Some mornings I wake up alone, these are the mornings I hate the most.  I wake up without the comfort of his arms around me, keeping me warm, protecting me from the chill of the dungeons in which we live.  Like today.  After getting dressed I pad through to the living room, only to find his chair empty, save for Zar, his, no our, cat, who is curled up asleep on it.  Looking over to my desk, I see a scrap of parchment on my desk that wasn’t there last night.  I pick it up, and smile, as I see his elegant script on it.

“Harry,

Madame Pomfrey needs me to brew some potions, as her stocks are running low.
I’ll be in my lab all day.  I’ll be done by the end of today’s classes.

I love you, my brat.

Yours (always)

Severus”

I smiled, he was being unusually eloquent, my guess is that he was feeling guilty for leaving me alone in bed.  Sighing, I placed the note in my robe pocket, before exiting our rooms, and heading to the Great Hall for breakfast.  My classes were stressful to say the least, all of the kids were unable to do even the simplest spells.  I found myself wishing for Severus to be with me, holding me, many times.  However, I didn’t see him at all.  I found myself in a foul temper as I entered our rooms at the end of classes.  Severus was leaning against the wall opposite from the door.  As if he knew exactly what I wanted, he held his arms open, and I moved across the room quickly, straight to him.  

Seeking solace in the arms of the one I love.