AN: I do not own Harry Potter
A Lion in Snakes Clothing
Chapter 1: Friend of Your Mothers
He wasn't sure what possessed him to be here, standing in this muggle neighborhood under a disillusionment charm. He had hardly ever cared to see the boy and had not for most of his young life save for one time on a night he did his best to forget most days. Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps the not so subtle prods from Dumbledore to have a slightly more active role in the boys observation. He rolled his eyes at the thought, that was after all what the squib was for.
No it was curiosity and a whim that had brought him here and he could now say that with his curiosity sated he was not impressed. The boy was small and timid looking, even for a six year old, wearing cloths clearly too large for him and playing in the grass with a mix match of junk that he supposed could pass for toys. He seemed content or at least he figured as much, the minds and body language of small children lost on him. He was ready to leave when one of the toys sprang up and began to dance around much to the boys amusement. A simple bit of accidental magic, nothing to be too alarmed at. It happen often enough in children his age and at the very least it confirmed that in time his power would indeed grow.
His musings were cut short as he saw a woman burst from the house and kick the dancing toy away from the boy, her face a mixture of fear and anger.
"What have I told you about that," she hissed looking around to see if anyone had noticed.
"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia," the boy said lowering his head, "I didn't mean to it just happened."
"I will not have these accidents happening again do you hear," the woman snapped, "we Dursley's pride ourselves on our normalcy not being a lot of...of...freaks."
Snape's hand twitched towards his wand, a few dark thoughts swirling in his head as he recalled Lily's older sister. Time had done little to cure her of her jealousy and foolishness, not that he thought it would. He watched as she stormed back into the house, leaving the boy nearly in tears as he tossed away his other toys. Snape continued to observe, grimacing at how like his father he looked. The similarities would be even more striking when he reached Hogwarts he had no doubt. Harry raised his head to stare at the sky, the sight of his eyes causing Snape to draw in a breath. They were his mothers eyes, striking in their color and depth, wet with tears just as he had seen so very long ago.
It was the day they had first met, him comforting Lily after her sister had yelled and called her a freak. They had been friends then, but time and his own bitterness had driven her from him and into the arms of the man he had learned to loathe the most. He knew the Dark Lord would target the Potter's when he told him the prophesy. He would have been a fool to think otherwise. Did he think that maybe only James would have been killed? That she would have been spared and then she could be his once again? It was sickening to think and it merely compounded his own self loathing.
Now, faced with Lily's son he had yet another choice to make. To protect him from the shadows as his silent watcher or to help him become powerful to avenge his parents. To avenge her. When put like that, there wasn't really a choice to consider.
Snape altered the charm allowing Harry to see him, which caused the boy to start with shock and fear as a man in black seemed to appear out of thin air.
"Do not be afraid Harry," Snape said putting up his hands, "I mean you no harm."
"How do you know my name? Who are you," Harry said nervously looking back towards the house.
"My name is Severus Snape. I...I was a friend of your mothers."
I kind of got into a HP kick and got this idea structure after reading the story "Ruthless" although this won't be nearly as dark. Each chapter will focus on a year and key events of those years. It will also focus on the aspect of Snape's and Harry's new friendship and resulting chaos as such.