Summary: After Snake nose is defeated, Harry happens upon a conversation between two people in the halls of Hogwarts. Truths are told, lies unfold, and the savior of the wizarding world needs a savior of his own. Oneshot, Snarry.

The final battle would be forever written in history books, the death and carnage from that day was written in the stone walls of the castle, where stray spells had rebounded before taking a life. Where Hexes and curses and blood alike were soaked in the earth beneath the once more pristine stonework. It would be a story for generations to marvel at.

At least for those who had not been there. For most it was a hellish landscape of bodies, littered across the red stained grass, floating in the lake or hanging discarded from the trees. For Harry it was even worse. Not a day had passed where he was left alone in his head. Thoughts of Sirius, of Remus and Tonks, of even Snape before he had been taking to the hospital wing nearly breathing...

He was always rolling these thoughts and images around in his head. On the platform with Dumbledore, being given such a tempting choice, knowing he would choose to go back even when he wanted to stay. Hpw cruel the old man was.

He had taken to prowling around the castle at night, exhausting himself before returning to Gryffindor tower to collapse into bed. The school was almost fully rebuilt, and rather than being shipped back off to the Dursleys, Harry had elected to stay and help after his recovery.

A new scar had formed where Voldemort's killing curse had hit him, twinging in pain and restricting his breathing if he stood too fast or moved a certain way. It would go away soon, Madame Pomfrey had explained, giving him a cream to massage into the skin on and around the scar. He had just used it for the night, and was walking fairly uninhibited through a newly fixed wall, fortified by several witch's and wizard's magic.

Passing a tapestry of a man and woman reading and casting magic by a fireplace, he heard a voice that stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Do you believe we should tell Harry?" A female voice spoke, causing the green eyed wizards eyes to widen. He wasn't above eavesdropping when he was the subject. He cursed himself quietly for foregoing his invisibility cloak, instead casting a silencing spell, as well as a notice-me-not spell upon himself and crept slowly towards the alcove hed heard her speak from.

"No." A masculine voice spoke soft but firmly. "We'd expected him to be gone by now, or even dead, there's no telling how he would react to this!" The male insisted.

The feminine voice sighed and acquiesced, "I'd still like for him to meet her." She said, "Even if we have to play with fate a little bit."

By now Harry had made it to the opening of the alcove and peaked inside, confirming his worst nightmares.

Slipping in, he was shocked to find that the alcove wasn't just a dark bit of hallway, but a full set of rooms, which looked lived in. He searched for anything that would give him reason to believe they weren't real, that they had not been staying here of all places, not seeking him out once in his time there.

Pictures lined the walls, bookshelves held small knickknacks and photo albums dated farther back than his own of his family.

"Even if he met her, they would not like one another. He seems bent and her standards are too high." The masculine voice interjected, simultaneously insulting Harry and this mysterious 'she'.

"It's not as if we are trying to get them together immediately! We just need him to realize that she's an option as well." The female said a bit cryptically.

'She's an option as well?' What was that even supposed to mean? And how would knowing about her affect him?

"Well if Remus were here he'd be able to help us plan." The male spoke quietly, reminding Harry of the lost wolf.

"Oh stop playing, he's still in Grimmauld Place, staying low with his wife and Sirius, we can floo call them tomorrow.

The man smiled and wrapped an arm around the woman, joking about what they could do if he could get his stuff back from Harry.

"Really James? You're near 50 years old and you still won't give up pranking?" It was said with a fond smile, so Harry would see that his mother wasn't against it at all.

"We have to have fun sometimes Lily!" James exclaimed leading the now grey and red headed woman into another room. Likely for bed.

Harry was mortified, he was distraught, betrayed and his heart had been flayed mercilessly. He had known from the moment that he heard his mum's voice that bad things were attached to it. Death, dementors, and deception, it was almost too much for him to take.

He had to leave-- leave and go somewhere where he could dissapear into the walls and bot have to think about this. If it weren't for all the celebrations going on in Hogsmeade He'd go for a drink, but it was sweaty and crowded full of half drunk witches and wizards that did nothing but twiddle their thumbs and gossip about him and his life during the second war.

He booked it out of the room. Clutching his chest as his new curse scare screamed in agony. It was almost as bad as his head and heart felt from learning that his parents were still alive and had never once called to him, guided him, or even wrote letters and playing them off like they were old. No. And the conversation about telling him now, was so short lived it was laughable! 'Should we tell him?' 'No.'

Ha! Should you ward your rooms better? Yes. Should you have become parents? No, they bloody well shouldn't have. They left him to suffer! To be raised as a house elf by his relatives, trained to be a weapon by a genial but manipulative old coot, hunted and harmed by so many people, not to mention Voldemort and his followers!! Did that mean that they had forced the prophecy into place? Was he being used even before his birth? Had Dumbledore known? Had Snape known? Had any of the Order of the Pheonix known and just smiled in his face, clapped a hand on his back, all the while knowing that the two people that should be there for him were still alive??

It hit him so hard that he fell to his knees outside of a classroom, unoccupied and silent. Alone, he huddled up against the wall and cried to himself, not noticing the shocked man standing just a few feet away.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Severus Snape was not a man who normally showed positive or remotely embarrassing expressions, but as he stood at the end of the hall, processing all that he had just heard and seen, his mouth hung open. His shoulders were slumped and he did not move with his usual grace or snappy disposition.

The woman he'd once carried a friend, who had apparently not sacrificed her life for beer soon, was still alive send well. Still going through life like she hasn't aided in running the child's life. James as well, because for all his faults-- and Severus could name quite a few-- abandoning his child to the vultures of the wizarding world should not have been one.

Had the blood wards around the Dursley's home only been a complicated fidelius, or had they actually performed since dirt off blood magic? How had they faked their deaths for so long, even with the initial use of the Draught of Living Death? How long had they laughed at his pain over Lily's supposed death??

Added on to the fact that Harry Potter of all people had happened upon the same scene as him only moments after he had disillusioned himself to be able to step into the room. He had seen the boy get ready to eavesdrop, but the gasp that escaped those honeyed lips would have given him away anyways.

Not to mention that after the elder Potters retired to their room, Harry's magic faultered, revealing him, but keeping him silent to others. Severus had settled in a dark corner near the door in case something of the sort happened to him, but Harry had walked into their personal space, stood by the table they were sitting at. He looked so dejected and lost, and Snape knew he couldn't keep up his pretenses. He had just taken a step toward the young man when Harry had burst off out of the room, crying silently but likely screaming inside.

He'd taken off after the younger man and upon seeing the boy clutch his chest in pain he made himself visible and made more effort to catch up. Seeing the young man slide to the floor outside of what was once a pristine classroom, Severus came to a stop and a realization.

So long he had projected his hate for James upon the youngest Potter, so long he had looked into those eyes and saw Lily's own. But neither vision was present now, James had grown to have a softer jawline than Harry, and Lily's eyes were a pure unbothered green, whereas Harry's were still pure but tormented and darkened by hardships. He was a different person to whom Severus was trying to make him out to be, and as he watched the devastated young man before him he knew he could do nothing for him.

Even an apology could sound hollow at this moment, so instead Severus took a few steps towards the boy, and sat beside him. Neither spoke a word, but Harry wasn't paying attention either way.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Harry was bewildered, as he came out of his foggy thoughts. It was still dark out, but the early morning's light was illuminating the one thing he had tried so hard to ignore.

Beside him, sitting in just as much silence was his Professor. The man was not shooting dirty looks at him, nor waspish remarks. He wasn't assigning any fabricated detentions, or taking an inexcusable amount of house points from Gryffindor-- even though the new term hadn't yet started-- because Harry was there. No he too was sat against the wall, almost slumped like he had been before his almost death. Sitting beside him was a younger looking man, still one in the same as one of his least favorite teachers, but he had said nothing.

Sitting up straighter, Harry did not want to ruin the silent truce the elder man was offering. He had a lot to say to him, but right now the man was giving him time and comfort in the darkened hall, and he would take it.

Ha, how pathetic did he have to be to take comfort from Snape? Pushing the fact that he had a small crush on the man to the side, he didn't believe hed ever see the day this man sat on the floor besides him of all people. A hand feel to his shoulder, and he chanced a look up at Snape's face. The man wasn't looking at him, but in the sliver of light that fell on his face, Harry could see a light blush. His face flushed as well, as he'd never seen such a cute look on the sharp mans face.

"You are not alone in this, Mr. Potter." Was the first thing to be said, causing Harry to wince. His father had been a bully, a liar, and an all around secretive bastard who didn't let his child know he was still alive. And as much as he hated it, so was his mother. This thought brought fresh tears to his eyes, but he would not let them fall.

Brushing away his tears and clearing his throat, Harry pulled away from the warmth the other man emitted. "Yeah I'm not alone, who else finds out their only family wasn't dead, while they went through life as an orphan?" He scoffed.

How was he supposed to be sure that Snape was being Genuine and not just looking for a memory to play back and laugh at in his own time? He nearly pulled all the way away, but Sharpe grabbed his arm seeme pulled him closer.

There taller man shuffled him into a position that was reminiscent of a hug, and spoke softly. His bounce was soothing and he had truth written all over his words. His heartbeat was steady, now that Harry was close enough to tell, and his body warm and comforting. "I did not take your mother for such a woman, nor your father in this instance, but even still, you are not alone in this realization..." Harry was about to show his denial of that point when he looked over at Snape. Like actually looked at the man.

Eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, face now contorted with old and new pains, eyes wet, though no tears had fallen, slumped shoulders and slack posture against the castle wall. His undetectable hands was clenched in his robes and his legs were folded almost protectively.

The man was offering comfort when he had very little of it to give. Falling into the other mans side, Harry sighed. He would accept this, even though when they went back to their animosity, his heart would no doubt break.

"Harry," Another shock, he swung his head around to look at the elder man, whi had looked down at him in order to speak, "Come, this is not the place for such conversations." Professor Snape hauled both of them up and stopped heat as he regained Guy's balance before walking them down to the dungeons.

Even after being named headmaster, Snape still preferred having his rooms in the dungeons, and had the castle link his new office to his old rooms instead of those which Albus had once used. Was Albus even truly dead? Both men's thoughts reflected one another's as they settled into the dark sitting room just inside the door.

Harry had hardly paid attention to how they'd gotten in, just that he was now being settled in front of the unlit fireplace on a soothingly cool leather sofa. Snape did not move much, besides to take a breath and compose himself, before lighting the fireplace, and summoning a tea tray.

After setting the tea to make itself, the man sat back down beside Harry, pulling him into a closer embrace. A more intimate embrace.

This was almost definitely not good for his heart, Harry thought, he would surely fall deeper for this man if he wasn't careful. He worried for the rest of the night as they spoke, that the man would chuck him out, and yet he worried just the same that the man would ask him to stay.

In the end Snape did neither, as they had fallen asleep on the couch, and slept through to the next afternoon.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Everyday after that, Severus had Harry over for tea, or a meal, and they'd talk. The incident left unexplored, but not forgotten, and as the weeks passed they grew closer. When he'd stay for dinner they would talk late into the night, and sometimes the younger man would crash in a spare bedroom.

That did not happen often, but each time it did, it became harder to leave. Severus was finally seeing the savior for who he was, and Harry had finally gotten a glimpse at the man behind the mask. They each wanted nothing more than to hear the other accept their feelings, but at the same time neither wanted to push it too far.

Until the beginning of the new term they carried on this way, confiding in one another as time passed, drawing each other closer in private, yet remaining indifferent while in public. It worked for them, and once the students started coming back, the castle would be in the final stages of repair.

Harry was walking through the halls of the castle on the morning of the final day before the other student's returned when he was called. Running towards him were none other than Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They crashed into him with crushing hugs and when asked told him about the Headmaster allowing them to come back a day or so early.

This would be their seventh year, but they were being called eighth years, so this was their last year either way. Harry smiled inwardly at the thought of his potions master allowing his friends to come back early.

He'd taken to calling Snape his in his mind, as he and Severus were now on a first name basis in private. They'd agreed to call one another by name as Harry couldn't stand his last name anymore and Severus was practically his friend. They'd also agreed on Severus being indifferent if not kind to the students-- and Harry in particular-- as long as Harry stayed out of deliberately getting into trouble or adventures for the year.

The trio spoke about their summers, how Hermione's parents met Ron's family, and how their relationship was coming along. Harry spoke about the castles repairs, his release from the Dursleys care, and his own newfound friendship with Snape. In a hushed voice he also told them that he had come to terms with his sexuality over the past couple of years. The two accepted him with arms wide open, and they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. He kept his crush on Severus quite as the day passed them by, but he knew he would not be able to keep it a secret soon.

Those two knew him too well, and even now they were asking him of his crush was the reason why he had come to terms with himself. How they already knew he was almost in love was beyond him, but all he did was smile at them and nod. He wouldn't say who, and they wouldn't pry, but he knew they'd wheedle it out of him one way or another.

He'd talk to Severus soon, and see if the man even liked him that way before telling his friends. That way he could get it all out of the way in case it blew up in his face.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Severus was lounging in his sitting room, two weeks into the new term of Harry's last year, after completing his paperwork for the next two days, when his door opened. Only one person besides himself could come in without setting his wards off, and he turned with a smile on his face. Harry sold fidgeting just past his door, before taking a breath and moving to stand in front of his seat on the couch.

He could tell that harry had something on his mind, so he put down his glass of bourbon and hous book on classical potions, and gave the young man all of his attention.

He could see as Harry tok another fortifying breath before sinking onto the sofa, right on his lap. The older man froze, Harry froze, they were looking straight into one another's eyes. Before the green eyed man could curse his Gryffindor brashness, he was being pulled flush against a hard chest. Warmth radiated out from his stomach, pooling down in areas he would rather not talk about, and a flush rose to his cheeks.

He closed his eyes shut and prayed Severus would let him do something else before he was banished from these rooms for life. Peeking one eye open he leaned forward a bit more and brushed a chaste kiss over those thin pouty lips.

A gasp was all he got in response, but as he moved away to run, he found himself trapped in a tight embrace. An answering hardness had formed beneath him and his blush was reflected by Severus' own, muted though it was.

"Harry?" Severus asked, looking into his eyes with something akin to hope and wonder.

"Severus?" Harry answered with an air of longing and apprehension.

"You would not mind if we did that properly no?" Severus smiled, pulling Harry's face in closer.

"No, I wouldn't mind..." Harry answered before their lips met in a loving kiss.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Meanwhile in a higher part of the castle, a man stood pouting, his arms crossed.

"I still don't see why it had to be him." He said indignantly, while his wife puttered around the room.

"Because they both deserve happiness and they've liked one another for so long." The woman smiled triumphantly.

"But why did we have to ruin how he saw us Lily?" James let out a long drawn out groan. "And again, why Snivellus???"

"Why not Severus, James?" Lily sighed, "He's looked out for Harry in our absence, he's saved him despite once hating the boy, and in spite of all that has been thrown at him, he still has a capacity to love. And Harry will understand when we send them our memories. Plus Remus, Sirius, you and myself are all dead, James, there is not much else we can do for him save making him happy with a living person."

"Come now love, our time is almost up." Shaking her head, Lily sent off the vial of memories and a letter before dissipating into nothing.

James sighed as well before he too left the living to their lives with a smile. "It is always Snape isn't it...?"

HPSSHPSSHPSS

The End