September 1st, 1991. A day that will live in infamy.
The Snapes' shoes all clicked against the cold tile floor in perfect unison. It was a big day, the one that Harry had been trained for, all of his life.
All around them, businessmen and women trotted quickly, children laughed and sand, and an occasional owl screeched. The Snapes appeared oblivious to it all. Each of their expressions were identical: cold, hard eyes that didn't stray from a single point in the horizon, mouths kept at perfectly straight lines, eyebrows raised superiorly, and a tilt of the head that made clear that Severus, Lily, and Harry had no intention of backing down, no matter the situation.
Severus Snape's life was going fine. His support for Voldemort kept things very easy for him, as he could manipulate anyone, posses anything, go anywhere. He married the woman he always loved, and he had a son. A companion, an heir, a cohort. A single human being that was 50% him. Someone to follow in his footsteps as Voldemort's most trusted servant. He lived a pleasant life, but he was not happy. He could never be happy. His wife, his childhood love, disliked him. Feared him.
Lily Snape had everything she loved sucked out of her. Even her bright red hair appeared almost black. When she married Severus, it was through fear. Fear of who he could have been, who he was, and who he could turn into. Now, she was stuck as Voldemort's servants' servant. "Lily, fetch the water for Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy." "Lily, teach young Harry his lessons." "Lily, be a Death Eater with me or I will leave you with nothing." Her only joy was her son.
Harry Snape wasn't a person. He was a cardboard cutout of his father. Yes, he moved and ate and breathed and talked on occasion, but he was his father. Only one thing was different between the two: Harry loved knowledge. He was a curious one, and learning was the one true substance in his life. He had been homeschooled before that day, and it was his favorite thing. Every day, his mother would tell him of the great triumphs of history, of the phenomenal miracles of nature, and of the sky-high dreams of man. It gave him hope, which was exactly what he needed. He had to be Severus Snape's son, he had to uphold the reputation of his father, and he had to cope with the fact that his life would forever be swarmed with the secrets and lies of those who did not accept Voldemort.
The clock struck 10:30, and Harry briskly walked through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, to what was called, "Platform 9 ¾". Ought to be Platform 9 ½, seeing as it is directly between the two, Harry decided to himself. He had to stop himself from peering behind him to look for his mother, since his father was keeping careful watch of Harry from beside him. She came in a minute, holding Harry's single rucksack and owl cage. Because every one of the family walked seamlessly through the Platforms, Severus moved toward the train.
On the platform, the Malfoys stood. They appeared calm and relaxed, as if they were not threatened by Snape. He knew they were. Draco and Harry gave each other a small nod upon making eye contact, similar to the small nod that their parents exchanged. The pair were not really friends, but more like accomplices. They met the first time that their mothers decided to help sneak a group of two Aurors and their infant baby to another country. Severus was in on the act, as well. He didn't help, per se, but he was fully aware of it. He said nothing of it to Voldemort.
Harry and Draco moved closer, taking one final look at their parents, whom they wouldn't see until the spring. Harry looked upon them with an odd sort of understanding, as if seeing them for the first time in ages. His parents looked proud of him, but not as if proud parents. A proud mother and a proud father, each trying to claim the boy for their own. Draco saw his parents as if they were slowly prompting him to be great, as if they expected him to discover the cure for spattergroit right then and there. They needed him to bring glory to the Malfoy name, and to quench their everlasting thirst for greatness. In other words, Draco and Harry both considered calling Child Services.
As the pair said their goodbyes, (Literally, "goodbye" is all they said to their parents) they boarded the train. Harry took a single step up, and plunged himself into the next chapter of his life.