A/N: I can't stop myself with these things. How did I ever manage Family Life without an authors note? *Sigh*. Oh well. For all you who reviewed, thank you, thank you, thank you. You make P.A.R.'s day. A few responses.

Juliana Black: I'm glad you liked Family Life. It didn't get as many reviews as I hoped for, so I appreciate the one's I got all the more. Fever is several more chapters long. I can't say exactly how many because I'm not looking at my disk that has the story on it right now. But stay tuned.

Dumbledore's True Love: *That* long? What do you mean? It was 49 chapters! 260 some-odd pages? Over 128,000 words. (The average novel is only 100,000 words.) My last published book wasn't 1/2 that long and it took me somewhere around two years to write. Oh well. Enough random justification of previous story. I'm pleased as can be that you're enjoying Fever. Even more pleased that you review. I hope you like Chapter Four as well.

Wolf of Solitude: I love you, man! O.K.. In order again.

Fevers do that! Actually, it hasn't gone over 104 yet if I remember right. (I'm working on several stories right now, so I get confused some times.) If you mean why does it keep coming back after they give Harry the fever reducing potion, that will be explained later in the story. So this is one of those 'I can't answer that' parts.

If you have a fever, you sweat quite a bit and will become dehydrated. It's just natural to want water.

Snape's part in this becomes clearer in Chapter Four. But he has several parts to play in Fever. He's fairly prominent in this story. *The audience applauds approvingly*.

Can't tell you if Harry survives or not.

Glad you enjoy the story.

VMR: Thank you.

Silent Shadow: O.K.. Here you go.

Angel Kitty: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Silverfox: The reasons my chapters aren't linked is because I'm still new to Fanfiction.net and I'm still learning how to do things. We'll try linking them this time.

I can't answer about St. Mungo's yet.

How did a Deatheater pretend to be a muggle baker? How do wizards live in our world and no one notice? Many of them grew up as muggles. However, the part about the bakery and the baker comes in later, so I can't say much more about it right now. Remind me later if you still have questions after the next few chapters.

Kiara Black: I'm not sure how many chapters Fever is, because I don't have the disk in front of me right now that has the story on it. All I can say for sure is I know it isn't 49 chapters, like Family Life was. Don't have that much time on my hands right now. It does run several more chapters though.

Forgot to sign in: O.K.. Here you are.

Unicorn Whisperer: Ohhhhhhh......man! I love your stuff!!! *Unicorn Whisperer frowns and says 'I don't recall any reviews from anyone named P.A.R..* (P.A.R. looks embarrassed and quickly changes the subject.) Sooooo......, some questions for answering. Let me see.

Oh! Come on! I love theories!!!! Lay them on me! O.K., I got to ask though, how did you come up with the idea that Remus poisoned Harry? If it was because Harry thought the potion Remus gave him was poison....ahhhhhh...........ummmm.........*P.A.R. looks at the ceiling, which suddenly got very interesting for some reason*. Ummmmmmm......you're on to something, but you haven't quite got it yet. Good deduction work though.

Again, thank you to all you wonderful people that reviewed. On with the story.

Chapter Four: Snape's Opinion

The only thing that kept Sirius seated on the bed was Harry in his lap. But still he was already reaching for his wand.

Lupin stepped forward and grabbed Sirius' wrist before he could even pull it out of his robes.

"Sirius, he's here to help. Now for Harry's sake, let him."

"How can you even think that this...this sad excuse for a man would help Harry?"

Snape gave no reaction to either Sirius' threatening moves or his verbal attack. Instead he stood silently in the doorway, his long black robes folded about him like the wings of a great black bird. A large bag, like a traveling case, was held in front of him.

"Sirius!" Lupin stated firmly, his hand still holding onto Sirius' wrist. "Madam Pomfrey feels very strongly that Harry might have been poisoned. Now, who better to make that determination than a potions master?"

Snape stared at Sirius, the two coal black eyes fixed on the man before him with nothing but hatred. But slowly the gaze shifted in one fluid movement to the boy laying in his arms. Sirius watched as the emotion behind the eyes transformed from cold hatred to one of almost clinical interest as he already began taking in Harry's appearance.

"How long has the boy been in this condition?" Snape asked coolly.

"Since Sirius took him from his Aunt and Uncle's house a few days ago." Lupin answered. "We're not sure how long before that. Harry hasn't been well enough to tell us much of anything since we've had him."

"Has he been coherent at all?"

"He recognized us. Past that, he hasn't shown much interest in anything else."

"Delusional? Hallucinations?"

"He thought the potion I brewed for him to reduce the fever was poison." Lupin replied.

Sirius expected some retort from Snape on that one. But the potion master's lack of response to such an easy opening concerned Sirius far more than even the expression on Snape's face that hardened a little bit more for each answer Lupin gave.

Snape stepped over to the bed and sat the case down on the floor. He pulled several bottles out of the bag as well as a piece of parchment similar to the one Madam Pomfrey had used. In much the same manner, Snape attached it to the head of the bed and tapped it once with his wand. He then set about mixing several of the ingredients of the bottles together while the parchment set about listing its readings. After a few minutes, Snape turned to the parchment and looked it over. He turned back to his bag and pulled out another bottle and added the contents to the cup he was holding. Finally he handed it to Sirius.

"Give that to Potter." He instructed.

Sirius did as he was told, coaxing the liquid past Harry's lips. When the cup was empty Sirius set it on the nightstand and turned back to Harry.

"How do you feel, Harry?" Sirius whispered to him.

Harry muttered something, then curled up against Sirius again, relaxing in his arms.

Snape stepped back and took a seat in one of the chairs Lupin had brought up from downstairs. For several minutes he sat watching Harry, the same intense clinical interest on his face as he had had before. After a while he nodded to Sirius.

"Asked him how he feels again."

Sirius nudged Harry slightly, repeating the question to him. Harry managed a muttered reply again before settling back to sleep.

Sirius turned back to Snape. "He says he feels hot."

"That's all?" Snape asked, his voice rising slightly as it did at times when students gave the wrong answer in class.

"That's all."

"What was the potion suppose to do?" Lupin asked.

Snape was staring at Harry in something akin to amazement.

"It was a Pervarian potion. A very strong one. It should have drawn any poison out of his body and forced him to vomit it up." Snape wrinkled his brow. "But it did nothing."

"You don't sound very pleased." Sirius commented.

"Everything I've seen and from what you and Lupin and Madam Pomfrey have told me suggests poison." Snape stated firmly. "And I'm still willing to bet my knowledge of potions that Potter has been poisoned."

"But if the potion didn't work...." Lupin replied.

"The fact that it didn't is telling in and of itself, Lupin." Snape replied shortly, lapsing back into silence for a few moments.

"Telling in what way?" Lupin asked finally, not wanting to interupt whatever Snape was thinking over.

"What has the boy been eating?" Snape asked instead, as though he hadn't even heard Lupin's question.

"He hasn't eaten anything." Sirius replied. "He's only had some potion and a little water."

"He needs as much water as he'll drink." Snape instructed. "Don't force him, but give him what he wants." Snape turned back to Lupin. "Black can stay here with Potter. I want you to take me to the boy's muggle house."

Sirius looked up. "What for?"

Snape sneered at his nemesis. "Because whatever poison Potter may have taken, he may have eaten or drank it. That's the most common way to administer poison to someone. I want to see if there's any left or if there's even any trace of it anywhere around the house still. It could be invaluable in telling us what the boy took."

Lupin cast a quick glance at Sirius. He had never actually felt sorry for the Dursley's until now.

Lupin found himself having to quicken his pace several times just to keep up with Snape as he followed the potions master down Privet Drive.

"Now, Severus, you need to keep in mind that they're muggles. And they're a bit skittish about wizards and witches and such. We're not likely to get a warm reception and an invitation to tea from these people."

"I'm not looking for an invitation to tea, Lupin." Snape stated shortly. "I'm looking for poison. On that note, I'd advise you to be somewhat hesitant to accept anything these people might offer you."

"But if it was some food or drink in the house that contains the poison, Severus, wouldn't the muggles get sick as well? They all eat together that I'm aware."

"There are poison's that will only affect wizards and witches, Lupin." Snape replied, turning to him with his customary sneer. "Good Lord, man, didn't you pay any attention in your potions classes? Or were you always too busy scheming away with your friends in the back of class?"

"I sat in the front, if you'll be good enough to remember." Lupin replied mildly. "And potions was my best class."

"Yet I didn't see you brewing your own wolfbane potion."

"Didn't have all the ingredients." Lupin replied, giving Snape a small smile. "Besides, Severus, you make yours taste so much better." Lupin's smile faded as he became serious once again. "You never did explain about that Pervarian potion you gave Harry. What was so telling about it not working?"

Snape turned to Lupin. "The fact that the Pervarian Potion didn't work on the boy suggested that the poison had been in his body for some time. It wasn't something he would have only recently ingested. Therefore it isn't likely a very fast-acting poison. But it would be a complicated one. It was meant to do something more than just kill."

"What do you mean?"

"If you simply want someone dead, there are a number of poisons that will do the job quickly and efficiently. Most of them, the person could die in minutes or a few hours at best. But from what you and Black have said, it's possible the boy has been sick for days." Snape turned his attention to the house they now stood in front of. "My first question would be 'why'? Why give the boy something that takes days, possibly weeks to work? For what purpose?"

"Entertainment?"

Snape turned to Lupin with a disgusted expression.

"Voldemort wanted to see him suffer, is what I meant."

Snape shook his head. "The dark lord wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to kill the boy simply for 'entertainment'. If Voldemort is responsible for this, the reason would be farther reaching than that. He would have a definite purpose in mind. He wants something. Something more than the 'entertainment' of making Potter suffer." Snape tapped a long finger against his chin as he rested it in his hand. "But what?"

"Any ideas?"

Snape shook his head again. "Nor do I think we'll like the answer when we find it. No, this is something insidious, Lupin. I can feel it. Voldemort has some plan here, and I fear we're being led by our noses right into it."

"Well," Lupin offered with a small smile, "if we're being led by our noses, at least we have our eyes open as well."

Snape shook his head again in frustration as he continued to work over the problem in his mind. "Something just isn't right here. So many pieces are missing and the ones we do have aren't fitting together very well."

"Then lets go find some more pieces."

Snape turned his attention to the house they still stood in front of.

"Certainly looks inconspicuous enough."

"Has almost as many spells on it as Hogwarts." Lupin started up the walkway with Snape in his wake. "No one could get into this house if they meant Harry any harm." He stated. "Or if they didn't already live here." He added as an after-thought.

Ringing the doorbell, Lupin stepped back until he stood next to Snape.

"'Muggles', Severus. Please remember that."

Snape glowered at Lupin. "What is it you keep reminding me about that for? You think I don't know they're muggles?"

"No. I want you to remember they're muggles."

Snape sighed to himself. Deep down (very deep down), not that he would ever admit it to anyone, he had some sort of liking for Lupin that bordered on not completely detesting him. Of all the Marauders, Lupin seemed the most unlikely of them. He was always quiet and shy and seemed an easy target for harassment by the Slytherins. Snape had even called his fellow housemates off a few times when they had caught Lupin on his own in the halls.

Of course, at the time, Snape had had no more of an idea than anyone else why Lupin tried so hard not to draw attention to himself. Or what was behind his shy and quiet demeanor. He had actually felt sorry for the skinny, brown haired Gryffindor who never seemed to raise a hand to defend himself from any type of attack. In the first few months, Snape had stopped occasionally in the halls to talk to Lupin, and had worked on class assignments with him in the library a few times. It had taken quite a bit of time and some work on Snape's part to get the introverted boy to open up at all. But as Lupin became more comfortable with his would-be friend, Snape found the timidness hid a very sharp, inquisitive mind. Where others were intimidated, the Gryffindor was absolutely fascinated with the other boy's knowledge of the dark arts. But whereas Snape's interest lay in learning more about the dark arts, Lupin's interests seemed to lie in finding ways to defend against them. Both their interests seemed to compliment each other in providing a friendly competition between them. Each week it seemed, Snape was trying to come up with a new spell that Lupin couldn't counter. But after Lupin had hooked up with the Marauders on a permanent basis, Snape found they were spending less and less time together. Lupin was a Gryffindor, and had chosen his friends accordingly. As, in the end, Snape lamented, had he.

The opening of the door snapped Snape out of his memories. A large man with a bushy mustache stared down at them from the doorway. But on sight of them, his eyes quickly narrowed.

"What are you doing at my house?" Vernon Dursley stated sharply, but careful to keep his voice down. "We don't have that boy anymore. Now go away!"

Snape looked as close to astonished as Lupin had ever seen him as the door slammed in their faces. He was equally astonished as Snape simply shook his head at the reception.

"There are days," the potions master murmured quietly, still staring at the closed door, "When I truly wonder if the dark lord doesn't have the right idea when it comes to muggles."

"Severus!" Lupin admonished him. "There are wizards and witches that are just as bad as this muggle."

"And I think there are a lot of wizards and witches you owe an apology to, Lupin." Snape replied. "For even putting them in the same category as this blustering idiot."

Lupin just sighed and shook his head as he knocked again.

Uncle Vernon opened the door again.

"Go away!" He stated again. "Or I'm calling the police."

Again the door slammed shut.

Lupin turned to Snape.

"Three's a charm?" He asked in his usual reserved manner.

Snape sneered. "Not is that great oaf slams this door in my face again."

Lupin knocked again. "'Muggles', Severus. Remember."

Lupin could hear Snape draw in a sharp breath as the door opened again.

"Now see here...," Uncle Vernon began.

But Snape quickly put his hand up on the door, keeping Uncle Vernon from closing it again.

"Now you listen to me, you fool." Snape stated in a voice that would have sent half of the students at Hogwarts running for the back of the room. "We're here to try and save your life. If that is of no interest to you, let me assure you, it is of even less interest to me. Slam this door in my face once more and I'll gladly leave you to sort out where the poison is on your own."

"Poison?" Uncle Vernon repeated. "What poison?"

"We believe Harry has been poisoned." Lupin broke in as Snape continued to glare at Uncle Vernon. "It is possible the poison used may still be in the house."

"Poison?" Uncle Vernon repeated again. "Someone is trying to poison my wife and son?"

"Your nephew, you dolt." Snape stated as he pushed past the man into the house with Lupin following behind him. He was liking the man less and less. "You and the rest of your family would have simply been good practice."

Uncle Vernon quickly followed the two men into the house. "That boy was acting funny before they took him." He called after them down the hall.

The statement caught Snape's attention immediately as he suddenly rounded on the man. "Acting funny?" He asked. "How?"

Uncle Vernon came to a screeching halt before the tall, dark-haired man. "He...he said he felt sick. Faking it more likely. Boy doesn't like to work. Always trying to get out of doing his chores."

"I have no interest in Potter's home life or lack there of." Snape stated with a scowl, deepening it at the last part of his sentence. "I only need you to tell me how Potter was acting before he left here."

"Well...." Uncle Vernon thought for a moment, which wasn't easy with the two coal black eyes staring him down. Uncle Vernon finally tore his eyes away from Snape's glare, turning his gaze to the floor of the hallway. "He...he was acting....peculiar. Kept saying he didn't feel good. Said he couldn't do his chores. Started slacking off on doing them too. Just trying to get out of work, that's all it was."

Snape sighed quietly, then turned to Lupin.

"I haven't time for this." He stated slowly. "See if you can get anything useful out of this idiot." He added, heading down the hallway again.

Lupin found himself getting a much warmer reception from Vernon Dursley than he originally had. The man was almost down right pleasant to him as Uncle Vernon tentatively acknowledged the warm, friendly smile that replaced the black scowl that loomed before him earlier. At that point Lupin felt Vernon Dursley would have been happy even to talk to Harry rather than be subjected to Snape any longer.

As Lupin worked to try and get something useful out of the muggle, Snape headed further down the hallway. The next opening led him into the kitchen, where a woman, likely the man's wife, sat with a rather large boy who took up an inordinate amount of space.

The woman gave a quiet shriek and jumped on her son, barely getting her thin arms about his massive body as she stared in horror at Snape.

The potions master gave a quiet sigh. He was honestly starting to feel sorry for Potter.

"Wha...what do you want?" The woman stammered. "Why are you here? We haven't done anything. The boy is gone. Someone came and took him."

"I have work to do, woman." Snape stated dryly. He honestly wasn't in the mood to be subjected to the same line of answers he had just escaped from. "So kindly...get out."

Petunia Dursley quickly hurried from the room, pulling her son after her. But Dudley had trouble keeping up with his mother and, when his hand slipped from his mother's, suddenly found himself stopped completely by the tall man's body blocking his path as he stepped between them.

Snape started down at the boy in front of him. "So," He stated coolly, "you would be Potter's cousin I've heard of."

Dudley was too frightened to say much of anything.

"Like your cousin much, do you, boy?" Snape asked.

Dudley honestly looked as though he were going to pass out. "He....he's...he's one of you." Was all he managed to stammer.

"One of 'me'?" Snape scowled. "I seriously doubt the likes of Harry Potter can ever hope to aspire to reach my level of expertise in the field of magic, boy."

Dudley stared back at the man in front of him as he leaned a bit closer to him.

"You, on the other hand, look like the only one in this house with enough sense to answer any questions at all. Can you do that, boy?"

Dudley paused. He wasn't entirely sure if the comment was an compliment or not. Finally he nodded.

"Do you spend a lot of time with your cousin?" Snape asked.

Dudley shook his head. "He'll turn me into somethin', mum says."

Snape smiled. "And what a shame that would be. Where does Potter spend his time then?"

Dudley pointed to the stairs. "In his room. He's always up there."

Snape carefully stepped to the side of the doorway. In something less than an instant, Dudley ran through the opening, screaming for his mother.

Lupin, having been behind Snape, was already headed for the stairs. Snape quickly followed him as they headed towards the upstairs rooms.

Arriving at Harry's room, Snape and Lupin began making a quick search of the room, but in the end, came up empty handed.

Snape sat on the bed in disgust. "Nothing." He looked up at Lupin. "Did that dolt tell you anything of use?"

"He said that Harry had been complaining of being ill. He stated he had come out in the garden several times and found him just sitting about with a strange look on his face. Said he had to 'wake him up'. And when he did Harry claimed to have no idea what was going on. He also said he hadn't been eating and had been going straight to bed every night."

Snape pondered the information. "It still sounds like poison." He murmured. "I don't know of any spell that reacts like that. But if he was poisoned the easiest way for the Deatheaters to try would have been by something Potter would eat or drink."

"But his uncle said he hadn't been eating much at all."

"But he was eating something." Snape answered, looking up at Lupin. "Potter looked sick, not starved."

Snape got to his feet and began pacing the room. As he passed by the bed, Lupin's keen hearing picked up the change in tone of Snape's stepped on the floorboards. He listened to Snape pass by the spot again before he got to his feet.

"Do you have a knife, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"A what?"

"A knife. Anything sharp will do actually."

Snape dug into his robes and pulled out a fairly long, ornate dagger. Lupin took it with a look of interest.

"I'm not even going to ask why your carrying this." He stated, getting down on his knees near the bed.

"It pays to be prepared." Snape answered curtly. "What are you looking for, Lupin?"

But Lupin was already prying up the loose floor board. Reaching under it he pulled out several small cloth bags, several books, and a small, tightly wrapped paper bag.

"Well," Lupin said with a pleased smile as he looked over the books and the cloth bags, "these I think we can take back to Harry. He'll likely need most of them when school starts." He carefully unwrapped the paper bag and peered inside. He sniffed at the contents, then, wrinkling his nose, handed it over to Snape. "This, however, I think we'd do best to confiscate."

Snape took the bag and dug out one of the large, pale yellow cookies. He sat it on the desk and pointed his wand at it, muttering a spell. The cookie remained as it was for a moment, then, starting at the center, it began to turn red.

"Well," Snape stated, turning to a pleased looking Lupin, "how original. Giving a teenage boy a bag of poisoned sugar cookies."

"At least we know now that it is poison." Lupin replied. "And we know where he got it from."

Snape tossed the cookie back in the bag. "What we know," he replied, "is that Potter was poisoned. And with a few spells we can even discern what the poison is, most likely. What we do not know, Lupin, is where this came from."

"Isn't there a name on the bag?"

Snape looked the bag over, then shook his head. "They wouldn't make it that easy for us."

"Maybe the Dursley's know?" Lupin asked with a pleasant smile.

Snape scowled at the suggestion. "You asked them. I've had all I can take of muggles for today."