Better Be Slytherin!

'Will you promise me, Harry?'

His hand was still on Harry's cheek, and Harry closed his eyes, just for an instant, and leaned, just a little, into a touch that for once, did not cause him pain or guilt or shame. Just for a moment he let himself dream that he could always have someone who would protect him, who would always care for him. He sighed, nodded, and opened his eyes. 'I . . . I will. Yes, sir.'

And then, an incredible thing happened. He saw Professor Snape smile.

TBC . . .

A/N:

Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! Hugs for Harry and Snape to all!

Alas, if you're one of the . . . 45 people who reviewed the previous ch. 37, which was an A/N, you won't be able to review this one. My apologies. But, you could always send me a PM instead! I'd love hearing from you; hugs!

*Chapter 38*: Chapter 38

Better Be Slytherin! – Chapter 38

By jharad17

Disclaimer: None of this is mine! Eh, I'll get over it.

A/N: By popular demand, I started the Time-Travel slashy fic and now have the first two chapters posted -- see my profile page for the link. It's called 'Getting Back' and is told with multiple viewpoints (even Kreacher!). The first pairing is HP/RB, but will eventually become HP/SS. Other pairings to be named later.

A hearty thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! You make this all worthwhile. . . . The other night, though, I got a weird review on this story, (from an anonymous reviewer, natch) who said they liked the story, but not my 'updating habits,' so they weren't going to read Better Be Slytherin anymore . . . and here I thought I was doing well, updating as frequently as I do. shrug There's no pleasing some people, I guess. To that end, however, I also have a poll up on my profile page, asking if my faithful readers would rather I concentrated on one story to its completion, or do as I have been and keep posting to all my stories at once, as I get to them. Right now, the count is about tied.

I'll have another poll up next week, if more people want me to post to just one story, asking which story they want me to finish first. Stay tuned!

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Previously on Better Be Slytherin:

His hand was still on Harry's cheek, and Harry closed his eyes, just for an instant, and leaned, just a little, into a touch that for once, did not cause him pain or guilt or shame. Just for a moment he let himself dream that he could always have someone who would protect him, who would always care for him. He sighed, nodded, and opened his eyes. 'I . . . I will. Yes, sir.'

And then, an incredible thing happened. He saw Professor Snape smile.

Severus was in his chair by the fireplace, not wanting to fall asleep in case the Potter boy needed him during the night. He knew the Baron would wake him, if the boy did need him, but he did not want to waste those precious minutes it would take for him to become coherent again, never mind get dressed. So he stayed awake, reading -- or pretending to read, for his own peace of mind -- with a cuppa at his elbow on the small table beside his favorite chair, and he thought.

He wasn't sure anymore, what his intentions were with regard to the boy. To Harry. Surely he could no longer hold himself apart, as if he didn't care. Or worse, that he only cared (or didn't) because of Lily, (or James.) Ah, Lily. If things had been different the last few years of school, if he had never said those hurtful things to her, nor been involved with Lestrange, Rosier, and those other animals. . . .

No. He would not maunder in 'might have beens.' Doing so was extraordinarily unfair to Harry, as well as to himself. Things were how they were. He could not change the past, only the future. And the future must be changed. If it were not, if Harry's life were to continue in the direction it had been going up till now, if he were forced to return to the family that hated him and were given no support over what that bastard Avery had done to him . . . if Harry were to defeat Voldemort, a monster already in the process of returning, given the vision Harry'd had about the unicorns . . . if he were expected to destroy the Dark Lord without mental, physical and magical support and preparation, then not only was Harry doomed -- to a life of sadness and misery and violence -- but so, too, was the Wizarding World in its entirety.

Neither of these outcomes were ones Severus could live with.

And, he knew, neither could Harry.

Thus, Severus had to do something to shake up the status quo. If that meant putting his life and his job on the line, so be it. Severus already had one unbreakable vow in place concerning Harry Potter. To himself, in this moment, he made another: He would do anything in his power to not only protect Harry, as his current vow held him, but to make sure he was prepared, as well as was possible, to meet his destiny.

As the second vow took effect on his magic, Severus felt a moment's peace. This was right. It was good. He had, in the last few years, nearly forgotten what such selflessness meant, what it felt like.

Less than a quarter hour later, a shimmer of silver appeared near the door of his quarters. Severus was on his feet before the Baron was completely finished sliding through the wall.

'It has begun,' the ghost intoned.

Severus practically ran to the Slytherin dorms.

Thus was the pattern set for the next fortnight, at least: Severus would be woken -- or, more often, notified -- by the Baron, at some point near midnight, that Harry was having nightmares or could not sleep; more often the former than the latter. Severus would go to the boy, making sure as he entered the dorm to set Silencing charms, as well as a net of Stay-Sleeping charms over the rest of the boys, so none of them would wake and be curious