Sorry about my writing this time; I am dealing with a horrible bug virus messing up my thinking. So it is hard to write. So I will say, sorry in advance.
Harry was in Snape's bedroom, seeing if this was a good time to get rid of stuff. "Sir, what exactly do you accomplish by keeping these?" he points to the box of treasures from his mother and the box of letters. His teacher sits in the recliner in the bedroom, sipping on some wine once again like the night before. "Do you want to be miserable by having these?" Snape keeps sipping his wine, "sir, look at yourself?" Harry went over, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.
"Potter what-"
"Just showing you something sir," he brought his professor to the bathroom, pointing to the mirror, "Tell me what you see?" Harry watches Snape look at his reflection, sipping his wine, staying quiet; his student didn't expect an answer, "is that how you want to look for the rest of your life?"
Snape looked over at Harry, "So what if I-"
"Be honest with yourself Professor?"
"I never wanted to..." he wanted to shatter the mirror, turning away from it. His student lifted his chin back up, "Potter stop! I don't want to see."
Harry lets go, not expecting to hear him say that, "I think you just answered my question, Professor?" Snape looked over at his shocked student, watching his green eyes fill up with sadness. 'Don't use Lily's eyes with that type of expression,' he wanted to say but decided to keep quiet about it. Harry stared at Snape's tired-looking face, 'Maybe he would get a better sleep if he didn't think of my mother?' "You seem tired, sir; why don't I stay till you fall asleep?" he watched his teacher go from a soft stare to a glare, "Don't give me that, Professor, you know it will do you some good?'
"I don't need your help, Potter."
"You know, it is hard to believe that when your eyes are like this? Professor, remember the deal I made with you?" his teacher nodded, "the first step, instead of the letters, is to sleep without thinking about her?" Snape somehow was touched by a student caring for his well-being. Harry looked down at his blue silk robe, tied around his body, 'Looks like he has nothing but underwear on underneath?' "Let's try it, sir? If it still doesn't help, I will think of something else." Without getting a reply from his teacher, he geared him to the bed, grabbing the glass of wine from Snape's hand and placing it on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. Harry asked if his teacher had brushed his teeth already. Since he didn't and needed to relieve himself, Harry waited on the bed for him. Harry heard some commotion going on behind the bathroom door. He walked over and knocked on the door, "Snape? You alright?" no answer, "I am coming in, OK?" 'Please be decent.' slowly opening the door, seeing what's on the other side. the glass was scattered on the floor, "what happened here?" his professor was sitting on the toilet lid, head in one of his hands, "Sir, are you OK?"
"Stop calling me Sir, it is getting old Potter."
"OK then will Professor do?" Snape looked up; his black orbs were hollow and sad. Harry didn't say anything as he put his arm around the potion master, "What did you shatter on the floor?"
"My toothbrush holder." Harry was shocked at how quiet his teacher was.
"I am guessing you were angry at yourself?" Snape bowed his head, having his hair fall around his eyes, hiding his pain, "Snape? This is what I mean, don't you want to be happy?"
"Why should I? Don't deserve it."
Harry gaped at that reply, slowly kneeling beside him, "Why would think that Professor?"
"I have done horrible...unspeakable things."
Harry helped him over to the bed, "Even if you have..." getting him to lay down, "it doesn't mean you don't deserve to be happy. It is also not your fault for crappy a life," putting the silk cover over his body. As Harry went around, taking off his shoes and lying upright on the bedpost, "why should you suffer just for that? You told me about your father and how he hated magic...how did he treat you?" Snape looked up at Harry, not wanting to answer this, "Your face says it all, then how about when attended this school? How were you treated?"
"I... don't have good memories of this place, only time was with your mom...it was also a place I could escape to."
"From your home?" Snape nodded, "so then, you pretty much had a miserable life growing up. I don't blame you for turning out the way you are now, because of that. Also, if you ever talked to me about your father, then...I will listen." His teacher looked up; no one ever cared enough to listen except Lily. Dumbledore cares too but prefers his spy to be this way.
"You know how your uncle and aunt treat you because you know magic?" Harry nodded, "it was similar for me. Being starved, getting locked in my room…I keep at that for now," Harry nodded, understanding how hard it is to talk about.
"I am guessing you joined Voldemort-" Snape winces, "sorry, You-Know-Who for power right?" Snape looks over at Lily's son, wanting to tell him one of the reasons he joined, which was the most stupid reason. Harry had a feeling his teacher wanted to say something but didn't know if he should, "It's OK...just tell me? By now after everything that happened last year, you should be able to trust me."
Snape gaped at that, "I suppose I should trust you, shouldn't I?"
"You trusted my mother, didn't you?" the potion master nodded, "you should trust me too, as much as you trusted her."
He thought of this, 'Can I trust him in that way?' "Well then Potter, I will test you first, once you pass, I will tell you more about me."
Harry nodded, happy about this, "Deal, what will you test me on?"
"One of the reasons I became a death eater, is for mother," Snape turned away from Harry, not wanting to see the look on his face after saying that "it was a stupid mistake." He heard Harry sigh, feeling him stroke his hair, "I am in front of cauldrons most of the day, I expect my hair to be filthy and covered in grease."
"I don't mind it, Professor," he keeps stroking it before letting go, smelling his fingers, before going back to stroke it again, "it smells, but in an earthy way." Harry thought about what to say after his professor told him why he did it. Sighing, he laid down next to him, "Hey look at me?" Snape shook his head, not wanting to see. Harry was strong though, pulling his teacher towards him, so he can look into those black orbs, "Is there a reason why you did that for her?"
"Power. I was not a strong wizard."
Harry nodded, getting Snape's arm out from under the covers, rolling the sleeve up, covering the dark secret, "And let me guess, my mother was not happy with you joining?"
Snape slung his other arm, over his face, "No."
Harry realized something, "Sorry, I wanted to help you sleep by forgetting about her, but I made things worse here." He removed his teacher's arm, seeing pain behind his eyes, "I am sorry, hope you don't start kicking me out of your chambers?"
"It is fine Potter, to be honest, I find it comforting. I wanted to be happy for a long time, your mother took that away from me, and your father was no better," Snape realized what he just blurted out, regretting it.
"My father? What did he do to you?"
Snape thought about this, if he told Harry, he would come to hate James Potter; his father. A good payback against his arch-enemy. "Your father liked torturing the Slytherins, but he liked torturing me the most." He could Harry's eyes turn dark after hearing that, the perfect image of his father shattered right then, "often he would do that in front of your mother."
"In the end, he picked my mother though?" he looked over Snape, who nodded his head, putting his hand over his face, "I understand now why you wanted power." Going over to Snape's hair, stroking it, "I will try helping you to sleep, OK?"
That night Harry stayed with his teacher, talking about things, mostly about boring things, to get him to fall asleep. Talking about school, what hopefully will be served for dinner? The quidditch game that is happening soon, which Harry was surprised to hear Snape caring for it. Especially this time when his house is playing against the Gryffindor one. After twenty minutes; his student heard his teacher snoring. Looking over, smiling at the sleeping face beside him, 'I should get going then.' Slowly going down, kissing him on the forehead before turning off the oil lamp and walking out of the room. 'Why is my heart jumping?' This was weird for this Gryffindor, never feeling like this before, other than with Colin, 'Maybe I should pay attention to someone else?' Knowing it was not right for a student to like a teacher in that way, 'What about the deal I made with him?' that is right, it was his promise. 'I will get him to move on and have him find someone new.' Then his mission is accomplished.
Going into the common room underneath his invisibility cloak, he noticed someone else sitting on the sofa. It was Colin, the person he was just thinking about; not that long ago. Harry took off his cloak, "Hey Colin?"
Startled, his biggest fan turned around, not expecting Harry Potter standing there, "Hi, H...arry," he said as if he was out of breath, "Where did you come from?"
Harry didn't want to say he was with Snape. "I was in the great hall. What are you up to?" he decided to sit next to him.
"Looking through my developed photos," Colin answered, asking if Harry wants to see them. He nodded, with a smile. Looking at them, "I was able to get a shot of Mrs. Norris at the end." They looked at the photo together, "I believe you're innocent of what happened." That made his hero feel relieved.
The next morning, Harry and his friends were not expecting to be taught by Gilderoy Lockhart, the very person Harry hated since that bookstore episode, 'Hopefully he won't doing anything to me here?' He will make sure this teacher doesn't get a chance. Today there was no potion class for him. Since it is first years being in his class. 'I want to escape this room and go to Snapes' He wishes every day was potions. Quietly going under his cloak, he made his way out of the room. Sneaking to the Potion Master's class instead. Harry knows he is crossing the line since he wanted to stop paying this much attention to this teacher. People are going to start talking. Quietly opening Snape's classroom door, peeking his head in. The dungeon bat was at his desk, while his students were focusing on their studies. Colin was in this one; Harry wanted to say hi if he could. He quietly went over to the front. Seeing his teacher grading some papers. 'He has been a busy man lately.' Bending over to his ear; "Hey Professor," a startled Snape looked over to the voice. "Seems like you slept better today?"
"What are you doing here?" his teacher whispered.
"I got bored so came to this class instead. Did you know who is teaching Defense of the Darks Arts this year?"
Snape looked over at his class, before nodding, "I am just as bummed out about this, as you are."
"Anyways, how did you sleep last night?"
"Decent, woke up at five." Harry was happy about that, wanting to pat himself on the back. He noticed something was off though, it was Snape's collar; the middle button was out of place.
"One of your buttons is out of place." His teacher looked down at himself, about to get up, "fixing yourself?" Snape nodded, telling his student to sit tight, and walked out of the classroom. Harry quickly followed. Watching him go into the dungeon men's bathroom. Snape looked down at himself, cursing, unbuttoning his dress shirt. Harry removed his cloak behind his teacher's reflection. "Snape, what is going on with you?" The Potion Master had a black undershirt underneath, so he did not mind his student standing there while he corrected himself.
'This is my first time, seeing Snape messed up with his shirt.'
"It is nothing Potter...just another one of those-"
"Snape, you're usually well dressed, this isn't like you?" Harry went over to him, "and you are telling me it is nothing?" He noticed Snape's legs shaking a bit, "you're shaking." Also, he had the buttons in the wrong places again. "Here let me help you today?" his student starts unbuttoning his shirt, "Going to ask again, what is going on with you?"
Snape gaped at Harry unbuttoning his clothing, 'Why am I letting him do this?' He watched Lily's son button his black shirt the right way. "It is not any concern to you."
Harry looked up at his teacher, "So there is something wrong?" Dizzyness overcame him, about to collapse. His student caught him before falling to the ground. "How can this not be a concern to me? You are falling over."
"There are rumors about the Dark Lord," he decided to give in, it was Harry whom he is confiding in.
"About him coming back?" Snape nodded, as his student finished buttoning the shirt, "do not worry Professor, I am here now." Harry could tell his teacher feared Voldemort, it was obvious. "If he comes back, then this time, we will deal with it together, right?" his teacher gaped at this, "I am going back to my own class, they are probably wondering where I am by now?" He grabbed his cloak, and headed out of the bathroom, putting it back on. 'What is wrong with me?' Why did he help his teacher out just now, 'Am I losing my mind?' Not having any parents to turn to, he was lost and confused. 'What am I supposed to say, if he asks me why I corrected his shirt?' He went back to his seat, next to Ron.
"Harry? Where were you?" his red-headed friend wondered.
"I had to use the bathroom," The golden boy said. At the end of class, he had a talking to from Professor Lockhart, "Sorry, I took a bit longer than I expected in the bathroom."
"I do not want to hear your excuses, Mr. Potter, you had no right to ditch my class and you made me look like a fool the other day." He was referring to the bookstore incident, "Detention with me tonight Mr. Potter," Harry gaped at this, "you will find that answering my fan mail, it is a much more exciting than any other type of detention," he walked away from the Gryffindor. Harry thought this was not fair, being punished mostly for that bookstore situation. He wanted to complain but decided against it. Not wanting to be immature and tell on a teacher.
