"Ann." Harry said moving toward her. Ann turned her back and began walking away. "Wait a second," shouted Harry after her. Ron and Ginny hung back and watched as he quickly caught up to her.

"Just leave me alone, Harry." Ann said angrily stopping to face him.

"What are you playing at?" Harry said.

"I'm not playing at anything," replied Ann.

"Yeah right. You lied to me."

"I never lied."

"You should have told me who you were."

"Maybe, but you said you wanted to be my friend," said Ann quietly. "Friends don't talk about each other behind their backs."

"I wasn't."

"Right," said Ann sarcastically and turned again to leave.

"Hey," Harry said reaching out and taking hold of her arm. "You're the one who lied about who you were, not me."

"Fine. You're off the hook then."

"No, you don't get off that easy. I want to know why."

"Just forget it," said Ann bitterly. "I should have just listened to my father."

"Your father," spat Harry.

"Potter," came a low hiss.

Harry sighed inwardly. He was definitely not in the mood for Snape at the moment. He turned to see Snape advancing on him with a look of pure hatred.

"Take your hands off my daughter right now," he growled.

Harry dropped Ann's arm, but didn't take his own narrowed eyes off the Potions Master.

"Father," Ann began, but Snape raised his hand to silence her.

"I thought I made it clear to you that I did not want you to associate with Potter." Snape's eyes narrowed maliciously at Harry. "I don't want to see you near her again. Do you understand me."

Harry stared unblinking back. "I don't think that's up to you, sir." Harry saw Snape clench his fist around his wand.

"It had better be or you will be very sorry."

"Father." Ann said again loudly.

"Is there a problem?" Ann, Snape, and Harry whipped around to see Professor Remus Lupin calmly standing a few feet back.

Snape's eyes narrowed to the tiniest slits. "This doesn't concern you Lupin."

"Perhaps not," replied Lupin sedately.

Snape seeing that Lupin had no intention of leaving placed a firm hand on Ann's shoulder and led her away. Harry rolled his eyes after them.

"Harry," said Lupin. "What was that about."

"Nothing," said Harry sullenly.

"Nothing? Yes, that's exactly what that looked like." Professor Lupin ran his hands through his sandy brown hair. "Harry, you and I need to have a conversation right now." Lupin turned and walked in the direction of his office. Harry gave Ron and Ginny, who had been staring wide-eyed along with several other students at Harry's encounter with Snape, a glance and turned to follow Professor Lupin.

They arrived at his office and Lupin sat behind his desk and indicated to Harry to take a seat.

"Professor," Harry began. "If this is about my not being in class."

"It is not. This is about you and Ann." Lupin rubbed his weary eyes and Harry noticed how tired he looked. "Is it safe to assume that you were with her when you should have been in class today?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see."

"Look, I'm really sorry I cut class today," Harry began.

"I accept your apology and I do hope it will never happen again."

"It won't, sir."

"Good, but as I said that's not what I wanted to talk with you about." Lupin paused and Harry waited expectantly. "I realize that I am not your father or even your Godfather, but I do care a great deal about you."

Harry's throat tightened at the mention of Sirius. "I know."

"I don't think you should be hanging out with Ann Snape."

"Why?"

"There are a few reasons, but the most pressing one is Professor Snape."

"I don't give a damn what he thinks," said Harry fiercely.

"That was apparent. I know you're angry with Professor Snape, but sooner or later you're going to have to let that go. You are going to have to forgive him if you are ever going to get over Sirius's death."

Harry stood so quickly he knocked the chair he was sitting in over. "I will never forgive him," he shouted. He kicked the fallen chair out of his way as he moved toward the door.

"Harry," Lupin called after him. "You're never going to get past this until you do."

Harry cast cold eyes on Lupin and left.

--------------

Back in the boys dormitory Harry lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He lay there seething and balling up pieces of his bed sheet in his fist as anger coursed through his body. He hadn't felt angry like this in a couple of months, not since he was last at the Dursley's and had accidentally blown out the T.V. screen in the living room during the middle of a rather heated argument with his uncle.

That was what precipitated his removal from Privet Drive to the Burrow weeks before the beginning of term. Harry realized that he hadn't made it through an entire summer with the Dursley's since the summer before his first year, not that it mattered anymore. Now that he was in his final year at Hogwarts he was never going to have to set foot on Privet Drive for the rest of his life. The thought had a calming effect on Harry, but deep down he knew Lupin was right. Eventually he was going to have to let go of all the anger he felt over Sirius's death.

It had been over a year and everyone else had gotten over it, even Lupin and he had known Sirius the longest. But he just couldn't, it was his own fault and he wouldn't let himself off the hook that easily. He wouldn't let Snape off the hook either. He was the one person he blamed more than himself.

"Harry."

"What," snarled Harry turning his head to the door. It was Ron. He looked hurt at Harry's abruptness. "I'm sorry, Ron." Harry immediately apologized.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Harry mumbled turning his head back to the ceiling.

"Did Lupin give you detention?"

"Nah."

"That's good." Ron moved closer to Harry's bed and pushed a tart toward him. "Hermione thought you might be hungry."

Harry took the tart gratefully. He was hungry. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"What?" Asked Harry through a mouthful of tart.

"I didn't know Ann was behind us, I wouldn't have said all that if I had."

"Don't worry about it. You're probably right."

"I don't know. Maybe," said Ron.

"What do you mean maybe?" Asked Harry.

"Well, it's just that I found out why she's at Hogwarts now. Her mum died a few days ago."

Harry nodded. "She told me."

"Oh," said Ron surprised.

"What difference does that make?"

"It's just that I think, maybe the reason she sought you out was because she thought you might understand. You know what I mean?"

Harry didn't say anything. He had understood and when they were talking by the lake he had felt for the first time since Sirius had died that someone understood him too.

"Well, anyway, if I messed it up for you. I'm sorry."

"Don't give it a second thought, mate."

Ron nodded. "Do you feel like coming down for a game of chess?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm tired. I think I'll just stay up here and go to bed.

"Ok, night then."

"Night, Ron."

--------------------

The next morning was Saturday. Harry woke up early and dressed quietly so as not to wake up the other boys. He left Gryffindor tower and made his way toward the Slytherin dungeons. He hadn't been anywhere near them since second year, but he remembered their general location. He leaned against the wall in front of the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Slytherin dorms and waited. Several younger Slytherin students passed by all giving Harry menacing looks, but they were not daring enough to take on this particular seventh year and quickly proceeded to the Great Hall.

About an hour after he had been waiting he saw her. Ann was alone and dressed in a pair of jeans and a baggy T-shirt. Her long black hair was swept up in a messy ponytail and there were circles under tired eyes.

"Ann," Harry called.

She looked up at him but continued walking.

"Come on, Ann. I'm sorry."

"I don't care," said Ann quietly.

"I'm serious, I'm really sorry about what happened the other day. Let me make it up to you."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about, Harry. Your friend was right."

"No, he wasn't."

"My father does hate you."

Harry smiled, "Ok, so he was right about that."

"It's not funny," she said and started walking again.

"You're right, it's not. But just because your father doesn't like me, it doesn't mean you have to too."

"Maybe, but your friends don't like me."

"That's not true. They don't even know you."

"Neither do you."

"That's right and regardless of what your father has told you or what you've read in the paper, you don't know me either."

Ann stopped and folded her arms across her chest. "So what are you getting at."

Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation. "What I'm trying to say, if you'd drop the attitude, is that neither of us knows the other, but I did have a nice time the other day and there aren't too many people at Hogwarts who know what you're going through right now. I do. And I meant what I said yesterday. I want to be your friend."

Ann looked hesitant.

"Let's just start over." Harry said.

Ann nodded slowly. "Ok. We'll start over."

Harry smiled widely. "Good. Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

"Do you want to eat breakfast with me and my friends?"

Ann looked unsure.

"It'll be fine. They're good people really. Just a bit protective of me."

"I can understand that," said Ann smiling.

"The Slytherins might give you a hard time if you have lunch with the Gryffindors."

"Lesson One, on me. I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me. I've always done exactly what I want to do, when I want to do it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They laughed as they continued their walk to the Great Hall. A little ways back, unbeknownst to them stood Severus Snape. He watched uneasily as his daughter disappeared down the hall with Harry Potter.