Severus never relegated work to anyone. He lived by the saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." He always wanted things done right. And he rarely had time to redo other people's sloppy work.
He always made his own potions, always graded his own papers, always made up his own tests, and always wrote his own material… without any help from anyone.
He didn't trust anyone else to do it right. This distrust had only grown over years and years alone.
Of course, when he was single, it mattered not at all if he couldn't trust others to help him with anything.
Unfortunately, he wasn't single. Harry had been in his life for nine months now. Severus adored his lover. He even trusted his lover. Well, trusted him with everything except with his work.
"So what are you doing today?" Harry asked Severus over breakfast.
"I need to go to Diagon Alley to pick up some potions ingredients, to Hogsmeade to pick up a book, I need to brew Pepper-Up and healing potions for Poppy, I need to organize my books because Draco asked for a volume, and I need to cook dinner."
Harry frowned. "When are you going to have time to do all this?"
Severus dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. "Not important."
"Sev, it is. Let me help. I can find the book for Malfoy and cook dinner. I'm not doing much else today."
"I can't let you do my work!"
"I'm not going to. I can't brew potions and I wouldn't be able to pick out the right ingredients, but I am certainly capable of finding a book, even in your library, and I can make an excellent dinner."
"Harry, it's not that important."
"Yes, it is. If you're working all day, you'll be exhausted by the evening. And you won't even be done, given your laundry list. Let me help."
Severus mumbled something into his coffee.
"What?" Harry asked testily.
"I'm accustomed to not letting other people help me."
Harry leveled him with a Death Glare. "I am not 'other people.' I am your lover! If you cannot trust me to cook dinner and to find a book for you, then how can you trust me with anything else? With your feelings? With your love? Severus, you can't be together with me and yet not let me help you with your work!"
"I've found," Severus said softly, "that most people are incapable of doing the simplest things."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever trusted me to do anything?"
"Yeah. I trusted you to kill Voldemort."
"Beyond that. Household work?"
Severus' shoulders slumped. "No."
"Severus, I can't live with you if you never let me help you," Harry sighed sadly.
"No!" Severus cried. "Please… I'm sorry. You're right… Harry, would you mind terribly finding a book for me and cooking dinner today?"
"Not at all," Harry smiled.
Severus sighed in relief. Perhaps he could learn to relegate after all.
Relegate – transitive verb. 1. To assign to an inferior position, place, or condition. 2. To assign to an appropriate category or class. 3. To assign or refer (a matter or task, for example) to another for appropriate action. 4. To send into exile; to banish. Word of the Day, February 21, 2008).