Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Bitter Sweet ❯ Bitter Sweet ( Chapter 1 )

Bitter Sweet

By Rice-Ball247

Edit: Story renamed `Bitter Sweet'. Previously called `Bitter Black'.

This was started earlier on, but I never got around to completing it. It's Severus/Harry slash, with a hint of Draco/Harry and a good dosage of angst. I should be cheerful, and I am, but I'm not. If that makes sense...

Anyway, I present to you, Bitter Black Sweet. Merry Christmas to all and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters involved. J.K Rowling does, as well as any other entities who are involved in the copyright.

It was all he needed anyway.

On a dreary day such as this, when he didn't want to wake up in the morning and face the world, Severus Snape would sit in his quiet corner by a window at the local café at exactly seven in the morning, sipping his coffee. Anyone who had the misfortune of meeting him before then (aside from the cashier) would face the wrath of his sharp-witted tongue and scathing remarks. His smouldering glare alone was enough to freeze anyone who dared cross his path; even an innocent black cat had no chance.

The café was small and rarely had any visitors at that time of day, but it made enough and functioned well. Despite the flavourless décor of the interior, the service was commendable - one of the reasons why Severus returned time and time again. Another reason was his coffee - a deep, rich black coffee, always without sugar, milk or cream. It was bitter and scalding hot, just the way Severus liked it.

The final reason was the person who brewed this coffee for him everyday, also the cashier. He was rather short for his age, with gangly limbs; yet he held a certain grace and poise in the way he carried himself. No matter the time of day, his emerald-like eyes would shine brightly beneath the fringe of dark, unruly hair. He was slender, petit and very attractive - just the way Severus liked it.

At first, Severus took no notice of him, of Harry. He was just another person that he'd come across in his daily, mundane life. Pitiful. The local café had shut down years ago, back when Severus was still young, and had been closed since. Until one day, when out shopping for Potions ingredients, Severus happened to be crossing what he thought was an abandoned building - it turned out that it had opened up the week before and had a steady stream of customers. Eventually, the `hot' café was watered down to just a boring, everyday thing and it was mostly the loyal customers that returned. Severus was one of them.

He made the last minute decision to stop for coffee and managed to drag himself into the warmth of the café, away from the cold, blustering winds outside. He seated himself at a small corner, by the window, which he noticed, with disdain, had a rather grubby tint to it. He told himself he wouldn't come back, after he had his coffee. He waited only a few seconds before a slightly breathless boy, equipped with pen and notebook, rushed out to greet him.

“Good morning,” he said cordially, flashing Severus a rather awkward grin. When no response was given, the smile faltered and the boy took a slightly unnerved step backwards. Satisfied that he wouldn't be blinded by anymore grins, Severus placed his order and sent a glare in the boy's direction, hoping he would take the hint and leave. He was a smart one and left immediately.

Severus took the opportunity to glance around the café. Yes, it had cleaned up rather well, save for the windows, but otherwise, a great effort. The seats were plushy, something which Severus would have never divulged to be one of his guilty pleasures - plushy seats. The tables were lacquered and polished so meticulously that Severus could almost see his reflection on the surface. With a curl of his lip, Severus scratched a small line into the surface with a key. Good.

The boy returned and Severus finally saw the nametag attached to his ugly, brown apron. `Harry', it stated, in black lettering on white plastic.

Severus thanked him for the coffee, not meeting his eyes, and waited until he left. The boy didn't. He sat down opposite him and settled his slender head between two cupped hands. Severus waited, still, yet the boy did not budge.

It wasn't until Severus finally looked up, that he noticed Harry watching him intently. He frowned. Did this boy not have any manners? What kind of café was this place? Scowling then, Severus picked up his coffee by the porcelain handle and sipped the steaming beverage with slight trepidation. Could a drink from this café, after all that had happened, be trustworthy?

After feeling the scorching hot liquid sear his throat, Severus, without wincing, decided, yes, it could. It had been one of the best coffee's he'd ever had the fortune of sampling. Pity the establishment and employment weren't as up to standard. Severus glared harder at the boy across from him, and found himself startled when said boy smiled.

It was beautiful.

“You're beautiful,” the boy whispered, before he realized what he had said, stumbled to his feet and bolted into the back room of his café. Severus sat, stock still, coffee still in hand. The words replayed over and over in his mind until he realized that his coffee had finally gone cold. Grimacing, he gingerly took a sip, realized that it wasn't good cold, and left it there. He placed some money on the tabletop and left.

The next morning, Severus hadn't been in a good mood. The stupid apocathary had blotched up his order of dragon's heartstring and had given him blindworm's sting instead. Suffice to say, Severus wasn't pleased. After telling the owner exactly what he had thought of the place and the service with his caustic tongue, and leaving no room for argument, Severus left, a storm cloud following him overhead.

Well, metaphorically and literally, it seemed. Before he could get very far, he felt a fat droplet of water hit the tip of his nose. Grumbling and cursing under his breath about how the world seemed to be after him, he stormed off in the direction of shelter, which, coincidentally, happened to be the café. `Bewitched', was the name of the quaint building. Severus felt his lip curl upwards into what almost seemed like a smile.

He entered, as soon as the arm on the clock hit seven, and seated himself at the table from yesterday. He saw the scratch on the tabletop and felt an unusual smugness come over him. Within seconds, he had the same waiter from before, Harry. The boy rushed to him, but upon seeing him, he skidded to a stop, looking the picture of teen awkwardness. A bright flush covered pale skin, which contrasted with his dark hair that fell into evergreen eyes. Those damnable eyes of his were hidden behind large glasses that glinted in the somewhat dull lighting.

“H-how may I help you?” he asked, his voice meek. Severus ordered the same, accompanied with his usual glare, and the boy scampered off. Within minutes, like yesterday, he sat in his quiet corner, watching the world outside the window, sipping on bitter coffee. This continued for about a week, before he decided he was bored of watching the window and settled on watching the boy, Harry, instead.

Indeed, Harry was a lot more interesting. The way he interacted with others with such enthusiasm was so refreshing - much better than the false greetings he received from restaurants whenever he travelled. Definitely much better than the owner of the apocathary. Despite his elegance, Harry was also, at times, quite clumsy. In the expanse of a week, he'd dropped two plates and one cup of coffee. Severus was the only inhabitant in the building, aside from Harry, but that didn't stop his surprise when the boy whipped out a wand of all things, and merely reparo-ed the mess. Realizing that he was being watched, Harry smiled sheepishly and shuffled back behind the counter.

He didn't say a word, so neither did Severus. They sat in silence. It was rather companionable, favourable. Severus enjoyed it. Though he wouldn't mind if Harry stopped drumming his hands on the countertop. The silence lingered moments longer, holding them in a trance before the door opened and the new stream of customers came in.

The spell was broken. Severus left, customarily leaving his money on the tabletop.

One day, Severus was fire-called and hadn't the time to stop by the café for coffee. He felt a sense of incompletion as he prepared to leave. Perhaps he'd stop by later…

So for the first morning in a long time, Severus bypassed his usual bitter, black coffee and attended to the urgent duties that he was to fulfil. Needless to say, by the time he was done, he wasn't happy at all. Without his daily coffee, Severus was next to a mess. Mind, he did have his usual coolness and sarcasm, but he seemed to be a lot weaker with his remarks sans caffeine. To prevent himself from doing anything too drastic, he relented and submitted himself to his usual corner.

He didn't have to wait long before Harry appeared with a tray in his hands. Severus arched an eyebrow when Harry set the tray down in front of him. Wonderful. From the looks of the steam wafting from the top of his mug, the coffee would be scalding. Bitter and black. No sugar, cream or milk in sight. Severus also noticed that there was a plate of plain biscuits provided. He glanced up at Harry, just in time to see the boy flush and glance away before he hurried off to serve the next customer.

Severus felt rather unsettled. He drank his coffee and ate his biscuits (they were rather nice, although a bit crumbly) in silence before he left his money on the table. Glancing up to catch Harry's eye, he nodded. He felt a strange delighted feeling grow inside when Harry smiled beatifically, before Harry turned his attention back to the customer. Severus took his leave.

The next morning, there was a slight change in his usual routine. When Harry brought him the same tray of coffee and biscuits from yesterday, instead of leaving, he sat down across from Severus and gave him an awkward smile.

“You won't chase me away, will you?” Harry asked softly, ducking his head under Severus' unrelenting stare. The raven haired man shook his head, and realizing that Harry couldn't not see him, he murmured a soft `no.' Harry's head rose, most likely from surprise and smiled at him.

A quiet `thanks' left him before he returned to sitting in silence. Severus sipped his coffee idly and glanced out the window. He noticed that there was no longer a grubby tint to it, and that it was pristine. When Harry cleared his throat, Severus glanced back to see him standing. He felt a slight disappointment overcome him, but ignored it instead.

“You should…” Harry began, trailing off. His eyes wandered down to the coffee in Severus' hand, avoiding the man's face completely. He seemed to be contemplating something. “You should try something else. Maybe a bit of sugar, or…or cream.”

“No thanks,” was the curt reply.

“Just a suggestion,” Harry mumbled, his cheeks flushing red before he turned and hurried away. Thankfully for him, the door opened and another customer stepped through. Harry immediately went to serve him. Severus watched as Harry spoke, but his eagerness didn't seem to be there. He frowned.

Glancing back to his coffee, which was now half-empty, he decided that tomorrow, perhaps he'd ask Harry to put half a teaspoon of sugar into it. Yes, he'd do that.

By the time seven am rolled around, Severus stepped into Bewitched and sat at his usual table. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe Harry was the only one running this store, since he'd never seen anyone else working there. Harry came, this time with the usual. His face grew with surprise when Severus requested some sugar. At his smile, Severus felt a tinge of something, he didn't know what it was, delight, perhaps? Harry loaded some sugar onto a teaspoon, nearly dropping it in shock when Severus barked that a teaspoon was too much. Harry lessened the amount of saccharine granules and shakily tipped the white sugar into the cup, then stirred gently.

Harry gave him one last smile before he left. Severus stared after him before dropping his gaze down to the coffee in front of him. Great. Wonderful. Now what? He brought the mug to his lips and sniffed. He didn't see why there would be a drastic change. Nearly shrugging his shoulders, Severus drank one gulp of it, hoping that the taste wouldn't be completely different. It wasn't. Slightly sweeter, but only marginally. It would have taken someone with a very sharp tongue to notice the subtle difference in sugar levels. Severus watched as Harry made some coffee for himself, and felt his stomach flip in disgust when the boy added a total of six, sugar-laden teaspoons to his milky beverage and drank it down.

He was surprised when he felt the corners of his lips tilt upwards, albeit tightly. For some reason, that amount of sugar didn't seem to be so odd for Harry.

Severus returned to the small café, almost religiously. It had already managed to make its small niche into his daily routine. It was a commendable effort for it to have done that, for Severus made time in his hectic schedule for nothing and no one. He hadn't known when it had happened but his coffee had started to taste a lot sweeter. He hadn't noticed it at first because every meticulously measured teaspoon of sugar had been added gradually, to the point that, if someone had given a cup of this to his past self, he would have thrown it, scalding liquid and mug, into their face - reputation be damned.

He suspected that Harry had started adding a little bit more than half a teaspoon of sugar, especially since he took a lot longer to come out with his coffee. And even then, Harry would bring it to him with a knowing smile on his face. Severus felt his insides churn.

One day, Harry had sat with him when there weren't any customers yet and drank his six-sugar coffee with milk. It wasn't even scalding hot, but warm enough to leave ones finger (heaven forbid) in it without pain. Severus asked him why he put so much sugar into his coffee.

Harry gave him a cryptic reply, “It helps to take away the bitterness from my life,” and promptly left when a new customer walked in. Severus mulled over his words for a few moments before discreetly adding another half teaspoon of sugar to his coffee and sipped. Merlin, he was getting soft.

This continued for roughly a week, until one morning, Severus was shocked by the sudden disappointment he'd felt when he walked into Bewitched, only to find that Harry wasn't there. His heart had thudded hard in his throat and he felt the strange frustration coiling about inside him, restless. He awkwardly seated himself at his usual table, glancing about, when a platinum-blond male strode out confidently - well, as confident as a person could possibly be in that ugly brown apron.

`Draco', the tag read. Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy, who looked down upon him haughtily with stormy grey eyes. There was a spark of recognition within the dark depths and the boy suddenly seemed pleased with himself.

“Severus,” Draco inclined his head, the corner of his lip twitching upwards into that familiar smirk. Severus inwardly rolled his eyes.

“What are you doing here, Draco?” he asked curtly, folding his arms defensively across his chest. The blond shrugged and pulled out a pad of paper and his wand. Go figure that Draco would use his wand instead of a normal pen, like any other normal person. Harry isn't normal.

“Working, duh,” he replied with adolescent defiance, his eyes glittering with something that Severus couldn't place. He didn't like that look one bit.

“A Malfoy, working. Huh, never thought I'd see the day,” Severus snorted, shaking his head. His lip curled with displeasure, obsidian eyes narrowing with disdain. “And pray tell, exactly why would you, Draco, of all people, need to be working for?”

Draco looked rather smug, but his answer was, “Merlin, what is this? Twenty questions? I'll just take your order and we can be on our own merry ways.”

Severus snarled out his order with annoyance. Black. No sugar, no milk or cream. Draco tapped the tip of his wand to the paper and his eyebrows shot up.

“Hn. Go figure,” he murmured as he shook his head. Severus watched as the blond retreated to the counter to make his coffee. Inwardly, his gut twisted with pain. Where was Harry? He felt his irritation increase ten-fold when Draco had brought the coffee to him and sat down across from him without invitation. Severus didn't say anything as the blond watched him drink.

“He's sick,” Draco finally said after five minutes of silence and staring. Severus blinked before Draco stood up and disappeared into the back room. Severus frowned. He sipped the rest of his coffee down and left the money on the table.

For some reason, his coffee didn't seem to satisfy him. He might as well have not stopped by after all. The visit without Harry, without sugar and meeting Draco, had only pushed his mood into the negatives.

Severus seemed to be surprising himself a lot more often. As soon as he'd returned home, he began to brew Pepper-Up potions and placed them in a small carry box with tiny, square compartments. He made sure each small vial was filled with the right amount, before placing them into their individual compartments. He made his way back to the café.

He was unsurprised when he saw that Draco was still there. He demanded that he assist him in finding Harry. Draco smirked in that usual irksome way of his before giving him directions to Apparate to Harry's home. Severus told himself to just leave it; over and over again, that he should just forget this entire situation and go back to work. But no. His conscience would have none of it. He snorted derisively. As if he'd had one to begin with.

Harry's apartment was small. It was in a rather well-to-do place, which spoke for itself, but Severus wondered if it was worth it, living in such a place on his lonesome. He surely, would not have minded. He knocked twice on the door, sharply. There was probably a few seconds of wait before the door creaked open. Honestly, the boy was too damn trusting, not bolting the door before he opened it.

“Hi,” he mumbled, turning his head away as his body was wracked with an onslaught of whooping coughs. Severus felt himself grow mildly concerned. He guided Harry over to the couch in the living room and sat the boy down. Asking if he could use the kitchen, which permission had been granted, Severus proceeded to make the boy tea.

Harry gratefully accepted it and sipped at it. Severus watched him drink the hot tea slowly, feeling a slight relief settle over him before he remembered what he had brought with him. Clearing his throat, Severus spoke.

“These are Pepper-Up potions. I trust you know how to consume them,” Severus couldn't help but add the slight barb to his speech. There. Better. Harry smiled up at him and thanked him yet again. Severus waited for Harry to get at least half way through his tea before he administered one vial of the peppermint-tasting potion. Harry gasped for air as soon as the contents had been consumed. Almost immediately, the colour returned to his face and the red cheeks became normal. Severus turned away to hide an almost smile when steam began to pour out from Harry's ears. The boy grimaced.

“Thank you,” Harry murmured, glancing up at Severus with a tiny smile. Severus stared down at him, but did not move. Harry glanced around his small living room and coughed, which brought Severus' attention to him. “Let me serve you some coffee.”

Before Severus could protest, Harry shot up off the couch and made a bee-line for the kitchen. Sighing, he resigned himself to a nearby chair and waited for the boy to re-emerge with his drink. He drummed his fingers on the armrest, and took a surreptitious look around the room. It was simple, but tastefully decorated. Definitely not overdone, unlike a certain blond that he knew…

Harry returned, precariously balancing a coffee pot with two mugs and the customary set of sugar, milk and cream on a tray. Severus stood up to help him but Harry insisted that he sit down. Severus raised an eyebrow when Harry put only three teaspoons of sugar into his coffee and milk. His lips quirked when Harry added two teaspoons to his dark coffee and handed it to him quietly. Severus accepted it but didn't drink.

“You should try milk in your coffee,” Harry finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. Severus glanced up to see Harry watching him with curious eyes, as if awaiting to hear what he would say next. Severus sighed.

Was there going to be much of a difference anyway? No doubt it wouldn't be as scalding hot, but it would be hot nonetheless. He might as well indulge the boy. Harry smiled beatifically when Severus acquiesced. Harry poured only a small amount; Severus watched as the bitter darkness of the coffee swirled about until it became a marginally lighter colour of brown. Like that apron. He thanked Harry and drank his coffee, surprised to find that this was most likely the best he'd tasted in a while - and that was saying something.

“I never formally introduced myself,” Harry began, pulling his feet up underneath him as he cradled his coffee mug in his hands. He had long fingers, tanned, Severus noted. “My name is Harry Potter.”

Severus nodded in acknowledgement and introduced himself, “Severus Snape. You may call me Severus, if you wish.”

Harry smiled. “Likewise,” a pause, “Err…I mean, you can call me Harry, not Severus, because that's your name and not mine and…um…”

Severus watched him, amused at the boy's babbling. Harry had trailed off as a tinge of pink returned to his cheeks. Ah, the boy must have been embarrassed. His eyes glittered as Harry shyly brought the mug back to his face and took a long gulp.

“So, you'll be back tomorrow?” Harry asked as soon as his cheeks had cooled off. Severus nodded, sipping at his coffee. They returned to silence, although this one was comfortable - companionable. This time, it was Severus who broke the silence.

“I noticed that you put half the amount of sugar that you usually take. Why is that?” he asked, genuinely curious. It wasn't like him to be interested in something as trivial as someone else's coffee, much less the amount of sugar that they put in it, but Harry's previous answer, about how it took the bitterness away from his life, made him want to know more.

Harry looked up at him, surprised, perhaps at the fact that he had noticed. Then he smiled that beautiful smile of his. Severus' heart stuttered in his chest.

“I suppose it's because my life isn't as bitter as it was before.”

Had Severus' been any other person, he would have swooned.

They had settled back into their normal routine the day after. Severus had learned that Harry was, in fact, good friends with Draco and had fire-called the blond young man when he was unable to come to work.

`It's probably a good reason for any man, even of Draco's status, to want to work like this,' Severus mused as Harry wiped down a nearby table. The brunet glanced up, as if sensing that he was being watched and spotted Severus. He gave him a grin and a small wave before turning back to his task at hand. Severus sighed inwardly. Damn that boy for making him feel…like this. His sugarless, black, scalding hot coffee had become a warm, dark brown with two teaspoons of sugar - probably more than he had usually wanted to handle. He had the sneaking suspicion, on himself no less, that he was only coming to the café for one reason now.

And despite its wonderful taste, it wasn't for the coffee.

It was probably a Sunday morning, weeks later, when Severus walked into Bewitched at exactly seven in the morning, on the dot, to see Harry and a familiar blond talking animatedly behind the counter. Upon his entrance, both boys glanced up and smiled. Well, Harry smiled - Draco settled for his customary smirk.

“Hello Severus,” Draco greeted him cordially, causing Harry to glance at the Malfoy and to Severus and back again in surprise. Harry smiled again, although this time it was weaker and he nodded towards Severus.

“Have a seat. I'll bring your coffee in a sec,” Harry promised him, his eyes glittering behind his glasses. Severus nodded and took a seat, pulling out a book that had been of interest of him as of late. In the background, he could hear the soft whirring of the coffee-maker machine and the hushed tones that the boys used. Severus furtively glanced over the top of his book; Harry looked like he was having an argument with Draco. Oh well. Even saints had their sour moments - around Draco, there were plenty such moments.

Using his will of iron, Severus pointedly ignored the conversation between the two and trained his eyes and mind solely on his book. There was a soft `clack' as Harry settled a tray upon Severus' table, his usual coffee with a plate of assorted biscuits. Severus blinked at the plate and then glanced back at Harry whose cheeks coloured; the boy instantly turned away. Severus wondered why the boy was usually so jumpy around him these past few days. He shrugged it off. It probably wasn't a big deal anyway.

It turned out to BE a big deal, as Severus found out nearly a week later. He'd been coming to Bewitched every morning for months now. Coming to the café had become a part of his life just as much as breathing, eating and potions did.

Harry had been jittery all week and Severus wanted to know why.

Harry flushed a deep red and began to tug and fidget with the hem of that ugly apron he always wore. Severus indicated that the boy should sit, and so he did. He prompted Harry to speak and this only served to make the boy even more nervous.

“S-Severus, I…” Harry sucked in a breath and stared him in the eye, before he seemed to deflate and he sighed. “Never mind. It's probably not a good idea that-”

“Harry,” Severus cut in silkily, gesturing for the boy to stop and stay still, “Whatever it is that you want to tell me is obviously bothering you. Despite it not being in my character to be so insistent, I must say you've piqued my curiosity. Now out with it.”

Harry stopped and sat stark still before he tentatively lifted his head and murmured, “I like you.”

Severus had never had anyone like him romantically before, so of course, he dismissed it as something else entirely. “Of course. As loathe as I am to admit such sentiments, I do enjoy your company.” He left out the `I am quite fond of you', that lingered at the end.

Harry shook his head and his hands gripped both sides of the small table that they sat at. “No, I don't think you understand.”

Severus arched an eyebrow regally. Harry swallowed upon meeting his intimidating gaze and his eyes flitted down to his hands which had returned to his lap and were wringing the fabric of his apron. “I…what I mean is, that I have an interest…in you. That I quite possibly…might…just a little bit…”

“Out with it, boy,” Severus barked, irritation grating on his nerves. Harry shut his eyes and blurted out the rest.

“I might possibly be gay!”

No big deal, indeed, Severus.

If someone had asked Severus when he had gained a young lover, he wouldn't have been able to answer, for even he didn't know himself. Somehow, from that day on, there was a shift in the dynamics between them, as if his paradigm had been totally knocked into another dimension. He didn't want to use such adolescent terms, but he and Harry had been `dating' for nearly two months now. Draco had started working a regular shift at Bewitched when Harry was on a date with Severus. Severus took the time out of his day to indulge the young man.

Currently, they were at Harry's apartment, seated on Harry's couch. Or rather, Severus was on Harry's couch, and the aforementioned young man was on Severus, murmuring under his breath about how much he adored him.

Severus reclined into the backrest as Harry shifted and moaned, then leaned forward to catch Severus' bottom lip between two rows of straight teeth. He gnawed at the flesh before releasing it, only to recapture it with his lips to suck heatedly. Severus felt a warm tingle spread through his body as Harry continued his ministrations. The boy would surely be the death of him.

“Sev…” Harry groaned, grinding his hips down onto the older man's groin. Both men arched into each other, wanting to feel more friction between them. Severus felt his heart swell as Harry peppered kisses around his face, whispering how beautiful he was and how he wanted to be taken by Severus entirely. Devoured. “Need you, Sev…”

Of course, all good things must come to an end, Severus found out.

Severus hadn't even noticed. How could he have been completely, utterly blind? With this new knowledge in his mind, it suddenly made sense. The glances, the smiles, the tentative touches…

Draco Malfoy wasn't just a friend to Harry Potter. He wasn't just a colleague. He was something more than Severus had been to Harry. And damn it, it hurt.

He had spent the night with Harry, but their relationship had progressed no further than a few tender caresses, passionate kisses and sweet words. He had told Harry that he would not have been able to make it to the café the next morning, due to a rather unexpected requirement that he needed to fulfil. Harry had agreed to see him the day after tomorrow and they left it at that.

When Severus awoke, he parted from Harry, placing a loving kiss on the young man's forehead. The man shifted, letting out a quiet moan and then fell back into deep sleep. For once, Severus found himself smiling.

When he had arrived at his destination, he was informed that his services weren't required at that time. He left, scowling at the complete waste of time. The man that had called him apologized profusely, but hadn't gotten away without a proper verbal bashing, courtesy of Severus' biting remarks.

But oh well. Severus would visit Harry, then. As loathe as he was to admit it, he'd grown rather fond of the boy - young man, rather, and despite the fact that he wouldn't allow anyone the privilege of hearing it from his lips, he already missed the damn brat.

Severus received the shock of his life when he walked through the doors of the café, Bewitched, only to stop short at seeing two very familiar boys behind the counter, completely engrossed in each other. Harry had tears in his beautiful, emerald eyes, and he looked completely torn. Severus' heart ached. Draco's face was twisted with harsh lines, his grey eyes cold and his lips pressed tight. But Harry murmured something and immediately, Draco's expression faded, melted away into a look of utter adoration. The lines smoothed out, his eyes warmed and his lips pulled up into a smile. And then were promptly pressed against Harry's.

Severus wondered, for a split second, how Harry could have not noticed his entrance to the café, until he felt magic pulsating through the air and realized that a silencing spell had been put up around them, blocking out all sounds and keeping whatever they were saying, in.

Severus didn't need to know anymore. He left the café, completely forgoing his usual coffee, with two sugars and a touch of milk, and a side of biscuits, just the way he liked it. Because his Harry had always made it for him.

But Harry was no longer his.

“So you love him,” Draco accused, his eyes flashing dangerously. Harry didn't respond, merely looked down at his scruffy converse. Draco waited a moment for a response. Finally, Harry raised his gaze upwards and his eyes betrayed his look of despair.

“I love you too, Draco,” Harry whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke. He closed his eyes for a moment, and inwardly cursed himself when he felt the hot tears slip down his cheeks. “I do.”

Draco's face softened and his darkened eyes visibly lightened. Harry wondered if the usually stoic boy realized that he displayed so much emotion on a daily basis. Before he could say or do anything, however, Draco had descended upon him and pressed his lips gently against Harry's. Before Harry could even respond, Draco had applied more pressure and locked lips.

Harry froze. No. No, this wasn't right! Whimpering, he raised his arms against Draco's firm chest and pushed the blond boy backwards with only the slightest pressure. Draco took the hint and moved away, frowning.

“What…? I thought you…” Draco's eyes instantly became guarded and his tone accusatory.

“Draco, I do love you. Really, I do. But…Severus is…he's…I love him, Draco. And there's a significant difference between the ways I love him, and how I love you. I…” Harry let out a breath and shut his eyes tightly, as if it would completely block out everything else. “Draco, you're practically my best friend. I love you, like that. For a while, I wondered if you and I would ever be…like that, you know. I guess that when it comes down to it, I was just really confused. But Severus is…I…he,” Harry paused and sucked in a breath this time, “I love him, as a lover.”

Draco remained motionless for a moment before he whispered, “I understand,” and pressed a careful kiss against Harry's temple. “Goodbye.”

“Dra-Draco, wait! I-” But before Harry could finish, Draco had apparated away.

Severus Snape never returned to the café. He couldn't bring himself to confront Harry. He couldn't bring himself to be hurt again, just like he'd been in the past.

This was his punishment for breaking routine. Harry had brought about changes in him that he wouldn't have found acceptable. And since when did he return to establishments like a faithful pet, just because he found himself attracted to an employee? Since when had he changed himself for someone else?

Never. Because that wouldn't have been Severus Snape. He wasn't himself, Severus concluded cynically. And Harry Potter most likely hadn't even loved him.

Instant coffee never tasted pleasant, but, as Severus stared into his mug, half-empty with scalding hot, bitter, black coffee - sans sugar, milk or cream - he realized something.

It was just the way he liked it. It was all he needed anyway.