Smiling, Snape watched as Hydrus raced into the Great Hall and straight towards him with a large smile on his face, bending down he readied himself as the boy jumped into his arms and hugged him happily just as Tonks, Charlie and Zakk ran in looking for the small boy. When their eyes found the Potions Master and Hydrus they inwardly sighed in relief before sitting at their tables not noticing the smile on the Professor's face as Hydrus began telling him all about Hogsmede. Zakk sat alone at his table, Tonks had decided that she was still in a bad mood with him and went to sit at the Gryffindor table. He felt the bench beside him arch with a new weight and took no notice of it, believing that it was just another Hufflepuff until he looked up and came face to face with Reuben Callix. The smug Slytherin had his elbow propped on the table and was holding up his head with his clenched fist. His long black hair was falling into his ice blue eyes while he his lips were twisted into a sly and cunning smirk.

"What do you want Callix?" Zakk scowled.

"You were pretty impressive with your attack today Nagal" Reuben smirked.

"You say that like I'm a first year" Zakk muttered angrily. "You're only a year older than me"

"Like Charlie is to Tonks" Reuben pointed out nodding towards the two friends studying.

"Okay. What is it that you want Callix?" Zakk snapped.

"Come with me" Reuben said getting up.

"Why should I?" Zakk sniffed turning his attention elsewhere.

"Oh for fucks sake" Reuben cursed.

Standing from the table and attracting the attention of the four houses and the Head Table, Reuben took hold of Zakk's wrist and led him out of the Great Hall, drawing even more attention to the two of them. Tonks and Charlie had left their books discarded on the table when their attention was drawn to the two boys. Both of the boys rounded the corner out of sight but the entire hall was straining their ears attempting to hear the probable conversation between them both, but of course that silence was broken. Hydrus jumped from Snape's lap and started to slowly walk down between the two centre tables until he came half way between them.

"Zakk?" He whispered before sucking in a big breath. "ZAKK!"

The small boy started running out the doors but was hugely disappointed to be met by an empty corridor. Picking up his pace, Hydrus started to run down the deserted hallway hoping to find the to teens but to much discomfort he couldn't find them took quite a while before Tonks and Charlie had left the hall in pursuit of the boy and eventually found the five year old crying in the disused tower where they had used so many times. He was hunched over on the stairs by the window and tears were rolling down his freckle scattered cheeks. When he heard the footsteps he looked up, straight into his sisters worried gaze.

"Hydro, c'mere" Tonks sighed sadly opening her arms.

"No!" Hydrus sobbed. "If you had sat wif him, he wouldn't haf gone!"

"Hydrus-" Tonks tried to say.

"If you didn't get mad at him, he wouldn't haf gone!" Hydrus shouted angrily. "ITS YOUR FAULT!"

Hydrus ran past the two of them and down the staircase before slamming into Reuben who was listening to the five year old shouting at his sister and friend. Reuben smirked when he became face to face with the boy who still had tears streaming down his face. Fishing in his pocket, he pulled out a emerald handkerchief and gave it to the small boy who proceeded to wipe his cheeks. Hydrus looked up at the Slytherin boy and proceeded to take a wary step back from the boy who cocked a confused eyebrow at him before giving off a warm smile.

"You ok?" He asked softly, crouching down to the boy's height.

"Uh…huh" Hydrus sniffed. "What you do wif Zakk?"

"I didn't do anything, I just wanted to be friends" Reuben told the boy. "Have you got any new friends recently?"

"Yeah!" Hydrus beamed, brightening up. "I gotta best fwiend! His name is cool! Its Dwaco Malfoy"

"Draco?" Reuben smiled. "That's my cousin! He's coming down to see me soon, do you want to come as well?"

"Weally?" Hydrus gasped. "Yes pwease!"

"Hydrus?" A voice floated down the hallway as a shadow appeared walking around the bend.

"Daddy!" Hydrus cried happily running towards the shadow.

Snape rounded the bend of the corridor and was taken by surprise when Hydrus hugged his leg, causing him to abruptly stop before he tripped. Looking down the corridor he noticed Reuben still crouched down on one knee with a small smile on his face as he watched Hydrus. Hearing the Potions Master clear his throat, Reuben rose and started to walk over to the father and son.

"Good evening Professor" Reuben greeted.

"Likewise Mr Callix" Snape replied. "I would advise you to go back to the Slytherin common room before you are caught out of bed…not so fast Mr Weasley"

Charlie stopped in mid-step behind Snape muttering curses while Tonks stood their idly trying to tune out Charlie completely. As Snape turned round to look at them Hydrus had kept his eyes on Reuben, noticing how his gaze softened when he looked at Charlie and Tonks- something unnoticeable unless you actually look for it.

"Fifty Points from both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor for being out of bed after curfew" Snape drawled turning around. "Come on Hydrus, Mr Callix I thought I had told you to go to the Slytherin common room? Hurry along now"

Turning on his heel, Snape picked up Hydrus who waved at Reuben over his father's shoulder as they set off towards their own private quarters. Reuben let his lips turn into a smile as he waved back at the boy, he heard a growl from behind him and his smile turned into a smug smirk as he faced both Tonks and Charlie. Charlie's face was almost as red as his hair and Tonks' hair was blazing red but her eyes were a sad dark blue, both were glaring at the Slytherin in front of them.

"What sad that someone has finally chosen me over you?" Reuben sneered at Tonks angrily. "Now you know how I felt."

With that the boy turned on his heel, similar to the Potions Master, and stormed down the hall to his common room. The Gryffindor boy had his hands clenched into fists so angrily that the skin on his knuckles was beginning to turn white over the Slytherin's words but Tonks' appearance had changed to long blonde hair and blue eyes with a confused expression. She hadn't understood why the Slytherin spoke right to her at that exact moment but knew their must have been a meaning behind the words due to Charlie's reaction. Both students parted and walked to their respected dormitories meanwhile Hydrus was just falling asleep in his room, he had fallen asleep while being carried by his father not minutes after he had left his friends.

Snape was relieved when he finished patrolling the castle, he had a long day teaching just wanted to go to bed, before retiring to his bed he walked into his son's room and checked on the small boy, who was sound asleep hugging onto a stuffed white dragon with grey eyes. A tired smile found its way onto Snape's face as he quietly closed the door and towards his own room where he changed into his bed clothes and let sleep over take him. He wasn't quite expecting to have a eventful sleep though…

He could see her walking through the courtyard and felt a smile tug at his lips until he came into view beside her. Perfect Potter, always making sure he got everything he wanted like the spoilt little brat he was. Snape could see her turning her head my way and immediately dropped his gaze to the potions book resting on his lap. The Slytherin secretly lifted his gaze back up to her but wished he hadn't as he witnessed her lift up and place a kiss on Potter's lips. Severus felt tears burning in his eyes and snapped his book shut hurriedly shoving it into his bag, picking the messenger bag up and slinging it over his shoulder before making his way inside hopefully before the tears fell. Severus came to a stop when he felt a hand slip into his own and pull him back, the tears began pooling and running down my cheeks as he turned around to face her.

"Hey Sev!" She said happily before noticing the tears running down her friend's cheeks. "Sev? What's wrong?"

"Nothing Lily" He croaked. "I…I have to go"

Severus quickly yanked his hand from her grip and rushed into the school, up to one of the secluded corridors in the castle where he rested himself in a hidden window ledge, letting the tears fall freely as he watched the courtyard silently, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging them hard. The boy watched sadly as the tear-blurred view of Lily returning back to James. Biting his lip and sighing sadly he lifting a hand a grasping the necklace he wore around his neck, it was a simple chain with tiny silver snake wrapped around itself on it. Anyone who saw it would think nothing of it really or bully Severus to oblivion but it meant so much to him because it was Lily who gave it to him on his thirteenth birthday. The Slytherin boy was too busy caught up in his memories that he didn't hear footsteps approaching until a large hand clamped onto his shoulder and shoved him off his perch, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"Look what we have here, its Snivellius" A voice snarled tauntingly.

Severus slowly looked up to see Sirius Black standing there with a Ravenclaw girl hanging onto his arm and the fat prune Peter Pettigrew giggling to himself by his side. Glaring up at them he began to pick himself up when a great force hit him on my side, taking his breath and making him hit the floor once more holding his side in agony. Looking up Severus saw Sirius placing his foot back onto the floor, confirming his suspicions of him kicking him.

"You don't even belong at this school Snapey" Sirius growled. "You're scum, you should be crawling back to you're disgusting mother…oh wait" a cruel smile found its way on Sirius' lips. "…she's dead"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother!" Severus snapped feeling the tears starting to run down his cheeks again.

"What you gonna do Snapey? Drown us in your tears?" Sirius taunted. "You're pathetic"

Severus was struggling to get up to confront him when another kick was aimed at the same side causing him to slam back down onto the cold stone floor. He laid there clutching his side which was searing in pain when he heard footsteps tapping their way down the hall until Lily came into sight. She rushed over and helped Severs to sit against the wall, and with out his permission or warning him she lifted his shirt.

"Lily!" Severus gasped trying to put the shirt down, blushing profusely.

"I need to check the damage Sev" She said calmly, her cheeks staining pink.

Severus sighed and knew if they had an argument that she would win so he let her lift the shirt and winced as the shirt, once stuck to his skin, peel off of his side. She hissed sharply and lifted her hands over her mouth in horror as she looked at the Slytherin.

"Who did this Sev?" She whispered.

"What does it matter?" Severus sighed painfully.

"What does it matter?" She screeched. "Your rib has torn out of your skin!"

His eyes widened and stared down at his ribcage, blood was still pooling around it and a snapped sharp white bone had torn through the skin and was jarred out at a sickening angle. Severus felt himself feel faint and the bile rise in his throat. Lily looked at him and glistening tears were staining her cheeks when they heard jeers coming up the hall.

"-you should have seen him Prongs" Sirius' voice floated up the corridor. "He was pathetic!"

"I bet he was" James' voice followed. "Where did you say Snape was?"

"Just around this corner" Sirius replied. "He should still be lying there from the kicks I aimed at him"

Lily stood angrily as the two boys came around the corner laughing at Severus' misfortune and backhanded them both across the cheek. Needless to say they were both too shocked to speak as they held their cheeks painfully. She stood there, tears falling down her cheeks rapidly, with her hand ready to back hand them again as she glared up at them.

"How dare you" She snarled.

"Lily?" James choked. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up James" She snapped. "How dare you do that to Sev, I hope you get expelled"

"Come on Lils its just a bit of harmless joking- its not our fault he takes it in the insulting way" Sirius lied convincingly, but Lily wasn't convinced.

"That's what you call it huh?" She spat. "If it was just mindless teasing then why did I hear you say that Sev should still be lying here from the kicks you aimed at him?"

"Well-"

"Also how does mindless teasing cause your victim to end up with a broken ribcage, causing one rib to tear out of the persons skin?"

The two Gryffindor boys shot each other a horrified, terrified look as they moved their gaze over to Severus, he couldn't muster the strength to do anything as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness, the last thing Severus saw was Lily full of panic running over to him before everything went black.

Snape woke up gasping for breath as he sat up his bed, he pressed his hand into his face and wiped off the beads of sweat emitting from his forehead. Slowly standing up, Snape walked towards his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror, there were tears running down his cheeks and his face had paled quite a few shades. Filling the sink basin up with cold water he cupped his hands and splashed them over his face before clutching the sides of the basin hard again looking at his reflection. Unfortunately for him that wasn't just a horrifying nightmare that came all in one night, it was a sickenly real memory of his time at Hogwarts. He staggered to his son's room, upon entering a figure jumped into his arms and two legs wrapped around his waist.

"Daddy" Hydrus sobbed looking up at his father.

"What's wrong Hydrus?" Snape asked fearfully.

"I was scarwed. I hearwed you scweaming and I was scarwed someone was huwting you" Hydrus cried into Snape's chest.

"Oh Hydrus" Snape whispered. "I just had a bad dream, sorry for waking you"

"Daddy?" Hydrus squeaked.

"Yes?" Snape asked hugging the boy harder.

"Can I sweep wif you tonight?" Hydrus asked hopefully.

"Of course Hydrus" Snape agreed.

Taking the boy back to his room he placed the boy down on his side of his bed before walking to the other side and laying down, just as he was beginning to close his eyes he felt Hydrus curl up against his chest with his head underneath his chin. Snape let a smile grace his face and eventually fell asleep with his cheek laying against the midnight black locks of his son's hair.

I apologise to the delay, I really do. Just that as it was summer my muse decided to go on vacation :/

Yeah so here is my next chapter! I hope its okay- please review your thoughts- including ways to improve it if you could? I love getting reviews so please make my day and send a review please!

Happiness is found in even the darkest of places if someone remembers to turn on the light
The strongest of us are the ones who can smile in even the darkest of times.

~J.H