it.

He had done extensive research on the medication before requesting it from the Contessa. Currently, Lithium was the only tested and approved medication for the newly discovered Manic-Depressive Illness. The United Kingdom itself had yet to approve the medication. Severus would never have acquired it for Potter had France not had sufficient research in to its interactions with the illness. They had even completed trials with adolescents who had the same illness and symptoms as Potter, though the youngest in the trial was 15 as compared to Potter’s mere 13 years of age.

Reassured that the research he compiled backed his recommended twice daily dosage of 500mg, Severus returned to his classroom and stopped and stared.

He had been gone for a mere five minutes.

“Perhaps I should not have given you permission to trash my classroom,” Severus said curly as he moved back to his desk.

“It’s not trashed,” Draco grinned. “Just... a bit messy.”

Severus eyed the overt amount of plates, glasses, and serving platters scattered across the tables he had joined together. Then sent a pointed glance at the discarded bags and cloaks strewn across the floor. And a final curious look at the coveted plate on his own desk.

“We’ll clean it sir,” Granger said.

“We’ll see,” Bones laughed. “Alright Harry spill, let’s hear it.”

Severus removed the covering on his plate and was touched to see that Potter had requested fish and chips for him. The child was an unpredictable menace, but his vigilant notice of the smallest details was not unappreciated.

Severus listened quietly as the students chatted amongst themselves.

“Tell me about yours first,” Potter said. Severus was relieved to see that the end of the manic episode brought back Potter’s lost appetite. Potter was scooping up bites of potatoes as Bones began describing what seemed to be an outing she took yesterday with Draco.

“Draco wanted to go to Madame Puddifoots,” she laughed as Draco’s pale skin blushed darkly. “It was horrible, wasn’t it Draco?”

“It really was,” Draco agreed with a dramatic shiver. Severus smirked as he recalled the one time he had entered the disgusting tea shop and had left covered in confetti.

“And then we just walked around Hogsmeade and hung out with Ron and Neville and everyone else. Then someone started a snowball fight that lasted foreverrrr-“

“And they hit Hermione with a snowball,” Theodore interrupted Bones with a pointed look of irritation.

“Which was an accident,” Bones smiled sweetly but Severus saw her wink at Potter.

A witch with the fierce loyalty of a Hufflepuff and the cunning of a Slytherin was a terrifying thing. Severus was grateful she was about as subtle as a raging hippogriff or he would likely have had to deal with her in the Slytherin house as well.

“Now tell us about your day,” Blaise said. “I’m sure it was much more interesting.”

“Dunno,” Potter shrugged. “We... uh,” Potter glanced at Severus who pretended to be incredibly interested in his own meal. “We just walked around a bit and then went to Zonkos and then got a drink and came back.”

Aah, Potter’s first date. Severus wouldn’t have chosen Fred Weasley as a match for the child, but perhaps Potter’s cynical and brooding nature was drawn in by Weasley’s optimistic cheer.

Bones glanced towards Severus as well, who finally sighed in defeat.

“I have gone deaf,” he said drily. “I am entirely deaf and unable to hear you all speak. Any admissions of wrongdoing will be ignored due to my current temporary deafness.” Severus raised a brow slightly at Potter as the other children chuckled at his allowance of free conversation and he watched as Potter ducked his head, raised his hand to his mouth, then took a long drink.

Severus’ wand heated up in a three beat pattern in his pocket, informing him that the ward worked and Potter took the medication.

Thank Merlin.

“Okay if Snape’s deaf then tell me, did you guys kiss?” Bones grinned at Potter, who blushed and scowled.

Severus was incredibly uncomfortable with the new topic of conversation and yet unable to leave since he had just foolishly instructed the child to take the medication in the middle of the meal. Severus was torn between his options: actually muffle the students’ conversation and leave himself unable to hear if Potter went in to anaphylactic shock, or suffer through what he was sure would be a discomforting conversation.

He knew he had to remain in the room, and remain alert, but swore that he needed to stop bending to Potter’s will in the future. The brat had just looked so childlike when he discussed wanting to eat with his friends.

“Not at Hogsmeade,” Potter mumbled. “But yeah.”

“Oooh!” Granger and Bones both squealed, much to the irritation of Severus’ ear drums.

“Was it magical?” Lovegood asked wistfully.

Severus subtly looked up and saw Potter was grinning in a way he has not seen in a while. It was neither a mania driven smile, nor a cold smile he gives right before injuring someone in some way. It was a carefree smile of a thirteen year old talking about a kiss.

It was normal.

Painfully, blessedly, normal.

“It was nice,” Potter said.

“Harry was pissed,” Blaise drawled quietly. “I’m surprised he even remembers it.”

“Speaking of drunk... who was that bloke you were dancing on?”

Potter’s friends laughed as Blaise seemed to be struck silent for a moment.

“I may not remember his name,” Blaise finally said over the continued laughter of the students. “He was an excellent kisser though.”

Draco laughed so hard he had clutched the table and Severus felt himself unwittingly smile as memories of himself as a teenager discussing dates, kissing, and other foolish things in the Slytherin common room was drawn up.

“I’m still mad you went to a party without me,” Bones muttered.

“Me too,” Draco added with a pout.

“I’m not mad,” Lovegood hummed. “I bet it was rather loud.”

“It was,” Potter smiled at Lovegood. “Real loud.”

“I can’t believe you guys lost Slytherin 45 points in one go.” Theodore gave Potter and Blaise both a disappointed look.

“Better than us,” Bones said. “We lost 100 points even!”

Severus was pleased to hear that Lupin apparently was not biased with his punishments.

“Slytherin should have lost more,” Potter said thoughtfully. “Kinda fucked that we were the only two Slytherins there.”

Severus could not hold back his snort of derision at Potter’s thoughtful, vulgar, and accurate statement.

“I thought you were deaf,” Draco said.

“He was only pretending,” Lovegood said matter of factly which caused Theodore and Granger to laugh briefly before Potter glared at them.

“Apologies. I am of course entirely deaf,” Severus drawled. “As an unrelated side note I would simply like to interject that Slytherins are rarely invited to intermixed events hosted by other houses as we are seen poorly by the general students.”

“Pft, that’s stupid,” Potter scowled. “Finnigan was the only one who said anything ‘bout me bein’ there and I hit him right in the face, didn’t I?”

“Harry! Why?” Granger sounded like an exasperated parent and Severus felt a pang of shared empathy with the witch.

“Called me fuckin’ evil, didn’t he? Right in front of Fred’s friends.”

Severus went back to pretending to not listen to the students conversation as Potter and Blaise discussed their illicit evening last night. He kept a close eye on Potter and felt confident that it had been long enough that the child would not have an immediate adverse reaction to the medication. His breathes were still even, his skin was a normal shade, and his eyes were bright and clear.

“Are you gonna tell us about that thing you did today now or later?” Draco asked Potter, catching Severus’ attention.

“He already knows,” Potter murmured quietly. “Just went to talk to Black and came back.”

“What’d he do?” Bones asked sharply.

“What d’ya mean?”

“She means, why did you look like Black ate Sevvie for lunch when you were sitting by the lake?” Blaise clarified with a quirk to his lips.

“I think that’s Harry’s business, isn’t it?” Lovegood hummed, raising Severus’ respect for the witch ever so slightly higher.

Potter leant towards Bones and whispered something that caused her to nod.

“You can’t promise to tell Susan later right in front of us!” Draco cried.

“Who said that’s what he said?” Bones challenged him.

“Because Harry never refuses to tell you anything,” Granger said logically.

“Fine!” Potter scowled at his friends but Severus saw a pleased look playing around his eyes. “I went to see Black, but he was...” he trailed off and flicked his eyes towards Lovegood.

“Disappointing,” she supplied.

“Black was disappointing,” Potter nodded.

“I’m sorry Harry,” Granger said softly. “I thought you two were getting along?”

“We were, or... are? I dunno. He was just having a... bad day today I guess and I didn’t like it much, did I?” Potter crossed his arms and looked as if he were defiantly daring one of his friends to contradict him.

Theodore leaned across the table towards Potter and breathed something directly in his ear. Severus couldn’t hear Theodore’s question but he saw Potter shake his head in response.

Interesting. Severus hadn’t thought Potter and Theodore were very close and yet Theodore knew Potter well enough to ask a private question that the other students had not considered.

Severus wouldn’t bother lying to himself and denying that witnessing Potter’s group dynamic was incredibly interesting. The children all seemed to revolve around Potter, and yet they each interacted with him in a different manner. It was unlike anything Severus had seen before.

The students began chatting about their classes, the Quidditch training for the final game in April, and their upcoming finals in May. Severus waited until their plates emptied before clearing his throat to draw their attention.

“I am afraid that I must keep Mister Potter for the evening,” he said. “Though the rest of you-“ he looked sharply at Lovegood and Bones, “should return to your own dormitories.”

Draco chuckled and gave his own pointed look of amusement to Granger of all people, who turned a horrifying shade of red.

I hate teenagers.

“You’re not staying in the dorm tonight?” Blaise asked Potter.

“Nope. Snape thinks I’m gonna sneak out to a party again,” Potter lied easily. “Don’t reckon he trusts me much, does he?”

“You were caught in a room full of drugs and alcohol just last night,” Severus said curtly, playing along with Potter’s well chosen cover story. “Forgive me for any lingering concerns over your adherence to the rules.”

Granger looked skeptical at Potter’s explanation but thankfully held her tongue.

“Alright well, we’ll see you in the morning then?” Draco asked.

Potter glanced at Severus who nodded once.

“Course,” Potter said. “I’ll be at breakfast. Tell Ron he better not have bent a single twig on my broom.”

Bones and Lovegood both gave Potter quick hugs, which he easily accepted, before the group departed.

”Clean up,” Potter murmured as he lazily waved his hand and Severus’ classroom was quickly put to rights.

“I have said it before and I will say it again, you would make an excellent House-Elf if your Ministry aspirations ever fail you,” Severus smirked at his ward.

His ward.

Thank Merlin.

“Doubt that’ll happen sir. D’ya know how the Minister is chosen?”

“The Minister is chosen through a general election of the Wixen population in the United Kingdom,” Severus recited as he held the door to his quarters open for Potter.

“Exactly.” Potter smirked up at him and batted his eyelashes a few times. “And who won’t vote for the Boy-Who-Lived? Especially if I ‘vanquish’ Voldemort before I’m thirty?”

Severus blinked down at Potter, caught entirely off guard.

“That... that is terrifying,” he said truthfully. “Merlin Harry.”

Potter was not wrong. The prophesied vanquisher of the Darkest Wizard to rip apart the United Kingdom who had already once survived him would win any popular election in a landslide. And if Potter did somehow kill the Dark Lord between now and then? The most beloved child in their world would become the most powerfully revered figure. Eclipsing even Albus in his prime.

Minister of Magic Potter.

It would be chaos. Glorious chaos.

“Think it’s what Ron calls a sure bet.” Potter said confidently before he flopped down on Severus’ sofa and pulled a pair of sleepwear out of the bag Draco brought him. “Can...” Potter shifted uneasily and gave Severus a close look. “Can I take a shower maybe?”

“Of course.” Severus pointed him towards the shower and settled himself in to his recliner once he heard Potter turn the water on. He thought back to Potter’s first day when he refused to change in the boys restroom with the other students present and felt a sense of pride in how much trust he has earned for Potter to willingly go utilize Severus’ private accommodations.

It was trust hard earned, but Severus had done it. Succeeded where many others failed.

Particularly, succeeded where Black and Lupin both failed. Which he was certainly not internally gloating over.

And he was not still gloating when Potter returned from the shower.

“Do you require a potion to help you to sleep?” Severus asked.

“No,” Potter yawned as if to prove his point. “Think that pill made me tired.”

“It is one possible side-effect. Though it should only last a couple of weeks,” Severus assured him. “We could couple it with a Pepper-Up Potion in the mornings if you find yourself too tired for your classes in the meantime.”

“‘Kay,” Potter tossed his bag carelessly on the floor beside the sofa and stretched out with a small sigh. “Thanks for not tellin’ my friends I lied about why I’m here.”

“Of course.” Severus summoned a book and a blanket and was pleased again to see that Potter did not so much as twitch at the abrupt motion. “I will be here if you need me,” he said as he tossed the blanket to Potter.

“Kay.” Potter shifted around on the sofa and buried himself beneath the blanket. “Night.”

“Goodnight brat,” Severus called back.

He waited nearly an hour before Potter’s breaths had evened out and his face relaxed into something much more vulnerable and open in his sleep. Severus looked fondly at the child as he cast a ward to alert him if Potter woke during the night. So far he seemed to be dealing with the medication easily enough. A side effect of lethargy was commonly described in the research and could be lessened easily with the addition of a potion until it ceased once Potter’s body was better acquainted with the medication.

Severus summoned his own quilt and relaxed back in his chair as he cleared his mind.

In, two, three, four.

Out, two, three, four, five.

In, two, three, four.

Out, two, three...



BEEP. BEEP. BEPP.

Severus jerked awake as the alarm he keyed to his wand alerted him that Potter was awake.

“Potter?” he called towards the opened restroom door. “Are you alright?”

“‘M sick,” Potter moaned.

Severus went to the doorway and saw that Potter was curled over the toilet, his hair stuck to his sweating forehead.

“Have you gotten sick or do you feel as if you will be?” Severus cast a diagnostic charm and was relieved to see there were no current ailments plaguing the child which meant this must be a side effect.

“Feel like ‘m gonna be,” Potter moaned again with his head on the porcelain toilet seat.

“It is nausea and it is a common side effect of first time users of Lithium,” Severus said calmly. “Here-“ he summoned an Anti-Nausea Potion and offered it to Potter. “This should ease the nausea.”

“Ta,” Potter said weakly before he threw back the potion. Severus counted as he waited for the potion to go in to effect.

As he reached twelve Potter took a deep breath.

“Better?”

“Loads.” Potter got to his feet and held on to the sink for a moment. “Can I-“

Potter’s eyes rolled in to the back of his head as he fell, too abruptly and rapidly for Severus to stop him, striking his head on the stone floor.

“Potter?!” Severus reached down for the child when every muscle in Potter’s body began shaking.

“Son of a bitch,” Severus swore as he quickly scooped the child up and held him tightly. “God damned son of a bitch.”

Severus carefully maneuvered Potter and himself towards the floo as quickly and carefully as he could.

“St Mungos Emergency Care!” he cried with a tight grip on the seizing child in his arms.

Chapter End Notes

Up Next: Bedside Visitors & Guilt Ridden Guardians