“Severus,” Harry had asked, “what’s a Death Eater?”

“Where did you hear that word?” Professor Snape questioned sharply.

Harry reeled back a bit, surprised by the raised voice. He didn’t say it out loud, because he wasn’t totally stupid, but he thought that was a rather daft question to ask. Hadn’t they both been there when Mr. Malfoy had referred to Severus as one? Hadn’t they both seen that paper in Professor Dumbledore’s office? “Er, well… it’s not a word, is it? It’s two.”

Professor Snape was giving him the kind of look that he was all too familiar with, so Harry hurried on, “Uh, anyway, I- I heard Mr. Malfoy say it, and you, and in passing… And the papers… and the other kids…”

Professor Snape sighed. “I suppose it’s a fairly unavoidable word, then.”

Harry nodded, humming, “They, um… they say that you are one, whatever it is.”

“Was one,” Severus corrected, looking uncomfortable. “Though that hardly sanctifies me.”

Harry bit his lip and wrung his hands together. “Well, what does it mean, then?”

Severus stood from the sofa and began to pace, looking just about as nervous as Harry felt. He made a couple of slow laps around the room before sitting back down next to Harry.

“There are a lot of ways I could respond to your question. I suppose I’ll try to supply with you the most straightforward answer.”

“And what would that be?” asked Harry.

“I’m getting there,” he said, giving Harry a kind but strained smile. He quickly looked away, eyes staring resolutely to the wall opposite of the two of them.

“A Death Eater, in the purest sense of the word, is a name that the Dark Lord labeled his followers. People who were not only willing to abide by, but were all too glad to help with his plans and desires in any way that they could, as they shared the same world views as him.”

“So… like the blood purity thing you told me about. They agreed with it?”

Severus nodded. “In the extreme. They were eager to assist in whatever he asked of them.”

“And you were one of them. You believed in that.”

It wasn’t a question, but Professor Snape gave another nod anyway.

“Why?”

Snape swallowed. “My father was a muggle. I believe I’ve mentioned that he was not… kind. It disoriented many of my world views.”

“But my mom… she was muggle-born.”

Snape smiled, though it wasn’t happy. “Yes, that was the cause of many heated discussions between the two of us.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Harry said dryly. He cleared his throat. “You said you aren’t one anymore?”

“I am not,” Severus confirmed.

“What changed your mind, then?”

Professor Snape’s Adam’s apple bobbed again. “You.”

“Me?” Harry said, stunned. “What did I do?”

“Simply put, you were born,” Severus chuckled without humor. “Though I suppose the chain of events began before then, really.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a prophecy,” Snape began, looking to the ceiling. “It spoke of a boy born at the end of July to parents who had thrice defied the Dark Lord.”

“I was born at the end of July,” Harry said.

“You were,” Snape agreed. “And your parents had bested the Dark Lord three times at that point. The prophecy stated that the child would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. There was one other boy who fit the criteria, but the Dark Lord decided to go after you first.”

“So that’s why he went after me, then,” Harry murmured, chest tightening. “Because of a prophecy.”

“He thought that he would get rid of you while you were still defenseless and prevent the prophecy from coming to pass. He surely had no idea that he was in fact cementing it as he had not heard the second part of the prophecy, in which he would mark you as his equal.”

“I understand why he went after me,” said Harry, “but I still don’t understand what it has to do with you switching sides.”

Professor Snape wrung his hands together much like Harry had been doing. “It was I who informed the Dark Lord of the existence of this prophecy. I did not realize until it was too late that it referred to your mother’s child. I switched sides after realizing that he intended to kill her.”

Harry blinked. “You- you told Voldemort?”

Snape flinched marginally, whether it be at Harry’s question or the use of Voldemort’s name, Harry did not know. “I did.”

A moment of silence passed between them. Harry wasn't exactly the type of person to speak up for himself or say how he really felt, especially when it might affect someone else's feelings. But this he couldn't help. “And you didn’t feel the need to tell any of this to me before?” Before what, Harry? Before the guardianship, before the adoption, before you grew to love him?

A shaky breath. “I was not yet ready to face the consequences of my actions.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t really ready to lose my parents, but that’s life.”

Snape looked as though he’d been slapped. Harry felt as though he’d been slapped himself. He stood. His skin seemed to prickle and he felt hot all over. “I think I should… I should go.”

“You don't-”

Harry left.

***

Harry took to moping around the castle for the next few days. He really didn’t know what to do with the information Snape had given him. Harry could hardly understand how Severus could have been down for the whole Death Eater thing as it was, but to also have participated in the events leading up to his parent’s murder?

It was a little upsetting, to say the least.

Potions class was awkward, Harry did his best to avoid eye contact with his adoptive father who was clearly trying to achieve the opposite. Harry thanked his lucky stars that Professor Snape didn’t ask him to stay after class, though he did get caught in the corridors by Draco Malfoy during their free period.

Harry motioned for his friends to go on, though they looked reluctant to leave Harry with his main bully. Draco clearly wanted to speak to Harry privately, and he hadn’t been so bad to him this year, anyway.

“What do you want?” Harry asked once his friends were out of earshot.

“What’s going on with you and Professor Snape?”

Harry frowned. “How do you know something’s going on between us?”

“I didn’t, really, but you just told me,” Draco said, rolling his eyes. “You simply must learn how to be more subtle, Potter. Snape has been in an ill mood lately.”

“Professor Snape is always in an ill mood.”

“Moreso than usual, dumbass. And you’ve been walking around here like someone stole your new puppy. So, out with it.”

“Why on earth would I talk to you of all people about it?”

“Because,” Draco said, shifting uncomfortably. “Our fathers ar- were both Death Eaters. So I would understand. Also, I personally prefer it when my head of house is in a good mood.”

Draco had a point, Harry realized. He didn’t know if he should discuss it with the boy or not. But Draco had looked uncomfortable that day in Diagon Alley with his father, so perhaps he would understand where Harry was coming from.

“I didn’t know what a Death Eater was. He just told me a few days ago.”

Draco whistled. “That’s gotta be tough. I can’t believe you didn’t know before.”

Harry shrugged helplessly. “How… how do you deal with it? Knowing your dad was part of something so awful?”

Draco looked to the ground, clearly unsettled. “I don’t know, I just do. I mean, I don’t like it, but… he’s still my father. He’s not perfect.”

“Neither am I, but I just can’t imagine myself getting into something like that.”

“You have to understand the way things were back then,” Draco said, and it sounded rather rehearsed. “It- it was an honor, to be part of the Dark Lord’s inner circle. My father and Professor Snape… Well, it’s all over and done now, anyway, so it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

Harry thought, privately, that there was a rather stark difference between Draco’s father and his own. It wasn’t as though Severus went around practically flaunting his Death Eater status… He had been ashamed to tell Harry about it, not proudly displaying it.

It was then that it occurred to him that perhaps that difference meant something. Severus had once been the same as Mr. Malfoy, yes, but he’d clearly changed

If Draco could forgive his father, who was still an active scumbag… Well, Harry should at least be able to learn to live with Severus’ flaws.

Even if it felt more personal because of his connection with the prophecy and his parents' murder, it really wasn’t any different. Thinking so would be selfish. Draco’s father was still a jerk and Severus had switched sides and was actually working to improve himself. Harry should acknowledge that difference.

Harry smiled at Draco. “Thank you, Draco. You’ve really helped.”

Draco looked at him funny. “Really?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. You’ve- you’ve made me think about some things. I’m going to go see Professor Snape now.

“Erm, okay…”

Harry made his way back to the Potions classroom where he knew Snape would still be. Draco was still a jerk and Harry had no interest in bonding over their father’s shared dark pasts, but he had helped him see that Severus wasn’t as bad as he could be, and maybe that wasn’t the best way to look at things, but Harry decided that Severus’ past was his own, and the things that happened before Harry was even born shouldn’t dictate how they lived their lives now.

If Draco Malfoy could deal with it, you could bet that Harry Potter could, too.

Harry barged into the Potions classroom and immediately felt like an idiot for it as he startled Severus into dropping a cauldron mid-spell on its way to the sink.

They looked at one another, which was awkward because they hadn’t really done that in a few days. “Hey, Severus,” Harry said at last.

Severus blinked. “Hello, Harry.”

Harry looked at the ceiling, not exactly sure what he had been planning to accomplish by coming back down here. Clear the air, sure, but what exactly did he intend to say to do that? “Um, I’m not mad at you anymore. I’m sorry I was in the first place.”

They stared at each other some more. Professor Snape cleared his throat. “Whatever changed your mind?”

“Draco Malfoy.”

Severus raised his eyebrows.

Harry swallowed. “Well, you see… Draco’s dad is - was - a Death Eater, too. And I feel like he’s a bit of a jerk. And you’re not a jerk at all. So if Draco’s okay with his father’s past, then I should be okay with yours, because you’re not even half as bad.”

“Harry… I’m sure you realize, that while I may not be as… malicious as Mr. Malfoy, we were both part of the same Death Eaters, and Draco’s opinion on the matter should not dictate your own.”

“I- I know, but… we all make mistakes, and you obviously regret it. I’m not sure if Mr. Malfoy does. I think that’s the difference.”

“It would still be within your rights to never forgive me for it, it would not be the least bit unreasonable of you.”

Harry shook his head. “See, I- I love you. And when you love somebody you shouldn’t hold grudges against them, especially for things that happened before you were even born. And I like having you as my father, so… I’d like to just let it go, if that’s alright.”

“Of course it’s alright,” said Severus. “I don’t agree with your assessment that it’s forgivable, but…”

Harry stepped forward to be closer to the professor. “I- I think that might be because you haven’t forgiven yourself for it, Severus, if you don’t mind my saying. But I forgive you, and I’m perfectly within my rights to do that, so…yeah. I forgive you, and that’s that.”

Severus offered him a wary smile. “Well… I can’t argue with that.”

“Good,” said Harry. “I don’t like when we argue. Let’s not do that again.”

“We can certainly try,” Severus said. Harry took another step forward and wrapped his arms around the man’s torso. It took a moment, but Professor Snape eventually hugged him back, and Harry felt like everything was right in the world once more.