So it has been 6 months since I've posted a new chapter, but for once I have a very good reason. I finished rewriting all the previous chapters. That's 160,000 word edited and rewritten! Most details have NOT changed, but I have added details and removed details to improve your reading experience. I will now return to updating every few weeks or so again. Please do take the time to reread the previous 24 chapters at some point to enjoy the new and much improved style. This was done on 8/14/13.
I love all the reviews I have gotten for this story and they have helped guide me in my endeavor to rewrite the previous chapters and to enjoy the next few chapters, which are being proofed as you read ^_^ This should be the last chapter that focuses on the FOLD camp so the timeline will be picking up now. Please enjoy!
Special thanks to B00kw0rm92, DarkRavie, djaddict, and ChaozA for your continued support and a special call out to filly8, thanks for your help! Please enjoy the story. Special opinion requests for this chapter: how do you like my werewolves? And is my progression for Snape believable?
Harry Potter and the FOLD
Frightful Experiences
They had all gathered faithfully, his inner circle. He sneered at them in disgust. They had failed him, that was for sure. He let a cruel smile play over his lips, enjoying the shudders that rippled through the group as the last of his faithful appeared. The Aristocrat approached him to greet him as a good servant of a dark lord should, but he didn't get very far. The gleeful adrenaline never got old as he watched the man twitch on the ground. The show had halted his last three servants from approaching to greet him, stunned at the sight. Only his most useful and faithful of followers still approached and paid their due to their master.
He turned away from the panting Death Eater on the ground to gaze on the robe of this follower. Usually his presence was a source of pride for him, the stolen son of his mortal enemy, but not today.
"Sssseverussss" A shudder ran through the body at the half hissed word. He placed a hand on the head bowed to him before looking back at the now rising follower. "Do you know why I am punishing my faithful?" He pushed the hood back to run his fingers through the black hair. His obedient servant didn't move his head to murmur his answer.
"No, My Lord." His respectful tone always soothed some of the anger, but not this time. He'd bide his time, first play with the stiff man on the ground. He sent a Punctiones Dolor, letting the soft cries soothe his temper a bit. He didn't want to kill anyone tonight. At least not any of his followers.
"He failed in one of his most important tasks. Do you know what that is?" He felt a shiver of glee as his general Legilimency felt the panicked shift in the entire group. Even his most faithful Severus seemed alarmed.
"I am unworthy of your esteem, My Lord, for I do not know." He must say of all his playthings, this one was one of the most eloquent. Even Malfoy stayed to strict pureblood diction, but this Potions Master had elegance and passion that appealed to him.
"He did not pass on my teachings to his children." The group froze. Many were well aware of how important that rule was to their Lord. Once you gain the Mark, you commit your entire family down and up the family tree. Regulus had paid dearly for letting his brother go. Of course, none of the faithful knew that Regulus had truly died for betraying him, but that could reveal his insurance, so he had explained the death away using that ridiculous Black. He had been tickled when he had found out that the younger Black had gone to prison for the Potter's deaths. Of course, his followers had believed at the time that Black had been his secret informant and that he had recruited him on his own. It wasn't until his rebirth that they had learned the truth.
At the anger of Potter's escape during his rebirth he cast a wide Crucio, letting the pain of his followers wash over him. "Let no one fail in this task again!" He left Malfoy, bereft of his hood and mask panting on the ground, barely conscious and turned to Severus. He wished the wizard was a Prince. Not only the lordship, but the name would be better than the muggle name Snape. Severus was the only one of his followers that he didn't revert to his surname when angry. Even angry, he would not use that muggle's name. And he was angry.
"Ssseverusss." The man respectfully waited. "Where is Potter?" He felt a shiver ripple through the man as he swallowed.
"My Lord-"
"Crucio!" Only the twitching gave away the pain the man was in, "Do not keep me waiting! Where is he!" He let go of the curse and gripped the black hair tightly, wrenching his face up to meet his eyes. The terrified black eyes calmed his temper enough to enter the man's mind without serious harm, though the pain was a good punishment. Images flew past him as he felt a headache coming on as if he was trying to both pull out of the mind and continue to peruse. He found the memory concerning Potter's summer activities. Snarling, he exited the mind before his headache increased. He threw the Potions Master to the floor, retaining a few black hairs ripped from the scalp.
Harry scrambled for a way to leave. Entering Snape's mind had awakened him, as if he had been letting the stream of thoughts carry him and he only just now realized he didn't like them. He fought hard to break away from the madman as he felt himself turn towards his familiar.
"Play with him, my pet." The parseltongue caused many of those gathered to shiver as the large snake slithered over the pebbled ground as Harry felt his lips curl into a vengeful smile. "I don't reward failure. You are no good to me if that old fool doesn't trust you." The snake slithered up the man's body in a python hold. He could smell the fear beginning to pour off those present. Harry hated it, watching as his professor's eyes went wide and start to fill with panic. He was so proud and strong that this seemed obscene, like Harry was watching a private moment when someone defiled him. He reached out and threaded his fingers through the sweat-matted black hair as his familiar gently drew a fang against the soft flesh of his neck. Harry could see the flutter of his pulse under the pale skin and while he felt pleasure rise in him, he was revolted.
"How dare you let that old man cast an unspeakable charm on you!" The black eyes started rolling back a bit as the snake tightened its hug and flicked a tongue out to taste the sweat. "Evigilo!" Harry wasn't sure what that spell was, but Snape's eyes just widened considerably. He leaned forward. "You will get back into that old fool's trust, won't you my Ssseverusss?"
The man appeared to not have heard for a moment before Harry picked up the barest of whispers. "Yes, My-my L-l-lord." A wave and the snake threw the man onto the stone, gasping as his bruised lungs sucked in sweet air. He turned back to Lucius, who had barely regained the ability to kneel on the ground. "Luciusssssss"
Harry yanked hard, painting a picture of his drawing room in his mind. This wasn't a dream, though he wished it was. A brief sensation of pain startled him out of the attempt. That wasn't from the Death Eaters. He felt the sick body look around in confusion and anger. Who would dare hurt him!? He gazed at Lucius and Severus as they struggled to rise to their feet. They had failed him! FAILED!
"Uro!" That spell sent them both to the ground. It was almost more effective than Crucio if used right. Harry felt the gentle touch of fingers against his hair. He didn't have hair. Concerned arms surrounded Harry and yet all he could see was the cold yard. That feeling! Harry grasped that feeling that wasn't His and was his own and instead of yanking as he had tried last time, he let himself slide gently away.
"Veneno!" The sound was far away as Harry closed his eyes to open Harry's eyes. The drawing room was bright around him, or at least what he could see of it. He was surrounded by his friends, all in the middle of a group hug that seemed to include everyone in the room. Since the closest person he could recognize was a red head, that was the name he spoke.
"Ron?"
"Harry?" The response came from behind him as a Twin looked up at him.
"Blimey, Harry! You nearly gave us all a heart attack!" As the sensation rushed back into Harry's body he felt pressed, trapped and worse, nauseous. "Uh oh, all right you blighters, back up!" Harry was grateful as the press of bodies moved away and out of the room. He found a pail in front of him, courtesy of Ron just as dinner came up. Two sets of hands held him as he heaved. He felt brisk, but concerned fingers thread through his hair again and Eileen came into view with a glass of water. He had barely a sip before he felt his stomach heave again, nearly rocking him out of the chair they had set him in.
"No, it's okay. Let the feelings go, Harry." Luna's hand rubbing his back next to Hermione's allowed him to swallow and try to relax his muscles as the glass of water reappeared, this time with leaves. He glanced at Neville's white face as he sipped the drink.
"Ginger and Moon Mint."
Draco looked at the boy from his seat on the foot stool. "The main ingredients in a stomach soother." Neville nodded to the blonde. All three boys looked pale as they sat on cushions in front of him. He was rather grateful for the space as the images he had experienced trickled back into his mind's eye. He felt a nauseating dizziness swarm him and he groaned as he bent forward, head between his knees. He had done this as a child when he was sick. Fear they would find him, punish him for that transgression had usually increased the nausea and he had learned really young they had little sympathy if he threw up in his cupboard.
"Misty." The whisper barely registered with Harry, but the elf appeared anyway. He didn't know if the meeting had ended yet, but he knew that his Potion's professor was going to need help when it did. He tried to get the air to explain what he needed to her. But none would stay, as if he had to chase the air as it fled his lungs. Eventually only one whispered word made it.
"Snape." He didn't think anyone heard it at first, but in a moment Misty placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Master rest and gets better. Misty take care of everything, Master. Trust Misty. Misty will make sure Master's friends is taken care of, Misty wills." Harry nodded. He glanced at the others.
"What happened?"
000
Misty popped into the dungeon only moments after she felt the castle let the Potion's master in through the floo. She found him on the ground next to the fireplace. She approached the acerbic man slowly, not wanting to startle him. He was more cranky when startled.
"Potion's Professor sir?" If not for the muscle spasms and shudders that ran rampant throughout his body, she would be worried he was dead. Eventually a deeper breath than the soft pants allowed him to open his eyes and look at her. The gaze held for barely a moment when his eyes both scrunched in pain and a wave of tension flooded his body. Had he been any less then he was, Misty had little doubt the wizard would have at least moaned if not outright wept in pain. She spelled him to the couch as she vanished to the infirmary. She and Miss Madam had become acquainted in the last month due to the inordinate number of times that someone in Misty's care needed the mediwitch, thus the mediwitch barely blinked when the elf appeared before her. Misty was grateful that she simply summoned her bag and held out her hand. Misty gripped it and they were whisked to the dungeon where the Potion's Master was breathing shakily on the couch.
"Severus!" She was next to him in an instant, wand waving in diagnostic spells. She growled low before summoning her own Hogwarts Elf. "Thimble." The elf appeared, glancing at Misty in confusion. "Find the Headmaster, immediately!" The elf was gone. "Severus? Severus, I need to know what happened." His eyes were clouded in pain as he met hers. Half stuttered words made it past his shakes, but she couldn't make sense of them. Her hand automatically went to his shoulder in concern. The instant of contact seemed to spasm through him as he let out a low keen. Poppy looked back at the elf who was wringing her hands in a helpless fashion.
"Headmaster Dumbledore is not in Hogwarts, Miss Madam. Thimble is looking other places, but Misty knows Headmaster Dumbledore is not in Hogwarts." Misty's frantic large eyes met Poppy's calm brown ones. "Master is wanting Misty to help Potion Professor Sir. Misty is not knowing how."
"Misty!" The elf looked at the mediwitch in surprise. "Did Harry see what happened? Is that why you're here?" Misty nodded her head so fast her ears flapped. Poppy looked at the man on the couch again.
"Severus, I need to speak with Harry to help you. I need him to come here, since I certainly can't take you to him." Those black eyes met hers in anger, hidden beneath the pain. She waited though. This young man had had nearly every choice stolen from him and although this one would be a bit forced, she would wait for his permission. "He won't leave this room, but I need to know what spells these are, and I can only read the last two. If he can tell me more, I can help you." Severus seemed too far gone to answer for a moment before his jerking turned into a more definitive nod. Poppy had barely looked back at Misty before the elf was gone.
000
Ron snorted. "That's what we want to know mate. You were just sitting there and you screamed. You were moaning and scratching at your scar. Blimey, it started bleeding, Harry." He swallowed as Hermione continued after leaning Harry against Luna on his other side.
"We weren't sure what to do, Harry. We tried calling you and shaking you, nothing worked. We even slapped you. You didn't even notice. The entire time you seemed to be fighting. Eileen ran her hand through your hair and you stopped for a moment. Just a moment, but we thought, maybe if you could feel we were here for you, that we cared..." She trailed off, looking down.
"You would find your own way to stop it." They all looked at Draco. The normally pale teen had lost what little color he had during the episode and only now was it slowly returning to his face.
Harry shook his head. "I felt some of it. It seemed to break through His presence to me. At first, I tried yanking my way out, but he started to notice. I couldn't let him know this was happening. What if he learned to do the reverse? Then I felt the hug. I-I-I just let go of his scene and floated to mine, I didn't understand it completely." Harry threaded his fingers through his hair, grasping the strands in annoyance. "I wish I understood!"
He was interrupted by a crack as Misty returned to the room. "Misty?" The elf looked upset as she continued to wring her hands.
"Master Harry, Miss Madam is requesting Master Harry comes now, Master Harry." She glanced around but Harry lurched to his feet. Luna steadied him a moment before he was stable enough to grasp Misty's hand. A crack signified their disappearance. The six looked at each other before Eileen sighed softly.
"We should probably go see if Ginny and Susan were able to calm everyone and get them doing something productive."
000
Harry had been unconscious the last time Misty had apparated him and he felt like he might prefer that by the end of this trip. Appearing in the dungeons didn't quite register as anything less than now he had a floor to fall on as he felt his earlier nausea return with a vengeance. Drawing on his memory of Hermione, Eileen and Luna, he swallowed the impulse thickly and blinked as a potion appeared in front of him. Downing it, he felt warm calm spread through him and his nausea subsided considerably.
"Harry?" He glanced up at the mediwitch. She was saying something, but his ears were still ringing a bit.
"Sorry, what?" She guided him to a seat at a low table, but he let himself slide to the floor instead. He needed the comfort of the position right now.
"Harry, I need to know what that maniac used."
Harry shook his head a moment to clear it. "Used? He used his wand."
She didn't quirk a smile at his confused answer. "Spells, Harry. Try to remember the spells he used." Harry blinked at her a moment before tentatively thinking back. It was elusive, like the memory of a dream.
"Crucio. He used that one a bit." She nodded.
"Yes, that one I'd gathered, and I can read Veneno and Incursio Tactio." The first was a basic venom curse and the second made every touch, ever skin sensation like driving hot nails into your skin. That was why when she had touched Severus earlier he had felt more pain. What she couldn't figure out was why he was conscious. He was in so much pain that he should be out like a light. "What else Harry?"
He tried to think. He felt the nausea return as he let the images he had been suppressing return. He pulled his knees closer to his body as he tried to focus only on the words that bastard had used. "Uro." Poppy winced as she looked back at Severus. A spell that both burned and froze the victims to the point of pain without any actual damage, He must have been quite irate. Harry swallowed. Poppy considered briefly giving him another Calming Draught, but she wasn't sure he would stay awake; he looked exhausted. "Envigilo." She froze. That spell!
She cursed under her breath and muttered the counter curse immediately. That spell disengaged the body's natural ability to turn off when a certain pain threshold was reached. It could cause insanity if the victim didn't find relief. The chemical balance in the brain would be upset. She watched with relief as the Potions Master slumped back, unconscious and free from feeling the pain at least actively. She looked back at Harry, who was staring at the man with wide eyes.
"Harry..."
"I don't think there were any more. I left..."
Poppy patted him. "It's alright Harry. I'm glad you came. You've given me enough to work with. Why don't you head home and take a Dreamless Sleep Potion." Harry shook his head. The last thing he wanted was that nauseating Apparition trip again. "There's nothing more you need to do. You've done enough, go home and sleep."
Harry just stared at the still body of his Potion's Professor. He kept seeing the look of pain and fear in his eyes. He heard the moans and screams of pain and fear from the other Death Eaters. Slowly those sounds morphed into his friends. The frightened eyes becoming those of his allies. He saw Snape, Eileen, Cissy, Draco, Neville, Poppy, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron, over and over again. Just like with Cedric. The feeling of camaraderie, of belonging and caring. Then lips tighten, shoulders tense, breathing shoots up, and then their body falls lax, wand drops useless, and eyes dim. How many people would he have to bring home to newly broken families before this war ended? How much pain-
A soft light drew his gaze. There was a fire in the fireplace of the quarters. He watched the flames, oblivious to Poppy's attempts to reach him. They looked so inviting. Calmly he began to push all his negative thoughts in that direction. Let them burn, buried under the flames. Slowly the flickering light took on a life of its own, slowing his mind into almost a trance. He felt his eyes droop shut, but the image of flame stuck in his mind. The entire fireplace stayed in his mind and he lost himself to the soft cocoon of sleep.
Peace
000
Tasha frowned as she watched her best friend huff. Getting Martha to take a break was impossible, even seven months pregnant. Ralph and Ray were probably going to have a coronary soon, especially with a full moon tonight. The first of three nights of full moons, Martha's unborn child might not like still being inside her mother. Wolves have a gestation period of only a couple months and Werewolves rarely last more than six. Martha had lasted seven, being human, but most of the group believed the child would want to be born before the moon rose tonight. The problem came on how to care for Martha. As a human, she wouldn't change and although the pack would recognize her as one of their own, she won't have the healing ability that comes with the transformation the other mothers have had in the past. Her first born had come a week before the full moon at six months, but the last one had been induced due to the full moon and although Martha had survived, the infant hadn't. Tasha understood Martha's feelings. She too would have given up her life to bring any of her three daughters into the world.
Still, the odds of Martha getting through tonight alive to say nothing of staying human were not good. She was biting her lip as she watched the witch double check everything again. She was doing an excellent job of pretending not to be nervous and in fact Tasha doubted anyone but her and the pregnant woman's family could tell that she was thinking about her child, both the one she had yet to bring into this world and the one currently out with his father. Ralph and Martha had already discussed this birth and although Ralph still wanted her to induce he had seemed to understand her devotion to giving him this child. Ray, on the other hand, was hardly in the position to lose a mother. Fifteen was a bad year for any child and losing a parent would be devastating for the young werewolf.
She glanced over at Victoria only for the pack leader to shake her head. Nearly thirty minutes ago her daughter had had some sort of idea and had vanished. Verity might be a bit voracious, but she was a truly devoted pack leader as was her mother. She had taken the responsibility seriously from a very young age, before anyone had ever even mentioned her being Victoria's successor. The witch was only forty-eight. Being a werewolf usually lengthened one's lifespan. Still she had hoped her daughter would return with some good news.
000
Poppy was debating how to convince the stubborn child to return home when he seemed to almost withdraw and then slump. She tried to get his attention, but it seemed the fireplace held some special draw. She watched, concerned, as the teen seemed to stare into space before dropping off to sleep. Thoroughly puzzled, she positioned him gently against the sofa he was in front of and cast a diagnostic spell over him. She frowned as the answer came back. Who would have cast a dreamless trance on him? A thin hand patted the matron on the arm.
"Don't worry Miss Madam. Master Harry is healing. Misty will stay with Master Harry until Master Harry awakens, after Misty tells Miss Eileen." Poppy blinked at the house elf.
"But who...?" Misty shook her head.
"Misty is not to say. Only that Master Harry has more family than most wizards is knowing." The elf looked at her master fondly and touched his wrist briefly. Poppy knew that she didn't dare do more. Both because she was a respectable House Elf and, more so, because the trance Harry was in was affected by magic. He shouldn't interact with any non-passive magic until he woke. That meant that he was staying where he was, though Misty fetched a blanket and pillows.
"Misty be back!" The common pop went unnoticed as Poppy frowned in concern before pushing the confusion to the edge of her mind. Misty, bonded to Harry as she was, would be able to tell better then Poppy right now of Harry's state, since the bond was more thorough than the only diagnostic charm she could do through the sleep trance. She turned back to her original patient to finish preparing for his return to consciousness. Severus always had three things he needed when this injured. He needed to get a message to Albus, to hear of the true extent of his injuries and their healing schedule, and a dreamless sleep lasting at least twelve hours.
She was just setting up the final of his potions when Thimble popped back in with another House Elf. Soprano was a Dumbledore family elf that Albus kept. He was the only house elf in the school who could not be called by anyone else unwillingly. It made him an excellent courier for secret messages such as whatever Severus needed to pass along. "I take it Albus is elsewhere." Her wry question triggered a frantic nod in both of them. It didn't matter in this instance as Albus' power wasn't needed and Severus had certainly given Soprano enough messages to trust him.
Speaking of the injured man, he was stirring. Her initial potions must have taken enough effect to let him wake up. "Poppy?" She hushed him as her diagnostic charm told her what she already knew. "The venom won't be out of your system for at least two more days and the results of Uro will last at least through the night. I can't give you your current potion for the Cruciatus due to the Envigilo. I countered it, but the counter prevents quite a bit of other magical intervention. It won't wear off for another sixteen hours at least. Your Dreamless is the best I can do." Severus grunted in what she read as positive. He had had these symptoms before, being victim to the combination of Uro and Envigilo before.
"Albus?" Poppy closed her eyes in sympathy. She knew how much their Headmaster's esteem meant to Severus and given how lonely much of his life had been, Albus Dumbledore had become the closest thing to a father figure Severus could probably ever handle. He only called him Albus in the presence of others when emotional.
"I don't know. Soprano is here." Severus opened his eyes enough to glance at the elf. Poppy dismissed Thimble with a wave and turned to check on Harry while Severus gave Soprano the message. Whatever it was, she didn't want to hear it.
She had chosen to heal, to help people be free of pain and suffering wherever and whenever possible. Severus' messages were always inevitably painful news if not in topic, then in method and she already knew she didn't want to hear more then she had to know. Misty had reappeared next to Harry, presumably after informing the Potter household where he was, and was now placing bricks near the fire.
"How is he?" She looked up at the Mediwitch at the inquiry. "I can't scan him well through the trance."
Misty smiled gently as she nodded and looked at her master fondly. "Healing. Master Harry is needing sleep with no nasty thoughts." She continued to move bricks to the fire with the tongs she must have acquired somewhere. "Master Harry will get cold soon. Dungeons is colder than outside and floor is stone. Misty wills keep Master Harry from getting too cold. " Poppy watched a moment as Misty placed metal pans around Harry and wrapped the pans in blankets. Deciding she would ask later, she gave up that train of thought for another more important question.
"Misty, who cast the Dreamless Trance? That takes a great deal of magic." Misty gave her the look of a house elf trying to decide on her orders. "Misty?" Finally, the female shook her head.
"Misty is not explaining. Master Harry is safer if no wizards knows. Misty is not explaining." Poppy looked at her, exasperated.
"Misty," She kept her voice gentle, knowing both a house elves reaction to wizard annoyance and how protective of her master this particular elf was, "if we don't know who cast it, we don't know when he will awaken."
Misty looked at the sleeping teen a moment. It was the look of someone reading bits of information presented to them and Poppy knew the little female was reading her bond with the wizard. "Master Harry wills be awake in 21 hours."
Poppy blinked at the elf, "Are you sure?" She was so startled that she forgot she was trying to convince the elf to confide in her. Not only was the question mildly insulting to a house elf, but the tone was too startled to be considered gentle. Misty, however, ignored both and simply nodded her head.
Poppy sighed and glancing over at Severus, decided she would continue her efforts after settling him in for the night. Soprano was already gone, and the Potions Master was lying back, watching them with glittering black eyes barely open due to pain and exhaustion.
"Severus, let's settle you in for the night." She tucked a blanket around the young man and started retrieving the potions she had already set aside.
"What is Potter doing here?" The question, if you could call it that, was flat and a bit petulant, had the man been any younger.
"I needed to know what spells I was countering, you wouldn't pass out. Harry saw most of the event." Those black eyes widened and jumped to her face in alarm, before his mind caught up and he schooled his features back to that damn sneering mask he had used for the last fifteen years.
"Indeed." He looked back at the teen with concern concealed very well behind irritation. "What, pray tell, is he still doing here then?"
Poppy clucked at him and started handing him potions. "He's in a Dreamless Trance. He can't be moved until it's over." Poppy had to hold in a giggle as he almost spit back out the muscle relaxant he had just gulped.
"You what?! Why the blazes would you cast the Dreamless Trance in my quarters?!" She frowned at him and handed him the final potion, the Dreamless Sleep.
"I did nothing of the sort." Her tart reply squashed any notion of that bit fiction in its infancy. "Misty won't tell me who cast it, only that Harry needed it and it'll last 21 hours."
Severus practically snarled at her. "Of course, the blasted boy needed it! He just witnessed the Dark Lord ca-" Severus cut himself off before he said anything more. His pride aside, he respected Poppy's desire to avoid the gritty details of the people she healed. He knew she could piece together what happened from his injuries and that hurt her enough, there was no reason to hurt her any more than that. "Why here?"
His quiet question was met with a curious glance towards Misty, who had finished whatever she had been doing with the bricks and was standing next to her master. "Misty?"
The elf's ear twitched, proving to both wizards that she was listening. "Master Harry was in trouble. Trance was cast to keep Master Harry safe."
"What kind of trouble was Potter getting into in my quarters?" Severus' alarm was understandable. Harry's safety aside, this was the quarters of a Potions Master where the only child to ever visit was a well-behaved Malfoy. Not a good place for any child really.
Misty shook her head. "Master Harry was sinking. Misty could feel Master Harry sinking. Trance was cast to save Master Harry from drowning." Poppy had never heard a house elf be that cryptic before.
"Severus, when the trance was cast, Harry had stopped responding to my questions. Mentally, I think sinking is a good adjective. He needs help, Severus."
Severus went quiet. Poppy could see his mind turning over his possible reactions to her statement. It was about time someone got him to think about Harry as a child, not just the son of his boyhood nemesis. She agreed with Albus, these two could be good for each other, if they would give each other a chance. Harry had an amazing capacity to forgive and care, and Severus had a strong core making him loyal and protective. They both needed each other.
"I'll see you in twelve hours. I assume Misty will continue to invade my quarters until the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-Annoying vacates them." Poppy rolled her eyes as Misty glared at the man.
"Misty wills indeed." Her tart retort caused Poppy to suppress a grin. She actually sounded amused by the sneer rather than affronted by it. Severus' return glare was ignored.
"I'm sure she is quite capable of making sure neither of us suffocate in our sleep. You should go and get some yourself." Poppy was about to protest that she had slept all day knowing that Severus was likely to return injured this evening. She never got the chance as Thimble reappeared.
"Madam Poppy, yous has visitor who needs you." Poppy frowned at that, trying and failing to think of who it could be. She glanced back at Severus.
"Very well. Misty, I expect you to call Thimble or Dobby should a problem arise, for either of them." The elf's smile and nod were confirmation enough before she turned back to Severus in time to see him down the Dreamless Sleep potion. "I'll see you in the morning."
Severus eyes were already drooping as he waved to her as she disappeared with Thimble. He was asleep before his hand finished falling back to his side.