"Albus!" Minerva cried and with a fierce shrug, she released Severus's hold on her and ran to his bedside. With a strangled sob, fresh tears formed in her eyes and she flung her arms around his weary body burying her face in his shoulders. Maybe he was too weary, for Albus couldn't hide the shock he felt. He had never seen his deputy so... out of character. He looked imploringly to Severus who had moved to the other side of the bed.
"Severus, who is this woman? In my tiredness I had mistaken her for Minerva," he said. Severus smiled slightly.
"Very funny, Albus. You had us all scared," she said, lifting her head of his shoulders and quickly wiped her tears with a hanky she had conjured.
"Come now, Minerva. Don't say those tears are for me?" he asked his tone still light, but his words deep with meaning. He may have just woken up from a harrowing ordeal, but he wasn't daft. Something weighed heavily on her shoulders, heavier than the deaths she had to witness that night.
"You've been unconscious for three days," she said, her tone similar the one she would adopt when reprimanding a wayward student.
"Three days?" he repeated his thoughts deep.
"And the others?" he asked.
"They are healing well. Only slightly shaken," she answered, then turned an accusing glare to the man in front of her. He had been quiet, silently watching her.
"Which is more than I can say for present company," she said. His smiled broadened lazily in his typical cynical trademark.
"She is right, Severus. Shouldn't you be resting?" asked the old headmaster, his concern immediately turning to the younger man. It will take many green moons for him to forget Severus writhing on the floor, body jerking in pain caused by the Cruciatus curse.
"I have rested enough, headmaster," he said softly, then fixed his piercing eyes on her blue ones.
"I have not spent the last three nights roaming the dark corridors of the castle," he continued. Minerva's eyes widen in shock. How had he known?
"Minerva, I do not have to consult Sybil's crystal ball to know he is speaking of you," Albus sighed.
"I needed to know that the school was safe, that the others were sound and well," she defended herself.
"At the expense of your own strength and maybe life?" Severus suddenly snapped, angry again. He didn't understand why he was so angry. It was something to be expected of Minerva McGonagall to never let her guard down, even in the safety of the school walls. Could it have to do with the fact that she could have died from such stupidity? He didn't know. He watched her eyes turn from remorse to anger.
"That's rich Severus! You wouldn't even let me take you to Poppy for proper treatment!" she cried.
"I knew how badly I was hurt, and I knew rest and a huge bottle of liniment would be enough. You had half your essence sucked out of you, you could've been threading on thin ice for all we knew!" he cried back. Albus just looked at his two professors' battle it out. He was used to the two squabbling but this time things seemed different. Ah, he thought, something had happened that night we returned. But what?
"And suddenly you're the expert now are you?" she spat.
"At least I know better than to..." what he knew better than her was never found out as that moment a small hurricane in the shape of the mediwitch blew in, angry as ever.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?" she screeched.
"Screaming at each other on the top of your lungs! You are disturbing my... Oh Albus, you're awake," her yell lowered to a whisper as she quickly shuffled to his side. She began checking his physical state quickly, her stethoscope moving one-way, her thermometer another and her hands a third. The other two were glaring at each other.
"Poppy when you are done with the headmaster, you should have a look at Minerva," Severus said, his tone low but full of meaning. She glared harder and clutched the bed railing so tightly that the half healed skin around her knuckles broke open so the white bandaged turned scarlet. The mediwitch and the headmaster turned to look at her, truly noticing her state for the first time. Poppy muffled a shock scream and Albus's twinkling eyes clouded. He felt awful for not being there to help her. The strongest were always the worst to be effected.
"Poppy, I'm fine," she said calmly, turning to look at the mediwitch.
"Like Merlin's earwax you are! Albus, you should have regained most of your energy tomorrow. Just rest tonight. You," she said pointing to Minerva, "come with me," Poppy Pomfrey's tone left no place for arguments. With a last glare to Severus and a quick hug to Albus, she followed Poppy to the next compartment. When she had left, Severus felt whatever of his newly healed energy seep out of him. He knew Albus had a million questions. But he couldn't answer any of them until he figured it out himself.
"Albus," he began, fully knowing that the old man would need a status report of Death Eater activity since Voldermort's defeat but Albus Dumbledore raised a palm to stop him.
"Not now, Severus. When you are ready," said the hallowed old man. Severus flashed him a grateful look and was about to leave when he suddenly turned back.
"Is it truly over Albus?" he asked. Albus sighed.
"I don't know Severus. We can only hope,"
"How many have..." Severus faltered but Dumbledore knew what he was asking. Despite all that Severus knew, there were still many blank spaces that would need to be filled in.
"I can not give you the details, Severus, but many have fallen, on ours and on theirs," he answered. Severus didn't know how to ask this, or why he was asking, but he had to know.
"Lupin and Black..." the two had been at the front line, between Voldermort and Harry, and that had been the last Severus had seen of any of them.
"Are alive, as is Harry and the Weasleys," the older man answered. Though he had just woken up, Albus had formed a magical bond with his Order and knew instinctively if any had fallen. Severus nodded. So, that would probably mean the Weasleys were fine too.
"And the Auror's?" he asked again. This time Albus's face clouded.
"We lost four of them," he replied sadly. Severus knew one of them was Mad Eye Moody. He lowered his head, mourning for the lost of their best.
"Headmaster, I have troubled you enough. I bid you goodnight now," he said softly. The headmaster nodded and his eyes began to close. Quietly, Severus headed back to his quarters.