AN: Hello! Here's the next chapter. Not much of Severus in this one, but I did say I was taking it slow. I hope you like it. Please review and let me know!

Again, I don't own Harry Potter and that while magical world.

Matter of the Heart

Chapter 3

It's humid outside. Sticky and muggy, making his clothes cling to his body but he doesn't stop. It's his fourth round around the grounds and he's thinking maybe he'll do one more. Each time a foot lands on the ground, he huffs out air, releasing a little more stress, making Harry come a little bit closer to feeling alright with himself.

This is not a journey he wanted to make. He didn't want to return to his old life...ever. Finding his Other aside, it's being here with all his memories that weighs on him. It's overwhelming just thinking about what's to come in the next year but the Elders insisted he come back and claim what's his.

Harry wants this, he deserves this. He deserves to have love in his life. He longs to have someone to hold, someone to touch, someone to talk to, someone to kiss whenever he wants and he wants to feel those things in return. He longs to have someone to trust and to enjoy being in their company even if they are just reading or sitting about doing nothing. He deserves that, more than anything he desires to feel overwhelming joy and happiness. This is why he's worried he will mess this up.

Most Vampires are happy to find their Mate. Their Other. How ever much Harry wants this, he's torn with confusing emotions when he thinks about it. Severus Snape never liked him. From day one he has been loathed by the man and not once has he ever given any indication that he could like Harry.

Rounding the pitch along the forest's edge, Harry pulls out his flask, the one Mikkel gave him for his birthday last year. It's silver, about a pint in size and it's covered in a Vampire love scene. The scene is etched into the silver and it depicts many vampires making love in various poses. When Harry first realized what the etching was, he tried to refuse the flask, too embarrassed to keep it, but Mikkel explained that it's a rite of passage to be given a flask at your maturity. It symbolizes your Other has been seen by the Elders and your journey into the world of love and carnal pleasures.

He takes a couple of gulps of the cold water, quenching the thirst in his throat first, before he swishes the rest around in his mouth and spits it out. He places the flask back on his belt where it vanishes from sight but not out reach. His belt, another gift from a different friend, Magnus, is swathed in invisibility and light feather charms. He can attach as many items to it, no matter the weight, and it won't get heavy or loaded down. Also, anything attached to the belt automatically disappears from sight. A good tool to keep his knives and daggers at the ready and his opponent unawares.

Thinking of Mikkel and Magnus, he can't help but think of all his other friends back at the Homestead. Harry misses his friends and he can't wait to get back there. If he ever gets back. He can't go back alone, not without his Other. Well, he can, but why would he subject his friends to his death and a slow death at that. No, he's not going to do that to him or to them.

Looking down to watch the ground go by, his feet hitting the grass in perfect rhythm, Harry thinks about Snape. The man is all he's been thinking about lately. How to approach the man. How to speak to the man. How to act around the man. How to explain everything to him and not have the man wig out. It's been all consuming and a tad bit daunting.

Passing the Main Gate, he keeps his stride steady, breathing in and out, keeping the pace he's set since the first lap. Harry enjoys running for several reasons. The main reason is it helps to keep his body limber and quick. Being a Living Vampire doesn't automatically make you quick, strong, or agile. It helps to maintain a soldiers body and quick reflexes he needs a strict routine of physical exercise. He normally does weights and other cardio exercises but his favorite workout is running. He can get endurance, along with relieving any stress or contemplating any problems he's experiencing. And right now he's working through what his next step should be.

Snape is a complicated man, a proud man, and a man who doesn't like him because of his father. Their history, while Harry was a student at this school, was very volatile at best. It was a mutual dislike but when Harry looked into his pensieve, his whole opinion of the man changed.

He began to look beyond the snark and gruffness to the person under the hard shell. Harry was not an intelligent person in school, but he figured out that Snape was playing both sides, more on the light side than Voldemort's side though. He figures that Snape was incredibly brave for facing that mad man like that and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw the man's memories during the final battle.

Something in Harry snapped after viewing those memories. The wall of hate and distrust came tumbling down. A part of him knew the professor was spying, even though he's never used that word before, but to see the amount of trust Dumbledore had in the man was the icing on the cake. Snape was on their side...his side, the whole time.

I need to be patient with him if I want us to have a meaningful relationship. I won't seek him out either. Our first couple of encounters should be spontaneous. I'll be respectful and polite, which should totally freak the man out. He definitely won't be expecting that from me. I'll be cordial and available if he does want to talk to me.

This isn't going to be easy. I need to stay focused on the end game. Getting to know the man Severus Snape is today is top priority and hopefully he will want to get to know me.

Coming around the backside of the Castle, Harry feels a tingle go down his spine. He looks around and behind him to see if anyone is watching him, mainly Snape, but no one is there. Looking up at the Castle windows he can't see anyone either because of the glare of the setting sun. The tingles could only mean one thing, Snape is close. This made Harry wonder if taking it slow with the snarky man would satisfy the bond. The very bond that he will need to survive. He hopes so because he's not going to change his mind. Taking it slow with Snape is the best way to go.

It should be fine, as long as they spend enough time in each other's company. He can only hope that that'll be enough for now.

Harry starts to slow his pace until he's walking briskly then walking slowly. He puts his hands on his knees, bending over to catch his breath, before wiping back his hair from his sweaty face. Grabbing a small hand towel from his belt he wipes his face and neck of sweat, takes his flask and gulps down several swallows of water before walking to the front of the Castle and the main doors. He walks with a little more confidence now that he has a working plan in his mind.

He's actually excited about his prospects. Being friends with the potions master is something attainable and he can't keep the smile off his face and the pep out of his step.

XxXx

Seven floors up, Severus Snape is standing at the large window overlooking the backside of the Castle grounds. He's been standing there for quite some time, since the Headmistress dismissed him from her office. She informed him just today of Harry Potter's return and his new teaching position.

Is he surprised? Not really. The brat was sure to return when he was ready. Is he angry? Surprisingly, no. If anything he feels anxious, as he hasn't seen the boy since the final battle. How will they get on?

Potter is currently running, for fun it seems, around the Castle. He's watched him pass this window twice already. Just keeping far enough back as to not be seen from the outside.

The boy has grown up. His body is fit and he surely has the endurance if this run is any indication. Severus wonders what else has changed about the boy, now a man. Will they be able to put the past behind them? Will there be a tension of hate between them? He hopes not. He would like to get to know the man Potter has become.

He sighs heavily and watches as Potter looks around as if aware he's being watched. Interesting. How does he know?

There are so many questions about the Savior he wants answered. Why did he leave? Why did he help exonerate him from afar? Why is he back? And mostly, what has he been up to in the last five years to look like that. For Severus cannot deny that Harry Potter is beautiful and something about the man out there is turning his insides to mush.

He watches as Potter walks around to the front of the Castle and out of his sight. Only time will tell what's in store for them but he knows that this year will be one he is definitely looking forward to.

XxxX

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