Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form, nor am I making any money from this story. I do, however, own the plot and any characters that appear in the story that are not apart of the original series.

A Different Reality

By Constellations

- Of Thoughts, Stories, and Darker Things -

Minerva McGonagall absently chewed on the tip of her quill (a habit she seemed to be unable to break) as she reviewed her newly drafted lesson plans for the coming year. Once satisfied that everything was as it should be, Minerva allowed herself a small smile. She loved to teach, but making and revising lesson plans had never been particularly enjoyable.

Sitting back in her chair she sighed with relief as she stared at the stacks of papers. She'd cut it a little close this year (it was only a week before the term started) and Minerva couldn't help but feel a little guilty for not finishing sooner, even though Albus had told her not to rush…

Making a few gestures with her wand, Minerva pointed it at the lesson plans and they disappeared with a small pop, relocating to her designated box in Albus' office. With the papers out of sight, she leaned further back into her comfortable dark red chair and conjured up a cup of cool pumpkin juice.

Taking a sip of the refreshing liquid the Head of Gryffindor smiled. It was good to be home. She'd been gone most of the summer visiting distant family in Ireland and touring several cities in Italy. Nothing, however, felt like home as Hogwarts did. It was more than just a job for her. Those children were hers… in a way and the people in the castle were like a second family to her, even if some did drive her crazy.

She shook her head. I can't believe it'll be eighteen years this term since I started teaching here. Minerva took another long sip of the juice. It's all gone by so fast… Memories of teaching, especially those of her first years flooded her mind. She chuckled. Her first year had proven to be very challenging to say the least. Fresh from university where she had gotten her Mastery in Transfiguration, Minerva had started teaching and had assumed the position as Head of House the same year James, Sirius, Lily, Severus and the rest had entered Hogwarts. It was sufficient to say that there had never been a dull moment those first seven years.

The soft chimes of an alert spell brought her out of her thoughts. Quickly murmuring a spell to turn off the charm, Minerva rose from her chair and made her way out of the Transfiguration classroom which doubled as her office. It was time for dinner.

Many of the staff had already arrived and seated themselves at a table similar to the ones students used during term when Minerva entered into the Great Hall. Greeting Albus with a nod, she slipped into her normal seat next to Severus (she was still one of the only staff members who would willingly sit next to him). Saying hello, Minerva was met with his usual glance of acknowledgement and traditional greeting that ranged from "morning" to "evening" depending on the time.

The Head of Gryffindor looked at her friend with a slight smile on her face. Though she had only arrived several days before, she hadn't seen Severus this happy in all the years they'd taught together. Harry, it seemed, had inherited Lily's ability to pull Severus out of his tightly clamped shell. True… he was still moody and grumpy sometimes, (like now) but his overall disposition was much better than before...

Her dinner had just materialized before her when the doors of the Great Hall burst open, drawing everyone's attention away from their meals. Several of the staff members chuckled and Minerva couldn't help but smile herself as Bill strode into the Hall carrying Harry piggy back style, the two laughing all the while. She shook her head in amusement. Bill then swung Harry around before dropping the boy onto the bench of the other side of the table. Those two were quite a pair.

She studied Harry as he ate dinner and teasingly flicked food at Severus. The young boy was bringing out many changes in Hogwarts. The staff had already grown used to his never ending questions and the way he would tail a professor about, watching them work. He was fast becoming a normality in all their lives and the day simply wouldn't seem the same without Harry's vivacious curiosity and odd sense of humor.

The boy whether he realized it or not, had a way of nosing his way into someone's life, making himself completely at home, and warping their life so completely that they could only stand back and wonder what had just happened.

If the staff had noticed a change in Severus' mood since Harry had arrived, they had been wise enough not to mention it… as least to his face. Whether or not they did this in fear of invoking his usually mood or for some other nefarious purpose he had yet to determine, but all the same, he was glad his fellow colleagues were tactfully (well most of the time…) avoiding commenting on his vast change in humor. Harry had always been able to bring out the best in him (whether he liked it or not it seemed) and Severus did not wish to try and explain that to the rest of the staff… it was far too personal.

He took a sip of his cold apple cider and looked around the table. Albus (who was his usual irritatingly cheerful self) was busy chattering happily to Amelia Sprout about God knows what. Flitwick, it seemed, had gotten the honor of sitting next to Sybil tonight (the staff tried almost as desperately not to sit next to her as they did him…) and was trying (and failing) to mask the bored expression on his face as Trelawney rambled on and on, never noticing her companion's discomfort.

Severus almost felt sorry for the Charms professor. The man was making such a noble attempt to stay polite. The Potions Master had found upon much studying of his colleagues that Filius was the only teacher besides Dumbledore (and himself to a point) that was able to keep their cool around the frustrating woman… but there was only so much of Sybil anyone could take and Flitwick looked to be coming to the end of his rope. Sending the small man a look of pity, Severus diverted his attention to the others at the table.

Hagrid was gesturing wildly to Kettleburn, professor of Care of Magical Creatures, and talking loudly about the newest (and most likely dangerous) creature brought in for the next term…

"Hello." A familiar voice said, interrupting his thoughts. Severus gave her a glare and scowled, slightly annoyed at being interrupted at his people watching.

"Evening," he muttered in acknowledgement. Turning back to his plate which he had yet to touch, he began to eat. Taking a bite of mashed potatoes, the Slytherin glanced over at Minerva. Meeting his friend's thoughtful gaze (come to think of it, a lot of those had been directed at him lately) he raised an eyebrow before returning to his food. Other than Albus, Minerva was the only other person that he could tolerate and trust in the castle. Albeit, their friendship was an odd one and by no means perfect (the rest of the staff had never understood it anyways). However, be that as it may, there was a deep level of understanding that had developed between them over their years of teaching together, despite pending differences.

Resurfacing from his thoughts, Severus stared into his cup of cider, watching the specks of cinnamon swirl around. He glanced at the doors and then at his wrist. Where has that insolent boy run off to? Honestly, they should have been back by now…it's well past seven. But much to Severus' relief, the doors swung open not a minute later, revealing Bill carrying Harry on his back.

Severus shot Harry a look as Bill plopped his godson onto the bench across from him. Harry gave him an innocent grin. "You're late." The boy looked up at him sheepishly.

"We lost track of time."

"You need to come up with better excuses." He handed Harry a basket of rolls. "So what were you doing?"

Harry smiled. "Bill was showing me around the grounds. I haven't been able to explore outside of the castle that much and he said he'd take me." The boy glanced down at the end of the table where the eldest Weasley was currently talking with Albus. "He even said he would teach me how to swim tomorrow." He said eagerly. "If you'll let me..." Harry trailed off and looked at his godfather expectantly.

Severus smiled. "I suppose so. Just try to not drown yourself."

Harry smirked as he flicked a bean at his godfather. "Don't worry. I won't."

Snape crossed his arms over his chest. "I would highly advise you not to do that again," he drawled out in a low tone.

The boy's smirk grew into a wide grin. "Do what?" he said innocently. "This?" He flicked another bean at Severus, hitting him smack dab in the face. Severus let out a growl.

"You have five seconds before I come get you for that… I'd start running if I were you... you're too ticklish for your own good." He grinned and held up his right hand in a fist, pointing his index finger towards the ceiling. "One."

Needless to say, that's all it took for Harry to bolt off the bench towards the door. Patiently, Severus counted off the remaining seconds before calmly rising to his seat. Nodding at Albus, who simply smiled in return, eyes twinkling merrily, he bid Minerva good evening and stalked towards the door. The minute he past the doors of the Great Hall Severus broke into a dead run after Harry who was tearing down the corridor.

With a mischievous gleam in his eye, he closed in on his godson… Harry's shrieks of laughter soon resounding throughout the castle.

Severus pulled a dark green robe over his night clothes in an attempt to thwart the bitter cold that seeped into the lower dungeons at night. In slipper clad feet he walked over the small adjoining room off of his quarters that Harry was using as a make shift bedroom. Leaning on the door frame Severus peeked in on his godson.

Upon moving in several weeks beforehand, Harry had been able to make the room a mess in about an hour after unpacking (he never had been very neat). Books were scattered everywhere. Severus shook his head. Harry had brought his favorite books along with him to read for the duration of his stay, which meant (since he read a great deal) that he had emptied out about a tenth of the library at home. Well to Severus at least, it sure looked that way. Any empty space in the room was taken up by books and various knick knacks that the boy had collected. Harry's portrait of his parents that he'd given him had ended up being too large to fit, so that had ended up in the sitting room where Severus was now annoyed by James Potter whenever he entered.

"So, I see you finally finished Hogwarts, A History." Severus stated, gesturing towards the book the messy haired boy held in his hands.

Harry looked up and grimaced. "Yeah… I finished it this afternoon." He stood up and placed a book on the nightstand. "Some of it's interesting, I guess."

"What are you reading now?" Snape inquired.

Harry crawled into bed. "Just one on astronomy, I've noticed that the night sky here is different than at home."

Severus sat down on the bed next to him and nodded. "There are subtle differences between the two." He helped Harry get under the covers and looked at him suspiciously. "Did you brush your teeth yet?"

Harry hesitated a moment to long. "Yes."

He scrutinized his godson. "You're doing much better. The innocent expression was good, if not a little strong, but you need to remember not to hesitate. It is the easiest way to tell if someone is lying."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Only you would actually give me advice on how to lie better. Honestly, you're worse than Dad sometimes."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a compliment," he drawled. "Now scoot."

The boy scowled. "Do I have to?"

"Yes you do and no more arguments. Now," said Severus as he lifted Harry out from under the covers and set him on the floor, "get moving." Grumbling, Harry made his way to the bathroom. "And make sure you brush for longer than thirty seconds Harry." Severus called as he heard the sound of running water echoing from the washroom.

A couple minutes later, Harry returned to his makeshift room with fresher breath and a whiter smile. Climbing back under the covers he turned to Severus who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. "Would you tell me a story?" He asked.

Severus smiled. Several years beforehand he had started telling Harry tales on a number of different subjects when he came to visit and over time it had evolved into a 'sacred' tradition, which the two of them enjoyed. "Of course," he answered. "What would you like to hear?"

Harry's face screwed up in concentration and a smile began to spread across his face as a thought came to him. "One of my parents… when they would always play pranks on each other…those are the best."

Snape chuckled. "They are rather entertaining." He leaned back into the headboard. "Did I ever tell you when Lily turned your father blue?"

The boy snickered. "Yeah. That one was priceless though. I still can't believe he actually had the nerve to hex all her clothes pink and still expect her to agree to go out with him."

"Yes, well that was only the beginnings of a long drawn out prank war between the pair."

"How long did it last?" Harry asked curiously.

"Hmm… the 'blue incident' was around the start of sixth year, so it lasted about a year and a half before your mother finally relented and started dating your father."

Harry let out a whistle and Severus nodded in agreement. "Now let's see… what to tell…Oh I know… this one is perfect." Arranging himself in a more comfortable position on the bed he began the story. "It was the middle of sixth year and I had just sat down at the Slytherin table for breakfast when…"

Flashback

The doors of the Great Hall burst open with a loud bang revealing a furious Lily Evans. Everyone turned towards the entrance, gasps of surprise and shock (and chuckling…from the Slytherins anyway) ringing throughout the room.

"JAMES POTTER WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO?" she shrieked as she stalked towards the Gryffindor table with a terrible glint in her eye.

Across the Hall, Severus glanced up from his eggs and shot his best friend a sympathetic look when he saw her 'new appearance'. Normally Lily Evans had a very sweet disposition and a very long fuse when it came to her temper… however, when that fuse would finally run out… and Potter (unfortunately for him) had done plenty of things to get on her nerves. He shook his head. Even with all the crap Potter had done to him over the years Severus almost pitied him… almost. The idiot really should've learned by now that it was never a good idea to piss Lily off.

"Gryffindors," he muttered as he watched the events unfold.

James Potter was perhaps for the first time in his life slightly afraid (and he had a very good reason to be). Leaning back on the bench to look past Remus he winced as Lily continued her rampage towards him. After seeing her like this, he was starting to regret his latest hex, which had seemed rather funny at the time.

Instead of her normal red hair that reached mid waist, Lily was now sporting (courtesy of James Potter) a head full of red-orange snakes, much like Medusa. And to say the least, she was not a bit happy with this change. Coming up on the Gryffindor table she drew herself up to her full height (which wasn't very tall) and stopped in front of the prankster. Folding her arms across her chest and angrily tapping her left foot, she sent James a glare worthy of Death's while the snakes adorning her head twisted in the air, hissing quietly.

James turned himself around to face Lily and warily eyed the snakes before flashing the irate red-head an innocent smile. "Why good morning my dearest Lily… How are you on this marvelous day?"

"Change it back." Lily growled out in a low tone. "Now."

He cocked his head to the side and asked, "Whatever are you talking about?" James paused, "I do love your new look by the way… it suits you."

The tapping increased. "I know you were the one who did this," She emphasized with a sharp jab towards her head, "So quit the innocent act and change it back."

James' grin grew. "I'm afraid it lasts for over forty-eight hours… so you'll just have to wait for it to return to normal."

That, however, was the wrong thing to say. Before James Potter could so much as blink, Lily pulled out her wand and said a short incantation, snakes hissing all the while. "I have had enough of you and your stupid pranks Potter, so leave me alone." She said as she reached out and grabbed a chocolate chip muffin from a basket near the edge of the table. With that she turned around with a flounce and headed over to where Severus was sitting.

Collapsing on the bench beside him she gave a long sigh and massaged her temples. Severus glanced at his best friend. "Tough morning huh?"

She snorted in response. "You have no idea." Taking a bite out of her muffin she added, "Would you pass me the pumpkin juice?"

Severus nodded absently and passed the pitcher her way. "So what exactly did you do to him?" He asked curiously as she poured herself a cup.

Lily smiled for the first time that morning. "Oh you'll see…" Sure enough, several minutes later screams and shrieks could be heard from the Gryffindor table. Severus turned around and couldn't help but smile at what he saw. There, sitting next to Remus among wisps of pink smoke, sat a donkey with a pair of glasses very similar to Potter's on its face.

Upon seeing the very disgruntled donkey Severus burst out laughing. "Oh that's priceless…now he really is a jackass." Lily only nodded in agreement, a smug look plastered on her face.

Harry couldn't stop giggling. "Mum turned him into a donkey?" Snape nodded and said. "The teachers refused to change your Father back as punishment so he had to stay with Hagrid until the spell wore off."

"What happened to Mum?" the black haired boy asked.

Severus smiled down at his godson. "She was given a weeks detention for practicing human transfiguration on another student, but to her the spell was well worth the punishment."

"That was one of the best stories I've heard about them." Harry murmured as he snuggled closer into the covers. Snape remained quiet and the pair slipped into a comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Severus welcomed the silence like a warm blanket on a cool winter's night. He lived for the brief moments of silence in his life, which he found (much to his dismay) were becoming increasingly rare. Settling deeper into the small bed, he relaxed, listening to the soft sound of their joint breath. The Potions Master let out a sigh. Peace was a wonderful thing.

How long they lay there in silence as time slipped by, neither really knew, but they were content with each other's calm presence.

Eventually, sleep began to take its hold and Severus couldn't help but show a slight smile as his godson tried in vain to hold back a yawn. He lightly nudged the tired boy. "You really ought to be going to bed now." Harry looked up at Snape. "But I am in bed," he said cheekily. "Besides," he continued as he suppressed another yawn, "I'm not tired at all."

"Yes… I can see that." Severus said sarcastically. Ever so slowly he eased off of the boy's bed and knelt beside it. Harry turned on his side so he faced him. "Sev?" He asked in a tired voice.

"Yes?"

"What were your parents like?"

He froze and the smile on his face slowly faded into a grim line. That was one subject that he hadn't thought about in a long time. Severus swallowed. "Where they anything like mine?" His godson's voice cutting into his jumbled thoughts. The man blinked and focused his attention on the small boy. "Yes," he said with some hesitation, struggling against the flood of memories he'd locked deep within the recesses of his mind. "In some ways they were." He paused for several minutes. "They both loved each other very much and were very happy together…"

Severus broke off as he heard the sound of Harry's light snoring. Relieved at not having to continue, he leaned over and kissed the boy's forehead, whispering him a good nights sleep, before jerkily standing up.

Making his way into the sitting room he collapsed into an armchair by the fire, looking into the still roaring flames. Thoughts and memories long forgotten surfacing from the dark holds of his mind, plaguing him with old feelings of despair and anguish. The heat of the blaze warmed his skin, but inside he was cold as ice. Severus let out a moan and buried his hands in his face. It had been so long… He'd pushed them away… made himself forget. It had been easier that way, easier to cope, to live.

Staring unseeing into the fire, he watched as resurfacing memories of his parents… their lives… their deaths…passed before his eyes. For once in his life, he succumbed to the self pity and simply let the waves of despair roll over him as pictures flashed through his mind.

Barely coherent of what he was doing, Severus summoned a bottle of bourbon and poured himself a glass. He quickly downed it and poured another…and another…seeking any outlet for his pain. Anything to soothe the ache that the unwanted memories were bringing.

This time, Death wasn't here to stop him. To reason with him. To console him. To help him.

He was all alone…helpless… as un-welcomed memories, thoughts, and scenes swamped his vision.

My heartfelt thanks to my beta and friend, Ashley who continues to edit this story.

Please review and tell me what you think about what I've written…This story is a continual work in progress and I always strive to make it better…plus I do love hearing what you have to say! …Constructive criticism, etc is appreciated and very helpful

--A word from the author:

Yes, it has taken me a long time to update this story and (hopefully) I will be updating more regularly in the future. July, however, was a very busy month for me. Between my best friend coming up for three weeks and a week long trip with my youth group… I haven't had time to write.

Though still in the distant future… I would like your opinion of what House you believe Harry should be sorted into. If you are kind enough to do so… please give a reason as to why you believe he should be in a certain House (instead of just typing the House name… this helps me a lot more). I have an idea of to which House he might go to, but I'd like to hear your input as well… it really does help.

On another note. I want to thank everyone who left their opinions about the Sorting. I really appreciate it (a lot).

Thank you to all my reviewers and everyone else who took the time to read my story.

Night-Owl123, The Vampire Story Hunter, shiroiryu144, insanechildfanfic, aurorawolf, Avemtilla, Kaaera, Lover5, Heart and Mind, Dyann

Isis – Thank you for telling me your thoughts on the Sorting. More of Harry's character will be revealed as the story starts to shift its focus from Severus to Harry throughout his time at Hogwarts while he is nine.

Atticus J. Finch – Thanks… and I like Bill's clothes too. Bill in general is a very cool character and I wish we could see more of him and Charlie in the books… but who knows, maybe we will.

starangel2106 – You're very welcome. Thank you for your well rounded views for the Houses… and yes, Death would have probably been in Slytherin since his nature is very similar to many qualities that make up that House.

gaul1 – I skipped over that part in the story… but it would have been rather interesting. As you will see as the story continues to progress, Severus can tend to be a little overprotective of Harry. And young Harry will be meeting the Bloody Baron in the near future…

SilverDragonHawk – Thanks, I'm glad you think that… and I appreciate your thoughts on where Harry should go.

Stahchild – Gracias. I still have not decided what exactly I should do with Draco Malfoy. His character has a lot of potential… but I'll have to think on it (but there is a decent chance he does become friends with Harry). If they do become friends, their friendship will not be an easy one to say the least and will have a lot of bumps. Harry will be friends with Ron and Hermione, but it will be different since he will have older friends from different Houses as well so they will not be the only ones he spends his time with. Dumbledore and Harry will get along well. I have read a lot of fanfics portraying him as a manipulating old man, but I believe he is genuinely sincere, even if he did make mistakes… and I don't believe I could write him another way.

Badassgothicgirl – I agree.

Sweetest Thang – Danke. The chapters are slowly becoming longer… and as I've said, more of what Harry is like will be revealed throughout his stay until Christmas.

Hakkai-Gojyo-Goku-Sanzo – Peeves is cool and around Harry he will act like his 'real' self… but I can't say the same for everyone else.

HecateDeMort – True names hold a lot of power and names in general do as well. For immortals, their true name is one of their deepest secrets… well at least to mortals that is… they themselves could care less if their fellow immortals know (it doesn't work the same). Death has several true names (which they pick themselves… in other words, whatever suits their fancy) but the ones he uses the most are Thanatos and Rajnish which are respectably Greek and Indian in origin (He was really into Greek and early Indian culture a while back and some things seemed to stick with him).

JE aka Yessina – Thank you. That is Peeves' real self that he never shows to anyone except perhaps the Bloody Baron. But why Harry? A big part of it is because of Death…the immortal does after all hold a lot of power over the poltergeist and Peeves is not stupid, but eventually he does grow attached to the kid.

Lutheyl – Eh… it was a little fluffy wasn't it? But have no fear, not everything will be as fluffy as the past chapter or so… and they will get longer…

shellava – Thank you for putting in your two cents. I really appreciate it and can tell you really put thought into it. Your analysis of Harry was very perceptive and you hit some things right on the nose.

crazyNM – Thanks. I have not read that series by Piers Anthony… but I have read several other books by him and he is a good author.

Cat323 – Though I am not positive which House Harry shall go into… he most likely will not go into Gryffindor.

Nine Davids – Thanks. I honestly do not know which House Peeves was in, but it was most likely Slytherin.