Dear Severus Snape (Snarry Fanfiction)

Chapter Fifty Seven

Note: I know last chapter was a little dark, but I promise the next few chapters will be fairly mild. And after The Scarlett Killer is taken care of, I'll give you a few fluffy chapters, I promise!

Snape stared down at the letter in his hand, an expression of horror on his face. His breaths came out shallow and fast, and black spots swarm before his eyes. His hands shook with rage, (and maybe from fear as well?)

He could hear the shower turn off from the other room, and he fumbled with the letter. He cast several concealment charms on it, then shoved it into his bedside table.

Harry entered the room a few moments later, his hair dripping wet and a towel around his waist. He halted to a stop as soon as he saw Snape's face.

"Sev? Are you okay?"

Snape desperately tried, and failed, to pull his features into a mask of indifference.

"I'm fine." He replied, somewhat shakily. "I dozed off and had a bad dream, that's all."

Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but didn't press the matter.

"I'll get you a calming draught, then." He replied simply, leaving the room once more.

The second he left, Snape breathed out a long sigh of relief. Harry had believed his lie, thank Merlin. He needed to pull himself together before Harry came back, though.

He hated to do it, but he had to. He pulled his occlumency shields back into place. He knew that he was breaking his promise to Harry, but he had no other option. Harry's life could depend on his ability to hide his emotions.

Harry returned a few minutes later, fully dressed and holding a calming draught. Snape took it gratefully, as even his shields couldn't block all the anxiety he was feeling at the moment.

"Do you want to tell me about your dream?" Harry asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Snape grimaced slightly.

He was used to lying, and It never used to bother him. But now, he felt a wave of guilt crash over him. Maybe that was what happened when you kept your shields down for too long.

"It was just the usual, Azkaban. Nothing to worry about."

Harry frowned and gently touched his arm.

"I knew we shouldn't have gone there! It was too much for you."

Snape closed his eyes, unable to look at Harry for a moment longer. He couldn't stand to see the look of concern that Harry was giving him right now. No one had ever looked at him that way before, besides maybe his mother. But his mother had been different. Yes, she had loved him, but it had been nothing like this.

His eyes slammed open and he jerked his arm away from Harry's when an electric shock suddenly traveled up his arm. He felt several flashes of emotion at once.

Concern, confusion, suspicion.

And he knew that they were not his.

Harry's eyes widened.

"You can't hide this from me any longer!" He half yelled. "I.. I felt your fear! What the hell is going on?"

Snape let out a long sigh. Damn it all, he really had hoped that it wouldn't come to this...

"Harry... I need you to relax, okay?"

"You're telling me to relax? I could feel your emotions! You're scared out of your bloody mind! How am I supposed to calm down?"