A/N: This chapter is not beta'd, had some difficult attaching files to my e-mail, but I wanted to get it posted ASAP. Please forgive any errors...if any major story conflicts, please let me know. Thanks-w

Most Evil Plan
Chapter 14
Questions

"Harry, why didn't you go to 'Care of Magical Creatures?" Hermione demanded as soon as she saw the dark-haired boy in the otherwise empty common room.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," Harry snapped, before calming down and continuing, "Besides, lunch was bad enough. Why did I let you talk me into going?"

"I'm sorry," Hermione wailed, "I honestly thought that the charms on your robes might disappear when you reentered the Great Hall."

"Well it didn't," Harry said. "I spent the entire time pretending that I couldn't hear everyone talking about me. I swear if one more person calls me Snape Jr, I'll scream!"

"Well, then, why weren't you in History of Magic?"

"I figured that I probably wouldn't be able to sleep with everyone talking about me, so I decided to just stay here."

Hermione sighed as she took a seat next to him on the couch.

"I'm sure things will get better."

"Well, they can't get much worse," Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, please don't say that," Ginny pleaded as she entered the room.

"Why not?"

"Because that's a sure-fire way to guarantee that things will get worse."

"Oh," Harry said quietly, "Then I take it back."

"Don't worry," Neville said, "In a few days everything will be back to normal."

"Especially with the weekend here," Ginny added. "Too bad it's not a Hogsmeade weekend, though, that would really distract people."

"Doesn't matter," Harry answered, "I plan on spending the entire weekend locked in the dorm, away from everyone."

"Uh, Harry," Neville said, "You do know that the dorm rooms don't actually lock, don't you?"

"It's a figure of speech," Harry patiently explained. "I just meant that I'm not planning on leaving the room, seeing anyone or talking to anyone unless absolutely necessary. That way I won't have to worry about losing my temper. Plus I won't have to risk running into him."

"Oh," Neville said in understanding.

"You are coming to dinner, aren't you?" Hermione inquired.

"Only if you promise me that Voldemort will show up and put me out of my misery," Harry commented.

"Harry!"

"Hermione, I really don't want to see or talk to anyone this weekend," Harry reiterated, clarifying his statement when he saw the hurt looks on his friend's faces. "I don't mean you guys."

As other students started to enter the common room, Harry picked up a book and started his homework, within minutes, Hermione, Ginny and Neville had surrounded him, doing the same. For the most part, the four friends kept their eyes on their work, except for the occasional glare at someone who would start to whisper about 'Snape Jr.'.

"Do you want us to bring you back something to eat?" Hermione asked as she started to gather her books.

"Nah," Harry shrugged, "I'm not really hungry."

"You really shouldn't skip meals," she warned.

"I'm sure I'll be able to get something from the kitchen later if I get hungry."

"Harry! You really shouldn't create extra work for the house elves."

"Hermione, getting me one sandwich for one meal, really isn't extra work. Besides, they'll probably enjoy it."

"Fine," Hermione said, "as long as you promise not to do that all weekend."

"Agreed," the raven haired boy replied as he continued on with his homework.

"Neville? Ginny? Are you coming?"

Ginny looked at Harry engrossed in his book before giving a shrug and gathering her possessions, "I guess so."

Neville also looked at the other boy before deciding, "No, you go ahead, I'm really not hungry either. Besides, it's easier to work in here when everyone else is gone."

At his words, Harry poked his head up from his book, "You can come down to the kitchens with me later if you want."

"Thanks, I think I will."

"In that case, I'll stay as well," Ginny stated, as she once more started to spread out her parchment and books.

Hermione watched as Harry seemed to brighten at the prospect of some company. She'll just have to knit some more clothes to free the house elves that made them dinner. "If it's all right with you, I'll stay as well," she said as she looked at her friends.

"Fine with me," Harry grinned, "The more the merrier."

"That settles it then," Ginny decided, "Looks like we'll be having a party in the kitchens tonight."

"As long as-"

"We know Hermione," Harry interrupted, "As long as it's not extra work for the house elves."

Ginny and Neville laughed at the look on Hermione's face before they all settled back down to work.

"I don't believe it!" Seamus exclaimed as he and Dean entered the common room where only Neville, Hermione, Harry and Ginny were present, since everyone else was still at dinner.

"Can't believe what?" Harry asked. Although Dean and Seamus hadn't been overly friendly with Harry that day, they weren't being rude or judgmental either. Harry decided that the best way to stay friends with them was to keep the topic of conversation off of Snape.

"Your father," Dean answered.

"Oh," Harry whispered. So much for that idea, he thought. "Don't call him that."

"Why not? That's what he is."

"Yeah, well, I don't have any control over what he does!" Harry responded, figuring it was kind of useless to deny it, even though he wished that he could. "So don't blame me."

"We can in this case," Seamus retorted.

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted, "What happened?"

"Snape took ten points from Gryffindor this morning."

"That's it?" Ginny asked, "I'm surprised he didn't take more."

"He did actually," Dean answered. "In fact, I think that his total points from Gryffindor might be a new record."

"Then why is Seamus complaining about ten points?" Hermione asked. "What did he do?"

"Nothing," Seamus defended himself. "He took the points from Harry."

"From me?" Harry echoed. "What did I do?"

"When?" Ginny asked.

"Why?" Hermione questioned.

"I didn't even see him today," Harry continued.

"At Breakfast," Dean answered Ginny's question.

"For being out of uniform," Seamus continued.

"I wasn't out of uniform!"

"Um, Harry," Hermione stopped him before full rant. "The snakes and bats on your robes aren't part of our uniform."

"I had no control over that!"

"No kidding," Dean answered. "That's why Seamus is so mad."

"Well," Hermoine replied, "It's not the first time Professor Snape's been unfair to Gryffindor or Harry."

"And most likely not the last either," Harry mumbled.

"Yeah," Seamus agreed despondently, "But still! This is his son."

"Will everyone stop calling me THAT!" Harry exclaimed angrily.

Dean, Seamus, Ginny and Neville looked at Harry in surprise.

"He's still in denial," Hermione explained. "It's similar to working through the stages of grief. First there's-"

"Hermione," Ginny interrupted, "Not now."

"Fine," Hermione huffed after casting a glance towards a seething Harry.

"I can't believe he is treating you the same way as before," Dean commented. "What father continues to torment his child, especially unfairly?"

"Snape," Harry answered dolefully.

"If he keeps this up, we will lose the house cup for sure," Seamus said. "Who would want their son to be responsible for losing the house cup?"

"Snape," Harry repeated, with a mumbled, "Especially when he's the head of another house," under his breath.

"My family had hoped to have a happy, healthy and strong wizard in the family. What man wouldn't be happy to discover that?" Neville commented.

"Snape," Harry answered, this time joined by Ginny.

"He's not even breaking the most points taken from Gryffindor, but I think he has a new record for most points deducted in a day. He's deducted points and assigned detention to everyone he caught talking about him. Why didn't he do the same when he came across student's talking about his son?"

"Because he's Snape," Ginny answered, while Harry asked, "They were talking about me? Who? What did they say?"

"It doesn't matter," Dean answered, "That's not the point. The point is that he's acting like nothing's changed. He's still treating Gryffindors and Harry terribly…why?"

"Denial," Hermione commented again, before launching into an explanation regarding the various stages. "Eventually Harry and Professor Snape will accept and adjust to this change in their life."

"I accept it just fine," Harry grumbled. "As long as no one mentions anything about it."

Dean and Seamus snickered, "Oh yeah, that's acceptance."

After a few minutes of silence, Neville asked a question that had been on his mind since the headmaster's announcement. "Harry…who's you mum?"

"Lily Potter," Harry answered, silencing the room.

"Um," Dean said bravely, "I think Neville meant who gave birth to you. You know…who was with Snape…"

Seamus shuddered at the thought of his professor and anyone together in that way.

"Lily," Harry repeated.

"Oh," was the collected comment of everyone except Hermione who already had that information.

"Wasn't she a Gryffindor?" Neville asked.

"And a muggle-born?" Dean added.

"Yeah," Harry admitted.

"Now I'm really confused," Seamus said.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Well, it's Snape. I mean, he's so against non-Slytherins, it's hard to believe he slept with a Gryffindor. And a muggleborn at that."

At a glare from Hermione, he hurriedly added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but this is Snape. If he loved a Gryffindor that was a muggleborn, why isn't he more defensive/protective of them?"

"If they were in love," Dean commented quietly.

"Maybe that's why he's not," Ginny answered, giving a romantic sigh. "After all, he lost her. Not only to death, but to James Potter. Maybe the only way he could survive was to forget their love, forget that she existed." Another sigh and a whispered, "How romantic," ended her speech.

Romantic? Harry thought, in love? Snape and Lily? That was a thought that had never occurred to him before.

"If they were in love," Neville commented, "Why did she marry James Potter? Especially if she was carrying Snape's child?"

"Probably torn apart because of the war," Ginny said breathlessly. "Imagine: two ill-fated lovers, hiding their love for each other…unable to live the life of their dreams…"

"Oh brother," Seamus muttered.

"Excuse me," Harry said, racing out of the room. He didn't know what happened between Lily and Snape, but his friends had some interesting questions.

"Is he going to the kitchens without us?" Neville asked as Harry exited the common room.

"I don't think so," Hermione said with a worried look after her friend.

END CHAPTER 14

Where is Harry going?
Who catches him? At least it's not after curfew.

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Harry Potter and related characters, places, things,and am not making any profit from this story.

UPCOMING:

Chapter 15 Parent/Teacher Rules of Conduct
Chapter 16 Communication is the Key
Chapter 17 Explanations

4/1/2006