"Potter! Stay after class," Severus ordered, walking back to his desk, robes billowing. Why the bloody hell am I doing this? He groused, lips turning into a sneer as his conscience piped up. Because you've been bloody awful to the brat, and this is one sure fire way to get back into Tuney's good graces. That is if she takes it at face value.

"Professor Snape?" Harry mumbled as he made his way to the front. What was he in trouble for now? He just knew he was in for it, especially seeing as Snape had ignored his very existence for the last few days. Probably luring me into a false sense of security,his mind lamented.

"Hold out your hand Potter." Taking in a deep breath, he grit his teeth at the flabbergasted look on Harry's face. "I said, hold out your hand." When Harry did so, he thrust something quickly into his Harry's hand. Severus rolled his eyes skyward when Harry stood stock still, his eyes unwavering from the silver glinting in his palm. "That was your mother's." He felt extremely uncomfortable, he knew he'd have to get out of there before he was dealing with an over-emotional brat, in true Gryffindor style. He sat up and swept to the door of the classroom, gripping the frame of the door as he paused, keeping his eyes focused on his office opposite.; his hand extremely pale from the strain of his rigid grip. "I have a potion under a stasis spell to tend to; if you are still here when I get back boy, you'll be spending the night with Filch."

Harry watched as Severus swept out of the room, not believing what had just occurred. Turning his view back to the item in his hand, he held it up to the light. "Wow," he whispered, eyes wide as he examined it. "Mum's bracelet." He fought back tears; he'd never truly missed his parents up until now, because he'd always had his Aunt to care for him as far back as he could remember. Sure, he had things that his parents had owned, and photographs of them; it hit him as he read the inscription on the bracelet.

'Lily, Tuney and Sev - friends forever'

Harry gingerly placed the bracelet into his pocket before running full tilt all the way up to Gryffindor Tower, ignoring questions from concerned students. He sobbed as he buried himself into the blankets on his bed.

He'd always felt in someway that he'd known his parents. Aunt Tuney always had a story or two about his mother, and even some about his father, even if she didn't know him very well. Suddenly it was very clear to him that he would never truly know them, while the man who seemed to hate his very existence would.

Harry,

I've just received some very disconcerting letters from Professor McGonagall. What's wrong sweetheart? She tells me you've been very unhappy lately and that you're barely speaking to anyone; not even your friends. You're grades have fallen, you're turning homework in late and skipping classes. This isn't like you Harry.

You know I love you, please, tell me what the matter is. Are you having a hard time with school?

Love,

Aunt Tuney.

Harry,

Why aren't you answering my letters?

Aunt Tuney.

Harry sighed, throwing the letters from his aunt into his trunk. He hadn't slept well since that day in Professor Snape's classroom. His sorrow had become so obvious that even Snape was looking at him oddly every time Harry glanced his way. He pulled out his father's invisibility cloak and padded out of the tower...

Petunia,

Somehow your wayward nephew managed to stumble into the Mirror of Erised, and it appears that he was so distraught at whatever he saw that stupidly decided to run into the Forbidden Forest.

He's definitely Potter's son.

He is fine, recovering in the infirmary, but you probably want to visit him and find out what's been rattling around in that empty head of his lately.

Severus.

"The Mirror of Erised, Severus?" Petunia questioned as she accepted the tea from him. She looked sadly at Harry as she ran her fingers through his hair. It was deathly quiet in the Hospital Wing, even with Madame Pomfrey bustling about on the other side of the curtain. The matron didn't dare make a sound even though she'd dosed Harry with a vial of Dreamless Sleep after healing him.

"The headmaster," Severus' lip curled, "is apparently storing it for a friend. None of the staff had any idea of it. I really don't know what goes on in the old goat's mind. Nobody can understand the machinations of Albus Dumbledore." He swallowed as he saw Petunia catch sight of the bracelet around his wrist, clearly it was news to her that he'd given the trinket to Harry.

"Friends forever," Petunia breathed, flicking her eyes back to Severus. "When did you give him this?"

"Two weeks ago." Severus replied.

"That's about when he started getting depressed, isn't it Sev?"

Severus cleared his throat awkwardly. He really didn't want to admit he'd been keeping an eye on Potter from moment he'd handed over the bracelet. "Yes."

Petunia sighed. She certainly understood now. "He misses his parents. I should have seen this coming," she berated herself, sipping her tea before placing on the cabinet beside the bed. "It's never really hit him that they were gone. Even when he did a project on his family for primary school. I knew I should have at least tried to change Albus' mind when he stopped me from taking him to Godric's Hollow."

"Tuney," Severus rasped, his voice wavering as he reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "Don't you start beating yourself up. What was it you used to tell me when I would think I didn't deserve you?"

"That you were talking absolute bull and if you carried on, I'd surgically remove your tongue." She smiled as she remembered. He'd always had issues with his self-worth, thanks to that bloody brute of a father.

"Pot, kettle, black."

"I've missed you so much Sev. You've no idea how many times I've had to stop myself from coming to see you."

Severus stared at Petunia. He'd never seen his Tuney so melancholy. "Then why did you leave?" He asked, taking his hand away from hers.

"W-when," she stammered, drawing her hands back to clasp them together in her lap, resolutely looking at her feet. She bloody hated talking about feelings. "When Lily went into hiding Sev, I did too. Only I went with the muggles, for three years, right up until Lily died. I couldn't see you anymore. This was before you'd turned spy." She looked up at him, imploring him to understand. "I knew you'd come back to the light eventually, but I got so caught up. I met Vernon and we really hit it off, but it was mostly a marriage of convenience - I was pregnant with Dudley, I had to protect my family, even from Albus and his meddling. After a few weeks, I faked my death in a car crash."

"Really, Tuney, a car crash?" Severus asked sarcastically, unsure as to whether he should believe her. Shut up and listen, she's never lied to you before, so why would she now?

"Yes," she chuckled. "It was one way to get the old coffin dodger in sparkly robes off our backs, seeing as he doesn't even know what a car is. As far as Albus knows, Vernon has custody of Harry."

"Yes, Vernon. You said you divorced him?" Severus leaned back in his chair and rested his chin in his hand, watching the light splay over her blonde hair.

"Yes. We had a disagreement." She answered blandly.

"Because you were a witch?" He certainly could understand that.

"Heavens no. He loved magic. He'd call me his Sorceress, and was always reading my books about magical theory." She smiled at the long-passed memories.

"Then what?"

"He refused to take Harry in. Didn't give two hoots that it was family. Dudley was enough for him, so I kicked him out, got a divorce and shared custody of Dud, with him living with me." Petunia jut her chin out, looking much like the warrior princess he'd envisioned her as all those years ago when they were mere children, pretending to duel with twigs they'd found in the grass.

"And now?" He wanted just a chance, just one chance to show her he'd changed, that he was no longer the hardened Death Eater, that he was still that scrawny boy she'd console when his father had needed an outlet for his drunken rage.

"Now, I intend to reveal myself to the wizarding world, lo and behold the Boy-Who-Lived's Aunt is still around, and make Albus' head spin so fast he'd think it was Christmas in 1995 already." She smirked, before scoffing. "Honestly, leaving such a dangerous artifact around in a school full of children. Fudge will have a fit about it thinking about how he could tear our dear esteemed headmaster down a few pegs."