Harry followed Snape to his office and plopped down at his usual chair. His hold on his emotions was tenuous at best-he just wanted dinner, a shower and a cozy bed to fall into.
To his surprise, the potions master tapped his desk in a rhythmic pattern and his favourites from the welcoming feast suddenly appeared before them.
"Eat. You look thinner than a dementor, and you'll need the energy after the shock you've been put through." Well, Harry certainly agreed about the shocks he'd received. He'd never seen Snape stand up for anyone like that-not even one of the Slytherin house. It was disconcerting.
"Sir, why did you stand up for me so vehemently?" Waiting for an answer, he sipped at his pumpkin juice.
"The last time the hat used Hogwarts House at a sorting, the headmaster-who was the transfiguration teacher at the time-managed to convince Headmaster Dippet into putting the girl into Hufflepuff instead. Since the magic of the hat is tied into the castle, and since the castle is somewhat a sentient being, she made her displeasure known. The destruction was intense. Imagine a sort of earthquake, but only in certain parts of the castle. Two students and the caretaker at the time died from it. I'm shocked that he wanted to risk that sort of reaction from the castle once more. What's more, you truly are an adult compared to your classmates. They may be older in years but you have endured more than they could handle and you've shown vast improvement in your emotional and mental state since you opened up to me last year. I felt that if no one else would stand up for you, then I would. I'm not exactly anyone's first pick, but it was obvious no one else was thinking about what you wanted or needed." They ate in companionable silence after that.
"Do you have any preference as to where you'd like your private rooms to be?" Harry thought about it, but really couldn't pick a specific place.
"I just want to be secluded. It's too...loud with all the people around, even if there isn't a lot of noise..." Snape seemed to understand and nodded for him to continue. "The upper floors are nice and all with the sunlight, but it gets really hot in the summer and the Gryffindors are too nosey for their own good. But I also don't want any curious students from Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff to be able to find me either. I guess that really leaves the dungeons or the first floor but the first floor is so busy with the great hall and I really, really don't want to have any run-ins with the Slytherins." Desert appeared and Harry snagged a piece of blueberry pie.
"There is an area of the dungeons that the Slytherins don't go to-complete with a secret passage to get from there to the great hall without anyone seeing you. That is, if you're open to the idea."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Was it his imagination, or did Snape just smirk at him?
"It's the area of the castle where my rooms are which is why students avoid it so studiously." He figured it could be worse and from the sound of it, it would be a quiet area of the castle that he could have some privacy. He nodded.
"Very well, let's get your rooms set up."
He was on the other side of the hall from Snape's room and several meters down. Having never seen a room being made from nothing, he was fascinated by the way Snape was politely asking the castle to create a room for him. Upon entering, he quickly realized that he was given more of a flat than a room-complete with a living room and kitchenette for snacks.
He thanked the professor and started unpacking his trunk in the bedroom.
The rest of the year went by quickly and without incident. He had gradually transitioned to his new wardrobe and wasn't met with any funny looks like he thought he'd be receiving. Presumably, because of the gradual nature of the transition.
Potions quickly became his favourite area of study. It reminded him of a very precise form of cooking-with enough knowledge the recipe no longer mattered so much and you could stray a bit here and there to improve the results or to quicken the process. He even managed to trump Hermione in the class, although she was rather put out by that.
"Mr. Potter, stay behind after class." It was the last class of the week, and Hermione gave him a pitying look as she darted out of the classroom when they were dismissed. She had a boyfriend to go see, after all.
"Yes professor?"
"What exactly did you do to brew that wit-sharpening potion so quickly?"
"I mixed in armadillo bile until it was indigo instead of blue then immediately added the scarab beetles to force the potion to switch quickly between stages."
"There's about a half of a second between indigo and blue. How'd you time that so well?" In the past, Harry would have been convinced that Snape was suspicious. Now though, he could recognize the furrowed brow and intense gaze and pure and unadulterated curiosity.
"I prepped the ingredients before I started sir." Snape smiled at him and nodded.
"I must admit, if you continue like this I might have to adjust your curriculum differently than the normal one. You were done in half the time you should have been." Harry just shrugged and collected his things before being dismissed for the weekend.
"And Mr. Potter," he turned at the door. "If you wish to practice your ideas outside of class, kindly let me know so I can ensure you don't get hurt." He nodded and went to the lake for some peaceful reading time.
"I just don't see why you can't ask to be resorted again next year so you can come back to Gryffindor," Ron whigned. "It's not as fun without our adventures."
"Adventures are exactly what I'm trying to avoid Ron. I've enjoyed an entire year without anything eventful happening. It's much more peaceful this way. I'm sorry, but I'm not asking to be resorted once more." Ron looked put-out by his answer but then brightened once more.
"It's all right. There will be plenty of adventure once we're Aurors!" Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes in exasperation before reminding Ron once more that he would not be joining the Aurors.
"You asked to see me professor?" He sat down in front of McGonagall and resisted the urge to fidget with the strap of his bag.
"Yes, I presume you'll be asking for a resorting next year?" Harry shook his head.
"No, I'll be staying in Hogwarts House. The peace has helped me a lot mentally and quite frankly I think I've done better in my current position than I did in the first five years of school combined. I still find time for friends but I'm given the opportunity to walk away and study when I need to without being needlessly interrupted every other minute." She nodded and moved on.
"Have you given more thought to what you'd like to do after school?" He shook his head. "Here, I've gathered a few pamphlets of things you can do with the classes you're currently taking. Some require more classes than what you're currently in, but you can always hire tutors and sit the exams necessary with the ministry later." He took the offered pamphlets and put them in his bag before taking his leave.
"I'm not sure why she keeps giving me these bloody things, it's not like I'll be doing any of them! I don't want to work in the ministry, it's too much exposure to the world."
"Well I think with your talent and with your enormous support from the wizarding world as a whole is a waste. You could change so many things for the better!"
"Hermione, have you even been paying attention? Vampires are now considered full citizens and aren't required to make their status known anymore. At least a dozen old ones have come forward to announce their status after hiding it for so long since they no longer fear prosecution. Werewolves are given the same rights and work opportunities so long as they take the week of the full moon off to prevent exhaustion. Centaurs have been given more land and are viewed as sentient beings now with a culture that must be respected. Hell, even house elves that are being mistreated are allowed to go to the ministry to be reassigned to a different family or to be free if they'd rather. I don't think they need my help with all that." He stood and stalked down to the dungeons to get away from the interrogation he was sure to follow.
Making his way past his room, he followed a familiar path and turned into what was probably his favourite room in the castle. He had found it earlier that year while wandering around the halls to familiarize himself with the dungeons to prevent himself from getting lost in the future.
The grand piano sat waiting for him and rang out her beautiful tones as his fingers warmed up on some basic scales.
Music had always helped him relax, and he had taken all the time he could at Mrs. Figgs to learn how to play on her upright piano while the Dursley's were away. She had enjoyed listening to him play, even if most of the keys were slightly out of tune. This piano, however, was perfectly in tune and rang with the assured strokes that only years of practice could procure.
After warming up, he took his school robes off to allow his arms more freedom and to prevent his foot from getting tangled in the pedals below. Being the weekend, he had dressed in a white tank top with a black fishnet long sleeve shirt over it and baggy black pants with at least a dozen buckles on them. He tugged the ribbon from his hair to let it graze over his shoulders and started playing in earnest.
He normally didn't start with such a hard piece but the Phantom of the Opera was one of his favourite songs and he had some frustrations to work out. A difficult piece like that would help melt his annoyance away.
The last note hung in the air before he transitioned it into Comptine D'un Autre Ėtė. About halfway through, he heard a tiny shuffle from behind him and decided to ignore it. It wasn't like whoever was there was going to hurt him-they had likely been standing there for awhile. Who was he to tell someone they couldn't enjoy the lilting ebb and flow of music?
He played on and found himself lost in the notes once more. With all the extra stress he was dealing with between McGonagall wanting to have him resorted once more to Ron and Hermione expecting him to go to the ministry after school, he needed to do something he enjoyed doing in his own time.
As the song neared the end, he felt someone sit beside him on the bench and looked up to find Professor Snape sitting there. The man seemed entranced by his hands.
"I haven't heard anyone play so beautifully in...a very long time. Is this the only song you know?" Harry smirked and shook his head.
"No, I know tons of classics." He transitioned the last notes to start Nuvole Bianche and smiled when he saw Snape close his eyes to enjoy the music.
"You know professor, one could say you're enjoying the company of Harry Potter." Snape kept his eyes closed, but participated in the conversation.
"I heard someone playing the piano and since I haven't heard a decent piece being played in...a very long time I thought I'd come to enjoy the show." The notes started coming a little faster and Harry found himself enjoying having an audience.
"What exactly do you mean by a very long time?" Snape just shook his head.
"Perhaps one day you'll find out. But not today." The music slowed once more. "I must say I'm impressed by you almost daily. You've shown a great aptitude for potions and piano alike and have grown to overcome major traumas in your life. Needless to say, I'm shocked you've adjusted so well." Harry shrugged as he continued to play.
"I guess you get really good at adjusting when you have to be one person for your relatives and yet another when you face the rest of the world." The notes came to an end. "Any requests?"
"I was rather fond of Una Mattina when I was younger if you know it." He nodded and started to play once more.
"I'm surprised. I associate this one with hope for the future and the feeling of knowing you'll be in a better place soon. For a spy, that must have been hard to relate to." Snape shook his head.
"Actually, I meant before I was a spy. After I-rather foolishly-joined I stopped listening to music altogether as a sort of self-punishment. I did a terrible thing and used the lack of music to punish myself. I must admit, allowing myself to listen once more is rather liberating. Do you play often?"
"Almost every night. I finish studying and then come in here to improvise or to play a piece that's been in my head and then I go to bed. It helps me process how I'm feeling and allows the dreams to be less unpleasant." Almost without his noticing he stopped playing and started improvising. The notes held a darker tone and sped up to a tempo that was easy to maintain yet held a sense of urgency. He paused, the notes coming to a stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Perhaps you need to remind yourself that your life is your own and no one else's. If others cannot accept that, simply distance yourself for a while to reaffirm in your own heart what it is you wish to be." Snape got up and left him to his thoughts.