I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 36

Her mouth tasted funny, she was thirsty. She opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was light and clouds. There was no ceiling. She looked to her left and saw another bed with someone. She tried to sit up and remembered the injury to her side. It was gone; the skin had gone back to its usual paleness. Her legs felt rubbery, from lack of use. She saw her mother in a makeshift bed and Teddy next to her. She was alive then. Nymphadora remembered dragging Severus out of the Shrieking Shack, the trek back and the pain.

Teddy squirmed as if sensing her awake. She came close and quietly picked up her baby.

"Mummy is here." She kissed his forehead and then took in her surroundings. This was the infirmary or what was left of it. The place was in bad shape, they were in the private rooms reserved for critical people or so she remembered. She had given birth to Teddy in this room. There wasn't anyone here, just her, mum who slumbered peacefully and the person in the other bed. It had to be Severus; yes it had to be him. She walked the short distance and confirmed her suspicions.

He looked just as pale as when she dragged him out, the only difference was that he had bandages around his neck and torso. She cried and tried to come close to his chest the steady rise and fall calmed her greatly. She heard people's voiced and placed her body in front of his.

Harry, Minerva, Kingsley and Madam Pomfrey walked in. "No, you won't take him." Nymphadora burst, her face fierce. She wouldn't let them harm Severus. If they were in the infirmary and Harry walked freely it meant the Light had won and they wanted Severus for questioning or sent him directly to Azkaban.

"Tonks. We're not here to take him anywhere." Harry replied.

She didn't look too convinced and her strength faltered. Mum took Teddy. "Dear, come and have a sit. I'm so glad you're awake." Her mother tried to lead her back to the other bed but she refused and instead sat in Severus's bed which was spacious enough to hold both of them comfortably.

"What happened?" She said warily looking at them.

"Voldemort is dead." Harry said happily. He looked well rested, all of them did.

"How long has it been?" She asked scared of the answer.

"Four days." Kingsley replied immediately.

"We know about Professor's Snape role as a spy. He left me his memories, I know about his love for my mum and about your relationship." Harry said trying to make sure Nymphadora understood.

"I testified and Kingsley saw the memories too. We vouched for him in front of the Wizengamot."

"That doesn't guarantee anything; the next minister of magic could convict him." Nymphadora replied.

"I'm acting as Minister." Kingsley explained, "Severus Snape is a free man, his name has been cleared and the public has been made aware of his role as a spy."

"Don't worry. They don't know about my mother or you. They just know that he was always loyal to Dumbledore and that he was an undercover spy since the last war." She nodded Severus wouldn't appreciate his private life being known to the wizarding world.

The wizards explained the events of May 2nd. The ministry convicted Yaxley, the Carrows and other known Death Eaters. Bellatrix was dead, and so were Dolohov, Rookwood and Greyback. "What about the Malfoys?"

Kingsley frowned, "They had been granted a pardon. Narcissa and Lucius have gone to France to serve their sentence in one of their estates." By his facial expressions he wasn't happy with the verdict.

"What about Draco? Is he dead?" she asked carefully. She knew Severus cared about his godson.

"No, Draco is staying at home Nymphadora. Cissy asked me to take care of him." Nymphadora looked at her mother. "He's my nephew and he's made so many mistakes but Cissy and I agree, he needs to face them."

Madam Pomfrey checked over her and declared her responding well to the treatments, "What was I hit with?"

"Stinging hex. You almost died" The nurse replied simply.

"How?" She asked, stinging hexes were minor in the scale of damages.

"You strained and almost depleted your magical core when you brought Severus back." Madam Pomfrey explained.

"Severus, how is he doing?" Nymphadora looked hopefully at Minerva and the nurse.

"He's body is healing but we don't know what to expect. His injuries were extensive and the fact that he hasn't woken up isn't a good sign."

"Well, I just woke up today." Minerva held her hand, "it doesn't work that way dear. Poppy induced you to dreamless sleep so that your body could heal. Severus is not waking up."

Nymphadora swallowed, "He'll wake up I know it." Harry stated firmly and she smiled at him.

She closed her eyes and saw Kingsley leaving. Harry turned to leave too but he stopped him. "Harry, how is Molly doing?"

"Fred's and Remus's funeral was two days ago. She and George said that Fred wouldn't have wanted people to cry so they lit fireworks in his memory. I'm going to the Burrow right now to tell her that you're awake. She'll be happy to hear the news." Harry said quietly. Molly was the strongest woman she knew.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Fred and Remus were very dear to me." Nymphadora said. Harry nodded and left.

She thought about Remus and hoped that there was an afterlife where he was happy with Sirius and James. Nymphadora closed her eyes; she was tired and wanted to sleep. It was too much; she was relieved that everyone knew about Severus true allegiances. They could have a new start now. The next time she woke up, she had more energy and managed to walk by herself and take care of Teddy. Madam Pomfrey declared her healthy three days after she woke up.

She was leaving for Spinner's End. Her mum wanted her to move in with her but Nymphadora refused, "it's for the best mum. I want the house to be ready for Severus once he wakes up. It makes no sense to move back with you when I'll have to pack everything up once Severus recuperates.

Andromeda Tonks looked hesitant; Madam Pomfrey had had a serious conversation with them about the potion master's health. According to the mediwitch the man brain's and magic activity was minimal. This concerned her to the point that she advised Severus be taken to St. Mungos. "Honey, you should start thinking about what Madam Pomfrey said." Nymphadora had turned deaf to that comment.

The next two weeks were hard on Nymphadora, no amount of positivity could deny the fact that Severus wasn't improving. Her life revolved around the infirmary. She and Teddy woke up early, had breakfast at Spinner's End and then apparated to the infirmary. She set the play pen for Teddy and then talked to Severus. She told him about Draco visiting and Harry visiting. She spoke about Minerva and her plans for Hogwarts. "She's so sorry and ashamed for her behavior, she's been here every day. We all want you to wake up. I know Teddy misses you. I try that song you sang to him but I guess it doesn't work. He's met both Draco and Harry. You should have seen Draco's face when Teddy's hair turned whitish blond. It almost matched Harry's face when he saw Teddy change eye color to green."

Madam Pomfrey asked her gently to leave at 9:00 PM. "I need to rest and so do you. Go home and sleep." By the end of the second week Severus wasn't responding to aything. "It's time. We have to get him to St. Mungos." Nymphadora didn't want to take that step. It meant that there was a possibility that Severus wouldn't wake up. It made it real, that little gnawing thought in her head. She had lost Severus. They wouldn't have the fresh start or a second chance. She cried bitterly and finally conceded to move Severus to more permanent facilities.

The day came and went without any fuss. Until the very end Nymphadora had hoped that Severus would wake up but he didn't. The new room wasn't welcoming; it was as standard and sterile as they came. The new healers were painfully honest;. to her. After a week of no activity they diagnosed him; "Professor Snape is not responding to the treatments."

Nymphadora held Teddy to her chest and nodded, "Madame Pomfrey said that his body was healing." She said firmly, she wasn't about to give up on him.

"Yes, it puzzles us. His body received a lot of trauma and his body and magical core are healing on his own without any help.

"Mrs. Snape, we're going to keep him here in this room. All we can do is wait." The young healer left. Nymphadora wasn't surprised by her new name. The newspapers had dubbed her Mrs. Snape, according to an undisclosed source she was married to Severus since last year. She hadn't had the energy to contradict them.

So she waited for almost six months. She moved permanently to Spinner's End. She started improving the house. Nymphadora Tonks divided her time in St Mungos and Spinner's End. She talked to Severus, took Teddy and tried to keep her hopes up. Harry and Draco visited every week. She had become very acquainted with those two young men. They had gone back to school in Hogsmeade and were trying to piece their lives. The two men nodded every time they saw each other but didn't speak or interacted.

Draco loved his godfather, at first Nymphadora had been a little reticent to share Severus and her time with him, especially with this young man but relented. Their encounters were a complete opposite to her time with Harry who was hopeful that Severus would be his last link to his mother. Where Draco sat stoically when she was in the room and only spoke when she was out of sight. Harry spent her time talking to her and playing with Teddy instead of talking to Severus. Draco's attitude changed after the third month. He was frustrated and Nymphadora walked in as he ranted to his godfather.

"When are you going to wake up?" He yelled at the man on the bed.

Nymphadora patted his back, "I ask him that question every day. Do you want to talk?"

Draco looked desperate, "Yes."

The blond boy talked and told her how alone he felt. "Aunt Andromeda is trying to help but she doesn't understand. I'm not a five year old Nymphadora, I take offense at having to be home by 9:00 PM."

She giggled and they started talking and complaining about overprotective mothers. Draco's face brightened a little when he smirked at her, "Well you're one of them too."

She frowned, "am not"

Her cousin laughed, the first laugh she heard from him. "Are too. Look at him, that poor baby is overheated. You've put him in so many layers…"

She looked at her blue haired son and noticed his tiny face scrunched up. She laughed heartily.

Harry and Draco loved Teddy. They played with her son and loved to play with him, even when the little boy showed Snape tendencies. They all noticed it and it was more noticeable as the boy grew. By his fifth month Teddy Snape showed definite signs of being a Snape. It had all been Harry's fault. He was playing with the raggedy Teddy bear and decided to take it from him so he could take a nap. Teddy's eyes and hair changed from light brown and orange to black and almost black.

Teddy Snape frowned deeply but didn't do anything until Harry picked him up and then he grabbed part of his hair and yanked it deliberately. The boy gurgled something and then completely ignored Harry for the rest of the evening.

Harry looked at Nymphadora, "Did you see that?"

"I sure did. You've just been ignored by a little Snape." They both laughed and Nymphadora had a bright evening, and was happy for a few hours.