To Never Touch Again
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
3
Views:
2,667
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
3
Views:
2,667
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
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.
The Eulogy and the Body
Author note: Again, a stand alone drabble I used for this chapter. My memorial to the fallen. However, Severus isn’t included…hmmm. The bottom section was added on for this story. Enjoy!
For Fred, Remus, and Tonks.
How many long years now have I been a part of your life? How many times I’ve watched you do extraordinary things and take my wonderment to new heights? The time has come and gone to tell you how much I cared. To give you the words to make you understand how much you have meant to me all this time. To say I loved you would be too strong and yet not enough. I will say I cared. I cared if you failed at your attempts or made them successes. I cared if you got hurt. I cared if your emotions were so befuddled that you couldn’t make sense of them. I cared.
It’s an emotion that has more depth and meaning than love. It means that you are held close to my heart and I envelope your existence into my life. It means that when something happens to you, I rejoice with you, I cry with you, I hurt with you, and I smile with you. To say that I cared is hard for me to do. Only those that truly grasp my heart and soul are given those words. To say that I cared seems more intimate and personal. Everyone says, “I love you.” But how many say they care?
The journeys we’ve been on together have left me with laughter on my lips, tears in my eyes, and meaning in my heart. I am a better person having known you. I am a better human being having watched all the trials you’ve faced and overcome. You have been inspiring to me. And I want to thank you.
You are not just some person floating in the universe with which I happened to bump. You are not just a name without a face. I have read into your soul with every word you spoke. I have been given the privilege of knowing you even more intimately with every movement you made. I find myself in a state of amazement that I, meek as I am, have been given the opportunity to become not only a companion on these journeys, but also a friend.
Take with you the knowledge that I will keep your story. That I will retell it and relive it with each time I speak of it. Keep with you my thoughts and well wishes. Know that I will forever be your friend. And that…I care.
*****
As soon as the eulogy was finished, the three of them wiped away the tears and watched as those in attendance placed flowers on the caskets.
Almost last in the procession, Ron was the first of the three to walk up. He did as the others did, placing matching white roses on the mahogany wood that held Remus and Tonks. He lingered for a moment beside his brother, taking his mother’s hand in his own and placed the canary cream beside the skivvy box.
Hermione was slow to approach. She also placed the flowers on the coffins, turned to Ron, and cried into his shoulder.
Harry, the very last to walk the long path, began thinking of his parents and their friends. All were gone now. There was nothing left of his parents but a few distorted memories and some frayed pictures. He placed his roses and stood for a moment as the others left the cemetery. He was the last one to leave. He turned back to look upon them once more. And with a lonely tear, he uttered two words.
“I care.”
*****
Harry was walking along the path alone. He knew he shouldn’t have come. It was all wrong, really. It was a part of his life that was over. He had to move on. But something inside needed to say goodbye. There had never been a formal funeral for Severus. The Ministry decided not to try the deceased, no real reason since no one would pay for the crime. Therefore, Harry still had the memories.
He attempted to get rid of them that night, but his overwhelming urge to keep something that was…his, stayed his hand. The only time he would see him again was through those memories. How could he get rid of them?
A beautiful pewter amulet hung around his neck. It was something he toyed with on occasion. No one would know he still had the memories. As long as they didn’t try to open the charm on the chain. Close to his heart, Severus rested. With or without a memorial. He was at rest, his life of torture and trials now over. And Harry found solace in that he was able to share a small part of the life that wasn’t horrible with the man.
His toes lightly kicked the dust at the steps of the Shrieking Shack. To his knowledge, no one went back for his body. Harry felt compelled to do something for him, if at least bury him proper. He knew that all would be there was a corpse, half decomposed from the summer sun. Several aroma charms later, Harry entered the shack. Each step seemed to last an hour. It was such a slow journey just to see an image Harry desperately didn’t want in his mind. He wanted to remember Severus how he was, snarky and all. Not a heap of flesh and bone wilted away and left alone all these days.
Harry would have come sooner but no one would let him be long enough. They all fussed over him. Whether it was the media who wanted to speak with the Boy-Who-Defeated-Evil, or those that felt compassion or maybe pity for him.
Harry turned the knob. The door creaked. It opened. He gasped.
There was a large maroon stain on the wood, but there was no body.
For Fred, Remus, and Tonks.
How many long years now have I been a part of your life? How many times I’ve watched you do extraordinary things and take my wonderment to new heights? The time has come and gone to tell you how much I cared. To give you the words to make you understand how much you have meant to me all this time. To say I loved you would be too strong and yet not enough. I will say I cared. I cared if you failed at your attempts or made them successes. I cared if you got hurt. I cared if your emotions were so befuddled that you couldn’t make sense of them. I cared.
It’s an emotion that has more depth and meaning than love. It means that you are held close to my heart and I envelope your existence into my life. It means that when something happens to you, I rejoice with you, I cry with you, I hurt with you, and I smile with you. To say that I cared is hard for me to do. Only those that truly grasp my heart and soul are given those words. To say that I cared seems more intimate and personal. Everyone says, “I love you.” But how many say they care?
The journeys we’ve been on together have left me with laughter on my lips, tears in my eyes, and meaning in my heart. I am a better person having known you. I am a better human being having watched all the trials you’ve faced and overcome. You have been inspiring to me. And I want to thank you.
You are not just some person floating in the universe with which I happened to bump. You are not just a name without a face. I have read into your soul with every word you spoke. I have been given the privilege of knowing you even more intimately with every movement you made. I find myself in a state of amazement that I, meek as I am, have been given the opportunity to become not only a companion on these journeys, but also a friend.
Take with you the knowledge that I will keep your story. That I will retell it and relive it with each time I speak of it. Keep with you my thoughts and well wishes. Know that I will forever be your friend. And that…I care.
*****
As soon as the eulogy was finished, the three of them wiped away the tears and watched as those in attendance placed flowers on the caskets.
Almost last in the procession, Ron was the first of the three to walk up. He did as the others did, placing matching white roses on the mahogany wood that held Remus and Tonks. He lingered for a moment beside his brother, taking his mother’s hand in his own and placed the canary cream beside the skivvy box.
Hermione was slow to approach. She also placed the flowers on the coffins, turned to Ron, and cried into his shoulder.
Harry, the very last to walk the long path, began thinking of his parents and their friends. All were gone now. There was nothing left of his parents but a few distorted memories and some frayed pictures. He placed his roses and stood for a moment as the others left the cemetery. He was the last one to leave. He turned back to look upon them once more. And with a lonely tear, he uttered two words.
“I care.”
*****
Harry was walking along the path alone. He knew he shouldn’t have come. It was all wrong, really. It was a part of his life that was over. He had to move on. But something inside needed to say goodbye. There had never been a formal funeral for Severus. The Ministry decided not to try the deceased, no real reason since no one would pay for the crime. Therefore, Harry still had the memories.
He attempted to get rid of them that night, but his overwhelming urge to keep something that was…his, stayed his hand. The only time he would see him again was through those memories. How could he get rid of them?
A beautiful pewter amulet hung around his neck. It was something he toyed with on occasion. No one would know he still had the memories. As long as they didn’t try to open the charm on the chain. Close to his heart, Severus rested. With or without a memorial. He was at rest, his life of torture and trials now over. And Harry found solace in that he was able to share a small part of the life that wasn’t horrible with the man.
His toes lightly kicked the dust at the steps of the Shrieking Shack. To his knowledge, no one went back for his body. Harry felt compelled to do something for him, if at least bury him proper. He knew that all would be there was a corpse, half decomposed from the summer sun. Several aroma charms later, Harry entered the shack. Each step seemed to last an hour. It was such a slow journey just to see an image Harry desperately didn’t want in his mind. He wanted to remember Severus how he was, snarky and all. Not a heap of flesh and bone wilted away and left alone all these days.
Harry would have come sooner but no one would let him be long enough. They all fussed over him. Whether it was the media who wanted to speak with the Boy-Who-Defeated-Evil, or those that felt compassion or maybe pity for him.
Harry turned the knob. The door creaked. It opened. He gasped.
There was a large maroon stain on the wood, but there was no body.