Chapter Text
Harry was curious. It was sort of how he got himself into all this trouble this year, and even when he tried to keep out of it, he somehow ended up right smack in the middle of it.
He’d been curious about his family and that’s why he’d kept looking for the Mirror of Erised. He was quick to assume from looking at how people behaved, as he’d quickly learned to categorise people into two major groups; mean or good. After the conversation with Dumbledore, he had a think, lying in the hospital wing bed, about Snape. He’d been quick to judge him, he was very clearly mean, like Dudley, Draco, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Voldemort.
But, he’d been wrong to assume this meant Snape would try and hurt him. He’d apparently been trying to save him all year, which Harry frankly thought must have been stressful, since Harry had repeatedly been hurt or almost hurt all year.
And then Dumbledore had said Snape didn’t like Harry because of his Dad and Harry first thought that was unfair, until he thought about how he’d thought Snape himself was mean right from the start.
He kind of wanted to talk to Snape. Maybe try and thank him at least.
Severus was sitting in his office down in the dungeons when someone knocked on the door. He scowled, the feast was only a few hours away, why would anyone need him now. Merlin, he hated this job. Teaching young people the basics of potions was not really his calling. He’d loved research and experimenting on new things, which you couldn’t quite do with people that couldn’t brew a calming potion without it threatening a few explosions meanwhile.
He flicked his wand at the door, letting it swing open. “Come in.” he said.
“Professor Snape?”
Severus’s head swivelled up from his book in an instant. Out of every single person at the castle, Severus had not suspected Harry bloody Potter coming to his office. Classes were over, they had no reason to see each other until the next term in September!
“Mister Potter, what is it I can help you with, tonight.” Severus drawled, trying to sound bored and annoyed, rather than intrigue as he was.
“Well, Professor Snape,” the boy really seemed to be emphasising the professor, like he was making sure he’d say it. “the Headmaster told me some interesting things today about that night with Voldemort,” here Severus shivered. Great, so now he had to tackle the boy saying that name in addition to Dumbledore. “and I wanted to thank you.”
Severus had to think back a few times, he’d been so distracted with the Voldemort thing. “Thank me?!”
Harry looked uncomfortable, but determined, and for the first time all year, Severus could see Lily shine through.
“Yes, Professor Snape, Quirrel said you’d been casting the counter-curse at the Quidditch Pitch and then refereed the game – to the decline of public opinion about you – to make sure it didn’t happen again. Professor Dumbledore said you did it because you owed my dad a debt, but anyhow, you didn’t have to do that and I’m thankful. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if this year had been worse. Probably would’ve died, I reckon.”
Severus had to quell a smile at that. God, Lily’s horrible sense of humour somehow got passed down to this boy; this boy that looked so much like Potter.
“As great of a Headmaster Dumbledore might be, he is wrong here. I haven’t been protecting you because of your father, but rather because of your mother.” Here Severus stopped, trying to focus on not getting too emotional at the thought of Lily. He was still so angry about it all. At himself, at Dumbledore, at Potter and at Voldemort that it was hard to speak about her.
For once, the boy seemed to hold his tongue and didn’t rush in with questions. To be honest, thinking back on the year, Harry hadn’t really asked a lot of questions, even though he was sometimes very obviously curious. Snape couldn’t help but compare it to young Lily, who asked about everything and young Potter, who felt entitled to everything, information or things. He himself on the other hand, had kept his questions close, only asking his friends, or books or whatever semi-private resource he had. Too used to questions being forbidden and a cause of aggravation.
It was only after Severus got stuck in reminiscing that Harry cleared his throat quietly and hesitatingly prompted, “My mother, Professor?” seeming unfamiliar with the phrase “mother”, which, with a lump in his throat, Severus could see was reasonable.
“Yes, I knew your mother, from before we went to Hogwarts. We were the same year, you see.” Severus let out, thinking that couldn’t be too incriminating. “I know she would come haunt me if I let anything hurt you.”
Harry smiled a little, until he noticed Severus looking at him and then it turned quickly into a nervous blank face. “I would, would you, no never mind. Of course not. No matter the reason, I wanted to thank you, and apologise for thinking you were helping Voldemort get the stone.”
Severus reacted before he could think. “Believe me, Mister Potter,” he bit out “there is nothing that would incite me to bring back that horrid being. Destruction followed that man and I never want to have to battle that again.”
He flushed as he looked at the boy, who was taken aback by the emotional response. He hadn’t meant to say that, but Merlin he got offended at the insinuation that he’d want that man back into power.
They both stood there for a few minutes, staring to the floor, embarrassed and uncomfortable. To Severus’s surprise, the boy shook it off first.
“I’m glad, Professor Snape. He’s very very gross. The way he talked, and his presence, it felt so horrible. I really do hope I never have to feel it again, but Dumb- I mean, Professor Dumbledore does seem to think he’s going to try and come back some other way.
Severus slumped in his seat. “Yeah, that seems to be the consensus, doesn’t it? That he’s very much not dead. Guess news of your greatness have been somewhat exaggerated then. Well, now, before we descend into complete depression here, Mister Potter, we should get going up to the feast.”
It seemed Harry was still young enough that the news of food and festiveness still made him forget all his troubles.
Severus was not so lucky.