Harry walked into the Great Hall the following morning, feeling refreshed. He was glad to be out of the dungeons and back in the castle's brightness. He walked among the tables, feeling too cheerful to let the scrutiny of his fellow students trouble him.

Ron and Hermione were sitting near the end of the Gryffindor table, talking with Fred and George and Neville. Harry approached them and he placed his hands over Ron and Hermione's eyes, earning a start from Ron and a small squeal from Hermione.

"Guess who?" Harry said happily.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed and she nearly broke Harry's neck by throwing her arms around it and pulling him down into a hug.

"Harry! So you were freed, mate?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Yep! I'm officially discharged and one hundred percent healthy," Harry replied, massaging his neck.

"Where were you, Harry? We were worried," Neville said as The Boy Who Lived sat down.

"Oh, I, uh, was in the Hospital Wing. I was sick."

"Really? We went to the Hospital Wing earlier this week for a Quidditch injury and we didn't see you," Fred said as George nodded.

"I was placed in a private ward, away from those who are accusing me of being the Heir of Slytherin's eagle eyes," Harry lied smoothly, taking a bite of toast.

"We don't think that you're the Heir of Slytherin, Harry," Neville said sincerely as the twins nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, everyone," Harry said appreciatively.

"Glad to have you back, Harry," George pitched in with a grin. "Oliver has been going mad all week; his star Seeker suddenly vanished from the face of the earth and nobody knew where he was."

"Sorry about that. What did he do?"

"No need to apologize. He was just hyperventilating every time he saw you didn't show up for a meeting and he got so desperate that he hired Neville over here as a temporary Seeker."

"He didn't!" Harry looked at Neville incredulously, who shrugged.

"He did and I'm really relieved that you're back on your feet. Wood kind of scares me a little," Neville replied.

"He scares us all a little with his, er, over-enthusiasm with Quidditch," Harry reassured him.

All six of them burst out laughing. As Harry's laugh was reduced to a giggle, he felt a small nudge in his rib. He looked around and found Hermione watching him.

"Look by the doors," she whispered.

Harry looked over her shoulder and found Snape standing by the Great Hall's doors, surveying the crowd. Their eyes met and Harry gave him a curt nod before turning back to his friends.

"So, uh, what's it like between you two now?" Ron asked softly.

"Better," Harry replied in a whisper. "It's better."

"I take it that you guys don't hate each other anymore?" Hermione inquired.

"No, we don't. We're not friends either but we get along now but this must stay a secret, of course."

"Did you ask him about your mum?" Ron whispered.

"I did."

"Well?"

"She was a great person and that's all I can tell you. Snape has told me a lot and it turned out to be quite personal. I promised that I wouldn't say anything," Harry said, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"You're actually going to listen to him?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Good for you. If Snape asked you to keep quiet then you should. It was, after all, his private life that he told you about," Hermione said approvingly.

"Man, I was hoping to get so dirt on Snape," Ron said in a disappointed tone.

"Ron!"

"What? Apart from the Slytherins, who doesn't?"

Harry grinned as he watched his best friends bicker. It felt good to be back. He checked his watch and saw that it was nearly time for their first class.

"Hey, guys," Harry said. When they weren't listening, he exclaimed, "Oi! It's time for Transfiguration!"

Ron and Hermione fell silent and they each stood up and swung their bag over their shoulder, pointedly ignoring each other. Harry rolled his eyes with a smile at Neville and all four of them left the Great Hall.

The students were gathered outside the Potions classroom, chatting animatedly. Harry was, to his surprise, surrounded by the other Gryffindors, who had been worried about him during his absence. They had not left him alone since he had walked in the Transfiguration classroom. Even Professor McGonagall had joined in the welcoming committee; she had given Harry a rare smile and she had let her students catch up for a few minutes before restoring order to her class.

They were laughing and joking when Snape appeared. He gave the Gryffindors a deep look of disdain and the Slytherins a polite nod before going inside the classroom. The students piled in after him and Harry, Ron and Hermione took their usual seats in the back. The Potions master waited for everyone to be seated before starting.

"You see these instructions on the board? I think you can use your heads and figure out what to do," he said silkily. "Begin."

Stools scraped the floor as the students got to their feet and gathered their ingredients. Harry set everything up on his table and began to work.

The lesson went by almost like usual. The only difference was when Snape made his snide comments at Harry, he did not seem to mean them. Harry detected no malice in his professor's eyes every time the man snubbed him and he was grateful for it: he was able to concentrate on his potion much better now that he knew Snape was just trying to maintain his reputation.

When the class was over, Harry was struck with a brilliant way to thank Snape for everything he had done during the past week. Harry swung his bag over his shoulder and rushed out of the classroom.

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione asked. "It's time for lunch."

"Go on without me. I'll catch up with you later," Harry replied as he crossed the threshold. He ran up the stairs and into the bright Entrance Hall. He pushed through the great oak doors and sun and blue skies greeted him as he sped down the Hogwarts grounds' sloping lawns. He didn't stop until he reached the greenhouses where he found Professor Sprout locking up after her lesson. Harry skidded to a halt in front of her and she looked at him in surprise.

"Why, Mr Potter! How are you feeling?" Sprout asked.

"Much better, thanks," Harry panted, clutching a stitch in his side. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Name it," Sprout said eagerly.

"Well—" At that moment, a group of Slytherin students passed by so Harry beckoned Professor Sprout to bend down. She complied and he whispered his request in her ear.

"I believe we do have some of those," Sprout said thoughtfully, straightening up. "Is it for a young lady?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Well, then. Come with me, Mr Potter."

Sprout turned on her heels and marched toward the very last greenhouse with Harry on her tail. She unlocked the door and she and Harry stepped inside.

Snape made his way to his office after lunch. He had a whole two hours ahead of him before he had to teach another bunch of students so he decided to do a bit if reading to kill time. He couldn't stop pondering over his lesson that included Potter in the group of students. It was strange no to feel any sort of animosity toward the boy but Snape believed that his acting skills were quite excellent; no one seemed to suspect that his feelings toward Potter had changed in the slightest.

The Potions master entered his office and closed the door. When he turned, he found something on his desk that was not there earlier. Snape approached his desk and saw an envelope with a lily lying on top of it. Suspecting strongly who it was from, Snape took the envelope and opened it, revealing a letter.

Dear Professor Snape,

No, you're not dreaming – or having a nightmare, whichever way pleases you – I truly am writing to you. I had spent the entire lunch hour putting this together and I had the house-elves deliver it for me in case you were wondering how this got there and where did I find the time to do this. The house-elves were quite eager to help.

First of all, I can't thank you enough for taking me in while I was ill. It was surprisingly generous of you. I was quite disgruntled about the idea at first but I gradually came to be grateful about it. I'm sure you understand why.

Now for the more serious stuff: words cannot describe how much I appreciate you telling me about Mum. I'm really happy that she was a wonderful person and I'm also glad that I found someone who still has vivid memories of her (though I'll be honest, my imagination was not wide enough for me to even consider the possibility that you out of all people knew her). That wasn't the only surprise you gave me throughout my stay with you but let's focus on that one.

"Oh, brother," Snape mused aloud. "He's being sappy."

I'm not being sappy, by the way. Showing your emotions is NOT a sign of weakness; not showing them IS. Don't confuse the two.

"What—?" Snape said, nonplussed.

I got you confused there, didn't I? Don't worry, you'll understand one day and I do have an example that might help. Remember what happened last evening? How do you feel today? I'm sure you feel much now that you told someone what's been troubling you all these years.

Snape hated to admit it but the boy was right: he did feel as if a huge weight had been lifted but Snape wasn't sure if he wanted Potter to know that.

I'm right, aren't I? I've learned how to see through your hard shell, sir. Anyway, about your memories of Mum, I have a piece of advice that is my thank-you gift to you: it's time to let go. I'm not saying to forget here, far from it. I don't want you to forget my mother but you need to let go of the past. Holding on to it won't bring it back or change it: it'll just keep reopening those old wounds. How can they heal if you don't give them a chance to do so? It'll do you some good.

Letting go would also mean to start over. To some people, it can be a scary prospect but I think you can handle it. I remember when I found out I was a wizard: it gave me the opportunity to start over, to have a better life with kinder people and Hogwarts provides that life. Besides, you would be much happier and, frankly, I think Mum would want this for you if she was still here. I believe that she would have wanted you to have a better life than the one you had when she first met you.

Think about it.

Harry Potter

P.S. That lily I left you will never die. Professor Sprout has put a spell on it that will assure its immortality. Did you know that there's a greenhouse at Hogwarts that shelters NORMAL plants? It felt strange not having some vine trying to strangle me.

Snape chuckled softly out of amusement. Potter still had a lot to learn about the school. The Potions master took the lily in his hand and Lily herself appeared in front of his mind's eye, Potter's words still fresh in his mind. Snape did not want to forget the best friend he has ever had but Potter seemed to have a point (he was surprisingly wise for his age): maybe it was time to let go of the past and live for the present. Snape put the letter and the flower back on his desk and strode out of his office.

Harry was sprawled on the lawn behind a set of bushes by the Black Lake, soaking up the class got cancelled due to tiny Professor Flitwick being overwhelmed by the amount of objects that caught fire courtesy of Seamus so Harry evaded Ron and Hermione to take advantage of the sunshine he had been deprived from. Hermione wanted to go to the library to study and dragged Ron with her, who wasn't as lucky as Harry. The Boy Who Lived had no desire to join them.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed happily as the sunrays caressed his skin. The grounds were truly peaceful during class time; it was relaxing to listen to the birds chirping and to the water rippling against the shore. It was a shame that every day couldn't be like this.

As Harry began to doze off, a hand shook him slightly. He sat up at the speed of light and looked around wildly only to discover that the person who had shook him was Snape. Harry wasn't sure whether he should relax or not: he was certain that the Potions master did not know that Charms was cancelled.

"I thought I'd find you here, Potter," Snape said sternly. "Why aren't you in class?"

"It got cancelled," Harry explained. "A spell gone wrong that ricochets off the walls turned out to be a very hazardous thing."

"Mr Finnigan was the cause of this, I suppose?"

"You're a mind-reader, sir."

"No," Snape said as he sat down next to Harry. The young Gryffindor looked at him in surprise, "I just know my students."

"Whatever happened to 'business as usual'?" Harry asked, slightly perplexed.

"No one can see us, Potter. Don't lower your intelligence level any more than it needs to be," Snape replied silkily.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I've received the letter and the flower you've left me," Snape said softly, not meeting Harry's eye.

"Oh?" Harry smiled. "And?"

"Do you honestly think that I'll be able to forget what happened?" Snape inquired.

"Not forget, Professor, but to let go. Or move on, to be more accurate. You can never truly forget what has happened to you but you can choose to not let it affect you. I've learned that over the years; I mean, I've seen quite a few things already and I'm only twelve-years-old! Does my past still hurt? Yeah, but it's a lot better than it used to be and now that I have discussed it with you I barely feel the pain. You may have told me about your past, sir, but if you hold on to it that good feeling you have will only be temporary. Aren't you tired of always being angry and resentful?"

Snape stared at him, looking incredibly dumbfounded. Harry eyed him in satisfaction. He saw a change in Snape: two days ago, the Potions master probably would have preferred calling Lockhart the brightest wizard of the age than reveal that Harry's words had affected him. The young Gryffindor appreciated this new Snape.

"All right, then," Snape continued. That was another thing that was new: the old Snape would have never accepted Harry's words, even less with such ease. "There was something else that you wrote. You said that hiding emotions is a weakness. Explain."

"With pleasure. You see, sir, when you don't let your feelings out, they tend to build up and you eventually, well, explode I guess would be the right term. It's not healthy. As you saw yesterday, you've kept everything bottled up for so long that once you started telling me things, you couldn't stop. It's proof that everything comes out eventually."

"When," Snape said, "did you become wise?"

Harry shrugged. "Give some credit to Hermione Granger, sir. She likes to advise everyone on these kinds of things. I already knew some of it but she filled in the blanks," he replied.

Snape looked thoughtful and did not speak for several minutes. Deciding to let Snape think over whatever he was pondering, Harry lay back down on the ground. He caught Snape's disapproving glare and Harry laughed inwardly, closing his eyes. His mind was slightly numb after all the thinking and information processing he had done so far today. Having no classes for a week had relaxed Harry's mind a little too much.

"Potter?"

"Hm?"

"Why must you sleep now out of all times?"

"I'm not sleeping."

"Oh, really? The last time I had verified, lying down and closing one's eyes were categorized as sleeping."

Harry opened his eyes. "Happy?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not particularly," Snape replied indifferently.

Harry smirked as the Potions master gave a tentative smile. Harry checked his watched and sighed heavily. The bell to signal the end of classes was going to ring soon and he had History of Magic next, the most boring subject in the world and it was accompanied by the most monotonous teacher in existence. If Harry's mind felt sleepy now, it was going to be knocked out cold.

"What's with the dramatic sigh?" Snape asked mockingly.

"It's almost time for History of Magic," Harry said, disgruntled.

"I don't envy you in the least. Professor Binns was boring when I was in school and he's still boring to this day. He makes staff meetings longer than necessary because he always has a 'suggestion'."

"Did he die before, during, or after your time at Hogwarts?"

"Long before. It's about time he retired."

Harry laughed. "Well, I still prefer Professor Binns over Lockhart," he said truthfully.

"Don't remind me of that idiot. This morning he told me that black does nothing for my complexion so he will have a set of turquoise robes delivered to me tomorrow. I nearly force-fed him poison," Snape said bitterly.

Harry then pictured Snape in the type of frivolous clothing Lockhart liked to wear and burst out laughing to the point it was difficult to breathe. Snape stared at him and he seemed to know what Harry was thinking because he then gave his student his best, signature glare.

I guess some things never change, Harry thought as he slowly sat up, watching the Potions master's eyes flash dangerously.

"Don't make me take points off of you and give you a detention, Potter," Snape hissed icily.

"Nothing's ever stopped you before," Harry mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing…"

Snape got to his feet. After brushing off his robes, he offered a hand to Harry. Harry was startled again but he took Snape's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet by his professor. At that moment the bell rang and students were flooding out of their classrooms. Harry turned to Snape.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," he said. "Don't forget what I've told you."

"I won't. I – Thank you," Snape replied.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," Harry said with a smile. "Well, see you."

He swung his bag over his shoulder and began to walk away. Suddenly, he heard Snape yell in a mocking tone, "Have fun in your class!"

"You're just saying that because you don't have to sit through your classes anymore!" Harry called back over his shoulder.

"And you think teaching them is any better?"

Harry stifled another laugh. He went up the slopping lawns and caught up with the crowd of students, mingling with them, as they all returned inside the castle.

The end

YAY! It's over! Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks for all the great reviews and for following the story and a big thanks for being so patient with the last two chapters that took a lot more time to upload than the rest. I will post another Harry Potter fic as soon as I can.