Severus sighed. This was not going to be easy. Right now his life was perfect, or as close to perfect as it'd get. Hell, it was better than he ever thought that it would, or icould/i, be. But it wasn't right; it wasn't natural. In the real world, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived could never be happy with ihim/i at all, let alone forever. But he knew that Harry wouldn't say anything. It was up to him to sacrifice his first, last, and only happiness for the happiness of the one he loved.

As soon as he decided that he was going to free Harry, the way in which he would do it seemed almost too easy for him to figure out. He was methodical in how he was going to go through with it. Harry had introduced him to some things in the Muggle world and Severus had decided that for their last date together they would go to the movies after they went out to dinner. They'd go to a café after the movie had finished and while consuming their coffee, he'd do it. He would act as though he had tired of being with him, that he wanted to move on and find somebody his age, somebody that suited him better.

As he made his way to the restaurant another effect of his plan dawned on him. If he saw Harry out in public after they were no longer together, it would be best for him to revert back to acting with detached and cool indifference if they happened to converse, even if Harry were with somebody. This would prove to be harder than he thought.

Even though they always went out to places together, Harry couldn't wait for the evening. He loved being with Severus and even though they spent every spare minute afforded to them together, Harry's job as an Auror was very time-consuming and he was sometimes taken away from home because of it. That just added to the reason why he could think of nothing better to do than spend every free minute available with Severus. What was planned for their latest excursion was his idea of a perfect date.

He couldn't wait and by 5:30, he was waiting impatiently to leave for the restaurant. He had already showered, done as much as he could with his hair, and donned the emerald green shirt that Snape said matched his eyes exactly, with a pair of black jeans and high-top converse.

Finally, he Apparated to an alley at the end of the block that Severus had made reservations for and drank in the sight of his lover, whom he had spotted as soon as he stepped through the door. He still couldn't get over the initial rush of happiness whenever he saw him after any length of separation, still couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to be with him. The Potions Master was wearing all black, and the color really suited him and fit with his mysterious personality. Harry made his way over and hugged him, Severus returning it forcefully, hiding his face against Harry's neck. As they pulled apart from the prolonged contact, Harry was trying to work out what the difference had been in the hug. As they made their way to a table situated next to a window that looked out onto the beautiful city night life, Harry realized the one other occasion that he had been embraced like that. Hermione and then Ron had come up to him before he journeyed out to face Voldemort on Hogwarts grounds, and they didn't know if they'd ever see each other again. Harry didn't know why there would be any desperation in Severus' hug now, but if he wasn't just imagining things, he was afraid of what the reason behind it might be.

They sat down and took their time in deciding on something new to try. Their conversation was routine; they also spoke about what they did during the day and the random thoughts that they each had, which often led them into an entirely different conversation. Severus looked more…lively and animated tonight, but he listened to Harry's voice as he talked about a variety of subjects instead of contributing more himself. To Harry, he seemed more attentive, though many would wonder how the man could possibly pay any more attention to Harry than he already did.

Severus sat there, absorbing every syllable that slipped from between the Saviour's lips, dreading the passing minutes, drawing, for all intents and purposes, his life to a close. Because he was nothing when he didn't have Harry, after this night he'd just be getting on with his life, not living it.

They finished at the restaurant and walked out into the cool evening air. Severus moved behind Harry and pulled him to his chest; walking with his hands over Harry's resting on Harry's hips. He knew he shouldn't do it, but knowing his time of being able to do it made him almost magnetically attracted to Harry, he couldn't resist touching him. He knew somewhere, in the logical part of his brain, that there was a slim possibility of Harry remembering that he held Harry the majority of the night, but when he did break it off, he would ensure that Harry had no reason to look back and realize that Severus had been all over him before they departed from the movies. He'd have to revert back to being cold and wearing his mask when he broke up with Harry. Back in the early years of Potter's education, it had been so easy to verbally cut into him and tear him down.

Usually Severus Snape always knew what was occurring around him, used to being alert every second of when he was a spy because inattentiveness and possibly being caught unaware and surprised could very well be the difference between life and death.

But if asked what the movie he had just watched was about, he could not answer. He spent the entire 2 and ½ hours watching Harry, playing with his hands while also holding them, kissing his neck, and touching his hair under the pretense of putting it behind his ear.

He enjoyed every moment that he had, every second that he had sitting in that dark auditorium with his companion, glad that the film they were watching was the longest one playing that week. He wished that the movie credits would never start rolling and he savored every second as though each one was an entire lifetime.

But, of course, paradise had to end. The screen went dark and Severus copied the young man in standing. They exited the theatre and Severus found it easier to disconnect himself from the love of his life and the rest of the outside world; he was too focused on what he was about to do.

The walk to the café was 3 blocks and Severus felt like they had taken a Firebolt to the front door, and then to the table that they frequented when they chose to go there. They were seated by a window and Severus gazed out at the bustling city night life going on outside, everyone in their own little bubble. He was pulled out of his bleak contemplations when a waiter *plonked* down their usual orders; Severus took his latte black and Harry had a caramel frappuccino. Harry began sipping at his coffee, stealing wary glances at his boyfriend.

Severus sighed and distractedly started to trace the ring of the delicate cup with one long, elegant index finger. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and as an afterthought, cast a silencing and notice-me-not charm around their table to give them some measure of privacy. He opened his eyes and with a strength that he did not feel, called out, "Harry". When the Saviour looked at him there were both parts apprehension and relief in his beautiful, jewel-colored eyes. He impeded his view of the young man briefly once more and then proceeded to destroy the one thing that he wanted the most in this world. He hardened his gaze and pulled forth the hard tone and biting words from the two decades that he spent as a Death Eater.

"This…experience has been all well and good, Potter, but I think that we need to open our eyes and be honest with ourselves. This has been a very…enlightening period but you have to agree with me that that the time for this charade to come to an end. This has been a very novel time for me, but I believe that I have been recently finding myself desiring something...I don't know, new and refreshing, unknown and mysterious. You can't tell me in all honesty that you don't find your eye wandering, that you don't long for something new, something outside of this tedious routine."

He took a cleansing breath and looked up at Harry to find see if he would be allowed to stop yet, or if he had to continue ripping the battered and beaten organ out of his chest, something that most people called a heart. Harry wasn't looking at him; instead, he was staring down at his half-finished drink. He seemed to consider something carefully and then resolutely looked up at Severus' face, which now looked as though it were a statue carved out of stone.

"If that's the way you feel, then I understand." His tone was flat, lifeless. He gave Severus one last glance and then stood up from the table and walked out into the world that existed outside of the door, now contained in his own little world, thereby breaking the spells that Snape had set up in their corner.

He took a moment to compose himself, dropped some Muggle money on the table between their unfinished, or untouched, coffees and strode out of the now haunted establishment into the frigid night air, repeating like a mantra to himself, iIt's the right thing to do. It's what Harry really wants. It'll all work out and be all right./i