The Most Difficult Of All Our Tasks
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
27
Views:
26,824
Reviews:
76
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
27
Views:
26,824
Reviews:
76
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Sight and Sound
--Ok peeps, I've deliberately left you waiting, cos Sevvy had to wait a week to find out what Harry intended to do.
--Kat9jr - I can see why you think Sev is being manipulative, but 1) He IS a Slytherin, and 2) he wanted to give Harry time to realise his feelings 3)The idea for the plan actually didn't come from him - it came from somewhere else. Can anyone work out where? If not, it is in the author's notes which I'll post at the end of the story.
--Jilliane - *grins* Cheers m'dear! Glad you're enjoying Areas too!
--On the subject of "Areas of Expertise": as you might know if you've been following that fic, I update a chapter a day - pretty much. Tonight I can't seem to get my brain to work out the next bit so I figured I'd update this instead. (I think some of you might be quite pleased about that!)
-- I'm not going to have any author's comment at the end of this chapter, so I'll do my begging now - please review! It might not change this story (which has been completed for a while) but it might influence future stories/episodes in Areas!
-- I'd really like your comments on this chapter as it is quite key! Especially the ending. So, seriously, my lovely sick people, review! SP
Chapter the Twenty-Fifth – Sight and Sound
The tension between the two men continued for a week.
Harry went to work, came home and played with the children, ate, and then retired to his own room, an expression of deep thought upon his face.
Severus, who for so long had not spoken, had no one to speak to. He tried, for his sons’ and daughters’ sake, to pretend that everything was fine, but the boys knew something was wrong, and the girls were very grizzly, especially Acacia.
The weekend came, and was nearly unbearable for the entire family. Mycroft spent the day in the nursery looking after his little brother whose usually happy countenance was decidedly black.
Severus devoted himself to the task of caring for the girls, leaving Harry free to do as he wished.
After sitting for an hour trying to read the Daily Prophet, Harry had stood up, grabbed some floo powder and said, “Diagon Alley.” He vanished in a green haze, leaving Severus feeling lost.
The evening came and Harry did not return.
Sadly, wondering if this was the end of their marriage, Severus put the children to bed. With nothing to do himself, he was not long following them.
He felt so tired since the problems with Harry. He felt what he was, a middle aged man with five children under three. He fell asleep.
***
In the morning he awoke with a thumping headache and felt instantly weary. The other side of the bed was cold, as it had been for a week now, but there was one difference – on the pillow (which still smelled of his husband) were two glossy black boxes, and a folded piece of parchment. Intrigued, Severus reached out a hand but the wails of Ebony stopped him.
He dragged himself out of the bed and saw to the girls’ needs. Kreacher, he was pleased to note, had already awoken and looked after the boys, and he could be heard faintly, wheezingly telling another story to them in the living room.
He straightened and eased the cricks in his neck before walking painfully back to the spare room.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the parchment.
“Open the larger box first.” Was all it said.
Severus frowned. It was Harry’s handwriting, but it seemed an odd message to leave. It was so painfully inadequate. If Harry was walking out on them, why not just write it down straight away? Why leave ambiguous messages and strange boxes?
Not sure whether he wanted to look inside, Severus lifted the larger box, which felt surprisingly light, and pulled off the lid. He raised his eyebrows at what was inside: A fluffy pink pillow in the shape of a pair of lips.
It seemed so irrelevant that Severus was angry. He took out the annoyingly pink item and noticed the note underneath:
“You spoke.”
Now beginning to dread what the second box might hold, Severus placed the pillow back in its container, and put that carefully on the bed. He knew he was delaying opening the second box, and hated himself for being so cowardly.
He arose and checked on the girls in the nursery. All three were completely happy, clean, and well fed.
He returned to the spare room, stomach clenching at the sight of the unopened box. Its very blackness in that room of light and peace seemed to inexorably draw Severus’ attention.
Finally he steeled himself for the task. He sat back down and reached out slowly for the black cuboid.
The lid came off easily.
Severus was beyond surprised. Whatever he had expected to find in there, be it letters from Harry’s lawyers, or details of where Harry was now living, he had not dreamed of finding these.
As though in a daze, Severus tilted the box so that the items dropped out. The first item fell quickly onto the sheets; a folded piece of parchment fluttered gracefully after it.
Severus opened the paper and felt a sob rising in his chest as he read the two words on it. Shaking his head in disbelief, he picked up the pair of spectacles from the bed and read again Harry’s note: “I saw.”
--Kat9jr - I can see why you think Sev is being manipulative, but 1) He IS a Slytherin, and 2) he wanted to give Harry time to realise his feelings 3)The idea for the plan actually didn't come from him - it came from somewhere else. Can anyone work out where? If not, it is in the author's notes which I'll post at the end of the story.
--Jilliane - *grins* Cheers m'dear! Glad you're enjoying Areas too!
--On the subject of "Areas of Expertise": as you might know if you've been following that fic, I update a chapter a day - pretty much. Tonight I can't seem to get my brain to work out the next bit so I figured I'd update this instead. (I think some of you might be quite pleased about that!)
-- I'm not going to have any author's comment at the end of this chapter, so I'll do my begging now - please review! It might not change this story (which has been completed for a while) but it might influence future stories/episodes in Areas!
-- I'd really like your comments on this chapter as it is quite key! Especially the ending. So, seriously, my lovely sick people, review! SP
Chapter the Twenty-Fifth – Sight and Sound
The tension between the two men continued for a week.
Harry went to work, came home and played with the children, ate, and then retired to his own room, an expression of deep thought upon his face.
Severus, who for so long had not spoken, had no one to speak to. He tried, for his sons’ and daughters’ sake, to pretend that everything was fine, but the boys knew something was wrong, and the girls were very grizzly, especially Acacia.
The weekend came, and was nearly unbearable for the entire family. Mycroft spent the day in the nursery looking after his little brother whose usually happy countenance was decidedly black.
Severus devoted himself to the task of caring for the girls, leaving Harry free to do as he wished.
After sitting for an hour trying to read the Daily Prophet, Harry had stood up, grabbed some floo powder and said, “Diagon Alley.” He vanished in a green haze, leaving Severus feeling lost.
The evening came and Harry did not return.
Sadly, wondering if this was the end of their marriage, Severus put the children to bed. With nothing to do himself, he was not long following them.
He felt so tired since the problems with Harry. He felt what he was, a middle aged man with five children under three. He fell asleep.
***
In the morning he awoke with a thumping headache and felt instantly weary. The other side of the bed was cold, as it had been for a week now, but there was one difference – on the pillow (which still smelled of his husband) were two glossy black boxes, and a folded piece of parchment. Intrigued, Severus reached out a hand but the wails of Ebony stopped him.
He dragged himself out of the bed and saw to the girls’ needs. Kreacher, he was pleased to note, had already awoken and looked after the boys, and he could be heard faintly, wheezingly telling another story to them in the living room.
He straightened and eased the cricks in his neck before walking painfully back to the spare room.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the parchment.
“Open the larger box first.” Was all it said.
Severus frowned. It was Harry’s handwriting, but it seemed an odd message to leave. It was so painfully inadequate. If Harry was walking out on them, why not just write it down straight away? Why leave ambiguous messages and strange boxes?
Not sure whether he wanted to look inside, Severus lifted the larger box, which felt surprisingly light, and pulled off the lid. He raised his eyebrows at what was inside: A fluffy pink pillow in the shape of a pair of lips.
It seemed so irrelevant that Severus was angry. He took out the annoyingly pink item and noticed the note underneath:
“You spoke.”
Now beginning to dread what the second box might hold, Severus placed the pillow back in its container, and put that carefully on the bed. He knew he was delaying opening the second box, and hated himself for being so cowardly.
He arose and checked on the girls in the nursery. All three were completely happy, clean, and well fed.
He returned to the spare room, stomach clenching at the sight of the unopened box. Its very blackness in that room of light and peace seemed to inexorably draw Severus’ attention.
Finally he steeled himself for the task. He sat back down and reached out slowly for the black cuboid.
The lid came off easily.
Severus was beyond surprised. Whatever he had expected to find in there, be it letters from Harry’s lawyers, or details of where Harry was now living, he had not dreamed of finding these.
As though in a daze, Severus tilted the box so that the items dropped out. The first item fell quickly onto the sheets; a folded piece of parchment fluttered gracefully after it.
Severus opened the paper and felt a sob rising in his chest as he read the two words on it. Shaking his head in disbelief, he picked up the pair of spectacles from the bed and read again Harry’s note: “I saw.”