This one is a bit short I have to admit, but the climax is approaching (in more ways then one ;) Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review!

Allons-y!

Let me know what you think!

Mistress Slytherin

WARNINGS:

VIOLENCE

LANGUAGE

HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP

QUESTIONABLE MORALS

Let me know if I missed anything.

Chapter 16

"My birthday is on January the ninth." Severus said slowly his eyes both hurt and confused.

"Yes well..." Harry said with a shrug before directing the still pajama clad Snape away from the dining room where his mother was bustling about. "She wanted to make up for it; she missed your sixteenth birthday, that's a right of passage for most young men." Harry said smiling thinly. "She told me that it was one of her greatest regrets-never having the money or the position to give you a proper birthday. You'll be seventeen in no time a young man ready to make his way in the world." Harry said patting Snape on the back. Dark eyes softened.

"Will there be…cake?" He asked scratching the side of his nose his face bright red.

"Oh yes, this is only the private party though, the real party starts later." Harry said with a smirk. Snape's face fell in shock.

"This is…what?" Snape said with wide stunned eyes. Harry smiled thinly.

"You heard me." Harry said with a wink. "You're pretty friend Lucius will be here for the private party and the muggle born what was her name something Evans?"

"Lily?" The boy said aghast. "Lily hates me!" He said in both pain and anxiety. Harry raised both eyebrows.

"I was told that the two of you were great friends." Harry said frowning, I'll get rid of her if you want- it's your party." He said with a shrug.

"Nononononononono…shit-Merlin-damn I have to get ready I have to shower…" And then he was off. Harry glanced at Madam Prince who paused to give him a mischievous smirk.

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Earlier that week….

Harry stood in front of the homey looking house and stared up at it wondering if he was prepared for it. A part of him told him that he had no choice, Severus needed his friend. Harry started up the path and rang the doorbell. His breath caught in his throat at first when his grandparents answered the door. In his time they were long dead, but they were here now gazing up at him with a queer sort of pleasant curiosity.

"Ah, Mrs and Mr Evens I presume?" He said curiously. The two glanced at each other and nodded. "Is your daughter Lily home?" He said ignoring the slight pang in his chest. The man frowned and looked him up and down causing Harry to frown. "Oh no I apologize I'm not a suitor or anything I'm actually here on behalf of a friend of mine." He said frowning slightly, well this was awkward.

"Of course of course young man come in come in!" The lady said ushering him inside. She reminded him slightly of Molly Weasley without all the hollering and yelling. Instead she rushed up the stairs to retrieve her daughter while Mister Evens sat across from him a deep frown on his face and his eyes narrowed. Harry felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Really sir I'm not here to court your daughter or anything." Harry said shifting slightly.

"Severus!" Lily cried out from above. Harry felt his heart stop at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Merlin this is going to be awkward." He muttered aloud as she came storming down the stairs the moment her feet touched the landing her eyes turned towards him and her face fell.

"He was caught in that gas explosion wasn't he?" She whispered her face pale and pinched. Harry found himself staring at the young girl before him, it was so hard to believe that this woman child caught between youth and womanhood was his mother.

"No." He said softly. "But his father was." He said with a nod. Her eyes widened.

"He-"

"No." Harry said again. "Severus is living with his mother and I at the moment." He said as she crossed the room and fell into the couch.

"I thought, I had thought that the last thing that we had ever said to each other were hateful words." She whispered her eyes wide with horror. Harry nodded.

"Miss Evans I'm going to say something and I would like you to hear me out till the end, can you do that for me?" He said softly. She nodded slowly her lips a thin line.

"Would you like some tea dear?" Harry had all but forgotten his grandparents in the room and his cheeks flushed faintly.

"Yes, thank you that would be lovely." He said politely.

"Tell me." Lily said as her mother moved away. Harry was now aware of her father sitting across from him at this point but he carried on anyway.

"If you know Severus which I'm sure that you do then you know that- well you know that he builds walls up around himself." Harry said his lips a thin line. She nodded slowly. "Unfortunately that leaves some of the rest of us in a state of confusion when he acts certain ways." He said wryly. "I'm here because I need to tell you what he won't and in all probability can't tell you himself." Harry said nodding his head in thanks as Mrs. Evans appeared with a loaded tea tray.

"You want to tell me why he hates me?" Lily said her face twisting slightly into a sneer. "I'll tell you why, his name is Lucius Malfoy!" She stormed her temper flaring as she crossed her arms and dared him with her fiery gaze to deny it. Harry frowned and took a sip of his tea waiting a moment for her to calm. She was much like Ron in this way still very much a child and it was almost hard to watch.

"Severus was being beaten by his father." Harry said instead. "He was being beaten and he was watching his mother being beaten almost daily. He won't tell you this because he has an enormous amount of pride but you Lily Evens were the only reason that he didn't go mad from it." He said. It was cold and hard but it was the truth and if she hadn't seen it yet she needed to see it now. "This last year Lucius Malfoy took him under his wing, he promised Severus a way out of that life, he provided Severus with protection from Potter and his little group of friends. Do you know what has been happening this last year between Severus and the three boys?" Harry asked idly. "Apparently James Potter is in love with you." He said pointedly. "And he didn't like that you and Severus were so close. The childish pranks and bullying escalated, they became more and more like tormenting and pure violence. Severus went to Hogwarts to escape violence, this last year Hogwarts has become less of a home to him, he didn't even want to go back, I had to convince him to return this year." Harry said solemnly. Lily was pale faced her eyes wide and her bottom lip trembling.

"But Malfoy…" She said weakly.

"Lucius Malfoy is a bigoted pure blood." Harry said with a sneer. "But he was also Severus' way out, now with his father dead he and his mother can start over again. He's an apprentice for potions now you know." He said smiling slightly. "But he needs his best friend." He said tightly.

"The things he said-" Lily defended with tears in her eyes.

"Were horrible, awful things yes I am aware, but Lily they are also his greatest regret. And they were words, angry useless words that he shouted out because he didn't know what else to do, who else to turn to. Words that I'm sure if you looked back you would hear what they meant." Harry said grimly. Green eyes widened before dropping.

"Help me." Lily said clutching her skirt in her fists. "Those words they were saying 'help me' and I knew it, I always knew it but I couldn't do anything!" She said tears falling freely. "I knew something was wrong, I knew his father hit him but I couldn't stop it, and he wouldn't tell me, he would never just tell me!" She said breaking down into tears. Mr. Evans who had been listening with a pale face and tormented eyes reached over and settled his hand on his daughter's back soothing her while her mother gathered her into her arms. Harry for his part watched the scene in awe.

"You are so lucky Lily Evans." He whispered. "So lucky to have parents that love you the way they do that take care of you the way they do." He said sadly. Wet green eyes looked up at him and he reached into his pocket pulling out two items. "Severus' sixteenth birthday…he's never had a real party before and it isn't technically his birthday but his mother wanted to throw him a proper party and I agreed that he should have one. The private party is at noon, only a few people will be there- Lucius Malfoy, who yes he is a jerk but he did follow through with his promise to get Severus out of that place and he is despite it all a good friend to Severus. And I, and his mother, just us, the people Severus loves and respects. Later of course there will be a bigger grander event; a ball of sorts that I doubt Severus will ever forgive me for." He said smiling wryly. "But I should like to cordially invite you, because Severus misses you and well, it's his birthday, you can't be mad at someone on their birthday now can you?" He said with a wink. Lily smiled slightly as he stood and enlarged the box before handing it to her. "The invitation is a portkey; it will take you where you need to be exactly five minutes before hand." He said as she opened the box.

"Oh my stars would you look at that! Oh Lily it's beautiful!" Mrs. Evans said pulling the pale pink dress from the box. Harry had taken his time picking that dress out, only the finest material for the mother that had sacrificed herself for him. He smiled faintly at her look of disbelief.

"Who are you?" She whispered faintly. Harry's smile faltered slightly.

"It doesn't matter." He said shaking his head. "Thank you for the tea and for allowing me to speak with your daughter." He hesitated. "You have a very lovely family." He said softly.

"Oh surely you don't mean to leave so soon!" Mrs. Evans said curiously. Harry shook his head.

"Perhaps some other time, I'm afraid I have a few party things to attend to." He said inclining his head as he made his way to the door.

"Thank you." Lily said just before he left. Green eyes were determined as he glanced at her and he nodded. She would do right by Severus now.

"Just let me know if he starts treating you badly again miss Lily Evans, I'll set him straight again." He said with a wink before stepping out of the cozy house and apparating away.

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Harry smiled as he stepped into Snape's room. Dark eyes were tight with anxiety and thin lips were pursed so tightly he was afraid they might cramp. "Traditional robes suit you." Harry said with a nod. They were robes he'd picked up for Snape earlier that week they showed wealth and status without being ostentatious like Malfoy's would undoubtedly be.

"I'm scrawny, my nose is far to big for my face and my-"

"Oh shut it and take a compliment when it's given!" Harry said in annoyance. "Besides if you were really all that worried about your nose you could shrink it." He said thinking of Hermione and the hex that had made her teeth grow continually.

"I-I never thought of that…" Snape said frowning as he turned back to the mirror. Harry snorted as he watched the boy lift his wand to his nose.

"Perhaps you should let me do that." Harry said before Snape could utter the spell. Snape frowned but nodded a blush staining his cheeks. Harry crossed the room and frowned at how tall Snape had gotten, they were now eye to eye. With a flick of his wand he watched Snape's nose shrink slightly, and then a little bit more until it fit nicely on his face. "There, better." He said as Snape turned towards the mirror and examined himself with wide dark eyes.

"Potter will tease me mercilessly for having it done." He said with an angry frown.

"Potter is a berk." Harry said wryly. "If he even thinks about messing with you I'll give him enough detention to last out the month." Harry said idly wondering when Snape would catch on to what he'd just said.

"…detention…" Snape said blankly.

"Professor Foxtrot is retiring and Hadrian Black is taking a Sabbatical, Orion Black however has been tested and found to be more than capable of taking the post as Hogwarts newest Potions master." Harry said mildly.

"Orion Black?" Snape said wryly. Harry smirked.

"It was the only one I could think of at the moment but I like it alright, it's better than some of the names I've been called." He said mildly. Snape shrugged and went back to examining himself in the mirror.

"It will take some getting used to." Snape said after a moment. Harry smiled thinly before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box.

"I wanted your mother to give this to you, she was after all the one that worked so hard for it, but she insisted that I give it to you." He said holding out the box. "During the last few weeks she has been steadily reestablishing her relationship with her father." He said as Snape hesitantly accepted the box and opened it.

"This is…" Snape looked up at him pale and wide eyed.

"You have been reinstated as heir of the Prince family." Harry said smirking. "This means that if you are agreeable to it than I can take you to the ministry and have your name changed as well as your status recognized." He said watching as Severus took the ring and slipped it onto his finger.

"When?" Snape said wide eyed. Harry smirked.

"Well we have an hour until your party…" He said shrugging. Snape snatched his cloak off the hook.

"Now! Now!" He said before rushing out the door. Harry snorted and followed him pausing briefly in the kitchen his eyebrows raised as Snape bodily lifted his mother and spun her around making her laugh and scold him. He might not be able to right all the wrongs of the past, but this one he could fix. Before the world darkened completely. There would be joy and laughter. Her turned towards the window and imagined that he could see the gathering storm.

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(and yes I fixed Severus' nose the freedom of being a writer *smirks*)