After exiting the Ministry of Magic, Harry and Snape walked down the streets of London, dodging the crowded traffic of the Muggles on the sidewalk. Snape had forfeited his robes in place for a classy jacket, which buttoned in the middle. Out of his own preference, he had added barely noticeable serpents to the buttons.

Perhaps the intimidating expression on Snape's face was the trick, for they were able to remain shoulder to shoulder as people dodged out of their way. Harry spoke to Snape in a tone that only he could possibly hear. "Sir, I would like to get my wand back."

"That, I am afraid, cannot be done as of yet." His expression wore no change. It appeared solid, as always.

"You keep insisting that it would be dangerous, but I know I can handle him as long as I get my wand."

"I forbid it."

Harry abruptly stopped in the sidewalk causing Severus to cease his pace and stare at the man who was about to protest his orders. "You can't tell me what to do." Even though Harry realized how childish it sounded, he carried on with what he wanted to say. "I really don't need to be with you. Honestly, I question why I am even here."

"If you so desire, go buy a wand. I care not. You cannot though, go back to your home just yet. Once we are allied with the Aurors, do as you please. I am sure they would gladly assist you."

"So why won't you?"

Snape was opening his mouth to protest, when Harry interrupted. "And you knew. Up there in the office, you knew before we arrived what he is."

"Yes. I did know."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

Snape exhaled. "It was not relevant at the time, Potter."

"How is that fair then? You tell me I cannot leave your home, but you won't tell me everything about him? What about his "secrets"? Why should I stay then?"

"Because I can't let you get yourself blasted slaughtered!" Snape formed his fist into a finger and directed it at Harry's chest. "I've spent the last bloody twenty years promising Dumbledore to look after your careless safety –which you reluctantly ever thought of. Just like your blasted father. Like his wretched friends! I've wasted far too long of my own time to just let you weasel off and find trouble!"

"Since when did you care? And if you want me to not get hurt, let me get my wand."

"No." Snape lowered his hand. "We will go to Diagon Alley and pick a new one for you. It would be but a waste to go to your home and find it thrashed and your wand is predictably gone. Perhaps he could be waiting there. Waiting for you to show for it. He would know you would not go without it long."

"Well he's right. I won't."

"We will get you a temporary wand. If, and when the Ministry aids us, then you can get yours. Until then... you must trust me."

"Nothing you say adds up! You said he wasn't that strong. We could take him!"

"He is not a strong wizard, but he is a very cunning wolf."

A group of Muggles passed the pair and watched the pair intently. Harry and Snape saw the reactions of the group and knew they had let their conversation go on too loud.

"Fine," Harry hissed in an undertone. "I will buy myself a temporary wand. I am only doing so because I cannot depend on you. I really don't care that you think Dumbledore would of wanted this.I know I am capable of looking for myself, but this one time I will go."

"Shall I always expect a partially reasonable answer? Perhaps you may next learn to rely on yourself for once, and stop investing in others to think for you." Snape sneered at the man below him. Harry's decision to neglect to bring his wand irritated the man beyond reasoning. There was no logical reason to it. None. And Potter needed to learn, and mostly remember his error.

Harry glared at Snape. "Let's just go."

Both made their way to find an empty alley in which they could apparate from. They walked in silence, both determined to not speak to the other. After what felt like a long period of walking and not finding an excluded area to apparate, Harry was going to suggest they go to the Leaky Cauldron and enter Diagon Alley that way. But, before he could get a chance to say a word, Snape motioned for him to turn the corner. He had spotted a deserted area and directed them to turn back down for it.

Snape turned down the deserted alley. Looking back, he spotted the Harry starring at an old man who was seated upon his walker, holding a sign, which one could only assume, was asking for money. Snape rolled his eyes when Harry stopped walking. Snape waited impatiently for Harry to finish handing out money to what he assumed was stereotypical drunkard homeless man.

Harry had ignored the man the first time he walked past, but the second time walking by pulled at his curiosity, causing him to read the sign. Usually, Harry did not give money to people with signs, for he knew well enough that majority would spend the money on drugs or booze. Something different caught him about the old man.

He did not appear homeless to start off with. His short beard was clean and well groomed, and his clothes were not parched or dirty. The only thing off about the man made his gut hurt. The man appeared shamed; he did not wish to ask for money. His face was weary, showing true signs of age caused by exhaustion from a hard life.

Harry felt for his pants pocket and once he had gripped the leather object inside, he then pulled out the wallet. Because of Derrick, he always had Muggle cash on him. Whenever he went to Diagon Alley he had his Wizarding money converted at the Gringotts bank. Harry ignored Snape scowling from afar and pulled cash from his wallet.

Stepping forward, he extended his hand with the cash and said, "Here you go, sir."

The man looked up to Harry and hesitated, but slowly took the money out of his hand. "Thank you." He tried to force a smile, and quickly darted his eyes away.

"Keep warm," Harry said, before turning away and heading over to Snape who still stood watching him. His face showed signs of disgust.

They began down the alley. "Why did you give that filthy man money?" Severus inquired as soon as they were far enough away.

"You saw the look in his eyes. How could I just ignore him? He did not want to be asking for money. I could tell. He was ashamed of himself."

"It would appear so, but don't you think his consequences in life led him to be the way he is now? Consider that he never tried hard enough to get a decent job."

"Maybe. We all make mistakes in his past. Maybe he didn't though. It's not for us to judge. We don't know what challenges he faced in life. Consider that he cared for his younger siblings as an adult, which caused him to never get the chance to earn a degree. We don't know." Harry sighed. "I think... people would be better off in general, if we stopped holding prejudices against each other and just helped one another out now and then. We all need help sometimes."

Snape curiously looked down at Harry who continued to stare forward. Watching Harry grow up, he had typically assumed he was a spoiled child. How could he not be? The savior of the Wizarding world likely had his ego blown right up from the get-go. Spoiled kids were also taught to only think for themselves, from his own experience. That though, was not the case. The young man showed empathy towards others –a trait Snape remembered very fondly in his female friend from long ago.

This was something he had not expected.

In complete silence, they both stopped beside a trash dumpster. They gave one last glance around them, and then apparated to Diagon Alley.

000ooo000ooo

A thick fog hung in the air above, hinting it was near time for snow to touch the ground. Instead of puddles of water in the road, they were now sheets of thin ice. Both men went inside Snape's home and began to take off their layers of warm clothes.

Their trip to Diagon Alley had been quick. They avoided speaking to familiar faces and made their way directly to the new wand shop. Harry spent almost an hour deciding on a wand. None of them worked properly for him. But he would not leave the shop empty handed, and eventually settled on the one that worked the best when he attempted to disarm his former teacher. The wand chosen was 10 inches, oak and within its core was unicorn hair.

Snape removed his coat and hung it up on his coat rack. Harry removed his gloves and kicked off his shoes, setting them neatly in the mud area.

Snape's immediate thoughts pondered the younger man. Had it been that all along Harry was much more like Lily than James?

Possibly...Snape had been focusing too much on opposite ends of the spectrum. What if in fact, Harry were not one parent or the other? Perhaps Snape tried to place Harry's qualities within one parent, never thinking of Harry as an individual person.

Maybe.

Maybe he needed to set aside all bias for Harry's further stay in his home. Seeing Harry hand the money to the man, then defend him as an equal forced Snape to admire Harry. He was truthfully a very kind and considerate young man, in regards to all he had witnessed since a young age.

For some reason unknown to him, he opted to try something new for a change. Possibly his desire for company was more apparent than he had noticed. "Potter. I have a question for you, and if you can figure this out... well, then 10 points to Gryffindor."

"Woah...did that taste like acid?" Harry laughed. His irritated mood had almost vanished compared to earlier in the day. The power of helping people was far beyond the powers of magic. "Ok, what is it?"

"Come, follow me."

Harry and Snape made their way into the kitchen, where Snape removed a bottle of liquor from a cabinet. He held it in his hands and read the label, admiring the amber liquid on the inside. "This is by far my favorite type of Elf Whiskeys. Their process is similar to all basic whiskey, except, they add a secret ingredient. Here." He handed Harry the bottle, who read the label to search for the ingredient. "It does not say. If you can form an educated guess, then bravo."

Harry studied the bottle. "It says it's made by Irish Elves."

"Mhm. if you can recall your Fifth year Potions book, then that may assist you in an answer."

"Huh. Where's Hermione when you need her?" Harry laughed.

Snape grinned. "Yes, the infinite-information-recalling-bookworm."

Harry smiled. After a moment of thinking, he sighed. "I'm not quiet sure, to be honest. As you can remember...I was never one to do well in Potions."

Snape conjured two shot glosses with the use of his wand. "One of your less remarkable traits, as I can recall. Of course, I am not giving you a fair chance, unless you try some."

Snape removed the bottle from Harry's hands and poured the two of them a shot. He handed Harry one of the glasses, and held the other in his hand.

"What should we toast to?" Harry asked.

"Toast to?"

"Well yeah. We have to make it for something."

"I don't toast unless it's a unique occasion, Potter. Drink."

Harry shrugged, and went forth to drink the alcohol, just as Snape did. It went down incredibly smooth...much more than Harry had anticipated.

"Oh wow, that was nice. It hardly burned."

"Yes, one of the better qualities of elves. They make the smoothest of liquors. I do enjoy the burn, but this, this is splendid."

While Snape spoke, Harry thought of the taste. It tasted much like liquor, minus the burn. Usually he hated straight booze, because it made him gag. There was only one other time he had forced himself to drink something so vulgar, during his Second year. A thought sparked his mind, about Hermione saying that sometimes a certain ingredient could be added to Polyjuice potion if one wished to remove the awful flavor. She went onto to say Irish Elves made it...

"I think I know what it is."

"Hm?"

"Moon-dew."

Snape grinned. "I am impressed. Perhaps you did pay attention...on one occasion."

Harry grinned. He had despised all the years of being in class with his professor. It was enlightening to discover the new side of him; the civil side, one in which they could share a moment without trying to take blows at one another in a spiteful manor.

"Care for another?"

"Yeah, sure."

Snape poured yet again, two shots for the two. Harry took his and they held both in the air.

"This one...surprisingly, but alas –better late than never, shall be a toast, to ten points earned by Gryffindor. I find the fact that you remembered something from my class, a unique occasion." A grin almost formed on his sallow features.

Harry and Snape both shot the amber liquid. A loud clink sounded when each glass were set upon the counter.

"This is almost strange," Harry said softly.

"Enlighten me."

"Just being here...right now." Harry shook his head. "I don't know what I am saying."

Snape took in Harry's words regardless of his attempt to dismiss what was said. "You find being here with me, odd?"

"Er, yeah I guess. It's not you –it's just what all happened in the past between us. I mean, I asked you to kill me after you did... that to Dumbledore. And here we are now, taking shots as if none of it mattered."

Snape was taken aback. "It means everything in the world, Potter." He sneered his last name with venom attached to it.

Harry's apologetic eyes found the annoyed black ones. "I know what you did mattered and it's what he wanted. I'm not saying what you did did not matter, because I am sure it must have been...difficult, to say the least." Harry bit his lip.

Snape found his own eyes looking down to Harry's teeth sink into his lip. After a moment of wishing Potter would stop doing so out of nervous habit, he finally sighed, then said, "I regretted you had been there all along. I understand you have witnessed several deaths in the past, and that was one I honestly wish I could say had not been met by your eyes. Unfortunately, what had to be done was essential."

"I know. No matter the fact that you did it, it was still better than it being done by Draco."

"Exactly." Snape's hand found it's way to the bottle and poured another two shots. He himself required many shots for a buzz, but he was not so sure about his counter-part. Regardless, he insisted on the drink by placing the glass in Harry's hand.

If Potter did become ill, he had a fully stocked cupboard of potions to aid any sickness caused by the over-consumption of alcohol. He had to be honest with himself and admit that if Harry did get sick, conjuring other potions to aid him may give him something useful to do. He tore his thoughts away and raised his glass with Harry.

They drank the liquid in unison. Harry felt the immediate result as it warmed his inner gut.

"I think he would happy to see us here now –like this," Harry breathed softly.

"Yes. The man had always wished to see the best in everyone, and our efforts to rekindle a relationship would have not gone unnoticed."

Harry's face fell as his thoughts drifted to the night Dumbledore had fallen from the tower. As he chased Snape into the forest, his anger so desperately had wanted to harm Snape in a duel. At the time, the most Snape would do was disarm him. He had even shouted several empty-ended threats to Harry, which now he realized had been advice for his final confrontation with Voldemort. Like a hindsight-bias, he felt he should of suspected Snape all along. The man even refused to let Bellatrix kill him. If he were truly against Harry, he would have at least let her a have a quick 'game'.

"You know, I really am sorry for looking into the pensieve when you were supposed to give me lessons. And for not trying. At the time I thought I was, but I know all along I didn't trust you enough to let your advice sink in."

Snape considered what the younger man said before speaking. "That, of course, is an understandable consequence to the fact I persisted that you should loathe me." Snape fell silent. He picked up the Elf liquor and held it at arms length. "Perhaps I have had enough of this lovely alcohol, for even I am finding it against my will that I should let what I am about to say slip from my lips. I do though, accept your apology."

"Thank you, sir." Harry leaned against the counter, resting his palms against the edge. He peered around the kitchen, looking at the various types of cooking equipment that Snape had collected. "Why do you cook by hand?"

"Out of all the things you could ask me?"

"Well I saw you earlier today cooking by hand. It just seems...odd, that you of all people would. Most Wizards hate cooking –except for Molly Weasley of course, but even she uses magic."

Snape's eyes looked into Harry's. His lips thinned, toying with what he was about to say. He decided to divert his intense gaze by pouring two more shots. After placing the full glass back in Harry's hand, he began to answer the question. "When I was young, before I went to Hogwarts, I was very good friends with Lily. Her favorite thing was to cook. Loved it. Of course, being children, we baked simple Muggle treats. Her favorite thing to make were cookies. She always said, 'this may not be potions class, but cooking is just like it'. She was right. If you add a solid block of butter to dough, the results will differ from melted." He stopped to shake off the fact he had been speaking about cookies to Harry Potter. "I feel that a part of her always lives inside of me. Cooking happened to be something her and I shared. To this day, I will hardly use a wand, as she would have encouraged the time spent together doing it by hand."

Harry nodded. Truthfully, he had not expected such an elaborate answer. A simple. 'Cooking is a hobby' was really what he had expected. The truth was a little uplifting. He had never known his mother loved cooking –or that her favorite treat was cookies. There was so little he knew about her, and so much her childhood best friend did.

Harry decided that it was possible, staying for a short time may not be such a bad thing in the end.

As long as he and Snape could keep their differences at bay.

000ooo000ooo

I apologize this took longer than I expected. I tend to have phases in life, where once one bad thing happens... a wave comes with it. Remember a few chapters back where I mentioned my keyboard broke and my car getting broken into? The next day my TV broke, and now my laptop is crashing, plus the new keyboard broke. Right now I can type just fine, but in a few minutes it'll probably act up again. Anyways, I am financing a laptop through Dell because it's impossible to do homework/write and have a computer give you the blue screen of death. I picture things should go smoothly once that arrives in a couple days.

AlexisGray941- Thank you for your feedback :)

GriffinCat- Keep on reading! Thing start to get clear soon and even more is found out about what lurks in the woods ;)

Angel-Miyu- Thanks again for your feedback! Snape is always my favorite because of his sly humor!

I am also going to be coming up on finals soon. But beginning the 16th, I will have lots of free time before Winter Quarter starts and will probably dish out a few chapters. Thank you to everyone who has been favoriting, following, reviewing, and, of course, reading my story. Next chapter things will get more exciting. All I can say is that Kirnap and Harry 'make acquaintances'.