I feel like you were channeling fairy tales when you wrote this. The hedge of thorny roses was the same the prince had to cross to reach Sleeping Beauty. Snape, to be released, had to be loved, and like the Beast, almost died when Harry returned home to another loved one who needed him. You even slipped in a former student turned fairy godmother, although being Slytherin she had to at least appear a bit wicked and self serving (although she fed Harry clues every time they spoke).
Your own additions, like the Severus rose that thrives only on its namesake's blood and the serpent collar which could be used for or against him by Harry, fit into that fairy tale theme seamlessly.
Snape certainly snarls like a proper beast when he chooses, but was self sacrificing like a proper transformed prince when he took on Harry's ghosts.
To this fairy tale you added obsession, vengefulness and an urge to control and possess. Even when he released Snape, Harry didn't trust himself to remain selfless. In essence, you added a lot of earthy humanity and a good dose of carnality to freshen the plot. I loved the way, while claiming his freedom and telling Harry he's better off doing the same, Snape lets Harry know that he's willing to be pursued if Harry decides he does want to be with him. It isn't the usual fairy tale happily ever after, but Snape isn't a fairy tale hero. His "kingdom" is freedom, maybe the first real freedom he's ever known, and he offers the same to his lover. If Harry chases after him, only to find someone else to love on the journey, Snape might be bitter at the loss, but he'd still be glad Harry's not fossilizing in Grimmauld Place. You really are an impressive writer.

So goddamn beautiful.
I love your portrayal of the characters and the ending of this fic, however ambigious(?)/open it is. Your writing style is really cool and sometimes I had to read a sentence again to get it (English is my second language).
I hope I come across and read this again someday, when I'm also logged in.

I last read this gorgeous fic some time ago, evidently before my husband was killed, because I'd forgotten about Ron's death. So there I was, happily reading along, thinking that a phrase like "willow-boned" alone was worth the price of admission. Then I ran into the Ron scenes. By the workings of some imp of perversity in the universe, I was listening to "Ashokan Farewell" and then to Paul Robeson singing "Goin' Home" as I read. That combined with the delicate, sensitive accuracy of your description of Harry's feelings and observations had me sobbing like a nitwit. Of course, the flames and roses pulled me back together. This is what true literature does: reveals another facet of reality, parts another veil over truth, on each reading, and leaves the reader the better for it. You are brilliant, and so is this story.

My god this was such a touching story and that ending made me want to cry! Thank you for writing this, it was beautiful.

"It's a very good thing for the wizarding world that you have no interest in being the next Dark Lord. You would be unbelievably hard to resist. Your violence would come veiled in beauty, your darkness in light. People would love you, and as a consequence the world would never be rid of you."

-Yes. He might last as long as Dumbledore did.

Find me.

-Oh, my, YES.

Splendid story.

It had come through the fire. It had been burned free of impurities. He felt himself again.

He was himself again.

-And that was a *really* stupid question to ask Snape about Voldemort. But of course, so far Harry has been the rapee, if anything else. True, he was much more, but he has never been sexually assaulted without his consent. Hint: it makes a difference.

I fear the wards are growing back, and their window of opportunity is limited. Fortunately Harry finally Fetched A Clue for once, and is acting, rather than explaining stuff he doesn't actually understand.

Harry blurted, "I don't want to hurt you."

"It doesn't matter," Snape said through clenched teeth.
Harry blurted, "I don't want to hurt you."

"It doesn't matter," Snape said through clenched teeth.

-I'm glad that Harry thinks it does.

And wow, was that a cosmic f*ck or what?

Well, Snape showed the way. I'm glad that Harry found it in himself to follow him.

Harry means well, but his meaning well results in slow torture; Snape did a far more competent job on Albus.

You know, Harry has never actually talked to Dumbledore portrait, have you noticed? Or even thought about doing so. Probably doesn't want to know the answers he'll get.

And now they go back to the nightmare of Spinners' End.

-It took Harry this long to realize who saved him? Really? Sighs...no wonder it was so easy for Dumbledore to manipulate him.

Horrific fire and magical chaos, and now it looks like Snape really has died.

Well, he wanted to be free, and not Harry's fuck-slave. But I guess that was too much to ask.

"And you'd rather have me here, safely under your thumb. You're not so very different from Albus in that way."

That he didn't mention Voldemort showed remarkable restraint. Being a master of innuendo, he didn't have to.

-Truth hurts, and Harry doesn't like it, especially when the shagging stops.

Snape is going to try for freedom or die in the attempt, and he's right-Harry doesn't want to see the body if the attempt fails.

Harry keeps forgetting that Snape is an actual person, alas.

Snape still looked haggard, as if the blood he'd shed to feed the roses had set him back more than he'd been willing to admit. Harry couldn't afford to worry about that now,

-Of course not. But if Harry makes a mistake and Snape dies of it, then Remus will die, too. However, Harry actually doesn't think, because he somehow knows that someone will rescue him.

Snape's heart. Harry no longer believed it was a murderer's, only that it was trapped and untrustworthy. Human.

-And that will last what, five minutes? At least he doesn't want to kill the guy, at least for now, but Harry has a short attention span. I still wonder about the ghosts-maybe Voldemort's still there, pretending to be ghosts.

Filled with awe, Harry realised that he could end Snape's life now, and all it would take was a pinch, no more effort than dead-heading the withered buds in Snape's garden.

-But Snape knows how to give Harry what he wants; after all, once you've danced to the tune of two different Dark Lords, one horny boy isn't hard to work with.

Alas, the collar runes and the roses defeat them.

Forget love. He could fucking go to Spinner's End right now and own Snape.

-Yup, that's Harry, all right. But his friends will believe in him to the end, no matter what he does to Snape. Snape is Rowling's scapegoat, after all, and she thinks he would deserve all this.

It is interesting that Minerva decided to be Snape's friend. Maybe she's been listening to a certain portrait Tell All. But she's not a good enough friend to blow her cushy life and reputation letting people know just what kind of swine Dumbledore really was, alas.

But Snape had just admitted he'd spent his first day tossing up the food he'd finally been able to put in his body, and all Harry could think about was the fact that Remus had been cared for and Snape had been alone. By his own choice, of course, but still.

-Yes, of course he chose permanent house arrest, starvation and thirst. But Harry loves to tell his conscience to shut up, especially when his dick is talking instead.