"Luna! The tub!" Tub?
Someone was in front of him. Maybe beside him. There were hands under his arms hauling him to his feet. He could see shapes, hear mumbles, and his feet dragged on the sand. There was a loud ringing in his ears.
His head was hanging and he was on hardwood now, then his feet were hitting a step, then another, and another, and a couple more. His vision was blurry. The ringing was constant. He could hear muffled voices around him. Everything hurt. He opened his eyes again. The floor was tiled. The room was brighter. He winced. The hands under his arms dragged him over the edge of something and he was dropped down into ice water.
"WOAH!" He heaved himself out of the water, his chest rising and falling quickly. Heavily. He looked around him. Weasley. Potter. Lovegood. Granger.
Granger.
Hermione.
Hermione.
"Hermione," His voice was hoarse.
Her hands were on his face instantly, "Severus... What happened? Harry said you were summoned while you were at Gringott's." What? Gringott's?
He looked puzzled, and then his eyes snapped to Harry's, "You destroyed it."
Harry nodded, "Yeah. Yeah. We did."
Snape's eyes went wide, "He knows. He knows you've been hunting Horcruxes."
The room was silent, and then Hermione touched his cheek, "Severus, did he discover you?"
He looked at her. Did he? Did he? "No," He shook his head slowly. The lucid moment faded
She sobbed briefly and then composed herself. His teeth began chattering, "I'm so sorry about the tub, Sev. It was the only thing I could think of to help the nerves..."
He just stared at her. He felt concussed, delirious. Has she always been this beautiful?
"Severus?" Her brow furrowed.
"Mmmmm?" He sank back down into the tub. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, "You are so beautiful."
There was a collective gasp of shock around him that he, in his current state, didn't understand.
"Snape, are you okay?" Harry crossed his arms.
He looked at Harry. He looks so like his father. But he doesn't. His face is softer, features less sharp. His eyes. Those eyes.
"Come here," Snape whispered to him.
Harry's eyes opened in surprise, but he kneeled by the tub closer to him.
Snape looked at his face more closely. Lily. He could see her in his face after all those years of refusing to look.
"Your mother would be so proud of you," He said softly, his words slightly slurred.
The green eyes filled with tears, "She would?" Ron's hand came down on Harry's shoulder.
Snape looked up, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Harry, he's delirious," Hermione said, "He did this with me once before. It's a side effect of the Cruciatus. Makes them loopy. He means everything he's saying. This is Severus, and I assure you he's genuine. He's just... not so defensive. He's... He was the same to me, but about different things."
Luna whispered, "I've read it's similar to someone having a very high fever."
Harry looked at her, and then back to Snape. Lily.
"Are you sure he isn't drunk?" Ron asked.
Hermione sighed, "I have only had one experience with him being drunk, but it was not this pleasant."
Luna said, "We should leave Hermione to tend to him."
"My mother would be proud of you, too," Harry said as he looked directly into Snape's dark eyes. Fuck.
That sobered Severus. Any side effects of the Cruciatus, except the exhaustion, disappeared immeditately. In the tub, sat a shivering and totally vulnerable Severus Snape. His black clothing was soaked and clung to his body. Snape sucked a huge intake of breath and held it. The sobs began to wrack inside of him. Severus looked at him and struggled to control himself.
The three teenagers filed out of the bathroom and closed the door behind them. The sob he'd been holding escaped loudly from his mouth. Hermione clutched his soaking body to her and he clung to her.
"Come on, Severus," She said, "Let's get you to bed. You can't go back to Hogwarts tonight. You're not strong enough."
He nodded against her chest.
"Will anyone come looking for you there?"
Snape remembered the screams of Amycus and Alecto Carrow. No. Death Eaters licked their wounds in private, "No. We don't take care of each other."
"I'll take care of you," She said and helped him stand. She magicked his clothes dry, gave him a little warming charm, and began to help him unbotton his frock coat. She folded his coat over her arm, and then untucked his white shirt to make him more comfortable.
He stared at her the entire time she worked on his buttons. She took his hand and walked him to the bedroom she was staying in. Potter was sitting against the wall. When he saw them, he wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"I just... wanted to see if he was okay."
Hermione tugged Snape into the hallway. Now in full mental awareness, Snape felt embarrassed and awkward. Harry looked at him and, having never seen him so informally dressed, his eyes widened.
"I am," He said stiffly, "Potter..."
Harry looked at his face. Neither man was sure of what to say, how to address what just happened, how to reconcile it with the hostile relationship they had for years.
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said and looked at his feet.
Lily's son. Severus reached his hand out and did something so uncharacteristically Snape that Hermione nearly collapsed in shock.
He put one finger under Harry's chin, titled his head up so he could look in his eyes, let his hand drop, and said softly "I have a name, Harry. You'll do well to use it. On occasion."
Harry's mouth dropped open and he looked at Hermione, then back to Snape.
"Okay," Harry nodded and wiped his nose again, "I'll let you rest," and as he moved to the stairs, he turned before he stepped down.
"Thank you," He said sincerely. Lily.
Snape looked at him curiously, thoughtfully, and said, "Thank you."
Harry's lip trembled and he walked down the steps and out of sight. Hermione pulled Severus' hand. He transfigured his clothing into pajamas and slipped under the covers.
Hermione did the same and curled against his body. There was a comfortable silence that fell between them.
"I love you, Severus," She whispered.
"I love you, Hermione," His tired rumble came from behind her.
I love you.
