A/N: Thanks to everyone who helped out with this chapter, esp Sindie and Rose! My friend, Jennifer is the guilty party who came up with the very non-magical gift Sev gave Lily, so thanks for that girlie! Thank you everyone who has reviewed and placed this story on alert.
March 18, 1981
As Severus' consciousness slowly swam up through the darkness, he realized he could feel again and mostly what he was feeling at the moment was pain. He was presently too weak to open his eyes, but it seemed nothing was wrong with his hearing.
"He got a big noseth. Poth himth," lisped a small voice nearby, "See ifth he dead."
"Nuh-uh, you poth himth," another similar voice replied, trying unsuccessfully to whisper.
Severus managed to painfully force his eyes open and for a moment thought his injuries had somehow caused double vision, because standing in front of him were two small identical boys wearing the same wide-eyed expressions of shock. Relieved, Severus quickly realized he did not have a severe head injury causing double vision, the two red headed boys were twins, wearing the same overalls in different colors.
"Ahhh! Heths alife!" The twins yelled in unison as they scrambled from the room nearly running into each other in their haste.
'At least I have not gone completely soft,' Severus smirked as he forced himself to sit up. His body protested vehemently against rising from the soft bed. He gasped and slid back down against the mattress clutching his bandaged side as breathtaking pain shot through his ribs. He realized he was no longer wearing Sirius Black's clothes. He was dressed only in a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms; a white bandage was wrapped tightly around his torso from just beneath his sternum to nearly his hips. The glare of the sun through the curtains told him it was likely mid-morning. Severus futilely tried to remember what had happened after he landed the bike. It was all a dark hazy blur.
"Severus!" Lily yelped, running into the room with Harry perched on her hip. "Thank Merlin! You nearly scared me out of my wits! I thought you were dead or dying! You were hit with a cutting curse and a powerful bone breaking hex at the same time. Dumbledore healed the cuts right away, but you lost so much blood Rennervate wasn't working at all. We couldn't wake you up enough to swallow the blood replenishing and bone mending potions. You have been unconscious for nearly three days. I was ready to give you blood the Muggle way if you hadn't come around soon!"
Severus made a face at the thought of Muggle needles being stuck into his arm. "Well, in that case I am glad I was able to oblige," Severus said weakly, trying to sit up again.
Lily put Harry on the floor and sat on the bed gently pushing Severus back against the sheets, "Oh, no, you don't. You can't even think about getting up until you have had a couple doses of the
Blood Replenishing and Bone Mending Potions. Madam Pomfrey said three of your ribs on the right side were crushed. They might be bad enough we have to use Skele-Grow instead of just the Bone Mending Potion."
Severus nodded as he held his hand to his side, realizing exactly how much it really did hurt him even to breathe. He raised an eyebrow at Harry who was using the bed sheet as leverage to pull himself up to stand beside the bed, his clear green eyes just barely able to peek over the edge of the mattress at Severus. "Well, that is new. I haven't seen you two since right after your birthday. When did he learn to stand?"
Lily laughed and shook her head, "Just now I guess. He must have missed you. Before James and Sirius left for the Order mission last week, James spent most of his time flying on a broomstick or tinkering with that bike and Sirius spent quite a bit of time trying to teach Harry how to pull himself up. Harry was completely uncooperative, so Sirius got frustrated and gave up. He went back to goofing off with James."
Severus fought back the urge to smirk at the idea Harry missed him and perhaps even preferred (gasp!) the greasy potion master over his own sainted father and godfather.
"Oh, Lily there you are!" A woman exclaimed walking into the bedroom. She had red hair a shade or two lighter than Lily's. Severus recognized her as Molly Weasley. She and her husband, Arthur had already left Hogwarts by the time he and Lily had started. Molly was carrying a red-headed toddler that was clutching a worn teddy bear. She smiled kindly at Severus seeing him awake, "Severus, it's wonderful to see you awake. You had us all worried terribly. Do you feel up to having a bit of a light breakfast? You'll need something in your stomach before you take the those potions."
Severus' jaw hung open at the older woman's warm words. He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake! He glanced down at his bare arms, the Dark Mark glaringly visible on the left. He moved to jerk his arm beneath the sheets, out of sight.
Lily stopped the motion, putting her hand over the tattoo, "She doesn't care you have the Mark, Sev. Molly saw it when we were trying to put you right."
"Of course," Molly agreed, "actions speak far louder."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Severus murmured.
"Call me Molly and think nothing of it. Now about breakfast?"
"He'll eat breakfast," Lily said raising an eyebrow in Severus' direction, "I'll make sure of it."
Molly turned to leave the room, but the small red-haired boy squirmed in her arms wanting to be let down.
"You can leave him, Molly. I'll keep an eye on him. Ron can play with Harry." Lily said brightly and Molly nodded gratefully as she placed him on the floor. Ron scarcely noticed when his mother left the room as he unsteadily toddled over to a box in the corner and began pulling toys out of it.
Harry stood on his tip-toes and peered at Severus' arm as Lily moved her hand off the Mark. Harry pulled his fingers out of his mouth and patted the Mark, leaving a smear of slobber over Severus' arm.
"Owie?" Harry asked planting a wet kiss on the tattoo.
Severus' lips quirked at the corners a bit as Lily wiped the spittle off his arm.
Lily s miled apologetically and then turned Harry in the direction of the toy box, "Go play with Ron." Harry crawled across the hardwood floor to the toys Ron had pulled from the toy box.
L ily reached into her pockets and pulled out two potions vials. She set them on the side table and began removing the bandages from around Severus' torso. He couldn't help but grunt in pain with every small movement; it felt as though his ribs were grinding into the flesh of his lungs.
"I'm sorry, Sev, but I need to see if the bruising and swelling is as bad as it was last night."
As Lily unwound the last of the bandages, Severus looked down at his body. No wonder he was in such pain, his entire right side was a swollen purple and black mess, and that was after magical healing. Angry red scars were left behind by the cutting curse, but fortunately those would fade with time.
"It actually looks better. I think you will be able to get by with just using Bone Mending and Blood Replenishing Potions," Lily said carefully running her hand down his side.
Severus shivered slightly at her gentle touch and clenched his hands in the rumpled bed sheets.
Seeing this reaction, Lily glanced up at his face, concern filling her wide green eyes, "Oh, Sev! I'm sorry. That must have hurt."
Severus had to set his lips in a firm line to keep from telling her that it was her mere touch on his bare skin causing such an involuntary reaction in his body.
"It is alright, Lily. Do not apologize," he said reassuringly a few moments later when he was able to school his emotions once more into the familiar stoic mask he wore so often. She reached into the side table's drawer and pulled out a small squat container. As Lily popped the lid off, Severus could tell by the strong menthol-like smell it was a Bruise Balm Salve - a strong one. She scooped out a bit on her fingers and began spreading the bluish ointment thickly over the bruises. He sighed as the immediate cooling sensation helped alleviate a bit of the soreness in his injured side. Lily vanished the old bandage and reached for a fresh one, which was lying folded on the bedside table. Lily wrapped the clean bandages tightly around Severus' torso.
A glint of metal caught his eye as Lily leaned over him; he reached up and lightly touched the silver chain. At his touch, the charm fell into view, sparkling in the morning light.
"You are wearing it," Severus stated, his arm falling back to the sheets.
Lily clasped her hand around the small silver doe; the two tiny emeralds set as its eyes caught the light and seemed to glow.
"Why wouldn't I wear your gift? It was the best birthday present I received this year. I told you I wasn't taking it off."
Severus want to scoff at her kind words, surely Potter had given her something far more grand and magical. The doe necklace had been bought at a plain little shop in Muggle London and did not have a touch of magic within it. It had caught his eye in the window, painfully reminding him so much of her, he could not continue walking past the little shop without buying it. Severus would have paid any amount for the little charm, but the shopkeeper quoted a nominal price, apparently deer were not in fashion for jewelry this year. She had put the necklace on immediately, kissing him lightly on both cheeks as she wrapped him in a crushing hug. His cheeks had flushed further as she told him he had always given the best birthday presents.
"Potter did not notice it?" he asked as she tucked the charm back into her shirt.
Lily sighed as she finished wrapping the bandages around his abdomen, "He has been rather distant for a while and even in the best of times, it would occasionally take a house elf to tell James his robes were on fire before he would notice it."
Severus snorted at the image that conjured in his mind, "Indeed."
Lily gave him a little smirk and opened her mouth as if to say something, but just then Molly returned to the room levitating a tray in front of her.
"You had better eat at least some of your breakfast, Sev," Lily said helping him sit up and fluffing the pillows behind his head and back. Inwardly mortified at being treated like an invalid, Severus had to clench his mouth shut to keep from snapping at Lily. He wasn't used to having someone taking care of him. Molly placed the breakfast tray so that it hovered over his lap. "Thank you, both of you." Severus said inclining his head.
"Think nothing of it," Molly said, bustling out of the room.
Lily sat on the edge of the bed, her hand lightly placed on his leg, watching him take a few bites of the lightly sweetened porridge. Suddenly there was crash from down the hall, Severus watched in surprise as Lily shot up from the bed.
"Arrgh! They 've gotten into the potions cupboard again!" Lily raced out of the room, before she got more than a few paces there was a loud bang and the hallway filled with a bright purple smoke. Lily emerged from the billowing smoke, carrying a squirming, giggling purple twin beneath each arm. Severus gaped at her for a few moments before he realized Lily's exposed face and arms had a slight purple tint that contrasted horribly with her dark red hair. Severus' lips twitched a bit as he watched Lily march over to a closed door just across from his bed and nudged it open with her hip, revealing a bathroom. He heard water running as she deposited the twins into the tub. There was quite a bit of splashing and squealing, and then he heard Lily bellow, "Get back here, now!"
Two giggling, naked, wet and violently violet colored toddlers raced out of the bathroom and down the hall. Lily marched out of the bathroom, dripping wet. She scowled at Severus as she stormed after the two boys, her bright green eyes standing out vividly in her lavender colored face. It was all so ridiculous; Severus tried his best to school his expression, but failed miserably. He burst out in laughter, clutching his ribs as pain tore through his side. Harry and Ron were clapping their chubby hands together and giggling, the toys forgotten on the floor. He had a feeling their stay at the Weasley's would be anything but peaceful.
to be continued...
