"I died, so many years ago and you can make me feel like it isn't so. But why you come to be with me I think I finally know." Severus said as he looked at Harry's back. They were standing at the top of the Astronomy tower looking out over the quidditch pitch. Snape reached out to touch Harry's shoulder but stopped pulling his hand back.

"You're scared," he continued. "Ashamed of what you feel and you can't tell the ones you love. You know they couldn't deal." Harry was rigid, his arms crossed tightly in front of him, rocking slightly. Severus knew that he was lashing out at the boy but he couldn't stop. And he knew that no one was saying the things Harry needed to be told. They all treated him with kid gloves.

They'd become lovers after a particularly gruelling session of Occulamency/Legelimens. For once Harry had overcome his anger and apathy and focussed. Again he had been able to enter Snape's mind but this time the images were different. Snape hadn't even realised how much he had been watching the boy. And as he had watched the images forced through his memory, he had realised that the boy wasn't a boy any more.

When they had come out of the trance, they had kissed.

After the first time that they had sex, fast and angry on top of the desk in the potions classroom, Harry had begun to confide in him. Actually talk about how all of the memories that Snape had already ripped from his brain made him feel. Snape had never seen himself as a confidant before. He had never really expected to have anyone share themselves with him again. He was dead. Useful, but dead.

Harry turned around to face him, anger pooling in his eyes. Severus paused and then braced himself for a reaction. Hoping that this time Harry would listen to him and break his self imposed exile. "But whisper in a dead man's ear, that doesn't make it real," he hissed.

He was angry, too. He'd really come to care for Harry. He had begun, in his cold and frozen heart, to Hope.

"That's great." Harry bit out. "But I don't wanna play." He took a step forward, closer to Severus and reached out and grasped his arm. "Cause being with you touches me more than I can say," Harry whispered. Severus could see the tears in Harry's eyes. "And since I'm only dead to you, I'm saying stay away. And let me rest in peace." He pushed away from Severus and turned around, facing the window again.

"Let me rest in peace, let me get some sleep. Let me take my love and bury it in a hole six foot deep." Severus wasn't sure if he was hearing Harry's whisper properly. He wasn't sure what Harry was trying to say. They had come up here tonight, sneaking around after curfew, so none of the other students or staff would know. Harry would be leaving soon, either to fight the Dark Lord, or because his seventh year was nearly over. And somehow they had both needed to see the other. Harry had sent him a message, he had come.

"I can lay my body down but I can't find my sweet release." Now he could hear the despair in Harry's voice. Severus wasn't used to feeling this out of control. He usually knew exactly what was going on. He took a step closer and then placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. He pulled his lover back against him and held him tight. Harry shuddered in his arms, the tension released with human contact. Harry turned and buried his head into Severus' shoulder. The tears fell freely.

Then Harry looked up with the beginning a smile. "You know you've got a willing slave."

"And you just love to play the thought that you might misbehave." Severus returned the smile. He wasn't comfortable with tears. He understood, but he wasn't comfortable. The playfulness Harry was showing was easier. "But til you do..." Harry stopped him with his mouth. Kissing him.

"I'm telling you stop visiting my grave." Harry looked at him seriously. He felt Harry's hands reach down and twine with his. "And let me rest in peace. I know I should go, but I follow you like a man possessed." The admission seemed to cost something from Harry.

Severus looked at Harry intently, not sure if Harry was trying to tell him what he thought he was. "There's a traitor here beneath my breast," he warned.

"And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed. If my heart could beat it would break my chest." Harry reached out to push the hair that had fallen in his eyes away and then he looked away. "But I can see you're unimpressed. So leave me be. Let me rest in peace." Harry's hand dropped away and he turned away.

"Why won't you let me rest in peace?" Harry said as he walked across the room.

Severus grabbed Harry as he was about to walk out the door and kissed him. He put all of the love that he felt into the kiss, hoping that Harry could understand what he couldn't quite say. That he too was possessed. That he too would follow and that maybe together they could rest from this obsession that seemed to have built between them.

"So ... you're not staying then?" Severus asked.

Harry grinned.