Bright, huge green eyes stared back at him, eyes captivated with shards of innocence that was coloured by dark experiences and torment. His wavy, dishevelled hair gave him the look of a rogue, someone who had set out in life to tackle anything roughly, brave the odds and fight the unknown with a flick of a wand. And he had done just that. He had defeated the Dark Lord and had fought a tiresome battle and had won. Here Harry sat once again in front of him and all he could envisage was the lanky, pompous and conceited boy he had known for over five years. But there was a bit more now that was added to the deep green eyes.

Something behind those eyes flickered with fear and yet excitement of somehow discovering a dangerous and terrible thing. Snape wondered if the thing Harry was thinking about was exactly what he was pondering on and his hands began to tremble slightly. After all these years had he finally figured it out? Had Harry finally found out what lay behind the shadowed veil of loathing and disgust that had torn them apart all these years? Snape watched him with anxious eyes, black tunnels that were once empty were now filled with a growing light that was becoming brighter as the green ones penetrated them.

'Harry Potter, I thought I'd never see you again.'

'So did I.'

Snape didn't allow his eyes to register any sort of emotion that would give him away. Trying as he could to keep himself fully composed, he knew that if Potter took one or even two full steps towards him, he'd lose self control. It had been years; five years and counting since they had last seen each other face to face. Both of them had changed tremendously and with the time that lapsed between them, either took in the other without giving away any expression.

It was Harry who began to reminisce on the man he had known years ago. This person standing before him was the very same but yet many things had changed. Snape no longer looked extremely cold and pale but there was slight colour to his skin that gave him a warm, tanned glow. Maybe it was the continuous stress that was entwined with Voldemort's doings that had made him appear pasty and evil. That was no more. Snape looked different from when he had last seen him. And his hair had grown a little way below his shoulders. He suddenly envisaged his fingers running through Snape's hair, down his neck and beneath his crisp blue shirt.

And the man was wearing a shirt, nonetheless blue but not black. What a sight it was to see him dressed in black jeans as well with his hair grabbled up into a ponytail that hung limp behind his neck. But yet, although there were visible changes to him, something else was different that Harry just couldn't place his finger on at the moment. Something about his face was different, or was it the fact that he had not seen him for years that he had forgotten how Snape looked? No it couldn't be that. He never forgot how Snape looked. Many would have, but Harry never did.

'What is it that you want?' Snape asked and Harry allowed the sound of his voice to soothe his mind, allowing the sensation it produced to travel through his body and into his heart that had become bruised from missing that sound and that face.

'I just wanted to see you again.'

Snape wanted to say the same. He wanted so much to tell Harry how he had missed him and had grown depressed over not seeing him for all these years but he just couldn't gather the strength to say it out loud. Of course, at that moment, what he wanted to do was just sit back and allow the sight of Harry to leave an imprint in his mind forever. He observed how he had gotten taller, but not stocky like James Potter. He was leaner and slender with well muscled arms and only God knew what else was hidden under that t shirt. His hair, although dishevelled, looked very proper to Snape, something that used to anger him whenever he would look at Harry. Back then he couldn't look at Harry and not see James. But he had grown to love the boy for who he was and not for him being like his father in any way.

Harry was nothing like James. There was a big difference in the James he loathed and the one boy who had developed into a man whom he had grown to fall deeply in love with. Nothing more had to be said about it from there. Loving Harry for so many years, from the time he was in fifth year had been torturous for him. It was like trying to pull a hat out of a basket filled with snakes without having a wand. And yet, he had made that wrong choice by believing if he purposely turned his feelings against Harry, he could have gotten over him. How stupid had he been to believe it would have worked.

'Where have you been all these years? Many of times I have searched and never found you', Snape said with his eyes on Harry's.

'Well you couldn't have searched hard or long enough. I have always been around.'

'In Godric's Hollow?'

'I live here', Harry said waving a hand around. 'Just two corners from here actually.'

'Greg's Inn?'

'Yes the very same.'

'But that's just impossible. I would have seen you around for sure.'

Harry smiled then sighed. 'I've been busy working, Snape. An Auror's job is never done.'

'Well stated. How have you been?'

'Great actually. My job keeps me occupied. What about you? I saw you a couple of times from a distance but never really cared to bother you.'

And Snape felt his heart twinge to think that Harry had seen him around and never bothered to greet him.

'I wouldn't have minded.'

'After the war I figured you'd never want to see me again. You know, after living in hell's hole to protect me.' And Harry shrugged but something flickered behind his eyes that he wasn't too quick to hide from Snape. 'I missed you though. Guess I never really got around to saying thanks for everything you did for me.'

Snape's eyes, being sharp like they had always been for years, didn't miss the look behind Harry's eyes. It was something that he couldn't decipher at the moment. Trying as hard as he could to read Harry's expression as they conversed, he could only detect a bit of the same playfulness Harry had always had in him coupled with a mixture of friendliness and compassion. As much as he wanted to be thankful that Harry had taken time to find him to say he appreciated what he had done, there was a lot more that he had expected. For the moment, nothing was happening.

'That's perfectly alright.'

'But that's not all I came here to tell you', Harry said and Snape felt his chest tighten.