Harry stood in front of the door that was his only physical barrier between himself and Snape’s office and yet he was unable to reach out his fist to knock. Talking to Snape about his mother? It was insane! Yet the man had agreed and even in the delight Snape obviously took in pointing out Harry’s flaws (real ones or not), and otherwise mocking him in any way, the man would surely have never arranged an actual private meeting in which to do so. Therefore, Harry was likely to gain some real knowledge in which he was seeking on his mother.

Even so,there he stood as though the sorting had had been right all along and Gryffindor – the house of bravery – was not the foremost choice for Harry.

Huffing at that note of thought, Harry grit his teeth together and inhaled as he slowly raised his arm and tenderly rapped his knuckles against the wood. For a fleeting moment as he stood there (even though it was nearly four o’clock as agreed upon), the teenager briefly prayed that Snape wasn’t there, or that he had imagined the entire arrangement.

‘Enter.’

Harry was amazed at how such a lone word with only five letters in it and a single tone could have such an impact on his entire composure – or what was left of it, at least. He did not move. He could not move! Behind this door were answers and a very scary man who was the least likely person to give them to Harry. Even so, in a twisted churn of fate…Snape was also the perfect person to tell him anything.

Was his destiny always to be so against him?

Harry sighed and knew that adding a detention to the day was not likely to brighten his mood; he knew he was about to do what had to be done. With the inspiration and cliché of ripping off a band aid, Harry snatched the door handle and yanked it open to quickly step into the office; he exhaled once as he shut the door and gulped a gush of air.

Seated behind the desk directly across from Harry in the dark office the Gryffindor had only seen a few brief times during his time at Hogwarts (despite the trouble that always seemed to find Harry), was Professor Snape.

Severus had expected the brat to march right through his door once he permitted the Gryffindor entrance, ignoring the fact that the boy was almost ten minutes early. Yet as he glanced up when nothing happened, he could not help finding amusement in the sudden yet clearly freaked appearance of the teenager. Ah, so Potter had no idea what to expect from this meeting and was reacting accordingly; good, this would allow Severus a much-needed advantage as he too was quite unsettled by this agreed arrangement.

Fixing a sneer upon his face as it was expected of him, Severus eyed Potter while forcing his own nerves to calm once again.

‘Your entrance is dramatic as always, Mr Potter.’ Severus commented and gestured to the chair positioned across from him with the desk between them.

The boy seemed grateful for the excuse to no longer rely on the wavering strength of his legs. Was the boy really that anxious about finding out a few simple facts about his own mother? Severus couldn’t blame him though, since Potter didn’t know nearly enough about Lily and given the fact that he was the one to tell it…yes, he understood the boy’s reasoning, although it was a tad over-presented.

‘Thank you for doing this, sir.’ Harry said hurriedly. ‘You really didn’t have to.’

‘I am well aware of that fact, Mr Potter.’ Severus narrowed his eyes. ‘Although your premature gratitude is…Noted.’

The silence that filled the office reminded Severus of a time in fourth year when he thought his cauldron had been about to catch fire.

In effort to fill it and evade further memories even as it was unavoidable given the purpose of their meeting, Severus raised his wand (and ignored the teen’s slight flinch at the sight of it), to summon several items. Potter watched the objects eagerly but was discouraged when Severus merely placed them into the depths of his right-hand desk drawer.

Severus rested his elbows on the surface of his desk and weaved his fingers together as he stared at the nervous (yet slightly more anticipating), teenage Gryffindor seated before him. He had prepared himself the best he could by forcing his mind to dismiss the obvious sights of James in the boy in effort to consider Harry as Lily’s son, hence making what was to occur much easier to deal with. Severus had deluded himself of course, because nothing regarding the topic of Lily could ever be easier than the gut-clenching agony of sadness and regret in which it was so tightly consumed by.

‘Sir?’ Harry cleared his throat. ‘You knew my mother, so what was she like?’

Instead of grating the boy for breaking their safe silence and interrupting his occluded thoughts, Severus was rather thankful for the teen taking the first act of progression; otherwise he doubted he could have done anything other than negating their meeting and kicking the teenager out.

‘Yes, I knew Lily.’ Severus sighed heavily.

There was a length of silence between every set of sentences he spoke as he tried to prolong the entire ordeal further; never had he imagined having this kind of a conversation with Potter! Not even in his cruelest nightmares.

‘What do you currently know of her days at Hogwarts?’ Severus needed a starting point as repeating what the boy already knew only added to the amount of time this meeting consumed.

‘Oh um…that she was an exceedingly bright witch and really good at Potions and Charms.’ Harry answered. ‘Slughorn told me that. Remus said she had a way of seeing the beauty in people even when they especially cannot see it themselves.’ He added and Severus had the feeling that the boy had memorized those details. He also could not deny the truth in Lupin’s description because whilst the werewolf was likely speaking of himself, Severus knew it applied to him as well.

‘And then there’s the usual stuff; she was brave, gave everything for those she loved, the sacrifice…’ Harry lowered his gaze sadly and didn’t finish that thought.

‘A hero. Respected witch. Treasured friend…’ Severus frowned. ‘Her only son has such mere details in which one could discover from any historical book within the library here at Hogwarts.’ He shook his head.

‘There was other stuff as well.’ Harry mumbled defensively.

‘And what of James?’ Severus raised an eyebrow. ‘Your knowledge of your blessed, arrogant father is likely to be more prominent than that of your mother.’ He knew he was right when Harry frowned deeply and clutched at the material over his knees with his fists, clearly biting back a retort.

‘I don’t want to talk about my father.’ Harry found his courage as he forced his gaze to meet Snape’s. ‘You never say anything nice about him, anyway.’

‘And do enlightening me, Potter…Is it the truth you seek or a planted image of a perfect person?’ Severus demanded although he already knew the answer.

‘I want the truth.’ Harry was determined with his reply. ‘That’s why I’m here, because…you always tell me the truth, unlike everyone else who just wants me to remember how brilliant my parents were before they died.’

Severus had not been expecting that confession and vowed to stop asking the boy questions lest the Gryffindor reply with something he didn’t want to hear.

‘I have previously informed you that your father was an arrogant, attention-seeking bully, and yet you constantly protest otherwise in a manner much alike his own.’ He sneered.

‘Yeah, well he’s still my father.’ Harry retorted. ‘But…you were telling the truth, I just didn’t want to admit it.’

‘I was under the impression that the purpose of this meeting was solely to discuss Lily.’ Severus hastily changed the subject; his voice seemed perfectly smooth and intentional to Harry as though the entire interaction was planned word-for-word. The boy failed to notice that his professor always avoided referring to Lily as his mother, as though in denial or else not wishing to associate such a woman with such a child.

‘Yes, sir.’ Harry swallowed meekly as his nervousness returned.

‘I know very little of Lily Potter.’ Severus could evade it no longer. ‘However, I knew Lily Evans better than most.’

He noticed the boy’s surprise and couldn’t help the sense of satisfaction that came with dragging on his words as though hoping to make his listener guess what he was trying to say rather than for him to just say it outright; a trait he’d mildly picked up from Dumbledore, no doubt.

‘Being a muggleborn, she did not know she was a witch until…Until a wizard whom lived nearby had told her of such when he saw her using accidental magic.’ Severus revealed without adding the detail that he had been that wizard.

No need to give the boy more information than the brat required.

‘Even then she was curious and studious to the material; reading all of her textbooks before September and constantly asking questions about the magical world, only to form her own theories and opinions that led to further enquires.’ Severus recalled. He fought to sound aloof instead of fond of those less worrisome times in his childhood.

‘Like me.’ Harry smiled as he finally felt he had someone in common with his mother other than her eyes. Had he been looking towards Snape, Harry would have thought he’d said something wrong because of the sharp look the man had given him in return.

‘Well, I found out when Hagrid showed up…but I asked loads of questions and all that.’ Harry said and sighed. ‘Though, I suppose all witches and wizards raised by muggles would be. Hermione was and she also read all the textbooks before coming here too. I tried but wasn’t allowed.’

Severus wondered why the brat was telling him these things as he neither cared nor wanted to hear them. The Gryffindor was being too comfortable and forthcoming around him this year and it unsettled Severus terribly. Surely it was nothing a long round of insults and detentions couldn’t resolve. Perhaps since Har-Potter was the Gryffindor Quidditch captain than having him scrubbing cauldrons while a match was taking place would chase away the frightening thoughts of the boy getting comfortable enough to hug him, as Draco had been rather fond of doing back in his first and second years.

Thank Merlin his godson had grown out of that.

‘It is indeed a rather typical response for a muggle-raised child.’ Severus nodded.

‘However, Lily was even more so. Additionally, you should have been informed of your magical status prior to your eleventh birthday due to the fact that your aunt is well aware of the Wizarding world in which you belong to.’

Not giving the boy a chance to comment, nor wanting to think upon Tuney for a second longer than necessary, Severus continued.

‘Lily and I shared a compartment on the train to Hogwarts in our first year.’ Severus said. ‘Alongside your blasted father and Black.’ His words instantly caught the full magnitude of the boy’s attention in a way that no detention or lesson had been able to bring about.

It was rather ironic yet maddening to the professor.

‘Is that when you started hating the Marauders?’ Harry asked while he had the chance to speak. He inched back in his seat at the glare he received from Snape in response to his words.

‘No, Potter.’ Severus spat. ‘And I certainly do not appreciate your assumptions upon the matter. For your information, that moment was when they began to despise me.’

‘Why?’ Harry whispered. James and Sirius had been the ones to start the rivalry? No! Surely it wasn’t true…Snape must have provoked them just as Malfoy had to him.

Well, sort of.

‘Lily and I were discussing which houses we ought to be sorted into upon arrival.’ Severus straightened slightly in his chair. ‘Naturally, I preferred Slytherin whereas your father disagreed.’ At the unjustified expression on the boy’s face, Severus rolled his eyes.

‘We were children, Potter. What did you expect?’

‘It’s the same stuff even then.’ Harry frowned. ‘Slytherin against Gryffindor; probably had something to do with my dad being from a long line of Gryffindors and you from Slytherins.’ He grumbled.

‘But what happened? Did you lot get into a fight or something? What did mum do? I bet she thought it was a rather silly thing to fight over as well.’

‘She did.’ Severus said slowly with narrowed eyes. ‘We left the compartment shortly after a few choice names were exchanged.’

‘Oh.’ Harry fell silent as he understood the meaning behind that phrase. So they had called Snape that horrid nickname, even then.

‘What was her sorting like?’

‘It was much like Draco Malfoy’s own sorting, as you may recall.’ Severus replied. ‘The hat declared her house long before it was even placed properly atop her head.’ He elaborated and watched the way the teen’s shoulders hunched with disappointment.

‘And my father’s sorting?’ Harry wondered. ‘What was that like?’

‘Lily is the focus of this meeting and so it shall remain.’

Severus decided to spare the boy of the fact that James had been sorted rather quickly as well, although he’d heard rumors that the hat had used those extra few seconds to contemplate Hufflepuff; hardly, as if the git could ever understand fairness and hard work.

‘During her years at Hogwarts, Lily was a model student yet not an annoying know-it-all like Granger.’ Severus rolled his eyes. ‘You were informed that she had a talent for Charms and Potions, whereas she properly exceeded in all of her classes apart from History of Magic and Divination.’

Harry smirked at that; he hated despised those classes as well, mostly because he had no interest in them whatsoever.

‘You wished to know not of how who she was following graduation nor the finer details of her time as a student, correct?’ Severus bought time by verifying.

The boy nodded in response, far too quickly for his liking; was there still a chance to toss the Gryffindor from his office?

‘As a person, Lily was indeed considerate and sought the evidence of goodness in everyone she met regardless of their backgrounds or attitudes.’ Severus swallowed and lowered his gaze to a random spot on his desk. Where had that scratch mark come from? He really ought to spell it away later, along with that ink stain.

‘She also had a temper, one that flared over any form of injustice.’ Severus hated to admit that perhaps her son had inherited such a trait also. ‘And her loyalty was befitting to any Hufflepuff…she would have belonged into that house with ease. Everyone liked her and she got along with most of them, although Lily only had a few select friends.’ Severus paused and glanced at the clock, deciding that he’d said enough; it had been a whole hour!

‘Was my dad one of them?’ Harry asked. ‘And did she ever play Quidditch?’

‘Lily and your father were enemies until sixth year.’ Severus frowned and swallowed again as the emotions he had been wary of from the beginning finally burst into his awareness.

‘And whilst she enjoyed the sport as well as being rather adequate on a broomstick, no, Lily did not join the Gryffindor Quidditch team for the entire duration of her time at Hogwarts.’

‘I heard my parents were Head Boy and Girl.’ Harry sensed that their session was coming to a close and still he longed for more knowledge.

‘Yes.’ Severus said in a very low, tense tone that suggested a hidden meaning in which Harry was unable to decipher.

There was no way the boy could know that the first time Severus had realized that Lily had chosen James was when he’d walked by a prefect meeting room to see Lily and James kissing, their head boy/girl badges simmering in the sunlight.

‘Thanks, sir.’ Harry actually smiled at Severus, bringing a startling end to the man’s memories as he stared at the boy.

‘I just wanted to know those things, like that she had a temper or the stuff she didn’t like…because no one cares about those things yet I didn’t know any of it.’ He knew better than to push his luck and got to his feet, preparing to depart before Snape came up with a reason to give him a detention after all.

Severus inhaled a breath as though his previous amount of oxygen had been tainted. He narrowed his eyes at the teenager before him and nodded his head shortly.

‘You are her son, I merely informed you of such mediocre details in which you should already know.’ He admitted.

‘Still, you did and no one else bothered. Thanks.’ Harry sighed. ‘Oh, but sir…The wizard who told my mum she was a witch, was he a student too?’

‘Yes.’ Severus wondered why the boy cared about that throwaway comment.

‘Did they ever become friends?’ Harry speculated as he turned towards the door and was clearly about to leave the moment he received an answer.

Severus stared at the teenager for a long moment and lowered his gaze as he stood upright and nodded.

‘They were friends until their fifth year when he mistakenly refered to her by a horrid, undeserving name. She never forgave him and therefore they were friends no longer.’ He never raised his eyes to meet the boy’s again; Severus could not dare to as they likely revealed too much.

Harry said nothing as he realized what that information meant because the connection was unmistakable. Snape had told his mother that she was a witch and they’d rode the train together…They’d been friends.

‘Thanks again, sir.’

Severus frowned as he remembered something and decided to voice it in order to be rid of such memories. ‘How is it that your came across the knowledge that I am descended from a long line of Slytherins? I do not recall mentioning-’ He glanced up to glare at the boy just in time to catch Harry darting from the office.

Bloody Potter!

--

Harry hadn’t taken notice of anyone he strode past as he marched through the corridors with his head bent as though trying to conceal himself from the sights of others, which his now-lengthily hair assisted with.

He recently knew why Snape never really had a haircut.

Gasping as he burst outside and stared up at the welcomed sunlight, Harry hurried across the grounds until he reached the oak tree he had seen Snape sitting under in the memories he’d unintentionally witnessed in the previous year. Purposefully seating himself in the same spot, Harry snatched a textbook from his bag, a quill, some ink and that all-important roll of parchment.

 He unfurled it enough to write something although his quill tip never touched parchment. What could he say? Snape didn’t know he was S.J.E and most of what needed to be said had occurred in their meeting only moments previous.

Contemplating what he’d learned, Harry wondered if there was no limit to the amount of knowledge he gained in which could constantly change his views of the man he had once considered his enemy. He knew more about his mother, which made him smile and Harry couldn’t wait to share the details with Toby later. However it was the things involving Snape that had capture the majority of his attention and considerations.

He wondered why Petunia had never mentioned his mother having a “freaky” friend who lived in their area. It wasn’t saying much since she never spoke of her sister at all, other than to lie to him about his parents dying in a car crash or those basic details of how his grandparents had reacting to having a witch in the family.

And then there was Snape’s own mother…Irma also hadn’t told him that she’d known his mother, that they’d lived nearby and how her son had been friends with her for at least seven or eight years. Or perhaps she had indicated towards such, having mentioned a friend he’d had but lost.

It was surprising and oddly interesting that Snape had been friends with his mother before they even went to Hogwarts and remained so for more than half of their schooling, yet the more Harry thought about it the sadder the story became. Yes, they had been friends but a single dreadful name had been unforgiven and it all came to a halt. He couldn’t understand how someone as considerate, understanding and open-minded as his mother could possibly ditch one of her long-time and childhood friends simply because he’d called her something nasty while he was being humiliated and laughed at.

It confused Harry and didn’t make enough sense because even if someone had done that to him, given the length of friendship and the understanding they would’ve had for each other with their backgrounds and such, he had no doubt that after a period of cooling down, he’d have forgiven his friend also.

Perhaps there was something he was missing? Maybe Snape never apologized or their friendship was already heading to ruin from a series of other events he didn’t yet know of?

Even so, Harry was unable to wrap his mind over the fact that despite what Snape might have done, ultimately it was his mother’s inability to forgive him that caused the consequences of their broken friendship that followed. Irma had implied that Snape fell deeper into the dark side because of losing his friend to another and than losing her to death.

Harry lowered his gaze to the parchment and decided on something he could write. It was brought about by what he remembered Dumbledore saying during their confrontation earlier that day, in which he had sought more information in relation to it.

<blockquote>I heard a rumor that there are rare and interesting potion ingredients towards the back and less-ventured areas of the Hogwarts grounds.

Would they be worth collecting to use in any potion that may require them or would they be too dangerous to come into contact with?</blockquote>

Yes, Potions was a great distraction right now.

He waited for a reply but none came. Deciding that Snape must be busy; Harry collected his things into his bag and stared up at the partially cloudy sky through the gaps in the tree branches above him. He had waited and dreaded the eighth of January and now that it had come and gone, generally it hadn’t been so bad.

Harry had learned quite a lot.

And suddenly as he pondered further on the date and what classes he had tomorrow, Harry snatched his bag and jumped to his feet. He ran all the way back to the castle and ignored the odd glances he received from a few other students around him. Diving under the bed in his dormitory (thankfully, Toby was once again preoccupied with Dobby and Irma in the library), Harry snatched at his trunk that wasn’t normally stored there. He grasped an object from it and bit his lip, unsure if he should go through with it. He decided that since he had gone to the effort and cost than he might as well follow through with his plan ever since he had heard Irma mention the important time of year in which it would soon be.

Moments later, Harry skidded into the dungeon corridor and almost forgot to knock as he reached the office door once again.

Severus glanced up from his desk as he was pulled from his memories and thoughts by the very boy who had brought about the majority of his contemplative mood. All he could see was the mop of lengthy dark hair, accompanied by glasses and emerald eyes that peered into the room.

‘I almost forgot,’ Harry said quickly. ‘Happy Birthday for tomorrow, sir!’ The teen placed a small parcel on the ground and once again vanished from the office.

By the time Severus had reached the door, the corridor outside it was utterly vacant. His obsidian eyes slowly narrowed to the small parcel as he snapped the door shut and locked it. Severus waved his wand to check for any likely pranks or hexes before he tenderly reached for it and placed it upon his desk.

Inside the drawer of his desk were pictures of Lily and various pieces of her belongings as a child, yet he had not been able to bring himself to give them to the boy; Severus didn’t dare part with them. And now, as he stared at the green wrapping paper and sparkling silver bow of the box that only just fit on his open palm, Severus thought he ought to give the boy a photo or two, and maybe a small keepsake as well.

Not bothering to follow tradition and wait until morning, Severus began to slowly pull away the wrapping of the gift; in case he ought to to hand out many punishments to the boy the next day.

As the last layer fell off the box, Severus cautiously lifted the lid and glanced inside, fully prepared to aim his wand at it if anything so much as moved or breathed. Suspense building, he tugged the lid free and examined the content inside the box in which had been left for him as a birthday present from Harry Potter.

He reached inside the box to lift it onto his palm and examine it. It didn’t appear to be very fancy as it was a perfectly moulded silver cauldron the size of a plum, and yet Severus knew better. It was simply ornamental to those who didn’t know that one could pour a bit of any potion inside and it would never be destroyed, although it would emit steam or change colour if left too long. Also one could mix two potions together – even deadly toxins or with unstable ingredient combinations – inside the tiny cauldron and not only would it remain undamaged, but the liquid also never spilled and therefore would contain the mixtures until the concoction was vanished or began to evaporate on its own.

As a child, these had first come into stock and Severus could never afford one. Over time it was a lost wish and he hadn’t thought upon it again. He wasn’t sure if Harry knew of its hidden delightful properties that any Potion Master could enjoy or use to safely experiment with, or if the boy simply got it because it looked nice and suitable enough for its designated recipient; unlikely, given its worth.

And for a moment, as Severus sat in his chair and continued to stare at the little object on his open palm, he felt nine-years-old again without the urge to shove such memories away because he felt no ache of remorse or longing. Staring intently at the silver cauldron, Severus recalled a redhead friend he had a long time ago who had been the only other person he’d met to love Potions almost as much as he did.

His recollections shifted to bring forth an image of her son; her little eleven-year-old boy who walked through the Great Hall for the first time with an equal look of awe and innocence that his mother always had about her whenever she saw or used magic; even when she’d reached the age of fifteen. The child who hadn’t got to know how wonderful his own mother had been…A boy Severus no longer loathed, hated, disliked, nor dismissed, as he closed his fingers over the small gift.

A rare smile spread across his face as Severus cherished his first real birthday present since he himself had been sixteen.