"Severus my boy," Dumbledore said in a cheerful tone, his voice low and welcoming. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this late night visit?"
"Headmaster, we must talk," Severus answered seriously. He had been wandering the halls in search of wayward students who had dared to venture out after curfew but his mind had been stuck on other matters, namely Potter, and he had failed to notice a couple of Ravenclaw students loitering a mile away from their common room.
"That sounds rather serious. I do hope everything is alright." Said the headmaster, peering at Severus over his half-moon glasses.
Severus looked at his mentor and repressed a sigh and a shiver. Dumbledore always seemed to know when something was not right. "Certainly, headmaster, everything is fine." He said, not completely without a guilty jerk of his head.
"Sit down," Dumbledore suggested. "Some tea, Severus?" Dumbledore was already gracefully pouring two small china cups.
"No, thank you." The Potions professor declined, instead choosing to dive right into the matter at hand. "It concerns Potter," he confessed with cold sobriety.
Dumbledore smiled with resignation. "Again, Severus? Surely you have finished complaining about the boy. He is not so bad."
Severus shook his head. "Potter and I had an... argument." He said awkwardly.
"I see," Dumbledore nodded, though Severus thought that he did not look as though he understood at all. "You wish to have the boy punished for speaking out of turn, preferably expelled?" He quipped, although the usual twinkling mirth, usually at Severus' expense, was not quite present.
"No, not this time. This time... the fault," Severus forced, "the fault was mine." Severus proceeded to tell the headmaster everything that had occurred in his occlumency lesson with Harry.
***
"I see." Dumbledore said with gravity when Severus had finished.
"The boy is impossible, headmaster!" Severus started, feeling as though he was in fight and flight mode. "He dared call me that, that name! That impertinent little bast-"
"Severus!" Dumbledore admonished, halting the man's next word.
"I'm sorry, Albus, but the nerve of that boy! He waltzes into my pensieve like he owns the thing, watches my most private memories, and then he takes advantage of that transgression and spits mockery at me!" Severus was steaming, all guilt had been forgotten for the time being as his mind was dead set on spilling the blasphemy about Harry Potter. The name, Snivellus, gifted to him by James Potter, was a stark reminder of the ritual humiliation that he had been forced to put up with as a student in school.
"I'll have him expelled for this! This is the last straw! Make a fool of me, will he? I ought to- "
"-Strike him?" Dumbledore's tone was stern.
Severus stopped suddenly in his rant. "No, of course not." He said soberly. He shrunk beneath the older Wizard's searching look. Severus looked away, feeling very uncomfortable under the headmaster's calculating gaze. He always felt exposed around the Wizard: nobody read him better than Albus Dumbledore did. As a spy, Severus had learnt discreetness, and now he kept his feelings and intentions deep inside, hidden behind a dark mask of indifference where few could get to them. Albus Dumbledore read him like an open book, and that was without even resorting to Legilimency. "I assume that it was a lapse in judgment?" Dumbledore inquired severely, looking pointedly at the potions professor.
"There was no judgment," Severus admitted. "I lost my temper and acted rashly." He said regretfully. He could not bring himself to meet Dumbledore's eyes and instead focussed his gaze on the lace doilies that decorated the headmaster's desk. He despised those pernickety, frivolous decorations. His line of vision failed to take in the old man's face, but he could tell that Dumbledore's features were lined with disappointment. Those few words, spoken with such passive reprimand, brought the guilt back to Severus harder than any reprimand he had made to himself that evening.
"You have made amends." It wasn't a question.
Dumbledore's scrutiny was absolute, and Severus forced himself to look up and answer with respect. "Yes, Albus. I have apologized to Potter."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly but his eyes seemed less sad now as he met Severus' shifty gaze with some small approval. From Severus' perspective, Dumbledore was showing tremendous patience and leniency. The Potions professor had thought that he would have had to endure a great amount of ancient wizarding wrath, at the very least some smashed china teacups. Severus had, just hours ago, hit the precious Golden Boy in a rather brutal manner and, although the injuries were considerably minor, they were nonetheless quite unacceptable. Surely it was a dangerous infraction? Severus risked another peek at Dumbledore and regretted it immediately. With Dumbledore looking at him like that, Severus felt his regret build once more. But Harry Potter irked him so much. Severus just could not keep his temper around the boy. Potter was the only student in the history of Hogwarts that had forced Severus to resort to physical violence. This was, in fact, the second time he had manhandled the teenager. How was it possible that Dumbledore could remain so calm and collected?
"I have heard many rumours about your treatment of the boy, Severus," Albus said gravely. "Mostly from Minerva. She has been quite indignant about how you speak to and of Harry. But I did not know that you disapproved of him to such a degree."
"It was no- " Severus began, but Dumbledore held up a hand and cut him off.
"I know that it was not your intention to physically hurt Harry, but I am speaking of your relationship with Harry in general. How you act towards and around him in the classroom and outside of it. Well, I cannot say that I altogether approve of it any longer."
Severus frowned at Dumbledore. He did not approve any longer? What was that supposed to mean, had he approved before? Severus might have laughed if he had not felt so wrong-footed.
"You know yourself how you have hurt Harry." Dumbledore did not let go of Severus' eyes with his own and the Potions Master noticed something disconcerting. It was one of those rare times where Dumbledore's eyes did not twinkle and, as much as Severus found the sparkle immensely irritating, the absence of it meant bad things. "I have let it go in the past, but now I make my expectations clear." Dumbledore continued. "Your prejudice towards Harry is no longer tolerated, Severus. Be firm if you must. But your bitterness towards him must end. I am tired of the animosity between you both when you have more in common than you think."
Easier said that done, Severus thought. The animosity between him and Potter could not disappear within a fortnight.
"Regarding these Occlumency lessons, you have told me that Harry has made little to no progress? You insist that this is due to Harry's incompetence, due to his lack of cooperation, but can you swear to me that the blame lies solely on his shoulders?"
Severus glared at his hands grasping the chair arms but did not speak. He heard Dumbledore sigh: "I gave you a responsibility, Severus. You are the only one I trust to teach Harry. Has that trust been misplaced?"
"No! No, of course not," Severus answered hastily. He did not want to disappoint the man, though it was a tad late for that.
Dumbledore regarded the hunched form of the man sat before him, and said with undeniable authority: "I believe that we have had this conversation before, Severus. This is not the first time that you have lost your temper around Harry, but it shall be the last."
Severus would be a fool to argue with Albus Dumbledore. He gulped. When Dumbledore was angry he was a force to be reckoned with. "Yes, headmaster," Severus answered tonelessly, even as his heart raced.
Dumbledore's features softened. "Do you truly hate him, Severus?" He questioned. "Do you really believe that he is like James was at his age? Harry and his father share many similarities but he is more like his mother in ways you never care to notice. More than anything else, Harry is his own person."
Severus chose to remain silent.
"Tell me Severus, is hate the depth of feeling that you hold for Harry?" Dumbledore's tone was grave once more. "A great contempt? Perhaps a dark despise?"
Hate? Severus Snape detested Harry Potter on every level. He abhorred the fact that Harry was James' son, that he was the Boy-Who-Lived, that he held such resemblance to his father. Severus cursed the boy's disregard for rules, the welfare of both himself and those around him. He sneered at Potter's self-sacrificial attitude and his Gryffindor foolhardiness. He damned the boy's audaciousness, his hero complex, and ridiculous, so-called bravery that the world praised to the heavens. Harry Potter had caused Severus Snape much grief. But did he hate Potter's son? No. Severus knew hate. Hate was strong, and dark, and evil. Hate was like a never-ending, moonless night. Hate was not what he felt for Harry Potter. Hate was reserved for only a couple of individuals in his life: he hated the Dark Lord. Perhaps James Potter and his friends too, but not the younger Potter brat. It was true, as loathe as he was to admit it, Harry Potter was just a boy and he did not deserve Severus' hate. "No." He said shortly.
"Harry is a good boy, despite his faults," Dumbledore said, relaxing into a genuine smile for the first time that evening, and leaning back into his chair. "Just like you are, Severus, despite yours."
Severus snorted. Dumbledore was the only person on earth that could address him as a boy and got away with it.
"All of the professors have wonderful things to say about Harry, except for you. It is not hard to see the good in the boy. If you would only open your eyes, you'll realize that he is covered head to toe with good qualities."
Severus snorted again. Wonderful things about Harry Potter were hard to come by for the simple fact that they did not exist. The old man believed everyone to be as bright and wondrous as his sherbet lemons and lace doilies. Severus did not know what possible, wonderful things his colleagues had to say, but Harry Potter's abysmal grades in Severus' subject were laughable at best.
The headmaster smiled at him knowingly. "He may not be an academic, but academics are not always what is most important."
Severus grimaced.
"Give the boy the benefit of the doubt like I gave you, Severus."
Severus sighed. Albus Dumbledore had taken him in, he had given Severus a second chance at life. As a young man Severus had made many unforgivable transgressions; mistakes that would have condemned him forever in the eyes of the majority of the wizarding world. Albus Dumbledore was renowned for his amnesty and ability to forgive, and he had been the only one willing to give Severus any reprieve. Severus had been living the darkest days of his life and, at certain points, he had wished to die. However, Dumbledore, being Dumbledore, had intervened.
"Perhaps you should invite him for tea?" Dumbledore suggested, the famous twinkle returning to his eyes.
"What?" Severus spluttered, breaking his near silence.
"After the lessons, Severus, get to know him." Dumbledore explained gently.
"Headmaster, you cannot be serious!" Severus was outraged. "I am not having tea with Potter!"
"Not even the offer of a sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore raised an amused eyebrow. "Ah, I will not force you, Severus, but do try. Harry is so much more than just James Potter's son."
There was no room for disagreement. "I will endeavour to be less hostile, headmaster." Severus complied. But Dumbledore was not satisfied with Severus' insubstantial answer. "His training must continue next year, and you know I have been thinking about adding defence to that. This means that the hours you spend with each other will only increase. Harry will be more willing to learn if the atmosphere between you were not so tense."
Severus nodded, the thought of spending even more time with the boy put a frown on his face but his answer was filled with utmost sincerity when he replied. "I will try, Albus."
"That is all I ask for, my boy," Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Don't fret, Severus. I have complete faith in you, as well as Harry. Your relationship with the boy will improve with time." And with that, the old Wizard took another sip of his hot tea. "Sure you would not care for some tea, Severus?"
***
Severus returned to his quarters well past midnight. His talk with Dumbledore had gone better than expected. The old wizard was clearly and understandably angry at Severus but he had not shouted, he had not even raised his voice. Severus had fully believed that he would be in for a long talk with the headmaster, but he had not said much at all. Albus Dumbledore's expectations, however, were made poignant in the few words he had spoken.
After practically forcing him to have tea, Severus and Dumbledore had gone on to discuss other issues and the situation with Potter became irrelevant. When they called it a night, the headmaster had said that he would call Potter to his office in a few days time and the matter would be resolved there and then. He had also tilted his head to the side and told his Potions professor very simply that should something like this happen again, the consequences would be unfavourable.
However, behind that cool and gentle smile, Severus knew that Dumbledore meant business. Severus shook his head incredulously. His relationship with Potter improve? The old man was mad.