I'm BACK! I've finally gotten over the post baby blues and can write again! Sorry for the delays.

By Your Side III

Severus looked up from his own stack of papers to watch Neville's fingers gliding across an essay. It was a point of annoyance and frustration for them both that Severus had been forced to do the translating charm for him. He could see the resentment on Neville's usually jovial face. The ministry's regulations were already taking their toll on him. Even the students noticed the change in their favorite professor. He'd heard Alana's timid voice asking another student what had happened to Professor Longbottom. Even safe in the sanctuary of Neville's chambers, they didn't dare discuss the futility of the situation. In fact, at the moment it seemed better to say nothing at all. Severus almost welcomed the silence.

Between Harry's reappearance and the ministry's stupidity, he was stretched as thin as he possibly could be. The pair down the hall at least were making progress. They seemed to be healthy enough when he had seen them before their meeting with Granger. In fact, it had taken a good bit of persuasion and threats from Poppy to get them back into bed….separate beds. Severus expected that they would be fully recovered in a day or two, and then they would be back in New York. But before they left, Severus had business to attend to with Harry.

"I'm going for a walk," he told Neville as he stood.

Neville set down the paper and nodded. "Boring you already am I?"

"Of course, and that's why I force myself to spend my every free moment with you."

The blind man grinned. "Exactly what I thought."

The halls of Hogwarts were quiet, even though it was still early in the evening. He opened the door to his room and placed a shrinking spell on the chest containing Harry's things. It would stand to reason that the boy would like to have them back, and Severus surely didn't want any of it. Then he went over to another chest. This one was where he kept most of his keepsakes from Remus. Shuffling some of it around, he found what he had been looking for. The picture of the Marauders, save Pettigrew who had been magically removed from the photograph. Severus smiled at the trio, or rather at the youthful werewolf in the center. He sighed. His world had certainly been turned on its head these past few weeks.

In the secret room they shared, the happily reunited couple sat playing wizard's chess. Draco was deep in thought when Severus entered, but Harry saw him straight away. "It appears you're saved," he told the blond.

Draco smiled at the potions master. "Come to check on us?"

Severus shook his head. "I'd like a word with Harry if you can spare him."

"Right," Draco said. He kissed Harry's cheek. "Play nice. I'll be back in a bit."

A long moment passed before either man spoke. Severus sat down on the sofa, and pulled the shrunken chest pocket. "I assumed you would want this back," he said. "It's all there and safe. Your pictures, your cloak, and you broom."

"Thank you," Harry said quietly.

"There was something I wanted to ask you," he began. "Why did you leave the cloak to me?"

Harry shrugged. "I was never certain that I would beat him. If I died, I thought that perhaps it would be able to help you with your spying."

"You told Remus that you had no doubts."

"I lied. I believe you told Remus that you had faith in me, but that was a lie as well," he pointed out.

"I have faith in no one," Snape told him honestly. "Not even myself, Harry. Your mother was one of the finest witches I have ever known, and she was no match for him. So many strong wizards fell. I didn't think it was right to hide behind a child. They had no right to make you face their fears."

"I understand that now. There's so much that I've realized in these past three years, that I don't think I knew much of anything before." Harry stood and walked over to the window. "Hermione tells me that you've started seeing Neville."

He was avoiding all of the subjects that they should be talking about, and Severus knew if, but for the moment he played along. "I have."

"I never would have imagined that. It's even more unlikely than Draco and I," he added. "You despised him in school."

"I despise incompetence of any kind. It's only recently been brought to light why he was such a bloody nightmare."

Harry nodded. "Hermione told me about that too."

Severus could see the unasked question in Harry's eyes. "Why did you hate me so much?" He sighed deeply. "I didn't hate you for the reason you think…well, at least not entirely," he began. "Remus never told you, did he?"

"He told me that you had things in your past that made it hard to accept me."

That was something Remus would say alright. "Harry, I cared about you mother. You could say I loved her more than I had loved anyone until I fell for Remus. Our seventh year, you mother and I had a bit of a romance. Your father knew nothing about it. In fact, she told me that she was going to leave James for me at graduation, but something unexpected happened. Lily came to me with the news that she was pregnant"

Harry's eyes were large. "Did she know for sure I was his?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Of course she did. I never slept with your mother. "

The boy shook his head. "She must have loved him. My mum wouldn't have married him if she didn't."

"I know that she did," the older man said. "And that was why I really hated him, and you. Remus made me realize how bloody stupid it all was, but by then there was the war, and I never got to tell you."

Harry sunk down into the armchair across from him. "I miss him."

"So do I."

"In my worst nightmares, I keep seeing him die all over again. I see them all die," Harry said shakily.

"You and I aren't that different. I know what it is to have horrible images in your head that you can't escape. It used to wake me in the middle of night. I'd see him lying in my arms choking on his blood, and I'd sit up in bed until morning trying to will it away." Severus looked away.

"I can't stop it."

"No, you can't," the older man agreed. "But you can accept that it happened, and that your world will never be what it was."

"I know that it won't, but sometimes I think that it would have been better if he'd killed me."

Severus nodded. He knew all too well how truly twisted Voldemort was. "Perhaps, but that means that he got what he wanted. He wanted to destroy you, Harry. Killing you wouldn't have been half as enjoyable for him. You know that, though."

"I want to fight him," Harry said softly.

"Then be happy, and for god sakes fuck Draco before you kill him."

An impish grin crossed the young man's face. He almost resembled the boy he had been three years ago. "What about you and Neville?"

"I can assure you that lack of sex hasn't been an issue."

"Remus would be happy about that."

"I suppose he would be."

Dbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbddbdbdbdbdbdbdbdbd

Severus didn't waste anytime in getting to bed that evening. With Neville's warm body against his, he knew what he had to do. "Neville?"

"I'm awake," he answered groggily.

"How does New York strike you?"

Neville shot up in bed. "What?"

"When the term's over, why don't we move to New York. I'm sure Draco and Harry could give us some idea how to adapt to muggle life. You could finish your degree."

"But what about you? Your potions are your life?"

Severus put a hand on Neville's cheek. "This isn't the place for you. I won't see you burnt out by those bastards at the ministry."

"No," Neville said as he got out the bed. "You can't give up your life for me."

"What life? I teach bloody brats day in and day out," Snape mumbled.

"But you're happy here?"

"Am I? Two men have made me happy in my life. I was fucking miserable without Remus, and I'll be fucking miserable with out you. In case you haven't noticed, I'm in love with you, you moronic Gryffindor."

Neville smiled. "I was beginning to suspect."

"I suspect you should get your arse back in bed," Severus grumbled.

The younger man slid under the sheets and rolled over pinning the potions master beneath him. Hours at the gym hadn't been wasted. A smile twisted Severus' lips as he lowered his hand over Neville's stomach. "Roll over for me," Neville told him huskily. His hands followed the slender lines of Severus' back followed by silken kisses down the entire length. When he finally made his entry, both men were ready for.