“You really do not comprehend what I have just discussed with you, do you Potter?” Snape snapped from behind his labatory table.  The older wizard was busy packing up his equipment, whereas Harry was busy unpacking the same equipment.

“Snape, I don’t understand why you turned down McGonagall’s offer to let you have your position back.”  Harry stated emphatically as he attempted to place the potion ingredients back on the shelf.  Snape quickly grabbed the bottles out of the younger wizard’s hands and replaced the bottles back into their spots in the bag.

“I do not know how much clearer I can make it for you, Potter.” Snape growled as Harry continued to unpack his belongings. “I. Do. Not. Want. That. Position. Back.”

“Sir, I’m sure you just are not in the right frame of mind to be making any decisions at the moment.” Harry said compassionately causing Snape to growl once more at him. “I am sure you did not become a teacher just to give up when it becomes too hard.  You are not that much of a coward.”

“Potter,” Snape drew out his name, sighed and rubbed his temples. “This is in no way any concern of yours, but I never wanted to be a teacher.  I never wanted to come back to this school to teach.”

“Good joke, sir…” Harry started, causing Snape to raise his hand up to silence him.

“First, it was the Dark Lord commanding me to take a position at Hogwarts.  After I ended my allegiance to the Dark Lord, it was Dumbledore’s insistence that I needed to stay within the safe confines of Hogwarts due to being paroled on his good word.”  Snape continued as he moved in his main room and started to pack his cloths.

“I highly doubt that is true sir.  You obviously cared a great deal for all of us.”

Snape paused for a moment and raised his eyebrow. “What in the world gave you that ridiculous idea, Mr. Potter?”

“Well,” Harry took the opportunity to grab some of the professor’s clothes out of the bag. “You tried to protect the students to the best of your ability over the past year and you have always protected me.”

The older wizard snatched the clothing back and looked Harry directly in the eye.  “Some you have come to the conclusion then, Mr. Potter, that I find teaching enjoyable.  I regret to inform you then that I am not the least bit interested in continuing to teach or remaining at Hogwarts.”

“They all know that you were Dumbledore’s man now Professor.  The parents won’t care that you used to be a deatheater.”

“What part of I do not want to teach do you not understand Potter?”  Snape hissed at the younger wizard as he threw his clothes in his bag.

Harry did not find this at all perturbing.  His mother had reassured him that Severus would open up to him and continue to teach him.  Severus Snape just did not know it yet.

“I understand that you need some rest Professor.  I will meet you here in your quarters tomorrow.” Harry smiled thinking of all that his mother had told him when he had used the stone most recently.  “I’m sure you will be thinking much more clearly tomorrow.”

HJP/STS/HJP/STS

The next morning, Harry went down to the dungeons in search of his professor.  Despite knocking on the professor’s door to his quarters for almost a quarter of the hour, the older wizard had not answered or acknowledged Harry’s presence.

Harry decided it was time to involved Professor McGonagall.

“Headmistress, do you know where Professor Snape is?”  Harry stated in a rush.  He knew the professor was having troubling thoughts and he wanted to nip any ideas the Slytherin had of leaving in the bud. “We were supposed to meet this morning at his quarters.”

“Mr. Snape has left Hogwarts' employ Mr. Potter.” McGonagall stated simply.

“You let him leave!” Harry cried.  This wasn’t possible.  Snape was supposed to stay.  His mother had said so.  The older wizard had so much to tell him! “Why would you do something as stupid as that Professor!?!” 

McGonagall glared at her pupil.  “Language Mr. Potter. Just because you are almost eighteen-years-old, Potter does not mean it is appropriate for you to speak to your elder in such a fashion.”

“I’m sorry Professor McGonagall, but why would you let him leave?”  Harry asked desperately.  “Why would you let him be a coward and run away from the one place he considers to be his home?”

“It seems Mr. Potter that you are making a lot of assumptions about Mr. Snape.” The Headmistress stated quietly.

“No, I’m not!” Harry grounded out.  “I can tell that he loved it here.  It was his home.”

McGonagall looked at the younger wizard for a moment.  Harry felt as if the older woman was looking into his soul.  Slowly, she put down the tea cup she had been holding since Harry’s abrupt arrival.

“No Mr. Potter, Hogwarts has never been Mr. Snape’s home. “ Harry began to protest, but McGonagall raised her hand effectively cutting him off.  “Listen Mr. Potter.  In a lot of ways, Hogwarts has been Mr. Snape’s personal Azkaban.”

The witch looked through the window out onto the destroyed Hogwarts’ campus.  “Severus never wanted to teach children.  If he ever had any desire to do so, he most likely would have been teaching at the university level or as a potion master to an apprentice.  However, Severus never wanted to teach.”

Harry glared at her.  She was making excuses.  “He obviously cared for his snakes and the rest of us, Ma’am.  That would point to him having strong instincts to be a teacher.”

“He was the snake’s protector.  He never enjoyed teaching or Hogwarts.  I believe, unlike Professor Dumbledore, that Hogwarts stood for everything that went wrong in Severus’ life.  Every school year, every day was like a knife re-opening wounds on the man’s soul and allowing infection to set in.”

Harry shook his head. “You’re lying.”

McGonagall seemed to mimic Professor Snape when she raised her own eyebrow. “Why would I do that, Mr. Potter?”

“Because it was obvious that Hogwarts was Professor’s Snape’s sanctuary!” Harry exclaimed and he started pacing back and forth.   “You are letting him run away from the one place he could re-make his life.”

“Hogwarts has not been Mr. Snape’s sanctuary for a long time Mr. Potter.  This castle probably has not been a haven of any kind for Severus since the other teachers and I took the Marauder’s side over Severus’.  We blindly believed that the Marauders were harmless pranksters.  Severus and the Slytherins were only the first of their victims.  The Marauders targeted Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that were on the fringes of their houses too.  All those students made their own choices, but I can tell you when the pledges for Hogwarts are requested from the alumni, none of those students contribute, not do they send their children to Hogwarts.”

McGonagall stood up slowly and moved towards the fire, as Harry stopped and looked at her.

“Then those alumni are cowards for not giving their children a great life experience and the chance to experience what the alumni never had.  My father and his friends cannot be blamed for their actions.” Harry said with a look of defiance.

“No.” McGonagall stated slowly as she turned back to look into the fire.  “Your father and his friends were only one part of the problem.  But either way, it does not change the fact that Mr. Snape has chosen to move on with his life.”

“He is being a coward Professor!  Why would you let him become the one thing that he hates more than anything else in the world?”

“How is it being a coward Mr. Potter, when Severus is merely attempting to fulfill his own dreams of freedom?  He has wanted the chance to be free of Hogwarts since he was fifteen-years-old.”  The Headmistress turned around and stared hard at Harry.  “Why do you believe yourself to be privileged as to dictate Mr. Snape’s life?”

“Why don’t you care enough to try?!?  He is running away Professor.  He cares about us, about me, and he is running away!  Why would he leave?  My mother wouldn’t have wanted him to leave me!” Harry exclaimed, knowing that his mother would actually be furious that Severus was not doing as he promised.

“Forgive me Mr. Potter, but where does it state that I am Severus’ keeper?  What right do you have to demand he stay when he has repaid his debt to your mother a thousand times over with his blood, sweat, and life?”The witch raised out her seat and advanced towards Harry. “In reality, that debt ended the moment he warned Dumbledore of the truth and pledged his service to the side of the light. Who do you think you are, Mr. Potter?”

The witch had drawn herself up to her full height and glared at the younger wizard.

“He was in love with my mom!  She made him promise to care for me!”

“Lily Potter never asked Severus that.  I have no idea where you got that idea.” McGonagall shook her head in disgust.  “In fact, she never even believed that he had switched sides. I remember her stating that frequently during Order meetings. By the time Severus had returned to the light, Lily was so firmly entrenched in your father’s and your godfather’s beliefs about Slytherins that she could not even tell that the sky was up.”

“Lies.  All lies.  My mother knew.” Harry practically growled the words.  How dare this witch contradict the knowledge he had gained.  She knew nothing! “I know she asked him!”

McGonagall sighed.  “Believe what you may Potter.  Know only that you have no claim to Severus’ life.  You never asked to remain in contact with him.  Perhaps if you had, he would have obliged.  However one will never know now.  However, you decided it would be a better course of action to assume and demand that he remain at Hogwarts.”

“It's his home, the only safe place he has ever know.”

Harry could almost see McGonagall restraining herself from rolling her eyes.  She took a deep breath, slowly released it before she spoke once more.

“Say, for sake of argument, that Hogwarts had been ‘the only safe place he has known.’”

“It is.”

“It was not. But you will not listen, so it is neither here nor there.” McGonagall stated simply.  “But say it had been.  Why are you so certain that it is braver to stay where it is safe rather than to reach for ones dreams.”

“They aren’t his dreams, Headmistress!  He is only running away from his fears.” Harry replied with conviction.

The Headmistress merely looked at him, “So should he be like you and settle for what is known because it is comfortable?  If Severus was here he would ask you that.  He would ask you if you really wanted to be an auror or if that was merely what you think others want for you?  Perhaps he might ask if you really intend on marrying Ms. Weasley?  Will you marry out of love or out of obligation and expectation?”

Harry felt his blood rise to his face. Still he spat out, “That is a load of shit Professor.”

McGonagall merely signed.  “It seems that we have reached an impasse Mr. Potter.  Neither of us will back down from out positions.”

“Fine, if you won’t help me then I’ll just have to find him myself.  I will drag the coward back myself.  And to think I thought him to be brave.  No wonder he was a snake.  I will show him how to be a proper lion, as he should have allowed the hat to make him.”

“You cannot control the human spirit Harry, nor is it likely that you will find him.  He has more years experience on you.”

“You should have made him sign a teaching contract, Professor, as soon as he woke up.  You should have helped him get better.  To become the man he should be instead of a coward.”

“Potter, Mr. Snape would have never been allowed to teach here again.  Not after last year.  Too much damage had been done and parents would not have forgiven the fact that Severus allowed the evils that happened happen.”

“Of course he would!  His name has been cleared by Dumbledore’s own memories and his magic is strong once more!  He has no excuses which he can hide behind.” Harry moved forwards to challenge his Headmistress.  He could not understand why a woman who prided herself in her bravery and courage would back down from a fight.

McGonagall just looked at Harry almost blankly.  “The parents would have demanded his immediate resignation, Mr. Potter.  You must realize that things are not as simple as a set of memories clearing Pro… Mr. Snape.”

“No, the parents would be proud to have such a great defender of their children teaching at the school.” Harry stated with conviction.  “People know now that Snape was on the side of the light.  In the end that is all that matters.”

The Headmistress shook her head and waved her hand as she sat down.  “Mr. Potter, you of all people should realize that it takes people a long time to forgive and forget.  And often they do not forget at all.”

She glanced up from the paperwork she had busied herself with.  “That sentiment is especially true with Wizarding parents.”

The Boy-Who-Lived simply stared at the Headmistress for a moment, before turning around and leaving the office with the slam of a door.

STS/HJP/STS/HJP

“Did you enjoy getting to tell the boy your reasoning in my form, Severus?” asked a voice from behind the Headmistress.

The Minerva continued to work on paperwork as the other Minerva became visible in the parlor doorway.

“He did not listen to me the first hundred times I told him in my form, so I admit it was therapeutic.” Came the reply from the rapidly changing person in the desk chair.  It was if there had never been a second Minerva at all, even the form’s clothes changed.

When Severus had returned to his own form, he looked over at Minerva.

“I know Minerva that one can only help people to the extent to which they are willing to be helped, but I must admit some of Mr. Potter’s words pained me.”

Minerva looked at Severus’ blank face. “If you stayed Severus, you wouldn’t be helping him, only hindering him.  He is too used to people doing things for him without him asking for them. “

“Not what I meant Minerva.  He is right in some ways, I am running away.” Severus stated as he turned to look out of the office’s large glass window facing the front of the castle’s property.

“Severus, you need to heal.  We have never given you that opportunity.” Minerva replied softly, placing her hand on Severus’ right arm.  She dutifully ignored the flinch that the man exhibited. “In Harry’s eyes, except for death, everything can be solved by either a few words, ignoring it, or by blindly crashing into the problem.”

Severus chuckled humorlessly.  “That would be the Gryffindor way.”

“Not all of us are like that, Severus.”

“I know.  However, he twists my thoughts in both the ways his parents did.  I do not know how I feel about him, if I even feel anything about him at all.” Severus turned to face her, expecting her to lash out at him.

Instead she placed her hand on his face. “It’s okay for you to just think of him as a student Severus. I know you would have protected any of the students in that fashion. The only thing different about Harry is that he is the son of someone you loved and to which you felt you had an obligation.”

She seemed to hesitate for a moment.  “I think all of us wanted you to have more to show that there hadn’t been any damage done.  At least nothing permanent.”

There was silence for a long moment before a quiet response came.

“You all were wrong.”

“I know that now.” Minerva looked into her old co-worker’s eyes. “For what it is worth, I am deeply sorry.”

Severus nodded before going to the closet and retrieving his cloak.

“Where will you go next?”

Severus paused. “I think I will finish my schooling for being a healer.  It is time, I believe for me to move forwards.”

“Good for you Severus.” Minerva graced him with a smile. “Do I have your permission to write you?”

“As long as you don’t tell Potter where I am, then you may.”

“Thank you.”

Severus glanced around the room once, before nodding slightly to Minerva. 

Then he disappeared.