Thank you. Lupin has always fascinated me. They were all the type of children, like Harry, that had no security so they would have been drawn to each other. I simply extrapolated a scenario. Minerva is so easy to write. She can be fiercely stoic or stern or soft hearted. I like to think she is the surrogate mother to all the pupils.

I tried re-doing the spacing. I hope I got it right. I just thought they could have been friends that first year. It was fluff, but I seriously like fluff. The similarities between Severus and Harry and Ron and Remus are there in canon if you interpret them that way. I just put Mary into a scenario that correlated to Hermione, the keeping busy. Thanks for the headsup on the spacing and the kind words.

Mary was Lily's friend, the one that Mulciber tried to do something to. Severus and Lily fought over that. She was also the one who met Severus at the door to Gryffindor dorm when he wanted to apologize to Lily. Severus at the time, I felt, was simply taking care of a housemate. This was early enough in their schooling that he would try to make friends with his housemates. Thanks for the kind review.

The parallels were always there if you looked hard enough. With the boys, that is. And the chapter name is a direct quote from Dumbledore. Snape and Harry both were from unfortunate home lives. They both came truly alive only when they reached school. Ron and Remus were both awkward with others for various reasons.Remus because of his lycanthropy and Ron because of his discomfort caused by the twins' teaing. Mary was always a mystery so I decided to bring her out into the light. She did tell Severus what she thought of him. She was Lily's friend. And one of the reasons Severus and Lily fought when Mulciber tried to prank Mary. Thanks for your kind words.

Thank you for your kind review. The similarities are right there in canon. I simply extrapolated a plausible scenario. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for your very kind words. I felt that the boys had a kind of sympathetic connection. Mary was the wild card in the equation. I made her into the connection to Hermione because we actually know so little about her. The fear of the Dark was a subtle reference to whatever Mulciber tried to do to her in later years. And the connection of Ron and Remus is based on what happened in DH. Remus wanted to run out on his family to help Harry and Ron did run out on Harry and Hermione, but he came back. There are so many similarities. Bless. you.

Harry and Severus were both very solitary children. Remus and Ron were both from families who did not quite know how to deal with them. And Mary and Hermione both speak their minds and see more than others. Or they did to me, at least. Thank you for your kind words.  These three seemed to me to be the precursors for the Golden Trio.

Okay, I thought that was kind of what you were getting at, but I wasn't quite sure.  Thanks!  And Happy Holidays!

Thank you for reading and reviewing. This is actually a pre-quel chapter to a story I have been putting on my LJ account, also under kyriaofdelphi. It eventually will be SS/HG but not until well into the story. I just felt that these three had a tenuous connection that should be explored. Bless you for the stars. Thanks so much.

Bless you, child. I may just do that.  I have a new story up on my Live Journal page. I will send you the link. Hope your 2009 is all you wish it to be. Your stories always touch my heart and I enjoy them immensely. Please keep in touch with me. Your are a dear and treasured friend. Thank you for reviewing and for reading, also.