As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 28

"There. I'm done." Harry said as he dropped the brush he had been using to scrub out the cauldrons into the bucket of soapy water and stepped away. He rolled his shoulders to stretch his muscles as Snape came to stand beside him.

"You've missed one," Snape said, pointing to another potion-stained cauldron next to the pile he already had.

Harry groaned. "Snape, no. You said I only had to do this till eight. It's five minutes until now. I'll never finish another one in time. Can't I just be done?"

"Can you stop whining?" Snape asked as he narrowed his eyes at the teenager.

"I don't whine," Harry glared back. Then, as if the thought had just occurred to him, he asked, "What are you going to have Malfoy do if I clean all the cauldrons anyway? He has his first Saturday detention tomorrow, right?"

Snape turned away from Harry before waving his wand at the cauldrons, causing them to suddenly float into the air and stack themselves neatly along the back wall of the classroom.

"It is none of your business what Mr. Malfoy's punishment consists of, just as it's none of his business when it comes to you."

"I hope he has to do something really disgusting like pickle rat brains or disemboweling frogs."

Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry and said, "That's not a very Gryffindor-ish attitude to have. What would your Head of House think?"

Harry laughed. "She's always on my side." Harry moved over to Snape's desk and sat down behind it in his chair while Snape finished straightening up his classroom.

He paused for a beat and then added, "Do you still have Thursday breakfasts with her and Dumbledore now that term has started back?"

Snape nodded. "You're welcome to come if you'd like. Any particular reason you're asking though? I thought I had already told you that we did."

"You did," Harry said as he leaned back in Snape's chair and balanced his foot against the desk so that it tilted back on two legs. "I just thought I saw Lupin going in there yesterday morning and I wondered if he knew about them too."

Snape barely glanced up from the papers he had been gathering up from vacated desks as he said, "Professor Lupin, Harry, and yes, he does."

"Why?" Harry asked, "I thought only a few people knew."

"He just does. Get your feet off my desk." Harry grinned but dropped the chair back on all fours as Snape said, "I don't suppose the two of you will be getting along this year, then? You and Mr. Malfoy, I mean."

"Ha! Very funny, Snape."

When he was done picking up, Snape came to stand beside the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. His usual stern expression now firmly back in place. "Will there be anymore sneaking out of the castle, or should I go ahead and give you another detention for good measure?"

Harry shook his head. "No, sir, it won't happen again. I promise."

"I should hope not," Snape said before standing up and beckoning Harry to his side. "Now, let's go to our quarters so we can talk."

Harry visibly deflated. "I'm actually sort of tired. Can't we do it later?"

"Harry," Snape spoke in a voice that made Harry think that the older man really was tired and so with a sigh, he stood up and walked over to him. Snape nodded and reached into an inside pocket of his robes and pulled out an old key.

"Take this," he said, holding it out for Harry to take, "and think of our quarters."

Harry looked at him skeptically but took the key in his hand. He closed his eyes and pictured their parlor in his mind. Immediately, he felt something like a light breeze and opened his eyes to see a large, oak door standing in front of him.