I didn't want to just make a sequel announcement so I made this Halloween bonus chapter! It's short and I wrote it in like thirty minutes

+—

"And this is what holiday?" Severus tilted his head in slight confusion. He looked in the mirror at the red protrusions atop his head, the strange, stretchy red bodysuit and the long, red… tail? He was sure that it was a tail but what kind of tail had a triangle tip? Severus picked up the packaging that Harry had hidden from him and immediately frowned. The package claimed that this was a 'devil costume'. He knew that muggles were an odd people but they weren't stupid so why would they assume that any demon, much less the King of Demons would be red? Severus looked at himself in the mirror and let out another scoff. He didn't look like any demon he's ever seen or read about.

"How do you not know about Halloween?" Harry gasped, throwing back the curtain to look at Severus as though he just said he liked to kick puppies and also wearing the most ridiculous thing ever which was impressive as Harry had gotten quite creative and expressive recently. It was a white robe with a gold rope like belt and fluffy white… wings? And some sort of gold hoop above his head.

"What are you?" He tilted his head.

"W-what do you mean what am I?" Harry sputtered, gesturing to his gold hoop and turning to shove his wings into Severus's face. "I'm an angel!"

"Angel? How could these fluffy messes possibly protect you from Hellfire? What is that thing above your head? Why would you be wearing clothes?" Severus poked at the golden thing and plucked at the cheap robes. Harry slapped his hand away, pushing away the thousands of questions that popped into his head about what sort of knowledge Severus had about real angels seeing as he's never believed in them.

"Never mind that. How could you not know that there was a holiday at the end of October. It's Halloween!" Harry waved his arms around dramatically. Severus thought back to last year. He would have spent this 'Halloween' with the Dursleys… he looked at the odd decorations all around the store they were in, both selling them and displaying them. He did recall their school being set up in this way all throughout October but he didn't recall anything about dressing up in a costume.

"I had a cold," Severus realized embarrassingly slow. He had spent the last two days of October in a coma but so much happened that he compartmentalized a little too well.

"A cold?" It was Harry's turn to cock his head. Last Halloween and the day before they were locked in the cupboard, he remembered and it was the first time he witnessed Severus sleep. The boy had only awakened twice to sit up and… do nothing. He was just (presumably seeing as it was very dark) staring at the wall before flopping back down and going back to sleep.

Severus paused in his plucking at the odd wings on Harry's back. Last October was when the Dursleys truly began to starve him. He had been foolish and arrogant enough to think that he could conjure food from thin air even when his ma and pa and every book he has ever read on the subject has stated time and time again that it wasn't feasible. It felt like his heart had stopped and his brain had deflated. He was sure he had had a seizure sometime during his two night coma because he had awakened in horrible.

"It was a simple cold. I slept it off," he lied easily.

"Oh. Well, didn't you notice when you were with your ma and pa?" Harry began to look at himself in the mirror. He didn't know anything about actual angels but the costume did look a bit ridiculous on him.

"I don't think I've ever known the date," Severus mused. It wasn't until he was going to school that he actually saw a calendar and knew the exact date. In his old life he lived by seasons and sunrises, "there was a time in the year when spells would be at their strongest and rituals would be done. I suppose it would fall close to your Halloween."

"Well this Halloween will be about getting candy and wearing awesome costumes!" Harry insisted, shoving another strange, stretchy body suit into his hands. This one was green. He stripped quickly and pulled it on only to stop at the sight of the head piece.

"No," he said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh come on Sev! We have to be a pair and you don't want to wear this one, right?" Harry wiggled his now round black and yellow butt complete with a stinger. How did the boy manage to change so quickly? Severus wrinkled his nose but decided that he definitely didn't want to be the bee to this flower.

"The pink clashes with my hair," he protested.

"It comes in yellloooowww," Harry sang joyfully.

"No." Severus repeated.

"Seeevvvv! We don't have all day. We need two costumes. One for Nate's party and one for trick and treating!" Harry whined. Severus sighed. He knew that Nate would be understanding if Severus went without a costume but he knew that was even worse than anger.

"Fine but I get to pick the costume for the party," he insisted.

"Sure!"

— +

Harry wasn't sure if he was confused or impressed as he stood in front of Nate's giant mirror. Severus had painted him dark blue from his head to his feet. He ripped all the fluff from the angel wings to give him thin, wire wings covered in some sheer fabric. Then he got some sort of prosthetics for his ears that made them bigger and longer. And his hair had been sprayed silver.

"Wow! You look just like pixies!" Nate gasped. Oh! They were pixies. Harry grinned around his suddenly too sharp teeth (this was done with magic) and faced Severus who seemed to just finish sharpening his own teeth.

"If I felt confident in my ability to undo it I would have blackened our eyes," Severus sighed a bit mournfully. Nate laughed and came to throw an arm over the redhead's shoulder. Nate himself was…

"Vampire!" Harry gasped as he spotted the thin, sharp canine teeth within his friend's mouth.

"Yeah it's just a temporary curse, don't tell my mum," Nate winked but his tone was serious.

"Did you turn yourself into a actual vampire just for a muggle holiday?" Severus gaped within the half embrace.

"... not like a real one. Just half… and just for a few hours," Nate muttered, a blush no doubt attempting to rise but unable because their friend was now undead!

"I'm making our eyes black," Severus snapped, marching up to Harry. The boy sighed and thought of protesting as he did hear his twin say specifically that worst case wouldn't be vision loss but... how cool would black eyes be!?

+—

The party had gone well and Harry wasn't blinded when Severus removed his spell. So there was nothing but excitement for the trick or treating they engaged in the next night. Due to their agreement, Harry dressed them how he wanted them to which excluded all magic, body paint and competition. Just regular muggle costumes.

"Awww look at the wittle kitty! You are such a cutie," The woman cooed at Severus. Harry smothered his giggles in his doggy paw hand. This wasn't even the fifth house they've all been to and yet it was the tenth woman who reacted this way upon spotting Severus. They said the same thing about him too but it was funnier due to the obvious displeasure Severus had for it.

"If you pet him, he'll purr," Alex added snidely from the side. He had a simple sheet thrown over his head and eye circles cut out. A subpar ghost is how Severus commented upon seeing him.

"Actually, I wouldn't ma'am," Nate stepped between the woman's reaching hand and the rapidly furious Severus. They hadn't have someone touch the red haired cat so far but even Harry knew that could only end in disaster.

"Oh and who are you supposed to be?" The woman smiled down at the brown skinned boy, dropping candy into his open candy bag.

"I'm an American baseball player!" Nate grinned, raising his baseball bat, "Jackie Robinson is his name."

"Oh isn't that so sweet—and cultural!" The woman cooed.

"I hate this holiday," Severus announced once they left.

"Don't you like being such a cute, cuddly kitty, Sevviekins?" Alex mocked.

"I'm going to punch you if you don't leave Sev alone," Surajmukhi threatened, holding up a black glove fist. Much to Severus's amusement the twins had dressed up as a witch and wizard. Harry thought that they were both witches but Severus insisted that the robes Chameli wore was definitely a male cut wizard robe.

"And what do we have here? Some ickle babies with too much candy?" A voice interrupted before Alex could say anything. Four teenagers stepped out from the darkness, blank blue masks on their faces and regular clothes on their bodies.

"Oh are you boys the cliche neighborhood bullies? Is there club where you guys meet? I bet the requirements are just to be big and sorta dull," Harry giggled.

"What you say you little prick?" One sputtered.

"Was it too complicated? Or are you hard of hearing?" Harry squinted.

"You touch him and I'll break your wrist," Severus threw out when one bully broke rank and stepped forward. He yawned when the attention was now placed on him.

"I'm going to get my nanni!" Surajmukhi announced loudly, grabbing her sister by the wrist and confidently leaving. Severus casually stepped in the way as the first bully made an attempt to follow her, barely casting a glance at the large teenager. This seemed to anger the boy but he wisely chose to not grab at him or run after the Indian twins.

"You're not good bullies if you let people get away," Harry called out, nodding to where Alex had once been standing. Alex had turned tail and ran almost as soon as the boys had appeared.

"It isn't proper bully protocol," Nate agreed.

"If you touch him I'll break your wrist," Severus spoke up again when one of the boys stepped toward Nate. This was officially boring and rather tedious. He held up his bag of treats, "if it's candy you want, you can take mine."

"It's not about the candy anymore. I think you can all use a lesson in respect," the leader growled.

"If that's what you want," Severus shrugged, having expected that response. He traded his candy for the bat Nate held. It was made of some excellent wood and felt both heavy and light in his hands. Perfect, in his opinion. "Who will be the first teacher?"

+—

"Sev…" Harry sighed as he looked down at the groaning and broken boys. One was completely silent but Nate assured them that his life force was still shining bright.

"Hm?" Sev poked one boy with the now broken bat.

"You didn't have to chase the last one," Harry scolded.

"They offered lessons and I wanted to see if he had a different insight than his friends," the redhead insisted. Nate snorted and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Let's get outta here before you decide to mark your territory," Nate teased. Harry laughed and Severus glared.

The End!

So yeah. The sequel is now up and starting. It's called Harry, Severus and the Year that Really Shouldn't Have been So Hard'. Or something like that.