As the weeks passed, Harry and Snape managed to avoid each other quite well. Harry didn't want to know what Snape's reaction to his memories and feelings was, and Snape simply didn't want to deal with the thoughts that facing Harry would bring up. Dumbledore was beginning to get mildly annoyed with both of them, and Remus was following him in that. They both could see that the two wizards desperately needed to talk. Unfortunately, both wizards were all too skilled in avoiding things that they didn't want to do.

Soon enough it was Halloween night. Harry excused himself from the feast early, telling Ron and Hermione that he was feeling very tired. Snape watched him go, and he noticed that all was not well with Harry -- the boy was clearly upset about something.

The truth was, Harry was upset. Since he had learned that his parents had been killed on Halloween, the holiday had taken on an odd significance for him. He couldn't quite mourn people that he'd never had the chance to know, but the celebrations that went on didn't quite feel right either. This year, with his troubles with Snape, the holiday only felt that much worse.

Harry sighed as he walked up to the Astronomy Tower. The familiar path taking him up to the telescopes that he so loved to lose himself in. After staring up into the heavens for about ten minutes or so, Hedwig suddenly flew to him and landed on his shoulder. For a brief moment, Harry was startled, but then he smiled and he reached up to stroke her.

Carefully, Harry walked to the edge of the embattlement. He sat down and leaned his head against the wall. All the while he continued to gently stroke Hedwig. Harry sighed softly, and after a moment or two, he began to speak quietly to the owl. "I don't like Halloween anymore. Not since I've learned that that's the day my parents were killed. It feels odd to celebrate on such a day." Another sigh. "But then, I suppose that really, it's only the day Mum was killed. Since my real father is still alive, and hates me just as much as ever..." Harry's voice trailed off as he looked into the distant sky.

Some time later, Harry left the tower to return to his room. He had no desire to be caught out after curfew, and certainly not by Snape. He sent Hedwig on her way back to the Owlery, and made his way down the long set of stairs, through the halls, and into the Gryffindor Common Room where he was met by a very worried Hermione.

"Harry!" she exclaimed when she saw him. "Where were you? I was so worried..."

Harry sighed sadly and shook his head. He walked slowly over to the sofa where Hermione had been sitting and sat down. "Hermione..." his voice trailed off as he realized that he didn't quite know what to tell her.

Hermione sat down next to him and sighed. "Oh, Harry..." she said softly, "What's wrong? What's going on? You've been oddly quiet for a few weeks now. Did something happen?"

Harry was silent for a few moments and he stared into the fire as he gathered his thoughts. Finally he nodded his head without looking back at Hermione. "Yes," he said softly.

"What?" she asked gently, only concern and care showing on her face.

Harry sighed and looked back at the girl who had always been by his side -- even more faithful than Ron. "Those special lessons with Snape... do you know how they ended?" The question was rhetorical, but he waited for her to respond anyway. "We were in my mind, Hermione, he saw everything. My memories, my thoughts, my feelings... He knows that I want to try to make this work somehow. But he hasn't come to me, and I can't go to him, Hermione, I can't!" Harry's voice had risen as his worry grew through his story, and Hermione had to calm him down before replying.

"Harry," she began, her voice letting him know that she knew that he probably wouldn't want to hear what she was about to say, and that she was looking for the right words so that he would listen anyway. "Harry," she began again, "you have a talent for ignoring things that you don't want to think about. I know you've been ignoring Snape, Harry. He's been doing it too. Potions has been surprisingly quiet these past few weeks; I'm surprised that you haven't picked up on that before."

Harry thought over the past few weeks and noticed that Hermione was right. "Yes," he replied in a low tone, "but what now?"

Hermione didn't reply right away, but when she did it was in a sad tone. "I don't know Harry, I don't know."

***

A few moments after Harry had left the feast, Snape had also left. Actually, he had purposely followed Harry. He had followed him up to the Astronomy Tower; he had heard everything that Harry had told Hedwig.

And now, Snape was leaning against the edge of the Tower, looking up at the stars while deep in thought. To say that the sadness in Harry's voice surprised him was an understatement. Although it really shouldn't have been, after all, he had felt that Harry was interested in a family while in Harry's mind.

Snape spent several hours up in the Tower; his thoughts tumbling over and over in his mind. At some point, Dumbledore came up and put a concerned hand on his professor's shoulder. "Severus?" he spoke softly, gently.

Snape almost failed in keeping himself from jumping, and he cursed himself inwardly for allowing Dumbledore to sneak up on him like that. "Albus?" he growled to cover his discomfort.

Dumbledore gave Snape a smile that said that he wasn't fooled and asked him, "What's wrong, Severus? Why are you still up here?"

Snape sighed and shrugged Dumbledore's hand away. "I don't know, Albus," he replied harshly, his eyes not betraying the lie.

But Dumbledore knew better, and he knew exactly why Snape was still up in the Tower. He had simply wanted Snape to tell him for himself. "How goes things with young Harry?" he asked curiously.

"The same as always, Albus, you should know that," Severus replied in an annoyed tone. "I ignore him, he ignores me, we go on with our lives."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. He thought he could hear the slightest amount of displeasure with the situation in Snape's tone, but he knew that the other man would never admit it. Finally he responded with a soft, "Why, Severus?"

"You know my feelings towards the boy, Albus, that is enough," was the harsh reply.

"Severus..."

But Snape cut Dumbledore off. He turned away from the battlement and faced the headmaster. "Good night, Albus," he said, and he was gone in a swirl of black robes.

Dumbledore remained behind for a few moments before sighing sadly and returning down the stairs and to his quarters.

***

The next day, Harry and Snape faced each other in Potions class again. Harry was quite tired from his sleepless night, so he wasn't paying the proper attention to his potion. It started to fizzle, but Snape stepped in and added an ingredient before turning angrily upon Harry.

"Idiot, boy!" he hissed in a dangerous tone, "You would have taken out half the dungeons had that potion been allowed to explode! What is the matter with you, Potter? The directions were clearly stated. But I seem to have forgotten, following directions is beneath you, isn't it?"

Harry didn't reply, he simply looked down, intent on avoiding the Potions Master's harsh gaze.

"Detention, boy. Eight o'clock with me," Snape snapped at Harry before turning away to berate another Gryffindor.

Harry hung his head, and Hermione placed a comforting hand on his arm before turning to help him fix his potion.

***

After dinner, Harry was lying on his bed thinking things over. In just over an hour he was to have detention with his father. A detention that would probably be one of the most unpleasant he had ever received while at Hogwarts. And in that moment, Harry made a decision. A decision that he hoped would change things irrevocably between himself and his father.