Harry blinked his eyes for the first time in several days and felt his body stiff from a prolonged inactivity. He yawned and stretched as best he could with his stiff limbs and that's when he noticed Hermione snuggled up against him. She was in her pajamas snuggled up in his arms, bushy hair covering half her face. Harry looked around the room and remembered where he was.

Snape sat up and grunted in pain as his back protested his movements. He stood up, grimacing in pain as he did, and walked over to Harry's bedside, "Well, Potter, that was certainly interesting, but let's not make it a habit, shall we?" Snape's lips almost curled into a smile before he remembered himself and walked briskly from the room.

At Snape's voice Hermione began to stir, the sun was poking through the curtains as the dawn broke over the horizon. Yawning and waking form her sleep Hermione looked up in to Harry's emerald eyes and was shocked to see them staring back at her. "Harry! You're awake." She said as though he needed the update. Yelling at the top of her voice she alerted the rest of the house to the wonderful news, "EVERYBODY COME QUICKLY HARRY'S AWAKE! HE'S AWAKE!" she smiled sheepishly at a very startled looking Harry, "Sorry, couldn't help myself" She climber off the bed and opened the door wide so that everyone could enter.

"Wait, Hermione" Harry said quickly before everyone arrived to see him, " Why were you sleeping in my bed?" He asked genuinely perplexed.

Hermione blushed and shuffled her feet nervously, searching for the right words. Even though there was nothing romantic in her intentions or the way she felt about Harry she still felt awkward. She was saved from answering the question by an overjoyed Ron, thoroughly relieved Mrs. Weasley, a couple of rambunctious Weasley twins, and an entire crowd of well-wishers who had all been taking it in turns to watch over the boy.

It was a wonderful homecoming for Harry, everyone was so relieved to have him back among the living, so to speak, that they seemed to have entirely forgotten the circumstances surrounding his illness. Mrs. Weasley insisted on cooking a feast that they would not soon forget, while the twins set off an entire case of their deluxe firecrackers. Harry's face seemed to be stuck in permanent smile mode the entire day. It was only as the early hours of the next day approached that Harry's mood changed a little.

Snape, who had tried to escape the festivities but was caught at the front door by Mrs. Weasley, had kept a watchful eye on Harry the entire time. He alone knew the dark inner workings of the boys mind and could not with any certainty say that the boy was as cured as everyone believed him to be. Snape was the first to notice the grin slide from Harry's face as it once again became solemn. Snape didn't need legilmency to know what the boy was thinking.

Over the next few days nobody but Snape seemed to notice the boy's gradual change back into silence. Snape feared a relapse. One day before Snape was to go on a mission for the Order he sought the boy out for one final conversation.

"Harry, I wanted a word with you before I left." Snape's voice lacked it's usual cold tone and didn't sound quite the same, "I wanted to make sure you weren't planning any more attempts at escape"

It was as though Snape had never left his mind, Harry stared up into the black eyes of his potion's teacher, "No, I know I'm not as cheerful as everyone would like me to be but I've finally accepted the role I will have to play in the upcoming war." Harry's eyes tried to convince Snape that he was telling the truth. "If I can't change it, and I can't escape it, there's nothing else I can do. There is no point in fighting the inevitable and there is a certain comfort in that" Harry explained.

"Good, I'll be back in a week and I expect to find you here in excellent health, promise" Snape asked the boy uncomfortably

"I, promise" Harry replied with no real conviction.

The next day Harry watched from his window as Snape left Grimmauld Place. He felt a great sadness inside knowing that the only person who truly understood how he felt was leaving him. He felt utterly alone once again. Harry heard Mrs. Weasley's voice calling him. They were all going to go to Diagon Alley to pick up their school supplies that day. Harry watched Snape's receding form until the last wisp of a cloak was out of sight.

The end…or is it? MOO-WHO-HA-Ha-ha

No, it isn't. I already promised a sequel. Or did I? Moo-who-ha-ha-ha.