I didn't write this, lary from Archive of Our Own did and I have his/her permission.
Enjoy!
"You cannot be serious," Severus says, as he emerges from the pensieve, horror-struck.
"I most certainly am," Dumbledore replies.
"With these spin talents, you would have made a great Minister of Magic."
"Now, now, there's no need for name-calling."
"No need?" Severus sputters incredulously. "You have made me into a character in a Metilda Swaning novel!"
"They are rather pleasant, aren't they? Say, have you read the latest one? The male lead is rather fetching, I'm sure you'd agree, though the setting obviously leaves something to be desired, what with the-"
"I assure you, I have far better things to do with my time than to resort to such drivel," Severus interrupts icily.
"Ah, well, I do find it important to indulge in romance once in a while."
"So it seems. Can we get back to the matter at hand? You cannot imagine I would find that remotely acceptable."
The headmaster merely looks at him over his damn glasses. "Remember, it's all for the Greater Good. A certain... interpretation of the events is, I believe, the most effective way to ensure that Harry does what is necessary, to show him another side of you, one that you have always refused to show him yourself. He'll need to see you in a different light in order to trust you."
"At least I will not be alive to witness it," Severus mutters to himself, as he watches Albus contain the memories into an easily obtainable shape, before giving them back to Severus. They are familiar ones, but in his head, they feel like they've been fit into unfamiliar moulds held together by magical strands, refusing to incorporate themselves along with his fuller recollection of his life.
"Now that that business is out of the way, shall we move onto the matter of the sword?"
Fourteen months later
Snape sits at his dining room table and stares at the front page of Daily Prophet, sincerely wishing he hadn't managed to drink the antivenom before Nagini's bite had time to finish him off for good.
EXLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE BOY-WHO-LIVED-TWICE:
THE STORY OF LONG LOST LOVE OF SEVERUS SNAPE TO HARRY POTTER'S MOTHER
There's an old photograph of Lily and him at Hogwarts gates, dragged up from Circe-knows-where, showing Lily beaming happily and Severus scowling only slightly less at the photographer than he's doing now.
He's just contemplating whether to feed the paper to the flames in the fireplace or to the reporter – Potter would be another valid option were he not the reason why he's still out of Azkaban – when another owl flies in from the window he was too distracted to close. He curses at the regal silver bird, which he hasn't seen around for several months of blessedly Malfoy-free existence. A pleasure that is now broken thanks to Potter.
The handwriting is, of course, Lucius', who was intimately aware of Severus' preferences when they were at Hogwarts together, and who now apparently can't resist basking in his public embarrassment, despite the fact that their acquaintance came to an end with the war.
Dear Old Friend,
How are you? I read about the tragic romance of your youth. You may imagine my surprise, but since I was unaware at the time, please allow me to express my most sincere regrets at this late date.
I do hope you have made sure that Harry Potter isn't yours.
Sincerely,
Lucius Malfoy
Severus grimaces and summons his quill.
Dear Lucius,
Thank you for your kind but quite unnecessary concern regarding my family situation. I am well, although the preparations for receiving the Order of Merlin are keeping me rather busy. Such a shame that you will be unable to attend the Ministry ceremony, but I'm sure I will see Narcissa and Draco there.
Do give Auror Moody my best.
Sincerely,
Severus
After his owl leaves with the letter, Severus smirks and treats the Prophet to a well-earned incendio.
Nineteen months later
"Merlin, it's impossible to find you," is Potter's greeting when Severus opens the door.
"Apparently not impossible enough. How did you manage it? I'm sure it wasn't your intellectual capacities."
"Dumbledore's portrait told me he left you this house," says Potter, inviting himself in.
"Ah. It seems the old fool didn't live quite long enough to tire of the meddling during his lifetime, then. I suppose this is an appropriate punishment for delivering his death."
"This looks surprisingly... nice," Potter says, walking in and observing the small quarters.
Yes it does, indeed, Severus thinks, using the opportunity to observe Potter. The boy has grown into a man, still short but with an auror's build. He's magnificent and, of course, entirely oblivious, which in this instance works in Severus' favour. He looks better wandering around Severus' sitting room than he does in the pictures on newspaper articles. Though very likely not as good as he would in the bedroom.
"High praise," Severus comments dryly, but Potter simply laughs and sits on his couch like he belongs there, which isn't as disturbing as it should be.
Severus settles himself into the opposing armchair. "Tea?" he ask after an amusing amount of awkward fidgeting from Potter.
"Yeah," Potter replies with a relieved grin. "Hey, that's the newest Swaning novel, isn't it? You're reading it?"
"Another one of the curses the headmaster kindly bestowed upon me," Severus scowls, sweeping the book away hastily. "So, why are you here?"
"I dunno... just wanted to see how you were, I guess. Missed you."
Severus snorts. "I certainly haven't missed you, particularly after the spectacle you made out of my life in the media."
"You could've shown up to accept the Order of Merlin, at least."
"They were perfectly capable of owling it to me. Fortunate, since it makes a convenient bookend."
Potter laughs. "I just use mine as paperweight."
"Yes, I'm certain the fan mail would otherwise be unbearable," Severus remarks, allowing himself a smirk.
"Shut up," Potter says, but then when Severus complies, he starts to squirm again. "You've just locked yourself up here, without any contact to the wizarding world, without seeing anybody."
"As I prefer it."
"But after everything, you'd be a hero. You'd get recognition, with all you did for us."
"I assure you, once on the front page of the Prophet was more than enough," Severus says dryly.
"Yeah, I get that," Potter looks a little ashamed. "I just wanted them to know... I don't know, that there was more to you, a softer side... that you had a true love- my mum, and what she was to you."
Severus grimaces. "It was never like that. If you must know, Albus wished to provide you a certain interpretation of the events. Lily and I were never romantically involved, nor did I wish that."
Potter looks at him disbelievingly. "But you were so possessive of her, adamant that she shouldn't be with my dad! You wouldn't have been that way if you hadn't been in love with her."
"So, I suppose that if, say, Miss Granger decided to start seeing Mister Malfoy, you would give them your wholehearted support?"
"No!" Potter exclaims in horror. "Damn. I guess you have a point," he looks a little deflated. "So you didn't really love her?"
"Not like that. She wasn't exactly... my type." Severus waits for the understanding to dawn, but of course he should have remembered that Potter doesn't do subtle. "For Merlin's sake," he huffs and pulls the other man forward, capturing his lips in a bruising kiss.
"Oh," Potter remarks when he's released. "I guess she wasn't," he then grins, and kisses Severus with enthusiasm that makes him feel electrified. He sucks on Potter's tongue, which is attacking his mouth, and the taste wakes up something deep within that makes him groan and grasp at anything he can reach. He drags Potter up from the couch only to back him into the wall and trap the firm body flush against his.
Potter is making delicious sounds, hips jerking in abandon. Severus angles his leg against his groin and relinquishes Potter's mouth in favour of the skin of his neck, biting and sucking and marking the pale flesh under his teeth, and there's a continuous ohgodohgodohgod which really shouldn't be making Severus feel as aroused as it is.
"Come, Harry, and I'll fuck you," he murmurs, pressing down harder, and the other man tenses, crying out as he spends himself, still fully clothed, with a dazed expression of pleasure. Severus holds him up against the wall until he seems to recover enough to stand himself.
"Bloody hell," Potter comments, staring him with a nearly uncomfortable intensity.
Severus steps away from him and turns, starting to unbutton his robes with an urgency that refuses to leave him. "Follow me," he says as he strides towards the bedroom. He has a short moment of suspense, with time enough to convince himself that Potter will come to his senses and take off now that the bloodflow has returned from his cock to his brain. But Potter complies then, skipping after him and staring at his emerging, naked flesh with more reverence that it inspires.
"Undress and on your back, if you please," says Severus, more articulate than he's honestly feeling at this point. He rids himself of his last clothes, dropping them into a pile on the floor, his cock jutting out of his body, hard in anticipation and well pleased at the sight of Harry scrambling out of his clothes and presenting himself unreservedly on top of the covers, already half-hard again, and with his legs spread wide in invitation that Severus hardly feels like resisting.
He can barely find the patience for preparation, except that Harry's pushes back on the slick fingers, writhing and moaning in a way that renders Severus incapable to do more than stare at him, incapacitated with want, only allowing him to move when Harry gasps, "Please, oh God, please, want you inside me... fuck, please, Severus." At that point nothing could stop him, and he hastily slicks his cock and lines it up, sliding into the tight heat of Harry's arse, apparently not too fast, for Harry pushes back with a desperate sound. Severus sinks his fingers into Harry's hips, where they're certain to leave bruises, and he grounds himself into the pliant body underneath him in an attempt to start up slowly. It's not long, however, before he loses the struggle with himself, as Harry's green eyes fixate on him, half-lidded with lust. His instincts take over the control of his hips and he fucks Harry fast and hard, needing more, needing everything.
"Fuck, Harry, touch yourself, now," he gasps, and Harry has barely the opportunity to comply, stroking his erection into spilling between them, before Severus is coming undone, waves of incredible satisfaction washing through him, making him tremble and hold onto Harry in desperation.
It's an inordinate time until he comes back to himself.
"Well, I didn't exactly come here for that," Harry says.
"I didn't hear you complaining."
"And you won't, either, if this time is anything to go by."
Severus raises a questioning eyebrow, and Harry responds by kissing him a slow, soft way that causes Severus to shiver and draw the other man closer. "Of course I want to do that again, are you daft?" Harry murmurs into his ear.
"That would be... acceptable," Severus manages to say, which he admits is an understatement even by his usual standards. Fortunately Harry's Gryffindor sensibilities aren't easily offended, and he just laughs. Severus feels a smile threatening, so he rises swiftly for the bathroom.
"Um, is it alright if I stay here for the night?" Harry's voice stops him at the door, and he's taken aback by the badly hidden insecurity in his expression. What does he have to be insecure about? Does he really not realise that he could have anybody?
Severus walks over to the bed and says softly, "You may stay for as long as you wish to."
Harry's face lights up in a smile that seems to radiate warmth, and it draws him inescapably. The soft lips under his make Severus forget about the bathroom and everything else for a long while.