A/N: Wow, thanks for the reviews everyone! I really loved it. And here is another rather emotional chapter (goodness, I hope I'm not getting too soft). Well, let me know what you think of it.
Chapter 5: Serious Conversations With Snape.
After Harry had returned from Heaven he went to brew some potions with Professor Snape. Actually, he only called the man Professor when there were other people around. When it was just the two of them, they would use each other's first names.
Not for the first time, Severus wondered what he had done to deserve to know a boy as kind as Harry. If people would have told him last year, that within a year he would be actually on first name basis with Harry Potter, enjoy it and have a good friendship, he would have shipped them off to St. Mungo's after cursing them into oblivion. But now, he really enjoyed the company, and besides, it was nice to share such a great interest in making and developing potions.
At this moment he could tell Harry was a bit tired, not only physically, but emotionally as well.
Of course, seeing as he had just brought a dying girl to Hogwarts, fulfilled her biggest wish, have her die and bring her spirit to the World of The Spirits, he could understand the reasons for this. So, for now he would just let Harry relieve his stress by working on potions. It worked for him, so why would it not work on Harry as well?
Indeed, after an hour, Harry was relaxed again, and they started up their conversation about all kinds of things.
Severus had discovered that Harry had done a lot of 'growing up,' after he initially went to Heaven, and was now nearing an emotional age of about oh, lets say...as old as himself?
The topics ranged from the Quidditch House teams, potions, the war, Severus' life before the war, their expectations of their lives after the war, etc. Although, Severus must confess, only he had been talking about his expectations for his life after the war, Harry had been rather silent about it.
Tonight Harry was ready to ask him something rather personal, he could just feel it. But since Harry was also an incredibly polite person (yes, even though it had taken Severus a while to see that, he did see it now) Severus knew he was to make an opening for it.
"Well, Harry, the potions are looking good. But you don't seem to be as relaxed as normal when you make potions. Something bothering you?"
He knew it was not as tactfull as a Slytherin is supposed to be, but he also knew that Harry appreciated his frankness above his subtlety. Besides, the boy wasn't one to avoid frankness either.
Harry ruffled his wings for a bit, hopping from one bare foot to the other (for some reason Severus hadn't found out yet, Harry nowadays always walked, or flew, with bare feet.) Then he glanced at Severus, glanced back at the potion, and with a small smile, glanced back to Severus again. Yep, he's definetly nervous Severus thought.
"Weeell, it's just that...you remember the night at the beginning of the year when I told you that you have a soulmate?"
Of course, how could he have forgotten something like that? He wasn't stupid.
"Of course I did not forget that. Why do you mention it though?"
Harry gave him a silly smile and his eyes sparkled a lot more. He reminded Severus eerily of the Headmaster when he was plotting something you wouldn't like.
"It's just that. I was wondering.. Have you noticed anything at all just yet?" The last part was rather rushed out, making it clear to Severus that although he and Harry had made a remarkable progress in their relationship, Harry wasn't always too sure about certain parts of it. This actually made Severus smile a bit. It was good to know he still had something to tease Harry with.
Severus decided to draw this out a bit. He frowned a bit, and turned his face into a scowl.
"And what, pray tell, have you got to do with how I'm feeling?" he growled out. He actually saw Harry tense up.
"Ehm, j-just because I know who your soulmate is, and I would like to know if you're looking in the right direction?" the answer was meekly said.
Inside, Severus was practically laughing his head off, but outwards he kept his mask up, and pretended to be nearly disgusted with Harry asking that question.
"And just exactly why don't you have a relationship of your own?" he practically spat out, although he was rather curious.
Harry tensed up and his face screwed up in pain. Immediatly, Severus felt sorry for saying this.
"Harry, I'm just joking around here, I'm sorry if my question upset you."
Harry relaxed, Severus could tell by the way the wings were folded together again. Those wings intrugued him, they seemed almost to have a life of their own, and the feathers became more golden as weeks past by. He wondered what it meant.
Harry's soft voice interrupted his musings, and his head snapped to attention again.
"It's allright. You just asked a painful question. But I'll tell you, because I see you as my friend Severus, and even though I cannot tell my family, I believe I can tell you."
Now this caught Severus' curiousity. Why in the world did Harry feel as if he could tell him something he couldn't tell his own family?
Seeing Harry struggle to form words, he lead him to his personal chambers, plopped down on the couch, and let Harry gather himself a cloud.
When they were both seated, Severus gave Harry a cup of tea, mixed with some calming draught. He knew Harry knew of it, but since Harry didn't mind, he continued to give the tea if Harry was upset.
Gathering his wits, Harry continued: "Well, when I was in Heaven, I saw glimpses of the past, and of the future. Because there hasn't been a Forgotten for so long, I don't really have the same things as they used to have. You see, the Forgotten ones, they eventually got married and intermixed with humans, either magical or not, but I...well...let's just say that I will never have a child of my own, nor will I ever have a partner of my own. It would kill the person I would want to be with if I so much as say that I loved her. So, you see, I cannot and will not have a partner. I can tell it was rather a bitter blow to take. There I was being all happy to be able to see my parents and Sirius and to help others, and then to discover this."
"I do know that while I'm still alive, there will be another Forgotten one, one which I will train. This Forgotten one will be able to marry and have children again. It's just that, for some reason or another, I have the bad luck to be fatal to love for my own life," he chuckled darkly, but Severus could see the underlying pain.
It didn't take him long to see that Harry, whom he had never seen crying before, had tears dripping from his eyes. In a shaky voice, Harry continued:
"It's just...ever since I was little....I would....I would dream of having my own family, having children of my own, and to treat them better than those Dursley's, and-and..."
"-and now, you see that one dream fly away, becoming unreachable," Severus finished softly for Harry.
Harry nodded, while the tears still came down his face.
Severus stood up and walked over towards Harry's cloud. Hesitantly – because it was something he hadn't done in a long while - his arms circled Harry and he just held Harry until he was finished crying. Severus' blouse was a bit more wet after this.
Collecting himself Harry gave a weak smile. "So, back to my question. Did you notice anything yet?"
Severus snorted, and slowly let go of Harry, and went to sit on the couch again. "Well, I must say that I think it is someone who is in the Order. Everytime we have an Order Meeting, I feel something, but really I don't know for who, or what it is I'm feeling," Severus sighed.
He really wished he could find his soulmate. Hopefully it was someone he was getting along with already. Good thing it wasn't McGonaggell, or Mrs. Weasley, he knew that for sure. But since the Order had gained more new members this last year, he really didn't know which woman could be his soulmate.
Harry's smile had brightened. "Good. At least you're heading in the right direction. But I think you need to have a bit more change, to make it work even better," with that said, he grinned.
That grin scared Severus. That did not look good!
"Just exactly what are you planning?"
"Oh, nothing; nothing you won't like," but the whole attitude Harry was shining off, was predicting very worse fates for Severus.