Oh what a mistake. He should have listened to Snape. Maybe he should call Madame Pomfrey. Harry panted as he sat up on the bed, eyes burning every time he blinked and he trembled, panting. Taking the covers off didn't help, in fact it made him shiver with how cold the room felt, except that when he covered himself again, the inferno returned.
He didn't want to whine. He'd spent years getting into more painful situations. Besides, there was no one to whine to. A parent would care, coddle you, spoil you, rub your back, encourage you… a medi-witch in the hospital wing would only frown in disapproval and give him a potion for sleep.
"Oh god, stop it." Harry scoffed at himself. "Stupid Kreacher…" He sighed and panted as the heat became too much again, uncovering himself.
"Harry." Harry froze, pulling the covers back over himself and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sound. Who was here? His heart raced and his breathing increased and he shivered and curled tighter into himself, the burning under his skin making him dizzy. "Harry."
Harry's eyes widened and he sat up. "Mom?" He said shocked, recognising the voice. Could it be? No, of course it couldn't but… she was with him in the cemetery… maybe… oh he didn't know what to think! But this was a magical world! Who knows what it could be. "You're imagining things…" Harry groaned holding himself.
"Harry." He ignored all common sense that told him it couldn't be and slipped into his shoes quickly, walking past the curtains. The room was empty, only empty beds all round. Harry held himself to keep warmer in the chilly night but as he took more steps toward the door the easier it was to stand the cold. "Harry."
The corridor was pitch black as he stepped out of the hospital wing and followed the voice. He kept one hand to the wall, feeling his way through the darkness. He walked through pitch black corridors, down stairs, upstairs until he found himself by the cloister. He looked out at the snow covered patio, trying to remember why he left the hospital wing in the first place.
"Maybe I am losing my mind." He mumbled to himself.
"Hello Harry." Even turning his head felt heavy but he took a step back, looking at him in shock. Emwood stood there, casual in his muggle clothes with that kind expression in his face.
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Severus huffed as he woke up to the sound of rapid knocking to his portrait. If that was Potter he was going to make sure the brat learned the value of a goodnight's sleep. However as he opened the door he sneered as he saw Filch standing there.
"What. Is it?" He hissed glaring at the pathetic man with all his might.
"The boy! Potter. I saw him I did, running off at this hour. I came straight here to tell you." Snape gripped the frame of the door harder.
"Why did you not go after him?" He asked very slowly. Filch's self-satisfied expression slowly melted away into a frown.
"Well, he ran out into the freezing cloister, it was faster to come tell you." He was going to kill him. Them. He was going to kill Potter and then Filch. "Get madam Pomfrey!" He hissed shoving the man to the side and rushing to where the boy had last been seen.
The deep snow showed clearly the path the idiotic boy took. He ran after him, unconcerned about anyone seeing him. Only Madam Pomfrey, Filch and he remained in the castle after all.
"Potter!" He called out as the wind died out completely and snow fell gently from the sky. The moon could barely light anything so close to the new moon. "Lumus maxima." He whispered, the tip of his wand illuminated the frozen pathway. He didn't have to run too far, the trail ended by a set of small trees and Potter was leaning against one with a curved trunk. All tension left his body and he sighed with a bit of relief. He went up to the boy and shook him. "You inconsiderate little… What the devil are you doing out here!" He snapped, unable to hold himself back. The boy blinked in surprise as he looked up at him.
"I-I… saw him. He was here… Emwood was here…" The boy stuttered through clattering teeth.
"You were hallucinating, Potter! You've been poisoned! You needed to .bed!" He said and tried to pull the boy up.
"Stop it! Just stop it Snape! Stop pretending you care! I don't need you! I don't need anybody!" The boy struggled back. The brat was strong, it was hard to keep hold of him and soon the boy stumbled back onto the floor.
"Stop talking nonsense! Your fever is going to go through the roof the moment you get out of the cold!" He exclaimed coming to pull him back up.
"What do you care? Why would you care?" Potter kept yelling.
"I will not argue out here, Potter!"
"Potter, Potter, Potter! What did my father ever do to you Snape? What did I ever do? Stop pretending! I want things to go back to how they were!"
"And how were things, Potter? How were things this summer when you lost all common sense and went to…" He froze. How could he possibly blame the child for that? The boy looked up at him shocked too and covered his face, curling into himself. Merlin he had to get him inside. "Would you please postpone this before you freeze to death?" He said in a neutral tone, pulling the boy up again.
This time Potter kept quiet, letting the other pull him inside, shivering from head to toe, but keeping his head down, refusing to look to where he was even going. Filch was by the entrance pacing until he saw them coming.
"Where's Pomfrey?" He demanded.
"Ah, yes, she was called over to St. Mungus for an emergency." Filch said. Stupid little man. Stupid, stupid Potter.
"Get out of my way." He growled, storming past him, rushing the boy to his bed, covering him up with the blankets. He'd have to get the brat a change of clothes too. No doubt his pyjamas were soaked through.
Rushing to Pomfrey's office he quickly firecalled St. Mungus and asked for her.
"Ran into the snow? That boy… I'm sorry Severus, you'll have to take care of him until I get back. I just got here I can't go back right now."
"You have to come back! I can't just leave the boy here by himself and Filch is completely out of the question, the blithering idiot is useless!"
"Well then, take him to your quarters. I should be back first thing-"
"Absolutely not! I can't take Potter into my private quarters! That's highly inappropriate!" He exclaimed.
"I cannot come back yet Severus. I need to go now. Keep him warm, hydrated, give him something for the fever to top the antidote. I'll be back before you know it." And she was gone. He came out of that fireplace cursing the fates to hell.
He got up and returned to where the boy was, shivering. "Madam Pomfrey was called away in an emergency, I'll need to keep a close watch on you Potter so come on." Whether the boy understood or not he couldn't know, since the child simply allowed him to pull and drag him along. Entering through the portrait he led the boy past the parlour and into the first room down the corridor. Inside was a large bath which he set up with a wave of his wand.
He looked at the boy while the bath filled up. Was the boy alert enough to do this by himself? "Potter, look at me." The boy did, though his cheeks were starting to flush as his body tried to warm him up again. "Take a warm bath while I dry your clothes. I'll be outside, tell me when you've changed out of your clothes and I'll summon them." Potter nodded and Snape walked out, being careful to listen for any sounds of the other stumbling or fainting. Soon however he heard the sound of the water and figured the boy must have gotten into the bath.
"I'm in." He called. Snape simply summoned the clothes with his wand and focused on drying them. This was highly inappropriate. Unthinkable having Potter stay a night in his quarters. The lines of their relationship were already blurring as it was. With another wave of his wand he sent the folded garments back inside.
"Come out, Potter. Before your fever escalates." Just take it one thing at a time Severus. One thing at a time. The boy came out fully dressed, though his hair was still damp. "Come on." He led the boy back to the parlour and transfigured his couch into a bed. He sat the other down and pointed his wand at the other's hair. The boy flinched when air passed through his hair. "I need to dry your hair Potter." He said.
"Why won't you just tell Dumbledore?" he mumbled. Severus didn't reply at first as he passed his fingers through the other's hair to make sure the air was drying all of it.
"Do you want me to tell him?"
"What does it matter what I want?"
"Merlin give me patience." He sighed and ignored the frustration he felt inside. He had to remember that the boy was only fifteen years old. "I did not mean what I said before. It was not your fault." He replied instead.
"Of course it was."
"No. It was not. And I don't know what got into your head making you think I've been caring toward you. You are one of the most obnoxious brats in the history of this school." He said, though his words carried no weight, however, he wasn't sure how the boy would receive such words.
"…Liar. Surely I'm not as bad as Lockhart." He chuckled. Severus smirked.
"Ah… I must have forgotten him." He said and carried on drying his hair. It was almost completely dry.
"…I heard my mother calling my name." He had to pause as he stared at the top of the boy's head. "It must have been the fever…" He said. Severus looked back at his wand and started the air once more.
"It is… do not worry, the fever should go down and the poison be entirely out of your system by the time the term starts in two days." He said. "There, your hair's dry, lie down while I get you the potions you need." With that he transfigured one of the cushions into a quilt and passed it to the boy.
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Harry took the quilt and watched the potion's master leave. He spread it on the bed and got under it. It was soft and warm, unlike the scratchy blankets in the hospital wing or up in Gryffindor tower. He could still feel the other's fingers through his hair as he dried it. It was comforting. It was a comfort he'd never received as a child without an ulterior motive. It came from Snape. And he had no idea how to deal with all of this. It didn't help that his head felt like it was buzzing. Maybe Luna was onto something with those 'wrackspurts'.
"Potter, come on drink this." Harry opened his eyes to see Snape holding the sludgy antidote in one hand and a blue potion on the other. Harry grimaced but sat up. Snape handed him the blue one first and he dunked it. Then he tried not to gag as he had the antidote. "Honestly, the faces you pull. It is just potions Potter." Snape scoffed as he took back the cup.
"You drink them if they're so good." Harry replied.
"I wasn't stupid enough to go wandering around a cursed house, Potter." He challenged. Harry glared at him but Snape simply handed him a glass of water. "Drink all of it. Madam Pomfrey's orders."
Harry huffed, feeling hotter and hotter, not really wanting to do anything besides sleep right now. He drank the chilled water, groaning softly as he felt the cool liquid hit his stomach. He lay back down, curling under the soft quilt, closing his eyes.
"You know Snape, when you chase me down in panic in the snow it makes it look like you care." He mumbled. The other smacked a wet cloth on his forehead and Harry jumped, opening his eyes and glaring at him.
"Don't be ridiculous, Potter. Go to sleep." The man sneered.
"What if I hallucinate again?"
"I will be aware of it." Harry couldn't ask anything else, as the fever and potions lulled him to sleep.