Knocking on the door woke Severus from his comfortable slumber. He groaned as he slid out of bed. "Coming, I'm coming..." Stumbling across the room, he stretched and opened the door, ready to yell at who ever had woken him up. "What do you want?"
Minerva stood outside the door. "Hello, Severus." She smiled half heartedly. "Lovely day out."
"Lovely? What the hell are you talking about?" Severus yawned. He gave Minerva a dirty look as she smiled at him.
"Late night?" She asked.
Severus was about to answer when it hit him. Harry Potter was sleeping in his room. Severus whipped around and raced to his bed, slamming the door in a very confused Minerva's face.
He looked at the bed, no one. Great, he's gone....WAIT! A note, yes! Severus picked up the small note, smiling slightly at the familiarly messy scrawl.
'Severus,
I don't want to come back just yet, I'm gonna think about it. I went back to the bar. I'll be there if you have anything else you want to add to your defense, that's where I'll be.
Yours truly,
Harry
Ps. if you're gonna talk to me, please call me Severus in public. My friends and stuff wouldn't understand if you called me potter. '
Severus read, and re-read the note. He heaved a sigh of relief as it clicked that Harry was still undecided. Knocking on the door brought him back to Earth.
"Severus Snape! You open this door RIGHT now." Minerva's muffled voice called from behind the door. That was followed by more voices shouting. "Shut up you damn woman!"
Severus smirked as he folded the note in half and walked back to the door. "What is it that you want anyway?"
"Albus wants talk to you, about what, I don't know." Minerva stated.
"And you needed to tell me in person....WHY?" Severus growled.
Minerva smiled. "Oh, well, I had some shopping to do here. And since you usually sleep here on the holidays...I stopped by."
Severus grumbled under his breath, rubbing his temples as he did so.
Minerva looked curiously at the note in his hand. "Oh....what's this?" She grabbed the note out of Severus' hands.
"Hey! Give that back." Death glare, full force.
She unfolded the note, reading it quickly. She looked up at Severus, shocked. "Does this mean what I think it means?"
"Minerva, please, come in." Severus sighed, anger forgotten, for now.
"Why does this note say...Harry...Potter?" Minerva asked. "Is this some sick joke?"
Severus closed the door behind Minerva as she walked in and sat down in one of the chairs. She stared at Severus. "Severus?"
Severus sat down across from here, as he had done just last night with Harry. I am doing this whole 'talking' thing WAY too much. "It's real. I found him last night, he's alive and well."
Minerva stood. "Well! What are you waiting for? Let's go get him!"
Severus stood, walked to his wardrobe and took out his wand. "I'm sorry, Minerva...But if he left and didn't come back, I think he deserves to decide what he wants."
Minerva looked at the wand in Severus' hand. "Severus...Please...don't."
"I'm sorry, but you can't know just yet. If he comes back, I'll tell you, but if he doesn't want to...well, you can't know." Severus said as he raised his wand. "Obliviate."
Minerva's face went blank. She stood like that for a few minutes, the note in her hand forgotten. Severus went and got changed, grabbing the note as he went, while Minerva's mind recovered. "So, you ready?"
"Wha-What?" Minerva asked as she shook her head.
"We're going to Diagon Alley, you need to pick up a few things, as do I." Severus said as he put away his pj's. The ones Harry had worn last night, were neatly folded on top. Severus smiled inwardly. "Ready?"
Minerva smiled and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
Severus followed her as they walked out of his room, he locked the door quickly behind them.
"So, how was Mr. Rich guy?" Cherry asked as she and Harry sat at a table having breakfast.
"Well, I didn't sleep with him." Harry said as he examined his sandwich. "We played chess and...talked."
"Really?" Cherry asked, looking unconvinced. "And did you find out his name?"
"Yeah...kinda..." Harry trailed off.
"Well? Severus! DETAILS!" Cherry laughed.
"Well, we talked...about the past. He was once my professor at school..." Harry admitted to her.
Cherry nodded. "Ah, a bygone. Well, what's he like?"
"What I thought of him then," Harry said philosophically. "and what he really is like, now...are two different things."
"Huh." Cherry said. "Oh, hey. I think John over there is looking for you."
Harry looked up to see a young tanned guy walking towards them. "Hey, Sev'rus." Harry smiled at him and stood.
"Hey, sup?"
The man smiled and leaned on Harry, holding out a fifty. "Not much, you?"
"Oh, per ush." Harry smiled as he lead the guy away.
"If I am not mistaken, Severus," Minerva said in an amused way. "You have just bought four books, that, I know you already have. You also have just picked up a Quidditch book, okay. Where's the real Severus?"
"I'm buying these for a friend. Okay?" Severus growled as he walked up to the cashier.
"Oh, a 'Friend'." Minerva smiled mischievously. "Same one who gave you that note?"
Severus' face paled as he stiffened. "N-no."
"Oh, just wondering. Because, you keep glancing at it, just before you pick up a book." Minerva smiled.
Severus had reached the counter, ignoring Minerva. The cashier smiled as he stacked the books. "That'll be twelve galleons, and four sickles."
Severus handed the woman the amount and waited for his books to be placed in a bag before taking the bag and walking off. "Well, Someone hit a nerve."
"Minerva, go away." Severus sneered as he walked up to one of the Floo fires. "Well, I must be off. Good day."
"Hedwig..." Severus looked down at the heart broken owl. Her feathers weren't silky and almost no longer white. "I need you to take this to Harry Potter." The owl lifted her head weakly. She looked at him with awe and suspicion. "You will find him in muggle London," Severus lowered his voice, so that only Hedwig could hear it. "in a bar, called The Bottom of the Bottle. take this to him." Severus held out the bag. He'd removed all but one of the books, Potions for the Master, and a small note:
'H.P.,
I heard that you like to read, so here's something new for you. Your owl hasn't been too well lately, and I thought she could use a picker-upper. When are you free? I need to speak to you about some things.
-S.S. '
Hedwig looked at the bag, holding out her leg. Severus was about to let her take it, then thought better of it. "You should take a school owl with you..." He paused, don't want to insult her. "So that Harry can send back his reply, and you can stay with him." Hedwig nodded and excepted the note. Almost on cue, a brown school owl flew down and took the book, taking off with Hedwig.
Severus sighed and headed back down towards the headmaster's office.
"Severus, you be careful with this guy." Cherry warned. "Don't give me that look. I know you've been thinking of him all day. Don't let it get to you."
Harry smiled, Cherry always knew exactly what was on his mind. "Yeah, it's just...he gave me a lot to think about. My family...of sorts, they're looking for me...well, they were..."
Cherry sat down next to him. "I suspect that there is a good reason why you never talk about your past....but Sev, you can't run away from everything, it'll always come back."
"You know, you should have a better life than this, Cherry. You're too smart." Harry smiled.
"Yeah, but I like this life." Cherry stared off in the distance. "What's that?"
Harry looked where she was pointing. A large white owl was leaning against the bar's glass window, tapping the glass with it's beak. Another owl, brown, sat near by, holding a brown paper bag in it's foot. Harry stood up as he recognized the owl. He opened the door hurriedly, sweeping the white owl into a hug. "HEDWIG!"
Cherry looked confused. "Severus Harold Snape! You put that thing down! it could have rabies!"
Harry smiled as he let Hedwig climb up onto his shoulder, the brown owl followed suit and sat on his out stretched arm. Hedwig nuzzled Harry's neck and held out the note. The brown one, a school owl, Harry noted, held out the bag.
Harry sat down and ordered some water for the two owls as he read the note, Cherry completely forgotten. "Hedwig, it's so good to see you!" Hedwig ruffled her feathers looking pleased with herself. "It's been a while..."
Cherry stamped her foot. "Severus! Pay attention!" Harry looked at her as if he'd just noticed that she was there.
"Oh, sorry, Cherry." Harry blushed. Hedwig looked at the woman smugly. "This is Hedwig, Hedwig, Cherry."
Hedwig nodded her head in greeting. Cherry glared at Harry. "Sev, it's a wild animal!" Hedwig's eyes narrowed at this. "It could have diseases!"
"Hedwig does not have any diseases. She's a little ruffled, that's all. A few days rest and food will take care of that." Harry said indignantly.
Cherry sat down next to Harry, glaring at the owls, who glared back. "Well, then, if they don't have rabies....Take the package, or I will." She reached out to take the bag, but the owl snapped its beak at her. "Or not..."
Harry laughed. "Cherry, you got a pen?"
Cherry rummaged around in her purse, pulling out a large, flourished, fuzzy pen. "Here."
Harry looked at the pen distastefully as he took it, gingerly placing the tip down on the back of the note.
'S.S.,
I'm free tomorrow, meet me at the bar. I'll be here at around 8. '
Harry turned to the bag and opened it, pulling out a large, old looking book. He gasped.
"Well, now." Cherry said sarcastically. "that's what I'd call 'air mail'."
Harry picked up the book, gently running his fingers across the gilded lettering. He smiled. Thank you, Severus. Harry put the book back in the bag, taking up the pen again to finish his note.
'Thank you so very much for the book, I love it. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully.
-H.P. '
Harry folded the note and held it out for the brown, school owl to take. He instructed it to 'take this back to the person who sent it to me'. Hedwig cooed softly as she hopped down to the table, sipping some water.
"Well, girl, why don't you and I go back to my place?" Hedwig's eyes smiled. Harry stood, looking to Cherry. "If Greg comes by, tell him I didn't feel well or something." Cherry looked like she was going to protest. "Thank you SO much, Cherry, I owe you one."
"You owe me a LOT more than just one." Cherry grumbled.
Harry smiled as he walked into the back of the bar, holding Hedwig on his arm.
"You wanted to speak to me, Albus?" Severus asked casually as he poked his head into the office.
The headmaster nodded, his eyes twinkling, but somehow, seemed dead as if the light was only an illusion of a wistful mind. I'll be able to change that...maybe... "Yes,"
Severus stepped gracefully into the room, glaring at all the portraits and pictures. "What about?"
"Harry..." The headmaster said sadly. "I think it's time we gave up hope...It's been nearly seven years." Severus opened his mouth to protest. Dumbledore raised a silencing hand. "Seven years of hope, that slowly faded, until there were just a few who believe." The man before Severus, who normally only looked old, now seemed...ancient, worn and tired. "We've decided to hold a ceremony for Harry, to officialize his death. We can not hold out much longer, we've waited, on your order, for long enough."
"So that's it?!?!" Severus roared. "You're just going to give up? What if he's still alive? What about Harry?" His voice failed as he asked the last question, so it was barely a strained whisper. The pain shone through Severus' eyes, causing Dumbledore to turn away in shame. "What if...?"
"But, Severus, my child...." Dumbledore paused, choosing his words very carefully. "That's all it is...just what if's, nothing else. There have been no new leads, nothing..."
"Yes, there has been a new lead." Severus growled.
Dumbledore looked at him. "You are hopeless....Who's this new lead from?"
"Me." Severus snarled as he stood briskly and walked out of the door, headed for the edge of the apparition limit. Dumbledore looked confused.
"You?"
Oh hey, author person here. Anyway, I thank you all for the reviews, long and short, they all mean a lot. Kinda weird, I never thought this story would be that good, as i thought of it while making tea....weird I know, don't ask. anywhoo, yeah, R&R.