This was my first shot in HP fandom and all of you were very kind to me and I thank you for that.

About the story, it's not really Snarry, more of a mentor relationship but it can be seen as pre-snarry if you wish.

Editing done by the lovely DiTab1 and HidingRoundTheCorner. Thank you my lovelies! They both made this story so much better! All remaining mistakes are mine. Hope you will enjoy this little story here!

Have fun,
Liz

PS: Harry Potter is mine. Just kidding. :(

PPS: This story is also available in Russian. For the link please visit my profile!

Soothing embrace

Severus was walking among the sleeping students, listening to their quiet breathing, thinking about him. Thinking about that traitor, that bastard who surrendered to Voldemort and gave up Potter's name, his house, bringing death upon… Lily.

His fingers tightened around his wand as he continued to wander among his students. The moonlight cast enough brightness that he could recognize the faces around him. However he wasn't watching them. The picture of Sirius Black was floating in front of him; he wanted to kill that man with all his heart. He would kill him no matter what. That son of a bi…

He saw a face next to his right foot, which was way too familiar. He knew exactly every millimeters of that face. He stopped and stared at the closed eyes, hoping that they would open up, showing their sparkling green color to him. That boy… and his eyes.

Harry moved under his blanket, his hand clenched, his fist screwed up tight. He was still sleeping but he murmured something in his dream. He tossed his head from side to side. Severus couldn't seem to force his legs to move, to walk away and let that boy suffer in his nightmare.

He looked around; no one was near them only the sleeping students, so he kneeled down at the head of the boy. Harry murmured something again and this time, he understood it.

"Mom…" Like an icy dagger, the word slashed into his heart. Harry clearly was having a nightmare about his mother.

Severus reached his hand over Harry's chest, but hesitated. His fingers clenched and unclenched for a few seconds right over the dark blanket not daring to touch, to calm the frightened boy. Did he even have the right to do it? Did he…

Harry moaned again, this time louder and with more fear. He even must have kicked with his leg, because his blanket slid a feet down. Severus lowered his hand immediately; his warm fingers stroked Harry through his blue shirt but it wasn't enough for the boy. Another scared moan escaped him as he threw his head to the other side again.

"Don't…kill…Mom…" He groaned and his hand tightened on the top of the blanket.

Severus, not hesitating anymore, laid a hand on Harry's face, his thumb stroking the boy's white, pale skin. "Harry… It's alright…Shhh… Everything is alright, Harry…" He murmured in an almost inaudible voice.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes shot open and he sat right up. His arms quickly went around Severus, pulling him in, pressing their chest together. His fingers dashed into Severus' robe, as he buried his head in his professor's neck, panting heavily.

Severus's dark eyes opened up widely as the boy grabbed into him. His hands stopped in the mid air for a second before sliding gently over Harry's back, caressing him. His right slithered into the raven hair, soothing the shaking boy. "Harry…" He murmured silently.

For minutes they remained in that position; Harry, grabbing into his professor, Severus, holding the boy.

"Sleep now." Severus whispered in the darkness when Harry's trembling ceased and his grip loosened. Carefully, he laid Harry back on the ground before placing a feather light kiss on his forehead. For a few more seconds he watched the closed eyes and calm, peaceful expression on the boy, and then he stood up. He looked around and his gaze met with a wide open, piercing blue pair of eyes.

What did he just do?

[_.-._]

When Harry woke up, everyone was still asleep around him. He put on his glasses and looked at his friends. Ron's light snoring on his left made him smile. Lying down on his back he looked at the magical ceiling. The rising sunshine broke its way through the rose and orange clouds, however it was still very early. He looked at his watch: 5:13. Very early indeed.

He heard footsteps approaching him. He turned around to see who it was, maybe it was Dumbledore. Maybe he could say something about Black's whereabouts. Maybe they found something during the night.

But the man coming towards him wasn't the headmaster but another professor: Severus Snape. His black robe was floating after him like black wings.

A dark memory came up to the surface from the bottom of his mind.

A terrifying nightmare about the death of his mother…

Her scream, tearing a hole into his heart…

A warm hand…

A cool voice calling for him, saving him from the wild dimensions of the dream.

A dark man, his scent, his hard grip…

His eyes widened as Snape looked at him. Still looking at the professor, his fingers rose unconsciously to his forehead.

A gentle kiss on his forehead…

Couldn't be… It must have been another dream. Just a dream, a crazy, messed up, foggy dream, surely not reality.

'Are you absolutely sure?' A quiet voice spoke up in him.

[_.-._]

Walking through the dark corridors he couldn't forget the last night's occurrence. Was it only a dream and just his mind was messing with him? Or was it reality? A most unbelievable reality?

When he looked up from the ground he almost bumped into the man who had been inhabiting his thoughts recently.

"Watch your steps, Potter." Snape said sharply.

'Sleep now…' said the man in his cool, calming voice.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape." Harry replied, looking into the dark eyes. For seconds none of them moved, they just stared at each other and Harry realized, it wasn't a dream. He wanted to ask all the questions which filled his mind, one question overriding all the others: why? But he didn't dare to speak up, and then suddenly he was out of time. Snape moved.

Looking at the ground, Harry whispered two words to Severus walking by him.

"Thank you."

Severus stopped for a second and Harry closed his eyes. He didn't even know what he was hoping for. Then he heard footsteps moving further away from him.

Though he was left standing alone in a dark, empty corridor, he was smiling. He could have sworn he heard a gentle "You're welcome" just a second ago.

FIN

Feel free to leave positive or negative critique, any ideas or comments are also welcomed. Be my judges.
"Every word opens a new gate."