Prologue
Severus Snape was sat in a chair opposite the minister of magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, his wrists and ankles were restrained with shackles. He stared at the floor, his hair falling loosely over his face, which he didn't mind as he did not want to look up at all the eyes peering down on him, waiting to watch him get sent to Azkaban for the murder of his only friend Albus Dumbledore. He fidgeted slightly causing the shackles to clang together, the only noise to be heard in the room.
"Severus Tobias Snape using the evidence gathered against you for the murder of Albus Dumbledore, late headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry the Wizengamot has finally reached a verdict" Kingsley Shacklebolt began.
Snape took a deep breath, not sure if he was ready for this, ready to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban when he had only just been freed of twenty years of hell bound to a murderous monster.
"With the evidence we have gathered it appears that when you set out to murder Albus Dumbledore you were doing so on his orders" Shacklebolt briefly paused "but murder is murder and we can't just let that slide" Shacklebolt took a deep breath, he didn't want to sentence Snape, someone he has known and worked with on the side of the light for many years but it was his duty as the minister of magic to do just that. "Severus Tobias Snape, the members of the Wizengamot sentences you to be Obliviated, you are to spend the rest of your life as a muggle with no memories of the Wizarding world or anyone involved in it" gasps could be heard all around.
At hearing his sentence Snape's head immediately snapped up and turned to the left and stared directly into his lovers green eyes., he could see tears welling up in them. He couldn't help but feel that this was worst than being sentenced to Azkaban, at least there he would have the memories of the past five months he has spent with his lover, Harry Potter. He would have something to fight for, for he knows his soul mate is out in the world waiting for him.
Snape slowly tears his eyes away from Harry, he couldn't bare to see the pain and suffering in his eyes anymore. He looks back down towards the floor awaiting for Kingsley to perform the spell,.
"NO! Please no, anything but that!" Harry shouts from the stalls as he stands up. "Please Kingsley, you know him you know he only did what he had to do, Please don't take him away, he's the only person I have left" Harry said as tears began falling from his eyes.
Shacklebolt shook his head slightly before answering Harry, "I'm sorry Harry, he murdered a man, we can't just let him walk out of here".
"He did what he was asked to by Albus Bloody Dumbledore, he was fulfilling a promise he made him make, do you think he really wanted to do that? Kill his mentor? The only person that has ever been there for him as a friend? No he didn't!" Harry screamed.
"I'm sorry Harry" Shacklebolt said as he raised his wand towards Snape.
"NO! Wait, Please?" Harry said as he quickly left the stalls and ran towards Snape, kneeling down in front of him.
"Severus" Harry began, "Look at me, Severus" he said as Snape slowly began to lift his head. "I'll find you, I promise"
"No Harry, you need to move on" Snape said as he slowly raise a hand, lifting it as far as the shackles would allow. He cupped Harry's cheek before using his thumb to slowly brush away his tears, Harry closes his eyes and leans into Snape's touch, never wanting him to let go. "Harry, please do as I say?"
Harry opens his eyes and looks into the black sad eyes of his lover, "I can't, I won't lose you too, I will find you if it's the last thing I do, I love you Severus" Harry said before leaning forward and pressing his lips on Snape's earning gasps from everyone in the room. Harry leaned in closer deepening the kiss, he opened his lips slightly and Snape took the opportunity and slip his tongue in Harry's mouth. Their tongue's battle for dominance, while ignoring all the gasps and whispers coming from the room. The kiss was filled with passion and heartache as more tears begin to fall more rapidly from Harry's eyes.
Snape slowly pulled away from Harry, giving him a quick peck on the lips before whispering in his ear, "I love you too, Harry" he pulls back and gives Harry a half smile, which Harry has learnt over the past seven months of them living together that, that is the way Snape smiles when he is happy, he would never really let go and smile properly but Harry was okay with that, he had learnt to read Snape really well.
Harry begrudgingly gets up from his knees, he saw Snape give a slight nod to Kingsley. Harry can't bear to see Snape without memories of who he is and what they had so he makes his way out of the room.
Kingsley raises in wand and points it towards Snape, "Obliviate" a silvery light leaves the tip of Kingsley wand and hits Snape right in the chest. Kingsley looks up to the two Aurors that are stood either side of Snape, he nodded slightly at the one of the left before saying, "You know where to take him".
Both Aurors stepped forward and placed a hand on one each of Snape's shoulders, before turning around and apparating out of the court room.
Chapter One
Five months later.
Hermione walked into the Room, she walked upto to Ron and placed a small kiss on his cheek, "how's he doing?" she asked in a concerned voice.
Ron slowly wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her slightly closer, "He hasn't moved today, just sat there with his arms wrapped around his legs rocking slowly" he said looking towards Harry, who starred into space and didn't even acknowledge they were there.
"We need to do something to help him, its been five months since Snape left" Hermione began.
"He didn't leave Hermione" Ron piped up quickly.
"No Ron, he didn't he was punished and taken away to live a happy life without remembering Harry but Harry" she said pointing towards Harry who was curled up on the sofa in their flat they rented in London, "remembers him, remembers what they had together, the love they shared for each other. The pain of loosing him is eating him up and if we don't do something and soon we are going to loose Harry too" she retorted.
"I think we need to try to find him" Ron said quietly before looking towards Hermione.
"How? How are we suppose to find him when Harry has spent four months trying to find him without any luck whatsoever and now he spends all his time curled up on our sofa barely moving or eating. What can we do to find him that Harry can't, one of the strongest wizards alive?" she whispers not wanted to upset Harry any further.
"I don't know Hermione but I do know that if it were you that were taken away from me, I don't know how I would cope and I'd like to think that my friend, Harry would be there for me" Ron smiled.
"Your right Ron, we need to do what we can to help Harry find him, we need a plan" Hermione whispered.
Hermione quickly turned away from Ron and headed for her bookshelves, she slowly ran her index finger across the spine of the books, taking in the titles as she went. She grabbed a few books she thought might be helpful before moving to the dining table and quickly began going through them.
Ron followed Hermione over to the dining table, "What are you looking for?" he asked confused.
Hermione looked up from the book she was currently flicking through to address Ron, "Well, I thought it might be a good idea to find out the laws on Snape's punishment?" she said quickly before returning her attention back to the book.
"Oh" Ron said looking puzzled, "but why? We know why he got punished and what happened to him how is researching the laws going to help Harry get him back?"
"Well if we manage to find Snape and Harry decides to blurt out everything that happened to him, the fact that he is a wizard for one, well it could land our best friend in Azkaban and I don't want that, so I thought that maybe researching the laws might give us an understand on how to approach him, if and when we find him" Hermione retorted.
"You've got a point there, why didn't we think of this sooner?" Ron asked.
"Probably because it won't actually get him back but it will help in the long run" Hermione responded without looking up from her book.
"True" Ron responded. "I think I'm going to sort through Harry's mail" Ron said pointing towards the large stack of mail on the coffee table. "He has been in touch with a few wizards and witches with leads on Snape's whereabouts in the past five months and since he's spent the past month curled up on that sofa and not even opened a single letter it might be an idea to start sorting threw and following up on any leads they may hold" he said quickly moving to the coffee table, picking up the mail.
"Yes, that's a good idea" Hermione said quickly, turning her attention to Harry whom hadn't moved since she had entered the room, not to even show interest in what they are doing.
Serverus Prince formally known as Serverus Snape, Potions master and ex headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is currently living in the muggle world with no memories of being a wizard or his previous life.
Prince is the proud owner of a Art Gallery in a small town just outside of Devon. Ever since he was a young boy, he had always loved to paint. It was his way to show his feelings without actually showing them. As he grew older, he studied fine art at university, his ambition was to one day own an art gallery and he had finally got that dream. He was content with how his life had turned out when it came to his career, but one thing he always longed for was a lover, someone to share his life with to make him truly happy. He had had previous partners in his life but they never shared his ambitions or desires as an artist so none had worked out well. He lives alone in the small two bedroom flat above his Art Gallery, which is very neatly decorated with a vast number of paintings hanging from the walls, none of which he did himself. He keeps his spare bedroom as a workshop where he paints his own creations but he never sells them for fear that no one would want them.
Prince had spent the day downstairs working in the Gallery, he was pleased with the outcome. He had managed to sell a few of the more expensive paintings that he had available making him a nice profit. He closed up the shop and headed upstairs and straight into his workshop where he positioned himself behind the large canvas he had prepared earlier this morning, ready to capture the sunset through the large window in front of him. He quickly began painting with long swift brush strokes getting in as much of the view as he possibly could in the short time he had to paint.
Once the sun had gone down, Prince gave up painting and got up to leave his workshop. Before he left the room he stopped before a portrait he had hanging beside the door. "Who are you?" he asked out loud to no one in particular. He looked deeply at the portrait taking in the face, running a long slender finger down the cheek of the portrait. He had seen the face hundreds of times in his head, every day before he went to sleep, he see those beautiful green eyes starring at him lovingly. He never knew who this boy was but his heart ached for him everyday.
Back in muggle London, Ron and Hermione were deep in searching for anything to help them discover Snape's whereabouts, they couldn't handle seeing their friend like this anymore.
Harry began to fidget on the sofa, where he had spent the day thinking about where his life is going to go, now he no longer holds any hope of finding his love, Severus Snape.
He knew he couldn't keep relying on Ron and Hermione, living rent free in their house eating the meals they prepare for him and never contributing to help in anyway. He no longer wanted to be a burden to them. So he decided it was time for him to leave, he got up from the sofa and headed towards his bedroom, grabbing his wand from the coffee table on the way.
He entered his room and began to quickly pack his trunk, the muggle way. Grabbing anything he thinks he might need, he could always get the rest another time. Once his trunk was packed he sat on the end of the bed looking longingly at a photo that sat on his bedside cabinet. The only photo he has of him and Severus. Snape was very opposed to being in photos but this one was taken on one of their many excursions and Harry had to beg him to have just one photo with him. Eventually Harry had won and got the photo he wanted.
Harry and Snape had been together as a couple for a month but had been living together for two month's before that. After the war Harry returned to retrieve what he thought would be Snape's dead body from the shrieking shake to find that Snape was still breathing but badly injured. Harry took it upon himself to protect Snape and nurse him back to full health whilst he tried to clear his name as a known death eater and murderer of Albus Dumbledore.
In those two months they had spent together Harry and Snape became closer than they ever imagined possible, after seven years of so much hate. Their personalities literally bounced off each other, they both knew exactly how to wind the other up the wrong way. They became comfortable in each others presence, their daily routine's began to revolve around the other and when they weren't together they longed for the other to return. They eventually became lovers.
Harry and Snape had just apparated into a small alleyway, in St Ives, Cornwall. They made their way out of the alleyway, fully dressed in muggle clothing and began to make their way towards the seafront. Harry was excited it was only the second time he had been to the seaside as the Dursley's refused to take him as a child. They eventually rounded a corner and stopped at the top of a rather large hill, the view they had of the seaside and harbour was breathtaking.
"Wow this place is beautiful" Harry said looking around taking in the scenery, he took a deep breath taking in the scent of the sea. "I don't think I can ever get enough of the smell of the sea water" Harry said with a cheesy smile, turning to look at Snape who was smiling slightly but would never admit to actually smiling. Harry took a step to the left, standing close to Snape and slowly intertwined their fingers, then rested his head on Snape's shoulder.
"Yes, it was rather beautiful" Snape replied as he lowered his head to rest on top on Harry's.
They had spent the day at the seaside, Harry had eaten plently candyfloss with a constant smile on his face, he spent the day in and out of the sea and building sandcastles, catching up on things he missed out on doing as a child. While Severus took the time to enjoy one of his favourite hobbies, photography. Being a death eater and a Professor for twenty years Severus had never had much time to enjoy indulge in his passion of photography and now that he had a bit of spare time on his hand he intended to use it wisely.
Harry made his way back to where Severus was sitting on a rock and grabbed one of the towels to dry himself off. He see Severus' camera in his hand and couldn't help but ask something he had longed for but knew that Severus was dead against, "Can we have a photo together?" Harry avoiding eye contact as he knew Snape was likely to bite his head off.
"And why would you want a photo with me?" Snape retorted.
"Oh come on Severus, don't be like that? I know you hate being in photo's but I want at least one photo with you and there is no better time than now, here on his beautiful beach" Harry said with a cheeky grin. "Please?" Harry begged. Severus hated when Harry looked at him like that, he could never say no to him when he was pulling that face.
"Fine" Snape replied sharply, "One photo, that's it!"
"That's all I want!" Harry grinned. He watched as Snape jumped down from the rock and rested his camera there and set the time on it. After setting up his camera, Snape went and stood beside Harry and wrapped his arm around his waist. As they waited for the camera to flash Harry couldn't help but smile widely whilst Severus stood there scowling, he hated that Harry could always talk him into doing this he despised. What was that boy turning him into? He couldn't help but wonder.
Harry picked up the photo frame slowly rubbing a finger along the image of the potions master he missed so dearly. A small smile crept on his face from the memory of that day. Before he knew he was even crying a tear drop landed on the frame. He quickly wiped away the tear and then wiped his face before putting the photo in his trunk with the rest of his belongings. He shrank his trunk and slipped it into his pocket before quickly looking around the room to see if there was anything else he might need.
Harry quickly made his way out of his room and headed straight for the door, hoping not to be stopped by Ron and Hermione but he had no such luck.
"Where are you going mate?" Ron asked quickly turning his attention to Harry.
"I have to go, Sorry" Harry answered as he grabbed the door handle.
"What do you mean go? You live here remember?" Hermione asked confused as she got up and walked over to the door where Harry stood.
"I can't do this anymore Ron! I can't stay here with you daily, eating your food, living rent free and withering away on your couch, Severus isn't coming back I lost him, its time for me to move on and start a new life, without magic" Harry said as he fought back tears.
Ron and Hermione starred at Harry open mouthed. "Look mate" Ron began, "I know you loved him, I will never understand why" Ron shuddered "but I know that you do and he loved you but he wouldn't want this for you…"
"What wouldn't he want Ron? For me to move on and start living my life again? You think he would want me to sit and wither away on your sofa for the rest of my life?" Harry snapped.
"That's not what I meant and you know it Harry! I meant living your life denying you're a wizard, living as a muggle in the muggle world! Giving up!" Ron shouted.
Harry took a calming breath, "Look Ron, I know your concerned about me but honestly I am fine, I'm just going to live in the house that Sirius had left me in Devon, its quite there and I need time…"
"Your going all the way to Devon?" Hermione piped up, "As a muggle by yourself? Oh Harry, don't do this…"
"Hermione, I know your own worried about me but I will be fine and as much as I am giving up magic, I will make sure my floo is warded to accept the both of you, it's the only magic I will still be using, if Severus has to live a life in the muggle world then so will I" Harry said as he reached out and opened the door, he turned back to look at his friends before saying, "I love you both, but don't worry about me, I will be fine. I just need time that's all, see you both soon". Harry gave them both a small sad smile before stepping over the wards that protected their flat and checked the hallways to make sure no one was there before apparating away.