Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, I don't even own the story line. This is a response to Severitus' challenge. And I want you to know that I am not being paid to do this.

A/N: Well I loved to read these challenge ones, so I decided, what the heck let's do it. And I'm soooo sorry this has taken like forever, the writers block has been.urgh. Need I explain? Also exams are evil! And also I HATE BT!!! They miss sold us so AHHHH I wasn't allowed on the net for I dunno almost a week! And when I've just finnished writing this murder of a chapter.

Chapter 8------It's A Beautiful Thing.

The next morning he was walking through the school, to the great hall. It was early in the morning so he hadn't expected to bump into any students, especially not Harry. It was almost a headlong collision each apologising, then realising who the other one was, Harry ran off, but only slightly as he stopped a couple of meters behind Snape. "Okay," Harry said slowly, turning around. "I may not like it, but we have to sort something out." Snape nodded. "I have a few." Harry said quietly. Nodding some more, Snape took Harry to his new office. "Swarthy," the boy said smiling, pointing to the windows. "You got your windows after all." "I did." Snape said, folding his arms as he watched Harry admire his new office. "Do you want to sit down?" Harry shook his head, his hair was beginning to grow back now and it wasn't messy anymore. He was looking out the window, is a posture that reminded Snape a lot of Lily. Harry was silent until; "Why did you do it?" "I don't know." Snape answered. There was no need to even ask what Harry was talking about. "She was just looking so helpless as she sat there on her own, I had to go and speak to her." Harry nodded slightly then he looked up at Snape. "You loved her didn't you?" "Does it make you fell better?" Snape asked him. "Yes.no.oh I don't know.", he sighed and turned around. "I still don't understand all this. I don't think I ever will." Snape looked into his green eyes and pitied him. "I met your aunt and uncle the other day." "That must have been enlightening." "Hmm, yes he threatened me with a shot gun." Harry seemed trying not to smile, but couldn't help it. "What?" Snape asked slowly. "Nothing, I could just imagine the look you'd give him that's all." "Yes it was rather cold."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry went off to Gryffindor common room, where he was dragged off by Ron and Hermione, and into the empty boys dorm. "What?" he asked. "We know Harry," Ron said in a harsh whisper. "We figured it out. Well Hermione did." "Figure what out?" He asked a bit too high pitched than was natural. "What's there to figure out?" Hermione almost pinned him against the wall of the empty dorm. "There's no point hiding it any more. We know." Harry ducked under her arm and stood a few feet away from her. "What's there to know?" he demanded. "We know who your father is." Hermione said softly. Harry stared at them dumbly, they knew, oh god they knew. How, how did they though. "Yeah, funnily enough I know who he is too. James Potter. Nothing unusual about that. Lot's of people know who he is." "No," Hermione said again, and Harry quivered slightly. "We know who you're your //real// father is." She said tactfully. "We know its Snape." Ron said.not so tactfully. Harry quivered some more. "What!" he yelled, a second too late. Luckily Ron didn't notice, but Hermione did. "What, on earth gave you that idea?" Harry advanced shakily. "Snape my father, I have absolutely no idea what planet you're on. What gave you such a ludicrous idea?" "Hermione," Ron said, "I think we're wrong." "Too right!" Harry yelled. "I don't think I know you, coming up with outrageous ideas like this!" Only one thought was in his head and that was to keep them naïve. "Harry." Hermione started again. "No, Hermione, I think we should leave it." "Harry, I know so." "How can you //know// something that isn't true!" He calmed down slightly, and after a few minutes of silence, where Harry's brain was having a massive debate, he collapsed to his knees and burst into tears yet again. "I don't know what to do." He said quietly. He looked up at Ron, "How could he do this to me?" Hermione went up to him and out her arms around him. "It'll be alright." She said in his ear. "Everything will be just fine." Ron was fuming though at Snape, demanding to have an explanation from him. "I'm going to ask him what on earth made him do such a thing!" The redheads' face fell in realisation "What did he do actually?" Drawing in an icy breath, still in tears, Harry explained the story to his two best friends. The alcohol and the too much amount of it. "I don't understand any of it. None of it makes sense. I'm Harry Potter but I'm not me anymore." "Harry that's just stupid. You are who you are, and you are nothing like Snape and you know it." "I'm nothing like James Potter either, except in looks." "Yeah how does that work?" Ron asked. "I mean if you're not his son, then why do you look like him?" Harry gave a manic laugh. "An illusion spell, I don't look like this. James Potter did it on me when I was born, he knew you see. Anyway- it's wearing off now and normally Snape would have just giving me another dose. But they don't know which one it was so they can't." "And placing on a different as well as the one that's on would be seriously bad." "Yeah." Harry laughed slightly. "Snape said could look like a squid. I was tempted to say, better a squid than you, but I didn't." "That would have been hilarious." Ron told him.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin were his next class. A chance to see Harry again, 'a chance for him to hate me some more.' Pushing away negative thoughts he watched the class slowly pile in as they always did. Malfoy came rushing up to his desk. "Sir, Professor Snape. What is to become of Potter? I hope you got him kicked out sir." "You seem awfully excited about the prospect Malfoy." Snape sneered. "Well, sir, he has been a nuisance, it would be in every one's best interest to have him expelled sir." "Maybe," Snape leaned forward on his desk and look Draco Malfoy straight in the eye. "Every one, yes it would be //very// beneficial to have Potter expelled. Except for the people who are not standing right in front of me." "What does that mean sir?" Snape leaned and picked up his quill marvelling in the denseness of Malfoy's brain. "Sit down Malfoy." "But sir." "//Sit// down, Malfoy." He sneered at him. Taken aback, Draco scampered away to his seat at the front. Then some of the Gryffindors came in. As well as Harry the to of them just glared at one another for a long time, Snape tried to give his son an apologetic look, but Harry.Snape couldn't read it. He still looked very upset and distraught about the situation. Snape couldn't blame him though. He had been disgustingly and unnecessarily mean to his son. Just to keep up appearances. Also, it would have been awfully suspicious if Snape had been friendly to James' orphaned son. But he could have just told people he was also Lily's son. If only Snape had thought up that excuse earlier. But he hadn't. And now this- Harry //hated// him. Who wouldn't? Snape stood up and got on with teaching his class of dunderheads. People were waiting to see what he did with Harry, but he didn't even look at his son. The class went on and nothing happened. The potion wasn't a hard one- in fact it was easy a third year class could have done it at a push. A nice and simple truth potion, nothing too strenuous, he even let them talk quietly amongst themselves whilst he was marking. Then the lesson ended. Harry was trying to escape the prison of potions, actually it was a dungeon but all the same. But in the rush to jam everything into his bag.he spilt something. So Harry had to crouch down and clean it up again with his cloth. Snape tried to pretend that he didn't notice, but realised he couldn't for long. "Need a hand?" "No." "Are you going to be late for your next class?"

"No." Snape took a deep breath and asked something that had been prying in the back of his mind. "Have you thought more of that proposal? You know the one I gave you." Harry paused for a second. "No," he said a bit more quietly this time. "Fair enough," Harry got up to leave throwing the cloth in the sink. "Can all you say is 'no'?" Snape asked again turning towards the door. "No," Harry said giving a very small smile. Then he left, but a couple of seconds he was back again. "It still hasn't sunk in you know. I know, but then again I don't. You've got to give me //time//, time to breathe, time to think." Then Harry was gone and Snape was left alone to dwell in his own misery.