"Please sit, Mr. Potter," Snape said as soon as they were in his rooms. He waved his hand towards the various candles throughout the room, which instantly made them flicker to life with warm flames. He then calmly closed the door to give them privacy. In the light, he caught the defensive posture in the boy immediately. The boy was alert and seemed to be ready for an attack. "I already gave my Wizard's Oath, Harry. You have no reason to fear me." He then caught the boy's eyes narrowing. "I must admit that over the years I have harbored certain grudges that I regrettably passed onto you. I apologize for this. Now, I am sure you are wondering why I called you here so early in the morning."

"You want to tell me the truth about something," Harry replied before sitting down in a chair.

"Yes." Snape inhaled deeply. "The Headmaster believes that you need to learn Occlumency because there seems to be a connection between your mind and the Dark Lord's. I am to teach you this, Potter." He noticed the boy's confusion. "To learn Occlumency properly, there must be a certain level of trust between the teacher and his student. Frankly, we don't trust each other. Anyone who has ever seen us together knows this fact. Therefore, no amount of effort I put forth would make a bit of difference."

"So you're trying to establish trust between us, Snape?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Snape then sighed heavily before he too sat down. "You may ask me anything you wish for an hour. I have also included some memories that I wish you to view. However, there will be no questions about the Order."

"Any question? So I could ask you why you hate me—"

"And I would answer."

"Truthfully or not, Snape?" the boy asked curiously. He wouldn't put it past Snape to lie.

"I thought we would hit this little snag," Snape drawled with a soft smirk. He then pulled out a little familiar bottle. He handed it over to Harry. "I trust you know what this is?"

"It's the stuff you were going to give me last year, Veritaserum."

"Indeed," Snape responded before leaning back. "Then you recognize that by my giving it to you is as an act of my trust. I will drink it if you wish me to." He narrowed his eyes when Harry handed it back. He quietly pocketed it and sighed. "You do not trust me, Potter. I have never given you reason to."

"No, but consider it an act of faith on my part."

"You are so like your mother," Snape quietly mumbled. He knew the boy heard him.

"All right, so I just ask you a question." Snape nodded. "Okay, why do you hate me?"

"I do not 'hate' you. I merely dislike you. Your father and I were much like you and Mr. Malfoy. We did not get along. Before you ask, I believe it stemmed over my friendship with your mother. Your father did not like that I was friends with her so he decided to intimidate me into leaving her alone."

"You were in the same year as my parents?"

"Yes. I was in Slytherin, and your parents were in Gryffindor, which you already knew."

"How…how did you know my mother?"

"I grew up with her. I had watched her from afar in the park with her sister and noticed her doing magic. She was not enthusiastic when I told her that she was witch. She believed I was insulting her. We became friends after that. However, it ended our fifth-year when I called her a particularly nasty name. I had lost my temper and lashed out at her. She ended up with your father after that."

"You loved her." It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"Yes. I did everything I could in my power to protect your mother from the Dark Lord. I failed, though, and as a result, you became an orphan because of my mistake."

"You didn't kill them, Snape. He did."

"No. I gave him the reason to go after your parents. I…I regret that I was the one who gave the Dark Lord the prophecy concerning your birth. If I had not done that, your parents would still be alive. However, I…I wanted to fit in badly somewhere and I thought with the Death Eaters I would. When he told me that he would go after your family, I knew. I pleaded with the Dark Lord not to hurt her. I regret now that I didn't care what happened to you or your father, but I loved her, Harry. I even went to Albus and begged him to protect her. I admitted that I was a Death Eater, which made him look at me with disgust. None of it helped, though. I might not have casted the curse, but I am just as guilty as he is. That is what I wanted to tell you, Harry." Snape then sighed. "However, you must know that I am now bound to an Unbreakable Vow to protect you, which means if I fail to protect you, I too will die."