Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, though I wish I did.

Chapter Six: Tales, Short and Long.

Their first stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Harry was eager, but kept his emotions in check, for fear of angering Snape further. He didn't even know what he had done in the first place!

Snape waved him inside, muttering something about 'fresh air' and 'headache.' Harry pushed open the door and looked about. The place was stuffy from so many fabrics.

Harry wondered in further, wishing Snape had come in as well, grumpy or not, so that he could be shown what to do.

Just as he was about to walk outside to get Snape to help him, a plump, smiling woman came around a row of what looked like terrycloth.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked, sizing him up from behind her glasses. He nodded and she put a comforting hand on his back. "Right this way then, and we'll get you looking proper in no time."

She tapped her wand on a measuring tape and it started measuring on it's own while she busied herself with other things. Just as Harry was growing bored with watching the measuring tape zip back and forth, the door opened again and in came another boy. He had flaming red hair and several freckles across his nose, as though he spent his life outside.

Someone behind the boy, who Harry couldn't see, said something he couldn't hear.

"I'm fine, mum," the boy complained. "I can do it on my own." He huffed and walked further into the shop.

Madam Malkin came back in just then and led the boy next to Harry, bewitching another measuring tape. Madam Malkin checked a sheet of parchment that a quill had been jotting notes on and smiled again, humming to herself as she took it away.

"Hello," said the boy in a tired kind of voice.

"Hi," replied Harry.

"Did you see that man out there, skulking about? The one with the big nose and greasy hair?" Harry thought that was hardly a fair description, though it fit.

"You mean Snape?" The boy's eyes bugged out slightly. "That's professor Snape?" he asked, incredulous.

"Well, yeah," said Harry, uncertain. "I didn't know he was a professor, though."

The other boy nodded. "He teaches potions. My brother's say he's a real grouch."

Harry didn't think he could argue that at the moment. Snape did seem like a real grouch.

"I'm Ron, by the way, Ron Weasley," said the boy.

Harry was about to speak when Madam Malkin walked out of a back room with a large package, all in brown paper.

Harry paid and only just remembered Ron giving his name when he was halfway out the door. "Harry," he supplied, not wanted to cause yet another scene.

Snape was outside when harry returned. "That didn't take long," Snape commented. Harry, not knowing how long it should have taken, merely shrugged.

'Expect the Golden Boy to get rushed through an order,' though Snape, walking down the alley. He was so angry that he was striding, and Harry, trying to manage his parcel and keep up at the same time, tripped over one of the many feet bustling about.

He hit the ground, hard. The bundle of robes fell under his stomach, and knocked the wind out of him. His glasses fell off his face and hit the ground with a small clack and the soft sound of breaking glass. Snape had caught the boy's fall out of the corner of his eye, and nearly snarled in exasperation.

"Get up," he hissed. "Before someone else recognizes you."

He lifted Harry up by his upper arm, and Harry winced as Snape's thin fingers dug into his arm.

Snape let go as though he'd been smacked in the face.

'What am I doing?' he thought. 'Taking anger out on a child! I am a better man than that.'

Feeling slightly ill, he bent down and picked Harry's glasses up off the ground, and tapped them with his wand. The cracked lens repaired itself, and he handed them back slowly, as though afraid to get bitten. What came next was much worse.

Harry's face was bright red with embarrassment at both having tripped in front of dozens of people and at once again making Snape mad at him.

"S-s-sorry," he choked out. Harry's cheeks were jumping as his jaw trembled. Snape wished he had an anti-nausea potion on him. He was reminded sharply of himself, cowering under the hateful gaze of his father, trying desperately not to cry for something that wasn't his fault.

"Po-Harry," said Snape in the most even voice he could muster. Using the boy's first name brought his face up to meet Snape's. "Why don't we take a break?" He shrunk down the package of robes after dusting it off and slid it into his pocket.

Harry looked distrustful. 'Once bitten, twice shy,' thought Snape with that same ill feeling. He handed Harry his glasses, and motioned for Harry to follow him. He was no fan of sweets, but a trip to Fortescue's might make the boy feel better.

"I'll answer any questions you have," said Snape, unwilling as he was to have to explain all of it.

Harry followed him, but there was a certain reluctance that Snape feared might be permanent. 'It will be after I've told him everything,' thought Snape.

He led them to one of the outdoor tables at Fortescue's and motioned for Harry to sit down.

"Do you want some ice cream?" asked Snape. Harry shook his head vehemently. "I don't like ice creams," he said. It was a lie, he just didn't want to be patronized.

"Well, then do you have any questions?" Expecting something about Voldemort or his fame, Snape was taken aback when Harry asked

"Why do you hate me?" Snape was stunned silent for a few moments, before remembering he was supposed to answer.

"I don't hate you," he said, awkwardly.

Harry didn't say anything, but picked at the rubbery plastic that coated the table.

"I," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. 'God, I could do with a drink,' he thought, bitterly. 'Today alone will turn me into an alcoholic!'

"I didn't get on well with your father," he said, slowly.

Harry looked up at him. "Did you hate him?" he asked, green eyes wide.

"I did," Snape admitted. He snorted. "I still do."

Harry knitted his eyebrows. "What did he do?" he asked, shrewdly.

Snape felt the urge to vilify James, but he couldn't do it. "We were always at ends, James and I." He seemed to be talking to himself, but Harry was hanging on every word. "We met for the first time on the Express. We didn't...see eye to eye about our chosen houses."

Harry took then to interrupt. "Houses?" he asked, plainly curious.

Snape mentally thanked him for the tangent, and quickly explained."There are four houses in Hogwarts, which new students are sorted into. Mine was Slytherin, James' and your Mother's was Gryffindor. The other two are Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. You'll learn about it when you go."

Harry nodded. His reluctance was gone, it seemed, so Snape plowed ahead.

"Our rivalry grew. Sometimes it was James and I going at it, but more often than not, it was James and his friends."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well that's not very fair!"

Snape snorted. He felt like saying 'James wasn't a fair person,' but he didn't want to vilify the child's only father. "That's just how things went," he said with a shrug.

Harry didn't seem to like how things went, but kept silent.

"James liked to show off how much money he had," Snape said, trying not to sound vindictive.

"When I saw all that money, his money, in your vault, it just...opened old wounds, I guess."

Harry blushed slightly. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be sorry for your wealth," Snape admonished. "I shouldn't have treated you that way." Snape shook his head. "I'm sure you have other questions," he said, thankful it appeared neither his nor James' reputations had taken much damage.

He had tried not to sound petty, but at the same time, he tried not to act like a victim. It was a hard balance, but Snape just had a way with words.

At the prompting, Harry nodded. "How come everyone knows who I am? Does that happen to everyone the first time?"

Snape laughed and coughed at the same time, which became a wheezy chuckle. Potion fumes weren't always good on one's lungs. "No, Harry, that doesn't happen to everyone."

Harry blushed again.

"When you were about a year old," Snape said, charging ahead before he could chicken out. "A Dark Wizard came to your mother and fathers house. He..." his breath caught for a moment as his eyes found Harry's wide green ones. "He killed them both," he finished.

Harry looked sad, but didn't interrupt. "Then he tried to kill you, but he couldn't do it."

Harry's eyebrows found his hairline. "Why not?" he asked.

"No one knows," Snape shrugged. "He tried to do it, then he was just gone. No body, not a trace. Just gone."

Harry chewed his lip. "Is he dead?" he asked finally.

Snape shook his head. "I doubt it," he said.

"What was his name?"

Snape pondered the question. Had such a question ever been asked about the Dark Lord? Snape said "I couldn't say it here without causing a screaming panic."

Harry seemed to find the idea slightly funny, but a dark look from Snape stopped the laughter that hadn't even begun.

Snape leaned close and whispered "Lord Voldemort" in Harry's ear.

The sound of the name alone gave Harry the chills. Snape leaned back and Harry shook himself out.

"Let's get our shopping done before Ms. Cole starts to worry," Harry said.

Snape smiled. "We've got awhile before then." Harry raised one eyebrow. "I placed a contentment charm on her, so she would agree to me taking you out. I truly hope she isn't that careless with the rest of the children."

Harry bit back a laugh and stood up. "Where are we going next?" he asked.

Snape motioned to Flourish and Blott's and Harry led the way. "A boy in Madam Malkins said you were a professor. What do you teach?"

"I teach Potions and I am the head of Slytherin house," he informed Harry as they walked into the store.

"Can you show me some extra potions books?" Harry asked. Snape looked taken aback. "Whatever for?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow.

"I don't wanna get on your bad side again," Harry said, half-jokingly. Snape gave another chuckle and led Harry over to the Potions Section, where they lost an hour off their schedule.

AN: This Chapter has been retrofitted to fit later chapters.