Chapter 7.

Cold, gray light slithered in through the window, bathing the infirmary in its frigid dullness. No one had informed the British weather that it was supposed to be summer time, and heavy clouds hung obstinately overhead. Harry looked outside absent-mindedly, breath fogging the glass as he stared at the Quidditch pitch, turning over the events of the past few days in his mind. It depressed the boy intensely that the majority of his recent memories consisted of pain, confusion, and Snape. He sensed that the brief flicker of relief kindled by the news of Voldemort's defeat should have blossomed into a roaring fire, but all happiness had been strangled by the news of his future relationship. Harry could not comprehend how he could choose to enter into something that he instinctively knew was wrong; he and Snape had never had a civilised conversation, let alone anything resembling a 'relationship'.

The young man was not particularly perturbed by the fact that his future self was in love with someone of the same gender, having long ago acknowledged the fact that he was attracted to both sexes. He vividly remembered the day he had told this to Ron and Hermione: stomach twisting in a knot, voice unsteady, heart sinking as he wondered if the information would lose him his two best friends. Thinking that there was something to make him different from everyone else- yet again. Then the complete shock that they not only accepted him completely, but had already guessed! He felt incredibly lucky to have such good friends, even if they did prefer each other's company to his these days.

No, what disturbed him was the fact that his future self was in love with a sadistic, greasy, heartless, arrogant, pedantic bastard of a man, whose hatred for Harry was only matched by Harry's hatred for him. Snape might have a few good qualities; the man had become a spy for Dumbledore, saved Harry's life a few times, held him close... The young man's mind ground to a halt, and he forcibly erased this last thought from his brain. 'Snape can try anything he likes, but there's no way he'll make me fall in love with him'. There was a pause in Harry's thought. 'Or should that be 'Snape may try...'

Harry was in the middle of contemplating this when there was an odd metallic click behind him. Whirling round, he was greeted by the malevolent sneer of his professor.

'Paranoid, Potter?'

'Yeah' he said, anger lending his eyes a flinty edge. 'But it's hard not to be when I'm sharing a room with someone so untrustworthy.'

A low growl escaped from Snape's thin lips, and the sallow skin of his high cheekbones was marked by two blotches of pink. He took one step towards the boy, using his height to loom over him in his most intimidating manner. The older man's thin, black-clad form gave the impression of a very sharp, angry knife that had been singed in the fire.

'Mr Potter, you should be happy that anyone does share a room with you. You haven't exactly been the safest person to be around recently, have you?'

The deep, insinuating tones echoed faintly around the room after the man had finished speaking. Ever since the incident the day before, the atmosphere between the men had been distinctly frosty, but now it was nothing short of glacial. Burning rage and indignation surged upwards inside of Harry's (now fully healed) body, desperately seeking an outlet. Added to this, however, was the guilt that sliced through him, making his limbs tremble as he glared defiantly at Snape.

'AT LEAST I DON"T CHANGE SIDES EVERY TWO SECONDS!'

'Some of us are humble enough to admit our own mistakes. You're just as arrogant as your father, and that is quite the achievement.' The potions master's long face was impassive, but his heaving chest and clenched hands gave away his emotion.

'I wouldn't talk about my dad like that, you hypocrite, your father didn't exactly look perfect!' Harry vividly remembered the few times he had been able to break through Snape's defences in Occlumency.

'You know nothing about my father, you egotistical little brat' spat Snape, 'I suggest you stick to topics in which you actually posses some knowledge. Such as..' There was a long pause. 'Well, I don't have all day to spend in such a fruitless search.'

'For the last time, Snape, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!'

'For the last time, Mr Potter', whispered Snape, his face inches away from Harry's, 'it's Professor Snape to you.'

Silence fell heavily between the two men. Once again, they were close enough to feel the other's body heat disturbing the air around them, and Harry tried not to wince as the potions master's warm, angry breath gently assaulted his face. Snape looked into the boy's bright green eyes, seeing only determination and loathing there. He watched his strawberry-red lips move over the harsh words the boy was speaking:

'When we get back, I will never speak to you again. I don't care about missing potions lessons, and I'm sure you'll be glad to get rid of me. I despise you too much for this...future... to ever happen'.

The boy's voice was laced with a bitterness not found in many his age, and a very small part of Snape shattered as the full force of the boy's hatred hit him. Used to being avoided, derided and reviled, the potions master faintly wondered how it was that this time someone should be able to penetrate his armour. Maintaining his sneer, he stepped back slightly, intoning

'That is the first sensible thing I have ever heard you say, Mr Potter. We have an agreement.'

With that, the older man whirled past him, picking up the invisibility cloak that Harry's future self had left on the table. He stood by the doorway, silently waiting for the boy to join him.

The boy in question took one last, wistful look out of the window, wishing that he could grab his Firebolt and feel the exhilarating freedom of flight, instead of being forced to take another uncomfortable trip to Dumbledore's office under the cloak. Without a word, he joined the odious man on the threshold, fervently hoping that it would all be over quickly, and he would be free of Snape forever.

Hi! Hope youlike this chapter. I'll try to update quickly, I have a real urge to finish this. (It'll be a happy ending, I promise!) Also, the rating has gone up simply for the one use of bad language in this chapter. Better to be safe than sorry. Thank you to everyone who reads/reviews this, I hope you're enjoying it so far:)

(P.S. Sorry to anyone who looks for a new chapter of the story and it doesn't come up on the chapter menu. I'm not really sure why it does this...)