Thank you. ^^ It's really interesting to see everyone's take on this fic. Yes, this really is largely Severus's fault, but by the same token, he's not really capable of change. One of the things that irked me moderately about the last book was that, if Severus's life ever had any justifiable value or purpose to the 'right side' of the war, it was only because of Lily Potter. And if his only worth is because of his unrequited love for one person . . . well, that's really kind of sad. And I don't think it's something he'd ever grow past, even if he truly wanted to. He wouldn't know how. I kind of wanted to run with that premise.
As for Harry, I think he's always going to standing in his own shadow, and probably never really living up to the expectations others keep foisting on him. I don't know if he would ever be able to find someone who wouldn't treat him like that, however well-intentioned they may be. I'm not a big fan of Harry/Ginny, but she at least seems to see him for who he is, and he's certainly far from perfect in many ways.