For as long as they had been rival Heads of House Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall had placed friendly wagers on the outcome of Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch matches. The next scheduled match was to take place one week before Halloween. It was Minerva’s turn to set the terms of the bet.

They met in a seldom used corridor half an hour before curfew. Enough time to hash out an agreement and return to their respective Houses. They were away from open eyes and ears and even if the castle could talk it wouldn’t give up staff secrets.

If Snape was unnerved by the smug look on McGonagall’s face he didn’t show it. He had learnt at an early age to hide his emotions. “You’ve thought of something?” he asked smoothly.

“Yes,” she answered slowly.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Minerva please put me out of my misery. Halloween’s too close for my liking.”

“Oh Severus you are a clever boy.” Snape growled at her. “Alright, alright,” Minerva took a step back raising her hands in a placating gesture. “Loser has to attend the Halloween Feast in the scariest costume they can think of. They must enter after the students and staff are seated and walk the entire length of the Great Hall in said costume.”

Snape stood there and mulled it over. He could always bribe Harry to throw the game (but he was a damn Gryffindor and would never do such a thing) or give him a detention (even if he had to make something up); Harry was a very talented Seeker after all, and with him out of the game Gryffindor was bound to lose. But McGonagall could also do the same to his own Seeker, well the detention part at least. He knew what his one stipulation had to be. “I’ll agree to the terms on one condition – neither Harry nor Draco can be excluded from the game,” he drawled.

“Done,” Minerva exclaimed holding her hand out for him to shake and seal the bet. Once it was done they went their separate ways. Both lost in thoughts of alternatively wondering who would lose and what to wear if they did. Neither noticed the pair of trouble makers hiding in a darkened alcove.

Once in her office and after the curfew bell had sounded Minerva called her Prefects to her for their nightly report. All Students were accounted for with the lower years already in bed. That was something she had to be thankful to Severus for. He had imposed a nine-thirty pm bedtime on his son and Minerva had decided to extend it to the rest of the lower year students.

What Minerva didn’t know as she sat there marking work and thinking about the wager with Severus, was that one of her little lions was not tucked up in bed fast asleep. He wasn’t even getting into the mischief he had initially set out to cause. He was sitting with his ‘partner in crime’ plotting the downfall of one Severus Tobias Snape.

Down in the dungeons Severus was relaxing with a glass of firewhiskey. His Prefects had been and gone; their nightly report more than satisfactory. His marking was up to date and he was settled in front of the fire. Like Minerva he had no idea one of his little snakes was missing.

Their First Halloween

As Severus sipped he thought back to the previous Halloween. He smiled thinking how much things had changed since then. Before that night, before a green eyed menace named Harry wormed his way into his heart he would never have contemplated making such a ridiculous bet with Minerva. He had had a reputation as the meanest, nastiest teacher to protect. He was a spy, a Death Eater, the greasy git of the dungeons, he had many labels but now only one was of any importance – Dad.

Many years ago he had sworn an oath to his childhood friend to protect her son. He had taken the vow very seriously but his actions were limited until the child had started school. He hadn’t been too surprised when said child had been sorted into Gryffindor as his parents had both been Lions. The natural flying ability hadn’t been a shock either; his father had been a Seeker for his House’s Quidditch team.

The first big shock and major heart stopper had been on Halloween when Harry and his little friends and taken on a Mountain Troll and actually lived to tell about it. Severus had been glad the child had not been badly injured but he was very angry that Harry had placed himself in such danger.

In the hospital wing as Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the resident mediwitch, had tended to the minor wounds of the three students, he had calmed down somewhat and asked Minerva for a quiet word. The two had slipped into Poppy’s office.

After casting a silencing charm Severus told Minerva about the oath he had sworn to Lily. Minerva had seemed more than pleased that he wanted to play a bigger part in Harry’s life as she suspected things were not as they seemed. She was concerned that he might harm the child in the same way he had been harmed as a child. He promised her that he would never beat Harry but he would spank him if he thought it was warranted. “Just remember to hug him afterwards and tell him he’s forgiven,” she said with a smile, “And don’t forget to let me know if you plan to keep him for the night.”

He had spanked Harry that night and had been concerned that the boy had not cried out once during the twenty swats he had given him. He knew Harry was crying he could see his body shaking. Severus had lifted him up of his knees and had cradled him in his lap. He had hugged Harry and told him he was forgiven. It was with those words that the boy broke down and cried.

In the hours that followed Severus learnt the truth about Harry’s home life. He had never been hugged before and on top of everything else it was just too much and he let all the pain and humiliation poor from him. When Harry had finally fallen asleep and Severus had made him comfortable in his own bed, he used the Floo to call Minerva and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

Fifteen minutes later the three adults were sipping tea in Albus’ office. Severus told the other two what Harry had told him. Albus had been furious at the treatment Harry had received. Severus then told him of the vow he had made to Lily. As far as Dumbledore was concerned the problem of Harry’s guardianship had been solved.

By morning the boy’s aunt and uncle had signed over temporary custody to Severus; by the end of the week Albus had pulled strings and Snape had adopted Harry; by the end of the month Vernon and Petunia Dursley had been arrested, convicted and sentenced to Azkaban.

Severus smiled as he swallowed the last of his drink and made his way to his bedroom. After going through his pre-bed routine he sat on the side of his bed looking at the two photos on the bedside table. He smiled at the red haired woman, “Goodnight Lily my love, thank you for my son.” He looked at the boy in the other picture, “Goodnight Harry, my son, sweet dreams.” He settled beneath the covers and drifted off to sleep knowing Harry was safely tucked up in bed or so he thought. 

Change of Plans

Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy were like night and day in the way they carried themselves and how they behaved towards others. Harry was a loving, caring child and would help anyone in need; Draco was out for himself and frowned upon those he considered beneath him. They had things in common too – both came from less than ideal homes, both were Seekers for their House Quidditch teams and both loved one Severus Tobias Snape. Father to one and Godfather to the other.

Due to this shared love the boys were friends ‘behind closed doors’. Draco’s father would never tolerate his son being friends with ‘The Boy Who Lived’, the proverbial thorn in Lucius’ side. Outside of Snape’s chambers the two boys behaved as though they disliked each other not wanting anything to get back to Malfoy Sr.

On this night they had both decided to sneak out before curfew and spend a couple of hours in the school kitchen where Harry planned to introduce Draco to some Muggle delights. They were hiding beneath Harry’s invisibility cloak and were making their way along a seldom used corridor when they heard footsteps approaching. They hid in a darkened alcove to wait for the interloper to walk by. They were startled when the footsteps stopped near their hiding spot.

They soon heard more footsteps coming from the other direction and they too stopped close by. Then they heard the last two voices they wanted to hear while breaking school rules – their Heads of House. Harry almost groaned out loud at the thought of being caught out by both his Head of House and father. Draco quickly placed his hand over Harry’s mouth.

They listened in rapt silence as Professors McGonagall and Snape discussed the terms of their wager and shook on the final agreement. They listened intently as footsteps faded. “Let’s find an empty room to talk in,” Draco said. Still huddled beneath the cloak they made their way to a room and quietly slipped inside.

Draco cast warding and silencing charms before they took off the cloak. They smiled at each other, a mischievous, up to no good smile. They couldn’t believe their luck. They had been wanting to get Snape back over an incident that had occurred during the summer holidays and the opportunity had just been handed to them.

Both boys had been rather put out when Snape  had charmed their brooms so that they would fly no higher than fifteen feet in the air and would go no faster than ten miles per hour. He had told them that he didn’t want a repeat of Harry’s antics on the Quidditch pitch. The two had fumed and fussed at first, demanding that the charms be removed. Then they begged, pleaded and promised. They followed Snape everywhere until he finally ‘gave in’ and removed the charms.

The sweet delights that awaited them were forgotten as they planned revenge. As much as it galled him Draco was going to deliberately throw the game though both boys conceded that it probably wouldn’t take much effort on Draco’s part. Both would look out for the snitch and would signal one another when they saw it. They would make it look like they were both after it and Draco would pull back at the last second so Harry could claim victory.

They both agreed that this had to remain between them if they wanted it to work, not to mention protecting their hides from the Potions Master’s hand. Once the game was played they planned to tip off as many students with cameras as possible. It would be last thing Snape would be expecting.

The two mischief makers eventually made their way back to their dorms and to bed; both smiling sweetly at the thought of revenge.

The Game

Snape was furious as he stalked across the entrance way towards the dungeons.  He couldn’t believe it; the game had been so close. Slytherin was going to win then Harry ‘bloody’ Potter had to go and catch the snitch.

It wasn’t really Harry he was angry with it was Minerva and the stupid bet he’d so foolishly made with her and lost. Now she expected him to pay up and he knew without a doubt she would make his life miserable if he didn’t make good on it.

He stomped down the stairs and along the corridor to the portrait that guarded his private rooms. Barking out the password he entered slamming the portrait closed behind him.

Once inside he let go of his pent up frustration and roared. He cursed Minerva; he cursed Harry; he cursed Draco; but mostly he cursed himself; cursed his stupidity again and again.

He had watched the game with more enthusiasm than usual. The score was so close and really could have gone either way. He had sighed with relief when he realised that Draco had spotted the snitch before Harry and had started after it. It wasn’t long before Harry had joined in the chase.

The day had dawned bright and clear with a light wind, perfect flying weather according to Harry. Something that Draco seconded. The three of them had had breakfast in their rooms that morning. Severus still marvelled at how well the two of them got along when they were away from disapproving eyes. There had been a few hurdles at first but with gentle encouragement (something about using body parts for potions) they had formed a friendship.

After breakfast Draco had used the castle’s Floo network so that he could join his fellow Slytherins in the Great Hall without tipping them off to where he had been. He had that morning told his House Prefect that he had an early detention with Filch so he wouldn’t be missed at breakfast.

Severus had made his way to the pitch after most of the students had departed. He rounded up the stragglers and followed. In the teacher’s box he found the only seat left was between Albus and Minerva. The latter had a made a big show of moving over so that Snape wasn’t crowded. “Good weather,” Minerva said offhandedly. “Should be a good game,” Dumbledore chimed in.

The crowd became quiet as Madame Hooch walked out onto the field. It didn’t last long, cheers rose to a fever pitch as the Gryffindor team walked out from their end, mounted their brooms and took off to fly there warm up laps. They were soon joined in the air by the Slytherins.

Madame Hooch released the bludgers and the snitch before tossing the quaffle in the air and kicking off. Both teams had played really well and the score had fairly even. Snape had been on the edge of his seat, willing Draco to catch the snitch. He watched as Harry caught up to his ‘brother’ and not so gently nudged the blond Slytherin causing him to veer off course. Severus closed his eyes as his son’s fingers closed around his target. The whistle blew as Gryffindor erupted into boisterous cheering, but Snape only heard one Lion in particular. The one Lion who leant in close to him and whispered “Halloween.”

He had the good grace not to snarl at Minerva instead he just nodded and rose to make his way out of the stand. By the time he reached the ground reality had sunk in and he started to fume. His temperament was not helped by the obnoxiously happy Gryffindors he has to walk through. The students were aware of him and made a wide path for him to traverse.

As his anger ebbed Severus felt drained. He flopped down into his favourite chair as he pointed his wand at the grate encouraging the fire to burn more brightly. He conjured a glass and accioed his favourite firewhiskey. He savoured the amber liquid as it slid down his throat to burn in his belly. He sat there contemplating his costume. When Harry entered the living room later he was rather taken back by the evil grin that was plastered on his father’s face.

Halloween

Halloween morning found Severus and his ‘sons’ enjoying a lazy breakfast together in their rooms. He had wanted to make sure the two of them at a decent breakfast at the very least that day.  Lunch was always a haphazard affair in the castle. Students ate in the Great Hall but there was no regimented sitting time because of class times. That night there would be a sugar feast to celebrate. After the feast Harry would return to their rooms and together the two of them would apparate to Godric’s Hollow to pay their respects to Harry’s parents who had given their lives to save him on that Halloween night all those years ago.

Classes that day couldn’t go fast enough for two mischief makers and a certain professor. At the same time they couldn’t go slow enough for Professor Snape. He tried hard not to take his increasing trepidation out on the students but as the day went on he became more and more snarky. By the end of the last class he had a headache and was dreading going to the Great Hall.

He scowled at Harry and Draco when they bustled through the door. Both boys only smiled sweetly and politely asked what was wrong. There was no answer forthcoming instead Severus told them to get started on their homework after they declined the snack he had offered them.

They worked quietly at the dining table as their father sat at his desk marking papers. As the clock crept closer to six pm Severus became more and more agitated, muttering about maniacal Gryffindors and stupid bets. Harry and Draco just smiled at eat other. At a quarter to six their father told them to wash up and make their way to the Great Hall. They hurried to do so pausing long enough at the door to ask if Severus was going with them. “I’ll be there soon,” he said half heartedly, “I’ll just finish marking this paper.”

The two daredevils parted company as they neared their destination. Hermione and Ron were waiting for Harry so he to them before entering the hall and taking their seats at the Gryffindor table. Draco scurried in a couple of minutes later and joined his fellow Slytherins.

Harry noted that the house elves had been busy with the decorations this year. Carved, lit pumpkins were floating near the ceiling. Smaller versions decorated the tables along with miniature skeletons and animated black cats. He also noted the small tastefully decorated in front of the Head Table. It was covered with a plain white cloth. A framed photo of a young red haired witch and dark haired wizard sat upon it. In front of the picture was a single white candle nestled in a wreath of Peace Lilies.

 As the castle clock chimed the sixth hour Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and called for silence. He gently reminded all those present that whilst it was a night of celebration it was also a night of remembering a young wizarding couple who had given lives on this night years before. He then asked Harry to light the memorial candle on the small table. For a minute there was silence as those that were gathered remembered those that had passed from this life to the next.

Harry made his way back to his seat where Hermione hugged him. He looked across the room and caught Draco’s eyes it was almost time. At the Head Table Albus asked Minerva if Severus was joining the feast. “He had better,” was all she said. The feast was in full swing when the heavy doors were thrown open and an eerie silence slowly fell over the room.

A Scary Sight

Severus had paused outside the doors to Great Hall. He had taken a calming draught before leaving his chambers now one thing remained. With a few waves of his wand and some whispered words of Latin he transfigured his much loved black robes into the scariest costume he could think of. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward waving his hand so that the doors opened for him.

With his eyes focused on the still lit memorial candle he walked the length of the hall as fast as his costumed feet enabled him to. The silence that fell around him was almost deafening. It took him a while to realise what the brief but powerful flashes of light were and he groaned. When he was a few feet from the Head Table he stopped and nodded to Dumbledore, noting the wide eyed, struck dumb look on the older man’s face.

Snape slowly raised his arms and turned a full circle so that Minerva could get a good look at what he was wearing and look she did from the tip of the velvety ears on his head, to the pompom tail on his rear to the paw like feet. She took in the whiskers on his painted face, his mittened paw like hands and the basket of carrots.

It took a while for Minerva to recover from her shock. She could think of nothing scarier than Severus Snape, snarky dungeon dweller, dressed as a fluffy, furry white rabbit with pink lined ears and a purple waistcoat. Without taking her eyes off the man in front of her she stood up and conceded that Snape had indeed kept up his end of the bet and promptly awarded fifty points to Slytherin for the courage shown by their Head of House.

At that announcement Severus threw back his head and laughed. His reputation was already shot he might as well go all out. When he had composed himself he made his way to his chair next to Minerva. She poured him a goblet of wine and told him he could change back into his robes if he wished. “Minerva my reputation is already in tatters I might as well make the most of it,” he said taking a sip of his wine. “Tell me Minerva did you tip off the paparazzi?”

For the second time that night she looked at him in shock, “N-no. I thought you did.”

“Certainly not.”

“Then I wonder who did?”

“I wonder…” his voice trailed off as he looked from one son to the other. I wonder he thought to himself.