Learning to Live again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Friends; they are the property of JKR and associates. No money has been made from writing this story.

A/N: As promised the beta’d version… Much thanks to Periculum for all her help…

Chapter Five.

Harry tried to sleep many times during the night, but every time he started finally to drop off, his knee twitched painfully, and he woke up once more. He knew that he could have called for Madam Pomfrey to provide him with some pain killers, and a mild sleeping draught, but instead he decided to use the time to think through everything that had happened to him in the last few weeks. Or at the least be able to resolve a few of his issues - the biggest being his father, and whether or not he wanted to get to know the man any better. The past few years, during which he had had the man as his professor, gave Harry no basis to start a relationship. Unfortunately, his new set of memories, which included the same man, who along with two others made up his world at one point in time, gave him no real help in the matter, as they were pretty vague memories to begin with; more like impressions and names than anything.

At this point the question was no longer whether he could resolve the fact that Professor Snape was his father, because he knew that he could. The real issue at this time was whether or not he ~wanted~ to give the man a chance to be a father figure.

He spent most of the night going around on the same things; Do I or Don’t I. Harry couldn’t deny what he saw in the man’s eyes during the day was a whole lot more than he ever thought could be directed at him. Even Sirius had never really looked at Harry like he was the only thing that mattered to him in the world.

Just as the sun made an appearance on the horizon, Harry finally made a decision. He would allow himself to get to know Severus Snape. But so help him, there were going to be rules. For both of them.

The first thing that he needed to do was write Hermione and Ron. Maybe they could help him with some rules that normal families follow. Summoning parchment and quill to him, he set out trying to put his thoughts on paper, and realized that he had no idea on where to start. Eventually, he decided that everything that he really needed help with had to be told in person. With that in mind, he wrote a quick note, knowing that he would see the Headmaster shortly.

~Ron and Hermione.

A lot has been going on this summer, too much to actually put in this letter. Just so you know, I’m no longer with the Dursleys, and I’m working on permission to bring you to where I am.

I really need your acceptance and your help. I’m hoping that we’ll get the unpleasant stuff over and done with before Term starts once again, so you can both help me deal with the rest of the madhouse that we call school.

Hope to see you both soon.

Harry

After finishing the short note, Harry copied it just in case his two best friends were not together, determined to send them off when he next saw his owl.

Glancing at the clock, he sighed when he saw the time. It seemed that he had spent more time then he figured working out what he could say to the others. Calling his crutches to his hand, Harry started to get ready for the day, cringing slightly when he remembered his outbursts from the day before, and determined that he wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen again today.

~hp~

Harry looked at the heavy Great Hall doors, and heaved a sigh of frustration. So far he had not come upon any real obstacles on his way to breakfast, as there were no stairs between his room and here. Just that heavy door stood in his way between him and the rest of the people that lived in the castle, and Harry couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or not. Taking another deep breath, he sent a pulse of magic at the door in order to open it and made his slow way to the table and the adults sitting there. “Good morning, Professors,” he said politely, taking a seat next to his father.

“Good morning, Harry,” murmured those at the table.

Serving himself small amounts of his favorite breakfast foods, Harry started to eat, knowing that he was the reason that the others remained silent. After eating near to half the food his plate, he finally figured out that the best thing for him to was to just out and ask for what he wanted and looked up to the Headmaster. “Professor Dumbledore, I need you to do something for me,” he stated, ignoring the warning hiss from beside him.

“And what would that be, my boy?” Albus asked, eyes twinkling, to hide the slight astonishment he felt at the teen’s abrupt behavior.

“ This morning I wrote a letter to Ron and Hermione, letting them know that I was alive and well, but that I had things that I need to tell them that could only be done in person. I need your permission to have them come here,” Harry stated.

“And what exactly are you going to tell them, young man?” McGonagall asked, still upset from the day before.

“Not that it’s really any of your business, ma’am, considering that I already have full permission to tell them anything I want, but I plan to tell them that Professor Snape is my father, and get their thoughts on the situation,” Harry said calmly, ignoring the looks from the other Professors, glad that only the Heads of House were present at the table this morning and not everyone else that he vaguely remembered from the day before.

“Harry?” Severus questioned, hoping to prevent another episode like the day before.

Turning to meet his father’s eyes, Harry kept his cool while he explained. “I asked both you and Remus what I could and could not say, and you did say that it was up to me who was told. I didn’t think anyone at this table was a threat to either of us.”

“I understand that, Harry, but your friends?”

Sighing softly, Harry nodded his head in agreement with his father. “I know this isn’t going to turn out well. That’s why I want to get it done and over with before school starts. I’m going to go through enough bullshit when all the students come back, I don’t need theirs as well.”

Agreeing with the teen’s reasoning, Severus met Dumbledore’s eyes and gave his silent permission for the two Gryffindors to come to Hogwarts. “I still didn’t like your tone of voice,” he said quietly.

“You have civil, or you have angry. Please don’t expect anymore than that at the moment,” Harry replied, just as quietly, and returned to his breakfast, hoping that the others would take the hint and leave him alone for the moment.

“I think that this is wonderful news indeed, Mr. Potter. Or is it Snape?” Professor Flitwick asked.

“It’s Potter, and thank you, Sir.”

“Oh indeed, Mr. Potter. I imagine that this will need to remain a secret from the public until this War is over?” Sprout commented.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Well, dear, you may count on us to help you in any way possible,” she declared, beaming at both Severus and Harry.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Harry mumbled, a red flush of embarrassment stealing across his face.

With his eyes twinkling like mini stars, Dumbledore saved the boy from any more embarrassment. “Well my boy, I’ll have word sent to Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to come here for a short stay. Have you by chance sent off your letter as of yet?”

“No, Sir. I hadn’t made it that far as of yet.”

“If you would be willing, I could send it for you along with the invitation to come here?” Dumbledore questioned.

“Thank you, Headmaster, I would greatly appreciate that,” Harry said softly, digging through his robes for both letters, and handing them over.

“I expect that you will be seeing both of them by the end of the day, Mr. Potter. I’m sure you will have a lot to discuss.”

“I do at that, sir.” Taking a last few bites of his food, Harry looked up at Snape, “May I be excused, Sir?”

“Of course Harry, I’m sure you have Homework you still need to do before Miss Granger gets here,” Severus said, dark amusement in his eyes.

Groaning, Harry nodded and carefully stood up. “You had to remind me,” he muttered, turning to go. “Have a good day, Professors,” he added politely to the rest of the table, and then started to make his slow way out the door.

When the slight figure disappeared from sight, Severus turned back to his colleagues. “Well, that went better than I expected after yesterday.”

“Still could have gone better,” McGonagall muttered.

“Yes, but it could have gone a whole lot worse,” Sprout added.

Heads all around the table nodded in agreement, as the rest of the professors started to come in for their breakfast. Severus, glad that Harry had joined them early, took his leave of the table as well. He was sure that there was something more he could do, to speed up the healing process on his son. He just had to find it.