Severus was at a loss for words, an incredible feat when it came to the potions master. Harry Potter was standing in front of him with wand drawn, a look of murder in those green eyes.

"Don't do this. You'll regret it for the rest of your life," the black-haired man said softly. "Don't."

"Shut up! You killed him... You killed him." A sob caught in the back of Harry's throat. "Either fight me or die, you murderer!"

Severus felt his gaze waver. He was a murderer and he deserved the child's wrath. It was exactly what he should have expected, but somehow he had thought the Gryffindor would rise above the urge. He had been wrong.

"No," Severus said, throwing his wand to the ground. "I refuse to fight you, Harry."

The Boy-Who-Lived raised his wand and clenched his jaw. He wanted so badly to utter the killing curse, but somehow it wasn't good enough. It wasn't enough pain. Not for what this man - Harry spit on the ground - this vermin had done.

"Fine. Then face me like a man." Harry threw his own wand to the ground, letting caution ride on the wind. "Fight me."

"No."

Harry growled and charged forward, throwing his entire body weight, as inconsiderable as that was, into the man. They clashed and fought and together they tore down the wall that held Harry's grief in check. Anger turned to fear and then to loss and finally it was just fist on flesh.

A fight. Nine rounds of hair-pulling and face scratching that left both tired, bruised and bleeding. Finally, Harry stopped. They stood facing each other, gasping for breath and trying to remember why they were fighting.

Harry fell to his knees, sobs shaking his body, eyes going blind from tears. He missed Dumbledore... he missed the security of having answers. Now life was one big road of questions and mystery.

A hand rested on the young man's shoulder. "It will get better," a deep voice reassured. "Don't give up and don't stop believing that it will get better."

Severus Snape sat down on the ground next the savior of the wizarding world and together they mourned the death of the only person who had ever truly loved them.