Title: Harry, Are You Doing Okay?

Genre: Angst/Romance

Pairings: Harry/Snape, mentions of past Harry/Draco

Rating: M

Warnings: AU, M/M Slash, abuse, mentions of past abuse, No Voldie/Death Eaters

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters, locations, or spells. That right belongs with JK Rowling and the others involved in the Harry Potter Universe. Any recognizable lyrics are property of their artist, record company, or other involved entities. I'm simply borrowing them for my pleasure, and yours.

Summary: Harry breaks up with Draco, and finds solace in the arms of another man. Songfic "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay" by The Offspring.. Slash, M/M. Warnings inside.

~*~

Harry lay on his bed in his dorm, returning after a night with his new lover. He was so patient and careful with Harry, it cause him to reflect on his last disaster of a relationship. His favorite song came on his iPod, and Harry closed his eyes, letting the words wash over him.

There's a moment in time
And it's stuck in my mind
Way back, when we were just kids

~*~

Sixth year, Harry cornered Draco and kissed him after Potions. Draco had responded enthusiastically, and the two began seeing each other soon after. Things were great in both boys worlds. Shortly thereafter, the abuse began.

Draco began shouting at Harry for simply talking to his friends. Draco became enraged when Harry stood up to him, telling Harry that he was 'his boyfriend' and he could no longer spend time with his friends. Harry argued and the result was a spectacular black eye.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," Draco pleaded, the next day. "I never meant to hurt you. You trust me, right?"

"Yes, Draco, I trust you," Harry said, half-heartedly. "It was out of your control. I was stupid."

"Damn right, you were," Draco said, before forcefully kissing Harry.

~*~

"Harry, get over here and be my partner," Draco demanded, one day in Potions.

"Yes, Draco," Harry said, slowly making his way to Draco's worktable. He glanced at the professor, hoping he saw the depressed gleam in his eyes.

Cause your eyes told the tale
Of an act of betrayel
I knew that somebody did

~*~

The routine continued for six months before Harry decided he'd had enough.

Oh, waves of time
Seem to wash away
The scenes of our crime
But for you this never ends

"Draco, I'm done being your punching bag," Harry said, before leaving the Great Hall.

"Harry," Draco said, glaring at the smaller boy. "You're MY boyfriend. You'll deal with whatever I decided to give you."

"That's where you're wrong, Draco," Harry said, standing to his full 5'7 height. "I'm not taking your abuse any longer. It's not how a couple is supposed to behave towards one another."

Can you stay strong?
Can you go on?
Harry are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom
Winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying
To get back what was taken away

To neither boys knowledge, Professor Snape was paying close attention to their verbal sparring match. Draco raised his fist to plow it into Harry's cheek, only to be stopped by harsh words from his head of house.

Though the marks on your robes
Had been neatly repressed
I know that something was wrong
And I should have spoke out
And I'm so sorry now
I didn't know
Cause we were so young

"Mr. Malfoy, is it true that you've been inflicting injuries on Mr. Potter?" Severus asked, as he strode to the boys.

"No, Sir," Draco said, dropping his arm to his side. "He's just clumsy, that's all."

"I've seen how you treat Mr. Potter in class," Severus said, a sneer on his lips. "You will lose 200 points and gain a month's worth of detentions scrubbing toilet, the muggle way. And your father will be notified.

"My father wouldn't believe you over me," Draco spat, glaring at Severus.

"With my memory attached, he'll have no choice but to believe me," Severus said, keeping an eye on Harry. "Now, get to your common room, before I'm forced to take further action."

"Yes, Sir," Draco said, before turning on his heel and striding away.

Oh, clouds of time
Seem to rain on
Innocence left behind
And it never goes away

~*~

Shortly after Harry broke up with Draco, Severus asked the young man to stay after class.

"How are you handling not being with Draco, Harry?" Severus asked, sitting behind his desk.

Can you stay strong?
Can you go on?
Harry are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom
Winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying
To get back what was taken away

"It's quite liberating, not having to worry about his overbearing attititude," Harry said, quietly. "And I enjoy being able to spend time with my friends without having to answer to his fist when I spent time with him."

"Harry, you know that relationships should never be based on violence, correct?" Severus asked, looking at the young man gently.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, looking into his lap.

"Would you like to be my lover, Harry?" Severus asked, gently lifting the young man's chin. "I promise that I am nothing like that despicable waste of space, Draco Malfoy."

"Wouldn't that be awkward, Sir?" Harry asked, his eyes hopeful.

Oh, clouds of time
Seem to rain on
Innocence left behind
And it never goes away (It never goes away)
It never goes away

"If you mean, a student and his teacher, no," Severus said, a gentle smile on his face. "If you mean the age difference, it's much smaller than you think. Your 'relationship' with Draco pushed you to mature much more quickly than your peers. Also, the loss of your parents just before you came to Hogwarts pushed you to mature more quickly. Yes, we have nearly twenty years between us, but intellectually, we are much closer."

Can you stay strong?
Can you go on?
Harry are you doing okay?
A rose that won't bloom
Winter's kept you
Don't waste your whole life trying
To get back what was taken away

"I'm not sure I could handle another relationship so soon, Sir," Harry said, memories of Draco's abuse fresh in his mind. His eyes turned dark, and he began to tremble.

"Harry, relax," Severus said, moving around his desk to embrace the young man. When he felt Harry relax into his arms, Severus again asked, "Would you like to be my lover?"

"Yes, Severus," Harry said, looking up to him. "You'll just have to be patient with me. It's going to take time to push the memories of Draco away."

"I'll be here every step of the way, Harry," Severus said, holding Harry gently.

~*~

At the end of the song, Harry turned his iPod off and placed it in his bedside table. He then saw the photo of he and Severus smiling and waving happily to the camera. He smiled as he lay back, looking up at the canopy of his bed.

"Did you go see Severus?" Ron asked, stepping into the dorm.

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling to his best friend. "He's so great."

"He seems to have lightened up quite a bit since you started seeing him," Ron said, smiling as well. After the dark six months Harry had spent with Draco, Ron was very happy to see his best friend smiling again.

"I got a letter from Draco the other day," Harry said, tossing the parchment to Ron. "He desperately wants me back. 'Oh, I was such a prat.' or 'I was wrong to have treated you that way.' What a load of bollocks."

"I'd keep Severus," Ron said, after glancing over the letter. "Granted, he went to school with your parents, he's more understanding than most blokes our age."

"I plan on keeping him as long as he'll keep me," Harry said, smiling.

"I'm glad to hear that," Ron said, smiling as well.

~*~

The last few months of his seventh year were stressful. Harry had to study for his NEWTs and manage to fit in visits to Severus.

"Would you like some help with studying for your Potions NEWT?" Severus asked, as he and Harry were spending time in the lab, while he finished a batch of Pepper-Up potion for Madame Pomfrey.

"No, I think I have it under control," Harry said, watching the professor move gracefully around the lab. "I'll just need to focus, despite who's in that NEWT with me."

"Draco has laid off," Severus said, looking to Harry. "He's promised me to leave you alone."

"I love you, Severus," Harry said, looking at his lover.

"I love you, too, Harry," Severus said, moving to embrace the young man.

~*~

A/N: I was listening to my Offspring, heard "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" and this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone until I got it down on paper.

It's kind of short, but it got the job done.

Hope you enjoy,

-KD