George Weasley's eyes slowly opened as he tried desperately to hold on to the dream he'd just been enjoying. Something about broomsticks and girls? He blinked dazedly, wondering what had disturbed his peaceful slumber. Rolling to his side he suddenly let out a startled screech! Not three inches from his nose was a pair of huge green eyes!

"George, what's the matter?" Fred's red head peeked around his curtains.

"It's just a house elf, Fred."

"I is sorry sir. I is not meanings to startle you." The house elf looked dismayed at the thought of having disturbed a student.

"No, no, it's alright. What is it though?"

"You was asking we bring you things we find, sir. Funny things?"

"Yes, have you found something?" Fred had joined George on his bed by now, and looked wide-awake at the prospect of new devilry.

"Dobbie said to give this. He said he find it in Profsor Snape's lab last night." Here the elf paused and shuddered a little, whether in fear of Snape or in disgust at the gooey mess in its hands it was hard to tell.

"Excellent, tell Dobbie we'll put it to good use!" George said, accepting the offered apothecary jar with an evil smirk.

"What do you think it is?" Fred queried, looking mystified as they examined the object.

"What I want to know is what Snape did to it. It's not like him to make a mistake on a potion." George mused.

"Ah, but he's had a lot on his mind lately...think he wants a bit of cheering, actually." Fred and George exchanged identical mischievous looks at that thought.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ron was surprised to see Harry sitting in a chair reading as he came down the stairs from the dorm.

"I thought you'd be out walking or flying." Ron commented, throwing himself in a chair opposite from Harry. "Well it wasn't for lack of trying." Harry said with a mixture of vexation and amusement. "It took me forever to find my shoes, and then there didn't seem to be much point. Thought I'd catch up on my reading a bit."

"Hermione will skin you if she sees you're not studying for your exams." Ron said with a knowing grin.

"Then we'll just have to not tell her." Harry said calmly.

"Tell who what?" Hermione said as she and Ginny entered the room. "Harry, I cannot believe you are reading something so frivolous instead of studying! You've wasted so much time already what with Quidditch practice and all." Hermione continued, catching sight of the title of the book Harry was holding.

"Oh come on, Hermione, we've still got loads of time." Harry complained as he stood up and stretched, grinning at Ginny. "Besides, it's time for breakfast".

As the four hurried out and down the hall Hermione's voice could be heard saying

"It's never too early to start, besides, what will you do if you fail them?"

As they entered the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table, Harry looked up at the staff table. He wasn't really surprised to see that Professor Snape wasn't there yet. Obviously he was lying in; it had been a late night for both of them. Ron, noticing where he was looking, leaned over and whispered,

"So, have you come up with anything to say to him?"

"Not really. Do you think I could just hand the letter in with my homework and pretend it never happened?" Harry whispered back.

Hermione, who had been listening to their conversation as she helped herself to the dishes on the table, leaned forward.

"Harry, you can't pretend that none of this is real. That's not fair to him or you. Think about that letter. How much courage must it have taken for him to show that to you. He shared the last think he'll ever have from his wife with you, you can't just tuck it in with your homework. That would be like spitting on the King's grave." She finished passionately.

Ron, looking confused, leaned over to say "But I thought we had a queen. Did someone forget to tell me she'd passed on?"

Hermione glared at him, clearly exasperated at his thickness.

"Never mind Hermione" Harry said as he reached for the juice. "You're right, I'll have to talk to him sometime, and I might as well get it over with. I'll ask him for a minute after classes today."

Harry turned to look again at the staff table, feeling as though he was being watched. While they were talking, Snape had made his way into the hall, and was sitting in his customary place. His eyes were fixed on Harry as he drank his morning tea.

Remus, noticing Severus' fixed regard and contemplative demeanor leaned over discreetly to investigate what was going on.

"So Sev, have you made any progress?"

"Oh yes. Last night alone I managed to confirm to Harry that I am his father..you were right, by the way, he'd figured it out with a little help from Miss Nosy Granger. Before I had a chance to explain the boy went flying off down the hall to parts unknown." He paused to sip at his tea. "And don't call me Sev."

"Surely you didn't leave the matter there?" Remus was horrified at the thought of Harry being abandoned to the fate of his thoughts. "Did you find him and explain Lily's letter?"

"I managed to run into him on the Astronomy Tower. Do you know what that idiot boy did? He flew his broomstick up off the tower! Obviously got his flying talent from me, Lily never could abide the things." Snape was obviously torn between pride in his son's skills, and horror at his foolishness. "I happened to have Lily's letter on me, so I gave it to him to read."

"And?" Remus waited breathlessly for the rest of the tale.

"And what? He left with it." Severus busied himself with the task of procuring another cup of tea, thereby avoiding looking at his fellow professor.

"Did he read it?"

"I don't know." Severus looked over again at Harry, trying to gauge his mood as Harry stood up with his friends and got ready to leave for class. "You know him better than I, does it look like he's disturbed?"

"Not really." Lupin mused, watching them as well. He was disturbed by the odd noise of muffled snorts of laughter coming from next to him. Turning in disbelief to look at Professor Snape, he was astonished to see that most grim of men with a hand clamped over his mouth, black eyes sparkling with merriment as he desperately tried to hold his amusement in. "What's the matter with you?"

Managing to get a firm grip on himself, Snape uncovered his mouth.

"You will never believe what Harry said on top of the tower last night."

"Well?"

"I think he's been at the Weasley's house too much. He accused Lily of being.." Here Snape's voice petered out again as he clenched his jaws, trying not to disgrace himself by launching into the hearty guffaws that were rising in his throat.

"What, what did he call Lily?" Remus asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Severus Snape amused.

"He called her a scarlet woman!" Snape hurriedly arose, hand clamped firmly over his mouth, and made his way to the staff exit. It wouldn't do to let the students see him giggling, he thought as he made it to the safety of the hall and exploded into laughter. Oh my, if Lily only knew!

Remus watched as Severus fled a highly amused smile on his face. Looking down the table he caught Dumbledore's knowing and equally amused eyes. Maybe having Harry in his life would finally force Snape back into the land of the living he mused as he drank his tea.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry sat nervously at his table in the Potions lab, waiting for Professor Snape to appear. Ron and Hermione, seated at the table with him, kept giving him looks of support, knowing how ill at ease he felt.

Finally managing to get himself in hand, Severus paused just outside the door to eye the assembled class. As he swooped through the door with his characteristic brisk entrance, the students jumped and sat at attention. Giving them their instructions, he took up his normal perch at his desk, watching them scurry to gather their ingredients. If I were a betting man, he mused, I'd bet that Longbottom makes it through perhaps step 5 before he melts his cauldron this time. And he thought eyeing Draco Malfoy as that young man put on his best innocent air and proceeded to chop a gingerroot very finely, I had better watch Master Malfoy carefully today. He's up to something.

Rising from his desk he began to roam the room, stopping every so often to berate a Gryffindor for stupidity or commend a Slytherin for intelligence. He finally made his way to Potter's table just as the trio added the last ingredient. He was surprised to note that all three of them had somehow managed to assemble the rather complicated potion perfectly.

"This needs to sit for a few days before full potency will be reached," Severus instructed as he reached the front of the room. When you are finished, decant the liquid into these bottles, label them with your name, and put them on the shelf." "LONGBOTTOM!" Snape bellowed as a brilliant flash of light came from the area of Neville's table.

As he hurried over to see what the idiot had done now, he missed seeing Draco slyly switching the names on the bottles of potion standing on the shelf.

Harry lagged behind the other students as they left for their next classes. Ron and Hermione lingered near the door, waiting for him, but he gestured them on as he slowly trudged up to the professor's desk.

"Yes Potter." Snape said, looking at him as he approached.

"I, I, I, well, I read the note, sir, and I wondered ifIcouldtalkithyousometime?" Harry said in a rush.

"What?" Severus asked, not understanding in the least what Harry had said.

"Never mind sir," Harry said, turning to go.

"No, wait," Severus reached out to grab Harry's arm, only to find him flinching away from him. "I didn't understand what you said.

"Oh, can I talk with you sometime." Harry said quietly, turning around to face his father.

"Yes, yes of course!" Severus was somewhat taken aback that Harry would be interested in talking to him so soon. "What about tonight, I should be free after 8:30. Meet me here in the classroom."

"Thank you sir," Harry said as he ran out. Hermione and Ron waited in the hallway for him.

"Well?"Ron asked as they walked toward their next class.

"I'm going to talk with him tonight." Harry said, unsure whether he was happy or scared.