Revised. How would you feel if someone came into your life giving you everything you wanted, only to take it away from you leaving you with absolutely nothing? Slash! HPxSS Oneshot.

Disclaimers: The Usual, not mine! Oneshot Angst.
Beware of bad writing..
Reviews and constructive criticisms are always welcome.

Harry covered his face with his hands, hoping that would stop the unwelcome tears.

"Oh god, how could I have been so stupid?" Harry whispered painfully. "Why don't I ever learn?"

Harry slowly slid down the wall until he hit the floor,

Severus had left Harry precisely one week before his birthday. Well Happy Birthday to him. While they were both attempting to maintain a friendship, Harry still felt his heart breaking to pieces. It might have been easier for Harry in the long run if he simply cut himself off from Severus, but he still wanted to be in his life. If it was through friendship, then so be it. Harry couldn't expect to get everything he always wanted. While he knew there were others out there he could spend his life with, it was Severus whom he wished to be with.

A couple days after the breakup, Harry ceased showing his anger outwardly. A few days after having his heartbroken, Harry stopped feeling. Several days later, Harry finally emerged from his rooms. Soon enough, The Boy-Who-Lived started to be his normal self again, trying vainly to piece himself together from scratch. However, it seemed that things would not be easy for him, as he found himself in pain suffering from betrayal all over again. Just when Harry finally thought he was getting better by pushing all the pain away, fate had other plans for him.

'You don't need to come to Hogwarts next week, it's out of your way and besides, I have so much work to do that I might not even see you.' Hermione said, plastering on what she believed to be a reassuring smile.

Harry was confused, next week was her birthday and he had planned on visiting. Why didn't she want him there? No matter, he would still see her, it was the least he could do after she stood by him all this time. Harry should have realized that Hermione always had her reasons.

Back At Hogwarts

Harry was walking towards Hogwarts ridiculously enough, practicing his smiles. His smile could never deceive Hermione though; she knew that he was just trying to pretend that he had gotten over Severus for the others, and for himself.

When he walked by the Great Hall window, he did a double take. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

The man he loved was there. Right there.

In a passionate embrace with Draco Malfoy.

Harry almost howled in anguish. It had yet to be a month since ... since.. and anyone could see from the passion in the embrace, the absolute familiarity in their movements that this was not a recent development.

Severus

Why, Severus?

He's been lying.

LYING TO ME!

HE BETRAYED ME!

'..How could…how could I have not seen it…'

Harry choked out a sob, "But of course. Stupid Potter, so wrapped up in his own happiness that he couldn't have possibly have seen this coming."

Harry took off running as he threw Hermione's gift down in frustration. As he was running, Hermione had just seen him and tried to call him back. She let one tear fall but hastily swiped it away. Hermione turned to where Harry dropped her present. Gingerly she picked it up and read the small card on he ribbon.

'To an unforgettable best friend:

Happy Birthday, and thank you for always being there and for helping me get over some of the hardest situations I've never had to deal with before. I love you; take care of yourself and Ron, Merlin knows he needs looking after.

Yours,
Harry

Hermione clutched the package as traitorous tears found their way again.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Hermione's eyes were alight with fury, not unlike Dumbledore's when he heard how long Severus had been unfaithful to Harry. Though Severus never touched the Malfoy, he destroyed his relationship once his eyes started to wander.

Hermione's look darkened and stormed back into the Great Hall. When everyone's head turned toward her, she let out an animalistic scream and lunged toward Severus.

"HOW DARE YOU, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HIM?" She screamed while choking him. "ALL HE EVER DID WAS LOVE YOU, AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN LET HIM KNOW IT WAS OVER IN PERSON? JUST HOW MUCH DID THIS RELATIONSHIP MEAN TO YOU?"

Ron rushed over to her and had to grab a hold of her. She was so full of fury though, that he by himself couldn't get her to release her death grip on Snape.

"Why isn't anyone helping me?" Ron gasped out.

Many in the Great Hall coincidentally were on Harry's side and nearly killed Severus when they found out how long the man and Draco were "together".

"Well, perhaps we can toss the body in the river, eh? What do you say Neville" Seamus said almost nonchalantly.

Neville's eyes bore into Draco's and Severus'.

"I think he deserves less than that, his body in a river still gives him some sort of a resting place." He ground out.

Ron finally got Hermione off of Severus with some help from Draco. Though as soon as they were separated, Ron made sure Draco's immaculate face was not left that way when his fist connected with his nose.

An undignified yowl told Ron that his fist was not hurt in vain.

The couple stood together with as much pride as they could muster. Severus rubbed his throat while glaring at everyone.

"I will not say that 'I'm sorry' for my actions, I've done that before and will not do it again. I cannot help how I feel and will not apologize for that either."

A loud resounding smack resonated through the Great Hall.

"Oh of course not, Professor Snape, no one would ever question you, or even ask you to apologize for your feelings. We wouldn't think you capable of that." Luna spat while rubbing her hand.

"You just led Harry on. You actually got him to believe that he was worth something. He was just a placeholder for your feelings until Draco would reciprocate your love, wasn't he?" Ron fumed.

Severus found himself unable to speak. He sent the man a civil letter acknowledging that their liaison had indeed been enjoyable, but needed to end. What was the problem with that?

"WASN'T HE?" Hermione screamed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry heard a knock on his door. He tried vainly to ignore it.

'Why is this person so bloody persistent?'

He finally got up and opened the door.

"Hi Harry." Ron, Hermione, Seamus, and Neville chorused.

Their plastered smiles faltered when they saw how closed off Harry's eyes were, and how tense Harry's figure was as well.

They somehow made their way past Harry without an explosion. When they got to their seats on the couches and on the floor, Hermione finally spoke but her face was directed toward the window.

"We found out last week. That's why I didn't want you to come. You didn't need to shed anymore tears on that asshole. He's not worth it. Even if he IS your friend-

"He IS! He promised." Harry vehemently protested.

"He also promised you a lot of other things. I don't see him keeping up those ends." Ron said gently.

Harry's eyes showed such great betrayal that everyone regretted Ron pulling Hermione off Snape.

"Why wasn't I enough? What didn't I offer? And this whole time.. I knew, I just .. I knew it was too perfect. Why do I always believe that things might work out for me?" Harry said while pulling the hairs out of his head, pleading for an answer.

" Harry, things WILL work out for you. And you were, are, and always will be enough, MORE than enough!" Seamus exclaimed, willing Harry to listen.

"Then WHY am I the one holding a broken heart full of regrets?" Harry cried.

"Because life isn't fair." Neville said calmly, while on the inside, he was sick, because Harry was right. It wasn't likely that Snape would ever feel regretful of his decision.

"Harry, you will love again-

"Hermione, I know that. I know that I can't choose my feelings, or whom I feel them for. Severus is the best example of that." Came Harry's muffled response when he cupped his face in his hands.

"I'm just afraid that you'll close yourself off, that you won't allow yourself to love." Hermione said while touching Harry's shoulder gently.

Harry turned to her with such empty eyes that she drew back.

"It's too late for that." Harry said with a smirk

"Oh, BULLSHIT!" Ron yelled, jumping to his feet. "You can get past this, you don't need him. He should be crawling to your feet, begging for your forgiveness. You shouldn't be the one always suffering. But you always are! No matter how much you give and give, you never got a-anything in re-return."

Ron stumbled over his words as his eyes became mysteriously misty.

Harry saw his friend for the first time in a while, and cursed himself as he saw his misery spreading to his friends. He got up from his chair and hugged Ron tight.

"It's ok, I promise, I'll be ok." Harry said trying to soothe his friend.

"Like Neville said, life isn't fair. Unfortunately, Severus can't feel the same pain I'm feeling, or feel the regret I want him to feel, because he doesn't love me." Harry said shaking slightly. "He doesn't .. doesn't love me probably never did." He said quietly.

"He doesn't deserve you." Hermione said with such sternness, that for a second, Harry almost believed her.

"I just wasn't what he wanted." Harry said with a painful smile.

Silence fell between the friends, and all you could hear was the fire crackling.

"You'll love another, Har." Neville said while yawning.

"You guys, stay the night, I don't think I want to be alone .. right now." Harry said while looking at the fire.

"Not a problem, s'not like we wanna be anywhere else, mate." Ron said while snuggling in with Hermione. "Nox"

"Nox."

"Nox."

"Nox."

Then they all fell asleep, save Harry.

"You'll love another, Har."

Harry stared into the dying fire and finally let himself say what he wanted since the time they walked through the door.

"I'm not stupid, I know that I'll most likely have feelings for another." He said while pulling his knees to his chest.

"But I won't believe that they feel the same for me. I won't let another give me false hope, just to them take it away from me." Harry said with the dying flames reflecting in his eyes.

"Nox.""