Between the three of them, House and the Malfoys made certain that Snape was never left alone now that he was awake. The morning that Bill was due to arrive, Collingsworth sat at the desk with House outside Snape's room.
"I hope this ritual works. I'd hate to think you brought him out of that coma only to die," Collingsworth said worriedly. In truth he was worried more for House than for Snape. The first patient House was involved with, an old friend no less… he feared what might happen to House if Snape died. He'd done some digging and got a few jealously guarded answers out of House these last couple of days and heard enough about the end of his muggle life to know that a failure here could put him into an emotional tailspin. He didn't think that even the promise of the job at Hogwarts and the new friendship with Lady Malfoy would be enough to stop him from going down. And, truthfully, he wanted House to succeed because it would bring a whole new way of practicing medicine to St Mungo's, especially as House would teach up and coming potential healers at Hogwarts. Maybe he would consent to occasional lessons and teachings here. He'd like to learn, if it was possible, to make the kind of mental connections that House made in just a few hours of research time.
Bill arrived and was introduced to all then stepped in to greet Severus, taking his hand and leaning over the bed. Severus was deathly pale and weak, barely able to move, unable to speak or eat, and he locked eyes with Bill Weasley in desperation, to be cured or to be released to die.
"Don't worry, Professor," Bill said softly. "I understand. But I think your friend there is right. I think this will work and let you heal and recover, so you put your thoughts and your energy to that during the ritual, yeah? Don't go into it cross purposes. If the worst is to happen it will all on its own. Go in for the best, to recover and live. Draco has been bereft since his father died so suddenly and he and his mother have been barred from all their properties. He needs to not lose his godfather too. Besides, who else could properly convey to the incoming students of Hogwarts what a bunch of dunderheads they are?" he asked with a teasing smirk, getting an answering weak smirk from Snape. "That's the spirit."
Snape was moved to a warded operating theatre deep in the basement of St Mungo's for the ritual. Bill had brought another of Gringott's curse breakers, one he had worked with in Egypt, who was also an experienced ritualist, though neither of them had attempted this particular ritual before. Both men took the task seriously, confident in their abilities to perform this new ritual properly, especially with the added energy and aid from the Malfoys, Collingsworth, and House. Narcissa, it turned out, knew a fair amount of ritual magic as well and she was to aid, while the other three provided energy.
The ritual took four hours to perform and left its participants so drained that they all collapsed into magical exhaustion and were put on cots in Snape's room and the room next door to be tended by St Mungo's healers. One of them contacted Hogwarts, letting McGonagall know what had happened. Within the hour, she and Madame Pomfrey were at the hospital, Pomfrey checking over Snape and the others while McGonagall asked for more details, just as Arthur and Molly Weasley arrived, along with Fleur, to ask after Bill.
"I can assure you all that they are well, just suffering from magical exhaustion," the healer said quietly. "The ritual was successful and removed all of the cursed elements from Professor Snape's wounds…"
"Headmaster Snape," McGonagall interrupted. The healer was startled, confused, but continued.
"Headmaster Snape's wounds can now heal properly, though the long coma with the cursed elements as well as the draining ritual will still require a long recovery, perhaps three months or so."
Pomfrey came out of the room as the healer was explaining this and nodded in agreement. "They are all fine now, exhausted but they will recover in a week's time. Severus is very weak but the wound was finally able to be closed at long last. I think he will actually recover," she said with relief.
"Minerva, why do you say that Severus is still the headmaster?" Arthur asked.
"Because he has never stepped down from the post," she answered.
"But, you drove him out, just before the battle," Molly said, confused. "Doesn't that qualify as him stepping down?"
"Apparently, Hogwarts has other definitions of the phrase," McGonagall said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I am still not able to access the wards any differently than I ever was under Albus and I am not able to access the headmaster's quarters, only his office. As it turned out, Severus was acting in the best interest of the students and the school last year, despite all appearances to the contrary, just as Mr. Potter testified after viewing Severus' memories in the pensieve, including fleeing rather than dueling with me. Therefore, in Hogwarts' opinion, Severus is still very much the headmaster."
"Oh, and I think you should also know that Mr. House there is actually Professor House, teaching muggle studies and introduction to healing this coming school year," she told them.
"Oh, that is marvelous, considering what he has been able to do here," Fleur said softly.
"Yes, even moreso with what he has done here. In the muggle world, he is a world famous healer, a doctor they call them. To see that his muggle training carries over to our healing, and him only part of this world for three weeks, it's quite remarkable. I cannot wait to see what he will bring to our students and the future healers," Pomfrey said with a smile.
They all waited until the others woke briefly, enough to reassure themselves they would recover, then returned home and to Hogwarts, leaving them to rest in the hospital.
It took several days before House was feeling better, more than any of the others. Collingsworth told him it was no surprise, considering that he was only just learning how to harness his magic. Ritual work at this level was for experienced wizards, for those who knew how to harness and channel energy with ease. He compared it to running a marathon when you'd only trained for the 5k race. House groaned and nodded understanding. Every part of him hurt, his brain hurt and something deep within him hurt and felt stiff. This, it was explained, was his magical core, and would recover in just a few days more.
Severus was doing well, able to speak a few hoarse whispers just three days later, although he was severely admonished by Narcissa not to strain his voice by lecturing or asking all of his questions. He huffed but agreed when even that action triggered a coughing fit that left him pained and gasping. Six days after the ritual, Narcissa insisted that House return home to rest properly, asking Draco to stay with Severus for the night, to which he readily agreed.
Severus turned to look at Draco as he pulled a chair up next to the bed. "I'm sorry about your father," he rasped out softly.
Draco nodded, looking down but accepting the condolence. "He went very suddenly. We were sitting at the table and he fell to the floor. The healers said he had a blood vessel burst in his brain. That it killed him instantly."
"So it's true? House knew you when you were boys?" Draco asked. Severus nodded. "Maybe he's right. Maybe Fate did have a hand in it. If he hadn't known you that summer, he'd never be here. You would have died. Mother and I would have been mobbed and living who knows where." At Severus' frown of inquiry, Draco explained how House had defended them and took them in, fought for their possessions, school money, Severus' treatment, and more.
"He's so different from anyone I've ever met before. I like him," Draco admitted. "He's good to Mother. Teaching him what he needs to know has given her, us, something to do instead of worry about what will happen to us and where we'll go. And now we don't have to worry about you quite as much either."
Severus gave him a weary smile and Draco whispered for him to sleep. Severus couldn't have disobeyed if he wanted to. His body needed sleep to heal and simply shut down when it was ready to sleep no matter what he wanted of it.
Narcissa apparated both of them to Hogsmeade and set some water to boil as soon as they were inside the flat. "You should go take a hot shower and get into your nightclothes," she said as House pulled off his jacket.
"I'll fall asleep under the showerhead I'm so tired," he admitted, even though he headed toward the bathroom anyway. Narcissa debated a moment then followed him, turning on the hot water as she came in. House looked at her with some confusion, most of it borne from exhaustion.
"Come on then. You can't shower fully dressed," she said, stepping closer and starting to unbutton his shirt. He reached up and covered her hands with his own.
"No. You don't have to do this," House said, though he didn't push her away at all. "I appreciate it. I really do. Just check on me in a few minutes and listen, in case I fall. I'll have that tea when I'm done," he said, waiting until she met his eyes again before he released her. He wanted to see understanding in her eyes, that she knew that SHE wasn't being rejected. It took a moment for that to sink in but he saw when it did as she smiled and patted his chest.
"I'll have it ready for you at the bedside. The last thing you need is that bunk bed tonight," she added, making sure he saw that she was serious. And he knew she was right. House smiled and nodded, pulling off his shirt as she left the bathroom, leaving the door cracked open a bit, to go and see to the tea.
He made it through the shower all right, though he felt even more tired from the hot water, and pulled on his sleep pants then limped into the bedroom. She had the covers pulled back for him and a cup of hot tea waiting along with a couple of small biscuits. They both sat on the edge of the bed and drank their tea then she took the cups away, coming back into the room and helping get the blankets tucked around him. She put out the light and he was startled when the bed dipped and she had climbed in next to him, in fact, snuggling right up to his back and putting her arm over his chest.
"Narcissa…"
"Hush. Sleep. I don't want to be alone tonight, not even just on the other side of the divider. And I don't want to be too far away to hear if you have trouble. Sleep," she urged again softly. House took a deep breath and slowly released it. It did feel good to have someone with him again, to be watched over. He put his hand lightly over hers, accepting her need and acknowledging his own at the same time.
"Good night, Narcissa," he whispered.
"Good night, Gregory," she whispered back and soon both were deeply asleep.
Narcissa woke up suddenly, startled by something though she didn't know what. Gregory wasn't in the bed, though she could see the bathroom light was on. Then she heard a noise, a noise she'd hoped never to hear again. Grabbing her wand she threw open the bathroom door, thinking that he was being attacked or had been cursed somehow. House looked up at her, flinching at the door banging and the wand she pointed at him before another spasm in his leg made him groan in agony. That was the sound she heard, the agony that so much reminded her of someone under the Cruciatus curse. Putting her wand away she knelt in front of him.
"What can I do?" she asked.
"I took the painkiller, just have to wait it out," he said, massaging the angry muscle fiercely. "Sorry to wake you up."
"You should have woken me up to begin with," she remonstrated, reaching up to massage the muscle herself. "Sit back and relax as much as you can."
Ten minutes later, the spasm was fully over, leaving him wiped out and slightly loopy from the heavy pain killer and her sweaty with sore hands from working the muscle. She put his arm over her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, back to bed with you," she ordered, helping him get there and settling in with him again. "Don't feel you have to hide that from me, Gregory. I've seen far worse and could do nothing. At least there is something I can do this time."
House nodded and let himself fall back asleep in her arms, relieved not to have had to face the spasm alone.
Narcissa woke the next morning with him still in her arms. He was actually cradling her arm with his as he slept. She smiled lightly and brushed her fingers along his arm. It had been a long time since she'd found comfort sleeping with anyone. She and Lucius had stopped sleeping together after Draco had started school and had stopped being intimate together after Lucius returned from the Department of Mysteries debacle. They'd done their best to hide it from anyone, especially Draco, but the stress and conflict of the Dark Lord's return with the subsequent fall of the Malfoy family status had destroyed the intimacy of their marriage. She began to wonder where the man she had married had disappeared to as he was gone even before the final battle. Maybe she was only reacting out of stress and grief even now, she wondered. After all, Lucius had only been dead for six weeks, even if lost to her years before that. She had no idea what Gregory really felt for her, although she could see that they were at least friends. But he made her feel wanted, needed…a partner in their living arrangement instead of a trophy as she had become toward the end of her marriage. He treated Draco very well, never trying to usurp the role of father, but taking on the mentor role. Draco was starting to get some signs of life and hope back in his eyes in the week they'd been living with him.
A week, she realized, surprised that was all it had been. A week in his home, a week at St Mungo's while they recovered from the ritual. She felt much closer to him than that amount of time should have allowed. Really, she should barely feel more than an acquaintance, a house guest, with him, but she definitely felt more. Did he? What would Draco think and how did he feel about him? How would regaining his godfather change that? She shook her head lightly and gently eased out of bed, shushing him back to sleep with soft words, as she visited the bathroom then went to make some tea.
House woke again about an hour later and dragged himself out of bed into the bathroom for a shower. He felt sweaty from the late night spasm. Once dressed, with the brace on, he joined Narcissa at the table as she filled a teacup for him.
"I, uh… I want to thank you for last night," House began hesitantly. "I really appreciate the help and the company. I want to make sure that you know that I don't expect you to do that for me, just because you're living here. I mean, I'd hope you'd help if I asked you to get me a potion or something but last night… well that went beyond just normal niceties into a deeper level and… I appreciate that a lot. It helped to not be alone, with the spasm and sleeping. I hope that it helped you though. Because if it didn't, then I don't want you to even think about needing to do it again. I've lived with this alone for 15 years. I'll keep doing it."
Narcissa looked into his eyes and saw that while he was deadly serious about going it alone, he was also desperately hopeful not to have to. She smiled and gently squeezed his hand across the table. "I'm glad I was able to help and yes, it did help me as well. I've spent too long forced to do nothing but endure and unable to do anything. It felt good to not sleep alone. I assure you, Gregory, I'm not doing this from obligation. I want to help you. Is the pain better this morning?"
House nodded, stunned by her words into silence, forced to take a couple of sips of tea before he found his voice again. "It's stiff and angry this morning but the pain isn't bad."
"Be sure to mention the spasm to Healer Collingsworth this morning," Narcissa said as she stood up to gather a few things to eat, bringing them back to the table. "I imagine the spasm was caused from the physical stress and magical exhaustion and what you've done is enough but still…"
House had tensed up reflexively at the thought of telling the healer but forced himself to relax as she explained. "Yeah. First time a spasm has coincided with magical exhaustion. Not like I'm an expert on those effects," he added.
"Yet," she remarked with a smirk. "I'm sure that will only be a matter of time considering how quickly you learn and master things. I thought that I would look over our lessons and be sure that you have all the basics you need to know before starting work on the first. Unless you would prefer I come to St. Mungo's with you."
"No, no, that's fine. I don't think I'll be there all that long today. He needs rest right now more than anything. I just want to make arrangements for where he'll recover when he's ready to leave. If he's like me, he'll want to be alone but if he's like me, that's the last thing that he needs," House said honestly, meeting her eyes to be sure the message was passed correctly. Narcissa nodded; message received.
"Contact Headmistress McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. They may be able to offer solutions that would suit Severus' need for solitude and for supervision all at the same time. As for you, Draco and I will be keeping an eye on you."
