The Half-Blood Princess

Snape's Best Memory

Harley's first day was surprisingly busy. Apparently there had been a true lack of a decent potioneer in Hogsmeade, and everyone needed something, usually medicinal potions that Harley was happy to provide.

Before she knew it, she was flipping the sign to 'closed' and was changing into her cloak to go and visit Professor Snape. She had absolutely no idea was she was in for, or what Dumbledore wanted her to do for the Order, but she was ready to do whatever was necessary to defeat the Dark Lord.

She checked the address he had written down and then Apparated to the designated destination. She ended up outside a worn brick house in a thicket of trees, near a slightly polluted river and abandoned playground. The whole area looked fairly deserted, even the other homes.

Walking up to the door, she knocked quietly and waited till she heard footsteps on the other side.

Snape opened the door and said, "You're early. Come in." She was sure it was not her imagination that the unflappable professor looked extremely nervous.

She walked into the dark foyer and then the living room, which was filled with wall-to-wall books. What didn't fit on the shelves were stacked in a slightly haphazard manner on the floor. By contrast, there was a very neat desk in one corner of the room. There was very worn but comfortable furniture, and a roaring fireplace that seemed to be fueled by magic and old issues of the Daily Prophet.

"Well, books and darkness: you do know how to make a girl feel at home, sir," she said, removing her cloak.

He did not respond. Indeed, he looked as if he were lost in his own mind. "Please sit down. I have much to tell you, and none of it will be easy for either of us."

Now she was worried as she sat on the edge of a sofa and the professor sat on the other side of it.

"Albus gave me certain...conditions once you had joined the Order. He wants you to work with me, undercover. We think we can use your shop to our advantage, if you agree."

"Of course, sir. If you think I can keep up the pretenses you have already set, I am more than willing," she said. "And I feel quite honoured that you consider me equal enough to you to work alongside you, sir."

"You are more than my equal. One thing out of the way." Snape sighed. "Now for the difficult part, the conditions set for me. Albus wants...no he commanded me to tell you who your real father is, and to be honest, I do not think I am capable of doing that without hurting you."

Harley felt her heart leap. Even if it was bad news, that the man was back with the Death Eaters or was himself dead, anything was better than uncertainty, and she told him so.

He smirked. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing, little girl. You will recall, I did not tell you who your father was when you were fifteen for one simple reason: I did not think you would benefit from knowing him. I thought he would hurt you, steer you down the wrong path. I was partially wrong, and I admit it. However, I still do not think he is a good man. I do not think he is worthy enough to be your father. Now, it does not matter what I think: in order for you to fully trust me when we are undercover, Albus requires full disclosure between you and I."

He turned to face her, dark eyes bright in the firelight. "You said in those journals your mother truly loved your father?"

Harley nodded. "Yes, sir. In her last entry, when she bought me the chemistry set you saw in the photo, she said how devastated she was that he had not come for her, and that he never met me. She said, and I quote, 'I may have no choice but to settle for James, but my heart will never be his. The love potions have stopped working, because I know who my heart has always truly belonged to.'" Harley felt her voice get lower as she remembered the sad words she had memorised.