Dear Severus Snape (Snarry Fanfiction)

Chapter Forty Eight

Note: Sorry I didn't update for a few days! Chemo has been pretty rough. I'll hopefully get my liver transplant soon, which means I'll probably have to take a two or three week break from the fic. I'll leave an authors note before surgery so you guys know what's going on. Please be patient, I promise I won't abandon this fic! Thank you for all the well wishes and comments. Love you guys ❤️

Harry woke up, blinking slowly. He was in a bed that was not his, and a spicy scent engulfed him. His eyes widened as he remembered the night before. He glanced to his right, only to see that Severus was no longer beside him. He panicked for a moment, but then realized he could smell the scent of coffee and breakfast downstairs. He smiled a little at the smell. Severus was all too predictable.

He pushed himself out of bed slowly, groaning as a few joints popped. He wasn't even twenty years old, but some days he felt closer to eighty. He ran his fingers through his messy and rumpled hair, even though he knew it wouldn't do much good, then headed downstairs.

Harry shouldn't have been surprised to find Snape in the kitchen, flipping pancakes, but he was. Perhaps what was even more surprising though, was that Snape was still in his pajamas, his dark mark fully on display. Harry was sure his mouth was wide open when Snape turned to face him. Snape's face looked more relaxed than he had ever seen it, and the older wizard smirked slightly.

"Morning, Potter." He greeted in his low voice.

Harry forced his mouth shut.

"Uhh... Hey, Sev. You're in a good mood this morning."

Snape snorted quietly.

"Yes. Well, since you never mastered occulmency, I wouldn't expect you to understand why."

Harry frowned in confusion.

"Do you want to tell me what you're talking about?"

Snape leaned against the counter, putting his spatula down.

"When you keep occulmency shields up all the time, it's very draining on your magical and physical being. You constantly feel like you're running on too little sleep. That is one of the reasons most wizards do not maintain occulmency shields all the time."

Harry's frown deepened.

"But Dumbledore practiced occulmency, didn't he? And he was never in a bad mood."

Snape waved a dismissive hand and turned back to the pancakes.

"Albus did not constantly maintain his shields. He only raised them when he was around the Dark Lord, or any other known Legilimens."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"That seems.... rather dangerous, don't you think? Dumbledore knew tons of important information, and he just left it... unguarded?"  

Snape sighed.

"I tried to tell him that, but he seemed to think that appearances were more important. He always wanted to be the good guy."

Harry poured himself a cup of coffee,  and leaned against the counter next to Snape.

"You'd think he'd find a way to do both."

Snape smirked a little as he plated several pancakes.

"You would think." He replied, handing Harry the plate.

Harry took them gratefully. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until this very moment.

"Thanks."