Oh my. This was shiver-inducing from start to finish, filled with intense, infectious and utterly merciless lust. I loved how you described Severus’ valiant struggle to keep his composure around Harry’s overwhelmingly seductive tongue(s). It was like following the last stages of some epic battle, only the loser ended up getting everything he’d wanted, feared and hardly dared to hope for. And to surrender with such unrestrained passion and delightful enthusiasm! *melts* No wonder Harry was astounded at first, especially considering the mixed signals he must have gotten from Severus during the past few frustrating and baffling weeks. Also, the final defeat, or victory celebration, in Severus’ rooms was pure bliss to read.
I liked that Severus’ love for Harry was independent of the allures of Parseltongue, that the hissing didn’t cause his feelings, merely intensified the physical side of them. This way, his predicament was more fun and the consequences became more satisfying. I loved reading Severus’ inner thoughts: his evident and disarmingly sincere love for Harry, his vulnerability and lack of confidence, the childish spitefulness, and his self-deprecating wit made him a fascinating, very genuine character, and I enjoyed seeing how those traits and qualities affected his understanding of himself and other people.