Chapter 1: Severus Snape's Home

Professor Snape's home was a single story, two bedroom house only a few minutes walk from the Leaky Cauldron, just off Diagon Alley. Harry could feel the wards shift around him as he stepped through the door for the first time, pulling his trunk behind him.

"You've moved away from Cokeworth, then." said Lily conversationally.

"Of course I have," Snape snapped back. "Why would anyone would live in Cokeworth when they have the choice?" Harry remembered once again that Professor Snape was the Severus that was his Mum's childhood friend. It was easy to forget at school, where the two seldom interacted and Professor Snape was so different from the child his mother had told him stories about. He followed the professor through the house in silence.

"This will be your bedroom while you are here," Snape said as he opened one door. Inside was a bed that would fit a single adult comfortably with simple grey sheets and a wardrobe. Harry put his trunk at the bed's foot. "My bedroom is the one next door. You are only to enter it in an emergency. The restroom is across the hall. We'll take meals in the kitchen on the same schedule that the school follows." Without waiting for a response, Professor Snape left the room and closed the door behind him.

Harry looked at the closed door for a moment before opening his trunk and setting up Mehen's terrarium, which an older student had put a temporary shrinking charm on for him for the train ride. Mehen slithered off Harry's shoulder and into the climate-controlled tank. Without unpacking anything else, Harry sat down heavily on the bed and looked at the clock. There was two hours until dinner. With another shaking breath, Harry pulled out his Charms book and tried to start his summer homework. It was obvious to Lily that he wasn't focusing when ten minutes went by and he hadn't turned a page or written anything down.

"What's on your mind, baby?" she asked gently.

"I don't know what's expected of me here, Mum, and I don't know what happens if I don't live up to Professor Snape's expectations." Harry's voice was painfully small when he answered, as if he was afraid Snape would hear him. Likely he was.

Lily sighed and hovered closer to her son, wishing more than anything she could give him a hug. "Baby, I know Petunia and Vernon didn't let you ask questions but you're not there anymore. If you want to know something, ask, and if Severus reacts badly I'll step in. And Severus shouldn't expect you to do anything he hasn't asked you to."

"If I want to know, ask. Okay. I can manage that." Harry glanced at the clock again, and resolutely worked on his Charms essay until fifteen minutes before dinner, when he packed up his things again. He said a hushed goodbye to Mehen, went to the restroom to wash up, and quickly found the kitchen. Professor Snape was putting vegetables and chicken on two plates, and Harry stopped in the door.

Snape looked up at him. "Well, sit down." Harry nodded and rushed to comply. They ate in silence while Harry steeled himself for the conversation he was trying to start. The professor was almost finished with his meal when Harry whispered to himself, "If you want to know, ask." His first attempt at speaking out loud came out as a croak and he had to clear his throat and try again. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering- that is, I wanted to know- What do you expect me to do while I'm here?"

"You're bored already?"

"No, that's not-" Harry noticed his hands shaking and hid them in his lap. He relaxed when he felt the chill of his mother's hand on his shoulder. "What are the rules?"

The professor considered the child in front of him for a moment. "I expect you to finish your summer assignments as early as possible. When they are finished, I will look over them and suggest corrections. If you want to use any of the books on the shelf in the living room, ask first. The same goes for leaving the house. Knock before entering my potions lab, which is in the basement, and do not enter it when I am not there. If you are not in the kitchen at mealtime, you will have to cook for yourself."

Harry waited a moment after the professor stopped speaking. "Is that all? Do I have any chores to do?"

"Keep the house neat, and clean up after any messes you do make. Are you capable of taking care of your own washing?"

"Er- yes?"

"Very well then."

"And if I do break a rule, what kind of punishment would you use?"

Snape thought for a moment. "I may have you do some extra chores, or write lines. I may restrict you to your room outside mealtimes for a day or two as well."

Harry nodded. He didn't want to be locked in his room but at least it was bigger than the cupboard and he'd be allowed to eat, and the professor hadn't said anything about physical punishments. As long as Professor Snape kept his word, Harry could live with that. Plus, the professor's rules didn't seem difficult to stick to. Hopefully they really were the extent of his expectations. That hadn't always been true for the Dursleys, but Harry kept reminding himself that he wasn't there anymore.

"One more thing, sir."

"What is it?"

Harry swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. "I need to see a Healer at St. Mungo's."

That made the professor look at him curiously, which was more than he'd done throughout this entire conversation. "Are you sick?"

Harry's back stiffened. He didn't want to tell the professor why he needed a Healer. Lily noticed her son's distress and stepped in. "I want him to see someone about some carryover issues from his childhood that Madame Pomphrey wasn't qualified to deal with. Could you contact them for us, please? Ghosts can't use the floo, or I'd do it myself."

Severus nodded awkwardly. "I'll do that right away."

The next day, Harry joined Severus at breakfast at 8 a.m. walking on eggshells.

"You have a Healer's appointment this afternoon at 2. Also, your-" a glance at Lily "Godfather sent me an owl this morning asking to take you to Gringotts for the business you've discussed with him. Unfortunately, as he hasn't been cleared for guardianship I will have to accompany you as well. We will be meeting him at 3:30, after St. Mungo's."

Harry nodded wordlessly as he ate his eggs. The rest of the meal passed in silence, and after clearing his plate Harry went to work on his Potions essay until lunch. Lunch passed as silently as breakfast, and afterwards Harry was too nervous about the Healer's appointment to focus on his homework. He let Mehen out to explore the room for a bit and chatted idly with him.

"New scents here."

"I don't think this room has been used much. You're probably smelling the paint on the wall or the new flooring. Hogwarts is a lot older, and mostly stone."

"You are not paying attention to me."

"I'm distracted, Mehen. I'm worried about this afternoon. I have to go to the Healer and they're going to look at how badly my relatives hurt me and if I need anything. I don't know if I want Snape to know what happened there, but what if he can tell from whatever medical treatment they give me?"

"I could bite them."

"I've told you before Mehen, humans can't solve all of our problems by killing people. I need the Healers to help me even if it's uncomfortable, and I have to live with Snape or go back to my relatives so I need him too. Plus he's my teacher."

"If you went back I could bite them."

Harry sighed. When Mehen got on the idea of solving all of Harry's problems with a bite, there was no changing the topic. Soon, it was time to leave and Harry put Mehen back in his tank before meeting Professor Snape at the floo.