Title: Never

Pairing: Harry/Snape

A/N: I left a lot out of this. I could have explained exactly what happened to Snape, but that's not the point of the story. The main thing is that while alive, Snape never understood Harry's love. (Or at least he never admitted to understanding it) Read and review!

Cheers---

Teagan

"You will never understand Snape, never." Harry spat as he clenched and unclenched his fists over and over. Snape huffed, sounding annoyed and pushed pass him.

"For once Potter, you're right."

Harry sat by himself (something he had easily become used too; even accustomed) as three wizards came through large doors carrying something that looked like a coffin. People around sniffled and sobbed as coffin, after coffin was carried in. It was out of respect for the dead that everyone would stand and remained standing as the coffins were carried in; but Harry found it to be quite ridiculous and sat as the dead came.

Snape kissed Harry more than he spoke to him. It was strange; the man seemed to have a knack for finding him everywhere; at night when he snuck away to the kitchens or walked around the castle unable to sleep. Between His classes or right after dinner, Snape always knew where Harry was.

For some reason, Harry found that to be a good thing.

A hand touched his shoulder and Harry turned suddenly to see Lupin's almost dead eyes staring at him. "You should stand Harry" Lupin paused for a moment as he sighed, "...for Severus." Harry shrugged him off and stood, but instead of standing where he was he walked from the room, as angry eyes followed him.

God the man could kiss.

Harry figured Snape could kiss his way out of anything. It'd probably even save his life one day. Snape's hands would tangle around him, touching and holding every part of him; and for what is was worth Harry was thankful, for every time those lips touched him he felt like he might just die.

If it weren't for those hands, he would have.

Harry kicked a rock that lay in the path as he walked away from the burial grounds. A line of wizards carrying coffins stood outside preparing to walk in. Each coffin, Harry noted, was marked with golden writing.

The names of the dead.

"Perfect…" Snape would purr pushing Harry up against any thing stable. And quite frankly Harry had to agree. Everything felt perfect.

Harry looked closely at each coffin, noting the names of those he knew, or had at least heard of, until his eyes rested on one that caused his chest to become tight.

"Severus!" Harry shouted as he woke from a dream. The face of a man resembling a snake and hooded figures stood out in his mind. A hand reached over from the other side of the bed causing Harry to fall off his side.

"Coordinated as always Potter." Snape said in a low voice filled with sleep. Harry rubbed his eyes. Just a dream. Just a stupid, fucking dream…

"Sorry." Harry muttered standing as he began to walk about the room collecting his clothes. Snape reached over to the night stand and grabbed Harry's glasses. "These might help Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes and walked over to grab the glasses. It just seemed the right thing to do, when Harry leant over and kissed him, closed lips. A lover's thank you. But Snape and Harry were not lovers.

"You should return to your dormitory." Snape said barely above a whisper. Harry nodded and left without saying another word.

'Severus Snape.' It read. The golden letters lopped in a fashion perfectly similar to that of the real Severus Snape's that Harry thought perhaps that was the idea. Each name was to be written by the one inside the coffin. For a moment it seemed sick, wrong…strange…but the closer Harry looked, each name was in-fact written different.

The writings of the dead.

Harry was supposed to be serving detention, just as he usually had for the last few weeks with Snape. Each time ended up with Harry smashed against the wall, while Snape went made with lust…or something much worse…

But Harry never minded.

Snape's hand came up and wrapped around Harry's skull, forcing him to crane his neck and gasp as Snape fiercely kissed him. It had never felt so good or right or perfect. And Harry couldn't stop himself from whispering drunken words when Snape pulled away.

"God, I love you…"

Snape threw him outside and told him he would from then on serve his detentions with Professor McGonagall.

Harry wanted to run over and kill the men over who held Snape's coffin. They didn't care about him. They didn't understand. They would never know… as no one really knew. Because Harry never dared to tell a soul that he loved a man twice his age.

"You're a fool Potter." A voice said thickly from behind Harry. Snape always found him. Always. He was never safe. Harry turned around quickly half expecting Snape to shove him against the nearest wall and kiss the life out of him.

But he didn't. Instead Snape reached up a hand and rubbed one yellowish long thumb along Harry's cheek. For a moment Harry felt like he stopped breathing, like everything had stopped moving. Snape's other hand came around Harry from behind and thread into his hair.

"Seventeen year old boys like seventeen year old girls…not potions masters." Snape hissed angrily, as though he was frustrated that Harry didn't like girls his own age. Or boys for that matter.

"I love…" but before Harry could finish Snape's lips were against his and the taste of salt brushed past his lips. Harry prayed Snape wouldn't pull away because of Harry's foolishness. And he didn't.

The sky turned purple when Harry walked away from the burial grounds making no more stops. Sometimes he thought of Snape cruel, in front of classroom of students, and other times he thought of the Snape he knew, demanding, emotionless and hurtful.

But then he realizes they are one in the same.

"I love you Snape damnit…" Harry hissed pushing the man away so his lips couldn't stop the truth any longer. "Shut up you insolent boy." Snape muttered coldly trying to kiss him again.

Harry stepped back and began clenching his fists at his sides. "You will never understand Snape, never." Harry spat. Snape huffed, sounding annoyed and pushed pass him.

"For once Potter, you're right."