He had survived the war at terrible cost. But then, how many of the survivors could you say that about? Molly Weasley had lost her husband and her son. Fred his twin. The entire family shattered and left lost. Hermione's Grangers parents would never remember that they had a daughter, let alone one so brave. The Creevey's would forever grieve for Colin. Lavender Brown's family had not been able to see her body before it was buried. Countless other families had been touched, ruined. Severus Snape, a hero till the end, was dead. Nymphadora Lupin had had the memories of the last four years of her life wiped from her and found that she did not love the man who lay, motionless and still in the bed in the hospital wing and found that she could barely grasp the concept that she had a son.
Harry. Harry had defeated the most powerful dark wizard and who attended funeral after funeral, sat at countless hospital beds and who became quieter and more withdrawn as the months passed and the one person he found himself quite desperately needing to speak with stayed unconscious.
It was, however, during those months that it was discovered that Severus Snape, was not, in fact dead, he was very much alive, though horribly broken, and he was moved, upon this astonishing discovery that had occurred when he had miraculously broken from his tomb, to the bed beside Remus Lupin, his sworn enemy for as long as anyone could remember.
For two weeks he watched in silence as Harry visited Remus every few days. Sat beside the werewolf. Talked to him, before the tired green eyes would turn to him and stammer out a few, uncomfortable sentences before fleeing. Severus was rather glad he had the excuse of a severely damaged throat and he did not have to talk to the boy. He had not meant to live. Harry would never have seen those memories if he had known he would survive. Two weeks was all that the harried Madam Pomfrey could manage to keep the man still, two weeks before she admitted to his harsh, whispered questioning that yes, they did need more potions desperately and that yes, Remus Lupin would probably die if he did not receive those potions.
He hated the werewolf, Severus had tried to remind himself when he had returned to the dungeons that Minerva promised would always be his if he desired them. He had no desire to help the man. But, his faultless memory was brutally honest. In their adult years Remus had been polite, even kind to Severus no matter what the surly potions master had done. And there had been a time where they had worked together closely for the Order before distrust had driven them apart once more.
He pitied the werewolf, he decided, he had seen Tonks once, nervous, uncomfortable, come in with her mother and infant son. Harry had begged, he understood, for them to bring Teddy to his father, and the baby had slept on his unconscious father's chest. Andromeda had not approved, but then, she was a Black and would never have approved of her precious daughter marrying a werewolf. So, he stood, surrounded by the things that made him comfortable, and began to read and create the potions that were ingrained in his memory.
"Madam Pomfrey said you were trying to create a potion to wake Remus." Harry spoke slowly as he hovered in the door.
Severus, having sensed the young man's presence some time before, gave the potion one last stir, removed his from the heat and turned. "Yes," his voice was a strained whisper, forever damaged from Nagini's venom.
Harry swallowed. "She… she said that it might be a mercy if you let him die? That his injuries are so severe…"
Severus inclined his head.
"How severe? Please, Professor, she won't tell me, she is trying to protect me." Harry's jaw clenched and his eyes darkened. "How bad will Remus be?"
Severus motioned for Harry to enter and led him to a small table in the corner of the room. He pointed to a chair and settled himself opposite the boy. It was too hard to be scornful now, not when his throat ached, and he knew the brutality of what he was about to say would shock the boy who had grown too fast.
"He will never walk again," he whispered.
Harry nodded. He had been expecting this. "Because of the silver?"
A curt nod. "He will not sit up without help, hands may little strength."
"Why?"
Severus swallowed and cursed his aching throat. "Where his spine was hurt."
Harry nodded slowly. "We won't know till he wakes up then?"
A brief nod.
"Remus could live with that."
Lifting a hand Severus continued haltingly. "No control of bodily functions, Potter."
Harry frowned a moment before understanding dawned. "Oh."
"No independence. He will need help to dress, to get out of bed. More…"
Harry frowned. "Can I get you a glass of water professor?"
Nodding, his hand at his aching throat, he watched Harry hurry to the cupboard, remove a glass and fill it with fresh water. The boy knew that the augmenti spell was not as refreshing. Interesting. Sipping the cool water, Severus waited for the unrelenting burn to ease away from his aching throat.
Harry stared at his hands. "He will hate needing help."
Severus nodded once. "Lungs are damaged, badly."
"So, he will be ill a lot?"
A slight nod.
"And in pain?"
Another nod.
Harry winced. His eyes suddenly met the dark eyes of his former professor. "Would you brew the wolfsbane for him? I would pay you! I know that he trusts your potions skills implicitly. He always trusted you…. Right until…"
Severus didn't blink. The news surprised him; the werewolf had trusted him until Dumbledore's death?
"If it was you."
"It's not me, we are different. He has a son."
Harry nodded. "Yes. And Tonks has agreed to let him see Remus if Remus wakes up. There is no hope of restoring her memories is there?" He looked suddenly hopeful.
Severus shook his head.
Harry's shoulders slumped. "Didn't think so. So, would you brew the wolfsbane? And anything else he needed? You would be well paid?"
Severus' eyes narrowed. "I will brew it. Cover the ingredients and nothing more. He will not be pleased."
Harry shrugged. "I will tell him the ministry bestowed a fortune on him."