Differences {Snarry}

Veiled Feelings

The first thing Severus did a few days later, knowing it was a rare off day, was leave to collect Harry's belongings. He did not wish to wake the man at the ungodly hour he had arisen so he snuck through the house, opting not to eat until he came back, and left through the front door. The only reason he had chose this time to go was because he knew it was past the usual time to change 'Potter Protection' shifts and the next member would not be due until 10 as they all had no motivation to wake up any earlier for the task they supposedly deem so important. Severus rolled his eyes. He was so glad to be done with the bumbling fools now. And even happier that Harry was too. 

Walking to his usual apparition point he couldn't help but think of the man. His mate. 'Who is currently nice and warm under the covers sleeping'  Severus thought admittingly jealous as he pulled his cloak closer around him to fight the morning chill, then apparating away to Privet Drive. He still could not believe he had a mate. He had thought fate would withdraw the privilege to make him pay for all the wrong he has done. Although, the fact that out of everyone fate could call his 'perfect match', he would never have guessed it to be Harry Potter(-Black). The son of his childhood bully and once best friend. They had been at each others throats since the man was 11 (albeit due to Severus's own stupid reasons as there was no way the man would turn out like his father as he'd never actually met the man!). 'And thank Merlin for that' he thought. He would have liked to believe Harry still would have turned out as well as he did with James and Lily Potter still being alive, with a lot of that being due to Lily, but James always seemed like he never would mature and would have probably forbidden Harry from seeing Severus if he found out about their bond.

He sighed, looking up at No.4 Privet Drive swearing he would give Harry the best life he could, given the chance. Placing a notice-me-not and silencing charm upon himself, he entered the house. He hoped the family were sleeping like the dead as that was the closest Severus could get them to what they deserved without getting thrown into Azkaban. Sighing again, he focused on his task. He searched the house following where Harry's scent was the strongest. The bland house was full of the scents of its bland inhabitants with Harry's scent ghosting through certain areas. He found the scent only leading to one place other than the damned room (which he would never return to, if he could help it), the cupboard under the stairs. The scent wasn't as strong as the 'bedroom' but it also seemed to have much too many locks for any door to realistically need. Quickly overcoming that obstacle with a few whispered Alohomoras, he found the cupboard to be full of Harry's belongings. They were obviously place haphazardly and stuffed in with no regards to their value. So unlike the rest of the house where everything was neat and pristine, that other than the nameplate on the trunk and the evident 'not-muggle' items, he could easily deduce the belongings to be his mate's. The slight hope Severus had had that 'Tuny would have not wanted anything messy in her home so would have at least organised the pile disappeared. Severus grabbed everything and shrunk it into his pocket, no longer being able to stand being in the retched house. He had already been much longer than he had wanted.

As he placed his hand on the doorknob to his house he was not expecting the door to swing open revealing a sleep disheveled Harry.

"I woke up and the house was really quiet and I went to check on you and you weren't in your room," his words a jumble as he pulled Severus into the house by the lapels of his cloak and kicking the door shut, "and I looked everywhere in the house and couldn't find you! Where did you go? I was so worried!" He looked down at Severus's attire, "oh Merlin, you must be so cold! Get in the dining room, I'll make you a tea." Severus was then man-handled out of his cloak and dragged through the house and unceremoniously dropped in one of the chairs. It was only after Harry scurried into the kitchen that he could process what happened. The wizard had hardly even taken a breath since Severus returned. Did his disappearance really rattle him so much? Severus had purposely been as quick as possible so the man wouldn't have even noticed that he'd been gone. Harry should not even have been awake yet, both men had settled into a routine of waking at 8 and eating breakfast together and right now it wasn't even 7. Though he couldn't help but chuckled at how domestic it felt to be greeted like that which made him think about if the man accepted that he was Severus's mate they might actually be wed one day.