the_debt_of_time

"Well," Remus replied slowly, thinking back to the train ride back to Hogwarts at
the beginning of seventh year. "Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an
opportunity to curse James, so you couldn't really expect James to take that lying down,
could you?"
"And my mum was okay with that?"
"She didn't know too much about it, to tell you the truth," Sirius answered. "I mean,
James didn't take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?" He frowned
at the look on Harry's face. "Look, your father was the best friend I ever had, and he was
a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it."
"Yeah, okay." Harry sighed. "I just never thought I'd feel sorry for Snape."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Did we treat Snape like shit? Yes. But what I'm sure he failed
to put in that Pensieve were his own actions. I can admit that I was rotten, but everything
I ever did was provoked, I promise you that," he said firmly and then looked at Remus
who was staring at him. "What? It was. Granted, I overreacted... a lot... but still,
provoked. I was provoked."
"Harry, what did Snape say when he found out you'd seen the memory?" Remus
asked, trying to change the subject.
"He told me he'd never teach me Occlumency again," Harry said indifferently. "Like
that's a big disappoint―"
"He WHAT?!" Sirius shouted.
"Are you serious, Harry?" Remus quickly asked, eyes wide. "He's stopped giving
you lessons?"
"Yeah, but it's okay. I don't care. It's a bit of a relief to tell you the―"
"I'm coming up there to have a word with Snape!" Sirius snapped and made to
stand.
Remus gripped his shirt and yanked him back down. "If anyone's going to talk
Severus, it will be me. But Harry, first of all, you are to go back to Professor Snape and tell
him that on no account is he to stop giving you lessons."
"I can't tell him that, he'd kill me!"
"Harry, there is nothing so important as you learning Occlumency!" Remus said
sternly. "Do you understand me? Nothing!"