Descent
Snape was gone. "This should hurt more." Harry thought to himself. His face fell in class next morning as the cheery substitute was there once again. He hadn't believed that he was gone. Not really.
Severus stood at the balcony staring at the dead trees forming the wasteland of his family's estate. He felt cleaner, more alone here. Lucius did not dare to disturb him besides the deluge of letters. Albus sent owls occasionally but none disturbed his solitude. So he lived, sleeping little and dreaming less, for three weeks. He felt a lack of something and for the first time in a long time he realized what it was. Pure untainted love, no pain or power or complications. Simply being wanted for himself, something he had forgotten was possible. He didn't see James's eyes every time he turned around at a shadow. A strange thing to want, something that himself of yesterday would have condemned him for, and yet he cared for the boy in his strange way. Snarling at the boy's mistakes was merely his way of hiding from himself. The refusal to admit it was a prank the products of his hopeful imagination. And now he was lost. The feeling of standing at the edge of the cliff too late was a familiar one.
Ron finally approached Harry one night after he heard his friends muffled tears through the pillow. Harry started under the sheets as someone touched his shoulder. He refused to look at him, ashamed that he be seen as weak by his friend. Ron's voice whispered softly, "Go find him." Harry did look at him then and saw the grave determination on his friend's face. Ron was fully dressed and holding Harry's invisibility cloak. "I'll come with you."
"No, Ron. I'll do this alone. But thank you, I never would have gone if it weren't for you." Ron smiled and gave Harry an awkward quick hug as he disappeared underneath the cloak. He found himself holding onto nothing as the chamber door opened and closed quietly. Dean and Seamus looked up at Ron out of Dean's bed. "Good for him." Dean said clearly, and Seamus nodded in solemn agreement before they rested again against the sheets, their arms wrapped around each other as they slept.
"Bloody hell." Ron chuckled before returning to his solitary bed.
Harry glided down the hallways to the Quidditch storage area where they kept the school brooms. Unlocking one with a quick "Alohomora!", he set off into the night. Using the insurance information Snape had given him he headed in the direction of the manor. The cold wind lashed at his face and ice fingers ran through his unruly hair as he flew higher, above cloud lever over the muggle villages.
Severus rested in a black leather chair before the failing fire, watching the embers jump to white when freezing gusts of air drifted in the open windows. His eyes closed and he slipped further from reality as he distantly heard the sound of knocking.
Harry flew around to an open window and saw the back of a chair before the fire, tumbling inside as quietly as possible, he set his broom against the wall. Severus asleep, cold and distant even in repose. Was this man really worth it? The teacher's eyes slitted open slightly. Absolutely. Harry walked forward and his eyes opened fully, the haze of a troubled sleep still upon them. Harry made to speak, but before he had the opportunity, Severus stood and enfolded him in an embrace. Hidden in the cocoon of Snape's cloak, Harry pressed his face against his chest as the shock faded and the feeling of comfort and warmth enveloped him.