Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the magical people, places, things, animals in this story belong to J. K. Rowling. I can't even imagine owning all that.

Summary: AU. This is a Snape mentor Harry kind of story. It starts with Harry's summer vacations before his Second Year as Snape comes across something that breaks all delusions about the boy's home-life. Please don't flame. I really appreciate constructive criticism but no flames. Please!

Chapter XVIII

When Snape entered Eileen's Garden next day, it was to find Harry and his mother bent over something that looked awfully like Family Journal of Princes. He did not want Harry to know how they might be related distantly. 'Why Mother is so intent on trying to find relatives in every other person is beyond me! Why, we are enough as it is, me and my disgustingly sweet mother.' Snape thought annoyed with his mother. He looked at Harry just in time to see his eyes shining with pure happiness, his smile big enough to break his face into two parts. Now, that was interesting, why would Harry be soooo happy? He cleared his throat to make his presence known and was instantly regretting it as he was hugged, yes hugged, Merlin forbid by one over-enthusiastic Harry James Potter.

"Sir, did you know that we are distantly related? Why didn't you tell me before?" Harry said; his grin much too big for Snape's comfort.

Snape glared at his mother who was smiling at both of them and said, "I wasn't aware that I was related to you but somehow it doesn't come as a surprise after all, all pureblood families are most of the times somehow related."

Harry's eyes lit up like Christmas candles and he asked almost teasingly, "Could you be related to the Weasleys, sir? I sure hope so!"

Snape shuddered, he said, scowling, "I don't think so, Harry. Even if we were related by some bad luck, I wouldn't really want to be their relative because I have enough relatives as it is. My mother is more than enough for me, I should think."

Harry's grin dimmed, he felt like something inside him died but he didn't say anything. He now knew that even though Snape was nice to him, he was still a burden to the man. After all, the man just said that he didn't wish for any more relatives or anyone. Harry was a little sad but he decided not to show it. Perhaps Snape would be happy if I wasn't in Snape's way, Harry thought sadly.

After twenty minutes, they were in Prince Mansion. Harry sighed happily but immediately regretted doing that. After all, now Harry was trying to be as quiet and non-bother as possible. He didn't think Snape would notice it but still he had a hard task in front of him. He had to try and not show his emotions and at the same time, he had to do so Snape wouldn't find out. 'Bugger, this is going to be hard but I guess if I want Snape to be happy then I have to do it.' Harry thought morosely. 'Well, lots of planning to do if I am to do what I think is right for Snape.' Harry thought determined.

"Harry, I would like to talk about yesterday's incident. Would you mind it very much?" Snape asked in, what he might have thought; gentle voice.

Harry looked up startled as his thoughts were scattered because of the man's question. He blinked stupidly and asked, "I beg your pardon?"

Snape sighed and repeated his question, thinking that the child was much too tended towards wool-gathering than was necessary for a pre-teen. He noticed as Harry nodded almost cautiously. He asked, thinking being blunt as a good thing, "What did you feel when you saw Ms. Granger dead, Harry?"

Harry winced and said in a tight voice, "I guess what everyone would think when they see someone they love, dead."

Snape grimaced and glared a little at Harry. He said, "Harry, you know what I meant. I didn't ask you this out of some kind of morbid curiosity. It's just that, well…I should think what I want to say is that I'll be there whenever you need me. I know that last year didn't leave much of that impression but I am trying to change that, wouldn't you cooperate with me?"

Harry sighed and nodded although he didn't want to. The man was soo irritating, here was Harry trying to do the right thing and there was Snape who didn't let Harry do the right thing. He pouted, this time willingly. He watched through his bangs as Snape frowned looking at him. Harry sighed and said, "Alright, alright. You want to talk how horrible it was? Then let's talk about it."

"Cranky, today, aren't we?" Snape sneered at Harry. Although Snape was irritated, he was concerned too. It wasn't like Harry to behave like this. He would have to see what exactly was wrong with the boy as it was clear that the said boy wouldn't come out right and say it. 'Why does he have to be soo stubborn? It must be Lily's genes.' Snape thought almost affectionately. Then he scowled and looked at Harry more closely. He had almost wanted to use Legilimency but stopped himself. He was not supposed to do that anymore, he reminded himself harshly. 'Oh, Merlin! I almost used the worst spell I could use before the Unforgivables, how is it that I call myself reformed?' Snape thought ashamed of his own thoughts. He shook his head and sighed.

Harry had been looking at Snape and what he saw didn't really make him happy. At first, Snape had looked really irritated but later on, for one moment he almost looked savage. Harry was curious and was about to ask if the man was alright when he remembered his own promise to himself about being a little irritating so that it would be easy to go as the plan was. 'Hmm…planning is very easy, it's following the plan properly, and precisely that's hard, isn't it? Why can't it be other way round?' Harry thought, grumpily.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" Snape asked, really the child had no manners but then again what can be expected from a boy who had been raised by the family whose ethics were left in the last century? He shifted himself in more comfortable position.

"Well, you are going to talk or not? I do have some homework that is supposed to be completed before summer vacation ends, you know?" Harry said, incredibly happy with himself for having pulled off that farce with so Snape-like quality. His happiness was not to be for more than mere a few seconds as Snape narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, almost menacingly like he was in Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Harry gulped.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Potter? Why have you decided to be so sarcastic, why need to do be cranky, naughty little boy? I had assumed that you didn't want to be a child but clearly you have changed your decision, it seems to me." Snape said; his voice dangerously low.

Harry was much to frustrated to care what he was about to blurt out. Without thinking, he said or rather accused, "It was you who didn't want anyone other than your mother to be your family so when I decided to be good and made a plan so that you could get rid of me, you don't even have the decency to follow through with my plan! Oooh! It is so stupid, I can't even do anything good for you whereas you…you helped me, let me live with you, did everything you could. But…but I don't want to be burden anymore, Professor. I can't live like that."

There was dead silence as the words repeated in his mind. Harry was a little more than terrified now that his oh-so-secrecy-vow was broken all by himself. He was gauging Snape's reaction with almost morbid, horrified fascination. Snape, for his part, wasn't really helpful as his face was devoid of any emotion. Harry told himself mentally, 'Mr. Harold James Potter, now from this moment onwards, you are hereby declared as dead by one Mr. Severus what's his middle name? Snape.' Snape's jaw was working furiously and it looked as if he was grinding his teeth, Harry thought, it must have been painful. To grind your own teeth, that is. Harry had a really hysterical urge to laugh but he tried to suppress it and he succeeded.

Snape was really confused and it wasn't a state he enjoyed to be in. Harry had sprouted of some kind of nonsense and he didn't understand any of it. It was hard to accept that he, Severus Tobias Snape, didn't understand something. He scowled and straightened as if doing that would make him understand. He just looked at his ward and noticed that the said ward was now gulping. 'Well, good for him! That child is insufferable. Why would he sprout something like that when in last two weeks I have been trying to be more….Oh Merlin! This is hard, I have been trying to be soft. Yuck.' Snape thought, unaware that he had just thought something that might have been influenced by his ward. He said, "What is the meaning of this? I don't understand what provoked that little outburst but I would like to know what the reason behind this foolish outburst is." Snape caught himself from repeating himself.

Harry blinked back his tears and said, sniffling, "Well, at Eileen's Garden you said that you didn't want anybody other than your mother. I can get a hint, you know. I understood finally that even though you were nice to me, I was still a burden. You never really wanted me here in the first place, did you? Well, I don't want to go on living like that, Professor. I can't live with the thought that all my life I have been living with people who hated me or never wanted me. I am tired of it."

If a Bludger had come at Snape at full speed, it would not have had the effect, it had when Harry said that. Snape was almost winded. Snape took his time to say anything in his defence to Harry's so-called accusations. He said slowly, "Harry, I never knew that you thought this way. Listen to me very carefully, I did mean it when I said that I didn't want any more relatives but it wasn't a hint to let you know that I didn't want you here. It's just that…my mother is a bit too much sometimes. She likes to find out more about her family and in doing that many relatives were found in the past. I am not a people person as you know so I detested any meetings with those relatives, you see. That's the reason I didn't want to find any more relatives. Even if you weren't my relative, I would have wanted you in my home because you are my charge or rather you were. I have become…..umm…fond of you in those weeks. And if you say a word about it to anyone outside this Mansion, be sure to be a part of one of my wonderful potions."

Harry was grinning widely by the time Snape completed speaking. Snape was again hugged by one over-enthusiastic Harry James Potter and the curious thing was that he rather liked it. Although he wouldn't have said it even if you had Crucioed him.

"Thank you, sir. For everything." Harry mumbled into Snape's robes while still clutching him tightly as if afraid that Snape would let go of him as soon as he realised what had happened.

The next weeks were spent quietly although Harry went to live with Weasleys for a week before Hogwarts started. It was almost too quiet in the Prince Mansion for Snape who was missing the sound or rather noise that Harry created when he was bounding over the stairs. He missed that mischievous smile when he was up to some cheating in the chess game that they played when the time allowed it. In short, Severus Tobias Snape was missing Harry James Potter.

Author's Note: Hey guys, this is sudden as I am sure you must know but this is the end. I know that it wasn't the best of the fanfiction but it was my baby. Anyway, there is going to be a sequel for the story in which Harry starts his school and Snape is still wondering what to do with the guardianship as it was only for the summer vacation. I hope you would like to read the next story as well.

Thanks everyone who had reviewed for my story. I guess I am feeling a little down because this story was my first ever story. Anyway, there is something to be happy about isn't it? I mean a brand new story! Wow! Okay, enough procrastination, so be on the lookout for me and my humble story.