Being dismissed by his master had done Severus no good. Even if he had come out of it without being cursed again, he couldn’t grade papers. He should, but he was aware that he would be even more vicious in his comments than usually. So, he let it be. He could brew but wasn't in the right mind for it, either. That left reading to occupy his time, and though Potion's Monthly was usually interesting enough to catch his attention, today, he only stared at the page. There was a tugging at his chest, and he knew it was the mark. Oh, how he longed to follow it and explain himself. He hadn't wanted to betray Harry's trust. But after years under Voldemort's thumb, it was ... hard. Lucius was the only friend he had at school, as far as a pureblood could be friends with a half-blood two years below. The thought of "betraying" him by revealing his involvement had been unfathomable. But of course, his new master had noticed, and he had been punished for his attempted deceit. He wasn't sure what was harder to bear, the Cruciatus from Voldemort or the cold dismissal from Harry.