Hi everyone! Long time no type!

Had a small one shot in my head and just had to write it out. I tried to keep the characters true to themselves as much as possible but may have drifted a little bit. Anyway I hope you enjoy xx

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter and co. *Throws tantrum*

James Potter II squirmed under the strict gaze of Minerva McGonagall in the headmaster's office.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall sighed. "I see you have a tendency to break rules just like your father and grandfather. That is not an accomplishment you should be proud of. Charming snowballs to attack teachers? Really? Explain yourself!"

"I was practicing charms," James replied meekly.

"An absurd way to practice them. You never use spells on teachers or students. What if the spell went wrong?"

"Well it didn't and I charmed the snowballs, not the teachers."

"POTTER!" A loud voice bellowed from behind McGonagall who lost one of her nine lives in shock at the eruption. James dropped all smugness immediately as the portrait commanded his attention. The picture of Severus Snape stood from his background chair and strode over to his frame menacingly. He stopped when his waist was at the bottom of the intricately spiralled gold barrier and folded his arms in his classic stance, complete with glower and hair flick. James took an involuntary step back.

"Severus, you're awake," McGonagall gasped as she watched her former student/staff come out of hibernation.

"How could I sleep with that amount of cheek and sass coming from an eleven year old?" Snape remarked without looking at her. "A typical Potter, complete with rule breaking, attitude and complete disregard to the rules. Just like your father. I will not have another member of that family turn out exactly the same. This. Stops. Right. Now! Sit down!"

James plonked himself inelegantly in the chair behind him and McGonagall followed the command even though it wasn't directed at her. She was still staring at the portrait. She had tried countless times to communicate with Snape but he never responded. Her heart ached at the loss of him and now thudded faster than the speed of light at his voice. His exotic voice melted her eardrums and it made her grin like a Cheshire cat.

"You…you're Snape," James stuttered.

"Professor Snape to you, Potter. And what pray tell has your insufferable father said about me?"

"My dad's not insufferable…except for chores, rules and homework."

Snape through his arms up and almost sung Halleluiah! "After all these years, the Boy Who Lived has finally learned what he should have done in his first year. You are at Hogwarts to learn, not to mess around. Pull your head in and get an education, you daft boy. Your name and fortune will not pave your way to easy street so put your nose to the grindstone."

"Why do you care about my schoolwork? You're not my dad!" James retorted, desperate to look brave.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON?" Snape erupted, rupturing James's eardrum and removing another life from McGonagall. James gripped the sides of the chair so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"How dare you talk to me like that! The Potter name is cursed, Minerva. You, young man, will cease this attitude at once. Do I make myself clear? What house are you in?"

"Gryffindor," James squeaked.

"Bloody typical!"

"Severus, language!" McGonagall scolded out of habit. Snape shot her a filthy look and she clamped her lips together.

"As a portrait, I can emerge into any other frame in this castle, including the Fat Lady's. I will be keeping my eye on you throughout your detentions, classes and curfew. I will be taking over the Fat Lady's portrait exactly at curfew and Merlin help you if you are on the wrong side. You will treat teachers with respect at all times. I can make your life hell in this castle."

"Just like you did to dad?" James sneered.

"Just like your father did to me. Ask him how many people died because he did the wrong thing. Do you want your friends to die because you weren't doing as you were told?"

"Severus, please," McGonagall begged. "Not this. I will take it from here."

She turned her attention back to the young boy and straightened her glasses before adopting her stern expression.

"Mr. Potter, you will write a letter to each of the professors you magically assaulted expressing sincere apologies."

"Which I will be witness to," Snape interrupted.

"And you will obey any detentions that they deem appropriate."

"Which I will also witness," Snape drawled.

"And furthermore, fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor. I will check in with each of the professors. You are lucky I do not floo call your father. However, he will receive a letter. You can expect a howler tomorrow at breakfast. You are dismissed."

James paled at the never-ending list of punishments and remained in his seat. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Potter, you were told to leave. If there is one thing a Potter will learn, it is to obey if it's the last thing I do!"

"Yessir," James said with a gulp and scrambled to the door.

Once the boy had left, Minerva stood up and walked to the base of Snape's portrait before he could hibernate and ignore her again.

"Severus, please talk to me for a few minutes, I beg of you," she pleaded.

Snape looked torn but sighed dramatically. "Very well."

"It is so good to speak to you again. I've missed you so."

"Missed me? The last time we met, Minerva, you tried to kill me," Snape snapped, hurt clearly hidden in his sentence.

"I didn't know the truth, Harry spoke and I…I lost control," the old witch replied as tears threatened to fall down her delicate and aged face.

"Didn't you read the clues?" Snape cried angrily. "Notice how I never cast a spell on you or the boy? Or tried to take Potter when I apparated away? I placed myself as headmaster to control the Death Eaters and protect the students. As a wise and intelligent witch, Minerva, you were completely daft."

"Please don't talk to me like that, Severus. It really hurts," McGonagall whispered sadly.

"Hurts? Hurts? I'll tell you what hurts. The last word you yelled out to me. The last word I heard from your lips. The lips of a witch that I had admired and trusted and even considered a friend. What was that word again, Minerva?" Snape said venomously.

McGonagall squeezed her eyes shut as if to remove the memory from her mind. Tears shed down her face and her lip quivered. "Coward," she said softly.

"Speak up, I can't hear you!"

"C…coward," McGonagall said and her voice broke. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands and burst into tears. Heavy sobs pierced through her fingers. Snape looked stunned at the vision of her losing all control.

"I am so s…sorry. You have every r…right t…to hate me."

"I do not hate you, Minerva," Snape said. "I just wish you gave me a chance. I gave my life to keep Potter alive, why would I fail that mission? If he had stayed silent I could have smuggled him away and told him of the plot but he was reckless as usual. And as usual, you took his side."

"I don't take his side," McGonagall said defensively as her sobs softened.

"In his first year you awarded him points for defeating a mountain troll, bought him a broom to play Quidditch after disobeying an order to remain on the ground during a flying lesson where he could have died and didn't expel him after Hagrid and that blasted dragon. Second year you didn't expel Potter or Weasley after the flew to Hogwarts in an illegally modified car. Need I go on?"

She bit her lip and shook her head.

Snape sighed as he looked at the pitiful scene before him. "Stand up, Minerva. The ground is no place for a strong and respected witch as yourself. Dry your eyes. I do not hate you."

"Please, forgive me, Severus," she sobbed as she dabbed her eyes with a napkin.

"There is nothing to forgive. You were doing your job, and I was doing mine."

"A bit too well," McGonagall sniffed and smiled. "Do try and talk to me sometime, won't you?"

"Maybe, I'm not a talkative or social man. You of all people should know that. Just don't pester me, thanks to Potter putting a portrait up of me, I can never rest. Now, it's nearly curfew and I need to make sure the Potter spawn isn't breaking it. Farewell, Minerva."

Snape swished his robes theatrically as he disappeared from his portrait and McGonagall reached up and touched the frame and smiled.

"Severus seems to be burdened with looking after a Potter for the rest of the Potter family tree," Dumbledore said from his portrait.

"Oh Albus, Harry has another two that start soon. And one looks like Lily and has her name too," McGonagall said as she looked at the previous headmaster. "It's going to be an interesting decade and a bit with three Potters."

"It certainly will be, my dear," Dumbledore chuckled. "Now, let's have a friendly chat before Severus returns and barks at us to stop speaking."