Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review thanks love Hermione xxx
Severus walked up the steps and entered the office where Dumbledore was waiting for him. He wondered what Dumbledore wanted now. Dumbledore however had been thinking and had realised that asking Harry where he'd been would be a serious challenge and that he'd get no answers so decided on a different path. "Ah Severus come in and have a seat. I have some tea and cake for us. I wanted to catch up with you in our yearly meeting as I do all staff members as you well know. How are you doing?" he asked as Severus repressed a groan. He'd forgotten about this but shouldn't have as Albus did it each and every year with every staff member one by one gradually until he'd spoken to them all.
"To be honest Albus I am ok. I am starting to see things clearly for the first time in a long time and it has been refreshing to say the least. Sometimes we can only understand something when we see it ourselves and it doesn't matter how often someone else tells us because if we don't see it ourselves it will never occur to us!" he said seriously taking some tea and lemon drizzle cake his favourite. He'd always loved this cake whenever his mother had ever had the time to make it which unfortunately wasn't all that often so maybe that's why he treasured it so much.
"I don't like to admit it Severus but you are correct. Aberforth spent years telling me something I was doing was wrong but it was only when I saw for myself that he was right that I realised it at all. Sometime we can get so stuck in our pride. I know I can. I am not perfect you know although some people like to think of me that way. I wanted to apologise to you about this summer as well. I was so stressed in looking for Harry that I never thought to ask you how you were. You were probably so stressed out looking for Draco and I didn't help that. I'm sorry. Did you ever find out where Draco had been as it was irresponsible of him to run away like that from poor Lucius?" he asked as Severus swallowed his cake with a mild scowl. What in the hell was Albus playing at now?
"It is ok. I can say I understand why you were preoccupied with looking for Mr Potter after all he could have been in serious danger. As for Mr Warrens and his whereabouts this summer I already grilled him on that when he got here. I have given him a vow that I will not reveal why he ran away from home but suffice it to say it was for safety reasons and we'll leave that there. All that really concerns me anyhow is that he is better off now. Suffice it to say my eyes were thoroughly opened in relation to many things this summer his situation being one of them. As long as he is safe I don't truly care where he's been living. I should think you would feel the same way!" he said as Albus exhaled seeing his other plan falling to bits.
"Was he living with Mr Potter? I really wish to know he was safe and I think Mr Potter was safe although he told me to my face for some reason that it was safer that I don't know where he was living. Severus how likely do you think it is that Mr Potter might have gone dark and is excellent at hiding it? You heard Miss Granger made him go to Gryffindor when he was meant to be in Slytherin. I fear he may have been more cunning then I realised" he said shocked as Severus laughed at him a full and hearty laugh something he'd not heard in many years from the man.
"As I told you Albus I've been rethinking a lot of things in my life. I hated James Potter with a passion because he was a pureblood cunt who never got what was coming to him. Yes he died but he was never reprimanded for how much of a hell he made my life here. I loved Lily so much and I did resent Potter because he looked so much like his father. I wasn't able to see that he contained parts of both of them and not just James. He and I spoke about this before and I have agreed to be civil with him and him me. It is for the best and with me not sniping at him all the time it has enabled me to teach my classes better than before. This year though I need a budget as I intend to update the style of my classroom. It no longer suits me to teach me in such a dark environment" he said as Albus looked stunned. Severus finally looked passionate about his job for the first time. Albus just hoped it wouldn't go against his plans to keep all the other houses hating Slytherin. But then again Albus wasn't quite as good at hiding that as he seriously thought he was.
"Very well you can indeed have that budget as you rarely ever ask me for anything. Back to my question though which was not at all a joke. Do you think Harry could have turned dark?" he implored as Severus once more chuckled.
"Albus that boy is an extremely annoying young man full of angst. He doesn't have the time to be dark. I mean what would he do huh poison someone? He couldn't be dark if I paid him to. He has a conscience you know which I did learn from speaking to him. He accused me of being a cunt and you know what he was right. I was a cunt at times and at other times he was a cunt himself. We moved on and I would suggest you do the same. If I didn't want to tell you something about my life, would you automatically think I was dark, no you wouldn't so why do it with Mr Potter huh?" he questioned as Albus rolled his eyes to heaven.
"Yes fine! I just thought he might be going dark because only dark people keep secrets from obvious light people like me or you. Speaking of Mr Warrens actually do you think it's possible he could become a death eater and influence Harry in that way?" he asked as Severus gasped and Dumbledore saw how truly horrified Severus was. Was what he had asked really that shocking I mean Lucius himself was a death eater for goodness sakes?
"Albus I tell you now that Mr Warrens would gladly die before becoming a death eater. I know this solely because he told me and I do not think he would mind me sharing this with you. He is indeed a good man and has always done the best he can with what he had. I am honestly very proud of him given what I know now which I can't share because of a vow I gave him.
"Ok well then we'll leave that there I guess. How is Slytherin house? Are they ok now that Mr Warrens is not in their house anymore?" Albus asked taking a bite of his cake and smiling at Severus slightly.
"Initially the house itself was stunned but now they are ok. They like him being himself but are annoyed that he wasn't himself when he was in Slytherin. A lot of people don't understand that actually but they still accept him as he is. Miss Parkinson is now learning from her grievous mistake earlier on and can now see how stupid she looked. I do truly believe she is sorry and was terrified of dying. I can report that Kenneth Parkinson is now in custody for the writing of that marriage contract and the way in which it was written. It is likely he will get two years in Azkaban for it if he makes it at all. Mrs Parkinson let me know about it and said she had to turn him in because he'd not told her of the death sentence attached to the thing!" he said as Albus reeled.
Yes Kenneth Parkinson had been a fool but did he really warrant jail time because he wanted his daughter to toe the line. But then again that was private family business so he wouldn't intervene here where his input wasn't needed. That of course was his problem. He realised they deserved their privacy but was never willing to give Harry his. He always wanted to know what Harry was doing and why. He was then stunned as he looked out onto the horizon and saw what looked like thousands of owls heading towards the school carrying parcels and or howlers. He wondered what that was about and was gravely concerned they were for him. What was going on now?