"How are you feeling?" Hermione said, walking into Harry's room.
"I've been better." he sighed.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"But I knew..."
"So did I..."
"But-"
"I knew deep down, I always knew deep down."
"I'm still sorry." a tear strolled down their cheek, and even though Harry couldn't see it, he sensed it. "Do you remember, then?"
"Not really..."
"Do you want to?"
"No."
"So... then you're happy with the way things are."
"Of course. I've been happy all of these years, the fact that we aren't related isn't going to change that." he gave her a quick smile and then said.
"I don't want to talk to that Snape character."
"Mum says he'll help you..."
"I don't need help, nor do I want it."
"Tell her that."
"You know I can't let her down..."
"Then go along with it, it won't harm you."
"I don't like them."
"Neither do I, but Mum says he's a nice man deep down."
"He hates kids! What's he doing working in a place like this!"
"I'd hardly call you a child."
"There are children here."
"True... well, Mum says that he's doing it for a friend."
"Yes, but... he didn't have to."
"And that's proof that he has a good heart!"
"I still don't like him... everything about him... it's so dark, evil even!"
"Now, now Harry... don't judge someone before you get to know them."
"Hermione..." he said softly.
"Yes?"
"Can I see you?"
"Well, Harry, you already know what I look like."
"I haven't in a long time... please?"
"I suppose."
She moved closer to him and guided his hand to her face. Then he proceeded to 'look' at her. He felt her skin, her bones, she multiple features. He traced her eye brows with the tips of his delicate, soft fingers, and smoothed over her eyelids.
"Still as beautiful as ever." he commented.
"Thanks." she giggled.
"So, I see things are going smoothly hear?" Amelia commented as she walked into the room. Harry smiled.
"Of course, Mum... er... I mean..."
"Please, Harry, still call me Mum. I'm as much your mother as-"
"I know, I'm sorry." he reached his arms out, she calloused into them, embracing the boy who would always be her true son.
"Will you continue to see the doctor?" she asked a few minutes later when they finally let go.
"If you think it's best."
"Oh, I do." she sounded pleadingly. "I really, truly do."
"Then I will."
"Harry, you need to talk to him. And I mean talk not yell."
Harry smiled broadly. "Of course, Mum, of course."
Harry seemed for be thinking for some time, and then he closed his eyes.
"Is this why I haven't been able to live home?"
"We don't have custody of you, Harry."
"Then who does, and why haven't they come to visit me!" the anger rose in his voice.
"Y-your Godfather...but h-he's in jail." there was a pause while Harry took it in.
"A crook!? A bloody crook has custody over me!? And THAT'S why I haven't been able to come home with you guys over all of these years. Don't they know it would have been better for me!"
"Well, that... and, you needed to constantly be looked after when you were younger. And then, when you grew older, it was a home to you."
"You've kept me here on purpose!?"
"No! No, Harry... I would never. It's just... Sirius won't give over custody, and it would cost tons to fight him, and..."
"And what?"
"There's your safety."
"My safety?!"
"The man who murdered your parents, the man who blinded you, is still on the loose, Harry!"
Harry closed his eyes again and laid down. It was all so much to take in. It had been a few day since he had blow up on Snape, but he still wasn't used to it.
"I'm tired." he said. "Tell the doctor I'll see him when he's ready... but now I want to rest."
Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and Amelia did the same on his forehead.
"Goodnight, Harry." they said together, and walked out.
-o-0-
The next day, after school, Harry was sitting in his bed reading, when he heard a knock at the door. He knew it would be Snape. "Come in."
"Harry, look, I just want to say-"
"Save it." Harry said coldly, and then loosened up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. It's just... I knew all along, but having someone say it to me... well, it was a shock."
"You're talkative today." Severus commented.
"Well, Mum says it's the only way to help me."
"I see you're still calling her Mum."
"She's my mother, weather it's biological or not." Harry spat.
"I see..."
"What do you want from me? I don't feel like being interrogated today."
"Then I won't question you. I know that you have no recollection of what happened. We can... play a game or something instead."
"A game?" Harry sat up straighter.
"Yes, or we could simply talk, try to get to know each other. Or I can play for you."
"Play?"
"Music."
"Like what?"
"Well, I play viola, and piano."
"Really?"
"Of course, what'd you expect, that I'd be some dried up old fool?"
"No... well, kind of." Harry laughed.
"I've brought some other things as well." Severus stated, rummaging through his things.
"You said you help children through art. Well, I'm no child, and as you can tell, I'm blind."
"Art come in many forms, Harry. You don't have to see it."
"Oh... well, what do you want to do?"
"It's up to you. You're... mother... just wants you to open up a little. I'm here to help with that first, the truth about your past can wait until later."
"Okay, well... I've always loved music."
Severus smiled, but then he realized Harry couldn't see it, which was probably good. He didn't like showing off his happier side, even to the children he had to look after.
"Well then, shall it be viola or piano?"
"Your pick."
"This is about you Harry."
"Surprise me."
"Do you trust me to guide you somewhere?"
"I know this place like the back of my hand. Tell me where we're going and I can get there myself." Harry said bitterly.
"Fine, we're going to the lounge."
Harry stood and elegantly walked out of the room, down the hall way, and into a very fancy, beautiful dining hall. Severus followed him the whole way, and watched as the boy walked right over to the piano, and sat on it's bench.
"You're a smart boy."
"It's obvious, it's the only piano in the whole building, and you wouldn't need to leave the room to play the viola." Harry said, caressing the side of the black baby grand.
Severus walked over and sat next to him, being careful not to touch the other. Harry leaned in close to him and whispered, "Are there others in the room?"
"No." Severus said with some confusion.
Harry leaned out and rested his hands in his lap.
"Good." he said a little more loudly. "Play for me."
"Very well."
Snape started out with a few scales to warm his fingers up, and then racked his memory for a happy song that would cheer Harry up. Happy? Who was he trying to kid...he didn't know any of those! Well, he'd have to make one up. He'd taken a few Music Theory classes in high school and college, he knew the happier chords. He quickly came up with a melody and-
"Well, get on with it!" Harry said impatiently.
Snape growled, and tried to keep his cool. He played a few opening chords, and hesitantly played out the melody in a few different octaves. Along the way, he came up with a harmony, and a counter-melody. He ended a few minutes later for a nice whole-tone scale, and a finishing chord.
"That was nice." Harry commented.
"Thanks."
"Even if you did just make it up."
"Y-you could tell?"
"It was a bit... play by play." Harry laughed.
"Well, I tried my best. I didn't want you to depress you with all of the music I know."
"I still liked it."
Severus noticed a slight smile for a split second on Harry's lips.
"I think I'd like to talk now." Harry said, and stood up, motioning for Severus to follow him to the sofa that was on the other side of the lounge.
"About what?" Severus asked. He sat facing the younger man, and looked at him intently.
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, I think it better that you get to know me, actually, you need to trust me to be able to receive help."
"My Mum trusts you, does she not?"
"I suppose..." Severus said unsurely.
"Then I trust you... in the least, but it's still there."
"Then, might I get to know you?"
"Shoot."
Severus thought for a minute. There were so many questions swarming in his head. So much he wanted to know about this mysterious boy. Why did he care so much? He didn't care... well, of course he did...but that was his job! Harry was just such a...mystery. Severus didn't like mysteries! He was one who liked to solve them. Therefore, he decided getting to know everything he could about the boy would help.
"I have an idea. I'll ask a question, you answer it...and then I'll answer the same question. And then you ask a question, and I'll and answer it, and then you will...and so on."
"Sounds like fun."
Severus liked this technique...he liked to get to know his patients, even if they were bratty, spoiled teenagers. Spoiled? ...he didn't mean that one. How could Harry be spoiled? His parents were murdered, his relatives didn't want him, his Godfather was in jail, he was blind and hunted... no, he wasn't spoiled.
"Okay, so, Harry... what's your favorite type of book? I know you read a lot."
"I like to read about... well, don't pick fun at it, but I like to read romance novels!"
Severus held back a laugh.
"Now you answer it."
"I enjoy books that will broaden my mind... intellectual books."
"That sounds boring..."
"That's your opinion. Now it's your turn to ask."
"What's your favorite type of music?"
"Classical, Baroque even. I only listen to instrumental music, and usually only if it's in the Devil's interval or chords... unless it's in Church modes of course..." he drowned out, when he realized that Harry had no clue what he was talking about.
"I like instrumental music too... but modern. I listen to a lot of soundtracks."
"John Williams?"
"How'd you know?"
"I saw some of your CDs near your bed... he's a brilliant man. What's your favorite movie soundtrack by him?"
"I like the Star Wars soundtracks."
"Really? I wasn't expecting that. Some of the songs are... well, on the more depressing side."
"Yes, but not all of them, and besides, if Darthvader was after you, you'd be hearing some depressing songs too!" Harry let out a genuine laugh. "And yourself?"
"Same... some of his best works... although, I'd have to say that 'Hymn to the Fallen' off of the Saving Privet Ryan soundtrack is also golden."
"Do you like war?"
"I... am... a veteran." Severus put it simply.
"Of what war?"
"...the one that gave you that scar." Severus whispered, and watched as Harry lifted his hand and traced his lightening bolt shaped scar with his fingertips.
"...for what side?" Harry said in a quiet, panicked voice.
"If you are afraid that I am an evil person, Harry... I most certainly am not. That's all you need to know."
"What's your favorite color?" Harry asked, continuing the game, and changing the subject.
"Black... most surly, black." Severus said and then frowned. "You can not answer that question back."
"Well sure I can... green."
"Green?"
"I may not remember seeing it... but I know I have before... and everyone always compliments on my eyes... how green they are, how beautiful they are. I'm sure green must be an excellent color." Harry smiled.
"Green... well, yes, your eyes are very prominent." he took a moment to admire their beauty, and then mentally slapped himself.
"What's black like?"
"It's...well..." Severus thought for a moment. "It's what you see all of the time."
"Oh, really? I like black then."
"I would think that you wouldn't like it." Severus noted.
"It's what I'm used to, why wouldn't I like that?"
"Point taken. Would you like to go back to your room now? It's almost time for your dinner."
"Will you stay and eat with me?"
"W-what? Well, if that's what you'd like, sure, thank you."
Harry smiled and lead the way back. "Hermione has a book club meeting at her school, that's why I asked you to stay. She usually eats with me... but she'll be missing the usual dinner time tonight." Harry explain, sensing Severus' confusion.
Severus used Harry's phone to call the kitchen's and requested to have his own dinner delivered to Harry's quarters.
They sat in silence until the food arrived, and Harry slowly ate.
"No meat, I see." Severus noted.
"You don't have any either, I can't smell any."
"You're a smart boy... yes, well... after the war, well... I've seen too much blood in my days, I don't want blood on my hands anymore... death and corpses of anytime are not to my fancy. Dead animals included..." he let out a small nervous chuckle.
"Yes..." Harry drifted off in his own thoughts. "I was raised this way... well, since the Granger's found me anyway."
"Do you like being a vegetarian?"
"Vegan." Harry corrected. "It's not so bad. It's what I'm used to."
"Aren't you tired of being used to things?"
"I don't like change."
"You changed for me."
"What do you mean?" Harry stopped eating and turned towards the direction Severus' voice was coming from.
"You talk to me. I know you don't like to talk to people."
"My Mum trusts you, so I do."
"As you said... as you said."
They ate the rest in silence and then Severus played Harry a quick song on his Viola before departing. They were making progress, and that's all that mattered.
Amelia smiled as she saw Doctor Snape exit her son's room with the beginnings of a smile on his face. She was doing the right thing... for once.
!$!$! Yay! Chapter two... I'm proud of this story for some reason... I hope I cleared a few things up... thanks for reading! Oh, and that story was called "Canon in D" not "Cantata in D" sorry! lol I got my musical terms mixed up... Review!!! Love, Ambz !$!$!