Rating:
R
House:
Schnoogle
Ships:
Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Characters:
Harry Potter Severus Snape
Genres:
Slash Angst
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 01/12/2005
Updated: 02/09/2005
Words: 146,361
Chapters: 30
Hits: 275,831

Green Eyes Sublime

AngelSpirit

Story Summary:
When Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, only Severus seems to truly notice how deeply Harry's despair goes. Since Dumbledore is as blinded as everyone else, Severus decides to take matters into his own hands and help. But doing that means opening up his own soul and secrets to the Boy-Who-Lived, because Harry isn't going to just heal in one day. SS/HP, SLASH and depression related theme.

Chapter 22

Chapter Summary:
Harry returns to Hogwarts for his Seventh Year with a new determination to overcome all obstacles in his way. It doesn't take him long to realize that there is just a little more that he has to learn in order for him to win the love of a master. And in the confines of love and war, Severus must now learn when to let Harry go. SS/HP SLASH and Violence.
Posted:
01/30/2005
Hits:
7,897
Author's Note:
Thanks: To my wonderful beta readers Amanda_Saitou and Philo whose wonderful help kept me sane.

Chapter Twenty-two

Severus and Harry

x

When Severus had agreed to the task of ensuring continuous safety for three hundred and fifty would-be victims of Death Eater attacks, it was only because Lupin would not have been able to stay human long enough for the mission to be completed, McGonagall's disappearance would never have been subtle enough or accepted readily enough and Dumbledore was not even an option.

Severus had left to do his duty as soon as Harry -only semi conscious and still sometimes being injected with Calming Potion through the fangs of his tattoo- had finish telling what he had seen in his vision.

Lupin had probably been skipping for joy when he was substituted for Severus in Potions while Severus had been going half crazy from the incessant crying, screaming and shouting of the victims injured or confused. He had worked night and day making Healing or Calming potions while trying to return ungrateful Wizards safely home and performing the Forgetful Spell -a safer variation of the Oblivious Spell- on Muggles who were arguably more annoying than he had previously thought.

When he had gotten rid of them all, the first thing that Severus had done was to leave the safe house.

Of course Albus had somehow found him immediately under the pretense of giving him progress reports and asking him questions that Lupin had about teaching Advanced Potions to Seventh Year students.

The irritating Wizard had literally been dropping in every week since then, which was the reason why Severus was standing near the fireplace when the ward for his house had gone off at midnight.

Intruder on the property.

Wandlessly opening the front door with one hand, Severus held his wand at the throat of the intruder with the next hand. When he realized who it was, the expression on his face only changed enough to include a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently you don't read the Daily Prophet nearly enough Potter," he said evenly, not lowering the wand. "Snape Manor does not take kindly to intruders and as a Slytherin abode, it tolerates the presence of Gryffindors even less."

Harry glared in irritation, even though this was not how he imagined the night to begin.

Dumbledore had given him strict instructions about the silver quill's activation but even that was not nearly enough of a warning when the port had opened. The tug at his navel and the dizzying effects that he had always hated since his fourth year was nothing compared to the feelings he experienced with this particular port-key.

When the tug on his navel had begun, Harry had expected a nice smooth travel. Five minutes later he had still been reeling through the air and snow. For a few seconds he had even wondered if he had become lost or done a portal cross over. He was sure that no portkey was to last so long. It never occurred to him that perhaps the portkey had been designed to confuse the traveler, since the place he was going to, had very powerful protection wards and could become somewhat unplottable at times.

As soon as he arrived, he had headed straight for the door, intending to use the scorpion and snakes knockers to announce his arrival and end his torment of standing in the cold December snow.

An invisible barrier had gone up, the snakes and scorpion had tried to hurt him and Severus had opened the door holding his wand at Harry's throat and having the audacity to look murderous.

"What? No hug?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Severus lowered his wand and grabbed one of Harry's hands into his. Before Harry knew what was happening, a deep wound was charmed nastily into the palm of his hand and he began to bleed.

"Have you gone mad!" Harry shouted, trying to pull his hand away.

Instead of answering, Severus pressed Harry's palm unto the silver scorpion of the doorknocker. Beneath the wound, Harry could actually feel his blood bathing the cold metal and a tiny strand of his magic was nicked from somewhere deep inside him.

When Severus pulled his hand away, Harry was more interested in the sight of his blood seeping and disappearing into the scorpion as it glowed a blue green color, than watch as Severus magically sealed the wound.

"It needs blood magic to allow entrance," Severus explained, still glaring. "Otherwise you could meet a rather untimely death. You should be very gratefully that the wards merely alarmed instead of getting rid of you itself."

"Hmmm. So did you miss me then?" Harry chose to answer instead.

Severus pulled him into the house, wandlessly closed the door and had him backed firmly against it so quickly that Harry gasped in surprise. With Severus' body aligned with his and the insufferable man's face so achingly close to his, Harry was afraid that his breathing would never return to normal.

"Did I miss you Harry?" Severus asked with unreadable onyx eyes, locked with Harry's. "I don't suppose I need to ask you if you missed me? I've been hearing some very unsettling things since I left. I suppose you think the amateur poisoning of yourself would get me back faster?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess the question should have been, were you worried about me?" Harry asked, smiling despite his best efforts.

"You little brat," Severus growled, though his index finger was fiddling with a strand of Harry's hair and his lips were inches away from Harry's. "What are you doing here?"

Harry laughed softly.

"I came to wish you a happy birthday, because it is your birthday isn't it?" he murmured lightly near Severus' lips. "So, Happy Birthday Severus."

Severus swore beneath his breath. Then, dropping his arms to wrap around Harry's waist, he pulled the younger wizard tightly against his body, crushing his lips to the tempting little red ones of Harry's. Harry moaned and Severus deepened the kiss almost roughly. Harry hadn't been the only one missing their little interludes, because Severus had been on edge all six weeks. Reacquainting his lips, his hands, his entire being with Harry felt so perfect it was almost scary.

Gently, Severus broke the kiss and Harry groaned in reluctance.

"This is Albus' doing isn't it?" Seveus asked softly with a little irritation evident in his voice. "He sent you here? When will he learn not to meddle so much!"

Harry sighed and Severus, lightly trailing his thumb over Harry's slightly swollen red lips perhaps in apology, turned and walked away.

"I need to have a quick word with Dumbledore to gauge what he could have possibly been thinking sending you here. Don't move. I will be back in a few minutes."

Harry watched him go in silence. Not having much else to do, he surveyed the place where he stood immediately recognizing the wide entrance hall. He knew it from the glimpses he had caught of it from Severus' pensieve. Stone pillars, a staircase to the upper level and a high ceiling were testaments to the proud and historical structure that was Snape Manor.

Just from looking around, Harry's mind filled with images that he knew had conspired within the same place.

She wasn't there...I stepped out of the carriage and she wasn't there. And I knew...I knew in the pit of my soul that she would never be there anymore but I...I didn't want to believe it.

"Mother! Mother where are you? You...bastard! You k..killed her."

He had killed her because I wasn't there to protect her when I should have been.

"Where do you think you can go you stupid child? I am your father, I will always find you."

"Goodbye Father. Not to worry, I will return to settle the score soon."

Of course neither of us died that night. He lived. I lived. We lived long enough for me to exact my revenge.

"You are not welcome here."

"You are wrong. No mercy, Father."

My own father Harry...There are many deep evil secrets within me and I would rather not taint you with any more.

"Harry?"

Harry pulled himself from his thoughts with wide eyes and a look of confusion as he faced Severus, who was now standing exactly where he had stood the night he had left at age eighteen.

"How can you come back after everything? How can you bear it?" Harry asked. "And why this time? The Death Eaters attacked here. They can return for whatever it was they didn't find. They probably will."

Severus didn't move, but his expression became hardened and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"This is my home, Harry. Every stone, every painting, every spell that was cast here in anger or revenge or darkness is a part of me just as all the good things. They are in my blood, just as the blood of every Snape that died here seeps into the core of its structure. Just as the blood of everyone who enters becomes a part of it, it is a part of me! This is my home! I won't let anyone think they can succeed in taking it. So let them come back. Let them try. Let them..."

Harry didn't flinch externally, but something inside him quaked at the emotions that glazed Severus' eyes. This was the side of Severus that hardly anyone saw anymore. Darkness and light in one person, balanced so exquisite and dangerously.

This was the wizard that he loved...for good or bad.

And just as soon as the anger appeared, it was replaced by a veil of no-emotions as Severus finally approached Harry again.

"I spoke to Albus. He said he was worried about you. He said that you needed time away from Hogwarts and from the lessons you seem so adamant to harm yourself with somehow. As unwise as it may seem, he believes that you will be just as safe here. I disagree of course, but I have learned long ago never to argue with him. One never wins and precious time gets wasted."

He handed Harry, what appeared to be a closed bottle of ink. "He said to give you this. It is your port-key home and will be activated at exactly midnight tomorrow. You need to get some sleep. Apparently you have not been getting much and I won't have you wasting away in the twenty-four hours that you are sent to spend with me."

Harry took the bottle, staring at it a little too intently so as not to meet Severus' gaze. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked all those questions. It's not my business --"

Severus interrupted him with a soft slow kiss and Harry wondered briefly if this was Severus' own way of apologizing for the words that had been expressed a little too harshly to someone twenty years too young to understand the meaning in it's entirety.

"I'll show you where you may stay for the night," Severus whispered against Harry's lips. "Go to sleep, or at least pretend to."

Harry followed Severus, without protest, up the stairs and into a huge bedroom containing furniture of only navy blue.

The bed was very big and had curtains in the shape of a canopy of cloth and tassels. The sheets were silk, the carpet seemed to hold the texture of being perpetually new and the furniture was obviously antiques that may have been passed on from generation to generation. Modern however, was an a-joining bathroom to the left of the room that had obviously been upgraded to include regular, modern facilities.

The room felt empty when Severus departed, but Harry sighed bravely, ready to take on the night.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he quickly drifted to sleep.

x-x-x

"Jean-Claude, will you remember me when I die?"

"When you die Harry?"

"Yes, if I don't win against Voldemort and I die. Can you remember me the way I am?"

"Harry you won't die."

"Maybe not, but remember me the way you have come to know me. Not as a hero or a powerful Wizard like everyone says I am. Just Harry."

"Harry, you shouldn't think like this. It is not well and I wonder if perhaps we are not halting your sessions before the time."

"Jean-Claude, please. I'm not saying that I'm giving in or that I'll aim to die. It's only if I die and he doesn't. I need people to remember me without the glory and the fame. Severus will, I know, but I'm asking that you do too. You say you love me. Remember the person you love."

"I'll be Obliviated in two days."

"I know. I didn't mean it that way. In your heart. Please."

"I don't know if I can..."

"Please. Remember me as just Harry. I need to be remembered for me and not for anything I did that I was too young to have control over."

"Alright Harry. If you die, I will remember you for the reasons why I loved you as I'm sure your Professor Snape no doubt will."

"Thank you Jean-Claude."

"You are welcome, mon Coeur (my heart/love). Only, try not to die, for his sake and your own."

x-x-x

Blood, tears, screams and anguish.

Swirling.

Echoes. Darkness. Torment.

"You did this! Harry Potter! Why couldn't you save us? WHY!"

"NO!"

Sightless eyes, gaping wounds, rotting corpse and body parts.

Always...always the accusations.

Always the blood.

Bleeding.

Harry Potter bleeding from wounds he had carved into his skin.

Harry, beaming the Killing Curse from emerald green eyes.

Emerald green.

Eyes.

Harry woke, screaming and panting raggedly. He was bathed in sweat and his body began to shake in violent tremors.

'Nightmare!' his mind screamed. 'Nightmare.'

He had been having them since the last time he had the vision in the Great Hall. They were screams of accusations and anger from Muggles and Wizards burning, dying, cursed. Of Harry not saving them when he should have.

Harry began to rock back and forth slowly. Back and forth...breathing uncontrollably ragged.

It had not happened that way of course. The Order had intervened, Dumbledore had informed him. Semi-conscious, Harry had told them what he had seen in his vision and the older members had been dispatched quickly. Remus and Severus, even McGonagall had later left to rescue the intended victims.

Severus hadn't come back and Harry had begun dreaming of screams.

How do you let go of someone you love? How do you let them walk away into obvious doom? How do you stand the silence and the need to know? How?

Harry drank poisons and waited. Did dangerous Wandless Magic and waited. Practiced defensive spells, pretending that it was Voldemort who stood before him and that the screams he heard when he slept weren't echoes of reality...and he waited.

Severus had to be alright, because Harry loved him and love was the only thing that Harry held within him that was the most powerful.

For sometimes the screams Harry dreamt of were Severus'.

x-x-x

Harry had somehow stumbled to the kitchen as soon as the fear in his veins had stopped pumping and he was able to change out of his nightclothes. He hadn't known which way to turn to get to Severus, but somehow he had found the kitchen. The Manor had annoyingly rearranged itself to cause confusion, just as the dungeons at Hogwarts did. Very Slytherin.

Harry had just needed to clear his head of his nightmare.

Fascinating enough, there were no house elves. Which was strange, because it always seemed as if Wizarding houses came equipped with house-elves. Since there were none that Harry had seen so far, he came to the conclusion that perhaps they were on holiday too.

Harry had gone to the kitchen and hadn't found anything to eat.

Since there weren't any house elves to ask, Harry had searched the place himself and the only thing he had discovered was that Severus seemed not to be in need of water, or food for that matter. All Harry had found was alcohol.

Needless to say, Harry was a little bit tipsy by the time Severus walked in.

"I'm not drunk," Harry declared softly, dangling the bottle of Firewhiskey as Severus calmly looked at him with an unreadable expression. "I had a nightmare. I figured that anything was far better than going back to sleep."

"You need to sleep Harry. Your body needs the rest."

Harry bit his lower lips for a second before repeating in a whisper, "I had a nightmare. I can't go back to sleep. I'm not tired. I'm wide awake and if all goes as planned, I intend to stay that way until morning."

Severus took the Firewhiskey away from Harry and levitated it back to the cupboard from which it had come. Running long fingers through the wild black hair. Still not giving away anything in his expression. He traced intricate, invisible patterns against the soft cheeks of Harry's face, drinking in the light glow in the green eyes.

He kissed him. Just hard enough for Harry to gasp. Not enough for Harry to feel satisfied.

His lips trailed lightly down Harry's throat and across Harry's collarbone. This time it was Harry's fingers that were buried in ebony strands. He whimpered and moaned and Severus appeased him.

Buttons opened with skillful fingers. Shirt discarded.

Curtains of eyelids fell, hiding sparkling green orbs as Severus' tongue danced across his skin. Harry whimpered, lost in the haze and the glow being created.

Kisses and nips. Kisses and licks. Severus' fingers gliding across his bare flesh so gently that Harry would have been amazed that this person and 'Professor Snape' were one and the same.

Harry wasn't thinking coherent thoughts.

Harry couldn't think when Severus' lips were on him. On his lips. Lightly.

Somehow Harry ended up sitting on the table as Severus remained standing before him. His fingers clung to tangled strands of hair as Severus tasted every inch of his throat, his shoulders...his chest.

A tug on each nipple. Little kisses. Little licks.

A button opened yet again. Then, the zip sliding carefully over heat and ache and a throbbing mound that begged for attention.

Harry gasped. Whimpered. Ragged breaths of air.

His pants removed, followed by his boxers, left Harry reeling from the deliberate envelopes of warm breaths that Severus could almost have been doing on purpose.

Short, blunt nails this time, scraped tantalizingly up Harry's bare thigh. The pads of Severus' fingers tracing slightly raised scars, now more permanent than the dull, hollow pain that had caused their existence.

The kisses began again. Slowly. Deliberately.

Harry's blood seemed to end up pooling between his legs.

Harry gasped when he was pulled into a hollow moist suction. Fingers clutching desperately to the edge of the table. Head thrown back.

Reeling.

Reeling...with the swirling of Severus' tongue around his aching flesh.

Reeling.

Reeling.

Then suddenly cold air. Harry practically howled from the loss before Severus' mouth silenced him. Almost too rough. Not nearly enough to soothe the ache.

Then Severus' lips were at his ear.

"Would you come if I just asked you to? You could. You're so close you're trembling." Softly. "Come for me, Harry."

Quietly, staring into onyx eyes, feeling all ragged and dazed...Harry did exactly as he was told.

Severus kissed him again, arms carefully holding him as his body convulsed. Calming the flood, soothing the flames. Harry's breath very slowly began to even. When they broke the kiss he rested his forehead on Severus chest as Severus wandlessly cleaned them both up.

"I didn't come here for...this. I came because I missed you Severus," Harry said softly into the silence.

"I know," Severus answered.

Harry met his gaze, searching for regret or obligation, but there was nothing. Only Severus. His Severus.

"I love you," Harry whispered.

Severus didn't answer. Instead he stood aside while Harry slid off the table and began to dress himself.

When Harry was finished, Severus picked him up effortlessly into his arms and Harry was grateful because he wasn't sure if he had the strength to move any more than necessary.

Severus took him to the navy blue room and laid him upon the bed.

"Go to sleep now," Severus commanded softly and Harry smiled at him.

This time, when Harry slept, he didn't have nightmares.

x-x-x

Harry woke to a brain splitting headache and the distinct impression that hell would be residing in his head for the day. He hadn't thought that he had gotten drunk enough for a hangover, considering that he could remember the events of the night in very graphic details. His head attested otherwise.

'Bloody Wizarding alcohol! Who the hell decided that they should be so bloody strong anyway!'

Somehow, he stumbled upon the kitchen again. He was shirtless this time with the button of his pants opened, and him not caring one bit. It was a good thing Harry found it again, because this time Severus was already in there.

Harry collapsed on one of the chairs around the table, groaning from pain and trying his hardest to fight images of last night. Images that reminded him of why it was all worth the pain he was currently in.

Severus handed him a cup of coffee and what Harry fervently hoped to God was a vial of Hangover Relief potion.

"Wait," Severus' eyes narrowed suspiciously and Harry's hand paused in the process of opening the vial. "What poisons did you say you have been taking?"

Harry told him all ten of them and about how he had been inducing doses of them sometimes together.

Severus took the potion away. Harry whimpered in disappointment.

"I've been off them for two weeks!" Harry protested, ignoring how his brain had not let slide the fact that he sounded like a Muggle drug addict.

"And you need two more weeks to even consider inducing any other potion, because of them. Those were the top ten most powerful poisons. Mixing them was stupid. Taking them without supervision...without my supervision...was plain dangerous," Severus returned angrily.

"What do I do in class then? Should I yell at you and refuse to test my assignments?" Harry asked with a glare.

"You and I are both very sure right now that your skills in potions are way beyond Seventh year. I have no doubt that you won't be needing to test your potions to know that you've made it correctly."

Harry's brain violently protested any more raised voices so Harry conceded in silence. He bit back another whimper as a particularly nasty jab of pain sliced through his head. Moving from his back, Harry felt his snake tattoo slither soothingly around his shoulders, resting its head on the pulse at his neck.

Severus reached out to touch it, feeling it move just slightly in response to the light strokes against Harry's flesh.

"Dumbledore said it saved me from losing my mind to the vision," Harry whispered, though he knew that Severus must have known or was told about it. "I don't even remember. All I remember was the potion flooding my body and I blacked out in sweet relief. I don't even remember telling Dumbledore the vision."

"I told you that tattoos from such ink are unpredictable. In your case, it seems to offer you protection." Severus' fingers still traced hypnotizing arcs into Harry's neck. "So you have been practicing wandless magic on your own? How good have you gotten at it?"

Harry smiled proudly, although his head was now resting in the crook of his arm on the table and he wasn't sure if he could sit up, much less do a task that still took so much out of him.

However, he Accio-ed the Hangover Relief potion into his other hand, with only the spell word.

"I haven't mastered the art of doing the spells without saying the spell words yet," he said, blushing half from pride and half from embarrassment.

Severus nodded in understanding, his fingers now stroking the soft mat of hair at Harry's hairline. With the other hand, he summoned the potion from Harry's hand and Harry glared mockingly at him.

"I won't be a very good houseguest today I'm afraid," Harry declared with a shrug. "You seem hell bent on not letting me get rid of this headache, so if you don't mind, I'll be in my room trying not to move or make a sound."

Severus gave him a very unsympathetic look, which had Harry glaring at him again.

It wasn't long before Harry abandoned his efforts of being annoyed with him though. Severus may have looked vindictive but the feel of his fingers gently massaging the nape of Harry's neck helped to divert Harry's attention from sledgehammers in his brain to other parts of his anatomy.

Harry's eyes slid close as he lost himself in the comforting strokes and the knowledge that this gentler side of Severus was the side of the Potions master that only he was privy to.

When the warm drop fell on his forehead, Harry's eyes immediately flew open.

It didn't take long for the pounding in his head to disappear and Harry was able to sit up and stare in awe at the Wizard before him.

"Phoenix tears," Severus supplied nonchalantly. "It's not a potion so it's quite safe to use."

"Fawkes'?" Harry asked already knowing the answer as he stared at the small bottle that Severus held between two fingers. "How did you get it?"

Severus told him with another look of unconcern as he sent the bottle sailing out the room.

"Severus you're hurt and rather terribly too! Let Fawkes heal you at least."

"I am fine Albus. What is with you and that phoenix always trying to mend me. When will you learn that I am too broken to heal?"

"We do what we must Severus. Let Fawkes help you."

"I don't want the tears."

"No. You seem to need them. Otherwise Fawkes would have long ago stopped crying for you whenever you are in his presence."

"Well if you can't get the bloody bird to stop mourning for me, then at least do something useful with the tears."

"The tears are meant for you."

"Then bottle it and post it to me or something!"

"I have been receiving them every year since that first year I joined the Order," Severus said in disgust. "Needless to say, I avoid that bird like the plague. It's very disconcerting being in a room with a phoenix who cries for me. I use it in healing potions that Poppy needs for the Hospital Wing."

Harry laughed at the image in his head of a scowling Severus and a weeping Fawkes. Though, considering that his last visit with the phoenix had been much the same way, Harry was quick to admit that he was bound to have gotten uncomfortable with it one day.

"I think I may be receiving bottles of tears soon too," Harry said, feeling so much better now that his hangover had been cured.

"Then you won't think it so funny when it begins to happen to you," Severus said in a sourly voice.

Harry rose from around the table, to stand before Severus with a smile on his face. The smile quickly changed to a more pensive look as Harry wrapped his arms around Severus' neck and stared into dark eyes that had seen so much destruction that a phoenix cried continuously in his presence.

Severus wasn't overly handsome, Harry realized. In fact, he had a crooked nose, too thin lips, piercing eyes and a complexion that was beyond pale. Besides he wore far too much clothes, especially indoors, where the temperature was magically kept at each person's level of comfort.

But, there was something in Severus that simply pulled Harry to him. Like a chain that was wrapped tightly around him, making Harry hurt when he was far away from Severus and ache when he was too near to breathe properly.

Everything inside of Harry ached for Severus.

"I haven't given you your birthday present as yet," Harry whispered, chewing on his lower lip.

Severus looked into the sparkling green eyes before him and wondered at his own sanity. There was something about Harry that made him think irrationally. Like the way he irrationally wanted to never see sadness in the emerald orbs for as long as he had the privilege of gazing into them at will. Or the irrational war that waged inside of him whenever he held Harry close.

He could taint him, just by touching him, and yet all Severus wanted to do was hold him.

Severus wanted Harry in a way that he shouldn't, but wouldn't be able to deny for long and he didn't even want to for too much longer.

"Then where is it?" Severus asked.

Harry smiled again, causing his eyes to light like emerald stars. Shouting the Summoning spell, he caught the little package that came sailing into the room. Harry handed the present to Severus, untangled himself, then sat back down on the chair around the table, biting his lower lip again.

Dangling on a short golden chain was a small ruby prism. The heart of the ruby held an emerald lightening shaped rod. In gold, the upper left hand side of the lightening had the initial H while the lower right hand side had the initial P. No matter what direction the pendant was turned, the design within was always facing forward.

"You got me a ring which I wear around my neck," Harry's hand flew to his bare chest to close around the silver ring. "I wanted to get you something that held as much of me as this ring holds of you. So I got it custom made over the past month. And don't worry, it has an invisibility charm and a protection charm on it also. Professor Flitwick taught me how to do it in one of our private sessions. He wanted to know what I wanted it for, but I didn't tell him of course. Well I only said I needed to put strong charms on a present I was to give someone. Like a charm that comes from an old Wizarding family. He taught me how to tap into the Potter heritage charms and when I did I was --"

In two steps and a sharp tug, Severus pulled Harry into a deep kiss, effectively cutting off the nervous rambling that Harry had been so set on. It was the best thanks that Harry had ever gotten for a present, even if Severus seemed to not have wanted to voice the words.

When they broke the kiss, Harry rested his head upon Severus' shoulder with a sigh of content.

"So what do we do with the rest of this day?" he asked softly as Severus donned the gold chain with its intricate pendant.

Severus shrugged. "First we eat. Then we see what happens."

Harry laughed, pressing a kiss to the corner of Severus' lips then smiled contented again. This day would be theirs. Whatever happened in the rest of the world would have to wait.

It would just be the two of them, alone, for one day.

x-x-x

"Won't you come with me?" Harry asked.

Standing in the shallow snow on the ground while more fell lightly from the sky, Harry looked achingly sad as he clutched the inkbottle in his hand. The black sky, and its scatterings of shining stars, was the only thing as witness to the parting.

A side of Severus burned desperately to pull Harry back into the house to play 'pretend happy' once more. But, the more rational side of him asked if he had completely lost his mind.

The portkey would open in another five minutes. Harry had to return to Hogwarts.

"You know I can't," Severus said firmly. "You know I won't."

Harry nodded sadly and smiled, though it did nothing to brightening the dull hue of his eyes. "I had to ask. Just in case today had been perfect for you too and you didn't want to wait any longer."

Severus took the few steps to stand before him. One side of him fought adamantly with his other side, but he ignored the warnings that his rational side threw to him.

He ran a finger down the cold winter touched cheek of Harry's face, which had already begun to turn a light shade of pink. Then lightly, he kissed red lips that had been bitten earlier in earnest.

When he tried to pull away, Harry gave a tiny whimper and pulled him into a much more desperate kiss. Severus allowed it, soothing the frantic pace with murmured words that he had not even known he was capable of expressing.

Then it was time and Severus moved away. Harry smiled his goodbye sadly, before he felt the familiar tug on his navel begin.

"I love you Severus," he whispered as he vanished.

His words carried with the wind, mingling with the dancing snow and the stars that glistened against a midnight sky.

Somewhere deep inside Severus, something trembled and ached.

X-x-X


Author notes: Sorry about the delay. My FA beta reader was having a problem with her computer. The final chapters will be posted during the week.