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And a special thank you to Izzie, who is currently re-writing this fic in French. You're doing a wonderful job! Check her name out to see it.
A Different Life
Chapter 42 - Blow Up
Severus tapped his foot as he waited for Harry to arrive. He had given up a long time ago with trying to make a potion while he waited. He glanced back up at the clock and realised that Harry was now two hours late. Something must have been wrong.
He grabbed his cloak and walked towards the door, manoeuvring the cloak around him as he did. He opened the door and looked down both corridors on either side of him before taking the one that would get him to Gryffindor Tower. There was always the possibility that Harry had just forgotten, or lost track of time.
Severus quickly arrived outside the Gryffindor common rooms and only just managed to get inside before the fat lady could start up a conversation with him.
"Professor Snape." Ron stood up immediately after seeing Severus enter, and then looked behind him as if expecting to see someone, after a couple of seconds of searching he turned his eyes back to Severus. "Is something wrong?"
"I was looking for Harry, is he here?" Severus looked around, glaring at any students that had actually not fled up to their dormitories at the site of him. Most of the older students had stayed, but upon receiving a glare from him, they quickly moved also.
Severus then glared at Hermione, who had put her book down and now stood next to Ron, but she just smiled politely back at him.
"Harry left hours ago to go see you. You mean he didn't turn up?" The colour in Ron's face went pale and a rising worry could be seen in his eyes.
Severus' eyes softened as he looked at Ron, but his face remained blank. "No, he did not."
Ron breathed in harshly, ideas of where Harry could be at that very moment going through his mind. "You don't think- think that-"
"Ron." Hermione cut him off, already knowing what he was going to say. "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation as to where Harry is. Perhaps he met up with Draco on his way down, Slytherin common room is right near where Professor Snape' private rooms are, perhaps Harry just got caught up with him, and lost track of time."
Ron turned his gaze back to Severus. "Have you asked Draco yet Sir?"
"No, I haven't." Severus mentally felt his heart rate start to go back to normal. That was of course a more likely explanation of what could have happened to Harry, but there was still worry etched into his mind. "I'll go see him now. You both stay in this common room." Severus turned around and calmly walked out of the common room, but as soon as the portrait shut he picked up his pace again.
It didn't take him long to reach Slytherin common rooms, and just as he was about to say the password to get him inside he saw Remus heading towards him in the corner of his eye. He thought about ignoring him and just going in to see Draco, but the thought that he may know where Harry was kept him put.
"Lupin, have you seen Harry?"
Remus stopped in front of Severus and looked thoughtfully for a moment. "No, wasn't he meant to be staying with you tonight?"
"Yes, but he didn't show up."
"I'm sure he is probably just with his friends."
"Perhaps." Severus paused, not seeing any reason to mention that both Ron and Hermione weren't with him. He looked out a nearby window and saw that it was getting a lot darker now. "Why are you here Lupin?"
"Oh, well..." Remus looked a bit awkward for a moment, before continuing on. "...Sirius stormed off earlier, and I was looking for him. I haven't been able to find him anywhere though."
Severus rolled his eyes.
"I was just on my way to see you, so I could ask Harry if I might be able to use the map to see if I could find him that way."
Severus closed his eyes and shook his head. Wondering how many times that map slipped his mind in a situation where he really needed it.
"Well, I was just about to go visit Draco Malfoy to see if Harry was with him. You are free to come along. You can ask him straight off if you can have the map then and search for that mutt."
"Severus, his name is Sirius, why not try to use it."
"Maybe when he starts to act like a human being, I'll start to call him by his name, but while he clearly isn't, I'll continue to call him by what he really is." Severus snapped back.
"It's been years Severus. Can't you let it go?"
"Lupin, mind your own bloody business." Severus hissed at him, before saying the password to open the Slytherin common room up.
Severus stepped in and scanned the room, not seeing Draco anywhere. He grabbed the nearest shoulder, which just happened to be a third year and he spun the poor boy around so he was facing him.
"Malfoy. Get him. Now." The shaking third year boy nodded and raced down the stairs at an incredible speed.
Draco came out a couple of minutes later, walking calmly but looking confusedly at Severus.
"Professor's? Is something-"
"Where's Harry?" Severus snapped at him. He had been hoping that Harry would just come up with Draco.
"Harry? I haven't seen Harry since lunch Sir." Draco looked at Remus, but quickly returned his gaze to Severus. "Harry's missing?"
"You don't know where he is now?" Severus persisted, ignoring Draco's question.
"No Sir-"
Severus turned around and stormed out of the common room, leaving Remus to explain what was wrong to Draco. He turned straight in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, and towards the map.
***
Harry and Sirius were laughing uncontrollably while sitting on the ground of Honeydukes, leaning against a bare wall in the back of the shop. Half the reason the were laughing was that they were having a lot of fun, and the other half was more than likely from the lollies that they had just had, and as the slogan goes: 'A sure thing to bring the saddest of people into a good mood'.
"Sirius-" Harry gasped between laughter. "-we're going to pay for all this aren't we?"
"Course we are Harry, but I think it would be best if we perhaps lay off the sweets for now." Sirius pushed the bag away from himself and sighed out loud, closing his eyes and calming down a bit. After a moment he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Harry.
"What is it?" Harry smiled at Sirius.
"What do you know about your father, your real father?"
Harry turned his head so he was looking straight ahead and then proceeded to tell Sirius everything he could remember about James Potter, every story he had heard and every detail.
"How do you know all that?" Sirius asked, generally curious.
"Most of it is from Remus." Harry turned his head back so he was facing Sirius, he could see a few tears had escaped Sirius' eyes.
"He told you all that?"
"Yeah, Severus didn't tell me much about him, but Remus always told me stories. My first present from him was a photo album full of pictures of my parents."
Sirius looked away, his good mood suddenly gone. "Are you happy with him?"
"Who? Remus?" Harry asked, confused.
"No, Snape."
Harry's face lit up. "Yes, he-" He bit his lip and tried to find the right words. "He was the first person that I can remember that was nice to me. He took me in and cared for me. He didn't have to do that, but he did. The first person that I can remember having given me something to care for, my own pet. All mine." Harry shrugged, not knowing how else to explain it. "He's my dad. I know James Potter is my father and I do love him, and I feel like I almost know him from what Remus has told me. But Severus is still my father."
Sirius sighed aloud and turned back to Harry, his eyes focused on something just below Harry's face.
"What's wro-" Harry began but was cut off by Sirius.
"Where did you get that?"
"Get what?" Harry felt around his neck where Sirius seemed to be staring at and felt the cool touch of his necklace. The chain that had belonged to his father.
"Remus gave it to be before I came here to Hogwarts, said it would give me good luck." Harry shrugged and placed it back under his shirt, hidden again.
"I never saw James without it, I got the feeling he even slept with it on." Sirius smiled, his eyes glazed over as he remembered a past moment.
"Yeah, well I lost it before, when Draco and I were lost in the forest, but Severus found it and gave it back to me the other day."
"He doesn't care that it was James'?"
"Why would he?" Harry asked confusedly.
Sirius smiled at him. "Never mind Harry, come on, we should head back before anyone realises you have been gone."
***
"Do you think they noticed us missing?" Harry asked as the started to walk away from the witch statue that they had just come out through.
Sirius looked around as he thought. "I doubt it, it's not that late, and nobody was expecting to meet you anywhere right?"
Harry shook his head, feeling slightly relieved by Sirius' words. Looking back at what they had just done, Harry realised that it could have been quite dangerous.
"Come on then, best get you off to bed."
Harry and Sirius only turned the first corner before they saw a dark figure running towards them.
It was his father. They were dead.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Severus stopped in front of Harry, kneeling down to get a better look at him. He quickly began checking Harry for any obvious injuries.
"I'm fine." Harry mumbled, but his father continued to check over him, taking his arm and seeing if anything was wrong with it. "Really, I'm fine." Harry pulled his arm out of his father's reach.
Severus hugged Harry. "I was so wor-" Severus stopped as he heard something hit the ground, something that had fallen out of Harry's pocket.
Severus pulled away from Harry and picked what had fallen up. It was a packet of sweets.
"Err." Sirius scratched the back of his neck, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Severus stood up as quickly as his face went blank. "Black?" His voice was tinted with anger.
"Hello Snape. If you don't mind, I was just taking Harry back to Gryffindor Tower."
Severus narrowed his eyes and pulled out the map he had had in his pocket. He looked from the map, to the sweets in his other hand, and then to Harry's guilty face. Realisation settling in, he glared angrily at Sirius.
"You took him to Hogsmeade?" Severus' words though said quietly and calmly, the anger he felt was clearly evident not only all over his face, but in his posture.
"The boy deserves some fun-" Sirius snapped at Severus.
"FUN!" Severus took a step closer to Sirius. "Do you call fun having Harry caught, tortured and killed? Because that is what could have happened tonight if Voldemort or any of his followers had caught you."
"And by followers, you mean yourself don't you Snape? You are after all, a Death Eater." Sirius took a step closer to Severus, glaring just as hatefully at him.
Severus snarled at Sirius and putting all his energy that he had left, he swung his fist right into the side of Sirius' head.
Upon impact Sirius fell onto the ground. He struggled to get up, but before he could get anywhere close enough to take a swing back at Severus, Remus appeared out of nowhere, standing in his way.
Sirius glared at Remus, trying to get past him, wanting and needing to hit Severus. But he was unable to get past Remus, he was just too strong.
"Sirius, let it go."
Sirius kept struggling, knowing that it was helpless, there was no way he was going to get past. "You saw what he did."
"Sirius just calm down." Remus said more forcefully, pushing Sirius a bit further away from Severus, who was just staring hatefully at Sirius.
Sirius looked from Remus, to Severus, and then to Harry, who was looking alarmed and scared. He finally stopped struggling, and turned back to glaring hatefully at Severus. He pushed Remus roughly away and growled aloud in frustration, before turning around and leaving before he did something that he more than likely wouldn't regret, but would hate to know that Harry had seen.
***
"Sirius! Severus didn't-" Harry started to yell after Sirius, but quickly shut his mouth and turned to his father, his eyes wide. "That was a- I meant to say-" Harry struggled to get his words out, tripping over himself trying to get it all out. "I'm sorry Da-"
"Just go to bed Harry, we'll talk about this tomorrow." Severus waved Harry off before turning around himself and walking away.
Harry watched as his father walked down the dead looking hallway, feeling his heart sink as he did.
He couldn't help but think that this whole mess was his fault.
***
"It's already starting..."
"What is already starting Severus?" Dumbledore sat in his usual chair in his office, trying to understand the troubled man that was currently pacing in front of him, a cloth full of ice wrapped around his hand.
"He's already gotten attached to him, it hasn't even been that long and they act as though... I don't know." Severus stopped pacing and instead glared at one of the snoozing headmasters that was on the wall above Dumbledore.
"Severus, you're Harry's father; nothing is going to change that."
"You could have fooled me. He's already running off to Black."
"Severus, you have to understand that no matter what, Sirius will be a part in Harry's life. But you will always remain his father."
"What good will that be? He likes being with Black, all I seem to do is yell at him nowadays."
"He needs discipline at his age Severus, and you know as well as I do that that is one thing Sirius will lack in doing for him."
Severus snorted. "I could tell you a lot more that Black lacks in."
"Severus, this has to stop. You both need to put the past behind you, if not for your own sake, then for Harry's."
"He took Harry to Hogsmeade tonight, who knows what could have happened there."
"I know, and I am in no way defending Sirius' actions, but can you really blame him?"
"What do you mean? Of course it's Sirius' fault, he-"
Dumbledore held his hand up to stop Severus from continuing on. "You both have been fighting over Harry's time as though it's a contest between you both to spend the most time with him. I'm surprised the poor boy has time to do his homework and actually turn up to his classes."
"Albus that is still no excuse for taking Harry to Hogsmeade, and not only in this dangerous time, but without telling anyone, and with no protection whatsoever."
"And I never said it was. But perhaps he is not the only one to blame."
Severus sighed aloud and sat down onto one of the many chairs Dumbledore had. He looked pensively around the room for a few minutes before dejectedly admitting that Dumbledore was right. "I suppose not... but he is largely to blame." Severus added, as though that made his agreeing with Dumbledore okay, since he wasn't fully letting Sirius out of the clear.
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded his head and smiled at Severus.
"But why would Harry called me Severus, it's been years since he has called me that. Am I doing something wrong?"
Dumbledore stared at Severus, his smile still remaining in place. He knew he was staring at a completely different person as to what he would have been if Severus had not taken Harry in all those years ago. Not only from the emotions that he was showing now, that before he would have hid, but also from the fact that he was confiding in someone, which he never would have done before.
"You're going to have some trying years ahead of you Severus, and I can assure you that you will ask me simular questions in the near future. There is no answer to the question of why he did it, whether it was on his own accord or not, it doesn't really matter. But I wouldn't be too shaken with it, his teenage years will be coming up soon, you'll probably look back and this moment will be nothing compared with what is to come."
***
Remus walked down the dark corridor, the only light source was being mainly blocked as a man sat on the window seal, looking out onto the Hogwarts grounds.
"Sirius." Remus' tone was cold and short, making his anger known.
Sirius turned his head slightly and got a sideway glance at Remus before he turned back and looked out the window.
Remus glared at Sirius before going straight into his lecture mode. "You knew how dangerous it was to take Harry over there-"
"I know I know, I just didn't think anyone would know..." Sirius looked pleadingly at Remus.
"Well the fact that you didn't think is pretty clear here Sirius. I mean Harry could have been harmed, what would you have done if Voldemort had been there? Had attacked? I can't believe you could be so careless!"
Sirius sighed aloud and looked down at his feet.
"I'm sorry Moony, I-"
"Its not me you should be apologising to, its Harry and Severus who you need to apologise to."
"I know, and I will..."
"Oh really, even Severus?"
Sirius looked down at his feet, not replying to Remus' question.
Remus' voice got lower now. "And I can't believe you got Harry to call him Severus in front of you. That is low Sirius, and completely wrong. I know this is hard for you to understand, but Severus cares for Harry, and he is his father. You just need to see them together to know that-"
"I know Moony." Sirius snapped.
"Do you? Tonight's little excursion would suggest otherwise." Remus snapped back, his voice getting louder again.
Sirius sighed again aloud and finally looked up and into Remus' face as he spoke. "I know. I was wrong, I screwed up. It won't happen again. I plan to go apologise to Harry and Snape tomorrow before I..." Sirius trailed off and turned his face back over to the window, looking back out onto the grounds.
"Before you what Sirius?" Remus looked at Sirius in alarm.
And a special thank you to Izzie, who is currently re-writing this fic in French. You're doing a wonderful job! Check her name out to see it.
A Different Life
Chapter 42 - Blow Up
Severus tapped his foot as he waited for Harry to arrive. He had given up a long time ago with trying to make a potion while he waited. He glanced back up at the clock and realised that Harry was now two hours late. Something must have been wrong.
He grabbed his cloak and walked towards the door, manoeuvring the cloak around him as he did. He opened the door and looked down both corridors on either side of him before taking the one that would get him to Gryffindor Tower. There was always the possibility that Harry had just forgotten, or lost track of time.
Severus quickly arrived outside the Gryffindor common rooms and only just managed to get inside before the fat lady could start up a conversation with him.
"Professor Snape." Ron stood up immediately after seeing Severus enter, and then looked behind him as if expecting to see someone, after a couple of seconds of searching he turned his eyes back to Severus. "Is something wrong?"
"I was looking for Harry, is he here?" Severus looked around, glaring at any students that had actually not fled up to their dormitories at the site of him. Most of the older students had stayed, but upon receiving a glare from him, they quickly moved also.
Severus then glared at Hermione, who had put her book down and now stood next to Ron, but she just smiled politely back at him.
"Harry left hours ago to go see you. You mean he didn't turn up?" The colour in Ron's face went pale and a rising worry could be seen in his eyes.
Severus' eyes softened as he looked at Ron, but his face remained blank. "No, he did not."
Ron breathed in harshly, ideas of where Harry could be at that very moment going through his mind. "You don't think- think that-"
"Ron." Hermione cut him off, already knowing what he was going to say. "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation as to where Harry is. Perhaps he met up with Draco on his way down, Slytherin common room is right near where Professor Snape' private rooms are, perhaps Harry just got caught up with him, and lost track of time."
Ron turned his gaze back to Severus. "Have you asked Draco yet Sir?"
"No, I haven't." Severus mentally felt his heart rate start to go back to normal. That was of course a more likely explanation of what could have happened to Harry, but there was still worry etched into his mind. "I'll go see him now. You both stay in this common room." Severus turned around and calmly walked out of the common room, but as soon as the portrait shut he picked up his pace again.
It didn't take him long to reach Slytherin common rooms, and just as he was about to say the password to get him inside he saw Remus heading towards him in the corner of his eye. He thought about ignoring him and just going in to see Draco, but the thought that he may know where Harry was kept him put.
"Lupin, have you seen Harry?"
Remus stopped in front of Severus and looked thoughtfully for a moment. "No, wasn't he meant to be staying with you tonight?"
"Yes, but he didn't show up."
"I'm sure he is probably just with his friends."
"Perhaps." Severus paused, not seeing any reason to mention that both Ron and Hermione weren't with him. He looked out a nearby window and saw that it was getting a lot darker now. "Why are you here Lupin?"
"Oh, well..." Remus looked a bit awkward for a moment, before continuing on. "...Sirius stormed off earlier, and I was looking for him. I haven't been able to find him anywhere though."
Severus rolled his eyes.
"I was just on my way to see you, so I could ask Harry if I might be able to use the map to see if I could find him that way."
Severus closed his eyes and shook his head. Wondering how many times that map slipped his mind in a situation where he really needed it.
"Well, I was just about to go visit Draco Malfoy to see if Harry was with him. You are free to come along. You can ask him straight off if you can have the map then and search for that mutt."
"Severus, his name is Sirius, why not try to use it."
"Maybe when he starts to act like a human being, I'll start to call him by his name, but while he clearly isn't, I'll continue to call him by what he really is." Severus snapped back.
"It's been years Severus. Can't you let it go?"
"Lupin, mind your own bloody business." Severus hissed at him, before saying the password to open the Slytherin common room up.
Severus stepped in and scanned the room, not seeing Draco anywhere. He grabbed the nearest shoulder, which just happened to be a third year and he spun the poor boy around so he was facing him.
"Malfoy. Get him. Now." The shaking third year boy nodded and raced down the stairs at an incredible speed.
Draco came out a couple of minutes later, walking calmly but looking confusedly at Severus.
"Professor's? Is something-"
"Where's Harry?" Severus snapped at him. He had been hoping that Harry would just come up with Draco.
"Harry? I haven't seen Harry since lunch Sir." Draco looked at Remus, but quickly returned his gaze to Severus. "Harry's missing?"
"You don't know where he is now?" Severus persisted, ignoring Draco's question.
"No Sir-"
Severus turned around and stormed out of the common room, leaving Remus to explain what was wrong to Draco. He turned straight in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, and towards the map.
***
Harry and Sirius were laughing uncontrollably while sitting on the ground of Honeydukes, leaning against a bare wall in the back of the shop. Half the reason the were laughing was that they were having a lot of fun, and the other half was more than likely from the lollies that they had just had, and as the slogan goes: 'A sure thing to bring the saddest of people into a good mood'.
"Sirius-" Harry gasped between laughter. "-we're going to pay for all this aren't we?"
"Course we are Harry, but I think it would be best if we perhaps lay off the sweets for now." Sirius pushed the bag away from himself and sighed out loud, closing his eyes and calming down a bit. After a moment he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Harry.
"What is it?" Harry smiled at Sirius.
"What do you know about your father, your real father?"
Harry turned his head so he was looking straight ahead and then proceeded to tell Sirius everything he could remember about James Potter, every story he had heard and every detail.
"How do you know all that?" Sirius asked, generally curious.
"Most of it is from Remus." Harry turned his head back so he was facing Sirius, he could see a few tears had escaped Sirius' eyes.
"He told you all that?"
"Yeah, Severus didn't tell me much about him, but Remus always told me stories. My first present from him was a photo album full of pictures of my parents."
Sirius looked away, his good mood suddenly gone. "Are you happy with him?"
"Who? Remus?" Harry asked, confused.
"No, Snape."
Harry's face lit up. "Yes, he-" He bit his lip and tried to find the right words. "He was the first person that I can remember that was nice to me. He took me in and cared for me. He didn't have to do that, but he did. The first person that I can remember having given me something to care for, my own pet. All mine." Harry shrugged, not knowing how else to explain it. "He's my dad. I know James Potter is my father and I do love him, and I feel like I almost know him from what Remus has told me. But Severus is still my father."
Sirius sighed aloud and turned back to Harry, his eyes focused on something just below Harry's face.
"What's wro-" Harry began but was cut off by Sirius.
"Where did you get that?"
"Get what?" Harry felt around his neck where Sirius seemed to be staring at and felt the cool touch of his necklace. The chain that had belonged to his father.
"Remus gave it to be before I came here to Hogwarts, said it would give me good luck." Harry shrugged and placed it back under his shirt, hidden again.
"I never saw James without it, I got the feeling he even slept with it on." Sirius smiled, his eyes glazed over as he remembered a past moment.
"Yeah, well I lost it before, when Draco and I were lost in the forest, but Severus found it and gave it back to me the other day."
"He doesn't care that it was James'?"
"Why would he?" Harry asked confusedly.
Sirius smiled at him. "Never mind Harry, come on, we should head back before anyone realises you have been gone."
***
"Do you think they noticed us missing?" Harry asked as the started to walk away from the witch statue that they had just come out through.
Sirius looked around as he thought. "I doubt it, it's not that late, and nobody was expecting to meet you anywhere right?"
Harry shook his head, feeling slightly relieved by Sirius' words. Looking back at what they had just done, Harry realised that it could have been quite dangerous.
"Come on then, best get you off to bed."
Harry and Sirius only turned the first corner before they saw a dark figure running towards them.
It was his father. They were dead.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Severus stopped in front of Harry, kneeling down to get a better look at him. He quickly began checking Harry for any obvious injuries.
"I'm fine." Harry mumbled, but his father continued to check over him, taking his arm and seeing if anything was wrong with it. "Really, I'm fine." Harry pulled his arm out of his father's reach.
Severus hugged Harry. "I was so wor-" Severus stopped as he heard something hit the ground, something that had fallen out of Harry's pocket.
Severus pulled away from Harry and picked what had fallen up. It was a packet of sweets.
"Err." Sirius scratched the back of his neck, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Severus stood up as quickly as his face went blank. "Black?" His voice was tinted with anger.
"Hello Snape. If you don't mind, I was just taking Harry back to Gryffindor Tower."
Severus narrowed his eyes and pulled out the map he had had in his pocket. He looked from the map, to the sweets in his other hand, and then to Harry's guilty face. Realisation settling in, he glared angrily at Sirius.
"You took him to Hogsmeade?" Severus' words though said quietly and calmly, the anger he felt was clearly evident not only all over his face, but in his posture.
"The boy deserves some fun-" Sirius snapped at Severus.
"FUN!" Severus took a step closer to Sirius. "Do you call fun having Harry caught, tortured and killed? Because that is what could have happened tonight if Voldemort or any of his followers had caught you."
"And by followers, you mean yourself don't you Snape? You are after all, a Death Eater." Sirius took a step closer to Severus, glaring just as hatefully at him.
Severus snarled at Sirius and putting all his energy that he had left, he swung his fist right into the side of Sirius' head.
Upon impact Sirius fell onto the ground. He struggled to get up, but before he could get anywhere close enough to take a swing back at Severus, Remus appeared out of nowhere, standing in his way.
Sirius glared at Remus, trying to get past him, wanting and needing to hit Severus. But he was unable to get past Remus, he was just too strong.
"Sirius, let it go."
Sirius kept struggling, knowing that it was helpless, there was no way he was going to get past. "You saw what he did."
"Sirius just calm down." Remus said more forcefully, pushing Sirius a bit further away from Severus, who was just staring hatefully at Sirius.
Sirius looked from Remus, to Severus, and then to Harry, who was looking alarmed and scared. He finally stopped struggling, and turned back to glaring hatefully at Severus. He pushed Remus roughly away and growled aloud in frustration, before turning around and leaving before he did something that he more than likely wouldn't regret, but would hate to know that Harry had seen.
***
"Sirius! Severus didn't-" Harry started to yell after Sirius, but quickly shut his mouth and turned to his father, his eyes wide. "That was a- I meant to say-" Harry struggled to get his words out, tripping over himself trying to get it all out. "I'm sorry Da-"
"Just go to bed Harry, we'll talk about this tomorrow." Severus waved Harry off before turning around himself and walking away.
Harry watched as his father walked down the dead looking hallway, feeling his heart sink as he did.
He couldn't help but think that this whole mess was his fault.
***
"It's already starting..."
"What is already starting Severus?" Dumbledore sat in his usual chair in his office, trying to understand the troubled man that was currently pacing in front of him, a cloth full of ice wrapped around his hand.
"He's already gotten attached to him, it hasn't even been that long and they act as though... I don't know." Severus stopped pacing and instead glared at one of the snoozing headmasters that was on the wall above Dumbledore.
"Severus, you're Harry's father; nothing is going to change that."
"You could have fooled me. He's already running off to Black."
"Severus, you have to understand that no matter what, Sirius will be a part in Harry's life. But you will always remain his father."
"What good will that be? He likes being with Black, all I seem to do is yell at him nowadays."
"He needs discipline at his age Severus, and you know as well as I do that that is one thing Sirius will lack in doing for him."
Severus snorted. "I could tell you a lot more that Black lacks in."
"Severus, this has to stop. You both need to put the past behind you, if not for your own sake, then for Harry's."
"He took Harry to Hogsmeade tonight, who knows what could have happened there."
"I know, and I am in no way defending Sirius' actions, but can you really blame him?"
"What do you mean? Of course it's Sirius' fault, he-"
Dumbledore held his hand up to stop Severus from continuing on. "You both have been fighting over Harry's time as though it's a contest between you both to spend the most time with him. I'm surprised the poor boy has time to do his homework and actually turn up to his classes."
"Albus that is still no excuse for taking Harry to Hogsmeade, and not only in this dangerous time, but without telling anyone, and with no protection whatsoever."
"And I never said it was. But perhaps he is not the only one to blame."
Severus sighed aloud and sat down onto one of the many chairs Dumbledore had. He looked pensively around the room for a few minutes before dejectedly admitting that Dumbledore was right. "I suppose not... but he is largely to blame." Severus added, as though that made his agreeing with Dumbledore okay, since he wasn't fully letting Sirius out of the clear.
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded his head and smiled at Severus.
"But why would Harry called me Severus, it's been years since he has called me that. Am I doing something wrong?"
Dumbledore stared at Severus, his smile still remaining in place. He knew he was staring at a completely different person as to what he would have been if Severus had not taken Harry in all those years ago. Not only from the emotions that he was showing now, that before he would have hid, but also from the fact that he was confiding in someone, which he never would have done before.
"You're going to have some trying years ahead of you Severus, and I can assure you that you will ask me simular questions in the near future. There is no answer to the question of why he did it, whether it was on his own accord or not, it doesn't really matter. But I wouldn't be too shaken with it, his teenage years will be coming up soon, you'll probably look back and this moment will be nothing compared with what is to come."
***
Remus walked down the dark corridor, the only light source was being mainly blocked as a man sat on the window seal, looking out onto the Hogwarts grounds.
"Sirius." Remus' tone was cold and short, making his anger known.
Sirius turned his head slightly and got a sideway glance at Remus before he turned back and looked out the window.
Remus glared at Sirius before going straight into his lecture mode. "You knew how dangerous it was to take Harry over there-"
"I know I know, I just didn't think anyone would know..." Sirius looked pleadingly at Remus.
"Well the fact that you didn't think is pretty clear here Sirius. I mean Harry could have been harmed, what would you have done if Voldemort had been there? Had attacked? I can't believe you could be so careless!"
Sirius sighed aloud and looked down at his feet.
"I'm sorry Moony, I-"
"Its not me you should be apologising to, its Harry and Severus who you need to apologise to."
"I know, and I will..."
"Oh really, even Severus?"
Sirius looked down at his feet, not replying to Remus' question.
Remus' voice got lower now. "And I can't believe you got Harry to call him Severus in front of you. That is low Sirius, and completely wrong. I know this is hard for you to understand, but Severus cares for Harry, and he is his father. You just need to see them together to know that-"
"I know Moony." Sirius snapped.
"Do you? Tonight's little excursion would suggest otherwise." Remus snapped back, his voice getting louder again.
Sirius sighed again aloud and finally looked up and into Remus' face as he spoke. "I know. I was wrong, I screwed up. It won't happen again. I plan to go apologise to Harry and Snape tomorrow before I..." Sirius trailed off and turned his face back over to the window, looking back out onto the grounds.
"Before you what Sirius?" Remus looked at Sirius in alarm.