Ah, thank you. This fic was full of conflicting impulses, because I wanted beauty - it's one of the qualities I strive for in my writing, although I have to remember not to suffocate the reader. With equal intensity I wanted to humanize Harry, to make the Gryffindor golden boy face his demons, his Snape demon in particular. I wanted to investigate what kind of love could possibly withstand the history between them. And it seemed to me that Harry, once he finally worked through his hatred, would have a really difficult time letting go of his newfound love. Because Snape's always been there. Because it's been such a painful struggle for them to reach such a depth of feeling. Because he's closer to Snape by the story's end than he is to anyone else living, and he has to agree to lose even that. Most of all, because he has to let Snape be whoever he is without him - and without Voldemort, Dumbledore, or the memory of Lily controlling his life - since, once Snape finds out who he is, ghost-ridden but free at the age of forty, he may not want Harry anymore.
I did ultimately intend their sacrifices to be a testament to love, but within this story arc there couldn't possibly be a resolution. They both need to live in solitude for a while and learn what it is to exist without a sacrificial purpose. What happens when they meet again is outside the scope of this fic, but I like to think it will be a meeting of equals. And, frankly, if Harry actually makes the effort to track Snape down, I don't see Snape turning him away.
Your comments are lovely, and I'm thrilled that you so saw so much of what I hoped to put into the fic. It makes me feel that I did justice to these characters, both of whom I love so much. :)