Learning to Live again.

A/N Thank you all for being patient while I was writing this chapter. I know it's shorter then normal, but I wanted the first true talk between Severus and Harry to be a chapter all on it's own. This chapter has not been beta'd, but it will be soon. Thank you all once again, your reviews have been wonderful.
Vicky.

Disclaimer. Not mine, though I may wish it to be so. I did not make any money from this story, or for any other ones, that I'm writing.

Chapter Three.

Taking a deep breath, Harry proceeded both Severus and Remus, through the doors and into the Great Hall. From years of practice he was able to hide both the trembling in his muscles and the pain he was feeling from moving his body forward in an unfamiliar way. Moving as slowly as he dared he was halfway to the Head Table when he heard the first sniffle. Looking up sharply, he realized with a sinking feeling of dread, that Madam Hooch had a tear running down her check, and that Professor's Sprout and McGonagall both kept shooting looks of pity at him. The rest of those at the table were not much better as they tried not to stare at him in pity and dismay.

Mumbling soft enough that only the two wizards behind him could hear, he said bitterly, "I wish they would stop staring like I was some kind of freak in a side show carnival." Before raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. "I don't need nor want your pity. Kindly keep it to yourself or loose it all together." He sneered.

A few of the teachers winced at his words, while others stared at him in shock. Only McGonagall choose to answer him, "Mr. Potter, I thank you to keep a civil tone when you speak to your elders. And you will excuse us if we are simply horrified by the treatment you suffered through at the hands of those Muggles!"

Harry stopped and locked his eyes with those of his Head of House. Many different emotions passed through his bright green eyes before they shuttered closed of all everything he was feeling. Dropping his head he whispered barely loud enough for everyone to hear. "Like you really care."

"What was that Mr. Potter?" McGonagall said with a hint of steel in her voice, forcing Harry's head to snap back up.

"Why Professor? Why be horrified by this, when I have felt the same, if not worse while I have attended school here?" He questioned in a calm voice, that masked the rage that he was feeling, and felt oddly satisfied when she gapped at him like a fish out of water.

Before anyone else could comment, Harry turned and started to make his way back to the way he came, his anger giving him the energy needed to move a little faster then he did when he first entered. His progress was hindered by a question from the Headmaster though. "Harry my boy, where are you going?"

Harry slowed down slightly as he called over his shoulder, "To the kitchens. I'm sure the House Elves would be happy to see me down there once again."

The sharp sound of a chair scrapping against the stone floor came to his ears seconds before his Head of House's voice raised with anger sounded through out the room. "Mr. Potter, I demand that you explain to us, why you would compare your stay with those Muggles with your treatment here in this fine school."

Harry stopped short just as he reached the doors and turned around, his green eyes glowing with the anger that was clearly visible to all in the hall. Ignoring his tired body, he moved forward quickly, until he was standing right in front of his Head of House. "Of course Professor, I would be delighted to explain things to you." He sneered venomously. "Lets start in my first year shall we? Which one of you, other then Professor Snape I mean, noticed that my broom was being cursed in my first quidditch match? A match that I should not have even been playing in, do to the fact that First Years were not allowed to play or have their own brooms. But you insisted that I play, so that Gryffindor would have a chance at The Cup." He questioned, and then continued with the answer without giving anyone else a chance to comment, "Hermione did and Ron did as well."

Looking around at the Professors present he continued "Lets just skip a few of the other incidents from that year and go right to the end of it. We warned you on that day, that the Philosophers Stone was in danger, but we where told by you that the stone was perfectly safe, and then you dismissed us. Not even bothering to ask what we knew or suspected, after all we where nothing but First Years. Unfortunately the Stone was not as safe as you assumed it was, considering that not only did three First Years get past the protections surrounding it, but Voldemort's host did as well. In the end, keeping the stone safe, almost cost me my life.”

Pausing only to take another deep breath Harry continued. “Continuing on to Second Year, we find that nothing was done to reassure terrified students, when it was found out that I shared one of Voldemort's talents. Parseltongue. I was left to flounder around, being scorned and ridiculed and treated with downright fear, all because no one would speak to the students, or to explain things to me. Never mind the fact that students were being hurt. It was left to me once more to face the true Heir of Slytherin, as well an idiot DADA Professor who tried to wipe the memories of Ron and myself, and leave Ginny down in the Chamber of Secrets to die. Where any of you ever informed by the Headmaster, that when I killed the basilisk I was bitten, and if Fawkes had not shown up when he did, I would have once more died?”

"Third Year, Dementors, Hundreds of them. A supposed killer who turned out to be innocent, and look once more almost dead or worse, Kissed, by the end of the year, and would you believe that I actually think of that as my best year to date in this fine school?"

"I'm not even going to start on what went wrong with my Fourth Year, I'm just going to sum it up with a few words. Third Task, Cedric Dead, Voldemort Back, and once more I barely survived both a certain Dark Lord, and one of his followers here in the school. Mad-eye Moody indeed." Harry sneered.

"And that my Dear Professor brings me to this last year. Tried before the full Wizengamot for casting a Patronus, to protect myself and my cousin from Dementors, being ignored by the Headmaster with no explanation, Occlumency lessons that were nothing short of torture. I can forgive those. What I can't forgive, was being told by my Head of House to keep my head down and my mouth shut, whenever I tried to explain to her the torture being shown to the students of this school by another Professor. When the other students found out that I was not being helped, they also kept their mouths shut. No wonder I didn't know who to trust when I received that last vision of my Godfather being tortured, every time I tried to go to the adults, who where supposed to help and protect me and the other students, I was slapped in the face with that self same help.

My friends are worried that I'm blaming myself for His death, I can assure you and everyone else that I'm not. I could blame Professor Snape for not explaining to me 'how' to do Occlumency, but I'm not. What it boils down to Professor McGonagall, is who I tried to turn to time and time again for help, the one person I should have been able to trust and to hear me out no matter what. I blame you Ma'am more then anything for breaking my trust." Harry finally finished, breathing hard. Turning once more to the doors he paused and looked over his shoulder. "I should have allowed the Sorting Hat to place me in Slytherin, at least I would have had a Head of House who has saved my life on more then one occasion no matter how much he hated me at the time." He said softly before continuing to the doors.

Once more he was stopped, but this time by a soft question from the man who was his father. "Who was torturing the students, and how was it done."

"Dolores Umbridge was using a blood quill on the student body, during their detentions. I myself, have the words, 'I must not tell lies' etched into my hand." Harry replied just as softly, before leaving the room completely, not giving anyone else the opportunity to stop him.

The Great Hall remained silent for a few minutes as everyone stared in stunned disbelief at the doors where Harry had just exited. Minerva McGonagall, was having the hardest time taking in what the young man had just told all of them. Finally she dropped the napkin she was still clutching in anger, and made to stand once again, and follow behind him when she was stopped by Severus.

"Do you think following after him will help you get the answers you want to hear?" he asked with a trace of a sneer, as well as honest curiosity.

"He has no right to place the blame for those things on me." she hissed at him, sounding a lot like the feline she was.

"Really Minerva? Did the boy lie in what he said? Did you actually listen to what he just told you just now?" Remus questioned before Severus could snap at her. "Did you or did you not break his trust on more then one occasion Minerva?" he stated quietly, his eyes glinting with gold highlights, that reminded them all what he was, under the skin.

Minerva sat back down, at the obvious threat in his eyes, and seriously thought about what she had heard from Harry. Going back over the previous years within Hogwarts, she was forced to see the truth, every time he had come to her for help she had turned him away. "No. No Harry did not lie. I turned him away when ever he asked for help" she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the table in shame.

Albus patter her shoulder in understand. "You are not the only one My Dear. In our own ways we have all failed young Harry Potter." Looking up at Severus and Remus, he gave them a sad smile, "you two had better follow him to make sure he is alright."

Severus turned on his heel without a word, and with a flare of his robes walked away. Remus only nodded his head at the still stunned members of the staff, before following him out the door.

Stepping through the doors, Remus had to catch himself before he ran into Severus' back. Peering around the taller man to see what was wrong, his heart almost broke when he saw the figure laying curled up in the fetal position, on the floor near the entrance way to the dungeons. Stepping around Severus, Remus attempted to go to Harry, but was stopped by a strong hand that curled almost completely around his arm, and even then, he had to strain his ears in order to hear Severus' next words.

"Go have breakfast with the others Wolf. I'll take care of my son."

Nodding his head in understanding , Remus turned and slipped back in the Great Hall, making sure the heavy doors closed firmly behind him, while Severus Snape glided almost silently to the shaking form of his son.

Placing a hand gently on Harry's shoulder and ignoring the flinch, Severus folded himself down next to Harry. When he received no further response to his presence, he hesitated for a moment and then drew the small teen onto his lap and rocked him gently while murmuring soft words of comfort in his ear. Not stopping either action even as the shaking and tears slowed and then stopped.

After a few minutes, Harry started to pull away, only to find that Severus just tightened his hold slightly. Giving up, Harry instead shifted closer and soaked up the comfort and warmth being offered. "I'm sorry Sir." Harry said quietly.

"May I ask what for?"

"Everything. Losing my temper with McGonagall, breaking down here, and being a burden in general..." Harry trailed off, and then added in an even softer voice. "Invading your privacy last year."

Severus sighed softly before looking down into tear filled green eyes. "I do believe this conversation is best held in privacy. I suggest going to my rooms where we can have something to eat while we talk."

Harry slowly nodded his head, and once more tried to pull away from his father, only to have Severus adjust his hold and while using the wall for support, stood with Harry still in his arms. With a a soft exclamation of shock, Harry's body stiffened as his cheeks went red in embarrassment.

"Relax Harry, I fully expect the rest of the staff to be finished soon, and I would rather have both of us out from under their scrutiny." Severus said softly

Glancing over Severus shoulder at the doors to the Great Hall, Harry shuddered slightly, before looking back at the man carrying him. "Not to mention that it would ruin your reputation to be seen like this."

A small twitch of the corner of Severus' mouth was the only indication of his amusement. "Indeed Mr. Potter, next thing you know they'll start thinking that I'm actually 'nice'."

Harry managed to smother his laugh before answering. "Oh no, we can't have that now can we?" He said with a totally straight face, and was rewarded when the lips twitched once more.

Glancing around Harry finally noticed that they where not descending down into the dungeons like he expected, but instead they stayed on the first floor.

"My chambers are directly above my office. As much as I like the dungeons, I do not wish to live in them. Even with a fire constantly going the air is much to damp for myself and my library." Severus told him quietly, when he noticed Harry's confusion.

"Oh." was the only thing Harry could thing of to reply. A minute later harry spoke up again, "where will I be staying Sir?"

"The Headmaster has given you the set of rooms directly next to mine, and connected them through a hidden door."

"I suppose that would make it easier to hide our relationship from everyone." Harry said in understanding.

"Indeed" was the only response that he received.

Harry let himself relax even further into his fathers arms, knowing instinctively that for now, he was safe. It didn't take much longer for them to get to their destination and Harry found himself amused to see the Potions Masters door Guardian. Unlike what he (and everyone else) assumed, there was nothing dark or slimy guarding the inner sanctuary of Severus Snape. Instead there was a moonlit glade with a mother unicorn laying with her foal, while many faeries flickered in and out of existence around them.

Severus stood still for a moment and allowed Harry to take in the sight of the portrait guarding his door before murmuring the password, allowing for the first time in years, someone else besides the Headmaster, the knowledge on how to enter his rooms. "Willow bark"

The mother unicorn lifted her head up far enough to study the two wizards before nodding it's head regally and allowed the portrait to open, and for Father and Son, to pass through into a cozy sitting room.