**Dumbledore laughed, “Really Severus, I will make you accept a lemon drop if it’s the last thing I do.”

Severus sneered disdainfully, “Well I am sorry Albus, but it seems you will never be granted this wish!”**

Snape turned in bed.

**Snape was feeling very smug. For the first time in his life, he was able to have the last word over Dumbledore, insisting that Draco would be allowed as the seeker on the team. Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and Snape shivered. Maybe it wasn’t a very good idea to defy Dumbledore after all. Albus waved his hand lazily and his eyes returned to full twinkle before leaving Snape’s quarters. He looked around and everything was in place. Snape shrugged and went to sit down in his favourite chair but noticed a very small tiny detail that the damned twinkly old coot had changed. His robes, Snape’s robes, had become a bright red colour … for three days, and no amount of glaring, pleading, growling or threatening worked to make the Headmaster change them back.**

Snape sat up, pummelled his pillow a few times and laid back in bed again.

**“How about a game of chess, Severus?”

“Really Headmaster, are you sure you want to be defeated Again?”

“Not really, but I do miss the battle of wills that you always hold with my chess pieces.”**

Snape stared at the ceiling.

**“Severus, you will leave the potions and books and essays and whatever else you’re drowning yourself in, and you will join me for a long walk and a butter beer.”**

A small smile tugged at Snape’s lips.

**“Now Severus, if you leave that bed before fully recovering I swear I will let Minerva deal with you! Potions Professor or not, she has my formal approval to give you as many detentions as she wants!”**

Severus left his bed and walked to the window. He opened it and inhaled some of the cool night’s air.

**Dumbledore moved slowly towards him and touched his hair lightly, “My child. You have never forgiven me!” Dumbledore’s hand stopped dead holding Severus locks between the fingers when Snape’s ice-cold and dead voice whispered, “Out!”

Dumbledore froze. “W-What?”

Eyes still closed, Severus said in the same voice, “Get. Out. of. My. House. And don’t ever come here again!”**

“God! What did I do?” Snape groaned.

**“Albus, I am scared!”

Albus put his hands around Severus’ shoulders. Oh Albus, you have not done that since the night I came back to you. God I need it.

Severus leaned his head against Albus shoulder closing his eyes. He felt Albus patting his shoulder gently, “I know child, I know you are scared. I am scared too. I hope to God that it wouldn’t be Voldemort coming back again. We do not need another war.”

Severus leaned closer to his father and was grateful for the arm that tightened around him as he continued, “And I hope he doesn’t for your sake more than anything else, my child.”

Severus sighed, no longer feeling scared. He could do anything if Albus was there for him, he would do anything that Albus wanted him to do, whatever it was, and he would gladly die for the old man, all he wanted in return was to be able to look at the headmaster’s eyes and see pride in there, and to put his head on the headmaster’s shoulder and close his eyes.**

Snape closed his eyes and struggled against the tightness of his throat. “Albus, I am so sorry.” He whispered to the night.

……….….……………

Breakfast was really gloomy in the morning. Severus was scowling into his cup coffee since he sat down and didn’t say a word. Harry could guess the reason of his Dad’s mood. Last night, Harry didn’t go to bed until Snape said that he would talk to Dumbledore this morning. Harry pouted when he remembered suffering stinging ears as a result of that conversation. Humph! Really Snape was such a child sometimes that Harry waned to smack him. Well, not really, he still wanted to live for a few more years.

“Um, Dad? Are you alright?”

Harry got a frightening glare for his troubles that shut him up for the rest of breakfast. However, as he finished, he couldn’t stop himself from adding softly, “I am sure everything will be alright.” When another glare came his way, he cleared his throat awkwardly, “Um. Right. Can I watch the telly?”

Snape raised an eyebrow. “You need permission for that?”

Snape suddenly remembered that not once had Harry watched television since he came to his house.

Harry pinked, “I er wasn’t allowed …. umm yeah…”

Snape studied him for a moment before saying, “Of course you may. Anytime you want, as long as you don’t glue yourself in front of it for hours on end.”

Harry smiled “I won’t.” God forbid, I am not going to turn into another Dudley, though will all the food I am eating here, I am not really sure!

“Um, so, are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

Snape gritted his teeth making Harry flee from the kitchen.

………………………………..

Harry was sitting in the living room flipping through channels, he didn’t find something exceptionally interesting to watch. Strange! He thought that as soon as he had a free reign on the telly, he would have a hard time getting himself unglued from in front of it. He shrugged and settled for watching a funny talk show. Soon, he found himself laughing so much as he watched the dialogue that he jumped a few feet up and yelped when Professor McGonagall laid her hand on his shoulder.

She grinned. Harry did a double take. Did the Deputy Headmistress just grin?

The grin was followed by a tinkling laughter that almost made Harry’s hear stop. Now really, he had seen too many strange happening over the last few months. He had finally begun to get used to Snape laughing, smiling, and chuckling, and now McGonagall?

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake Potter, close your mouth!”

Harry blushed and closed his hanging open mouth, “Er … hi.”

“Hi yourself Mr. Potter!” McGonagall Said smiling, “Amusing show?” she added gesturing to the telly.

“Um …, yes very funny.”

Minerva seated herself beside Harry making him feel a bit uncomfortable. He was never so physically close to any of the teachers before, except Snape of course.

“You look fine Harry.”

Harry smiled, “Yeah. I think I do. I feel fine.”

“I’m glad that you are happy with Severus. I am happy for you.”

“Thank you Professor. I am happy with him, very happy. He’s so … um, can you promise not to tell him?”

McGonagall laughed, “Alright, I won’t. Now out with it. What do you really think of him?”

“Um, OK. He’s so kind and well … er funny.”

Minerva stared at Harry then threw her head back and laughed heartily. Harry scowled, then raised an eyebrow, which only made it worse for McGonagall.

After a few moments, she was able to control herself, “Funny! And Kind! That is the most bizarre description of Severus Snape that I ever heard. No wonder you don’t want him to know Harry. He might chop you into pieces and then mince your bones. And since when did you start imitating his gestures?”

Harry pouted. He was overwhelmed by a very childish urge and it was all he could do to stop himself from sticking out his tongue at McGonagall. She was not Snape after all and there was no guessing what she would do. And just for the record he was not imitating his father, thank you very much!

McGonagall sniffed then looked seriously at Harry, “He is Harry. Kind, I mean. No matter how much he snaps and glares, he’s very compassionate and gentle. But still, he’s also a very angry person, very irate, and gets infuriated at the slightest provocation. His life was … is hard! And he usually lashes out at others as a result.” McGonagall studied the boy for a moment, “but you seem to have already understood that.”

Harry smiled, “Yeah. I know that, Professor, but he’s rarely angry with me. When he snaps and yells and … um … pulls my ears, (Harry blushed bright red as he said that), he is mostly teasing. He only gets really angry when I put myself in danger or something.”

“I see.” McGonagall raised an eyebrow herself, “And does that mean, Mr. Potter, that you make it a practice of putting yourself in danger?” She asked sternly.

Harry reddened, “Er … well you see-”

Snape saved Harry from continuing his confession when he snapped from the doorway, “Minerva, when exactly were you planning to let me know of your presence? I thought you were coming to meet with me as I requested not to make small talk with Mr. Potter here!”

Both McGonagall and Harry rolled their eyes making Snape raise an eyebrow. Harry ducked his head while McGonagall said easily, “Hush Severus. I was just trying to know how abysmally you treat the boy. Obviously he’s scared to death that you would torture him if he tells me how bad you treat him.”

Harry looked at McGonagall wide eyed. Was she trying to get Snape to kill him?

Snape on the other hand, sneered, “You think yourself funny?”

To Snape’s surprise, Minerva burst out laughing while Harry fixed his eyes on the telly, trying hard to look innocent.

Snape was not amused, but decided to let the subject drop. After all, he could always torture the information out of the boy later. He sneered again, “When you’ve chatted enough, I will be in my study.” With that, Snape left with a dramatic billowing of robes, … only … he was not wearing robes, but he still managed to produce the same dramatic effect. Harry sniggered.

McGonagall smiled, “Well. Severus seems in quite a mood today.”

“Yep. Good luck there, Professor. Could you please tell him that I will be with Maria at the park until lunch?”

McGonagall said slyly, “Maria?”

“Yeah, he knows.” Harry said easily, before it dawned to him. McGonagall thought Maria was his girl friend or something. Oh, No! He quickly added, “Maria is three years old!”

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, and Harry felt even more stupid now, “I mean she’s not my … er, I mean I am just babysitting her.”

Minerva laughed, “Hush Potter, don’t get your wand in a twist. I will tell Severus. You go on now.”

Harry blushed, “OK. Thanks, Professor.”

…………………….

“Ah, you finally decided to grace my humble study with your presence?”

“Yes.” McGonagall said easily as she seated herself in a comfortable chair.

Snape bristled. The darned woman didn’t rise to his bait, and now he would have to delve into the subject right away.

“So, Severus, what did you want to see me for?”

“You mean you don’t know?” It always worked for Severus to start with the offensive.

Not this time though. McGonagall said sternly, “I believe you were the one who floo’d my quarters, at five in the morning no less, asking me to come here because you wanted to discuss something important with me. So, now, you’d better go on and discuss that important something.”

McGonagall definitely did know what he wanted to discuss, though not the details. She knew Severus had a row with Dumbledore, a serious one at that. She studied Severus closely, he was even paler than usual. The hard lines in his face and around his eyes clearly indicated his lack of sleep. The potions master was feeling wretched and he heart went out for the boy. No matter that he was in his thirties, Severus was still a boy in her eyes, a wronged, abused, and miserable boy.

- Flashback -

Minerva was in Dumbledore’s office, and Poppy had just started telling her what happened to Harry when Dumbledore came back from Snape’s house that day. His face was pale and his eyes held frozen tears. He walked as if hypnotized and didn’t even look at them on his way to his quarters. The next day, McGonagall found a parchment on her desk giving her free reign on the school for a few days. She had marched t Albus quarters and tried all her Gryffindorish temper to make him talk to her, he just started into space. After she left, he charmed his door closed and she didn’t see him since. After hearing about Severus feelings and Harry’s state from poppy, she was reluctant to ask Severus as well.

- End of Flashback -

“Well?” She said in the same stern tone.

Severus sighed, “You know what happened to Harry?”

“Yes, Poppy told me.”

“Right. After she left, I … Albus and myself, we … discussed things and …”

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, “And?”

Minerva hated to be so harsh with Severus, but that was what he wanted. She knew him well enough to know that he would never accept a kind word from her, when he felt all that guilt. He needed her to be harsh, to snap at him, and tell him that he needed to do something to make up for what he did. It was hard for her to do that. Not after all what happened to him. She sighed inwardly as she waited for him to continue, and he did.

“I threw Albus out of my house.”

McGonagall blinked, “You thr… WHAT?”

“That’s not all.” He added quickly. He was not going to stop now. “I pretty much told him that he was the reason of my misery, that he had ruined my life and was ruining Harry’s and others, that it was because of him that Harry-”

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU SEVERUS SNAPE! How could you?” McGonagall yelled. She was shell-shocked to say the least. She had never expected things to have gone so far. How could he? No wonder Albus was in that state. God, Albus loved Severus. He loved Harry.

Albus lived years of guilt over Severus, and in the last few months, his feelings of guilt had escalated tenfold that Minerva was afraid it was killing him. Discovering Sirius Black was innocent had been a harsh blow, but then discovering the extent of abuse that Harry had lived through, that had really done it. And now, Severus. God, poor Albus.

One look at Severus and McGonagall wanted to bite her tongue. The boy was sitting in his chair, his face in his hands and almost trembling. She had never seen him like that before, never. She walked to the boy and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

And he flinched.

Minerva quickly removed her hand as if burnt. She felt tears stinging her eyes but blinked them back. After all those years, Severus still flinched when someone invaded his personal space. He still flinched as if waiting for a slap to fall.

“Severus?” She said gently. “Severus, it will be alright.”

He shook his head, face still in his hands, “No. No this time. He will never forgive me. Not after what I said.”

Minerva took Severus hands in hers and pulled them forcefully off his face, totally ignoring the flinch this time. He looked so young, so lost, yet so old at the same time.

“What am I going to do?” Snape breathed in distress.

Minerva cleared her throat, then with an air of someone stating the obvious, “Starting with an apology would do Severus, as hard as it is going to grate on your pride!”

Snape gave her a half hearted glare. But then he shook his head, “I can’t face him, not after the things I said.”

“Severus, whatever you said, and no I don’t want or care to know the rest of it, but still, whatever you said will never stand between you and Albus. So, you had a row! You said hurtful things to him? That’s not important. What’s really important is did you really mean it?”

Snape studied his hands and almost whispered, “Yes.”

Minerva’s breath was caught in her throat. She struggled not to show it, “Ah. I see.”

“No, you don’t.” Severus snapped. “I meant what I said then, but now I know that I don’t. I was angry, and hell I am still angry. A lot of things that he had done were really … but still, I didn’t mean all I said, or maybe I did. God! I don’t even know what I mean now.”

“Well, at least I get treated to see you for once stuttering, Severus. And I daresay, this might be added to history books.” Minerva said dryly.

Snape sneered but didn’t dignify the comment with a reply.

Minerva sighed. “Severus, talk to him.”

“I told you, I cannot face him.”

“Albus LOVES you.”

Snape snorted.

And that was McGonagall’s final straw. “Don’t you dare snort at me, Severus Tobias Snape. You are not too old for a detention and I assure you I will see myself that you are would be doing the most hideous jobs available at Hogwarts for it. And I swear if you do not get yourself out of this shocking disposition, which is so much unlike you I must add, and start acting your age, I will find myself compelled to slap some sense into you. And I mean that literally if need be.”

By the end of her rant, Severus had slumped back in his chair in shock at her outburst. And really that woman’s got quite a nerve. Detention, yeah right! And act his age? And what was it, Slap Some Sense into him? Now really that was just …

McGonagall however wasn’t going to let him go on with that line of thought, she snapped, “I don’t see you moving Snape!”

Snape stared at the Transfiguration professor, “What?”

Minerva tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, “To the floo? I thought we already had that settled.”

Finally Severus snapped out of his shock only to find his temper rising very quickly to almost reach the boiling point. What right had that woman to order him like that? Who did she think herself? “You sodding old-”

“Severus Snape, don’t you even think of continuing that sentence! And I assure you, I am NOT Dumbledore, so I won’t take offence and won’t leave your house all hurt, but I do know some quite good transfiguration spells that will take all Hogwarts staff together, Dumbledore included, weeks to counter. If they want you back in the first place that is.”

Snape’s head was enraged as he shouted, “IF YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN-”

“Oh yes Snape I do think I can!” Minerva shouted back. “And that was why you called me in the first place. So don’t act as if what I am doing now is news to you. And you’d better move yourself to Hogwarts this instant and go whine to the Headmaster that his deputy had really crossed the lines and whatever nonsense about Gryffindor behaviour that you like to improve Albus’ headache with. There, now you have a quite good excuse for going to see him.”

This time, Severus didn’t answer. And he had to admit, he was speechless. Well that, and his affection and respect for that damned loathsome detestable woman had just increased several notches.

Snape cleared his throat, and trying hard to collect his now chopped-to-pieces dignity, he coolly pointed out, “Now Minerva, really all you had to do was to formally request my presence in Hogwarts and I would have come immediately. That would have been much easier don’t you think?”

Minerva smirked, “And miss the fun we just had? Certainly not!”

Snape raised an eyebrow. Fun?!

“So why don’t you come and have lunch with the staff, maybe you can convince Albus to start taking his meals with the rest of us again. Bring Harry over, Hagrid is dying to see him and I am quite sure Pamona and Filus can use the heart attack of seeing you both together as well.”

“Conniving feline” Snape muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

“You said something.”

“Nothing!”

“Are you sure?”

“Damn it Minerva, Cut it out!”

McGonagall laughed loudly, “Fair enough. So, how’s Harry?”

……..………………..

With every step that Snape took, he suppressed the urge to go a few steps back. If it was anyone other than Dumbledore, Snape would have banished any thought of apologizing with a scoff and then went to brew a difficult potion instead. But this was Dumbledore. Albus. And what he did was unforgivable. Albus didn’t deserve that of him.

A few moments later, Snape found himself staring at the Gargoyle guarding the headmaster’s office. He had to go through it to reach the headmaster’s private quarters. Severus didn’t know the password and he was not in the mood of guessing some inane candy names to find the right one. Should he just go back?

As he contemplated his next move, the Gargoyle moved to life exposing the moving stairs behind it. Without thinking, Snape stepped on the stairs. He usually started climbing the stairs as soon as he stepped on the first one. Not this time though. He waited until the step he was standing on reached the top slowly and he was in front of the door to Dumbledore’s office. Resignedly, he knocked on the door. He knew that Dumbledore would hear the knock from his quarters, thanks to an old charm. He waited for a few moments. Minerva said that he didn’t answer her knocks, what if he didn’t answer his too?

But then he heard it. A faint ‘come in’! Snape pushed the door to the office and stepped inside. Albus was standing in the middle of the room, wearing dark blue robes and looking pale, his hair a bit dishevelled and his beard not groomed, but that was not what Severus saw. He saw something totally different, something that made him let out the breath he was unaware he’d been holding. He saw acceptance. Albus had been waiting for him. Again.

“Severus?” The headmaster whispered.

“Yes.” Severus looked down. He couldn’t look the headmaster in the eyes, not for a long time to come.

“Look at me.” Dumbledore ordered.

And Snape couldn’t disobey. He looked up and with all his emotions he said, “Albus, nothing in the world could excuse-”

“NO! No Severus, you shouldn’t. You were right. Every word you said was true.”

Severus stared at Dumbledore. God, No. Don’t let those be tears in his eyes. “Albus, please, you have to-”

“My dear boy, it’s not you fault.” Dumbledore said softly, “It’s mine. Always mine.”

My dear boy. Severus closed his eyes, “Albus, please. Hear me out. Grant me this wish. Please.” Severus said urgently.

When Albus nodded, he continued, “What I said that day, I didn’t mean any of it. I was angry, Albus, and worried. I was feeling happy Albus. For the first time in my life, and I care about Harry, so much, much more than I ever dreamed. I felt that the world was starting to pay me back some of what it owes. I know I don’t deserve it, any of it. No Albus, please let me finish! – When you came, I was already thinking about it, about what would happen when it was school time, about the Dark Lord, about the danger that Harry will have to face soon. I was already stretched too thin. The words just came out.”

Severus was pacing in front of Dumbledore’s desk, “And I know you care about me, Albus. Me, not some reformed death eater. I know it. You didn’t ruin my life Albus, I did. I destroyed my life, but you gave it back to me. I know there was nothing you could do. I know there’s nothing that you could do for Draco now. And I know that you only want the best for Harry. You’ve always wanted the best for him.

“I still think that you have made some bad decisions concerning the boy, but it wasn’t on purpose. Believe me Albus, I know that.

“I don’t know how or why I said those things to you. I admit I was angry at you many times in the past few years, especially about Harry. I thought many times that you treated Slytherins unfairly, dammit, I even still do think you treat them unfairly. I am just scared that this would push man of them away to the Dark Lord’s arms. I am afraid lest history repeats itself, Albus, but I should have talked about it with you sooner. There was no excuse for my outburst, but what you don’t know, Albus is this!”

Severus yanked the sleeve n his left arm, “Look Albus, look. It is darker, much darker and clearer than ever. I feel it all the time now. He is getting stronger. He is finding a solution, he will come back! And soon! I am scared Albus. And I am terrified by what this means for Harry. I love him Albus. I have never ever thought I would say those words someday. I have a son now, and I love. And as soon as I got him, everything started working against it.”

Severus was now breathing hard, his sleeve still up and his arm stretched in front of him. Dumbledore gently held Snape’s wrist in his hand. Severus flinched and yanked his arm back, yelling viciously, “DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH IT. DON’T YOU DARE STAIN YOUR PURE-”

“Hush Severus,” Dumbledore admonished sternly, “Don’t you dare complete that sentence.”

Severus flinched again. He wasn’t used to that stern tone from Albus, it hurt.

The headmaster continued in the same tone, “I thought we were over this Severus. You will never ever stain me, my boy. This …” Albus pointed at Severus arm, “This is not a disgrace, not anymore. It is now a mark of honour. You were never a death eater Severus, you didn’t take it willingly, and you have paid a lot for it.”

Dumbledore looked Severus straight in the eyes, “Severus Snape, I am proud of you.”

Snape’s heart raced. God, God, God! His heart was about to burst. His voice strangled, Snape looked pleadingly at his mentor, “Forgive me Albus.”

Dumbledore’s heart clenched. Oh my dear boy, how could you ask for my forgiveness when I was the one who wronged you. But Albus knew that Severus would never accept this argument. Dumbledore would continue to bear the guilt, but Severus had had enough.

At the next moment Severus heart almost stopped. There it was, the legendary twinkle. And Severus knew it. Everything was going to be alright again.

Snape smiled.

Now this was really getting out of hand. Snape would have to start working soon on getting back his scowls and glares before school started again.

He looked up to find Dumbledore’s twinkle getting stronger and he scowled. Infuriating old coot. He knew perfectly well that this twinkle irritated him. There should be a law against it.

“So, Severus, does this mean, I am invited to dinner at your house? And you still owe me a piece of Harry’s birthday cake too!”