Everything was white. The room—for lack of a better word—had no floors or ceilings. With no walls to constrict, it went on for what seemed like forever. Harry walked for what must have been just short of an hour.
Did I do it right? He thought, wandering aimlessly into emptiness.
Just as he had given up he caught a glimpse of something in his peripheral vision. He turned and stared in that direction. A lone splash of black interrupted the continuous pearly white abyss. He walked towards the splash, it got bigger and clearer with every few steps. Eventually the tiny spot began to take the shape of a human—a man. He was hunched over something. It was small and as black as what Harry could now identify as robes.
He started to pick up his pace. A light jog quickly turned into a full out run and finally he made out the shape, now just feet in front of him. Stooping over a large cauldron, adding a key ingredient to his ployjuice potion, was Severus Snape.
He turned around before Harry could speak.
"Potter," He said, his lip curling slightly, "took you long enough."
"I- Professor, how are you-?" Harry stammered.
"Even you, Potter, should be able to figure out that you have mastered the greatest of wizarding achievements."
Harry stared at the man he watched die eighteen years ago, his mouth dry and unable to utter a word.
"Spiritus Communicus is the most difficult of all magic. It allows you to, as you may have already guessed, speak to those who have already moved on."
Harry finally remembered how he had gotten to where he was. He had been practicing Spiritus Communicus for quite some time, recently having made some amazing progress. The last thing he remembered before arriving here was sitting in his living room with-."
"Honestly, I hadn't thought that you would be able to master such magic- and as much as you may think, that was not a slight to your abilities. You have lost so many powerful wizards in your family, not to mention Dum-," He stopped himself, still feeling a small pang of guilt when thinking about his old friend, "Who, may I ask, trained you?"
"Er- Remus," Harry said, "Remus taught me."
Snape looked as impressed as Harry figured him capable of. "I didn't know he was capable of such mastery. Although how could I notice when he was always hidden behind the ego of Sirius and your father."
Harry began to angrily protest, but Snape raised his hand in apology before he could speak.
"Er, Professor," Harry still felt confused. "Is there a reason why I'm meeting you, well erm- first?"
"You have more important contacts to meet with, this afternoon, Potter?" Snape grabbed a jar of Frog's tongue from out of midair and carefully poured the correct amount into his cauldron.
"Well, no, I just, er-,"
"I would assume, Potter, that your meeting me first means that you have something to tell me; unfinished business of sorts. Tell me, Potter, have you come here to tell me off in the afterlife?"
"Erm, well no. Actually, I came to Thank-,"
Snape held his hand up, cutting him off. "Before you say what you came to say, I too have waited a long time to tell you something, Potter."
Harry could only imagine what rule-breaking event in his childhood Snape was going to nail him for this time. Maybe he'll even take points away from Gryffindor, he thought.
Snape began to speak, then stopped. He cleared his throat and started over. "I'm sorry, Potter."
Harry began to protest but Snape wouldn't allow it.
"Let me finish, please. I've had a lot of time to think things through up here, and I now realize that I went about everything in the wrong way. Your father and I did not see eye to eye, in fact we detested each other… but I should never have taken my hatred for him out on you. You, who share half of her-."
"It's okay, Professor. You- although you are a Slytherin, you are the bravest person I know. What you went through, what you did for me those few years… I know I must've seemed ungrateful at the time, but I was just a kid-."
"Who was rotten at Potions." Snape interrupted.
Harry smirked, "Yes I suppose so. I think I know why I met you first, though. I think I know what the unfinished business is."
Snape turned away from his potion, "Color me interested." He dragged out the last part of the word.
"Snape, Professor, I er-…Thank you… sir." Harry smiled and could swear that he saw a fleeting smirk, ever so faintly, cross his Professor's drawn face as he bowed as if to say, you're welcome.
"Well, Potter, I think they're waiting for you."
"They?" Harry's stomach lurched with excitement.
Snape nodded. "All of them."
Harry started towards where Snape had motioned, but stopped a few steps in.
"Surely even you can find the way, Potter."
Harry looked down at his shoes, then back up at Snape's hooked nose. "Er- actually Sn- Professor… I think that you should come."
"And bathe in the arrogance of your father? No thank you." He turned back to his cauldron.
"Professor," Harry tried again, "I think that, erm, I think that she would like to see you."
The glass jar he was holding fell from his fingers and through the floor. "I- I couldn't, I-"
"Professor," Harry urged. "I'm sure of it."
Another fleeting smile crossed the Snape's face. He tuned to his cauldron and with a whip of his wand the potion inside had disappeared.
"Let us be on our way then… Potter."
"I don't know if you know," said Harry as they continued through the white abyss, "but I named my second boy after you- erm, well middle name, at least."
"I am aware. He's a powerful wizard, and shows much more respect for the rules than his father." He looked down to Harry, lip curling.
"Yeah, I er- I suppose he does."
"And he's to begin his studies at Hogwarts this coming term?"
"Ah yes, we're very excited. He can't wait to join his brother and sister."
"Tell me Potter, how do you think it will feel to be a proud parent of a Slytherin?"
Harry laughed, looking up at Snape. "Wait, you don't- you can't see the-."
A definite smile crossed Snape's face, but this time it was a devious one.
"Professor, you're just pulling my leg, right? I mean you can't actually see-. Professor! Snape!"