A/N: Again, thank you for so many considerate and thought out reviews. (Does over a hundred reviews dance). I'm so flattered that you found the memory a well written piece, I enjoyed writing it very much. Now to address some of the points raised by some reviews. I know that I have frustrated to the point of oblivian, I know that Snape has gradually become a more and more unclear character. However, these next two chapters, should explain many questions that have been raised by this story (and about Snape in general) and will reveal that he has been IC throughout.

I have kept you all waiting for long enough I feel. So here it is, the begining of understanding, which will hopefully bring everything together and clear a few things up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry, or any of his counterparts. I merely manipulate them and write this story (which is mine own). Please don't sue.

"Harry, stand back," Remus said, his voice cutting through the darkness that had once again descended in the classroom. For a moment, Harry hesitated, standing frozen as he watched Remus approach, his eyes fixed on the immobile figure of Snape, who was grimacing on the floor.

"Harry, you must stand back," Remus repeated, and this time Harry obeyed. Remus swept forwards, whispering the words "Accio wand" before Snape's wand flew out from within his robes, and into Remus' hand. Remus turned to Harry and for the first time he could see just how much he had aged since the last time he had seen him. His sandy hair, which had always shown a fleck of two or grey, was now streaked with white; his eyes seemed deadened of their previous joy. Yet his face seemed to warm when he looked at Harry and his voice was full of affection as he asked, holding out his hand, "Your wand please."

"But…" Harry glanced down at Snape who seemed to be gradually regaining some movement in his limbs, "But what if he…"

"You must trust me…I do not think it is wise, in this instance, for you to be in possession of your wand." Reluctantly Harry handed it over and, after smiling affectionately at him one last time, Remus turned his attention back to Snape.

"A little unorthodox don't you think Severus…even by your standards. It seems that your teaching methods have become a little extreme of late."

Snape hissed as he tried to stretch out his arms, feeling the power of the jinx still lingering as he spoke, "There was really no need for such a dramatic entrance."

Remus took a step forward, his face appearing much older in the moonlight that streamed in from the high windows than Harry had ever seen.

"It is too much…it really is too much for either myself or Dumbledore to ignore any longer. Did you really think I would do nothing as you punished Harry with Veritaserum?"

"Well, well, well," Snape slowly rose to his feet as he spoke, his limbs still rigid and uncertain as he dusted off his robes. "It seems that even I can be mistaken. I believed that Potter had spoken to either Miss Granger or Mister Weasley, but it seems that he has chosen to confide in a more unreliable party."

"What do you…" Harry began angrily, starting forward only to be stopped by Remus.

"Why don't you tell dear old Remus what it was I just showed you," Snape said, his voice dangerous as he stared, as if transfixed, at Remus. Remus dropped the arm that had been preventing Harry from rushing forward and his voice was steady as he spoke, "It was a very long time ago."

"But I still remember!" Snape snapped, his face suddenly shifting from the impassive mask it usually was, his voice was full of heat as he continued, one hand grasping the side of the desk. "I remember it clearly, the way Lily made those flowers grow." Suddenly Snape stumbled forwards as if intoxicated, grabbing Remus' robes as he shook him hard. Harry staggered backwards; something about this sight struck him as familiar and prevented him from moving. Remus gasped as Snape clutched desperately to him, his eyes black, his face twisted as he said desperately, "You must believe me…You must believe me Remus. I never wanted her to die!"

"It didn't stop you did it?" Remus shot back, trying to prise Snape's fingers from his robes. "You say you didn't want Lily to die and yet you knew what Voldemort was planning. You could have come, at any point, and warned them. You could have saved them both!"

As swiftly as he had grabbed him, Snape pushed Remus backwards. Harry went to move, but Remus' voice was stern as he said, "Stay exactly where you are Harry! There is no need."

"You have never been in the presence of the Dark Lord…" Snape's voice was cold; his face was frozen as he stared through Remus as if he were nothing more than a ghost. "You have never heard him speak, or seen him move. You have never known what is to be…punished…" Snape shuddered as he said this and for a moment, Harry could almost feel his sympathy for Snape returning.

"Don't I?" Harry saw Remus' eyes grew dark and fuelled by the anger in his sadness; Harry turned to Snape and said, "I know."

"You think you know Potter!" Snape spat mercilessly, the shiver had left his voice, "You think you know what it is to feel pain….you think you know loss?"

"It's all your fault!" Harry said irrationally, "It's your fault Sirius died!" His voice wavered with fury as the words burnt at the back of his throat.

"No…" Remus' voice was strong, controlled. "You know that can't be true…"

"I'd listen to him if I were you Potter, that is, if your arrogance allows you."

"I don't care what you say!" Harry snapped at Remus, before pointing an accusatory finger at Snape, "He provoked Sirius into leaving Grimmauld Place! I was there! I heard him!"

Remus turned his tired eyes from Harry's to face Snape once more, who seemed to be struggling to compose himself on the other side of the classroom.

"You must remember that night Remus…the night of the Graduation Ball…" Snape continued to stare at the floor as he spoke, completely ignoring Harry accusations, "She looked so beautiful, do you remember?"

"Serverus…" Remus' voice was gentle; his eyes were narrowed with pity, "It was such a long time ago…"

"But you must remember what she looked like in that green dress…you couldn't help but notice. Oh no…no one could help notice how beautiful she was. Even I was not impervious to her charms."

Harry gulped hard as he once again saw his mother's face before him, smiling as warmly as she had at Snape in the memory. In his dreams he often saw his mother smiling as she bent down to plant a kiss on his forehead. Yet these dreams, however vivid at the time, seemed dull compared to the brilliance of the memory in the Pensieve. Only here his mother seemed to radiate a beauty that was almost painful; touching everything and everyone it came in contact with. Like the purity of the flowers he had watched break the sharpness of Snape's thorns, she seemed to emit an unimaginable aura that Harry had never seen from anyone else.

Snape had been staring, eyes fixed on Remus' tired eyes as he watched carefully for a reaction as he spoke, "I believe even you at one point…"

All at once Remus' face reddened, his back stiffened as he glanced first at Harry, before turning his furious face to Snape, who was smiling thinly.

"No…" Snape mused, tracing his white jaw line with the tip of one finger, "Perhaps not…she was not exactly to your tastes was she?"

Harry stared at Remus, who was trembling with a fury he could barely contain; a fury Harry had never seen from the usually quiet man. Something in what Snape had just said affected Remus deeply; his amber eyes seemed to loose their glazed expression, and in a moment, they had become fiery and dangerous. Gulping hard Remus tightened his grasp on the three wands he held and, with what looked like a great effort; he managed to say in restrained tones, "We were only ever friends."

"But why," Harry began, moved to say something quickly to save Remus from the torment which was now clearly written across his face, "Why show me any of this?"

"Don't you see it yet Potter? Can you not understand?" Harry shook his head and Snape grimaced with frustration as he brought his fingers to the side of his head, and pressed his temples hard.

"Lily Potter did not deserve to die! She did not deserve to die to save you…you're life was not worth her dying." Snape trembled as he stared at Harry, his eyes burning with a hatred Harry had never seen so bright. "That is why it pains me to look at you, to have you in my class, to see you living a life so oblivious of the price that was paid for you to be here now. It disgusts me that you can find in yourself to be the arrogant adolescent you have become, so sure that you deserve everything that is given to you. But I tell you now Harry Potter, you didn't deserve to live instead of her!"

"Enough!" Remus shouted as he pointed the wands at Snape. "How dare you speak to Harry as if he had a choice! There was no choice…there was never a choice for him. The choice could have been yours and yet you chose to remain silent and let Lily and James die! It is more your fault than it will ever be Harry's!"
"You speak to me of choices!" Snape almost shrieked back, his eyes bulging as he took a step towards Remus. "For years I have lived a half-life. Each day has been a lie. And still I am met with mistrust and suspicion!" He pointed at Harry who was standing well back, finding it impossible to intervene. "Even from those whose life I have sworn to protect. Despite my better judgement and personal feelings, I have strived to help in ways that others would refuse to. I have seen the darkest of things and yet I am not afraid. I am still here. Who amongst the Order can boast the same? Who!"

"You can do all that and not be able to find it in yourself to forgive a boy for the faults of his father?" Remus replied, lowering his wand, yet his voice still held the threat. "You speak of what you have endured, and yet you can feel nothing for the pains of a boy whose destiny was forged the night Lily and James died?" Harry was watching Remus closely; watching the way his voice was both forceful yet imploring Snape to see reason. "Can you not find it in your heart to see that Lily died for love…a love you saw in her and respected, regardless of the way we all treated you? Can you not now, after all these years, let go of the bitterness and the loss?"

Snape seemed to be shivering; his whole body trembled as he attempted to warm himself by wrapping his cloak tighter about his shoulders. His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke again, "You know what it is to be doubted and suspected Remus. You understand how isolating ones past can prove to be…" Remus nodded slowly in response. Snape looked at Harry, black eyes searching green for an answer that was written there. Yet he turned away, his face twisted with something Harry could only read as grief and for a moment he could not understand it. Then he realised; they had always told him that he had his mother's eyes.

"I have lived with myself these long years knowing I could have saved her…I cared nothing for Potter or the baby I did not know…but for Lily; it shouldn't have been her path. The bitterness….the pain…the wrong I did her in betraying her faith in me I have to live with. I would not have it otherwise…" Snape gulped down hard, his voice once again became stiff and emotionless as he ended, "It is all I have."

Something silent, wordless seemed to be exchanged between Snape and Remus; their eyes locked for a moment, communicating a feeling of infinite sadness that made Harry shudder. Remus nodded and handed Snape back his wand. Harry jumped, his voice unusually quiet as he said, "But…but he might…"

"No Harry," Remus said softly, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder before he smiled, exhausted, "No, he won't." He held out Harry's wand for him to take, but as he stretched out his hand, Remus hesitated, his eyes earnest as he asked, "I ask you to trust me."

Harry nodded; all thoughts of physical retaliation left his mind as he saw the sad smile that had crept across Remus' lips as he handed Harry back his wand. He felt as if the past week had all been leading here, to this moment; that all his dreams and thoughts had been moving him towards this confrontation. He was meant to see Snape's memory of his mother, he was meant to dream of Sirius; this much Harry could no longer doubt. But as he watched Remus turn his back on Snape, for a moment Harry felt unable to follow. Snape had moved back behind his desk and with a flick of his wand had extinguished the candles and lit the brighter torches instead. Remus turned again, feeling that Harry was yet to follow, and watched as the boy stared at the man who had rolled out parchment upon his desk, and was once again consumed with his writing.

"Let's go now," Remus said and finally Harry followed, his eyes fixed on the back of Remus' head; his heart cold as he left the potions master behind.

I humbly await your reviews. Only two more chapters to go.