Hello everyone!

I have nothing to say except this speed writing after work is very stress relieving- fanfiction always is, as opposed to fiction writing. One is generally more anxious around one's own characters, I suppose. I know I am. :)

So, lessee what happens with our boys! After all, Harry, too, is still a boy. Though I bet everyone, he included, forgets.

Onwards! Chapter 10.

***

Hermione skidded to a halt outside the pink lady, seeing Harry sitting there somewhat morosely, wand twirling idly in his hand. He looked up at his friends approaching and smiled a thin, embarrassed smile.

"Hey… I just couldn't remember the password," he said. Hermione bit her lip.

"What's happened, Harry?"

"Did you kill Snape's son?" Ron added, equally anxiously, but it made Harry chuckle.

"No; not for lack of trying though."

Hermione hissed and stepped forward, pulling Harry up by the elbow.

"Why don't you shape up, remember that password, and tell us what happened? I am sure we can fix it."

"I bet he just read the paper," Ron snorted.

"Yeah, I did," Harry said, reluctantly getting up. He did remember the password, of course- he just didn't want to go in the common room. "Lion cub."

Hermione followed him inside, and with a glance she ensured that Ron would generally keep silent.

There was general silence as they sat down in the common room, and Harry knit his fingers, then he sighed and decided it would be even more horrible of him to have Hermione pull it out of him tooth by tooth.

"Look, I've been a total git to him. I just; I don't know what happened. I read that stupid article, and it was as if all the blood went to my brain."

"Why don't you tell us everything," Hermione pressed patiently, and Harry did, leaving nothing out- not even the first time he confronted Rasmus upon his arrival to Hogwarts.

Hermione made a face and Ron winced.

"Gosh, Harry! That is so unlike you! Are you sure he didn't provoke you with anything? Or anyone else?"

"No, Rasmus did not provoke me at all. I wish I could say he did, but he didn't," Harry shook his head. He passed his hand over his face, pushing his glasses upwards towards his forehead. "I was worse than Malfoy with you, 'Mione. Even with what Guiren said, I shouldn't have just rushed him."

"What did he say?" Ron asked cautiously. "Can't have been good. Doesn't he blame Snape for his family?"

"Yeah, he does," Harry nodded. "And well, we spent a lot of time blaming Snape together whenever we happened to meet. And well, he did say that Snape was here with a fishy plan, a dangerous plan…"

"Is he?" Hermione asked.

"How should I know? Probably not- but there is some Greek guy around that is protecting him, who had been in the infirmary two days ago from some mysterious attack- the house elves told me." Harry bit his lip.

"And he really went at you with his fists? No wands?" Ron asked, and he seemed to have trouble believing it. Harry shrugged with a nearly sheepish grin.

"Yeah. He just disarmed me and tackled. And then he said he didn't want my apology if he had to beat it out of me."

"Are you sure he's in Slytherin?" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron!"

"Sorry, force of habit," Ron grinned nonetheless.

Harry grinned too, but then he sighed again.

"And do you know what rankles even more?"

"That bit the paper said about Snape and you mum?" Hermione ventured.

"Yeah- that's when I saw red. I still don't quite know why, or why Snape's son makes me so… so nervous… but then I realized something."

"What's that?"

"You know the article says he's 15?"

Hermione nodded knowledgeably.

"You mean that he can't have been your mum's. He was born after- well- her death."

"Yes, well after. The thing is, I saw that immediately, and knew the impossibility of the fact. That's what made me mad, and I didn't stop to think there was probably no way Snape's son could have done it. I didn't stop to think that it would probably be Skeeter's way to force Rasmus to give an interview to deny her lies and give information he wouldn't otherwise give her. I just… I just chose to go vent on Snape's son as an easy target."

His friends didn't speak, but Harry felt it in the air that they agreed this was what he had done, and that they didn't approve or justify it any more than he was doing. He got up slowly.

"I played it… like a Potter. Potter-the-bully-of-Snape… all over again."

"Hell, no, Harry!" Ron erupted. "You can never be like that!"

"I thought not," Harry nodded. "But now I see that I can, and I got to work to stop it. Or I will be a bloody hypocrite, and I won't be able to look at myself again."

He got up.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, but made no move to stop him. Unlike what many thought, war had changed them, but had done little to forge their personalities while they were experiencing it. It was now, while they lived in its aftermath, that the forging was taking place.

"I'm going to go find Snape, and let him pound me if he wants," Harry said. "And say I'm sorry if I manage."

Hermione grinned and Ron winced, but kept quiet as his more-than-girlfriend told him with another glance.

***

Minerva growled, pacing in her office.

"That- that toad! That- dunce! There should be a law about reporters such as her," she shook her fist at the portraits.

"Well, Minerva, as far as I can see, there is only one way you can do damage control," Albus said calmly. Snape's portrait frame was empty, and the other headmasters as usual did not take initiative to speak.

"Tell me," McGonagall sighed, rubbing her temple. She was too old for this, wasn't she? Hadn't she earned an easy chair by a fireplace and some tall fire-whiskey based cocktail?

"You announce the boy, and make it impressive," Dumbledore grinned, apparently very pleased with himself. "Also, why don't you keep that godfather of his around, at least for the while the whole trouble with our bodies is cleared up? He obviously hasn't told you even half of what he already knows."

"You think so?" Minerva frowned. "If I ask him to stay in Hogwarts, would you manage to learn more?"

"If not me, then Severus most definitely."

"That brat is lucky I am dead, and unable to Kedavra him for a third time- they say three times lucky, maybe he'd just stay dead!"

Minerva wondered if the way Snape banged the door to the back of his painted background could ever be the reason the frame trembled ever so slightly. She sighed as she heard the potion master's rant, and wondered why things could not just remain quiet, like they had been for two years. Because this is Hogwarts, and it's got back both a Potter and a Snape.

***

Rasmus had had to get out of the castle itself to avoid his father's portrait, and it was hard work losing Nikos, too. The man never left him alone if he thought he could talk him out of a mood. And Rasmus didn't want to be out of his mood. It felt good to be mad, and he was sorry he didn't stay in the same room with Potter until one of them was unconscious or hexed into the fetal position.

The courtyard was empty, and already leaves were falling into it, heralding the Autumn much earlier than he'd been used to in Greece. In Greece, September was still summertime. For a brief pang of longing, he missed the country, his two friends back in school and his mother. Mother always made everything better- she explained everything, even how his father did not love her that way, and how he had come along, and why he should feel good about it.

But after her death, there was nobody to do that for him. Nikos tried, but it didn't always work. Not like with her.

He sank down on the steps against a pillar and swallowed. And it wasn't even just complicated school business. Rasmus knew that chances were he would have to- no, he didn't want to think about that.

"I'm sorry, Rasmus Snape."

Rasmus glanced up with a frown, and his wand was in his hand without thinking. What?

"What d'you want? Another wallop?" he snarled, slowly getting up to face Harry Potter again. Harry shook his head.

"No. But if you want you can go ahead. I just- know it was a rotten thing to tell you, when we both know only the reporter's to blame. I'm sorry."

Rasmus tilted his head.

"A Potter never apologises," he said warily. "They just keep yelling at the top of their voices that they're being treated wrong."

"I'm not like that Potter that your father knew; and I guess… well, actually, I've seen, that you're not like the Snape I knew."

Rasmus scowled again and Harry hurried to amend, raising his hands:

"No, no, I mean, you certainly do look every bit a Snape, and you definitely have his glares and scowls. I just mean that you're …better than he was forced to be," Harry thought furiously to put things in the right context. He wasn't very good at it, and the Snape boy seemed to look at him with an even more curious glance.

"My father was amazing to you, considering what everyone expected him to be. He took more Cruciatus than he had to, just so that you could strut around and experiment," Rasmus' voice was accusing.

Harry sighed and felt at a loss. His best shot was not very fruitful.

"Your father is probably the bravest man I ever knew," he said without thinking, and he blinked, because it felt true- and for the first time he felt good talking about Snape. Rasmus was still suspicious, but he wasn't talking, so Harry tested this feeling again. "Yes; what I saw in his memories, everything he took on his shoulders- and not once flinching or messing up- it completely blew me away. Nothing can hold a candle to being willing to die without vindication."

Rasmus pushed his wand up his sleeve again, slowly.

"Do you mean all this, or is it bogus?"

"I definitely mean it," Harry nodded. "I'm not usually an ass like you've seen so far. It's just…" he exhaled in frustration, unable to express what he wanted adequately.

"It's just war?" Rasmus offered him help unexpectedly. Harry nodded.

"Yeah- and guilt, I guess. I felt- guilt, when I saw you. I did leave without getting him to help."

"Well…" Rasmus put his hands in his pockets, and contemplated if he wanted to let Potter off the hook so easily. His father certainly wouldn't have in his place… but he wasn't his father, and keeping a fight without need tired him. And he knew his father well, pretenses or not. He had known all along those long seven years, that Severus Snape had ached to like Lily's son, and yet had found he could not. Probably because Potter never walked up to him to say he's sorry in so many words.

Harry was still looking at him, those green eyes that had so haunted his father now trained on him hopefully.

"Well, I guess I knowingly accused you for something you probably couldn't have done much about. Venom to the carotid, and from a snake like Nagini- I'm amazed he lived long enough to give you memories."

Harry swallowed. Talk of the Shrieking Shack was still too loaded for him to feel good, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah… yeah, so was I."

And in the short silence that ensued, where Harry and Rasmus simply stood opposite each other, glancing at each other uncertainly, Harry too put his hands in his pockets.

"So… there will be the welcome feast tonight, and everything, and soon you'll be making Slytherin friends, but until then, d'you want to come meet Hermione and Ron?"

"Uh…" Rasmus took a step back. "Maybe… maybe later, Potter. Yeah; later will be great."

Harry nodded.

"Okay; later."

And they simply walked away quietly in different directions.

***

And that's that! Not too much action today, but I hope you like it anyway. Harry is not a malevolent git, but he doesn't possess restraint often, right? I am always interested about how war can affect people- and I think in Harry's case, it would be more of a willingness to clean up his own mess instead of being let off the hook for it. If that makes any sense.

Gracesnape: I could tell you where I'm taking it… but that would spoil the fun. Heh heh!

BetaforRent: Argh, yes, he does look a tad older than 15, doesn't he? We'll pretend it's from his 7th year then. Arithmancy parts are not yet to be explained, but they will be. And yes, there is an obvious error in calculations, but Skeeter is simply aiming to stir the waters in an unfriendly manner for Rasmus. I don't think many will think to do the math when 'half-brother to Harry Potter' is being dropped on gossiper's laps. ;)

Lupus Ignis: Yes, exactly! I wanted that to come across. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

And that's that! Till tomorrow!