Author's Notes: Thank you to all of my readers! All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to leave a review!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters and settings from the books in the series are copyright JK Rowling. They are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
*****
He could hear Hermione approaching the bed, feel her warmth as she curled up beside him, crying as she placed a small warm bundle on his chest.
"Your son is here..." she whispered in his ear.
Severus tried to open his eyes to see the child as a tear of frustration slid from the corner of his eye... had he missed the birth of their child?
Finding himself unable to open his eyes and look at them, he slowly reached his hand up to caress the mass of soft black hair on the child's head...
*****
After Draco had left, Hermione eased herself into the bed beside Severus and their child, whispering into his ear that their son was with him, as she gently propped Samuel's sleeping head onto Severus' chest.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt a slight movement beside her. Lazily, she cracked open her eyes and stared wearily into her husband's face. She could see his eyes moving behind closed lids, as if he was dreaming. She gasped in shock as she watched a tear slip from his eye, and his hand raised to caress Samuel's head.
"Severus... can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered but did not open, as his hand came to rest on their son's back.
"Madame Pomfrey!" she cried out, not taking her eyes off of the sight before her as she waited for the older witch to respond to her summons.
Poppy poked her head in the door and furrowed her brow as Hermione spared her a brief glance before pointing to the man and child on the bed.
"Look!" Hermione cried in a choked voice as Severus' hand once again began to caress their son's back.
Poppy rushed forward to examine her patient, smiling softly as she turned to face Hermione a few moments later.
"He is definitely showing signs of increased consciousness," the tone of her normally professional voice revealed more than a hint of relief. "This is a good sign, Hermione. But there is no telling how long it might be before he regains full consciousness." She paused to pat Hermione's shoulder reassuringly, "He seems to be responding to his son's presence. Keep talking to him, Hermione. Speak positively, encourage him to respond, but don't get discouraged if he doesn't."
Hermione reached to brush the tears from her face, thanking Poppy before turning back to Severus. She reached for his other hand, which was still laying by his side, "We're still here, Severus. Samuel and I... we're waiting for you," she placed his hand against her abdomen, "And I think the little one is waiting until you are back with us before making an entrance into this world!"
She thought she was imagining the hint of a smile playing on his lips as she leaned in and kissed him softly.
*****
Hearing his wife's words, Severus mentally breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his mouth relax into a soft smile. He hadn't missed the birth... he must have been dreaming. And he wouldn't miss it, he thought in determination as he felt her soft lips on his and his eyes fluttered open.
*****
Hermione pulled back from the kiss and looked up to his face, her eyes meeting with the two obsidian orbs that were staring back at her.
She stifled a sob as she raised her hand to brush a lock of hair off of his face with trembling fingers, "Can you hear me?" she rasped as her tears fell unchecked. She watched as his eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he nodded his head almost imperceptibly.
"Oh..." she cried as she leaned in to hold him, sobbing openly as she felt his hand move to stroke her hair.
Hermione never heard the pair of footsteps approaching behind her, or her mother's soft gasp of surprise, or Remus' retreating footsteps as he turned away in search of Poppy. She was unaware of anything apart from the feel of Severus' fingers tangling in her hair as she buried her head in his chest and continued to sob in relief, until she felt her mother's hand gently come to rest on her shoulder.
She looked up at the woman who was lovingly smiling at her. "Come, Hermione. Let Madame Pomfrey do her job."
Hermione regretfully pulled away from Severus, standing to make room for Remus to reach in and pluck the sleeping child from his father's side, her eyes meeting with his one last time before reluctantly leaving the room as Poppy moved in to examine him once again.
Standing outside, Hermione fell into her mother's waiting arms, her sobs subsiding as Elizabeth held her.
*****
"Hermione, you can come back in now," Poppy called out as she opened the door to Severus' room.
Only a few minutes had passed, but to Hermione it had seemed an eternity. She rushed to her husband's side, disappointment clear on her face as she saw that his eyes were closed and he was laying completely still again. "Will he wake again?" she asked quietly as she looked up at Poppy, who smiled encouragingly.
"He's just sleeping, Hermione," she assured her. "Now that he's regained consciousness, I needed to get him to drink some healing potions. He should rest comfortably for a while now." Poppy replied before she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Hermione sat at Severus' bedside and took his hand into hers.
Not quite asleep yet, Severus slowly opened his eyes, and he smiled as he saw her sitting there... to him, she looked like an angel. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't manage more than a hoarse whisper, "Love..."
Hermione moved closer and held his hand to her cheek as her other hand reached out to caress his face, "Severus..." she sighed, smiling softly at him.
Severus tried to speak again, and barely managed to croak, "Samuel?" before he was overcome with a dry, ragged cough. Hermione held a glass of cool water to his parched lips and allowed him a small sip as she replied, "He's outside with my mother. She'll be taking him back to our quarters so he can take a proper nap."
He smiled softly at her as he opened his mouth again. Before he could speak, Hermione pressed her fingers gently to his lips. "Shhh... love. Take it easy," she leaned in to kiss him, "We can talk later."
Severus nodded, looking intensely into her eyes as she pulled back, and reached to caress her abdomen. Hermione read the question in his eyes, "Any day now, Severus!" she smiled as she leaned closer and his hand moved to cup her cheek.
He tried to hold her gaze, but his eyelids were growing heavier and heavier, and moments later he had drifted into a peaceful sleep.
*****
Hermione crawled into the bed next to Severus, falling into the first comfortable sleep that she had had since his accident. She awoke a short while later when she sensed another presence in the room. Groggily, she opened her eyes to find the Headmaster peering at both of them, his eyes twinkling brighter than she had seen them in many days.
"I hear that Severus has returned to us," he smiled at her as she nodded in reply. "Excellent," he sighed as he eased himself into an armchair, inviting Hermione to take the seat next to him before he continued. "Hermione, the students return tommorrow, and we need to discuss what is to be done about Severus' classes."
Hermione nodded and smiled, "I would offer to fill in, but..."
"I understand, Hermione. A classroom full of exploding cauldrons is no place for an expectant mother," Albus shook his head, "I would take over myself, if it were only a few days. But, as there is no telling how long it will be before Severus has recovered sufficiently to return to teaching, I feel it best if we bring in a temporary replacement."
Hermione nodded her assent, "I agree. But where will you find a qualified replacement on such short notice?"
Albus chuckled, but before he could respond, Hermione suddenly remembered her visitor earlier that day, "It's Draco, isn't it?"
"Correct you are, Hermione," he nodded, "His potions work was, besides your own, the best in your class. Though he is no Master, I do believe that he is talented enough to handle the job temporarily."
"I think Severus would approve," Hermione agreed.
"Indeed," replied a raspy voice from the bed. Hermione smiled as she returned to her husband's side and reached for his hand.
"Ah. Severus," Albus smiled as he approached the bed, "How are you feeling, son?"
Severus groaned, "Tired," before being overcome by another bout of ragged coughs. Hermione hurried to help him sip some water, holding his head up as he drank before easing it back down to the pillow. She couldn't help but notice the fleeting grimace of pain that flashed across his face, even though he tried to hide it behind one of his trademark sneers.
"What hurts, Severus?" she asked as she reached to brush a lock of hair away from his face.
Severus tried to look at her, but couldn't focus his eyes through the pain as he sighed and responded, "Head..."
Albus reached down to grasp Severus' shoulder as he walked out of the room, "I will fetch Poppy for you. We can continue this discussion another time."
Hermione sat on the bed and pulled Severus' close, observing him carefully as he tightly closed his eyes, "Everything will be alright, love. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will have something for the pain."
Just then, Poppy breezed into the room carrying a vial of potion, "Headache relief potion," she explained to Hermione as she held it to Severus' lips, "A stronger dose than the last, as it seems the one I administered earlier didn't do much for him."
Looking at Severus, she asked, "Dreamless Sleep, Severus?" Without opening his eyes, Severus nodded. Poppy briefly left the room, returning moments later with a goblet of the sleeping potion. Handing it to Hermione, she gave her orders, "Don't keep him up much longer, and see that he drinks all of that. He doesn't like to use it. He refused to take it earlier, and I'm surprised that he's agreeing to take it now." Her stern expression eased into a gentle smile as she continued, "A good nights sleep might help ease the pain."
Hermione held the goblet to Severus' lips and encouraged him to drink, not allowing him to pull away after only a few sips, "All of it, Severus," she chastised. He sighed as he reluctantly drained the potion, and laid back on the bed. Hermione watched his face relax as he began to drift off again. Moving to the foot of the bed, she moved the bedsheets aside as she began massaging his legs. Starting with his foot, she slowly kneaded her way up his well formed calf to his knee, where she pause to gently flex the joint before moving to begin ministrations on the other leg. By the time she had finished, Severus had completely relaxed into a deep sleep.
She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, "I have to see to our son, love. I should be back before you wake again."
As she hurried out of the infirmary, she nearly collided with Draco. Nearly losing her footing as she stopped, Draco reached out to steady her on her feet. She looked up into his concerned eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Draco."
Draco nodded his head in response before asking, "How is Severus?" He was stunned when Hermione laughed and threw herself into his arms... he had never been this close to her, and it was quite disconcerting. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back before placing his hands on her shoulders and stepping back an armslength, arching an eyebrow as he awaited the answer to his question.
"He's sleeping now, Draco... a bit of a nasty headache as well, but otherwise he will be fine," she smiled, suddenly shifting her feet nervously as she realized that she had thrown herself at Draco moments earlier.
"Would you mind if I sit with him for a bit, Hermione?" Draco asked, "Just while you are gone..."
"That would be fine, Draco. I believe he would like that," she smiled at him and he nodded back at her as they headed in opposite directions.
*****
"I'll be fine... You two, go! Spend some quality time alone together for once!" Hermione chastised her mother and Remus when they tried to insist on staying with her that evening.
"Time spent with you and Samuel is always quality time, Hermione," Elizabeth smiled.
"But you haven't spent any time alone together since your engagement. Go!" she chided as she ushered them out of her room.
Closing the door behind them, she made her way to the nursery, where Samuel was sitting on the floor looking at his storybooks. She smiled as she stooped down beside him, smiling sadly as she realized that she hadn't spent quality time alone with her son in quite a while. "Come, Samuel... let Mummy read you a story," she picked up one of the books and reached to take his hand as she stood up, leading him back to her room where she helped him onto the bed, cuddling up with him as she began to read. By the time she had finished the story, Samuel had fallen asleep by her side. She carried him back to the nursery and laid him down for the night.
Feeling tired, but unable to sleep, she curled up in bed and began reading through the notes that she had taken the previous day, as she had worked out her latest theory in Severus' room. She furrowed her brow in concentration... she knew that she was close to an important discovery, but she just couldn't put her thumb on what was missing from the equation. Sighing in frustration, she closed her books and tried to get some sleep.
*****
Draco entered Severus' room, pulling a chair close to the bedside as he observed the stricken man.
"Hello, Severus," he began quietly, "I'm glad to hear that you are getting better."
Sighing, he continued, "Why did you have to come to the estate? You have a family to take care of... it's their safety, not mine, that you need to be concerned with!"
"Don't get me wrong, Severus," shaking his head, he reached out and touched Severus' arm, "I'm grateful that you care. I don't deserve it... but I am grateful."
He smiled, "You should be happy to know that Hermione and I have called a truce. I don't know how I never noticed what an amazing woman she is. You're a lucky man."
"Your son is very lucky, as well. I never would have imagined you having children, but I should have known that you would be a terrific father. I only wish that my own father had been more like you," he tried to hold back a sob as he poured his soul out to the man sleeping in the bed in front of him, "If only I had known... if I had come to my senses about him years earlier... maybe things could have been different. Maybe none of this would be happening... maybe..."
"It does little good to dwell on the past, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco jumped when he heard the headmaster's voice behind him, "Professor Dumbledore, sir! I didn't know you were there..."
Albus took a seat near Draco, looking solemnly at him as he spoke, "You are not responsible for your father's choices in life, only for your own. And you chose wisely."
"But not soon enough," Draco frowned.
"To be honest, Draco," Albus leaned forward, "It was sooner than any of us expected. We feared that your father's influence was too great for too long. Severus was never prouder of you than the day you decided to turn away from the life that your father had chosen for you."
"He was proud of me?"
"I still am," croaked a hoarse voice from the bed. They both looked over in shock to see Severus looking back at them.
"Severus, aren't you sleeping yet?" Albus chided gently.
Draco approached the bed and smiled down at Severus, "Perhaps I should go... let you get some sleep."
"Need... to talk... " Severus replied.
"In the morning, Severus," Albus replied, "You need to gain some strength. And unless you want Poppy back in here hovering over you with another goblet of potion, I suggest you let Draco excuse himself for the evening, and try to get some rest."
Severus snorted, "Hmph..." before he closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters and settings from the books in the series are copyright JK Rowling. They are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.
*****
He could hear Hermione approaching the bed, feel her warmth as she curled up beside him, crying as she placed a small warm bundle on his chest.
"Your son is here..." she whispered in his ear.
Severus tried to open his eyes to see the child as a tear of frustration slid from the corner of his eye... had he missed the birth of their child?
Finding himself unable to open his eyes and look at them, he slowly reached his hand up to caress the mass of soft black hair on the child's head...
*****
After Draco had left, Hermione eased herself into the bed beside Severus and their child, whispering into his ear that their son was with him, as she gently propped Samuel's sleeping head onto Severus' chest.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt a slight movement beside her. Lazily, she cracked open her eyes and stared wearily into her husband's face. She could see his eyes moving behind closed lids, as if he was dreaming. She gasped in shock as she watched a tear slip from his eye, and his hand raised to caress Samuel's head.
"Severus... can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered but did not open, as his hand came to rest on their son's back.
"Madame Pomfrey!" she cried out, not taking her eyes off of the sight before her as she waited for the older witch to respond to her summons.
Poppy poked her head in the door and furrowed her brow as Hermione spared her a brief glance before pointing to the man and child on the bed.
"Look!" Hermione cried in a choked voice as Severus' hand once again began to caress their son's back.
Poppy rushed forward to examine her patient, smiling softly as she turned to face Hermione a few moments later.
"He is definitely showing signs of increased consciousness," the tone of her normally professional voice revealed more than a hint of relief. "This is a good sign, Hermione. But there is no telling how long it might be before he regains full consciousness." She paused to pat Hermione's shoulder reassuringly, "He seems to be responding to his son's presence. Keep talking to him, Hermione. Speak positively, encourage him to respond, but don't get discouraged if he doesn't."
Hermione reached to brush the tears from her face, thanking Poppy before turning back to Severus. She reached for his other hand, which was still laying by his side, "We're still here, Severus. Samuel and I... we're waiting for you," she placed his hand against her abdomen, "And I think the little one is waiting until you are back with us before making an entrance into this world!"
She thought she was imagining the hint of a smile playing on his lips as she leaned in and kissed him softly.
*****
Hearing his wife's words, Severus mentally breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his mouth relax into a soft smile. He hadn't missed the birth... he must have been dreaming. And he wouldn't miss it, he thought in determination as he felt her soft lips on his and his eyes fluttered open.
*****
Hermione pulled back from the kiss and looked up to his face, her eyes meeting with the two obsidian orbs that were staring back at her.
She stifled a sob as she raised her hand to brush a lock of hair off of his face with trembling fingers, "Can you hear me?" she rasped as her tears fell unchecked. She watched as his eyes darted back and forth for a moment before he nodded his head almost imperceptibly.
"Oh..." she cried as she leaned in to hold him, sobbing openly as she felt his hand move to stroke her hair.
Hermione never heard the pair of footsteps approaching behind her, or her mother's soft gasp of surprise, or Remus' retreating footsteps as he turned away in search of Poppy. She was unaware of anything apart from the feel of Severus' fingers tangling in her hair as she buried her head in his chest and continued to sob in relief, until she felt her mother's hand gently come to rest on her shoulder.
She looked up at the woman who was lovingly smiling at her. "Come, Hermione. Let Madame Pomfrey do her job."
Hermione regretfully pulled away from Severus, standing to make room for Remus to reach in and pluck the sleeping child from his father's side, her eyes meeting with his one last time before reluctantly leaving the room as Poppy moved in to examine him once again.
Standing outside, Hermione fell into her mother's waiting arms, her sobs subsiding as Elizabeth held her.
*****
"Hermione, you can come back in now," Poppy called out as she opened the door to Severus' room.
Only a few minutes had passed, but to Hermione it had seemed an eternity. She rushed to her husband's side, disappointment clear on her face as she saw that his eyes were closed and he was laying completely still again. "Will he wake again?" she asked quietly as she looked up at Poppy, who smiled encouragingly.
"He's just sleeping, Hermione," she assured her. "Now that he's regained consciousness, I needed to get him to drink some healing potions. He should rest comfortably for a while now." Poppy replied before she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Hermione sat at Severus' bedside and took his hand into hers.
Not quite asleep yet, Severus slowly opened his eyes, and he smiled as he saw her sitting there... to him, she looked like an angel. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't manage more than a hoarse whisper, "Love..."
Hermione moved closer and held his hand to her cheek as her other hand reached out to caress his face, "Severus..." she sighed, smiling softly at him.
Severus tried to speak again, and barely managed to croak, "Samuel?" before he was overcome with a dry, ragged cough. Hermione held a glass of cool water to his parched lips and allowed him a small sip as she replied, "He's outside with my mother. She'll be taking him back to our quarters so he can take a proper nap."
He smiled softly at her as he opened his mouth again. Before he could speak, Hermione pressed her fingers gently to his lips. "Shhh... love. Take it easy," she leaned in to kiss him, "We can talk later."
Severus nodded, looking intensely into her eyes as she pulled back, and reached to caress her abdomen. Hermione read the question in his eyes, "Any day now, Severus!" she smiled as she leaned closer and his hand moved to cup her cheek.
He tried to hold her gaze, but his eyelids were growing heavier and heavier, and moments later he had drifted into a peaceful sleep.
*****
Hermione crawled into the bed next to Severus, falling into the first comfortable sleep that she had had since his accident. She awoke a short while later when she sensed another presence in the room. Groggily, she opened her eyes to find the Headmaster peering at both of them, his eyes twinkling brighter than she had seen them in many days.
"I hear that Severus has returned to us," he smiled at her as she nodded in reply. "Excellent," he sighed as he eased himself into an armchair, inviting Hermione to take the seat next to him before he continued. "Hermione, the students return tommorrow, and we need to discuss what is to be done about Severus' classes."
Hermione nodded and smiled, "I would offer to fill in, but..."
"I understand, Hermione. A classroom full of exploding cauldrons is no place for an expectant mother," Albus shook his head, "I would take over myself, if it were only a few days. But, as there is no telling how long it will be before Severus has recovered sufficiently to return to teaching, I feel it best if we bring in a temporary replacement."
Hermione nodded her assent, "I agree. But where will you find a qualified replacement on such short notice?"
Albus chuckled, but before he could respond, Hermione suddenly remembered her visitor earlier that day, "It's Draco, isn't it?"
"Correct you are, Hermione," he nodded, "His potions work was, besides your own, the best in your class. Though he is no Master, I do believe that he is talented enough to handle the job temporarily."
"I think Severus would approve," Hermione agreed.
"Indeed," replied a raspy voice from the bed. Hermione smiled as she returned to her husband's side and reached for his hand.
"Ah. Severus," Albus smiled as he approached the bed, "How are you feeling, son?"
Severus groaned, "Tired," before being overcome by another bout of ragged coughs. Hermione hurried to help him sip some water, holding his head up as he drank before easing it back down to the pillow. She couldn't help but notice the fleeting grimace of pain that flashed across his face, even though he tried to hide it behind one of his trademark sneers.
"What hurts, Severus?" she asked as she reached to brush a lock of hair away from his face.
Severus tried to look at her, but couldn't focus his eyes through the pain as he sighed and responded, "Head..."
Albus reached down to grasp Severus' shoulder as he walked out of the room, "I will fetch Poppy for you. We can continue this discussion another time."
Hermione sat on the bed and pulled Severus' close, observing him carefully as he tightly closed his eyes, "Everything will be alright, love. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will have something for the pain."
Just then, Poppy breezed into the room carrying a vial of potion, "Headache relief potion," she explained to Hermione as she held it to Severus' lips, "A stronger dose than the last, as it seems the one I administered earlier didn't do much for him."
Looking at Severus, she asked, "Dreamless Sleep, Severus?" Without opening his eyes, Severus nodded. Poppy briefly left the room, returning moments later with a goblet of the sleeping potion. Handing it to Hermione, she gave her orders, "Don't keep him up much longer, and see that he drinks all of that. He doesn't like to use it. He refused to take it earlier, and I'm surprised that he's agreeing to take it now." Her stern expression eased into a gentle smile as she continued, "A good nights sleep might help ease the pain."
Hermione held the goblet to Severus' lips and encouraged him to drink, not allowing him to pull away after only a few sips, "All of it, Severus," she chastised. He sighed as he reluctantly drained the potion, and laid back on the bed. Hermione watched his face relax as he began to drift off again. Moving to the foot of the bed, she moved the bedsheets aside as she began massaging his legs. Starting with his foot, she slowly kneaded her way up his well formed calf to his knee, where she pause to gently flex the joint before moving to begin ministrations on the other leg. By the time she had finished, Severus had completely relaxed into a deep sleep.
She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, "I have to see to our son, love. I should be back before you wake again."
As she hurried out of the infirmary, she nearly collided with Draco. Nearly losing her footing as she stopped, Draco reached out to steady her on her feet. She looked up into his concerned eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Draco."
Draco nodded his head in response before asking, "How is Severus?" He was stunned when Hermione laughed and threw herself into his arms... he had never been this close to her, and it was quite disconcerting. Awkwardly, he patted her on the back before placing his hands on her shoulders and stepping back an armslength, arching an eyebrow as he awaited the answer to his question.
"He's sleeping now, Draco... a bit of a nasty headache as well, but otherwise he will be fine," she smiled, suddenly shifting her feet nervously as she realized that she had thrown herself at Draco moments earlier.
"Would you mind if I sit with him for a bit, Hermione?" Draco asked, "Just while you are gone..."
"That would be fine, Draco. I believe he would like that," she smiled at him and he nodded back at her as they headed in opposite directions.
*****
"I'll be fine... You two, go! Spend some quality time alone together for once!" Hermione chastised her mother and Remus when they tried to insist on staying with her that evening.
"Time spent with you and Samuel is always quality time, Hermione," Elizabeth smiled.
"But you haven't spent any time alone together since your engagement. Go!" she chided as she ushered them out of her room.
Closing the door behind them, she made her way to the nursery, where Samuel was sitting on the floor looking at his storybooks. She smiled as she stooped down beside him, smiling sadly as she realized that she hadn't spent quality time alone with her son in quite a while. "Come, Samuel... let Mummy read you a story," she picked up one of the books and reached to take his hand as she stood up, leading him back to her room where she helped him onto the bed, cuddling up with him as she began to read. By the time she had finished the story, Samuel had fallen asleep by her side. She carried him back to the nursery and laid him down for the night.
Feeling tired, but unable to sleep, she curled up in bed and began reading through the notes that she had taken the previous day, as she had worked out her latest theory in Severus' room. She furrowed her brow in concentration... she knew that she was close to an important discovery, but she just couldn't put her thumb on what was missing from the equation. Sighing in frustration, she closed her books and tried to get some sleep.
*****
Draco entered Severus' room, pulling a chair close to the bedside as he observed the stricken man.
"Hello, Severus," he began quietly, "I'm glad to hear that you are getting better."
Sighing, he continued, "Why did you have to come to the estate? You have a family to take care of... it's their safety, not mine, that you need to be concerned with!"
"Don't get me wrong, Severus," shaking his head, he reached out and touched Severus' arm, "I'm grateful that you care. I don't deserve it... but I am grateful."
He smiled, "You should be happy to know that Hermione and I have called a truce. I don't know how I never noticed what an amazing woman she is. You're a lucky man."
"Your son is very lucky, as well. I never would have imagined you having children, but I should have known that you would be a terrific father. I only wish that my own father had been more like you," he tried to hold back a sob as he poured his soul out to the man sleeping in the bed in front of him, "If only I had known... if I had come to my senses about him years earlier... maybe things could have been different. Maybe none of this would be happening... maybe..."
"It does little good to dwell on the past, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco jumped when he heard the headmaster's voice behind him, "Professor Dumbledore, sir! I didn't know you were there..."
Albus took a seat near Draco, looking solemnly at him as he spoke, "You are not responsible for your father's choices in life, only for your own. And you chose wisely."
"But not soon enough," Draco frowned.
"To be honest, Draco," Albus leaned forward, "It was sooner than any of us expected. We feared that your father's influence was too great for too long. Severus was never prouder of you than the day you decided to turn away from the life that your father had chosen for you."
"He was proud of me?"
"I still am," croaked a hoarse voice from the bed. They both looked over in shock to see Severus looking back at them.
"Severus, aren't you sleeping yet?" Albus chided gently.
Draco approached the bed and smiled down at Severus, "Perhaps I should go... let you get some sleep."
"Need... to talk... " Severus replied.
"In the morning, Severus," Albus replied, "You need to gain some strength. And unless you want Poppy back in here hovering over you with another goblet of potion, I suggest you let Draco excuse himself for the evening, and try to get some rest."
Severus snorted, "Hmph..." before he closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.