Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or other characters/places.

Chapter 33 twenty questions

Severus opened the door to his classroom and took a seat while he waited for Harry to report for detention. Last night didn't quite go as planned. Severus went more with his instincts than following his plan. He hadn't expected Potter to lose control like that. The boy had been doing surprisingly well controlling his temper. He had even managed to keep his control of his emotions when Draco was insulting him and his friends.

The boy didn't listen. How was he suppose to proceed to the next state of his plan if the boy didn't even listen! Somehow tonight, he had to find a way to get the plan back on track.

Of course, one thing came out of last night, Snape smirked. He learned one more thing about the-boy-who-lived. Potter did not like it when others controlled his life. Not that Snape could blame him for that. He himself didn't like it much either. The boy however, seemed to positively hate it. Snape smirked as he filed that thought away for future reference.

"Sir?" Harry said as he opened the door.

"Mr. Potter. Glad you could make it. Have a seat."

Harry walked forward until he stood in front of the Snape's desk.

"Sir, I would like to apologize for losing my temper last evening. It was wrong of me to react like that to your words. I'm sorry that I wasn't paying enough attention to everything that you were saying. Instead I focused on a small aspect of it. I apologize."

Severus looked at the student in front of him. Apparently he had shared last nights events with Granger. That speech had the smartest Gryffindor written all over it.

Severus inclined his head in recognition of his student's apology, but didn't say a word.

"Sir? I was thinking about what you said yesterday, before I lost my temper, and I was wondering exactly what you meant by it."

"Unlike some people, Potter, I mean exactly what I say. I will not brew the potion at this time."

"Yes, sir, I understand that. But I was wondering if you had an idea of when you would be willing to brew this potion."

"Indeed I have Potter-"

"Harry."

"What?" Snape snarled, startled by they boy's interruption.

"My name is Harry. I would like you to use it."

"Perhaps not the best idea you've had, Potter." Snape sneered. "Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I think we should wait before we brew the potion. Use this time to get to know one another better."

"But-"

"Think, Potter. Waiting will not change the outcome of the potion, but if by chance, you are correct in your suspicions, then this time could be most beneficial to our future relationship."

Harry deciphered through Snape's words. "Okay, I can see that. I'll agree to wait. Now, how will we get to know one another better?"

"The usual way, Potter, by talking."

Harry's face turned red as he replied, "I meant, how? I can hardly meet you for dinner like I do with Remus every week."

"We'll talk in detention, of course, similar to what we are doing now."

"Oh."

"However, you must know that nothing can appear to be different regarding our daily interactions with one another."

"Huh?"

Snape sighed, the boys lack of comprehension further proof that Harry was not his child. "Nobody can know or suspect that we are capable of being civil to one another. That these detentions are being used as times for us to learn more about one another. Outside of these detentions, you are still the Golden Gryffindor, and as such will be treated with contempt by me."

"I get it, like acting."

"Yes, Potter, exactly like acting." Snape smirked, knowingly.

"And I'll profess to hate those detentions and the greasy-git who assigned them." Harry turned red once he realized what he just said. "Um, I mean-"

Snape smiled at the boy's discomfort. Oh, how he would love to rebuke Potter for that remark. "No need to apologize, this time. Further proof that I am playing my role well."

Harry looked at his professor and gave a brief smile.

"So," Harry said a few minutes later. "How do we get to know one another better? I mean, what should we talk about? What should we do?"

"I was thinking that part of our evenings could be spent by you doing your homework and myself grading papers. Some evenings you can assist me in the labs, maybe you will even improve your potions skills."

Harry smiled at his professor's attempt at an insult. If he wasn't mistaken, he believed that his professor described him as 'quite talented when it comes to potions' when he talked with the headmaster last summer. At least now Harry knows where that talent came from.

"However, since you do not have any books with you and it is too late to start a potion, I am open to suggestions on this evening's activity."

Harry thought for a moment, glad that his professor-his father?-asked his opinion. "Um, well, there is a lot I would like to know about you, and there are probably some things that you are curious about regarding me, as well."

Severus raised an eyebrow and looked at the boy.

"My cousin used to play this game with his gang, it's called twenty questions. Umm, I'm not really sure how to play it, but we can do something like that, just ask each other questions about things we want to know. But we need to be honest about the answers." Harry rambled, before looking at Snape to get his reaction to his suggestion.

Sounds rather boring, Snape thought, not really able to think of anything else he wanted to know about Potter. "Fine, we'll give it a try. Go ahead."

"Er, favorite color?" Harry tentatively asked. "Other than black," Harry added when Snape just elevated his eyebrow again and stared at Harry.

"Slytherin green, of course."

Harry nodded and looked at Snape, waiting.

"Yours?" Severus asked, once he realized what the boy was waiting for.

"Not sure. Used to be green, like my eyes since that was the only thing I thought that I inherited from my mom, er, Lily. Don't really know now. Maybe orange since it isn't associated with any particular house."

Snape nodded and said, "very diplomatic, Mr. Potter."

"What's your favorite food?"

"And this information will help you get to know me?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but it's better than silence or talking about the weather."

"That's debatable," Severus said dryly. "Okay, for food, honestly, don't know, probably roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. You?"

"Are you just going to repeat the questions I ask?" Harry complained.

"Quite possible, so you might want to be careful about what you ask."

Harry gave an annoyed grunt. "My favorite food is pizza. I only actually had it once, but it was great." Even cold and three days old, Harry thought. Of course, he was so hungry by then that anything would have tasted great.

"Pizza?"

"A muggle thing. It's a flat round piece of bread dough topped with a tomato sauce and cheese, cooked until the cheese is melted. And you can put almost anything on it, pepperoni, sliced ham, sausage, vegetables, or even pineapples."

"Sounds appetizing. Next question?"

"Why don't you ask first this time?" Harry offered.

"Fine. Your favorite academic subject in school?"

"DADA, when we have a decent professor that is."

Harry groaned as he realized that he couldn't ask Snape's question back at him. He sat there silently, trying to think of a question for Snape.

"Why don't you ask the same question back?" Snape smirked.

"Why bother? I figure your answer would probably be potions, though it might be DADA if the rumors are true."

Snape groaned. Not those blasted rumors again.

Hearing the small groan, Harry grinned mischievously and asked, "Do you want the DADA job?"

Snape glared at Harry before finally replying, "Not particularly, though I haven't wanted any of the previous unworthy professors for the job either."

"Why not?" Harry asked, seething, since he was sure that Snape included Moony in that group of unworthy professors.

"Uh-uh," Snape smirked, "You already asked your question for this turn."

"Oh, come on," Harry whined, "It's part of the same question."

"Maybe so, but you didn't ask it at the same time. No revisions.

"Hmm, now, I believe it's my turn…" Snape pondered a moment before copying Harry's mischievous grin and asking, "What do you really think of Mr. Weasley?"

"Hey! That's not fair! You're supposed to ask questions about me, not my friends!"

"It is a question about you. I'm asking about your thoughts, opinions and perceptions of Mr. Weasley, now if you please?"

Harry looked at Snape and smirked, "Which Mr. Weasley? I mean, there are so many of them. Maybe I'll just give my opinion of one of them and won't tell you which one. Or I could give you my combined opinion of all the Weasley males that I know.

"Uh-uh, no revisions." Harry said as Snape went to comment. "Now, the many Mr. Weasley's. Hmm, hmm, I would have to say, hardworking…dedicated to his family…supportive…interesting hobbies…interesting job…obviously quite intelligent…"

"Enough." Snape growled. "From your comments I gather that you aren't talking about any of the Weasley's that you went to school with."

Harry shrugged while grinning inwardly, glad to beat Snape at his own game. "Okay, so why didn't you want any of the previous professors to get the job and how did the rumors start that you wanted it?"

"Is there a penalty in this game for asking two questions in one turn?"

Harry shrugged again, "I don't know. I told you that I really don't know how to play this game. Besides, the questions are related."

Snape snorted, "If you use that measuring tape, then you could ask all twenty questions in one turn, since they are all related…But, as it happens the two questions tie in well together, so just this once, I will answer both.

"I would think that you, of all people would understand why I didn't want any of the last five professors to get the job. Most of them didn't have the skills or qualifications at all. And the one that might have was a werewolf.

"The rumors started almost ten years ago. Quirrell took a some time off to work in the field and gain some experience. The headmaster was having a difficult time finding a temporary qualified replacement instruction. The two of us were discussing the lack of skilled applicants when Albus mentioned that my background and knowledge of the Dark Arts would make me a perfect candidate for teaching others how to defend against them. He asked if it was something I was interested in, even on a temporary basis, or part-time by instructing the NEWT level students. I, however, had no interest in leaving my dungeons, especially to teach such a dangerous subject to those dunderheads. I also suspected that neither the ministry nor the parents would approve of a former Death Eater teaching DADA. At one point during our conversation, Albus tried to used my own arguments against, what muggles refer to as reverse psychology, I believe. It was this portion of the conversation that the students heard and used to spread those rumors."

"Oh," Harry said, wondering what happened to those students. He suspected that Snape didn't let them get off with a just few detentions.

Snape went silent as he thought about what to ask next. Merlin knows that he doesn't want to learn any more personal information about this student. He also didn't want to revise his former question and ask Potter what he thought of Mr. Ronald Weasley, that would like admitting that Potter had outsmarted him. No, he needed something else. If only he could think of something to ask that would get the boy in trouble or embarrass him.

Snape smiled as he asked, "Why did you steal bicorn horn and boomslang skin from my private stores your second year?"

Harry paled, both at Snape's frightening smile and at his question, before he remembered that he only needed to answer the question honeslty. "I didn't."

"Come now, Mr. Potter. I know you were responsible for the missing ingredients."

Harry looked Snape straight in the eye and repeated, "I did not take those ingredients from your private stores."

"Fine." Snape sulked, knowing that he would ask a revised version of the question next round. "Your question."

Thinking of Snape's earlier answer, Harry asked, "What's the difference between a former Death Eater teaching DADA vs. a former Death Eater teaching potions?"

Snape glared at Harry as he answered, "I am potions master. With all the extensive training that goes with that. However, the only reason I am qualified, and make no mistake, I am qualified, to teach DADA, is my personal and questionable background. More specifically, the time I spent as a servant to the Dark Lord."

"So, tell me, Mr. Potter, who did take those ingredients and why?"

"That's two questions!" Harry yelled, hoping to distract his professor.

"Nonsense. This is one question with two parts. You, however, asked two distinctly separate questions earlier, which I answered. Now quit stalling and answer."

"Will you promise me that no one will get into trouble?"

"Why should I promise that?"

"It was four years ago!"

"So? Actions have consequences, regardless of how much time passes."

"But you aren't finding out the answers as a professor, but as a father! It's not fair that someone could get into trouble because of that!" Harry said, trying to keep control of his anger. He didn't want his friends to get into trouble because he suggested this stupid game.

Snape looked at the boy in front of him. Potter did have a point. Besides, he wasn't here to get the kid's friends into trouble, but to teach him a lesson. "Fine. No one will get into trouble." He grudgingly agreed.

"Hermione took the ingredients." At Snape's shocked look, Harry continued, "We knew that if myself or Ron was caught, you would immediately have us expelled. Hermione, however, would probably just lose points or get a detention."

Granger. He never would have guessed that. The boy was right about how he would have reacted if either of the male members of the golden trio were caught stealing. Apparently they, or more specifically, Miss Granger, did have a good head on their shoulders. "Why?"

"What?" Harry asked, forgetting the second half of the question. "Oh, we made polyjuice over the holiday break to disguise ourselves to see if Malfoy was, or knew who was, the heir of Slytherin."

"And did you?"

"We made it into the common room, but soon realized that Malfoy wasn't him, nor did he know who was. Only that he couldn't believe that the rest of the school thought that it might be me.

"Hey! That was another question."

"So?" Snape smirked, "You didn't have to answer it. You did so willingly."

"Fine." Harry sulked. "Here's a question for you then, "Why do you call him the Dark Lord instead of Voldemort?"

"Not because I fear him or respect him. Although I do fear what he is capable of doing, since he has no conscience. No. I call him the Dark Lord for the same reason that I will continue to call you 'Mr. Potter' and not Harry."

Harry paled, great, he thought, something else he had in common with Voldemort.

"It would not do for me to lose sight of the role I play. Calling him Voldemort in a meeting is guaranteed way not to leave that meeting alive. Likewise, addressing you as Harry with Slytherins around would be another way to sign my death certificate."

Harry paled as he realized the precarious position that his professor was in. Merlin, he thought, no wonder why Snape didn't want to know the truth. Even if they discovered that they were father and son, nothing would really change. Nothing could change, at least, not until Voldemort was gone for good.

"I guess I never really thought about it like that. I'm sorry, sir, and I will do my best to make sure that nothing is revealed. All I kept thinking about was how this effected me. I never really gave much thought to you, or Voldemort, or this war, except for the impact it might have on the prophecy, of course. I understand why you won't call me Harry and I won't ask again. Merlin knows I don't want anything to happen to you"

Snape was shocked at the heartfelt words he heard from the student sitting across from him. Never before had he had someone who tried to understand his position, somewhere who cared about that position, or his life. He looked around the room, unable to meet the child's eyes. "Yes, well, it's getting late. You should probably return to your dorm now."

"But, sir," Harry protested, "we still have more questions to ask."

"Since you don't know the rules, I'm sure we can make up our own, including that the 'game' dos not have to conclude all in one night. Now, back to the tower before I deduct points."

"Yes, sir." Harry replied as he stood up and walked out the door, after one last lingering look at his professor.

"Merlin! How could I be so selfish!" Harry mumbled as he stepped into the Gryffindor common room.

"What was that, Harry?"

Harry looked up to see Neville sitting in the chair closest to the portrait door. "Oh, nothing, Neville, just complaining about my detention."

"Oi, Harry, you're back. How did it go?" Ron called from the far corner of the room

"Apparently, not well," Neville answered, "He walked in here mumbling about it."

"Oh." Ron said, not sure what to say with Neville still in the room. "Harry, have you finished your DADA homework yet? I could use some help on mine, if you have some time."

"Yeah, sure, Ron." Harry said as he walked over to chairs in the corner where Ron and Hermione were sitting, Ron's books, sprawled out in front of her.

"So, what is the problem with the homework?"

"Merlin, mate, do you really think I called you over here for homework? I just wanted to see how it went tonight, you don't look that happy."

Harry quickly put up the silencing and privacy charms around the three of them before replying, "I'm not happy. How could I be so stupid? This is never going to work."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I mean, that this might end up killing him! All I've thought about was how this was effecting me! I never gave a thought to what might happen if someone else finds out. One of his Slytherins or a Death Eater. If that happens, Voldemort would probably either kill him outright, or use him to get to me."

Ron and Hermione paled. "I can't believe I never thought of that. I was just so happy that you might have finally found out who your father was, that I didn't think of it."

"Oi, mate, this is bad. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I mean, I can't just give up now, can I? I'm so close to finding out the truth."

"So he agreed to the potion, then?" Hermione asked.

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" Ron echoed, before being hushed by Hermione.

"He said he wants us to get to know one another better first. So I'll continue having detentions with him." Harry explained the plan Snape outlined regarding the detentions.

"So what did you do tonight?"

"We got to know each other better by playing twenty questions."

"Harry? How did that help? In twenty questions, one of you is suppose to think of an object and the other is suppose to ask yes or no questions trying to guess what that item is. The have twenty questions to ask, hence the name."

"Oh! So, that's how you play. I wasn't sure, we just asked each other questions about things we wanted to know about the other."

"And he answered?" Ron asked numbly. "He didn't deduct points or lie to you about it?"

"No, Ron. He wouldn't do that. Although I did have to get him to promise not to get Hermione in trouble."

"Me! Why would I get in trouble?"

"He asked me who took the bicorn horn and boomslang skin our second year."

"You told!" Ron exclaimed.

"He promised? Why? What did you say to him to make him promise that? I mean, I would think his whole point in asking that question would be to get you or one of us in trouble."

"I said that it wasn't fair that you guys got in trouble for something he was finding out as a father and not as a professor. He reluctantly agreed, so I told him."

"Merlin, I think he's gone soft." Ron mumbled.

"Oh, I doubt that," Hermione said, her brown eyes twinkling, not unlike the headmasters. "I just think that he's learning to put his priorities straight."

"Who knows?" said Harry. "I gave up trying to figure him out long ago, and even though he might be my father, I still don't think I'll be able to figure that man out."

"So, mate, what else did you find out about him? Anything good?"

"Ron! That information is between him and Professor Snape. I am more concerned about what Harry meant earlier." At the blank stare from Ron and Harry, she continued, "About getting him killed and this not working?"

"Oh! Well, it's just that I don't want to lose anyone else. Nor do I want to be responsible for someone else dying. Especially someone close to me. I mean, Cybelle's death wasn't my fault, at least, not that I know of. Lily's and James' however, well, they died because Voldemort was after me! If they had let everyone know that I was adopted, then they would've been fine, but since they kept that secret, it made me a prime candidate under the prophecy."

"Uh, mate? What are talking about?"

Bullocks! Harry thought. He completely forgot that Ron wasn't aware of the prophecy. Harry gave a quick glance at Hermione. The last time they tried to tell Ron some information, he went into a shock-induced coma. Will he be able to handle this news?

End Chapter 33 twenty questions

Seemed like a good place to end.

Twenty questions: if you were snape or harry, what questions would you ask the other?

I know, I changed chapter titles again…

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Here are a few answers (good luck matching questions & answers): Denial, is the word of the day. Best laid plans of mice & men…people do strange things when their grieving (or when in denial)…Snape has to have some patience, I mean, otherwise, he would have blasted all those dunderheads years ago, not to mention that he's a spy, so he has to be used to following other's plans and waiting for others to signal the go ahead…Yes, it might be cruel, but isn't that Snape?…He wants to hurt Harry like he's been hurting…observance, isn't just about intelligence, it could also be about how one was raised. I think Harry is pretty observant, he just doesn't piece it together well (kinda like me, I don't take well to 'clues', I like things spelled out)…I agree, if Harry found out, this might be something that he couldn't forgive, then again, I never promised a happy ending, did I? (LOL)…

1/17/2005