Author's Note: Written for the Three AM Challenge by Macceh on the HPFC forum.


October 13, 1975

3:24 AM

It's late – early? – but Severus can't sleep – hasn't slept all weekend. Lily – beloved Lily, lovely Lily – is in the hospital wing – broken collarbone, Potter's fault. Or maybe Black's. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.

"Sev, what are you doing here?"

Startled, Severus realizes that his brain is not caught up to his body. Evidently he made the decision to visit Lily some time ago – ten, twenty minutes, maybe longer – he's not sure how long it took to get here.

"Severus."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Severus pauses, flushes faintly – hopefully that's not visible in the dim infirmary. "I thought you were asleep."

Lily grimaces and indicates her collarbone with a hand – she's not supposed to move her head, Severus remembers – or not much – just a precaution. "It still hurts, a bit. You should be asleep."

"Couldn't sleep."

"We have classes tomorrow," says Lily severely. She frowns – checks her watch. "Today. It's three in the morning, Sev. You're going to be completely dead in Transfiguration and I can't take notes."

Severus shakes his head. "I'll be fine." Not like he'd be sleeping anyway – not with Lily here – he'd rather stay in the hospital wing with her, really. Maybe he should just – there's a free bed next to her – he could sleep here instead.

"Go back to bed, Severus."

Her eyes, they're so green, almost glowing in the dark. He doesn't want to get up – feels like he's fused to the chair.

"Sev? Oh, don't sleep there, it's terrible for your back. You should really go back to the Slytherin dormitory. Sev?"

Too late, Severus thinks as his eyelids droop involuntarily.