Title: Safe House

Author: thesewarmstars

Rating: M

Summary: Takes place after OotP, ignore HBP and DH. When both their lives are in (greater than usual) danger, Harry and Snape must live together in a secret location all summer for their own safety. How will they survive it? Simple—they'll just have to get to know each other.

Disclaimer: I'm making no profit. Off anything, much less this.

Warnings: HP/SS slash (eventually), mentions of past rape, abuse.

AN: This is my first HP fic ever, so I'm sure I'm writing all the clichés without realizing it. Try not to get too annoyed with beginner mistakes. No beta, all mistakes are my own.

Chapter 1 – Double Agents

Severus Snape closed his eyes for a moment, silently thanking Merlin that the school year was finally over. The little imps had left three days ago, and he would finally be able to have a few moments peace.

He knew the Dark Lord was calling him even before the mark on his arm began to burn. The dirty, loathsome, evil feeling with which he was all too familiar flooded through him and his eyes sprang open. He instantly rose from the desk in his private quarters and stepped into the fireplace to floo to a location from which he could apparate.

When he arrived in the forest clearing, the first thing he noticed was that his fellow Death Eaters were not present—not a full meeting, then. He was to have a private audience with the Dark Lord.

The second thing he noticed, only a moment later, was the Dark Lord himself. He stood no more than ten feet away, and had his wand pointed directly at Snape's heart. At the realization of this, the heart in question did not 'skip a beat' as those of many other men might have done.

Snape simply raised an eyebrow. "My Lord?"

Anger flashed in the other man's eyes at hearing this. "You may drop the charade now. I know where your true allegiances lie," he almost hissed, his voice conveying the threat behind his words.

"My only allegiance is to you, my Lord," Snape replied calmly. He did not bother reaching for his wand. He knew it would not help him now.

"Do not insult me with further lies! I know you have been teaching the boy to close his mind to me. Luckily, you have thus far been unsuccessful, but that does not lessen the gravity of your betrayal." The dark wizard took a menacing step toward Snape.

Snape held his ground. "Of course I have been unsuccessful. I know you wish to use your connection with the boy and would never hinder it, my Lord."

"No more lies, I said! You may stop playing your part. You may also stop everything else!" he screamed with his usual melodramatic flair.

While the Dark Lord drew a breath with which to voice his curse, Snape carefully brushed his hand over one of the many buttons down the front of his robes and whispered, "Gumdrop." Snape had no time to be grateful for the password-protected portkey Dumbledore had turned his button into before he was jerked from the clearing and came to an abrupt stop in the headmaster's office.

"Good evening, Severus," Dumbledore said as he looked up. His customary offer of a cup of tea or something sweet was instantly foregone and he simply reached into a desk drawer and handed Snape a piece of parchment.

Without looking at the folded piece of parchment now in his hands, Snape said, "It seems I have been found out, Headmaster." Dumbledore nodded for him to continue. "He knew about the occlumency lessons. As I understand it, only those in the Order are privy to that knowledge. You have a leak."

Dumbledore looked down at his desk for a few seconds, then raised his gaze to meet Snape's eyes. "If that is the case, you are no longer safe here. Apparate to the coordinates you see on the parchment and stay there until further notice. Until such time, communication will not be possible."

Snape unfolded the parchment and saw apparition coordinates written in a hand he did not recognize. He nodded once and left the office. Once outside Hogwart's wards, he disappeared with a crack into the night.