Overanalyzation, much? Severus turned the cup and prodded at the soil. He set the plant down and began inspecting a third. Its starlike flower winked at him, brazenly white with verdant stripes jutting from a golden center. Severus touched a curling stamen, rimming his fingernail with impertinent powder.
The shopkeeper spoke. "I have additional stock," he murmured. "You're more than welcome to it." Severus glanced at him; he was straightening packets of lacewings on a low adjacent shelf, bending at the knees, his spine curved into an inverted question mark.
"Thank you," Severus said, setting the plant down. "Yes."
I completely and totally blindsided myself here. I was thinking that the briony symbolized Harry: brazen; white=innocence--doesn't know about Snape's infidelity; green eyes; heart of gold?; impertinent. And by Snape putting the plant down and saying yes to the shopkeeper he was rejecting Harry. Was I totally off the mark or what?
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed reading this story; I hurt for Harry, but overall I just thought Severus' relationships and his reactions to them were fascinating. I also liked these lines very much:
"You had everyone fooled," he said. "Especially me."
"Give me some credit," Severus quipped dryly. "I wore that mask well."