Though he wouldn't have known it without Severus' private library, Harry couldn't help thinking of the same phrase over and over again: "April is the cruelest month." T.S. Eliot had written the words decades ago, but Harry determined that April never could've been as cruel to T.S. as it was to Harry. After the utter brilliance of Valentine's Day, February and March had passed without incident. Classes progressed as usual, Gryffindor continued its winningest season since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, and Harry and Severus spent nearly every Saturday evening together.

But April seemed to change everything, as his hardest subjects became even harder, the other houses' Quidditch teams finally became competitively good, and Severus began training to become Defence professor in the fall. It ate up more than half his Saturdays, so nearly the only times Harry saw the man, it was at the front of the Potions classroom, and he was being called "Potter" again and Severus was never within striking or, rather, touching distance.

Severus had told Harry about Professor McGonagall's offer within a week of her making it, and Harry's reaction had been entirely positive. It was what Severus always wanted, and Harry knew Severus was an extremely accomplished wizard, and no one would be better suited to the job. But it also meant that he saw Severus even less than he did before, and while Severus may find it pathetic if Harry told him so, he missed him terribly.

On the one April Saturday they did have together, they made the day count, going to London for sushi and a play again. Avenue Q was, obviously, not the same kind of musical as Les Miserables, but Harry loved it nearly as much, and hearing Severus laugh was always welcome.

"It's really fun, you know, seeing you react to something for the first time," he told Severus on the train ride home. "All these films, you've seen before, but you'd never seen Avenue Q, and it was just really cool. I don't think I've ever heard you laugh that much."

"You like hearing me laugh, then?" Severus asked.

"Well, yeah. You don't do it very often, you know."

At that, Severus laughed, Harry grinned, and they rode in companionable silence for a few moments until Severus said, "I was wondering what your plans are for the summer, particularly your living arrangements."

"Oh. Well, I had to give it a bit of thought after Ron left. We were going to get a flat together in London and start training for ministry jobs, but then..."

Severus nodded. "Right."

"So I talked to Dean Thomas, who also wants to work at the ministry," said Harry. "He's out of a flatmate because Seamus is moving back to Ireland, so we found a building just outside London we're planning on moving in to."

Severus looked at him for, well, Harry couldn't gauge how long, as he tended to get a bit lost when Severus did that. He blamed the eyes.

"I have a cottage—well, a manor, really—in the Cotswolds at which I spend my summer holidays," Severus said, slowly, measured. "I had wondered if you would have any interest in spending some time there after term."

"You serious?" Harry was thrilled beyond thrilled and had trouble reining that in completely. "That sounds brilliant. I'd love to."

"You do not have to stay for long," Severus continued. "However short or long you would like, in fact. I will be there from the 2nd of June through the 20th of August."

"I will be, too," said Harry, grinning, probably stupidly, but he didn't care.

Severus looked a bit confused. "Harry, you should give the matter some consideration before simply jumping in with both feet."

"Well, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do with my summer than be ... in the Cotswolds." Harry paused. "With you. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do than be with you."

Severus looked both embarrassed and pleased as he said, "You are a flatterer, Mr. Potter."

"I'm not even trying," said Harry.

"Which is what makes it so endearing," Severus said. Harry felt himself blushing. Severus half-smiled and the two were silent again. A minute or two later, Severus put his hand over Harry's and left it there for the remainder of the ride. They held hands on the way to the castle, and it would've taken pliers to pry the smile off Harry's face.

Somewhat inexplicably, May was far kinder to Harry than the previous month. He began taking his NEWTs the third week of the month, three days after Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup. Severus, despite Slytherin's dead last ranking, had kissed him for that, which felt substantially better than catching the Snitch had.

For some reason, NEWTs seemed a bit easier than OWLs, perhaps because of every emotional and physical bridge he'd crossed in the years since those taxing tests. History of Magic was, naturally, a train wreck, and Astronomy wasn't too much better, but Potions and Defence were a snap, Charms wasn't too bad, and his Transfiguration proctor was so delighted that Harry could turn his entire arm and part of his face that the poor little wizard nearly fainted.

And then, suddenly, wonderfully: June.

A number of notable events were occurring that summer, most notably a pair of weddings: Bill and Fleur's "take two," as they were calling it, and Hermione and Percy's. Harry was staying at the Burrow for the first week of June to see Ron and attend the wedding. He was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to dance with Severus at the reception, or even really speak to him much, but he wasn't too fussed, as he'd be in the Cotswolds the day after the wedding. Then it would be back to the Burrow the week before his birthday, when Percy and Hermione got married. And then, he'd be in the Cotswolds with Severus again until Severus left for Hogwarts and Harry moved in with Dean.

As he waited for Ron on the front stoop of the Burrow, he thought of his last conversation with Severus before leaving the school.

"So, do I call you my boyfriend now, then?" he'd asked teasingly. They'd already kissed quite a bit, and Harry was surprised he had any energy for cheek at all; he was feeling a bit dizzy, and Severus was smirking, completely composed, as though it had no effect on him. Harry suspected otherwise.

"I think it would be appropriate for you to continue to call me Severus." Severus ran a hand through Harry's hair. Dizziness set in again. "Does your hair always stick up like this, then?"

"Yeah, always has," said Harry. "I've never tried cutting it shorter—"

"Don't," Severus said abruptly. "The way it looks now..."

He didn't say anything, and Harry decided to tease again. "You love it, don't you?"

"That wasn't what I said."

"But you're not denying it!"

"Oh, shut up, you," said Severus, and he kissed Harry, and Harry wondered why he had to have any obligations in life, why he couldn't just spend his time with Severus, kissing him, being kissed by him...

He looked at the clock.

"I need to go," he said apologetically. "The Weasleys'll be here in about 10 minutes, and I haven't packed."

"Of course you haven't."

"So I need you to let go of me," said Harry, gesturing to Severus' arms around him.

"Oh. Right." Severus didn't let go, opting to kiss Harry instead.

"Sometime," he said, when Harry was having trouble finding his breath, "we will talk about our physical relationship, and the standards you plan to keep."

"Yes," said Harry, using the pause to kiss him again. "I'll miss you."

"I know," said Severus. One more kiss, and Harry left, feeling Severus' eyes on his back as he left.

Now, Harry wondered what to tell Ron if Ron asked what he was doing this summer. He'd planned on telling him he was going to live with Dean. But shouldn't he be more honest with his old best friend? Granted, Ron would never look at him the same again, but there was something to be said for full disclosure.

Any apprehension about what he'd say and how he'd say it evaporated as he heard a distinct thudding noise and that familiar exclamation of "Bloody hell!"

"Still can't Apparate for shit, can you, mate?" Harry called out.

"Oh, sod off," said Ron, running forward and nearly tackling Harry to the ground in a hug. "Good to see you."

"You too. Nice shiner." Ron's eye had a neat, bluish circle around it.

Ron grinned. "Got that off a Ridgeback. One of Norbert's kids."

"Where's Parvati?"

"At the Patils' for the next few days. She'll be here for the wedding. Anyone else around here?"

"Hermione isn't."

"Oh. Right." Ron held one of his rucksacks out to Harry. "Could you carry that for me, mate?"

"Sure."

As he took the sack, Harry had the thought that he and Ron, no matter how they bantered, were never going to be the friends they used to be. Given that, there just wasn't the closeness that deserved the truth. There was no possible way Harry could look Ron in the eye, tell him he was with Severus Snape, and have Ron give him another thought without scorn.

For that reason, for the next six days, he and Ron talked about everything, so long as it wasn't important. And on the day of the wedding, when he looked at Severus, in bottle green dress robes and cleaner cut than ever, he did not regret keeping that secret. Severus looked back at Harry, and Harry knew that Severus hadn't told anyone, either. Who would he tell? The two men nodded at each other.

I love you, Harry thought as the string quartet played the first strains of "Canon in D."

Author's note: Thanks for never questioning the viability of the five-hour train ride from metropolitan Scotland to London. I guess they Apparate to Surrey or something.