A/N: I'm new to posting fan fiction online but not new to writing it. I've got a lot of stories I'd like to post and I need your help deciding which ones to continue. So, if you like what you read and you want to read more, please write a review and let me know! Thank you for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you.

A good bit of this first chapter is some necessary Albus and Harry interaction and story-building but you will get some Severus and Harry interaction towards the end. I hope you enjoy!

— CHAPTER ONE —

Harry stepped into the familiar office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts and took a seat in one of the wing-backed chairs arranged in front of the only desk in the room. The office had hardly changed in the years since he had been a student at Hogwarts. So much of the school was exactly the same as it had been when he had left and it felt wrong to Harry. Even the elderly man sitting behind the desk remained the same.

Maybe only Harry had changed.

"Lemon drop, my boy?" Albus offered hopefully.

A wry smile turned Harry's lips, "No, thank you, Albus."

"Ah well," Albus replied and popped one of the cheerful yellow candies in his mouth with a quiet hum of pleasure, as if to say Harry was missing out. Harry just watched the old man with silent amusement, tinged with a pang of sadness. He could not rewind the clock far enough back to rewrite his history and he could not live in the past.

Innocence once lost may never be regained... isn't that how the saying goes? Not to say that Harry had ever truly been innocent. He had merely been young once and very, very foolish.

"I cannot rightly say what pleasure it gives me to see you here again after everything that happened," Albus ventured quietly and seriously. "I think I speak for everyone when I say... I wasn't sure if you would ever return to us. Sometimes, when faced with unspeakable pain, it can seem that the only option left is to leave your terrible memories behind and start anew elsewhere. Isn't that right?"

It wasn't as if Harry hadn't thought about it - leaving and never, ever coming back. It was incredibly tempting at times, to just pretend that the war had never happened. However, even the day he had fled Wizarding Britain he had known with absolutely certainty that he would eventually return.

It had been two years since the end of the war and Harry believed he was as stable now as he would probably ever be. It was not in his nature to hide away forever. He was a Gryffindor after all - though on the night of his Sorting it had, admittedly, been a very close call.

Given what Harry stood to potentially gain from returning, maybe even a Slytherin wouldn't have been able to resist taking the chance. What Harry had left behind was infinitely more precious than his pain was intense.

But Harry would not be sharing any of that with Albus. He would not be answering any of the unasked questions that lingered behind Albus's probing words. He had no intention of gutting himself before Albus or any of his old friends.

Not that Albus was ever a true friend to him. Harry would never forget that the man had been willing to sacrifice Harry's life for the greater good. That particular scar would, unfortunately, always remain a divide between them.

Harry liked Albus and he knew that the man had been in an impossible position. Harry could understand it because he knew a thing or two about difficult choices. He was mature enough now that could even accept the decision Albus had made concerning his life. However, Harry had a hard time trusting other people and he had made the mistake of trusting Albus. In the end, the old man had betrayed his trust in the worst possible way. Harry could not simply forget that, even if he wanted to.

To be perfectly clear, Harry didn't want to forget anything.

Harry got a bit of petty enjoyment out of making Albus wait while he pretended to think over his answer, then he said, "I have my reasons for returning but they are personal. So is what I did while I was gone. I have come to see you because I need to ask a favor of you, Albus."

It was a favor Albus would grant him readily. The headmaster's sense of guilt would ensure the man remained at a disadvantage to Harry for the rest of his life. The old man would do anything for him in order to assuage his own guilty conscious.

"Of course, Harry, what can I do?" Albus replied, exactly as Harry had expected.

"It is my understanding that you find yourself in need of a teacher for the DADA position again. An unfortunate incident with a misspoken counter-curse?"

Albus winced, "Yes, it was most unfortunate indeed… Am I being overly hopeful in presuming that you are interested in the position?"

Those pale blue eyes were fixed on Harry now with an unmistakable eagerness and a hint of careful calculation. It irritated Harry but he'd expected it. He replied mildly, "Yes. I am. As you know, I have no real experience in formal teaching. However, I do have an extensive and master-level understanding of the dark arts and the defense against the dark arts. Also, in the instances in the past where I have had to teach others, I am told that I have shown natural aptitude."

"Yes, of course, and your fame being what it is no one would question that you are a highly credible authority on the subject," Albus replied agreeably.

"Actually," Harry said, "as a nonnegotiable condition of my employment, I would be teaching under a false name and image. Apart from you absolutely no one - in this school or outside it - would know my true identity. As far as everyone outside of this room is concerned, Harry Potter is still missing. I would have an unbreakable vow from you and no less."

Albus appeared flabbergasted and he questioned anxiously, "But Harry, for what possible purpose? Surely you will not conceal your presence from your friends? The Weasley Family and Miss Granger especially! You must know they have been beside themselves with worry for you."

"As I have said, it is not negotiable. Will you give me your vow or not?"

Albus hesitated for a long moment. His old face was creased with obvious dismay and disappointment and it was clear that he thought that Harry might be swayed by such things. Harry held his gaze dispassionately, entirely unmoved. He was not willing to budge an inch on this condition. Yes, it was terrible and selfish but it made it slightly more bearable for Harry to be back and it was also critical to his plans.

Albus finally stopped trying to guilt Harry into changing his mind and gave a long and dramatically weary sigh, "Very well, my boy. I'm sure you must have a very good reason for insisting upon such an awful thing…"

Those deceptively paternal blue eyes abruptly tried to pierce Harry's mind but Harry gave absolutely nothing back. His mental shields were firmly in place and he had no difficulty fending off the sneaky attack. Harry acted as if he hadn't noticed and he replied, "Thank you, Albus. I have chosen the alias Dominic Wake. I'll have that promise now, if you would be so kind."

Harry extended a folded piece of parchment, upon which he had written the vow he wanted, word for word. He could not risk Albus finding a loophole.

Albus gave him a hurt look but said nothing and Harry made no apologies for this show of distrust. Albus was a man who prided himself on his morals and he would have probably kept Harry's secret without the vow… Unless of course Albus happened to think, as he often did, that he knew better.

Harry would accept none of Albus's manipulations or well-intended interferences this time around. He didn't like that he had had to reveal himself to Albus at all, but the man was far too nosey not to have figured things out eventually and he wouldn't have given Harry any peace at all in the meantime.

Harry disillusioned himself immediately after stepping out of Albus's office. He rode down the revolving staircase and stepped back into the familiar halls of Hogwarts, which were uncharacteristically still and silent for the time of day. Even when he had wondered the halls at night, there had never been such a sense of... emptiness.

Still under the disillusionment charm, Harry wrapped his invisibility cloak about himself - just for good measure. He knew some of the professors would be quick to notice the tell-tale signs of disillusionment.

Harry moved through the halls like one of the ghosts. He didn't have any destination in mind as he wandered about but it was not long before he found himself in the dungeons, standing before one particular door. He raised his hand slowly and placed his hand on the wood. It was cold through the sheer fabric of his cloak and he could feel the wards that protected it. He recognized the familiar magic immediately.

Harry imagined the man who was somewhere behind that door - so close, and yet still so far. Harry longed to be able to walk through the door and greet Severus as he would have liked to, but that was a fantasy. Severus would never welcome him.

They had been civil when they worked together, those last few years in the war, but the man had still despised Harry. Even after all these years. Even after everything that had happened. The potions master was an unquestionably brilliant man, but he could also be incredibly blind sometimes. The grudges and prejudices Severus held fast to would keep him from ever truly seeing Harry. No matter how hard Harry tried.

Which is why Harry simply could not be Harry anymore.

A ironic smile twisted Harry's lips. He wondered what Severus would think of him now, if he knew that the most iconic Gryffindor since Godric himself had been reduced to such underhanded and decidedly Slytherin tactics. Harry's smile faded quickly because he knew exactly what Severus would think. He would believe that Harry was playing an inconceivably cruel joke and attempting to make a fool of him.

For this reason, Harry had resolved that if he was going to go through with his plans then he would have to become Dominic Wake permanently. In Harry's mind that was hardly a sacrifice at all, really. More of a bonus, if anything.

Harry craved only one person more desperately than he craved a new and perfectly average life. So, when the idea of becoming someone else had first occurred to him, the idea had stuck in his head like a burr. Then, when he had realized that being someone else might also provide him a second chance with Severus… Well, he had become obsessed with making it a reality and it had consumed his every waking thought.

It was the most thinking Harry had put into any plan ever, if he was honest.

Harry drew away from the door and wandered back upstairs, thinking that this was, without a doubt, proof he had well and truly lost his mind. Surely everyone would think that he had. Some of his old friends might understand why he would want to pretend to be someone else. Absolutely no one would understand if they knew he coveted Severus Snape above all else.

For Harry though, it all made perfect sense. He knew exactly when and how his opinion of the infamous greasy git had changed. It began after he looked into Severus's pensive and saw one of Severus's worst memories - how the marauders had bullied and humiliated Severus and how Severus's friendship with Lilly had come to an end.

That single memory had altered Harry's childishly idealistic perceptions about his father and his father's friends. It also made Harry realize that there was more to Severus than the man let anyone see. It had forced him start looking at Severus as a real person - flawed but infinitely complex. Harry had learned the hard way that there were many sides to every person and that Severus was not an exception. He started paying attention to who Severus was and trying to actually understand the man. At first, it was because he knew he'd been wrong about the man and he wanted to know the truth, but then, it was because he'd found the truth about who Severus was so very interesting.

When Severus had believed he would die, at the Battle of Hogwarts, he had given Harry some of his most precious and secret memories. Severus had probably only done so out of a lack of better options, but it had changed Harry's world once again.

Severus's memories had confirmed he was actually a double agent. Also, Severus had revealed Albus's unforgivable betrayal - that Albus had kept Harry alive only so that Harry could be killed at the right moment. Like some sacrificial lamb. After all this time, that particular memory still rankled whenever Harry thought of it.

The memories of Lilly Evans were agonizing too, but in a much different way. Severus had loved Lilly. Not in any romantic sense, as James had thought, but because she had been Severus's best friend when they were children. Lilly was the person who had been most dear to Severus in this world but he had unknowingly betrayed her when he had relayed The Prophecy to Voldemort. Severus had never forgiven himself. Severus hated himself.

Everything Harry had learned from the memories had been undeniable proof of Severus's true character. However, by that time, Harry had not needed any additional proof. He had long since stopped hating Severus and long since come to respect, admire, and then, to love the other man.

Harry glimpsed the Quidditch pitch while walking by an open window and he grinned. He changed his course and went directly the rooms he had been assigned. He needed to unpack and set up his personal wards but ignored everything else in favor of placing himself squarely in front of the floor-length mirror in his private bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and turned his wand on himself.

Even with all the practice Harry had done over the last few months, it took him nearly half an hour to complete his transformation because he was literally transfiguring his body. It was the most effective method of disguising himself - more so even than polyjuice potion. Transfiguration was the closest to a permanent change that he could get. For all intents and purposes, it was permanent. The spells would hold without his conscious effort so long as he had magic to maintain them, and well, he had more than his fair share of that. Also, the image he created was entirely unique and so, there was the added benefit that he wouldn't need to worry about his polyjuice potion doppleganger exposing him.

Most people didn't ever think to attempt transfiguring their bodies because it could have disastrous or even fatal results if done improperly. It took extensive skill in transfiguration and extensive magic to maintain. Harry just happened to have both.

Shortly, the familiar face of Dominic Wake was staring back at him. He appeared to be about ten to fifteen years older than Harry was. He'd changed enough to pass for his new age, 38, which was only a few years younger than Severus. He had chosen an average-looking male for his second face, one who wouldn't attract much attention and one who could be easily overlooked. He hadn't made himself ugly - he was looking to win over a certain Slytherin man after all - but he was decidedly plain with features that were classically unremarkable in every way.

His new eyes were dark brown, his skin was a moderately tan, and his muscles were lithe and strong but deceptively undefined. His hair was stick-straight and light brown in color - nearly the same washed out shade as his skin.

He was the same height as before, but only because it was hard to adjust to drastic shifts in height and even the subtle shifts he had experimented with previously had thrown off his balance drastically. His natural height was perfectly acceptable anyways. Late in his teens he had grown to just a few inches taller than what was average.

He'd paid careful attention to every last detail. One of his teeth was slightly chipped, his nose had a slight bump in the ridge that suggested a break in the past, his left index finger was mildly crooked, and most importantly - his famous scar (which was really just a scar now) was gone. He added in a few interesting little scars across his body, each with its own story. It was important to add in the little imperfections, because they were what made the disguise believable. Also, what kind of Defense Against the Dark Arts Master did not have battle scars? Lockheart did not bear mentioning, of course.

Overall though, Dominic appeared unassuming and decidedly unimpressive. Except, perhaps, for what was below the belt line, Harry thought with a smug male smirk. Then he snorted abruptly and rolled his eyes with good humor - he'd been unable to stand his own ridiculous expression. The simple fact was his genitals were the one part of his body he couldn't bring himself to even attempt changing. It made him shudder just to consider it. If something went wrong down there… Harry would wish he'd died instead.

He dressed slowly, taking the time to transfigure his clothes to fit properly. The clothes he wore were dully colored and professional - which matched his new appearance well. Harry paused briefly to consider if maybe he should add glasses to the mix. He had stopped wearing his own long ago, after Severus had brewed him a vision corrective potion. Finally he shook his head and decided to stick with the image he had previously decided on. He could always add reading glasses later, if he reconsidered.

Harry could hardly believe he'd finally taken on his new identity. He'd spent so much time thinking about it and making preparations but now he'd finally done it.

He wanted to celebrate in some small way so he grabbed his Firebolt and headed out to the Quidditch pitch to fly around for a bit. He tore across the empty pitch like a man possessed. He pushed his broom to its legal limits and then used his own magic to propel it even faster, until he reached an incredible and potentially lethal speed.

He was so ecstatic to be in the air that he couldn't stop himself from grinning when he spotted none other than Severus Snape standing at the edge of the field, scowling up at him. Harry had thought he couldn't have been any happier that day but he'd been wrong. He dropped down from the sky and landed before the potions master. He schooled his features into a more appropriate expression - a polite and friendly smile.

Severus did not give him the chance to speak first. His wand snapped out and he bit out furiously, "Finite Incantatem! Specialis Revelio!-"

The power behind the spells struck Harry hard and he stumbled back a couple steps. He was so surprised and he trusted Severus so much that he hadn't instinctively moved out of the way or protected himself in any way. After he realized what was happening, he forced himself to remain still under the barrage but it cost him dearly to stand there and do nothing. His mind went back to the war immediately and his heart was racing painfully fast in his chest. He had to struggle with himself to fight down his rapidly rising panic. He told himself again and again that these particular kinds of spells wouldn't hurt him. He used his skills in occlumency to compartmentalize the feelings that he was unable to control.

Nothing Severus did would alter Harry's guise. Nothing except Harry's own magic could do that. However, Harry was very worried that Severus was suspicious of him already. Surely the man did not see a wizard with some skill in flying and automatically assume the stranger had to be Harry Potter in disguise? Granted, Severus happened to be right, but the thought process leading to such a leap of logic was not rational at all. There had to be some other explanation that Harry hadn't thought of.

"-Reveliocorpus! Aparecium Maxima! Finite Homenum Conjurus!"

Severus eventually ran out of ideas for counter-spells and Harry's guise remained entirely unchanged. Severus seemed perplexed and also abashed. Most people would not have noticed the subtle shifts in his stoicism though. Harry only recognized what Severus was feeling because Severus was so familiar to him.

"My... apologies, sir," Severus offered slowly and very reluctantly. "I have only ever known one person who flies as you do. It was wrong and entirely irrational for me to assume that you were him based on so little. I allowed my emotional response to impair my better judgement."

He spoke tonelessly and without infliction. He seemed to be very aware that there really wasn't any acceptable reason for his behavior. Harry raised a brow and said generously, "Well, no harm done, I suppose. I imagine you must hate this person quite a great deal. I would venture to say that most of us have occasionally been driven to act irrationality by particular individuals. Was it a romantic affair turned bad perhaps?"

Harry just couldn't resist teasing the man but he regretted it almost immediately. Severus's face contorted with unmistakable disgust and he replied, "Most assuredly not."

Harry shrugged with a casualness he did not feel. He tried his best to ignore the stinging pain in his chest as he focused instead on a proper introduction.

"Well, my name is Dominic Wake. I am to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

He extended his hand and Severus took it, "Severus Snape. Potions. I was not aware Albus had hired a new DADA professor yet."

"Just today, actually."

Severus released his hand and said, "I hope you do not make a habit of such reckless flying. You are to be an example for your students, after all. You might inspire them to break their necks."

Harry chuckled and rubbed his own neck sheepishly, "Admittedly, I wasn't exercising good judgment, I suppose. It has been some time since I've flown and I tend to get carried away on a broom."

Harry grinned a little at the double entendre and winked at Severus. Severus just stared at him, his black eyes as cold and unreadable as ever, but Harry could see that he'd surprised the man. He knew Severus wasn't used to people talking to him like that. Harry continued, "I will be much more discrete come the start of the school year, I assure you. It wouldn't do to give the students ideas."

"No, it would not," Severus finally replied. His tone was a little strange.

Harry swung his broom up onto his shoulder, questioning, "Do we take dinner in our rooms or with the rest of the staff? I am famished."

Severus cleared his throat quietly before answering, "Most of the staff eats together in the Great Hall, but some - myself included - choose to eat in their rooms instead."

"I see," Harry murmured, as if this was new information and he needed to think it over. "Well, I suppose I can't afford to be unsociable quite so soon. Would you be so kind as to point me in the direction of the Great Hall?"

Severus paused then offered, "I will escort you, if you wish."

Harry grinned widely, "Fantastic! Thank you. This place is like a bloody maze. I can't even tell you how long it took me to find my rooms. I don't know how I'll manage to learn my way around before the students arrive."

Severus glanced at Harry sideways as they walked up to the castle together.

"If you become lost, you should call one of the school's house elves. You will find them quite helpful, I expect. Mopsy, Dobby and Tipsy are the most competent of those assigned to the school staff."

Harry was delighted that Severus was proving to be so civil. Heck, this interaction was downright friendly. Typically the man was like a block of ice around new people, or any people really. Harry supposed Severus might still be feeling guilty and embarrassed about pulling a wand on a new colleague without cause. It was possible that Severus was attempting to make amends for that.

Harry smiled at him warmly, placing a hand on the other man's arm briefly, with calculated casualness, "Thank you, Severus."

Severus tensed, almost imperceptibly, but after a brief pause he murmured dismissively, "Of course. Think nothing of it."

"You said you teach Potions," Harry prompted, eager to keep the conversation going. "How long have you taught here?"

Severus had to think about it for just a moment, then he answered, "Twenty-two years."

"Truly? You appear far too young for that to be true."

Severus glanced at Harry again then said, "I am forty-one. I began teaching when I was nineteen years old, shortly after achieving my mastery."

"That is incredible, Severus," Harry replied. His surprise wasn't sincere but his admiration was, and he made no effort to hide it.

Severus was truly brilliant. It was nearly unheard of for mastery in any subject to be achieved so very young. It was even more impressive for Severus to have achieved a mastery in potions so young. Most potions masters achieved their mastery when they were closer to fifty or sixty. Severus avoided looking at him, which was a tell-tale sign of his embarrassment. Harry smiled again but it went unseen. Severus changed the subject to divert attention from himself.

"What of you? What is your teaching experience?"

"Truth be told, I have no experience teaching in classrooms, but I trained soldiers during the war," Harry replied honestly. "I never pursued my mastery but my knowledge and experience is extensive. I am not entirely sure how well this position will work out for me, but Albus expressed great confidence that I would be a good fit. Here's hoping I do not prove him wrong."

"You fought in the war?"

Harry chuckled, "Do not sound so surprised, Severus, I am more fierce than I look."

"I am sure that you must be," Severus replied matter-of-factly. "Tell me, were you an Auror or were you a member of the Order?"

"Neither, actually," Harry said with a shake of his head, "I was one of the mercenaries hired by Albus."

"I was not aware he possessed that kind of money."

Harry chuckled, "Well, he doesn't, actually, but he can be quite convincing. I was persuaded to provide my special brand of services at a criminally discounted rate. Now that it's all over, he has worked his magic again, I suppose, by convincing me to give respectable work a try."

Severus's lips twisted slightly, with bitterness, "Yes, that does sound like Albus."

"I take it you are not fond of our dear Headmaster?" Harry observed mildly.

Severus paused for a long moment then answered carefully, "He is a good man but I am not fond of his tendency towards game playing and other such manipulations."

Harry couldn't have agreed more. He also appreciated Severus's attempt to warn a new teacher about Albus. Severus was taking a personal risk in doing so.

"Hm, you must be a Gryffindor."

Harry couldn't believe he had just managed to say that with a straight face. Severus jerked as if he had been hit with a stinging hex and Harry almost burst out laughing. Harry hastily cleared his throat to conceal his mirth and then continued innocently, "Am I wrong? Isn't Gryffindor the House that extolls the noble virtues?"

"I am a Slytherin," Severus replied incredulously. "I am the Head of Slytherin."

Harry doubted the man had ever been mistaken for anything other than a Slytherin. Certainly never a Gryffindor of all things - despite how very brave he was.

"Oh, so sorry, my mistake," Harry apologized quickly then lowered his voice and said conspiratorially, "Between you and me, Slytherins sound like more fun anyways. I've never been able to resist the cunning, devious, enigmatic type."

He let his gaze drift over Severus briefly before looking away. He could see from the corner of his eye that Severus was staring at him again. It was as if he had no idea of what to make of Harry. Severus wouldn't believe that Harry could possibly be flirting with him but he was obviously having a hard time figuring out another explanation.

Harry knew when the time came, he would have to be incredibly blunt about what he wanted from Severus. He would never get through to Severus otherwise. Until then, though, he would try to build a strong rapport and earn the other man's trust and respect. Harry knew that Severus preferred men so it was really just a matter of biding his time and winning the potions master over. Harry was looking forward to it.

Life had so much potential when he wasn't Harry Potter.