One of my two best friends just informed me that her boyfriend who, before recently, said he didn't believe in love has just told her that he was apparently wrong because he does in fact love her and she loves him back.

So in honor of love and its existence, and my friend finding it… I have written you this…

Only Fools Believe In Love

'Only fools believe in love.'

That's what Severus Snape told himself when he caught a young couple snogging in the halls late at night. 'Love is for teenagers and fools', he would say to himself as he lay in his bed at night hating the brats for breaking school rules and keeping him awake in the name of something that didn't even exist.

'Love… Love was for little girls who read too many dreadful bed time stories.' No, a man as intelligent as Severus Snape did not believe in love. It was something some man made up to get into the bed (or pants) of a woman that made her feel special.

He was not naive enough to think that people didn't care about one another enough to be in a committed relationship… but love? Please!? He himself was in a committed relationship with someone… he wouldn't go and sleep with someone else and he knew his partner would not either. He tried as hard as he could to keep his comments less scathing in order to keep his partner happy… but he surly didn't love him. He felt no flutter in his chest like butterflies….

'Do I?'

He felt no need jealousy when another looked at his partner….

'Right?'

He didn't miss his partner to the point of thinking about him constantly….

'But I do… I am thinking about him…'

Snape looked around his empty rooms and thought about how different it would feel right at that moment if the man he called his partner were to be sitting next to him on the couch… on his lap right then. He was thinking about how it felt to have the thin body pressed against his as he read the paper. He thought about his lips and how much he wanted to kiss them.

He thought about the fear he had when he realized he was going to die and that he would never again get to see Harry Potter's face. He thought about how angry and hurt he was when Dumbledore had told him that Harry would die… that he would have to die.

He thought about how happy he had been when he woke up alive with Harry asleep but alive in the bed next to his.

He thought about the tears he had cried over his little partner's happy smile when their eyes met after waking up to discover the other still alive.

Snape sat up straighter in his chair, his glass of scotch griped tightly in his hand and realization dawned on him.

As a child Snape had never seen love. His parents had claimed they loved each other in youth and then proceeded to destroy each other. He had thought he loved Lily, and that she loved him back… and then one false step, one wrong word and she had left him for the one person that he hated more than any other.

Love hadn't existed for him before so he hadn't believed in it at all…

But how many times had Harry tried to convince him that he loved him? How many times had Harry said it trying to make Snape see that he meant it every time? How many times would Harry have to prove he meant it?

Had Harry not held him when he was dying? Had Harry not sought out Luna to go and save him? Had Harry not yelled at his friends when they found out about his relationship? His best friends? Had Harry not given Snape his virginity?

Harry had done more then all that even but still Snape denied that Love was real. 'Love is for fools Harry. I care about you and I will not sleep with anyone else while we are together… isn't that enough?'

Harry had nodded and smiled a little smile. Like he knew something that Severus didn't know and was just waiting for the man to catch up.

Well… he had caught up. And now he needed to tell someone. Who better than Harry? He went to Harry for everything else… why not now?

Severus strode through the halls of Hogwarts like he owned them and in some ways he did seeing as he was now headmaster… but that didn't matter now. He walked up to Gryffindor tower where Harry lived in order to watch over his lions seeing as he was the new Gryffindor head of house.

Snape sighed as he knocked on the smooth wooden door that stood before him. He didn't wait long before Harry was standing in front of him smiling brightly as if the door and been a bow and Snape was his present.

"Hello love!" Harry exclaimed happily as he stood on his toes to kiss the corner of Snape's mouth before ushering him inside.

Snape laughed internally at the irony of Harry's choice of endearment. "Hello." Snape said simply. Harry's eyes narrowed for half a second before that secret smile spread his cheeks. He stepped aside to let Snape in.

Severus walked directly to the couch and sat down. He looked at his clasped hands for a moment before looking up at the still standing and smiling Harry and patting the seat next to him.

Harry smiled wider and sat down next to his lover. "I have something I must tell you Harry."

"Alright Love, go ahead." Harry grabbed one of Snape fiddling hands and squeezed it lightly to reassure him.

"You know I always say love is for fools." Snape looked up at Harry to see his reaction, Harry only nodded, a little smirk curling his lip. Severus didn't really notice, to overcome with emotion and a little fear.

"Well Harry… I guess I'm a fool."

The second the sentence ended Snape had arms full of Harry and warm pink lips pressed lovingly to his.

"I guess we are both fools Sev."