Severus Snape cursed his luck as he moved inside the wards of Potter's summer home. Here he was wasting his summer watching over Potter because the wards were weak and Dumbledore thought that Potter would need the extra protection. Severus had to wonder why the wards were failing.

He found Potter in the back yard doing yard work singing some ridiculous love song along a Muggle boombox.

"This I Promise you." Harry sang.

Severus had to admit Potter had a nice singing voice. He shook the thought from his mind and stalked closer as the song started over again. Potter began singing again.

When the visions around you
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surround you
Are secrets and lies
I'll be your strength
I'll give you hope
Keeping your faith when it's gone
The one you should call
Was standing here all along

And I will take
You in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you

I've loved you forever
In lifetimes before
And I promise you never
Will you hurt anymore
I give you my word
I give you my heart (give you my heart)
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow
Forever has now begun

Just close your eyes (close your eyes)
Each loving day (each loving day)
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you

Over and over I fall (over and over I fall)
When I hear you call
Without you in my life baby
I just wouldn't be living at all

And I will take (I will take you in my arms)
You in my arms
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong)
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you baby

Just close your eyes
Each loving day (each loving day)
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)
Every word I say is true
This I promise you

Every word I say is true
This I promise you
Ooh, I promise you

His singing seemed heartfelt like he meant the words.

"How many times are you going to play this song?" Potters cousin came into the yard and turned the boombox off taking a disc out of it. "I've had enough! I'll knock you a good one if you play it again, Potter!"

Severus cocked an eyebrow the best he could. Knock him a good one? Potter? These two didn't act like cousins.

"Sorry." Potter mumbled continuing his gardening.

"I should tell dad you nicked this from me when he gets home." Dudley sneered.

"But I didn't you left it out." Harry mumbled.

"So what?" Dudley's foot smashed into Harry's back sending him into the dirt. Dudley grabbed him then drug him to a metal basin full of water he pushed Harry's head in and held him under while laughing. Severus felt anger explode inside of him but he couldn't give away his position. He couldn't give himself away. he paced the garden. He couldn't let Potter die either.

"Dinkeyduddydums, what's going on?" Petunia asked coming into the yard, just as Dudley let Harry up to breath.

"Nothing, mum." Dudley replied with a sneer "Just putting the freak in his place."

Dudley shoved Harry's head back into the water and held it there. Harry struggled.

Severus was enraged to see that Petunia actually looked proud of her morbidly obese son.

"That's good, dear." Petunia said, "But please hurry it up my book club will be here in half an hour."

With that Petunia went back inside.

Dudley kept letting Harry get some air but kept forcing his head in the bucket. The last time he held Harry head down so long he almost passed out. He then threw Harry into the dirt in front of Severus' hidden cat form, laughing and walked off.

Harry pushed himself up coughing and feeling weak. He fixed his glasses amazed they had stayed on his face. He came eye to eye with a cat.

"Don't worry I'm fine." He told the cat and scratched it's ears. "You'd better leave though before my family catches you." He touched the collar not seeing his aunt coming into the yard with her book club. "So your name is Dusk huh? "

"Who are you talking to?!" Petunia demanded.

Harry turned and gave them a full view of Dusk.

"I just found him, Auntie." Harry said, in defeated tone. "I'll take him to the front yard and let him go." Harry picked the cat up and stood. He began walking unsteadily toward the front yard. "Say bye, Dusk."

Some of the women giggled as Harry used Dusk's paw to wave goodbye to them. Harry looked down to see Dusk glaring at him he chuckled.

"Yeah, Crookshanks wouldn't have liked that either." He whispered to the cat as he scratched his ears. "But I find females think it's cute. "

"What a cute cat isn't that a Russian Black?" One of the women asked.

"I think so." Harry said, quickly. "He must belong to Mrs. Figg she was around here this morning."

Petunia persed her lips she didn't like that woman. She actually didn't mind Harry entertaining her friends right now though who knew why. She watched how he interacted with the cat.

"You seem to know what the cat likes." She pointed out.

"My friend at school Hermione she has a cat." Harry answered. "It's a sort of therapy cat. Her parents are hoping it'll help calm her down and straighten her out."

Lying-1

Harry and Dusk both hid their shock at the screen appearing in front of them.

Dusk wondered what kind of school these people thought Potter went to.

"The Headmaster liked the idea and is thinking about trying it for some of us 'Worst Case' kids." Harry continued as the women listened and he petted Dusk. "But he decided to let Draco another boy in one of the other dorms have an Eagle Owl instead."

"Really?" A woman said affronted. "Such a dangerous animal."

"This one is actually tame." Harry laughed. "It doesn't stop Draco from his Kleptomaniac tendencies though. He still steals everything that isn't nailed down."

Dusk rolled his eyes leave it to Potter to spin a story that involved both truth and lies. As he listened Potter did just that making it all sound believable and implying that he got the cane on several occasions himself for breaking school rules. Dusk was shocked to hear the name Severus Snape come out of Harry's mouth as a Chemistry Professor and listened intently to what Harry had to say about him.

Harry found himself having tea with Petunia's book club as they asked him all about St. Brutesus'