A/N Whoo! Chapter 7! I've been waiting to write this chapter for so long. Lucky number 7 if you catch my drift. ;D I bet you've been waiting to read it to huh? –crickets chirp- Yes, so anyways. Read! Now! Characters belong to J.K Rowling. Enjoy. Roses

Shine on, O moon of summer.

Shine to the leaves of grass, catalpa and oak,

All silver under your rain to-night.

An Italian boy is sending songs to you to-night from an

accordion.

A Polish boy is out with his best girl; they marry next

month; to-night they are throwing you kisses.

An old man next door is dreaming over a sheen that sits

in a cherry tree in his back yard.

The clocks say I must go—I stay here sitting on the

back porch drinking white thoughts you rain down.

Shine on, O moon,

Shake out more and more silver changes.

"Back Yard" Carl Sandburg

Chapter 7

"Severus…"

Severus opened his eyes softly, taking in his surroundings. Minerva smiled at him and coughed lightly. Severus jumped up from where he was sitting, the idly placed blanket that had been draped over his shoulders falling to the ground in an instant.

"Minerva… how are you… um… feeling?"

Minerva just smiled softly at him and coughed again. Severus ran his fingertips over the bed linens and looked up at her. He sighed with himself and looked away.

"Minerva… I'm sorry about all of this. It's my entire fault. If I…"

Minerva shushed him and placed her bandaged hand on his arm.

"None of this is your fault. Please, Severus, do not blame yourself. There is nothing you could've done…"

She trailed off coughing some more. Severus squeezed her hand very lightly and she turned back to him grinning softly.

"Minerva… I've been so worried about you."

She just laughed and sighed, leaning further back into her pillows.

"Worry no more Severus."

She winced a bit and yawned.

"I'm rather tired Severus… I think you'll be willing to wake me up before Dinnertime? Please?"

She smiled at him and he nodded. She let a yawn escape her lips and she turned away from Severus quickly falling into the depths of sleep. It was abnormally quiet in the Hospital Wing and the two of them were the only ones there for today was a Quidditch match and Poppy had to make sure no players got hurt. Severus looked around them and heard uproar from the field. The light fell in strange directions all over the room. He looked back to Minerva, her hand still upon his.

Say it.

Severus shook his head still looking at Minerva.

You know how you feel now say it.

Severus leaned closer to Minerva and brushed away a strand of her hair. She really was beautiful.

You've waited for so long now say it. You need to say it.

Severus looked down at her. She looked like an angel sleeping.

Say it! Say it! Say it!

Severus leaned closer to her and planted a kiss on her soft and smooth lips. He let his mouth caress her skin as he left. She slightly moaned and he kissed her softly on her forehead. He looked down at her.

"I… love you Minerva."

Minerva shifted and her bandaged hands slowly closed around his unknowingly. She was indeed sleeping.

"Severussss…"

She droned the last syllable on and Severus furrowed his brow in confusion.

What did she just say?

Severus shook his head and pulled the chair closer to her bed sitting down on it, watching her, and holding her hand lost in confusion as the feeble last rays of light crept into the room and onto the pair. He looked to her once more as the last ray of light crept from the floor and over the lake.

"Your eyes are amazing you know that? You should never close them, even when you're asleep."

He meant it with all honesty and he didn't care if she couldn't hear him, he had a feeling she knew.

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