Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros, Bloomsbury. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thank you once again to Periculum…I'm really really not sure what I would do without you!

Chapter Seven

Severus sat calmly drinking his tea, contemplating how exactly to approach this conversation; there was just too much bad blood between them to hope that Harry would open up. And even if, by some miracle, Harry did open up, there might not be anything that he could do to directly help. Finally, after watching the teen squirm for a few minutes, Severus put down his tea cup and laced his fingers under his chin. "I know that when you told Madam Pomfrey that you were interested in how to make those potions easier to handle during the upcoming war you were speaking the complete truth, and I admit that it would be helpful for the healers who will be handling the increased work load, if they only have to concentrate on those in need of urgent care. What I don't know is why else you want them?"

Harry sighed softly; he really didn't want to have this conversation. Really, really didn't want to have it, and wondered just what exactly he could say that would give the potions master the answers he wanted without giving away to much information. "I told you the other night that I don't consider my relatives family, and I'm sure with the conversation we had after the Headmaster left that night, as well as the information that Ron gave away the next morning, you've picked up on the fact that we don't get along very well at all. They are of the opinion that any injuries I suffer while in their care, I should be able to treat on my own, as they refuse to waste their time or money on me. Having some access to the potions needed to treat those injuries would have made my summer life much better."

Severus sat back, going over the information that he had received over the past few days, and nodded at what the teen in front of him didn't say. "Have they ever treated you like family?" he asked softly, after discarding many other questions he felt he should be asking instead.

Harry, who had been tracing a pattern into the floor with his foot, looked up and gave his professor a painful smile, eyes haunted with unbidden memories. "Not that I can recall, Sir," he said softly.

Severus simply nodded his head, knowing that he wouldn't get any more information at this point. Deliberately changing the subject, he nodded towards the room containing their library. "I expect you to do the research needed to make the changes to those potions you requested. I have done some of the research myself, but I would like to see what you come up with."

"Of course, Sir," Harry replied, relief coloring his voice at the change in topic.

"I also want to make it understood, Mr. Potter, that you don't try any of the changes you come up with, without first getting approval by me."

Harry gave the man a lopsided smile. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything without your approval."

Snorting softly, Severus waved the boy away. "You have a few hours left until lunch. Go find someone else to annoy until then."

"Does that mean I can annoy you after lunch, Sir?" Harry asked, and dodged the hex sent his way as he darted out of the room.

~~oOo~~

Harry absent-mindedly made his way to the Great Hall for lunch, his thoughts still on the research he had been doing on how to hide the panthera he had agreed to take care of over the summer. He had finally finished the pair of rings he had been working on and only needed to have them tested once more. He figured the Headmaster would be the best person to do so, considering the man was the strongest wizard Harry knew.

Now there were only two problems he could think of that faced him with taking the animal into the Muggle world: a way to place the ring on the panthera, and a way to carry the animal around for the first few weeks.

Nodding a distracted hello to the professors around the table, Harry served himself lunch, and ate without really knowing what he was eating. Half way through the meal, Harry almost smacked himself for being an idiot. Filius Flitwick was a Charms Master, which was exactly what Harry needed.

Focusing on the tiny professor, Harry gently cleared his throat during a break in the conversation going around him, garnering the attention of all the occupants of the table. "Professor Flitwick, I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with a problem."

"Oh of course, Mr. Potter, I would be happy to help," the professor answered with an excited smile.

Harry smiled brightly in reply, and toyed with his fork as he thought about how to phrase his request. "The letter I received the other morning was a plea from a friend. It seems that he agreed to do something over the summer, but just recently found out that his family had made other plans, and he asked if I would be willing to do it instead," Harry started in a rambling fashion.

"I see. What did he request?"

"He asked me to look after a panthera for the summer." Harry said softly, looking at Flitwick with an earnest expression. "I would love to do so, but I live in a Muggle neighborhood, and having a cat that has the ability to go from a kitten to full grown in a matter of weeks is something that would gather much more attention than is wise."

"Oh indeed, Mr. Potter, indeed, especially when you add in just how big they get. What do you have in mind for hiding this animal?" The slight gleam in Flitwick's eye told Harry that the man was going to enjoy the challenge presented to him.

"Well, I've been working on something for my owl for the past little while. Having a Snowy owl kinda draws attention as well, and apparently the neighbors are starting to ask a few…uncomfortable…questions. I've placed a few charms and such on a small ring that allows an animal to remain undetected by others, unless they're keyed into it, and I've included a portkey just in case of emergency. I asked the Headmaster to check over my spell work earlier," Harry added with a nod to Dumbledore, ignoring the very knowing twinkle in the man's eye, and looked back over at Flitwick. "I think I've got it perfected, and I 'think' it will work for the panthera, except for a little detail that I haven't been able to overcome." Hiding the small smile that threatened, when he saw the eager looks on the faces of everyone at the table, Harry continued. "I don't know how to allow the ring to expand as the panthera grows…" He trailed off and gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, that's a simple enough matter, Mr. Potter," Flitwick said with a grin. "There's a fairly simple charm that can be used on a collar or something similar. In fact it's used most commonly by those who have mastered the Animagus transformations. It shrinks and expands with the transformation without any problems at all."

"Really, that's wonderful, Sir," Harry said with a bright grin. "Would you be willing to teach me the charm?"

"Most certainly young man, come to my office after lunch and I'll teach it to you then. Was there anything else I can help you with?"

"Well, know that you mention it," Harry said with a sheepish look, continuing when he received a nod of encouragement. "I need a way to carry the panthera as well. I was thinking of a pouch that I could sling over my body that would remain invisible. Probably with expansion charms to allow movement and growth, cushioning charms for comfort, and maybe another smaller compartment to carry the supplies I might need. But I have no idea how to go about putting it all together." Harry finished rubbing the back of his neck in agitation, and refusing to look at the Potions Master, who he could tell was trying to keep a straight face.

"Hmm," Flitwick said, rubbing the tip of his chin in thought. "That could prove to be a tad bit more difficult. Give me a little while to think on it, Mr. Potter, and I'll see what I can come up with."

Harry smiled brightly. "Brilliant. Thank you so much Professor."

"Think nothing of it my boy, nothing at all."

~~oOo~~

"Tell me Mr. Potter, what would you have said, if Professor Flitwick had asked who your friend was?" Severus asked later that night, leaning against the door frame to their personal library.

"Told him my friend's name was Miles Timoris," Harry answered absently, without looking from the potions book he was studying.

"You took an awfully big risk, even if he didn't ask," Severus pressed.

"Not really," Harry answered, finally looking up. "After what I said yesterday about trust, I was counting on the fact that anyone I asked would do it to prove themselves. Besides, by implying that the Headmaster was in on it, I knew that Professor Flitwick wouldn't ask too many questions."

"How did you know that the Headmaster would back you up?"

"Are you kidding, Sir? Didn't you see the twinkle in his eyes when I asked for help? I could have probably asked for anything at that point and have it handed to me on a silver platter, as the other Professors tried to prove how trustworthy they were at that moment." Seeing the glare being sent his way, Harry smirked slightly. "I wouldn't really do that, Sir, but the point was with Dumbledore backing me up, no one was going to question it any further."

"Perhaps you are correct, Mr. Potter," Severus acknowledged. "And its 'Professor' Dumbledore," he tacked on absently.

"Yes Sir, of course Sir, whatever you say Sir," Harry answered, letting his concentration go back to the manual he was researching, wondering how long it would take to find the answer for concentrating potions.

Seeing this, Severus smirked. It wasn't that hard to do what the teen wanted, but there was no way he was going to tell him that. After all, if it kept the young man busy and out of trouble for the rest of this break, who was he to complain?