It was the end of yet another Potions class. As everyone else filed out the door, only one lagged behind. He made his way to the front of the classroom, stopping only when he reached the large, wooden desk.

"Professor."

Snape glanced up from the pile of essays he was about to grade and found himself looking into the emerald green eyes of Harry Potter.

"Yes, Potter?" he questioned, sounding faintly annoyed. He had hoped that Harry would have just left the class, instead of staying behind. He'd caught the boy staring at him throughout the lesson and it had gotten on his nerves. "Well, what is it?" Snape snapped, when he got no response. "I've had enough of you staring at me. If you got something to say, you better say it. If not, then get out of here."

"I miss you," Harry said simply.

Silence lapsed between them as Snape took in the words. Lips curled, he answered, seconds later, "Miss me? Or do you just miss having another body next to you at night?" His onyx eyes bore into Harry, observing that the boy appeared to be trembling, shaking as he managed an answer to retaliate with.

"You," Harry responded finally, voice thick. "Always you." He averted his gaze to the floor, unable to meet Snape's eyes.

The older man sighed, setting down his quill in the process. "Tell me, Potter," he said. "What is it that draws you to me? Do you find me handsome?"

Harry drew in a breath before he spoke. "To be honest, Professor, I...really don't know. Handsome isn't how I'd put it. More like...captivating," he added after a moment's hesitation.

Snape leaned forward, an eyebrow raised. "Captivating, am I?"

Harry said nothing, but merely nodded as a faint blush stained his cheeks.

"Explain, Potter," Snape said, voice low, gesturing for the boy to come closer. Harry did so, visibly swallowing, "How am I 'captivating' to you?"

They were now so close that if Snape stood up, he and Harry would be brushing up against each other. The youth noticed this and he gulped again. Silence once more fell between them as Harry racked his brain for a way to try and fully explain what he meant. After what felt like an eternity, he couldn't come up with anything. He let his eyes meet Snape's and he shrugged. "I-I guess I don't know, Professor," he muttered.

To Harry's surprise, this brought a smile to Snape's face. "Really?" he drawled, stroking his chin with his hand. "You mean to tell me that you do not know as to why you enjoy my company in bed?"

Harry's cheeks turned a darker red at the phrasing of that last sentence, but he was determined not to let Snape gain the upper hand of the conversation. "W-What I mean is..." He began, but had to stop and take a deep breath before continuing. "What I mean is, I do have a reason, but...I guess I just can't...explain it very well."

"Obviously," Snape retorted.

"It's hard to explain!" Harry shot back, feeling quite frustrated now. "All I can say is that you do something to me. You make me feel...things," he finished lamely, scratching the back of his head.

"What kind of things?" Snape pressed, actually feeling interested in the conversation now. "Good? Bad?"

"Good things!" Harry exclaimed, unable to hold it in anymore. "Good, wonderful, indescribable things!"

"No need to get excited, Potter. Please, lower your voice."

Harry then leaned onto the desk, so that he and Snape were only millimeters apart. "You make me feel loved," he said slowly, chest heaving.

Snape held Harry's gaze, smirking slightly as he felt the teen's warm breath on his face. "Love?" he said quietly. "You mean to tell me that you have fallen for me?"

After an agonising silence, Snape got his answer. Harry nodded, his lips trembling, unable to say anything, for he was afraid that he might start crying if he so much as opened his mouth.

"Well now," Snape mused, his low voice seeming to break through the quiet that had settled over the room, "I daresay, this is most interesting. I never would have thought it could happen." A slight chuckle escaped his throat.

Harry's eyes widened. He'd just confessed his darkest secret and the object of his affections was now laughing about it! He couldn't believe it. He'd known Snape to be cruel, but this...this was too much. "It's t-true," he sputtered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've...fallen in love with you."

To Harry's astonishment, Snape continued to laugh. It seems that the older man didn't even hear him. Boiling over with rage, Harry did the only thing he could to capture Snape's attention: He pushed forward and captured the older man's mouth in a bruising kiss. Snape let out a grunt as Harry held his shoulders in an iron grip, forcing him to stand still as the boy poured out all his emotion into the most passionate kiss that he had ever given, and the most passionate kiss that Snape has ever received.

After what felt like hours, Harry pulled away, chest heaving up and down, and forced himself to look up into the face of the older man standing before him. "Severus," he said, still holding onto the man's shoulders, "Everything that I've said is the truth. I love you." He paused and loosened his grip, now letting his hands fall onto Snape's chest. "I really, truly love you."

Snape said nothing, but stared down at the boy. This was the first time that Harry had ever called him by his first name. Even when they began their sordid affair, Harry had always called him 'Professor.' He let one hand rest on the boy's back as his brain replayed the words that he had just received. 'I love you...I really, truly love you.' And Snape had thought it was just a weakness of the flesh...He thought they were both just acting on plain weakness and temptation...

He felt Harry lean into his chest, head resting against his breastbone, and Snape felt a softness well up inside him. The boy really loved him, just as he said. All the cruelty that he had shown Harry before disappeared as he felt the boy embrace him. All the sudden, sadness filled Snape's heart. He had been way too mean to Harry, playing with his feelings when all along the boy had honestly meant them. His hand tightened on the small of Harry's back.

"Sir?"

Snape opened his eyes, not even realising that he had closed them. "I've...been such a jerk," he muttered.

"What?"

"I've been such a jerk to you, Harry," Snape repeated, leaning back so that he could look the boy in the face. "Playing with your feelings all this time when you really meant them."

"Professor," Harry said, smiling. "You...You called me by my first name."

"I...I guess I did," Snape responded, his lips curling into the smallest of smiles. "But still, nothing will change the fact that I've basically been torturing you all this time." He turned his face away, unable to look Harry in the eyes.

Harry could see that Snape really looked upset by what he had done. Could this mean...? Taking a risk, Harry reached up and turned Snape's face back toward him with his hand. He let his fingers rest against Snape's cheek, cupping his face in his palm. Harry then leaned up and brushed his lips over Snape's mouth, whispering, "Does this mean that you...could have feelings for me as well?"

Wordlessly, Snape nodded, pulling the boy in closer, so that their lips met. His heart wept as they kissed; all this time he had been fighting against his feelings for Harry and thus, let himself grow immune to any sort of attachment whatsoever. He took Harry into his arms, embracing him carefully and protectively, as if he never wanted to let him go...

As they bid each other goodnight, Harry reassured Snape that he didn't need to feel so guilty about how he had treated him. Snape looked at him, unable to hide the confusion from his face. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said firmly. "Because I heard everything that you wanted to say through your kiss. No need to apologize, so don't feel guilty, okay?"

And with that, Harry left the classroom, leaving a slightly blushing and flustered Snape behind.

END