Paper Hearts

Valentine's Day was a day for lovers. It was a day for those people who were romantics at heart to let their love shine. It was a day for paper hearts, cards professing the cheesiest of love poems, balloons, chocolates, sickeningly sweet songs, candlelit dinners, love stories, and everything else that made Severus Snape ill.

It was the first Valentine's he had a lover, though. There was something about coming home to a well thought out dinner that touched him. The young man had gone out of his way to cook up Severus's favorites. The shepherd's pie and steamed vegetables hardly seemed very fancy, but they were his favorites. Even his favorite wine had been set out. In the center of the table were long white candles and a vase of white roses and red dahlias. A red heart-shaped box, normally filled with chocolates, had been emptied of the sweets Severus detested and filling the place of the missing chocolates were cherries and strawberries, depending on the size of the hole they filled.

There was even a card. It was a beautiful silver color with deep purple writing. Reading it, Severus had never been more certain that the young man loved him.

He also had never been surer that he couldn't remain in this relationship.

Severus backed away from the elaborately set table, black eyes glancing to the staircase. On the floor above he heard the shower running. He thought of that pale, youthful body he had enjoyed many times over the past year. He imagined rushing upstairs to join him, to fuck him against the wall and help wash him before dinner. He might have any other night.

It would have been wrong, though, tonight. Not when he fully understood just how wrong this entire relationship was. He frowned at the display his young lover had worked so hard on, feeling a twinge of guilt starting to eat away at him, the only thing currently rooting him to the spot. It wasn't fair to just run out, was it? How fair was it to end things on Valentine's Day of all days? To abandon him and their date without even a word?

Hearing the water turn off, Severus finally urged himself to move, backing into the living room slowly and towards the fireplace, knowing he had little time to make up his mind as he heard his lover bouncing down the staircase.

Harry's heart was racing as he rushed downstairs. He hadn't even taken the time to properly dry himself off. His lover would be home any minute now and he had to be quick! Hopefully he wasn't too late. As he reached the dining room, he eyed the set up he had worked on just an hour ago mournfully. It just wasn't right. There was little time to think too much about it. Just because he hadn't come home yet, didn't mean he wouldn't walk through that door any second now.

"Harry," said a voice as the young wizard pulled out his wand.

Harry gasped and spun around when he heard that familiar voice. "Severus?"

He swallowed hard as he met those black eyes, his heart racing at the look he found in them. "I love you."

"So you've said," Severus remarked, stepping closer. Harry swallowed hard, searching that normally unreadable face. He could read everything clearly now and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Feeling suddenly a bit lightheaded, he leaned back against the table. Severus moved ever closer, just staring into his eyes for several long minutes until Harry felt like he was going to drown in that dark gaze he had loved for so long.

"I love you, too," Severus finally said quietly.

Harry blinked in surprise. "What about Draco?" he blurted out.

Severus smirked in amusement. "What about Charlie?"

Harry glanced away guiltily and waved his wand behind him, clearing the table of everything he had slaved away on just earlier. None of it really mattered now. It had never really mattered. All of the cooking, all of the thoughtful gifts, everything he had set up for today didn't mean anything because he never had and never could love Charlie Weasley.

"You love me?" Harry repeated, not quite sure he could believe the words, even as his heart jumped for joy at the very sound of them on that silky voice.

"That is what I said," Severus drawled, placing his hands on the table on either side of Harry. "I do not believe I would ever say such a sickening phrase if I didn't mean it."

"Oh," was the only thing that made sense to Harry's mind to say.

Severus was so close now. Harry took in a shaky breath as he leaned in closer, never letting his gaze leave Severus's. He wanted this so much. Wanted him so much. But he couldn't…Charlie would be here soon. And Harry really shouldn't do anything with Severus until he properly ended things with Charlie.

When Severus's thin lips gently brushed against his, all rational thought was chased away. Harry threw his arms around the older man, holding his body as close as possible and kissing him back enthusiastically. He never thought that Severus could return his feelings, wasn't even sure this was real, but he could never remember being so happy in his life and he was going to cling to that overwhelmingly, heartbreakingly wonderful feeling for as long as he could.

The engagement ring in Charlie's pocket seemed to weigh a ton the moment he walked in on Harry and Severus kissing. All of the blood trained from his face, his heart going from feeling so light and excited to shattering into a million pieces, and all he could do was stare as the two kissed each other tenderly. He was across the room, yet the love shared between the two was palpable. It was as clear as day when they stared into each other's eyes and led each other upstairs, never seeming to notice Charlie standing there with his Valentine's Day card and a stuffed bear for Harry.

The masochist that he was, he walked upstairs to the bedroom that he had shared with Harry for four months. It was the same bedroom that Charlie had wanted and needed Harry in for so long, but had been denied countless times. He watched Severus lay Harry down in the bed where he had held his boyfriend, kissed him softly, and assured him that he could wait, that just falling asleep beside him was enough. He remembered vividly the way Harry would tell him he wasn't quite ready each time Charlie's hands strayed down to where Severus's were now unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down.

He watched from the crack in the bedroom door as they shed their clothes and that long, scarred body covered Harry's youthful, athletic form. He watched potion-stained hands worship the body he himself loved to touch and kiss. He listened to every murmured declaration of love and lust, feeling himself grow aroused despite his misery at the mewling sounds that escaped Harry's throat as thin lips kissed and sucked at his neck.

It was torture, watching as long digits pressed themselves into the body he had never been welcome to, feeling jealousy and hurt twist his broken heart. He wanted to curse as Severus pressed himself deeply inside of Harry, murmuring soothing words and pausing in surprise when Harry finally told Severus that he was his first.

He was only able to watch for a few minutes as they held each other close, bodies rocking slowly into each other, gasping and moaning into each other's mouths. It became too painful to bear for much longer and Charlie dropped the card and the bear by the door, feeling very numb as he drifted downstairs and towards the fireplace. He wasn't even sure where he was going until he stepped out into Severus's living room.

Draco Malfoy was sitting on the floor with a bottle of wine, surrounded by torn pieces of red, white, and pink paper. There were a few pieces that were silver and purple, as well. The blond's eyes were red and puffy, pink nose sniffing now and then, yet somehow he held his head up with dignity, sneering at Charlie.

"You know?" Charlie asked dully before Draco had a chance to speak.

Draco closed his mouth and nodded slowly, picking up another paper heart to rip to shreds.

It seemed only proper, so Charlie joined him. It seemed almost metaphorical that the two wounded souls would sit here, ripping apart the pretty Valentine's Day decorations that represented a holiday that tasted more bitter than sweet this year. Draco said nothing about it, only continued his work, pausing only long enough to take a long gulp of the wine. He said nothing when Charlie followed suit.

He wanted to be drunk enough to forget. But the bottle was gone when they were halfway through destroying the paper, and neither remembered the spell to make it refill itself. Charlie wanted to smash the damned bottle for ruining the promising night ahead, but Draco got to it first. Blue eyes watched as the blond grabbed the bottle and threw it hard into the wall too close to them. Glass and small droplets of firewhiskey rained down on them, but neither cared. Charlie only mourned the loss of his only idea to vent out these feelings.

It wasn't the only thing there was, though. It only took him a moment to think about it, and even less time to lean in and kiss Draco Malfoy hungrily. Draco didn't seem to mind, if the way he pulled Charlie closer and began tearing at his clothes was any clue.

It wasn't the most romantic way to spend Valentine's Day, but it sure beat moping about it.

"Shite."

Severus raised his eyebrow and lifted his head, looking down at the young man in his arms. "Yes?"

"Charlie," Harry groaned.

"Ah," Severus said, glancing at the door. "It is safe to assume he would have been here by now?"

"Shite."

"I'm sure he already knows," Severus said quietly.

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"I know."

"Fuck. I can't believe I…Shite! We shouldn't have…"

"Shouldn't have?" Severus said. "You're mine, Harry, and if he had to realize that the hard way, then so be it."

"Severus," Harry growled, struggling to sit up, but Severus held him tighter.

"Don't," Severus said quietly. "Deal with it tomorrow."

"But—" Harry said.

"I love you," Severus reminded him quietly. Every time he said it, he hated himself a bit more. But the obvious pleasure in those emerald green eyes made it well worth the loss of self respect.

There was a long stretch of silence that Severus waited through tensely. It had taken him long enough to fully accept his feelings for Harry, and he wasn't ready to let him go. He only just got him. Perhaps the way they had gone about things had been wrong, but really, what better day to express your true love than today? He felt just as badly about leaving Draco in such a way, but laying here, holding Harry in his arms, made it hard to truly regret anything he had done.

"I love you, too," Harry finally replied.

Sensing that the young man's guilt was far from gone, Severus shifted around a bit until he could hold that beautiful face in his hands, firmly gripping him as he kissed him deeply. Severus would gladly distract Harry from his problems for the rest of the night if he had to.

Author's Note: Hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day! It's not the nicest piece out there, especially on Valentine's Day, but the idea hit me and I had to write it! I would have done it sooner, but I was desperate to work on the next chapter of Resistance. I'm not very happy with how this piece turned out, but I hope you like it anyway! Leave me a review, if you please!

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