Stolen Wings

So... sorry this took so long to be updated, I had forgotten where I was going to take this, so I had to come up with something new. I have some pretty good ideas now on what's going to happen, it's just a matter of getting them from my head onto my computer *chuckles*

I started this long before HBP came out, and in this chapter have tried to encorperate it in, even if it is just in passing. I think this story might be cute and fluffy for a bit, while Harry's and Severus' relationship grows, then it's gonna get dark. How dark? Am not sure yet... but I can at least promise you blood and pain... and maybe even screaming, and perhaps death... but we'll see where this takes me.

Once again, I would like to thank everybody for all of your reviews, you are all so awesome and wonderful. I hope that you all enjoy this latest chapter.

I do not own Harry, or Severus, or anything that belongs to the HP world... I only mess around with things a little bit.


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Love. It was almost a foreign concept to him. He had never received much of that
particular emotion in his life.

When he was little, he knew that his parents loved him, and he loved them back. It had
been nice, until his mother had died and his father had taken up drinking to drown his
grief. From that point on he only received resentment and abuse from his father.

This treatment inadvertently lead to his next love. It wasn’t a love felt for a person, but
instead a place. Hogwarts became his sanctuary from his father. His thirst for knowledge
was insatiable, and soon lead to the discovery of his love for the art of potions.

After his years at school, it was love that drove him to the Dark Lord. One would be
foolish if they thought that Severus Snape loved He Who Must Not Be Named. They’d be
equally as foolish if they believed he loved the Darks Arts, though he’d admit he had a
reverence for them. The main reason he had accepted the Dark Mark was his love for his
mother. He felt justifiable in his hatred for his father, thankful that his mother hadn’t
lived long enough to see the man she had loved so much turn into such a monster.

He did not feel any remorse when his father died a horrible death at his hands.

It was only after the Dark Lord had been destroyed, and the young Potter child sent off to
live with his muggle relatives that Severus became disenchanted with the life he had
chosen. He knew now the mistakes he had made, and regretted most of what he had done
since accepting the Dark Mark.

When Albus approached him and offered him a chance at redemption, he was quick to
accept. Knowing fully that it would not be the easy path, but it would be the right thing to
do after all the terrible things he had done to so many. Even if most could never forgive
him completely, he had to try.

So he returned to the place that he loved, and taught the ever changing faces the subject
he loved. Over the years he grew to respect Albus, and perhaps even love him in a way
that he might have been able to love his father at one time.

Things were peaceful for a while, and nobody thought much of Severus, and he was
content in his position, finally having some stability in his life. The day young Potter
arrived at Hogwarts, everything was bound never to be the same again. Old wounds were
torn open, and certain old prejustices were placed unfairly upon both people.

This continued for six years, until he was forced to commit an act that he had sworn to
himself never to commit again. Bound by an unbreakable vow, and by a promise to an old
man. He took away an important stability from Potter’s life, thus nailing in the final key
needed to drive the boy to pursue Lord Voldemort with everything he had. It would later
be revealed, through a pensive memory, that this had all been planned all in advance by
Albus himself, in order to shape Harry into the weapon the rest of the wizarding world
needed him to be.

The rest flew by so quickly, and at times was almost hard to believe that such things had
happened, and now they were at peace. Well, almost everybody.

During the war, after the truth about Albus’ death had been brought to light, Harry had
accepted that truth. Together they fought side by side, each having developed a new
understanding and respect for the other. In the end, the Golden Boy had been hailed the
hero once again, and Severus faded once more into the comfort of the shadows. After
that, things had gone terribly wrong for the Boy.

But now, they were here. Nobody else having any memory of Harry’s existence, thanks to
a clever spell setup by Albus, and triggered by Severus. The old Headmaster had started
the spell in secret, and had somehow managed to manipulate him into saying the words
‘out of sight, out of mind’. This completed the spell, and left Snape as the only person not
effected by it.

It had quite clever, looking back on it now, it would have ensured Harry a life without the
pressure he had grown up with. He would have finally had the normal life he longed for
since he was still a small child. Unfortunately, fear from others didn’t allow for that to
happen.

Maybe now, Harry could have that normal life he had always dreamed about. And maybe,
just maybe, he would be willing to share it with a certain former Professor. Which brings
us back to the topic of love.

Severus knew he loved Harry, but it was not the love they speak about in romance stories.
Nor the great love found in fairy tales. It was something small and precious, silently
promising that it could be more if it was nourished. Slowly, that is how he was falling in
love for the young man within his home.

It had been a couple weeks since he had first come to this realization, and was almost
hesitant to pursue it any further. As he sat in his library, staring into the fire, he knew that
he couldn’t ignore his feelings forever. It was mostly his concern for Harry’s condition
that held him back, not wanted to scare the young man out of his wits, or break him even
more.

He was settling in for another sleepless night, when one of the house elves popped up
infront of him. She was tugging on her ears and crying so badly it was hard to make out
her words. He managed to calm her down long enough for her to try and tell him what
was going on. However, she only was able to say Harry’s name before she started wailing
again, with the memories of what she had seen only moments ago.

Severus didn’t bother to try and find out what else she had to say, leaving her there as he
bolted out of the room. He ran as fast as he could to Harry’s room, various situations
forming in his mind on what could have happened, and each one worse then the thought
before. Without hesitating, he flung open the bedroom door, only to barely duck in time
as a large text book came flying his way.

Inside the room, everything that wasn’t too heavy was flying around. Books, clothing,
trinkets, Hedwig’s cage, thankfully she wasn’t in it at the time, a few things that Severus
thought he had lost, were among the vortex that was swirling within. Harry was laying on
the bed through all of this, whimpering in his sleep and thrashing violently about.

It took a couple minutes of dodging things, and somehow maneuvering through the room
before he arrived at the eye of the storm. Luckily he had only sustained minor damage
when shard of broken crystal brushed against his cheek. He pulled the sleeping boy into
his arms and started shaking him, trying to wake him.

“Harry... Harry! Wake up! It’s only a dream... only a dream!” Silently praying that it was
indeed only a dream.

Harry’s eyes bolted open, full of fear, and unfocused at first. He seemed disoriented,
almost confused as it took him a moment to focus and realize where he was. The instant
he did, Severus could see the relief flooding into those eyes as he clung to the older man.

“Severus!” blinking as he looked up at him, as though making sure it was really him.
Then everything fell apart, not able to hold the emotions back any longer as they burst
forth, shaking his body with trembling sobs. He buried his face into his savor’s robes and
held nothing back. “It was so horrible! I don’t know... I mean... why?”

For once, Severus was at a loss of words. So instead, he held the boy close, rocking him
gently, and telling him that it was all right now, that nobody would hurt him ever again.
The objects had fallen to the floor when Harry had awoken, leaving a large mess to be
cleaned up later. Right now, all that mattered was calming Harry down.

It was nearly an hour later before things had settled into a calm, peaceful state. Harry was
breathing normally, and seemed to be close to sleeping once more. He stirred a bit, then
looked up at the man who was holding him. From this angle, the Potions Master seemed
almost ethereal. Well at least had a bit of a glow to his pale skin, though that was due to
the candles that softly lit the room. Either way, he didn’t appear to be the cold hardened
man that he had come to know him as. He looked different, almost kind, and perhaps sad
on the inside, just like he had been all these years. This was the man behind the mask, the
one who cared, the one who hadn’t forgot about him. The only person who hadn’t
betrayed him.

“P-professor...” then man blinked and looked down into those deep emerald eyes. “er
Severus... I... I want to thank you... again. I mean... I know you’ve done allot for me...
and...” the tears threatened to come again.

“Shh....” Severus placed his fingertips to the young man’s lips. “You don’t have to say
anymore.” They held each other’s eyes, amazement shining through Harry’s.

Never before had he received such comfort, or felt so safe, not even from his former
friends. Harry could see it coming, could feel Severus’ fingers slip away, only to be
replaced by his lips. It was as though it happened in slow motion, yet it felt so sudden. He
couldn’t help but gasp, and even tremble at the soft tenderness he felt from the kiss. Yes,
this was a kiss. Severus was kissing him... HIM, of all people.

When Severus pulled back form the kiss, he saw the look of shock in Harry’s eyes and
something inside him fell. “I.. I’m sorry...” he murmured. “I should go...” mentally
berating himself for loosing his self control for that moment. Though he couldn’t say that
he would regret it. The kiss, it had been nice, undemanding, but it had been the wrong
thing to do at the time. If this was the only kiss that he was ever going to have with Harry,
then he was going to remember it for what it was, and cherish the memory. He pulled
back slowly to leave, nearly off the bed when he felt hands stop him. He looked back to
see Harry’s eyes almost begging him to stay.

“Please... don’t go Severus... stay?” He sounded so fragile, that Severus could not help
but sit back on the bed. “Just... just hold me tonight... please?”

He pulled Harry into his arms, and the young man quickly snuggled against him. Running
a hand comfortingly across his back, he sighed softly. “I’ll stay... as long as you want me
to... Harry.” Closing his eyes, he kissed the top of the smaller man’s head, as they both
settled down, and fell asleep.

Harry having never felt any safer in his life, then right here, within Severus’ arms.