Disclaimer: Again

Note: I have no idea where this is going. I'll probably end this story in a few chapters... But anyways, hope you enjoy this one and thanks for the reviews. By the way, I don't know why it's not showing the updates..but well, check well.

Poppy gave a startled yell and jumped, but Dumbledore remained silent. Snape smirked finally.

'The Dark Lord was not so m-merciful. I took but a sip, s-so the effect will p-pass in a few hours. But no s-spell will do anything.'

The woman led a trembling hand to her chest, trying to steady the rapid beating of her heart.

'I see you are well enough to give an old woman a heart attack Professor Snape.'

The man just lay back down on the pillows, eyes closing, breathing laboured. Dumbledore ventured foward at a stern and questioning glance from the Hogwarts matron, though he suspected the answer.

'Are you sure nothing will help Severus?'

'An antidote?' Madam Pomfrey added to the question.

The eyes snapped open, revealing glaring black orbs, smouldering like burning coals on which a bucket of water has been dropped.

'You would t-think I would know. Having created the p-potion. No s-spell will help, I a-am sure. As to the antidote. I-it only has any e-effect if the victim has d-drunk the neces-s-s-sary amount to kill him. If I w-were to take it, it would burn me wi-within a few seconds.'

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, yet she knew it was useless to continue further argument. The man was an accomplished Potions Master and if he said there was no antidote and the potion nulified spells...Then, there was not much she could do. She made him lie down on the bed more comfortably, changing his robes and taking off his shoes, before tucking him in tightly. Dumbledore bade her go continue her lunch, though her appetite was all gone.

Snape hardly felt the blankets on him. It only felt like snow was being piled on him. They were burying him in snow. But the snow was red, he realised with a bolt of panick. He could feel the red glare through his closed eyelids, Voldemort was burying him in the snow where all those people had died. The people he had killed. They would haunt him while he died, suffocating and freezing under their blood and the snow.

'Severus. Wake up child.'

He could hear the crackle of the frost that had formed in his eyelids as they lifted slowly. Dumbledore's crooked nose looming into view along with his kind glance.

'I do not think it advisable for you to be asleep while the potion takes effect dear boy.'

The young man blinked, tiny specks of ice cutting into his eyes. As he tried to sit up straighter, a small moan escaped him. Every bone in his body had been transformed into pieces of sharp heavy frozen iron, his blood was but icy water with shards of ice cutting into his chilled organs.

'Y-yes.yr -right.'

Dumbledore smiled at him, pity and love shining in his eyes and lifted himself to his feet. Snape tried to nod in farewell, after all, how could he expect the Headmaster to waste any more of his precious time on him. It was enough they were keeping him at the Hospital Wing. Though he had not asked for it.

'You don't mind if I lay beside you, do you Severus? It might help to warm you up.'

Snape frowned, though he was not sure if his face had moved. He did not feel anything apart from sheer pain and cold. Perhaps he was hallucinating? A sudden warmth descended on his side, as the old man positioned himself so Severus' head rested on his chest, and wrapped his arms around the starved body. It was as though a shovel had dug a hole through his grave of snow and let the shining sun come in.

'Ah..you're freezing my child.'

Albus murmured softly as he enveloped the young man in a warm embrace. Shivering kept convulsing Snape, a mixture of pain and cold.

'If I could avoid you this pain Severus...'

'I d-deserve it. Nothing more than I d-deserve...'

Dumbledore carressed the protruding cheekbone, feeling the sunken dip that signaled his lack of food. Alas.

'No Severus. We have all ready discussed this. I only wish I could to something to alleviate you the pain. Is it too bad?'

'It is painful..'

He gasped finally, letting a small sob wrack his body. Dumbledore squeezed him tighter, though gently, rather apprehensive of breaking some fragile bone. Even as he saw the young man in such agony, his heart stung with grief. Though perhaps light had come into the graveyard? A bud appeared in the thorny bush? A window in his dark dungeon? For it was strange that he had shown his emotion, ever so slightly. Just letting himself be hugged...a salty tear ran down the wrinkled face and into his silver beard. His eyes strayed back to the pale face lying on his red robes and saw with a pang that he had fallen asleep once more.

'Severus.'

He called softly again. The eyelashes fluttered as the man struggled to regain conciousness.

'F-forgive me. I cannot remain a-awake.'

Dumbledore shook his head slightly and wove his fingers through the greasy raven hair that fell on the Potions Master's shoulders. Snape sighed feeling queer. The warm, steady beating of Dumbledore's heart in his ears bringing him an unknown emotion. It was powerful and deep. Like a candle lighted suddenly in the utter darkness. Like a sudden melody to a world of silence. Like the warm glow of a globe of fire held between chilly hands on an autumn afternoon.

'There is nothing to forgive. I wish I could leave you sleep, but it's for your own good.'

Snape jerked his head awkardly in a nod. He could hardly feel his body anymore. Limbs, bed, sheets...everything was lost in a sea of pain. Just indescribable cold and pain.

'What do you say we talk a bit to keep you awake?'

Dumbledore asked kindly, looking down to check the young man was still awake.

'V-very well.'

He replied stuttering. Though he was doubtful it would be any help. His eyelids seemed to weigh like small pieces of metal, painfully sharp anchors cutting through and pulling them down. Dumbledore decided to tread carefully around the conversation. It would not do to have Severus distressed by some topic he found uncomfortable. The choice was difficult. For everything seemed to be mingled with grief in his life.

The door opened suddenly with a bang, revealing a harrassed-looking Minerva Mcgonagall. Strands of her hair escaping the usual tight bun as she hurried towards the two wizards, trying to hide her surprise at the paternal sight. She had heard from Poppy about Severus and the potion, but she had been unable to visit him, having just been contacted by Headquarters.

'Albus! Tonks and Shacklebolt were ambushed by dementors on their way to the Ministry!'

Dumbledore gasped slightly in surprise. Stones of keen grief and worry dropping down into the pool of misery of his soul. He remained still though, as to not disturb Severus. Who was still shivering slightly leaning on his chest and gathered between his arms.

'Were they injured?' he asked in a choked whisper. 'Surely not kissed?' he added, voice cracking in sudden fear.

Mcgonagall shook her head and managed a faint smile, though her heart was beating painfully fast.

'No. No, they are fine. Well, they are aurors after all. And both with good strong patronuses.'

She replied, conjuring a chair and taking a seat. Taking a look at Snape she saw with a pang that he was shivering, even under all those blankets covering him and his lips were tinged with a bluish light, his skin a traslucid white.

'Thank goodness. The dementors, did they escape?'

'No, the Ministry forces arrived in time to bind them and they have been imprisoned.'

Dumbledore nodded and let out a small sigh of relief. Leaning back more comfortably on the pillows, though his mind felt as though he were falling back into nothingness. Voldemort was everywhere. The war was waging in all the corners of the wizarding world. And while he strived to protect one warrior, others were being attacked. The frustration welled inside him like a black hole, threatening to suck him in. Bringing despair. But he would not let himself be beaten. He would fight for the world until he died.

'How are you Severus?'

The woman asked returning her gaze from Dumbledore to the young man in his arms. A slight frown creased between her eyebrows as she discovered Snape was asleep, his eyes closed tightly in pain even as he wandered in the realm of sleep. She raised a questioning eyebrow at the Headmaster, who looking down and seeing the closed eyelids sighed once more.

'It's the potion. It's making him fall asleep. I don't think it recommendable, but he does seem to suffer less when he's asleep. So I'll leave him a few minutes.'

Minerva nodded. Wondering at the irony of the situation: that the wizard who had created the poison should be destined to be it's first drinker. Impaled by one's own sword, one might say. Though of course, she though with a surge of affection for the Potions Master, he had been ordered to create it. He had just been following orders of He-Must-Not-Be-Named, and he did not deserve the pain. And yet, did any of them deserve what they were going through? Dumbledore, Harry, Snape, Lupin, the Weasleys...All who were dead. Who had died fighting for all they believed it. She gave a small sigh. Sometimes, when she let herself be overcome by reality, she frowned at the injustice of the world. Questioned the decisions of Fortune and Destiny, the discrimination of Happiness and the mercylessness of Sorrow.

'I cannot help being relieved it was not Severus who encountered the dementors.'

The old man mumbled as he stroked the sleeping man's face tenderly, more to himself than anyone. Minerva frowned slightly.

'How come? He is a powerful wizard, he wouldn't have any trouble fending them off.'

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, his blue eyes still locked on the young man held in his arms.

'Severus could not have fought the dementors.'

Mcgonagall frowned more deeply, and threw the old man a bewildered look.

'While Severus was at school... His Defence Against the Dark Arts professor never came to me with any complains...but, there was an incident that he thought he should bring to my attention.' Dumbledore paused and inspected the face contorted in pain, the ache in his heart matching.

'While learning the Patronus Charm in his sixth year, Severus was unable to comply. Everyone had managed to conjure one. After all, it is not very difficult in a sunny classroom with no dementors near. But, alas, Severus had not been able to.'

Minerva knew some wizads were more easily overcome by dementors than others. Some, because they had known little sadness and horror and were easy prey to it. Other because they had had too much sorrow and dreadfulness and could no longer fight it. But everyone she had known and knew had been able to conjure a patronus, if only in a lighted classroom.

'Why?'

She whispered softly, watching Dumbledore's steady gaze locked on the Potion Master.

'He could not summon any happy memories. Can you believe it?'

He responded, voice breaking. Tears sprang to his eyes and strayed down into the white pool.

'Nothing he remembered was happy enough to create a patronus. He had pleasant memories, but all were mixed with grief and darkness...And no one ever noticed. No one ever knew.'