Halloween Prompt - Cauldron

Equals

Harry walked the familiar path from Gryffindor Tower to the dungeons. He had detention, again, though this time he could honestly say he had no idea why. As an eighth year student, he was given certain licence, as were the others who'd returned to sit the year that had been interrupted by the war. That he'd been out after the usual curfew shouldn't have been reason for detention, but then, when did Snape ever need a reason?

Except... since Harry'd saved Snape from the Shrieking Shack, barely alive, but heart still beating, they'd been getting on better. Hell, when Snape decided he was going to keep his position as Headmaster, Harry'd been the first to find out, and had also been his biggest support. Snape'd even helped Harry during the summer, when the pressure of funerals and press conferences and Ministry balls had threatened to overwhelm him completely.

Not that things were much better now that school was back in session.

He was still flocked by owls on a daily basis, most from people he'd never even heard of, let alone met, all wanting something from him. Some wanted marriage, some wanted sex, some wanted money, and some wanted revenge for a family member that had died during the war because Harry didn't end it soon enough.

All Harry wanted was peace.

Knocking on the door, he waited until he was bid to enter, and walked into Snape's old office. Why the Headmaster kept this office, Harry had no idea, but he thought it could have been something to do with not wanting to face Dumbledore's portrait. He'd been avoiding the possibility of running into the old Headmaster, himself, so he could understand that.

Snape stood behind a cauldron, stirring silently. Harry sat down at one of the desks to wait, sure that whatever Snape was making, it was important, and the last thing he wanted to do was make the Headmaster even angrier. A few minutes later, he stopped stirring and took the cauldron off the flame, leaving it on the side to gather vials.

"Help me decant?"

"Sure," Harry replied, unsure as to what was going on. Still, he did as he was bid, picking up one of the larger spoons, and began pouring the potion carefully into the glass vials.

"You know I had no grounds to give you a detention?" Snape said conversationally, still concentrating on the task at hand.

Harry nodded. "So why am I here?"

"I'm worried about you. You've been ghosting around the castle at night, you're barely eating, you don't seem to be spending much time with your friends. I have heard that there's been a marked improvement in your work, but I'm worried that you're burying yourself in books to save yourself from dealing with the real issues that plague you."

"Can it not be that I'm worried about the Newts?"

When Snape merely raised his eyebrow at him, Harry snorted.

"Yeah, didn't think you'd buy that."

When they finished decanting the potion, Snape nodded his head to one of the connecting doors, and Harry followed him through to find himself in a comfortable looking sitting room.

"Would you like a drink?"

Nodding, Harry was soon holding a cold butterbeer. He was surprised when Snape sat beside him on the spacious couch instead of taking one of the chairs.

"So, are you going to tell me what is bothering you?"

"I got a letter from the Ministry last week. They want to give me an Order Of Merlin. First Class, of course," Harry added with a sneer.

"That is no surprise."

"Hmm. They want to give it me at a public award ceremony. On Halloween."

"They never did have much tact."

"No," Harry agreed.

"Are you going to go and accept the award?"

"I don't think I've got a choice really."

"You always have a choice, Harry."

"Can you imagine the backlash? I've already got enough issues keeping the post manageable at the moment."

"I'll accompany you, if you would like?" Snape asked carefully, eyeing Harry with caution.

"You would do that? I know you have about as much time for the Ministry as I do."

"If it meant you were more comfortable being there, then yes, I would."

"I... thanks." Harry watched Snape for a moment, before he threw caution to the wind. "Are you just doing this because I'm your student?"

"And my friend, I had hoped?"

Nodding again, Harry added, "Is that all?"

"It is all it can be, while you are still my student."

"And after?"

Looking like he was choosing his words carefully, Snape replied, "After, we will... discuss things. As equals. If that is something you want."

Smiling for what felt like the first time in years, Harry nodded. "Okay."

Severus returned the smile. "Okay."