Chapter One; A Mother's Love

It was getting to be that time of year again, Halloween. Snape was going through his closet to see all the kinds of old Halloween costumes that he had when all of a sudden Harry apparated in front of him and then reached his hands out in front of him and growled. Snape jumped back a few feet in the air and then placed his hand upon his heart. "Hey Dad, happy Halloween." He told him with a grin.

"Oh Harry, I really wish that you wouldn't do that. I am an old man after all." He told him before he disaparated again and appeared behind him instead.

"I'm sorry Dad, but it is Halloween after all. And everybody knows that Halloween just isn't Halloween without a few scares now and then." Harry told him with a grin as his father just simply rolled his eyes at him.

"Honestly Harry, things were a lot easier back when you were a kid and you weren't allowed to use magic yet." He told him as Harry chuckled.

"Sorry, but at least you only have to put up with me. Tobey, Eve, and the twins are still underage." He told him.

"Speaking of the twins, how are they doing in charm school? The only reason that I came back here in the first place is because you told me that Teddy was continually skipping class. Have you straightened him out yet?" his father inquired but Harry just simply shook his head at him.

"I don't think so." He began. "And he hasn't been paying attention in his Sunday school lessons either." He told him.

"Well, I sure hope that he gets his act together for his sake. Because if he doesn't, he won't be able to go to the Halloween dance at Hogwarts this year with everyone else." His father said.

"Alright, I'll let him know. Well, I better get to work. I'm already late so I don't have time to take the car." He told him.

"Alright son, be careful." His father began with a grin before gesturing his head down to his cross. "And I sure hope that your mother's cross brings us luck this Halloween. We could use it for all the ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and witches out there." He told him.

"Uh Dad? We are witches." Harry began before he quickly shook his head. "I mean wizards, but we're the good kind." He told him.

"I know, I was just joking." His father told him with a grin and a little twinkle inside his eye but that's when suddenly Harry remembered something. It had been nearly twenty years since Voldemort attacked his cottage when he was a baby and even though he wasn't old enough to have much of a memory of him, it had been also that long since he had lost his biological father. However, he decided that he better not mention that part to his dad even though he probably already guessed that it had been going through his mind.

For Harry already knew that his two fathers never had really gotten along. "Well, I better let you go and get to work. I'll see you later." Snape said.

"Alright, goodbye." Harry told him before he disappeared again.

…..

Teddy and Heather came through the front door later on that afternoon and their father was there to greet them each with a hug and a kiss. "Hi Daddy!" Heather exclaimed excitedly.

"Hey Dad." Teddy began. "Where's Harry?" he wondered.

"He had to work late." His father began. "But let's talk about you instead, how was school?" he questioned him but he just simply hung his head while Heather nervously sucked in her cheeks. "Theodore,.." he said warningly.

"He got a detention." Heather blurted out.

"First of all, is your name Theodore?" her father questioned her before she took a deep breath and then sighed heavily.

"No." she replied reluctantly while slowly turning her head and avoiding eye contact with him.

"Second of all," Snape began again before turning his attention away from his daughter and back to his son. "why did you get a detention?" he asked him as the little boy slowly turned his head away from him and started hanging it again miserably. Theodore Elijah Franklin, I need you to tell me the truth." He told him before he took a deep breath and then slowly let it out again.

"I got into a fight." He told him.

"Now Teddy you already know that violence isn't the answer." His father told him.

"I know Dad, I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. The other kids were laughing at them when I told them that Mummy was going to come back for Halloween." Teddy told him.

"Why? What makes you think that?" his father wondered.

"Because," the boy began. "even if she isn't a ghost, Halloween is the one night a year where the dead are able to walk the earth." He told him.

"Listen buddy, I know you feel really strongly about this but your mother's in Heaven with your older sister Gianna. She's not coming back." His father said with a quick shake of his head before Teddy took another deep breath.

"But she has to. She wouldn't just leave us." He said while he heaved a light sad sigh.

"That's right, and she hasn't." Snape began with a shake of his head. "And she never will. She loved you very much Teddy. She loved us all so much. And those that love us like that never really leave us and they stay in our heart forever." He told him before he hugged both of his children tightly to his chest. "Look, I'll forgive you this time, but I don't want to hear about you causing any more trouble in school or getting into any more fights. Do you understand me young man?" he inquired while pointing a firm finger at him as Teddy nodded.

"Good. Now how about you get started on your homework and then all three of us can go down to the pumpkin patch together and grab a pumpkin to carve? What do you say?" Snape asked them with a grin as Teddy just simply shrugged.

"We might as well. After all, all of Hagrid's pumpkins will probably be gone by the time that we make it to Hogwarts." He told him. "Come on Heather." He said before the twins raced down the hallway and back into their bedroom together.