A/N: So sorry for the long-ass wait, let's just say that life has decided to hate me these past couple weeks and leave it at that. For those of you who reviewed, your wish is my command: Severus it is for le next POV. Enjoy! Oh, and I kind of disregard the whole Remus/Tonks coupling at the end of book sixth; I live in denial when it comes to that.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

The story title is taken from the title of a song by AFI

Warnings: Language, tons of crying and depressing-ness, sappiness (this part's chock full of sap), and, of course, slash. Remus/Tonks couping in sixth book ignored.

PART THREE: SEVERUS' POV

I watch as Draco disappears into the Slytherin common room. I continue to stare in the same spot long moments after he's already gone. Merlin, that boy has been through far too much; I'm surprised he's able to move at all with all the pain he's feeling. I remember that night a week ago, when he burst into my room at nearly midnight. I was still awake, gathering more notes about Lupin and what he goes through being a werewolf. Draco burst into my room, holding a motionless Potter in his arms.

The rest of the night's a blur; I remember rushing around looking for antidotes, casting any spell that would revive him, but mainly I remember the look on my godson's face when I told him Potter was dead. It hurts just to think about the way Draco's face collapsed with the knowledge. I also remember the look on Lupin's face; it was something akin to…nothing. He had no emotion on his face. He just stared at Potter's body for a few minutes, then promptly left without giving any clue as to how he was feeling.

It's only when I hear a shuddering breath to my right that I remember Lupin is with me at the moment. I snap back to reality and turn to Lupin, seeing the broken man before me. Not one for affection, I simply grab his hand, squeeze it lightly, then release it. He looks at me through tearful eyes, but before I lose myself and pull him into my arms, I turn and walk down the corridors.

I hear footsteps behind me, so I know Lupin is following, just like I knew (and wished) he would. I walk down several hallways until I get to my room. As I walk into the Potions room, I don't hold the door open for Lupin, though I know he's right behind me. I swiftly make my way across the room and enter my private quarters through a doorway off to the side. It's only then I stop and turn to see Lupin.

Tears are steadily falling down his face and his breath is raspy; I know how hard he's trying to force down the sobs. But now we're in my room and it's private and he can drop all his barriers. I hold my arms open and step forward minutely and that's all it takes. He rushes into my arms and breaks down. I simply hold him much like I held Draco out on the grounds earlier tonight.

This is how it's been for the past four nights; ever since Lupin snapped out of his shock and crumbled. I was having another meeting with Lupin, a mere three days after Potter's death, this time analyzing the Wolfsbane potion I make him. I was scanning through the pages of notes we already had and when I glanced up at Lupin, I saw him completely lost in thought.

Knowing how hard a time he was having, I just turned back to the notes. Another few minutes went by before I heard a gasp come from Lupin. I looked up and he had tears shimmering in his eyes, about to break free. He glanced over at me and dissolved into racking sobs and tears. Lupin well and truly broke at that moment.

I stood up and walked the few feet over to him, wrapping my arms around him, feeling uncomfortable about the gesture. He clung to me, his sobs unrelenting. I held him for what must have been hours until his voice was hoarse and he swallowed down his sobs. He looked at me then, tears still gliding down his face, and for some reason unknown to me, he leaned into me and kissed me.

It wasn't all that great of a kiss, his face wet with tears (loathe I am to admit it, my face was wet from tears as well), and it was all rather sloppy, but it must've been the most perfect kiss I have ever experienced. I hadn't even known that Lupin was gay; I had my suspicions, though, about him and Black. The depression Lupin showed after Black's death was not one of a person losing a friend, more of a person losing a lover.

Lupin and I broke apart from the kiss, both laughing nervously at the absurdity of it all. That doesn't mean that we didn't do it again. Not a minute later we were kissing again and it was just as perfect as the first kiss. Wolfsbane notes forgotten, Lupin and I stumbled into my bed, our lips mashed together.

Although I was ready (and more than willing), we didn't go any further than that. Shortly after, Lupin crumbled again, and I held him through the night as he cried his soul out. And that's how it's been every single night since. Lupin breaks down and I'm there to make sure none of the pieces get lost so they can be put back together again.

Lupin and I, once again, stumble over to my bed, our mouths not separating for a second. Another few glorious minutes of kissing and Lupin pulls back. "Severus," he whispers in this completely vulnerable and broken voice. I pull him to my chest as more tears escape and his voice is gasping and sobs tear their way from his throat. I hold him until he falls asleep, the pained look not slipping from his face.

It's then I strip him down to his boxers and put the covers over him. I quickly undress until I, too, am down to only my boxers. I slide under the covers and pull him back to my chest. I watch him for a while, feathering my hands through his hair occasionally. I place a soft kiss on his lips before I settle down and attempt to sleep.

When I wake up, Lupin is gone, the space next to me cold, telling me he's been gone for a while. No matter, I know where he is. I quickly shower, telling myself that the tears slipping down my face as I do so are just the water. I get out and get dressed, making my way out to the grounds.

I find Lupin where I knew I would; sitting on the ground by Harry's grave. His face is flushed from the cold and wet from the tears. Despite my disgust at doing so, I sit down on the muddy ground behind him. I wrap my arms around his waist and he leans back into the embrace. His head falls onto my shoulder I simply can't resist; I place a quick kiss on his lips, pulling back before he can respond.

He looks up at me as a few more tears slip down his face and pulls me into another kiss, this one much more heated but somehow more gentle and caring than I could ever have imagined. I break away, reluctantly mind you, before I lose it and ravage him right here and now.

Lupin pulls away as well. His head falls back onto my shoulder and he closes his eyes. I see his throat working in an attempt to keep control over his emotions. My grip around his waist gets a little bit tighter and I close my eyes before any tears can escape. I take a deep breath and when I open my eyes, they settle on the forms of Weasley and Granger making their way over here.

I'm about to stand and leave before the two arrive and find Lupin in my arms, but then Lupin barks out a sob and turns in the embrace, burying his face in my chest. All thoughts of leaving fly out my head as I hear the desperate cries of the man in my arms. "Remus," I whisper lightly, pulling him in closer, if it's even possible. I place a gentle kiss on the top of his head and I can't help it; a tear slides down my face.

Two loud yelps of surprise break through my senses. I look up, as does Lupin, and it's only then I remember that Weasley and Granger were approaching. I feel Lupin tense up as they simply stare at us. After a few moments of unbearably awkward silence, the two turn and make their way back to the castle.

Lupin takes a deep breath and stands. Before my brain can tell me not to do it due to the utter sappiness of it, I brush the tears from Lupin's cheeks. He smiles slightly before shoving his hands deep in his jean pockets and he looks down to the ground. "I, uh, I should go after them. I haven't really talked to them much and, I dunno, I just need to go be with them. Maybe sort everything out."

I nod and before I can walk away, Lupin pulls me into another kiss, this one so full of love my throat tightens. And I'm not just receiving this powerfully loving kiss, I'm giving as good as I'm getting and it's then I realize I'm in love with him. The realization is like a bucket of cold water.

I pull away and leave before I do something phenomenally stupid like confess my love or cry or something equally vulnerable. I rush back to my room, but decide I have a pit stop to make. I stop by the Slytherin dorms and make my way up to the seventh year boys' rooms. When I get there, I find the place empty except for Blaise Zabini, who is casting a Warming Charm on a cup of tea. He sets the tea down on a bedside table.

I walk up to him and am about to talk when he holds a finger to his lips and jerks his head to the bed he just set the tea beside. The curtains are shut all around the bed, except for a small gap by the bedside table. I peek in through the gap and see Draco sleeping, his faced scrunched up in pain. My heart pangs at seeing him in so much pain while he's sleeping. I hate how he can't get away from the pain, even in his slumber.

"He just got to sleep about an hour ago," Zabini whispers. I look back to Zabini and see how tired he looks; he must not have slept at all last night.

"You look like you haven't gone to bed at all, Zabini," I whisper back. His gaze shoots from Draco to me and he nods.

"I've been watching over him." My respect for the boy before me has just quadrupled.

"Well, he's asleep now, so why don't you rest up?" I can tell he's just dying to collapse into bed and sleep for who knows how long. To my surprise he shakes his head.

"I can't, sir. I have things to do." Without another word, he slips out of the room. I frown slightly in confusion and, as quietly as I can, walk out of the room, shutting the door slowly as I leave. I exit Slytherin then and return to my rooms. I rummage through my desk until I find the Wolfsbane notes.

I leaf through the pages quickly before turning and going to my potions cupboard. I grab all sorts of different ingredients and set to work. If I succeed, it could change everything.

Several hours later I have yet to create the right potion. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and curse loudly as another attempt turns out wrong. I collapse into my chair and relax for a few minutes. Hopefully the next batch works. I lean back and stare up at the ceiling, and, damnit, I start to think.

My breath gets raspier and my eyes fill with tears as I think of Lupin and all the pain he must be going through. But then I have a moment of complete and total clarity. These past days I haven't cried once for my pain, but for Lupin's. I haven't even thought about why it is Lupin's in so much pain.

I realize I've been in shock for the past eight days over the death of Potter. And now, all of a sudden, I've snapped out of my shock, much like Lupin did five days ago. I take a shuddering breath and, before I can stop it, I breakdown. Sobs seem to rip their way from my throat and tears drip down my face.

I hadn't realized how much Potter's death means to me. True, I was never great friends with the boy, but I held a high respect for him. The past months of the war proved a time where we got past our animosity and became slightly more than civil acquaintances. I'd like to think that Potter saw me as something sort of like a father figure, since- and I hate to admit it- I saw him as something akin to a son.

Now, we didn't have the whole father-son bond that he shared with Lupin, it was nowhere near that strong a bond, but working with him during the war proved that I actually cared for him. It's embarrassing to admit to myself how much I cared for him. It's then I realize that I never read the letter addressed to me from him. I remember shoving it in a random drawer in my desk before I could think about it, without so much as a glancing at it before I tucked it away.

I swallow down my sobs and wipe my face furiously before frantically searching through my desk for the letter. I find it in the very back of the very bottom drawer, hidden under old papers years old that I never bothered to get rid of. I look at the envelope. It doesn't say Snape like I'd expect Potter to address it as. It says Severus. That's even more shocking than when I found out he'd written a letter to me of all people.

I carefully pull the letter out of the envelope, unfolding it as if it were an ancient artifact. Then, I read.

Dear Severus,

I know how shocked you must be that I actually wrote you a letter. I bet you're scoffing at it right now, thinking how foolish a boy I am. But, I needed to write you. I know we didn't have the best of relationships- understatement of a lifetime- but, and I hate to admit this, I've grown attached to you these past months. You helped me so much during the war, and not just with training and potions and all that battle-related stuff. You were my support. I remember the few times during Occlumency lessons that I'd break down and you'd hold me, comforting me through whatever trauma I was going through at the time.

A sob escapes. I hold the letter further away so my tears stop dripping on it.

I know you'll probably hate that I think of you like this, but you'll just have to suck it up. I sort of think of you like a father-type guy, I guess. And, I hope I'm right in assuming, but I kind of got the vibe that you've started thinking of me as a son-esque type of person. I just needed to let you know how much you've helped me, with everything, really.

Merlin…just…fuck.

Now, my final wish for you is to look after Remus. I know you two try to act like you guys hate each other, but I know better. I see the way you guys look at each other; you practically have eye-sex day in and day out. I know how much pain Remus is going through. He has yet to get over Sirius completely and I doubt the war's much help, plus what I'm about to do. I need you to help him through this and you better get your act together and kiss him or something. I…shit I sound like an idiot, but I love you, Severus, no matter how infuriating you are at times. And you and Remus better have a fucking great life together because you both deserve it.

-Harry

I can't…I can't even begin. To know that Potter thought of me as a father figure type is so unbelievably warming. And just knowing he's gone and I can't go tell him that, yes, he meant so much to me that it hurts to admit, is excruciating. I can now begin to feel what Draco's going through, but his pain must be at least a hundred times worse.

That still doesn't change the fact that the pain I'm feeling right now is just about unbearable. I'm sobbing myself hoarse and my face is soaked with snot and tears. The letter slips from my grasp and I lose myself in the pain. I don't know how long I'm alone crying, but sometime later, it must've been at least and hour or two, I feel warm arms envelop me and a soft kiss press against the nape of my neck.

I gasp and look behind me to see Lupin. Remus. He pulls me up from where I'm kneeling on the ground- when did that happen?- and I collapse into his arms. I can feel his tears soaking into the side of my head and I feel his warm breath coming out in short bursts against my ear.

We stay like this for however long until I manage to choke down the sobs. I pull back and look into his face in all its wet and puffy glory and I can't help it. I say the three dreaded words. "I love you," I hear my raspy voice whisper. Merlin, when did I become such a fucking pansy? I know it's the right thing to do, though. If I've learned one thing from Potter it's that I shouldn't let life pass me by just because I'm afraid of what'll happen if I let down my guard.

So, here I am, laying down the cards and dropping the shields completely to Remus. My heart clenches painfully for the few seconds that Remus doesn't respond, but then he breaks out into a watery smile and whispers back, "Severus, I love you, too." I can't suppress the smile that makes its way onto my face, nor do I want to.

I pull Remus into another kiss, pouring my heart into it and I can feel him doing the same. We break apart and I can see how exhausted Remus is. I drag him to bed, undressing him slowly and sweetly, even though he was perfectly capable of undressing himself. I tuck him into bed and give him one last lingering kiss before walking out of the room.

I go back to my notes and begin the next batch of potions, hoping with every fiber of my being that this one won't be a dud. A little longer than an hour later I find out that, yes, that one was a dud. Forcing down the anger that wants to rear its ugly head, I channel all my frustrations into the next batch.

I make batch after batch and, finally, around five in the morning, I smile a victorious smile. I've done it. I have to tell Remus.

A/N: Who next? Remus? Blaise? Ron? Hermione? Who would you like to read about? Lemme know! 