It wasn't until they arrived at the feast that Harry was able to escape from Ron and Hermione. They wouldn't notice him missing for a good, long while, he knew. Ron would be too busy eating candy, and Hermione would be too busy scolding Ron for eating candy.

Harry quietly crept into the library and paced from one side to the other, trying to calm himself down. The memories were fresh in his mind, just as they always were on Halloween. At least at the Dursleys, he had had work to keep him occupied. He'd clean the house for the party all day, and then he'd be responsible for handing the candy out.

He was never allowed to eat the candy.

The library drove him out of his mind after nearly fifteen minutes and he ran out, making his way up to the Astronomy Tower. He wanted to see the star. The star he had first noticed years ago. It had always been looking down: watching him. It had a red tint to it, so he'd called it Lily. It made him feel not so alone.

It was a clear night, and Harry so the star, smiling down at him.

"Hi, Mum," he whispered, feeling tears prickling at his eyes. He saw the flash of green light in the front of his mind again and nearly passed out as a headache came flooding in. He gripped the railing of the tower and slowly sank to the ground, resting his head on his knees.

~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S~S

Severus hated Halloween.

To be fair, he hated all holidays, and all days in general as long as they were part of the school year, but especially Halloween.

All those fools celebrating, while his Lily was dead; forgotten. Why, he'd bet a month's pay that even her own son didn't remember. Blasted Potter!

He turned the corner with a flourish and started up a flight of stairs, robes billowing out behind him. Foolish teenagers normally went up to the Astronomy Tower for two reasons: the first was on a stupid Gryffindor dare, and the second was to snog. Severus was determined to shut down both reasons.

But when he reached the top, mildly out of breath, the only figure there was huddled on the floor. A shock shot through him as he moved to grab the child's wrist. There was a pulse, so at least he wasn't dead. Severus comprehended the fact that it could only be a first year a moment before the child's head shot up and terrified green eyes met the concerned black ones.

"Potter!" Severus snapped. "What on Earth are you doing up here?"

The boy staggered to his feet and Severus grabbed his elbow to steady him.

"What are you doing?" Severus repeated. He peered coldly into the child's eyes, but backed off when they filled with tears. He'd made hundreds of children cry. It was one of the best parts of his career. But the green eyes full of tears broke him and he found himself kneeling down to the boy's height.

"What's wrong?" he questioned to boy. But Harry didn't reply. "What are you doing up here?" he went on.

"T-talking to M-mum..." he sobbed.

There goes seventy galleons.

"How do you talk to her?" Severus went on.

"The s-star..." Harry cried. Severus looked where the child was pointing and smirked.

"That's Mars, Harry."

Harry dissolved into tears and Severus wiped the condescending look off his face. He realized for the first time that the eleven-year-old was shivering and he whipped off his cloak to wrap the boy in.

"I knew her too, you know," he said gently.

Harry looked up at him, startled.

"Did you?" he inquired.

"Indeed," Severus told him. "We were friends when we were children... and then we had an argument... and she..."

"She married my dad," Harry finished. Severus tried hard not to sneer. "Did you love her?"

Severus didn't reply. It was all Harry needed to confirm. He walked past the professor and looked out over the railing, Severus watching him carefully.

"I remember," Harry whispered, so quietly that Severus very nearly didn't hear him. "I remember a flash of green... and... and her face..." he inhaled harshly. "She was crying. Asking Voldemort not to kill me..."

Severus flinched, but he didn't scold the child.

"That's why you hate me," Harry Potter said quietly. "I killed her."

"You did not kill her!" Severus said harshly, "And don't you ever say that you did!"

"But I did," he argued.

"Did not!" Severus shot back. "You were hardly walking at the time."

"Then why do you hate me?" Harry pleaded. Severus shot him a scathing look. "Sir?" he finished in a high squeak.

Severus's hand twitched before he laid it on the boy's shoulder, turning him toward him.

"I don't hate you, Child. I'm simply not fond of your appearance."

It sounded weak, even in the professor's own ears.

"I thought I looked like my father," Harry said.

"You do," Severus responded.

"You didn't like my father?"

"Not at all."

"I thought he was a great man," Harry told him.

If greatness in a man was measured in standing up to the Dark Lord, James Potter had been a greater man than Severus Snape, the Professor considered... but this wasn't about that. This was about one man's son, who was now the only thing the first man's enemy had left of the only girl he'd ever loved.

"He was, Child..." Severus murmured, "We simply didn't see eye-to-eye as children... and it ran into adulthood."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

It seemed as though Severus's arms were moving of their own accord as he moved forward and gently wrapped his arms around the child's shoulders. He pulled the boy's head to his chest, his hand brushing against the dark, messy hair.

Harry carefully wound his fingers in the dark fabric of the potions master's robe and Severus pulled him closer. He felt him shifting his weight and knew he was starting to drift off, but he didn't move. He heard voices shouting, calling the boy's name... but he was asleep.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs and Hermione Granger flew out onto the Astronomy Tower. She came to a hurdling stop and stared at the Head of Slytherin in shock. Minerva McGonagall came in after her and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Go alert the Headmaster we found him," she murmured, and then to him: "Severus? Do you need help?"

Severus shook his head and carefully lifted the child into a cradled position. Miss Granger left to follow Minerva's instructions and the Transfiguration teacher moved over to them.

"What happened?"

"I found him here. He was in a state."

"What were you doing here?" Minerva questioned him, brushing the boy's hair off his forehead and tracing his scar.

"Same thing he was," Severus stated.

"Lily?" she confirmed.

He nodded curtly.

"Oh, Severus..." she whispered, shifting her hand gently to his shoulder. "What should we do with him?"

"I'll take him tonight." Severus told her. "Not even exhaustion blocks out the nightmares."

"And the Headmaster?" Minerva asked, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Tell him to shut his old coot mouth," Severus replied promptly.