If you should not be here, leave now.

"Bill’s going to tell Ron something bad’s happened." Harry said, his voice neutral.

"Well something has. What are you going to tell your friends?" Severus dropped his mask again and spoke softly. Harry looked at him, and then at the journal on the bedside cabinet.

"I suppose you’ve read that." He jerked his head in its general direction.

"Yes." There wasn’t really any point in denying it, Severus thought.

"I’ll tell them what’s in there. They’ll work out what happened anyway, so I might as well tell them." Harry said philosophically. Severus watched him for a moment.

"Are you sure that’s wise?" He questioned, "there are some things people prefer not to know." Harry turned is too-old stare on him again.

"They are my friends and they deserve the truth." Harry spoke with conviction, as if he’d thought long and hard about it and had reached an unalterable decision.

The two of them lapsed into silence, each thinking their own thoughts. When Poppy had finished sorting out Fletcher, she came over and fussed around Harry for a few minutes checking his stats and removing the intravenous needle.

"Well, now Mr. Potter, you’re healing up nicely and by tomorrow evening you should be able to stomach solid food." She gave Harry a cheery smile and then turned to Severus. "Professor, I’m going to have to release Potter earlier than I’d planned to, the Headmaster would like Potter’s stay here to be kept as quiet as possible." Here she cast a glance at Fletcher, and given his reputation as a loud mouth, Severus was in agreement with Albus. "He has already made the arrangements for Potter’s stay in the dungeons, and I will be down daily to check on his progress. I want him to stay in bed for a few more days, but as long as he doesn’t over do himself he should be up and about from Monday."

Severus nodded and stood up. He stretched briefly and then collected together Harry’s meagre possessions shrinking them along with his Potions book he placed them in the pocket of his robe. Harry watched this whilst Poppy went to fetch a dressing gown and a pair of warm slippers.

"What happened to my clothes?" Harry asked as Severus loosened the blankets of the bed so Harry could swing his legs out.

"You mean those rags you were wearing when you arrived?" Severus asked and Harry nodded once. "Well I suspect they were disposed of, they were filthy dirty."

"What am I going to wear then? I can’t wear these for the rest of the holiday." Harry indicated the hospital pyjamas he was wearing.

"The Headmaster has obtained a few summer robes and necessary items for you to wear until such time as you are well enough to visit Diagon Alley and get your school things. And I’m sure Poppy won’t mind if you borrow those pyjamas for a few days." Severus said carefully trying not to upset Harry, as he didn’t know how he would react to being reminded of his relatives’ cruelty. Emotions raced across Harry’s eyes too fast for Severus to see them all or understand them, and then he gave a tight smile and a nod, his eyes as blank as he could make them. Severus had little time to marvel over the boy’s tight control over his emotions as Poppy returned with an emerald green dressing gown and crimson slippers. The slippers had small but unmistakable golden Gryffindor lions embroidered on them. Severus shook his head as Poppy helped Harry into the dressing gown and then he took Harry’s arm as he was helped to stand. Fortunately the dressing gown was long enough to hide the abominations on the boy’s feet.

If Harry was surprised that his formerly hostile Potions master was now helping him in such away, without complaint, he did well not to show it. Poppy walked with them until they had crossed the outer ward and gained the corridor. Here the cool breeze from outside the castle made Harry shiver and the pain of the muscle contractions nearly made him topple over. Carefully the two of them walked down the corridor and a short flight of steps, there was still someway to go but it was obvious that Harry was in a great amount of pain. Without any preamble Severus swept Harry up into his arms and carried him the rest of the way. Harry said little, his jaw clenched as he tried to will the pain away, and Severus was grateful as even he didn’t want to question his motives too closely.

As they approached the guardian of Severus’ quarters, Severus could not stop his mind speculating on the changes that Albus had undoubtedly made during his absence. In his mind’s eye the crimson and gold near blinded him and made him nauseous.

Severus’ guardian was an old and fairly shabby looking tapestry, years of dirt and grime had blended the once bright colours into a comfortable blandness. The young man that it depicted had a three-headed serpent entwined around his shoulders; he waved his welcome to the Slytherin Head of House but looked puzzled at his burden. Harry let out a faint gasp as he studied the tapestry.

"What’s wrong Harry?" Severus asked.

"That man, that’s Salazar Slytherin!" Harry said his voice wavering slightly. The tapestry man grinned and bowed to Harry, the snake lifting its heads to regard him also. Severus looked more closely at the tapestry, before giving him the password, ‘Asphodel’, and he rolled up out of sight, revealing the door to Severus’ sitting room. Severus was relieved to find no trace of the Headmaster’s presence here, save the extra door the stood ajar on the far side of the fireplace. Beyond he could just see the end of a four poster bed, but instead of the garish red and gold a muted blue and cream was visible.

Severus did not head straight to Harry’s room however as his carrying of the boy had reminded him that he had spent the best part of a week confined to bed and smelt like it. Whilst it was possible for Albus to arrange a separate bathroom for Harry they had decided against it, and so it was to his own that Severus took Harry. In the true style of his house the walls and bath were of green marble and the floor of white. He sat Harry carefully on the ledge that ran around the entire room and moved to turn on the taps.

"It’s just like the Prefects bathroom, only with out the diving board." Harry said in wonderment. Severus looked up startled.

"Since when were you allowed in the Prefects bath?" Severus said sharply. Harry lowered his eyes.

"Neville wanted to show it to me." He said hesitantly, the true intent of that visit betrayed by the faint blush that coloured his cheeks and he hung his head in shame. An awkward silence descended as Severus fought to find a suitable reply.

"Harry, being gay is nothing to be ashamed of." Severus admonished kindly, but Harry looked up and met his eyes almost challengingly.

"Tell that to Dudley." He said with quiet force, the room’s acoustics picked up the statement and amplified it so it was as if he’d shouted it. Harry looked abruptly at the wall and Severus recognised the tension in his face, here was someone who had nearly as many painful memories as Severus himself did.

Severus turned away so that Harry could compose himself and saw that the bath didn’t over fill itself. Then he rose to help Harry to his feet.

"I’m afraid Poppy would have my head if I left you here alone, so I’m going to have to stay. Do you mind?" Severus asked almost hesitant himself.

"Not overly, I suppose." Harry said with a sigh, "just keep your eyes closed or something when I get in, I’ve had enough of people staring at me today." Harry almost glared as he finished, and Severus could not fault him for it. Severus nodded and helped him remove the dressing gown and his pyjama top. Then he picked up a towel from the side and held it up to shield Harry as he removed his bottoms and slid quickly into the water. It wasn’t easy for Harry to do that on his own and for one moment looked as if he would topple in to the water headfirst but he managed to avoid it at the last moment. Once Harry was safely under the bubbles, Severus let the towel fall on the edge of the bath and sat himself near it.

Harry stayed near the side of the bath within arms reach of Severus, there were ledges and seats round the bath and Harry made him self comfortable on the nearest.

"Are you sure that the tapestry depicted Slytherin?" Severus asked trying to sound casual. Harry considered for a moment.

"I’m sure, I don’t think I’ll ever for get that face." Harry said seriously, Severus raised an eyebrow. "In the Chamber of Secrets there is a huge statue of him, there’s no mistaking that monkey-like face, but the snake was a bit of a give-away too." Harry explained before he carefully dunked his head under that water signalling the end of the conversation.

After two failed attempts at washing his hair Harry let Severus do it and then he let him help him out. Wrapped in the towel he stood shivering slightly as Severus ran a quick cleaning spell over the pyjamas and then a drying spell over Harry.

Once Harry was dressed again, Severus carried him through to his room. It wasn’t a large room but it was warm and comfortably lit. The blue and cream furnishing was pleasant to the eye and Harry seemed to approve. Once Harry was safely tucked in, there was a meow from the doorway and then a black cat streaked across the room and was on Harry’s lap in one bound.

"Hello!" Harry said and tickled the cat behind his ears, which started him purring.

"Gus! What do you think you are doing, hmm?" Severus addressed the cat and stroked his fur. Gus turned a feline glare on him for a moment before ignoring him again.

"Gus?"

"Asparagus, my familiar. He’s not usually this friendly." Severus said, and Harry looked up and gave him a small smile.

"A bit like his owner then." And the smile turned to a grin as Severus snorted. Gus ignored this exchange and curled himself up on Harry’s lap, still purring.

"Is there anything you want? Some soup or something?" Severus asked as he put Harry’s things on the bedside table. Harry yawned and shook his head.

"I’m fine, I think I’m going to fall asleep soon."

"Right, I’ll leave you to it then." Severus said and turned to the door, as he was closing it he turned back and looked at the bed. "Be careful of him, he’s fragile," he warned, but was uncertain to whom he addressed it. He then silently cast a ward around the bed that would tell him when Harry woke up and closed the door.

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