Chapter 20

With grace and pride, Severus left the common room without turning back. He knew that his neighbor was only a few steps behind him and he couldn't help wonder why Harry didn't stay back and help continue to break tensions with the students but then again, what more can Harry do that he hasn't already done tonight?

"Professor, that speech you gave, I still have goosebumps! Are your speeches always that straightforward yet motivating?"
Snape had to think about it. In previous years his welcoming speech had more and more warning to them with a sense of urgency behind the messages. The head of house always hoped that his students wouldn't fall for the Dark Lord like he did at their age but being the triple spy he was, he was limited with his persuasions.

"I feel my messages have always been loud and clear as well as relevant. The students needed to be reminded that they're not as hopeless as they believe to be."

It didn't take the two long to reach their doors. Harry is still wrapping his head around the fact that Snape was literally his neighbor, opposite to his door and within arm's reach. The two stood facing each other, not really knowing what the protocol was from here. Do they hug good night and wish each other sweet dreams? Do they offer each other drinks and an invitation to their rooms? Harry was biting his lip while Snape being more experienced in social awkwardness spoke first.

"My office will be unlocked tonight, for all students in the dungeons. This includes you Harry…"
Harry felt that slight prickle of blush painting his cheeks when he heard his first name spoken with that deep, baritone voice of Severus's.

Professor Snape saw the pink on the cheeks of the shorter man and wondered if he always was this easily flustered. Snape continued;
"If you need any advice or someone to talk to, you are just as welcomed as any of my serpents now."
It was still a bit weird to be offering this privilege to Harry Potter. All Slytherin students earned this right to come to his office by being sorted into his house but Harry earned this right by destroying the evil Dark Lord and helping prepare the potion class rooms for the new year. At least, these were the reasons Professor Snape is choosing to tell himself.

"Professor, you're also welcomed to my room. I've changed my password to Asphodel." Harry said with a slight smirk. The password seemed cryptic to the older man and looked at Harry oddly. Harry looked left and right down the hallway and before Snape could register what had happened, Harry placed his hand on Snape's shoulder, gently guiding his head down to his level and placed a small peck on the mans high cheek bone. Snape inhaled sharply at the contact and as he was about to tell off the man, the door in front of him closed leaving Professor Snape alone in the hallway.

Snape sat on his favorite chair in front of his fireplace with a book of Victorian Flower Language in his lap. Asphodel is a type of Lily and as Snape knew, had the meaning 'My regrets follow you to the grave'. Snape was trying to remember a time where he and Harry may have had an exchange of words which could be referring to this because Snape highly doubts Harry would have chosen this particular potion ingredient. Taking another sip of his brandy, Snape continued to look through the book and came across Wormwood along with the meaning 'bitter sorrow' or 'absence'. These words are so familiar, where had he spoken them to Harry? Not liking to have mysteries in his life, Snape put down the book and walked over to his pensive which he had inherited from the late headmaster, one of his "gifts" he received from Minerva on behalf of Hogwarts for his services in the war.

Taking one last swig of his brandy, Snape cleared his mind and began extracting memories of interactions with he and Harry. Nothing in seventh or sixth years where they exchanged those words. In fifth year, he did notice that during a lecture of the potion 'Draught of the living dead' where those ingredients were spoken more deeply, He had never noticed the soft yet confused look on the boy's face. There was Harry, sitting in the middle row with his friends. The red head was trying to keep himself awake, the girl writing profusely his every word but Harry just looked at him, mystified.

Snape removed himself from the pensive. The boy knew his flowers but how and why would he know what these two meant? What teen boy in this day and age know the meaning behind flowers? He highly doubted Petunia would have kept a book like that around Harry while he grew up and there's no reason for a student to need to know such a thing at Hogwarts.

Snape took another breath and dived back into the pensive, going through his memories again. Fourth year Harry was so tired and stressed, obviously from the Goblet of Fire. Third year Harry was on alert all the time, as if something were about to jump out and get him. Second year Harry, the boy was far more distant from his teachers and peers. The memory of Harry talking to Draco's snake and Snapes own feelings and thoughts rushing back to him. He remembered thinking to himself while the boy spoke Parseltongue "Lily, what on earth is happening to your boy? Why can he talk to snakes?!"

The encounter of Harry and Ronald Weasley the night of the welcoming back feast after finding out they drove that horrid car in muggle London.

Just how far back did Professor Snape have to go to learn the meaning of the boy's password?