« How the hell did you come here ? » Lucius let out faintly. Signor Santa Cruz quirked a thin white eyebrow.

"By the front door" he said monotonously. Lucius head banged his thin mahogany desk. The worst was that he knew that the man wasn't trying to be sarcastic.

"Could you please elaborate?" the blond asked with an exhausted sigh. He knew the infamous Italian healer, who'd been employed by his family for generations, was harder to get answers from than a centaur. This promised nothing good for his poor, throbbing head.

"In his infinite wisdom, your father Abraxas charmed every room in the manor so as to summon me had there been a person in medical danger" the healer drawled. "I was alerted that a mid-aged male in the west wing guestroom was suffering from severe anorexia nervosa as well as chemical pneumonia. Am I right?"

Lucius nodded.

"Bring me to him."

Both men strode to Severus' room without a word. Once there, Santa Cruz put a hand up.

"Leave me with the patient" he ordered silently. Slightly taken aback at first, Lucius accepted nevertheless.

Antonio shut the doors behind him and put a discretion spell on the room; no sound was to escape. He turned to Severus, who had just woken up from the noise. His eyebrows shot up. Antonio charmed the mask off.

"Signor Santa Cruz..." he wheezed. Antonio lay a finger on Severus' lips.

"No parla" he said quietly. Severus nodded feebly. Antonio picked a miniature leather case from his pocket and charmed it back to its proper size. After charming Severus' clothed off, he fished a stethoscope from the case and helped him into a sitting position, pressing the instrument against his back.

"Dice trentatre" he ordered.

"Trentatre."

"Bene. Como ti sente?"

"Como merda."

Antonio smiled. He felt Severus' protruding ribs and shook his head.

"How you remind me of your mother, Severo, it will never cease to astound me" he whispered in the younger man's ear. He slipped behind him, onto the bed, so that Severus rested between Antonio's outstretched legs, his head upon the healer's chest.

"You were my favourite student, Severo..." Antonio crooned softly in Severus' ear.

"And you were... told... t-to use... my real... na... name..." Severus panted slightly, a small grin etched on his features. Antonio pressed the stethoscope over Severus' heart and listened.

Severus had been, years and years ago, a student of the Facoltà di Magi di Napoli, specializing in healing abilities and potions making. He had immediately stood out from the other banal students because of his arduous desire not only to succeed, but to learn. His thirst for knowledge had been equalled only by that of his mother, when she had attended the school herself. And Antonio had known Eileen long before he'd started teaching.

Hours spent alone with Antonio in one of the many labs caused their teacher/student relation to evolve, and soon Severus and Professor Santa Cruz were meeting in his small studio flat. Then Severus left to join the Dark Lord. Antonio had made too many mistakes in his life to blame him.

The mediwizard set the ventilator back on and allowed Severus to lie back. The latter's eyelids were drooping and his chest was rising and falling quickly.

"Severo... you need 24 hours a day care. I'm afraid we have a match against time. We have to nourish you enough to start the treatment against you pneumonia. It's not going to be easy..." Antonio muttered as he sat at Severus' side. "Your whole body has to be in its best shape in order to attend to your lungs, do you understand?"

Severus shuddered in cold. Antonio sighed and left the room. Outside, Lucius jumped to his feet and nearly assaulted the healer with his questions.

"Did you find something? What can we do? Have you given him anything? Is he fit enough to start a cure? Wha-"

For the second time this evening, Antonio held a hand up and the world stopped.

"If you don't mind, I'll watch over him tonight in order to analyze him better. I have many ideas, but I need confirmation. Buonanotte, signor Malfoy."

Lucius watched Antonio return inside the guestroom helplessly.

Antonio shed every piece of clothing he bore, revealing a surprisingly youthful body with lean, muscular limbs.

The bed was already large enough for three people, so no spellwork was necessary for the while. He quietly tiptoed to the other side of the bed and slid under the sheets. Severus was freezing, and Antonio knew that body warmth was the most efficient one of all.

He was absolutely not taking advantage of the situation.

Severus leaned towards him sleepily, but Antonio maintained him in place and drew nearer. He didn't need his patient to tug on the ventilator and perfusion he'd just added.

He curled his arms around Severus, stroking his nipples, ribs, stomach, and then…

Antonio was trying to find a medical excuse for what he couldn't stop himself to do.

Warmth.

He heard a soft moan over the ventilator's humming, and Severus made to embrace Antonio, his manhood rubbing the latter's in process. Antonio sighed and his eyes rolled to the heavens.

"Madre de Dios…"

He lazily rolled in order to arch over Severus, elbows supporting his body, and ever so slowly, he let himself descend upon the frail body, his supple back curving so that only his pelvis touched his lover. Severus took a sharp intake of breath, his head leaning back and drool trickling into his mask. Antonio bent down to nibble a protruding collarbone, following with trails of light kisses that reached Severus' jaw. His mouth hovered over the other man's ear.

"I'm afraid I can't go any further... Sex will make you overexert..." he whispered sadly. Severus shut his eyes tightly and gulped. He then nodded to show he understood, but Antonio could feel the grief behind the indifferent facade.

Before he could return to his side of the bed, however, the healer underwent an electric shock caused by somebody firmly gripping his length. He was taken over by tremors as a skilled, very skilled hand stroke him in swift, swifter, swiftest movements that made him want to twist his spine in ecstasy. He gasped as Severus gained speed, let his head plunge over his oh so talented student's lips, the mask ripped off. He finally collapsed over Severus, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

"Severo..." he uttered softly. Severus looked up and frowned. Antonio's features reflected sorrow. The old man continued.

"Severo, I know I'm but an old fool not worth listening to anymore... but I care for you, really I do... and it isn't only for this" –he waved his hand over the bed- "but also for you." He patted Severus chest, feeling his heart beating underneath. Severus was alarmed by the glistening of Antonio's inky blue eyes.

"Severo... I won't last long in this world... I'm growing old..." Severus shook his head feverishly. Antonio smiled and grasped the younger man's chin.

"But I am, Severo, I really am... and if it were for me and only me, I wouldn't care if you died shortly after, or even before I did... but as I said, I'm an old fool who... loves you." Severus' lips curled faintly. For some strange reason, Antonio had always stumbled upon this word.

I love you too, Severus mouthed out. Antonio held him close, clenching his eyes shut.

"Severo, promise me... promise me you'll take care of yourself... even after I'm not here anymore..." Antonio said in a quivering voice. Severus gaped at him in shock. Never before had he seen Antonio in such a state of distress, and it frightened him to no ends. Severus buried himself into Antonio, his head under his lover's chin and his thin body under the other's arms. Antonio held him tighter still, before carrying on.

"Severo, you love Lucius, and he loves you... You know he does... Please, Severo, by rejecting him, you're only hurting both of you..." Severus blushed furiously in horror, confusion and anger. Antonio seemed to understand.

"How do I know? You used to moan his name in your sleep years after you'd left Hogwarts, and I've found a picture of him you'd used as bookmark instead of throwing it away. I remember that every time I'd leave to Malfoy Manor, you'd check who was ill, and sigh if it hadn't been Lucius. The day the poor fellow caught a head cold, you'd been so stressed you'd made a batch of Polyjuice explode", Antonio taunted. Severus turned his now crimson face away from him. Antonio brushed raven locks lazily between his fingers.

"He didn't want to hurt you... He was afraid... God knows I was afraid too, when you started getting dizzy all day and could barely stand on your feet... I fed you more nutritive potion than any other patient I had, because I knew my attempts to make you eat would be vain... Severo... Severo..." Antonio pleaded. Severus turned to face him, his look as cold as ice.

How did you know what happened... he mouthed. Antonio looked away.

"Narcissa was very feeble after Draco's birth, she fell into delirium... I was called to check on her. During the rare moments when she was lucid, she expressed her worry concerning Lucius, who was still grieving your loss. She knew about your relationship with him, and supported it due to the fact she considered it like a way to stabilise Lucius. She told me that she thought he needed someone to put him back at his place, because his obsession for power was entrancing him to a great extent. She had realized his quest was some kind of replacement for his passion for you..." Antonio confessed. Severus looked at him questioningly. Once again, Antonio answered the unasked question.

"Why she accepted this? She knew that Lucius was bound to have a few lovers, due to the fact their marriage had been arranged. I think that she'd taken it better than others would simply because he didn't choose another women. She's more than another pretty face, Narcissa is... She can be very understanding at times, and intelligent too... The kindest wife, really..." Antonio caressed Severus' high cheekbone with a single finger, before laying a kiss on his forehead.

"I have one last thing to ask you, Severo..." he said. "I know my time is coming, I'm not getting any older"; Severus stared oddly at Antonio, making him laugh.

"I don't look so old, but I am, giovano, I truly am... So please... consider it the last wish of an old fool... take care of yourself..." Antonio squeezed Severus' shoulder with his hand and leant closer until his lips were barely an inch away from Severus' ear.

"Severo, when I'll know my time is nearing, I'll send a servant to call you... and I'll allow us one last night... Do you agree?" Antonio asked.

Severus looked expressionlessly at him before nodding. Antonio knew he was gathering up courage; the conversation had taken a very unexpected turn, but Antonio couldn't afford to waste time with details. He embraced Severus into his strong, lean arms before kissing him one last time.

"Dorme, bambino..." he slurred, and as if hypnotised, Severus let his heavy lids cover his eyes before falling into deep slumber.

Antonio shook his head and held his young lover tighter.

He wished for a few years longer to live just to spend more time sleeping, protecting Severus... The young man had grown up nicely, but had managed to destroy himself all but fully.

And though he didn't have any implication with the darkest times of Severus' life, Antonio couldn't evade a strange feeling of guilt.

Antonio woke up early the next day. Severus was still asleep, and his breathing was still uneven. The healer decided to try a pain reliever for the moment to alleviate his patient's discomfort, refusing to make him swallow a true antidote for the moment. Those destined to cure pneumonia were known to shake the whole system violently, and Antonio knew it would be risking Severus' life.

The younger man coughed. Blood spattered the inside of his nose-mask.

Antonio contemplated the scene in desolate on for a few seconds before taking the mask off and casting a cleaning spell. Severus was in grave danger, and for the moment, Antonio couldn't see the light out of the tunnel. In these conditions, curing the fellow seemed an unattainable deed...

Antonio fought with himself, trying to decide whether to wake Severus or not, when a thin long fingers brushed his hand.

Severus was looking up at him, still very groggy. Antonio caressed his lovers cheek tenderly, before murmuring:

"I have to go know, Severo... Remember, we will meet very soon, and in preparation for that day, I want you to be nice and strong... Listen to Lucius and please, por favore, try to eat... Would you do that for me? Para mi?"

Severus' eyes shut slowly, and he nodded. Antonio smiled sadly, and kissed Severus' forehead before leaving to get dressed.

"Dorme, Severo, carino..." he breathed out before leaving.

Lucius entered the room quietly with a couple of nutritive potions bottles in his arms, each a different tint of green. Santa Cruz told him to start feeding Severus the one of a lighter shade, less efficient, but easier on the stomach. Starting with too strong a potion would result in either an indigestion, or headaches due to the sudden rush of nutrients in the body.

Lucius sat onto the bed and lifted Severus' head to lay it on his knees, and removed the mask. Blood trickled down Severus' chin. Apparently the man had had yet another coughing fit.

Tilting Severus head slightly and parting the man's lips, Lucius gradually poured half the content of a bottle into his mouth, Severus swallowing automatically, before sputtering and wheezing. Lucius hastily dabbed the latter's mouth with his handkerchief before replacing the mask. Severus relaxed.

Seeing that the raven haired man was still shivering even under the pile of drapes, Lucius wondered if he could risk Pepperup. Santa Cruz had insisted he should limit the amount of potions to the strict minimum; maybe Lucius should consider other means... He sat besides Severus' bed and took one of the man's hand in his own, rubbing it feverishly. It warmed little by little, and Severus sighed contently. Lucius took care of the other hand, then threw the sheets away and rubbed Severus hollow stomach, which incited a few moans and twitches. Stomach was followed by chest, and finally lower throat and nipples. Lucius blushed slightly at the humming sounds his ministrations provoked. Severus was quite sensitive, and the meanest touch, especially in this area, made him lose control.

Black eyes opened into slits, startling Lucius by their sharpness. Severus, obviously very well aware of Lucius presence, started to pant at the sight of him, and he pointed vaguely to the door.

"Get out", he mouthed. "Get out."

Lucius was shocked by the harshness radiated by Severus, but didn't go. However, something made him leave at once, a tiny little something barely noticeable as Severus faced the opposite wall.

A tear was trickling down his pale cheek.

A.N.: Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for reading this fanfic and reviewing. I didn't think I'd get feedback this quick when I posted this story two days ago! To show my gratitude, I'll try my best to update as quick as I can and try to make it last a little longer than I first intended.

Secondly, I'd like to say that I don't have a lot of knowledge of the Italian language other than the latin courses I took for a few years, comparisons I can make with Spanish (if my Spanish teachers read this, I'm toast), and love songs of Ricci and Poveri I listen to for hours, as well as Ti amo and Sei la sola che amo. Studying translation, I have to insist that, even though the words are rightly spelled, the use of them might be a little awkward. Oh well, I tried my best, and give you the translations:

No parla: don't speak

Dice trentatre: say thirty three

Trentatre: thirty three

Bene. Como ti sente?: very well. How do you feel?

Como merda: like shit (I have to insist on the fact that this translation is made word for word, and that it might not be used in actual italian.

Facoltà di Magi di Napoli: Mage Faculty of Napoli

Buonanotte: good night

Madre de Dios: Mother of God

Giovano: youngster

Dorme, bambino...: sleep, child...

Para mi?: For me?

Dorme, Severo, carino: Sleep, Severo, dear

Some of you may wonder why Antonio calls Severus Severo. Strangely enough, even though Severus is a latin name, it's considered as a French name when used nowadays (its feminine equivalent being Severine, very well known in France; I'd know so, I'm French myself).

And last, but not least, Antonio is turning out to be one of my favourite characters in this story just because of how he pisses off Lucius. Sooooooooooooooooo...

If you like Santa Cruz and you know it clap your hands!