I love the heavy atmosphere, laden with emotion and complication, setting the stage for an equally complex interaction with Harry and Severus interaction, which is delicious, challenging and wanting. I like the use of Draco as a backdrop - he's never actually physically present but he's very much emotionally present in the story - and seeing what he's done to Harry and Snape motivates the story. I enjoyed the exploration of all the difficulties of heteronormative expectations (whether forced by status/wealth (Draco) or by what is conceived as normative and a "happy-ever-after" (Harry). I am so happy Snape chose to make the step to ask Harry to dinner. The end carried with it the right amount of solace.
And the sex? Blistering hot. Snape is so sexy like this.