A/N: I found this buried in my fic tag on tumblr, so it's only fitting that it finds its way here. This was based off of a friend's Marauders Era AU where Snape was more or less a part of the Marauders' squad while at Hogwarts, but it's otherwise pretty much canon to the series.

It's also the smallest stand-alone fic (ficlet?) I've ever done.

Three days.

Three days since Harry had received the first genuine Christmas presents of his life. Three days since he had received arguably the greatest magical artifact he could ever dream of having.

Three days since he had set eyes upon his parents in the Mirror of Erised.

And like all of the other nights, he quietly tiptoed out of the dormitory, careful not to wake Ron, and slipped under the Invisibility Cloak. Like all of the other nights, he could make another go for the Restricted Section, another attempt to find out more about Nicholas Flamel…only this time watch where he left that dang lantern.

…Or he could continue down the corridor, around the corner from the library, up the next flight of stairs, and into the empty unused classroom where he knew the Mirror to be hiding.

The books will always be in the Library. But the opportunity to sit for hours, gazing upon his parents, the aunts and uncles, or cousins, or whoever made up the crowd behind Lily and James without having to worry about getting up in time for class, or making sure that essay for Professor McGonagall was done on time? He may only have what was left of holiday break.

And Harry was not going to lose his family again.

Thankfully, Mrs. Norris wasn't anywhere to be seen on his familiar trek down the empty corridors. Which meant Filch wasn't anywhere nearby either. Easy in, and hopefully just as easy an out later.

Harry didn't expect to see the door to the unused classroom ajar. Was someone else nearby?

He had to remember that technically no one could see him, he was under the Invisibility Cloak, and he crept into the room.

Like the other nights, the Mirror stood in the center of the room. But it wasn't alone.

Professor Snape stood in front of it.

Harry froze on the spot. What was Snape doing here?

The rational part of his brain was telling him to turn around, slink right back out the door, and go back to bed. Tomorrow would be another day, and he could visit his parents then.

The irrational part of his brain told him to creep forward and try to see what Snape was looking at so intently. …Even though when he brought Ron in to see his family, all Ron saw was himself, Head Boy and Quidditch Star extraordinaire.

But as Harry snuck forward, he could have sworn he saw his mother in the mirror. Was that from his view? Or was Snape looking at his mother too?

Why would Snape see his mother in the mirror?

He had to be sure. So he tiptoed closer.

Snape was talking himself? Or to whoever or whatever he saw?

Harry was halfway across the room now. He could see Lily and James from around Snape's shadow. Was Snape looking at them? Or just Harry?

Snape lifted a shaky hand and pressed it to the edge of the mirror.

It wasn't until Harry heard him say 'Lily' for the second time that he stopped. Snape…Snape knew his parents? H-how?

Before he even knew what he was doing, Harry slipped off the Invisibility Cloak.

Snape spotted him almost instantly in the reflection and whirled around, his robes flailing wildly around him, eyes wide in shock, anger, and…was that…fear?

"Potter! What are - " Snape quickly recovered. "Thirty points from Gryffindor. Get back to your dormitory."

And without another word swept from the room before the pint-sized version of James could see how upset he was.

Harry took a quick glance back at the Mirror, at Lily and James' smiling faces and ran after him, not caring that his Invisibility Cloak might get confiscated or that he lose more points for Gryffindor House and it wasn't even during term.

Snape knew his parents!

"Professor, wait!"

Snape was already halfway down the corridor, towards the Grand Staircases. Harry bolted after him as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Professor!"

Snape rounded the corner and kept going.

"Professor Snape, stop! Did…did you know my parents?"

If Snape made it to the Grand Staircases, Harry would never be able to catch him. So he took a deep breath, and tapped into every running trick in the book that he had to utilize avoiding Dudley's gang, and thank goodness he started making ground in the corridor.

"SIR!"

Finally. Snape stopped right at the edge of the stairs. Another step and he would have been off the landing. But he didn't turn back around.

Harry came to a stop a few steps behind him, leaning forward, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Professor Snape," Harry said, and he didn't care how much trouble he would end up in. This was too important. He gasped for breath, and his eyes started watering.

"Please…did you know…did you know my parents?"

Snape didn't move.

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Please. My aunt and uncle…." He shook his head, and blinked back a tear. This could be the only opportunity to know anything, anything true about Lily and James Potter. And it had to be from the one person in the school that absolutely hated him.

"Just something….anything about them…please….."

Snape turned his head, ever so slightly. Harry was looking up at him, eyes wide and watery. He looked so much like James…except for the eyes.

Lily's eyes.

Snape quickly turned away again before he started showing any sort of emotion. Harry couldn't know. Not now. Perhaps not ever.

He squared his shoulders, clenched his jaw, and started down the staircase back towards the dungeons, leaving Harry alone at the start of the fourth floor corridor, his strange cloak dangling uselessly in one hand and tears falling freely down his face.