Harry and Snape are changed men after the war. (Snape survives; otherwise this story would be pointless). I plan to explore a relationship between the two of them. Based on the intriguing idea that Snape comes to love (but not sexually) Harry because he loves Lily.

The dynamics of their relationship in canon fascinates me, and ever since DH, I wondered what how their relationship would have changed had Snape lived.

Harry still saw Snape's memories, but Hermione managed to do enough for Snape to get him to Madam Pomfrey in time, so he survived Nagini's bite. (I mean, come on, Arthur Weasley survived Nagini's bite in OOTP)

Harry returns the following year to finish his education.

I intend this to be a mild Snarry fic, so a rating change will probably happen somewhere along the line. If it's not your cup of tea, then move along. I promise it won't hurt my feelings.

Canon compliant as much as possible, unless something interferes with my storyline.

No fixed idea where this is going, but have faith.

Snape sat at the Head table on the first of September and watched as droves of students took their places along the four house tables. He was no longer Headmaster, and that suited him just fine. McGonagall had taken over the position, leaving Snape free to resume his post as Potions Master. After the previous year, Slughorn decided he wanted to go back to the comfort of retirement.

He had been exonerated for Dumbledore's death after a certain individual made it a point to clear him once the Ministry tried to throw him into Azkaban. The Ministry took Harry Potter very seriously, and even though he and the boy had not spoken or seen each other since that night back in June, Snape knew it had been Potter who had kept him from prison. While Snape was secretly grateful, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about it, nor did he feel comfortable knowing Harry had never returned his memories.

The Hall buzzed with cheerful banter. The entire wizarding world could breathe easier now that Voldemort was finally gone. His destructive touch would linger for many years, but now healing could finally begin.

Snape scanned the tables as he always did, looking for the pair of eyes he most wanted to see. He found himself anxious to see him, and repulsed by his desire to do so. But he didn't see them. Against his will, his heart sank a little. He was supposed to be here this term. Weasley and Miss Granger were already seated at the Gryffindor table.

The brat probably has an even more distorted hero complex and wanted to make an entrance, Snape thought bitterly.

But no sooner had he completed the sentence in his mind did Harry walk through the large doors at the opposite end of the Hall, looking defeated and carrying a roll of parchment. Snape frowned as his eyes followed Harry to where he sat down next to Ron.

Though it pained him greatly to admit his own error, Harry didn't seem the least bit interested in the fact that he had saved countless lives and their world from a darkness from which they may have never recovered. He didn't seem to notice the hundreds of eyes that were riveted to him as he entered, or the hushed silence that fell upon the Hall.

The Sorting passed and several hopeful children joined their new houses. Once the feast came to an end, Harry took an early absence. He collected the roll of parchment he had with him and, for the first time that evening, cast his eyes over the Head table where they immediately fell upon Snape. Snape stiffened under his gaze. Harry had looked at him many times before with some mix of loathing and fear, but this was different. He looked neither hateful nor afraid. He appeared to not know what to think, but even from the fair distance that separated them, those brilliant eyes spoke volumes.

An almost imperceptible smile ghosted over Harry's lips before he turned and left. To the untrained eye, Harry would have appeared to be lost in the horde of students, but Snape knew where he was and followed his retreating figure until it disappeared into the shadows.

And he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what that smile meant.