"Follow me, Potter."
"But sir, you know the rules about the Forbi"
"Potter, would you mind explaining your sudden love of the rules?"
"Mostly, it's because the last thing I want to do is follow an ex-Death Eater into the Forbidden Forest!"
"I don't blame you Harry for that sentiment. You've been told a lot lately that you just have to trust me, but I'll say it again: TRUST ME." This is for your own good. Now follow me."
So we wove our way through the Forbidden Forest in silence. I purposely took the longest route so I could have more time to hear Harry's thoughts. Though an extremely painful experience, it helped me get to know the boy a bit better. "Yeah, thanks a LOT for helping me carry all this crap. Bloody git. Well isn't this great! Mom and Dad are killed; Ginny's almost killed; I gain a godfather, but cannot see him; Cedric's killed, and now I get to live with one of Voldemort's toadies. I can't go to sleep at night without my mind being attacked and now I have to live with someone that will attack it all day long. YES I KNOW YOUR LISTENING YOU GHOUL! Why is Dumbledore letting this happen to me? He makes me stay with the Dursley's this past summer to 'keep me safe' and now makes me stay with Snape. At this point, I don't know which is worse. I'd rather be BABYSAT by a dementor than to live with him!! I never got to see Sirius before, but now it will be worse. If he makes me stay here for Christmas I'll kill myself. That'd show them all. 'The Boy Who Lived dies.' They'd all LOVE that. Actually, no one would care. They all thought he was crazy…" iHow like his mother his mind was, full of turbulence over those she loved and hated. The body that housed the mind was James', but the eyes were hers. The eyes are said to be the windows to the soul. How ironic that the same eyes could lead to two completely different yet radically similar souls. /i
Snape muttered lumos, and his wand lit, causing his house to be seen. "We've arrived."
Harry looked up and surveyed the ramshackle house. He could see the main structure, formed of brick, and several subsequent additions, mostly built from the wood of the forest. A rope ladder lead up the side of a tree that grew from the center of the house, but the ladder inexplicably stopped three quarters of the way up the tree's trunk. Though curious about the significance of the ladder, the last think he wanted was to start a conversation with Severus Snape in the middle of the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night under a full moon with nothing to protect himself but a trunk and an owl.
Opening the door, Severus beckoned Harry into the house. To his surprise, he saw that Snape did NOT take the same care with his house that he did with his potions. Dirty dishes were piled in the kitchen; books were strewn about the living room; robes hung from everything in the bathroom. Snape didn't seem the slightest bit embarrassed as he lead Harry through the house, up the stairs to Harry's room. I did my best with this room. Minerva had been brilliant with her ideas. I hope that he likes it. It will make all this much easier if he has a livable haven. The room was covered with posters of Nimbus and Firebolt brooms, Bowls were filled with Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs. The ceiling fan had miniature Golden Snitch's that was difficult… hanging from the cords.
"Damn, you didn't do half bad, Professor."
iThat was the first halfway-nice thing the boy ever said to me. His tone rang of Lily's voice, and my heart lurched./i
"Goodnight, Potter."