Nabakov

The next morning Harry awoke to Hermione running her fingers through his hair tenderly. He opened his eyes.

"Ron stayed the entire night you know. You have friends who care about you."

Harry squinted against the light and looked around. The room was empty. "

The others are all downstairs eating breakfast. They all left after Fred and George set off fireworks to cheer you up. They were spectacular, too bad you slept through them." She finished, almost as an afterthought.

Harry went to classes, the day seeming brighter, free of his obsession for Severus finally. He had tried at least, he sighed to himself. Snape wasn't in potions class, a substitute smiled at the class from his desk.

"Professor Severus is on extended leave for health reasons."

"Severus?" Harry thought, "why is she so damn familiar with my..." It was nowhere near over.

Harry was walking alone outside on his way to lunch when he heard a voice come from a doorway.

"A word, Mr. Potter." Harry started. Snape was leaning against a stone archway, his face hidden in shadow. Harry hesitated, but then moved forward.

"What do you want to talk about?" Harry spat bitterly at his professor.

"I wanted to inform you that I have just resigned. Should you wish to press charges, here is my address where you can have your legal representation send the bills. I'm having my room cleared out today...as of tomorrow, you never have to see me again." Snape paused and looked down, if only Harry knew how much it cost him to say the words. He continued, "And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry."

Harry gaped at him. "The teachers said you were on leave!"

"Yes." Snape explained. "I went to Dumbledore last night and handed in my resignation which he refused to accept as I did not explain why. I will give him the full story if I have your permission, however I did not want you to be dragged through anything that is not necessary. However, when you press charges this will all come out. I won't speak to the press so they will take your words and I will not contest the penalties. I plead guilty." Harry continued to stare. "Penalty?" he questioned meekly.

"Seven years in Azkaban. Truly I am sorry." Snape made to leave.

"I'm not." Harry said clearly.

Snape paused momentarily with his back to him but then continued walking. Harry slumped to the ground by the doorway. "This is all my fault." With typical Gryffindor resolve he decided that this was his fault, and he was going to fix this. He ran after Severus. But stopped at the doorway to his room as he heard voices inside. Hiding in between the bookcase and the curtain, concealed from view on both sides he listed.

Snape was carefully folding clothing and placing it in his trunk. Another man's voice said, "Why don't you simply come stay with me, we've discussed this before?"

"I'm going to be in Azkaban, Lucius, seven years." Behind the curtain Harry clasped his hands over his mouth to keep from making a sound. Lucius? Draco's dad was Snape's lover. This was too strange.

"You know I can get you out." Lucius continued.

"You know I don't want you to."

"What?"

"I deserve it."

"This is ridiculous, that prat will never press charges. I don't see what the problem is here."

"Yeah, and you fuck your son" Snape growled.

"You are treading on thin ice, Severus."

"I apologize. No, I'm not coming back to the manor. I'm going to stay at my old family estates for a time, no one is there at the moment."

Almost tentatively Lucius asked, "Can I still see you?"

"Not right now" Snape replied. "I need some time to myself."

"Fine then. Goodbye, Severus." And with that he was gone.

Harry stared at the black velvet curtain, wishing more that anything that he could see through it. There was a knock on the side of the bookcase. Harry froze. There was nowhere to hide as Snape approached the curtain and the bookcase began to open. He'd rather face Snape, he decided. It could be Lucius coming back for something. Harry dashed out of the curtain and Snape quickly shoved him off into a corner and motioned to him to be quiet.

"Good afternoon, Albus." Snape said coolly. Harry heard Dumbledore mumble something. Snape continued, "Very well, as you will not accept my resignation I will be at my family's manor for the next few weeks. I will keep you informed." He then closed the bookcase.

Snape stood there as Dumbledore's footsteps faded into a hallway and then turned on the student. The boy looked frightened and embarrassed. He made as if to scream at the boy for listening in on his conversation and breaking into his rooms, then changed his mind. What was the point? He was simply bone weary. Resigned, he asked "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you kissed me back."

Severus sighed and motioned to one of the few remaining chairs.

"When I was at school your father and I had a romantic affair of sorts. We stayed together for a very long time and were planning our lives together. We had a fight at to get back at me your father had sex with your mother. She became pregnant and his honor obliged him to marry her. Then he died."

"Everyone says I look like my father."

"You do. Very much, except for your mother's eyes."

He continued: "I suppose it was some attempt to relieve the last time I was truly happy, you made the perfect...replacement, for James."

Harry stared down at the floor.

"Fucking Lolita syndrome, it seems. Nabakov would be pleased." Snape muttered to himself, inaudible to Harry's ears.

"Did you ever even like me?" Harry asked.

"No." came his distant reply.

"I'm not going to tell anyone what happened."

"Do whatever you like. Goodbye Harry."