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Shadows and Light	By : Cardinal Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 5126 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
In just four short days everyone would leave for Christmas break, which meant that in four days Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley would be saying their vows to a select crowd gathered in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Thinking about the upcoming ceremony made Harry feel a bit nervous. Even though he’d been the one to suggest the plan to Remus and Ginny it still made his stomach churn when he thought about promising himself to Ginny for the rest of his life.

Harry shook his head, he couldn’t get cold feet now. Besides, he’d been feeling confident about his plan until Snape had asked him to choose between him and Ginny. Snape. The name conjured the image of the pale, and yet darkly brooding man in Harry’s mind. It was a cold image that brought warmth to Harry’s chest. They’d parted on awkward terms, which wasn’t unusual for the two of them; they’d had more than their fair share of arguments. That had never stopped them before.

Leaving the breakfast table, Harry slung his satchel of books and parchment over his shoulder and then grabbed his cauldron. Harry knew that once he saw Snape during Potions he’d know if the man was still upset about the argument from the night before. Shuffling down to the dungeons with some of the other Gryffindors, Harry set up his cauldron in his usual place and then sat back and scanned the room. Where was Snape? Usually the dark git was waiting on the students to enter with neatly written notes ready on the chalk board.

When the door behind Snape’s desk opened, Harry smirked, wondering if Snape would treat him harder than usual because of the fight. Snape did that sometimes, but it usually only served in turning Harry on more. Only, when the figure came through the doorway it wasn’t Snape, it was Dumbledore.

“Good morning all,” the wizard beamed as he closed the door behind him and approached the desk, “as I’m sure you realize I am, in fact, not Severus Snape. Professor Snape has retired, bless him. I’m no stranger at potions or at being a professor so I will be with you these next few days leading into Christmas break and then we’ll have a more permanent professor for you after break.”

Retired? Harry could feel his heart plummeting, the smirk fading from his face. Did that mean that Snape was gone from Hogwarts? Had he left already? Did this mean that Snape had been serious when he’d told Harry to choose between him and Ginny?

“Harry?” Dumbledore was standing by his desk, looking down at Harry with concern.

“Oh,” Harry realized that he’d been in a daze, “I’m sorry professor.”

Dumbledore smiled, “We’re on page 74.” The man said as he swept around the cauldrons, helping and instructing the students as they worked on a potion.

Harry only had one thought on his mind as he began working on his potion: Snape. He wanted answers to the man’s whereabouts and he knew that the only person he’d get them from would be Dumbledore. Even though Harry had been sleeping with Snape for nearly four months he wasn’t any more informed on the man’s personal life than he had been when he was a first year. He didn’t know where Snape lived, what he did in his free time, if he had any family…. Nothing. He knew that he could send an owl to Snape and the message would be delivered but Harry had a feeling that Snape wouldn’t respond.

When potions was finished and the rest of the class filing out, Harry hung back in the room, his books and satchel tossed into his empty cauldron.

“Do you need something Harry?” Dumbledore asked as he went to the desk and sat behind it, fingers steepled together.

Harry could barely look at the desk that Dumbledore sat behind, it held too many memories for him, “Is Snape really gone?”

There was a look in Dumbledore’s eyes that said he had expected the question, “Yes, Harry, I’m afraid that Professor Snape has retired. He packed his things last night and returned home.”

There was a ring of finality in Dumbledore’s voice that made Harry shudder. Raking a hand through his hair, Harry looked back up to the Headmaster, “Professor…” he trailed off uncertainly, not sure how much he wanted to reveal to Dumbledore about his relationship with his former professor, “did he leave because of me?”

Dumbledore regarded Harry for a long, silent moment. Harry didn’t want to sound conceited but he needed to know if his answer to Severus really had been the man’s reason for leaving Hogwarts.

“I believe that you did have something to do with Severus’ decision, Harry. Severus indicated that you and he had a closer bond than most people realized. He also knew that he had fulfilled his promise to your mother. Severus stood by and protected you the best way he knew how until you defeated Voldemort, and now that you’re getting ready to marry and graduate he feels that he can finally continue with his life. He’s taught Potions for a long time here at Hogwarts and with the double life he had to live as spy, Severus has earned a nice, peaceful retirement.”

Harry swallowed around a knot in his throat, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as he looked down at the floor, studying his scuffed shoes, “Yes, I suppose he has.” Still, Harry hadn’t thought that Severus would really leave. They’d fought a thousand times before and yet Severus had always been there, always waiting for him in his quarters.

“Professor… could you… would you tell me where he lives?” Being a former Death Eater and spy, Harry doubted that Snape was very open with the information about where he lived but if one person would know it would be Dumbledore.

Dumbledore actually had a stern look on his face, “I do know where he lives, Harry, but I am hesitant to tell you. As I said, Severus deserves a nice, peaceful retirement.”

Harry knew that he was being scolded in Dumbledore’s own way, “Yes, Professor, I agree.” He bowed his head, thinking that perhaps he’d taken advantage of Snape. He’d just always assumed that the professor would be there, waiting for him, even though he was marrying someone else. Harry had thought that as a former Death Eater a man like Snape wouldn’t have any problems sleeping with a married man. Harry realized that he’d made a lot of assumptions about Snape’s character.

Dumbledore opened the top drawer of the desk and withdrew a piece of parchment. With a long, feathered quill, Dumbledore scratched something onto the parchment, and then folded the paper neatly, “Severus’s address is written on this,” he held up the folded parchment, “why don’t you keep it with you, just in case?” There was a look in Dumbledore’s eyes, that infernal look that meant he knew more than he let on.

“Thank you Professor,” Harry smiled as he took the piece of parchment and tucked it into his back pocket.

-=-

Severus frowned, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his house elves decorating a tall, fat Christmas tree.

“What’s going on here? I didn’t tell anyone to decorate for Christmas.” The man said sourly as he watched boughs of holly being hung all around the house, and there was even a sprig of mistletoe over the door that made Snape roll his eyes.

“Master Snape! It’s the first time you is here to celebrate Christmas with us in such a long time!” The house elves were more than overjoyed that their master was back at the house permanently. For far too long the house elves had cared for an empty house while Severus lived at Hogwarts.

Even though it irked Severus to see the house look so cheerful he knew that he couldn’t crush the house elves feelings. They seemed happy to be able to serve someone. Sighing, Severus turned and retreated into the den that was attached to his bedroom. Now that he didn’t have to worry about teenage brats and Hogwarts drama, he could actually catch up on his reading.

Sitting down in a wingback chair near a window that overlooked the grounds, Snape picked up the book that he’d bought just that day and opened it up to read… Only, his eyes narrowed when he realized the main character’s name- Harry.

“Damn it.”
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Shadows and Light