Archive of Our Own ^beta

Halloween has always been a touchy subject, ever since he found out that was the day his parents died, protecting him. He didn't feel it right to be celebrating and gorging himself on the candy that the Great Hall provided all day.

Everywhere he looked, students and teachers alike were excited, already partially dressed up in random costumes. He heard a shout a few feet away from him and Snape seemed to be having just as bad a day, snarling and snapping at anyone who even looked his way. Gryffindor had already lost 80 points and it was only just hitting noon.

"Harry, c'mon!" Ron grabbed his shoulders, dressed as some kind of werewolf? He looked like one anyway, but he'd never seen one as bright eye-searing pink as he was. 

Harry turned back towards where Snape was and saw no hide nor hair of the man, a crying Hufflepuff the only evidence he was there at all.

"Harry?" Ron looked towards the direction he was staring, but shrugged his shoulders. He started piling some candy into Harry's pockets and when Harry noticed he swatted the hands away.

"Hey, use someone else as your candy mule." Ron clicked his tongue at him and gave an innocent look. 

"C'mon please? Don't tell Hermione, she's gone mental. Only allowing me 5 pieces of candy. Going on about cavities...her parents have corrupted her."

Harry sighed and Ron took it as acceptance, for he whooped, pushed more candy than he truly needed into Harry's pockets, and skittered away.

For some reason, he couldn't get Snape out of his mind. What made him so angry today? If people thought he was mean every other day, today he has been just a down right bastard. His feet carried him down to the dungeons, the temperature dropping and the warm woods on the wall turning to cool stone.

"What is it, Potter? Come to poke at the bat?" Snape's tone came out harsh, his eyes flashing with suppressed anger.

He didn't know why he had come down, only that he knew the Professor was hurting as well. And there was that saying right, 'misery loves company' and all that. He didn't know much about his Potions Professor, but he didn't think he really had anyone he could talk to and while Harry didn't necessarily like him, he was also too exhausted to actually hate him either.

"Well boy, I don't have all day, especially for the likes of you." Harry was viciously reminded of his Uncle Vernon, but stomped down on the fear that wanted to show. Snape had never hurt him, he had a bark, sure, but these past three years showed him that Snape did care, even if he had a twisted way to show it.

Harry took a deep breath, knowing he was taking a chance. "I just wanted to come down and ask if you were okay?"

Snape looked at him as if he were a peculiar potion ingredient and Harry shivered under it. His eyes flickered to the jars of chunky red liquid on the bookshelf beside the desk, a terrifying thought that that could be him if he didn't watch his words.

"So, you thought to disrupt my already busy day, filled with children overdosing on candy and causing mischief, to ask if I was 'okay' ?" Snape's eyes turned to slits.

"Yes?" He stuck his hands into his pockets and struck a hard box, making something rattle inside his cloak. He took it out, to see it was a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

Just as Snape opened his mouth, either to yell at him or to take points, Harry quickly pushed the box of colorful candy into his Professor's hands.

"You know it's okay to not be okay, right? That you are allowed to feel sad and other emotions besides anger?" Harry shuffled his feet, nervous. In his embarrassment and his need to explain himself, Harry mumbled. "Hermione told me that. Apparently I have anger and authority issues."

Snape was back to looking at him as if he were interesting. His face grew hot and he suddenly wished that he hadn't followed Snape down to his office.

Harry tapped at the box of jelly beans, bringing dark eyes back to its attention. "Happy Halloween, Professor."

Snape was silent, eerily so, staring at the horribly mix-matched candy in his hands. It was unnerving. At least, if Snape's eyes were on him, he could take a guess as to what the other man was thinking. Here, now, quiet as he was, his face twisting into some kinda emotion that Harry hadn't ever seen on Snape's face before and Harry was at a loss. He could tell that he looked hurt, sad even, so he did the only thing he could think of, he stepped closer and around the desk and gingerly touched Snape's shoulder. 

Snape twisted around, the painful look even more horrible now that he was closer to see and Harry put his arms around the older man. It wasn't a long hug, nor particularly pleasant. He could tell both of them were shocked at his action, but he was pleased to note that he wasn't pushed away.

Harry quickly stepped back, not wanting to push his luck and was striding to the door when he turned back around.

"Have a nice night." He could feel his cheeks burning, not believing that he actually hugged his surly Potions Professor.

Harry was out the door and halfway to the Gryffindor common room, when he belatedly realized that Snape never took points from him.