Saturn's Hikari: Well here's chapter two. Trowa's before Hogwart's years. Most questions about his past will be answered later. It's actually a plot point. But if anyone sees any mistakes or problem or spelling- please tell me!

Also: this has SLASH in it. Don't like don't read. Well, please read, actaully- I want everyone to my story reardless, but if you can't handle slash in small doses you won't be able to handle this.

I thinks that'sall for now. So on with the story.

Walk a tightrope high

Trowa walked in and quietly shut the door behind him. He shoved his bag under the table and walked into the kitchen to grab some ice. Catherine walked out of the bathroom, already changed into her waitress uniform for work down at Donovan's and stared at him.

"Trowa! What happened to your eye? Oh..." she sighed and bustled over through the archway. "Let me see..." He held still as she poked his blacked eye and tried not to wince.

"Well, put some ice on it. Anything wrong with other?" She asked, about to lift his bangs out of the way when he wiggled out of the way. Stepping back a few paces he shook his head no.

She studied him for a moment then smiled. "Alright. I'll be back late, doing double shift today, so fix yourself something, 'k?" She opened the fridge and passed him the little blue ice pack. He nodded and pressed it against his eye. Catherine turned and grabbed her coat from the coat hanger.

"Lock the windows, keep the knives with you and Trowa please, please don't answer the door. The Rippers were seen going around early, but it's raining now." She patted her pockets for her knives "If anything happens-"

He was giving her that look. Even with a ice pack and a bundle of hair blocking his face, and her back turned she knew when he was glaring exasperatedly at her. She looked toward him as she slipped her jacket on.

"Sorry, I know you know this, Trowa, I just worry that's all." She gave him a quick hug.

"I love you." She told him, letting him out of the hug, and slipped out the door. Her footsteps sounded down the hall and he heard the outer door slam.

"I love you too, Catherine" he whispered to the silent apartment.

And then he sat at the table and did his summer school work.

The knock on the door startled them both from lunch.

It wasn't often that they got to eat together, during the year Catherine had work, they both had school, and Catherine normally ate lunch at work in the summer, while Trowa got his at summer school or the youth center. But today was Sunday and the diner served breakfast 'til one then closed. And since Donovan's didn't open until 3, Catherine had some time to share with Trowa.

This was their only quality bonding time. And some one was interrupting it.

The door gave another impatient rap-rap. She motioned Trowa behind their bookcase so he was partly hidden from view. She flipped out her knife and tiptoed to the door.

"Who is it?" She called out, always ready to see just how imaginative robbers and gang-bangers were.

A stiff and uptight voice coughed on the other side of the door. "My name is Pr. Snape. I'm a teacher from the school whose letter you received."

Catherine frowned; she hadn't gotten any letter from a school. And normally most robbers didn't go with stories so easily see through. Most of the time it was 'can I use your phone?' or 'you've won something.' A letter from a school?

She glanced back where Trowa was half hidden. He cocked his head and waved an envelope in his hand, nodding his head toward the door. Trowa obviously thought his story checked out. So against her better judgment, Catherine opened the door.

A tall dangerous-looking man peered at her. He wore black- a black shirt, pants, and leather jacket. His hair was even black. He stared coldly at her with his black eyes. It was all black, black, black, except for his skin which was a pale, pale white. Maybe he was trying to make up for that? She waved him in then shut the door quickly behind him. He stood in the living room looking around distastefully.

Their home wasn't much, but at least it was clean. Entered into the living room, which turned into a kitchen and had a short hallway to the bathroom and the one bedroom. 4 rooms, but the walls only had a couple stains and cracks, the stove worked most of the time and it really wasn't that bad. The guy was probably some rich gangster, and she readjusted her grip on the knife. But he was standing still, and wasn't leaking malicious intent out his ears, so she'd give him a moment before she stabbed him.

"Ms. Barton, I am Pr. Snape from Hogwarts. Your son received a letter yesterday concerning admission to our school." He turned and looked down his nose at her. "I assume you have some questions about it?"

Catherine stared at him and replayed his words in her head. Your son.. your son received... your son...

"Son! Trowa! I-I'm not his mother!" She didn't look that old! Did she?! His mother! Was she that old? She have to look at least thirty to be his mother and she wasn't even twenty yet!

From his place behind the bookcase Trowa smiled.

"I'm sorry, Miss." He said and truly did seem sorry.

"Alright then, Mr. Snape..." She said glaring at him and putting emphasis on the Mr. There was no way some rich guy would get an honorific after calling her old."...Take a seat." She waved him to the small wooden table where she and Trowa had been having lunch. The plates were still sitting there, with mashed potatoes still piled on Trowa's and half of her sandwich was wilting. He gave them a disgusted look and took what had been Catherine's seat. Catherine took Trowa's seat and shoved the plate over to the empty place setting. Then she folded her hands and look straight at 'Pr.' Snape, or more accurately, his nose. It was a big beaker of a nose. Very aristocratic type of thin long nose.

"Trowa, you can come out now. And bring that letter." She called over to the bookcase, not taking her eyes off Snape. He was the one that broke their staring contest to turn and watch the lanky boy give the vanilla letter to her.

She scanned the letter:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Barton,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 28.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

She looked up to Snape,

"This isn't some joke, is it?" She raked a finger trough her short hair and sighed. "Well, Trowa, Do you want to go?"

The boy looked down at her, at the letter then at her again. He nodded. Catherine smiled at him then glared halfheartedly at Severus, who was feeling rather uncomfortable in this mushy touchy feely family moment.

"Mr. Snape, any thing to drink?"

"No, thank you." Again with the sneer, that gave the message nothing here is worth drinking.

Catherine's face gave the pained smile of people determined to be cheerful and polite. "Oh. Trowa, could you get me some coffee." He nodded, smiled at this errand to get him out of the room and walked over to the kitchenette and started making her coffee

"Ms. Barton, the whole point of me coming here" Again he gave her that look, like he needed to put everything in simple terms." is to answer any questions you or your relatives may have and to take him for school supplies."

She favored him with a haunted look and snorted "Like I'm just going to let you just walk off with him? P-lease." Then she sighed, banishing some dark thoughts, Snape knew the gesture well, and smiled forcefully at him."Alright. Talk. This how-garts, tuition, classes, what's taught, what the teachers like? Scholarships? Food? Any thing, everything." She ordered

Snape sighed. And began to talk about 'Hog-warts' , the magical classers taught, 'Potions being the one needing the most skill,' teachers being kind, nurturing saps that would cater to students every whim, especially Gryffindor students. Trowa came back with her coffee as he explained the houses students were Sorted into.

'The Ravenclaw are the brains, Hufflepuffs- plodders Gryffindor the foolhardy and Slytherin cunning planners." And he gave a half sneer at the end, like something was slightly amusing, funny at the expense of other.

"And let me guess," She said sipping her coffee. "you were a Slytherin."

Despite or in spite of, all of his sneers and glares, Catherine was starting to like this snobby professor. Perhaps he grew on you- like athlete's foot.

"So how long is this shopping suppose to take?" She asked him.

"An hour or two." Snape said, watching Trowa, who was sitting on the couch- watching him. Trowa was looking comfortable enough in his jeans and green shirt

Catherine looked at the clock, hanging in the kitchen. It was almost two now and she would have to be at Donavan's at three...

"Alright. I'll call work and let them know." She turned over to Trowa. "Can you pass me the phone?" He smiled his cleversmile and tossed it to her, she caught it just as it began to ring.

"Hell-o? Can I help you?" Natasha asked, her tone saying she was soo bored and probably painting her nails as she answered the calls.

"Aren't you suppose to say 'This is Donovan's'." said Catherine trying to sound cheerful on the phone.

"Cathy! Hey girl! What's up?"

She winced at the nickname and then glared at Snape as he looked at her funny."I won't be coming in. Maybe the late shift, but definitely not E.L."

"Ohh, girl, you know Marsha's not gonna be too happy about that."

'Yeah, I know, I know." Catherine sighed and became aware that Snape and Trowa were giving her their undivided attention. "Hey, Natasha, girl, I gotta go. Something came up."

"Aww, It Trowa, again? Poor boy, you give him my love ya hear."

"Yeah, I hear. Bye."

Catherine hung up and Snape sneered at her.

"You have a job?"

"Yes. Several in fact." She said sneering right back at him. "As if it's any of your business."

He looked at her oddly and then stood up. "Come, then. I'll take you to get supplies."

Weeks later,a train whistle blew. It was time.

"Bye Trowa. I miss you already." Catherine hugged him and then let go. "You write once a week. I want tons of letters. Make some friends, alright, and Trowa… please tell someone."

She backed him up with her hands on his shoulders to look into his eyes. Whatever she saw satisfied her as she gave a giant grin.

"I love you." She whispered.

This time he was the one to hug her, draw her close and tight to his chest. All too soon it was over and the train whistled. He stepped back and picked up his bags and took those steps up to the train door. He opened the door and uncertainly looked behind, back at Catherine- at his family.

Then he went into the train, the door shutting behind him as the train began to pull out of the station. Catherine kept waving at it, though, until the train was out of sight. Until she could no longer kid herself that she saw him in a window.

And then he was gone, off to his life, to a place where she couldn't follow.

-End-

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Hey! You made it!

I'm not quite sure about Snape's character, I may have made him too nice. What do you think?

Please review. I cannot express how much each review means to me. Even if you just say -hey, I'm reading this.' I will love you for it. If any one is intersted in a very good HP/GW fic, one way better than mine-try 'Parallel by Stormy1x2. It's amazing.

Midterms are coming up so I gotta go study. Joy! ;)

Cheers,
Saturn's Hikari