Disclaimer: JK Rowlings came up with it, Severitus issued the Challenge, Gusha did the writing, I just...well, never mind.
A/N – Did you really think we were that cruel? Well, maybe Gusha is. I, on the other hand, am the sweetest, kindest most generous person in the world. OK, maybe not. Whatever. Gusha is the crazy one. At least I am perfectly sane. *nods decisively*
*****
"Um, I…" Harry started, his hand unconsciously heading towards his scar.
"I'm not talking about Voldemort, boy." Snape shook his head impatiently. "Do you realize that you were born the same week that Della died giving birth to your stillborn cousin?"
"No, I didn't know." Harry said, eyes wide.
Snape forced himself to relax into his chair. "No. You were an infant at the time. Newborn. It was irrational to resent you, but I never claimed to be truly rational." He frowned and focused on a spot behind Harry.
They were both silent for a few more moments before Snape spoke again. "So, Potter, now you know more about my private life than I would have liked anyone to know. If you have any respect for me at all, please keep my secrets as if they were your own."
"Um…" Harry began.
"What? No secrets between you, Granger and Weasley?" Snape grinned, a truly horrible flash of teeth. "I do not suppose that I would really expect you to. At your age and in your place, I believe that I would have run right to Della. Fine, as if they were your own. Just don't let the whole school know."
Snape turned to his food, and applied himself heartily to it.
They sat in silence, eating and contemplating the words that had passed between them.
"Last year, after the last task, Dumbledore sent you off." Harry said, not looking up. "Are you spying on Voldemort again?"
Snape laughed, a genuine, if frightening, sign of amusement. "No, not at all. Voldemort would kill me on sight and ask questions later. I have reason to believe that he distrusted me even before you defeated him. Dumbledore's testimony in my very public trial only confirmed those suspicions. I believe that I must be very high on his list of people to kill." He sighed almost wistfully. "Besides, I am no longer the reckless young man that I was."
Snape took another bite, chewed thoughtfully and swallowed before continuing. "My mission for Dumbledore was something else entirely. I believe that he does not wish you to know about it."
The clock in the corner chimed. Snape surveyed the table. He gestured towards the almost empty dishes.
"Good work, Potter, but you had better get to your next class."
Harry stood and gathered his things. "Thank you, sir."
"Potter." Snape called as Harry neared the door. "Do not expect my attitude towards you to change." He warned.
"No, sir." Harry smiled. "I wouldn't expect it."
Snape scowled. "And don't do that. You look like her when you smile."
Harry bit his lip and ducked out the door.
*****
Directly after dinner that night, Harry looked at his two best friends and said:
"Ron, Hermione, would you care to join me in the library?"
Ron looked like he was going to protest that they had not been given any homework all day, but Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Of course." She said. "You can show us the book you were talking about earlier." She glared at Ron.
"What?" Ron asked. "Oh, right." He added quickly. Harry suspected that Hermione might have stepped on his toes.
Harry glanced up at the head table as they left the Great Hall. Snape was staring at him. He nodded slightly at Harry, who nodded back as he turned to follow his friends.
Half way to the library, Harry led his friends in an unexpected turn. They ended up in an odd, out of the way room.
"Hey, I remember this place." Ron said. "Didn't there used to be a mirror over there? A funny looking one?"
"Yes." Harry agreed. "Dumbledore moved it."
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Where were you at lunch."
"I had lunch with Snape in his rooms." Harry said, ignoring his friend's gasps. "I learned quite a bit about my mum's cousin Della." He launched into an abbreviated account of what Snape had told him.
"Weird." Ron said when he had finished. "Hard to imagine Snape happily married."
"You didn't hear him tell it." Harry said. "Oh, and Hermione, If you ever get the urge to concentrate on house elf rights again, I suggest you have a long conversation with Snape on the subject. I think you will find that he has some interesting insights."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked. Hermione was silent.
"Nothing in particular." Harry said shrugging. They sat silently for a few minutes.
"Hermione?" Harry continued, played with the end of his ponytail. "Do you know anything about abstract wizard paintings?"
"Not much." Hermione said, surprised.
"Well," Ron said. "All I really know about them is that they have been known to drive people insane. Oh, and portraits too. They are usually strongly warded to protect other paintings from them. Why?"
"Snape has one guarding his private rooms." Harry said. "And another one over his fireplace."
"Odd." Ron said. "I don't think there are many in Britain at all. There have never been many British abstract painters in the wizarding world. We prefer portraits as a culture." Ron shook his head. "They could be by foreign artists."
"You know the oddest trivia, Ron." Hermione said.
"You're a good one to talk, Hermione." Ron scowled. "There was Maura Thornton, back before we were born. Do you suppose they might be hers?"
"I honestly have no idea." Harry said. "Thornton sounds familiar, though…"
"Let's go to the library." Hermione said suddenly.
Ron groaned, and Harry said, "Can't, Hermione. I need to look in on my snake baby."
"Has it said anything yet?" Ron asked, suddenly animated.
"Hungry." Harry grinned. "She very distinctly said hungry."
"Boys." Muttered Hermione as they parted in the hallway.
*****
A/N – Ah, we now know some very interesting things. Hehehehe.
Review please. I would like it a lot. We would like it a lot.
Oh, no! Look! Gusha's got a gun. No, it is just a water pistol.
A/N – Did you really think we were that cruel? Well, maybe Gusha is. I, on the other hand, am the sweetest, kindest most generous person in the world. OK, maybe not. Whatever. Gusha is the crazy one. At least I am perfectly sane. *nods decisively*
*****
"Um, I…" Harry started, his hand unconsciously heading towards his scar.
"I'm not talking about Voldemort, boy." Snape shook his head impatiently. "Do you realize that you were born the same week that Della died giving birth to your stillborn cousin?"
"No, I didn't know." Harry said, eyes wide.
Snape forced himself to relax into his chair. "No. You were an infant at the time. Newborn. It was irrational to resent you, but I never claimed to be truly rational." He frowned and focused on a spot behind Harry.
They were both silent for a few more moments before Snape spoke again. "So, Potter, now you know more about my private life than I would have liked anyone to know. If you have any respect for me at all, please keep my secrets as if they were your own."
"Um…" Harry began.
"What? No secrets between you, Granger and Weasley?" Snape grinned, a truly horrible flash of teeth. "I do not suppose that I would really expect you to. At your age and in your place, I believe that I would have run right to Della. Fine, as if they were your own. Just don't let the whole school know."
Snape turned to his food, and applied himself heartily to it.
They sat in silence, eating and contemplating the words that had passed between them.
"Last year, after the last task, Dumbledore sent you off." Harry said, not looking up. "Are you spying on Voldemort again?"
Snape laughed, a genuine, if frightening, sign of amusement. "No, not at all. Voldemort would kill me on sight and ask questions later. I have reason to believe that he distrusted me even before you defeated him. Dumbledore's testimony in my very public trial only confirmed those suspicions. I believe that I must be very high on his list of people to kill." He sighed almost wistfully. "Besides, I am no longer the reckless young man that I was."
Snape took another bite, chewed thoughtfully and swallowed before continuing. "My mission for Dumbledore was something else entirely. I believe that he does not wish you to know about it."
The clock in the corner chimed. Snape surveyed the table. He gestured towards the almost empty dishes.
"Good work, Potter, but you had better get to your next class."
Harry stood and gathered his things. "Thank you, sir."
"Potter." Snape called as Harry neared the door. "Do not expect my attitude towards you to change." He warned.
"No, sir." Harry smiled. "I wouldn't expect it."
Snape scowled. "And don't do that. You look like her when you smile."
Harry bit his lip and ducked out the door.
*****
Directly after dinner that night, Harry looked at his two best friends and said:
"Ron, Hermione, would you care to join me in the library?"
Ron looked like he was going to protest that they had not been given any homework all day, but Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Of course." She said. "You can show us the book you were talking about earlier." She glared at Ron.
"What?" Ron asked. "Oh, right." He added quickly. Harry suspected that Hermione might have stepped on his toes.
Harry glanced up at the head table as they left the Great Hall. Snape was staring at him. He nodded slightly at Harry, who nodded back as he turned to follow his friends.
Half way to the library, Harry led his friends in an unexpected turn. They ended up in an odd, out of the way room.
"Hey, I remember this place." Ron said. "Didn't there used to be a mirror over there? A funny looking one?"
"Yes." Harry agreed. "Dumbledore moved it."
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Where were you at lunch."
"I had lunch with Snape in his rooms." Harry said, ignoring his friend's gasps. "I learned quite a bit about my mum's cousin Della." He launched into an abbreviated account of what Snape had told him.
"Weird." Ron said when he had finished. "Hard to imagine Snape happily married."
"You didn't hear him tell it." Harry said. "Oh, and Hermione, If you ever get the urge to concentrate on house elf rights again, I suggest you have a long conversation with Snape on the subject. I think you will find that he has some interesting insights."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked. Hermione was silent.
"Nothing in particular." Harry said shrugging. They sat silently for a few minutes.
"Hermione?" Harry continued, played with the end of his ponytail. "Do you know anything about abstract wizard paintings?"
"Not much." Hermione said, surprised.
"Well," Ron said. "All I really know about them is that they have been known to drive people insane. Oh, and portraits too. They are usually strongly warded to protect other paintings from them. Why?"
"Snape has one guarding his private rooms." Harry said. "And another one over his fireplace."
"Odd." Ron said. "I don't think there are many in Britain at all. There have never been many British abstract painters in the wizarding world. We prefer portraits as a culture." Ron shook his head. "They could be by foreign artists."
"You know the oddest trivia, Ron." Hermione said.
"You're a good one to talk, Hermione." Ron scowled. "There was Maura Thornton, back before we were born. Do you suppose they might be hers?"
"I honestly have no idea." Harry said. "Thornton sounds familiar, though…"
"Let's go to the library." Hermione said suddenly.
Ron groaned, and Harry said, "Can't, Hermione. I need to look in on my snake baby."
"Has it said anything yet?" Ron asked, suddenly animated.
"Hungry." Harry grinned. "She very distinctly said hungry."
"Boys." Muttered Hermione as they parted in the hallway.
*****
A/N – Ah, we now know some very interesting things. Hehehehe.
Review please. I would like it a lot. We would like it a lot.
Oh, no! Look! Gusha's got a gun. No, it is just a water pistol.