Author's Note: Another post HP 7 one shot about ghost Snape and Harry. This one may become more.
"When do you plan on telling the kids?" asked Harry as he and Hermione walked down the hall from Headmaster McGonagall's office to the apparition point.
"I dunno, maybe I'll surprise them on the first day of school!" answered Hermione with a laugh, "Albus and James would take that pretty hard though wouldn't they."
"We'd take what pretty hard?" asked Albus stepping out from behind a statue cocking his head innocently.
"Albus Severus Potter, aren't you supposed to be down in your common room," cried Hermione, hands on her hip.
"I saw you guys on the map," Albus held up the Marauders Map, "and wondered what you were doing here."
"Harry, what possessed you to give that map to a student," asked Hermione, rounding on her friend.
"No idea," answered Harry, then turning his attention to Albus, "You get back to your common so you don't miss the train."
"Yes heaven forbid that happen," muttered Hermione to Harry, who rolled his eyes.
"Aw, come on! What are you guys doing here?" asked Albus in a pleading tone.
"You'll find out, along with everyone else, in," Hermione paused dramatically to look at her watch, "about five hours along with everyone else."
"At exactly 3:37," answered Albus after checking the time, "Thanks, bye," he added as he disappeared behind the statue again before Hermione could change the time.
"You do realize he's going to start pestering you at exactly 3:37," said Harry.
"You're the genius who gave him the map," muttered Hermione as the friends stalked on.
"Maybe," shrugged Harry. The two friends walked in comfortable silence for a few moments.
"Hey! Why don't we go say hi to Neville?" asked Harry brightly.
"You do realize your going to miss getting to King's Cross in time to pick up the kids, don't you," said Hermione, giving Harry much the same look she'd just given Albus.
"I've got LOADS of time!" answered Harry.
"You go say hi to Neville if you want. I'm headed back. I'd rather not see Ron try to drive our car with out me. Judging by the fact that the last time he drove solo you two had to be dragged out of the womping willow," answered Hermione.
"What ever you say Hermione but he did pass his driving test," answered Harry.
"Bloody confounded the instructor," muttered Hermione before saying good bye and walking down the hall while Harry headed towards one the secret passages that would take him right from the seventh floor to the grounds.
"Mr. Potter, shouldn't you be somewhere right now rather then wandering the calls?" asked a voice that caused Harry to nearly give himself whiplash turning around to see.
"P-professor?" stammered Harry staring in shock at the ghost of his former Professor Snape.
"The one and only," answered the ghost as he swept nearer.
Harry tried to respond but could only stand gaping at his former professor who he had at one time hated but had grown to respect more profoundly then his own head of house.
"The most curious thing happened at the start of this year. I was drifting through the Great Hall when I saw the sorting had not yet finished. I watched a certain Scorpio Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin, no surprise to me. I was just leaving when I heard my name. I was just about to wonder who had named their child after me when I heard the last name," all through the speech Snape's voice held a Professor lecturing tone that Harry was so accustomed to hearing from the, but then Harry heard a tone he'd never heard from the man except through the pensive and the childhood Snape talking to his mother, "thank you," he said most sincerely.
"I wanted to name him after the two men I respected most," answered Harry who had finally found his voice.
"And of all the people you've met through your connections to the order you chose me as one of these men?" asked Snape, an eyebrow raised.
"Yes," answered Harry. He didn't particularly start explained how difficult the decision had been. He'd gone back and fourth between Severus and Sirus for months losing more sleep in that time then when he'd been on the run from the ministry of magic and the death eaters combined.
"I had no idea," murmured the man, "I thought I had been forgotten."
"How, on earth, could anyone forget the infamous Professor Snape?" asked Harry with slightly mischievous grin.
"How did a son of the Golden Gryffindor and the daughter of his loyal side kick end up in Slytherin?" asked Snape, quickly shifting the subject away from his unique time at Hogwarts.
"I don't know where Rose's Slytherin comes from, I think Hermione, considering Ron got an earful when he muttered about a stupid hat getting things wrong," answered Harry chuckling slightly at the memory, "As for Al, that would be me."
"You!?" asked Snape incredulously.
"Yes, when I was first sorted the hat wanted me to be in Slytherin. I'd just had the pleasure of meeting Malfoy and didn't want to be in a dorm with him so I begged the hat not to put me in Slytherin. It decided my next best fit was Gryffindor," explained Harry.
"Well that explains a lot," muttered Snape.
The two started heading towards Neville's office in contemplating silence.
"Do you like him?" asked Harry surprising Snape.
"What do you mean?" asked Snape a bit surprised.
"Al, do you like him? He is half your name sake," answered Harry, nervously fidgeting reminding Snape of the school age child he'd always been to hard on.
"I have been keeping a close eye on him. A Potter in Slytherin is very odd, almost as strange as a Black in Gryffindor," he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and choose the perfect words, "I do not think you could have given me a greater honor, I am very proud of your son."
Harry seemed to lighten. A new spring entered his step. He had pleased one of the men he respected the most. He was finally having a civil conversation with a man he had wanted to talk to for years.
"You call him Al?" asked Snape, this time it was Harry who was startled out of his thoughts.
"Yes, Ginny and I felt odd calling for Albus to stop miss behaving or telling Severus to get down off the banisters, he has an affinity for heights, so we decided to call his Al unless absolutely necessary to use his full name. Hermione's the most comfortable using his full name, although we've all grown used to it now," explained Harry, chuckling slightly as he mentioned Albus' antics.
"I see," answered the ghost, a slight smile curled his lips.
After a few more moments of silence they were approaching Neville's office door.
"This is where I shall leave you. Longbottom does not appreciate my visits. Should I be expecting you here more in the future?" asked Snape.
"Weren't you in Professor McGonagall's office a few moments ago?" asked Harry.
"I do, at times, respect other's privacy," answered Snape smugly.
"I'll be here quite a lot, teaching potions," answered Harry, who resisted the urge to smirk as Snape's jaw dropped to the floor.
"You!?!" he spluttered, "How do you qualify?"
"This," answered Harry holding up a degree from the Gryffindor Academy, "Is a teaching degree specializing in potions."
Snape stared at him speechless.
"You were right, once I actually applied my self to learning potions I found it quite enjoyable," explained Harry.
"What made you decided to look into potions?" asked Snape finally finding his tongue again.
"You don't think Al's name is the only thing you've inspired?" asked Harry as they resumed walking towards Neville's office.
"You shouldn't need to work. With both the Black and Potter vaults you should be set for life," muttered Snape, still reeling from the shock of Harry filling his old teaching position.
"I know. I haven't been working for the past nineteen years. I need to think, went to University, married Ginny, and raise my three kids. Next year my youngest, Lilly, will be coming to school here. The house will be so quiet that Ginny at I decided to come to Hogwarts. Besides," added Harry while looking vacantly around the hall, "I could never stay away from my first real home forever."
"I for see us spending a lot of time together over the next few year. I won't have you teaching the next generation of Witches and Wizards anything less then the best in potion making," announced Snape as they came to a halt in the hallway near the apparating point. When they had changed course Harry couldn't tell you.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, and Hermione and Ron will be here too. Hermione got the job as History teacher," added Harry.
"She will be an excellent teacher," muttered Snape nodding his approval.
"Yah-" Harry cut himself off with yelp when he looked at his watch, "Bloody hell, does Hermione always have to be right!" exclaimed Harry as he said a hurried good-bye and muttered about being late to the train even with magic, before he turned on the spot and was gone.
Leaving a ghost behind to smile at the spot where the young man had vanished.