The Usual Disclaimer: Jo's boys, Jo's school, Jo's money. Not mine. Please pay in reviews. Thank you. The boys thank you, too.
As Potter was clearly going to stay another night, he decided to go ahead and set the library up as a guest room. That was easily accomplished, a bed, a nightstand and a small trunk summoned from the stores on the seventh floor, and one of the chairs banished to the same room. He was done well before Potter returned from his visit, early in the evening. He looked up from the table where he was making notes in an advanced potions text when Potter came in, smiling and relaxed. He and Neville had stopped by Hagrid's, and that had delayed them until nearly dinner.
Snape sat back and contemplated the man. "Ready to join us for supper?"
"I guess. Yeah. I should change, though. Neville had me digging up Mandrakes." He held up a bloody finger.
"Let me see that."
He got up and pulled the boy to the sink in the kitchen. He cleaned the bite, then Accio'd Dittany from the lab. Potter held still while Snape treated the wound. He looked up to find Potter watching him strangely.
"Better watch where you stick your fingers."
"Yeah... Thanks. I'll go clean up."
Snape nodded. "Your things are on the bed in my room."
"Okay."
Ten minutes later, Potter came out of Snape's bedroom, pulling a shirt over his head. Snape was standing by the door, robe thrown over his arm, ready to leave. "That's still my shirt, Potter," he said, though he was not really bothered by it, for some reason.
"Yeah…"
"A little big for you, isn't it?"
"Little bit. Arms are long, but…"
"What's wrong with yours?"
Potter said nothing, just buttoned his shirt and put on one of the sweaters they had gotten him. He held his arms out to the side. "Okay?"
His dark hair curled slightly against his neck, and his green eyes sparkled in amusement as he smiled up at Snape, who managed to stifle a sharp intake of breath. Damn, the boy was… "Dashing," he drawled. Stop it, Sev. Damn it. But he didn't want to – not really.
The man grinned at him. "Just what I was going for."
"Trying to impress Neville?" he teased, and tried to ignore the twinge in his chest.
Potter looked at him strangely. "No." He laughed. "No… not Neville."
"Well, I'm sure there must be someone down there who would be interested in the great Harry Potter," Snape said mildly.
Potter looked away, a spasm of… something… crossing his face, then came to lean against the wall across from Snape.
"Yeah, well… that's a problem, too. I don't know who to trust." He sighed. "I don't know if there is anyone I can trust." He turned his eyes back to Snape. "Except you. Because you turned out to be…" He laughed. "…the most trustworthy man I've ever known. More trustworthy than Dumbledore. More honest with me, really, despite the fact that you were hiding everything the whole time."
Honest? Snape wasn't sure about that.
Potter sighed and looked down at his boots, his jeans, his sweater, then back up at Snape. "I've been away a long time. I've been away a long time, Severus… You're the only man I can fully trust, really. Well – Arthur, maybe." He laughed sadly. "And oddly enough, other than that first year, I think I knew it all along. Despite everything that I said, and despite drawing all the wrong conclusions, just like you planned… it just never made sense, what it looked like you were doing… because you were always doing something else, always protecting me."
He paused and looked Snape in the eyes. "You're a good man, Severus. An honest man. The best man I know, in fact."
Snape held his breath, frowning at the boy. "Thank you, Potter," he said, finally. "That's unnecessary."
"It's true," Potter said, fending off his protest. "You're the best man I know."
Snape swallowed and looked away. Don't, Potter, he thought… but he didn't mean it. "Better take your robe… Dresses up the look. And the Great Hall is cold this time of year."
"I remember. Don't suppose you have a spare scarf?"
Snape snapped his fingers. "Knew we'd forgotten something." He stepped past Potter and went to his room, pulling a soft cashmere scarf in Gryffindor colors from a drawer. He paused to caress it. Potter, Weasley and Granger had given it to him when he was recovering – something soft against the wounds on his neck, they'd said. He wondered if the boy would remember. He shook it out, folded it in half, and then grabbed it by the middle of that. Leaving the room, he tossed it at the man, who was shaking out his robe.
Potter caught it, his Seeker reflexes still as fast as they were when he played Quidditch for Gryffindor. He held it a moment, running it through his hands, then looked up and said, "Thanks, Sev." He folded it around his neck, letting the ends drape down outside his robe.
"Anything you need, Potter. Anytime." Snape gestured toward the door. "Supper?"
They walked down to the Great Hall, surrounded by Gryffindor students, many of whom called, "Good evening, Professor!" as they rushed past. Some stopped, startled, and glanced back at the man at Snape's side, who did his best to ignore the fact. Snape led him up the side hall to the entrance at the back of the head table. They caught up with Trelawney on the way, and she stopped, peered closely at both of them, then teared up and patted Potter on the arm. "Of course, I knew you would return, my dear boy" she said. "Love always calls us back."
Snape quirked an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. Potter was not as contained. He did laugh. Then he hugged her and said, "It's good to see you, Professor!"
The scene was repeated just inside the door, as one professor after another realized Potter was finally joining them. They jumped up to grab him in a hug, or to pump his hand enthusiastically, often wiping a tear from their eye. Snape hovered, watching lest the boy feel overwhelmed and bolt, but apparently Minerva had warned the faculty to tone down their welcome and not to ask questions, because while their welcome was warm, they otherwise let him be. Minerva gestured him to a seat between her and Neville, put an arm around his shoulders, and kissed his cheek when he sat down beside her.
There was pointing and whispering amongst the students. Snape eyed his Gryffindors beadily and they settled down, but kept grinning and pointing, and sat up a little straighter, he noticed. After all, Potter was from their House. He did not call the man's attention to it. Students of all four Houses lingered over their supper longer than usual. He knew it was because of Potter at the head table. When he, Potter, and Neville got up to leave, there was a universal scraping back of benches as the students got up to leave as well.
Snape rued the fact that there were no secret passageways from the Great Hall to Gryffindor Tower, as it was closest to the front entrance. He had hoped to avoid the press of students in the halls. He'd have to say something to the Gryffindors on Monday, he thought. However, Potter took the situation out of his hands.
"I'd better go up to the Common Room to say hello," he said as they made their way through the throng of students.
"If you're ready for that."
"Gotta do it eventually, if I'm here. Might as well do it now."
"Do you want me to come with?"
"If you like."
Neville stepped up behind them. "I'll come, too, Sev."
The three of them headed up the stairs to the Common Room. By the time they reached the Fat Lady, there was a parade of students accompanying Harry to her portrait. "Mimbulus Mimbletonia," Neville muttered, and the Fat Lady swung open.
"Neville's in charge of passwords," Snape murmured into Potter's ear. Harry turned his head to grin up at him. Damn.
The students gathered around, jostling for position, as the three wizards took positions near the fireplace. Some crowded the stairs up to the dorms to get a better view, while others perched on the arms of already-crowded chairs and sofas.
"I don't suppose I need tell you," Snape began, "this is Mr. Harry Potter. I daresay you know who he is." The students murmured a response. "He's come up to spend a few minutes with you. I know you will listen… respectfully." His eyes narrowed at them, but glinted in amusement. "Mr. Potter?"
"I just came up to say hello," Potter began, "and to encourage you to pay attention to your studies. Even though the war is over and Voldemort is defeated…"
A few students gasped at that. Potter cocked his head at them. "Never be afraid to name a thing. Fear of a name increases your fear of the thing itself. It gives the thing power over you. Always call a person or thing by their right name and look them in the eye. Then you can meet it on equal terms. Call it what it is."
Snape nodded approvingly.
"Even though Voldemort is gone, there are still things in the world that threaten us, threaten the Muggles," Potter said. "You each need to be prepared to take your part. One of my teachers used to say 'Constant vigilance'. I'll say that to you again. You may feel safe here. And the world is relatively safe, compared to when I was going to school, but safety requires you to be vigilant. It requires you to pay attention. It requires you to learn and to become the best you can be, so that you can help keep the Wizarding world and Muggles safe. Be courageous. Especially, be courageous about who you love… because love is the strongest magic that there is."
Damn. Snape laughed at himself. Damn it, Potter. He looked down at his shoes, afraid of what his face would show if he looked up at the man. He found himself smiling. Damn it, Potter. He shook his head andlooked up.
Most of the students looked confused, but Potter smiled and said, "You'll learn."
"Will you take some questions?"
"Just a few, but about school, okay?" He looked around the room. "Not about the war. We'll leave that for a class – maybe History or Defense, all right?" The students nodded.
"What was your favorite subject?"
"How did you get on the Quidditch team?"
"Were you really the youngest Seeker in a century?"
"Did you really teach Professor Longbottom Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Yeah – are you really friends?" The students looked eagerly between him and Neville, awed and just as clearly admiring of their Herbology professor.
In short order, Potter was laughing and talking, answering eagerly-asked questions, as Neville and Snape looked on. Neville supported Potter's telling in parts, but finally waved a hand to cut the questions off. Snape stepped in. "That's enough for now, I think. Time for you all to be in your beds."
The students begged for more, but Potter stood to go.
"Will you come back?"
"Maybe. Depends on how long I'm here."
The students called thank you's, and those nearest them reached out to shake Potter's hand. Neville finally managed to get between the students and Potter, and stayed behind to settle them down, letting Snape and Potter escape out the entrance and head down to Snape's quarters at the base of the tower.