I blinked with shock. This was one of those 'G.E.M.M.' creatures. But he'd look so much like a real child. "Oh."

"They said I was d-d-defective. That I wasn't f-f-friendly enough." The boy rasped quietly. "L-Levi s-says that it's all that b-brat's f-f-fault, that he sh-should h-have n-never h-have sh-sold m-me to that f-f-fat s-spoiled b-brat."

I hated to ask what they had done to deserve such harsh words from a man who seemed too polite to ever call someone that, but my own morals stopped me from doing so.

"They n-neglected m-me, w-w-hen I-I w-was f-f-first b-born. They n-never c-c-cared en-nough t-to t-teach m-me anyth-thing, I-I only kn-now h-how t-to t-talk b-because I-I'm a g-good l-listtener." Every word the boy spoke was stuttered and pause between each few words, as if it was hard for him to speak aloud the simple thoughts all strung together. "T-They d-d-idn't l-love m-me……T-that's why I-I'm s-so sm-small."

I nodded. I knew where he was coming from, and a soft look appeared in my eyes as I gazed at him. "Hmm."

He looked at me sharply. "I-I d-don't w-want y-your s-sympath-thy."

I looked at him, my eyes as sharp as his own. "I'm not offering it to you."

We sat there like that, staring into each other's eyes, angry with ourselves and at the world for not caring enough to stop spinning and help us. We each blinked, but didn't look away the anger never fading or losing brightness, it was after all what kept us in this world, we didn't want to show them that they were right, that we didn't matter.

It was several moments, and blinks later that he looked away. I nodded my approval, it took guts to stand up to my sharp looks, not many had the courage, or the stupidity to do such things. "What's your name?"

"I-I've b-been c-called m-many th-things. B-But….I-I l-like H-Harry th-the m-most."

I nodded, holding out my hand. "My name is Severus, Harry. Pleased to meet you."

Harry stared at my hand for a moment, as if deciding weather or not I was going to trick him and pull away laughing. Finally, he took my hand and we shook. It was too long of a time that our hands were together, almost more than just an acquaintance shake, and I knew it, but something deep in me, long before lost, wept that the time was too short, that I needed longer to hold on.

"I should be going." I said all too suddenly. Almost out of character, or at least, the character of late that had become hard, and jaded.

Harry looked crestfallen, like I had just betrayed some deep trust he had put in me. And I knew it too. I was leaving. Not too uncommon for him that it hurt a lot, but enough that he still felt that pain that etched deep in his soul, eating away at his very world. Had I been who I once was so long ago, I would have cried, cried for the innocence that had been betrayed by that spoiled brat, by everyone else who kept brining him back.

I stood, digging deep into one of my secret pockets of my robe. "Here."

I held out my hand, closed, palm down. I didn't look at him directly, but I watched him anyway.

Harry looked at me, confused, but held out his hand, hesitantly.

"I want you to do me a favor." I glanced at him and my eyes shone with a child-like determination, something that had long been beaten out of my by the world.

"W-why?" Harry breathed.

"I want you to hold this for me. It's very important, I don't want you to lose it. Okay?" I implored him with my eyes to answer me. "Promise me you won't lose it."

Harry looked back into my eyes; emerald into onyx. "I-I p-promise."

I dropped the simple glass marble into his hands. It would look to anyone like a cheap blue piece of rounded glass that you could find at any muggle 'dollar store' or at any dingy glassware store where I used to buy my vials, way back when I couldn't afford to eat; When I tried to deny my destiny and live away from the truth I had been forced to believe. But this one was different. It was the very first thing I'd ever gotten from someone who'd truly cared about me. Not my money. Not the things my parents knew, or who I was related to. But given because they truly saw who I was, deep inside. They allowed me to hide away the mask for a while and become the exuberant child I should have been.

Author's note:

I only wrote a tiny bit because I'm lazy Yay, but don't worry, I'll make sure the next chapter is OOOOBER long Now, I must go and listen to some new Rammstien songs my sister sent me b'gye ..

P.s. I'd LOOOOVVVEEE some more reviews and what