*Discontinued* No Longer

In Which the Professor's a Mess

Harry Potter**

He'd immediately begun brewing after he'd left McGonagall's office, and hadn't stopped until breakfast. Reaction after reaction, explosions occurring more frequently than not, he'd crafted. There were so many thoughts buzzing around in his head, frantic bees swarming, and caused him to get stung a great many times. This, consequently, meant his skills at healing had also improved, so good all around he supposed.

Hypothetically, he believed he found a new reversal agent for veritaserum, and had even brewed veritaserum to test it on himself. He hadn't done so yet, but he'd also reinvented all the potions in his first year textbook after testing some of the more interesting interactions, wanting to be able to leave Severus's class as expediently as possible. It just hurt too much to be with him.

Harry thought longingly of his potions compartment in his trunk, it was really amazing, and he wished he could escape to it once again rather than face his next class.

Morosely, Harry nibbled on a piece of chocolate. He had a class to get to, Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he was painfully scared to go. What if The Dark one somehow realized that Harry was his mate and rejected him too? How could he possibly bear another rejection?

He had zero confidence in himself, not after Severus, but he managed to trudge his way into DADA with his shoulders hunched by his ears and his gaze on the ground.

Nobody seemed to notice him, and he sat himself down in the back of the class. The room smelled overwhelmingly of garlic, and Harry found himself burying his head in his arms.

It surprised him when he heard people sit in the seats nearest him, so much so that he raised his head, only to find Draco, Blaise, and Theodore Nott sitting around him.

"Harry," Draco asked concernedly, "Are you alright?"

Harry nodded, but focused on his hands.

"No he's not," Theodore said, ice pale blue eyes concentrating hard, "He's very depressed about something. Does it have to do with another student?"

Harry shook his head and the boy's head listed to the side as he scrutinized Harry.

"No, it doesn't. Does it have to do with school? Family? Friends? A teacher?" the boy asked question after question, his curly dark hair making his sharp eyes stand out even more. 

He stopped after teacher, seeming to pick up something in Harry's face, and said, "That's it. You're a Ravenclaw, so. . . I dunno, you must've had McGonagall, not her, no you liked her actually. And then there's Professor Snape, what? It's him? Did his usual disdain for students put you off? No, but you didn't like it, I know that much. Was it something personal? Insults specifically to you?"

Harry narrowed his own eyes, and focused his magic around Nott. He appeared to have a rather weak affinity to aura reading. Harry hadn't expected to come across anyone who could do that, and hadn't been hiding it. 

Quickly, he fixed his oversight and glared at Nott. He did this to people in a way too, he supposed, but it felt different when someone did it to him. He watched Nott's blue eyes widen in surprise, and an impish grin like the one he wore as he argued with Evan. 

Harry could tell that Theodore had stopped focusing his ability, but he left his shields in place. It was better not to let certain things be known.

Draco laughed at this display, "Theo, did he just win? Did someone actually figure out how to hide something from you?"

"Yes, it would appear he did," the boy didn't sound upset, but Harry, who was still paying attention to auras after seeing the boy's display, saw panic, fear, and anxiousness permeate him.