Chocolate and Paracetamol
Warning: Severus and Remus end up friends, or even the beginnings of slashfulness if you look very carefully. And I'm a Snape sympathiser.
Disclaimer: Hmm. I wonder… could I possibly be J K Rowling? Is that the reason that the men in white vans are turning up for me? Hmm…
AN: If you don't recognise sarcasm… well.
It was inspired because I was ill, but not with flu, only a cold, luckily, and I wondered how Severus and Remus would be in the position I am. And I had a Severus/Remus pairing annoying me at the back of my mind. And I was bored out of my skin. This is the result. Read and review, please!
BTW, the reference to soup is because I hate soup (especially home-made) when I'm ill. Potatoes are much better. In my opinion, anyway. What about you?
Flu. Again. It just wasn't fair, Severus thought, that thee was a cure for everything except flu. And that his body still hadn't built up a resistance to flu. Well, it wouldn't, would it? That was the irony of life.
And, as if the natural irony of life wasn't enough, Albus Dumbledore had decided to put in his own pennysworth. It would be the werewolf who, when Severus was confined to his bed, was charged to look after him. If it hadn't been during the holidays, he'd probably have been taking Severus' lessons, despite the fact that he had almost failed his Potions OWL. There were times when Severus wanted to take the irony of life and shove it-
Anyway, it wasn't even as if the werewolf still worked at Hogwarts. He'd resigned just before the holidays started. He had no right to interfere with Severus' life!
And here he was, the devil himself.
"I've brought you some food," Remus told the bedridden Severus. "Um…" He trailed off, uneasily, as Severus' glare bore holes in the ceiling. How that could happen, when he wasn't even glancing at the ceiling, Remus had no idea.
"Well, you can have it if you want…" Remus muttered, edging towards the door. "Let me know if you want anything…"
He quickly made his retreat and Severus smirked at his retreating back.
Later, when Remus returned to collect Severus' dishes, he found that none of the food, not even the soup, had been touched. Severus, however, had stood up and was clinging to the door handle. His face was even paler than usual.
"Do you need a hand?" Remus offered, concern stamped across his features.
Severus, despite the fact that he was now reduced to leaning on the wall, sneered. "I am perfectly capable, thankyou, Lupin."
Remus frowned. "Well… OK…"
The next day, Severus was violently sick. Remus immediately offered to bring Severus anything he wanted, but, of course, no help was welcome. And, when Remus later came to take the dirty dishes away, it was evident that food was also unwelcome.
For several days, the same routine continued. Remus brought Severus food; Severus staggered from one end of his quarters to the other to be sick; Remus took the untouched food away; Severus failed to sleep.
On the fifth day, Severus stopped being sick.
On the sixth day, he managed to cross his room without having to use the wall for support.
On the seventh day, he didn't leave the food completely untouched: Remus realised that he had eaten the Honeydukes' Best Chocolate.
On the eighth day, Remus walked into Severus' room with the tray, as usual, and was completely shocked when Severus accepted the tray with a smile. "Thankyou, Lupin."
Now Remus knew that Severus really was ill.
"Could you bring me some paracetamol, please?" the potions master asked the werewolf. "I've got a bit of a migraine."
Remus smiled, carefully feeling his way through the situation. Severus was being civil to a werewolf who had almost killed him once? "Of course."
When he returned with the muggle medicine, Remus frowned at Severus. "Wouldn't some potion be better?"
"No! I should know!" snarled Severus.
Remus backed away hurriedly. This was much better. "Um, sorry. Of course. Bye."
The door slammed behind him.
On the ninth day, Severus felt absolutely fine, so he leapt out of bed almost immediately. Several hours later, he realised that Remus hadn't appeared with any meals.
He wandered through his quarters, finding no trace of werewolf anywhere. Finally, he succumbed to the inevitable Floo Powder.
Severus rolled out of Remus Lupin's fireplace and immediately called the man's name. He was greeted with a sneeze from the direction of Remus' bedroom.
The potions master made his way to his one-time archenemy's bedroom. "Are you OK?" he asked.
Remus treated Severus to one of his own, rarely seen scowls. "What do you think?"
The man was shivering and Severus could hear that he had a horrible cold. It sounded very familiar.
"Is there anything you'd like?"
Eventually, Severus returned, carrying a hot water bottle, three boxes of paracetamol, a large glass of water, and an even larger box of Honeydukes' Best Chocolates.
Remus grinned at the figure staggering through the doorway. "Why, thankyou, Severus."
Severus grinned back, and Remus wondered whether the man had really recovered from his flu, or whatever it was. He was probably up to something.
"You're very welcome, Remus."