3 Months Later-

Harry walked through the halls, back at school again. He wondered how the other students could run around and laugh. Even though the summer had passed, the death of his friend was still fresh on his mind, though not as fresh or as painful as the scars of his lost beloved.

Classes went as usual, with Hermione dragging him and Ron ten minutes early to every one. The teachers began noticing the withdrawn state of Harry, but believed that he simply need some time with his friends before he would be back to normal. But as the days passed they noticed that the situation did not get any better.

Flitwick, Hagrid, Dumbledore and even McGonagall tried speaking to him after classes. They all wound up with the same response. "I appreciate your concern, but everything is fine." Ron and Hermione even got the same response when they tried to talk to him.

One afternoon, after Potions, Snape held Harry back after class. Harry approached the desk and looked expectantly at the dour man.

"Sit." Harry did as he was told, knowing that Snape hated saying anything more than once.

"Look, Professor, if you are trying to discuss the same thing every other professor has with me, then I assure you that it is unneeded and that-"

"Everything is fine. Yes, so I've been told. However, Mr. Potter. I do not believe that everything is fine. Your class performance and grades are slipping, you appear as if you have not slept in months, and you hardly eat at meals. As hesitant as other professors have been to point such things out to you, I assure you, I do not share the same hesitation. And I will not allow you to leave my quarters until I find out what is wrong."

"Professor, before the summer, I experienced hatred from the entire school, and the visiting schools, for my involvement in the TriWizard Tournament. I battled the most dangerous type of Dragon alive, fought with Merpeople, and was not only brought before a horde of Death Eaters, but assisted in the revival of Voldemort. After which, I had to watch Cedrick Diggory, my friend, get murdered in cold blood. Hopefully, you are not brainless enough to believe that I would be my happy and chipper self as soon as school started, or ever again for that matter. So, as I have repeated time and time again, thank you for your concern, but I am handling things and everything will be fine." Harry said as he stood and turned his back to the Potions master walking towards the door, which locked with a flick of a wand, before Harry could open it.

"Sit down, Potter." Harry looked back.

"Actually I'm quite content. Now if you will please excuse me."

"Mr. Potter, I don't care if I have to use the Imperious to get you to sit and Veritaserum to make you tell the truth. You are not leaving here until I find out what is going on. Now SIT!" Snape growled. Harry realized defeat, Snape had never been angry enough with him to threaten the Unforgivables, and he wouldn't test his chances.

"Now, despite everything you have said, I believe that there is something else that is bothering you. Now, could you tell me, or at least give me an idea as to what that would be?" Severus looked down at Harry, who, as expected, looked rather uncomfortable. "I assure you that anything personal will be kept in the strictest confidence." Severus spoke in what he hoped, was a rather understanding tone. He noticed Harry sigh

"Professor, have you ever wondered, in all your years of being a spy, which side of the war was the right one?"

"Several times, Mr. Potter. Is that what is going on? You are unsure as to which side is the correct one to be on?" Harry could only nod his head.

"So the Gryffindor Golden Boy is considering the darker side of the war?" Snape smirked

"Please don't patronize me, sir. I'm not considering the 'dark' side, but I'm not sure I want to consider the 'light' side anymore, either."

"How so?" Snape asked puzzled. "Surely the death of your friend, at the hands of the enemy, would have only recemented the need of the presence of 'light' in the world."

"That's just it though, isn't it? Neither side is really pure. Both sides have fought for opposite ideals, yes. The Death Eaters are fighting for a pure-blood world, and the Order is fighting for the death of all evil. Both sides are fighting for, what they see as, a utopia. But underneath that, both sides are responsible for deception, greed, lies, even the deaths of innocents. Maybe there is no black and white as The Headmaster has led me to believe." Harry spoke using his hands to further his explanation.

"Are you suggesting that The Order of the Phoenix is just as guilty as murder as the Death Eaters?!"

"Yes, maybe less deaths. And maybe not everyone enjoys it like the Death Eaters do, but death is death, Professor. Right?"

"Why are you even thinking like this, Harry?" Harry looked up at the mention of his first name, wondering if Snape noticed the slip.

"My own reasons, but it is true. Isn't it Professor?"

"Harry, I'm not sure what I can say to you." Harry looked down at his feet, despite the holes that his professor was boring into his head. "What has made you think this? Perhaps if you tell me I can help you."

"People keep getting taken from me, killed. Two very important people to me died that day, professor."

"Harry, Mr. Diggory was the only student to die that day."

"Yes, he was the only student."

"Then, I don't get what you are talking about." Snape insisted.

"Cedrick was killed by the leader of the dark, Voldemort. But Professor Dumbledore, leader of the light, killed my lover. Both sides have played rather equal parts in my life, and neither side looks desirable. Can you see where I'm coming from now?" Harry's begging green eyes met with Snape's onyx ones.

Snape took a deep breath, wondering 'Was the boy begging him for me to understand or for me to keep his secret?'

"Harry, the only other person to die that day was-"

"Barty Crouch Jr. I know." Harry said cutting of his professor.

"Are you trying to tell me that Barty Crouch Jr., a well known Death Eater, was your lover?" Snape looked murderous.

"No. My lover was Barty Crouch Jr., former Death Eater. He was spying for the Order, even though no one but me knew. I know you don't believe me, but you can ask Professor Dumbledore. Every other week, a note with red scrolled writing on it, flew through his window and landed on his desk. After some time, The Headmaster found the notes to be helpful and trustworthy. In fact, I believe that he came to depend on them." Harry's eyes stared intently into Snape's "Barty Crouch Jr. was a kind man, despite his past. I never believed that people could change until I met him. I found out his secret identity shortly after school started. He was one of two people who didn't shun me with the rest of the school. Cedrick and Barty were all I had. While every other student and teacher was busy condemning me, Barty trained me to defeat the dragon, helped me defeat the Merpeople, and even went against Voldemort's wishes and exposed himself as spy when he made the TriWizard trophy a two-way port key, when Voldemort believed that Barty had made it a one-way port key. He risked everything, for me. No one but my parents has ever done that for me before, Professor. Yes, he was my lover, and I was his; and believe it or not, we were happy together. Happier than I have ever been. He was supposed to survive, I was going to live with him over the summer to avoid going back to my abusive relatives. But Dumbledore condemned Barty, my love, an innocent man, with a fate worse than death. He let the Dementor's suck out his soul, and then the Headmaster killed his body."

"You can't expect me to believe this? He confessed his allegiances under Veritaserum, Potter!"Snape snapped.

"He confessed false allegiances!" Harry yelled standing up and banging his fists on the teacher's heavy wooden desk. "He trained himself to be immune to the effects of the potion. He told everyone that he was following Voldemort to save me!"Harry confessed as he sat back down. "He said that I could be thrown in Azkaban, and charged with aiding the crimes he committed while spying." Tears slid down Harry's cheeks at the memory of his lover's bravery and self-sacrifice. "He did it to save me from being discredited, or arrested, or even killed. He knew what he was in the past, Professor, but that was not what he was when Dumbledore killed him. He was no more tainted than me." Harry finished as he clenched his hands into fists, willing the tears to go away.

"That night in the Defense office, you were not crying over Diggory or the Dark Lord-"

"My lover was just given the death sentence. What would you have done?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Snape asked out of curiosity.

"You would not have believed me, neither you, or the Wizarding World, or even the Wizengamot. He gave me a code word that he would have only used when necessary. He told me to-"

"Remember?" Snape asked memory being flooded with the speech he had one over and over in his mind.

Harry nodded "How did you know?"

"It was the only word of his testimony that didn't make sense, it seemed…out of place."

"Yes, he was telling me to remember a previous conversation we had. He knew what was coming, maybe not so soon, but he knew that he would have to save me one day."

"Well, I must say that I am surprised. If what you say is true, I can certainly understand where you change in views is coming from now. Perhaps I have questioned you sufficiently for one night. Go back to your dorm and get some rest." Severus stood and put his hand on Harry's arm to stand him up. Harry stood and walked towards the door, looking back as Snape watched him leave. "Should you ever need anyone to confide in, I can certainly understand what you are going through more than most."

"Thank You, Professor." Snape stopped Harry before he could leave.

"Potter, please believe that we did not know that Barty Crouch Jr., had changed so. Albus knew only of his crimes, not his innocence." Severus confessed

"You can never know everything, about those you plan to kill, Professor." Harry spoke as he walked out and gently closed the door.

Snape calmly walked to his desk and sat down. He picked up his ink well, and without any warning, hurled it across the room, putting his face in his hands. "You stupid boy, I may not have innocence, but I would give up everything up for you. Did you think I had been saving you all of these years for the sake of the Wizarding World? I could care less about everyone else-if it could just be you and me."

Yea- there ya have it. This will be on pause for only about a week until I can finish finals. I just had to get this idea out of my head. I am open to suggestions as to where you would like me to take this. So give me an awesome review and/or awesome ideas.

Thanks for reading y'all.

Till next time. Blossoming Nightshade