A/N: Sorry it's taken a little while to post the next chapter, but my muse was being a little testy with the right words. Thank you all so much for coming with me on this journey! This chapter is the longest one yet. Hope you guys like it.

If you have the time please review, it really helps me.

A really big thanks to AlmondWithUnicornHair, B.A Victoria, squirrelsarecool for reviewing.

After this there will only be one more chapter.

Warning: I don't own HP or SS JK does. Some familiar dialogue can be found in this chap. It's not completely mine, though I did change it up a bit. This is a M/M slash story. Don't like it don't read.


Just a Kiss

PREVIOUSLY:

So close. So close. So close. They were both so close.

Then something changed, pushed them over the edge screaming their pleasure into the night. "Harry!" Sev cried.

"I love you" they cried.

The world stopped. Time stopped. There was only joy and love and light.

~HP~SS~HP~SS~


Chapter 6: The Hour of our Separation

"Harry Potter. You have one hour to face me or everyone will die," Voldemort's magically enhanced voice boomed.

Harry was beyond caring, beyond hope, beyond wanting to live. It was over, his reason for living. His future gone in the blink of an eye.

Sev...


12 Hours Ago

Never had Severus ever been so content. Last night's passion had been wondrous and earth shattering. They had made love twice more before succumbing to sleep. Smiling, Sev stretched his lean body. He could still feel Harry inside of him, flashes of Harry entering him, making love to him as he cried with joy moved through his mind.

The old bitter, broken Severus Snape was finally gone and in his place was a man full of hope. Harry and given this to him. He knew it was too soon to feel like this, but he knew he meant it when he said he loved Harry last night. He had always known the person who could help him become whole would hold his heart. Now Harry had his. If they made it through this day, he was going to make Harry be his...forever.

Sheets rustled beside him.

" Sev," murmured Harry's sleep-filled voice. "Come closer...please."

Knowing he could never deny his lover anything again, Sev wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed his lips softly. "Morning."

"Morning. I never want to leave this bed. I wish...I wish we could stay here forever."

"So do I, so do I." Taking a deep breath Severus tried to settle his nerves to ask the single most important question of his life.

" Harry," Severus began, " I know that, well, that things have been moving at an accelerated pace. I know we have had a history filled with mutual animosity. I will admit that my hostility and malice that was directed towards you was as a result of my unresolved feelings towards James. Regardless of our past, I...well...I find that I love you now. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my husband when this is all over?"

"SEV!" Harry shrieked. "Yes! *kiss* Yes!"

Tumbling and rolling on the bed as they kissed and laughed, Harry and Severus had never been so full of joy.


3 Hours Ago

Severus gave into the urge to stroke his ring as he stood waiting. Before parting ways this morning, they exchanged engagement rings that they had conjured. He couldn't believe his luck. Finally it felt as if the sins of his past had been washed away and he was going to receive a new chance at life. He was given the gift of Harry's love. He could do anything. He was no longer afraid of the Dark..no of Riddle. Tom Riddle. The man who had once had power over him, but no longer. He could face anything now that he had Harry.

"Ssseverusss," hissed the robed form behind him.

Severus turned to greet his foe. He silently thanked the Gods that he wouldn't have to play spy after today.

'My lord."

"You have been a most faithful servant. Most faithful." Step by step Voldemort glided closer to Severus. Something...something wasn't right.

"You killed Dumbledore for me."

A cold chill went up Sev's spine he knew. Warning him to be on his guard. It was so like the feeling he got that awful night. Riddle was up to something. It had to do with the Elder Wand. He wouldn't have brought up Albus if it weren't.

Watching as Voldemort circled him like a shark, Severus slowly slipped his hand into his robes for his wand.

"You were a most excellent lover Severusss," he taunted, distracted. "It is such a shame that you have to die."

Quicker than lightening, the Dark Lord slit his throat.

Harry. No...Harry.

Feeling an icy hand caress his cheek, Severus struggled to stay alive." The Elder Wand obeys you. I'm sorry Severus, but only I can live forever."


Harry knew something was wrong when he saw Severus go to the Shrieking Shack.

"Harry where are you going?"

He had forgotten Hermione and Ron in that moment. Nothing mattered but Severus.

"I saw Snape head towards the Shack. I'm going to follow him."

"Brilliant mate. That greasy git is probably up to no good."

He had forgotten, there had been no time to tell them about what had happened between them. They still thought of Severus as the man who had killed Dumbledore, who was a traitor. Though he knew better. It seemed like a million years ago that Sev had come to him with the information about today's battle. Only he knew Severus' true allegiance. Dumbledore had made sure that he knew in the event of his death.

Ignoring the slight against his lover, Harry turned and made his way to the Whomping Willow.


Crouching down, to avoid being detected, the trio listened.

"Ssseverusss."

'My lord."

"You have been a most faithful servant. Most faithful. You killed Dumbledore for me."

Harry's palms itched to kill the bastard that hurt his Sev. He swore he would kill him and he would.

He would and he'd enjoy it.

"You were a most excellent lover Severusss," he taunted. "It is such a shame that you have to die."

Panicking, Harry moved to save his lover. Two pairs of arms held him down.

"Harry, stop. You'll only get killed yourself!" Hermoine whispered.

Nothing mattered. He had to get to Sev. Seeing that Harry was not going to listen Ron took out his wand. "Petrificus Totalus"

If he dies, I'll never forgive them. I'll never forgive them...He can't die.

Tortured with every passing second, Harry was forced to hear his love struggle for breath, tryingdesperatly to hold on.

" The Elder Wand obeys you. I'm sorry Severus, but only I can live forever."

The second the Dark Lord was gone, Hermoine released him. He ran to get to his side.

There was blood everywhere. More blood than he thought could be in a person's body. He placed his hands over Sev's throat, trying to keep the life-giving fluid inside.

"Sev. Sev!" Harry cried. "Don't you die on me. Please..please!."

A blood stained hand brushed his face. "H..ha..harry. Take them. Please love."

Noticing for the first time the memories pouring out of Severus, Harry turned and yelled at his friends. "Give me something. A flask, something!"

From where they got it, he didn't care. He was just glad to get it as he collected the memories. With every drop Harry cried harder. "Just because I'm taking these doesn't mean that you're gonna die. Do you hear?"

Severus knew it was the end. He had to tell Harry...he had to. "I..I love you. I'll a..always love you."

His dear boy, his love leaned over and kissed his blood soaked lips. "I love you. I love you so much."

With his last breaths Sev clasped their hands, kissed his lovers lips, and whispered, "Always."

No!

"No. nonoonononononononono..." Harry was undone. He didn't care who heard him, who saw him. His love was gone. He threw himself onto Severus' lean body. It was still warm. This body who'd made love to him last night, who held him when he cried, who'd...who'd...

"NO! Oh Gods! Bring him back. Bring him back! Please don't leave me. I can't do this with out you. please. oh oh...no pleease. Not him. Oh!"


2 Hours Ago

Ron and Hermoine were shocked. Harry and Snape? They had no idea what to do. Harry wouldn't let go of Severus. Wouldn't let them take him and the body to the infirmary. Wouldn't let anyone touch them. They had managed to convince him to "Levicorpus" the body indoors.

When they entered the the great hall and people noticed who they were carrying in, some people cheered and clapped.

A voice next to Harry began to stir him out of his catatonic state. "Good riddiance!"

"Slimy git. He deserved what he got," cried another.

"Good job Harry, taking out that hook nosed traitor"

Lost in his grief, Harry picked up his wand and pointed it at the room. "The next person to speak ill of Severus, the next one to say anything against him, THE NEXT ONE TO TALK ABOUT MY HUSBAND LIKE THAT I'LL KILL THEM WHERE THEY STAND!"

The walls shook at his words, everyone stopped.

"He is the most amazing man I've ever known. I won't have you talking about him like that you hear? I loved him and I won't have you talk about him like that."

Hermoine slowly moved to touch Harry. Violently jerking away from her Harry turned. "It's your fault he's dead! If you would have minded your own fucking business. Let me do what I knew I needed to do, he'd be here. He'd be here with me!"

Hermoine's tears didn't matter, people's reaction didn't matter, all that mattered to Harry was taking Sev away from everyone.

Maybe...the Headmaster's office. He is...was the last one.

"I'm taking him. Nobody touches him but me." With a wave of his wand he took his love to be alone.


Once inside the office, Harry gently laid Severus down. He whispered a quick cleansing spell. He looked, almost, like he was sleeping. Crawling beside his lover, he wrapped his arms around the lean body and cried.

For what felt like hours, what felt like seconds, Harry cried his soul out. Suddenly an eerie voice spoke.

"Harry Potter. You have one hour to face me or everyone will die."

Harry was beyond caring, beyond hope, beyond wanting to live. It was over, his reason for living. His future gone in the blink of an eye.

Sev... his memories. One last look before the end. One last moment to see him, hear him. I'll kill him. He'll kill me. Then I can be with him again. Then...

Slowly Harry disengaged himself from his lover's robes, stood and walked over to Severus' Pensieve. With a shakey hand, he removed the stopper, poured the memories in the bowl, and looked inside.


The Pensieve

Harry stood in the Astronomy tower. When was this?

"Potter, how did I know that you wouldn't be where you should be?"

Oh Gods, last night. Why last night?

Harry looked at the hours younger version of himself with envy. I wish I could go back. I want to go back.

Severus' dark velvet voice flowed into him. He wanted to reach out and stroke that cheek, his hair.

Soft warm lips caressed his.

Tears streamed down his face as he watched.

...The memory swirled...

Sev...his joy. He could feel the small tendrils of happiness.

"That was my first kiss....

It felt so wonderful. Right. Like we belonged...together. How could I have not known...

How could I go all these years without being kissed?"

...The memory swirled, moved forward...

Soft, chaste, pressing of lips turned hungry. Mouths opened. Tongues collided, parried, teased.

"Oh Gods," Harry cried as he turned his body to straddle the lap beneath him.

He wrapped his hands around Harry's waist, slowly lifting his shirt off. Gazing at the half-naked boy in his lap. He devoured the sight of the firelight over pale, porcelain flesh.

He is so beautiful. I must be dreaming.

...Again a shift, memory swirled, moved forward...

Us making love...the first time.

"You feel so wonderful. So, so good in me. I'm so full. So full." Harry breathed against his lips. "Move love, I want to feel you, make me feel you."

Severus, little by litte, began to rock inside of Harry. Stroking, pumping.

"Mmm," Sev moaned.

"Yeess," wined Harry. "Yes. Mmm.. faster...h... harder."

So much. Such joy, such love. With each stroke, their souls entwined tighter and tighter.

Watching it choked Harry. Bitterness threatened everything. Feeling how happy Sev was. What could have been their everyday, their always.

Sev moved assuredly. Thrusting quick, deep, deep, deep, then teasing, pulling out to the edge. Letting their bodies beg to reclaim each other.

"Oh yes," Severus moaned, "yes...oh yes..."

"Sevsevsev. Oh.."

"Harry!" Sev cried.

"I love you."

...Shifting, swirling, forward...

Severus lying on his back, trembling in anticipation, in fear, in lust.

"I promise I'll go so slow Sev."

Harry slowly entering, filling Severus. Rocking. Stroking that spot with inside his lover that felt so, so good.

"Oh..mmm. Harry. So good. You feel so good." Severus moaned as the tears came unbidden.

"Sev, am I hurting you? You're crying."

"No my dear boy," Sev crooned as he arched into Harry." You've made me whole. You've healed me."

Love, light, joy. Pure happiness. A perfect moment. Harry could barely watch. He could still feel Sev inside of him. His arms around him. How could have ever go on after this. After such love.

...A new memory..swirling...

Severus standing in front of the mirror. Pulling out his wand he magically writes.

Harry,

Love. If you are seeing this, I must have perished. Gods I hope not. For I want to spend the rest of my days by your side, loving you. Giving you everything you have ever dreamed of. But in the event that I do not make it through this day alive know this...

I wasn't a man until I loved you. You made me whole. You took the broken piece of my soul and shaped them into something worthwhile, worth loving.

I'll always love you.

Always.


The Present

Shaking as his body was wracked with sobs, he came back to the present.

Sev...

Harry violently shook his head.

Oh Sev...

With legs filled with lead, Harry knelt down and kissed his lovers lips one last time.

Taking out his wand, Harry whispered "Sumus Sempiterno." While waving his wand over the bot of them.

Content in the knowledge that when he dided his body would be transported to Sev's side. Harry wiped his tears away. No. He wouldn't give Riddle the satisfaction of observing his pain. He would face him and die.

It would be over. It would be over and he could be with Severus again. Maybe in what ever place lies beyond this world, this world filled with pain and death, he could finally be happy. Who could possibly have guessed how just a simple kiss could alter his life so.

Knowing what he had to do, Harry left the headmaster's office, for what he thought would be the last time. Ron and Hermione were waiting.


"Harry. You can't go," sobbed Hermione as Harry came into view. " We'll figure something out. We will. You cant!" Tears rolled down the face of his friends. Ron and Hermione.

They'll be fine when I'm gone. They'll have each other.

"I have to. It's always...it was meant to be this way. Me or him. If I don't... destroy the last horcrux."

"I'll kill Nagani."Hermione whispered.

With a nod, Harry curtly replied. "It's up to you."

Turning away from the two people who had anchored his life for so long, he was a sorry that it had to end like this. With the knowledge that he could never forgive them.

Harry felt a hand on his back. "Be careful mate."

"Ron." Harry nodded. "Hermonie."

With one final look back at his oldest friends, he set off to face his demise.

To Be Continued...


Sumus Sempiterno- We are Eternal