Severus conflict when Harry first came to Hogwarts is so poignant. How he struggled with what he saw in those eyes, and how he longed to fulfill his destiny and be free of the world was heartbreaking.
When he agrees to meet with Harry to talk with Lily, it was so telling, how weak he still really was, and how needy, that he'd agree, but so Snape that he'd change his mind, once he realized how vulnerable he'd made himself.
I like how fatalistic this Snape is, that he'd return to Spinner's End and stay there, that he had no hopes for himself, nothing to look forward to, and forced himself to believe this was all he could expect from life.
There was so much dialogue between the two of them; I love that you did that to flesh them out; you developed an uneasy rapport between them, and I had tears in my eyes when Harry discovered that Snape didn't want to be touched, but then did it anyway.
After they both slept that first night, how telling that Snape was disappointed to find Harry gone, and tried not to hope he'd come back. I held my breath from that point on, wondering with Snape if Harry would….
I love that Harry came back, and that he 'gentled' Snape like one would a wild horse. And oh my! How he seduced him, slowly and determinately, pulling Snape in so he got to the point where the sensation of skin on skin was, perhaps, worth the edge of terror that lurked like a shadow in his mind.
The sex wasn't just hot—it was beautifully written, Snape pulled in slowly and gradually in spite of himself, finally done in by Harry's persistence and tenderness. It made me smile, thinking of them that day, sleeping and waking and doing sexy things in between.
And the ending was just so Snape--not yet believing, but willing to suspend his disbelief for a while longer. * snorts * Yeah, good luck with that, Snape. This Harry'll make a believer out of you in no time.
Thanks so much for a beautiful story about Snape's inner journey and Harry taking them both home. I loved it!