Harry lay there, thinking, for a long time. He knew Snape wasn't lying -- the cold Head of Slytherin would never show that much emotion in a lie -- but part of him wanted to believe it was. It did explain a lot, pretty much everything that Harry had wondered about for the past year; but it brought up more questions, more thoughts and feelings, and Harry was completely lost in them. He didn't know what to think or to feel because there were so many conflicting thoughts and feelings.

What exactly should he be feeling, anyway? He had just assumed that his parents had always loved each other. If that wasn't true, then what? His parents were still his parents, nothing Snape said could change that; but yet it made Harry think differently. Had his mother really come that close to falling in love with Snape, instead of James Potter? If she had really stuck by him until fifth year, they had to have been good friends at the least. Harry had always thought that Lily would have disliked Snape as much as Dumbledore said James had. Was it possible Snape had been lying?

And yet, Snape's story even explained Aunt Petunia. If she had been jealous that Lily was a witch, it would explain why she had taken it out on Harry all those years. All the pieces seemed to fit. So why was Harry so reluctant to believe Snape's story? Was it just because he didn't want to believe that it could be possible?

As Harry was trying to decipher his thoughts, Severus was downstairs attempting the exact same thing. He was also preparing lunch, but his head wasn't there. Twice, he almost sliced a potholder instead of a slice of bread with the knife he had charmed.

Severus, however, was not debating whether this story was true or not, because he knew it was. He was trying to understand what had made him tell it just then; he certainly hadn't intended to. It was as if, as the Muggles put it, it just slipped out. But long hidden secrets did not just slip out, particularly from the mind or mouth of Severus Snape.

It must have been because he saw Lily in the boy, Severus decided. That was the only explanation. He had never been able to say no to Lily, and so while he had been thinking of Lily and looking into those eyes that were so like hers, he hadn't been able to refuse that knowledge to Harry, either. At least, that was the only possibility he could see.

Before he even realized it, lunch was ready and laid out on the table. It was strange that time seemed to move quickly when one was lost in thought. Maybe it was because time seemed to be of no consequence when one was thinking of the past.

Severus barely realized what he was doing as he walked through the house and up the hidden stairs. However, he paused before the door to Harry's room. He didn't know what the boy's reaction would be, now that he had been given enough time to take it in. Would he even believe it?

There was a knock on the door and Harry looked over toward the door. It didn't open, and his eyebrows twitched upward slightly. "Er.. hello?"

Now the door swung open, and Snape stood framed in the doorway. He did not enter the room, just stood there and said, "Lunch is ready downstairs, Harry."

Harry stared. "What?" he asked incredulously, looking at Snape as if he had never seen anything quite like him.

"I said that lunch is waiting in the kitchen."

Still, Harry didn't seem to register what had been said. He just stared at the black-robed figure standing in the doorway and blinked once, as if in surprise. At last, he seemed to find his voice and said in amazement, "You knocked on the door. Then you didn't come in until I answered. And you called me Harry."

Now it was Severus's turn to pause, astounded. He hadn't even realized that he had done any of that aside from knocking on the door. Yet now he realized that he had, even though he hadn't thought anything of it at the time. Was seeing Lily in the boy really changing Severus's perception of him so much that he was beginning to treat him differently, as well?

"Perhaps I did," he said at last, in a rather quieter voice than usual. Then he regained his composure and went on in his normal brisk tones, "However, that matter is of no consequence. I came to inform you that lunch is ready."

This time, Harry shook his head. "I.. don't want anything to eat."

Severus paused. "You should eat," he said quietly. "It isn't good for you to skip meals when you already haven't been eating properly at the hands of that filth."

Then, as much to his surprise as to Snape's, Harry smiled. Snape was being protective! He hadn't really stopped to realize that earlier, though he didn't know now how he could have missed it. Somehow it was very amusing, now that the initial shock of being taken away from the Dursleys and brought here had worn off.

"No, thanks," Harry answered. "I couldn't eat if I wanted to. And I don't want to."

There was another pause, and Severus nodded. "All right," he said slowly. "But you will be expected to eat dinner, Harry."

Harry agreed, and Severus left. This time he was very aware of each step as he went down them, of his black robes billowing behind him, of the thin beams of light filtering through the cracks around the door ahead of him. Then, when he opened the door, there was the smell of food wafting in from the kitchen on the draft that had always run through the first floor. It was as if his senses were trying to make up for the last hour or so, when he hadn't noticed anything around him.

For some reason, Severus left Harry's share on the table until after he finished. Maybe he thought the boy would change his mind, or maybe it would just be easier to clear everything at one time. He debated bringing a plate up to Harry, but decided against it. Severus didn't want to give the boy a reason to hide up in the room for the rest of the summer should he decide that he would rather avoid the Potions Master.

Harry didn't resist, though, when Severus came five hours later to bring him down for supper. He seemed to have become even quieter while he was upstairs alone, and Severus wasn't sure what that meant. He doubted that it could be a good thing, at any rate.

Then, a few minutes after the two of them sat down to dinner, Harry suddenly spoke up.

"Professor Snape? Can I -- can I ask you something? Sir?"

Severus's right eyebrow raised, but his voice was inscrutable as he said, "You may."

Harry looked down, ran his tongue over his dry lips, and at last took a deep breath. It was obvious that he either didn't know what to say or how to say whatever it was that he wanted to communicate.

"I really don't know.. what you expect me to think about all this," he said at last, staring at the table as he was seemingly unable to look at Severus. "I don't know what I should think. It took me this long to try to figure out what I do think, and I still don't think I really know yet."

Severus just watched him; he wasn't about to interrupt or try to tell Harry what to think. He wanted to know what was going through the twelve-year-old's mind. Severus was trying to catch the boy's eye, but he would not look up.

"I don't understand why no one told me all this before. It makes me a little angry that people are hiding things from me again. I got enough of that in eleven years with the Dursleys to last me a lifetime, but it doesn't look like people are going to stop any time soon.

"I don't know what I feel about you and my mother. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you told me.. but it's just so confusing. I always thought.. everyone always acted like my parents were always..." He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I just don't know."

Severus was silent. Harry was both confusing him and giving him greater insight into the boy's thinking, but he had yet to hear a question. However, as he watched the boy, he suddenly looked up; and Severus was startled to see that there were streaks on Harry's face, leading down from those vivid green eyes.

"If you're telling me all this," Harry said through clenched teeth, "what does it mean? Are you being civil toward me because of all this? Are you going to start hating me again as soon as you forget about it? And if you're not sending me back to the Dursleys, what is going to happen?"

Suddenly Severus stood straight up, knocking his chair backward, and Harry's head jerked up so that his eyes stayed on the Potions Master. Severus, however, did not notice; he had turned and was gazing out of the kitchen window, toward the rubbish-strewn river.

Was the boy expecting.. comfort? He seemed to be uncertain about a lot of things, and Severus didn't have answers for all of those questions. Really, he barely had answers at all. How was he supposed to answer questions if he needed them answered himself? Yet, he had to say something. It was his fault that Harry was so worried and confused in the first place.

Severus took a deep breath and turned around. When he did, he nearly jumped; but he managed to limit his reaction to a widening of the eyes. Harry was now standing on the side of the table Severus had just vacated. The boy looked astounded at his own daring, but no less confused than he had a moment earlier.

"You're not going to answer me, are you?" Harry asked.

"I never said that," Severus answered quietly. "But neither did I say that I knew all the answers."

"So then you're not going to answer my questions."

"I cannot answer all of them. I did not say that I wouldn't try."

Harry swallowed hard and nodded. Snape was beginning to sound a little annoyed, and that didn't bode well.

Severus could see something akin to fear in Harry's eyes, and the Potions Master didn't like it one bit. He knew he had betrayed a hint of impatience in his voice, and he was angry with himself for that. This time, though, he was careful to keep his voice level.

"Listen to me, Harry," Severus said quietly, making a point of maintaining eye contact as he spoke. "I'm not going to hurt you. I swear it." He paused for a moment, then put a hand on Harry's shoulder as if for reassurance. "Do you believe me?"

Harry was completely stunned, both by Snape's declaration and the fact that he had put a hand on Harry's shoulder. That certainly didn't seem like the Snape that Harry knew. At least, the one he thought he knew. Was it possible that he had been wrong? For a long moment, he just stared at Snape; then, at last, he nodded.

"Why do you think I didn't want you to go back to your aunt and uncle, Harry?" Severus asked earnestly. "Why else would I have taken you out of that place? I know what they were doing. No one deserves it."

Harry looked surprised. "I -- but -- what do you mean?" he stammered.

"Precisely what I said. Harry, do you really believe that I would stop those Muggle fools from throwing you around and half starving you to death just to bring you here and mistreat you myself?"

For a moment, Harry seemed to survey Snape, as if trying to decide what to think. Then at last Harry said softly, "No. No, I don't think you would." He paused for a second, as if trying to decide if he wanted to say something else, before at last he asked, "How.. do you know?" He already knew the answer, but he wanted to know if Snape would try to lie to him.

Severus was silent for a few seconds, during which he gazed at Harry as if sizing him up. "There are many areas of magic that you have not learned of yet," he said at last. "Some of them, you might already know if those Muggles hadn't kept the truth from you for so long. Not everything, however; and many things you would do better not to know.. until you are ready."

"So you used some kind of magic on me?" Harry asked.

Maybe he was wrong, but he thought he saw a hint of amusement in Snape's black eyes. That certainly wasn't anything that Harry had ever seen before, and so he had decided that he must have imagined it when Snape asked wryly, "Does your inquisitiveness know no bounds?"

Harry stared. "Did you just make a joke?" he asked incredulously.

Severus crossed his arms and inquired, "Which question would you prefer that I answered? Would you rather know if I made a joke or would you prefer that I answered what I could of your original questions?"

"What I asked you before," Harry answered immediately, looking quite somber again.

Severus frowned slightly and said, "First you must understand that I cannot answer all of your questions. I can't answer what I don't know myself, and I don't know what will happen now. All that I do know is that you will not be going back to those Muggles while I have any power to prevent it," he added in a low, determined voice.

"If my.. attitude toward you has shifted somewhat, there are many reasons, most of which you can likely guess yourself. Professor Dumbledore was right; I have never hated you. In fact, I protected you last year, protected you for Lily. I am sure Professor Dumbledore told you that."

"He told me, yes," Harry answered quietly. "He didn't say.. that is, he didn't tell me the real reason why. I suppose he does know?"

"Of course he does. There are not many things that Albus Dumbledore doesn't know."

Harry fell silent, but Snape seemed to guess what he had been thinking. At any rate, Severus chose that moment to say, "He had given his word not to tell anyone, Harry. He was not trying to keep anything from you, except by my request."

Harry's green eyes found Severus's black ones, and suddenly Harry asked, "Were you ever going to tell me this, if you hadn't come to the Dursleys? If Aunt Petunia hadn't -- said the things she said?"

Severus paused, thinking. After a moment, he answered, "I.. cannot really answer that. I don't know what I might have chosen to do. I suppose it would have depended on the situation."

*~*~*

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, but there was a definite shift, nonetheless. Now it was a thoughtful silence, as both Harry and Severus were trying to clear up their own thoughts. It was no longer the ringing, uncomfortable silence that it had been, whether the two who were sitting in the middle of it realized that yet or not.

Not much was said after dinner, either. Severus went downstairs to tend his potion while Harry retreated upstairs to his quiet bedroom. It was quite different from Privet Drive, where he had to listen to the Dursleys snoring or Aunt Petunia squealing about how cute Dudley's newest school photograph was.

It was the dead of night when Severus came wearily upstairs. Late as it was, he was surprised to see that light was filtering out from the crack beneath Harry's bedroom door. Perhaps he had fallen asleep with the light on?

Severus rapped gently on the door with his knuckles; there was no answer. He knocked a little harder, but still nothing. Finally he opened the door, and as he did, the corners of his lips twitched. Had he almost smiled?

The contents of Harry's trunk were back inside it, although it appeared that they had been packed in no particular order. Several books and as many rolls of parchment were laid out on the bed, but the quill beside them was dry and the ink pot corked. Harry was in the chair by the desk, his wand clutched loosely in one hand. It appeared that he had been sitting there, looking out the window, with his chin in his hand. Now he was asleep, slumped onto the desk and breathing rhythmically.

Severus crossed the room and stopped beside the spindly chair. Why in Merlin's name had the boy been sitting in front of the window long enough to fall asleep? There was no sign of a book or parchment anywhere nearby, so he must have just been looking out of the window.

For a moment, Severus debated leaving Harry there, but decided against it. He would probably have a crick in his neck in the morning as it was, and he was an easy target for a curse from the outside if he stayed there. There was still every chance that the owl -- or just the information -- had fallen into the wrong hands.

Again, Severus found himself shaking Harry's shoulder in an attempt to wake him up. This time it was easy, thoguh. Harry wasn't deeply asleep -- how could he be, in that position? -- and sat up almost immediately. He looked quite bleary-eyed, and his glasses were lop-sided. "Hm?" he asked unclearly, blinking several times to try to bring Snape's face into focus.

"It is very late," said Severus. "You must have fallen asleep in front of the window."

"Sleep? I was asleep. Wasn't I?"

"Yes. You fell asleep in front of the window."

"Oh, right," Harry said, stifling a yawn and straightening his glasses.

"You should go to bed," Severus advised. "You need to rest. It has.. been a very long day."

Harry chuckled grimly and murmured, "I'll say."

*~*~*

There was no scratching of a quill when Severus passed Harry's door the next morning, no swishing sound as pages of a book turned. Perhaps the boy was still asleep, Severus thought. It made sense, since Harry hadn't slept much in at least the last two days.

Much to Severus's surprise, however, just as he was about to go fetch Harry for breakfast, the twelve-year-old came walking down the stairs. This time, it was Harry who seemed to know what the other was thinking, because he grinned slightly and said, "It's the same time you called me for breakfast yesterday. You're a creature of habit."

The corners of Severus's mouth twitched again. Yes, Harry definitely had Lily in him; James Potter would never have caught on to something like that so quickly. Learning a curse he wanted to use on someone, or various flying skills, yes; but not something like that.

Of course, Severus didn't say any of this out loud. He just nodded and said, "Clever." Then he led the way toward the kitchen, but Harry figured that was as close to a compliment as he could ever hope to receive from Severus Snape.

Breakfast started out as quietly as the meals before it. This time, however, Harry broke the silence.

"How do you do it?" he asked suddenly, and Severus looked up.

"How do I do what, exactly?"

"Stay awake. You've gotten up every morning before I have, and gone to bed after me. How do you do that?"

Severus smirked. "I expect you will find out yourself, before too long. Third years at Hogwarts take on extra classes, and the amount of homework greatly increases. I daresay that you and your little friends will be staying up at least until midnight and waking with the dawn before too long."

Harry didn't like the sound of that very much, but he didn't suppose there was anything he could do about it. At least he wouldn't have to think about extra classes this year.

"What new classes?" he asked curiously, stabbing a sausage with his fork. "How many do we take?"

"These are elective classes, Harry; you take whichever ones you prefer, and whichever ones will help you get the job you desire. There is Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Muggle Studies.. It's virtually impossible to take them all, there isn't enough time in the day. Most wizards in training ask for advice from their families and consider their options for what they wish to do after school."

"Hm!" Harry murmured, nibbling thoughtfully on his sausage. Then he suddenly grinned and said, "I bet you Hermione will have a field day with that! She'll want to take every class, wait and see."

"I doubt that is possible."

"That doesn't mean she won't try. Hermione would take a class on how to go to class if they had one, and she's an expert at that. I wouldn'tbe surprised if she tried to take Muggle Studies."

Severus looked confused. "I thought Granger was Muggle-born?"

Harry grinned again and said, "Exactly." Then all traces of amusement slid off his face as he overlong sleeve of Dudley's old shirt fell into a pool of pancake syrup.

Severus's black eyes followed this movement, and he frowned. "Are those things all that you have to wear?"

Color rose in Harry's face at this. He dropped his gaze to his plate and murmured, "Yes.. They're Dudley's old things. The Dursleys never spent much on me if they could help it."

Instantly, Severus's frown became more of a scowl. He had expected as much, but hearing Harry admit it aloud was quite another matter. It brought up an anger inside Severus like he had no felt for a long time.

"We'll have to remedy that," he said when Harry had finished speaking. "You need some proper clothes, not hand-me-downs frmo a conceited swine."

Harry stared as Snape went on to say, "Your Hogwarts letter should come soon. After that, I will take you to Diagon Alley to get your things. Twilfoot and Tatting's sells clothes that are evry much like a Muggle's. Similar enough to fool a Muggle, at any rate."

"Twilfoot and Tatting's," Harry repeated blankly.

"Yes. I expect you've only been inside Madam Malkin's, for your uniform. She makes finer robes and cloaks, but she doesn't sell anything else."

Harry blinked and tried not to gape. "Er.. thank you," he said uncertainly, not knowing exactly what to say. He wasn't accustomed to this sort of thoughtfulness on Snape's part -- or anyone else's, for that matter.

Severus just nodded and went back to his plate. A moment later, though, he remembered something else that he had intended to ask.

"Why were you sitting in front of the window last night?"

Harry looked surprised at this question, and it took him a moment to find his voice. Even when he did, he spoke in an embarrassed sort of mumble. "Well, I... You said that my mum grew up close by, and I was just trying to imagine where she might have lived, is all."

If Harry was surprised by the question, then Severus was stunned by the answer. He had expected that Harry would have been waiting for an owl or something of the sort.

"Well," Severus said at last, "I'm afraid that your window faces the wrong way. The Evans family lived on this side of the river, in a place called Longriver Court."

"Oh," Harry said slowly, trying not to sound disappointed. "Are there still Muggles there?"

"Yes, I believe so. I don't frequent the place, any more." He paused for a moment, watching Harry stab moodily at the last piece of sausage, and then said suddenly, "Perhaps you would like to pay a visit?" Harry looked up immediately, wide-eyed, as Severus continued, "The antidote I am brewing will be finished soon. Then I could take you there, to see where she lived."

Severus didn't know what had made him say that; it wasn't at all like him. Yet it sounded right as he said it, though he couldn't even attempt to divine the reason why.

"Really!?" Harry blurted out, dropping his fork completely. "You -- you would do that? Take me there?"

There was a couple seconds' pause, and then Severus said in a voice that sounded a lot more sure that he felt, "Certainly."