Remus Lupin looked up from the Daily Prophet and cup of tea that had engrossed him when he became aware of a tapping at the window next to him. He turned toward the sound curiously and hastened to the window in pleased surprise when he saw Harry’s snowy owl, Hedwig, hovering outside it. “Hello there,” he said cheerfully as the bird alighted on the back of his chair and held out its leg. Eagerly he opened the letter and reseated himself.

As he read Harry’s note, however, a frown formed on his features. At first he was puzzled, and then understanding came. “Oh, Harry,” Remus shook his head. Then, summoning parchment, ink, and quill, he drafted a reply and sent it off with the patiently waiting Hedwig.

“Well, I hope that helps,” he murmured as he closed the window and picked up his newspaper.

-------------------

On Thursday morning Harry watched the owls flocking to the Great Hall during breakfast. He had finally turned back to his meal when Hedwig landed neatly in front of his plate. He offered her a piece of bacon and took the parchment from her leg.

“Whazzat?” Ron asked, voice muffled by the toast he was eating.

“Letter from Moony,” Harry replied as he broke the seal and smoothed the parchment. Hedwig stole another bit of toast from his plate as he began reading.

Dear Harry,

I was quite pleased to receive you letter and let me assure you that I am doing well.

In regards to your question, I think I should remind you that the one thing Snuffles cared most in the world for was you. He wanted you to be safe and happy. Snuffles would have been proud of you for working so hard and adjusting so well. If talking to someone else is what you need, then he would not object or be disappointed.

I hope you will allow me to say that I am very proud of you, too, Harry.

Moony

Harry sat back and sighed, the tangle he had been struggling with the past several days eased slightly, and he began to think that he might be able to get free of it.

“Bad news?” Hermione asked, concern lighting her eyes.

“No,” Harry assured her, “it was just a question I had about Snuffles.”

“Oh. Everything all right?”

“Yeah,” Harry said. “I think so.” A tiny bit of hope crept into his voice.

Ron and Hermione exchanged meaningful glances before Ron said, “Eat up, mate, breakfast is almost over.” Harry shoved the parchment into a pocket with a nod and turned dutifully back to this owl-depleted plate.

-----

The next Saturday Harry was once again sneaking out of his dormitory quite early to meet Draco on the Quidditch Pitch. The blonde was waiting for him, bundled close against the cold. “Good morning,” he greeted Harry politely.

“Morning.”

“How are you finding the potions essay?” Draco inquired solicitously.

“It’s a bit long, but not too bad,” Harry responded. “You?”

“My progress is satisfactory. It helps that my father was able to send me a book on moonstone properties from our family library. I could lend it to you, if you like,” Draco offered.

“Are you certain you want to?” Harry asked in a falsely-jovial tone. “I mean if you lend it to me Hermione will want to read it, too.”

Draco gritted his teeth but said brightly, “Oh, by all means, let Granger see it. I shouldn’t like to stand in her way, after all.” On further consideration, he thought, why not let the mudblood have it. It should prove interesting to see her reaction, especially since not all of the topics the book dealt with were particularly mainstream.

“Thank you,” Harry said, struggling to keep the surprise out of his voice.

“Certainly,” Draco nodded. “I’ll bring it to you Monday in Potions.”

“Brilliant.”

“Shall we, then,” the Slytherin asked withdrawing the snitch from his pocket. Harry nodded as Draco released the small, golden ball and they mounted their brooms.

-----

He knocked tentatively on the door in the dungeon. He was, for some indefinable, inexplicable reason, dreading this Sunday’s meeting even more than he had the last. How could he have been trying to drive Snape away when he had been so angry with him for doing that same thing before? He didn’t even have a particularly good reason, he berated himself. “Come,” came the familiar voice. It was not only caution that prevented him from opening the door as he was bidden, however.

Before he had a chance to even begin identifying the feelings swirling through him, however, the heavy oaken door was swinging open on its hinges and the tall form of his professor stood before him. He ducked under the man’s arm and went to stand next to the chair before the desk.

It was a chair he had occupied far more frequently lately, though he still recalled a time when being in that chair meant being caught doing something he shouldn’t have, or at least shouldn’t have got caught doing. He stood silently for a moment, thinking back to second year when he and Ron had stood here, being lectured for letting Muggles see them in a flying car.

“Are you going to stand there all evening, or will you take the cloak off?” a slightly amused but wary voice broke through his reverie.

The man who spoke to him looked the same as he had back in second year, and yet he did not. There was a small softness in his eyes and voice, and an almost-imperceptible openness that had not been there when he was younger. It had not been there for very long at all, Harry considered, and a flush of shame surged through him. Had he really been so ready to throw away all that the man before him offered by that very softening merely because of a dead man’s dislike? Harry shook his head.

“Are you there?” this time there was no amusement in the voice. “If someone is playing tricks on me,” the eyes tightened and the voice became more of a low growl as he prepared to cross back to the door.

“No, wait,” Harry said quickly, throwing back the hood and tugging the cloak off his shoulders. “I’m here. Sorry I got distracted,” he looked down for a moment, and then his eyes darted back, barely daring to meet the other’s gaze.

Snape froze and considered the boy before him for a moment, then nodded and moved to sit in the chair behind the desk. The menace fell away, but the wariness remained in his posture. “You are well?” he inquired carefully.

“Yes,” Harry assured him. “Are you?”

“I have nothing to complain of.” They sat in silence regarding each other. Finally Harry blushed a little and looked away. “What were you thinking of?”

“Huh?” Harry startled out of recriminating thoughts.

“You said you got distracted, by what?”

“Oh,” Harry said exaggerated understanding tracing across his face. “I was thinking about how things have changed, and how much different it is to sit here now than it was in second year.”

Snape nodded. “Hmmm, yes, the change is dramatic. For one thing, you are not in trouble this time, hard to believe as that is,” there was a hint of teasing in his voice.

“I haven’t been in trouble every time I’ve been in this office,” Harry said mock-defensively. “But I used to feel very differently about coming, even last year…” his voice trailed off and he stared determinedly at the surface of the desk between them.

The corner of Severus’s mouth curved up a little. “Harry,” he said leaning forward, “will you tell me what was troubling you last week?”

“I, I,” Harry paused to search for the words. Snape leaned forward a little farther. “I had a dream,” Harry said at last.

“A dream?” Severus asked in concern.

“I dreamed about Sirius,” Harry said. “And for a moment, I thought—I wondered,” he stumbled to a halt.

“Yes, go on,” Snape pressed him.

“I was afraid that he wouldn’t have wanted…things to change the way they have,” he finished at last.

Severus leaned back and inhaled sharply. “I see,” he murmured softly.

“I wrote to Remus,” Harry hurried on, “he said it would have been okay,” he tried to assure the man before him.

Severus shook his head, “Be that as it may,” he gave a dismissive gesture, “it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks your godfather might have said. It matters what you think.”

Harry looked up at him with wide eyes. “He would not have understood,” the youth said.

Severus closed his eyes. This was it, he had worked hard to help this boy and now the job was done, the boy was leaving him. He tried to tell himself that it didn’t hurt.

“He would not have understood,” Harry repeated seeing his professor wince, “but I think he would have accepted it, in the end, after a lot of yelling, and probably threatening you, and a temper tantrum, and some sulking. In the end, though, he would have accepted it, if only because you have helped me, and Remus would have threatened to beat some sense into him.”

Snape’s eyes flew open at the continuation and he couldn’t help that they widened as the boy spoke. Harry was not leaving after all, despite all the faults he had and all the cruel things he said in class Harry would continue to come back on Sundays. The burden that had settled on his chest eased and he could breathe again. Harry smiled shyly at him and Severus permitted his mouth to curl upwards slightly, reassuring the boy that it was all right, that his moment of doubt was forgiven. How could it not be?

“So,” he said a moment later, resolving to move past this sentimentality, “aside from writing to the werewolf, what else have you done lately?”

Harry rolled his eyes, a part of him was relieved that they were past that emotional moment. It was still a little uncomfortable to him, and more than a little strange to share such a moment with Snape, of all people. Shrugging it off he said, “Well, most notably, I’ve gone flying twice with Malfoy now.”

“What?”

“It’s true,” Harry nodded, “I have. It was actually sort of fun, and since I can’t play on the team now,” he shrugged.

“And what have your friends said about that?” Severus asked curiously. He had known that Draco would need to do something, he had even paired the two boys in lesson to facilitate that, but he had not expected this.

“Well,” Harry squirmed in his seat a little. “Hermione wants me to be careful.”

“Very wise of her,” Severus commented. “And Mr. Weasley?”

“Er, Ron doesn’t know,” Harry intimated hesitantly.

“I see,” Severus said carefully. “Is there any particular reason that you are keeping secrets from your friend?”

Something flashed in Harry’s eye at that, but it was gone again before Severus could identify it. “I just, I don’t think Ron would understand. The reason I agreed was to figure out what Malfoy was up to, but the flying is nice, too. Ron keeps trying to include me in the team, but he can’t because I’m not really part of it anymore, and it’s not the same.”

“I see,” Severus repeated. “You will do your friendship more harm than good, I think, to keep this to yourself. Not to mention that it is grossly unfair to Miss Granger to make her keep your secrets for you.”

“I know,” Harry moaned. “I just don’t know quite how to tell him. I don’t want him blowing up at me, but I know you’re right.” He shrugged defeatedly. “You’re certain you don’t know what’s going on with Malfoy? This could be so much easier if you did,” he looked at Snape curiously.

“No,” Severus shook his head regretfully, “I don’t know.”

“If you did,” Harry asked, “would you tell me?”

“If I could,” Severus said softly, “if there was a greater danger in you not knowing.”

“All right,” Harry acknowledged, wondering a little at the absolute stillness that had passed over his teacher. “Shall we get on with it then?” he said, canting his head to the side.

“Yes,” Snape said decisively. “I think, next week, we may want to try something a little different, but for now, legilimens.”

-----

Severus sighed wearily when Harry had gone. He needed to make rounds, ensure that all the students were quietly pursuing academia and not mischief or each other. He continued to sit, though.

The trust Harry had in him was as refreshing as it was damning. He did not deserve that trust, he knew. He had betrayed it with his lie. But at the same time, it was such a new and enjoyable experience to have someone believe him without proof that he didn’t have the heart to admit his fault. He heaved another sigh. He needed to talk to Albus.

-----

Draco squared his shoulders as he stepped into the corridor in front of the potions classroom. His eyes darted through the clump of students who had not yet resolved themselves into the habitual two lines. He found Potter and Granger standing on the fringe of the group. There was nothing particularly unusual about that, but it was something that had always struck him as odd. Before he came to Hogwarts, he had been certain that Harry Potter would always be at the center of any group. He had even thought so for awhile afterward, and yet it was not so. Unless he was some specific part of what was going on, Potter tended to stick to the edges, where he could move forward or back, as needed.

Draco shook his head and reached to pull a book out of his bag. The gilt writing on the cover proclaimed it to be Moon Stones: Obscure and Obvious Properties. Malfoy tapped Harry on the shoulder, causing the dark-haired boy to turn. “Here you are, Potter, as promised,” Malfoy said, presenting the tome.

“Thanks,” Harry replied looking at the cover, “this should help a lot.”

Draco nodded, “Most of the potion information is in chapter six, but the rest is interesting, too.”

“All right,” Harry nodded. “When do you need it back?”

Draco waved a hand dismissively, “Whenever you finish with it.”

“Right then, thanks again.”

“Of course.” With that the blonde turned and strode away. Both boys ignored the stares directed at them by their classmates and Harry did his best not to notice the way Hermione’s eyes looked like they might engulf her face. It was not until Snape started lecturing that she snapped out of it, and even then the rest of the class darted wondering gazes at the two famous enemies.

-----

As it happened, Albus wasn’t available to see Severus until the following evening. When the appointed time came, he climbed slowly up the stairs and was invited in before he had a chance to knock.

“Hello, Severus,” the headmaster greeted him as he stepped into the room.

“Headmaster,” he greeted the mage with an inclination of his head.

“What can I do for you?” Severus hesitated a moment before answering and Albus suddenly got a knowing look. “Ah, I see. Sit down, Severus,” he said kindly. “Will you have some tea?”

Snape nodded as he seated himself. He watched his employer and mentor pour the tea and stared contemplatively into his cup for a moment. At last he spoke. “I had a rather interesting conversation with Harry yesterday.”

“Did you?”

“Mmm,” Snape nodded.

“Does this have anything to do with the way you’ve been watching him during meals lately with something very like worry in your eyes?” the old wizard’s voice was slightly teasing.

“No, though we did resolve that yesterday too.”

“May I ask what happened, though?”

Severus looked at him piercingly. “It was nothing I did,” he said sharply.

“I did not believe it was,” Albus said soothingly. “It is simply that the two of you have had difficulties in the past. I was curious to know how it was that you had resolved this one so quickly.”

Snape did not look entirely mollified, but he said, “Harry was suddenly afraid that he was not doing justice to Black’s memory.”

“Ah,” Albus was nodding again. “How did you convince him that he was?”

“I did not.”

“I beg your pardon?” there was a hint of warning in the elder man’s voice.

“He wrote to Lupin,” Severus explained. “When he discussed it with me I pointed out that whatever Lupin said it was what Harry himself thought that mattered. In the end, he convinced himself.”

Dumbledore smiled at him, eyes a-twinkle, “Well,” he said merrily, “that is progress indeed.”

“Indeed. He also informed me that Draco has invited him to go flying.”

“And?” Dumbledore leaned forward slightly.

“He has gone.”

“Excellent,” the white-haired wizard clapped his hands together. “You see, Severus, this may all work out for the best after all.”

“Perhaps,” the potions master looked unconvinced. “Harry has asked me, twice now, whether I know why Malfoy is behaving oddly.”

“He asked directly?” The twinkle dimmed a little.

“Yes. I lied to him. I told him I did not know why. He believed me, Albus,” Snape glared fiercely at the man before him.

“Have a little faith, Severus, all is not yet lost.”

“And when the boy finds out what I have done? Will it be lost then?”

“That I cannot say,” Dumbledore shook his head, “But Harry is a good lad, a good young man. Have a little faith, Severus.”

Snape just scowled.