[HP]Carry Forward

When the others told Sirius that he had been struck by Bellatrix's spell and retreated into the Veil, Harry threw himself on it desperately, grabbed the remaining hand that was left outside and dragged him out.It was many months before he woke up, and Sirius only remembered the soft whisper of the curtain, echoing in the silence he was in.Then the voice faded away, he was dragged away from the peace, and the moment the first ray of light pierced his eyelids felt like he was experiencing the worst hangover in his life.

It's not that he is reluctant to return to this world. After all, there are too many things that have not been completed. Even for himself, he is unwilling.Sirius would have preferred that Harry hadn't jumped at him to grab him, simply because there was a good chance it would hook the boy together.Although there is no basis for it, but after turning around inside, he knew that once he really fell in, he would never have a chance to come out again.Harry seemed to have no intention of regretting it, so he had to remind him often.

Captured Death Eaters confessed that Pedirou was still alive, several officials witnessed Voldemort appearing in the Department of Mysteries, and all the lies fabricated by the Ministry of Magic proved themselves.Sirius was discharged from the hospital on Christmas Eve in 1996, and no matter what others said after that, he would rather miss the meeting than set foot in 12 Grimmauld Place, so that sometimes Remus had to relay the key points of the battle to him.As a result, he had fewer chances to meet other members of the society, and he only met people other than Harry, Remus and Dora during the mission.It's actually pretty good for him, he's willing to live and die with this group of people for a purpose, but he doesn't really want to develop any relationship with them.

On June 1997, 6, Snape killed Dumbledore, and the second war provoked by Voldemort broke out.Knowing that it will end in less than a year, many people will probably reconsider their choices and think more before joining the team.In short, on May 30, 1998, which was recorded in the annals of history, the Savior of the World completely defeated the demon whose name could not be spoken, and declared the coming of peace.

As a footnote to the final duel, Harry revealed Snape's true position, and the reasons for his choice, in front of hundreds of people.When Voldemort repeatedly denied it, Sirius wondered to himself, if the double agent was to witness it, he didn't know whether he would put on that smug smug face or put Harry down from behind before he could finish his sentence, or both.Snape's reasons for doing so were less important than Snape's stunning reversal of identity, but after Sirius went to the Screaming Shack to collect the body of his former enemy, only to find that he was still alive.

The Order of the Phoenix helped Snape get rid of accusations and other troubles as much as possible, and the Ministry of Magic under the leadership of Kingsley even awarded him a medal. Apart from that, Sirius didn't care much about the man's later situation.They lost too many people, Remus and Dora were killed by Dolohov and Bellatrix respectively, little Teddy became another orphan; after Fred was killed, George seemed to have lost his own Half soul, the redheads took a long time to find that Weasley hilarity and laughter; and Mad-Eye, Emmeline, Dirk, Ted and the students who stayed at school to fight... everyone Too busy to take care of himself, Sirius took care of Andromeda, Teddy and Harry as best he could, fighting off his own nightmares.More to be an example, he took Hermione's advice, took anti-depressant and anxiety medicine, kept pets, and slowly returned to human society from working two days a week, and realized that these did work.But after being forced to erase the memory of a counselor, they both agreed that not all Muggle methods were suitable to try.

Recovery does not happen overnight, and it is even difficult to do it step by step. Often, there is a period of hopeful emotions after a low point. Was beaten back to its original shape.But overall, the survivors are getting over it.Harry reached a reconciliation with the reality that as long as he stayed in the wizarding society, he could not truly disappear from everyone, continued to boost the morale of the wizarding world in the post-war reconstruction, and decided to let the poor godfather fear for himself again. Apply to join an Auror team.The godson of Sirius' godson, Teddy Remus Lupine, grew up surprisingly fast, and Andromeda was more experienced in raising Transform Magus than the first time.

When the letter arrived, Sirius had just finished proposing marriage to Harry, pointing out that the whole point of the whole thing was whether they were ready, and how it was done was secondary, and that even if Ginny said no, it wouldn't be the end of the world .He shook his head helplessly and put away the double-sided mirror with a smile. He didn't understand why Harry felt that his godfather, who had been single until now, could have any brilliant insights. Then a little owl started pecking at his window.

It was completely black and should have caught Sirius' attention, but the little guy was too active - not clumsy to say the least - and it flew all over the room without knocking over anything.It did, however, fly all over the room while Sirius was reading the letter, and at the same time it kept singing crisply, full of life, not at all the bird he'd imagined Snape would pick.

black,

Please meet me at a mushroom restaurant in Parallel Lane at 6:17 pm on June 6. If it is not convenient, please write back.

No pitfalls, if you're worried.

severus snape

"What the hell." Sirius muttered, turning the letter over for inspection.No jinxes or bugging spells, plain black ink on plain parchment, quill old with a slightly forked nib.He didn't pay attention to Snape's handwriting, but a little fake respect coupled with bossy and aggressive, was indeed Snape's style.

After inspecting his house, the little black feather group finally calmed down a bit, and gave Sirius a chance to put a copper coin into the sheepskin pouch on its lap.Then it flew merrily away without a trace, leaving the recipient bewildered.

Snape in trouble?That was Sirius' first thought, but he couldn't imagine what kind of trouble would force him or Snape to ask the other for help.Of course he'd help if that was the case, maybe not in a friendly way, but certainly to the best of his abilities.

He had been to A Mushroom before, and recommended it to Harry who needed a date place. Unlike the name, it was a tasteful restaurant with excellent food, and Snape had a good eye.Thinking of that person writing down such a place name with a serious face, it has somewhat comedic effect.

Hmmm, maybe he could make this a little more interesting.

Mr Snape,

It is a great honor to have your invitation, and I will live up to your kindness.

Yours sincerely,

sirius black

Sirius took some effort to write these lines neatly and neatly. He also chose a very calm owl that is often used to send condolence letters when he sent it. He hoped that Snape would get goosebumps when he saw the reply. .

He wasn't nervous or looking forward to the upcoming meeting, and he didn't discuss it with anyone.The last time Sirius saw Snape himself was in the Screaming Shack, when Snape was unconscious, his neck and chest covered in half-dried blood; When Snape stormed the headquarters to warn them that Harry was being possessed by Voldemort.After all, you can't expect him to visit Snape in St. Mungo's biotrauma ward with flowers and fruit, can you?He was only curious as to whether Snape had saved his life, but for all he knew, Harry might have tried.

Snape's chosen position fits well with the status of a former spy, but it is clear that his life has changed a lot after his narrow escape.His complexion had improved, the nose was still impressively large, but he must have tweaked his hairstyle in some way to frame his face better, and Sirius figured if he couldn't find anything else to say, maybe he could Ask the other party for the contact information of the hair stylist.In addition, Snape was washed cleaner than before, and his black robe had more swirling dark blue patterns. It seemed that he had finally found a job that made him feel worth taking care of himself, or that Voldemort died. It's time to take away the dirtiest and most disgusting part of him.

But when Sirius came closer and Snape raised his eyes, the sense of dislocation as if he was looking at someone else disappeared.Slytherin gave him a smirk, so Sirius stepped back and pulled the chair opposite him to sit down.

"Given the replies I've received, I didn't think you'd be meeting tonight." Not even a "good evening," typical Snape.

"I thought that beautiful owl was from one of your namesake, too," Sirius shot back. "How is it?"

"Good health."

So it really belonged to Snape, and Sirius managed to swallow a smile at the thought of the little black bird singing and flying around Snape's head.

"She's clever," said Snape, a little defensively. "And she's quick and never makes a mistake. I didn't pay attention to character when I chose the courier, it was just for convenience."

"Listen, now you don't even care about your personality."

Snape stared at him with a lifeless look, and then when he gave him a deliberate wink, he replaced it with a slug being hit in the face.Very good, although I don't know what direction this dinner will take, Sirius is basically sure that they will not fight in this restaurant.

The waiter brought lemonade and the menu, and Snape confirmed that the two men remembered what they had ordered, and then glanced at Sirius defensively.

"Do you have any question?"

"No." Sirius shrugged and added provocatively, "I've been here before, and I know their strawberry tiramisu is very cute, and it must match you perfectly."

Snape snorted, "Anyone who sees the receipt will think it was me who ordered the black coffee."

Sirius grimaced, he was never a sweet tooth, he suffered from hunger when Voldemort was first resurrected, and with Molly as a top chef, he ate tons of sweets for months. Dessert, never wanted to eat again afterwards.

The atmosphere cooled down quickly, and Sirius could clearly feel that the other party continued to observe him, and the appetizer hadn't even been served yet, so he decided to try harder.

"What's your little owl's name?"

"Shadow," Snape replied, and Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"A chirping shadow with flapping wings?" he said. "That's scary."

"If I work more than six hours straight and forget to feed her, she'll fly over and throw shit into my cauldron," Snape said flatly. "You can't imagine how scary that would be."

Sirius laughed, "She blew up your work, but you didn't roast her?"

"What a novelty, I've never been charged with animal cruelty," said Snape dryly. "I picked the shadow because she was smart, and if it turns out she is, I can't complain. .”

"And she's also effective at keeping you healthy."

Snape snorted again, with obvious affection, so sweet it made his teeth fall out.Sirius had heard stories of weirdos living alone, shutting themselves out, swearing at neighbors, and giving everything they had to dote on their pets.The more people I get to know, the more I like my dog, ha.

"What about you?" Snape asked. "Are there any animals in your house?"

"A turtle."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "turtle?"

"Why, do you think I'll raise a large group of vicious dogs? I will do it myself." Sirius spread his hands, "It is said that taking care of certain things is good for restoring mental state, I can't stand animals that bark in the middle of the night, enough Screamed. I considered goldfish but they are too fragile, turtles seemed like the best choice. Quiet, easy to care for, won't run away, and hibernates."

"You should consider keeping a rock," Snape sneered. "With these characteristics, it is superior to the tortoise in every way."

"Then I won't lose the fun of being bitten?" Sirius said, "Once the turtle decides to bite your finger, it will never let go."

Snape sneered, "What's it called?"

Ah, that's the problem. "turtle."

The dialogue was empty for half a beat, "You call your tortoise a tortoise."

"There's only one turtle in the whole house, why is there any need to distinguish?" Sirius argued, "When I say 'turtle', no one will mistakenly think that I am calling their names."

Snape looked at him in disbelief for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out if Sirius was teasing him, and then a smile formed on his lips.

"You just enjoy the look on people's faces when they hear it," Slytherin said, "because you're a hopeless drama queen."

"Maybe I'm just too lazy," Sirius retorted. "I take care of a small animal, not to make it my shadow, or dark side, or anything like that. I let my turtle be himself, which is— — a turtle."

"Until humans named a species tortoises, they were nothing," Snape pointed out. "It meant nothing to them 'by themselves' to be 'tortoises' in the eyes of humans."

"If your suggestion of respecting his ego is 'YouKnowWho', that's a good idea," Sirius said, pinching his throat. "What? What did you have, Sirius? Say it again?"

"Potter would love the idea." Snape shook his head, and then presumably Sirius showed something, and the defensiveness returned, "Why, you want to ask me 'Which Potter'?"

"Considering that you think a certain Potter will fall in love with you for this, of course I would want to rule out my godson." Sirius put on his most innocent expression, "He may be getting married soon."

"Are you still going to say, and he's been abused by me long enough?"

"I think you're a bit defensive, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you usually only talk to your birds." Sirius curled his lips in self-defense, and he kind of read those broken books, "I believe Harry has released you Enough friendly signals to hopefully let the past go, and I have no intention of opposing it."

"Let the past go." Snape seemed to savor the words, "It's as simple as that."

"For a pompous, reckless, stupid Gryffindor? Maybe it's that simple." Sirius folded his napkin, feeling the conversation start to sail into dangerous waters, and luckily the food was served at that moment. Now, their mouths have something else to do.

Dinner was good enough to distract them from the apparent silence, and it wasn't all that bad.Snape was still watching, not so much as to make him sting.Sirius gradually felt that the other party didn't have anything to ask for his help, at least it wasn't a shady private matter.

It can't be for dear shadow, Sirius thought to himself, the little owl needs a dog fur coat?

"You're racking your brains," Snape said, poking his strawberry tiramisu, with satisfaction in his tone, apparently his habit of intimidating others hadn't changed much, "figuring out what the hell I'm asking you to do."

"I thought you were in trouble, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

"Disappointed?" Snape smirked. "Missing a chance to catch me and taunt me? You were looking forward to it when you came?"

"Actually, I've been wondering how much trouble is worth your coming to me, and what I can do to help you." Sirius replied, "You must have researched beforehand and know that I am working with Muggles now. , stay away from old friends, and none of the Black family stuff is mine now. Unless you want advice on buying appliances, I doubt there's much I can do."

"You donated the entire family estate to Hogwarts and St. Mungo's to repair the wounds of war. I read about this generosity in the newspaper." Snape moved his shoulders back, as if sore Great, "Other than that, no, I don't know anything. I don't know where you work, with wizards or Muggles, or who you usually deal with. I just wrote you a letter , and without expecting a reply or appointment from you, if I knew you were among the Muggles, perhaps I would consider using the postal system."

"Wow, that's so thoughtful." In a way, Snape was scarier today than he'd ever seen him before, "But I live in the suburbs, I don't have any neighbors, and they can't figure out how I commute to work from so far away .I didn't break my wand either."

"And you still think I'm a loner?"

"If I needed to talk, I'd take out the double-sided mirror instead of the turtle," Sirius retorted.

He also talked to the turtle, occasionally, after all Harry was busy with his own life and Sirius didn't want to hang around him like an overly dependent single parent.But there was no need to tell Snape everything, the peace agreement between them might finally come into force, it didn't mean they could jump to a close friend in one step.

"I guess you haven't been to the Ministry's Victory Anniversary." Snape's abrupt change of subject might mean they were finally getting to the heart of it, but Sirius just felt more bewildered at the moment.He had received those purple invitations, no offense to Kingsley, and he took them as proof that the Ministry of Magic was as shameless as ever.

"Don't tell me you went."

"I don't have that plan. Unfortunately, the sponsor of an important research of mine this year wants to bring a war hero to the exhibition." Snape's sour expression amused him.

"Won't the hardships of life end with the war?"

"Research requires funding, and I'm not the heir to some ancient pure-blood family. Attending important occasions is about the least offensive additional request I've ever accepted."

“You can free up your diet pills or facial cleanser or something, and use that to feed your other research,” Sirius suggested. “Or aphrodisiacs and height-enhancing drugs, which are popular everywhere.”

Snape must have been offended, "As long as you have the slightest common sense about the subject classification within Potions—"

"Understood, this is outside your area of ​​expertise." Sirius said deliberately more angrily, and Snape glared at him.

"Or does it offend your spirit of selfless dedication? I bet it's the latter." He made a harmless gesture, "I don't see you as someone who would spend a lot of energy on improving your appearance. If you're going to do something Research, it should be a matter of life and death."

Snape's lips twisted, "Then you'll be surprised to hear that I'm working on a drug that I hope will neutralize most of the dark magic residue and allow the victim's tissue to regrow."

"So their severed body parts can grow back?" Sirius asked, remembering George's missing ear.Due to the instinct to repair the body, the injured person's own magic power will interact with the black magic that hit him, causing them to degenerate. Therefore, even a symptomatic cure will only work when the wound is not healed.

"It's far from that level." Snape said impatiently, he must have answered this question many times, "At present, it is mainly at the level of removing scars, and it is different from regenerating severed limbs, regenerating limbs that have been lost for many years , requires much more than removing the remnants of the enchantment."

"This has helped a lot of people." Sirius replied, "There must be many victims who want to remove the marks left by black magic, no matter how much it costs."

That probably included Harry, he thought, how many fans would be disappointed if the kid had his signature lightning scar removed.

"Both I and the funders agree that once it hits the market, the drug should be as affordable as possible," Snape said, "so I'm not going to assume I'm going to make a lot of money out of it."

"That's really noble."

The corner of Snape's mouth twitched slightly, as if the word had a thorn in it, "Some pure-blood families are willing to use the money invested in education and research to restore their reputation, and this trick is always very effective."

"I guess someone also wants to ask you to remove the Dark Mark?"

"Some young and sloppy Death Eaters who want to get rid of it and start over." Sirius can think of some candidates, most of whom are in the same group as those who exchanged money for fame, "The Dark Mark is closer to the Transfiguration Curse, partly involving soul magic, The principle is completely different. I suggest that they consider cutting off the left hand. If they insist on eradicating, they have to find a way to change their soul."

"You really know how to inspire people." Sirius shook his head amusedly, but the delicious meal he just ate wriggled in his stomach, binding the souls of his subordinates to himself, really like the one who created seven horcruxes doing.

"They should learn to be more cautious when selling their souls," Snape muttered.

He avoided eye contact with Sirius, who swallowed the comment that he'd sold his soul twice and changed the subject, since dinner had been going well so far.

"So you went to the Ministry party," he said, "how did you go with the rich and powerful?"

Snape rolled his eyes, "I'd rather go back to Potions class, and you can figure out the rest."

"Excellent." Sirius drank the last bit of coffee, "Maybe I should go."

"If you go, you'll meet a lot of unexpectedly familiar faces." Snape's wording made it clear that he wasn't referring to members of the Society or Death Eaters. "Do you know Mary Cattermole?"

"Cattermole?" Sirius tried to recall for a while, "The witch that Harry and the others rescued from under Umbridge's nose?"

"She used to be Mary MacDonald."

"Oh," Sirius thought of a brown-haired girl who was not outstanding but had a sweet smile, "yes, I remember, Lily's friend was also of Muggle origin. She seems to have gone abroad after graduation or something?"

"Unclear, she must have returned after the war, married Reggie Cattermole, an employee of the Ministry of Magic, and had three children." Snape stated, "After the Muggle birth registration began, she registered as scheduled, And turn in the wand."

"Obviously that won't work," Sirius said disgustedly. "Since she's Muggle-born, they're going to send her to Azkaban anyway."

"That's right." Snape nodded. "She backed away when she saw me, then forced a smile on her face and pretended nothing happened."

"Er." Sirius could only shrug. Persecuted Muggle-borns were afraid of Death Eaters (even ex-Death Eaters), and who could blame her?

"I don't think I've seen her since graduation." Guessing what he was thinking, Snape said, "She hasn't seen me as a Death Eater, and I haven't shown the Dark Mark. That's Responses to direct impressions have other causes."

"Because you're dressed like a vulture?"

Snape looked eager to grab the plate and give him a slap in the face.

"Because she knew me when I was a student, just like I knew you when I was a student, Blake," said Slytherin viciously. For fun, maybe once scared her too much to leave Gryffindor Tower for her lessons. That's why she backed away from me."

"What did you do to her?" Sirius asked in the most neutral tone, and even he remembered how frightened Muggle-borns were in those days.

"Nothing," Snape replied. "She's Lily's friend. If she brings charges against me, do you think Lily will let me go?"

"But not every Muggle-born at school is Lily's friend, is it?"

Snape didn't answer directly, "Whether I did something to her directly or not, she knew I was one of them, she knew I agreed with everything they did to her, knew what I did to others. She Scared of me as scared of them, and if they accidentally fell out, obviously I would help them. She still remembers, after all these years, what it was like to be the underdog, to be alone.”

Well, that doesn't sound like you're talking about Mary Macdonald at all. "You didn't catch up to her to apologize, did you?"

"What's the point?" Snape asked immediately, "I wear the Order of Merlin, First Class, and as a VIP of the Ministry of Magic, if I go to her to apologize for what happened decades ago, she will think I'm crazy. Then she continued to be afraid of me, and maybe she dreamed back to her school days and saw a group of people including me surrounding her, so I got peace of mind. This is what an unfilial son does to a dying mother."

"For some wounds, the best thing you can do with it is not touch it." Sirius agreed, "When you dream back to your student days, what do you see?"

For a moment, Snape seemed to get up and go, staring at the man across the table, fear and hatred flashing in his dark eyes.Then he stopped himself and took a breath.

"This is related to another incident that happened during this time." Snape said in a steady voice, "I had a dream two days before I wrote to you. I can't remember the exact details, but I think you used Something stopped me and caused me to miss the whole class. When I finally got to the class, the professor had left, I wondered what the assignment was, went to ask the other students, but everyone was laughing, packed up and left the class, Nobody wants to tell me."

"Let me guess," Sirius said, "it's the milder one in your dream about us."

"It got me thinking how easy it is to remember the unbearable in others and forget about your own," Snape said slowly, as if he were breaking out of a hard, bitter cocoon, " How easy it is to remember one's own pain and ignore another's."

"If you're using Mary to defend us, I'd say it's no healthier than venting anger," Sirius said.

"Give me the truth, Blake." Snape leaned forward. "How many times have you bothered me because I'm the type to use that word?"

This was the kind of question that Sirius needed to answer seriously, so he thought about it.

"I can't tell you," he said. "If you remember what it was like back then, it was like scrambled eggs to a bunch of teenagers. You couldn't separate the white from the yolk. Yeah, We know the kind of people you are, sometimes we fight, sometimes it's revenge, and sometimes it's just a good excuse, I can't tell which is more. We feel like we hate you, so it feels like we have you underfoot Very good. By the way, we cast spells on a lot of people in the corridors, and if you're special than them, it's because you're tough and you get revenge."

"Thanks for the compliment," Snape said stiffly.

"I'm not proud of who I was then, and I don't think James would, which is also true." Sirius continued, "Except for that, I almost killed you, I know what I did, but before you It's hard to feel sorry for it when you keep attacking and trying to kill me."

"Obviously, not after learning that I was responsible for Potter's death."

Sirius snapped his mouth shut, and Snape stared at him defiantly, to see what he could do about it.When Sirius learned of this incident, he was in the ward of the school hospital. In front of him was Bill Weasley, who had been disfigured by Greyback. Dumbledore had just been killed. Harry poured out everything about Snape to everyone with hatred. What an unforgivable detail, when he was so seared by rage that he could barely stand and swore to himself that he would kill Snape himself.Afterwards the truth about Dumbledore's death came out, and he wasn't sure what he thought of the rest of it when the dust settled.

"You did your best to make up for that, and even I have to admit it." Saying this was not as uncomfortable as Sirius thought, and maybe it was time for him, with that cruel, stupid but happy Teens say goodbye.There is not only a gap opened by Halloween between him and that silly boy, but also a river bed of time. After so many things and so many years, Sirius Black finally decided to grow up.

"You became a Death Eater, committed crimes, and later you sacrificed your life for Dumbledore in order to redeem your mistakes, and saved as many innocent people as possible in the next war." Sirius said, "And when Voldemort confused Harry, you tried your best All that was done to save us is enough in my opinion. Many people far less than you have escaped prison."

"Mary Cattermole disagrees."

"Life won't be perfect, accept it," Sirius said, and Snape pulled out his smirk again, which he took to mean that Slytherin was nervous, "I'm not a Muggle-born, and neither are you. student, you have fully repaid what you and I have done to each other, and I have not. That’s how it is.”

"Do you think I invited you here today because I want you to apologize?"

"To be honest, I have no idea of ​​your purpose so far." Sirius replied, "The most convincing guess is that you are lonely, and I think this is at least partially true."

"It's just dinner," Snape said, and Sirius stared at him in disbelief. "When I woke up from that dream, I felt... alone, that's how I felt in the dream, and besides, I Surprised. It's been a while since I've dreamed about my school days, it's all under the Dark Lord's rule... I'm surprised I still mind after all this. It's not the kind that can be controlled and resolved with drugs problem, so I thought maybe it would help to call one of the participants over to have a look. Believe me, if everyone is still alive, you are the last option."

"I have no doubts about that." Sirius bared his teeth at him. "Remus was always the good guy, even after James stripped his swollen head, and even Peter probably thought more than I did. I care. Just a few things, don't care about anything that isn't about them, and just want to ride a motorcycle into something and explode."

"Your self-knowledge is impressive." Snape snorted.

"It's pure luck that I became what I am now." Sirius said, "You and I survived out of everyone, don't you think it's a little ridiculous?"

"I want to look at my enemy, get rid of all preconceived stereotypes, and those memories that seem to have happened in a previous life, and see what kind of person you become in the end, and try to remember who you are now instead of a teenager." Knepe said, "Of course, it would be nice if you were exactly as I remember, and that would prove me right."

"Have I let you down?"

"It's hard to say." Snape pushed his cake plate away, "at least the Black I remember would never keep turtles, and named his own turtle 'Turtle'."

"Everything, Strawberry Shadow Tiramisu," Sirius shot back.

"Are you angry? It was me and not your friends who survived," Snape asked.

"Of course. Why me? Why you? Why not Remus? He's just found his happiness. Why not James and Lily? They should see how great their son is." Sirius leaned back in his chair. Leaning back, rubbing his eyes, a wave of fatigue hit him, as if he had just shaken off a burden, and he didn't realize that he was carrying him before, "But we have no choice, Snape, we survived, So celebrate and keep going. The world sucks today, and it will suck tomorrow, and it’s the privilege of the living to think it sucks and try to be a slightly better part of it.”

"Let the past go by?"

"Or carry it on, it's up to you." He turned his neck and sat up straight again, "but if you don't think it's too embarrassing—"

"If I don't want an apology from Mary Macdonald, I don't want an apology from you either," said Snape. "As I said, I just wanted to see you."

"If it were another person, I'd call it a date." Sirius snorted, "If you change your mind, tell me anytime."

"I still think it's better for me never to see you again."

"It's up to you, too."

It was late when they came out of a mushroom, and Snape stated that he had Apparated back to