For Snape

[coreofaphoenix]

To Harry, it felt as though hardly any time had passed since that day he was told he was a wizard. Now, here he was, going into his fifth year at Hogwarts with great friends and a mass murderer after him. No matter his position in Slytherin house, nothing changed the fact that he was #1 on Voldemort's hit list.

Especially after the events in the graveyard a couple of months ago.

After the first double potions class, Harry packed away his things and waited for the rest of the class (Gryffindor's and Slytherin's as usual) trickle out, Draco giving him a look in passing.

He wasn't worried.

Although he and Professor Snape weren't always 'friendly', he respected his Head of House. He learned a lot from him.

When the last of his classmates left, Harry stood from his desk and made his way to the front.

'I trust you had a good summer', probably wouldn't fly in this case -- considering Voldemort had returned.

"You wanted to speak with me, sir?"

Comments

LMK if this works?

[brewglory]

Of all the situations Severus could have imagined for himself fifteen years ago, this certainly hadn't been one of them. The fact that Lily's son had not followed in the footsteps of either of his parents but had instead been sorted into Slytherin had come as a profound shock. Rather than cultivating a constant burning hatred for the child, Severus had allowed himself to view this as an opportunity: one wherein the boy guided away from repeating his father's failings.

Rather than an enemy, the boy became a special interest case for Snape. If Lily had been sorted into Slytherin, it would have kept her alive. Severus really and truly believed this - and that the same could thus be said for Harry. He would see to it that James Potter's sole mark on the boy would be the (unfortunate) resemblance.

That didn't mean Severus was any easier to deal with, of course; he was who he was, no matter what house or lineage a person claimed. It simply made him much more likely to bias himself in Potter's favor.

When the class had filed out, Severus motioned for Potter to resume his seat and waited for the door to close behind the last of those lagging in hopes of hearing some worthwhile gossip. When he spoke, his tone was flat, as though this wasn't particularly worth his time. "The headmaster informs me that you've been experiencing night terrors."

On one hand...Nightmares, Potter? But on the other, he was curious to know why he had heard about this from Dumbledore and not from the boy himself.

[coreofaphoenix]

Harry resumed his seat just as the door closed to the classroom and sat up straight. Being in Slytherin had taught him a number of things - tact, how to present himself and not simply running his mouth at the drop of a hat. So when Professor Snape brought up his nightmares, he simply tilted his head just a little.

"I planned on coming to you tonight after dinner, Sir."

Which was the truth and mostly because of Draco's urging. He had been getting tired of hearing Harry wake up in the middle of the night.

"They're about Voldemort, naturally."

Naturally.

He wasn't proud of these 'nightmares', or what ever you want call them but ever since Voldemort's return, they had increased in volume. Especially when he was angry or happy.

"I thought that you may have a bottle of Dreamless Sleep you may give to me."

[brewglory]

Severus snorted softly, the noise accompanied by a slight shake of his head. He wasn't refusing, of course; his reaction was merely a response to the absurdity of the request. Dreamless Sleep Potions were all well and good for nightmares, but what use were they against an invasion of the mind? For if that was what these 'dreams' were (as Dumbledore himself suspected), there were more problems than simply a few evenings with insomnia.

"I think we should explore a more permanent solution, and one more appropriately suited to your problem. Of course, the headmaster agrees." As if that mattered. Potter was a Slytherin, and the care of the Slytherins fell under Severus' purview. If he decided to teach Occlumency, or dueling, or mid-air acrobatics, he would teach it to the student who required it, whether he had Dumbledore's support or not. No one on the current staff, he thought, would look after these students quite as well or devotedly. The only ones who truly cared about Slytherins were Slytherins.

True or not, it was the life lesson he himself had learned at Hogwarts.

"A Dreamless Sleep potion will undoubtedly give you untroubled sleep tonight, and tomorrow," he continued soberly, "but in the coming months, will it be as effective, or will the addictive properties cause it to become more hindrance than help?"

[coreofaphoenix]

Harry arched an eyebrow at the mention of exploring more permanent solutions. Of course, that would be more preferable than relying on Dreamless Sleep Potions. He just hadn't expected a better solution. He nodded.

"What solutions do you recommend, sir?" Because he honestly didn't know any other solution. He trusted his Head of Houses' opinion on the matter. If there was anyone looking out for them, as Slytherins, it was their Head of House.

At this point, he would try anything to keep the dreams or visions from happening more long term.

"I would prefer a more permanent solution, sir. I believe, as you've said, it would become more of a problem than a help."