Chapter 9

Menacing black eyes glared at him from across the room. Harry swallowed hard; this wasn't going to be enjoyable. A fleeting image of his uncle's red face crossed his mind and he mentally cringed. But then again, Snape had always lashed him with words. And while they hurt, the professor had never physically harmed him.

"Sit" he hissed. Harry obeyed, his stomach doing odd somersaults.

"Where were you at lunch and dinner? Why are out of bed? Where have you been? Do you know what we could have assumed?" the questions left Harry slightly dazed.

"I wasn't hungry, and I…"

"Did I not clearly state that you were to be in bed at ten?" the cold voice was grating on Harry's nerves and he was swiftly losing courage.

"I'm sorry…" he began, but Snape didn't give him the chance to finish.

"Sorry? You may feel it is your right to prance around without thought of your actions, but I assure you it is not. Just like James, flaunting rules and presentation!"

Harry's blood was boiling but at the same time he could feel a bead of sweat trickling down his brow.

"Did it ever cross your pathetic excuse for a mind that the Dark Lord is trying to murder you? Or is that too far below the famous Harry Potter to think about? After all, Harry Potter is invincible, isn't he? Listen to me, boy (Harry froze), despite your name; your former accomplishments- most I might add- were by pure dumb luck, you are not all powerful! No one is going to cry for you here, Mister Potter! You are not going to get away with everything like the Headmaster allows in the school term while you stay here! So you might as well get that foolish idea out of your thick head right now! Just like James, and look where it got him! Just because you 'defeated' the Dark Lord does NOT mean you are the greatest thing to ever have happened to this world"

Harry was visibly shaking now, both from anger and fear. "I DIN'T ASK FOR THIS LIFE! I DIDN'T ASK VOLDERMORTE TO KILL MY PARENTS!" he screamed upstarting. Fixing a livid glare upon the professor he calmed his composure and put a leash on his anger. "I didn't ask to live" he stated coldly and oddly detatched. With that Harry strode toward the door, various healing bones screaming their protests.

Snape, stunned by the last statement; pulled enough wits together to lock the door before Harry could leave.

Turning the knob in vain, Harry half-turned to say in a deathly calm voice, "Let me go" Why was this always happening to him? First Dumbledore, now Snape!

"No I will not" Snape replied, equally calm. "Sit down"

Harry stared at the older wizard as if he was mad. His breathing had escalated and he unconsciously clutched at the stitch he had acquired in the excursion. Boiling anger under his pale skin he stood his ground and glared at his hated professor.

"I said sit down" a vehement anger danced in the shadows of his black eyes and Harry felt his stomach do a flop when he saw it. His mind flashed to another time he had seen that look and he swallowed slowly, again beginning to visibly shake.

"Yes, sir" he said quietly, sitting in the chair provided, eyes downcast.

Severus watched the boy's reaction for a moment before realization struck him. Feeling an uncomfortable pit in his stomach he turned away and mentally berated himself. "I apologize, I should not have…" words failed him, and he opted for conjuring a small table and a tray of steaming tea instead.

Harry watched as the older wizard took a cup in his hands, sat down and took a sip; refusing to reach for the other cup he closed his face to emotion and watched the steam slowly flow up to the ceiling.

"I have something to tell you, something important that I think you need to hear" Severus' eyes regarded the glazed look that Harry wore before continuing. "Are you listening?"

"Yes, sir"

The Potions professor paused for so long that Harry wondered if he was going to continue. Daring to raise his head ever so slightly he chanced a look at the sallow face.

"At Hogwarts I used to help your mother, Lily Evans, with Arithmacy and Potions in return for her help in charms and transfiguration. I didn't want to help her at first, but I needed the help and so did she." Harry saw his eyes slightly cloud as memories came back in waves, his voice taking on a calm monotone as if he was explaining another man's life. "Every Wednesday we would meet in the second library." Harry gave him a curious look, but Snape didn't indulge. "At exactly five after seven, lugging in our books and panting from the exertion of getting there. That was our fifth year, by sixth we had built up a fairly good relationship. We no longer needed to help each other in our studies but we kept on.

"I suppose it was from habit, perhaps a hunger for someone who wouldn't judge you when you came in and poured out your heart to them. Maybe a need for someone to just sit and listen to you while you rant and rave, someone to tell all your triumphs, sorrows and an understanding of each other's downfalls. Every day we would meet and talk, read, or just sit and listen to the quiet- whatever we wished for one hour. One blissfully private hour.

"Right up until she started hanging around with the Marauders- hardly saw or spoke to her again after that". Harry made to speak but Snape stopped him, "James and Sirius threatened to hex me into oblivion if I did so much as look in her general direction." He stated distastefully, black eyes glittering menacingly.

Harry vaguely wondered where this was leading to, but decided that as long as Snape was busy talking-it didn't really matter.

"Seven years after my graduation from Hogwarts, I was just finishing my third year as apprentice to a venerable Potions Master in London. I was in my twenties, young and foolish- a regular rebel without a cause" his lips twitched slightly. "When I met Lily walking out of a well disguised potions shop in Edinburgh, and she had just happened to be carrying several bottles of potions that when mixed together create a very…interesting reaction. After cleaning me up and picking me up from off the street she offered me lunch as pay back and I made a less that decent remark about paying her way through anything and we hit it off again.

"She, of course, spent that whole lunch trying to get me to tell her how my life was going and I, as usual, evaded every question, weaving my usual web of confusion and never letting the conversation drift farther than 'you haven't changed one bloody bit…unfortunately'. After that we kept meeting each other every now and then, until one time, when I was spending the night at a classy hotel in Dublin we crossed paths once again."

Harry chanced another quick look at Snape when he paused and for a fleeting moment thought he saw himself looking back at him. Except older…

He shook the thought away even as it manifested itself in his mind again. It was ridiculous, but he couldn't shake the sneaking feeling that something more that just a casual meeting had happened that night. He mentally shook his head, it was ludicrous…right?

*~*~*~*

Jaded Angel- sorry I didn't answer your question in this chapter, but I'm glad you liked the last one!

Gina-thanks!

MerlinHalliwell-thanks

Hermione Green-so many questions! * grin *

Byproduct of Evil-how's this?

Emiepatapouf-it's one of his better traits, eh? * wink *

Whitetiger0817- don't be ridiculous!

Nickiangelfier- ditto

Kaelleigh-thanks, you're awesome

BabySphinx- * poof * how's this?

Ennui2- * grin * thanks, how's this one?

Henio- thanks a bunch!

Athena kitty- more questions! * grin * Didn't answer your question in this chapter, but perhaps next time…

And Remember All

Constructive criticism is GREATL appreciated!