DISCLAIMER: ALL THEMES, CHARACTERS, QUOTES, AND SO ON FROM THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING AND THE PRODUCERS AND WRITERS OF THE HARRY POTTER MOVIE. I OWN ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING EXCEPT ANY FRESH IDEAS.
p.s. This chapter contains MANY flashbacks that go between Harry and Snape's POV.
By now, Hogwarts castle was under full attack. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were hiding in a classroom on the upper most floors. They could all hear the loud bangs and shrieks coming from below.
"We must go now, if not to Snape, then somewhere that's not in the castle" Harry said. Hermione gave Harry a worried look.
"What's wrong? What did Professor Snape say?"
"He said that he was in the Shrieking Shack, and that we should come fast before Voldemort and the Death Eaters get to Hogwarts. It seems that Snape's sense of timing is a little off." Harry said blankly. Purposefully leaving out that part where Snape told him he still loved him.
"Harry, you aren't actually going to go to Snape right?" Ron asked, still confused as to what was going on between Harry and their ex- professor.
"Yes, Harry is going to visit Professor Snape, he did say he had something very important to tell Harry." Hermione said, already walking towards the door. Harry and Ron stood put.
"Hermione, he isn't just the mean potions teacher anymore! He is a Death Eater; he killed Dumbledore. Why the hell would we go running to him, when Harry still has Nagini to kill!"
Hermione and Ron went on bantering about the dos and don'ts of visiting Professor Snape in the Shrieking Shack. All the while Harry wasn't even paying attention to a word they were saying. He was trying to work out, whether or not to go, by himself. This was a decision that neither of his friends could help him with. But he was being flooded with memories of him and Snape; memories that he forgot he had because they seemed like they were so long ago. Some of them were just trivial conversations between Snape and himself. Some were the beginning of their relationship, and the end.
_Flashback_
(Harry's POV)
"Harry dear, Professor Snape is here, he wishes to speak with you. It's best you don't keep him waiting." Mrs. Weasley shouted into Harry and Ron's room at Grimmauld Place.
"Snape? You find ways for him to punish you no matter where you are mate!" Ron joked. Harry didn't reply, but instead got up easily and went out the door.
"Good luck mate!" He could hear Ron shout to him once he left the room. What could Professor Snape want, Harry though to himself. He'd remembered to hand in all of his homework, he'd made sure of that. Has Snape come to bring Harry back to the Dursley's? No, he had worked so hard to get him out, why would he ever try to bring him back. When Harry got to the dinning room he saw Snape, he was talking to someone. Sirius! Oh god, this wasn't going to end well, Harry thought.
"Er, hello Professor Snape." Harry said, throwing himself in between the two men. Harry could feel the tension, and could see the hatred mirrored in both men's eyes.
"Sit down, Mr. Potter. And I believe I asked to speak with you alone?" Snape asked, putting emphasis on the word alone while sneering at Sirius. But before Harry could even begin to reply, Sirius started to talk.
"You have no right to bark orders are my house Snape! And I think that since I am his godfather I should be able to be here for what ever it is you have to say, Snivellus." Sirius spat, using a nickname Harry had never heard before. If Sirius wished to get a reaction out of Snape, then he had failed. Snape looked unaffected.
"Dumbledore has sent me here to relay a message to Mr. Potter, but by all means, stay. I know how you like to feel… involved." Snape sneered. Sirius was up and out of his seat within the second. He was only a scant foot away from Snape, who, by now, had his wand clasped tightly in his hand. "Mr. Potter, I would appreciate it if you would put your dog on a leash. He seems to get very frustrated by the fact that he can contribute nothing useful to the the Order." Laying a stress on the word useful. Sirius flushed, and stepped back a foot. Snape curled his lip in triumph.
"What's it you want to say Snape?" Sirius spluttered, taking a step towards Harry in an almost protective manner.
"The headmaster wanted me to tell Potter that he is scheduled to study Occlumency this term." Harry had no clue what Occlu… Occlumency was.
"By your blank stare I am guessing you do not know what Occlumency is Potter." Snape said, without his usual harsh bite. Harry saw Sirius give Snape a weird look, obviously confused by Snape's almost understanding tone.
Harry had never told Sirius that it was Snape who had gotten him away from the Dursley's; he knew Snape wouldn't want the 'publicity.'
"Er, yeah, what is it?"
"Occlumency, Potter, is the magical defense of the mind against external penetration. A highly useful, but obscure branch of magic." Harry's mind was racing. 'External penetration,' was his brain being attacked, or possessed like Ginny Weasley in second year? No it couldn't be; he never had moments where he was unsure of what he had just been doing.
"Um, sir, why do I need these lessons?" Harry asked politely. He could tell Sirius wanted to say something, but Harry wished to keep the rest of the conversation as civil as he could.
"You are receiving these lessons because the headmaster wishes for you to know it." Snape began smoothly. " Your private lessons will be held once a week, but you must inform no one of them." Harry nodded.
"Who will be teaching me?" Harry asked, hoping it was Dumbledore, the man had been avoiding him, and this would be a great opportunity to talk to him.
"I will." Snape said, staring right into Harry's eyes.
_End Flashback_
Snape sat waiting in the Shrieking Shack. Hoping that Harry will listen to what he said and come to him. He wished he could just take Harry and run from everything. Find a nice house, get a dog or a cat, and just live there forever. But he knew Harry was too loyal to leave his friends, especially at a time like this. But that was one of the reasons he loved the Gryffindor, his fierce loyalty he showed.
_Flashback_
(Snape's POV)
Severus had just told Harry that he was going to be giving the boy Occlumency lessons once a week. If Black wasn't furious yet, he was now. And that brought Severus all the more pleasure.
"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry this?" Black said, shooting Severus his best scowl. Severus laughed to himself, even though Black was taller than himself, the man would never intimidate him.
"Must you question everything Dumbledore says, Black? No wonder the man has you sitting in this old place all the time." Black was in his face once again, his face red with fury. Severus smirked at the man's lack of control, but gripped his wand tight again. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Harry was nervous, he could see the wheels turning in the boys head, trying to decide how to properly diffuse the eminent fight.
"You are a Death Eater through and through Snivellus. You don't have me fooled! If I find out that you are using these extra lessons to bully my godson I swear I will hold nothing back!" Severus was about to retort with a witty comment, but was interrupted by Harry.
"Sirius, please, I'll be fine. Professor Snape, he won't… bully me." Harry said calmly, putting a hand on his Black's shoulder.
"Harry, let me handle this. You don't know the terrible things that Snivelly has done." Black said coldly. Severus could feel his blood heat up. Don't turn this boy against me Black, he shouted in his head.
"What are you going to do Black? Get Mr. Potter to gang up on me like you did in the old days. Never attacked unless it was two or three against one, huh? How very brave you and Potter were!" Black was seething; Severus was thoroughly pleased with himself. "What are you saying Snape? Are you calling me and James cowards?" Black looked absolutely dangerous, but Severus didn't care. He knew the man wouldn't do anything.
"Yes, I believe I am." He was wrong, Black lunged for his throat. Trying to choke Severus, but he was faster than Black. He had the man off of him in mere milliseconds.
"Temper, temper, temper. You should really learn to control that, otherwise you'll never be let out of the dog house, Black." The other man was on his feet again, wand pointed at Severus.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU DARE CALL JAMES POTTER A COWARD! HE WAS TWICE THE MAN YOU EVER WILL BE. YOU ARE A PIECE OF FILTH, A PIECE OF FILTH THAT GOES HOME EVERY NIGHT AND KISSES THE FEET OF A MONSTER! HE PROBABLY SENT YOU TO WORK AT HOGWARTS BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT YOU'RE A LITTLE PERV, SNIVELLUS! YOU PROBABLY BEGGED DUMBLEDORE FOR LESSONS WITH HARRY! YOU'LL TRY TO LURE HARRY IN, USE THE BOY, AND THEN BREAK AND BEAT HIM! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU DID WITH…" But before Severus could hit Black with a jinx so hard his oldest relatives could feel it, Harry beat him to it.
"Just shut up Sirius! Just shut the hell up!" Harry shouted at his godfather. His body was in between the two men, protecting Severus from Black.
"Harry, this man…" Black began, trying to calm down the boy. But Harry would have none of it.
"No Sirius! I know what you and my father did! I know that you guys were bullies. But Severus would NEVER lay a hand on me!" Both of the older men were shocked with Harry's use of Severus's given name. "You know why I'm out of the Dursley's, huh, it's because Professor Snape got me the hell out of there when he found out what they did to me. They beat me Sirius, and the second he found out he made sure I was away form those monsters. Now I'm tired of hearing you two fight! Sirius, Dumbledore wants me to have these lessons and so I will have them, whether or not you're there to support me." When the boy was done, he was breathing heavy. Black looked like Harry had just slapped him silly.
The boy had stood up for me, was all Severus could think. Now all of the Weasley's plus the Granger girl came into the room, wheeling in Mr. Weasley.
"I'm cured!" The man shouted. This brought Black and harry back into reality, giving Severus and opportune time to get out of that god-forsaken house.
"I'll be expecting you the first Wednesday after holidays, Mr. Potter. Please do try to make it on time." Severus left before the boy could say anything. He flew out of the door and immediately disapparated back to his house.
_End flashback_
Yes, Severus did love the boy's loyalty.
Sorry for so many memories, but this is my first fanfic and I'm still trying to figure everything out. I hope you like everything so far!
Next Chapter: What was Sirius about to say to Snape before Harry cut him off? Will Harry make it to Severus in time? Will these memories of Harry and Severus, help the young man make his decision in forgiving Snape? Or will they only remind him of how the man seemingly turned his back on something so good? Read, Review, and find out!