A short one today. I would have done a double chapter, but it didn't really go with this one. I hope you enjoy!

Mythic Alliance

by Jendra

Harry stared out the window of the Astronomy Tower. He knew he should be getting some sleep, but the day had been too thought provoking. First came the conversation with Lucius, followed by Sirius and Remus, and while they had taken things better than expected, he had the feeling they weren't going to be nearly so accepting once over the shock.

"Mr. Potter, if you are so desirous of my company, there are better ways of acquiring it," Snape's voice came smoothly from the darkness.

"But this one works so well," Harry answered, smirking back. He was unsurprised by the sudden visitation, since he had actually been waiting for the teacher.

"And what is it that is so important as to pull me from my bed?"

"As if you'd be asleep at this time of night anyway," Harry scoffed. He took a deep breath. "Were you really in love with my mother?"

Snape reared back. "How?" Then he snarled as the answer came to him. "Black."

"No," Harry's voice cut through his anger. "Malfoy." He watched carefully, barely able to see the blanking of Snape's face in the moonlight through the open window. "I take it by your reaction that it was true, she was your girlfriend."

Snape's headshake was practically unnoticeable in the shadows, but the ice in his voice was very evident. "Not my girlfriend, Mr. Potter. My fiancé."

"Fian..." Harry gulped. "But what happened? It wasn't the attack, was it?"

"As if that moronic group could do any such thing," Snape snarled. "The only thing that did was drive Lily away from them for a time; not at all the reaction they were expecting, I'm sure."

"Good for her," Harry responded. "But, why did you break up?"

Severus sighed. "Family pressure," he admitted. "I come from a very old pureblood family, and she simply wasn't acceptable to them. I held out as long as I could, but when my father informed me he would immediately have her killed if I did marry her, whether I had been disowned or not, I folded to the pressure."

"Would he have?" Harry asked, shocked.

"He was a consummate hand with potions, especially those of the most dangerous varieties."

"That's a yes," Harry said bleakly. What kind of father would not only demand that his son break up with his girlfriend, but threaten her life? And what had Severus' life been like, that he so easily believed the threat? "So... if you loved her, but broke up with her to save her… Why did you hate me so much?"

"I never *hated* you," Severus disagreed. It was a statement he'd made before but he knew that sometimes Harry still wondered. "I simply disliked you a great deal."

Harry chuckled.

Severus finally came totally out of the shadows and sat next to Harry on the wide window ledge. "Yes," he admitted. "You were Lily's son, but you weren't mine. And you should have been. I loved her far more than James ever could. We both wanted a family that would love us no matter what and talked about the children we were going to have. It was bad enough that she moved on, although I wanted her to be happy, but that it was Potter was a blow. Then you were born. Lily was always one to plan our future out: when we would be married, the birth of our first child, even the sex, description and name."

"I'm close, aren't I?" Harry said in quiet understanding.

"Very much so," Severus agreed. "Black hair, green eyes, born around Midsummer... You should have been mine, not his."

Harry laughed brokenly. "There's one thing I never thought I'd hear, that you'd dislike me for not being your son." He suddenly looked thoughtful. "I'm not, am I? I mean, you broke up before I could possibly have been conceived, right? And you didn't get back together once 'for old times sake' or anything, right?"

"No," Snape said slowly. "Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking, what if I've been under a Glamoure this whole time? I mean, everyone always said I'm an exact copy of my dad except for my eyes, and that's kind of strange, isn't it?"

"Do you have any idea how complicated something like that would be? Assuming it were even possible? A Glamoure on a baby would be fairly simple, but one that grows as a child grows... Especially a young mage, you would have drained the magic out of it long before. As for looking like your father... I would not say you are an *exact* copy of Potter. The obvious things, yes; the hair, the nose, the glasses... but your mouth is your mother's and your skin... while I will confess I'm not sure where you got your cheekbones."

Harry smiled brilliantly, delighted at the thoughtful comparison. He hadn't seriously thought Severus could have been his real father, but thinking it had given him a bubbly feeling in his stomach.

"You know, everyone always tells me how like my father I am, I'm glad to know I've got some of my mother in me."

"You do," Severus agreed, "and more than just your look. It was obvious once I got through the arrogance and privileged upbringing I thought you had, and the foolhardiness and rule breaking mentality you actually had. Your willingness to stand up for what's right, to see beyond what you've been told and to help others regardless of House, year, or major dislike, those were like her. Lily never found a person she couldn't say something nice about... except her sister's boyfriend."

"Can't blame her there," Harry interjected.

"Indeed," Severus looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if you have her temper; the outbursts at the beginning of this year are the first indication I've had of such. Then again, you are not a redhead. I also don't believe I've ever before seen you get mad on your own account, only for your friends or those smaller than you."

"What good does it do to get angry?" Harry asked softly. "All it does is make things worse." He forced a grin, "and occasionally leads to the blowing up of over-bearing aunts."

Severus smirked slightly, having heard that story. He also understood what Harry meant. Blowing up at Dursley *would* have done more harm than good unless Harry's magic had turned him into something more suitable to his nature. Then again, that was a bit advanced for the unchannelled magic of a child. Of course, so was turning his aunt into a balloon. But once again, she hadn't insulted Harry, but others important to him.

"What else was she like? Did she like quidditch or Potions?"

"She did not dislike Potions, although it was not her favorite class. That was Charms, and she was top of the class, Flitwick's favorite student. As for quidditch, she would watch, but was not a big fan. She preferred to fly recreationally; she did enjoy that. She was proud of her good grades and studied hard, but unlike Ms. Granger, did not allow it to take over her life."

"It sounds like she was perfect," Harry said softly.

"In my eyes, she was," Severus admitted, "though I might be slightly prejudiced."

Harry laughed. "You? Prejudiced? Never!"

Severus smirked good humouredly back. "It is possible your dog father or his pet wolf would give you a more balanced picture."

Harry rolled his eyes. "What have I told you about insulting them?"

Severus raised his eyebrow. "Do you truly think you can enforce that?"

"Do you really want me to try?" Harry bantered back.

Severus just chuckled. "Go to bed, brat, you need your rest." He allowed himself to ruffle the boy's hair before shooing him off once more. Once left alone, he looked out the window, remembering a vivacious redheaded girl and the life they should have had.