Harry's not clueless though, is he? "The untidy head was turned from him, bowed to show a square of flesh pinked by the Indonesian sun, and Severus' eyes noted it unthinkingly as they swept down Harry's corpse-still back." And later, we have Harry's face blanking, his eyes flickering, when he is discussing Severus having people fooled. Harry knows and has grasped the nettle, deliberately going to the apothercary's, hasn't he? (Why else would he go somewhere locally to buy Severus a potions' ingredient? Something strange from his travels would be a different matter). And Harry doesn't want to lose Severus, so he doesn't kick up a fuss, he just lets Severus know he knows, and continues to offer Severus himself and their relationship. A Slytherin Harry. Or am I completely off target? I can't see why you would have that 'corpse-still back' - such an evocative phrase - or those flickering looks from Harry otherwise... am I reading too much into it? Thank you for the interesting, unsettling story! Philo