RECAP:

"Look after yourself," Harry muttered into his shoulder.

Harry sensed rather than saw his Godfather's quick nod in reply. Then Sirius cleared his throat.

"Snape?"

Severus glanced at him.

"Take care of him."

Severus said nothing but led their way towards the boundary of the base.

Harry couldn't stop himself looking back over his shoulder, even after they'd turned into the corridor, leaving his godfather out of sight.

I wonder when I'll see him again. Or even if I'll see him again, he thought bleakly. I might not even have that long before the rest of my premonitions come true...

"Before we go-" Severus' abrupt stop caused Harry to flinch back in concern, his stomach doing somersaults as he watched the older wizard draw his wand; but Severus was already aiming at his ankle and a moment later was unstrapping a worn leather ankle-holster, which revealed just the tip of a dark wand.

"Denique telum," Severus muttered at which the wand sprang from the holster to his hand emitting a soft amber light.

There was a slight pause while Severus looked intently towards Harry before clearing his throat.

"Can you see it?" He asked heavily, gesturing towards the glowing wand with his free hand.

Harry frowned, confused by the emphasis which was being laid on such a seemingly innocuous question. "Yeah," he said. Why wouldn't I? You're holding it plain as day.

Severus drew a quick breath and gave a nod of satisfaction. He examined the wand briefly before briskly re-holstering it and passing it to harry

"Put it on your arm," he ordered roughly. "It's activated now, but do not use it, or any other form of magic which can be avoided, until we know for sure that Albus' defences are back in place and that you can't be tracked."

Harry struggled to fasten the stiff buckle of the holster.

"What about the portkeys- won't they track them?" he asked.

Severus shook his head. "They're warded so as to be untraceable. All being well we should have no problems." He watched Harry struggle for a few more seconds before grabbing his arm impatiently. "Give me that."

He deftly fastened the holster, then grasped Harry tightly towards him as he reached into a fold of his cloak to withdraw the portkeys: a feather, an extremely grubby beige handkerchief and an empty crisp packet. Taking the final steps from the door towards the boundary, they had barely crossed it before there was a crinkle from the crisp packet and all at once they were tugged violently away in a series of disconcerting journeys. The sudden movement as each portkey was activated in turn jarred Harry, who fought back a rising sickness from deep in his stomach, before he was half-dragged, half-pushed through the gates of Hogwarts.

Swallowing rapidly, Harry gasped, staggering when Severus released him as soon as they were through the gates. It was as though he'd only just realised how closely he'd been clutching onto him, and couldn't bear to touch him for a moment longer.

By the time Harry had recovered and was stood upright he realised that Severus was looking him up and down in a very unnerving fashion. He felt shame waft over him like a wave. He hates me. He can't understand how I could have used Imperio upon him. The whole episode felt like a distant memory, given all that had happened since. It had felt so necessary at the time, as if he really hadn't had a choice at all, but now, stood here, face-to-face with Severus what he'd done seemed grossly outrageous.

Hard to justify, even more impossible to explain; he must want to kill me. Harry thought choking back another wave of nausea.

"Come," the professor intoned, leading the way into the castle.

Feeling as though he had to say something, anything to break the uncomfortable silence, Harry opened his mouth: "About what happened-"

Severus half turned away. Busying himself with his wand.

"I'm going to send a patronus so that they know we have returned safely. Then we should see-"

"Severus-" Harry interrupted desperately.

"-if Albus is up to seeing us."

"I'm s-"

"Don't," Severus cut in, his voice hard, unyielding.

"I am truly sorry you know!" Harry blurted out.

"I rather think that we have more pressing concerns than wasting our time with two bit apologies," Severus snarled back at him, before striding ahead his cloak billowing out behind him.

Harry swallowed before following him uncertainly. That was the first outbreak of temper that Severus had shown since he'd come to get him, although it was obvious that he had to be furious.

Sirius' words from earlier echoed about in his head: You're lucky he didn't Crucio you.

He'll never forgive me, Harry realised hopelessly. He hated me before and now he always will.

Severus led the way through the corridor leading to the medical ward and entered the room several feet ahead of Harry, and was immediately besieged by Poppy. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen the medi-witch so enraged.

"Severus Snape! You DARE to show your face here! You're lucky I don't owl the Aurors after what you've done!"

"Later," Severus drawled with a scowl, stepping aside to reveal who was behind him. "See to the boy, and then perhaps then we can speak privately if there is something you wish to discuss."

Poppy glared at him. "Something to discuss? After what you did, believe me, we have much to discuss," she promised him. As she opened her mouth to draw breath, Severus cast a silencing charm around the two of them. The pair had a short, frantic conversation, inaudible to anyone but themselves, accompanied by much wild gesturing on Poppy's part. Then, Severus seemed to say something, perhaps reminding her that Harry was waiting, because the medi-witch's face softened and she turned her attention to the younger wizard, cancelling the silencing spell with a flourish.

"Harry," she said warmly. "Come here, I need to examine you..."

"I'll be with Albus," Severus said, slipping away into an adjacent room.

"Sit down," Poppy ordered pointing to a nearby bed.

"I'm fine-" Harry protested without much hope of being listened to.

"I'll be the judge of that, thank-you very much!" She said briskly, noting the boys pallor. "Come on," she said taking him gently by the arm. She soon pulled back in alarm however, dropping Harry's arm as though it was red hot.

"What was that?" she exclaimed, rubbing the palm of her hand.

Harry glanced nonplussed at his arm where she'd touched him. There was nothing which could have hurt her, unless she'd brushed against the wand holster and the leather was jagged somehow. He examined it closely; the leather seemed quite soft with wear.

"What is it?" Poppy asked following his gaze to his arm.

"Just a wand holster, it doesn't seem to have any sharp bits..."

"A wand holster?" Poppy seemed confused and gave Harry a strange look. "Where?" "Severus lent me a wand to get back here." Harry pointed at his arm. "Can't you see it?"

"Oh he did, did he?" Poppy murmured looking thoughtful. She lay her hand on his other arm. "Well it seems I'll just have to be careful to avoid touching this holster."

Poppy seemed to spend an unnecessarily long amount of time scanning Harry with her wand, her lips pursed as she lingered over the areas of his recent injuries, although she said little. Eventually she dispatched Harry after insisting that he drank a Nutrient potion and Pepper-up.

Knocking them back without complaint, as it was clear Poppy wouldn't let him go without some sort of treatment, Harry made his way to Dumbledore's room as soon as he was allowed to do so.

He hesitated for a moment in the doorway, Dumbledore was asleep and Severus was sat beside him, still as a statue, apart from his nostrils which flared slightly as Harry entered room.

"He's dying isn't he?"Harry asked quietly from the foot of the bed. "Even if he does get better from these injuries? He said earlier...that the curse on his hand will kill him "

Severus stared at him, pain and anguish deep in his dark eyes. "Yes," he said shortly.

For some minutes they remained motionless, looking at the Headmaster, each lost in their own thoughts.

They left the room in sombre silence.

Harry risked a glance at the professor, whose countenance was shadowed, even for him.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. We need to discuss it."

Harry fell silent, but followed the older wizard as, in unspoken agreement, they made their way back to his rooms.

Once they were in Severus' sitting room he leaned against the wall, seemingly close to exhaustion. He brushed a dark curtain of lank hair away from his eyes.

"We need to talk... properly," he said at last.

"Yeah. That's what I was trying to do... you know... to apologise."

"Forget apologises." Severus' eyes bored into him. "There are matters which cannot wait. I mean it Harry, we need to totally honest with each other: no more pretences or half truths. Nothing less than the total unvarnished truth."

Harry nodded. The premonitions. "I'll tell you everything," he promised.

"Really?" Severus said in a low voice.

Harry looked up at him.

"I always knew that you lied, but I hadn't ever realised what a compulsion it was for you until I witnessed your little performance with Black. If you can't speak the truth to him, about something so important, what hope is there?"

Harry waited for him to continue, an angry flush beginning to rise on his face.

"Come. Admit it," Severus challenged him. "You say whatever you wish to be the truth. Whatever you believe other people want, or need to hear. But saying it can't make it so. It stops now, you understand? Take Black, for example,"

It hurts too much to even think about Sirius, Harry thought.

"You implied that you are content, happy almost, with the situation."

" I'm happy that he's alive," Harry said somewhat wildly.

"That much I do not doubt," Severus' lip curled "I just don't believe anything which you said after that. You're unmoved by the prospect of him backing out of the adoption? He deceives you for months on end, but you accept it, ignore it, as if were completely inconsequential? As if all of it means so little to you?"

"Fine!" Harry raised his voice angrily. "Is it so bad that, just for once, I thought I might have someone who cared, a dad, after growing up alone and hated my whole life? Is that what you want to hear? What good does it do for me to say that? To admit it to you- to myself...! Did it help you to hear that, because it certainly did nothing for me!"

The potions master was silent as Harry tried to force himself to calm down. His heart was beating rapidly and he realised that he was panting.

"If I'm going to be completely honest with you, will you be the same with me?" he asked with his voice cracking on the last few words.

Severus looked at him warily. "I will endeavour to be so, as far as I can. What do you wish to ask?"

Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to voice his question.

"I... want to know what you're going to do."

"Excuse me?"

"To me. For what I did," Harry his tongue darting out to moisten his dry lips. "I've spent enough time around you to know you're hardly the type to forgive and forget... whatever you're planning I'd rather you just did it."

"Whatever I'm planning?" Severus echoed.

"I used an unforgivable on you."

"So you think what? I'm going to … hurt you? Exact my revenge?" Severus stated coldly.

"Well... aren't you?"

"No," Severus turned away to open a wooden box which lay upon a side table, a strange indecipherable expression fleeting across his face."I rather think we've already acted out enough scenes of melodrama already."

"Honestly? Honestly, Severus? Bearing in mind my promise not to hide the truth, maybe I should tell you that I don't believe that. You've always wanted this chance, and hell, I've certainly given you a good enough reason to hate me now, " Harry finished in a small voice.

Severus scoffed, flinging the box back upon the table. "What an enlightening spectacle you paint of me."

"Unvarnished truth remember?" Harry said bitterly.

"I don't hate you."

Harry crossed his arms, his whole presence radiating disbelief.

"I don't." Severus repeated matter-of-factly. "When I spoke before I was angry, I wanted to lash out at you."

"You've always hated everything about me," Harry said flatly.

"Not anymore. The... antagonism between us ended, as far as I was concerned, some time ago-"

Harry didn't change his posture.

"-but that was clearly not the case for you," Severus continued evenly.

Harry shook his head grimly."You hated me before you even met me. This year, training me, letting me stay with you, I wouldn't have imagined you could be like that; but still, all those years of hatred don't just disappear. You said the problems between us have ended, but they'll always be there, in the background, no matter what. I can't look at you without remembering how you treated me and you must see that I'm the same person I was at eleven; still my father's son."

Severus' face was like a blank mask, completely expressionless and still, giving no hint at what he was actually thinking.

Harry felt the adrenalin coursing through him. He felt sure the older wizard wouldn't do anything which caused him permanent damage, not when they were on the same side. Of course, Severus probably knew numerous agonising Death-Eater curses which would leave no trace.

Harry tensed. The waiting is the worse part. Can't he just do whatever he's going to do? What is he waiting for?

"You know, whatever you decide to do..." he added. "I'm not going to go running to Dumbledore moaning about how you got your own back on me. I've been thinking for so long about having to go back and see my Uncle, and worrying about all the other things which are going to happen... I just want to get this over and done with now. I won't tell anyone. "

"You're won't? Why didn't you say so? Oh well, there's nothing to stop me then," Severus' voice dripped with sarcasm and he sat down on the settee making no move to draw his wand. "I assume using Cruciatus is acceptable to you? After all, I presume that you would want my retribution to be a fair and fitting retaliation for an unforgivable? Also, before I start perhaps we ought to be clear about whether this is a one time offer or whether I can look forward to hexing you with impunity whenever I please? I'm not sure that one revenge will satisfy me; and, doubtlessly, you will annoy me again in the future."

"Stop making a joke of this I'm serious!" Harry said in frustration.

"Are you suggesting I'm not? After all, you do make a compelling argument," Severus retorted silkily.

"You have no idea what it's been like for me." Harry erupted. "I'd just rather... it wasn't hanging over me. If you're going to train me again, if we're to have any chance of putting this behind us I don't want to always be wondering...what you're going to do...when you're going to do it."

"You do realise that this is one of the times where your recklessness borders on lunacy," Severus commented conversationally. He stood up suddenly and paced the room before spinning back round to face Harry. "Just what will it take?" he demanded. "Would you like a unbreakable vow that I won't hurt you in anger?"

Harry was pretty sure he was just being ridiculous now.

"That could kill you when we're training! All you'd have to do is get annoyed with me!"

Severus' lips quivered, his expression almost a grimace. "It might rather limit out training opportunities," he agreed flatly. "Well, I'm not sure what else to suggest, I could vow not to cast unforgivables on you, although I appreciate that would give only limited reassurance."

"And you'll probably need to cast them." Harry hung his head suddenly overwhelmed by everything he had to face."You know in front of him. My dreams... they shown that in the futurehe's going to catch me. You're going to be there... You... that is... I... die in front of you..."

"You need to show me all the dreams," Severus said grimly.

"I-" Harry hesitated uncertainly. "I'll tell you about them."

The professor shook his head. "And risk you omitting significant details? No, you must let me see them, Harry."

Harry looked uncomfortable.

"I assure you I will hold my temper in check," Severus said softly.

"It's not that... well, not just that," Harry corrected himself following the look the older wizard shot him. "Neither of us will be able to control how we react and they're... horrible."

Severus solemnly handed Harry his wand.

"I am forewarned this time. I give you my word. Whatever other means you deem necessary to feel secure we shall utilise. Do you want someone else to be present?"

Harry sighed. I don't want to do this at all, but I suppose I have to.

"No," he muttered, placing Severus' wand on the bookcase furthest away from them."Um...shall we both sit down, uh, just in case I do occlude...?" He didn't want to test Severus' temper by knocking him off his feet again, inadvertently.

They sat facing each other, Harry on the sofa, Severus on an armchair which he dragged directly in front of the sofa.

"We're start with a dream which you claim has already proved true, the one about your uncle. Are you ready?" Severus said quietly.

"Yes...just... remember I can't help it I occlude; if I do at first just give me some time, don't try to force it ...because that just makes me occlude more."

"Harry, my wand is on the other side of the room. Believe me there's no possible way that I could even attempt to 'force' my way past your shield these days with wandless legilimency," Severus said drily.

"Yeah. Right...um... go ahead, then, I guess."

Harry had to force himself to keep his eyes open as Severus leaned forward intently. He braced himself for pain... which never came. The wandless legilimency was gentle. He could feel the attempt clearly; not much would get past his occlumency shield as it now stood, but it didn't hurt, in fact it wasn't even unpleasant.

Harry ploughed his efforts into relaxing his occlumency shields to let Severus in. At least the dream about his uncle wasn't that bad. He could bear seeing it again.

Now I've been back there and got though it, there's nothing even to worry about, with this one, Harry thought to himself. It's done with.

With Harry making a determined effort not to occlude, Severus slipped into his mind without difficulty, and was shown the dream of Harry's return to his relatives. The whole scene was overwhelmingly familiar to Harry now, given how he'd worried at length about the dream before experiencing it all in real life.

Harry felt unnerved at the Severus' dark expression as the professor withdrew from his mind.

"You should never have gone back there," the older wizard snarled.

Harry laughed bitterly. "Huh. The truth remember!"

"Meaning?" Severus said sharply.

"You didn't even care that I went back there," Harry replied. He hadn't actually intended to bring that up, it wasn't as if he should have expected any differently, after all.

"I expressly told you not to go!"

"Until we argued and you decided to wash your hands of me!" Harry said heatedly.

Severus leant forward furiously. "Let's get one thing very clear, I had no prior knowledge of your departure. Whatsoever."

"Really?" Harry faltered.

But Dumbledore said... Harry thought hard for a moment, trying to recall the headmaster's precise words. 'Severus understands that sometimes difficult decisions need to be taken'. He'd never actually said that Severus knew, not in so many words, although he sure as hell led McGonagall and me to that conclusion!

"Really," Severus replied grimly. "I would never have agreed to it. Ever." Sincerity rang though his voice.

"It didn't matter anyway. It didn't work out too badly," Harry said distractedly.

Severus forced himself to resist the urge to clench his fists in frustration.

"You're so deluded, I don't think you're actually capable of speaking the truth, even if that were your intention!" he said starkly.

"What? Oh you mean my wand?" Harry frowned. "That was awful, I just meant it could have been a lot worse. At least I didn't get hurt this time. I half expected my Uncle to kill me after the way things ended this summer."

"You didn't get hurt this time," Severus repeated.

"No, not really. I'm fine."

"Luckily for me, I have another source of information and don't need to legilimise you again see what actually happened. I certainly couldn't rely upon your warped recollections. You were hurt, I've seen it."

"You have?" Harry screwed his face up in confusion. "How?"

"Your relatives' portkeys took them to Hogwarts remember? I met with your uncle before I went to find you. I thought he might have information about your departure from Privet drive."

"Is my Uncle still here now?" Harry asked in alarm.

"You need not worry," Severus replied abruptly "He will not be allowed to come anywhere near you, nor is he in a fit state to do you any more harm. He injured you -for all you say going back there didn't matter!"

"It wasn't that bad. Even if he did hurt me it wasn't as bad as-" Harry stopped himself. There's no point going back over the past. "I am fine now and that is the truth. I used some balm at Connor's. It's not important, not compared to what's going to happen, anyway," he paused. "What did you mean about my Uncle not being in a fit state to come after me? Did you do something to him? Is that why Poppy was angry with you?"

"That women has all the discretion of a flobberworm."

"Why? What did you do to him, Severus?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus didn't say anything. Apparently total honesty had its limits.

"Why was she angry with you?" Harry prompted."For God's sake. How bloody difficult is it for you to give a straight answer? What happened to 'endeavouring to tell the truth'? You've just banged on about how I have to tell you everything, but you're making me drag every little thing out of you."

"As you've no doubt gathered, I hexed your uncle. What else do you wish to know?" Severus answered in a level tone, folding his arms across his chest.

"What hex did you use on him? Is it dangerous?"

"It's painful, but in no way dangerous per se."

"Did you do anything to my Aunt or Dudley?"

"No. I didn't even think about them, you were missing, my reaction to your uncle was just after I'd legilimised him. It was more...instinctive than anything else."

"So why was Poppy so mad? I mean, I guess you made more work for her, but you'd think she's kind of understand."

"She believes that I've put her in an impossible position as a healer; she knows full well that Vernon's hurt although she is unable to identify the curse that I used. She thinks she's compromising her vow if he isn't treated and was talking about sending him to St Mungo's."

"Is she? The bit about compromising her vow, I mean?"

"That depends upon how she interprets her vow. She swore to do no harm to her patients, I personally feel that my little hex could do Vernon a great deal of good, and I told her as much earlier."

Harry looked at him with troubled eyes. "But if she does send him to St Mungo's you'll get in trouble, won't you?"

"They probably wouldn't even recognise the spell," Severus said offhandly.

"But if they did," Harry asked stubbornly.

Severus shrugged.

"If she was going to send him there she would have already done it. She knows I'm not going to help her to heal him whatever threats she makes."

"What about if I want you to heal him?"

Severus looked at Harry seriously "Do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Severus gave a slight shrug. "It would be the height of absurdity for you to take that thug's part, but it is your decision. Which leads me onto another incongruous idea of yours; having been asinine enough to return to your relatives in the first place, how exactly did you arrive at the conclusion that you ought to leave for Ireland? And how were you able to even make the preposterous journey?"

"Dudley took the portkey which would have taken me to Hogwarts. Connor'd already given me another one to his house, just in case I needed it...and I kind of wanted to try and see Sirius again," he admitted. "I'd dreamt about him still being alive, that's how we were able to know where to begin looking for him."

"And what was the wandless magic which you performed?" Severus asked heavily. "That was how the Death-Eaters tracked you to Ireland, you realise. Without your wand, I'd hoped you would have had longer before being discovered, but I hadn't anticipated you casting wandless spells."

"How can they track me like that just by my magic?"

"Dumbledore's frailty has impacted upon all of his magic. He had cast certain protections, known as cloaking which nullified the Dark Lord's attempts to locate you, or any other wizard, solely by the magic they cast. There is also a name curse..."

"Saying You-Know-Who's name." Harry sighed. "All this time that you didn't want me to say it... couldn't you have just told me why?"

"Dumbledore's cloaking made it possible to say his name and he thought it ought to be said on principle, naturally I disagreed as I thought it a dangerous habit to get into. Now, your wandless magic?" Severus seemed determined to focus on this aspect.

"Well," Harry said. "Connor and me thought Sirius was in Parvel and we were trying to use animagous forms to break him out."

Severus held up a hand to his head. "I'm not even going to begin to debate that idiocy right now," he said quietly. "Needless to say, it didn't work and I assume you set off the boundary alarms; but I am more than interested in the fact that you are now apparently a practising animagous?"

"Yeah." Harry felt embarrassed. Put that plainly, his plan had sounded simplistic to the point of being ludicrous.

"Show me."

"Uh, I'd rather not."

"You can't make the transformation consistently?"

"No, I can," Harry flushed. "I'm just not very good at keeping my clothes when I transform back."

"Harry, do you realise what this means?" Severus stared at him.

Harry shrugged. "I'm crap at more than just potions?" he joked weakly.

Severus looked back at him seriously. "You can perform wandless magic. You have the capacity even if your execution needs refining. Harry, for you to be able to utilise wandless magic in our training sessions is of paramount importance!"

"Yeah, a lot of good it's going to do me," Harry muttered.

Severus pursed his lips together tightly. "So that's it, you're giving up? We won't bother with training?"

"No..." Harry sighed. "Of course not, it's just difficult... knowing what's going to happen."

"Not everything may be as it first appears," Severus said, sighing as Harry looked at him doubtfully. "You'd better show me the rest."

Teatime had been and gone, and the edges of the sandwiches which had appeared on the sideboard were curling up, as neither Harry nor Severus had any appetite after they had gone through all the dreams.

They sat in silence. Both reacting to the sheer horror of the premonitions in their own fashion. Severus appeared utterly shell-shocked, his previous assurances that Harry had in some way been mistaken seemed to be struck mute. Seeing the unflappable potions master thus affected has a profound effect on Harry. Like an injury, which one manages to bear stoically until someone's concern and pity shows the wound really is that bad, he couldn't bear to see Severus so disconcerted. He'd hugged the secrets of his dreams to himself and his closest friends, and sharing them now made them seem as vivid and real as when the nightmares had first struck.

Harry pressed his palms into his eye sockets and concentrated on stopping his voice quivering when he spoke. "At first I thought... maybe the dreams weren't true... now I realise ...it's like with Dumbledore... In the end it won't matter, even if we fight back, there's no point blowing your cover when I'm going to die anyway. Hermione found a book... I know all about Vulnus Ictus- the stabbing dream with the silver flash. So there's no point. I get why it has to happen the way it does." A single tear, refusing to be held back any longer, escaped and ran down Harry's nose, he scrubbed at it fiercely with his cuff.

"It will not happen. I won't allow it," Severus said slowly.

"It's going to happen," Harry said wanly. "Neither of us will be able to do anything about it."

"I would die before-"

"And you think I'd want that?" Harry interrupted bleakly. "To be responsible for another death? I know you're loyal to the Order Severus, I should never have doubted that. But you wanted the truth, and now we need to face up to it. I'll do as much as I can and when the time comes, it's fi-" he cut himself off with a grimace, "Who am I kidding, it's not fine. It's fucking awful, but it's the way things have to be."

5 days later

The door opened carefully and a messy tousled head of brown poked around, followed by two bright emerald green eyes.

"Harry?"

"Sir? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's quite all right, my boy. I feel certain than if I lay here much longer even Peeves' mayhem would be a welcome respite. It seems there is such a thing as too much peace and quiet, after all." The lined old face was cheerful, in spite of the continuous pain that Poppy had explained that the headmaster must be feeling. "Come on in, Harry, and bring over that chair, that's right. Now if you would be so kind as to help an old man sit up...ah that's better. I always prefer not to lie down during conversations, makes one much too liable to fall asleep. And that is best saved for my more tedious visitors! "

Harry smiled and sat down close to the Headmaster.

"So my boy, I hear you have started training again hmm?"

The smiled faded somewhat.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I've been using the spare wand that Severus leant me, but he's arranging for Ollivander to visit soon. Hopefully a new wand will help a bit, although it won't be the same as my old one."

"Severus' spare wand?" Dumbledore expression seemed to brighten in genuine delight. "He didn't mention that... would you mind showing it to me?"

Harry pulled the wand from the holster around his arm, the fastenings were beginning to become a little lose again, despite how tightly it had been secured. "It's a bit weird the protections on it mean that- Oh! You can see it, Sir?"

"Quite so," Dumbledore took the wand from Harry with an expression of glee. "Well, I'm sorry that this wand isn't conducive to your magic Harry, but perhaps it is for the best that Severus has it back."

"It doesn't burn you either!" Harry said. "Everyone else, Poppy, McGonagall, the two first-years who had to stay here an extra week...they can't see it or touch it."

"Is that so? Wands can be somewhat temperamental," Dumbledore mused out loud.

Harry got the distinct impression that the Headmaster knew more than he was letting on.

"Do you know why it is … uh temperamental, Sir?"

The Headmaster eyes were merry as he looked back at Harry. "I think you should ask Severus about that, Harry. It is his wand, you see."

"Right..."

"Speaking of Severus, have the two of you discussed your … misunderstanding, the other day?"

Harry felt uncomfortable. "Not much to discuss really. I used an unforgivable. He was mad. Understandably."

"Yes, and yet, I can't help wondering if there was more to it than that?"

Harry stared at the Headmaster. What are you hinting at?

"Perhaps you might consider asking him about it?" the old wizard continued absent-mindedly. "As the two of you are so open and honest nowadays? Ah- the very wizard himself! Severus, we were just talking about you! And Harry has just been showing me the wand he borrowed."

Severus drew up another chair someone stiffly. "Yes, a pity his magic is totally incompatible with it."

"Ah well, we can't have everything my boy! Fortuitous that he can use it at all, wouldn't you say?"

Severus seemed to grit his teeth. "I would say that we need to hasten Ollivander's visit if Harry is to have any likelihood of success in his training."

Harry stood up, not liking the strange, almost combative light which shone in the Headmaster's eyes. "I'm going to go. Is there anything that I can fetch you Sir, for when I next visit?"

"Unless you can smuggle some lemon drops past Madam Pomfrey, alas no!" Dumbledore answered. "Until next time, then dear boy."

Severus stood up to let Harry pass him. As soon as the door shut he glared at the Headmaster.

"What was that?" he snarled.

"Ah! Allow an old man some distractions, it gets so boring lying here!" Dumbledore said easily. "The atmosphere is tense between you and Harry. I wonder, have you considered apologising for what happened, clearing the air?"

"If there is an atmosphere, your meddling is not helping! Do you really think, that at the present time, given the revelations of Harry's dreams and your own imminent demise, I should waste time on useless apologises?"

"Apologises are only useless if no one gains from them."

"Apologises are always inherently useless. Words are meaningless, unable to undo the past, or change what happened. All apologises do is play out a charade of remorse and forgiveness which barely skims the surface. If someone needs to be told that a person is sorry, if they have not shown their contrition by their actions and deeds, what good is that?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed mildly.

"In any case, I cannot be blamed for reacting the way that I did." Severus added rapidly. "Given his attack, an unforgivable, Albus, is it so surprising that I lashed out?"

"Not surprising at all," Dumbledore agreed.

Severus looked at him sharply, but saw only sympathy in Dumbledore's clear blue eyes.

"You realise Harry forgives you," the headmaster said kindly.

Severus replied shortly, "The boy's an idiot."

Dumbledore chuckled and sank back into the mound of pillows behind him.

"And yet... Merlin you should see him sometimes, Albus. When I think that he has borne all that alone, all this time... Do you know he asked me how I plan to retaliate to his Imperio? He thinks I want to hurt him. As if I haven't let my temper better me what do I do now? Pummel him, yet again, during our training sessions. Is it any wonder that this is how he thinks of me?"

"Ah." Albus gave Severus an expressive look. "My boy, you do realise that you're not turning into your father?" he said in a conversational tone.

Severus looked at him with an expression of profound annoyance.

"What? That bastard? If I thought that I might as well go ahead and throw my lot in with the Dark Lord."

"I'm glad you recognise the disparity of the situations. It has occurred to me however, that in the light of all this professed honesty, you might consider enlightening the boy with a little context, hmm?"

"About Imperio and my past? Never! I'm not seeking excuses for my actions."

"Alas," Dumbledore sighed. "So much for the unvarnished truth?"

"Truthful answers," Severus corrected him. "I'll talk to him about anything he wishes to know. That doesn't mean there's any need for me to go out of my way to tell him things which are best forgotten. "

"Let us hope that Harry is not so discerning," Dumbledore replied mildly. "By the way," he added absent-mindedly. "Did Harry apologise to you at all?"

Severus snorted "He never bloody stops!"

"Then perhaps you might consider that apologises are not viewed as quite so worthless to him, hmm?" the Headmaster replied lightly, closing his eyes serenely. "Hurry Ollivander by all means, Severus, but explain to Harry about your other wand, it will do you both a great deal of good, I'm sure." Dumbledore's breathing evened out and although Severus felt fairly sure that the elderly wizard's slumber was at least in part pretence, he didn't disturb him, but let him rest.